Ginny watched Snape stand up and walk out of the castle. She took in a breath and let it out. She got up without saying a word and left the table. She pushed the door open and felt the cold air rush on her. She pulled her cloak around her tighter and glanced around for Snape. She saw him at the bench by the lake. He dusted some snow off it, then sat down. She made her way over toward him. She I will win the bet, she thought. When she got there, she cleared some of the snow off the part of the bench he was not sitting on, then plopped down. He looked over at her, then looked away.
"Hi," Ginny said. "I'm Ginn--" She bit her lip. "I'm Whinny Geasley. What's your name?"
"Severus," he mumbled. They sat in silence for a while. "Are you in your sixth year?" he asked, innocently.
Ginny looked at him. How did he know?
"No, I am in my seventh," she said.
"Funny," he began, "I've never seen you around here before."
"Yes, well I'm an exchanged student."
"I never knew they were allowed," Snape said.
"So, how come you are out here alone?" Ginny questioned.
"I just--I don't know. I just felt like it."
"Oh, right. So are you friends with Malfoy?" Ginny blurted out.
"Well, sort of. I have always kind of, well, liked his girlfriend, Narcissa." He smiled. Then he caught himself and his eyes widened. "I mean well--"
"I understand," Ginny said. "Keep going."
"Well, she's always been nice to me. And we talk a lot. Well, we use to. But now she has Lucius, and she kind of ignores me. Lucius and I are kind of friends, I don't really have friends and I don't talk much."
"Sometimes, it's good to get things out though," Ginny said, understandingly.
"Yes, I guess so."
Severus looked at this strange girl. She had red hair and freckles. She looked somewhat younger than him, like she was supposed to be in her fifth or sixth year rather then her seventh. She is really pretty, Severus thought as she smiled at him. He looked out at the lake, and thought of Narcissa. It just wasn't fair. Lucius had everything. All Severus wanted was to be accepted, to be liked. But he never got that.
Ginny took a deep breath. This was harder then she had thought. He was so shy, so quiet, so boring. James was much funner. He always made her smile. Snape was so dull, so bland. Ginny rubbed her hands together and breathed on them. "Brr... dont you want to go back inside?" she asked him shivering.
"Yeah, sure," he said standing up. They stood up and Ginny saw Malfoy coming toward her and Snape with that Narcissa girl on his arm.
"Hey, Severus," Malfoy sneered. "Who's your new girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend," Snape muttered.
"What?" Malfoy said, "I couldn't hear you."
"He said she wasn't his girlfriend, Lucius," Narcissa said. Malfoy turned even paler than he already was. Ginny was startled by this. She thought her voice would be cold and cruel like Malfoy's, but it wasn't. It was the complete opposite. Ginny looked at her. She looked as if she could be Malfoy's sister. She had long blond hair, with icy blue eyes.
"Yes, I see," Malfoy said, embarassed. Ginny was amused. She fit a small giggle. "Think it is funny, do ya?" he said angrily.
"Lucius, dear, you must control your temper, darling," Narcissa said, making Lucius even more frustrated. Narcissa looked over at Severus, and her happy expression changed to a concerned one. "Severus," she said, "Your nose is bleeding." She walked over to him. Snape put a hand up to his nose. "Why don't I take you to the hospital wing?" She took Severus in her arms.
After they had left, Lucius muttered, "I think there is a spell for that." After a few minutes, he cleared his throat. "So, I have seen you at the Gryffindor table recently. What are you an exchange student?"
"Er.. yes," Ginny said.
"So what year are you in? Fourth? Fifth? I saw you hanging out with that Potter. Bit of an arse if you ask me. But I can't say that in front of Narcissa. 'Why don't you just give him a chance?' she says."
Ginny laughed. "I can tell she has a lot of power over you. But James. Boy is he a git. I know what you mean. I actually gave him a chance, though. And what does he do? Is just more of--like you said--an arse than ever." Ginny remembered the events earlier. She sat back down on the bench and looked at the frozen lake.
"Hmph. Finally someone who agrees with me." He sat down next to her. "Sometimes Narcissa can be a little bit too... Oh what's the word?"
"Compassionate?" Ginny asked.
"Yes, compassionate for some things. Like Severus for example. She just goes on and on and on about him. She never stops. 'Oh Severus this. Oh and Severus that.' I think she likes him more than me. You know I should just break it off with her huh?"
"Oh, I don't know. You guys are quite funny together actually. She is much better than Sirius."
"Black?"
"Yeah. He is actually quite annoying. He just clings on to me and is so... So... He just acts so..."
"Needy?"
"Exactly. It's so annoying! He can never be serious about anything."
"I have the exact opposite problem. Narcissa is a little too serious. She doesn't understand any jokes or anything."
"Well, I don't have that problem anymore," Ginny explained. "I kind of broke up with Sirius this morning. And he couldn't even care less. Like he never even cared for me at all. And then my discussion with James was even worse."
"How long have you been here?" Lucius asked.
"Erm... about four days, I think."
"Oh, cool. Well you sure get your way around," Lucius said.
"I am getting cold," Ginny announced. "I think I am going to go back inside."
"Yeah, me too," Lucius said. "Do you play quidditch?" he asked on their way back to the castle.
"No, but my brothers love it," Ginny said smiling at the thought of them. She actually missed them. Yes, she could be with Bill right now, but she knew she would like Bill better as an adult.
"I am on the Slytherin team. I am the seeker."
"Wow. You must be pretty good."
Lucius smiled proudly. "What did you think about the Championship?"
"I thought it was a brilliant match. Bulgaria has been in it forever. But only because of Krum."
"Krum? Who's that? Bulgaria hasn't been in it for at least thirty years." Ginny blushed. She had forgotten where she was. She felt embarassed.
"Heh. Sorry," she said. "Well, I think I am going to head back to our common room. It was nice talking to you, Lucius." She stuck out her hand, politely.
He grabbed it. "You know you are not that bad, for a Gryffindor." She smiled.
"Good day," she said and walked off.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. J.K. Rowling owns the characters, and I did not make up the plot. It's been done like a thousand times before.
A/N: Ooooh. Connection! Connection! Oh yeah, another thing, Ginny will realize that she could mess everything up with Lily, James, Harry and Voldemort and everything. Just thought I'd give you a little preview! :] Thanks so much for the reviews!!