SORRY TO EVERY ONE (ESPECIALLY THE WONDERFUL JOANNE ROWLING HERSELF). I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO PLACE MY DISCLAIMER UPON THIS WEBSITE. YOU SEE, I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER, HIS UNIVERSE, HIS FRIENDS, HIS GLASSES, HIS HAIR, HIS FAMILY, HIS SCHOOL… YOU GET THE PICTURE. I OWN NOTHING. (BUT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SELL ME A PART J.K, I'D BE MORE THAN WILLING TO ACCEPT.) O.K. THERE IS MY GENERAL DISCLAIMER THAT APPLIED THROUGHOUT. THANKS.
A/n: well, tada! Here is chapter seven. I hope that you all like it. It is longer than all of my other chapters (hopefully they will just keep getting longer and longer!). I can't wait to see how you all review this one, it has some (cough)pg-13 moments in it. So, if you don't think that you are mature enough to handle it, then well, I'm sorry. You'll just have to close your eyes in the italicized part. Lol. O.k. well, I guess I should let you all get on with this story. Wait! First I need to advertise! PLEASE GO READ MY OTHER STORY it is called 'the truth isn't far behind me' and if you can't find it in a search, then just click on my name, and it will take you to it. It's about Lily, and I am having quite a bit of fun with it. O.k. I'm done. Enjoy the chapter!
Sanity of the insane
Chapter seven
Cars aren't meant to talk (or explode…)
Ginny sat in the waiting room at St. Mungo's, wringing her hands fretfully, waiting for the moment when the healers would come out with a bit of news. When she'd arrived, they'd only allowed her a glimpse of her father, before they ushered them all out of the room. He'd looked awful, covered in swollen black bruises and cuts everywhere. It was a bit scary.
Her mother had informed them that some one had charmed a muggle car, so that it could talk, and when their father had gone to sort it out, the car had exploded, nearly killing him. The waiting room was tense, and scary. Mrs. Weasley was knitting, Fred and George were actually just sitting there, not bothering anyone, and Harry was thumbing through some Quidditch magazine, while Ron and Hermione had a whispered conversation by the door.
Ginny couldn't take the tension any longer, and stood up to rush from the room, in search of a lavatory. She didn't know where to go, but wasn't going back into that god-awful waiting room, so she slumped on a wall, feeling the day's event's taking their toll on her energy.
"Ginny?"
She started and looked around to see Harry looking at her quizzically from the doorway.
"Oh, hello Harry. I'm fine, just, I can't… its so…"
"Yea, I know, it's pretty intense in there. Even Fred and George are solemn." He walked over and sat next to her against the wall.
"It's enough stress knowing that Dad is in the hospital with serious injuries, I don't need to add to it by sitting in there where it feels like it is about to erupt!" She allowed her self a small smile, and yawned deeply.
"Well, it's been a long day, hasn't it? What do you say that we go find some food somewhere in this place?" His green eyes sparkled as he looked over at her.
She couldn't possibly say no, not with him looking right at her like that, and on any account, her stomach had given a tumultuous rumble at the sound of food. Harry laughed at that sound, and got to his feet, offering a hand to help her up.
"Um, where exactly can we go for food here, Harry, it doesn't exactly seem like a cozy little tavern, if you know what I mean." Ginny looked around, as Harry led her toward a lift.
"Well, earlier, when I went to the restroom, I went in search of food, and I heard talk of a cafeteria on the ground floor, so I think that would suffice." He pushed a little yellow button, and the doors to the lift sprung open. "After you."
There indeed was a cafeteria on the ground floor, and a livelier place, you couldn't find in the entire hospital. Wizards and Witches (healers and patients alike)
Dashed everywhere, eating, laughing talking. Ginny could hardly believe that it was in the same building as the tense waiting room. The walls were lined with various food providers, serving what ever you liked.
"Oh, Harry, let's go over there," She pointed to one of the Restaurant logo's that read 'Wacky Wizzy's Wofflepuff Cafe'.
Harry looked at her oddly and shrugged, following her over to the stand.
"Hello," Ginny greeted the sallow, pockmarked man behind the counter. "Um, we would like, the family deal on a large container of Chicken Fricassee, with rolls, and butterbeers enough for eight."
"That will be two galleons, four sickles and a knut." The man wheezed out.
Ginny dug into her pocket and pulled out three galleons and handed it to him.
"What is 'Chicken Fricassee'?" Harry asked her uneasily, watching the man prepare a large container filled with a bubbly, lumpy red froth.
"Oh, it's this tomato and chicken and potato stew that is divine, and I've ordered it all so that we can take it back to the waiting room for every one to have some. Maybe that will liven things up a bit." She reached out to accept her change and the bright purple bag from the man. "Thank you."
"Have a Wizzy Wacky day." The man wheezed, obviously not enthused.
Harry and Ginny reentered the waiting room, and found a different atmosphere completely. Everyone was smiling and laughing, dancing about the room wildly.
"Ginny! Harry! There you are we were wondering what became of you two! The healer's just left, and your father is fine! We can all go in to see him in a moment." Mrs. Weasley gushed, smiling happily.
Ginny yelped with joy. "That's so wonderful. I brought food for all of you. I figured you were all hung—" but she was cut off by Ron, Fred and George practically tackling her to take the food.
"I am starved!" Ron said enthusiastically, and he looked into the bag and pulled out a roll. "Oh, Chicken Fricassee, good choice Gin!"
"No problem," she muttered, rubbing her hand where they'd snatched the bag from it.
Just as Ginny was grabbing a butterbeer from the bag, she saw the door to her father's room open, and a tall, balding healer stepped out, nodding to them all, signaling that they could go in. Ginny was the first in, she ran into the room like a blur, and squealed with delight to see her father. He was smiling as she came in, and he looked a lot better, all he had were a few bruises.
"DAD!" She shrieked, wrapping her arms around him. "I was so scared dad." Suddenly her smile dissolved into tears again, and she cried against his shoulder.
"Now, now Ginny dear. I'm alright sweetie, see, if I wasn't, then they wouldn't let you come in! Don't cry. I'm fine!" Mr. Weasley tried desperately to calm his daughter.
"I'm not crying because I'm sad, but because I am so relieved! When I got that letter from Mum, I thought you were dead! If it weren't for Harry, I never would have been able to pull myself together!"
By then every one else had come into the room, and were standing around the bed, all smiling happily.
"Ginny! You're going to suffocate him!" Ron said through bites of his roll.
"Stuff it Ron!" Ginny smiled as she stood back up, and her mother embraced her father.
"Dad, you're not dead!" George smiled.
"And don't worry, we haven't forgotten," Fred intervened.
"To bring a present!" George finished, and they both ran out of the room, coming back in with an ominously large box, wrapped in silver paper.
"Well, boys, normally, I would say 'you shouldn't have' in a nice way, not really meaning it, but in this case, I am almost positive that you shouldn't have." Mr. Weasley said warily eyeing the box.
"Does that mean that you're not going to accept it?" Fred looked hurt.
"Because that would be right rude of you!" George added, looking sulky.
"Alright boy's, I get it! I'll open it, bring it over here." Mr. Weasley sighed, still looking very suspicious.
Fred and George perked right up and bounced over with it.
Mr. Weasley slowly opened the box to find… another box. Then another and another, and another, until he was finally down to a box about the size of a fist. He carefully opened it, and peeked inside, then laughed.
"What is it?" Ron wanted to know.
"Oh, it's, wow I didn't think anyone still remembered this." He pulled out a small little pocket watch that had little sprigs poking out every where. "This, everyone, is the pocket watch that I used to let these two play with when they were toddlers. It was my grandfathers, and they loved it for some reason. But what was weird was that every time I got it back from them, they had managed to make it sing opera every time I opened it. I don't know how two toddlers managed but they did. One day, I gave it to them, and didn't ever take it back. I'd forgotten about it. I didn't know you boy's still had this over all these years!" He laughed, putting the pocket watch down.
"Not have it?" George said incredulously.
"This was our first bit of trickery!" Fred looked indignant.
"We would never get rid of it."
"It's priceless! Besides, watch!" Fred reached over and pulled the watch from the little box again and opened it. Loud screeching opera music filled the room. "It still works!" He beamed.
"Close it!" Ginny shouted, holding her ears.
"Righto." Fred closed it and stuck it in the box and handed it back to their father.
Ginny glanced at her own watch and gasped. "It's nearly ten! We've got to get back to Hogwarts. I am glad every thing is o.k." She stooped again to hug her Mum and Dad. "I'll see you both over Christmas! Hopefully not before then!" She gave a pointed look at her father.
The four students said their good-byes, then grabbed the wad of paper that had served as a portkey before. At exactly ten, the paper glowed blue, and they were all transported back to school, straight into the common room.
Hermione woke the next morning feeling groggy, but for some reason, deeply content. She sat up, stretching luxuriously , and analyzed the previous night, with every emotion that she could muster zipping through her relentlessly.
The night before...
The four of them had arrived from the hospital to a very bare and empty common room. Ginny said something about being tired, and went straight to bed. Harry hung around for a while, but eventually left as well. Hermione was alone with Ron, again. She smiled at him, then blushed furiously.
"So." She smiled more. "What are we going to do about… us?"
"Us? Wow, that sounds… strange. I guess we should… I dunno, go on a date. Um, the first Hogsmeade weekend is in like, two days, we could spend the day together… er alone."
Hermione smiled. "That would be lovely. We should probably tell Harry, and your sister about…us."
Ron grimaced. "Er, let me tell them. At least let me tell Harry. If I don't I won't know when to expect him to start ragging on me."
"Ragging on you? You honestly think that Harry would do that? I thought he was more mature than that."
"You've no idea."
She nodded and stared into the fire, not really sure what to say next, when Ron clumsily reached out for her hand. He held it in his, his face beat red, but he still held it. When she turned to smile at him, he planted a kiss right on her mouth. At first she was so surprised that she was going to pull away, then she relaxed, knowing how offended Ron would be if she did. It was a nice long kiss, and she thought it was going great until she felt pressure against her teeth. She was so surprised that she clamped her mouth shut, consequently biting Ron's tongue.
"Ow!"
"Oh, Ron, I am so sorry. I didn't… I am so sorry!" Her face was so red that she didn't think it would ever cool down. She felt like disappearing.
"No, it's alright Hermione, really, I was just, I'm fine. It isn't even bleeding, look." Ron lolled his tongue out at her, and she giggled. He looked so funny, just sitting there so casually, sticking his tongue out at her like a little boy.
Ron blushed and sucked his tongue back in, smiling.
"Hey, erm, I think we should try it again," Hermione suggested, her face redder than ever.
"O.k."
Ever so gently Ron had leaned over her, putting one hand on her waist, and one in her hair and he kissed her. He kissed her so gently that she never wanted it to end. She let him explore her mouth with his tongue and didn't even blush once. It might have gone on a lot longer, if it hadn't been for the sudden giggle from across the room. Hermione looked around just in time to see a flash of red hair disappearing up to the girls' dorm.
Hermione smiled all morning while she prepared for her lessons. She even put on a hint of eye shadow and lip gloss before going down to the great hall for breakfast. The whole gang was there, Ginny, Neville, Ron and Harry. She sat beside Ginny and across from Ron, who looked at her sheepishly, then turned away.
"Good morning everyone!" She said cheerily, spreading marmalade over a piece of toast.
"Wow, you sure are kipper this morning!" Ginny observed, with a glint of mischief in her eye.
"I had a good night sleep!" Hermione blushed, unable to meet the younger girls eyes.
"Oh, don't I know it." She grinned wider. "But don't worry, I won't tell" she mimed locking her mouth and throwing the key away.
Harry looked from Ginny, to Hermione, to Ron.
"I'm missing something, I just know it. What is going on? What did I miss?" Harry asked them, looking bewildered.
"Good, finally I am lost with company for once," Neville muttered, spooning porrage into his mouth.
"I'm sure I don't know what your talking about." Hermione tried to say innocently, but the blush creeping up her neck and face, gave her completely away.
Ginny shrugged with a smile, and drank her pumpkin juice. Ron just settled for staring at his plate.
"Hermione," Harry decided that she would be the first to crack if pressured. "I know that something is up. I mean come on, I've known your for six years, for Christ sake. You can't keep this from me. Either you tell me, or I'll guess." Hermione shook her head, looking away, not meeting his eyes. "Oh, I get it. You and Ron were snogging last night in the common room?"
Both Hermione and Ron turned and looked at him incredulously.
"Don't look so surprised. Ginny was talking about it before either of you arrived. We were supposed to act like we didn't know. And all I have to say to you two is that it is about time you stopped being stubborn." Harry grinned at them both.
Hermione blushed crimson, and Ron was magenta. They met each others eyes uncertainly, and smiled, which caused everyone around them to make a collective 'aw' sound. Hermione thought she'd die.
A/n: awww. There you have it folks, it's chapter seven. I hope it was to all of your liking. I had to write it three times to get it write. In the first version I actually killed Mr. Weasley, then I realized that I didn't want that, so, we get this. Today is actually Wednesday, but I won't be able to post until Friday because tomorrow I have Band Festival (this little rating session thingy that we go to, play our songs, get rated, and see if we are qualified to go to state), and I have to leave at three in the afternoon (like right after school), and I won't get home till like ten. But anyways, that was the chapter. I still desperately need a beta. If you guys don't know what that is, then I will tell you. A beta is a person who gets a chapter before it is posted, reads it, fixes gramatical errors, gives plot ideas, etc. Essentially, they are an editor. I think my story (stories) could be so much better if I had one. If any one is interested in betaing, please email me at: c o n f u s e d a g a i n (a) p a r t l y c l o u d y . c o m (no spaced, and the (a) stands for the 'at' sign, which I cant seem to upload), or just tell me in a review. Well, thank you all for reading, and please REVIEW! I absolutely adore reviews. Also, in your reviews if you have any plot ideas, please submit them, if I use any of them then I will be sure to give credit where it is due. This is a suggestion for my times of writer's block, it gets my mind flowing again to get suggestions. (hence the dire need for a BETA!) O.k. to my reviewers: c o n f u s e d a g a i n (a) p a r t l y c l o u d y . c o m
Oh, one, just one then.
Honey P:Thank you for being my ONE and ONLY reviewer (glares at other readers). I did indeed write more, and i hope that your... er addiction hasn't completely taken over .-. Please review again, and i recommend my other story to you, since you like my writing. Just go read it! hehe. Well thank you for reviewing. Keep reading and i hope you like my new chapter!
