Disclaimer: No real power over JKR's characters.

Setting: Beginning of Chapter 20, "Lord Voldemort's Request." Harry is at a meeting with Dumbledore.

Secrets Don't Make Friends

Ginny was making an honest effort to read the Charms book open in front of her (but really glaring at the back of Dean's head as he played Exploding Snap) when Hermione joined her.

"Hey, Ginny. You okay?"

Ever since her meltdown last week, Hermione had asked her daily if she was okay. It was a bit much, really. "I'm fine."

Hermione shrugged, clearly unconvinced, but she pulled out some parchment and began writing.

Ginny decided to take a break from pretending to read. "I saw Lavender in the Great Hall, today. She didn't look too happy."

Hermione didn't bother hiding the smirk.

"Did he finally drop her?"

She stopped smirking. "No, not yet."

"Coward."

Hermione started to nod, but interrupted herself. "Well, it's very hard to dump someone like that."

"So? He has to do it."

"Tell him that. He seems to think she'll suddenly lose interest in him, and the whole thing will just end."

"Has he met Lavender?" Ginny laughed. "He knows she calls him Won-Won, right?"

"No pet names for Dean, then?"

"How 'bout Dean-the-giant-prat?"

"Still hasn't apologized, has he?"

"No. I still can't believe he actually laughed when McLaggen hit the bludger at Harry."

Hermione shrugged again and set to writing her essay. She paused, though, and met Ginny's eyes. "I told Harry.

"That Dean laughed? Why on earth?"

Hermione grinned. "Well, I mentioned that you were fighting, and he seemed interested. Wanted to know if you guys had broken up over it."

"Did he?" Ginny asked shakily.

Hermione's grin grew. "He seemed a bit disappointed that you hadn't."

Ginny decided to focus on that that piece of information later. Right now, Dean-the-giant-prat was commanding her attention. "We still might break up."

"Really? Are you planning to drop him?"

Ginny had been asking herself the same question for a couple weeks now. She'd been asking it in earnest since Dean proved himself to be a callous bastard at the Quidditch game. "We'll see."

"Well, that's too bad."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I'm not trying very hard."

Both girls laughed softly, and returned to their work. Well, Ginny returned to pretending to work. She watched as Dean lost at Exploding Snap. Poor guy, he wasn't having a good run of it—after fighting with his girlfriend and losing at Quidditch, he really didn't need to lose Exploding Snap. And to Colin, no less.

Ginny stared at her book. She was still annoyed about Quidditch. What a ridiculous way to lose. And just what had Harry been on about?

Ten minutes later, Ginny gave up any hope of finishing her reading, and closed the book. "Hermione, what's going on with Harry and Malfoy?"

A flick of something Ginny couldn't quite place—annoyance, maybe?—crossed Hermione's face, but she answered as if the question bored her. "What do you mean?"

"He was almost late to the game and he's the captain. He mentioned Malfoy. Something's going on."

"A torrid affair?"

"Funny, Hermione. Absolutely hilarious. What's going on?"

Hermione scribbled something on her parchment.

"Damn it, Hermione, I'm so sick of this. Why can't you three ever tell me anything?"

"There's nothing to tell."

"Don't lie to me, Hermione. I'm not an idiot."

Hermione was still scribbling away. "I know you're not."

"Then stop treating me like one. I know something's up. I know you lot have secrets."

"Yes, and they're going to stay that way," Hermione snapped.

It's hard to say who was more furious. Hermione looked like she wanted to curse herself silent, while Ginny was resisting the urge to throw her book at Hermione.

"I can't believe—"

"Look, Ginny—"

"No, Hermione, you need—"

"We never meant to leave you out."

"So that was just an unexpected benefit, was it?"

"No, it's not like that, Ginny."

"Then what's it like," she demanded. "Tell me, Hermione, what's it like to know everything? To be in the center of everything? I'm obviously never going to be there, so you might as well tell me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not a stupid little girl anymore, Hermione. I can handle your precious secrets about You-Know-Who."

"You can't even say his name."

"Oh, because Ron can?"

"That's different."

"How? How is that at all different?"

"I don't know. It just is."

"No, Hermione, you always have all the answers. Why don't I know what's going on?"

Hermione considered bolting. Really, her room wasn't that far away.

"Please, Hermione."

This was killing her. "It's not my business to tell," she said softly.

"But it's my business to know," Ginny exploded. "It's about my brother, the boy I love and one of my best friends. I deserve to know."

"But, Ginny—"

"I'm not done," she said dangerously. "How many of you have been possessed by him? He was part of me for a year, Hermione, a year. But I'm still not special enough to know… to know whatever the hell it is that I don't know? That's not right, Hermione."

"I know that, Ginny."

"Then why won't you tell me?"

"Because it's not my secret, and—unlike some people—I know how to keep my mouth shut. Even if I am angry," she finished pointedly.

"Don't you dare bring that up. That's completely different. I didn't purposely exclude anyone. You are."

"But that's what you don't understand, Ginny. No one's trying to exclude you."

"Oh? Tell me, Hermione, where's Harry right now?"

"He has a—he's studying at the library."

"Is he? I was looking for him earlier. Ron told me he was visiting Hagrid."

"Y-yes, and then he went to the library."

"Do me a favor, Hermione," she spat. "Next time you lot want to lie to me, get your stories straight."

"We're not lying."

Ginny cursed under her breath. "I thought I was the bravest girl you knew, Hermione. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Of course it does. But it doesn't mean I'm going to share Harry's secrets."

"But what if I can help?"

"Why do you think you can?"

Ginny looked like she'd been slapped. "How can you even—Hermione, I know both of them. Both Harry and Tom. No one else can say that."

"Tom isn't Voldemorte."

"Of course he is. Don't be stupid."

Hermione just sat there.

"And you're forgetting the most important part, Hermione." Ginny took a deep breath. "I love Harry. I don't know why, but I always have and I always will."

"But you're with Dean."

"For now."

They glared at each other.

Hermione broke the silence first. "Break up with him."

"What?"

"Break up with Dean. You love someone else. You need to break up with him."

Ginny pursed her lips.

"Nothing's going to change until you break up with him."

"What is this, some sort of test? 'Break up with Dean, Ginny, and then you'll be worthy of our time.'"

"No, it's the truth. Harry fancies you, so he's going to avoid you as long as you have a boyfriend."

"Harry what?"

"Honestly, Ginny, pay attention. Why else would he be disappointed when I told him you and Dean were still together?"

"I… I'm sure he was just worried about Quidditch."

"Well, that is what he said," Hermione admitted. "But that was a cover, I'm sure."

"You are?"

"Yes. I've seen the way he looks at you, Ginny. He's crazy about you."

"Harry doesn't look at me."

"Right. And you don't look at him, either."

"I don't."

"We'll just agree to disagree, then. Finish your reading, Ginny."

"I don't want to." Ginny knew she sounded that at petulant child, but she didn't care.

"No?"

"No. I want you to tell me what's got Harry so bothered this year. I know you know."

Hermione sighed. She'd hoped Ginny would let the subject drop. "I can't."

"I'm not going to give up on this, Hermione. I'm going to find out."

"But not from me."

"Fine. I'll ask Ron."

"That's a truly awful idea. You have to go to Harry."

"Yeah, 'cause he's always been real open with me."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Ginny."

"Neither does being left out."

Hermione wouldn't fall for it; she wouldn't let Ginny guilt-trip her into telling. "Just drop Dean. Drop Dean and trust me when I say Harry is looking at you."

"Yeah, I'm not feeling overly trusting just now."

"I'm not telling you anything, Ginny. You have to hear it from Harry."

"Are you actually listening to me when I speak?" Ginny hissed. "Harry doesn't tell me anything."

"And complaining to me while staring at your boyfriend isn't going to change that," she shot back.

"I'm not watching Dean," Ginny protested.

Hermione was done with this conversation. "Fine, Ginny, you're not watching Dean. Neither are you watching Harry, and he's not watching you. In fact, no one is watching anyone because no one actually cares about anyone. And of course, we should tell you everything, because of course you can fix it all. After all, you're the brave Ginny Weasley."

Ginny stood up slowly and gathered her books. "Don't you ever," she said coolly, "patronize me like that again."

Ginny walked away with head held high. Hermione watched her go.

xxxxx

xxxxx

I found a lovely quote that perfectly describes my writing habits:
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as the fly by."
-Douglass Adams

I'm sorry for the long delays between chapters. I can't promise when the next update with be, but I can promise an end (mostly) to all this angst. I think it's time for the girl talk to get a little more, well… girly.