After the War

Hermione was frozen to the spot for several moments as the expression on Ron's face echoed through her brain.

"Hermione?" Harry asked tentatively, "Hermione, are you okay?"

Hermione sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm fine Harry," she said exasperated.

"Before you go nail him," Harry said chuckling to himself, "cut him some slack. Everyone knows he's crazy about you. He's just afraid to lose you."

Hermione closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Harry, why should he be afraid of losing me? I mean, I-I kissed him didn't I?" she said, her voice getting higher with every word.

"He has his reasons for worrying," Harry replied and with a swift look at Hermione added, "I can't tell you. He has to when he's ready. But I'm begging you to cut him some slack and just go sort this thing out."

Hermione nodded and the two of them walked into the house. One of them was frustrated. The other was chuckling.

When the two friends entered the back door of the house and walked into the sitting room, they found Ginny Weasley sitting on the sofa. She was wearing a red and gold Gryffindor sweater with blue jeans and had her hair loose around her face. She was reading the latest copy of Witch Weekly, which had a picture of Harry grinning on the cover. She was seemingly unaware of the situation brewing around her.

"Hey Gin," Harry said.

Ginny folded her magazine and put it down.

"Hey Harry, Hermione," she replied.

Hermione merely waved and continued up the stairs and out of sight. As soon as she left, Ginny sniggered into her hand.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "May I ask what is so funny?"

"I see we're making progress," Ginny replied composing herself.

Harry's expression turned into a smirk. "How'd you know?"

"I knew you and Hermione had gone out into the garden, and I saw Ron go out the back door looking for you. Next thing I knew, he was storming into his room. It was obvious wasn't it? I knew Hermione wasn't in love with you," she explained. She looked down and picked up her magazine. Her face looked faintly pink and she was clenching her jaw.

Harry felt awkward standing there watching her. Harry and Ginny, like Ron and Hermione, still had not patched things up between them since the end of the war.

Harry cleared his throat and made his way over to sit on the couch as well.

"What are you reading?" he asked as he looked at his own face on the cover of Witch Weekly.

"An article on the hottest single wizards. Can you believe it? Only a few weeks after the war and they're printing this trash!" she said fiercely throwing the magazine to the floor and glaring at the cover.

Harry cringed at her words. For the second time today he was ready for a heart felt conversation.

"Ginny," he started, gaining her eye contact, "I think we should talk a-about us."

The brick wall that had built up in Ginny's eyes for a year softened into pools of warm chocolate as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Harry-" she started to say, but was cut off by the sound of a slamming door and hurried footsteps overhead.

Harry glanced at the stairs quickly and then back at Ginny and noticed that the brick wall in her eyes had returned.

"Here we go again," Harry sighed. He started to stand up when Ginny grabbed his wrist.

"I'll talk to Hermione. You should try to clear things up with Ron. I expect you will be able to," she said standing and meeting him full gaze. "We'll talk later."

Harry nodded and together they headed up the stairs. When they reached the platform that led to the door to Ginny's room, Ginny and Harry both paused. Ginny knocked softly on the door.

"Hermione," she called softly, "Hermione, are you all right?"

As Ginny turned the doorknob and opened the door quietly, Harry could hear muffled sobs coming out of the room.

"Go!" Ginny hissed through her teeth as she shut the door behind her.

With the door shut in his face, Harry turned and quickly pattered up the stairs. When he reached Ron's room, he raised his hand and knocked firmly on the door.

"Ron!" he called strongly. "We need to talk now! I'm coming in!"

Harry opened the door to find Ron leaning against his window frame and glaring outside.

"What do you want?" he asked hotly.

Harry expected the temperature to rise several degrees as he stepped into the room. Not only was Ron's anger seething hot, but the room was bright orange like the inside of a furnace.

"How can you do this to her, Ron?" Harry said angrily.

"Do what? Care about her?" he retorted, continuing to look out the window.

Harry shut the door behind him a little harder than he planned.

"No, Ron. How could you make her squirm under your thumb? You're breaking her!"

"Yeah right, she doesn't care about me!" he barked. "You two obviously love each other! Why don't you just sod off and go get married?"

"Come off it! Yeah I love Hermione, but I'm not in love with her. She's like my sister. She fancies you Ron!"

Harry approached Ron who was still gazing out the window, and put a hand on his shoulder. Harry felt Ron's shoulders drop. He followed his gaze out the window and noticed that Ron had a perfect view of Ginny's open window. He could see Hermione lying on a bed with her face in a pillow and Ginny sitting next to her with a comforting hand on her back.

"Ron-"

"I'm sorry," Ron barely whispered with a shaky exhale.

Harry did not reply.

"Harry, I flipped at her. I was totally out of place. She tried to talk to me and I ignored her. I'm such a prat."

"Ron, she'll forgive you, she always does," Harry comforted while gripping his shoulder a little tighter.

Ron shook his head. "It was bad Harry. She tried to ask me to come to Australia with her. I told her to stuff it- to take you instead."

"Ron I've told you before, it's not like that. She's like my sister," Harry quietly said.

A few moments silence ensued Harry's comment. Harry could feel Ron's shoulders shaking ever so slightly. It was as if his very core was trembling with regret and sorrow, radiating out to the extensions of his body.

Harry took a deep breath, released his hold on Ron and walked across his room to the door.

"I'm going to check on Hermione. I think she needs it right now," he said.

Ron merely nodded.

"Hey," Harry said with a grin, attempting to lighten the mood. "It'll be okay. You should know the routine by now, mate."

Ron turned to look at Harry for the first time since he entered the room and gave feeble attempt of a grin, but no words were exchanged.

Harry left the room feeling that the whole situation was slightly ridiculous. Was he the only one who hadn't realized that the romantic tension was this high? This was the first time in their lives since they had known each other that they were not living with the threat of Voldemort, and problems that had been previously suppressed were now flourishing in their newly acquired freedom.

With the door shut behind him, Harry could feel the mood lift immediately. He pondered the situation from a third person's perspective as he mad his way down to Ginny's room. He mused at the humor in the situation to those who knew Ron and Hermione and made a mental not to tell this story at their wedding.

Harry abruptly stopped walking at this notion.

"Wedding?" he said out loud.

How could he possible be thinking about a wedding for Ron and Hermione? They were only eighteen! But for some reason he couldn't get the notion out of his head. He began to walk again and laughed softly out loud.

That's because they practically are married, he thought. They already bicker like a married couple. Why not?

His thoughts were cut off by Ginny's looming door.

"Well," Harry said softly, "here we go, round two!"