Harry's night sleep wasn't exactly peaceful. His couldn't stop thinking about Ginny Weasley and he was beginning to hate himself for it. Over the course of the next few days he tried to remain oblivious to the fact that he was jealous of Ginny's boyfriend. Evan had come over the next morning to pick up Ginny and he seemed nice and friendly and that only peeved Harry all the more. He was a lot taller then Harry, who was only 5'8", and he wasmore muscular in build. I have to work out, thought Harry. I have to prove I'm better than this tall, dark, handsome, athletic man Ginny finds so charming. Oh, who am I kidding? So with that, Harry decided he couldn't force himself upon Ginny. He had to be sly about it. Flirt with her. Tell her how lovely she looks. Anything to get her to notice him in a way that didn't make it seem as though he wasa desperate maniac trying to steal her away.
One Saturday night, Harry woke up around midnight. He'd been having nightmares about Voldemort again; nightmares he had had much too often lately and was getting very sick of. Voldemort was currently hiding, as though it seemed. No one had seen or heard word of him since the Summer of Harry's sixth year. Most likely a wretched plot was in progress, but there was nothing anybody could do to prepare for what might be in store. As much as Harry wanted to believe he didn't, he knew Voldemort had something evil brewing up his murderous sleeve. Harry knew of the Prophecy, knew the battle that would eventually have to take place, but the more time that passed, the more his mind drifted way from the inevitable.
Dumbledore, the noble headmaster at Hogwarts, was now deceased, leaving Professor McGonagall to pursue the duty of being headmistress. The magical world was in a state of shock and turmoil. Harry stayed with the Dursleys his first year after Hogwarts for safety reasons. He had been told to reside there by Remus Lupin and Nymphodora Tonks until he heard otherwise, but Harry had just had enough of that place. Afterall, he was told the spell placed on the Dursleys was until he was of age. He was well over wizarding age now, and he didn't care if he had Voldemort and his followers after him anymore. He had to enjoy his life too.
Harry walked groggily down the stairs, unable to sleep. He was just about to step off the last step when he heard faint giggling coming from the living room. He could barely make out the back of the heads, but one of them he could spot a mile around. Sitting there was Ginny and right beside her was another girl, one Harry did notrecognize.
"So, do you think Evan has a friend for me?" the girl asked.
Ginny giggled once again. "Joey, you mean you don't have someone right now? What happened to Raul, or whatever his name was?"
So this is thee Joey, Harry thought.
"Raul, oh gods Ginny, he was bad. Really bad! When we first slept together he told me he loved me. That was on our first date!" Joey began to laugh wildly again.
"Well what's wrong with being told you're loved?" Ginny questioned, trying hard to fight back the giggles.
Why are these girls so giggly? Have they been drinking!
"Well, it's just that I don't think it's possible to love somebody on your first date, even if you have slept together. I just don't think it humanly possible. I mean, it's not like -"
"Achoo!" Oh. My. God., thought Harry, paralyzed. I sneezed. They heard me! They're going to see me. And sure enough, two small heads turned around and spotted Harry standing there like a deer in headlights.
"Harry?" asked a surprised Ginny. "What are you doing?"
"Uhh, I couldn't sleep?" You idiot, that's not supposed to be a question.
"Oh. Well, come here, you can chat with us if you'd like."
Harry walked into the living room and sat on the chair opposite them. Joey's good looking, he thought. She had short brown hair, cut bluntly around her face. She was small, about the same size as Ginny and her eyes were a sparkling blue. She smiled at Harry, and Harry smiled back, staring straight at her. Sensing the tension, Ginny broke the silence.
"Oh! Harry, this is Joey. Joey, Harry."
"Pleasure to meet you, Harry." Joey said, more seductively than neccesary. Harry reached over and shook her hand and noticed at once how firm her grip was.
"You too, Joey," he replied, shaking his hand free of hers.
"So, are you a friend of Ron's?"
"Yes, I'm friends with all the Weasleys. I've known them for a long time. They're practically family to me."
"How sweet." Joey giggled. "Ginny's a great friend, isn't she?" She glanced over at Ginny who smiled back at her in response. "She's always there for me. You're a wizard right? Harry Potter, right?"
Harry laughed. "Yes, I'm Harry Potter, a wizard. And you must be too? A witch I mean."
"Yes, I am. I know how to work my magic, Harry. If you ever want me to show you some of my best, let me know?" At this Joey lifted her foot and rubbed it against the cotton material of Harry's pajama bottoms. Harry cleared his throat nervously and stole a glance over at Ginny. Ginny instantly sensed his discomfort.
"Joey, quit being such a tease," she said playfully, slapping her flirtatious friend on the shoulder.
Joey bit her bottom lip and giggled, releasing her foot and keeping her eyes on Harry. "Well, I better be going, Ginny. Send me an owl tomorrow and I'll let you know about the party. Oh Harry, you should come too. It's gonna be great!" And with that, she wiggled her little fingers in a wave and disappeared into the kitchen and out the front door.
Ginny glared at Harry, with aknowing expression on her face. "If I'm not much mistaken, I think you liked that a little too much, Harry," she said smugly.
"She is quite the flirt, I agree with you there." However, Harry couldn't make himself laugh. Sitting alone in the living room in the middle of the night with Ginny Weasley was not a laughing matter.
"Yes, well, since you're invited, I'm making you go to that party with me. And I might advise you to stay away from Joey. She has problems, Harry. I'm trying to make her come to her senses. And believe me, it's not an easy task."
Harry nodded. "Well, I'll go if you insist, but I don't want to interfere with your plans."
"Harry, of course you wouldn't be interfering. It will be fun. I feel like I haven't really had a chance to talk to you since you've been here. Evan won't be there, we can catch up on old times. Well, g'nite Harry." Ginny reached over and gave Harry a friendly kiss on the cheek and walked up the staircase to bed.
"Nite," Harry called after her.
The next morning at breakfast, Harry was in a rather chipper mood. He didn't know if it was because he would be going to a party with Ginny or if it was because a rather attractive girl named Joey was undoubtedly flirting with him last night. Nonetheless, he was happy. Everyone was sitting around the kitchen table for breakfast. The only Weasleys that were missing were Bill, Charlie and Percy. Charlie and Bill were married and both had children and Percy was currently engaged in his Ministry involvement and sad as it seemed, it was as if he was non-existant to the Weasley family. Mrs. Weasley was piling pancakes and sausages onto everyone's plate and everytime she put anything on Fred's plate, he would scarf it down and claim in a muffled voice, mouth full of food, "Mum, you forgot to give me some." Unfortunately, the only person who found this funny was George, and Mr. Weasley kept giving him evil stares as if to say 'How dare you!'.
Harry glanced over at Ginny, who also was eating at an extremely fast rate. She was known to have quite a large appetite for such a small frame, but even the others sensed her abnormally swift eating.
"What's wrong, Gin? Forget to eat dinner last night?" asked Ron in an irritated tone.
"No, Rhon, I'm jhust hunghry."
"Hey Ginny, a moment on the lips equals a life time on the hips," mocked George.
"George?" warned Mrs. Weasley. "Ginny, why are you eating like that?"
"I have to meet Joey in twenty minutes. She's just sent me an owl saying she has to talk to me," she replied, swallowing down her food with a large gulp of her milk.
"Ginny, you always hang out with Joey. She's a bad influence, she'll get yourself into trouble," snarled Mr. Weasley.
"Mum, please explain to Dad that I'm not a dolt and I can fend for myself. Oh and Harry," she said, standing up from the table, "be ready about eight tonight, we have to be at Joey's at eight-thirty." Harry nodded and Ginny ran out the door.
"Harry, my boy, you're going to Joey's?" asked Fred, ammused.
"Uh, well, she dropped off Ginny last night and invited me. I just thought - "
"Go for it, Harry" said George, slapping him on the back. "I envy you, she doesn't give me the time of day... and believe me, I try."
Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes. "Harry, that's fine. I need Ron tonight to help me go through boxes in the attic."
"Muuum" groaned Ron.
"Ron, you've put it off too long. This is a perfect opportunity to get it done. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore."
"Great Harry, you get to go spend the night with girls and I have to clean out boxes with ghosts." Ron replied, obviously not sensing the hilarity of this statement.
"Harry, how just how many girls are you planning to spend the night with? Isn't one enough?" teased Fred, while George laughed with agony, slamming his fist down onto the table.
"Fred, you stop making such comments to Harry. I mean it!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.
Harry couldn't help but laugh a little. He was too thrilled to be embarassed, and for once he found Fred and George's torments inviting. He was going to a party with Ginny. Evan wouldn't be there. What could possibly go wrong?