Title: Christmas Surprises
Chapter: Eight – Confessions
Author: SnakeEyesHannah
Spoilers: OotP
Disclaimer: I do not own anything involving Harry Potter. This does all our favorite author, JK Rowling, bless her soul.
Author's note: I never know where the next chapter will take me, the story just keeps unfolding itself to me in the speed it does to you, so please, bear with me, people. Reviews are probably still required at least one 'why'… Enjoy!
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Ginny followed Hermione into the 7th year dormitory, flung herself down on the neatly made bed of said friend and faced Parvati and Lavender. They were both giggling about something, magazines, makeup and clothes scattered all over and around the beds. The two girls look up from a piece of parchment Lavender was holding at Hermione's Umbridge-cough, 'hem hem'.
"What did you get from Harry?" Parvati asked, her eyes fixed on Ginny. The redhead looked surprised at the black haired girl. "Christmas present, I mean…" the girl elaborated.
"Bracelet…" Ginny replied vaguely, not sure where she was going with this. Lavender looked at Parvati and they both nodded, as if she confirmed something. "Why?"
"Harry likes you", Lavender said seriously. Ginny couldn't help but to burst out laughing.
"I know that!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "I'm his friend, just like Hermione, remember?" She looked at the brown haired witch for support, but the older girl only smiled secretively and shared 'a look' with the other two girls on the opposite bed. "Come on! He's my friend! We're friends – nothing more!" Ginny protested.
"But you want more", Hermione stated calmly.
"Yes, of course I do, but he-…"
"He asked you to the Ball, didn't he?" Lavender questioned her.
"Yes, but only because-…"
"How did he ask?" Parvati cut in. Ginny was getting frustrated. The three seemed very eager to get her into thinking Harry wanted more than just friendship out of her. But why get your hopes up when you know they're going to be shattered?
"He said something like 'if you don't have a date and I don't have a date, will you go to the Ball with me?'" Ginny told the three. They looked at each other again, silently nodding their 'uh-huh's and 'I told you so's. "But I don't see what that has to do with him liking me!" Ginny said loudly. "He was being nice!"
"Of course he was", Hermione waved it away. "And I love Malfoy!" Ginny stared at her best friend. She would have expected something like this from Parvati and Lavender, but Hermione was the smart one! The one who stormed out on professor Trelawny, the one who hated Divination and anything remotely close to 'destiny'!
"Who are you and what have to done with Hermione?" Ginny couldn't help but ask the brunette, scooting off the bed. Hermione laughing, shaking her head.
"I ate her for lunch!" she exclaimed, setting Parvati and Lavender off. Even Ginny's mouth twitched into a half smile and sat back down.
"Did he look nervous when he asked?" Parvati steered the conversation back to the certain emerald-green-eyed boy. Ginny shook her head, trying to remember how he looked like.
"I don't think-…" she stopped when she remembered. It was like lying in the snow again, with Harry over her. Ginny remembered seeing something flash in his bright eyes right before he asked her, but she had waved it away as embarrassment over their position. Another flashback hit her; the dream she had when Harry kept glancing over at her during Christmas a few years ago, Harry walking abnormally close these past weeks, Harry 'accidentally' touching her walking to dinner, Harry being extra helpful with the homework they had over the holidays even though he should be doing his own, the extra long hug just this morning. The images practically tripped over each other as they passed rapidly in Ginny's mind. Her eyes widened as she realized the girls were probably right. Harry could very much like Ginny – in a none-sister type of way… Lavender, Parvati and Hermione smiled sweetly as Ginny stared wide-eyed at them.
"So you mean… How long have you known?" she asked. Somehow Ginny didn't think the girls threw something so farfetched at her, especially not Hermione. They must have known for quite some time, or at least had their suspicions.
"A few months", Parvati shrugged, glancing over at Lavender. The girl nodded in agreement. Of course. One didn't find out one thing without telling the other, Ginny thought.
Hermione's eyes sparkled as she looked at the redhead on the bed. Ginny raised an eyebrow in confusement and Hermione smiled. "Three years…"
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"What can they possibly discuss a whole day?" Ron asked for the umpteenth time in the past five minutes. Harry sighed in frustration as his friend once again turned to look at the empty staircase leading up to the girls' dormitories, ignoring the game of wizards chess Harry desperately tried to get his friend interested in. He did the worse moves he could possibly think of, hoping that one of them would snap Ron out of the trance he was it, but yet his efforts were fruitless. Ron had won five games in a row and hadn't rubbed it in Harry's face once. He remained as interested in the stairs as he usually was of Quidditch or plotting against Malfoy.
"How should I know?" Harry responded for the umpteenth time, unblocking his king to end the sixth game.
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"You are aware of that Harry isn't such a great dancer, right?" Parvati asked Ginny. The redhead shook her head violently.
"Harry's a great dancer!" she protested. Parvati and Lavender shared a look. "He is!" Ginny protested again, her cheeks gaining color, her voice getting higher. "I taught him!" She immediately fell silent as she realized she had said too much. Her hands suddenly became very interesting and her cheeks were deep red. She could hear Hermione snicker.
"Is it so?"
"It is", Ginny replied in a tiny voice. She looked up as the three girls laughed. "What's so funny?" she asked dumbly.
"You're awesome, Gin!" Hermione exclaimed and hugged her shocked friend.
The mandatory 'Lavender and Parvati asks' kept going for several hours, laughter and embarrassment a crucial part of it. Hermione's 'well-kept secret' on how long, and why, she was in love with the youngest Weasley-boy was revealed under howls of laughter from the present Weasley and sighing 'awww's from Lavender and Parvati. Horoscopes were read (yes, even Hermione read hers, though she didn't pay any attention to the content), more secrets shared and hair/makeup tips were handed out from the two fashion 'geeks'. Despite her disbelief in anything Parvati and Lavender said about 'the stars say' and 'the cards read', Hermione found herself enjoying the day. But she couldn't wait for it to be over!
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"You look absolutely gorgeous!" Parvati exclaimed, clapping her hands, eyes sparkling with pride. Ginny blushed crimson, matching the color of her dress, her head bowed down. Lavender reached out and lifted Ginny's chin.
"You do, you know", Hermione smiled from the bed.
"I can't say anything less about you three", Ginny beamed, not really wanting all that attention. Parvati and Lavender smiled, they knew they could never compete with the other two girls when it came to beauty, not even in their finest robes. They had these unique qualities that a girl could only dream about.
Hermione did look wonderful in her pale blue dress. It looked similar to the one she had wore to the Yule Ball in fourth year, but there were visible differences between them. This one had white embroidery at the hem and at the top and she wore a white shawl with it. And there was something else different about it. It was Hermione herself. She radiated calmness and confidence long way, not slightly nervous and uncomfortable she had looked with Victor Krum. She looked nothing short of gorgeous and Ginny knew she'd stun Ron and everyone else…
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Author's note: Wayhey! I did it. 'Nother chapter. Go me! Now review, review I tell you! -demands-