Chapter3: Don't Worry
Ginny thought she was going to scream. The teachers were drowning them in work and it was only the end of the month. It seemed only Professor Potter was being rational. "Believe me, I would have skived off all my classes but Flitwick's and Mc Gonagal's cause I never did the work anyway," Professor Potter said during a lesson. Ginny would have gotten help from Hermione but she was busy with head girl business and she wasn't speaking to Harry and asking Ron for help would be like asking a brick wall to shake your hand, it wouldn't happen.
Ginny, Sirius, Remus, and James were sitting around a small table that Remus had conjured. Remus was sitting lazily on a rock, Sirius was casually leaning against a tree and Ginny and James were laying on the ground, James jet black hair touching her blood red hair. Even though she looked relaxed she was really tense and frustrated knowing all the work she has to finish by the end of the month. "Hey Ginny," Sirius said one afternoon. She grunted. "You need to relax," he said. She grunted again. "Have a drink," he said passing her a shot of firewhiskey. She took it and gulped it down before gagging and coughing. James seemed to be sputtering after drinking three shots at once. "You two are a disgrace to the drink," Remus said as Sirius laughed.
Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. And James sat up to glare at them a minute before laying down again, taking out a small clear bottle with a blue liquid in it from his pocket. "Wassat?" Ginny said noticing her tongue was slightly weak. "You still drink that crap?" Remus said. "You are such a child James," Sirius said rolling his eyes. "Want some?" James offered Ginny. She took a sip. It was like drinking a sugar cane, but it was even sweeter than that, she felt a small buzz and felt like she was floating. "Whoa," Ginny said. "See," James said smiling. He took a large gulp.
Remus and Sirius looked disgusted. "You know what's in Blue Fire don't you?" Remus said his nose wrinkled. "It's mainly two ingredients," Sirius said. "Doxy droppings," Remus said. "And Pixie piss," Sirius said. James coughed and choked slightly. "How come you never told me that?" he said angrily. "We've tried for years but you were in love with that rubbish and thought we were trying to take it from you for ourselves!" Sirius said.
He passed them a sobering draught. They both drank it and Ginny's slightly dreamy state changed back to the uptight one. "Sirius?" Ginny muttered. "Yeah?" he said. "Am I going to die from that stuff?" she whimpered. "We expected James to have died from it a long time ago but seeing he hasn't, no," Remus said rubbing his chin. "But then again, we always thought he was gonna do something stupid and kill himself accidentally," Sirius reasoned.
It was dusk soon and they all went inside to eat. The guys went off to the staff table and Ginny sat with the students in Griffyndor. "Oh my god Ginny did you just walk in with the hottest teachers ever?" Pavarti asked Ginny. "I guess," Ginny shrugged. "You are so lucky," Amanda gushed. "Yeah…" Pavarti said. "We're just drinking buddies basically," Ginny said. "Lupin is so hot," Pavarti sighed. "Yeah but Black is hotter," Amanda said with an audible sigh. "What do you think Ginny?" Amanda asked. Ginny thought for a moment, staring at the staff table. Her eyes landed on James. He was talking in whispers with Sirius and Remus. He caught her eye and grinned. He winked before talking to his friends again. Ginny turned red. "My god did he just wink at you Ginny?" Pavarti said incredulously. "You can bed both Potters at the same time if you wanted," Amanda said. Ginny's nose wrinkled up as she looked at her friend. "You have a terrible mind," Ginny said.
Amanda hung her head down. "I'm sorry I can't help it, I'm wrong." Pavarti patted her back. "It wasn't as bad as usual," she assured her. "Remember the first time you told us about your dream with Erin Carter and his brother and you gave us all the details. "You mean the part when Arrin was kissing me then he and his brother began to-" "AMANDA WE'RE EATING HERE!" was an outburst from Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Griffyndor, and several Ravenclaw students, even a few teachers. "Sorry, sorry," she sighed. James and Sirius were cracking up and Remus looked like he'd just seen Snape naked, not a lovely sight. Ginny stood up, "I'm gonna go study a few more hours," she said. Amanda groaned. "You're always studying, lighten up, take the night off!" Amanda said exasperatedly. Ginny rolled her eyes and walked off.
"Hey where's Gin going? It's only 7:00? Dinner's barely started?" Sirius asked watching her departure. James shrugged, "she seemed a bit…uptight…don't you think?" James said choosing his words carefully. "Yeah, she can be really lazy sometimes but when she works, she over works herself and gets really uptight and exhausted. Most of the time she makes herself really sick and ends up in the hospital wing due to dehydration, anxiety, exhaustion, stuff like that. She really needs a nice massage or something y'know," Remus said in a matter-of-fact tone. James raised his eyebrow. "Why?" he asked. "Like Sirius told you last time, if she trust you she'll tell you," Remus said. "I am really getting tired of that. Even Dumbledore won't tell me! What am I supposed to do lick Snivellrus' shoes and ask nicely?" James said. "You're overreacting again James," Sirius muttered. James glared. Sirius glared back. Remus rolled his eyes, "good god Prongs, just ask her," he said. James tried to eat a bit more but his concern for Ginny's health and curiosity got the best of him. He dismissed himself and went to talk to Ginny's friend.
"Oh my god, Professor Potter is coming this way," Amanda muttered to her friend. Pavarti head shot up. "Scuse me, do you two know where Ginny went?" James asked. "Huh?" Amanda said as she had been staring in space. Pavarti kicked her. "Ouch!" she yelped. "Ginny went to the common room to study professor," Pavarti said smiling. "Thanks," James said smiling back. Half the girls at the table let out loud audible sighs. James walked of shaking his head. 'I still got it,' he mused to himself.
Ginny was sitting on the on of the couches comfortably reading out of her potions book scribbling furiously. "Ouch," she said, nursing her aching fingers. "Ginny?" James said. She turned around and smiled. "Hey," she said before going back to work. Her eyes had bags under them and her finger tips were raw. "Ginny relax your very tense, take the night off, don't get yourself sick," James said softly. She chuckled. "You think this will make me sick?" she was shaking and her laughing seeming slightly crazy. "The only thing that makes me sick is knowing I exist," she said looking up. She was laughing but tears were streaming down her face.
James was thoroughly confused. She had gone nutters and he knew it. "You think I'm crazy don't you?" Ginny said. James looked at her tear streamed face. "Can't blame you. Every one thinks I'm a looney, not like Lovegood though, they say I'm… what's the phrase… emotionally unstable," she said. "Ginny your just uptight relax," James said slowly moving closer. "I'm not uptight. You know we've got about 125 days (I have no idea how long. I just picked a number between 365 and 100) left of school, I'll never finish my work!" she began scribbling again. James rubbed his temples, getting through to this girl would be difficult. 'What had Remus suggested again? Oh yeah a massage.' James walked behind her and slowly began massaging her shoulders. She moaned in an appreciatory way. James smiled, "not uptight my ass, I'd bet my broom on that one," James said. "lower," Ginny mumbled. He did so. He sat next to her on the couch trying to make himself comfortable and she laid down.
"Why are you so nice to me?" Ginny moaned. "Guess it my nature, you did after all, help me out in a sticky situation. "That was Penny," Ginny said. "Should I be giving Penny a massage then?" James asked. "She wouldn't appreciate it too much," Ginny said. He continued massaging her shoulders staring at her hair. He couldn't really describe the color. 'Like one of those muggle things- what are they called -pennies- when they're brand new.' He thought to himself. He caught her scent. 'She smells like hot cherry syrup mixed with some very strong chocolate… wonder how she taste…' James thought.
P.J.: Bad, James, Bad naughty thoughts about students! No shame have you.
B.J.: Don't listen to that drag queen. You're a man and you can't help it
P.J.: I am not a drag queen!
B.J.: Are too.
P.J.: Am not.
B.J.: ARE TOO!
P.J.: AM NOT! You pa-tootie!
B.J.: What the hell is a pa-tootie?
With James stuck between P.J. and B.J. arguing, and Ginny too relaxed to care, nobody noticed the crowd that surrounded them. "WHAT THE HELL?!" was the only thing that startled them. Several students were holding back a struggling Ron who was content on pouncing, Harry stood there mortified. James got up and couldn't find anyway out of this. "Err…" Ginny said. "Thanks professor," she said running to her room. "Anytime!" James shouted up the girls staircase. Several eye brows were raised and others where whispering amongst themselves. One girl went to bed and the others soon followed, James finally escaping the portrait.
The next morning James walked in and the teachers looked at him weird, Snape looked gleeful, very creepy when he normally sneers at a person. Sirius and Remus gestured towards James. "Good god James, we told you to massage her not 'do' her!" Remus whispered. "Who the hell said I did!?" James shouted. Everyone guessing or knowing what he was talking about pointed to a girl at the Griffyndor table. Marsha Skeeter's head went red. "Legintsy, come her now!" James hissed dangerously. "James…" Sirius warned. His friend had a deadly temper and this was a little girl. "A word please, in private," he said nodding towards the teachers' lounge. "James…" Sirius said again. "Don't lay a finger on her," Remus said. "I won't," James said, a twisted smile on his face. 'My wand will do it for me,' He thought bitterly. "That wasn't very assuring," Sirius said.
James really didn't need a private room because everyone heard him anyway, he shouted disapprovement, yelled many swearwords, and several threats before the girl rushed out the room tearful and frightened to no wits end. James walked out moments later, face red and eyes glaring dangerously. Everyone was staring at him when he sat down next to Sirius. "What!? Mind your damn business!" he yelled. Everyone went back to their own business. "She chose a mean guy to shag," muttered one of the Slytherins. "30 points from Slytherin!" James bellowed. Several Slytherins hissed. "Scary… here, this is a special acceptance and you need this now," Sirius gave James a bottle of Blue Fire. He swallowed almost half the bottle in on gulp. "Thanks," James said sighing heavily. No one said a thing.
Ginny walked into the great hall happy and hungry, her shoulders no longer tired and painful like they had been all week, having pleasant dreams about a specific someone… All eyes landed on her. She raised and eyebrow, the did the same and began whispering. Ginny shrugged and sat down determined on getting a huge plate of sausage varieties. Ginny looked up and everyone was still staring at her. Even the teachers. Ginny looked at the teachers table. She yet again locked eyes with the defense teacher, her eyebrow raised. He shook his head and pretend to run a rag through his ears pointing at the students then towards the common room. He made a movement with his hands supposedly a mouth blabbing away..
Ginny nodded in understanding and began to eat shaking her head at the stupidity of her fellow students. She began violently to rush through the food on the table sloppily disgusting all students who were staring, soon announcing they lost their appetites or that they couldn't eat another bite. The staff however seem used to eat for Sirius and James were having the same escapade, tearing through all the food viscously focused on getting as far away from Snape as possible but making sure they ate their fill. They were willing to get a nasty curse than having to be near him but starving was no option.
Amanda soon sat down next to her with Pavarti. "Hey Ginny guess what I heard?" Pavarti whispered. "What? I shag the teacher?" Ginny said dryly. "Well I'm not one to be a rumor roo -Ginny snorted- wait that was true?" Pavarti said shocked. "That Marsha Skeeter kid said you'd shagged Professor Potter," Pavarti said. "What?!" Ginny said furious. "Where's the little bitch now?" Ginny said dangerously scanning the table, butter knife firmly placed in her hand. "Don't bother," muttered Colin Creevy. "Professor Potter scared her enough I think. Girl ran out the room crying," he said. "Well she's gonna have a real reason to cry now," Ginny got up, her grip lost on the knife but now on her wand. While Ginny walked all she heard in her head was "KILL Skeeter!" She heard a whimper and saw the girl cowering in a corner.
There was a mix of swear words, threats, hexes, and what sound like a levitation curse. The girl was dangling upside down struggling to keep her robe up. Students everywhere were laughing and Ginny looked malicious. "How's the air up there Sniver?" Ginny yelled. Sirius and James were howling with laughter and the teachers where looking disapprovingly at them "Just like the old days. Hey Snivelly, how bout you hang upside down for old time sake!" James chuckled. Snape looked like he would spit acid. "You just wait, my mother knows all about you and-" she said. "Your mother is a bitch who meddles with the wrong people and that's why she ended up losing her job! Don't do anything stupid Skeeter," Ginny spat.
"Put her down!" Snape roared. No one noticed him standing up yelling. "Boo! Show stopper! Boo!" James and Sirius yelled, conjuring popcorn to throw at him and cracking up at the same time "Put her down," Snape said quietly. "Certainly," Ginny said mimicking Curly from the Three Stooges. She jabbed her wand furiously and Amanda fell with a sickening crunch to the ground. "Oopsie Daisy," Ginny said in mock apology. She stormed off angrily to the eastern hall way and was soon heard storming up one of the staircases. She wasn't seen the rest of the day.
A/N: please review! Please only constructive criticism; don't hurt the little angel! holds story in folder with broken halo and burnt wings tightly