Your Assignment: Write about someone doing something forbidden and either getting away with it or getting caught.
Bucking Tradition
Many people, including her own brothers, think she's head over heels in love with Harry Potter. That sentiment is further from the truth. Oh, she agrees with the popular opinion that he has beautiful green eyes, that he is smart, or could be, if he applies himself more, and that he is a gentleman. Unfortunately, despite all of his good attributes, Ginny cannot see herself with him, as he is also the very person that her mother wants her to be with. It is the latter that bothers Ginny.
Ginny is very aware that her mother is a control freak, often attempting to run all of her children's lives in the form of "good advice." As a result, as soon as they were able, Ginny elder brothers left England, one by one. Bill, a curse breaker who often worked with the Goblin Nation, currently lived in Egypt. Charlie followed his passion and was currently making his home in Romania, working on a dragon reserve. Even rule-abiding Percy chafed under Molly's constant nagging, and accepted a post with the Ministry of Magic . . . as the British ambassador in Australia. Ginny suspects that Ron's new-found obsession with Hermione is fueled by their mother and notices that the only people to escape Molly antics are George and Fred.
"And I will escape her manipulations too," Ginny mutters to herself as she walks pass the Potions classroom and goes down a flight of stairs to access a part of the Slytherin dungeons that few people, including most of the Slytherins, knows about. Looking both ways to make sure the coast was clear, Ginny uses her wand to tap a certain section of the wall and when the door appears, she quickly steps inside.
Upon entering the room, Ginny see she is the first to arrive. However, when her chosen wizard arrives, her heart lightens once she sees him. The door barely closes as she flings herself in Theo Nott's arms.
"We have to tell people about us sooner than we planned," Ginny says in a frustrated manner as Theo holds her close.
"Explain," he asks quietly, as he leads Ginny over to a maroon and silver couch. As she composes herself, Theo quietly calls for a Hogwarts house-elf and requests Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast teas, as well as an assortment of scones. Nibbling on a scone to calm her nerves, Ginny opens up.
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"My mother has been dropping troll sized hints about how I'm almost 'of age,' and ways of how to attract Harry's attention. It's bloody annoying. Plus, I'm tired of hiding."
"So you're finally open to the idea of telling people about us? It's about time!"
"I know, I know. I was trying to ease my mother into the fact that I'm not interested in Harry first. When that didn't work, I blatantly told her I was interested in a Slytherin. Her response was that 'no self-respecting Wesley or Prewett would even consider a Slytherin to date, let alone be interested in'."
"I find that to be more than hypocritical, since her own grandmother was a Black before she was married and a Slytherin when she was in Hogwarts."
"And Grandmother Weasley was Cedrella Black before she married my grandfather and also a member of Slytherin. So obviously my mother's argument is a fallacy."
"Did you really just use the word, 'fallacy', Lil Red? I didn't know you knew such a creative way to say mistake."
Ginny blushes but laughs all the same. "Yes, I did. When I started to eavesdrop on Hermione and Malfoy, I realized early on that I would have to read a dictionary and a thesaurus to keep up with their conversations."
"So, have the two of them came any closer to admitting their feelings for each other?"
"No – all they do is talk about is school work, Perfect duties, and books. I thought I would never come across someone who loves books as much as Hermione. I was wrong. Malfoy is as a big of bibliophile as she is."
"Maybe it's their version of foreplay."
"Theo," Ginny exclaims, sounding scandalized but her eyes telling a different story.
"I'm just saying," Theo shrugs his shoulders in a total unrepentant way that Ginny is familiar with. "Besides, gossiping about our very emotionally challenged best friends made you smile. You haven't done a lot of that lately."
"They're not emotionally challenged." Theo raises his right eyebrow ever so slightly at Ginny's contradiction. "Ok, let me modify that - they're only emotionally challenged in regards to each other."
"With that, I agree. Back to the subject at hand – are you sure you want to tell people about us?"
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"Yes." The answer Ginny gives is sure. "We've been hiding it for too long. It has been almost a whole year, Theo. That is how long we had to plot, scheme, and manipulate in order to see each other." Sensing a retort, Ginny glances fiercely at Theo.
"Personally, although it irritated me, I understood why, Ginny. Slytherins, especially to Gryffindors, are seen as forbidden. Bucking hundreds of years of unspoken tradition is hard. Even within Slytherin, dating out of House is not looked upon favorably. So, will we be telling people or will we be allowing ourselves to be caught?"
"I do enjoy the sneaking around bit a little. Let's start not being so careful when we plan to meet. Eventually between my brothers and your housemates, someone will catch us."
In agreement, the couple leaves their meeting place, walking away hand in hand towards a hallway that would lead them by the kitchens as two pairs of eyes watches them walk away.
"So, do you think they will go public first or will someone catch them first," Hermione asks Draco as they patrol the hallways.
"I'll give it a week before one of Lil Red's brothers catches the two of them. My galleons are on Weasley. I suspect George and Fred already knows."
"Should we act surprised once it becomes public knowledge?"
"You can if you want, but I'm not. I knew Theo liked Lil Red for quite some time. He spoke too specifically about her skills on the Qudditch pitch for him to be a casual observer."
"Don't gloat, Draco. It's unbecoming," Hermione admonishes and Draco only smirks in response. Shaking her head as she does so, Hermione continues her patrol with her partner.