Chapter 2- Dinner Announcements
"Eighteen months, Hermione, eighteen months," Ginny said with a scowl on her face and a spoon in her hand. She dug the spoon viciously into the half gallon carton of mint 'n' cookie ice cream. "Why didn't I see it? How is it that I never see?"
"Because you always date smart guys who hide these things well," Hermione observed.
"Well I give up," Ginny said through a mouthful of taffy, "I'm never going to find the right guy."
"Oh, don't say that. Just give it some time, Gin. Maybe I can set you up with someone. There's the manager at the bookstore; I can talk to him and-"
"No, not yet, I think I need some time for me first. Maybe I'll get a flat. I've been able to save a lot, since I still live at home," Ginny rolled her eyes. Pathetic, Ginny thought to herself.
"That sounds like a great idea. Maybe you can get a place closer to work."
Ginny contemplated. "I don't want to work at The Leaky Cauldron anymore. All those drunks and Hogwarts students wasting my time trying to sneak a fire whiskey; I think I'll quit," Ginny ended decisively.
Hermione, who had been in the middle of drinking her pumpkin juice when Ginny said the last part, spat everywhere and caught her breath after coughing. "You have to work Ginny. I know you have had a hard night, but you can't just quit."
"Sure I can. I'll find something else and don't worry; I'll give them two weeks notice."
"Do you have the funds if you move out of the Burrow?" Hermione brought up.
"Yeah, I do," Ginny liked her ideas more and more.
Ginny's plans became a reality one month after the big break up. Theo had only tried to get in touch with her once, about one week after breaking her heart, but Arthur hung up on him before Ginny had the chance to deny the offensive call herself.
Ginny ended up working at The Leaky Cauldron for three weeks, just long enough to train a new waitress, and took her last week at the Burrow packing and going to second hand stores to get furniture for her new place. Ginny had found an apartment just outside of Diagon Alley that was a great price, even if it was a muggle flat.
"My baby girl on her own," Molly kept saying that last week with Ginny at home. Molly packed up all of the old dishes she had kept, and pots, mixing bowls, a tea set, sheets, blankets, and anything she thought her baby might need. "Now I'm giving you some floo powder so you feel free to come home any time you need to, oh, and-"
"Mum, relax, I'm going to London not Moscow." It was always nice to know her family cared, but a person could only take so much. It took Ginny three days to put everything where she wanted it. At least I've gotten the ice cream weight off, Ginny told herself when it was all done, but she noticed that without a job she had all day to eat junk food and watch the television her father had found for her.
In two weeks flat, Ginny was addicted to three different day time soap operas, a dating show, and had gained 10 pounds (about 5 Kg) off of Honeydukes Chocolate. In her third week in the flat, Ginny finally decided she needed some form of work. She didn't want to dwindle her savings before having a means to support herself. She got into a nice pair of Smoky gray slacks and a blouse. When she got into Diagon Alley, she had three-quartered sleeve v-neck fitted robes that she would put over the muggle clothing.
Ginny analyzed her reflection and decided to add a pearl necklace, which she almost decided against since she had gotten it from Theo on their one year anniversary. Now she gave off a look of professionalism and elegance. "Knock 'em dead," she said to herself. Just before leaving Ginny saw Pig fly in and land on the couch. She opened the parchment from Hermione asking if she'd like to join them for dinner that Friday night. Ginny grabbed a quill and ink, wrote "sure" on the back and sent Pig on his way.
That Friday Ginny arrived at Ron and Hermione's house rather early since she still didn't have anything to really do with her time. Hermione was in the kitchen getting dinner ready. "Do you need any help?" Ginny offered.
"No, I've got it," Hermione said, flicking her wand to get the carrots chopping. "How's job hunting?"
"Not so good," Ginny took a piece of chocolate out of her purse and started munching. "I really don't know what I want to do. I want to feel like I'm making peoples' lives better, but nothing really has any appeal toward that."
"We're eating in less than an hour, Ginny," Hermione pointed out rather moodily causing Ginny to put the rest of the chocolate back in her hand bag. "Besides, in the long run it only makes you feel worse. You'll find something soon I'm sure," Hermione said, finally getting back on topic.
"I hope so," Ginny said, taking the last taste of chocolate from the roof of her mouth.
Soon the subject shifted and they discussed what was going on with the Ministry, and all the cut backs they were taking. Hermione told Ginny about Remus Lupin being appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts, which delighted Ginny. "I can't believe Professor Dumbledore is finally retiring, though," Ginny said.
"They say he might be voted in to Minister of Magic, wouldn't that be great for them."
"Yeah it would," Ginny said.
"Hey you two, where's Ron?" Harry came into the kitchen and made himself at home by pouring a cup of Pumpkin Juice.
"Harry James Potter, you put that back right now!" Hermione demanded. Harry poured the juice back into the pitcher.
"Sorry I just thought it-"
"If you were thinking you wouldn't have done that!" Hermione grabbed the pitcher from him and put it back into the refrigerator. "Honestly between you and Ginny we might as well skip dinner."
"Goodness, Hermione, have you been taking lessons from my mum?" Ginny asked.
Hermione softened her tone and expression. "Sorry, I just haven't been feeling well lately. As to your question, Harry, Ron will be home-"
"Now," Ron said, going over to his wife giving her a light peck on the cheek. Ginny couldn't help but feel slightly jealous that they had each other. Ron looked over to Harry. "I had to work late tonight, there was a demand for investigating a half chicken half dragon creature," he said, finishing Hermione's explanation. Ron had taken a position in the Department for Control of Magical Creatures with the Ministry. "When are we eating?"
"Patience, Ronald, it will be done in a minute, why don't you set the table?" Hermione said checking on the stew she had made.
The other three went into the dining room and got the table ready. "What is up with Hermione?" Ginny asked Ron.
Ron blushed slightly and mumbled something like 'beats me'. Ginny and Harry brushed it off and got drinks for everyone.
After dinner was finished, Hermione brought out a Angel cake with fudge icing. "I love you, Hermione," Ginny said as she was served a large slice.
"Should we tell them now?" Ron asked putting his arms around Hermione's waist.
"Tell us what?" Harry asked.
"Well, Ronald, now I guess we have to," Hermione said with mock frustration while a large smile was plastered on her face.
"Hermione's pregnant," Ron said, his smile growing by the reactions he received.
"What?!" Ginny shouted with glee, abandoning the cake and making her way to Hermione, giving her a large hug and pulling away to look at her. "How long?"
"About a month and a half," Hermione said, tears of joy starting to stream down her face.
"And you haven't told us," Harry said shaking his head.
"I wanted to," Ron said defensively, "but she wanted to make sure everything was okay, and the doctor said things are going fine."
Harry stood up, stepped by the laughing and crying girls giving Ron a manly hug and congratulating him. "There's one more thing," Hermione said, trying to wipe away her tears. "We want you two to be the god parents."
"Oh," Ginny got out before joining Hermione in the crying fest. "I'd love to."
"Sure," Harry said with a smile of his own. He turned his head to Ron and pointed a finger at the women. "Would you look at these two?" He took a step and gave his other best friend a large hug.
The night continued on talking about plans, and names and silly sorts of things. Harry and Ron played a game of chess, in which Ron won again, and they called it a night when Hermione was getting tired.
Harry and Ginny went out the front door, but Ginny decided she wanted to stroll around for a bit before apparating back to the cramped city area that she had chosen to live in. Harry, not wanting to leave Ginny alone at night, followed along. "Ron said you're trying to find a job," he said, trying to strike up a conversation.
"Trying being the key word there; I guess there isn't any pressure yet, but I don't want it to get to that point either. Then I'll end up in a job I hate just to make a living."
"Yeah," Harry said lamely.
"I don't know, though. I'm starting to like finding out what's going to happen with Seraphina and Philip."
"What?" Harry stopped, confused.
"Oh, just a show that I like," Ginny said with a secretive smile.
"What are you doing next, I don't know, Wednesday?" Harry asked, deciding to be daring. Well, it is Ginny, he told himself.
"Staying at home, watching the television," Ginny said. What a pathetic existence, she thought. "Why?"
"Did you want to, I don't know, go out?" Harry felt himself blush slightly, though he didn't know why. He was still shy around girls, but not nearly so much as he had been at Hogwarts. Not to mention this was Ginny, then again that could be why, he thought.
"Sure, what time," Ginny needed and wanted to get out of her flat. She realized that it had almost been two months since she had been on any kind of a date, and she couldn't stand it any longer. Even if this wasn't really a date, she wanted to go.
"Five?" he asked.
"Sounds good," Ginny said. There was an awkward silence. "I better get going home, I have to go job hunting again tomorrow."
"Er, yeah, okay," Harry said. "See you later."
"'Bye," Ginny said before apparating.
"What's gotten into me?!" Harry shouted to the empty streets.
Ginny had another day of no luck. Fred and George offered her a job as a tester, but she knew where that could lead to. They had taken her out to lunch which made her feel a bit better, but when she got home she looked through her cupboards and couldn't find one piece of chocolate. Honeydukes was getting quite expensive, so she put on muggle clothes and walked down to the nearest convenience store and bought a stock of Hershey's chocolate for herself. She had some strawberries so melted some of the chocolate in a pot for dipping. When it was nearly finished, something Hermione had said popped into her head. "In the long run it only makes you feel worse", the memory said.
Ginny smiled while she got out her cauldron, a potion book, and her wand.
A/N: Set up for the next chapter, which I might get to today because it's going to be SOOOOO funny, and I can't wait to write it =) Besides, I don't have any more assignments due for the next week and I still have four hours of work. For now, though I think I'll be getting back to my occasional trashy romance novel that I'm almost done with.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope Hermione wasn't overbearing, but I'm sure once you all found out why she was being that way you understood, but anywho, Please review!
Thank you:
Kirsten-B: Yes there will be another chapter soon (now that you've read it) =) Hope you like this one too. If you get a chance you might like some of my other stuff too!
Lucugirl07: I'm glad you like!
JamieBell: My faithful reader! The Legally Blonde version of that scene is worse, and I was going to make it worse, but decided to give poor Ginny a break.
Seven Salted French Fries: Where does this name come from??? Thank you for your review, and I will 'Write! Write!' You'll find I update quickly when I have an idea in my head and a clear objective. Some of my stories have been neglected for a little while, but I'm brainstorming, and right now, I have all sorts of ideas on this one!