taking control

Chapter 8: Red-Heads In All Shapes and Colors

Ginny's reaction exactly mirrored Hermione's. She gasped and raised a hand to cover her opened mouth. "No. Please tell me he didn't say that." The look in Harry's eyes told her quite plainly that he did in fact say that. "Of all the insensitive...what did you say?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't remember exactly. I was so angry at the time, I'm just happy I didn't blow up the common room. I think I thanked him for reminding me of that fact, then told him that I'd give him detention with Filch if he ever went through my things again. And I warned him that he should stay out of your business if he knew what was good for him."

"Damn straight he should," Ginny stated emphatically. "But we can't just let him get away with all of that."

"No," Harry replied, "we can't, which is why I asked you here. We need to plan some revenge."

Ginny's lips twisted into an evil smirk. "That's what I like to hear. But before we begin planning, what's this Marauder's Map you were talking about?"

Harry looked at her for a moment like she was completely crazy. Then he slapped himself on the forehead and said, "I keep forgetting that you haven't exactly been around for all of our adventures. The way we get along now, it feels like we've been friends all along. Let me tell you a little story about the Marauders, a legend in Hogwarts history...."

And so Harry began the tale of the mischievous Marauders. He told her how his father and Sirius decided to become animagi to keep Remus company during the full moon and how they taught Peter as well. He fast-forwarded to the twins finding the map in Filch's office in their first year, and how they gave the map to him during his third year. He then dug the map out of his new trunk to show her how it worked.

To say she was impressed would be an understatement. "We could go anywhere with this, so long as we didn't get ambushed from both sides."

"Well yeah, and in that case there's always my invisibility cloak," Harry offered. "I can't believe Ron never mentioned anything about any of this."

"Ron never tells me anything. Ever since he got back from his first year at Hogwarts, he's wanted nothing to do with me. I guess that's not true any more. Now he considers himself in charge of my love life," Ginny explained bitterly.

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. "You know Hermione and I never meant to steal Ron away from you or make you feel left out. If I had known, I would've tried to include you...."

"Oh Harry, I don't blame you," Ginny hastily interrupted. "You have nothing to apologize for. I mean, I probably would have fainted if you were to come up to me and ask me to come hang out with you guys. I imagine half the reason he didn't want me around is because I was so embarrassing with my crush. But even when we were at the Burrow during the summer after your first year, before you came along, he didn't want anything to do with me. He was too grown up and cool for his little sister."

"Well, all the more reason for some payback, right?" Harry asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Right," Ginny agreed with a smile. "What did you have in mind?"

They spent the rest of the day planning and plotting. They were so involved in their scheming that they missed the start of dinner, but they made it down to the Great Hall with plenty of time to spare and enjoyed their dinner sharing many knowing looks throughout the experience. They were both greatly looking forward to pulling this prank off. Their looks did not go unnoticed by Hermione, however, who was wondering just what was going on between the two. And wondering if maybe Ron didn't have the right of it earlier, at least in his guess as to what activities Ginny was getting up to with "some bloke."