QoH: And, obviously, we're switchin back to Ginny. lol
Chapter 3: Musings Of The Heart
Ginny's POVA week after Professor Dumbledore's rather surprising announcement, I'm still wondering what the heck I'm going to do about it. I've never been to anything like this before. What if I make an utter fool out of myself? I don't even know how to dance, for pity's sake! Not to mention that I don't have any robes to wear. I really don't want to beg Mum for the money to buy them, especially with Ron already having sent his letter with Pigwidgeon to ask her for himself.
The idea of just skipping it all together crosses my mind for, what seems like, the millionth time. Honestly, even if (and that's a huge "if") I somehow managed to pull off getting my hands on some and learned how to dance, there's still that thorny problem of finding myself a date.
Who'd take me, after all? Sure, I'd love to go with Harry, but that's about as likely to happen as… Oh, I don't know, Voldemort conducting a charity fair for Muggles in Afghanistan. I smirk ironically to myself as I sit by the lake, watching the giant squid propel itself lazily back and forth across it. Like that'd ever happen. Anyway, going with anyone else just seems weird. True, I've grown up a bit, but I'm still shy. I don't know many people that well, not like I know Harry and Hermione.
The odd thought skitters through my brain that Harry might be having this same dilemma. Then I smack myself on the forehead, feeling extraordinarily stupid. He may be shy, but I'd bet he wouldn't even need to ask anyone. I remember what it was like for him before the Yule Ball, being asked by girls he'd never even met. He's The-Boy-Who-Lived; of course they'd be falling all over themselves to ask him. Like I said, an odd thought.
I scowl as I remember just who he did want to go with. That Cho Chang girl. I don't know her in the least, and she does seem nice from what I hear, but it doesn't stop me from being a little jealous. Ok, I admit it, a lot jealous. Seriously, she's a great Seeker, she's incredibly pretty, and she's got the best guy in the world daydreaming about her! Not that she has a clue, of course (at least, I don't think so). I wonder if she would care if she did.
'Much like your current situation, is it not?'
Oh, joy. The voice is back. The hateful little thing's been taunting me ever since I found out about this. I thought I could get rid of it by concentrating extra-hard on my schoolwork, but it takes the opportunity to bug me every time I take a rest. It kind of reminds me of Peeves, how it persistently pokes at my attention with its taunting remarks. One thing I will say in its favor, however, is that it does demonstrate a sort of intelligence, unlike a certain poltergeist we all know and immensely loathe. But then, that's the really irritating part about the whole thing. It always seems to be right.
I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go and check out Hogsmead, though, even if I'm only window-shopping. Maybe a miracle will happen and they'll have a sale with something in my size and price range. Highly doubtful, but at least I can say I tried.
The bell rings, signaling the end of the break, so I stand up and brush myself off. It's time for Potions, with that creepy, attitude-riddled-with-more-animosity-than-swiss-cheese-has-holes Professor Snape. What fun.
****
Several hours later, classes are over, and I'm stuck in the back of the library, researching a horrendously complicated essay for, you guessed it, Professor Snape. Something about Veritaserum, that truth potion he seems to be so fond of. We were making it in class today, or trying to, anyway. I swear, that man needs courses in anger management. Some in kindness wouldn't hurt, either, while he's at it.
Cassie Williams, one of my roommates, had some trouble getting her proportions right. It ended up melting her cauldron and spilling the ingredients all over the floor. Snape seemed to be of the mind that this was inexcusable, and yelled at her for a good five minutes over this, that and the other. And, if that wasn't bad enough, he took twenty points from Gryffindor, gave her detention (cleaning the dungeon floors for an entire night, the muggle way), and gave everyone this idiotic essay, to be turned in only two days from now. Who spit in his cereal this morning? Or any morning, for that matter?
Cassie, poor girl, ran crying out of the room as soon as he moved away to bully some other unfortunate Gryffindor soul. The Slytherins we shared the class with, of course, thought this was all a riot, and cracked up in malicious laughter. Snape, being the jerk he is, played favorites yet again, and allowed them to continue. The rest of us Gryffindors just had to grit our teeth and keep a forced silence. As much as we would've loved to strike back, we didn't want even more punishment to be dealt out.
I look up when I hear the door open, wondering who else had the unlucky task of finishing homework at this hour. To my amazement, Harry comes strolling into view from around a bookshelf, "What are you doing here, Harry?"
He smiles at me and sits down across the table, "I heard about what happened in Potions. Is your friend all right?"
I shake my head, "As far as I know, she won't talk to anybody. But then, that was a couple hours ago." I sit back and throw my homework a dirty look, "I don't know her very well, quiet as she is, but from what I can tell, especially after today, Cassie's a very sensitive person, and a perfectionist. She'll brood over things when she doesn't think she did them right."
Harry nods, frowning, "Not the best combination, particularly when one is in Snape's presence."
"Yeah, she's Muggle-born, and tends to think she's not good enough with magic."
He grimaces in sympathy now, "Ouch. I certainly wouldn't like to be her, trapped with Snape and a bunch of Slytherins. Not with the way that lot thinks."
"No kidding." I mutter and look at the moon through the panes of the narrow window beside me.
"Hey." I turn, and there he is, mere inches away from my face, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure she'll be fine, especially after you cheer her up." Then, without warning, he kisses me, as softly and briefly as a butterfly's wing. After a moment, he pulls back, and gives me that quiet, enigmatic smile of his. My heart pounds as I stare back into those pure emerald pools of mystery...
I twitch back into wakefulness, my cheek resting against that accursed essay. Not opening my eyes, I groan when I realize that I'd fallen asleep. What I'd thought was my heart had actually been someone knocking on the table at which I've been for God knows how long. As I'm still half asleep, it takes me a minute to put things together enough to look up for the source of the noise.
Early-morning sunlight streams over the real Harry as he stands in front me, looking a bit nonplused.
~In all my dreams,
it's never quite as it seems.
Never quite as it seems.~
QoH: hehe Had ya goin there for a sec, didn't I? Please review! (I'm sooo sorry about the late update! We had a wickedly evil ice storm here, and everythin was down 4 more than a week! The sad thing is, I already had this written, and was plannin 2 update it when the storm hit… -_-' geez…