A/N: Just so we are on the same page, I do not own any piece of the commercial pie that is Harry Potter. But, I do own part of the industrial quiche that is William Shatner… just… so… you know…
A/N: OH MY GODS!! (awesome comic strip, by the way…) I forgot to thank my reviewers last chapie!! Ok here we go…
Thanks to...
ImxAxPhoenix
PheonixFyre88
HopeCoppice
sexihannah
Sympathetic Me
&
Oxymoron8 -Hmm, what a fascinating suggestion… I just might use it… ; ) Thanks for the encouragement!!
And on with the show!!
Ch. 4
''Miss Weasley.'' Ginny looked up from the book she was taking notes from. She was learning so many new things everyday, it was sometimes hard to keep everything straight. The Healer's Helpmate had been quite useful this past week. She put down her quill and went to the table upon which Madame Pomfrey was working on a batch of boil cure potion.
''Yes, Madame Pomfrey?''
''Would you mind terribly running an errand for me?'' Madame Pomfrey asked, as she stirred the cauldron with a rather large spoon.
''Not at all.''
''Oh, thank you dear.'' She motioned Ginny to take the spoon, ''Stir this clockwise another ten times, please.'' The medi witch took up a piece of parchment and a quill and began writing a note. ''Take this to Professor Snape. I seem to be low on stewed horned slugs, and I don't think the group of fourth years that were careless with their Bubotubers will be very pleased if I don't have enough for this potion.'' She chuckled, sneaking a glance at the five pitiful, boil-covered students who lay in beds along the wall.
''Ugh…'' Ginny thought, ''Not Snape…'', but, ''No problem, be back in a jiff'' is what came out of her mouth. She took the note and off she went down to the dungeons.
Draco sat, thoroughly bored, listening to Snape drone on about some potion or another. This was strange because Potions was the only class he actually enjoyed. Normally, he'd be paying rapt attention to Snape's lectures, taking notes and jotting down ideas for variations. He took great pleasure in both the theory and practice of making potions. But, today, he just couldn't keep focused on anything, save for the thing he was presently thinking about. This current fixation being Miss Ginny Weasley. A whole week had passed and still she invaded his thoughts. There wasn't a single thing he did that didn't make him think about her. When he woke up, he thought about how he woke early the night after he first heard her sing. When he went to breakfast, he sometimes saw her there and simply couldn't take his eyes off her. Thankfully they had no classes together, but even so, he could not concentrate for all the thoughts filling his head of her. And when he went to bed at night, he still fell asleep thinking about her. Even flying was no longer a safe haven. He couldn't help but remember flying against her when she took over as Gryffindor seeker in his fifth year. And that was all Potter's fault. Stupid bloody Potter.
Draco looked up, when he noticed that the droning had ceased, and into the eyes of his head of house. And he didn't look happy. But just as Snape was sure to begin yelling at him, someone knocked on the door. Saving Draco, for the moment, from a sound tongue lashing. As Snape walked to the door, Draco's eyes followed to catch a glimpse of his rescuer.
Ginny took a breath and knocked on the door to the Potions room. It wasn't but a moment before an irate Professor Snape was scowling down at her demanding why she'd disrupted his class.
''Forgive me, Professor, but I'm on an errand for Madame Pomfrey.'' Ginny said as she handed him the note.
Snape read it, then looked at Ginny. ''So you're the new aide, are you Miss Weasley?'' he asked condescendingly .
''I'm afraid so, sir.'' said Ginny, making sure to be overly cheerful. Nothing rankled Snape like cheerfulness.
''Then, I suppose I'll be getting more of these little interruptions throughout the term?''
''It would probably be safe to assume so.''
''Very well then. Wait here.'' he said sternly and headed off to his supply closet. Ginny was left by the door, and to the stares of the potions class. She saw 6th year Gryffindors and Slytherins spread throughout the room at various lab stations. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were taking advantage of the potions master's absence to talk between themselves. Other than that, they hadn't even noticed she was there. She felt a little dejected at this, but let it slide off her like water.
''They've been ignoring me for years, it's not like it's anything new'' she told herself. Even so, she was a bit lonely, and suddenly felt the twin's absence intensely. She shook her head, as if to dislodge these thoughts. ''No more of this, Ginny. It's only been a week. You can't be lonesome yet.'' She smiled to herself and resumed surveying the room.
Draco watched Professor Snape throw open the door, revealing none other than Ginny Weasley herself. ''Speak of the red-headed devil…'' he thought. ''What on earth brings her down here?'' He observed her speaking with Snape. Most all the students in the school were sure to tread lightly around the potions master, but not Ginny Weasley. She gave the proper amount of deference, and was nothing but polite, and yet she still managed to be quite cheeky.
Draco managed to catch a bit of their conversation. ''Then, I suppose I'll be getting more of these little interruptions throughout the term?'' ''It would probably be safe to assume so.'' Draco swallowed hard. ''Fan-bloody-tastic. Not only can I not stop thinking about her, she'll also be popping into my classes every so often…'' Draco was then almost horrified to notice that part of him did not mind… almost.
Snape stalked off, leaving her at the door. Draco continued to watch her, and became increasingly fascinated with the expressions crossing the littlest Weasley's face. ''Ah, she's spotted Saint Potter. But, what's this? Now she looks so sad. What could strike the smile from her lovely face so completely?'' A small part of him resisted greatly this last admission, but he was far too gone to hear it. He was entranced as she shook her head, her curls dancing like flames around her face. ''And there, it has returned again. If I'm not mistaken, Weaslette wears a mask as well. And I very much doubt I am mistaken.'' He studied her face like he would if he were a sculptor. Noting the arch of her brow, her high cheekbones, the fine line of her nose, the cupid's bow of her lips, the deep chocolate shade of her eyes. Even from across the room, he could see her eyes in sharp contrast. There were even light flecks of green around the iris. He had never seen such eyes.
Ginny scanned the room looking for familiar faces, when she found, instead, a pair of eyes. She took a quick breath. It was as if she was bound by those eyes. They were the most extraordinary shade. ''Their color… some might call it grey… but it's more than that...they look like quicksilver. I've never seen quicksilver eyes before.'' She felt drawn into these silver eyes. She felt them looking deep into her own. Before, she would have called silver a cold color. But, seeing them now, she knew how much heat silver could hold, how much emotion. A very small part of her realized she was staring quite seriously. But Ginny would not listen, she wanted to keep looking into these quicksilver eyes.
Draco felt the pull from her eyes, and realized she was staring as intently into his eyes as he was into hers. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that this was wrong, forbidden. But then, nearly all of the most wondrous things in life were. He was falling deeper into the depths of her eyes when he heard a noise…
''Take your stewed horned slugs and be gone from my class, Miss Weasley. From now on, wait until the end of the period to make sure your disruption has the least effect on my students.''
Ginny snapped her head toward Professor Snape, turning so quickly she felt a sharp pain in her neck. A blush crept up her cheeks when the reasonable, conscious part of her mind took back over and recalled the last few moments. She took the proffered jar and left without a backwards glance.
Snape had resumed his droning and Draco was deep in thought about something that had to do nothing with potions. ''I cannot believe that. In front of everyone! Staring at her as boldly as you please… But then she was staring back… Never mind that! It must not happen again. It cannot! I won't let it. It has to stop…'' Draco made a firm decision to do whatever was necessary to rid his mind of… her.
Ginny lay in her bed that night, trying to recall any of the features that belonged to those quicksilver eyes. ''I can't believe it. I stared at those eyes, at him'' for she was sure that it was a him, though why she couldn't begin to fathom, she just knew. ''How could I have not noticed anything else?'' She closed her eyes, pictured his as she had seen them this afternoon, and tried again to see his face. She saw the heat, the passion there. Perhaps not romantic passion, but there are many types of passion. And there was plenty of it in his eyes. But no features. ''Nothing, but those eyes…'' And with that thought in her mind, she drifted off to sleep.
A/N: Yay for chapter 4!! Phew! I got over my little road block from last chappie, and now am on a bit of a roll. I've got a kind of calendar lined up so I can keep all the events straight (as I'm kinda keeping with HBP, but not) I like a little continuity with my fantasies. At least this one anyway. I've got some more ideas for other fics that are almost completely AU, or at least might as well be. Anyway, hope you liked it, please review, and a little juicy morsel before I go, next chapter is the Open Mic Night!! Wish me luck!!
