Disclaimer: If I owned it I wouldn't be waiting for book six, would I? And I'm waiting very impatiently!
A.N. Hey everyone! I'm back! So how long was I away for this time? I was watching the F1 grand prix but Michael Schumacher got two punctures and retired from the race so I'm depressed. But my laptop was sitting on the table and I had a great idea. Write! So this is my way of distracting myself from my dad's seemingly endless taunts about Ferrari. :(
Anyway, thank to all the wonderful reviewers!
ultra-violet-catastrophie: Hmmm, sitting doing homework am I? Yeh, sounds familiar! Thanks for reviewing!
ultra-violet-catastrophieLol! Love your email address, even if it is fake! Thanks for reviewing again!
Amanda: Aw thanks! I'm just a little sick of the whole 'fluff but no structure' thing so I decided to do something different! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
MistyRiver: Misty, you are ALWAYS confused! Thanks for the review and I know that you're not a big fan of Harry Potter romance fics! Thanks!
Nadine Huser: Thanks! I hope this update is a bit quicker than the last one! Enjoy!
Lipgloss: I know I'm awful at updating! But thanks so much for continuing to R&R! Thanks and enjoy!
kitotterkat: Aw wow! Thanks! Yeh, my updating abilities need a makeover! I'm glad that you think that Harry is in character! Thanks so much and I hope you like this chapter!
SailorLeia: LOL! Thanks so much for your wonderful review! When I read what you said about them loving each other but have a hard time working it out I said out loud, "Remind you of any other couples we know about? Cough Han and Leia cough cough Luke and Mara cough!" Thanks so much! Hope you love this chapter too!
Well, on with the story…
Paranoia, Possessiveness and Prank Shops
When Ron and Harry came down for breakfast the next day Hermione and Ginny were dressed and were almost finished eating. Bleary 'Good mornings' were said as the boys started to shovel food into their mouths at a rapid pace.
Something, however, made Ron stop. The Daily Prophet was lying on the table beside him and on the front cover there was a picture of the Bulgarian Quidditch team filling half the page.
There he was. Viktor Krum, looking surly as usual. Ron glared at the moving image, his expression matching that of Krum's, before he turned back to his breakfast. He now forced it down. Who would have thought that that excuse for a seeker could put him off his breakfast?
…..…..…..…..…..…..
In Ron's opinion, the trip to Diagon Alley was a mission. A mission to keep Hermione away from Vicky. If Ron could manage that, he would be able to breathe a little easier.
But this was proving to be harder than he had expected. He could see different members of the Bulgarian team everywhere! There were swarms of them! He just had to avoid the places where he thought the Bulgarian would be.
"Hey, Ron! Look!" Harry was pointing to the Quidditch supplies shop. He could almost feel Hermione roll her eyes at the two boys' reactions. There, sitting in the window, was a Firebolt Millennium. Ron had seen pictures of it in magazines, but the limited edition Firebolt was so expensive that he had doubted that only the most up market shops could afford it. Though, he mused, most, if not all, Hogwarts students came to Diagon Alley to purchase their school supplies and most Hogwarts students owned a broomstick. He could only assume that this was where they bought them.
Ron had been about to go over to the shop and get a closer look, but then he remembered. Quidditch. Vicky played Quidditch so there was a possibility that he would be there, and with the crowd it was impossible to tell.
Staring wistfully at the broom from a distance Ron said, "Very nice. Come on, let's go!"
Almost dragging Harry and Hermione away from his favourite shop in Diagon Alley, he didn't fail to notice the look of confusion exchanged by his best friends. Avoiding Harry's searching eye, he pulled them towards the comparatively newly instated shop, run by Fred and George Weasley.
The twins hadn't been kidding when they had said that business was booming. The joke shop was packed full with Hogwarts student and prospective Hogwarts pupils. Yet Ron felt safe from a certain individual he was trying to avoid. The scowl on Krum's face was all too serious for him to be a prank lover.
"Hello little brother!" a hand was laid on Ron's shoulder and he turned to face, whom he expected was Fred and George. Truthfully it was impossible to tell. The troublesome twins were dressed from head to toe as circus clowns!
At his sides, Harry and Hermione were struggling to breathe as their laughter restricted them. Ron soon found himself relaxing from a tenseness he hadn't been aware of and laughing with them until his sides felt as if they would spilt. His twin brothers pulled off a few muggle circus tricks without, Ron noted, the aid of magic.
It was hard to look about the shop as it was so packed with people and conversation was usually interrupted.
"We're thinking of expanding!" George told Ron and Hermione whilst serving a customer. Fred was whispering something in Harry's ear and Harry was shaking his head but still smiling.
Coming over to rejoin the chat Fred said lightly, "And if you know someone who's looking for a job put in a good word for us. We could use an extra pair of hands."
"Talking of people who are looking for work," George produced a copy of the Daily Prophet and flicked past a few pages, not seeing Ron's glare at the front page, "read this."
"'Dolores Umbridge, former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, temporary Headmistress and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was today sacked from The Ministry of Magic, due to improper management of her previous post. She was unavailable for comment,'" read Hermione aloud. "Well, that's brilliant!" Everyone in their little circle nodded in agreement.
"And," added Fred mysteriously, "that means you better use your special discount for getting rid of her soon. Offer only lasts until we find out who the next Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is!" He and George gave a wave as they were called away again and Ron, Harry and Hermione left the shop in the best mood they had all been in for a very long time.
A.N. Sorry about the short chapter but I want to leave everything else to another chapter. I wasn't going to put anything about the Joke Shop in but it just seemed to suit it. As for the bit about Umbridge, well, it just came to me and I had to include it!
Well, my Key Stage 3's are over but I still have end of term exams. So, apart from elocution exams, a persistent violin teacher, a karate grading, the German exchange, exams, lots of Young Farmers competitions and a lot of books I have to read, I have nothing to stop me from writing!
Please R&R!
Sweetdeath04