Surprise Hug
Written By: Azalai
Dedicated To: Anybody that takes the time to read and review this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Wouldn't want to anyway, he seems a bit dodgy if you ask me. Now, if J.K. came to me and asked if I'd like to borrow Draco for a bit, I don't really know what I'd think. At least Malfoy knows where his towel is.
*
The meaning of "tradition" quoted from The New Wizarding Book of Knowledge:
Tradition (tre-dĭsh-en) n. 1. The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially by oral communication. (See book- Magical Schools and Their Ties To Adolescence)
The meaning of "tradition" quoted from The New Weasley Book of Knowledge:
Tradition (tre-dĭsh-en) n. 1. To pass down the ways of the family by stories, books, and gossip, especially presented in times when there are great numbers of Weasleys together. (See book- W & M- The Secrets of the Infamous Feud)
The meaning of "tradition" quoted from The New Ginny Book of Knowledge:
Tradition (tre-dĭsh-en) n. 1. A great bunch of gits swaggering about in their "manly" way, guffawing at "cleverly" cut taunts, and saying how much they hate 'those slimy Malfoys'. (See section- Thick Brothers and How to Deal With Them) (See also- Ministry Ploys)
*
Tradition in the Weasley family is like no other, you see. Let's take for example something that's called a "Surprise Hug". Now, normally one would think that any hug could be slightly surprising in and of itself, but a "Surprise Hug" is nothing like any plain hug, so throw any old notions of knowing what a hug "really" is in the recycling bin and recycle it with last week's old post.
Always remember to recycle, especially when dealing with old notions. They can be reused over and over again for things such as "expired philosophies" "overprotective brothers", and "listening to your professor". But not only are they good for recycling, they are also very sharp and can therefore be used to cut through strange things such as "crackpot ideas", "flighty designs", and "shoelaces".
Ah, but I digress.
At times such as a Weasley family reunion, it is tradition (note the use of the ever-mysterious word) to play a game called "Surprise Hug", where, during the length of five minutes or less, each person is required to "Surprise Hug" as many family members as they can, trying not to be "Surprise Hugged" themselves. Whoever hugs the most and gets hugged the least, wins. The winner gets a prize that the whole reunion-ing family chipped in to buy.
The rules are simple: 1. You must be above the age of eleven and under the age of sixty to participate. The remaining family members are to watch the games for any rule breaking. 2. There is to be no Shadow-Hugging. Wands are to be left with the remaining family members, or, if there are no remaining, the nearest trusted friend. Even if you are still in Hogwarts and are unable to practice magic at home.
And the last, most important rule is:
3. You MUST be a Weasley or practically a Weasley to participate. No outsiders. ESPECIALLY MALFOYS.
Curiously enough, old notions, tradition, and the third rule are exactly what sixteen-year-old Virginia Weasley is having trouble with at this very time. Let's watch, no?
*
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Why not? It would brighten somebody's day, if only for a second!"
Ron rubbed the back of his neck, a sign of frustration that Ginny recognized. "Look, Ginny. It's tradition. You just can't ignore tradition, all right? And the tradition of Surprise Hugs definitely restricts any outsiders from participating in the games."
"But I'm not trying to get them to play! Just for the participating Weasleys and/or Potters and Grangers to Surprise Hug a perfect stranger," Ginny pleaded with her brother. "It'd just be a new branch to the original game, Ron, please!"
Ron sighed, his voice calm and quiet as he said, "What would be the point? The only thing accomplished would be the person reporting us to the Ministry for assault. We—"
"Well, if it's like that-"
"Then we're in!"
Ginny smiled at Fred and George and gave them both high-fives. Now with a new feeling of hope running through her with the twins on her side, she turned her smile to the rest of her brothers. Two down, three to go. She widened her eyes innocently as she focused on Bill, who was visiting for Christmas break, as well as Charlie, the twins, Harry, and Hermione.
"Oldest brother? Say you like the idea. Please?" Bill still looked unconvinced, so she gave him the "I'm just the quiet, innocent, only sister" look. "Pretty please, with a fizzing whizbee on top?"
Bill crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Ginny slightly slumped in mock-defeat. "Do you promise about the whizbee?" She smiled her victory smile yet again, and nodded. "Then I'm in."
She broke out in squeals and bear-hugged her oldest brother. Before she could even look to Charlie next, though, she heard him say,
"Gin-bug, I don't really know about going against tradition, but…it sounds like it could really brighten some people's days, so…I'm in."
Only one brother left now! Ginny thought to herself excitedly, hopping with joy and laughing triumphant laughs. She grabbed Charlie and started waltzing him around the living room of the burrow, humming to herself. She was practically bursting with excitement at having an excuse to get close to…
Don't jinx it, Ginny! If you think about it, it won't happen! she reprimanded herself.
Beaming at her four nice brothers, she turned to Ron, and her bubble promptly burst. She couldn't very well go through with something like what she had planned if she didn't have the consent of all the Surprise Hug-participating Weasleys in her immediate family. It would break tradition, and breaking a wizarding tradition is never a good thing to do, especially when it was as old as the family itself. Breaking tradition had…consequences.
"Ron?"
"No! I'll not agree, no matter what you tell me!" Heat began to climb up his neck and to his ears, a fair warning that he was not going to cooperate with you for the life of him. Ginny felt the Weasley temper in her rising, and, angry with her thickest brother for not giving up his stupid ideas of the past, stamped off to talk to Hermione.
Ginny found the girl sitting on a stool, studying for her N.E.W.T.S., no doubt. With a frustrated sigh, Ginny gathered as many cartons of ice cream from the ice box that she could fit in her arms, and dropped them all on the counter before Hermione. She grabbed two spoons, handed one to Hermione as she plopped herself down on a stool, and dug into the rocky road. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her.
"Ice cream in the middle of winter? What happened?"
Ginny stuck her bottom lip out, pouting. "Ron is being a stubborn ass again."
"He said no?" Hermione nibbled on a spoonful of tin roof sundae as she spoke.
"Of course he did!" Both girls went silent as Hermione began studying again, obviously waiting for Ginny to continue, but as she never did on account of her thinking of what to do about Ron, Hermione didn't say anything either.
Finally, Ginny spoke with a slight tremor in her voice and tears threatening to fall. "'Mione? What if I can't get Ron to agree with me before we go to Diagon Alley? What if…what if he's there and Ron didn't agree? Excuse me for saying "he", but we are in a high-traffic place after all, and I don't want any massacres this year."
Hermione, sensing the girl's wary-ness of talking about the boy she liked, covered Ginny's hand with her own and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry, Ginny. I can try to talk to him for you, if you'd like." She certainly wasn't looking forward to talking to her boyfriend about it, but she'd do it if it meant Ginny could get close to "him" for even a second.
Ginny smiled at her shakily and wiped a stray tear away. "Thanks, Hermione. It's just…" She shuddered as excitement ran through her again. "It's just that I've liked him for almost a year now, and to be able to wrap my arms around him would be just…wonderful. For now, at least."
Hermione smiled slightly, torn between the two loyalties of Ginny and Ron. "You must really like him. I remember saying almost exactly the same things to you about Ron."
"Yeah, I remember too. But I don't know if that's exactly how I like D—"
"Hello, ladies!"
Both girls nearly fell off their stools as Harry burst in the kitchen, grinning from ear to ear, his face pink from the cold outside. Ginny took a deep breath to calm herself down from the shock of almost saying "his" name to "his" worst enemy in the same sentence as "I" and "like".
"Harry," Ginny heard Hermione say. "What in the world are you doing in here?!"
Harry's grin faded a bit. "Well then. I didn't know that the kitchen was off-limits, else wise I'd have kept out." He made to turn around and leave, and Ginny rushed to apologize.
"No, no, Harry, it's okay," Ginny said, and the boy in question cautiously walked over to the kitchen counter. "We were just talking, is all."
"Talking," Harry said while looking questioningly at the ice cream tubs. "while eating ice cream?" Ginny nodded and Harry took a seat beside her. "Having troubles with Ron again?"
"Yeah. I had this new idea for Surprise Hug that I wanted—"
Ginny was cut off as Harry suddenly grabbed her, squeezed her in a bear hug, and yelled, "Surprise Hug!" He released her and flashed her a killer smile before taking another bite of ice cream. "Thanks for reminding me. I'd nearly forgot. Continue."
Ginny, a bit flustered, smoothed her hair again and continued. "Anyway, it's just that I wanted to try a different approach to the entire Surprise Hug that didn't affect the real Surprise Hug games at all."
"Sounds cool. What is it?"
"Well…it's just that all the participating Weasleys and/or Potters and Grangers, (who's going to be a Weasley soon anyway, so she really doesn't need to be excluded in the Weasley name) would randomly Surprise Hug as many strangers in one day as they could. I thought it would be rather fun, and would maybe brighten someone's day."
Harry thought the idea over for a bit, and eventually nodded. "That sounds alright. I'm in."
"Thanks Harry, but we won't be able to do it if Ron doesn't stop being an ass. He's the only one keeping us from starting a whole new Christmas Surprise Hug tradition. Percy doesn't count since he hasn't participated in S.H. since my second year, and I already got Mum and Dad's permission, as well as the other boys'." She sighed. "Hermione said she'd talk to him, but I don't know if even she can make him."
"No, I won't be able to make him," Hermione said, putting the lids on the quickly-melting ice cream containers and sliding them back in the ice box. "But I will try to strongly influence him." She flashed Ginny a smirk as she washed and dried her hands. "There's nothing quite like a Content Potion to calm someone down for a day."
Ginny was surprised at Hermione's daring. "But…what if the potion doesn't work and the worst happens?"
"Well, I guess we'll just have to prepare for the worst, then, won't we?"
*
Witches and wizards of all kinds spread through the streets of Diagon Alley, all unaware of the dragons in Ginny Weasley's stomach as she wrung her hands nervously. This was it. She didn't know how well Ron was going to take seeing her Hug one of the main outsiders to the Hugs- a Malfoy. At least Hermione had kept to her word and given him a Content Potion, which, curiously enough, smelled, tasted, and looked like pumpkin juice. Ron was, at that exact moment, humming "God Save The King" to himself, quite loudly. In fact, he was humming it so loudly that anybody that passed the four of them- Harry, Ron, Hermione, and herself- gave Ron a funny look.
It was of no accord to Ginny, though, for the blood rushing through her veins was enough to deaden even the roar of a train. Her excitement was based on two things—the thought of getting close enough to Draco that she would be able to run her hands through his beautifully soft hair, to feel his well-toned muscles, to look into those big, silvery eyes of his, and, if she was daring and quick enough, kiss his tempting lips that she knew had much more experience than the few meager kisses she'd received.
Unless mistaken songs that blew you away count. Then Harry's kiss would be a lot more than meager. Ginny thought, giggling slight.
The other thing that was getting her jittery was the cage that was swinging in Hermione's hands. When questioned by Ron what the cage was for, both her and Hermione had replied 'In case the worst happens.' Which, of course, confused him. What Ron didn't know was that the cage was for the consequences of not following a tradition in the Weasley family. What would happen to her if the content that Ron felt from the potion didn't proxy for consent.
Oh hell, I hope Hermione was right.
"A penny for your thoughts, Gin."
"Don't ever try to compete with tradition, Harry. It's a frightening thing, it is."
Harry laughed and she grinned, her nervousness subsided. That is, until she spotted the perfectly styled, perfectly dressed, perfectly sexy Draco Malfoy standing only meters away from her.
Bloody teenage hormones. Rebelling against my brain all the time, even though it's right.
"Eh…"
Obviously Hermione had noticed what, or rather, whom she was gawking at, and was giving her an inquiring look. She took a deep breath, nodded at Hermione, managed not to look at the cage, and began a slow but steady walk away from the Quidditch shop the four of them had stopped at and towards the object of her obsession.
"Ginny, what are you—" Ginny was slightly disgusted by the sound of quiet smacking that was obviously Hermione's way of distracting Ron. She began mentally calming herself.
Okay, Ginny, it's all going to be okay, she thought to herself, You're going to keep walking and when you reach Malf- Dra- him, you are going to quickly wrap your arms around him, say "Surprise Hug, Draco" and then you are going to walk away calmly, ignoring any profanities or insults he will undoubtedly throw at you. Ginny came out of her thoughts for a moment to notice that she was almost there. Oh hell, oh hell! Virginia Weasley, you are walking down a street in Diagon Alley, about to Surprise Hug your obsession of over a year, about to finally find out what type of cologne he wear, about to find out if the rumors pertaining his body are correct… about to slip on ice!
The thought came too late. Before Ginny could tell her foot to step past the patch of ice, she was sliding and quickly losing her footing. She must have yelped because Draco turned around to see what was happening just as she pitched forward and slammed into him. Ginny wrapped her arms around him as they fell to the ground, effectively smashing him underneath her.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Weasley?"
Ginny's squeezed her eyes shut, quickly noting all the things about him she would remember for future fantasy references. She began mourning her ruined opportunity for a good Surprise Hug before realizing that it sort of was a Surprise Hug, if she really thought about it.
"Well? Are you going to get off of me so I can go rid myself of Weasley germs?"
"S-S-"
"Spit it out, girl, I haven't got all day. Besides, everyone is looking at us."
"Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas? That's all you've got to say for yourself?"
SAY IT, GINNY! Stop being a wimp!
"S…S…Surprise Hug, D-Draco."
And with those infamous words that were used just a few too many times in this story, instead of being a cute, bright red little Weasley lying on a Malfoy in broad daylight, she became a cute, bright red little weasel lying on a Malfoy in broad daylight. Just as fast as Ginny was turned into a weasel as a consequence, though, she was lifted off of Draco's chest and slipped into the cage by Hermione.
"I'll be taking her if you don't mind, Malfoy. Not that I care what you think, but I'm sure she'd like it if I was at least civil to you, you slimy ferret."
Draco, completely dumbfounded by the incredibly strange day he was having, simply blinked up at Hermione, at a loss for words. Hermione, in turn, stalked off to catch up with Ron and Harry, who'd gone to The Three Broomsticks on her excuse that she'd forgotten to pick up a book she had been meaning to get at Blott's. Draco watched in awe as the little weasel in the cage turned around and, even though he called himself crazy later on, gave him a half-smirk.
Astonishment turned to anger as he stood up and dusted the snow off of himself. Cursing those stupid Weasleys, he turned to look at the gawking people that had watched the entire thing happen, some of whom were Hogwarts students. Draco glared at them all, Longbottom especially, before he glanced down and saw that the idiot's shoelaces were untied.
"Longbottom," Draco bit out as nastily as he could manage at that time, which was, oddly, not as nasty as he usually was. This only made him angrier. "Your bloody shoelaces are untied."
He stormed off, leaving a surprised crowd in his and Ginny's wake. Neville particularly was astonished as he stared down at his shoelaces. Seamus Finnigan, another innocent bystander, gave him a curious look.
"What's the matter, Neville? He just told you your shoelaces were untied, even if it was in a nasty way, the slimy git."
"That's what's the matter. They really are untied."
*
And they were.
But one thing he failed to notice was that only one of his shoelaces was untied. Unusual? No. Quite the opposite, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It was simply an example of how people recycle old notions, and how they reuse them.
Confused? So am I. You're not alone.
So, my dears, as a parting note, I give you these well-known words of advice—always recycle old notions. Or, if you're Ginny Weasley, throw them away.
But I don't think you're Ginny Weasley, are you?
No, I thought not.
*
A/N- I disclaim any quotes I used in this mini-fic. Especially the one about dragons in Ginny's stomach. I borrow that from Laura334, who has a great story, by the way, if you like fantasy, which I obviously do, since that's the only thing I write. Okay. I'm rambling. I would appreciate it if anybody reviewed this. That would be awesome.
Thanks, and may your pastles always be clean.
-Azalai