Hermione sat in a chair, staring into space, while Ginny repetitively hit herself in the head with a book that kept saying "ouch" on contact. Harry and Ron sat on the floor in the corner trying to make sense of whatever it was happened half an hour prior. "I just don't get it! Her and Cho…Malfoy said…Gemna and…and…oh, Harry, the world's gone mad! And now…Myrtle? Moaning Myrtle? What could she possibly have to talk about with her? I just…."
"Shut up Ron!" Harry yelled at Ron before he could say another syllable. "Look," he continued, "I'm sorry to yell at you like that, but you were going mental. I know it's a little shocking that Gemna made instant friends with my ex, is currently talking to a ghost in a toilet, and is going for a walk with 'Draco' after dinner…all right, so it's a lot shocking. But that's her choice. We got to accept it. Besides, for all we know she could be doing it just to be nice and then never talk to him again."
"We can always hope," Ginny added as she sat down next to them.
"Yeah," said Hermione as she, too, walked over. "It's just a walk. What could happen?" They all looked at each other for a moment without saying anything. "Invisibility cloak?"
Harry nodded. "Definitely. Malfoy's not taking advantage of her as long as we're around."
"Hello Gemna! So nice to see you again." Myrtle flew done from the window ledge and floated in front of Gemna. "Are you enjoying your time with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny?"
"Oh, yes, Myrtle. They're exactly as you described them. Thank you for helping with that situation. I can't believe you actually saw Harry nude!" Gemna and Myrtle giggled.
"Yes, and he's only grown more attractive since that night in his fourth year…so I overheard Draco Malfoy bragging in the Slytherin bathroom that he and you were, sorry if I'm wrong, dating?" Myrtle asked.
She laughed. "Oh, was he? I just thought I could get to know by accepting his invitation to go for a walk around the lake after dinner. I don't think he's…you know. That guy I mentioned earlier."
"Neither do I. I mean, he could be, but I doubt it. I once was in the drain pipe when he took a shower; you wouldn't believe how much hair gel that boy uses!" The two of them laughed. So much of that junk got stuck in the drain that it overflowed the next day! It was rather hysterical."
"I'm sure. Hey, Myrtle, you wouldn't be able to get me a few things, would you?"
At dinner that night, everyone was talking about Gemna. Slytherin gossiping over Malfoy's "date" with her later, Ravenclaw obsessing over her superior fashion sense, Hufflepuff discussing her superior skills and organizational techniques, and Gryffindor debating over what hex she would cast on Malfoy if he tried anything with her. About the only ones not discussing gossip or rumors were Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Gemna. They were too focused on what to do tomorrow; it was the only way to keep themselves from letting slip their plan to spy on her later. "Well," she said, "I think I've seen enough of the school for now. I can figure out the rest later on. Tomorrow I'd like to spend some time with you guys. I'm so sorry I ran off with Myrtle today, and I really would like to get to know you all better." Ron and Harry were very pleased to hear this but didn't show any closer a sign of it than the girls.
"I think that would be lovely," Hermione replied. "So you can get to know each of us well enough, I'll set up a general schedule with what times work best for each person. I'll put it by your bed tonight for when you get back from…"
"Gemna!" Malfoy had just walked over and interrupted Hermione; not that he cared. "Ready to go?"
Gemna put her fork and napkin down and stood up. "I'll see you guys later!" she shouted, walking away with Malfoy.
"Come on guys," Harry said as he got up. "We got to go follow her now. Good thing I brought the cloak with me," he raised his hand with the cloak in it and motioned for the rest to follow. They put the cloak on behind a tree outside where no one would notice and set off after their new friend.
After walking in silence for a few minutes, Malfoy put his arm around Gemna's shoulder. Though she certainly noticed and didn't particularly care for it, she didn't react about it, attempting to find out what was on his mind. "So…" he said. "Um, what was Romania like? How was it going to an all-girls school? I heard R.U.M.A. was one of the finest in the world."
"Oh, Romania is gorgeous! When the sun sets there, it's like the universe is concentrating all its love on making it beautiful." As she said this, the two of them sat down under an apple tree and looked at the sun setting on the horizon. "R.U.M.A. is a fine school, so is Hogwarts," she continued. "Going to an all girls school gets boring after a while. No one to date; well, for most of the girls." They laughed at this. "Not that there's anything wrong with it; I'd just prefer to have a boy friend."
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting on the other side of the tree, trying to be as quiet as possible. "Oh no, she's provoking him like poking a lion with a stick!" Ron said quietly as the others gave him odd looks. "We gotta do somethin'…."
He went to get up, but Hermione grabbed him and pulled him down. "Don't you dare," she hissed at him. "If we do anything now, we'll never find out what either one of them is up to!" They listened more carefully and Ginny kept a grip on Ron's shoulders to keep him from getting up.
"So, Draco, are you friends with Harry?" Gemna asked.
"Potter? He hates me. I only wanted to be his friend but every time I try, he tries to kill me!" He responded, hoping to get an affectionate response.
"What?! Why that little…." Harry almost dived at Malfoy, had it not been for Hermione holding him back. "Let…me...go…."
"No! I'm not letting you ruin this! Tomorrow we can set her strait on any lies, don't worry." Harry glared at Hermione for a second before coming to his senses and sitting back down.
Gemna's reaction was as Malfoy hoped. "Aw, Draco," she said hugging him. "I'll talk to him tomorrow about it. He's been really sweet to me and I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you a chance if I asked him to. He's a wonderful guy, really." This made Harry feel much better, but Malfoy was now a bit nervous.
He pulled away from the hug and said, "No, no, it's quite alright. You don't need to do that. Enough about Potter anyway; tell me about you. How are things different here than from Romania?"
"Romania, right…."
The conversation continued into the night with talk of Romania, Hogsmeade and Diagon Ally, experience in dating, and guesses on what classes will be like on Monday. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione found it much like watching a play. They were about to head back to Gryffindor, Ron noticed an odd silence and suggested they wait. Sure enough, just as Gemna was standing up to leave, Malfoy put his arm around her and kissed her. "That son of a bitch!" Ron yelled as quietly as he could.
"Ron! Watch your mouth! Though this is repulsive," Hermione said as Ginny giggled and Harry clenched his fists, "Gemna can take care of herself, I'm sure…I hope."
Sure enough, Gemna stopped him. "Draco," she told him as she pulled away, "I really don't think you should have done that…."
"No!" Malfoy actually had a scared look on his face. "Please don't say it. I'm sorry. Please don't say what I think you're gonna say. You're just so irresistible, I couldn't help myself!"
"Draco!" She stopped him. "I'm not going to say this isn't going to work because I don't know you well enough to make any decision about a possible relationship with you. I just think maybe we could be friends for now. Friends, okay? That's not so bad, is it? Did you say I was irresistible?" Malfoy looked down and nodded. Gemna giggled. "Um, thank you. That's very sweet. I'm sorry to leave like this but it's late and I told the others I'd see them later tonight. I don't want to let them down. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow then, 'right?"
"Uh, right. Thanks for the wonderful time. You're like an angel."
"I wouldn't say that…but your company was nice, as well. I got to go back now. See you later Draco!" Gemna hugged him and went back to the dorm.
Malfoy sat down under the tree and put his head in his hands. "Is Malfoy…crying?" Ron asked rhetorically. Indeed he was. Malfoy was sobbing like a baby.
"How could I be so stupid?" He said quietly out loud. "She could never love someone like me. I must do everything I can to get her to like me!" He got up and ran back to Slytherin.
"I don't like the sound of that," Hermione said. The others agreed. "We better hurry back to the common room before Gemna gets there." The four of them took off the cloak when no one was looking and ran all the way back, taking every short cut they knew.
Somehow they managed to get there before Gemna and sat down as if they'd been there all night. "Hi guys," Gemna said as she walked in. They greeted her, doing their best not to sound suspicious.
"Hey Gemna, how was your date? Oops! I mean…" Everyone glared at Ron.
Gemna laughed. "It's okay, I know what you meant. It was okay. He told some obvious lies about you, Harry, and he kissed me, but I handled it." Harry, for some reason he couldn't explain, felt proud. Like when your dog wins a dog show. It's not you, but someone you care about still had a good time. "Well, I'm going to bed."
"Goodnight," Ginny said.
"G'night," Ron and Harry said together.
"Goodnight. I'll be up in a few," Hermione told her.
"Goodnight guys. Oh, and Hermione, don't worry about that schedule. I know you didn't get around to it. See you all in the morning." As Gemna walked up the stairs, the others looked at each other and sank into their chairs with guilt.