A/N – Two fluffy chapters... hope you enjoy them!

CQ


Chapter Seven: Home Truths and Sage Advice

"Hey, Harry."

Harry looked up from his steak pie to see Neville in the process of sitting down across from him. Harry had arrived late at the table for his Saturday lunch after taking a long ride on his broom earlier, and the others had all nearly finished before he arrived. Ron and Hermione had gone off to the library and Ginny had said something about finding Luna to borrow some notes from.

"Hey, Neville," Harry looked closer at the Gryffindor. He looked... odd. "Um, Nev? What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." Neville flushed, a sure sign that something was, indeed, wrong.

"You just seem..."

Neville flushed and swallowed, looking down at his plate before ladling some stew onto it. He pushed it around with his fork absently.

"Hogsmeade next weekend," he said.

Harry's eyebrows rose. Neville was right. The next weekend was, indeed, a Hogsmeade weekend. It was two weeks until Halloween, and Harry hadn't realized that the outing had approached so quickly.

"Yes," Harry agreed. "Are you going?"

"I'd like to..." Neville flushed, then looked up at Harry. "Harry?"

"What?"

"How do you...?"

"What is it, Neville?"

"I mean... well, you're not... I'm not exactly..." Neville's cheeks were a deep crimson by this point and he couldn't meet Harry's eye.

"Nev? What's wrong?"

"I just..." Neville looked up at him, swallowing. "Harry, how do you ask a girl to go to Hogsmeade with you?"

"Um..." Harry shifted uncomfortably on his bench. "I'm probably not the best person to ask that, Nev."

"But you've got Ginny..."

"Yes... well..." Harry sighed. "I've never asked her to Hogsmeade... or anywhere else, for that matter."

Harry thought about this for a moment. How could he be so close to her, and want to be closer, when he'd never actually asked her out? He'd never taken her anywhere, well, beyond Diagon Alley, of course...

"I guess you just ask, Neville."

"What if the girl says 'no'?"

"Well, then at least you know," Harry shrugged. "I've not asked Ginny..."

"But she'd say yes, anyhow," Neville sighed. "Any girl would."

Harry looked oddly at his dormmate. "What?"

"Come on, Harry..." Neville flushed. "You're Harry Potter... all the girls talk about you..."

"What?" this was news to Harry, who flushed with embarrassment. He couldn't really be having this conversation with Neville Longbottom, could he?

Neville looked at him oddly. "You don't realize, do you?"

"Realize what?"

"The girls are all... well..." Neville flushed again. "Dean and Seamus and I have noticed..."

"Neville!"

"We've noticed that the girls are talking about you this year... and looking at you. Seamus says it's the clothes... which are very nice by the way, Harry... but I could never wear things like that..."

Harry looked down at his jeans and grey sweater.

Damn Ginny and Hermione, he thought.

"They're just clothes, Nev..."

"I know, but... it's not just the clothes. I heard Lavender saying..." Neville paused.

"What?"

"Well, you didn't hear it from me, because Seamus doesn't know, and he'd kill you and me if he heard..."

"What?"

"Lavender and a couple of the other girls were talking in Herbology... and she said that you're very..."

"Very what?" Harry was getting exasperated.

"Shaggable," Neville flushed deep, deep red as he said this in an undertone. Harry swallowed.

The thought of Lavender Brown saying something like that about him... well, it didn't... it was actually pretty... offputting, actually. Harry paled.

"What?" he took a deep breath. "Lavender said that? About me?"

"Well... I heard them... and I thought that if they thought... well, you'd know how I could go about getting Luna to..."

"Luna?" Harry was surprised. Luna Lovegood?

Neville looked at Harry, startled at his tone. Understanding suddenly lit his eyes and he flushed further. Harry was surprised it was possible, as Neville already resembled a tomato.

"No... I... I mean, I just wanted to ask her to Hogsmeade...!"

Harry took a deep breath, then nodded. "Just ask her, Nev. Walk up to her and ask her. The worst thing that can happen is if she says 'no' – in which case, at least you know."

"I don't think I can..." Neville sounded doubtful.

"You mean to tell me that you could face coming with me and the others to the Department of Mysteries... you can ride a thestral that you can't even see all the way to London to face down a Death Eater... several Death Eaters, but you can't face Luna Lovegood?" Harry asked.

Neville raised his eyes to look at Harry. "I... it's different..."

"Damned straight it is, Nev. Facing Luna has an up side; she could say 'yes'. I don't think there could have been an up side to our little visit to the Ministry."

Neville nodded, then looked down into his plate again.

"Thanks, Harry."

"I have no idea for what," Harry said, standing. "See you in the Tower."


Walking through the halls towards Gryffindor Tower, Harry reflected on his conversation with Neville. It had been... enlightening, to say the least.

"Hey, you!" He started as he was tackled from behind, relaxing when the long red hair fell over his shoulders, from where Ginny had launched herself onto his back.

"Ooompff!" Harry grunted, then smiled mischeviously. "You know, Gin..."

"Don't say it, Potter," she said in a dangerously low voice as she slid down and off of him. Harry shuddered as her body slid down him, causing him to think all sorts of things that weren't conducive to getting back to the tower and getting his remaining Transfiguration assignments done.

Sighing, he smiled at her, taking her hand in his as they walked silently along. They were almost at the portrait of the Fat Lady when she spoke.

"Okay, spill it," she stopped, pulling her hand from his and crossing her arms across her chest. She was wearing jeans and a green jumper... weekend clothes... and Harry noticed how the color of the jumper made her hair look brighter... and how the close knit of it stretched across...

"Harry!"

"What?"

"I want to know what's up with you. What is it that's got you thinking, because you're all tense and upset over something," she eyed him.

"Noth..."

"And don't tell me 'nothing', because I won't believe you."

"Ginny..."

"I have ways of making you talk, Harry."

"Hmm," he agreed, glancing down at her lips.

"Now, what is it?"

Harry flushed, remembering the conversation he'd had with Neville.

"Umm..." he took a deep breath. "I kind of had a weird conversation with Neville at lunch."

"Oh?"

"He wanted..."

"What?"

"He..." Harry swallowed. Why on earth had Neville had to pick out him to ask? Ginny was going to have a field day with this. He'd be lucky if she stopped laughing by tomorrow. "He wanted advice on how to ask a girl out."

Ginny stilled, then screwed her lips up in a desperate attempt to avoid grinning like a fool. But her eyes danced, and there was rather strangled, choking sound that really gave away her mirth.

"Really?" she choked out.

"Don't you start!" Harry said, suddenly feeling quite put out. His own girlfriend thought it was funny that Neville had come to him for advice. How sad was that?

"Well, Harry..."

"I am fully aware of the hilarity of anyone approaching me on this particular subject, Ginny."

"I just..."

"But it would seem I've been the topic of a conversation that Neville overheard and there are those who think I'm..." Harry flushed, realizing what he'd been about to say.

Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously, suddenly not very amused at all. "Who?"

"Never mind," Harry said shortly. "It doesn't matter who... it just..."

"Harry, who?"

Harry swallowed. He knew darned well that Ginny wouldn't give up until he'd told her the entire conversation, including who it was the Neville had overheard. She could be like a bloody terrier when she wanted to be. "Neville just overheard... I'm just kind of uncomfortable..."

At that moment, a giggling group of girls, including Lavender, Parvati, and several sixth years passed by, entering through the portrait hole and disappearing into the Gryffindor common room. As they passed, they threw giggling looks at Harry. One of the sixth years blushed furiously, but couldn't seem to stop staring.

"Hi, Harry!" Lavender called out.

"'Lo, Lavender," Harry muttered, flushing further and avoiding making any eye contact at all with the group.

"I see," Ginny said shortly, her narrowed eyes throwing daggers at the group of girls as they entered through the portrait hole, before turning and looking back to Harry. "Let me get this straight. Neville approached you for advice on girls because he overheard some other girls, who shall remain nameless..." she shot a venomous look at the closing portrait hole. "... talking about how... eligible?... you are?"

"Something like that," he agreed in a low, tight voice. Could this get any worse? "I just..."

"Harry."

"It's not funny, Ginny! I realized when he was talking that... well, I've never properly asked you anywhere ... and you and Hermione insisted on these damned clothes... and Neville approached me about advice, Ginny... do you know how weird that was? And I feel practically naked in half the clothes you chose and..."

"Naked?" Ginny's eyebrows rose. She glanced at the outfit he was wearing. Plain blue jeans and a grey crew neck jumper. Nothing revealing there.

Well... it did rather mold to his chest and arms... and his shoulders... and his stomach...

Quidditch has been very good...

"Right..." Harry said, his eyes glinting.

Ginny came aware enough to see that he was standing stiffly, looking at her.

"See what I mean?"

"But... Harry..." she shook her head. "I'm your girlfriend... I'm allowed to..."

"Ginny, it's not you," Harry flushed. "It's them! They were..."

"What?"

"They..." Harry took a breath, lowered his voice, and flushed deep red. "They said I was shaggable, Ginny!"

Ginny did laugh then. She couldn't help herself, even though she covered her mouth with a hand, she continued to giggle, her eyes locked helplessly with Harry's which were growing steadily more angry.

"Ginny!"

"Harry... that's not a bad thing," she finally calmed enough to speak.

"I don't like..."

"Most guys would love it."

"I'm not most guys!" he hissed, looking about to make sure no one was listening. "I don't ... bloody Lavender, Ginny! Lavender Brown!"

"Well, she is very pretty, are you sure that you wouldn't like to...?"

"Ginny!" Harry's eyes were tortured. "Please!"

"I'm sorry, Harry. Really! Do you want me to have a word with her, then?" Ginny said, amused. "I could tell her to..."

"No!" Harry looked horrified. "Oh, never mind!"

He was turning away, towards the portrait hole, when Ginny caught his arm and pulled him back. Her eyes were soft as she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, Harry... I can't help it."

"Help what?"

"They want you, and I have you. You are..." she moved closer, her hand cupping his cheek. "...eminently shaggable... and they're just jealous. It makes me feel..."

Ginny pressed up against him. Harry's eyes widened, and he looked down at her. How did she do that?

"Ginny..." he groaned.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to laugh," she said, looking up at him, real regret in her eyes.

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend, Ginny?" he said stiffly.

"Of course I will."

"I..." he glanced away, then back to her. "You really think that?"

"What?"

"That I'm..."

"Shaggable?" she grinned. "Absolutely."

Harry took a quick breath at the rather... predatory look that had entered her eyes. He was about to lean down and kiss her when there was a happy shout from behind them. They both turned to see Neville running down the corridor towards them.

"Harry! Harry, you were right! She said yes! Harry! Luna said yes!"

Harry and Ginny smiled at each other. Harry leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, then wrapped his arm around her as they turned to greet a panting Neville. Someone's day was turning out to be pretty good, and it looked like Neville's was, as well.