Go Away, I'm Pouting

Ginny dumped her purse on Hermione's couch with a sigh, and took off her coat, which was covered in raindrops from the outside. Hermione smiled, and surveyed her depressed-looking friend.

"So, what's the occasion, oh cheery one?" Hermione said teasingly.

"I'm depressed," Ginny replied, frowning.

"So I see."

"My life has no adventure, a lack of hot guys, and definitely not enough mansions in the middle of nowhere..."

"...with hot guys in them," Hermione ended for her.

"Exactly," said Ginny wearily, "and I've come to spread the moroseness."

Hermione nodded her head thoughtfully. "Been there, done that, almost got the t-shirt, but it was just a tad over-priced. Want to eat chocolate frogs and play a really long game of wizard chess and talk about how depressing life is?"

Ginny considered a moment. "Yeah, that sounds good. But in a minute. I'm going to the loo. If I'm not out in 15 minutes send in a half-kilo of icecream."

Hermione saluted her friend mock-seriously. "Will do."

Hermione and Ginny had been friends for a very long time, but they had recently become increasingly candid to each other about their life and their thoughts. Which, made for interesting conversations. When Ginny emerged from the loo a few minutes later (minus icecream), Hermione had already broken out the snacks and gotten the chessboard set up.

"So," began Hermione, "no adventure?"

"Yep," Ginny grimaced. "Ever since the war got over, I've had nothing to do."

"No one trying to kill you, you mean," Hermione clarified.

"Well, yeah, that too, but, you know, even you felt it, Hermione. Its so much fun to be doing something worth while.... something dangerous."

"Yeah. I do know. Still, its a nice break."

"Too much of a break. Way too long. I'm bored. And I'm depressed. Pass that chocolate frog, please."

"Fine. No adventure. No hot guys, either, though? I mean, come on, Ginny, you're not exactly plain. I wish I had a figure like yours. At Hogwarts, guys were drooling over you." Hermione raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

Ginny just shook her head. "Hermione, at Hogwarts, we were surrounded by all kinds of guys our own age... Now that I'm working... Its hard to find one even near the same age. They're either right out of Hogwarts or too old. Hot guys are just too hard to come by, unless you want to drool all over the latest edition of Witch Weekly. And guys who are good looking and romantic are twice as hard. Come on, though, you must have a boyfriend, right?"

Hermione grimaced as Ginny's Queen clobbered her Rook. "Nope, no boyfriend. Damn that Neville Longbottom!"

Ginny suddenly looked very interested. "Neville? What's there between you and Neville? Spill! Before I take your other Rook."

Hermione smiled wanly and laughed. "There's nothing between Neville and me. Its just, I don't have a boyfriend, and I felt that someone needed to be cussed out for it, but Harry's too sweet, Ron I still like a little, and Malfoy's, ironically, just too damn sexy to be damned. So Neville gets it. Though he really hasn't done anything."

Ginny laughed. "Yes, Malfoy does clean up nice, doesn't he? The only problem is I want to curse him every time I see him, so it does make admiring his figure a little hard."

"Yeah, I guess that would be a problem. Check," said Hermione now laughing as well.

"Hey! You can't check me! It wasn't even your turn!"

"Yes it was."

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes it was. Ok. Your turn to spill. Who do you think is hot?"

"Finch-Fletchley."

"You're kinding, right?"

"Nope. Saw him just a week ago at a book store. Wow, has he changed! For the better, I mean. Definitely for the better." Ginny giggled.

Hermione shook her head. "So... no mansions?"

Ginny scowled. "Does it look like I have any money?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "This is new?"

"No, but its just as terrible now as it was when I was at Hogwarts."

"Right then. No adventures. No hot guys..."

"...and no mansions," Ginny said.

"Life really is horrible," Hermione remarked sarcasticly.

Just then, came a knock on Hermione's door. Ginny yelled back at it, without getting up, "Go away! I'm pouting!"