To Die For

Chapter Five

"Oi, Christine!"

Christine snapped out of her reverie with a start, falling off Harry's Firebolt which she had been hovering on- four feet above the ground- for the past half hour. "Oww!!" she groaned, pushing herself up, and straightening her lilac sundress. Christine glanced around, hoping Ginny hadn't noticed, but even she was not that lucky.

"Smooth move, Blondie." Ginny remarked coldly, looking up at Christine from the latest issue of TWITCHES (TeenWitches), her favorite fashion magazine. She knew she would never be able to afford anything in there- but she still loved salivating over all the latest trends."Maybe next time you'll fall hard enough to put us all out of our misery."

Christine glared ignorantly at Ginny. She had been staying at The Burrow for three weeks now, and Ginny remained antagonistic as ever- if not more. Harry had become comfortable around Christine by now- a bit too comfortable for Ginny's liking- and was displaying somewhat of an interest in Christine, more keen on spending time with her. Ever since Christine's arrival Ginny had been relentless- never leaving them alone for the slightest second, and never missing an opportunity to sabotage or humiliate Christine.So, in summary, nothing would please Christine than to hex Ginny into oblivion, but she could not risk exposure, so she had to suck it up and deal with it.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, stopping infront of her, Ron bringing up the rear. They both wore old T-shirts, and faded cargo shorts, their clothes ripped and dirty as evidence of their hard work at degnoming the Weasley's garden.Harry kept a tight grip on a gnome by the end of its' short, horny little legs, while Ron struggled with two particularly feisty gnomes, cursing under his breath. Christine smirked. She couldn't help it- they both just looked so ridiculous.

"Yeah1 I'm great!" Christine replied, grinning embaressedly, adding half-jokingly, "I just fell about four feet, but don't worry- it's no big deal...well- not anymore." She flashed him an irresistable smile, and Harry's stomach twisted into a knot.

Wanker, Ginny thought enviously, as she watched Christine flirt with Harry, even though she very well knew that if she would do the same thing if Harry wasn't so wrapped around Christine manicured finger.

In fact, just that morning she "accidentally" bumped his arm sothat he spilled his orange juice all down the front of his shirt. However things did not go as planned- not even close. When Ginny tried help him with the mess, he brushed her off casually- saying it was "nothing", and scrubbing hopelessly at it with a paper napkin until Christine came into the kitchen with a fresh load of laundry after helping Mrs. Weasley.The conniving little witch offered him a clean shirt. That wasn't the gist of it though. He was such a nervous wreck about being half-naked around Christine that the idiot got his headstuck in his sleeve. So, Christine helped him put on his shirt.

Harry blushed furiously, trying to come up with something equally flattering and impressive, but nothing came to mind. So, instead, he held out the gnome, grinning embarressedly, "Wanna try?"

Suddenly, Ron yelped loudly, as one of his gnomes bit him painfully in the shins, and he dropped the two, falling to the ground and nursing his knee, swearing loudly. The escapee gnomes herded as far as their fat legs carried them, squeaking, "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Halfway to their gnomehole, one ran back, kicking Ron between the legs for good measure, then scurried off, calling, "Fuck you! Fuck you!"

"No thanks," Christine laughed, glancing at Ron, who was still rolling around in the grass, clutching his knee, and muttering incoherently under his breath.

"What's the matter?" Ginny inquired mockingly, "afraid you'll break a nail?"

Christine narrowed her determinedly at Ginny- she was never one to take a challenge lightly. "Give me that." she said to Harry, grabbing the gnome impatiently by the ankles. She held the gnome upside down by its' ankles- looking disgusted- it was just so ugly. "Hi," the gnome squeaked, "Eat, dirt!"

Annoyed, she tried to imitate Harry and Ron, wishing she had paid more attention to their degnoming techniques, as she swung the gnome round and round her head, till her arm spun at such a velocity that she looked like a giant human helicopter. Finally, when the speed reached maximum capacity, the gnome flew out of her grasp, sailing far beyond the hill past the Weasley's garden, where the rest of its' kind made a jagged line, swaying to and fro drunkenly- with a loud piercing wail.

"Wow," Ron breathed."That had to have been at least 55 feet- that's better than your first try Harry!"

Ginny groaned in frustration, turning the page so violently that she accidentally ripped the page in half. As if she wasn't angry already, a certain annoying, tall blonde-haired someone glided through the backdoor and intothe backyard.

"Alors!" Fleur cried excitedly, gliding gracefully across the garden. She swayed over to Ginny, swoping down to kiss either of the youngest Weasley's cheeks, before clutching her to her chest uncomfortably."Ginny!"

"Gross!" Ginny protested, practically gasping for air, as she attempted to pry herself from Fleur's grasp. "Your boobs are suffocating me."

Finally after about a minute, Fleur released Ginny, and moved onto her next victims- Harry and Ron. She swept them both into a giant group hug- Harry blushing embarressedly and patting Fleur's back awkwardly, and Ron sighing contentedly. When Fleur noticed Christine her eyes widened with surprise and glossed over with excitement, a big grin spreading across her face.

"Alors!" she cried again, kissing Christine's cheeks and sweeping her into a hug. "'Oo' 'eez 'dees beautiful girl?" Christine could feel herself blush with embarressm,ent. She Fleur- Christine was in her fourth year at The Beauxbatons Academy of Magic when Fleur was in her seventh and final year- they had even shared meals together at the same table. It was rather flustering to know Fleur had not remembered her- which was a rare- if not a completely unusual occasion.

"Christine Balfour." Christine replied, cutting of Fleur before she had the chance to introdue herself. "And your Fleur Delacour.Yeah, i know- we both went to the same school in Beauxbatons. You graduated during my fourth year." Fleur's face brightened with realization, and she smothered Christine once again- making Christine wish she hadn't said anything at all.

"Mais, Oui!" Fleur cried ecstatically. "I knew you looked fam-eel-ee-er! C'est magnifique! You got so beatufiul! And so grown up!"

"Merci," Christine said awkwardly, finally extracting herself from Fleur. She leaned in close to Harry to whisper discreetly in his ear, "Is she always like that?" After nearly three years of Fleur-free pleasance, Chrisitne had forgotten how clingy and over-friendly Fleur could be.

"Yeah, pretty much..." Harry sighed exasperatedly as he watched Fleur trot back over to Ginny, giving lectures on what and what not to wear, and what designers were best from the magazine. Ron did not add to harry comment- he was still trapped in a lovesick gaze, a dreamy expression on his face.

"You are going, right?" Harry asked suddenly- he had almost forgotten about Fleur and Bill's wedding.

"Go? Go where?" Christine asked perplexedly, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "When?"

"Bill and Fleur's wedding- I almost forgot. It's this weekend." Harry responded. "You're going aren't you?"

"I'm gonna be here for the summer, aren't I?" Christine asked rhetorically, smirking at Harry. He nodded."Then I'll be there." she concluded, already knowing where this was going.

"Good point." Harry said, feeling stupid."Well- then, I-I was just uh erm wondering if you would like to, you know- go with me?" he asked, his cheeks burning with humiliation.

Christine grinned, kiss Harry's cheek, and replying sweetly, "I'd love to."

Aww, how sweet, Ginny thought sarcastically, it almost makes me want to gag.