Back from deep water

Chapter one

Ginny sat up in her creaky, large, creaky bed and stared about her room. The half-light coming through her window created monstrous shadows, turning her flowered lamp into a basilisk. She shivered, even in her dressing gown. Just thinking about that dank, haunting chamber made a cold, tingly feeling inch down her spine. She could still feel the damp, wet ground against her cold skin, and hear the cruel, ringing laughter that made her want to vomit--and at the same time--cry with joy.

There is nothing worse than finding out that the only person you ever trusted in the world is secretly plotting to possess your body and do both evil and naughty things. Ginny wondered if this is how Eloise Midgen felt when she found out that her pen friend had been spying on her and taking pictures of her in the shower, and then sending them to Playwizard. People talked about that for ages! Eloise was so embarrassed that she had changed schools; although no one blamed her for transferring to a Chinese school where no one would know her--that picture of her doing the splits in the bath was just DISTURBING, Ginny thought.

Ginny was deep in thought about what was going to happen to poor Eloise when her musings were interrupted. She heard the soft padding of feet in the hallway and knew that Hermione was awake and heading for the kitchen. However, along with the trudging sound of Hermione's slippers, she heard another noise. As she listened closely, she heard the soft, gentle sound of Hermione sobbing. Did that girl cry about EVERYTHING?? What had happened now? Had Crookshanks jumped on Harry's back during their "alone time" again? With a sigh, Ginny went to investigate.

"Wow," Ginny said in an attempt to be funny, "I've heard that saltwater in herbal tea is good for you, but I didn't think that it was required for the saltwater to come from tears."

"I am NOT crying," Hermione said defensively. "I never cry. As I recall, you were the one who cried when you got taken away to the Chamber of Secrets." Ginny rolled her eyes. Really smart people can be SO annoying.

"I was in my first year and someone who I though was my friend did bad things."

"Yes, well, Eloise Midgen didn't cry when SHE found out about what her penfriend did!"

"Eloise Midgen was getting paid five million galleons in damage money and the guy who took those pictures didn't try to kill her."

"OH BOO FRICKETY- HOO! Oh no, someone I loved tried to kill me when I was young and now I'm likely to develop mental damage! At least the man that you love and adore isn't GAY!!!!!"

"WHAT!!!! JOHNNY DEPP IS GAY? HOW CAN THIS BE? HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?" Ginny screeched

"OH SHUT UP!" Hermione screeched, "It's not Johnny that's gay! It's HARRY!"

There was a deadly silence in the kitchen. Hermione was breathing as fast as if she had run the mile in a mere minute. It was then that Ginny finally took a real look at Hermione. Her hair--though frizzy--was normally kept neat and orderly. Tonight it was standing up on end, like someone had stuck greasy brown wires in her head. Her eyes were red and there were gigantic bags underneath them.

"Now about that tea..." Ginny started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry sat alone in the large bed the Weasley's had provided for Hermione and him this summer vacation. He took a deep breath and thought about what he had just done. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings, but, she had been really weird lately, and when he asked her if she wanted to go shopping, she freaked out.

"WHAT ARE YOU, GAY?" she'd shouted. "Are you leaving me for a man?" Before Harry could respond to anything she had said, Hermione had burst into tears and shuffled out of the room. God, the way she had acted you would have made you think that Crookshanks had jumped on his back during their "alone time", Harry thought. He was sitting on his bed, feeling sad, when there was a gentle tapping at the door. Could the person knocking be Hermione? No, it was Ron.

"Um, can we talk?" Ron inquired.

"Er, sure," Harry stuttered.

"I um, heard, um, Hermione and Ginny talking in the kitchen."

"And..."

"And Harry, are you gay?" said Ron, his eyes lighting up with a kind of excitement.

"No, Hermione's just got PMS or something."

"Oh," said Ron, the gleam gone from his eyes now. "Because if you were man, I would be there for you."

"I know you would be, Ron. I know you would be."

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"If you were, you know, you could tell me..."

"I know! And please get your hand off of my leg, Ron, I'm not that upset."

Ron coughed. "Um, maybe we should go down to the kitchen to talk to Ginny and Hermione?"

"Okay, maybe she'll have cooled off by now."

"Maybe."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny and Hermione sat in the kitchen staring at each other.

"So how do you know?" Ginny asked Hermione, both of them still in shock.

"Well... I found his diary..."

"A diary? Definite sign of a gay."

"It wasn't that he kept a diary, it was what was in it."

Hermione revealed a battered piece of paper.

"Last night I dreamt that I was the queen, the goddess, the mistress of the land. I was the love of him and the light in his night."

"Yup Hermione, that means he's gay. But who did he dream about?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Ron slowly made their way down the Weasley's many flights of stairs. Ron had given Harry a bit of Fire whiskey to calm his nerves. How was Ron supposed to know that Harry was a lightweight? Just 3 cups of that stuff and the normally uptight Potter boy was completely pissed. Ron put his arm around Harry to support his limp figure and keep him from falling down the stairs. Although, letting Harry bite the dust might not be a bad idea, considering how annoying his drunken rants were becoming.

"An' you know what else, Ronny boy?" Harry chuckled. "Ronny boy, very pretty name, that is. OOOOO Rrrroooonyy booooyyyyy!!! The pipes, the pipes aare caaa-aa-lin'!" Harry leaned over the stairwell and vomited.

Laughing, he continued his song, red in the face and chocking on hysterical laughter. "Ffffrom Gleeen to guh-leeeeeeeeeen!" They were outside the kitchen now, Harry still doubled up in silent mirth. Ron stood, staring at the being for whom his admiration and jealously knew no bounds.

He's better than this, Ron thought. And yet, something at the back of his head said, He's not. He's only human, you know, this is who he truly is. Ron sighed.

"Harry," he said quietly. The dark-haired boy whom Ron had shared so many moments with looked up and saw Ron clearly for the first time, if only for a moment.

"I'm going to be looking after you for the rest of our lives, aren't I Harry?" The fog of alcohol had again clouded Harry's eyes and a silly smile was set firmly in place.

"Of course Rrrrrrrrrronnny boy. You're my beeeeeest friend." And saying so, Harry hugged Ron around the middle. All of a sudden, a voice rang through the silence of the night.

"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

After speech, if you go on to say how the person talked e.g. 'said', you need to finish with a comma unless using question or exclamation marks.