Chapter Two: Superficiality
It was a rare thing to not have much commotion on a September 1st in the Weasley home. Only harboring one Weasley who would be waking early to catch the Hogwarts Express, the Burrow was practically tranquil.
Kind of.
"Mum! I can't find my tie!" screeched 17 year old Ginny Weasley from inside her room. Her room was a barren wasteland just the other night, having nearly packed everything. But now she had ripped her trunk apart, searching everywhere for her missing House tie.
"Heavens!" gasped Mrs. Weasley, upon entering her only daughter's room. "I thought you'd already packed!"
"I did!" whined Ginny. "But I couldn't fine my tie!"
Mrs. Wealsey glared at her daughter, who was supposed to be a mature adult now. "Accio!" she said, and flying out from under Ginny's bed was her tie. She gave her wand another flick and instantly, the trunk was repacked. "Hurry up now, or we'll be late." With a final "Honestly!" she left.
Ginny huffed angrilly and set to work on fixing her tie. She glared at her reflection, cursing inwardly for her stupidity.
"Aren't you going to do something about your hair?" piped her mirror, making Ginny's temper flare even more.
"Argh!" growled Ginny, and pushed the mirror so it'd face down. "Everybody's a critic!" She folded her arms across her chest which, along with her pout, made her look about 10 years younger. She felt very tired with herself and wished desperately that she was out of school. Then she could make a name for herself, other than the "Girl Who Got Possessed By Voldemort". The Chamber was opened nearly six years ago and people still call her that. Not even when Voldemort's fall got them to stop.
She found herself longing to be somebody else. Somebody people looked up to. Not star Gryffindor Chaser, Ron Weasley's, little sister. Not the girl who crushed on Harry Potter for four years. Not the "Chamber Girl". She glared back at her reflection after setting the mirror upright. This year was going to be different, she told her self. This year people would know who she was.
With a sudden look of determination plastered on her face, she set off towards her mother's beckoning calls.
* * *
"Hey, aren't you Ron Weasley's kid sister?" piped a third year who crossed her path as she set off for Potions.
Ginny felt her eyes narrow irritably. So much for resolutions, she thought bitterly, and headed for the dungeons in a quicker pace.
"Hey Ginny — hold on!" cried her friend who came running up to her.
Ginny obediently stopped in her tracks and waited. "Sorry Minora," she said, once the girl had caught up to her.
"You're freakishly fast, do you know that?" laughed Minora, reducing her sparkling blue eyes to slits.
Ginny smiled sheepishly as they continued down the moldy corridors. "Sorry — I just got so mad."
"Again?" said Minora, grinning wider as Ginny glared at her.
"I don't get mad often — well, okay, I do. But that's not the point!" squeaked Ginny, and continued to pout all the way to the Potions room.
"What was it this time?" asked Minora, setting her book bag down on their usual table in the back.
Ginny felt her cheeks heat up and mumbled, "sister" under her breath.
Minora sighed. "Honestly, Gin, you can't keep letting that get to you."
"Easy for you to say," pouted Ginny. "People know who you are." She gave Minora a knowing look, which made her ivory cheeks turn pink. "You're Minora Modesty, the prettiest girl in school."
Minora frowned at Ginny, making her wince slightly. She knew how much Minora hated it when she pitied herself, but sometimes it just couldn't be avoided.
"Stop beating yourself over the head about it," snapped Minora. Her expression lightened as Snape began doing role. "You're a great and beautiful person — it just takes a while before it's noticed."
"Any chance of that happening soon?" said Ginny gloomily, and was saved from a lecture from Minora as Snape began his lesson.
"Lacewings, unicorn hair, and hawk feathers," said Snape, casting a cold glare around the class, causing a ripple of shivers over them. "What potion are these ingredients found in?"
"Dreamless sleep," said a velvety voice from the doorway.
A number of heads snapped over to peak at the owner of the voice, Ginny among them. Draco Malfoy was leaning with his arms crossed on the door. His hair looked freshly cut for the edges were rough, and was completely covered in black, illuminating his pale complexion and silvery hair. Perhaps this was why most of the girls in the room were practically drooling.
"Mr. Malfoy," said Snape, and Ginny could've sworn he had nearly smiled. "Perhaps you've forgotten that you had already graduated from this school?"
Draco smirked, causing the girls to let out hushed squeals of delight. "And perhaps you've forgotten our little appointment?" he quipped.
This time Snape actually did smile — or the tips of his mouth twitched, anyway. "Ah, yes. That. Well, as you can see I'm just in the middle of a class — I'm afraid you'll have to wait." — or the tips of his mouth twitched, anyway. "I don't mind," said Draco and took a seat next to a rather giggly Hufflepuff.
"Perhaps outside," said Snape huffily. "You're causing a bit of a fit with some of my students."
Getting the point, Draco stood and made his way for the door. He turned just as he opened it, and gave an enticing wink to the Hufflepuff, before finally leaving the room. It took a while for Snape to get some order in the class while the girls had erupted into giggle fits and the boys made gagging noises.
* * *
"So that's Draco Malfoy," said Minora thoughtfully as she and Ginny began piling their books in their bags after Snape's lesson. "From all the articles, I'd always pictured him shorter. Less hot."
Ginny sputtered in shock. "Hot?" she echoed, looking at Minora like she had just cursed her own mom.
"Yeah," Minora nodded. "Don't you think so?"
Ginny shook her head fervently. She and Minora piled out of the classroom, only to bump into the said man who stood at the doorway.
"Sorry 'bout that," said Draco, not really noticing who it was, and quickly retrived Ginny's fallen books. Professor Snape had beckoned for him and he entered the class, without another word said between them.
"A gentlemen too," said Minora with a sly grin as they walked past him towards the Great Hall.
"Minora — please," said Ginny, making a face. "You don't know Malfoy."
"And I suppose you do?" quipped Minora. They settled down at their usual spot on the House table, and Ginny glared at the blonde.
"I know him more than you do," said Ginny huffily, and began to pour herself some pumpkin juice.
"So I've just transferred," said Minora, waving a hand around impatiently. "That doesn't mean I don't know him."
"Actually, Min, that does."
"I've heard about him," said Minora indignantly. "I've read the articles about his part in the Dark Lord's defeat."
"Doesn't mean you know him," said Ginny simply and took a bite out of her ham sandwich. "Trust me, Draco Malfoy is bad."
"Wasn't he a member of the Order? How can he be bad?"
"He was a rotten little thing in the early years," said Ginny. "Terrible. He'd pick on just about everyone, and even tried to get Hagrid fired once. Nasty thing, really." Images in her head began reeling out like film of the Draco she was familiar with. Remembering the horrible sneer he'd have whenever he'd pick on someone made her scowl.
Minora pursed her rosy lips at Ginny. "You make it seem like he's the Dark Lord himself," she said. "He couldn't've been that bad."
At this Ginny shrugged. "Maybe not," she admitted. "If so, he sure did a good job of hiding his good side."
Minora began to poke at her stew with pouting lips. "Still hot though," she said quietly, making Ginny choke on her juice. "Well you have to admit!" she said indignantly.
Ginny sighed. She raked through her memory for the Draco they had just met. She saw his fine, silvery hair first. Then his pale figure, enveloped in black robes. Then his face cleared into those handsomely chiseled features. And last, his eyes, gray and misty with a curious glint that made Ginny's own eyes flutter.
"Told you so," said Minora smugly, noting the look on Ginny's face. She had had that look not so long ago.
Ginny grinned, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Well he wasn't always that cute," she said, hoping to save herself a little bit of dignity. Handsome as Draco was now, she refused to call a Malfoy "hot". Minora, having seemed satisfied of her friend's admittance, turned her attention to her lunch, leaving Ginny free to collect herself.
Minora's words echoed in Ginny's head, and she wondered just how well she knew Draco. She doubted anyone knew any more than she. He always seemed to be so cruel and heartless. Whenever she'd see him in the halls, he'd always have the most annoyed look. Like he was too good to be in Hogwarts. He was always going out of his way to make other people feel inferior around him. Being a Weasley, she was brought up to despise Malfoys and what they stand for. Draco Malfoy, especially, what with her brother hating him so much. Yet wasn't the kind-faced man she had just met the same person? She knew only too well that you couldn't help what family you're born into. Was Draco just another victum of fate's cruel ways?
"You gonna' finish your jello?" asked Minora, pulling Ginny out of her thoughts. Numbly, Ginny handed over her jello cup, wondering vaguely what possessed her to think about Draco in such a way.
Chapter Three; Draco visits the Manor, and struggles with his inner demons.
It was a rare thing to not have much commotion on a September 1st in the Weasley home. Only harboring one Weasley who would be waking early to catch the Hogwarts Express, the Burrow was practically tranquil.
Kind of.
"Mum! I can't find my tie!" screeched 17 year old Ginny Weasley from inside her room. Her room was a barren wasteland just the other night, having nearly packed everything. But now she had ripped her trunk apart, searching everywhere for her missing House tie.
"Heavens!" gasped Mrs. Weasley, upon entering her only daughter's room. "I thought you'd already packed!"
"I did!" whined Ginny. "But I couldn't fine my tie!"
Mrs. Wealsey glared at her daughter, who was supposed to be a mature adult now. "Accio!" she said, and flying out from under Ginny's bed was her tie. She gave her wand another flick and instantly, the trunk was repacked. "Hurry up now, or we'll be late." With a final "Honestly!" she left.
Ginny huffed angrilly and set to work on fixing her tie. She glared at her reflection, cursing inwardly for her stupidity.
"Aren't you going to do something about your hair?" piped her mirror, making Ginny's temper flare even more.
"Argh!" growled Ginny, and pushed the mirror so it'd face down. "Everybody's a critic!" She folded her arms across her chest which, along with her pout, made her look about 10 years younger. She felt very tired with herself and wished desperately that she was out of school. Then she could make a name for herself, other than the "Girl Who Got Possessed By Voldemort". The Chamber was opened nearly six years ago and people still call her that. Not even when Voldemort's fall got them to stop.
She found herself longing to be somebody else. Somebody people looked up to. Not star Gryffindor Chaser, Ron Weasley's, little sister. Not the girl who crushed on Harry Potter for four years. Not the "Chamber Girl". She glared back at her reflection after setting the mirror upright. This year was going to be different, she told her self. This year people would know who she was.
With a sudden look of determination plastered on her face, she set off towards her mother's beckoning calls.
"Hey, aren't you Ron Weasley's kid sister?" piped a third year who crossed her path as she set off for Potions.
Ginny felt her eyes narrow irritably. So much for resolutions, she thought bitterly, and headed for the dungeons in a quicker pace.
"Hey Ginny — hold on!" cried her friend who came running up to her.
Ginny obediently stopped in her tracks and waited. "Sorry Minora," she said, once the girl had caught up to her.
"You're freakishly fast, do you know that?" laughed Minora, reducing her sparkling blue eyes to slits.
Ginny smiled sheepishly as they continued down the moldy corridors. "Sorry — I just got so mad."
"Again?" said Minora, grinning wider as Ginny glared at her.
"I don't get mad often — well, okay, I do. But that's not the point!" squeaked Ginny, and continued to pout all the way to the Potions room.
"What was it this time?" asked Minora, setting her book bag down on their usual table in the back.
Ginny felt her cheeks heat up and mumbled, "sister" under her breath.
Minora sighed. "Honestly, Gin, you can't keep letting that get to you."
"Easy for you to say," pouted Ginny. "People know who you are." She gave Minora a knowing look, which made her ivory cheeks turn pink. "You're Minora Modesty, the prettiest girl in school."
Minora frowned at Ginny, making her wince slightly. She knew how much Minora hated it when she pitied herself, but sometimes it just couldn't be avoided.
"Stop beating yourself over the head about it," snapped Minora. Her expression lightened as Snape began doing role. "You're a great and beautiful person — it just takes a while before it's noticed."
"Any chance of that happening soon?" said Ginny gloomily, and was saved from a lecture from Minora as Snape began his lesson.
"Lacewings, unicorn hair, and hawk feathers," said Snape, casting a cold glare around the class, causing a ripple of shivers over them. "What potion are these ingredients found in?"
"Dreamless sleep," said a velvety voice from the doorway.
A number of heads snapped over to peak at the owner of the voice, Ginny among them. Draco Malfoy was leaning with his arms crossed on the door. His hair looked freshly cut for the edges were rough, and was completely covered in black, illuminating his pale complexion and silvery hair. Perhaps this was why most of the girls in the room were practically drooling.
"Mr. Malfoy," said Snape, and Ginny could've sworn he had nearly smiled. "Perhaps you've forgotten that you had already graduated from this school?"
Draco smirked, causing the girls to let out hushed squeals of delight. "And perhaps you've forgotten our little appointment?" he quipped.
This time Snape actually did smile — or the tips of his mouth twitched, anyway. "Ah, yes. That. Well, as you can see I'm just in the middle of a class — I'm afraid you'll have to wait." — or the tips of his mouth twitched, anyway. "I don't mind," said Draco and took a seat next to a rather giggly Hufflepuff.
"Perhaps outside," said Snape huffily. "You're causing a bit of a fit with some of my students."
Getting the point, Draco stood and made his way for the door. He turned just as he opened it, and gave an enticing wink to the Hufflepuff, before finally leaving the room. It took a while for Snape to get some order in the class while the girls had erupted into giggle fits and the boys made gagging noises.
"So that's Draco Malfoy," said Minora thoughtfully as she and Ginny began piling their books in their bags after Snape's lesson. "From all the articles, I'd always pictured him shorter. Less hot."
Ginny sputtered in shock. "Hot?" she echoed, looking at Minora like she had just cursed her own mom.
"Yeah," Minora nodded. "Don't you think so?"
Ginny shook her head fervently. She and Minora piled out of the classroom, only to bump into the said man who stood at the doorway.
"Sorry 'bout that," said Draco, not really noticing who it was, and quickly retrived Ginny's fallen books. Professor Snape had beckoned for him and he entered the class, without another word said between them.
"A gentlemen too," said Minora with a sly grin as they walked past him towards the Great Hall.
"Minora — please," said Ginny, making a face. "You don't know Malfoy."
"And I suppose you do?" quipped Minora. They settled down at their usual spot on the House table, and Ginny glared at the blonde.
"I know him more than you do," said Ginny huffily, and began to pour herself some pumpkin juice.
"So I've just transferred," said Minora, waving a hand around impatiently. "That doesn't mean I don't know him."
"Actually, Min, that does."
"I've heard about him," said Minora indignantly. "I've read the articles about his part in the Dark Lord's defeat."
"Doesn't mean you know him," said Ginny simply and took a bite out of her ham sandwich. "Trust me, Draco Malfoy is bad."
"Wasn't he a member of the Order? How can he be bad?"
"He was a rotten little thing in the early years," said Ginny. "Terrible. He'd pick on just about everyone, and even tried to get Hagrid fired once. Nasty thing, really." Images in her head began reeling out like film of the Draco she was familiar with. Remembering the horrible sneer he'd have whenever he'd pick on someone made her scowl.
Minora pursed her rosy lips at Ginny. "You make it seem like he's the Dark Lord himself," she said. "He couldn't've been that bad."
At this Ginny shrugged. "Maybe not," she admitted. "If so, he sure did a good job of hiding his good side."
Minora began to poke at her stew with pouting lips. "Still hot though," she said quietly, making Ginny choke on her juice. "Well you have to admit!" she said indignantly.
Ginny sighed. She raked through her memory for the Draco they had just met. She saw his fine, silvery hair first. Then his pale figure, enveloped in black robes. Then his face cleared into those handsomely chiseled features. And last, his eyes, gray and misty with a curious glint that made Ginny's own eyes flutter.
"Told you so," said Minora smugly, noting the look on Ginny's face. She had had that look not so long ago.
Ginny grinned, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Well he wasn't always that cute," she said, hoping to save herself a little bit of dignity. Handsome as Draco was now, she refused to call a Malfoy "hot". Minora, having seemed satisfied of her friend's admittance, turned her attention to her lunch, leaving Ginny free to collect herself.
Minora's words echoed in Ginny's head, and she wondered just how well she knew Draco. She doubted anyone knew any more than she. He always seemed to be so cruel and heartless. Whenever she'd see him in the halls, he'd always have the most annoyed look. Like he was too good to be in Hogwarts. He was always going out of his way to make other people feel inferior around him. Being a Weasley, she was brought up to despise Malfoys and what they stand for. Draco Malfoy, especially, what with her brother hating him so much. Yet wasn't the kind-faced man she had just met the same person? She knew only too well that you couldn't help what family you're born into. Was Draco just another victum of fate's cruel ways?
"You gonna' finish your jello?" asked Minora, pulling Ginny out of her thoughts. Numbly, Ginny handed over her jello cup, wondering vaguely what possessed her to think about Draco in such a way.
Chapter Three; Draco visits the Manor, and struggles with his inner demons.