Unofficial Portkey Archive

With Malice Aforethought

S. P. Smith

"Do you think, Ronald," Luna began between bites of her buttered asparagus, "that the reason why paintings talk but photographs don't is because painters can talk to their subjects, but cameras can't?"

Ron turned back from his discussion of Quidditch tactics with Harry and shrugged. "I always reckoned it was on account of a talking painting being sorta' helpful, but having every damned snapshot jabbering at you would be a nightmare. I mean, who'd want to hear Aunt Florenciola chattering from the scrapbook all day long?"

Luna giggled, and for once Hermione joined in. Harry looked up and down the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Luna's presence at their table for dinners had become so common that no one gave her a second look. Her de facto acceptance made Harry smile to himself, since he knew the slightly dotty Ravenclaw wasn't exactly welcomed at her own House table with open arms. Then Ginny slid onto the bench alongside Harry, and his smile dimmed slightly. He wasn't looking forward to a public fight just now.

Ginny tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and glanced sidelong at him as she loaded asparagus and corned beef onto her plate. "You and Ron patched things up last night?"

Harry nodded warily. It occurred to him to point out that Hermione was more the cause than either he or Ron, but he decided not to. Over the last few weeks, he'd learned that the more he said, the more there was for Ginny to fight about.

She continued, looking down at her plate as she spoke. "So, does that mean we can stop fighting now, too?"

Harry's brows collided and he dropped his fork to his plate in shock. He was quite certain that any fighting was entirely her doing, and yet the way she'd asked that question... "I haven't been fighting with you."

Ginny glanced up, rolling her eyes. "I'll let that slide, since I'm tired of fighting with you." She reached over and squeezed his arm.

Harry turned away to glare, open-mouthed, at Ron. Ron glanced briefly at Ginny and shrugged.

Luna tapped Ron on the arm. "Do you think muggles can't see magic because they don't believe it, or do you think they don't believe it because they can't see it?"

Ron frowned. "D'ya think there's a difference?"

Hermione leaned past her boyfriend. "Harry, I think we might be ready to put the two Defense Association classes together now. That should free up an awful lot of time, and get everyone up to speed faster."

"Sounds about right. Maybe the night after tomorrow?" Hermione beamed back happily, excited in a way only she could be about extracurricular homework.

Ginny pouted slightly, and grabbed Harry's arm. "Don't you think we should have an evening free pretty soon?"

Harry turned back to her. "Why?"

Ginny looked wistfully sad as she answered. "We haven't had a real date in a while. I'm sure Hermione could run the DA for a night or two."

"I'm sure Hermione could run the whole school all year," was Harry's response. "But I'm not about to go skivving off and dumping things on my mates."

Hermione pinked slightly. "Go ahead Harry. You deserve some time off."

Harry turned to look at her as though she'd gone around the bend. "I'm the last person here who 'deserves' some time off!"

Both Ginny and Hermione looked like they were a breath away from responding, when Luna spoke up again. "Ronald, if you had to choose between being a muggle, who didn't know about magic, and a squib, who knew but couldn't do any, which do you think you'd choose?"

At this Ron blew out a theatrically large sigh. "What's with the morning quiz? I'm half awake, and you're giving me a test!"

Luna giggled at this, still staring off at the stained glass windows over the southern wall.

"I'm serious," Ron whinged plaintively. "Why don't you bounce these offa Harry, or Hermione, or God, even Neville?"

"I thought it was obvious," Luna replied softly, staring off over one of Ron's shoulders. "You're the oddest person I know, Ronald. Your mind works in such unexpected ways, I'm always interested in hearing what you're thinking."

Conversation ground to a dead stop. Ron pinked noticeably, and tried to focus his attention on his dinner plate. Hermione stared at her plate too, but in her case it was a last ditch effort to stifle the case of the giggles that was threatening to overcome her. Most of the nearby sixth year Gryffindors just stared slack jawed at the spacey Ravenclaw and the redhead she thought was odd.

"Hey Ron," Seamus finally answered with a sly smirk. "This mean you got yourself a fan club?"

"Oh, yes." Luna swayed slightly as she answered. "Did you wish to join? It's only three Knuts, but most of the members are girls."

Ron roommates burst out laughing, which obscured the faint strains of Weasley is Our King as the Ravenclaw began humming. Now a bright red, Ron threw his fork down with a sigh.

"Fine, you lot. I'm not hungry anymore."

Luna blinked. "For dinner?"

Ron looked both embarrassed and confused as he rose awkwardly from the table. "Er, yeah. It's too early for breakfast."

Hermione set her silverware down and got up, smiling. "Alright, Ron. Let 's get you away from the scary Ravenclaw."

Ron turned on her, looking desperate. "Not you too? Someone's got to stop having a go at me!"

"I'm not making fun of you." Luna's usually misty voice was clearer now, and she pulled up her bag and started rummaging through it. "Membership really is three Knuts. I have some buttons in here somewhere."

Seamus laughed so hard his head hit the table, and Dean had to wipe his eyes. Ron rolled his eyes at his roommates and slumped off. Hermione patted his back, and tried not to giggle as he walked off. Waving briefly to Harry and Ginny, she followed Ron out of the Great hall.

Luna looked down at her lap, where she was playing fitfully with a small enchanted button. "I didn't mean to embarrass Ronald."

Harry didn't exactly feel comfortable reaching across the table to pat Luna on the shoulder, but he couldn't very well let her sit there forlornly. "I think maybe it's the good kind of embarrassed, where you don't really know how to say thank you."

The blond Ravenclaw looked up at this. "Do you really think so, Harry, or are you humouring me?"

"I'm serious." Harry thought about it for a few seconds, remembering various moments in his own life. "Ron's always wanted to be the center of attention, in a good way. But I think sometimes, people just aren't ready for the things they want."

Luna turned her wide, grey-blue eyes on Harry at this, and for the longest time held him with her disconcerting stare. At long last, she smiled softly. "There may yet be hope for you, Harry Potter. Yes, indeed."

And with that, Luna got up from the table and wandered off, returning to her humming as she went.

Ginny rolled her eyes, then shifted gears very visibly. Smirking up at Harry, she tapped her finger on her chin. "Well, it's just you and me Harry. Want to get out of here?"

Harry was staring out the doorway into the entrance hall. "Sounds like a good idea."

Ginny took his hand and pulled him from the table. They jogged to the front hall, where she spun around, still pulling on Harry's hand as she dragged him up the stairs. "And where, Mister Potter, did you plan on going now?"

"Back to the common room," Harry answered without hesitation. "I finally get to spend time with all my friends, and no one's fighting just now."

Ginny deflated. "For the most famous wizard alive, sometimes you really are insufferably boring."

Harry frowned at Ginny, who smiled and patted his arm. "Kidding. Just kidding. Let's go see what my brother and his girlfriend are up to."

With that, Ginny linked arms with Harry and continued up the stairs with him. In silence, they passed a flight of stairs, and a cluster of wizard paintings whose names Harry had never bothered to learn. It was just as well; half of them had turned in early for the night, and leaned against their frames dozing. Every so often, Harry would steal a glance sidelong at his girlfriend. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her doing the same.

Two staircases and a landing later, Harry finally voiced his thoughts. "I can't believe you said that to me."

Ginny sighed. "It was a joke. I'm very sorry you can't take a joke very well. Really."

Harry glared at her, then tried to conceal it. "That wasn't much of an apology."

"It wasn't much to apologize about." Ginny fumed at him, but continued to drag him up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower. "Not like I'd ignored you for a few weeks or anything."

Now it was Harry's turn to sigh. "I'm sorry about that. I just didn't want to keep arguing with you."

"Apology accepted."

The two of them had finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, but Harry pulled up short and tugged Ginny to one side so they could talk for a moment before facing everyone. "Can we- just you and me- can we just never mention being famous?"

"It's just the truth, Harry, and stuffing your fingers in your ears won't make it go away," Ginny responded tartly. "But for you, I'll fake it."

"Okay." Harry nodded, feeling oddly hollow.

"Now, onto much, much more enjoyable matters." Ginny grinned that wide, innocent smile that had over the last year started to worry Harry. "Valentine's Day is the day after, and we both know you're pants at being romantic, so I'll be arranging something. Just remember to be all cleaned up and ready for a date, and things will go smoothly."

"I didn't know I was pants at being romantic," Harry muttered.

"Flibbertigibbet," Ginny said to the portrait, which promptly swung inward to reveal the Gryffindor common room. She turned back to Harry, and dragged him in after her. "It's alright. Merlin help me, I actually think it's cute."

Harry and Ginny entered the common room to find Ron and Hermione siting opposite each other away from the fireplace, working on homework. Harry smiled. "Would we be bothering you if we sat down?"

"No!" Ron just about jumped out of his seat to clear off room for his sister and best friend. Harry tried not to laugh too much at Ron's very obvious desire to get out of his homework. Ginny pushed Ron into the chair next to Hermione, and settled Harry in next to herself. Hermione continued taking notes and working on what appeared to be a prodigious essay.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, I can't stay too long. I've got- well, a class, I guess- that I have to go to." In truth he had Legilimency with Professor Snape, but he wasn't sure that was something he wanted to bring up.

"A class after dinner?" Ginny slapped his arm. "Don't be a prat."

Ron shrugged. "Actually, Harry here's been having a right few classes after... Hey! Wait a minute! Is there something going on?"

Hermione looked up at this, and caught Harry's panicked look. She closed her book loudly, cleared her throat and looked up at the three people around the table. "Well, I can see I'm not getting anymore work done tonight. I may as well put my parchment away before it's smudged."

Harry slipped his wand out, and with a quick flick used the charm from Vocational Sorcery to marshal the papers and books into Ron and Hermione's bags. Hermione looked around at the suddenly cleaned work area, and muttered to herself, "I have to learn that one."

Ginny flicked the comment away, and took hold of Harry's arm as he stowed his wand. "It's just a housekeeping spell," she said dismissively. "It's not very interesting."

"But it's very useful, nonetheless." Hermione eyed Harry speculatively as she said this, and Harry wondered if this meant he'd be recruited to help clean and organize the tower from now on.

"It's Vocational Magic. Can't you leave schoolwork off for a night," Ginny muttered.

Hermione turned her dark eyes on Harry. "And what other useful things are you learning, Harry?"

"Er." He realized she hadn't exactly rescued him from a conversation he didn't want to have. She'd only postponed the inevitable. "I dunno. The usual, I suppose."

Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "Weren't you to scheduled to learn Apparation at end of term?"

Ron laughed. "C'mon, he'd've said something if he'd learned that!"

Harry ran a hand through his hair, and examined the pattern of scratches and ink stains on the tabletop. Ron laughed again, and slapped Harry's arm. "You learned it? Way to go!"

Harry looked up abruptly. "You're not mad I didn't tell you?"

"Naw," Ron answered. "Not really, anyway. Why, surprised, are you?"

"Well, yeah, actually." Harry looked abashed.

Ron nodded. "Well I would be, 'cept that I reckon you couldn't very well have kept me up to date when I wasn't speaking to you."

"Oh, okay." Harry smiled widely.

"Is Apparating exciting?" Ginny nudged him to get his attention.

"Actually, popping back and forth across the clearing gets pretty boring," Harry answered. "Doing it for two hours is really boring."

"Still, Apparation," said Ginny dreamily. "Anywhere you want to go, you can."

"Not as much as you might think." Harry grimaced, thinking of the restrictions on where exactly he could go.

Hermione still hadn't taken her eyes off Harry yet. She cleared her throat. "And what else are you learning? In your after dinner 'classes' I mean."

"Oh," Harry blinked. "Those."

"Yes, Harry. Those." She sounded genuinely worried. Harry hated it when she did that.

"Legilimency." Harry muttered, knowing he was the one giving her those worry lines between her eyebrows. "With Snape."

Hermione sat back, and he could see the slow unwinding of the unspoken 'why' in her eyes. Privately, Harry gave her two minutes to put the pieces together. Tops.

Ron however, was snickering. "Harry Potter, Mind Reader? That's rich."

Ginny's eyes went wide. "No more studying, just see what the teacher's are thinking. I wish I was in your classes."

"Forget that," said Ron with a wide, dazed smile. "Imagine knowing which girls fancied you!"

Ginny shot her brother a dark look, and he coughed apologetically. "Not that that would apply to you, of course. Or me, " he added, looking over at his girlfriend warily.

Hermione, however, was lost in her own world. "Holy cricket! Harry, I don't care what Dumbledore asked you to do, don't try it!"

"Huh?" Ginny looked back and forth between her boyfriend and Hermione.

"You get the feeling we missed out on the interesting part of the conversation?" Ron muttered in a sotto voce to his sister.

"Uh huh." She could only nod.

"It could be important." Harry's jaw worked briefly. "It could save lives."

"It could cost you yours." Hermione leaned in across the table.

This caught Ginny's attention. "What do you mean?"

"Why on earth would you train a teenage wizard to read minds?" Hermione spoke to Ginny but kept her eyes on Harry, looking for confirmation. "To read students and teachers? Rubbish. No, it only makes sense if you remember that Harry has that connection to Voldemort."

The Weasleys winced, but Hermione plowed on. "Snape would only be teaching you if Dumbledore asked him to, so he must have dreamed up this utter lunacy, and asked you to 'help out la casua.' Am I right?"

Harry nodded mutely. Ron jumped in, his voice a little higher than it had been. "But why exactly is this a bad thing. Voldemort comes up with an evil plan, Harry gets in over the mental wireless, and boom! No more evil plan." Ron looked to one side, thinking. "Might make end of term a lot safer the next couple years."

"Don't be an idiot." Hermione looked at him askance. "Who knows what Voldemort can do if Harry tried this. Not to mention, I don't think seeing Voldemort's inner thoughts and feelings could possibly be a good thing."

"You don't have to worry about me doing anything foolish, Hermione." Harry looked a little disgruntled. "I can barely tell if someone's lying."

"I always worry about you doing something foolish, Harry." She still hadn't gotten rid of the little worry wrinkle between her brows. "It may be brave and important, but that doesn't mean it's not foolish."

"Me, too." Ginny tugged at Harry's sleeve as she said this.

"Can we talk about something else, though." Harry looked around at his friends. "Please?"

Hermione sighed wearily. "Alright Harry. What would you like to talk about?"

Harry looked blankly back for a while, wracking his brain to think of something.

Ron jumped in. "I say we schedule some extra practices before the Ravenclaw game. If we get our Hawkshead Attack down tight, I think we can rattle Miss Head Girl."

Hermione winced. "Not Quidditch, please. What would I be able to talk about? 'Say, does that still require a broom?'"

"I still think you should let us get you up flying," Ron countered.

"Never again." Hermione shuddered.

Ron grinned. "Spoilsport."

Harry jumped slightly as he finally thought of something to say. "Ron! I almost forgot. Luna feels terrible about dinner. She really didn't mean to embarrass you."

"She didn't, not really." Ron pinked slightly. "Mostly it was our prat roommates who got to me. Luna was just being... a little odd."

"A little odd?" Hermione laughed. "That's unusually charitable, isn't it?"

Ron flushed a little deeper. "Well, everyone's got their quirks."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Quirks? Like radish jewelry?"

Ron sighed. "Give her a rest. Just because she's not your favorite person doesn't mean you have to give it a go."

Her face fell. "Was I being mean?"

Ginny nodded. "A little."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Anyone but Luna, it'd be friendly. But she has enough problems with people getting her for sport."

Ron cocked his head. "What does that mean?"

"At the end of last year," Harry began with a sigh. "I found out all the Ravenclaws steal her things and hide them. I don't think she's very well treated in her house."

Hermione frowned. "That's dreadful!"

"Well, I guess it's time to put this prefect badge to good use." Ron got up, and polished his tarnished badge on the sleeve of his robe.

Harry stiffened. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give those Ravenclaws a piece of my mind." Ron scowled, obviously thinking. "And Cho Chang, she's Head Girl, she's in that tower, she shoulda' done something before now."

Harry squinted. "I don't really think she wants anyone making a big deal of it."

"It is a big deal." Ron's scowl lifted long enough to flash a smile at Harry. "C'mon mate. We went up against Death Eaters together. Bollix if I'm going to let her get run down by a bunch of whinging punks."

Ron stomped off toward the portrait hole and disappeared. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione sat silently for a moment. Hermione cleared her throat delicately. Harry turned back to look at the two girls. "I'm going to have to talk to Luna tomorrow."

Hermione nodded. "I'm sure she'll be frightfully embarrassed by whatever Ron's about to do."

"No," Harry answered, shaking his head. "I want a Ron Weasley Fan Club button."

* * *

The next morning, the four Gryffindors were again united at the table in the Great Hall. Luna was again sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Ron had remained silent about what had transpired when he got back to the tower, despite a certain amount of pressure from Hermione.

The coming of the morning hadn't stopped her, especially once she'd seen Luna across the Great Hall and avoiding the Gryffindor table. "Honestly Ron," she tutted. "Did you have to go tromping in like that. I'm sure Luna is mortified."

Ron sighed. "Let it go, Hermione."

Harry missed the rest of the conversation as Ginny slipped a hand under the table and squeezed his knee. He froze, and she casually leaned in to whisper in his ear. "We're not fighting anymore, right?"

"Right." Even to his own ears, his voice sounded off.

Again she squeezed, somewhere north of his knee and Harry jumped. "Good. So we could sneak off somewhere, instead of fighting then."

Harry thought about reaching down to pull her hand away, but decided that at least one of them should keep their hands above board. "We have class," he whispered.

Ginny nibbled on her food left-handed, and paused to lean in towards him. "We'll cut them."

Harry thought fast. "Filch! We'd get caught."

"You do have an Invisibility Cloak, don't you?"

Just then, Cho Chang appeared by their table, and it had been a long time since Harry had been as happy to see her. Much to Harry's surprise however, she ignored him and focused her glare on Ron. "Just so you know, Luna's things have been returned to her, and I spoke to my Housemates about their behavior. She won't be having any problems with them again, but in the future I'd appreciate you bringing issues with Ravenclaw to me directly, rather than addressing my House behind my back."

Hermione's jaw dropped, Ginny's eyes went wide, and Harry fought to conceal a smirk. Ron, however, had an expression Harry had to fight to place; disdain. It wasn't often he saw that look on his friend's face. Ron barely glanced up at Cho. "Just so you know, I wouldn't have had to go behind your back if you'd done your job. And in the future, I expect you to make sure your house isn't a disgrace to Hogwarts."

"Don't you talk to me like that, I'm Head Girl," Cho snapped..

"Then try acting like it." Ron turned back to the table and downed half a glass of pumpkin juice.

Cho looked up and realized that half the table was staring at her in silent shock. She made a tiny squeaking noise, and spun about fast enough to whip her ponytail about her like a pennant before striding off.

Ron kept eating in silence. Finally, Hermione spoke. "Why didn't you tell me things went well?"

He merely shrugged.

Hermione looked crushed. "I'm so sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion. And I really am very proud of you, Ron."

"Can we drop it?" Ron looked a little embarrassed and a little mad. "I didn't want to toot my own horn, so I didn't. End of story."

His girlfriend stiffened. "Fine Ron," she said primly as she slung her satchel over her shoulder and stood up. "Then I should just go."

Hermione stormed off, and Harry thought she looked angry and sad at the same time.

Ron sighed. "I should go after her, I suppose."

"No," Harry nearly yelled. He jumped up, barely getting clear of Ginny Weasley's hands. "I'll go talk to her."

"Thanks mate." Ron shoveled hash into his mouth, and spoke around it. "I don't think I'm up to her right now."

"By the way," Harry said, grinning. "With Cho... that was bloody brilliant!"

Harry ignored the dark look Ginny shot him and hustled out of he room to follow Hermione. Guessing which was she'd gone, he turned left and then took the first right. Moments later, he found himself in the library, poking through the stacks. She was sitting on the floor, wedged in between numismatics and geomancy. Hermione wasn't crying, but she wasn't very happy either.

"He handled things perfectly. I don't know why it didn't occur to me he'd do alright."

"I dunno." Harry slid down the bookcase opposite her, so they were scrunched in, knee to knee in the stacks.

"I'm a dreadful girlfriend." Hermione was trying to dismantle her skirt one loose thread at a time.

"That's not true!" Harry frowned. "You're a great friend. I can't imagine you'd be any less a great girlfriend."

Hermione glared at him. "Try dating me sometime,"she answered acidly.

"Er, yeah."

The brief flash of venom subsided quickly, and she sighed forlornly. "Why does he want to go out with me? Really? Aren't I the one he's been calling a 'nightmare' for years?"

Harry cleared his throat, realizing he'd inadvertently stumbled onto yet another problem with having Hermione for a friend; she had no girlfriends. Any other girl in the castle, she'd have four or five other people gathered around her in some corridor to talk to. Hermione, she had a skinny Seeker with a crooked House tie to confide in. Still, he figured, trying to fill whatever shoes she needed filled was a small price to pay for having such a good best friend. Harry took a stab at answering her questions. "I'm sure he saw the same thing everyone else did; you're great. Well, better than great. Brilliant, actually. As for the arguing... I don't know. Sometimes Ron's a bit of a prat, and you can be headstrong. Maybe you two are just... complicated?"

Hermione gave him a crooked, watery smile. "For your information, that was a rhetorical question. And I'm not sure 'complicated' isn't a synonym for 'nightmare.'

Harry patted her knee awkwardly.

She sighed again. "Why couldn't we have a nice relationship like you and Ginny. You never bicker."

Harry looked around at the bookshelves. "Actually, if it makes you feel any better, Ginny says I'm a terrible boyfriend."

Hermione's nose wrinkled. "Why on earth would that make me feel better?"

"I'm not sure, really." He shrugged. "I think it's supposed to be that misery loves company?"

"No, not in the least!" Hermione looked less watery as she built up a head of steam. "And that's a horrible thing to say to you. I can't believe that Ginerva Weasley!"

Harry decided to head her off. "It's the truth. I'm not at all romantic."

In part, it worked. Hermione deflated, loosing her vehement 'wrongs to be righted' edge. She regarded Harry appraisingly. "There's more to being a boyfriend than flowers and chocolates, Harry."

Harry laughed hollowly. "Try telling her that."

"Why don't you?" Hermione answered pointedly.

Harry pouted a little. "I don't think Ginny actually likes talking with me."

"Nonsense," Hermione huffed. "You two spend loads of time together."

"Yes," Harry said, drawing the word out. "I just don't think she likes talking with me."

"Oh." Hermione thought in silence for a while. "Well, I suppose that with boys, that's actually a good thing..."

"Not really, no."

She wrinkled up the bridge of her nose again in consternation. "I thought that was more what you lot wanted all the time. No studying, no long conversations, just, well, you know. Snogging."

"Oh." It was Harry's turn to think in silence for a while. She made kissing sound a lot more interesting that Harry thought it had proven thus far to be. He tiptoed around the issue. "So, uh, Ron then..."

"Let's not go there." Hermione sounded a lot drier than when she'd said 'snogging.'

"Right then." Harry pulled himself a little further upright. "Not going there."

The two of them sat in silence. After some time Hermione spoke up. "So, you were saying? About you and Ginny?"

Harry flushed. "Sorry. I actually came looking to help out with you and Ron."

Hermione waved her hands. "Oh, no, please don't Harry. I'd actually rather hear about you two, rather than running my Ron problems through my head over and over."

That was an odd turn of phrase, and Harry rolled it about in his mind for a moment, as if testing it for sharp edges. He was pulled away from his musings by Hermione's delicate cough. He looked up, green eyes wide, to see her making the little circular hand motion that universally signaled 'speak.'

"Sorry. So Ginny and I... I guess my problem is that we don't talk."

"Seems a bit vague for a problem." Hermione peered at him intently.

"It sounds stupid," Harry continued, "but since we don't talk, I'm not sure if she's dating me, or Harry Potter."

Harry shook his head. "That doesn't sound right."

"No, Harry, it doesn't," she said softly. "But I do know what you mean. You aren't sure if she wants to get to know the sixteen year old boy who hangs out in the Common Room and enjoys Transfigurations before lunch, or just the famous wizard who occasionally rescues damsels from legendary monsters."

Harry looked as embarrassed as he felt. "I think you've rescued me more times than I've rescued you."

She tutted, and rolled her eyes. "I was referring to Ginny and the basilisk."

"Oh, sorry." Harry blinked, and went back to his thoughts. "I was thinking of you."

Hermione shook her head to clear it, and continued. "So, really this is about trust. Do you trust her to like you for who you are, not what you are?"

That hit Harry hard. He remembered an earlier argument he'd had with his girlfriend. "Trust. That's it! Did I ever tell you that Ginny started going out with me when she was still dating Dean?"

From the shocked look on her face, Harry could tell the answer was no. He hurried on to explain his rather limited part in all this "She didn't tell me, not until, well... later. But I couldn't believe she'd done that to him."

Hermione's jaw snapped shut rather forcefully. "Harry, you can't possibly believe she'd treat you that shabbily, can you?"

"Not really," Harry admitted. "But I can't believe I'm dating someone who'd do that to anyone. It's like, maybe I'm doing the same thing she is; getting confused between the girl I remember, and the one who's out there right now."

Hermione jumped in. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but isn't it possible you're over thinking things? It isn't like she's a Death Eater or anything. Honestly Harry, who hasn't made an ethically poor decision before?"

"You," he answered flatly. As Hermione's eyes rounded, Harry pressed on. "C'mon, Hermione. Let's say you had exactly what you wanted right in front of you. Can you honestly tell me you'd go for it, if it meant hurting people you cared about?"

Hermione looked down at her shoes. "No," she said in a small voice.

Harry nodded. "And that's the difference."

She looked back up at him from under her uncontrolled mass of hair. "So, what are you going to do, Harry?"

"I don't know," he said simply. "I just hope Ron's still my friend afterward."

* * *

That night, Harry was standing around in the entrance hall next to the massive barred doors facing the lake. He watched quietly as the other students filed out of supper and off to their dormitories. Ron slouched up to him, slumped against the wall at his side.

"Waiting for Ginny?" Ron kept his head down as he spoke.

Harry shook his head. "Crabbe and Goyle."

Ron snorted. "I'll get you a cuppa. You'll be here all night waiting for them to stuff their faces."

"Fine one to talk," Harry joked. "You're one of the last to leave yourself."

"I'm a growing boy." Ron jerked a thumb at the doors into the Great Hall. "Those dunces are growing Flobberworms."

"Ron..." Harry sighed.

"I know, I know." Ron crossed his arms. "'Be nice to the Slytherins.'"

"Actually, I was going to ask what's wrong." Harry looked over at his friend. "Are you still mad about our argument. Because I'm really sor-"

"No," he said gruffly. "I'm not mad at you."

"All right." Harry looked him up and down. "Still mad at Hermione?"

"Not really mad at her either." Ron gnawed at his lip, still slouching with his arms folded across his chest.

"Ron," Harry sighed again. "In a few minutes, your two least favorite people are going to come lumbering out of those doors. Unless you want to have this conversation with a large audience, you need to start talking."

"Prat," Ron mumbled. "I'm just, I dunno, out of sorts. I just thought, maybe if I was doing things right, like sorting out the Ravenclaws, Hermione would like me better."

"She likes you fine, Ron." Harry elbowed him gently. "She is dating you, remember?"

"How ever can I forget?" Ron looked over at his tousle-haired friend. "But it didn't work."

"Dating?"

"Sorting out the Ravenclaws." Ron shrugged with his arms crossed, and Harry thought that maybe his friend was surpassing him in the brooding department. "It didn't work. She still thinks I'm a prat."

"You're not a prat, Ron." Harry tried patting him on the shoulder, which seemed especially awkward due to Ron's rather substantial height. "You're brave, and a good friend, and a wicked Quidditch player. Also, I've given up playing you at Wizard's Chess."

"Yeah, sure." Ron shrugged again. "But I'd kind of like Hermione to say that, not you. No offense, but it's not exactly the same now, is it?"

"I guess not."

Ron jerked a shoulder at the door, where Crabbe and Goyle were filling the double doors. "Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dumber are here for their treats. I'm off."

Ron trotted off up the stairs, headed for Gryffindor Tower.

The two Slytherins lumbered up. Goyle looked down at Crabbe, then further down at Harry, and then over at Ron as he disappeared up the stairs. After scratching at his curly hair for a moment, Goyle spoke. "His trainspotter got his Alan Whickers in a bunch?"

After he'd finally sorted out what Goyle had said, Harry tried to ignore that mental image it conjured. "I dunno. Some thing's wrong with him and Hermione. I don't get it, they're great friends."

Crabbe kept pulling candied fruits from his pockets and eating them. He looked up, and spoke around a mouthful of pineapple slice. "It's a bit of irony really. The youngest Seeker in a century bein' blind an' all."

Harry turned to look at Crabbe. "What are you going on about?"

Crabbe picked at his teeth. "I s'pose there's blokes in Flanders what ain't figured out what those two're on about, but you're really a plonker about these sorts o' things. I reckon it's your upbringin'."

"I'm not a plonker." It felt odd to be defensive with Crabbe of all people. "Those two just need some time by themselves."

Crabbe's brows climbed up his heavy forehead toward his bristly hair. He burped heartily, and Harry smelled Chicken Marsala. "Not very bright, are you?"

Harry goggled at Crabbe, and turned to Goyle, who shrugged. Harry was bewildered. "Does he always do that?"

"The burping, yeah. I think he's got a bit of a digestive condition." Goyle patted his friend's shoulder. "But the other thing, not really. See, Crabbe here's pretty bright, in ten second increments."

Harry looked back and forth between the two Slytherin thugs, utterly bewildered. No wonder, he thought, that they never said anything. When they opened their mouths, they were actually crazier than Luna!

Goyle cleared his throat, and it sounded like a broken steam shovel. "Anyways, can we get on with the Artifaction?"

Harry shook his head to clear it. "What's the problem?"

"We've made these leggin's for the owls," Goyle began.

"Bewit," Crabbe interrupted. "'S'not like they're doin' aerobics an' whatnot."

"Yeah, and we got 'em enchanted an' all." He threw up two meaty hands. "But they stop working."

Harry's brow furrowed. "What are they supposed to do?"

"Well, I can't ever remember Crabbe's address," Goyle explained.

Crabbe rolled his eyes. "S'not like you ain't there all summer, every summer."

Goyle glared. "Yeah, anyways, these leggin's-"

"Bewit," Crabbe interrupted again.

"Leggin's!" Goyle punched his mate in the arm so hard, Harry was sure a normal person would have been flattened. Crabbe didn't blink, so Goyle continued. "Anyways, I wanted the owls to be able to find this thick plank wherever he was, so's I didn't 'ave to remember his address."

Harry blinked. "So these... things... they help an owl find Crabbe?"

"Naw, tha's just stupid." Goyle grinned widely. "They find anybody. Dead useful for mailin' all the bits a fluff what want a real man."

Harry shivered. Please Merlin, he thought fervently, please let me and Ron not look like this ever. He ran a hand over his face. "So the enchantment wears off?"

Crabbe and Goyle nodded as one. Harry thought for a moment. "Alright, let's find a study room, and try to get it working."

* * *

-->