Chapter 8

Stupid Little Tart

Harry sighed as he sat down for breakfast a week later. Ginny was still ignoring him and Moira had all but given up on being a Gryffindor, well at least she had given up on eating with them, preferring instead to sit at the Slytherin table with Draco.

"What she sees in Malfoy I will never know." Harry muttered to Ron as they stared at the two.

"That bloody git doesn't deserve her." Ron muttered back, his voice laced with malice.

**

Moira sat on her desk at the front of the classroom, legs dangling over the side, waiting for all of her 6th year students to arrive.

Ginny was the last to arrive, taking her sweet time in taking her seat and preparing for class.

"Please pass your essays on the silencing spell to the front of the classroom. I'll collect them from the front row."

After collecting the essays Ms. Verene looked through them to make sure everyone had handed in their essay.

"Ginny why haven't you handed in your essay?"

"I didn't hand it in because I didn't do it you stupid bint."

"That was completely uncalled for Ms. Weasly. Ten points from Gryffindor."

"Uncalled for! Uncalled for? I think that it was completely called for you bleedin' bint."

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor. Want to make it twenty?"

"You can't take points from me and I don't have to do your stupid assignments either." Ginny said leaning back in her chair in an obdurate expression on her face.

"What in bloody hell makes you think that you can talk to me that way?"

"I think I've earned the right to talk whatever bloody way I like, or have you forgotten already?"

"Forgotten what?" Moira asked, malice lacing her confused voice.

"Forgotten that you stole my boyfriend you tart, what the bloody hell did you think I was talking about?"

"I didn't steal your boyfriend Ms. Weasly."

"Oh yes you did you tart. You waltzed in here like you owned the place and you stole Harry from me. What in bloody hell gave you the bleedin' right?"

"Twenty-five points from Gryffindor and if you call me a bint or a tart again it'll be thirty plus a month's worth of detention."

"Go right ahead you bint, it doesn't make one bit of difference. After today, you'll be gone." Ginny answered, a smug expression gracing her features.

"I don't have plans of going anywhere Ms. Weasly so I suggest you quit while you're ahead."

"Oh you may not have plans of going anywhere, but I assure you that after I'm through speaking to Dumbledore your bags will be packed and you'll be on a plane back to America faster than you can say stupid bint."

"Ms. Weasly explain yourself at once or you will face a month and a half of detention and forty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"You really are thick as a brick aren't you?" Ginny asked, shaking her head. "You might be the same age as us but you're still a professor; a professor who kissed a student. Do you happen to know what the punishment for that is Ms. Verene? Well, let me enlighten you. You'll be terminated, fired, expelled, whatever you like to call it. The bottom line is that you'll be gone." With that Ginny leaned back in her chair, smirk in place.

The class stared in awe at the event that had just taken place and Moira was thoroughly flustered.

**

"Ohh that bitch. When I get my hands on her..." Moira seethed, clenching and unclenching her fists as she paced her office later that evening.

"Moira, calm down. It's going to be ok." Draco said as he took Moira's hand in his.

She stopped her pacing, allowing herself to be soothed by Draco.

"What if she's right though? I mean what if Dumbledore really does fire me? I did kiss a student and I am a professor."

"Don't worry about it. Dumbledore isn't going to fire you. Yes, you may be a professor, but you're also a student, there's a huge gray area when it comes to your situation. I mean Dumbledore can't honestly expect you not to eventually like someone and want to be with someone. She's just jealous because Harry, in a sense, picked you over her."

"I know, but argh! The nerve of that girl, calling me a tart."

"Shh...don't worry about it. You are far too important to Dumbledore. He wouldn't fire you."

"Argh. You're right. I hate it when you're right."

**

"Professor Dumbledore?" Ginny asked, approaching the head table in the Great Hall.

"May I help you Ms. Weasly?"

"I need to speak with you about Ms. Verene."

"Yes, Ms. Weasly, of course. I will speak to you after dinner is through."

"Thank you professor."

**

"I wonder what that was all about." Harry said, watching Ginny walk back to the Gryffindor table.

"Who knows. I swear, Ginny has gone absolutely nutters since she broke up with you. She's beginning to act like Malfoy. Its frightening."

"Answer me something Ron. Why was I so bloody stupid?"

"I duhno Harry, maybe Professor Verene is part Veela and that's why you couldn't resist her."

"As much as I wish that were so, I highly doubt it."

**

"Ms. Weasly, you wished to speak to me about professor Verene?" Dumbledore asked Ginny after dinner was through.

"Yes."

"Follow me."

Ginny followed Dumbledore to the stone gargoyle, up the winding staircase, to his office.

Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk and invited Ginny to sit across from him.

"So Ms. Weasly what seems to be the problem?"

"I want Professor Verene fired."

"Excuse me Ms. Weasly. Did I hear you correctly? You want Ms. Verene fired."

"Yes, you heard correct. I want that little tart fired, expelled, terminate, gone."

"What, Ms. Weasly, would cause you to request that one of the Professors here be terminated and one of the students expelled."

"That tart stole Harry from me. Do you know what that bint did?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to enlighten me Ms. Weasly, and please do not refer to Ms. Verene in such a salacious way."

"Ms. Verene kissed Harry. A professor kissed a student."

"As that may be Ms. Weasly, Professor Verene is an asset to this school. She is also a student here. I know that it's a gray area, but you didn't honestly expect Ms. Verene to purposely not fall for someone simply because she was doubling as a professor."

"Well, no. I suppose I didn't. But why did that tart have to pick Harry? Why did she have to fall for Harry? He was mine and she had no right to take him from me."

"Be that as it may Ms. Weasly, I stand by my decision. Ms. Verene will stay and I'm afraid that any further problems you have involving your relationship with Mr. Potter will need to be sorted out by yourself and Mr. Potter."

"Yes and thank you for your time professor." Ginny left Dumbledore's office with an audible sigh.

"That wench. She will get hers." Ginny murmured as she approached the portrait of the Fat Lady.