Sorry about taking so long to post this one up. I kind of had a writer block :D
Also school began again and my mum was hassling me if I had everything ready. One of the worst things I hate about Australia is the education system and how every state thinks they are the best and that their system is flawless and will be better than any other state. I want to tell them this:
ALL OF YOU NEED TO PULL YOUR FREAKING HEADS IN! BECAUSE YOU ALL SAY YOU ARE ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS BUT ALL YOU'RE REALLY DOING IS SITTING AROUND ON YOUR FAT LAZY BUMS AND THINKING OF WAYS TO MAKE MONEY! AND YOU'RE BARELY ABLE TO DO THAT!
Anyways, sorry about my tirade and my language :) phew, that feels great to get off my chest. Anyways... here's another chapter. Enjoy.
'Hello?' A voice that Harry knew carried over to him. He opened the door even more now, knowing that his weapon of surprise was gone. And was surprised at what he saw.
'George.' Harry sighed as he flicked his wand once and the lights came on. He then put his wand away in his pocket and motioned for the 'Okay' to the others. They all nodded but it was only Ginny who kept her wand out. She looked wary.
Harry went over and with the help of Ron; they both lifted up the heavy shelf that was on George. 'How did this happen?' Ron grunted.
George stretched a bit then smiled. 'I climbed it.'
Ginny went right up to her brother and pointed her wand at his chest.
'What are you doing Ginny?' Ron yelled, trying to get Ginny to lower her wand.
'What insect is Ron scared of because of you and Fred?' she demanded.
'Spiders of course. By the way, they aren't insects, they are arachnids. Also, that joke was priceless; Ron's facial expression was something I can never forget.' He chuckled.
Ginny looked him straight in the eyes then lowered her wand.
'Geez, Ginny, I thought you were going to blow my head off. You looked like a real killer. No wonder Harry says you have killer looks.'
Ginny looked at Harry in disbelief.
'Hey! I don't say that.' He raised his hands defensively.
'Ginny, it was a joke. God. You take things so seriously these days.' George said, putting a hand on Ginny's shoulder. He looked at Harry again then at Ginny.
'Aww, did Harry break your heart again?' George cooed. Ginny swatted his hand and stomped out of the storage room. 'Must be that time of the month again then.' He chuckled, Ron laughed. But it was Hermione and Harry that rolled their eyes.
'She was smart to do that you know.' Hermione stated. 'For all we know, this could have been a trap and like fifty Death Eaters would have jumped out of the cupboards.'
'Yes, but do you honestly think fifty Death Eaters would jump out of my cupboards? Even you know, Hermione, that Death Eaters aren't that small.' He smirked at her.
Hermione sighed at his attempt of humor. 'I'll go find Ginny,' Sigh. 'Again.' She left the storeroom and the second she left George said, '"Again"?'
While Ron explained to George about her messed up attitude because people kept bringing her and Harry's situation up, Harry wandered around the storeroom, curious to what he would find.
He found a stash of wands that turned into chickens and a bunch of weird looking spoons. He had no clue what they would do to him so he didn't dare touch them. Then he came to a box that was labeled: Top Secret, Don't Look! He weighed his options of getting caught by George but then he heard Ron still talking to his brother. Harry went over to the box, curious to what might be held inside it. He lifted the lid slowly and all of a sudden there was a Bang! A Pop! And a sizzling sound.
Harry opened his eyes to find that the popping sound was from a camera with a light bulb, the sizzling sound coming from its light bulb, and a photo at the bottom, he took the photo and examined it. It was a photo of him with make up on, and it wasn't just a light cover of make up; it full on. And it looked thick like a pancake encrusted onto his skin.
'Hello there gorgeous!' George came around the corner with his lips puckered and his eye lids battering at Harry.
'Don't call me gorgeous.' Harry groaned.
'Well honestly, I could totally agree, because you look far from it. Sweetie.'
Ron came behind George from a shelf and started to laugh so hard that he clutched his stomach and curled up in a laughing fit.
'What?' He said, confused. George grabbed something off a shelf and brought it over to Harry. He held up the mirror to Harry's face and Harry swore.
'What the hell is this?' He demanded.
'Everlasting make up.' George stated proudly. 'Last thing me and Fred came up with together, thought I would just keep it in here.' He shrugged.
'So this doesn't come off!' Harry felt his temper rising.
'After 24 hours.' George said flatly.
'Great.' Harry said stiffly. 'Any other stuff I should know about before I touch them?'
'No, not really, though I did place a warning on the box.' He pointed to the Don't Look.
'Yeah, well, that just makes people want to look inside more.' Harry grumbled.
'Oh well, at least Ginny has an excuse to call you ugly.' George winked at him.
'So you're saying I'm handsome any other time?' Harry questioned.
'You think too much of yourself Harry.' Ron said, reading a label on a bottle he had in his hand.
Harry made a tisking sound with his mouth and began to once again read what was on the shelves in the storage room. 'Anything new we might be able to bring into Hogwarts?' Ron asked curiously.
'Hmm, let me think.' George began to stroke his chin like he was an evil mastermind.
'I just don't see why they have to make a big fuss out of it and turn it into a big joke!' Ginny's voice shrieked. They all turned their heads around simultaneously. They then heard Hermione trying to reason with her and calm her down.
'I just don't care! Everyone treats it like it's just a school fight between two friends, but it's not! It's between whether I still love him or not, and with them rubbing it in my face every time we are even in the same room isn't' making things any better!'
'Yelling isn't going to make them understand, they're boys. What can you do about it? Honestly.' They heard Hermione soothe her.
'Well they should at least know that we do have feelings and that not everything is a joke.' Ginny sounded still pissed but she wasn't yelling this time.
'Of course they know we have feelings.' She hesitated; it was obvious she didn't know what else to say.
They heard Ginny stomp up some stairs, still aggravated, and then the patter of Hermione's following footsteps.
The boys were silent for a moment, all looking at each other. George was the first to speak: 'She is one tough girl. Harry, you wouldn't want to get on her bad side if you end up together.'
'But they aren't going to end up together? Are they? Please tell me you're not even thinking about marrying my sister.' Ron left his mouth hanging open.
'Ron, you really think I would be considering marrying your sister at this time? I can't even have a conversation with her. Let alone say "I do".' Harry stated. 'And even if I did, you could be my best man.' He smiled a cocky smile then got ready for the punch that Ron had aimed at him. Harry took out his wand and built a fort out of the boxes around him.
'Oh, we playing castle defense are we now?' George said. He then took out his own wand and began to try and explode Harry's boxes aside, they made loud noises and began to topple over.
With a flick of Harry's wand, they turned into stones and he watched as George and Ron tried to get rid of them.
With that grin plastered on his face for one hour, he realized that they should have already gone back to the Burrow and met up with Mrs. Weasley for lunch.
He raised his wand and sent up a white flag, which hovered a few meters in the air.
'The Harry Potter surrenders? This must be some sort of trick!' George declared over to Ron, sounding gob smacked.
'Hey! I'm human. I can always loose you know.' Harry stated back.
'Yeah, but a surrender from someone who took on –'
'You better end that with Voldemort.' Harry glared at Ron.
'Yeah, him.' Ron looked uncomfortable, even when he didn't say Voldemort's name.
'We are supposed to be back at the Burrow Ron.' Harry said, waving his wand and returning all the stones to boxes and levitating them to their correct positions.
'Oh yeah, Mum will kill us.' Ron said, almost whining.
It was funny the way Ron still didn't realize that he was of legal age and that he could just simply move out if he didn't like living under his mothers rules. He could move in here with George and help him with the shop.
Harry walked out of the door and back into the main part of the shop, looking around for any signs of the girls; or Ginny's red hair at least.
'Hermione?' Ron called up a set of stairs.
'Yes.' Her voice softly carried back down to them. It sounded like she was somewhere far in the shop.
'We were supposed to go back and have lunch with Mum ages ago. We need to leave.'
'Coming.' Ginny's voice was like a lullaby to Harry's ears. He still had a faint banging sound from the hour of castle defense with George and Ron in his ears.
A few second later Harry saw her red hair come out from behind a wall and Hermione following. She seemed to be still talking with Hermione over her shoulder but the moment she turned around and looked at Harry's face she frowned and bit her lip, like she was trying not to laugh. Hermione though, didn't hold back.
'What the hell is that on your face? And this time I'm glad it's not yours or anyone else's blood, but Harry, I don't think make up is your thing. Sorry.'
Harry was confused for a second before he remembered the Everlasting Make up. He then grinned and flashed Hermione his teeth. 'I think it brings out my eyes. Don't you think so?' He battered his eyelids then puckered his lips at her. Hermione pushed him away and began to laugh again with everyone else, including Ginny.
'Come on.' Ron said, walking towards the door and about to open it when Harry yelled at him.
'You honestly think I would want to go out there looking like this?'
'I thought you liked it.' Ginny said, regretting speaking straight at him, and so, looking at her feet.
'We can just use you're fire place then can't we George?' Ron asked.
'Out of Floo powder.' He smiled at them. 'I got distracted and ended up buying something completely different.'
'Well then we are just going to have to apparate.' Hermione sighed. He gave Ginny a small smile and raised her arm. Obviously Ginny wasn't quite good enough to apparate by herself.
How much did Harry want to hold Ginny's arm and have her apparate alongside him, he felt a pang of jealousy towards Hermione.
They all spun around on the spot and apparated in the front yard of the Burrow.
Harry looked around for Ginny, catching her red hair made him more comfortable. He smiled then averted his eyes as he saw that George was with them.
'George!' Molly cried from the front door. She walked over to him and gave him a big hug; he hugged her back and rested his head in her big hair. He seemed to be whispering things into her ear when she nodded and smiled at him.
Harry felt that if he could glow he would. He hadn't seen Molly so happy with George since there had been Fred. George tried to loosen out of the hug but Molly didn't lose her grip on him. George hadn't seen them in ages, having the excuse that his shop needed more attention since a new year was soon beginning and that since the war was over that people needed jokes to put a smile on their faces.
Ginny and Hermione both went inside followed by Molly, who had eventually let go of George.
But not after she had gotten a look of Harry's face and shook her head, saying: 'Harry, dear.' then laughing once to herself.
Harry tugged on the end of Ron's sleeve. 'Are you up for some Quidditch?'
'Sure. How about you George? We can sure kick Harry's ass this time!'
'You're on!' He called, making his way towards the shed where they kept their brooms.
George handed Ron his broom and also Harry his, before saying what they had all just noticed. 'We're not even numbered.' His mouth turned down just a bit at the corner. Obviously he was still thinking that Fred would of have made it even.
'Oh well. I'm good enough to take on both of you blind folded!' Harry said smugly, bringing up his arms and pretending to display his muscles like a man from the circus.
'You really do think much of yourself don't you?' George said giving him a cocky grin.
'Macho man.' Ron snickered.
Harry laughed sarcastically and hit Ron with his broom.
'How long are we going to play for?' Ron questioned.
'Till we all beg for a break.' George said obviously, like they hadn't already figured it out.
They all nodded their heads in agreement. Harry mounted his broom and leapt up off the grass, shooting up into the sky and circling around once before looking across at Ron, who was level with him as well as George.
'Hey! You aren't going to bloody play without me are you?'
They all looked down below their feet to see a red headed Ginny stalk towards the shed and pull out her broom. She mounted it gracefully and shot up into the sky, looking incredibly natural with playing with guys.
Harry looked towards the ground and made a note that Hermione was on a chair reading, a book in her lap and a smile on her face as she waved her hand once at Ron. Obviously Hermione wasn't going to be joining in.
It all of a sudden got awkward when Ginny, joined in. Harry knew Ginny was tough (she'd grown up surrounded by brothers) but he just didn't want to hurt her. So if they were on opposing teams, he would have to be rough in order to actually play right. But if they were to be on the same team, it would just be silent and uncomfortable and they wouldn't be able to communicate as effectively. Damn.
Ginny chose to be on George's team, meaning Ron and Harry were together.
They played for what felt like forever.
Hermione had obviously finished her book because she had gone inside and come out with a bigger, thicker book the next minute.
Ginny seemed to be doing pretty fine, she had scored more than half the points, whilst Ron was kind of slacking it and getting tired; leaving Harry to do most of the part.
Harry had the Quaffle when Ginny came up beside him and kicked the ball out of his hands, too fast for him to retaliate.
He had to admit, she was pretty good at playing Quidditch. Ginny turned quickly and zoomed around the edge of their field. Harry sped up and went straight for her from the side. He was going too fast and couldn't pull up to stop, nor did Ginny see him coming from the side because of her hair. They collided and fell to the ground with a big oomph from both of them.
Harry heard Ginny groan underneath him. He couldn't see where his glasses were until a set of hands handed them to him. He muttered a thanks to whoever it was and put them on, only to realize that it was Ginny who had handed them to him and whom he laid on top of. He looked down at her and she blushed hugely. He looked into her eyes for a moment, feeling her chest rise and fall with each breath she took.
Then Harry heard a yell from Ron above. 'Stop making moves on my sister while we play Quidditch! Please. Can't I just enjoy something without having to worry about you and her bloody snogging?' He groaned with disgust so Ginny flipped him the finger.
Harry gave Ginny one last smile and apology before getting off her and helping her up by the hand. She dusted herself off, grabbed her broom and mounted it again without another word or glance at Harry.
Harry did the same but less fast, picking the Quaffle back up again and going back to Ron's side. Ron clapped his hands together, wanting the Quaffle, so Harry pegged it at Ron a little harder than necessary.
The second they came in after Mrs. Weasley had called for dinner, Hermione said that they looked like a bunch of dirty little children. She wasn't wrong about the dirty part. Most of them had been knocked off their brooms quite a lot. With Harry and Ginny being the first.
They were covered in grass stains and dirt was all over their faces and hands. Molly scowled at them and told them to all wash their hands before they touched any food. Ron mumbled with George about washing their hands and not being able to eat their food sooner. But being the "good little boy's" they were, they washed their hands and sat at the table.
Eager to eat Ron reached out and took whatever food his hands would touch. Hermione looked at Ron with a means of disgust when he began to talk with his mouth full, and when everybody had had about enough of him talking, she raised her thick book and hit him in the head with it. He choked on his food and cried out in pain. 'Why 'ou do dat fwor?' He said chewing on the remaining food left in his mouth.
'Honestly. Can't you just shut up, for a minute!' She seemed exhausted just saying the words. Though Harry was glad she had said them, he had started to get a headache from him droning on and on.
The room was silent for a second, then Mrs. Weasley started up a quiet conversation with George, wanting to know what he'd been up to and how has he been doing.
Harry guess George lied a bit to stop Molly worrying about him, though Harry could see a bit of sadness in his eyes as he talked about running the shop alone.
After dinner they cleared away the plates and began to play their own games in the lounge room. Harry played wizard chess with Ron, while George looked over them and criticized about Harry's ridiculous moves. Hermione and Ginny were lounging on the couch chatting to each other very quietly.
Harry was, being a boy, curious to what they were talking about.
Ginny looked over at Harry, feeling his stare on her. Harry was going to look away but just couldn't, nor did Ginny.
Hermione looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes when she saw Harry looking at Ginny, she looked back at Ginny and continued the conversation. Harry sighed and moved another chess piece; losing his knight by one of Ron's Bishops.
It had been a while since Harry had seen Ginny. Obviously the first thought that came to his mind was that she was avoiding him. Again.
He sighed and looked over at Ron who had brought up more food to his room and was eating away on his bed, looking at a magazine.
Ron was still dirty from playing Quidditch earlier on and didn't look like he was in any mood to clean up himself.
Harry mumbled to Ron about having a bath and collected up his things. He looked into Ginny's room as he passed it and was disappointed to see that no one was in there. He would have at least liked to have seen Hermione. She was probably talking to Mr. Weasley about some muggle invention though.
He sighed and continued walking down the hall, taking his shirt off halfway there. Looking at his feet and running a hand through his hair, he opened up the bathroom door and walked in, placing his things on the counter. The room was brighter than usual, but Harry thought it was just the moon or something because it went away in a second.
Harry heard a splash and looked up into the mirror to see the top of Ginny's head. He spun around and got a massive slosh of water from Ginny. She was in the bath, covered in bubbles and red in the face. She had obviously lowered herself further into the bath because her legs were out the other end and her head was just above the bubbles.
'Are you going to get out or do I have to hex you?' she said irritated. She moved her arm out from under the bubbles and reached for her wand that was resting on the edge.
He took her word for it and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind himself and taking a big breath. He couldn't shake the image of Ginny in the bath tub, but what he really thought was strange was why Ginny had her wand with her. It wasn't like someone was going to attack her while she was in there.
He mentally kicked himself when he walked back into Ron's bedroom and realized that he still didn't have a shirt on. He had left it in the bathroom, and as much as he wanted to go back in there, he knew he was pushing his luck.
'I 'ought you were goin' for a bath?' Ron said among a mouthful of food.
'I'll umm, go later.' Harry muttered, sitting down in a chair and running his hand through his hair again, looking out the window but not really seeing what was out there. What he only saw was Ginny covered in bubbles and red in the face.
There! Finished. *sigh* finally. I never really thought I was actually going to get that chapter up and done. And I know it's kind of late, but I made up for that by adding more to the chapter.
I got a massive inspiration today and thought that I would finally be able to end the chapter with it ;)
I'm working on the next chapter, and I kind of have an idea for what it'll be with. Though some of it's going to be from Ginny's perspective.
Reviews make them go to Hogwarts faster :D