Chapter 5: Avocado Rinds

Peeves, excited by the throng of students listening intently to him, adjusted his collar and grinned wickedly.
"The sunset is a deep red, like my love for him," he read in an exaggeratedly romantic voice, which made Ginny's stomach twist at the words she had thought brilliant only days ago. "I see him in the halls and smile at him. Will he ever know of my love? Will he ever know how, while we live in separate worlds, he's in my thoughts, close to me? Yes, in a perfect world. In a perfect world, Harry Potter loves me - as much as I love him."
Peeves gave the lines some time to sink in. Ginny didn't dare turn her head to see anyone's reaction.
"Who wrote THAT?" Alicia Spinnet shouted.
"I'll tell you when I'm finished, my sweetyums," Peeves cackled. Oh God, had Ginny written THEM into this story too?
Peeves read on, and Ginny's story went into its narrative. Just as he was getting to the part where Fleur and Hagrid started making out, Professor McGonagall came down the hall to see why her students weren't in class yet.
"Peeves, what are you up to?" she sighed.
"Oh! McGonnygull, there's something in here for you too!" His mischievous ghostly eyes scanned along the parchment, and he began reading again.
"But I'm not the only one who found love. I was walking to Potions in this perfect world, when I saw Snape, yes, grimy old Snape, smiling at Professor McGonagall. I stood behind the door, not wanting to interrupt, when I saw them come closer and embrace. I felt tears swell in my eyes, and the two of them kissed deeply, letting the world slip away along with all the hatred they had ever felt towards one another."
For once in her life, McGonagall was speechless. Her thin lips were drawn open in a look of horror and disgust. The matter was not at all improved when Snape came gliding down the hall, ready to yell at Gryffindors and Slytherins alike for being so late for Potions.
"Ah, there you are Professor," he said coldly to McGonagall. "If you don't mind, I'll take MY half of the students to class now and-"
"Oooh, they're having a lover's tiff!" Peeves said with glee, and waved the paper in front of Snape's nose.
"What are you talking about, Peeves?" he snapped, suddenly aware of the many students watching his every move. Putting two and two together (and seeing Professor McGonagall's grimace), he glared down at the mass of children in the hall, a dangerous fire burning in his black eyes.
"Who wrote it?" he said flatly. Nobody spoke. Ginny could see Draco just in front of her. He coughed, which sounded a lot like stifled laughter.
"Is says right here!" Peeves said with delight.
Here it comes, Ginny thought. She tried to run away, but her legs didn't seem to be working. Silent tears started running down her cheeks. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Neville. She felt all her anger toward him slip away. It wasn't his fault she had written the stupid thing. It wasn't his fault that she had written her name on it. He was guiltless.
But then... what did it matter, she realized with a shock, compared to his parents? If Harry knew she liked him, how could that possibly measure up to the pain Neville must go through every day, knowing the two people who should love him the most didn't even know his name? Harry hadn't met his parents either... and he had to live with those terrible muggles every summer. Hermione would have to put up with people looking down on her for the rest of her life, no matter how much smarter she was than them, all because she had two muggles for parents. Suddenly Ginny's problems seemed so small, and no matter how she looked at it, they were the problems of a self-centered, silly little girl.
She smiled at Neville, forgiving him. She closed her eyes and waited for her name to ring out in the hall, and for all the students to turn and stare... but Neville squeezed her shoulder, and her eyes opened.
Neville winked at her.
"LOVINGLY WRITTEN," Peeves shouted, "BY DRACO MALFOY!"
A gasp came up from the crowd, and Draco went rigid with shock.
"Verbansus transformus," Neville mouthed to a wide-eyed Ginny.
"I- I-" Draco tried to get words out but couldn't. His face had gone the color of cauliflower as he stared at the professors in pleading disbelief.
There was a very long, nasty silence, which didn't cease until Professors Flitwick and Sprout (hadn't she matched them, too?) came down the hall to claim their students. McGonagall harshly told them to go to their assigned classes, and informed them that each house would lose 50 points for tardiness.
"As for you, Mr. Malfoy..." Ginny could hear her say as she was hustled into the Herbology crowd.
"I didn't write that!" he finally managed to get out. "It was Ginny! Ginny, come tell them!"
Draco turned to Neville, who was waiting to begin Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. "Neville, you were there, you tell them..."
But Neville shrugged. "Sorry, can't seem to remember. Wasn't paying too much attention at the time."

* * *

When Ginny staggered her way into dinner, Draco wasn't sitting at the table, and Neville wasn't in his spot, either.
She sat down, avoiding the eyes of her friends. Would they know it had been her? Fortunately, or unfortunately, they didn't say a word to her. Since she had arrived so late, most everyone had left by the time she finished picking at her food. She looked up to see all the Gryffindors had left but one.
Harry.
"Yes," she said before he could ask. "I wrote it."
He nodded, unsure of whether to stay or not.
"I'm sorry," she continued. "I didn't mean for it to get into Malfoy's hands. I hope you weren't embar-"
Harry suddenly grinned. "Whatever happens, it was worth the look on Malfoy's face." But then he got a more serious look. "Ginny... did you really mean what you wrote? About me, I mean?"
Ginny looked into his green eyes, which were staring intently back into hers. Yes, she began, but then she looked down at his plate and saw the pile of avocado rinds. No matter what she said, he was still stricken with Cho. And if she truly loved him, and wanted what was best...
"No," she said. Her heart ached as she smiled warmly, and joked, "To be perfectly honest, I usually matched you with Cho."
Harry looked taken aback, and glanced around to be sure no one was watching.
"Seriously?" he asked, blushing.
"Seriously."
Harry smiled somewhat stupidly.
Then he reached over the table, took her hand in his, and squeezed it. "Thanks," he said, and bounded off.
He passed Neville in the doorway, who nodded to Harry. Ginny sat, holding the fingers Harry had touched in her other hand.
"Hey," Neville grinned. When she didn't respond he grew suddenly nervous. "Are- are you still mad?"
"No..." she said, still staring at the door. She looked over at Neville. "No."
Neville smiled again, and took a seat next to her, starting on the now cold avocado.
"You'd better hurry," he said. "You'll be late for potions."
"I think I'm going to skip potions today," she said, letting her hands slide away from each other to rest on the table. "I think I'm going to skip potions forever."
"Professor McGonagall asked me to stay behind after Transfiguration and... and I think she knows you wrote it, Gin. But don't worry, she won't tell."
Ginny nodded. While Snape had no proof that it was her writing, she was certain she would now reside on his most wanted list. She was certain, in fact, that nobody would believe Draco had written it. After all, he and Harry hated each other. And... she thought, she was kind of obvious about liking Harry. People would figure it out.
"So," Neville said, seeing her distant expression. "You OK?"
"Yeah," she lied. "Just great."
Neville swallowed his bit of avocado and rested his elbow on the table. "I just have one question... why didn't you match me with anyone?"
"I thought I did..." she began, but stopped to think back. Hadn't she matched him with Hermione? No, she was with Ron. Parvati- no, Seamus. She went down the list and realized she never had come up with a match for Neville.
"I guess I didn't. I'm sorry."
Neville sighed somewhat sadly. "Ah well. I guess we'll just have to wait for the loves of our lives together, eh?"
Ginny smiled, and felt a bit of happiness for the first time that day.
"Being single isn't all bad, right?" he went on.
"No, I suppose it's not." She stared into the purple sky showing through the enchanted ceiling, and leaned her head against the shoulder of her friend.