Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter etc, please don't sue me!
A/N: Thank you all for the favouriting, following, and reviews you have been posting! The reviews are particularly inspiring and encouraging (also helps me pick out gaps that I've missed). Happy reading!
To the reviewers: Whats fake [Thanks! She does like the challenge and the thrill she gets from plotting and pulling it off with success. I'll include a flashback in a future chapter which explains Ginny's start better]; Guest [Haha, baby steps, but there are some below for you to enjoy]; and Neakco [Thanks! And you're right, I won't tell until the story does - But I like knowing that you're curious XD ].
Recap:
Ginny jumped up from her seat and stalked up the stairs to her dormitory.
'What did you two do to my sister?' Ginny heard her brother ask as she walked away.
Ginny opened her bedroom door and slammed it behind her. She flopped onto her bed, landing on her stomach and flipping open the book to continue studying.
The next day found Ginny sitting in Potions class by her pain sensitive partner. Draco was rubbing his forearms between preparing ingredients and the movement was distracting her.
His massaging drew her attention again as she was cutting newt legs into slices, causing her to slip and almost slice her finger.
Snapping her hand away from the blade, she threw a glare at Draco, who was focused on the hand-written instructions of his book.
'Will you stop that incessant fidgeting, it's distracting!' she bit out.
Draco glanced up at her, eyebrows furrowed.
She looked at his forearm pointedly and he followed her eyes. Yanking his arm away from the one he was rubbing.
A smirk stole over his face. 'Distract you, do I?'
Ginny sneered at him reply.
Draco leaned closer and whispered, 'And why exactly do you find me so distracting, Ginevra?'
Because I can't help but notice you! Bollocks, why did I think that!
Scrambling for an answer she could actually say aloud, she rushed and replied, 'Because your fidgeting keeps moving the table, you prat.'
Draco's eyes glimmered. 'Unlikely, magic holds these tables still.'
Ginny scowled. 'What is wrong with you anyway?'
'Wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with me, Ginevra: I'm perfect,' he answered with a charming smile.
'Ha,' she scoffed with derision. 'Do you have the most pitiful pain threshold in the wizarding world?'
'Why would you ask that?'
'Because you are massaging your arm and the other day I hurt you when I lightly poked your shoulder.'
'Why do you care?'
'It's weird – is it contagious?'
Draco chuckled. 'No, unless pushing oneself is contagious.'
'And how have you pushed yourself?'
Draco just smiled in reply and turned back to his work.
Ginny restrained a verbal huff at the irritating blond.
'Just stop with the irritating movements.'
'Is that a command, Ginevra?' Draco asked, turning back to face her and leaning closer.
'Perhaps. Why?' she asked with challenge written on her face as she determinedly ignored his heady scent.
'There are very few people who I allow to "command" me and I hadn't considered you one of them,' he whispered lowly.
Ginny blinked at him for a moment, before a blush stole across her face as she realised his meaning.
'Don't be ridiculous,' she replied with fire in her eyes.
'Then don't try and command me again,' he pulled away and added as a flippant afterthought, 'besides, doing so could be hazardous for your health.'
'Are you threatening me?' Ginny gasped in surprise.
'Certainly not, but Pansy doesn't take kindly to such interactions and doesn't think before she casts a spell.'
'I'm shaking in my shoes,' she replied sarcastically. 'So sweet that you have a violently jealous girlfriend.'
'She wishes,' Draco replied, holding her gaze.
Ginny's traitorous heart began to beat harder.
'Then you should do something about that, else she will run off any girl you do like,' Ginny replied nonchalantly.
'Oh no girl I would date would be scared off by Pansy,' Draco replied with confidence and then returned his focus to his potion.
Ginny gave him a confused look before checking on her potion once more. It was only after the lesson had finished and the class disbanded that she realised he had switched the topic away from answering her probing and she was no closer to discovering what was wrong with him.
The following Saturday, it was clear that the Quidditch season had returned in full fervour.
'Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year! And what perfect Quidditch weather we have: sun shining, a light breeze, and a warm day. Today we have the Gryffindor Lions facing off against the Slytherin Snakes. Slytherin has forsaken its all-male team under the leadership of Malfoy and has an almost entirely untested team with two girls. Also Malfoy has given up his regular position as seeker and is playing keeper; keeper is a better position to captain from but it is a new position for him. Gryffindor's captain, Potter, is still playing as seeker and has a similar, more experienced, line-up with most of last year's Quidditch Champions team. Only two new players for the Lions; one as chaser - no Ginny Weasley playing this year, which is a surprise given her talent - and a new beater. Will experience win the competition today? Or will it be the new blood?'
A roar of noise erupted around the stands as everyone called out their thoughts.
'Well, either way, it should be an interesting match. And here come the teams!'
The crowd cheered as the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams entered the pitch.
'Madam Hooch has released the bludgers and snitch. And there goes the quaffle. The keepers immediately zooming to their positions and the seekers soaring high to find the elusive snitch. Gryffindor experience takes possession of the quaffle and are heading to the hoops – let's see what Malfoy has. Gryffindor throw. It's blocked!'
The Gryffindors around Ginny groaned, although she heard the proud Slytherin cheers creep in.
'Malfoy saves the throw and he passes to a fellow chaser. The Slytherins are in possession and they head towards Weasley. Gryffindor are trying all tactics here to unnerve their untested rivals. Whoa, that bludger was close. Nice try by Gryffindor, but they can't seem to break into the group. Slytherin almost at the hoops.'
Ginny was watching with wide eyes, Ron was so focused on the approaching chasers that he had forgotten to watch the Slytherin beaters – who were in full control of the bludgers. Ginny winced as she saw Meadow smack a bludger towards Ron as the Slytherin chasers honed in on the hoops.
A shout from Harry caught Ron's attention and he dived away from the bludger.
'Goal for Slytherin. That's ten points to the snakes.'
While Ron was righting himself, he missed the streak of green that flew passed him, but Ginny didn't. She groaned as she saw the Slytherin chaser catch the quaffle and toss it back to a teammate who immediately batted it into the still unprotected hoops.
'Second goal to Slytherin. Twenty to zero in favour of the snakes. Clearly experience isn't everything. Gryffindor are now in the unenviable position of playing catch-up.'
Ron caught the quaffle this time and tossed it forcefully to a Gryffindor chaser. A Slytherin chaser almost intercepted the throw, but wasn't fast enough. The players turned around and soared towards the Slytherin hoops.
'A well-placed bludger by the Slytherin beater and the new Gryffindor chaser drops the quaffle - Slytherin chasers are quick to clean up. A chance for the Gryffindor keeper to redeem himself is coming. Slytherin shoots.'
The Gryffindors erupted in cheers.
'And Weasley saves the goal. Possession with Gry— wait is that Potter diving for the snitch. I can't see the elusive ball of points myself, but Potter is in a step dive. The Slytherin seeker isn't following though. Potter pulls up – a Wonski Feint. Gryffindor has used the distraction and have thrown the quaffle. Malfoy catches it again. Bad luck chasers! Possession is now back with the Slytherin chasers. A bludger knocks the quaffle free, but Slytherin have caught it again.'
Ginny watched the game closely. The Slytherin team worked well together and she could see that Malfoy's decision to drop the best chaser in favour of a team player had worked to their advantage. Harry and Malfoy were calling out orders to their team, although Harry seemed to be having trouble watching both the game and searching for the snitch. The Slytherin had almost caught the snitch twice and Harry had been behind each time – so delayed by shouting orders that he almost missed the chase.
Ginny looked at the scoreboard, one hundred and ten to thirty points in favour of the Slytherins: it was a slaughter. Harry needed to get that snitch. Soon.
Harry called a timeout and the teams descended for their allotted three minutes, both coming back into the air with renewed vigour and determination.
Gryffindor managed to take possession and were heading for the Slytherin stands. Suddenly a Slytherin beater went down – it didn't look like Meadow. Hooch patched them up and they dizzily returned to the air, obviously still slightly stunned. Ginny now focused on the beaters, the two Gryffindor beaters were aiming for the uninjured Meadow; an allowable, if somewhat poor taste, tactic.
As Meadow dodged the bludgers and tried to whack them back into control – a difficult task with a dazed colleague - the chasers came closer to the Slytherin end of the pitch, darting in and out and around the Slytherin chasers, moving forward steadily, but slowly.
What are they doing?
Suddenly it was explained. The chaser threw the ball as Malfoy dodged a bludger.
'Gryffindor scores! One hundred and ten points to forty.'
As Malfoy followed the quaffle on its upward trajectory to catch it, two additional bludgers were simultaneously shot towards him out of his eyesight. The trap perfectly executed.
Crunch.
Malfoy's broom snapped under the weight of the battering bludgers and he fell.
As Ginny's throat closed and her eyes widened, the stands gasped collectively as they watched him drop the sixty odd feet with increasing speed.
Three jets of light shot towards him from the teachers stand.
All missed the falling student.
No!
Time seemed to slow as she watched him continue to plummet. Out of her eye she saw more jets of magic shooting towards him as the teachers attempted to save him again.
At that distance they won't reach him in time…
Twenty feet from the ground, Draco's body began to morph; shrinking and beginning to tumble. With a jerk that almost gave her eyes whiplash, he was shaped like a bird and had stalled his decent with stretched wings.
Ginny blinked. What in Hades…?
He gracefully swooped down onto the pitch and changed back into a wizard.
The crowd was silent. Watching in shock. Beside her, Hermione pinched herself.
Malfoy is an animagus‽ Oh, now that would be an excellent skill to have! An impressive animagus form too…
Malfoy pulled his wand out of his sleeve and flicked it: a gleaming broom flew out from the change rooms and halted beside him. He jumped on it and flew back into the air with an expectant look at Madam Hooch.
A jaw-slack Madam Hooch looked towards the teachers stand, Headmaster Dumbledore waved her on, so she her blew the whistle to continue the game.
'Hooch awarding two penalty shots to Slytherin for the dangerous Gryffindor tactic which could have caused serious injury. Remember, Lions, this is a school game. I'm actually a little surprised that our Lions would pull such a move. Anyway, folks, Slytherin shoots and scores. Lining up for the next penalty shot. And Weasley saves this one in a nice extension…'
The crowd continued murmuring as the shots were taken, barely paying attention to the game.
'Did Malfoy just turn into a bird?' a startled Neville asked from beside her.
'A peregrine falcon by the looks of it,' Hermione clarified. 'Peregrine falcons are able to fly at high speeds and change direction rapidly, in fact, they are the fastest creature in the animal kingdom. They have high versatility and are excellent hunters. And they eat other birds.'
'Appropriate,' Dean Thomas mutter from behind her.
'It's an impressive skill – most people don't have the magical power to become animagus and the majority don't manage it before they are in their thirties, at least. Of course, the Malfoys and Blacks have always been powerful family lines,' Neville added.
'Hot too,' Parvati added with an impressed look.
'I wonder where he learned the skill,' Hermione pondered.
You and me both.
Ginny glanced at the Slytherin goals. Malfoy was hovering in front of them, focus trained completely on the game and completely unruffled by the fall and transformation.
'Slytherin scores! That's one hundred and thirty points to forty, folks. And there goes the Slytherin seeker into a dive. Potter follows, is he close enough?'
Ginny looked towards the stream of red and green shooting in the same direction.
Come on, Harry, you can catch up. Just a bit faster.
'It's all over! The lithe Slytherin catches the snitch, ending the game at a massive two hundred and eighty to forty.'
Hermione groaned next to her.
'Harry and Ron are going to be impossible tonight,' Hermione muttered into her hands.
Note to self, research in the library tonight. Research animagus at that – if Malfoy has managed it, then it must be possible for teenagers to learn…
A/N: Did you like the DG interactions and Quidditch match? If you see any Oxford English punctuation/grammar corrections, please PM me so I can fix them up. Otherwise, reviews and favouriting make me ever so happy :D