I'm soooooo sorry for not putting up this chapter sooner. Thanks for being so patient!!
Thanks for the reviews! And thank you
Joyce, for being my beta!! Read, enjoy, and review!!!! Oh, and one more
small note, I won't be able to update for little while- i have a
field trip to Montreal for a few days. Ttfn!
Dealing with Danger
by: Adel Swiftrider
Ginny barely made it to Double Potions with Slytherin on time the next day. Unfortunately, the only available seat was in the middle of the Slytherins where she tentatively sat.
The class quickly silenced as Snape stood to address the room.
"Miss Weasley, I would advise you to manage your time better," the Potions Master warned as he glared at her.
"Yes sir." She quickly pulled out a pen and a piece of parchment to write down notes on.
"Philtres," Snape started, "What are they?" He glanced around he room. Hermione, as usual, had her hand raised before anyone else. "Mr. Longbottom?"
Neville started stammering. "Um...uh...aren't they..."
Snape glared. "You should read the course material before school starts. Five points from Gryffindor." Neville looked down dejectedly and Ginny sent him a look of sympathy.
Pansy Parkinson raised her hand. "Love potions, " she answered, "anyone would know that." She sent Neville a smug look. He narrowed his eyes and muttered under his breath, "The only reason she knows is because she needed one of her own." Pansy overheard him and glared before turning away.
"Correct," said Snape, unaware of the side remark, "Five points for Slytherin." He eyed the Gryffindors again. "What are the three substances they are traditionally made of?"
Hermione's hand shot up again. Snape, as usual, ignored it. He eyed Ginny. "Miss Weasley?"
"Wine, water, and...tea," she answered carefully.
He continued on with the lesson, not granting any points for the correct answer. "A sixteenth century philtre by what wizard included..."
The class was finally over. Ginny quickly put away her supplies but found she was prevented from leaving her seat by some Slytherins blocking her way. Getting frustrated, she tried to force her way through. Unfortunately, the people she'd tried to push aside were the very big and very intimidating (although stupid) Crabbe and Goyle.
They glared down at her and began advancing towards her but were stopped, surprisingly, by Malfoy.
"Leave her alone," he ordered. They took one last look at her before they began leaving.
Draco turned around and asked, "Are you alright?" Ginny nodded wordlessly, astonished at what he'd just done for her.
"They can be real jerks," Draco spat. Ginny stared at him curiously. "What?"
"Nothing,"
she quickly answered. "Thank you." She darted around him as she wondered
what had just caused him to do what he did. One minute he was a jerk and
the next he was playing hero. She didn't understand him.
It was lunchtime and all the students were in the Great Hall.
"Ginny!" Mabel caught sight of her from the Slytherin table where she was sitting with some of her new friends.
Ginny's head turned to see the small first year walking up towards her.
"Hi!" she greeted, "How was your first half of the day?"
"Great
so far," Mabel replied happily. Ginny smiled back. Suddenly, Mabel's 'friends'
came over and scolded her. "You shouldn't be fraternizing with Gryffindors,"
they spat as they stared at Ginny. Mabel mouthed "sorry" as she was led
back to her table. Ginny said "it's okay" before returning to her lunch.
Later on, Ginny was in Defense Against the Dark Arts where the new Professor Osciendus assigned a project. It was to describe an act where dark magic was used by wizards or witches and how it was stopped by others.
Unfortunately, he assigned the partners.
"Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Harry looked dejected but Ginny noticed Ron and Hermione staring at each other. There was definitely something going on between the two.
"Harry Potter and Seamus Finnigan." Seamus looked pretty happy and Harry was relieved that he didn't have to work with a Slytherin.
Professor Osciendus finally got to Ginny.
"Virginia Weasley and Draco Malfoy." Ginny jaw dropped as her mouth hung wide open. The class stared, either at Ginny, Draco, or the professor. Me? Work with him! There's got to be a mistake!
Draco just sat back and stared at her. Here's my chance...
"You may not switch partners or leave all the work to one person. The project is not due until the end of the year so I expect a thorough and COMPLETE one by then. Class dismissed."
Ron was fuming as they left the room.
Harry was also quite upset. "Why would he do something like this? Ginny doesn't deserve this!" He watched her leave the room quickly. I just hope that she'll be alright. Malfoy had better not try anything or he's dead!
"How could he even THINK of doing that!" he burst, "It just isn't RIGHT! Not ONLY is Ginny a year YOUNGER, but they're in two DIFFERENT HOUSES!!!" He continued to rant and rave as they walked to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Ginny, we just heard!" Sam and Vicky approached her a little while later. "You're working with Draco Malfoy!" They began to giggle uncontrollable again. "You have to tell us how it goes!"
"Right....."
Ginny slowly edged away and walked up to her room. She flopped on her bed.
This
is just great. Not only do I have two classes with Slytherins a year older,
but I have to work with the worst one them all. She sighed.
It's
going to be a long year.
Draco and Ginny planned to meet the next night at the library to discuss their project.
By the time Ginny arrived, Draco was already there with several books stacked on the side of the table,. She slowly sat across from him and began to talk.
"I was thinking that we could maybe-"
"We're doing the Muggle Sacrification Rites of the Late 1700's," he said without giving her a choice.
"Um...okay." She shrugged and picked up one of the books.
"It was when some wizards performed sacrificing rites of Muggles to expand their magic. It took a bunch of Aurors and a great deal of magic to put a stop to it," he said, giving her the basic facts.
"I see. I can research the background and you can research the events," Ginny organized quickly. They sat for a while, reading and taking notes in silence.
This isn't that bad... Ginny thought to herself.
"Interesting," Draco suddenly said out loud.
"What is? she asked. He was looking in the book so she decided to walk over and see what it was.
Draco suddenly tensed up as she leaned over him to see what he'd been looking at. The smell of her hair and the feeling of her being so close to him was intoxicating. It took all of his self control to keep from kissing her right there and then.
"What is this?" she asked, turning to meet his face. Their eyes locked and they suddenly seemed impossibly close together. Suddenly, their lips were touching and they were sharing a short, sweet kiss.
Then, as if he were hot fire, Ginny jumped back, her eyes wide with shock. What just happened!?
"I should go," she excused herself before grabbing some books and running out of the library.
Draco
smiled to himself. It seems I'm winning, he told some invisible
score keeper before heading up to his own dormitory.
Ginny paced the Gryffindor Common Room as thousands of little thoughts flew in and out of her brain.
Why
did he kiss me? Why would he? Was it just a dream? I don't even like him!
I'm in love with Harry! I mean, Malfoy's been teasing me and my family
for ages and all of a sudden he makes a move! Aaagh! What's wrong
with him? He must be playing games with me.
She sat down on a chair
and lay her head on her arms. I'm so confused... She fell asleep
there and distinctly remembered being carried up to her bed and someone,
most likely Ron, complaining good naturedly about her weight.
The next morning was awful. Ginny arrived late to Potions and lost ten points and then lost another ten points for forgetting her book in her room. Then, in Divination, she'd fallen asleep where Professor Manilla promptly gave her detention.
By the end of the day, she was feeling horrible but it still wasn't over. She had another meeting with Draco.
"You look gray Weasel," he told her as she entered. She glared and sat down, prepared to take notes.
"I did some extra reading," he told her. "They drained the Muggles of their power, like energy, to gain more magic. However, they couldn't do this with other witches or wizards because they were unable to get any."
"So they just decided to take the power of defenseless Muggles," she completed.
"I wouldn't say defenseless," Draco argued, "more like stupid. They thought with running around with muskets and bayonets, they could get whatever they wanted."
"At least they could do things without magic," Ginny retorted, "They used their own inventions. With witched and wizards, magic made things a bit easier."
They both fell silent before Ginny spoke up again. "Why did you kiss me?"
Draco shifted uncomfortably. "I...don't know. I just wanted to see what it was like, I guess." Seeing her turn red, he laughed. "Did you think I liked you?"
"It doesn't make a difference to me," she replied, but in a less friendly tone. Sure it doesn't Ginny.
You just blew it Draco, he told himself. "I'm not saying you're not likable or anything," he said to try and redeem himself. Ginny raised an eyebrow questioningly. "It's just...I think I do like you, but...ugh.... I don't know." He put his head on down on he table, looking confused.
"Well, maybe if you asked politely, I would go out with you," Ginny told him. Oh my god! Did i just say that????
"One other problem," he brought up, lifting his face. "The others."
"We could keep it a secret," she suggested, "if you can." He smirked. He was, after all, a Slytherin.
Ginny rolled her eyes then realized she was supposed to be meeting with her some of her friends. "Sorry, but I have to go. I'll think about your proposal." She gathered up her books and quickly left him.
OH-MY-GOD! WHAT JUST HAPPENED THERE?!?! Ginny's little voice in the back of her head yelled at her. I DON'T KNOW!!
Draco
smirked after the receding figure of Ginny Weasley. I've got her...,"
he said to himself before heading up towards his dormitory.
Alright...that's all for now. Till next time! Bye!
*Adel Swiftrider