Disclaimer: -puts hands up- Ok, ok, I surrender! I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter! The great, the lovely, -drum roll- J.K Rowling doesss! I do, however, own the plot of this story.
A/N: I can't believe how much of a prat I am! Merlin, over two months I haven't written! Well, seeing as I got a review, I figured I'd post another chapter. Phew, this will be hard. I always get terrible writer's block. Anywhoo, without further ado, please enjoy!
Taking A Chance- Chap 2. Shut up, Ronald!
Draco was still musing over why he felt so attracted to Ginny in the Great Hall at dinner. Well, for one thing, she's not as bad as Pug-Face Parkinson, Draco thought miserably, sending a forlorn glance at the girl in question who was currently latched onto his arm, jabbering away about her pathetic life.
Draco could see Ginny supressing a grin over at the Gryffindor table, and he glared at the fiery-haired girl.
Sighing very vocally, Draco pushed Pansy off of him, ignoring the confused and hurt look she gave him, and walked out of the Great Hall. He headed for the Slytherin common room in the dungeons, and once he was there, trudged up the boy's dormitory stairs, falling into bed without even changing into his pyjamas. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Ginny woke up with a cold draft down her neck, and a big shiver rattled down her spine.
Teeth chattering and mumbling about how 'Britain is so bloody cold', Ginny got out of bed and walked over to the open window, slamming it shut quickly before she died of hyperthermia.
What in Merlin's saggy pants is Stephanie playing at, Ginny thought angrily to herself. Stephanie was Ginny's enemy here at Hogwarts, and she was probably worse than every Slytherin, and that's saying something.
Admittedly, she wasn't that bad. Ginny just hated her because Stephanie did every little thing she could to irritate Ginny, like opening the window on an especially freezing morning.
Still grumbling about her infinitely frustrating roommate, Ginny got dressed for the day and walked down to the common room, pausing as she saw a depressed-looking Neville Longbottom sitting in front of the fireplace, a faraway look in his eye.
"Nev," Ginny said, her face twisting into confusion and concern. Neville didn't even flinch. "Neville," Ginny tried again, striding across the room and nudging his shoulder.
This time his eyes flicked to Ginny's, and he let out a long sigh. "Ginny, is it bad that Pansy Parkinson managed humiliate me in front of the entire school?"
"I don't understand. How did she do that?"
Neville held up his arm, which Ginny only just noticed now was bandaged, and said, "While I was walking out of the Great Hall after dinner, she stuck her foot out and tripped me. I guess she was acting all prissy because Malfoy wasn't interested in her."
Ginny stared sympathetically at her friend, and placed her hand on Neville's. "Neville, it's ok. Just ignore the sadistic cow! Yeah?"
Neville smiled faintly. "Yeah."
Ginny was glad to see Neville cheering up a bit. "Want to go down for breakfast with me?"
Neville turned back to the fireplace and went back to staring at the hot, yellow flames flickering around the crimson bricks. "No thanks, Gin. You go without me."
Ginny nodded, but then remembered Neville was too immersed in the fire to see her, so she said a quick 'bye' and hurried out of the common room. What was all that about, Ginny muttered to herself.
Ginny was soon at the Great Hall and was about to sit at the Gryffindor table when she saw Stephanie leering at her. Giving Stephanie her best glare, Ginny went and sat with Luna Lovegood at the Ravenclaw table.
"Morning, Loon- Luna." Ginny said, quickly covering up her embarrassing name slip-up.
Luna didn't seem to have noticed, because she was reading The Quibbler, a strange magazine, and humming an eccentric-sounding tune to herself.
Ginny waved a hand in front of Luna's face, which seemed to have snapped her out of it. "Oh, hello, Ginny!" Luna exclaimed in a dreamy voice. Ginny smiled warily, and went to eating her breakfast.
Ginny stared around the Great Hall and saw The Trio walk in, looking secretive. Ginny looked somewhere else, and her eyes fell on stormy grey ones over at the Slytherin table.
Draco Malfoy seemed to be.. mocking her? Ginny was fuming at the smirk on his face that he knew how much the Dream Team infuriated her, but kept her cool. Hell would freeze over when she would let Draco Malfoy get to her.
Ginny gave Draco one last scowl and started picking at her porridge, not much in the mood for eating anymore.
Ginny looked up when she saw Harry coming towards her, followed by Ron and Hermione. She huffed irritably and put her spoon down, waiting for whatever it was they were going to say.
"Ginny," Harry started, but Ginny cut him off.
'No, I'm not listening to what you have to say, Harry Potter. I don't answer to you," Ginny's voice was steadily rising, and she got up from her seat. "In fact, I don't answer to anyone! Go tell Mum how much of an irritable bitch I'm being, Ron, see if I care!" And with that, Ginny stormed out of the Great Hall, slinging her bag angrily over her shoulder.
Draco was sitting in Divination, contemplating over what happened in the Great Hall that morning.
Bloody Hell, he thought. And I thought my family was bad.
Draco snapped out of his musings as Professor Trelawney popped up right in front of his face, startling him with her unnaturally magnified eyes, making him fall out of his chair.
"Merlin!" Draco cried, scrambling up off the floor and staring at his batty teacher with and incredulous look on his face.
"Dear?" Professor Trelawney asked, as though she hadn't just caused a student a heart attack.
"What was that for?" Draco shouted, straightening out his robes.
"Dear boy, I startled you out of your thoughts. It's not healthy too look too deep."
Draco continued to stare at her like she'd turned into a Basilisk, but then picked up his bag and strolled out of the room muttering about "batty crazies."
The rest of the day went by quite uneventfully for Draco, and after shaking Pansy off of him numerous times, Draco arrived at the Great Hall for some much needed dinner.
Draco squeezed himself in between Crabbe and Goyle, so to avoid another "intimate moment" with Pansy, as she called them, and grabbed some chips.
Soon the House tables were full with students and the Great Hall became noisy, but not noisy enough to hear the incredibly loud, irritated, "SHUT UP, RONALD!"
Every head, including Draco's, turned to the Gryffindor table in time to see a distressed and angry-looking Ginny Weasley running out of the Great Hall. Once Ginny was out of the room, everyone looked at Ron who's face was red, whether from anger or embarrassment, no one could tell.
He lowered his head and continued to eat awkwardly.
Draco frowned. What's going on with the Weasley clan?
Getting up off his seat, Draco left the Great Hall in search of a certain red-headed Weasley, which wasn't too hard because her sobs could be heard a mile off.
Draco saw her slumped against a wall not far from the Entrance Hall, face in hands and shoulders shaking.
Something panged inside Draco's chest, but he shrugged it off as lack of food. He didn't get to finish his dinner, after all.
Taking a slow step forward, Draco said, "Red?"
Ginny looked up and, upon seeing who it was, quickly got up from the floor, hastily wiping the tears away from her red and blotchy face.
"M-Malfoy." Ginny replied evenly, straightening herself out.
"What happened?" Draco asked, with a slight trace of amusement. Though there was also concern, and that fact alone confused Ginny far beyond pretty much anything.
"And you care, why?" Ginny grumbled.
Draco frowned. Why do I care?
"I don't know. You just seemed sad."
Ginny snorted and replied sarcastically, "Sad? No, you've got it all wrong. I'm perfectly ecstatic."
Draco smiled, in spite of himself, and knew then and there, for some reason, that they were alright.
"Now, would you care to join me and tell me about how much of a git your brother is?" Draco asked, holding out his arm in a gentlemanly manner.
Ginny eyed his arm warily as though it were about to sprout Voldemort's head, but then shrugged and smiled, taking his arm. "Why not," the two set off down the corridor, not quite knowing where they were heading. "Right, so I was minding my own business, eating dinner.."
A/N: So what did you guys think! :D Please review, and don't forget to tell me my flaws. Heaven knows I've got plenty of them. And feel free to ask questions! Hopefully I can get the third chapter up soon enough. It's Thursday now, so hopefully by the end of Friday.
-Naomi (:
