Hola, mi amores. I've been super busy lately. Sorry I haven't posted. But here's this wonderificous little chapter. I'm rather proud of it. It's Ginny's POV again, and we know she's just a bucket of sunshine.
A Touching Romance
Chapter 11 ~ Something has happened
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Ginny Weasley was mad. No, she was furious. That no good, bushy-haired, bucktooth, know-it-all bimbo (whose name Ginny refused to use) had taken it upon her bloody self to make sure that Harry hadn't yet done anything at all of the romantic sort towards her, Ginny.
She'd wanted to kiss him when he came off the train, but no. There was baggage to be held. She had wanted to sit next to him in the car, but no. That idiot girl had dived in after her so Harry couldn't possibly sit close to her.
Ginny would have thought that, what with having weird things happen every time she touched Harry, Miss Thang would have given up a bit on the whole anti-Harry-and-Ginny thing. Honestly, she wasn't stupid, Ginny would give her that. She must've realized somewhat that she couldn't touch Harry because of how he felt about her.
The little red car slowed to a stop in front of the Burrow, and Ginny felt just a bit calmer. There wouldn't be nearly as much chance for that girl to sabotage Ginny and Harry's blooming relationship. They'd be snogging in a corner before dinner, she was sure of it.
"Boys, you get the trunks out of the car while the girls and I get started on lunch," instructed Mrs. Weasley as she clambered out of the driver's seat. Harry and Ron promptly moved towards the car's trunk as Hermione attempted to soothe a flustered Crookshanks. Ginny saw her chance.
"I'm so glad you're here, Harry," she said sweetly, walking up behind him as he reached into the car for his bag.
"Yes, it's nice to be somewhere without Professor Snape looming over your shoulder at every meal," he replied, grimacing as he accidentally put the trunk down on his foot.
"Well, I'm sure it'll be much more interesting here than at Hogwarts," Ginny cooed, batting her eyelashes at him. "You can't have had much fun with just her hanging around, could you?" She glared at Hermione's bushy head through the back window.
She didn't notice Harry's look of intense agitation. "Oh, it wasn't bad," he said casually. "Hermione is actually a lot of fun when there's no schoolwork to be done. Something she's picked up from hanging around Ron and me for all these years." He smiled fondly at Hermione as she got out of the car.
Ginny looked back and forth between the two of them, smiling happily at each other. Something had happened over the week they were together, she knew it. Well, she simply wouldn't stand for it, that's all. Harry was hers, and she wasn't about to go and let Hermione ruin it all for them.
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Lunch was a casual affair. All the Weasleys were home for the holidays - even Fleur and Bill had taken time off from their honeymoon to come and visit. Harry and Hermione soaked in the atmosphere of family, after it having been just the two of them at Hogwarts. Keeping everyone away from Harry was a bit of a trial, but otherwise, it was quite fun.
"More peas, dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley as she offered Harry the dish of mushy vegetables.
"Yes, please," he said, scooping two more spoonfuls of peas onto his plate.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Hungry?" she said, surveying his plate, already heaped high with second helpings of everything within his reach.
"There is no such thing as too much Weasley food," was his reply, and she laughed. He grinned at her, then turned back to his plate. She shook her head, still chuckling softly, then turned to engage Charlie in conversation.
Mrs. Weasley watched this encounter with interest. Something was happening between those two. Or, she thought suddenly, something already has happened.
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Harry fell happily onto his bed in Ron's room that night. "I'm so glad to be back here," he told Ron, who was dressing for bed.
"I'm glad you're both back, too, mate," said Ron, grinning at Harry. He pulled a red t-shirt over his head. "Things'll be more fun around here with you and Hermione here."
"Yeah, I know," said Harry. "Your family couldn't possibly be much fun otherwise." He laughed as Ron chucked a pillow at him before climbing into his bed.
"Don't be ridiculous, Harry," said Ron loftily, propping himself on his elbows. "We Weasleys have more fun in our pinky fingers than you have in your entire body."
"Touché," said Harry. He rolled over on his bed to face the ceiling.
"Harry?" called Ron a few minutes later.
"Hmm?" was Harry's sleepy reply.
Harry heard Ron sigh. "Are you…do you think…well -"
"Spit it out, Ron," said Harry, turning over to look at him.
"Well…what - what are your intentions towards Ginny?"
"Ron!" Harry sat up straight and banged his head against the bed post. With a groan, he fell back on the headboard. "What on earth do you mean?" he asked when the stars behind his eyes went away.
Ron looked very uncomfortable. "I was just wondering exactly how far you intend to go with her," he said, miserable.
"Ron, take my word for it," Harry said. "Nothing is going to happen while I'm here."
"Define nothing." Ron now peered suspiciously up at Harry.
Harry huffed exasperatedly. "Okay…um, how about we say that…nothing you wouldn't do in front of your mum is going to happen between me and Ginny. How's that?"
Ron fell back against his pillows. "That sounds alright," he said slowly. "You won't be snogging or anything in the broom cupboard, then, will you?"
"No, Ron, Ginny and I won't be snogging in any broom cupboards," Harry assured him. "I promise." I can't promise that Hermione and I won't be snogging in the broom cupboards, he thought with a small smirk he was careful to hide from Ron.
"Are you and Ginny not together, then?" Ron asked next, sounding incredulous.
Harry thought very carefully before answering. "Things," he began slowly, "changed over the holiday, Ron. Hermione and I discovered some things that - that make the dynamic of my and Ginny's relationship a different thing entirely. I don't think that Ginny and I are going to be together much longer, to tell you the truth."
Ron was silent for a long time after that. When he did finally speak up, he didn't sound very happy. "I don't think that things will turn out the way we thought they would, will they?" he asked.
Harry turned so he could look Ron in the eye. "No," he said. "Everything is different now. I used to think that, once Voldemort was gone, things would go back to normal. But they haven't. Every one of us - you, me, and Hermione especially - has changed."
"I know," said Ron in a somber voice. "Back in school before all of this happened, everything was simple. Sure, we faced Voldemort every now and then, but that never seemed real when we were sitting around the fire in the common room. I always -" He broke off suddenly, gazing out the window. He took a deep breath, then continued slowly. "I always thought that, in the end, it was going to be you and Ginny, and me and Hermione. It seemed natural, you know?" He looked back at Harry then, as if desperate to know he hadn't been alone in his thoughts.
Harry nodded in agreement. "It was the logical thing to do," he said. "But that doesn't fit any more."
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Hermione and I tried." He laughed and shook his head at the memory. "Merlin, I was rubbish at being her boyfriend."
Harry laughed with him. "You really were, Ron," he said. "It seemed like a relief when you two broke up, really. You didn't fight nearly as much after that."
"It's good to know we're both still friends," Ron admitted. "I had half expected things to be awful between us afterwards."
Harry nodded, then sighed. "I don't think things will ever be good between Ginny and I after - well, after this."
Ron burrowed under his covers, clearly ready for sleep. "Don't beat yourself up about it too much, mate," he said, closing his eyes. "We've still got Hermione, after all."
"Yeah," Harry said softly. "I've still got Hermione. G'night, Ron."
"Night, Harry," Ron replied, as Harry drifted off to sleep. But Ron stayed awake for a long time afterwards, thinking. Eventually, somewhere around two in the morning, he jerked awake with the realization that the only thing that he ever would think capable of taking away Harry's feelings for Ginny - was Hermione.
Something, he thought before falling back asleep, has happened.
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Points to Ron for finally figuring it out. Poor Ginny, still in the dark. No, wait, not poor Ginny - evil Ginny!!! DIE!
*sigh*
Wistful thoughts, dear, wistful thoughts.
~ Violet Kefira
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