Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ginny, who'd been working on her own all evening, slumped down between Harry and Hermione on the sofa. Leaning her head on Hermione's shoulder she said, "Do it now. Put me out of my misery."

Hermione, who'd been busy glaring at Harry's stupid Potions book, smiled and said, "What's the matter?"

Rather than just her eyes, Ginny seemed to roll her entire body as she said, "Transfiguration. Again. It's the worst subject in the world."

Hermione shook her head at her, amused in spite of herself. "That's not true," she said, meaning to continue.

Somewhat to her surprise Harry added, "It can't be as bad as Divination."

Ginny shook her head at him, "Think I did Divination? Unlike some, Harry, I learn from my older brother's mistakes."

He grinned, not seeming in the least bit insulted by her words, and said, "So you've never tried to predict the future then?"

"No," Ginny said, "But I bet I can. Give me your hand."

Straightening up, Ginny took Harry's left hand in hers, and leaning over it, said in a spooky voice, "I predict you will be conked on the head by a Bludger."

Harry shook his head, still smiling, and said, "You can't see that on my hand."

"Well," Ginny said, "I don't have to." She turned back to face Hermione, startling her a little, she'd been so fascinated by their interaction, and said, "You should see him, Hermione – he was hit twice last week at practice. I don't know what's the matter with you, Harry – I had this impression that you knew how to fly!"

Harry laughed, but Hermione couldn't help but think he looked slightly embarrassed, and he took his hand back, saying, "So what's this about Transfiguration?"

Ginny moaned. "Did you have to remind me, Harry?

He shrugged and Ginny continued, "It's going to make me lose my mind – and it will be slow and painful, and Mum will kill me."

Hermione attempted to inject a sane perspective to all this drama. "Ginny," she said, "You told you were averaging at E now – that's doing really well, considering…"

"That I was barely scraping past before?" Ginny said knowingly.

"Well…yeah," Hermione said, not wanting to make a point of it.

Ginny sighed. "You're right," she said, "And I am doing better – McGonagall doesn't know what to do with the new and improved Ginny Weasley, studious version, but…it's still not enough."

"Enough for what," Harry said, looking curious.

"To be a Healer I have to get an O – in Charms and Herbology and Potions and Defence and Transfiguration. It's impossible!"

Hermione shook her head again – she was becoming a little tired of having to reason away Ginny's academic insecurities. "You can do it, Ginny. You're already getting Os in Charms and Defence – "

"But they're my good subjects, Hermione, not – "

"And you've got so much better at Transfiguration and Potions, and you only need to brush up on the theoretical side of Herbology, and you'll be fine."

"Maybe you're right," Ginny said with a sigh, "I just…I wish I had your confidence, Hermione."

Hermione allowed herself a little private amusement at this remark – Ginny didn't know the half of it, didn't know how terrified Hermione was whenever results came out – and said, "Are you really that tired?"

"I'm exhausted Hermione – I've working on that blasted essay all night, and…well, at least it's finished now."

"Perhaps I could – "

"No!" said Ginny, emphatically. "I need to do this myself – I need to know that I can get the marks without anyone looking over my shoulder or…correcting my mistakes."

"Yes but… Ginny, I'm only trying to help," Hermione said, feeling stung.

"I know you are," Ginny said earnestly, "You and Dean both, and I do appreciate it, but sometimes I just have to do things on my own, all right."

"Okay," Hermione said, knowing that the words 'don't say I didn't warn you' were implicit in her tone. She really was trying not to nag any more, but…

Ginny smiled at her, and added, "I'm probably going to fail History of Magic at this rate anyway, so at least the twins won't be totally disappointed."

Harry nudged her gently, and said, "Well, you'll be in good company."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Are you really good company, Harry? I don't know… Still," she added in a more serious tone, "I might try that excuse on Mum when the marks come out. You never know, she mightn't be too annoyed, if you failed it too – it's not like she really cares about History of Magic anyway."

"What marks do you think you'll get?" Hermione asked, curious now.

Ginny yawned and then said, "I'll pass Runes, probably not much more, and I should do well enough in Astronomy, unless I fall asleep, and I'll be all right in Care. Jules is brilliant at Care, did you know that?"

Hermione shrugged and said, "So she has some redeeming features."

"Shut it," Ginny said. "Didn't you hear about Jules?"

"No," Hermione said, not honestly particularly interested.

Ginny rolled her eyes at her tone and said, "She had to help me separate Dean and Blaise Zabini again the other day."

"Why were Dean and Zabini fighting?" Hermione said, surprised she hadn't heard about this already.

"I don't know," Ginny said, "Some stupid boy thing. Blaise has a problem with me for some reason…"

Harry coughed loudly – suspiciously – as she said this, and Ginny conjured him a glass of water before continuing, "And anyway, any time he sees me with Dean, he starts on at me…and Dean's got some idea that he has to 'protect my honour' or something, like I couldn't handle Zabini myself if he'd just… You know, do you mind if I don't talk about this? I'm getting sick of it to be honest."

"Sure," Hermione said. "Don't you think you should tell Ron though?"

Ginny stared at her. "You think I want Ron to be even more over-protective? No good can come of that – we're both still smarting from the last time."

"You're right," Hermione said, "I'm actually not sure what good Won-won could do in this situation."

Hearing her tone, Harry vaulted off the sofa as quickly as he possibly could and said, "I've…to get to work on that…charm from yesterday."

He was gone before either girl could say anything, and Ginny looked at Hermione expressively. "Annoying you, is he?"

Hermione made an angry sound and said, "He wants to pretend everything's back to normal, like he didn't…like he didn't go off with Lavender when, when he was supposed to be with me, like it's something I can just forget about. I could kick him."

"I'm really sorry, Hermione," Ginny said. "I know I haven't been…round much."

"You've been busy," Hermione said charitably, "The OWLs take up a lot of time." In truth she knew there was another reason – she and Ginny were still somehow, uncomfortable, talking one on one.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "But I still should've…"

"Ginny – forget about it, all right."

Her tone was perhaps rather harsh, for Ginny stared at her for a moment or two before saying, in a strangely bright tone of voice, "How have the Apparition lessons been going?"

Determined to put the moment of tension behind them, Hermione said, "Oh, they're all right. Susan Bones is really good."

"You know," Ginny said, "Demelza was asking me if Harry fancied her."

"Demelza wanted to know this, did she?"

"Yes," Ginny said pointedly, "She did. She's friends with Romilda Vane, and she wanted to know if….she thought I'd know. Which I don't."

"Well," Hermione said, "You can tell Demelza that no he doesn't. Unless he's been hiding…much better than Harry has ever been able to hide anything."

"I will," Ginny said, standing up sharply, "But for now, I'm going to bed. I've had just about enough for today."

Hermione let her go regretfully, wishing she'd been able to hold her tongue. She'd been holding her anger in so much recently – not exploding at Ron for betraying her, and then acting like it was something they could just sweep under the carpet, not nagging Harry about his book – that perhaps it was coming out in other, even less appropriate, ways.