Chapter Three: Warning

"Now the first day that I met ya
I was looking in the sky
When the sun turned all a blur
And the thunderclouds rolled by
The Sea began to shiver
And the wind began to moan
It must've been a sign for me
to leave you well alone…"

The next night Ginny walked to the library. Vider offered to go with her, but she declined and said that she would be fine alone. She got to the library and walked over to Madam Pince's desk.

"Your detention will start as soon as the other student arrives." Said Madam Pince. "Sit over there until then."

Ginny sat down at the table that Madam Pince had indicated. After about five minutes Draco walked through the doors.

"Mr. Malfoy, you are late."

"I know ma'am, I am sorry." Draco said, though no trace of remorse was on his face.

"I will not punish you more than was assigned by Professor McGonagall, but next time you will not be so lucky." She said, sternly. "Your task is to clean off the books and shelves. And Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley, you will not be cleaning the restricted section so don't even think about it. I will be back in exactly two hours. Please be done by then." And she walked out. Ginny and Draco got to work without talking to each other. When Madam Pince came back two hours later the place was sparkling clean; or at least as sparkling clean as a bunch of leatherback books can be.

After inspecting the library very closely, she said, "Very good. You may go now."

As they walked out the door Draco finally spoke to her.

"Ginny, I have something that I think belongs to you."

Ginny looked at him, stunned.

"What?" She asked.

"This." He said as he pulled the diary out from his bag. Her eyes widened and a look of fury took over her face.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, fuming.

"I tripped on it in the Great Hall." He said, his expression not changing.

She felt a little better, but then another thought crossed her mind.

"You didn't read any of it, did you?" She said, sounding a little calmer, though in truth she was angrier.

"Um, well I…" He said, now actually feeling a bit scared. One does not mess with an angry Weasley if one wants to keep one's limbs.

"You did." She said.

"Yes I did." He said, reluctantly.

"How could you do this?" She yelled, then said sarcastically, "Oh wait, I forgot. You're 'The Great Draco Malfoy'. You're allowed to do anything you bloody well want!"

"There's more to me than that!" He shouted before he realized what he was saying.

Ginny stood there, speechless. She didn't think of Draco as someone who would say that. She thought he'd just say that she was scum and why should he care or something along those lines. That's why she was so surprised when instead he said "there's more to me than that!" There was silence for a little while as they walked, not really anywhere, they just walked; neither wanting to break the silence.

"How much of it did you read?" Ginny finally asked.

"All of it." He said, sounding ashamed, or at least, as ashamed as a Malfoy could sound.

"Well then congratulations, you know more about me than anyone else; which means that you will never want to see me again and treat me like I'm less than dirt when you do have to see me." She said, obviously faking happiness.

"That's not true." He said sternly.

"Oh, really? Does the evil Slytherin Draco Malfoy actually have a heart?" She asked sarcastically.

"I never said that I have a heart."

"I think you do."

"And why do you think that when the whole school thinks otherwise?"

"Because if you didn't you wouldn't be here right now, would you?" She said, knowing she had won the argument.

"I guess not." He said, a slight smile coming to his lips.

"Well since you know my secrets the only way I would trust you not to tell was if you were my friend." She said, only realizing afterwards how incredibly stupid that sounded.

"Okay then, friend."

Ginny was shocked. Draco's behavior before was strange enough before, but now she had made friends with him?

"Ron is going to freak." She said, laughing.

"It's not like we're going out."

Ginny abruptly stopped laughing and a tinge of red appeared on her cheeks.

"No, but he'll still freak." She said, embarrassed.

"Yeah, and so will father." He said, looking away.

Ginny noticed that he said father like it was a curse word or something. She didn't want to press him about it.

"Do you want to go to the lake while we're still allowed to be out?"

"When have the rules ever mattered to you?" Ginny asked slyly.

"Moi? Break the rules? No!" He said, feeling as if they had been friends for years.

"C'mon, silly."

And they walked off towards the lake happily chattering. Ginny was happy that she had finally found a friend that understood her. Sure there was Vider, but she didn't know as much about Ginny as he did. And Draco was happy that he'd found a friend that actually liked him, and didn't just tolerate him because of family connections. They got to the lake and just talked about various things, school, Quidditch, the like. They talked about Quidditch for most of the time; it was something they both enjoyed and were good at. Ginny told him that she was going to try out for the team and Draco said he would help her practice. Ginny was taken aback at all this sudden show of kindness but Draco just said, "What are friends for?" They talked until it was past the curfew. Draco would have gone on talking but Ginny didn't want to get in trouble. So they walked in and went to their respective houses; still thinking of each other.

When Ginny came back into the girl's dorm she was questioned by everyone.

"Where were you?" Asked Vider.

"Were you studying?" Asked another girl.

"You were with a boy, weren't you?" Said Lana, another fourth year.

"Actually, I was with a boy." Ginny said.

"Who?" They all asked.

"I will keep the secret with me to my grave." She said, giggling, and hid under her bed covers.

The girls kept pestering her until they finally got tired and fell asleep. Vider was still awake, however, and Ginny decided to tell her.

"Vider."

"Huh?" She said groggily.

"It was Draco."

"Who was Draco?"

"The boy I was out with."

Vider sat up very quickly.

"You went out with Draco Malfoy?" She asked.

"Yes I…Wait, not like that! He's my friend now."

Vider laughed at her.

"What brought that on?" She asked.

Ginny was about to tell but hesitated and then decided it would be best for Vider not to know about the diary.

"I dunno." She said slowly, trying to make up a good lie. "He just…walked over to me and we started talking and…he asked me if I wanted to be friends and I figured 'why not?'"

Ginny was afraid this wouldn't be a good answer for Vider but luckily she was too tired to say anything more. A part of Ginny was angry that someone, most of all Draco Malfoy, read her diary and now knew her innermost secrets but another part of her was happy. That part of her was happy because now she had someone to talk to that really knew her, and not just the façade that she usually put up; now she had someone who knew the real her and liked it instead of running away. It didn't really matter that it was Draco, but it was a plus. It was a plus because the fact that it was Draco Malfoy of Slytherin House would really tick off Ron. She smiled just imagining the look Ron would have on his face when he found out. She went to sleep with that image in her mind.

Ginny woke up with Vider bouncing on Ginny's bed.

"Get off, Vider!" Ginny groaned, not wanting to deal with Vider this early in the morning.

"But I want to bounce!" Vider replied, her voice shaking as she was still jumping.

"You've been pigging out on sugar again, haven't you?" Ginny said, annoyed.

Vider leaped off the bed.

"Um, well…" She said, trying to look innocent.

"You have." Ginny said.

"Um, yeah." Vider replied, embarrassed.

Ginny shook her head. Vider had done this a few days before. As if Vider wasn't hyper enough.

"Vider, you have got to cut back on the sweets!" Ginny said, sounding like a mother.

"But I didn't have any sugar!" She tried to insist, though she had already admitted otherwise.

"Holy crud! We're gonna be late!" Ginny said as she looked at her clock. She put on her robes in a hurry and then she and Vider rushed down the stairs. Vider made it down safely, but unfortunately that was more than could be said for Ginny, because she ran straight into a certain glasses-wearing boy with messy black hair.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry but I'm really late for Double Transfiguration so…Bye!" And with that Ginny darted out the portrait hole, leaving a bewildered Harry standing there with glasses askew.

Ginny made it to the Transfiguration classroom just in time; Vider had gotten there only a minute before. Just as Ginny sat down Professor McGonagall walked in.

"Good morning class, I hope that you have all done your homework, for if you have not you will assuredly be lost in the lesson today."

Ginny heard several groans coming from the back of the classroom.

"Let's not have anymore interruptions. Now, what I am gong to teach you today is about Animagi. I do not really expect any of you to understand it…" She said, looking pointedly at Colin Creevey and his friends. "…But we shall try. What we will do today is learn the procedure for becoming an Animagi."

Not very many Witches and Wizards are even capable of the transformation, and out of those precious few only about one in fifty actually succeed. I do not believe that any of you are even capable of it, but I am required by Headmaster Dumbledore to check. All who are capable will have a small scar that resembles a four-pointed star on the back of the neck. Choose a partner and check each other."

McGonagall sat down at her desk. Obviously Vider and Ginny paired up.

"Nope. What a surprise." Ginny said as she checked Vider.

"Now it's your turn!" Vider said, excited.

"C'mon Vider, we both know that there's absolutely no way that I could be capable!" Ginny whined.

"You never know, Gin, so let me!" Vider insisted.

Ginny finally gave in.

"Oh, fine! But only because Professor McGonagall would be mad if you didn't."

Vider lifted up Ginny's long, curly red locks and dropped them in surprise.

"What is it, Vider?" Ginny asked.

"Y-y-your neck… Professor McGonagall!" Vider said quickly.

Professor McGonagall was startled, but still came over.

"Yes, Miss La Lune?" She said.

"It's Ginny. I think she's capable." Vider said, still shocked.

The whole class stopped and turned towards the two girls and the Professor.

"Miss La Lune, that is highly unlikely." Said Professor McGonagall.

"I know it is, Professor, but just look!" Vider said.

Professor McGonagall, though very skeptical lifted up Ginny's hair and like Vider, dropped it very suddenly.

"Miss La Lune, you are correct. The class is dismissed. Everyone except for Miss Weasley please leave."

Everyone else stampeded out of the classroom as if they were being chased by a pack of lions.

"Miss Weasley, please sit."

Ginny sat down in the chair in front of Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Do you realize what this means?" She said. Ginny only nodded.

"It took me ten years to become an Animagi, it is not a task for those who will not put their heart into it. Are you sure you would like to pursue this?"

"Well Professor, I never really said that I wanted to in the first place, but yes I would like to." Ginny replied, reluctantly at first.

"In that case we should start the lessons very soon indeed. I would suggest starting tomorrow night. Please meet me in my office at seven-o-clock. Do not be late."

"Yes, thank you Professor." Said Ginny, surprised, as this had all happened rather fast. She left the classroom, and went to her next class, hoping Flitwick wouldn't be angry with her for being late.

No one really talked to her for the rest of the day; even Vider. They were all just too freaked out. That night Vider finally talked to Ginny.

"So Ginny, are you really an Animagi?" She asked.

"No, I'm not. But I am capable of it." Ginny replied.

"So are you going to go through with it?"

"Yeah. I think it would be really cool to be able to turn into an animal at will, don't you think?"

"Of course!" Said Vider, longingly. "Man, I wish I was capable!"

"Yeah…that would be really great…" Said Ginny, rather unenthusiastically.

Secretly Ginny was happy that no one else was capable, because it would be something that was unique about Ginny; she didn't have many unique traits. Hermione, one of the Gryffindor Prefects, then entered the Fifth-year girls dorm and told them all to go to bed. As soon as Hermione had left the room Vider went back over to Ginny's bed and started talking and didn't stop until the wee hours of the night. Ginny, however, wasn't really up to talking; she just had too much on her mind, with the Animagi thing, and a certain silver-haired boy.