Ginny gasped as she found herself sprawling on the floor. "I hate portkeys," she gasped, feeling her limbs trembling badly. She looked her left, and found Hermione sprawled on the floor as well.
"Me too, and the mobile landing spot doesn't help," she answered before she raised her gaze and looked around. She gasped.
"Is something wrong, Hermione," Ginny asked.
"Not particularly, no," she answered, but her face told a different story. Though, despite her alarmed expression, Ginny couldn't help but feel entertained. Seeing her dressed like a man was very amusing.
It would make a convincing disguise once she added the small illusion charms, but in her current state, there was no hiding her femininity. Still, Ginny didn't say anything. After all, Hermione was clearly feeling self-conscious about that.
The shopping trip she had brought her was enough proof. Ginny wasn't as clueless about muggle fashion as she led Hermione to believe — even thinking she knew more, considering Hermione's boring choices — which made it hilarious when Hermione did her best to saddle her with the ugliest, most ill-fitting clothes she could come up with.
If someone else tried to pull that, Ginny would have ruined their life. But she didn't do that against Hermione. She was self-conscious, just like she had always done about her looks. A constant state of being for Hermione, Ginny realized as she slowly got to know her.
They weren't exactly friends back when they were still students. Ginny hadn't even made the attempt, mostly because she had been intimidated by the older girl that could take four upperclassmen in a duel alone while keeping the top spot in every class.
She didn't have many friends, but Ginny had always assumed that it was about her choices … a fact that she only realized the truth when she started dating his youngest brother. And, while Ginny didn't want to talk bad about any of his brothers, it was clear that Ron was not exactly a … prize.
They started to get closer once she started dating Ron. And, while Ginny should have helped Hermione to realize it was not a healthy relationship, she did not. Admittedly, for selfish reasons.
One would think that, with six brothers, she would have at least some decent sisters-in-law that would make the family fun. Unfortunately, his brothers had been … rather disappointed in that case. Charlie was not interested in anything that couldn't breathe fire, Fred and George were lost in their magic shop and Percy wasn't interested in anything that wouldn't help him take a higher post in the Ministry.
And while Bill was married … the less that was said about the French whore that ruined his brother's life, the better.
So, Ginny kept her mouth shut even if she didn't see much future in their relationship. If it worked, great. She would have an excellent sister-in-law, and even if it failed, she would have a friend for life.
Any day she would prefer Hermione over her brother.
However, lost in thought, it took a few seconds for Ginny to realize why Hermione was shocked. She looked around, only to realize the room was filled with red and pink. The walls, the bed, even the rug … and the rose petals on the bed didn't help.
Nor the champagne.
"A honeymoon suite," Ginny gasped, giggling as she realized it was probably her brother's arrangement, trying to use the mission to finally make a move. However, as she glanced around, she admired the level of failure he achieved.
The ice around the champagne was already melted. Similarly, the petals were already smelling bad. The worst was a pile of strawberries, already rotten.
He probably arranged it at the beginning of the tour, missing the fact that muggles wouldn't have preservation charms on anything.
"Yes, a honeymoon suite," Hermione answered grimly. Ginny wanted to tease her, but seeing her hard-to-decipher expression, Ginny decided not to tease her. For all her reputation as a bookworm, Ginny knew just how mean and nasty she could get once properly angered — Rita Skeeter still flinched whenever she entered the same room with Hermione — and she didn't want that to target her.
"How about you walk around and take a note of the cruise while I clean it up," Ginny said.
"No," Hermione answered. "You go ahead, I'll clean."
"Are you sure," Ginny asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," Hermione answered. "We're not in America anymore, and I'll be fun to cast spells unrestricted."
That sounded like her. "Feel free to do it," Ginny said, and left the room after checking herself in the mirror — and seeing her ugly yellow dress, as loose as a robe, and covering almost as much — she walked out.
"Let's have some fun," she thought as she stepped outside, only to come face to face with a maid. A lady in her fifties, with a big smile.
"Oh, finally one of you is out," she said. "Even for a honeymoon, you had been locked in for a long while, young woman," she said, giggling. "Ah, to be newlyweds."
Before Ginny could say anything, the maid winked and walked away, leaving Ginny alone. "My idiot brother," Ginny murmured as she stomped away. The plan to sneak back into the country was clever enough, and Ginny didn't expect the Death Eaters to have someone on a random cruise ship, but still, more attention was never welcome.
By arranging such a memorable honeymoon suite, combined with the long absence, Ron made sure that they would be the gossip of the ship. "Maybe it won't be too bad," Ginny murmured, trying to convince herself.
"Me and my hopes," Ginny murmured as she walked back to her room, barely an hour after she had left, annoyed by the number of people that were trying to tease her about her long absence. Worse, they always followed up with celebratory drinks, making it even harder to lash out at them.
So, Ginny held a fake grin as she enjoyed the fourth free champagne that was given to her, making a show of sipping. Luckily, she wasn't weak, and other than a light buzz, there was no effect. And, light buzz was helpful about the suggestive comments she received about her slight limp. She hit the floor hard due to portkey, but they didn't know that. Instead, they assumed it was honeymoon related.
Ginny still blushed at some of the comments about young virile men making his lady unable to walk.
Luckily, that was behind her. She smiled as she opened the door, hoping that Hermione was more relaxed. Though, even if she wasn't calm, Ginny had no intention of staying out. If she stayed there, the drinks wouldn't stop coming, and she had no intention of making a bad impression on Harry Potter.
He was supposed to arrive in less than an hour.
Yet, when she opened the door, she met with a view she wasn't expecting. Hermione wasn't alone in the room. Instead, she was standing very close to a man.
Harry Potter, Ginny realized as he turned to her, and she found herself captivated by his green eyes, so much that even noticing that scar took almost ten seconds. She felt lost in his gaze … and lost, she barely paid attention to Hermione as she pulled back from him.
Ginny ignored that, focused on her own experience. "Maybe close the door, so we can talk," he suggested, and Ginny found herself blushing badly even as she slammed the door behind her.
"Sorry about that," she whispered as she took a step forward, and before she could think, he covered the distance, and grabbed her hand, placing a soft kiss on her hand. "A pleasure to meet, Miss Weasley," he said, the touch of his lips making her heart move faster than she was used to. His next words didn't help. "Or, apparently, for the rest of our trip, my wife. A pleasure to meet."
"A … pleasure. H-Hermione told you," she whispered in an uncharacteristic stammer, and turned to Hermione, hoping that she would say something to help.
Yet, she found Hermione blushing just as badly as she looked at them. Hermione had a crush on Harry Potter, Ginny realized immediately. Normally, Ginny would have just smiled indulgently about that, but a detail stopped her. Hermione's shirt.
It was a boring man's shirt, or at least, it was what it was supposed to be, but Ginny noticed not only the top two buttons were open, giving a cleavage, but the rest was not aligned. It didn't look half-bad, Ginny had to admit, especially since she wasn't wearing the hat that was supposed to hide her hair.
Poor girl, Ginny realized. She clearly had a crush on Harry Potter, and didn't know how to deal with it. Worse, Harry clearly arrived before she expected, probably catching her halfway while she was dressing. Probably not too scandalous considering Hermione was just pulling back rather than collapsing in shock.
Ginny couldn't react her react well if she gave him a show only in her bra.
Under her gaze, Hermione took another step back, limping badly. Since she wasn't limping before the portkey, Ginny assumed that she had hurt herself even worse when she fell down.
Poor girl, Ginny thought. Clearly, Hermione was going through an unlucky patch. Luckily for her, Ginny was here to help her, with the benefits of having a best friend.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry," Ginny said as he looked at him once more. "Did Hermione tell you about your disguise for the trip?"
"N-not yet," Hermione answered.
Ginny smiled at her kindly. "Why don't I drag him away and explain the situation while you finish the room, Hermione," she offered as she grabbed his arm. He followed her easily, a fact that Hermione should be glad about. "Now, the first thing about our little situation…"