Disclaimer: See Part 1.
Author's Note: More mature!Ron and Ginny!snark.
Part 3 of 3.
Settled With a Hug
Part 3: Happy Together
Ron found Ginny in one of the empty upstairs rooms in Grimmauld Place.
She was staring out the window into the deserted square but Ron was willing to bet that she didn't see anything.
He had thought she might be crying but as he got closer, he saw that she wasn't.
She was dry-eyed and, for the moment at least, expressionless.
He moved quietly to stand next to her and for a moment didn't say anything. Finally, though, he slipped an arm around her in silent sympathy.
She shrugged his arm off though and moved away.
"Don't!"
He stopped and then sighed. "I'm sorry, Ginny."
At first she didn't respond and then she asked flatly, "How long has this been going on?"
"Harry and Hermione, well, it's been a few weeks since they started holding hands, the occasional snog--" Ron broke off as Ginny stiffened at his words.
He patted her rather awkwardly on the back, wondering why he'd ever thought that it was a good idea for his best friend to get involved with his younger sister. He must have been insane; it was a terrible, stupid idea! It made for awkwardness and him having to be torn between the two of them and all sorts of other bad things. Right, never again. But at least he could know that Harry and Ginny wouldn't go out again…
He spoke again softly, tentatively. "But it's been longer than that. It's been at least two months since I first realized that there was more between them than just friendship." He paused and then continued, speaking slowly and thoughtfully. "We had gone out- Harry and I- without telling Hermione where we were going. She was worried and when we got back… She just ran to Harry, threw her arms around him in a hug- and I knew that she cared about Harry more than- more than-as just a friend. She'd never hugged me like that, with so much feeling, as if there was nothing in the world she wanted but to hold onto him and never let go… And he hugged her back."
Ginny moved away from the window, turning her back. "Stop! I don't want to hear any more!"
Ron sighed but went on talking anyway, hoping, trying to have her accept what he'd accepted long ago. "Ginny, you have to understand. Try to understand. You- you haven't seen Harry and Hermione together. I have-and Ginny, what they have, it's special. They're-they just belong together…"
She made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. "Oh please! You cannot tell me you're happy about this!! How could you!"
"Ginny, listen to me. I am happy about Harry and Hermione. And you should be too. They- they have something special. It- I can't really explain it; you need to see them together. But it's something…" He paused, thinking of some of the things he'd seen in the past few weeks, what he'd realized. "They- they've always been close, you know. Always been best friends and they always seemed to just-understand each other. And now-they're still best friends but they're more than that. You should see them together… Ginny, they're happy. Harry- he's different now, more intense-and sometimes I think he'd probably go absolutely mental if it weren't for her. She understands him; she keeps him sane, keeps him going… I don't even know but somehow she does." He stopped again and then finished quietly, "They really love each other."
Ginny stared at him as if he had suddenly sprouted another head, her eyes wide with dismay and anger. "I can't believe you're telling me this!"
"I'm telling you so you'll feel better!" Ron's voice rose slightly. "I'm telling you so you know that this thing with Harry and Hermione, the reason they're together now and he's not with you-it's not just snogging. You know? It- it's more than that. And you should- you should accept that-and- and be, well, happy for them. I- I think they would have happened anyway; it's like they're inevitable. Ginny, they really-well, they belong together-and you just need to accept that."
He sighed, looking down and then up at her again, sympathy on his expression. "I just- I wanted you to know it's not just snogging."
She stared at him mutinously, her expression unmoved and not looking at all convinced or accepting of what Ron had just said.
"I don't care!" she burst out. "He was mine! I wanted him for so long and then I finally got him and- and he was mine!"
Ron stared at her, wondering when Ginny had suddenly become so-so self-involved, really. "No, Ginny," he finally said. "He's not yours. I- I don't know if he ever really was. He was your boyfriend for-what? a few weeks? Ginny, I- I'm sorry and I don't want to tell you this but I remember what it was like when you were with him. Remember what he was like with you." He allowed himself to twitch uncomfortably at the memories. He had not particularly enjoyed having to watch his best friend and his younger sister snog. "Harry- he's different when he's with Hermione. He- there's something about him-he's calmer, at peace, I guess is the word for it."
"He was happy with me, I know he was!"
"Maybe he was-but he's happier with Hermione. I- I can't describe it but he just is. They both are-happier. In spite of everything that's going on."
Ginny's posture was rigid, her face turned from him, every line in her body indicative of her rejection of what he'd just said.
He sighed again and after squeezing her shoulder in a quick gesture of sympathy, turned and left. He'd done what he could; he just hoped that Ginny would listen, later when she wasn't so upset, and understand.
Ginny stared after her brother in shock. He- he had meant it; he really was happy about this. She couldn't believe he'd do this to her! How could he-just take Harry and Hermione's side over her, his own sister?!
It wasn't fair! It wasn't right!
Harry belonged to her-why didn't anyone understand that?
Ron paused at the dining room door that was still open from Ginny's tempestuous exit and saw that Harry and Hermione were sitting together at the table, talking quietly, holding hands.
He rolled his eyes to himself; yes, he was happy for them but sometimes, the sheer sweetness of them got rather wearing.
He stepped back and then deliberately made his footsteps exaggeratedly loud as he re-entered the room.
"Is there any food in here?" Ron asked, pretending not to see their joined hands.
"Yes. Your mum left a note and a whole stack of pancakes here," Hermione answered.
Ron grinned and sat down.
"How is Ginny?" Hermione asked quietly.
Ron looked up, saw the flicker of guilt in Harry's eyes. "She'll be okay," he said and mentally added, I hope… eventually…
"I'm glad," Harry said softly and Hermione glanced at Harry with a smile.
And Ron could only think that this was what Ginny really needed to see, the way Harry and Hermione were together, for her to understand. Harry and Hermione really did belong together-and maybe they always had…
The End