Penny's Valentine
Boggs sat Ginny down and explained that the culprit had broken free last minute and Voldemort had escaped. Penny had disappeared as well and a special team was investigating her whereabouts right now.
Ginny's father took her back to Hogwarts the next day and Ginny was immediately inundated with questions from Ron, Harry and Hermione, but she was not in the mood to talk.
Sybil Trelawney got up and dressed herself. She had removed the Valentine's card from Anna and had ensured that any references to Penny Riven were forgotten.
Snape was too important to the Ministry to lose in a personal vendetta against Voldemort and Artemax. Sybil reassured herself with the knowledge that no harm seems to have been done and that Snape had returned from his little unauthorised vigilante spree intact.
Severus watched her from his bed and smiled to himself. "If only the pupils knew what I'd seen last night, eh Sybil?" he drawled
Sybil shook her head and gave Severus a dour look; "Come on dear. You should be miserable when you begin your lessons or the pupils will get suspicious."
Severus leapt to his feet and grabbed Sybil passionately. "Ah, let them wait."
Sybil elbowed Severus in the stomach and pushed him back on the bed. "No! Now come on." She snapped.
This did indeed put Snape in a foul mood when he met his pupils at breakfast in the Great Hall.
Albus Dumbledore had not slept all night and paced his room, waiting for the morning assembly to begin in the Great Hall. Snape seemed back to his old self again, and his rantings about a daughter seemed to have proved unfounded. Albus was not sure why, but he suspected that something was missing. He checked his wardrobe again and went through his paperwork a fourth time, but still the sensation would not leave him.
Ginny looked at Snape as she ate breakfast. How could that man fail her so? Sybil seemed to really like him too, "Perhaps I should tell her what a bastard he is one day - that would be some real comfort", she thought. What had happened that night? Where was Penny?
As she looked around the Great Hall, with all of the pupils eating, she noted Draco was staring at her. "Someone's missed me" she sighed. Harry was too busy staring at Cho Chang to notice Ginny's musings.
As much as she loved Hogwarts, something inside her wanted to be amongst the muggles of London again, looking for her best friend Penny.
The morning dragged at first, but Ginny decided to throw herself into her studies and was almost disappointed when lunch came. At lunch, wandering aimlessly, she was ambushed by a nervous Draco.
"H-Hi Ginny. How was London?" he asked.
"What are you after?" she snapped.
"Nothing!" he replied. "I was interested in… Oh hell, did you find Penny?"
Ginny glared at him. "Why you little bastard? Did you fancy smacking her again did you?"
Draco paled "No! I was… Look…"
Ginny turned to leave, but Draco grabbed her arm "Get off me!" she screamed.
He let her go. "That second Valentines…" he called after her as she fled. Ginny froze and turned around. Draco caught her up.
"I sent you that Valentines card." he admitted.
"Why? What makes you think I find you even remotely attractive?"
"No…"
"Oh, I get it! You knew Harry really does love me and wanted to ruin it did you?"
"No!" he yelled. "It's really dumb, but I wanted to give it to Penny, really."
Ginny's hand slapped Draco's face, stunning them both into silence.
Eventually Ginny said quietly "I spent the last week looking for Penny. She's run away and may never come home again, and I bet you your dad's precious fortune that she ran away because you hurt her."
Draco closed his eyes and whispered "Sorry. Look, if you ever see her again, tell her that I am sorry."
Ginny nodded and left him to cry in the shadows of Hogwarts, alone and isolated.
THE END
Boggs sat Ginny down and explained that the culprit had broken free last minute and Voldemort had escaped. Penny had disappeared as well and a special team was investigating her whereabouts right now.
Ginny's father took her back to Hogwarts the next day and Ginny was immediately inundated with questions from Ron, Harry and Hermione, but she was not in the mood to talk.
Sybil Trelawney got up and dressed herself. She had removed the Valentine's card from Anna and had ensured that any references to Penny Riven were forgotten.
Snape was too important to the Ministry to lose in a personal vendetta against Voldemort and Artemax. Sybil reassured herself with the knowledge that no harm seems to have been done and that Snape had returned from his little unauthorised vigilante spree intact.
Severus watched her from his bed and smiled to himself. "If only the pupils knew what I'd seen last night, eh Sybil?" he drawled
Sybil shook her head and gave Severus a dour look; "Come on dear. You should be miserable when you begin your lessons or the pupils will get suspicious."
Severus leapt to his feet and grabbed Sybil passionately. "Ah, let them wait."
Sybil elbowed Severus in the stomach and pushed him back on the bed. "No! Now come on." She snapped.
This did indeed put Snape in a foul mood when he met his pupils at breakfast in the Great Hall.
Albus Dumbledore had not slept all night and paced his room, waiting for the morning assembly to begin in the Great Hall. Snape seemed back to his old self again, and his rantings about a daughter seemed to have proved unfounded. Albus was not sure why, but he suspected that something was missing. He checked his wardrobe again and went through his paperwork a fourth time, but still the sensation would not leave him.
Ginny looked at Snape as she ate breakfast. How could that man fail her so? Sybil seemed to really like him too, "Perhaps I should tell her what a bastard he is one day - that would be some real comfort", she thought. What had happened that night? Where was Penny?
As she looked around the Great Hall, with all of the pupils eating, she noted Draco was staring at her. "Someone's missed me" she sighed. Harry was too busy staring at Cho Chang to notice Ginny's musings.
As much as she loved Hogwarts, something inside her wanted to be amongst the muggles of London again, looking for her best friend Penny.
The morning dragged at first, but Ginny decided to throw herself into her studies and was almost disappointed when lunch came. At lunch, wandering aimlessly, she was ambushed by a nervous Draco.
"H-Hi Ginny. How was London?" he asked.
"What are you after?" she snapped.
"Nothing!" he replied. "I was interested in… Oh hell, did you find Penny?"
Ginny glared at him. "Why you little bastard? Did you fancy smacking her again did you?"
Draco paled "No! I was… Look…"
Ginny turned to leave, but Draco grabbed her arm "Get off me!" she screamed.
He let her go. "That second Valentines…" he called after her as she fled. Ginny froze and turned around. Draco caught her up.
"I sent you that Valentines card." he admitted.
"Why? What makes you think I find you even remotely attractive?"
"No…"
"Oh, I get it! You knew Harry really does love me and wanted to ruin it did you?"
"No!" he yelled. "It's really dumb, but I wanted to give it to Penny, really."
Ginny's hand slapped Draco's face, stunning them both into silence.
Eventually Ginny said quietly "I spent the last week looking for Penny. She's run away and may never come home again, and I bet you your dad's precious fortune that she ran away because you hurt her."
Draco closed his eyes and whispered "Sorry. Look, if you ever see her again, tell her that I am sorry."
Ginny nodded and left him to cry in the shadows of Hogwarts, alone and isolated.
THE END