A Boring Boy And An Accomplishment For The Weasley Parents
"And Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley added, edging eagerly forward, "This is Migell...the Minister's son."
Ginny felt ten pairs of eyes burn into her.
"Yeah hi," she said rudely "So...what's going on?"
Ron looked ultimately relieved that it hadn't been him who had asked the question. He gave a vigorous nod and stared at his parents. Mr. Weasley gave a nervous laugh
"The Minister, is dining with us tonight." he answered in a high voice.
"Any particular reason?" Fred blurted out
Mrs. Weasley made towards her son, but when she became level with him, she seemed unaware of what to do next.
"We enjoy having house guests!" she insisted, awkwardly patting him on the shoulder as George stifled his snort
"Yes." the Minister added in a low voice. "I am very pleased with Arthur at work. He's one of the only decent ones we have left. And the Ministry needs some serious rearranging. Rehiring, firing, demoting, promoting..."
"Oh" Ginny thought to herself. Both of her parents had flinched at the word "promoting". Mr. Weasley, who was now very pink stumbled to pull out some chairs for their new guests... Ginny touched her hair nervously. She found it very odd that the Minister and his family were staring at her.
"So!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly, "Dinner then...yes...all right! Potatoes Minister?"
"Certainly." he replied with a sideways glance at Ginny "And please Molly, call me Alfred."
"Oh..." she blushed "All..all right Alfred."
"So Ginny." said Mr. Weasley strongly as the food slowly passed around the enormous table, "Migell is starting his fifth year as well you know!"
The boy called Migell gave a small nod and a weak smile which Ginny returned reluctantly...she was still suspicious. Why did she care what year he was going into?
"That's...great..." she said slowly. Fred and George seemed to be the only ones who got the sarcasm.
"Yes. And he too is taking Honor's Classes." said Mrs. Weasley encouragingly.
"Erm...how unbelievably coincidental."she replied. George gave a snort at the other end of the table. The Minister gave a nod.
"Yes." he said in his low voice. "As much as I want my son to have the best education possible he's never quite had the grades for Honour's Classes..." his eyes widened in Ginny's direction.
She blinked.
"So...is he taking Honor's Classes?" she asked confusedly
"Stop saying Honor's classes." exclaimed Fred "The words are losing all meaning."
Ginny coughed through laughter, lowering her glass of milk as Mrs. Weasley looked ready to spit fire. The Minister disregarded all this and continued as though nothing had happened.
"Well yes. My connections and place at the Ministry proved important enough to squeeze him through the cracks...but I was hoping that perhaps before he plunges straight into them...you could perhaps tutor him a bit Ginny? Maybe prepare him for the classes?"
The table was utterly motionless. Everyone stared unblinkingly at Ginny who simply did not understand. Prepare him? How was she supposed to do that when she Ginny had never taken the classes herself? But then...what was she going to say to the Minister of Magic? No?
"Erm...of-of course I will..."
The Minister beamed.
"Excellent. So Tuesday then?"
Ginny gave a startled jump
"What? No! I-I mean, no Minister I can't Tuesday."
"What?" Mrs. Weasley hissed sharply "Why on Earth not?"
"I'm going to Diagon Alley!"
"You are to no such thing! You never mentioned this to me! Never!"
"I figured you had more important things to be worrying about." she said coldly.
"Ginny Weasley I-"
"It doesn't matter!" Mr. Weasley cried nervously "Not a problem I''m sure!"
"No, of course it isn't Arthur." he Minister said kindly "Some other time then?"
Just as Ginny was about to nod or grunt in approval she heard her mother's high voice-
"How about tomorrow!"
"Mum-"
"Tomorrow would be perfect Molly!"
"Mum-"
"Tomorrow then Ginny?" her father asked, a pleading look plastered onto his face
"I...fine...tomorrow." she caved.
Ginny sat through the rest of dinner as silent as she dared to be, pushing her uneaten third helping of pumpkin pie around on her plate, not stupid enough to ask to be excused.
"So, I suppose that was quite an interesting year, when we lived in Europe." Alfred nodded tucking into his own third helping. "Migell really enjoyed it there...didn't you 'Gell?" he asked playfully punching his son's arm.
"What? I mean...yeah...okay dad.." he mumbled.
"But of course we had to come back. I mean a few years at Durmstrang is all well and good, especially when 'Gell hadn't even started Hogwarts yet and he didn't really have any friends there. But I couldn't let him stay at that school with that nutcase. He would've grown into a death eater." Alfred continued with a superior point of his finger "Hogwarts will always be the best. And of course now that times have changed I would never send him back there. In fact I myself don't think it's a bad idea to murge all the magical schools so Dumbledore can keep an eye on all the children. It would certainly keep them all much safer."
The twins were wearing identical expressions of exhaustion, that were only half visible as with every second their faces fell further into their hands. Hermione was nodding off to the wall, as both Ron and Harry seemed to be sleeping with their eyes open. They were both staring, motionless off into space not blinking at all.
"Ginny..." whispered a voice quietly in her ear.
"What mum?" she muttered back
"I want you to...very politely... excuse yourself and go upstairs...and finish your potion's essay." she said breathing quite quickly.
Too tired to argue, Ginny waited until Alfred took a break from his speech to shovel down more pie before standing up slowly.
"I'm sorry but I have a lot of homework I really should get to work on." she said fluttering her eyelashes. "Mum could I be excused?"
"Of course dear." her mother beamed falsely
"It was so nice to meet you." Ginny said exaggerating every syllable. She made her way over to the Minister who stuck out a pudgy hand. Ginny grabbed it politely and moved their hands up and down as the Minister grunted
"I guess we'll be seeing you around Ginny!" and gave a wink
"Erm, yeah." she said turning away and rolling her eyes up to the ceiling. "Nice to meet you both as well." she added shaking hands with the Minister's wife and son, before turning on her heel and rushing up the stairs. She threw herself down onto the bed crushing her face up against the soft pillow, entwining the blanket through her legs and arms until she was buried somewhere in her bed inhaling the long awaited comfort of sleep.
"Wake UP you git wake UP!"
"Aaaarrrgh!" Ginny hollered, her dreams slipping away "Fred!"
"Shut up, or mom'll come in here and pull my pancreas out through my nostrils!" Fred hissed putting a hand to her mouth. "I just have some information you might want." he raised his eyebrows mysteriously.
"What do you-...wait..." Ginny groaned sitting up in bed "Fred it's still dark out! What time is it?"
"About eleven thirty you lucky prat. And the rest of us have only just escaped."
"Escaped from what?" she asked annoyed
"Dinner genius." Fred grinned "I swear even that Minister man was getting tired. I had to bite my tongue till it bled to keep myself from telling him that Britain is IN Europe." He shook his head
"I know." Ginny grinned back "I mean I myself stopped caring about his family heritage about halfway through his elaborate speech."
"Yeah George almost choked on his own vomit when he started going on about how that kid Migell was conceived right by the Grand Canyon."
Ginny shuddered and tied her hair back into a sloppy ponytail using the elastic she always kept around her wrist
"Yeah, he can talk that one...so what's this information you've got for me brother dearest?"
"Well!" said Fred proudly "I'll have you know, it's worth a lot! I had to do a fair bit of eavesdropping to get my hands on it, and the old Extendables only take you so far." he said wiggling a piece of flesh colored string in between two of his fingers. Ginny glared at him.
"Well? Did you come up here just to tell me all that and not tell me the information?"
"Well what's in it for me?" he asked slyly. Ginny grinned at his cockiness.
"I don't exactly have anything to offer you." she laughed
"Ooooh I see." he nodded "Fresh outta cash? Tradeables? Juicy gossip? Can't pedal me some secrets?"
"Fresh out." she replied
"Hmmm...tricky customer." he said putting a finger to his chin. "Well I'll tell you what Gin. You guarantee me that you make sure Gryffindor doesn't lose the Quidditch Cup the first year me and George are away from school? I'll give you your information."
Ginny giggled.
"Okay, okay I guarantee it!" she said loudly "Now tell me!"
"All right!" said Fred taking a long dramatic breath..."Ahem...you have...a boyfriend."
This startled Ginny a little bit. And her first thought was that Fred must be building to something. Saying one thing and implying something else. It was a play on words, a metaphor. It was anything but what he had just said.
"What?" she asked confusedly
"I've been listening to mum and dad going on about it all day." he dove on, "Apparently, the Minister wants a girl for his boy Migell. And they agreed to set you two up. Oh, and mum thinks you make an adorable couple!" he cooed putting on his mother's shrill voice.
"So wait?" said Ginny hardly daring to believe it "Is that what tomorrow is supposed to be?"
Fred gave a shrug
"Your guess is as good as mine Gin. But my guess is...hell yes."
"But he seemed like a complete prat!" she cried angrily "He barely even spoke to me! Is he in on this too or just his parents?"
"From what I heard I don't think he knows." Fred answered. "But chances are he'll find out by tomorrow. And chances are he'll think you were in on this too."
"Oh shiiiit!" Ginny moaned falling back onto her bed.
"So...has this information proved useful to you?" he asked in a business like tone.
"Yeah...yeah...very useful." she muttered absentmindedly
"I'll go then." Fred yawned standing up. "If you hear a loud thump within the next few seconds, it's just me collapsing of exhaustion in the hall."
Ginny didn't answer. And within seconds he was gone. They had done it. They had finally done it. They had been reaching, and reaching...and reaching with all the strength they could possibly muster. But tonight they managed it. Tonight they had actually grasped full control of their daughter's life. What an accomplishment.
Everyone's here
And with that last bitter thought Ginny rolled over and fell immediately to sleep...open windows and high laughter haunting her already miserable dreams.