Chapter 4: Weasley's Wacky Wonders
Brianne woke up fairly early that Saturday morning. Hermione was sitting at the desk, reading her Charms book for class. Everyone else seemed to have already been down to breakfast. She kept thinking back a couple of weeks ago when Harry kissed her. It was so hard for her to hold herself back, but she knew it would be a mistake if she rushed into anything. When she started dating Jake a couple of years ago, they also had rushed into their relationship. It lasted a good solid 5 months... until she found out he had been cheating on her. Because Brianne had fell so hard, so fast for him in the beginning, she was crushed when she found out, and she hadn't dated anyone since. She had to talk to someone... Normally, she would have talked to Mel and Dana, but it's really hard to talk about important stuff like that through owl post. Brianne needed a good girl-talk. If she even breathed a word of it to the guys, they'd probably give both her and Harry hell for it. She needed someone understanding... Someone like Hermione. She crawled out from under the sheets of her bed. "Morning," Brianne said to Hermione, rubbing her eyes.
"Morning," she replied. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah... Hermione, are you doing homework on a Saturday morning?"
"Well, I like to get a good head start on things. So, what's getting you up this early?"
"Well... stuff, I guess..."
"Something you want to talk about?"
"Well... yeah... but you have to promise you won't tell anyone! I don't want the whole school knowing about this."
"Sure, I promise," said Hermione. She had a smirk planted on her face that showed she already had an idea of what Brianne would tell her. Hermione already guessed it two weeks before while they were at dinner. Brianne went ahead and spoke. "Well... you know Harry... and.. uh... well, um... Last week, Harry was helping me practice for Quidditch try-outs... and we uh... hung out for a bit..."
"And?" Hermione had quite a time trying to hold back her giggles.
"Well," Brianne breathed. "He um... kinda kissed me."
"I knew you liked him!" Hermione burst out. Brianne had a very confused look on her face. "You knew?" she asked. "How?"
"Well, I didn't know that you guys actually kissed, but I knew you and Harry liked each other. I've been noticing it since the first day of class!"
"You don't miss a thing, do you?" Hermione smiled and gave a small laugh.
"I already talked to Harry and told him I didn't want to jump into a relationship quickly. But it's just so hard for me to get my mind off of him. I'm still going to wait, but I just had to get this out of my system! It's been driving me nuts!"
"It's okay, I understand. I wonder if Harry has already talked to Ron about this."
"Oh geez... I can just hear that coming. The teasing will never stop!"
"Ron would never do that to Harry or you. Just relax." Brianne smiled reluctantly and nodded. "Well," Hermione continued. "I think we should go down for some breakfast."
"Agreed! My stomach's growling just thinking of it!" Brianne got dressed quickly, pulled her hair back and walked down with Hermione to the Great Hall.
Meanwhile, Harry was talking with his best friend, Ron about Brianne. He hadn't said anything to anyone about it and finally he had to see what he thought about it. "So, basically... you just kissed her? What made you do that?" Ron asked.
"Well... I don't know. I guess I just thought the moment was right. I wanted to. It wasn't like how Cho last year just went up to me under mistletoe... it was a lot nicer than that."
"So what happened after that?"
"Well... we talked about it. Said she liked the kiss but wanted to be friends. Told me she didn't want to get hurt."
"Ouch. Tough break, man."
"I don't even understand all of it. I really fancy her. It's so much nicer to hang out with a girl that doesn't cry all the time!"
"Cho was impossible to deal with! I don't know how you put up with her for so long."
"I don't even know! Brianne's so different. After everything happened last year, she made me feel happy again. I didn't think I'd ever be happy again."
"She's definitely a ball-buster. I bet she could cheer any of us up."
"We even have a lot in common. Her parents died when she was only a baby as well. She grew up with people who never cared for her. She understands a lot of what I went through growing up. I've never met anyone that I could connect to on that level."
"Are you serious? Her parents died too?" Harry nodded. "I couldn't believe it either," he said to Ron. "I just think that by what she said to me, something must have happened that made her scared to date another guy. She talked about not wanting to mess things up and such. Maybe she doesn't trust me."
"Maybe she doesn't trust herself."
"Shh! Here she comes!" Harry whispered as he saw Brianne and Hermione heading their way. "Morning boys!" Brianne said, grabbing a seat across from them.
"You mean men," Ron said, egging her on. He loved arguing with her. Unlike Hermione, Brianne always had a wise-ass comment to say back to him. Brianne rolled her eyes. "As I was saying boys, whatcha doing this weekend? Maybe we could toss the Quaffle around or something," suggested Brianne.
"Today's the first Hogsmeade weekend. Didn't you know about it?" Harry asked.
"Oh god, I completely forgot! I've been dying to visit that new joke shop. Ron, I've heard enough about your brothers, and I've decided I have to meet the famous Fred and George Weasley!"
"Looks like my brothers are giving your 'famous' title a run for your money!" Ron said to Harry laughing.
"Good, they can have it as far as I'm concerned!" said Harry.
"You're kidding me, I have to spend all day long in a joke shop with you three?" asked a frustrated Hermione.
"Don't worry Hermione, I also want to head to the bookstore to pick up a copy of Hogwarts, A History," Brianne said.
"That's one of my favorite books! I could have let you borrow mine, but I left it at home," said Hermione, excited someone else actually enjoyed reading besides her.
"Oh that's okay, I've been wanting a copy for myself since before I got here. I've been wanting to learn a little more about this place."
"Oh, it's facinating! You'll love it!"
"Uh oh, here it comes!" Ron groaned.
"Well it wouldn't hurt for you to do a little reading, Ronald! That brain is beginning to get way too lazy!" scolded Hermione.
"Well, I'm not spending my entire Hogsmeade trip in a bleedin' bookstore!" Ron scowled.
"Will you two cut it out? You two sound like you're married!" teased Brianne. Harry laughed at her comment. Couldn't have put it better myself! Harry thought to himself. Ron and Hermione both had sickened looks on their faces. "I could never marry a twit like him!" Hermione hissed.
"Prat!" growled Ron.
"Scumbag!"
"Oh knock it off already!" said Harry. He didn't know how anyone could stand listening to those two bicker constantly. They all finished the last of their toast and juice and headed back to the common room to get ready to go to Hogsmeade village.
Brianne, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into Fred and George's brand new joke shop, Weasley's Wacky Wonders. Fred was at the counter cashing out customers and George was filling bins up with fake wands. Harry, Hermione and Ron waved at them once they caught their attention. Fred and George went over to greet them. "How's it been?" Fred asked.
"Must be boring now that we're not around to keep everyone on their toes!" George said.
"Oh trust me, Hogwarts isn't the same without your antics. We came to see the new place!" said Harry.
"It looks amazing in here!" Hermione said admiringly.
"Thanks," the twins responded.
"Would you like to try our new Toothy Tar-Tarts?" Fred asked.
"I think we'll pass on that..." Ron said wearily.
"So who's this cute bird you brought along with you?" asked George.
"Well, I do prefer the name Brianne..." she said from behind Harry. "I've heard so much about you two," she added.
"About our stunning good looks?" Fred teased, running a hand through his flaming red hair.
"Uhh... yeah... something like that," she replied with a smirk. "I hope we can all hang out some time. I've been in need of learning a few pranks from the masters!"
"Well, that's exactly what we're here for! Feel free to send an owl anytime you need some helpful hints," offered Fred.
"Or a good snog," George whispered to Fred.
"In your dreams, Weasley!" Brianne said to George. She held up an Extendable Ear that she grabbed from the pile next to her a few moments before. "I like this one!" George said to Ron and Harry, bluntly pointing at Brianne. "So, Fred, George... where exactly are those Toothy Tar-Tarts? I think Seamus would be thrilled to try a couple of those!" Harry, Hermione and Ron laughed, knowing Brianne was up to no good. She walked with George as he showed her where the Toothy Tar-Tarts were, as well as giving some of his own recommendations. Harry watched Brianne's spunky ponytail flow through the air as she threw her head back laughing at the Sneezy Sours and Snickering Sweets George was showing her. Amazing... Voldemort's out there on the loose, and the only thing I can seem to concentrate on right now is Brianne's hair. Damn teenage hormones," thought Harry. He turned back to his friends Hermione and Ron, only to find they were bickering again. "No way, Ron! You are not going to get that thing near me! Get away from me!" Ron was holding up to her what looked like an innocent stuffed animal. However, Hermione and Ron both new better than to think that anything in that store was innocent. "Come on, 'Mione, isn't it cute?" Ron teased.
"Go away, Ron! And don't call me 'Mione!" Harry shook his head in defeat, knowing that no matter what he said, he would never be able to get those two to shut their mouths. Harry decided to leave them alone and see what Brianne was up to. She was looking at a bin full of pens with disappearing ink when Harry snuck up on her. He came up from behind her and grabbed her sides, making her jump. "Don't even think about it!" squealed Brianne. No one was more ticklish than she was. Harry laughed. "So," Harry said. "What have you got in store for poor Seamus?"
"Oh, you'll see! Fred and George are my new heroes! We have to hang out with those two more often!"
"Oh they're a couple of interesting blokes, that's for sure!" said Harry. "They're good friends though."
"I can tell. They look goofy on the outside, but I think they both have good hearts." An uncomfortable silence set in between the two. Neither of them really knew what to say next. "You know, not too many girls out there would have this much fun in a joke shop. A lot of them would rather go somewhere for tea or something," said Harry, attempting to break the silence. And with that comment, he painfully remembered the horrible date he had with Cho Chang in a Hogsmeade coffee shop. "Well, most of my friends back home are boys, so I'm sure that explains it," said Brianne. Harry laughed, admiring Brianne's spunk and energy. Something about her made Harry feel like he was on a sugar high. Trying to avoid another pause, Harry said the first thing that came to his head. "It explains why you're so nice to be around." Brianne smiled, and looked down at the dusty floor, her cheeks turning pink. "Why is it you are so smooth with women?" she asked slyly. Harry laughed. "Yeah right!" he snorted. "In fact, no one is more clumsy around girls than me! My last girlfriend was always crying about something. I'm still trying to figure out what I said to her that made her so upset!"
"It's funny she would feel the need to cry around you... I usually find myself smiling when I'm with you." Harry smiled, his face feeling hot. Brianne's stomach began to do laps around her throat. She realized that she was flirting with him... unintentionally! Why did he get her all giddy like that? She just couldn't figure it out. She had to change the subject, and fast. "I saw a new Bluebottle broom in the Quidditch catalogue yesterday!" Brianne said quickly. "I guess it's the hottest new series of brooms out there since the Nimbus line. The Firebolt is still the fastest, though."
"My Firebolt is one of my prized possessions. I watch it like a hawk when I don't have it locked up, thanks to Umbridge..." He gritted his teeth remembering how she "banned" him for life from Quidditch and took away his all-time favorite broomstick. Brianne's jaw dropped. She didn't know who Umbridge was, and frankly didn't care after she heard the magical f-word. "You have a Firebolt?! Oh my God, I'm jealous! Can I ride it sometime?" Harry laughed, and refrained the best he could from turning her comment into a perverted joke. That was Fred and George's job. "Of course you can," he said. "How come you didn't notice before when we were practicing Quidditch together?" he asked.
"Well, I never got a good look at it. I figured you had a nice broom, since it moved real fast. But you're serious though--I can try it out sometime?" she asked.
"Of course! It's no problem at all." As Brianne was about to thank Harry, she was interrupted by Hermione, who was storming towards the two of them, Ron closely behind her. "Harry, could we please head over to the bookstore now? Ron is trying to get me to have one of those horrible Ton-Tongue Taffies!" Ron snickered behind her. "Well, I think I'm pretty much all set in here. Did you find everything you wanted, Brianne?" asked Harry.
"Yup, all set. Just let me pay for these and we can be on our way," said Brianne.
They walked down the street to new book shop that had been built in Hogsmeade, called "Landen's Wizard Books." Hermione had been excited about going there ever since she found out about its grand opening. It was rumoured to have more books than even Flourish and Blotts. There were only a few small groups of students in the place, but Harry noticed that there were quite a few Hogwarts teachers there. Hermione walked with Brianne to the history section and helped her look for "Hogwarts, A History." Ron and Harry sat down on a sofa and waited impatiently for the girls to return. They knew that they would be there awhile if Hermione started looking around.
At least half an hour passed, and Hermione was still shuffling through book sections, picking out something she found facinating. Ron slouched on the couch with boredom as he leafed through a comic book. Harry, also bored, flipped through a Quidditch book. After finding "Hogwarts, A History," Brianne went into the humor section and picked out a couple of books she found useful: "Practical Jokes for Witches and Wizards," and "Magical Pranks." Ron was on his third comic book when he finally got fed up waiting for Hermione to pick something out. He angrily marched up to her and she looked through a potions book. "Hermione, how long do we have to be in here? It's going to be time to go back to school by the time you're finished in here!" he complained.
"Oh fine, if you'll stop moaning about it. Let me just pay for these and we'll go somewhere else."
"Finally," said Ron. Brianne followed Hermione to the checkout line, while Ron and Harry put away the books they were looking at.
"So, where to next?" asked Brianne, as the four of the walked out of Landen's.
"How about the Three Broomsticks? I'd fancy a nice butterbeer right now," suggested Harry.
"You know, I was thinking the exact same thing," said Hermione.
"Three Broomsticks it is," said Ron.
When the four of them walked into the Three Broomsticks, it was packed with all sorts of students and teachers. Hermione walked up to the bar, followed by Ron, Harry, and Brianne, and ordered butterbeers for all of them. Madme Rosmerta handed them the butterbeers, and the four took a seat at a table. "This town is so cute," said Brianne. "I could really picture myself living here."
"Don't you miss being in the States at all?" asked Hermione.
"Well, I miss some of my friends, but I really love it here. I feel like it's a brand new start for me, you know? And besides, I love English accents!" Harry, Hermione, and Ron laughed at her comment. "Glad you like it here," said Ron.
"Well, you guys had a lot to do with that. You've been so good to me these past few weeks," Brianne said.
"I say we have a toast," said Hermione. "To Brianne's new life at Hogwarts!"
"Cheers," the four of them said together, clicking their butterbeer bottles at the center of the table.
Moments later, Harry spotted Draco Malfoy, with his Slytherin gang, Crabbe and Goyle, walking through the front door. Draco walked right up to their table, which Harry was dreading. "Well, if it isn't Weasle, Potty, and Mudblood," he sneered.
"Don't call her that!" scowled Ron.
"Oh, and what are you going to do about it, Weasle?" Ron rolled his eyes, wishing Malfoy would just leave them alone. "So, I see someone new has been hanging around you," Malfoy continued. "She a mudblood too?"
"First off Malfoy, don't talk about me as if I'm not sitting here in front of your face, and second, I honestly don't know if I'm what you call a 'mudblood.' But considering I can do magic, and pretty damn well, if I do say so myself, I am a witch, and that's all there is to it," Brianne said angrily.
"Lecktor right?" asked Malfoy.
"What's it to you?" she hissed.
"Just wondering."
"Piss off, Malfoy,"
"Now, that's no way for a proper young lady to talk. And talk like that certainly won't win you a Quidditch match either!"
"You're going to get crushed this year! And you better pray to Merlin that I'm not the new beater! You'll have a bludger on your ass faster than you can blink!" yelled Brianne.
"Well, I'm not afraid of Potty or Weasle, so I certainly wouldn't be afraid of some little American girl!"
"You better start, Malfoy, because I'm not your average chick!"
"Oh, I'm shaking! Come on guys, I can't stand to look at these scumbags another minute!" Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle walked off, and sat down at a table at the far end of the bar. "Malfoy's going to wish he watched his mouth after I'm through with him on the Quidditch field!" Brianne scowled.
"Well, if you get on the team, if you could hit a bludger in his direction while I'm getting the snitch, that would be very appreciated!" laughed Harry.
"I'll do my best!" said Brianne.
The four of them finished up their butterbeers, and left to spend the rest of their trip in Honeydukes. They each ended up buying two bags of candy each, plus split the cost for a huge box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans for them to share. The place was almost as packed as the Three Broomsticks. Brianne thought the place was beautiful, in how the candy wrappers seemed to sparkle in the light. "This place is so awesome! They don't even have Chocolate Frogs back home!" Brianne shrieked. "They're not real frogs, are they?" she asked Harry nervously.
"Oh yeah," said Harry. "Be careful of those legs. They can get a little crunchy!" Brianne gave Harry a disgusted look, and was not sure as to what to say next. "Brianne, I'm kidding!"
"I knew that," Brianne lied. "Of course I knew that!"
"You did not!" joked Harry. "You should have seen the look on your face!"
"I was.... joking," Brianne said weakly. Harry laughed harder. "Joking my arse!" he said.
Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron looked at the assortment of Every Flavor Beans and scooped them into plastic bags. "What are you going to do with all of those Dungbombs you bought at Fred and George's store? I think that money could have been better spent," said Hermione.
"Oh trust me, they'll come in useful." Ron gave a mischevious grin.
"No pranks, Ron. You are a prefect."
"Prefects are allowed to have fun, aren't they?"
"Not the kind of fun you're thinking of. And I can't believe you tried to get a shot of firewhiskey at the bar today! What if Professor McGonnagall saw you?"
"Well it really doesn't matter now, does it? It's not like they actually served it to me. Only a place like the Hog's Head would probably serve me alcohol."
"And we're never going there again. They don't even have clean glasses."
"You don't have to twist my arm. A shot of firewhiskey is not worth another night in that dirty pub."
"So Ron, what do you think of Harry and Brianne?" she asked curiously.
"Well, don't tell Harry I said anything, but he told me this morning that he really fancies her. He even kissed her!"
"I know. Brianne told me this morning."
"Oh sure, go ahead and ruin my big news!"
"Well Ron, it's not my fault if I was already told!"
"Well, I'm guessing she gave you some reason as to why she doesn't want to date him."
"All she told me is that she's not ready for a relationship, but she can't stop thinking of him. She seems to be really scared of getting herself into a relationship."
"I don't get how you women think! If she likes him, then why won't she just date him? Harry is mental over her!"
"Cleary, she's been in a relationship before that really ruined her trust. You can't just push her. She needs to deal with her own issues before she dates anybody again."
"Harry's a good guy though. He wouldn't hurt her for anything."
"We know that, but she doesn't know Harry the way we do. She's in a new country, in a new school, with new people. That kind of change for anyone can be really scary."
"I guess you're right," said Ron.
As Hermione and Ron went their seperate ways to go into their rooms, they heard a shout coming from Seamus. When they looked over, Brianne was in a fit of giggles. "She bloodywell turned my teeth black!" exclaimed Seamus.
"Told you I'd get you back!" said Brianne.
"Nice one, Brianne!" complimented Ron. Harry was standing at his side, laughing.
"Your brothers are pure geniouses," replied Brianne. "Those Toothy Tar-Tarts are awesome!"
"You can't just leave my teeth black!" Seamus shouted.
"Oh fine," sighed Brianne. She gave him a white colored candy that turned Seamus' teeth back to normal. "Who's up for Exploding Snap?" asked Brianne. Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Neville all agreed to a few rounds before going to bed.