Love's Talent
Chapter 17: Contestants Unwind
LunarianPrincess
A talent contest and performing class brings new alliances and blooming romance, but is a sinister force trying to prevent it from being successful?
Pairings: GW/DM; KS/DS; some HP/LL and HG/RW
SDA, I do own Darien Solaro and Kassara Saravati. This is in Ginny's sixth year and some of the characters might seem OOC, but bear with me. Feedback is appreciated, but please try to keep criticism constructive, Thanx in advance
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Last Chapter-------
"Thanks, you know since you aren't coming, I'm just going to grab something and head out, I'll see you at practice, don't forget its at 2, don't want to be late because of your Casanova" Ginny teased, tickling her friend. She raced out of the room before Kasi could retaliate. She skipped down the stairs, careful to watch where she was going so she wouldn't knock anyone down. Once she was down the stairs she sprinted towards the Great Hall, sheer exuberance fueling her. She giggled as she got there and instantly regretted doing that for as she rounded the corner she saw two figures which she could not get around. She winced and braced for impact as she ran into them. She groaned as she lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. She did a sit up and looked at the two people she had knocked over, she could vaguely register snickers in the background. Her exuberant spirits immediately plummeted as she saw who she had hit. There, closest to her, were silver eyes looking back at her indignantly, and behind him was a dark eyed greasy haired professor.
Now---------------
"Miss Weasley, was there any reason for that unnecessary display of dangerous horseplay?" he asked dourly. Well if it was unnecessary I think you just answered your own stupid question Ginny thought irritably.
"Well, Professor Snape, I was just in good spirits because it is Saturday, besides I had not expected many people to be up this early, as you can see there are only about ten students here, and a handful more in the great hall," she answered frankly. Malfoy smirked and covered his laugh with a cough, looking at her in admiration. Snape frowned at his wayward student before addressing her again. While Snape's attention was occupied, Ginny sent a brazen wink at Malfoy behind his back.
"Miss Weasley, there was no excuse for your dangerous behavior, but since it is, as you pointed out, a weekend and no lasting harm was sustained by Mr. Malfoy or myself, I think I will let you off with a warning, but if I ever hear of this happening again, believe that I will exact a fitting punishment, Draco think about what I said, it is ultimately your decision but it affects many" nodding at Malfoy he stalked off towards the staff table. Ginny stared after him in shock, she was consumed by curiosity at his last statement, what had Snape and Malfoy been talking about she wondered.
"He does that when he likes you and he knows it will be more effective a lesson if he keeps you off guard," Malfoy remarked from behind her. She turned towards him.
"I'm sorry I knocked you over, it seems that that happens every time we see each other," she remarked to him as they walked into the great hall together.
"Knocking men off their feet seems to be your specialty," he remarked wryly, Ginny turned towards him in surprise.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," she told him. He just shook his head, she shrugged in response. "Well, I'll see you later, I've gotta go," she told him. She grabbed a muffin and smiled at him before turning and striding out the door. She left him there staring after her in confusion and admiration. He shook his head wryly and sat alone, gratefully, at the Slytherin table.
Ginny took a bite of the blueberry muffin she had swiped in the Great Hall and breathed in the crisp morning air. She walked briskly towards the Gryffindor Quidditch Team locker room, the brisk wind pulling curls from her already messy bun and caressing her cheek. She pulled the door of the locker room open, wedging herself inside before the heavy door slammed on her.
She finished her muffin as she sat on one of the benches. When she had finished with her muffin she grabbed her broom. She walked out into the early morning light and smiled into the sun. She jumped on her broom and kicked off. Feeling that addictive first rush of adrenaline she let out a whoop of sheer enthusiasm letting the problems of the last few days disappear. She flew for sheer excitement, trying many of the maneuvers her brother didn't want her using in the games. It wasn't long before she felt exhausted, she slowly circled down to the ground, her worries and anxiety over the past few days a distant memory.
She noticed that a few people had been watching her, the groups had been strewn across the fields and grounds, talking with friends or playing outside was the best thing about the weekends at Hogwarts. She walked into the locker room and placed her broom away for practice later. She looked in the mirror and almost laughed, her hair was a wild tumble of curls and her cheeks were reddened from the wind. She grabbed the band from her hair, letting her riotous curls tumble down her back. Shoving her hand into the curls at her crown she shook her fingers, trying to get the knots out.
As she left, her spirits completely lifted, the almost perfect day made her feel like doing something induced by the giddy rush of excitement that fuelled her. She skipped out of the locker room and began to sing, the morning air was filled with her clear soprano.
You know everything that I'm afraid of
You do everything I wish I did
Everybody wants you, everybody loves you
I know I should tell you how I feel
And I wish everybody would disappear
Every time you call me, I'm too scared to be me
And I'm too shy to say
Ooh, I've got a crush on you
I hope you feel the way that I do
I get a rush when I'm with you
Ooh, I've got a crush on you(crush on you)
You know I'm the one that you can talk to
And sometimes you tell me things that I don't want to know
I just want to hold you
And you say exactly how you feel about her
And I wonder, could you ever think of me that way
Ooh, I've got a crush on you
I hope you feel the way that I do
I get a rush when I'm with you
Ooh, I've got a crush on you(crush on you)
Ooh, I wish I could tell somebody
But there's no one to talk to
Nobody knows I've got a crush on you
A crush on you, I got a crush
You say everything that no one says
But I feel everything that you're afraid to feel
I will always want you, I will always love you
Ooh, I've got a crush on you
I hope you feel the way that I do
I get a rush when I'm with you
Ooh, I've got a crush on you(crush on you)
Ooh, I've got a crush on you
I hope you feel the way that I do
I get a rush when I'm with you
Ooh, I've got a crush on you(crush on you)
She had stopped skipping and stood in the shade of one of the massive trees on the front lawn. She took a deep breath and nearly screamed when she felt a hand on her back, instead she started coughing convulsively.
Well that was it, there's the next chapter, I know not very long and another cliffie, I must be getting good at that. So who do you think it is? Actually the writers block is like snow melting, its slow but steady. So what do you think, is it still interesting? I hope you tell me if I'm boring you! I guess I should be doing my trig homework instead of writing this, but I love my readers so I shall endeavor to do my best to please them! Well, now is the thank you section, in which I take the time to appreciate my wonderful reviewers:
Dracosbaby7: yeah clumsiness seems to make her a real person, with flaws like the rest of us. I just noticed that in almost every fic I put Ginny in I make her a lot like me, and her best friend like my best friend, I guess its true when they say you write what you know! Thanks, I am having a little trouble segueing into the Halloween Dance, I just don't know how to skip time but portray that tensions exist and problems are arising between people, oh well, I guess I'll figure it out eventually.
Hoppers: I'll keep my dignity, if not his heart, oh well I am now confronted with slightly more important things like what I want to do in/after college. It is actually kind of worrisome, I mean I haven't wondered what I wanted to be or do since I was four. I always wanted to be a performer, at first it was a ballerina but when they said I didn't have the right body type I decided I wanted to be an entertainer, a singer who acts and dances, and in high school I discovered musical theatre, which was the perfect combination, but now I wonder if that's really what I'm meant to do. Wow I just rambled incessantly, I'm so sorry, if you actually made it this far have a cookie! I hope you didn't die! I hope you like this chapter as well.
Cinder2004: I am sooooooooooooo sorry, I never responded to review! I cant believe what a horrible person I am! I hope you still read! Thank you so much for the wonderful complements, I really like the d/g fics too! Thanks, I'm an okay writer, but I am a wretched person for forgetting to respond to your wonderful review.
sakura-no-hana-hoshi: yep, those wonderful cliffies I have just discovered how to write, and I put another one in this chapter, oh well, I hope to end it soon so you wont have to deal with those horrid cliffies in this fic anymore when its finished.
Felton118: thanks, I really like your name. I hope you like this chapter as well.
