a bit like lines
Ginevra Weasley, known as Ginny to most, walked down the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her shoes tapping forlornly against the stone floor. She looked over, whiskey-colored eyes curious, as the enigmatic form of Blaise Zabini walked by her on the opposite side of the hall.
I need to talk to him… she decided. She'd seen him so many times, and she'd grown quite fond of the Italian boy, without ever talking to him. Maybe even loved him.
Picking up her pace, Ginny started to hurry forwards, the gait ruining her normal graceful, dance-like movements.
"Blaise," she muttered, only loud enough for him to hear.
Or so she thought.
Blaise did not hear though, too concentrated on where he was going. He turned into a classroom just as Luna called out to her and waltzed up. "Hello, Ginny. The Nargles are particularly busy today, don't you think?"
-x-
The next day, the gregarious redhead was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, popping a few grapes into her mouth and drinking pumpkin juice. Ron was barreling stuff into his mouth; the usual for the sixth-year. Harry looked a bit downtrodden, gazing at everything as nothing and hardly touching any food. Lavender wasn't even at breakfast. Hermione looked to be reading a book, Hogwarts: A History propped up firmly against a jug of something—her flickering eyes told other tales though.
Ginny didn't have time to ponder the bushy-brunette's odd manner though, as she spotted Blaise standing up from the Slytherin table.
Excited and seeing an ideal, opportune chance to get his attention, she stood up and muttered a quick goodbye to her friends and brother, skittering off.
Her eyes followed the dark-skinned male as she tried to catch up, bright hair bouncing about behind her.
She was so close, so incredibly close, when he stopped to talk to Draco Malfoy. Draco was smiling brightly about something, and Blaise seemed to be congratulating him.
Truth be told, the blonde had always had Ginny on her toes, and she did not like to be around him under any circumstances.
So instead, she turned and left in the direction of the Charms classroom.
-x-
Ginny had tried to get his attention and talk to him all day, as she had been doing for the past month or so, but it had failed every time. He was either with his intimidating Slytherin friends, in class, or going off somewhere before she could reach him.
She had been sitting up in her bed, contemplating the facts. Maybe it wasn't an untimely coincidence.
With a heavy mind, she went down to the common room and slipped out through the portrait hole to go see Moaning Myrtle. The ghost always seemed to like to talk, and was an excellent listener if you listened to her too.
:::
Lavender Brown didn't bother to go down to breakfast. She ambled down the hallways, constantly wondering who the one could be for her. They were in sixth year, and it was a tradition to get married by the time you were eighteen in her family. If you hadn't found someone by then, then it was likely that you wouldn't. According to the Browns, anyhow.
There had to be someone in Hogwarts who was her match. Luna Lovegood had even found solace in Neville Longbottom after Voldemort had been defeated the summer after fifth year. Inter-house unity rates had not gone up at all, bad blood was still present, and that made Lavender automatically believe that she couldn't find anyone in Slytherin. And not Hufflepuff either, considering most of the guys there were either bigger gossipers than she was, hated her, or already had their matches. What exactly was a Hufflepuff supposed to be anyway?
She half-heartedly participated in her classes, not doing the official assignment or taking notes, but sort of listening to the lectures while she stared at the walls or out the windows.
Lavender just wanted the right guy. She twirled a piece of mousy-brown hair around her finger and nibbled on her bottom lip. Maybe she could talk to Hermione and Ginny. Ginny had great advice, always, and Hermione was a terrific listener and would always comfort Lavender.
She let out a small huff and left her last class of the day, going down to eat dinner in the Great Hall. She was chewed a bite of salad, partially offering her opinion in conversation as she looked around. Her eyes were probing and scoping the entire room, begging the perfect man to step inside and sweep her off her feet.
No such luck.
She failed to notice Theodore Nott chuckling exuberantly with his friends, and never noticed her either.
-x-
It was eleven that night when Lavender began wandering the halls again; sipping coffee that she'd asked the kitchen house elves for as she did. Her insomnia was acting up again, and every time she closed her eyes, images of a featureless male with no known identity haunted the darkness behind her papery lids.
Inspiration struck and she set the mug down on the base of one of the knight statues, pale ice-like eyes giving the knight a wink as she skipped away.
She could go see Moaning Myrtle! It was brilliant really—the ghost had seen all types of love throughout Hogwarts and could definitely help her.
:::
Hermione Granger pretended to be rereading Hogwarts: A History for around the eighteenth time, but her mind was elsewhere.
Her amber and chocolate eyes darted around the room, trying to see Draco. Somewhere. Anywhere. He wasn't there though and the fact made her give a little sigh. She took a dainty sip of orange juice and then wiped off her mouth, not really hungry at all anymore. Ginny gave them a rushed goodbye and clambered off the bench, taking off for Merlin-knows-where.
"Ronald, it isn't going to run away from you," she reprimanded half-heartedly. He just shrugged and kept eating. "I'll see you both in classes," she informed both Ron and Harry—the latter of whom looked fairly far off in his own world as well.
Another sigh.
Hermione left the Great Hall and started to walk along the corridor, heading for Ancient Ruins. She had her satchel over one shoulder, having already placed her book back inside of it.
"Granger," Draco spat as he passed her, discreetly pushing a piece of parchment into her hand.
Secret friends. Her and Draco-Bloody-Malfoy were secret friends. Well, that, and she was hopelessly in love with him. But that was a secret too.
She sat down at her desk in the Ancient Ruins classroom, the first one aside from the teacher. After taking everything out that she would need for that class period, she took out the note and unfolded it from the intricate little bird-like thing that Draco had left it in. Practiced eyes peered at his miniscule, masculine-yet-curving handwriting.
'Mione,
I have the best news! Meet me at the Astrology tower tonight at eleven?
—Dragon
Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. What could've happened to make the abnormally stoic male so euphoric?
She bit her lip and folded it into a simple four quarters and slid it into the pocket of her jumper. Grabbing her own piece of parchment, she scribbled a quick reply. The professor looked up, seemingly curious, but didn't comment.
Dragon,
Oh? Sure. I'll be there.
—Hermione
Being extremely careful, she folded it back into a bird and cast a spell on it, sending it off to find Draco. If someone else got ahold of it, the words would merely disappear and Draco could re-ask her later or just wait for her to appear at the tower.
-x-
"Pansy Parkinson agreed to try a real relationship with me!"
The words exploded from his mouth like a Weasley's Wizard Wheezes firework display the second I appeared at the top of the steps.
Pansy and Draco had been in the middle of something between no-strings-attached and regular friends. He'd told Hermione before, however, that he wanted to try something real because he had strong, true feeling for the other Slytherin.
The brunette was unable to say anything at first, too stunned. She loved him. She bloody loved him! And now he was going to be in a serious relationship with Parkinson! True, Pansy had lost her pug-like facial features and was actually quite pretty and not a full-on monstrosity anymore, but that didn't mean Hermione had to be happy about it.
A forced, fake smile plastered itself clumsily on Hermione's face. "Oh, Dragon! I'm so happy for you!" she claimed. He smiled brilliantly, grabbing her in a hug.
"Thanks, 'Mione," he whispered.
They talked for a few more minutes before he took off back to the dungeons to see if Pansy was still up. Hermione stayed behind and stared dejectedly over Hogwarts's grounds before she silently went down to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to visit with the ghost.
:::
Three girls arrived in Moaning Myrtle's unused bathroom at the same time. They looked at each other—light blue clashing with amber, amber clashing with whiskey.
"I'm secretly in love with my secret best friend," Hermione blurted.
"Every time I try to reach the man I love, I can never get to him in time," Ginny added in right after.
"Love refuses to shuffle me into its deals," Lavender crowed.
Moaning Myrtle floated out from her toilet at the commotion, giving them all a mildly sympathetic look before she dived back into the toilet. Her services weren't needed.
The three girls told each other their stories in earnest, each one surprising the other two listeners.
Ginny Weasley and Blaise Zabini were parallel lines. No matter how hard either tried, they would never interact in any way. They would forever be so close, but unable to cross paths.
Lavender Brown and Theodore Nott fit the bill of skew lines. Their paths weren't even visible to the either. They'd never notice the either, never cross, never anything really.
Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy matched the intersecting lines. Sure, they did cross—they were best mates after all. They crossed quite a bit. But just because they crossed, didn't mean they could be together forever, because they'd move on eventually.
Maybe everyone is a bit like lines—you just have to hope you're the right kind.
…
Fin.
So, what do you guys think? It's not really compliant to any of the Harry Potter books and out-of-character, but I was inspired by Math lines.
Drop me a review if you'd like.
i'll be a runaway