Bring Back The Sun
04. Unbalanced Hormones
Are you waking up
Holding your breath
Are you looking for something
I promise you one thing
I promise I'll always
Always be there
If Ginny realized that Harry was staring at her all through dinner, she didn't show it. If Hermione noticed that Neville was wearing a suit and bow tie in her honor, she didn't comment. Ron and the twins, the only partially sane of the bunch, were looking around the table as if they were on a foreign planet.
"Didn't it used to be that Ginny stared at Harry?" Fred asked in a hushed whisper as desert was put on the table.
"Yeah. What the hell happened?" Ron questioned, glancing across the table at his best friend, who had a dazed expression on his face.
"Obviously, she grew up," Hermione answered haughtily, "It's nice of someone to notice."
"I noticed," Neville piped up, though Ron wasn't sure he was just saying that to make Hermione happy, or if he actually had noticed. In any case, Ron wasn't too keen on his sister being the topic of discussion, particularly when it had to with Harry having romantic feelings for her, so he switched gears.
"How's the joke shop coming? Have you opened it yet?"
"Ron. We've told you a million times, you're INVITED to the opening ceremony. We wouldn't have it without you." George helped himself to liberal amounts of pudding.
"I know, but every time I want to change the subject, I go to that. It's safe."
Judging by the look of contempt on Mrs. Weasley's face when the joke shop was mentioned, it wasn't a safe subject, but as it wasn't breeched any further, no one got hurt.
Hermione noticed Mrs. Weasley tense beside her so she spoke up, "Mrs. Weasley, this dinner was wonderful! Not nearly as good as what they give us at Hogwarts!"
Ron, Harry, Ginny, Neville and the twins all stared at her as if she had lost her mind. She shrugged and sunk lower in her chair.
"Speaking of Hogwarts," Mrs. Weasley cast an angry look at the twins, who smiled at her as if nothing were wrong.
"Mum!" Ginny hollered suddenly, pushing her chair back and knocking it to the floor. Harry bent and righted it, all the while watching Ginny with interest. "I was supposed to send an owl to Luna. Is it all right if she comes to stay with us for the rest of the holidays?"
Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Mrs. Weasley cut him off, "That's fine, dear." She waved her youngest child off and turned to her husband. "Arthur. Will you kindly ask your sons to de-gnome the garden after dinner? I would ask, but they never listen to me."
Mr. Weasley looked at his sons with a perplexed expression on his face, "Boys, your mother---"
"We heard her, Dad," Fred muttered, standing and taking his plate to the sink. He'd have sent it there by magic, but had already received death glares previous nights for doing just that.
George, Ron and Harry followed suit and the four of them went out into the garden, leaving Neville and Hermione as the only young adults at the table.
"Neville," Hermione said gently after a few moments silence, "Why don't we go for a walk."
Neville jumped from the table and hightailed it do the kitchen door, Hermione walking slowly behind him. It was obvious, at least to Mrs. Weasley, that Hermione liked Neville, but there was no evidence to support the theory of her liking him as more than just a friend.
Ron was looking around the side of the house as the two dark figures crossed his lawn, headed towards the hill. He gawked, "Harry. I think Neville and Hermione are on a----romantic----walk."
Harry squeezed beside him between a bush, "No way." He glanced up at the well-lit house and turned to Ron, "Do you suppose you'd allow me to take Ginny on one?"
"No," Ron said blandly, holding a smile back, "Not unless you want me to jinx you into next year."
"Point taken," Harry replied, nodding. "Do you suppose once you and Luna get together, you'll allow me to ask Ginny out?"
"HARRY!" Ron yelled angrily, "You must have lost your mind!"
"It's possible," Harry allowed, "Either that or I'm joking." He winked, "You can figure out which one, and get back to me." With that, he strolled off towards the garden where Fred had just pounced on a little figure running away from him.