A/N Thanks again for the GREAT reviews!!!!!! I love reading them!!!! And here's the next chapter to thank you for them.
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all the characters except for Ginny's friends. I only own the friends and plot. Now on with the story!
Harry and Ginny were waiting at the Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlou counter, both waiting for their third ice creams.
"Ginny? Is Ari okay or is she always like this?" Harry asked cautiously.
"I don't know what's wrong with her. Last year, she and Cat acted like clones. Maybe she's sick or something," Ginny said, thoughtfully. "She looks it. I mean, she's all pale and shaky."
"I know. Well, maybe she got the flu too," Harry replied, looking closely at Ginny because he knew she had lied.
Ginny blushed and looked somewhere over Harry's shoulder.
"I did have the flu," Ginny said defensively.
"Yup..."
"I did."
"I never said you didn't."
"Well, you are implying..."
Ginny was cut off by the ice cream server. "Here you go, kids. Have fun!" she said, sliding them ice creams across the counter. Then she quickly turned to serve someone else who looked remarkably like a hag.
Ginny and Harry headed back to the table. They quickly finished their ice creams and decided to go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes which was located in Diagon Alley. Cat chattered the whole way there, never taking her eyes off Ron. Hermione was on Ron's other side and was clearly not happy with the attention he was getting. Ari stayed quiet, but Harry noticed she was limping slightly.
"You okay, Ari?" asked Harry, gesturing to her ankle.
He had to ask two more times before she acknowledged him.
"Fine," she muttered, eyes downcast. She started shivering, even though it was August.
Concerned, Ginny put her arm around her friend.
"You've been acting a little off. You sure you're not sick?" Ginny asked.
"I'm fine! I'm not sick! Leave me alone!" Ari shouted. She stumbled and ran into the gate which led to WWW (Weasley's Wizard Wheezes).
Cat shouted and she, Ginny, and Hermione ran for Ari. Cat conjured a strecher and Ari didn't protest. Her eyes kept rolling back into her head though. A small crowd gathered and Cat led the strecher to the Leaky Cauldron where Ari's parents woud pick her up. Everyone pretended to be having fun the rest of the day, but the tense expressions gave them away. The Dursley's picked Harry up right on time and he headed home.
Harry crossed out August 27th on his calendar. Four more days to go.
A/N Short I know. The next stop, Hogwarts! Will you find out what is wrong with Ari? What Voldemort is up to and how Dumbledore is handling it? What Cat will do next to poor little Ron? And did Ginny really have the flu? Or was it something more? And where is Sirius and who will the new Dark Arts teacher be? Read the next chapter and while you're at it, please review!