Growing Up Weasley

Chapter 9. The Perfect Girl

Ginny stormed through the train, getting angrier and angrier with each step she took. Of course it was okay for Harry to kiss her and then run away. Of course it was alright for him to flirt with her and then avoid her. Of course it was expected that she wait for him. Of course, of course, of course. The words pulsed through her mind to the beat of her steps through each car.

It wasn't so much that she was furious with Harry - though he had led her on ever since he arrived at the Burrow and couldn't keep his eyes off her - or even that she blamed her brothers for their interference (though she was sure that without Ron's glowering and Percy's pontificating, she and Harry would have worked things out on their own just fine). It was the fact that everyone - everyone! - expected her to sit back and wait on Harry. Wait for him to finally get his act together and say whatever was on his mind. Wait for him to make the first move. (Hadn't she done that already? After all, he'd kissed her, not the other way around.)

Wait. Be careful. Don't. Possibly the four most irritating words in the English language, Ginny thought. Well, she wasn't the kind of girl to rest on her laurels while the boys marched forth, banners waving. Just as she intended to play beater for Gryffindor, even though it was traditionally a boy's position, so she intended to act, instead of wait, even though that was traditionally the boy's job. For which reason she was currently marching through the train, almost daring anyone to step in her way, peering into each compartment to see which one held Harry and Ron.

So where were they?

"I tell you, Seamus. She's brilliant."

Just a moment there, Ginny thought. What was this? She slowed down, and listened.

"Can't say why I never noticed it before. Sure, Parvati's gorgeous -"

Oh. Well. All Ginny's righteous anger faded. If Harry (she recognized his voice, even though the curtains were drawn) was thinking about Parvati Patil, then there was no hope for Ginny.

"- but Ginny - well...no one looks like her. Did you know she has seven freckles on her nose?"

In the corridor, Ginny began to blush.

"You don't say." Seamus Finnigan, a sixth-year like Harry, sounded like he could barely contain his amusement. But Harry didn't appear to notice.

"Yeah. And when she smiles, she kind of scrunches up her nose a bit - cutest thing you ever saw."

Now Ginny was burning bright red.

"And she's funny. And she's smart."

"And she's stacked," Seamus added for fun.

Ginny's eyes went wide at that, and she reached for the door handle.

"Well...yeah," Harry agreed slowly. Ginny let go the handle. "But that's not even it. Not really. D'you know, she's going to play Quidditch for Gryffindor this year? She's a brilliant beater, you know. Better than Fred and George, if we can find her a match. I've never met a girl like her."

Seamus chuckled. Chuckled! Ginny glowered from her perch outside the door. "Sounds like the perfect girl, mate. Now all you have to do is tell Ron you've got the hots for his wee sister."

Ginny blanched. Ron. When given the choice between friendship with Ron and a date with Ginny, who would Harry choose? Of course it would be Ron! They'd been best friends for six years. So it didn't matter, really, that Harry's words positively warmed her heart. It didn't matter that he really did like her. It didn't even matter that all her anger had pretty well faded away. If Harry told Ron he fancied her, it would be the end of things, even before they really began.

"Ron. You don't think he'd kill me outright, do you Seamus?" Both boys laughed, though Ginny could detect a note of worry in their laughter.

"Ah, no. Me mam and da say love conquers all." He laughed, dismissing his parents' sentimentality. "Go on, Harry. Ron's your best mate. Besides, everyone knows Ginny's hot. If you don't go for it, sure somebody else will."

"Thanks, Seamus," Harry said drolly. "That's really reassuring."

"Cheers."

Ginny shook her head. Seamus was about as serious as Fred and George. She could guess just how relieved Harry felt. Not that she was too terribly concerned. If Harry was too afraid of her brother to be honest with her, then he was not worth her while.

At least, that was what she told herself.

In the corridor, outside the compartment where Harry sat talking about her and his feelings for her, Ginny was beginning to lose her fire. It was all well and good to be irritated with Harry when he couldn't make up his mind, but overhearing his little conversation with Seamus...well... It softened her heart. A bit. After all, if he could say it to Seamus Finnigan, why couldn't he say it to her?

Something to think about. She turned to leave the corridor, to go and find someplace to sit and think for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts.

"Ginny?"

Oh, God. She was cursed! That had to be it. Doomed never to get a break. "Hi, Ron," she greeted, in a too-loud voice. The least she could do, she thought with a mental shrug, was warn Harry.

Her brother's hands were full of snacks from the sweets cart - so, it seemed, was his mouth. He chewed and swallowed a large piece of some candy and asked, "Were you looking for me?"

She took too long in answering. Before she could think up a good excuse for having hunted through the train and ended up here, his ears began to turn red, and his eyes hardened. "You weren't looking for Harry, were you?" he half-whispered. It was all she could do to keep from running in the opposite direction.

"No, of course not," she snapped. For suddenly, she was anxious to keep her feelings for Harry under wraps. "I was - Hermione asked me to come find you." She hadn't, of course, but - anything to get her brother away before she made a complete fool of herself.

Apparently she'd pushed the right button. Ron's eyes lit up. "'Mione was looking for me?" Ginny didn't say anything. "Listen, Gin. Don't bother Harry. He doesn't need you hanging all over him. He's got bigger things to worry about than trying not to hurt your feelings."

"Yes, I know," she answered, irritated. Though she didn't. To be perfectly honest, she'd never given a thought to what else might be on Harry's mind. And that gave her pause. She looked at Ron with new eyes. For most of her life, she'd thought of him as irritatingly overprotective. Toward her. She had never thought that he was equally as overprotective toward others. She would never have expected him to be protective of Harry. Her tone softened. "Don't worry, Ron. I don't want to get Harry into any sort of trouble. Not like with Tom Riddle's journal. Honestly."

He nodded. "Right, well - listen, Harry and Seamus sent me to get some sweets. Give these to them, will you?" he asked, shoving packets of crisps and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans into her hands. "Where's Hermione?"

Ginny bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at her obviously besotted brother. "Back in my compartment, of course. Where we were before you and Harry so rudely interrupted before."

Just then, the boys' compartment door slid open. Harry poked his head out and began to ask, "Someone say my -" As soon as he saw Ginny, he stopped. He stared. And, as if he suddenly remembered her penchant for eavesdropping, he flushed bright red. "...Hi, Gin."

Ron's head swiveled as he looked between his embarrassed best friend and his blushing baby sister. Then back at Harry again. And at Ginny, who could feel his gaze but stared studiously at her shoes. Then he shrugged. "Ginny's got the sweets you wanted. I'll see you Harry. 'Mione's looking for me."

At that, Ginny sneaked a glance at Harry. His eyes met hers, and they shared a moment of deepest amusement. Ron didn't even try to hide his affection for Hermione. "Right. See you later, Ron."

Ron didn't go, though. He stared pointedly at Ginny, until with a start, she realized she had the sweets in her hands still. "Oh. Right. Here, Harry." She shoved the treats at him. Ron nodded once, and left. Apparently, Ginny thought, her sense of humor getting the better of her, he'd done his duty by her. She bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud, and watched him almost race for the door that connected this car to the next one.

Then Harry cleared his throat. "Chocolate frog, Gin?" he offered, holding a small package out toward her.

She smiled.

"Come sit with us. I was just talking - Seamus and I were - y'see, I..." he trailed off, uncertain again.

She raised her eyebrows.

Seamus, from his vantage point inside the compartment, could barely keep from laughing aloud. Ginny knew he was highly entertained by this all - Seamus could always find a joke in situations - and felt the pink of her ears extend to her cheeks. She took her eyes from Harry's just long enough to shoot Seamus a death glare. As she expected, it worked. He cleared his throat. "Right. Well, I, for one, wouldn't mind a bit of pumpkin juice with my pasties. You, Harry? Ginny?"

She narrowed her eyes. The famous Weasley temper had by no means passed fair Ginny by, and everyone in Gryffidor Tower knew it. Seamus, recognizing the signs that she was about to lose her patience with him, hustled out of the compartment without another moment's hesitation. Ginny stepped in, and closed the door behind her.

"So, Harry. What did you want to talk about?"