Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form. J.K. Rowling is the creative genius here, people!
A/N: This was simply a reply to a request by muddgutts for some banter. Since I'm slow and can't figure out what exactly he wanted, I'll just throw it all in there. Also, while I think the HP books are brilliant, my portrayal of the characters is definitely NOT. This is my first HP fanfic, so if you must flame, do so, just keep that in mind…
Dedicated to Muddgutts
Snow Day
"Snow day at Hogwarts? We're bloody wizards, can't they make the snow go away? I was going to go flying!" Ron cried, gripping his broom and looking wistfully out of the frost-covered window of the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Ron, the snow's too deep, and besides, it's much too cold to go flying this time of year." Hermione replied, turning from page 435 to 436 of Hogwarts: A History, Year Six. "You'll only get sick, and then think of all the homework you'll have to make up! You're already behind."
"I don't care, I just want to go outside!" Ron fell into an armchair and sighed dramatically. "I feel like a caged animal!"
"Now you know how I feel." Harry replied absently from his place by the fire. He had Sirius' mirror in front of him and he kept turning it over again and again. If only he'd listened, or remembered. Then Sirius would still be here.
Ron frowned, realizing his mistake. "Look, Harry, we miss Sirius too."
"We know how you feel." Hermione said gently, closing her book and going over to him.
"No you don't! No one knows how I feel!" Harry snapped. "He wasn't your godfather! He wasn't the closest thing you had to family!"
"Harry--" Ron got up and started to speak, but Harry cut him off.
"No! Ron, you have Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, and Ginny! You have your parents!" He cried. "So don't try to tell me you know how I feel!" He got to his feet and stormed out of the Common Room; he didn't want to deal with this right now.
Ron's ears matched his hair. "Fine then! Be a prat! See if I care!"
"Ron!" Hermione cried, grabbing his arm. "How can you say that? To Harry!"
"Well, he didn't need to get all huffy about it! It's not like he was the only one who cared about Sirius!"
"No, but after last year he's dealing with a lot, you insensitive git!" Hermione remarked. "You can't blame him for feeling the way he does, and you're not helping by egging him on!"
"Insensitive…I am not insensitive! He insulted my family, what was I supposed to do?"
"Ronald Weasley, he did NOT insult them! If anything he was paying you a compliment! He loves your family just as much as you do!"
"Well…maybe…" Ron fell back into the armchair. "I suppose you want me to go apologize?"
"That'd be nice." Hermione said. "But I think Harry needs some time to himself."
"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"
"Well, you could catch up on your homework. Snape assigned those two rolls of parchment on the properties of Nightshade last week, and you haven't even started."
Ron sighed. Go figure she would want him to do homework. There was no living with her anymore.
Harry stormed down the Hall, not sure where he was headed, and not caring. Maybe he shouldn't have yelled at Ron and Hermione like that, but they had no idea what he was going through! Hermione had even warned him against Sirius in third year. What did they know? His eyes were fixed on the floor and he didn't see the fifth year coming until they collided.
"Ow!" Rubbing his head, he looked up to see who he'd hit. "Ginny!"
"Are you all right, Harry?" She helped him up and he nodded.
"Yeah, you?"
"I'm fine." She replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You looked upset, are you sure everything's alright?"
"Everything's…" One look at her and his frustration just melted away. How was that? "I yelled and Ron and Hermione."
Ginny frowned. "What about?" Seeing the mirror in his hand, she asked, "Sirius?"
He only nodded.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." She said. "Want to go--oh, well, I guess we can't go outside. It's a snow day…How about the kitchens? I'm sure Dobby wouldn't mind fixing us something, and I didn't really have much for lunch today."
Harry smiled a little. "Yeah, let's go."
As they walked, all of his frustration and pain over Sirius' death spilled out. It was easy to talk to Ginny; there was something about her that made him feel completely at ease, which was something even Ron didn't quite have. They were best mates, to be sure, but there were lots of things he'd kept to himself. "…and I guess I just didn't want to hear it anymore." He finished as they reached the kitchens. "I'm tired of people telling me that they know how I feel and what I'm going through, that it will get better. It doesn't feel like it."
Ginny only smiled and nodded patiently, letting him have his say. She did that with everyone, he noticed. No matter what the problem, Ginny was always ready to listen.
"Look, I don't mean to burden you. It's just that…I can't believe he's actually…really…gone."
Dobby suddenly appeared before them, a new tea cozy over his ears. "Oh! It be Mr. Harry Potter! And Miss Virginia Weasley! Dobby is glad to see you! What can Dobby do for the great and glorious Harry Potter?"
Harry winced inwardly. "Er…do you think we might get something to eat? Ginny didn't get much at lunch."
"And what about yourself, Harry Potter sir?"
"Nothing, thanks."
"Harry, you've got to eat something!" Ginny remarked. Turning to Dobby, she asked, "Would it be too much trouble for a few pumpkin pasties and some butterbeer?"
"Not at all! Dobby would do anything for a friend of Harry Potter's!" Dobby grinned, and dashed off to get them.
Harry wished he'd stop doing that. An awkward silence followed. Harry wasn't sure what to say, now that he'd run out of steam over his rant. Ginny avoided his eyes for some reason, and finally he was forced to speak. "It's too bad we're snowed in."
"Yeah, I'll bet Ron had a fit when Dumbledore announced we wouldn't be able to go outdoors. Hagrid must be crushed, too."
Harry smiled slightly, remembering that this week's Care of Magical Creature was supposed to be the gorkyrot. He wasn't quite sure what a gorkyrot was, but Hagrid had been especially excited about them, which probably meant they were dangerous. "There's not much to do around here on a weekend snow day, I'll admit."
Dobby came back with the sweets and then made himself scarce. As the pair munched on them, Harry watched her carefully. She was different than the others, who all saw him only as The-Boy-Who-Lived. Of course Hermione saw him differently too, but that was…well…Hermione. Besides, Ron was going to ask her out soon, whether he knew it or not.
"There's actually lots to do." Ginny said thoughtfully. "You just have to use a little imagination."
"Imagination, huh?" He asked, smiling a little. "Well, then what would you suggest we do?"
Ginny took a sip of butterbeer. "Hmm…well, we definitely need to cheer you up…How about Truth or Dare?"
Truth or Dare? Ginny wanted to play Truth or Dare? He wasn't sure he liked where this was going, but he had to admit, he kind of liked it.
"Only rule," Ginny continued, "no questions concerning the Department of Mysteries or last year."
Last year…
"Harry, you're doing it again." Ginny replied gently, placing a hand on his arm. It sent chills up his back, for some strange reason. "You need to think of the happier times. Come on, I'll let you go first, and I choose Truth."
He thought about it for a moment. Then his lips curved up into a mischievous smile. "When do you think Hermione and Ron are going to get together?"
By the time they finished, Harry thought he knew more about Ginny Weasley than he ever cared to know. Somehow he found her even more appealing than before. Of course, Ginny had also seen him do some of the most bizarre things known to the wizarding world, all at her challenges. They had both laughed themselves sore and when they got back to the Common Room, Ron and Hermione gave them funny looks.
"Harry? Ginny?" Ron asked. "What's going on?"
Harry sobered up and walked over. "Nothing, look Ron, I'm sorry I was such a prat. I shouldn't have said those things, but I just…"
"Miss Sirius?" Hermione supplied.
Harry nodded.
"That's okay, Harry. You're my best mate, things happen." Ron said.
Hermione cleared her throat rather loudly.
"And…I'm sorry I called you a prat." He added. "I just don't like being cooped up."
"We know, Ron." Ginny said. "Hermione, want to play Exploding Snap in the dorm?"
Hermione grinned, catching the hint. "Sure!"
"Can we play?" Harry asked.
"No." She replied brusquely, getting to her feet and looping her arm into Ginny's. "This is a girl's only game." With that, the two girls left, trying very hard to suppress the fit of giggles that threatened after seeing such a heartfelt conversation between two males.
"And once again, I'm left with nothing to do!" Ron sighed, throwing himself into the armchair by the fire."
Harry took the seat beside him. "I don't know…how about a game of Truth or Dare?"
A/N: This was simply a reply to a request by muddgutts for some banter. Since I'm slow and can't figure out what exactly he wanted, I'll just throw it all in there. Also, while I think the HP books are brilliant, my portrayal of the characters is definitely NOT. This is my first HP fanfic, so if you must flame, do so, just keep that in mind…
Dedicated to Muddgutts
Snow Day
"Snow day at Hogwarts? We're bloody wizards, can't they make the snow go away? I was going to go flying!" Ron cried, gripping his broom and looking wistfully out of the frost-covered window of the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Ron, the snow's too deep, and besides, it's much too cold to go flying this time of year." Hermione replied, turning from page 435 to 436 of Hogwarts: A History, Year Six. "You'll only get sick, and then think of all the homework you'll have to make up! You're already behind."
"I don't care, I just want to go outside!" Ron fell into an armchair and sighed dramatically. "I feel like a caged animal!"
"Now you know how I feel." Harry replied absently from his place by the fire. He had Sirius' mirror in front of him and he kept turning it over again and again. If only he'd listened, or remembered. Then Sirius would still be here.
Ron frowned, realizing his mistake. "Look, Harry, we miss Sirius too."
"We know how you feel." Hermione said gently, closing her book and going over to him.
"No you don't! No one knows how I feel!" Harry snapped. "He wasn't your godfather! He wasn't the closest thing you had to family!"
"Harry--" Ron got up and started to speak, but Harry cut him off.
"No! Ron, you have Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, and Ginny! You have your parents!" He cried. "So don't try to tell me you know how I feel!" He got to his feet and stormed out of the Common Room; he didn't want to deal with this right now.
Ron's ears matched his hair. "Fine then! Be a prat! See if I care!"
"Ron!" Hermione cried, grabbing his arm. "How can you say that? To Harry!"
"Well, he didn't need to get all huffy about it! It's not like he was the only one who cared about Sirius!"
"No, but after last year he's dealing with a lot, you insensitive git!" Hermione remarked. "You can't blame him for feeling the way he does, and you're not helping by egging him on!"
"Insensitive…I am not insensitive! He insulted my family, what was I supposed to do?"
"Ronald Weasley, he did NOT insult them! If anything he was paying you a compliment! He loves your family just as much as you do!"
"Well…maybe…" Ron fell back into the armchair. "I suppose you want me to go apologize?"
"That'd be nice." Hermione said. "But I think Harry needs some time to himself."
"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"
"Well, you could catch up on your homework. Snape assigned those two rolls of parchment on the properties of Nightshade last week, and you haven't even started."
Ron sighed. Go figure she would want him to do homework. There was no living with her anymore.
Harry stormed down the Hall, not sure where he was headed, and not caring. Maybe he shouldn't have yelled at Ron and Hermione like that, but they had no idea what he was going through! Hermione had even warned him against Sirius in third year. What did they know? His eyes were fixed on the floor and he didn't see the fifth year coming until they collided.
"Ow!" Rubbing his head, he looked up to see who he'd hit. "Ginny!"
"Are you all right, Harry?" She helped him up and he nodded.
"Yeah, you?"
"I'm fine." She replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You looked upset, are you sure everything's alright?"
"Everything's…" One look at her and his frustration just melted away. How was that? "I yelled and Ron and Hermione."
Ginny frowned. "What about?" Seeing the mirror in his hand, she asked, "Sirius?"
He only nodded.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." She said. "Want to go--oh, well, I guess we can't go outside. It's a snow day…How about the kitchens? I'm sure Dobby wouldn't mind fixing us something, and I didn't really have much for lunch today."
Harry smiled a little. "Yeah, let's go."
As they walked, all of his frustration and pain over Sirius' death spilled out. It was easy to talk to Ginny; there was something about her that made him feel completely at ease, which was something even Ron didn't quite have. They were best mates, to be sure, but there were lots of things he'd kept to himself. "…and I guess I just didn't want to hear it anymore." He finished as they reached the kitchens. "I'm tired of people telling me that they know how I feel and what I'm going through, that it will get better. It doesn't feel like it."
Ginny only smiled and nodded patiently, letting him have his say. She did that with everyone, he noticed. No matter what the problem, Ginny was always ready to listen.
"Look, I don't mean to burden you. It's just that…I can't believe he's actually…really…gone."
Dobby suddenly appeared before them, a new tea cozy over his ears. "Oh! It be Mr. Harry Potter! And Miss Virginia Weasley! Dobby is glad to see you! What can Dobby do for the great and glorious Harry Potter?"
Harry winced inwardly. "Er…do you think we might get something to eat? Ginny didn't get much at lunch."
"And what about yourself, Harry Potter sir?"
"Nothing, thanks."
"Harry, you've got to eat something!" Ginny remarked. Turning to Dobby, she asked, "Would it be too much trouble for a few pumpkin pasties and some butterbeer?"
"Not at all! Dobby would do anything for a friend of Harry Potter's!" Dobby grinned, and dashed off to get them.
Harry wished he'd stop doing that. An awkward silence followed. Harry wasn't sure what to say, now that he'd run out of steam over his rant. Ginny avoided his eyes for some reason, and finally he was forced to speak. "It's too bad we're snowed in."
"Yeah, I'll bet Ron had a fit when Dumbledore announced we wouldn't be able to go outdoors. Hagrid must be crushed, too."
Harry smiled slightly, remembering that this week's Care of Magical Creature was supposed to be the gorkyrot. He wasn't quite sure what a gorkyrot was, but Hagrid had been especially excited about them, which probably meant they were dangerous. "There's not much to do around here on a weekend snow day, I'll admit."
Dobby came back with the sweets and then made himself scarce. As the pair munched on them, Harry watched her carefully. She was different than the others, who all saw him only as The-Boy-Who-Lived. Of course Hermione saw him differently too, but that was…well…Hermione. Besides, Ron was going to ask her out soon, whether he knew it or not.
"There's actually lots to do." Ginny said thoughtfully. "You just have to use a little imagination."
"Imagination, huh?" He asked, smiling a little. "Well, then what would you suggest we do?"
Ginny took a sip of butterbeer. "Hmm…well, we definitely need to cheer you up…How about Truth or Dare?"
Truth or Dare? Ginny wanted to play Truth or Dare? He wasn't sure he liked where this was going, but he had to admit, he kind of liked it.
"Only rule," Ginny continued, "no questions concerning the Department of Mysteries or last year."
Last year…
"Harry, you're doing it again." Ginny replied gently, placing a hand on his arm. It sent chills up his back, for some strange reason. "You need to think of the happier times. Come on, I'll let you go first, and I choose Truth."
He thought about it for a moment. Then his lips curved up into a mischievous smile. "When do you think Hermione and Ron are going to get together?"
By the time they finished, Harry thought he knew more about Ginny Weasley than he ever cared to know. Somehow he found her even more appealing than before. Of course, Ginny had also seen him do some of the most bizarre things known to the wizarding world, all at her challenges. They had both laughed themselves sore and when they got back to the Common Room, Ron and Hermione gave them funny looks.
"Harry? Ginny?" Ron asked. "What's going on?"
Harry sobered up and walked over. "Nothing, look Ron, I'm sorry I was such a prat. I shouldn't have said those things, but I just…"
"Miss Sirius?" Hermione supplied.
Harry nodded.
"That's okay, Harry. You're my best mate, things happen." Ron said.
Hermione cleared her throat rather loudly.
"And…I'm sorry I called you a prat." He added. "I just don't like being cooped up."
"We know, Ron." Ginny said. "Hermione, want to play Exploding Snap in the dorm?"
Hermione grinned, catching the hint. "Sure!"
"Can we play?" Harry asked.
"No." She replied brusquely, getting to her feet and looping her arm into Ginny's. "This is a girl's only game." With that, the two girls left, trying very hard to suppress the fit of giggles that threatened after seeing such a heartfelt conversation between two males.
"And once again, I'm left with nothing to do!" Ron sighed, throwing himself into the armchair by the fire."
Harry took the seat beside him. "I don't know…how about a game of Truth or Dare?"