Ti Amo

It's just a phase... you can sort this all out, the parents never even have to know. Something like this would break their hearts, their only girl... the youngest... becoming a pervert... You just need to think... Come on - THINK...

A smirk broke out across Ron's face.

Perfect... Brilliant plan... has to work...definitely...

~*~

Ginny sat across from Hermione in the library, researching a Potions essay. She was finding it hard to concentrate though, as various things kept distracting her.

If only she'd just take her tongue out of her cheek... stop running her hand through her hair... crinkling her nose up... furrowing her brow... sighing happily whenever she finds a particularly useful piece... chewing on her thumbnail when things aren't going her way... this is useless... I'm never going to get any work done at this rate

Ginny looked down, rather regretfully, at the empty pages and the book open on page one.

Ok I give in... it's not like I'm complaining about the cause of my concentration problems...

Hermione glanced across, and was surprised to see Ginny staring up at her, head resting on the table.

"Uh... Gin... Why are you lying on the table?"

"My arm got tired from holding up my head, so I gave it a rest."

Hermione grinned.

So cute... so damm cute...Gin, you do realise HOW utterly cute you are, right?

"Oh, so you're finished your homework then?

"Um. Actually. No. I was wondering if you'd help me with it. Please?"

~*~

"She's in the library. I saw her in there a few minutes ago."

"Thanks mate."

Ron strode off in the direction of the library, having decided to put his plan into action immediately. In the murky darkness, it was hard to see anything apart from the dots of light coming from each occupied table. Ron squinted, and then gave up.

"Ginny?"

"Shush Mr. Weasley. People are trying to study." Madam Pince glared at him over the tops of her spectacles. Ron whispered an apology, and resigned himself to checking every table.

~*~

"No, it's you need to stir the potion seven times in a clockwise direction, and then four times diagonally. If you don't you might..."

Hermione took a deep breath. It was getting increasingly hard to focus, as Ginny was kneeling right beside her, one hand on the table, and one hand on Hermione's thigh. Ever so often she'd move her fingers, slowly edging up, leaving Hermione rather hot and bothered. The movement was supposedly automatic, as Ginny's eyes were fixed on the parchment, her full attention obviously on the task.

"Not get the result... you want... for...the...uh... thing."

Ginny shot questioning glance up at Hermione.

"Mione? You ok? You seem... flustered or something."

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just..." Hermione let her eyes wander down to Ginny's hand. Realisation hit Ginny, and she smirked.

"You have a problem with my hand being there? Don't like it maybe?"

Before Hermione could answer, a shout interrupted her.

"GINNY - What did I tell you before? Stay AWAY from that... disgusting... pervert."

"Oh, big words Ronnikins - Did you have to look up disgusting in the dictionary?"

"Can you just come with me for a minute. Without arguing. Without... her. I need to talk to you again."

"Not if you're going to try and convince me that what I'm doing is wrong."

A red-faced Madam Pince came to a halt next to the table, having just run from the opposite end of the room.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Weasley. Can you please keep it down? You are not miles apart. And Ms. Granger, I'm disappointed that you did not stop these two disrupting the peace and quiet. I would have expected better. I will be forced to remove you three from the library if this noise keeps up."

"Don't worry Ms. Pince, Myself and Ginny are just leaving," Ron shot a warning glare at Ginny, "Weren't we."

Hermione pulled Ginny down to her.

"Go with him, listen to what he has to say. Try and talk some sense into him. I'll see you later."

"Ok Ron, you have ten minutes."

~*~

"Right... so I've been thinking. You don't seem to think that the... thing... you are involved in is... wrong. So I was thinking that... maybe you needed a bigger view of things... so I was thinking...maybe...."

"Get to the point Ron. If I hear the words 'I've been thinking' once more, I'll have to put you out of your misery."

"Oh...right... anyway. What I've done is... you see...I was thinking," Ginny growled at the phrase, "The next Hogsmeade weekend is coming up and... I... I..."

"You? You? You? WHAT?"

"I set you up on a date. With Dean Thomas. You're meeting him in the Three Broomsticks at noon, and he said he'd buy you lunch and everything. Oh, and bring you on a romantic stroll too, up to the Shrieking Shack." Ron winked, thinking the 'romantic stroll' part must have clinched it.

"I have nothing to say to you, apart from these few words. You. Are. An. Idiot. I. Hate. You. Goodbye."

Ginny turned, and stormed off down the corridor. Just before she went out of sight, Ron called after her.

"You will go, won't you?"

Ginny answered by throwing her arm up into the air, a solitary finger proudly erect, politely declining the offer.

~*~

"He did WHAT?"

"You heard me. He tried to set me up with Dean."

"I don't think his plan is going to work... Dean is... otherwise occupied."

"With?"

"Oh, no one. But it is amazing what you pick up when you have the power to check the boy's dormitories, and walk around after lights out. My advice - Go on the date. It might help the Ron situation, and you'll be fine with Dean."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, I trust him with you alright. I'm sure you two have loads in common" Hermione smiled, and reached across to brush back a stray strand of flame coloured hair.

"In fact, I trust you with anyone. You're too sweet and kind to hurt me."

The same piece of hair was hurriedly pushed back again by nervous, embarrassed fingers. Hermione traced her fingertips down the side of Ginny's face, cupping her hand under the freckled chin.

"Sometimes I think you're too good for me Gin. What did I do to deserve you?"

"You were you." The response came seconds before Ginny leaned over and kissed Hermione.

"Ms. Weasley, Ms .Granger - That is NOT suitable behaviour for a library. If you must engage like that with each other, take it to a dormitory somewhere."

But the wide smile didn't leave Madam Pince for the rest of the day.

~*~

"Ginny?"

"Dean, how are you!" Ginny threw her arms around the boy's neck and ruffled his hair, putting on a star performance for Ron, who was watching her carefully from his place on the sidelines. He coughed slightly, and Dean turned to him.

"Right so... remember Thomas - She's my sister mate. Just... don't... touch her," Ron's awkwardness was tangible, almost floating in the air around him.

"Don't worry, I won't...uh... 'touch her'." Dean punched Ron playfully on the arm; "She's safe with me."

"Thanks mate. Well, see you two later. Have fun Ginny." The stress placed on 'have fun' riled Ginny.

"If he thinks that some stupid date with one of his geeky friends will make me forget all about Hermione, he has another thing coming," she muttered rather ominously under her breath. Dean looked at her strangely, and tightened his grip on her hand.

"Just shut up until we get out of his sight, will you?"

Ginny didn't say anything until they were in the Three Broomsticks. By then her mind had almost put two and two together.

"So...how's Neville?" The casual question didn't betray it's real meaning.

"Err...fine I suppose...why?"

"No reason... how's... Justin?"

"Fine too... I don't know him that well. Again, why?"

"Ok... how's," Ginny's forehead creased in thought, "Seamus?"

Dean spluttered, and butterbeer sprayed out his nose.

"I...err... uh... he's... uh...fine as well," and then at seeing Ginny's disbelieving look, "Ok - bloody marvellous... gorgeous... cute... but I'm sure he's fine too. Happy now?"

"Happy maybe, confused definitely. Why on earth did you come on this so-called date?"

"I could hardly refuse. What reason could I give? 'Oh, sorry mate, over the last couple of months I've realised that I'm completely gay and I shag Seamus Finnegan senseless almost every night in a bed less than ten feet away from yours? You saw how he reacted with you and Hermione. I'm afraid he'll cut my balls off when I'm asleep or something."

"I doubt that. He'd cut some other part off. He's too homophobic to touch any other guys...privates."

"Look, lets just make the best of it. Here, we'll drink to..."

"Gay solidarity!"

"To gay solidarity"

They clinked bottles, took a long draught and then erupted into giggles. Ron stood statue still in the doorway, horrified.