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In Too Deep by the_real_mrs_potter
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In Too Deep

the_real_mrs_potter

A/N: I know, a full four days late! But, I still finished it and am going to have another update this Sunday. So technically, it's two chapters in one week. *wink* I would like to thank you all for being so understanding! Seriously, I was convinced I would die if I didn't post the chapter on Sunday and you guys really surprised me by being so cool about it. Really, it means a whole lot! Now, onto the chapter, shall we?

Disclaimer: Seriously, really? I'm not even out of high school yet… Harry Potter is not mine.

Enjoy!

-

Double Trouble

Hermione woke up lying on her mattress the next morning, a plate filled with only crumbs of the pumpkin pie she had devoured last night laying next to her. Glancing around the room, she noticed that Ginny was still sound asleep and looked at the clock mounted on her wall. It was a little past eight in the morning. Sighing, Hermione lifted herself off of the floor and stretched, her back making a cracking sound. She made her way to the bathroom, trying hard not to wake Ginny and being forced to face her. Having Ginny glare her into an early death wasn't on the top of her to-do list for the morning. Even evil geniuses needed to be awake in order to deal with peppy 16-year-olds.

After she was finished preparing herself for the day about a half an hour later, she braved walking into the room again to see Ginny wide-awake and sitting at her desk, writing something down in what looked like a journal. Hermione did her best to stay quiet as she set down her pajamas, standing on the balls of her feet until finally dropping down atop her mattress. The only sound in the room was that of a quill scratching against parchment and it was deafening. Hermione found herself missing the small conversation they had not so long ago. But, as far as she could tell, she was going to be deprived of those for a while, so she might as well suck it up and get over it. That method worked countless times before, so why not now?

Hermione glanced over at Ginny and knew why not: Because she cared. For once in her life, she had developed fondness for people other than herself and maybe Draco. She wasn't fond of her fellow Death Eaters, for she was convinced that their heads were filled with nothing but sawdust. She wasn't fond of the Malfoy's; they had made her childhood miserable. Even a small part of her knew that she wasn't fond of the Dark Lord. He was like her father, so she felt nothing but a strange connection that had nothing to do with love or caring, but rather bond and trust. But she was fond of Ginny. And Ron. And even Mrs. Weasley. She might even be fond of… Harry. But fondness can easily go away. Surely she was only developing this feeling because of her constant presence around them and the warm environment. Yes, it had to be the atmosphere.

There was a knock at the door and both girls jumped at the piercing noise. Ginny called a soft "Come in" and the door opened slightly, revealing a mop of plump red hair. Mrs. Weasley's smiling face came into view as she opened the door fully, revealing her in a long floral dress covered with a white, stained apron.

"Breakfast is ready, girls." She said.

Hermione lifted herself off of her mattress and followed Mrs. Weasley down the stairs, Ginny a short distance behind her. When they reached the kitchen, the burst of delicious food blew into Hermione's senses and she looked hungrily at the table. Eggs, kippers, bacon, toast, and sausages were all aligned along the middle and she gingerly took a seat. She began to load her plate right away and did her best to avoid Ginny's eyes. She could feel the brown orbs bore into her and it was all she could do not to scream.

She saw Mrs. Weasley sit down and turn to her. "You get a good night sleep last night, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled warmly, "Yes, thank you."

She nodded, "Well I'm glad. Today is going to be jam-packed. Fred and George should arrive soon, and with them, the return of my husband from his business trip. Then, we'll have to get the house ready for the Christmas party Harry and Ron wanted to have this weekend."

"A party?" Hermione asked with a slightly shaky tone to her voice.

Mrs. Weasley nodded, "Yes, a party. They've had one every year for the past two years and this being their last year, I felt like we should get an early start."

"Oh" Hermione said idly, "That's… lovely."

"Is something wrong, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a worried tone.

Hermione shook her head, "It's nothing, really."

She gave her an odd look, "Alright, dear. If you're sure."

Hermione gave her a thankful smile. At least there was one person here she wasn't ashamed to be fond of. Ginny was slowly losing her favor. First the funny feeling she got whenever she was around her, and now the silent treatment. Honestly, how childish could you get? So she was underneath her boyfriend for a good ten seconds, that wasn't a reason to overreact like this! It wasn't as if it meant something.

Hermione was shaken from her thoughts by the sound of slow footfalls coming into the kitchen. Slowly turning her head, she saw Harry running his hand though his hair lazily and staring at the floor. He took a seat next to Ginny and looked up slightly, meeting her eyes for a moment before quickly averting them. Well that was odd. She thought to herself.

"Where's Ron?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"He's still in the bathroom, didn't feel so well this morning." Harry explained. "I was up all night conjuring up empty pails for him to… well you get the picture."

Mrs. Weasley put a hand over her mouth, "Oh my poor Ronnykins, I should brew him up a quick Pepper-up Potion!" And before anyone could say another word, she bustled out of the kitchen.

Hermione looked up at Harry and Ginny and asked, "Ronnykins?"

Harry let out a small laugh, "Yeah, you'll be hearing a lot of that around here in the next few weeks. It's Molly's pet name for him and well, it stuck. I think Fred and George use it more than anyone else."

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be looking forward to their visit, or cower behind a table and cry" Hermione said honestly.

Harry chuckled, "Well in my opinion, they're not so bad once you get to know them but when you first meet them they have a habit of acting a bit-0x01 graphic

All of a sudden, three loud pops sounded, signifying apparition. Harry looked as though he was going to finish his sentence when a sound Hermione could only describe as resembling an explosion sounded. They all jumped as a whizzing sound followed and a bright line of sparks flew into the kitchen. Hermione was blinded as the sparks flew about the kitchen, knocking pots and pans off their holsters and denting cupboards. The loud sounds became so overwhelming, that the three occupants of the kitchen had to cover their ears to save from any more strain. The noises came to a sudden halt as the sparks faded, leaving a faint whisper in their wake. They all removed their hands from atop their ears and Harry finally got the chance to finish his sentence, "eccentric."

No sooner had the word left his lips that two tall men with bright red hair came into the kitchen. They both donned matching silver robes, covering shirts each embroidered with three W's in the top right corner, one red, and one blue. But the thing that made them stand out the most was their matching devilish grins showing off their inhumanly white teeth which, to Hermione's observations seemed to reflect the light and shine about the entire room. "Season's greetings pals and gals!" they both said in unison.

One of them turned over to grin at Harry and he covered his eyes, shielding them from the glare of his teeth. "What in the name of Merlin did you do to your teeth?"

The twins looked at each other and simultaneously touched their hands to their teeth, pulling them straight out from their mouths. Hermione resisted the urge to gag. She looked down to their hands to see the gleaming white teeth shining brightly. And, glancing back to their mouths, she saw them sporting matching smiles and showing a pair of normal-looking teeth. Before anyone could say anything to their display, the one in the red spoke up. "They're called Dazzling Dentures, guaranteed to blind anyone within a good two yard distance with just a flash of the teeth or your money back."

A man with a receding red hairline pushed through Fred and George before they could speak another word, sending a radiant smile in the direction of Ginny and Harry. He was dressed in dark brown robes and an oddly patterned green vest. A pair of thin-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose and Hermione could tell by looking at the way the robes fell around his body that he was a very thin man. Ginny ran into his arms a second later, exclaiming a squeal of "Daddy!" and her suspicious were confirmed. This was Mr. Weasley.

"There's my favorite little princess! How are you, sweetheart?" He cooed.

She giggled, "I'm fine Daddy."

It was a sickening site, seeing them doting on each other. Now she knew the reason she acted so peppy all the time: She was a spoiled brat. As far to her knowledge, Ginny was the only girl, so it was inevitable for her to be pampered beyond normal capacity.

The two of them pulled apart and he walked over to Harry and gave him a hug as well, but this one much shorter. "Good to see you again, Harry."

"Back at you, Mr. Weasley." Harry said with a smile.

Mr. Weasley looked around the kitchen for a moment, searching for something. At first, Hermione thought he was observing the damage his sons had inflicted on the kitchen. But, after only remaining in thought for a moment, she was proved wrong. "Where's Ron?"

"Not feeling too well." Harry explained for the second time.

Mr. Weasley nodded and turned towards Hermione for the first time. Her body stiffened and she immediately felt self-consciousness wash over her. She had never met this man before, and yet she was already intimidated by him. How is it that this family had such an effect on her?

"And you must be Hermione, am I correct?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes."

He gave her a warm smile and held out his hand, which Hermione reluctantly took. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Hermione."

"Same to you." She replied mechanically.

"Oh would you lookie here Fred." The twin she now identified as George commented, looking pointedly at her.

"What, George?" Fred responded with an airy nonchalance.

"It's the bird our good `ol Ronnykins couldn't stop writing to us about!" George exclaimed, as though he had just deducted a major discovery.

"Well slap my wand and call me Shirley, I think it is!" Fred said, looking at her with a goofy grin. Hermione began to form a smile as she comprehended what they were saying. Ron had written about her?

"Hermione, right?" George asked.

"Umm… yes." She answered uncertainly.

Fred stuck out his hand for her to shake and she reached for it politely. "I'm Gred, and this is my brother-" George came up and began to shake her other hand. "Forge."

Hermione didn't even bother asking questions about the way they had re-arranged their names. She was quickly learning not to second guess their behavior. But really, what could they do that would shock her now? Unfortunately, Hermione found out the answer to that question quickly when both twins took each of her hands and brought it up to their lips for a chaste kiss. Their lips were soft and only lasted for a moment, but as they pulled away, she stared gaping at them but they just grinned and turned away.

Hermione thought an awkward pause was next, but was proven wrong yet again. They all took a seat next to her and began to eat, striking up a conversation with each other about something that she held no particular interest in. Truth be told, she was more concerned with the damaged kitchen she was in. How could everyone be so nonchalant about the whole thing? Didn't anyone care about common courtesy anymore?

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN HAPPENED TO MY KITCHEN?!"

Finally, a voice of reason, Hermione thought to herself as Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen spotting a scarlet face. Everyone but Hermione blushed and bowed their heads down in shame, as if it was all of their faults. Hermione wanted to slap them all across the head for acting like a bunch of wimps! It was Mrs. Weasley. All she had as a weapon of choice was a rolling pin.

"Hello mother!" Fred chimed.

"So lovely to see you!" George followed.

"How you lost weight?"

"Or gained more of the loving and caring we have missed so much while we have been away from home?"

"Mummy, we missed you!" they both shouted in unison before sandwiching her in a hug from both ends.

Mrs. Weasley huffed and pushed the two off of her, "Oh cut it out would you! I missed you too, but I would like to know what happened to my kitchen before any tearful reunions are to take place!"

"Well you see…" George fumbled to explain.

"We wanted to test out a few products…"

"And it ended up…"

"Going a bit out of hand…"

"A bit?" she asked timidly. "A bit? Destroying my kitchen does not constitute as a bit!"

"Sorry mum." They both said in unison.

Hermione found herself to be somewhat shocked that they gave in so quickly to her. They came off to her as the kind of people who would fight for what they wanted, not give in at the slightest hint of a raised voice. But, she figured, this family wasn't exactly as readable as she originally thought so she might as well get used to being wrong within these next few weeks. Sighing, she excused herself and walked into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa and relaxing into its folds.

"It takes a while for the shock to wear off."

She had become used to him sneaking up on her by now, so her eyes remained shut as she answered in a blasé voice. "For what to wear off?"

"The inability to read the Weasley's like an open book." He responded.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "And how do you know that's what I'm trying to do?"

"The look of shock on your face about a dozen times gave it away." He said, taking a seat next to her.

"And what makes you an expert?" she asked.

"Because it's common knowledge. When I first met them, I thought they were going to be just like my so-called family at home, but was proved wrong every second I spent with them. They're an odd bunch, but have become the closest thing to family I've ever known other than my godfather." He said quietly, growing more distant towards the end.

"Godfather?" she asked. He had a godfather?

He nodded, "He died a few years ago."

A shot of something went through Hermione's chest at the statement. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, it wasn't your fault. He was murdered."

"Murdered?"

"Yeah. By his cousin, Bellatrix." He said tersely.

Hermione did her best not to gasp for air. Bellatrix? Bellatrix Lestrange? As in the Bellatrix that was the Dark Lord's pet for all intensive purposes? She had murdered her cousin, her own flesh in blood? Hermione knew she was mad, but to kill your own kin was just… barbaric. If Hermione was forced with the decision to kill someone of her own blood, she knew that she wouldn't do it. Granted, she had never known any of her relatives, so there was no saying what she would actually do in that situation. But the thought of it made her sick to her stomach, so there was a good chance that she would back down at the chance.

They both remained silent as they sat there, Hermione not knowing what to say for once. There was so much tension in the air that she could taste it on her tongue. It tasted like rotten meat. It was in these moments that Hermione thought about ways to avoid these situations. She really had to stop letting these people from getting to her. The mission was vital and in full swing and here she was, enjoying herself when she was supposed to be working. Then again, wasn't that what she was supposed to do, be their friend? What was left of her to do then, shag one of them? She shuttered at the thought.

"Are you two ready to help with the cleaning?"

Mrs. Weasley was looking at them with a duster in one hand and her wand in the other. Hermione smiled and nodded at the elder woman and stood to face her. It was then that she noticed that how taller she was than her. She had a good few inches over the stout woman and Hermione couldn't help but smile to herself. She had always been called petite and now she could count herself as more towards average than her tormenters had lead her to believe.

"Hermione, Harry, since you're already here would you please tidy up the living room? If you find anything of a… questionable nature, please set it aside and I'll take a look at it later. Alright?"

"Sure" Harry replied. Hermione jumped a little when she felt his close proximity behind her. Must he always do that?

"Thank you so much! I'll be in the attic, trying to find some decorations." And with that, she disappeared up the stairs.

Hermione lost count of the steps as Mrs. Weasley ascended the stairs, not knowing what else to do. Harry wasn't making an effort to initiate conversation, so why should she? So, without any further distractions, she pulled out her wand and began to pick up random pieces of trash, molding them all into a single ball. Harry later followed her lead and they were soon on opposite sides of the room. They continued like that for what felt like hours, but in reality was only about forty five minutes. Hermione was so concentrated on getting the dust from behind their wireless set she didn't hear the footsteps announcing the arrival of another person. In fact, by the time she was finished, she could begin to hear snippets of a conversation coming from behind her.

"…not the right time, Ginny."

"She'll never find out. Besides, it won't take that long that why it's called a quickie."

Hermione's gag reflex kicked in and she tried to make it look as though she was still busy cleaning. Maybe, if she came in at the right time, Ginny would go away.

"Come on, be realistic. We have to work if we want to throw the party in two days, you know that."

She heard Ginny sigh resolutely, "Yeah, I know… but just for once I would like to-"

"I know." He interrupted. "We'll have time later, I promise. But for now, we have to get back to cleaning. Besides, I think our conversation is making Hermione uncomfortable."

The mention of her name caused Hermione to bump her head on the small shelf that was above the wireless set. Looking meekly over at Harry and Ginny she saw that Harry was smiling at her apologetically while Ginny was crossing her hands over her chest, averting her gaze. Knowing that hiding discreetly was no longer an option, she turned around fully. There was a strained silence as they all looked awkwardly around the room. Hermione didn't know what to say, but she knew what she wanted to do. Puke.

"Ginny, what are you doing back here?" Mrs. Weasley's overpowering voice sounded from the stairs.

Ginny turned around to face her mother, "Mum! I was just-"

"No excuses! Get back to the bathroom and continue washing it like you are supposed to be doing right now!"

Ginny sighed in frustration, "Fine." Seeing her mother nod in content, she quickly turned to Harry and gave him a kiss on the lips. Hermione flinched and she could have sworn that Ginny was staring at her as soon as their lips dethatched, a smug smile dancing on her face. But, she turned back to Harry too quickly for her to tell. "I'll miss you. Remember later."

Before Harry could respond, she climbed the stairs, leaving both him and Hermione speechless. Harry turned to Hermione slowly with his features contorted oddly. "Sorry you had to hear that."

Hermione was thankful that he was apologizing to her. But that still didn't change the fact that she heard their conversation and was sure she'd be scarred for life. "Thanks."

They were saved from what surely would have been a tense conversation by Fred (or who she thought was Fred) stepping into the room. He was holding a bright pink bunch of leaves in his hand and looking at them with a wide grin. Now she knew where Ginny inherited her lovely smile.

"`Ello Harry, Hermione." He greeted.

"Hey Fred" Harry replied, proving Hermione's earlier guess right.

"Do you mind if I hang this somewhere? Me and George want to test it out to see if it actually works." He gestured to the doorway connecting the living room to the kitchen above him with a bob off his neck.

"Sure, knock yourself out." Harry said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. If possible, Fred's grin widened and he snapped his fingers so a small stepstool appeared. It wasn't very big, just tall enough to boost Fred up to safely secure the bundle of leaves on the doorway. When he got down, he stared at it with a proud look on his face. Harry, however, narrowed his eyes and looked at Fred. "Is that the new mistletoe-thing you guys have been working on?"

Fred nodded enthusiastically, "Yep! Weasley's Special Mischievous Mistletoe, guaranteed to get you and your sweetie to pucker up or… well, I think you know the rest."

Harry nodded, "Right. Remind me, what's the point of this mistletoe, anyway?"

"Well it's only supposed to work on soul mates. Sometimes, a person's soul mate isn't the one they're currently with and it'll be pretty amusing watching their faces when they find out that little fact. It's still in its testing stages, though, so we're not quite sure if it works yet. George suggested bringing it here and testing it on mum and dad, so I'll call them down later to see if it's ready to sell." Fred explained, his face very eccentric. "The poll's already going on when Ginny will drag you under there."

Harry punched Fred in the shoulder playfully, "That's just cruel."

He threw his hands up in the air, "Never said I was nice." He remained silent for a moment before looking up at Harry with a small smile. "Harry, why don't you step under the mistletoe?"

Harry narrowed his brow, "Why?"

"Well, to test it of course. If I'm right, your soul mate, if they are near, will be drawn to you by some unknown circumstance. If they aren't around, you'll be unaffected." Fred said, his eyes twinkling.

Harry gave him a look before stepping under the bright pink bundle. He looked unaffected until the mistletoe began to glow slightly. This drew the attention of Hermione and she found herself drifting towards the bright light it was giving off. It was like her feet were moving on their own accord while her eyes were focused on the light. It was so pretty…

Hermione tripped over her shoelace and ended up tumbling the rest of the way, right into Harry. His fast reflexes caught her and she was shaken from her trance. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she saw Harry looking at her oddly. "What are you d-?" he was cut off by a bright opaque array of what looked to be dust falling around them until they formed what Hermione thought reminded her of a bubble.

She straightened her composure and made to walk away from Harry, so that she could make room for Ginny when she was drawn to him. But, the bubble in around the two of them stopped her. It wasn't as forceful as a brick wall, but rather like strong rubber. She tried again to push past the bubble and still couldn't break through. She turned to Harry to see him trying the same thing. He stopped after a few moments and the two of them just starred at each other. They both heard a low chuckle and turned to see Fred covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking.

"What is so funny?" Hermione asked angrily.

When he didn't reply, Harry tried, "What happened, Fred?"

Fred sobered enough to speak to them, but the amusement was still present in his tone, "Well I guess there are still a few kinks to be worked out…"

"Obviously" Hermione said hotly. "Now, let us out so we can get back to cleaning."

Fred remained silent for a moment before his smile turned to a small grimace. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"What do you mean you `can't do that'?" Harry asked slowly.

"Well, soul mates or not, you guys still have to obey the charm that was put on it in order for it to release you." He said with his voice decreasing in volume every syllable he emitted.

"And what would that be?" Hermione asked.

"It's mistletoe, Hermione. What do people do under mistletoe?" Harry asked her, his face contorting into what Hermione thought looked very pained.

It took her a moment to register what he meant and her stomach dropped. "We have to kiss?!"

"That's the basic idea, yeah." Fred chimed in.

"Well fine then." Harry said, catching Hermione by surprise and letting his lips graze her cheek. He lingered for only a second before pulling away, but it felt like it went by in slow motion to her. When they detached, she felt her check burn where his lips had made contact and resisted the urge to lift up her hand and rub it away.

They both looked quite embarrassed and let their eyes travel to where they thought they'd see the living room. But, to both of their dismays, the bubble was still around them. She heard Harry let out an aggravated grunt and she too felt her jaw clench in frustration. Both turned to Fred to see him looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously, a peck on the cheek? That's primary material! It won't let you out without some lip to lip action." He sounded cheeky and Hermione felt like she could break the bubble by reaching over and punching him in the nose.

"Fred, come on. I can't kiss Hermione." Harry said pleadingly.

Hermione felt a small feeling of disappointment wash over her. Of course he wouldn't want to kiss her, he had Ginny for that. She looked over at Fred to see him shrugging his shoulders, "Yes, you can. My sister will never find out. Besides, it's the only way to get out of that thing." He gestured to the bubble with one hand extended, "All it needs is a simple peck on the lips. That's all. If you want some privacy to get it over with, fine, I'll leave."

Harry looked in thought for a moment. Hermione thought he was going to say no and yell at Fred to find another way to fix this situation, but he did the complete opposite. "Alright."

Hermione looked at him dumbfounded, "What?"

He looked at her with a slight flush to his cheeks. Truth be told, she found it quite cute. "I said alright." He turned to Fred and pointed a finger at him, "But you have to leave the room and swear that you'll never repeat this to anyone, not just Ginny."

Fred placed his left fist over his heart, "I swear on the Marauders Map."

Hermione furrowed her brow and looked at Harry. He seemed to take this as an acceptable answer and nodded. Fred then turned to leave the room and Hermione wanted to yell at him to come back. She didn't want to kiss Harry! He was her… acquaintance!

The silence was defining as they both stood there, avoiding each other's eyes. Hermione didn't want to make the first move, and, as far as she could tell, neither did Harry. At least she knew she wasn't the only one feeling remorse towards this. But it was only a kiss, a short kiss that would let them go free and get back to their chores. Just a kiss…

Hermione looked tentatively to Harry to find him already staring at her. Their eyes met and she found herself being unable to look away. His eyes were so radiantly beautiful that even the first time she saw him, those few months ago, she found herself speechless. Of course, now she knew the name to whom they belonged to and that certainly changed some things. Wait, was it her or were they drifting closer? She felt a hand behind her neck and she knew she wasn't imagining things. His touch was light, feather-like, almost as if he wanted this to be quick yet pleasant. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she knew that it was working. She braced herself when he was no more than an inch away, his breath blowing warm air onto her face. Closing her eyes, she felt the light pressure of his lips upon hers and she felt her body melt.

His lips were like satin, moving slowly across hers in small strokes. Her hands, hanging feebly at her side, came to rest on his shoulder blades, feeling his muscles tense at her touch. She felt his lips apply more pressure and her mind went into a blur and she didn't even remember thinking about it before responding and applying equal pressure with her own lips. For what felt like an eternity, they stood there, soaking up each other. Their lips gently suckled on each other and their hands roamed lightly, not straying from their original places. The need for air became too much to resist and Hermione felt herself pull back quickly.

Their breathes were ragged and their eyes remained closed. He rested his forehead gently against hers and she felt herself nuzzle against it slightly. It was in that moment when her mind chose to turn back on. She had just kissed Harry! Her sworn enemy, her target, her friend, Harry! And she liked it too much… way too much. She only knew of one way to escape situations like this. She ran.

Disentangling herself from Harry, Hermione sprinted up the stairs two at a time and tuned out anything she thought was a call of her to come back. When she reached the door to Ginny's room, she placed a locking charm on it quickly and collapsed onto her bed. She pulled a pillow from beside her and screamed into it as loud as she could. She had developed a habit of doing that years ago when things didn't go her way at the Malfoy Manor and felt that it was still as effective now as it was then. But, she had never had this much feeling behind it. And damn, was it giving her a headache!

She had never experienced anything like that in her life. Not even with Draco. Sure, he was a fantastic kisser and shag, but it was all passion and lust. No real feelings other than raw desire. But this kiss with Harry… she felt like she wanted to cling to him and never let him go. It was as if desire was only a contribution factor and something else was fueling the fire she had felt in the pit of her stomach that wouldn't go away since the moment she found out she had to kiss him. It made her want to puke and laugh at the same time. Something was wrong. She had never felt this before and was scared beyond belief. Surely, she couldn't have feelings for him. She had just admitted she liked him as a friend and now this?

Well, whatever this was, it sucked. More so than anything she'd ever felt. And she thought being depressed was horrible. It wasn't going away, that much she knew. So she would stay here for a while and think. Think about her feelings, her mission, and most of all Harry. Why had she been so drawn to the mistletoe? Was Fred going to tell anyone despite him swearing on some sort of map?

She had a lot of time to think about these things because that was the first night that Ginny didn't return to the room during the night.

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