The next day, the three girls unpacked and decided that their trunks would have to serve as chairs. Having nothing better to do, they were talking. "This is going to suck," Ginny decided. "I'm willing to bet that a few things are going to happen in the next few weeks, and none of them are good."
"What are they?" Luna asked. She was absent-mindedly drawing some sort of bird on a scrap of paper.
"Here's how it's going to work," Ginny said. "This place will be a pressure-cooker for relationships within six weeks. Within six DAYS, Fred and George will begin something of a reign of terror - think chaos, Luna. And, by the time we finally get out of here, none of us will be able to stand each other."
"She's right," Hermione added. "Unfortunantely for us, we have no idea who else is going to turn up or what else is going on outside of here. Most of us have good reason to be kept safe, but there is absolutely no clear point for having Luna here - no offense, of course."
"None taken," Luna chirped.
"Anyways, it's simply not going to work! We're all going to go mad by the end of this, and someone's liable to get killed at the rate we're going."
"Is it even possible for you two to look on the bright side?" Luna asked. "I think this is going to be fun - I barely know most of you, so I'll get to know all of you better. I mean, I can see how this could be a bit of a problem for some people, especially that woman with the odd hair, but it'll be an experience."
"Oh God," Hermione muttered, "she's got a Pollyanna complex."
"A WHAT?" Ginny asked, having no idea what Hermione was talking about.
"I'm not even going to try to explain it," Hermione said. "Basically, it's when someone's too optimistic for their own good."
"I still have no idea what you just said," Ginny commented, "but I think you've got Luna wrong. She's not usually like that."
"You do realize I'm still here, right?" Luna chirped.
"Great," Hermione muttered. "Along with the usual morons, I have to deal with someone who might be out of her mind."
"I'm not THAT bad, am I?"
Hermione just rolled her eyes knowingly. Was surviving the next few weeks even POSSIBLE?
---
Ten minutes later, after several bad attempts, the girls realized that it would be a good idea to get someone older to move boxes so they could look out the window. They trooped downstairs silently, hoping for the only time in their lives to collide with the twins. Instead, they paused outside a closed door on the second floor and heard something much more interesting.
"It's a lost cause," Tonks moaned. "I need to find someone else, someone more open to people and to me."
"No, that's the last thing you need!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed. "You can't deny true love, even when it seems one-sided."
"But can't you see?" Tonks asked incredulously. "It's like he goes out of his way to avoid me! I just need to accept it and find someone who can stand me."
"There is no way I am letting you settle for less than you deserve! Wait and see. It seems hopeless now, but in the end it's going to work."
"Yeah - in the end, right before we all get killed, knowing my luck. You've got to be crazy to think any of this could ever happen."
"It will. Just hold on and watch what happens."
"Since when has THAT advice worked? Waiting and seeing what happens is how we got stuck here, remember? No one's telling me anything about what's really going on, so just let me do the one thing I'm sure about. I know what I'm doing."
"You have no idea what you're doing. Give it six months. If nothing changes, do what you want."
A moment later, Tonks exited the room, slamming the door behind her. "If ONE MORE PERSON tells me to just watch and wait... Oh, what are you three doing here?" She had just noticed Ginny, Hermione, and Luna, who were standing against the wall. "How much of that did you hear?"
"Not much," Ginny said truthfully. "No names, at least."
"That's the best thing I've heard in three days, which is probably a sign that things aren't going too well. What are you doing down here in the first place, may I ask?"
"We don't know," Luna chirped. "There's nothing to do and we can only talk for so long, I guess."
"Yeah, sure. What did you REALLY want?"
"Like Luna said," Ginny replied, "there is absolutely nothing to do. We were going to drag one of my brothers up there to move boxes so we get some actual floor space, and then we passed this door and decided we might as well listen."
"I believe you. I'm probably crazier than any member of my mother's family ever was, but I believe you."
"Wow - you barely know us, and yet you trust us." That was Luna, who found it amazing that someone else did what she wished she DIDN'T do.
"So, are you three desperate enough to try to decorate?"
All the girls could do was nod their heads. At least someone was being nice...
---
A/N: Please review, and thank you if you have. Suggestions and questions are always welcome. People have been asking why Hermione's totally OOC - I haven't worked that out yet, so please bear with me as I try to fix that.