Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. That makes me sad. See: L - (sad face)
"Behind the basic principle of the current moral fashion: 'moral actions are actions performed out of sympathy for others', I see the social effect of timidity hiding behind an intellectual mask: it desires, first and foremost, that all the dangers which life once held should be removed from it, and that everyone should assist in this with all his might: hence only those actions which tend towards the common security and society's sense of security are to be accorded the predicate 'good'! [...]"
- Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher
Moral Fashion of a Commercial Society
By Sorrow in Shadow
Chapter Two – Thoughts
"Thoughts are the shadows of our sensations – always darker, emptier, simpler than these."
"Ginny!" called Ron's voice over the hustle and bustle of every Hogwarts student climbing into the carriages that took them to their 'boarding school' for the greater part of the coming year. Almost reluctantly, Ginny turned and briskly approached the carriage all her friends were scrambling into. It seemed that everyone this year was trying to fit in to some sort of style. There were those who still lavished all their energy on improving their brains, such as Hermione, those who considered themselves rebels without a cause, perhaps that's what Harry and Ron thought themselves to be, then Neville and Luna and, maybe, Colin Creevey were the odd balls.
That was mildly disturbing, that everyone seemed to fit into a carefully labeled category. Ginny grumbled under her breath before mounting the steps into the carriage and sitting between Ron and Neville. Unfortunately, the two males blocked her view of the approaching Hogwarts castle, so Ginny had to remain content with folding her arms across her chest and waiting. The night was dark and cloudy, for no stars appeared in the sky. Not that Ginny could see, anyhow.
There wasn't much to look forward to this year, Ginny thought. Dumbledore had told Harry that he would someday soon have to battle Voldemort until one of them had died. Of course, Harry had proceeded to explain this to Ron and Hermione, and Hermione had promptly told Ginny.
So Ginny was aware of this fact, obviously. She hadn't told Harry or Ron of her knowledge, for she thought that they might be inclined to place even more protective positions around her. For goodness sake! I'm not a little girl anymore... If I can battle Death Eaters and live, then I'm not harmless! Holding back a growl, Ginny bit her lip and considered that fact. Even though she had grown, the only single person who seemed to treat her like an equal instead of a baby was Hermione, and maybe Dean. Maybe.
Sometimes muggles had more common sense than wizards. Then, again, most wizards lived longer than muggles. They had more time to live out their lives, whereas muggles struggled to figure out all they could in their sadly short lifetimes. All those emotions: love, hate, sorrow, joy, empathy, and so on, were expressed more by muggles. They took more risks, Ginny realized. They knew no life other than their own, non-magical ones. How dull, Ginny thought sadly.
The carriage pulled up in front of the Hogwarts grounds, and everyone proceeded to clamber out quickly, taking their luggage and animals with them. Ron was fidgeting with Pigwidgeon, having had more respect and compassion for the small owl since Sirius' death. Ginny frowned deeply. Sirius had been a friend to all of them, except Neville and Luna, and everyone greatly mourned that loss. None more so than Harry, who was somber and silent most of the time these days.
As Ginny pushed and shoved her luggage out of the compartment, she looked up to view Hogwarts from the outside once more. It was truly a magnificent castle, and held a strange aura of safety and 'home' around it's gigantic stone towers and gorgeous mosaic windows. A small sigh escaped from Ginny's lips as she lugged her suitcases to the huge metal and wooden door that allowed them to enter Hogwarts. With a grunt, Ginny pulled her suitcases up the stairs and to the door, where she waited for Professor Minerva McGonagall to arrive and let them in, so to speak.
She stood there, shifting all her weight onto one leg as she placed both hands on her hips and stared threateningly at the door before her. She didn't even notice the other students gathering around her and giggling to themselves. Hearing a familiar drawl she blew a puff of air up at an annoying strand of hair that dared to fall out from behind her ear. Not him again, she almost thought, then reconsidered this and decided that it was probably a good opportunity to find out more about her… target, to be friendly.
With a haughty stance, Ginny contemplated how to best gain his attention. Maybe doing something extremely stupid would help, but Ginny didn't want to embarrass herself in front of everyone. Then again, she didn't care.
She slowly stepped back, down a couple stairs, then promptly tripped on the last step and sprawled onto the cold stone before the door. This act of self-inflicted pain gathered the attention of a great number of students, many of the Slytherins included, much to Ginny's delight. That was the first time she'd been pleased to have the notice of a Slytherin. This thought made her grimace for a moment before she twisted her expression into one of feigned pain.
"Nice one, Weasley," a sneering tone commented. There was only one person who could command such a disgustingly pompous voice, and that was Draco Malfoy. You won't be so stuck up once I'm done with you, Malfoy… she convinced herself, allowing a slight smirk of satisfaction to cross her face before pushing herself up off the ground with a tiny grunt.
"I didn't think it was nice," she mumbled, just loudly enough for him to hear. She brushed her hair aside so that it gave a matted, wild appearance. Hopefully he would react like she expected him to.
"You don't think so, Weasley?" he said, louder and with a giant hint of mocking in his degrading tone. She noted that as he looked at her bedraggled hair, he brushed his own suave blonde strands back with a pale hand. "What do you think, then?" Before Ginny could respond, Draco caught himself and added quickly: "Haha, what am I saying? I don't care what you have to say, Weasley." With another abysmal laugh, Draco turned back to his friends and they began to talk in somewhat low voices as Ginny stood up to her full height, still shorter than almost everyone, and brushed her skirts off. Anyone who gave her so much as a quizzical glance got a dark glare in return.
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As she settled down in her dorm, Ginny proceeded to unpack her belongings. Her whimsical trip and verbally insulting encounter with Malfoy had been slightly humiliating, but she had seen all she needed to know the effects of her first prank. With a malevolent smile that many people would not believe possible for innocent little Ginny Weasley, she skimmed through her spell books in search of something that would help her carry through with her plan.
With a sigh, she flung her last spell book into her suitcase and sat, pouting, on her bed, grumbling about how unfair it all was… Until Hermione came into the room. With a smile broader than most people could manage, Ginny sprang up and proceeded to ask her older, wiser friend for help. Hermione, once she heard the pleas of her younger friend, nodded fervently and smiled. "I suppose I could explain it…"
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The feast. A genuine, time-for-Ginny-to-put-on-the-charms, smile plastered itself onto her lips. Dean Thomas had met up with her in the Gryffindor common room, and the two had tried to ignore the frequent death glares that Ron cast in their direction. As they began to eat, Dean wrapped a secure arm about her waist and continued boasting to Seamus and Ron about his summer.
Harry stared into the enchanted ceiling above, not saying anything or eating, with his arms folded across his chest and his gaze oddly vacant. Ginny supposed that he had a lot to think about, and she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. With a disgruntled sigh that would have failed to get Dean's attention had she wanted it, Ginny looked at Hermione, who was busy eating her food and sending worried glances in Harry's direction. It was so like Hermione to fret over Harry. She'd made a career for herself at Hogwarts, worrying about Harry. No one did a better job than Hermione when it came to that. The bushy-haired sixth year caught Ginny's gaze for a moment, winked with a smile, then instantly went back to eating and worrying.
The real prize of the evening was at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy sat with his badgering bunch of flunkies, laughing and drawling together, were that possible, and drinking from one of the many silver goblets, every so often running a hand through his pale hair. It IS nice hair, though…I must admit. Ginny nodded her head in agreement with her silent comment, and Dean turned a questioning look upon his girlfriend. Ron grew tense in his seat. Ginny quickly averted her gaze from Draco's backside to Dean's friendly if not demanding face. It would never do if her boyfriend saw her goggling at a Slytherin enemy.
Even if she was only planning.
"Gin?" Dean said softly, hoping Ron would hear or punch at him, even from across the table. Knowing Ron, the hotheaded boy would most likely leap across the table and start beating at Dean with the smoked salmon in front of him if he made any move on Ginny. Even if she was his girlfriend.
"Hmm?" Ginny took a sip of her tinted drink and returned her boyfriend's questioning gaze with a raised eyebrow and a sour expression.
Dean took a moment to think this out. "Nothing," he muttered, turning back to Seamus when his best friend asked another question.
"So what happened then?" Ginny heard Seamus' excited voice linger excitedly in the raucous of noise that engulfed the Great Hall. With a small sigh, Ginny returned her curious eyes to Draco's back. She wanted to know precisely when he left the Great Hall, and hoped ardently that he did so alone.
Suddenly, the Slytherin prefect gracefully left his seat, and Ginny, for lack of a better idea, spilled her juice onto her lap, and then shrieked slightly as the cold liquid sank through her robes. Ushered by Dean and Seamus, Ginny hurried out of the Great Hall to 'change her robes and take a shower'. For lack of a better idea, of course.
She swung Harry's invisibility cloak around her shoulders once the doors had been closed, and scampered after Draco's slowly walking form as he headed for the Slytherin Dungeons. Cursing under her breath, Ginny ran as silently as she could to catch up with him. Right as he stood before the entrance of the Slytherin Dungeons, Draco must've thought he heard something behind him, for he sharply turned on his heels and scanned his surroundings with those cool gray eyes of his.
He narrowed his eyes as he glanced about, then, seeing nothing, frowned heavily. "Maybe…" he mumbled audibly, reaching a hand out in a swiping gesture, before shaking his head and turning back to the entrance when Ginny effectively sidestepped his lash. "Snakes, Snails, and Brewing Tails," he muttered as the door opened before him. Seeing no other option, Ginny filed in after him.
The Slytherin common room was empty, save Draco's presence, which meant that it was pretty much empty. Black leather couches and darkly colored tables and stands were placed about the room. A green carpet spread across the floor, emphasizing the Slytherin colors: silver and green. Ginny shuddered, not liking the fact that she was in the Slytherin common room to begin with. Draco started to walk towards the boy's dormitory, grumbling almost under his breath that prefects should have their own sleeping quarters. "That Weasley girl is so clumsy… I wonder if there is anything in that thick skull of hers." He had himself a less than humble chuckle over his words and nodded his head in acceptance. If she was not mistaken, then Malfoy was actually planning his next joke! Ginny was flabbergasted by what a pompous prat he was. He had proven himself uncompanionably difficult to know as a person, and a cheat who played by no rules but his own, but even calling Harry 'Saint Potter' wasn't as bad as rehearsing his own jokes before acting upon them! Maybe he wasn't as quick-witted as she had thought.
If not, then this provided Ginny with a strong advantage. A very strong advantage.
Seeing no other chance to take, Ginny quietly murmured the words of her spell and flicked her wand at Draco's head. A dim ray of energy blasted into the back of Draco's head, and he merely stumbled forward a bit, looking utterly confused and malcontent. Ginny held her breath and waited. "Must've tripped," he decided in annoyance, glaring at the stair steps before descending them. Once he was safely out of sight and sound range, Ginny wheeled towards the door out of the dungeons, only to find a stream of Slytherins filing into the common room.
Ginny stood still, petrified.
She would love to be there in the morning when Draco woke up with no hair, but right now she had to get out of the Slytherin Dungeons without being caught. Ginny bit her bottom lip and slinked off slowly to a shadowy corner, leaning against the wall like a trapped mouse. She had a long wait; that was for sure.
(A/N: Well, how is the second chapter? Satisfactory? J Feel free to review!)