This is Chapter 2, hopefully to be swiftly followed by a third and fourth and more chapters, ne? Well, on with it, I suppose. All of you people who are Harry/Hermy shippers or even, I suppose, Harry/Ginny shippers will be outraged at the developments I have planned. -;-Malicious smile -;- Too bad for you.

-;-Elflet

Ron howled in anger. Neville had come to him early Sunday morning, informing him that he had asked Ginny to go to Hogsmeade with him, only to find out she already had a date.

"Who?" he demanded, his face red with anger.

Neville backed away. "She didn't say," he said, his eyes fearful of the wrath of Ron. "She just told me she was already going with someone, and she had a dopey grin on her face!"

Ron's eyes narrowed. "I'll find out," he growled, turning away and going down to the Gryffindor common room, where he found his sister curled up in front of a fire next to Hermione, Crookshanks on her lap, chatting quietly with the older girl. She looked up at her brother as he stormed in.

"Hullo Ron!" she said cheerfully. "Got your panties in a twist again?" Hermione snorted, then looked abashed, quickly hiding her face in her book. Ron looked even more livid; his red face had white splotches all over it.

"Ginny," he began in a forced-calm voice. Ginny exchanged glances with Hermione, who jumped up.

"I think I'll go have some breakfast," she said, already climbing out the portrait hole. Ginny gazed tiredly at the retreating back of her friend, then turned to face her brother, carefully placing Crookshanks on the chair Hermione had vacated and standing up. She was nearly as tall as he now, and had blossomed into a slender young woman.

"What is it now, Ron?" she asked levelly.

"It has come to my attention-Who are you going to Hogsmeade with?" he blurted out, his eyes snapping. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"If I told you you'd go out and challenge him to a duel, which would be not very wise on your part," she informed Ron, her hands on her hips. "He's much more advanced than you are."

"So it is a boy!" crowed Ron. "I knew it. Who?" He took a step forward, now managing to tower over his sister.

Ginny glared up at him. Ron had driven off nearly all the boys she fancied this year. It was quite irritating. "Harry." She turned and retrieved Hermione's book. "I think I'll have some breakfast as well," she said thoughtfully.

Ron stared open-mouthed. "Harry asked you to go to Hogsmeade?" he asked, his rage gone in the face of utter bewilderment. "He actually spoke to you?"

Ginny glanced at him. "If you must know, I asked him. And yes, he did speak to me."

"But you don't fancy him."

Ginny rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Ron, how the hell do you know whom I do or do not fancy?" she asked, her eyes narrowed. "Are you going to tell me I fancy Draco?" She laughed bitterly. "I could do worse than Harry Potter, you know." She left the Common Room, leaving her brother to ponder the finer points of over-protection.

Yes, yes it is short, but I am on a limited time schedule. After all, I still live in my parents' house, and despite the fact that I get all my chores done, they still seem to think it necessary to limit my time creating, yet they beg me to write and practice my skills. A quandary, to say the least.