Chapter Thirteen: Ginny's Revenge.
Ginny had not slept all night long. Every time she dozed off, she feared she may see her own death and promptly tossed and turned to stay awake.
Penny and a weary Ginny carried on with lessons as if nothing had happened for the following day. Annabelle and Kat were angry with them for not finding them at Hogsmeade and Ginny was desperate to explain, but every time it came up, Penny skilfully changed the subject.
The exhausted looking pair were returning to the common room at the end of a long day's work when they saw Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe walking towards them. Penny grasped Ginny's arm and she looked terribly pale. Ginny thought her friend may be sick or even faint. Oh, how she hated that Malfoy!
"Well girls. Nice to see you here." sneered Malfoy. "And I wonder how that happened?"
"Just go away Malfoy" said Ginny flatly.
"Oh please girls. It was only a bit of fun? We came back a little later, but somehow, you had broken free. Guess the trees weren't strong enough to stop Annabelle perhaps?" he gloated.
Penny sighed and slumped against the wall, almost pulling Ginny over. Penny whispered "I knew you'd come back." and she smiled whimsically. The boys looked suitably embarassed. Malfoy motioned them to leave to avoid further embarassment, but as the trio pushed past, Ginny grabbed Malfoy's lapel.
Leaning into his ear, she whispered "Can I have a word?"
Malfoy stopped and looked ready to push Ginny away, but Ginny carried on regardless. "Penny saved you from expulsion last night." He froze. His lumbering bodyguards and Penny all stared at him, though Malfoy was sure that his conversation was remaining confidential.
"Ginny don't. Please," sobbed Penny.
Ginny pushed on "We were attacked. Something in the forest grabbed Penny. Because of you, she is covered in scratches and cuts. But do you know why you are still here you little worm? Because she loves you, you idiot! Now get out of my sight, for believe me, 'Draccy', you had better watch yourself around me from now on. Okay?"
Malfoy snorted a laugh, but he caught sight of the scarf around Penny's throat. They stared briefly into each others sad eyes before bravado took the better of Malfoy and he barked at the other two to leave.
"Please don't get involved Ginny." begged Penny as the carried on.
"I only threatened him a little. Don't worry Penny, I'll make sure he learns his lesson, then you can have him ok?" blurted Ginny. Ginny stopped and held her forehead. It had been pounding all afternoon and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Penny looked concerned and she helped Ginny back to the common room. Finding the nearest chair when they got in, Penny sat Ginny down. "Get some rest girl, I'll get you some tea. Okay?" doted Penny. Ginny drowsily looked around. Sitting next to her was Harry and Neville.
"Are you ok Ginny?" asked Harry. Neville looked at Harry nervously. "I'll go help Penny with that tea" volunteered Harry. Ginny nodded, yet Neville remained close. He hovered and then sat next to Ginny.
"Hi." he said. "You need a rest. Shame."
"Shame?" managed Ginny. "Why? Have plans for me do you Neville?" she smiled woozily.
"Well..." Ginny turned to look at a red-faced Neville. "I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me. You know. The winter dance thingy. If you don't mind." he continued, eyes-closed.
Ginny could not take this in. Neville looked embarassed. "Sorry. Forget I mentioned it. Silly really." he said, staring purposefully at Harry as he sat back down.
Penny had returned and Harry took the tea from her and gave it to Ginny. Neville got up and let Penny sit down too. Ginny took the tea and felt strangely numb. It was all rather sweet, she thought. She looked at Harry and as she sipped the tea, glanced up at Neville.
Putting the cup down, Ginny stood up suddenly and said "Sorry everyone. I have to go to bed." Tears were forming in her eyes and everything seemed to Ginny to be in the past tense now. Resignation had set in and with the attitude that tomorrow would never come, Ginny leant forward and kissed Harry on the cheek. Straightening up, she smiled at Neville and simply said "Yes Neville. Love to." Ginny then waved good-bye to them all, even a stunned Penny, and stumbled off to bed. Penny tried to follow her, but Ginny said she only needed a lie down.
"Come and wake me in a bit. Promise?" sniffed Ginny.
"Yes. Of course. But Ginny what's up?" worried Penny.
"I just need to sleep is all." smiled Ginny. Ginny closed the door on Penny and walked to her bed. Standing at the foot of the bed was the Snaggle.
"Ready?" it asked.
"Oh go away. Let me sleep." sighed Ginny, and pulled the curtain closed around her bed. The soft white pillow sucked the very consciousness out of her and Ginny fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
Ginny had not slept all night long. Every time she dozed off, she feared she may see her own death and promptly tossed and turned to stay awake.
Penny and a weary Ginny carried on with lessons as if nothing had happened for the following day. Annabelle and Kat were angry with them for not finding them at Hogsmeade and Ginny was desperate to explain, but every time it came up, Penny skilfully changed the subject.
The exhausted looking pair were returning to the common room at the end of a long day's work when they saw Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe walking towards them. Penny grasped Ginny's arm and she looked terribly pale. Ginny thought her friend may be sick or even faint. Oh, how she hated that Malfoy!
"Well girls. Nice to see you here." sneered Malfoy. "And I wonder how that happened?"
"Just go away Malfoy" said Ginny flatly.
"Oh please girls. It was only a bit of fun? We came back a little later, but somehow, you had broken free. Guess the trees weren't strong enough to stop Annabelle perhaps?" he gloated.
Penny sighed and slumped against the wall, almost pulling Ginny over. Penny whispered "I knew you'd come back." and she smiled whimsically. The boys looked suitably embarassed. Malfoy motioned them to leave to avoid further embarassment, but as the trio pushed past, Ginny grabbed Malfoy's lapel.
Leaning into his ear, she whispered "Can I have a word?"
Malfoy stopped and looked ready to push Ginny away, but Ginny carried on regardless. "Penny saved you from expulsion last night." He froze. His lumbering bodyguards and Penny all stared at him, though Malfoy was sure that his conversation was remaining confidential.
"Ginny don't. Please," sobbed Penny.
Ginny pushed on "We were attacked. Something in the forest grabbed Penny. Because of you, she is covered in scratches and cuts. But do you know why you are still here you little worm? Because she loves you, you idiot! Now get out of my sight, for believe me, 'Draccy', you had better watch yourself around me from now on. Okay?"
Malfoy snorted a laugh, but he caught sight of the scarf around Penny's throat. They stared briefly into each others sad eyes before bravado took the better of Malfoy and he barked at the other two to leave.
"Please don't get involved Ginny." begged Penny as the carried on.
"I only threatened him a little. Don't worry Penny, I'll make sure he learns his lesson, then you can have him ok?" blurted Ginny. Ginny stopped and held her forehead. It had been pounding all afternoon and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Penny looked concerned and she helped Ginny back to the common room. Finding the nearest chair when they got in, Penny sat Ginny down. "Get some rest girl, I'll get you some tea. Okay?" doted Penny. Ginny drowsily looked around. Sitting next to her was Harry and Neville.
"Are you ok Ginny?" asked Harry. Neville looked at Harry nervously. "I'll go help Penny with that tea" volunteered Harry. Ginny nodded, yet Neville remained close. He hovered and then sat next to Ginny.
"Hi." he said. "You need a rest. Shame."
"Shame?" managed Ginny. "Why? Have plans for me do you Neville?" she smiled woozily.
"Well..." Ginny turned to look at a red-faced Neville. "I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me. You know. The winter dance thingy. If you don't mind." he continued, eyes-closed.
Ginny could not take this in. Neville looked embarassed. "Sorry. Forget I mentioned it. Silly really." he said, staring purposefully at Harry as he sat back down.
Penny had returned and Harry took the tea from her and gave it to Ginny. Neville got up and let Penny sit down too. Ginny took the tea and felt strangely numb. It was all rather sweet, she thought. She looked at Harry and as she sipped the tea, glanced up at Neville.
Putting the cup down, Ginny stood up suddenly and said "Sorry everyone. I have to go to bed." Tears were forming in her eyes and everything seemed to Ginny to be in the past tense now. Resignation had set in and with the attitude that tomorrow would never come, Ginny leant forward and kissed Harry on the cheek. Straightening up, she smiled at Neville and simply said "Yes Neville. Love to." Ginny then waved good-bye to them all, even a stunned Penny, and stumbled off to bed. Penny tried to follow her, but Ginny said she only needed a lie down.
"Come and wake me in a bit. Promise?" sniffed Ginny.
"Yes. Of course. But Ginny what's up?" worried Penny.
"I just need to sleep is all." smiled Ginny. Ginny closed the door on Penny and walked to her bed. Standing at the foot of the bed was the Snaggle.
"Ready?" it asked.
"Oh go away. Let me sleep." sighed Ginny, and pulled the curtain closed around her bed. The soft white pillow sucked the very consciousness out of her and Ginny fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.