Ginny had just finished telling Hermione all about the letter. Hermione
looked thoughtful as she handed the letter back to Ginny.
"So, are you mad at him?"
"No, not really mad. It's just not fair! I don't even know why he broke
up with me. I didn't realize that I was being distant. I guess I just
have a lot to think about after...you know..." Ginny glanced at Hermione
who was still looking thoughtful.
"He doesn't know anything about what happened at the Ministry of Magic,
does he?"
"Of course not," replied Ginny as she stood and started pacing the room.
"We were told not to tell anyone, weren't we?"
"Well, that's probably what he means then. I mean, even in the letters
you've been writing to me recently you haven't really seemed at all like
yourself." Hermione didn't look at Ginny when she said this.
"What do you mean?" asked Ginny heatedly.
"Only that you've changed since last year. It's totally normal," she
added, seeing the look on Ginny's face. "I'd be worried if that situation
hadn't changed you. I guess he just noticed what I noticed."
"And that is?"
"You're not as happy as you used to be," she said simply, shrugging.
"Not as happy? What do you expect? We were attacked by Death Eaters,
someone very close to the Order - and to Harry - was killed, and now the
whole wizarding world knows that He-Who - no - Voldemort" she said with
conviction. "Voldemort is back and growing in power. What's there to be
happy about?"
"You're still alive. Your family is still alive...Harry is still alive..."
Hermione added tentatively, looking at Ginny for her reaction. Ginny
swallowed audibly, but didn't seem to notice she'd done so.
Hermione finally had confirmation for something she had been suspecting for
a while. "Ginny," she said softly to get the attention of the again pacing
15-year-old. "Ginny, do you think maybe you have feelings for Harry?"
"WHAT?" she nearly screamed, as she abruptly stopped pacing (for which
Hermione was grateful, because it was starting to make her dizzy).
Hermione shrugged, but did not look apologetic, despite the look of shocked
horror on Ginny's face.
"You heard me," was all Hermione said.
"I stopped liking him after my second year," she said deliberately, slowly
getting over the shock of hearing someone else voice what she had been
secretly wondering.
"Perhaps. Or maybe it just changed from a childish infatuation to feelings
of true respect and admiration." She paused for a second to think. "That
could be why you were finally able to talk to him and not be nervous,"
Hermione said as an afterthought, the idea having just come to her.
"You're loony." Ginny muttered darkly, carefully examining her nails.
Hermione shrugged. "Be that as it may...I'm just curious to see how you'll
be at dinner tonight."
"Oh ha, ha. I told you, I don't like him anymore, so tonight at dinner
won't be any different than any other."
"Can I quote you on that?"
Ginny stuck her tongue out at Hermione.
*
That night at dinner, it was indeed interesting to watch Ginny, as most of
the table did at one time or another. In less than a half hour, Ginny
proceeded to knock over both her glass, and Hermione's, who was sitting
next to her, as well as to almost drop a plate of roast potatoes when she
was asked to pass it. The highlight of the evening was when she got her
fork stuck in the table cloth and ended up pulling half the plates on the
table toward her trying to get it unstuck. Never once did she look at
Harry. He looked quite a bit at her, Hermione saw, but didn't at all seem
to understand what was going on.
At one point, Hermione noticed Ron looking pointedly from Ginny to Harry,
then saw a look of understanding spread across his face...until Ginny
knocked over yet another glass which poured right onto his lap and
conveniently knocked all other thoughts from his mind.
"Well, that went a bit better than I expected," Hermione sighed as she and
Ginny stalked back up to the room they were sharing.
Ginny's eyes threw darts at Hermione. "Not another word."
Hermione pretended she hadn't heard her. "I mean, the knocked over dishes
were to be expected - though I admit the fork fiasco was brilliantly
embarrassing - but I suppose I just expected you to be staring at him the
whole time, or trying to talk to him. At least he only thinks you're
possessed. I don't think he has any idea you like him."
"I don't like him," Ginny muttered without conviction.
Hermione smiled to herself.
*
"She was acting really weird mate." Ron and Harry sat on their beds facing
each other. Harry looked unbelieving.
"I don't know what you're talking about Ron. She is dating Dean,
remember?"
At this, Ron's face blushed slightly in suppressed anger.
"I'm not saying for sure she likes you," Ron said after he had controlled
himself. "All I'm saying is that she wasn't acting weird at all until you
showed up. I mean, she's been acting different lately, but not this
weird."
"What do you mean different?" Harry asked with concern.
"I'm not exactly sure. That's a question we should ask Hermione. She's
the one who understands the way girls' twisted minds work, isn't she?"
Harry's face went black and as he went silent for a minute.
"What's up?" Ron repositioned himself on his bed and waited for Harry to
answer.
"Hermione," Harry started. "I'll bet Hermione knows exactly what's up
with Ginny. Ginny tells her all sorts of stuff that she doesn't tell other
people."
"Yeah, but how do we get her to talk?"asked Ron hopefully.
Harry paused for a moment, thinking.
"I have no idea."
~*~*~*~*~
Ack! I really don't have any idea. Any suggestions? Tell me what you
think so far. I'm not sure I'll keep writing if nobody likes it!!!
looked thoughtful as she handed the letter back to Ginny.
"So, are you mad at him?"
"No, not really mad. It's just not fair! I don't even know why he broke
up with me. I didn't realize that I was being distant. I guess I just
have a lot to think about after...you know..." Ginny glanced at Hermione
who was still looking thoughtful.
"He doesn't know anything about what happened at the Ministry of Magic,
does he?"
"Of course not," replied Ginny as she stood and started pacing the room.
"We were told not to tell anyone, weren't we?"
"Well, that's probably what he means then. I mean, even in the letters
you've been writing to me recently you haven't really seemed at all like
yourself." Hermione didn't look at Ginny when she said this.
"What do you mean?" asked Ginny heatedly.
"Only that you've changed since last year. It's totally normal," she
added, seeing the look on Ginny's face. "I'd be worried if that situation
hadn't changed you. I guess he just noticed what I noticed."
"And that is?"
"You're not as happy as you used to be," she said simply, shrugging.
"Not as happy? What do you expect? We were attacked by Death Eaters,
someone very close to the Order - and to Harry - was killed, and now the
whole wizarding world knows that He-Who - no - Voldemort" she said with
conviction. "Voldemort is back and growing in power. What's there to be
happy about?"
"You're still alive. Your family is still alive...Harry is still alive..."
Hermione added tentatively, looking at Ginny for her reaction. Ginny
swallowed audibly, but didn't seem to notice she'd done so.
Hermione finally had confirmation for something she had been suspecting for
a while. "Ginny," she said softly to get the attention of the again pacing
15-year-old. "Ginny, do you think maybe you have feelings for Harry?"
"WHAT?" she nearly screamed, as she abruptly stopped pacing (for which
Hermione was grateful, because it was starting to make her dizzy).
Hermione shrugged, but did not look apologetic, despite the look of shocked
horror on Ginny's face.
"You heard me," was all Hermione said.
"I stopped liking him after my second year," she said deliberately, slowly
getting over the shock of hearing someone else voice what she had been
secretly wondering.
"Perhaps. Or maybe it just changed from a childish infatuation to feelings
of true respect and admiration." She paused for a second to think. "That
could be why you were finally able to talk to him and not be nervous,"
Hermione said as an afterthought, the idea having just come to her.
"You're loony." Ginny muttered darkly, carefully examining her nails.
Hermione shrugged. "Be that as it may...I'm just curious to see how you'll
be at dinner tonight."
"Oh ha, ha. I told you, I don't like him anymore, so tonight at dinner
won't be any different than any other."
"Can I quote you on that?"
Ginny stuck her tongue out at Hermione.
*
That night at dinner, it was indeed interesting to watch Ginny, as most of
the table did at one time or another. In less than a half hour, Ginny
proceeded to knock over both her glass, and Hermione's, who was sitting
next to her, as well as to almost drop a plate of roast potatoes when she
was asked to pass it. The highlight of the evening was when she got her
fork stuck in the table cloth and ended up pulling half the plates on the
table toward her trying to get it unstuck. Never once did she look at
Harry. He looked quite a bit at her, Hermione saw, but didn't at all seem
to understand what was going on.
At one point, Hermione noticed Ron looking pointedly from Ginny to Harry,
then saw a look of understanding spread across his face...until Ginny
knocked over yet another glass which poured right onto his lap and
conveniently knocked all other thoughts from his mind.
"Well, that went a bit better than I expected," Hermione sighed as she and
Ginny stalked back up to the room they were sharing.
Ginny's eyes threw darts at Hermione. "Not another word."
Hermione pretended she hadn't heard her. "I mean, the knocked over dishes
were to be expected - though I admit the fork fiasco was brilliantly
embarrassing - but I suppose I just expected you to be staring at him the
whole time, or trying to talk to him. At least he only thinks you're
possessed. I don't think he has any idea you like him."
"I don't like him," Ginny muttered without conviction.
Hermione smiled to herself.
*
"She was acting really weird mate." Ron and Harry sat on their beds facing
each other. Harry looked unbelieving.
"I don't know what you're talking about Ron. She is dating Dean,
remember?"
At this, Ron's face blushed slightly in suppressed anger.
"I'm not saying for sure she likes you," Ron said after he had controlled
himself. "All I'm saying is that she wasn't acting weird at all until you
showed up. I mean, she's been acting different lately, but not this
weird."
"What do you mean different?" Harry asked with concern.
"I'm not exactly sure. That's a question we should ask Hermione. She's
the one who understands the way girls' twisted minds work, isn't she?"
Harry's face went black and as he went silent for a minute.
"What's up?" Ron repositioned himself on his bed and waited for Harry to
answer.
"Hermione," Harry started. "I'll bet Hermione knows exactly what's up
with Ginny. Ginny tells her all sorts of stuff that she doesn't tell other
people."
"Yeah, but how do we get her to talk?"asked Ron hopefully.
Harry paused for a moment, thinking.
"I have no idea."
~*~*~*~*~
Ack! I really don't have any idea. Any suggestions? Tell me what you
think so far. I'm not sure I'll keep writing if nobody likes it!!!
