At first nothing happened. There where no daggers thrown at her, no
one booed or hissed. For the most part, the students were used to the
doors opening at random during mealtime. Tom started pulling her to the
Gryffindor table and she followed behind him, shuffling her feet, waiting
for their reaction. Her vision started to go black around the edges before
she remembered to breathe.
When they'd passed a good third of the table, she started to become aware of students staring at her. She heard little snippets of conversations drift through to her.
"Who's the new girl?"
"Damn, she's hot!"
"How'd a slut like that."
"Get a guy like him?"
Her ears turned pink and she blushed from her chin all the way up to the roots of her already red hair. Seamus Finnegan winked at her as she passed him, only to receive a glare from Tom. Colin Creevey jumped out of his seat and shoved his friend Dean down. "Excuse me; I don't believe we've met before. Would you give me the pleasure of getting to know you? You can sit by me at breakfast, lunch or dinner."
Ginny wanted to slap him. Then she wanted to hug Tom. They didn't realize who she was! And Colin, the slimy git, thought she was hot. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of acknowledgement. A warm, bubbly feeling started in her stomach, and for once, she brought her chin up on her own. She led Tom down to where her brother was sitting and said good morning to him, as had been their custom for the past years. She noticed Tom fidget when he got close to Harry, but the other boy didn't seem to bat an eyelash. Could it be that Harry didn't recognize him?
Ron gaped back at her, his mouth not working for once. Hermione noticed his befuddlement and looked towards Ginny. She gasped and her eyes widened. Ron beat her to the phrase she was thinking. "GINNY?!"
Pandemonium erupted after that. Students suddenly swiveled their heads from every table and gawked at her. She heard some of the girls shriek and then declare how she looked like a turkey that had stuffed a feather duster on it and was trying to pass for a peacock. A few, most of whom she did not recognize, told her she looked good. In spite of their compliments, she could only seem to hear the insults thrown her way. She tried to turn around and run back to her room, but Tom held her steadfast.
"You bloody git, what where you thinking? Now look what you've done! You've got to ruin everything for your sister don't you?" Tom was almost screaming at her brother. She didn't blame Ron, the other girls were right. She must look hideous. She reached up and touched Tom's face. "Tom, I'm not hungry anymore. Let's just go, please?" His eyes darkened and he finally loosened his hold on her. She tried to cover her ears with her hands, but he kept them firmly held in his own. She wanted to die; she'd never been so humiliated. Tears started to leak from the corners of her eyes and her shoulders drew up around her once more and her head seemed to bend down at an impossible angle.
Suddenly, Colin sprang into view, his face red and livid. "You little whore! You lying, little whore. What did you think you were trying to pull? You're nothing, do you hear me? Nothing!" He raised his hand to slap her, but was stopped by Tom. He guided Ginny's trembling form behind him and stood to his full height. His eyes were almost black, they held such menace. Every fiber of his being exuded the air of a predator. He held Colin's hand in his own and was slowly squeezing, feeling the smaller boy's bones start to grind together.
"Didn't your mother teach you to never hit a lady? You're a pathetic cretin and I shall have no qualms about hurting you if you EVER approach Ginny in a negative manner again. Wait, I've changed my mind. If she so much as gets a hang nail during the rest of her time at Hogwarts, I'll hex you into oblivion. Do you understand me?" Colin cringed as his hand was squeezed even harder. "Do you understand me?!" This time Tom yelled his question. Colin managed to squeak out a yes and Tom threw him against the table. With that, he grabbed Ginny's arm and stormed out of the Great Hall.
By the time they got back to her room, she was fully sobbing and hitting Tom alternately. "Why'd you make me go? I told you what would happen! You never listen! Now I'll be the butt of jokes all day and I'll be lucky if I make back to my room in one piece." Tom let her beat on his chest as she let her pain out. Finally, he stopped her by holding either fist in his hands. "Ginny, look at me. No, look at ME," he said as she slowly raised her head to meet his eyes. "You are NONE of those thing they called you. You're a very pretty young woman with a kind heart. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I refuse to let them treat you like you're nothing. You are not 'nothing' Ginny Weasley. You're everything, especially to me, and I will not let them make you think otherwise. Hold your head up, you shouldn't look down at anyone, much less the scum out there."
Ginny managed a shaky laugh and Tom finished wiping the tears from her face. "I've got to go meet Dumbledore now and convince him I'm an exchange student from Durmstrang. Do you want me to walk you to your first class before I do?" Ginny took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter than she had before. "Yeah, I'd like that." Tom kissed her briefly on her forehead and offered his arm out to her. She took it, and together they walked out of the room.
A/N Ok, since I received 30 replies for two chapters (that's a record for me) I suppose I should thank my reviewers. BTW, sorry this chapter was shorter than the last two; I promise the next one will be longer. One more thing, I'll be updating ever Tuesday, that way you lot aren't wondering if I will ever update. Any who, on with my thank you list
Aurora Noctifer- my 2 longest reviews. :) I must warn you though, I'm notorious about leaving cliffhangers and creating plot twists. I hope you still have fun though. I'll write more I promise, please don't hurt me. Elven sapphire- you think I will? So far I haven't, but I'm glad you liked it. Magicks- what makes you think they aren't homicidal? ;) j/k Robbie Doobie Doo Dah- lol, nice name, thanks for the compliment Hermia LaFaye- glad you're changing your mind to read my story Bane- glad ya liked it; you gave me two reviews too. *tear* I'm getting multiple reviews from the reviewers. Did that make sense? As for the rest of y'all, I'll do more thanking in the next chapter.
When they'd passed a good third of the table, she started to become aware of students staring at her. She heard little snippets of conversations drift through to her.
"Who's the new girl?"
"Damn, she's hot!"
"How'd a slut like that."
"Get a guy like him?"
Her ears turned pink and she blushed from her chin all the way up to the roots of her already red hair. Seamus Finnegan winked at her as she passed him, only to receive a glare from Tom. Colin Creevey jumped out of his seat and shoved his friend Dean down. "Excuse me; I don't believe we've met before. Would you give me the pleasure of getting to know you? You can sit by me at breakfast, lunch or dinner."
Ginny wanted to slap him. Then she wanted to hug Tom. They didn't realize who she was! And Colin, the slimy git, thought she was hot. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of acknowledgement. A warm, bubbly feeling started in her stomach, and for once, she brought her chin up on her own. She led Tom down to where her brother was sitting and said good morning to him, as had been their custom for the past years. She noticed Tom fidget when he got close to Harry, but the other boy didn't seem to bat an eyelash. Could it be that Harry didn't recognize him?
Ron gaped back at her, his mouth not working for once. Hermione noticed his befuddlement and looked towards Ginny. She gasped and her eyes widened. Ron beat her to the phrase she was thinking. "GINNY?!"
Pandemonium erupted after that. Students suddenly swiveled their heads from every table and gawked at her. She heard some of the girls shriek and then declare how she looked like a turkey that had stuffed a feather duster on it and was trying to pass for a peacock. A few, most of whom she did not recognize, told her she looked good. In spite of their compliments, she could only seem to hear the insults thrown her way. She tried to turn around and run back to her room, but Tom held her steadfast.
"You bloody git, what where you thinking? Now look what you've done! You've got to ruin everything for your sister don't you?" Tom was almost screaming at her brother. She didn't blame Ron, the other girls were right. She must look hideous. She reached up and touched Tom's face. "Tom, I'm not hungry anymore. Let's just go, please?" His eyes darkened and he finally loosened his hold on her. She tried to cover her ears with her hands, but he kept them firmly held in his own. She wanted to die; she'd never been so humiliated. Tears started to leak from the corners of her eyes and her shoulders drew up around her once more and her head seemed to bend down at an impossible angle.
Suddenly, Colin sprang into view, his face red and livid. "You little whore! You lying, little whore. What did you think you were trying to pull? You're nothing, do you hear me? Nothing!" He raised his hand to slap her, but was stopped by Tom. He guided Ginny's trembling form behind him and stood to his full height. His eyes were almost black, they held such menace. Every fiber of his being exuded the air of a predator. He held Colin's hand in his own and was slowly squeezing, feeling the smaller boy's bones start to grind together.
"Didn't your mother teach you to never hit a lady? You're a pathetic cretin and I shall have no qualms about hurting you if you EVER approach Ginny in a negative manner again. Wait, I've changed my mind. If she so much as gets a hang nail during the rest of her time at Hogwarts, I'll hex you into oblivion. Do you understand me?" Colin cringed as his hand was squeezed even harder. "Do you understand me?!" This time Tom yelled his question. Colin managed to squeak out a yes and Tom threw him against the table. With that, he grabbed Ginny's arm and stormed out of the Great Hall.
By the time they got back to her room, she was fully sobbing and hitting Tom alternately. "Why'd you make me go? I told you what would happen! You never listen! Now I'll be the butt of jokes all day and I'll be lucky if I make back to my room in one piece." Tom let her beat on his chest as she let her pain out. Finally, he stopped her by holding either fist in his hands. "Ginny, look at me. No, look at ME," he said as she slowly raised her head to meet his eyes. "You are NONE of those thing they called you. You're a very pretty young woman with a kind heart. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I refuse to let them treat you like you're nothing. You are not 'nothing' Ginny Weasley. You're everything, especially to me, and I will not let them make you think otherwise. Hold your head up, you shouldn't look down at anyone, much less the scum out there."
Ginny managed a shaky laugh and Tom finished wiping the tears from her face. "I've got to go meet Dumbledore now and convince him I'm an exchange student from Durmstrang. Do you want me to walk you to your first class before I do?" Ginny took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter than she had before. "Yeah, I'd like that." Tom kissed her briefly on her forehead and offered his arm out to her. She took it, and together they walked out of the room.
A/N Ok, since I received 30 replies for two chapters (that's a record for me) I suppose I should thank my reviewers. BTW, sorry this chapter was shorter than the last two; I promise the next one will be longer. One more thing, I'll be updating ever Tuesday, that way you lot aren't wondering if I will ever update. Any who, on with my thank you list
Aurora Noctifer- my 2 longest reviews. :) I must warn you though, I'm notorious about leaving cliffhangers and creating plot twists. I hope you still have fun though. I'll write more I promise, please don't hurt me. Elven sapphire- you think I will? So far I haven't, but I'm glad you liked it. Magicks- what makes you think they aren't homicidal? ;) j/k Robbie Doobie Doo Dah- lol, nice name, thanks for the compliment Hermia LaFaye- glad you're changing your mind to read my story Bane- glad ya liked it; you gave me two reviews too. *tear* I'm getting multiple reviews from the reviewers. Did that make sense? As for the rest of y'all, I'll do more thanking in the next chapter.