Disclaimer--Nothing here belongs to me--It's for the love of the craft and intended only as flattery.
Author's Notes--I really hope you guys like this chapter...I had SOOO much fun writing it, it's one of my favorites so far. *crosses fingers and looks hopefully anxious*
Adrienne--A little light-hearted fluff made a nice change, didn't it? *grins* (Sorry for making your dinner seem less filling, though! *looks sheepish*) I think Hagrid probably knew about Ginny's wand, but, being familiar with many magical creatures, he may have just thought a mooncalf appropriate for her. Hide-and-Seek with Trevor sounds like the sort of Harry Potter experience I wouldn't mind having...along with a nice pep talk for Neville! I wondered if I'd developed the relationships between Ginny and her family enough, so I'm glad you noticed a lot of my little clues! *winks* Ginny does seem to get along with everything...except maybe Cho and Marietta...And now back to stress-as-usual! *winks and hugs*
EEDOE--Thanks again for reviewing both chapters! *hugs* I liked the interaction between Ginny and Arthur, too...it's important to me she's still daddy's little girl! *winks* I'm glad you think the holidays sounded cozy and Weasley-esque. Bill is THE big brother, isn't he? And seconds on that thanks for coffee!! Only the twins could dub someone "Loony" and make it a compliment. *winks* Exactly...back to school...*hugs*
Bill--Ditto to you on the chapter reviews! Cloudy sunrises (or sunsets, as I am a sunset person *looks innocent*) are my favorites as well, because the clouds help diffuse the light and make the sky more colorful...and I do love the light-gilded edges of the clouds. :-)(I hadn't even thought of the similarity to the color of the statue! *laughs*...it's just a type of stone I love, and I knew Ginny would too.) It's too bad more people don't really take the time to enjoy the beauty around them. *sighs* Bill and Charlie are adults, which certainly plays a large part in their fuller appreciation of Ginny (have you noticed most of her closest relationships seem to be with adults? I think precocious children often do.), but perhaps part of their clearer vision is due to the fact that they are far enough removed in age to find her more of a doll to dote on than an annoying and somewhat alien tag-along. The others may grow into similar realizations eventually.
I was actually trying to make you a little hungry *snickers guiltily* but only because it's something JKR has intentionally pointed out about her own stories before! I've never had plum pudding either, but I've always been curious about it, and I believe it is fairly traditional at Christmas in Britain. I do rather think Bill knows Remus from other adventures and/or school...they seem like people who would get along. (Perhaps someday a short story about that would be in order, but I digress *winks*) I agree Molly should have let Ginny have New Year's Eve, but Ginny is consistently forced into acting younger in the books, possibly because Molly is a nuturing woman who has a hard time seeing her children grow up...and such little fracas' are a common part of family life. *winks* I thought Luna, Bion, and Ginny's interaction was sweet, too...it's nice to see them falling into step. :-) *hugs*
***********
Cloudless skies never last long.
The day after the holiday, Professor Lupin gave Ginny written permission to take a book from the Library Restricted Section-reading it was to be the first part of their lessons in Occulumency. It had taken a while to convince Madam Pince the note was genuine, and, as she was in a bit of hurry, Ginny bounded rather inappropriately through the book stacks, only to trip almost headlong over someone huddled on the floor between two shelves. "What the bloody-I mean, sorry-I mean...Hermione?"
Ginny could hardly believe her eyes, but the girl certainly looked like Hermione Granger. Busy, bustling, confident, collected Hermione Granger who always seemed to be in control, no matter what the situation. But Ginny's unexpected stumbling block, blinking up at her with eyes rimmed red and underlined with dark circles, her pale face framed by impossible brunette snarls, the hands she had reached out as if to prevent Ginny from falling on her trembling weakly, looked anything but confident, collected, and in-control.
She couldn't be Hermione Granger.
"Oh! Ginny," the girl said in a voice that bore a faint and shaky resemblance to Hermione's. "Sorry! I'll be out of your way in a minute...I was looking for something on the bottom shelf-I just sat down so I could read the titles better..."
"I do that too," Ginny said in a daze. "But...Hermione...what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Hermione-she answered to the name, so she must be Hermione, contrary to appearances-said unconvincingly.
"Well...why haven't you been in the Common Room with Ron and Harry?" Ginny asked, opting for a slight change in approach. "I haven't seen you since we got back to school."
"I've been...busy," Hermione said a bit stiffly, kicking like a turtle on its back as she struggled to achieve the leverage she needed to stand up again. "I'm taking extra classes this year, and I have a lot to do."
"I know," Ginny said mildly. "It's just that you usually do it in the Common Room with Ron and Harry, that's all."
Hermione was very, very still for a long moment. "Not anymore," she said finally.
"I'm not sure Ron and Harry will appreciate being left behind," Ginny suggested.
"They won't mind," Hermione snapped a bit sharply. "They don't want me around anyway."
"Right." Ginny eyed her with exaggerated disbelief, ignoring the twinge of guilt and familiarity that told her she was exercising traits she'd learned the hard way from Tom. "No wonder you're always inseparable."
"Inseparable!" Hermione exclaimed, obviously intending to scoff, choking as her voice caught on a sob.
Ginny patted her on the back, and told herself she was imagining the feel of Madam Pince glaring balefully in their direction. Imagination or not, she pulled an unresisting Hermione into a nearby study alcove, and out of sight.
"I...only told about the broom...so Harry wouldn't...wouldn't get hurt!" Hermione confessed between sputtering sobs. "But Ron won't admit...there might be...anything wrong with it-the prat!-and Harry...believes...Ron...so I got hurt instead of Harry."
Ginny stared, uncertain what had happened, let alone how to respond. "Uh...what broom?"
"What broom!" Hermione shouted, so loud the walls of the alcove seemed to shake. Ginny winced, and tried to brace them by stretching her arms out to either side. Hermione's hazel eyes, usually so subdued and soft, crackled emerald fire, brown depths smoldering. "What broom!"
Madam Pince's face loomed through the doorway, making Ginny yelp and sideways, banging her hip on the low shelf built into the wall around the room for books and parchment. She let loose a low oath before she had time to catch herself, cheeks catching fire before the words left her lips. Madam Pince fixed her with a reproachful look that made it all too clear she'd heard, but all she said was, "Miss Weasley, your companion is hysterical. I don't allow hysterics in the library-not only do they interfere with other students trying to study, but the moisture is bad for the books. So either do something, or kindly leave and spare me the trouble of removing you!" Ginny and Hermione watched in stunned and shaky silence as the librarian stalked away like an enraged dragon.
" 'What broom', she asks me," Hermione said, but quietly, shaking her head. "What broom?"
"Hermione," Ginny said as reasonably as she could manage, "are you going to say anything besides 'what broom', or should I just go?"
Hermione stopped, taken aback.
"You don't know," she said suddenly, as if trying to grasp the idea.
"That might explain why I asked," Ginny returned with a touch of asperity.
Hermione's shoulders began to shake. Ginny swore at her own insensitivity more than the thought of Madam Pince's reaction, and made a motion as if to quiet her, only to realize Hermione wasn't crying...She was laughing.
"You don't know," she said, clutching her sides.
Ginny scowled, suddenly annoyed. "That's right-I don't know-because you-and Ron and Harry-hardly notice I'm alive, let alone that I might like to know what's going on once in a while!"
Hermione recoiled as if she'd been slapped. To her further annoyance, Ginny felt her anger fall away. "Look, I shouldn't have--"
"Oh, Ginny," Hermione interrupted penitently, "I didn't mean to make fun of you-I never knew you felt that way!"
"Yeah, well..." Ginny said uncomfortably. "I'd like to know what's upsetting you...if you'll tell me."
"You were at the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match, right-I thought I saw you with Lee."
For one frozen instant, Ginny tried to decide whether she was happy one of the trio she spent so much time wishing to be part of had noticed her or irritated that the first thing Hermione did when she finally got around to talking to her was notice something she wasn't ready to share-especially with her brothers. But if Hermione found her presence in the box next to Lee unusual, she wasn't saying so. "So you know Harry fell off his broom?"
Ginny nodded, briefly feeling her heart in her throat.
"Then you know when he fell off his broom hit the Whomping Willow?"
"Bet the Whomping Willow didn't like that."
"No, it didn't."
"Anything left?"
"A few twigs and splinters-Harry was pretty broken up about it."
Ginny thought of the deep, comforting freedom of soaring high above earth, unconnected to anything...even the person you were on earth. Maybe that especially...And if you had a broom of your own...one that gave you that freedom...it was a dear and personal friend...A friend Harry had lost. "That explains why he had all those splinters next to his bed," she said at last.
Hermione looked confused at her response, but all she said was, "Someone gave Harry a new broom-for Christmas."
"Great!" Ginny said. "Only...you don't think so?"
"Firebolts aren't exactly cheap," Hermione said, almost apologetically.
Ginny whistled under her breath. "Someone was very nice to Harry."
"Yeah," Hermione said darkly. "A little too nice."
"What?"
Hermione hesitated, looking torn. She seemed to be trying to think of a way to say something without saying it...
Something she wasn't supposed to know...
Something about Harry...
Something Harry might have told her...Possibly on the train?
It was only a hunch, but it made such perfect sense, Ginny was convinced it was right.
"It's okay, Hermione," she said casually, "I already know about Sirius Black."
Author's Notes--I really hope you guys like this chapter...I had SOOO much fun writing it, it's one of my favorites so far. *crosses fingers and looks hopefully anxious*
Adrienne--A little light-hearted fluff made a nice change, didn't it? *grins* (Sorry for making your dinner seem less filling, though! *looks sheepish*) I think Hagrid probably knew about Ginny's wand, but, being familiar with many magical creatures, he may have just thought a mooncalf appropriate for her. Hide-and-Seek with Trevor sounds like the sort of Harry Potter experience I wouldn't mind having...along with a nice pep talk for Neville! I wondered if I'd developed the relationships between Ginny and her family enough, so I'm glad you noticed a lot of my little clues! *winks* Ginny does seem to get along with everything...except maybe Cho and Marietta...And now back to stress-as-usual! *winks and hugs*
EEDOE--Thanks again for reviewing both chapters! *hugs* I liked the interaction between Ginny and Arthur, too...it's important to me she's still daddy's little girl! *winks* I'm glad you think the holidays sounded cozy and Weasley-esque. Bill is THE big brother, isn't he? And seconds on that thanks for coffee!! Only the twins could dub someone "Loony" and make it a compliment. *winks* Exactly...back to school...*hugs*
Bill--Ditto to you on the chapter reviews! Cloudy sunrises (or sunsets, as I am a sunset person *looks innocent*) are my favorites as well, because the clouds help diffuse the light and make the sky more colorful...and I do love the light-gilded edges of the clouds. :-)(I hadn't even thought of the similarity to the color of the statue! *laughs*...it's just a type of stone I love, and I knew Ginny would too.) It's too bad more people don't really take the time to enjoy the beauty around them. *sighs* Bill and Charlie are adults, which certainly plays a large part in their fuller appreciation of Ginny (have you noticed most of her closest relationships seem to be with adults? I think precocious children often do.), but perhaps part of their clearer vision is due to the fact that they are far enough removed in age to find her more of a doll to dote on than an annoying and somewhat alien tag-along. The others may grow into similar realizations eventually.
I was actually trying to make you a little hungry *snickers guiltily* but only because it's something JKR has intentionally pointed out about her own stories before! I've never had plum pudding either, but I've always been curious about it, and I believe it is fairly traditional at Christmas in Britain. I do rather think Bill knows Remus from other adventures and/or school...they seem like people who would get along. (Perhaps someday a short story about that would be in order, but I digress *winks*) I agree Molly should have let Ginny have New Year's Eve, but Ginny is consistently forced into acting younger in the books, possibly because Molly is a nuturing woman who has a hard time seeing her children grow up...and such little fracas' are a common part of family life. *winks* I thought Luna, Bion, and Ginny's interaction was sweet, too...it's nice to see them falling into step. :-) *hugs*
***********
Cloudless skies never last long.
The day after the holiday, Professor Lupin gave Ginny written permission to take a book from the Library Restricted Section-reading it was to be the first part of their lessons in Occulumency. It had taken a while to convince Madam Pince the note was genuine, and, as she was in a bit of hurry, Ginny bounded rather inappropriately through the book stacks, only to trip almost headlong over someone huddled on the floor between two shelves. "What the bloody-I mean, sorry-I mean...Hermione?"
Ginny could hardly believe her eyes, but the girl certainly looked like Hermione Granger. Busy, bustling, confident, collected Hermione Granger who always seemed to be in control, no matter what the situation. But Ginny's unexpected stumbling block, blinking up at her with eyes rimmed red and underlined with dark circles, her pale face framed by impossible brunette snarls, the hands she had reached out as if to prevent Ginny from falling on her trembling weakly, looked anything but confident, collected, and in-control.
She couldn't be Hermione Granger.
"Oh! Ginny," the girl said in a voice that bore a faint and shaky resemblance to Hermione's. "Sorry! I'll be out of your way in a minute...I was looking for something on the bottom shelf-I just sat down so I could read the titles better..."
"I do that too," Ginny said in a daze. "But...Hermione...what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Hermione-she answered to the name, so she must be Hermione, contrary to appearances-said unconvincingly.
"Well...why haven't you been in the Common Room with Ron and Harry?" Ginny asked, opting for a slight change in approach. "I haven't seen you since we got back to school."
"I've been...busy," Hermione said a bit stiffly, kicking like a turtle on its back as she struggled to achieve the leverage she needed to stand up again. "I'm taking extra classes this year, and I have a lot to do."
"I know," Ginny said mildly. "It's just that you usually do it in the Common Room with Ron and Harry, that's all."
Hermione was very, very still for a long moment. "Not anymore," she said finally.
"I'm not sure Ron and Harry will appreciate being left behind," Ginny suggested.
"They won't mind," Hermione snapped a bit sharply. "They don't want me around anyway."
"Right." Ginny eyed her with exaggerated disbelief, ignoring the twinge of guilt and familiarity that told her she was exercising traits she'd learned the hard way from Tom. "No wonder you're always inseparable."
"Inseparable!" Hermione exclaimed, obviously intending to scoff, choking as her voice caught on a sob.
Ginny patted her on the back, and told herself she was imagining the feel of Madam Pince glaring balefully in their direction. Imagination or not, she pulled an unresisting Hermione into a nearby study alcove, and out of sight.
"I...only told about the broom...so Harry wouldn't...wouldn't get hurt!" Hermione confessed between sputtering sobs. "But Ron won't admit...there might be...anything wrong with it-the prat!-and Harry...believes...Ron...so I got hurt instead of Harry."
Ginny stared, uncertain what had happened, let alone how to respond. "Uh...what broom?"
"What broom!" Hermione shouted, so loud the walls of the alcove seemed to shake. Ginny winced, and tried to brace them by stretching her arms out to either side. Hermione's hazel eyes, usually so subdued and soft, crackled emerald fire, brown depths smoldering. "What broom!"
Madam Pince's face loomed through the doorway, making Ginny yelp and sideways, banging her hip on the low shelf built into the wall around the room for books and parchment. She let loose a low oath before she had time to catch herself, cheeks catching fire before the words left her lips. Madam Pince fixed her with a reproachful look that made it all too clear she'd heard, but all she said was, "Miss Weasley, your companion is hysterical. I don't allow hysterics in the library-not only do they interfere with other students trying to study, but the moisture is bad for the books. So either do something, or kindly leave and spare me the trouble of removing you!" Ginny and Hermione watched in stunned and shaky silence as the librarian stalked away like an enraged dragon.
" 'What broom', she asks me," Hermione said, but quietly, shaking her head. "What broom?"
"Hermione," Ginny said as reasonably as she could manage, "are you going to say anything besides 'what broom', or should I just go?"
Hermione stopped, taken aback.
"You don't know," she said suddenly, as if trying to grasp the idea.
"That might explain why I asked," Ginny returned with a touch of asperity.
Hermione's shoulders began to shake. Ginny swore at her own insensitivity more than the thought of Madam Pince's reaction, and made a motion as if to quiet her, only to realize Hermione wasn't crying...She was laughing.
"You don't know," she said, clutching her sides.
Ginny scowled, suddenly annoyed. "That's right-I don't know-because you-and Ron and Harry-hardly notice I'm alive, let alone that I might like to know what's going on once in a while!"
Hermione recoiled as if she'd been slapped. To her further annoyance, Ginny felt her anger fall away. "Look, I shouldn't have--"
"Oh, Ginny," Hermione interrupted penitently, "I didn't mean to make fun of you-I never knew you felt that way!"
"Yeah, well..." Ginny said uncomfortably. "I'd like to know what's upsetting you...if you'll tell me."
"You were at the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match, right-I thought I saw you with Lee."
For one frozen instant, Ginny tried to decide whether she was happy one of the trio she spent so much time wishing to be part of had noticed her or irritated that the first thing Hermione did when she finally got around to talking to her was notice something she wasn't ready to share-especially with her brothers. But if Hermione found her presence in the box next to Lee unusual, she wasn't saying so. "So you know Harry fell off his broom?"
Ginny nodded, briefly feeling her heart in her throat.
"Then you know when he fell off his broom hit the Whomping Willow?"
"Bet the Whomping Willow didn't like that."
"No, it didn't."
"Anything left?"
"A few twigs and splinters-Harry was pretty broken up about it."
Ginny thought of the deep, comforting freedom of soaring high above earth, unconnected to anything...even the person you were on earth. Maybe that especially...And if you had a broom of your own...one that gave you that freedom...it was a dear and personal friend...A friend Harry had lost. "That explains why he had all those splinters next to his bed," she said at last.
Hermione looked confused at her response, but all she said was, "Someone gave Harry a new broom-for Christmas."
"Great!" Ginny said. "Only...you don't think so?"
"Firebolts aren't exactly cheap," Hermione said, almost apologetically.
Ginny whistled under her breath. "Someone was very nice to Harry."
"Yeah," Hermione said darkly. "A little too nice."
"What?"
Hermione hesitated, looking torn. She seemed to be trying to think of a way to say something without saying it...
Something she wasn't supposed to know...
Something about Harry...
Something Harry might have told her...Possibly on the train?
It was only a hunch, but it made such perfect sense, Ginny was convinced it was right.
"It's okay, Hermione," she said casually, "I already know about Sirius Black."