*~Hey! I'm sorry that it's taken so long to update, school you know. And I
play two sports so it kind of gets lost in how busy I am. Well, just to
tell you, things start getting fishy in this chapter! Read on to find out
what!~*
The next day, Kylie woke early, dressed, and headed down to breakfast. She found Ginny already at the table, munching on a piece of toast. Kylie frowned; Ginny was sitting towards the end of the table, far away from the few people who were gabbing and eating. Ginny usually liked to be in the middle of a large group, most of Gryffindor tower knew her. Regardless, Kylie sat down next to Ginny and reached for the orange juice.
"Hey, Ginny. Why are you sitting on this side of the table? You know, away from everyone. I mean, I don't have a problem with it but you usually like to be in the thick of things," Kylie said as she poured herself a goblet of O.J.
Ginny stared at her for a few moments, her eyes unfocused. She seemed to be quite tired; it took her a while to recognize Kylie. But when she did, she spoke cheerfully and regained some of her old bounce.
"Oh! Kylie, I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep last night so I'm very tired. I'm so tired in fact I don't want to be in the large group with all the noise. It'll give me a headache." She grasped for a plate of bacon and tipped a few strips onto her plate. "You know, the food here is great, but it's nothing like the way mum makes it. Every year I have to adjust to it."
"Well, call me crazy but if you're so tired, why don't you have a bit of coffee? It really wakes you up," Kylie remarked. And saying so, she grabbed the coffee pot and shoved it under Ginny's nose. "Go on then, have a cup. You'll have a simply dreadful day if you don't."
Kylie was startled at what she had just said. It wasn't what she said; it was how she said it. Then she giggled to herself, 'I really am turning British, whether I like it or not. I'm even developing a British accent. Oh, what fun my friends will have teasing me when I go to visit them! There I go again with that dialect. Oh well, I shouldn't fight a losing battle.' At that moment, Harry, Ron, and Hermione strode into the hall, talking loudly and very nearly causing a scene. Harry sat down on Ginny's other side and planted a kiss on her cheek. At first, Ginny stared at him, startled by his open show of affection. But after a moment, she relaxed and kissed him back. Kylie and Hermione caught each other's eye and turned away quickly, trying not to laugh.
At some point in the day, Malfoy found out about the two new Gryffindor couples and was having a ball in Potions asking if they had snogged yet and flirting with Kylie, (not that he truly was!) then asking Ron if he was jealous. Ron responded to one flirtatious gesture, (Malfoy walked by Kylie and pinched her butt) by flinging his dragon liver across the room and hitting him square in the face. Ron paid dearly for his outbreak, Snape gave him a week of detention, but Kylie thought it was sweet that Ron was so overprotective. Although she knew that if she wasn't in Snape's class and wouldn't have to pay for her violence, she would have slapped Malfoy so hard that he would have a bruise for a week. But she simply grinned for the rest of the period and felt quite giddy for the rest of the day.
One morning, Kylie learned that the coming weekend was a Hogsmeade visit. She and Ron were planning to go together and do their Christmas shopping. So on Saturday morning, Kylie headed down to breakfast with Ron. They ate hurriedly and filed into the long line leading out of the castle to the village. Harry and Ginny were ahead of them, Hermione was behind with Elizabeth Rumsfeld and Annie Hidell, other Gryffindor girls. Ginny suddenly turned around and beckoned Ron and Kylie towards her.
"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we go visit that cave that Sirius hid in? It's kind of cool up there. Besides, we could talk about the Order in private." Her eyes were sparkling hungrily.
Kylie, Ron, and Harry exchanged nervous looks. Ginny had been pressuring them to go to the cave for the past week.
"I don't think so, Ginny," Harry said slowly, "too many memories."
Ginny looked hurt and flounced off. Harry cast a regretful look at Ron and Kylie, then turned and followed Ginny. Kylie and Ron turned and headed into Honeydukes, which was packed with students. They sidled over to the chocolate shelves to have a quiet conversation.
"Is it just me, or has Ginny been acting strange for the past week?" Kylie murmured. When Ron paused she looked at him intently. "Haven't you noticed it?"
Ron sighed heavily, plucked a thick bar of chocolate off the shelf, and turned to face Kylie. "Yes, I've noticed it, and I don't want her to act that way. In our second year, she was acting weirdly, almost in the same way. It turns out that You-Know-Who had enchanted her and she almost died as a result. She's acting weirder this time and I'm wondering if this is happening all over again and whether she'll live or not. Now, could we leave it at that and enjoy ourselves?"
Kylie was about to apologize when a scream of terror rang out from up the street.
The next day, Kylie woke early, dressed, and headed down to breakfast. She found Ginny already at the table, munching on a piece of toast. Kylie frowned; Ginny was sitting towards the end of the table, far away from the few people who were gabbing and eating. Ginny usually liked to be in the middle of a large group, most of Gryffindor tower knew her. Regardless, Kylie sat down next to Ginny and reached for the orange juice.
"Hey, Ginny. Why are you sitting on this side of the table? You know, away from everyone. I mean, I don't have a problem with it but you usually like to be in the thick of things," Kylie said as she poured herself a goblet of O.J.
Ginny stared at her for a few moments, her eyes unfocused. She seemed to be quite tired; it took her a while to recognize Kylie. But when she did, she spoke cheerfully and regained some of her old bounce.
"Oh! Kylie, I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep last night so I'm very tired. I'm so tired in fact I don't want to be in the large group with all the noise. It'll give me a headache." She grasped for a plate of bacon and tipped a few strips onto her plate. "You know, the food here is great, but it's nothing like the way mum makes it. Every year I have to adjust to it."
"Well, call me crazy but if you're so tired, why don't you have a bit of coffee? It really wakes you up," Kylie remarked. And saying so, she grabbed the coffee pot and shoved it under Ginny's nose. "Go on then, have a cup. You'll have a simply dreadful day if you don't."
Kylie was startled at what she had just said. It wasn't what she said; it was how she said it. Then she giggled to herself, 'I really am turning British, whether I like it or not. I'm even developing a British accent. Oh, what fun my friends will have teasing me when I go to visit them! There I go again with that dialect. Oh well, I shouldn't fight a losing battle.' At that moment, Harry, Ron, and Hermione strode into the hall, talking loudly and very nearly causing a scene. Harry sat down on Ginny's other side and planted a kiss on her cheek. At first, Ginny stared at him, startled by his open show of affection. But after a moment, she relaxed and kissed him back. Kylie and Hermione caught each other's eye and turned away quickly, trying not to laugh.
At some point in the day, Malfoy found out about the two new Gryffindor couples and was having a ball in Potions asking if they had snogged yet and flirting with Kylie, (not that he truly was!) then asking Ron if he was jealous. Ron responded to one flirtatious gesture, (Malfoy walked by Kylie and pinched her butt) by flinging his dragon liver across the room and hitting him square in the face. Ron paid dearly for his outbreak, Snape gave him a week of detention, but Kylie thought it was sweet that Ron was so overprotective. Although she knew that if she wasn't in Snape's class and wouldn't have to pay for her violence, she would have slapped Malfoy so hard that he would have a bruise for a week. But she simply grinned for the rest of the period and felt quite giddy for the rest of the day.
One morning, Kylie learned that the coming weekend was a Hogsmeade visit. She and Ron were planning to go together and do their Christmas shopping. So on Saturday morning, Kylie headed down to breakfast with Ron. They ate hurriedly and filed into the long line leading out of the castle to the village. Harry and Ginny were ahead of them, Hermione was behind with Elizabeth Rumsfeld and Annie Hidell, other Gryffindor girls. Ginny suddenly turned around and beckoned Ron and Kylie towards her.
"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we go visit that cave that Sirius hid in? It's kind of cool up there. Besides, we could talk about the Order in private." Her eyes were sparkling hungrily.
Kylie, Ron, and Harry exchanged nervous looks. Ginny had been pressuring them to go to the cave for the past week.
"I don't think so, Ginny," Harry said slowly, "too many memories."
Ginny looked hurt and flounced off. Harry cast a regretful look at Ron and Kylie, then turned and followed Ginny. Kylie and Ron turned and headed into Honeydukes, which was packed with students. They sidled over to the chocolate shelves to have a quiet conversation.
"Is it just me, or has Ginny been acting strange for the past week?" Kylie murmured. When Ron paused she looked at him intently. "Haven't you noticed it?"
Ron sighed heavily, plucked a thick bar of chocolate off the shelf, and turned to face Kylie. "Yes, I've noticed it, and I don't want her to act that way. In our second year, she was acting weirdly, almost in the same way. It turns out that You-Know-Who had enchanted her and she almost died as a result. She's acting weirder this time and I'm wondering if this is happening all over again and whether she'll live or not. Now, could we leave it at that and enjoy ourselves?"
Kylie was about to apologize when a scream of terror rang out from up the street.