Chapter Three

Kindling

Ginny sat in front of the vanity, looking into the mirror.

Well, better when I got rid of the glasses. The hair is good. I actually like my hair, all spikey once I cut it. And red, red is good, too. Not so ordinary. Unfortunately with the hair come the freckles, nothing to be done about them. But Stephen once said, he liked them. Of course that was in second grade and he said it reminded him of a Dalmatian.

"And I tell you, you can classify the lot of them into categories."

Think positive, girl. What else is there to like?

The eyes are a lost cause, like cows eyes! The glasses made it worse.

I don't have acne.

The breasts … aw come off it, you're grasping at straws here.

"But you can't just lump all of them together. That is so … shallow. Not to mention insensitive." Tops shot Solange a dirty look.

"Oh? And them thinking of us as inconveniently talking attachments of our secondary sex organs is sooo sensitive? Solange, you really have to get off cloud nine and join us grunts in the real world. People, especially boys are predictable. That is not insensitive, that is a fact."

I changed the clothes. The skirts and blouses went. That is of the good.

I like the cargo pants and the Docs. I am a completely different person.

So how come nobody else noticed?

They still think I am all gung ho about Harry.

Can't they see I've changed?

"Take that betting pool that's apparently going on. It's stupid, it's shallow and … hello again, insensitive!"

"But…"

"No buts! It's a fact. Written in stone. Plain as day. And if they can be like that why shouldn't we? Now, where was I? Right, the categories."

No more goo-goo eyes for Harry, no more hiding.

I reach out, I talk to people, I made new friends. I feel different, I am all different.

Not good enough apparently. Everybody still thinks I am the Dream Teams very own lap dog.

"Firstly, you have the clowns like Fred and George Weasley or Seamus Finnegan. Those can be relied upon to make just the wrong quip at the perfect moment. Secondly you have the heroes like Harry Potter, they are just used to people, girls namely falling all over themselves because of them. Then you have the assorted nerds like Longbottom and the intellectually challenged and general boneheads like Crabbe and Goyle. And let's not forget the bad boys."

"I am finished. Why can't you see that!" Ginny stated forcefully to her reflection.

Tops stopped counting up categories with her fingers.

Ginny turned on the stool in front of the vanity to face her two bewildered looking friends.

"People have to start really seeing each other instead of just assuming they stay the same forever and ever. People do change and we must all stop just expecting them not to." She rose from the stool, completely caught up in her passionate speech. "We must notice each other. We have to talk more. Open our eyes to each other."

Tops and Solange stared at her open-mouthed.

"Wow! I have the sudden urge to applaud. Or should I just go with calling St. Mungo's?" Tops said dryly.

"What are you talking about?" Solange added.

Ginny seemed to notice her friends staring at her for the first time. Blushing a bright red, the curse of the fair skinned, she realised that Tops and Solange couldn't possibly know what had triggered her outburst and must think her deranged.

She sat down again abruptly.

"Damn it! This stupid list. I had thought I had moved past that, that people would have realised by now that I have changed. I mean I tried. That is so totally not me anymore." Ginny ground to a halt as Tops held up her hand.

"I think you lost us both..." a that she looked at Solange who blinked twice owlishly "... right after damn it."

"I mean," Ginny now talked very slowly, enunciating clearly "that that stupid list just showed me that people still see me as a nobody, just good enough for tagging along after Harry." She threw up her hands in disgust.

"Well, aren't you? Into Potter, I mean." Tops said hesitantly.

"NO!" Ginny exclaimed violently, nearly deafening Tops. "Not anymore at least. But apparently I can't even convince you of that." Ginnys shoulders drooped.

Tops and Solange looked at each other then at their dejected looking friend.

"No time like the present then to change that."

Ginny looked up at Solange, her eyes full of doubt.

"And we have already so much to work with." Both Tops and Ginny turned to Solange, not knowing what she meant.

"Look at the list again. See? Down there, You and Harry, the odds and Seamus wrote that he thinks Potter is blind!" Solange pointed at the parchment as if that explained itself.

"I don't get it. It just means that Harry will never notice me." Ginny knit her brows in confusion. "Not that I care." She added hastily.

"No! He means that Potter has to be blind that he doesn't notice the hotness that is you." Solange finished with a flourish as if presenting Ginny on a stage.

"Yeah, and my father is going to be elected Minister of Magic any time now." Ginny answered glumly.

"Seriously! Look at yourself, you really did something with yourself over summer." Solange let her eyes travel up and down. "You got rid of those dreadful school girl clothes, your hair is fantastic, freckles! Freckles are cute! Your breasts...well, you have them now." She finished albeit lamely.

"Yeah right! So even now that I am looking less nerdy and more geeky people just think of me as the side kick if they think of me at all other than oh, look, Weasels little sister, what's her name again?"

"Well, if you think nobody seems to notice you then go ahead and do something noticeable!" Tops pointed out. "Dye your hair blue, mouth off at Snape, scratch that, we're aiming for noticeable not dead, get detention every day of the week, become a lesbian, date Goyle, or something."

"You're right! I have to do something drastic. Although maybe not as drastic as dating Goyle mind you." Ginny glared at Tops for even suggesting something as gross as that.

"Who is dating Goyle?" a voice from the door asked incredulously.

"Div! You're back! And after only…" Solange, being muggle born, checked her non-existent watch. "…two hours. All of them in the company of certain dashing Irish Gryffindor whom we all know." Solange wriggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Spill!"

"Weeelll,…" Divinity rolled her eyes to the ceiling, pretending to think hard.

Tops elbowed her in the ribs impatiently. "Quit stalling! Spill the goodies! We want all the gory details."

Rubbing her ribs Divinity sat down beside Tops on the bed and with a dreamy look in her eyes started telling the tale.

"..and I expect two rolls of parchment on "The Different Uses Of Electricity" by Monday." Professor Zipkowiz called over the sound of the bell ending class.

The class groaned collectively.

"Okay, make it one roll. I'm feeling generous." Professor Zipkowiz winked good naturedly.

That's why students liked Muggle Studies even though the subject seemed superfluous to most.

Ginny packed her stuff into her ratty old bag and set off. She still hadn't come up with anything to make herself more noticeable and planned on some more thinking outside since it was a beautiful summers day.

It seemed she wasn't the only one to have that idea, so Ginny joined the chattering crowds of Hogwarts students heading out of the Great Hall.

Groups and sometimes couples found places to sit and soon the meadow in front of the lake was dotted with people.

Looks a bit like those beaches on Mallorca where you can't walk for fear of stepping on someone's hand.

Ginny waved back at Divinity but didn't join her mostly because Seamus was sitting next to her and the two of them seemed quite capable of entertaining themselves without Ginny. She grinned to herself.

Those two seem to work out really well. Seamus looks at her like she hung the moon.

Ginny wandered around looking for a place less crowded. She finally found a spot behind some bushes near the forbidden forest which was probably the reason no one had claimed it yet.

Spreading her robe for a blanket on the grass she lay down on her stomach, resting her head on her crossed arms.

The sun warmed her back and she felt pleasantly drowsy, watching a bumblebee settle on a dandelion in front of her nose.

The bushes were a bit thinner near the ground so Ginny was able to watch the other students on the meadow without being seen herself.

Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed Harry walking off alone. A few minutes later she could see Lavender leaving her group of Gryffindor girls, casually sauntering off into the same direction Harry had gone just moments before.

Ooohh, stealthy! No wonder the odds on those two are so low. Can they be even more suspicious?

She snickered.

That brought her again to the reason she wanted to spend some time uninterrupted. She still hadn't come up with anything to shock everybody into noticing her.

As she was looking through the bushes again, her eyes roaming the meadow an idea came to her. She sat up abruptly.

"Malfoy!"

"What kind of freak are you? A fucking telepath? Or is it just your weasel senses."

Ginny whipped around at that.

"Malfoy!"

"Yeah, so you already said. Sun too much for you?" He sneered, standing with his hands in his pockets.

Ginny gathered her wits after the sudden intrusion.

"No."

Now that was real witty. She groaned inwardly.

"Whatever. And now bugger off." Malfoy stood waiting.

No time like now to make a fool out of myself.

She prepared herself.

"I don't think so." Malfoy raised his eyebrow. "I have a business proposition for you."

Malfoy raised his other eyebrow as well.

"I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend." There, she said it. No taking back now.

"WHAT?!!"

Ginny grinned. She had managed it again, making Malfoy splutter. Him not laughing his head off right now was just added bonus.

"Is your hearing impaired? Must be all that inbreeding. I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend, because I want…"

"I'll do it."

"WHAT?!!" Now it was Ginny turn to splutter.

"I. Said. I'll. Do. It." Malfoy enunciated clearly. "You look like a stranded fish." He sneered maliciously and added, eyeing her exposed belly. "Pale like one as well."

That sobered Ginny up a bit. She squinted up at his 6'foot frame.

"Why?" She asked suspiciously. Unconsciously she pulled down her top to cover up her stomach.

"Because it'll annoy your brother to no end." He grinned, exposing a lot of white teeth.

Ginny hadn't thought of that.

He is going to kill me!

She grinned mischievously.

He's welcome to try.

"Gee, Draco, curb you enthusiasm." She said sarcastically. "One might actually think you don't like girls."

Malfoy bristled, apparently she had hit a sore spot. With his pale good looks and the soft skin, with no beard shadow in sight, it seemed she wasn't the first to taunt him that way.

She tucked this bit of information away for future reference.

"Well, wouldn't that put a damper on your little scheme. What are you up to anyhow? Want to raise your value on the date market, by going out with me?" He interrupted himself. "Nah, wouldn't help, who would willingly go out with a mouthy bitch like you."

"Oh but Draco, you just agreed to do exactly that." Ginny said sweetly, fluttering her eyes at him.

"Since when are we on a first name basis, weasel?" Malfoy leaned forward menacingly, his ice grey eyes flashing dangerously.

"Again, since you agreed to be my fake of a boyfriend. Sorry, Freudian slip, my fake boyfriend."

Yeah me! This is going better than I thought. All limbs still attached and Malfoys boxers in a twist for the third time now. I wonder, is he a boxers or briefs man?

"But we haven't discussed payment, yet." Malfoy leaned back again folding his arms over his chest, his lips spreading in a smug grin. His eyes started travelling up her legs to her rolled up pants and higher.

Ginny couldn't quite believe it.

"But I thought..., you said..., I mean."

Ginnys thoughts ran in circles like a rat in a maze.

No, no no. This is not what I planned.

Plan? What plan?

Why did he have to show up like a damn Jack-in-the-box? Leaving a girl no time to prepare.

She saw Malfoys lips curve up in a dangerous smile. He found her frantic thinking, which must have been audible for miles around, apparently quite funny.

Frickin' pervert!

It was settled, she was going to do it.

"Okay, here is what I will do. And NO, it doesn't include you, me and the horizontal tango."

A/N: Is there anything more nerve-wrecking than writing dialogue??

Kudos to every single one of you who made it appear so effortless.

I always figured this would be easy, you would just have to write the dialogue like you would do it in the same frame of mind.

That was definitely not the case.

And I got into this willingly? ;o)