The Houses Competition
House: Gryffindor
Year: Year 5 (Stand In)
Category: Round 7, Standard
Prompt: [Song Prompt] No Doubt - Just a Girl
Word Count: 1104 words
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Ginny glared down at her plate on the table not wanting to look at her mother with whom she was so angry with.
Just because she was the youngest and added to that she was a girl and so obviously needed protecting. 'You can't do that Ginny' 'Ginny, be a dear and help me with the dinner' 'You don't want to get muddy like them Ginny, just stay inside with me'
Always being told not to do this and not to do that. Maybe she wanted to play with her brothers and to get muddy occasionally. Did they ever think of that?
And this was the last straw, Aunt Muriel had been invited over for tea and not once had she had anything nice to say to her. From the moment she strode in acting as if she owned the place, commenting on the lack of décor and poor taste in curtains to the scruffy looking carpets and not having any fine china plates out ready to eat on for her visit.
All through the blatant attack on her home she had stood quietly to the side, not making any rebuttal knowing that if she did so then this would go on for even longer. But now sitting up at the table waiting for dinner to be served she was done.
Muriel had been sniffing pointedly in her direction for the past ten minutes as she'd helped to lay out the dinner on the table and it hadn't stopped when she'd sat down either. And then Muriel just had to utter a comment regarding her.
"Ginevra dear, maybe if you put on a nice dress once in a while you'd have more friends and wouldn't have to be outside with your brothers all day." Muriel tittered.
Ginny had been holding back her rage and contempt all the time Muriel had been there but this had just tipped her over the edge. She flew into a blinding rage as she screeched at her Aunt, "Maybe it hadn't occurred to you to think that maybe I like dressing like this! And just maybe I like playing outside with my brothers where I'm never questioned about whether or not I can do something just because I'm a girl! I like playing in the mud! I like playing quidditch! And I like doing exactly everything like my brothers can because I can to as it doesn't matter that I'm just a girl to them!"
She stormed off outside after making her point – no longer would she tolerate Muriel's opinions. After years of constant stress from her, telling her that she should make friends, better friends, who stay inside and don't get mud all over their clothes.
Well that was that – if Muriel wanted to visit again then she could when Ginny wasn't around.
Ginny finally calmed down when she was at her favourite tree. Climbing up the limbs of the tree that were just the right height for her she reached the long sturdy branch which she'd long ago declared her favourite hiding place, nestled up in the leaves away from curious eyes.
She supposed looking back at it now that maybe she had slightly over-reacted, but she couldn't say that Muriel hadn't had it coming. Years of her berating everyone in the family for everything and anything that offended her delicate sensibilities, she was surprised that somebody else hadn't snapped first.
She was nudged out of her thought bubble by the sound of rustling leaves below her. Peering down she saw Ron fumbling his way up the tree to her. Stifling her laugh when he misjudged the length between the branches and almost slipped down, she offered her hand out and hauled him up to her branch where they both just sat together for a moment, her still trying to get her thoughts in order and Ron still breathing heavily from the exertion taken to climb up the tree.
"You know Mum's going livid don't you Gin'. Absolutely mental."
Ginny just nodded in reply. Ron always had managed to sum up the situation so eloquently.
"Anyway, I think that Mums saying that Muriel's not to come back anymore and if she wants to see us then she'll have to invite us to her house. I don't think we'll be going there though and I think Mum wants to talk to you, you know, about what you said earlier, I don't think she's angry at you though, you know, just more sad. I think Dad wants to talk as well. You don't think it'll be a family thing do you? I don't really want to talk about any of this, unless we get chocolate, then I'll talk."
Ginny let Ron's words wash over her. Ron always did manage to calm her down just as easily as he could work her into a fit of fury. Never would she ever dare let him know though, it'd all go to his head and he would never let her hear the end of it.
"I suppose I'll have to talk to Mum and Dad eventually. Maybe I'll just stay up here a while longer though, just until I know that Muriel is gone and won't be back anytime soon."
There, now Ginny had said her part and somebody knew she wouldn't be coming back inside anytime soon so they were better off just leaving her alone for now. Ginny thought that that would be the end of it, Ron would climb awkwardly back down the tree and tell their parents that she'd be back later on.
But of course, Ron had to deny all expectations and do differently. He turned to her and spoke, "Ginny, like, I know you're a girl, and I don't really like girls, but you're just like us and if anybody ever tries to tell you that you can't do something because you're just a girl. Well, then, um, just let us know, because, erm, we'll stand and hold your stuff as you put them in their place."
Ginny couldn't hide her smile as she launched herself towards her brother for a hug. Once satisfied that the hug was long enough she pulled away to see Ron's face matching his hair making her laugh.
Although the majority of the day had been awful with Muriel ruining it for her. The past hour had definitely made up for it, because she knew that even if she was just a girl Ron always had her back, whether that be to threaten somebody for her or to just stand there and cheer her on as she did it for herself.