School: Hogwarts
Theme: High School AU – Chosen by Hogwarts year 5
Year: 2
Main Prompt: (Negative Pairing) Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley.
Additional Prompts: (Romantic Pairing) Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger/(Speech) "Don't you dare [insert any action here]"
Title: Expect the Unexpected
Word Count: 2,838 words
I'm so happy this is AU. Harry and Draco are friends, Jily is alive, Dramione is happening, Hinny is not. Draco lives with Sirius. Ginny is written like I see her. It's a good day.
Expect the Unexpected
Monday morning. Why are Monday mornings always so mundane? Why does the weekend always fly by? It seemed like only yesterday that the final bell rang at the end of classes on Friday and yet, here it is. The rush before classes on Monday morning. Harry's mind ran wild with questions as he pushed through the crowd, attempting to spot any of his friends. It had only been two days. Why were people so insistent on stopping and talking in the middle of the hallway? He dodged around another jumping second-year. It can't even have been that exciting of a weekend. It rained—all weekend.
Harry scowled as he kept scanning the people. Fluffy blonde hair. That's the school's resident gossip. There's Seamus, stuck in his locker? How? Harry shook his head. It was always something with that boy. Now if only he could find Hermione. He really hoped he could borrow her book for English. They were in different English classes and from what he could remember, they had different topics today.
Finally, he spotted a platinum-blond head over the heads of a few first years. Pushing harder, he finally reached the spot where his locker was situated. Upon arrival, Harry quickly realised why he hadn't been able to spot Hermione and the bush that was her hair. She was hidden behind the lithe body that was Draco's, the adoptive son of Sirius, his godfather. He had one hand on the locker beside her head, leaning down to whisper to her. His other hand was playing with one of her wayward curls that had released itself from her tight bun. Harry wrinkled his nose at the display of affection.
"Oh, ew guys. It's far too early to see that," he mimicked puking. Draco closed his eyes in despair, his hand clenching into a fist on the locker front as Hermione giggled beside him, cheeks flushing slightly.
"What's wrong with displays of affection, Harry?" Hermione asked softly, her hand coming up to tangle in Draco's green and silver tie, his grey eyes opening as he smiled down at her. Harry smirked at his best friend.
"Nothing, Hermione. So long as they are far, far away from my locker," he teased. Draco rolled his eyes at him but moved to the other side of Hermione, wrapping an arm around her waist. Harry smiled slightly at his friends before inserting his key in the lock and opening his small cubbyhole. He transferred the books from home into the small space before grabbing a large textbook.
Chemistry, check.
As he ran his finger along the spines of the books in his locker, he remembered the question he had for Hermione. "Mione, can I borrow your Great Gatsby book for English?"
"Where's yours?" she interrogated as she swung her backpack around, digging around in it for the novel.
"Resting peacefully on my desk at home," he answered. "With Dad out of the country for work, I had to get a lift with Mum whose shift started at eight-thirty, and in my hurry, I forgot to pick it up." With a detective as a father and a doctor as a mother, Harry's life was constantly changing between having both parents, just one and on rare occasions, neither. Those nights, he stayed with Sirius and Draco.
Hermione tutted as she handed it over. With a sheepish grin, Harry accepted it and threw it in his bag.
English, check.
He wasn't sure what he would have done without her. She was one of his best friends ever since they met in playschool. She was being picked on by a little girl with dark, ebony hair, so he went over to ask her to play with him. He was her Saviour, and they became best friends after that.
He turned back to his locker. As Harry stared into the dark space for his final book, he felt a prickling in the back of his neck, almost as if someone was staring at him. He heard a snigger beside him before a grunt of pain which sounded like someone had just been elbowed. Harry turned his head towards his friends, one of who was rubbing their side.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked. Draco let another snigger out, catching Hermione's elbow as it aimed for his ribs again. He poked a finger gently into her side before answering Harry's question.
"You appear to have an admirer, Potter," Draco chuckled. Harry groaned.
"Not again," he whined. He softly slammed his head repeatedly into the hard metal in front of him. The pain jolted through him on a particularly hard thump, encouraging a groan out of him and a snicker out of Draco.
Without turning around, Harry knew who was there. The same girl who had pestered his life since he was eleven years old. She was the girl that decided at age eleven that Harry was hers after only one visit to their house when her twin brother had attempted to be friends with Harry. That potential friendship was short-lived after he persistently insulted Hermione. If it was just like every other time, she would be leaning against the lockers that were further down, her skirt indecently short and crimson and gold tie untied around her neck. Harry knew if he turned around, her school skirt that hid nothing would be raised another three inches, revealing more than he ever wanted to see.
It wasn't that she was an ugly girl. In fact, some people might call her pretty. She had long ginger hair, a small nose splattered with freckles, and big blue eyes. She possessed long legs and a slender waist. It was when she opened her mouth, and that shrill voice showed her personality that it all went downhill. She was self-obsessed and spoilt. She was effectively a four-year-old in a seventeen-year-old's body. She was prone to throwing temper tantrums when it didn't go her way, draping herself on Harry when any girl asked him a question. When Harry pushed her away, she played the victim, placing the blame on him. He had been sent to the principal's office multiple times because of something she had done. The bane of his life went by the name Ginny Weasley.
Harry sighed, lifting his head from the cold, dented metal and turned to face his friends. Hermione smiled softly at him as she leaned her head on Draco's shoulder.
"Do you think she'll get the hint if I walk away?" Harry muttered.
"Possibly but our first class is Chemistry which means you have to walk past her," Draco laughed. Harry glared at him before thumping his shoulder. He then spotted someone over Draco's shoulder, and his eyes lit up.
"Well, I am going to say good morning to someone else, and she'll hopefully get the hint," Harry smirked. He darted around the couple and moved away from the annoyance, hearing her huff behind him. In his haste, he missed Hermione's mutter about always having to close his locker for him.
Harry dodged around students, narrowly missing a stumbling first year. He slowed down as he got closer to the small, blonde haired dreamy student. She still had her back to him as he sidled up behind her.
"Good morning, Luna," he said close to her ear. The small figure jumped then turned to face him.
"Must you do that every morning?" she asked, a serene smile growing on her face.
"I'll stop when it doesn't affect you," he smiled back. Luna's lilting laugh filled his ears. He studied the short girl. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, fastened with a ribbon. Her grey school trousers fit her perfectly, complimenting the blue and silver of her tie. In his perusing of Luna, he missed the presence arrive beside him until it was too late.
A pale hand linked itself tightly around his bicep as a putrid scent entered his nostrils.
"Good morning, Harry," the figure trilled. Harry winced as the high octave entered his ear. He pulled his arm away from Ginny, the grip tightening dramatically before he finally got it out.
"Weasley," Harry grumbled out. Luna smiled slightly as she locked her door. Ginny glared at the girl.
"What are you smiling at, freak?" she spat out.
"Nothing, Ginny," Luna said softly, "merely remembering a funny story. Come on, Harry. We're going to be late to class." She slipped her hand into his. Ginny's grip returned to Harry's arm as she witnessed this.
"Harry will be walking with me," she pouted, "won't you, Harry?" Harry looked wide-eyed at Ginny before tightening his grip on Luna's hand.
"Nope, bye Ginny," he slipped out of her grasp and together, he and Luna disappeared into the crowd. Ginny huffed and stamped her foot. Her lips formed a thin line. She exhaled deeply and flounced her way down to Chemistry.
Harry and Luna made it down the corridor and around two corners before Luna tugged on his hand to slow him down. She giggled when air re-entered her lungs. Harry raised his eyebrow at the young girl.
"Did you see her face?" she managed to get out through her giggles. Harry chuckled slightly as he began to walk again, dragging Luna behind him. He opened the classroom door and ushered the giggling girl in, settling in two of the four places at the back, seated behind Draco and Hermione.
Just as Mr Snape opened the door from his office, the classroom door swung open and in strode Ginny. Snape glared at her as she stood, hand on hip, perusing the room.
"Sit down sometime today, Miss Weasley," Snape drawled. Ginny pressed her lips together before sitting in the seat beside Harry. She shuffled her stool closer so that her left leg was pressed into his right. Harry attempted to move his seat away from her but found that there was a firm grip on the back of it.
"Today class, we will be preparing Sodium Chloride. Open your textbooks to page 394. You shall be working in pairs," he trailed off as he silently counted the students, "except there shall be one group of three. Read the instructions, gather your equipment and proceed." He sat down at his desk and picked up some tests that needed to be graded as his students got to work.
Luna and Harry opened their textbooks, Luna reading the experiment and Harry scanning the equipment. Ginny spotted a way to use this to her advantage and leaned closer to Harry as if to read over his shoulder. Harry sensed the movement and quickly got up to collect the equipment. She faltered and slipped off the edge of her stool, landing on the floor. Luna looked down shocked at her, extending her arm down to help her up. Ginny glared at it in disdain and got up herself, dusting herself off. Luna shrugged slightly before gracefully getting off her stool and helping Harry set up the equipment on his return.
The room fell silent as each group started the experiment. All that was heard were the shuffling of papers and the clinking of glass on marble. In the group with three, an easy system was established between Harry and Luna. Between the two of them, they measured and adjusted the different elements while Ginny stood with her hands on her hips. She watched them waiting for her opening. She knew there had to be some way to get Luna out of the way so she could spend time with Harry.
As Luna went to sit down and record the results, Harry turned the tap on the burette allowing the acid to flow through. Then Ginny spotted her opening. As Harry turned to pick up something, Ginny turned the handle that held the burette in place. The pipe tipped over and spilt the acid, pouring a large amount onto Luna's hand.
Luna let out a shrill cry as the other two froze. The entire class, including Snape, turned to look at her. Harry had never seen Snape move so quickly before as he glided down to investigate the problem. Upon looking at Luna's hand that was beginning to redden and blister, he marched into action.
"Miss Granger, bring Luna up to the nurse," he ordered. Hermione nodded quickly before throwing an arm around the shaking, crying girl, accompanying her out of the room. "Potter, Weasley, clean up this mess and then report to the Headmistress's office." Harry nodded, jumping into action while Ginny just scowled. "Weasley, that wasn't an option." She huffed as she picked up a piece of paper towel and cleaned up the spilt liquid. Harry washed out the equipment and put it away.
"Mr Malfoy, please bring this note down to the Headmistress along with those two," Snape gestured at them. Draco nodded, collecting the note before he exchanged worrying glances with Harry. The three of them left the room and walked to the Headmistress's office in silence, the growing anger evident in Harry. When they reached the door to the office, Draco gripped Harry's jumper and pulled him back slightly.
"Should I be planning your funeral?" Draco jested. Harry rolled his eyes and batted him away.
"No, but she may need to start planning hers," he muttered darkly. Draco chuckled.
"Watch out. Vengeful Harry on the loose," he stated. "Good luck to all involved." Draco's mirth was heard as he walked back to class. Harry shook his head at his friend, chuckling slightly as he entered the office. As he entered the room, he could hear Ginny's piercing voice go an octave higher.
"Headmistress McGonagall, I was just fixing the equipment. Harry was the one who opened the tap which spilt the…" Ginny was faking a trembling voice during her recount of the story when Harry walked in. He listened to the lies, his breathing getting shallower as his anger rose.
"Don't you dare place the blame on me!" he interrupted. "Yes, I will admit that I turned the tap on for the experiment, but I wasn't the one who tipped the burette onto Luna's hand. That was you." His voice dripped with ice as he sat down in the one the chairs opposite the desk.
McGonagall sat behind a large mahogany desk; files piled up on every corner. Her elbows were placed on the wood; her hands clasped together. Her triangle glasses were perched on the end of her nose. Over the top of them, she watched the interaction between the two, her eyebrows raised. She cleared her throat pointedly, rendering them both silent. They stared at her in stunned silence.
"Miss Weasley, did you intentionally pour hydrochloric acid onto Ms Lovegood?" McGonagall's calm voice held a threatening edge. Ginny paled considerably.
"No?" she answered meekly. McGonagall stared her down. "Fine, yes. But only because I had no other option."
"You could have not spilt hydrochloric acid on her," Harry muttered. McGonagall turned her glare onto him. "Sorry."
"Miss Weasley, I will be contacting your parents. You will be given two weeks suspension for intentionally injuring another student," McGonagall stated, "as well as your immediate removal from the hockey team for the rest of the year." Ginny's mouth dropped open.
"No. Miss, please. You can't do that," Ginny begged.
"I think you'll find, Miss Weasley, that I can, and I have. Please return to the reception area to wait for your parents. Mr Potter, were you actually involved in this?" McGonagall's calm voice filled the quiet room.
"No, Miss. I was merely trying to do the experiment," Harry said. Ginny's eyes narrowed at him, clearly expecting him to take some of the blame.
"Very well. You are free to go. Check on Ms Lovegood, would you please?" McGonagall dismissed them. Harry nodded, vacating the chair that he was in. Ginny stood up quickly and marched out in front of him. Once they returned to the reception area, Ginny turned to face Harry.
"Harry, why did you not stand up for me?" she questioned, her voice whiny and her bottom lip sticking out in a great impression of a petulant child. Harry inhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. Shaking his head slightly, he opened his eyes and looked at the girl.
"Ginny, get this through your head. I don't like you. I have never liked you. I never will like you," Harry ranted. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go check what kind of burns Luna has ended up with because of you." Ginny's mouth dropped open as Harry walked away. The last thing he heard was her shriek and foot stomping before the door shut behind him.
That evening, Harry sat opposite his mother at the dinner table. He had just put a spoonful of pasta in his mouth when his mother opened her mouth.
"So," she asked, "how was school today?" Harry swallowed his mouthful before he let out a dry chuckle.
"Well, Mum, it definitely wasn't a mundane Monday," he replied.