Chapter Text
Ginny threw her backpack, her coat, which was always damp due to the constant rain at the start of autumn, and her mismatched socks on her bed. Thankfully, she had chosen to wear rain boots that morning, despite the bright sun: miserable, unpredictable weather. She only realized one of her socks had unicorns on it and the other had little puppies on it during the fourth period phys ed.
She turned on the old computer she shared with Ron, the only other Weasley who still spent time at home, and yelled that she needed to do schoolwork, which Molly pretended to believe, much to the relief of the almost-sixteen-year-old girl. So, while the dial-up internet was doing its slow connection work, she grabbed an apple.
When she took the first bite of the green apple, Ronald challenged, "I really doubt you're doing any kind of homework."
"The internet isn't even on yet," she scoffed at her brother. "So, I haven't done any homework yet."
"Please, and you're not going to," he said as he snatched the apple from her grasp. "You're going to be on that thing... ICQ! It's full of weirdos and perverts."
“Why are you so stressed today, Won-Won?” she squinted, causing him to squirm and choke on her apple. “I guess when I’m online I keep you from talking to your annoying girlfriend all night long, right? I don’t think mom is aware of that…”
“Me? Wh-what are you on about?” he coughed once more “what girlfriend? Are you mad?”
“Brown.” she rolled her eyes again. “Everybody knows. It’s not like you guys are keen on discretion.”
“Everybody?” his face was scarlet red while Ginny snatched her apple again and left the kitchen.
“Eeeeeeevery bo-dy.” She yelled from the staircase. “Including Hermione”.
Her brother's love life would keep you entertained for a day, if not a weekend: the whole "will they won't they?" thing with his best friend; the new supporting character (or should we say antagonist?) Lavender Brown; the addition of the hot exchange Bulgarian ex-boyfriend who wasn't a match for Hermione... Furthermore, we have the young lad, Cormac, who has a stalker vibe, albeit a little too insistent in his attempts. You know the type of person who is hot, aware of it, and finds it strange that the world does not fall at his feet?
Ginny, on the other hand, was concerned about getting a life for herself, and she had chemistry homework to do.
Obviously, that didn't stop her from opening the ICQ while she tried to figure out why Snape's new method of torture was called Organic Chemistry and how to solve the mystery of various oxygen molecules and things ending in "ol."
Uh-Oh.
Uh-Oh.
Uh-Oh.
She didn’t have to think a lot to discover where that characteristic little noise came from. Just one look isn’t going to kill me.
3 new messages from * FosterBoy80*
FosterBoy80: I don’t know how this thing works! I put the number here and then this chat showed up
FosterBoy80: AND I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS STUFF I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!
FosterBoy80: i’m sorry for the caps, forgive me… i just don’t get this thing of literature and i know this is your deal and we don’t go to the same school, but i'm pretty sure you’ve already written a paper on Pygmalion at your posh ass school. SO PLEASE, PLEASE PLEAAAAASE JEAN JEAAAAN!!
RedFury: oh, well, i forgive you, it’s alright… But i dont think I can send you my Pygmalion paper because that would be considered plagiarism and i don’t know who you are.
FosterBoy80: What do you mean you don’t know who i am? It's me! Your best friend since 1991. Nowadays your neighbour and also your prettiest friend.
RedFury: i’m waiting for you to realize I’m not Jean-Jean… HHAHAHAHA
FosterBoy80: OH. DAMNIT. WRONG USER. MY BAD.
RedFury: nah, it’s okay. I hope you find Jean-Jean and write your paper on Pygmalion. Ya know there are a lot of movies based on that play, right?
RedFury: Like, there’s one from 1938 and My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn who is 10/10 in the film. There is one for BBC that sucks, but I don’t know if you can find it in a blockbuster. And She’s All That!
FosterBoy80: THERE IS A MOVIE???
RedFury: DO YOU ALWAYS YELL WHEN YOU TALK?
FosterBoy80: My bad haha. I just can’t fail literature and i am kinda desperate because i can’t fail!
RedFury: got it you can’t fail… i suggest, and drumrolls please: READ THE PLAY.
FosterBoy80: rude.
RedFury: the person who cheats gets cheated on in life. BESIDES, i have already been blessed with six brothers, one only a year older than me who already pays me to write his literature homework.
FosterBoy80: sooooooooooooooo, that means you can be bought
RedFury: That sounded soooo wrong, FosterBoy80, also known as a stranger danger boy who could very well be an old creep who wants me to do his homework.
FosterBoy80: Why would an old creep ask you to do a school work???
RedFury: you...
RedFury: got a point.
FosterBoy80: i am nrilliant.
FosterBoy80: brilliant*
RedFury: oh, sure you are, nrilliant. Go write your essay and I’m going to try and learn this organic chemistry bs.
FosterBoy80: I know organic chemistry...
RedFury: oh, now you’re bragging?
FosterBoy80: what if i help you with organic chemistry and you help me with pygmalion????
RedFury: i don’t know you???
FosterBoy80: and this is a problem because...
RedFury: dunno. Momma says not to talk to strangers… And the ones from the internet…
FosterBoy80: i promise im not a kidnapper or an old creep.
RedFury: If you were, would you tell me?
FosterBoy80: touché. But I guarantee im not! As far as i know, you could be the psycho killer kidnapper.
RedFury: you started talking to me?? How does me being the kidnapper make sense?
FosterBoy80: you could be a maniac that waits on innocent boys to start talking to you in order to kidnap them.
RedFury: It seems kinda counterproductive to just sit and wait for my victims, Fosty.
FosterBoy80: Counterproductive? Are you 40? Fosty?
RedFury: FosterBoy80 is a hell of a big name…
"Ginevra Molly Weasley" Ginny awoke from her trance in the evolving conversation with the stranger from ICQ to her mother's yelling. "This is the third time I've called you to dinner. Please don't make me go all the way up there!"
"I haven't heard anything, mama." Gin took a deep breath and looked at the computer's clock in the corner. It was already 6:30 p.m., and she still hadn't figured out organic chemistry or the name of the stranger. She hurriedly disconnected the internet and closed ICQ. "I'm on my way!"
"Of course you didn't pay attention to me! You've been staring at this computer all day!" Molly screamed out loudly. "With these machines, it's all your father's fault! People used to get out of the house to talk to each other back when we were civilized, they used books and thesaurus to do research, and-"
George interrupted her with "How long ago was that?"
"Oh, dear brother, I believe it was during the Mesozoic period," Fred responded with an exaggerated hi-five to his brother.
"As if you knew when the Mesozoic period was," Ginny rolled her eyes as she sat between the twins.
"Come on, Gin, we're Fred and George." He said, pointing to himself. "Not Ronald!"
“Mom!This is bullying!" exclaimed Ronald, crossing his arms like a child.
"Boys, leave your brother alone," she chided in a motherly tone, smiling at Arthur, who hung his jacket on the hanger and went to the restroom to wash his hands before joining his large family at the dinner table.
Ginny had forgotten about school torture and organic chemistry for a brief moment. FosterBoy80, on the other hand, never left her mind for some inexplicable reason.