( THEMES! "My Goddess" by .. a band, I forget the name, is for Azalea, "Big Machine" by the Goo Goo Dolls is for Senna, "Machinehead" by Bush is for Alexia, "Gone Away" by The Offspring is for Ginny, and "On Your Mind" by 909 is for Hermione. The boys get their songs next chapter, they're harder to find music for. )
Two girls, one fair-haired, slender, and angelic-looking in the most stereotypical sense, the other red-headed, shapely, petite, and pixieish in her delicacy, were perched on a canopy bed in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. They were in the sixth year girls' Gryffindor tower, the hangings on the bed wrapped round to obscure them. They were talking animatedly about something both parties had much interest in, although they expressed it in very different ways.
"Oliver Wood. Without a doubt. Any guy who's that intense about a -sport-, for heaven's sake, must be an insanely devoted boyfriend. Or one-night stand," the girl mused.
" .. what if he said no?" Ginny quirked an eyebrow at her best friend, Alexia O'Malley, who was sitting across from her on Ginny's canopy bed. Like Ginny, Alexia was a sixth year.
"I'd tie him down and make him say yes," Alexia responded automatically, grinning at her best friend. Ginny just shook her head.
"We were second years when he graduated," Ginny protested, "That's just wrong. And illegal!"
"Is not," Alex smirked, "I haven't touched him .. yet."
"YET?!" Ginny burst into peals of laughter and threw a pillow at the blonde girl, who snatched hold of the pillow and started smacking Ginny with it.
"Ow, ow, ow! You win!" The redhead pulled away, her ponytail mussed and falling out. "Oh, now look what you did," she mock-complained, pulling her wavy crimson hair loose and combing it out with her fingertips.
Alexia just cocked an eyebrow at her.
"You did," Ginny muttered, pulling her hair back.
"Don't do that," Alex protested, pulling the hairband out of Ginny's hands, "You never wear your hair down, it looks so much better."
Ginny rolled her eyes but dropped the hairband on the bed, drawing to a stand. She straightened out her robes, wrinkled from sitting cross-legged. Alexia stood up, too.
"We should go down for dinner," Alex said with a glance out through the window. Snow was falling steadily and they would go on Christmas break day after next. Both girls had decided to stay at Hogwarts. Neither of them were very fond of their families, particularly during hols.
Ginny nodded and they walked down to the common room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there - or, as Alex referred to them, "the Wonderkins". Alex and Ron didn't get on so well, so she referred to him as "Ginny's stalker" because he had the tendency to want to check on Ginny at odd times for equally odd reasons. He didn't appreciate that nickname much, which is why she said it frequently.
"Hi, Harry, Hermione, Stalker boy," Alex greeted them. Ginny just smiled and waved a little, glancing down slightly when Harry met her eyes.
"I am not. a. stalker," Ron gritted out. Hermione glanced at him warily.
"Whatever you say, Ginny's stalker," Alex said breezily, "We're going to dinner. You all want to come with?" She spoke directly to Harry and Ginny knew it was for her benefit, but still - she couldn't help but feel a little bothered. Why couldn't she talk to Harry like that? Her crush on him wasn't as strong as it'd been, but she still felt strangely around him.
"I think I'll stay," Ron said, still glowering at Alex, who wasn't oblivious but made a good show of pretending.
"Me too, I guess," Hermione shrugged. She and Ron had been off and on since last year and lately, they were more on than anything else.
"Harry?" Alex widened her big blue eyes at him and Ginny knew he was sold. She just wished it was because of her eyes, not her pretty best friend's. She could tell Alex what was going on, but then she'd feel awful and Ginny would feel awful as a result of that. Better to just keep herself feeling mildly disgusted.
Harry grinned and shrugged, "Well, alright."
"Great," Alex chirped, "I'll lead the way, okay?" She made to stand a bit in front of them so Ginny and Harry would be forced to talk as they walked along.
Harry flashed a smile at her and Ginny felt her cheeks go .. nothing? Hey, she didn't blush, this is progress. She tried a smile back. God, did he have to be so cute? Well, actually, she'd never looked directly at his face (his shoes had gotten lots of deep thought, though) for longer than a span of three seconds, and she was noticing there were a few imperfections there. He was still cute, but she found herself wishing he'd at least try to tame that crazy black hair. And he was seventeen, wasn't it about time to get his eyes magickally corrected? At least they weren't taped anymore. Admittedly, he'd shot up and towered over her at six feet tall, and had a very nice voice and a slim, fit physique, but still.
She couldn't help but be less impressed than before, and it was kind of a let down.
He noticed her gaze and quirked an eyebrow.
"Something wrong?" Huh? Oh, she'd been staring. Now the blush trickled into her cheekbones, but it faded quickly.
"No, I was just thinking, you've, uh .. changed a lot, since even last year," she shrugged. That much was true.
"You, too," he replied sincerely, "You look like you're twenty-five, Ginny." Oh. Was that a compliment? It took a moment before she realized he was teasing. Tease back! But be subtle.
"Well, thank you," she grinned up at him, "Does that mean I can go drinking now?" He raised both eyebrows at her.
"Depends, do you want company?" Oooh.
"Sure thing," and she realized she was very definitely flirting, "Why, do you know anyone who'd be interested?"
"I can think of a few buyers, if you're selling your services, Red," a voice drawled from behind them. They were almost into the Great Hall. Ginny narrowed her eyes - she recognized that voice, although it'd deepened a lot since it was last directed at her.
All three Gryffindors turned on their heel to shoot glares at Draco Malfoy, standing taller than even Harry and broader in the shoulders. Ginny found herself blushing red, but not because of the smart remark.
"I suppose you'd be one of them, Ferret boy?" Alex snapped, "It'd explain where dogface gets all her money from."
"Dogface?" Draco's voice was quiet and dangerous.
"The little wench who's hanging off you every Yule Ball, of course," Harry growled at Draco. He slipped an arm protectively around Ginny's shoulders and she found herself inwardly going 'oh, NOW you're being nice.'
"Jealous, Potter?" Draco's gaze landed on Ginny, the corners of his lips turning up in a smirk, "It looks like someone's keeping you occupied, though."
"Excuse me?" Ginny found herself a little - offended? She didn't want Malfoy to think she was dating Harry. Why, though? It's not like Ferret, as Alex called him, really cared unless it was taunting material. She pulled away from Harry's arm so she could regain her personal space.
"Ah, she speaks," Draco's smirk grew.
"You're damn right I speak!" Ginny blazed, "What gives you the right to come over and make assumptions about my life? You don't know a thing about me or us, so just shut it."
Draco straightened from his lean and strode over to her. Harry made a move to stop the blonde boy, but Alex's hand on his arm quieted him.
"Shut it?" He stared down at Ginny, taking in the flushed cheeks, full lips, heart-shaped face, long flame-colored waves and big brown eyes, currently full of fire. Nothing wrong there, although she didn't have a clue. "Going to make me, little girl?"
It was the 'little girl' comment that did it. Instead of drawing her wand or spitting a curse or something sensible, she did exactly what her brothers had done to one another when they were young, what she herself had practiced on forward men and boys. She pulled her arm back and socked him clean in the jaw. He rocketed back and almost fell, were it not for the wall behind him. His eyes were cold with fury and something else, now, and trained firmly on the littlest Weasley. He held his jaw, and Ginny knew there would be a sharp bruise there come morning.
"You'll pay for that," he said softly, just so only she could hear, his voice bricked very slightly with pain. He turned and walked away, black robes waving behind him.
Alex was staring at Ginny with a mixture of surprise and delight. Harry just looked shocked, and maybe a little impressed.
"Ginny," Alexia breathed, "That .. was excellent."
Glancing from a now faintly chuckling Harry to an immensely pleased Alexia, Ginny mustered a smile.
"I know," she said, "Now can we please go eat?"
Two girls, one fair-haired, slender, and angelic-looking in the most stereotypical sense, the other red-headed, shapely, petite, and pixieish in her delicacy, were perched on a canopy bed in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. They were in the sixth year girls' Gryffindor tower, the hangings on the bed wrapped round to obscure them. They were talking animatedly about something both parties had much interest in, although they expressed it in very different ways.
"Oliver Wood. Without a doubt. Any guy who's that intense about a -sport-, for heaven's sake, must be an insanely devoted boyfriend. Or one-night stand," the girl mused.
" .. what if he said no?" Ginny quirked an eyebrow at her best friend, Alexia O'Malley, who was sitting across from her on Ginny's canopy bed. Like Ginny, Alexia was a sixth year.
"I'd tie him down and make him say yes," Alexia responded automatically, grinning at her best friend. Ginny just shook her head.
"We were second years when he graduated," Ginny protested, "That's just wrong. And illegal!"
"Is not," Alex smirked, "I haven't touched him .. yet."
"YET?!" Ginny burst into peals of laughter and threw a pillow at the blonde girl, who snatched hold of the pillow and started smacking Ginny with it.
"Ow, ow, ow! You win!" The redhead pulled away, her ponytail mussed and falling out. "Oh, now look what you did," she mock-complained, pulling her wavy crimson hair loose and combing it out with her fingertips.
Alexia just cocked an eyebrow at her.
"You did," Ginny muttered, pulling her hair back.
"Don't do that," Alex protested, pulling the hairband out of Ginny's hands, "You never wear your hair down, it looks so much better."
Ginny rolled her eyes but dropped the hairband on the bed, drawing to a stand. She straightened out her robes, wrinkled from sitting cross-legged. Alexia stood up, too.
"We should go down for dinner," Alex said with a glance out through the window. Snow was falling steadily and they would go on Christmas break day after next. Both girls had decided to stay at Hogwarts. Neither of them were very fond of their families, particularly during hols.
Ginny nodded and they walked down to the common room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there - or, as Alex referred to them, "the Wonderkins". Alex and Ron didn't get on so well, so she referred to him as "Ginny's stalker" because he had the tendency to want to check on Ginny at odd times for equally odd reasons. He didn't appreciate that nickname much, which is why she said it frequently.
"Hi, Harry, Hermione, Stalker boy," Alex greeted them. Ginny just smiled and waved a little, glancing down slightly when Harry met her eyes.
"I am not. a. stalker," Ron gritted out. Hermione glanced at him warily.
"Whatever you say, Ginny's stalker," Alex said breezily, "We're going to dinner. You all want to come with?" She spoke directly to Harry and Ginny knew it was for her benefit, but still - she couldn't help but feel a little bothered. Why couldn't she talk to Harry like that? Her crush on him wasn't as strong as it'd been, but she still felt strangely around him.
"I think I'll stay," Ron said, still glowering at Alex, who wasn't oblivious but made a good show of pretending.
"Me too, I guess," Hermione shrugged. She and Ron had been off and on since last year and lately, they were more on than anything else.
"Harry?" Alex widened her big blue eyes at him and Ginny knew he was sold. She just wished it was because of her eyes, not her pretty best friend's. She could tell Alex what was going on, but then she'd feel awful and Ginny would feel awful as a result of that. Better to just keep herself feeling mildly disgusted.
Harry grinned and shrugged, "Well, alright."
"Great," Alex chirped, "I'll lead the way, okay?" She made to stand a bit in front of them so Ginny and Harry would be forced to talk as they walked along.
Harry flashed a smile at her and Ginny felt her cheeks go .. nothing? Hey, she didn't blush, this is progress. She tried a smile back. God, did he have to be so cute? Well, actually, she'd never looked directly at his face (his shoes had gotten lots of deep thought, though) for longer than a span of three seconds, and she was noticing there were a few imperfections there. He was still cute, but she found herself wishing he'd at least try to tame that crazy black hair. And he was seventeen, wasn't it about time to get his eyes magickally corrected? At least they weren't taped anymore. Admittedly, he'd shot up and towered over her at six feet tall, and had a very nice voice and a slim, fit physique, but still.
She couldn't help but be less impressed than before, and it was kind of a let down.
He noticed her gaze and quirked an eyebrow.
"Something wrong?" Huh? Oh, she'd been staring. Now the blush trickled into her cheekbones, but it faded quickly.
"No, I was just thinking, you've, uh .. changed a lot, since even last year," she shrugged. That much was true.
"You, too," he replied sincerely, "You look like you're twenty-five, Ginny." Oh. Was that a compliment? It took a moment before she realized he was teasing. Tease back! But be subtle.
"Well, thank you," she grinned up at him, "Does that mean I can go drinking now?" He raised both eyebrows at her.
"Depends, do you want company?" Oooh.
"Sure thing," and she realized she was very definitely flirting, "Why, do you know anyone who'd be interested?"
"I can think of a few buyers, if you're selling your services, Red," a voice drawled from behind them. They were almost into the Great Hall. Ginny narrowed her eyes - she recognized that voice, although it'd deepened a lot since it was last directed at her.
All three Gryffindors turned on their heel to shoot glares at Draco Malfoy, standing taller than even Harry and broader in the shoulders. Ginny found herself blushing red, but not because of the smart remark.
"I suppose you'd be one of them, Ferret boy?" Alex snapped, "It'd explain where dogface gets all her money from."
"Dogface?" Draco's voice was quiet and dangerous.
"The little wench who's hanging off you every Yule Ball, of course," Harry growled at Draco. He slipped an arm protectively around Ginny's shoulders and she found herself inwardly going 'oh, NOW you're being nice.'
"Jealous, Potter?" Draco's gaze landed on Ginny, the corners of his lips turning up in a smirk, "It looks like someone's keeping you occupied, though."
"Excuse me?" Ginny found herself a little - offended? She didn't want Malfoy to think she was dating Harry. Why, though? It's not like Ferret, as Alex called him, really cared unless it was taunting material. She pulled away from Harry's arm so she could regain her personal space.
"Ah, she speaks," Draco's smirk grew.
"You're damn right I speak!" Ginny blazed, "What gives you the right to come over and make assumptions about my life? You don't know a thing about me or us, so just shut it."
Draco straightened from his lean and strode over to her. Harry made a move to stop the blonde boy, but Alex's hand on his arm quieted him.
"Shut it?" He stared down at Ginny, taking in the flushed cheeks, full lips, heart-shaped face, long flame-colored waves and big brown eyes, currently full of fire. Nothing wrong there, although she didn't have a clue. "Going to make me, little girl?"
It was the 'little girl' comment that did it. Instead of drawing her wand or spitting a curse or something sensible, she did exactly what her brothers had done to one another when they were young, what she herself had practiced on forward men and boys. She pulled her arm back and socked him clean in the jaw. He rocketed back and almost fell, were it not for the wall behind him. His eyes were cold with fury and something else, now, and trained firmly on the littlest Weasley. He held his jaw, and Ginny knew there would be a sharp bruise there come morning.
"You'll pay for that," he said softly, just so only she could hear, his voice bricked very slightly with pain. He turned and walked away, black robes waving behind him.
Alex was staring at Ginny with a mixture of surprise and delight. Harry just looked shocked, and maybe a little impressed.
"Ginny," Alexia breathed, "That .. was excellent."
Glancing from a now faintly chuckling Harry to an immensely pleased Alexia, Ginny mustered a smile.
"I know," she said, "Now can we please go eat?"