PART 2
She has grown more beautiful over the summer, Dean thought as he watched Ginny walk over to him with Hermione's cat in her arms. She has her hair in a ponytail and she smiled warmly at him as she drew near.
"Hi Dean! Had a good summer?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah! It was fun! How bout you? What have you been doing all summer long?" said Dean, smiling warmly at her. She looks even better close-up, he thought. And she's accumulated a tan. "Looks like you've been spending a lot of time under the sun."
"Yes, I have. Harry, my brothers, and I were usually outdoors playing Quidditch." said Ginny, laughing.
He suddenly remembered that Harry was right behind her when she got out of the compartment. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he forgot. Dean lifted his eyes for a moment to catch a glimpse of Harry and greet him. He caught sight of him, and started slightly.
Harry Potter was staring at Ginny with an odd look on his face, then he turned and their eyes met. Harry just looked blankly at him.
"Hey, Harry!" Dean called out, waving at him. Ginny turned around and looked over at Harry.
Harry just looked at the both of them for a moment then broke into a smile. "Hey there, Dean!" he said, raising his hand. He grinned at the both of them and went out of the train.
"Let's go, Ginny." said Dean, leading her to the doors, "Do you want me to carry her for you?", nodding at the squirming form of Crookshanks.
"Oh, no! It's quite alright, really. And besides, she'll only scratch you if I hand her over. Her color matches her temper!" she said in an amused voice.
They stepped down onto the platform and heard the familiar call of "Firs' years over here. . . firs' years . . ." by Hagrid. They moved forward onto the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade Station where the carriages were waiting.
"Come on, there's Seamus and the others. They already got a carriage." said Dean, nodding at the direction of his friends. He turned to her and gazed at the cat in her arms, "Or, am I already getting ahead of myself? Would you ride with us?"
"Sure!" said Ginny, "Just give me a minute. I have to hand Crookshanks over to Hermione. "She left Dean's side to go and look for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Ginny scanned the crowd for the Trio and saw them waiting near a bunch of third year students from Ravenclaw. She immediately walked over to them.
"There you are!" said Hermione, as she caught sight of her. She relieved Ginny of the cat. "Thanks! Come on, let's get a carriage before they all fill up . . ."
"You guys go on ahead," said Ginny, "I'm going to ride with Dean and the others. I'll see you back at the castle!" She started to turn away when Ron's voice stopped her.
"What?!" Ron said "You've only been here for about 20 minutes and you're already -" he waved his hand furiously at the direction of Dean, " - out on a - on a - date !"
"If riding in a carriage is your idea of a date, Ron," said Ginny, the corner of her mouth twitching, "then I deeply sympathize with the girl your going to ask out!" She cast a sly glance on Hermione.
"If you think you're being - "
"Honestly, Ron!" said Hermione in an exasperated voice. "Will you stop harping on about it! You - " pointing at a grinning Ginny, "just go!" Ginny laughed and waving, she walked away from them.
"Why did you stop me?!" said Ron, turning on Hermione, "I wanted to talk to her some more!"
"Talk to her? You mean snarl at her! And what are you going to tell her? Surely, not your blessing!" she said sarcastically. Hermione headed off toward the nearest unoccupied coach, Ron trailing behind her. They were at each others throats once again.
Harry sighed. He cast a glance at the direction Ginny went off, and saw her getting on a carriage with Dean holding the door for her. And with a slight frown on his face, he followed Ron and Hermione.
She has grown more beautiful over the summer, Dean thought as he watched Ginny walk over to him with Hermione's cat in her arms. She has her hair in a ponytail and she smiled warmly at him as she drew near.
"Hi Dean! Had a good summer?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah! It was fun! How bout you? What have you been doing all summer long?" said Dean, smiling warmly at her. She looks even better close-up, he thought. And she's accumulated a tan. "Looks like you've been spending a lot of time under the sun."
"Yes, I have. Harry, my brothers, and I were usually outdoors playing Quidditch." said Ginny, laughing.
He suddenly remembered that Harry was right behind her when she got out of the compartment. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he forgot. Dean lifted his eyes for a moment to catch a glimpse of Harry and greet him. He caught sight of him, and started slightly.
Harry Potter was staring at Ginny with an odd look on his face, then he turned and their eyes met. Harry just looked blankly at him.
"Hey, Harry!" Dean called out, waving at him. Ginny turned around and looked over at Harry.
Harry just looked at the both of them for a moment then broke into a smile. "Hey there, Dean!" he said, raising his hand. He grinned at the both of them and went out of the train.
"Let's go, Ginny." said Dean, leading her to the doors, "Do you want me to carry her for you?", nodding at the squirming form of Crookshanks.
"Oh, no! It's quite alright, really. And besides, she'll only scratch you if I hand her over. Her color matches her temper!" she said in an amused voice.
They stepped down onto the platform and heard the familiar call of "Firs' years over here. . . firs' years . . ." by Hagrid. They moved forward onto the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade Station where the carriages were waiting.
"Come on, there's Seamus and the others. They already got a carriage." said Dean, nodding at the direction of his friends. He turned to her and gazed at the cat in her arms, "Or, am I already getting ahead of myself? Would you ride with us?"
"Sure!" said Ginny, "Just give me a minute. I have to hand Crookshanks over to Hermione. "She left Dean's side to go and look for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Ginny scanned the crowd for the Trio and saw them waiting near a bunch of third year students from Ravenclaw. She immediately walked over to them.
"There you are!" said Hermione, as she caught sight of her. She relieved Ginny of the cat. "Thanks! Come on, let's get a carriage before they all fill up . . ."
"You guys go on ahead," said Ginny, "I'm going to ride with Dean and the others. I'll see you back at the castle!" She started to turn away when Ron's voice stopped her.
"What?!" Ron said "You've only been here for about 20 minutes and you're already -" he waved his hand furiously at the direction of Dean, " - out on a - on a - date !"
"If riding in a carriage is your idea of a date, Ron," said Ginny, the corner of her mouth twitching, "then I deeply sympathize with the girl your going to ask out!" She cast a sly glance on Hermione.
"If you think you're being - "
"Honestly, Ron!" said Hermione in an exasperated voice. "Will you stop harping on about it! You - " pointing at a grinning Ginny, "just go!" Ginny laughed and waving, she walked away from them.
"Why did you stop me?!" said Ron, turning on Hermione, "I wanted to talk to her some more!"
"Talk to her? You mean snarl at her! And what are you going to tell her? Surely, not your blessing!" she said sarcastically. Hermione headed off toward the nearest unoccupied coach, Ron trailing behind her. They were at each others throats once again.
Harry sighed. He cast a glance at the direction Ginny went off, and saw her getting on a carriage with Dean holding the door for her. And with a slight frown on his face, he followed Ron and Hermione.