LiFE HAPPENS
Chapter One // Outstanding Achievements
Author – SparkleGlitterBreathe
Genre – Romance // Comedy
Rating – T // PG-13
Characters – G // D
Disclaimer – I would be utterly stupid to tell you that Harry Potter belongs to me. Period.
"Life happens. It can be unbelievably strange and unexpectedly new, but it's life. So don't push these small gifts away, Ginny. Embrace them," she finished. Ginny stared at her and answered, "BOTH of you got dropped on your heads when you were babies, then."
.&.
As she flipped the worn page of her old book, Ginny could absently hear the familiar train whistle of the Hogwarts Express. The scenery of autumn's beautiful effect on trees and nature sped by the window and she sighed contentedly, smiling as she read a particularly humorous conversation between two characters in her mother's aging book.
The thin pages had yellowed and the cover had lost any appealing characteristics it may have ever had, but Trained to Love You was quite possibly Ginny Weasley's favorite text. The intricate detailing with which every little object was described and how well she could relate to the heroine were what made her fall in love with the beautiful novel, one she was quite sure hadn't ever been printed in the Muggle world.
The plot of the story contained a group of teenagers (Muggle teenagers, which was what fascinated Ginny the most; no copies had ever been shown to Muggles themselves) in a gang and how one of them, a girl, had fallen in love with someone completely antithetical, someone she had never been expected to mix with. The beauty and mystery of it all had enticed Ginny and she hadn't ever let go of the book since. She had read it a minimum of fifteen times.
The new sixth year hadn't even noticed as Malfoy slid the compartment door open and walked himself in.
"Weasley, tell me this: what the hell are you doing in my compartment?"
Looking up from the faded letters of her book, Ginny took a few seconds to register what he had said before replying icily, "Since when is it yours, Malfoy?"
He looked unruffled as he drawled, "Since I walked in here and said it was. Are you getting out or not?"
Ginny smiled tightly before biting, "Nope."
His mercury orbs flashed at her as she gazed back, and then he stepped in front of her and looked down at her, "What are you playing at? Do you think I can't get you out of here anyway, just because you won't do it voluntarily? I don't bloody well need you to volunteer."
Ginny glared at him levelly and spit out, "Then by all means, Malfoy, kick me out. I don't recall seeing any of your idiot housemates outside. Perhaps you'll have to do it yourself this time. Or is that not possible?"
His face devoid of any emotion, he replied, "Oh, I won't even bother, Weasley. Now that your filthy arse has been in these seats, I don't think I'm willing to take it. Go bother someone else with your endless, antagonizing, annoying manners."
"Oh, wow, Malfoy, I really got the gist of that one now. Perhaps you should make the point more clear with better, more insulting descriptions of me?" Ginny reddened despite her confident voice and blank face.
At the door, he paused to turn, look at her and drawl, "What's the point? You're a Weasley. Is that not already enough?"
.&.
Once the Sorting Hat ceremony was finished and Ginny memorized the faces of her new housemates, she could not wait to get to her dormitory and sleep. The thought of falling unconsciously onto her clean, cool sheets and not waking up until noon the next day was very inviting, and that's why within a few minutes, she found herself barely managing to catch her head before it fell into her plate as her eyelids drooped.
The warm voice of her concerned friend broke her thoughts away from warm bed sheets and lights out, "Are you alright, Ginny? You look sleep-deprived."
"'S alright, 'Mione. Just need a little more –" she was interrupted by the fact that as soon as the word finally made its way out, her head landed on the table with a loud thud. Fortunately, there were no forks, knives, or spoons nearby, and Hermione felt for the girl, leaving her to lay there with her mouth slightly open as she stood and approached the teachers' table.
Accosting the new Headmistress McGonagall in particular, she said, "Professor, Ginny Weasley seems to have … fallen unconscious at the table over there, I was wondering if it would be alright if I took her to the common room at this time?"
Eyeing Ginny with disapproval, McGonagall shook her head at Hermione, replying, "You will do no such thing. I do not believe I would ever allow you to take her unconscious form around the castle all on your own. I would prefer if everyone stayed together at this time. And as Head Girl, Miss Granger, I expect only that from you, understood? I will especially need your help this year, so please do not disappoint me."
Hermione looked taken aback for a moment before she blinked and answered the woman quickly, "Of course not, Professor. But while we're on the subject, when is our first Heads meeting?"
McGonagall merely answered harshly, "You will be informed tomorrow, along with Mr. Malfoy. You need to see to it that your house gets to bed on time tonight and then, please return to your Heads commons immediately. Anything you need to know will be answered tomorrow. Go on ahead to your seat, please."
Nodding, Hermione sat back down beside her redheaded friend, lightly shaking her. When she received no response, Hermione shook her harder and called her name.
Her friend, in turn, moaned and sat up, blinking furiously against the bright lights in the hall. Smiling, Hermione said, "Try to stay awake, Ginny, we only have about seven minutes until we all separate to our dormitories. Why are you so sleepy anyway?"
"Oh, um … I don't think I got enough sleep last night. I was tossing and turning up until a very ungodly hour, honestly. Ugh, I can't wait to get into bed," Ginny answered in that tone of a person who's not quite fully awake yet, but is trying to sound so very hard.
Harry scooted over in front of the two girls asking her, "You okay, Ginny?'
She smiled despite herself and nodded, "Yes, Harry, I am. I just really need these lights and these … clothes off. Hermione, how much longer?"
The older girl checked her watch before replying, "Oh, about two more minutes, now."
Yawning desperately, Ginny looked around at the other tables. At the Ravenclaw table, she spotted Luna staring off into space as she talked to a group of other girls nearby. Then, Ginny's eyes fell on the Hufflepuff table beyond them, taking in the clusters of girls and guys, all laughing and discussing the summer's events. What she'd give to be in the mood to do the same thing.
She carefully turned her head behind her to the Slytherin table and her gaze settled on Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Malfoy appeared to be discussing something or other with a dark, black-haired boy in his year, who had on his lap what Ginny had come to know as Pansy Parkinson.
The blonde girl had her hair up in a messy bun, but still managed to look presentable. Her face was completely covered in expertly placed make-up, the blue colors matching her hair band. Since they were sitting on the side of the table closer to Ginny, she could just make out Pansy's super short, revealing skirt that showed from under her rich, well-tailored robes. Her legs, facing Malfoy, were intertwined with his, and she threw her head back as she laughed at something one of them had said.
Malfoy chose that moment to turn and glare at her. Her sleepy eyes blurred his face and she blinked to clear them, only find that she was falling, fast, until she could hear nothing of the hall's chatter and see nothing of the angry look Malfoy had sent her. Then, everything was dark.
.&.
Ginny's eyes fluttered, but she managed to keep them closed as she listened to the conversation going on somewhere near her.
"I know it was you! You were glaring at her! You probably put some hex on her! She felt just fine until you turned around, Malfoy! What did you do?" she heard Hermione say in a hushed tone, so as not to wake her up, perhaps.
So much for that, Ginny thought bitterly. Wait a second, Malfoy's here???
Still not daring to open her eyes, she strained her ears for his unmistakable drawl. It came louder than she expected and she nearly jumped in bed. "Would you shut up for once, Granger?"
As Hermione protested indignantly, he broke her off with a sneer and went on, "I didn't do anything to Weasley, you mudblood, and I have no motive and absolutely no opportunity. You know how McGonagall is – she was watching the entire hall like a hawk, she would have seen me, trust me, if I had whipped out my wand and hexed your little friend into this oblivion. Besides, why are you so stuck on making it my fault?"
Harry and Ron had obviously jumped up onto their feet at the rude reference to their friend and were probably making an attempt to intimidate him with their wands, but Ginny could hear the amusement in his voice as he watched them. Hermione probably pushed them back onto their rear ends, judging by the two thumps and yelps, and answered, "Because, Malfoy, you, like I have repeated at least four times now, were the only one looking our way and she collapsed right when you two were turned toward each other. I know you did it. I don't know what you did, but believe me, I will get Madam Promfey to tell me, I will. Don't underestimate me, Malfoy."
After a pause, Harry asked, "Why were you looking at her anyway, Malfoy? I mean, obviously, even McGonagall saw you, so what the hell were you doing looking at Ginny in the first place??"
Malfoy sounded bored when he answered. She figured he was sitting to her left, "I wasn't looking at her at all, actually. Your sister was the one to turn and stare at Pansy, and I saw her. The jealousy in her eyes was actually pretty hard to miss." Ginny thought he sounded a little too smug about that and finally decided to say something.
"You really think you're something, don't you Malfoy?" she muttered as she stretched her arms and yawned.
Opening her eyes, she found herself in the distant corner of the Hospital Wing. Upon hearing her voice, her brother and his friends rushed to her, hugging her and saying things. Glancing at him, she saw Malfoy roll his eyes. He smirked before asking her, "Well, then, Weasley, do you suppose I was the one who hexed you into the next century?"
"Well, I don't think it was you, but I wouldn't be surprised. Malfoy, you are so unpleasant," Ginny added as she scrunched her face up at his position in one of the chairs farthest from the bed. He was slouching, one leg bent at the knee over his other one, both arms on the chair, his chin on one of his hands.
He looked at her strangely before replying, "And you as well, Weasley. To what do I owe these gracious compliments?"
Chuckling, Ginny turned to her friends, "Why am I in here, again?"
Hermione spoke up, "Well, after Malfoy started looking at you, Ginny, you collapsed on the floor of the Great Hall. It's still the first night, about midnight, and you've been unconscious for about two hours. Madam Promfey says you're free to go as soon as you wake up."
Stretching a bit more dramatically, Ginny replied, "Alright. Will you so kindly please tell me the password, then?"
Hermione looked puzzled, "You don't want me to come with you?"
"Oh, I think I'll stay here just a little longer, but I think you should all go on ahead to bed. Never mind that tomorrow's the weekend, you all need sleep – look at you," Ginny motioned to her brother and Harry. Their eyes were half closed as they smiled sleepily.
Hermione glanced at them and said, "Okay, then. Well," she leaned toward Ginny, "the password is Eat Slugs, ironically. I'm going to go ahead and take these two to the portrait, then. Malfoy, are you going to the commons?" She watched him skeptically.
He answered, "Yes."
"Alright. Well, night, Ginny. Feel better tomorrow!" Hermione called as she led the boys out of the infirmary.
Being left alone with Malfoy didn't feel very good to Ginny and she shuffled uncomfortably between her sheets. Soon, she felt his eyes on her. Glancing at him, she said, "Are you planning on leaving anytime soon?"
He countered, "Are you?"
Ginny huffed, "Well, excuse me, but I believe that I am the one in the hospital, not you! Go to bed, Malfoy."
"And what makes you think you can tell me what to do? Better yet, what makes Granger think she can tell you to 'be better tomorrow'? That has got to be the stupidest phrase I've ever heard."
Ginny pursed her lips, "She's being a good friend, but I guess you wouldn't know what that feels like, would you? How many times do I have to say it? Go to bed. Leave me alone."
Shrugging loosely, Malfoy stood, "If you say so."
Raising an eyebrow, Ginny called, "And don't bother locking the doors. I'm getting out of here in a few."
Without so much as a gesture of recognition, Malfoy left, but Ginny didn't hear the locks turning.
Slowly bringing her legs over the side of the bed, Ginny looked at the nearby clock. It read 11:47, and Ginny stared at it for a moment. Then, she brought her hair out of the band she had put it into that morning and brushed it out with her fingers. An image of a pretty, blonde girl flashed in her mind and she began to unconsciously put her hair into the same loose bun she had seen earlier that evening.
Letting a few strands of hair fall around her face, she stood, gasping at the feel of the cold stone floor on her bare feet. Looking around for her shoes, she slipped them on and quickly gulped down a glass of water on the bedside table.
Then, she shuffled out of the Hospital Wing, making sure to attract no one's attention.
As she was walking past an unfamiliar corridor, Ginny heard two whispering voices, seeming to be in a heated argument.
" – don't tell me what I can and can't do, Pansy! I was in the infirmary because the Weasley girl fainted during the feast, and since I'm Head Boy, I was required to be there to see to it that no more harm was done. It's not like I wanted to be there! And I am here now, so leave it alone, will you?"
The high-pitched voice Ginny recognized to be Pansy's whispered back, "You shouldn't even be Head Boy, Draco! They know bloody well that you're a Death Eater. Don't act like you're surprised, I know you've thought about it, too. They have something up their sleeve, Draco, and you might be part of their slimy little plan! Has it ever occurred to you –"
"Has it ever occurred to you that I don't bloody care?" Malfoy spit angrily and Ginny heard footsteps coming her way, which she assumed to be Malfoy's.
Lost as to what to do, she stepped back and then continued on her way, acting like she hadn't heard anything. As she walked into the opening, Malfoy froze right in front of her and glared at her, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Shivering despite herself, she looked into the darkness, looking for a sign of the girl that previously occupied the space with him. "I'm j-just walking back to the common r-room."
Malfoy's eyes flashed as he glanced behind him and then around behind Ginny. "Don't lie, you were eavesdropping, weren't you?"
"N-no! I mean, I did overhear a little bit, but I wasn't coming just to listen to you, I didn't even know you were here! I'm sorry, I just –"
"What did you hear?"
"Nothing!"
"You just said you heard something, Weasley, now tell me, what did you hear?" Malfoy's hands were painfully digging into Ginny's arms and she struggled against him, but it was in vain. He had an iron grip on her.
Pulling as far away from him as her position would allow, she whispered lamely, "Just you telling Pansy why you were in the Hospital Wing."
He released her aching arms and brought a hand through his hair. For the first time, Ginny noticed that it wasn't slicked back like she remembered it being for so long before. He seemed relieved and he let out a soft sigh and said, "Hurry up and get out of my sight, or I'll take away points."
Nodding shakily, Ginny scurried down the corridors until she met the familiar portrait and whispered the strange password, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief as it opened and she rushed in, seeing the soft glow of the fire, its warmness expanding throughout the room.
Finally, her eyes fell on the staircase leading to the girls' dormitories and she headed toward it, grinning.
The last thing she remembered was her head connecting with the pillow as her hand fell from the partially closed poster.
.&.
"Ginny? Ginny, wake up!"
Groaning irritably, the redhead cracked one eye open and glared at whomever had woken her from that amazing dream. In front of her, she found one of her sixth-year friends, Jarylyn McCarthy, smiling at her widely. She shook Ginny's arm again, "Wake up! Where were you last night?"
Making a show of moaning and groaning as much as she could, Ginny sat up and patted the spot next to her. The gleeful girl jumped onto the bed, her ponytail bobbing up and down behind her. Ginny suppressed a smile and said, "I seem to have collapsed onto the Great Hall floor last night. They took me to the infirmary. Then I came back at around midnight. Why?"
"Seamus – you know, the seventh year? – kissed Margaretta!" the other girl squealed.
Ginny looked at her incredulously, "You're kidding!"
When the brunette in front of her shook her head, Ginny laughed, "He did? How? When? How did it happen??"
Her best friend, also known as Jarrie, brushed a hand through her thick, brown locks before whispering, "We were sitting on the floor in the common room, just talking about the summer, and he walked up to her and asked to speak to her in private. Of course, she accepted, and he took her near the fireplace. They were talking for a while, then she gave us this big smile and turned to him, hugging him, when he pulled away and planted a big, sloppy one on her lips!"
Smacking Jarylyn's shoulder lightly, Ginny laughed merrily, seeing the image unraveling before her. She could just imagine the older boy giving her friend a messy kiss.
Promising to meet Jarrie in the Great Hall, Ginny scrambled out of her bed, brushed her teeth, put her hair up in the same messy bun she had it in the previous night, and brushed some eye shadow over her eyelids.
Grinning at herself in the mirror, she quickly pulled on a pair of jeans Hermione had bought for her that summer and a sleeveless shirt with glitter sprinkled over it lightly. Not forgetting to cover up, she found an old hooded sweatshirt of Charlie's and pulled it on, surprised that it was no longer hanging below her knees, but stopped rather nicely at her hips.
Giving a slight "hmm" to her reflection, Ginny turned and ran to breakfast.
.&.
"Hey, Ginny, are you alright this morning?" Hermione asked her worriedly. Smiling, Ginny nodded to her and bit into her buttered toast with a vicious appetite.
Lifting an eyebrow, Hermione turned away and began chatting with Harry and Ron about their schedules for Monday.
The redheaded girl could hear her brother exclaim, "Blimey, do they ever put other houses in Double Potions with the Slytherins? This is utter inhumanity!!"
Snorting, Ginny searched the table for Jarrie and Maggie, who were sitting on the end, talking animatedly with Seamus and Dean. Swiftly standing up, she seated herself between the two girls and began a conversation with them as she spotted Malfoy standing near the doors, angrily shoving Pansy off of him. Watching them with interest, she saw Pansy reach for him again before he glared at her and said something quietly. Her eyes widened and she backed up against the wall for support. He looked around the hall once more before storming out.
"Ginny? Yoohoo, can you hear me, Ginny?" Maggie waved a hand before her eyes.
Blinking, Ginny apologized, "I was distracted. Hey, listen, I think I'm going to go catch up on a few things with Ron and Harry and Hermione, what do you say I meet you guys outside by the tree near the lake?"
When the group nodded, Ginny rose and walked toward said trio. Seating herself directly in front of Hermione, she broke off their conversation with, "Something's up with Malfoy."
They looked at her strangely before Ron asked, "What do you mean? We already know something's up with Malfoy. He's a bloody Death Eater, which, by the way, Hermione, did McGonagall, by any chance, mention what the hell hit her head and made her let him be Head Boy?"
Looking at him scornfully, Hermione answered, "No. But she came to our commons this morning and listed our responsibilities to us. It was quite unsettling to see her and Malfoy bantering back and forth until, of course, McGonagall beat him. He isn't scared of her whatsoever! But he stopped bothering me so much. No, seriously, Ron, he still insults me when we talk, but he generally tries to avoid conversation with everyone, which, in my opinion, is a step up for him."
Ginny and Harry snorted, "Like hell it is, Hermione. He is never going to change, no matter how many people have to die, no matter how many hearts get broken, no matter how evil the wizarding world becomes, he will always be just that: pompous, egotistical Malfoy."
Ginny eyed his table as she said these words. Then, Ron asked her, "What do you mean, 'no matter how many hearts get broken'. It isn't like Malfoy could break anyone's heart, I mean why would anyone fall in love with him, right?
Harry looked at his best friend, amused, and then turned back to Ginny, whereas Hermione simply eyed Ron with pity before answering him, "I don't think she means in the amorous way, Ron. She means … no matter how many souls are defeated and people are killed, he will never let a tear escape his eyes. It's pretty scary how he's so closed off from the world. I wonder if he still has contact with his Death Eater friends."
Harry spoke up, "I don't think any of them are friends, per se, Hermione. And I think all ties with them were broken when they accidentally killed his father last summer. I don't think he's even a Death Eater anymore."
Ginny pondered this discovery. The Death Eaters themselves had murdered Malfoy's father?
Her eyes fell on the tall blond in front of her, at the table she could just see between Hermione's and Ron's shoulders. Eyeing the two, she wondered how long they'd been sitting closely like that. Then, she looked at Harry to see him looking sadly at his friends as well, and realized that he was beginning to feel left out.
Putting an arm around his shoulders, she comforted, "Don't you worry, Harry. When all of this is over and You-Know-Who is dead, we won't have to worry about who was on his side and who wasn't anymore. Oh, life will be so much easier … "
Looking down wistfully, he smiled and nodded.
.&.
Ginny sat back against the old, thick willow tree. On the ground beside her were two of her school textbooks, scattered, along with a few pieces of parchment and a quill.
She had just enjoyed a happy Tuesday afternoon with her friends, talking, and observing the lake's slow, peaceful motion. Seamus and Maggie were a huge item now among the Gryffindor gossips. They still hung out, but Ginny and Jarrie didn't see the other girl as often. Now, they had gone on to their classes, but she, who didn't have anymore until the next day, stayed behind and enjoyed the quiet by herself.
A low, drawling voice made her open her eyes fitfully.
"McGonagall told me I'd find you here."
"You were looking for me?" Ginny asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.
He smirked, "Don't flatter yourself. She wants to see you in her office this evening before curfew. She said it's important."
Ginny nodded and closed her eyes again, muttering, "Thanks."
Half-expecting him to comment on her lack of appreciation for this great deed he was doing and half-expecting him to be gone by the time she opened her eyes again, she was startled to see him looking at her quietly, still standing.
"What?"
There was a silence before he shook his head, "Nothing, Weasley." Then, he walked away, and only after he was gone did Ginny wonder why she hadn't heard him leaving or approaching by the dried-up leaves littering the ground around her. Furrowing her brows together, she looked up into the clear-blue sky and gave a contented sigh.
Then, she did hear the crunching footsteps. Opening only one eye, she saw Hermione put down a few of her books and sit on them. "What did Malfoy say?"
"Just that McGonagall wants to see me tonight."
"Oh." Hermione picked up a stick from the grass and started poking holes in the ground idly. "Why was he looking at you like that?"
Ginny raised an eyebrow, "What is this, the third degree? I don't know, Hermione, I don't know. If you even close enough to see him looking at me 'like that,' couldn't you have been able to tell, yourself, why he was doing it?"
Ginny noticed the bitterness in her voice late after she could stop it. Hermione blushed and said in a small voice, "Um, no, actually, he would have seen me if I had gotten that close. I was behind those bushes," she gestured to them. "And I couldn't see you from behind the tree trunk. Did he say anything else?"
Ginny sighed, "No, he didn't, Hermione."
The bushy-haired girl nodded stiffly and poked the ground again. "Ginny, are you sure?"
Ginny couldn't handle it anymore, "Yes, I'm bloody sure, Hermione, now either tell me what the hell is wrong or stop bothering me!"
The other girl looked taken aback and then she ground out, "He … sort of … defended you from McGonagall at the Heads meeting this afternoon … I was wondering if you knew what could have brought it on."
Giving her a look, Ginny said, "No, I don't know what the hell brought it on, alright?"
Hermione looked at Ginny for a moment before looking out toward the lake, "Is something wrong, Ginny? You've been very short-tempered with us lately."
"By 'us', I assume you mean you, Harry, and Ron?"
Hermione nodded, looking back at her friend.
"The three of you have been acting kind of arrogant this past week, no offense. I'm sorry, I've been really tired lately. I'll try to treat you better now, thanks for bringing it up, Hermione."
Her friend nodded and stood up, "Well, I need to get going if I want to be on time for Charms with the boys. I'll see you later at the Prefects meeting, I assume?"
Ginny smiled at her, "Yeah. See you there."
When she was finally left to herself, Ginny drew a heavy sigh and prepared herself for the meeting mentally and emotionally. She didn't know if she'd be able to handle her friends' way of treating her like an oddball any longer.
.&.
In her dormitory, Ginny brushed her hair out, leaving it down, and wiped off all of her make-up. Spreading a little bit of lotion over her face one last time, she threw on her robes and flew down the staircase into the common room.
As she began walking to the portrait, her eyes fell on one lonely Harry sitting by the fire. He hadn't seemed to notice her, since he wasn't alone in the room and must have figured she was just another first-year, and she approached him carefully.
Reaching one hand down to his shoulder, she patted him lightly, "Harry, are you alright?"
He jumped, but answered calmly, "Yeah. Just thinking."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
He glanced at her uncertainly before patting the seat next to him. She willingly sat down, facing him, and watched him until he decided to speak, "I am very worried about everyone. I don't mean worried, like, 'Oh, if he dies, that's just too bad, but if he doesn't, that okay too.' I mean I'm seriously scared for all of your lives. The war is coming on, the scar's been hurting more and more now and … I just feel so helpless. I mean, I know I have you all on my side and all, but … in the end, the two of us have to battle this out alone, which scares me the most. I'm just … so not prepared for this, Ginny. I am so not ready for it, either. And there's no doubt that a bunch of people are going to die this time. So many people, Ginny. Any one of us could be one of them. And nobody knows, by the end of the year, we might all be dead. It's a scary thought, but after battling him for so long, one of us has die, right? It's the possibility of it being me that's scary. And … I don't want to die, Ginny. I don't – don't want to die."
Ginny's eyes watered as she listened to his helpless struggle with himself and she brought her hand around to the back of his head and pulled him to her. She shushed him, telling him everything would be okay and everything would be fine, but dark thoughts began flooding her head. What if everything won't be?
After a while of comforting her past love, she noticed that his breathing had evened out and she pulled back and he looked at her. She said, "Harry. Go to bed. It's nearly eight and you haven't gotten a gram of sleep the last few days, I know. Go to bed. Try to forget just for tonight. Just try to forget, alright?"
The boy's green eyes closed and then opened again slowly. He nodded slightly and stood up, slowly heading off to his dormitory and waving to her sadly. She gave him a small smile and then turned and ran out of the portrait.
When she finally reached the meeting room, Ginny slowed her pace and drew a deep breath, afraid that she'd be late, and then she opened the door.
There was a silence in the room and Ginny thought it was empty at first, almost ready to leave in case she was in the wrong part of the castle, when a dark voice spoke, "You're over an hour late, Weasley."
Ginny jumped, startled, before she answered, "No way! I remember Hermione telling me the meeting would be at eight!"
"No, that's the time of your meeting with McGonagall, Weasley. The prefects met at six-thirty. If you continue on this way, I'll have to consider taking your post and placing someone more reliable and organized on the prefects team."
Ginny paled, "That can't be! I am fairly sure she said eight, Malfoy! I can't be that late!"
"Weasley, damn it, you are," Malfoy stood angrily from his place near the desk and he approached her, his tall frame intimidating over her own average one. She suppressed a shudder and looked him in the eyes, "But I'm not! I can't be, I just can't! I made sure to be on time, because she told me this meeting would be important!"
Malfoy seemed to consider her for a moment before a mischievous glint in his eyes disappeared and he drawled lazily, "Yeah, you're right. It was scheduled to be at eight. They're all in that room," he pointed toward the door opposite them.
Ginny's jaw fell and she looked at him blankly, shocked. Then, she smacked his arm angrily and said, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What the hell is your problem, Malfoy??"
He smirked, pushing her toward the other door slowly. She let herself be led and they walked in. The other prefects were all deeply in discussions with each other about numerous topics. But as soon as the door opened, all eyes snapped to her and Malfoy, his hand on her arm, and Ron jumped from his seat, snarling, "Let her go, Malfoy."
Ginny, suddenly recognizing his long fingers on her arm, pulled away, telling her brother, "It's nothing, Ron. He was just … being Malfoy."
Her brother gave Malfoy a look and sat back down. At the head of the room, Hermione stood up, and Malfoy approached her. He seated himself swiftly in the armchair and watched the team lazily. As Hermione stood before them, going over the news and rules for the new school year, Ginny watched Malfoy.
His blond, long hair fell into his eyes now, and he let it. He was taller than both Harry and Ron, which didn't say much, because they two boys hadn't really reached their full height yet. But he was taller than McGonagall, for sure, and Ginny found this interesting, because in her first year, he'd been shorter than herself, as far as she remembered. He had an air of authority over his audience and he sat so gracefully in his seat that Ginny was looking at him with something akin to awe.
His dark gray eyes fell on her in a few minutes as he studied the crowd in the chairs. Her own eyes then snapped to Hermione, intent on making it seem as though she was deeply enthralled by what the girl was teaching, but she soon found herself looking at Malfoy again, fortunately, when he wasn't looking. He had interested himself with a button on his long robes, but as Ginny continued looking at him as she chewed on her quill, his gaze swept to her and she held it with her own.
They seemed to have been staring at each other for an eternity before either were aware of a black folder flying through the air toward Malfoy's face. He caught it with amazing agility and looked away from her. Frowning, he drawled, "What do you want, Granger?"
"I've been standing up here for the last ten minutes calling your name, as we agreed, so that you'd show the prefects an example of what we've been talking about. Now, if you're too busy terrorizing some poor sixth year girl again, forgive me for interrupting your oh-so-important business call."
Smirking in Ginny's direction, he said, "You should be."
Throwing the folder back at Hermione, he stood, slid his wand out, and pointed it at his audience, but Ginny couldn't help but feel as though he aimed it more closely at her. Swallowing, she watched him as he said a few incantations under his breath and a cloudy mist appeared near the ceiling above them. As it began to spread, Hermione countered it with her own spell and it vanished.
"And that is an example of the Information Charm. Please take your wands out and repeat after me. Ignacio Alaramana. It's pretty easy to learn, just a flick of the wrist like so. It will spread throughout the entire castle quickly to alert teachers and students alike. So when you're doing rounds and are in danger or feel at any point that you could be, create the Ignacio and don't stop until it's spreading in all possible directions. If, at any point, danger has been ceased, perform a counter-spell, called Antagno Ignacio, requiring the same wand movements, and it will vanish before you. If, at any point, you feel that –"
"Oh, do you ever shut up, Granger? All they need to know is what it does and how to perform it. If any teachers come along, they can counter it all on their own, alright? Go, the lot of you, get lost and don't ever show your faces in this classroom until next week."
When nobody moved, Malfoy snarled, "Go!"
Everyone scrambled, except for Ginny, to the nearest exit. As Hermione shuffled some papers around on her small desk near McGonagall's, Ginny made sure everyone was gone, aside from Malfoy, perhaps, before she approached her and asked, "Hermione, I was supposed to go see McGonagall right now, do you think you could show me how to get into her office? I'm pretty sure I don't know the password either … "
When the Head Girl looked up, she formed an apologetic smile on her face and said, "Ginny, I'm so sorry, but I need to go send these letters out immediately to … some people …" Hermione explained to Ginny with her eyebrows that Malfoy wasn't a needed eavesdropper on the task at hand, so Ginny shrugged, "Okay. Well, do you know who could show me, then?"
Looking around, Hermione stared at Malfoy, who, in turn, raised his hand and said, "I guess I could."
Ginny's eyes switched between the two of them suspiciously before she sighed, "Fine then."
Before she had the chance to walk out of the classroom, Ginny heard Hermione call to her, "He didn't give you any trouble tonight, did he? I completely forgot to inform you that the place of the meeting was changed, and he offered to wait for you and show you."
Eyeing Malfoy, who was right in front of her as she turned to look at her friend, she answered, "No, no problem. I hope he keeps that up."
Muttering under his breath, Malfoy shook his head and pushed past her out into the corridor. Chuckling, Ginny followed and caught up with him, laughing, feeling her hair bounce around behind her, "Unfortunately, I'm not as fast and tall as you, Malfoy, so you'll excuse me when I ask you to slow down, please."
Turning his head back to look at her, he said, "Hurry up, Weasley, I haven't got all day." But much as he wanted to show his arrogance, Ginny saw him slow down a bit and walk in step with her.
Ginny laughed once more and asked, "Why'd you volunteer to walk me here anyway?"
In Ginny's opinion, his face blanched too quickly for her liking, as he said, "Don't flatter yourself, Weasley. I am simply doing it to get Granger off my back."
"And how has it been, then, working with Hermione for this long this year? Surely you aren't plotting to kill her?" Ginny asked with a feeling deep down that she was being a bit too cocky. Shutting her mouth tightly, Ginny watched him for any signs of emotion, finding none. Finally, she looked down just as he spoke.
"Not quite. I would think it would be a bit too obvious. I'd rather come up with a more creative way to drag her through the mud; unless it's too late for that, already."
She noticed him quicken his pace again, and caught up with him, grasping his arm lightly, "Did you get dropped on your head as a baby or something?"
The statement seemed to have surprised him, as he blinked down at her and carefully withdrew his arm from her reach. "What in hell is that supposed to mean?"
Suppressing a smile, Ginny replied, "Oh come on, first, you're mean as anything, then you're civilly controlled, now you're an asshole again. These mood swings of yours have me quite worried."
He blinked again, slowing down as they approached the stone gargoyle, and muttered, "How odd. And I was supposed to be the one dropped on my head as a baby. I must inform you, Weasley, that I am perfectly fine. No way in hell would I ever even consider pursuing Potter. Stop trying to get to me, it's not working."
Finally shutting up with a grin, Ginny walked to the statue as she heard Malfoy mutter the password and jumped onto the steps as the giant gargoyle began moving. Giving him a little wave, she smiled brightly as she saw his eyes widen, just before she went out of sight.
.&.
Before she knocked on the door, Ginny just barely heard a voice talking inside, "Minerva, we can't allow the students to know this yet – I believe you have a visitor."
Then, Ginny heard shuffling as McGonagall called out, "Come in, Miss Weasley."
Opening the door hesitantly, Ginny walked in and shut it behind her. Sitting down in an armchair across from the Headmistress, she looked around for the source of the second, male voice in the room. When she found none, she turned her curious eyes on McGonagall herself and watched her.
"Miss Weasley, it has been brought to my attention by several of your professors that you have been excelling the average marks of your classmates. I wish to propose to you an advanced course this year, which will allow you to graduate a year early. With the current circumstances outside, I believe it wouldn't hurt to have more fighters anyway, am I right?"
Nodding slightly, Ginny eyed the woman suspiciously. "Professor, are you saying I'll get moved up to the seventh years' classes?"
She was surprised when McGonagall shook her head, "No, Miss Weasley, you'll be taking an advanced course only taken by five other students. The class is far more advanced than the seventh years' and focuses only on the most important things in a wizard's life at the moment. Your classmates would be Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, Miss Parkinson, Mr. Zabini, and Miss Lester, a sixth year, like you. Do you wish to take me up on this privileged offer?"
Thinking quickly, Ginny mused how she'd miss her old friends and how she'd be excited, nevertheless, to learn new things she didn't already know. Overwhelmed with thoughts, Ginny finally nodded nervously and said, "Yes, professor, I'd like to use this opportunity."
Giving her a final lookover, McGonagall nodded, "Very well. I shall see you in class on Monday morning next week to hand you your new schedule. Be sure to attend your current classes by your old schedule, though. That shan't be hard, shall it? Only two days until the weekend. Go ahead, then, Miss Weasley. Get prepared as soon as you can."
Nodding fervently, Ginny felt ecstatic as she stepped out of McGonagall's room that day. In a matter of hours, she'd have Hermione order her new books by mail and she'd get on with school. Indeed, this year would be Ginny's year of outstanding academic achievements.
.&.
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