"I don't know what it is, exactly. There's just something about him that seems a bit off," Ginny said as she and Luna headed for the exit of the Great Hall one day a few weeks later after breakfast.
"I think," Luna said airily, tucking her wand behind her ear they walked, "that seeming off and being off are two very different things. There seemed to be something very off about you in our first year, but as it turns out you're quite nearly normal."
Ginny grinned. "Thanks for that," she told her friend. "And I had an excuse. I doubt very much if Professor Slughorn is being haunted by the ghost of Tom Riddle."
"Oh, you never know about such things," Luna warned.
"It's probably nothing," Ginny shrugged. "It isn't as though the man doesn't know his potions. I've already learned loads more in his class than I ever learned in Snape's."
"Likely that's because Professor Slughorn isn't irritated by the sight of you," Luna opined. It had long been Luna's belief, and it had never quite made sense to Ginny, that there was something specific about Ginny, something aside from her surname and Gryffindor status, that agitated Snape, though Ginny wasn't as certain of it. Luna believed a lot of things, after all.
"Whatever the reason," Ginny continued as they crossed into the Entrance Hall, "I have to admit, the man is very well connected. At his last Slug Club meeting, he introduced us to -"
"Oi!" shouted a voice from the door they had just passed to. Ginny didn't even need to look. "Can I help you, Ronald?" she answered as she turned back to her brother.
"You poor little fifth years off to class, then?" Ron asked, striding towards them with Hermione and Harry following close behind.
"Manners, Ron!" chided Hermione. "They were talking. Don't interrupt!"
"It's all right," said Luna. "We were just talking about Professor Slughorn. We think he seems a bit odd, don't you?"
"That's ironic," muttered Harry. Ginny grinned.
"Oh, your new favorite teacher?" Ron said, turning to Ginny.
"Just because he introduced me to my all-time idol doesn't mean he's my new favorite teacher!"
"Who's that?" asked a confused Hermione.
"Gwenog Jones," said Harry. "Remember? At the last Slug Club meeting?"
"Ginny's only mentioned it about five-hundred times," Ron said, rolling his eyes with his usual disdain towards all things Slug.
"Oh, posh, Ron," Ginny said, sticking her tongue out at him. "If you ever met Martin Miggs the Mad Muggle, you wouldn't be able to shut up about it."
"Well, he's dead funny, he is!" Ron said. Turning to Harry, he asked, "He's not real, is he?"
"No, Ron," huffed Hermione. "For the last time, he's not real!"
"Didn't ask you."
"Anyway, I got her autograph and everything!" Ginny defended herself. "She's only been my favorite player for ages! What do you expect me to do, shut up about it?"
"I didn't care for her," Hermione offered.
"Shows what you know about Quidditch," Ginny offered in return. "And it at least proves the Slug Club is good for something, however little. Now did you want something, Ron? Some of us would like to get to class."
"Nah, I was just going to take the mickey out of you because you have class and we have a free period," Ron said with a shrug. "Nothing important."
"Shove off, Ron," Ginny shot at him. "I know you have a free period. Dean and Seamus are spending it doing the essay for McGonagall that they didn't do all week. It's why they didn't come down to breakfast."
At this, Ron's face grew pale. "Blimey! The essay! I forgot!"
"Ronald!" cried Hermione. "I reminded you three times!"
"I know," Ron said in a panic. "But you say so many things I just don't listen sometimes!"
"You really shouldn't talk like that to her when you're going to ask to copy her essay," Harry suggested.
Hermione spun to face Ron. "No!" she warned with a raised finger before he could ask.
"Please, Hermione?" Ron fairly begged. "I'll make it up to you!"
"And how will you possibly do that?"
"I have no idea. Please?"
Hermione folded her arms and took a deep sigh. "Fine," she acquiesced. "Come on."
"You are fantastic, Hermione, I love you!" With that, Ron turned and hurried down the hall back towards Gryffindor Tower.
"Yes, well, you know, that isn't necessary," Hermione muttered as she turned several deep shades of red. Without looking at any of the others, she quickly turned and headed down the hall after Ron.
Ginny, Harry, and Luna watched them go. "What is up with the pair of them?" Ginny wondered. "They've been unnervingly polite to each other lately."
"Didn't I tell you?" Harry asked. "Two weeks ago, in Herbology, something odd happened with them. I think…" he stopped, glancing at Luna.
"Oh, it's all right," Luna said earnestly. "I'll pretend I can't hear you." And with that, she put her hands over her ears and began humming a tuneless tune.
"Er… right. Thanks," said Harry, turning back to Ginny. "Anyway, we were wrestling a Snargaluff trunk…" He stopped again, shaking his head. "You know, I sometimes can't believe the words I've learned since I found out I was a wizard."
"What about them?" Ginny asked defensively. "'Snargaluff' is no stranger a word than 'McNugget'."
"I should never have told you about fast food."
"Would you get on with it, please?"
"So in between bouts with the tree trunk," Harry continued, "Hermione began talking about the Slug Club Christmas party, and Ron got all Ron and said she should ask McLaggen, and she got all Hermione and said she was going to invite Ron but would ask Mclaggen if that's what he thought she should do, and then he got very quiet and said he wouldn't like that, then they kind of stared at each other for a moment…" He shook his head. "Then they seemed to remember I was there and dropped the whole thing. Haven't mentioned it again since, but they've been annoyingly nice to each other."
"Like after the dodgeball incident?"
"Exactly."
"So did she ask Ron to the party or not?"
"I honestly have no idea."
"Those two. Ridiculous. Luna, you can stop pretending you're not listening now."
"All right," said Luna cheerfully, pulling her hands off of her ears. Clearly, she had no trouble hearing them.
"You'd better hurry," Ginny told Harry, "if you want to copy Hermione's essay, too."
"No," he shook his head. "Did it last night. I mean," he corrected himself as Ginny laughed, "I did the essay last night, not that I copied it from Hermione last… oh, forget it. Listen, I have to ask you a question."
"We're going to be late for class," Ginny said.
"You could walk with us," Luna suggested.
"Oh. Sure," Harry said, and they headed off. "Where are we going?"
"Charms," answered Ginny.
"It's Ginny's best subject," Luna chimed in.
"It's Ginny's only good subject," Ginny corrected.
"I doubt that," Harry said with a grin. "But anyway, listen, I wanted to ask you about Dean."
Ginny threw him a sideways glance. "What about Dean?"
"It's just that… wait, are things all right with you two? I mean…" And he stopped again, throwing Luna another look. She simply smiled and put her hands back over her ears as they walked.
"I haven't spoken to you about him since Madam Puddifoot's,"
"Oh, that," said Ginny. "Things are fine, mostly. I mean, they're a little awkward, but…"
"How on Earth," Harry wondered, "did you ever get him over that?"
"Snogging, mostly," Ginny replied with a shrug.
"Right," Harry said quickly. "Got it. Makes sense. You can take your hands down now, Luna."
"All right, Harry!"
Ginny was watching Harry peculiarly. She could swear he was blushing a little bit… but it was probably only her imagination. "What did you need to ask about him?"
"Katie's still at St. Mungo's," Harry answered. "I've put if off for as long as I can, but even if she gets back tomorrow, she won't be ready for Saturday's match. Dean's the next best Chaser in Gryffindor. You think he'll want to play on short notice?"
"Absolutely!" Ginny said eagerly. "Harry, he'll be thrilled!"
"You don't think he's still sore about not being asked to join the team right off, do you?" Harry asked as they stopped in front of Professor Flitwick's classroom. Ginny waved him off.
"He'll get over that in a heartbeat," she assured Harry. "When are you going to ask him?"
"I guess I'll go back to the Common Room and do it now..."
Ginny shook her head. "Wait until he's done with the essay, or he'll never be able to concentrate."
"Fine," Harry said, nodding. "Next period, then. Transfiguration."
"Perfect!" said Ginny. "Just don't tell him you told me first."
"Oh, right," Harry realized. "I suppose he'll want to be the one to tell you. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Ginny assured him. "Mum's the word. And Luna didn't hear anything."
"I didn't!" agreed Luna brightly.
"Brilliant," said Harry, backing down the hall. "See you two later. Thanks, Gin!"
"That's nice of him to ask Dean," Luna said, watching Harry go. "Particularly as he doesn't much care for Dean."
Ginny gave her a puzzled look. "Since when? Harry likes Dean fine. Why wouldn't he?"
"He does?" asked Luna, equally as surprised. "Oh, maybe he doesn't know it yet." Peering at Ginny closely, she added, "Oh, maybe YOU don't know it yet!"
Ginny was completely lost. "Know what?" she asked.
"Never mind," Luna replied. "Class is starting." And with a flick of her wrist, she flipped her wand off of her ear and marched into the room. Ginny followed, shaking her head. She was used to Luna, and could usually translate her, but that last had been difficult even for her to follow.
As she sat in Charms, her mind drifted off to Quidditch, as usual. She had been wondering what Harry would do about Katie's spot, as it had been becoming clearer by the day that she would not return in time to play against Slytherin on Saturday. Secretly, she been hoping he would ask Dean to join the squad, as things between she and him had been admittedly rocky since the Madam Puddifoot debacle, and as she still had lingering guilt over Demelza beating Dean out for the Chaser's spot at tryouts, she hoped that this would not only assuage that guilt but help the two of them move on from this rough patch they'd been going through the past few weeks. She hadn't said it to Harry, but there had been snogging, yes… but not much talking.
As soon as she reached the Great Hall for lunch, Dean ran up to her. "Gin!" he said giddily, "Guess what! I made the team! Harry asked me to replace Katie Bell!"
"Dean, that's marvelous!" Ginny squealed in a very un-Ginny-like voice. Actress of the year, right here… Dean picked her up and spun her around, planting her down and giving her a kiss.
"Mr. Thomas, Miss Weasley, that will be quite enough of that!" Professor McGonagall called from across the hall.
"Sorry, Professor," they answered in unison, then turning to sit. "Isn't this fantastic?" Dean went on, as he grabbed a sandwich off of the platter. "Now we can be on the team together."
"It is," Ginny said, and meant it. "I'm thrilled." A quick glance at Seamus told her, however, that he was not. She felt for him, but figured he'd soon get over it. Seamus wasn't the type of bloke to let most things stick. As Dean went on about Quidditch and strategies and what-not, Ginny snuck a peek at Harry down the table. Catching his eye, she gave him a quick "O.K." with her thumb and forefinger. He smiled at her and nodded, then returned to his conversation with Ron and Hermione. Ginny felt a wave of gratefulness and good will towards Harry wash over her. He surely didn't realize it, but putting Dean on the Quidditch team had probably saved her relationship.
She returned to her conversation with Dean, and they happily chatted away about the evening's coming practice. Yes, this would certainly help things work out for the two of them, no question about that.
"You prat, Ron, look at the state of her!"
Nobody ever said her relationship with Ron was going to get any better, though.
Demelza held tightly to her bleeding lip, as Ginny sat next to her trying to get a better look. Ron, in his usual insecure, blundering way, had been flailing about like a dying Hippogriff at his Keeper post, and Demelza had made the mistake getting too close to him while attempting a score, receiving an inadvertent punch in the mouth for her effort.
"I can fix that," said Harry over Ginny's shoulder as he landed, pulling her gently back and pointing his wand at Demelza's lip. "Episkey", he said, and as soon as he did the cut began to heal itself and the swelling began to subside. "And Ginny, don't call Ron a prat, you're not the captain of this team -"
"Well, you seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should -"
Harry tried to hide it, but he almost laughed, Ginny noted with smug satisfaction. "In the air, everyone," he said, mounting his broom with a smirk. "Let's go..."
As the rest of the team took off, Ginny helped Demelza to her feet. "Are you sure you're all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Demelza said, wiping the blood and tears onto the sleeve of her robes. "Nobody ever said Quidditch was a gentle game." She took off as well, Ginny following, feeling angry at both Ron and herself. She had been concentrating her efforts on helping Dean get comfortable and ignored Demelza completely. She was senior member of the Gryffindor Chaser corps, and she scolded herself for not keeping a better eye on Demelza.
Still, as practice continued, and Dean gave her one of his undeniably charming grins as he zipped alongside of her... it was nice to have this to share with her boyfriend. Dean had been right, after all. Being on the team together was lovely.
If only the practice itself had gone even remotely well.
"Good work, everyone," said Harry in a stiff-upper-lip sort of way as Ginny, Dean, Demelza, Peakes, and Coote left the changing room. "I think we'll flatten Slytherin." As the door closed behind them, Ginny looked back and caught a glimpse of Harry turning to prop up a disconsolate Ron. Good luck, Harry, she thought to herself. You're going to need it. If Ron played on Saturday as he did tonight, they may as well hand Slytherin the House Cup right now and be done with it.
She turned to Dean to say as much, but before she could speak, he said, "That went pretty well, don't you think?" Clamping her mouth shut, Ginny glanced around at the rest of the team. They were all watching her, anxiously, waiting to hear her take on their chances this weekend. At that moment, Ginny realized that none of them had ever played Quidditch in front the rest of the school before. If she told them what she really thought of the practice...
"It was brilliant," she lied with a smile. "We'll kill 'em." Peakes and Coote slapped hands, and Demelza grinned through an almost completely healed lip as Dean put his arm around Ginny's shoulders. She joined them in their good cheer, secretly aware that Harry was going to have to work some real magic on Ron for a rookie team like this to have a chance against Slytherin.
As they made their way up to the castle and towards Gryffindor Tower, Dean and Ginny slowly fell behind the younger students, whispering and laughing quietly to each other, just like a real boyfriend and girlfriend, Ginny realized. In the second floor corridor, suddenly and quite without warning, Dean pulled Ginny aside, pushing open a tapestry to reveal a darkened staircase that she knew was a shortcut back to the Fat Lady's portrait. She had a notion, though, that a shortcut was the last thing on Dean's mind. "What's this?" she said innocently, playing along.
"I'll show you," Dean grinned, offering his hand to help her through the secret entrance. Ginny ignored that most irritating of gestures, and instead smiled coyly and allowed herself to be guided through.
Once inside, the tapestry fell back to where it had been, plunging them into near total darkness. A faint flickering light came shining down the winding staircase; Ginny knew from experience that this was from a torch burning near the other entrance to the passage up above. "So," Ginny asked, "what's in here?"
"Absolutely nothing," Dean responded with a wicked grin, reaching for her in the near total darkness, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. She responded in kind, running her hand up to his face, reminding herself that, for all his imperfections... Merlin, her boyfriend did know how to kiss. It was never much more than a kiss, mind you, but... it was certainly a kiss. She simply could not deny that. The rest, the emotion, she assumed, would come later... as they grew closer, as their feelings grew stronger, etc., etc... but for now, the snogging itself would do.
A few minutes had passed, minutes which Ginny was thoroughly enjoying, when...
"Oi!"
Again, she did not need to look. She knew the voice. Dean quickly pulled away from her, startled and red-faced, and she turned to face Ron...
Only it wasn't just Ron standing there, holding the tapestry that hid the passage entrance up high. Of course it wasn't. It was Ron and Harry.
Harry.
Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry...
She felt twelve again. She felt embarrassed. She felt ashamed. She felt as though somewhere, deep inside herself, she had betrayed something she did not even know existed. And she had no idea, no idea at all, why she suddenly felt all of these things when she saw the stunned look on Harry's face.
Rather than let her own sudden flurry of emotion betray her, she did not even let her gaze settle on Harry, and turned her focus to Ron. Ron, she could deal with.
"What?" she demanded, suddenly irrationally emotional.
"I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!" Ron blustered back, his eyes popping out in consternation.
"This was a deserted corridor until you came butting in!" Ginny replied, willing herself to stay focused on Ron, ignoring Harry as best she could. Harry, standing quietly, still in shock...
Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry...
"Er... c'mon, Ginny," said a voice over her shoulder, somewhere out of the distant past. She almost had to remind herself that it was Dean. "Let's go back to the common room..."
"You go!" Ginny said spinning back to him but not daring to look him in the eye, lest he see in her expression that she could barely remember his name. "I want a word with my dear brother!"
Whasisname took off, and Ginny spun back to Ron with such force that her long red hair flew around into her own face. She pushed it back to glare at her brother, careful still not to look at Harry.
Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry...
"Right," she said, focusing all of her new-found emotion at Ron, "let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron-"
"Yeah, it is!" Ron said, returning her own anger and then some. "D'you think I want people saying my sister's a-"
"A what-" she shrieked at him, and suddenly her wand was in her hand and she wasn't sure how it got there. If he called her that in front of Harry...
Harry, Harry, Harry...
"A what, exactly?"
"He doesn't mean anything, Ginny-" Harry began. Without thinking about it, she turned on him, as well.
"Oh yes he does!" she cried, and the moment she looked at him she felt a lump form in her throat. Desperate to break it up, desperate not to cry, she began to shout over it. "Just because he's never snogged anyone in his life," she babbled angrily, not even sure what she was saying, "just because the best kiss he's ever had is from our Auntie Muriel-"
"Shut your mouth!" Ron bellowed, though he seemed miles away now, too, just as Dean had. Ginny found her gaze glued to Harry, and she was in a near panic, hoping he wasn't judging her too harshly, hoping he knew that the kiss with Dean had meant nothing, it was just a kiss, that was all... with those terrifying thoughts flying forth unbidden from the back of her head, she turned desperately on Ron.
"No I will not!" she yelled back at him, beside herself, scrambling to maintain control of her unexpectedly wild state, clueless as to what she was even shouting anymore.. "I've seen you with Phlegm, hoping she'll kiss you on the cheek every time you see her, it's pathetic! If you went out and got a bit of snogging done yourself you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!"
Ron drew his own wand, his face red and his expression wild. For a fleeting instant Ginny wished he would he hex her; her heart was screaming that she deserved it. But then Harry stepped between them, putting one hand on Ron's chest to push him back, resting his other on Ginny's shoulder, and as he did so a wave of euphoria ran up her arm.
What in the bloody hell is going on happening to me?
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron was roaring, pointing his wand in Ginny's direction. "Just because I don't do it in public-!."
"Been kissing Pigwidgeon, have you?" Ginny screamed at him, laughing wildly. "Or have you got a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow?"
"You-" but the rest was cut off, as Ron thrust his wand under Harry's left arm and a flash of orange light flew from the tip, just missing Ginny's head.
"Don't be stupid," said Harry as he pushed Ron up against the wall, and for some reason Ginny flashed momentarily back to the Chamber of Secrets, and suddenly she was twelve years old and Harry was coming to her aid once more... but that memory meant nothing, she knew that, it never had, because...
"Harry's snogged Cho Chang!" she shouted at her brother, and that did it to her. Pushed her over the edge. Tears were on their way, and there was no stopping them, but she kept on. "And Hermione snogged Viktor Krum, it's only you who acts like it's something disgusting, Ron, and that's because you've got about as much experience as a twelve-year-old!"
And with that, she stormed away, up the staircase, and towards Gryffindor Tower, her hand covering her mouth, desperately trying to hold the sobs at bay until she was out of earshot of Harry and Ron.
What had that been? What had happened? Why had... what had... she couldn't think straight. She couldn't see straight. She didn't know who she was or where she was going. All that kept replaying over and over in her mind was the tapestry flying up, and she turning from Whasisname, and Harry standing there, and Ron too, but Harry, with that look on his face... shock, revulsion, disgust, betrayal, (betrayal?)... what was that look? Why had he looked at her like that? Why had the thought of he and Cho almost driven her to tears? What was wrong with her?
She turned the corner to the Fat Lady's portrait, unsure if she could think clearly enough to remember the password... but she saw she wouldn't have to. Standing there, holding the door open for her, was the last person in the world she wanted to see at that moment. Dean and Seamus were laughing together, no doubt discussing what had happened just moments earlier...
Why are they laughing? It's not funny!
Of course it was funny. The look on Ron's face...
What about the look on Harry's? Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry...
"Gin!"
Shaken out of her internal reverie, Ginny looked up. The laughter of the two boys had turned to looks of concern, presumably at the sight of her tear-streaked face. Seamus looked at Dean, looked at her, and then slunk back into the common room.
"Gin, are you all right?" Dean asked, suddenly concerned.
"I'm fine," she said.
No, you are not.
"You don't look fine," he countered.
Nothing gets past ol' Whasisname.
"I'm fine," Ginny insisted, not looking at him. She glanced over her shoulder; Ron and Harry were sure to be up soon, and she did not want to risk seeing them again. Especially Harry.
Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry...
"But..."
"I'm going to bed," she said definitively. "I'm fine. I'll see you in the morning." And without allowing him another word in edgewise, she hurried into the common room and up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. She laid in bed just a short while later, her curtains drawn and her eyes wide open. She had no idea what had happened to her in that passageway tonight, but it had been utterly overwhelming and terrifying.
Most terrifying, though, and this was the part that she was refusing to acknowledge to herself... most terrifying was that somewhere deep inside of her, beneath all of the angst and unease and emotion that had quite suddenly and without warning welled up within her... somewhere beneath all that, she was almost certain she could detect a little bit of something that felt unmistakably like...
… joy.