A/N: Laaadeeedaa…I've just been taking my good time with this fic, haven't I? Sorry about that…I've been having major bad luck with computers lately. I've had half of this chapter written in my notebook for about…oh, three or four months. I've started typing it, realized that some of the details don't match up with the rest of the story, started completely over, and then lost the new stuff. Grr…technology is EVIL. Anyway, it's finally done. Just the conclusion and epilogue are left. YAY! Then I can start on some new stuff. Like a Ron/Hermione one-shot and a Lily/James fic.
THANK YOU TIME:
JamieBell: The whole Harry speaking German thing was brought on by my friend Justin who likes to go around talking in weird accents and pretending he can speak different languages. I'm glad you liked it! THANK YOU!
Pokey-Oats: '…a screwed over Harry is much more entertaining.' XD You sound just like my best friends! THANKS FOR REVIEWING!
Amanda Lily Potter: The sixth chapter wasn't really a chapter, it was more a filler because I felt guilty about not having updated in awhile so I wanted to post something. THANK YOU!
mary-v: I promise the next chapter will have fluff! Lots of fluff! Please forgive me for not updating in like…forever! THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!
ronslilprincess: I seem to have a phobia of updating, don't I? THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!
SOBs 4 Sirius 223: I'm glad you like my fic! Sorry about not updating in so long-.-' THANKS FOR REVIEWING!
Thunder's Shadow: Alas, writer's block is my constant companion, as is excessive amounts of homework. I'm so sorry for not updating! Please don't hurt me! THANKS FOR REVIEWING!
Disclaimer: Phaerie does not own anything affiliated with Harry Potter. Except for a really cool Harry Potter bookmark. And one of those spinning lolli-pop things. And the books. And the movies. The point is, she doesn't own the characters, or the setting, or any of that other stuff. She only barely owns the plot. If there even is one.
-Snapshots-Chapter Seven: You're Out – Found Out, That Is-
"Ron! It's nearly ten! Breakfast's almost over! You can sleep after practice!" Harry shouted at the lump on the bed that was his friend before grumbling his frustrations as he headed for the door in defeat. He slammed the door behind him and smiled satisfactorily as he heard a short scream and THUD as Ron fell off his bed, followed by words that would have mothers everywhere covering their children's ears.
Stumbling around groggily, Ron bumped into his trunk, an action that brought about more bad words from Ron-the-supreme-potty-mouth. He sifted through the contents of his trunk and pulled out his uniform, quickly changing into it. He wrestled the tie over his head and made to grab his robe, which lay on the floor, when he noticed the corner of something glossy sticking out from under Harry's pillow on the bed beside his.
He blinked and straightened, walking over to Harry's four-poster. Ron's hand reached out hesitantly, the angel on his shoulder stopping him from pushing the pillow aside. Then the devil popped up and began to egg him on, causing a heated argument to rise up between the two. Curiosity soon won out over morality and Ron shoved the pillow off the bed to reveal a photograph of his little sister. Naked.
+x+
Ginny stumbled down the stairs behind Avery sleepily, grumbling about sadistic witches who found enjoyment in waking their friends before noon on the weekend. So what if they had Quidditch practice? She couldn't be expected to play at her best if she was suffering from sleep deprivation, right? Alas, with her muttering, her attention was divided, and she failed to notice the stray quill lying on the second-to-last step. Next thing she knew, she was slipping on the aforementioned quill and falling through the air – arms flailing about wildly – onto the unsuspecting victim who had just been passing by the girls' stairwell.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I slipped and-and well, fell obviously. I'm so sorry!" Ginny babbled as she pushed herself off the person she'd inadvertently used to cushion her fall. She froze. "Harry?" she squeaked, her cheeks heating up instantly.
"G' morning Gin," Harry chuckled nervously as he too began to redden.
"Morning," she mumbled as she stooped her headand let her bangs fall in front of her face to obstruct his view of her face.
"Er, do you think we could get up now? Despite popular belief, this carpet isn't all that fluffy."
"Oh! Right, sorry!" she exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet and began to smooth her robe anxiously. "I'm really sorry…"
As Harry pushed himself up, he gave her that smile. The one that made her knees go all wobbly and took her breath away, leaving her feeling like she'd just suffered a severe asthma attack. "Don't' worry about, just an accident, yeah?"
It was just as Ginny was nodding her head enthusiastically in agreement that Ron came thundering into the common room, his face a brilliant shade of red-going-on-purple, ears practically pouring out steam, and clutching something tightly in his right hand.
"Er, you alright there Ron?" Harry called as Ron approached. Ron didn't answer, only situated himself between Harry and Ginny, being sure to keep the item he held out of Ginny's line of vision.
"What is this?" Ron hissed at Harry as he raised his fist and shook it in front of Harry's face. Half of the picture was skewed by Ron's fist, but the image of a petite redhead donning only a towel was still plainly visible. Harry, face flushing, glanced over Ron's shoulder at Ginny, whose own blush was quickly rising up her neck to reach her face. Avery was standing just behind Ginny, looking triumphant. She gave him a look that said, "And this is the part where you get what you deserve, you dirty-minded wanker."
No one spoke. Ron glared; Avery smirked; Harry blushed; Ginny stared. Harry didn't dare move until he saw a flash of red in the corner of his vision as Ginny ran out of the common room. Harry turned to go after her and apologize, but Ron had him by the collar in seconds.
"Oy, Gin! Wait a shake!" Avery yelled at the closing portrait as she headed to follow her friend. She was just pushing open the portrait when she heard a cracking sound and Harry's brief cry of pain. She spun back around to find Harry on the floor with both hands clamped over his nose and Ron stooping down to pull Harry up for another hit.
"Merlin! Ron, stop it!" Avery shouted as she raced back over to the two boys and attempting to hold Ron back. She silently wished that the common room wasn't deserted and prayed that someone was still in the tower as she cried out, "Oy! A little help, if you don't mind!"
"Holy hell!" Jake exclaimed as he appeared on the boys' staircase, "What happened here?"
"Nevermind that! Help me!" Avery yelped as Ron broke her hold on him and started for Harry again, who was already backed up against the wall. Avery grabbed the sleeve of his robe, pulling his left arm back so she could get a firm grip on his arm. Jake came over and grabbed Ron's other arm, which had been desperately reaching out at Harry trying to get another whack in, pulling him back a safe distance.
"Get off'a me!" Ron roared as he tried to shake them off, "I'll kill him!"
"Ron! You do realize you're trying to kill Harry, right?" Jake asked, tackling Ron to the ground as he broke free again.
"Geroff! I don' 'are who 'e ish! 'Esh dead!" Ron shouted back, his voice muffled by the carpet.
"Think you can handle him, Jake? I'll get Harry out of here, then," Avery said, rushing over to Harry and helping him up. His glasses were completely shattered, bits of the glass cutting into his skin and leaving small trails of blood streaming down his face. "Come on, Harry. Let's get you to Pomfrey."
She guided Harry over to the portrait hole and pushed it open. Jake heard her grumble, "Stupefy the sodding git if you have to," before it slammed behind them.
+x+
"CREEVEY!" Ginny shouted, throwing open the doors to the Great Hall rather forcibly. All the heads in the Great Hall turned and stared at the irate redhead storming toward Dennis Creevey. He had a "Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" look on his face and was leaning as far away from Ginny as was possible from his position on the bench.
"Where's your brother!" She was right in his face and practically spat the words out.
"He's in the library. Please don't hurt me!" Dennis was all but trembling and could tell that she wasn't one to be messed with at the moment.
Ginny turned on her heel and stormed out of the Hall leaving the makings of many disturbing rumors in her wake. She headed straight toward the library and seemed to reach it in record time. She slammed the doors open and once again yelled, "CREEVEY!"
"Young lady, this is a library. You can either keep quiet or you can go somewhere else. Understand?" Madam Pince berated her immediately.
"Yes ma'am. Sorry…" Ginny mumbled before spotting Colin and walking briskly toward him. He was looking disgruntled and confused.
"Ginny…what are you yelling about?" He seemed about to say something further, but was cut off by Ginny's harsh whispering.
"You wouldn't happen to know why Ron was just stomping around the common room flinging some photo of me about and yelling at Harry, would you?" she hissed, her small hands griping the edge of the table he'd been studying at with such force that her knuckles were white and Colin was afraid she might snap the wood in half.
"Sorry, no. Haven't a clue," Colin answered, wearily eyeing her.
"Oh really? Huh, I could've sworn you were the one that had taken that picture, especially since I was in naught but a towel," she said through gritted teeth, the wood below her fingers beginning to splinter.
"Oh, that picture," Colin said, his eyes dancing with amusement.
"Yeah, that picture. I'm curious, just how'd you manage to take that anyway? Follow me into the locker room?"
Colin shrugged, "I thought Harry might like the view."
"You pervert!" Ginny yelled aghastly, earning her a withering glare from the librarian. Giving Madam Pince a sheepish grin, she turned back to Colin and glared.
"What? You have all those pictures of the two of you snogging. I thought he might like a snapshot as well."
"Yes, but did it have to be one of me in a bloody towel?"
"You seem to be quite caught up on that fact…"
"I might as well be naked, Colin! How could you do that?"
"I – " Colin began just as Avery ran up to them.
"Ginny, Ro – " Avery gasped out but Ginny cut her off.
"Well, Colin?" she seethed, completely ignoring Avery.
"Giiiin," Avery whined, tugging on the sleeve of Ginny's robe. Ginny quickly pulled her arm away.
"Answer me, Colin!"
"Harry's in the infirmary!" Avery told them point-blankly.
"Col – What? What happened to Harry?" Ginny's tone instantly changed to one of concern as she finally turned to face Avery.
"Your brother, that's what. Ruddy git punched him in nose, totally shattered Harry's glasses," Avery spat out.
"Oh dear…" Colin whispered.
"But…why?" Ginny demanded.
"Hmm…let's think, shall we? Ron found some photo of you in a towel under Harry's pillow. I wonder what conclusions he jumped to, given the evidence?" Avery drawled out sarcastically.
Ginny was glaring at the floor, her right eye twitching slightly. "I'll kill him!" she exclaimed as she stalked out of the library, leaving two worried students and an irate librarian to stare after her.
A/N: I wanna write some fluff now. But that'll have to wait until next chapter. Along with Ginny's row with Ron. I'm working on revising/editing the previous chapters right now, since my school now has a designated 30-minute period in which everyone, even teachers, have to read. Doesn't that sound fun? Señora Newsome is making us read stuff in Spanish for her class, so I get to read all about Franklin, Clifford, Dora, and Blue's adventures once a week. I have learned that Franklin uses many words that aren't in my Spanish-English dictionary and says too much. Clifford is just confusing. Dora really should stop exploring since she thinks that Boots getting caught in a pit of quick sand isn't all that alarming since she has a nifty coil of rope stored in her backpack. Blue's classmates at school include two other dogs, two cats, and a kangaroo for some reason.
Hmm…none of that is pertinent in the least, is it? Well, until next chapter, adios!
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-Phaerie