Chapter 5- Honey I'm Home

Ginny and Hermione got dressed in some of the new clothes provided on this beauty spree. They each got an evening gown, a casual wear outfit, and a swimsuit for since it was summer season. Had they come in December they could have received a ski outfit. "We're going to have to save up and do this again," Ginny said, pulling her faded jeans up.

Hermione had been acting petrified of the fact that they were dressing in front of one another. Once she had her shirt on, Hermione finally decided to turn around. Her eyes widened. "What is that?"

Ginny shrugged casually. "A belly-button ring," she said. Ginny touched the ruby red jewel set into a silver stud that had a chain attached. The thin chain went around her midriff and made a second connection to the silver piece

"You got your belly—"

"SHHH!" Ginny said, putting a hand over Hermione's mouth. "Mum's going to be back soon," she added, letting Hermione go and made her way to cover the cause of shock with a matching red baby tee with a glittering gold lion on it. "What do you think?" Ginny asked, referring to the t-shirt.

"I think you've gone off the deep end," Hermione said, putting on some strappy black sandals.

"Come on it's not that bad," Ginny said.

"So you want me to cover it up for you?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"You have to! You wouldn't tell Mum would you?" asked Ginny. She started to pale just at the thought of what her mother would say.

"No," Hermione said with a bit of a scowl at having to keep yet another secret.

Ginny of course had the opposite reaction; a large smile of relief. "I like your hair by the way," Ginny stated in a weird sort of thank you.

Hermione had gotten the hair stylist to get it to be more manageable. She hated her hair at an in between, the way it had always been. She'd have to use the gel and spend a bit of time with her hair if she wanted it to look like this everyday, but it certainly was easier than sleeking it straight. This way, she had hundreds of perfect ringlets, each one entangling with others , framing her face with a few new long layers. "Thank you. You might have done better to get a completely new hair style instead of letting them stick things through your—"

"HI! Mum!" Ginny said loudly as Molly walked in from behind Hermione.

"Hello dear," Molly said, light make-up and some special magic making Molly look younger. Her hair was pinned up neatly, as apposed to the mother look of it sticking out of every which place after a day of cleaning or keeping up with kids. "That was quite enjoyable," she said, "and you look quite beautiful." Molly walked up to her daughter and hugged her.

Ginny had never seen her mother in such a good mood. She started to wonder what had gotten into her, and if telling her about the piercing now really would be the best option. Instead she shrugged off the idea of showing it off and pulled back from her mom. "Look at Hermione," she said, getting the attention off of herself.

"You both look so lovely," Molly said, playing with Hermione's new curls. "Should we go back?"

Hermione sighed. "I guess," she said. She looked at Ginny who was at the moment thinking the same thing she was: the boys were at home and they didn't want to see them.

Claudia was working fast. Their time was coming to a close quickly. "Now, Ronald. If you even start thinking about Viktor, I want you to stop yourself," she instructed.

Ron gulped back a few sharp comments and nodded his head. Claudia smiled. What progress, she thought with a smug smile. "And Harry… understanding and communication, yes?"

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"Good. I think it's time for me to leave you," Claudia said.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked frantically. "What if we mess up again?"

"Then I'm afraid not even I could help you." Claudia wore a large smile. Ron gulped again and lost color in his cheeks. "Don't worry, I think you'll do okay," she added, leaning over and pecking Ron's cheek, though her feet stayed a good couple steps away. She turned to Harry and did the same. Harry blushed slightly.

"Er, thanks," Harry said, his face still pink.

"Tootles," Claudia said, waving and tilting her head to the right as she slowly disappeared. A sparkle of her teeth was the last thing they saw.

"That was bloody awesome," Ron said quietly in awe.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Harry! Ron!" Molly called for the two from the entry way of the living room.

"In here Mum," Ron said, still looking where Claudia had been as Harry walked out. Ron followed a moment after, knocking into his friend who was stopped just outside the door. "Oy! Harry, what the—" Ron trailed off as he saw over Harry's shoulder. Hermione was setting down a bag, her hair in curls and she looked different with a little bit of make-up on. Her lips, Ron thought, his mouth hanging open a bit.

Hermione blushed as she looked up and saw them both standing there. She settled for sitting down and grabbing whatever magazine she could there. Ginny, on the other hand, flaunted about slightly. "You might what to close your mouth, Ron," she said, shutting it for him, as he was still looking at Hermione. Thank goodness, Ginny thought. If he was looking at me like that, we'd have more than jealousy issues. "Like my new jeans," she asked, turning around and modeling the article off right in front of Harry.

Ron noticed the look and gulp Harry gave and Hermione temporarily went from his mind. "Ouch," Harry said as Ron pinched his arm.

Ginny didn't wait for Ron to response as she went to sit next to Hermione. "Don't look at my sister like that," Ron hissed.

"What was that Ron?" Molly asked, coming back from having put her own things in her room.

"Nothing," Ron said, giving a side glance at Harry. Harry still didn't get how he was allowed to date Ginny, but not to look at her.

"The house looks nice and orderly," Molly said. "Did you two go somewhere today?"

"No Cl—cleaned. We cleaned," Ron said. It was true. Claudia had helped them clean to make a good impression.

"Oh, isn't that so sweet," Molly said, giving Ron a kiss on the cheek which he started backing away from. "I'm going to go start on dinner," Molly added. It was getting late, and she noticed that Arthur was still at work according to the clock, meaning he was probably getting in some overtime.

Awkward silence prevailed as Molly entered the kitchen. Harry tried first. "Hey, guys. Er-- did you have a good day?"

"Yeah, just dandy," Ginny said, her eyes with a smoky purple showing in the edges as she scanned the Witch Weekly for something interesting. She was in this for the long haul. No way was Ginny going to just give up the fight now.

"What's that you're reading?" Ron asked Hermione, approaching slowly.

Hermione didn't quite know which way to take this. Yes, Ron had been a prat, but he was still her friend. "You really want to know?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I do," Ron said. Sitting down cautiously in the next chair over, Ron prepared himself for some kind of fireworks or something horrible.

"It's a Muggle book called Pride and Prejudice, it's one of my favorites," Hermione said, leaving it at that, knowing Ron would only gripe and moan if she continued on.

"What's it about?" Ron asked, trying to sit back more comfortably.

"Well, it's about five sisters and the happenings of their lives," Hermione said.

"And they're Prejudice?"

"Not exactly," Hermione said, pleasantly surprised at Ron's sudden interest in her book. "You see, there's a man called Mr. Darcy."

"You guys have fun," Ginny said standing up. "I think I'm going to go pick up my room," she added, walking away sassily as Hermione brought her bare legs under her, getting ready for a long discussion. One she was finally happy about.

"I'll, er, be right back," Harry said, not knowing if this action would get on Ron's bad side, like the staring had. Harry didn't think it had as he approached the third landing and didn't have Ron trying to hex him away from Ginny in any way. Harry took a breath and knocked lightly on the door. "Ginny?"

"What?" Ginny responded shortly from inside.

"Can I come in?"

Ginny got up from her bed and opened the door a crack. "What do you want?" Ginny was keeping up the appearance of being angry. It was easier than things becoming awkward like they had before.

"I just wanted to talk," Harry answered.

"About what?"

"About the letters from Dean."

"What? Here to chain me up so I can't have other friends," Ginny accused bitterly.

"No, Ginny I wanted to—"

"I don't have to put up with it Harry, I don't." Harry didn't know what to say back. It was a moment before Ginny continued, "and I won't." With that she shut the door, leaving Harry outside, not knowing what to say or do. Dejected, he walked back down the stairs to see if Ron was having any more luck than he had managed.

Ginny sat back down on her bed after having written a letter to Dean. She looked down. It wasn't personable or friendly, like her letters in the past had been. It was written to prove a point to Harry, but she really hadn't had a reason to write to Dean. Every other time it was because she needed help with something, and in the meantime she would see how he was doing and what he was up to. This time it was only because she needed to get even. She sighed, laying back and reading over the paper again.

"What are you doing up here?" Ginny heard from nowhere.

The voice wasn't anyone from around the area. It was an American, she thought. It had to be. "Who's there?" asked Ginny while she kneeled on the bed, looking around frantically.

"Just me," Claudia said, appearing out of nowhere, without even a pop as a warning.

Ginny squealed in shock and fell off the her bed backwards. Recovering, she slowly stood. "Who are you?"

"Claudia Phelps, Cupid Inc."

"What?"

"I must say you four have been causing me quite a bit of work."

"What?" Ginny asked again.

"You four," Claudia repeated very slowly, as if talking to someone who was only knew Chinese, "have given me a lot of trouble."

"I heard what you said, what do you mean? And what's Cupid Inc?"

"Have Harry explain it to you," Claudia said, tired of telling them one at a time.

"You know Harry?"

"Yes, I was helping him this morning."

"How were you helping him?" Ginny was just getting more and more confused.

"I was helping him get over his issues."

"What issues?"

"Goodness, you're just full of questions, aren't you? His Dean issues."

"Oh," Ginny said, putting the Cupid part together with Harry having problems with Dean. "I see."

"The only thing I don't get is why you can't forgive him," Claudia pointed out.

"I can forgive him, but it's not like he's done anything for me to even have the chance to." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest.

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Of course he did. He tried to come up here and talk to you about it."

"Oh," Ginny said, thinking about how she'd turned him away because she was trying to hold a grudge.

"That's right 'oh', and while we're at it, you shouldn't be writing to Dean the way you have been," Claudia said with gratification.

"Why not?" Ginny said, letting herself get angry at this point again. "I have every right to have my own friends and my own—"

"But you're dating someone else now. What if Harry started writing Cho Chang?"

Ginny thought for a moment. "He can if he wants to," she said.

"But you'd be upset, admit it," Claudia said, sitting on the bed.

"Maybe a little," Ginny replied. "But I wouldn't make such a big deal out of it."

"Well, probably not. That doesn't mean that Harry can't be uncomfortable with you writing to Dean." Ginny didn't know what to say, so Claudia continued. "You know, maybe it would be better if you shared the letters."

"I told Harry I was writing to Dean long before he got upset about it," Ginny said.

"I know, but boys sometimes need to see the letters. Maybe show him one occasionally to make him feel better about the content." Ginny nodded her head.

"Now," Claudia said with a large smile, "go get him girlie."

Ginny smiled at the woman and immediately headed for the door. Turning back for a second, Ginny smiled. "Thanks," she said before running down the stairs.

"Harry! Harry!" Ginny shouted, running out to Harry who was in the garden, kicking around a stone. He turned just as she threw her arms around his neck, out of breath. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," Harry said with a lopsided grin. He leaned down and kissed Ginny. "Me too."

Claudia sat up in her office, pictures of what was going on in front of her. "So you did it?" Cupid VI asked in his neat pressed Armani.

"Mm-hm," Claudia said as she swallowed her coffee. "Not bad either, eh?"

Cupid looked at the picture on the right. Hermione and Ron were sitting in the living room, Ron laughing as Hermione compared Mr. Collins to Crabbe. On the left was another scene. Two teenagers holding hand as they walked around, the Harry stopping to pick a small daisy for Ginny, placing it behind her ear before continuing. "Good work, Claudia, good work. I might be able to get you a promotion for this."

"Thank you sir," she said, then looked towards another stack of files.

A/N: There you go! The end! Just a fun little bit of fluff… I hoped you liked it. If you did! Review!

Thank you:

Ginny-W13: Thanks for the review

Milky way bar: I try and reply to every review… it's only the nice thing to do ;)

Angelofboox:Yeah, I don't use a beta here, so it's better on Checkmated, but this one gets my point across, I think.

HogwartzboizRHottiez: They do go through training… we just have to do it ourselves, unfortunately! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!