As Ginny climbed onto the Hogwarts Express, she trembled. Now being 16 and
a sixth year was certainly frightening, and she knew she didn't act like
she was either. She climbed on, and sat in a car and waited for Hermione.
****
"Hermione was fully prepared for her seventh year at Hogwarts, although she must stay a seventh year, and can not graduate this year. She has been the first ever to do this, and brings great shame to Hogwarts, and if she does not graduate next year, which we doubt she will, she will be expelled."
"NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hermione yelled. She felt someone slap her. In a minute she knew her mother would be saying, "What happened? How could you do this?"
Instead, she heard Ginny say, "What's the matter with you?"
****
"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia, I won't let it happen again," Harry rolled over and snored on across from Ginny. Hermione and Ginny turned and stared at him.
"And I thought I had sleeping problems. Ha!"
Well, that was scary. Hermione, bringing shame to Hogwarts? The thought had never crossed her mind, she pretended confidently to herself. And all because of her dating Ron? Now THAT had really never crossed her mind! Ron was so immature. And he got bad grades, too. Hermione had promised herself that her first, last, and every boyfriend in between must get all A's in every subject. She was being loose, letting them get A-'s or A's, instead of A+'s. She thought that that was quite considerate of her. (Another reason was that she'd never have a boyfriend around the dances, which was when they got progress reports.)
But getting back to her dream, she couldn't believe that she'd let herself dream like that! What if she'd said something besides no, like Harry had? I mean, having a dream about getting bad grades wasn't bad, but what if she'd said something about loving Ron? Which she actually didn't, but no one would believe her. Thank goodness Ron wasn't in there. She'd have been so embarrassed! Wait a second! This was Ron she was talking about! What was she thinking?
****
Ron walked into the car with three chocolate frogs, two bags of Bernie Bott's every flavor Beans, and one disgusting looking peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "The Candy Trolley came by."
"Well that certainly didn't come from it," Harry pointed at the sandwich.
"Ha ha."
"Hee hee hee." "What was that?" Ron asked Ginny." A hurling kangaroo?"
"Ha ha."
"Hee hee hee."
"What was that, a hurling kangaroo?" Ginny asked Ron.
"Hey!"
"You obviously set yourself up," Ginny held her head high. "What was I supposed to do? Let Harry repeat you?" Ginny glanced at Harry for the first time in weeks, after saying his name for the first time in the same period of time.
Actually, it wasn't the first time she'd looked at him, but she liked everyone who noticed that she'd looked at him to think that it was. For the people who didn't, they didn't have to know.
'Well, Hermione wouldn't,' she mentally defended herself. 'It's no big deal. . . I didn't do anything dumb. . . or childish. . . or anything to indicate that I liked him more than a friend at all this summer. . well, maybe a little dumb. . . . I just went and used him as an example like there was no tomorrow. . . and childish?. . . . . going and telling Ron that she wouldn't let Harry diss him when she could. . . . and the HOUR LONG glance. . . oh, I'm such a fool!' Ginny wished she could go back in time. She would go back to when she was three. . . .she would be able to live her life the way she'd always dreamed of. . . .never making her mother mad. . . enjoying the time she had to play. . . be so much smarter than Hermione because she would keep her existing memory and knowledge. . . she would get A's three at a time. . . . . .
****
Ginny woke up in a slumped position listening to laughter and yelling. It was nap time in her nursery. She got up off her mat and went to see if anyone had gotten to the Waffles & Jelly game. But as she stood up, she almost fell over as she tripped on Hermione.
"Hey! You're not-" Ginny cut herself short as she realized that she was on the Hogwarts Express and Hermione was always there, unlike at her nursery, which Hermione had never heard of. "Where are we?"
"On the Hogwarts Express, dufus!" Ron was delighted to have a chance to tease her.
"I know THAT," Ginny groaned." I meant, where is the Hogwarts Express?"
Harry smiled and laughed suddenly and all eyes turned to look at him. He wiped the smile off his face as he looked down, mumbling, "Sorry."
"What's so funny, Potter?" Draco Malfoy asked menacingly as he walked into the car.
"Your ugly face, Malfoy." Harry replied. Draco laughed. "What's so funny, Malfoy?"
"Your ugly hair!" He chuckled continuously as he walked out of the car.
Then Harry started to laugh.
"What's so funny, Potter?"
"Your ugly butt!"
Malfoy turned as red as the candied apple Ron had gotten from the Candy Trolley, and he turned on his heel and walked out of the car.
****
Ginny and Harry were forced to take the same carriage to the castle. Alone.
Ginny was feeling very uncomfortable when she suddenly blurted out, "Sorry for all the crap." She stared at herself in surprise, covering her mouth.
"Me too," Harry said, apparently not noticing Ginny's reaction to herself . "I know stuff has been rough lately. Let's forget about what happened in Diagon Alley. I really, really like you, Ginny."
She stared at him dumbfounded. 'What am I hearing?' She couldn't believe this. She thought that he didn't like her at all! What happened Diagon Alley sure made HER feel uncomfortable, and thought the same for him. She had overreacted at the worst time, and that set off her old feelings for him and. . . . .
Harry was staring at her expectantly. "Um. . . um. . . great!" If Ginny knew one thing, it was that when people stare at you expectantly after they've told you something important or a secret, you don't say 'Great!' "I mean, uh. . . this will work out great! Because . . . uh. . . I . . . really, really like you, too." Understatement of ALL time. "So. . . um. . . we'll see what we can do!" Ginny exclaimed uncomfortably as Harry stepped out of the carriage. But something was wrong. He went around to her side and was standing there. She looked at him, waiting for him to say something. He cleared his throat and gestured with his hand that Ginny then realized had always been there.
"Oh! Sorry," she mumbled foolishly. She took his hand and tried to step out of the carriage as gracefully as possible but then forgot that the floor of the carriage was not ground level. "Oof!" she uttered as her foot started to descend quickly to the ground. She landed on her butt and turned red, making herself look like a bowl of strawberry ice cream.
"C'mon, Strawberry."
She glared at him and smiled as soon as she turned her back and walked away.
****
"Hermione was fully prepared for her seventh year at Hogwarts, although she must stay a seventh year, and can not graduate this year. She has been the first ever to do this, and brings great shame to Hogwarts, and if she does not graduate next year, which we doubt she will, she will be expelled."
"NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hermione yelled. She felt someone slap her. In a minute she knew her mother would be saying, "What happened? How could you do this?"
Instead, she heard Ginny say, "What's the matter with you?"
****
"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia, I won't let it happen again," Harry rolled over and snored on across from Ginny. Hermione and Ginny turned and stared at him.
"And I thought I had sleeping problems. Ha!"
Well, that was scary. Hermione, bringing shame to Hogwarts? The thought had never crossed her mind, she pretended confidently to herself. And all because of her dating Ron? Now THAT had really never crossed her mind! Ron was so immature. And he got bad grades, too. Hermione had promised herself that her first, last, and every boyfriend in between must get all A's in every subject. She was being loose, letting them get A-'s or A's, instead of A+'s. She thought that that was quite considerate of her. (Another reason was that she'd never have a boyfriend around the dances, which was when they got progress reports.)
But getting back to her dream, she couldn't believe that she'd let herself dream like that! What if she'd said something besides no, like Harry had? I mean, having a dream about getting bad grades wasn't bad, but what if she'd said something about loving Ron? Which she actually didn't, but no one would believe her. Thank goodness Ron wasn't in there. She'd have been so embarrassed! Wait a second! This was Ron she was talking about! What was she thinking?
****
Ron walked into the car with three chocolate frogs, two bags of Bernie Bott's every flavor Beans, and one disgusting looking peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "The Candy Trolley came by."
"Well that certainly didn't come from it," Harry pointed at the sandwich.
"Ha ha."
"Hee hee hee." "What was that?" Ron asked Ginny." A hurling kangaroo?"
"Ha ha."
"Hee hee hee."
"What was that, a hurling kangaroo?" Ginny asked Ron.
"Hey!"
"You obviously set yourself up," Ginny held her head high. "What was I supposed to do? Let Harry repeat you?" Ginny glanced at Harry for the first time in weeks, after saying his name for the first time in the same period of time.
Actually, it wasn't the first time she'd looked at him, but she liked everyone who noticed that she'd looked at him to think that it was. For the people who didn't, they didn't have to know.
'Well, Hermione wouldn't,' she mentally defended herself. 'It's no big deal. . . I didn't do anything dumb. . . or childish. . . or anything to indicate that I liked him more than a friend at all this summer. . well, maybe a little dumb. . . . I just went and used him as an example like there was no tomorrow. . . and childish?. . . . . going and telling Ron that she wouldn't let Harry diss him when she could. . . . and the HOUR LONG glance. . . oh, I'm such a fool!' Ginny wished she could go back in time. She would go back to when she was three. . . .she would be able to live her life the way she'd always dreamed of. . . .never making her mother mad. . . enjoying the time she had to play. . . be so much smarter than Hermione because she would keep her existing memory and knowledge. . . she would get A's three at a time. . . . . .
****
Ginny woke up in a slumped position listening to laughter and yelling. It was nap time in her nursery. She got up off her mat and went to see if anyone had gotten to the Waffles & Jelly game. But as she stood up, she almost fell over as she tripped on Hermione.
"Hey! You're not-" Ginny cut herself short as she realized that she was on the Hogwarts Express and Hermione was always there, unlike at her nursery, which Hermione had never heard of. "Where are we?"
"On the Hogwarts Express, dufus!" Ron was delighted to have a chance to tease her.
"I know THAT," Ginny groaned." I meant, where is the Hogwarts Express?"
Harry smiled and laughed suddenly and all eyes turned to look at him. He wiped the smile off his face as he looked down, mumbling, "Sorry."
"What's so funny, Potter?" Draco Malfoy asked menacingly as he walked into the car.
"Your ugly face, Malfoy." Harry replied. Draco laughed. "What's so funny, Malfoy?"
"Your ugly hair!" He chuckled continuously as he walked out of the car.
Then Harry started to laugh.
"What's so funny, Potter?"
"Your ugly butt!"
Malfoy turned as red as the candied apple Ron had gotten from the Candy Trolley, and he turned on his heel and walked out of the car.
****
Ginny and Harry were forced to take the same carriage to the castle. Alone.
Ginny was feeling very uncomfortable when she suddenly blurted out, "Sorry for all the crap." She stared at herself in surprise, covering her mouth.
"Me too," Harry said, apparently not noticing Ginny's reaction to herself . "I know stuff has been rough lately. Let's forget about what happened in Diagon Alley. I really, really like you, Ginny."
She stared at him dumbfounded. 'What am I hearing?' She couldn't believe this. She thought that he didn't like her at all! What happened Diagon Alley sure made HER feel uncomfortable, and thought the same for him. She had overreacted at the worst time, and that set off her old feelings for him and. . . . .
Harry was staring at her expectantly. "Um. . . um. . . great!" If Ginny knew one thing, it was that when people stare at you expectantly after they've told you something important or a secret, you don't say 'Great!' "I mean, uh. . . this will work out great! Because . . . uh. . . I . . . really, really like you, too." Understatement of ALL time. "So. . . um. . . we'll see what we can do!" Ginny exclaimed uncomfortably as Harry stepped out of the carriage. But something was wrong. He went around to her side and was standing there. She looked at him, waiting for him to say something. He cleared his throat and gestured with his hand that Ginny then realized had always been there.
"Oh! Sorry," she mumbled foolishly. She took his hand and tried to step out of the carriage as gracefully as possible but then forgot that the floor of the carriage was not ground level. "Oof!" she uttered as her foot started to descend quickly to the ground. She landed on her butt and turned red, making herself look like a bowl of strawberry ice cream.
"C'mon, Strawberry."
She glared at him and smiled as soon as she turned her back and walked away.