Ginny's POV

After a scrumptious dinner of beef steak and mashed potatoes, we were all sitting around the scrubbed wooden table, eating mum's mouthwatering treacle pudding. Percy had come home from work and we were trying not to roll our eyes as he told dad about some report he was working on.

Vanessa and Abby were busily chatting away with mum and I gritted my teeth in rage. It was ironic how they were acting. They were, there was no other word for it, "kissing up to my mother". They were asking her for her recipe of the treacle pudding she had made, but it was obvious that they did not even care about what went into that pudding.

"Why do you look so glum, Gin?"

I felt my blood run cold at the voice. I knew that voice and I had grown up listening to it. It was filled with care and brotherly love, and did not hold the monotony and hardness that it been holding for the past month. I turned around slowly in my chair.

Ron's eyes were now back to the baby blue ones they used to be and there was light in them. His whole demeanour had changed completely.

I opened my mouth but no words came out. Breathing slowly, I looked over at Harry. He was sitting next to George and they seemed to be discussing Quiditch. As soon as he saw me looking, he raised his eyebrows and then a shocked look passed over his face as he saw Ron.

He got up and hastily made his way over in a few quick strides.

Plopping down in the empty chair next to me, he asked uncertainly, "Ron? Ron turned to look at him and an unreadable look seemed to pass over his face.

"Harry," said Ron, his voice seemed to crack as he said this." I..." But he could not go on further. He collapsed into a chair and stared at both Harry and I.

"Ron, are you okay?" I asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Ron raised his brows.

"I meant the spell, you're not under it anymore." I clarified.

"Huh?" asked Ron." What spell are you talking about? Harry, do you know what she's on about? Where's Hermione?"

"I.. You... She..," stuttered Harry. But at that moment, a shadow passed over all of us. Ron's bright baby blue eyes flickered over to the left and landed on Vanessa. She had crept up on us while we were talking and was now gazing at Ron. She patted her pocket and I could tell that she had only just stowed her wand away.

"Ron," stated Vanessa

"Vanessa," said Rob, flatly. His voice had lost the life it had had a minute ago and had gone back to being a monotone. "Where's Abby?"

"Sucking up to that fat Momma Weasley." Vanessa answered, and Ron snorted. I could feel heat rising to my cheeks. She had not just said that. This was my mother we were talking about. And to think Ron had snorted. He was under a spell after all, I told myself. But the thought of them insulting my mother was outrageous!

This was also the first time they had revealed their true side to me. I mean sure, they would always talk badly about Hermione, but they never spoke about their plan. Their plan that could get Harry killed. I was pretty sure they talked this way all the time, but this was the first time they were making it clear and obvious and they were not trying to hide their intentions anymore.

"I'm going to bed," said Ron,as he got up from the table. Mum's eyes followed his retreating back disapprovingly and she called out rather sternly.

"Where are you going, Ron?"

"To bed," answered Ron, dismissively and, just like that, he trudged upstairs.

"We should go to bed too," George suggested and we hastily pushed our chairs back and made our way to the staircase. Abby and Vanessa were still in the kitchen.

"So, how do I get them alone?" George asked, once we had reached his room. Harry had plopped down George's bed and I sat on an upturned cardboard box. George was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. Harry took a deep breath and began,

"I think we should wait till Hermione gets h ere," he said." She'll know exactly how to wiggle the truth out of them. She knows every spell there is so she'll be able to actually understand what they tell us."

We were quiet for a minute. Harry was right. This would work best if Hermione was with us. We would just have to wait for her to come. Christmas was three days away which meant that she would come the day after next. I only wondered how the next day would turn out.

"You're right about that, mate," George agreed and I nodded in approval too.

"So now, I guess, we can't do anything. Let's just go to bed," I said, a little tired.

"Yeah, night you two," George said, moving away from the door so Harry and I could pass.

"Hey, how do you think Ron was acting like himself for a while?" I wondered out loud. I had temporarily forgotten about that fact until then.

"I'm not sure," Harry commented. "But I'm guessing that their spell was not that strong this time."

"So that make one thing clear then," I said." He does not know anything that's going on. He even asked where Hermione was. It's as if his mind does not register what happens while he is under their spell," I said.

"I'm going to go send a letter to Hermione," Harry said and walked out of the room. I could still hear the clatter of plates in the kitchen so I decided to go check on mum. She was standing at the sink with her wand outstretched and the dirty dishes were rinsing themselves under the water.

Harry was now tying a square piece of parchment to our owl, Erol's leg and he let him nip his finger before opening the window. He stood their for a while, just gazing up at the dark night sky outside. I knew he was thinking about his deceased owl, Hedwig. He had had her since his first year and she had died while trying to protect Harry, last year. She had used be a snowy white tawny with amber eyes and I still remembered all the times Harry would put her next to Erol and Pigwidgeon, Ron's tiny owl.

"Ginny," my mum's voice cut through my thoughts and brought me out of my reverie.

"Would you mind taking this up to Ron's room?" she asked. She was holding out a pair of maroon pyjamas and I realised that they had just been washed and dried. But the thought of walking into Ron's room right now with a pair of pyjamas while he was possessed was not exactly a happy one.

"Err," I started, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

"I'll do it," cut in Harry, turning away from the window. "I have to go up anyway."

"Thank you, dear," said mum, beaming. It was common knowledge that she loved Harry like anything. It was as if he were her own son, and she did everything she could to make him feel at home. If my judgement served correctly, I'd say Harry loved my mum too, like he would have loved his own mum. That thought caused my heart to warm up with joy.

"Night, Mrs Weasley," smiled Harry. "Night Gin."

********************************************

The next morning, we were all sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying breakfast. Dad sat at the head and sipped his morning tea while mum brought in warm eggs from the kitchen. George had just suggested that we play three- a-side Qiditch out in the meadow that was next to the house.

"Yeah, we should." I agreed with him. "The weather's great." The plan was to make Vanessa and Abby trust George completely. During the game, he would drop subtle hints about his fascination towards them and would try to sweet-talk them with his, as hard as it was to say, charming personality.

A/N

I'm so sorry for posting late, but i was caught up with other things!

Please VOTE, COMMENT AND FOOLIW! I'll follow you back :)