AN: Howdy! Sorry for the two month delay on this chapter, but I have a very
good excuse: I was out of the country. I visited England, France, Italy,
Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. I backpacked it, so I
didn't have frequent or easy access to a computer that I could write on.
So, forgive me! Here it is, the long awaited Chapter 5.
*
"Well?" Questioned Hermione intolerantly. "Are you going to sit there regrowing your eyebrow or give me a dare?"
'Ginny,' I think to myself, 'you'll thank me later. If you don't kill me first, that is.'
"Fine Miss Sorely Impatient, I dare you to kiss Ginny. On the mouth."
"What!?" Shouted Ginny. "Is that fair? Doesn't that count as a dare against both of us?"
"Ron had to kiss me and it didn't count for me, so it doesn't count for you. I don't hear Hermione complaining."
Hermione blushed and Ginny looked over at her cautiously. "It doesn't bother you?"
As Hermione was about to answer there was a short loud knock on the door before it slowly creaked open. Though I was sure Molly couldn't have heard anything through the door, I felt all of us stiffen at the intrusion.
"Well then, who wants some iced tea and pie?"
Ginny immediately leapt up. "I do!"
Molly smiled and looked at the rest of us expectantly. Hermione nodded with a forced smile of gratitude. I gave Ron a sideways glance and he caught the hint.
"I think we're just gonna head to bed -- we're beat from all our practice today," Ron said while gracefully avoiding Hermione's incredulous gaze.
Molly looked over at me and tilted her head, "What happened to your eyebrow Harry?"
*
Ginny had avoided me very politely for the rest of our stay at the burrow. She's done pretty much the same thing since we've arrived back at Hogwarts. (Five weeks, four days, 12 hours, and 23 minutes.) She doesn't even sit by me at lunch anymore. I mean she hasn't moved to a whole new table or anything, but now she sits next to Dean. I think back to when we'd sit together and sometimes our legs, just at the knee, would touch.
I never noticed or appreciated it then, but now. Now I watch her talk and laugh with Dean and I wonder if their knees are touching. Sometimes one of Dean's hands leaves its place beside his plate and ducks under the table. I wonder if he has his hand on her thigh. I'm not a jealous person - I'm too sober and rational for that - but God, seeing her with that clueless boy turns my stomach by degrees.
I can't help staring at them.
Occasionally, Ginny's eyes will catch mine for a half second, and then carry the knowledge of my watching self-consciously for the next few minutes. Sometimes she'll even acknowledge my gaze across the table, or gesture a modest hello in the hall. People are starting to think I have a crush on Dean. I let them say it, but I can see Harry and Ron cringe at it.
They sit next to me, one on either side, and since Harry is on my left (the direction Ginny is) he does his best to distract me from looking, or block my view. I never glare at him for doing this though sometimes I feel like it.
I never talk to them about Ginny.
They tried at first to help inspire me to be friendlier to her, but I just couldn't. I'd try to start a conversation on something neutral like homework or events, but she'd always field my questions then excuse herself.
I'd give anything to know what she's thinking.
*
She's staring at me again. They say she likes Dean. His hand squeezes my thigh affectionately.
God, the irony.
*
Ron is playing with the little tuft of hair under his belly button again. He only does this when he's concerned about something. He combs through the hairs and then rubs them together between his fingers twisting the threads into thick little bunches. I'm lying on my stomach beside him and turn over onto my side. I slide my hand over his, staying it on his torso.
"What's wrong?"
He sighs and twines his fingers with mine thoughtfully. His lips scrunch up together and then to the side and then he sighs again through his nose. "Worried about Ginny?"
He nods absently tracing my hip with his free hand. He smirks distantly and snaps my boxer elastic. "I just wish she could have. you know, this." He cups his hand over my hip, sliding it down to my boxers, and giving me a squeeze to accentuate his point.
"From what I see lately she might very soon have it. with Dean."
Ron lets out a grunt and turns on his side away from me as if to punctuate his disgust. I slide my arm around his torso and rub his stomach, scratching my hand through his happy trail. I feel how tense he is and worry for a moment he might start crying.
"It's just. I remember before break how I felt about you. I remember how hopeless everything seemed. I can't stand to think she's going through that, too."
I nuzzled my forehead into his neck, "Well, we've given them a chance to be big kids about the situation. So let's take the reins now and do something about it, ok?"
Ron rolled over to face me. He reached over thumbing my ear and gently slipped off my glasses. With a shy smile he leaned forward, "I don't want to break them again."
*
TBC.
*
"Well?" Questioned Hermione intolerantly. "Are you going to sit there regrowing your eyebrow or give me a dare?"
'Ginny,' I think to myself, 'you'll thank me later. If you don't kill me first, that is.'
"Fine Miss Sorely Impatient, I dare you to kiss Ginny. On the mouth."
"What!?" Shouted Ginny. "Is that fair? Doesn't that count as a dare against both of us?"
"Ron had to kiss me and it didn't count for me, so it doesn't count for you. I don't hear Hermione complaining."
Hermione blushed and Ginny looked over at her cautiously. "It doesn't bother you?"
As Hermione was about to answer there was a short loud knock on the door before it slowly creaked open. Though I was sure Molly couldn't have heard anything through the door, I felt all of us stiffen at the intrusion.
"Well then, who wants some iced tea and pie?"
Ginny immediately leapt up. "I do!"
Molly smiled and looked at the rest of us expectantly. Hermione nodded with a forced smile of gratitude. I gave Ron a sideways glance and he caught the hint.
"I think we're just gonna head to bed -- we're beat from all our practice today," Ron said while gracefully avoiding Hermione's incredulous gaze.
Molly looked over at me and tilted her head, "What happened to your eyebrow Harry?"
*
Ginny had avoided me very politely for the rest of our stay at the burrow. She's done pretty much the same thing since we've arrived back at Hogwarts. (Five weeks, four days, 12 hours, and 23 minutes.) She doesn't even sit by me at lunch anymore. I mean she hasn't moved to a whole new table or anything, but now she sits next to Dean. I think back to when we'd sit together and sometimes our legs, just at the knee, would touch.
I never noticed or appreciated it then, but now. Now I watch her talk and laugh with Dean and I wonder if their knees are touching. Sometimes one of Dean's hands leaves its place beside his plate and ducks under the table. I wonder if he has his hand on her thigh. I'm not a jealous person - I'm too sober and rational for that - but God, seeing her with that clueless boy turns my stomach by degrees.
I can't help staring at them.
Occasionally, Ginny's eyes will catch mine for a half second, and then carry the knowledge of my watching self-consciously for the next few minutes. Sometimes she'll even acknowledge my gaze across the table, or gesture a modest hello in the hall. People are starting to think I have a crush on Dean. I let them say it, but I can see Harry and Ron cringe at it.
They sit next to me, one on either side, and since Harry is on my left (the direction Ginny is) he does his best to distract me from looking, or block my view. I never glare at him for doing this though sometimes I feel like it.
I never talk to them about Ginny.
They tried at first to help inspire me to be friendlier to her, but I just couldn't. I'd try to start a conversation on something neutral like homework or events, but she'd always field my questions then excuse herself.
I'd give anything to know what she's thinking.
*
She's staring at me again. They say she likes Dean. His hand squeezes my thigh affectionately.
God, the irony.
*
Ron is playing with the little tuft of hair under his belly button again. He only does this when he's concerned about something. He combs through the hairs and then rubs them together between his fingers twisting the threads into thick little bunches. I'm lying on my stomach beside him and turn over onto my side. I slide my hand over his, staying it on his torso.
"What's wrong?"
He sighs and twines his fingers with mine thoughtfully. His lips scrunch up together and then to the side and then he sighs again through his nose. "Worried about Ginny?"
He nods absently tracing my hip with his free hand. He smirks distantly and snaps my boxer elastic. "I just wish she could have. you know, this." He cups his hand over my hip, sliding it down to my boxers, and giving me a squeeze to accentuate his point.
"From what I see lately she might very soon have it. with Dean."
Ron lets out a grunt and turns on his side away from me as if to punctuate his disgust. I slide my arm around his torso and rub his stomach, scratching my hand through his happy trail. I feel how tense he is and worry for a moment he might start crying.
"It's just. I remember before break how I felt about you. I remember how hopeless everything seemed. I can't stand to think she's going through that, too."
I nuzzled my forehead into his neck, "Well, we've given them a chance to be big kids about the situation. So let's take the reins now and do something about it, ok?"
Ron rolled over to face me. He reached over thumbing my ear and gently slipped off my glasses. With a shy smile he leaned forward, "I don't want to break them again."
*
TBC.