A/N: wow, i got this chapter up pretty quick considering i have soccer and school to deal with now. only 2 more weeks till spring break! only 2 weeks. on another note: we won our first soccer game on monday, V and JV! that made me pretty happy. that an i almost scored 2 goals during JV, that's a big deal to me cause on V i play defense the whole time. that and i suck at ball handling. i'm the worst, seriously. ok i'll stop rambling and let you read. i'm just pretty excited.
Read on!
Chapter 5
The walk to the Great Hall took longer than usual. Hallways extended to long lengths and stairways were never ending.
Finally, though, I reached the Great Hall. As expected, it was empty save for a few early birds like me. I went to a seat near the middle of the Gryffindor table and took a slice of toast. I buttered it and put strawberry jelly on it. Taking a bite, I turned toward the entrance and watched as people began to pour in for breakfast.
The Hall became progressively noisier and seats began to fill. I noticed that no one sat next to me. Everyone sat at least two seats away. It kind of hurt.
I leaned forward, resting my head on my hands, waiting for Professor McGonagall to come around with my schedule. Having gotten high grades on my OWL's, I knew I could take higher level courses, but I didn't know what I wanted to be so I just picked random classes. Having done what so many before me have done, I put the choices before me, closed my eyes, and tapped my wand randomly on the piece of paper hoping for the best. I didn't even look at what had become of the random choices, like others had done; I just turned it in. I was kind of eager to see what my schedule was.
I watched people drift in slowly and finally, after what seemed forever, I saw McGonagall coming around, passing out schedules.
"Ginny, what an interesting schedule you have chosen. I look forward to seeing how well you do this year," she said when she gave me my schedule. I stared at her with an eyebrow raised. What classes had I chosen? My mom had bought my books while I was staring at dress robes so I hadn't had any idea of what I would need.
Tentatively, I looked at my mysterious schedule. My jaw dropped as I read my class agenda.
Advanced Potions, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Advanced Charms, Advanced Transfiguration. What had I gotten myself into?
"I think I'm going to fail this year," I muttered, staring at my schedule. There was no way that I was going to survive this year. I could see the future, and it showed me sitting in the common room, surrounded by books, with nothing but embers in the fireplace. I was going to die.
"So what's your schedule like?" Anna asked me when she sat next to me with her schedule in had.
I didn't answer her because I was still trying to figure out how to get out of the situation I was in.
"Wow," Anna whistled, looking over my shoulder at my schedule. "That's a pretty tough schedule."
"I know," I moaned, dropping my schedule and burying my face in my arms.
"Why'd you pick such hard classes? What do you want to do?" Anna asked, sitting back down in her seat. She grabbed a piece of toast from the stack and started munching on it while staring at me.
"I don't know," I moaned. "I'm going to fail."
"No you won't, don't worry. I'll help you. See, I'm taking Transfiguration and Charms too," Anna said, showing me her schedule. "And since I'm taking Herbology I might be able to help you with properties of plants in Potions. You'll do fine."
I lifted my head from my arms and gave her a thankful grin.
"I'm still going to fail. Look at this, Ancient Runes. What is that? Who learns stuff like that? Who cares about stuff like that?" I asked, looking at my schedule. Anna just shrugged.
"Ask McGonagall if you can switch," Anna suggested.
"Yeah right, she won't let me. 'You chose these classes, you knew how hard they were going to be so you're just going to have to deal'," I said in my best imitation voice of McGonagall.
"It's worth a try at least, besides you're practically the top of our class. She loves you," Anna said.
"Except I always break the rules," I retaliated.
"It doesn't hurt to try," Anna said, grabbing another piece of toast.
I looked at the Head Table and saw McGonagall sitting in the seat next to Dumbledore eating porridge. I glanced back at Anna and she urged me to go.
I got up from my seat and began to walk to the front of the Great Hall with my eyes fixed on McGonagall.
Having become so determined to change my schedule and having my eyes so fixed on McGonagall, all the sounds and noises and people in the room were drowned out. It was only me, McGonagall, and my desire to change schedules.
Of course, when you drown everything out, you don't always notice the person practically right in front of you. I ran into this person straight on which resulted in me falling to the ground and dropping my schedule. I sat dazed on the floor while the person turned around.
"Watch it, Weasel," said the person now identified as none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Sorry," I mumbled, sitting up. I couldn't say anything because it was my fault. I looked around on the floor for my schedule.
"Looking for this?" Draco taunted, holding the schedule high above my head. I rolled my eyes and stood up, brushing myself off.
"Give it back," I said, holding out my hand.
"Finder's keepers," Draco sneered.
"Give it back," I said again through clenched teeth. "It's not yours,"
"See, this is what happens when a person doesn't pay attention and runs into someone; they get pissed and threaten to kill you," Draco said, glee dancing in his eyes. His happiness only made me madder.
"Well if someone's fat ass hadn't been taking up the whole walk-way maybe I wouldn't have run into him," I said in the same voice as him. A blush crept up his neck and his grin diminished only slightly.
Draco decided to ignore this comment and instead looked at my schedule. He whistled when he looked at my schedule. "Wow Weasel, trying to act smart or something?"
This time I could feel a blush creep up my neck. "Just give me my schedule."
"I guess that's why you were heading to McGonagall; you had to change it. Astronomy and Ancient Runes, tough classes right there. And Advanced Potions! Wow, that was tough, I hated it," Draco said, exaggerating every class. "Well here Weasel, I'd hate to see you fail any of your classes," Draco sneered when he was done going through my classes. He handed me back my schedule with that obnoxious, smug grin on his face.
I glowered at him. I couldn't help it. Draco Malfoy was the most obnoxious person in the world. I hated him. He's probably the second most hated person on my list. And he's just so rude. He didn't show any sympathy when he saw me. Now, I'm not saying I want sympathy, but when your brother dies you've got to expect sympathy. Everyone showed me and my family sympathy, everyone. But not him. Even some of the Slytherins had that look of slight pain and sympathy when they saw me. Of course it only lasted a few seconds and it was always replaced with a sneer.
Draco Malfoy was another person though. He hadn't said or shown anything. I never saw that look of pity spread across his face. It had always been a sneer or a snicker, nothing else. It made me angry. It made me really angry that he didn't have any respect. Sure Ron and Draco were enemies but doesn't an enemy always feel regretful when the other dies? Apparently Draco hadn't gotten the memo.
So I stood there, glowering at him, wishing looks could kill again. Finally I came to a decision.
"You thought I was going to see McGonagall about changing my schedule?" I laughed. "You're wrong; these classes aren't hard at all. I'll breeze through them. I just have to tell her that I don't have some of the supplies for my classes. I forgot to pick them up when I went to Diagon Alley." I stared at him with a look of triumph. That's what my outside looked like, but inside I was scared to death. These classes are hard and I wasn't going to breeze through them.
A look of surprise crossed Draco's face but was replaced by a bored look.
"I can't wait to see you breeze through Snape's Advanced Potions," Draco scoffed, before turning around and walking away.
I couldn't wait either, personally. Of course 'breeze through' might have been the wrong word choice. Maybe I should've used 'struggled through' or 'fail every freaking paper and test and everything in between'. Yeah, that was a much better choice of words.
I stood in the middle of the Great Hall contemplating my new situation. I couldn't just walk up to McGonagall now and ask for a schedule change. Draco would know and then I'd look like an idiot. On the other hand, if I kept my schedule I'd fail half the classes and look just plain stupid. Somehow, looking like an idiot in front of Draco would be harder for me to swallow.
I gradually walked back to my seat next to Anna; with a more dejected look that before. She looked at me with a confused face.
"I thought you were changing your schedule," Anna said.
"I tried," I said, putting my head in my arms again.
"What happened?" Anna asked, wanting me to elaborate.
"Draco happened and his stupid ability to make me smug about my tough schedule," I groaned from the confines of my arm.
"Wow," Anna said. "That sucks. That really sucks."
"Now I'm really going to fail," I groaned again. I could almost feel the tears of failure starting. Almost.
We sat in our seats in silence, me thinking about my soon nonexistent social life and Anna about, well I don't really know what she thinks about half the time.
"Come on," Anna said, breaking through my reverie. "We need to get to our first class."
"Great, I'm looking forward to my first class of," I consulted my now final schedule, "my first class of Ancient Runes. Honestly, who cares about runes?"
Anna laughed as we walked out of the Great Hall.
"Have fun," she said as we went our opposite directions; me to Ancient Runes and her to Herbology. Lucky her.
A/N: ok i'll see how fast i can get this chapter up. i don't think i'm busy sat. so i'll try to write then, but on sunday i have a vball tournament but i'll see what i can do. REVIEW to tell me what you thought of this chapter.