Just Looking

"How's the kid?" Ginny asked Hermione, as they slid into their usual booth in the back corner of the Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione looked at Ginny like she was crazy. "The kid? I don't have any kids, Ginny."

"I meant my childish brother," Ginny teased.

Hermione flashed a grin. "Oh, that kid. He's...well...he's Ron."

"I completely understand," Ginny said, nodding sagely.

Every Thursday night, without fail, Hermione and Ginny got together at the Leaky Cauldron for a chat. Hermione would talk about Ron, Ginny would make gagging noises, Hermione would tease Ginny about Harry, they'd talk about their week, and then Ron and Harry would show up and they'd all crack jokes until the pub closed.

"Ron's great, don't get me wrong," Hermione said hastily. "He's just...a bit insensitive."

"But that's just what you need, Hermione," Ginny said. "If you had a sensitive guy, you'd want to wring his neck after a week."

Hermione smiled again. "This is very true. I'd walk all over him."

"He'd cower in fear and then run away to Lavender or Parvati."

"Honestly," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "isn't there a guy in the entirety of England that those two girls haven't dated?"

"Harry and Ron," Ginny said. "But that's about all."

"No, Harry went to the Yule Ball with Parvati in fourth year," Hermione reminded her.

"Thanks for reminding me," Ginny muttered. Just then, she caught sight of a man walking into the pub. A very attractive man.

"Who is that?" Ginny asked breathlessly.

"Whom?" Hermione asked, confused. Following Ginny's gaze, Hermione turned to see who her friend was talking about. Her jaw dropped.

"He's gorgeous," Hermione said, her eyes widening.

Ginny glanced reprovingly at Hermione. "Hey, you're dating my brother, remember?"

"A girl can fantasize, can't she?" Hermione asked, reluctantly drawing her gaze away from the good-looking blonde man.

I wish you lived on the corner where I live,

So I could look at you all the day long,

Lickety lip got me flippin' my lid, yeah,

Nibblin' my thumb 'cause I want me some,

Oooo, Oooo, Oooo just a little bit a

Oooo, Oooo, Oooo,

Am I making you uncomfortable?

"Fantasize?" Ginny asked in a scandalous voice. "You are not allowed to fantasize about anyone!"

Hermione shook her head. "You are way too protective of your brother."

"And apparently I have good reason," Ginny said, glaring at Hermione.

Hermione giggled. "Honestly, Ginny, it's not like I'm going to run off with that guy, leaving Ron broken-hearted behind me. He's just a very attractive guy, is all."

"Well, you can't have him, anyway," Ginny said.

"And why not?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Because I saw him first!" Ginny cried triumphantly.

And if you lived on the corner where I live,

I'd hang around like an apple in a tree,

Borrow some bread, stick of butter,

Cup of milk,

And some sugar for me-

I'm cookin' something sweet!

Oooo, Oooo, Oooo just a little bit a

Oooo, Oooo, Oooo

"What about Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Harry and I aren't dating," Ginny said, dismissing Harry with a wave of her hand. "We're just friends. I am free to run off with whomever I so choose."

"He's not the kind of guy for you, anyway," Hermione said.

"He's not?" Ginny said skeptically. "He's good-looking, and I bet he's funny. A guy that sexy has to have a sense of humor about himself. He's probably also rich and successful."

"He's blonde," Hermione said. "You don't like blondes."

"I don't?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"Nope," Hermione said. "You prefer guys with messy black hair."

"The disheveled look," Ginny agreed. Then she stared at her friend suspiciously. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about Harry, would you?"

Hermione smiled guiltily. "Maybe...."

"I've told you at least a hundred times, I don't like Harry!"

"No, you're right, you don't like him," Hermione said. Ginny glared at her, sure there was a catch. Sure enough, Hermione's next words caused Ginny to throw a napkin at her.

"You're crazy in love with him."

Hermione flinched as the crumpled napkin made contact with her head. "Nice arm, Ginny."

"Don't start with me, Hermione," Ginny said. "Maybe I will take up with that guy. I'll just walk over to him now and start flirting madly with him."

"You wouldn't," Hermione gasped.

"I would so," Ginny contradicted.

"I dare you," Hermione challenged.

"Fine then," Ginny said, standing up and smoothing out her blouse. "I'll be back. Or not. Maybe I'll just go home with the guy."

"Ginny, you wouldn't!" Hermione said.

"Shows how much you know," Ginny said flippantly, making her way over to the bar with a deliberate extra sway to her hips.

Walking over to where the blonde man was sitting, she leaned against the bar and ordered a couple butterbeers for herself and Hermione.

As she waited, she turned to smile at the blonde guy. As he met her eyes, she felt a vague, unsettling sense of déjà vu, as if she'd met him before somewhere. She could tell he felt the same thing, because a slight frown creased his forehead.

Just then, Tom came back with her drinks, and with one last smile at the blonde she walked back to her booth. She did keep that extra sway in her hips, though.

"You lose the dare," Hermione said with a smile, taking the butterbeer Ginny offered her.

"As if I was actually going to do it in the first place," Ginny said, sitting down. She decided not to mention the unsettling moment when she'd met the blonde man's eyes.

"Because you're too crazy in love with Harry to even think about another guy," Hermione said smugly.

"I am not!" Ginny contradicted loudly. She could feel the blonde man's gaze on her.

"He's looking over here," Hermione said, confirming Ginny's feeling.

"Of course he is," Ginny said, and it was her turn to sound smug. "I'm dead sexy."

Lookin' once, Lookin' twice,

Better get me a bucked of ice,

Go on do whatever you do,

I'll just sit here enjoying the view,

Whistlin' Dixie,

360 degrees of you - Oooo, Oooo,

Hermione snorted with laughter. "Dead sexy?"

"Do you doubt me, plebe?" Ginny said. "I should take offense...and beat you with it!"

Hermione looked confused. "Beat me with what?"

"A fence," Ginny laughed.

Hermione's face cleared, and she laughed too. "I get it now!"

"Yeah, and we all thought you were smart," Ginny said. "Shows what we know."

Hermione got a mischievous smile on her face. "He's staring at you again."

Ginny laughed. "Maybe he's staring at you."

Hermione looked surprised. "Me?"

Ginny shook her head. "Hermione, Ron thinks you're beautiful. Come to think of it, so does every guy I've ever talked to. Of course this guy would think you're gorgeous."

"I'm not gorgeous, though," Hermione protested.

"Beyond gorgeous, love," Ginny informed her. "You're a goddess. You just lack confidence."

"Unlike some people I know," Hermione said, with a pointed glance at Ginny. "Some people could do with being taken down a peg."

"What?" Ginny asked. "I'm beautiful and I know it. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Whatever," Hermione said. Then she laughed again. "That guy thinks you're beautiful, apparently."

Ginny looked over and boldly met the blonde man's eyes. They were a unique color, like molten silver with threads of copper swirling through. Again, she had a brief feeling of déjà vu. This time she mentioned it.

"I swear I've seen that guy before," she said, turning back to glance at Hermione.

Hermione studied him thoughtfully. He didn't notice, as he had turned back to the bar, giving Hermione a view of his profile.

"Now that you mention it, he does look familiar," Hermione said, with a slight frown. "Not like anyone I can think of, though."

"Who do we know that's blonde?" Ginny asked.

"Well, there's Seamus," Hermione said. "He's definitely not Seamus."

"Of course not," Ginny said. "Seamus's eyes are blue."

"What color are that guy's eyes?" Hermione asked. "I didn't notice."

"Silver," Ginny answered.

"Blonde hair, silver eyes," Hermione mused. "The only person I know with silver eyes is Draco Malfoy."

Ginny looked back. "He's too old to be Malfoy," she said. "In fact, he's a bit too old for us to be checking out."

"He's not that old," Hermione said. "At least, he doesn't look old."

"Merlin, could you imagine what it would be like to kiss a guy like that?" Ginny said, going dreamy-eyed. "He's a God, with a capital G."

"I could marry a guy like that, just to be able to look at him all the time," Hermione said.

I picture me twisted up in your t-shirt,

Pink lemonade and squeaky porch swing,

Don't know your name yet, I guess it wouldn't hurt,

If you gave me a ring - a big diamond ring!

Oooo, Oooo, Oooo, well a girl can dream,

Oooo, Oooo, Oooo

"That is remarkably shallow of you, Hermione," Ginny observed.

"Why thank you, Ginny," Hermione answered.

"And what would you do when he got old and decrepit?"

"I'd divorce him and run off to Ron," Hermione said. "Ron will grow old quite nicely."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I think half the reason you want me to date Harry is because you're so happy with Ron. Which frightens me slightly."

"It should frighten you a lot," Hermione advised.

"Apparently I'm not paranoid enough," Ginny said, with shrug of her shoulders.

"Not nearly enough," Hermione answered.

"So how's it going with you and Ron, anyway?" Ginny asked.

Hermione chuckled. "We fight a lot."

"Of course you do," Ginny said. "It's if you were being nice to each other that I'd be worried."

"What do you mean?"

"You and Ron always fight," Ginny answered, as if it were obvious. "It's the reason everyone knew that you liked each other in the first place."

"You've mentioned that before," Hermione said.

"Since my very first year at Hogwarts, I've known three things: You-Know-Who was evil, Harry Potter was my hero, and Hermione and Ron are crazy in love."

Hermione snorted with laughter.

"It's just the way things are," Ginny shrugged.

"Harry is your hero?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"Of course he is," Ginny said. "He's everyone's hero."

"Yours especially, though?" Hermione probed.

"He did save me in the Chamber of Secrets," Ginny reminded her.

Ginny had never felt self-conscious about her fight with Tom Riddle. It had happened, everyone knew about it, and there was no reason to tip-toe around the subject. What's done is done, Ginny reasoned.

"Any other reason?" Hermione asked.

"You need another one? He saved my life once, and you want more?"

"Well, this is Harry we're talking about. He's always saving someone's life."

"Well, the whole protecting me from damn Malfoy Sr. in the Department of Mysteries was kind of cool."

Hermione gasped, staring over Ginny's shoulder.

"What?" Ginny said.

Hermione shook her head. "There is no way."

"What?" Ginny said again, turning to look over her shoulder. She suppressed a giggle.

"Speaking of the devil, there's Malfoy Jr. himself," Ginny laughed.

"No, that's not it," Hermione said. "Watch."

Watched closely by the two girls, Draco Malfoy walked over and sat down by the gorgeous blonde man. His voice floated through the bar, easily reaching the ears of the two mortified girls.

"Hello, Father," he said, in his cool, clipped tones.

Ginny moaned. "We weren't..."

"We were," Hermione nodded.

Ginny put her head in her arms. "We were just checking out Lucius Malfoy, weren't we?"

She heard Hermione laugh. She looked up in astonishment to see her friend doubled over with uncontained laughter.

"I can't believe it!" Hermione cried between guffaws.

Despite herself, Ginny started to chuckle. Before she knew it, the chuckle had changed to raucous laughter nearly as loud as Hermione's.

"Oh, that's priceless!" Ginny laughed.

Draco and his father surveyed the girls with disdain, before exiting the pub hurriedly.

"I'm not the one who said he was a God, with a capital G," Hermione said in a quieter voice, as she gradually stopped laughing.

"No, you just said that you'd marry him just to look at him," Ginny said.

Hermione looked at her with wide eyes. "Promise you won't tell Ron."

"Only if you promise not to tell Harry," Ginny said.

Hermione extended her hand, and the two girls shook on it.

"Not tell us what?" came a voice from behind them.

"Nothing, Ron," Hermione said, scooting over to make room for him. Harry slid into the booth next to Ginny.

"I don't like it when you two keep secrets from us," Harry said.

"Trust me," Ginny said, "you don't want to know."

"I'll take your word for it," Ron said. "Did you two see Malfoy a minute ago?"

"Slimy git," Harry added with distaste.

Ginny and Hermione shared a smile.

"No, we must have missed him," Ginny lied.

Lookin' once, Lookin' twice,

You're a splash of Tabasco on

Hot apple pie,

Baby girls like it too,

Like to sit around enjoying the view,

Whistlin' Dixie, 360,

Whistlin' Dixie, 360 degrees of you, Oooo, Oooo