A/N: No was has reveiwed in a very long time. I'm starting to wonder if everyone on fanfic is alseep or something. Well, someone once told me not to quit for lack of reveiws. I have had no reveiws for the last three or so chapters, but I'm not giving up. Someone please read and reveiw.
ONLY HOPE by Lina Shay
Chapter Ten: Take Away the Fool
Ron, Dean and Seamus followed Neville subtly down the corridors. They kept their eyes pealed for some great opportunity to have him find the letter. Nothing was going to happen. They didn't even know what they were looking for. Then it came like a beautiful vision. Ginny was walking toward Neville. Ron quickly whispered something to Seamus. He nodded and was off.
"Hullo, Ginny," Neville greeted excitedly.
"Hi, Neville," her reply was one of polite indifference.
"Going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Neville asked.
"Yes," Ginny told him. "I'll be meeting Harry and spending the day with him."
"Oh," Neville murmured sadly.
"It ought to be great fun," Ginny swooned.
"Yes," Neville groaned. "I hope you do have great fun."
Ginny smiled at him. "Thank you, Neville. You're so the sweetest."
Just then, Seamus bumped into Ginny and quickly slipped the letter insecurely to her book bag.
"Sorry, Gin," he said, then walked off.
"I've got to get to class," Ginny told Neville. "I hope to see you later. And maybe Harry and I will bump into you at Hogsmeade."
"Uh-huh," Neville muttered lowly.
Ginny went off down the corridor. As Ron and the boys had hoped, the letter fell from her pack and Neville caught sight of it. He went over to it and picked it up.
"Ginny!" he called, but she was too far down the corridor. Neville casually glanced at the words, gasped, then folded the letter. He waited until everyone had cleared out of the corridor, then unfolded the letter again.
"'Dearest,'" Neville began. "Oh, it's to Harry. I mustn't read it."
Neville looked away from the letter for a second, then continued to read, "I must not bottle the true strength of my feelings longer or I shall burst. Since two years past, upon the day which we shared our spirits in the music of Christ's blessed season, I have sought for you alone.'"
Neville paused.
"Shared the music of Christ's season?" Neville repeated. "She can't mean the Yule Ball. But she went to that with me. So, this is to me?"
Neville held the letter close to his face as he read on, "How I love you! It is in your very eyes that lies the spark which burns my bosom. In your voice lies a tone which excites my soul. I spend hours between our greetings pining for your tender embrace. Oh, dear love, let me call you my own. If it be that you as greatly me as I you esteem...' whatever that means. 'Let it be known to me by your walk.' My walk? What's that supposed to mean?"
Dean and Ron chuckled silently.
"'Make your very stride pronounce in it's glide that it be mine heart you seek'," Neville continued. "'If you must to strike my eye, dance about me and heave a sigh. I shall know by this act that you would me to have.' She's must be joking! 'I may show this with a brow raised up, then pointing down. If I giggle, as I will, it will be your sign to hold my waist and press my stomach to your face.'"
Neville blushed deeply.
"'It will be as I always hope, you, my love, for my very own. Ever faithfully yours, Ginny Weasley.'" Neville finished. "This has to be some sort of joke."
Ron smacked a hand to his forehead.
"Ginny, love me?" Neville smiled. "I can't believe it's true. It must be, though. Ginny loves me! She does and if she asked me to, I would dance about her naked!"
Neville jumped in the air excitedly, then ran off down the corridor. Seamus ran up to Ron and Dean.
"It worked!" he shouted.
"Oh, this is the most brilliant idea in the history of the world," Dean announced egotistically.
"Harry, I am so excited about tomorrow," Ginny said, clutching onto Hope's arm.
"Yup," Hope sighed discontentedly.
"It's going to be so fun," Ginny went on. "We absolutely have to go to the ice cream parlor and...Oh, hello, Neville."
Neville stood before the two, a wide grin stretched across his face. Hope was wondering if he had something seriously wrong with him or what? To both Hope and Ginny's confusion, Neville started walking in a circle in some sort of rooster imitation.
"Is there something wrong?" Hope asked him. "Do you need me to take you to the hospital wing?"
He paid no attention to Hope. Ginny stared blankly at him. Rolling his arms, Neville proceeded to do a one-person conga line around Ginny and Hope.
"Neville, what on earth?" Ginny demanded, raising her eyebrow.
"'I may show this with a brow raised up, then pointing down!'" Neville quoted excitedly, jumping up and down.
"What is the matter with you?" Ginny asked, beginning to giggle.
"If I giggle, as I will, it will be your sign to'," Neville dropped to his knees and threw his arms around Ginny, "'hold my waist and press my stomach to your face. It will be as I always hope, you, my love, for my very own.'"
Ginny stood dumbstruck with a Neville around her waist. Ron, Seamus, and Dean were tumbling down laughing. Hope was just as confused at Ginny was.
"Someone, take Neville to the hospital wing," Ginny called into the large crowd. "He's really very ill, I'm sure."
"We'll take him," Dean announced.
He, Ron and Seamus dragged Neville off. Ginny took Hope's arm and the two went down the other way. Neville stared in disbelief.
"I don't get it!" Neville exclaimed, struggling against his friend's. "She loves me."
"Oh, how'd you know it?" Ron asked. "She hasn't told a soul but me that she's got it bad for you."
"But why's she-" Neville began.
"Off with Harry?" Dean finished. "That's to make you jealous, so you'll do something."
"But I did what she wanted me to," Neville insisted.
"Girls are hard to figure, Nev," Dean told him. "Girls like to mess with us and all that. Hard to get, I bet. Maybe she'll let you know somehow what else she wants you to do."
He smiled at Ron and Seamus, who smiled back.
A/N: All right, I'm off on this tangent, but we'll get back more to Hope.
