AN: As you can see I have decided to continue since I was unaware that
people were actually enjoying this fic. Heh. And thank you all, by the
by, for those wonderful reviews, an author couldn't hope for better. Well,
the story is gonna get a bit...typical, but I just can't help it, it's so
fun to write, so...anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy it some more! (
Over the next month, the lessons progressed rather rapidly. Ginny was finding it scarily easy to evade her brother's probing questions, (which wasn't really that difficult to begin with as he and Hermione were more concerned with Harry), and also her friends' quizzical stares. She was becoming extremely pleased with the whole arrangement, knowing she was now able to protect herself better than any D.A. meeting would have enabled her, though hating to admit it. She was learning things no regular wizard would know, which was somewhat frightening when she thought about it. But she had made a mental pact with herself to use the knowledge only for defense and never against anyone. She had become steadily more curious as to where Malfoy could have learned it all, but never thought to question him about it outright. She didn't want to risk upsetting him and losing the lessons she had come to view as vital. While Ginny couldn't imagine what more there could be to learn, they were still going strong after so long a time.
Outside, one afternoon, the weather was oddly warm and bright for mid- November. Ginny had suggested they practice outdoors, somewhere secluded, as the weather was refreshingly lovely. They were now sitting under a tree taking a break. Ginny was lying on her back, looking plaintively up between the branches at the light clouds overhead, while Malfoy, his back against the tree, played with a blade of grass. Then Ginny spoke, more to break the quiet than anything.
"Do...do you ever wonder what Snape would be like on a date?" She asked thoughtfully. Malfoy looked down at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a growth on her forehead.
"No." He said in a disbelieving tone. This left them in awkward silence. Then, Ginny could feel Malfoy beginning to laugh beside her. This set her off in embarrassed giggles, which only made him laugh harder. Soon they were both gripping their sides in what seemed like ceaseless laughter. They came down after a minute, gasping for air. Ginny, the mirth still in her voice, said,
"'Kay, I was just curious." She settled back comfortably in the grass.
"You're an absolute loon, you know that?"
"Well, what do you expect, you haven't said a word in the past hour, save firing directions at me like some drill sergeant." She turned on her stomach to see him better propping her head up on her hands. "So how am I doing, anyway? I mean personally I think I'm doing quite well, but you haven't said a word on it. How do I fare?"
Malfoy looked at her hopeful expression and rolled his eyes. "You're...I don't know, you're..." He drifted off from there.
"That good, eh?" Ginny smiled at him. He looked away.
"What are you on about, I didn't even say anything."
"Well, that's it isn't it? If I were doing badly, you wouldn't hesitate to insult me."
"Ah, of course." He said flatly and sighed. Ginny studied his face with a furrowed brow.
"I've hurt your feelings?" She questioned, truly surprised at this fact.
"Don't be daft." Malfoy scoffed. He crossed his arms as if to close the matter, but Ginny pressed on.
"Come on, what did I say? I didn't-"
"Look, I just don't appreciate your constant insinuations that I'm some sort of evil incarnate, all right?" He hadn't meant to snap, but her continuous and blatant implications as to what a rat bastard he was had tried his nerves. Ginny didn't know quite what to say.
"It wasn't meant to insult you, Malfoy. I mean, you seem to take pride in being that way."
"Well, I can't help it, it's just how I was raised! And look where it landed my father? I can't be much proud about it anymore, can I?"
Ginny felt winded from his words. She had completely forgotten about his father. Here she was insulting his very demeanor, while his father, the man from who he had learned it all and idolized, had fallen from grace over night. It never occurred to her that it was actually affecting him in some way. She looked up at him apologetically.
"I'm sorry." She said softly.
"Just forget it." He muttered, leaning his head back against the tree and closing his eyes. He already felt stupid enough for saying all he had, and didn't want it to get any worse.
Ginny watched him with concern for a while. Then, without really thinking, she moved to him and gently rested her head on his chest. Malfoy opened an eye to peer down at her.
"What in blazes are you doing?" He asked. Ginny shrugged.
"Resting my eyes?" She suggested.
"Come on, get up." He nudged her with his arm. Ginny didn't respond.
"I mean it, Weasel, get out of it." Malfoy demanded. However, Ginny merely shushed him.
"Weasel's sleeping." She whispered, not willing to move at all. Malfoy shifted uncomfortably. This was entirely too strange for his liking and he was beginning to panic.
"I really think you should get up." He said, a note of pleading in his voice.
"I quite agree Mr. Malfoy." Said a gruff, authoritative voice. The pair jumped as if they'd been shocked. They looked up to see the towering figure of Professor McGonagall. They quickly got to their feet, straightening their robes and such.
"Professor." Malfoy nodded. McGonagall surveyed them suspiciously.
"I am to inform you that a special assembly will be taking place in the Great Hall in a short time. I suggest you...collect yourselves and make your way there. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am." They mumbled and moved quickly towards the school. They didn't notice the small smirk that graced their teacher's face as she watched them go before she moved on to the Quidditch pitch to inform the practicing Ravenclaw team of the assembly.
Over the next month, the lessons progressed rather rapidly. Ginny was finding it scarily easy to evade her brother's probing questions, (which wasn't really that difficult to begin with as he and Hermione were more concerned with Harry), and also her friends' quizzical stares. She was becoming extremely pleased with the whole arrangement, knowing she was now able to protect herself better than any D.A. meeting would have enabled her, though hating to admit it. She was learning things no regular wizard would know, which was somewhat frightening when she thought about it. But she had made a mental pact with herself to use the knowledge only for defense and never against anyone. She had become steadily more curious as to where Malfoy could have learned it all, but never thought to question him about it outright. She didn't want to risk upsetting him and losing the lessons she had come to view as vital. While Ginny couldn't imagine what more there could be to learn, they were still going strong after so long a time.
Outside, one afternoon, the weather was oddly warm and bright for mid- November. Ginny had suggested they practice outdoors, somewhere secluded, as the weather was refreshingly lovely. They were now sitting under a tree taking a break. Ginny was lying on her back, looking plaintively up between the branches at the light clouds overhead, while Malfoy, his back against the tree, played with a blade of grass. Then Ginny spoke, more to break the quiet than anything.
"Do...do you ever wonder what Snape would be like on a date?" She asked thoughtfully. Malfoy looked down at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a growth on her forehead.
"No." He said in a disbelieving tone. This left them in awkward silence. Then, Ginny could feel Malfoy beginning to laugh beside her. This set her off in embarrassed giggles, which only made him laugh harder. Soon they were both gripping their sides in what seemed like ceaseless laughter. They came down after a minute, gasping for air. Ginny, the mirth still in her voice, said,
"'Kay, I was just curious." She settled back comfortably in the grass.
"You're an absolute loon, you know that?"
"Well, what do you expect, you haven't said a word in the past hour, save firing directions at me like some drill sergeant." She turned on her stomach to see him better propping her head up on her hands. "So how am I doing, anyway? I mean personally I think I'm doing quite well, but you haven't said a word on it. How do I fare?"
Malfoy looked at her hopeful expression and rolled his eyes. "You're...I don't know, you're..." He drifted off from there.
"That good, eh?" Ginny smiled at him. He looked away.
"What are you on about, I didn't even say anything."
"Well, that's it isn't it? If I were doing badly, you wouldn't hesitate to insult me."
"Ah, of course." He said flatly and sighed. Ginny studied his face with a furrowed brow.
"I've hurt your feelings?" She questioned, truly surprised at this fact.
"Don't be daft." Malfoy scoffed. He crossed his arms as if to close the matter, but Ginny pressed on.
"Come on, what did I say? I didn't-"
"Look, I just don't appreciate your constant insinuations that I'm some sort of evil incarnate, all right?" He hadn't meant to snap, but her continuous and blatant implications as to what a rat bastard he was had tried his nerves. Ginny didn't know quite what to say.
"It wasn't meant to insult you, Malfoy. I mean, you seem to take pride in being that way."
"Well, I can't help it, it's just how I was raised! And look where it landed my father? I can't be much proud about it anymore, can I?"
Ginny felt winded from his words. She had completely forgotten about his father. Here she was insulting his very demeanor, while his father, the man from who he had learned it all and idolized, had fallen from grace over night. It never occurred to her that it was actually affecting him in some way. She looked up at him apologetically.
"I'm sorry." She said softly.
"Just forget it." He muttered, leaning his head back against the tree and closing his eyes. He already felt stupid enough for saying all he had, and didn't want it to get any worse.
Ginny watched him with concern for a while. Then, without really thinking, she moved to him and gently rested her head on his chest. Malfoy opened an eye to peer down at her.
"What in blazes are you doing?" He asked. Ginny shrugged.
"Resting my eyes?" She suggested.
"Come on, get up." He nudged her with his arm. Ginny didn't respond.
"I mean it, Weasel, get out of it." Malfoy demanded. However, Ginny merely shushed him.
"Weasel's sleeping." She whispered, not willing to move at all. Malfoy shifted uncomfortably. This was entirely too strange for his liking and he was beginning to panic.
"I really think you should get up." He said, a note of pleading in his voice.
"I quite agree Mr. Malfoy." Said a gruff, authoritative voice. The pair jumped as if they'd been shocked. They looked up to see the towering figure of Professor McGonagall. They quickly got to their feet, straightening their robes and such.
"Professor." Malfoy nodded. McGonagall surveyed them suspiciously.
"I am to inform you that a special assembly will be taking place in the Great Hall in a short time. I suggest you...collect yourselves and make your way there. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am." They mumbled and moved quickly towards the school. They didn't notice the small smirk that graced their teacher's face as she watched them go before she moved on to the Quidditch pitch to inform the practicing Ravenclaw team of the assembly.