A/N: for some reason, I don't get everyone's reviews. I don't know if it's AOHell or what – but if, for some reason, you don't see your name in the response section, then it means I never got an alert. I try to make sure I got you all, but…things happen.
Also the reason this chapter has been so delayed: Simply put, people, I get sick. A lot. On my back, hallucinating, coughing up green stuff type of misery. Some fourth of July, eh? Anyhow, after managing to haul myself out of bed the other day for the first time in god knows how long, I realized I was only half way through the chapter. So, I sat down to finish it (although it damn near finished me – god I hate being sick). Enjoy! (sniffle, sniffle, cough, gag, …runs to bathroom looking slightly green…comes back annoyed. Cough, hack, spit … "ewww it's still green! And ooohhh look, it's moving!"…cough, sniffle…knocks self out with medication… ahhhhh…)
Chapter 18: Sirius
Harry wouldn't touch another bite of his food for the rest of breakfast. He was far too angry and his stomach was roiling with the need to beat something into a fine pulp. Draco gave up after a while and focused on stuffing his own face, while keeping a close eye on the other boy, none-the-less. Harry merely stared into his now tepid tea, occasionally glancing towards the Gryffindor table with hatred in his eyes.
Potions was a chilly affair. Snape stood at the front of the room and snarled at the merest twitch from a Gryffindor student. The House lost nearly one hundred points that morning, and by the end of the lesson, it was all Hermione could do to keep Ron from hexing his teacher. Severus was just waiting for Ron to try something – he would like nothing more than to get the precious brat expelled at the first opportunity. I'm going to have a long conversation with Lucius this weekend, and see if he can get Arthur sacked, at best, or suspended at least. I want that family crippled as soon as possible. Severus could feel an ugly sneer cross his face as he contemplated the Gryffindors in front of him – but he really didn't care. They should be afraid, Severus snarled to himself. They have a lot to answer for.
Harry paid little attention in class – his mind clearly not in the dungeons, but rather in the Hospital Wing with Ginny. Draco had to poke him several times to jar him from his reverie, and even then the dark haired boy's participation in class was half-hearted at best. Severus ignored Harry's absent mindedness, turning a blind eye to the dark haired boy's lack of participation, something that only increased the Gryffindor student's irritation.
Transfiguration was also a strained affair. Professor McGonagall stood tight lipped and severe at the head of the classroom, glaring at her House from time to time. Ron and Hermione sat perched at the front of the room, angelic expressions plastered on their faces – but it had no effect on the irate teacher. Lavender sat in the desk behind them with Dean, leaning forward occasionally, whispering to Hermione from time to time. Harry and Neville sat at the very back of the class, buffered by the rest of the Slytherins, with Draco and Blaise flanking them. Pansy and Millicent sat directly in front of the two ex-Gryffindors, the girls' chatter and flash shielding the boys from the view of most of the class. McGonagall's instructions were curt and clipped – they spent most of the day reviewing old lessons. After Transfiguration Harry drug a quiet Draco to the Hospital Wing.
Ginny was not in any of the beds when they entered. Harry's breath caught in his throat for a long moment, before he noticed Madam Pomfrey motioning towards one of the doors near the rear of the Wing. Harry smiled at her brightly and grabbed Draco's robe, leading him down the aisle of beds quickly. Draco merely raised an eyebrow at the smaller boy, but let him have his way. He wasn't about to drag his feet – he wanted to know how Ginny was doing just as badly as Harry – although he hid it better than the dark haired boy.
Harry knocked on the door Madam Pomfrey had motioned towards quietly. He cocked his head close to the door, listening intently.
"Who is it?" came the muffled question. Harry laid his hand on the worn wooden door.
"Harry and Draco. Can we come in?" There was a long silence, in which Harry shifted on his feet anxiously, but was relieved by Ginny's quiet yes. Harry pushed the door open slowly, peeking his head around the corner.
Ginny sat on the bed, facing away from them, looking out the window. The sunlight fell in stripes over her, making her hair blaze with color. Her feet were tucked up under her, and her hands rested limply in her lap. She glanced over her shoulder, revealing red, puffy eyes in a pale, drawn face; a testimony to the amount that she'd been crying. Her bottom lip trembled slightly when she saw them, but she bravely kept her tears in check.
"Hullo Harry. Hullo Draco," she said softly. Harry eased into the room, sidling around the bed, approaching her slowly. Draco hovered near the door, rather unsure just what he should be doing – he wanted to help, but was at a loss as how to do so. Harry took a tentative step forward and sat on the bed next to her.
"Are – of course your not. Uh, I – we, well, we were wondering how you were? And if we could do anything to help?" Harry stuttered, mentally slapping himself several times. Of course she isn't ok you dolt – her family just disowned her. Hello! He peered at her through a fringe of bangs, sheepish. Ginny looked away from him and drew in a long, shaky breath.
"Harry – I'll be fine. I, well, sort of expected something like this to happen. Of course, not to this degree, but – I knew they would be hopping mad. I –," she let out her pent up breath, her face screwing up briefly. "I'm so angry at them, Harry. They – they'd rather believe their precious convictions than me, how stupid is that? They – they – I mean, how could Mum do such a thing? You know? It's so, so weird." She spread her hands out in front of her, staring at them blankly. Harry chewed on his lower lip, thinking swiftly, a frown marring his forehead.
"Do you think your Mum's under Imperius?" he finally asked, hesitantly. The implication was ugly, but it was the first thing that came to his mind. Ginny looked up at him sharply, eyes narrowing.
"No," she said after a pause. "I don't think so. And even if she was, how could you explain Ron, and the twins' attitudes? No, Harry, that's the most awful part of this whole thing. They aren't under a spell. They've done this of their own free will. Mum and Dad – I mean they're members of the Order, how could they –," Ginny curled her hands into the sheets, anger flashing across her face.
"I'm sorry to say that your – former – parents are no longer full members of the Order, Ginny." A new voice made them jump. Draco, who had come around the bed to Harry's side while Ginny was talking, mentally scowled when he caught sight of the Headmaster in the doorway. Fool. Inattention like that is a good way to get someone killed, he chastised himself severely. He eyed the older wizard suspiciously. Dumbledore was looking at Ginny sadly, his eyes having lost all trace of their usual sparkle.
"Sir?" Ginny asked, twisting around on the bed, facing the Headmaster. Dumbledore took a few steps into the room and lowered himself into the only chair. He folded his hands in his lap calmly and glanced at Draco briefly.
"Mr. Malfoy, I'm sure your father has told you of the Order and his somewhat – reluctant – participation in it?" The Headmaster said frankly. Draco nodded faintly and Harry cast a look at him. "Well, over the summer, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's changing attitudes had been noted, but not remarked on within the Order. At the last meeting, however, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were quite out of line, and placed on probationary status because of their biased and inflammatory statements. They were most – upset about it," Dumbledore looked at Ginny gravely. "I'm afraid an old man has made another large mistake." The Headmaster closed his eyes and sighed.
"Sir? What do you mean?" Harry asked, shifting to face the older wizard as well. Ginny merely watched on in silence. The Headmaster opened his eyes, leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands in front of his mouth.
"Harry, I am an old man. I thought that perhaps Molly and Arthur would come around in time; that they would be able to ignore and see past the rumors that have been flying around the wizarding world. But I waited too long in addressing the problem, and before I knew it, they had already made up their minds. What was uncovered during the meeting, was that Percy Weasley apparently came home with a report that supports Molly's beliefs, and were used in further convincing Ginny's former brothers," Harry winced at the Headmaster's use of the word former. Ginny shifted uneasily on the bed, a thoughtful frown on her face.
"That's right. Percy did come home this summer – but I was at Amanda's house, so I missed him. Ron said something to me about how he got his hands on something at work and that's why Mum finally believed everything for sure," she trailed off, eyes focused on some distant point out of the window. "But she had to have believed some of the rumors in the first place in order to be fully convinced by whatever Percy showed her." She brought her gaze back to the Headmaster.
"Unfortunately, Ginny, yes, she would have," Dumbledore said softly. Ginny shook her head faintly.
"But I still don't understand – I mean, how could they just…give up hope like that?" she asked, one hand curling into a fist next to her on the bed. The Headmaster sighed.
"You'll find that many people, who have gone through a terrible time, are often quick to make sure nothing of the sort will happen again. Molly and Arthur weathered Voldemort's first uprising, and are now forced to live with his return. They were happy in believing in the safety they once held, and now with that protection gone – they needed someone to blame. Thus, they turned on Harry, the perfect scapegoat for all their problems. He has the scar, and the connection – all perfectly reasonable things in their minds for damning him before he even has a trial. And things like this have happened before – as you all know well. As for their disowning of you, Ginny – that was something I also did not foresee. And for that I must also apologize. If I had known what their reaction was going to be, I would not have approved your petition," the older wizard said, shaking his head slightly. Ginny looked at him intently.
"I – I'm actually somewhat happy you did. They – if they could only love me by their own terms, by their own rules – then how is that a family? I mean, they should love me for who I am, no matter what House I'm in. It's nonsense for them to hate me so much because I believe in Harry and switched to another House. I just…" she trailed off, dropping her eyes to the coverlet in front of her. The Headmaster reached forward and patted her hand softly.
"Don't worry, my dear. It will all turn out all right in the end. All you need is a little faith, and some help from your friends," he said kindly. Ginny looked up at him through her lashes, and hesitantly returned his smile. Dumbledore leaned back after a moment and watched the three students in front of him silently for several moments.
"Sir?" Harry finally broke the silence. "Is there a way for the Weasley's to – to take Ginny back? Draco said something about her – her disownment being permanent because it was announced in public, but …" Harry asked, casting an apologetic glance at Draco, who rolled his eyes at the dark haired boy and snorted softly. I'm surprised he retained that much of what I told him earlier, the blond thought amusedly. The Headmaster shook his head slowly, a regretful expression crossing his face.
"No, Harry. The ritual cannot be revoked," he said solemnly. Harry's face fell. "There is a similar ritual that can bind a person to a new family, and with that binding would come the family history, name, talents and occasionally, as I remember reading, physical traits." Dumbledore finished, a faraway look entering his eyes briefly. Harry perked up considerably.
"Could – er that is," Harry looked at Ginny. "Would you like to become a Potter?" he stuttered. Draco blinked in surprise. Ginny looked at him silently for a moment before tears began to form in her eyes.
"Yes!" she said, a wavering smile on her face. The Headmaster cleared his throat, catching their attention.
"Harry, while it is a very noble thing to offer, you would not be able to perform the ritual until you have reached your majority." Their faces fell and Ginny sniffed softly, her shoulders slumping. Harry wound an arm around her, offering silent support. I don't care what anybody says. You'll always be my sister, Harry thought fiercely, giving her a small squeeze.
"What can we do then?" Draco asked quietly from where he was leaning against the wall. The Headmaster looked at the blond evenly, the normally twinkling eyes flat and shuttered.
"Right now, Mr. Malfoy, Ginny needs the support and protection of her Housemates. Her path will be rocky here for a while yet," Dumbledore murmured. Draco stiffened slightly, but nodded. I should talk to Father, the blond thought swiftly. Surely he can do something about this – this situation. "As for now, why don't you escort young Ginny here back to the Slytherin dorms. I will inform Professor Montevay that you and Harry will be late for class." The Headmaster rose and looked at them all steadily once, before leaving the room. Ginny dashed the few remaining tears from her eyes and uncrossed her legs, intending to rise. A crinkle from Harry's pocket caught her attention and she paused, still seated on the bed.
"What's that?" she asked, cocking her head to the side, curious. Harry started slightly and pulled the crumpled parchment from his pocket, smoothing out the creases nervously.
"A letter from Padfoot," the dark haired boy said softly. "I wrote to him last night. I thought that it would be better if he heard the news from me first before reading it in the papers." He ran his fingers over the paper in front of him, the tip of one finger tracing the messy seal on the back. The wax glowed a ruby red color in the shafts of sunlight that striped the room. Ginny nudged his shoulder.
"Open it," she said. He blinked at her owlishly and she smiled tightly at him. "He wont hate you, Harry. You're his godson, he loves you – no matter what." Her voice faded out a bit, but she resolutely took a deep breath and forced a brighter smile onto her face. Harry nibbled at his lower lip briefly before running a finger under the edge of the letter, breaking the seal. He unfolded it slowly and glanced it over, before beginning to read it out loud.
Dear Harry,
What ever possessed you to think that I wouldn't want you for my godson? I love ya, kiddo, no matter what. Always have and always will. There's nothing you could do or say that could make me feel any different. Well – declaring your undying love for Snape would take me a bit to get used to, but, well, I can't really ever see you doing that, so it all works out in the end, eh? Besides, Slytherin isn't so bad – the handwriting broke off suddenly and changed to Remus's neat scrawl.
It took him five minutes to admit that!! But he did! The handwriting switched back to Sirius's messy penmanship.
Thank you Moony, now shut up. Anyhow, as I was saying, Slytherin isn't so bad, and now you have the help of those wily – the next word was crossed out heavily – er, kids to help you out! Think of the pranks you'll be able to pull! And Snape as your Head of House! He's already a snarky git towards Gryffindors – now he has every reason to be even more evil than he already is! (If that's possible.) Harry had to stop and laugh. Draco scowled at him briefly, but a smile lurked at the corners of his mouth, showing Harry that the blond found Sirius's commentary funny too. Even Ginny was smiling, and Harry took that as a good sign.
As for those no good, rotten, betraying (the word was crossed out heavily) of Housemates you had, well, them and I will just have to have a long talk, now wont we? I'll teach them for being ungrateful, backstabbing gits, don't you worry. Harry felt a stab of unease run through him. He hoped Remus would be able to keep the animagus in check – he didn't want his godfather going to Azkaban again. Sirius wasn't the forgiving sort – not when it came to matters of betrayal, and while Harry appreciated the sentiment, he'd much rather have his godfather alive, sane and by his side. Another larger part of him was quivering with relief – he wouldn't have known what to do if his godfather had abandoned him. The ink seemed to smear as if the quill had been forcefully taken from Sirius's hand again.
Harry James Potter, how could you ever think that Sirius would turn his back on you? He loves you, you prat, and don't you ever forget that. It doesn't matter what House you're in or what colors you wear – nothing could make us any the less proud of you, or love you any less. Never forget that. You're our Harry, and will always be our Harry, got it? Remus's distinctive scrawl cut in. Harry had to clear his throat briefly before continuing. He looked up and saw that Ginny had a pained look on her face and that her eyes were full of tears. He trailed off, staring at her.
"Don't you dare stop reading, you punk. These are tears of happiness. It's good to hear someone having good news, so keep reading," she whispered fiercely, a stripe of sunlight falling across her face, making her freckles and eyes contrast sharply with her pale skin. Draco took a step forward and hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder, silently offering support. She smiled at him faintly, eyes warm and thankful, before returning her gaze to Harry. The dark haired boy continued reading.
Now, Harry, Padfoot has been chomping at the bit, raving constantly about all the lovely ideas that he has planned for you dear ex-Housemates. Don't worry – it will be a fully Marauder backed endeavor. I'm sickened by what Gryffindor has done, and by what Padfoot is stockpiling by the door, a full prank war will ensue as soon as we arrive. Harry's face lit up as he read. They were coming to Hogwarts! He glanced up at Ginny and was heartened to see her faintly smiling.
Just remember that we love you no matter what kiddo; the handwriting abruptly changed back to Sirius's scrawl. We'll see you soon.
Love,
Padfoot and Moony
Harry cleared his throat slightly when he was finished, fingering the letter carefully. Draco tightened his hold on Ginny's shoulder briefly before letting go and taking a step back from the bed.
"The near future should be highly amusing," the blond said dryly, stuffing his hands in his pockets casually. Harry grinned at him rakishly, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up more than usual.
"Yes, it should indeed," the dark haired boy agreed eagerly. Ginny stood slowly, wincing as the pins and needles feeling rushed through her feet. "Alright Gin?" Harry asked, noticing her wince.
"Pins and needles," she said sourly, a wry grin crossing her face. "C'mon boys, lets get out of here before Madam Pomfrey descends on us," she said lightly, forcing her mind away from the sadness that threatened to devour her. No, she thought fiercely, I'm not letting it – them win! They all exchanged amused glances and hurried from the Hospital Wing and towards the Slytherin dorms. I'll show them all, she vowed to herself as she walked between the two boys. I wont stay Ginny Nobody for long!
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The next day was Saturday, a Hogsmeade weekend. Harry was looking forward to getting out of the castle and away from the prying eyes of the rest of the Houses. He knew Pansy and Millicent wanted to get him into some of the clothing shops – but just what they were going to get him into was something that rather worried him.
Ginny was quiet on the way over to village. Neville stayed near her elbow, but didn't pester her too often with questions. Pansy and Millicent wanted to get Ginny into the clothing shops as well – but were somewhat at a loss as to how to do so tactfully.
As they arrived, the two fifth year girls grabbed a hold of their new Housemates and drug them into the nearest "decent" clothing store they could find. Ginny tagged along reluctantly, dragging her feet somewhat. She felt extremely uncomfortable in the high priced store – she didn't have any money and she didn't want to be a charity case to her Housemates. Pansy seemed to sense her hesitancy and took the decision away from her.
"Nonsense," the petite blond said in response to Ginny's reservations. "This is about House pride. Now, you need a totally new wardrobe, shoes, under things, hair stuff…" Pansy bubbled on, latching onto Ginny's arm and pulling her deeper into the female section of the clothing shop. Harry let out a relieved breath – I'm safe for now, he thought, a touch guilty at abandoning Ginny to the clutches of Pansy and Millicent. Still, she's a girl, and girls like to shop, right? He mentally sighed and resigned himself to getting smacked by the petite redhead later that night. Well, at least I can enjoy a weekend free from shopping, he thought, perking up a bit.
"Well, what should we do?" Harry asked, turning around to face Draco, Blaise and Neville. The former Gryffindor stood to one side awkwardly, an amused grin hovering around his mouth as he looked between Harry and the other two Slytherins. Draco and Blaise, however, were watching Harry with narrow, calculating expressions on their faces. Harry could feel himself pale.
"Oh god. Not you too," he muttered, backing up a step, fully intending to flee. Draco and Blaise sprung, latching onto Harry's robes and dragging him deeper into the store. "Neville! Help!" Harry yelped, casting pleading glances at the quietly laughing boy. Draco paused and twisted around to look at the sandy haired boy, the pale silver eyes raking over his form, thinking swiftly. Neville stopped laughing. The blond snaked a hand out and grabbed the edge of Neville's robe before he could scoot away.
"Oh no. You're coming with. We have to get rid of that Gryffindor color scheme you have going," Draco said firmly. Neville paled and began to shake his head vigorously – to no avail. The two new Slytherins exchanged despairing glances but gave in to the inevitable. Draco and Blaise could be heard cackling with glee as they led their victims – er, lucky Housemates – deeper into the store.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Hermione and Ron sat in the Three Broomsticks, her with a book propped open in front of her and him slowly nursing a butterbeer. It was mid afternoon and they had been there since lunch, alternately talking with their Housemates and sitting in silence. Lavender plopped down next to Ron, slightly out of breath and beaming.
"Hullo!" she sang. Hermione spared her a small smile before returning to her book and Ron grunted a reply at her. "Oh, somebody looks put out. What's wrong, Ronnikins?" she said teasingly. Ron glared at her briefly. He despised that nickname.
"Potter," he spat shortly. Lavender's smile dimmed for a moment, then grew as a new light entered her eye.
"And what about him now?" she pressed, propping her head up with a hand, leaning towards Ron attentively.
"Something needs to be done about him. Mum wrote to us this morning, telling us about how some weird legend that You-Know-Who got his hands on and intends to send after Potter. Mum's worried that the – the –," he turned to Hermione.
"Hell hounds," she murmured without looking up. Ron nodded and turned back to Lavender.
"Yeah, them. She's worried that the Hell Hounds will end up killing everybody instead of Potter, so she wants us to maybe find someway of booting Potter out of the castle if they come near. Of course, Mum and Dad have no idea of when this is going to happen, or anything about the damn things either. We're just supposed to keep our ears open and hope for the best," Ron finished, clearly irritated with the lack of a clearly defined plan he could follow. The redhead missed Lavender's sudden tensing and slight widening of her eyes. When he finally looked back at her face, her attentive, sympathetic expression was firmly in place and managed to sooth his ruffled feathers.
"I'm sure you'll figure something out. I mean, it was the two of you who managed to pull Potter's fat of the fire all those times in the past, eh? Something will come up, just you wait and see. We have faith in you," she said warmly, reaching over and laying a hot hand on his forearm. Ron smiled gratefully at her.
"Thanks Lav. Really. So what's new on the grapevine? And good juicy rumors?" he asked with a laugh. Hogwarts' resident gossip beamed and began prattling on about all the information she had gleaned; regaling them with an amusing story of how three Hufflepuff third years had managed to turn themselves into pigs during Transfiguration, much to McGonagall's horror. Eventually Lavender's babble drew even Hermione in and the three sat for the rest of the afternoon giggling over their butterbeer. Neither Ron nor Hermione noticed Lavender dropping her hand occasionally below the table, or the speculative gleam that entered her eye from time to time.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Harry stared at Draco blankly. He looked back down to the pair of pants trust at him, and then back up at the blond.
"No," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Draco's eyes narrowed.
"Yes," the blond said, giving the pants a small shake. Harry huffed.
"And what is the difference between these black pants and the other two you've already approved?" Harry snapped, still not taking the offending trousers from Draco's grasp.
"The cut, Harry. Really. The style is completely different," the blond emphasized. Harry just shook his head and glanced over to where Blaise stood arguing with Neville. It had been decided that the sandy haired boy didn't need a complete overhaul of his wardrobe – instead he needed to buy some filler items that reflected his new House colors. Harry had been deemed a complete and total disaster area.
"Oh for – fine," Harry snarled and grabbed the pants from Draco. He slipped behind the changing curtain, not noticing that it hadn't closed completely behind him. Draco smirked and folded his arms across his chest, managing to get an eyeful of toned body through the small opening as he did so. His eyes widened briefly as he took in Harry's wiry form, and briefly considered looking away. No, he decided after a moment. I don't think so. He shifted slightly to block the opening from the view of the rest of the store, while also managing to put himself in a better position for watching the boy. Draco could feel a smirk spreading across his face, but he couldn't help himself. It wasn't everyday that one got to see such a fine specimen of the male body almost completely naked, and for free.
"Neville –," Blaise sighed, placing a hand on his hip and canting it out slightly. "Really. Just a few more shirts."
"No." Neville stood quietly, a stubborn glint in his eye.
"Yes," Blaise snapped back.
"No," Neville reiterated. Blaise growled, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes." Neville didn't bother to answer him, he just raised his eyebrow faintly. "Neville," Blaise tried his best whine. The sandy haired boy seemed to waver for a moment. Aha! Gotcha, Blaise thought. "Please? Just a few more, I swear. C'mon," he wheedled. Neville's shoulders finally slumped and he sighed heavily. Blaise beamed at him. "Wonderful. Now, here. Try this one, oh and this one…" Blaise piled the other boy's arms full of material and pushed him behind a screen, smiling triumphantly. The whine wins again!
Ginny smoothed an appreciative hand down the fine material of the dress robes hesitantly. She'd dreamed of having robes like these, of being able to buy clothes this fine as often as she liked. It rather stuck in her throat that it was her rich Housemates who were going to buy them for her, though. Damn pride, she thought faintly, a wry smile flashing across her face. Her breath caught sharply as she twirled in front of the mirror – oh but I like this outfit, she thought mournfully.
"Pansy – I really can't. I mean, you've already set aside –," Ginny began, looking to the pile of clothes sitting on a chair near her. Pansy waved her off.
"It's my pleasure, silly. I love doing this. My mother says I should look into fashion design when I graduate, since it's the one thing I do best," the petite blond grinned at Ginny, her white teeth flashing in her face. The redhead hesitantly returned her smile.
"But –,"
"Nope. Not hearing it. You should have seen us with Milli and Blaise. They both went through this too – so there's no getting out of it. Think of it as an – initiation." Pansy winked at her boldly. Ginny glanced at Millicent, who was sitting quietly near the mirror, watching the two of them banter with a small grin on her face. She shrugged at Ginny and her grin grew fractionally.
"You have it easy. Pansy had me in here for hours before we even made the first selections," the other girl said dryly, casting a fond glance at the blond. Ginny giggled faintly and Millicent wrinkled her nose at the younger girl, happy that she was finally laughing. Ginny sobered quickly, though and looked as though she were about to refuse again, when she froze, eyes looking past Pansy, towards the front of the store. The petite girl whirled, one hand going for her wand as Millicent quickly stood, placing her larger frame slightly in front of Ginny.
The reason of Ginny's frozen state was clear. Ron, Fred and George all stood near the entrance of the store, their unease about being in such a rich store clearly making them stand out. That, and the ugly, angry expressions that marred their faces as they looked at the Slytherins.
"I can't believe it," Ron spat. Harry's head popped out from behind the curtains, glasses faintly askew as he glared at Ron and his brothers. Draco whirled, one hand closing on his wand as he eyed the Gryffindors evilly. Blaise and Neville both stopped arguing when they heard Ron's angry snarl. The sandy haired boy took a step towards Ginny, but was stopped by Blaise's light touch on his arm. Let her handle him, Blaise's look seemed to say, and though Neville didn't like it, he didn't try to move forward any more. Instead he made sure his hand was hovering near his wand – just in case.
"Look at the new Slytherins get all gussied up. I thought Lavender was joking when she told me she'd seen the lot of you go in here earlier." Ron sneered at Ginny, eyes raking over the expensive robes she had on.
"What's that outfit going to cost you, Ginny Nobody? What're you doing in the dorms to earn such money to buy those fancy things?" Ron taunted. Ginny saw red.
"Now look here, you bastard. Get out and stay out. You wouldn't be able to afford the cheapest handkerchief in here, so you'd best take your poor, pathetic ass out of here before the management throws you out. Into the gutter, where you belong," Ginny snarled, her anger at her former family finally finding an appropriate target to unleash itself on. Ron paled briefly, and then purpled unpleasantly. He was about to open his mouth when a new voice interrupted him.
"Gentlemen. Might I inquire as to what…you are doing in my store?" the icy tones of the owner stopped Ron before he could begin to rant and rave. The three Weasley's whirled to face the owner of the shop, a tall, dark woman with streaks of steel gray running through her hair. She was flanked by two clerks, who edged past the Gryffindors and over to the waiting Slytherins.
"Uh, nothing ma'am," Ron muttered, casting a hateful glance over his shoulder at Ginny. She barred her teeth at him in response. The owner, one Mrs. Davony, merely raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"Really? It seems to me as though you were upsetting some of my favorite customers. I will thank you to leave, immediately, and never return. Is that understood?" her cool tone was accompanied by a faint sneer. Ron and his brothers nodded quickly, embarrassed, before shuffling out of the shop, occasionally glaring back at the Slytherins, who promptly dismissed them. One of the clerks approached Ginny hesitantly.
"Miss? Are you finding everything alright?" the slim, early twenties witch asked quietly, an understanding smile on her face. Ginny took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Yes, we're fine. We'll take the heap on the chair there and …" Ginny paused, running a hand down the fine material of the robes she was wearing. "And I'll be wearing this out, if you please." Ginny looked up in time to see Pansy beaming at her in pride. The clerk smiled brightly at her and went to gather up the clothes. Neville let his hand drop away from his wand and took a hesitant step towards Ginny.
"Alright Gin?" the boy asked, eyes worried. She smiled at him and nodded. A muffled snarl from Draco and Harry's area drew all of their attentions and they looked on as the dark haired boy flung open the curtains and threw the pants he'd been trying on at Draco.
"Fine. Here. Add those to the pile, but that's it." Harry stormed past the smirking Draco, who calmly handed the article of clothing over to the clerk. "Ginny?" Harry asked as he approached. The small redhead rolled her eyes at him.
"I'm fine, dummy. Now, go get the outfit Draco wants you to wear out so we go. I want ice cream," Ginny decided to head Harry off early. While she adored the fact that he had taken to the idea of being her older brother, she could already tell he was going to be rather – over protective – at times. Although, I don't think I'll mind that much, she mused as she watched Harry stop short and look back at Draco. The blond held out a finely cut outfit, while tapping his foot slightly. Harry looked back and forth between them for a moment, before throwing his hands up in the air and returning to the dressing room. As Ginny turned away she noticed Draco's eyes linger on Harry as he walked past. Ohhh…I wonder, she turned to look at Pansy, how also had a speculative look in her eye. They exchanged glances and raised eyebrows, before smiles began to form on their faces. This is going to be good, Ginny snickered to herself. They were soon heading out of the shop and over to the ice cream parlor, ready to over indulge themselves with sweets.
They left Hogsmeade late in the afternoon, firmly ensconced in the middle of a knot of fellow Slytherins – protected from any and all attempts that Gryffindor House might have had planned for their newest members. As the bubbly group made their way back to Hogwarts, none of them noticed a small brown dot running full out in the field parallel to them. It too seemed to be headed towards the distant castle at all possible speed.
End Chapter 18
Review Responses:
Ok, since the list is slowly progressing to the point where the thank you's are almost as long as the chapter, I'm going to start grouping ya'll up.
Ahallah Firesong, Siobhan, Kathi C, Lichan, Silas Wulf, Arianrhod, Thistle5, MalfoySlave, Kayla Darklighter, Moonfairy2000, Stormy1x2, Dodo, Jayne, Jamie Lynn Potter, AngelofShad0ws, DaOnlyWolfGurl, Frizzy, Heather, Meana, Desertwren, Lady Ktulu, Kristine Thorne, S. Wing, MHS02, Belle, Angel-liam, Shinigami, Bob, Zeynel, Azntgr01, Megs, Dragonphly, A. Person, Lollipozz: THANK YOU SO MUCH for the absolutely awesome reviews!!!!!!!!!
Leelu, Bthatcher2002, Azntgr01, SilverDragon, Musegurl8: Yes, this will be a slash story, it's just that the romance between the boys is something that I would like to build up with time. They need to learn to trust each other, as well as get to know each other better before they hop in bed! =) But starting in this chapter and those to follow, the boys should be getting eyefuls of each other. =)
Rhiannon, Snowcrash, Rayvern, Tigerblack, IceTastesNice, Lady FoxFire: Oh, there will be pranks and retribution upcoming. Sirius and Remus are back, and are they pissed. Harry and his new Housemates will happily help out as well ::maniacal grin:: Rar!
Xikum: No spell, just fanatical belief. If you don't believe it can happen, I have plenty of relatives that I can point out as examples as to otherwise. /shudder. Ginny does get adopted, but I'm not saying to who just yet. Thank you for the awesome review!
Usagi Serenity Yui Cosmos: Hogsmeade included! Thanks for the wonderful review!
Carshaa: Will do and thank you for reviewing!
The Shadow Bandit: Thank you for the awesome review! Good eyes too =). I'm glad you're enjoying the fic!
SparkySparkles: Thank you for the lovely review! He'll play quidditch, and he wont be too tired for it!
Lynntownsend: A yahoo group? I wouldn't have the faintest idea how to set one up =( Right now my web page is sitting dead in the water because I can't connect it with Dreamweaver! There will be two versions of this story, and thank you for the idea about adultffnet. I'll definitely look into it. I'm absolutely horrible with computers though – but I hope to get the website up soon. Somehow. Maybe ::forehead smacks desktop:: /sigh. Thank you for reviewing!
Athenakitty: There's no going back for Ginny – she can be adopted by another family, but not the Weasleys. Sirius will appear (if he didn't this chapter then he will the next) and Bill shows up very soon, pissed beyond all belief! Thank you for another wonderful review!
Kapies: The Gryffindorks get a 4x4 to the back of the head sometime in the story. But I'm not sure just where that's going to appear =) Thank you for reviewing!
NayNymic: Thank you for the awesome review! As for Hermione, love (even if its you being in love with being in love) makes you overlook a lot of things. Like a speed addiction – one knows from experience. She will finally figure it out, but all her bridges are burnt between her and Harry – they will never be friends again. Ah the slash – soon, that's all I can say. There wont be graphic slash here on ffnet, and I'm going to look into adultffnet. And hopefully get my freaking website up and running =/ The thing is pissing me off /sigh. There will be revenge from the Slytherin house, oh yeah. And I'll think about the Severus/Minerva scene – or at least try to communicate the information to her some how. I do agree with you that Minerva needs to get her nose rubbed in the fact that she messed up, big time. And the Weasleys will suffer!
Redrum: Draco will get a viewing of Harry's nightmares, yes. Thank you for reviewing!
Ecce-echo: An interesting political view – I'll have to think about it =) Thank you for the awesome review!
Oriana Dumbledore: I totally agree, and hopefully Sirius's letter helped. I'll think about the Howler! =) Was sort of planning a face-to-face confrontation, but that could get bloody. Actually, that's a rather pleasant idea…
Hyperbole: Thank you for the awesome review, and I hope things are looking up for you!
Nox: There will definitely be a sequel to the story!
Jenny: not telling, you'll have to wait and see =) Thank you for reviewing!
ShaeLynn: Yes, you will =) But I'm not sure just when, however. The chapters are multiplying without my consent.
Lai: I'm looking forward to Voldie's attack as well – a significant part of it's played out in my head every time I hear 'Bring Me to Life' on the radio. It should be a fun chapter to write. Thank you for the lovely review!
Silvrei: LOL ; ) I'll touch on the Daily Prophet article, thanks for reminding me.
Caela: And she'll get one too!
Isilme: Thank you for the lovely review! I hope this chapter helped to answer some of your questions =)
Ysabell: Ah GG Kay, great author. Bill isn't planned on being her guardian, but that'll come a bit later. Thank you for the wonderful review!
James: Yes, there is a ritual for making someone family, but I'm not saying which one just yet =) Ginny might forgive them for their stupidity, but she'll have nothing more to do with them. They will no longer be family to her. Thanks for the awesome review!
Relle: lol, I know how that is. Thank you for continuing to review!
Fiera: Thank you for the awesome review!!! I've never had a good handle on Arthur's mental voice, but I'll think about perhaps adding in a snippit from his POV. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but I'll try.
Demon Child: Unbreakable was a very good movie, as I remember. I don't remember the soundtrack though. I'll look into it =) Thanks for reviewing!!
Kira: Being sick sucks…but at least I now have a more detailed idea of how the story is going to progress! Will hopefully be updating more often (barring anymore illnesses).
Shinigami-chan: Ginny will be adopted, don't worry =)