Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter. That's J.K. Rowling's deal. Lucky.
Summary: Christine has helped Harry and Ginny overcome their problems. Now what other good deals will she do?
Chapter 9
The Christmas break was just around the corner for Hogwarts students. Snow was falling everyday, turning the castle into an ethereal kingdom of white. The decorations had been put on the castle walls, and the very spirit of Christmas seemed to have settled upon the school.
Hermione and Ginny were decorating the Common Room one Saturday afternoon. Harry was thumbing through a book with annoyance etched upon his face. Jumping out his seat, "Err, this is so infuriating!" Harry stated with frustration, slamming the book he was reading shut. "What's wrong mate?" asked Ron, looking up from copying one of Hermione's essays. "I still cannot find anything on Horcruxes! In the entire library, in this entire bloody school, there are about 3 sentences on Horcruxes. How am I supposed to destroy something when I know absolutely nothing about it!!" vented Harry in frustration.
"It's alright mate, we'll find something, and we've just got to. Me, you, Hermione, Ginny and Christine will all go the library soon and stay there until we find something tangible" said Ron with sincerity.
"You are actually volunteering yourself to go the library for research?" asked Harry with amusement, sitting back down in his armchair.
"I never said I was excited about it" drawled Ron, turning back to his essay.
Christine came walking through the portal just then looking extremely annoyed. She threw her bag on the ground and sat on the couch next to Ron and began rubbing her temples. "You okay Chris?" asked Ron. "Yeah, just dandy" replied Christine sarcastically. Ron backed off and went back to his essay, and the Common Room was left in silence until…
"Hermione will you please stop singing that damn Christmas carol!" shouted Christine. Everyone turned and looked at her like she had grown an extra head. "Uh, Chris, Hermione hasn't been singing" said Ron in confusion.
"I know Ron, and Harry would you stop being so pessimistic about the frickin horcruxes, you're driving me mad!" said Christine. "And for the love of God Ron, we just had dinner, how can you be hungry again?"
Ron, Hermione, and Harry all looked at each other in confusion. "Alright who wants to tell me what the hell is going on here?" asked Ron.
"Its nothing" said Christine.
"Christine what is going on?" asked Harry in absolute bewilderment.
"I've had an excruciating day. First, Snape makes me do a perfectly good potion over because apparently it was not the "correct shade of magenta." Magenta is only one bloody color. And then I lose a 6-foot essay for Flitwick because my damn book bag broke on the way to class. Then I had to skip lunch to re-do the entire essay from memory. I got tripped in the hallway because of some halfwit 3rd year starring at me. And to top it all off I have had this raging headache all day long!" ranted Christine.
"Umm…your day sounds really horrible, but I was actually asking about the mind-reading thing" Said Harry.
"Ugh! I don't want to talk about that now Harry!" screamed Christine. Then suddenly, she moved her hand against the tray of tea and biscuits and it flew furiously into the fire.
For the first time, Christine looked up and saw the scared looks everyone was giving her. "I can't deal with this right now" thought Christine. "I'm going out. Don't wait up."
With that she walked out the room.
Everyone was silent until Hermione broke the silence. "Wow, she's really powerful."
"What do you mean?" asked Ron.
"Well I can do wandless levitation but you have to concentrate before you do it. She was really preoccupied with her day. Either she's gifted or she's incredibly powerful" explained Hermione.
"Well does someone want to go and find her?" asked Ginny. "I'll go, I have nothing better to do" said Ron.
"Look on top of the Astronomy Tower" said Ginny.
Ron nodded and was on his way.
He found Christine right where Ginny said she would be, sitting on a ledge overlooking the lake. He stood there wondering if he should approach her or not when she spoke up.
"Can I help you Ron?"
He stood there until she turned around looking annoyed but amused. Ron walked over to her with uncertain steps.
"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" Ron asked, hoping to break some tension.
Christine's face brightened "How do you know about the Wizard of Oz?"
"Hermione brought it over this past summer. She watched it in America and said we'd like it. It's pretty good," said Ron, shrugging his shoulders.
"You spend a lot of time with Hermione eh?" asked Christine with a knowing glint in her eyes.
"Yeah.. I mean were best friends," said Ron blushing that famous Weasley blush.
"No Ron, you and I are friends. You are not only friends with Hermione are you? Why don't you just tell her how you feel? Why are guys so afraid of admitting how they feel to someone? I mean, c'mon Ron, you've got to know that Hermione is in love with you too. You're not that much of a git," said Christine all in one breath.
"It's not just that Chris. I mean… I have nothing to give her. Hermione deserves someone as smart and wonderful as she is. I'm just Ron…ya know Harry Potter's sidekick, or the youngest Weasley boy. I'm not good enough for her," said Ron with a defeated tone in his voice.
Christine looked at Ron for a long while, looking sympathetic.
"Ron, I need a shovel." said Christine.
"Uh, for what?" asked Ron confused.
"To get rid of the amount of shite that you just dumped on me"
"Hey!" came Ron's indignant response.
"Ron. Look at me. Do you think that Hermione is intelligent?"
"Well yea, but.." started Ron. Christine cut him off.
"Do you respect Hermione?"
"Of course I do, but still…" said Ron.
"Then why don't you respect her enough to let her make her own decisions? Hermione is clever and if she wanted to be with someone rich and powerful, and all the other crap you just said, don't you think she would be? God Ron, she's in love with you! She doesn't want anyone else! She wants you! Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but Hermione Granger wants Ron Weasley, prat extraordinaire. So why don't you do both of yourselves a favor and start believing in your power, in yourself. Because Ron if you don't, you'll never get through this war alive" said Christine finishing.
"I'm going to go back. Don't stay out too late" said Christine leaving Ron to think about what she just said.
Christine walked back into the Common Room to see Hermione and Ginny trying to get the star on top of the Christmas tree, but having some trouble.
Christine gave a quick flick of her wrist and the star landed neatly on the top of the tree, and Hermione and Ginny smiled at Christine. The smile remained on Hermione's face even when she wasn't looking at Christine anymore. Christine followed Hermione's vision and saw Ron standing at the portrait hole smiling back at Hermione.
Christine rolled her eyes and placed an ornament on the tree. "Merlin bless us everyone."
