Ginny's Snaggle

Chapter One - Snape's Smile

Ginny Weasley walked to her Divination class. Her third year had started quite uneventfully and Hogwarts seemed to be getting more and more full of strangers.

The new classes seemed to be piling on yet more work. Her friends gossiped and everyone seemed excited. Ginny could not face the climb to the class, so held back, clutching her bag to her chest.

Outside, the late Autumn sun fell on a warm and glorious scene. Ginny was not always so dreamy or romantic. In fact more often than not, she would always be the one cracking jokes and gossiping about how Spidery Alice Fullikins from Ravenclaw had been seen hanging around with those Hufflepuff boys again. Today though she felt just a little lonely.

Of course, what with everyone talking about Harry Potter, Ginny felt a bit embarrassed at her infatuation with the charming, heroic champion of Hogwarts. Harry had always been nice to her, and of course, she understood that Harry did not actually love her, and of course, she would be a fool to think she could compete with that lucky Cho Chang or Hermione that everyone was always talking about.

She should just forget about. Get on with her life. And of course, Colin Creevey liked her too, but she suspected it was only due to their mutual topic of Harry Potter and his exploits.

"Damn Harry Potter!" Ginny muttered. She was still thinking about him.

Striding down the North Wing stairwell, she kept on going and walked out into the glorious sunshine. The warm light penetrated her clothes and made her glow. She smiled and kept on walking for a bit. Ahead were the hedged gardens glowed a fiery, warmth as she numbly walked forward into their colourful embrace.

Sitting down on a bench, she noted a small envelope. Surprised, she turned it over, and noted that her name was on it too! Her shock subsided when she opened it.

"Due to some affair of the heart, you will not be in class today. Please read up on Tea Leaves: Earl Grey, and divine what will happen to you this week for class next Wednesday. Due to the cause of your departure, I will only fine Gryffindor 5 points. Prof. Trelawney."

Ginny smiled, and laid back on the bench. Staring into the great blue sky above, she felt a warm and inner-peace. In her dazed state, she daydreamed about Harry sweeping her off of her feet. She started from her reverie and felt as though something awful was soon to happen to Harry.

Biting her lip, Ginny made a note of a large black Rat and Harry's scar in her divination studies. She was not sure why, by Professor Trelawney always liked to talk about Harry too.

"Can't they just leave him alone" whispered Ginny as the fading images of dark foreboding subsided.

"Ginny Weasley? What on earth are you doing here?" barked Snape, who had suddenly appeared at her side.

Ginny stared up into his angry face. She did not know why, but she just did not seem to care. Her mouth opened, but Ginny could not hear any words forthcoming.

To her great surprise, Snape sat down next to her, with a look of concern on his face. "You seem to be crying girl. Please stop it at once." He said stiffly, and Snape produced a handkerchief and forced it into Ginny's trembling hand. There were indeed tears in here eyes and Ginny was surprised at herself. What on earth had brought on her crying? Snape leaned back on the bench and pinched the bridge of his nose. Letting out a long sigh, he asked Ginny if she felt better. Ginny nodded in response.

Snape said wearily "50 points from Gryffindor. Return to your class."

"But I have already been punished. Professor Trelawney knows I am here." protested Ginny.

Snape sat up, and seemed fit to explode, until Ginny offered him the note. Awaiting a vent of pure rage, instead Snape let out a dry laugh.

"Very well Miss Weasley. I will not interfere. Divination is none of my business. So why are you out here Miss Weasley?"

"I - I'm not sure, sir." stuttered Ginny

"Well try harder! I'm out here because that twit Neville covered the dungeon in poison again. There all in there at the moment cleaning it up. I needed to get a breath of fresh air. That's my reason for being here. Now, Miss Weasley, what is your reason?" Snape leaned closer to Ginny, still blinking from whatever noxious potion Neville had gotten wrong this time.

"I needed a breath of fresh air too. And it is nice and sunny." Ginny stared up into the sky and felt happy, despite more tears flooding her eyes once more.

"That Harry Potter has a lot to answer for. He disrupts my classes, flouts the rules and seems to be turning every silly girl's head." sniped Snape.

"That's not true!" squealed Ginny, who instantly felt very silly for having done so.

"Oh Miss Weasley, Mr Potter is not worthy of all of this attention. Do not feel bad about it - I mean he's simply not worth it. Well, I mean, there's more to life than a Harry Potter." Snape looked at Ginny's confused face. "Oh listen to me, trying to be an agony aunt or some-such. Forget Harry Potter. His father was a fool, and Harry will no doubt follow in his footsteps."

Snape stood up. "Come on Miss Weasley. Get back to class."

Ginny stood up, and numbly gathered up her things. As she began to leave, she turned to Snape.

"Thank you, Mr. Snape," beamed Ginny.

"Come on Ginny, I'd better go see how Neville's doing. Disastrously I suspect!" Snape smiled and left Ginny walking back into Hogwarts. Well, that was odd! Snape was actually almost human, thought Ginny. Ginny returned to the Gryffindor dormitory, earning a wry look from the Fat Lady as she entered. The place was empty, and now that she had had time to think, she realised that once more, she had been caught up in something else about Harry Potter.

And she had cried! How embarrassing!

Sitting in the corner of the big empty room, she began to doodle. For some reason, she could not get the idea of a large black rat out of her mind. She took out a large, blank scroll and with a lump of charcoal from the fireplace, she began to sketch out the beast. The sketch was not quite right, so she did another and another, until a full twenty scrolls gathered around her feet.

Lunch had begun and finished, and Ginny had failed to notice. Harry and his pals entered the room, as did a lot of other pupils. Ginny ignored them all. Hermione tapped her on the shoulder. "Hiya Ginny," she said. Leafing through the scrolls, Hermione added "They're really good."

"Hi Hermione! How are you!" enthused Ginny.

"Fine. You seem happy today. "

"Why shouldn't I? I didn't realise I was being so miserable." Ginny snapped.

"Well, you haven't. But..." Hermione looked embarrassed.

Ginny stared at her, then realised what Hermione was blushing about. Ginny put down her scrolls and held Hermione's hand.

"Thankyou, but really, I don't mind if you do love Harry or not."

"Oh, well, I like him. But, all these rumours about us two is silly. I mean..."

"Hermione?"

"Yes Ginny?"

"Can we not talk about Harry?"

Hermione looked at Ginny and put her arm around her. "Oh Ginny. I'm sorry. I know Ron teases, but you shouldn't be embarrassed about Harry or anything. He's just a boy and doesn't know much better, so..."

"Hermione! Please, can we just talk about something else? Please?"

Ginny and Hermione realised that others were looking at them. "Have you eaten yet Ginny? Lessons are in five minutes." worried Hermione.

"Yeah. But it's only with that Hagrid."

"Well, why not show him these? He'd love them"

"Yeah. Ok. After Snape this morning I had better redeem myself a bit."

Hermione looked puzzled and so Ginny told her of how he had let her off and how Professor Trelawney had know where she was. Hermione snorted about the professor's prediction. "She can see that bench from her tower you ninny! Probably sent an owl to drop it there just before you got to it or something! But Snape - that was amazing. I must try crying in front of him too some..."

"I didn't do it on purpose!" exploded Ginny. "I'm off to Hagrid... See you later."

And with that, Ginny stormed off to see Hagrid, with her drawings under one arm.

"What's up with her?" asked Harry, appearing with Ron from their lunch to collect their things for the next lesson. Hermione shook her head. "Men!" She thought and walked out past Harry. Harry and Ron exchanged puzzled shrugs and caught up with Hermione as they reached their history class.

JK Rowling owns all rights to Harry Potter and I would never dare claim the characters in this tale are mine.