A/N: This chapter is an early birthday present, since I won't be near a computer until next tuesday. This chapter is dedicated to Strega Brava. Happy Birthday! Everyone say happy birthday Strega Brava!
Everyone: Happy Birthday Strega Brava!
Okay, well, finally, another chapter. Know what? I just thought this was interesting. DW,HH has been up for a few months now, right? It has 12 chapters, right? It's gotten 68 reviews so far. Chit-Chat has five chapters, and has been up for about a month or two. It has 90 reviews. Well, most of those just said "Who's BlueSephora?" So now that it's out, I think it'll stop getting so many reviews. That's all.
Oh, and also, a side note to Strega: Don't worry, I am going to write more to Chit-Chat. I want to write the staff chat especially. Do you have any ideas for what Snape's chat name could be? LOL, I'm afraid of making one up myself and accidentally offending one of the many Snape-Lovers out there. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks! On with the story! Love, Dragonessa.
Ginny's shocked eyes kept darting over and around the sight that lay before them.
This wasn't right. No. It couldn't be. Hermione was her friend. Charlie was her brother. What was she doing? What were they doing?
Ginny felt faint. What if she had come five minutes later? Ten? Not at all? What would have happened then? What already had?
Charlie spoke first. Ginny was glad. She didn't think she could handle Hermione's voice just then.
"Ginny." he said. He swallowed hard. "Ginny, it's not what you think-"
"How would you know what I'm thinking?" She replied in a voice much colder than she ever knew she had. "I hate you. I hate you both." Turning, she ran down the stairs. She was oddly calm as she pulled on her sandals and took off down the road.
She didn't stop running until the Burrow had sunken under the horizon. Then she sat under the nearest tree and cried.
That night, after all the guests had left, and the Wesley's, Harry, and Hermione were having a very late dinner after a very long clean-up, Mrs. Weasley said "Ginny, weren't you going to get ice this afternoon? What happened?"
Charlie choked on his fried chicken. Hermione knocked over her glass of water.
Ginny glanced at both of them, before returning her gaze to her plate. "I was walking, and I got distracted. When I finally remembered what I was supposed to do, it was too late, the store was closed, so I decided to come home."
Hermione dared to catch her eye and smile at her, but Ginny just looked at her with a blank expression.
As they were getting ready for bed that night, Ginny was silent. Usually she was chatting with Hermione about what had gone on that day, but under the circumstances, neither of them felt like talking.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Ginny said in an overly cheerful voice, switching from her neutral expression to a very forced-looking smile.
Hermione didn't know whether to be happy or upset that Charlie opened the door and walked in. From the look on her face, Ginny didn't either.
"Ginny?" He said, in a quiet but firm voice. "We need to talk."
"No, we don't." She responded in the same type of voice.
"Ginny, I've been thinking..."
"Good for you. What, do you want a medal or something?"
"No, I just want you to give us a chance to explain ourselves, so you don't end up hating us for the rest of your life."
"I don't hate you." She said. "I'm just mad at you."
"Same difference." Hermione said. "Ginny, if you'd just let us explain-"
"Would you stop saying us?" Ginny screeched suddenly. "It's hard enough to try and comprehend what you two were doing, without you constantly shoving it under my nose!"
"I'm sorry." Charlie said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Ginny. "I'm not used to hiding something this big from you guys."
"Why are you hiding it?" Ginny asked, looking from Hermione to Charlie and back again.
"Ginny, I know you and Fred and George and Bill, and probably even Percy and dad, would be perfectly fine with this. But you've got to remember about Mum and Ron and their tempers." Charlie said.
"Yeah. I don't think mum would be very understanding." Ginny said, nodding thoughtfully.
"So you see why we have to keep this a secret?" Hermione asked, sitting on the other side of Ginny.
Ginny smiled softly. "Yeah, I see why we have to."
"Ginny, Hermione, I'm going to Diagon Alley, are you sure you don't want to come?" Mrs. Weasley poked her head into Ginny's room. "It'll just be you two. All the boys are coming with me. Well, except Charlie. He'll be working in his room. Your father's at work. Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"It's okay mom!" Ginny said. "We'll be fine. I promise the house will still be standing when you come back."
Mrs. Weasley looked like she was going to say something, but there was a crash from the stairs. A minute later, Fred and Bill's voices floated up at them.
"My potion!"
"My earring!"
"My god, what now?" Mrs. Weasley hurried away, calling over her shoulder "You know how to reach me if you need me, bye girls!"
"Bye mum!" Ginny said. She shut the door firmly. "Finally." She sighed. "Do you think mum worries too much?"
"Just a tad." Hermione said. They burst into giggles.
"Want to take a quiz, Ginny?" She asked, folding the magazine back.
"What kind?"
"Is It For Real?" Hermione giggled, just reading the title.
"Sure. Why not? But you have to take it too."
"Fine." She rooted around Ginny's cluttered desktop for a pen. Then she started reading the questions.
"Question One: You and your man are eating lunch at a small café. The waiter brings the bill. Who reaches for it first? A, You. B, him. C, you split the bill like you always do." She made a small mark on the paper. "C for me, what about you?"
"Probably A," Ginny said, blushing a bit.
"Okay. Moving on. Question Two: You're looking for a movie for your Saturday night Snuggle-fest." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You'll probably end up going with A, Terminator 2. He loves action movies. B, Notting Hill. Julia Roberts is the best actress in your mind. C, Billy Madison. You both love Adam Sandler." She made another mark. "C for me again. You?"
"I think I could talk him into B." Ginny smiled mischievously. "But he would complain the whole time."
"Question Three: If your guy was a music star, who would he be? A, Eminem. Feelings? Not for this guy. B, Sisqo. Sure, he may come off as a bit of a player, but he's got a heart of gold. C, Justin Timberlake. He couldn't act vicious if he had a pit bull and a machine gun. B, I guess."
"B, definitely." Ginny said. Hermione looked at her strange.
"Harry? As Sisqo?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "I don't think so. He's more of the Justin Timberlake variety."
Ginny looked down at her hands. "I wasn't thinking about Harry." She said quietly.
Hermione stared at her. "Who were you thinking about then?"
"Well, promise not to tell anyone?"
"Sure, I promise."
"Well, it's kind of like you and Charlie, only he's not that much older than me. He's Fred and George's age." She leaned closer. "And you know what's the best part? I know he likes me too."
"Who?" Hermione asked again, but before Ginny could answer, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Ginny called.
"Who do you think?" Charlie answered sarcastically.
"Be nice, or I won't let you in." Ginny said.
"Ginny, this used to be my room. I know there's no lock on it."
"When's the last time you were in here? I had dad instal one."
"Ginny, c'mon. Please?" Charlie pleaded. "Mum and the others left. You're wasting precious alone time!"
"Fine, fine, stop whining and I'll let you in." She unlocked the door and Charlie walked in. Hermione immedietly set down the magazine and kissed him.
"Oh ew." Ginny said, complaining good-naturedly. "If you two are going to make out, at least go to his room."
Laughing, they left. Ginny looked around and, sighing, picked up the magazine.
"Question four. True or false: You've contemplated stealing your best friend's boyfriend before." She made a mark on the page. "Definitely false."
Everyone: Happy Birthday Strega Brava!
Okay, well, finally, another chapter. Know what? I just thought this was interesting. DW,HH has been up for a few months now, right? It has 12 chapters, right? It's gotten 68 reviews so far. Chit-Chat has five chapters, and has been up for about a month or two. It has 90 reviews. Well, most of those just said "Who's BlueSephora?" So now that it's out, I think it'll stop getting so many reviews. That's all.
Oh, and also, a side note to Strega: Don't worry, I am going to write more to Chit-Chat. I want to write the staff chat especially. Do you have any ideas for what Snape's chat name could be? LOL, I'm afraid of making one up myself and accidentally offending one of the many Snape-Lovers out there. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks! On with the story! Love, Dragonessa.
Ginny's shocked eyes kept darting over and around the sight that lay before them.
This wasn't right. No. It couldn't be. Hermione was her friend. Charlie was her brother. What was she doing? What were they doing?
Ginny felt faint. What if she had come five minutes later? Ten? Not at all? What would have happened then? What already had?
Charlie spoke first. Ginny was glad. She didn't think she could handle Hermione's voice just then.
"Ginny." he said. He swallowed hard. "Ginny, it's not what you think-"
"How would you know what I'm thinking?" She replied in a voice much colder than she ever knew she had. "I hate you. I hate you both." Turning, she ran down the stairs. She was oddly calm as she pulled on her sandals and took off down the road.
She didn't stop running until the Burrow had sunken under the horizon. Then she sat under the nearest tree and cried.
That night, after all the guests had left, and the Wesley's, Harry, and Hermione were having a very late dinner after a very long clean-up, Mrs. Weasley said "Ginny, weren't you going to get ice this afternoon? What happened?"
Charlie choked on his fried chicken. Hermione knocked over her glass of water.
Ginny glanced at both of them, before returning her gaze to her plate. "I was walking, and I got distracted. When I finally remembered what I was supposed to do, it was too late, the store was closed, so I decided to come home."
Hermione dared to catch her eye and smile at her, but Ginny just looked at her with a blank expression.
As they were getting ready for bed that night, Ginny was silent. Usually she was chatting with Hermione about what had gone on that day, but under the circumstances, neither of them felt like talking.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Ginny said in an overly cheerful voice, switching from her neutral expression to a very forced-looking smile.
Hermione didn't know whether to be happy or upset that Charlie opened the door and walked in. From the look on her face, Ginny didn't either.
"Ginny?" He said, in a quiet but firm voice. "We need to talk."
"No, we don't." She responded in the same type of voice.
"Ginny, I've been thinking..."
"Good for you. What, do you want a medal or something?"
"No, I just want you to give us a chance to explain ourselves, so you don't end up hating us for the rest of your life."
"I don't hate you." She said. "I'm just mad at you."
"Same difference." Hermione said. "Ginny, if you'd just let us explain-"
"Would you stop saying us?" Ginny screeched suddenly. "It's hard enough to try and comprehend what you two were doing, without you constantly shoving it under my nose!"
"I'm sorry." Charlie said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Ginny. "I'm not used to hiding something this big from you guys."
"Why are you hiding it?" Ginny asked, looking from Hermione to Charlie and back again.
"Ginny, I know you and Fred and George and Bill, and probably even Percy and dad, would be perfectly fine with this. But you've got to remember about Mum and Ron and their tempers." Charlie said.
"Yeah. I don't think mum would be very understanding." Ginny said, nodding thoughtfully.
"So you see why we have to keep this a secret?" Hermione asked, sitting on the other side of Ginny.
Ginny smiled softly. "Yeah, I see why we have to."
"Ginny, Hermione, I'm going to Diagon Alley, are you sure you don't want to come?" Mrs. Weasley poked her head into Ginny's room. "It'll just be you two. All the boys are coming with me. Well, except Charlie. He'll be working in his room. Your father's at work. Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"It's okay mom!" Ginny said. "We'll be fine. I promise the house will still be standing when you come back."
Mrs. Weasley looked like she was going to say something, but there was a crash from the stairs. A minute later, Fred and Bill's voices floated up at them.
"My potion!"
"My earring!"
"My god, what now?" Mrs. Weasley hurried away, calling over her shoulder "You know how to reach me if you need me, bye girls!"
"Bye mum!" Ginny said. She shut the door firmly. "Finally." She sighed. "Do you think mum worries too much?"
"Just a tad." Hermione said. They burst into giggles.
"Want to take a quiz, Ginny?" She asked, folding the magazine back.
"What kind?"
"Is It For Real?" Hermione giggled, just reading the title.
"Sure. Why not? But you have to take it too."
"Fine." She rooted around Ginny's cluttered desktop for a pen. Then she started reading the questions.
"Question One: You and your man are eating lunch at a small café. The waiter brings the bill. Who reaches for it first? A, You. B, him. C, you split the bill like you always do." She made a small mark on the paper. "C for me, what about you?"
"Probably A," Ginny said, blushing a bit.
"Okay. Moving on. Question Two: You're looking for a movie for your Saturday night Snuggle-fest." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You'll probably end up going with A, Terminator 2. He loves action movies. B, Notting Hill. Julia Roberts is the best actress in your mind. C, Billy Madison. You both love Adam Sandler." She made another mark. "C for me again. You?"
"I think I could talk him into B." Ginny smiled mischievously. "But he would complain the whole time."
"Question Three: If your guy was a music star, who would he be? A, Eminem. Feelings? Not for this guy. B, Sisqo. Sure, he may come off as a bit of a player, but he's got a heart of gold. C, Justin Timberlake. He couldn't act vicious if he had a pit bull and a machine gun. B, I guess."
"B, definitely." Ginny said. Hermione looked at her strange.
"Harry? As Sisqo?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "I don't think so. He's more of the Justin Timberlake variety."
Ginny looked down at her hands. "I wasn't thinking about Harry." She said quietly.
Hermione stared at her. "Who were you thinking about then?"
"Well, promise not to tell anyone?"
"Sure, I promise."
"Well, it's kind of like you and Charlie, only he's not that much older than me. He's Fred and George's age." She leaned closer. "And you know what's the best part? I know he likes me too."
"Who?" Hermione asked again, but before Ginny could answer, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Ginny called.
"Who do you think?" Charlie answered sarcastically.
"Be nice, or I won't let you in." Ginny said.
"Ginny, this used to be my room. I know there's no lock on it."
"When's the last time you were in here? I had dad instal one."
"Ginny, c'mon. Please?" Charlie pleaded. "Mum and the others left. You're wasting precious alone time!"
"Fine, fine, stop whining and I'll let you in." She unlocked the door and Charlie walked in. Hermione immedietly set down the magazine and kissed him.
"Oh ew." Ginny said, complaining good-naturedly. "If you two are going to make out, at least go to his room."
Laughing, they left. Ginny looked around and, sighing, picked up the magazine.
"Question four. True or false: You've contemplated stealing your best friend's boyfriend before." She made a mark on the page. "Definitely false."