Chapter Two: Running Into People Literally, Tsk
"And congratulations to all the first years, thank you for being so co-operative this year and we will see you all tomorrow for classes!" Announced Professor Dumbledore after the sorting (which now took place AFTER the meal so the onslaught of flying food was nonexistent that year), by this, the years prior after the first years had been sorted they had magical food fights which were much worse than Muggle as the food would periodically spring to life and eat other foods. This brought the change in events; a new table specifically for all the first years had been added. The students loudly filed out of the room.
Ginny looked about the crowd until she had joined up with a few of her outer-house as well as inner-house friends on the way. "Gins!" She heard behind her and she turned.
There was Annabella (Ravenclaw), Maria (Hufflepuff as well as the only American in the group), Jessica, (also a Hufflepuff), and Diana, (a Gryffindor transfer from Russia, even though she didn't have a Russian accent).
Ginny smiled and waved goodbye to Hermione, Ron and Harry. She turned back to her friends and her eyes widened with surprise as she saw Annabella's new haircut.
"My god it's all gone!" Ginny giggled with the other girls as Anna's new hair-do lightly brushed her shoulders.
"It's not ugly is it?" She asked in hopes of not losing her beauty.
Anna was a gorgeous girl and unless she shaved her head, there was nothing she needed to worry about.
Ginny and the others shook their heads and laughed at a few stories from the summer as they made their way up the winding steps.
Ginny was in mid listening as Jessica was going on about how her brother had lost his broom… in a broom closet, when Ginny hit something very hard and toppled backwards into Diana.
"What the bloody….?" She heard from above her and looked up in fear of the familiarity of the cold, heartless … slimy tone.
Yes, it was. But why? "Weasley." Snape said sourly as he looked down at the girl. She could feel the color leave her face as snickering echoed in the corner of the hall.
Snape's head twisted to look at the group of boys. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were all huddled together laughing over the recent accident.
"Find that funny?" He asked with a cocked head.
Ginny knew Snape liked her better then Harry. Ever since Harry had been taken in by the whole group of the Order, Ginny had helped her mother clean up the house and she and Snape actually acted civil around each other. In fact on occasion they had intelligent conversations whenever he was reading one of his snooty magazines and she was washing dishes.
That's probably why she was doing so well in his class. She had become accustomed to his style, his preferences scientifically. It was as if she knew what he was going to teach. It was creepy. That's also why she got tons less detentions.
That of course didn't end the entire "fear Snape" attitude and his snappiness towards her. He hated her being in Gryffindor. She was one of his best students, she knew he knew that, but she also knew that he was disappointed in her background.
It was almost like he wanted to adopt her from a third world country. This wasn't funny because her family had been compared to one.
Malfoy shook his head and smirked evilly over at the gaggle of females. "Sorry Professor. It's just that usually I look where I'm walking; it's odd to see houses walk differently. I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be some of the bright ones." He laughed again, receiving chuckles from his comrades.
Snape scowled. "Interesting, since Miss Weasley's average was higher then yours was." He looked back to Ginny and then to Malfoy. "Watch yourself Draco; you don't need to lower yourself to insults. That's not the way society acts." Snape added and with a turn he slipped away, his robes billowing out behind him.
Ginny waited a moment before letting out a deep breath.
"He creeps me out ya'll." Maria said with a wary look in her eyes, her Georgian accent thick even after four months of Britain. There was another echo of laughter as Draco let out a snicker and Crabbe and Goyle followed suit.
Maria sneered at him and he cackled darkly.
"Sod off Malfoy." Ginny snapped.
Well it would've been a snap had she not stuttered halfway through. Draco smirked even more and fought back a laugh.
Ginny backed up a little but did her best to hold her ground. To this Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be following Potter around with his other groupies?" He snarled much like earlier. Ginny shivered in return.
"Lay off Malfoy, we're not interested in starting anything." Anna jumped in.
But as Malfoy sent a glance in her direction, she too backed away from his foreboding body. Or at least the fact that Goyle was breathing on her which would make anyone try to run. Draco nodded to the staircase to the Slytherin dorms. Crabbe and Goyle left sending wary glances to their ringleader.
Draco turned back to Ginny and leaning in close hissed into her ear, "Don't make a teacher say that to me ever again."
Ginny swallowed harshly. "Whi-Which part?" She stuttered.
"The part about you ever being better then me." He snapped and walked on, leaving Ginny wide eyed and dumbfounded.
She turned back to her fellow fifth years and wielded a small squeal of unsure confusion and fear. Blinking a few times she allowed herself to breath.
"Oh my god." She panted and shook her head. "That was scary as hell." She groaned and her friends nodded in unison. Maria taking her arm, they all made their way up the stairs. All the while Ginny was going over the previous occurrence in her mind.
Had she just imagined him shirtless again as he was yelling at her?
Was she going nuts?
Was she falling into 'like' with Draco Malfoy's exceptionally toned body?
Was she crazy?
What would she tell anyone if they found out?
Who would find out?
"GINNY!" Ginny snapped awake as Diana rolled her eyes.
"Finally! I've been calling your name for around five minutes! We're here, hurry up and get inside before we get snitched at by McGonagall!" She smirked and they walked in through the statue and into the commons room, the others walking off down the hall to their own dorms.
Inside were the familiar velvety, red chairs and the large bookcases with the enormous fireplace. She smiled; this was more like it, instead of those cold halls and large staircases and scary teachers.
Sitting down in one of the chairs beside the window, she took note of the commotion going on about her.
This year was going to be quite stressful and yet so, so interesting to her. But the tests… Oh the tests. She sighed and bowed her head. Damn the tests, yes, damn the tests to hell!
