Sailing the Good Ship

Sailing the Good Ship

Alternate Scene 1: What's your scent?

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were on their way to the Great Hall following their first Potions lesson of the term.

"So what did you smell from that love potion cauldron?" Ron asked Harry curiously. Harry grinned.

"Treacle tart, a freshly-oiled broomstick handle, and some flowery scent. I couldn't quite place it, but I think I've smelled it at the Burrow."

Ron frowned slightly.

"I don't remember any flowery smells at my house," he commented. Then he shrugged. "Well, maybe I'm just used to it. Mine were Mum's kitchen, a leathery smell that reminded me of a Quaffle, and - here's the weird part - the library!"

"The library?" Harry laughed in disbelief.

"You're attracted to the library?" Hermione added with raised brows.

"Yeah - who'd've thought, right? But seriously, Hermione, it was exactly the way you smell after you've spent hours--" Ron broke off and stood stock-still as dawning comprehension appeared in his eyes and a flush began to creep up his neck. Harry and Hermione had also stopped. Hermione was looking at the floor, but Ron was gazing straight at her. Harry stood indecisively, caught between wanting to hear what would come next and desiring to give them some privacy. He decided to stay, partly because he would have to push past the other two to go on to dinner.

"Hermi--" Ron began, but his voice broke on the second syllable, so he cleared his throat and tried again. "Hermione, what was your third thing, the one you didn't want to tell the class?"

Ron looked as though he both longed and feared to hear the answer. Harry held his breath. Hermione slowly looked up, her cheeks turning pink.

"It was just like you smell, right after Quidditch practice," she admitted softly. The pair simply stood there for a moment, eyes locked. Harry was distracted from the scene by the same flowery scent he'd just smelled in the Potions dungeon. The owner of the scent had already begun to speak before he could turn to see who it was.

"Well, congratulations," said Ginny Weasley in a dry voice. "You've just realized you're attracted to each other. The rest of us figured that out two years ago. Now, why don't you go find a broom cupboard while the rest of us get some food? Coming, Harry?"

At her words, Harry snapped out of the sort of trance he'd been in and turned back towards the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione, instead of following Ginny's advice, came along, though they kept sneaking shy glances at each other.

Harry sighed inwardly, forgetting all about the flowery scent in his preoccupation with the new development in his best friends' relationship.

Alternate Scene 2: Ginny's Apology

As Harry and Hermione came back through the portrait hole after yet another evening in the library, Harry came to a decision. This distance between Hermione and Ron had gone on long enough. He'd already tried to get them to talk to each other, so it was clear he needed help.

Hermione, as usual, was prepared to go straight up to the dormitory to avoid being in the common room with Ron and Lavender. Harry stopped her and sat her down in a sofa by the fireplace instead.

"I'll be right back," he said. "Don't go anywhere."

Then, Harry went over to where Ginny was sitting with her boyfriend, Dean Thomas.

"Ginny, I need to speak with you," he said without preamble.

There must have been something very serious in his expression because she agreed immediately and said good-bye to Dean. Harry pushed away his own growing attraction for the redhead as he pulled her aside.

"You've got to help me with Ron and Hermione," he said. "After all, it's partly your fault they're not speaking. If you hadn't said those things to Ron--"

"You're blaming me?" she broke in, crossing her arms stubbornly. "Did I say anything that wasn't true?"

"Not as far as I know, but that's beside the point," he replied impatiently. "I think you owe Hermione an apology."

"For what?"

At first, Harry simply raised his eyebrows at her. When it seemed clear Ginny wasn't going to help him with this, he sighed.

"So that bit about Hermione and Krum wasn't told to you in confidence?"

Ginny tried to meet his eyes, but her cheeks were reddening. After a moment, she dropped her gaze, giving Harry all the answer he needed.

"What do you want me to do?" she said quietly, and Harry inwardly relaxed slightly.

"First, we have to bring Ron over here. Then, I want you to apologize to Hermione for telling Ron about her kissing Krum. That's really the thing that upset him the most, after all. Hopefully, once they understand what the problem between them was, they can start apologizing to each other."

"That's a really big IF, you know," Ginny pointed out.

"I have to do something," Harry answered, spreading his hands wide. "All three of us are miserable, and it's really quite stupid." He looked over to where Ron and Lavender were wrapped around each other.

"Well, I guess I'd better go get him," he said, steeling himself.

"No; I'll do it," Ginny replied with a look of grim anticipation. "I think I'll enjoy it more than you."

Seeing that she was well on her way, Harry went back over to where Hermione was pretending to read a book.

"OK, look, Ginny's going to bring Ron over here in a minute," he began.

"I have nothing to say to him," Hermione gritted out.

"I know," Harry said coolly. "Ginny has something to say to you, and we want Ron to hear it. So please humor me."

Hermione's lips thinned to almost nothing, reminding Harry slightly of Professor McGonagall, but she put down her book and sat up stiffly.

For his part, Ron wasn't thrilled when he discovered where his sister was leading him.

"You lied to me!" he accused angrily, trying to pull away from Ginny.

"Sit down," Harry ordered authoritatively, indicating the chair across from Hermione. Reluctantly, Ron sat. "Ginny has something to say."

Harry gestured to Ginny, who moved to stand beside Hermione.

"Hermione, I'm really sorry. A few weeks ago, I betrayed your confidence. I didn't mean to, but I was mad at Ron, and I told him that...you'd kissed Viktor."

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped out, glancing over at Ron for the first time. Even as Ginny continued, Harry saw Hermione's eyes narrow in thought as she began doing the math on when Ron had first started treating her strangely.

"I know; it just slipped out," Ginny went on. "I think, well, he was sort of...saving himself...for you, and when he found out that you hadn't done the same, it hurt him. It didn't help that I needled him about being inexperienced. And told him to get some snogging done."

This last was said very quietly and quite fast, as Ginny seemed to realize the effect of her careless words.

Recovering herself, however, she turned to Ron for a moment, surprising Harry.

"I'm sorry for the things I said and how I said them," she said to her brother. "I was angry and embarrassed, so I lashed out. A family trait, I'm afraid.

"Anyway," Ginny continued, addressing Hermione again, "I suppose that, when Ron found out you'd snogged someone else, he thought he'd better find someone, too. To get experience or to make things equal, or maybe just to hurt you as much as he'd been hurt. I don't know. Illogical, but boys in love can be like that."

"In love?" Hermione asked in a faint voice.

"At heart, my brother is a one-woman man," was Ginny's reply. "You're the only one he's ever wanted, and I'm sorry I screwed that up."

Ginny now backed up a step and gave her final word.

"Ron, Hermione wasn't trying to hurt you when she kissed Viktor, but I was trying to hurt you when I told you about it. So be mad at me, not her. Now, I think you have some apologizing of your own to do."

Ginny and Harry retreated from the couple to let them talk privately.

"How did I do?" Ginny asked.

"You were wonderful," Harry said sincerely. "The rest is up to them."

He and Ginny stood there, a bit awkwardly, as if wondering what to do next.

"Well, thanks," Harry said.

"You're welcome," Ginny answered, taking that as her cue to return to her boyfriend. Over her shoulder, she added, "I hope things work out."

Harry looked back over to his two best friends. Ron was holding Hermione's hand now, apparently speaking earnestly to her. Clearly, they needed a great deal of time yet to work things out. Harry decided to retire to his dormitory. Hopefully, things would look better in the morning.