Chapter 22
“Nice hair, are you coming over to the dark side?” Pansy Parkinson slid into the booth, eyes fixed on Ginny’s emerald curls.
“She’s signed with the Harpies,” said Ron. “They fly in green so…” he managed to simultaneously roll his eyes and cock both eyebrows.
“Shut up, Ron.” Ginny sang, eyes fixed on Pansy.
“I didn’t even say anything!”
“Shut up.”
“But-”
“Hermione?” Ginny called across the bar. “Hermione! Your boyfriend is bothering me.”
“Don’t do that Ron, come and bother me instead,” Hermione called back, eyes fixed on her phone. Ron huffed but was already clambering out of the booth, making sure to hug Ginny’s head as he went.
“Getoffgetoffgetoff,” she chanted, slapping his hands away.
“Just proud of you, baby sis,” he cooed, disappearing into the crowd.
“Such a loser,” said Ginny, smiling as she turned back to Pansy. “What are you doing here? Shit, sorry. Rude. I mean, um, who are you out with tonight?”
“Oh, myself,” said Pansy, smiling back. I was supposed to be having my first driving lesson, you know those Magic Motors? Well we’d been in the car for less than a few seconds before the snow started coming down. Obviously as snow causes cars to overheat-”
“Obviously,” Ginny nodded, biting the inside of her cheek.
“Well we had to stop and I remembered Potter talking about this place so I, you know.”
“You thought you’d come and see Harry?”
“No,” Pansy sighed. “I came to see if that dreadful Weasley girl was celebrating her signing.”
“Really?” Ginny grinned. “That dreadful Weasley girl?”
“Yes. Unfortunately rather than offer to buy me a drink she picked a childish fight with her brother-”
“Made sure that she had you all to herself.”
“-and then she interrogated me-”
“Flirted with you.”
“You see? Utterly dreadful girl,” Pansy laughed, reaching forward to tangle their fingers together under the table.