Kiss the Girl

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione weren't allowed out of Muggle London until after midnight. Right now they were stuck there, and Harry couldn't possibly take them all home on one broom, let alone fly it with Muggles around. They all decided it would be best to wait in an old pub at the end of the street. It was indeed the pub that through the back door was the secret entrance to Diagon Alley. But at the moment, the entrance was magically sealed, the reason unknown.

At the moment, it was just Harry, Ron and Ginny. They were waiting the arrival of Hermione, whom was being driven there by her parents. They were going to Diagon Alley to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for two nights and then leaving for Kings Cross.

"When is Hermione going to get here?" Ron complained. The three were sitting around a large round table with their trunks next to them on the floor.

"It wouldn't make a difference really would it, if she were here," said Harry.

"We'd still be bloody bored and have to wait for midnight," Ginny added.

"Yeah, but still," Ron sighed. Ginny and Harry exchanged glances. They had sensed why Ron acted so strangely last year, and were determined to get him to do what he's wanted to do for a long time, though not let him know of course.

The front door of the pub swung open. A girl of about fifteen, wearing a gray pleated skirt, a blue turtleneck sweater, and had undistinguishable bushy brown hair stepped in. She was dragging two large trunks behind her and there was a ginger haired cat sitting on her shoulder.

"Oi! Hermione!" Ron called. He waved over at Hermione to come join their table. Hermione dragged her load over with some difficulty, sat down and laid Crookshanks on one of her Hogwarts trunks.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting to long," she heaved.

"Not at all," greeted Harry.

"So Hermione," started Ginny, "how was your summer?"

"Not too interesting...it's hard learning spells when you can't actually practice them." Hermione responded.

"So," said Ron hopefully, "you didn't go the Bulgaria for the summer?"

"No, I couldn't. My parents didn't want me off with some strange foreign boy, who didn't even know how to pronounce my name, let alone three years older than me." Hermione explained. Ron sighed. ("Relieved probably," Harry whispered to Ginny.)

"You, er, look nice Hermione," complimented Ron. Hermione gave him a surprised yet warm smile.

"Thanks," she said awkwardly. Ginny looked at Harry, and Harry looked at Ginny. Ginny nodded in the direction of Ron and Hermione. A sly grin came across Harry's face, and he nodded.

"Ehem," nudged Harry. He gave something to Ron under the table. It was a hearing aid.

"What-" Ron started but Ginny interrupted.

"Eh, excuse us guys, I'm going to, er, get some butterbeers. Harry, come help, I only have two hands," she winked at Ron.

"Yeah, we'll be right back," Harry said. Ron gave Harry a confused glimpse. He gave him a look that said 'What the hell do you want me to do with these?'

"Just put them on and listen to us," Harry whispered. He patted him on the shoulder, smiled at Hermione and got up from the table. Harry followed Ginny in the general direction of the counter, but instead slipped out of the back door.

"Okay, you got the tape?" Harry asked.

"Right here," said Ginny reaching into her skirt pocket. She pulled out a pink colored cassette tape covered in red hearts. She pulled out a tape player and put in the tape. Then Ginny plugged in two headphones, gave one pair to Harry and put on the other.

"How did you get that stuff anyway?" asked Harry.

"Dad, what did you think?" Ginny responded. Then she held the cassette player in front of Harry.

"Okay, when I press this button," Ginny instructed pointing to a blue button on the tape player, "Ron can hear us when we talk. And when I press this red button, both Ron and us can hear the tape."

"Got it," said Harry. He put on his pair of headphones and looked through a small window looking into the pub. "How did you know this window looks over our table?"

"After years of going to Diagon Alley, you think I'd notice it," replied Ginny. "Ok ready?" Ginny asked with her finger readied on the blue button. Harry nodded 'yes' and Ginny pushed the button.

"Ron, Ron can you hear us?" said Harry into a microphone in the tape player. "Nod a bit if yes."

The two looked into the window and Ron was looking around to see where they were. He spotted them in the window and nodded.

"What are you doing?" he said under his breath.

"What was that?" they heard Hermione say.

"What are they doing? I mean, it can't take that long for a couple of butterbeers."

"Nice recovery," complimented Harry. Ron gave a look through the window that said 'I try'. "Ok, now make your move."

"What move?" asked Ron, while Hermione was fidgeting around in her seat trying to get a look at the counter to see what the hold up was.

"You know, your 'move'? C'mon Ron...kiss Hermione? You know you want to," said Ginny.

"How did you- well even if I did, how would you know?"

"Oh, like you haven't made it absolutely clear that you have a little crush on Hermione," Ginny whispered. "We all know,"

"Really," said Ron, going red in the face, "well...what's your plan?"

"Knew he'd go with us," Ginny said to Harry.

"Well, first you have to talk to her. You know, compliment her, or you can just tell her how you feel," said Harry.

"Are you trying to make me look stupid?" said Ron a bit angrily. "I can't possibly tell her that I think about her day and night, and how sorry I am for bickering with her, that she's brilliant and-"

"Just tell her that!" said Ginny shrilly.

"Exactly what you said to us," added Harry.

"Ok, I'll try," Ron agreed.

"Yes!" said Harry to Ginny and they gave each other a high five. "Ok, now all you need is a bit of background music."

"Background music?" echoed Ron.

"Yeah, background music. You know, to get you in the mood," informed Ginny, "and to give you some advice."

"So we don't have to say anything! We just watch and listen," Harry informed.

"Ok," Ron sighed. "Let's do it."

Ginny pushed the red button and the music started...

[There you see her,

Sitting there across the way

She don't got a lot to say

But there's something about her]

Ron gave them a weird look. "What kind of music is this?"

"Will you just listen?" hissed Ginny. And the music continued...

[And you don't know why

But you're dying to try

You wanna kiss the girl

Yes, you want her

Look at her you know you do

Possible she wants you too

But there's one way to ask her]

"True," he said quietly agreeing with what the song was suggesting.

"C'mon Ron! Do something already!" murmured Harry.

"Okay, okay, I'm working on it. These types of things need wording out y'know," Ron answered. Then Hermione sat back down properly in her seat and turned to Ron.

[It don't take a word

Not to say a word

Go on and...

Kiss the girl]

"Now!" said Harry and Ginny at once. Ron took a deep breath and started.

"Here he goes!" Ginny whispered excitedly to Harry. They couldn't hear what he was saying too well, but they could see that Ron's face was pink and growing red. The words stopped in the song, but the music kept playing. Harry turned to Ginny and bowed dramatically.

"May I have this dance?" he asked sarcastically. Ginny faced Harry and curtsied.

"Yes, you may," she said, trying not to laugh. Harry held Ginny's hand, and put his other hand on her waist. Ginny held Harry's hand in return and put her remaining hand on his shoulder, and they started to do a waltz whilst trying not to laugh.

Harry and Ginny continued dancing, Ginny in the meanwhile mumbling the dance steps, and took quick glances at how Ron was doing.

"Good so far," reported Ginny as Harry twirled her around. Harry then smiled and they continued dancing. Then, among one of Harry's glances through the window, he had noticed Ron had now completely gone red. Ginny and Harry stopped doing their waltz when the words joined the music in the song...

[Now's your moment

Floating in a blue lagoon

You better do it soon no time would be better...

She don't say a word

And she won't say the word until you

Kiss the girl]

And with those last five words of the verse, Ron leaned in. Now Harry and Ginny were singing along with the song, smiling uncontrollably.

[Sha la la la la la

Don't be scared

You got the moves prepared

Go on and kiss the girl]

Now Ron had completely leaned in and his lips touched Hermione's, and they kissed.

"Ah!" squealed Ginny. "I've been waiting so long for this," she said as she wiped away a pretend tear.

"So touching," Harry said sarcastically, "think we should walk in now? It doesn't take ten minutes to get butterbeer."

"Not now, we'll ruin their moment!" Ginny answered. The two of them stared into the pub on Ron and Hermione.

"Did you know Hermione liked Ron?" Harry questioned Ginny.

"Not exactly, but from what she told me, and the way she acted when I asked her about Ron, I could tell," Ginny explained. Harry nodded indicating he understood. Then, through the window, they saw Ron and Hermione begin to pull away.

"Is that...music?" Hermione asked Ron. She had obviously heard the music through Ron's hearing aid.

"Music? What music?" Ron questioned trying to look clueless.

"Okay, lets go," said Ginny. She stopped the tape player, pulled off her headphones and opened the back door, Harry following not far behind. Ginny slipped silently through the door into the bustling pub. On the counter lay four unattended butterbeers.

"Just grab two, we'll leave some money later." Harry instructed. Ginny and Harry both picked up two butterbeers and headed over to the table where Ron and Hermione were waiting for them.

"Where have you two been?" Hermione asked. She looked from Harry to Ginny and then Ginny to Harry.

"Getting butterbeers of course," said Ginny, "they couldn't get them fast enough, they had to wash a couple cups and..."

"There was also a couple in front of us. They must have asked for everything they served." Harry finished. Ginny mouthed 'thanks,' in his direction. Then Harry and Ginny set down their drinks and joined them again at the table, getting strange looks from Hermione (though she was wrapping her hair around her finger fervently).

"So what did you two talk about while we were gone?" Ginny asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks. Ron's ears grew pink and Hermione blushed furiously. They were gaping for words.

"What?" Harry said. He winked at Ginny. Obviously, she knew exactly what to say.

"It's not like you kissed the girl," Ginny said to Ron. Ron was looking around the pub as if what he was about to say next were written on the wall somewhere. As for Hermione, she kept her mouth shut. Harry looked at Ginny and nodded. She nodded back and they began to start singing softly in unison.

"You gotta kiss the girl, sha la la la la la music plays, do what the music says...you wanna kiss the girl..."

Hermione looked at Ron suspiciously. "Wasn't that the music?" she asked slowly. Ron shrugged.

"What music?" Ron said, though trying not to smile.