A Life More Ordinary

Ginny skipped out of Quentin Ollivander’s shop happy that she had found the wonderful Christmas present for Harry. She couldn’t believe that she had found a cloak pin that was a Potter family heirloom. Ginny hastily shoved the package into her pocket and walked into the more populated area of Hogsmeade. Students were milling about, chatting about Christmas presents. A couple of snowballs whizzed past her face. Ginny looked up to see who had thrown them and spotted something unusual in Gladrag’s. Through the heavily fogged window, she saw Ivy Flint standing inside modeling a dress robe for what looked like Colin Creevey. Ginny hurried over and knelt by the window to get a better look. The window was too heavily fogged for her to get a clear view, so Ginny decided to walk in and see what she could find out.

Ginny pulled lightly on the door so that the bell attached to the door wouldn’t clang and attract attention to her. Across the large room, Ivy was standing on a small platform. She had on a midnight blue robe that was made of an expensive looking silk. Ginny leaned against a pile of pale green muslin and watched what was going on before her. There was a witch fussing over Ivy, taking her measurements and cooing over what a fine figure Ivy had. Ivy didn’t seem to notice what the witch was saying; she was so busy smiling down at the young man who was with her. Ginny gasped. She had rarely seen a genuine smile cross Ivy’s face, but when she did, Ivy was truly beautiful. A quill was sitting midair near Ivy and was scratching out notes that the witch as making. All too soon, the witch stopped taking notes and told Ivy she could step off the platform. Ginny saw pins whiz out of the fabric and the fabric swirl itself from Ivy’s lithe form. Ivy was left in an under garment that most witches wore under formal robes. Ivy stepped gracefully off the platform and went into the changing rooms.

The sales witch made several notes on a separate piece of parchment and handed it to the young man that Ginny suspected was Colin Creevey. “Tell the young lady that she may pick up her robes on the twentieth. I’ll want her to try them on a final time before she pays for them, alright?”

The young man nodded. “I’ll be sure to tell her. Will my robes be ready the same day?” The voice was definitely Colin’s. Ginny could hardly believe her ears. A pureblooded Slytherin dating a muggleborn? Wasn’t that violating some sort of Slytherin code of conduct? Ginny wondered if Ivy had paid him to be her manservant for the day. Perhaps he was trying to earn money for Christmas presents.

“They’ll be ready the same day. She said that she would be paying for yours, is that right?”

Colin looked down and nodded. “Right, uh, yes.”

The woman nodded and was gone in the swirl of her pink silk robe. She had noticed Ginny and was approaching her. “My dear, girl! I have just the robe for you! Emerald green silk would be perfect for you!”

Ginny looked around uncomfortably. She did not want to get caught spying on Colin and Ivy. She tried shrinking into the background as much as possible, but the witch kept coming, chatting loudly as she went. Once she was close enough to Ginny, Ginny tried hushing her.

“Shhh. Uh, I’m not here for a robe. I just wanted to look around.” She held up a handful of rose scented sachets and asked the price.

“Four Sickles each. They’re for hanging in your wardrobe or putting in your school trunks. They’re also charmed to keep the moths away.” The woman waved her hands in front of Ginny and made a clicking sound with her tongue. The measuring tape, which had been taking Ivy’s miniscule measurements, zoomed across the room and began wrapping itself around Ginny’s waist. Ginny could see Colin had noticed her. Warn spread across her face and she began trying unsuccessfully to remove the measuring tape.

“I, uh, said I didn’t want a robe. Blimey! Call this thing off!” The measuring tape had snaked its way up her chest and was now measuring her bosom. Not only was this off putting to have happen while you were trying to carry on a conversation, but she saw that Colin was making his way over to her. She wanted to escape before they would have to have some uncomfortable discussion about what he was doing there with Ivy.

The quill that wrote down measurements quickly made note of her size and paused, as if waiting more directions. “Sweetie darling! A girl like you, not wanting a new robe? I know there is a ball coming up at Hogwarts. I’ve never seen you in here before, so you must need something to wear to the ball.”

Again, Ginny’s face flushed. She might need a new robe if she was going to the ball, but she wasn’t. Now she had to admit to a complete stranger and Colin that she couldn’t get a single boy at Hogwarts to ask her out. “I’m not going, actually. I just wanted to buy these and then I’ll be leaving.”

The woman frowned at looked at Ginny appraisingly. “Alright, then. I’ll take a Galleon for the lot of them.”

Ginny handed over the coin and the sachets. The woman thrust them into a pink and white striped bag and handed them back to Ginny. “Come back if you manage to find a date. I’m sure there’s something here that would suit you.”

Ginny turned away from the woman after mumbling thank you and found herself face to face with Colin and Ivy. “Hello, Colin. Hello, Ivy.” Ginny nodded hello to them and intended to pass by. She hoped that they would forget the scene that they had just witnessed and she would do the same for them.

Ivy spoke. “Ginny, wait. I think we need to talk.” She inclined her head towards Colin. “There are some things we need to explain. Are you going back to Hogwarts?” Ginny nodded. “Us too. We’ll talk on our way there.”

The three of them headed out of the shop. The frosty air bit into their faces, making Ginny wish she could wrap the Ravenclaw scarf around her face. Instead she would have to suffer and listen to what Colin and Ivy had to say.

“Are you and Colin together?” she asked.

Ivy smiled and looked at Colin lovingly. “Since the start of the term. We were study buddies for our Arithmancy class. We just fell in love.”

Ginny looked at the pair. They seemed to go together, if you forgot the fact that one was a muggleborn Gryffindor and the other a pureblood Slytherin. “Do you parents know?”

Ivy and Colin both shook their heads. “No one knows. With the second war on, it isn’t safe for muggleborns, let alone ones dating purebloods. We have been trying to keep it a secret.”

“What’s with shopping together at Gladrag’s then? Anyone could have seen you.” Ginny looked at them, wondering what they could have been thinking.

“We’re buying our outfits for the ball. Most of the Slytherins had decided to boycott the ball on account of Dumbledore’s stance on muggleborns. We didn’t expect anyone to come in.” Colin laced his fingers with Ivy’s and kissed the top of it.

“Colin, that was really stupid! Anyone could have seen you!” Ginny stopped and faced her friends. “Think about how dangerous it was!”

“We know that now. Please, Ginny, don’t scold us. Will you keep our secret?” Ivy looked pleadingly at Ginny.

Ginny looked at them with a shocked expression on her face. “How can you ask me that? There should be no question in your mind that I would tell anyone! Of course I will keep your secret.”

Ivy enveloped Ginny in a hug. “Thank you, Ginny!” She lifted Ginny up and spun her around. “I want to marry this man. I cannot wait until we finish school.” She dropped Ginny and pecked Colin on the cheek.

“What are you going to do about the ball? You can’t go together.” Ginny stood up from the mound of snow she had been dropped into and began brushing it off her cloak.

“Colin is going by himself and I agreed to let Vincent Crabbe take me. We won’t be together, but we’ll be there together, you see?”

Ginny nodded and started to run away from the happy couple. “Ginny, where are you going?” Ivy yelled after her.

“Gryffindor tower! I have some presents to wrap!” Ginny turned back towards the school and quickly jogged back to the campus. She arrived at the portrait hole and unwrapped the scarf and took the cap from her head. She shook her long red braids loose and said the password to get into the common room. “Kneazle.”

Once she arrived in the common room, she saw the familiar sight of Harry and Ron playing chess and Hermione reading a book. She waved at Hermione and walked over to Ron. “Hello, brother dear.” She threw her arms around his neck and placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek. “Did you miss your only sister?”

Ron shrugged her off. “Quit it Ginny! I’m trying to concentrate.”

Ginny looked up from Ron’s shoulders and glanced at Hermione. “Bet he wouldn’t say that if it was you who had kissed him.” Ginny was rewarded with icy glares from Hermione, Ron and Harry. “What’s happened? Have I done something?”

“Go on, Harry. Tell her what she’s done.” Ron looked accusingly at Ginny.

“Ginny, where were you today?” Harry started calmly. “I’m only asking because I saw Luna today. She had no idea that you were supposed to be with her, writing an essay. So I want to know where you were.”

Ginny looked around and saw that all three were giving her hard stares. “I went to Hogsmeade.”

“Why did you lie?” Harry asked in a choked voice. “I thought we were friends.”

“I just couldn’t go with you. Not when you only wanted to go with me as a last resort because Ron and Hermione would be busy.” Ginny looked angrily at Harry, waiting for his answer.

“It wasn’t as a last resort! I really wanted to go with you,” Harry said hotly.

“Only so that you wouldn’t be alone!” Ginny looked at all three of them. “I’m only good enough to hang out with you when these two,” she pointed at Ron and Hermione, “are paired up. I don’t have to answer to you lot. You’re not my parents!” Ginny ran across the common room and stomped angrily up the stairs.

Hermione looked at Harry. “Well, now we’ve really stepped in it. She’ll be angry with us for weeks.”

Ron stared at Hermione. “She was being pissy! She shouldn’t have lied to Harry!”

“Did you ever think, Ron, that maybe Harry does hang out with her now that we’re occupied with each other? It may not be that way, but it could feel that way to her!” Hermione snapped her book shut and stood up from the armchair she had been sitting in.

“It’s not like that. You don’t know what Harry feels!” Ron stepped up from the chessboard and the pieces scattered everywhere.

“Neither do you, Ron!” Hermione turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs, like Ginny had earlier. Ron did the same, only headed for the boys’ dormitory. Harry was left sitting by the fire, picking up the pieces of the chess game.