Chapter One: Of Splatters and Squash
Ginny Weasley lay on her bed, completely lost in thought. Golden sunlight streamed in through the open window, hitting her russet colored hair.
She was home for the spring holiday. Ron, her older brother, had convinced Hermione Granger and Harry Potter to come to the Burrow over the Easter holiday. Ginny laughed slightly - her stupid, slow-on-the-uptake brother would do anything to get time with Hermione. Honestly. Ginny had finally taken pity on his poor, confused soul, and explained his feelings about Hermione to him herself. Boys were so slow!
She sighed. So slow indeed. Harry Potter, the man of her dreams, didn't seem to acknowledge her existence! The only time she got his attention was when she put her elbow in the butter dish, or something equally embarrassing.
She flushed just thinking about that summer. It was difficult for Ginny with Harry around - she was the youngest of 7, and when Harry came, she discovered she could be invisible more effectively than if she used a cloak. Famous Harry Potter, *the man of your dreams* a nasty voice said, got attention no matter what he did, bad or good.
Sure, he got her attention, but he seemed oblivious to the fact that she smitten with him. Would he ever notice her? She pounded her pillow in frustration, tousling her hair. She sighed and got up to get her brush.
As she ran it through her hair, she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" she said, walking to the door. It had to be Hermione, because no one else that came to her room knocked.
"Ginny?" a deep voice said. Ginny gave a start. Harry!
"Ginny?" he asked again.
"I said come in!" she said in a strange, strangled voice.
The door creaked open, and Harry stood in the doorway, less than a foot from her.
Oh� close enough to -
SNAP OUT OF IT!!!
"Dinner's in five minutes, if you want to eat," he said, eyes twinkling behind his thick glasses.
Those eyes. And his hair� Mmmmm�
Ginny was lost in dreamy thought until a finger snapped in front of her face.
"Gin!"
Omigosh, he called me Gin!
Grrrrrr�
"Wh-what?"
"You were staring at the wall, and your eyes kind of glazed over�"
"Oh, sorry. Just thinking."
"Hm." Ginny could have sworn she saw a flicker of a smile on his face, but if she did, it disappeared quickly.
"Ladies first!" Harry opened the door, and offered her his arm.
She took it, and managed a small giggle.
They turned the corner of the landing by her door, and headed down the two flights of steps towards the back yard.
* * *
OH. MY. GOSH!!!!!
Harry Potter was sitting next to Ginny, looking perfectly content to stay there for the whole meal.
Breathe. Just simply in. Out. In. Out.
Don't tell me how to breathe!! I already know how!!
Well then prove it! Your face is turning-
DON�T TURN RED! DON�T TURN RED! DON�T TURN RED! DON�T DON�T DON�T DON�T!!!!!!!
Took the words right out of my mouth�
I know�
You look like an idiot! Say something!!! Sitting there staring at your chicken makes it look like it sprouted feathers and flew away!
Ginny cleared her throat.
"Please pass the potatoes."
There. HA! I didn't turn red!
Brilliant. Ingenious. In fact, that was worthy of Einstein. Do you notice potatoes on the table?
Oops.
Oops indeed.
"Potatoes, Gin?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"Oh, I bet she meant salsa!" said the ever-intelligent interpreter, Percy.
"Yeah� they look like potatoes."
Kind of.
Yes, they do. Potatoes that the cat barf-
Oh, hush!
Hermione looked at her pityingly.
"Here." Harry passed the salsa to Ginny, who promptly grabbed the bowl. For a moment, their hands touched. She felt an electric shot jolt through her body.
But, surprisingly, it was Harry that turned pink first, not her. He drew his hands away hastily, splattering Ginny from head to toe with sticky red salsa.
"Eek!"
"Oh, sorry Gin. It was a, uh, small clumsy moment."
Ginny attempted to wipe the dip off her dress and skin, trying very much not to blush.
"Here, Gin. Let me." Harry took the napkin out of Ginny's limp hand and gently wiped off her dress. Ginny turned the shade of rich, dark wine, and jumped up from the table.
"Need to change my dress," she muttered hastily, running towards the house. Hermione leapt up to follow.
"So� what happened with you and Harry?" Hermione asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the Weasley clan.
"I don't know! Maybe you should tell me!" Ginny said, confused, exasperated, and covered in salsa.
"Do I need to spell it out? Harry's embarrassed to touch your hand! What do you think that means?!"
Ginny looked dumbfounded.
No! It isn't true!
Yeah. A cruel joke.
But, Hermione doesn't play cruel jokes!
"Yeah, but are you sure? Positive?"
"All I'm saying is that you should keep that in mind."
Ginny and Hermione reached the door to Ginny's room.
"Ginny, what's that?" Hermione clutched Ginny's arm and pointed to a parcel lying on her bed.
Ginny hurriedly checked the package.
"I don't know," she said doubtfully. "It's probably from Fred and George, and it'll blow up or turn my hair purple when I open it."
"Oh, honestly, Ginny. You always expect the worst!" Hermione walked over to Ginny's bed and unwrapped the package.
"Look! It's Mrs. Skower's Magical Mess Remover!"
"Oh, THAT'S nice! Just what I've always wanted!"
Who would send me that?
Someone's idea of a romantic gift? Or just a Gred and Forge joke? Definitely the kind of joke they'd think was funny�
"There could be a purpose�" Hermione looked doubtful.
"Okay, there could be. Is there a note?"
"Here." Hermione handed Ginny a small scrap of parchment.
It read:
Ginny:
Sorry about your dress. I hope salsa washes out! If it won't come out with soap, try this. I was saving it for Quidditch Pitch mud (it stains really badly), but I guess you can use it more.
Yours,
Harry
Ginny wordlessly handed the note to Hermione.
"How noble and kind!" Hermione sighed.
"Mhmm�"
"Well, I suppose you'd better change soon, if you aren't going to moon over that note like you would have two years ago," Hermione remarked practically. "That salsa will stain, and then where'll you be?"
* * *
A few hours later, when Ginny and Hermione were changing for bed, Ginny voiced something that had been on her thoughts since dinner.
"Hermione?"
"What?"
"I wonder how the mess remover got into my room. Wouldn�t I have seen Harry if he put it there?"
Hermione pulled her shirt over her head and was quiet for a minute before answering.
"I suppose he had your mum or dad banish it. Your window was open, you know, so the glass wouldn't have been broken."
"Yes, I guess you're right," Ginny replied, taking off her dress.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Yes, who is it?"
"Me," a muffled voice replied. "Can I come in?"
"Yes," Ginny said, expecting her mum to walk in. To her surprise, it was Harry.
"Gin! Mione!" Harry flushed a dull red. His eyes slowly traveled down Ginny's body to her chest.
"What? What's the mat-" she broke off, realization dawning.
Oh. My. Gosh.
This isn't happening.
"Oh, sorry, Harry!" Hermione came to Ginny's rescue. "We'll be done in a minute!"
"Oh, it's okay. It wasn't that important anyway."
He turned to leave, and in doing so, knocked into a knob on her dresser. Ginny had her father charm her dresser so that when she touched a knob, the drawer opened.
The drawer shot out and Harry rammed into it. Chance had it that it was Ginny�s lingerie drawer. Lacy underclothes spilled over Harry�s feet.
Harry turned scarlet. With no regard to manners, he kicked off the offending items and ran out the door.
"That didn't just happen!" Ginny said tearfully after Harry had left (rather quickly, she noticed).
Hermione attempted to soothe her.
"It's okay, Ginny. It's okay."
This caused an outburst from Ginny.
"No! It's not okay! Harry Potter, Harry POTTER! saw me in my
underwear and nothing else!"
Then she sobbed into her pillow, reviewing the facts of the �lingerie episode� to herself.
�H-Harry potter s-saw me in m-my un-underw-wear! And h-he sp-spilled all of it o-over the fl-floor!�
Hermione tried a different tactic.
"At least you weren't completely naked�"
"Ju-just about!"
Hermione lost it.
"GINNY WEASLEY!!"
"Wh-what?"
"You need to calm down. You're starting to hyperventilate over something that really wasn't that important. I'm sure Harry's seen women in next to nothing before."
"Wh-where?"
"Um, magazines?"
Ginny gave a watery chuckle.
"Ni-nice try, Hermione."
"Thank you. Good night."
Hermione could hear Ginny laboring for an even tone.
"Ni-night!"
A/N: Thanks to Imogen for her beta-ing help. And for Shallan for posting this on Celestial Apparation. So, that's Chapter One. Chapter Two� coming right up! J
~ Silver Arrow
To be continued...