"Harry, pass the eggs, please. No, no, the other one! I like my yokes runny."
Ginny swallowed audibly and set down her spoon.
Harry distractedly set the platter of fried eggs before his friend. "Oh. She noticed, all right. I mean, I really intending to do anything, but then she started getting very...familiar with me. God. the news has probably spread all over Hufflepuff by now."
Ron opened his mouth, ready to deliver another bout of reassurance, but was interrupted by the noisy arrival of Seamus Finnegan.
"Morning!" boomed Seamus, throwing open the Great Hall doors and walking over to sit with his classmates. The seventh year Gryffindor was sporting orange-tinted skin, indicating that he had just received a dosage of Pomfrey's patented headache banisher. This of course explained his good mood. For optimum results, the draught was often administered with a mild cheering charm.
Ginny winced at the noise, mumbling what sounded like bloodyloudIrish under her breath. Though, she still looked marginally cheered at the arrival of her 'sort of' boyfriend.
"Glorious day!" Seamus declared, as he pilfered a tray of toast from a group of fourth years and squeezed his way in between Ginny and Ron. He surveyed the groggy faces around him. "Where's your Graduation Spirit, then?" he inquired, before proceeding to hum the school song as he piled his plate with bacon, eggs, kippers and toast.
"It's lying dormant until I graduate," Ginny told him. "Start singing, Finnegan, and Merlin help me, I won't be responsible for what I do to you." She was fingering her butter knife with deadly intent.
But Seamus had already stopped smiling. He had just spotted Neville, who had been quietly shovelling porridge into his mouth several seats down from Harry. The boy was attempting to disappear behind a particularly large bowl of fruit.
"That was some move you pulled last night, Longbottom."
Neville looked extremely uncomfortable. "Seamus, it was an accident. You know it was."
"What's this?" Ron asked, looking from Seamus' disapproving glare, to Neville's red face.
Seamus folded his arms. "Our dear Neville dropped his trousers in front of Ginny and Susan Bones yesterday evening."
Harry's head came up, his own humiliation momentarily forgotten. "Neville did what?"
Neville shook his head. "Not on purpose! It was an emergency, I had to go really badly and well, there was nobody around, so I went into the bushes, right? We've all done it one time or another!" He gave the other boys hopeful looks. "I thought I had a good look around before...only..."
Harry started laughing, while Ron seemed torn between sympathy and anger. "Neville! You're a dead man! That's my sister!"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "What shocking hypocrisy, Ron. I have six brothers, it's not like I haven't seen a-"
Ron slapped a hand over his sister's mouth. "You're supposed to be sweet and pure. Mum would have my head otherwise. Accordingly you have most certainly not seen one of those," he said, very clearly, as if proper enunciation would make it true. "Neither will you see, er, one until you're at least thirty."
Ginny shoved her brother in the arm, whereupon Ron took to staring at Neville again. Harry, meanwhile, had found his first smile of the day. "Good to see I'm not the only one having troubles this morning."
No sooner had he spoken was the tentative calm broken.
"All hail Potter, the conquering hero!" called Dean Thomas, who had just strolled into the Great Hall. Like Seamus, he too was glowing a faint orange.
Ron vigorously shook his head.
"Banners soaring! Bravely did he infiltrate the ranks of House Hufflepuff to steal away their prized flower!"
Ginny rolled her eyes into her juice glass.
"Flag held high, charging into the thick!"
Neville groaned.
Harry was now a shade of deep scarlet. "SHUT UP THOMAS! There was no soaring banner! The bloody flag never left the ground!"
At the other tables, students were looking up from their breakfasts. Dean looked stunned for a moment, before breaking into a wide grin. "Cor, what happened?"
Harry sighed. "I expect you'll hear about it soon enough."
Collectively, the friends turned to observe the Hufflepuff table, where the very attractive Alice Crowley, Harry's dance partner the previous evening, was currently whispering intently into Susan Bones' ear. In addition, at least six Hufflepuff boys were staring daggers at both Harry and Neville.
"Lovely," said Neville, with a courageous sort of resignation that came from being in Snape's Potions class for seven years. "If we don't have black eyes by first period, Monday, I honestly won't know why."
Ginny chuckled. "Hermione will protect you, Neville. It's good to know the Head Girl."