The two siblings raced to the Quidditch Pitch, Ginny winning narrowly. The
rest of the team were already in the air, warming up. Just as Ginny took
off to join her fellow Chasers, Ron called out to her, just loud enough so
only she could hear. "Was that about Hermione being in love with me?"
Ginny squeaked as she tumbled from her broom back to the ground. Her trip didn't go unnoticed by her team mates. Snickers followed her as she stood up, and dusted herself off.
"You ok, Gin?" Harry called, trying to mask the concern on his face. Unbeknownst to himself, but fairly obvious to the rest of the Gryffindor population (Seamus and Dean had a betting pool of about twelve galleons by now), Harry was beginning to see Ginny in a different light. That is, not just as Ron's little sister.
"I'm fine, Harry," she replied, before turning on Ron. "Where did you hear that!?" she hissed. Her brother grinned smugly. "I have my sources."
Ginny advanced on him, wielding her broomstick like a baseball bat. "Ron, I swear, if you think this is some kind of joke, I'll." Ginny didn't get to finish, as Harry had flown down, and landed nimbly beside them. "What's going on?" He looked from Ginny to Ron, then back again. "Are you guys alright?"
"Yes. Fine, Harry," Ginny smiled sweetly, a stark contrast from the daggers she had been giving Ron. Turning back to her brother, she added, "This discussion is not over," she said, poking him in the chest to emphasise her point, before taking off swiftly.
Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron, who just shook his head. "Women," he muttered, before mounting his broom, and following Ginny up into the air. Harry, completely baffled by his friends' behaviour, shrugged his shoulders, and resumed searching for the Snitch.
* * *
Ginny was furious as she took to the air. If my git-of-a-brother thinks this is some kind of game., she snarled in her mind. She heaved the Quaffle she had been carrying at the Quidditch Hoops, deliberately aiming for Ron's head.
"Ginny, calm down!" Ron shouted across the pitch, as he caught the Quaffle, just before it slammed into him. He threw the ball back into play, realising too late, as Ginny intercepted it, that she would do nothing of the sort. She flung it back at Ron, harder than she had the first time. The Quaffle drove into Ron's chest, winding him. The other chasers and the two beaters hovered several metres away, quietly wagering which of the Weasley's would win.
Harry watched the pair from afar. He shook his head at their antics, before flying down to break it up. Ron and Ginny, were by now, locked in battle, as Ginny pelted Quaffles and Ron fended them off. They were showing their Chaser and Keeper skills at their best.
"Ginny!" Harry yelled, just as she was about to throw yet another missile at her irksome brother.
"What!?" Spinning madly, she threw the Quaffle, so that Harry had to duck quickly out of the way. Ginny gasped, "Sorry, Harry." "That's enough, Gin. Go take a shower, and cool off. Whatever Ron's done, take it out on him later. Its too late in the year to find a new Keeper," he said quietly, with half a smile curving his lips, in the way Ginny loved.
Contemplating protest, Ginny opened her mouth to argue, only to find Harry's hand over her lips to stop her. "He deserves it," she mumbled into his palm, tickling him with her lips. Harry blushed slightly at the sensation, before replying, "Im sure he does, but later. Go." He retrieved his hand, blushing again at, albeit briefly, touching her, before flying off to resume practice.
Ginny resigned to her fate, and descended from the air, in the direction of the showers. It didn't occur to her until later that Ron hadn't actually done anything.yet.
* * *
"What's Ginny so mad about anyway?" Harry asked when practice had finished. He and Ron were packing away the Quidditch equipment. "Harry, I haven't done anything," Ron protested. "No; she just wanted to take your head off, on a whim," "I just told her I had heard something, and she completely over reacted. Honestly, some people." Harry gave him an odd sideways glance. "You have no idea how much you just sounded like Hermione, just then." "Hermione?" Ron paled. "What about Hermione? This has nothing to do with her," Harry looked at his friend as if he had grown another head, pondering his odd reaction. "I just said you sounder like her," "Oh,"
They finished packing the equipment in silence and strode off back to the castle, until Ron asked nervously, "Do you like Hermione, Harry?" "Sure, she's one of my best friends," "No, not like that. Do you like her as." Ron gulped. "As a girlfriend?" Ron could barely look at Harry, for fear of his answer, and was startled to see amusement in his eyes. "You mean, the way you like her? No, I don't like her like that," he replied mischievously.
"I don't love Hermione," "I never said that," "You were thinking it. I don't love Hermione!" "Liar," Harry grinned. "Yeah, well, so what if I am!?" Ron unknowingly admitted. His crystalline blue eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. "I'm.I'm in love with Hermione?" Harry just grinned and clapped him on the back, "Head over heels, mate," "What do I do?" "As if I would know. I reckon you should tell her," Ron turned this over in his mind. He already knew Hermione loved him back. "Or." he said, grinning wolfishly, "I could make things more interesting," The grin on Harry's face dropped. "What?"
By now they had reached the castle and stopped in the main entrance. Ron glanced around quickly, to see if anyone was listening. "Last night, I overheard Ginny and Hermione talking. Hermione said.she said that." Ron stumbled for the words, before blurting, "She said she's in love with me," "And Ginny was mad at you, because you told her you knew?" Ron nodded. He was actually starting to wonder how Harry somehow always managed to turn the conversation onto Ginny.
A concerned look crossed Harry's face. "What do you mean, 'Make it interesting'?" "Well, when I was listening." "Spying, you mean," Harry interrupted. "Ok, when I was spying, she didn't exactly seem like she was in any hurry to tell me about it. I just thought it would be interesting to see how long it takes before she cracks. I mean, really," Ron said loftily, " How can she possibly resist me?"
Harry snorted. "Whatever, mate. But remember: First, don't hurt her, or I may have to hurt you." Ron looked sceptically at the shorter boy, and grinned. "And second: Never underestimate women." Ron nodded, still smirking at the image of Harry beating him up, and the pair walked away to the Great Hall for Dinner.
Ginny squeaked as she tumbled from her broom back to the ground. Her trip didn't go unnoticed by her team mates. Snickers followed her as she stood up, and dusted herself off.
"You ok, Gin?" Harry called, trying to mask the concern on his face. Unbeknownst to himself, but fairly obvious to the rest of the Gryffindor population (Seamus and Dean had a betting pool of about twelve galleons by now), Harry was beginning to see Ginny in a different light. That is, not just as Ron's little sister.
"I'm fine, Harry," she replied, before turning on Ron. "Where did you hear that!?" she hissed. Her brother grinned smugly. "I have my sources."
Ginny advanced on him, wielding her broomstick like a baseball bat. "Ron, I swear, if you think this is some kind of joke, I'll." Ginny didn't get to finish, as Harry had flown down, and landed nimbly beside them. "What's going on?" He looked from Ginny to Ron, then back again. "Are you guys alright?"
"Yes. Fine, Harry," Ginny smiled sweetly, a stark contrast from the daggers she had been giving Ron. Turning back to her brother, she added, "This discussion is not over," she said, poking him in the chest to emphasise her point, before taking off swiftly.
Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron, who just shook his head. "Women," he muttered, before mounting his broom, and following Ginny up into the air. Harry, completely baffled by his friends' behaviour, shrugged his shoulders, and resumed searching for the Snitch.
* * *
Ginny was furious as she took to the air. If my git-of-a-brother thinks this is some kind of game., she snarled in her mind. She heaved the Quaffle she had been carrying at the Quidditch Hoops, deliberately aiming for Ron's head.
"Ginny, calm down!" Ron shouted across the pitch, as he caught the Quaffle, just before it slammed into him. He threw the ball back into play, realising too late, as Ginny intercepted it, that she would do nothing of the sort. She flung it back at Ron, harder than she had the first time. The Quaffle drove into Ron's chest, winding him. The other chasers and the two beaters hovered several metres away, quietly wagering which of the Weasley's would win.
Harry watched the pair from afar. He shook his head at their antics, before flying down to break it up. Ron and Ginny, were by now, locked in battle, as Ginny pelted Quaffles and Ron fended them off. They were showing their Chaser and Keeper skills at their best.
"Ginny!" Harry yelled, just as she was about to throw yet another missile at her irksome brother.
"What!?" Spinning madly, she threw the Quaffle, so that Harry had to duck quickly out of the way. Ginny gasped, "Sorry, Harry." "That's enough, Gin. Go take a shower, and cool off. Whatever Ron's done, take it out on him later. Its too late in the year to find a new Keeper," he said quietly, with half a smile curving his lips, in the way Ginny loved.
Contemplating protest, Ginny opened her mouth to argue, only to find Harry's hand over her lips to stop her. "He deserves it," she mumbled into his palm, tickling him with her lips. Harry blushed slightly at the sensation, before replying, "Im sure he does, but later. Go." He retrieved his hand, blushing again at, albeit briefly, touching her, before flying off to resume practice.
Ginny resigned to her fate, and descended from the air, in the direction of the showers. It didn't occur to her until later that Ron hadn't actually done anything.yet.
* * *
"What's Ginny so mad about anyway?" Harry asked when practice had finished. He and Ron were packing away the Quidditch equipment. "Harry, I haven't done anything," Ron protested. "No; she just wanted to take your head off, on a whim," "I just told her I had heard something, and she completely over reacted. Honestly, some people." Harry gave him an odd sideways glance. "You have no idea how much you just sounded like Hermione, just then." "Hermione?" Ron paled. "What about Hermione? This has nothing to do with her," Harry looked at his friend as if he had grown another head, pondering his odd reaction. "I just said you sounder like her," "Oh,"
They finished packing the equipment in silence and strode off back to the castle, until Ron asked nervously, "Do you like Hermione, Harry?" "Sure, she's one of my best friends," "No, not like that. Do you like her as." Ron gulped. "As a girlfriend?" Ron could barely look at Harry, for fear of his answer, and was startled to see amusement in his eyes. "You mean, the way you like her? No, I don't like her like that," he replied mischievously.
"I don't love Hermione," "I never said that," "You were thinking it. I don't love Hermione!" "Liar," Harry grinned. "Yeah, well, so what if I am!?" Ron unknowingly admitted. His crystalline blue eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. "I'm.I'm in love with Hermione?" Harry just grinned and clapped him on the back, "Head over heels, mate," "What do I do?" "As if I would know. I reckon you should tell her," Ron turned this over in his mind. He already knew Hermione loved him back. "Or." he said, grinning wolfishly, "I could make things more interesting," The grin on Harry's face dropped. "What?"
By now they had reached the castle and stopped in the main entrance. Ron glanced around quickly, to see if anyone was listening. "Last night, I overheard Ginny and Hermione talking. Hermione said.she said that." Ron stumbled for the words, before blurting, "She said she's in love with me," "And Ginny was mad at you, because you told her you knew?" Ron nodded. He was actually starting to wonder how Harry somehow always managed to turn the conversation onto Ginny.
A concerned look crossed Harry's face. "What do you mean, 'Make it interesting'?" "Well, when I was listening." "Spying, you mean," Harry interrupted. "Ok, when I was spying, she didn't exactly seem like she was in any hurry to tell me about it. I just thought it would be interesting to see how long it takes before she cracks. I mean, really," Ron said loftily, " How can she possibly resist me?"
Harry snorted. "Whatever, mate. But remember: First, don't hurt her, or I may have to hurt you." Ron looked sceptically at the shorter boy, and grinned. "And second: Never underestimate women." Ron nodded, still smirking at the image of Harry beating him up, and the pair walked away to the Great Hall for Dinner.