A/N: Ok…Chapter Eight. Now, we're actually getting somewhere with this chapter. Really, I swear. So, read and enjoy.
"Don't look now, Ron, but Cormac McLaggen is giving you the evil eye," Ginny whispered as the group of four trudged through the crowds at Platform 9 ¾ on September 1. Ron halted and nearly gave himself whiplash as he jerked his head around to look. Since his arm was around Hermione, she was pulled to a stop as well, and chuckled.
"Do you ever notice that when you tell someone not to look now, that they automatically look? Anyway, what's Cormac's problem?" Hermione gently pulled Ron towards the train.
"I would imagine that he's none too pleased about you dating Ron, Hermione," Ginny smirked, "Although how anyone can be jealous of that, I couldn't tell you," she indicated quite clearly that she was speaking about Ron.
Hermione laughed and searched the crowds,
"Where is your mum? And Fred and George?"
They had been the only ones available to come and see the group off. And they had gotten lost in the crowd.
"There they are," Harry pointed his and Ginny's joined hands to the parting in the crowd.
Hermione's laughter rang out once more.
"Blimey, you're chipper this morning," Ron said squeezing his arm that rested around he shoulders.
"No, just, take a minute and look around. Slowly. There are at least three very large groups of girls glaring at you, Ginny, and Harry, there are several very unhappy boys looking your way."
"Why?" Harry and Ginny said simultaneously.
"I think, my dear oblivious ones," Fred's voice rang out behind the group, "that that would have something to do with the fact that these girls and boys have been awaiting this day since the word got around that you two broke up."
"Yes, that was the talk of the summer in teenage 'loveland'," George added, "That was all the gossip at the joke shop over the summer. No matter what's happening in the world, the potential love lives of others take priority."
"And, just a thought, my darling brother, why didn't you inform these people that Harry and I were back together?" Ginny inquired.
"Well, it just didn't seem like that would be our place," Fred said.
"Yes, that would be butting in to other people's lives, and why would we ever presume to meddle in others' lives?" George asked innocently.
"Because you're dolts, the both of you," Mrs. Weasley said, "You thought it would be fun to see this happen, didn't you? You wanted these poor boys and girls to go the whole summer thinking of ways to ask these two out, and now it's being displayed in front of their eyes that Harry and Ginny are off the market again," she said nodding at the couple's joined hands.
"Well, maybe we thought we'd find it a bit entertaining, Mum, but there was no harm in it," George said, his hands raised in surrender.
"Ok, you lot had better get on the train," Mrs. Weasley said, ignoring her son, "It'll be leaving soon."
She pulled Ron into a long hug, and Hermione, then Ginny and then Harry in turn.
When she pulled back, there were tears in her eyes,
"Now, you three," she looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "I want letters when you're leaving, and I want updates. Just so that I-I know you're s-s-safe, alright?" Mrs. Weasley's voice faltered and Hermione threw herself into Mrs. Weasley's arms,
"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley, we'll keep in touch every step of the way," she said in a comforting voice.
As Hermione pulled back, Mrs. Weasley's gaze went to Ginny,
"And Ginny, darling, have a great year. Be safe, and use your magic sparingly."
Ginny nodded as the train whistle shrilled loudly.
"Alright, onto the train with you lot," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Yeah, bye!" Fred said.
"Say 'hi' to Peeves for us!" George added.
"I miss that old poltergeist," Fred said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.
"You sentimental schmuck, you," George nudged Fred.
The group laughed as they boarded the train. They all watched until they could no longer see Mrs. Weasley, Fred, or George. Then they went in search of an empty compartment. As they walked, it became increasingly evident that every male and female in the fifth year and up was watching Harry and Ginny with a certain amount of disdain. They finally found a compartment where Neville and Luna sat.
"Wow, how are you?" Hermione said as she entered the compartment and plopped down next to Ron. He put his arm back in place around her shoulder and leaned into him comfortably.
"Oh, fine," Luna said dreamily, "Father and I spent the summer searching the mountains of Spain for Lamforshins."
Harry sat next to Ginny, closest to the door, with his hand in hers, and he found the corners of his mouth automatically turning up. This happened often in Luna's presence. Ron laughed outright.
"What the bloody hell are Lamforshins, Luna?" Ron asked as Hermione nudged him in the ribs. She'd become used to Luna's ramblings, and she had even refrained from rolling her eyes at Luna's outlandish stories.
"Lamforshins are giant cats that have the ability to read minds. Quite valuable, but almost extinct as they're sold on the black market to dark wizards."
Hermione could not keep the skeptical tone from her voice when she said,
"Giant cats that can read minds? And how, pray tell, do these cats convey what they've seen to the dark wizards who purchase them on the black market?"
"Well, they can speak English. They're very human-like," Luna said as if stating the obvious.
"And did you find any of these Lamforshins?" Hermione questioned.
"No, Father and I expect that they're in hiding," Luna said, nodding.
Ginny, who was always quick to jump to Luna's defense seemed to anticipate Hermione's comments and stopped Hermione speaking,
"Right, so, all Lamforshins aside, what did you do, Neville?" Ginny asked.
"I spent most of the summer at home. Gran didn't want me going far what with all that's going on?"
"That seems smart," Ginny said.
"I had to talk her into letting me come back. Eventually, she decided that she could trust Professor McGonagall to take charge. She thought that we're just as safe at Hogwarts as anywhere else."
"Understandable," Hermione said.
The group spent the ride laughing and talking until the trolley came by pushed by a very tall, skinny woman who didn't seem at all happy to be selling sweets. The occupants of the compartment looked around at one another and ordered sweets. As the grumpy woman rolled off, Harry said,
"What happened to the woman who usually pushes the trolley?"
"Oh, she was killed in an attack on a Muggle town square. Accident, of course, the Death Eaters were targeting an Auror in the area and she just happened to be there," Neville said, "Gran told me."
They sat in silence for a bit until a group of girls, Romilda Vane among them wandered past their compartment glaring at Ginny.
"Wow!" Ron said loudly, "I don't know about you Neville, Luna, Hermione, but I feel so blessed to be in the presence of such beautiful people as Harry and my sister! Makes you feel lucky, doesn't it?"
They all laughed and Hermione said,
"Well, they both have that universal likeability."
And the trip passed rather pleasantly until the train came to a halt. Harry had enjoyed the trip so much that the thought that popped into his head seemed to come late,
"Hey, did any of you lot notice that we didn't get a visit from Crabbe and Goyle? Don't you think they'd be pretty upset that we sent their best friend to Azkaban?"
"Yeah, I mean, who's going to tell them to breathe, eat, and sleep if Malfoy's not here?" Ron said with a chuckle.
"Wait, Malfoy went to Azkaban?" Neville asked.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all glanced at one another and seemed to silently agree that the less is more tactic would be useful for this story and Harry said simply,
"He tried to kill Ron over the summer, but we stopped him and he went to Azkaban."
Neville's mouth dropped open and Luna nodded knowingly.
"I thought you might have been visited by a deanglo. You sort of glow," Luna said.
"A what?" Hermione asked as they moved off of the train.
Ron's arm tightened around her waist in a manner that told her not to jump down Luna's throat.
"A deanglo is a small death angel that flitters about when someone is about to be killed. If, by chance, the person avoids death, the deanglo will leave a sort of glow."
Hermione's mouth opened and closed as Luna moved to walk in front of them towards the carriages.
Harry clasped Ginny's hand and said,
"Wow, mate, you glow. I've seen it for days, and, quite honestly, I thought you were pregnant, so this is a load off my mind."
Ginny and Hermione laughed. Ron scowled,
"Shut up Harry."
"No, don't be embarrassed, Ron, glowing is completely healthy and there's no need for you to-Hey, what's wrong?" Harry looked concernedly at Ginny, moving his arm around her waist. Ginny stood frozen staring at a thestral.
"I can see it," she breathed.
"You can see the thestral?" Harry asked.
"I can't see them," Ron said, "Hermione, can you?"
"No, but we all saw…well, I mean," the others knew that she was referring to Cedric in the Pensieve, but she didn't want to say anything in front of Neville.
"Yeah, but that obviously isn't a real death; it was the recreation of a death," Hermione answered her own unspoken question, "So, Ginny must have…"
"Dumbledore," Ginny whispered.
Harry recalled that that night, it was, indeed Ginny who had pulled Harry away from Dumbledore's deceased form. She had witnessed death.
This reminded Harry that he still had not gotten up the courage to show the other three his memory of that night, and he hurried Ginny into the carriage, bidding Neville and Luna farewell.
Ginny snuggled her head into the crook of Harry's neck and sighed deeply.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked quietly, fully aware that Ron and Hermione were watching anxiously.
Ginny nodded wordlessly into Harry's shoulder, and said,
"I'm suddenly just really tired, that's all."
"I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be," Hermione said, changing the subject on purpose.
"Yeah, I reckon Slughorn took off after what happened last year," Ron said.
Harry looked out of the window through the clear, moonlit night up at the great castle silhouetted against the darkness. He wondered how the next two months would go. He, Ron, and Hermione had not written in their letters to McGonagall that they wouldn't be staying through the whole year. They planned to sit down and talk with her after the exams and inform her of their plans. After all, she may be able to help. Turning away from the window and planting a kiss on Ginny's hair, he saw Hermione looking anxiously out of the same window, clutching Ron's hand nervously. Ron, pulled Hermione's face towards him, and said softly,
"We'll know soon enough."
His voice was firm and it seemed to calm Hermione. The four sat tranquilly together anticipating the arrival at the school, but feeling at peace. For the moment.
A/N: Ok, so, maybe I overstated when I said that we're getting moving on the plot, but I needed a place to end this chapter and this seemed as good a place as any. SO, please review, and I can't wait for the next chapter because I really want to put some more R/Hr fluff. Would that be too much? Input please! Could I add more fluff (I want to) or is there too little plot happening?