Class ended without any further incidents and Ginny grabbed her things. "Hey Ginny" a voice from behind said. It was Pansy.
"Hey"
"You wanna join me, Draco and Blaise at the Slytherin table for lunch?"
"Uhm...are you sure that's okay?"
"Yeah sure come on"
Draco, Blaise, Pansy and Ginny walked to the Great Hall. Everybody was bustling in, to get to their seat. Every head that came by them looked at Ginny in amazement and were definitely approving the change in her clothing and her appearance too. They all sat down at the Slytherin table. A few Slytherins raised there eyebrows, but said nothing when they saw who she was with.
When everybody was seated food appeared on the table. Ginny was a bit uncomfortable, sitting with the Slytherins and being the only Gryffindor. She was relieved to see that no Slytherins were glaring at her only giving her mildly interested glances; discreetly of course. She began putting food on her plate when a voice spoke up.
"So, didn't know you were that good in Potions...nor in the clothing department" Pansy said, eyeing her clothes approvingly.
Ginny coloured a little. "Well...Potions has always been my favourite and…I've been working at Madam Malkins during the summer to earn and buy new clothes.
Thankfully no insults came...but instead her brother.
Draco leaned towards Ginny and whispered: "Here comes you're brother…Lets see what you've got, little Snake" Ginny frowned at Draco, but then turned to her brother. Ron, Harry and Hermione arrived at the Slytherin table.
"Is there a problem, dear brother?" Ginny said in a tone which clearly says: You better not begin to argue or I'm gonna make you suffer.
Ron of course being as daft as he is clearly doesn't know a warning till he sits on it, hissed:
"Yes there is a problem! One, what the hell was that about in the Potions classroom? And two, have you forgotten where your own house is? If you want attention, this is the wrong way to get it! This change is not you, it's from a little girl with a big mouth, whining for some attention" His face was about as red as his hair. Everybody was quiet and listening, wondering how the little sister of Ronald Weasley would react.
Though on the inside Ginny was absolutely boiling with anger, on the outside she looked as calm as ever, with a steely glint in her eye.
Hermione saw that the result of two Weasley Tempers against each other would have a nasty outcome and tried to get Ron out of the Great Hall.
"Come on Ron! This is not the place to discuss this."
But Ginny began to speak, her voice softly, though at the same time so strong everybody heard it.
"So you see...hanging out with a smart witch and The-boy-who-lived cannot make you any smarter or sharper. You don't see it, nobody did. I have not changed…This is the way that I am! The way I always have been and always will be. This is no cry for attention. I am so much more different then you will ever know. Maybe you would have if you paid a bit more attention to me instead of trying to get yourself into trouble, without thinking. And you always seem to think that you have reason and authority to tell me what to do or question me. Well I'll say one thing, you come near me again and not only will I make sure the threat I have told you about earlier this day will come true, I will also make sure you will regret knowing me"
Everything in The Great Hall that was made of glass shattered.
Without a glance at anybody else, Ginny swept out of the room.
Ron just stood there. Looking at the spot where Ginny had been. Nobody in the Great Hall said anything. Dumbledore stood up and with a wave of his wand everything that was broken, was repaired again.
"Nice going Weasel" Pansy sneered.
Draco, Blaise and Pansy went on their way to find Ginny.
They found her on a rock near the lake.
"We thought you'd be here" Blaise said. Ginny's head whirled around and they saw her tearstained face and desperation.
"W-What are you doing here" Ginny said, her voice not as steady as she'd hoped.
"We came to see if you were alright" They sat down next to her and Pansy put an arm around Ginny's shoulders.
Draco looked at Pansy and Blaise and then back to Ginny. He knew now that their opinions about the littlest Weasley had changed. She was now their friend. He only had to look into the eyes of his fellow Slytherins to know this and he knew that they saw the same thing in his eyes too. But he did also notice something else though.
"This isn't about the thing with your brother only right? There's something else that has got you the way you are now and what was that with all the glass breaking?"
Shocked Ginny looked up. Everyone looked at her with a sense of curiosity in their eyes. How did he know? Can I tell them? Tell them that I am worried that I might be the Princess of Fire? But then she thought about what kind of danger they would be in if she told them. If Voldemort ever found out, the people who were closest to her could be in danger. She considered them now as friends and she would do anything to keep them safe.
Ginny shrugged the arms of Pansy of her and abruptly stood up.
"Sorry to have bothered you, but this is none of your business...Go away!"
She turned around and began walking away until someone grabbed her arm. She looked back and stared in two pools of Silver blue eyes.
"There's something you're not telling us...and it's something big"
Ginny struggled until he released her arm. "Leave me alone" She said coldly, knowing she was only doing this to keep them safe.
As she walked towards the castle, she could feel them watching her retreating back, but they could not see the new wave of tears streaming down her face.
A week went by. Pansy, Blaise and Draco all have tried to approach Ginny, but backed off when they saw her glare. She also wasn't on speaking terms with her brother, Harry or Hermione. Ginny became introverted and spoke less. Vider wondered what had happened that made Ginny like this, but didn't press the matter.
Ginny was lonely. She wasn't on the friendly side of the three Slytherins for a very long time, but felt like she knew them her whole life. Even with Vider with her she missed them. She went to her classes, but all the time her mind was on the Prophecy. She had no one to talk to, no one to confide in. Only professor Dumbledore and her Potions master, Professor Snape knew about it.
One night, Ginny was tossing and turning in her bed. She couldn't fall asleep, because she was worried too much. Eventually she gave up and got out of bed. Putting on some clothes, she went down to the abandoned Common Room and stepped outside the Portrait of the Fat Lady. Whilst walking trough the corridor she could hear the Fat Lady reprimanding her for being out so late.
"Young ladies should not be out so late, what is the world coming to...?" was the last thing Ginny heard the Fat lady say before she was out of hearing distance. Quietly she rounded the corridor. After a few more steps, she heard something.
Oh no! Someone is coming!
Ginny quickly walked back a bit and hid behind an armour suit. After Filch and his cat Mw. Norris walked by without noticing her, Ginny let out her breath she didn't knew she was holding. I have to be more careful from now on
Ginny felt a strong urge to go outside and she did. When she stepped out of the castle, Ginny admired the Hogwarts grounds. There was a soft breeze and Ginny found that the grass beneath her barefooted feet felt wonderful. Walking past the Greenhouses they used for Herbology, Ginny cast a glance towards the lake. It was breathtaking. The light of the moon was reflected in the water and it was sparkling.
She walked over to the lake and lay out on the grass; finally...a little peace. She hasn't been this peaceful since the night of the Prophecy. Suddenly Ginny heard something break. Her eyes shot open and she looked around. There standing...was Draco Malfoy.
"What are you doing here?" Ginny sneered.
"Well Weasley, I'm Head Boy therefore I have permission to be out here, whereas you don't"
"Are you going to report me?"
"Maybe...are you going to yell or glare at me?"
"Maybe..."
Ginny watched as Draco sat down next to her. Neither said anything. Both just looked at the breathtaking lake. Ginny jumped a bit when she heard his voice again.
"We've been going mad for the past week now…"
Ginny looked at Draco, but he had his eyes fixed at something by the lake.
"Wha..?" she started to say, but Draco continued.
"We've tried talking to you, but every time you turned away"
"Well...I..."
"We figured it must be something big, so big that you don't want anyone close to you. It must be something dangerous then, but none of us know why."
Ginny's Point Of View
Finally Draco looked at me. I saw confusion, desperation at wanting to know why Iwas acting this way. I started thinking. Would it be so wrong telling him?...But what if he is a Death Eater?...no if he was then he wouldn't have reacted the way that he did, in the corridor when we were arguing
He was still looking at me...seeing the inner conflict that I have in my eyes, but waiting patiently.
I could feel tears working up; tears of the loneliness that I had endured during the week. But Icould not do this...he cannot see me break down. So I turned away.
End Of Ginny's Point Of View
Draco looked at her and saw what she was trying to hide. He placed his arms around her and whispered soothing words. "It's okay Gin, its okay"
NO! Ginny thought it's not okay... and she broke down. She told him everything, about the prophecy, about how Dumbledore thought that she was this Princess of Fire...and about how scared she was. She told him she wasn't strong, that she could never be this powerful.
Draco looked at the small form that fit perfectly into his arms. She was shaking while telling the story she had wanted to tell ever since that night at the lake a week ago.
When she was finished Draco spoke.
"Listen to me" Ginny looked into his eyes. "You are strong; don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. You don't have to be scared as long as you have friends and that includes me, Pansy and Blaise. We'll be alongside you every time that you'll need us and that's a promise"
Is this the Draco Malfoy that she thought she always knew? The cruel, harsh one? This was a completely different side.
"We promise too" another voice said. Ginny looked to see Pansy and Blaise emerge from behind a tree. Ginny felt happy for the first time in a week. She looked at Draco.
"Well this is a side that I've never seen before on you Draco" she joked.
He smiled a genuine smile. "Don't tell anyone...it could ruin my rep ya know"
