After Lavender

By MD1016

Harry sat in the chair by the fire, and tried to read the assigned Charms chapter.  The words were blurring together; Ginny was on his mind. 

"Oh, honestly, Ron!  It can't be that bad." 

Ron groaned and held his belly as he laid on the low couch.  He'd put his feet in Hermione's lap, on her essay, and while she'd glared at him, she hadn't removed them.  Harry didn't know why she let him tease her – she certainly wouldn't let Harry get away with anything like that. 

"I told you not to eat all those chocolate frogs," she said smugly.  "You never listen to me.  And you should, you know.  When have I ever been wrong?" 

"You've been wrong," Ron said. 

"Name one," she dared. 

Ron guffawed.  "What kind of a friend asks you to think when you've got a belly ache, I ask you?" 

"Probably the kind of friend who tried to prevent you from getting the belly ache in the first place," she said tartly.   

He shoved his socked toes under her nose, she swatted it away. 

Harry supposed she put up with him because she was so relieved he was no longer dating Lavender.  Harry was relieved, too.  It was nice being able to have both Ron and Hermione back in the same room together, even if they were bickering. 

"Well, you melted your cauldron that once," Ron insisted.  She had a hold on his big toe, and they were playing a weird sort of tug-of-war, Ron's belly ache apparently forgotten. 

"That was Neville, Hermione told him.  "And repeatedly." 

"It was you," Ron said with a grin.  He knew that it wasn't. 

"You're a git," she told him. 

And then Ginny walked in, and Harry forgot about Ron and Hermione all together.