*
Everything is in it's proper order, which is some degree of relief. I packed everything very studiously: shirts, pants folded, socks together, books sorted. Of course I could've used magic every step of the way but I find a sense of satisfaction in organizing everything by hand, at least before I shrink it all. The novelty of muggleness wears off when you're dragging a suitcase full of books.
Smoothing the suitcase shut, I sigh half in nostalgic reverie and half in frustration over the day when I hear a knock on the door. Usually I'd just leave it to Lavender who gets most of the visitors, but my roommates are somewhere having their own highly inappropriate romantic escapades. So I slip off my bed, tie a knot in my bathrobe, and open the door.
"Hi," Ginny ventures gently. I am just about to reply when she continues quickly, "Ron just wanted me to remind you to bring your new volume of Fascinating Facts About Arabian Potions. He would be here himself, or so he says, but since I was on my way up here anyway he wanted me to."
I laugh at Ron's laziness, though I noticed Ginny did not explain with the usual humor that she would, and she does not join me in laughing.
I give her a small smile and try to joke with her, "We talked earlier and he had completely forgotten that he wanted it. Your brother is an idiot." She seems almost to cringe at that. Then ruefully she smiled before she managed a yes, goodnight and shut the door behind her.
I let out a heavier sigh. Since when did I become such a complete moron?
*
We're sharing a room.
I look over at Hermione. It's break and she's still reading. She spent most of today with Harry and Ron, of course, and me, too. In the morning we all had breakfast together downstairs, and then went outside. Harry and I did some quidditch practice and joked around with Ron and Hermione. I noticed Harry is acting a bit off his spirits, though.
"Hermione," I begin. It feels awkward to break the silence since she's trying to work, but I'm concerned.
"Hm? Yes?" She replies.
"Did Harry seem a bit off to you, today?"
She slips a bookmark into her book, closes it, and lays it on her lap. She's sitting on an extra bed we moved into my room. It's a little uncomfortable really, and I half hope she might ask to sleep in my bed after a few mornings of sore necks. "Yes," she replies finally. "Yeah, you know I was wondering if I was the only one who'd noticed that."
"Mm. Do you know what might be bothering him?"
"I don't know," Hermione said quietly. "Do you?"
I shake my head. "Oh and Hermione?"
"Yeah?"
"Where did you and Ron run off to.you know, during the quidditch game?"
It's not very bright in my room at this point and I can't quite tell if I'm imagining that blush on her face. I really don't think that I am.
"We just needed to have a talk."
I feel my stomach burn. "What kind of talk.?"
She looks startled. "Oh God Ginny, not that kind of talk. I just told him that I thought. Well that somebody liked me and I wanted to know if he thought they did."
Oh no she wasn't talking about me, was she? "Oh," I reply lamely. "Who?"
"It doesn't matter," she says quickly, "I don't like them back or anything so it doesn't matter. I just wanted to know if I was being paranoid and I wasn't apparently so it doesn't matter. Anyway it's late so I think we should sleep now. Goodnight Ginny."
"Goodnight Hermione."
*
The next day I woke up with a terrible neck sore. This bed really isn't very comfortable. What woke me up though suddenly quiets my thoughts because it sounds suspicious. I hear Harry whispering to Ginny. It's late in the afternoon already. I can't believe I slept in so late.
"Do you think she likes Ron?" Harry whispers to Ginny.
They aren't looking at me. They're both standing by the window looking down, presumably, at Ron. Ginny is chewing her lip, while Harry is rubbing his shoulder anxiously.
"Maybe.."
"I really did think they were flirting over that sausage. And then the went out to spend time together during the quidditch game. Did you ask her about that?"
"Yeah."
"Well what did she say about it?" Harry sounds frustrated.
"She said they just needed to have a talk. She said that she thought somebody liked her and wanted to know if Ron thought so and Ron said yeah."
"Does she like that person back?"
"She said she didn't."
Harry lets out a loud unhappy sigh and looks over at me, but luckily I closed my eyes just in time. Ginny shifts her weight suddenly and slips off the window sill.
"We shouldn't even be talking about this right now."
"Why not?"
"She's laying right there, Harry. Jeez. Forget about it."
"I can't Ginny, I love her!"
Oh. No. I expect Ginny to run out of the room crying when she hears that but instead she sighs angrily. "Yeah, but she likes Ron. There's nothing we can do. She likes who she likes."
What? I don't like Ron!
Harry throws his hands up and hisses, "Well what would you know about love anyway!"
Now I really expect her to cry. What I really don't expect her to do is slap Harry across the face, but that is exactly what she does. I pretend to wake up as she does this and they both lock eyes with me, staring in shock. My gaze flutters from Ginny's face to Harry's. Harry mutters something incomprehensible and strides out of the room. Ginny just stands there looking at me and just as I start to ask if she's okay she rushes out of the room, too.
Oh no.
*
"She doesn't like me, Ron. Ginny says she likes you."
"She likes me?"
"Yeah."
Ron looks blank. He tries to start speaking several times and then shuts his mouth. Finally he manages, "but.I don't like her." His voice is soft. "I don't like her like that."
"Who do you like, then?"
*
I'm laying in my bed when she slips in beside me. "Hey."
"What's wrong?"
"That extra bed is killing me. Do you mind if I sleep here tonight?"
"No, so long as you understand I might accidentally kick you out of bed." It's an attempt to get us back to our old giggling and it works for a second. But I know what she really wants to talk about.
"Ginny?"
"What?"
"You know what. What's going on?"
I sigh. "Harry likes you."
She pauses before she answers. "Yeah, that's what Ron and I talked about. Why did you slap him?"
I blush like mad at that. "He just said something offensive, that's all."
"What?"
"He said that I didn't know what love is."
"Well do you?"
"Augh! Why can't anybody see that I've grown? I do know what love is! My God! I've gone through puberty, okay? I'm not a baby anymore! I have feelings like that. I have strong feelings, romantic feelings, even sexual feelings--!" I stop abruptly. Shit. Didn't mean to go that far.
Hermione is silent. "For Harry?"
Moment of truth: "No. No not for Harry, not anymore. Hermione why didn't you talk to me about Harry liking you? I thought we're best friends."
"We are! It's just.I was sure you still liked him, and I didn't want to hurt your feelings."
"Well I don't like him. And it's impossible for me to like Ron, so I would think you could talk to me about that, too."
"What?"
"You do have a crush on Ron, don't you?"
"No.I don't think so."
"Oh. Then who?"
"I don't know." Hermione sighed in bewilderment. "I really don't know. I'm just confused." Her tone changes suddenly, "But you like somebody don't you?"
I suddenly feel nervous. "What?"
"Well you said before...that you have, you know, like, those sorts of feelings. You've felt them I mean." She's suddenly less serious, "C'mon Gin who fries your bacon?" She nudges me under the covers.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Hermione seems hurt. "Why, don't you trust me? Just two seconds ago you were lecturing me about that.!"
"Yes of course I trust you. It's just."
"Just what?"
"It's not...normal. Okay? I'm embarrassed about it. It'll pass anyway, so just let it go."
"Wait, what do you mean Gin?"
Honestly I have no idea what possessed me. I guess it was just too many years of watching her and wanting to do it. I placed my hand on her cheek, and then estimated as best I could in the darkness where her lips were. I kissed her, and then pulled away quickly. "I like girls."
Everything is in it's proper order, which is some degree of relief. I packed everything very studiously: shirts, pants folded, socks together, books sorted. Of course I could've used magic every step of the way but I find a sense of satisfaction in organizing everything by hand, at least before I shrink it all. The novelty of muggleness wears off when you're dragging a suitcase full of books.
Smoothing the suitcase shut, I sigh half in nostalgic reverie and half in frustration over the day when I hear a knock on the door. Usually I'd just leave it to Lavender who gets most of the visitors, but my roommates are somewhere having their own highly inappropriate romantic escapades. So I slip off my bed, tie a knot in my bathrobe, and open the door.
"Hi," Ginny ventures gently. I am just about to reply when she continues quickly, "Ron just wanted me to remind you to bring your new volume of Fascinating Facts About Arabian Potions. He would be here himself, or so he says, but since I was on my way up here anyway he wanted me to."
I laugh at Ron's laziness, though I noticed Ginny did not explain with the usual humor that she would, and she does not join me in laughing.
I give her a small smile and try to joke with her, "We talked earlier and he had completely forgotten that he wanted it. Your brother is an idiot." She seems almost to cringe at that. Then ruefully she smiled before she managed a yes, goodnight and shut the door behind her.
I let out a heavier sigh. Since when did I become such a complete moron?
*
We're sharing a room.
I look over at Hermione. It's break and she's still reading. She spent most of today with Harry and Ron, of course, and me, too. In the morning we all had breakfast together downstairs, and then went outside. Harry and I did some quidditch practice and joked around with Ron and Hermione. I noticed Harry is acting a bit off his spirits, though.
"Hermione," I begin. It feels awkward to break the silence since she's trying to work, but I'm concerned.
"Hm? Yes?" She replies.
"Did Harry seem a bit off to you, today?"
She slips a bookmark into her book, closes it, and lays it on her lap. She's sitting on an extra bed we moved into my room. It's a little uncomfortable really, and I half hope she might ask to sleep in my bed after a few mornings of sore necks. "Yes," she replies finally. "Yeah, you know I was wondering if I was the only one who'd noticed that."
"Mm. Do you know what might be bothering him?"
"I don't know," Hermione said quietly. "Do you?"
I shake my head. "Oh and Hermione?"
"Yeah?"
"Where did you and Ron run off to.you know, during the quidditch game?"
It's not very bright in my room at this point and I can't quite tell if I'm imagining that blush on her face. I really don't think that I am.
"We just needed to have a talk."
I feel my stomach burn. "What kind of talk.?"
She looks startled. "Oh God Ginny, not that kind of talk. I just told him that I thought. Well that somebody liked me and I wanted to know if he thought they did."
Oh no she wasn't talking about me, was she? "Oh," I reply lamely. "Who?"
"It doesn't matter," she says quickly, "I don't like them back or anything so it doesn't matter. I just wanted to know if I was being paranoid and I wasn't apparently so it doesn't matter. Anyway it's late so I think we should sleep now. Goodnight Ginny."
"Goodnight Hermione."
*
The next day I woke up with a terrible neck sore. This bed really isn't very comfortable. What woke me up though suddenly quiets my thoughts because it sounds suspicious. I hear Harry whispering to Ginny. It's late in the afternoon already. I can't believe I slept in so late.
"Do you think she likes Ron?" Harry whispers to Ginny.
They aren't looking at me. They're both standing by the window looking down, presumably, at Ron. Ginny is chewing her lip, while Harry is rubbing his shoulder anxiously.
"Maybe.."
"I really did think they were flirting over that sausage. And then the went out to spend time together during the quidditch game. Did you ask her about that?"
"Yeah."
"Well what did she say about it?" Harry sounds frustrated.
"She said they just needed to have a talk. She said that she thought somebody liked her and wanted to know if Ron thought so and Ron said yeah."
"Does she like that person back?"
"She said she didn't."
Harry lets out a loud unhappy sigh and looks over at me, but luckily I closed my eyes just in time. Ginny shifts her weight suddenly and slips off the window sill.
"We shouldn't even be talking about this right now."
"Why not?"
"She's laying right there, Harry. Jeez. Forget about it."
"I can't Ginny, I love her!"
Oh. No. I expect Ginny to run out of the room crying when she hears that but instead she sighs angrily. "Yeah, but she likes Ron. There's nothing we can do. She likes who she likes."
What? I don't like Ron!
Harry throws his hands up and hisses, "Well what would you know about love anyway!"
Now I really expect her to cry. What I really don't expect her to do is slap Harry across the face, but that is exactly what she does. I pretend to wake up as she does this and they both lock eyes with me, staring in shock. My gaze flutters from Ginny's face to Harry's. Harry mutters something incomprehensible and strides out of the room. Ginny just stands there looking at me and just as I start to ask if she's okay she rushes out of the room, too.
Oh no.
*
"She doesn't like me, Ron. Ginny says she likes you."
"She likes me?"
"Yeah."
Ron looks blank. He tries to start speaking several times and then shuts his mouth. Finally he manages, "but.I don't like her." His voice is soft. "I don't like her like that."
"Who do you like, then?"
*
I'm laying in my bed when she slips in beside me. "Hey."
"What's wrong?"
"That extra bed is killing me. Do you mind if I sleep here tonight?"
"No, so long as you understand I might accidentally kick you out of bed." It's an attempt to get us back to our old giggling and it works for a second. But I know what she really wants to talk about.
"Ginny?"
"What?"
"You know what. What's going on?"
I sigh. "Harry likes you."
She pauses before she answers. "Yeah, that's what Ron and I talked about. Why did you slap him?"
I blush like mad at that. "He just said something offensive, that's all."
"What?"
"He said that I didn't know what love is."
"Well do you?"
"Augh! Why can't anybody see that I've grown? I do know what love is! My God! I've gone through puberty, okay? I'm not a baby anymore! I have feelings like that. I have strong feelings, romantic feelings, even sexual feelings--!" I stop abruptly. Shit. Didn't mean to go that far.
Hermione is silent. "For Harry?"
Moment of truth: "No. No not for Harry, not anymore. Hermione why didn't you talk to me about Harry liking you? I thought we're best friends."
"We are! It's just.I was sure you still liked him, and I didn't want to hurt your feelings."
"Well I don't like him. And it's impossible for me to like Ron, so I would think you could talk to me about that, too."
"What?"
"You do have a crush on Ron, don't you?"
"No.I don't think so."
"Oh. Then who?"
"I don't know." Hermione sighed in bewilderment. "I really don't know. I'm just confused." Her tone changes suddenly, "But you like somebody don't you?"
I suddenly feel nervous. "What?"
"Well you said before...that you have, you know, like, those sorts of feelings. You've felt them I mean." She's suddenly less serious, "C'mon Gin who fries your bacon?" She nudges me under the covers.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Hermione seems hurt. "Why, don't you trust me? Just two seconds ago you were lecturing me about that.!"
"Yes of course I trust you. It's just."
"Just what?"
"It's not...normal. Okay? I'm embarrassed about it. It'll pass anyway, so just let it go."
"Wait, what do you mean Gin?"
Honestly I have no idea what possessed me. I guess it was just too many years of watching her and wanting to do it. I placed my hand on her cheek, and then estimated as best I could in the darkness where her lips were. I kissed her, and then pulled away quickly. "I like girls."