Title: Ginny From the Block

Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Still don't own them.

Note: Thanks again for the feedback! PLEASE feel free to keep it coming. Also, I promise that there will be much more action later in the story (as it has mostly been drama stuff so far), but I feel like I need to take my time to get the characters established and settled in at Hogwarts and build the story up from there. I don't plan for a complete drama though, by any means. There will definitely be lots of butt kicking.

As for those lovely people who sent me FEEDBACK:

lady sukura, Jill, and knot2be: I'm extremely glad you're liking the story and hope you continue to. Thank you much for the feedback and comments. Checking my mail and getting those little review alerts makes my day. I write not only because I love writing, but also because I love to weave an enjoyable story for my readers. Thanks again and I hope you like this installment as much as the ones before it.

Stone Cooper: I'm glad you like the story and NO Draco and Ginny will not be getting together too soon. I'm actually known for being the angst queen and drawing these things out. I drive my friend Bridget nuts waiting to hook up my characters. Also, I did have fun transforming Ginny and I plan to have loads more with the Gryffindor Trio's reactions to that transformation. I'm glad you think I write Draco okay, keeping real characters in character is one of my biggest concerns. I always want to keep them true to themselves. Hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Schulyr: I'm glad you like the story and are getting to like Ginny. I used to be like you and not want to read a Ginny-based story, but after reading some really well written fics I've grown to love her. She and Draco are now my favorite pairing in HP fanfiction, and I never would have believed it a couple months ago.

I hope I can keep things interesting for you all! PLEASE remember that your comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome (though I'm not a fan of flaming, only constructive comments).

AND ON TO THE STORY.

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Chapter Six: The Quidditch Question

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Location: Great Hall

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Date: August 24th, 2003

Time: Around 7 p.m.

A stunned silence fell over the hall after Professor Snow's last announcement and exit. She had just finished telling them all about their classes and how things at Hogwarts differed slightly from Sunstone. The whole group was looking more comfortable and they were all beginning to believe that this year might be doable after all. Then she'd dropped the bomb.

They would have quidditch this year. This should have been good news, but then she'd explained the rest. There would be only one team. One Sunstone team to play against the Hogwarts teams. That meant that out of the four houses of Sunstone that were now being mashed together they had to agree on one group of seven players to represent them all. It was impossible! It would never happen! What could Professor Snow be thinking?

Argument after argument soon broke out among the students over who should be what. Several times a group almost came to blows over it. This was just getting ridiculous.

Finally, Ginny had had enough. She took a deep breath, fingered her new Prefect badge absently and stood up in her seat on the Sunstone table bench. She quickly brought her wand up to her throat, whispered a voice amplification spell, and zapped herself. She cleared her throat and then spoke. "ENOUGH!"

Everyone froze as the loud boom of Ginny's voice echoed through the hall. They all spun to look at her, most in patent disbelief. Ginny just glared at those disbelievers and began to speak. "Okay, who in this group from any house actually wants us to not be able to represent Sunstone with a quidditch team this year?"

Most everyone remained silent and still, but one snotty Hawkthorne that Ginny recognized as two years younger than herself raised his hand with a sneer. Ginny's eyes flashed as she glared at him. "Then get the bloody hell out of this hall and go to the Sunstone Common Room. You are not wanted in this conversation."

He glared at her furiously, but Ginny just shot him a look that read 'What? You thought you mattered?' With a defiant look on his face, the boy jumped to his feet and stormed towards the door.

After he disappeared, Ginny turned back to face the others. "Okay, now we have to come up with a solution to the four houses problem." She examined every face and realized something. Her eyes lit up. "I've got an idea."

"And why should we trust a Whitehorn's idea?" A prissy little Wolfstone girl asked Ginny snidely.

Ginny bit back her instinctive Wolfstone crack. Cracking on houses was not going to help this situation. That had to stop. Instead she looked down her nose at the girl. "We're all Sunstones now. I believe Professor Snow explained that." Ginny's eyes flashed and sarcasm filled her tone. "Or are you deaf?"

A couple of snickers ran through the table but the girl just rolled her eyes at Ginny and crossed her arms over her chest. Ginny looked back around. "Any other objections to hearing my idea?"

"Why the hell not?" Brad Langford, Ginny's Hawkthorne arch nemesis drawled lazily. "I need a good laugh."

"Okay." Dawn jumped to her feet and glared at the boy. "You just asked to be a ferret." She started to jerk out her wand, but Ginny grabbed her hand. Ginny shook her head and motioned for Dawn to sit back down. Dawn rolled her eyes dramatically. "Ruin all my fun."

"NOW." Ginny started again. "Would everyone who actually played on a Sunstone quidditch team last year please raise your hands?"

Only a few people raised their hands. Hunter, Dare, Chris, Ginny, and Brad Langford to be exact. Hunter, Dare, and Chris began to piece together what Ginny was getting at with this. They all shared grins and stood up beside Ginny to support her. Ginny looked a little hesitant, but Hunter nodded for her to go on.

Ginny smiled thankfully at her friends for their support. "Don't you see?" She told the group at large. "Not even a whole team of the actual players are even in the program. If we take the returning players and then run trials for the open spots then we're in business!" Even Ginny had to note that it was strange that so few quidditch players were in the program and that there weren't two keepers or seekers, but at the moment she wasn't complaining. It worked. That was all that mattered.

"But." A girl Ginny's age that she thought was in Buckwood spoke up hesitantly. "What.I mean.will everyone have a chance?"

"To try out?" Ginny questioned and the girl nodded. "Of course." Ginny nodded back. "I mean.I think that's only two open spots, but everyone will get a shot. We're going to be completely fair. Anyone can try out and the standing quidditch team members will vote on the best of those that do try out to get the positions."

Hunter looked to Ginny and she nodded for him to step up and take charge. He had been their team captain after all and would most likely be the team captain again. "So far we've got me as the Seeker, Chris is the Keeper, Dare and Ginny are Chasers, and Langford is a Beater. That leaves open a spot for another chaser and another beater."

"Hey!" A burly Hawkthorne girl named Laney Simms called out angrily. "That's four Whitehorns! How's that fair?"

"What part of WE ARE ALL SUNSTONES did you miss?" Dawn jumped in with a growl. "We have to work together here. They get the positions because they already had them at Sunstone! If you have a problem with that.take it up with your quidditch team members that didn't join the exchange program!"

"But." Laney frowned harder. "How do we know the voting will be fair?"

"Because it isn't four Hawkthornes?" Some anonymous brown-headed boy smirked and several snickers rang out.

Hunter rolled his eyes as the Hawkthornes began to look ready for battle. "Look, people, we want to win!" Everyone turned their attention back to him. Hunter was a born leader and not too hard on the eyes either. "We aren't going to just pick someone because they were in our old house. We don't want to get out there and get embarrassed by these Hogwarts teams just because we picked our buddy over the best person for the spot."

He waved his hand to encompass himself, Ginny, Dare, and Chris. "We are extremely serious about quidditch. More so than most of you that don't play can even understand. Quidditch is."

"War." Brad Langford jumped in with a smile as he moved and stood up from the table and walked over to join the group of quidditch players. He nodded to Hunter. "James is right. I can't stand freaking Whitehorns. I hate them with a burning passion, but." He looked to the four beside him. "These four can play quidditch. They're damn good and they stomped our a**es last year. They will pick the best person for the job whatever house they came from just like I will. Then we'll all work together to beat the hell out of these Hogwarts' sissies even though we can barely stand the sight of each other." He turned a completely evil grin on the rest of the Sunstone table. "That's quidditch. It's war."

Hunter, Dare, Chris, and Ginny all shared looks before they all burst out laughing. Chris was the first to speak. "I never thought I'd agree with Brad Langford on ANYTHING!"

Dare shrugged with one of his devious grins. "Quidditch is universal."

Most of the rest of the Sunstone students began to laugh as well. It felt good. They all laughed for almost five minutes straight and it relieved a lot of the tension that had been hanging in the air. Most of them were even starting to believe this 'working as a team' stuff might be possible.

"HEY!" Ginny called everyone back to order as the laughing started to die down. "Now that we've got a plan.it's time to start putting it into motion." She looked to Hunter. "I'm assuming you'll be our Captain again?"

Hunter looked to Langford. "Work for you?"

Langford smirked. "I'm a Beater. I knock the f*ck out of bludgers. I don't do strategy and pep talks. It's all yours."

"And might I just point out that if you EVER knock one of those bludgers at ANYONE'S face like you did mine again." Ginny took a menacing step towards him. "I will cut off your balls and shove them down your throat." She got right in his face.even though he was almost a foot taller than her. "Am I understood?"

Langford looked into her blazing eyes and gulped, but then snorted as he pushed his nerves away. "I wasn't aiming for your head Weasley. You dove down a little right after I hit it. If you hadn't it only would have gotten you in the stomach and knocked you off your broom."

"Do I look like I care?" Ginny growled at him.

Langford rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll attempt not to take the heads off these little Hogwarts' pansies." Then something occurred to him and he eyed her curiously. "How did you do that back flip thing anyway? It was wicked."

"My sister taught her." Dawn jumped in before Ginny could answer. "And you better be glad Hunter had already beat the sh*t out of you by the time she heard about what you did." She smirked at Langford. "If Buffy got a hold of you? You'd still be in the infirmary."

Langford snorted unimpressed. "Oh really? Your sister, Summers? And who, exactly, is your sister?"

Ginny snorted with laughter at that. Her eyes twinkled as they locked with Langford's. "Oh, didn't you know? Dawn's sister is the Slayer."

"WHAT?" Langford burst out as his eyes went wide. "You're sh*tting me!"

"Nope." Dawn told him smugly. "I think even you aren't thick enough not to have heard that a Slayer lives in Sunnydale and protects the Hellmouth?" His eyes just widened even further and Dawn winked at him. "Surprise!"

Chuckles ran through most of the Whitehorns because Buffy's Slayer status was not a secret among the house, nor was the fact that she trained Ginny and Dawn and they patrolled with her.

"Holy sh*t!" Langford muttered.

Dawn nodded. "As I said.be glad Hunter got you first."

A visible shiver ran through Langford and Ginny mentally roared with laughter. No one deserved that fear more.

"Back to the issue at hand." Hunter snapped everyone back to attention. Ginny shot him a rueful grin of apology and fell back in line. "We can start holding trials as soon as we can reserve the quidditch pitch. I'll check on that tonight or first thing in the morning. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded their ascent and then Hunter continued. "Now all that's left is learning everything we can about the Hogwarts' teams we'll be facing. Ginny?" He handed the floor, once again, over to the redhead.

Ginny took a deep breath. "Okay, the four houses of Hogwarts are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The best quidditch teams are always Gryffindor and Slytherin though they bounce back and forth for first and second place every year."

She paused to make sure everyone was following before she continued. Ginny couldn't help but feel a little like she was betraying her own house, but she pushed the feelings aside. This was quidditch. Quidditch was war. "Gryffindor is an extremely strong team, but their main weapon is their Seeker, Harry Potter."

Several murmurs started at the famous name, but then it quieted back down as Ginny gave them a glare.

"Harry is almost impossible to beat to the Snitch. He's fast as hell, has brilliant reflexes, and luck that's just bloody scary." Ginny told them. "I've seen games where the Snitch was right by the other team's Seeker's head and Harry got it anyway. He's just wicked lucky."

Laney Simms snorted in disbelief. "How good can he actually be? You're just blowing him up Weasley."

Ginny glared at her in annoyance. "I think Harry's missed the Snitch the total of two games since he became the Gryffindor Seeker his First Year at Hogwarts, Laney. He was the youngest Seeker in a century. He has now been the Seeker for five years, this being his sixth. One of those losses wasn't even Harry's fault because dementers were effecting him at the time. The other was only because he took a bludger and got knocked off his broom right as he was reaching for the Snitch last year in their game against Slytherin." She took a menacing step towards the former Hawkthorne girl. "Harry also happens to be best friends with my brother Ron and I believe I bloody well know how good a Seeker he is. Anymore questions of my validity?"

Laney gulped, not out of fear but as she took in that information and started to realize just how good this Harry Potter boy probably was. "Nope."

"Didn't think so." Ginny snapped.

"He's really that good?" Hunter questioned Ginny calmly.

Ginny sighed as she turned to face him. "He's really that good. You're really good as well, Hunter, and I honestly think that it will be an extremely close game, but Harry's luck is bloody unreal. I cannot tell you that you will beat him. I honestly don't know."

"Anybody got any dementers handy?" Langford smirked.

Ginny knew he as trying to lighten the air and that he also understood that she was completely serious about how good Harry was, but she still rolled her eyes in disgust at his joke. "Ha, bloody Ha. Actually Malfoy tried that. He and his buddies dressed as dementers and came out onto the field in the middle of a game." She grinned at the memory. "Harry was ready for them. He threw out this huge Patronus and scared the hell out of Malfoy and his goons. I wouldn't suggest you try a repeat."

"The Ferret actually did that?" Dawn asked shocked. "But that's.that's."

"And now you understand why my brother, Harry, and Hermione are so fond of Mal-Ferret." Ginny told her calmly.

"Okay, so that's Gryffindor." Hunter stepped back into his leadership role. "What about Slytherin, Ginny?"

"Well, Malfoy is not as good as Harry." Ginny told them and Hunter, Dare, Chris, and Langford slumped in relief. "But he's still pretty damn good." There went the relief. They shot straight back to alert. "He used to be a pathetic player, but he gradually improved and now he's really gotten good over the last year from what Ron wrote me. He's fast and sneaky. He's also gotten good at spotting the Snitch quickly and early in the game. Slytherin had two games last year that didn't even last thirty minutes."

Hunter just shook his head. "What about the rest of the team?"

"They're sneaky and slimy little snakes." Ginny answered honestly. "Think Hawkthorne and multiply their sliminess by about a million."

"HEY!" Langford yelped.

Ginny just looked at him. "I'm being honest."

His eyes widened as he saw that she was. "Oh. Carry on."

"If they don't pull out ahead early they start cheating." Ginny explained. "They'll double team the Chasers and run them into the stands, do anything to knock Chasers off their brooms, and even hit bludgers directly at the Keeper which we know is a major foul if they're caught."

She looked directly at Hunter. "They've also been known to attack the Seeker covertly when he hasn't even spotted the Snitch."

"Man," Chris snorted. "They are like Hawkthornes."

"Yep." Langford grinned proudly and the others rolled their eyes.

"Big." Ginny jumped back in again. "They're also very big. They muscle their way through to get points. They have big Chasers, Beaters, and a big Keeper (or they did when I was here). Malfoy didn't used to be very big, but he's filled out some since the beginning of last year as well." She shrugged. "So, I'm thinking the whole team is going to be big. Not to mention that they won the quidditch cup last year which is no small feat against Gryffindor and Harry."

Dare whistled between his teeth and Ginny realized that everyone in the hall had been listening to her mostly in rapt silence. She smirked at their attentive expressions. Quidditch really was universal.

"And Ravenclaw?" Hunter pulled Ginny back from her thoughts.

Ginny frowned. "Uh.well, their Seeker is a lithe fast girl named Cho Chang. She's an extremely fast flyer, but not very imaginative. She doesn't have the instincts of a great Seeker and she can be outmaneuvered.has been outmaneuvered several times in the past by both Harry and Malfoy." Digging through her mind for facts and details about the other two quidditch teams, Ginny smiled widely and deviously as she explained strategies, detailed players, and spilled secrets. Oh yes indeed, quidditch was war.

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Location: Leaving Great Hall

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Date: August 24th, 2003

Time: 8 p.m.

After Ginny purged all her knowledge on the Hogwarts' quidditch teams while the Sunstone exchange students listened and then questioned her, they finally called it a night.

It had been decided that Hunter would set up the trials for the two open spots on the team and several exchange students had already signed up to try out for each position. Dawn was, of course, trying for Chaser and voiced quite loudly that she'd get it if she had to take apart her competition with her bare hands. Everyone knew she meant it and several students were seen to gulp.

The Great Hall was now empty of all save the returning quidditch players and Dawn. Ginny looked to her best friend seriously. "Dawny, I hope like hell that you're the best one to try out and that you make the team, but."

"If I'm not the best and someone else deserves it, they'll get it." Dawn smiled gently at her best friend. "I know that, Gin. I just had to make it plain that I have every intention of being the best. I'm going to get that spot."

"That's the right attitude!" Dare grinned at his flirting buddy. "I, for one, hope you get it. Can you imagine me, you, and Gin as the Chasers? These little hog warts won't know what hit them!"

Chris rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I just hope we get some good prospects for another Beater. Langford doesn't completely suck, but."

"HEY!" Langford glared at the blonde Keeper. "I am still in the room."

"That's why I added doesn't completely." Chris smirked. She looked back to Hunter. "Who signed up for Beater?'

"Laney Simms." Hunter began.

"Oh, that will be fun." Dawn snorted and looked to Ginny. "Think you'll end up hexing her again?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders tiredly. "I really don't know. Depends on if she asks for it. Be rather inconvenient though.if I ended up hexing her in the middle of a quidditch game." She frowned at Hunter. "Is that a foul?"

"Hitting your teammate with a hex during play?" Hunter smirked. Ginny nodded seriously. "I have no idea and I don't want to find out."

"Then you might want to look closely at the other applicants." Ginny told him with a grin. "Simms and I do not play well together."

Hunter frowned. "Well, maybe Gin, but if she's the best."

"Not going to be a problem." Langford cut in. "Simms can't fly for sh*t. One half of her must weigh more than the other half or something because she always slips to one side of the broom. She flunked flying lessons our First Year."

Dawn snorted. "Color me unsurprised." She looked back to Hunter. "Who else?"

The group started to slowly make their way out the doors to the Great Hall as they continued to chat. It was getting late and they really did need to find the Sunstone Common Room. Ginny could just see them all getting detention the first night.

"David Morgan?" Hunter frowned. "Isn't he that big Buckwood Fourth Year? He might work."

"Hmm." Ginny tried to picture him in her mind, but drew a blank. "Don't remember him."

"Not much to remember." Langford snorted. "He's a Buckwood." He paused as they continued to walk. "Might work as our Beater though. I've seen him playing around on his broom and he can definitely keep his seat. Whether he can hit a bludger or not is another question. Beaters need good hand- eye coordination."

"Or at least an extremely high threshold for pain." Dawn added and everyone looked at her. She shrugged. "You know.like if they miss the bludgers?"

"We'd actually prefer them not to miss the bludgers, Dawn." Hunter chuckled and most of the group followed suit.

"Okay," Chris' voice was colored with amusement. "Who thought we'd ever have an actual conversation with Brad Langford and not come to blows?"

That had the whole group, including Langford, chuckling again. Ginny just smirked. "We aren't to the Common Room yet, Chris. Give us time."

"I know." Dawn spoke thoughtfully. "But he's a lot less annoying now that we're all stuck in the same house." She looked to Ginny.

"I mean.he's like Andrew, you know? Annoying as hell, but you have to put up with him so you just roll your eyes and keep on going."

"Or we're all Xander to his Spike." Ginny grinned back. This time only Ginny and Dawn laughed as the rest of the group started to look confused. Ginny and Dawn answered their expressions together. "Inside joke."

"Why am I being compared to someone named Spike?" Langford frowned.

"What do you care?" Ginny smirked. "At least we're not hexing you.or kicking you in the balls.if you have any."

Langford took a cocky step towards Ginny. "Wanna find out?"

"My foot's primed and ready." Ginny took a step towards him as she lifted one challenging brow.

"Okay, okay." Hunter cut in between them and placed a hand on both Ginny and Langford's shoulders. "Why don't you both pop your chill pills?"

Rolling her eyes, Ginny stepped back and waved off Hunter's hand. "Whatever." She noticed they were standing outside the Great Hall. She turned and held out her wand and said the spell for the doors to slowly pull closed. Once they did and the Great Hall was locked, Ginny turned to face the group again more composed. "So.where's the Sunstone Common Room?"

"Oh, we'll lead the way." Chris jumped in trying to cut the tension in the air. Then she frowned thoughtfully. "That is.if we can remember." She looked to Hunter and Dare. "Do you guys remember exactly which way we go?"

"Uh." Dare bit his lip in a way that would have most girls panting for a taste. "I know we go up that moving staircase and to the fourth floor. Where the moving staircase is? I haven't a clue." Hunter and Chris glared at him. "What? I was busy waving to the paintings and picking up my jaw from the first sight of this place. I was a little distracted."

"You were staring lustfully at that Ravenclaw Prefect that gave us the tour." Chris spit with disgust.

"And your excuse for not remembering is?" Dare lifted a mocking brow.

"Oh." Chris shrugged with a grin. "I was taking in the color scheme. I love how they mix the rich textures with the."

"OKAY!" Hunter cut her off and noticed that Ginny and Dawn were holding back laughter. He looked to Dawn. "What's so funny?"

Dawn grinned at him. "Well, considering this is Ginny's school." She veered her grin to encompass the whole group. "I would think she knows where the big moving staircase is."

Ginny nodded to them. "Yeah, I was wondering when someone might figure that out." With a wink at them over her shoulder, Ginny stepped out front and started to lead the way. The other five people behind her continued to bicker and banter, but followed along.

As Ginny reached the top of the entrance staircase she took a right and continued down the hallway. She knew from three years experience that this hallway led directly to the doors to the Grand AKA 'Moving' Staircase. When they drew close to the doors at the end, Ginny froze as a voice sounded from the shadows.

"Well Weasel," The mocking voice drawled. "I'm just curious." Draco Malfoy stepped out from the shadows and into the light to face their group with a sneer. "Exactly how does it feel to blab all the secrets of your friends and your old house?"

Ginny knew immediately that he had been listening in on the quidditch conversation. She glared at him as she fought an instinctive little pang of guilt. She knew that she hadn't technically done anything wrong and that she hadn't really told them anything they couldn't find out from someone else at Hogwarts, but.still.Ginny had that pesky streak of loyalty to Gryffindor jumping up and down on her guilt strings. Damn Malfoy for knowing what buttons to push.

"Exactly how many run-ins are we going to have with you today, Mal-Ferret?" Dawn snorted as she stepped up next to her best friend for support. "What is this? Three? Don't you have something better to do than skulk in shadows and eavesdrop on conversations?"

"No, he really doesn't." Ginny drawled mockingly as she snapped back into herself. She was not going to let Draco Malfoy effect her anymore. She was almost sure that was one of her new rules for herself this year. If not then she was adding it as soon as they found the damn common room. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Whoa.the Ferret?" Hunter questioned Ginny and Dawn with a grin as he stepped up to join them. "The Incredible Bouncing Ferret?"

Malfoy stared at Ginny in disbelief. "How many people did you tell that bloody story too?"

"You really don't want the answer to that question, but I'll tell you anyway." Chris smiled as she and Dare stepped up to join them as well. They all faced Malfoy as a united front. "Gin used it for her final in 'Wizarding Journalism' last year. Professor Hart was so impressed she had it printed in the Sunstone Sentinel, our school paper."

"THE WHOLE SCHOOL?" Malfoy screeched.

Ginny fought wild giggles. She'd never heard Malfoy screech before. "It wasn't my idea. I just needed a story for my final."

"Dude, don't you know better than to mess with this chick?" Langford stepped up into the conversation and hooked a thumb over to indicate Ginny and then Hunter, Dare, Dawn, and Chris. "You mess with one of them.you mess with them all. They're freaking ruthless. Give up now."

"Didn't keep you from sending a bludger at Ginny's head and getting the sh*t kicked out of you by Hunter." Dare noted.

Langford just shrugged. "That was quidditch." As if that explained everything, and in a way it did.

"That was you?" Malfoy's voice was a growl as he took a step towards Langford. "You're the Slytherin-wannabe a**hole who almost killed her over a f*cking quidditch game?"

Langford threw up his hands and stepped back. "Dude.what's your trauma? She's fine.and you hate her, remember?"

"I don't care if I hate her." Malfoy growled again as he continued to advance on Langford. "I don't care if she's a pathetic little Weasel with stupid red hair."

"Oh my god!" Dawn blurted into Ginny's ear loudly. "He just said you have stupid hair! Do you know what that means?"

"My new cut isn't working?" Ginny asked her confused. What the hell was Dawn talking about?

"With ugly freckles and baggy hand-me-down clothes from her annoying git brothers who I really long to cause serious bodily injury to.or if she's a stupid tomboy Harry Potter fan-club captain who can't see that 'The Boy Who Lived' is actually 'The Boy Who's Too Damn Lucky For Bloody Belief'. I DON'T CARE!" Malfoy yelled into Langford's face. "You had no bleeding right to risk her life for a pathetic f*cking game of quidditch!"

As Malfoy finished the hall fell into an eerie electric silence. Finally, looking casually to Ginny with a smirk, Langford broke it. "So.how long has the Ferret been jonesin for you, Weasley?"

"WHAT?!?" Ginny and Malfoy screeched together this time.

Ginny then watched as her best friend stabbed her straight in the back. Dawn started nodding happily and almost jumping with suppressed laughter. "He's like EXACTLY like Spike in love! IT'S SO CUTE! He even said you have stupid hair!" Dawn told Ginny happily and then shot her a reassuring grin. "That means he loves it, by the way."

Ginny and Malfoy's eyes locked with shared disbelief and horror at what was occurring around them. This just couldn't be happening! They just couldn't actually think that.I mean.this was.BLOODY HELL!

"I.I don't.that is.HE doesn't.and I wouldn't." Ginny felt her face burning and looked around her desperately for escape. This just couldn't get any worse.

"OH MY GOD!" Her best friend proved her wrong as another piece of the puzzle snapped into place. "THIS IS THE CRUSH!" Dawn looked wildly to Ginny. "He is, isn't he? The Ferret is the crush!"

"WHAT?" Ginny and Malfoy burst out together again and Ginny was starting to wonder if this was really all just some extremely bad nightmare.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember? You told me that first day about your unhealthy crush!" She looked from Malfoy to Ginny and back. "She said it was unhealthy to the world as we know it." She frowned. "At the time I assumed it was like.Soulless Spike and Depresso Buffy unhealthy.so more of the S&M variety of unhealthy."

"DAWN!" Ginny alone screeched this time.

"Oh.sorry." Dawn shrugged ruefully as she got back to her topic. "But it wasn't S&M, was it? You were talking about Gryffindor and Slytherin unhealthy! Weasley and Mal-Ferret unhealthy!" She smiled widely in the triumph of her new discovery. "You were crushing on The Incredible Bouncing Ferret!" She paused thoughtfully. "No wonder you wrote that paper about him."

"WHAT?" This time it wasn't Ginny and Malfoy. No.no this time it was worse. It was Chris, Dare, and Hunter.Ginny's boyfriend Hunter.

Ginny and Dawn spun together as one to stare at Hunter in horror. Dawn winced and looked sorrowfully at her best friend. "And now I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't have just blurted that out at the moment. Maybe that was a 'get it and blurt it out privately' revelation."

"Hunt." Ginny tried to think of something to say, but it wasn't coming to her. Could she really stand there and lie? Ginny knew she would never be with Malfoy and he would NEVER be with her, but.could she lie to Hunter? The truth was out there now. Ginny had crushed. No, she didn't buy Malfoy returning said crush, but.

"What complete and utter bullsh*t." Malfoy cut her off. Then he threw back his head and just laughed. It was mocking and cruel and Ginny should have seen it coming. "Do you wankers actually believe that I give a damn about her?"

He looked down his nose at Ginny and his eyes flashed with disgust and disdain. That's when she saw the darkness there, that darkness that most people associated with Draco Malfoy or Malfoys in general. This was the Draco Malfoy Ginny was used to coming across and a shiver of something very close to fear ran down her back. She mentally winced as she prepared for his next words because she knew they wouldn't be pleasant.

He shrugged unconcerned. "I happen to play quidditch as Slytherin's Seeker and Captain." He shot Langford a dark look. "I don't want you killing any of my damn players." He paused. "As for me and the Weasel? We can't stand the bloody sight of each other!" He scoffed in disdain. "As if I'd EVER touch some mudblood and muggle loving dirt-poor little Weasel!"

He shot off a mocking laugh again and it echoed through the large hallway. "I have class and I wouldn't dream of lowering myself to even look at her." He waved his hand disgustedly at Ginny. "Weasels.ALL Weasels are trash."

Silence fell again. This time it was menacing and dark. Ginny felt like someone had kicked her in the teeth. She'd been insulted over the last year, of course. That was part and parcel of Wizarding School. The different houses insulted each other with every breath they took.but this.it just hurt. Ginny was almost certain that it shouldn't hurt this much.that she shouldn't feel so dirty at the moment.

"Why you slimy little b*stard!" Dawn growled and Ginny looked up in time to see her best friend pulling out her wand. Dawn aimed it at Malfoy's blonde head and Ginny could already see the hex forming on her lips.

"Dawn, don't!" Ginny jumped over and pushed down Dawn's arm and wand. "Just.don't." She sighed deeply and tried to ignore the ache that still throbbed in her chest. This day had been going so great.her return to Hogwarts a great success.and now this. It just.it left a sour taste in Ginny's mouth. It reminded her of things she'd much rather just forget.

"I am not in the mood for anymore of this crap tonight." Ginny told Dawn firmly. She refused to look at Malfoy again. She would not look at him and let him see that he'd actually hurt her. Her eyes stung with what would be tears but she refused to let them fall. Not yet.just let her make it to her room first. She couldn't let them.couldn't let him see.

Clearing her throat softly, Ginny turned her head slightly to the side and shot her eyes up enough to meet Hunter's. "Let's just get to our common room and go to bed. We start classes tomorrow.and besides, Snape's probably patrolling and praying he runs across someone to give detention."

Hunter nodded solemnly, but his eyes told her they would be talking later. "Okay. If you can get us to the fourth floor then I think I can find the right painting."

Ginny nodded jerkily in return. She took a deep breath and stepped forward towards the doors to the Grand Staircase. The sound of Malfoy's voice ringing out behind her made her briefly pause.

"This isn't over, Weasel." He sneered, but she could hear the anger behind his tone. "You embarrassed me tonight and that embarrassment will not go unpunished."

A surge of absolute cold rage poured through Ginny. She'd never experienced anything like it before, but she welcomed it and the numbness it brought with it. She spun back around and forced herself to face him. A cold hard smile curved her lips. "You want a war, Malfoy? You'll get one."

Dawn, Hunter, Dare, and Chris flanked her on both sides and their eyes flashed promises of pain and retribution at Malfoy. Langford finally turned to look at the strange boy as well and a smirk curved his lips. "You just f*cked with the wrong girl, Ferret. They're going to tear you limb from limb." He seemed to think that possibility over for a moment, but then shrugged and grinned. "Oh well.better you than me."

========= End of Chapter! =========

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Jade Elise