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SIYE Time:14:01 on 28th March 2024
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The Games Wizards Play
By Zelthian

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Category: Summer-Fun Challenge (2004-3)
Characters:All, All
Genres: Fluff, Humor
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG
Reviews: 20
Summary: ** Winner of Best Overall in the Summer Fun Challenge **
It's all fun and games when Ron, Ginny and Harry visit Hermione to attend a traveling muggle carnival and circus and the end up leaving with more than they expected.
Hitcount: Story Total: 4653







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A/N: Writtent for the Summer Fun 2004 Challenge. Reviews encouraged!
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Harry hated traveling by floo powder. He could never quite get the entry right and always ended up flat on his back, or flat on his stomach, or worse. Still, it was worth it. He was getting away from the Dursleys early and heading not to the Burrow, but to Hermione’s house. He had received the owl just last week from Hermione inviting him to a traveling muggle carnival and circus that was setting up near where she lived. Uncle Vernon was keen on seeing him go, deciding not to give Harry a difficult time about it, knowing whom he would be upsetting if he did.

Harry’s string of bad landings continued as he reached the Granger’s; his trunk got ahead of him and stopped just outside the fireplace. Harry tripped over it, did a forward summersault and landed, unsurprisingly, flat on his back.

“Harry! Are you alright?” Hermione yelled, running over to him.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Harry said, sitting up and straightening his shirt. “I’m used to it.”

“Well, come on then,” Hermione said, helping Harry to his feet. “You and Ron will be in the guest room.”

Hermione helped Harry carry his trunk into his room and left him to get settled. Harry took a few moments to marvel at the décor; it was just as neat and tidy as the Dursleys, but it all had more… character, somehow. Still, it wasn’t the Burrow, and he found himself missing the Weasley home.

As Harry put his Firebolt away in the closet, he heard the unmistakable sound of someone arriving by floo. He hurried to the hallway to see who it was.

“Hi Ron,” Hermione said nervously. She was already in the family room. “Welcome to my house.”

“Thank you,” Ron said somewhat uncomfortably. “Erm, nice place you have here.”

Harry studied his best friends closely. He got the impression they both wanted to say more, but for some reason they were holding back. Harry watched their facial expressions as they talked. Hermione seemed to be smiling and blushing whenever Ron wasn’t looking at her, but trying very hard not to when he was. Ron was fighting his face the entire time. Harry had watched them spar since their first year at Hogwarts, and now he started to see something new; they were starting to notice the opposite sex more and more, and they had found themselves growing fond of each other. Harry sighed to himself and wondered if they would ever get past their fears and hook up.

“Poor Harry,” Hermione was saying to Ron, jostling Harry out of his thoughts. “You seem so graceful on your floo entries, but he always seems to-“

“Hem hem!” Harry coughed loudly.

“-have difficulty with it,” Hermione finished, looking over to Harry. Ron laughed.

“Good to see you, Ron. How’s your summer been so far?” Harry asked, entering the room.

“Kinda boring, really,” Ron admitted. “Just isn’t the same without Fred and George around. Ginny and I have been playing a lot of Quidditch lately. Well, as much as we can with only two people.”

“We should get you to your room, Ron, before Ginny gets here,” Hermione interrupted. “We don’t want her bumping into you. I’ll help you with your things.”

Harry moved to start helping Hermione with Ron’s things, but stopped when he noticed she was glaring at him. The obviousness of it all hit him like a stun spell; she was using the opportunity to help Ron to spend time with him. Alone. Harry stood upright and raised an eyebrow at Hermione. Her glare turned into a blush and an uncontrollable smile. Having come to an unspoken understanding, Hermione finished collecting Ron’s things and led him off to the guest room.

Harry walked over to a chair and sat down. As amused as he was at the thought of Ron and Hermione getting romantic, Harry couldn’t help hoping she didn’t monopolize his time. As he thought about it, he realized how silly that was. They always had a great time together, and even if they did get together, Hermione and Ginny were still good friends, and he was sure they wouldn’t want Ron around all the time. Besides, Ginny was a friend too, and knowing her, they could find some way of amusing themselves if Ron and Hermione decided they wanted to have some quality time together.

It occurred to Harry then that he was getting quite ahead of himself. He got up to leave but stopped when the fireplace spewed somebody else into the room. The person shot out of the fireplace and slid a few feet into the center of the room, stopping gracefully in a manner that reminded Harry of a figure skater. She was wearing a white “Weird Sisters” tank top, tight-fitting jean shorts and white trainers.

It took Harry a moment to realize it was Ginny.

He didn’t know if it was the way she wore her hair, or if it was the way she was dressed, or if she had just grown a little since he last saw her, or a combination of things, but Ginny looked different to Harry. She looked older than he remembered, and to his delight, even prettier. He found himself unable to put the label of “little sister” on her; that title now seemed entirely inappropriate. To his embarrassment, he found himself smiling.

“Oh come on, Harry, it wasn’t that good of an entry,” Ginny said.

Harry realized he was staring. He didn’t want her to know why he was staring at her. Think fast Potter…

“Compared to my record, that was spectacular. How do you do it?” Harry said. Whew!

“Lots of practice, I’m afraid,” Ginny replied. “It’s good to see you again. Where are Ron and Hermione?”

Harry let the smile fully form now. “Hermione seemed rather insistent that she be allowed to show Ron to his room without my assistance.”

Ginny grinned. “Did she now?”

Harry nodded. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Ginny let out a snicker. She took two steps and leaned in to Harry’s ear.

“Ron’s been talking about Hermione ever since the Yule Ball, and Hermione and I have been writing each other all summer. She confessed to me that she likes Ron and that it’s driving her crazy.”

Hearing Ginny’s voice whispering into his ear made Harry’s skin tingle. He had to concentrate on listening to understand what Ginny was saying. Ginny started picking up her things, and Harry automatically began to help.

“So where am I sleeping?” Ginny asked.

“Oh, erm, I don’t know. We’ll have to ask Hermione.”

The two of them walked together to the guest room where Hermione was showing Ron the view out of the window. Ginny cleared her throat to get their attention.

“Ginny! You’re here! Fantastic, let me show you to my room…”

Hermione grabbed Ginny and hurried her to her room. Harry followed with his load of Ginny’s stuff. Hermione stopped Harry from going in and took Ginny’s stuff from him.

“Sorry Harry, girl talk, go away.” With that, she ducked into the room and closed the door behind her.

“What was that all about?” Ron asked from the doorway of the guest room. Harry shrugged.

“Girls!” Ron said in frustration. “Mental, the lot of them.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, walking back to the guest room to join Ron. “So, boring summer, huh?”

Ron and Harry sat on their respective beds. “Yeah, mostly, though after last year I’m fine with a bit of boredom.”

Harry nodded and sighed. He refused to let the events of the previous year get him down. He was going to a carnival and circus tomorrow, his first ever, and he was determined to have some fun.

“Harry, there is something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.”

“Sure, Ron, what is it?”

Ron swallowed. Harry could tell he was nervous and suddenly wondered if he was going to confess his fondness for Hermione. Harry sat up attentively.

“Well, you know you’re my best friend, right? I mean, you and Hermione, but you’re a guy, you know?”

Harry chuckled. “Yeah, I figured as much.”

Ron smiled, but continued to be nervous. “I know you liked Cho and all, but it was pretty obvious, even to me eventually, that she just wasn’t the right one for you.”

Harry wondered where this was going. He nodded. “That’s true. I mean, she was pretty and all, but in the end we just couldn’t get along.”

Ron nodded. “Well, have you thought about maybe getting together with someone else?”

Harry was taken aback; Ron had never been interested in actually talking about girls like this before. He was starting to suspect Ron’s public opinion of girls was a front to hide his true feelings which, Harry suspected, were starting to grow stronger. Harry considered his answer.

“I can’t say the idea of having a girlfriend hasn’t crossed my mind, but I really haven’t thought about anyone in particular, no.”

Ron nodded and looked at his hands. It seemed he was deep in thought about something.

“What’s on your mind?” Harry asked.

Ron heaved a great sigh. “There’s no easy way to ask you this, so I’m just going to ask it. What do you think about Ginny?”

Harry blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you think she’s pretty? Do you like spending time with her? Do you think you’d ever want to, you know… take her out on a date sometime?”

Now Harry was nervous. What was Ron driving at?

“What’s all this about Ron?”

“Harry, look, I’m your best friend, and Ginny is my sister, true, but I want you to be honest with me. If you don’t like her that way, that’s fine, but I need to know.”

“You need to know?” Harry asked suspiciously.

“Harry, just answer the question first, and I promise I’ll tell you everything. Just do this for me, your best friend, just be completely honest.”

Harry took his eyes off of Ron and leaned back against the headboard. How did he feel about Ginny? What happened to him when she came out of the fire? Harry brought the image of the new Ginny into his mind and looked her over again. He imagined her putting the bat-bogey-hex on Malfoy so she could retrieve his wand. He remembered her insisting to come along to the ministry. He remembered her talking to him in the library, just being there listening to his concerns and later bringing in the resources to make things happen.

“Right. Honest,” Harry said. “I honestly don’t know how I feel about Ginny. It’s only been in the last year that I’ve been able to see any of the real her. Now that I do, I realize how strong minded she is. Not surprising, given that she’s a Weasley. I like the fact that she plays Quidditch and that she started sneaking brooms at six. I’m not sure why I like that, though.”

Ron was smiling. “Go on, Harry.”

“She reminds me a lot of Fred and George, only prettier.” Harry and Ron laughed.

“And she’s a girl, Harry,” Ron reminded.

“I know that Ron,” Harry laughed. “Still, I know she had a crush on me, and for some reason that made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want anyone to like me because I was famous. I didn’t do anything to deserve it, really, you know? And people seem to expect you to be a certain way when you’re famous, and I didn’t want that. I was relieved, actually, when she started talking to me like a normal person.”

“You shouldn’t be so hard on her about that, Harry. After all, she was only ten when she saw you that first time at the train station.”

Harry thought about this. “I guess you’re right. But now she’s completely different. Even today when I saw her I swear I didn’t recognize her at first. I can’t quite explain why, but she just looks different, like she’s…”

“Growing up?” Ron suggested.

“I suppose that’s it,” Harry said. “It’s impossible to think of her as your little sister when she comes in looking like that.”

“Ok Harry, now answer this. Pretend for a moment that you had the opportunity to ask her out on a date. Today, let’s say. Would you want to?”

“Ron, she’s dating Dean, remember?”

“For the sake of argument, Harry, pretend she’s not.”

Harry thought for a moment. He thought about taking Ginny to dinner at the Three Broomsticks on Valentines Hogsmeade visit, eating by candlelight, looking at Ginny’s eyes from across the table. Harry found himself wondering what she would wear. Then he imagined what kind of kiss she would give him and started blushing furiously.

“Yeah, Ron. I think I would. Really.”

Ron let out the breath he was holding. “Good, then there’s still time.”

Harry blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Harry, you can’t tell Ginny or Hermione I told you this, ok? They’d kill me.”

“I swear Ron, now what’s going on?”

Ron looked around nervously before looking back at Harry.

“Ginny and I had an argument about Dean. She’s not dating him, Harry. The only reason she said that on the train was to see what I would say. She still likes you but she’s losing hope because she doesn’t think you’ll ever notice her. When we got our letters from Hermione about this trip, I told her this would be the perfect opportunity to spend some time with you. She got angry with me and said she still doesn’t think you’re interested in her. Still, you saw what she wore today, and you don’t have to be a genius to figure out why I think she did. This might be the last chance to get you and her together before she gives up on you for good.”

Now Harry was even more nervous. “She’s not dating Dean?”

“No Harry, she’s not.”

“She still likes me, even though she’s talking to me?”

Ron grinned. “She’s not the same little Ginny anymore, Harry.”

Harry swallowed. “Oh boy.”

“Dinner everyone!” a female voice called from the dining room. Ron and Harry jumped from their beds and headed for the table. Harry realized then just how hungry he was.

“Oh hi, you must be Harry,” Mrs. Granger said. “It’s very good to meet you. And you must be Ron, of course. Hermione has told us all about you. Please, have a seat.”

Harry looked at Ron as Mrs. Granger returned to the kitchen. Ron met Harry’s eyes, and Harry couldn’t help giggle a little. Ron looked embarrassed.

“Interesting that Hermione has told them all about you and not me,” Harry said.

“Yeah, interesting,” Ron said, avoiding the question.

“Ah, good, dinner’s almost here,” Mr. Granger said, entering the room. “You boys sit on over here, my wife and I usually take these two seats.” Mr. Granger turned towards Hermione’s room. “Hermione, dinner’s going to get cold,” he called.

Ron took the first seat next to Mr. Granger, which put him across from Mrs. Granger who had just brought out the salad. Harry sat next to Ron.

“What is that in the dish? It smells wonderful,” Ron asked.

“Lasagna,” Mrs. Granger said. “It’s one of Hermione’s favorites.”

“I’ve heard of it, but my mum could never get it right. She won’t even try anymore.”

Just then, Hermione and Ginny arrived at the table. Hermione sat at the end next to Harry and Ginny sat next to Mrs. Granger across from Harry.

“Oh, mum! You made lasagna!” Hermione said excitedly.

“Everyone set?” Mr. Granger asked, looking around. “Good, let’s tuck in.”

It didn’t take long for Harry to decide he really liked lasagna. After that he didn’t think about much except Ginny. He couldn’t help looking at her all through dinner. He had to be careful to make it look like his glances at her were innocent, though he thought he caught her glancing at him a few times as well.

“That was wonderful!” Ron said once everyone had finished eating. “I’ll have to ask my mum to try this again. It’s great!”

“Why thank you Ron,” Mrs. Granger said.

“Alright you lot, we got you in a little late, so it’s best if you get on to bed now,” Mr. Granger chimed in. “We’ll start out early in the morning, and you’ll want to be well rested for tomorrow’s fun.”

They all nodded and, after helping put away the dishes, headed back to their rooms. As Hermione and Ginny passed Ron and Harry, Harry said, “Good night you two.”

Ginny and Hermione turned around.

“Good night Harry. Good night Ron,” Hermione said. Harry thought she smiled a little as she said good night to Ron.

“Good night,” Ginny said. She and Hermione turned and continued to their room. Harry watched Ginny walk away, noting how her hair flowed down her shoulders and back. To his horror, Ginny turned back to look at him as she reached Hermione’s room. Their eyes met and, to his amazement, Ginny didn’t look away. Instead, she smiled and waved at him cutely, mouthing the words, “Good night Harry.” She then entered Hermione’s room and closed the door behind her.

“See Harry, what did I tell you?” Ron said.

Harry didn’t think he was ever going to get to sleep.

~*~*~


Harry chased Ginny in the field behind the Burrow. He was at quite a disadvantage; Ginny knew all the good hiding places. More than once he had to stop and wait for her to peer out from her hiding spot before resuming his chase. Eventually he caught up to her and tackled her gently and playfully into a patch of grass. Not to be taken without a fight, Ginny shifted her weight at the last second and ended up on top of Harry, pinning him down. They were both laughing hard and stopped at this point to recover. As they did, Ginny looked at him with more than a little mischief. She leaned over to him, closing her eyes as she did. She was going to kiss him…

“Harry, wake up!”

Harry opened his eyes to find Ron looking down at him. He jumped, having been forced to transition from Ginny’s to Ron’s face.

“Come on Harry, you need to get ready, the Grangers want to leave in half an hour.”

Harry sat up and looked out the window, realizing that the sun had just crested the horizon. Still groggy, Harry put on his glasses and headed into the shower. He couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed that Ron had woken him up right in the middle of a good dream about Ginny.

Right as he finished dressing, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Ginny walked in holding a piece of parchment. She had her hair pulled back into a pony tail and was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. As simple as this outfit was, Harry couldn’t stop looking at her. She seemed able to look good in anything she wore.

“Owl post for you, Harry. It just arrived.”

“Thanks,” Harry said, taking the parchment. He was glad to have an excuse to look away from Ginny; he didn’t want her to get the right idea. Not yet, anyway.

“Are you ready to go?” Ginny asked.

“Yeah, just let me read this first.”

Ginny nodded and left. Harry opened the parchment and read.

Harry,
I have been informed that you have been invited to attend a muggle circus and carnival with the Granger family. In light of recent events, I believe it would be a marvelous idea to take the Grangers up on their offer. If any student at Hogwarts is in need of a bit of fun, it is you.
I have spoken with Minister Bones, and together with the Council of Underage Wizardry, we have been able to secure a temporary permit granting you, Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley and Mr. Weasley the right to perform magic in the event of an emergency. Although we are very certain that Voldemort is taking a hands-off approach to his strategy of late, we can never be too careful, and we were all convinced that the four of you would prefer this rather than being assigned chaperones.
I have full confidence in your ability to handle any situation that may arise, and I know that I can count on you to use this permit responsibly and only if necessary.
Above all Harry, have fun.
Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore


Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He was actually going to be able to enjoy himself without having to worry about Voldemort. Now very much excited, Harry joined the others in the family room, and after taking something for breakfast from Hermione (“It’s a breakfast pastry, you’ll like it”) they loaded up into the Granger’s van for the trip to the carnival.

On the way, Harry read the letter from Dumbledore again. As he read it, he realized something: The four of them would be the only wizards at the carnival. The potential for mischief was astronomical, but Harry knew if he abused his new freedom he would have to answer not only to the Ministry but to Dumbledore himself. Besides, he wasn’t about to go blazing into any muggle gathering and do anything that would draw attention to himself. Not that he couldn’t, and not that he wasn’t considering it, but he wouldn’t. That would be the Slytherin thing to do.

Of course, he hadn’t exactly told Ron, Hermione and Ginny about the contents of the letter yet. It occurred to him that he was being selfish for not telling them, and for thinking that the best way to keep them out of trouble would be to prevent them from thinking they had the right to do magic in the first place. Now he thought he was just being unfair. Besides, Hermione was the last person Harry thought would abuse anything, and Ron and Ginny may be Weasleys, but they weren’t Fred and George. He jumped off the fence he had been sitting on in his mind.

“Hermione? Ginny? Could you two turn around for a moment?”

Hermione and Ginny were sitting in the cabin chairs in the center row of the van, while Ron and Harry were sitting in the back. The Grangers were in the front seats, of course, apparently content to concentrate on navigating to the event.

“Sure Harry, what’s up?” Ginny asked.

“I need to read you three something.”

Harry read the letter as loudly as he dared. Predictably, as soon as he had read it, Hermione had a concerned look on her face while Ginny and Ron were smiling.

“This is going to be a fun time Harry!” Ron said excitedly.

“Absolutely not,” Harry said quickly before Hermione could.

“What do you mean? We’re not allowed to have fun?” Ron asked in near shock.

“Oh, we’re allowed to have fun, Ron. We’re just not going to do it using magic.”

“But, we’re allowed to!” Ron said.

Harry and Hermione sighed at the same. Harry continued. “Don’t you see, Ron? Dumbledore put his neck out for us to get this permit. If we abuse it, not only are we letting the Ministry down, but Dumbledore as well. Besides, the permit is for emergencies only, and I have no doubt the Ministry will know if we even attempt to do magic.”

“Not only that,” Hermione finally chimed in, “the whole point of this trip is for you two to see how muggles have fun without magic. Think of it as a cultural experience. You’ll have fun anyway, you’ll see.”

“Don’t forget, Hermione, I still have little idea how muggles have fun myself,” Harry said. They all laughed.

“Oh alright, you win. I just wish for once I could be better at something than other people,” Ron admitted.

“Ron, you prat, when was the last time any of us won a game of wizard chess against you?” Hermione scolded.

Ron crossed his arms, looked out the window and said nothing. Ginny and Hermione smiled at each other and turned back around. Harry smiled too; Hermione had a perfectly valid point, and Ron wasn’t about to admit that she was right.

A few moments later, Ron exclaimed, “Woah! Look at that!”

Harry leaned over to see what Ron was looking at. Harry could see a massive wheel mounted on two stands. It was turning, and there seemed to be buckets attached to it with people sitting in them. The entire structure was covered in lights.

“That would be the carnival. That big wheel thing is called a Ferris Wheel. You can ride it,” Hermione explained. “There are other rides as well, but they are much less… erm, tame than the Ferris Wheel.”

Ron’s stared out the window in amazement. “Wicked…”

Mr. Granger parked the van and they headed for the entrance. Mr. Granger paid their way, which made Harry feel a little guilty. He would have to find a way to pay him back later.

Harry stared around at the carnival in awe. He had never seen such a place. There were rides that looked like they could make you sick in a heartbeat. There were rows and rows of games to play, each stall with various prizes hung on the walls. There was also a food court with all different types of food and treats. Harry scarcely knew where to start.

“We should start with the rides,” Hermione suggested. “We’re here early enough to avoid the larger crowds, so now’s the time to do it. The lines will be impossible later on.

The four of them spent the first couple of hours on the rides. They started on the Ferris Wheel, then moved on to others with names that made Harry more and more nervous. Eventually, they got around to a ride called the ‘Dangler’, but Hermione refused to get in line.

“What’s wrong, Hermione?” Harry asked.

“The last time I tried this ride, I threw up. I am NOT going back on it.”

“Oh come on, Hermione, you haven’t eaten anything to throw up!” Ron said.

“That’s not the point, Ron. I just don’t enjoy this ride.”

“Please Hermione? For us?” Ron begged.

“Not for a thousand Galleons!” Hermione said.

Harry knew Ron wasn’t going to win this battle. The only thing now was to see how he would handle the reality of it.

“Alright then, Hermione. We’ll go find something else to do.”

Hermione got a confused look on her face. “Well, just because I’m not going doesn’t mean you three can’t.”

Ron glanced at Harry for support, and Harry nodded.

“It wouldn’t be any fun for us if you don’t ride with us,” Ron explained. “It just wouldn’t feel right. Besides, there are plenty of other things to do here. It’s no big deal, really.”

Harry could tell Hermione hadn’t expected Ron to say this. He got the impression she was trying very hard to suppress a smile.

“To tell you the truth, I am getting a little hungry,” Hermione admitted.

“The food court it is, then,” Ron announced, heading towards the food court. Everyone followed him over to see what was being offered.

“Interesting,” Hermione said. “Hot dogs, hamburgers, fish and chips, turkey legs, what a selection! I’m glad mum and dad aren’t here, they would probably have a stroke if they saw me eating this stuff.”

“I’m going for a turkey leg,” Ron said on his way to the turkey leg tent. Hermione followed after him, almost automatically. Harry grinned knowingly; he secretly wondered if Hermione liked turkey at all.

“What are you going to get?” Ginny asked. Harry noticed she was looking at the hot dog tent.

“I’ve always wanted to try a hot dog,” Harry said. “It’s so strange, having grown up with muggles and never getting to try one.”

“No time like the present, then. Come on!” Ginny grabbed Harry’s hand and led him over to the hot dog tent.

She’s holding my hand, Harry thought to himself. Once they arrived at the tent and got in line, Ginny didn’t immediately let go of his hand. Harry stood there, unsure of what to do. Eventually Ginny dropped his hand so she could dig into her pocket and pull out some change.

“Oh no! Harry, I didn’t exchange any of my coins. I don’t have any muggle money!” Ginny looked like she lost a bet or something.

“That’s ok, Ginny. I don’t mind covering for you today.”

“Oh no, Harry, I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Ginny said, looking at Harry sadly.

Harry smiled. “You don’t have to ask, Ginny. I offered, remember?”

Ginny’s face lightened and she blushed a little. “Ok, but I promise I’ll pay you back as soon as we get home and I can visit Diagon Alley.”

“Deal.”

Ginny looked at Harry uncomfortably for a few moments, then turned back around. Once they reached the table, Harry ordered two hot dogs and two lemonades. They took their order to the table where Hermione and Ron were sitting. Hermione was picking at her turkey leg slowly with a fork; Ron was devouring his leg veraciously with only his teeth.

“Ron, will you slow down, you’re going to get that all over yourself,” Hermione said in her motherly voice.

“Hermione, give a wizard some credit, will ya?” Ron said between bites. He opened his arms wide to show off his perfectly clean shirt.

“How did you manage that?” Hermione asked, stunned.

“Something Fred and George did for me. It’s a special repelling charm. Nothing will stick to it; dirt, mud, grass, turkey leg, you name it.”

“Ron! The muggles might notice! What were you thinking?” Hermione asked.

“I was thinking I might like to avoid looking like a pig for once!” Ron stated firmly, returning to his turkey leg. Harry and Ginny both lost their battle to keep from laughing. It was infectious; soon Hermione had joined in. Ron just smiled in spite of himself and finished up his lunch. As he finished licking the last of the sauce off of his fingers, his eyes got big.

“What is THAT?” he asked, pointing at another tent.

Hermione sighed. “That is called cotton candy. It’s basically flavored sugar spun into thin strings and bundled into those bags. I hear it’s delicious, but my parents would never let me have any.”

“You don’t say,” Ron said mischievously. Before anyone could respond, he had left the table and, after a few moments, returned with four bags of cotton candy which he distributed to everyone.

“Ron! My parents would kill me,” Hermione said.

“Your parents aren’t here, Hermione, and we’re not going to tell them.” Ron said. “Besides, what’s the harm? Just brush extra hard when you get home.”

Harry realized as he held his bag that everyone was looking at Hermione. She was holding her bag as if it were a sack of galleons. Slowly, almost reverently, she opened the bag and pulled off a piece. She put it in her mouth slowly, then closed her eyes as she tasted it.

“Oh wow,” she said, softly. “Oh my, that is good.” She opened her eyes and looked at Ron. “Thank you Ron,” she said, then leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Ron’s ears went red; Hermione returned to enjoying her cotton candy.

“Erm, you’re welcome Hermione,” Ron said. Unsure of exactly what to do, he opened his own bag and started eating.

Taking the chance while Ron and Hermione were preoccupied, Harry turned to Ginny. She was smiling. Harry smiled back and they both opened their bags to see what the fuss was about.

“Wow, it just… melts! This stuff is amazing,” Ginny said.

Harry didn’t think he had ever tasted anything this good. As he ate, he watched Ginny as she broke off piece after piece, placing each carefully on her tongue and closing her mouth, letting the sugar dissolve in her mouth. Harry found himself wondering what it would taste like to kiss her after she had eaten some cotton candy and started blushing. His blood went cold when he realized she noticed.

“What were you thinking about, Harry?” Ginny asked.

“Oh, nothing really,” Harry lied.

“Oh, come on Harry, you can tell me,” Ginny pressed.

Now more than a little embarrassed, Harry decided to pocket this little thought for later. He leaned over to her ear and whispered, “I’ll tell you later.” As he leaned back, he noticed Ginny nod and smile.

“Right, so what should we do now?” Ron asked

“Games! Definitely games!” Hermione said.

Ron, Harry and Ginny followed Hermione as she introduced them to her favorite carnival games. One game involved throwing darts at balloons to make them pop. The more balloons you popped, the better the prize you could win. Another game involved throwing little rings onto bottles that were laid out on a platform. The rings were barely large enough to fit on the bottles, and they found it impossible to get one to land correctly.

Eventually they came to a game which involved a bouncy ball, an easel with a square panted on it, and a basket which was placed in front of the easel.

“The object of this game is to toss the ball in such a way that it hits inside the square on the easel, then drops into the basket,” Hermione explained. “The problem is the ball is so bouncy it always seems to bounce off and miss the basket. I’ve never been able to figure this one out.”

They stood there thinking for some moments. Harry could not comprehend how this was possible. They watched other people come by and try; one man tossed the ball at a high arc, letting the ball come almost straight down before hitting the square. To his surprise, the ball missed the basket cleanly.

“Wow, I thought for sure that would go in,” Harry commented.

“Wait a minute,” Ron said suddenly. He paid for his turn and took up a position in front of one of the easels. He then went down on one knee and leaned into the booth, reaching all the way in and almost touching the basket. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the ball gently upwards towards the easel. The ball touched the square near the very top and, released of its upwards energy, fell back gently into the basket.

“No way! Ron, you did it!” Hermione exclaimed. Harry and Ginny clapped.

“Well done, Ron!” Harry added.

“Guess you have to have long enough arms to make it work,” Ginny said.

“Congratulations, you win a prize,” the carnival man said, somewhat annoyed. “Anything in the booth.”

Harry watched as Ron scanned the prizes, wondering what he was going to choose. After a few moments, Ron put his hands on his hips.

“I can’t decide. Hermione, you choose.”

Hermione blinked. “I can’t choose for you, Ron, I don’t know what you’d want.”

Ron smiled. “Not for me, Hermione, for yourself.”

Harry watched Hermione blush. Ron hadn’t turned to look at her. Harry suspected Ron had set this up somehow and was waiting until he won something. Hermione looked at Ginny, who motioned to Hermione to hurry up.

“Oh, erm, well…” Hermione scanned the prizes quickly. “How about the unicorn?”

“An excellent choice,” the carnival man said half-heartedly, retrieving a stuffed unicorn and handing it to Hermione. “Here you go.”

Hermione examined her prize and looked at Ron. “Thank you Ron, that was very sweet of you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Ron replied, walking towards the next game.

Hermione looked back at Ginny, blushing wildly. She looked excited and confused at the same. Ginny merely winked back at her and headed off after Ron. Harry remembered what Ginny had told him about them and figured it would be the Gryffindor thing to do to help the process along a bit.

“You know, Hermione, I get the distinct impression that Ron is trying to tell you something,” Harry said.

Hermione didn’t look at Harry. She looked at her unicorn instead. “What makes you say that, Harry?”

“Well, when you refused to go on the ride, I expected you and Ron to argue and for Ron to do the ride anyway, but he didn’t. Then he finally wins something, and instead of taking the prize for himself, he gives it to you.”

Hermione still didn’t look at Harry. “So?”

“Hermione, I think he likes you, and I think he’s trying to tell you that in his own way.”

Harry expected Hermione to tell him he was just being sentimental, and that she knew Ron couldn’t possibly like her. For the second time today he was proven wrong.

“Really?”

“Yes, Hermione, really.”

As Harry watched Hermione, he thought he could see in her face the thought process she must be going through. It was time for Hermione to show her cards.

“You like him too, don’t you?”

This time Hermione couldn’t quite control her reaction. She blushed even more, smiled uncontrollably, and nodded.

Harry walked up to her said, “You know, if there was ever an opportunity to get together with him, this would be it.”

Hermione finally looked at Harry with a somewhat desperate look on her face.

“Don’t you think I’m trying, Harry? I mean, I hoped the little kiss I gave him for the cotton candy was a start. I just don’t know what to do! I’m horrible at flirting, you know? What should I do?”

Harry didn’t have the slightest idea. “We’ll think of something. We should go and catch up before Ron and Ginny suspect something.”

“Right,” Hermione agreed. They trotted off after Ron and Ginny and resumed their tour of the carnival booths, playing each game in turn.

Soon they came up to the strength test game. They all watched as man after man stepped up to the booth, took the hammer and swung it down as hard as he could. The lever would fling a small piece of wood high into the air on a pole heading for a bell at the top of a tower. Several of the men got close, but even the strongest looking man couldn’t quite get the wooden peg to hit the bell.

“Go on Harry, give it a try,” Ron said.

“Are you mental, Ron? Those guys were much stronger than me, and they couldn’t do it.”

“Yeah, but you have all those Quidditch muscles. I bet you could do it,” Ginny added.

Harry’s stomach did a flip. Ginny had mentioned his muscles, which meant she had at least thought about them. Harry suddenly found himself very self-conscious. After all, his t-shirt wasn’t as loose fitting as Ginny’s was. He started to wonder if she had been checking him out all day. She’s a Weasley, Harry thought. Sweet Merlin, Ginny Weasley is flirting with you! And right in front of Hermione and Ron! Ok, Harry, no way you’re going to let her get the better of you now. Time to turn the tables.

“Oh yeah, Ginny? What do you want to bet?”

Ginny glanced at Hermione, then back to Harry. “I bet you a kiss you can’t do it,” she said, crossing her arms.

Now he was in for it. A kiss? Did she seriously want to bet him a kiss? Of course not; she was bluffing. She was trying to see if she could embarrass him and make him back down. Clever, Ginny.

“Is that so?” Harry asked. Ginny nodded. “Alright, but it has to be a kiss on the lips, not one of those silly pecks on the cheek. And you have to kiss me right out here in front of everybody.”

Ha! That would do it. There was no way Ginny would ever consent to kissing Harry in front of everybody. A peck on the cheek, maybe, but not on lips. Harry watched as Ginny thought about this.

“Fine, but if you lose, you have to let me have exclusive rights to your Firebolt for a week.”

Harry smiled through his shock. “Deal.” He turned and approached the game, the smile leaving his face as quickly as it had come. Instead of calling her bluff, she had called his. He should have known better than to run into a bet with a Weasley. Now he had to go and make a fool of himself in front of everybody. Ron was never going to let him live this down. Swallow your pride, Potter. The sooner you get this over with, the better.

Harry walked up to the game, paid the man and took hold of the hammer. It was heavier than he had imagined. He picked it up with some effort and hoisted it up on his shoulder. He thought for a moment about how best to swing the hammer. He took a deep breath, heaved the hammer into the air, then took a quick step back and pulled down on the back end of the handle as hard as he could. The hammer swung down hard onto the platform with a satisfying WHACK!

DING!

The crowd around him cheered. He had actually done it! He must be stronger than he thought. Maybe there was something to his Quidditch muscles after all. Oh wait: Ginny! He was going to get a kiss from Ginny! On the lips, and in front of everyone! He was so caught up in this that he almost forgot to pick his prize. He picked out a stuffed tiger and walked back over to Ginny.

Ginny was blushing wildly, though she was trying to hide behind her hands. She watched Harry approach, knowing what she had to do. Harry walked right up to her, setting the tiger on one hip. Suddenly he had an idea.

“Ginny, you know that thing I told you I would tell you about later?” Ginny nodded.

Harry handed Ginny the last bit of cotton candy he had saved. He then leaned in and whispered into her ear.

“I was wondering what it would taste like to kiss you after you had eaten cotton candy.”

Harry stood back up to watch Ginny. She couldn’t get the smile off of her face and she was still blushing, only now her eyes were big. As he watched, he saw her smile fade a little as her jaw dropped slowly.

“Is that really what you were thinking, Harry?” Ginny asked.

Harry nodded. “And now I have a chance to find out. That is, if you’re willing. I know you said you’re dating Dean and all, but you did bet me a kiss.”

Ginny grabbed Harry’s shoulder and leaned into his ear and whispered, “What does this mean, Harry? I didn’t think you thought of me in that way.”

Harry whispered back, “Things change, Ginny. I’ve changed and you’ve changed. You’re all I’ve been thinking about since you arrived yesterday.”

“Well, for your information, I’m not really dating Dean, so do you really want to do this?” Ginny whispered.

Harry stepped back to look Ginny in the eye. He smiled and nodded deliberately.

Ginny took out the last piece of cotton candy and placed it on her tongue. She closed her mouth and Harry knew she was letting it dissolve completely. She then put her arms around Harry’s neck, closed her eyes and leaned in. Harry closed his eyes just as their lips met. Ginny must have wanted to grant Harry’s wish; she started licking his lips through the kiss. Harry took the opportunity to taste the cotton candy from her tongue and, after a few moments of this, Ginny finished the kiss off and stepped back slightly, but she left her arms where they were.

“So, how did it taste?” Ginny asked slyly.

“I think it tastes better that way than eating it straight,” Harry answered.

“Excuse me, but what do you two think you’re doing?” Ron said, coming to a stop just beside them.

“Snogging, what does it look like, Ron?” Ginny said smartly.

“We know that, but exactly why are you snogging like that?” Hermione asked, catching up to Ron.

Harry turned to Ginny, who turned back to Ron and Hermione. “Well, isn’t it obvious?”

Hermione and Ron turned to each other, struck with the reality of the situation. The two of them suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Ron recovered first.

“One thing I don’t understand, though: How did you win the game?”

“Yeah Harry, how did you do it?” Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged, still reveling in the effects of the kiss. “Quidditch muscles, I guess.”

Ron suddenly got on angry look on his face. “I think I know how.” He started scanning the crowd.

“What is it, Ron?” Ginny asked nervously.

“Fred and George are here somewhere, I'm sure of it,” Ron replied. “No offense Harry, but something’s just not right here. I bet those two followed us here and are going around causing trouble.”

“Oh Ron, you’re just jealous,” Hermione said.

“Actually, Hermione, he might be right. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they had helped out. Not that I’m complaining, mind you,” Harry said, glancing at Ginny, “but I don’t want to spend the rest of the evening trying to hunt them down. They don’t seem to be causing any noticeable trouble if they are here, and I want to enjoy myself.”

“You’re absolutely right, Harry,” Ginny agreed. “We should keep our eyes out for them just the same, though.” Everyone nodded.

“Erm, Ginny, could I have a word with you?” Ron asked.

“Sure Ron, what is it?”

“In private?” Ron asserted.

“Oh. If you must…” Ginny turned back Harry. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, then let go of his neck and joined Ron, who led her off away from Harry and Hermione.

“What’s he on about?” Harry asked Hermione.

“Oh, you know how protective Ron is. He’s probably going on about how she shouldn’t be acting like that, and that it’s not proper to be kissing boys in public.”

“I’m surprised that she did that,” Harry said, playing dumb. “What ever made her bet a kiss on me? I thought you said she gave up on me.”

Hermione turned to face Harry. “I said she gave up on you. I didn’t say she stopped liking you.”

Harry stood in place watching Ginny talking to Ron. They were too far away now to make out what they were saying or to see facial expressions clearly, but Harry didn’t think they were arguing. He took the opportunity to reflect on the kiss he had just received. He had actually kissed her, and now they were a couple. It was just too good to be true, but it was.

“What is it Harry?” Hermione asked.

Harry paused. “I’m still in a bit of shock.”

“She’s been waiting for that for a long time, you know that, right?”

Harry nodded. “She’s an amazing person, Hermione. She’s funny, she’s tenacious, she likes Quidditch, she even bat-bogey-hexed Malfoy. I can’t believe it took me until yesterday to start thinking of her this way.”

Hermione smiled. “While we were getting our turkey legs, Ron told me what you told him last night. I had thought it was something like that. I can remember your reactions to Lockhart during our second year. I told Ginny later that the one thing you hated most was having attention thrown on you like that.”

Harry smiled. “Thank you, Hermione. You’re the best.”

“You two make a great couple, you know that Harry? I think you’re going to be happy together.”

“Speaking of happy together, any ideas on what you’re going to do about Ron?”

Hermione sighed. “No. I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity all day, and nothing has presented itself.”

Harry nodded. “Well, there’s still the circus. Speaking of…”

“Harry! Hermione! Come on, we’re going to be late for circus!” Ron called.

Harry and Hermione smiled at each other, then jogged up the path to join Ron and Ginny. Ginny held out her hand to Harry as they approached, and Harry took it readily.

Inside the main tent, they found seats in the center stand across from center ring. They squeezed into a section on the top row all the way in the back. Ron led them up and sat to the far left. Harry made sure Hermione sat next to Ron, then he and Ginny followed. Everyone in the tent waited anxiously for the show to start.

Finally, the lights dimmed, and the elephants came prancing around the rings, escorted by all manner of clowns, performers and other animals. Everybody clapped. Soon the rings were filled with all sorts of acts, from the human cannonball to the lion tamer. Harry noticed at each time a new act entered a ring, a woman in an extravagantly decorated outfit would ride around the ring on a horse with a big sign which gave the name of the act.

“She looks like a human peacock!” Ginny mused.

“Can you see McGonagall in that outfit?” Ron asked. They all giggled.

“We’ll have to tell Neville. He can use it the next time he faces a boggart!” Hermione said. This time they all laughed out loud.

It was during the balancing elephant act that Hermione tapped Harry on the shoulder. As Harry turned towards her, she leaned in and whispered, “I’m going to try something. Wish me luck.” Harry nodded.

Harry spent the next few minutes glancing towards Hermione and Ron while trying to listen in and pretend he was watching the show at the same time. Before Hermione could do whatever she had planned, Harry watched Ron put his hand on top of Hermione’s, his ears beet red. For a minute or two they just sat there like that. Harry assumed Hermione was trying to decide what to do. Finally Hermione turned to face him, and Ron turned to Hermione. They both smiled and blushed at the same time and turned back to watch the show. Hermione then turned her hand upward and entwined her fingers into Ron’s. Ron leaned over to her.

“What does this mean, Hermione?” he whispered.

“What do you think it means, Ron?” Hermione whispered back.

“I wasn’t sure you liked me that way.”

“Well I do, ok?”

“Perfectly fine by me.”

They sat there for another minute or two.

“Kiss me,” Hermione whispered.

“What? Now?” Ron whispered back.

“Yes now.”

Ron paused. “Alright then.”

Harry couldn’t resist sneaking a peek. He tapped Ginny on the shoulder; she turned and, together, they watched Ron and Hermione. They were nervous and clumsy, but they managed to get in a decent kiss. Once it was over, Hermione leaned over and put her head on Ron’s shoulder.

“Hermione, there’s so many things I want to tell you, I don’t know where to begin.”

“Not now, Ron. There’s plenty of time to talk later. For now, let’s just enjoy the show together.”

“Right,” Ron said, putting his arm around Hermione. “Together.”

The Grangers picked them up after the circus to drive them home. Hermione told her parents about Ron and to Ron’s surprise they seemed quite happy about it. On the way home, Harry and Ginny sat in back, and Ron and Hermione sat in the center row chairs. Both couples held hands all the way home.

After a late dinner, Hermione’s parents retired to the family room to watch television. Harry and Ginny went outside and sat on the porch swing. Ron and Hermione sat out on a bench in the garden.

Before Harry could say anything, Ginny brought out a piece of cotton candy from somewhere.

“My turn, Harry.”

Harry didn’t waste a moment. He quickly dissolved the candy in his mouth as Ginny jumped into his lap. They spent the next several minutes enjoying a pleasurable snogging session. As Ginny let up, Harry noticed a tear running down Ginny’s cheek.

“Ginny, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Harry. I’m just very happy.”

“You know, after you arrived yesterday, I knew there was something different about you. That’s when it hit me that you’d really changed. I had hoped that, somehow, there was a chance we might get together, but you were seeing Dean, so I didn’t get my hopes up. Then I kept noticing things, like when you waved good night to me last night, and when you took my hand to take me to the hot dog tent and didn’t let go right away. Then you made the bet, and I was sure I was going to make a fool of myself. I still don’t know how I won that game, but I’m very glad I did.”

Ginny suddenly got squirmy. “Harry, I have a confession to make.”

Harry got nervous. “What is it, Ginny?”

“Well, I erm… sort of charmed the strength game so you’d win.” She looked up at him and smiled apologetically.

“Wait a minute; you made the bet against me, then you charmed the game?”

Ginny nodded enthusiastically.

Harry finished his thought process. “But that would mean you intended to kiss me all along!”

“You don’t miss anything, do you Harry?”

“And just how long had you been planning that?”

Ginny bit her lip as she thought. “Well, to be honest, I think ever since I got Hermione’s letter. She sent me a list of games and I figured that one would be easy to charm. I joked to Ron that it would be funny to see you try it and, well, it worked.”

“I feel so manipulated,” Harry said, smiling.

“You enjoyed every minute of it, and you know it!” Ginny said.

“Oh yeah?” Harry asked.

Ginny just smirked and kissed Harry again.

“So, I guess this means I’m your boyfriend now, eh?” Harry asked.

“Oh yes, Harry, you are all mine,” Ginny said, leaning in to Harry’s chest and snuggling her nose into his neck. “And I am all yours.”

Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny and closed his eyes.

“You know, Ginny, this is exactly how I imagined having a girlfriend would be like.”

“Shhhh…”Ginny whispered. “No more talking. Just hold me, Harry.”

Harry sat there on the swing holding Ginny for a long time. It wasn’t until she yawned that he suggested it was time to get some sleep. Ginny agreed reluctantly as she noticed Ron and Hermione heading into the house from the garden. Before Ginny could turn into Hermione’s room, Harry stopped her.

“I almost forgot something, wait here.”

Harry rushed to the guest room and retrieved the stuffed tiger he won. He returned to the hallway and gave it to Ginny.

“I want you to have this,” Harry said.

“How sweet of you, Harry. Thank you!” Ginny replied.

“You can sleep with that next to your pillow and have something to remember me by.”

“That’s a good idea, Harry, I will.”

Ginny put her arms around Harry’s neck, and Harry put his arms around Ginny’s waist. They enjoyed a nice long good-night kiss before Ginny finally stopped and stepped back to leave.

“Goodnight Harry. Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight Ginny. See you in the morning.”

Ginny went back into Hermione’s room just as Ron and Hermione were saying goodnight. Once Hermione had closed the door behind her, Ron turned to Harry.

“Did that just happen?” He was grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh it happened all right.”

Ron grabbed Harry and pulled him into the guest room, closing the door behind him.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Ron admitted.

“Why not? It was pretty obvious to me that you liked her. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Of course it is. I just didn’t think it ever would.”

Harry put his hand on Ron’s shoulder. “You two make a great couple. You obviously like each other very much. So enjoy it, ok?”

“Ok,” Ron agreed. “I’m really happy you and Ginny got together. There’s nobody else in the world that’s good enough for my sister.”

“Thanks Ron, that means a lot.”

Ron smiled. “I guess these muggle gatherings are really fun after all. Quite a grand old time we had, eh?”

Harry smiled and nodded. “This certainly will be one day I will never forget.”
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