Disclaimer: If you haven't figured out by now that I do not own anything of
value or importance (such as the characters in this story)........
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I'm sorry about all the typo's and errors in the last chapter (I did read it after I was done, but it was at 1:00 last night, and I have to get up early ever weekday morning, so my brain was pretty fried when I was trying to proofread it) but, anyway, if you guys note, I uploaded the chapter again with all the errors I found fixed (in addition to fixing a couple of errors in a couple of other chapters that people pointed out to me.) As I've said before, I type REALLY fast, and I'm not a good proofreader of my ownstuff (I fill in the blanks in my head as I read it back without even realizing it..), so please forgive my little boo-boo's (I'm only human, after all)... but thank you to those who pointed out my little errors so I could fix them. Anyway, it's time for me to quit writing this silly author's note, and get busy writing the next chapter...
Sorry about posting this chapter as being "Charming Cinderella" in my mini spoiler in Chapter 11... It was supposed to be, but for reasons of length and continuity, the original plot line of Chapter 11 has been split into 2 chapters... Chapter 11 is "True Lies"... And Chapter 12 is "Charming Cinderella."
And last time, on the Least Likely Prince Charming, we had a freak hexing accident, a jealous prince, and another guy attempting to sweep Cinderella off her feet.....
What will happen next? Find out now.....
The Least Likely Prince Charming
Chapter 11
True Lies
What is a rumor? Is it fact or fiction? Is it truth or lies? Many would say that a rumor is a little of both. For a rumor is almost always based in truth, but is converted, through spread and growth, into a lie. So, essentially, a rumor is a true lie....
It has been said that nothing travels as fast as a rumor. It would be interesting to see, if a scientist were to study the spread of a rumor, what the speed would be. For in Hogwarts, it was guaranteed to be higher than the average speed of the spread of rumor anywhere else in the world. Magic offered so many unique ways for a rumor to spread (and of course, change.)
Ronald Weasley was, at the moment, refusing to believe the current rumor circulating among the student body. In his mind and heart, he knew that this current rumor could not be true. It was completely impossible for this particular rumor to be true. It was utterly, undeniably, completely, and totally IMPOSSIBLE, he thought to himself as he stalked the hallways of the school.
"My sister and Malfoy DO NOT have a thing for each other." Ron would exclaim, to any student who was brave enough to question him about the latest tidbit making the rounds. Ron knew the rumor could never be true. The whole idea was completely revolting for him to even think about it.
Harry Potter was in the Gryffindor common room, when the first whisperings of the current rumor amusing the Hogwarts students first reached his ears. The idea was also revolting to Harry, as Draco was his sworn enemy and Ginny was the girl that he likes, but the thought wasn't as impossible to Harry as it was to Ron. It was, in fact, starting to make a little bit of freakishly absurd sense to Harry. And Harry became very worried, the more he thought about what his fellow students were saying. Because it could be true....
Hermione Granger was more astute than her two best friends about the current rumor. Both of her best friends were admittedly intelligent, but they were very dense when it came to the school's rumor mill. Hermione had made it her business to follow it, as in her position as head girl, it was very useful in helping her to determine who the troublemakers were. Hermione had seen this rumor coming from a mile away. But Hermione truly believed, although it was not completely impossible that Draco and Ginny could be attracted to each other, it was highly unlikely. ("They fight all the time and tell anyone who will listen how much they HATE everything the other stands for.") Hermione thought to herself... Then Hermione's mouth dropped in shock as she finally made the connection between how she acts around Ron to hide her attraction to him and Draco and Ginny's constant battles....
"Oh no...." Hermione mumbled, as she hurried off in search of her two best friends to discuss this latest development.....
Meanwhile, as gossip was circling the hallways about them, Draco and Ginny were oblivious. They were, at the moment, stuck in their last enforced study session together, and were currently continuing the look, glance away, look, glance away dance that has been dominating their interactions in recent days.
Draco was, at the moment, trying to think of something to say to Ginny. Unfortunately, being charming was something that Draco had never done before, and somehow he didn't think disparaging comments about her brothers and family, or about mudbloods and muggles, would go over to well with Ginny. So Draco sat in tortured silence, desperately trying to think of something nice to say to the object of his affections, as he lamented the fact that "nice" was not something he knew how to do.
Draco had reached a decision the previous night, as he had sat alone in his room in the Slytherin tower, thinking about his parents, and his friends, and about who he wanted to try to be. Draco had decided he wanted to be someone that a girl like Ginny could fall in love with. Not like Potter - Draco could never be and would never want to be like Potter - but Draco did not want to be anything like his parents. And Draco had made another resolution, as he sat there. Draco resolved to try to win Ginny over - instead of just sitting back and taking the cowardly way out, and letting the hate and jealousy for Harry fester inside him as he had in days past...
Draco was going to fight for what he wanted. And what he wanted more than anything, was for Ginny Weasley to smile at him like she did at everyone else. Her friendly, sparkling, fun-loving smile. She smiled at him once like that. Draco remember well the night they had detention with Dumbledore, and Ginny had smiled and laughed with him for that short moment, before both of them remembered who the other was....
Ginny Weasley was currently pretending to study her Defense Against the Dark Arts Book, as she sat at the table with Draco Malfoy. Actually, she was trying to figure out a way to turn her book right side up without Draco noticing. As distracted as she was upon getting the book out of her backpack, she had placed it on the table upside down. But that wasn't the bad part. Following placing it on the table, Ginny did not even look at it, as she was too busy admiring the lines of Draco's profile, and a good fifteen minutes of pretend study had passed before Ginny had glanced down to see her book was upside down.
Draco was still desperately trying to think of something to say to Ginny. In an act of extreme desperation, he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Your book's upside down." He said, and promptly regretted it. (IDIOT........I was supposed to say something witty and interesting, and, well charming - NOT something stupid like that - he thought to himself.)
Ginny looked at Draco, completely mortified that he had noticed. (Talk about embarrassing... How am I supposed to explain I was too busy admiring your bone structure and profile to actually READ the book - she thought to herself.)
Ginny blushed slightly, as she avoided his eyes and mumbled "Thanks." and righted the book. She then proceeded to stare at the pages, with her cheeks still flushed crimson in embarrassment.
Draco continued to berate himself for his lack of tact. How could he not know what to say to a girl? If it was a girl like Pansy or Millicent, he would be entertaining them with rude comments about fellow students and particularly Potter, Weasley, and Granger, but he knew that wouldn't work with Ginny. He couldn't think of anything at all that did not involve making fun of her family or her friends and their muggle loving beliefs. So Draco chose to remain silent again, as he watched his last chance to talk to Ginny slip away....
As Ginny and Draco sat studying, both were too engrossed in attempting to ignore each other to notice the commotion of three students entering the library. The rest of the students in the library did, however, and someone slipped out the door to spread the word. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had arrived to save Ginny from Malfoy's evil clutches...
"Ginny Weasley!" Ron practically shouted, until a warning glare from Hermione caused him to remember that they were in the library. Ginny looked up with a start, as a perplexed look crossed her pretty face. Draco just sat up straighter, and affected his best bored look and smirking face, as he saw the trio approaching him and Ginny.
"Ron, Harry, Hermione..... What's up?" Ginny asked quietly, as the confused look on her face grew as she noticed the angry looks on the boys faces and the worried mothering look on Hermione's.
"C'mon Ginny, we need to talk." was all Harry said to Ginny.
(Oh, great - Draco thought - Harry must have figured out that I have a thing for Ginny and is going to play the overprotective, jealous boyfriend now.)
Ginny was at a complete loss as too what the threesome wanted with her. The only thing she could figure out was that Harry had enlisted her brother and Hermione to his cause of convincing her to go out with him, and this thought caused the famous Weasley temper to flare.
"Harry, I thought we talked about this yesterday. I tried to be nice but if I have to be mean for you to get the point...." Ginny said. Then she stood up and glared at him. She didn't notice the protective way Malfoy began to act as he began to figure out that this was some kind of lover's quarrel.....
"I DO NOT WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU." Ginny practically screamed at Harry.
Draco was in shock when he heard that... He couldn't believe that Ginny had turned Harry down... And he felt hope flare to life in him as he realized Ginny wasn't in love with Potter...
Harry flushed red, and felt his temper begin to rise at Ginny's completely unjustified verbal assault. So, he proceeded to confront her with what was really bothering him....
"You don't want to go out with me, but you'll spend your time drooling over that cowardly deatheater there? It's all over the school, Ginny, about you and Malfoy..." Harry replied, with an angry gesture toward Draco to signify exactly who he meant.
Hermione put her hand on Harry's shoulder, "Harry, that's enough. We don't even know if it is true. You know that rumors are lies a lot of the time." She said, in an attempt to diffuse the situation. But now Ginny was furious.
"Who said I liked him?" She glared at her three accusers. "You know I HAVE to study with him for detention. I can't help what the kid's in school are saying."
Draco was hurt by what Ginny said, even though he always knew it was the case. So he lashed back at her, the only way he knew how. "Why would I have anything to do with a poor as dirt, muggle-loving girl with the ugliest hair I've ever seen, if it wasn't because I would get kicked out of school if I DIDN'T? He remarked with a smirk and a cold look in his eyes. "I can't believe that this ridiculous detention has TAINTED my reputation." He stated, as he gave a disgusted look at Ginny.
Ginny didn't know why she was suddenly hurt by what Draco said and the horrible way he was looking at her. Why should she feel hurt? It wasn't as if she liked him, was it? He was her enemy, wasn't he? But suddenly Ginny wasn't so sure about anything....
"Malfoy, why don't you leave?" Ron suggested, with an angry look on his face.
Draco glared at Ron, as he got up. Then he said, with a smirk "I'm NOT leaving because you asked me too.... I have to go repair the damage your stupid little sister has done to my reputation." He glared Harry, Hermione, and Ron one last time before stalking away. But Hermione could not help but observe the way he avoided looking at Ginny through his entire tirade, or the hurt look that quickly passed over Ginny's face before she hid it behind an angry mask.....
"Now that Malfoy's gone, let's have our little talk." Ron said as he glared at Ginny, before plopping himself down in a chair. Hermione and Harry sat down also.
Before anyone could say anything, Ginny stood up. "Talk about what, Ron? Don't you mean you lecture me while I pretend to listen?" Ginny stated.
"Ginny, sit down." Ron said. "We have to talk about this stupid crush you have on Malfoy."
Ginny glared down at Ron, who was still sitting. It was a nice feeling to actually be able to look down at one of her really tall and overbearing brothers.
"Ron, even if I did have a crush on Malfoy, and that is not saying that I do, but what is it any of your or Harry's or Hermione's business?" She stated cooly.
"We're just trying to protect you, Ginny. We don't want you to get hurt." Hermione said, diplomatically.
Ron was more to the point is his reply. "Malfoy's a stupid, deatheater git, and you are an idiot if you feel anything but hate for him."
"I'm not a child, and I'm not stupid. I can take care of myself. I will make up my own mind what to feel for a person, and it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS who or what I feel about anybody." Ginny stated.
"But Ginny, this is Malfoy we are talking about." Harry said.
"You know, I'm tired of you three always trying to save me from things. I made a mistake when I was 11, and now you guys have been trying to save me ever since. Didn't I hold my own against the Deatheaters in my fourth year? How about how I helped you guys last year? You're always trying to keep me out of your plots and intrigues because you think I need protected. And now you don't even trust me enough about who I choose to like. When are you going to learn I am not a fragile little doll that needs protected? I can make my own decisions and choices just fine, thank you." Ginny stated to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"But Ginny..." Ron started, but Ginny, in her fury, interupted him
"But, WHAT, Ron? What part of NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS do you not understand? You're in a library, so if you don't understand, LOOK IT UP! Ginny exclaimed furiously, as she slammed her books into her backpack, and stomped away, leaving a stunned trio behind her.
"Well, that went well." Ron said sarcastically.
"We don't know if the rumor is true or not." Hermione offered, hesitantly.
"But you're the one who convinced ME it was true. Something about woman's intuition...." Ron said as he glared at Hermione.
"It can't be true." Harry stated. "What would anyone ever see in Malfoy?"
"Well, if you look past the whole slimy git thing, he is really cute. Great body, gorgeous eyes, handsome face..." Hermione said.
Ron glared at Hermione. "And when did you notice all of this? Before or after he cursed Harry and called you an "ugly mudblood"?" he asked sarcastically.
Harry also gave Hermione a disgusted look. "I could have done without you cataloging Malfoy's physical assets...."
"I'm just saying, if he didn't open his mouth and talk, I could see how a girl could be interested in him." Hermione defended herself.
Ron glared and opened his mouth, but Harry stopped him.
"That's enough." Harry interrupted, with an impatient wave of his hand. "The question is, if Ginny does have a crush on Malfoy, what are we going to do about it?" he asked.
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment, as Ron sat there glowering into space. Neither replied for a few moments, as they thought.
It was Hermione who broke the silence.
"Nothing." she said.
"What?" exclaimed both boys simulataneously with shocked looks. They were depending on Hermione for yet another brilliant plan.
"You heard me. We are going to do NOTHING. It's like Ginny said. IF she does like Malfoy, it is none of our business." Hermione said.
"We can't sit back and let her do something stupid...." Ron said, as Harry nodded his head in agreement.
"Yes, we can. Because if we start chasing her around and try to keep her away from him - well, even if she doesn't like him, it would just send her running right towards him." Hermione stated to her two friends.
"But it's Malfoy..." Harry protested.
"Doesn't matter who it is.... If you forbid her from going within 50 feet of him, that's exactly where she'll want to be...." Hermione said wisely.
"I don't get it..." Ron said, and glared at Hermione.
"You wouldn't" she mumbled.
Harry spoke before they could begin to fight again.
"Ok, so, we'll just leave her alone about this, like Hermione says. But if something more comes of this....possible true rumor.... and we find out it is true, then we have to do something....." Harry said.
Hermione sighed, and looked at her two best friends. This was the best compromise she could hope for...
Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy was in his room. But he wasn't hiding away, licking his wounds... No, Draco Malfoy was doing one of the things he did best... Draco was plotting... And, as many of his Slytherin housemates knew, it was only people with a death wish who interrupted Draco Malfoy when he plotted.. But what he was plotting, none of his fellow Slytherin's would ever believe.....
Fate was slightly upset... She watched Draco act like a perfect arse, and Ginny was still almost completely in the dark about her feelings... And it wasn't like she hadn't sent anything better for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to be doing, that they had time to nose around in Ginny's affairs.... Fate pounded her hands on the table in frustration... Whatever Draco was plotting had better be good, because fate was, quite frankly, running out of ideas to help the pair...
Coming soon: Will the trio really be able to leave Ginny alone? What is Draco plotting? Will it help his cause or hurt it? And will fate be able to help? Find out in Chapter 12, "Charming Cinderella"
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I'm sorry about all the typo's and errors in the last chapter (I did read it after I was done, but it was at 1:00 last night, and I have to get up early ever weekday morning, so my brain was pretty fried when I was trying to proofread it) but, anyway, if you guys note, I uploaded the chapter again with all the errors I found fixed (in addition to fixing a couple of errors in a couple of other chapters that people pointed out to me.) As I've said before, I type REALLY fast, and I'm not a good proofreader of my ownstuff (I fill in the blanks in my head as I read it back without even realizing it..), so please forgive my little boo-boo's (I'm only human, after all)... but thank you to those who pointed out my little errors so I could fix them. Anyway, it's time for me to quit writing this silly author's note, and get busy writing the next chapter...
Sorry about posting this chapter as being "Charming Cinderella" in my mini spoiler in Chapter 11... It was supposed to be, but for reasons of length and continuity, the original plot line of Chapter 11 has been split into 2 chapters... Chapter 11 is "True Lies"... And Chapter 12 is "Charming Cinderella."
And last time, on the Least Likely Prince Charming, we had a freak hexing accident, a jealous prince, and another guy attempting to sweep Cinderella off her feet.....
What will happen next? Find out now.....
The Least Likely Prince Charming
Chapter 11
True Lies
What is a rumor? Is it fact or fiction? Is it truth or lies? Many would say that a rumor is a little of both. For a rumor is almost always based in truth, but is converted, through spread and growth, into a lie. So, essentially, a rumor is a true lie....
It has been said that nothing travels as fast as a rumor. It would be interesting to see, if a scientist were to study the spread of a rumor, what the speed would be. For in Hogwarts, it was guaranteed to be higher than the average speed of the spread of rumor anywhere else in the world. Magic offered so many unique ways for a rumor to spread (and of course, change.)
Ronald Weasley was, at the moment, refusing to believe the current rumor circulating among the student body. In his mind and heart, he knew that this current rumor could not be true. It was completely impossible for this particular rumor to be true. It was utterly, undeniably, completely, and totally IMPOSSIBLE, he thought to himself as he stalked the hallways of the school.
"My sister and Malfoy DO NOT have a thing for each other." Ron would exclaim, to any student who was brave enough to question him about the latest tidbit making the rounds. Ron knew the rumor could never be true. The whole idea was completely revolting for him to even think about it.
Harry Potter was in the Gryffindor common room, when the first whisperings of the current rumor amusing the Hogwarts students first reached his ears. The idea was also revolting to Harry, as Draco was his sworn enemy and Ginny was the girl that he likes, but the thought wasn't as impossible to Harry as it was to Ron. It was, in fact, starting to make a little bit of freakishly absurd sense to Harry. And Harry became very worried, the more he thought about what his fellow students were saying. Because it could be true....
Hermione Granger was more astute than her two best friends about the current rumor. Both of her best friends were admittedly intelligent, but they were very dense when it came to the school's rumor mill. Hermione had made it her business to follow it, as in her position as head girl, it was very useful in helping her to determine who the troublemakers were. Hermione had seen this rumor coming from a mile away. But Hermione truly believed, although it was not completely impossible that Draco and Ginny could be attracted to each other, it was highly unlikely. ("They fight all the time and tell anyone who will listen how much they HATE everything the other stands for.") Hermione thought to herself... Then Hermione's mouth dropped in shock as she finally made the connection between how she acts around Ron to hide her attraction to him and Draco and Ginny's constant battles....
"Oh no...." Hermione mumbled, as she hurried off in search of her two best friends to discuss this latest development.....
Meanwhile, as gossip was circling the hallways about them, Draco and Ginny were oblivious. They were, at the moment, stuck in their last enforced study session together, and were currently continuing the look, glance away, look, glance away dance that has been dominating their interactions in recent days.
Draco was, at the moment, trying to think of something to say to Ginny. Unfortunately, being charming was something that Draco had never done before, and somehow he didn't think disparaging comments about her brothers and family, or about mudbloods and muggles, would go over to well with Ginny. So Draco sat in tortured silence, desperately trying to think of something nice to say to the object of his affections, as he lamented the fact that "nice" was not something he knew how to do.
Draco had reached a decision the previous night, as he had sat alone in his room in the Slytherin tower, thinking about his parents, and his friends, and about who he wanted to try to be. Draco had decided he wanted to be someone that a girl like Ginny could fall in love with. Not like Potter - Draco could never be and would never want to be like Potter - but Draco did not want to be anything like his parents. And Draco had made another resolution, as he sat there. Draco resolved to try to win Ginny over - instead of just sitting back and taking the cowardly way out, and letting the hate and jealousy for Harry fester inside him as he had in days past...
Draco was going to fight for what he wanted. And what he wanted more than anything, was for Ginny Weasley to smile at him like she did at everyone else. Her friendly, sparkling, fun-loving smile. She smiled at him once like that. Draco remember well the night they had detention with Dumbledore, and Ginny had smiled and laughed with him for that short moment, before both of them remembered who the other was....
Ginny Weasley was currently pretending to study her Defense Against the Dark Arts Book, as she sat at the table with Draco Malfoy. Actually, she was trying to figure out a way to turn her book right side up without Draco noticing. As distracted as she was upon getting the book out of her backpack, she had placed it on the table upside down. But that wasn't the bad part. Following placing it on the table, Ginny did not even look at it, as she was too busy admiring the lines of Draco's profile, and a good fifteen minutes of pretend study had passed before Ginny had glanced down to see her book was upside down.
Draco was still desperately trying to think of something to say to Ginny. In an act of extreme desperation, he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Your book's upside down." He said, and promptly regretted it. (IDIOT........I was supposed to say something witty and interesting, and, well charming - NOT something stupid like that - he thought to himself.)
Ginny looked at Draco, completely mortified that he had noticed. (Talk about embarrassing... How am I supposed to explain I was too busy admiring your bone structure and profile to actually READ the book - she thought to herself.)
Ginny blushed slightly, as she avoided his eyes and mumbled "Thanks." and righted the book. She then proceeded to stare at the pages, with her cheeks still flushed crimson in embarrassment.
Draco continued to berate himself for his lack of tact. How could he not know what to say to a girl? If it was a girl like Pansy or Millicent, he would be entertaining them with rude comments about fellow students and particularly Potter, Weasley, and Granger, but he knew that wouldn't work with Ginny. He couldn't think of anything at all that did not involve making fun of her family or her friends and their muggle loving beliefs. So Draco chose to remain silent again, as he watched his last chance to talk to Ginny slip away....
As Ginny and Draco sat studying, both were too engrossed in attempting to ignore each other to notice the commotion of three students entering the library. The rest of the students in the library did, however, and someone slipped out the door to spread the word. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had arrived to save Ginny from Malfoy's evil clutches...
"Ginny Weasley!" Ron practically shouted, until a warning glare from Hermione caused him to remember that they were in the library. Ginny looked up with a start, as a perplexed look crossed her pretty face. Draco just sat up straighter, and affected his best bored look and smirking face, as he saw the trio approaching him and Ginny.
"Ron, Harry, Hermione..... What's up?" Ginny asked quietly, as the confused look on her face grew as she noticed the angry looks on the boys faces and the worried mothering look on Hermione's.
"C'mon Ginny, we need to talk." was all Harry said to Ginny.
(Oh, great - Draco thought - Harry must have figured out that I have a thing for Ginny and is going to play the overprotective, jealous boyfriend now.)
Ginny was at a complete loss as too what the threesome wanted with her. The only thing she could figure out was that Harry had enlisted her brother and Hermione to his cause of convincing her to go out with him, and this thought caused the famous Weasley temper to flare.
"Harry, I thought we talked about this yesterday. I tried to be nice but if I have to be mean for you to get the point...." Ginny said. Then she stood up and glared at him. She didn't notice the protective way Malfoy began to act as he began to figure out that this was some kind of lover's quarrel.....
"I DO NOT WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU." Ginny practically screamed at Harry.
Draco was in shock when he heard that... He couldn't believe that Ginny had turned Harry down... And he felt hope flare to life in him as he realized Ginny wasn't in love with Potter...
Harry flushed red, and felt his temper begin to rise at Ginny's completely unjustified verbal assault. So, he proceeded to confront her with what was really bothering him....
"You don't want to go out with me, but you'll spend your time drooling over that cowardly deatheater there? It's all over the school, Ginny, about you and Malfoy..." Harry replied, with an angry gesture toward Draco to signify exactly who he meant.
Hermione put her hand on Harry's shoulder, "Harry, that's enough. We don't even know if it is true. You know that rumors are lies a lot of the time." She said, in an attempt to diffuse the situation. But now Ginny was furious.
"Who said I liked him?" She glared at her three accusers. "You know I HAVE to study with him for detention. I can't help what the kid's in school are saying."
Draco was hurt by what Ginny said, even though he always knew it was the case. So he lashed back at her, the only way he knew how. "Why would I have anything to do with a poor as dirt, muggle-loving girl with the ugliest hair I've ever seen, if it wasn't because I would get kicked out of school if I DIDN'T? He remarked with a smirk and a cold look in his eyes. "I can't believe that this ridiculous detention has TAINTED my reputation." He stated, as he gave a disgusted look at Ginny.
Ginny didn't know why she was suddenly hurt by what Draco said and the horrible way he was looking at her. Why should she feel hurt? It wasn't as if she liked him, was it? He was her enemy, wasn't he? But suddenly Ginny wasn't so sure about anything....
"Malfoy, why don't you leave?" Ron suggested, with an angry look on his face.
Draco glared at Ron, as he got up. Then he said, with a smirk "I'm NOT leaving because you asked me too.... I have to go repair the damage your stupid little sister has done to my reputation." He glared Harry, Hermione, and Ron one last time before stalking away. But Hermione could not help but observe the way he avoided looking at Ginny through his entire tirade, or the hurt look that quickly passed over Ginny's face before she hid it behind an angry mask.....
"Now that Malfoy's gone, let's have our little talk." Ron said as he glared at Ginny, before plopping himself down in a chair. Hermione and Harry sat down also.
Before anyone could say anything, Ginny stood up. "Talk about what, Ron? Don't you mean you lecture me while I pretend to listen?" Ginny stated.
"Ginny, sit down." Ron said. "We have to talk about this stupid crush you have on Malfoy."
Ginny glared down at Ron, who was still sitting. It was a nice feeling to actually be able to look down at one of her really tall and overbearing brothers.
"Ron, even if I did have a crush on Malfoy, and that is not saying that I do, but what is it any of your or Harry's or Hermione's business?" She stated cooly.
"We're just trying to protect you, Ginny. We don't want you to get hurt." Hermione said, diplomatically.
Ron was more to the point is his reply. "Malfoy's a stupid, deatheater git, and you are an idiot if you feel anything but hate for him."
"I'm not a child, and I'm not stupid. I can take care of myself. I will make up my own mind what to feel for a person, and it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS who or what I feel about anybody." Ginny stated.
"But Ginny, this is Malfoy we are talking about." Harry said.
"You know, I'm tired of you three always trying to save me from things. I made a mistake when I was 11, and now you guys have been trying to save me ever since. Didn't I hold my own against the Deatheaters in my fourth year? How about how I helped you guys last year? You're always trying to keep me out of your plots and intrigues because you think I need protected. And now you don't even trust me enough about who I choose to like. When are you going to learn I am not a fragile little doll that needs protected? I can make my own decisions and choices just fine, thank you." Ginny stated to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"But Ginny..." Ron started, but Ginny, in her fury, interupted him
"But, WHAT, Ron? What part of NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS do you not understand? You're in a library, so if you don't understand, LOOK IT UP! Ginny exclaimed furiously, as she slammed her books into her backpack, and stomped away, leaving a stunned trio behind her.
"Well, that went well." Ron said sarcastically.
"We don't know if the rumor is true or not." Hermione offered, hesitantly.
"But you're the one who convinced ME it was true. Something about woman's intuition...." Ron said as he glared at Hermione.
"It can't be true." Harry stated. "What would anyone ever see in Malfoy?"
"Well, if you look past the whole slimy git thing, he is really cute. Great body, gorgeous eyes, handsome face..." Hermione said.
Ron glared at Hermione. "And when did you notice all of this? Before or after he cursed Harry and called you an "ugly mudblood"?" he asked sarcastically.
Harry also gave Hermione a disgusted look. "I could have done without you cataloging Malfoy's physical assets...."
"I'm just saying, if he didn't open his mouth and talk, I could see how a girl could be interested in him." Hermione defended herself.
Ron glared and opened his mouth, but Harry stopped him.
"That's enough." Harry interrupted, with an impatient wave of his hand. "The question is, if Ginny does have a crush on Malfoy, what are we going to do about it?" he asked.
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment, as Ron sat there glowering into space. Neither replied for a few moments, as they thought.
It was Hermione who broke the silence.
"Nothing." she said.
"What?" exclaimed both boys simulataneously with shocked looks. They were depending on Hermione for yet another brilliant plan.
"You heard me. We are going to do NOTHING. It's like Ginny said. IF she does like Malfoy, it is none of our business." Hermione said.
"We can't sit back and let her do something stupid...." Ron said, as Harry nodded his head in agreement.
"Yes, we can. Because if we start chasing her around and try to keep her away from him - well, even if she doesn't like him, it would just send her running right towards him." Hermione stated to her two friends.
"But it's Malfoy..." Harry protested.
"Doesn't matter who it is.... If you forbid her from going within 50 feet of him, that's exactly where she'll want to be...." Hermione said wisely.
"I don't get it..." Ron said, and glared at Hermione.
"You wouldn't" she mumbled.
Harry spoke before they could begin to fight again.
"Ok, so, we'll just leave her alone about this, like Hermione says. But if something more comes of this....possible true rumor.... and we find out it is true, then we have to do something....." Harry said.
Hermione sighed, and looked at her two best friends. This was the best compromise she could hope for...
Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy was in his room. But he wasn't hiding away, licking his wounds... No, Draco Malfoy was doing one of the things he did best... Draco was plotting... And, as many of his Slytherin housemates knew, it was only people with a death wish who interrupted Draco Malfoy when he plotted.. But what he was plotting, none of his fellow Slytherin's would ever believe.....
Fate was slightly upset... She watched Draco act like a perfect arse, and Ginny was still almost completely in the dark about her feelings... And it wasn't like she hadn't sent anything better for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to be doing, that they had time to nose around in Ginny's affairs.... Fate pounded her hands on the table in frustration... Whatever Draco was plotting had better be good, because fate was, quite frankly, running out of ideas to help the pair...
Coming soon: Will the trio really be able to leave Ginny alone? What is Draco plotting? Will it help his cause or hurt it? And will fate be able to help? Find out in Chapter 12, "Charming Cinderella"