Ok, this is the second chapter, and I'd like to add some stuff I didn't mention before.
Firstly, sadly I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, or anything else HP related. I just like messing with them.
Secondly, please review. I'm not fussed about lengthily pages of constructive comments, but a line or two about whether you enjoyed it would be nice.
Half Blood Price doesn't really apply, other than the fact that Dumbledore's dead, and Harry and Ginny were dating. No Ron and Hermione though.
So, read on and hopefully enjoy!
Harry and Ron stared at the stranger – Evie – and tried to process what had just happened. Firstly, she called Hermione 'Mione. A nickname. Neither he nor Ron had ever thought about giving her one before, and if they'd tried she'd have probably hexed them. But this girl was saying it normally, like she used it often. As it turned out, she did.
Hermione and Evie smiled at the expression on the boy's faces, and sat down, Hermione in the other window seat and Evie resuming her place, stretched out along the chair. At a word from Hermione she moved her legs so Harry could sit down, but he got the impression that it was because Hermione had asked her to that she'd moved without a comment.
At once the two girls launched into a long chat about the summer, various new books they'd both read and other topics that made Ron's eyes cross in an effort to follow them. Harry and Ron either chatted about little things or listened to the girls. After about half an hour they stopped, looking pleased with themselves.
"So, what have you two been up to over the summer?" Hermione smiled, glad to be back with her best friends again. Waiting for them to reply, she took a good look at them both. Ron was the same, tall, lanky and with very red, very messy hair.
Harry had changed though. He'd grown, now nearly as tall as Ron, but his hair was the same, messy and raven black. His emerald eyes still shone the same way, a mixture of happiness at being with his friends and a mischievous glint that Hermione had no doubt he shared with his Dad. There was something else there as well, a spark that hadn't been there at the end of term. Hermione suspected he'd come to terms with the prophecy, and Dumbledore's death, and the spark was the result of this new maturity.
From the way his T-shirt clung to his chest, she could tell he'd been working out too– probably in an attempt to stop himself thinking about Dumbledore, and most likely Sirius too. Hermione shook her head, seeing many similarities between Harry and Evie. But they would have to wait, she thought, returning her attention to her friends.
"Wait, scratch that." She interrupted as Ron opened his mouth. "Harry, have you spoken to Ginny, about you coming back to school?" Hermione looked questioningly at Harry, then had a thought and looked at Evie.
"Ginny's Ron's sister. Her and Harry were dating at the end of last year, but broke up when he decided not to come to Hogwarts this year." She said, so that Evie could follow the conversation.
Harry shifted in his seat, then said: "Yes. Last week, when I realised I needed to. We agreed we wouldn't carry on dating, that it was a passing thing and not meant to last. We're friends still, so don't be worried about awkwardness when she's around." He said all this, then looked at Hermione, who was surprised. She'd expected them to be together again, not 'just friends'.
"Ron, did you know about this?" she looked worriedly at the redhead, expecting him to blow up at Harry. Ginny was, when all was said and done, the youngest Weasley and only girl, so Ron was very protective of her.
"Yeah. Harry owled me, and told me what he was going to say to her, and then Ginny told me everything after they'd spoken." There was no menace in his tone, but rather approval. Hermione could easily tell that he was happy with the fact that they were still friends, and Harry hadn't hurt his sister in the process of finishing everything for good. After all, Hermione had known him for six years.
"Wow. I wasn't expecting that, from either of you."
Ron looked at her, puzzled. "What?"
"Well, I thought Harry and Ginny would be dating, and you… well, I'd have thought you would be less… mature about it all." That made Ron smile, and what he said next surprised everyone – except, oddly Evie.
"Umm… I got a new girlfriend." Ron managed to say it without looking at anyone, instead turning the same red as his hair. "I…well, it's… Luna." The last word was rushed, as he hid his face.