A/n: I believe a disclaimer is in order as I forgot that in the first chapter *grins guiltly* Bad mistake on the author's part.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all afflicted parts of the series belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros and all the publishers involved and what not. I am producing no money from this nor do the characters, settings, etc. belong to me. Any Lord of the Rings references belong to JRR Tolkien and all publishers involved. This series is also not that of mine.
Chapter Two: An Acidic Question
Defense Against the Dark Art was clearly not an exciting class. Just as every year promised there was a new teacher, Professor Stanley, and she was dull; to say the very least. She was even worse than Lockhart, Ginny's first Dark Arts professor, who had at least given the class something to laugh at, be it his own stupidity. No, Stanley was just an all around boring witch.
She was slightly monotonous and spoke in many 'uhs', 'ums' and 'wells'. She stuck mainly to reading from the textbook and her assignments were almost always straight reading and answering questions. Worse was the common knowledge that the sixth year material was supposed to be interesting. The course focussed on the studies of wizard transformations into such things as werewolves and vampires. But no, she had to make the interesting year dry.
"Take out your books and turn to page eighty-nine," Stanley said with barely any fluctuation of her tone. She sat on a stool infront of the almost asleep class and pushed her large round glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Werewolves, as you studied in your third year, are often considered as being highly dangerous," she started at a flat level and persisted to drown on.
"Are you going Saturday afternoon?" Lynda asked quietly while Stanley continued to read on. She leant in closer to Quinlan and Ginny and flipped to the next page of the book.
Quin shrugged. "I suppose so," she muttered. "Support my House especially when they're up against Slytherin." With that a smirk spread across the brunette's face and she turned her chocolate eyes to Ginny. "Tough choice on who to cheer for, eh Gin?"
"Gryffindor, Quin. Really, what do you take me for?" Ginny skimmed the page as Stanley tediously read from the book. She made it appear as if she was following along.
"But what about the Slytherins ... and Malfoy?" Her smirk turned into a childish and sincere grin.
Ginny didn't reply for this was not the place to do so in the manner she wished. Ignoring Quin's comment and Lynda's snicker, Ginny followed with Stanley's reading. When it came time to start on the homework Ginny did just that and never once talked to her two friends.
"I do not, repeat do not in anyway like him," Ginny exclaimed, putting much emphasis on the 'do not'. The class had ended and the three girls were now feet from the room, making their way to History of Magic. She had jumped at them before either girl ever had the chance to say anything.
"If that's what you're going to stick with," Lynda teased from one side of Ginny.
"But we both know the truth," Quinlan added from Ginny's otherside.
Surrounded by the two peskiest flies she could know, Ginny shook her head. She refused to let their torments get to her. Simple as that. She knew she didn't like that git of a Malfoy and that's all that really mattered. If Quin and Lynda choose to believe otherwise, frankly that just wasn't Ginny's problem. They could believe whatever they wanted.
"Come on Gin, you know we're just teasing you," Lynda said, slightly concerned at the look on Ginny's face. It was a look that plainly told Lynda that Ginny was not amused with their jokes.
"Yeah, we know you can't possibly like such a person," Quin clued in and added. She too could see Ginny's unamused expression. "Gin, it's Malfoy. He's only the person who heckles you and your family the worst out of anyone. Do you really think we'd be as moronic as to actually believe you have a thing for him?"
Ginny glared over at her friend. Her eyes told Quin that yes they were moronic enough to believe such a fantasy. Or at least that's what Ginny thought.
"We aren't that ignorant," Lynda continued. "We know you don't like him. It's just fun to badger you about it. Lord knows there's no use badgering Quin about Colin anymore. They seem to be on a steady pace right now. We just moved from bugging Quin to bugging you."
Ginny narrowed her eyes even more. "Fine, it's not like a care. But can you drop the Malfoy thing? Honestly, it's not even that funny. It's aggravating and quite frankly it's getting on my nerves. For you both to have even presumed that really gets to me. So we're going to drop it as of now." She made her point very clearly and gave both girls a quick glance.
"Fine, fine. Whatever you want Gin," Quinlan shook her head. "You know you are too stubborn for your own good sometimes."
Ginny beamed with victory. "I know." Of course she knew she was stubborn. She always had been and her mother used to make it quite a point at pointing this out to her. But that's what came with being the youngest and the only girl in a family of six siblings. She had to build up a fairly strong defense for all the tormenting she got from her brothers in younger years.
The three girls, following close behind the other Gryffindors of their year, entered Binns' classroom. History of Magic was the final class for the sixth years Thursday afternoons. The second most boring class followed the most boring. Thursday afternoons were definitely not an exciting time for this lot of students.
* * *
"Are you coming or not Quin? Let's go!" Ginny yelled up the stairs in the direction of her dorm. It was Saturday afternoon, only a quarter of an hour until the Quidditch game would start. Ginny walked down a half flight of stairs to meet with Lynda. "What takes her so long?"
Lynda shrugged and picked Chester up off the floor. She stroked the top of his black head. "I really don't know."
Ginny pulled on her black cloak, leaving it unfastened and sat in a maroon armchair. Her patience slowly became less and less. Lynda dropped Chester and took a seat on the arm of Ginny's chair. The cat landed on the floor with a soft thump and snuck up the stairs passed Quin.
"Sorry," Quin gave a little yawn and fastened two of the silver clasps on her cloak. She then rushed the two from the already empty Common Room.
"Where have you three been?" Colin asked as the girls approached him and Rock Henderson - a fellow Gryffindor sixth year - up in the pitch stands. "The game's about to begin you know."
"Blame your girlfriend here," Ginny mumbled and passed the two boys, taking a seat three spots from Colin. Lynda took up a seat next to Gin and Quin between Lynda and Colin. "Quin took bloody forever to get going."
"I already apologized near to twenty times on the way here. What else do you want me to do? Plus, the game hasn't started yet, so we didn't miss anything."
A whistle blew and almost an immediate silence feel upon the crowd. The two teams - Gryffindor in red, Slytherin in emerald - flew in on either side of Madam Hooch.
"Welcome!" came the amplified voice of Allen Jordan. He was Lee Jordan's younger brother, a fifth year Hufflepuff. He had taken over Lee's job when Lee had graduated from Hogwarts. "Welcome," he repeated, "to the season opening Quidditch match! Hoping for quite a game from the school's leading teams; Gryffindor and Slytherin!"
All four houses present cheered and hollared. Three out of the four hoping that Gryffindor would come away today with the win and send Slytherin into a streak of defeat.
"If you would all direct your eyes to the lower pitch this game can get underway!"
"Blaise, where in hell's name have you been?"
Blaise had just stepped onto the pitch for some pregame warm up when Draco approached, hovering a few feet from the ground. An obvious anger was apparent in his voice and Blaise looked around to see seven blurs of red and five more of green. He went to speak but Draco cut him off.
"Never mind. Get in the air mater, let's get this game going." He quickly raked a hand through his hair, a sign that he was loosing patience and becoming frustrated.
A half hour of warm up passed when Madam Hooch stepped to the middle of the pitch and blew her whistle. To one side of her Blaise and the other six Slytherin members lowered to the ground. Potter and the other Gryffindors came to the ground on Hooch's other side.
"Keep it fair," Hooch advised and her amber yellow eyes slanted more to the Slytherins than the Gryffindors. "I want a clean game."
"It's as if she's accused us of cheating without even playing," Draco muttered to Blaise.
"Bring it in boys," she beckoned and both Draco and Potter stepped forward, closer to her.
The two Captains glared at each other for a minute, never breaking eye contact. Draco lowered his brow and shook his head at the Boy-Who-Lived. The two boys took another step in and put out a hand.
"Have a nice game Potter," Draco spat, grasping Potter's hand. A half smile came to his lips.
"Look for red Malfoy, Lord knows you can never find the golden Snitch."
"Let's get 'em boys," Draco said after he returned to his team. He mounted his broom. "Zabini I don't want anything getting through those hoops. You got me?" Hooch then blew on her whistle and the game got on the go.
Gryffindor took the first ten points, Blaise having just missed the Quaffle. Slytherin, however, was able to score a swift twenty points shortly after. That put them in the lead by ten.
"Alex!" Blaise heard Potter yell from up ahead. The Gryffindor Keeper looked across the field at his Captain. "Watch for anything coming up from underneath!" Potter yelled across the field, giving warning his younger team member. He then quickly spun upside down as a Bludger was struck his way.
Ginny wasn't a big Quidditch fan. The sport didn't really amuse her in any form of the word amuse. Of course she didn't mind watching a match every once in awhile and she came to show support for her House. This year just happened to have an added attraction that Ginny had never bothered to pay attention to before. That definitely helped to make the match more interesting and added to the likilhood of her coming to future games.
"Zabini, I don't want anymore in!" Ginny heard Malfoy call. She looked to see the green Seeker circle above his Keeper. The Quaffle had just gotten passed Blaise for the third time, bringing the Gryffindor score closer to Slytherin's. Malfoy didn't seem to be too amused.
"What do you think I'm doing Draco, letting them in on purpose?!"
Ginny grinned faintly as she heard Blaise's retort and she could just make out his distant eyes narrowing at his Captain. And she thought he was attractive on a regular day basis. Put him in that emerald Quidditch uniform and on that broomstick and he looked even better. Ginny couldn't believe she was falling for a seventh year Slytherin.
"And Malfoy's got it!" Allen spoke up. "Slyth- Slytherin won," he stuttered in slight shock and disappointment with the outcome of the match. "They beat Gryffindor."
Ginny looked to see a disappointed Harry and a triumphant Malfoy coming in to land. She had stopped paying attention awhile ago and had completely missed Harry and Malfoy's race for the Snitch. The golden ball now glinted between Malfoy's fingers and he wore an expression of great pride on his face.
"Bloody hell, I can't believe we just lost," Dean Thomas spoke a couple rows up from where the sixth years were.
"And to those damn Slytherins," Seamus Finnigan mumbled crossly.
"We've never lost against Slytherin once," Neville Longbottom informed. "That marks Harry's first loss to Malfoy."
"Malfoy's not even a worthy Seeker."
"Of course he's not Seamus," said Dean. "He's no Captain either. They just have Zabini on their team. That's what's going to get them anywhere. He's a bloody good Keeper."
'He's bloody good looking too,' Ginny thought to herself. She stood from where she was sitting and followed the other's from the row. They started on their slow descend from the pitch stadium. A deviant smile lingered on her lips and in her eyes.
"What are you smiling over?" Lynda asked looking over her shoulder at Ginny. "It can't be over the outcome of the game, unless you actually wanted Slytherin to win.
Ginny's smirk widened and she looked forward to Lynda. "No it's not the outcome of the match. It's nothing," she lied and backed the shorter hairs from her face.
"It's nothing or it's none of my business?"
"It's none of your business," Ginny agreed with Lynda and exited the pitch. "I can't believe it's already Hallowe'en next weekend," she said changing the subject at hand.
"Ain't it the truth," Quin chimed in from ahead, her fingers interlaced with Colin's. "Two months already. It'll be Christmas before we know it."
"And then we'll be onto our last year here."
"Don't even bring that up now Lynda. It's not something I really want to think of." Ginny said and halted, looking over her shoulder as her name was called.
"Seven tonight?" a boy with sandy brown hair called to her. He was about to head up a set of stairs with a group of Hufflepuffs. It was assumed that that was the direction of their Common Room.
"Alright Ben, I'll see you then." She herself headed up the staircase that lead in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
"Date tonight Gin?" Ron teased as he and Hermione passed.
"Shut up Ron," she shot at him. Her eyes followed her brother up the stairs. "He's a bloody nuissance that one," she grumbled to Lynda. "Give me Fred, George and a bucket of Filbuster's Fireworks anyday."
Lynda cracked into a smile. "Ah, he's just being a protective older brother. Doesn't want to see his little sister's heart broken by any mean boys."
"Oh and Ben's going to rip my heart into thousands of pieces while we work on our Ancient Runes assignment."
The blonde shrugged and ducked into the room. "You never know. You just never do know," she said, a small hint of sarcasm noticeable on her tongue.
"Nice catch there Draco," Blaise said, landing next to the Slytherin Captain and gave him a congratulatory clap on the shoulder.
Draco smiled and picked his broom up from the ground. He ran a hand over his head, the sun glint on his silver-blonde hair. He gave the now still Snitch to Madam Hooch and was forced to once more shake Potter's hand.
The Slytherins cleaned up, changed and went back to their dungeon Common Room. "What were you doing that made you late anyways?" Draco asked stepping into the room. He carried his cloak over his shoulder and looked about. Vince and Greg sat infront of the room's principle fireplace along with Pansy Parkinson, Melanie Nott, Millicent Bulstrode and Jacynthe Moon.
"Nothing really." Blaise approached his six classmates. He sat in the empty armchair right next to the fire and looked to Draco who was now sitting on a green couch opposite him beside the ebony haired Nott. Draco gave Blaise a look that stated 'Oh please. As if I'll believe that load of dung.' "No really Draco. I uh, feel asleep and woke up a tad late."
Draco shook his head and a blonde strand of hair feel into his eyes. He brushed it away with a long finger. "I don't want to see it again Zabini. You are to be on time for matches, just like everyone else. Got that?"
"Yes sir, Mister Captain, sir," Blaise teased. "I promise I will never, ever be late again. Not once more."
"I don't think I'd really want you as my Captain Draco," said Jacynthe. She twirled long, light brown hair between her index and middle finger.
"That makes two of us then, doesn't it? I wouldn't want you on my team."
Jacynthe dropped the lock of hair and gave him an obscene gesture. "You are so rude Draco Malfoy." She stood and sauntered off to the girls dormitory. Not long after the remaining three females left the Common Room. Melanie joining Jacynthe upstairs; Millicent and Pansy leaving the dungeon area.
"Girls," Vince muttered and his look followed Melanie as she walked up the stairs.
"Honestly," Greg agreed. "Sometimes they can be alright and proper, the next time I don't really care to be anywhere near them."
Draco went to add to the conversation but he paused noticing the unusual silence of the Common Room. Blaise looked around to see what means had passed for the quiet. He looked to the entrance and saw the Potionsmaster and Head of Slytherin House. Professor Snape took another step in and cleared his throat.
"I wish to speak with the members of the Quidditch team in my office. All of you. Ten minutes." With that Snape whirled around and left, his cloak flying out behind him. Blaise exchanged a nervous look with Draco. Neither boy knew what this was about, but it didn't sound to be anything good.
"What the hell does Snape want?" Draco asked Blaise as he and the rest of the team exited the dungeon and headed for Snape's office near to his Potions classroom.
"What is this about Professor?" Blaise questioned, entering the office.
"Until furthur notice the match you have all just played has been declared as a tie." Snape's voice showed only a slight hint of anger, otherwise it was as cold as ever.
"What?!" Jonathan Dovenhouser exclaimed, his eyes becoming wide and looking as if they were about to burst.
"Gryffindor has accused you of cheating-"
"Bloody hell!" Draco said loudly, interrupting Snape's explanation as to what was going on. "What is the means of that? Potter can't admit defeat, that's what his god damn problem is."
"Keep it civil Mister Malfoy," Snape advised. His already pale skin looked even paler in the shade of his office and next to his black hair and robes. "Be that so, Madam Hooch and Professors Dumbledore and Flitwick will be reviewing the match. The outcome of the game will be deteremined dependant on their decision."
"Bloody hell," Draco angrily cursed again. He knew his team had committed no such foul; at least he hoped to hell that they hadn't. Slytherin's future in this season depended on them having not cheated and Draco knew they hadn't.
"Don't we at least get to know how we cheated - if be so?" Blaise asked curiously. He wanted to know what accusation Potter had come up with to cause this dilemma. It couldn't possibly be the truth, there was just no way possible.
"I was not told that. Be that as it is Gryffindor has still accused you of the crime. If you are found guilty that may mean a season suspension for Slytherin." Snape paused and took a seat behind his large desk. He crossed one arm over the other. "I do hope you haven't cheated." His eyes narrowed particularily at Draco. "Supper is near, you may all leave. I will be sure to inform you of the outcome of this."
"If it comes out that any of you cheated you'll be suspended from all future playing," Draco threatened with great emphasis on all, suggesting that the perpatrator wouldn't see another game of Quidditch as long as they attended Hogwarts. The team headed to the Great Hall. "I bloody well better not here of any cheating on my team. We will not win like that."
As Draco gave his angry lecture to the team, Blaise prayed that Slytherin would not be found cheating. That would for sure knock the House out of all runnings for any cup, Quidditch and House alike. Slytherin wouldn't have a chance left in the world.
At supper, about halfway through, Dumbledore grabbed everyone's attention by hitting his knife to his goblet. He then rose, as he'd done the night of the Sorting Ceremony and told the school of the day's mishap.
Blaise hung his head in shame. He couldn't believe the team would even be accused of cheating. Just because they had the reputation of being cheaters, didn't mean that Slytherins were. It was only a false judgement. But actually having the Gryffindors call them on it was not a pleasant thought. Blaise looked passed Draco and narrowed his eyes into a menacing slant. Three tables over, across from a head of long auburn hair sat Potter. He fixed his gaze passed the redhead and locked his stare on the opposing team Captain.
'Curse that boy,' he thought angrily, tightly clenching his hand to his fist. He watched as Dumbledore finished his announcement and took a seat. 'Slytherin didn't cheat, Potter knows that.'
A/n: And? What do you all think?