A/N: things start to heat up in this chapter … I'm anxious to hear what you think! Look at that poor review button down there … simply begging to be clicked. Or email me if you want – xangelicfirex@yahoo.com – questions, comments, ideas, flames, whatever!
Thank you bunches to my current reviewers! You really make my life. You have no idea how excited I get when I see that "[FanFiction.Net] Review Alert!" subject in my inbox, lol!
Miss Auburn – thank you muchly! I'm glad you like it!
SamiJo – lol, I can't wait to see how my characters decide to react either =) it should be interesting … I have a really awesome Draco bitch-out scene planned.
jane riddle – thank you so much for the suggestions! I read through the chapter again and that really makes sense, thanks, I was starting to sound repetitive.
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling inspires my life. Sadly, I am not her. *deep sigh*
Chapter 3: Working Girl
Ginny tumbled into her seat at the end of the Gryffindor table, sitting as far as possible from her brother and his perfect friends. She could sense her ass of an ex-boyfriend looking her up and down, and Hermione shooting her disappointed glances every now and then. Ron's probably told them. Ginny just hoped they would keep it to themselves until the rest of the school found out on their own.
Some nagging little voice inside her was crying, sobbing heedlessly at her former 'friends' complete rejection of her. Hermione's disappointment was the most unbearable. Ginny winced a little and quickly buried the voice. It wasn't true anyway. Right?
The sorting went quickly, and after a very lonely dinner, Ginny stood up in an empty Great Hall and slung her bag over her shoulder. Shuffling her feet, she slowly made her way to the doors. She wanted to postpone her entrance to the Gryffindor common room for as long as possible, not wanting to face the potential pain and the disturbingly superficial memories.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned into the hall outside the Great Hall - walking towards her was the plump, motherly figure of Madame Pomfrey. Ginny had never seen her anywhere but the hospital wing, and occasionally out on the quidditch field after an accident. She smiled weakly at the woman, fondly remembering her help and generous allowance of the use of her hospital lab last year.
"Virginia Weasley! So good to see you dear!" Ginny found herself enveloped in a tight hug. She let out a few muffled giggles.
"It's good to see you too, Madame Pomfrey."
Madame Pomfrey pulled back and held Ginny's shoulders, sizing her up. She shook her head. "My, my, how quickly you young people change. I still remember the long months you spent in my wing after that whole, nasty, Chamber of Secrets affair."
Ginny grimaced, very unwanted memories running to the beck and call of those dreaded words.
"Yea, I've been in and out of the hospital wing since my first day at Hogwarts, I guess."
Madame Pomfrey chuckled and nodded. "That curse last year was one of the worst, I expect. Still can't believe Harry Potter did that to you."
Ginny changed the subject quickly. "So, do you think we could go over my responsibilities and such before school tomorrow? I know I have to start immediately; and I suppose I should know what I'm doing before I jump in head first." She grinned good-naturedly at the mediwitch.
Poppy Pomfrey beamed and launched herself into a full-out ramble as they made their way to the hospital wing. "Yes, yes, of course dear! Dear me, that was what I came to get you for in the first place … it's going to be wonderful having you to help around! I still remember all those projects and newfangled experiments you were always coming to the hospital with last year." She sent Ginny a proud, radiant smile. "Perhaps you'll be able to help me with some of the medical research? I'm sure you'll enjoy it, all sorts of diagnostic filing, paperwork, potions recipes – right up your alley. Anyway, besides that sort of thing, you'll be here all those times Dumbledore told you about." Her brow furrowed a bit, and she pulled out a very crumpled schedule, nearly black with randomly placed scribbles. She looked up at Ginny apologetically. "Sorry, as I'm sure you'll find out, I'm don't do too well with time and that sort of thing. You lose track of it as a mediwitch – you know natural healers live to be nearly 500 years old, don't you?" She sighed. "Awfully long time if you ask me." She chuckled at Ginny's disbelieving expression. "We'll talk more about that later, but I do have a hunch you're one of us." Madame Pomfrey nudged her apprentice playfully. "Let's see … I'll try not to pull you out of class too often, but sometimes I really feel like I could use extra help – it'll be splendid to have someone to call if things get particularly busy, or dangerous. Twice the magic is always better than a single portion.
"Oh goodness! I've so much to teach you. But we'll have time for that later …" She strode through the swinging hospital wing doors purposefully and turned to Ginny with excitement written all over face. Ginny suppressed a laugh – but it really was wonderful to see someone so passionate about her work. She eagerly followed as the witch led her down the sterile halls to her office. "Ready for the tour, then?"
Ginny stumbled into the Gryffindor common room nearly two and a half hours later, her mind brimming with medicine, hospital charts, lists of Hogwarts students and their medical issues, and of course, her new, frightening schedule that lurked relentlessly in the background of her mind.
She stepped into the low light of the common room and inhaled deeply, sucking in thousands of memories and thousands of misplaced loyalties. Her eyes nearly brimmed over with the recollection of the treachery she had experienced in this room – Gryffindors may be loyal and brave, but not always necessarily to the right cause or for the right purpose.
She tossed her hair and strode to the center of the common room, running her finger down the list of assigned dormitories and roommates. Aha, Weasley, Virg - - it was then that she noticed the common room was unnaturally quiet. Everyone was dead still, and staring. At her.
Shit.
Ron was leaning against the fireplace, arms folded and a smug look on his face, as if to say, 'Maybe now you'll come to your senses.'
Eyes bored into her from all sides of the room, and she repressed a furious scream.
Shit, shit, shit.
It hadn't even been four hours since she had stepped off the Hogwarts train, and the whole school knew.
"We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view. Once again, Parvati, I don't give a fuck!" Ginny glared at the girl. "I love the healing arts – you of all people should know that. At least I'm not afraid of stepping towards my dream – or dealing with the shit life doles out. Bravery – remember that? Little thing Gryffindors are supposed to know about?"
Parvati eyed her snottily and strode off, calling over her shoulder, "Whatever, Nurse Ginny," as she tittered away with her little band of clones.
Ginny collapsed against a nearby wall and clutched her books to her chest. This was quite possibly the worst day of her life. It had been like this non-stop since six-thirty A.M. – no one had been exempt from the merciless teasing routines, it seemed everyone felt the need to add their personal thoughts about her life. She felt incredibly alone, and incredibly pissed. Glancing at her watch, she whined softly as she realized she still had an hour of Trelawney before she could get away to the very place everyone was berating her for.
She pulled herself up from the wall and was marching down the hall when she felt strong hands grab her waist. She groaned inwardly. This was the worst – the cracks about her "needing extra cash" hadn't stopped all day. Truly, she hadn't aware the guys were interested in her at all until today – was that good or bad?
"Hey babe. Working girl, eh? Wanna work me out?"
Ginny turned in disgust and pried a lustful Blaise Zabini from her waist. "Only if it involves working you out of my life, Zabini. Get your filthy paws off of me!"
He grinned and pulled her closer. "Oo, I like it when you talk dirty."
"Fuck you, Zabini. Get the hell off of me, or I'll hex you into next week." Her eyes were flaming with animosity.
Zabini backed off. "Whatever, woman." He jiggled his hand by his ear in the classic 'call me' gesture, and walked away laughing.
Ginny felt that she would have been entirely justified in slaughtering him.
Fuming, she turned and stalked back down the hallway.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" an all too familiar voice drawled at her.
Professor Trawlaney's class was waiting for their teacher beneath the ladder up to her room, and the foyer beneath the low ceiling was crowded with sixth and seventh year students all simultaneously trying to avoid Virginia Weasley.
Ginny cursed beneath her breath. Of all people. She knew she was going to have to face him at some point today – she just really wasn't in the mood right now.
"What Malfoy, still a little blinded by your own stupidity?"
Draco stepped forward and laughed humourlessly. "No, Weasley, I was just marveling at the new low you've somehow managed."
Ginny glared at him, daring him to continue.
"Oh, you know. This whole – nurse thing. For a couple seconds I thought maybe you actually wanted to, oh, say, work towards doing something with your pathetic life. Then I realized it was just because old daddy dear hit rock bottom and can't afford to send his own kids to school anymore." He casually walked over to her, running a finger down the sleeve of her fading robe. "Tsk, tsk, weasel, they let you show up for work like this?"
"You'd never know, would you ferret? You've had someone to wipe your ass and spoon feed you since day one."
Draco's eyes darkened, but he replied flippantly, "Hmm, but you know, the fates choose wisely. They don't let the stupid people get their grimy, muggle-loving hands on money us wizards use for the greater good." He shook his head slowly. "Not that you'd know what to do with it, you've probably never seen more than a couple of sickles at a time, have you weasel?"
"If you want to know what the Gods think of money, you prat, just look at all the people They gave it to," she spat back, looking him up and down with obvious disdain.
Malfoy glowered dangerously and took a step forward, staring down at her.
"What did you say, weasel?"
"I said you have your aristocratic, snobby head so far up your ass you should consider putting a glass plate in your belly button so you can see what the rest of the world is on about from time to time."
Malfoy was livid. Ginny grinned, she could nearly see him bubbling in restrained fury.
Ginny coughed loudly and waved a hand between her and Malfoy's nearly touching faces. "Jeez, nice cologne Malfoy. Must you marinate in it?"
Draco jumped back instinctively and stared angrily at her, his eyes burning into hers.
"Just remember who's serving who here, Weasley."
She snorted. "Serving? Who the hell said anything about serving? You come anywhere the near the hospital wing and I still wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole, even if you were bleeding to death." She paused, thoughtfully. "You know, a slight rearrangement of your facial features probably wouldn't be a bad thing, though."
He laughed openly now. "Oh come off it, weasel, we all know you're drooling over my stunning good looks. No need to be so obvious about it." He turned his head an assumed a 'sexy' stance, gloating over the now growing crowd.
Ginny just looked at him, highly amused. "Such a modest boy." She smiled at the eager onlookers. "With so much to be modest about."
The throng of students laughed loudly, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike.
Draco silenced them all with a glare before turning sweetly back to Ginny.
"Weasley, you and every other girl at this school fantasize about me. I know. Don't deny it. I'm the answer, and I'm fully aware of it." He smiled smugly. His conceit had no match; it was obscene. Ginny noted in disgust the crowd on his side of the foyer consisted mainly of swooning third year females.
She scoffed, waving a disinterested hand. "If you're the answer, Malfoy, it must have been a damn stupid question."
Malfoy was getting pissed now. He had been enticed at first by her fiery attitude and defiant nature, but this was just pushing it too far. A few of the ditzes around him giggled ignorantly.
He smirked at her, hoping he hadn't lost his cool. "Whatever, Weasley. I suppose you have to get used to wanting the unattainable. A Malfoy would never touch scum like you anyway." He looked down his nose at her contemptuously. "Your family's so poor, I bet you fight with your brothers about whose turn it is to take the trash in."
Ginny's eyes flashed. "It's better than taking the trash out to Voldemort, you pompous bastard."
He stepped towards her again, eyes gleaming menacingly. "Knowing who to serve and what to do to get what you want is the name of the game, you stupid Gryffie. I'll give you some free advice, though - I'd think twice about working at Hogwarts. I'll make your life living hell. Don't you think it'd be easier just to melt into the woodwork and relish your poverty in private somewhere?"
"If I want the advice of a retard, I'll slap you on the back of the head and wake up that little peg legged hamster that operates the drool-powered waterwheel of thought in there. Until then, you can just sit in the corner and wait until I either speak to you or spit at you, got it fuckwit?" Ginny snapped. She had had enough of this.
Draco stared at her open-mouthed.
"Problem, Malfoy?" She smirked. "Sarcasm is just one more service we offer."
She turned and stomped down the hallway, deciding against Divination. She was in no mood to receive morbid warnings about her future.
Once she was safely out of sight, Virginia let a tear slip down her cheek. It had come to this – her fellow housemates and former friends had disowned her, and Malfoy's words cut her down like they never had before. She wiped the moisture away angrily and threw herself into the hospital wing – her very own, self-approved hell.
Malfoy sat at the back of Professor Trelawny's classroom, angrily fuming over letting the little wildcat get the last word. Furiously thinking about what she had said – and how goddamned true it was. Quietly wondering why he couldn't just admit it and segregate himself from everything that haunted him.
Worriedly speculating if there was any chance Virginia Weasley would find out …
And angrily pondering the fact that the little temptress had him in desperate need of some 'alone time.' She looked damn fine when she was all worked up.