Malicious
Lady Terayne
Disclaimer: all the wonderful HP stuff belongs to JKR, only the plot is mine.
Ginny Weasley ran to sit under the tree next to Draco Malfoy, her boyfriend of who-knows-how long. He took her hand in his, and they sat under the tree, a perfect picture of bliss. He put his arms around her, and she realized that the times she spent by his side were the best times of her life. Forget Harry…Harry who? He could just jump off a cliff for all she cared…she was so happy with Draco. How could life ever have been different? Then, she started to notice an odd ringing sound that was growing louder and louder…
The next thing she knew, she was in her bed, the alarm buzzing in her ears.
"DAMN YOU!!" Ginny yelled at the alarm and threw it across the room. She loved having that dream, but it always had to wake her up just at that point. Grumpily, she got up, and went to go take a shower. Some of her dorm mates looked at her strangely, but she ignored it.
Once she was dressed, Ginny walked down to the common room with a book in hand, although she had no intention of reading it. She was deep in thought, wondering what to do about her crush on Draco. No one knew about it, not even her best friends, Toni and Hermione. She was also quite certain that he did not even have any positive feelings about her, but she didn't care. It was like Harry had been when she *liked* him, except Harry was like a brother. She didn't even know quite what it was that attracted her to him…the aloofness? His cold personality and lack of empathy? His looks, even? She knew there had to be something under the cold exterior…but she seriously doubted that it would be her to bring it out. First, he would have to see past her Weasley-red hair and into the fact that she was actually and individual, and she'd need to gain some serious courage. Ginny wondered not for the first time if the Sorting Hat had made a mistake putting her into Gryffindor…sometimes she was such a Hufflepuff. But then, at other times, she could be very outgoing…that was usually only in the company of her friends, though.
Suddenly, Toni came down the stairs from the fifth year girls dormitories, interrupting her thoughts.
"I'm hungry," Toni declared. Toni was a sixth-year, like Ginny.
"Well, I'm not really, but I'll come with you," Ginny said, unconsciously agreeing, still lost in her world of thought. Toni shrugged, and they left the Gryffindor common room for the main hall.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione were already down in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Ginny sat down next to Hermione with Toni on her other side, and she quickly noticed that Draco was also eating right then. It looked like he was giving some Hufflepuff a hard time, and Ginny couldn't help thinking that he looked so cute when he was enjoying himself. Then, realizing what she was thinking, Ginny's face flushed with anger and she glared at the dirty rat. He, of course, didn't notice her, but Hermione did.
Breakfast passed all too quickly for Ginny, and she went to go get ready for Defense Against the Dark Arts, her first class, taught by Professor Lupin again that year. As she was walking out, Hermione grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty classroom.
"Did I just see you staring at MALFOY the whole time we were in there?!!" Hermione yelled at Ginny.
"No! Of course not! I was glaring at him. There is a difference…I want revenge for…uh…something," Ginny said nervously.
Hermione rolled her eyes, seeing right through the flimsy excuse. "And just what did he do to you to make you want this revenge?"
"Umm…err…he wasn't being nice!" Ginny replied meekly.
"And just when is he being nice? I think you've got a serious affliction here. However, Malfoy is a major prat, as I'm sure you well know, so just…don't get hurt, okay? I'll stop worrying about you now, I know you can handle yourself," Hermione said, then thought to herself, Not that he'll ever have the chance to hurt her, what with Ron the Overprotective standing over her.
"Herm, I agree. You really do need to butt out of my love life. Now, about yours…just when are you and my brother planning on getting together? Honestly, you two are SO obvious!" Ginny said, grinning. She had successfully changed the subject.
"Hey! No fair! Who ever—" Just then, they heard the shuffling of feet as a heavy someone ran away from the unused classroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, thick-headed Goyle was running to find Draco. Goyle wasn't the cleverest of boys, but he certainly could tell that he had struck gold when he overheard that conversation. He found Draco, as expected, in the Potions classroom, sucking up to Snape.
"Draco! You have to hear what I just heard!" Goyle sputtered dumbly to Draco.
Draco, angry at being interrupted from "raising his Potions grade," drawled to Goyle, "I'll have to get back to you on that. Now, Professor Snape, where were we?"
Goyle went off to tell the other Slytherins of his new discovery.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ginny and Hermione were continuing their conversation from a few hours earlier in the Gryffindor Common Room when Toni walked in.
"So, what're you two talking about that's so secretive? Do tell!" she asked.
Hermione grinned evilly. "Our dear friend Ginny here seems to have this odd infatuation with everybody's favorite Slyth—" She was cut off abruptly when Ginny tackled her and covered up her mouth.
"Quiet, you!" Ginny said to Hermione, who was laughing very hard despite the hand covering her mouth.
"Come on, you never tell me anything! What's this I hear, Herm?" With that, Toni pulled a struggling Ginny away from Hermione so that she could continue.
"As I was saying, darling Ginny likes everybody's favorite Slytherin: Draco Malfoy!"
"Hermione, you are going to die for this! It's so not fair! You have that to torment me with, but everyone already knows that you like Ron, so I have nothing to blackmail you with!" Ginny protested.
"Ginny! Shut up! I don't want the whole world to know!"
"Yes, and I just LOVE the fact that you're broadcasting to all these curious Gryffindors the fact that I like that certain person!" Ginny sarcastically replied to Hermione.
Toni looked around the room, and she noticed that people had started giving them odd looks at that last remark. "You two should probably shut up now. You may not have been overheard before, but I think you've attracted some attention…" she whispered.
At that moment, the portrait hole swung open and Harry and Ron walked in, ending that conversation. Hermione and Toni quickly opened their books and pretended to have been working the whole time, and Ginny walked up to the dorm to think.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter 2
On the other side of the school, Draco was gaining some very useful information. Goyle was telling him about what he had overheard.
"Yeah, Draco, no joke. The little Weasel really must looooove you! She all but came out and said it! Man, you should have seen Granger's face! Priceless!" At that, Draco glared at Goyle, who just kept rambling on, "I thought you might want to know, you know, so how about a reward? A chocolate frog? M-maybe two?"
Draco pulled out a few Every Flavor Beans and gave them to an elated Goyle.
Crabbe couldn't stay out of the action, and came up to see if he could have some too. "Please, Draco? Goyle told me about it too, I knew!"
He rolled his eyes, and Crabbe got a few of the Beans.
All of a sudden, Goyle choked and spit out the bean. "Ugh! Sea Slug flavored!" he said, and promptly went to go wash out his mouth.
Crabbe laughed and popped one in his large orifice. He also spit it out, yelling, "Urgh! Toilet Water!" He also went to get some water.
Draco sneered happily. He loved his "Bernie Botts Nasty Flavored Beans."
But, his mind soon wandered from that topic to what he should do about Weasley. He knew he wanted to torture her, but wasn't sure what approach to take. He had a few options: Outright torture her, name-calling, that type of thing; he could ignore her, like he did now; or he could pretend to be in love with her. He grinned at the thought of seeing her face when he told her it was all a joke. That was definitely the thing to do.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ginny was on her bed, feeling depressed. The morning classes were over, and she had some free time. Harry had never noticed her, so why would Draco? He was much more distant, and probably didn't even know there was such a person as Ginny Weasley. She heard a rumbling, and realized that maybe she should have eaten something that morning. Ginny went off to go filch a snack from the house elves before her least favorite class, Potions. Maybe Draco would be down there…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ginny seemed to be in luck. Draco was down in the kitchens too, getting something to eat before class. He didn't notice her immediately, but then, she didn't expect him to notice her at all. She was totally oblivious to his plan. However, he did notice her.
"Hello, Weasley," he drawled, although his usual smirk was not in place.
Ginny was stunned. "Um, yeah. Hello Malfoy," was all she could say before he sauntered off.
Draco sneered his happy sneer. It was a start, even if it was a slow one. He could feel her eyes trailing him as he left the hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~
All the way to Potions, and all through the class, Ginny was wondering what Draco was up to, and why he had suddenly acknowledged her presence. It was so un-Malfoy-like, especially to not sneer at her and insult her and the other Gryffindors. She was still perplexed when she bumped into someone in the hall as she was on her way back to the common room.
"Watch where you're going," said a pug-faced girl in an unkind tone of voice.
"Get out of my way," Ginny said in a totally nonplussed voice to Pansy Parkinson.
Apparently, Pansy was in a mood to pick a fight. "Excuse me? I'm the one that has to go change my clothes because a Weasley touched them! Who knows what kind of lice could be hiding all over you?"
"Oh, and I suppose that means that you think you're clean? I'm afraid you'll never get the crap off your face from all the brown-nosing and sucking up you do!" Ginny glared at the Slytherin girl. She'd never had anything against Pansy in the past, but if Pansy wanted to change that opinion, so be it.
"I'm sorry, but I'm much too good to speak to Mudblood-loving scum like you. Come along, Millicent, we have better things to do than converse with this lowly creature." With that, pansy walked off, pug nose pointed high in the air.
Ginny was feeling especially furious and knew just the curse the get a little bit of revenge on Pansy. Soon, Pansy's sense of smell was considerably worse, and Ginny had also magically mixed fresh cat manure, compliments of Crookshanks, into Pansy's hair.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco wanted to do something more to ensure that his "joke" was going as planned. He must have been looking too happy, because Pansy came over to ask why he was.
"Drakie, hon, what's wrong with you? You look way too happy! It doesn't suit your face. Wait, maybe if I get you the right make-up, we could make it work…" she said.
"Erm, well, you see, I have sort of a plan going…." He trailed off. He didn't really want to let Pansy in on the plan, she would just mess it up.
"You can tell me, come on, you know you can trust me! Does it involve the Gryffindors? Little red-haired female Gryffindors? Oooh, can I help? I love this stuff!"
"Pansy, you assume too much. Wait and see. And what is that in your hair? When was the last time you bathed? You absolutely reek of manure! Get away from me!"
"But Draco, I don't want to wait! I want to know now! And I do not smell!" she screeched. Draco was disgusted. Did all girls act as selfishly and bratty as this one, and have as bad hygiene? The Weasley girl had smelled nice when he had seen her in the kitchens…just what did Pansy have against her? Did she suspect his plans? He hoped not. At that moment, Pansy decided to start crying. It never failed to work for her, and she seemed to forget that she was a sixth-year student and how immature this would look. She was so involved in her crying that she didn't notice when Draco left for the solitude and fresh air of anywhere else on the school grounds. He even decided that Arithmancy would be a safer and more interesting place to be, and left, not caring that he would be early to class.