Chapter 2
Disclaimer: Me no own, You no sue.
A/N : Thanks for the few reviews I got. It means lots to me. If I don't get reviews I wont finish the story lol. I need inspiration people! Anyway me and my friend are advertising each others stories in our stories. Her story is Musical Undertones. Even though I hate Degrassi, I love her so go and check it out if you like that show. Her name is ATaintedStarsNightmare . Now on with Chapter 2.
It felt odd to Ginny, sitting alone at the Gryffindor table. There were empty seats all around her, which she didn't mind. She'd rather be left alone anyway. It seemed as if all the students in her house could tell this, and had seated themselves purposefully away from her.
She was in a rather bad mood anyhow. Not only had she had to endure Malfoy and Zabini on the train, but they had also shared her carriage up to the Great Hall. The things they said made her want to fling open one of the doors and shove them out.
Draco continued to either pointedly ignore her, or whenever he did actually acknowledge her presence, he glared at her or sent a harsh comment or gesture at her…which, with much enthusiasm, she gladly returned. She hated the fact that he thought himself above all others. What an ass. She wasn't going to let him just walk all over her.
But Zabini was all smiles to her. He tried to make conversation, which she only entered into because he seemed polite enough. When they weren't talking, he was checking her out or winking at her, which she had chose to ignore.
But now seated at the Great Hall, she was much relieved to just sit back as the first years were getting seated. It reminded her of when she was getting seated into Gryffindor, and Harry and her brother had missed it.
Harry.
Why cant I ever get him out of my head? It doesn't make things easier, She thought to herself. She would just have to forget about him this school year. Besides, it wasn't as if he would be back anytime soon, right? And he probably wasn't thinking about her either.
Ginny stopped her train of thought when Dumbledore stood up, eyes twinkling, to make his beginning speech. Before he started talking, he eyes roamed over to where Harry and the others vacated seats were…where Ginny was now sitting, alone. He gave her a sympathetic smile, and began his speech.
"This is a grave year indeed. We must all be wary that the Final Battle could be upon us at any time. But let me assure you all that, as long as I am here and it is within my powers, I will not let any dangers befall my students or staff. However, many parents have confirmed my belief on how worried they are. These are dangerous times, and I cannot blame anyone for not wanting to stay. So, for the time being, I am allowing any student with the wish to leave, to board on the next available train, and return to the safety of their homes. The rules from years hence still apply. The Forbidden Forest is off limits, unless consented by myself or another faculty member. The curfew is nine o clock, anyone out later than that will receive punishment for their actions. To all those who are staying, welcome! Enjoy your year at Hogwarts."
With that, the headmaster clapped his hands once, and all the tables were laden with food. The chatter instantly started up as Dumbledore seated himself, and everyone dug into the delicious feast prepared for them.
Ginny wasn't really hungry, and ate little. She just didn't feel right being back here. It felt like a dream. Where were her friends? Why were people going to go back home? This didn't seem like the Hogwarts she remembered. It was too solemn and gray in these bleak times.
So instead she sat, waiting as the many plates were devoured from the starving students. She sat as tray after tray of food and desserts were brought in and cleared from the table. Soon students had started drifting to their common rooms, tired with all the festivities. But as almost everyone was gone, Dumbledore caught her eye and motioned her over to him.
Ginny stood, wondering what could possibly be the reason he would need to speak to her. She walked up to the table at which he still sat, looking over his many students in a fatherly way.
"Yes Professor? Have I done something wrong?"
"No, of course not Ms. Weasley. I just wanted to talk to you about this upcoming school year. I have noticed that you seem very alone. You hardly ate anything, and sat away from the others. Is something wrong? Is there something you would like to tell me?" He inquired.
"Its just odd being back with the others gone, sir. Its so different. This doesn't feel like the Hogwarts I once knew." She explained.
"Ahh yes, I understand. Well there was also another reason I wanted to speak with you Ms. Weasley," He paused, and her eyebrows rose. What more could he possibly want to tell her? "Well Ms. Weasley, last year I had considered raising you up to seventh year level, so you could be with and graduate with all your friends. However, seeing that they are not here now," Here his eyes twinkled. He knew where they were. "I was debating on whether or not I should place you in seventh year. But I see now, you have no friends in your year, and you are still as smart as ever, so I am letting the offer stand. You may, if you wish, be promoted to seventh year."
He paused waiting for a reply. Ginny had to think about this. It was a lot of responsibility on her part. Sure she was smart enough, but it was still a lot of stress. Lots of studying, lots of homework…and NEWT's. She didn't want to enter into it if she didn't think she could do it.
But she could do it! She'd prove that she was smart enough, determined enough.
"Ill do it Professor," she said smiling at him.
"Very good, Ms. Weasley. I trust you can handle the responsibility. You will receive your schedule tomorrow morning. You'll have to borrow some of the class sets of book until we can get you down to Hogsmeade and buy you the proper texts. Have a good night, Ms. Weasley." With that he stood, along with the other faculty members and left her.
She walked briskly up to the common room, plopping herself down in one of the comfortable chairs that the Golden Trio used to sit in, thinking over the decision she had just made.
Was it the right one? She asked herself. But she was up for the challenge, and besides, it was too late to change her mind now. She had already agreed.
So instead she decided to take her mind off of it. Ill think about it later. No need to stress myself on my first night back. Its no big deal anyway.
She took out one of her sappy romance novels and began to read by the fireside. Everyone was in their respective dormitories already, so it was just her.
She loved her romance novels. She would pretend that she was the damsel in distress, and Harry was her rescuer. It was sappy she knew, but she was the sappy romantic type anyway.
She began to doze off, and within minutes she was sitting in the chair, book askew, fully asleep.
--
Ginny awoke to the sound of feet clamoring down the stairs, and someone gently shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and blearily looked up to the person who's hand was still resting on her shoulder.
"Gin, wake up!" Colin Creevey's voice drifted over the rising noise of students coming down from their dormitories. "You must've fallen asleep, it's almost time for breakfast."
She rubbed her hands over her eyes and groaned. She was absolutely knackered! She stretched her aching back in the chair and clumsily got up. Colin laughed as she banged into one of the side tables.
"Not much of a morning person, are you?" She just grumbled and headed up to the girls bathroom for a quick shower.
She looked a wreck. She looked into the mirror and saw her violent red hair in a tangled mat on her head, and bags under her eyes. Sighing, Ginny turned the water on steaming hot and crawled into the shower.
After she reemerged, she looked a hell of a lot better than she had. She was slightly pink from scrubbing, but the bags had gone and her hair was finally under control. She rushed to her room and got changed into her uniform, whispering a drying spell on her hair before combing her long, cascading curls.
If she wasn't fast, breakfast would soon be over, and she couldn't start the day with nothing in her. She raced through the halls of the late students or ones who had already finished breakfast and stopped in front of the Great Hall to catch her breath. She slowly pushed the huge door open and was met by the loud ruckus of voices.
Ginny sat down at the Gryffindor table, quickly taking some toast and buttering it. She ate fast, she didn't have long until her first class.
Her first class!
She still didn't have her schedule yet! She scrambled up to her feet and turned towards the head table, running into the one person she was looking for, Professor McGonagall.
"Professor! I need my-"
She stopped as McGonagall already had the piece of paper out, handing it to her.
"Schedule." McGonagall completed her sentence for her. "Good luck, Ms. Weasley." She nodded before heading off with the stack of papers in her hands, searching for the students.
Ginny looked down at her schedule and sighed in dismay. Potions? Double potions? This early?
Ginny got her bag and headed off. She was already running a little late, and even if it was the first day, there was no way Snape would go easy on her.
She sprinted down the halls to the dungeon, and groaned when she saw the door already closed. She was tempted to just turn around and go back to bed, but forced herself towards the door, doing a quick prayer before she opened it and walked in.
"Detention," Snape drawled in a bored tone, not even turning around from the board to look at her.
She sighed and seated herself at the back of the classroom, taking out her books and parchment and beginning to take the notes that had just come on the board. Apparently they were to make some love potion. Great.
"Don't get too settled down, we will be breaking into groups of three. Dumbledore has recommended at least one of the three be from a different house to try and influence house unity," He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Dumbledore himself chose the groups. We will be using these groups from now until the end of the school year." He took out a piece of paper and began reading the groups off of the list.
"Finnigan, Goyle, Crabbe. Parkinson, Thomas, Nott. Malfoy, Zabini, Weasley-"
Weasley!? Ginny's eyes widened in horror. There was no way that could be right. Why would Dumbledore assign her with them? She had told him herself she had no friends, and now he was trying to kill her by pairing her with them?
"Move Weasley, you're in my seat," sneered Pansy, interrupting her from her reverie and shoving Ginny roughly. What was it with people and shoving her lately?
Ginny made a face at her and stood, collecting her things walking slowly towards where Draco and Blaise already sat together at the front of the room. Looks like they left her a seat…in between them both. Oh joy.
She set her things down by her chair and pulled it out to sit.
"Go get the ingredients from the storage room. Blaise can prepare them, you can put them in when the time is right, and Ill stir." Draco said before she could be seated.
Ginny didn't waste time arguing. She already had a detention from Snape, and the last thing she wanted was to get points taken away or yet another detention from arguing in his class.
Ginny returned with all the ingredients. She had had to balance them all in order to carry all of them to the desk. She dumped them all onto the desk and sat down as Zabini began to cut, slice, and dice the ingredients at the proper thickness.
Ginny took the Rusted Root and was about to dump it into the now bubbling cauldron when Draco's hand shot out.
"Not yet, Weaselette. You're half a minute early. Honestly, cant you even add ingredients at the right time?" He scoffed and finally motioned to Ginny that now she could add them.
She glared daggers at him but added them anyway.
The rest of the class period continued in much of this manner. Blaise finished his part in silence, which surprised Ginny. Usually he was very lively, but he seemed intent on finishing his work. Ginny added the ingredients, often told off by Malfoy for being a few seconds too early or for adding them the wrong way. How the hell do you add something the wrong way?
I swear he does it on purpose. He just irks me!
And Draco stirred the furiously boiling cauldron at the right time, right pace, exact number of times, clockwise or counterclockwise. Insufferable git.
When Snape had reached their potion he had, surprisingly, commended their work on a job well done and told them to fill a vial, label it, but instead of placing it on his desk, to hold onto it.
They did as they were bid, glancing at one another questioningly. What did Snape have up his sleeve today? When Ginny asked him, he just shushed her and told her to wait until the others in the class had finished with theirs. So they sat in complete silence for about ten more minutes until the rest of the class had completed their potions as well.
When they had all finished, Snape stood at the front of the class, looking into the crowd of curious gazes.
"We will now all test the potions we just made on our partners. This will test the accuracy of the potion. If the test subject reacts as the text says, then you all will receive an Outstanding on your potion. However, if your potion fails to emanate the right response from the test subject, I will decide on your grade from the reactions. Any questions?"
The whole room shook their head. Ginny couldn't believe it! Try out a love potion on one of the three in their group? She didn't think that was such a great plan, and when she looked around the room was confirmed that she wasn't the only one who thought so. But who would reprimand Snape? Certainly not her.
"Your group will decide who the test subject will be. Drink the whole vial. I will be around momentarily to grade your group."
Ginny looked from Draco to Blaise and back again. They were both looking at her expectantly. She quickly shook her head.
"There is no way I am drinking that thing," she said in a absolute tone, but when they continued to just stare at her she knew it would be her. Stubborn jerks.
She sighed and snatched the bottle from Draco's hand, glaring at him in a 'you-will-pay' look. She sniffed cautiously at the bottle and nearly gagged. She had to drink that? She shuddered at the thought, but held her nose and gulped it down as fast as possible. Thankfully it didn't taste nearly as bad as it smelled, but it still tasted terrible. So far, she didn't begin feeling any effects what so ever.
She looked over at Draco and Blaise. Well it could've been worse. I mean, think about it Gin, you could've been stuck with Crabbe and Goyle! She shuddered at the thought. At least you got two of the hottest guys in the school. I mean look at them. Look at those lips….
"Uhm…Weasley? You're getting a bit close," Zabini said, but Ginny wasn't looking. She was getting closer, her eyes wide, staring at his soft lips. Her eyes had a sort of glazed look to them and she stared dreamily at him. She lifted her hands and placed them on his thigh. "Cant keep your hands off me, Red? Typical." He laughed and brushed the hand on his thigh with his.
"Zabini." She whispered the name so softly he hardly heard it. Before he could react, Ginny leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips. He tried to pull away but he felt her arms going around to his neck pushing him closer. "Soft," She murmured before deepening the kiss. Blaise kept trying to pull her away, but…damn she had a good grip. And it's not as if she wasn't utterly shaggable, but he knew it was only the potion acting, not her.
Blaise put one of his arms around her, reaching over to Draco and yanking on him to stop laughing. Malfoy looked at him, still snickering and saw him pointing at Ginny. Apparently he wanted his help to get her off of him.
Draco grabbed Ginny's waist, starting to pull her off of Blaise. Ginny turned around, saw Draco, and immediately let go of Blaise, pulling herself onto Draco's lap and started kissing him too.
She bit his lip, hard enough for him to gasp a quick "ouch" before she slid her tongue into his mouth, exploring it with her tongue. Malfoy tried to push her off of himself, but the only good grip he could get on her to push her away was her chest.
He went with it.
Grabbing her breasts with his hands he started to push her off of him, which made her only tighten her grip more. She started to grind her hips against his, moaning into his mouth.
Draco heard a voice clearing and looked up with eager eyes. Professor Snape stood there with that arrogant smirk on his face. Draco looked at him, his eyes reading "help me".
"Well she certainly seems to have the correct reaction and symptoms. Outstanding for all three of you." Snape turned to leave, but Blaise caught his wrist.
"Professor, what about her?" He asked, nodding his head at Draco who was still valiantly trying to pry Ginny off of him.
"What about him?" He scoffed and turned to leave once more, Draco struggling, eyes wide at that. Professor Snape turned to the other students, many of whom were in the same position as Draco, and some of whom looked completely unaffected, and saying over his shoulder as he left, "The potion should wear off in about an hour."
