Ginny was turning a rather horrendous shade of deep pink, and privately Hermione wondered if she should pour her a glass of water. Eventually, Ginny managed to say, somewhat incoherently, "That…lousy, ungrateful, git-faced…git!"
Hermione sighed. "I suppose you're angry then."
"Yeah," Ginny said, bristling in her seat, "I'm angry. I mean, you wouldn't think it would kill him to be the least bit loyal, you know. I don't know – maybe I'm too optimistic, I just…I mean, Harry saved my life, Hermione, and Ron's life, probably six over, and…you think that'd mean something."
"Ginny," Hermione, wishing a table didn't separate them. Ginny looked in desperate need of a hug. "I'm sure Percy's…"
"And I'm sure he's not. I'm sure he doesn't even…it doesn't even strike him that he's doing anything wrong."
"Look, maybe I shouldn't have told you – I didn't want to upset you – I just thought…"
"No, Hermione, I'm glad you did. It's just…times like this I wish I had sisters. Maybe they'd be sensible."
"Sensible like Lavender? Or Luna? Girls are just as bad, Ginny."
"Thanks Hermione – want to destroy all my faith in humanity?"
"I didn't think you had all that much to begin with."
Ginny laughed shortly. "Well," she said, "Let me cling to the few scraps I have left, all right?"
"Sure. Sorry."
Ginny grinned and said, "Believe me, after this week, I'm not certain you're wrong."
"What do you mean?" Hermione said, wondering when Ron and Harry would turn up for dinner.
"Oh," Ginny said, "I was with Michael and the others earlier, and they were so horrible to Luna, Hermione, I can't even…"
"What did they do?"
"You know what," Ginny said, "I don't even want to repeat it. I mean, I yelled at them, so…maybe they'll stop but, I don't get it. If I don't like someone, I tell them to their face." Hermione coughed – Ginny's jinxing ability was known, and respected, among the younger students.
Eyeing her suspiciously, Ginny continued, "Or I'll just not talk to them, but they…they were being mean, like, the way girls are mean."
Ginny was scowling, and Hermione said, "I never got the impression you were all that fond of Luna."
"I'm not," Ginny said, "I mean, she's not like you, or Louise or Jules, and…she is insane, but it's in a good way, and, I just think maybe she could use a friend."
Hermione chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. "I'm not sure Luna wants…friends, exactly," she said.
"Well, she'll have someone to sit in class with at least."
"That's really good of you, Ginny."
She grinned. "What can I say? I like misfits. They're usually more interesting."
"Is that why you made friends with me then?"
Ginny looked as though she'd been caught out, and said, "No, of course not, I don't think you're…" She paused, looking incredibly guilty. "You rumbled me. Sorry."
Hermione shook her head, trying to keep from laughing. "It's all right, Ginny," she said, "Really. I'm flattered. Now I know you think I'm more interesting than Lavender."
"Don't be so modest, Hermione – everyone's more interesting than Lavender."
Hermione snorted into her pumpkin juice. She got on fairly well with Parvati, who was really quite decent, even if they never would best friends forever, but there were times when Lavender drove her round the twist. Lately she was always offering to 'fix' Hermione's hair. Hermione didn't want her hair 'fixed' – she was perfectly happy with her hair exactly as it was, thank you very much, and Lavender sodding Brown could just get lost.
The best thing that could be said for living with Lavender was that it made her appreciate Ginny all the more. She'd even started spending the occasional evening in Ginny's dorm – her friends were really nice, though they seemed much younger than Ginny for some reason. Jules, in particular, was a little too fond of Gobstones for Hermione's taste. Louise, however, was lovely and possibly the only person Hermione knew who was willing to have actual conversations about Arithmancy. Things did occasionally get a bit girly, and silly, but…it was so much fun.
Ginny started to laugh along with her, and the two of them were still giggling when Harry and Ron sat down beside them. "And what were you two doing?" Hermione asked – their faces were suspiciously contented for two people who'd spent the afternoon writing a Charms essay.
Ron had obviously anticipated this question, for he said, "We've only six inches left to go, so we went flying." He didn't tack the words 'Leave It' on at the end, but they were implicit in his tone.
Ginny, meanwhile, was beaming at Harry with a rather disconcerting intensity, which Hermione rather thought he'd noticed, as he was staring at his plate. "How was it – flying, I mean," Ginny said, still grinning.
"Oh, it was good." Harry was evidently in a monosyllabic mood.
"Angelina thinks you'll definitely beat Slytherin."
Ginny's tone was so determinedly cheerful that Ron was giving her funny looks, and Hermione had to interrupt. "Ginny?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't you have that Transfiguration to do?"
An extremely odd expression came over Ginny's face, and she glanced quickly from Ron to Harry before saying, "Yeah, but…can't I just borrow your brain?"
Hermione sighed – they had had this discussion several times. "Ginny you're not bad at Transfiguration – you're just…"
"Lazy," Ginny said, "Lazy, because I loathe it. Because it is the devil's subject."
Harry's mouth twitched, and Hermione said, "Look, do it now, and I'll check over it later, okay?"
"Fine," Ginny said, sighing deeply.
She trotted off down the Great Hall, and Ron looked at Hermione. "What was that about?"
"What?" she said innocently.
"All the smiling, and the…that's not like Ginny."
Feeling mildly guilty, Hermione said, "I might have told her about Percy's letter."
Ron nodded understandingly, but Harry still seemed a little confused. "Was she angry?" he asked.
"I believe her exact words were 'that lousy, ungrateful, git-faced git.'" Harry's eyes bulged in momentary surprise. "She was furious."
"Oh," Harry said, looking pleased in spite of himself.
"She wants you to know she's on your side, Harry, it's just…" Hermione paused, trying to come up with a plausible excuse, "Colin Creevey was practising Cheering Charms on her all day, so…"
"Right," Harry said. He seemed momentarily worried, and said, "Do you really think it's a good idea to let Colin around Ginny with a wand?"
Hermione wanted to laugh. "What do you think he's going to do exactly, Harry?"
Harry actually blushed, and said, "Just, he's not the most reliable wizard, is he?"
Thankfully, Cho Chang distracted Harry by waving at him, before he could tempt Hermione to laugh any more. Thank goodness he'd never attempted to pull this 'elder brother' act with her.