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Author: Zelthian Poem: Match Maker Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 15 Words: 28,830
Dear Harry, I hope this letter finds you well. I know recent events must be weighing heavily upon you. I have come to think of you as a son, and it pains me to think of what you are going through. If there is anything we can do to ease your mood, please don't hesitate to write and ask. I feel somewhat selfish for bringing this up, but I need your help. It's quite an embarrassing situation, honestly, and one that needs to be handled somewhat delicately. My superior, Amelia Bones, has a niece named Susan, as you may know. Mrs. Bones is making efforts to match her niece among various young men whom she believes would make a suitable husband. Much to my surprise, Ron is at the top of her list. I don't know if Muggles have similar traditions, but there are many wizards who believe the tradition to be outdated; nevertheless, Mrs. Bones is insists on following the old traditions. Given any other situation I would be content to go along with her efforts and let Ron make his own decisions. However, I can not ignore the friendship that Ron has forged with Hermione. I've been around long enough to recognize affection when I see it, and I must say it is my sincere belief that Ron has his heart set on her. If this is true, then I can't very well submit Ron to the efforts of Mrs. Bones. However, to be fair, I can't simply refuse her without knowing for sure how Ron feels. So I turn to you. You and Hermione are Ron's closest friends. If anyone knows his true feelings for Hermione, or can con it out of him, it is you. I apologize again for laying this burden on you, but for the sake of Ron's heart, I implore you to help. Ron is visiting Charlie in Romania for a few weeks. I have sent him a letter informing him of Mrs. Bones' intentions, but I have not mentioned Hermione. I suspect he might be writing you soon. Sincerely Yours, Arthur Weasley
Dear Mr. Weasley, Thank you for your letter. I'm holding up as well as can be expected. I'm glad you wrote me about Ron. I'm not sure I understand everything that's going on, but I will certainly do whatever I can to help. I have no idea what I can do, but I'll try. Besides, I need something to take my mind off of things. Harry PS: Say hi to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny for me.
Harry, How are you feeling? I know you must be feeling down, and I can't blame you. I wish you didn't have to go back to your aunt and uncle's every summer. If I were back home I'd be tempted to come and rescue you again, but I'm out in Romania visiting my brother Charlie. I'll get some pictures of the dragons for you. I know this is probably the wrong time, but I'm in serious trouble. My dad wrote me and said that his boss is trying to get me together with her niece, Susan Bones! Don't get me wrong, Susan is a nice girl and all, but I have real problems with my dad trying to tell me who to date. He apologized a lot, but thought that pairing me with another prominent family might be a good idea, unless I thought I might be interested in someone else. What was he getting at? I'm not sure what to tell him. I know I don't want to go along with this. What right does he have? What should I do? All of this girl talk has me wondering about you now. Got your eye on anyone? Ron
Ginny, Hi sis! Do you miss me? I miss you. Charlie says hi. Can you do me a favor and have a talk with Dad? He's actually considering allowing his boss to try to get me together with her niece, Susan Bones. Can you believe that? It's not that she's not a nice girl or anything, but what right does dad have to expect me to go along with this? I wrote him back right away to tell him not to do this, but I think you might have better luck convincing him to change his mind. By the way, what's with you and Dean? He never mentioned anything about you all year. He's a decent guy and all, but I still think there's somebody better for you. Ron
Hermione, How are you? I'm in Romania! My dad thought it might be good to get me out of the house and spend some time with Charlie. It kind of struck me as odd, but I didn't complain. I'm having a lot of fun out here! Have you read all your books for next year already? Just kidding! While I'm writing, I wanted to ask you a question. You might think I'm butting in to Ginny's life again, but I don't think you'll mind this time. Do think Dean is right for Ginny? I mean, he's always seemed a bit dodgy to me. Besides, isn't she too young to be going out with someone? Please write back and tell me anything you can, and be completely honest with me. Your friend always, Ron
Harry, I'm sorry for not writing sooner. My parents seem determined to monopolize my time, especially after they found out what happened. I hope you can start putting things behind you. I know it won't be easy, but if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. I've sent along a cake that my mum and I made. I was going to wait until your birthday, but I figured it would do more good if I sent it sooner. Take care of yourself, and write back and let me know you're okay. Your Friend, Hermione
Harry, I think I'm finally getting an idea of what it might be like living with your aunt and uncle. It's not nearly as bad, I'm sure, but with Ron in Romania and the twins living in Diagon Alley, life has been depressingly quiet and boring here. I can't wait until Ron gets back or Hermione gets to visit. Have you heard anything from Dumbledore? Are you going to be able to leave there at all? I've sent along some candy the twins left for you the last time they were here. I'd check them over if I was you, but I don't think they'd pull anything on you. Let me know you're okay, okay? Ginny
Ron, Hi! It was good to hear from you. I hope you're being careful around those dragons. I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything. Speaking of getting hurt, if you don't want your room to reek eternally of guano, you'd better butt out of your sister's business. You spend way too much time worrying about your sister's choice of boyfriends, you know that? Don't you have anything better to do, like skimming through your schoolbooks, perhaps? Is that honest enough for you? Your friend, Hermione
Ron, I miss you too. It's too quiet here, and it's no fun trying to play Quidditch by myself. Well, at least we now know why Dad sent you to Romania. Mrs. Bones will have a hard time getting Susan together with you there! I am trying to understand why you would expect me to stick my neck out for you with Dad when all you can do is criticize my choice of boyfriends. I am a big girl now, and I can take care of myself and make my own decisions. None of my other brothers give as much grief as you do, you know that? I've told you before and I'll tell you again: my choice of boyfriend is none of your business. Your loving sister, Ginny
Ron, I'm doing okay. Things are as they always have been. As long as I don't make too much noise my aunt and uncle pretty much leave me alone. After last summer Dudley won't even look at me, which is making things even easier. Your dad is going along with this? Who does he think he is? It's not like he can make you marry her. Is it? Come to think of it, Susan's pretty nice. I think she'd make a great wife, don't you? It's not like you have a girlfriend or anything, right? So go and see what it's all about. That is, unless there's someone you'd rather be with. Is there? You can tell me, I'm your best friend! I wouldn't suggest you lie to your dad, but if you have your heart set on someone else you'd better tell your dad soon. I just read your letter again. I find it funny that you're so concerned about your father's interest in who you might like to be with, and then you turn around and ask me the same thing. Don't you think that's funny? Harry
Hermione, It was good to hear from you. If there's anything the Weasleys have taught me, it's the wonders of family. There's no need to apologize. Actually, there is something you can do to help me keep my mind off of things. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I would like to ask you a personal question. I reckon you and Viktor had something going a couple of years ago, but you never seem to talk about him at all. Whatever came of that? Are you still seeing him, or is there someone else you're seeing now? You Friend Always, Harry PS: The cake was wonderful!
Ginny, Thanks for writing. I can understand your boredom. Usually I pass the time by reading my schoolbooks, but I can honestly say this time it isn't helping. Your letter did, though. I've also heard from Ron; he's going to get me some dragon pictures. I can't wait to see them. It seems Hermione's folks are being a bit protective of her. I can understand that. Not that my aunt and uUncle would care; they'd be happy to be rid of me, I'm sure. By the way, I wanted to ask you something. I know Hermione and Viktor went to the Yule Ball together, but what happened after that? Are they still keeping in touch? I haven't heard from Dumbledore, but I hope to soon. I'd much rather be at The Burrow with you and Ron and Hermione than here. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something. Yours Truly, Harry PS: The candy was great. It helped a lot.
Ginny, I just got the strangest letter from Harry. He was asking if I'm still seeing Viktor. Did you say anything to him or Ron? If you didn't, something else must be going on. It's not like Harry to just up and ask about something like that. Do you know what's going on? This feels very weird. Hermione
Harry, It's good to know you're not dwelling too much on things. As a matter of fact, Viktor and I decided not to pursue a relationship. Frankly, I was surprised that you asked. I know you don't ask things like that unless something is up. What's going on? While we're on this subject, what exactly happened with you and Cho? I know about the Valentine's incident, but what happened after that? I know you have more pressing things on your mind, but if this is still a loose end maybe I can help you tie it up. Hermione
Hermione, Do you honestly think I would tell Ron anything? He bothers me too much as it is without me running to him blabbing about you. Ron's in Romania. I think Dad sent him there to get him out of The Burrow. Apparently his boss Mrs. Bones (you know about her, right?) is trying to get her niece Susan together with Ron. Didn't the whole match-making thing die out years ago? I know we've talked about Ron, but it seems he's going to have to decide what to do about this. If he can't come up with a good enough reason to dodge Mrs. Bones he may end up having to at least hear her out. Oh, I almost forgot! Dad's putting in a swimming pool! Can you believe that! Can you come and visit? We can work on our tans together! Ginny
Harry, Why don't you just ask Hermione about Viktor? You've been friends with her for years; I'm sure she wouldn't mind telling you. I'll ask dad about Dumbledore. It seems so unfair that you have to suffer your aunt and uncle for so long. Ginny
Hermione, I'm being careful! Charlie makes me wear two layers of dragon hide robes when I'm out with the dragons; he's not letting me take any chances. He knows if I get hurt that Mum will never forgive him. I am Ginny's brother, so that makes it my business to look out for her. I don't want to see her get into a situation that will end up getting her hurt. What is schoolwork compared to Ginny? She's much more important than some silly History assignment. What am I supposed to do, stand by while she wastes her time hanging around with the wrong guy? No way! I just wish for once you'd see things my way. Ron
Harry, What are you talking about? Don't you think if there was someone I thought I had half a chance of going out with, I would have told my dad already? I'm not going to lie to you, Harry. I have real concerns for Ginny. She seems to be jumping from boyfriend to boyfriend with no regard for what she's doing. I just want to see her with someone I know is going to treat her with respect. I also want to see her with someone she is honestly attracted to. When is Dumbledore going to let you come to The Burrow? Ron
Ginny, Your dad can't do that! That tradition is so old fashioned! I researched it the best I could, though, and it turns out that the old laws are still on the books, so he's legally obligated to go through with it. Or maybe your dad finally decided he needed a push to start thinking about his future. Susan is a nice girl, but I don't think she's right for him. I hope for his sake that if he is forced to spend time with her that he figures that out. I would love to come and visit! I can't wait to see the pool! You'll have to go shopping with me to get a swimming suit. It's been an age since I've bought one, and none of my old ones fit anymore. Hermione
Ron, Will you please just back off Ginny? I'm quite aware that you are her brother, but that doesn't give you the right to make her decisions for her. She is NOT a little girl anymore. I'm sure her other brothers can see that, so why can't you? I know you just want her to be happy, but don't try to control her. Instead, just tell her that you love her, that you want her to be happy, and you hate to see her spending time with guys she doesn't really like. Tell her how you feel, not what she should be doing. See the difference? Trust me. Hermione
Ron, So you're concerned about Ginny, huh? So why don't you tell her? And don't be pushy and overprotective about it. Just tell her, as her brother, you want what's best for her instead of getting mad at her all the time. On the other hand, maybe you should be thinking about what you're going to do about this whole match making thing. I don't know what it entails, but you don't want to be caught at the last minute without a plan. I haven't heard from Dumbledore. You'll be the first to know when I do. Harry
Hermione, I'm going to get into so much trouble for telling you this, but I suppose it's better than you not knowing the whole story. I'm really sticking my neck out here, so don't tell anyone I told you this. I got a letter from Ron's dad. Apparently there is some high-level match-making going on at the Ministry. It seems Amelia Bones has put Ron at the top of her list for her niece, Susan. Mr. Weasley seems to think Ron has developed feelings for you. I can't say for sure, but personally I really think he likes you, but you know how he is. I'd bet he just doesn't want admit it to himself, much less to me. Mr. Weasley wanted to give Ron the opportunity to sort out his feelings before he let Amelia Bones have her way, thinking Ron might finally come out and admit his fondness for you. I wanted to know how you feel so I could know what to tell Ron. I didn't want to press him to admit how he feels if I knew you honestly don't like him the same way. So there it is. Keep this letter to yourself. If Ron finds out I told you he'll have my head. I really don't want to talk about Cho. I just want to forget the whole thing with Cho happened. It's obvious the two of us couldn't get along, and she's found someone she can be with. I consider the whole thing over with. Harry
Harry, So that's what's going on! No wonder you were so interested! I should have known you would be looking out for him. I'm surprised Mr. Weasley would let such a thing happen, unless you're right and he's just trying to get Ron to do something about his feelings. So you think Ron has feelings for me? Well, if he wants me to tell him how I feel he'll just have to ask me himself. Don't think I don't appreciate what you're doing. I know you're trying to help, but this is something Ron and I must deal with on our own. The Cho incident is different. It's not like you can go talk to her about what happened, is it? As your friend, I want to say I think you need more closure on this. I'll understand if you still don't want to talk about it, but you know you can trust me to keep our conversations private. If you keep all your problems to yourself I'm afraid you'll eventually crack under the strain. Please, Harry, let me help you. Hermione
Ginny, You know, I never considered the fact that Dad had shipped me to Romania to keep me away from Mrs. Bones. I'll have to thank him again. You're right. You're not a little girl anymore, and I need to keep reminding myself of that. It just seems it happened so quickly. It made me feel good knowing I had a sister to look after, you know? I'm already missing that. I'm sorry. Forgive me? I just don't want to see you end up with someone you don't really like. I know you had your heart set on someone else, and I hate to think you were settling for something less than the best person for you. Regardless, I just want you to be happy. Ron
Ron, Why, that has to be the sweetest apology you've ever given me. Consider yourself forgiven. However, my feelings concerning any particular boy (Harry included) are still none of your business. Ginny
Hermione, Speaking of figuring out feelings, I just got a letter from Ron. He actually said he misses getting to watch over me and actually admitted I'm growing up. Poor git. Then, he goes off and asks suggests I'm settling for Dean because I can't have Harry. Well, he didn't mention Harry by name, but I knew who he was talking about. Can you believe that? I told him to mind his own business, of course. Okay, fine, I'm still frustrated with Harry. Why won't he notice me? Okay, that's not fair, I know. He's been through so much, but I want to help him, and he seems determined to keep everything to himself. Why won't he open up? Doesn't he know we care about him and that it would help if he just talked to us? Argh! Come to think of it, I need a new swimming suit too. This is going to be so much fun! When will you be here? Ginny
Harry, I really don't know what to do! Can we talk about this when you get to The Burrow? I got clawed by one of the dragons today, and the nurse here wants me to rest. Do NOT tell Hermione about this; I'll never hear the end of it. Of course, Mum is furious about it. She sent Charlie a Howler! Once I'm recovered enough they're going to send me back home, so I'll probably be there when you get there. Ron
Hermione, I apologized to Ginny. She actually accepted! She won't tell me if she still likes Harry, though. I really didn't expect her to, I guess. Thanks for setting me straight. I guess I have a hard time holding back when the situation involves people I care about, especially my family. Ginny can be a bit stubborn sometimes and I don't want to see her get hurt because if it. I'm coming home soon. I hope you can come and visit sometime. Ron
Ron, You got clawed? Are you okay? I guess you're healthy enough to write, so it can't be too terrible. We can talk at The Burrow. Just keep yourself under control, alright? We'll get through this together. I just heard from Dumbledore. I'll be arriving at The Burrow by escort in about a week. For obvious reasons they won't tell me exactly when. Harry
Hermione, I understand completely. The last thing I would want to see happen is something go horribly wrong between you and Ron. If you don't mind me saying so, I think it would be great if you two got together. You obviously care about each other a lot. I'm not sure why you're so concerned about my ordeal with Cho, but I also trust your judgment. I just heard from Dumbledore. He's arranging an escort for me sometime soon. He won't tell me when it will happen (and I'm sure you understand why) but if you're coming to The Burrow I will see you when I arrive. We can talk about the Cho thing then. Harry
Ginny, You're right. I should have gone to Hermione. In fact, I wrote her already and asked her. Did you talk to your dad about Dumbledore? If you did, thanks. I'll be coming to The Burrow soon, but for obvious reasons I don't know exactly when. See you then! Harry
Ginny, I've made arrangements with the Department of Magical Transportation. They can connect my fireplace to the Floo network whenever I'm ready. Is Friday too soon? I know this is short notice, but I am very anxious to see the pool. I have a devilish idea. So we both know Ron is under pressure from Mrs. Bones, right? Well, I'm going to have some fun with him before little Ms. Bones gets a shot at him. I'll give you the details when I get there. So you want to get Harry to notice you? Well, this little bit of fun should help you along as well. Now, before you get the wrong idea, you should not put all your efforts into this little game. Harry needs some genuine TLC. He may not realize it, but that doesn't mean you can't give it to him anyway. We all need to chip in and help, but if you truly want to have something special with him, you need to make what you do for him special. Understand? We'll think of some ways to do this when I get there. We don't want to overdo it and make him think you're trying too hard. Hermione
Hermione, I think I know what you're planning, and I just want to say that you are EVIL! Count me in! I'm with you on the TLC for Harry too. I have some ideas as well. See you soon Friday! Ginny
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