A/N: Well, since Snapshots is finished (except for the epilogue that I need to write, hmm…) I decided to start a new fic. It's Harry/Ginny for the most part, cause I'm just in one of those moods, though there will probably be some other pairings. I got the idea from this awesome book that I just finished reading: The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and Co. or the whole secret assignments idea. I'm in desperate need of some originality, aren't I?

The Secret Assignments

Chapter One

Let the Secret Assignments Begin

"So, any of you up for it?" Hermione asked, the eager glint in her eyes scaring me just a teensy bit. I shifted on the stiff cushion of the train bench as she looked around at all of us in the compartment. I should have known something was up when Herm ditched the Checker Board Squares (known to some as my brother Ronald and his best mate, the Boy-Who-Lived-Just-To-Watch-Me-Make-A-Fool-Of-Myself-And-Laugh-At-Expense) to drag the four of us into an empty compartment with her.

"I don't know, Hermione. Secret Assignments? What exactly are we supposed to do?" Lavender asked uncertainly. She and Parvati were doing that thing where they talk to each other telepathically, which is really creepy because whenever they do that I always end up wondering if they can read anyone's mind, instead of just each other's. And that would be seriously creepy, them being able to read my mind.

"Oh, come on! It'd be like an extended version of Truth or Dare. You can assign anything you want – well, anything reasonable that you want. It'd be really cool, don't you think?" Hermione persisted. Excuse me a moment while I take a mental note to remind myself to never buy her another one of those muggle teen novels. Ever. Bloody things give her too many crazy ideas. Though, admittedly, this isn't as bad as that whole S.P.E.W. thing she had going a few years back. She just wanted to do this whole Secret Assignments/Truth or Dare thing. She said it'd be a good way to strengthen our bonds of friendship, which I interpret to mean build our bonds of friendship considering that out of the four of us here (Me, Hermy, Lavender, Parvati, and Luna) I'm the only one Hermione considers her friend, and I only consider her and Luna to be my friends.

"I think it sounds fantastic," Luna said softly from my right. I turned to her and raised an eyebrow. She didn't notice though, she was absorbed in an issue of The Quibbler. According to the cover, it's a special holiday issue, though for what holiday it doesn't specify.

"See? Luna agrees with me!" Hermione pounced on the first optimistic comment one of them had said the whole conversation. Lavender and Parvati looked at each other again – more of their telepathy thing. I'd feel much safer around those two if I could learn how to block people from reading your mind. Like setting up a mental brick wall that lets in no intruders.

"I guess it wouldn't kill us to give it a shot," Parvati sighed. Hermione clapped her hands together and bounced in her seat. She can be so immature sometimes.

"Ginny?" I looked to Hermione when she said my name and noticed everyone was staring at me now, except for Luna. That most be a really interesting holiday special issue.

"Yeah Hermy?" I asked innocently. Please don't ask me to join in your little game.

"Are you in or what?" Lavender and Parvati asked in unison. Hermione's excitement had spread, dear Merlin. Sorry, no, I'll have to pass.

"Why not?" I heard myself ask and shrugged my shoulders. Ginevra Weasley, you're worse under pressure than a rotten banana.

"Excellent! Now, let's start with code names!" Hermione said while she reached inside her rucksack and pulled out some parchment and a muggle pen (much more practical for when you're writing while inside a moving vehicle, with all the bumps and sharp turns).

"Code names? What are we, Hermione, nine?" Lavender asked. Code names are a bit childish, even for Hermy when she's in one of these moods.

"Please?" Dear Merlin, she's practically begging. What is she on, I wonder? Whatever it is, she had better share. Friends share because they care, Hermione!

"I think code names would be quite sensible," Luna commented, her eyes actually leaving the page she was reading to glance at us. Only for a second though. She's back to reading about…Day of the Dead? That sounds like a cheerful holiday. Is that a holiday?

"It's a Spanish holiday," Luna murmured. All this time I was worried about Lavender and Parvati reading my mind, when it was Luna all along! I should have known… I need to work on constructing that mental brick wall immediately.

"Luna, would you care to elaborate on exactly why code names would be sensible?" Parvati asked, peering around me to look at her.

"Not really, no." Wow, that Day of the Dead stuff must be simply fascinating. Parvati huffed and fell back in her seat.

"Luna's right. Think about it, what if a teacher happens upon an assignment? They're going to be written out, so it'd be best to use code names so we don't get into trouble." There's the sensible Hermione we all know and tolerate.

"Why would we get into trouble? Exactly what are we doing?" Lavender and Parvati exclaimed.

"Like I said, pretty much anything. And don't sound so much like a couple of Hufflepuffs! Where's your Gryffindor spirit?" Hermy demanded.

"What has any of this got to do with bloody Houses?" I muttered. Lavender and Parvati nodded as if to say "Yeah!"

"Nothing really. But getting back on track, I think I'll be Game Master. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Hermy chirped, seriously, it sounded like she was an effing bird, and started scribbling down some stuff. She had her knees propped up so I couldn't read what she was writing from across the compartment.

"Whatever," Lavender grumbled as Parvati asked the ceiling, "Why do we even bother?"

"Alright! So, Luna, what do you want your code name to be?" Hermione asked, very acutely ignoring her disgruntled roommates.

Luna actually closed her magazine, carefully holding her space with her thumb, and looked out the train window in thought. Smiling in a slightly creepy way, she turned back to Hermione and pronounced, "Marvin. I'll be Marvin."

Hermione practically squealed, "The manically depressed robot?" Luna nodded in her mysterious way and went back to looking at some eerie pictures of skull shaped candy.

"Have you any idea what they're on about?" Parvati asked me. Lavender had scooted away from Hermione as far down the bench as she could, leaving her pressed up against the window.

"Not a clue," I told her. I didn't have the slightest idea.

Hermione waved her hand dismissively, "It's a muggle book. Now, Parvati? What's your code name going to be?"

Parvati began drumming her brilliant red-painted nails on her knee as she thought. I wish I could do that, paint my nails red I mean. Problem is it clashes horribly with my hair. Unable to think of a fitting code name, she turned to Lavender. Time for more telepathy. I want to learn to be a telepath. Maybe I can use a secret assignment to make one of them teach me the arts of telepathy. That would be cool. They might even know how to do that mental brick wall thing.

Oh dear. They have that look in their eyes that Crookshanks gets when he's just cornered a house elf – malicious triumph. "I think I'll be LaFawndah," Parvati finally proclaimed.

"And I'll be Shaniqua," Lavender added, snatching Hermy's pen and parchment to jot their code names down. Hermione, meanwhile, was hiding her giggles behind her hand. She looks really funny when she does that, like she's choking on something - since her face gets all red - and can't spit it out. Luna was grinning, though I doubt it had anything to do with the article she was reading.

"Did I miss something?" I asked curiously. Then they all started giggling. At my expense. I hate it when they do that. Though, this is the first time they've ever done it collectively. "Hardy har har, let's all laugh at Gin since we can't tell a decent joke," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at them all.

There was Hermione waving her hand again. Why, hello, Hermy. Fancy meeting you here. No, sorry, I can't stop for a chat, I've an important previous engagement that I must attend. So sorry. "Never mind, Gin. So, how about Nelson for your code name?" she suggested giddily.

"Nelson? How come you all get to pick out your names, but I get stuck with Nelson?" I demanded, complete with balled fists and foot stomping action.

"Then we could call you Nelly! How cute!" Lavender giggled.

Time for a mature comeback. I gave them all a raspberry. That'll sure show them to make fun of me. "Or not. I think I'll be the Mad Hatter," I stated airily.

"Mad Hatter?" Parvati questioned incredulously, breaking into another giggle fit.

"Because she's gone quite mad, obviously," Luna explained. Okay, that wasn't exactly what I was going for, but it'll do.

"Alright then," Hermione said as she clamed down, "We have Game Master, Marvin, LaFawndah, Shaniqua, and Mad Hatter. Interesting names to say the least. Now we just need to set up some basic rules. Rule number one, all assignments must be written, and they can't be sent by owl."

"So then how are we supposed to deliver them if we aren't in the same house?" Parvati asked.

"Get creative. Now, as far as the first assignments go, I'll be issuing them since I'm the Game Master. Each assignment has to entail who the assignment is from and who it is to - a given. A deadline is required for when the assignment has to be completed by. Nothing illegal, as in against the law. School rules can be broken though – "

The rest of us gasped en masse. Had Hermione Granger just said that school rules could be broken? What is the world coming to, I ask you?

"It wouldn't be a very fun game if we didn't break any rules, would it?" Hermione asked rhetorically with an eye roll. "You have to complete your assignment on time. Failure to do so will result in the use of special charms to ensure that it does not happen again. You can, however, appeal for an extension if, say, you're stuck in the hospital wing. And you can't be cheap and use the secret assignments to get one of us to do your homework for you. That's just unacceptable."

"At least we know she hasn't gone completely insane," Parvati stage whispered to me. I couldn't help but smile. Lavender choked on a giggle. Hermione didn't react. Six years of having to put up with rooming with Lavender Parvati must have made her completely immune to their antics. A useful habit, I must admit.

"Right, so, that should cover everything for now. Any questions, address them to me on parchment. You'll find your first assignments on your bedside tables when you return to your dorms after the feast," Hermione said, standing up to exit our humble compartment.

"You've been planning this thing for a while haven't you?" I couldn't help but ask as she opened the door.

She turned back and smiled happily, "Only since I finished that book you got me." And with that she stepped out into the narrow corridor and made off to find the Checker Board Squares.

"So this is all your fault," Parvati and Lavender whispered together in their creepy way, turning to me with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, come on, it'll be great fun, don't you think?" Neither of them looked like they would readily agree with me. "Luna?" I tried, but she was engrossed in The Quibbler again. Shame.

Hermy took the opportunity to pop back in for a quick warning then: "Remember, should you get caught, you have the right to remain silent." Next second, she'd disappeared again. Well, that's reassuring.

Hogwarts

Gin-Gin's Super Secret Journal

(Not Diary. Journal.)

September 1, 1996

'Lo Journal,

I think I've gotten myself into a spot of trouble. Again. Just found my first secret assignment. I'll stick it in here instead of writing it out. Have to exact revenge shortly. Hermy's going down for this one.

To: Mad Hatter

From: Game Master

Assignment: Knick a pair of Harry's boxers. Bring them to the Room of Requirement on the deadline specified below. Have fun!

Deadline: Friday, Sept. 5

A/N: And that's the end of Chapter One. I realize that some of the stuff I mention doesn't actually fall within the timeline, but it's nothing to outrageous, so live with it. It's not as if I'm having them listen to Avril Lavigne in the Marauder Era. Also note that this takes place in Hermione's sixth year, Ginny's fifth. Yeah, I don't feel like sticking to canon, I feel like writing something fun, so no depressing Voldie-poo. Don't like it? Don't read it. Tell me what you think of it so far. I would greatly appreciate a review. Even if it's a flame. At least I'll have a spark of happiness seeing that my inbox isn't empty anymore. Tootles!

-Phaerie

B/N: Howdy! Yeah this is Phaerie's sister and it is currently very early in the morning so if I missed a few things please don't get too mad cause I was forced into reading this against my will while I was still half asleep so yeah…if you can't stand it, get over it. Anyways back to what I was originally going to say. The whole Nelson thing came from me cause it's my nickname and my sis shortened it so it would sound like a girl's name…but yeah it's a long story. I figured it would be nice if she put it in there since Ginny and I share the same name and it would be fitting to have the same nickname…but yeah anyways I'm done blabbing on continuously so I'll go now. Au revoir.

-Clause