Happy Christmas to all my reviewers and to YOU, the one reading this!! ;)
Chapter 11
"Ron, Harry, can we PLEASE go now?" Begged Hermione.
She, Harry and Ron were in Hogsmeade, and the first shop they had headed to was Zonko's. They had been in there for twenty minutes, and they were still reluctant to leave.
"Patience is a virtue, Herm," said Ron, closely inspecting a bottle of reddish-blue liquid.
"Listen," said Harry, "Why don't you wait for us at the Three Broomsticks? Save us a table. We'll be there soon."
"Okay," huffed Hermione, totally put off. "But HURRY!" Then, she turned and walked down the path to the Three Broomsticks.
When she entered, she could see that the place was rather crowded. Since there was no table for three, she settled in a table for four. Then, she called for three butterbeers, and sipped hers slowly, while looking around. Next to her table, were a few Hufflepuff third-year girls, immersed in gossip. All around, she could see people talking, and laughing. The atmosphere was rather homely. Hermione looked to her left, in the direction of the entrance, to see if Harry and Ron had arrived. Instead of a dark- haired and a red-haired boy, she caught a glimpse of a blond haired boy.
Hermione sighed, and tried to make herself invisible. "Three guesses who that is," she muttered to herself, wishing that her friends would come in, so she'd be spared the agony of talking to Draco.
It was three days after she and Ron had made up, and she didn't want to fight with him again because of Draco. It wasn't as if he had tried to get back at Hermione. On the contrary, he was still talking to her, borrowing and lending his notes, and talking about anything he wanted to. And no matter how Hermione tried to ignore him, the more he tried to make his presence seen and heard.
"Excuse me," a silky voice said.
Hermione winced. It was Draco.
"Is anyone sitting here?"
"Yes," answered Hermione, not looking up.
"Oh, well." Draco slid into the seat beside Hermione, who looked furiously at him.
"I said these seats are taken!" Said Hermione, feeling hot with anger.
"Didn't you hear what she said, Malfoy? They're taken!"
Hermione and Draco turned, and saw Ginny standing there, glaring at him.
"I believe Harry and my brother are coming soon, and I don't fancy sitting on your lap, Malfoy," she said, her glare unwavering. "Move over," she said. "Or better. Move OFF!"
"Ooh, the little Weasel girl's grown up now, hasn't she? Potty's courage and bravery must've finally worn off onto you, has it?" Said Draco standing up and looking down at Ginny.
"Draco," pleaded Hermione, seeing Harry and Ron squeezing in through the crowd near the entrance. "Please! Just go! I'll- I'll talk to you later... Please!"
Draco at the entrance, saw Harry and Ron looked at her and smirked with a smile. "Good. Later, Hermione."
Then, with a swish of his cloak, he turned and headed for the entrance. Along the way, Ginny, who had taken Draco's place, and Hermione, saw Draco bump into Harry and Ron. The boys exchanged some words, which must have been nasty, especially coming from Draco, as Ron's face went red, and then Draco swept outside and met up with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Stupid git, that Malfoy," fumed Ron, as he sat opposite his sister, leaving Harry to sit next to Ginny, who went furiously red.
"Hi, Ginny," said Harry.
"Hi," Ginny said, looking at the table.
"Oh, Ron, put a sock in it! Drink your butterbeer and shut it!" Said Hermione, wanting some peace.
Ron pushed his untouched drink to Ginny. "You can have it. I'm not thirsty."
"Really?" Said Hermione, secretly eyeing Ginny, who was stealing glance at Harry, who was waving to Dean and Seamus. "Good, then. Would you accompany me for a moment? I'd like to get some sweets."
"Sweets? Get them later, Hermione! I don't want to see Malfoy's face just yet!"
"PLEASE, Ron?" Said Hermione, pointedly nudging her head at Ginny, who was still looking at Harry with a smitten look in her eyes.
"Oh- Er, okay, Hermione. Harry? Hermione and I are going to get some sweets. Would you mind waiting with my sister?" Said Ron, catching on.
"Oh, no problem," said Harry, smiling warmly at Ginny. "We'll just wait here for you two."
Ginny looked at Hermione with her eyes wide open. 'How could you?' Her eyes were saying.
Hermione merely smiled, took Ron's arm, and led him out of the Three Broomsticks.
Outside, Hermione turned to Ron, and saw his face was red. "What's up with you?" Said Hermione, puzzled.
"N-nothing," stuttered Ron, rubbing the spot on his arm, which Hermione had been holding a while ago.
"What," said Hermione laughing. "I hold your arm for a while and you go red? Oh, you're weird, Ron! Oh, come on, anyway. Let's go!"
Ron, still red, followed Hermione into Honeydukes.
"Well, we'll just look around. I know what I want to get, so I'll just make my purchases before we leave. Is that okay with you, Ron?" Said Hermione, reaching for a box of sugar quills.
"Why do you want to spend so much time here?" Said Ron.
"Well, let's just say that I want two 'someones' to get to know each other just a little better," said Hermione, a hint of a twinkle in her eyes.
Back in the Three Broomsticks, just after Ron and Hermione left, Ginny was slowly sipping the butterbeer Ron had left her, and waited for Harry to talk to her. When Hermione had purposely left her and Harry alone to 'do some shopping', Ginny had panicked. What if she got tongue-tied in front of Harry, and couldn't answer him? However, she thought, it wasn't so bad, as Harry seemed to be caught up in looking at a group of seventh-year Ravenclaws, among where Cho Chang was seated.
"So, Ginny," said Harry, as Ginny was trying to sip her butterbeer carefully so as not to dribble any down her chin, "how's school?" He said, sounding a little awkward.
"Er- it's okay, I guess. You?"
"Well, eventful, I should say," said Harry, smiling. He was trying as hard as he could to make Ginny comfortable. He could see she was rather shy. "Any... Particularly close male friends?"
"No," said Ginny, suddenly feeling very, very shy. Harry must be thinking that she was still waiting for him after all these years. And what was the truth? She was.
"Oh," said Harry, turning red, and looking over at the table of Ravenclaw girls again.
Ginny didn't know what to say. "Do you like really like Cho?" She blurted out. Then, she turned scarlet. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to -."
"No," Harry interrupted. "It's okay. It's good you asked, anyway. But I don't like Cho in that way. She's just someone I... Admire. That's all."
"Oh" was all Ginny could say.
Harry noticed she looked relieved, and said so.
"Oh, n-nothing," stammered Ginny, feeling very small. 'Oh, Hermione,' she thought, 'where are you? Please come back!' "J-just...." Ginny looked down at her drink at stirred it around for a bit.
Harry put an arm gently around her shoulders, much to her surprise. He leant a little closer to her. "Is there anything you might want to let me know, Ginny?" He said gently. His voice was low, gentle and reassuring, and not demanding.
"W-well," said Ginny, trying to clear her mind, and think fast. But Harry's hand rested casually around her shoulders, made her thoughts cloudy. He was the first boy, apart from her brothers to do that, and Ginny had to admit that she liked it.
"Yes?" Said Harry, his eyes wide with sincere concern.
"No, I-I... Can I tell you another time? Perhaps later?" Said Ginny, getting lost in his eyes.
"Hmmm... What about ten thirty at the astronomy tower tonight? Is that okay?" He said, turning to the entrance, and saw Hermione and Ron there, talking to Lavender. He put both his hands on the table in front of him.
"Yes," whispered Ginny, wondering if she was dreaming. "That's fine."
"Okay," said Harry, "it's a date."
Ginny's stomach fluttered, and her heart raced wildly, when Harry said it was a date. What did he mean?
Ginny thought she must have been blushing as Ron said, "What happened to you?" when he and Hermione sat down. "You're red all over!"
"Oh... It's just..." Ginny didn't know what to say.
"We're both rather warm. Don't you think it's rather hot and stuffy in here?" Said Harry quickly.
Ginny smiled gratefully at him.
"Well, in that case, let's head back to school," said Hermione, smiling secretly at Ginny. "Let's watch Harry and Ron play muggle chess. How about that?"
"Muggle chess?" Said Ron. "Well, okay. I'll give it a try."
"You're on!" Said Harry, standing up. Then, the two boys led the way, with the girls at the back, Ginny telling Hermione everything, except her meeting Harry that night.
Then, all of a sudden, a million and one thoughts flew through her mind. What to wear? Whether to be early, punctual or 'fashionably late'? What to say? How to act? Maybe telling Hermione was necessary, after all...
Chapter 11
"Ron, Harry, can we PLEASE go now?" Begged Hermione.
She, Harry and Ron were in Hogsmeade, and the first shop they had headed to was Zonko's. They had been in there for twenty minutes, and they were still reluctant to leave.
"Patience is a virtue, Herm," said Ron, closely inspecting a bottle of reddish-blue liquid.
"Listen," said Harry, "Why don't you wait for us at the Three Broomsticks? Save us a table. We'll be there soon."
"Okay," huffed Hermione, totally put off. "But HURRY!" Then, she turned and walked down the path to the Three Broomsticks.
When she entered, she could see that the place was rather crowded. Since there was no table for three, she settled in a table for four. Then, she called for three butterbeers, and sipped hers slowly, while looking around. Next to her table, were a few Hufflepuff third-year girls, immersed in gossip. All around, she could see people talking, and laughing. The atmosphere was rather homely. Hermione looked to her left, in the direction of the entrance, to see if Harry and Ron had arrived. Instead of a dark- haired and a red-haired boy, she caught a glimpse of a blond haired boy.
Hermione sighed, and tried to make herself invisible. "Three guesses who that is," she muttered to herself, wishing that her friends would come in, so she'd be spared the agony of talking to Draco.
It was three days after she and Ron had made up, and she didn't want to fight with him again because of Draco. It wasn't as if he had tried to get back at Hermione. On the contrary, he was still talking to her, borrowing and lending his notes, and talking about anything he wanted to. And no matter how Hermione tried to ignore him, the more he tried to make his presence seen and heard.
"Excuse me," a silky voice said.
Hermione winced. It was Draco.
"Is anyone sitting here?"
"Yes," answered Hermione, not looking up.
"Oh, well." Draco slid into the seat beside Hermione, who looked furiously at him.
"I said these seats are taken!" Said Hermione, feeling hot with anger.
"Didn't you hear what she said, Malfoy? They're taken!"
Hermione and Draco turned, and saw Ginny standing there, glaring at him.
"I believe Harry and my brother are coming soon, and I don't fancy sitting on your lap, Malfoy," she said, her glare unwavering. "Move over," she said. "Or better. Move OFF!"
"Ooh, the little Weasel girl's grown up now, hasn't she? Potty's courage and bravery must've finally worn off onto you, has it?" Said Draco standing up and looking down at Ginny.
"Draco," pleaded Hermione, seeing Harry and Ron squeezing in through the crowd near the entrance. "Please! Just go! I'll- I'll talk to you later... Please!"
Draco at the entrance, saw Harry and Ron looked at her and smirked with a smile. "Good. Later, Hermione."
Then, with a swish of his cloak, he turned and headed for the entrance. Along the way, Ginny, who had taken Draco's place, and Hermione, saw Draco bump into Harry and Ron. The boys exchanged some words, which must have been nasty, especially coming from Draco, as Ron's face went red, and then Draco swept outside and met up with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Stupid git, that Malfoy," fumed Ron, as he sat opposite his sister, leaving Harry to sit next to Ginny, who went furiously red.
"Hi, Ginny," said Harry.
"Hi," Ginny said, looking at the table.
"Oh, Ron, put a sock in it! Drink your butterbeer and shut it!" Said Hermione, wanting some peace.
Ron pushed his untouched drink to Ginny. "You can have it. I'm not thirsty."
"Really?" Said Hermione, secretly eyeing Ginny, who was stealing glance at Harry, who was waving to Dean and Seamus. "Good, then. Would you accompany me for a moment? I'd like to get some sweets."
"Sweets? Get them later, Hermione! I don't want to see Malfoy's face just yet!"
"PLEASE, Ron?" Said Hermione, pointedly nudging her head at Ginny, who was still looking at Harry with a smitten look in her eyes.
"Oh- Er, okay, Hermione. Harry? Hermione and I are going to get some sweets. Would you mind waiting with my sister?" Said Ron, catching on.
"Oh, no problem," said Harry, smiling warmly at Ginny. "We'll just wait here for you two."
Ginny looked at Hermione with her eyes wide open. 'How could you?' Her eyes were saying.
Hermione merely smiled, took Ron's arm, and led him out of the Three Broomsticks.
Outside, Hermione turned to Ron, and saw his face was red. "What's up with you?" Said Hermione, puzzled.
"N-nothing," stuttered Ron, rubbing the spot on his arm, which Hermione had been holding a while ago.
"What," said Hermione laughing. "I hold your arm for a while and you go red? Oh, you're weird, Ron! Oh, come on, anyway. Let's go!"
Ron, still red, followed Hermione into Honeydukes.
"Well, we'll just look around. I know what I want to get, so I'll just make my purchases before we leave. Is that okay with you, Ron?" Said Hermione, reaching for a box of sugar quills.
"Why do you want to spend so much time here?" Said Ron.
"Well, let's just say that I want two 'someones' to get to know each other just a little better," said Hermione, a hint of a twinkle in her eyes.
Back in the Three Broomsticks, just after Ron and Hermione left, Ginny was slowly sipping the butterbeer Ron had left her, and waited for Harry to talk to her. When Hermione had purposely left her and Harry alone to 'do some shopping', Ginny had panicked. What if she got tongue-tied in front of Harry, and couldn't answer him? However, she thought, it wasn't so bad, as Harry seemed to be caught up in looking at a group of seventh-year Ravenclaws, among where Cho Chang was seated.
"So, Ginny," said Harry, as Ginny was trying to sip her butterbeer carefully so as not to dribble any down her chin, "how's school?" He said, sounding a little awkward.
"Er- it's okay, I guess. You?"
"Well, eventful, I should say," said Harry, smiling. He was trying as hard as he could to make Ginny comfortable. He could see she was rather shy. "Any... Particularly close male friends?"
"No," said Ginny, suddenly feeling very, very shy. Harry must be thinking that she was still waiting for him after all these years. And what was the truth? She was.
"Oh," said Harry, turning red, and looking over at the table of Ravenclaw girls again.
Ginny didn't know what to say. "Do you like really like Cho?" She blurted out. Then, she turned scarlet. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to -."
"No," Harry interrupted. "It's okay. It's good you asked, anyway. But I don't like Cho in that way. She's just someone I... Admire. That's all."
"Oh" was all Ginny could say.
Harry noticed she looked relieved, and said so.
"Oh, n-nothing," stammered Ginny, feeling very small. 'Oh, Hermione,' she thought, 'where are you? Please come back!' "J-just...." Ginny looked down at her drink at stirred it around for a bit.
Harry put an arm gently around her shoulders, much to her surprise. He leant a little closer to her. "Is there anything you might want to let me know, Ginny?" He said gently. His voice was low, gentle and reassuring, and not demanding.
"W-well," said Ginny, trying to clear her mind, and think fast. But Harry's hand rested casually around her shoulders, made her thoughts cloudy. He was the first boy, apart from her brothers to do that, and Ginny had to admit that she liked it.
"Yes?" Said Harry, his eyes wide with sincere concern.
"No, I-I... Can I tell you another time? Perhaps later?" Said Ginny, getting lost in his eyes.
"Hmmm... What about ten thirty at the astronomy tower tonight? Is that okay?" He said, turning to the entrance, and saw Hermione and Ron there, talking to Lavender. He put both his hands on the table in front of him.
"Yes," whispered Ginny, wondering if she was dreaming. "That's fine."
"Okay," said Harry, "it's a date."
Ginny's stomach fluttered, and her heart raced wildly, when Harry said it was a date. What did he mean?
Ginny thought she must have been blushing as Ron said, "What happened to you?" when he and Hermione sat down. "You're red all over!"
"Oh... It's just..." Ginny didn't know what to say.
"We're both rather warm. Don't you think it's rather hot and stuffy in here?" Said Harry quickly.
Ginny smiled gratefully at him.
"Well, in that case, let's head back to school," said Hermione, smiling secretly at Ginny. "Let's watch Harry and Ron play muggle chess. How about that?"
"Muggle chess?" Said Ron. "Well, okay. I'll give it a try."
"You're on!" Said Harry, standing up. Then, the two boys led the way, with the girls at the back, Ginny telling Hermione everything, except her meeting Harry that night.
Then, all of a sudden, a million and one thoughts flew through her mind. What to wear? Whether to be early, punctual or 'fashionably late'? What to say? How to act? Maybe telling Hermione was necessary, after all...