Disclaimer: You know the drill.
Chapter 15
While Ginny sat stunned, Rosalia was doing some quick thinking. She grabbed Ginny's left hand and held it out in front of Maria.
"Maria, she's not engaged, look there's no ring." Said Rosalia, sliding the ring off of Ginny's finger as she released her hand for Maria to see.
"The owner of the jewelry store was just telling me how exquisite your supposed ring is. Was she imagining things then?" Maria interrogated, her eyes full of fury.
"I was looking at some engagement rings in there the other day. Some that I'd hope to get one day, and one of them was extraordinarily beautiful. She must have just changed the story around in her head." Said Ginny thinking quickly.
"She seemed quite lucid, and certain she saw the ring on your finger." Maria fumed.
"Well, I did try it on. But I promise you, that's all. You can ask Josefina about it if you don't believe me, she was there after all." Said Ginny remembering that the matchmaker had agreed to help her.
"I will do that." Maria replied looking skeptical.
When Maria turned around and walked off, beckoning the three girls to follow her, Ginny immediately began thanking Rosalia profusely.
"It was no trouble, just be more careful." Rosalia assured Ginny as she handed back Lucia's ring.
"That ring really seems to be causing you a lot of trouble, maybe you should wear it on a chain around your neck and keep it under your clothes." Said Theresa thoughtfully.
"That's a brilliant idea!" Ginny exclaimed, removing the time turner from around her neck and slipping the ring onto its chain.
"Wow that's a great necklace!" Theresa said wide-eyed, indicating the tiny hourglass that was already on the chain.
"Yeah, where'd you get it?" Rosalia asked.
"Oh, er...from Zachariah." Said Ginny, stuffing the necklace back down her dress.
"GIRLS!" Maria shouted over her shoulder. "Do try and keep up, we need to be home for lunch!"
"You know, it's not very ladylike of her to yell at us in public like this." Theresa whispered to Ginny and Rosalia. All three snickered as they broke into a jog to catch up with Maria.
After an uneventful carriage ride, the women had returned home. The twins had bid Ginny goodbye, and immediately ran off giggling and saying something about the ball. Ginny assumed they had a big prank planned for that night.
Once the twins were out of site, Ginny went off in search of Harry. Ginny walked down the familiar corridor past her room, to the dead end of the hallway where Harry's door was on her left. As usual, she barged in, only to find Harry wearing one of Lucia's lacy bathrobes, a white one to be precise. His perpetually messy black hair was soaking wet and sticking out every which way.
Ginny burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching her stomach. She managed, however to choke out a few words through her laughter.
"Harry...what...are...you...wearing?" She began laughing even harder.
"Don't you knock?" Harry asked irritably.
"No, never." Ginny was still laughing.
"Well, I needed to take a bath, so I went and took one. After I got out, I couldn't find any towels! Alessio had gone out, and I wasn't about to ask Signore Garibaldi, so I came back here looking for a robe. Well, Zachariah, it appears, doesn't own a robe. I remembered you wearing a robe over your pajamas, so I went into Lucia's room and took one." Harry explained, trying to keep his pride in tact.
"Harry, you're a wizard, there's this spell, some of us know it as a drying charm." Ginny had calmed down a bit, but now began laughing harder than ever. She was laughing so hard in fact, that it was amazing Harry had managed to hear her sarcastic comment.
"Oh, sod off!" Harry cried turning scarlet and throwing a pillow at Ginny. He reached for Zachariah's wand and had himself dry in a second.
"I'm getting dressed now, turn around." Harry commanded irritably. Ginny turned to face the door, though she could hear Harry digging in the closet, and she continued giggling a bit.
"So where did Alessio go?" Ginny asked.
"You lot were gone so long he went into the market to find you, I suppose he'll be looking all day now." Harry replied.
"You can turn around now." Said Harry.
Ginny turned around to find Harry wearing red and white striped pajamas. She started laughing again.
"Harry, you look like a peppermint candy!"
"Well, aren't you just in a laughing mood today." Harry teased. "What's gotten into you?"
Ginny explained the whole story of how Rosalia had essentially saved her life in the marketplace.
"I'm just so happy that things seem to be going our way lately!" Ginny exclaimed, flopping sideways onto the bed.
"Things are going your way at least." Harry grunted, flopping next to her onto his back.
"I guess being stuck in here with no meals isn't exactly fun is it?" Ginny asked.
Harry turned his head to the side to look at her, "No, you think?" He asked sarcastically. Ginny turned away from his face. There was so much anger in his eyes she couldn't look at him, even if it wasn't directed at her. When she lowered her head to look at her knees, she noticed the book sitting there.
"Have you started reading yet?" Ginny asked, pointing to the book.
"I'm about halfway through, Alessio helped me this morning, but we haven't come across anything yet." Said Harry, running his hand through his hair in what appeared to be frustration.
"Well there's still a lot left, let's keep reading." Said Ginny trying to cheer him up.
"Okay, we'll read out loud in shifts, you first as I've already been at it all day." Said Harry exhaustedly; reading tired him out much more than any physical activity. He had no idea how Hermione spent so many hours in the library.
"That's fair." Said Ginny reaching for the book.
Harry sat up, leaning back against the pillows on the bed, bending his knees up, and leaving his feet a comfortable distance apart. Ginny sat on the bed in the space between Harry's knees and leaned back against his chest. She rested her forearms on his knees, which when bent up as they were made perfect armrests.
"Alright, if I'm reading, you hold the book." Ginny ordered him.
Harry chuckled at her commanding tone and picked up the book, holding it in front of her in his left hand, and wrapping his right arm around Ginny's waist.
Ginny began to read where Harry and Alessio had left off that morning. She continued to read for over fifty pages in the large textbook, which coincidentally had very small print. At the seventy-page mark, she decided it was Harry's turn to read.
"I've taken my turn, Harry, now I think it's time you did some reading." Said Ginny. There was no answer.
"Harry?" Said Ginny turning around to look at him. Harry was fast asleep.
"You're completely useless, you know that?" Said Ginny jokingly to his sleeping face. She took the book out of Harry's hand, which was held up against Ginny's arm. Ginny took the arm that Harry had been using to hold up the book, and draped it across her stomach. She then held the book out in front of her in both hands, with her elbows still resting on Harry's knees. Once she was comfortable again, Ginny continued reading to herself.
An hour later, Ginny was startled by a knock at the door.
"Come in!" She responded before realizing it could be Lucia's mother or father. Luckily, Alessio entered the room.
"When did you ladies get back? I was all over the marketplace looking for you." Alessio asked Ginny exasperatedly. Ginny giggled at the way he said ladies. He may not be Ron, but he still looked like Ron, and that coming out of Ron's mouth, was hysterical.
"Just after you left I expect." Said Ginny, stifling her laughter.
Alessio looked at her questioningly, but decided not to bother asking her about her strange reaction when he noticed the book in her hands.
"Still working on that book, I see. Have you found anything yet?" Alessio inquired excitedly.
"No, nothing yet." Ginny replied sounding defeated.
"How long have you been at it for?" Alessio asked.
"About two hours now." Ginny sighed.
"Two hours? Bloody hell!" He exclaimed.
"Well, I tried to hand it off to Harry after an hour, but he'd fallen asleep." Ginny giggled, "I didn't have the heart to wake him."
"Well, I'll take over and read out loud for a while." Said Alessio. He crossed the room and sat down on the bed, leaning back against the pillows next to Harry and Ginny. He took the book from Ginny, who immediately shut her eyes and leaned back contently against Harry to listen to Alessio as he continued from where she had left off.
Alessio read for half an hour before Harry began to stir.
"Hold on a second, Alessio, I think he's waking up." Said Ginny, and Alessio abruptly stopped reading. Harry opened his eyes and looked from Ginny to Alessio.
"You're back." Said Harry sleepily.
"Brilliant observation." Said Ginny sarcastically. "You were out for two and a half hours, it's your turn to read."
"Sorry about that." Said Harry, still feeling very groggy. "Did you find anything yet?"
"Not yet, and we're about four fifths of the way through the book." Alessio responded.
"Well, I'll finish it up then." Said Harry, reaching his hand out and taking the book from Alessio. He held it out in front of both he and Ginny, and began to read, looking at the book over the top of Ginny's head.
Harry had barely begun to read when there was a severe pounding at the door. More noise than any one person could make.
"Alessio, Lucia, we know you're in there!" Came the identical voices of two young girls. Harry and Ginny let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't Lucia's parents.
"Come in!" Alessio responded while Harry and Ginny sat in happy silence due to their enormous relief.
The twins entered the room wearing identical smirks directed at Harry and Ginny.
"We just came to say lunch is ready." Rosalia declared.
"And to say hello to Lucia and Zachie." Said Theresa as she winked at the pair.
"Zachie?" Alessio asked disgustedly.
"We're coming, thanks for beating mum and dad to us." Said Ginny, reluctantly getting up from Harry's embrace.
Ginny and Alessio followed the twins out of the room, turning back only to wave to Harry. Theresa and Rosalia hurried off a few paces ahead of Ginny and Alessio, allowing them time for a whispered conversation.
"So, are you two together now?" Alessio posed his question quietly.
"Harry and me? I'm not really sure." Ginny replied wringing her hands a bit.
"What do you mean you're not sure?" Alessio asked quizzically.
"Well, you see, it's a bit of a long story, a lot has been going on with us." Said Ginny, dropping her hands back down to her sides.
"Alright then, meet me in the library after you've brought Harry his lunch." Said Alessio.
"Sure." Ginny responded.
Ginny and Alessio reached the dining room doors, where the twins were waiting for them to enter. The four of them walked in together and took their seats. Ginny noticed that Josefina was once again joining the family for lunch.
Once everyone had begun to eat, and the pre-meal conversation had ceased, Maria spoke up.
"So, Josefina, I've got a very amusing story to share with you." Said Maria.
"Oh yes, what would that be?" Josefina responded in the strict manner she always used around the adults.
"The woman that works behind the counter in the jewelry store told me how lovely Lucia's engagement ring was today, do you know what she could have been talking about?" Maria asked sounding falsely sweet.
"Oh, well Lucia and I had just picked up a new ring to go with her ball gown and she had accidentally put it on her left hand instead of her right, it was an honest mistake." Said Josefina. Ginny's face assumed a look of panic, their stories didn't match up, and it was obvious that Maria had noticed.
"But Lucia said that—"Maria started.
"Well, yes that's true, but when I started looking at engagement rings I might like to have someday I noticed that I had made a mistake and moved my ring to my right hand. The jeweler saw the engagement ring that I was trying on and must have made a mistake, just as I told you." Said Ginny, proud of her quick thinking. Maria, however, still looked skeptical.
"Yes, that's right, there was a grand mix up that day." Josefina added. Maria's face softened, she had no reason not to believe the matchmaker.
The rest of the meal passed, luckily without further incident. Once everyone had left, Ginny collected a plate of food for Harry.
Ginny entered Harry's room to find him still absorbed in the time travel book, he didn't even notice her entrance. She set the food on his nightstand before speaking to make sure he noticed it was there.
"Harry, here's your lunch." Said Ginny. Harry mumbled a thank you and continued with his book.
"Look, I told Alessio I'd meet him, but after that I'll come right back here, okay?" Ginny asked.
"Fine, see you later." Said Harry as if in a trance.
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Ginny exclaimed to no one in particular, as Harry was off in a world of his own. She turned to leave the room and muttered a goodbye to Harry before setting off for the library.
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AN: I know this chapter took a long time, I had some computer issues to work out. I know, you all must be so glad Ginny got out of trouble so far. Harry was crabby this chapter, I would be too if I was under house arrest and people kept leaving me to go shopping! Ah well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you so much to those who have reviewed, please continue to do so. If you've read this far and haven't reviewed, for shame! Please review even if you only have time to write one word, I really appreciate any reviews I get. Thanks!
Kendra: yes, there were front lacing corsets at the time, but I didn't think about that when I was writing it, it's just not important to the story how Ginny has been getting her corset on, you pothole (not the use of inside jokes). If you really want to know, I suppose Ginny either hasn't been wearing her corset and Maria, the only one who would care, has been too distracted to notice, or she's been lacing them up in front, but I didn't bother to think about it because it's not important! Now, go think about important things, you dork, for example, the finicky frisky fluffy ferocious ferret!