Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to the extremely talented J.K. Rowling. I own nothing more than the plot.
Author's Note: I would like to apologize in advance if at any point in this story the characters are out-of-character as perceived through the Harry Potter series.
I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update! I've been busy with so much, mostly school and work. I hope this chapter makes us for the lack of update...
Chapter 4:
Ginny held her breath as she slowly took out her schedule and the paper attached. She gasped as she saw the name of the boy on her paper. She was getting butterflies in her stomach just thinking about spending the year with him. They would have a chance to talk during the new school year after all.
She looked across the Great Hall in search for his pair of warm grey eyes. She found him just as he took out the paper that said her name on it. She smiled to herself as Draco's face lit up slightly from the dull expression he had before. He looked up and met her red-tinted brown eyes. Their eyes locked just like it had on the train and she gave a small grin while Draco gave a nod.
Ginny tore her eyes away from him when she heard Hermione's shriek. "CRABBE?!"
"PANSY?!" came Harry's shocked voice.
Ron was silent. He wasn't sure what to say about the person he was assigned. Harry, however, could say a lot about her.
Harry, once he snapped out of his trance, nudged Ron. "So who did you get?"
Ron said simply, "I got Cho Chang."
Harry could feel his throat tighten as he heard Cho's name. All the memories and weird instances that they had while they were a couple came flooding back into his memory. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable as Hermione, Ron, and Ginny looked at him with sympathetic expressions on their faces.
"Oh," was all Harry could manage to say.
"Are you alright?" Ginny asked in a motherly tone.
Harry quickly got his act together and covered the sadness he was feeling. "I'm great! Sorry, I just blanked out there!" he said excitedly.
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny exchanged glances. Harry saw this and reassured them, but more for himself, "Honestly, I'm fine."
Harry, wanting to be out of the spot light, turned the attention to Ginny. "So who did you get?"
Everyone looked at Ginny now, his plan had worked and he let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, um... I got... Dra- I mean... Malfoy," she said, stumbling through her words.
"WHAT?!" Ron bellowed. "MALFOY?!?!"
"Ron, please keep your voice down. Please," Ginny begged. "Don't cause a scene."
Ron could feel his face turning red as students at his table turned to look at him.
Ron was fuming mad, but he lowered his voice when asked. "I can't believe Dumbledore would pair you with him! How dare he! He knows how much you and him loathe each other!"
"Actually," Ginny started, "YOU and Malfoy hate each other, not me."
"EXCUSE ME?! Did I hear what I think I just heard?!" Ron shouted, not caring if he was attracting anyone's attention.
"Ginny, are you implying that you actually LIKE Malfoy?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"No! Not like that!" Ginny exclaimed, blushing.
"So then like what?" Harry asked, a curious look on his face.
"Yeah, Ginny, like WHAT?!" Ron asked, echoing Harry.
"I... just think he's... interesting," she said, looking for the right word to describe him. 'And he has the most wonderful eyes...' she thought, and then mentally slapped herself for thinking about Draco like that. 'We're just acquaintances... just acquaintances,' she reminded herself.
"Interesting, my arse! Since when is Malfoy 'interesting'?!" Ron said, as if it were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.
"Yeah, Ron's right," Harry said. "He's been the biggest git when it comes to your family, Hermione, and myself. What suddenly changed?"
"Well, on the train I got stuck in the same compartment as him," Ginny began, noticing dark shades of red creep up her brother's neck and stain his cheeks. "We were at each other's throats for about an hour, but afterward, we got to talking. We discussed Quidditch and school stuff. He's really easy to talk to and has a lot to say. I hadn't realized four hours had gone by."
"Oh," Harry said, not knowing what else to say.
"I see," Ron said, calming down a little bit. "Don't get too cozy with him. If he lays a finger on you, I'll beat him to a pulp."
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Ginny, if he bothers you, we'll get him and hex him into next week."
"Thanks, guys," Ginny said, blushing slightly.
"At least you have a partner you can stand!" Hermione exclaimed.
Ginny smiled at Hermione and was extremely thankful for her accepting nature. Hermione smiled back and changed the subject of the conversation, to which Ginny was once again grateful.
"Is everyone happy with their schedules?" Hermione asked, as Ginny took a piece of chicken and bread and began to eat it.
"As happy as you can get for having Advanced Double Potions first period of the day with the Slytherins," Harry said dully.
"What about you, Ron?" Harry asked, taking a sip of Pumpkin Juice.
"Same as you... good for nothing Slytherins..." Ron muttered, poking at a piece of baked potato on his plate.
Hermione turned to Ginny and was about to ask her what classes she had, when she saw a shocked and confused look on her face. "What's wrong, Ginny?"
"Oh, ummm... my schedule says that I'm taking Advanced Double Potions first period with you guys, but I'm supposed to be in Double Potions with the sixth years."
"Hmmm..." Hermione began, trying to think of a possible reason why it would say that. "Dumbledore never makes mistakes when he creates the schedules. This is so odd..."
Someone cleared their throat from behind Ginny. Hermione, Ron, and Harry raised their heads and looked at the person standing behind her. The disgusted look on Ron's face said it all when he muttered, "Snape" under his breath. Ginny turned around in her seat and faced Professor Snape, who's black hair was longer and greasier than usual.
Snape looked down his crooked nose at Ron and said, "That's Professor Snape to you, Mr. Weasley." Ron glared a hole through Snape's forehead. He continued speaking, but this time his attention was on Ginny. "Miss Weasley, I wanted to speak with you regarding your schedule," he said, motioning for her to follow him.
Ginny stood up and followed Snape as he turned on his heel, his black robes whipping the air and billowing behind him as he walked with large strides toward the huge oak doors belonging to the Great Hall.
"Miss Weasley," he began once they were outside the Great Hall. "Last year in my Potions class you excelled and proved what you are capable of with the exceptional performance you showed on your Ordinary Wizarding Level exam in my class. I spoke with the Headmaster and we both agreed that you should be moved up a grade and take Advanced Double Potions with the seventh year students. I expect nothing but the best from you in my class. Advanced Double Potions is a very difficult class and will be a challenge for you, but I'm sure you'll be capable of the work load. Congratulations on moving up a level," he said, and with that, walked back into the Great Hall, leaving Ginny stunned, yet proud of herself for her accomplishments, for not even Hermione had achieved such an honor.
She walked into the Great Hall just as Dumbledore called upon the Prefects to lead their first year students to the common room.
Seamus Finnigan and Ginny, the male and female Gryffindor Prefects, went to the head of the table. Seamus yelled, "This way Gryffindors!" very loudly so that everyone at the Gryffindor table could hear.
They both led the new Gryffindor students out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall of the school. They walked up the main stairway and up a flight of stairs.
"Be careful, the staircases like to move," Ginny said to the students. Just as the last students was about to get off the second flight of stairs, the stairway began to move.
"Jump! Quickly!" Seamus yelled to the boy, who was frozen in shock.
The boy jumped and made it safely onto the sturdy, unmovable platform. They walked up another staircase after making sure the student was alright, and had walked to the end of the corridor until they had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, wearing her usual silk pink dress.
Ginny greeted the woman in the portrait with a friendly, "Hello!"
The Fat Lady replied with," Hello dear, how was your summer break?"
"Very relaxing, and yours?" Ginny asked politely.
"It was lovely, thanks."
Ginny turned to the crowd of first years in front of her and said," This is the Fat Lady, when you reach the portrait, you will tell her the password, which is 'flibbity jibbit', and the portrait will swing open revealing an entrance to our common room. You are never, under any circumstances, to share the password with any students from another house."
She turned to the portrait and said, "Flibbity jibbit." The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, revealing a lavish room with a fire place, sofas, chairs, paintings, and a chess set by the window.
"The boys' dormitories are up the spiral staircases to the left and the girls' dormitories are up the spiral staircases to the right. Each room is circular and has five four-poster beds with deep red, velvet curtains. Five names will be written on the door to each assigned dormitory. Go on and get settled... and welcome to Hogwarts!" Seamus said, smiling at the first years in front of him.
Please review. Tell me what you think of the story so far, what you would like to see happening in future chapters, and any criticism regarding anything that you have found in my story that you would like to see changed or improved. Thanks so much!
Thanks to:
triquetraperson- Of course it's Draco... what kind of story would it be without them paired together?! Hehe.
sexy as fck- Ironic, yes, but it's the foundation of my story. I wanted to draw some parallels between the train ride and the school year... I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Redmisery- Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it so far. I'm trying to keep all of the characters in my story as in-character as possible.
ReeMarie Yukimo LeBeau- Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! :)
xBr0kEnB0tTle- Now, if I told you it was Draco, wouldn't that ruin the surprise? Haha.
elissa- Too short, my ass. Haha. Damn right you're in Hufflepuff; that's where all the rejects go. Haha. You know it's true, don't deny it. Oh, and stop being a slut. Go home.
megan/bradluvrrrrr- I already have it written, hehe. I know I didn't sort you... I asked people which houses they would be in sometime in the beginning of last year. The people I asked said that they would let me use their name in my story. Either you weren't online when I went around asking people, or you said you wouldn't let me use your name. Either way, ::continues sorting hat cermony:: "Pitt, Megan." "HUFFLEPUFF!" Wheras Elissa got sorted into it for being a loser (I love you...), you got sorted in there for being just, loyal, patient, and true at heart. You are truly genuine.
kneh13- I'm glad you like it! I love yours, too!
verywickedginevraweasley- I'm glad you liked it! :)