Cheering Charms

WROTE AS A TRIBUTE TO ROXANNE (REIGH EVENSTAR) FOR HER BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE H/G, BUT I DON'T CARE. BEST WISHES.


By: Icecoolers

Disclaimer: Firmly. Seriously. Truly. Verily. I made up Cheering Drafts, all else belongs to JK.

NB: Ginny's real name is not Virginia, but Ginevra according to JKR. Her middle name is Molly. You can find out this and other really interesting facts (like Dean Thomas' first draft name was Gary and he's really a half- blood) at JKR's official site. Look it up.

Summary: Pointless and plotless. This was just a chance to try out some new writing styles. Harry is a bit interested with Ginny Weasley. Ron and Hermione think he fancies her. So, he talks to her. The Cheering Charm was a moment of inspiration, lame and lamentable. I guess it's a random tangent that I just had to write. Perhaps it could symbol the beginning of something distinctly H/G? Or perhaps not. One-shot depending on reviews, mood, lethargy, and my ability to make up excuses.

-Cheering Charms were invented by Felix Summerbee (1447-1508).

-Alihotsy is a plant that makes the eater hysterical.

She was grinning again. It was that wide, happy, molar-baring smile that just lit up the room. It was worthy of Lockhart, that smile, he thought to himself. She was always smiling. She was always so happy.

He didn't like that about her. He liked a lot of things about Ginny Weasley, but it wasn't her perpetual cheer. He liked her when she was brooding in the Great Hall near the end of the Halloween Feast. He liked her when she was moodily glaring in the early morning classes. He liked her when she sullenly frowned after the late night Quidditch meetings. But, he didn't like that smile.

No one has a right to be that happy. He felt a bit guilty for thinking like that, but he truly felt that way. Ginny Weasley should not be grinning like a muggle garden gnome. Especially not on a day like this were it was raining so much and everything was just so- gloomy.

He didn't feel that happy.

Harry's eyebrows lowered in concentration as he watched her face. It wasn't a bad face to watch really. She looked too much like Ron to be pretty, her face a bit too long, hair a bit too bright. But, the thing that he really didn't like was the insufferable cheeriness. He spooned a bit of sugar into his tea and stirred it thoughtfully. What made her happy?

Hermione came and sat in the chair next to him, eyes showing evidence of lack of sleep, but she still looked busily cheery. Harry didn't particularly mind Hermione's cheer. She pulled out her color-coded study guide and grabbed a roll. He watched her concentrate on spreading strawberry jam on it. After she took the first bite she looked up and smiled.

Good old Hermione- ticked like clockwork, you could set your watch on her timing.

"Morning Harry," she said, licking a bit of jam off her thumb. "Did you finish your Potions essay?" Harry nodded and sipped a bit at his tea. A bit more sugar perhaps...ah, better. "I finished mine yesterday, but I rewrote it to include some new facts. I didn't know the Cheering Drafts were so addictive," Hermione said.

Harry thought about his earlier preoccupation with Ginny. He mulled over what Hermione was saying about Cheering Drafts. Did Ginny...? No, Cheering Drafts were for one-shot things. Ginny was just naturally happy he supposed.

"Hermione, do you mind if we talk about something else?" Harry asked, a bit bored. Hermione looked at him with a frown. She wasn't entirely sure of his temper of late, but she didn't mind really. "Well, Ron told me yesterday that he thinks you fancy someone," she said with a smile she wouldn't have used in her first year. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Ohh..? Why would he think that?" he said.

Hermione gave him a wink. "He seems to think that you have been paying another redhead too much attention recently. Actually," she said with a slight disapproving frown, "he voiced his objections rather loudly to the Common Room, you would have heard, but you were in the Library doing homework."

"A certain redhead?" Harry asked incredulously. "Does the prat think I fancy him?" Hermione glared at him a bit before shaking her head and taking another bite of toast. Harry waited patiently until she'd swallowed- Hermione wouldn't dream of talking with food in her mouth. "No, no... of course he doesn't, Harry. He thinks you like Ginny." Harry's mouth opened a bit.

"Ginny!" he said, causing Ginny and several other people to look at him. He glared at them, but lowered his voice. "Hermione, you don't think I have a crush on Ron's little sister, Ginny Weasley, do you?" Harry said dragging out Weasley and little sister. Hermione reddened a bit around her ears. She picked up a book from her bag.

"You do stare at her an awful lot," she muttered quietly into "The Advanced Book of Spells: Year 6". Harry laughed a bit. "I don't." Hermione looked up at him. "You do," she insisted, but seeing the look on Harry's face added, "But not as much as Ron thinks." Harry stared at his tea.

Were his friends insane? Ginny! Weasley? The idea was laughable.

He looked over at her again and saw her blazing display of teeth. She was talking to her friends. He watched as she took a sip from her pumpkin juice. She turned towards him. Her eyes caught his. The white expanse of teeth was still displaying, but her eyes didn't look particularly brilliant.

His tiny fascination returned. She smiled all the time during the day, but in the early mornings and evenings she was always so sullen and brooding. Did she take Cheering Drafts?

Ron plunked down beside him. Harry looked at him. "Morning Harry," Ron said a bit too cheerily and forcefully. Harry groaned.

"Ron, I do not have a crush on your baby sister," Harry said, slowly. Ron blinked owlishly. "Oh...Oh...Wait a minute! I didn't say you had a crush on my sister," Ron said, turning red. Harry sighed. "Look both of you; I'm going to class now. I'll see you in Transfig. alright?

Hermione made a vague hand gesture showing it was alright by her, and Ron, still furiously red said, "Yeah, sure...see you there."

Harry stood up, and grabbed his bag. He clapped Ron on the shoulder and walked out of the hall. That was the last thought of Ginny Weasley he had until he went up to the Common Room after Quidditch practice.

He didn't really have that much homework, and Quidditch practice ended early due to the rain. His spirits were lighter due to the thrill of being in the air, but he was a far cry from what he'd like to feel. After changing in the boys dorms he walked down to the Common Room.

It was one of those nights where everyone was swamped with homework and those that weren't were raising hell playing gobstones and having shouting matches. Harry picked his way over to the fire where one of the best armchairs was just being vacated by Seamus. He gave Harry a slight smile before walking over to Dean, who was working on the Cheering Draft essay. Harry was glad Seamus was back on speaking terms.

Harry collapsed into the chair and idly traced his finger on a tear in the plush fabric. He wished he'd brought a book down, but loathed giving up one of the best seats in the Common Room.

He looked around, bored. Ron and Hermione had their Prefect duties, so he was at a loss on what to do. He glimpsed a mop of red hair sitting across from him. He sat up a bit. Yes, there was Ginny Weasley and, Harry smiled, she wasn't smiling.

It was a total change from this morning in fact. She was sucking on the Sugar Quill she held almost morosely. Her long face was slack and weary, and her mouth was pulled into a frown. She looked rather unhappy in fact. Harry wondered what had happened. The day hadn't been all that bad had it?

"What are you thinking about Ginny?" Harry asked. Ginny's head turned slowly so her eyes met his.

"School," she said, a tiny blush creeping into her cheeks. Harry watched as it spread towards her neck. Did she still have a crush on him? It had been what... six years? And hadn't she been out with five or six other boys?

Harry gave her one of his more charming smiles, "School can't be all that bad," he said. "You look pretty bummed." Ginny shrugged, a smile tugging at her own lips. Harry watched her, fascinated. When had he last spoken with Ginny? Maybe two weeks ago? Last time he'd spoken he hadn't been fascinated with her smile.

He watched as the barest corners of her mouth upturned. Her eyes, who moments before had been gloomy, brightened so the flame that was reflecting in them from the fire was hard to distinguish from the natural shimmer. This wasn't the smile he knew usually. This was secret, reserved. Something in him said that he wouldn't mind seeing that smile more often.

At least she didn't look like a Lockhart miniature anymore.

"It's hard to be happy all the time isn't it?" she said, and raised one of her eyebrows. "Everyone wants to see you happy. Sometimes I think the only way to be happy is to use magic, don't you think?" Ginny said. The tone was ironic, and it irked Harry a bit that he didn't know what the secret was, what was so amusing.

Harry just watched her. She'd changed from last year, hadn't she? Last year she had been prominent and strong, and he'd liked to consider her one of his better friends. The summer had changed both of them a bit. Harry had mellowed out, Ginny had brightened up. They didn't have as much as they used to in common anymore. If it wasn't for the tiny blush Harry could swear she'd gotten completely over him, and that stung a bit.

But right now, he felt connected to her a bit more. He liked this surlier version on Ginny.

"What's so funny?" Ginny asked him. Harry looked at her. "I don't know...a lot of things. Right now I'm thinking of you sticking your elbow in the butter dish," he said, with a laughing smile. He wasn't making fun of her really. Ginny laughed as well before leaning across the room to slap him lightly on the shoulder.

"I was only eleven," she said, smiling that smile again. "And you were amazingly cute back then. One can only wonder... what happened?" she said. Then she burst out in giggles as Harry mock glared at her. "Well," he said. "I can remember this one time on the train last year where you were covered in mimbulus Mimbletonia sap." Ginny's eyes flicked.

"I remember that too," she said. "I also remember Cho Chang coming in and seeing you covered in it!" she said with a triumphant smirk. Harry sniffed in a way that made Ginny break into silly giggles again. Harry decided that he liked the way she laughed.

"I remember when you were bitten by a gnome and went running to Ron!" he said.

"I remember you asking me to the Yule Ball," she shot back.

"I remember that too, and I remember you went with Neville!"

"Neville's a perfect gentleman. I think you're jealous," Ginny said, smirking.

"And a terrible dancer. I remember he spilled punch on your robes."

"I remember Fred getting you to eat alihotsy! You were hysteric for hours!" she said, laughing.

"I remember you having a crush on Lockhart!" Harry shot back, wincing at the memory of the bitter tasting leaves.

Ginny's look turned slightly thoughtful. "I remember having a crush on you."

The air between them changed a bit then. Harry felt a tiny tension between them develop. Talking to Ginny didn't seem as friendly as it should have or had a moment ago.

"Yeah, that was a long time ago wasn't it?" Harry said, slightly dully. Ginny's eyes flickered imperceptibly. Her long face was a set of concentration. Her long mouth was frowning. A few strands of too red hair were falling into her eyes. "It's a good thing you've gotten over it Ginny," he said. "You're a really good friend."

Ginny gave him a half-smile and turned back to the fire, sucking on her Sugar Quill. Her profile was serene and contemplative, and she was sinking back into moodiness. Harry realized that he hadn't found out what was bugging her. He was about to ask when she said, "I'm going to get another Sugar Quill, do you want one?" Harry shook his head. "Save my seat will you?" she asked, and she disappeared up the girl's staircase.

She came back five minutes later with a Sugar Quill and- that insufferable smile. She sat down and quickly showed herself to have no thought. Harry stared at her in amazement. What had happened? Where did Ginny go?

"Snape was really mean to Colin today you know...he called him a clumsy oaf and then he-", but Ginny was cut off by a silencing motion from Harry who had a bewildered look on his face. "What just happened there Ginny?" he asked.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about Harry," she said and then smiled that truly horrible smile. Harry raised his own eyebrow in response.

"Really Ginny? Because I would say that you were about as moody as one gets and now look at you- you're like a... a mini-Lockhart!" Harry said, his voice a sharp whisper. Ginny's smile faltered for a moment and then was back in full blast, 100-watt power blinding him.

"I think it must be the Sugar Quills," she said. Harry's hand went up to frame his face and he leaned on it. "Somehow Ginny, I think it's not. What was it you said? 'Sometimes I think the only way to be happy is to use magic?' Isn't that it?" Harry said, his voice less concerned and more probing, hurtful. Ginny's smile faltered again.

"It doesn't hurt to be cheerful," she said.

"It does hurt your mind if every time you use a Cheering Charm you hide your emotions. Because then, one day, that flood is going to break out and you'll be drowned. It does because you hurt others around you with your happy mask. It does because you get addicted Ginny. Is it a Cheering Charm?" he asked. Ginny's eyes closed. Harry had to catch his breath.

She looked like a doll. She sat as a small girl with a long face, and long lashes, and a hidden smile in the corner of her mouth. She didn't move or open her eyes for a long time.

"I just want to be happy," she said quietly. "When I'm happy so are other people. When I'm happy I don't need to feel bad. Am I bad Harry?" she said quietly. He shook his head. He reached out and took one of her hands. "Ginny...Ginny...Ginny," he said. She smiled that smile. The secret one.

"You won't tell anyone," she said. "I'll stop. I swear."

Harry nodded. "I don't like any smile but the one you use when you're normal. It's real, you know." And Ginny nodded.

They were talking when Ron and Hermione came back, looking irritated and tired. Hermione's eyes were slightly glazed as she searched to solve an unknown problem. Ron yawned loudly. He walked over to Harry and clapped him on the shoulder and then ruffled Ginny's hair in a way that made her slap his hand. Ron gave a sleepy mumble and sat on the side of Harry's pouf.

"Knew you two were together," he said, yawning. "Thought you cou- cou- cou- ", he yawned. "Thought you could pull the wool over my eyes did you? Well, you didn't so, so," his speech was punctuated by another yawn. He grinned amiably and sauntered off, weaving oddly. He was half-way up the boy's dorms stairs when there was a cry of "Wait a minute! Get away from my sister!"

After consoling Ron for a half an hour Harry and Ginny were in fits of giggles. The look on Ron's face as he shouted at them and the disbelief when he heard what they had to say was just so- funny to Harry and Ginny.

He finally stormed off to the 6th year boy's dorm and, from the scandalized shouts, had woken everyone. Harry turned to Ginny and she smiled that slow, languid smile. He affectionately tugged one of her long curls. She pulled a face that made him laugh even harder.

"It was really nice to be back on friendly terms with you Ginny," Harry said with a smile to match hers. "I'd forgotten what good company you were."

"Yeah, Harry, it is for me too. But I didn't forget. You remember to talk to me tomorrow after Quidditch Practice or I will never forgive you," she said.

Harry nodded and walked up to his dorm room and his waiting bed, with its covers still unmade. He lay down on his pillow and rolled over. Then he looked up at the canopy over it.

Ginny Weasley. The idea wasn't so laughable.