Chapter Five: He's My Date, Ron

Not DH-compliant.

Chapter Five: He's My Date, Ron

Saturday dawned brightly, and considering the rainy weather of the previous few days, it seemed to bode well for the Hogsmeade outing. Draco had been correct, and it did seem that half the staff was accompanying the students that day, although Professor Snape had stood inside the gate, arms crossed, watching as everyone left, then he and Rath had closed and warded the gates behind them. There were several Aurors scattered about the village, at least eight, Draco thought, and between them and the teachers, Draco didn't hold out much hope for catching some time alone with Ginny.

As Ginny had suggested, they joined long and lanky seventh-year Slytherin prefect, Chip Thackery, who wore his Snape's Slytherin gold-and-silver double snake ring that day, Niamh Donovan, the Ravenclaw Head Girl, and Luna Lovegood.

"Where to first?" Ginny asked.

"I want to stop at the Quidditch supply shop, if that's okay with everyone," Niamh said.

"Whatever your heart desires, desire of my heart!" Chip said, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Draco hid his grimace with a cough. "Yeah, that's fine with me, too," he said.

The others concurred, but Luna hung around just inside the door, looking out at the street.

"Expecting someone?" Niamh asked her.

Draco wandered over to the display of Snitches.

"Yeah," Luna said. She giggled. "The 'desire of my heart.'"

Draco rolled his eyes at Ginny, who grinned and picked up a pair of racing gloves.

"Did you see him in your flower petals during Divination this week?" Chip asked with a smirk.

"No, I see him right now," Luna said calmly. She opened the door and waved at someone out on the street.

Draco turned to look out the large window that faced the street. He could feel the blood drain from his face. He grabbed Ginny's arm, and she turned toward him, ready to complain about his grip, then she saw his expression, and she followed his gaze.

"Oh my . . ." she breathed.

Niamh looked almost as stunned as Draco and Ginny, but Chip was grinning his wrinkled bulldog grin.

"Luna!" Niamh said urgently. "Why didn't you tell us that Ron was meeting you?"

Luna shrugged, and Niamh looked at Draco and Ginny, then up at Chip. "Chip, take Draco somewhere, anywhere. Ginny, you can stick with me."

"And where are we supposed to go?" Chip asked. "And how are we supposed to get there?"

Indeed, it was too late for anyone to leave the broomstick shop, even by Apparition; Ron was right outside the door, and now he was stepping in, leaning toward Luna, and kissing her lightly.

Ginny took a breath and stepped forward. "Ron! Hey! I didn't know you were going to be in Hogsmeade this weekend. I thought the Cannons were playing Puddlemere today." She threw her arms around him.

"Wotcha, Gin! I don't have to be at the stadium until two, and the game begins at four. Wish I could bring you! I'll be starting Keeper today." Ron's gaze moved from Ginny's face to the back of the shop, where Draco stood looking at children's starter brooms. An expression of distaste crossed Ron's face. "Let's get out of here. I'll treat you and Luna to a pastry at Puddifoot's. Are Niamh and Thackery coming, too?"

Niamh and Chip were watching with interest, wondering what would transpire and how Ginny would handle this.

"They might, and so's Draco..."

"Oh no, leave him here to play with the toys," Ron said with an undisguised sneer. "Just his thing, innit?"

"We can't. We're in pairs, and he's my partner," Ginny said firmly. When Ron just stared at her, she added, "My date. I'm sticking with him. But you and Luna go have something at Puddifoot's. I'm still full from breakfast anyway."

Ron gaped, then he whispered, "Ginny, you can't mean..."

"I made a pig of myself this morning," Ginny said blithely. "The house-elves made waffles, and I must have eaten six, at least. I couldn't eat anything right now."

Luna, who had been watching impassively, took hold of Ron's elbow and began to pull him out the still-open door. "C'mon, Ron, I want a cream-filled cauldron cake."

When the door had closed behind Ron and Luna, Ron still looking back at the shop open-mouthed as he limped away, Niamh said, "Well, that wasn't half awkward."

"Yeah, but our Gryffindor witch handled it with aplomb, wouldn't you say, Newman?" Chip said.

Draco stepped over and put his arm around Ginny. "As could be expected," he replied, though he actually felt an acute sense of relief. He kissed the side of her head. There had been a part of him that had feared that Ginny might disavow him, or presumed that she would at least minimise her association with him. He grinned. Well, now that Ron knew, it seemed there was no need to pretend they weren't together on a date. He kissed her temple and gave her a squeeze.

"I'm glad that Luna was quick-thinking enough to get Ron out of here before he could decide to make a scene," Ginny said. "I actually didn't know they were seeing each other again, although over Easter, Ron did say he had made a mistake breaking up with her when he did."

"That wasn't the classiest thing he's ever done," Chip said, "breaking up with a girl after she was nearly killed and was so badly injured with those . . . scars. Downright cheesy, I'd say. It's good of her to take him back."

Draco gave a slight shrug. "He probably wanted to escape everything. Seeing her probably reminded him of . . ." Draco looked over at Ginny, then decided that it was one thing to be sensitive to her feelings and another to completely avoid very large, if uncomfortable, topics. "Reminded him of the battle, of all the losses. I can understand that."

Ginny nodded. "I think you're right. He said something like that to me, actually, though not about Luna. I'm glad you're understanding, Draco."

Another group of students came into the shop, and Niamh turned to find the broomstick maintenance kit she wanted.

"We'll meet you outside of Honeyduke's," Ginny said. "It's getting a little crowded in here."

Niamh and Chip agreed, and Draco and Ginny left the broomstick shop and strolled together down the street toward the sweets shop. Draco half-expected an angry mob to descend and pelt him with spell-born rocks for walking down the street with his arm around a Weasley, but no one seemed to even give them a second glance. He relaxed.

"What are you going to tell Ron? Or actually, what are you going to tell your dad?" Draco asked. "Ron's not likely to keep this to himself."

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. I think my dad wants me to be happy, and even if he were a little worried about you, I think he'd give you a fair chance. I don't think he'd judge you by your father, anyway."

"Good thing, too, 'cause I think they hate each other. Or did. I don't know if my father has enough strength to hate anyone that much anymore. He still doesn't like him, though, I'm sure."

"Well, let's not let them make us into some kind of Romeo and Juliet, okay? Life has enough drama in it without that."

"A couple years ago, I would have asked you who they were, but I read all of Shakespeare's plays whilst in Sweden," Draco said.

"You're ahead of me, then. I only know that they're some kind of star-crossed lovers from one of his plays, like the young witch and wizard in the 'Tale of Timothy and Esmeralda,'" Ginny said.

Draco groaned. "That story is even worse, and not as well told, either."

"I don't know . . . we had a storybook written by my Great-great Grandfather Prewett...or was it 'great-great-great'? Anyway, it had a lot of illustrations in it, and that was one of the stories he told, about how their fathers hated each other and their hatred fated the young lovers to an early and tragic death. It seemed very romantic when I was about eight," Ginny said with a grin.

"I think we had the same book in our library," Draco said. "It was one of the ones I learned to read out of. Very florid, with a lot of tragedy. Definitely to be avoided!"

Ginny laughed. "Right! No tragedy for us! We'll keep a sharp eye out to avoid it!"

The two continued their stroll to Honeyduke's, where they leaned against the wall and talked, waiting for Niamh and Chip, until one of the shop workers came out and told them not to lean against the shop wall. Ginny rolled her eyes, but Draco apologised respectfully and explained they were waiting for friends to arrive. The wizard huffed sharply through his teeth at that, but didn't say anything more, leaving them to wait outside the shop.

Finally, Niamh and Chip came into view, and Ginny waved. When Niamh waved back, then made a shooing gesture, Ginny took Draco's arm and the two went into the sweets shop.

"I loved those truffles you gave me," Ginny said. "It was a sad moment when I ate the last one!"

"We could get more," Draco said.

"I think I'd like to save having truffles for special occasions...like as unexpected presents," Ginny said with a grin. "I'd love a bar of dark chocolate, though. One of those big, double-thick ones. I can make them last a week, sometimes longer."

Draco grinned and bought them each one of those, then he bought an acid pop for himself, after Ginny declined.

"I'm going to get Sefton some buzzing humbugs . . . green apple and peppermint this time, I think," Draco said. He pointed out the humbugs to the witch behind the glass counter, and she filled a small white bag with them.

Ginny grinned as they stepped away from the counter to let Niamh and Chip order some sweets. She told them that they'd meet them in the Three Broomsticks at noon, then said to Draco, "It's really cute to see Suzie tag along after you, you know? She doesn't do it as much as she used to, but it was like you had a little puppy bouncing behind you."

Draco gave a crooked smile. "Yeah, well, she was a bit lost at first and needed some help, and she's a smart kid, so I didn't mind. She's a lot more Slytherin than I'd have thought when I first learned she was Muggle-born. But she's really sharp, especially about people."

"Do you think she has a crush on you?" Ginny asked curiously.

Draco shook his head and stuck his acid pop in his mouth as they stepped outside the shop. "Nah," he slurred around the pop, "don't think sho." He took the acid pop from his mouth and said more clearly, "She does have a big crush on our Head of House, though." He laughed and wrapped up his pop for later.

"On Snape? You're kidding?!"

"No. Perfectly serious. I think it may have died down to a mere case of hero worship lately, though. But she thinks he's terrific. Has ever since she tossed her cookies on him back before the Sorting."

Ginny laughed. "Oh, Merlin! That's funny! I can't imagine that! A crush on Snape!" Ginny laughed again. "I mean, I can see it maybe for an older student, that whole untouchable wounded-and-brooding look, but for a first-year? I thought he scared them all so bad they wet themselves just thinking about him!"

Draco snorted a laugh. "Not her, not even after vomiting all over him. Maybe that's a sign of love to Muggles or something! Vomit!"

"Oh, Draco, you're terrible!" Ginny said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I can see the courtship rituals now, who vomits first, the colour of the puke..."

"Draco, stop it!" Ginny said, convulsed with laughter. "You're going to make me sick!"

"She threw up on me, too," Draco continued with a grin, undeterred even after Ginny punched him in the arm. "It was purple, so apparently purple puke is not indicative of true lurve." Ginny punched him again. "Ouch! Okay, okay! You win, Weasley! You sure pack a punch!" He put up his hands in mock surrender, but then grabbed her with one arm around her neck and pulled her back toward him, pretending to be about to choke her, but giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey! No roughhousing," a deep voice behind them said.

"Oh, er, we were just . . . just fooling around," Draco said, turning to see who was speaking to them, and going pale.

Ginny, still flushed from laughing so hard, pushed some hair back from her face and smiled up at the tall young Auror. "Sorry, sir. My fault."

"You're Ginevra Weasley, aren't you?"

Ginny nodded.

"I knew your brother Charlie quite well in school. When you see him, tell him that Clovis Hutchins said 'hi.'"

"Okay, I will. And we'll behave more properly," Ginny said.

Clovis gave a quick grin. "I have to earn my pay. Don't worry about it, Ginevra."

"Thanks, Clovis!"

When the young Auror had moved away, Draco took Ginny's arm and began to walk quickly down the street.

"I'm sorry about that, Draco."

Draco shook his head. "It's all right." He shot her a smile. "I was getting a little disgusting."

"Yeah, you were. Downright revolting! Purple puke!" Ginny shuddered and laughed.

"It was purple. Suzie'd been eating Droobleberry-flavoured buzzing humbugs...turns out she's allergic to Droobleberries...and they turned her vomit purple. And it was all over my best student robe, too. It was the first day of classes."

Ginny shook her head. "I'm surprised you let her hang around you after that."

Draco shrugged and pushed open the door to Scrivenshaft's for them, ringing a set of bells. "I don't know, maybe it was a bonding experience or something, if not true lurve! Anyway, she was mortified and pretty sweet." She had also seemed to like Draco just for himself right from the start, which was an unusual experience for him.

"She's going to go down in Hogwarts history as the girl who came to Hogwarts and the first thing she did on getting to the school and stepping off the boat was throw up on the Head of Slytherin...and she not only survived it, she was Sorted into his House!"

The two looked at the various quills and some quill boxes and stands, then Ginny pointed at a fountain pen display. "Some of those are cool."

Draco nodded. "Not very traditional, though," he said dubiously.

"The Headmistress uses one sometimes. She has one that is black with gold on it. It's really posh looking."

"They are nice . . ."

"Interested in our fine writing instruments?" the shopkeeper asked as he stepped up to them, a genial smile on his face.

"Not today, but they are nice," Draco said politely.

"That red one is beautiful," Ginny said, pointing to one that was a deep, lustrous red.

"Ah, yes, and that one comes standard with a self-filling charm, as well, so as long as your Charmed inkwell is nearby and has ink in it, your fountain pen will not run dry," the shopkeeper explained. "But for just one Galleon and one Sickle extra, we can place the charm on any fountain pen you purchase."

"Maybe I'll ask for one for my birthday," Ginny said with a smile. "Thanks for your help."

"There are also some very nice fountain pens with Hogwarts themes, including ones for each House. That brighter red fountain pen there...here, I'll show you." The wizard opened the case and took out a scarlet-coloured pen. "You see it has a Gryffindor shield on it here on the clip, and there are ones like it in Ravenclaw blue, Hufflepuff yellow, and Slytherin green, and each comes with two bottles of ink, one black and the other in the same colour as the pen."

"Yellow ink?" Ginny said sceptically.

"I know...I'm Hufflepuff, myself, and I never found a use for yellow ink," the shopkeeper said with an amused smile. "It looks quite well in the other colours, though. You, sir, you're a Slytherin, correct?" the shopkeeper asked Draco.

Draco nodded.

"This is our best Slytherin pen set. Emerald green with an emerald chip on the clip. It has silver accents, as you can see...genuine silver, not alloy...and includes the self-filling charm, a special ebony and silver case, and a matching Charmed inkwell, also with silver accents."

"Very . . . well executed," Draco said, trying to be diplomatic. He wondered what Snape thought of fountain pens . . . They would be easier to carry about than a quill. They looked very slick, even the ones without the extras.

"I think we're just looking today," Ginny said.

"We also have a fine supply of notepaper charmed with the respective House shields at the top, and it can be personalised for a modest fee," the shopkeeper said.

"I'll remember that. Thanks!" Ginny replied with a smile.

The two left the shop, bells jingling after them.

"I got the feeling he didn't like people looking and not buying," Draco said.

"I didn't. I think he just likes all of the stuff he sells. Besides, on a Hogsmeade weekend, for every person who just looks, there's another one who buys. I don't think they actually mind."

"I do have to stop at the apothecary," Draco said. "I need more Shrivelfig and a few other things, then we can meet Niamh and Thackery at the Three Broomsticks for lunch."

Ginny looked up at the clock tower. "Yeah . . . and if we're really lucky and time it well, we might meet Luna and her date, too."

"Don't remind me," Draco groaned.

Ginny laughed. "I need a new glass stirring rod, and another birch one, so a stop at the apothecary's good for me, too."

Author's Note: The story of Suzie Sefton and her arrival at Hogwarts is in the four-chapter story, "The Sorting of Suzie Sefton."