There was a reason it didn't sound very convincing. Hermione got absolutely mental when she was stressed. But Ron knew better than to admit that, even after several glasses of firewhiskey and when Hermione was nowhere near him.
"Speaking of Witch Weekly, it's been a while since they ran an article on you. I think one is long overdue," he teased. Ron had no idea really, as he avoided all things Witch Weekly. But on occasion some of the female aurors would mention their coworker as having been included in the latest issue.