A Ferrety Response...
Chapter 3- In which the Heroine takes a preemptive measure, and realizes something about Harry
Ginny’s Point-of-view
Ginny bounded down the stairs again. Her ferret was settled upstairs in her room. He really was cute. She liked him. He was almost purely white with a pink nose and deep grey eyes. She knew that Ron thought the ferret looked like the Amazing Bouncing Ferret, Draco Malfoy. She hadn’t seen the actual incident, but she had derived enough laughs from the image to perversely name her ferret Draco. Fred and George will probably laugh so hard that they’ll begin crying when I mention that fact.
She knew that Ron and Hermione had gotten the pet to distract her from the pain of losing Harry. Harry’s too noble for his own good. She also knew that they had felt guilty for being by his side, when he had refused to let her be there too. It hurt, she didn’t try to deny it, but she knew that he wouldn’t allow her no matter what she said. She also knew that the party tonight would be the last time she would see him until he came back for her after defeating Voldemort. Any other option was too horrible for her to think about, to horrible to entertain.
Ginny smiled, painfully aware that Harry might never come back for her. Why did I have to fall in love with him? She shook her head, trying to banish the depressing thoughts. This will be the last night I’ll see any of them. I shouldn’t be upset, or Mum will suspect something is wrong. They do need to get away safely, and undetected. She plastered a bright smile on her face and walked into the kitchen. She saw her brothers Fred and George and her smile became real. Her brother’s turned around together and spied her at the door. They grinned mischievously.
“Hullo Ginny, we heard that…”
“Ron and Hermione bought you …”
“A pet ferret.”
“What did you…”
“Name it?”
Ginny grinned back and decided to toy with them. Feigning an innocent expression on her face she looked at them. “What do you mean? I thought I might name him Henry, or Harold. But that would confuse everyone because of Arnold you see. I then thought I might name him Edward, or George.” Fred covered a laugh while George whined. They both looked like wolves which had caught a scent of blood and were looking for the meat.
“Come on Gin, don’t play with us like that.”
“Seriously, tell us what you named him.”
Ginny smiled sweetly and abandoned the look of innocence. “I named him Draco.”
Fred and George guffawed and hugged her. George wiped tears from his eyes and Fred sniffled a bit as they looked down at their sister with admiration.
“Fred, our little sister has grown up.”
“From her first dungbomb, to this sweet revenge in a name, Yes, George, I fully agree Ginny is our sister.”
She smiled at them. She loved all of her brothers in different ways, but she suspected that Fred and George were her favorites. Not only did they first teach her to pick locks, which came in handy when she wanted to fly, but they had also begun lavishing her with decidedly evil gifts after their joke shop became successful. Oup, Mum needs me. She detached herself from their hugs and helped her mother set up the table for the food.
They called to her in unison, “Can we see the little bugger?”
She shot them the Look. “Not now! You’ll scare him half to death.” Then her expression softened into a smile. “But maybe after dinner, if you promise not to pull any pranks on him.”
“We won’t.”
Ginny shook her head; she knew that they would likely try something. She would have to take a preemptive strike against them on behalf of her furry friend. A classic perhaps? Salt in their pumpkin juice? Yes, that sounds about right. She hummed as she set out the cups and plates. With sleight of hand, of which Fred and George would have been immensely proud had they known, she dumped half the contents of the salt shaker into each of their cups before pouring the juice in. With that done she continued filling all the other cups. Nine cups, nine place settings. There should be eleven. Despite what a prat his is, I miss Percy. And Bill is with Fleur. Ginny stared disconsolately at the table.
A warm pair of arms came and hugged her around the waist. Ginny choked back on a scream and turned to look into deep green eyes. “Harry.”
He smiled at her. “Yes.”
“Don’t. Ever. Do. That. Again.”
Harry looked down sheepishly. “Sorry. I just wanted to surprise you.”
“You did.” Ginny’s mouth became dry. All the other words threatened to come out and Ginny had promised herself that she wouldn’t beg Harry to take her with them. It was harder when he was pretending that he hadn’t broken up with her. She turned away and he rested his chin on her shoulder.
“Ginny, I’ll miss you.”
She couldn’t stand it. “You wouldn’t if I came with you.”
He pulled away. “You know I can’t let you. If you got hurt, I don’t know what I’d do. At least you’ll be safe at Hogwarts this year. What with all the precautions that Professor Mcgonagoll is taking this year.”
“Harry…”
“No, Ginny, you know that I can’t lose you. I can’t bear to let you come with me knowing that you very well might die.”
“Harry. I might die anyway.”
“No, Ginny, you won’t die, you can’t.” Harry clutched her shoulders and looked at her desperately. He can’t let anyone else he loves die. Ginny could see the bruised look that was permanently etched under Harry’s eyes. He looked old and frail. He whispered to her. “Ginny, promise me, promise me that I’ll see you again when this is all through.”
I can’t promise that. Ginny looked at Harry, and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I promise to try exceedingly hard, not to die, if you do the same.” Harry looked away, the dark purple under his eyes becoming more pronounced. His wide green eyes turned back to her and he wet his lips. “But, I can’t.” He whispered.
Ginny hugged him. “That’s the uncertainty of war, love. I will always love you though, no matter what happens.” That’s a promise I can keep.
Harry smiled faintly. “I hear you got a pet from Ron and Hermione. Can I see him?”
“After dinner, just like everyone else.”
Harry leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Ginny closed her eyes expectantly, but didn’t feel the rush like she once had. He straightened and left caressing her cheek. “I’m sorry Ginny.” Ginny stared at his retreating back. I’m sorry too.
Ginny’s Point-of-view
Ginny bounded down the stairs again. Her ferret was settled upstairs in her room. He really was cute. She liked him. He was almost purely white with a pink nose and deep grey eyes. She knew that Ron thought the ferret looked like the Amazing Bouncing Ferret, Draco Malfoy. She hadn’t seen the actual incident, but she had derived enough laughs from the image to perversely name her ferret Draco. Fred and George will probably laugh so hard that they’ll begin crying when I mention that fact.
She knew that Ron and Hermione had gotten the pet to distract her from the pain of losing Harry. Harry’s too noble for his own good. She also knew that they had felt guilty for being by his side, when he had refused to let her be there too. It hurt, she didn’t try to deny it, but she knew that he wouldn’t allow her no matter what she said. She also knew that the party tonight would be the last time she would see him until he came back for her after defeating Voldemort. Any other option was too horrible for her to think about, to horrible to entertain.
Ginny smiled, painfully aware that Harry might never come back for her. Why did I have to fall in love with him? She shook her head, trying to banish the depressing thoughts. This will be the last night I’ll see any of them. I shouldn’t be upset, or Mum will suspect something is wrong. They do need to get away safely, and undetected. She plastered a bright smile on her face and walked into the kitchen. She saw her brothers Fred and George and her smile became real. Her brother’s turned around together and spied her at the door. They grinned mischievously.
“Hullo Ginny, we heard that…”
“Ron and Hermione bought you …”
“A pet ferret.”
“What did you…”
“Name it?”
Ginny grinned back and decided to toy with them. Feigning an innocent expression on her face she looked at them. “What do you mean? I thought I might name him Henry, or Harold. But that would confuse everyone because of Arnold you see. I then thought I might name him Edward, or George.” Fred covered a laugh while George whined. They both looked like wolves which had caught a scent of blood and were looking for the meat.
“Come on Gin, don’t play with us like that.”
“Seriously, tell us what you named him.”
Ginny smiled sweetly and abandoned the look of innocence. “I named him Draco.”
Fred and George guffawed and hugged her. George wiped tears from his eyes and Fred sniffled a bit as they looked down at their sister with admiration.
“Fred, our little sister has grown up.”
“From her first dungbomb, to this sweet revenge in a name, Yes, George, I fully agree Ginny is our sister.”
She smiled at them. She loved all of her brothers in different ways, but she suspected that Fred and George were her favorites. Not only did they first teach her to pick locks, which came in handy when she wanted to fly, but they had also begun lavishing her with decidedly evil gifts after their joke shop became successful. Oup, Mum needs me. She detached herself from their hugs and helped her mother set up the table for the food.
They called to her in unison, “Can we see the little bugger?”
She shot them the Look. “Not now! You’ll scare him half to death.” Then her expression softened into a smile. “But maybe after dinner, if you promise not to pull any pranks on him.”
“We won’t.”
Ginny shook her head; she knew that they would likely try something. She would have to take a preemptive strike against them on behalf of her furry friend. A classic perhaps? Salt in their pumpkin juice? Yes, that sounds about right. She hummed as she set out the cups and plates. With sleight of hand, of which Fred and George would have been immensely proud had they known, she dumped half the contents of the salt shaker into each of their cups before pouring the juice in. With that done she continued filling all the other cups. Nine cups, nine place settings. There should be eleven. Despite what a prat his is, I miss Percy. And Bill is with Fleur. Ginny stared disconsolately at the table.
A warm pair of arms came and hugged her around the waist. Ginny choked back on a scream and turned to look into deep green eyes. “Harry.”
He smiled at her. “Yes.”
“Don’t. Ever. Do. That. Again.”
Harry looked down sheepishly. “Sorry. I just wanted to surprise you.”
“You did.” Ginny’s mouth became dry. All the other words threatened to come out and Ginny had promised herself that she wouldn’t beg Harry to take her with them. It was harder when he was pretending that he hadn’t broken up with her. She turned away and he rested his chin on her shoulder.
“Ginny, I’ll miss you.”
She couldn’t stand it. “You wouldn’t if I came with you.”
He pulled away. “You know I can’t let you. If you got hurt, I don’t know what I’d do. At least you’ll be safe at Hogwarts this year. What with all the precautions that Professor Mcgonagoll is taking this year.”
“Harry…”
“No, Ginny, you know that I can’t lose you. I can’t bear to let you come with me knowing that you very well might die.”
“Harry. I might die anyway.”
“No, Ginny, you won’t die, you can’t.” Harry clutched her shoulders and looked at her desperately. He can’t let anyone else he loves die. Ginny could see the bruised look that was permanently etched under Harry’s eyes. He looked old and frail. He whispered to her. “Ginny, promise me, promise me that I’ll see you again when this is all through.”
I can’t promise that. Ginny looked at Harry, and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I promise to try exceedingly hard, not to die, if you do the same.” Harry looked away, the dark purple under his eyes becoming more pronounced. His wide green eyes turned back to her and he wet his lips. “But, I can’t.” He whispered.
Ginny hugged him. “That’s the uncertainty of war, love. I will always love you though, no matter what happens.” That’s a promise I can keep.
Harry smiled faintly. “I hear you got a pet from Ron and Hermione. Can I see him?”
“After dinner, just like everyone else.”
Harry leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Ginny closed her eyes expectantly, but didn’t feel the rush like she once had. He straightened and left caressing her cheek. “I’m sorry Ginny.” Ginny stared at his retreating back. I’m sorry too.