All morning Ginny had a sense of complete dread floating around in her stomach and she felt rather queasy. David and Seamus's idea still wasn't sitting too well with her and she just didn't see the point of going out with someone she didn't like; it seemed rather unethical to scam so many of her friends into thinking she was dating someone else when she really wasn't.
She was idly doodling on her parchment in History of Magic when she heard the lunch bell go off. Getting out of her trance, she looked down on her paper and to her dismay she noticed she had scribbled "H.P" in fancy writing. Instantly she crossed it out with her quill before anyone had a chance to see what she had written. Grabbing her books, she started making her way out of class.
Ginny didn't follow the mass of students going into the Great Hall and she quietly made her way outside. She hitched her bag on her shoulder and made her way towards the birch tree where she was supposed to be meeting David. Upon first glance she didn't notice anything, in fact she didn't see anyone at all. As soon as she turned around the bend, the feeling in the pit of her stomach intensified tenfold.
Squinting her eyes, she clearly saw David at the head of the group and to her horror; a small crowd of boys were sitting on the ground in front of him. Her face turned a deep scarlet as she thought about what David might have told them to get them there. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to be running a marathon the closer she walked to the group and she suddenly decided that she didn't want to be noticed. The prospect of being seen by so many people seemed rather scary to her and she was looking around for a place to hide. Looking around frantically, she saw a large shrub that would hide her very well, and clutching her bag tightly she leaped to make a jump.
"OI! GINNY!" David boomed loudly.
"Darn it," Ginny muttered with a flinch as she turned around.
She looked up to see David beckoning her towards the group. With the her face flaming red, she slowly made her way towards the group, too scared to look at any of them in the eye.
"The guest of honour, gentlemen" David is with a dramatic bow towards Ginny.
"Err..." Ginny looked on confusedly.
David waved a hand at her confusion "Come, come," he said as he led her towards the back of the birch tree.
There was a small table there with three chairs, two chairs together on one side, and a lone chair facing the other way.
"All right Ginnifer, take a seat," David gestured towards the two seats.
Ginny hastily put her bag down and took a seat.
"Where are you getting Ginnifer from?" she asked with a little scowl.
" Jennifer," David replied while looking over the clipboard in his hand.
"But my name's Ginerva!" she spluttered.
"Ginny is like Jenny. So Ginerva, Jennifer –it's the same thing doll. Ginnifer is combining them both," David said carelessly as Ginny rolled her eyes at his logic.
He took a seat next to her and yelled out the first name on his clipboard.
"Edward Crumbs!"
A small boy with a lanky frame ran over from behind the tree. His hair was parted in the middle and it seemed like he had used an entire jar of hair gel to get the job done.
"Here! Present! I'm right here," he said jumping up and down.
"Take a seat," David said trying to sound professional.
"Would you care for some refreshments?" David asked raising his eyebrows as he conjured up a tray of cupcakes.
"Yes please!" Edward began as he promptly starting stuffing them in his mouth.
Ginny looked on horrified.
"All right, so let's begin this interview," David began as he tore his gaze away from the boy.
"What house are you in?"
"Babenclaw," came his reply, Ginny could count three cupcakes in his open mouth and she felt like gagging.
"Great, what year?" David continued while he checked off something on his clipboard.
David didn't hear a reply for a few minutes and he looked up to see Edward holding up 3 fingers.
"3rd year?!" Ginny exclaimed, her eyes popping out.
The boy only nodded his head, as his mouth was too full.
"David!" Ginny began in an outraged voice.
"What? Let me guess, he's too young?" David said with a scowl. He didn't seem to find too many problems with Ed, but his eating habits were starting to worry David too.
"David! I'm not some pedophile!" Ginny screeched.
"Fine, fine," David said.
"Ed my man, I'm sorry to say this, but you don't fulfill the requirements…" he began.
"It's alright, mind if I take the cupcakes though?" Edward asked with icing smeared on his face.
"Keep them," David said waving his hand as he suppressed a shudder of revulsion.
"David! What in Merlin's name are you doing?!" Ginny turned on him with an angry glare the second the boy was out of sight.
"Interviewing your potential boyfriends?" He asked calmly while looking at the next name on his list.
"You're holding AUDITIONS?! This isn't a play!" Ginny slapped her forehead in frustration.
"Aww Ginnifer, relax, they're all under an oath. They won't speak about these to anyone." David said trying to ease her worries.
"David, that boy would sell his soul to a death eater for some baked goods! He'll babble it all over the castle that Ginny Weasley was interviewing blokes for a boyfriend!" Ginny yelled in distress.
"Gin, how big of an idiot do you think I am?" David asked pretending to be hurt, as he held a hand over his heart.
"Anything I offer to the boys is charmed, only the real 'boyfriend' will remember he's been here…all the others will forget this as soon as they get back to the castle," David finished calmly.
Ginny could only look on in surprise at David's ability to think this through.
"Ray Slater!" David yelled the next name.
A boy with a very nervous walk slowly came over to them. He was fidgeting with his robe and his eyes kept darting towards Ginny in an anxious manner. He seemed to clutching a bright lime green paper and he was folding and unfolding it in restlessness.
"Have a seat," David began kindly, upon noticing the boy's jumpy state.
"Some pumpkin juice to ease your nerves a bit?" David asked as he conjured up a goblet.
The boy took a long gulp and David consulted his clipboard. Ginny shot wary glances at him.
"So Ray…it says in your application that you enjoy reading? Ginny here is quite the reader herself, what are some of your favourite books?" David asked him.
"I-I-I enjoy r-reading a variety of things," he began in a stricken voice as he pushed his large glasses up his nose.
"All right then, what sports do you like?" David asked his next question.
"Croquet," the boy answered with a serious face.
"No quidditch?" David asked with a little frown.
"N-no, the flying scares me," he answered timidly. David nodded his head in a sympathetic manner.
"What's your favourite – " David's question was interrupted by Ginny.
"You haven't asked him what house he's in."
"Are you going to determine love through houses now?" David asked giving her a perplexed look.
"I refuse to date a Slytherin!" she hissed quietly at him.
"Don't worry, the boy has an aura that screams Hufflepuff," David answered back quietly.
Deciding not to take David's assumption on this, Ginny asked the tall boy herself.
"What house are you in?"
"H-hufflepuff," came his strangled reply.
David shot Ginny a very smug smile.
"What year?" Ginny continued suspiciously.
"4th," he answered.
Ginny let out a strangled cry.
"Sorry mate, she's particular about the age thing," David said with a sympathetic voice.
The boy looked forlorn as he got up to leave.
"I think I'll ask all the younger years to leave…lunch will be over soon…we shouldn't waste time this way," David said as he saw Ginny's stony glare.
Ginny buried her head in hands as she saw David's retreating back and wondered why she was going along with this crazy idea of his in the first place.