PART
2: THE NOT-SO-GREAT DAY
Ginny
and Hermione stayed up late the night before, talking about boys. Though
Hermione never expressly stated it, Ginny knew she was complaining about
her brother Ron, who was still giving Hermione a hard time about Victor
Krum. Ginny could see that Hermione and Ron fancied each other, though both of
them, especially Ron, were unwilling to admit it. Ginny herself was unwilling
to have lengthy discussions on Harry; not that she had much choice, since Hermione
kept bringing him up in their conversation just for her benefit.
Talking about Harry had reminded Ginny about the
letter she had written to him earlier. It was still in the pocket of her robe,
which was slung over the chair by her table. She couldn't get it out now and
burn it, for fear that Hermione would see what was inside it, and so she made a
mental note to destroy it that day.
Ginny had no chance to be alone that day, however.
People thundering up and down the stairs and barging in and out of each other's
rooms, looking for items they had forgotten to pack, threw the Weasley
household in turmoil. Ron had barged into Ginny's room three times already,
looking for his Chudley Cannons hat and arguing with Hermione.
"I
know it's in here somewhere Gin," he said angrily, with bits of toast around
his mouth.
"Ron,
why would your stupid hat be in my room?"
"Because
Hermione probably hid it, to get back at me for yesterday, didn't you?"
he said accusingly to Hermione.
"Ron,
if I'd wanted to get back at you, I would've come up with something more clever
than just hiding a dumb hat!" shrieked Hermione
"That
hat is not dumb!" said Ron indignantly, "and besides I don't know why you're so
mad, when I was just telling the truth about Vicky!"
"Don't
call him Vicky. How many times do I have to tell you that, Ronald!"
"Don't
call me Ronald!"
"Now
you know how I feel when you call him Vicky!"
Ginny
got so fed up with Ron's and Hermione's sniping that she made her way
downstairs for breakfast, slamming her bedroom door behind her as she went. Not
that they had noticed anything. Their shouts could still be heard even from
down the hall.
On her way past Ron's room Ginny ran into Harry, who
had also heard the arguments, and rolled his eye skywards.
"Yeah
I know!" Ginny giggled.
They
made their way down to the kitchen, where they were greeted by Mrs. Weasley.
"What's going on up there?" she asked
"Don't
worry Mom, they're always like that…" replied Ginny exasperatedly.
She
sat down at her table and started on her porridge, followed by Harry, while
Mrs. Weasley went upstairs to check on Ron and Hermione.
It was only Ginny and Harry in the kitchen, as Fred
and George were still up in their room packing. It was a tense moment, as
neither looked at each other, both pretending to he immensely interested in
their porridge. It was Harry who broke the uncomfortable silence first.
"I
don't know what I'm gonna do with those two" he sighed, "can you imagine, I
have to be stuck with them arguing over Vicky for another year!"
Ginny
was chewing on a mouthful of porridge and as Harry said this, she laughed, and
bits of porridge came out of her mouth. A chunk landed near Harry's hand.
Horrified, Ginny looked at Harry wide eyed and began apologizing profusely,
blushing up to her hairline. To her surprise, Harry laughed good-naturedly and
said "Nah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't've made you laugh, you could've
choked!"
"I'm
sorry." Ginny repeated
"Forget
it" Harry grinned, "at least it didn't come out of your nose. Do you know, one
time Dudley was drinking his milk in front of the television and he laughed at
something funny, and milk came out of his nose and back into his glass? And you
know what?"
"What?"
Ginny asked curiously, forgetting her earlier embarrassment
"He
drank the milk! With his bogies and all floating in it! The git."
"Gross"
Ginny giggled. Suddenly the air between them didn't seem so tense anymore, and
both of them burst out laughing. Ginny took the opportunity then to wipe her
mess with a tissue. As she did so she accidentally brushed Harry's hand, and
the sensation sent bolts of electricity through her body – or what she thought
bolts of electricity would feel like. Harry didn't seem to notice.
Seconds later Mrs. Weasley's shouts could be heard
upstairs and both inclined their heads in the direction of the staircase to
listen. Mrs. Weasley appeared to be telling Fred and George off for something,
and moments later, Ginny and Harry knew why.
"Why
did you hide your brother's hat Fred?"
"It
was only a joke Mom."
"We
were gonna experiment with it for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes"
"WHAT?"
"Only
joking ha ha."
"Some
people just can't take a joke."
"Some
people are trying to pack, George!" hollered Ron
"And
some people shouldn't be accusing others of taking his things!" Hermione's
voice had joined the commotion, and didn't stop there. "Secondly, some people
should just forget about a certain boy called Victor!"
"ENOUGH!"
Mrs. Weasley's voice spoke above the others, and there was quiet.
"Fred,
George, apologize to Ron and give his hat back. Ron, apologize to Hermione."
Silence.
"Now!"
Ginny
and Harry burst out laughing again as they heard sarcastic apologies being
uttered upstairs, and several doors banging. For another brief moment Ginny and
Harry locked eyes again, and this time she didn't look away. She still blushed
though.
"Nice
way to end the holidays huh?" she asked, grinning at Harry. Harry nodded and
grinned back, and Ginny felt the familiar shock of electricity go through her.
Mrs. Weasley trudged into the kitchen looking bad
tempered and her nostrils flaring.
"You
two – quickly finish your breakfast and your packing, we're leaving in five
minutes."
Ginny
and Harry quickly shovelled the last spoonfuls of porridge into their mouths
and left the kitchen.
Ginny had to knock on her own door and when she
heard a muffled, irritated "Come in!" she approached cautiously. She knew
Hermione, after just arguing with Ron, would be in a foul mood, and so she
quickly stuffed the last of her belongings in her trunk, straightened up her
room, and followed Hermione out the door.
The hallway was jammed with the twins, Ron and Harry
heaving their heavy trunks towards the stairs. Ginny and Hermione had to jostle
past her brothers to get some space, while Pig and Hedwig kept making annoying
screechy noises. Ron kept hollering at Pig to settle down, cursing and mumbling
under his breath, while Hermione kept making impatient "tut tut" noises. It had
been a lousy morning, and Ginny couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts, where she could
at least get away from these people until their tempers cooled.
**
If Ginny had wanted to get away from her brothers,
the chance came when they got on the Hogwarts Express, though she didn't
particularly like the way it happened.
Hermione
had asked her to sit with them in the train, and it had been a pleasant ride,
until Ron mentioned something about a "Snuffles" and the three of them lapsed
into an uncomfortable silence. Ron's eyes darted uncomfortably from Harry to
Hermione, then to Ginny. Hermione's eyes were darting from Ron to Harry, but
she avoided Ginny's eyes and looked out the window. Ginny did see her kick
Ron's leg though, in what Hermione thought was a discreet way. When Ginny
looked over at Harry, she found him staring at her. He quickly looked away, his
cheeks reddening. Ginny sensed that "Snuffles" must be something secret between
them, and she immediately got up and left. For the rest of the journey she sat
with the Creevey brothers, and Tanya Green and Cissy Hemlock, her dorm mates.
It had been an awful day, and Ginny's mood became progressively worse as
evening approached.
