Chapter 3 – Draco and Ginny and Potions, Oh My!
Ginny awoke with a start. Hermione was standing over her, with her hand on her hips looking like a carbon copy of Professor McGonagall.
"Ginny, I won't ask you what you were doing in the common room all night, but I just thought you would like to know that breakfast will be over in 10 minutes and then you'll have to get to class. Here's your schedule, it was on your night stand."
Ginny looked up at her friend apologetically, and took the paper from her outstretched hand. Looking down at her timetable, she glanced at the first class of the day.
"Double potions." she wondered, "But who will teach potions now that Snape is really gone? Slughorn's back?"
Hermione quickly explained that Professor Horace Slughorn had returned for another year of teaching potions, and that while Ginny had been sulking in the common room the night before, the headmistress had announced his return and the welcome return of Alastor Moody as the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher. They were in for an interesting school year, to say the least.
"Alright, thanks Hermione, I'll go have a quick breakfast, I don't want to be late on the first day back to school!"
She dashed down to the great hall, and ate the quickest meal in the history of breakfasts. She hurried down to the dungeons, not watching where she was going.
"Oof, Weasley, do you have a death warrant on me or something?" A now familiar voice questioned. Draco Malfoy was currently lying on the ground, his books strewn about him.
Ginny hadn't been paying attention, and had run right into the boy.
"Oh, Malfoy. I so didn't mean to do that, I was just on my way to class and I didn't want to be late. You know how it is…"
Around them, students were staring in fear. It was obvious that the other students at Hogwarts were afraid of the boy, but it was still unclear why Ginevra Weasley was unaffected by his reputation.
"Whatever, Red. Scurry along to your potions class, I'll let you live… This time." He winked for good measure. It was obvious he was joking, but why he was joking with her was beyond comprehension.
She continued on to her dungeon classroom, not noticing that Draco was walking behind her for most of the way. She got to class just one minute before Professor Slughorn arrived. She was lucky, now she wouldn't have to serve detention on her first day of sixth year. She was not planning to rival her twin brothers for the most detentions.
"Settle down, class, this is the new advanced potions course. Those of you who are here are the bright promising witches and wizards of this school, and I know you will make me proud. Do not make me regret my decision of bringing you into my classroom. I am putting my faith in you, and I expect your performance to be up to par with course standards."
Ginny stared at the professor for a moment and then turned around in her eat to see who else was in her class. Hermione waved and mouthed a 'sorry,' obviously apologizing for not having explained her timetable properly. Next to Hermione was Harry who was looking straight ahead at the professor.
Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock at the door.
"Sorry I'm late professor. I was… Caught up." Draco Malfoy was standing at the doorway looking for an empty seat.
"It's alright, my boy. Understandable. Just don't let it happen again, you hear? Take that empty seat next to Miss Weasley and do play nice."
Draco groaned inwardly, and sat down next to the girl. She paid no attention to him and listened intently to the potion instructions that Professor Slughorn was giving.
"Alright class, you are now prepared to make your potion. You must work with the student sitting beside you; he or she will be your potions partner for the rest of the school year. I will have no fighting in my classroom," he said, throwing a quick glance at Draco and Ginny. "Leave your petty house rivalry at the door. We are all mature adults here, and must act accordingly."
Great, I'm stuck with freckle-faced Weasley. Draco was not too thrilled to be working with the young witch. He had been seeing too much of her already, and it was only the first day of classes!
"You know, I'm not happy about this arrangement, either, Malfoy, but I do intend to get proper marks in this class. Do you mind maybe, I don't know, helping a little? I won't do this by alone." She was annoyed with Malfoy because he was just sitting there, ignoring her, instead of helping to prepare the potions ingredients.
"Alright, but only because I always make perfect potions. I won't accept anything less."
Lousy arrogant git. This is going to be a long year… Ginny thought to herself. Of course, she would tolerate his presence if it meant doing well in her class. She was not about to ruin her track record. Potions had been her best class for the past couple of years, which was why Professor Slughorn had deemed her worthy of being moved up into advanced potions. It wasn't her fault that the teacher had a liking to the ferret.
They worked silently, side by side, every so often pointing out to the other something to do with the potion. By the end of the class they were the only pair finished and had bottled and labelled their substance before Hermione and Harry had even finished.
"Well done Miss Weasley and Mr Malfoy. Five points each for successfully completing the potion, and before the rest of the class, too!"
The pair had worked well together, and it was obvious to those around them, even if it was not as obvious to them.
Ginny walked out of the classroom without even stopping to talk with her friends. She wanted to make sure she got to her next class on time.
She didn't know, but as she was walking out of the classroom, Draco was watching her exit the room. He was still wondering why she showed him no fear. If they were to work together, that was all fine and dandy, but it still irked him. He would get to the bottom of it sooner or later. Sooner, rather than later, he hoped.