Chapter 6
Weasley's Big Day
Author's Note: Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. I sure did. Also, I'm quite sure a week from today (Monday), I'm going to be useless, because of Game of Thrones. There should be bereavement days for fictional characters. Because at least one of my favorite characters is going to die. I just know it. Enough about me. Enjoy the Chapter.
Warning: Adult Language. Suggestive Language. Parts of Ron's points-of-view in this chapter are kind of disgusting, because that is the mind-set of Ron. He is a disgusting person.
(Friday, December 11th, 1994)
Ron Weasley was a man on a mission. But first, he really needed to use the toilet. As he pissed, he started going over his mission. He was going to make Harry Potter pay for what he had done the previous night. He had spent his "grounding" in his dormitory plotting about what he was going to do to Potter and Granger for their actions the previous night. That is, when he wasn't eating his dinner or complaining about the lack of food that had been given to him, which usually consisted of swearing at McGonagall for starving him.
Admittedly, eating, complaining and swearing did take up a lot of his time, so it didn't give him much time to plot about Potter and Granger's coming downfall. Wait… Potter, Granger, and that elf. If he could find the elf. Maybe he could call it. What was its name? Mallet? Marley? Mallow?
Of course, the word Mallow made him think of Marshmallows, so he had drooled all over his pyjama top as he pissed, while thinking of the yummy delight that wasn't available at Hogwarts.
Ron lost track of what he had been thinking. He had completely forgotten about the elf, and his mind went back to Potter and Granger. Well, he couldn't do much to Potter until the git woke up. Especially since McGonagall had his wand! So he wanted the git to be awake for what he planned to do.
So he finished pissing and pulled up his pyjama bottoms, then walked out of the bathroom. Neville, Seamus and Dean weren't awake yet. Which he thought was odd, since he had gone to sleep after them.
He had stayed up for an hour after Neville, Seamus and Dean, went to bed waiting for Potter. During that hour, he had been cursing Potter's name for taking so much time to get to his dormitory. The git was probably snogging and shagging that bitch Granger. Lucky Potter! Granger should have given it up to him, not Potter! Ron had gone to sleep before Potter returned, dreaming of Granger giving it up to him instead of Potter.
Potter was likely still deep asleep given the fact he had returned so late from shagging Granger. So Ron was sure he could yank the curtain, completely destroying whatever ward was on it. He gave it a great tug, and suddenly found himself tumbling onto the ground.
"What's that racket?!" Seamus said, waking up and sitting up. "Oi! Weasley, what you doing?"
"What's it look like?" Ron asked, grinning, "I must have underestimated my own strength pulling that curtain off, given the wards on it."
"There ain't no ward on it anymore, Weasley," Seamus said.
"Yeah, cause I just destroyed it when I pulled it down!" Ron said, grinning.
"Weasley, if the wards were still on the curtains," Seamus said, "the curtain would have shocked you as soon as you touched it. The Wards are no longer there before Potter no longer sleeps in this dormitory."
What?! Ron thought, then he realized Potter wasn't in his bed! Where the bloody hell is he?!
"Where does he sleep?" Ron asked.
Did he somehow get into Granger's dormitory? Ron thought, Is he somehow sleeping in her bed?!
"Oh, right, you weren't there last night, I forgot," Seamus said. "Anyway, Professor McGonagall told the rest of Gryffindor after dinner – during a big House meeting – that Potter and his girlfriend now have their own Private Quarters."
"Like… together?!" Ron asked; his jealousy had sparked since Seamus called Granger Potter's girlfriend.
"No, Weasley," Seamus said, rolling his eyes, "You really think old McGonagall would let them stay together in the same Quarters? Especially since they're together? They have separate Quarters."
"Oh," Ron said; well, at least they weren't sleeping in the same bed, "So where are they?"
"Dunno," Seamus said, "McGonagall never said. Supposed to be a big secret, I suppose."
Ron shrugged. "I'll wait for Potter to come to the Common Room."
"Oh, right, he ain't going there either," Seamus said.
"What?!" Ron exclaimed.
Seamus nodded. "McGonagall said Potter and his girlfriend will never enter the Common Room again. She decided to move them away from Gryffindor Tower, cause of all the shite the rest of the Lions done to them since Halloween."
"Cowards," Ron snorted. "They call themselves Gryffindors? Nah, they ain't real Gryffindors anymore. They aren't welcome in the Tower, are they? No longer Lions then."
"Whatever you say, mate," Seamus said, "You done with the bathroom?"
"Yep," Ron said.
Ron stood, tossing the curtains on the now-vacant bed. He paused and looked at the spot where Potter's trunk had been. He cursed, realizing he'd never get another chance to get anything from Potter's trunk. He sighed and walked over to his bed, then pulled out a newly-cleaned school outfit and started undressing his pyjamas.
"Weasley!" Seamus' voice carried from the bathroom. "You didn't flush again! That is the fifth time this week!"
"I'll do it next time," Ron muttered, forgetting he had promised to do that the past four times as well.
And that was only counting this week!
(A few minutes later)
Ginny Weasley yawned as she walked up the stairs toward the fourth year dormitory. She really wished she had her wand right now. That Granger bitch deserved a high-powered version of her Bat-Bogey Hex for telling – err – implying to all the students in the Common Room – that she, Ginny, wasn't a virgin. The boyfriend-stealing hussy had basically called her a slut! The hypocrite!
Ooh, but Ginny could still remember Granger's words when she basically told her to drop her knickers for Harry. Ginny would have done it too, if it was just Harry and her in the Common Room. But Granger knew the room was crowded. So the hussy had implied she was a slut.
She could still hear the titters and jeers that had accompanied Granger's taunts. Those bastards. What happened to teasing and insulting Potter and Granger instead? She had hoped the students in the Common Room would react badly to Potter and Granger being each other's date to the Yule Ball. Only a few girls were jealous and upset. Everyone else seemed to be happy about the pair. Fucking traitors! Fucking Potter and Granger!
"Peach broomstick," Ginny muttered, "Think you're real funny, do you, bitch? You are lucky your dorm-mates don't have a broomstick, or I'd stick it up your arse next to that stick that refuses to come out!"
Ginny was still muttering when we reached the landing next to the fourth year's dormitory. She peered into the room, to see if Granger was awake, and almost jumped when she saw Lavender Brown looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you want, Little Weasley?" Lavender asked.
Little?! Ginny huffed, When I get my wand, I'll show you Little, you blonde bimbo!"
"You really dare to come up here after what you pulled yesterday?" Lavender asked. "Do you think that kind of thing is tolerated here in Gryffindor Tower?"
"If I remember right, you were just as snappish toward… Hermione, Lavender!" Ginny said.
"Excuse me?" Lavender asked. "I'm not trying to break them up! I never painted Hermione as a Potions Princess, a villain who put Harry's name in the Goblet, and is out to poison his mind before she kills him!"
"That was my brother!" Ginny growled.
"You didn't apologize for him, did you?" Lavender asked, "Didn't tell him he was wrong? Didn't stop him when he nearly attacked Hermione? You would have attacked her too. You don't want them to be a couple, do you? McGonagall was right, your wand was out. So I will ask again. What do you want, Little Weasley?"
"I… want to apologize to her… Hermione, I mean," Ginny said.
"Right," Lavender snorted, "Pull my other tit! Whatever… I hope she hexes you before you can even get a word out. She's smart enough to know not to trust a word that comes out of your mouth. Doesn't matter, though. You wasted your time coming here. She isn't here."
"How early did she get up?!" Ginny asked.
"Huh?" Lavender asked, "Oh, right, you weren't there. McGonagall told the rest of the Gryffindors Harry and Hermione no longer reside in Gryffindor Tower, nor are they interested in ever coming to the Common Room… ever again. They have their own – separate – Private Quarters. Don't ask me, I don't know where. Harry and Hermione will only tell people they trust the location. Plus I bet it needs McGonagall's approval too. Good luck trying to figure out where they live now. If their location isn't found by dinner, I doubt it will ever be found without their permission."
Fuck! Ginny growled, Not only is Potter in Private Quarters now, so is Granger! In fact McGonagall likely did it so Ron and I wouldn't do anything to them. Which means she suspects us. Of course she does, the way she caught us glaring at Potter and Granger, after he asked her to the Ball. That was a mistake. Probably the reason her house-elf was watching the confrontation yesterday. If we hadn't been glaring at them. Ah well, hindsight and all of that.
"Well, that's… unexpected," Ginny said, "Alright then. Thank you for the talk, Lavender. Appreciate it."
Ginny thought of saying something else to the girl, maybe implying certain things to her, so rumors would start about her .But the girl was already suspicious of her, and knew of her desire to break Potter and Granger up. Lavender would probably tell Granger exactly who came calling to her old dormitory. She could always find Granger and…
And what? Ginny wondered, as she made her way toward the Common Room, What if that house-elf who attacked Ron is still watching us? Maybe McGonagall wants another confrontation so she can try to suspend us or something. This bears watching and waiting
Ginny stepped into the Common Room, and was about to leave the Tower, when she heard a voice.
"Hey!" a male voice said, "Weasley girl!"
She turned in the direction of the voice. The owner was someone she recognized, but never talked to before. Had he been waiting for her?
"McLaggen," Ginny said, "What do you want?"
"I heard Potter rejected you for a Muggleborn," Cormac McLaggen said, "Why would you want him, when you could have a Pureblood Prince like me?"
"What part were you more interested in all that drama last night?" Ginny asked, "The part where Potter rejected me? Or the part where it was implied I'm not a virgin? Or the part where…"
"Where you basically begged Potter to have you while you dropped your knickers?" McLaggen asked. "Yeah, I heard that part."
"I didn't beg anybody, McLaggen," Ginny said, "That whole thing was a mess of innuendo and false rumors. Granger seems to have succeeded in whatever she had planned for me last night, if this conversation any indication."
"My apologies," McLaggen said, "I wouldn't want to imply anything about you either, after all. That would be rude of me. Maybe I could make it up to you, by taking you on a date?"
"Not interested," Ginny said.
"Are you not?" McLaggen asked, "You know, you're a third year. You can't go to the Ball without a older student as a date." How many blokes are going to want to go out with you, when they hear the Boy-Who-Lived Triwizard Champion rejected you for a Muggleborn? How many will ask you to the Ball between now and then, seeing as you're not good enough for the Boy-Who-Lived?"
"Are you asking me to the Ball?" Ginny asked.
"Depends on if you say 'yes'," McLaggen said.
"I need to think about it," Ginny said.
While I am quite sure I'll be on Potter's arm at the Ball, Ginny said, I need a back-up plan, in case the first one fails, and Granger's still on his arm by then. McLaggen is right. I can't go to the Ball, unless someone older asks me. Okay, I need to see if my first plan is going to work. There are some complications already, since Potter's somewhere hidden in the castle where I may not be able to find him.
"I tell you what," Ginny said, "Wait until next Friday to ask me again. I promise I will accept no other offer."
Except Potter, Ginny thought.
"I just need time to consider it," Ginny said. "This is a big thing for me."
"Fine," McLaggen said, shrugging, "I'll ask no other girl out until you accept or deny my offer next Friday, if not sooner."
"Deal," Ginny said. "You better leave before one of my brothers find me. They might not approve."
McLaggen nodded. "Good point. Thanks. Especially since one of them is a Prefect."
"What?!" Ginny asked. "Who?"
"One of the Twins," McLaggen said, "George, I think. Hard to tell, really. Right, I forgot you weren't in the Great Hall last night. 'Grounded', right? Anyway, McGonagall took the badges from all the original Prefects. Katie Bell in my year is one of the new fifth year Prefects. Lee Jordan, though he is a Sixth Year, is the other Prefect, an 'honorary one'. Your brother and Angelina Johnson are the Sixth Year Prefect. There's no new Seventh Year Prefects."
"Well, that's going to be… interesting," Ginny muttered. "Thanks for telling me."
"No problem," McLaggen said, "You did miss an interesting dinner, and House Meeting. You'll probably hear all about it today. See you around."
Ginny merely nodded. George a Prefect, and Potter and Granger in Private Quarters! What the fuck else did I miss last night?! Damn it! I owe Cormac telling me, else I would have been in for a rude awakening if I saw George with a badge on. Cormac is rather handsome. Even when I get Potter, I might shag him once anyway just to see how he is. Potter won't care. He'll be too in love with me to dump me for being unfaithful. What a wonderful notion. Or would that be Potion?
"Oi! Ginny!" Ron's voice broke her thoughts, "You heard that shite about Potter and Granger getting their own Quarters cause they're cowards who don't consider themselves Gryffindors anymore?"
Ginny sighed. It was too early to put up with her moron brother.
"Tell me all about it while you accompany me down to breakfast," Ginny said. "And in turn, I'll tell you what I just discovered about one of our older brothers."
Meanwhile, Ginny thought as she followed Ron out of the Common Room, I will consider exactly how we can find Potter and Granger's Private Rooms. Wherever they are….
Ginny had absolutely no idea just how close the subjects of her thoughts were to her at that very moment in time.
(Meanwhile…)
Harry smiled as he looked at the small slip of parchment he had found on his bedside table, obviously left there by Dobby or Mallory.
The letter read:
Mr. Potter,
I am sure you and Miss Granger are rather concerned about confrontation with Ron and Ginny Weasley so soon after yesterday. Do not worry, it is all handled.
First of all, Dobby and Mallory will be serving you and Miss Granger breakfast in the Common Room at seven-thirty. This will not happen every day, of course, but I decided you shouldn't be in the Great Hall so soon after your performance yesterday.
About that, I am sorry I had to give you and Miss Granger a detention – which was obviously your scheduled dancing lessons. I feared the Headmaster would give you a more difficult punishment instead. He might have even tried to split you and Miss Granger up into two separate detentions.
As for the other way I am working toward preventing confrontations between you and the Weasleys. Ron will no longer be in any of your classes anymore. He is being given a new schedule that will put him in classes with whatever House Gryffindor isn't taking classes with.
I know this puts a little damper on our eavesdropping mission. But I did not want to risk another confrontation. Constant Vigilance, Mr. Potter, especially around the Weasleys.
One last note. There is a little known fact that there is no rule for students to sit at their House Tables during mealtimes. Aside from big events like Feasts, that is. So if you wish to sit at Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff Table in the foreseeable future, please feel free to do so when you're not at a Feast. Also feel free to tell any of the students or Staff who says you can't sit there about this. I am sure there are some students who would like to know this.
Professor McGonagall
Head of Gryffindor Tower
Harry's smile turned into a grin. Could this day get any better? Private breakfast with his girlfriend, and no more having to deal with Ron in any of his classes anymore. Also, he and Hermione didn't need to sit with the traitor Gryffindors anymore – even if there were some friendly ones he could trust, he and Hermione would still have had to sit with the others, including the two youngest Weasleys.
"What has you grinning like a loon today, young Lion?" Leon the knight with the lion steed asked.
"Just got a bit of good news to start the day," Harry said, "Been invited to a private breakfast with my girl."
"Well, I know better than to keep a young man away from his lass," Leon said, "I bid you a good day."
"I believe it will be a good day, Sir Leon," Harry said.
He grabbed his knapsack, already prepared with the books for his classes today: History, Charms then Double Potions. He hated Fridays. Charms was great… but everything else. Friday was supposed to be the best day of the week. This year though….
He waved the thought away, not allowing his grim mood to ruin what would be a fine morning.
Hermione was already in their Private Common Room when he walked in. She beamed at him when she saw him. He walked over to her and sat beside her on the couch. She grabbed his arm, and brought him close and gave him a deep kiss.
"Good morning, boyfriend," Hermione purred, after they separated from the kiss.
"Good morning, girlfriend," Harry said, grinning.
"You're chipper today," Hermione commented, "I assume you got the same letter I did then? Of course you did, you're here for breakfast with me."
"Great news about Ron, huh?" Harry asked.
"It puts a damper in our eavesdropping mission," Hermione said, "Since we don't have classes with him. Means we'll have to figure different strategies."
"I'm sure we'll figure out something," Harry said.
A female elf that wasn't Mallory appeared on the other side of the coffee table.
"Mistress bids you a good morning and hopes you enjoy breakfast," the elf said, "My name is Sadie."
"Good morning, Sadie," Hermione said, "What is for breakfast?"
"Sadie asked the kitchen elves what the Gryffindors usually eat for breakfast," Sadie said, "and made two platters for you."
Sadie snapped her fingers and two large plates full of food similar to an English breakfast appeared, along with silverware and glasses. Jugs of Orange Juice and Water appeared as well."
"Thank you, Sadie," Harry said, "I believe we're all set."
"Mistress reminds you not to be late for your first class," Sadie said, "To be watchful for Weasleys, and to enjoy your day. Also she tells you not to expect private breakfast every day."
"We expected no less," Hermione said, "You're excused, Sadie. And thank you for everything."
Sadie bowed and vanished.
"I did deduce from the letter," Hermione said, "that Professor McGonagall didn't want us to be at breakfast with the Weasleys so soon after the confrontation."
"I got that impression too," Harry said, "So do you think Ron and Ginny's heard about our Opening Salvos yet?"
"If they haven't, they'll likely hear it down in the Great Hall," Hermione said. "If we were successful, everyone will still be talking about it. If they aren't, we're going to have to do another display of our devoted affection for one another, just to remind them. Can't have them forgetting that fact if we suddenly break up for a strange reason."
"I don't know if I would rather be there for the Weasels' reactions," Harry said, "Or happy I'm not."
"If we were down there, could I do this?" Hermione asked, then kissed him.
He grinned after ending the kiss a few moments later. "You did say we should continue to make sure all the students know our relationship is serious."
Hermione considered this. "I suppose at lunch we could have sweet little kisses and whisper sweet nothings in each other's ear while we feed each other."
"Maybe not the last part," Harry said, "Might be messy."
Hermione snickered. "Very true. If you can stay awake longer than I expect you to in History of Magic, we'll do everything but the feeding each other part for lunch."
"Simply means I have to work for it," Harry said, "I can do that."
The couple began eating and talking of nothing and everything, while also sharing sweet little kisses – as practice for their next performance, of course.
Yes, it was a glorious morning in the Lion's Den.
(Meanwhile, in the Great Hall…)
Ron Weasley was not having a great morning at all. Potter and Granger were nowhere to be seen in the Great Hall. When he didn't find them at the Gryffindor Table, he remembered the fact that they might not be Gryffindors anymore and looked around at the other tables for them. He couldn't find them. They simply weren't there.
Then his stomach grumbled, and he no longer cared for Potter and Granger at the moment. He sat down next to Ginny at the table, and started piling food on his plate.
"Anyone seen… Harry Potter and Hermione Granger?" Ginny asked her Gryffindor year-mates.
"Probably snogging in a broom closet," Romilda Vane said.
Ron stared at the fairly attractive exotic girl across the table. Did she say Potter and Granger are
snogging? What happened to them simply being Yule Ball dates? Nobody said they were already snogging! Until now, the thought of those two snogging were just dark thoughts and visions in his head! He didn't actually believe they were really snogging or shagging yet!
Now though… he wondered if everything he imagined in his head about those two was actually really going on! He was about to go overboard with jealousy, when he recalled what Ginny said about McGonagall watching them, and how the woman would be suspicious about their behavior toward Potter and Granger. So he counted from five – he would have counted from ten, but that was a bit difficult for him - and calmed himself down, his jealousy lowering itself to a simmering in his belly which would soon be replaced with food.
"Snogging?" Ginny asked. "I thought they were just going to the Ball together! When did they start snogging?!"
"Right, you weren't down here for dinner last night," Romilda said.
"Yes, as I'm constantly being reminded," Ginny muttered.
"Well," Romilda said, "Dinner started off very interesting last night. Potter and Granger came in, and before they sat down for dinner they… decided to announce they were an actual couple instead of dates to the Ball. They didn't do it vocally either. They had a two-minute long snog in the middle of the Great Hall."
"Two minutes?" Ginny asked.
Ron swallowed his eggs, remembering what Ginny had said about his eating habits, if he ever wanted a girl like Granger to like him. He should swallow food before talking. Good advice! In fact, he might have remembered Granger advising him doing the same thing at least once over the past three years. Annoying, as she was, he was suddenly realizing she sometimes had good advice. Sometimes.
"How did they last two minutes without Snape stepping in?" Ron asked.
"Snape wasn't here," Romilda said. "In fact, he had not been here for the entire dinner session. Rumor is he had some type of business in the Slytherin dungeons."
"What about Draco Malfoy then?" Ginny said, "Bet he couldn't resist stepping in and ruining their moment."
Ron snorted. Yes, the ferret would have done something like that.
"I didn't pay attention to Malfoy," Romilda said, "But I heard someone say they saw him just staring and gaping at the new couple like everyone else, instead of going over and insulting them."
Ron grumbled. He hated Malfoy even more now, if that was possible. Why didn't the git stop Potter and Granger from snogging in front of everyone?
"Anyway, Potter and Granger would have very likely gone on longer," Romilda continued, "but the Headmaster stopped them."
"He did?" Ginny said, sounding eager, "Did he punish them?"
"Well, first he said he was happy to see the seeds of a new love begin to sow," Romilda said. "Then he said such affection was inappropriate in public like that, and that it should be done in private."
"He… he said that?" Ginny asked, looking shocked.
Ron was shocked too. The Headmaster was supposed to be against Potter and Granger being together! Why would he be happy about them?
"I thought you said he stopped them!" Ron exclaimed.
"He did stop them, technically," Romilda said.
"But he didn't punish them?" Ginny asked.
"McGonagall gave them detention for tomorrow night at seven," Romilda said.
"Brilliant," Ron said, thinking he and Ginny might be wrong about McGonagall since she gave the gits detention! "Serves them right for snogging in front of everyone like that."
"Why did they snog in the middle of the Great Hall?" Ginny asked, "Granger doesn't seem to be the type to kiss in public."
"It's always the brainy girls," a blonde boy in Ginny year's said beside Romilda, a big grin on his face, "Don't underestimate them, is what I heard. My Dad says it all the time. Brainy girls are the best. They always surprise you. Potter's a lucky bloke with someone like that! She's pretty hot too! I wonder when she got rid of those buck teeth of hers. She's quite pretty now without them! Bet it makes snogging her that much better too. Potter is such a lucky bloke!"
Ron blinked. Granger got rid of her buck teeth - when?! Ron had thoughts about snogging her last year, when he and her went to Hogsmeade together. But those buck teeth were a big turn off. They would have made his lip bloody! And now she didn't have them, it appeared! And now Potter was snogging her!
"You know," Romilda said, "Rumor is, that detention isn't even real."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, his simmering jealousy beginning to boil, "McGonagall faked it? Why would she do that? She doesn't do that! Does she?"
"Oh, Potter and Granger are meeting her tomorrow night at seven, according to the rumor," Romilda said. "But not for detention. They're meeting her… for dancing lessons."
"That… don't you see what she did?" Ginny asked, "McGonagall didn't want the Headmaster to punish them for snogging in public like that! So she disguised a detention with dancing lessons that – perhaps – had already been planned?"
"Then was the… snog… planned?" the blonde boy asked. "Were they doing it to… announce they were a couple? Put on a show?"
"Potter's proposal for Granger to the Yule Ball was quite the show," Romilda said, "I bet that was planned too. Potter must have asked her in private first."
"Now that's clever!" the blonde haired boy said. "I tell you… get a brainy bird. Won't disappoint!"
"Do you have to call it a proposal?" Ginny scowled. "You make it sound like he asked her to marry him."
"Potter did get down on one knee," Romilda said, with a smirk.
"Ugh," Ginny huffed, pushing away her plate, "I've lost my appetite."
Ron would have lost his appetite too, his jealousy filling his stomach at the thought of Granger marrying Potter. But he was too hungry.
"You don't approve of them, Ginny?" the blonde boy asked. "I was under the impression you and your brother were good friends with them."
"That is none of your business," Ginny scowled.
The blonde boy shrugged. "Point. Mum does tell me not to butt into other people's business. My apologies. Oh, watch out. McGonagall's coming."
"Ah, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, "I have something for you."
"My wand?" Ron asked, after swallowing a bite of sausage.
"After breakfast," McGonagall said, "You have a new class schedule, Mr. Weasley."
Ron frowned as he took the parchment she offered, and looked at it. "Professor, there must be a mistake. None of these classes are with Gryffindors."
"There is no mistake, Mr. Weasley, I assure you," McGonagall said, "Come see me after breakfast, Mr. and Miss Weasley."
He frowned as he watched the Professor walk away. He stared at the parchment.
"I don't understand," Ron said.
"That clever… witch," Ginny said, as she looked at Ron's schedule, "Ron, don't you see? You're no longer in classes with Potter and Granger."
Ron dropped the piece of sausage as he looked at his sister. "Is that what this means?"
"Yes, Ron," Ginny said.
"Bloody hell," Ron said, "Feels like I'm being punished or something, Gin."
"No, Ron," Ginny said, "Feels like we're both being punished."
"You don't have a new class schedule, Ginny!" Ron scowled.
"Never mind," Ginny huffed. "You don't seem to understand."
"Speaking of being punished," Romilda said, "What was that about your wands? Why don't you have them?"
"None of your business, Vane," Ginny scowled.
"She is right, Romy," the blonde boy said.
Romilda mumbled an apology and continued her breakfast.
Meanwhile, Ron was staring at his new class schedule. Charms to start the day off, and it was with the Slytherins. Flitwick wasn't biased to Slytherins like Snape was, so he took that as a good thing.
Potions before lunch – ugh! He might lose his appetite! At least it wasn't a Double class anymore, and with those Hufflepuff duffers and Ravenclaws. He could outperform those stupid Hufflepuffs, of course! No longer being embarrassed by doing worse than the snakes in class, and neither the duffers nor birds would throw stuff in his cauldron! This was going to be great, even with Snape glaring at him!
History after lunch was now a Double class. Longer time to nap, which was excellent with a full belly, and a bonus of Granger no longer nagging him to stay awake!
Huh. Things might be looking up for one Ronald Weasley!
(Friday, December 11th, 1994, 7:30 PM)
He had been wrong. Things were definitely not looking up for Ronald Weasley. At that moment, he and his sister were on their hands and knees at separate ends of the Transfiguration classroom picking up square pellets of shite by gloved hand, one at a time, dropped by the creature that the Sixth Year Class – and last class of the day – had been Transfiguring into something else Ron could barely comprehend. Ron knew one thing. Whether it was the original creature or the Transfigured creature, they shat a lot of square cubes. So many that they already had been doing this for nearly half-an-hour. At least they were almost done. The stuff stunk worse than some Potions! If he didn't think he'd get a detention, he might have asked Snape if these cubes of shite were part of a Potion!
Something in the back of Ron's mind told him McGonagall must have done that class on purpose, since he and his sister would have to clean up the messy results. But that part of his mind was something he rarely listened to. Like now, he ignored it and simply picked up more cubes.
Believe it or not, picking up shite wasn't too bad compared to the rest of his day. He was the lone Gryffindor in the three classes he attended that day, and he stood out like a broken wand. Getting stared at by his fellow year-mates, all obviously wondering why he was there with them and not with the Gryffindors was annoying as hell!
In Charms with the Slytherins to begin the day, Draco Malfoy had asked him if he had lost his way and had somehow wound up in the wrong class. When he had sat down at a desk, the Slytherins continued to jeer him. They taunted him about the break-up of the Golden Trio making it a Golden Duo.
He was being called 'Third Wheel' Weasley after Justin Finch-Fletchley had called him that in Potions, whatever that meant. Unfortunately it had gotten around, and several students of all years were taunting him the same name. He asked his brother George, one of the new Gryffindor Prefects – Merlin, was that a shock! – to make them stop, and George said he'd see what he could do. However, George did say he could only talk to the Gryffindors who did the name-calling. Ron would have to talk to Prefects of the other three Houses to get their House-mates to stop. Right, like he was going to approach a Slytherin Prefect to ask them! Dirty snake would likely encourage the other snakes to call him that name, and others! And the other Prefects… he didn't even know who they were!
When he asked Ginny what 'Third Wheel' meant, she shrugged and said their Dad might know since it sounded Muggle. He considered asking Granger what it meant but… every time he looked her and Potter's way at lunch, they shot him dark glare. The same glare that elf from last night had shot him, and the thought of that almost made him lose his lunch! He had not liked hanging on the wall above the fireplace like that!
Ron's belly boiled with jealousy at the thought of what else happened at lunch. Potter and Granger had gotten permission from McGonagall to sit at another table if they wanted. So they had chosen Ravenclaw. When they weren't glaring at him, or talking to some of the Ravenclaws they sat with, they would be talking in whispers to each other and, from time to time, shared a light peck on the lips… right there in the middle of the Great Hall! Dumbledore and Snape weren't present to do anything to stop them, and McGonagall didn't do a thing about them either. None of the teachers did! It was maddening watching them.
Didn't stop him gorging himself on food though. He was a growing boy, after all!
"I think I'm finished, Professor," Ginny said.
"Your brother is not," McGonagall said, absently, as she read a magazine, "Help him pick up the rest."
Ginny scowled and walked over to several pieces of cubes a few feet away from Ron.
"Merlin, Ron, what have you been doing that you're not done yet!" Ginny scowled.
"There's more of that stuff here than there was over there!" Ron said.
Ron raised an eyebrow as Ginny looked back at McGonagall. "What?"
"Just wondering why she hasn't told us be quiet," Ginny whispered.
"Don't push our luck, Gin," Ron said, "Let's get this done. Maybe we can leave early if we do."
"Doubt it," Ginny muttered.
Ron shrugged and continued picking up the cubes and placing them in rubbish bags. It was odd. After a little while, picking up the staff had started to become easier. Pick up cubes, put it in the bag, repeat. It was a pattern. Do this, do that, repeat. While he hoped to never do it again, he did find it easy. He wished tossing gnomes was as simple as something like this. Sure, this took longer, but shite didn't bite your fingers.
It was about fifteen minutes later when they finally finished. McGonagall's beady stern eyes looked around the room for a few moments, then nodded, looking impressed.
"Well done," she said, "Now, sit down in the front row. I have a few questions I wish to ask you."
Ron and Ginny sat down beside each other at two desks.
"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, "Recently, I've heard stories of you attempting to break into Mr. Potter's trunk recently. Do not try to deny it. I matched your wand's magic to the magic that had been used on his trunk in an attempt to break the ward around it. You tried to break into it. Mr. Potter told me there has been a history of theft from his trunk since first year. Several Galleons missing. Candy as well. My main suspect is you."
Ron scowled. He never imagined he would have been caught. "I was borrowing that money. I would pay him back."
"Borrowing it without permission is considered theft, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said. "You will figure out how much you stole from him, Mr. Weasley. I know it is less than twenty Galleons, but more than ten. So if you cannot give me a specific and reasonable number, you will be ordered to pay him back twenty galleons. Or… your parents will."
"That is a lot of money!" Ginny exclaimed. "That's… almost the cost of three wands!"
"Your brother should have considered that, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said. "You're not out of the clear here either, Miss Weasley. In your first year, you stole that diary that just so happened to possess you back from Mr. Potter who had it in his possession!"
"Tom made me do it!" Ginny cried. "I'm innocent of that!"
"Yes, but I have to assume there is a history of you also stealing from others," McGonagall said. "Miss Granger perhaps."
Ginny scowled. "I didn't need her money. Besides, she put her coins in a Biting Bag. Those things hurt worse than gnomes! I just took various books when she wasn't looking. I brought them back to her unharmed. It was a prank more than anything. Nothing worse than what my brothers do."
"What books?" McGonagall asked.
"How am I supposed to do know?" Ginny demanded.
"Because Miss Granger told me she has a collection of… a specific type of book," McGonagall said. "She believes you had taken those."
"So I heard her talking about them and was interested in them!" Ginny said, blushing. "I couldn't risk her finding out. She might have told my mother! My mother wouldn't have approved me reading that stuff."
Ron simply stared at the two. What was so interesting about books Granger had? He didn't know Ginny was such a bookworm like Granger!
McGonagall huffed. "You can be sure I will investigate theft further amongst the Gryffindors. You two will be my main suspects given your history. Perhaps you should think hard over the next few days about whether you have taken stuff from more than just Mr. Potter and Miss Granger. Because I will get answers.
"However, I am not finished. Mr. Weasley, did you take Mr. Potter's Golden Egg at any time?"
Ron's eyes widened. How did she know that. How did Potter know that?
"Someone else took it, Professor," Ron said, "It was gone for more than a week."
"I already know someone else stole it for seven days, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, "However, they told me and Mr. Potter returned it two days before he was able to get it back."
"Then they're lying!" Ron said.
"No, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said. "I believe you are. I believe you knew it had been stolen by someone else, then when you saw it had been returned, you took it, hoping the theft would be blamed on the original thief. Mr. Weasley, that Egg is a Tournament Clue. Stealing a Tournament Clue is a Criminal Offense, and could see you in Azkaban for Attempted Murder!"
Ron's eyes widened as McGonagall explained why it was considered Attempted Murder.
"I did it for a prank!" Ron said, "I don't want to go to Azkaban! It was a prank, that is all! I brought it back! Besides, Potter didn't even mention he wanted to figure out the Egg's Clue, so why did he need it?"
"Why did you need it?" McGonagall asked. "I will find out, Mr. Weasley. I have heard rumors, you see. Of you trying to sell it to Boy-Who-Lived fans, for Galleons, hoping they would buy it as a souvenir of the Boy-Who-Lived."
Ron's eyes widened. How did she find out? What if she talked to those students he talked to about selling it?
"I didn't sell it though!" Ron said, "I gave it back!"
"Yes, you did," McGonagall said, "I will speak to Mr. Potter about this, and ask him if he wants to press charges."
Ron scowled. "I'm doomed then."
"Perhaps," McGonagall said, "But then again, perhaps not. The fifth year student who was the original thief told the truth to Mr. Potter, and Mr. Potter forgave him. While I will not allow you to talk to him face-to-face, given the confrontation you had with him, the reason you are here, I am going to ask you to write a letter to him explaining truthfully why you stole the Egg. You will write the letter, and give it to me. I'll give it to him. It is due a week from today. If you do not do this, I am afraid you will not be permitted to attend the Yule Ball. Do you understand?"
Ron grumbled. "Yes, Professor."
"I'm not finished, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, "About your other recent attempts at theft, of Mr. Potter's stuff. He has a theory of what you had tried to nick. Stuff you wouldn't be able to use anymore since your friendship has diminished."
"Been thoroughly destroyed you mean," Ginny said.
"If you believe the Headmaster, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said, "He says you two, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger can heal what is broken between you. I believe you can too. First it will take acceptance of the fact they now a romantic pair, instead of simply good friends as they were before."
"It isn't going to happen, Professor," Ginny said. "It feels like betrayal. I spoke to Granger this summer about my intentions for him. I asked her if she fancied him, and she avoided all those questions! She wasn't even honest with me! I will not forgive her, ma'am! I'm not the one at fault here. She didn't tell me because she knew I'd be angry at her. Yes, I would. But at least she would have been honest with me."
"Was there anything you kept from her regarding your affections for Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley?" McGonagall said.
Ginny blushed deeply and scowled. "It isn't the same thing."
"I happen to believe it is," McGonagall said. "She knows you are keeping stuff from her about Mr. Potter. Therefore, she does not trust you around him. If you were to open up about such things, I think you'd find she would be just as open with you. But if you refuse, you cannot blame her for doing the same."
"She didn't tell me anything!" Ginny said, "I told her about how I felt about him."
"Perhaps you were only telling her things she already knew," McGonagall said.
"She might be right, Gin," Ron said, "The fact that you fancy him was already obvious to her. She even told him last year you probably fancied him. If I recall, he said you fancied the Boy-Who-Lived, the hero who saved you from the Chamber. He said you didn't know him. So you didn't fancy him. You fancied the boy you imagined he was before you met him. That's what he said."
"He knew I fancied him?!" Ginny asked.
"You wouldn't speak to him before your first year," Ron said, "Explain that."
Ginny blushed. "I fancied him then too."
"Had you met him before that day?" McGonagall asked.
"The day he met us before his and Ron's first year," Ginny said.
"Did you fancy him before that day?" McGonagall asked.
"Yeah" Ginny said, "I fancied…."
"Miss Weasley," McGonagall said, "Before his birthday that year, Mr. Potter knew nothing of the wizarding world. He didn't know he was the Boy-Who-Lived. He had grown up raised by Muggles who didn't want him to know about magic. So who exactly did you fancy, Miss Weasley, before you met him?"
Ginny huffed. "I don't want to talk about it. I do not fancy the Boy-Who-Lived. I fancy him! Granger knew that, and she still said yes to him when he asked her to the Ball. She didn't tell him about me! Or that I wanted to go out with him! She betrayed me! I will not forgive her for that!"
McGonagall tapped her hand on her desk. "Very well. We've gone off topic. Mr. Weasley, is there something you wanted of Mr. Potter's that you would have stolen from his trunk just to have it?"
Ron scowled. "If I'm not his friend, I can't fly on his broom again. I just wanted to fly on it again. And… that map of his. It used to be my brother's."
"I know what map you speak of, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, "I confiscated that map a few times in the days when the creators who made it went to school here. One of those creators was James Potter, Harry's father. That map is his family heirloom, Mr. Weasley. I trust you know what our society thinks of thieves who steal family heirlooms like that map, and Harry's Cloak?"
Ron's eyes widened. "I… hadn't considered that, no. I just wanted to have the map. I'm… sorry."
"It is not I who deserves your apology, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, "Perhaps you should apologize about that too in that letter you'll be writing. But, rumor has it, you've been rather poor in your attempts of apologies to Mr. Potter as of late."
Ron scowled. He knew what she was talking about. What happened after the first task.
"Our friendship is over, Professor," Ron said. "I'm not going to waste an apology on someone who doesn't want to be my friend. I'll write the letter, but I won't care what he'll think about it. It is pointless. I'll do it because I want to go to the Yule Ball."
"As I said," McGonagall said, "Your friendship would be as strong today as it had been over the past three years if you had accepted Mr. Potter and Miss Granger's new upgrade in their relationship. However, you blew that apart, when you accused her of not only dosing him with Love Potions, but putting his name in the Goblet of Fire, and also that she masquerades as his friend just to harm him. Mr. Weasley, I do not understand where those first two accusations come from. But that latter one comes from jealousy.
"While you abandoned Mr. Potter, Miss Granger stuck by him. She became his best friend due to that, and that fueled your jealousy. Why do you blame Miss Granger for being his friend?"
"Because she stole him from me," Ron said, "I was his first friend, his best friend. And then she comes into the train and tries to be his friend too."
"That isn't a bad thing, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said. "As you would later learn of course, you three worked well together. Why couldn't you have done so from the very start when you met on the train? To me, it sounds as if you were selfish. Wanting to hog the attention of the Boy-Who-Lived when you knew so many other boys and girls would want to be his friend too. Did you stop them from approaching him so they couldn't be his friend?""
Ron's eyes widened. How did she know that?! She wasn't supposed to know stuff like this! The enchanted jewelry he and Ginny had on prevented her from knowing that!
"Miss Granger did not steal him from you," McGonagall said, "She became his friend too. And when you abandoned him, she became his best friend in your place. Because she didn't abandon him. She didn't steal him. If anything, he stole her from you. He chose her to be his best friend, instead of you. And that has now upgraded into a romantic relationship.
"I can see this is an ugly topic for the two of you, so we will stop here and end this detention," McGonagall said. "I will let you leave with one last piece of advice. If you feel you cannot accept their new relationship, it would be better to stay away from Mr. Potter and Miss Granger then. Because if there is a repeat of last night, you will end up in more detentions like this evening. Or perhaps… you might even leave this castle, and never return. Would you sacrifice your education over continuing to refuse to accept their new relationship? Think on that, you two. You are dismissed. I will be expecting that letter, Mr. Weasley. By next Saturday. If you do not wish to write it, you better put your name down with those students who are going home. Because you won't be here for the Yule Ball. Dismissed."
Ron followed Ginny out of the classroom and down the corridor.
"She doesn't know what she's talking about, Ronald," Ginny said. "At all. She's in league with Potter and Granger. I know that much. We can't trust anything she has to say to us. That was all an act in there. She's going to tell Potter and Granger everything we told her tonight."
"Then why did you want us to answer her questions so honestly?" Ron asked. "I don't understand that at all. We could have given everything away."
"We couldn't tell her anything crucial to our plan, Ron," Ginny said, then lifted a necklace from under her shirt only the two of them could see.
Ron had something similar, an ankle bracelet around his left ankle.
"As long as we have these on," she said, "Nobody will know what our plan is… at least until it is too late to do anything to stop it."
"She knew I was trying to stop anyone else from being friends with Potter!" Ron argued.
"She didn't need to hear that from us!" Ginny scowled, "It was obvious what you were doing."
"I was doing what I was told to do!" Ron argued.
"Whatever," Ginny said, "The plan continues, Ronald. As long as you don't accuse Granger of something like you did last night. That could have ruined everything."
"At least you don't have to write a letter to the git," Ron scoffed.
"Yeah, well, you better write a convincing letter," Ginny said, "I need you to be at the Ball. If you don't have the letter written by next Thursday, come to me and I'll help you write one that will convince even McGonagall. Your usual letter that says 'Potter, I'm sorry, Ron,' isn't going to work this time. But you better have something in the letter written. I'm not going to do it all for you!"
Ron wanted to argue with her, but the glare she gave him, reminded her of their mother. He hated when she did that!
So there is a hint of the plan that Ron and Ginny has. Unfortunately for the Weasleys, they don't realize our heroes have a counter to their magical jewelry. Poor Weasels. It will come back to bite them soon. Ron was wrong about the jewelry "preventing" McGonagall from knowing or theorizing about plans and strategies he and Ginny had. He thought, just because nobody could hear his and Ginny's conversations when they discussed secrets, that they'd not even be able to think about them or mention them. Like they would be Obliviated of that knowledge. The enchantment does not do that. It simply allows them to not be able to voice their secrets if someone else is listening besides someone who also wears an similarly enchanted piece of jewelry. Harry and Hermione's bracelets are similar, but only in the sense they cancel out Ron and Ginny's jewelry.
So what did you think of that detention? Everything Ginny and Ron told McGonagall was planned by the two. Because of their jewelry, they knew they couldn't reveal any secrets to her, so they didn't need to be cautious about what to talk to her about. They knew everything they said to her would likely get back to Harry and Hermione.
It was their responding Salvos so to speak.
Don't worry if it seems like their punishment is lame. They'll get their just desserts over the next several chapters.
No I don't know who that blonde boy was talking to Ron, Ginny and Romilda. Yes, I know I didn't give him a name. Just someone I decided to put in the conversation, so his dialogue wouldn't be given to Romilda. He's a dorm-mate of Colin Creevey.
Next Chapter: On the day of Harry and Hermione's first Dancing Lesson, Rita Skeeter strikes again and Harry and Hermione receive unexpected, but valuable help from a new friend. The Dancing Lesson will be in two chapters. (I think.)