****I own nothing! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling! She is a fantastically beautiful author and I love all her work!
Chapter 5, Getting Her Chance
Ginny sat cross-legged leaning against a wall near the transfiguration classrooms. She had her head tipped to the side and was absent-mindedly twisting a lock of her scarlet hair with two fingers.
'How am I going to get Harry to notice me more, by just being me', she thought and frowned slightly. 'I could try being louder, or maybe I could try to get Harry into a conversation about something I enjoy. Well… what do I enjoy? I like reading, well sometimes anyway. I enjoy Charms the most out of all my subjects, but I'm pretty sure Harry doesn't like to read and that he likes Defence Against the Dark Arts more then anything else!' Ginny groaned in frustration, trying hard not to bang her head against the wall. 'Well… I could try at least', Ginny glowered darkly at the ground beginning to pull on the lock of hair between her fingers. 'I'll show that Draco Malfoy! That scum! That vile piece of dirt! He thinks he's so tough and good-looking. He's a bloody prat, that's what he is. It's not like his girlfriend is anything to brag about'.
Ginny was so angry and was so concentrated on hating Malfoy, that she did not notice when Cho Chang and several seventh year Ravenclaws came walking into the corridor. Her Head Girl badge glimmered brightly from her chest.
Ginny suddenly noticed the pretty asian girl who looked down at Ginny and smiled, showing off a set of perfect white teeth.
"Good morning Ginny", she said cheerfully and a couple of the other Ravenclaw nodded smiling as well.
Ginny forced a bright smile as the Ravenclaws disappeared around a corner. Ginny's smile turned into one of the deepest dislike and she sighed shaking her head lightly. Suddenly from around the corner came Colin, with slightly red cheeks looking wildly around.
"Ginny!" He cried exasperated. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Divination starts in five minutes and you still have my Chinese horoscopes essay!"
Ginny's brown eyes widened and she leapt quickly to her feet swinging her bag over her shoulder. She grabbed Colin by the arm and the two began to run towards their divination classroom that was across the school. It would take them at least ten minutes to reach it!
"I'm sorry!" Ginny cried as they ran, pushing past students. "I was lost in my thoughts!"
"D-don't worry about it Gin!" Colin gasped through breaths, as he had already been running around looking for her.
Fourteen minutes later, and nine minutes late for class, Ginny and Colin climbed the Divination staircase. Their cheeks were red and they were completely out of breath. They swung the door open with a clang attracting the attention of the entire class. The room was sweltering hot and the smells of strong incense met them making their stomachs churn., she moaned.
Professor Trelawney turned sharply from where she had stood leaning over a table consisting of Dinah, Katherine, and Leikela. Professor Trelawney's eyes narrowed in irritation, but surprise also shone there.
Neither Ginny or Colin noticed the dark glares coming from their three classmates. Dinah's eyes were wide and tearful and the other two girls laid their hands gently on her back.
"Mr. Creevey! Miss Weasley!" Professor Trelawney said. "The two of you have never been late to my class before! I ask that it does not happen again!" She pointed to the only free table in the classroom with a long thin finger. "Sit down and open your texts to pages 489 and 490".
"Yes Professor", they both said obediently and hurried to the table sinking down into their seats and began to rummage through their bags.
Ginny and Colin's cheeks were crimson as they flipped through their texts and set them up in front of them. Colin sighed softly and leaned back in his seat, Ginny set his essay beside him and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Hey Ginny", she heard Colin whisper in her ear and she opened her eyes ever so slightly. "I've been meaning to ask you, but you've seemed a bit upset lately. But I was just wondering, why does Dinah, Katherine, and Leikela keep following me around?"
Ginny had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She was silent for a moment, trying to calm her amusement.
"Uh"… she said softly when she finally could, she glanced towards the three girls and her eyes widened in surprise.
They were both looking over at Ginny with eyes as cold as ice, Dinah's eyes were watering as though she were close to tears. Ginny frowned lightly, but before she could ask what was wrong, they looked away.
"Uh", she repeated shaking her head and turned to Colin once more. "Maybe you should ask Dinah what's up?" She whispered in suggestion.
Colin frowned lightly. "Dinah… she kind of scares me Gin. You don't think… well you don't think she's a bit mad do you?" Colin looked deadly serious and Ginny turned her head quickly so he could not see her almost laugh once again.
"No Colin".
Colin looked thoughtful, shook his head, and then began to read from the text. His eyes scanned the pages and he looked thoughtful and content. Ginny grinned and shook her head, before continuing on herself.
Half way through class, Ginny was beginning to tire of all the facial expressions she had been receiving that day. First from Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lola, ones of the deepest sympathy, and now from Dinah, Katherine, and Leikela looks of annoyance and anger.
She could not understand why her friends were looking at her in such a way. She would have ask them after class. Yet at the moment she had more important things to deal with, like getting Harry's attention.
She sat tapping her quill against the desk, not bothering to pay attention to Professor Trelawney that class, she would catch up later that night. Her eyes widened when she was suddenly hit with an idea that was so obviously plain that she felt like mentally kicking herself.
The bell rang and without a word to Colin, or Katherine, or Dinah, or Leikela, or even an apology to Professor Trelawney, Ginny rushed from the room. Ginny's face broke out into a wide smile, and she nearly had a skip to her run. Every bad thought about missing out on being a chaser for the Quidditch team was wiped from her mind.
She ran hurriedly into the Great Hall where everyone was sitting themselves down for lunch. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were just doing so. Ginny grinned and hurried over flopping down into a seat next to them, next to Harry in particular.
Harry smiled at her and she felt her cheeks burn with colour. Hermione and Ron were in yet another argument, so Ginny was free to ask Harry what she wanted without worry.
"Harry", Ginny said quietly. "I was wondering… would you be able to help me with Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Ginny felt her cheeks flush crimson at the question, but somehow this didn't feel like herself.
Ginny did quite well in all her subjects, and did not really need any help. Hadn't she promised herself that she would be herself to get Harry, and spite Draco Malfoy? Yet… this might work, and it was worth a try, wasn't it?
Harry blinked and seemed to stare down at her with shock. "You need help?" He asked blankly. "But Ginny, I always thought you were quite brilliant in school".
Ginny beamed at this compliment, all promises and decency wiped from her mind.
"Th-thanks Harry! But… I've just been having problems with some of the more dangerous parts of the class"…
He frowned slightly at her and seemed to be studying her face with great thought. If possible, Ginny felt her cheeks become redder.
'He knows I'm lying', the thought came upon her like a sentence of doom. 'Why am I always so stupid? Why can't I ever think of any good plans… Why can't I just go after Colin like Dinah, it would be easier to get him to be around me then Harry'.
Harry hesitated for a moment and then glanced back at Hermione, who was now red in the face from yelling at Ron.
"Hermione's much better at tutoring people then me Ginny", Harry informed her of something she already knew to well, and she noticed he looked rather uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat and he cheeks seemed to have tinged with colour.
"Oh… I know", she said quickly in a quiet voice.
She was now staring down at the floor with a great amount of interest, or so it appeared to everyone else who happened to glance her way.
Why wasn't it good enough? Why was it that she couldn't make the Quidditch team, and even her efforts didn't seem to please Harry! He didn't want to tutor her, that was obvious and it hurt. He didn't want to like Ginny, but Ginny wanted him to. Ginny wanted him to love her with her whole heart, and yet that didn't seem to be working. Being herself wasn't good enough for Harry Potter. Maybe she needed to be pretty, with oval eyes, and be very intelligent. She didn't have any of those things…
She felt her eyes begin to itch with tears that seemed to have finally decided to come back up again. She looked up and past Harry, not wanting to see his awkward green eyes looking down at her. Yet the sight that met her was even more unsettling.
Draco Malfoy was staring over at her with his steel eyes, and he was laughing at her. Not with his lips or with any expression but with those cold grey eyes of his… She pierced her lips, lifted her head, and flashed her brown eyes at Harry.
"Please Harry, I really do need the help", she said once again, more firmly and with confidence.
Harry was still looking down at her, Hermione and Ron had finally stopped fighting, but didn't seem to be talking to each other anymore either.
"Well, I guess so Ginny", Harry told her slowly as though trying to make up his mind, every second seemed to slice a hole in her heart. "Yeah sure, why not? When do you want to do it?"
Ginny felt a surge of excitement flow through her body and her eyes widened in surprise and delight.
"How about in a couple of days", she suggested trying to keep herself from leaping into the air with joy. "Seven o'clock in one of the Transfiguration classrooms?"
Harry nodded and seemed quite thoughtful. Ginny wasn't sure if she could eat, she wasn't sure if she could do anything but stare up at Harry in complete amazement.
Ginny slowly rose to her feet after a blissful minute, her hands were shaking and her eyes were full of happiness and cheer. This was the best she had felt in days! She walked with her head held up and nearly skipped out of the Great Hall, forgetting to eat lunch, when…
"Ginny!" Someone snapped sharply from behind her.
Ginny yelped in surprise and whirled around to find Katherine, Dinah, and Leikela approaching her like hungry hyena's. Leikela stomped forward and stuck a finger right up to Ginny's nose, her teeth barred.
"What exactly do you think you're doing Ginny Weasley?" She demanded and Ginny simple stared back, dumbstruck.
"Wh-what?"
"Don't what us!" Katherine said shrilly, she was twirling her wand between her chubby fingers. "You now exactly what we're talking about!"
"How could you Ginny?" Dinah said as tears filled her eyes, her blonde hair falling in front of her watering eyes.
"How could I what?" She asked looking at them in an exasperated manner. "What did I do?"
"You've been flirting with Colin for the last couple of weeks, and frankly, we're sick of it!" Leikela informed her viciously and Ginny felt her eyes grow so wide she feared they would fall out.
"flirting?" She repeated flatly. "With Colin? Colin Creevey?"
"What other Colin is there?" Katherine snapped. "You know we're trying to set Dinah and Colin up together, and then you go and steal him away whenever we try to get him. I mean, you sitting down beside him and stealing him away from Dinah, and always walking to class together! Plus you two coming into class late together with red cheeks as though you were both kissing somewhere in secret was a bit harsh!"
Ginny stared in disbelief at the three girls in front of her. Two looking furious and the other on the edge of tears.
"I don't flirt with Colin", she then said in the sudden silence with quite a high voice. "I don't like Colin like that in anyway! Colin is a friend! I would never try to steal him away from Dinah! Never! You three know who I like!"
Leikela, Dinah, and Katherine stared seriously and long at Ginny.
"Why'd you both come to class late with red cheeks?" Dinah finally demanded with a shaking voice.
"Because I was late, and I had his homework, so he came looking for me to get it", she answered simply. "And all the others times were just accidents, I mean come on. You could even ask Colin, Colin would say the exact same thing. We don't like each other like that".
Another moment of piercing stares went by before the girls seemed convinced. They nodded, muttered their apologies and then hurried off together. Ginny stared after them in a disbelieving manner, shaking her head of scarlet hair.
What class did she have next? Potions! It wouldn't be that horrible today, because she had happier things to look forward to. She was now getting closer to wiping that horrible smugness off of Malfoy's face.
**** A/N That's the end of the fifth chapter. In case anyone is wondering, Draco and Ginny stuff will be happening in the next chapter. They'll actually have conversations! Sorry this chapter is so short, it's just got one or two little things in it. Please Read and Review! And thank you to all those people that have reviewed so far!