For the first time in a while, Ginny's near future had a slight bit
of hope in it. At least if anything else, things couldn't get worse. Her
little talk with Harry had definitely brightened her day and had helped
renew her cheery attitude. True she still had to make up for the weeks that
she had spent slacking off and drowning in her own depression, but she was
going to try her best.
She had studied all night after Harry had left, and though this had caused her to fall asleep at breakfast again, she had surprised everyone by pulling a perfect grade on her herbology test. She had also caught up on her transfigurations, this time making sure that she only brought her own quills and wands so that she wouldn't wind up with anymore of her brothers' pranks ruining her day.
In fact, her week had been going extremely well until Friday, when she had run straight into Draco Malfoy. "Watch where you are going!" he exclaimed, then looked down to see it was Ginny. "Well, if it isn't the littlest weasel brat." A group of nearby Slytherins laughed at this terribly overused joke and Ginny quickly began to gather up a few books she had dropped. Draco laughed and kicked the books out of her hands. "Oops, didn't see you there Weasley, you blend right in with the dirt."
Ginny's face flamed angrily, but she chose to ignore him instead and began to pick up her books again, this time turning away so he couldn't kick it out of her hands. "What's the matter Weasley? Can't come up with a comeback, or are you just too good for a little battle of minds? You Weasleys really are lower classed." Ginny almost laughed at how pathetic his insults were, but knew that it wouldn't get her anywhere. She stood up again and looked him straight in the eye, then began to walk away. Draco glared at her, and then stuck out his foot, making her fall again. "Have a nice trip weasel, see you next fall." This again made the dimwitted Slytherins laugh again, but now it wasn't Ginny who stood up to meet Draco.
"Knock it off Draco," Harry Potter said firmly, standing right in front of Draco.
"Why if it isn't Harry Potter, come to the rescue of miss weasel in distress," this drew another laugh from the group.
"Oh wow Draco, I'm just amazed by your wit. You are going to make me cry," Harry mocked Draco with a snobby drawl. "If you spent as much time practicing your flying skills as you did your wit, your Quidditch skills might even match that of Liam Drayson," Harry scoffed. Liam Drayson was a first year Slytherin who has already managed to break three windows, two statues and knocked four of his own teammates of their brooms during tryouts. "Of course, even that might be difficult for you."
"Yes, Potter, well at least I don't have to stick up for lower class dirt like Ginny Weasley," Draco retorted.
"Ooh clever, I can feel the arrow in my heart. I'm wounded," Harry clutched his chest, mocking pain. Apparently now there were other groups of people other than Slytherins, because there was a roar of laughter in the hallway, and the admiring first year Slytherins were slinking out of sight. Harry turned around and offered his hand to Ginny, who stood up next to him and brushed some dirt off her robes. "Now before you cause either of us any more pain, I shall retreat like a coward," he ridiculed Draco, and turned around to walk with Ginny.
"Oh yeah Potter?" Draco called after him. "Well, well." Draco stuttered angrily a little, "well at least I don't have to hang out with mudbloods like Granger!" he called.
Then the shrill voice of the head of Gryffindor house came from behind Draco. "Mr. Malfoy! I would watch your tongue if I were you. Such filthy language towards a fellow classmate should earn you a detention. And fifty points from Slytherin!" Harry and Ginny laughed to themselves as they headed away.
"Thanks for sticking up for me back there," Ginny said quietly, still slightly embarrassed from the scene.
"I don't know where that idiot gets his delusions," said Harry. "Or his insults for that matter." Ginny laughed again. "So how have things been going today, aside from that?" Harry asked kindly.
"Well actually I think that that right there really was the highlight of my day, thanks to you Harry. But other than that, things have been going pretty well." Ginny proceeded to tell him all about how she had received perfect marks on her Herbology exam and how she had been the only one in her class able to transfigure a piece of paper into a lizard, even though it was white and ended up giving her a paper cut when it stuck its tongue out at her. Suddenly Harry stopped. "What's wrong Harry?"
"Oh I'm so sorry Gin, it's just that I just remembered that I was supposed to meet with Hagrid to help him feed some of the creatures," he said disappointedly. A wide smile spread across Harry's face. "Then again, we could use some help, would you like to come?"
Ginny smiled happily. "I would love to Harry." She took his hand and they walked together to Hagrid's hut.
She had studied all night after Harry had left, and though this had caused her to fall asleep at breakfast again, she had surprised everyone by pulling a perfect grade on her herbology test. She had also caught up on her transfigurations, this time making sure that she only brought her own quills and wands so that she wouldn't wind up with anymore of her brothers' pranks ruining her day.
In fact, her week had been going extremely well until Friday, when she had run straight into Draco Malfoy. "Watch where you are going!" he exclaimed, then looked down to see it was Ginny. "Well, if it isn't the littlest weasel brat." A group of nearby Slytherins laughed at this terribly overused joke and Ginny quickly began to gather up a few books she had dropped. Draco laughed and kicked the books out of her hands. "Oops, didn't see you there Weasley, you blend right in with the dirt."
Ginny's face flamed angrily, but she chose to ignore him instead and began to pick up her books again, this time turning away so he couldn't kick it out of her hands. "What's the matter Weasley? Can't come up with a comeback, or are you just too good for a little battle of minds? You Weasleys really are lower classed." Ginny almost laughed at how pathetic his insults were, but knew that it wouldn't get her anywhere. She stood up again and looked him straight in the eye, then began to walk away. Draco glared at her, and then stuck out his foot, making her fall again. "Have a nice trip weasel, see you next fall." This again made the dimwitted Slytherins laugh again, but now it wasn't Ginny who stood up to meet Draco.
"Knock it off Draco," Harry Potter said firmly, standing right in front of Draco.
"Why if it isn't Harry Potter, come to the rescue of miss weasel in distress," this drew another laugh from the group.
"Oh wow Draco, I'm just amazed by your wit. You are going to make me cry," Harry mocked Draco with a snobby drawl. "If you spent as much time practicing your flying skills as you did your wit, your Quidditch skills might even match that of Liam Drayson," Harry scoffed. Liam Drayson was a first year Slytherin who has already managed to break three windows, two statues and knocked four of his own teammates of their brooms during tryouts. "Of course, even that might be difficult for you."
"Yes, Potter, well at least I don't have to stick up for lower class dirt like Ginny Weasley," Draco retorted.
"Ooh clever, I can feel the arrow in my heart. I'm wounded," Harry clutched his chest, mocking pain. Apparently now there were other groups of people other than Slytherins, because there was a roar of laughter in the hallway, and the admiring first year Slytherins were slinking out of sight. Harry turned around and offered his hand to Ginny, who stood up next to him and brushed some dirt off her robes. "Now before you cause either of us any more pain, I shall retreat like a coward," he ridiculed Draco, and turned around to walk with Ginny.
"Oh yeah Potter?" Draco called after him. "Well, well." Draco stuttered angrily a little, "well at least I don't have to hang out with mudbloods like Granger!" he called.
Then the shrill voice of the head of Gryffindor house came from behind Draco. "Mr. Malfoy! I would watch your tongue if I were you. Such filthy language towards a fellow classmate should earn you a detention. And fifty points from Slytherin!" Harry and Ginny laughed to themselves as they headed away.
"Thanks for sticking up for me back there," Ginny said quietly, still slightly embarrassed from the scene.
"I don't know where that idiot gets his delusions," said Harry. "Or his insults for that matter." Ginny laughed again. "So how have things been going today, aside from that?" Harry asked kindly.
"Well actually I think that that right there really was the highlight of my day, thanks to you Harry. But other than that, things have been going pretty well." Ginny proceeded to tell him all about how she had received perfect marks on her Herbology exam and how she had been the only one in her class able to transfigure a piece of paper into a lizard, even though it was white and ended up giving her a paper cut when it stuck its tongue out at her. Suddenly Harry stopped. "What's wrong Harry?"
"Oh I'm so sorry Gin, it's just that I just remembered that I was supposed to meet with Hagrid to help him feed some of the creatures," he said disappointedly. A wide smile spread across Harry's face. "Then again, we could use some help, would you like to come?"
Ginny smiled happily. "I would love to Harry." She took his hand and they walked together to Hagrid's hut.