A/N: Written for HSWW (Challenges and Assignments)
Assignment #9: Swimming Lessons: Breaststroke: The Princess and the Frog!AU
Mickey Mouse Day: write a Disney!AU
National Princess Day: Tiana - Princess & the Frog - write about someone who works too hard
Around the World in Thirty-One Days: 110. Mexico - Food: Mushroom
Fortnight Event: Love in Motion: Family - Ginny/Ron
Word Count: 2,335
There was a creaking sound as the door opened and Ginny shifted through it. She tiredly reached for the tie that kept the bun on her head secure and tugged at it, letting the ribbon come undone and her red hair to spill past her shoulders.
A small groan escaped past her lips as she shuffled to her bed and undoing her apron that was secured around her waist in her yellow diner dress; she flopped on her bed face first.
The sounds of footsteps entered the room. She didn't see who the person was that had come in behind her, but it didn't take a rocket scientist as it was only two people who lived in the small house.
"I'll have dinner ready in a second, Ron," Ginny muffled through her pillow she was laying on.
"I didn't come to mention that," Ron said, and Ginny could hear him huff and mutter 'though I am happy to hear that.' "I came to tell you that Lav is going to be hosting her annual party and wants you to be there."
Ginny rolled to her side and looked at Ron. "Ron, I don't have time for parties. You know what I'm trying to do."
"Yea, yea, you want to keep working so you can get your sports shop," Ron recited with an eye roll. Ginny glared at him and sat up.
"You may mock me, but I am going to get it," Ginny said. "Dad finally coaxed Mum into traveling around the world, Fred and George are off doing Merlin knows what, don't get me started on Bill and Percy, and Charlie is pursuing his dream." She moved her hand in front of her to gesture towards them both. "Between me and you, Ron, we are the only ones left that should be doing something with our lives and not just living together to prove we can take care of ourselves."
Ron raised a finger to protest, but Ginny kept going. "You're getting your sporting career started, and I want to own my own sporting shop. There's nothing going to stop me from getting it." She pointed towards the jar full of money on her dresser. "I am so close to getting what I need, and damn it I'm going to get it!"
Her brother raised his hands. "Alright, alright, alright. I won't mention it again," he said before his face perked up. "You did say you were going to cook right?"
Ginny gave Ron a blank look. "Yes, I'm going to prep dinner before my next shift," she said as she rubbed her neck. "You need to learn to cook," she said in a half-joking tone.
"I'm a much better eater than cooker," he said proudly.
She snorted as she moved past him. "No kidding."
Ginny was in the back where the kitchen was inside the diner, slicing the mushrooms. She sighed softly, looking at them on the cutting board.
"I'm almost there," she said softly to herself. "Cooking is one thing, but owning my own shop full of sporting goods is another. I'm going to get it; I can practically taste it."
She finished with the mushrooms and packed them into a container before placing the knife in the sink and noticing the order in the window. Ginny wiped the sweat from her brow and read the order, going to make it.
Many moments later, Ginny used her hip and pushed through the doors to head to the table that would have the order. With it being the graveyard shift and Ginny was the only worker besides her coworker Romilda, it wasn't hard for Ginny to navigate who ordered what.
The person who did order it brought a wide smile to Ginny's face. "Ginny!" the bubbly girl exclaimed.
"Lavender!" Ginny said incredulously. "What are you doing here?" She set the plate in front of Lavender.
Lavender clasped her hands together on the table. "How else am I to find my best friend when all she does is work?" she asked. "You have to go to my party tomorrow!"
Ginny sighed when Lavender pulled her down to sit next to her. "Ron told me about it," she said, "but I can't go. You know that I'm just a few tips away from getting my shop opened."
"Because that's all you really want in life," Lavender said as she looked up to the ceiling. "I know, I know." She clapped her hands together. "You just have to come, pretty please? I already have your dress, and you can't refuse a friend's gift or that's rude."
"Consider me rude, Lavender," Ginny huffed, "because I'm not going." She was about to stand up and leave, but Lavender grabbed her wrist.
"Wait!" Lavender said. "What if...what if I tipped you the last of the money you need, then you have no reason to work," she finished smugly.
Ginny frowned. "I couldn't ask that of you, Lav," she protested.
Lavender shook her head and grabbed her wallet. "There's no need," she said. "I do have to pay for my delicious food after all."
Ginny pouted at her friend, knowing she couldn't argue with this one or take it away, but on the inside, she was practically jumping with delight as she would have the money for her shop. "Alright Lav, I can't stop you," she said, "this time."
Lavender snorted and set her wallet down. "You'd only win if it requires physical attention and there's no fashion involved."
Ginny's laugh echoed around the diner for a moment before things went as silent as a diner could get and everything went as it normally did.
When the sun was high in the sky above the town, Ginny waltzed into the place she shared with her brother. She shut the door and slid down it slowly with a dejected sigh.
"Who told those buggers to outbid me?" she demanded to the empty room as she folded her arms and pouted her bottom lip. Ginny looked up to the ceiling and shook her head. "There's no way I can get more money in three days."
"Are you talking to yourself again?" the voice of her brother sounded around the corner to the front door.
Ginny yelped and shot up, tossing one of her flats in the direction of the voice. "Don't do that you prat!"
Ron came into view with a genuinely confused expression. "Do what?"
She waved him off with a frustrated hand gestured. "Forget it." Ginny slid back down the door and looked towards the wall.
"What happened? I thought you were getting that shop you always wanted today," he asked her, sitting down beside her.
An angry tear threatened to fall, but Ginny wouldn't allow it. "Someone has outbidded me, so I have to come up with some more money in three days or I don't get it."
Ron's expression softened before looking down. "Oh, I'm sorry Gin," he said.
Ginny shook her head, quickly wiping the tear away as it finally managed to escaped. "It's alright. You couldn't have done anything about it."
"Well, there's something that I got today that might take your mind off it," Ron told her with bright, toothy grin.
She raised an eyebrow. "What could that possibly be, Ron?"
Ron scrambled to stand up and held up a finger. "Hold on, lemme show you."
Ginny got back up as well, starting to follow Ron down the hallway. "Come on, just tell me what is–AH!" Ginny jumped back when a small, green frog was shoved practically in her face. She waved Ron away. "Where the bloody hell did you get that?" she demanded.
Ron pulled the frog away with a frown. "I found the little guy wandering around in front of the house, and I couldn't just leave him there!"
Ginny cocked her hip and placed her hands no both sides of her hips. "You can't keep trying to rescue animals, Ronald," she scolded. "How are we going to take care of it?"
"Well…" Ron scratched the back of his head, "...I know we can handle it, Gin. Come on, you know he's a cute one." He waved the struggling frog back in Ginny's face. She had to blink twice because it looked like it was giving her a pleading look.
She gave a another defeated sigh. "Alright, we'll keep him," she said, "but you're to keep watch over him at all times. I don't need him anywhere near my knickers."
Ron saluted and hurried off. Ginny watched him and shook her head. He was right about one thing; the image of him caring for a frog did take her mind off things.
The time had come for Lavender's large party, and Ginny had gone to Lavender's house to help her friend get ready before her next shift. Of course, Lavender shoved the dress that she bought for Ginny in Ginny's arms and forced her to change into it; there was no way Ginny was going to be able to go in if Lavender had anything to say about it.
Ginny looked at herself in the mirror with a small frown. She tried smoothing down the shamrock dress that Lavender had chosen for her to wear. The skirt of it bunched up due to the tulle material, making it difficult for Ginny to navigate around in. The Queen Anne neckline was the main thing that Ginny was thankful for in the dress.
She jumped lightly when a set of hands started to pin up her hair into a bun. Lavender's head came into view in the mirror with a wide grin. "You look so gorgeous, Gin!" she gushed.
"I don't see it," Ginny quipped quietly.
Lavender scoff. "Puh-lease," she protested, "you are beautiful." Lavender turned Ginny to face her. "I mean it, and don't you forget it."
Ginny nodded mutely while Lavender beamed. Lavender turned Ginny around with her silk white gloved hands, so Ginny had the chance to admire Lavender wearing a pink ball gown with a sweetheart neckline; she could also admire the way Lavender's head full of spiral curls managed to stay that way without getting frizzy.
"Let's knock em dead," Lavender said with her grin still planted on her face.
"I would say something, but you'll just argue it anyway," Ginny said, rubbing her arm with pale green gloved hand.
Lavender's grin turned sly. "You know me so well."
The party was vivaciously full of many people in the town. Ginny noted some of the powerful figures like Mr. Kingsley and Ms. McGonagall were talking among themselves. She saw some of the others that were her age like Luna speaking to her former flame, Dean.
She could have gone to talk to them, but she really felt disheartened because no matter how much she tried, the heartbreak of not getting her store like she thought she was going to was much too fresh.
So Ginny stood towards the buffet table alone, giving polite, small smiles when attention was directed her way. She managed to go through most of the party that way until Ron approached her suddenly.
"Gin, hold Scabbers," Ron told her as he quickly tossed Ginny the frog."I'm starving!" He adjusted his tie and grabbed a plate to pile with food.
"I'm surprised it wasn't the first thing you went to," Ginny remarked sarcastically as Lavender came by, giggling at him. This caught Ron's attention; so he stopped filing his platter and went behind Lavender.
With Lavender on the move and Ron blindly following her, Ginny snapped her mouth shut and looked towards the other party guests politely to 'blend in.'
What she didn't count on was Scabbers hopping out of her hand without warning. Ginny cursed and bunched up the skirt of her dress to follow after the runaway.
"No, no," Ginny pleaded as she chased the frog hopped away from her towards the grassy lawn. "Get back here you wannabe toad!" She knew she looked ridiculous chasing after a frog, but what else could she do when her brother was pining for one of her best friends?
Finally the frog had stopped, but it was not alone. He was surrounded by more frogs.
"I would question how and why you lot are conveniently here, but that's just how my life goes," Ginny mumbled to herself.
Seeing the group of frogs roaming in the grass, Ginny bit her lip and turned to call Ron, but he was still oblivious following behind Lavender with a plate decked with food. Cursing under her breath, Ginny reached forward and grabbed the first frog that resembled the one that Ron had brought home. She straightened up and left with it into the large manor.
After arriving to Lavender's room–particularly Lavender's balcony–and setting the frog down, Ginny leaned against the balcony, looking up at the stars twinkling above her. She sighed softly. "I'll get my shop, just you wait." Ginny glanced down at the frog. "You think so too, don't you Scabbers?"
The frog only blinked at her, tilting its head slightly. Ginny pursed her lips, patting the frog's head. "I'll take that as a yes."
She hummed in thought. "You think if I kiss you, you'll become a rich prince like in the stories Mum used to tell me at bedtime?" Ginny asked the frog, leaning forward slowly until her lips touched the frog lightly. She quickly retracted her lips and wiped them; as she did so nothing happened to the frog. It only croaked in response.
"Well, that takes care of that," she muttered, glancing back up to the sky with her thoughts swimming with what was going to come in the next few days.
What Ginny didn't know was that she had picked up the wrong frog in the grass, and the prince she thought she was going to get had hopped away from the other frogs in the grass and maneuvering his way through people's legs to get to Ron.