Disclaimer: Belongs to JKR and her publishing company.
Setting: Beginning of chapter ten, "The House of Gaunt." Harry has left for his first meeting with Dumbledore, after arguing with Hermione about the Half-Blood Prince.
Gentlemen are Hard to Come By
Hermione was staring irritably at an empty chair when Ginny entered the common room. Hermione didn't notice Ginny until she sat in the offending chair.
"Oh, hello Ginny," she said, still sounding annoyed.
"You okay, Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"I'm fine," she snapped.
"Okay," Ginny said, unconvinced.
"I don't like boys," Hermione said viciously.
"Could've fooled me," Ginny said.
"Huh?"
"Besides me, all your friends are boys. I don't think you hate them."
"I have other girl friends," she protested.
"Hermione, you don't even like your dorm-mates."
"You try living with Lavender," Hermione snapped. "And now, for reasons passing understanding, she keeps eating near us and sitting by us. That girl is haunting me. And she giggles."
"Oh, Hermione. Poor, sweet, naïve Hermione," Ginny said sadly.
"I am not naïve."
"You really don't understand why Lavender is hanging around you guys, do you?"
"And you do?"
"Yes, I do," Ginny said, but then wished she hadn't. She really didn't like having this conversation right now. However, she didn't think Hermione would let it go, so she ploughed ahead. "Lavender fancies one of them," she explained sadly.
"What?"
"Well, I could be wrong, but I think she fancies Ron."
Hermione opened her mouth, found she had nothing to say, and closed it again.
"I know. It's disgusting," Ginny said.
"Well, I think you're wrong," Hermione said stoutly.
"Trust me, I hope I am."
Hermione nodded, looking crestfallen. Ginny decided to cheer her up.
"I don't think Ron would actually go for her though," Ginny said. "He may be a prat, but he must realize she's not the one."
"She's not?" Hermione couldn't keep the relief out of her voice.
"Merlin, no," Ginny said with a shudder. As she so often did, Ginny fought the temptation to yell that it was her—Hermione—that was for Ron.
"Thank God."
Ginny looked at Hermione quizzically.
"Muggle expression," Hermione explained sheepishly.
"Oh." She paused. "So where are they anyway?"
"Harry has a meeting with Dumbledore," Hermione said, "and Ron got mad when I wouldn't let him copy my essay, so he left. Maybe Lavender will let him copy her essay."
"My brother always was a gentleman."
"You must be talking about Charlie, because Ron is not a gentleman," Hermione snorted.
"I wonder how Charlie is," Ginny said thoughtfully.
"He still hasn't returned you owl?"
"No," Ginny sighed.
"So he's not the gentleman, either, then, is he? Well, you must have meant Bill."
"Ah, Bill. The brilliant brother who brought Phlegm into the family," Ginny said sarcastically.
"Okay, not Bill, either," Hermione said. "Percy?"
Ginny scowled darkly, as she did whenever his name was mentioned.
"Well, yes, few gentlemen abandon their family. It wasn't him you meant. It must have been Fred."
"Tell me, Hermione, who made the telescope that punched you?" Ginny asked.
"I guess that means it's not George, either," Hermione said.
"Wow," Ginny breathed, "my brothers suck. All of them."
Hermione looked abashed. She had been hoping to lighten the mood—everything was so annoying these days—but all she had done is make Ginny depressed.
"Of course, gentlemen are over-rated," Hermione said quickly.
Ginny nodded, still upset.
"Dean seems like a perfect gentleman," Hermione said. This, thankfully, seemed to cheer Ginny up a bit.
"Yes, Dean is great," Ginny agreed.
"So moving on worked?"
"I think so." Though she said this confidently, both girls heard the lie in Ginny's words.
Ginny stood up.
"I need a book from the library for my potions essay," she said.
"You should go, then," Hermione said. "The library closes soon."
Ginny nodded and waved. Hermione waved back, pulled out a book and started reading.
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more to come…