aand here I am again!

Taa-daa! Yes, it is true . . . somehow I have been born again with a new writing frenzy . . .

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter =insert waffling here=

There. Now that that's done with . . .

Nadin: Well, aren't you wonderful. Look what your little review produced! About Ron . . . well, here's a little something for you . . . it probably won't do anything for ya', but here it is! Chapter Five! Thanks again!

Lexie the Dreamer: Thank you! I again apologise for the long delay . . . but I hope you like this chapter!

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Chapter 5: The in-between part . . .

This is the chapter where we find out what everyone else was doing when George and Iris were alone (relatively speaking of course, seeing as Draco was there . . .) Anyway, here (hopefully) we shall be having a little chattie with dear old Ronniekins . . . Off we go!

"What d'you think? Ron? Which quill?" Hermione waved the feathers in front of his face. "Hello? Oh, you're useless." She put both quills down (much to the dismay of the shopkeeper) and tugged at his sweater. "Let's just go. We're going to have a little chattie, young Ronniekins. Something is obviously on your mind."

At this, Ron snapped uncomfortably to attention. "Wha – no. We don't need to talk about anything!"

Hermione snorted.

"Hey, where you guys going?" called Ginny.

"Three Broomsticks." Replied Hermione. "Actually Ginny, would you mind coming? We – I – could use your help."

She shrugged and waved goodbye to Fred.

"What's up?" she asked as the made their way outside and towards the bar.

"Nothing." Was Ron's immediate response. Ginny was confused to find him struggling in one of Hermione's vice-grips.

"Nothing yet." Interjected Hermione in an oddly grim tone as she tightened her grip.

"Whatever you say . . ." sighed Ginny as she opened the door to the Three Broomsticks.

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Hermione slammed a bottle of Butterbeer in front of Ron. "Talk, buster." She told him, taking a seat opposite. He looked startled.

"Err . . ."

"We know something's up." Interrupted Ginny through his confusion. She paused, then leaned over to Hermione. "Uh, there is something up, right?" she whispered.

Hermione nodded.

"Then talk, Ron! What's up?"

"I have no idea what either of you are talking about."

"You –" and Hermione pointed a finger at him. "Have been in a . . . funk since you saw Iris and George kissing. Which was almost two months ago. What's the matter? Is there something you don't like about that?"

The look on Ron's face told her that she had struck a chord.

"You're totally see-through Ron, so don't bother trying to hide anything." Added Ginny.

Ron looked down into his Butterbeer and found himself unable to answer.

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"So, hold on." Lee Williams paused. "You're tellin' me, that George, your brother, George Weasley, practically family to our subject, is about to ask her out on a date."

"Yep."

"Bloody kidding me, mate."

"I am not."

"Well." Lee paused and surveyed the disappointed and shell-shocked faces of the small group of boys surrounding Fred. "Wouldn't have seen that one coming."

"Tell me about it!" said a Ravenclaw student. "Damn, I was gonna do that!"

Lee laughed. "She doesn't even know who you are, Adam!"

"I know, I know, but . . !"

Similar murmurs spread throughout the group and Fred looked on with no small pleasure. Ha ha. Chaos rules. Mwha-ha. "So, boys. I'm afraid that you're all too late. I shall be closing all bets by the way, so pay up please." He added. "Thank you, thank you, oh my . . ."

Heh heh heh. See? This whole Iris-George-Betting triangle was just a win-win situation . . .

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"So . . . are we going to have to beat it out of you, or what, Ron?" Ginny and Hermione tapped their nails impatiently on the hard wood of the table in sync. Ron was looking more uncomfortable by the second.

"Look . . . you guys . . ."

Ginny gasped.

"You like her, don't you?"

Hermione clapped her hands with delight. "Yes! Oh God, Ginny, you genius! That's it!" she exclaimed before turning to Ron and fixing him with a disapproving stare. "Why didn't you tell us, you stupid mog? We might have been able to help!"

Ron slumped back in his chair and crossed his arms tightly around his chest. "Help what? You people are total nut jobs. I don't like Iris!" He paused. "No, wait . . . I mean I like her, she's my friend, I just don't like her that way. Understood?"

Ginny and Hermione both wore identical looks of incredulity on their faces.

"Then why did you blow up at them both for kissing?" asked Hermione in a very smart voice.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "He blew up at them?"

Hermione nodded.

"Wow, Ron. You. Muppet."

"Stop that!" snapped Ron. "I just freaked out a little!"

"Because you like her."

"No!"

"Of course not, dear." Giggled Ginny, and exchanged a look with Hermione.

Ron growled and snatched up his bottle of Butterbeer before remembering that it was empty. Instead, he just gripped the neck of the bottle. We may assume that in his mind, the necks of Hermione and Ginny were in the place of the glass.

"Look, even if I did fancy Iris, which I do not, she likes George. My brother. And she sees me as a friend, never anything else, all right? So just drop it, you two. I don't fancy her." He plopped the empty bottle on the table and stared at it for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face.

He exhaled.

"You know what . . . I could do with another one of those."

Hermione and Ginny exchanged another look before Hermione nodded and stood up to get another round from the barkeeper, stopping once to pat Ron shoulder gently as she left. Ron did not respond.

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"My, my. Sixty-four Galleons, twelve Sickles, twenty-four Knuts. I should bet on family more often." Fred whistled to himself and smiled with satisfaction while a pissed-off looking Lee Williams trailed behind.

"I still can't believe it."

Fred turned his head. "I know. You were a total muppet for betting against Finch."

"Screw you, mate. I meant the whole George asking Iris out thingy."

Fred paused to put his winnings carefully in his pocket. "What's so hard to believe? They fancy each other."

"Yes, Fred. Thank you. I believe we've all cleared up the fact that George and Iris have got it hot for one another." Answered Lee sarcastically.

"You're just a bad loser."

"Mate, can you blame me?"

Fred found that he couldn't.

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Well, that's the fifth chapter! (I had a different ending so that it was longer, but I couldn't make it fit properly, so it got ditched. I hope this ending is all right.)

Anyway, sorry about THIS delay, but I was at my cousins house for the week, as well as the fact that I have other fanfictions, but . . . anyway . . .

I hope you liked this! R&R! Next chapter in blueprint as we speak! Catch you on the flip side, baby.

LoL,

Hatheny.