Building Confidence in a Friend

A/N:

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...............

Harry sighed as he wondered if anything would ever be simple in his life. He finally got out of bed and got ready to go meet his wife.

Ginny wasn't in the common room, so they left for the Great Hall and breakfast where they took a seat next to Neville. They were both pleasantly surprised when Luna came in and joined them at the Gryffindor table.

"What are you doing at our table Loony?" Ron asked from several seats down. He was pointing his fork ladened with a bite of hotcakes at her. "Shouldn't you be with the 'claws?"

"Her NAME is LUNA," Harry snapped at his former best friend. "And she's having breakfast with her friends. Unlike some people, she is happy Hermione and I are a couple and is our friend."

"Friends don't steal other friend's girlfriends," Ron snarled.

"Ron, I might have been a friend who was a girl, which it seems like you finally noticed. But I have never been your girlfriend," Hermione replied. "Almost two years in the future, but thankfully it never happened."

Luna smiled and leaned over and whispered something to Hermione.

"Of course," Hermione replied. Looking over at Harry she saw his eyebrow raised.

"She needs a pair of socks. She hasn't had any in several days."

"Can I go attack the Ravenclaws?" Harry asked. "I know how to get in their dorm now."

"No, not with Umbridge around. Next year you can and I'll help if they're still bullying Luna."

....

Ginny Weasley was furious. Madam Pomfrey had given her the foulest smelling paste to put on the rash and it had to be reapplied ever six hours for the next two days. She couldn't even stand to be in the same room with herself much less go out into the school where she'd be a laughing stock.

"How can I get my Harry out of that vile bookworm's clutches when I smell worse than Ron's breath?" Ginny wondered as she stopped herself from scratching her arm for the third time. She reached into her trunk and pulled out her dogged eared copy of 'How to get your Wizard' and started reading it again looking for more ideas.

As she thumbed through the pages, her thoughts turned to the past year, "I wasted an entire year with Corner trying to get Harry to realize I'm the love of his life, but Harry kept looking at Chang. But what went wrong on Saturday? That bitch had to have used some kind of spell or potion. Something to do with Grawp? I heard her say that word several times and it's not a real word. Ron didn't know what it was either. Maybe she found a spell that influences Harry and that's the keyword to it."

Ginny paused in her reading as she thought of the bushy-haired know-it-all. "I spent years cultivating her friendship so I could learn all of Harry's secrets. How many hours of my life have I wasted listening to her talk about books she had read and her trips to France and all the stupid muggle stuff she does," She shook her head at the horrid memory of the night Hermione wouldn't shut up about some time traveling outer space doctor and some kind of tart.

 "And I had to pretend to understand and even like what she was saying. What my brother sees in her I have no idea, but for stealing my Harry, she deserves him," Ginny smiled at the thought of Hermione having to cook for her brother every day for the rest of her life. "Yes, that would be the perfect punishment. And I hope to bloody hell the Chudley Cannons actually start competing. Merlin knows Ron would never shut up about them then," A smirk crossed the face of the young redhead as she thought of future Christmas dinners at the Burrow.

Hermione would be there with Ron. Ginny envisioned a dumpy overweight Hermione with six or so kids, her know-it-all brain used only for remembering recipes and house cleaning spell, while Ginny and her husband Harry would be telling every one of their trips around the world, being the guest of honor at all types of magical state functions. "So maybe I should work on getting those two together first, and I'll be there to comfort Harry when she breaks up with him. But how in the bloody hell do I get Hermione to leave my boy-who-lived for Ron?"

Ginny started leafing through her book again until she came to the section she needed. "One of the best ways to get someone interested in you is to emphasize what you have in common. Sharing a common interest is one of the proven ways to grow a relationship," She read.

Ginny knew that line by heart. That's why she had practiced so much at Quidditch and flying, why she was at every single DA meeting doing her best, why she ate treacle tart every time Harry was around, all to make sure her Harry knew she liked what he liked.

"So I need to make sure I emphasize to Ron and Hermione what they have in common," Ginny leaned back and went over what each of them liked and came to a horrible conclusion. "Bloody hell, nothing. They have absolutely nothing they like in common," Her eyes unfocused as she had another spasm of Hermione hatred course through her and when she looked again at the book she saw another line.

"One of the most powerful emotions to influence relationships is jealousy. It is one of the most common reasons for a couple to grow apart and separate. Avoiding jealousy in a relationship is crucial to long term happiness, but for that witch in pursuit of the heart of that special Wizard, jealousy can be used as a weapon. Having him become jealous of what he doesn't have (you the witch) will only make him want to have you for his own."

"Hmmm," Ginny thought as she considered that line. "Is there anything I can do to make Harry and Hermione jealous of each other? What could Harry be jealous of in that know-it-all? Nothing of course, my Harry is perfect."

" Why would Hermione be jealous of Harry? She's lucky he's even friends with her with the way she always nags him to do his school work," Ginny thought. "Can I get Hermione jealous of Ron so much she would leave my Harry? Not bloody likely. What about Harry jealous of me? It should have happened with Corner, but somehow that bookworm stole my Harry."