What should I do? (Hermione)

[Z - Ginny Weasley]

Everytime you call me,
I'M TOO SCARED TO BE ME AND I'M TOO SHY TO SAY
Ooh, I got a crush on you

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So far the summer had been like any at the Burrow with her eldest brothers coming in and out at least once and her, Fred, George, and Ron up to what ever they could do to entertain themselves without magic. That was one of the depressing parts of Hogwarts, well underage wizardry. None of them could legally perform any magic outside of school. So that meant that they had to do chores the Muggle way, or just trick the others into doing it. Ginny was better at doing this than Ron was, though Fred and George had eventually caught on. At least she could try again the next summer once they forgot some of her tricks.

They were all heading into the final month of summer. Hermione Granger had recently arrived and temporarily moved into Ginny's room, which she loved very much. It was so much fun to hang out with other girls when she was surrounded by all of this testosterone. She and Hermione had started becoming better friends during the previous school year when she actually branched out from her self-seclusion. Ginny was determined to not have a repeat of the same dismal feeling she had in that first year.

Today, their mother had asked them to tend to the back garden yet again. News had reached Ginny's ears that Harry Potter was going to be coming over for the rest of the summer in a matter of a week or so. Ginny had become very excited about this news, receiving any matter of groans from her brothers and a concerned look from Hermione. Her crush on Harry was insanely obvious. She had not done anything at all to hide it. She didn't really know how anyway because she could not control her actions when near him.

Ginny wanted some advice on what to do when arrived. Instead of doing chores, she talked her way out of it by insisting to her mother that Hermione was a Muggle instead of one of her children. Really, Hermione was slowly growing into one of Molly Weasley's extended children because of Hermione's friendship with Ron. Ginny wasn't one to complain about gaining a sister. She actually wanted one. Her mum conceded to Ginny's request and relief.

The two girls had set out for a walk away from the Burrow right after lunch while the boys were sent to the garden. Ginny could still hear Ron's complaints about her not working and giggled a little at her mother's admonishments to him. Once they got a good deal away from the house, Ginny started into her questions. "Hermione, I have to ask you a question. I, um...I really like Harry, but I don't know how to get his attention. He's so nice, but I feel like he doesn't really see me." She was staring down at the path that they were walking on. She kicked at the little rocks along the way. "I want to talk to him, b-but I can't seem to really get two words out." Ginny blushed brightly when she thought about all of those past instances when she was near Harry over the past two years. She was almost thirteen, surely she could finally do something about this crush she had for Harry.

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DATE: August 6, 1994 TAG: Hermione Granger people OUTFIT: old pair of tennis shoes, gray sweater, patched up jeans, and a pink hippy t-shirt LYRICS: Crush by Mandy Moore WORDS: not sure NOTES: What do you think of the picture?

[Hermione Granger]

WISHIN', AND HOPIN', AND THINKIN', AND PRAYIN'
PLANNING AND DREAMIN' EACH NIGHT OF HIS CHARMS.
THAT WON'T GET YOU INTO HIS ARMS

Hermione loved that first month of the summer holidays. It was always good to see her parents again, who even after dozens of lengthy letters still bombarded her with curious questions about what happened during the school year. She was honest up to a point, neglecting to mention that she had to resort to time travel to make it to all the classes she'd signed up for. She also didn't tell them that she'd rescued an escaped convict and a condemned hippogryff, all the while evading a werewolf attack. Robert and Mary Granger praised their only child for her accomplishments at school and loved to hear of all the strange types of charms she'd learn to cast and potions she learned to brew, although her mother turned her nose up at some of the ingredients. Hermione didn't blame her, although after a year of scooping up pickled eyes of newt she found her stomach a lot less uneasy with that sort of thing.

The first month at home was spent relaxing outside in the back garden and doing her summer homework, which actually took a full two weeks longer since she had added her new courses third year. Her parents were gone all day at work so Hermione found herself to be rather lonely, but the occasional letters from Harry, Ron and Ginny helped take the edge off her solitude. It was towards the end of July that Hermione received an owl from Ginny inviting her to stay at The Burrow, and Hermione couldn't help but jump up and down in excitement. Harry would be joining her and the Weasleys shortly after, so that meant she'd get to spend the rest of her summer with her friends, and better yet - Mr. Weasley had gotten all of them tickets to the Quidditch World Cup! She asked her parents at dinner if she could go, and even though they wanted their little girl to stay with them since she already spent so long away at school, they knew she'd be happier with her friends.

When Hermione arrived at the Burrow, she was greeted by nearly every Weasley she'd ever met. Ginny ran up and hugged her and thanked her profusely for saving her from yet another summer surrounded by boys. Ron adopted a rather stiff posture, his shoulders hunched as he shoved his hands in his front pockets and sheepishly welcomed her. Hermione could tell that he felt he should be embarrassed by his house, but Hermione thought it was lovely - very clean and homey. She got to enjoy some of the cleaning of the house on her first day, which was actually quite entertaining, if not completely fun, but the next day Ginny managed to talk their way out of chores so the two girls went for a walk in the back garden, strolling farther and farther away from the whining boys who still had to pull weeds.

They were having a nice chat when there was a brief silence, the kind that usually played as a harbinger for a heavy conversation, and Ginny said what she'd never had to say before: she had a monstrous crush on Harry. Hermione nodded knowingly as Ginny lamented her shyness and her inability to say anything, and Hermione stiffened a bit awkwardly as she realized she was supposed to give advice on the matter. It wasn't like she didn't understand where Ginny was coming from - not that she herself fancied Harry, but it wasn't a difficult concept to grasp - but she'd never had to tell a boy she'd fancied him before, but she did know that Ginny was starting to feel a bit crippled by how shy and tongue-tied she became around him.

"Well," Hermione began after heaving a sigh. Ginny looked up at her anxiously as the walked through a long row of tall, young yew trees. "You've got to remember that as famous as he is, and as remarkable as his life has been..." Hermione shrugged. "Harry's just Harry; he's just an ordinary boy. I..." She hesitated, unsure exactly of what she should say. "I'm not saying that he doesn't like you, honestly I'm not, but Harry... I just... I don't know. We don't really talk about girls." Thank heavens. "But if you really like him and want to do something about it, then talk to him. But honestly, if it's making you so nervous? I'd suggest just forgetting about him for a while. Not ignore him or anything, but just... try to step back and realize that he's just an ordinary bloke. Perhaps after a while you'll realize that you've got no reason to be shy around him."

Hermione hoped this was good advice. She didn't want Ginny to think that she was discouraging her attention to Harry because she thought he wouldn't fancy her back... although Hermione really didn't think he would. Ginny was a lovely girl and Hermione could see loads of boys fancying her, but she was so focused on Harry most of the time and oftentimes so shy that people couldn't see how great she really was. Besides, Harry was pretty thick and would probably say something stupid to hurt Ginny's feelings if she told him she liked him.

tag ♦ Ginny Weasley
date ♦ August 6, 1994
words ♦ 876
lyrics ♦ Wishin' and Hopin' - Ani DiFranco
notes ♦ Click here! And I like the pic ;)

[Z - Ginny Weasley]

Everytime you call me,
I'M TOO SCARED TO BE ME AND I'M TOO SHY TO SAY
Ooh, I got a crush on you

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Ginny shuffled along as her best friend started talking. Her shoe laces had suddenly become very interesting to her. "Harry's just Harry; he's just an ordinary boy. I..." She looked up at Hermione when there was a pause hanging in the air. "I'm not saying that he doesn't like you, honestly I'm not, but Harry... I just... I don't know. We don't really talk about girls." She nodded along as Hermione continued to talk. After that first statement, it seemed that her beautiful, smart friend found it easier to rush through the rest. "I'd suggest just forgetting about him for a while. Not ignore him or anything, but just... try to step back and realize that he's just an ordinary bloke. Perhaps after a while you'll realize that you've got no reason to be shy around him."

Instead of instantly answering Hermione, Ginny began slowly walking again and staring at the ground as she thought about the advice. "Hmmmmm...." The idea of relaxing around Harry was something she was not so sure she could accomplish. Every time she saw him she just froze. It was honestly very silly. Other girls at school managed to talk to him without any problems, but Ginny just couldn't. It sometimes made it really hard to live in Gryffindor with him always being there.

She kicked a small rock forward a bit along the path. "Relax, you say?" Ginny nodded along to the idea forming in her head of what could possibly happen if she did that. Now, she just had to figure out how to do that. "So how do I go about accomplishing that?" Harry was just another guy, wasn't he? He was a fellow Gryffindor and Ron and Hermione's best friend. If she wanted to continue spending time with her brothers, who all seemed to get along with Harry so well, and hang out with her best friend, then she would need to work on this.

As Ginny continued to slowly walk, she caught up with that small stone and kicked it again. Her hands were deep in her pockets now and she looked like a rather glum teenager who was told there would be no desert. In a sense she had been told that, but just maybe she could find a trick to at least get a snack in the sense of gaining another friend...if only she could get over this shyness she had had for the past two years.

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DATE: August 6, 1994 TAG: Hermione Granger people OUTFIT: old pair of tennis shoes, gray sweater, patched up jeans, and a pink hippy t-shirt LYRICS: Crush by Mandy Moore WORDS: not sure NOTES: I solemnly swear to post better for you as I continue to figure out my schedule here.