All's Well in Good Old, Muggle-Style Summer Camp.

Chapter 8

They were, however, woken up at 5:00 a.m. to prepare for the camping trip. Flitwick snuck in and woke them all up one by one, wondering why on earth they were lying on the floor. It took Harry ten minutes to adjust to being awake--it took Ron, on the other hand, about ten seconds. As soon as he heard the words "camping" and "trip" he jumped up and began gathering everything he was going to bring.

Breakfast was short, but enjoyable. It was still dewy outside, but it was at least bright and birds were chirping, and everyone seemed very jolly. Except for Ginny. Apparently she had been up all night pondering her decisions. There were dark circles under her eyes and she wore a vacant expression that gave the illusion that she had a five o'clock shadow. Ron kept glancing at her with a soft, but still indignant, expression.

"What's wrong, Gin?" Hermione asked gently.

"Nothing...it's just, I'm not sure whether I should be seeing Draco with everyone like this. It's nothing, though. Really."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Ginny insisted with a nod. Though, Hermione felt cynical towards the ordeal, even despite Ginny's effort at making it look like nothing.

As they walked about the forest, tailing Flitwick (who was leading them to the place where they would be setting up camp), Hermione sighed and explained.

"I think you've really hit Ginny with doubt, Ron," she said, concerned. "She doesn't seem quite herself."

"Yeah, well, she should have never gone out with Mr. Perfection Malfoy in the first place," Ron replied scornfully.

"How do you know he's so bad? I mean, he's annoying and mean and rude and sickening and pompous, but...really. As long as he's nice to her, it doesn't really matter."

Ron began seemingly choking on air. "Excuse me? Nothing? Malfoy? Ginny? I'll say it brutally but honestly, Herm," he put his hand on her shoulder ruefully. "We think you're becoming a bit out of your mind. Sorry you had to find out this way."

Hermione gaped. Harry at first thought she was going to smack Ron upside the head, but instead she let out a disbelieving snort. "What did you call me? Herm?" She tried to look angry, but when Harry burst out laughing, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You are so annoying!" And she laughed too.

As they continued walking, Ron would point out plants and animals and give them a warning, "don't touch it! Its poison ivy!", or a, "hey, look! A deer!"

"Unbelievable," Harry grinned. "Are you sure you're not Ron's evil twin or something?"

"Sure I'm sure," Ron answered confidently. Harry smiled.

"You two are amazing," he grinned. Ron puffed up and Hermione beamed. Maybe he was lucky after all.

Soon they reached the camp site, and Flitwick assigned them to put up tents. It didn't matter who they shared with, it just had to be boys with boys and girls with girls. So, naturally, Hermione, Ginny and Luna shared one, and Harry and Ron thought they'd get one to themselves when-

"Harry? Ron?" it was Ginny. "I think you should share a tent with Draco."

They gaped. "Um, no, Ginny," Ron said flatly. "I'm not sharing my tent with loser-man over there."

"Yes you are!" Ginny insisted, but when she saw Ron's face, she just sighed and said, "Fine. You win. Are you putting up your tent okay?"

"Yes," Ron replied.

"Are you and Harry sharing?"

"Yes."

"Are you still dating Luna?"

"Yes."

"Will you share with Draco?"

"Yes- I mean no! Honestly, Ginny, did you really think I'd fall for that?"

"Yes."

"Shut up."

"No."

"Go back to your own tent."

"Whatever." So with that, she walked away.

"Man, Ginny's been annoying lately!" Ron ranted as he hammered the tent-spike into the earth. "Ever since she's been with Draco she's been completely off her rocker." He went to the next tent-spike with quite a vengeance. Harry laughed.

"Not at all like you, you mean?"

"Exactly."

"I think you missed the point."

Over at Hermione, Ginny and Luna's tent, Ginny returned looking grim. "I hate him! I hate him I tell you!" she balled her fists with fury. "He is so annoying! He refuses to share a tent with Draco! It'll be a great chance for them to get to know each other, and he sticks his abnormally large nose up at it!"

"Have you even cleared this with Draco yet?" Hermione asked reasonably.

"No," Ginny said in a would-be casual voice. Hermione gave her a you've-got-to-be-more-organized look. Ginny gave her a scornful expression. "And he thinks he can just command me to do anything. Did you hear him?" She put on a voice that reminded Hermione and Luna, to their horror, strongly of Goyle. "'Go back to your tent, Ginny!' He makes me sick! He thinks he can make me do whatever he wants!" She pretended to throw up behind a rock.

"Well I think dominance is the same with boys," said Luna matter-of-factly, sitting on the rock. She pointed at Ron. "You got the freckly one that's wacky," she pointed to Harry, "you've got the fluffy one that's cute," then she pointed to Goyle. "And then you've got this ugly loser one; that reminds me of my ex-boyfriend, Steven. Ew."

Ginny laughed. "You are so weird." Then she sighed. "I guess I'll talk to Draco, then. I'm off." She walked away.

"But we haven't finished the tent yet!" Luna called after her. Ginny didn't hear her.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering if you'd share a tent with Harry and Ron."

It took a while for him to register what Ginny had just said, though when he had, Draco snorted. "No."

"Draco! Come on! It's a great opportunity to get to know them. They can be really great!" Ginny gave him a sad look.

"No. Don't even give me that face. You know it doesn't work on Malfoy's. No. I refuse. I blatantly object. No!"

"What are you two arguing over?" Flitwick popped up, looking, as usual, very short and cheery.

"Nothi"- Draco began, but was cut off by Ginny.

"Professor, don't you think it would be great for Harry, Ron, and Draco to share a tent?" Ginny asked practically.

Flitwick beamed. "Why yes! It's a marvelous idea! It's a wonderful chance for them to settle their differences. I insist they try it out." Draco went pale. "What do you think, Mr. Malfoy?" Flitwick asked, turning to Draco.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

So they were forced, with, I assure you, much kicking and screaming, to share a tent.

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"Move over, Weasel, you're cramping my feet."

"Well maybe there would be more room in here if you could bare parting with your precious beauty products!"

"Shut up! And they're not beauty products!"

"Then what's this?" Ron turned on Harry's flashlight, illuminating one of Draco's skin-care bottles. "Madame Merryhart's Sexy Skin! Have smooth skin in 10 seconds or less! What is that crap? I've never heard of a male who used Madame Merryhart products!" He threw the bottle at Draco. "You are the outcast strait queer."

"Am not."

"What? Are you saying you're the novelty bendable queer?"

"Shut up, you loser...freckle faced...idiot!"

"Ohh...that one cut me deep, Malfoy."

"Can you two shut up?!!" Harry demanded. "I'm trying to get some sleep!" Unfortunately, he was tormented into the night by endless bickering.

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The arguing continued though until Day One of what Ron called "Mission Camping Trip." Ginny almost regretted getting them to share a tent. They'd argue about the stupidest things; whose wooden birdhouse was better sanded, whether Ron's hair was sticking up at the end, whether Draco's hair was blonde or going white at an early age, etc.

The endless bickering was only quieted by Flitwick interrupting them. He announced that they'd be going on a fishing trip that day. This shut Ron up immediately. "Fishing?! Really!!?" he cried happily. "Hey. Hey-Harry. I'm 'gone fishing'," he said stupidly. Flitwick handed out fishing rods and led them to the lake. He showed them how to cast, wait, watch and reel. He raised the hook from the water to show them all a thrashing trout, the hook firmly piercing its lip. Hermione cringed.

"How gruesome!" she gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth.

"Come one, Herm, that's life!" said Ron bracingly. Harry laughed.

"I think you might be getting a little too into this, Ronniekins."

"No way! Is that possible?" then he became serious. "And don't call me Ronniekins." The trio burst with laughter. They barely even knew why.

The fishing went well. Well, as well as it could have been with Hermione refusing to hurt the fish and only gingerly touching the worm she had to apply to her hook, and Ron talking about how he'd missed out on fishing muggle-style his whole life, and of course the sickening sight of Ginny having to hook the worm to Draco's hook for him, because he refused to touch it. A part from that, it all went rather well.

Harry caught a grand total of three fish, Hermione caught zero, Ron caught one, Ginny caught five, and Draco didn't even try to catch any. Ron insisted that they roast and eat his fish, though there were not many takers. He ended up eating the majority of it.

To be...continued...!!

...(again)...