HPNS- Chapter 14

Read Chapter 13 here or start at the beginning

THE WEASLEY SITZKRIEG

Josh locked his fingers in Ginny’s hair passionately and kissed her. She hoped that he wouldn’t notice her recoil.

He didn’t.

He was busy enjoying himself, feasting on her lips. Ginny opened her eyes and wanted to see a different forehead before her… wishing to see a scar… a lightning bolt. Holding back a strong feeling in her abdomen that made her want to scream and cry, she pulled away harder than she had intended.

“What’s wrong? Did I kiss you too hard Gin-Gin?” he asked playfully.

Ginny looked up at him and saw him looking back intently. She couldn’t hide the pain in her gaze, but Josh seemed oblivious. This was wrong… she knew it. It wasn’t just Harry she was hurting… it was Josh.

“Hey I had an idea for our date this Friday” she spoke with feigned enthusiasm, “I’m bringing along a friend so that we can double-date”.

Josh looked startled at the information. This was only their second date as he had been terribly busy at the Ministry covering up for Sam Whittaker who had been absent for a week. Before that, Ginny had been preoccupied with Charlie’s funeral and a friend’s birthday. Ginny knew exactly what Josh was thinking and quickly said, “Don’t worry about us. We’ll have all the fun you want. I told you about Hermione Granger from SPEW, didn’t I? I was thinking of setting her up. But she’s kinda shy so I told her she could come with us.”

The information was absorbed and Josh’s grey eyes looked slightly glazed.

“You’re okay with that aren’t you cuddle-muffin?”

It was done beautifully. Ginny knew that she couldn’t have done it better- he was already weak in his knees. Adding to the effect, she widened her eyes and slightly pouted her mouth.

“Of course she can come” Josh smiled broadly, “I’ve wanted to meet her. She sounds pretty fierce about all that Elfish Rights stuff… but has she agreed to a blind date?”

Ginny hated herself for it, but leaned into Josh’s shoulders and nuzzled softly.

“She’s fine as long I’m there next to her, so that she can kick me if she doesn’t like the guy” Ginny said muffled through Josh’s shirt, “but I know it’ll be fine. Honey, do you know Michael Cartwright?”

"Yeah, our parents know each other. They work in the same department and so we’ve had them over for dinner once”

“Are you setting him up with Hermione?” Josh asked, incredulous.

“Yes” Ginny retorted, smiling mysteriously, “they’re absolutely made for each other”

***

It was fairly late into the night as Hermione sat leafing through the pamphlet designs she had short listed for her campaign. Her quill held between her teeth, she rejected one design after other with an air of frustration.

The apartment was quiet. Esmè was upstairs in the bedroom writing a letter… a letter to Ron Weasley.

Realizing that she was distracted and would never get the work done, Hermione tiptoed up the stairs not wanting to be heard. She waited for a moment before taking a suspicious peek into the bedroom.

Esmè lay on her stomach on the bed writing the missive with an ordinary Muggle ballpoint pen.

She suddenly looked up, her dark hair swishing out of her face.

As though electrocuted Hermione jumped backwards and quickly apparated to the corridor below, grabbing a chair and resuming her file work. She waited for something… some noise… but there was none. Evidently the writing of the letter was more important for Esmè than to investigate a nosy cousin.

Hermione sighed and buried her head in her hands. She couldn’t believe that she was spying on her own cousin… a cousin who was so naïve and innocent, unaware of the feelings she had for Ron. But then even if she could, how could Hermione fight for a relationship that didn’t exist.

Unconsciously her fingers traveled to the chain upon her neck.

With every caress a powerful ugly feeling grew. She wanted their correspondence to cease. She wanted to tear Esmè and Ron apart and with that done, she wanted to claw out Esme’s beautiful face and destroy it.

Hermione shook her head viciously, as though to rid it of the venom that was spreading within her. Ron Weasley would only ever be a friend to her… just a friend. She sighed and fell asleep on the scattered pamphlets.

Next morning, Harry knocked uncertainly at Ron’s door. He shuddered slightly as he heard Ron’s heavy footsteps arrive at the other side of the door and heard him ask who it was.

“Harry James Potter”

Before he could prepare himself for the security question, the door burst open and he stared into Ron’s livid face- astonishingly flared nostrils and bright red ears.

“Why that’s not the right answer!” bellowed Ron maliciously, “Harry Potter is not welcome in my house anymore. Not after he decided to behave like the World’s- Biggest- Dragon-dropping!”

“Ron please let me in! We’ll get killed out here!” Harry screamed over Ron and tried to force his way in.

He was absolutely certain that Ron would curse him out of the door and slam it shut but managed to enter the apartment without the least interference. The door however slammed shut and Harry looked once more at Ron who looked ready enough to murder him.

For a long time Ron merely stared at Harry and then unexpectedly walked into the kitchen, without a word or gesture. Harry shuffled his feet with guilt, not knowing if he should follow him. Finally deciding that there could be no good from silent treatment, he walked into the kitchen.

However he stopped at the doorway shocked at the presence of a stranger near the dining table, sitting next to Ron.

It was an attractive young woman with a face that looked like it was carved with great care. Inexplicably she had her arms around Ron’s neck, much in the same fashion as Lavender Brown.

Harry stared in disbelief while Ron looked back brazenly, and wondered how much he had missed in his absence.

***

“Come on up, we’ll share my room and you can get away from that little slut for the week”, Ginny said viciously as she levitated Hermione’s luggage up the stairs to her room.

She then turned around and led Hermione into the room where they had spent so many summers together. Meanwhile Hermione spun on her feet in the room and inhaled the air of the Burrow once more.

“It’s really kind of you to let me stay. I would have gone to my parents but I can’t tell them why I’m moving out of my apartment. Oh I know this will be a problem for Mrs. Weasley”, Hermione said, twisting her hands uncertainly.

Ginny walked up to her, grabbed Hermione’s arm and forced her to sit on the bed. Then standing over her with her hands on her hips, she shrieked sadistically “Will you shut up-you’re-a-wreck! I can’t believe you let that little twit get away with what she’s doing! And what’s even more unbelievable is that you still like my brother after the abominable jerk he’s just been to you!”

And then she inhaled… caught up with her breath, and looked at Hermione whose expression grew even more sullen.

Ginny sank into the bed beside her and spoke calmly this time, “Look all we need is a plan. Ron’s just being a brainless git and you know that he still loves you. He’s only playing around with that Esmè because that’s all she wants him to do. It’ll serve him right when she gets bored of him and dumps him, but that might take some time to happen, and so we need a plan for faster more effective results”, she finished enthusiastically.

“Alright then, you’re the boss and I’ll do exactly as you say, Ginny” Hermione replied, sounding thoroughly defeated.

***

Ron stood outside the front door to the Burrow with his best friend by his side.

Before knocking he asked Harry “Look mate are you sure you’re ready to meet Percy? He’s still the same remorseless idiot and he’s treated you worse than any of us”

“Yeah I’ll be fine with him. Will Ginny be at home this time” Harry asked. Ron examined Harry’s face closely and saw more guilt than expectation.

And so Ron swelled up to a formidable height and retorted “That’s right she’ll be at home! And there’s no reason for you to make that face! You’d better face it as a punishment after the way you left her and us! Good luck!”

And with that reprimand Ron opened the door and entered his old home once more.

The dining table was full of occupants as usual.

“HARRY?!” roared the voices from the table and Ron watched Harry jump back in fright. Chuckling to himself, he observed their reactions. His mother and father leapt from their seats and rushed to Harry. Fred and George let off fireworks that were unsurprisingly in their pocket, Percy smiled uncertainly and recoiled a little, Ginny’s expression was unmoved and she resumed pouring soup into her bowl…

Ron sank into the couch while everyone interrogated Harry and duly scolded him for his disappearing act.

Immediately he sprang to his feet yelping in pain, as he felt claws tighten on his bottom. Crookshanks looked up at him with malicious yellow eyes and flexed his talons once more threateningly. In a normal circumstance Ron would have hexed the cat and turned it into something amusing… but this time Ron backed away in horror.

“What in blue blazes are you doing here?” he asked softly to Crookshanks who narrowed his eyes and began licking his paws.

“He’s here with me” came the reply from behind Ron.

Turning around cautiously, Ron felt his face grow warm.

Standing at the foot of the staircase was Hermione.

She walked slowly up to Ron and passing him, picked up Crookshanks in her hands and proceeded to the table, taking a seat next to Ginny, who gave Ron the coldest look that had ever been bestowed upon him.

“So how are things Harry? I hope you didn’t suffer much inconvenience in hiding?” Percy asked, rather politely as they all resumed their dinner.

“Yes umm… I’m fine” Harry replied equally politely, wondering how the choice of the word ‘inconvenience’ was so ironical.

Taking every one present by surprise, Ginny asked across the table “Hey Ron! If you meet Josh at the office would you tell him that I’ve decided to stick to Three Broomsticks for our date on Friday. He wanted to take us to that new place- Lady Sangria’s Shack at Diagon Alley, but it’s too cheap. There is absolutely no way I’m going to be caught in a place like that…” she said enthusiastically, ignoring Ron’s indignant face.

Harry couldn’t swallow his morsel, realising that it was aimed more at him than Ron. Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley turned the conversation to more acceptable topics and began lecturing on the muggle killings and torture that was completely baseless and prejudiced.

Ginny continued shamelessly, aiming dart after dart of infamy at Ron, “Why don’t you tell everyone about your new girlfriend?”

Looking as though she had slapped him, Ron mouthed wordlessly at his sister, while Hermione suppressed a tinkling laugh.

“Oh I’m so stupid! It was a one night stand, wasn’t it? She dumped you didn’t she, she was already sleeping with her ex-boyfriend right? Pooh, how insensitive of me!” Ginny overrode Ron’s contemplated reply menacingly.

Mrs. Weasley dived at Percy who was sitting nearest within reach and shielded his years from such a profane discussion. Mr. Weasley swallowed his soup too hard and began to choke, tears streaming down his eyes. Harry struggled to control his laughter, as Fred and George looked more dangerous than ever before.

“Wha-?!” Ron yelled as Mrs. Weasley dashed at him and dragged him away from the company, pulling him by the ear. They could hear the ranting from the corridor where several uncomfortable interrogations were being hurled at Ron. Mr. Weasley turned red-eyed at Ginny, who took the queue and vacated her seat saying she wasn’t hungry for dessert. Hermione followed, and moments later Harry had to intercept in the row between Ron and Mrs. Weasley and pull them apart.

***

Friday morning came a little too bright and sunny for Harry’s comfort. As he lay awake on his bunker he heard silence from Ron’s end on the bed above him. The silence was rather disconcerting; Harry usually woke to Ron’s low, rumbling snores.

Stretching rather luxuriously in his sheets, Harry shook away the sleep in his eyes… it had been a rewarding sleep.

“There’s no use for us both to lie awake like this” Harry said clearing his throat.

As expected, Ron’s vivid head peeked down at him from above. They stared at each other’s sleepy faces for a few moments and then Ron turned on his back once more, yawning loudly.

An hour later they were both dressed and ready for a meager breakfast at the crowded little table. Ron wasn’t much of a cook. Harry pretended to read the Prophet while actually observing his best friend dip his spoon sadly into his cereal.

He couldn’t understand what Ron had seen in her… undoubtedly she had been beautiful. But she didn’t really care about him, only for the fact that she had a hold on him. She wasn’t as smart or interesting as her cousin, but then again Ron had a penchant for attracting women who only lusted after him, for reasons Harry didn’t want to explore.

He knew Ron to be someone who found comfort in his flatterers; he enjoyed being powerful and popular… just as much as Harry hated it.

Being the ‘best friend’, he felt it was his duty to explain all this to Ron, but he knew that it wouldn’t make Ron feel better and there was always the chance of being kicked out… and so, he continued to pretend-to-read-the-Prophet.

“So where are you planning to run away next?” Ron asked harshly, looking down at his cereal with disgust.

“I can’t run away” Harry replied, jerked from ‘observation mode’, “the Order is going to keep a track on me. Lupin doesn’t think it’s a good idea to hide in caves, or anywhere in fact. He said I could do all my research here, and… umm… get help”

Ron looked at Harry with a curiously distorted expression. It seemed like he thought Harry was being thick… as though Harry had forgotten something important.

Harry stared back again. He thought Ron looked haggard and in need of a vacation. His eyes had become dark with fatigue. He couldn’t imagine why Ron was missing Esmè so much… was it really that serious?

“You know what? I’ll get off work early today and we’ll go for dinner somewhere” Ron said, with a frustrated look, “I need to talk to you about something important and I can’t eat this trash at home anymore”

***

“When will Josh be here to pick us up?” Hermione asked nervously combing her hair by the dresser, while Ginny applied mascara.

“At about nine” Ginny replied not taking her eyes away from her reflection.

Hermione examined her from the corner of her eye. She was wearing Muggle clothes. A pair of lace ankle-length pants and violet tunic dress. Her hair was left casually open and it looked trim and silky.

Hermione secretly wished that she could have been as attractive and confident, not to mention, knowledgeable about dressing up. Sadly the only books that were ever written about how to dress up for dates; were the ones she didn’t touch.

“Wow! Look at you! You look sooo pretty!” Ginny exclaimed, turning around to look at Hermione, who was examining herself gingerly.

“Thanks” she mumbled unconvinced and continued to adjust her hair and skirt.

Ginny walked up to her… more like floated… Hermione thought she looked like a beautiful Elf Princess.

“You just need to relax” she said cheerfully adjusting Hermione’s blouse, “Michael’s really handsome and very gentle-man. I won’t lie, he wasn’t very excited about a ‘blind date’, but I have faith in you and I know he’ll fall for you the moment he sees you!”

Hermione let out a huge sigh, and examined her reflection once more… she was willing to give Michael a chance, but she wasn’t sure if Michael would do the same for her. She wondered what Ron would say if he found out that right after he had been dumped by Esme, she had gone on a blind date. But then she wasn’t accountable to him and didn’t care where he was or what he thought.

As though they had anticipated a disastrous evening, Harry and Ron walked in at quarter past nine into Lady Sangria’s Shack. The moment he entered the place Ron knew that he had fallen victim to Ginny’s infuriating tricks. Lady Sangria’s Shack was hardly a Shack… it was decorated as irksomely as Madame Puddifoot’s in Hogsmeade. More than anything from the look of the chairs and tables, the lavish ambience and the people who were dining there, he knew that he had come to the wrong place for dinner.

The only reason he had picked it was because he was sure NOT to bump into Josh and Ginny on their obnoxious date here.

He thought they would be at Hogsmeade… but then again, “Ginny would love to be seen in a joint like this” he thought to himself ominously.

“Great-looking place mate!” Harry said with sarcasm, “Just remember, the meal’s on you, my Auror-buddy!”

As they seated themselves in red velvet-cushioned chairs Ron wondered if this was a bad month altogether for finances. First it had been Hermione’s necklace and now this completely useless dinner.

He knew it was too late to apparate out.

They placed their orders and looked around at the swanky restaurant. And then Ron finally shook himself to say something he had been dying to say ever since Harry had come back, and Esmè had gone back to Mexico to her ‘old boyfriend’.

“Harry, when are you going to ask me to be your Secret Keeper?” he said quite plainly.

Predictably, Harry jerked in his seat and stared at him. He wasn’t shocked or angry.

But before Ron could fathom Harry’s expression, he let out a gasp, his worst fears realized. Josh Darlington walked in through the door with his arm around his little sister’s waist. They were followed by Hermione who looked as breathtaking as he had seen her at the Yule Ball. But Ron couldn’t recognize the tall, attractive man who was behind her… his hand on the small of her back.