Madam Match

~Sun., Aug. 24~

I've decided to start a diary. It's not like my life is that interesting, I just want a record of myself, so that after I've died alone, people can read my story. After all, no one is fully appreciated until after they're dead. Everyone will read it and go, "Oh, poor Ginny, she was so beautiful, yet so complex." And the cute bartender who I've been trying to make eye contact with for the past half hour will go, "Oh, I am such a fool! I should have spoken to that beautiful stranger when I had the chance!"

And they will all place flowers at my grave as my diary is published and sells millions. Hopefully enough to make Mum and Dad rich. Then they can -

Oh, wait. Someone is calling my name!

~7:15 pm~

Eurk. Bloody Lavender and her husband, Seamus. Just because I see her husband every day at work, does not give her a right to plop down next to me, whenever she bloody wants to.

"Oh hello!" she said cheerfully. "We're meeting Parvati and her sister here. They've gotten engaged!"

"Yes, yes, I've heard," I muttered sulkily. "Parvati to Dean, and Padma to Michael Corner. Dean told me," I said to her surprised expression.

"Oh, yes, both your ex's," Lavender giggled. "Well then I suppose you're at least going to Dean's wedding. That break-up was much more friendly than Michael's."

I had no idea what to say to that. So I said nothing.

"Ginny, what are you writing?" Seamus asked, pointing at my diary. I hurried to hide it, but Lavender grabbed it.

"'I've decided to start a diary,'" she read dramatically. "'It's not like my life is that interesting -' too right, you are, darling."

I snatched it back out of her hands, glaring.

"Writing in a diary?" Lavender said, her eyebrows raised. "I hope you're not communicating with evil wizards again." She laughed to disguise her bitchy comment as humor.

"No," I said testily. "No, this is a regular notebook. Hermione bought it for me last Christmas and I've just broken it out."

Lavender looked like she was about to say something more, but just then, Parvati and Dean arrived, with Padma and Michael in tow. The girls all shrieked when they saw each other, hugging and fingering the other's engagement rings.

I was ready to sneak away, as the girls were obviously busy, but was spotted before I could make a run for it.

"Ginny!" Dean said. I cringed, but he looked happy to see me. "Wow, what are you doing here?"

"Erm, I was just about to leave," I said, glancing at the door.

"Nonsense!" said Parvati, Padma, and Lavender altogether. And then bloody Lavender launched into the whole story of how she "caught" me writing in a diary.

God, if I get asked about writing to some evil memory or something one more time, I will kill someone, I swear.

"...Lucky Harry Potter was there to save her," Michael went on. Oh, God, does everyone know about what happened in first year?

"I was reading Witch Weekly, and he's on their 25 Most Eligible Bachelor's list," Padma went on, excitedly. "You know, after defeating You-Know-Who in his seventh year, then becoming some super rich Auror guy."

Parvati snorted. "I feel sorry for whoever's his "lucky" lady! When he took me to the Yule Ball, all he did was talk to his friend and ignore me!"

I felt a stab of annoyance. She made Harry sound like a jerk, and, despite being clueless when it came to women, he was really quite nice. Besides, that dumb Yule Ball thing happened practically a decade ago. And I said so.

"Really?" Lavender leered. "Yes, I'm sure you and Harry Potter are best friends, chat every day, do you?"

"Maybe we do!" I said haughtily. This was not true at all, however. I hadn't seen him since Ron and Hermione's wedding. And even then, we barely spoke at all.

But they needn't know that.

"I've really got to go," I said. "I'm meeting my family for dinner. One of their friends has some important announcement that I must attend to."

I grabbed my diary, stuffed it in my handbag, and left in a huff.

But as I was stalking over to Fred's and George's store, where I was going to meet them before we went to Mum's house, I started wondering.

I am a twenty-something year old single women. I haven't had a date since...years! I've been too busy working or matching for friends...or...well, no one's asked me out! Ugh, I am just an ugly old woman, with a boring job, who will never get married while everyone else in my family does. I will have to join a convent!

God...I am never opening this again! I am such a waste of oxygen, no one will want to read about me. Let Fred and George make Daddy and Mum rich, they've got their super store...

~8:29 pm~

Argh...Meghan asked me for a piece of paper so she could draw. So I might as well just explain a little.

Mr. Lupin and Tonks are getting married...oh, of all people! When I set them up, I never thought it would last...I mean, Tonks trips over anything in a quarter-meter radius of her and, well, sometimes it's just important to be able to walk without falling over. And Lupin is so old!

But then I never thought Ron and Hermione would last, seeing as how they argue so much. And they've got their second child coming along. I suppose in their case, the line between love and loathing is very fine...

Penny's asking me why I'm so upset. Wonder where she got that idea, I thought only Meghan saw me sneak away from the dining room. She probably told her mother, and that's why Penelope's here.

Penelope is very nice, though. How she could ever marry Percy, who is a complete git, I have no idea. She was the one who made him make up with Dad and Mum, though. I mean, Percy wasn't even going to tell us they were getting married! But now that everything's all peachy again, he has us all over to celebrate every single one of his children's birthdays. Do you know how many children he has? Four! That's a present for each of them, plus Christmas, so that's...eight gifts a year! Durr! He is such a strain on my wallet.

Well, Meghan is dragging me out to give my congrats to the happy couple. Oh, huzzah. This is what being her favorite aunt gets me...

~9:00 pm~

Oh, I was just pissed when I wrote that. I love Meghan dearly. She's like, my baby sister. I wish I could steal her from Penny and Perce...but it's not like I could afford any more mouths to feed or anything...

Turns out I get to make a little speech at the wedding, for being their "little matchmaker" and all. Durr. Well, it was nice being complimented on my genius for getting them together.

Saw Harry there. He's been invited to Dean's wedding too. Great, now Lavender and the girls will all see proof of my lie when Harry completely ignores me. As usual. Sort of. I wish I could but avoid the wedding, but I already sent back the RSVP already. Damn.

Harry thinks Tonks and Mr. Lupin are the perfect match because they are both fun-loving and cheerful all the time (are they really? I wouldn't know). I didn't mention my doubts about their relationship, that I had only set them up because Tonks kept hinting how hot she thought Lupin was (oh, that scarred me permanently - why does she have to tell me?!). Well, I will just let them all think that...yes, I had complete faith in them the whole time, I do with all my couples...

Oh pooh, here comes Mum. Probably asking me why I haven't snagged a boyfriend yet...