AN ~ Hellooooooooooo! Sorry it's been longer this time, I went back to school this week, we got right back in it! As promised, the devious Ginny makes her appearance and there is much more fluff. Again, thank you to all you reviewers as well as the people not reviewing. The other day, I got over a THOUSAND hits in one day! 0_0 THANK YOU!
I'd better do a disclaimer, I haven't for a while : ( I don't own Harry Potter but I can make it do whatever I want here!
Dancing and Doubting in Diagon Alley
Harry and Hermione popped at the far end of Diagon Alley, by the brick archway that led to the Leaky Cauldron. They weren't meeting Ron and Luna for another half an hour, so they casually strolled down the street, arm in arm. Various stalls were set up outside some shops, hawkers advertising their products to bring people into their stores. It was already fairly busy, even this early in the morning, and had to wend their way through the crowds; they always kept a tight hold on each other to avoid getting separated.
There was a wizard folk band playing down one of the side courtyards and Harry pulled Hermione though the watching crowd and into the dancers.
"Harry, you know neither of us can dance!" She laughed as he spun her round before pulling her into the classical dance position.
"Well, as I recall, you dance pretty good, even when you're the guy," He said, close to her ear. Hermione blushed.
"Well you're a pretty good girl!" She had to shout as he spun her away to be heard over the crowd.
"I am very pretty girl aren't I?" he yelled cheekily spinning her back. They got a few looks from that and two struggled to stay upright and dance as they laughed.
"I meant, meant, oh never mind!" Hermione tried to speak but couldn't for laughing.
When the band finished, they were still laughing and clapping for the band. A flash went off nearby, and Harry and Hermione instantly froze. Even with Sirius's help, the press were still a problem. An elderly wizard came up to them with a large photograph.
"Here, cherish your happy memories." He handed them the photograph and left.
"Wait!" Harry called out, but the man had disappeared. He looked down at the photograph, but it looked like it was mid development. He pulled Hermione to the side of the courtyard there was a little space.
"So we've be given a dead photograph?" He asked Hermione quizzically.
"No, sometimes wizard photos take a little longer to develop, especially if a charm's been put on it." Harry looked up sharply.
"Could he have put a curse on it?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"You're becoming more like Moody everyday. If it'll calm your mind, I'll run a few scanning spells over it. It shouldn't affect the picture itself." After a few waves of her wand, the photo glowed light gold before returning to normal.
"There, its fine." They both leaned close to see the photo as it became clearer. It was of the two of them in focus while the people around them were blurred. They photo versions of them were laughing and clapping, leaning there heads together to say something about the band perhaps and holding hands every now and then. It was a shock for Hermione when she saw herself gazing at Harry lovingly in the photograph. She quickly looked up to Harry to see if he'd noticed, to see him have his own nervous expression as he looked at the photo.
"Um, we should put this in your purse to keep it safe on the way home." He said, handing it to her, coughing anxiously. Could he have seen her expression? She wondered as she shrunk it and slotted it into her purse.
"We should go meet Ron and Luna." He went to move through the crowds before she bravely reached out to grab his hand.
"Don't leave me behind." She said with a soft smile. His face lost its earlier tension and said grinning,
"How could I? That would be like forgetting to breath."
As they left the courtyard, Hermione realised Harry still a firm but tender hold on her hand, and it didn't seem like he was going to let go anytime soon. Soon they saw Ron and Luna down by Gringotts and went to wave with their interlinked hands. They laughed, letting go, Hermione very reluctantly. She could have sworn Harry brushed her fingers afterwards but maybe she was imagining it. As they approached, a most unwelcome sight joined the party. Ginny. Hermione huffed in annoyance, missing Harry's equally irritated sigh. She tried to keep a smile her face but it was difficult.
"Hey guys." Hugs were exchanged with Ginny throwing herself on Harry, locking her arms around his neck and lifting her feet.
"Me, Ron and Harry had better go to Quality Quidditch Supplies to pick up our gear. You girls probably have to the bookshop, right Hermione?" She giggled coquettishly, hanging on to Harry's arm.
"Um, actually Ginny, I don't need any Quidditch things. In fact, I think Hermione might need my help with her last order for her library at Grimmald Place." Harry said this as he shook off Ginny's hands. An awkward silence reigned as Ginny looked confused.
"I guess Ron didn't tell you," Hermione said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, Ronald, now you've caused all this confusion. I bet there are thousands of Rimple Turps around now." Luna said this affectionately to Ron who just pulled her closer, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"I love it when you talk like that."
"Still in public Ron," Ginny said sharply. "And what does she mean Harry, Ron hasn't told me?" She looked at him in what Hermione guessed was her puppy dog face, but merely caused several wrinkles in her forehead.
"Well, I'm not doing the Quidditch scholarship. I can't see myself doing it long term…" He petered off, shuffling a little towards Hermione, having a feeling he knew what was coming.
"You can't be serious Harry?! You were brilliant at school and I heard that you even got asked to join several of the British teams after your training. Think of the fame, the glory, the money, it would be the best thing in the world for you. Listen-" Harry, unwilling to hear anymore interrupted her,
"Ginny, I don't want that life. It seems like you do, but after the War, I don't think I can stand much more publicity. It's brought nothing but grief, and I'm positive that you can't change my mind." She had just opened her mouth to protest but he held up a finger as if talking to a child. Which, in effect, he kind of was. "No Ginny. How could I raise a family if I'm touring round the world all year or training? It's not the kind of life I want. I'm sure you'll enjoy it though."
"You'd have wife though, surely, she could raise them, be the perfect little house wife and look after them." She sounded a little desperate now and even Luna and Ron were looking a little disgusted. Harry sighed in exasperation. Hermione decided to step in.
"Look, Ginny, you know very little about-" She started but Ginny interrupted.
"Oh, what would you know?! You still that little bookworm from school, trailing around after Ron and Harry hoping one of them would notice you!" She spat vehemently.
"Ginny, how could you say such a thing?! Hermione's been through more than you can imagine, and without her, me and Ron would be dead several times over, meaning so would most of the wizarding world. If you can't accept that, you're more of a child than I thought." Harry's eyes were blazing now, even Hermione was taken aback. Ginny just turned red, and with angry tears in her eyes, stormed off to the Quidditch shop. Ron looked on haplessly.
"I should probably go after her, make sure she doesn't get any worse. I'm really sorry Hermione; I can't believe she's my sister sometimes." With a wave to Harry and Hermione and a quick peck for Luna, he ran after his sister.
"Well done Harry. It might take a little more to persuade her, but I think you're starting to get through to her." Luna said lightly, smiling.
"Thanks. She really shouldn't have said that to you Hermione. There's nothing wrong with reading and you're far more than a bookworm in any case." He still looked fairly angry so Hermione looped her arm through his as Luna weaved her way ahead off them.
"I've dealt with far worse, but it was nice of you to come to my rescue."
"Any time for you Hermione." He looked deeply into her eyes as he said this but turned away when Luna called,
"Books or robes?"
"Books!" They both called back as they made their way to Flourish and Blotts.
Ginny was absolutely fuming. She had lost her chance to spend more time with Harry and eventually become his girlfriend. That snotty Granger had stepped in and made things worse. She pushed her way into the Quidditch shop with Ron hot on her heels.
"Ginny, what was all that about?!" He asked pulling her to face him. "I thought you would have gotten over him, as he clearly isn't going to ask you out again."
"Yes he is! We're meant for each other, he's just too blind to see it yet." She waltzed her way over to the counter.
"Weasley." She said in her most endearing voice to the young shop attendant. "We're here to pick up an order of full Quidditch gear from the Ministry Scholarship team." She fluttered her eyelashes delicately at him as he spluttered, "Right away, of course!" before disappearing into the back.
"Ginny, can't you see how uncomfortable you make him? It's not going to work. You're my sister and I love you to bits, but you're starting to act like a real child." He said leaning on the counter.
"But Ron, he's all I want, all I've ever wanted!" She said in a whiny voice.
"You barely even know him anymore," He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Listen, I'm not encouraging any of this madness, but why don't you just try and be friends with him? Get to know him like you used to, and see if you still like him. At the moment you're acting like one of those fangirls, it's not very attractive." She pouted and sulked until the bright shop assistant came back panting.
"Here you are, two orders, prepaid for-" Ginny snatched the bags from him and stormed out of the shop. Ron sighed and looked heavenward, before signing for the gear and going after his sister.
Meanwhile, Harry had just pushed the large crate of Hermione's books through their fireplace, to Grimmald Place. Luna had gone ahead to collect her own robes from Madame Malkins and he and Hermione were just about to go meet her. Hermione thanked the shop keeper, and walked through the open door held by Harry.
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"Phew, at least that's all of them now." Hermione said as Harry linked their arms again. Hermione hadn't minded but she had noticed that he seemed to take every opportunity to touch her in some way today, whether holding her hand, her arm, the small of her back to guide her through the crowds. And every time he did, a small jolt of electricity would pass through her as if there were suddenly a million more nerve endings wherever he touched.
"Yup, just need to grab some of our clothes in Malkins, then we should have some lunch. I'm starving." Harry said, his stomach rumbling loudly. They both laughed when Hermione's rumbled in return.
"It's like some sort of hunger communication." He said mystically, waving his free arm around, knocking over a basket of golden orb like apples.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry, here let me help." The witch merely waved them off smiling, and with a flick off her wand the apples were clean and back in their basket.
"Sorry again," Harry said, his ears red in embarrassment. Hermione linked their arms again, glad to have his warmth back. Hermione laughed.
"I just can't take you out in public now, can I, causing a spectacle everywhere we go?" She said teasingly, squeezing his arm. He grinned sheepishly at her.
"I'm still really sorry about earlier. Ginny acts like such a child, I bet she doesn't even realise what comes out of her mouth sometimes."
"Don't worry; I would have argued back myself, if you hadn't." After a short pause as they walked in a companionable silence, Hermione asked, "Did you mean what you said, about me?" She felt a bit silly as if she was fishing for compliments, but she needed to know.
"Oh Hermione, you silly girl, of course I did. To be honest, it was a bit of an understatement, you did far more than that." The two blushed and laughed as they looked away from each other. Hermione went to kiss his cheek again, but he turned his head at the last second and she caught the corner of his mouth instead.
(AN, yes I know that is from Being Human, I don't own that either unfortunately)
"Oh!" Hermione pulled back quickly blushing more than ever. "I er, was aiming for your cheek."
"I thought your aiming was pretty good." He said with a grin touching his mouth before opening the door to Madame Malkins for her.
"It's a good thing I missed then." She said with a flirtatious smile as she walked past him.
Hermione saw that Luna was just coming out of one of the dressing rooms, folding her white healer robes over her arm. She paid for them came to stand with them as they queued. Justin Finch-Fletchley was also in the shop, standing in front of them in the queue.
"I'm just here to pick up my healer robes too for my Healing course. Aren't you guys doing the broader course?" He asked as they waited to pay for their orders.
"Yeah, we decided it would be better to do a range having been out of school for nearly two years. What were they Hermione?"
"Charms, code breaking, potions, auror training, and basic healing, so we'll probably be in some of your classes Justin."
"Oh good, I was worried I won't know anyone. This way, I already know the smartest witch of our generation as well the wizard who won HotBod of the Year 4 times in a row at Hogwarts." Harry blushed and gaped. "I didn't know about that! Hermione did you?"
"I might've done." She said with a devious grin; she had voted for him every year.
By then, they were at the front of the queue, so once Justin had paid and said his goodbyes, it was Harry and Hermione's turn.
"What can I do for you dears?" The short shop witch asked.
"We've got two set training robes to pick up under the name Granger, prepaid by the Ministry plus pre-fitted." Hermione said, smiling. The witch bobbed her head and headed out to the back shelves to pick them up.
"You're the third set so far today to pick up these sets," She said as she levitated two piles of piles of robes for them. "Will that be everything?" Hermione nodded and shrunk them to fit in her satchel.
"Right then ladies, I do believe it time for lunch. Leaky Cauldron?"
When they got there, Ron had already bagged a table and ordered some butterbeers but was alone.
"Ginny didn't really want to some, I guess you can imagine why." He said sipping from his hot drink. Hermione and the others peeled off their coats as it was toasty and warm in the pub and sat down. Luna sighed and said,
"I just don't understand her anymore. We were quite good friends in the DA, but after that, she just didn't seem to care anymore." Ron squeezed her waist gently and said,
"Well, it's her loss then. I tried to talk to her in Quality Quidditch Supplies and she may have listened, but I don't know. I'll keep talking to her otherwise she'll be a pain for all of us."
"I'll send her a letter, maybe even come over and talk before the courses start, just so she defiantly knows where everyone stands." Harry said, dejectedly looking down. "I just don't want to hurt her." Hermione worriedly thought, What if there's a chance he still likes her? She brushed it aside, but as all doubts do, it was merely buried deep inside, dormant, waiting for the opportune moment to raise its ugly head.
AN ~ There we go, another chapter, at last with Ginny starting to interfere. The next chapter is all Harry/Hermione centric with a lot of FLUFF. If you leave there's enough reviews, I also promise a topless Harry. I really hope you're all enjoying this as much as I am writing it. TOODLE PIP!
xGSGx
