Author’s Note: Wow, over 1500 reads !! You are GREAT and THANKS SO MUCH for all your COOL REVIEWS! I hope you will like this chapter, because Ginny is my favorite Weasley (well… slightly after Ron of course (!)). Please, Read and Review! Again, JKR is the real genius, and I only fancy her Weasleys! :) :)
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Ron opened his eyes, alerted by some strange noises coming from downstairs. A glance at the mural clock showed him it was only 9:12 PM, on a quiet summer evening. His parents had left earlier, just after a quick supper, for some meeting with other members of the Order. Molly had only asked him to keep an eye on his little sister until their return, and by the look in her eyes, Ron understood instantly that asking questions would have been highly risky.
He stirred in his bed, sending his volume of “Hogwarts: A history” fall down the floor. Ron reluctantly gathered the heavy book, and placed the red and gold ribbon to mark his page. "Page 2, Chapter One" he noted, frowning slightly, "only 1267 pages and 39 chapters to go through". Actually, Ron was amazed by his new personal record, he did read twelve glorious lines tonight before falling asleep!
The Burrow was only lit by moonlight as Ron came down the silent staircase. The strange noises he heard were coming from the kitchen, so was a nice smell of baking, as he pushed the door open.
A total mess was reigning in Molly’s usually spotless kitchen. And, among a confusion of bowls, spoons and scattered eggshells stood Ginny, holding a tray in her gloved hands.
"Oh, Hi, Ron!" she greeted him with a guilty smile, "sorry I woke you up!"
Ron shook his head, still gazing at his sister, while she began loading a new plate with her bakeries. She must have struggled awhile with 'whatever she was baking', judging by traces of flour on her flaming red hair and bits of uncooked dough on her oversized apron.
"Look, genuine Muggles Chocolate chips Cookies!" Ginny said eagerly, presenting the plate to Ron. "Go on, give it a try!"
"Uh … thanks, Gin! But I’m stuffed!" Ron lied, eying suspiciously at his sister’s cooking.
"Trust me!" she smiled again. "I was quite successful with this batch!"
Ron looked carefully at one flat, brown dotted cookie before taking a small bite. He was actually surprised to find it quite tasty. To Ginny’s great satisfaction, he shoved down the rest of it rapidly, before reaching for another one.
"I told you those are good, didn’t I!" Ginny said proudly. "How about some milk?"
"Mmm Hmm …" nodded Ron, his mouth full, while moving an empty baking tray from a chair before sitting.
Ginny poured him a glass of milk and took place at the messy kitchen table. She seized one cookie and nibbled it with a knowing look on her face.
"This is delicious!" Ron complimented after a third cookie. "How did you make it?"
"No magic was needed! Hermione gave me the recipe!" Ginny answered, with an odd glance at Ron. "And … speaking of Hermione" Ginny continued carefully, "you know she’s coming tomorrow? What are you intended to tell her then?"
"What?" Ron choked in his milk, his ears instantly turned red. "Does the whole world know about this? Oh, of course! The Extendable Ear!"
Ginny simply shrugged, ignoring her brother’s discomfort.
"I know you were writing to the big boys, asking for advices about Hermione!" she explained coolly. "I was the one sealing back Percy’s letter and placing it on your desk after Fred and George had read it. And if I was not mistaking, you only asked Percy as a last resort, so I figured out you had written to Charlie and Bill, but could not use their advices."
Ron’s jaw dropped in awe at Ginny’s flowing logic. This girl never ceased amazing him, as her mind just grew swifter everyday. Of course, he always knew she was smart. But hanging out with both Fred & George, and Hermione did seem to outrange her from the average girls. At this precise moment, Ron was not sure he could cope with the 'real-Weasley-wheeze-to-be' sitting across the table.
"You’re right!" Ron admitted miserably. "I did ask them!"
"What did they tell you?" Ginny asked.
"They said … Hey, but why am I talking about this with YOU?" Ron shrieked, feeling more and more nettled.
"Well, I reckon you should have asked me at the first place!"
Ron couldn’t believe his ears. That last statement did sound familiar to him.
"Ask you?" he repeated, "I can’t ask you! You’re my little sister!"
"AND a Girl, in case you have not noticed!"
Another familiar accusation! Ron remembered vividly that another girl had blamed him for the same crime two years ago, at the Yule Ball.
"Come on, Ron!" urged Ginny, "give me a try! What if I can help you with a clue or two?"
Ron sighed again before taking his decision. After all, every brother of his, including Percy, had guessed about Hermione. Besides, he had nothing to loose to tell Ginny, hadn’t he?
"Charlie recommended patience and observation, but I think he’d rather deal with dragons" Ron said, and Ginny’s giggles filled up the room. "Bill suggested I follow Dad’s example, tell Hermione stories to make her see the world the way I see it … And I guess you know about Percy’s, Fred and George’s opinion about the matter. The worst thing is, I reckon I can’t apply any of their plans!" he concluded, leaning back on his chair, a look of disgust on his face.
"Do you know why?" Ginny began, after listening patiently to him. "Because those plans are someone else’s, not yours! Those great advices might perform wonders with the girls Charlie or Bill, or Fred and George might fancy. But your instinct certainly told you it can’t help you with Hermione! You know, Ron, what a girl really wants, is that the boy she fancies can show her, in his own way, that he does care about her!"
"That is what I try to do!" Ron replied. "But why make things so complicated? Why don’t you just tell us straight what you expect from us, so there would be no misunderstanding, no waste of time, and no one would be disappointed?"
"And suck the whole fun out of the process?" Ginny snapped back, her mutinous grin was back on her lips. "What is the glory in catching the Snitch if you know in advance its exact position and timing? Can you imagine something like …" Ginny then curled her hands in front of her mouth, on an improvised megaphone "'Hullo, Snitch to Seeker! Please, freeze and raise your right hand! I start my landing in exactly 3 … 2 … 1 … seconds. Over!'"
Ginny knew she scored a point as Ron’s face lit up with a whole new reckoning. To her brother, anything related to Quiddicht would make sense, and she just had a new proof of it!
"The most important point is that you truly care for each other!" Ginny continued, inspired by Ron’s broad smile. "Do you think Hermione care about you?"
"I don’t know!" Ron hesitated "… I guess she might … sometimes …"
"Have you ever wondered why Hermione kept watching over you, urging you on homework, among other things? Why she spent her holiday here, at the Burrow, instead of traveling world wide with her parents? She had even refused Viktor Krum’s invitation to visit his castle in Bulgaria …"
"HA!" Ron interrupted hotly, just hating the mention of both Hermione and Krum’s name in one sentence. "Do you know she wrote novels to him all year long? And right under my freckled nose!"
"Is that what she told you? And you did actually believe it was true?"
Ginny shook her head at her brother’s puzzled expression. She fondly reached for Ron’s hand across the table. Dear Ron! How could he be such an unbeatable chess-player, and so clueless when feelings were concerned!
"Look, Hermione kept sending signs that she does care about you, and, please, stop bashing them right back at her, all right? I think it is high time you speak out your feelings for her! Believe me, Hermione would LOVE hearing it from you!"
"What … if she does not feel what I do?" Ron muttered. "What if I … make a … complete … fool out of myself?"
"You won’t!" Ginny declared. "Just be sincere, true to yourself. I know both of you enough to guarantee a sure win! And speaking as a girl myself, I say we know and treasure any gesture coming straight from the heart."
"How do you know?"
Ginny’s expression softened instantly. She turned her gaze away from Ron, drifting now in her own nostalgia. Ron was fascinated by the mixed feelings that were shining in her amber eyes. Was it longing, or hope, or courage? Ron could not make up his mind about his sister thoughts.
"I know, that’s all!" Ginny answered softly. "When I care about someone, I only know that my heart swells at the sight of him, at the sound of his voice. And when he looks at me, I can see my whole world in his eyes! He doesn’t need to tackle a dragon, or perform a Patronus to impress me … Watching him de-gnoming the backyard is adventure for me, as long as he is happy doing it! I imagine it must be … wonderful … to hear him telling me that he does care about me too…"
Then, with the same suddenness, Ginny appeared to snap out of her thoughts, realizing she probably had revealed too much.
"I can hear Fred and George! They’re still after me for the Extendable Ear!" she said, blushing furiously and hurried out of the kitchen without a look back.
"Ginny, who will clean all this mess?" Ron called after her.
No reply came back, nor did any sign of Fred and George’s presence!
Ron rose resolutely to his feet, and took on clearing Ginny’s abandoned battle field. She deserved this favour, he decided, as their conversation had undoubtedly lifted his spirits to a new level. He promised himself he would thank her later, whenever she’d decide to reappear.
Dear Ginny, Ron thought fondly, as he discovered dozens of wasted cookies hidden under the sink. She made it sound almost easy … A girl’s mind was obviously not so inscrutable, after all! As far as his little sister was concerned, all it took was sincerity, a bunch of untidy black hair, and a scar on the forehead!
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A/N: VOILÀ! Thanks again for reading! Please, let me know what you think, OK? If you are still with me, the next chapter will be Hermione’s response to Ron! :) :)