The Professor
Chapter Four: Getting On
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K. Rowling and her publishers.
A month had passed since school started. Ginny found school harder with all of the Head's jobs and organizing Prefect meetings. She knew that she must keep her grades up or they could revoke her Head Girl badge and use the runner up for Head Girl. So, with that thought, she stayed up every night working on all her homework.
Ginny was sitting at breakfast, half asleep from all the late night studying. Her eyes were closed, and once and a while, her head would nod forward, but she would jerk back in a few seconds. Lucky she did, or she would've fallen into a plate of syrup. Just as she nodded off again, the mail flew in. She looked up, not expecting anything, but looked for the family owl anyway.
Everyone gazed up at a certain bird, a black crow. Ginny gasped. She wondered who it was for. Everyone knew that a black crow brought news of a death in the family. Ginny watched as it flew over to Gryffindor table. She held her breath. The note landed square in front of her. By now everyone was looking at her or the letter. With a shaking hand, Ginny opened the letter.
Dear Ginny,
I can't tell you how sorry I am to have to tell you this. It's Charlie. A dragon killed him when he was in the feeding pen. We're so sorry, but the funeral has already been held, we couldn't get a hold of you on time. I know that you are mad for not getting to go to the funeral, but it couldn't be avoided. I hope you don't hate us for it. We know you were closest to Charlie. I hope this doesn't interfere with your schoolwork, but if it does, it's fine. Hope your okay and well,
Love,
Mum
Ginny felt tears flowing down her cheeks. She ripped the note into several pieces and muttered a spell. The pieces burst into flames on the table. Ginny looked around the room, all eyes on her.
"What are you looking at?!" Ginny jumped up from the table and ran into the hall. Oliver sat helplessly at the teachers table, longing to go after her. Oliver watched as a boy ran after her into the hall. It was the head Boy, Tyler.
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"Ginny? Ginny!?" Tyler yelled, trying to find where she was hiding. He heard a faint sniffle and followed it. He soon found Ginny hiding in a broom closet not to far away. "Ginny? Hon, what's wrong, tell me what happened." Ginny looked up. Her eyes were red and blotchy. She gave him a sad, teary smile.
"My brother. . . Charlie. . . Dead. . . Dragons!" Ginny broke down sobbing in his chest. Tyler relaxed at her touch. She snuggled closer without knowing it. She finally quit sobbing and started over, with more coherent. "My brother, Charlie's dead. A dragon killed him. And I will never see him again, the funeral has already been held!" Tyler didn't know what to say. He finally found something to say.
"I know you may not want to hear it, but everything happens for a reason." Ginny nodded silently and smiled. "And he died doing what he loved, right?" Ginny giggled at that. He did love dragons.
"You're right! He loved dragons, and he died doing what he loved." Ginny hugged Tyler tightly. Tyler stroked her soft, copper hair. Ginny looked up, still crying. She slowly leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away, a slight smile on her face. Tyler had a dumbstruck look on his face. Ginny giggled.
"So, what was that for?" Tyler said, snapping out of his daze. Ginny just smiled and took his hand. Together they walked back to the Great Hall.
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Ginny and Tyler were now a known couple. Everyone was talking about how great they were together. Their first kiss was great, but she felt like something was missing. Something.
The next day at breakfast, she once again looked up at the owls. This time, there was no black crow. This time, a brown, tawny owl dropped a note in front t of her. Ginny looked at the note and opened it.
Dear Ginny,
My love
Don't throw away my love
You are, to me
My greatest fantasy
Night after night
I want for you to hold me tight
I want to be with you
You could make my dreams come true
Only you
Could make my heart and soul brand-new
My love
Don't throw away my love
My love
We could have an everlasting love
I want to be
All that you want me to be
Why can't you see
Just how much you mean to me?
I want to be with you
You could make my dreams come true
Only you
Could make my heart and soul brand-new
Your Secret Admirer
She held the note tight in her hand, afraid to let go. She wondered who it could be from. She raised her head slowly and looked around the room to see if anyone was watching her. First, the Gryffindor table. No one from her table was watching. The next was Ravenclaw. She didn't notice anyone there either. She had to stand up a bit to see the Hufflepuff table, but no one was looking at her. Now, she slowly went down the line of Slytherins. No one at all. Now Ginny was worried. NO one was left, except. . .
She quickly scanned the teacher's table. She abruptly stopped when she saw someone looking at her. Oliver. She felt a blush creeping up her neck. She quickly tapped her wrist to show him she wanted to talk. He nodded and she went back to eating, still clutching her love note.