Ginny Weasley sat at her mother's kitchen table, leg bouncing irritably, staring with the utmost distrust at the speccy brunette sat across from her.

"Stop staring," Hermione hissed, pinching her hard under the table, "Audrey's perfectly nice."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know that Hermione, that's why it's," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "suspicious."

Hermione pursed her lips, closed her book, and peered at Ginny over the tops of her reading glasses. Ginny was eerily reminded of Minerva McGonagall for a moment.

"Explain."

"D'you need examples from the text?" Ginny shot back smartly, but all the reaction she got was a sour look.

Fred would've laughed.

"Look, Percy's a prat," She whispered, conscious of said prat pushing the eggs around his plate with a slice of bacon while staring gushily into Audrey's green eyes, "Literally the entirety of Wizarding Britain knows this, and yet somehow he manages to not only bring home a lovely girl, but the poor thing actually seems to like him."

"And you're dating your brother's best mate." Hermione shot back dryly, gingerly picking her book back up and fingering through the pages critically.

Ginny squawked and ruffled, not unlike a small ginger hen. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"I mean that you're hardly the best judge of who to date."

"Harry's different-"

"Look, Ginny," Hermione sighed, putting her book (An Exhaustive History of Japanese Wandmaking by Chiyo Goldhirsch) down again and looking quite sour about it, "I know Harry's different, he's a lovely little speccy idiot. Why can't you just be happy that Percy's found someone who likes him?"

Ginny deflated, feeling a bit alone in her cause. "I just don't understand how anyone could like Percy."

Hermione removed her glasses entirely and gave her eyes a thorough rubbing.

"Ginevra. Your brother is a grown man with a steady job, a good income, and a passion. I know as well as any of you how horrible he used to be, but," She pinned Ginny with a hard, meaningful look, "the War changed him. It changed all of us, exposed the worst in us, helped us see what's really important in life."

Ginny sat back, feeling thoroughly scolded, but Hermione wasn't finished.

"Now, what about instead of being sour that someone wants to get in Percy's pants, we focus on the fact that he's changed, he's happy, and someone loves him."

Hermione shoved the arms of her glasses into her curls, aiming approximately for her ears. Ginny eyed the pair suspiciously, but was beginning to see the truth in Hermione's lecture.

"Honestly, Ginny, it's not as if you have to date him."

Ginny snorted and took another heaping spoonful of eggs, whichever spot held the most cheesy goodness.

"Thank Merlin for that."

Ginny returned to her food and Hermione to her book.

Percy and Audrey, who had heard the whole exchange - they weren't half as good at whispering as they thought they were - smiled and squeezed their joined hands under the table.

Things were going to be just fine.