Author's Note: Please go easy on me with the flames--this is my first fic. Let me know what you think of it. I would love to get reviews. I will continue this if someone is interested. This is actually not what I was planning to write but I thought I would give it a try before I do something bigger.
Disclaimer: None of these characters or anything you might recognize belongs to me. They belong to the talented J.K. Rowling, so please don't sue me.
Draco and His Star-Crossed Destiny
by Eugenia
Chapter 1: Fate is not what it used to be…
Draco looked hastily away from the package of treats his mother had sent him. He had just opened the immense package in front of all of Hogwarts during breakfast in the Great Hall. It's all for show, he thought, and quickly stuffed all of the imported chocolate and cookies back in the wrappings.
As usual, he had showed off in the direction of the Gryffindor table, where Potter and the other two stooges sat every morning. Frankly, he was getting sick of this same routine every single week, and it seemed that there was not a single soul left in that room who cared if Draco Malfoy received another package from his parents again.
The gift would have meant something to Draco if only his parents had actually assembled it or bought any of its recipients. No, the Malfoys did not care for any of it. That was why house elves existed. Even if one of Draco's parents had taken the time to do anything to the package, Draco still would not have bothered to care. Most of his classmates thought it was just his nature. But they were wrong.
He knew the real reason behind those numerous presents-they were strictly for the public eye. Draco had been instructed to share it with all of the Slytherins, whether he wanted to or not. At first Draco liked receiving the sweets and all the popularity, but soon everyone grew bored, including Draco himself.
Draco though it was pointless of his parents to care about his classmates' opinions of them. However, his father had once told him that since they were Malfoys, they were expected to demonstrate their power, and in this case, it was money. After all, they were one of the wealthiest wizarding families in Britain. What good is money when no one knows you have it?
Yet Draco was tired of all the pretentiousness. If he ever did anything that might embarrass the family name, Lucius Malfoy was sure to find out. From detentions to bad grades-it made Draco sincerely wish he was not an only child.
By then Draco had lost all of his appetite and left for the Slytherin dormitory without saying a word to his friends Crabbe or Goyle. It was not like they would miss him anyway. Those two were too busy stuffing their faces with pancakes to notice Draco's absence.
As Draco sped out the massive doors of the Great Hall, he collided with something very hard and fell backwards, knocking the wind out from beneath him. His package of treats fell as well and scattered throughout the hall.
At first he could only see red, and he thought that maybe he was dreaming. He shook his head to clear himself. He noticed a girl with flaming red hair and little freckles spread over her nose like fairy dust.
A Weasley, he thought.
Draco quickly looked behind him, but no one in the Great Hall had noticed his hideously embarrassing moment. He turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. She was alone.
"Are you OK?" she asked.
"Yes, I am fine. Why don't you look where you are going? Look what you did!" he retorted indignantly.
The girl stared straight into his eyes and said, "Oh, pardon me! You see, I thought an accident was-well, accidental-no one's fault. And since I have manners I will apologize and not call you what anyone else in my place would have done (a bloody son of a b-----), but because I have manners I will not. I am deeply sorry for having disturbed your perfect hairdo." With that said, she marched right back to where she had come from.
Draco stood there for a second, with his mouth hanging open, transfixed by the outburst. He was still sitting on the floor. Sure, he was used to arguing with people, even being insulted by Potter and his gang, but never like this. That girl had managed to insult him right to his face without really doing so. And she was a girl. A Weasley at that. This would not do. Draco bet his father would find out somehow. He would have normally been furious, but he could help but feel in awe of it all.
Draco gathered his things and stood up when he noticed people were starting to go to their first class. Still in a daze, he walked right to the dungeons for Potions with Snape. He thought his day could not get any worse, but he was wrong.
Snape was in his usual vindictive mood, but today he was even worse. In fact, it seemed like he was treating the Slytherins like Gryffindors. Draco decided it could only be a living nightmare. Something must have been very wrong.
Snape began, "Today's lesson shall consist of the Hedwalous-Degolus Potion. You will be working with assigned partners. The ingredients are listed in your textbook on page seven hundred and forty-three."
"You will conjure the potion in class and write its uses and possible counter potions for homework. It should be ten parchments long. Due tomorrow. You may hand in one assignment per group. Here is the list of partners. I do hope this will be an interesting turnout. You will be partners for two weeks."
Both Slytherins and Gryffindors groaned. Nobody thought they would like a partner that might result in what Snape called "an interesting turnout."
"You may begin."
Draco found his name on the list and at the same time, heard a disgusted sigh from behind. Next to his name was in clear print: Ron Weasley.
Needless to say, neither boy took the news well but tried to hide it for the sake of house points. Snape had already taken 20 points from Gryffindor and 5 from Slytherin (on account of Draco's lack of attention during roll). They were not about to risk any more points.
They worked uneventfully until the end of the period when something very unexpected occurred.
Professor McGonagall's head popped out of the fireplace and commanded, "Everyone stop what you are doing and report immediately to the Great Hall!"
Outraged, Snape yelled, "Minerva, I demand you to tell me the meaning of this."
Professor McGonagall simply replied, "I am not at liberty to discuss it, but I suggest you join us in the Great Hall before the boogie monster comes to get you."
She disappeared with a pop as fast as she had appeared.
"Fine. We shall finish during the next class. Homework is postponed until we finish the potion. You heard what she said-go!" Snape barked.
"You can say that again," Ron said under his breath.
But it was not until they reached the top of the stairs leading to the main floor that they heard any of the commotion. Students and teachers alike were running to the Great Hall like mad. Some first years pushed by the crowds were crying. Everyone was shouting for their lives, but above all the noise, one high-pitched scream was heard clearly.
Draco though that there was something familiar about that voice, but could not place it. At least, not until he heard Ron behind him exclaim, "Ginny!"
So that's her name, Draco thought. His heart stopped beating for a second. He felt his blood turn cold, and without thinking, rushed to the source of the scream.
Immediately, he saw why the girl had been screaming. There was a huge creature standing over her, whose mere shadow would have scared anyone to death. It had the head of an alligator and the body of a snake with wings.
Draco recognized it from his childhood monster books his father always had given him. It was a boogie monster, deadly of course. And it was staring straight at Ginny, looking at her as if she was the first-course of his meal.
***So should I continue?****