Chapter Six:
Mistletoe and Pumpkin Pie
Ginny knew by the grin on Hermione's face as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning that she'd retrieved the love note, and that meant that the next item on the list was hers to find. That meant that it was Ginny's duty to get the "volatile" lock of hair, while the question remained: whose hair? She couldn't wait to ask Hermione about it—she had to ask her that very moment, even if Harry and Ron were sitting right beside her.
"So, Hermione I'd LOVE to know how things turned out with your Arithmancy essay. Last I checked things were getting pretty HAIRY. I was going to ask one of your classmates, but I DON'T KNOW WHO," she said, smiling over the food at the Gryffindor table.
Hermione quickly realized what Ginny was trying to do. "Oh, well I'm pretty sure HARRY and RON were having the same problem with their Defense Against the Dark Arts essays. I'm not sure EITHER ONE OF THEM is done with it. I'M REALLY NOT SURE."
"WHY do you think they're having problems?" asked Ginny.
"They were supposed to take NOTES during the class, but they didn't. So they were supposed to borrow NOTES from someone in the class. I'M NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE WHO WROTE THE NOTES, BECAUSE YOU NEVER CAN BE SURE ABOUT THESE THINGS—"
"Hermione, why are you yelling? Seamus is talking about the Chudley Cannons," Ron said.
"Sorry," Hermione apologized hastily, turning back to Ginny. "Does that answer your question?"
"Yes," Ginny said.
---
Later that day, Ginny stopped Harry as he was about to enter his dormitory. "Oh, Harry! What a surprise to see you here!" she laughed falsely. "Oh, gee, look what we're standing under," she said, pointing at the mistletoe above their heads.
"Why is that up there? Christmas was a month ago," Harry said, puzzled.
"I don't know," Ginny smiled, hoping he wouldn't notice the stapler that was missing from his room and the scissors she was hiding behind her back, "but I guess it's Fate!" Ginny grabbed Harry and kissed him, fumbling with the scissors over his head. Oh God she thought, if someone sees this, they might tell—
Snip.
A lock of Harry's hair fell into Ginny's hand. She pulled away and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "Nice seeing you, Harry—er—Merry Christmas!"
---
Hermione was happily eating her pumpkin pie in the Great Hall when Harry came out with it: "Your sister kissed me," he said to Ron, "on the mouth. For a very long time." Hermione started gagging on her pumpkin pie.
Ron looked bewildered. "Ginny? Sorry, mate—she's a little hormonal right now—Hermione, are you all right? Hermione, you're turning this really pretty shade of purple—it's like puce only—"
"Hermione???" Harry rushed over to her to help her, but not before Colin Creevey did.
"Don't worry, Hermione," he declared valiantly, cheerfully, "I know the Heimlich maneuver!" He promptly tried to administer the maneuver to Hermione, who only started gagging more. "Or at least, I think that's the Heimlich maneuver…"
"Oh, move over, Creevey—" said Harry.
"Oh, hi, Harry! You know, I've been meaning to congratulate you on not dying lately—it must be really hard for you—"
"Look!" someone shouted. "Granger's turning blue!"
Harry ignored them, gave Hermione a thump immediately below her breastbone, and the pumpkin pie flew out. Of course, by this time, Hermione was unconscious.
"Mauve—that's the color!" shouted Ron.
---
Hermione spent the afternoon in the Hospital Wing and Harry visited her immediately after Quidditch practice. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," Hermione replied, sitting up.
"Was it the pumpkin pie?" he asked, sitting down next to the bed.
Suddenly, a little creature hopped into the room. "Oh, Dobby hopes it was not his pumpkin pie! Dobby makes special pumpkin pie for Harry Potter and his friends—if Dobby has made Harry Potter's friend sick, then Dobby will have to shut his foot in the oven and swallow a sock!"
Dobby had Hermione's attention. "Oh, no, no, Dobby—you don't have to punish yourself anymore, remember? I loved your pumpkin pie."
Dobby grinned. "Now Dobby is very pleased, but Dobby still feels ashamed that Harry Potter's friend was sick while she ate Dobby's special pie. Dobby will do much to repay you."
Hermione smiled and Ron entered the Hospital Wing, bearing flowers. "Hey, Hermione, I hope you're feeling okay," he said awkwardly, plopping the flowers down on a table.
"Oh, Dobby," Hermione said, calling the little elf over to her, "There is something you could to do to repay me," she smiled and whispered her request in Dobby's ear.
"Oh yes, certainly!" agreed Dobby, hopping away happily as both Harry and Ron left the room, waving goodbye. Minutes later, Hermione heard Ron yelling "Get off me, you stupid elf!" and Dobby returned with a large chunk of red hair.
---
The next day, Hermione sat with Ginny in the library. "The next item on the list after the hair is one frozen Ashwinder egg, but I've no idea how to get one," Hermione explained.
Ginny looked confused. "What is an Ashwinder?"
"Oh, it looks like a snake, but they only appear when Floo Powder fires have been left alone too long," Hermione explained quickly. "They only live for about sixty minutes, but they do lay eggs, and if you freeze them they're no harm—they'll set the whole area on fire otherwise. Haven't you learned about them in Care of Magical Creatures?"
"No," Ginny replied, "we're learning about Knarls. Why don't you just light a fire, dump some Floo powder in it, freeze the eggs, and be done with it?"
"Don't you think someone will notice, Ginny?" reasoned Hermione. "I'm sharing a room with Parvati, and she's sure to notice, and if I wait until after dark, don't you think I'll wake her up?"
"Do it anyway," Ginny said, thinking of the end results. All this trouble they were going to would be completely worth it if Hermione could just make that De-Lusting Potion. "I've gotten the lock of hair from Harry—"
"That's why you kissed him?" asked Hermione, an expression of both incredible relief and incredulity on her face.
"So you've heard about it already?" groaned Ginny, slamming her book shut.
"Yep," smiled Hermione, "and Rita Skeeter will have her hands full with this one—Harry Potter: Hopeless Romantic or Heartless Two-Timer?"
"Oh yes—-Mesmerized Under the Mistletoe—it'll be a real joy to read," Ginny said sarcastically.
"Mistletoe?" asked Hermione. "Where on earth did you get mistletoe—Christmas was about a month ago."
"I took it from Draco's room—he's been growing it in his room since Third Year. He's got this cute little hat, and he's bewitched it so that whenever anyone comes within twenty feet of him, this little trap springs and the mistletoe flies out…"
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