They lingered around the table after Jeremy Titan left, excited after meeting with a superstar.

"Do you think he liked me?"  Ginny asked.

"Of course he did!" Charlie said, trying to keep the mood lively.

"Are you kidding?  That was all just a publicity thing."  Hermione stated matter of factly.

"How could it be publicity?  He didn't have us take any pictures with him."  Harry asked.

"I forgot to take a picture!!!!!!"  Ginny shrieked, clapping her hands to her forehead.

"Don't worry Ginny.  He probably had paparazzi take the pictures for him.  This way he ends up in the newspapers as a nice boy having lunch with some fans."

"So you think I could cut a picture of us out of a magazine?" Ginny asked, momentarily pausing her sobs.

"Uh huh, but that wasn't really my point."  Hermione said.

"Nobody cares about your point Hermione.  I just met Jeremy Titan!  If I were a muggle, I probably would have fainted by now. He is that cute and famous!  I am going to frame this hair he gave me.  I wonder if that is a muggle tradition.  It seems old fashioned to me."

"I think he just wanted to be romantic." Hermione said.

"So you think he likes me?" Ginny asked

"He only met you for fifteen minutes."  Ron said, making fun of her.

"It was love at first sight!" Ginny ignored the insult. She knew it wasn't really true, but she wanted to believe it.  She has never had a romantic vacation before.  She hadn't seen Dean in a while, and she was getting a little lonely.  Ginny was not as tight with Harry and Hermione and her brother was.  She felt like a fourth wheel sometimes.

"Ginny, you can't honestly make yourself believe that!" Harry asked, trying to figure what was going on in her heart.  Does Ginny really like that kind of man?  That conceited jerk who only talked to her because she bought his cd.  Harry clutched his pocket where he had put the stolen strands of Jeremy's hair and thought, "I better be wrong about this."

"It's my vacation and I'll do what I want." Ginny said.  She had meant these words to put an end to this love talk.  But Hermione had been staring at Ron when Ginny said this.  Ginny's words caused Hermione to have a huge epiphany about what she was doing sitting on the other side of the table from him.  She should just ask him already!

"I need to use the restroom.'  Hermione said, now staring meaningfully into Ginny's eyes.

Ginny looked at her, confused and said, "Oh, alright."

"Would anyone like to come with me?"  Hermione said, now standing up from the table and still looking at Ginny, and now motioning her head towards the door.

"Oh.  Yes.  I have to go as well."  Ginny said, finally getting it.

Ginny and Hermione went inside.

"Well, boys, I wonder what they're saying about you." Charlie said in a sign song voice.

"What do you mean?  I thought they had to go to the bathroom?" Ron asked.

"Oh come on.  You didn't believe that, did you?  Now which of you does Hermione like?"

"What?!"  Ron shrieked.

"Ah, it's you, then.  I'd have thought she liked Harry.  He seemed to be more the more serious one out of you two.  " Charlie said.

"She doesn't 'like' either of us she's our friend!" Ron said.

"Don't keep telling yourself that.  You're missing out, Ron." Charlie said, "It was that way with my second wife.  We were great friends and I thought that was it.  But I figured it out eventually.  Wish I didn't though.  She turned out to be even worse than my first wife.  Nearly lost the house on that one!"

"You were married?  Are you married now?" Ron asked.

"No, actually, I'm between wives at the moment."

"Do you have any kids?" Harry questioned.

"One son that lives in England.  But that's a long story."

"Are you ever going to tell us about your life in England?" Ron asked.

"Well, definitely not today! But you never what tomorrow will bring."

"Um, Charlie, I've got a question on a different topic."  Harry said nervously.

Now back to Hermione and Ginny, who had made it safely to the bathroom.  Hermione leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

"Ginny.  Does Ron like me?  Honestly?"

"Honestly, I can't be sure, because we never talk about it.  But knowing him like I do, and just from observing I can honestly say that I've seen him more nervous or happier than when he's around you."

"Really?"  Hermione said dreamily. "When you said that thing earlier about doing what you wanted I just thought of Ron and me.  We'd never admit we liked each other at school.  It just never seemed to fit into out daily routine.  Oh but in California, everything seems different and possible."
"But the other day you told me that you wanted Ron to make the move." Ginny asked.

"I don't want to waste my vacation waiting." Hermione answered, more resolutely than before.

"Alright then.  Whenever you say I can pull away Harry and Charlie.  Just don't tell me too much about it.  He is my brother." Ginny said.

"Thank you.  I won't do it right now, but maybe a little later." Hermione said, "I'd like to give him one more chance to be the man and ask me out."

Charlie and Ron looked curiously at Harry.  "What could he want?" they were thinking.

"Is there a magic shopping district?  I need a potion pretty quickly."

"Well, of course there's a magic shopping district. This is L.A.  You can buy anything!"

"What do you want to buy, Harry?" Ron asked.

Just then Ginny and Hermione emerged from the restaurant door back the outdoor dining area that the boys were seated at.

"I'll tell you later," mumbled Harry.

Ron looked up at the girls, and wondered what it could be about.  Hermione looked at him with a daring glance.  "Daring?" thought Ron, "What does she want me to do?  Does this have something to do with liking me?  Why can't I figure anything out?"

Charlie stood up when he saw the girls.  "Is everyone ready to leave?"

"Yes," they all said.

"Alright, I don't want to drive back to San Diego yet, so let's do some shopping this afternoon.  The Wizarich district has every magical store imaginable"

Hermione and Ginny jumped with excitement over this announcement.  They raced off to the car, hoping to get started sooner.

Ron, turned to Harry, expecting to be told more about his secret purchase, but Harry deiced that he'd rather not let Ron know.  "It's not important, Ron." Harry said.

Ron shrugged, a little disappointed because he knew that whatever it was, it had to be very important.  But Ron also knew not to pester Harry when he was in questionable moods. 

So Ron headed off towards the car as well.  Charlie, however, pulled Harry aside.

 "What is this plan Harry?  Before I turn you loose in the Wizarich District, I'd like to know what you plan on purchasing.  I am your chaperone after all." Charlie asked.

"Polyjuice potion. I want to see if they sell it ready made."

"Polyjuice potion!  What do you need that for?  You're Harry Potter!  People would like to turn into you!" Charlie asked, very surprised.

"I just want it for little bit." Harry said, shyly.

"Who are you going to turn into?"

'jeremytitan"  Harry mumbled.

"Sorry?  I didn't catch that."

"Jeremy Titan, ok! I want to talk to Ginny, ok" Harry said it a little louder this time.

"Why do you need to be Jeremy to do that?"

"Because she likes him"

"She likes you too." Charlie said.

"Not like that.  Not anymore." Harry was getting upset talking about it.

"So you want to do to more than talk to her?  Harry, that's a bad idea."

"I just want to kiss her once." Harry said, very defiantly.

"You can't do that, man.  It wouldn't be fair.  She'd never know you feel, she'd be thinking about Jeremy, who's never going to even remember her." Charlie said, sensibly.

"Well she's not being fair either.  First she likes me for all these years, and then one day she doesn't and she starts going out with other people.  I mean, she could have told me what was wrong with me!" Harry thought he had the hang of things. 

"Sounds like your fault.  Sounds like you should have paid her more attention.  Maybe nothings wrong with you, maybe she was just tired of waiting."

"But now I like her!  Can't she give me another chance?"
"You shouldn't be asking me, Harry."

"I never asked you for advice anyway!  I'll only use the polyjuice potion to ask her about me.  To see if she likes me a little bit.  I won't try anything else."

"It's still not a good idea, Harry.  You still should confront her yourself.  Besides, when you are around a girl you like, you can't always tell yourself what to do."

"I don't care.  I'm going to talk to her.  I have the money; I'm going to buy the potion.  You just make sure she never knows it was me."

"There are other ways you know, to get her to notice you again.  You could call upo Kindora Poppe, make her jealous.  Jealously worked on my third wife."

"How many times have you been married?"

"This is about your problems, Harry, leave mine out of it." Charlie said, "And I'd advise you not to go through with it Harry." Charlie said, turning to walk towards the car.  Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were very impatiently waiting.

Harry didn't respond to Charlie.  It wasn't any of Charlie's business, he thought.  Why was Charlie advising him?  Sirius had done that, but he had been his godfather.  Dumbledore had helped him, but even he wasn't right all the time. No, Harry couldn't think of any living adult whose opinion mattered to him right now. But he didn't need any adult guidance anymore, Harry told himself.  He had lasted so far without it. Anything Charlie had to say was worthless.  Harry had to prove to himself that he didn't need 'parenting.' Adults couldn't help him. 

Harry reached the car and opened the back seat door.  Hermione had already called shotgun. He resolutely made up his mind to buy the polyjuice, turn himself into Jeremy Titan, and kiss Ginny.  He looked sideways and saw her putting on her seatbelt. The lingering doubt in his mind vanished when she turned her head a little towards him.  He could see her pretty face, her beautiful eyes, her red lips.  He wanted to do this.