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Note: This is to catch up with the updates. And Ginny will have a full chapter to herself in the next one.
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Don't Tell Me What I Am
RECAP: Then he had the nerve to do that stupid eyebrow raise. Honestly, no wonder it was a known Slytherin trait. However, those weren't new to Hermione. What was new was the fact that he looked truly amused, she wasn't going to admit it, but Hermione found this all very entertaining as well.
10. And the Games Begin
Before she knew it, breakfast was over and the Great Hall was already starting to empty. Hermione couldn't have asked for a better day, it was Friday, and she only had morning classes today. Then there was lunch and she'd be free to be in the library catching up on reading before dinner.
Seeing as Harry and Ron both decided to take Divination, she had no idea why, Hermione bid them goodbye and walked Ginny to the Ancient Runes corridor before turning and heading for Arithmancy.
However, she hadn't walked 3 metres before she was put in a firm vice grip. Her immediate reaction was to elbow the person, but that was a split second before the person spoke.
"Your move, Granger." Malfoy's familiar voice sounded in her ear.
Alas, it was a split second to late, her reflexes were faster and had made her elbow connect with Malfoy's ribcage and bring her fist back ready to punch, when she was free and had turned around. Blushing sheepishly, she dropped her fist and picked up her book bag that she didn't even notice fall.
For the second time, he look genuinely amused.
"Nice reflexes mudblood."
She was about to retort icily when she noticed his voice held no true malice, only a slight… tease?
"I must not be feeling okay," she muttered to herself before looking at Malfoy once more.
"What did you want Malfoy?" Hermione asked intrigued, glancing out of the corner of her eye at her watch.
She wouldn't be late, besides, Professor Vector adored her, it wasn't as if she wouldn't be able to finish the classwork.
Raising that darn eyebrow again, Malfoy smirked and mocked,
"What's this? The know-it-all doesn't know what I want? On a streak today? First you're dumb enough to think you could challenge me, let alone beat me, and now this?"
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she couldn't help but retort, "Just you watch ferret. You're on."
Still smirking, he said coolly, "Well then, as I said before you had the courtesy of elbowing me, quite weakly, might I add, your move."
Looking confused, she followed his gaze as he looked pointedly at her blouse. She was both surprised and embarrassed to note that it had stuck to her skin, how it did without her knowing was beyond her knowledge, but it had also turned quite transparent, looking much like it would if she was wearing a white shirt and splashed with water.
Blushing profusely, she watched Malfoy smirk and quickly covered herself with her robe.
"Thought I'd give you a surprise, like it Granger?" he asked smugly.
"LIKE IT?! What the bloody hell did you do?!" She half way screeched.
"Have fun Granger, it's going to stay this way for three days. If you wanted to hurt my man pride, I thought I'd hurt your prude pride." He smirked. Again.
"Three. Bloody. Sodding. Days?!?! Are you kidding me Malfoy?!" She yelled out moodily.
"At least it doesn't affect your robes. The charm makes it so your skin acts as if it were wet, just wear black, can't say it won't also be clinging to you though." He goaded.
"ARGH! You are an insufferable prick!" With that Hermione prepared to storm away when something clicked in her head.
Turning around slowly, with a grin threatening to appear, she said as sweetly as she could,
"Did you have nice dreams last night, ferret?" With that she started walking to class with a broad grin on her face.
"That was YOU?!" Malfoy's voice came from somewhere behind her, sounding incredulous.
"I thought you just messed with my package! Which I fixed by the way!" he yelled after her.
She didn't answer right away, Hermione had to admit, she was feeling quite energetic and hyper lately… thinking about it, she was worried that she was purposely or subconsciously acting like this so that she could gain the respect of Ron and Harry, so that it'd be like old times…
Thinking she kept him waiting long enough, she decided to reply.
"Au contraire ferret, I did both. Still think I'm incompetent?" Hermione couldn't resist sending him a smirk over her shoulder.
As she rounded the corner, she yelled back, "Bravo for fixing it Malfoy! Must have scared you quite a bit, I imagine."
She glanced back to see Malfoy staring after her with an odd expression, which gave her an extremely smug feeling.
Hermione was stifling laughter, and Ginny couldn't help but giggle as well when she looked up at Malfoy. Especially when he unknowingly glanced at the headmistress and shut his eyes as if trying to get rid or unwelcoming images. He looked down, only to scowl as if he remembered something.
It worked then… Obviously, the others must have noticed too as they were silently laughing as well. Hermione couldn't help but beam, and Ginny joined in…
She noted that Hermione shuddered slightly and Ginny knew it was probably about what Parvati and Lavendar were discussing. She looked at Hermione and saw a confused expression take over her features.
Ginny couldn't help but wonder why, so she followed her gaze, but Hermione was now looking over at Malfoy. In turn, she found herself making eye contact with Zabini. She couldn't resist the saddened feeling as his eyes hardened and narrowed to glare coldly at her.
Didn't he get the apology note? She wondered. She specifically charmed it so that only he would be able to read it. All the while thinking this, Ginny had to look away to keep the tears from spilling.
Feeling her eyes dry up, she looked up to Zabini's intense glowering and stared back at him, a bit hurt… of course, she wouldn't let it show though.
Maybe he didn't get the note then… she started to think, but then he held her gaze and started to look downwards. She followed and saw that she picked up the edge of a napkin…
He continued glaring coldly at her while he ripped the napkin slowly in half, on the bare surface of the table. It was hardly visible, but she saw it clearly, he crumpled both pieces into balls and let them drop deadly, without emotion from his hands.
He had gotten her note then… Ginny bit her lip shakily to keep inside the tears that were threatening to spill. Closing her eyes, she waited for her eyes to dry up, and when they did, she opened them to see that breakfast was over and the Great Hall was already emptying.
Seeing Hermione say good bye to the guys, she went over and did the same. The girls headed to class together and Ginny sat through a period of Ancient Runes.
Normally, she would've tried to pay more attention, but the more she tried, the more thoughts occupied her head instead. The little hurt she felt earlier had now evolved into full out anger.
Yes, Ginny was fuming… she had tried to be the bigger person, take the higher road time and time again, but would he stop being a baby? No… she did not see his bloody problem, the git.
She thought back to last year, before things got complicated. Sodding hell, he started it with whatever that was on the train. It was perfectly fine when she and Hermione were toying with them. Didn't they want to make their jaws drop? Hmm.. what ever happened to that.
Ginny doodled on her notes thinking to when she and Hermione had first thought of this. The psychology trick… she still remembered that, it was bloody fantastic! Smiling to herself, she felt proud at how Hermione's personality had changed.
"But what if we get caught?! I don't need any bad marks on my slate!" Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Ginny had to admit, perhaps their so called 'plan' was progressing, and she was pretty sure they had both forgotten about it too…
The way they acted before compared to now, it seemed so long ago, surprising how a few incidents can mature a person. But, why did it seem that the naïve and innocent acts they had seem so… adorable.
Now that she thought about it, maybe they shouldn't have 'changed.' The stuff Malfoy and Zabini teased them about were nothing compared to the loathing they shared now… Hmm, that's news… It wasn't like they were overly mean either, we just have a very biased perspective…
Although she didn't know better, as Ginny looked back to last year, she had to say that it was just teasing, and being able to review it, it seemed a lot like teasing… Slytherin guys were, after all, the boys who stuck gum in your hair if they liked you.
She felt giddy that perhaps something could have occurred between the two of them. What the hell am I thinking? I guess I'll admit I should've given him a chance in those easier days… Sighing to herself, Ginny wished a bit that she can redo the situation and have better results.
"ZABINI! ARE YOU DEAF?! OVER HERRRREE!" Despite everything, she felt her anger melt away, the easy days… the memory couldn't help but bring a smile to her face.
She grinned wider as she remembered Hermione's fake sweet tone in her head…
"Oh hello Blaise, I didn't see you there. But those robes look simply dashing on you."
"err.. thank you, they're the regular Hogwarts robes though."
"Yes, but they look better on YOU than anyone else."
"As for YOU Malfoy, better get those eyes checked and stay OUT of my way."
Their ideas used to be so creative… I wonder what happened... Ginny thought to herself. She made note to ask Hermione about it later. They needed ideas that couldn't be pinned to them… how in the world was Hermione able to think of the psychology trick then?
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. It was at dinner when it all started, sort of like a domino effect. They were eating and talking, normal, correct? Harry and Ron were once again, talking about Quidditch.
Ginny had just managed to squeeze the story out of Hermione regarding what happened to her shirt when they heard it.
"Oy Harry!" An annoying voice called out, quite loudly too.
It seemed everyone heard it, because as Harry turned to look for the source of the voice, everyone had already faced the Hufflepuff table, and it seemed as if they were staring at none other than that sodding idiot Zacharias Smith.
"I'm sure that I'm not the only one who wants to know, so I'll ask cause we're all wondering." He shouted across the hall.
What were they talking about? Harry looked just as confused, even Hermione looked like she had no idea what the prick was talking about… Then why does it seem like everyone else did? Excluding Ron, of course?
"Go on! Tell us!" He called out again when Harry didn't answer.
"What the sodding hell are you going on about Smith?" Harry shouted back.
"Don't play dumb! Well? Which is it??" Zacharias snapped back impatiently.
Seeing Harry was still confused, another voice called out, this time it was Theodore Nott.
"Did you have a bloody foursome or did the Shining Quartet split into pairs and screwed? I knew you were thick, but I didn't know you were this dense, wow Potthead, you amaze us time and time again," He called out.
Harry gaped and swallowed, but couldn't think of anything to say. Apparently, everyone actually wanted to know cause a voice that sounded like it was from the Ravenclaw table called out, yet again,
"Well?!"
Ginny was wondering why the teachers hadn't stepped in when Ron stood up to talk for Harry when no one seemed to give it up.
"OY! Listen carefully now. NOTHING. Happened. Last. Night." He ground out, without turning red as of yet.
Ginny was impressed.
"Not in the way your thinking anyways, we did NOT have a bloody foursome, and we did not pair off and SHAG!" And there it was, she saw red, Ginny knew he couldn't last long without the blush.
Harry seemed to have regained his composure and ability to speak because he stood up as well.
"That's right! NOTHING of the sort happened, so if you please, can you all mind your own business and get back to dinner? THANK YOU!" He shouted to the hall.
After the spectacle at dinner, McGonagall seemed to finally appear and announce that there was to be an Autumn Formal, two weeks before Thanksgiving.
In Ginny's dorms later that night, she and Hermione stayed up talking since it was the weekend. Hermione was filled in on what Ginny thought of their 'plan,' and new ideas were formed.
"I think your right Gin, it did seem the most fun and effective thing out of everything we've done…" Hermione stated.
"Maybe we can do something similar then?" Ginny asked.
"Hmm… I think the 'relation' thing will be worth a shot—" Hermione started before she was cut off.
"I know! Remember how you showed me TVD's during the summer?" Ginny began excitedly.
"DVD's Gin, DVD's," Hermione corrected.
Ginny ignored it and continued, "I just thought of two things! Remember the one I liked a lot?"
"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?" Hermione asked, intrigued at where this was going.
"Yes, yes!" Ginny was literally bouncing up and down on her bed from excitement.
Calming down, she gushed out in a eager tone,
"Well, the whole being sweet to one of them thing just reminded me of that. And I thought, what if we twisted it, so the idea is the same but we do different things. We can make them hot chocolate and charm it to be at boiling temperature and they'll drink it after looking at us weirdly and it'll burn them! Then, they'll think we're up to something, but we can do the whole: aww drake wakey doesn't like it and then—"
"Whoaaa.. slow down there Gin," Hermione laughed, "I like where you're going though. Maybe we can bake them cookies too, and personally make sure that we burn them and put icing to covoer up the burnt black things… hmm but in the icing, we should put pepper, salt, and things like that…"
Ginny nodded eagerly and thought some more.
She looked lazily over to Hermione as she spoke up again.
"You know Gin, you said you forgot about the 'plan,' I have to say I did too…" Hermione began.
Pausing as if contemplating her next words, she then continued, "don't you think that the dancing and jaw dropping thing would be perfect at Autumn Formal? AND, we can add a few more mind messing ideas too…"
Ginny's eyes lit up as she realized what Hermione was saying.
"Wow, Mione, no wonder you're the smartest witch of ever… that's bloody brilliant!" She exclaimed, to which the older girl blushed profusely.
And so, it seemed as if the two girls were finally back on track again. They had something to aim for, and Ginny couldn't help but smile at how this was starting to return to how the 'easy' days used to be. It was naïve, but she loved it all the same.
A/N: First off, VOTE ON THE POLL ON MY PROFILE, second what do you think? Review with suggestions or anything please. I'm rushing because I owe you guys some chapters, as I promised one every week. I'm rushing these, so I hope I'm doing okay. But two updates in one day. I still have one more to go before I'm back on track, but REVIEW. Thank you. XD