Chapter 8- Old Flames
The night of the show was busy and chaotic, everyone demanding to know where their costumes were, stagehands shouting the time until the cast had to be in their places. Ginny sat in her first costume of the show, shoveling through notes as the girls around her frantically put on lipstick and blush. "Is this enough?" Padma asked, a modest amount of blush on her cheekbones.
"You need a brighter color, I think," said the second year that was helping with the makeup. "Yes, right here," she said, looking through a book of theatre makeup. "Brighter, and a bit more." Both Padma and Parvati followed this advice.
Ginny had done her makeup almost an hour before, wanting to be prepared instead of fighting the crowd. "Can I use your red?" Rose asked her.
Ginny looked up from her charms notes. "Yeah, sure," she said, shuffling through until she arrived at Hermione's more detailed record of Cheering Charms. Her hair was in ringlets and hung down around her face. Just as she was finishing the paragraph on the wand movement, she felt her hair being pulled behind her and placed on her back. She turned to see Dean there. "You're not allowed—"
"I knocked first," he said with a smile. "And I wanted to bring you this," he added, handing Ginny a small bouquet of daisies.
"Dean," she said reproachfully.
"Just between friends," Dean said. "I promise."
Ginny smiled and took the flowers. "Well, they're lovely friendship flowers," she said. "Do well tonight, all right?"
"I always do," he said with a wink, then stepped over.
The next time Ginny looked up, he was giving some flowers to Parvati. Ginny shook her head with a bit of a chuckle and continued to read through notes.
"Places everyone!" the stage manager shouted. Ginny sighed and marked her place, setting down the notes and leaving the dressing room.
Standing in the wings, she watched people make their entrances and exits, giving some of her classmates a few words or a squeeze on the upper arm. As Fugues for Tinhorns started up, Ginny noticed Harry come near her, muttering under her breath. "Hey," she whispered, approaching him, "break a leg."
"Er—" he stammered, "thanks."
"Don't worry," Ginny told him.
"W-who said I was worried?" he asked. She watched his gaze wander across the way where Draco was doing a horribly cruel mimic of those singing on stage.
"Who cares what Draco thinks?" she said, bringing Harry's attention back. "You're going to do great," she said with a lopsided grin.
"Thanks," Harry said.
Ginny watched him onstage, starting with his stammer a bit through the first half of the scene until he slowly became more comfortable being in front of all the staring eyes. I thought he'd be used to it by now, she thought as she waited, making her entrance with a large amount of energy, forcing her voice into a nasally American accent. She could hear some of the students chattering in the audience. When they exited the stage, Harry collapsed in the nearest chair.
"You're doing great," Colin Creevy said to him before walking off to do his own job.
"See?" Ginny said. With a smile, leaning against the wall.
"Like I trust the opinion of Colin to give me a good view on how I'm doing."
"I think you're doing wonderful," Ginny said. "Proving yourself for getting the part, at least."
Harry's exasperated look became a smile. "Thanks," he said. "Er… Ginny?"
"Yeah?" Ginny continued to whisper.
"I was wondering if… well," he said, looking at the ground. "I was wondering if you'd like to—I dunno—if you're not too busy with studying…"
"Are you actually going to ask me something?" Ginny asked with half a grin.
Harry took a breath and looked down at his feet. "Would you go with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?" he asked, then looked up timidly over the rim of his circle glasses.
Ginny felt her heart jump up a bit. Was he really asking her out? Skinny little red-headed Ginny? "Wow," she said aloud without meaning to. "I mean… yes… yes, of course," she said. "I have to go get changed now," she said after a bit of an awkward silence.
"Oh right," he said, stepping out of Ginny's way. "You're doing great, by the way," he added as Ginny passed.
She felt a rise of heat to her cheeks as she made her way over to the dressing room. She changed into her next costume and started to study, though the words seemed to bounce from her mind the moment they entered, being replaced with giddy thoughts of a teenage girl. Ten minutes passed without one phrase of notes penetrating Ginny's mind. "The show's going rather well, don't you think?" Hermione asked, coming into the dressing room.
Ginny looked up and smiled at her older friend. "Fantastic," she said.
Hermione gave an odd look between curiosity and fear. "You look like you've had a coat hanger in your mouth… are you okay?"
"He asked me on a date," Ginny said, her smile growing.
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"Harry," Ginny exclaimed in a giggly fashion. "I don't know what's gotten into me, but I think it needs to stop," she said. "I'm supposed to pretend to be mad at him, but I don't know if I can."
"Sure you can," Hermione said. "That's why it's called acting. So how'd he ask?"
"Rather clumsily."
"And?"
"Next weekend… Hogsmeade," Ginny said. "I can't wait!"
"Which leaves me alone," Hermione said with a sigh.
"What do you mean? You'll have Ron," Ginny said, her smile turning to an expression of concern.
"Right," Hermione scoffed. "You remember what he said."
Ginny looked as if the situation had just struck her. "Oh… well… I could always see if Harry wanted to do something—"
"No, no," Hermione said. "Go on, have your little date. I'll find something to do."
Ginny hopped up from her chair and hugged Hermione while squealing happily. "Thanks," she said. "I've got to get out there, I think."
"Yeah," Hermione said with a wink.
The show ran with fewer mistakes than Harry had anticipated—which generally didn't say much, considering his idea of success was not falling into the pit, but he even felt confident enough to say that it went well. "Colin and Dennis are nicking some food," Dean told Harry quietly as the Slytherins stood nearby. "Party when we get back… and Ginny said for everyone to keep their makeup on."
Harry looked determined at his reflection, his jaw tensing. "Yeah, sure," he said as he watched Dean leaving. He wondered why they were still talking… why would Ginny continue conversing with Dean if she really meant what she had said? Then again, she had agreed to a date with him, hadn't she?
Harry was only slightly distracted from this paradox by the Slytherins huddled together talking in hisses, Draco having his head the lowest. "… Father didn't want to come until I told him."
Harry looked their way for a moment, but they all seemed to stop. "Did you want something, Potter?" Draco asked. "Maybe a few vocal lessons? Or some more lipstick? That's a great shade for you, by the way... bet the girls are all jealous."
Harry restrained himself and turned around without a word, leaving them as the only ones left in the men's dressing room. His thoughts were detoured as he wiped his lips against orders; now wondering what Malfoy was planning. It hadn't been brought up since auditions, but why would someone who detested all things Muggle audition for a musical that clearly didn't involve wizards, besides the fact that all the actors in this production were? Not to mention being allowed to be a part of a Muggle Studies project. Preoccupied with both unanswered questions, Harry didn't notice anyone trying to get his attention until a hand was on his arm.
"Harry," Cho said. "Hi," she added, letting go of his arm.
"Oh... er… hi," he said. Harry was one floor down from the portrait of the Pink Lady and was rather surprised to be faced with talking to anyone outside of his common room, let alone Cho.
"Look," she said quickly. "I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the play tonight and I'm really sorry I couldn't be a part of it."
Not for the first time around Cho, Harry felt defensive. "Couldn't?"
"Well… honestly," Cho said slowly, biting her bottom lip. "I just… didn't want things to be really awkward."
"Wonder why things would have been awkward," Harry said sarcastically, turning around.
"No wait," she said, catching his shoulder again. "I thought it might be awkward because… well… I think I still want to see if there could be… something between us."
Harry was stunned into silence. He could tell his jaw was hanging a bit and shut it tight as his brain racked for something to say.
"I know things didn't end well last time, but—well… after seeing you again tonight… I just can't help but wonder," she said. "I suppose… I shouldn't…" Cho didn't finish her sentence, but she didn't move either. "You did really well, by the way."
"Er—thanks," he finally said.
"Sometimes I wonder," Cho said, her cheeks going a pretty pink as she looked down. The next time she looked up, Harry had an odd sensation of déjà vu.
Ginny raised a butterbeer, which she had managed to get for everyone,in the air. "To our own Hermione Granger! The best damn Sarah Brown Hogwarts has ever seen!"
"Hear, here!" several of the other Gryffindors said in agreement, raising their own bottles, as Hermione gave Ginny a look for her choice of language. Ginny noticed Ron standing in a corner looking on remorsefully.
"And to an equally talented Obediah Masterson!" Ginny shouted, walking over to her blushing brother and pulling him out of the shadows. There were several more cheers as Ginny placed him next to Hermione in the crowd. They both seemed to want to walk away, but Ginny stood between them, an arm around either side of the two. "Finally… we found a use for their ability to argue without loss of energy or breath," Ginny stated, getting a large laugh from the crowd.
Hermione rolled her eyes and nudged Ginny in the ribs with her elbow to take a step away. Ron just looked down trying not to smile. "Maybe they'll learn from their characters and snog to end the disagreements," Seamus shouted amid all the people. Again laughter as Hermione tried to get away.
It didn't matter as Ron started mingling with others and Ginny was left with Hermione. "It must be a family thing, shoving people together," Hermione said.
"Oh, lighten up. I didn't say anything about kissing," Ginny pointed out.
"I'll give you that at least."
"I just hate seeing you two not talking like this," Ginny said. "This is the most miserable I've seen Ron all year," she added. "Besides, I'm in good spirits."
"You should be," Hermione said, finally falling to a friendly pattern. "Has Harry searched you out yet?"
"No," Ginny said, looking down and biting her bottom lip.
"You know," Hermione said. "I haven't seen him either," she said, attempting to look through the crowd of Gryffindors. "Do you think he knows about the party?"
"How could he not?" Ginny asked. "I had Dean going around telling everyone."
"Dean?" Hermione said. "Maybe that wasn't the best idea."
As if what that looked like dawned on Ginny her eyes widened slightly. "You don't think—"
"No," Hermione said. "I'm sure if anything, he's just a bit put out. I'll go see if he's in his room sulking," Hermione said.
"Maybe he went to help Colin, or something," Ginny added. "I think we might need a bit more cake anyway," she added with a smile as she made her way to the portrait hole, passing a couple second years coming in. She squeezed by the two, thanking them for their congratulations, and made it down to the first landing of the stairs before stopping. At the bottom of the staircase she found Harry, Cho leaning into him, their lips against one another.
There was a moment when she did nothing, her heart having dropped down until she could have sworn it had disapperated completely. Cho was the first to notice her presence and pulled away, looking up. It took a moment before Harry turned around. "G-ginny," he said.
Ginny straightened herself and looked him in the eyes. "Hermione was looking for you," she said strongly. "I'll just tell her I found you and your growth, shall I?"
Cho looked incredulous, satisfying Ginnyjust beforeshe turned and walked away. She heard footsteps following and picked up her pace. When she got into the Common Room, she started weaving herself through the crowd, tears starting to sting her eyes. "Ginny!" someone called. Her instinct was that it was Harry, but when her arm was caught, she was surprised that it was Dean Thomas. "We didn't get to toast to you," he said happily before his expression changed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Ginny said, feeling her façade starting to crash down. "I have a headache… need some sleep," she said, then pulled away before any other attention could be drawn to her. Just as she approached the girls' staircase, she noticed her brother.
"You okay?" she heard him ask, but just passed him, walking quickly up the steps before she could be stopped again.
With a shaky hand, Ginny opened her dormitory door, thankful that her roommates were all downstairs celebrating with those in audience and cast alike. She ignored the nagging that the party had been her doing… she should be running it, but didn't care as she fell onto her bed and started to cry.
Crying for her stupidity at the thought that Harry might actually be interested… crying for letting down the thick wall that had been there the year before… crying for, once again, being beaten by Cho Chang.
A/N: Came out sooner than the last chapter ;) I enjoyed writing this one… yes it focuses a bit more on Ginny and Harry again, but it'll be a part of Hermione's and Ron's reconciliation. Should be fun in the next chapter. I think I'll be starting that tonight anyhow… We'll see. Until then… be darlings and REVIEW ;)
Thanks:
Picklegrl: I'm sorry I'm sorry! I got caught up with school, a musical, and winterguard (flag team), which is why before they were coming out in such quick succession... and now, my beta from Checkmated is gone, so I'm just over here for now with updates, but I am trying to finish up before HBP comes out, so I'll be working hard. Again sorry! To you and anyone else that feels I betrayed them ;)
Loralie: My clever moments are few and far between, but I'm glad you enjoyed that, because as arrogent as it may sound, I was really proud of myself for that one hehehe. Yes, I am a dork... and I'm proud of that!
Rupertsgrl479: Awwww thanks! Yes, it is on Checkmated, but I don't have a beta for it at the moment, so I'm prolonging having to deal with someone new over there... especially since it's gotten rather particular, site wise.
Bhekie: Thanks :D
Julesfire: Yes, I give Ron kudos for style :D I particularly like the extra hard slap, though... hope that's kudos enough for him. hehehe.
Emrisah: You know... honestly I don't care for whoever left that review as it's obvious they didn't read it. If they had, they would have seen a lot of the contradictions to what they said. Besides that, if they aren't going to say anything that simply helps me, I ignore it. Of course, I respond to everyone's reviews, or I wouldn't have bothered to write a response to them ;) I'm glad you're enjoying it at the very least. Thanks for the review!
Yami and Hikari Kaiume: I got really busy, if you're wondering what happened with the updates for six months... otherwise, you'll have to read the story to figure that one out ;) Thanks for the review!
Ginny PoshSpice: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I'm working on it the best Ican! Hope you continue to enjoy it.
phredtheflyingmonkey: Thank you! I'm glad you like it, and I'm trying to get chapters out as soon as I can. Promise!
luckyduck8200: Awwww thanks!
Phillippa of the phoenix: I'm glad you like it so much! I did enjoy replacing that word, and I, of course, had to mention it was different from the script for those who haven't seen it a million times (though I must admit that I had to look it up myself... as I don't have the entire thing memorized.)