Chapter four: Dinner for Six and a Board Meeting
That evening, for dinner, Ginny ended up sitting sandwiched between Sirius and Remus and opposite James, Lily and Peter. She hadn't had much choice about it, Sirius had grabbed her arm as she went past and pulled her down.
"How was your afternoon Jenny?" Asked Remus politely.
She frowned in response "Featherstonehaugh, after torturing you lot in the morning, tortured us in the afternoon. The others winced in sympathy.
"What's he doing with you?" Lily asked.
"Showing off." Said Ginny bluntly. "Apparently," she said to Lily, "you and I didn't duel correctly with the Death Eaters because we didn't salute them with our wands before cursing them. This shows our 'lack of basic duelling training'." The others laughed, while Lily rolled her eyes. "I told him that we hadn't really thought of it as duelling more trying to stay alive" Ginny continued, "and that he is welcome to salute all the Death Eaters he likes with whatever wand comes to hand as long as he doesn't mind that I'll be running away!"
"You didn't!" Spluttered Sirius.
"I appear to have lost us 20 points." Ginny said, making a face. "Sorry about that but honestly, that man! I was at the end of my tether with him. In the lesson I had with him last week he kept suggesting the most stupid things we should have done."
No-one was really sure how much of the conversation Professor McGonagall had heard while she was passing. All they were sure of is that she dropped her wand by Ginny's chair, "Would you be so kind as to pass me my wand please Miss Weston?" She asked Ginny obliged. "Thank you, 20 points to Gryffindor." She said as she marched off.
The six of them sat in stunned silence for a moment and then burst into laughter simultaneously.
For the first time, since she had come back to 1977, Ginny felt relaxed. No-one asked her any awkward questions about her past. Instead the meal was taken up by the four boys bantering with one another. At one point they went into their "Mr Prongs suggests that …" "Mr Padfoot, humbly points out …" routine which she found hilarious. She'd never heard Sirius and Remus do it back in her time so it didn't bring back any memories. She had a few qualms when she remembered the map – would it show her real name, but she overheard Wormtail mention that it was a shame their map had been confiscated and she relaxed.
It had appeared that whilst the sixth years had decided to try and make her feel at home by getting her to tell them about New Zealand, the seventh years had decided to just treat her like she had always been there. Back when Lily had first escorted her from the hospital wing to Gryffindor tower, Lily had tried to thank her for saving her life. Ginny had assured her that any life saving had been mutual, pointing out that Lily had helped her to her feet after she had been hit by the Cruciatus curse and that the two of them had helped each other run far enough away that the final curse thrown at them had done minimal damage.
Since that time, she hadn't really spoken to Lily much, spending her time either alone, or with the sixth years. During dinner that evening she discovered quite a bit about the Head Girl and found she liked her a lot. She felt that Lily had a lot in common with Hermione as she was muggle-born and very smart. It didn't even occur to her that Hermione would probably have felt that Lily was very like Ginny in her prettiness, her confidence and her wit.
On her way back to the common room after dinner, she found herself walking with James. Lily had been caught up in conversation with one of the seventh year Ravenclaw girls and both Sirius and Remus had decided to play 'chase the Wormtail' after one two many insults had been thrown their way!
James wasn't really that much like Harry, she concluded. They looked alike, of course, but James had none of Harry's, well she couldn't think of the word. Angst was wrong, so was depression. It was more that Harry truly did feel the weight of the world on his shoulders, and James just didn't. Nor did James appear to have Harry's 'saving people' thing. James was brave, and he'd stand up for his friends and for what he believed was right, but he didn't feel that he was the one who should be doing these things. He'd be happy enough to leave it to others. In a way that was good, if he had been the one who had to go off to fight Voldemort, he would never have broken up with his girlfriend for stupid noble reasons, to keep her safe. But then, he probably wouldn't have gone off to fight Voldemort aged 17 at all. He'd fight if the fight came to him, but he wouldn't have gone after it.
The more time Ginny spent with him, the less he reminded her of Harry. It confused her as she knew that both Sirius and Remus had compared Harry to James on previous occasions. She must have been looking at him oddly, something of her inner struggle showing on her face, because James suddenly stopped and turned to her.
"Is something wrong?" He asked anxiously, "It's just that, I'm getting the feeling you think there is something bad about me or something."
"No not at all!" Ginny said quickly. "It's just that, well there's this boy from my old school, and you look a bit like him and when I first met you, you reminded me of him a bit." She continued, thinking 'understatement of the year Ginny!' "I guess it's just that you are so similar in some ways but so different in others."
"Like what?" James was curious.
"He doesn't laugh as much as you. He doesn't tend to joke around much at all actually." She said thoughtfully. "Oh he likes a joke, but he doesn't initiate them. You do. Ha – Harvey is like, so noble and stuff. Takes on much more responsibility than anyone should at his age. You'd never finish with your girlfriend just because you thought it might be dangerous for her to keep seeing you." Some bitterness crept into her tone briefly. "He acts like he's 27 instead of 17 sometimes and …" she paused "he's lonely, even when he's surrounded by friends." She surprised herself with that last comment. It wasn't something she had ever thought about but as she said it she knew that it was true. Before she knew it, tears came into her eyes.
"You miss him." It wasn't a question but she nodded anyway. Suddenly his arm was round her shoulder, in a comforting way. "This Harvey sounds like a bit of an idiot if he'd let a great girl like you go – whatever the reason."
"It wasn't his fault." She said, but she smiled at him. "He was only trying to protect me."
The two walked back to Gryffindor Tower without saying much more, but just as they reached the Fat Lady she heard James say. "What kind of stupid name is Harvey anyway?"
Ginny laughed. "His name isn't his fault, by all accounts his father was a bit of a prat so blame him!"
"I will!" Said James with a mock scowl.
Later that evening, once all four Marauders were back in their dorm room, James coughed for attention. "I'm convening a Board Meeting of The Marauders Ltd!" He said importantly. The four boys gathered around for one of their semi-regular evening discussions. These Board Meetings were the nickname the boys had given their discussions and planning time. In younger years the Board Meetings had consisted almost solely of prank planning, in later years, to James' disgust, and over his protests, there had been some 'Operation Lily' planning which he was sure had put him back almost a year in his attempts to woo her. Nowadays the meetings, whilst still including their fair share of pranks, also tended to include more serious topics, like the things they read about in the Daily Prophet and, in this case, the attack on Hogsmeade which had hit the boys rather too close for comfort.
It started off as a fairly serious Board Meeting for the boys. It was the first time the war had really come close to hurting them, and James hadn't quite processed yet what the loss of Lily would have done to him. The conversation naturally drifted to the newcomer, Jenny Weston, and from there on, the Meeting degenerated into its usual format.
Extracts from the minutes of the Marauders Ltd Board Meeting:
Opinions are generally favourable amongst the Board members on the new student Miss Weston although Mr Wormtail maintains that she 'looked at him funny' when they first met. Mr Padfoot points out that everyone looks at Mr Wormtail 'funny' and he should consider it a blessing that, despite Mr Wormtail's obvious deficiencies, Miss Weston wasn't so completely repulsed by him that she couldn't stand to be in his presence at all. Mr Moony then points out, in return, that if anyone should know about others being repulsed by him, it would be Mr Padfoot so Mr Wormtail would do well to heed Mr Padfoot's advice. Mr Padfoot agreed although Mr Prongs feels that perhaps Mr Padfoot had not fully comprehended Mr Moony's words on their initial hearing.
Opinions are unanimous amongst the board that Harvey is a stupid name.
The Board considers it the duty of all Marauders to help the young Miss Weston, feel at home. Mr Moony and Mr Padfoot have both volunteered to be the ones in charge of making Miss Weston feel at home and have glared at each other for and unfortunate length of time now. Mr Prongs suspects that Mr Padfoot has finally comprehended Mr Moony's earlier piece of advice for Mr Wormtail. Mr Padfoot growls which is taken as an acknowledgement of Mr Prongs' position.
Opinions remain negative on this year's DADA Prof. Mr Moony suggests that perhaps GAGA Prof. might be a more appropriate title. Mr Wormtail remains smug that he has little to do with the aforementioned Featherstonehaugh and congratulates himself on not studying DADA to NEWT level. Mr Padfoot points out that congratulating oneself is appalling manners. Mr Wormtail doesn't care.
The subject of our esteemed Head of House was raised and all four Marauders have taken the opportunity to raise a glass to her. Further observations might, therefore, be tainted with the slightest scent of Firewhisky. Mr Moony points out that Firewhisky is unnecessary for rendering certain Board Members incoherent since that is their natural state anyway, especially on the topic of the esteemed Miss Evans. Mr Prongs points out that Mr Moony is a prat of the first order. Mr Moony acknowledges his pratness but assures Mr Prongs that, in that regard, he feels it doubtful he can compete with Mr Prongs for sheer level of pratdom.
"Mr Padfoot would like it noted" said Sirius raising his glass once more, "that Miss Weston is a very pretty girl."
"Lonely, even when surrounded by friends." James repeated quietly to himself.
"That's actually an impressively astute observation." Remus responded in some surprise. "Mr Moony would like to ask Mr Prongs if perhaps his acute observation of the esteemed Miss Weston, might perhaps elicit a negative reaction from the, equally esteemed, Miss Evans?"
The meeting was more or less declared null and void at that point and the resulting wrestling match caused one or two new bruises amongst the participants, as well as causing the unfortunate breakage 'beyond repair 'of a chair. All in all, it was the usual end to a Marauders Ltd Board Meeting.