DISCLAIMER: Yup, same old, same old, I don't own J.K. Rowling.....oops, I
mean, I don't own Harry Potter or any of those lovely characters, EVEN
Draco Malfoy who I WISH I owned, because then I could make him do whatever
I want in those books, because he's so HOT and all those good things...oooh
[falls over and faints] anyway!
[A/N: This fic is NOT a one-shot.it will *actually* be continued *gasps of readers: 'she's written something that's not a one-shot? she must be MAD!' well I am mad, yeah, anyway, enjoy. Review too. Because of course you know that when you enjoy something, you have to review it so that I can enjoy your reviews, too! Isn't that right? Anyway...hope you like it.]
This chapter is dedicated to: that hott guy in chemistry, because I started writing this story to get my mind off him. Anyway!
*and.the story begins.*
Ginny Weasley sat in a hard-backed chair in front of Professor McGonagall's wooden desk, twisting her hands together nervously. She eyed the portraits on the walls suspiciously - they were all staring at her. Instantly, most of the faces turned away apologetically. She let out a sigh of annoyance. Why had she been called here? Checking her nails, Ginny jumped when a loud cough came from the back of the room.
"Miss Weasley, I was expecting you," Professor McGonagall said in a friendly tone, conjuring a plate of cookies and offering it to Ginny. She took one and smiled somewhat shakily.
"So...why've you called me here?" Ginny asked nervously. God, if she was failing or anything...
"Oh, nothing to be worried about," McGonagall told her cheerily. "In fact, you should be proud, Miss Weasley."
"Proud?"
"Yes - you've just been promoted to sixth-year Transfiguration, it's a very high honor." McGonagall smiled down at her student.
Ginny seemed incapable of doing anything but repeating what her teacher had said. "...Promoted?" she parroted.
"Your work has been of such good quality since last year that we've decided not to hold you back in your studies anymore by leaving you in a fifth-year class."
"But - Professor - it's my O.W.L. year!" When was Ginny supposed to do all that extra studying? Had the professor gone mad?
"If you feel it's too hard, Miss Weasley, be sure to tell me...Now, I suppose you'll want to be off to breakfast, then?" The professor made a swishing motion with her wand and the plate of cookies vanished.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Ginny replied dully. She hoisted her bag over her shoulder and pushed the door open.
"Oh - Miss Weasley?"
Ginny looked back. "Yes?"
"It's first period tomorrow. And - Ginny, I'm sorry, but the only class we could fit into your schedule was with the Slytherins...if you have too big a problem with that, talk to me."
She nodded to Ginny, who closed the door and nearly fell out into the hall. She groaned inwardly and ran down the hallway to the girls' toilets. Once inside, she combed her flyaway red hair back and fastened it with two clips. She checked her mascara in the mirror and added a little more lippy. Dropping her cosmetics into her purse, Ginny opened the door and peered into the hallway. No one was there. Only then did she slouch down, her back to the wall, letting her bag fall by her side. She let her head fall into her hands.
"Damn..." she breathed, "...a class with SLYTHERINS. Sixth-year Slytherins!" She wondered briefly if Ron knew; he'd probably have a fit if he did, imagining his little sister alone in a classroom full of Slytherins. She'd tell Harry or Hermione - let one of THEM tell him. She didn't want anything more to deal with at the moment.
* * * *
Ron, Hermione and Harry were already at the Gryffindor table when Ginny wandered over and threw her bag on the ground next to Harry's chair, sliding into the chair beside him. As she piled eggs onto her plate, she noticed that Ron and Hermione were extremely close to each other, and they weren't arguing like they always had before. She snickered silently, then turned her attention to Harry.
"Hey, Harry, how's it going?"
He didn't even bother to look at her, just mumbled, "I - don't - want - to - talk - about - it." He started to eat again but then must have caught sight of her face, because he turned to her and gasped, "Ginny!"
"Yes, that would be my name," she replied loudly.
He grimaced. "Damn, didn't know it was you...thought it was one of those idiots, you know, annoying first years who want to know what Voldemort looks like ... as IF I would want to remember... anyway, sorry, Gin, how was your summer?"
He seemed genuinely interested, so she shifted her full attention to him.
"It was, you know, a bit boring, practiced Quidditch a lot, tried to ignore the ghoul - it was chucking things at the field - Hermione stayed over for a couple of weeks, but you know how she and Ron are ...Yeah, I guess that was it," she finished, purposely leaving out that she had been thinking about him almost incessantly. What Ginny hadn't told Michael when they broke up was that she still liked Harry - Michael probably wouldn't have taken it very well. She wondered if Harry had picked up on it THIS time - but no, he probably hadn't, what with Sirius's death and Voldemort's return, he'd probably had a lot on his mind. Tapping her foot on the table leg, Ginny muched on a croissant and wondered idly if Harry would have time for a girlfriend this year. Somehow she thought his answer might be in the affirmative, because he was staring at her intently.
She jumped when Harry began to talk again, then fixed her eyes on his green ones behind those slightly broken glasses.
"Ginny...?" He looked at her, and his voice sounded a lot more serious than it usually did.
"Mmm-hm?"
"Can you keep this a secret?" His eyes were penetrating her mind, and she struggled to keep from staring at him any more than she already was.
"Yeah, I guess..."
He leaned closer, and the noise of all the Gryffindors eating breakfast seemed to fade like a dying wind. She could feel his breath on her face, but she didn't pull away.
"Ginny...this summer, I spent a lot of time thinking about life. The Dursleys left me alone a lot, you know, they don't like me much anyway, and Dudley got some sort of 'girlfriend'. He probably forced her into it, but anyway, they were out a lot so I was alone almost constantly. I don't know if you can imagine it, but I was so depressed I didn't think I could go on living." He paused, and looked into her eyes. It felt like he was seeing into her very soul.
"And I knew how important I was to the war between Voldemort and the Order, and I realized that there were going to be so many more deaths... and I thought about killing myself."
"Oh God, Harry, please tell me you didn't hurt yourself..." Ginny grabbed him, pulling up his sleeves and checking his wrists for scars.
There was nothing. He pushed her hands away gently and continued.
"I didn't do anything to myself. I knew I couldn't, because....when I thought about you, I said to myself that wouldn't do that to you, I wouldn't kill one of your friends, no matter how distant that friend was to you at the time."
She wanted to cry out that they weren't distant, that they would be a lot closer this year if she had anything to do with it.
"So, Ginny...I think I'm over it now. But I was wondering...would you go out with me, next Hogsmeade weekend?"
They were holding hands now, but Ginny had no idea how it had happened. She nodded mutely and stared down at the ground. She couldn't look at his face. This couldn't be happening at the breakfast table, on the first day of Hogwarts...or could it?
Someone had to leave first. Someone had to break the silence. Someone had to end the scene, and she decided it was going to be her. Ginny let go of his hands, picked up her bag, and stood up. "I've got to go to class, but I'll see you at lunch?"
"All right...at lunch, then." They shared a smile and she almost ran to History of Magic, energized by what had just happened. She was going out with Harry Potter, after more than four years of crushes, on and off. Ginny could face anything, even Transfiguration with the Slytherins.
[A/N: This fic is NOT a one-shot.it will *actually* be continued *gasps of readers: 'she's written something that's not a one-shot? she must be MAD!' well I am mad, yeah, anyway, enjoy. Review too. Because of course you know that when you enjoy something, you have to review it so that I can enjoy your reviews, too! Isn't that right? Anyway...hope you like it.]
This chapter is dedicated to: that hott guy in chemistry, because I started writing this story to get my mind off him. Anyway!
*and.the story begins.*
Ginny Weasley sat in a hard-backed chair in front of Professor McGonagall's wooden desk, twisting her hands together nervously. She eyed the portraits on the walls suspiciously - they were all staring at her. Instantly, most of the faces turned away apologetically. She let out a sigh of annoyance. Why had she been called here? Checking her nails, Ginny jumped when a loud cough came from the back of the room.
"Miss Weasley, I was expecting you," Professor McGonagall said in a friendly tone, conjuring a plate of cookies and offering it to Ginny. She took one and smiled somewhat shakily.
"So...why've you called me here?" Ginny asked nervously. God, if she was failing or anything...
"Oh, nothing to be worried about," McGonagall told her cheerily. "In fact, you should be proud, Miss Weasley."
"Proud?"
"Yes - you've just been promoted to sixth-year Transfiguration, it's a very high honor." McGonagall smiled down at her student.
Ginny seemed incapable of doing anything but repeating what her teacher had said. "...Promoted?" she parroted.
"Your work has been of such good quality since last year that we've decided not to hold you back in your studies anymore by leaving you in a fifth-year class."
"But - Professor - it's my O.W.L. year!" When was Ginny supposed to do all that extra studying? Had the professor gone mad?
"If you feel it's too hard, Miss Weasley, be sure to tell me...Now, I suppose you'll want to be off to breakfast, then?" The professor made a swishing motion with her wand and the plate of cookies vanished.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Ginny replied dully. She hoisted her bag over her shoulder and pushed the door open.
"Oh - Miss Weasley?"
Ginny looked back. "Yes?"
"It's first period tomorrow. And - Ginny, I'm sorry, but the only class we could fit into your schedule was with the Slytherins...if you have too big a problem with that, talk to me."
She nodded to Ginny, who closed the door and nearly fell out into the hall. She groaned inwardly and ran down the hallway to the girls' toilets. Once inside, she combed her flyaway red hair back and fastened it with two clips. She checked her mascara in the mirror and added a little more lippy. Dropping her cosmetics into her purse, Ginny opened the door and peered into the hallway. No one was there. Only then did she slouch down, her back to the wall, letting her bag fall by her side. She let her head fall into her hands.
"Damn..." she breathed, "...a class with SLYTHERINS. Sixth-year Slytherins!" She wondered briefly if Ron knew; he'd probably have a fit if he did, imagining his little sister alone in a classroom full of Slytherins. She'd tell Harry or Hermione - let one of THEM tell him. She didn't want anything more to deal with at the moment.
* * * *
Ron, Hermione and Harry were already at the Gryffindor table when Ginny wandered over and threw her bag on the ground next to Harry's chair, sliding into the chair beside him. As she piled eggs onto her plate, she noticed that Ron and Hermione were extremely close to each other, and they weren't arguing like they always had before. She snickered silently, then turned her attention to Harry.
"Hey, Harry, how's it going?"
He didn't even bother to look at her, just mumbled, "I - don't - want - to - talk - about - it." He started to eat again but then must have caught sight of her face, because he turned to her and gasped, "Ginny!"
"Yes, that would be my name," she replied loudly.
He grimaced. "Damn, didn't know it was you...thought it was one of those idiots, you know, annoying first years who want to know what Voldemort looks like ... as IF I would want to remember... anyway, sorry, Gin, how was your summer?"
He seemed genuinely interested, so she shifted her full attention to him.
"It was, you know, a bit boring, practiced Quidditch a lot, tried to ignore the ghoul - it was chucking things at the field - Hermione stayed over for a couple of weeks, but you know how she and Ron are ...Yeah, I guess that was it," she finished, purposely leaving out that she had been thinking about him almost incessantly. What Ginny hadn't told Michael when they broke up was that she still liked Harry - Michael probably wouldn't have taken it very well. She wondered if Harry had picked up on it THIS time - but no, he probably hadn't, what with Sirius's death and Voldemort's return, he'd probably had a lot on his mind. Tapping her foot on the table leg, Ginny muched on a croissant and wondered idly if Harry would have time for a girlfriend this year. Somehow she thought his answer might be in the affirmative, because he was staring at her intently.
She jumped when Harry began to talk again, then fixed her eyes on his green ones behind those slightly broken glasses.
"Ginny...?" He looked at her, and his voice sounded a lot more serious than it usually did.
"Mmm-hm?"
"Can you keep this a secret?" His eyes were penetrating her mind, and she struggled to keep from staring at him any more than she already was.
"Yeah, I guess..."
He leaned closer, and the noise of all the Gryffindors eating breakfast seemed to fade like a dying wind. She could feel his breath on her face, but she didn't pull away.
"Ginny...this summer, I spent a lot of time thinking about life. The Dursleys left me alone a lot, you know, they don't like me much anyway, and Dudley got some sort of 'girlfriend'. He probably forced her into it, but anyway, they were out a lot so I was alone almost constantly. I don't know if you can imagine it, but I was so depressed I didn't think I could go on living." He paused, and looked into her eyes. It felt like he was seeing into her very soul.
"And I knew how important I was to the war between Voldemort and the Order, and I realized that there were going to be so many more deaths... and I thought about killing myself."
"Oh God, Harry, please tell me you didn't hurt yourself..." Ginny grabbed him, pulling up his sleeves and checking his wrists for scars.
There was nothing. He pushed her hands away gently and continued.
"I didn't do anything to myself. I knew I couldn't, because....when I thought about you, I said to myself that wouldn't do that to you, I wouldn't kill one of your friends, no matter how distant that friend was to you at the time."
She wanted to cry out that they weren't distant, that they would be a lot closer this year if she had anything to do with it.
"So, Ginny...I think I'm over it now. But I was wondering...would you go out with me, next Hogsmeade weekend?"
They were holding hands now, but Ginny had no idea how it had happened. She nodded mutely and stared down at the ground. She couldn't look at his face. This couldn't be happening at the breakfast table, on the first day of Hogwarts...or could it?
Someone had to leave first. Someone had to break the silence. Someone had to end the scene, and she decided it was going to be her. Ginny let go of his hands, picked up her bag, and stood up. "I've got to go to class, but I'll see you at lunch?"
"All right...at lunch, then." They shared a smile and she almost ran to History of Magic, energized by what had just happened. She was going out with Harry Potter, after more than four years of crushes, on and off. Ginny could face anything, even Transfiguration with the Slytherins.