Summery: For the last Christmas they may ever get the chance to spend all together, the Weasley boys (Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill) are coming home to spend time with the rest of the clan (including Harry and Hermione.) But, when Bill gets there ahead of schedule and Harry has a fight with his friends, two people will end up spending more time together than anticipated and something more than brotherly love will develop. SLASH. Bill/Harry
Disclaimer: I (as you might have guessed) do not own Harry Potter or anything even remotely affiliated with it.
CHAPTER SIX: SECRETS AND SUGGESTIONS
The thick, comforting smell of smoke wafted about the three of them as they entered the pub, Harry inhaling the familiar scent deeply. Bill, too, inhaled the cloud of smoke circulating about the room, not only enjoying the familiar Leaky Cauldron atmosphere, but also the nicotine which he had been so desperately craving ever since he had arrived home.
"Merlin, I would kill for a cigarette right now," Bill commented softly under his breath, as if to keep the other two from overhearing, taking another deep breath of the hazy air.
Harry, not more than two feet away, couldn't help but overhear. "I didn't know that you smoke," Harry remarked, somewhat surprised, more at the fact that he hadn't been aware of that than of the revelation really being all that shocking.
Bill smirked and let out a small chuckle at that. "My parents don't know either, not to mention the rest of my family, so I'd be grateful if you could just keep that little bit of information to yourself," Bill remarked, leaning in to make sure no one-and most especially Ginny-would overhear and sharing a secretive smile with Harry as they followed Ginny over to the table she had chosen.
"Sure thing," Harry replied, inexplicably thrilled to have been entrusted with such a secret by the eldest Weasley brother.
"I can't believe nobody else is here yet," Ginny suddenly remarked, seeming somewhat put out by having to wait for everyone else to arrive.
Bill merely shrugged in response, plopping himself down in a seat. "We are early, Gin. I mean, it's not even one o'clock yet," he answered her unasked question, receiving a light glare for his efforts.
Ginny merely sighed in resignation. "I know, I just hate having to wait," she complained idly, seating herself across from Bill and back in the secluded little corner that their table rested up against.
Harry sat down as well, choosing the seat next to Bill and feeling somewhat silly sitting at such a large table when it was currently only the three of them. "Any idea what we're going to do after lunch?" he questioned, trying to make conversation and truly curious as to what their plans were, if they even had any.
"Umm, not really," Bill mused, seeming to ponder the possibilities of what they could do, though with little success.
"Go shopping?" Ginny suggested hopefully, knowing that Bill and Harry probably wouldn't be too enthused with the idea but that they all still needed to get gifts.
Harry groaned at hearing that before suddenly perking up as he remembered his gift idea for Hermione and the fact that he had wanted to gauge Ginny's response to it. "Actually, that's probably a good idea; I still need to get a gift for Hermione," he conceded. Before he could continue, though, Bill cut in.
"Really? I figured that book you bought was for her," he spoke, raising an eyebrow as if to question what, or rather who, the book was for then.
"No, it just looked interesting, so I bought it for myself," Harry admitted somewhat sheepishly, knowing that he was supposed to be out shopping for Christmas gifts for his friends and not for himself.
Bill chuckled at that as Ginny rolled her eyes. "I swear, you're as bad as Ron," she informed Harry with a slight frown. "You know, one time he bought me this Chuddly Cannons book for my birthday and then asked if he could borrow it right afterwards. It was so obvious that he really only bought it for himself," she huffed indignantly, frowning.
Bill laughed aloud as he heard Ginny's declaration, clearly able to imagine Ron doing just that. "Yeah, Ron can be a bit self centered at times," he agreed, shaking his head in amusement as Harry tried to suppress a smile, feeling as if laughing would be a betrayal of his friend.
"Speaking of Ron…" Ginny suddenly spoke quietly, nodding her head in the direction of the entrance. Harry and Bill both turned in their seats, taking note of the fact that Ron and Hermione had just walked in and were currently making their way over towards their table.
Harry sighed at that, happy to see his friends, though somewhat disappointed by their untimely arrival. He supposed he would just have to ask Ginny about the whole locket idea later.
Bill, however, raised an eyebrow in feigned shock, sending a surprised and amused glance in his brother's direction. His eyes flicked down to his watch, taking note of the time. "One minute before one," he remarked with shock, "Well, Ron, I wasn't expecting you for at least another 20 minutes or so," he trailed off, sharing a laugh with Ginny and Harry, both aware of Ron's habitual lateness, as his brother glared at him.
"It's all her fault," Ron declared in irritation, casting a sulky look towards the bushy haired girl standing beside him. "She wouldn't even let me look at the new Firebolt," he accused, angrily taking a seat next to his sister as Hermione sat down on his other side, looking unaffected by Ron's ire. "'Come now, Ron, we can't be late to meet the others,'" Ron mimicked in a high pitched nasally voice which was supposed to be an imitation of Hermione's though it sounded nothing like her. "What a bunch of bullocks. I mean, Charlie, Gred, and Forge aren't even here yet."
"There's no need to act like a petulant child, Ron. You can go look at the broom after we've eaten lunch if it makes you feel better, though I don't see why you're so fascinated by it in the first place," Hermione reasoned, looking annoyed by Ron's whining.
"Fine," Ron relented, though his arms were still crossed across his chest and he still seemed upset with Hermione, "but this time I want to take someone with me who actually appreciates quidditch."
Hermione rolled her eyes, but didn't voice any objection, instead scanning a menu and trying to decide on what she wanted to eat.
Bill sent Harry a bemused look, finding Ron and Hermione's fights humourous rather than annoying as Harry usually did. Catching the look, Harry found himself seeing the humour in the situation, which truly was a lot easier when it wasn't just him have to deal with the two of them alone.
Stifling a laugh, he grabbed a menu, hiding behind it lest Ron or Hermione catch sight of his mirth. Gaining control of himself, he sent a mock glare in Bill's direction, wondering if he had been trying to get him in trouble with his friends. Bill merely smiled good-naturedly and shrugged in response before turning back to his own menu.
Ginny watched the whole exchange as best she could, feeling somewhat like a third--or would it be fifth?-- wheel. Well, she felt a little left out to say the least. That aside, she was happy that everything seemed to be going according to plan.
Ron and Hermione had had another fight, sure, but that was nothing unusual and at least they were spending more time together. She was confident that they would figure it all out soon enough given the opportunity-which she would make sure they had.
Bill and Harry were getting along well, though she wasn't sure how hard the transition from friends to…something more…was going to be. She could tell they liked each other, but them liking each other and getting them to realize that they liked each other were two very different things. She had a feeling that this was going to a bit more of a challenge than she had at first presumed.
Not only were they both male, presenting problems in and of itself--although wizarding society seemed to be more accepting of homosexual relationships than muggle--but there was also the age difference to consider. Not only that, but Harry was like a brother to Ron, so getting Harry and Bill alike to stop considering each other as some sort of extended family would be difficult. Not that Ginny wasn't up to the task.
On the contrary; she was actually looking quite forward to it. Of course, she didn't have much time to make it happen, but that would only make her imminent success that much more of an accomplishment. Unlike her brothers, she tended to be devious and troublesome in much more…subtle…and helpful ways. Although that didn't take away the thrill and excitement of it all. Plus, she could feel good about her meddling; she was doing them all a favor. She only hoped that they would see it that way too if they ever happened to find out.
Letting out a sigh, Ginny came to the conclusion that she could think all of this through later. Right now, she needed to end the damn tension between Ron and Hermione. "So, where have you guys gone so far?" Ginny questioned nonchalantly, hoping that such a mundane subject wouldn't cause any more arguments to break out between her brother and who she soon hoped would be his girlfriend. You never did know when it came to them now a days…
Ron looked suspicious of the innocent question, causing Ginny to wonder what on earth the two could have been up to during their time alone. "Don't think that I'm going to give you any hints as to what your present is this year," Ron informed his sister, glaring at her half-heartedly. Ginny simply rolled her eyes.
As Ron turned back to his menu, Ginny let her eyes drift down to the two bags of merchandise he had set down beside him. One read "Gizmos and Gadgets," a store which catered to witches and wizards of muggle background (or people like her dad who were simply inexplicably fascinated by muggle contraptions). Ginny had a feeling that she knew exactly whose gift Ron had gotten there. The other bag said "Spellbound," a relatively new store that catered to a younger crowd. Ginny hoped that whatever item Ron had purchased there was for her.
Sitting up straight in her chair once again, Ginny smiled to herself as she came up with a brilliant plan. "You know, Ron, I've been getting rather good at Divination," she commented offhandedly, feigning nonchalance. "It really wouldn't be all that hard to just sense where you've been..." she trailed off, wondering if Ron would bite. Glancing surreptitiously across the table at Harry and her eldest brother, she snuck them a wink before glancing over at Ron, who was giving her a disbelieving look.
Smiling serenely at Ron in a way that would have done Luna Lovegood proud, Ginny closed her eyes, appearing to be deep in thought. "Let's see...I have a feeling that you went to...hmm...Gizmos and Gadgets...and...Spellbound..." Ginny revealed in a rather convincing manner, slowly opening her eyes with a dazed sort of look and then glancing at Ron as if to ask if she had been correct.
Her brother's mouth was agape as he stared at her incredulously and Ginny found herself hard pressed not to burst out laughing at his shocked face. "H-how did you...? That's impossible!" Ron exclaimed.
Ginny couldn't contain her laughter any longer, and broke into a hysterical fit at her brother's expense. "It's not that hard, Ron. All I had to do was look at your shopping bags," Ginny revealed, once again laughing, this time joined by the rest of the group (minus Ron), as Ron turned incredibly pink in embarrassment and spluttered indignantly.
"Well, fine then, no Christmas present for you," Ron announced grumpily, glaring at his sister, though they could all tell that he wasn't serious.
A chime interrupted the scene, and they all turned toward the door to see a flurry of red hair. Bill waved his brothers over, making sure that they saw the group seated in the far corner. Charlie waved in return while the twins continued to chat excitedly to one another, probably thinking up some new concoction for their joke shop.
Grabbing the chair next to Ron, and leaving the twins to sit beside Harry, Charlie slumped down in his seat, shaking his head as he set down his purchases. "Why did I agree to take those two with me?" he complained jokingly, rolling his eyes before letting out a light chuckle. "Seriously, though, I think we need to switch partners after lunch or something."
Ginny was quick to agree, a plan already forming in her head. "That's a good idea. I need to get a present for Bill, so I think you and I should pair up, Charlie. That way, the twins can be together, cause we all know that there's no separating them, and then everyone else can just remain as they are," she suggested, not really leaving much room for argument.
"Yeah, okay," Charlie accepted, glancing over Ron's shoulder so that he could take a peek at the menu.
Ron fidgeted, glancing irritatedly at his brother as he scooted his chair a bit closer to Hermione. "Get your own menu," he commanded, scowling. "You know I don't like it when people peer over my shoulder; it bothers me."
Charlie sighed, but sat back in his own chair. "You're so weird, Ron," he informed his brother before turning his attention to finding a menu.
Seeing Charlie's plight, Hermione hastily handed him her own menu. "I already know what I want," she said by way of explanation, before turning toward Ron with a chastising look. "For goodness sake, Ron, you couldn't even let your own brother look over your shoulder? I don't see why you have to be so difficult all the time," she announced, crossing her arms across her chest as she pursed her lips.
"I told you, Hermione, it bothers me," Ron retorted, scowling at the girl. "And I don't see why you have to be so difficult all the time," he added sourly.
Hermione huffed indignantly and was about to respond, but Charlie beat her to it. "Thanks for the menu, Hermione," he spoke graciously, happily noting that the disaster had been averted as Hermione sat back in her chair.
"Your welcome," she replied, no longer about to go off on Ron, but continuing to glare at him all the same.
Eager to change the subject, Harry suddenly cut in. "So, uh...what time do we have to be back?" he asked, actually somewhat curious as to what the answer was.
It was Bill who responded, probably because Mrs. Weasley had drilled all of the stipulations of the excursion into him, he being the eldest. "We don't have to be back until nine, though we should probably leave at about eight just to make sure that we get home in plenty of time. I think mum would have a conniption if we were even a minute late; you know how quick to jump to conclusions she's been lately," Bill explained, a weary look crossing his face at the thought of just why his mother was so hysterical lately.
Harry saw the look, the one that told him Bill was thinking about the war. It was a topic hard to avoid now, but for today at the very least, Harry didn't want to think about it, or have anyone else think about it either for that matter. "Okay. So, that leaves us with quite a bit of time...What are we going to do until then?" he questioned, trying to distract Bill from his thoughts and get a conversation going.
Ginny was the first to respond. "I wish that we could stay later," she spoke wistfully, letting out a sigh. "I've been wanting to check out that new club that opened up over on Argent Alley."
Bill raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sister's words. "Sorry, Gin, but I don't think mum will let you guys go. Besides, I don't really think you're old enough to go clubbing yet," Bill informed her.
Ginny sighed. "Yes, I know that mum would through a fit, but it's not that bad. It's an all ages club, and besides, Argent Alley is pretty safe...Do you think she'd let us go if we had you and Charlie to supervise?" Ginny asked hopefully, glancing with pleading eyes at her oldest brother.
Bill shook his head slightly in thought before turning to gauge his brother's response to Ginny's inquiry. "Charlie, what do you think?" he questioned, unsure if even contemplating the suggestion was a very good idea.
"Hmm...I don't know. You're on your own there. I don't think it really matters, though, because mum will never agree to it," Charlie spoke, voicing what they had all been thinking. He paused a moment, contemplating the situation, before adding: "I wouldn't be adverse to taking you guys, though."
Ginny considered that a partial victory and smiled slightly at Charlie's response. If she just worked on them a bit more, she figured that she could probably wear them down; it would be her mum that would be the tough one to break. "If all of us go there together, then we'll be fine. You know, safety in numbers. And I bet that if we all promise to be good and look out for each other that we could eventually get mum to agree," Ginny speculated hopefully, crossing her fingers.
Bill sighed in defeat, shaking his head amusedly at his sister. "Alright, Gin, I give up. You're going to have a hell of a time convincing mum, though," he conceded, wondering if even Ginny could pull it off.
Ginny grinned, clapping her hands in excitement. "You know what they say: where there's a will there's a way," she announced, smiling delightedly. Now all she had to do was to get her mum to agree to it and figure out how this would fit into her matchmaking scheme.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed! I know that it's been like two months since I last updated, and I'm very sorry for taking so long, but at least I did update. (And don't worry, because I am going to continue chugging away at this fic even if it does take me a while for each chapter.) Anyway, not much going on in this chappie except for the hint at what's coming up. The clubbing seems a little bit out of place, but I tried to make if work and fit in with the story fairly well. I don't know if the club scene will actually be in the next chapter, because I want to show a bit of Harry and Bill's alone time that Ginny got them. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and I'll try to update again soon, though there's no guarantees. ;)
Now to answer your guys's questions...
shazia Born confused: Sorry about the long wait. I'm not exactly sure how long I'm going to make the fic, though I think I am going to end it at the end of the holidays. There might be a sequel after that, though. As for which year this is, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are all in seventh year, which would make Ginny of course in sixth.
Paddycakepadfoot: Sorry I made you wait so long! Anyway, about Draco...he's going to have a part to play later on, though I'm not sure whether or not it's going to be in this fic or the sequel I'm planning. Something's definately up, but it's going to be a while before Draco comes into play again.
Haunt of twilight: Yes, the book was in Parseltongue. I think I mentioned it in the chapter, but I'm too lazy to go back and look, so I could be wrong. From the impression I got in the cannon, Harry doesn't even realize when he's speaking Parseltongue, he can't tell the difference, so I figured that it would probably be the same for reading. The clerk's comments were an attempt realistically drawing Harry to the conclusion that the book was in Parseltongue.
Kari Morgana Black: Thank you so much! Surprisingly, I hadn't come across the fic before you mentioned it. I usually am constantly checking the site for new updates with my favorite pairs, but so rarely are new fics added in the categories that I like, that I just gave up looking for a while. Anyway, I've started reading the fic. It is really good so far, though I'm only on chapter four. That just made my day, so thanks again!