What a cold October. I shivered and tugged my scarf closer to my neck. I was walking across campus with Neville and Luna during our free period.
"M-maybe we should walk faster before it rains." Neville muttered, teeth chattering. He rubbed his arms against his sweater. I looked up at the sky, clouds precariously stormy.
"I quite like the rain. There's something calming about it" remarked Luna happily. The girl was wearing a thin long sleeve top, yet seemed in no way bothered by the chilly air. I shook my head and turned my eyes forward.
"Just looking at you is making me colder, Luna." I heard my voice grumble. Luna flashed me a bright grin. The cold was seeping into me, my hands pink and freezing, making me cranky. I started to feel a few raindrops on my nose. That was the only hint I needed before grabbing Neville and Luna's hands, pulling them across the long field with me.
By the time we got back inside, we were drenched. With every step my shoes slushed some water. I needed a hot shower desperately. I laughed when I caught the three of us passing a mirror.
"What, Ginny" Neville asked suspiciously. I stifled my next laugh into my cold sleeve. The image of us in that mirror, dripping and hair standing up in crazy directions, was ingrained in my head.
"Nothing!" I tried to remark innocently. Neville rolled his eyes, so subtle I guess I was not.
I dropped off Luna and Neville by their Care of Magical Creatures classroom, before heading off to potions. Just one more class before I could go hide under my warm covers.
I turned a corner and saw Malfoy. We made eye contact. I waved lightly, thinking it was rude to just ignore him. His eyes widened, fixated on something over my shoulder. I stopped, curious and saw Pansy behind me, a cheshire cat-esque smile on her face. It was creepy.
"Look what the cat dragged in. A wet, disgusting Weasley. And what's this? Greeting Draco Malfoy. As if you could ever be on our level." Pansy's lip curled. I curled my hands into fists. How dare she!
"You little-" I began, before being rudely interrupted by Malfoy's voice.
"Pathetic truly. As if I would ever speak with you- muggle lover." Draco snarled. My mouth fell open. Was this the same person who had sat with me a few nights ago, who sat so close I smelled faintly of his cologne later? Who the hell did this kid think he was? Pansy giggled and walked towards him.
That's it. I was sick of letting Malfoy push me around and mess with my feelings. I walked towards him too, intercepting Pansy's path.
"I've seen my reflection. I know that I could use a shower like hell right now. And yet. It's you I find pathetic, Malfoy. Feel free to carry on and mock me with your pug faced follower. But guess what? Insults mean nothing when they come from someone I have no respect for." I swear you could hear a pin drop in that hallway. Malfoy's jaw dropped and he looked almost hurt. Which was ridiculous. He was the bully. For once, though, I had made him speechless instead of vice versa. I bumped his shoulder as I walked off, chin held high.
After potions class when the other students had filed out towards dinner, Malfoy had tried to approach me. I held up my hand though, muttered something about "I thought you don't speak to me" and walked off before he had a chance to speak. I didn't even look at him, worried a glance at that face of his might dissolve my anger. We were nothing, plain and simple. It was clear that speaking to him only brought me drama I didn't care for.
It was difficult at dinner, though, to ignore him. I could feel his eyes on me like a tingle on my skin. I pointedly ignored his eyes, focusing on Luna's recounting of her day. I was clearly distracted, though, which Luna picked up on quickly.
"What's the matter Ginny? You seem stressed." I shrugged noncommittally.
"Oh, nothing really." I responded, and moved my food around with my fork. Neville nudged my arm and leaned his head toward the Slytherin table.
"Then why's Malfoy been looking at you for the past ten minutes?" He raised an eyebrow. I punched his arm as my face turned white.
"How should I know? Probably to humiliate me." My friends accepted my answer and carried on about flowers with healing properties. Finally Malfoy's gaze turned back to his table and I could glance over.
Which is how I saw Goyle tossing bread rolls into the hood of Ron's cloak. I stifled a laugh. I'm sorry! It was really funny, especially with Ron obliviously slurping his soup. Of course, things only got worse. Goyle nudged Malfoy to see the rising stack of bread rolls in Ron's hood as he threw another.
And so, as the latest bread roll missed and hit Ron's head, Ron turned around to find Malfoy laughing at him. Ron turned beet red and stood up. It seemed that fighting with Malfoy was turning into a Weasley trait.
"Malfoy" Ron spat. Hermione tried to pull his arm and get Ron to sit back down, but it was no use.
Still seated, Malfoy just smirked back.
"Got anything to say to my face? Or are bread rolls your way of speaking?" Ron walked closer to Malfoy. Malfoy stood up and shrugged. His refusal to respond only made Ron madder. I could swear there was steam coming out of his ears. This was starting to get out of hand. I jogged quickly around the table and was a few yards away when Ron began to pull his arm back for a punch.
"Ron! Stop!" My brother was ridiculous and drove me crazy, but I refused to let him get a suspension over a few bread rolls. Ron looked over at me like I was stupid.
"Ginny why don't you just stay out of this." I stayed calm, reminding myself that Ron was just misdirecting his anger onto me.
"Ron, don't fight with him. He didn't throw the bread rolls and there's no reason to give him the satisfaction of getting you detention." Ron rolled his eyes.
"Don't be so naive Ginny. What's it to you? What, is he who you're sleeping with this week?" Hermione and I gasped at Ron's accusation. My own brother accused me of sleeping around, when he was the one snogging Lavender in every hallway and common area! I felt sick. Malfoy snorted.
"I didn't know you had that many screws loose, better get that big head of yours checked." Malfoy remarked, scoffing. Ron grabbed Malfoy by the collar and looked murderous.
Finally, I broke. I was still damp from earlier, and it had been an emotional rollercoaster of a day. Ron had gotten on my last nerve. I might find Malfoy insufferable, but Ron basically calling me a slut in front of the school? So much worse.
I pulled out my wand and cast a bat bogey hex on him without another thought. It was something I was particularly good at. Ron fell to the ground groaning.
Just my luck that that was when Snape entered the scene to find Malfoy and I standing over Ron lying on the floor.
"What. Is. Going. On. Here? Draco? Care to explain?" Snape looked unamused by the fervor that had stirred in the Hall, students ogling around to watch the drama.
"Well, sir… we, uh. Then, he... It's my fault." Draco shrugged his shoulders lamely. It took a second to seep in his words. Did he just try to take the fall for both of us? It was like I had entered the twilight zone.
Snape of course raised an eyebrow at the wand in my hand, clearly disbelieving Malfoy's story. "Seems like both of you have earned yourselves detention. Saturday. My office." I groaned internally, but kept my mouth shut for once.
"Perhaps you all should head back to your rooms before this nonsense continues." Malfoy and I nodded and scampered off down the corridor. I left Ron on the floor, not caring whether he had gotten up.