A/N: Only one or two more chapters to go, depending on how long the end of Picturesque turns out. Bear with this chapter- it's more character based than fluff based (although it has much of that too) but it's important to the story. To those of you slightly upset over the cursing in last chapter, keep in mind that it was lightly said, and only put in there because I believed it was true to what Ron's character would say at that moment. I try to put keeping everyone in character over censorship issues. ;) Thanks and enjoy.

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Picturesque

Unclear Intentions

"Don't worry," a voice behind Harry said. "I'm sure there's some spell to fix walls. Mum never has to know."

Harry turned his gaze from the very apparent dent in the wall (courtesty of Ron) to the fiery-haired girl looking over his shoulder.

"I hope you're right," Harry grumbled.

"'Course I am." Ginny grinned at him. Fred and George passed through the room, told Ginny and Harry that lunch was about ready, and then headed upstairs, presumably to tell Ron the same thing. Ginny waited until they had passed.

"Ron sure looked frustrated," she said finally in a slightly lowered voice.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, he was going crazy. I thought for sure he'd..." Harry stopped and gave Ginny the fisheye. "How do you know Ron looked frustrated?"

Ginny shrugged guiltily.

"You were spying, weren't you?"

"I was casually watching from afar."

"Uh huh. Were you casually listening from afar?"

"Maybe," Ginny squeaked.

Harry gave a heavy sigh. "What did you hear, Ginny?"

"Nothing much," she said hurriedly. "Just that Hermione broke up with Viktor Krum early this summer and didn't tell Ron... Oh, and that you think Hermione is a really good kisser."

Harry looked embarrassed. "Shut up, will you? You know I only said that to bother Ron."

"I hope so," Ginny grumbled.

Harry gave her a strange look.

"Erm, well, I mean...Ron really likes Hermione, doesn't he? And if you had strong feelings for her...Well, that would be bad. Uh, for you, I mean. You and Ron. And your friendship. That would be very bad for yours and Ron's friendship." Ginny smiled nervously at Harry. "Don't you think?"

~~~

"You, Ron Weasley," Hermione said, with an impressive certainty, "are a complete jerk."

Rudely she stepped forward, about to shove Ron out of the way, but one way or another Ron ended up kissing her or she ended up kissing him. It was impossible to tell if one person had initiated it at all- certainly none of that mattered now.

Both rightly startled by this, Hermione and Ron broke apart for a moment, staring at each other with a mixed look of confusion and understanding before they kissed again. They were considerably less bewildered this time, giving way to an intensity neither had ever experienced. Ron held Hermione close as her arms slipped around his neck, bringing him closer to her and deepening their kiss.

"Don't mind us!" someone called out cheerfully. "Just came to tell you lunch was ready."

Ron and Hermione jumped in unison. Turning, they saw Fred and George at the top of the stairs. Hermione's eyes quickly scanned the corridor, and she gave a sigh of exasperation as she saw Percy's head sticking out from a partially open doorway. He looked as if he were interested, but trying to appear annoyed.

"And this," Ron muttered softly to Hermione, "is just another reason why I love having a big family." He turned from her and stared at Fred and George.

They both smiled brightly.

"'Ello Ron!" George said helpfully.

"I guess the passion isn't forbidden anymore," Fred muttered to George.

"WHAT," Ron shouted after a moment (during which he had grown red again) "is WRONG with you two? Why the hell do you always appear whenever anything...anything..."

"Racy is going on?"

"We try to keep things PG-13 in this household," Fred said gravely.

"You two were heading for some serious gropage," George said.

"We were not," Hermione sputtered indignantly.

"Come on now, you were."

"Why don't you both get LIVES?" Ron continued. "Invite Angelina over! Then you guys can make-out or throw shoes or do whatever the hell you want!"

"We told you the shoe-throwing story?" George asked.

"You tell everyone the shoe-throwing story!" Ron glared. "Just tell me why you're always there to see everyone in every awkward situation available. No. Wait. Don't tell me why. Just leave everybody alone!"

"No way," George said, totally unfazed.

"This summer has been better than a soap opera," Fred agreed.

"Make your own bloody soap opera," Ron yelled.

"A soap opera about shoe-throwing?" Fred looked skeptical. "Don't think it'd be very successful."

"It'd make an interesting sport though." George grinned.

"GET OUT." Ron looked as if he were about to reach for his wand.

"Right-tee-o, little brother." The twins headed back down the stairs.

"Have fun!" Fred called over his shoulder.

"Shut. Up," Ron said between gritted teeth. His eyes went to Percy.

"I heard yelling so I...." Percy's guilt over eavesdropping quickly went away and he turned huffy. "Next time," he said, only the smallest hint of a smile on his face, "don't be so noisy." Percy hurried downstairs for lunch.

This left Ron and Hermione standing alone, awkwardly. They stared at each other for a moment, before both of their gazes fell to the floor.

"What now?" Ron asked finally, his voice low and soft.

"What now..." Hermione agreed, her tone matching Ron's. There was a long pause.

"Well," Hermione said finally, and to Ron's surprise, her tone was brisk, "I think I'd better go study."

"Study?" Ron looked at her incredulously.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "Study. I'm way behind on my schoolwork." She moved towards Ginny's room.

Ron stared at Hermione as if she were some foreign creature, and Hermione fidgeted under his gaze. However, Ron didn't remove his eyes. "Don't you want to... I don't know...work this out?"

"Work what out?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Us..." Ron blushed. "How we feel about...uh, each other."

"I don't know how you feel about me," Hermione said, trying not to blush herself, "but I still think you're a complete jerk."

She stepped into Ginny's room and closed the door.

~~~

A complete jerk maybe, but an awfully good kisser, Hermione thought to herself as soon as the door had been shut. She fell against it, a silly grin on her face. She actually giggled out loud.

Oh God, what an idiot she was being! Honestly, she was as bad as Lavender or Pavarti. Hermione had always scorned the way they behaved about boys- Giggling in the hallways at the mere sight of a cute seventh year, and dropping quills in class for a crush to pick up. Now look at her.

But then... This wasn't quite the same thing, was it? It wasn't just some random boy who she barely knew. This was Ron. Somehow the whole thing seemed entirely different than a silly crush.

Still, what did she know of the matter? She wasn't very experienced. Her feelings for Viktor Krum had only gone so far. Hermione had always felt a little bad about how she had felt towards Viktor. Shouldn't she be excited and intrigued at this mysterious older foreigner, a professional Quidditch player? Viktor practically had his own fan club. He was intelligent and patient, if a little strange. But who wasn't?

Yet something had always been lacking between them, and whatever it was they lacked stung sharply whenever Hermione compared her relationship with Viktor to her relationship with Ron.

Ron was lazy with his school work. He was nearly always being sarcastic, would never be considered the best looking boy at Hogwarts, he wasn't some amazing Quidditch player, and he seemed to have great joy in arguing with Hermione.

But something about her relationship with Ron always had the ability to make Hermione's blood boil. Viktor had never made her blood boil, he had never even made her emotions run high. The feeling that Ron could give her... It was such an exhilarating feeling that Hermione knew she wouldn't give it up for the world.

Hadn't she come in here to study? She should do so. She should stop grinning and go and study.

Hermione, you didn't come in here to study. She had come inside to get away from Ron.

Ron, Ron, Ron. Always Ron, always Hermione running away from him, always Hermione being irrational around him.

She had tried to be cool, calm and collected. It didn't work... When Harry had kissed her, she had been calm enough... Well, not exactly calm but she hadn't been too flustered. She had tried to pretend it hadn't happened.

Yet with Ron she had been doing her fair share of screaming to begin with. And she had been turning just as red as him. Well, perhaps not quite as red. Hermione doubted that it was even possible to turn as red as Ron did. She could just see him now, the color quickly rising to his cheeks as he stumbled over his words.

And there was that stupid grin on her face again.

Hermione darted her eyes quickly around the room, then closed them. She could indulge just a little in the event that had just happened, couldn't she? Of course, the whole memory was very silly but it was also kind of nice... And yes, it sounded like an incredibly stupid, cliched and sappy poem, but it was her poem. Her memory of the way Ron's arms had felt, wrapped around her in a sort of tender way that she had never experienced... The way he had looked at her... The way he had leaned in and-

Tap tap tap

There was a soft knocking.

With a gasp of surprise Hermione whirled around and jumped away from the door.

"Hermione?"

"Come in!" Hermione said shrilly and rather shakily.

The door opened and Ginny glanced in.

"Hi," she said, with a confused smile. Hermione wondered if she knew yet. "Don't you want to come downstairs for lunch?"

"Yes." Ron would be there. "No." Hermione paused. "Um, I- I mean, not now. I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure. Very very sure." Hermione nodded enthusiastically.

Ginny tilted her head. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Just fine!"

"Okay... See you at supper then, right?" Ginny said sternly.

"Right!"

Giving Hermione an odd look, Ginny softly closed the door.

Now then. Where was she?

Oh yes. Ron had just leaned in closer...

~~~

Ron poked lifelessly at his salmon croquettes. He was nearly oblivious to Harry, Percy, Fred, George, Charlie, and Ginny, all who were sitting around the dinner table.

"Aren't you hungry, Ron?" Mrs. Weasley asked. She was slightly peeved that Hermione had decided not to come downstairs and that Mr. Weasley had had to leave for work extremely earlier that morning.

"Oh, I think Ron's...er, hungers are fulfilled for now," Fred said airily. He exchanged a glance with George who snickered. "Isn't that right, Ron?"

Ron, however, didn't seem to hear them. His eyes were worriedly on the kitchen's entrance and he was leaning forward anxiously.

Ginny sighed as Mrs. Weasley went on about wasting food.

"Hermione isn't coming down to lunch, Ron," Ginny said in a lowered voice, realizing that he hadn't heard her tell their mother that. "You won't have to make a run for it."

"What?" Ron immediately came back to reality. "Oh..." He shrugged easily. "Make a run for it? Why would I do that? I mean..." He paused. The effort of explanation wasn't worth it. Ron sulkily slid back into his chair. "Whatever."

"Whatever? Nice save." Ron obviously wasn't going to tell her what had happened upstairs... Which was just as well, as the twins had made sure Harry and Ginny knew all about it.

Ginny watched as her mother left the kitchen along with Percy, and then stabbed angrily at her plate. Her fork clattered nicely against it. Harry arched an eyebrow, looking in her direction.

Charlie sighed. "So. Where's Hermione?"

"She's not coming to lunch," Ginny said. "And she's in a very strange mood."

Fred and George both smirked.

"Go on," Ron snapped. "Crack a joke."

"Nah," Fred said. "Too easy."

"Oh dern." Ginny gave a mocking look of disappointment. "And I was really looking forward to your first class humor."

"What's eating you?" George asked, casting a glance at Ginny for the first time that afternoon. Both he and Fred had been too busy bothering Ron.

Ginny gave a dramatic sigh. "I'm sick of this summer."

Fred and George gasped.

Charlie pouted at her teasingly. "My presence isn't enough to save the summer?"

Ginny glared. "I'm not kidding. The first half was all right I guess, but now..." Ginny shook her head in disgust. "People whispering... Doors constantly being slammed... Everyone shouting at one another. And some people..." Ginny looked pointedly at Ron. "Some people might as well just not be here at all, the way they've been staring off into space, ignoring everybody else."

Charlie and Fred and George and Harry all looked at Ron.

Ron looked up. "Huh? What?"

"Did you even hear a word I said?" Ginny said, the twins looking on with amusement.

"Uh...Sure. 'Course I did..."

Ginny continued to glare at him. "What did I say then?"

"Uh...Something about doors...and whispering...And uh, space... Doors whispering into space?" Ron shrugged lamely and looked to Harry. "Did I get it right?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Doors whispering into space. It's all we've been talking about."

"Oh, shut up," Ron sighed.

"Normally," Ginny went on, "the summer is the best time of the year... You guys used to all have Quidditch matches nearly every evening, remember? But now Harry and Hermione and Ron are all wrapped up in themselves, and Fred and George are always working on their joke shop- either that or trying to catch Hermione kissing someone new. Percy's always working, and Charlie'll only be here for another week. I'm always left out as a tagalong." Ginny took a deep breath. "This summer sucks." She calmly took another bite of her lunch.

Everything was quiet for a minute, except for the sound of their forks.

"Wrapped up in myself, am I?" Ron said finally. "How about this, Ginny, why don't you take my place? See how much fun you have."

He stood up, cleared his plate, and left the room.

The rest of lunch continued in silence, except for some random small talk started by Charlie and for Fred and George consulting about a few of their experiments (they seemed to take little notice of Ginny's outburst). Gradually everybody left the table except Ginny, who stayed, staring at her plate.

"Er... Are you okay?" It was Harry. Obviously not everyone had left the table.

"I'm alright," Ginny said.

Harry gave her a worried smile. "I've been trying to think up some cool reassuring line... But that was the best I came up with."

"I'm alright," Ginny repeated.

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am." She paused. "But I'm sorry if I yelled at you guys."

"No you're not."

"No, I'm not," she agreed.

There was an awkward silence.

Ginny seemed to be experiencing a lot of those these days.

"I guess we have been sort of ignoring you..." Harry said finally.

"It's not that," Ginny said, feeling exasperated. "I just want a nice simple summer. You know? All the yelling that goes on here these days... All the kissing." Ginny made a face.

Harry grinned. "Ah, well, kissing isn't all bad... It just helps if it's the right two people kissing. And uh, not the wrong two people."

Ginny frowned. "How do you know if it's the wrong two people?"

"Uh...well...I guess you don't. I guess you can only really know if it's the right two people."

"How do you know that?"

"I, er..." Harry cleared his throat nervously. He was blushing slightly. "I don't know. I guess you just know."

They had both walked closer towards each other during this exchange, and were now only inches apart.

"You just know?"

"Yeah...I mean...Yeah. I guess. It's just...right."

This would have been the perfect moment for Harry to sweep Ginny into a deep and passionate kiss. Ginny could almost hear slow romantic music in the background.

"Just right?" She stood there, so close to him, almost breathless.

But a moment later Harry wasn't kissing her. He was sitting back down at the table.

"Yeah...Just right." He laughed. "That sounds really cliched, doesn't it?"

Ginny didn't respond. She watched as he continued eating his now lukewarm lunch.

"Do you want me to heat that up for you?" she asked faintly.

"Nah, it's fine," Harry replied easily.

With an almost inaudible sigh, Ginny sat down to finish eating her lunch as well.

There was something terribly unromantic about eating a cold lunch with someone. Even if the someone was Harry Potter.

~~~

Ron was not at a high point.

He was nervous, startled, confused...

And remarkably pissed off.

Things had started off not so very unusual.

Get up. Shower. Eat. Argue with Hermione. Kiss Hermione.

Now gee, which one of those wasn't in the normal routine?

Naturally Ron had gotten up, Ron had showered, and he wasn't anorexic (he had eaten his fill during breakfast). Arguing with Hermione was also generally part of the normal routine. Of course, they hadn't exactly been arguing about their usual topic...

But arguing was arguing, wasn't it?

Everything didn't usually end in a make-out session. That was just not how things went.

Not that Ron would necessarily complain about this new ending.

I mean, I've denied my feelings about Hermione for months, he justified, and then I've debated my feelings about her for months. And then I've felt jealous of her for a hell of a long time... Ron sank back into the chair in his room. It's about bloody time.

But their kiss hadn't ended all too wonderfully. Whenever Ron had allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to kiss Hermione (and he did so very rarely, since self-torture wasn't big in his book) it had never ended with her calling him a complete jerk. That wasn't part of the script.

Was he a bad kisser?

Or maybe his newfound insecurity about his kissing was a turnoff. Did girls care about that stuff? And Hermione was the one who had initiated the damned thing! Or had it been him? Had either of them started anything at all? Ron couldn't remember. It had just happened.

But after it had happened, both he and Hermione had responded with full...uh... vigor.

Oh God. Since when did the word vigor become part of his vocabulary?

One moment Hermione had seemed enthusiastic about the whole thing, and the next moment she had (once again) called Ron a complete jerk, after mumbling something about needing to study.

Which brought Ron back to square one.

Hermione was completely insane.

~~~

Hermione sulked at the sun shining outside.

Her initial glow at everything that had happened was fading... Now she was just feeling stupid.

Hermione withstood many things without complaint. The Slytherin's constant taunting, Harry and Ron persistently trying to get her to break rules with them. She even withstood Rita Skeeter's awful comments and the lovely letters that followed as a result of these comments.

But she couldn't stand feeling stupid.

It was all Ron's fault. How dare he demand that they need to talk about anything! As if he were calling the shots! All he tried to do was get a rise out of her. And when he did- when he finally got her really angry, she had ended up kissing him.

Stupid.

And then...then Ron had the nerve to ask her if she wanted to work things out! Five minutes before he had been glaring at her. Yet his eyes were soft as he asked her that.

Hermione sighed. She hated when Ron got sentimental... mainly because she was in danger of growing overly sentimental herself whenever such a rare occurrence happened.

What would have happened if Hermione had gotten sentimental? What would she have done? What would she have said? What would Ron even think of her, if she lost control of what she said and did?

He wouldn't know what to think. Practical, intelligent Hermione Granger, going on about emotions and dreams...and love.

She would only embarrass herself in the long run.

But then...what would she do? Could she ever go back to being that practical girl?

She'd forget it. Just like she had so many other things, she would forget anything had happened. Ron might grow angry at first, but he would get over it. He always did.

Briskly, Hermione picked up a Hogwarts book (Forbidden Passions had been put away) and began reading. Reading, and reading and forgetting...

Hermione shut the book with a snap as somebody knocked at the door.

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Here ends part 5 of Picturesque, a.k.a Okay-So-It's-Not-My-Usual-Cliff-Hanger-Ending.
Who's-a-knockin' at Hermione's door? Will Ginny do something besides stare at Harry? Will Fred and George get bored with R/H's little soap opera and start watching some soap operas that are actually well-written? ;) Find out!
Next time: Ron get's advice from an unexpected source. Hermione comes to a revelation. And action may actually be taken (as opposed to everyone just mulling over their thoughts, as this gang tends to do. ^_^ )

I would like to give a big thanks to everyone who's reviewed this story and shared their opinion on it. Also a big thanks to Rhi. Her hot picture of Percy (who knew?) inspired me. ;) Don't sue, yada yada yada.