Chapter Text
Harry stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room after a long block of double Potions and immediately felt his foot begin to slip out from underneath him. With a squeak from his shoe, he landed hard on his back, surrounded by sweet-scented, wet white stuff.
"What in Merlin's name?" he muttered to himself.
His glasses had fallen into the sea of unknown substance, so he wasn't entirely sure what it was, but dearly hoped it wasn't corrosive.
Finally, he found them. He wiped them on the collar of his cloak as much as possible, considering his whole body was wet, now.
Through his slightly smudged lenses, Harry could finally see that it was bubbles that he had slipped in.
Thank Merlin, he thought to himself.
Now that his glasses were on his face, he could also see the figure of Ginny, lounging comfortably on one of his favourite sofas by the fireplace.
"Ginny, why are there bubbles everywhere?"
"Don't ask questions," she told him merrily. "All you need to do is play along."
Harry got up gingerly, rubbing his bum.
"I think I do need to ask questions," he prodded, walking closer to her. "I assume this is your doing?"
She nodded, smile lighting her face brilliantly. His stomach somersaulted and the monster in his chest gave a pathetic sigh of adoration.
"Some sort of prank?" he asked as he pulled his wand out of his robes pocket and cast a drying charm on himself.
"Yes."
"I wasn't the target, was I?"
"No, Harry. Now, I said not to ask questions! You'll just have to wait and watch with me."
Harry thought he'd be able to handle that.
He sat down next to Ginny on the sofa.
They sat in silence for several moments before Harry asked her about her classes. Soon, they were laughing and having fun.
Being around Ginny was so easy, Harry thought. It was like breathing or feeling the sunlight on his skin on a nice spring day. It was the most natural thing in the world to him.
He didn't know how long they were there when someone finally came through the portrait hole. Harry could immediately see that it was Ron and Lavender, holding hands.
Like he had, Ron slipped in the bubbles. Lavender let go of his hand as soon as she felt him going under but helped him up when his wits were about him again.
Harry wasn't sure how Ginny hadn't laughed out how ridiculous he must have looked in the very same situation that his best mate was suddenly in.
"My poor Won-Won," Lavender pouted, pulling him in to give him a kiss.
Ginny pinched Harry, and he tore his eyes away from Ron and Lavender to give her an accusatory stare. "Watch this," Ginny whispered excitedly, mischief dancing in her warm, brown eyes, pointing back at the couple.
Lavender was attempting to plant a kiss on Ron's lips, but was buffed back by an invisible forcefield whenever she got close. A large belching noise sounded every single time, she was pushed back.
Harry tried to hold his laughter in, as the couple hadn't yet noticed their presence. Merlin, his belly hurt from his silent laughter.
He could feel Ginny trembling beside him on the sofa. Harry looked at her, smiling widely and shaking his head.
Turning back to look at Ron and Lavender, he watched as they parted ways up the staircase.
When he heard both dormitory doors click closed, Harry finally let his laughter free. "You're absolutely evil, you know that?"
She grinned saucily, shrugging at him. "They don't call me the Mistress of Mischief for nothing."
Harry thought he might like to call her the mistress of something… no, he would not let his mind wander there.
"Who's they?" he asked instead.
"Oh, you know. People."
"Oh yes," he agreed. "People."
She gave him a light shove to the side of the sofa, and he felt an electric shock travel down his skin.
"Well, my work here is done," she told him. "Should you ever need my pranking services, you know where to find me."
With a casual wave of her wand, the bubbles evaporated, leaving the Common Room exactly as it had always been.
Unfortunately for Ron and Lavender, however, the effects of Ginny's prank lasted a week.