Ok, I know, its been a long time, but I really am working on the whole writing faster thing, but with out further ado…
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25- I'm Sorry to a Ferret
"If you don't mind my asking, what exactly is it that you are doing?" Spike asked as he sat down across from Ginny and gave her that worried expression that she had been getting far to much lately from everyone. She gritted her teeth and continued to cut the different shades of red floss into precise lengths.
"I'm not going crazy." Ginny stated matter-of-factly as she looked up at him, setting the heavy metal scissors to the side. "It's a muggle studies project. I have to make a sock puppet of me. The red floss is going to be my hair."
"Just checking in. that was stressed considerably when Clean left, you are to be checked on."
"Ok, that's it. I want to call a house meeting. For after dinner. I'm hungry and I want to eat before I have to yell." she said as she gathered her supplies and walked to her room muttering under her breath.
"Great you idiot. Now we have to listen to her yell. don't you bloody retards ever get sick of listening to her yell?" a fifth year named Megan ranted as she flopped back in a leather chair looking extremely annoyed.
"Who's yelling?" Rivers asked as she climbed into the portrait hole. She glanced at Spike and frowned, his mother's birthday was coming up, that always made him a little testy to be around, but he didn't look to intolerable today.
"Erm…I may have maybe made Gin a bit…angry."
"Megan's right, you really are a bloody idiot."
XOXOX
Dinner went by with out incident. For the first time since the news about Harry being found a week ago hit the school, Ginny ate an entire meal and was perfectly civil. Rivers refrained from stabbing anyone, and Jeff and Blaise made it through an entire meal with out slipping out the door for some extracurricular activities. Actually, dinner was pretty civil. That was until Slytherin made it back to their common room.
"Thank you all for giving me this privilege to address you." Ginny started off in a perfectly business like tone, which for anyone that really knew her, knew was a sure sign they were in trouble. "Now, I don't want you all to think I'm not grateful for all the support and all that you have been giving me since last week. BUT CUT THE FUCKING SHIT! I am not breakable. I know that Harry Bleeding Potter didn't do what we all thought he did, I will not dissolve into a puddle of emotional anguish if he comes within five feet of me! I am perfectly able to go to the library with out an escort! Nor do I need the tale that I have on me when ever I try to leave the common room. I really am grateful for all of you, I swear. But it hurts more then it helps, I can't think straight. All I want are a couple of blissful hours to myself I don't want to have to worry that if I go to the perfects bath who will be on the other side of the door, who's listening. I want to sit and think about what happened to me and you WON'T let me have that! I am not five years old, I may not have been equipped to deal with that situation on my own, and I thank you Draco for helping me, but I am the only one that knows what it felt like to me. If I need your help, I will ask for it, just please give me the courtesy to think for myself." and with that she calmly walked out of the common room.
"Well, that went well." Jeff said with a roll of her eyes.
XOX
For three days after classes Ginny could be located in the room of requirements. The room, as always seemed to know just what she needed. The first day she was given a large box of tissues, and the comfort of a replica of the burrow living room. That night she spent crying and coming to terms on what had almost happened to her. The second night she was given a meditation pad and lots of candles. She prayed for the strength and wisdom to get over the obstacles that had been laid in her path. The third night she was given a large bubble bath.
"Ginny's been real scarce here lately." Rivers observed to Jeff the fourth day.
"Yea, but she said she needed time."
"And I did." Ginny said as she came up behind them giving them each a gentle squeeze. "I know
you only wanted to help me, but I needed to help myself before I can except your help. I did a
lot of crying and praying. And I did a little relaxing, and I think I'm ready for life again. I mean,
I'm not going to just jump in with out my floaters or anything, and I guess I have learned an
important lesson."
"O yea? And what's that?" Rivers asked as they made their way to breakfast.
"I'm not invincible, I have weaknesses, and I do need help sometimes, and I have to have the wisdom to know when I am in over my head."
"Anything else?" Jeff pushed.
"Not everything, or everyone is as black and white as it appears, there is always tinges of gray
in between. And I owe Malfoy an apology for some of the hateful things I have said, and for
some hasty judgments that I may have passed on him with out knowing him."
"We're glad to have our level headed and caring friend back." Rivers said with a smile. Classes went by in a blur.
XOX
It only took a few minutes to find out that Draco was in the library studying. She found him buried in books; looking every bit the devoted student as he should be. She had no qualms about disrupting him.
"Malfoy." She was greeted with a grunt. Carefully she slid into the seat across from him.
"Ummm…could you maybe give me a second of your time. I have something that I need to tell you." with a purely exaggerated sigh he glanced up, then back down at his book, then his eyes snapped back to the girl across from him. He had fully intended to tell her to leave him alone. But there was something about her that was different.
She was still beautiful enough to steal his breath and words, but the confusion and pain that she had been walking around with in her eyes since the night before Halloween wasn't as evident. It was still there, just not as pronounced. Her courage and self worth were back, as was the sparkle.
"Fine, but make it quick, Red, I have a huge test tomorrow."
She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry." Draco Malfoy's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "I'm sorry for the names I have called you and I am sorry for judging you before I knew you. You aren't as evil, vile, or corrupt as I had believed. You are not as cold or as unfeeling as I had thought either. And I truly am sorry for most of the hateful things I have said to you over the years."
"Only most, huh?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Only most, there were times when you more then deserved to be called a brainless twit, or an arrogant prat." he laughed at that, leaving Ginny with a strange feeling in her stomach, almost as though someone had let lose a thousand butterflies. "and I had a question for you. When is your birthday?"
Draco blinked, there she went, catching him off guard again, first with that heart wrenching apology, and now with wanting to know the day he had been brought into the world.
"Why so you can curse it?" he asked in a teasing tone, she laughed. "no, really, its next Friday."
"So a week from tomorrow right?" she asked. He nodded. "Alright, well then I will leave you to your studying, Malfoy, good luck on that test tomorrow." she then headed for the door, leaving a truly confused boy sitting at a table surrounded by piles of books. It was somewhat interesting how ten minutes earlier the only thing on his mind had been passing that dratted arrhythmic test, now he couldn't seem to think of anything but the little red head that had just walked out the library doors.
XOX
"Hey, Spike." Ginny greeted as she walked into the common room. "Is everyone in here?"
"Well, all except Malfoy. Why?"
"I want to call a meeting, in my room. Tell Blaise and Pansy, and I'll get Jeff and Rivers."
Fifteen minutes later they were all comfortably situated in the girl's room. "So what's this about, Ginny? And why wasn't Draco invited?" Pansy asked, confusion clearly written across her pretty face.
"Because it is about him." this only served to confuse the group of people more. "Spike, remember that party we were talking about earlier this year?" when he nodded she continued.
"Draco's birthday is next Friday, how about we through that party for him? We can make it a
surprise party. What do you think?"
"You're bloody brilliant." Pansy said with a smile. She had caught, along with everyone else in the room, Ginny's usage of his first name. The only one that seemed unaware of it, was the girl herself.
"Ok, so, Friday at 10:30 sound good?" they all nodded. "We need to think of a place, I would say the room of requirement, but that's over done, everyone throws partys in there."
"How about the roof?" Blaise inquired.
"What's with the weather?" Ginny asked Jeff, who fished around on her desk and came back with the newspaper.
"A huge storm. Lightning too."
"What about the shield charm? If we put an invisible shield over that area it would keep us warm and dry, and make a radical visual. Imagine all that rain cascading over the dome, and the lightning lighting up the sky."
"Kick ass idea Spike, you and Blaise can cast it Friday morning. We need another source of light though."
"this weekend is a Hogsmead weekend, we could go look in Nite Lites. They will most likely have something."
"And ill pay for it." Blaise's tone booked no argument.
"Ok, the house elves can provide the refreshments." Ginny said as she grabbed a quill and parchment and began to write down everything they had discussed so far.
"What about an open bar? I could have Phire send out some liquor. And I'm sure we can acquire the more magical kind somewhere."
"I'll floo Fred and George tonight and ask them about tending and providing."
"What about tunes?"
"I hear Terry Boot from Ravenclaw can spin." Spike put in.
"So can James from Hufflepuff."
"And Macks from Ravenclaw."
"Ok, well make a list of spinners, send them notes and interview them."
"So, who do we invite?"
"All Sixth and Seventh years."
"Even the Gryffs?" Blaise asked.
Ginny gave him a small smirk, "Especially the Gryffs, I have been to there parties, remember? Where going to show them that the snakes know how to throw a party that will have people talking for years."
"I'll make the invites." Jeff volunteered.
"Alright, but no pink. And Rivers, I want you to cast the Secret Charm on them."
"Ok, what stipulations?"
"No one is to utter a ward to Draco about the party, or to anyone that isn't sixth or seventh
year. Draco is not to know."
"Speaking of which, how do we get him there?"
Ginny thought for a minute before answering, "Who has rounds on Fridays?"
"Dray would have them, but he was saying that Granger was covering for him because it was his birthday."
"I'll talk to Herm, she's going to be sick. We are going to need to lure him up to the roof, the best way is give him someone to chase, they are going to have to be quick though, anyone know any fast runners?"
"Luna Lovegood and Chase Mills. They are in the same house." Ginny nodded and wrote it on her paper.
"Ok, I guess that's it for now, Jeff, when can you get started on the invites and how long will it take?"
"I have a quick notes quill, I could have them done in like two hours, and if Rivers casts tonight, they can be out tonight, its still early, say, twelve? The latest one."
"Sounds good to me, as soon as they are done, were sending them out, I'll talk to Luna and Mills tomorrow. Me and the girls will go look at lights and you boys are to keep Draco far away. Deal?" they all nodded and went their separate ways.
Well…ok…tell me what you think in a review…