Jigsaw Puzzle

Ginny burst out laughing.

"You said you wouldn't laugh, Ginny, and it's not funny!" said Ron indignantly, turning as red as his hair.

"Sorry, Ron," Ginny apologized when she recovered. "I don't want to embarrass you. You know what? I'm not going to ask you any questions or anything, okay?"

"Okay...Sure," Ron mumbled doubtfully.

"Except...Why exactly are you telling me this?"

"Well...I guess I just had to tell someone...so I wouldn't go completely insane," Ron mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Ah." Ginny looked quite serious, but the corners of her mouth were twitching, and it was obvious that she was trying not to grin.

"You think this is absolutely hilarious, don't you?"

"No...No, of course not! Okay, Maybe just a little, but I want to help you."

"How?"

"I could give you some advice."

"Why should I trust advice from you?"

"Well why'd you tell me if you're not going to let me help you?"

"I don't know. It certainly hasn't helped me much."

Ginny started to lose her temper. "Well what exactly are you going to do without my help? You don't have any idea what, do you?"

"Yeah, I do."

"What?"

"I won't do anything. This is probably just a stupid, weird phase. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I'll just wait for it to pass."

"Ron, You can't just-"

Ron didn't wait for Ginny to finish her sentence. He was already walking back upstairs to his room.

"It's just a phase. Just a stupid phase," Ron told himself over and over as he went down to breakfast the next morning.

Ron's eyes immediately went to Hermione when he entered the kitchen. She looked up, and their eyes met. Her eyes were angry. She was still angry with him.

Ron quickly looked away. "What were we arguing about?" he thought. "Oh, yes. Viktor Krum." Anger filled him again just thinking about that stupid ugly Quidditch player, and he imagined that his piece of toast was Krum as he tore it apart.

Ron and Hermione didn't speak a word to each other. Harry kept glancing from one to the other, trying to start a conversation between them, but to no avail. Ginny also occasionally glanced from one to the other. Everyone else pretended not to notice.

"Anyone fancy a bit of Quidditch?" inquired Fred when breakfast was over.

"Of course!" said Ron through a mouthful of toast, Harry nodding fervently.

"Ronald Weasley! How many times have I told you not to talk with your mouth full?" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"Sorry, Mum."

When they were all showered and dressed, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George headed to the small Weasley pasture, and passed several happy hours there. Four certainly wasn't enough for a proper game, but divided into two teams, with a Chaser and a Keeper on each, and an apple for a Quaffle, they had almost as much fun, and Krum and Hermione were off of Ron's mind for a while.

Many more idle summer hours were spent playing Quidditch, swimming, and in other enjoyable pastimes. Ron spent most of his days out-of-doors, primarily because he wanted to avoid Ginny and Hermione as much as possible. However, much sooner than Ron would have liked, summer was drawing to a close.

Hogwarts letters arrived, and the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione went on the annual shopping trip to Diagon Alley. Ron was surprised to receive new, blue velvet dress robes from Fred and George, who said that they were from Harry.

"You didn't need to do that, Harry," Ron said later, back at the Burrow.

"Do what?'

"Get me those new dress robes." Ron's ears went slightly pink.

"Oh. That." Harry grinned. "Don't mention it. I know how much you hated your old ones."

Ron nodded. He was grateful, but it always made him uncomfortable and rather jealous that Harry had so much more money than he did. "It must be nice," he thought bitterly.

That night, Ron imagined what he'd buy if he had as much money as Harry. "I'd buy a nice owl; a much better owl than that git Pigwidgeon. Then I'd buy a Firebolt. Then new robes so I wouldn't have to wear hand-me-downs..." He thought all of this until he fell asleep.