[No.]
Say it or there'll be no chuppa chups this week.
[But!]
Say it.
[Fine. This story isn't all that bad.]
There. Now was that so hard?
[::sulks::]
Author's Notes: Dedicated to searching4romeo for being such a great reviewer.
Chapter 10
"Fey! Hey, Fey!"
Aine ignored the person calling her and kept walking. She didn't want to talk to her. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her around.
Pansy Parkinson glared at her. "Why didn't you stop?" She snapped. "I don't appreciate being made a fool of."
"Tha's really no business o' mine." Aine said calmly. "I don' particularly want te talk to ye so I'm not abou' to turn around now, am I."
The blonde Slytherin scowled. "Well I want to talk to you." She said, keeping a tight grip on Aine's shoulder, unaware that the much smaller girl could shake her off as easily as she would do a feather. "You stay away from Draco, do you hear?"
"Perfectly, oddly enough." Aine said blandly. "An' I don' think it's really your decision te make 'oo Draco talks to or goes out with. Nor is it mine, unless 'e asks me te go out with 'im. Now if ye'll excuse me…" She easily disengaged herself, and kept walking.
Ginny idly pushed some of her hair back behind her ear, chewing on her lower lip as she focused on getting the shading just right.
SLAM! "Ginny! Guess what!" Harry yelped.
Ginny jumped, and her pencil went skidding along the page. She turned furious brown eyes on Harry. "HARRY POTTER!" She shrieked, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT?!"
The hapless Gryffindor Golden Boy winced. "Sorry." He tried to sneak a peak, looking curious, "What is it?"
Ginny quickly hid the picture behind her back. "None of your business." She said crossly. "You'd better have a good reason for slamming into the Common Room like that."
"Uh…not really." Harry looked sheepish. "Just wanted to tell you that your new broom's here."
"What?" Ginny exclaimed. "Why didn't you say so! Gimme!"
Laughing, Harry handed her the broom.
Ginny ran awed fingers over the slender handle. "I know it's not the best," she said softly, looking at the Cleansweep 7, "but it's my first good broom, and I bought it on my own."
"You did?" Harry asked, wishing the redheaded girl would touch him like that, and then turning crimson when he realised his own thoughts.
Ginny nodded, still not looking up at him. "Yeah." She said. "I spent all last summer doing odd jobs at #12 Grimmauld Place, and in the surrounding area, getting enough money together to buy a half-way decent broom. I didn't want to ask Mum and Dad coz they've got so much on their minds already. They didn't need the extra stress."
"Wow, no wonder you're so happy about this broom. I always like the stuff that I buy for myself better than the stuff other people buy for me, coz I know it's me who bought it. I worked for it, and I got it. That's a great feeling." Harry said.
Ginny shot the green-eyed boy a surprised look. She hadn't been sure he'd understand; Hermione had just given her a blank look when she'd raved about the broom she was going to buy. But then again, that could have just been because Hermione hated anything to do with flying. "Thanks for understanding Harry." She said, smiling gently, her eyes, had she but known it, large and soft.
Harry gulped slightly. The look Ginny was giving him was affecting him in ways he didn't want to think about. "Er, that's ok." He said.
"So was that all you wanted to tell me?" She asked, holding her new broom tightly. "Coz if it is, wanna go for a fly?"
Harry grinned. "Sure." He raced upstairs to grab his Firebolt.
Draco frowned thoughtfully as he read the letter from his father.
'Dear Draco,
I was rather disappointed that I didn't receive word from you immediately upon the arrival of a new student at Hogwarts. While I realise this is not an unusual occurrence, happening every year, you should have told me that this student was somewhat out of the ordinary, such as the fact that she is not a first year, and that she has Fae blood.
It has also become apparent to me that she has more-than-average strength for a girl her size and age. My spy informed me that she is a beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and has been in numerous fights, which, according to him, she won.
I find it odd that you have not told me any of this yourself, Draco, and will be coming to visit soon, both to find out your reasons why, and to meet this new girl.
Your mother sends her love.
Your loving father,
Lucius Malfoy'
Well, that's unsettling. Draco thought. What exactly am I going to tell him?
In all truth, Draco had no idea why he hadn't told his father about Aine Fey. He'd started to at the beginning of the year, on the train, as a sort of revenge for the way she'd spoken to him, but had ended up scrapping that idea. It just wasn't right somehow.
Draco got up with one thought in mind. He had to warn Aine.
Reviewer Response:
searching4romeo: Thanks! You keep saying such nice things and you'll give me a big head. For those lovely comments, here's Chapter 10.