13 Days Until Christmas Break
"Okay, so we don't leave Hermione alone after supper." Fred convened a meeting of the Weasley/Potter/Longbottom Menfolk.
"Why?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yeah… someone had better catch Harry up on the latest gossip." Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "He's only just got back out into the real world. Thank Ginny for that later."
"What'd you do to our little sister, Potter?" George eyed him, grabbing for prank sweets.
"I did nothing! She stole my Map and my cloak and made me talk to her." Harry held his hands up defensively.
"That's why I caught you two cuddling on the couch this morning," Neville smirked, looking at Harry out of the corner of his eyes.
"That's it! New item of business!" George shouted. "Potter, you keep your grubby hands off our sister! Especially after curfew!"
"Oi! She put her grubby hands on me! She forced me to sit! She forced me to stay!" Harry tried to defend himself.
"Yeah…like a dog," Neville drawled. "'Forced.' You looked so 'forced,' what with you playing big spoon. That seems real 'forced.'"
"Shut up, Neville." Harry glared, his ears turning a horrid shade of red.
Chaos reigned in the last few minutes of the meeting. Ginny's older brothers decided they were done with the Potter heir. They spent their remaining time before curfew trying to impart physical reminders to treat their baby sister with more respect than he'd pay his own dear Hestia. When Ginny entered the common room, she just rolled her eyes at the overly masculine display and did her best to hide her joy at seeing Harry actually interact with other human beings.
12 Days Until Christmas Break
"Hermione, wait! Can we talk?" Fred asked, running up behind her. She was almost to the fourth floor, and she didn't need him catching her.
"What do we need to talk about?" Hermione smiled up at him. "I thought we agreed we were trying this dating thing again. You were the one who said the first few weeks were just for kissing, no talking."
"Hermione, are you headed up to the fourth-floor bathroom?" Fred asked seriously.
Hermione stared at him in shock, not knowing how to answer. "Wh-why would you think that?"
"Mostly because we just finished supper and you're already on the third floor. Also, Draco told me." Fred confessed.
"Told you what, exactly?" Hermione glared at him, daring him to make the accusation.
"He told us that you've been using the Puking Pastilles to throw up." Fred glared back, not willing to give up this fight.
"That's what you intended them for, yeah? Otherwise, the name is misleading." Hermione scoffed, crossing her arms defensively.
"Mione! You're using them to throw up! Like constantly!" Fred didn't really want to say it all out loud, in the corridors, with other students around.
"I told you. Third year, I told you those were dangerous. I told you they would be an issue. But no, you don't listen to me." Hermione accused.
"You don't get to blame this on me." Fred was angry himself. "You're- You're throwing up! On purpose! T-to lose weight! Why would you do that?"
"To lose weight," Hermione said slowly as if she were speaking to an inept child.
"Why would you need to lose weight? You skip lunch every single day!" Fred shouted, alerting several students to their fight. When Hermione glared at him, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into one of those seemingly random alcoves that appeared just when needed.
"You didn't even seem to notice. It took Draco telling you. Who told him?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at Fred.
"Now's not the time for your petty revenge. Now's the time for you to go up to the common room." Fred glared back.
"Like there aren't toilets up there." Hermione scoffed.
"I said the common room, not the loo." Fred's harsh voice made Hermione take a step back.
"Who else knows?" Hermione eyed him suspiciously.
"Everyone, now. Harry, Ron, Neville. George and Lee, obviously. But I've also got Angelina, Alicia, and Katie keeping an eye out for me." Fred informed her.
"Oh, goodie." Hermione snarled. "Get your perfect, athletic girls to keep an eye on your pet hog."
"What the hell does that mean!?" Fred raged. He wasn't ready for Hermione's whole demeanor to change.
"Oh, Freddie." She said, voice full of pity. "You obviously need to improve those Extendible Ears if you're going to market them effectively. You can't even hear what's being said around you."
With that, Hermione walked calmly out of the magically appearing alcove and back into the flow of students. She didn't see Ginny sneak in behind her. She didn't hear Ginny tell Fred she would keep watch while he figured out what Hermione was talking about.
Ginny followed Hermione, knowing that she was heading up to the fourth-floor bathroom. She noticed that Hermione's behavior was getting gradually more outraged as she ran through the list of potential snitches.
"Hermione, wait!" Ginny called out, catching up. "I know who told Draco. And no, it wasn't me."
"Who was it?" Hermione turned and glared at her friend.
"You're new puking pal, Pansy Parkinson," Ginny smirked just a tiny bit.
"I'm going to-" Hermione started, but then she noticed several students were staring.
"Look, you go in and confront her. I'll wait out here. If you're not out soon, I'm coming in after you." Ginny told her firmly. "And if you're puking, I'll force feed you all of your Puking Pastilles. At once. Then we'll see how you like getting sick all the time."
Hermione nodded her agreement and stormed into the fourth-floor girl's lavs. She was beyond angry. When she saw Pansy Parkinson laughing with a couple of Ravenclaws about something, she didn't think twice before storming up to her and slapping her across the face.
"One thing. You asked me to do one thing the first time I used this bathroom." Hermione glared, eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "Do you know what that was?"
"Are you off your rocker, Granger?" Pansy shrieked, holding her cheek.
"'Don't tell the menfolk. They have sensitive stomachs and can't handle it.' That's what you told me." Hermione continues, grabbing Pansy around the shoulders and giving her a little shake.
"Would you get to it, Granger?" Pansy huffed, trying to escape Hermione's grasp.
"You told Draco. You told Draco and he told Fred. And George, and Harry, and Ron, and Neville. You interfering bitch." Hermione said, taking a step back and slapping the girl again.
Pansy started to argue but realized that's exactly what happened. When the two Ravenclaws saw that she couldn't argue it, they shot her looks of disgust and fled the bathroom. "I didn't mean to. It sort of just slipped out."
"It slipped out? How the hell does that just 'slip out?' Are you mental?" Hermione shrieked.
"Look, Granger, this mistake has already cost me. Don't make me take it out on you." Pansy threatened.
"What are you going to do? Join the Inquisitorial Squad for the sole purpose of stalking me? That's illegal, even in the wizarding world." Hermione challenged before she walked away from the fourth floor bathroom, hopefully for the last time.
11 Days Until Christmas Break
"So, you're sleeping on the couches with Potter," Draco said pulling Ginny away from the library entrance before a fourth year meeting.
"So, you're snogging Luna after curfew?" Ginny rebutted, trying to walk past him.
"You know that isn't happening," Draco said, grabbing her hand. "I wouldn't do that, not to you." Draco stepped closer to her.
"Then who would you do it to?" Ginny asked. "I want to trust you, then again, you can do whatever you want, we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Why is that?" Draco said stepping closer to her, kissing her gently. "I mean, we are snogging, and talking when I can actually sneak you away from everyone else."
Ginny laughed a little, biting her bottom lip. "Maybe next semester won't be so hard. Tomorrow is our test with Umbridge and we are caught up where we should be in the textbooks."
"So, then that's a yes," Draco said pulling her closer to him, kissing her again. She let him. Let herself relax into him and his kiss. It seemed uncomplicated, but she knew that was the farthest from the truth.
"That's an 'I'll think about it," Ginny said pulling away from him, walking into the library. The rest of the school pretended to go back to their work, but they all heard.
After all, she could see the Extendable Ears were still being rolled up under tables.
10 Days Until Christmas Break
Harry wasn't on the Quidditch team. He was lucky he hadn't received a lifetime ban or some other made up nonsense. Since flying was banned for anyone, not on a Quidditch team, he found himself with a lot of spare time. Spare time, if he were honest, he wasn't letting Hermione know about. Originally, he'd been using the time to brood and sulk, but after Ginny snapped at him, he decided he needed a new hobby. Hermione would have insisted he study, so he did. He studied the DA class rotation schedule and determined it sucked.
There wasn't time. There was never a good time to get that many people into the Room of Requirements. Quidditch practice, prefect schedules, approved extra-curricular activities. There was no time for three-quarters of the upper years to disappear. That's when a new plan formed in his head.
"We have to have separate meeting times," Harry announced, looking at the secret notebook of DA notes.
"What, dear?" Hermione asked, looking up from her Arithmancy assignment.
"Separate meeting times. Three times a week. Make it when you can. That'll make next semester so much easier." Harry looked at her over the top of his glasses.
"Also, it's easier to hide that way." Ron looked up from where he was annihilating Seamus as wizard chess.
After that, it was passed through notes and by whispers through the halls of Hogwarts. Meetings were the same lesson three times a week. Make it when available.
9 Days Until Christmas Break
Harry marched into the Great Hall at supper. Ignoring the protest of Hermione and another fourth-year girl, Harry pushed them aside to sit.
"Harr-" Ginny started but he didn't let her finish. He pulled her chest to chest to him and kissed her. When he pulled away, Ginny's mouth was agape.
"Let's go," Harry said, standing up and pulling her from the table.
"Go where?" Ginny said as he pulled her out of the table and out of the Great Hall.
"I have a surprise," Harry said leading her through the school.
"Stop," Ginny said, pulling on her hand that he was holding. "What was that about? Did you do that just to annoy Draco?"
"I did that because you have been ignoring me," Harry said pulling her again in the direction of his choosing. "You went on a date with him, now it's my turn. Is that alright with you? Or have you made up your mind?"
"Let's go," Ginny said.
He smiled, pulling her into a kiss again before wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked. He led her down the steps to a picture of a pear. He scratched it and it opened to the kitchen. Looking back at Ginny's amazement, he led her to a table in the corner where two plates were set.
"You were expecting something different?" Harry asked pulling out her chair like Sirius suggested.
"Maybe," Ginny laughed as her cup was filled with Pumpkin juice. Harry took his seat and then grabbed her hand.
"I finally have Ginny Weasley alone in a semi-private place," Harry said with amusement. "So, how exactly did you come up with this whole fourth-year plan?"
8 Days Until Christmas Break
Ginny didn't like the fact that everyone was still staring at her. She even heard the third years taking bets on how she would answer Draco's not-so-private question. She had kept herself busy, mostly hiding from the rest of the school...and Draco and Harry. She made sure never to be one-on-one with either of them, making sure the conversation couldn't be brought up. It had been easy in such a busy school with exams coming up.
What she didn't expect was to be pushed into one of the empty classrooms on the seventh floor.
"Can I help you?" Ginny said, stumbling into a desk.
"Did you make up your mind yet?" Hermione demanded.
"Yeah, I'm having french toast for breakfast, thanks," Ginny huffed going for the door.
"You promised you would this figured out by the end of the year," Luna said, her feet dangling from a desk.
"The school year," Ginny pointed out. "I've still got a term."
"So, Draco asking you to be his girlfriend was, what exactly?" Hermione asked. "You made me deal with my shit, now it's your turn."
"And falling asleep on Harry last week was...what exactly?" Luna egged on.
"That was an accident," Ginny quickly pointed out.
"But snogging Draco throughout the semester isn't? So, you've picked?" Hermione pushed.
"No! Yes! I don't know!" Ginny huffed banging her head against the door. "Harry has been dealing with things."
"And Draco has been taking advantage of it," Hermione said, pulling Ginny from the door so she was facing them.
"Talk to us, Ginny," Luna said in a dreamy voice. "It's not like we're going to say anything."
"I don't know! I like Draco, things with Draco are easy. But Harry, things are complicated with him, but when I'm with him, it feels easy too. With Harry, it's bickering and Draco is rational. Then there's the whole Chamber thing and Harry saving my life, and Draco sorta being the cause of it without meaning to. But should I let the past stop the future? Draco said that he will fight for me, but Harry really has fought for me. Understand why I'm confused?" Ginny said letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Have you, um-" Hermione started.
"Just snogging," Ginny glared. "Thank you very much."
"Maybe you're asking the wrong question," Luna said, jumping off the table, changing the subject. "Who are you willing to fight for?"
Gabs: So…. Chapter 13 got away from us and had to be split into two parts….
Kat: So… We will make you a deal!
Gabs: We'll have Chapter 14 done by the end of the day tomorrow. So, we're gonna be those authors. We'll give you a mid-week update if y'all review. 10 reviews and we'll do it. It doesn't even have to be on this chapter. Just ten new reviews telling us how we're doing.
Kat: Even if it's "great chapter" or "thanks for the update" we'd be happy! Heck, comment on Hinny or Drinny.
Gabs: Heck, comment on the subtle Neville/Pavarti that's not happening but now you're looking for.
Kat: Don't give away our plots…
Gabs: I would never give away our true ends of Crookshanks/Mrs. Norris. As always we own nothing.
XOXO
Gabs & Kat
