A/N: This is it! I'm done! Woo Hooo! Thanks to my beta, jk_salmeier! She's been awesome. Now I can get back to work on Children of Prophecies. But RL has me running in lots of circles between now and the end of the month, so don't expect anything too soon. Thanks to everyoen who has read and reviewed and alerted! :)
Chapter Ten—Revenge?
November 21, 1994-- Gryffindor Common Room
George Weasley stopped short on the bottom step of the boys' staircase with his twin running into his back.
"Ow, why did you stop?" Fred demanded of his twin. George simply pointed to the area by the fire. After looking over, he blinked several times. "Forge, are my eyes deceiving me? Is that our munchkin of a sister with her lips pressed against our resident champion?"
"Gred, your eyes are not being deceitful." They both watched silently as Harry pulled away from Ginny.
"Methinks this calls…" Fred started.
"for a prank. Didn't she say.." George continued.
"they were nothing…"
"more than friends." Both twins finished together with a scowl. After watching Ginny grab Harry's hand and pull him out of the portrait hole, Fred's scowl turned into a smirk.
"I know just what to do. Quick, we need a potion from my trunk and some fast footwork, but I'm sure that we can pull this off."
"Care to share your brainstorm, O Wise One?" George called after his twin, who had raced up the stairs to their room.
"Oh, I will. Just not until we're on our way down to the Great Hall," his brother's voice echoed down the stairs.
HPGWHPGWHPGWHPGWHPGW
Great Hall
Ginny sat down at the Gryffindor table still holding Harry's hand. Absentmindedly, as her mind was still reeling from the fact that Harry! had kissed her, Ginny started filing her and Harry's plates with breakfast foods before pouring pumpkin juice for them both. Feeling Harry's eyes on her, she turned to look at him.
"What?" she asked, worried that her hair was messed up or something. She tried to let go of Harry's hand to run her fingers through her hair, but Harry tightened his grip on her hand.
"It's just…" Harry shook his head. "You put all my favourites on my plate. How did you know?"
She blushed and ducked her head. Getting her Gryffindor courage out, she turned back and looked at him. "I pay attention, Harry, to things that interest me."
Harry grinned. "I don't know of anyone else who would know what I like. In fact I don't know anyone else who would even care to find out what I like to eat for breakfast. So thanks."
She grinned before turning to eat. Breakfast seemed to pass very slowly to Ginny. She wanted to get to Hogsmeade and enjoy her day with Harry.
Her twin brothers bounded up slightly out of breath. She should have thought something was up then, especially when they said nothing to her about Hogsmeade or Harry, but she was too caught up in the feel of Harry's hand holding hers under the table.
Before she and Harry left, the twins came over to them and clapped a hand on one of their shoulders. Both Harry and Ginny turned toward each other before looking at the twins.
"Harry, is it true that you'll be escorting our dear ickle Gin-Gin to Hogsmeade?" the twins chorused.
Ginny watched as Harry looked back and forth between the two as if he was trying to determine their intentions. She was so busy watching confusion spread across his face that she missed Fred slipping something in their juice cups.
"Yes, it's true," he answered cautiously.
The twins' faces brightened as they told Harry and Ginny to have a wonderful time in Hogsmeade. They exited the room clapping each other on the back and jostling shoulders.
"What was that all about?" Harry wondered, turning back to the table before draining his juice. After Ginny finished hers, he stood up and offered her a hand. "Well, shall we?"
Placing her hand in his, she very gracefully stood up and answered, "We shall."
The couple strode out the door and down toward the gates where Filch stood checking students with permission slips. Ginny waved at Hermione, who was standing and talking with Neville ahead of them. Craning her head around to look at who else was coming, she saw her friend Luna inspecting the area near the gates. Ginny wondered if she was looking for Nargles or something like that. Feeling Harry's hand pulling on hers, she walked forward in line with him.
"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked her.
"Wondering what all we'll do today mostly, but also I was checking out who else is coming together today. It looks like quite a few couples, actually."
Filch looked over the list and nodded toward the couple. Harry tugged her forward through the gates of Hogwarts. "Well, are you prepared to be dazzled by the sights and sounds of Hogsmeade?"
"What do you have planned, Mister Potter?" Ginny responded with a huge grin and a twinkle in her eye.
Harry gave her a mysterious smile before simply shrugging his shoulders, saying "You'll see." They strolled down the path hand-in-hand, chatting comfortably like two close friends do who are slowly becoming more.
A huge body forced itself between the two of them, causing Ginny's hand to be ripped from Harry's. She shook her hand in pain and bewilderment before looking up to see Crabbe bumping shoulders with Goyle, laughing at them.
Malfoy's slimy, insidious voice rang out toward the couple. "Oh look, Potter's got a girlfriend. Aww!"
Harry stopped and turned around, facing Malfoy. He cocked his head to the side and said, "Yes, I do. What's your point?" Ginny's heart warmed at this. Her smile spread from one ear to the other.
"Surely even you could do better than a lowly poor blood-traitor?" Malfoy drawled, coming to stand toe to toe with Harry.
Harry grabbed Ginny's hand once more. "Malfoy, you only wish you could find someone half as good as Ginny here." Looking around, Harry added, "Evidently no one wants to go to Hogsmeade with a ferret." He grinned at Malfoy before turning and strolling away with Ginny.
Laughter pealed from all around them as the couple walked away. Ginny assumed that people had overheard Harry's remarks and were laughing at Draco. However, Ginny noticed that people were starting to point at her and Harry, laughing. She looked down at her clothes. No, nothing was missing or messed up. She reached up with her free hand and patted her hair. That seemed fine as well. Looking over at Harry, Ginny was startled to see his messy hair was now Weasley red.
"Um, Harry?" Ginny was a little scared to broach the subject with him. She looked at him, thinking that while she preferred his hair black, red wasn't too bad on him. It went well with his eyes. A thought rose unbidden in her- was she getting a preview as to what their child might look like? She almost stopped breathing.
"Yes, Ginny?" Harry looked over at her. His eyes widened and he appeared to stop breathing. He dropped her hand and turned around, acting like he was going back. Ginny grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Harry? Where are you going?"
"Ginny, don't you see? Malfoy must have done something to your beautiful red hair! It's black. I'm going to kill him." Harry started to try to go toward Malfoy, but Ginny tightened her grip on Harry's arm.
"Harry, it wasn't Malfoy. Think about it. When he tried to duel you in the hall, he sent Densaugeo at you, right?" When she saw Harry slowly nod at her, she continued, "Well, this is too innocuous for him. This," dropping her hold on his arm to point to his hair, "is more like something the twins might pull. Oh, by the way, your hair is now Weasley red." She bit her lower lip, trying not to burst into laughter as his face turned almost the same colour as his hair. "Oh, look. You're starting to fit in with us even more." Her voice couldn't contain the laughter welling up in her.
He just looked at her, cocking his head to one side. "You know, even though you are laughing at your date, your hair isn't so bad black. But I much prefer the Weasley red. It goes with your freckles better."
"You dare bring up my freckles!" she screeched at him. "You know how much I hate them." Pretending like she was fuming, she marched a few steps away from him before he grabbed her hand once more.
"I'm sorry, Ginny," Harry said, trying to look contrite, but not quite pulling it off. "Here let me see if I can get our colour back the way it's supposed to be." He pulled out his wand. Waving it, he cast "Finite." Nothing changed. "Finite Incantatem." Again, no change. "Darn, what did your brothers do to us?"
Ginny shrugged. "It looks like we'll have to deal with this for now, at least. But you just wait until I see those twins. They'll regret they were ever born." She smirked.
Harry stopped her. "Ginny, we're a team now. Don't go planning anything without me. I'll definitely help you get back at your brothers. In fact, I'll promise you that we'll get our revenge."
"Another promise?" Ginny smiled as she thought about how Harry had fulfilled every promise he made to her. "I'll take every promise I can get from you." Harry leaned over and ran his free hand through her now dark hair. His lips lightly touching hers caused a tidal wave of emotions to pour through her.
"There. I sealed this promise with a kiss."
"You can do that every time as well," Ginny said, leaning into Harry's shoulder as they walked off to enjoy their day in Hogsmeade.