A/N: I decided to go ahead and upload this chapter, even though it hasn't been very long since I uploaded the first one. The reason is, is that I'd really like to dedicate this chapter – well, the whole story really - to Lyndsey Lustig. I know that she loved to laugh and loved having a good time, and I think she really would have enjoyed this fic. Lyndsey was a girl that went to my school, she was well-liked and loved by almost everyone there. But just yesterday, she committed suicide in our girls bathroom.
This story is for her.
HUNT FOR PRINCE CHARMING
Chapter Two: Girls Don't Ogle
By VirtualFaerie
Day One: September 1st
Alright, now the actual Hunt has begun. I must be on the look-out for fine specimens of male at all times, my senses on high alert for any princely behavior. All tactics must be put to use, and no male in the school can be overlooked. Must be in full damsel in distress mode. Leave no rock unturned!
Err…right. Sorry about that. I do get a bit carried away. But at least you can see that I'm devoted to my cause. Right.
Before I went down to breakfast, I made sure that I had my Damsel in Distress Handbook, and most of my Hunt supplies in my bag, I must be prepared at all times. I also sprayed myself with Dolcé. Nothing wrong with smelling good.
First thing I noticed when I entered the Great Hall, was that Ron was staring raptly at the Hufflepuff table. What was my fool brother up to? Harry and Hermione were whispering behind their hands, and laughing at Ron, who was paying not the slightest bit of attention to them. I followed his gaze to the Hufflepuff table. Oh, what a loser, he was staring at Susan Bones. It seems that she's grown some boobs and ovaries over the summer. She was talking and flirting with half of the male population of her table and Ron couldn't keep his eyes off of her.
I laughed lightly to myself, and made my way to the table. Oh, what a fickle brother I have. One minute he thinks he's in love with Hermione, and the next, he can't stop staring at some Hufflepuff.
Colin had been saving me a seat, and moved his books over as I sat down. Down the table, I could hear Regina start sputtering. Oh gods, kill me now. Just kill me and get it over with. Don't make me live to see another day with her. Please, I swear I'll be a good girl in the heavens. I'll even wear white if it's required.
Not that they heard me…
"Ginny!" Regina leapt up out of her seat and jerked out the chair in front of mine. Colin and I shared an annoyed look. The only thing that I could thank the gods for, would be the fact that Regina is a year younger than me, therefore not in my dormitory. "I've been looking for you all morning!"
Why does she open her mouth? Why? The sound of her voice grates on my nerves. Just hearing it makes me want to scream. You may think that I'm not a very nice person – but you try having a person like Regina practically stalking you. Then we'll see if you think I'm mean.
"Oh, have you?" I asked, helping myself to some hash browns.
"Yes," she said. "I wanted to ask you if you'd help me in Charms this year, tutor me? I'm awful in that class and I know that you're wonderful at charms."
"I wouldn't say that," I paused to take a bite. "I'm average."
"Average is so much better than I do," Regina looked at me pleadingly. She was breathing hard. Very hard. I think that I'm going to have to take another shower before class if she keeps breathing on me like this. What was that Muggle movie with the guy that breathed really hard? Something about the stars? Hermione showed it to us. Oh yes! Star Wars, is the movie. And the guy was Darth Vader. That's what I shall call Regina. Darth. Take that you little hard-breather.
"I'm afraid that I've never done well in Potions," I said, which was the exact opposite of the truth. I did fairly well in all of my classes. "So, I'll have to spend all of my extra time studying it so that I can make a passing grade," I concluded, trying to give her my most sympathetic I'm-Sorry look.
She let out a sigh and looked down sadly. "Oh, well then, I guess I can just ask someone else then," she gave a weak smile. "Maybe Hermione?"
Why am I feeling bad? I shouldn't be feeling bad. No inkling of a bad feeling should I be feeling. No, that's wrong. Damn you, stupid conscious. Why do this to me? Torment me and such.
"Regina," I said, hoping that maybe if I said it low enough she wouldn't hear, and I could just dismiss it and say she didn't want me to help her anymore. But no. She heard.
"Yes?"
"I'll…tutor you," I said slowly. Colin let out a snort and his chair started shaking. I reached over and pinched his side.
"Ow!" he rubbed it tenderly and poked me in the arm.
"Oh, thank you so much, Ginny," said Regina with a smile. For some reason, I feel like I'm going to regret agreeing to helping her. She flounced down to the end of the table and sat down next to Dennis Creevey, her elbow promptly landing in his hash browns. Poor kid.
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Day One: Potions
"What kind of potion are we supposed to be making again?" I asked Colin. We were sitting down in the dungeons at a table by ourselves. Luckily we'd been able to grab each other as partners before and Hufflepuffs got stranded. We each had been paired with a Hufflepuff last year – it had been a disaster.
Colin looked at a page in our potions book. "Some sort of translation potion. It helps you understand what someone's saying in another language, even if you don't speak it." He looked up and grinned, "Hey, you know, if we added some more beetle eyes, we could also speak French fluently for an hour."
I wrinkled my nose at the jar of beetle eyes sitting not to far away from my person. "I don't know about that Colin, that's not what we're supposed to be doing. But, if I have to smell those stupid beetle eyes any longer, I'll be speaking French – in a toilet."
Colin laughed. "You're funny, Gins. Real funny."
I'd show him funny. I won't think I'm joking when I really do start puking from that rancid smell. Who knew that beetle eyes smelled so bad? I pulled my blouse up over my nose and breathed in the smell of my perfume. Ahhh, much better, I must say.
I looked back over to Colin, who had a slight scowl on his face as he was measuring the beetle eyes. Over his shoulder, I saw the door open and one of the gods most sexable males walked in. Seriously – he was drop dead gorgeous. Most pretty boy I'd ever seen. I was surprised that I hadn't fallen out of my chair on sight of him. I knew that my mouth must have dropped open, because I felt Colin's hand under my chin, pushing it back up.
"Now don't drool on yourself, Gins," he chided gently, adding the beetle eyes to the potion. "Just because a person of the male persuasion walks into the room doesn't mean you have to salivate. I'm sure all of the other girls do that just fine – enough to make up for you even."
I blinked back into reality. "Wha—Oh, Colin, come on. He's delicious looking."
Colin wrinkled his nose and looked up at the guy. "That's Blaise Zabini."
That one almost threw me off my chair. "What? It is? Mmmm." Colin gave me a look. "What? He is yummy looking." It's true – he was. No joke. I don't think I've ever seen yummier, well, maybe there's another Slytherin that rivals him in looks – but I don't think Blaise is quite as evil has the Great Ferret Prince.
"I find it funny that you keep referring to him as something you might eat."
"He is delectable," I said. Colin shook his head at me.
Blaise had dark hair that was slightly longer than usual so he had a sort of fringe that fell over into his eyes, and the bottom curled around the collar of his school regulation shirt. It was the kind of hair that begged to have fingers ran through it. His eyes were dark blue – they looked like pieces of obsidian. His skin was tanned from the summer, and he was tall. Very tall. That's one point on the list. He's got nice clothes too, and a nice body, you could tell that from his well fitting robes.
Colin elbowed me. "That's enough ogling. He's going to notice."
"Ogling? I wasn't ogling. Girls don't ogle. Guys ogle. Girls, check out," I stammered feeling a blush rise in my cheeks. "Uh, what's the next ingredient?" I said, trying to change the subject.
Colin rolled his eyes and fished the book with the list of ingredients out from under all the jars he had set on the table. He started telling me what we were supposed to do next when I totally zoned out. Blaise had looked in my direction, his eyes locked with mine.
Then, he winked.
"Mr. Zabini," said Snape, coming out of his office and seeing Blaise standing near his desk in the front of the classroom. "Right on time, come in."
Blaise gave me a last look and followed Snape into his office.
"Did you see that?" I whispered to Colin.
He blinked at me. "No, I didn't. Did you hear a word I said?"
"You were talking?"
"I take that as a 'no'," he said, rolling his eyes again and sighing loudly. "You're a bloody awful Potions partner. I think I'd rather be stuck with a Hufflepuff."
Ouch. A Hufflepuff? That really hurt.
"I'm sorry, Colin. My mind totally clicked off when I saw him," I said. "Really, I promise it won't happen again. I'll be the best Potions partner you've ever had. Scout's honor."
Colin gave me a long look. "You've never been a scout, Gins."
I coughed. "You know what I mean."
He nodded and we started back on the potion, this time I was paying attention. I didn't want Colin to say a Hufflepuff was better than me again. If someone says that, you know you're in trouble. Unless you're a Hufflepuff for real, then it might be different. But I don't know.
But I do know that I've spotted a real live Sex God. Oh boy was he grand. I believe that during lunch I must slink off to the library and salivate over old annual pictures. Yes, sounds like an excellent idea.
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Day One: Lunch
Okay, I've decided not to go the library and look at annual pictures because I've turned out to be quite ravenous. Not only for food, but also for more delicious male specimens.
As I was eating my sandwich courtesy of the Hogwarts house elves, I had a pad of parchment resting on the table in front of me with a quill. I was making a list of possible Prince Charmings. There weren't many, but I should go ahead and make a list, that way I can add more as needed and be able to keep track of them all.
POSSIBLE PRINCE CHARMINGS
Seamus Finnegan
Blaise Zabini
That's only two, but it's progress, that's for sure. Now, I just need to find a way that isn't suspicious to talk to Blaise. He may turn out to be an impossible jerk like the Great Ferret Prince, but you never know. There are a few nice Slytherins. But, like I said, few. Meaning about two or three.
Ugh, blast that giggling! I whipped my head to the right and saw Hermione giggling at something Harry had just said. Stupid giggler. I hate giggling. Have I said that before? - Because, I really do. I really, really hate giggling. Hermione's cheeks were flushed pink, and her eyes were creased from giggling. Harry seemed to be taking delight in the fact that Hermione was giggling because of something he'd said. In fact, he was grinning from ear to ear.
Blast that giggling, I say. Blast it.
Ron wasn't paying attention what so ever. He was completely unaware of the "moment" Harry and Hermione were sharing, and that was because he was staring at Susan Bones. Again. She was giggling too. Some of the guys at the Hufflepuff table were making figures out of their food – one looking suspiciously like Snape. Ron seemed enraptured, unable to take his eyes off of her.
What a git. Doesn't he know that staring isn't polite? I never stare.
….
Okay, maybe I do. But I don't think I'm so blatant.
….
I give up.
"Ginny, Ginny, GINNY!"
"Huh?"
Colin was giving me an odd look.
"I think you've officially lost your mind," he said, shaking his head and taking a bite of his sandwich.
I frowned. "Why is that?"
"Because," he said slowly, shifting the sandwich inside his mouth. "You aren't only staring at guys now; you're also staring at girls."
"What?" I said indignantly. I was most certainly not looking at girls. "I was not."
"Yes, yes you were," he said, nodding his sagely. "I saw you looking at Susan Bones."
"I was only looking at her because she was being an obnoxious giggler," I protested. I am so going to kill Colin. Why was he being such a pain lately? I haven't done anything to him. I don't complain when he looks at girl. Gods.
"Right," said Colin.
I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes at him.
Did I mention I was going to kill him?
I did?
Well, let me say it again.
I'm going to kill him.
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Day One: Common Room
I haven't killed Colin yet – I promise I have a good excuse too. A very good one. And that would be because we've been assigned a paper in Transfiguration, and that just so happens to be my worst subject. Colin is very good at it – even if he doesn't act like it.
So I need him for now. If I can't kill him, at least I can use him. Right?
Right.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
We're sitting in a back table in the common room, trying to work on this project. Well, it's mainly Colin working on the project and me daydreaming.
"Ginny." Colin tapped my shoulder sharply.
"Ow!" I clutched my shoulder and shot him a look. "That hurt."
"Good," he said. "It was supposed to."
"You don't have to be such an arse," I said, rubbing my shoulder.
"Well, you could try working on your own project instead of trying to get me to do it for you," Colin said angrily, his eyebrows were lowered along with his voice. All in all, it was very scary. I had never really seen Colin mad before.
"I'm sorry," I said, taking my hand off of my shoulder. "Can you explain to me what exactly I'm supposed to be doing? McGonagall never makes much sense to me."
Colin sighed. "Okay, this is the last time, so pay attention."
"Right," I said. "No problem."
"Alright, you're supposed to be transfiguring a bird into a music box, but that's not all you have to do. You also have to write a report on each of the stages in the transfiguration, along with the report there's supposed to be a diagram of each stage."
I blinked. "A diagram?"
"Yes," said Colin. "A diagram."
"I'm not so good at drawing." I picked up my quill and looked at my canary that was sitting on our table in its cage.
I felt rather sorry for the canary. Did McGonagall personally interview all of these canaries and ask them if they wanted to be music boxes? What if they just wanted to be canaries? What if they had families back home in their trees or whatever? What if they have mouths to feed? Did McGonagall not give any thought to these canaries' lives? That was very inconsiderate of her. Very. I think that I might let my canary go and tell McGonagall that I cannot do this project because it's inhumane. Canaries should have rights. People should be able to dictate whether they get transfigured into music boxes or not.
I started doodling on my paper with my quill, trying to draw the canary.
Colin's hand twined itself around mine. "Not like that, Ginny," he said softly, his hand guiding mine on the page. His hand was warm and soft around mine, giving me little goose bumps on my arms. The ink from my quill came out in even lines and eventually resembled the canary that was resting in my cage.
Colin finished and looked at me. His face – his lips were awfully close to mine. I looked at him, and he looked at me, his eyes flitting to my lips. I could feel his breath on my cheek.
"Studying?" Ron said, coming up behind us and clamping his hands on our shoulders.
I didn't mean to, but I groaned aloud.
Colin gave me a weird look. "Yes, I'm helping Ginny with her Transfiguration project," he said to Ron.
Ron nodded and started to walk away, muttering under his breath, "That's all you better be helping her with."
I closed my eyes and let my head fall with a thud onto the table. I hoped to the gods that Colin couldn't see me blushing. How dare Ron interrupt us like that? I may have gotten a kiss. Yes, it would have been a kiss from my best friend that may have ruined our friendship, but it would still be a kiss. And let me tell you, I haven't exactly had many of those.
Colin's hand rubbed my shoulder. "Go on, Ginny," he said. "I think you should go to bed. It's late and all."
I brought my head back up and looked at him. "What about my project?"
He looked to the canary and the drawing we'd done together. "We'll work on it later, okay?"
"Alright," I said, picking up my stuff from the table, ready to get in bed. It was a very tiring day. Prince Charming Hunting can wear a girl out.
Thank You:
Karma (Thanks for reading this! You're a doll!), gohansfan (I've been waiting a LONG time to use the TOM thing. :D I'm so glad that you thought it was funny! Hehe. And as to who her Prince Charming will be…*whistles* I dunno yet…), Meena2 (Thank you! I hope you enjoyed it.), Evalahn (*grins* Of course I'm lovely to Colin! I LOVE Colin! And yes, I thought it was about time that menstruation was mentioned in the wizarding world as well. It's a part of EVERY girl's life. Thanks bunches for beta-ing for me! I'll have to send you chapter three in a bit, this chapter had already been beta-ed so I didn't want to bother you with it.), starlight (Don't worry about HSNT! That'll be finished soon, I promise. I'm already working on the next chapter.), Willa Mae (I'm so glad! :D), RosyCheeks (The funniest? You flatter. Glad you like it.), Louisa Potter (I'm glad you like my Ginny! *whispers* She's actually a lot like me. Which means, she's probably like a lot of other teenage girls out there. *grins*), Azalai (*nods* I've met a girl that looks rabid. Regina is based roughly on her. *grins* HIGHlarious? Wow. Hehe), Alice Philemon (Wow! Your review made me feel really good about this story. I guess one of the things that helps me really make Ginny sound like a teenage girl, is that I am one myself!), the new PINK princess (I'm glad you like it! I haven't actually tried that lifting thing yet, but I have done the whole jumping up and down because you can't reach something – and it does work.), Lady Megan (Hehe. I think Ginny is a little bit like all of us. I know she's a lot like me too. I think everyone has a Reggie in their life. LOL.), katie Moffat (Well, he is sex-on-a-stick. Yummmmmm.), Writer Gurl4 (Here's your chapter!), Clairvoyance (I'm working on HSNT! I have a 1000 or so words of it written…only 2000+ to go. ^^;;), TrinitYMalfoY (WOW! I LOVED YOUR REVIEW! IT WAS SO AWESOME! – and long – Those binoculars will come in handy later. *winkwink*), The Blair Witch (Thanks!), dragonfire29( I'm glad you liked it! You can IM me any time. My AIM is splendiferous am and my YIM is splendyam.), DazzilinAngel555 (Yay! All the nice adjectives! *loffs* Here's your update, sweets!), ~Pants (More reviews?! Oh please, oh please give me more reviews! I'll love you forever!), pickle (All-American Girl? I don't know if I've read it. ^^;;), melshi (Everyone likes the intro!), Silver_Lady (w00ts! Glad you like! Here's your chapter!), ComplexSimplicity (I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS!!! Yes, I have brothers. Two of them, and they do almost everything on that list. *grumbles* Oh well, they were my inspiration for this story. Thank you so much for reviewing! *LOVES*), Snolive (You, have an ego? What ego? *winks* Glad you like!!!!)
Please review! *loffs*