A Night of Karaoke

Chapter 2

Harry watched as his red haired friend paced back and forth across the room while trying not to burst out laughing. They were waiting for Hedwig to return from Hermione's flat with the reply to his note. It was so funny watching Ron worry about what Hermione would say. Harry knew that Ron had had a crush on Hermoine ever since their second year though he had never told her how he felt. Ron had always been convinced that he wasn't good enough fot the super brainy Gryffiondor and as years progressed she had had many boyfriends. After they had graduated, they hadn't really seen much of Mione though Ron's feeling hadn't lessened.

Hermione had matured into a very attractive young woman in the two years since they graduated. The same two years had also brought about many changes in both himself and Ron as well. They had both hit growth spurts finally, only Ron's had lasted a lot longer than his own. This had turned Ron into a 6'3" tall giant while he stayed an average 5'11". Both had filled out in the shoulders due to the fencing lessions that Dumbledor had recommened that they take as well as the Aura training they recieved.

Ron had kept his hair in basically the same style as when they had been in school. Only now he wore it a little bit longer that he had in their school days. He had also gone and gotten his ear pierced, though all he wore was a gold stud. Ron had also aquirred a scar of his own for people to look at. It ran along his jaw and was a good two inches long. He had gotten it during the final battle though no one really knows how or when.

Harry himself had kept his hair the same so that it was mor managable. If managable was a word that you could ever associate with his hair. While Ron had only gotten his ear pierced, Harry had pierced his ear as well as gotten a tattoo. It was a phoenix in flight on his right shoulder. Ron had wanted to get one but right now he didn't have the money and was in the process of saving up for it. Harry had offered to pay for it but Ron had refused. If Ron didn't have enough for it by his birthday, then it would be his present.

"Ron would you stop pacing?" Harry asked. "I mean your going to wear a whole in the floor."

"I can't help it mate," Ron said as he continued to pace. "What if she dosen't want to go out? What if she has a boyfriend? What if..."

"You can go on with the 'what if's' all you want," Harry interupted, "it's not going to change anything. We'll know what Mione says when Hedwig get here and she should be back soon."

As if she had heard what Harry had said, Hedwig came into view. Harry smiled at Ron, who ran to open the window as soon as he caught sight of the white owl. When Hedwig flew through the window, Ron closed the it. Once it was closed, Ron turned to watch as Harry took the note from Hedwig's let and read it.

Ron watched Harry's reaction to what was writted on the paper. It must have been something humorou cause it made him smile. Ron had a feeling that he wasn't going to be finding out exactly what was said between the two. However this was usually the case when Harry recieved mail from Hermione.

"So what does she have to say?" Ron asked when he couldn't stand the suspense anymore.

"She wants to take us out to a muggle bar to karaoke." Harry told him looking up from the note. "Mione and a muggle friend of hers were going to go out and she's inviting us along."

"Oh great, we get to be around muggles all night. And what the hell is 'karaoke'?" Ron demanded.

"I believe that it means 'tone deaf' in Japanese, but i'm not sure. As to what it is, well..." Harry paused trying to figure out just how to explain this to his pure-blood wizard friend. "Well they play songs but you don't hear the words. The words are displayed on a television and you sing along as the words change colours. It's like you the actual singer of the song."

"That sounds interesting." Ron mused out loud. "Why don't we have anything like that?"

"I'm not sure why we don't, but it is quite fun. Not all the singers are good but a lot are." Harry told him. "You shoudl write a note to Ginny and see if she wants to come. Hermione says to be at her flat at 7:30 and we can all go in her car."

"I didn't know that Mione could drive," Ron commented as he got out a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink. Once he had his supplies he began scratching out a note to Ginny.

"Yeah, she got her drivers licence shortly after we graduated." Harry told him as he watched Ron write his note. "She doesn't want to completely leave the muggle world behind so she still retains many ways of muggle life. She has a car, phone, T.V., and muggle friends. You could say that she has the best of both worlds."

"I guess so." Ron said as he finished up his note to Ginny then tied it to Hedwig's leg. "Can you get this to Ginny?"

"It's kinda important Hedwig so can you hurry with it?" Harry asked his owl.

Hedwig looked at the note to make sure that it was secured well enough for the trip. Then she flew over to her water dish to get a drink before flying out the window that Ron had opened for her.

"Well we have about an hour and a half before we got to be at Hermione's, so what do you want to do?" Harry asked as he watched Hedwig fly towards Ginny's flat. I really hope that she comes, he thought.

"Let's play a game of chess." Ron shuggested.

"Sure though I don't know why I always subject my pieces to this torture." Harry agreed as he got out his pieces and the chess board.

"You're getting better, Harry," Ron assured his friend as he set up his own pieces. "Our games aren't as fast as they used to be."

"I guess." Harry shrugged. "Let's play, but we can't forget about the time. Hermione will kill us if we're late."

"Yeah she will. She's scary sometimes." Ron said making the opening move.

Harry knew that this wasn't going to be one of his best games as his mind wasn't foccusing. It kept going over his limited list of country songs that he knew and could sing half decently. It would just suck if the songs he thought of to sing to Ginny ended up totally bombed.

Ginny's Flat

Ginny was lounging in her chair with a book as she waited for her supper to finish cooking. She had gotten off work late because she had to finish her artical for tomorrows paper. On that account she was just having soup and sandwiches for supper. Not super elaberate, but it was food.

Ginny placed her book on the floor and made her way to her kitchen. Half way there she heard a tapping at her window. Currious, she turned around to see Hedwig sitting on her living room window ledge. Ginny went over to open the window for the snowy owl.

"Hedwig what are you going here?" Ginny asked as the owl flew in.

Hedwig gave a soft hoot and help up her leg to show Ginny the note. Ginny went to her desk and got a couple treats for the owl who looked like she had had a hard day. Once she had given the treats to Hedwig, Ginny removed the note. Remembering her soup, Ginny went to the kitchen and turned off the stove before reading the note.

Ginny,

What are you up to tonight? Harry, Hermione and I are going out to a muggle bar to do some sort of singing thing. I can't even pronounce the name of it let alone try to spell it. If you want to come with us, we're meeting at Hermione's at 7:30 to go all together. Oh we have a couple days off that's why we're doing this, just incase you're wondering. Don't worry about sending Hedwig back with an answer. We'll know what you have to say when we get to Mione's.

Ron.

Ginny looked from the note to Hedwig. "I suppose that those two prats made you fly all over the city arranging this whole thing." Ginny told the owl who hooted in agreement. "Well you can rest here until you feel up to going back. There is no reply."

Ginnly looked at the clock on her wall which read 6:15. Those prats would giver her just over an hour to get ready. Instead of dwelling o the stupidity of her brother and long time crush, Ginny got her supper and ate it.

In her sixth year, Ron and his friends had started to include her in there group. This was both heaven and hell for Ginny to be so close yet so far from Harry. All Harry would ever see her as is a good friend and Ron's little sister. He would never see the young woman who was in love with him.

Sure it had started out as hero worship and a school-girl crush but it evolved. As she watched him struggle through all the challenges that he faced and overcome them her crush had died. In its place grew something much more deep and lasting.

Ginny shook herself out of her revier and looked at the clock again. She now had an hour to get ready and get to Mione's. Ginny placed her dishes in the sink before casting a spell on them to be cleaned, then got into the shower.

7:30

Hermione was just putting on a pair of earings when she heard a pop in her living room. Grabbing the other earing, Hermione walked out of the bathroom to find Ginny standing in her living room. Ginny was wearing a pair of black low rise hipsters with a dark blue shimmery halter top and black boots. Her make up was a pale blue eyeshadow with clear lip gloss and she had her hair pulled up in a messy bun.

"Dare I even ask where you came up with that outfit?" Hermione asked whistling through her teeth.

"I didn't have anything in my closet that I could wear to a muggle bar, so I improvised. I transfigured my clothes to look like some of the stuff in that one magazine you lent me." Ginny said looking around. "But you're not one to talk."

"No I guess I'm not." Hermione agreed looking down at her outfir. She wore a pair of black flare hipsters with a blood red tube top and black suede high heel boots. Her make up was not as suttle as Ginny's. She wore a dark red eyeshadow with deep red and black lipstick. Her hair was left down but had been straightened and she wore a pair of silver hoop earings. "There's only one thing missing in your outfit, Ginny. And no the guys aren't here yet."

"What's that? And who said I was looking for anyone?" Ginny asked following Hermione towards her bathroom.

"You're missing a pair of earigs. It's obvious that you're looking for Harry cause your eyes haven't stopped moving." Hermione answered digging out another pair of silver hoops, handing them to Ginny. "Put these on and you'll be ready to go."

"Are you sure I'm not under dressed?" Ginny asked putting on the earings.

"To tell you the truth Gin, I'm over dressed but everyone is used to that where we're going." Hermione said then they heard two pops in the living room. "I guess they're here."

"Hey Hermione do you know..." Ron started then trailed off when Hermione emereged from the bathroom. He was completley stunned to see Hermione dressed like this. This wasn't the Hermione that he knew, but he could grow to like her.

"What he's trying to say is, do you know if Ginny is coming?" Harry finished for his friend, who seemed to be incapable of speach at the moment. "You look good by the way."

"Thanks," Hermione smiled, loving the reaction she was causing in Ron, "so do you. And you Ron."

The two were dressed similar in dark blue jeans, button down shirts, tank tops, and skater shoes. Harry wore his jeans on the baggy side but not overly much so, with a white tank top under an open dark blue dragon prin button down. His pants covered all but the toes of his shoes. He had spiked his hair which added a nice effect. Ron wore his jeans more snug to his hips than baggy. His tank top was black under a partially buttoned red 'Street Fighter' button down. Like Harry's, his jeans covered all but the toes of his shoes. All he had done to his hair was mess it up a bit. It was obvious that Ron was no where near as comfortable in his outfit as Harry was.

"As for Ginny coming, she..." Hermione began.

"Is right here." Ginny interupted from the doorway of the bathroom. "It took you guys long enough to get here."

"We're not that late." Ron protested, looking her over. "Where did you get your cloths?"

"I...well...you see..." Ginny stammered, figgeting under Harry's stare more than Ron's. Harry's eyes were smoldering with heat as she looked her over. However he soon regained his composer and Ginny thought that maybe it had been her imagination.

"I lent them to her because she didn't have anything to wear." Hermione told him. "I think that she looks great. But we should really get going or else we'll be late. If you want to continue this conversation, we can do it on the way."

With that Hermione grabbed her car keys and headed to the door and opened it. Once everyone was out she locked it and lead the way down to where her car was parked. This was definetly going to be a night to remember.

To Be Continued. . . . . . .