CHAPTER NINE

Aboard the hogwarts expresS

            The last days of summer holiday passed all too quickly for the students.  Ginny found herself sitting between Hermione and Ron on the Hogwarts Express, after saying goodbye to her mother and father.  Fred and George had come to see them off as well, promising that they would see the twins later in the year.

Ginny wasn't surprised.  She knew that once Fred and George had their minds sent on something – like buying store in Hogsmeade – there was no stopping them.

            Butterflies danced around in her stomach.  She was very excited for the upcoming school year.  She and Harry had grown much closer over the summer, despite certain events while they were in Hawaii, which had turned into a clean slate nonetheless.  Ginny was desperate for Harry to see her as a woman, not as his best friend's little sister.  If she had one goal this year, it was not to score high on her OWLs, but to win over Harry.  She knew that if she could just make him see the real her, he wouldn't need any other coaxing to sweep her into his arms and proclaim his love for her.

            Well, maybe that was a bit too much of a romantic dream.  But Ginny wouldn't give up.

            "Cheer up, Harry," Ron said.  "You should be happy.  We're almost to Hogwarts.  Your real home."

            Harry managed a smile.  "You're right."  He reached in his bag and took out a handful of Bertie Blotts Every Flavor Beans and picked through them, searching for safe colors.

Ginny knew he still had girls on the brain.  Within a matter of moments, Harry was back in his own little world.  It was no use.  She stood up and excused herself to the bathroom.

The restrooms aboard the Express were quite dainty – though not nearly as small as those on the airplane.  Ginny pushed herself into one of the stalls in the girls' lavatory.  Suddenly, she heard giggling as the door squeaked open and shut loudly.

"I must say, Harry does look like he got a little sun this holiday," one of the girls said.

"Weasley looks quite red as well," the other replied.

"It doesn't matter.  Harry will still always be a gangly fellow, tan or not."

Ginny recognized the third voice as Cho Chang's.  She frowned.  She didn't recognize the other two girls but could see that they were in Ravenclaw.  She peeked through the crack in her stall and saw blue robes.

"Besides, his hair is too long and he still has those terrible glasses.  Honestly, I don't understand why he doesn't just have his eyes corrected magically.  And don't even get me started on that ugly scar in the middle of his forehead."

Ginny rolled her eyes.  It was hard to believe that anybody could be that shallow.

"Besides, he's such a goodie-goodie.  I mean, every year he saves the damn school and stupid Miss Perfect Hermione Granger.  Or Weasley's mousey little sister."

It took an enormous amount of effort against every bone in Ginny's body not to storm out of the stall and bitch-slap Cho.

"I want a rebel.  I don't want someone who's going to save me from trouble.  I want someone who will start it himself."  She paused.  "After all, the last thing I want is another Cedric…" Cho's voice trailed off, and Ginny thought she could almost see a tear in her eye.

"Well, if Harry's not good enough for you…" one girl interrupted.

Or too good for you, Ginny thought.

"Who are you after now?  It is our last year.  You have to go out with a bang."

"Oh and I intend to."  Ginny could hear the gloating tone in Cho's voice.  It made her skin crawl.

            "Well, who's the lucky guy?"

            "Draco Malfoy."  Cho turned to her friends with a devilish smile on her face.  "Everyone will freak out.  Especially my parents."

            "You'll never pull it off," the other girl said.  "He and Pansy Parkinson are practically engaged.  I heard that she spent half the summer at the Malfoy Mansion."

            "I'm sure that won't last long," Cho replied.  "Something tells me that Draco Malfoy isn't a one-woman kind of man."

            "Ah, long time no see, Potter," Draco Malfoy spat as he sauntered into the car the trio was sitting in.  Ginny was still in the restroom.  Draco plopped down next to Hermione on arm of the chair.

            "What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron questioned.

            "Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

            "Friend?" Hermione cried.  "Have you lost your mind?"

            "Speaking of friends," Harry announced.  "Why are you going to school over in Drumstrang with all your Dark Arts buddies?  I thought your father was going to send you off with his pal Karkaroff."

            "Me too, actually."  Malfoy stood, apparently deep in thought.  "But there is no matter.  Only two more years at this crummy school and then my real education will begin."

            Ron grunted.  "I bet.  I can't believe Dumbledore is still letting you back into the school after the riot you caused last year."

            "Someone had to rally the troops during the mudblood off-season."  He turned to Hermione, his eyes twinkling with wickedness.  "Besides, it came in handy for knowing who my friends and enemies will be this year."  He turned around and approached Harry.  "This year's going to be different, you know.  This is the year of the serpent.  You'll see.  Terrible things are on their way."

            "Is that a threat, Malfoy?" Harry snapped.

            "Oh yes," he replied.  "In fact, I can guarantee that you can kiss your trophies goodbye this year, for both the House Points and Quidditch."

            "Slytherin beat Gryffindor at Quidditch?" Ron asked.

            "Not with you as a Seeker," Harry said.

            Malfoy's eyes seemed to glow as white as the hair on his head.  "Just wait, Potter.  You'll get yours.  Just wait."  Malfoy quickly turned and walked out of the car and into the narrow hallway, nearly running Ginny over.

            "Watch it!" Ginny snapped, not realizing who had almost knocked her over.  She was still in a bad mood about the bathroom incident.

            "Ah… Little Ginny Weasley," Malfoy whispered, looking Ginny up and down in a way that made shivers crawl down her spine.  Also in a way that she wanted Harry to look at her.  "Not so little anymore."  His stare stopped at her chest level.  "Nice…" he paused.

            "What?" she barked, resisting the urge to punch him in the face and mess up his perfectly cute smile or kick him right in the Malfoy family jewels.

            "Tan," Malfoy finished.  Ginny raised an eyebrow in curiosity.  Malfoy's skin was flawless.  Pure, pale white.  No freckles.  No zits.  His soft, silvery hair was a tad mussed – probably from sleeping on the train.  He ran his fingers though his hair and she felt a flutter in her stomach.

Their eyes met for just a moment, then Malfoy grinned walked away.

            Ginny stuck out her tongue at Malfoy's retreating back.  "Yuck.  Now I need a shower."  She went back to the car and sat down next to Hermione.  "What was that all about?"

            "I'm not sure," Hermione replied.  "Did he seem a little more… arrogant than usual?"

            Harry nodded.  "I wonder what sort of tricks he's got up his sleeve."

            "I just can't believe that Dumbledore let him come back this year," Hermione scoffed.  She was offended to go to the same school as Malfoy, let alone be in the same room with him.

            "Don't take it personally, Hermione," Ron said.

            "Yeah," Harry agreed.  "Dumbledore knows what he's doing.  And you know what he says…"

            "'Quit breaking the rules'?" Ron questioned, looking perplexed.

            Harry chuckled but shook his head.  "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."