Okay, here's the new chapter. Sorry it's late, I was exhausted last night, and I forgot!
Chapter 5: Company
Ginevra Weasley pouted. He'd spoiled her entrance!
"Harry! You were supposed to grovel for forgiveness and promise never to leave me again!" She scolded.
"You're not supposed to be here at all!" Harry replied. "How could he let you...?"
"No one 'let' me do anything, Blade!" Ginny shot back. "He didn't have much choice after what I did to him..."
Harry struggled to keep his face straight. "What did you do?"
"I put a spell on him so his favourite sweets taste appalling every time he has them." Ginny smirked.
"I should've known. If anyone found me, it'd be you." Harry sighed. "When're you going back?"
"When you do. One-way ticket." She replied.
He groaned. "So I'm stuck with you for the rest of the year?"
"You say that like it's a bad thing!" She pouted.
"D'you think that's Professor Potter's girlfriend?" Sirius asked James in a non-whisper.
"NO!" The teacher and redhead yelled at him.
"God, what is it with Potters and redheads, James? Even if he isn't related to you, they're as testy as you and Lily on a good day!" Sirius responded, raising his voice.
Ginny froze. "Holy... Harry! You never said they were here!" She complained.
Now everyone looked confused.
"Are we famous?" Sirius wanted to know.
"Now I know why you're here! The Marauders, oh crap! Harry, why didn't you say?!" Ginny cried.
"Say what? There's a bunch of troublemakers at school worse than your brothers who had me dressed like James Bond and talking in rhyme for an entire lesson?" Harry wanted to know.
Ginny stopped. "They didn't?!"
"They did."
"Oh, I'm going to have to tell Fred and George that 'un. The rhyming thing could be done as a sweet. Costume changes... you'd need something else, because it's not ingested. Maybe a bomb or grenade like device..." She was musing now.
"You have spent way too much time with Fred and George." Harry told her.
"I've been working in their shop since I graduated, you know that. I was due to start Auror training this month, but they're all scared of me." Ginny looked depressed.
"Why?" Harry frowned.
"Because I'm the only person who can hold their own in a match against you. 'Cept maybe Snakeface and a couple of the Entrail Eaters..." She shrugged. "I did one test and they gave me the God-damn license! It's so unfair!"
"You have been training Auror-style since your fifth-year you know." Harry told her.
"Yeah, but I didn't think it would mean I didn't get tested properly!" She complained.
The teachers and students frowned. This woman seemed rather petulant. About not being tested properly for something she could clearly do.
Harry shrugged. "Just means you're good is all. What're you going to do now?"
"Oh, I was hoping to hang around and bug you for the rest of the year. Y'know, embarrass you in front of your colleagues, students, enemies, friends. Duel with you. Practise my fencing and stuff. And insulting old Mouldywart is so much more fun when you can do so with someone he wants dead." Ginny explained. "That is, if Professor Dumbledore in his high and esteemed wisdom cares to let me stay?"
"How can I say no to flattery like that?" The headmaster chuckled. "Now, who are you?"
"Oh, sorry. Ginevra Westley at your service. More commonly known as Ginny. Anyone who calls me Ginevra will..."
"Suffer untold torture, have giant spiders placed in their bed and be fed to a basilisk." Harry interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you only added in the giant spiders bit to scare Ron."
"Of course. Giant spiders... Well, I could probably find an Acromantula or two. Has to be some in that big, old forest. As for a basilisk... That's a little more tricky." Ginny shrugged.
Harry rolled his eyes again. "Only you could see finding a basilisk as 'tricky'. Most would consider it 'incredibly unlucky' to find a basilisk. Though that might be because most people who meet basilisks also die unless they're Parseltongue or have a sword handy."
Ginny smirked. "You're so simple, Blade." She turned to Professor Dumbledore, and her voice became much more business-like. "I was hoping to aid Harry in teaching his Defence course. I'm sure he's doing a great job..." She grinned as a number of students began to protest, "But it does help to have someone who you can fight against. To give a convincing duel, you need to be against someone who can hold they're own. And I don't think Voldemort would appreciate it if we invited him here so Harry could give a duelling lesson." She rolled her eyes at the number of gasps. "I'm gonna quote... well, I think it was Hermione, might be our old headmaster. 'Fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself.' You're only increasing your fear of Voldemort by calling him by those ridiculous pseudonyms."
"Well said, Miss Westley. If Harry does not object, I don't see why you should not aid him in his teaching. Your qualifications?"
"Graduated as one of the top in my year from Skirret last June. Top marks in Defence and Charms. Yeah, I'm only eighteen, but I've got nearly as much experience as Blade here. 'Course, I haven't got any of the teaching experience..." Ginny smirked.
"That's understandable. Now as to your sleeping quarters..." Dumbledore began.
Some people may have been confused why this all went on in front of the students, but weird things happened all the time at Hogwarts.
"Oh, I'll just share with Harry." Ginny smirked.
Someone on the Gryffindor table, most likely Sirius, let out a guffaw.
"Ginny, now my lifestyle is going to be gossip for everyone by tomorrow morning." Harry groaned.
"What? It's not like we haven't shared before." She grinned wickedly.
'She's evil,' Harry decided, 'She's evil, she knows it and she's taking advantage of it. What the hell is the rest of the year going to be like?'
Aloud, he said, "Well, since there were four of us all in your room, I don't think that constitutes the same thing."
"Is poor ickle Harry scared of big bad Ginny?" Ginny crowed.
Harry rolled his eyes. "No. I'll just sleep in my trunk until I sort out another room in the tower for you."
Ginny looked deflated. "That damned trunk. Anyone would think you're Dracula, 'cept you sleep in a trunk, not a coffin."
"Ginny, it is well-known that Dracula is in fact a myth, and vampires do not sleep in coffins. They tend to sleep in beds like normal people. Or maybe a nice crypt." Harry told her.
"That's not for certain. In Transylvania, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were a number of suspicious deaths that could be attributed to a vampire. Not to mention the manor house where there were traces of magic." Ginny shot back.
"Dracula was a myth. Bram Stoker took the surname of Vlad the Impaler and turned the thirteenth century ruler into a much later vampire. He used elements of the cruel tortures he forced upon people for his story. I've yet to come across a vampire that can turn himself into a bat." Harry told her.
Ginny pouted. "Damn! You always use that defence! It's so unfair."
"So are you, but there you go." Harry grinned. As he did, he couldn't stop his eyes dragging over her body. Damn the curse! It was just as bad for two or three days afterwards as it was before. Of course, he was blaming it on the curse.
He didn't notice when Ginny's eyes took in his figure as well, she grinned at what she saw.
Dumbledore diffused any more potential arguments.
Minerva smiled lightly as Dumbledore invited Ginny to sit down and join them in eating dinner. Harry sat down, and she conjured a chair next to him. So this was the redhead Harry had regularly spoken of since his arrival.
"Miss Westley?" Minerva asked. "Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher, Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress. It's a pleasure to meet the witch Harry so often speaks of."
"You speak of me? Oh, how sweet." Ginny told Harry batting her eyelashes at him. He went red, and Ginny grinned at Minerva. "He's so easy to tease. Ginny Westley." She shook the woman's hand.
"Ginny, if the only reason you came is to tease me, I'm sending you right back!" Harry told her.
"You don't know how, so there." She poked her tongue out at him.
"If you do that too often, someone will bite it. Oh, now I'm imagining you without your tongue. It would be such a relief not to hear you prattle." Harry grinned.
"I thought you liked my tongue! Besides, talking's only one of the things I do with it." She winked at him. Minerva almost choked on her pumpkin juice, trying not to laugh. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled more merrily than usual. And Videl grinned.
"Yes, I suppose you do enjoy being able to taste your food as well. I can imagine it would be hard swallowing without your tongue." Harry told her looking serious.
"I'm sure that's not you're worried about." Ginny told him coquettishly. "From what I heard you like a bit of..."
"Ten pin bowling is very agreeable." Harry agreed, placing a hand over the young woman's mouth. Ginny proceeded to lick it. Harry grimaced.
She smiled sweetly at him as he wiped his hand. "See, using my tongue."
"I think we can get off the subject of your tongue for now. That's almost as bad as the conversation you had with Lavender and Parvati about wands. I don't think I ever saw Ron go redder." Harry grinned wistfully.
"Oh yes he did. Do you remember what Mione was shouting when she was in labour?" Ginny asked him.
"Oh yes. Something about never sleeping with him again, never going through labour again, and him losing his manhood if he ever even suggested such a thing again. And that was when she was in a good mood." Harry grinned.
Minerva also did. "My sister gave threats like that to her husband when my niece was born. Didn't work. They've got three more children."
Harry looked suddenly pale, his eyes widening.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked, looking concerned.
"I don't ever want to be near you if you go into labour." He told Ginny seriously. "I know you well enough. You've got your mother's temper and lungs, not to mention your language is as bad as mine. I think you'd scar the entire hospital."
"Like they weren't after the twins were in there? The girls are as bad as them for language. Think it's because of Quidditch?" Ginny asked.
"Quidditch players are the only ones even close to Aurors on the language scales." Harry mused thoughtfully.
And you were both." Ginny giggled. "You did get your Auror license, even if you weren't working so much as one. And you played Quidditch in school."
"As did you, Red." Harry told her.
"Don't call me that." Ginny complained.
"Why not? You call me Blade."
"That's different."
"How?"
"It's because of what you are like. Red is just my hair colour."
Minerva grinned. "Well, it seems hair colour is very important to Potters of any breed. We have another, unrelated, Potter, and he seems quite keen on a redhead too."
"We are not keen on each other!" Harry and Ginny told her off.
"Of course you aren't." Minerva acquiesced agreeably.
# # #
"So, where are your rooms?" Ginny asked.
"DADA classroom and office. Rooms are above it in the tower." Harry told her.
Ginny grinned. "Cool. So, how's teaching going?"
"Well. The Marauders seem to approve of me." Harry grinned happily. "The Slytherins are still bad, but they've got punishment hanging over their heads for using Mudblood in the classroom or anywhere else I might hear them. Five points for first offence, and doubles thereafter."
"Wow, why didn't anyone else think of that?" Ginny wanted to know.
Harry shrugged. "Here we are." There was a portrait of young and rather dashing wizard dressed in medieval fashion, flirting with a young witch from another painting. "Hey, Gareth. Boy Who Lived."
"Certainly, Harry. Got lucky I see." The wizard winked.
"Nope, this is Ginny. She's going to be my assistant." Harry explained.
"Oh, is that all I am to you?" Ginny asked sniffing. "And here I thought we had something special, something wonderful! Oh, Harry, how could you do that to me?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "She's got a flair for the dramatic. She'll be using these rooms as well. I need to set up one for her."
Gareth grinned. "Good luck."
The portrait swung forward. Harry entered, pulling Ginny in. They went up a flight of stairs, to enter the private rooms above the Defence classroom and office.
A small corridor showed four doors.
"My bedroom. Sitting room. Bathroom. Practise room." Harry rattled off. The staircase leads to some empty rooms upstairs. I'd advise you to stay away from the room facing east with the large, thick, oak door. It's not to be touched."
"Why?" Ginny asked.
"Dark Creatures." Harry replied. "That's where the worst ones are stored." It wasn't exactly a lie. A Moonlight Vampire was a truly Dark Creature at the full moon, like a werewolf.
"Okay." Ginny shrugged. She'd check the veracity of his story later. "So, where am I sleeping?"
"In my room, for now. I'll convert another room for your bedroom later. Maybe the practise room should go upstairs. There's a bigger room there. I'll sleep in the bedroom in my trunk." Harry told her.
"Okay." Ginny pulled a small box from her pocket and then her wand. She enlarged the box. It was her trunk. "Thanks Harry."
"Gin, why are you here?"
"I want to be. I figured you'd need company. And no one else will duel with me." She pouted.
Harry laughed. "Good enough, I suppose. Did Albus tell you anything of you? Did he have any memories?"
"Yes, but he was very cagey about it. I think it may be the reason Minerva kept thinking we were hiding in broom closets in my sixth-year."
"Yeah, we need to be more careful about what we say."
Ginny suddenly let out a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked.
"D'you remember, just after Christmas, in your seventh-year?" Ginny giggled.
"What about it?" Harry wanted to know, confused.
"When McGonagall caught Ron and Hermione..."
"In the Room of Requirement? Yeah, that was priceless. I didn't know she could yell that loudly."
"Or turn that shade of purple."
"And she told them..."
"That there would be plenty of time for that sort of thing after they left school." Ginny smirked. "I think she's got a better memory than we thought. Oh, and speaking of Hermione and Ron doing 'that', Mione's pregnant again."
"Already?" Harry looked surprised. His godson had only been born in March. "How far along?"
"Couple of months. Those two don't waste time." Ginny giggled.
"You can say that again. Don't." Harry told her as she opened her mouth.
"Spoil my fun." She complained, stamping a foot and crossing her arms over her chest.
"When did you turn into a petulant kid?" Harry asked.
"When I didn't get what I wanted." Ginny replied, her voice and stance changing in milliseconds from childish to seductive.
Harry stared at her, and then looked round his bedroom. "Umm, let me just clear away my stuff..."
He swiftly shoved his clothes back into the wardrobe and straightened the bed. "I'll sort your room for you tomorrow."
"Thanks, Harry. Mind if I use the bathroom?" Ginny asked.
"No, no, go ahead. If you need, me, I'll be in the study. I've got some marking to do." Harry told her.
Ginny nodded, a mischievous smile on her face. She pulled a bag and a nightgown from her trunk, and disappeared into the bathroom, which was attached to Harry's bedroom via a door.
Harry sighed. With Ginny around, his life was about to get a lot more complicated.
# # #
"So, what is your opinion of Miss Westley?" Lily asked Sirius in the common room that evening.
"Absolutely gorgeous." Sirius replied, somewhat dreamily.
The boys laughed, while Lily and Pia wrinkled their noses. "That wasn't quite what I meant." Lily told him.
"She seems nice. Definitely intelligent. Mischievous. And she recognised us. How the hell did she know we were the Marauders? She was scolding the Professor for not telling her 'they' were here, and I have a sneaky suspicion that 'they' means us." James frowned.
"And what she called the professor. Blade? Why would she call him that?" Pia wondered.
"We'll have to ask her. Black, I can't believe you said that in front of the entire hall. James and I are not going out!" Lily turned on Sirius.
"Believe me, they sounded like you two. Down to the denying that they're going out." Sirius smirked and then ducked to avoid a swipe from the Head Boy.
"She also has an interesting habit of calling Voldemort names." Remus mused. "I think Snakeface and Mouldywart were two of them. She also referred to Death Eaters as Entrail Eaters. She's either not scared of them or scared and hiding it well."
"Or else she's just trying to rile the Slytherins." James shrugged.
"There's no proof..." Lily began.
"Lily, I know that there are Death Eaters or else wannabes in Slytherin. Snape and Nott included." James told her, leaving no room for doubt.
"Is that why you hex Snape so much?" Lily asked him, somewhat sarcastically.
"No. I hex Snape and the others because of what I find them doing to Muggle-borns and the younger students every other day." James told her. "Look, there's more to do tomorrow, and I didn't sleep well. Good night."
He swept out and away from the common room, heading for his room in the Head Tower.
"Something I said?" Lily asked.
"He's a bit sensitive about it. He hates the bullying they do. Fifth-year it was worst, especially his and Snape's enmity. You saw what James did after the DADA exam. You didn't see what Snape did after the Herbology exam." Remus explained.
"But he said he did that because he exists!" Lily protested.
"He's hardly going to admit to being hurt by Snivellus! Snivellus has now discovered that with James as Head Boy, he can hurt him even more by harming other people. James feels responsible for all of them now. But he doesn't care for recognition. He doesn't want it. He just wants to be seen as himself. The truth is that James is a good person. He's not the person you saw hex Snivellus in Fifth-year." Sirius told her.
"That'd be a lot more convincing if you didn't call him Snivellus all the time!" Lily snapped.
"I have my own grievances with him and his family, and every family like it, including my own!" Sirius yelled, and stormed up to the dorms.
Lily groaned. "I seem to be having that effect on people today."
"Sirius' family is a sore spot for him. Very sore. He ran away before Sixth-year. They're dark. Sirius isn't like that." Remus explained. "Snape's family was traditionally friends with the Blacks. Before Sirius arrived, he and Snape were friends. But once they got to Hogwarts and Sirius became a Gryffindor, it became dislike and hatred. Sirius associates Snape with his own family." Remus explained.
Lily looked sad. "That's too bad. The only trouble I have is with Petunia." She explained to Remus. "My older sister. She thinks being a witch makes me a freak."
Remus understood. "Don't worry, you've plenty of friends here. Even #I# have friends, and we all know what's up with me!"
Lily smiled. "There's nothing wrong with you, Remus. It's just an illness."
Remus nodded. "And there's nothing wrong with you. Your magic is a gift."
Lily smiled. "I'd best go to bed, and see if I can apologise to James."
"Don't worry, Lily. He'll come around eventually." Remus told her.
"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Pia." Lily told her best friend.
"Don't you have patrol?" Pia asked, twisting a lock of glossy, chestnut hair around a finger.
"No, Wednesdays and Fridays we have off." Lily smiled, and disappeared.
# # #
A/N: Okay, I don't think that chapter was so good, but it still had what I wanted. You got an idea of Ginny's character. Next chapter will include a little more. She's not just an innuendo-spewing, cheeky prankster. I hope you liked it!
I'd reply to everyone's reviews, but there's just too many of you! Plus, if I'm not careful, someone will report me for having far too long author's notes. But I can't believe I have over 100 reviews now! It's incredible!
But, what the hey! I want to say thanks to:
YamiPaladinofChaos: Glad you like the curse.
Great story (anonymous)
gllandro-83: I'm sorry if it wasn't clear, but Ginny's being evil and over- dramatic. She didn't take him leaving quite that badly, but still...
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Callista MacLeod: Being dignified is boring! I'm insane anyway, so there's no need to try! (I did mention I'm evil too, right?)
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Callie Marie Black: The pervy painting was so fun to write! As for Sirius, no idea. Haven't really thought that far ahead!
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sea-my-eyes: Ginevra is such a cool name, isn't it? I've read that it means 'woman of the people', but also that it means 'fair' as in light colouring. Cool, huh?
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Joeyperson: You got that phrase wrong. It's patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace, and Grace is naughty girl who wouldn't wash her face! Sorry, I couldn't resist!
Mary Ava: I'm glad you liked it. The transformation was tricky to write.
Ghostly-Talon: Don't worry, for my other HP fic, it took me ages to get into double figures. I'd posted about the first four chapters before I had a review from someone I didn't know! I'll go check yours though, if you like! And my other fic has 32 chapters with about 169 reviews!
rebekah1: By that point, the vampire's desires become a little hard to control. Hence being easily irritated. Harry meant it as a sort of joke, but it comes out a little too serious. So you were right. The vampire just hadn't surfaced yet!
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I can't believe I had so many reviews! Forty-eight or something! That's incredible! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Happy holidays, and I'll try and update on time next week. If I've got the chapter written!
Lol, Tanydwr
Chapter 5: Company
Ginevra Weasley pouted. He'd spoiled her entrance!
"Harry! You were supposed to grovel for forgiveness and promise never to leave me again!" She scolded.
"You're not supposed to be here at all!" Harry replied. "How could he let you...?"
"No one 'let' me do anything, Blade!" Ginny shot back. "He didn't have much choice after what I did to him..."
Harry struggled to keep his face straight. "What did you do?"
"I put a spell on him so his favourite sweets taste appalling every time he has them." Ginny smirked.
"I should've known. If anyone found me, it'd be you." Harry sighed. "When're you going back?"
"When you do. One-way ticket." She replied.
He groaned. "So I'm stuck with you for the rest of the year?"
"You say that like it's a bad thing!" She pouted.
"D'you think that's Professor Potter's girlfriend?" Sirius asked James in a non-whisper.
"NO!" The teacher and redhead yelled at him.
"God, what is it with Potters and redheads, James? Even if he isn't related to you, they're as testy as you and Lily on a good day!" Sirius responded, raising his voice.
Ginny froze. "Holy... Harry! You never said they were here!" She complained.
Now everyone looked confused.
"Are we famous?" Sirius wanted to know.
"Now I know why you're here! The Marauders, oh crap! Harry, why didn't you say?!" Ginny cried.
"Say what? There's a bunch of troublemakers at school worse than your brothers who had me dressed like James Bond and talking in rhyme for an entire lesson?" Harry wanted to know.
Ginny stopped. "They didn't?!"
"They did."
"Oh, I'm going to have to tell Fred and George that 'un. The rhyming thing could be done as a sweet. Costume changes... you'd need something else, because it's not ingested. Maybe a bomb or grenade like device..." She was musing now.
"You have spent way too much time with Fred and George." Harry told her.
"I've been working in their shop since I graduated, you know that. I was due to start Auror training this month, but they're all scared of me." Ginny looked depressed.
"Why?" Harry frowned.
"Because I'm the only person who can hold their own in a match against you. 'Cept maybe Snakeface and a couple of the Entrail Eaters..." She shrugged. "I did one test and they gave me the God-damn license! It's so unfair!"
"You have been training Auror-style since your fifth-year you know." Harry told her.
"Yeah, but I didn't think it would mean I didn't get tested properly!" She complained.
The teachers and students frowned. This woman seemed rather petulant. About not being tested properly for something she could clearly do.
Harry shrugged. "Just means you're good is all. What're you going to do now?"
"Oh, I was hoping to hang around and bug you for the rest of the year. Y'know, embarrass you in front of your colleagues, students, enemies, friends. Duel with you. Practise my fencing and stuff. And insulting old Mouldywart is so much more fun when you can do so with someone he wants dead." Ginny explained. "That is, if Professor Dumbledore in his high and esteemed wisdom cares to let me stay?"
"How can I say no to flattery like that?" The headmaster chuckled. "Now, who are you?"
"Oh, sorry. Ginevra Westley at your service. More commonly known as Ginny. Anyone who calls me Ginevra will..."
"Suffer untold torture, have giant spiders placed in their bed and be fed to a basilisk." Harry interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you only added in the giant spiders bit to scare Ron."
"Of course. Giant spiders... Well, I could probably find an Acromantula or two. Has to be some in that big, old forest. As for a basilisk... That's a little more tricky." Ginny shrugged.
Harry rolled his eyes again. "Only you could see finding a basilisk as 'tricky'. Most would consider it 'incredibly unlucky' to find a basilisk. Though that might be because most people who meet basilisks also die unless they're Parseltongue or have a sword handy."
Ginny smirked. "You're so simple, Blade." She turned to Professor Dumbledore, and her voice became much more business-like. "I was hoping to aid Harry in teaching his Defence course. I'm sure he's doing a great job..." She grinned as a number of students began to protest, "But it does help to have someone who you can fight against. To give a convincing duel, you need to be against someone who can hold they're own. And I don't think Voldemort would appreciate it if we invited him here so Harry could give a duelling lesson." She rolled her eyes at the number of gasps. "I'm gonna quote... well, I think it was Hermione, might be our old headmaster. 'Fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself.' You're only increasing your fear of Voldemort by calling him by those ridiculous pseudonyms."
"Well said, Miss Westley. If Harry does not object, I don't see why you should not aid him in his teaching. Your qualifications?"
"Graduated as one of the top in my year from Skirret last June. Top marks in Defence and Charms. Yeah, I'm only eighteen, but I've got nearly as much experience as Blade here. 'Course, I haven't got any of the teaching experience..." Ginny smirked.
"That's understandable. Now as to your sleeping quarters..." Dumbledore began.
Some people may have been confused why this all went on in front of the students, but weird things happened all the time at Hogwarts.
"Oh, I'll just share with Harry." Ginny smirked.
Someone on the Gryffindor table, most likely Sirius, let out a guffaw.
"Ginny, now my lifestyle is going to be gossip for everyone by tomorrow morning." Harry groaned.
"What? It's not like we haven't shared before." She grinned wickedly.
'She's evil,' Harry decided, 'She's evil, she knows it and she's taking advantage of it. What the hell is the rest of the year going to be like?'
Aloud, he said, "Well, since there were four of us all in your room, I don't think that constitutes the same thing."
"Is poor ickle Harry scared of big bad Ginny?" Ginny crowed.
Harry rolled his eyes. "No. I'll just sleep in my trunk until I sort out another room in the tower for you."
Ginny looked deflated. "That damned trunk. Anyone would think you're Dracula, 'cept you sleep in a trunk, not a coffin."
"Ginny, it is well-known that Dracula is in fact a myth, and vampires do not sleep in coffins. They tend to sleep in beds like normal people. Or maybe a nice crypt." Harry told her.
"That's not for certain. In Transylvania, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were a number of suspicious deaths that could be attributed to a vampire. Not to mention the manor house where there were traces of magic." Ginny shot back.
"Dracula was a myth. Bram Stoker took the surname of Vlad the Impaler and turned the thirteenth century ruler into a much later vampire. He used elements of the cruel tortures he forced upon people for his story. I've yet to come across a vampire that can turn himself into a bat." Harry told her.
Ginny pouted. "Damn! You always use that defence! It's so unfair."
"So are you, but there you go." Harry grinned. As he did, he couldn't stop his eyes dragging over her body. Damn the curse! It was just as bad for two or three days afterwards as it was before. Of course, he was blaming it on the curse.
He didn't notice when Ginny's eyes took in his figure as well, she grinned at what she saw.
Dumbledore diffused any more potential arguments.
Minerva smiled lightly as Dumbledore invited Ginny to sit down and join them in eating dinner. Harry sat down, and she conjured a chair next to him. So this was the redhead Harry had regularly spoken of since his arrival.
"Miss Westley?" Minerva asked. "Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher, Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress. It's a pleasure to meet the witch Harry so often speaks of."
"You speak of me? Oh, how sweet." Ginny told Harry batting her eyelashes at him. He went red, and Ginny grinned at Minerva. "He's so easy to tease. Ginny Westley." She shook the woman's hand.
"Ginny, if the only reason you came is to tease me, I'm sending you right back!" Harry told her.
"You don't know how, so there." She poked her tongue out at him.
"If you do that too often, someone will bite it. Oh, now I'm imagining you without your tongue. It would be such a relief not to hear you prattle." Harry grinned.
"I thought you liked my tongue! Besides, talking's only one of the things I do with it." She winked at him. Minerva almost choked on her pumpkin juice, trying not to laugh. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled more merrily than usual. And Videl grinned.
"Yes, I suppose you do enjoy being able to taste your food as well. I can imagine it would be hard swallowing without your tongue." Harry told her looking serious.
"I'm sure that's not you're worried about." Ginny told him coquettishly. "From what I heard you like a bit of..."
"Ten pin bowling is very agreeable." Harry agreed, placing a hand over the young woman's mouth. Ginny proceeded to lick it. Harry grimaced.
She smiled sweetly at him as he wiped his hand. "See, using my tongue."
"I think we can get off the subject of your tongue for now. That's almost as bad as the conversation you had with Lavender and Parvati about wands. I don't think I ever saw Ron go redder." Harry grinned wistfully.
"Oh yes he did. Do you remember what Mione was shouting when she was in labour?" Ginny asked him.
"Oh yes. Something about never sleeping with him again, never going through labour again, and him losing his manhood if he ever even suggested such a thing again. And that was when she was in a good mood." Harry grinned.
Minerva also did. "My sister gave threats like that to her husband when my niece was born. Didn't work. They've got three more children."
Harry looked suddenly pale, his eyes widening.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked, looking concerned.
"I don't ever want to be near you if you go into labour." He told Ginny seriously. "I know you well enough. You've got your mother's temper and lungs, not to mention your language is as bad as mine. I think you'd scar the entire hospital."
"Like they weren't after the twins were in there? The girls are as bad as them for language. Think it's because of Quidditch?" Ginny asked.
"Quidditch players are the only ones even close to Aurors on the language scales." Harry mused thoughtfully.
And you were both." Ginny giggled. "You did get your Auror license, even if you weren't working so much as one. And you played Quidditch in school."
"As did you, Red." Harry told her.
"Don't call me that." Ginny complained.
"Why not? You call me Blade."
"That's different."
"How?"
"It's because of what you are like. Red is just my hair colour."
Minerva grinned. "Well, it seems hair colour is very important to Potters of any breed. We have another, unrelated, Potter, and he seems quite keen on a redhead too."
"We are not keen on each other!" Harry and Ginny told her off.
"Of course you aren't." Minerva acquiesced agreeably.
# # #
"So, where are your rooms?" Ginny asked.
"DADA classroom and office. Rooms are above it in the tower." Harry told her.
Ginny grinned. "Cool. So, how's teaching going?"
"Well. The Marauders seem to approve of me." Harry grinned happily. "The Slytherins are still bad, but they've got punishment hanging over their heads for using Mudblood in the classroom or anywhere else I might hear them. Five points for first offence, and doubles thereafter."
"Wow, why didn't anyone else think of that?" Ginny wanted to know.
Harry shrugged. "Here we are." There was a portrait of young and rather dashing wizard dressed in medieval fashion, flirting with a young witch from another painting. "Hey, Gareth. Boy Who Lived."
"Certainly, Harry. Got lucky I see." The wizard winked.
"Nope, this is Ginny. She's going to be my assistant." Harry explained.
"Oh, is that all I am to you?" Ginny asked sniffing. "And here I thought we had something special, something wonderful! Oh, Harry, how could you do that to me?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "She's got a flair for the dramatic. She'll be using these rooms as well. I need to set up one for her."
Gareth grinned. "Good luck."
The portrait swung forward. Harry entered, pulling Ginny in. They went up a flight of stairs, to enter the private rooms above the Defence classroom and office.
A small corridor showed four doors.
"My bedroom. Sitting room. Bathroom. Practise room." Harry rattled off. The staircase leads to some empty rooms upstairs. I'd advise you to stay away from the room facing east with the large, thick, oak door. It's not to be touched."
"Why?" Ginny asked.
"Dark Creatures." Harry replied. "That's where the worst ones are stored." It wasn't exactly a lie. A Moonlight Vampire was a truly Dark Creature at the full moon, like a werewolf.
"Okay." Ginny shrugged. She'd check the veracity of his story later. "So, where am I sleeping?"
"In my room, for now. I'll convert another room for your bedroom later. Maybe the practise room should go upstairs. There's a bigger room there. I'll sleep in the bedroom in my trunk." Harry told her.
"Okay." Ginny pulled a small box from her pocket and then her wand. She enlarged the box. It was her trunk. "Thanks Harry."
"Gin, why are you here?"
"I want to be. I figured you'd need company. And no one else will duel with me." She pouted.
Harry laughed. "Good enough, I suppose. Did Albus tell you anything of you? Did he have any memories?"
"Yes, but he was very cagey about it. I think it may be the reason Minerva kept thinking we were hiding in broom closets in my sixth-year."
"Yeah, we need to be more careful about what we say."
Ginny suddenly let out a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked.
"D'you remember, just after Christmas, in your seventh-year?" Ginny giggled.
"What about it?" Harry wanted to know, confused.
"When McGonagall caught Ron and Hermione..."
"In the Room of Requirement? Yeah, that was priceless. I didn't know she could yell that loudly."
"Or turn that shade of purple."
"And she told them..."
"That there would be plenty of time for that sort of thing after they left school." Ginny smirked. "I think she's got a better memory than we thought. Oh, and speaking of Hermione and Ron doing 'that', Mione's pregnant again."
"Already?" Harry looked surprised. His godson had only been born in March. "How far along?"
"Couple of months. Those two don't waste time." Ginny giggled.
"You can say that again. Don't." Harry told her as she opened her mouth.
"Spoil my fun." She complained, stamping a foot and crossing her arms over her chest.
"When did you turn into a petulant kid?" Harry asked.
"When I didn't get what I wanted." Ginny replied, her voice and stance changing in milliseconds from childish to seductive.
Harry stared at her, and then looked round his bedroom. "Umm, let me just clear away my stuff..."
He swiftly shoved his clothes back into the wardrobe and straightened the bed. "I'll sort your room for you tomorrow."
"Thanks, Harry. Mind if I use the bathroom?" Ginny asked.
"No, no, go ahead. If you need, me, I'll be in the study. I've got some marking to do." Harry told her.
Ginny nodded, a mischievous smile on her face. She pulled a bag and a nightgown from her trunk, and disappeared into the bathroom, which was attached to Harry's bedroom via a door.
Harry sighed. With Ginny around, his life was about to get a lot more complicated.
# # #
"So, what is your opinion of Miss Westley?" Lily asked Sirius in the common room that evening.
"Absolutely gorgeous." Sirius replied, somewhat dreamily.
The boys laughed, while Lily and Pia wrinkled their noses. "That wasn't quite what I meant." Lily told him.
"She seems nice. Definitely intelligent. Mischievous. And she recognised us. How the hell did she know we were the Marauders? She was scolding the Professor for not telling her 'they' were here, and I have a sneaky suspicion that 'they' means us." James frowned.
"And what she called the professor. Blade? Why would she call him that?" Pia wondered.
"We'll have to ask her. Black, I can't believe you said that in front of the entire hall. James and I are not going out!" Lily turned on Sirius.
"Believe me, they sounded like you two. Down to the denying that they're going out." Sirius smirked and then ducked to avoid a swipe from the Head Boy.
"She also has an interesting habit of calling Voldemort names." Remus mused. "I think Snakeface and Mouldywart were two of them. She also referred to Death Eaters as Entrail Eaters. She's either not scared of them or scared and hiding it well."
"Or else she's just trying to rile the Slytherins." James shrugged.
"There's no proof..." Lily began.
"Lily, I know that there are Death Eaters or else wannabes in Slytherin. Snape and Nott included." James told her, leaving no room for doubt.
"Is that why you hex Snape so much?" Lily asked him, somewhat sarcastically.
"No. I hex Snape and the others because of what I find them doing to Muggle-borns and the younger students every other day." James told her. "Look, there's more to do tomorrow, and I didn't sleep well. Good night."
He swept out and away from the common room, heading for his room in the Head Tower.
"Something I said?" Lily asked.
"He's a bit sensitive about it. He hates the bullying they do. Fifth-year it was worst, especially his and Snape's enmity. You saw what James did after the DADA exam. You didn't see what Snape did after the Herbology exam." Remus explained.
"But he said he did that because he exists!" Lily protested.
"He's hardly going to admit to being hurt by Snivellus! Snivellus has now discovered that with James as Head Boy, he can hurt him even more by harming other people. James feels responsible for all of them now. But he doesn't care for recognition. He doesn't want it. He just wants to be seen as himself. The truth is that James is a good person. He's not the person you saw hex Snivellus in Fifth-year." Sirius told her.
"That'd be a lot more convincing if you didn't call him Snivellus all the time!" Lily snapped.
"I have my own grievances with him and his family, and every family like it, including my own!" Sirius yelled, and stormed up to the dorms.
Lily groaned. "I seem to be having that effect on people today."
"Sirius' family is a sore spot for him. Very sore. He ran away before Sixth-year. They're dark. Sirius isn't like that." Remus explained. "Snape's family was traditionally friends with the Blacks. Before Sirius arrived, he and Snape were friends. But once they got to Hogwarts and Sirius became a Gryffindor, it became dislike and hatred. Sirius associates Snape with his own family." Remus explained.
Lily looked sad. "That's too bad. The only trouble I have is with Petunia." She explained to Remus. "My older sister. She thinks being a witch makes me a freak."
Remus understood. "Don't worry, you've plenty of friends here. Even #I# have friends, and we all know what's up with me!"
Lily smiled. "There's nothing wrong with you, Remus. It's just an illness."
Remus nodded. "And there's nothing wrong with you. Your magic is a gift."
Lily smiled. "I'd best go to bed, and see if I can apologise to James."
"Don't worry, Lily. He'll come around eventually." Remus told her.
"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Pia." Lily told her best friend.
"Don't you have patrol?" Pia asked, twisting a lock of glossy, chestnut hair around a finger.
"No, Wednesdays and Fridays we have off." Lily smiled, and disappeared.
# # #
A/N: Okay, I don't think that chapter was so good, but it still had what I wanted. You got an idea of Ginny's character. Next chapter will include a little more. She's not just an innuendo-spewing, cheeky prankster. I hope you liked it!
I'd reply to everyone's reviews, but there's just too many of you! Plus, if I'm not careful, someone will report me for having far too long author's notes. But I can't believe I have over 100 reviews now! It's incredible!
But, what the hey! I want to say thanks to:
YamiPaladinofChaos: Glad you like the curse.
Great story (anonymous)
gllandro-83: I'm sorry if it wasn't clear, but Ginny's being evil and over- dramatic. She didn't take him leaving quite that badly, but still...
QuicksilverWitch
Loraliant Angelisa Snape
DSMelody
Callista MacLeod: Being dignified is boring! I'm insane anyway, so there's no need to try! (I did mention I'm evil too, right?)
Kara Adar
Jennifer
Callie Marie Black: The pervy painting was so fun to write! As for Sirius, no idea. Haven't really thought that far ahead!
justblue
snuffles007
sea-my-eyes: Ginevra is such a cool name, isn't it? I've read that it means 'woman of the people', but also that it means 'fair' as in light colouring. Cool, huh?
lluvatar
ghzowy
IceSugarHigh
creative reader
Marauder4eva
playpet14
Me222
Song Gift: Thanks. But to be honest I'd rather have a life-sized Harry plushie. (Evil grins)
Aravilar Faenya: Well, Remus is a little distracted. But he may work these things out.
Shitza
Silver Warrior
Lenorathetrekkie: Thank goodness I'm forgiven!
Yoshikuni-Miharu: Your name's so hard to remember to spell right!
Amanda Lily Potter
NathanPostmark
Rayetta-n-Draco
llama
cocopops
MsMissProngs
Joeyperson: You got that phrase wrong. It's patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace, and Grace is naughty girl who wouldn't wash her face! Sorry, I couldn't resist!
Mary Ava: I'm glad you liked it. The transformation was tricky to write.
Ghostly-Talon: Don't worry, for my other HP fic, it took me ages to get into double figures. I'd posted about the first four chapters before I had a review from someone I didn't know! I'll go check yours though, if you like! And my other fic has 32 chapters with about 169 reviews!
rebekah1: By that point, the vampire's desires become a little hard to control. Hence being easily irritated. Harry meant it as a sort of joke, but it comes out a little too serious. So you were right. The vampire just hadn't surfaced yet!
Writer Chica
Erin Malfoy
Sk8erWitch
A.L.
Fanfic-Frankie: I do want to write books. I have written one, but I think I might rewrite it properly. Especially since my second draft was written when I was 13/14, and the first when I was 11-13!
Candiprincess
Arctic Wolf2
Lion of Gryffindor: It's always cool when someone who's stories you like reviews. So thanks!
Raclswt
spectra2
Pensievegal: Where did he sound like a show off? He wasn't meant to!
Freya4: Thanks!
I can't believe I had so many reviews! Forty-eight or something! That's incredible! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Happy holidays, and I'll try and update on time next week. If I've got the chapter written!
Lol, Tanydwr