Disclaimer: I own none of this. J.K. Rowling owns all characters and locations, the story line is mine though.
Chapter 2
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After last night's festivities sleep had been most welcome, though the morning came to fast in Ginny's opinion. The sun shinning on the bright red curtains caused the world around her to glow pink like the inside of a giant creatures belly. Ginny smiled as she thought back to her first time waking to these surroundings and the disconcerting thoughts that had followed. How funny that anyone could learn how to adjust given the right incentive.
The familiar sounds of her dorm mates waking forced Ginny from her warm cocoon. However before she could move someone reached forward and peeled back the curtains, "Well there you are! I missed you at dinner Ginny-bear," chirped the annoyingly upbeat voice of Cassie, on of her dorm mates.
"Eh, morning," Ginny croaked, her voice dry. "Cas, do you have to be so damn perky?"
Cassie and Ginny had hit it off immediately in first year. They were nowhere near as close as her and Colin, but there were just some things you couldn't talk about with a guy, like how cute Harry's butt looked last year or how to do the perfect up hairstyle. Cassie was slightly shorter than the red-head, with bright blue eyes and chocolate brown hair. She was a more traditional beauty with soft curves and gentle features.
Personality wise, the girls were two complete opposites. Ginny was fiery, passionate, argumentative, and stubborn to a fault. Cassie was just as soft as her looks and could only be described as 'girly'. She would hardly ever raise her voice and it was next to impossible to anger. Tears came easily and she never had any trouble expressing how she felt. Slimy things startled her, which was the only reason she didn't take Care of Magical Creatures even though she loved anything cute and fluffy. Yet they balanced each other perfectly. While they were unfailingly loyal to each other, Ginny never felt the desire to trust Cassie with her secrets, not like she trusted Colin or the Trio.
Laura and Ann, two black haired cousins that looked more like sisters, plopped down onto Ginny's bed. The two girls were shallow as they could get, caring only about looks, money, and nothing more. It was almost next to impossible to have a decent conversation with them, but they did know all the good gossip and backgrounds of everyone they knew. "So," Laura drawled, "did you see how good Brandon Johnson looked? It makes me wish that cloaks were optional."
Ginny listened to the mindless prattle while she got ready, commenting every now and then. It wasn't that she didn't find Johnson's ass particularly attractive, but instead that people could still care about pointless distractions. There was a war going on right now outside these castle walls. Her whole family was fighting the most evil wizard of their time and yet there was still time to worry about how to wear your hair. It was crazy. No wonder teenage girls are stereotyped as being frivolous, spoiled brats.
The conversation continued until the girls reached the breakfast table and the new schedules were passed out. Colin scooted between Cassie and Ginny, "So, Gin, double Potions this afternoon. Too bad we didn't fail out OWLs last year."
"Yeah I know. I still can't believe we managed to get through his class last year. This year isn't shaping up to be much better," Ginny muttered. "I just hope that Snape calms down enough to stop bitching at us Gryffindors."
Colin and Cassie laughed at that. Out of all the seventh year Gryffindors only ten that made it into Snape's OWL level class. However since most of those had either dropped it or failed to achieve a high enough grade, there was now only four Gryffindors in the class: Ginny, Colin, Cassie, and Michael Kinsley. This was compared to the overwhelming number of thirty Slytherin and twenty-five Ravenclaw.
"If only you realized the true extent to what a potion can do," Ginny mocked the speech that Snape had given them at the beginning of last term, her voice dropping into the deep, silky tones of the potions professor, "One potion can do more than any spell; even stop death." The three laughed again.
"Ah, so I see that you are capable of paying attention in my class Miss Weasley," drawled an unmistakable voice from behind them.
Ginny felt her face go white, "Professor, I was just-"
"Oh I dare say I know what you were just. Ten point from Gryffindor for your lack of respect and detention with me tonight. I believe that after cleaning up the mess you will inevitably make in my class might teach you to mind your tongue." With a swirl of robes Snape turned away, stalking out of the hall.
"Bastard," Colin grunted. Ginny found she couldn't agree more.
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Despite the looming detention, the day itself went well. Ginny's overall class schedule was easy enough, even though she was taking more classes than most in her year. Between her OWL level Charms, DADA, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures the workload was nothing compared to that of her Potions class. Not that she was complaining. Unlike most of her brothers, Ginny had a lust for knowledge. Often she could be found sitting in the library doing independent research for extra credit or out on the school grounds reading textbooks for pleasure.
However, no matter how much Ginny truly loved learning, there was no way she could even pretend to enjoy having a vampire-like professor staring over her shoulder throughout the entire lesson. Class had started out much like it normally did; Snape insulted the Gryffindors, praised the Slytherins, ignored the Ravenclaws, and then began explaining the potion brewing process all the while tossing quips about the lack of the Gryffindor's skills. Today was the volatile Leach Potion, a potion designed to separate blood containing toxins from healthy blood and allow it to be passed through the body.
"I assure you that any competent seventh year potion student should be able to brew this with little difficulty," Snape droned, specifically accenting the word 'competent' with a pointed look at the four Gryffindors. Turning back to the board Snape motioned to the list of ingredients, "I need not reminded you of exactly how unstable this potion is. Note the mixture of Mandrake root and horn of bicorn is extremely explosive. Which ingredient cancels out this effect? Mr. Creevy?"
"Lacewing flies, sir," Colin spoke clearly.
"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor." Snape spoke with a bitter look on his face, obviously hating that a Gryffindor actually knew the answer. "You have one hour, begin."
The familiar sounds of clanking bottles and pistol grinding filling the stone classroom. Ginny and Colin worked together at their shared bench, each shooting questions about the instructions. They chatted quietly so as not to be reprimanded, almost impossible when the professor was looming over your shoulder, Snape tutted quietly about the obvious lack of intelligence from certain students as he moved his way to the front of the class.
Ginny's eyes fell on the professor. Was it odd how curious she was about him? He was a terrible person; it was unconceivable to actually like him as a human being. Yet Snape was on the good side, or was he only against Voldemort because that force was what was keeping him here doing a job he obviously despised? Harry though Snape was ok, didn't that say something about his character? Odd how she had only started wondering about him after seeing him outside of school at Grimmauld Place, it had been disconcerting to see a different facet of his persona.
Her thoughts elsewhere, it was no surprise that Ginny was bound to make a mistake. As she moved to pour the last of the ingredients into the simmering cauldron Snape's clear voice cut through the classroom stopping all movement with a single word.
"Tell me Miss Weasley, are you incapable of doing anything correctly? Does it not clearly state that you are to mix the powdered lacewing flies and horn of bicorn together before adding them into the potion? Or do you wish to destroy not only your caldron but the entire class room as well?" Snape yelled, his eyes flashing with undisguised hatred.
'I'm sorry, sir, I was distracted by the wording of the instructions."
A sneer marred his pale face, "But I'm sure if must be hard to keep your eyes on anything but your glorious Potter. I had hoped that this year you would have shown that your complete lack in potion making skills was caused by an infatuation," he spat out the word like it was causing a vile taste in his mouth, "however if you continue on this path I will be forced to remove you from the class. Now get out of my site."
Ginny didn't even bother pointing out that class wasn't even over yet. Instead she packed her books, quill, and parchment into her bag. She waved her wand dismissively to clear out the cauldron. Tossing Snape a nasty look, she stomped from the room. Ginny slammed the laboratory door closed behind her causing jars and picture frames to rattle around her.
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I just want to say sorry for the delay in updates. My winter term just started back up and I have been swamped with classes. I hope to have the next update by next week or so, but no matter what this story will not be dropped so no one worry. Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts on everything!