Harry wandered around the lake for a while, not quite ready to go
back to the common room. What was he going to say to Ron and Hermione? And
Ginny? Then again, maybe there was nothing to say. After all, they'd
decided that today was not a date. He could completely ignore the fact that
Luna had kissed him. No one had seen. And she might have meant it as a
joke. Knowing her, it probably was a joke.
But what if it wasn't a joke?
He ran his fingers through his hair, worried. He almost wished it wasn't a joke. That made him more worried. He couldn't actually like Luna. That was just beyond crazy.
He'd tell Ron and Hermione about it. After all, if he didn't tell them then it would seem like it did mean something had he was hiding it. But if he was open and told them, then it would be like it was just no big deal. It wasn't a big deal.
He started back for the castle.
Harry was halfway to Gryffindor tower when Lavender found him.
"Harry, you'll never guess what we saw!"
"Huh? What we?" he asked.
"Parvati's coming. She just stopped to tell Dean the news." She hardly paused for a breath. "You'll never guess who I saw snogging in Madam Puddifoot's!"
"Who?" asked Harry.
"It was Weasley!"
"Ginny?"
"Not Ithat/I Weasley," she giggled.
Parvati caught up to them. "Did you tell him?"
"But the only other Weasley at Hogwarts is . . ." Harry's eyes went wide. "Ron?"
"That's right!" said Lavender.
Parvati added, "Ron and Hermione!" The girls giggled. "Ron's going to kill Neville."
"Why?" Harry already knew why.
"Because, Ginny was in Madam Pudifoot's too. With Neville."
Harry could just imagine Ron's reaction to seeing his sister making- out with one of his friends. It was not pretty.
"So how'd your date with Luna go?" Obviously, since they saw Ginny with Neville, they'd given up on thinking Harry was there with Ginny.
"It wasn't a date." But there wasn't the same confidence there as when he'd said the words before.
"We've got to go." They ran off.
Harry was stunned. Ron and Hermione? He remembered what Fred and George had sad over the summer and wondered just how many Gryffindors were going to lose gold over this.
Ron and Hermione. Harry shook his head. This day got stranger and stranger.
Then again, maybe it wasn't so strange. Looking back, there were plenty of signs of interest between Hermione and Ron. But neither one really recognized the other before.
Harry entered the common room and saw Neville, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione.
Neville hardly looked nervous despite Ron's glares. Okay, maybe he looked a little nervous. Ron and Hermione sat awfully close together. Ginny's face was expressionless.
Harry came and sat in a chair across from Ron. "I, er, ran into Parvati in the hall."
"I guess she told you?" asked Ron.
"Yeah. You two?" He looked at Ron and Hermione. They actually did make a cute couple.
"Uh-huh. Since I knew you were going to be spending the day with Luna, and Ron and I were going to be by ourselves anyway, I decided it was the time to ask him out," said Hermione.
"But why Madam Puddifoot's?" Harry couldn't stand that place.
"Because, it's the one place we knew you wouldn't be."
"We hadn't counted on my sister being there," Ron said darkly. "Sleep with one eye open tonight, Neville." Ron stalked upstairs. Neville muttered something about talking things out and followed him.
Ginny said, "Ron! Neville!" But they didn't come back. "I guess it's my turn. Neville and I had a date. I certainly didn't expect to see Ron there. He didn't even notice me until he had Hermione had to come up for air." Ginny gave a slight giggle and Hermione blushed. "But anyway, he Idid/I notice and came and actually pulled us apart. Then he went ranting on about how I was too young to be kissing, and how Neville was too old for me. I pointed out that Neville was his age but that didn't make him feel any better. Then he looked at what I was drinking and said I was too young for coffee. He practically dragged me back here. I'm sorry I ruined your date, Hermione. I didn't mean to."
"That's all right, Ginny." Hermione sighed. "So how was you day, Harry?"
He said the first words that came to mind, "She kissed me."
"What?" the girls asked in unison.
"Luna. She kissed me."
"I made it clear with her that you weren't on a date!" Ginny said angrily. "I told her, even if she liked you, which I wasn't sure if she did, you were not on a date."
"She said she knew it wasn't a date," Harry said.
"So what happened? Did you give her some sort of sign that said otherwise? Anything?"
"No. We were just walking while we talked and she stopped under a tree and so I stopped too. She says 'I really hope you don't mind this' and then before I realize it, she's kissing me!"
Unfortunately for Harry it was at just that time the Parvati and Lavender walked in. "Ooh! Who did you say was kissing you, Harry?"
"Uh, nobody."
"No. . . .somebody was. It was Luna, wasn't it?"
Harry didn't answer. He couldn't.
"It was!"
"N-n-n-n-no!" he started to sputter, but they'd left. "How did they get into Gryffindor when it's their life's mission to spread gossip?"
"I don't know."
"Beats me."
Ginny asked, "Forget them. What happened?"
"Well, she kissed me and then she left."
"Did she say anything?"
"Just that she'd see me later." He was silent for a minute. "It was nice to kiss a girl who wasn't crying." His first kiss, Cho had started crying over her ex-boyfriend when she started to kiss Harry; this had been different, Luna showed no inclination to cry.
"Yeah, so just how was the lip-lock?" grinned Hermione. Ginny was laughing.
"You two should talk. At least I wasn't kissing in public. Not really anyway. You were both in Madam Puddifoot's with your dates, for everybody to see. So, Hermione, did you ask Ron to the date, or did he ask you?"
"I asked him."
Ginny laughed, "I've got to write the twins."
"Why?" asked Hermione.
"They'll be pleased to know you're finally dating ickle-Ronniekins. Besides," she stood, "they were taking bets at the joke shop from every Gryffindor who came in." She rushed off to the Owlery.
"Harry, you might want to go back to your dorm and make sure Ron doesn't kill Neville."
"Right." Harry went upstairs and he could here the noise before he opened the door.
"That was my sister!" Crash.
"I'm sorry, Ron, but I really like her."
"You were snogging my sister in public!" Another crash.
"I said I was sorry, Ron. But I really care about her."
"You didn't even ask me if you could go out with her."
"She's not a child, Ron. She's 15 years old and she wants you to treat her like a young lady with the respect she deserves."
"She doesn't deserve any respect if she's kissing like that in public!"
"Ron! You were in the exact same restaurant as us and you were kissing Hermione so much you didn't even know we were there."
Harry decided it was time to intervene before Ron threw anything else at Neville. Sure enough there were pillows and books and things scattered all over the room, some of them broken, and Ron was advancing toward Neville again.
"Break it up, mates! Break it up before I call Hagrid in here to settle the two of you!" He stood between them.
"You aren't good enough for my sister!"
"That's not true!" Now Neville was trying to advance toward Ron too.
"Keep apart! TO YOUR CORNERS NOW!" He preformed banishing charms on both of them and sent them to opposite ends of the room. "Behave yourselves!" He glared and his two friends. "Neville, what Ron said was nothing against you. He doesn't really think anybody's good enough for his sister. Isn't that true, Ron?"
Ron muttered something Harry couldn't catch.
"Ron was overreacting. How would you feeling if you had a little sister and you saw her kissing some guy like that?"
"I'd probably be very upset," said Neville.
"You'd be more than upset," said Harry. "Neville was right Ron. You were in the same tea and coffee shop kissing Hermione."
Ron muttered angrily.
"I won't leave until the two of you decide not to fight. Or at least decide not to kill each other."
Finally an agreement was made. Ron would not kill Neville, and Neville would not kiss Ginny at any time or place that Ron could see.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews, everybody! I really appreciate them. I'll post the next chapter when I get more reviews, so here's a little teaser:
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"I've got a bone to pick with you, Harry."
"What's that?"
"Why didn't you tell us about you and your new girlfriend!" They began to clobber Harry.
But what if it wasn't a joke?
He ran his fingers through his hair, worried. He almost wished it wasn't a joke. That made him more worried. He couldn't actually like Luna. That was just beyond crazy.
He'd tell Ron and Hermione about it. After all, if he didn't tell them then it would seem like it did mean something had he was hiding it. But if he was open and told them, then it would be like it was just no big deal. It wasn't a big deal.
He started back for the castle.
Harry was halfway to Gryffindor tower when Lavender found him.
"Harry, you'll never guess what we saw!"
"Huh? What we?" he asked.
"Parvati's coming. She just stopped to tell Dean the news." She hardly paused for a breath. "You'll never guess who I saw snogging in Madam Puddifoot's!"
"Who?" asked Harry.
"It was Weasley!"
"Ginny?"
"Not Ithat/I Weasley," she giggled.
Parvati caught up to them. "Did you tell him?"
"But the only other Weasley at Hogwarts is . . ." Harry's eyes went wide. "Ron?"
"That's right!" said Lavender.
Parvati added, "Ron and Hermione!" The girls giggled. "Ron's going to kill Neville."
"Why?" Harry already knew why.
"Because, Ginny was in Madam Pudifoot's too. With Neville."
Harry could just imagine Ron's reaction to seeing his sister making- out with one of his friends. It was not pretty.
"So how'd your date with Luna go?" Obviously, since they saw Ginny with Neville, they'd given up on thinking Harry was there with Ginny.
"It wasn't a date." But there wasn't the same confidence there as when he'd said the words before.
"We've got to go." They ran off.
Harry was stunned. Ron and Hermione? He remembered what Fred and George had sad over the summer and wondered just how many Gryffindors were going to lose gold over this.
Ron and Hermione. Harry shook his head. This day got stranger and stranger.
Then again, maybe it wasn't so strange. Looking back, there were plenty of signs of interest between Hermione and Ron. But neither one really recognized the other before.
Harry entered the common room and saw Neville, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione.
Neville hardly looked nervous despite Ron's glares. Okay, maybe he looked a little nervous. Ron and Hermione sat awfully close together. Ginny's face was expressionless.
Harry came and sat in a chair across from Ron. "I, er, ran into Parvati in the hall."
"I guess she told you?" asked Ron.
"Yeah. You two?" He looked at Ron and Hermione. They actually did make a cute couple.
"Uh-huh. Since I knew you were going to be spending the day with Luna, and Ron and I were going to be by ourselves anyway, I decided it was the time to ask him out," said Hermione.
"But why Madam Puddifoot's?" Harry couldn't stand that place.
"Because, it's the one place we knew you wouldn't be."
"We hadn't counted on my sister being there," Ron said darkly. "Sleep with one eye open tonight, Neville." Ron stalked upstairs. Neville muttered something about talking things out and followed him.
Ginny said, "Ron! Neville!" But they didn't come back. "I guess it's my turn. Neville and I had a date. I certainly didn't expect to see Ron there. He didn't even notice me until he had Hermione had to come up for air." Ginny gave a slight giggle and Hermione blushed. "But anyway, he Idid/I notice and came and actually pulled us apart. Then he went ranting on about how I was too young to be kissing, and how Neville was too old for me. I pointed out that Neville was his age but that didn't make him feel any better. Then he looked at what I was drinking and said I was too young for coffee. He practically dragged me back here. I'm sorry I ruined your date, Hermione. I didn't mean to."
"That's all right, Ginny." Hermione sighed. "So how was you day, Harry?"
He said the first words that came to mind, "She kissed me."
"What?" the girls asked in unison.
"Luna. She kissed me."
"I made it clear with her that you weren't on a date!" Ginny said angrily. "I told her, even if she liked you, which I wasn't sure if she did, you were not on a date."
"She said she knew it wasn't a date," Harry said.
"So what happened? Did you give her some sort of sign that said otherwise? Anything?"
"No. We were just walking while we talked and she stopped under a tree and so I stopped too. She says 'I really hope you don't mind this' and then before I realize it, she's kissing me!"
Unfortunately for Harry it was at just that time the Parvati and Lavender walked in. "Ooh! Who did you say was kissing you, Harry?"
"Uh, nobody."
"No. . . .somebody was. It was Luna, wasn't it?"
Harry didn't answer. He couldn't.
"It was!"
"N-n-n-n-no!" he started to sputter, but they'd left. "How did they get into Gryffindor when it's their life's mission to spread gossip?"
"I don't know."
"Beats me."
Ginny asked, "Forget them. What happened?"
"Well, she kissed me and then she left."
"Did she say anything?"
"Just that she'd see me later." He was silent for a minute. "It was nice to kiss a girl who wasn't crying." His first kiss, Cho had started crying over her ex-boyfriend when she started to kiss Harry; this had been different, Luna showed no inclination to cry.
"Yeah, so just how was the lip-lock?" grinned Hermione. Ginny was laughing.
"You two should talk. At least I wasn't kissing in public. Not really anyway. You were both in Madam Puddifoot's with your dates, for everybody to see. So, Hermione, did you ask Ron to the date, or did he ask you?"
"I asked him."
Ginny laughed, "I've got to write the twins."
"Why?" asked Hermione.
"They'll be pleased to know you're finally dating ickle-Ronniekins. Besides," she stood, "they were taking bets at the joke shop from every Gryffindor who came in." She rushed off to the Owlery.
"Harry, you might want to go back to your dorm and make sure Ron doesn't kill Neville."
"Right." Harry went upstairs and he could here the noise before he opened the door.
"That was my sister!" Crash.
"I'm sorry, Ron, but I really like her."
"You were snogging my sister in public!" Another crash.
"I said I was sorry, Ron. But I really care about her."
"You didn't even ask me if you could go out with her."
"She's not a child, Ron. She's 15 years old and she wants you to treat her like a young lady with the respect she deserves."
"She doesn't deserve any respect if she's kissing like that in public!"
"Ron! You were in the exact same restaurant as us and you were kissing Hermione so much you didn't even know we were there."
Harry decided it was time to intervene before Ron threw anything else at Neville. Sure enough there were pillows and books and things scattered all over the room, some of them broken, and Ron was advancing toward Neville again.
"Break it up, mates! Break it up before I call Hagrid in here to settle the two of you!" He stood between them.
"You aren't good enough for my sister!"
"That's not true!" Now Neville was trying to advance toward Ron too.
"Keep apart! TO YOUR CORNERS NOW!" He preformed banishing charms on both of them and sent them to opposite ends of the room. "Behave yourselves!" He glared and his two friends. "Neville, what Ron said was nothing against you. He doesn't really think anybody's good enough for his sister. Isn't that true, Ron?"
Ron muttered something Harry couldn't catch.
"Ron was overreacting. How would you feeling if you had a little sister and you saw her kissing some guy like that?"
"I'd probably be very upset," said Neville.
"You'd be more than upset," said Harry. "Neville was right Ron. You were in the same tea and coffee shop kissing Hermione."
Ron muttered angrily.
"I won't leave until the two of you decide not to fight. Or at least decide not to kill each other."
Finally an agreement was made. Ron would not kill Neville, and Neville would not kiss Ginny at any time or place that Ron could see.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews, everybody! I really appreciate them. I'll post the next chapter when I get more reviews, so here's a little teaser:
PREVIEW
FOR
NEXT
CHAPTER
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"I've got a bone to pick with you, Harry."
"What's that?"
"Why didn't you tell us about you and your new girlfriend!" They began to clobber Harry.