Things Change
A/N Oh. My. God. I'm on chapter five! Seriously, I can't actually believe it! I don't know why, but having five chapters suddenly makes my fic seem looooooooong. It's a milestone. I know, I know, pathetic, but hey! It's probably because I've got the house ALL TO MYSELF. No noise or anything, just a nice, quiet, perfect writing environment. Lucky me!
I'm such a blind plot person, so I have no idea where I'm going with this, so excuse me for being confused. I just have this image in my head of me walking around a room in a blindfold. Excuse the madness, but I'm constantly being attacked by plot bunnies, so I'm slightly crazy today. Thing is, I don't even know if this is gonna end good or bad. Poor Ginny, her fate is in my hands. #_#
Anyways, thanks for all reviews, flames, whatever, that get thrown my way, they are much appreciated. Right, that's said, what next?
Ah, yes, any comments anyone has for possible scenes, creatures, characters I could introduce, etc, will be taken into consideration. I won't just automatically put your suggestion in, but I'll gratefully consider all ideas. ^_^
And as for the Quidditch players, I had to make some new ones up to fit in with the story. Ah well. It's pretty annoying actually, cause I don't want to have to change all these things, but I'll just have to deal I guess.
So here we go (ahhhhhh!)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The vast, chattering crowd made their way towards the Quidditch pitch excitedly, a mass of scarlet and gold. Ginny was in the middle of the throng with the rest of the 5th years, a golden rosette pinned to her robes and a small, thin scarf with the Gryffindor colours on it tied around her wrist. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan carried a banner with a picture of the whole Quidditch team drawn on it, surrounded by cheering crowds. Everyone was in an excellent mood, eagerly awaiting the first match of the season between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The teams had disappeared into the changing rooms after breakfast, the tension between them almost unbearable.
Ginny listened quietly to Lizzie as they walked up the stairs into the stands and took places right at the front.
"...And I heard that all the England team are from Hogwarts, and that the new guy, Jefferson, he only graduated a couple of years ago, and..."
Ginny smiled to herself as Lizzie started to list all her favourite players. That girl'd never get over how much she loved Quidditch. She was a muggle and had only discovered the sport when she came to Hogwarts. She still loved football, but she loved Quidditch just as much, maybe even more.
Just then, ¾ of the crowd began to cheer ecstatically as the Gryffindor players zoomed out onto the pitch.
"Here are the Gryffindor team, Ladies and Gents," cried Thom Walker into the megaphone. He was the new commentator, a 6th year Ravenclaw. "Weasley, Bell, Harris, Scott, Marcus, McCauley and Potter!"
The crowd applauded wildly, cheering and jumping up and down, drowning out the boos coming from the Slytherin supporters on the other side of the pitch. The team did a lap of honour, soaring around the field. Ginny could see Harry, as Captain, at the front, and her heart skipped a beat. She groaned and shook her head, letting it drop to her chest. Sighing, she looked up again, scanning the pitch for Ron's unmissable red hair. That was always how she found him, by looking for his hair. He was the only Weasley on the team now, Fred and George having left. They'd been replaced by a 5th year boy called Callum Marcus and a 3rd year girl called Jane McCauley. Angelina, Katie and Alicia had also left and had also been replaced, once again by three girls - Lucy Scott, Marie Harris and Ellis Bell, Katie's younger sister.
Ah, there was Ron, looping the goalposts. He had been made keeper last year, much to his and Harry's delight.
"And now," Thom said, a little less enthusiastically. "The Slytherin team..."
A chorus of boos rose from the Gryffindor followers even before he'd announced the team properly. The Slytherins cheered louder, but not loud enough to conquer the discord that was rippling through the stands. The team zipped out onto the pitch, lapping the field before taking their positions, ready to begin. Ginny thought she saw a flash of silver whiz past, but she put it to the back of her mind.
Madam Hooch rose in the air, got the team Captains to shake hands, and then...the whistle blew! Immediately the cheers became even more tumultuous, the supporters shouting encouragement to their team and insults at the other. Thom had to keep dancing out of McGonagall's reach.
Within twenty minutes the score had reached Thirty - Zero to Gryffindor, and there had already been a foul. The Slytherins were rocketing angrily around the pitch, desperately trying to sore. Ginny watched fixedly, worrying about Ron as he saved another goal. The last time they'd played against Slytherin he'd ended up in the hospital wing after being hit badly in the head by a Bludger, and she didn't want another repeat of that. Her family didn't need something else to worry about.
"Ginny, look at Ellis!" Ana cried beside her, grabbing her arm and pointing up at a tiny speck of scarlet and gold that was speeding toward the Slytherin goalposts. Ginny watched intently as Ellis raced towards the goalkeeper. She got ready to throw the Quaffle; it sailed towards the goalpost...
"SHE SCORES!" Thom yelled into the megaphone, jumping up and down elatedly. "Ellis Bell scores! Forty - Zero to Gryffindor!"
Ginny cheered and clapped fervently, grinning as Ellis did a lap of honour, but quickly her delight turned to alarm as a Slytherin chaser hurtled towards the Gryffindor goal. The tension in the crowd grew as he got nearer; he threw the Quaffle through the air; it didn't look like Ron's arm was reaching far enough...
"Forty - Ten" Thom said glumly as the chaser punched the air triumphantly. The Slytherins cheered raucously, throwing insults at the Gryffindor team as they flew past.
The Slytherins scored three more goals, making it evens, and soon the hostility between the two teams was almost stifling as both teams tried to get out in front. Ginny watched the game on tender-hooks. The speck that was Harry circled above the other players, trailed by a speck of green that had to be Malfoy. As she caught sight of them her heart fluttered, but who for, Ginny didn't know.
Just then, a flurry of activity at the Gryffindor end of the pitch caught her attention. Madam Hooch was shouting at a burly Slytherin player. Thom was providing a running commentary.
"...Yes, it looks like the Slytherin beater Bole instigated an unprovoked attack on the Gryffindor chaser Harris inside the scoring area. He hit her with his beater bat. Go on, Madam Hooch, give him what for! Joking Professor, joking! And...oh, it looks like Gryffindor have been given a penalty! Harris takes it; she flies towards the goal posts...come on Marie! And...Oh yes, she scores! Gryffindor are in the lead Fifty - Forty!"
Ginny jumped up and down wildly, cheering Marie on as she did a little lap of honour, but next moment, the crowd were looking at something else. Harry and Malfoy were rocketing towards the ground. Harry was in front...no, now they were level...now Malfoy was just a little way ahead...but no, Harry shoved him out the way and next moment he was soaring upwards, the snitch held tightly in his hand.
The Gryffindor crowd shouted and cheered riotously, clapping like crazy as Harry was swamped by the rest of the team. Ginny grinned broadly as Ron flung his arms around Harry's neck. It was nice to see him looking happy, even if they hadn't really talked lately.
The next moment she could feel arms around her own neck.
"We won, we won!" Lara yelled behind her, jumping up and down. Ginny extracted herself from Lara's death grip and grinned back.
"I know!" she shouted back, still clapping as the team whizzed around the pitch excitedly. "Isn't it great?"
But Lara didn't hear her, having turned back to the others. Ginny sighed. 'Oh well' she thought with a sigh. 'Nothing's changed'.
=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=
"Wasn't Marie great?" Sophie said enthusiastically as they made their way down the stairs. "The way she dodged that keeper - pure skill!"
Ginny listened to the others as they walked back down the stairs from the stands. They were discussing Marie Harris' penalty that had brought them out in front. Ginny couldn't be bothered to talk. The excitement of the match had tired her out. She reached up to her neck, feeling for the comforting weight of her Udjat necklace, but she couldn't find it. Panicking, she looked down, only to find it was missing.
"Hey, guys!" she called to the others. They stopped and looked round.
"What is it Gin?"
"I've lost my necklace! I'm going to go back up and have a look for it" she said, already running up the stairs. The others shrugged.
"Okay!" they called to her retreating back.
Ginny reached the stands hurriedly, panic already setting in. Kneeling down on the floor by where she had been sitting, she felt around on the ground for the little eye on its delicate chain, but she couldn't find it. After about ten minutes of searching, she gave up. Tears came to her eyes as she leant against the barrier, her hands longing to reach up to her neck and feel the weight of the little Udjat. She was so absorbed in her tears that she didn't notice someone coming up behind her.
"Hello?"
She jumped and looked up. She found herself looking into the face of a boy, with black hair and grey eyes. He looked vaguely familiar...
"Thom Walker...?"
The boy smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I was last time I checked. And you look like Ginny Weasley. What's wrong?"
She looked up at him for a second, confused, but then she remembered why she'd been crying.
"Oh," she said, feeling slightly stupid. "I've lost my necklace, that's all"
Thom smiled sympathetically.
"Would it happen to be silver?" he asked, kneeling down on the floor so that he was level with her. Ginny nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
"And would it happen to be a little eye with a diamond in the middle?" he asked again, his smile growing wider.
"Yeeees..." Ginny replied, a small, suspicious smile now dancing across her own face as she looked at Thom's mischievous expression.
Thom smiled and held out his hand. Resting on his palm lay her necklace.
"I found it when I was walking back down from the stands. This little sparkle caught my eye, I looked down, and this was on the floor. Then I heard you crying, so I came over...and you know the rest..."
Ginny smiled happily, reaching out and taking the necklace from his palm. Thom stood and held out his hand, pulling her up from the floor as she clutched the necklace.
"Thank you *so* much!" she said, kissing the necklace and hugging it too her. She was about to open the clasp, but then she saw it was broken. She sighed dolefully, holding the necklace up by the chain and examining it. "Oh great...it must have broken when it fell off"
"Here, let me fix it for you" Thom replied, reaching out and taking it from her hand. Their finger brushed slightly and Ginny felt her cheeks flush. She looked down at the floor, hiding her face.
Taking out his wand, Thom muttered a spell, and the clasp reformed, the silver melding together again as if it had never broken. Then he held it out, smiling.
"Let me put it on for you"
Ginny nodded slightly, reddening even more. Soon she'd look like a giant tomato. Scooping her hair into a ponytail, she held it out of Thom's way as he put the chain around her neck. His fingers brushed her skin a little, causing tingles to run down her spine.
"There you go," he said, straightening and turning Ginny round by her shoulders. "It suits you"
Grinning, Ginny held out her arms and spun round, curtseying at the end in a little pose. Thom grinned back.
"Shall I walk you back up to the castle?" He asked as they made their way to the stairs.
"Yeah," Ginny replied, smiling. "That'd be nice"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco watched as the Ravenclaw boy walked the Weasley across the grounds to the castle. His hand was on her shoulder and from where Draco was standing it didn't look like she was complaining.
He was under a tree by the lake, brooding over the Slytherin's defeat at the hands of Potter - again. Watching Weasley and the boy, he wondered fleetingly why they were getting on his nerves. He felt like his pride was being trodden on. Why, he had no idea. It wasn't like he was jealous. Of course he wasn't jealous. Why should he be jealous? He didn't have anything to be jealous about. It wasn't like he was going out with Gin-the Weasley girl or anything. And it wasn't like he wanted to either.
He surveyed them as they walked through the front doors. The Weasley girl was laughing about something the boy must have said. Draco shook his head. She was acting cheap anyway, flirting with the first boy that came along. Not that he cared, of course.
He sat under the tree for a couple more minutes, but now he was getting bored and the wind was biting through his thick cloak, so he got up and followed the same path as the Weasley girl had done a few minutes before, slipping through the doors and into the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts.
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A/N I know, so short. It's not even five pages, but I promise, more next time! Thanks for all the reviews and all that, its nice hearing from people. I know this chapter's totally crap, but hey! And what'd you think of Thom, huh? Nice or nasty? And Draco...Ooo, is he jealous? Or just plain cranky?
Anyways, ya'll know the drill - get reviewing and tell me!
A/N Oh. My. God. I'm on chapter five! Seriously, I can't actually believe it! I don't know why, but having five chapters suddenly makes my fic seem looooooooong. It's a milestone. I know, I know, pathetic, but hey! It's probably because I've got the house ALL TO MYSELF. No noise or anything, just a nice, quiet, perfect writing environment. Lucky me!
I'm such a blind plot person, so I have no idea where I'm going with this, so excuse me for being confused. I just have this image in my head of me walking around a room in a blindfold. Excuse the madness, but I'm constantly being attacked by plot bunnies, so I'm slightly crazy today. Thing is, I don't even know if this is gonna end good or bad. Poor Ginny, her fate is in my hands. #_#
Anyways, thanks for all reviews, flames, whatever, that get thrown my way, they are much appreciated. Right, that's said, what next?
Ah, yes, any comments anyone has for possible scenes, creatures, characters I could introduce, etc, will be taken into consideration. I won't just automatically put your suggestion in, but I'll gratefully consider all ideas. ^_^
And as for the Quidditch players, I had to make some new ones up to fit in with the story. Ah well. It's pretty annoying actually, cause I don't want to have to change all these things, but I'll just have to deal I guess.
So here we go (ahhhhhh!)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The vast, chattering crowd made their way towards the Quidditch pitch excitedly, a mass of scarlet and gold. Ginny was in the middle of the throng with the rest of the 5th years, a golden rosette pinned to her robes and a small, thin scarf with the Gryffindor colours on it tied around her wrist. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan carried a banner with a picture of the whole Quidditch team drawn on it, surrounded by cheering crowds. Everyone was in an excellent mood, eagerly awaiting the first match of the season between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The teams had disappeared into the changing rooms after breakfast, the tension between them almost unbearable.
Ginny listened quietly to Lizzie as they walked up the stairs into the stands and took places right at the front.
"...And I heard that all the England team are from Hogwarts, and that the new guy, Jefferson, he only graduated a couple of years ago, and..."
Ginny smiled to herself as Lizzie started to list all her favourite players. That girl'd never get over how much she loved Quidditch. She was a muggle and had only discovered the sport when she came to Hogwarts. She still loved football, but she loved Quidditch just as much, maybe even more.
Just then, ¾ of the crowd began to cheer ecstatically as the Gryffindor players zoomed out onto the pitch.
"Here are the Gryffindor team, Ladies and Gents," cried Thom Walker into the megaphone. He was the new commentator, a 6th year Ravenclaw. "Weasley, Bell, Harris, Scott, Marcus, McCauley and Potter!"
The crowd applauded wildly, cheering and jumping up and down, drowning out the boos coming from the Slytherin supporters on the other side of the pitch. The team did a lap of honour, soaring around the field. Ginny could see Harry, as Captain, at the front, and her heart skipped a beat. She groaned and shook her head, letting it drop to her chest. Sighing, she looked up again, scanning the pitch for Ron's unmissable red hair. That was always how she found him, by looking for his hair. He was the only Weasley on the team now, Fred and George having left. They'd been replaced by a 5th year boy called Callum Marcus and a 3rd year girl called Jane McCauley. Angelina, Katie and Alicia had also left and had also been replaced, once again by three girls - Lucy Scott, Marie Harris and Ellis Bell, Katie's younger sister.
Ah, there was Ron, looping the goalposts. He had been made keeper last year, much to his and Harry's delight.
"And now," Thom said, a little less enthusiastically. "The Slytherin team..."
A chorus of boos rose from the Gryffindor followers even before he'd announced the team properly. The Slytherins cheered louder, but not loud enough to conquer the discord that was rippling through the stands. The team zipped out onto the pitch, lapping the field before taking their positions, ready to begin. Ginny thought she saw a flash of silver whiz past, but she put it to the back of her mind.
Madam Hooch rose in the air, got the team Captains to shake hands, and then...the whistle blew! Immediately the cheers became even more tumultuous, the supporters shouting encouragement to their team and insults at the other. Thom had to keep dancing out of McGonagall's reach.
Within twenty minutes the score had reached Thirty - Zero to Gryffindor, and there had already been a foul. The Slytherins were rocketing angrily around the pitch, desperately trying to sore. Ginny watched fixedly, worrying about Ron as he saved another goal. The last time they'd played against Slytherin he'd ended up in the hospital wing after being hit badly in the head by a Bludger, and she didn't want another repeat of that. Her family didn't need something else to worry about.
"Ginny, look at Ellis!" Ana cried beside her, grabbing her arm and pointing up at a tiny speck of scarlet and gold that was speeding toward the Slytherin goalposts. Ginny watched intently as Ellis raced towards the goalkeeper. She got ready to throw the Quaffle; it sailed towards the goalpost...
"SHE SCORES!" Thom yelled into the megaphone, jumping up and down elatedly. "Ellis Bell scores! Forty - Zero to Gryffindor!"
Ginny cheered and clapped fervently, grinning as Ellis did a lap of honour, but quickly her delight turned to alarm as a Slytherin chaser hurtled towards the Gryffindor goal. The tension in the crowd grew as he got nearer; he threw the Quaffle through the air; it didn't look like Ron's arm was reaching far enough...
"Forty - Ten" Thom said glumly as the chaser punched the air triumphantly. The Slytherins cheered raucously, throwing insults at the Gryffindor team as they flew past.
The Slytherins scored three more goals, making it evens, and soon the hostility between the two teams was almost stifling as both teams tried to get out in front. Ginny watched the game on tender-hooks. The speck that was Harry circled above the other players, trailed by a speck of green that had to be Malfoy. As she caught sight of them her heart fluttered, but who for, Ginny didn't know.
Just then, a flurry of activity at the Gryffindor end of the pitch caught her attention. Madam Hooch was shouting at a burly Slytherin player. Thom was providing a running commentary.
"...Yes, it looks like the Slytherin beater Bole instigated an unprovoked attack on the Gryffindor chaser Harris inside the scoring area. He hit her with his beater bat. Go on, Madam Hooch, give him what for! Joking Professor, joking! And...oh, it looks like Gryffindor have been given a penalty! Harris takes it; she flies towards the goal posts...come on Marie! And...Oh yes, she scores! Gryffindor are in the lead Fifty - Forty!"
Ginny jumped up and down wildly, cheering Marie on as she did a little lap of honour, but next moment, the crowd were looking at something else. Harry and Malfoy were rocketing towards the ground. Harry was in front...no, now they were level...now Malfoy was just a little way ahead...but no, Harry shoved him out the way and next moment he was soaring upwards, the snitch held tightly in his hand.
The Gryffindor crowd shouted and cheered riotously, clapping like crazy as Harry was swamped by the rest of the team. Ginny grinned broadly as Ron flung his arms around Harry's neck. It was nice to see him looking happy, even if they hadn't really talked lately.
The next moment she could feel arms around her own neck.
"We won, we won!" Lara yelled behind her, jumping up and down. Ginny extracted herself from Lara's death grip and grinned back.
"I know!" she shouted back, still clapping as the team whizzed around the pitch excitedly. "Isn't it great?"
But Lara didn't hear her, having turned back to the others. Ginny sighed. 'Oh well' she thought with a sigh. 'Nothing's changed'.
=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=
"Wasn't Marie great?" Sophie said enthusiastically as they made their way down the stairs. "The way she dodged that keeper - pure skill!"
Ginny listened to the others as they walked back down the stairs from the stands. They were discussing Marie Harris' penalty that had brought them out in front. Ginny couldn't be bothered to talk. The excitement of the match had tired her out. She reached up to her neck, feeling for the comforting weight of her Udjat necklace, but she couldn't find it. Panicking, she looked down, only to find it was missing.
"Hey, guys!" she called to the others. They stopped and looked round.
"What is it Gin?"
"I've lost my necklace! I'm going to go back up and have a look for it" she said, already running up the stairs. The others shrugged.
"Okay!" they called to her retreating back.
Ginny reached the stands hurriedly, panic already setting in. Kneeling down on the floor by where she had been sitting, she felt around on the ground for the little eye on its delicate chain, but she couldn't find it. After about ten minutes of searching, she gave up. Tears came to her eyes as she leant against the barrier, her hands longing to reach up to her neck and feel the weight of the little Udjat. She was so absorbed in her tears that she didn't notice someone coming up behind her.
"Hello?"
She jumped and looked up. She found herself looking into the face of a boy, with black hair and grey eyes. He looked vaguely familiar...
"Thom Walker...?"
The boy smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I was last time I checked. And you look like Ginny Weasley. What's wrong?"
She looked up at him for a second, confused, but then she remembered why she'd been crying.
"Oh," she said, feeling slightly stupid. "I've lost my necklace, that's all"
Thom smiled sympathetically.
"Would it happen to be silver?" he asked, kneeling down on the floor so that he was level with her. Ginny nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
"And would it happen to be a little eye with a diamond in the middle?" he asked again, his smile growing wider.
"Yeeees..." Ginny replied, a small, suspicious smile now dancing across her own face as she looked at Thom's mischievous expression.
Thom smiled and held out his hand. Resting on his palm lay her necklace.
"I found it when I was walking back down from the stands. This little sparkle caught my eye, I looked down, and this was on the floor. Then I heard you crying, so I came over...and you know the rest..."
Ginny smiled happily, reaching out and taking the necklace from his palm. Thom stood and held out his hand, pulling her up from the floor as she clutched the necklace.
"Thank you *so* much!" she said, kissing the necklace and hugging it too her. She was about to open the clasp, but then she saw it was broken. She sighed dolefully, holding the necklace up by the chain and examining it. "Oh great...it must have broken when it fell off"
"Here, let me fix it for you" Thom replied, reaching out and taking it from her hand. Their finger brushed slightly and Ginny felt her cheeks flush. She looked down at the floor, hiding her face.
Taking out his wand, Thom muttered a spell, and the clasp reformed, the silver melding together again as if it had never broken. Then he held it out, smiling.
"Let me put it on for you"
Ginny nodded slightly, reddening even more. Soon she'd look like a giant tomato. Scooping her hair into a ponytail, she held it out of Thom's way as he put the chain around her neck. His fingers brushed her skin a little, causing tingles to run down her spine.
"There you go," he said, straightening and turning Ginny round by her shoulders. "It suits you"
Grinning, Ginny held out her arms and spun round, curtseying at the end in a little pose. Thom grinned back.
"Shall I walk you back up to the castle?" He asked as they made their way to the stairs.
"Yeah," Ginny replied, smiling. "That'd be nice"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco watched as the Ravenclaw boy walked the Weasley across the grounds to the castle. His hand was on her shoulder and from where Draco was standing it didn't look like she was complaining.
He was under a tree by the lake, brooding over the Slytherin's defeat at the hands of Potter - again. Watching Weasley and the boy, he wondered fleetingly why they were getting on his nerves. He felt like his pride was being trodden on. Why, he had no idea. It wasn't like he was jealous. Of course he wasn't jealous. Why should he be jealous? He didn't have anything to be jealous about. It wasn't like he was going out with Gin-the Weasley girl or anything. And it wasn't like he wanted to either.
He surveyed them as they walked through the front doors. The Weasley girl was laughing about something the boy must have said. Draco shook his head. She was acting cheap anyway, flirting with the first boy that came along. Not that he cared, of course.
He sat under the tree for a couple more minutes, but now he was getting bored and the wind was biting through his thick cloak, so he got up and followed the same path as the Weasley girl had done a few minutes before, slipping through the doors and into the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N I know, so short. It's not even five pages, but I promise, more next time! Thanks for all the reviews and all that, its nice hearing from people. I know this chapter's totally crap, but hey! And what'd you think of Thom, huh? Nice or nasty? And Draco...Ooo, is he jealous? Or just plain cranky?
Anyways, ya'll know the drill - get reviewing and tell me!