I do not own Harry Potter and co. I am just a fan that does not want the magic to end!
Just One of the Guys
Chapter twenty-eight
The Lines are Drawn
Harry and Ginny walked together, hand in hand, into the common room. Ignoring the interested glances, and in some cases hostile glares, the couple quietly made plans to meet up after settling themselves into their dorm rooms.
Harry still had a smile plastered across his face from their sweet goodbye kiss as he followed Neville up the boy's staircase. As usual, the trunks were situated at the end of each bed while a clean school uniform sat at the ready for the following day's classes.
In actual fact, there wasn't much he had to do to organize himself since he kept everything in his trunk, but the idea of sitting alone being gawked at did not hold much of an appeal. No, he would wait for Ron to return before heading back downstairs.
Harry flung himself on top of the bed, crossed his legs at the ankle, and watched as Neville fussed with his cactus. Neville rattled off all the steps required to properly take care of this species of plant, while Harry politely nodded his agreement in all the right places.
"Right, that's the midgets taken care of," announced Ron as he swept into the room.
He was throwing a whistler ball back and forth from one hand to another. It was making a high pitch whistling sound as it flew in the air. The longer the distance, the higher the sound would go, until it sounded like a loud air raid siren.
"Always wanted one of them. It's a good thing 'Mione didn't see me take it off the little bugger," he said, winking as he opened up his trunk and threw it into the messy container carelessly.
Harry snorted his amusement. He often wondered what Percy would say about Ron's take on the duties of a prefect. The twins would no doubt be proud of his ingenuity; the only thing imperative to his plan was to keep it well hidden from Hermione.
Ron nodded his greeting with a big toothy smile towards Neville. There was no doubt that he was in a good mood. It didn't last long, though. His face took on an icy glare as the dorm door opened to a moaning Dean Thomas.
"I still don't see what's so great about him," grumbled Dean with a sulky tone.
Seamus rolled his eyes behind his friends back. Sure, it sucked to be rejected by the bird you fancy, but there were plenty more fish in the sea, and he for one was more than happy Potter was off the market.
"Harry, Ron. Good to see ya mates," greeted Seamus as Dean sulked on his bed staring at his feet.
"Hey Seamus, good summer?" questioned Harry pleasantly.
"Not as good as yours," mumbled Dean from across the room.
"Yeah, it was alright. Bloody glad to be back I can tell you. Me ma was driving me batty near the end," chatted Seamus with a smirk.
Both boys had heard the mumbled comment, and both had chosen to ignore it. Ron kept glaring at Dean while Neville fussed with his plant. The tension in the room was becoming uncomfortable. Harry sighed and wondered why things had to be so difficult.
The confident knock on the door broke into the silence. A chorus of 'come in' was heard as three of the five occupants grasped for the welcome distraction. The door swung open to the smiling face of Romilda Vane. Harry groaned loudly as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to head off the tension headache that was settling in the back of his eyes.
"Hello Harry, boys," purred Romilda. She drifted into the room with a strong sweet smell that choked their senses, and fluttered her eye lashes in what she aimed to be an enticing look.
"Oh look, its Potter's club president," snarled Dean. "We best head out so his highness can get whatever he gets from the peasants that worship at his feet."
"Oi you! Watch it," threatened Ron.
"What, you his body guard?" snapped Dean in a temper.
Ron moved towards the smaller boy with malice, as Harry sprang to his feet to stand in-between them. He placed firm hands on his friend's chest to hold him back, and catching his eye, he shook his head.
"Look Dean," began Harry in a confident voice, "I know you asked Ginny out last summer. She told me that only after I asked her out. The fact is, I asked her, and she said yes. I wasn't going to let her brothers intimidate me, and I bloody well won't be stepping aside for you. I don't care what you say about me, but if you try to upset Ginny then you'll have me to deal with, and whatever is left of you I'll throw to the Weasleys."
Dean narrowed his eyes at first, but something he saw in Harry's eyes warned him not to push his luck. "Whatever," he mumbled, and stormed from the room.
Seamus whistled and shook his head. He hoped, more now than ever, that his friend would get over it soon. It was obvious he would have to push the 'plenty of fish in the sea' angle more forcibly.
Harry turned with a cold stare and cornered his uninvited guest. "What do you want?"
"Oh, well. Erm, I was hoping that you would come to our first meeting of the Harry Potter club this Friday. They'll be refreshments…" she trailed off suddenly, as she looked adoringly into his emerald green eyes. Eyes that she was sure held all the warmth and caring under the sun just for her.
"Um no, I don't suppose I will," commented Harry dryly. At the same time, he heard Ron interestedly question, "what refreshments?"
Harry elbowed his friend in the side and reinforced his answer. "No, I'm not comfortable with this fan club, to tell you honestly. I really wish you hadn't started it."
Romilda shook her head, flicking her long blonde curls over her shoulder. She smiled sweetly, albeit rather obsessively, towards him one more time before heading back towards the door. Turning abruptly just before exiting the room, she stood as tall and proud as her mother had always taught her.
"You will one day Harry. You will see that you are far more special than some of your acquaintances would have you believe. It has become clear to me now that as president of your fan club, it will fall to my hands to ensure that you do." With a final flip of her hair, she exited the room and descended the stairs.
"What the bloody hell did that mean?" asked Ron, as he stared bewilderedly at the open door.
"I've no idea mate," whispered Harry, unable to hide the concern in his voice.
"I don't know about what's-his face, Harry, but she's bloody scary," commented Seamus nervously.
All three boys nodded their heads in agreement as they stared open-mouthed at the door. Maybe being Harry Potter wasn't all what it was cracked up to be after all. Harry groaned and landed with a thump on his bed as he covered his face with his hands.
"Come on, Ginny! Spill," whined Glenna Roberts.
The door swung open to admit yet another group of giggling girls into the ever-shrinking dorm room. Ginny exchanged a stunned look with her best friend. Hermione had taken a seat on Ginny's bed, so as not to be crushed by the ever increasing mob.
"Have I missed anything?" asked Doreen Woods as she gently pushed her way to her bed.
Doreen was positive that she, along with her other dorm mates, would get the privilege of the first telling. Doreen Woods along with Glenna Roberts, Emmy Watters and Rhonda Thorsten, better known as 'that cow,' had all shared the same dorm with Ginny for the past four years.
"Do you mind," snapped a voice from the hallway.
Squeals of annoyance were heard as the rude girl bullied her way into the room. Ginny did not have to look up to see who it was. 'That cow' was back, and obviously annoyed with the uninvited guests. It almost made the irritation from the obvious invasion of her private life tolerable.
"You've got to tell us something Ginny!" pleaded Glenna.
"Have you kissed him?" questioned a girl from the back.
"Oooo I bet he's a divine kisser," coed Emmy, "you can just tell from how soft his lips look. I bet they're baby soft!"
Ginny flushed crimson from her head to her toes, as a vivid scene of her and Harry locked in the back of the old car hidden in the shed at the Burrow ran through her mind. Divine didn't seem like the right word somehow. Out-of-this-world-brilliant might be able to sum it up in a pinch.
"Honestly, don't you all have unpacking to do? Harry and Ginny are dating, and I don't see how well Harry is at kissing has anything to do with you lot," sniffed Hermione in her friends defence.
It had been obvious that Ginny had no idea what she had let herself into when she agreed to date the great Harry Potter. The hype the papers had given him all summer long had whirled everyone into believing he was some kind of god-like creature. Hermione knew better: Harry was just Harry.
Okay, he was handsome, and he had grown quite tall over the past summer. Not to mention that he had filled out in all the right places. Quidditch had been very good to him. Ron had turned out rather nicely himself, though. His height and broad shoulders, along with that devilish smile and charm, would bring him anyone he wanted. If only he wanted her, Hermione sighed, and tried to bring in wayward thoughts back to that subject at hand.
"I bet he was horrible at it. Cho said he wasn't all that great," Rhonda smirked evilly.
"Cho's an idiot," chorused Emmy Doreen and Glenna.
"I'll have you know that Harry kisses like a dream! He only has to look at me and my entire body goes up in flames. My knees grow weak, and it's all I can do but hang on to him as my spine melts right out of my skin," announced Ginny.
She had started off her rant as a response to what she felt was an attack. However, as she talked about the way he made her feel, her tone became gentler, and she hugged herself as her imagination rode the passionate waves of her memories. Goose bumps trailed up and down her skin, and she shivered with the raw emotions she held for him. It was becoming more and more obvious just how much she loved him with every word.
A sea of sighs and cooing erupted within the room as every girl, including Hermione, hung on every word spoken. To have a romance that passionate was every girls dream. To have one with the boy of your dreams was infinitely more than any one of them could wish for. Hermione hoped Ginny knew what she had.
"Well then, if he is all what the papers say, then I have a few words of advice for you," snipped Rhonda. "It was easy for you to catch his attention when you were stuck in the middle of nowhere, in that run down shack you call a house. No competition puts you at the advantage. But you're back at school now, and no one is going to give a pumpkin chance in hell about your feelings for him. Every girl will be gunning for him. So I would take what happiness he offers you now, because there is no chance you're going to able to hang on to him." Rhonda glared at Ginny with a cold stare as she took her in from head to toe. "What could you offer someone like him?"
The room grew silent. The hatred on each word had shocked everyone in the room. Hermione had watched in horror, struck dumb with every vile word that came out to assault the younger girl. What shocked her even more was the doubt that filled Ginny's eyes. For some reason, she was allowing this retched girl to effect her confidence.
"If you knew Harry, you wouldn't say such a ridiculous statement," snapped Hermione, rising from the bed in defence of her friend. "You only have to watch Harry and Ginny together to see how much he loves her. No one, not even her brothers, were able to persuade him otherwise. I think you're jealous of Ginny! It's eating you alive that she has Harry and you have no one!"
"I have no one?" laughed Rhonda. "What about you, miss books? Who do you have? The only one who'd look twice at you would be Neville Longbottom, and who would want him!?"
Several girls in the audience gasped. Then someone said shyly, "I think Neville is really sweet." More girls agreed as Rhonda pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the group. In her mind she was struggling to get a hold on the situation; it was beyond her that she had been cast the villain.
"My brother is one such person who happens to think Hermione is wonderful," announced Ginny to a shocked crowd. She giggled at the look on her friends face, Hermione was still struggling with her true feelings for Ron. At the moment, she was living in the world of "he doesn't see me like that." Ginny knew that world well. Hell, she was the queen of it for the last few years.
"Well if that's the case, you better make your move soon. I happen to know for a fact that Lavender Brown has set her sights on him this year, and really there will be no comparison," sniffed Rhonda as she set off towards the hallway to escape the no-win situation she had found herself in.
"Well, at least we agree on something," announced Ginny. "Hermione will have no competition where that primping peacock is concerned. In fact, I don't see anyone who could steal his attention away!"
Ginny turned to wink at Hermione with a comforting smile. It was then that Hermione realized that Ginny truly believed every word she had spoken. Maybe she did have a chance with Ron after all.
Thanks once again to my beta justloony who is amazing in every way possible! Love her! Thanks to all my faithful readers, who are also amazing in every way possible! Love you all!
Hope you like this chapter. I must say, the next chapter is one of my favorites. I giggled when I wrote it, because I could just picture it happening….hee hee hee. The Trevor is a cleaver little toad. You'll understand when it's posted.
Anyway, by now you know the drill. All reviews are responded to with my thanks and I will answer all your questions as best as I can. Also, any suggestions will be taken in consideration, and if it goes with my general plan I will owe that chapter to you. Also remember as an added bonus, all responses will have a clue for the next chapter.
Thanks again, and happy reading.
