It Must Be Love

There was a week left to Hermione's birthday - a week! And Ron still hadn't decided on a gift. He was beginning to panic about it now. How could he not have decided yet? He had been thinking for months! This was important, he had to get her something worthwhile

Ron was sat in the boys' dormitory, it was a late Friday night, and everyone was excited about the trip to Hogsmeade the next day, so it was crowded and noisy - very hard to concentrate. All the boys were having a fierce pillow fight, using the banishing charm to fling the soft pillows across the room at their target. In their excitement however, their aim was poor and so the pillows often ended up knocking quills and parchment off desks, whilst inkwells exploded onto the red carpet.

Harry stopped and looked over at Ron, who sat cross-legged on his bed, staring blankly ahead of him, seemingly unaware of the pillows soaring above his head. Harry paid for his lapse in concentration with a pillow hitting him on the side of his head. Turning, he grinned at Dean (who had banished it), and then strode over to Ron.

"You alright?" Harry asked in concern, sitting opposite Ron. Ron jumped at Harry's voice, for he hadn't even noticed as he sat down. He looked up in surprise.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine... Why?" He was suspicious - what did Harry care whether he sat there or not? Was there some kind of law that said he couldn't just sit in silence for a few minutes or something? What was Harry up to? He didn't... know, did he?

"No reason," Harry said, taken aback... Maybe Ron had been sharper than he'd meant to be, "It's just that you've been getting so quiet and withdrawn lately... Hermione and me have been worried about you. What's up?"

Ron's ears went red. "Nothing. I'm sorry I snapped at you." And he meant it too. He hadn't realised just how isolated and quiet he was becoming, and he didn't want to hurt Harry or Hermione... especially Hermione, but he was spending as much time as he could thinking of a gift. He did however, realise that his sudden silences and quick temper must have been worrying his friends.

Harry shook his head and smiled, dismissing Ron's apology. "Don't worry about it." He stood up and retrieved his wand, "And if you feel like talking..." He left the sentence unfinished, but the meaning wasn't lost on Ron. He knew Harry was there for him, it was just too bad that he couldn't confide this particular problem in Harry. He wouldn't understand. Ron however, was becoming desperate, and was willing to try anything... anything but Harry.

A poorly aimed pillow sent from Neville suddenly hit Ron hard around the head. He was dazed for a moment, but when he looked around, he saw Neville beside him, grinning guiltily and reaching for the pillow.

"Sorry about that, Ron. Dean hit me with a pillow when I was banishing it, so..." he faded off - Ron was looking daggers at him. Weeks and weeks of frustration and remorse spilled over as Neville reached for the pillow. Before he realised what he was doing, Ron had reached over, grabbed the pillow, and thrown it as hard as he could at Neville.

"Get lost all right? I'm going to bed!" And with that, he pulled the curtains shut around his four-poster bed, threw himself onto his front, and lay there fuming. He was surprised at himself though, he hadn't meant it, but he was just so frustrated. Ron didn't want to hurt or concern anybody else. It was time to get help.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ginny, I need to speak to you." It was early Saturday morning, and not many people were up. On the Griffindor table, only a few people were breakfasting - there couldn't have been more than twenty. He had just come in and had found Ginny eating alone, obviously in a rush. He knew why she was eating so quickly; it was for the same reason that he knew she would be there so early. He was just glad that she was alone. Ron had just whispered into her ear, and she was looking up at him curiously.

"Go on then. I'm listening."

"No, in private."

"Ron, there's no-one here, you cant get much more private than this!" Ginny said, grinning slightly.

"Fine," Ron said, and he collapsed into the empty seat beside her. "I need to speak to you about today..."

"Oh for God's sake Ron, will you leave me alone about the boys I date! That's my business, not yours so just drop it, OK?" she cut across him, whispering furiously - she was sick of him trying to tell her what boys were good enough to date.

Ron grinned, "No, it's not that - although I don't exactly approve of Michael Kingswood. He's way too old for you, Gin, you're just sixteen... he's eighteen in like, what? A month? Bloody hell Ginny, the guy's too old for me!" He stopped there. Ginny wore a dangerous expression, and he couldn't risk her anger - not today.

"Yeah, well... I didn't come here to talk about Michael, but do you think you could make your date quick?" He looked at her imploringly, and her look of anger turned to slight annoyance, but he could see a gleam of curiosity in her eyes.

"Why?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Because... Because I need you to come shopping with me later," he finished lamely.

Ginny snorted into her Corn Flakes.

"What? What's so funny?" Ron asked as she continued to giggle.

"Oh, Ron! You sound like such a girl! What do you need me to take you shopping for? Bras? Knickers perhaps?"

Ron hesitated for a moment after this statement, and then slowly, he replied, "Yeah... possibly."

Ginny stopped laughing at once and looked Ron up and down, a look of shock on her face. Ron went a deep shade of scarlet, and realisation dawned upon Ginny.

"Ohhh! Who is she?" she asked excitedly.

Ron went - if possible - redder still. Ginny thought for a moment, and then gasped and looked up into his eyes, "Oh, Ron... It's Hermione isn't it?"

Slowly, Ron nodded, keeping his eyes to the floor.

"I thought you liked her, you always seem different around her... I don't think anyone else notices though," she said quickly, trying to reassure him, for he had just looked up in horror. "I only noticed 'cos I've been living with you for so long - I have to notice these things in my favourite big brother," she grinned and put an arm over his shoulder.

"What about Bill?"

"He abandoned me to go to Egypt. And you'd better not do the same while we're on the subject!"

"So you'll help me?"

"Course!" Ginny said, "Why are you shopping for her anyway? What does she need?"

"It's her birthday, Gin!" Ron cried incredulously. "This is big! I can't mess up!"

"Oh yeah! I should get her something too... don't worry though; I'll give you dibs on the best present. Right, I'll meet up with you in The Three Broomsticks at two fifteen, OK? That'll give you a good hour or so to traipse round Hogsmeade with Harry and Hermione... we can go in at one thirty right? Good. I'll be on that little round table in the far corner, by the windows."

"Yeah, and it'll give you and Michael good time to finish your date, right?" Ron muttered it, but Ginny still heard. She scowled and removed her arm from his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's right. I'll see you there - don't be late." And with that, Ginny grabbed some toast and swept out of the Great Hall, leaving Ron alone at the table, feeling a little better, but nowhere near entirely. He couldn't wait for Hermione's birthday, yet he was dreading the day it came.