Chapter 6

Talks

"Gin? Gin, what's up? Hello?" Ron Weasley looked down at his sister in concern. She was sitting, cross-legged, in a chair in the far corner of the Common Room, staring into space, not acknowledging his presence in any way. Ron frowned. He'd already seen her like this, but it was in her First Year, and he sincerely hoped she got over it. Three years have passed since that time… Of course, Ron wasn't as foolish as someone (someone he knew pretty well, in fact – a short, curly-haired, know-it-allish someone) gave him credit for. Especially when it came to the people he cared about. Ron glanced down at Ginny again. He was worried. That haunted look only came into Ginny's eyes when she was thinking back on the First Year. A fresh wave of hatred towards Vol…- Riddle surged over the anxious feelings his sisters state awoke in him. Ron grit his teeth and felt his fingernails dig into his palms, as he balled his fists. Riddle's diary, slipped into his little sister's hands by Lucius Malfoy, almost broke Ginny. She nearly got killed in the end of her First Year. His little Ginny. Their only, little Ginny. Ron remembered the hollow, sickening feeling in his stomach, when he heard McGonagall's disembodied voice utter Ginny's name, the realization sinking in, that he might not see his sister again. And then he remembered the relief that spread through his body at the sight of Harry half-leading, half-carrying Ginny out of that chamber, relief so intense his legs felt like lead and his knees wobbled dangerously under him, and his breath caught in his chest. Ron smiled sadly, looking at the sunset-bright head. Only then, knowing that he'd lost her, did Ron realize how much he loved his little sister – annoying, talkative, impatient and lousy-tempered as she was.

A very familiar voice distracted him form thoughts about Ginny's and his childhood, making him start and scowl at two smirks which were identically annoying.

"Fred, do you see what I see?" asked George.

"Aye, I do, brother George" replied Fred nodding solemnly.

"Ickle Ginnykins needs severe cheering up, brother Fred" George stated with a solemn tone matching his twin's.

The twins looked at each other significantly, and, ignoring Ron's protesting expression, tackled Ginny, who, in turn, was ignoring them all very efficiently.

As much as Ron hated their methods, he had to admit they were very effective. They certainly did what they aimed for – distracted Ginny from her brooding thoughts, whatever they were. Jerked out of her little world of misery by the twins, she was now squirming and wiggling, trying to avoid their tickles, and trying to shout hexes through all the breathless laughter. Ron was amazed to see ominous sparks fly from the end of her wand, which lay on the floor and, it seemed, longed for some combat.

"Geroff, you bloody prats…. Fred, I'm warning you …. Ow! George! … Stop that, or I'll hex both your heads into oblivion!" Ginny panted between the efforts to shake both her brothers off. The attack ended just as abruptly as it came, and the next moment Ginny stood facing the twins, her eyes flashing, and her hands on her hips, her lips pursed in a dangerous way.

"Well, Ginnykins, we'll be going then" said Fred

"Yes, some urgent business we need to attend to, ickle sissy" said George

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere, you two piles of newt intestines!" Ginny growled, reaching for her wand. But the twins were too quick for her – they flashed identical grins a Ron, and disappeared through the portrait hole fast as blinking, leaving one furious and one relieved Weasley in their wake.

"Those two!" Ginny said, sounding uncannily like their mother. Ron smiled and ruffled her already messed-up hair. She scowled, throwing off his hand with an angry huff, making him smile.

Ron loved teasing her, it was a lifelong sport. He was now waiting for some scathing remark which normally made him laugh out and go on with the teasing, but it did not come. Instead, Ginny was looking at him with a very unusual, strange seriousness. This stare made him forget all playfulness. Ron sat down opposite her, keeping eye contact.

"What's wrong, Gin?"

"I was just wondering. Will you ever realize I grew up, Ron? I'm not ickle Ginnykins anymore, but for some odd reason, none of my numerous relations wants to notice it, save, perhaps, dad. He treats me adequately, but he's just too overworked to be around much. And when I'm home I just feel like I'm drowning…" Ginny checked herself in mid-rant and looked at Ron.

Ron suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He wasn't good at heart-to-hearts, he wasn't good at serious talking at all, and always avoided it if he could. Now, however, there was no escape from Ginny's reproachful eyes.

"Look, Gin.."

"I do, Ron. I look around all the time and what I see is a family who want to keep me a little girl forever, while everyone who's not family treats me like an equal. Why is that? Ugh! It's just so unfair you can't imagine!" After a small pause she went on: "I grew up looking at my brothers, at the way Bill and Charlie had the 'big boys secrets', Fred and George had that complicity I was so jealous of, you were the closest to me, but even you had your 'sis, it's 'boys only' talk here, so get lost' moments, and I always wanted to be in, to be involved, or at least accepted. And nothing happened, it went on. "Nope, ickle Ginnykins, you're too small and slow to play with us!" (Ron had to bite his lip to contain a smile – the impression of the twins was too accurate) "Oh no, dear, you'll get hurt, just let Daddy set the fireworks off!" "Ginny, I don't think you are quite ready to see what's in those Pyramids yet" "Gin, it's grown-up business, why don't you run along and play with your toys?"

Ron felt strangely guilty. His sister was right. The more - he remembered his own feelings when his older brothers didn't let him in on some jokes, or just shunned him out of conversations. They were exactly the same.

He sighed and tore his eyes from the fireplace he had been staring at for quite some time now, to look at his sister.

"Ginny, we're just trying to … well … protect you."

"On yeah? From what? The scary broomsticks you all flew since the age of three? The life-endangering Filibuster's fireworks? They don't even need fire to get started! The horrific spiders in the ghoul attic where you're all usually plotting mischief? I've been in the bloody Chamber of Secrets with a bloody Basilisk, damnit!" Ginny was almost hissing the words out, like an angry cat, and looking positively vixen-like, with all the red hair flying around as she tossed her head.

Ron was about to bite back, but then he suddenly thought that a row with Ginny wasn't a good idea. This wasn't what she needed. So he let out another sigh and shook his head.

"Oh, stop it, Ron, will you? Don't make a Dad and go into grown-up silence and sighs, it only makes me feel worse!" Ginny grumbled quietly.

She made to stand up, her eyes overbright and lips twitching slightly. But Ron was quicker than his little sister. He stood up and grabbed Ginny into a rather clumsy hug.

"Geroff, Ron" she mumbled into his shoulder, but didn't move. Feeling a bit awkward, Ron patted her ginger head.

"It's just that we all love you, Ginny" He whispered, not sure if she heard him. A small sniff in the area of his shoulder wiped his doubts.

Ginny just started fidgeting a little, trying to degage herself when a loud and annoyingly familiar voice carried towards them.

"Oh, George, look! How very touching!"

"Indeed, Fred! I say – nothing better than a hug on a rainy day!"

"Shut it, you two! I'm still not done with you yet!" Ginny snapped, breaking away from Ron. The twins, however, did not heed her warning.

"You know, we think you should try that on little miss Don-t-break-the-rules-I'm-watching-you Prefect sometime"said Fred.

George nodded "Yeah, Ickle Ronniekins, we reckon that'd melt her right down. Make her too busy to chase our testers away from us anyway".

Fred winked. George clapped Ron on the shoulder . Ginny giggled and shook her head, looking at Ron's ears, now red as the setting sun.

By some inexplicable design of Fate, the aforementioned Prefect stomped into the Common Room at that same moment, looking very businesslike.

Hermione's eyes scanned the room and pinpointed the person she needed. She made her way towards Ron, inwardly noting that he looked odd and uncomfortable for some reason, and the sight of her somehow worsened his state. But then again, there were times when Ron would act odd around her, she got used to it. However exasperating he sometimes were (and that, she thought, was a lifelong practice for him), Ron was her friend, and she loved him regardless. Maybe he'll cotton on, someday… I'm sure he will. Will he? Wondering this for the umpteenth time, Hermione caught Ron's sleeve and started talking: "Why on earth are you slacking in the Common Room, it's our shift today, and I need you on the Third Floor, some Second Year Slytherins are trying to wreak havoc in there, chasing Ravenclaw firsties, honestly, Ron, you should pay more attention, you're a Prefect, for heaven's sake!"

She steered a very flushed Ron through the portrait hole and out of sight, leaving three giggling Weasleys in her wake.

The Weasleys in question all laughed out as soon as Ron's heels disappeared. Ginny was the first to calm down a bit, and punched the nearest twin (who happened to be George) in the shoulder, saying: "Really, you should both die of shame right now, doing that to Ron. You know he's incredibly shy when it comes to us discussing him fancying Hermione!"

"What, like you become when it comes to Harry?" George asked too innocently, making her narrow her eyes at him dangerously.

"Fred, don't be silly, Ginny's grown over him, didn't you, Gin?" – Fred intervened, slyly.

"Oh, you're horrible, both of you!" – forgetting her promises of revenge, Ginny stomped out of the Common Room, leaving the twins laughing themselves silly at their own joke.

To tell the entire truth, Ginny wasn't really angry. Fourteen years of living with the twins made her immune to their 'jokes'. She just wanted to go out in the grounds and take a look at the lake, maybe. It always made her feel better if she felt sad or just unsure about something.

She went out of the castle, lost in thoughts (and they weren't about boys, contrary to a belief that became hugely popular this school year, a fact which annoyed Ginny immensely) ad walked toward the immense grey mass of water that was the lake. She wrapped herself tightly into her cloak, charmed by Hermione water-proof and warmth-holding, then she settled herself down on the grassy bank of the lake.

A fleeting thought that she may be late to the date with Michael crossed her mind, but she ignored it. Ginny had other things to think about.

However, she didn't manage to keep her solitude for as long as she hoped to.

"Shouldn't you be on a date with Michael Corner, Ginny?"

A smile crept on her face, as it always did, when she heard Neville Longbottom's very slight stutter. He only seemed to jump over some letters when he was talking to McGonagall. Or when he was talking to her.

"I should… but a bit of waiting won't kill him"

Ginny shifted a bit, and patted the patch of ground next to her.

Taking the hint, Neville sat down clumsily, bumping against her side in the process and flushing distinctly. Ginny's smile widened. Nevile was adorable, in his own clumsy way. She felt a small pang every time she thought about him, though. Every boy in Harry's year was being discussed by girls in her year, but, somehow, Neville Longbottom, was just 'this clumsy chubby boy'. Well, he was a bit clumsy, but no one said it was a crime. Look at Tonks – she's so clumsy, and still, Lupin can't take his eyes off her when he thinks no one's looking – Ginny thought furiously. Plus, Neville isn't really chubby anymore. He grew several inches over the summer, and his cheeks weren't that round anymore… And, most important, he's grown in another way, a way few people at Hogwarts suspected, but if they did, they'd be surprised. Ginny knew that, because she spent much time with him after the Yule Ball, and she got to know Neville much better. He deserved more credit than everyone was giving him.

She still felt a little guilty, though. She knew the way he felt about her in her Third Year, and, most likely, things haven't changed much, but she made it plain then that she could only offer friendship back then. She still couldn't forget the sad look he gave her. But a friend he became, and she was glad of the fact.

He was looking at her with a small smile, and there was this little drop of sadness hidden in his eyes that caused her so many pangs of conscience.

"Playing on the poor bloke's nerves, are you, Ginny? That's not very nice of you, you know that?"

"Oh, well, I'm only nice to people who aren't my boyfriends, so you should be thankful you never became one"

As soon as she said it, she registered what exactly she said, and was about to go drown herself.

God, why oh why did I get the Fred and George gene?

Surprisingly, Neville laughed a little at her not-so-subtle comment, and it seemed that he wasn't offended at all. Just a bit… amused?

"Ginny Weasley, you're a horrible woman. I'm not sure if I want to be your boyfriend in the first place."

Ginny's jaw fell at first, but then she recollected herself, and punched him playfully on the arm.

"Neville Longbottom, you're about to be Bat-Bogey-Hexed for that cheek!"

The boy raised his arms in mute surrender, and Ginny laughed, throwing her head back. Neville laughed a little bit too, watching her. There was something about Ginny Weasley (other than red hair) that made people notice her, and want her company. This was what drew him to her, in the first place. She was easy-going, and energetic, and very understanding. And objective, when need to be. That was why he valued her as a friend. He wanted to be more than a friend, but he knew quite well this was as impossible as him becoming Harry Potter. And, he noticed, it was becoming easier for him to live with that, somehow.

"Ginny, tell me one thing… but put that wand away first, I don't want to sprout antlers or something even less aesthetic"

Suspicious, but very curious anyway, Ginny stuffed the wand in her pocket. "There. Now, ask away before I change my mind"

Neville grinned, seeing her face shine with curiosity.

"Tell me, young lady (Ginny snorted) when are you going to talk to Harry? And stop making that face. Maybe you got everyone else fooled, but not me. I'm your friend, remember?"

Ginny sighed. Yes, Neville really got to know her well. Only Hermione and the twins knew. Obviously, Neville guessed it too. However hard she tried not to think about Harry Potter as something more than just her brother's friend, she couldn't deny that often those thoughts drifted off in very odd directions.

"I… I don't think I can answer that question, Neville. It … it's … complicated"

Neville sighed, seeing her confusion, and patted her arm comfortingly. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew her present love life was a crafty little device to get her thoughts off the main object of her sympathies. He wanted what was best for Ginny, to see her real happiness, not just a façade put to fool everyone else. Obviously, she wasn't ready for that yet.

"Let's forget about it for the time, then"

They sat in shifty silence for a time, and then Neville got up.

"Right. I think I'd better go now. Transfiguration starts in about 20 minutes, and I've got to find my way to the classroom without bumping into Peeves once. Sorry if I offended you with my question"

Ginny smiled at his joke, and shook her head. "You didn't offend me, Neville. you just caught me off-balance there. Thanks for caring about me, though. I really do appreciate it."

With a final smile and nod, Neville departed, and left her alone with her thoughts. And when she calmed herself down enough, she got up, too, and made it to the Castle. After all, Michael must have been waiting for her for about an hour already…