Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It all belongs to J. K. Rowling. Well, except the part that me and Stacy thought up. She's an amazing beta reader, and her e-mail's silenceofthemind@hotmail.com if anyone needs one.

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Chapter 13: My First Blind Date... with a Convicted Felon

"Did you know?" I asked Hermione accusingly over the phone. It was the next day, and I had been itching to call her since the run-in I'd had with Harry. Since I didn't want to use magic in front of Christina, Hermione bought me a cell phone and taught me how to use it. And, being the muggle-born that she was, she had one too. So I constantly called her.

"Know what?" Hermione asked through what sounded like a mouth full of food.

"Are you eating lunch?" I asked, loosing my train of thought.

"Yea, with Ron." She said.

"Oh good. Put Ron on the phone so I can yell at him too." I said sweetly.

"...what?" Hermione asked, sounding-for the first time in her life- confused.

"Harry has a girlfriend." I said, trying very hard to sound angry and not upset.

"Oh." Hermione said in a very small voice. I heard her whisper, "She knows" to Ron. "Well," Hermione continued in a very pitiful tone. "maybe it's not that serious."

"They're living together, Hermione." I said angrily. "How could you not tell me?"

"I'm sorry!" She pleaded. "But I knew it would crush you, and you've already got enough to deal with."

"What's her name?" I asked with defeat.

"Kate Miller." Hermione said. I cringed and sat down on the couch, getting ready for all of the details.

"They met a few years ago. She's an Auror too, so they had a lot to talk about. Plus, Kate's parents knew Harry's."

"Is she pretty?" I asked quietly. "Does she have stringy hair and a long, green nose with a wart on the end?"

Hermione paused, contemplating whether or not to lie to me.

"Kate... she's..." Hermione stuttered.

"She bloody hot!" I heard Ron yell in the background.

It's amazing the amount of love my brothers feel towards me. It's like they'd do anything just to make sure that my heart didn't get torn out of my chest, stomped on until it was nothing more then a liquid, and then force fed to me.

I heard Hermione hit Ron, and a muffled "Ow!" put a small smile back on my face.

Once Hermione was back on the phone, I asked her again if Kate was indeed 'bloody hot.'

"... Ginny, I know you don't want to hear this, but she's beautiful." Hermione said nervously. "I thought she was a model the first time I saw her."

"So you've met her? How does she treat Harry?" I asked earnestly.

There was another pause, so I continued with my stream of questions.

"Is she bitchy?" I asked hopefully. "Does she order him around all the time and complain when his full attention isn't on her?"

I was desperate for Kate to be this horrible hag who was like a reincarnated wicked witch of the west.

"Oh Ginny, she's perfect." Hermione said, sounding very much on the verge or tears. "She's kind and is always wonderful to Harry. He can't stop gushing about her whenever we talk to him."

"You could've just said no." I sighed, my heart aching from lose.

"Ginny, he's moved on. You need to do the same." Hermione said.

"But I don't want to move on." I said stubbornly.

"I could set you up on some dates." Hermione said hopefully. "I know millions of guys who're dieing to go out with a girl like you."

I considered this for a few moments. The words 'not if my life depended on it' rang temptingly in my head. But then another word popped into my head. Jealousy.

Sure, maybe my single mum exterior wasn't as appealing just yet, but once I was a single mum with numerous male suitors, then that'll be a different story.

"Okay, Hermione." I said, a new, more mischievous smile on my face. "Set me up with someone." I lost my newly found cool for a second to add, "just make sure he's cute and rich and doesn't have a thing against small children."

"Would you like him to be a specific height as well?" Hermione asked acidly.

"Five-six with no facial hair and a strong jaw, please." I said sweetly. The next thing I heard was the dial tone.

~*~*~*~

Harry and I continued to talk to each other regularly. Christina seemed to have grown to like him very quickly, and would ask everyday if we were going to see him. He lived fairly close, and would always come over to play with Christina. I'd also meet him at the Three Broomsticks a lot after work.

"So what are you doing tonight?" Harry asked, taking a sip from his butterbeer.

"I have a date." I said, giving the words a few minutes to burn themselves into Harry's brain.

"Really?" He asked with interest. I couldn't help but smile.

"Hermione's setting me up with someone." I said. "She seems to think that Christina needs another man in her life."

As I was waiting for Harry to seethe with jealousy, something clicked in my head.

"Oh shit. Christina." I muttered. "I totally forgot to call the babysitter for tonight."

"I'll baby-sit her." Harry said quickly.

"Really?" I said happily.

"Sure, I love Christina. We'll have loads of fun together." Harry said.

I didn't know until later just how much fun they were going to have.

~*~*~*~

"Now, remember Chrissy, don't tell anyone about this. Especially not your mum." Harry said, holding onto her hand firmly as he lead her through the Leaky Cauldron.

"I promise." Christina said excitedly as they approached a brick wall. Harry pulled out his wand and started tapping on the wall. "Is that a wand?" she asked excitedly. "You're a wizard, aren't you."

Christina watched in awe as the brick wall melted away in front of her, revealing a crowded street lined with shops.

"You're just like the Harry in the stories!" She said, skipping happily along the street and pulling Harry along with her.

"What stories? The ones your mum tells you?" Harry asked curiously as he followed Christina into the Quidditch shop.

"There's a famous boy named Harry who's a wizard in the story mummy tells me all the time." She said, looking with wide eyes at an assortment of brooms. "He's wonderful and all of the girls love him. And, one day, he saves this witch from an ancient monster that lives in a secret chamber-I think it's a snake or something-and she falls in love with him and, years later, they get married and live happily ever after." Christina was now examining some of the Quidditch robes as Harry listened intently to her story. "But the stories not true. Mummy says it's just a fairy tale."

Christina was now pulling Harry out of that store, and into the candy shop. She looked up at Harry and asked, "Can I have something?"

"Sure, get whatever you want." Harry said dismissively. "So, does your mum have any other stories about the wizard named Harry."

"Sure, she has millions." Christina said, grabbing a box of Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans. "There's one where Harry goes to Ireland and saves the witch from an evil wizard. He carries her off on his horse into the sunset." She picked out a few Chocolate Frogs and added, "That one's my favorite, but mummy won't tell it very often because it makes her cry."

Harry continued to follow Christina around in a daze, trying desperately to process all of the information he had just been given.

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, I was having a dandy old time try to get ready for my date, totally oblivious to the fact that my child was giving out secret information.

I was over at Hermione's flat, trying to ignore my brother and focus on my appearance, which wasn't exactly working out.

"I look shit." I said, looking into the mirror critically was I put on some more mascara. "A big, smelly, pile of shit."

"So who is this guy, anyways?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "I mean, does he have a criminal record or anything?"

"Yes Ron, he's a convicted felon. *That's* why I'm setting him up with your sister." Hermione said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

I sighed with annoyance as I tried to block out my brother and Hermione's bickering and apply blush at the same time.

"You know, you could at least be supportive." Hermione scowled. "Ginny's getting out of a very hard relationship, and I'm just trying to help her get over Harry."

"But she's my sister, Hermione. I have to be protective. It's the law." Ron said reasonably.

"You weren't like this when she was dating Harry." Hermione pointed out.

"Harry had already passed my test. You *have* to pass the test." Ron said, stating it like common knowledge.

"Does this test include defeating the Dark Lord or do you just have to have a scar on your forehead?" Hermione asked acidly.

To retort, Ron made a grotesque face. Hermione hit him, causing my brother to pinch her back. Hermione hit him again, much harder this time, and they seemed to be having their own little version of a 'chick fight.'

Fearing that someone might come out of this fight with one less of a limb, I yelled, "Stop it!" and whirled around to glare at them. The room went silent. "... Now tell me I look beautiful."

"You look beautiful." The said quietly in unison.

"Thank you." I said, feeling very proud of myself. I'd trained them well.

"So," I continued, turning to Hermione and holding up one red and one black high heel to my red dress. "Which one?"

"Black. Definitely black." Hermione said.

"I like the red one." Ron said coolly. Hermione turned around and glared at him. "I-I mean black. I like the black one."

I slipped the shoes on, straightened up, and smiled at Hermione.

"How do I look?" I asked.

"Like a troll." Ron replied happily.

~*~*~*~

I sat in the restaurant I was meeting my date at. I'd arrived a few minutes early, so that gave me time to sit and wonder just what I was getting myself into.

Hermione had only told me the bare minimum about my date. His name was Jonathan and he worked with her. I didn't even know what he looked like, but I prayed to the gods that he was hot. I know that sounds shallow, but how was I suppose to compete with Kate when I had a boyfriend who had sideburns, buckteeth, a uno-brow, and a white-boy afro?

I watched gorgeous man after gorgeous man walk through the restaurant doors, none of them turning out to be Jonathan. I was tempted to just seize the arm of one of those men and pulling him to a table, forcing him to have dinner with me.

"Ginny?" came a deep voice beside me. I looked up and saw a man who was the equivalent of the tall, dark, and handsome cliché. He was tan, with dark hair, tall but not too tall, and drop dead gorgeous.

As Jonathan and I were being lead to our table, I could feel his eyes on me. And throughout the entire dinner, his eyes were on one place-and, let me tell you, it wasn't my face. I kept on tugging on the neckline of my dress-which was shamelessly low-hoping that he would stop looking there.

But it got worse. I nearly choked on my chicken when I felt his cold hand on my thigh. I had to excuse myself to the bathroom so I wouldn't slap him.

I was just standing in there, not wanting to go back out into the restaurant and thinking of escape plans. Maybe I could transfigure myself into a duck and walk out of the restaurant undetected. Or maybe I could blow a hole through the bathroom wall and just walk out.

But Jonathan must have gotten tired of waiting, because the next thing I knew, he was standing right next to me in the ladies room.

"Great idea," he said with a smile on his face, seizing me around the waist and pulling me close to him. I suddenly developed claustrophobia. "I've never done it in a bathroom before."

He then kissed me, forcing his tongue down my throat. It was like getting kissed by a Dementor, except he felt the need to grope me in the process. As he finally let go of my ass and instead placed his hand on my breast, I was able to find my wand and Apparated home.

Feeling very violated and filling with rage, I decided to go have a quick talk with my matchmaker.

"Don't you know any *normal* single people?!" I yelled at Hermione. I had Apparated to her flat and woken her up by screaming profanities.

"What happened?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

"I nearly avoided getting raped!" I yelled.

Hermione stayed silent for a minute, looking very thoughtful.

"Huh." She said. I snorted at her linguistic skills. "All the women at work seem fond of him." Hermione said cluelessly.

I held the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes, trying to stay calm.

"Hermione, you work for Fudge. All of the women at your work are sluts."

"But-"

"Do you remember seeing any knickers when Sara wore her mini skirt and bent over too far?" I demanded. Hermione became very quiet.

"You're not allowed to set me up with people anymore!" I yelled, pointing my finger at her threateningly. And before she could even open her mouth, I Apparated home, looking forward to a hot shower to wash all of the creep-cooties off of me.

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Sorry, no thank yous. It's already Saturday, and my computers being a butt. It wouldn't let me online yesterday, hence the late updating. Promise thank yous in next chapter, but here's a quickie; Thank you to all the reviewers, and even the haters (you make me think more about my writing, even if your criticism is inaccurate).

~bunches of love~

Nicole

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