Christmas break finally arrives and most of the students leave Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Neville, the twins, and Luna settling in a compartment. They talk about their plans for their OWL or NEWT. Ginny slides into the compartment, sitting on Fred's lap since there's not an empty seat.

"I had to get the hell away from Won-Won before I hit him. He's whining that Madam Umbridge. . .and I'm not using the name he really gave her has schoolwork for him over the break and she flooed Mum to give her copies of what he has to work on so he can't tell her that he doesn't have any work."

"The nerve of her!" Fred hisses in mock-disapproval.

"Oh, I know. Who does she think she is? Doesn't she know break is a time to sit on your ass doing nothing? She expects him to work during it? The horror. And he still expects the four of you to wait hand and foot on him at the ball, because after all he's the Hogwarts Champion and the ball's in his honor."

"And the fact we told him we woudn't be there?"

"Oh you have to be telling tales. Nobody would dare miss his grand entrance. Mum refused to buy him dress robes since as a first year he wasn't invited to the school balls even if he was old enough so Madam Umbridge had to buy him a set. And of course he'll look smashing in them, if he does say so himself.

"At least his hair is beginning to grow back in again."

"So since Hermione doesn't have a date, she'll flock to him not to be embarrassed." Ginny drawls. "And since Harry's his 'bestest bud' he'll do whatever he wants too. And since the ball is in his honor, Umbridge wouldn't dare cut him off after one plate."

"If she did the little bastard would grab a serving platter and fill it as high as he could before sitting down to eat." George snorts.

"Where's the tree?" Ron asks, he'd run into the living room to look at all the presents his Mum had to have brought for him. After all, he was the Hogwarts Champion.

"We didn't put one up this year since we can't afford presents, what with having to pay for the books you damaged during your little fit at the library and paying Albus back the money we borrowed for your barrister." Molly says firmly.

"But that's not fay-urr." Ron whines. He heads upstairs to sulk and screams. "Mum, you. . ."

"Took everything out of your room that you stole. And cleaned it, you've just got your bed and your old clothes. Now sit down at the kitchen table and start working on the assignments Madam Umbridge gave you."

"That bit. . ." SLAP.

"OWWWW!"

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY, You don't ever use that kind of language around me, especially somebody who is fighting tooth and nail to get you to pass your first year. . .which you should have done three years ago. Now sit your lazy arse down and start working on the assignments Madam Umbridge gave you for over the break. The others have their own homework, why should you be allowed to get away with doing nothing?" He tries hitting his Mum to get her to release his ear and gets smacked again.

Ginny and the twins pull out their assignments and start to work, putting everything away when their Mum starts to prepare dinner. The next week passes in a quiet lull, punctuated by Ron's screaming fits about having to do his assignments. Madam Umbridge arrives the morning of the ball with a set of dress robes that has Fred and George heading upstairs to cackle.

"Fred, George, where are you two going?" Molly asks as they grab bags and floo powder.

"We've got meetings with Gringotts Mum, remember? We're talking with the Goblins about our plans for working for them over the summer then talking to a builder about plans for a store. we'll probably be home late."

"You never told me that." She bleats. "This is the holidays."

"Mum, we've been writing about our meeting in. . ." Fred says, sighing.

"Every letter we wrote home for a month." his twin finishes. Molly glares at them then accios their letters, reading them and shaking her head when she finds they did. She'd skipped over that trying to find news about Ron settling down and growing up.

"Where are Harry and Hermione, they're going to miss the ball." Ron whines to Ginny.

"They told everybody months ago that they weren't coming to the ball, they're at the Ministry taking their OWLS." she sighs, resisting the urge to conjure something heavy to beat him with.

"But that's not fair." he howls. "They're not supposed to choose their schooling over me." He falls to the floor kicking and screaming. Ginny sighs and kicks him in the ribs while the chaperones pretend they're not paying attention. This is going to be a long night.

Molly screams for hours the next day, finally losing her voice. Then it's Arthur's turn to let Ron know how disappointed they were in him. The twins grab Ginny after breakfast and take her to Gringotts to escape the crossfire. They return later that night for dinner to find Ron sulking at the table.

Christmas arrives and Ron runs into the living room start tearing open his presents under the tree that would have magically appeared, screaming in stunned disbelief when he sees the room unchanged from last night.

"We told you that we weren't having a tree or presents this year thanks to money being tight." Molly says from the kitchen. "Now quit screaming down the house and come eat." Ron continues to stare at the wall that should be filled with presents for him until his mother drags him to the table.

Molly hugs the twins and Ginny before they get back on the Hogwarts Express. "I'm so sorry about this break, I'd hoped that seeing how his actions affected the family Ron would grow up. But he won't, and you three suffered for it."

"How was break?" Hermione asks Ginny back in the Gryffindor common room.

"Absolute Hell. Ron whined, sulked, and tried hitting everybody. Mum laid into him every chance she could, there wasn't any presents. . .not even a tree because all the extra money is going to pay off the barrister and pay for the books he damaged. Mum apologized when we were getting on the train, she wanted us to come home for Christmas but Ron acted like his usual bratty self and she lost her patience. She hoped being home for Christmas and seeing how his actions affected the rest of us might make Ron grow up, all he did was whine. Did you hear back about your OWLS?"

"Excellent Marks for both of us in History of Magic and Potions. We're planning on taking them both independently next year if Professor Lupin continues to tutor the NEWT level class. Did Ron make a scene about us not being at the ball even though he already knew we weren't going to be there?"

"Oh god yes, the little prick screamed and ranted for hours when he realized that his 'bestest buds' weren't really there. You were just jealous of his magnificence because he'd been chosen and Hogwart's champion and not Harry. You'd come crawling back to him."

"Yeah," Hermione snorts. "Harry is sooo jealous of the idiot who farted in the direction of the dragon then went off like a blast ended skrewt when the dragon set it on fire."

"Yeah, he couldn't believe you two would choose your schooling over him." Ginny snorts and heads to her room, sighing as she sees presents on the foot of her bed. "Too damn little, too damn late right now Mum." she says.

"Did you find presents on your bed?" Fred asks at dinner.

"Yeah, I haven't opened them. I'm still too angry about Ron's whining all Christmas break." Ginny snorts. "Not that I don't know what it is, another jumper and some sort of sweets." The twins nod. "The same thing she sends every year." Down the table Harry and Hermione nod.

"Are you going home for Easter?"

"Have to see about it. We already told Mum that if he came home, we wouldn't be." Ginny nods. "I've signed up to work in Gringott's, there's no way in hell I'm staying at home with him all summer. Little bastard broke into my room trying to find everything he was sure that Mum and Dad had brought me for Christmas. It wasn't fair that we got presents but he didn't. Don't we know he's the Hogwarts Champion? I had to sleep on the floor for two nights because the little bastard took an ax to my bed and dresser, he was furious he wasn't able to find my presents. I'd have took the ax to him."

"They weren't able to fix them. . ."

"He turned them into kindling. Dad's not happy that he's got to buy a bedroom set."

"It's a lot of money but Ginny can't be expected to sleep on the floor forever. And Dad's still paying off the money he borrowed from Dumbledore for the barrister and setting aside money for the books Won-Won damaged in his temper tantrum."

"Ron's bed stuff?"

"Who wants to sleep on the mattress he's been farting in his entire life?" Ginny shudders. The twins nod. "Besides, that would be mean to him! If I sleep in his room, where's he supposed to sleep?"

"Weasley, do you mind me asking. Is your brother mentally ill or just stupid? My aunt's a psychiatrist, what a healer who deals with mental problems would be in the magical world, and he sounds like a right nutter to me."

"I'm afraid it's the pureblood mentality, they think they're soooo much better than everybody else. My brother just takes it to extremes."

"Ginny, if your parents don't have a new bedroom set for you by summer break, you're welcome to stay with me. Sirius is taking me to Potter Manor, it's been locked up since before I was born, my parents had their own home then went into hiding."

"Thanks Harry, but if I did that Ron would butt in and demand to come along because after all, he's your 'bestest bud'. If Dad hasn't been able to get me a new bed I can sleep in the wizarding tent he brought for the world cup, it was too cold to sleep in it over Christmas, even if we could have set it up in the snow."