A/N: Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews, they certainly helped inspire me for future updates : ) Also, you already know how this story is Harry/Ginny, but there might be some Ron/Hermione in the future. Not a whole lot, just a hint of it. Again, I'm a hopeless shipper. ; ) And I didn't mean to do it, but Harry is coming off as less of a prat than he can be in the books; I think someone commented about the story being slightly AU, and they're right, so I'll try to fix it as much as I can without messing up the flow of the story.
The Fourth Weekend
Dear Fred and George,
Ginny has gone absolutely insane, and I think it's your fault. She and her dumb friends made this list of forty ways to annoy Snape and she's been doing them for the past month. Hermione agrees with me that she should stop, but Harry's no help, he thinks it's all hilarious.
Point being, you two, this has got to be out of your influence. Please talk to her for me before mum sends a howler.
-- Ron
Gred and Forge stared at each other for a moment, incredulous. They were in the back room of the joke shop, organizing the day's profits and writing up plans for new products, when Pig had flown through the high window in the back and wrecked havoc among the store. As Fred declared when it happened, loudly and with many curses, it was a good thing they hadn't had any shoppers in the store as they had closed an hour ago, or they probably would have lost many loyal customers.
"So . . . Fred, " George began, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
"It appears that baby Ginny is following in our footsteps."
"And dear brother Ron doesn't like it."
The twins exchange wise looks. "We should help."
George began writing a response letter to Ron.
Dear Ronniekins,
Yes, mummy.
-- Gred and Forge
"Can you believe her? I mean can you honestly believe her?"
"I'm sure she'll grow out of it Ron, don't worry," Hermione said, pulling a large Ancient Runes text out of her bag. She pushed away her dinner plate and opened the book in front of her.
Ginny had just walked past them, seemingly completely oblivious to everything around her. As Harry watched her go, there was an odd feeling in his chest, and his eyes didn't leave her until she went through the door at the end of the Great Hall. It wasn't the first time he'd felt it, and before now he'd tried to chalk it up to brotherly love as he had been spending so much time with her at the burrow, but now he wasn't so sure. The feeling he'd had earlier in the year when he found out she'd broken up with Dean Thomas had not left him for weeks, and lately she was all he could think about. If Ron knew some of the things he thought about . . . he cast a furtive glance at Ron, but his worries were interrupted by a small, hyperactive owl landing with a squawk in front of them on the table.
"It's too late for this!" Hermione groaned as Pigwidgeon spilled a glass of pimpkin juice on her book. She repaired the damage with a simple spell, but got up and announced she was going to the library all the the same.
"It's for Ginny, " Ron said, looking over the envelope. "From Fred and George. Good. I wrote to them before about her - "
"I'll bring it up to her, Ron, I've finished eating," Harry said, hoping he didn't sound to eager.
Ron nodded, "Yeah . . . that's a good idea, actually, thanks Harry. I don't want to see her right now, anyway."
Harry took the letter and started on his way to Gryffindor Tower.
It's half over! Ginny thought in relief, coming up to the Common Room after dinner. She'd completed half the list, with only half left to go. Of course, she realized when she checked the list, item 21 would probably be the hardest, but that was okay. Only one more month left, then they would have Christmas vacation and she would be completely done.
In spite of herself, she began doing a dance of joy when she realized that the Common Room was empty. She danced around in circles around chairs, tables, and books that were strewn on the floor for quite a long time actually before finally throwing herself down into a chair near the fire place. She drew up her knees and was quite restive indeed when the portrait hole opened and Harry came in.
Oh, my God! she thought, and tried to not be seen for a few moments, but then stopped. That was what the old, childish Ginny would have done. This Ginny would wait calmly until Harry went away.
But Harry did not go away. Instead, he came and sat in the seat across from her, grinning broadly. "Comfortable?" He asked.
"Very," Ginny managed. She was lodged firmly into the chair, with her head by her knees and her arms trapped between the two. She was slowly losing her balance. Hoping she wouldn't fall, Ginny tried to right herself as much as she could, but soon discovered that she couldn't move.
"A letter came for you," Harry said, holding out an envelope. Ginny tried to free an arm to grab it. "From Fred and - " he was interrupted by a squeak and a few curses as Ginny tumbled off the chair and landed in a heap in front of him. He stood and pulled her to his feet.
"That was brilliant," he said, "You're brilliant." Then he kissed her.