------------
Chapter One: The Reason Big Brothers Were Invented
------------
Ginny made her way into the Great Hall for breakfast that next morning, her eyes slightly bloodshot and puffy from crying. She had tried her best to cover up the dark circles under her eyes with some make-up she had borrowed from Alicia Spinnet, but the purplish skin still showed ever so slightly. She took a seat at the long Gryffindor table beside Fred and George, both of whom had already piled their plates high with food, and served herself a bit of porridge.
"Ah, Miss Virginia decided to grace us Gryffindors with her presence at last!" George said with a playful sneer. Ginny frowned and lifted her spoon from her porridge, watching the slightly glutenous substance splatter back down into the bowl.
"We didn't see you last night at the celebration," Fred said around a mouthful of bacon, "figured you would have wanted to congratulate Harry, after all!" He nudged her lightly with a grin. She shot him a withering glare. After a few moments of snickering amongst themselves and Lee Jordan, Fred turned back to Ginny and saw that she was still sullenly staring at her porridge. "Hey, what's wrong, Gin?" He frowned, dabbing the corners of his mouth with a napkin, "been having those nightmares again?" his voice lowered slightly, his face turning a bit more serious now. He was switching quickly into "concerned older brother" mode. Ginny shook her head firmly, glancing behind her back at the Ravenclaw table and watching Cho maliciously for a moment before turning back to Fred. He seemed to understand at once.
"Ah... you've noticed that our Mister Potter has taken a liking for the competition." He scowled, "That girl almost cost us the game yesterday. She would have, too, if Wood hadn't snapped Harry out of his daze."
"Think you can help me with something, Fred?" Ginny squeaked softly, her voice a bit weak from the previous evening. Her eyes were shining in a way that made Fred very nervous and quite delighted all at once. It was a look he'd seen many times, both on his own face and that of George. It was scheming. He could have exploded with pride.
"Hey, anything for my little sis," he said, ruffling her hair. She finally smiled now, knowing the she had at least one, probably two (since Fred and George rarely disagreed on matters) allies. She pulled a small slip of parchment out of her robes and handed them to Fred.
"Next time you go to Zonko's could you pick this all up for me?" She asked, her head tilting slightly to the side in a sort of silent "pretty please." Fred nudged George, who turned from his conversation with Lee, and scanned the list briefly and smiled.
"Starting a small prank war, are you?" George asked, his eyebrows raised high, "That's my girl! Fred and I raised you right it seems." Fred took a brief moment to explain the situation and George nodded slightly. "Now I know why you ran off like that after yesterday's match." He paused for a moment, seeming to consider his breakfast, before looking back over, "next trip to Hogsmeade is a couple of weeks away, but if you really want to start something now... you may want to check 1,001 Dirty Spells and Hexes by Garfield Feldings out of the library. It'll give you a head start." He ruffled Ginny's hair much as Fred had a few moments earlier, "And be careful! If mum were to find out what you were planning somehow, Fred and I would get a howler before you could say Bob's your uncle."
Ginny gave a small, satisfied grin and began to devour her porridge quietly, with occasional grateful glances at Fred and George, and malicious flickerings of her eyes towards Cho Chang. Revenge was going to be sweet, and, perhaps, easier than she had originally thought.
------------
To Be Continued
------------
Chapter One: The Reason Big Brothers Were Invented
------------
Ginny made her way into the Great Hall for breakfast that next morning, her eyes slightly bloodshot and puffy from crying. She had tried her best to cover up the dark circles under her eyes with some make-up she had borrowed from Alicia Spinnet, but the purplish skin still showed ever so slightly. She took a seat at the long Gryffindor table beside Fred and George, both of whom had already piled their plates high with food, and served herself a bit of porridge.
"Ah, Miss Virginia decided to grace us Gryffindors with her presence at last!" George said with a playful sneer. Ginny frowned and lifted her spoon from her porridge, watching the slightly glutenous substance splatter back down into the bowl.
"We didn't see you last night at the celebration," Fred said around a mouthful of bacon, "figured you would have wanted to congratulate Harry, after all!" He nudged her lightly with a grin. She shot him a withering glare. After a few moments of snickering amongst themselves and Lee Jordan, Fred turned back to Ginny and saw that she was still sullenly staring at her porridge. "Hey, what's wrong, Gin?" He frowned, dabbing the corners of his mouth with a napkin, "been having those nightmares again?" his voice lowered slightly, his face turning a bit more serious now. He was switching quickly into "concerned older brother" mode. Ginny shook her head firmly, glancing behind her back at the Ravenclaw table and watching Cho maliciously for a moment before turning back to Fred. He seemed to understand at once.
"Ah... you've noticed that our Mister Potter has taken a liking for the competition." He scowled, "That girl almost cost us the game yesterday. She would have, too, if Wood hadn't snapped Harry out of his daze."
"Think you can help me with something, Fred?" Ginny squeaked softly, her voice a bit weak from the previous evening. Her eyes were shining in a way that made Fred very nervous and quite delighted all at once. It was a look he'd seen many times, both on his own face and that of George. It was scheming. He could have exploded with pride.
"Hey, anything for my little sis," he said, ruffling her hair. She finally smiled now, knowing the she had at least one, probably two (since Fred and George rarely disagreed on matters) allies. She pulled a small slip of parchment out of her robes and handed them to Fred.
"Next time you go to Zonko's could you pick this all up for me?" She asked, her head tilting slightly to the side in a sort of silent "pretty please." Fred nudged George, who turned from his conversation with Lee, and scanned the list briefly and smiled.
"Starting a small prank war, are you?" George asked, his eyebrows raised high, "That's my girl! Fred and I raised you right it seems." Fred took a brief moment to explain the situation and George nodded slightly. "Now I know why you ran off like that after yesterday's match." He paused for a moment, seeming to consider his breakfast, before looking back over, "next trip to Hogsmeade is a couple of weeks away, but if you really want to start something now... you may want to check 1,001 Dirty Spells and Hexes by Garfield Feldings out of the library. It'll give you a head start." He ruffled Ginny's hair much as Fred had a few moments earlier, "And be careful! If mum were to find out what you were planning somehow, Fred and I would get a howler before you could say Bob's your uncle."
Ginny gave a small, satisfied grin and began to devour her porridge quietly, with occasional grateful glances at Fred and George, and malicious flickerings of her eyes towards Cho Chang. Revenge was going to be sweet, and, perhaps, easier than she had originally thought.
------------
To Be Continued
------------