Fate. Destiny.
If someone tells us what our Fate and Destiny are,
Will we like what we hear?
Or will you strive against the path set before you?
- Robert Grimes
Sighing, Ginny Weasley gathered her books for her History of Magic class. If she didn't hurry up the process, she was going to end up very late. Scooping her last tattered book into her arms, Ginny rushed out of the Gryffindor common room, blindly entirely unaware of where or what she was heading into.
Unfortunately, she found herself walking right into Harry Potter. Of all people Ginny mentally scowled. It wasn't as if she still liked him or anything. She had gotten over her crush on the boy wonder a couple of months ago, but that didn't mean that she didn't feel a tiny pang of remorse every time she saw Harry and Hermione walking in the halls together.
Ginny grinned to herself. That had come as a surprise. The entire school had placed their bets on her brother Ron and Hermione getting together. Even Ginny, who thought that she knew her brother the best, was amazed. Afterward however, Ron had explained to her that yes, he did at one point fancy Hermione, and that yes, Hermione had at one point fancied him. But that was all in fourth year, and by the time fifth year rolled around, they had both started seeing each other as friends again.
Ginny hadn't known whether to believe him or not at first since she had seen him looking wistfully in the direction of the love struck pair. After a few days closely examining him however, she realized that the only reason he was even staring at them was because he felt a little left out. Ginny didn't blame him at all.
She could not even count all the times where she had been left gulping air while the Wonder Trio went off on adventures. It also worried Ron when his friends fought. When Harry and Hermione first became a 'couple' Ron had embarrassedly confessed to Ginny that he was a bit worried about what would happen if his friends broke up and couldn't stand each other. As it turned out, he had been unnecessarily worried; Harry and Hermione rarely fought. After six years of close friendship, they understood each other perfectly.
This confession had been one of the few brief unguarded moments Ginny had had with her brother over the years since he had met Harry and Hermione, and it was moments like this for which Ginny was thankful. Ginny also knew that Ron was also a pinch jealous of their relationship. Anyone that wasn't blind, Heck, Ginny thought, scratch that. Even a blind person could feel the love between them. It would be sickening if it weren't so sweet.
What she wouldn't give for a real relationship like that. With a content smile upon her face, Ginny unconsciously sighed. Her eyes took on a glazed, far away look as she began to fantasize about her Prince Charming, completely and utterly forgetting her surroundings.
"Ginny are you all right?"
A voice broke into her reverie. Ginny snapped her head up and looked right into twin pools of Forrest green. "I...uh." Ginny stuttered as she frantically began to gather her books. " I'm fine." Standing up, and drawing to her full height, she blushed as Harry looked at her inquisitively.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Harry eyed her skeptically, and then shook his head. "Come on, I don't have class so I'll take you to Madame Pompfrey's. You definitely don't look alright."
Ginny smiled. This was why she had liked him. He was so caring, and she knew that even if he did have a class this period, he would still gladly assist her to the hospital wing regardless of any punishment he might receive. If only she could find . . . Snap out if it! Ginny mentally reprimanded herself.
She glanced towards Harry- He was looking at her weirdly again, like she was going crazy. Oh right, she was. She had just grinned, grimaced and smiled all to herself. Trying to look like she had meant to do this, Ginny flashed him an apologetic smile.
"Sorry Harry, I've been out of sorts all day. Must be that horrid Potions exam I have coming up."
She knew he would take that bait. Harry hated Potions just as much as Ron did. Harry's faced immediately ceased its worried expression, and switched to a more sympathetic one.
"Oh, sixth year potions are the worst! And Snape doesn't make it any easier. Don't worry . . . I know! Maybe I can get Hermione to help you out after dinner. She's always wanted someone to talk Potions with. Merlin knows Ron and I have always tuned her out." Harry said laughing.
Ginny joined him, laughing nervously. After a few seconds, Harry stopped and regarded her in a thoughtful manner. Ginny began to fidget. That was exactly how Ron and her mother looked at her when they thought she was lying.
"Are you positive that you don't want to take a rest?"
"Yes Mother, now, if you'll excuse me, I have got to get to a History of Magic class." Ginny glanced at the muggle watch her father had given her for her birthday. "Oh NO!" Ginny squealed. "I'm late!"
She looked back at Harry, who was looking like he was . . . amused? The boy-who-lived was amused? Ginny was appalled. For a boy who had just offered to give up his free period taking her to the hospital wing, he could have at least offered to help her pick up her books which were still strewn around the corridor from her collision with him earlier.
"Honestly Ginny! I don't think anyone around here remembers that I'm Head Boy!" Harry said, shaking his head bemusedly.
Ginny glared at him. Who cared if he was Head Boy? Did he want a bloody award or something? Ginny was about to voice her annoyed thoughts, when it dawned upon her that the Head Boy had a free pass around the school. He could easily tell Professor Binns that he had needed Ginny to help him with some Head Boy duty.
Hell, she thought, he could probably get her out of class! Ginny looked at Harry to see him smiling so broadly it looked as if his face would crack.
"Ha ha" Ginny said. " I'm sorry I underestimated you godly powers, Oh-great-headboy-highness-sir." Ginny said in a flat sarcastic voice, indicating she was indeed joking.
Harry laughed outright. He straightened and said in the same tone (only a bit more cheerfully,) " I accept your apology, my humble servant. In return for my generous favors, I insist that you repay me by at least escorting you to your next class, because if Ron finds out that I ditched his little sister to sleep, he'd have my hide."
Ginny grinned, and she and Harry began to walk in the direction of Professor Binns class. Upon reaching the class, Ginny timidly knocked on the tightly closed door. She glanced nervously back at Harry, and he gave her a reassuring smile. She needed it. It wasn't as if her History of Magic teacher was known for his cruelty, but as Ginny had been late to his class every day for the past week, he was undeniably going to be furious. Her guess was as educated as they got. Before Harry could even get a word in to excuse her lateness, Binns was on her like a cat.
" WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE BEEN MS. WEASLEY?" his ghostly body shook with fury. "HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW LATE YOU ARE?"
Harry coughed politely and began making her excuses. " Sorry for keeping her so late Professor Binns, but you see there was th . . . " Harry stopped when he realized that Professor Binns was looking at him with a deathly look in his eyes. He backed away slowly, making sure that he provided himself a clean getaway incase the Professor lost control. Slowly, the professor regained his composure while Ginny looked down at her feet. Now, Harry was going to get a verbal lashing as well.
" You may leave Mr. Potter, I think that I will have to deal with Ms. Weasley on my own."
Harry looked uneasily from Ginny to Professor Binns and then back. Sighing inwardly, Ginny gave him a small nod, and freed Harry from the anguish she was about to go through. He mouthed the words " good luck, it won't be so bad" but all Ginny could do was shake her head in dismay. This was one of her favorite classes, and she hated to disappoint her professors.
She looked up and waved a tepid good bye to Harry who left shortly thereafter. Looking back at her angry professor, Ginny braced herself for a stern lecture. Amazingly she didn't get one. At first, she thought that she had braved the worst when Professor Binns sighed.
" Have you already forgotten that today was going to be the practical part of class report?" He asked her tiredly.
Ginny's day got even worse. How could she have forgotten? Each sixth year student had to report on the influence of magic in a specific time in history. They would pair up with a partner and would spend the entire day with a witch or wizard during that time period. Luna and herself had paired up to back to the time of Rome. They had both thought that it would be interesting to spend time with the witch who had caused the great Roman Empire to fall. Ginny bit her lip. This project counted toward her final marks and determined whether or not she got into advanced History of Magic in her seventh year! She looked pleadingly at Professor Binns.
" Please give me another chance! Luna and I already have every detail planned out, if you just send me in now, I'm sure that I'll get along fine!"
Professor Binns looked at her skeptically, and then reluctantly hesitated.
"Fine Ms. Weasley. You have always been one of my more enthusiastic students. However, I do not have any more of the specific potion needed for this particular spell. You'll have to prepare your own if you wish to join Ms. Lovegood."
Professor Binns chuckled slightly as he watched Ginny's face contort into a mask of disgust. Potions was not one of her best subjects, in fact, it was one of the worst. Not only had Snape's hatred for Ron, and perhaps all Gryffindors passed onto her, she was also clumsy at preparing potions.
"Relax, Ms. Weasley, I realize that your strengths do not lie in that subject, and so I will ask a personal favor from Severus to allow you one of his better students to help you with preparing the right potion."
Professor Binns began to scrimmage through his many papers and retrieved a long and complicated looking list of ingredients and instructions. Ginny sighed mentally with desperation. How on earth was she going to make this? Even with the help of one of Snape's prize students, the potion would be a hard one to concoct. Suddenly, a light went off in her head. Hermione! Of course she was the best at potions, like all her other subjects. Ginny felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. She had heard about Hermione's successful attempt at making the complicated Polyjuice Potion from Ron and Harry. Now, she had nothing to worry about.
"Thank you Professor Binns. I'll go down to Professor Snape's dungeon right away." Ginny waved goodbye, and started down the stairs. Humming her own little tune, she did not see the cloaked form before her, and bumped smack into a very angry and scowling Draco Malfoy.
Great, Ginny thought. It's my lucky day.