Title: Angel Standing By (Walk Away)
Author: Amanda Mancini (thefreakygeek@hotmail.com)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance/Drama
Summary: "I know exactly what it's like to try to
make someone notice you, to wish they'd just give you a little
praise to show they cared. But no matter what you do, no matter
how hard you try, he'll never notice, and he'll never care."
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K.
Rowling, Publishers, and Warner Bros. The song Angel Standing
By belongs to Jewel. Idea of 'grunge style robes' for the
Weird Sisters is from Heidi's Surfeit of Curses and used
without permission. No profit is being made from this piece of
fanfiction.
Author's Note: Dedicated to Sabrina Rosa Rodin, still my favourite cousin, as well
as all the members of DracoGinnyFanfic
and Penumbra_fic
for their help and support.
Chapter II: Too Many Thoughts
"What's wrong with your elbow, Ginny?"
Oh no... Ginny thought as she turned to answer Hermione.
"Umm... I.. hurt it?" she offered, smiling weakly. Ron and Harry looked up from their divination homework, on which they'd been... working on.
"Is there something wrong?" Her brother's eyes narrowed, like he could sense something was amiss. Damn, as if her mother wasn't enough to explain to. She knew she was beet red once she felt Harry's eyes on her, which must make her look even more guilty, so Ginny searched her mind for a better excuse that would shut them up.
"Oh, you see, I was in a rush to get to class a few days ago and ran out of my dorm so fast that I hot my elbow on it. It still hurts a bit."
"Ow," Harry commented, wincing. "I hate it when that happens."
Ginny sighed in relief because the last thing she wanted to do right now was talk. Especially about the events of last week. Every waking moment, the scene flashed through her head, and all night the same voice repeated itself over and over, "I know exactly what it's like. He'll never notice and he'll never c-"
Suddenly, Alicia Spinnet (who was one of the sixth year prefects) stood on a chair and cleared her throat. Everyone in the commonroom quietened down and awaited her announcement.
"At the last few Prefects meetings," she said, "Professor Dumbledore brought up that he'd recieved many owls from parents asking to keep the students at school for Christmas vacation for.. uh.. safety reasons. "
Safety reasons. Right. Ginny thought. No doubt that any parents had taken Dumbledore's warning about Voldemort seriously, and felt it was safer if they stayed at Hogwarts. Ginny was ready to bet everything she owned that her own mother had been one of those parents. But He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named hurt Harry even though he was at Hogwarts. He hurt me.
Alicia continued on. "We, the Prefects, all thought that there would be many who would have rather have gone home for the holidays, so we tried to think of an activity that would encourage students to stay. So, in the end, after the great success of last years Yule Ball, we decided to have another one!"
"It's going to be a masquerade," Hermione further explained, standing up. "Sort of medieval themed. Over the next few weeks we'll learn different spells that along with our costumes will conceal our identity at the ball. The idea is to go dateless, find someone there, and then reveal yourself at the end of the night. And Gladrags in Hogsmeade will be giving us our robes for free. We'll all have appointments for fittings during Hogsmeade Weekends."
"The rules have changed a bit: This year third years and up will be able to attend. To make it fair, the first and second years will be allowed a special Hogsmeade trip." Alicia stepped down from her chair, and threw Hermione a thumbs up as she sank back into her chair while the Gryffindors all cheered. Well, almost all of them cheered. Ron looked pretty sour.
"Hermione, you could have warned us that there was going to be another dance," he said darkly. Harry guffawed.
"Don't worry on, there'll be better choice of robes this time," he said as he patted his red haired friend on the back. "I wonder why Gladrags would give away free costumes?"
"Who CARES?" Fred burst out loudly behind them.
"Yeah!" his twin agreed. "Why complain about a good thing?"
"Well, it was a good idea, though," Ron admitted. "At least we don't have to go through the torture of finding dates."
"Herm, why didn't you tell us sooner, though?" Harry added as an afterthought.
"Yeah, what good is having a best friend who's a prefect if she doesn't give you the inside information?"
"Oh, come on!' she retorted. "It's not like you wouldnt have found out eventually."
"Oh, eventually."
"Ron!"
"Well, how long did you know about it?"
"Only a few weeks!"
"Only a few," Ron mocked again, causing Hermione to glare, throw her Ancient Runes textbook at him and leave in a huff.
"Way to go, Ron," Harry muttered grinning.
"Ow..." he answered, looking at the book and then to Harry and Ginny while rubbing his head. "Who said words don't hurt?"
As promised, little over two weeks later (which had been far to late for some people, Ginny noticed) an indigo colored owl no larger than her hand arrived with her Gladdrags appointment. Royal purple ink on a piece of parchment read:
Please note that your costume fitting appointment has been scheduled for:
Saturday December 13th at 12:30 PM with Gladiola Hankypuff.
Until then, start thinking about what costume you'd like!
Our talented Witches and Wizards at Gladrags
will help you create your dream costume when you get here.
Talented? Ginny thought. Dream costume? It sounds more like an overly chipper newspaper add.
"Is that your fitting appointment Ginny?" Hermione asked her from across the the Gryffindor table as a simmilar owl, only bright orange, flew away from her. Ginny nodded.
"December 13th at 12:20, you?"
Hermione smiled. "November 22nd. And at 11:00."
At that, she, Ron and Harry stood and picked up their bookbags, ready to leave. Ginny looked up at them curiously, more so at Harry who'd begun searching through his bookbag.
"I hate having double potions first thing," Ron scowled, looking as though he'd not quite woken up yet.
"We'd better be on our way," Hermione said rolling her eyes at Ginny. "Come on Harry, we don't want to lose points for being late."
"Well, knowing Snape, we'd lose points for being early," Ron muttered.
"No, you guys go ahead and I'll catch up," Harry said, looking up from his bookbag. "I forgot some of my potions kit refills in my trunk."
"Better hurry," Ron grinned.
"Harry, can I come with you? I have to g-get my Defense things."
"Sure," he smiled at her.
Thank Merlin's Beard, he didn't notice me stutter.
The four Gryffindors stood, separated, and left the Great Hall, and Ginny was thrilled. She couldn't believe she was walking by herself, alone, with Harry. Like in all the times she'd imagined it, how he'd stop suddenly, pull her into his arms, lift her chin up and -
"So what's up?" Harry (the real one) gave a stab at conversation. Ginny jerked herself from her fantasy and could just feel the blood rushing to her face. Answer him before he thinks you're stupid!
"Oh, um, nothing much. I've just had stuff on my mind. Too many thoughts." She shrugged and threw him a weak smile.
"Too many thoughts," Harry chuckled, and for a moment, Ginny thought she's said something wrong, but he continued. "You know, the first time someone told me they had too many thoughts, I didn't understand them. Funny how things can change in justa few months, eh?" He smiled at her despite the hidden story that must have been behind those words, and with eyes like that, she couldn't help but smile back.
"So how about this year's ball? Is that one of those thoughts? Rons awfully relieved that he won't have to find a date.. so am I, actually... What about you? Had you been worried about going with Neville again?"
Ginny shuddered ever so subtly. "Er... just a little. At least this year no one will know who you are. And what if you don't take your mask off at the end of the night? Will no one find out who you are?"
"I have no idea what my costume's going to be," groaned Harry.
"What? How can you not have any ideas? There are so many for guys! A Knight, or a King -"
"Well..." Harry winced. "I don't want people to get the wrong impression. I don't have that big of an ego, do I? I mean, I'm not, say, Malfoy."
She saw him just as Harry said his name, the flash of platinum hair as they passed an opening to another hallway, and he as looking straight at her.
"So Ginny, what do you plan on going as?" Harry was completely oblivious to the third listener. Meanwhile, Ginny was still struck dumb. The last thing she'd expected was to see Malfoy looking at her like that, especially after their last encounter. But there he was. He wasn't scowling, or sneering, or mocking her. he just held her eye and shook his head in what seemed like... dissapointment.
"... I don't know yet..." she said, answering Harry, but still unable to tear herself away from those cold eyes.
"What, and you thought it was bad that I didn't have any ideas for myself? You should be a fire sprite. Or an angel."
An angel? Malfoy mouthed, his face contorting into a mocking grin. Ginny felt the heat in her face rise.
Her uneasy silence caused caused Harry to look in her direction, only to see she wasn't looking at him, but elsewhere... His smile immediately fell when his eyes set upon the Slytherin.
"What are you staring at, Malfoy?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Draco Malfoy answered cooly, raising his nose into the air.
"Never thought you'd stoop to eavesdropping. Can you go any lower?"
"I wasn't eavesdropping!" Malfoy countered angrilly. "I can't help it if you and your trail-along puppy dog are talking loud enough for the school to hear you."
"Leave Ginny out of this!"
"Make me!"
Ginny couldn't believe what she was seeing. Both harry and Malfoy stood facing each other with their wands drawn and faces solemn. This could get serious, and Ginny didn't want to get involved.
"Stop it!" she shreiked. "Don't you have a class to go to?" Draco took a step backwards away from her and Ginny grabbed Harry's wrist in order to tear his attention away from his enemy.
"Come on, Harry, let's go or we'll be late."
"Ginny, that git called you-"
"I don't care, Harry, and neither should you. Just walk away, you don't need to fight to prove you're better."
With one last glare at Malfoy, Harry nodded at her and they departed without another word. Draco couldn't help but sneer as he watched them dissapear around the corner, noting how she never had let go of his arm.
A special thank you goes out to all of my reviewers! You're the inspiration of the writer!
panchan_14, banana_malfoy, zephyra,
Shani: I'm glad you love D/G, because I spent quite a while loving it before I began writing it. Maybe you will too? Anyways, don't expect any making out soon... Not until maybe the fourth or fifth chapters. Just so that you know, I'm writing as quickly as I can! I began Chapter 3 before I even posted this one.
