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"Oi!" Ron exclaimed.

Dean and Ginny broke apart and looked around.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!"

"This was a deserted corridor till you came butting in!" Ginny retorted.

Dean was looking embarrassed. He gave Harry a shifty grin that Harry did not return.

"Er...c'mon, Ginny," Dean advised. "Let's go back to the common -

"You go!" Ginny shouted. "I want a word with my dear brother!"

Dean left, looking as though he was not sorry to depart the scene.

"Right," said Ginny, tossing her long red hair out of her face and glaring at Ron, "let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron - "

"Yeah, it is!" Ron exclaimed. "D'you think I want people saying my sister's a - "

"A what?" shouted Ginny, drawing her wand. "A what, exactly?"

"He doesn't mean anything, Ginny," said Harry.

"Yes, he does!" she said, flaring up at Harry. "Just because he's never snogged anyone in his life, just because the best kiss he's ever had is from our Auntie Muriel - "

"Shut your mouth!" bellowed Ron.

"I will not!" yelled Ginny. "I've seen you with Phlegm, hoping she'll kiss you on the cheek every time you see her. It's pathetic! If you went out and got a bit of snogging done yourself, you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!"

Ron had pulled out his wand too. Harry stepped swiftly between them.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron roared, trying to get a clear shot at Ginny. "Just because I don't do it in public - "

Ginny screamed with derisive laughter, trying to push Harry out of the way "Been kissing Pigwidgeon, have you? Or have you got a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow?"

"You - "

A streak of orange light flew under Harry's left arm and missed Ginny by inches. Harry pushed Ron up against the wall.

"Don't be stupid - "

"Harry's snogged Cho Chang!" shouted Ginny, who sounded close to tears now. "And Hermione snogged Viktor Krum! It's only you who acts like it's something disgusting, Ron, and that's because you've got about as much experience as a 12-year-old. I bet even Kimberly has kissed someone before!"

And with that, she stormed away.

"Do you think Kimberly has kissed someone before?" Ron asked abruptly.

"Oh...er... I'm not sure, Ron. I've never really asked," Harry replied.