Pairings, Paintings, and Fred in a Tree
Disclaimer: Is it really necessary? All it does is say that I own none of it, and * sniff * JK Rowling owns it all! Waaah! Just give me an inferiority complex, why don't you!?
A/N: Hum. I've only just realized that I've got A/N's before and after every chapter so far. Interesting. I'll save it, for now, and just put my lil' rant at the end…. Bwahahaha! (Be afraid, be very afraid. But find it in yourself to enjoy this lil' insanity somewhat, at the same time.) I love you all!
O poo, one quick note, though: sorry, I'm screwing around with POV in here. Hope you can follow it… It's whoever's I want it to be, so nyah! * sticks out tongue *
Mrs. Granger walked over to the decidedly guilty looking group of six teenagers gathered in front of the still-glowing computer screen with a fearful expression on her face. Instantly, small glowing halos seemed to appear above each head as they turned on pale, but perfectly innocent (seemingly innocent, at any rate) smiles (or smirks, in the case of the twins). She walked over to her daughter and kissed the top of her head. It had been a very long day. Without even bothering to ask for an explanation as to why they had been on the computer for so long, and so late into the night (it was already 9:37!), she mumbled a distracted "goodnight" to the group and trudged upstairs to go to bed.
Mr. Granger followed her a moment afterward. Sitting on the bed next to her, he leaned over and whispered that the kids had looked guilty. Nodding, Mrs. Granger found the strength to get up again, get on her pajamas, and brush her teeth.
"Dear me, who knew a simple root canal could take so long?" Mrs. Granger yawned, getting into bed.
"Well, you must remember, young Scott did not want to be there," Mr. Granger replied with a chuckle.
"I would just love to know what happened here while we were gone…" was the last thing that Mrs. Granger found herself able to say as sleep engulfed her, tuning out the rest of whatever it was that her husband was saying…
When Hermione's parents disappeared up the stairway, the halos disappeared right along with her.
"Mum didn't even care that we were on so late…" Hermione said in wonder.
"Hermione, it's nine forty!" Ron said, incredulous.
"They don't like me being on after eight."
"Well, let's go back on, come on, I want to finish, and see what happened with Ginny and Professor Snape after all!" George said, turning back to the computer with a wicked grin aimed at his sister.
"Erm, George, I don't think that would work very well…" Harry said, suddenly uncomfortable as he tried to ease Ginny's slumbering head off of his shoulder without waking her. Instead, he ended up being helped by Fred, and their combined effort pulled her out of her chair and onto the hard wood floor.
"Ow! What'd you do that for, Fred?" Ginny asked indignantly as she rubbed the now sore elbow that she had landed on.
"It was Harry," Fred replied sullenly.
"Fine. Harry, what'd you do that for?" She asked, a blush creeping into her cheeks. It was obvious that she was trying to be as angry with him as she had been with Fred. It didn't work, and she ended up giggling again.
"Well, er, you fell asleep on me, and Fred tried to help you to…get off…" Harry replied with a very small sense of dignity.
"So it was all a dream then? The… the fan fiction?" Ginny asked hopefully, trying to ignore the fact that she'd fallen asleep on Harry.
Harry picked up on that, and, also eager to momentarily forget that, said, "No, it wasn't…It's real."
"And tomorrow we're going to find out about JK Rowling." Hermione said determinedly, pronouncing the author's last name as "Row-ling."
"Well, can't we at least read more of that stuff first? It is about us, anyway." Ron seemed stuck on trying to read more fan fiction, as he was in quite a lot of it.
"No!" Said Harry quickly, eager to avoid the stuff. Golly, the things these Muggles seemed to think he'd done! In one story, he had initiated a game of truth or dare that had gone horribly wrong…. Best not to think about that. Or of Ginny that way. Ron would kill him…Yet a faint color did appear in his cheeks…
The other five in the room stared at him, Ginny through half-closed eyes. With shrugs and winks (again, in the case of the twins), they all went back to talking amongst themselves about the ridiculous nature of fanfiction.net. Half asleep himself, Harry only caught snippets of conversation.
"My favorite pairing has to be Ginny and Professor Moody!"
"No, I rather liked the Fat Lady and Sir Cadogan."
"Krum and Sirius!"
"Buckbeak and Lupin!"
"McGonagall and Snape!"
"Percy and Neville!"
"You-Know-Who and Snape!"
"Malfoy and his daddy!"
"Lavender and Ron!"
"Hermione and Ron!" yelled George. He was rewarded by the redness of the two they had named.
"Harry and Ginny!" yelled Fred, trying to redden these two, also. It was in vain though, because Ginny was asleep, and Harry was pretending to be.
"Fred!" George scolded his brother, "we were talking about the ones that could never happen! They're already sleeping together!"
At that, both Harry and Ginny, who had apparently also been just pretending, sat bolt upright and glared at George while turning a deeper crimson than either Ron or Hermione.
"Ron, Hermione, Ginny…" Harry said conspiratorially, leaning in to his three scarlet friends.
They got the picture immediately. The four of them leapt up as one and proceeded to initiate a chase of the twins around the house. Harry and Ginny (who went scarlet at somehow ending up being split up with him) pursued Fred through the kitchen, out the door, and into the garden that Harry had been looking at earlier. When Fred scampered up a tree, laughing as a madman, Harry and Ginny were granted a clear view of the room they had just been in.
Ron and Hermione had cornered George near the computer. He was holding up his hands in mock defeat. When Ron and Hermione turned to congratulate each other on their fine capture, George himself leapt up and pushed their heads together in what was intended as a kiss (intended by George, of course), but ended up being more the kind of head-butting that male rams normally found themselves in. Ginny giggled.
The window was open, though, and George, upon hearing the giggle, walked to the window, and told Harry and Ginny not to be peeping toms. He slammed the curtains together in pseudo-indignation with a "harrumph." From the now closed window, the two could hear "there now, children, you have privacy. I'll just go to bed then, shall I?" and then, promptly, three pairs of feet running round to the living room where George's couch was. Just as promptly, a yell came down the stairs.
"I don't know what you think you're doing down there at this hour! Go to bed!" Mr. Granger.
Realizing they were still outside, Harry and Ginny walked back into the kitchen, leaving Fred in his tree. From this angle, they saw that the mashed potatoes of the night before hadn't all been cleaned up. In fact, there was a somewhat generous helping that seemed to be plastered to the back of the microwave. Harry poked it. It moved as no mashed potatoes that have been sitting out overnight ever should. Ginny laughed. They turned out of the kitchen, Harry trying to get thoughts of mashed potatoes out of his head, and began their ascent of the stairs.
"Guess we'd better go to bed, then. Goodnight, Ginny," Harry said, desperately hoping that Ginny wouldn't turn pink again. She didn't…she did smile sweetly, though.
"Goodnight, Harry," she said softly.
As they reached their respective rooms, they glanced at each other somewhat shyly (what was that?? Harry wondered…I've never been shy around Ginny before!) and turned their respective doorknobs and went in, presumably to their respective beds.
"Finally decided to leave my sister alone, did you?" Ron asked jokingly as Harry entered the boys' room.
"Yeah, but it was hard to get my hands off her…" Harry said pseudo-seriously.
Ron threw a pillow at him.
"Hey, you never told me who you thought your favorite pairing was!" Ron suddenly realized.
"Hmm…I'd have to say… probably that one I read about you and Professor Snape." Harry replied, deep in thought. And laughter. There was much laughter coming from Harry.
"S…. S…. Prof…. Me!?" Ron sputtered, barely heard from the gales of laughter from Harry.
"Ack. Goodnight then." Harry said, deciding it would be best to get right to bed. It had really been a very…strange day.
First though, a bathroom visit. Bathroom…That gave him an idea.
"Hey Ron," Harry whispered needlessly.
Ron had somehow managed to fall asleep on his cot already. Harry poked him.
Ron yelped, turned over violently, and resumed snoring. Harry poked him again. Ron yelped. Harry poked him, beginning to get bored. He would have given up, but this idea was too… perfect for him to waste. Harry poked him again. Ron finally grunted his wakeup grunt and opened his eyes.
"What? What?"
"Hey Ron, I've got an idea….That bathroom connects the girls' room to ours…" Harry began in his needless whisper. Ron immediately brightened and leaned in as well…
In Hermione's room…
"Ginny, don't worry. I'm sure that Harry will like you fine. You don't have to be so embarrassed about it all the time. I mean…He blushed, too, you know." Hermione tried to reassure the younger girl as she brushed her red hair for her, smoothing it back into a French braid.
"Hermione, you don't know what you're talking about. You don't have to worry about these things. Ron's obviously in love with you. I mean, you should have seen him Monday…He was practically dancing round the house, and Mum didn't even have to yell at him once to pack." Ginny looked back, smiling, and saw Hermione turn lightly pink in the cheeks.
"Turn back around, Gin, or I won't be able to finish this well enough." Hermione tried to regain the sense of control she normally had over situations, but was grinning broadly and stupidly.
"Do you really think he likes me?" Ginny asked after a pause.
"Yes."
"Really?"
"If he doesn't, he's a fool. And if he doesn't, he will."
"You think
so?"
"I know so. Done!"
"Thanks, 'Mione!" Ginny turned and gave her friend a hug.
"Any time. My turn!" Hermione and Ginny turned the other way, and Hermione gave her somewhat-less-bushy locks over to Ginny's care and styling.
"Twist or braid?"
"Hmm…"
"If that's what you're wondering, Ron likes twists."
"Er-"
"It's ok. A twist it is!"
Ginny worked in silence for a few minutes, giving them both some time to reflect on what could possibly happen with the guys they liked…but would never admit to anyone else, ever.
"Voila!"
"Right, let's check ourselves out!"
Both girls got up to their stiff legs --they had been sitting for a while-- and went across the room, with the intention of going to the bathroom to check out their hair, when suddenly—
"Booga booga booga!!!!!"
"Ahh!" The girls only satisfied the boys with a scream because they were so surprised to see them standing in the bathroom. Well, maybe that wasn't the only reason…
"Ronald Weasley! What are you doing with my clippies….my clips all up in your hair!?" Hermione asked laughing, but trying to look outraged.
"Harry Potter! Why on earth do you have my face mask on!?" Ginny was also nearly doubled up with laughter, but knew that for posterity, she needed to look mad.
"This thick hair of mine * never * behaves, especially at night!" Ron mock-sighed.
"And me, oh, my complexion!" Harry laughed.
"Whoa, Hermione, I really like your hair…" Ron was suddenly struck dumb.
"Ginny…your hair looks…nice…braided…" Harry fished for words.
"Thanks," both girls coyly smiled as one, and turned to leave the bathroom.
Ron and Harry just looked at each other in surprise.
"What just happened?" Ron asked.
"I think my genius plan…backfired?" Harry was just as confused. What had happened? He'd told Ginny her hair looked nice. Nice! For goodness sakes, he paid a compliment to her, and all he could think of was nice. Agh! She had looked genuinely pleased though…
"Backfired…." Ron was lost in his own thoughts, and accidentally blurted out, "Gosh, I love when girls twist their hair!" Realizing what he'd said, he blushed and turned to the mirror, setting himself to removing Hermione's "clippies" from his hair.
Harry shrugged, then washed the sticky "Kiwi Mango Smoothie (guaranteed to zap that skin clear and smooth! Tested and recommended by Gilderoy Lockhart!)" mask off his face.
Once both boys were…well, un-girlified, they made their way back to their own room. They got into their respective beds and were very near nodding off when suddenly…
"Heeeeelp…..Someone get me out of here…..!" Came a low moan from somewhere outside.
"What the?" Ron asked as he and Harry sat straight up, ears pricked to hear if anything else came through their open window.
As a breeze ruffled the curtains, "It's going to rain! Hey! I was just kidding…. Harry? Ginny? RON! George!"
Harry hit his head with an "ow" (the bruise from the wall two days ago was still there…smaller, but still there, and still painful) as he realized that Fred must still be in the tree.
Ginny and Hermione burst in from the bathroom that connected the two rooms, pale and wide-eyed.
"We were going to go to sleep, when all of the sudden-" Hermione began.
"It's not so funny!"
"Oh! It's Fred, isn't it?" Ginny asked Harry as the realization dawned on her.
"Fred?" asked Hermione and Ron.
"We, er, chased him up a tree." Ginny explained.
"Apparently he couldn't get down." Harry elaborated.
"Oh."
"I hope he doesn't wake my parents…" Hermione was worried again.
"Fred!" Harry yelled in a hoarse whisper through the open window, "Quiet! We'll…get you a ladder…"
"Right," Hermione said, and led the other three downstairs.
George was sleeping peacefully on the couch when they reached the living room. Harry poked him. He was getting quite good at poking sleeping Weasleys by this time, and George awoke at the first poke.
"Huh?"
"C'mon, we need to get a
ladder, and you need to help support it. Fred's stuck in a tree," Ginny threw
him by means of explanation.
"Spiffing," he mumbled tiredly, but got up anyway, his blankets landing in a heap that would probably trip someone.
Yup. "Oof!" Ron landed heavily on the pile of blankets.
"Oh, come on," Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. By the looks of it, she was a lot stronger than she seemed, Harry thought.
"You two…" George laughed to himself.
Two whaps were immediately heard, along with a very George-ish "oof."
"C'mon," Harry whispered urgently; sounds could be heard from upstairs, unmistakably from the Grangers' bedroom.
The five of them trooped into the garage, where their next challenge was getting the big metal ladder out from where it was in the back of the garage, trapped by the station wagon Mr. Granger had described to Harry on Tuesday. George was all for just Summoning it, but Hermione reminded him that she would be the one in trouble for underage magic; it was her house. "Oh."
Eventually, they all managed to work as a team and lift the ladder as silently as they could from its resting place. It wasn't all that silent really; they knocked down three aluminum garbage cans that clanged loudly to the ground and began to roll down the long driveway. Dropping the ladder, which also clanged (but did not roll), George rushed down the driveway and stopped two of the cans. Ron raced towards the third one, which was hitting every bump and audibly—very audibly—bouncing up and down the slope. He reached and-fell. The can clattered on. Ginny now ran toward it and stopped it. If she'd used that speed yesterday, Harry thought, she would have won the little race to the door.
Hermione was still standing in front of the garage, a look of absolute horror on her face. She looked whiter than she had when they'd read that fan fiction. Ugh. Fan fiction. She kept glancing at Ginny and George, walking up the driveway with the garbage cans, at Ron, still on the ground, at Harry, just standing there, at the ladder on the ground, and at the tree that Fred was still in. Her mouth was hanging open and she looked something like she had when she'd been petrified almost three years ago.
"Come on, then," George said happily as he and Ginny put the three garbage cans back into place. Ron got up, brushing himself off.
The five turned back towards the tree, George and Ron carrying the heavy ladder between them. A red thing looked out at them, quite blurry in the dim light coming from the half moon. Harry knew it was Fred, and also, without needing to see properly, that he was wearing his cheeky grin.
Getting Fred down was much easier than getting the ladder had been in itself. Fred was back on solid ground for the first time in four hours, and the restored six went back to the house, depositing the ladder back in the garage on the way.
Somehow, the whole incident had escaped the notice of the Grangers. Looking up, Harry was extremely relieved to see their window securely closed.
Lying in bed an hour later, Harry remembered the fan fiction. And JK Rowling, whoever she may be. With a yawn, he rolled over and mumbled tomorrow. Sleep beckoned him, and he rushed gratefully to it.
A/N: I know, I know, you read that whole story just to get to my author's note! Actually, that wouldn't be too bad of an excuse; this chapter accomplished nothing in the story, except showing the probably pairings. If you don't like them, tough. Don't flame! If you do, review and tell me! And, actually, just review! All of you! Please don't flame.
My apologies for this chapter. This whole story is rather random (at best), and so don't really expect too much to stick to the actual plot. When I got there, it just seemed like such a good idea to keep Fred in the tree. Then, I couldn't think of what Harry's brilliant bathroom plan could be. Live with what I put. It's bad, but hey, Kiwi Mango! Woo-hoo! I also had no idea how to end it, but having them randomly chase after clattering garbage cans seemed like a good idea at the time (the time being about 5 minutes ago right now…). Also, I know that they should have gotten caught, but I didn't have it in me to punish them. Again. But the mashed potatoes made a comeback! Woo! I know that's the only reason half of you are reading this. MASHED POTATOES. There's some entertainment value there….There must be. Or I wouldn't be laughing so hard. Maybe it was that early morning iced tea…Or just the early morning. I took the SAT (practise) today, and had to be at school at 8! On a Saturday! Ugh! Anyway, this'll do for my a/n. Enjoy, and REVIEW please!!!
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Side note/advertising for myself—I have another story "What Could Have Been" that has only 7 lonely reviews…I would love you forever if you could add to those… * hopeful grin *