Chapter 3- "Holiday Trips"
Ginny pulled out of their kiss and let her eyes look over Draco's shoulder to the figure standing being them. She put her hand under Draco's chin and turned his head. When he too saw the shadow Ginny felt him reach for his wand, but she stopped him. She knew who the figure was.
"Ginny?" The boy's voice sounded dumbfounded. As he took a step forward, the torch lit and shone light onto his face. Ginny gasped as she saw Michael Orson, standing with his wand out. "Get your hands off of her Malfoy."
"Listen Michael-"
"Don't worry I saw him. Just go inside and I'll take care of him." Laughter came from beside Ginny and behind Michael. As Ginny turned she saw Draco smirking, he wasn't staring at Michael, but behind Michael. Michael turned around to see Blaise, Goyle, and Crabbe at the doorway almost rolling on the floor laughing at the threat.
"Yeah Draco, Orson here can take you." Blaise fought off his desire to push Michael forward, edging him to fight. Draco straightened up and walked past Michael towards Blaise. When he got to Blaise, he bent down and whispered something into his ear. Blaise's face played a huge grin.
All of a sudden Blaise got up and went over to Ginny. "Let's go Madame." Ginny thought he was joking, but she noticed he held out his arm to her. She reluctantly took his arm and looked over at Draco and Michael.
"Please, don't fight." Ginny then was dragged away. Blaise was seemingly taking her to the kitchens. As they got to the portrait of the fruit basket they heard a thud. Then a voice calling "Gotcha, when you weren't looking."
Ginny had enough. She ran up the stairs and went towards the place where she had left the four boys. When she arrived Michael was near the stairs being scowled by Professor McGonagall. Draco was sitting down against a wall, and he had a scar on his face. All students and teachers had come out. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were at the back of the group so Ginny didn't see them. Crabbe and Goyle weren't letting anyone see Draco. Not even Pansy. Ginny, who found this very funny, had no time to laugh. When Professor McGonagall left Michael he sat down. Ginny thought of something. She was calmly walking over to Michael. When she got to him. She just sat on her knees in front of him.
He looked up and laughed, "I got him when he wasn't looking."
SMACK.
"I tell you one thing, 'Don't fight' and what do you do? You fought with him." She was absolutely pissed off. After she finished her words she stood up and walked over to Draco. Professor McGonagall had left him by himself. He was staring at her with his stupid grin. When he saw her face he looked horrified. Ginny's plans were to hex the life out of him. Blaise was already 2 steps ahead of her. He grabbed her around the waist and took her over to the side.
"Listen, Gin. Draco was telling Michael off for barging in, and when he turned around Michael hexed him. So let's leave Draco alone. The look alone might have made him crap his pants." As Blaise motioned for Ginny to leave a swift shadow was on them. Ginny saw Ron standing over her. His face was red. He pulled Ginny behind him and then turned to Blaise.
"Stay away from my sister." Ginny was scared when she saw Ron's face, but then she became outraged at how he was dictating her life.
She stood on her toes so she was level with him then began to work on his conscious. "How can you call yourself my brother, and sleep at night."
"What?" he was stunned at her.
"You have no right to tell me who to hang out with, nor can you tell me what to do. Why would you think I would hang out with any of these idiots?' She shot glares at Draco and at Blaise, "I can't believe how utterly stupid you are! If, in the future, you have any concerns about me you can shove them." She turned and walked away. Everyone was staring at Ron, who was as red as his hair. Ginny had stalked upstairs. Ron was still in shock. Blaise couldn't stop laughing. Some how he found it hysterical that Ginny had yelled at Ron about dictating her life, and then continued to call the lot of then idiots.
"Mr.Zabini, Mr.Orson, and Mr.Malfoy since all three of you have been involved in this fight somehow I am giving all of you detention. Mr.Weasley, when you pull yourself together, please tell your sister she will be serving detention with them. It will be on the second day after term has started. All of you should be ashamed." McGonagall was shaking her head as she turned to go upstairs. Crabbe and Goyle left Draco and Blaise to talk. Ron was sitting in Michael's abandoned seat. Harry was standing in front of him. Hermione however was talking to Professor Flitwick about what had happened.
As Ginny entered the Great Hall the next morning she noticed the larger table was gone. Due to a lot of disagreements between houses there were 4 small tables. The funny thing was, even though each table was meant for each house, people from different houses where sitting together. Ginny sat down next to Natalie. Amber, and Amber's younger sister Emily joined them. Amber went on and on about how the dance was cutting it too close to final tests and everything. Her words where somewhat drowned out as the few owls arrived. Ginny looked up to see her family owl coming to her. It carried an envelope. As she opened it she saw pictures of little children. She knew instantly that they were Bill's and Fleur's.
"Ron, come and see Bill's kids." She was still mad at him, but she wanted him to see their nieces. Ron, who didn't feel like getting hexed, sat with Harry, Hermione, a few Ravenclaws, and a few Hufflepuffs that morning. He got up and walked over. When he saw the picture his face lit up.
"So sorry to dampen the mood, but Ginny you've got a letter." Amber's eyes were glowing. It would almost seem that it were her eyes that gave her, her name. Ginny saw a sleek black owl sitting nibbling at her breakfast. She slowly got the letter and then motioned the owl to wait. She read the letter and was surprised by its contents. "Anyone have parchment and a quill?"
"Me," Natalie was absentmindedly looking at the pictures. Ginny dug through her bag to get what she needed. When she found it she wrote a response to letter. She made no effort in hiding what she wrote. For everyone at the table saw her write a 'Yes' on the parchment.
"Here take this to him and then you can come back here to finish my, no really, your breakfast." As she lifted the owl it spread its wings and flew to the top of the Great Hall. A few teachers were eyeing it, but mostly a group of students were watching it. The owl slowly descended towards Blaise Zabini. As he ripped it open, everyone was watching him. Especially Natalie. When he read it he ran up to Ginny's table and looked at her then at Natalie.
"You really mean this Gin, I mean it is Christmas." she nodded. Ginny knew she had made his day.
"Can you please tell me what is going on?" Natalie looked thoroughly confused. She almost wished she had not asked because Blaise and Ginny gave her a very long and confusing explanation.
"Well, today is a Hogsmeade visit, but curtain Prefects were selected to stay incase anyone stayed behind to cause trouble." Ginny began.
"And I was one of them." Blaise had taken Ginny's seat and started teasing the owl by hiding the toast it was eating.
"Since there are rarely any trips on holidays when almost no one is here Blaise wanted to take you to go somewhere." She slapped his hand and gave the owl its toast. All the while still looking at Natalie.
"So I asked my good pal Ginny, if she could fill in for me."
"And I said yes."
It took Natalie, and everyone else, a minute to take in all the information. But when she realized it she got up and hugged Ginny. "Thanks a lot mate. You are the best friend ever."
"I know, I know." Ginny was laughing and everything. She felt as though the fight last night were a dream. It wasn't until she saw Draco entering the Hall. She just then realized that she was at a table where almost all the people involved in last nights fight were sitting. Blaise caught their glimpses at one another. "I think you have been a git, and you are a jerk Ron Weasley."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ron was dumbfounded.
"For last night, I am sticking up for Ginny." Blaise stuck out his tongue. Everyone laughed because they all knew Blaise was picking a fight.
"Blaise, you don't have to do that." Ginny was thankful that someone was on her side.
"Of course I had to. Oh before I forget. You, Draco, Michael, and I have detention the second night back."
"Of course, I already know that." Ginny rolled her eyes. She saw Draco waltzing over to their table. When he arrived he merely nodded his head to show that he knew that the rest of the people were there. He smirked at Blaise, who had his head rested on the table as he smiled widely. Draco then turned to Ginny and stared at her before saying something.
"You win. I received a high mark on my reviews. So Pansy is officially off your case."
"Good then." Ginny was trying hard not to smack him. She knew he was expecting her to do such. Draco turned to leave, but Blaise said something to make him stay.
"Ginny, you know my brother Alabaster. He wanted me to ask you if you would go to the ball with him." Blaise paid no attention to anyone's expressions he was just eagerly awaited an answer.
Ginny's eyes widened. She was speechless for all of two seconds. "I am planning to ask someone. So can you tell him that I don't know?"
"Sure. He is a git anyway. I doubt you'd like him. Though seeing the gits you've dated-," Ginny picked up a newspaper and hit Blaise on the back of his head. After realizing what he said he apologized by bowing at her and saying 'I'm sorry.'
"Whatever, just go away."
"Let's go Gin. You've got to help me with something." Natalie chimed in. Then she whispered, "I don't know what to wear."
"That outfit." Ginny was sitting on the floor staring at Natalie. Natalie had on a pair of blue jeans that had graffiti-styled writing on them. They said 'Kiss me, I'm Irish.' which was sort of true because Natalie's Mother was an Irish witch. Her shoes were sneakers, nothing fancy. Her shirt was a plain bubble-gum pink shirt, with a white neckline. Her hair was in a ponytail.
"Fine, will you see me out?" Ginny almost thought the grin on Natalie's face looked devilish. But she merely nodded and walked her friend out the dorm room. Natalie's new look was met with glances from boys, even ones she didn't know. When they met with Blaise, Ginny noticed Draco sitting on the ground, his back to them, oblivious to the fact that the girls had arrived. When Ginny saw him she went over and stood behind him. Then she leaned over and saw him mounding snow.
She bent down and whispered in his ear, "Someone confound you?" She was slightly surprised he jumped. When he looked up he saw her.
"We were waiting for you. Blaise has a letter for you from McGonagall, but first I have a question?"
"What?" she turned to Blaise for a second and then back at Malfoy.
He put on a really innocent look, "Do I really look stupid?"
"If only you knew." She enjoyed teasing him. Draco, who knew she was teasing him, threw snow at her. When she wiped it from her face she stood staring at him. "Draco Malfoy, you don't know what I am gonna do to you. "
"What will you hex me?" He feigned a scared look. When Ginny realized that he was mocking her she threw a rather large snowball at him. When he recovered from both the shock and the freezing cold feel to the snow he enchanted a boulder of snow to come hurtling at her.
"They look lovely." A woman was standing next to a statue staring at the snowball fight with awe. She seemed to be amazed at their abilities to communicate to one another by playing a game. The brown eyes of Hermione Grange glazed over with a feel of awe. When she realized that she had an appointment to keep she ran down the hall.
"I give up!" Ginny's blue shirt and black jeans were completely white. Draco had hexed the snow so it would stick with her. "I said I give up, so stop the hex."
"You need to relax or else it'll keep sticking to you it is like Devil's Snare." he was brushing off the snow Ginny hit him on the head with. "Relax for goodness sakes."
Ginny couldn't relax because the snow was building on her. She felt the pressure on her chest. "Help. I can't relax."
"Oh fine, wimp." He raised him wand and shouted "Scourify." Immediately Ginny's body was free from the snow. As she caught her breath she seemed to be saying something.
"B-beginners luck….I'll get you….no one has ever…beat me." She just collapsed on the ground panting. When she closed her eyes her body relaxed, but it was the image she saw that made her sad. When she closed her eyes her thoughts brought her back to the night in the abandoned classroom where she and Draco first kissed. As she saw the image of the two of them, together, her eyes wanted to open, but she willed them to stay shut. She was coursing through her memories when she felt a soft hand on her face. She recognized who it was. Draco was checking to see if she was okay. When she actually opened her eyes he was staring at her.
When he noticed she opened her eyes he looked at her and said, "Well Sleeping Beauty is up."
'He said, 'Sleeping Beauty.' He thinks I am like Sleeping Beauty. Wow! I am gonna fall a sleep more often,' Ginny was smiling.
"In this case why don't we call her SNOW White?" Blaise was laughing at his own joke, to which no one else chuckled. When he realized how stupid he looked he piped up, "Ginny, McGonagall has a letter for you about Prefect duties today."
When Ginny sat up she almost banged heads with Draco, but instead, their noses rubbed together. "Sorry. Well what note."
"This." Blaise leaned down and handed her the note. Then he turned to Draco. "You have duties today?"
"Nope McGonagall said as the Head Boy I deserve some time off."
"More like the Pigheaded Boy." Ginny retorted. Natalie laughed and even Draco smiled a bit.
"No fair my joke was way better than hers." Blaise gave up and leaned over Ginny's shoulder to read her letter.
Dear Miss Weasley,
I have decided that you are to be allowed this trip to Hogsmeade owning to the fact that Mr.Zabini claims you originally gave it up for him. I shall allow you to go. Please behave for you are setting an example for younger years. Please remember this does not excuse you from your detention. The shame that befell our house when you made such a scene.
Merry Holidays,
Minerva McGonagall
When Ginny got up she hugged Blaise. "Thanks mate. She said 'cause you bugged her I am allowed to go to Hogsmeade."
"Yeah sure. Want to come with us." Natalie was standing next to Blaise when he said this. She whispered something in his ear. "Draco you come to. Natalie said all four of us should go to Hogsmeade together."
"Sure." Ginny turned to Draco, "You coming or does the Snowball King want time alone?"
"First of all, it is the Slytherin PRINCE Weasley. Secondly, I'm coming." He was looking right at Blaise as though expecting him to explain something.
"Fine lets go then."
As Ginny walked into The Three Broomsticks Natalie was at her side debating what was the best kind of Prank to Pull (They were just in Zonko's). The girls had left the boys in the shop so they could grab a seat in the place. When they found a seat they started talking about what they wanted to do when they got out of Hogwarts.
"I want to work in the Ministry." Ginny didn't care that her family would rather her become a housewife or something. She wanted adventure, and lots of it.
"I want to be a Stay-At-Home mom," Natalie's eyes glistened whenever she mentioned children. She loved kids. Ginny thought that was so because she grew up having to take care of her younger twin sisters.
"So you want to let your husband make all the money?" Ginny always said that there could be two moneymakers in the house whenever Natalie said she wanted to stay at home.
"Not really, but isn't that a husband's job? To provide for his family?"
"Controversial issue." Draco and Blaise just sat down next the girls. It was Draco who interrupted the conversation.
"How?" Ginny hadn't expected them back so soon.
"When I was born my dad wouldn't leave me be. He stayed home until I was able to walk properly." He was rummaging through his bag and didn't notice the looks on Ginny and Natalie's face.
"Why?" Blaise only asked because neither girl could find their tongue.
"I was his only heir, so he thought my mom might damage me or something." Draco found what he we looking for and held it up. It was a piece of paper that could write anything its owner was saying.
"Okaaay, lets talk about something happier." Blaise's obvious sarcasism was found funny to only Natalie.
"What's going on here?" A voice came from behind them. As they turned they saw Professor McGonagall. "I swear Mr.Malfoy, Mr.Zabini if you both are annoying these girls I will have you on so many-"
"Well Professor, Natalie and Blaise are on a date, and I and Draco are chaperoning." Ginny couldn't, really wouldn't, look up to see the look on the woman's face. It was best that she didn't because the Professor looked like she was just slapped.
"Well since I know both you and Mr.Malfoy can't get along, Weasley, both of you behave." She gave them glares then proceeded towards the table where most of the teachers were. When she arrived at the table she pushed Snape down so he wouldn't go over to the four.
"You are bad luck." Ginny turned to the boys. They smiled and nodded. It took them a while to actually get over the whispers and pointing from other students. When it came time for them to leave they were discussing a topic that caused many arguments throughout time.
"Chuddely Cannons, just suck." Blaise put down the money for his and Natalie's drinks. He was pushing in his chair when Ginny started laughing loudly.
"Yes, and Scotland National team is any better?" Ginny put down the money for her drink as she was swinging her coat on. Draco and Natalie looked at the two as though they would burst out laughing. When Draco noticed Ginny and Blaise paying he put up his hand.
"Please, with this much entertainment, even I would feel bad if I didn't pay." He was trying hard not to laugh, but his grin seemed too big for his face. He put down the money for all four drinks. When they left The Three Broomsticks, Draco and Natalie went ahead leaving Blaise and Ginny to fight. When Draco and Natalie were outside the door they came face-to-face with the two people you don't want to see if you have a secret. Paravati and Lavender were coming out of the bookshop across the hall. When they saw Natalie leave the shop then Draco they stopped mid-step.
"Nats you dating Malfoy?" Paravati found this piece of information so juicy. "Because we heard him and Ginny were going out?"
"He is an arrogant-egotistic-undeniably-stupid-jerk," Natalie was acting as though she was praising Draco instead of dissing him. She waited at the doorway staring at the door.
Paravati noticed what she was doing and said, "You have to open it."
"I am waiting for someone you twit." Natalie was growing rather impatient. Draco just sat down and began putting snow into a mountain. When the door opened Blaise had a large bump on his head and Ginny was grinning.
"Ginny, what did you do?" Natalie kissed the bump and then healed it. Having many younger siblings she had seen her mother mend any kind of wound. Ginny stopped laughing when she saw Malfoy sitting and playing with the snow.
"Is that a reoccurring habit of his or does he want to start another snowball fight?" Blaise snorted and Draco tried to throw snow at her, but missed. Ginny turned her gaze to the two girls and sighed. "You two so lonely that you have to bother Natalie about her love life, again?"
Almost everyone laughed, but the two girls. Ginny looked at them and went over to them and hugged them, "Sorry, that was the butterbeers talking. Forgive me?"
"Sure Gin, as long as you tell us which of these blokes is yours." Lavender hugged her back. Ginny looked around and whispered something in the girl's ear. Their eyes widened, and they shrieked, "Is that true?"
"Of course."
