Chapter 6 The Tour

(Disclaimer) I do own Harry Potter and the gang... I swear I do... (Looks around wildly and spots the nurse with the REALLY big syringe) I do! I do! (struggles in white strait jacket) I swear! ... aww!... (stars to feel sleepy)... I own them.... I own them.....

~~~

Ginny sat at the Gryffindor table eating the last of her breakfast when she spotted Harry and Hermione enter the Hall. They looked like the usually do, just chatting amicably but something rang a little off. She could almost see the tension stretched between them. Ginny continued to study them when, for the umpteenth time, Ron shifted in his seat and continued his insistent nagging.

"Aren't you done yet? Mina looks like she's done. Come on Ginny, can't you hurry up? We don't want Mina waiting. You really don't need to eat all that do you, Gin? I mean, You are getting a little heavy around-"

Ron was interrupted when Ginny picked up her now-empty plate and aimed it upside Ron's head. It connected and Ron proceeded to howl and scream about his "aching brain." Ginny would have been truly worried had Ron had a brain but knowing that such a miracle had been proven unlikely time and time again, she ignored it. Besides, if her mother could do it when Ron was being an ass, then she could do it when he was being likewise.

"Geez Ginny, you didn't have to go and do that." Ron was still rubbing the back of his head. He could feel the beginning of a bump.

"Ok. NOW I'm done." Ginny looked up and searched for Mina. Her brother had been begging her to be done with breakfast the moment she had sat down. Usually it was she who begged her brother to be done with breakfast quickly. This turn-around was a big surprise but the fact that he himself hadn't even touched his plate was something else totally different. For the first time in Ginny's knowledge the big vortex, that was her brother, had been distracted enough to not eat. None of his earlier 'loves' had ever inspired such a response from him. Taken they had put his mind off homework but Quidditch did that also. They had made him stay in the Gryffindor common room at hours at a time to just stare, but he had Harry there to talk about -ha, surprise! - Quidditch. Smiling inwardly, Ginny thought that Mina just might be something other than a passing fancy and just might be good for her brother. Maybe settle his annoying habit of forever pining but never acting upon his feelings.

A movement caught her eye and she watched as Mina bent her head to speak quietly to Malfoy who sat, conveniently, next to her. A frisson of something dark-suspiciously like jealousy- rippled through her. She had the sudden urge to whip out her wand and turn Mina's hair a nasty shade of green. A bit shocked and angry with herself, she mentally pushed the feeling away and the mental image of Mina with puke-green hair. I'm not jealous! Mina doesn't know Dra-Malfoy is bad news. It was just... a show of concern. Over and over Ginny convinced herself that she was in no way feeling jealous that Minako Yui was having a non-violent conversation with Draco Malfoy.

Hermione and Harry sat across from them. Consciously, it seemed to Ginny, making a small space between them. Well, okay, not small. The space between Harry and Hermione was big enough to fit one and half of Hagrid. Something a little bit like suspicion stirred in Ginny's mind. Usually Hermione and Harry sat close together, like friends should but their strange behavior hinted at something else; being VERY conscious of the close proximity of their bodies which leads to WHY they were very conscious of the proximity of their bodies.

They were attracted to each other.

The mental addition Ginny did with her mind totally blew her away. The little green people danced in her mind, chanting 'Hex Hermione's Hair'. No way! Hermione wouldn't do that to me! She knows how I feel about Harry - heck everyone with working eyes knew. Besides, she's in to that famous seeker- the OTHER famous seeker- Krum! Hermione couldn't like - No! No bloody way! Ginny's inner self tried to calm down and did more calculations and decided that she had made a mistake. The conclusion was that her brain had gone haywire.

In a few minutes she had gone from being jealous at Mina for talking to Malfoy (inner self-expression of disgust) to suspecting her two friends for showing some major signs of being attracted to each other. She also came this close (mental image of forefinger and thumb nearly touching) to hexing her best friend's hair (inner self- expression of shame).

Ginny snuck a peek at Harry and smiled. He was looking good as usual. He had filled out a lot over the summer and some Quidditch that Ron and Harry had done over the last few weeks at the Burrow had done a lot to defining his body. She should know. She had committed enough spying to do Rita Skeeter proud.

Feeling happy already, she spied at Mina again. Ginny saw Mina sitting quietly beside Malfoy. She looked like she was waiting for something patiently but a second look noticed that she had a small smile on her lips and had been watching the person right next the Ginny. Ron. Ginny's eyes widened a little bit. Then Ginny herself smiled. Isn't that sweet! Then Ginny herself looked at her brother.

He had been repeatedly, in a monotonous fashion, banging his head on the table.

Ginny almost fell of her seat. He could have been doing that for sometime now and Ginny had all but pushed it aside and had thought that it was background noise.

"What are you doing?!" Ginny shrieked at him. For the first time in Ron's life a girl that he liked, liked him back and he was fooling around in the most un-attracted way possible. It wasn't that he wasn't good-looking, half of her fifth year friends had a crush on Ron (the other half liked Harry and a few delusionals liked Malfoy. Ginny refused to think about those). It was just that Ron was so picky. Those that he did end up liking were just so unattainable for him because he is such a joker. They, the girls that get his attention, look for the 'older', classically handsome boy, like Oliver Wood, the keeper of the Gryffindor House Team. Ginny got a quick look at Mina's response again. She was still smiling. Oh god. This cannot be love. It's too stupid.

"Just hitting my head on this table, here. I'm getting a way faster response from this than I do with asking you a direct question." Ron had finally stopped. He had succeeded in getting Ginny's attention finally and it looked like they maybe on the way to meeting up with Mina.

"How long have you been doing that?" Ginny was used to this at home. And at home Ron was able to do that for HOURS before Mum had the sense enough to take a pan and bang it against his head to stop it. It was a way to get attention when you were a one of the boys in the Weasley family. Bill had once set himself on fire just to see how fast his mom would notice and Fred and George pulled pranks because it always guaranteed them a spotlight (besides it being a hobby). Ron took to making loud noises. This was one of them and Ginny was afraid because for 1) This was at school and all her friends would all know how weird her family was already and 2) because Ron's chance of bagging his crush was watching him, acting like a fool.

The answer to her question was a kind of relief.

"Oh, just a few seconds. It always worked on Mum even though is been awhile, and I guess it worked on you too." Ron smiled at this but soon his expression went from smug to despair with Ginny's response.

"I didn't notice you dolt. I saw Mina looking at YOU." The expression on Ron's face was so comical Ginny couldn't help but giggle. Half the Gryffindor table was listening on their conversation, as they always do, and speculated on this girl 'Mina' that had the Ron Weasley all tied up. Hermione and Harry were also laughing after they stopped being so painfully aware of each other.

"You're joking." Ron closed his eyes in hope.

"Nope. Take a look yourself." Ginny was sitting up straighter and grinning. Finally she got her brother back for this morning about her clothes. She had thought of a special hex that would make his skin itch like a bunch of fire ants were crawling on him. However, this brand of revenge brought on by his own hand (or head, hahaha) was so much sweeter.

Ron had looked towards the Slytherin Table and saw Mina looking at him. Her hazel-gold eyes were looking at him. She was smiling. A part of him was jumping with joy. She was looking at me! Woo! AND smiling at me! Double woo! The other part of him was blushing the color of his hair. She saw him acting like a fool! Oh no. She thinks I'm stupid. Groan another one that thinks I'm immature groan. Good going Weasley groan. Ron almost banged his head on the table with resignation but he stopped because he had already done that.

Ginny taking pity said goodbye to Harry and Hermione and made to leave. She looked at Mina and waved to get her attention. Mina waved back. Ginny smiled and looked at the doors then back at Mina. Mina nodded as if she understood.

"Hey Ron, I'm going to give that tour to Mina now. You still coming?" Ginny heard a mumble. Ron had buried his face in his hands.

"What was that?" Ginny bent down to hear more. Ron took his face out of his hands and said more clearly.

"I said 'I don't want to go.'" Ginny sighed. He had been begging her to be done with breakfast for the last 45 minutes then here he goes and backs out because he did something relatively stupid.

"Oh gods, Ron. I don't think she cares that you were acting stupid. In fact I think she thought it was cute. You know that phrase 'love is blind'? Well let's pretend that applies here, okay? Now come on. You have been nagging me to go now for the past century all right? Its gonna be a waste of time if you didn't come with us. And besides, you would probably make this trip more interesting. God knows I have nothing entertaining to say about this school that isn't depressing and probably make this whole trip a dead bore."

The whole time Ginny was talking she had grabbed Ron's wrist and had all but dragged him to the doors. Ron was just making half an effort to stop Ginny because if he tried to stop her, what's the next chance he would even be allowed a few feet radius near Mina?

~~~~~

Mina smiled at the Slytherin table. She had been smiling a lot lately. Every time she had looked at or thought of Ron, she felt that she was in the presence of the sun, radiant and warm. He was just so open that Mina was charmed to her toes. The event when Ron had repeatedly banged his head on the table was so sweet and funny that she almost giggled. Minako Thatcher-Yui never giggles. Ever. It didn't fit the profile. Still, though, as she watched Ron get dragged by Ginny towards the door, Mina couldn't help but think about how it would feel to be in Ron's company, relaxed and without a care in the world. If Minako had an inner secret dream, it was that. To be carefree and to let life carry her away from troubles. And the dark.

Pushing the thought aside, Mina got up from her seat. She had noticed Ginny waving at her and understood the message. She was about to take her first step from the door when she felt a hand at her wrist. Looking down at it she recognized it as Draco's. She looked at him.

Where are you going? His eyes spoke. Mina darted her eyes towards the door in the same manner Ginny had and looked back at Draco. He nodded and resumed eating.

More than a few girls saw that action and stared daggers at her. Violet eyes, who she found out was Blaise Zambini, and a girl named Pansy were furiously whispering at each other. They fiddled with their wands and stared straight at her. Just in case they were chants, Minako communicated a few signs with her fingers that translated into a shield spell.

She learned this in her Old School. She hadn't been lying when she told Zambini that she went to a school in Hong Kong. She just didn't tell her the whole truth about it. It was an underground school that mixed old and contemporary magic. Wands were the major part of the curriculum, along with Dark Arts of course. But what made the school unique were the advanced Old Magic classes they issued. In most Wizardry schools, this was Potions and Divinations but in Mina's it was a whole different level; Wandless Magic.

Mina felt a tickling in the back of her neck. Mina sniggered. They had tried to hex her. Mina narrowed her eyes a bit. They had tried to trip her, Leg-lock. The Shield Spell Mina had cast allowed the cast-er to identify the spell. Mina smiled. She knew exactly what to give them. Concentrating at nothing in particular, she brought her hands to her chest and pressed her palms together. If anyone had watched her carefully, a strange white light would have been seen coming from the middle of her chest, diluted by the Black robes that she was wearing. Mina had kept on walking; her back turned, when she heard the first screech. The next one was from a different person. Mina finally turned around, pretending curiosity. Inwardly she was laughing. Zambini and Pansy (a very weak name in Mina's opinion) legs had developed the characteristics of rubber bands, unable to stand straight, but wobbled all the same. They kept jiggling left and right, holding on to the benches. All of the Slytherins had gotten up, trying not to laugh, some of them even tried to stare threateningly at the Gryffindors, but the innocent looks of everybody didn't at all label them the culprit. So everyone stared at the two girls, their reputation of being the most hardcore, meanest, easiest girls in school go down the drain, slowly.

Taking pity, Mina pulled her hands apart and placed them to her sides. The two girls had looked near to tears, frightened out of their wits. When they finally got their land legs back, they stood up and took out their wands. They both stared at Mina. They looked furious.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO US? HOW DID YOU DO IT, YOU FREAK?!" Mina only stood there. She knew she could take them both at the same time. Her Shield was still around her so they couldn't do anything unless they were unusually more powerful than Mina.

They advanced near her. The shield did not protect someone from physical attacks so finally Mina stood on guard and answered.

"It's what you tried to do to me, except sort of the opposite." They stopped in their tracks. They hadn't believed that Mina was going to admit that she did anything, thus making them not innocent to. They had planned on giving her a dressing down, telling her off, and making her the most unwanted female in this school. But, like everything this day had promised to them, everything had gone wrong. Now, this GIRL, had gotten all three of them in trouble.

"We didn't do anything! We didn't even point out our wands!" Pansy squeaked. It was a big lie but she had waved her wand and hexed her so fast that no one could have possibly seen it.

Someone at the Ravenclaw table, suspecting a boy, yelled out; "yes, you did!" Pansy jerked around and growled.

Mina smiled. She was going to win. It was just a matter of time before she could meet up with Ron.

"I don't have a wand on me." Zambini and Pansy looked at her and laughed. Mina rolled her eyes.

"But you just said, in your own way, that you did to us what we tried to do to you! You NEED a wand for that, smart one!" Pansy and Zambini laughed, unaware that they just given themselves away and thinking that they had gotten her. Mina still smiled. It was a smile of triumph and both girls stopped laughing. They looked at each other uneasily. Mina just stood there and smiled.

~

Snape got up from the teacher's table when he saw two from his House fall on the floor. He watched as they righted themselves up and bear down on one student, a transfer at that. He was just about to do the most uncharacteristic thing and take away his own house points when he heard their conversation. His two most annoying students had just implicated themselves at trying to hex one of their own. He watched as the two quieted down and looked at the smiling transfer student. Yui, her last name is Yui. Snape had almost forgotten.

He watched as his newest student assume a thinking face, looked totally fake, but he guessed it was meant to be one.

"Hm. I guess you could say that you hexed yourselves, I guess. I mean, I wasn't affected at all and I couldn't have possibly known you tried to get me. I don't even have a wand! Maybe you did it to yourself? Hmm... I had thought this house only has competents in its midst. I guess I've been proven wrong." As Yui's tirade went on, Parkinson and Zambini's wands came up. They looked spitting mad.

Snape pushed his way into the center. Students had made a big circle around the little fight that was going on at the Slytherin Table. He mentally slapped his forehead at the stupidity at watching the fight himself. He wasn't used to dealing with inner-house fights. They seldom happened, and when they did, it usually ended before he even got to it.

When he got there in time to hear Pansy say, in strong precise words, Stupefy, and waved it at Mina. Snape thought that he was going to have to enervate her by the time this was over because the second Pansy had thrown it, Blaise closely followed. Surprisingly, Minako herself didn't pull out a wand. She just stood there with a smile. She remained unaffected. Snape refused to dwell on this because in fact, Pansy and Blaise were very capable at throwing that particular hex. The fact that Minako hadn't been affected fascinated Snape. Maybe she had a charm...

"Ms. Parkinson! Ms. Zambini! What is the meaning of this!"

~

Mina saw the Professor storm into the inner circle that she found herself in right before Pansy and Blaise threw their Stupefies at her. They were relatively strong but they had only caused a minor scratch at her weakening shield. The sort of shield (Their are different kinds) she had cast had to be re-incanted every 5 minutes. It didn't take that much energy but had its uses when you need one in a jiffy. She communicated a few more signs through her fingers to activate it again to full power, just in case.

"Ms. Parkinson! Ms. Zambini! What is the meaning of this?!" The two subjects being that had spoken were so shocked that they had put their guards down. Mina summoned their wands.

They looked at her, angry. Mina had stepped up, as if she had been really fast and had grabbed it from them physically. Mina then walked up to the professor and handed them to him. She was really tired of being the center of attention. She wanted to go and meet up with Ginny and Ron already.

It seemed that neither girl wanted to speak so Mina decided to tell the story. Draco however beat her to it.

"Pansy and Blaise hexed themselves, Professor Snape. They tried blaming it on Minako and tried hexing her again sir. Minako just stood there and took it from them." Many of the Slytherins nodded in agreement. They might be underhanded and dirty with dealing with other houses (Especially Gryffindor) but when it came to dealing with one of their own, it was considered blasphemous to hurt each other. They had to stick to each other.

Snape looked around. A lot of disapproving faces all around pointed at the two girls. The unwritten hierarchy had now shifted, leaving the two on the bottom. Even the girls knew it. With an inner sigh, he did what he never knew he would ever do. Took away house points from his own house.

"One hundred points from improper use of magic, each one of you, Pansy and Blaise. Detention for a whole week with Mr. Filch." Snape gave detention for their safety. The Slytherin's didn't take to hurting one of their own and hated it more when house points got taken away. Snape tried to find a way to compensate. He looked at Minako."And fifty points awarded to each hex Ms. Yui had avoided. Which is two from Parkinson and two from Zambini. Makes 2 hundred." The Slytherin's looked less mutinous and all the other tables groaned. Snape, feeling he had done his duty outstandingly, left.

Minako sighed. Finally. She turned to leave when she felt someone right next to her. Draco walked as if he had no care in the world. She was a little annoyed by him. It was basically his fault for causing those girls to get mad at her.

"You know that was your fault back there."

Draco looked at her, flabbergasted. "What?"

"Don't give me that. You know it was you. Those two girls had a thing for you and thought I was beating them at the chase or something." Mina was annoyed. It was still to early in the morning to have had a confrontation like that. Draco didn't help it by grinning.

"Hey. I can't help it if I look good." Mina rolled her eyes and stepped into the hallway. The whole incident with the two girls was only ten minutes. She wasn't that late.

"What's HE doing here?" A very annoyed red headed boy was looking Draco up and down. Mina just smiled and took a step closer to Ron. She felt that she was being pulled by an invisible magnetic field that Ron cast around him.

Draco had leaned against the door. He didn't really know why he decided to follow Mina. He knew that she was going to meet Ginny to have that tour and that she didn't need him. All Draco knew was that he needed to be there.

"Hey Weasel. I'm here cause I don't think Mina is ready to go on another 2 against 1 kind of duel so soon after the one she just had, alright? Just say I'm her protector, making this all even like." Draco tossed that all out in the air, make it seem like it was no big deal. However, Ron heard the way Draco said 'Mina'. Ron thought that he said that in a way too comfortable way. Ron could almost see the word 'COMPETITION' stamped all over him. Then finally, the word, duel, registered in his mind.

"Duel? you got into a duel already? What in the hell happened?" Ron reached down and took Mina's hand. He hadn't known he had done that but once he did, he couldn't let go. It had seemed like the most natural thing to do.

Mina felt a jolt of electricity run up her arm from the point of connection. It was incredible really, her reaction to Ron. It was more with curiosity than anything that brought her close to him. She had never felt this way about anyone before and she wanted to know exactly what it was. Each and every feeling that it brought on was remembered and studied for future reference. The chemistry between her and Ron was just too good that nothing, it seemed, could possibly ruin it.

"Oh it was nothing. Some girls just didn't like me, that's all." Mina really hadn't cared about the encounter. It was just too stupid to even be talked about?

Ginny however was confused.

"You've only been here what? a few hours and you are having fights with your own house? Maybe you weren't meant to be a Slytherin! You should try to go to our house instead! It would really be a lot of fun you know." Ginny saw Mina shrug and smile. Everyone knew that once you got sorted into a certain house it was final. Ginny also noticed that Ron and Mina still held hands. Ginny smiled at that.

Draco, noticing to, made a coughing sound in the back of his throat and then a snigger. Ron blushed a deep red and reluctantly dropped Mina's hand. Still blushing, he glared at Draco.

Ginny had noticed Draco on the doorway, following Mina. The way he grinned at Mina brought that dark feeling up again. She couldn't help but notice that when he grinned at Mina, he looked so nice. At that point, Ginny's heart had sped up. He had gotten near enough that she could smell his cologne that was hauntingly familiar. Ginny pushed that thought aside. Trying to get back on track, Ginny turned around and started walking down the hallway.

"Come on, you guys. Let's show Mina around."

~~

They had been walking for forty-five minutes. Ginny and Ron, with the occasional smart remark from Draco, showed Mina the Divinations room, Defense against the Dark Arts room, the Transfiguration room, and the Arithmacy room.

At one point, trying to get to the Slytherin part of the school, the stairs shifted without warning. Everyone had grabbed onto each other. Naturally Ron tried to protect Mina. They stood there a little longer after the stairs had settled down. This left Draco trying to protect Ginny. He had grabbed her by the waist instinctively and held on to the sides. Ginny, sensing his actions, latched on to his arm. They stood there, breathing hard.

Ginny felt so sheltered. She wanted to stay there forever. It hadn't yet registered in her mind that it was Malfoy holding her. She was surrounded in warmth and the arms that encased her seems to have hidden power and strength that she felt safe and protected.

Draco had the urge to pull the warm bundle that was Ginny closer to him. It seemed that she fit him perfectly, soft in just the right places. Her back was pressed onto his chest, and he could smell her hair. Smelled like fresh spring flowers. He could almost hear the fairies sing.

Mina and Ron had stepped away from each other. They smiled at each other. They stepped closer to each other. The backs of their hands touched and they felt the most intense jolt from that point. They didn't notice anything around them.

Then Gryffindor first years came in, bustling and laughing, trying to shake the adrenaline rush they had when the stairs shifted on them.

The mood was broken. Ron and Mina took one step away from each other. Ginny and Draco pushed each other away, spitting insults at each other.

"What the hell was that about?"

"You couldn't get your hands off me."

"Me? Have my hands on you? That's a joke. I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole."

"I don't think you have to worry about the pole, Red."

"Oh, shove off."

Ginny stomped on to the platform. Another second and she would have pushed Draco off the stairs herself. She mumbled about getting some anger management classes that she heard that muggle world had. She had way too many violent urges today.

"Ok. I think we should show Mina where to find Potions. That's one of the last classes that in class. Care of Magical Creatures and all that is down at the grounds with Hagrid. Hagrid's the guy you met when you got off the train. He's half-giant." Mina responded with a nod. The school was bigger than her old one and getting lost was too easy. She listened as Ginny went on.

"Yes, well Potions is a really hard class because the teacher is such an ass sometimes. But if you just ignore his monotonous way of saying things, he really is a good teacher. It's fun too sometimes. Making things with potions and the like is very fascinating." Ginny did like Potions. She had a pretty high mark in it.

Draco was surprised. A Gryffindor liking Potions? Isn't that a shock. All Gryffindors hate potions because Professor Snape is so... fair with them.

"Yes. Potions. I'm quiet adept in that subject at my old school."

A dark shadow passed over them.

"Oh really, Ms. Yui. Care to show us exactly how adept you are?"

~~

A/n: God... this was such a hard chapter to write. I've been distracted for the last four days. My aunt booked us a show at Balboa Park and I'm supposed to perform. Drat it! I don't wanna! Well anyways I'm sure you guys don't want to hear my excuses. Well... I don't like this chapter. I might change it completely. Like erase it. There really isn't anything going on except a few swipes at the Slytherin chicks... I just might keep that part. As for the rest it's going to be erased. I did too much work though, so maybe I'm just going to do some editing and adding and some deleting. Well... Anyways. I'm going to think about some more on Minako's mystery and expect another character. The new character isn't going to be well rounded tho so don't worry. And as for some Ginny and Draco action... well...i'm still trying to develop that. I'm not going to have them jump into bed just like that. What's the fun in that? Well just some but not as much but... yeah. Well I write faster when you guys input! ... and Yes! I plan on using your insults skybluesilver! ^-^ well toodles everyone! oh yeah... reviews pleeeze.

*PWP means porn with plot. Its not as sleazy as it sounds when its put in those terms tho... don't be put off!

Oh yeah. I'm getting tired that none of my characters are getting any action. I'm starting a separate project where each chapter is going to be a lemon with little plot. And each chapter has nothing to do with the previous one. Its just a way for getting them laid. Look it up when you're bored. K?