A Rose Without Thorns

Three weeks had passed since Ginny was sent into St. Mungo's hospital. Three busy weeks had passed by for Harry. Harry kept busy by helping Fred and George at the joke shop, and babysitting for Fred and Angelina whenever they needed the help. There were Order meetings to go to, as well as press conferences for the Ministry to attend. Harry and Hermione spent the later weeks of Ginny's stay at St. Mungo's arranging a safe way to get Ginny home. She would be back just in time to celebrate her 23rd birthday, and everyone agreed that an adults only sit down dinner after the Order meeting would suit them all just fine.

"You feeling aright?" Harry asked Ginny, as she brushed her hair in the mirror of their bedroom.

"Just fine," she assured Harry.

"If you're not up to it-"

"I'll be fine, Harry," Ginny interjected in a manor that vaguely reminded Harry of professor McGonagall.

"Alright Ginny. It's almost time," Harry said.

"I'm ready," Ginny said, pinning a amethyst clip in her long, flowing red hair, "There. Do I look OK?" Ginny asked Harry as she stood up and smoothed out her skirt.

"You look beautiful," Harry said.

"I know they're all expecting me to look like hell after the last few weeks," Ginny whispered under her breath.

"Don't worry about it. They'll understand. Back to life as usual, just like Dumbledore says," Harry said, taking Ginny's delicate ivory hand in his and leading her out to the door.

"Speaking of good old Dumbledore, have you seen him lately?" Ginny questioned after an unusual silence. The two were now on the sidewalk, surrounded by various muggle couples who shared an apartment building with them.

"No, I haven't," Harry said, waving to Courtney and Eric, a very handsome couple who lived directly below them. ("When's the wedding?" Eric asked Harry. "On September the 27th," Harry responded. "See you guys later." )

"Seriously. You don't think it's a bit odd, " Ginny said at the same time, drawing her mouth close to his ear and lowering her voice, "that he didn't come by to see me once in the whole three weeks that I was in St. Mungo's?"

"He's very busy Ginny. I'm sure he-"

"Harry, no one else may have noticed, but I have noticed; seeing as I've been able to do nothing but observe in the past few weeks, that it's like Dumbledore's not there at all. He keeps sending in instructions with Fawkes. You don't think that perhaps, just maybe, he's under the control of the imperious curse?"

"Ginny, how many times do we have to go through this," Harry stated, rather then asked.

"Dumbledore is almost as protected as Voldemort himself. He's a great occulmens. There's no way that anyone could get close enough to curse him," Harry said.

"Well, I have a better idea about that," Ginny said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked Ginny as if she were three years old.

"Oh, don't use that tone of voice with me. I've thought this through a lot before. What if he- the person to put the curse on him- was one of us?"

"Oh, so now Tonks is set out to kill him!" Harry mused.

"No, not Tonks. I was thinking someone a bit more low key, like Oliver Wood," Ginny said.

"Wood? Look, Gin, I'd really stop it if I were you. People are going to think you really were affected by that curse."

"Did it ever occur to you that Wood, just like Dumbledore, has been missing for the past few weeks? He didn't show up at the hospital either," Ginny said "I'm, worried about him. He's always been there before."

"I'm sorry to inform you, but you two are over now," Harry said softly.

"We've been over for almost four years, Harry!" Ginny shot back, "If he didn't get over me as fast as I got over him- well that's just his problem..." Ginny said, her voice trailing off.

"He's settled down, Gin. He's over you. He probably renewed his contract with the cannons anyway," Harry said.

"Oh, no. Oliver certainty didn't. I had a long talk with him about it..." Ginny said. The mension of a "long talk" with Wood sent Harry's heart into spasms. Harry and Oliver had always been on good terms, but after he stole Ginny from him upon his graduation from Hogwarts (Much to the dismay of Ron... and Harry, for that matter, who had been in love with her for many years prior), Harry had become very jealous of the older wizard.

"That doesn't matter," Ginny finished through clenched teeth.

"Oh, alright love," Harry said in his mocking tone. This frustrated Ginny even more. If there was one thing that Ginny despised, It was being patronized. She had been patronized for ten years by her brothers. She didn't need that from Harry, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hogwarts, 8 years prior

As November raged on, nothing of much importance happened at Hogwarts for Ginny or Harry, except for the Gryffindor vs. Slytheryn Match (Gryffindor won!). The upcoming Carriage ball was all that the talk around the castle was made up of. Every few feet, Harry would over hear someone spreading the latest gossip about the dance (" Did you hear who Finnegan's going with... Susan Bones! I know...... That's so sweet, she deserves him" ).

Upset at his current predicament, Harry turned a deaf ear to most of the comments about the ball he heard, opting to think about it only when the situation reared itself un ignorable. That time came a lot sooner then he had expected. When Harry walked into the common room on the night of December 12th, the dance being only 18 days away, reality caught up with Harry full throttle.

"Oi! Harry, come here," Ron said the moment Harry walked through the common room door.

"What's up?" Harry asked.

"This one over here," Ron pointed to Lavender Brown, "seems to want me to believe that there's something going on between the two of you," Ron said, pointing to a reddening Hermione.

"That's out of the question-" Harry said.

"Well, she sure puts up a good argument. Just look at all the time you two have spent together in the library- "

"Ron, don't be so thick!" Hermione interjected. "We've only been studying- you know, that's where you open up your notes (if you have any) and review them- for the Mid year exams. You know we wouldn't be going out, especially behind your back."

"Why would you be studying without inviting me, then?" Ron asked.

"Let's think, shall we? I did ask you, Ronald. You had other things to do," Hermione said, shooting a sharp glance at Lavender. "Things that I won't really discuss here, so I asked Harry instead."

"What things?" Ron asked impatiently.

"You know what things," Hermione said. Both Ron and Hermione had somehow ended up standing.

"Yeah, try me Hermione, I don't believe you. If you can't tell me, it must not be the truth," he said sharply.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Come out with it," Ron said. He had just stepped on her last nerve.

"YOU WERE OFF SNOGGING LAVENDER!" Hermione screamed. Ron fell silent at Hermione's sudden outburst. All heads turned to Harry.

"You were what?" Harry asked.

"Well, you see, I.... Erm... well... Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, things just-"

"I don't believe this," Harry said. "I thought you were my friend." Anger suddenly swelled inside of Harry, not because he had genuinely cared for Lavender, but at the fact that Ron would betray him .

"Harry, I am your friend. I just... " Ron tried to offer up an explanation, but nothing came to mind. He was stuck with the simple truth; he had snogged his best friend's girlfriend for no real reason and had (abet unintentionally) lead to their breakup.

"You're just what, Ron? At a loss for words I expect, because I am too," Harry yelled.

"Look, I didn't mean to do it. 'S not like I wanted to. She was just there. And I didn't try to stop her," Ron said.

"Oh, alright, so you didn't really want to do it then? Is that supposed to help me? You snog my girl, let her break up with me for you, and then have the nerve to tell me you didn't even want to?" Harry's frustration with Ron had reached an all time high. Did Ron really expect him to be so thick?

"No. I know it sounds wrong, but I just figured that when you found out, you wouldn't care because it meant nothing to me," Ron said.

"Is that how it works now? We can just make out with each other's girlfriends now in broad daylight in full confidence because, and I do quote, it meant nothing?" Harry raged on.

"That's not what I meant."

"But that is what you said."

"Well then I suppose that must be how it works, only I don't have a girl, so you'll be hard put to get back at me for what I-" Ron stopped in mid sentence, having just had the wind knocked out of him when Harry pushed him down on the floor. Both boys started fighting wildly.

"HARRY,RON, STOP! RON, YOU'RE A PREFECT. THIS ISN'T SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE. YOU COULD GET YOUR BADGE TAKEN AWAY! HARRY-PLEASE STOP! YOU'LL BOTH GET IN TROUBLE!" Hermione shrieked as the boys kept at it.

"You git, how dare you!" Harry screamed as he punched at Ron, clearly intending to do some serious damage. As if on cue, Ginny came rushing into the common room.

"Harry-Get-Off-Ron!" She muffed while trying to pry the boys apart. Hermione just watched in horror as the scene began to unfold it self. Once Ginny had successfully separated the two (which had taken several minutes as the boys lunged towards each other the second things really calmed down, forcing Ginny to resort to her mother's old standby; making the boys take seats opposite each other on the couch and sitting between the two to prevent further fighting) she asked what had just happened, and Hermione (being the only one without injuries) quickly volunteered the information.

"They were having a go at each other because- well, you know Ginny. That whole bit with... with... with Lavender" Hermione said, cringing a bit at the final few words. After a few minutes silence, Ginny spoke.

"This can be solved simply," she said. "Ron, you were wrong in kissing Lavender to begin with, so we'll start off by you apologizing to Harry," Ginny said.

"rryarry'tlneverappengain," Ron said softly.

"That won't do," Ginny said in her mock Molly Weasley voice.

"Harry I'm sorry and it will never happen again."

"Now, Harry, I think you should apologize to Ron for tackling him," she said.

"I'm sorry Ron," Harry said idly.

"Lavender, you should apologize to the three of them for starting the situation," Ginny said.

"How did I get involved?" Lavender asked in a nagging voice.

"Just do it," Ginny said sternly.

"I'm sorry, guys, " she said thoughtlessly and got up to go to her dorm. "Oh, and Ron. Would you go to the ball with me?"

"Erm-No" he said uneasily.

"Why, are you going with someone else?" asked Lavender, looking crushed.

"I'm not , but I was banking on it," Ron sputtered, causing his face to turn the infamous Weasley red.

"Oh- well- Goodnight," the girl said, disappearing into the darkness of the common room stairs.

Harry cast an uneasy smile in Ginny's direction, signifying that he knew who Ron had planned on taking, and Ginny raised an eyebrow at Hermione.

"You do know that the dance is only some eighteen days away, Ronald," Hermione said.

"Yes, I think I do. I'm not so thick that I can't read a calendar," Ron said.

"Well I just thought," Hermione paused for a few seconds while Harry and Ginny waited with bated breath, "that you should ask this girl that you wanted to take. She probably needs to make arrangements," Hermione finished.

"I know what I need to do, Hermione," Ron said, "but thanks for playing the role of Mum."

"She's not going to wait for you until the last minute to ask her," Hermione hissed.

"Who?" Ron asked.

"The girl you're going to ask," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"Well I say she will," Ron said. His temper was rising and Harry and Ginny could sense a row of epic proportions in the making.

"She's had other offers, she's just taken you into consideration," Hermione yelled.

"I don't believe it," Ron said.

"Why not? You don't think she's good enough for other guys?" Hermione questioned.

"No, I just know," Ron said with a tone of formality in his voice the others had never heard before.

"You have to be kidding. She has had other offers," Hermione said indignantly.

"She must care for me, otherwise she would have taken those other people up on them."

"Really? I beg to differ."

"If she wants to go with me so much, why doesn't she just ask me?"

"Because she's not sure you want to take her."

The argument went on for the next fifteen minutes, and was still going on when Ginny casually rested her head against Harry's shoulder and intertwined his arm with her own.

"Don't you find it funny that they are talking about themselves in the third person," Ginny asked Harry.

"Honestly, I don't. They've been fighting not to admit their feelings for so long... I don't think they could have taken it much longer," Harry answered back.

"True-" Ginny said, but was cut off when Ron started screaming about how 'she' should try not nagging him so much, and maybe if 'she' hadn't he would have found the time to ask 'her'.

"Oh, I can't take this any longer!" Ginny exclaimed. "Just look at the pair of you. It's maddening. Get on with it Ron, ask her to the ball," Ginny said, fire blazing behind her eyes.

"I won't- she's been so- who said I wanted to take Hermione in the first place?" Ron shot back.

"You didn't have to, we all bloody well know it," Ginny hissed. "Are you going to ask her or am I going to have to do it for you? "

"Oi! You! You're just so- "

"Hermione dear," Ginny cut in, "My brother here has been in love with you for quite some time, but is just afraid to tell you since he doesn't know if you like him back. He's requesting your presence with him at the Carriage ball," Ginny said matter of factly.

After a few moments silence from Hermione, Ron could take the tension no longer.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I should have known you wouldn't feel the same about me as I do you."

"Ron, you couldn't be more wrong," Hermione said with a pure smile on her face. "I'd love to go to the ball with you."

"You'd- really?" Ron asked brightly.

"Yes. Really."

"Wonderful! Just wait until I tell mum! I'm going to send an owl to her right now," Ron said, taking the first few steps to the stairs, "Hermione, come here," Ron said. She walked over and was pulled into a tight hug from Ron. "Thanks," he said before giving her a quick peck on the cheek and taking the rest of the steps two at a time.

"Look at you two," Hermione said, positively beaming, after a few moments silence.

"We- what? No, Hermione. We're just friends," Harry sputtered, suddenly aware of the beautiful girl on his arm.

"Oh, alright," Hermione smiled.

"Stop teasing," Ginny said sternly as she sat up and removed herself from Harry's arm.

"So, you're going with Harry then?" Hermione asked.

"No!" Ginny said, "I'm going with Syron; my boyfriend,"

"Harry, who are you going with?" Hermione asked.

"I was planning on asking Roberta tomorrow," Harry said glumly.

"Oh, how lovely," Hermione said sarcastically.

"I think it's very- sweet," Ginny said with a false smile.

"Ladies," Harry said lightly, "This conversation is so very intriguing, but I'm, afraid I have to turn in. Tomorrow's a Hogsmade weekend. I need to be in best form to shop for Christmas presents, and for Roberta, of coarse. I don't want her to reject me, not twice to one dance," Harry said.

"Twice? You already asked her?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"Oh, no, no, no. You, Ginny. I asked you and you said no. That counts as one," Harry said.

"Oh. Well, I'd suppose it does, but you were just making good on your promise, it's not like you wanted to-"

"Believe me, it still counts. Goodnight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

....back at 12 Grimmauld Place.....

"If there's any other business to discuss, then?" McGonagall said, peering down at the table of order members through her wire-rimmed glasses.

"Minerva, If I may?" Ginny said, stepping up to the head of the table.

"Certainly, it would be lovely to hear from you. After your leave of absence, we're all dying to hear one of your insights!" the older witch said cheerily as she stepped back to allow Ginny to speak.

"What I'm about to say may not be accepted by all of you here. I know that some of you are going to find it highly unlikely, but first I will say this: the war we are all involved in isn't made up of blunt fighting. It's based on trickery, double crossing, foul play, and an extreme loathing for the side against which you are put. Anything is possible, even your worst fears. With that said, I was wondering if any of you here could account for the whereabouts of Professor Dumbledore, or Oliver Wood?" Ginny said, a look of concern in her eyes.

"Oh, young Ginny," Severus Snape said from the other side of the table. "If you think that this is anything like what happened in your third year at Hogwarts, then I must say, you are blinded by the eyes of youth. I suggest you talk things over with your dear fiancé before putting them on the table here, it would make you look like less of an idiot."

"Oh, Professor," Ginny said with a false amount of respect, "do you think that I'd say something in an order meeting If I did not see it necessary? When I explained myself to Harry, he just brushed me off, citing me to be overly paranoid. This concerned me more. If no one is actually thinking about it, then it just may be happening," Ginny said.

"Ginny, I am afraid you have not made yourself clear. What exactly do you think is going on?" Mr.Weasley asked.

"Just hear me out here. I think that Oliver Wood, no doubt you all know him (he was working for us as a foreign country representative earlier this year) I believe that Oliver has been put under the imperious curse and has been told to take care of Dumbledore- figuratively speaking, of course," Ginny said.

"Ginny, although that is a very well thought out idea," Professor McGonagall shot an icy look at Snape, "I might have even believed it if I hadn't just returned from a trip to Dumbledore manor. The professor is not, to my knowledge, under any curse. Just battling a serious case of the flu. It happens to the best of us," McGonagall finished with a smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry then. I just thought-"

"No need to apologize, dear. Now, if there isn't anything else, I think that Molly would appreciate it if we all excused ourselves while she gets ready for dinner," McGonagall said, and the rest of the order members cleared out and headed for the parlor.

"Ginny!" Tonks called out from the other side of the room and rushed over to give her friend a kiss and a hug, "I just heard the news! Oh, I'm so happy for you! When's the big day?"

"September 27th. It's just creeping up on us! Only a month and 11 days," Ginny said.

"And who's the maid of honor? " Tonks asked.

"The matron of honor is Hermione," Ginny said.

"Oh, yes, how could I forget? Say, where are Ron and Hermione anyway?" Tonks asked.

"They just ran out after the meeting to get a few things for the party," Ginny said.

"And have you selected the brides maids?" Tonks asked.

"I was thinking. Harry has three groomsmen- Fred, George, and Ron his best man. I already have one bridesmaid besides Hermione; Luna. I was wondering, would like to be my other bridesmaid?"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Tonks said, positively jumping for joy, knocking down a few lanterns and setting fire to the rug beneath her. Ginny quickly stamped out the flames.

"The first fitting is tomorrow," Ginny started. "We're all meeting in Diagon Alley for lunch then we're going to Madam Pomfrey's. I still don't know what style the robes are going to be, although I'd like them to be tight in the body and flow in the sleeves, something a bit romantic," Ginny said, daydreaming like a little girl.

"As long as it's not too expensive," Tonks laughed.

"No need to worry about that," Ginny said, "Harry's inheritance called for a few thousand galleons to be put towards his wedding. We're picking up the tab!" Ginny said excitedly as she hurried off to tell her fiancé of the recent addition to her wedding party.

~*~

"Tonks?" Harry asked later as they set off to go to sleep.

"Yes, Tonks. Why? You afraid she'll ruin the procession?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, no. I just thought that you would have chosen another one of your friends from school... like Hannah Abbot!" Harry laughed.

"Oh, no. Not after what that ugly crab did to me back in my 5th year!" Ginny shrieked.

"I thought that was for the better," Harry said gently.

"I didn't mean that- "

"If it wasn't for her, we would have never gotten together," Harry said.

"We would have gotten together regardless. Syron wasn't worth it, not after what happened..." Ginny said.

"True. But I'd like to think it was Hannah's fault," Harry said.

"I would too, love," Ginny said as she snuggled next to Harry, "But there's no use trying to kid yourself. Syron was a special case. Goodnight," Ginny finished, turning off her light.

"Goodnight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: This chapter was a bit more about Ron and Hermione's relationship then any other chapter will be, I promise! The next chapter isn't really started yet so I have no when it will be up. Thanks for all the reviews, it's really awesome! I guess that's it. Until next chapter . Tiffany.