Maybe This Time

CHAPTER ELEVEN: TRICKY FRIENDS

JULY 1

WIZARDING AIRPORT, LONDON

`Harry,´ greeted Draco, upon seeing him at the airport where licensed international carpets could land. `Nice to see you, mate!´

`Draco!´ said Harry, patting his back. `Glad to see you! Where´s Ron?´

`That´s where we are bloody going,´ he replied. `To Ron´s.´ Draco grabbed some of his bags and then led him to his car. He placed Harry´s things on his trunk and then got in.

`Nice car, Malfoy.´ Harry turned on the stereo. `Good day, isn´t it?´

`It´s a gift from my parents and I just put the spell on it yesterday. It is that new. And yeah, it´s really a good day.´

`Bloody hell,´ said Harry. `Another car from your parents?´

`I got tired of my old one---´

`I see.´ Harry adjusted his chair into a lying position. `Just tell me when we are there. I didn´t sleep at all because we passed to this stormy area and the carpet was bloody shaking. I´m sleepy.´

`Go ahead and sleep,´ he replied. `I´ll just wake you up later.´ He couldn´t help but grin when Harry closed his eyes. This is way easier than what he thought. At least he wouldn´t know until they get there and by that time, it´s too late to leave...

====================

THE BURROW

`Hermione?´ yelled Ginny, frantically who was in her bathrobe. `Hermione?!´

`What?!´ said Hermione, sitting up on Ginny´s bed and looking at her. `Calm down, will you?´

`Me? Calm down?´ Ginny walked back and forth while brushing her long red straight hair. `He´s going to be here anytime soon!´

`Like I don´t know,´ replied Hermione, making her sit down in front of the mirror. `Now what is the problem?´

`Some of my hair is standing up!´

`That´s all?´ sighed Hermione.

`That all?!´ Ginny looked aggravated.

`Come on and give me your hair brush,´ said Hermione. `I´ll fix it for you.´ She kneeled in front of Ginny. `You´ll be fine, OK?´

Ginny nodded.

==================

`Potter,´ said Draco, while listening to Eminem´s songs. `Potter.´

`Hmm,´ he mumbled. `Just five more minutes.´

`Wake up you prat!´ said Draco, landing at the Burrow´s driveway. `We are here. Wake up.´

`Two more minutes,´ said Harry, shifting his position. `Two more minutes.´

`I said, WAKE UP!´ said Draco, stopping the engine. He shook him a little. `Wake up!´

`One more minute, Malfoy,´ he mumbled again. `Please.´

`No,´ he said again and then conjured a glass of water. He started sprinkling some on his face but he just ignored him. `Are you going to bloody wake up or I´ll splash this water on your face?´

==================

`Ginny!´ called Ron from downstairs. `He´s here!´

`What?!´ shrieked Ginny. `No! I´m not ready yet!´

`Ginny,´ said Hermione, brushing her hair. `Hush. You´ll be fine. Just take a deep breath and then everything will be fine. Don´t panic, OK?´

Ginny swallowed hard.

`Now get over here and let me help you put on your dress,´ said Hermione, `Harry´s jaw will drop on the ground upon seeing you in this...´

`You think so?´

`I know so,´ said Hermione in her know-it-all tone.

====================

`What was the water splashing for prat?´ said Harry, wiping his face and sitting up. `You---´ He looked around.

`What?´ mocked Draco. `Lost your tongue?´

Harry blinked his eyes. He pinched his cheeks and then panicked every time he felt it. He laid on his seat again and then sat up straight once again. He moved his head and then looked at the very familiar surroundings again. This is no mistake. He... was... at... the... Burrow. He grabbed Draco´s shirt. `What are we doing here?! Tell me! What? Why am I here?!´ He can´t be here...

`Potter---´

`She´s here! Great Merlin,´ said Harry, anxiously. `What am I going to do?! She´s here! She´s bloody here! Oh---´

`Potter,´ sneered Draco. `Are you really a Gryffindor?´

`I hate you, Malfoy,´ said Harry, desperately, `I really hate you.´

`I couldn´t care less---´

`Is Ron into this as well? I hate you both! Why did you have to take me here?´

`There´s a welcome home party inside, you git,´ said Draco. `Poor Mrs. Weasley. Maybe I´ll just tell her that you can´t come. She´s going to feel really bad, but who cares? Do you? No.´

`She´s not there?´ asked Harry nervously.

`No,´ lied Draco. `Now get out of the car and get in there. Besides, she can´t see you remember?´

`Oh, yes,´ said Harry, feeling a little relieved. `So she´s not there?´

`I said No, right?´ said Draco impatiently. `Get out of the car and get in the house. Everybody´s waiting for you, OK?´

`OK,´ said Harry, looking obliged and then got out of the car. `You´re sure that she´s not in there?´

Draco sighed and then rolled eyes. He got out of the car and then went to Harry´s side. `Open the door,´ he demanded.

`No,´ said Harry stubbornly. He´s acting like Ron at the moment.

`OK,´ said Draco, nonchalantly. `I´ll just go inside and tell everybody, especially Mrs. Weasley, that all their hard work will just go to waste and---´ The door clicked. Draco opened the door and then pulled Harry out of the car.

`Will you let go of my shirt?´ snapped Harry, pushing Draco.

`You really love Mrs. Weasley, don´t you?´ sneered Draco, as they walked together towards the door.

`So what if I do? The lady has been nothing but nice to me,´ said Harry, looking at him.

`That´s good,´ said Draco and then opened the door. `After you.´

`Please go first, Malfoy,´ begged Harry anxiously.

`OK,´ said Draco, shrugging. He stepped in the house and then Harry followed. He remained on Draco´s back and would just peep over his shoulder to check who´s there. Draco rolled his eyes and then pulled him to his side.

`What the---´ hissed Harry, immediately moving to Draco´s back once again.

Draco couldn´t help but laugh. He was making a total fool out of himself. This is bloody hilarious!

`It´s not funny,´ said Harry, frowning. `Stop laughing.´

Draco just shook his head in amazement.

In the meantime, upstairs, Ginny has been really busy making herself look her best. She took one last glance at the mirror and she knew that she looked good. `Hermione,´ she said. `I´m coming out.´

Hermione sat up on her bed once again and then her jaw dropped upon seeing Ginny.

She looked very feminine in her fuchsia pink stretch blouse that looked like a tube with spaghetti straps tied up on her shoulders in a neat ribbon, a flowing white skirt with small flowers that is three inches above her knees, and fuchsia pink flip-flops.

Hermione grinned, jumped off the bed and then went to her side. `Let´s go down,´ she said excitedly. `Shall we? I can´t wait to see his face when he sees you!´

Ginny grinned. `I look good.´

`Stunning,´ said Hermione, pulling her out of her bedroom but stopped when they heard a bunch of male voices talking downstairs.

`Harry,´ said Fred, `It´s so good to see you!´

`It´s so good to see you too,´ said Harry, still behind Draco. He lowered his voice. He´s still not sure if Ginny´s here or not. `Where is everybody?´

`Outside,´ said George who was frowning at the hesitant Harry who just remained on Draco´s back.

`Will you,´ said Draco, pulling Harry to his side, `stay here on my side?´

`No,´ said Harry, stepping on his shadow once again.

`Is something wrong?´ asked George.

`No,´ said Harry uneasily. `Everything´s fine.´

`Are you sure?´ said Ron, joining the group.

`Ron!´ said Harry, pulling him to his front and pushing Draco away.

`Are you alright?´ asked Ron, fighting a mad desire to laugh.

Fred and George just looked at each other.

`Calm down,´ said Draco, `She can´t see you, remember?´

`Yes,´ sighed Harry.

`Let´s go out to the garden,´ suggested George.

`OK,´ said Harry but froze when he heard two pairs of feminine voices descending down the stairs. Cold sweat began forming on his forehead. He swallowed hard. The other one belonged to Hermione and the other one... Oh no! This can´t be! No! Great Merlin!

`Hello,´ greeted Ginny, brightly and all the boys´ jaws dropped on the ground upon seeing her. `What?´

`Looking good, baby sister,´ said George, eyeing her up and down.

`Damn,´ said Draco, `I didn´t know your sister looked that good---´ He felt Ron glare at him which made him smirk.

`Neither did I,´ added Ron. `I knew she was beautiful---but I didn´t know that she was that beautiful.´

`Our baby has grown,´ said Fred, pretending to wipe away tears.

Harry didn´t say anything. He was too busy enjoying this spectacular view. Great Merlin! She´s bloody beautiful...

`Dream come true, Potter?´ asked Draco.

Fred and George looked at each other once again.

Harry looked at Draco. Did he just say that? You stupid git!

`Harry,´ greeted Hermione. `I---´

`No no no, Hermione,´ interrupted Harry immediately, waving his hands in the air in protest. `Ginny can´t hear and see me. We´ll talk later.´

`Oh, yes,´ said Hermione, suddenly. `What time will he be here?´

`Yes,´ said Ginny, playing along and pretending that she can´t see Harry. `I already miss that prat. He didn´t even say goodbye---´ She looked in Harry´s direction.

Did she just look at me? No... She can´t see me... No...

`Oh my,´ said Ginny, `I forgot something upstairs.´ She went upstairs with Hermione.

`Tell her that we will be right outside, OK?´ said Harry to Ron.

`OK,´ said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh. Harry looked so stupid. `We will be right outside!´

`See you,´ said Ginny.

All the boys went outside. Harry said Hello to everybody and then went to his friends to do a lot of catching up.

`So how was training, Harry?´ asked Percy.

`Oh it was great but tiring,´ he replied, taking a sip of his juice. `All of them were Oliver Wood type of captain---´

`Uh,´ said Fred and George in disgust.

`He is a good friend but---´ said George.

`A very pushy Captain,´ continued Fred.

Suddenly, all the people that Harry was talking to looked at the same direction.

`What has gotten into you, Ginny?´ asked Percy, grinning and looking very impressed.

`What?´ said Ginny, joining in the conversation.

Harry froze once again and then slowly and carefully walked away from his crowd which caused Percy, Fred and George to look at each other. Draco and Ron, however, were doing their best to keep themselves from laughing. He looked so stupid.

`Oops,´ said Percy, combing his hair with his hands. `Penny´s here! Bye!´ He left and then walked towards his girlfriend, followed by Fred and George once Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell arrived. It was only Ron, Draco, Ginny, Hermione and Harry.

Harry was five feet away from Ginny and he was staring at her. She looked so beautiful in her skirt and blouse. He loved the way her skirt flowed with the wind. He loved the way her hair flowed with the wind. He loved the way she shined under the sun. She was beautiful. Period.

Ron was looking at him and is biting his tongue to keep himself from laughing. Hermione nudged him.

`What are you looking at Ron?´ said Ginny, still playing along and squinting at Harry.

`Nothing, nothing, nothing,´ said Harry immediately.

`Nothing,´ said Ron.

Draco smirked.

Harry took a few steps forward until he was at Ginny´s back and then leaned down to smell her fragrant hair. He closed his eyes. Her hair still has that same sweet scent.

Draco and Ron were now pinching themselves to keep them from laughing while Hermione placed a hand over her chest. She thought that it was sweet.

Ginny smiled when he felt Harry on her back and then slowly turned around. `Smelling my hair?´ she asked with a bit of grin on her face.

Harry´s eyes immediately opened. He froze and then slowly took a step backwards. `This can´t be,´ he said. He jumped on his left. Ginny followed with her eyes. He jumped on his right and Ginny was able to follow him again. `Ahhhh!!!´

`Harry,´ said Ginny, trying to calm him down.

Ron and Draco were now rolling on the floor because of intense laughing.

`Ahhhh!´ he yelled once again. He was looking at Ginny as if she was a ghost. `You can see me?! You know it´s Neville?´

`Yes,´ said Ginny, taking a step towards him.

Harry suddenly felt very dizzy. His world began spinning so fast and before he knew it, he fainted.