The Art of Coquetry

By PepsiAngel

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. but the plot is mine.

Author's Note: Yay, another G/H from dear old me. It is supposed to be a chapter fic but we'll see how that goes.

Chapter 1: Confusion


Normally, if you have been in love with someone for five years you are ecstatic about getting together with him. You'd as soon gouge your eyes out with an extremely sharp spear as look at another guy. Or worse, lock yourself in a closet and be subjected to Gilderoy Lockhart reading Magical Me, over and over.

The author would like to interrupt this story to say the later doesn't sound so bad. Ahem, anyway.

I believe I said normally and Ginny didn't exactly consider herself ordinary. Maybe this explained why she had suddenly started checking out other guys, even Neville Longbottom who was nice and all but not exactly what one might consider a great catch. It was ridiculous; this is what she had been dreaming of for years!

Not to say that she had never been excited over the prospect of dating Harry. The first few months she had been overjoyed. No matter how far and wide you searched the land, no happier witch could be found in all of Europe, I'm sure. This last week though, her heart didn't skip a beat every time he entered the room.


The worst of all this was the lack of change from Harry. He seemed to be perfectly content in their relationship and just as in love as he had been the first day they had mutually confessed their feelings and shared a kiss. A wonderful, amazing, heart-stopping kiss… One that used to make her breathing falter, even after so long.

Not anymore though.


The thought made tears spring into her coffee colored eyes. Maybe she really was growing away from Harry.

"No," she muttered fiercely. "I won't let it happen! Self, you can't."

Two small second years, who were seated on a couch nearby, both glanced over and shot curious looks at her.

Her cheeks flushed slightly but she glared at them so evilly that they let out little meeps and whipped around.

Her eyes shifted across the room and landed on Parvati and Lavender, who were quite possibly the biggest ditzes in school. Well, if you make it a habit to exclude all Hufflepuffs when you do these mental polls.



An idea hit her at this moment. It was quite possibly the most brilliant idea she'd ever had. Of course, it was also likely that it was the worst scheme but then here was a possibility of being attacked by Cornish pixies too.

The author must once again disrupt the flow of this tale to comment that a savage pixie assault is totally likely.

Now, if there are no more annoying interruptions, I will continue on. She had been hit (rather hard, if you must know) by an interesting idea. Maybe Harry's thoughts were wondering too. Still, she doubted he blushed every time he saw Lavender because he was picturing what her … undergarments looked like. Er, not like this happened when she saw a certain sandy haired Gryffindor.

It was entirely possible though and she intended to find out. This, of course, was where those two came in. She needed an insider to find out if Harry, or at least his mind, was being unfaithful.

"Lavender, Parvati!" she called to the two friends when she had their attention she beckoned them over.

"Hey Ginny," smiled Lavender as they appeared by her chair. Instantly, the red head felt ashamed for the thoughts that danced through her head about the girl's boyfriend.

"What's up," asked Parvati.

"It's a long story…" began Ginny and she explained everything. By the end of her speech their eyes were wide with shock.

Leave it to them to head straight for the gossip, even in an emergency. "But you were always so obviously in love with Harry."

"I know, I thought you two were such a great couple!"

It was almost amusing to see the lack of advice, or anything intelligent at that, they could come up with without their trusty Teen Witch Weekly on hand.

"So did I, and look where that got me." Her complaining voice was filled with such clear regret it caused their beautiful faces to fall.

The pity caused Parvati to promise something she'd soon regret, "We'll help. What's the plan?"

Ginny took a deep breath. Hopefully they wouldn't think she was too crazy. "I want you two to start flirting with him, be a bit suggestive, and just generally throw yourselves at him."

"Like a common whore? I'm sorry, I'd really like to help you but I do have a reputation and self respect." Parvati's thinly plucked eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hair.

Ginny looked annoyed. "Right, your reputation is you're a FLIRT and besides, Harry won't tell a soul. He'll be way too embarrassed," she argued.

"I have Seamus to take in account though," added Lavender.

Parvati nodded and continued on. "That's true enough, Gin, but I like to think of myself as intelligent but, yes, a little boy crazy." She sounded so genuinely serious that Ginny couldn't bring herself to make the sharp, sarcastic remarks she wanted to.

"I still say no," said Lavender. She turned on her heel, walked away, and one half of the duo was gone.

The red head clapped her hands and turned to Parvati with sparkling eyes. She looked less than thrilled but didn't follow her friend.

"Well, are you ready to show your seductive side?" she grinned.

Parvati nodded grimly, "I'm ready."

* * *