Absolutely Peachy
Oliver climbed up the boys’ stairs and left Harry, Hermione, and Ron sitting together in the Gryffindor common room. Dinner had ended about an hour ago, and all of their housemates were already in bed. Oliver was staying in Gryffindor Tower, in a room that was usually reserved for the Head Boy.
“What’s going on?” Harry suddenly asked Ron.
“What do you mean?” Ron tried to look calm and normal.
Hermione sighed and popped her head out from behind her enormous book. “You’ve been acting really weird, since the end of dinner. You came into the hall absolutely admiring Oliver Wood. Then you came out barely stopping yourself from beating his head in.”
“So what’s up?” Harry pushed on.
“You two didn’t notice, then?”
“Notice what?” Hermione and Harry asked in unison.
“Gin and Wood.” Ron spat out Wood’s name as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
“What about them?” By now, Ron had Hermione’s full attention.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t see the way Wood had his hands all over Ginny.” Ron spat out with indignation.
“What?” Harry asked in disbelief.
“Oh please, Ron. Helping Ginny keep her balance does not constitute as having his hands all over her.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “If Wood hadn’t held Ginny up like that she would have fallen off of her seat and right onto her bum.”
“I take it you missed the look in Wood’s eyes, then.”
“Huh? What look?” Harry was completely lost.
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Ron! Every straight male that has ever set eyes on your sister has looked at her like that. I dare say that even some of the not so straight ones have done so as well.”
“Harry doesn’t look at her like that.” Ron said matter-of-factly.
Hermione had to fight to refrain herself from bursting out laughing. “Are you blind?”
Harry’s facial expression changed from a look of confusion to a look of absolute horror. He looked toward the stairs and reasoned that if he made a run for them now, he might just escape before Ron had the chance to pound him.
“What do you mean?” Ron’s confusion was evident in his voice.
No, the stairs wouldn’t do any good. He’d be trapped. It would only make things easier for Ron. The portrait hole seemed like a better idea.
“Never mind.” Hermione shook her bowed head. She still couldn’t believe how stupid Ron was.
*****
Ginny ran down the corridor fighting back tears. When she reached the Fat Lady, she could no longer contain herself and slid to the floor. She sat on the cold stone floor right outside Gryffindor Tower, her sobs racking her body relentlessly.
It wasn’t until an hour later, that she got up and entered the tower.
*****
The next morning, Hermione was awoken by a sixth year. The girl had looked quite worried and motioned for Hermione to walk out of the dormitory, so as not to awaken her still slumbering roommates.
Hermione quietly got up, put on her school robe, and followed the girl out the door.
After Hermione had silently shut the door behind her, she turned to face the girl. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Ginny. She came to bed last night crying. It wasn’t until a couple of hours ago that she fell asleep.”
“By any chance, do you know why she was crying?”
The girl simply shook her head.
“Thank you for telling me,” Was all Hermione could say.
“Classes are going to begin soon. Why don’t you wake her up?” The girl suggested.
Hermione nodded. “I’ll do that.” What in the world could be wrong?
The girl led the way to the sixth year girls’ dormitories. Once they both stepped inside, Hermione headed straight for Ginny’s bed. She pulled back the curtains to reveal Ginny’s tear stained face. She slowly sat on the edge of the bed.
“Ginny. Ginny. Classes are about to start soon. You should really get up now.” Hermione spoke softly as she gently shook the sleeping redhead.
“Hermione?” Ginny stirred.
“Yeah Gin, it’s me.”
“Is it time for breakfast?”
“Yeah, it is.”
Ginny sat up and rubbed her eyes. When Ginny’s eyes seemed to finally focus, Hermione thought she saw something flicker across them. That something looked like a realisation of some sort, like she just remembered something. Ginny looked down at her hands.
“I still haven’t got dressed. I’ll meet you down in the common room, and we’ll walk down to the hall together, okay?” Hermione didn’t want to ask Ginny what was wrong just yet.
“Sure, that’d be great.” Ginny spoke softly.
*****
Ginny and Hermione had just stepped out of the portrait hole. For five minutes, Ginny stared at the floor. For five minutes, Hermione stared at Ginny. For five minutes, they walked in silence.
“Ginny, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Ginny didn’t bother to look up.
“No, something is wrong. One of your roommates awoke me this morning, telling me that you spent most of the night crying. What’s wrong?”
They were right outside the doors to the Great Hall.
“Everything’s absolutely peachy, Hermione.”
*****
A month had passed since Hermione had confronted Ginny. Everyone could sense a change in Ginny. She didn’t seem to smile as often. When she did smile, it wasn’t as bright as everyone was used to. The teachers had sensed it, too. Even Snape found himself wishing that she would smile again. The student body blamed it on Oliver wood. Everyone had seen how the two were during his first dinner at the castle. They thought that maybe he hurt her in some way.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team was walking out to the pitch for practice.
Harry groaned as he saw the Slytherin team walking toward the pitch in the opposite direction. The confrontation that ensued was very much similar to the one Wood had with Flint back in Harry’s second year. Only this time, there were no hexes, much less ones that backfired.
“Malfoy.”
“Potter.”
“Where’d you think you’re going?”
“To practice.”
“I’ve booked the pitch.”
“And Snape has given us permission to train our new keeper.”
Harry just glowered at Malfoy. They seemed to be having a staring match, for the glowering lasted for quite some time.
“Harry let’s just go. We can practice tomorrow.” Harry turned his head to face Ginny. Harry had finally been able to come to an understanding about his feelings for Ginny. Sure, she was beautiful, but she would always be his little sister. At least, he could convince himself about it.
“Fine, let’s go.” He nodded to the rest of the team, and they all began to head back to Gryffindor Tower. Before Harry followed the rest of his team, he looked back at the Slytherins. Malfoy’s eyes were rested firmly on Ginny’s retreating form.
(A/N: Reviews are better when received in bulk.)
Oliver climbed up the boys’ stairs and left Harry, Hermione, and Ron sitting together in the Gryffindor common room. Dinner had ended about an hour ago, and all of their housemates were already in bed. Oliver was staying in Gryffindor Tower, in a room that was usually reserved for the Head Boy.
“What’s going on?” Harry suddenly asked Ron.
“What do you mean?” Ron tried to look calm and normal.
Hermione sighed and popped her head out from behind her enormous book. “You’ve been acting really weird, since the end of dinner. You came into the hall absolutely admiring Oliver Wood. Then you came out barely stopping yourself from beating his head in.”
“So what’s up?” Harry pushed on.
“You two didn’t notice, then?”
“Notice what?” Hermione and Harry asked in unison.
“Gin and Wood.” Ron spat out Wood’s name as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
“What about them?” By now, Ron had Hermione’s full attention.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t see the way Wood had his hands all over Ginny.” Ron spat out with indignation.
“What?” Harry asked in disbelief.
“Oh please, Ron. Helping Ginny keep her balance does not constitute as having his hands all over her.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “If Wood hadn’t held Ginny up like that she would have fallen off of her seat and right onto her bum.”
“I take it you missed the look in Wood’s eyes, then.”
“Huh? What look?” Harry was completely lost.
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Ron! Every straight male that has ever set eyes on your sister has looked at her like that. I dare say that even some of the not so straight ones have done so as well.”
“Harry doesn’t look at her like that.” Ron said matter-of-factly.
Hermione had to fight to refrain herself from bursting out laughing. “Are you blind?”
Harry’s facial expression changed from a look of confusion to a look of absolute horror. He looked toward the stairs and reasoned that if he made a run for them now, he might just escape before Ron had the chance to pound him.
“What do you mean?” Ron’s confusion was evident in his voice.
No, the stairs wouldn’t do any good. He’d be trapped. It would only make things easier for Ron. The portrait hole seemed like a better idea.
“Never mind.” Hermione shook her bowed head. She still couldn’t believe how stupid Ron was.
*****
Ginny ran down the corridor fighting back tears. When she reached the Fat Lady, she could no longer contain herself and slid to the floor. She sat on the cold stone floor right outside Gryffindor Tower, her sobs racking her body relentlessly.
It wasn’t until an hour later, that she got up and entered the tower.
*****
The next morning, Hermione was awoken by a sixth year. The girl had looked quite worried and motioned for Hermione to walk out of the dormitory, so as not to awaken her still slumbering roommates.
Hermione quietly got up, put on her school robe, and followed the girl out the door.
After Hermione had silently shut the door behind her, she turned to face the girl. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Ginny. She came to bed last night crying. It wasn’t until a couple of hours ago that she fell asleep.”
“By any chance, do you know why she was crying?”
The girl simply shook her head.
“Thank you for telling me,” Was all Hermione could say.
“Classes are going to begin soon. Why don’t you wake her up?” The girl suggested.
Hermione nodded. “I’ll do that.” What in the world could be wrong?
The girl led the way to the sixth year girls’ dormitories. Once they both stepped inside, Hermione headed straight for Ginny’s bed. She pulled back the curtains to reveal Ginny’s tear stained face. She slowly sat on the edge of the bed.
“Ginny. Ginny. Classes are about to start soon. You should really get up now.” Hermione spoke softly as she gently shook the sleeping redhead.
“Hermione?” Ginny stirred.
“Yeah Gin, it’s me.”
“Is it time for breakfast?”
“Yeah, it is.”
Ginny sat up and rubbed her eyes. When Ginny’s eyes seemed to finally focus, Hermione thought she saw something flicker across them. That something looked like a realisation of some sort, like she just remembered something. Ginny looked down at her hands.
“I still haven’t got dressed. I’ll meet you down in the common room, and we’ll walk down to the hall together, okay?” Hermione didn’t want to ask Ginny what was wrong just yet.
“Sure, that’d be great.” Ginny spoke softly.
*****
Ginny and Hermione had just stepped out of the portrait hole. For five minutes, Ginny stared at the floor. For five minutes, Hermione stared at Ginny. For five minutes, they walked in silence.
“Ginny, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Ginny didn’t bother to look up.
“No, something is wrong. One of your roommates awoke me this morning, telling me that you spent most of the night crying. What’s wrong?”
They were right outside the doors to the Great Hall.
“Everything’s absolutely peachy, Hermione.”
*****
A month had passed since Hermione had confronted Ginny. Everyone could sense a change in Ginny. She didn’t seem to smile as often. When she did smile, it wasn’t as bright as everyone was used to. The teachers had sensed it, too. Even Snape found himself wishing that she would smile again. The student body blamed it on Oliver wood. Everyone had seen how the two were during his first dinner at the castle. They thought that maybe he hurt her in some way.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team was walking out to the pitch for practice.
Harry groaned as he saw the Slytherin team walking toward the pitch in the opposite direction. The confrontation that ensued was very much similar to the one Wood had with Flint back in Harry’s second year. Only this time, there were no hexes, much less ones that backfired.
“Malfoy.”
“Potter.”
“Where’d you think you’re going?”
“To practice.”
“I’ve booked the pitch.”
“And Snape has given us permission to train our new keeper.”
Harry just glowered at Malfoy. They seemed to be having a staring match, for the glowering lasted for quite some time.
“Harry let’s just go. We can practice tomorrow.” Harry turned his head to face Ginny. Harry had finally been able to come to an understanding about his feelings for Ginny. Sure, she was beautiful, but she would always be his little sister. At least, he could convince himself about it.
“Fine, let’s go.” He nodded to the rest of the team, and they all began to head back to Gryffindor Tower. Before Harry followed the rest of his team, he looked back at the Slytherins. Malfoy’s eyes were rested firmly on Ginny’s retreating form.
(A/N: Reviews are better when received in bulk.)
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