When You Wasn't Famous

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: The characters from Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling and are used here without permission.

"When you're a famous boy/it's gets really easy to get girls/It's all so easy you get a bit spoiled/but when you try to pull a girl who is also famous too/It Feels Just Like When You Wasn't Famous

-When You Wasn't Famous, The Streets

Chapter 16: Snitch Don't Lie

"Ginny, Ginny, what's it been like out there for you?" Amelia St. James asked.

"It hasn't been easy I'll tell you that, but Quidditch is Quidditch, and the blokes on the team have been very accommodating." Ginny sat on the dais for the post-match press conference staring into the glare of flash bulbs. She hadn't wanted to be the member of the squad made available to the press, but as Westerman pointed out, other than Harry she was the person they most wanted to talk to. And what better time to face the jackals then after a convincing win. Especially since no one trusted Harry to behave himself.

"What were your impressions of the Spanish side?" Gordon Deesel of Quidditch Weekly asked.

"Very good, their Chasers were among the best I've ever seen and they had a very sound game plan. We just executed better, and having the best Seeker in the world didn't hurt either."

"Speaking of Seekers, there's been rumors the Harpies are going to buy Ines in the next transfer window. What are your thoughts on that?"

"That question is a little above my pay grade," Ginny said. "You'll have to ask the Harpies management, they don't consult with me contrary to what you might read."

"I'll just put that down as a no comment then," Deesel said.

"You put down whatever makes you feel good mate; you aren't getting anymore out of me on that topic," Ginny said drawing chuckles from the room.

"I have a question for you Ginny," Shackleton said. "Do you have any comment on the play of your Seeker today?"

Ginny grit her teeth, the man was a vile toad always out to find the most discordant stories. Today however she wasn't about to give him any satisfaction. "Whatever do you mean? Harry caught the Snitch. My comment is that his play was brilliant."

"That's true, but he also passed up several clear opportunities to make a catch earlier in the match."

"I was a little busy at the time so I'll have to take your word on that."

"I'll be happy to show you my omniocular recordings."

Ginny held up a hand cutting Shackleton off. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'Snitch don't lie' Mr. Shackleton?"

"I, er, can't say that I have."

"Care to wager what it means?"

Shackleton shrugged his shoulder. "I haven't the faintest idea."

Ginny flashed the columnist a sickly sweet smile. "It means there's nothing fake about catching a Snitch. It's the single hardest thing a person can do on a Quidditch pitch. So if there's someone who can catch the Snitch reliably like Harry can then you don't question how he does it. And do you know why?" She motioned for Shackleton to speak.

"Because the Snitch doesn't lie?"

Ginny nodded. "The Snitch don't lie. Harry caught the Snitch today. That's good enough for me and it should be bloody well good enough for the likes of you." She glared at the Prophet columnist, daring him to ask a follow-up question. Instead Shackleton, looking visibly cowed, returned to his seat without saying a word.

"Any other questions?" Ginny asked the assembled press, a beatific smile on her face. When no hands were raised she looked over at the Ministry public relations person moderating the press conference. "So am I supposed to sit here for the full half hour, or can I go now?"

After a brief team meeting where Cabbock reminded them yet again not to get too pissed, or otherwise do anything that could land them in the papers, Ginny returned to her hotel suite to get ready for another victory celebration. As she was examining herself in the mirror and considering trying on yet another outfit, there was a knock on her door.

"Ginny are you dressed?" Ron asked through the door.

"As decent as I ever am, come in Ron." Ginny picked up her wand from the nightstand next to her bed and opened the door with a quick flick. "What do you want Ron, I'm in bit of a rush here."

"Heading over to the Lonely Mermaid then?" Ron asked as he entered the room.

Ginny looked over at her brother and sighed. "Of course I am. It's the only place the paranoids at the Ministry are allowing me to drink after all."

Ron flopped down onto Ginny's bed. "And will you be meeting Harry there?"

Ginny could feel irritation start to well up in her. "Maybe, probably, I don't know. We haven't exactly shared our schedules with each other."

"But you're hoping you'll run into him there."

"Expecting to maybe, hoping to is a bit of a stretch." In response Ron wordlessly rested his hand on the pile of discarded clothes on Ginny's bed. Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes at her brother. "Yes Ron I want to look my best tonight. Clearly that's because of Harry Potter, and not the fact that I had a brilliant day on the pitch against one of the toughest sides we'll see all tournament."

"True or false, you and Harry are going to shag before the night is over?"

Ginny rounded on her brother and glared at him. "Ron don't start with me."

"I'm not starting anything. I'm simply asking a question."

Ginny ran her hands through her hair in frustration before speaking. "I suppose I should be glad it's taken you this long to say anything to me about Harry. So come on, let's hear the lecture then."

"I'm not here to lecture you," Ron said. He chuckled at the disbelieving look on Ginny's face. "I do realise you're an adult Ginny, and you're going to do whatever you want no matter what anyone says. And probably kick in the bollocks of anyone who tells you otherwise."

Ginny reached down and cuffed Ron on the shoulder. "It took you long enough to figure that out you prat." She gave Ron an affectionate smile.

"But just because I'm not going to lecture you doesn't mean I'm not going to tell you what's on my mind."

Ginny pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Okay fine, out with it already."

"Look Ginny, it's not that I don't think you should shag Harry. Like I said you can shag whoever you want to, just spare me the details, yeah? I just," Ron's voice trailed off as he gathered his thoughts. "I know how much Harry meant to you, and how much you meant to Harry, and I don't want to see either of you get hurt over this silly arrangement you've made."

A frown crossed Ginny's face. "So let me get this straight. You don't have a problem with me and Harry sleeping together?"

"I can't say I'm thrilled with the thought of my baby sister sleeping with anyone," Ron said, cutting Ginny off.

"Oi, I wasn't finished!" Ginny punched Ron again to emphasise her point. "You don't think I shouldn't sleep with Harry, but you have a problem with how we're doing it?"

"I wouldn't phrase it exactly that way," Ron said as he pulled a face. "But yes that's it. I know both of you, this isn't just some fling for either of you."

"It is the very definition of a fling!" Ginny said. Her voice rose as she spoke.

"Oh spare me the bollocks. This is Harry bloody Potter we're talking about. It is impossible that this is just a fling and if you don't recognize that you're both going to wind up hurt, again."

Ginny started to pace across the room. "Why do you keep talking about both of us getting hurt?"

"Ginny you didn't have to live with the bloke that year. Trust me he was plenty cut up over breaking up with you."

"I can't believe you. After all this time, you're still taking his side? Just because the rich and famous Harry Potter deigned to be friends with the poor ginger from the country?"

Ron's face hardened. He gripped the sheets on Ginny's bed before taking a deep breath. "Yes we were mates," he said with careful deliberation. "But if you'll notice I'm sitting here talking to you. I made my choice about who I'd stick with a long time ago."

Ginny stopped her pacing and faced her brother, a horrified expression on her face. "Oh Merlin Ron, I never realised. You didn't stop being friends with Harry because of me did you?"

Ron stood up from the bed and rested his hands on Ginny's shoulders. "I didn't stop being his mate, I just stopped hanging around him is all."

"Still you didn't have to do that on my account."

Ron chuckled. "Of course I did. You're my little sister after all, in more ways than one." He waved his hand over Ginny's head to indicate their difference in height.

"Watch it you," Ginny said. She swatted Ron in the stomach. "Still though, I think you're making something out of nothing. Yes Harry and I dated for a while at school, and according to you neither of us took the break up well. But that was years ago, we've both moved on."

"So you've been saying, but who's to say you couldn't move in so to speak." Ron frowned. "That sounded better in my head."

"Because this is real life Ron. That bollocks about finding the love of you life at school only happens in stories. Er, except for you and Hermione of course."

"And mum and dad, and Harry's mum and dad, and…" Ron's voice trailed off when he saw the glare Ginny directed his way. "Well, you get the point."

"And who are all those people not? Me and Harry. Maybe this truly is all we want, a month of having fun and playing Quidditch." She wrapped her arms around Ron's midsection. "I appreciate your concern, honest I do, but could you please trust me on this? I promise there will be no heartbreak at the end of the tournament."

"Do I get the right to say I told you so when this all goes pear-shaped?"

Ginny laughed into Ron's chest. "It won't come to that, but yes you have my permission to laugh at me if that happens. Even though that means you'll be a horrible brother; laughing at your sister when her heart is breaking."

"Who knows, you and Harry might decide to see things my way when all is said and done."

Ginny bit back another laugh. "There's definitely no chance of that happening. This is Harry Potter we're talking about here. Have you ever heard of him being in a relationship that lasted longer than a week tops?"

Ron threw his arms around Ginny and gave her a tight hug. "Who knows, stranger things have happened. Me and Hermione for instance."

Ginny shook her head. "No, you and Hermione make perfect sense because you're so different. The two of you balance each other out. Harry and I, we're too alike, we're unbalanced. That's why I know our arrangement for the tournament ends after we win the cup."

"See that's where you're wrong," Ron said. He held an index finger up in Ginny's face to emphasise his point. "It's precisely because you're so much alike that before this is all over you'll either be heartbroken or engaged."

"With no in between? That seems like a pretty stark choice." Ginny swatted at Ron's hand, knocking it to the side.

"You and Harry never did things by half measures when you were at Hogwarts, why change now?"

"We're adults for one, we can find the middle ground. Don't give me that look," she said in response to the dubious expression on Ron's face. "Can we we please just drop this? I'm tired of arguing and really want to celebrate today's win sometime before the next match starts."

Ron gave out a heavy sigh then nodded his head. "Fine consider the matter dropped, for now."

Ginny gave Ron another hug before taking a step back. "Thank-you oh favourite brother of mine."

"So I'm your favourite then?" Ron arched a disbelieving eyebrow at Ginny's statement.

"You are until you do something to hack me off again. I give you until midnight at the latest." Ron chuckled at the joke but did not rise to the bait. "Now then my most favourite brother, help me because I cannot decide. What outfit should I wear tonight?" Ginny waved her hand at the clothes laid out on the bed.

Without hesitation Ron thrust his hand into the pile of clothes on the bed and pulled out the most conservative top of the bunch. "As your brother I am required to say this."

"That was the first one I rejected," Ginny said with a wrinkle of her nose. She flicked her wand and banished the top from Ron's hands. "I don't even know why I packed it. In fact I think your wife slipped it in when I wasn't looking."

"Unless I miss my guess my wife packed your luggage so she wouldn't have to sneak anything in."

"That's…she knows my tastes, and that wasn't it," Ginny said.

"Are we talking about the same Hermione? I love her, but she doesn't tend to take other people's tastes into consideration when she does things."

"Aww did someone get all his Cannons paraphernalia binned again?" Ginny asked. She did her best not to laugh at the crestfallen expression on her brother's face, but was only marginally successful.

"All I've ever asked for is one room in our flat that I could call my own, is that too much to ask for? I mean dad has his shed. A bloke need a place to hide out in."

"And is that how you described it to Hermione? Merlin Ron, do you really think she wants to hear that you want to hide from her?"

"When you put it that way I suppose not. So what should I say to her?"

"What you said before, just don't make it sound like you don't want to spend time with Hermione. Maybe say it's for when you want to listen to the Cannons. I know how you get during match and I'll bet Hermione would jump at the chance to shove you off into a corner."

Ron's face broke into a huge grin. "Ginny that's brilliant, also I probably shouldn't have tried to takeover the room Hermione wants to use as the guest bedroom."

"Oh Ron, never change. Now back to the matter at hand. What do you think about this?" She reached down and picked up a far more daring blue top from the bed.

"I think mum would have a fit if she saw you in that. Which I suppose means you'll definitely wear it." Ron sighed when Ginny nodded in happy affirmation.

"Moving on, I was thinking of this skirt. You know, for easy access." Ron's face turned purple, but he bit his tongue. "But I think these jeans draw more attention to my bum. Plus it'll force Harry to work a little harder and that always leads to happy times."

Ron pantomimed gagging at Ginny's admissions. "And next you'll want my opinion on your bra and knickers?"

"No need, I'm not wearing any," Ginny said, causing Ron to splutter wordlessly as she gathered up her selected outfit and sauntered to her bathroom. "You can relax Ron, I was only taking the piss. I mean really, why would I talk about my bra and knickers with you of all people, that's just ugh." She shuddered at the thought. "If you'll excuse me I have to get changed now. Meet you at the Mermaid yeah?" She turned and stepped into the bathroom before Ron had a chance to reply.

Author's Notes: Sheed is an all-time great philosopher. I am also inordinately happy with that exchange between Ginny and Ron. Onwards and upwards to next week. Thanks for reading folks.

-sam