Blooming Roses- Chapter 2: Lions and Serpents

Ginny's POV

Wainwright, Alaska was a small village located at the northern tip of Alaska. It's population? Five-hundred and forty-six people. The town area is a total of 42.5 square miles, but only 17.6 of that is actually land. The rest of it is water. I knew Dumbledore had to be crazy to be sending us there! I looked up from my handout to silently ask Hermione if she thought this was as crazy as I did. I was not disappointed. All around the Great Hall murmurs could be heard, no one was happy about where they were being sent. The Slytherins looked right pissed about having to live in small, middle class houses. I doubt they even cared about the cold. Now, the Gryffindors had sense: objections were rising as I read about the cold and how we would freeze to death, about how we would blend in as normal muggles with such a small population, and how on earth would the town handle the longtime feuding houses?

I tossed away the paper with a sigh, glancing over at the Slytherins who were arguing in hushed tones with Professor Snape. My eyes landed on our favorite ferret, Malfoy, who was sneering at the sheet. I snorted in amusement. Merlin only knows what he was objecting to! "Probably what the low temperatures will do to his hair," I muttered.

"What was that, Gin?" Hermione glanced over.

"Nothing," I shrugged, "Just thinking out loud about what Malfoy will hate most." This caught the attention of her friends around her. Dean and Seamus stopped debating how they would play quidditch, Neville raised an eyebrow, and Harry and Ron could not help but to dissolve into fits of laughter at what was possibly their own ideas.

"He might just be worrying over what to pack?" the bushy haired witch suggested, always the one to not be mean, even when it concerned Malfoy

"Prolly." I agreed, "All those hair care products must need their own trunk. He's prolly wondering how to keep his hair from freezing into icicles before he can dry it each morning."

Seamus snickered, "Someone should warn him not to sneer or scowl, his face just might freeze that way."

"Then none of the girls will ever go near him." Dean added.

My lips twitched, "Maybe we shouldn't warn him. It'd save us from hearing all the girls boosting his ego in every conversation they have, and then Parkinson and him can live happily-ever-after." By this point, our laughing had drawn attention. Where most everyone else was outraged or silent, we were laughing and having a good time.

"You Gryffies are bloody insane," Zabini rolled his eyes, "Not even you should be able to find a good side in this."

"Oh, we did," Harry grinned. Ron nodded, "Yeah: Malfoy having to do it too."

Malfoy sneered, "Haha, Weasel. But I guess you'll be used to harsh conditions already. I mean, you do sleep in a shack that can't possibly provide enough protection from the weather."

"Watch it, ferret, or you just may wake up an icicle." I snarled, mine and Ron's faces turning red from anger. Malfoy smirked, "I'm shaking in my boots. You can't touch me. Just try to come near me, little Weaslette, and you may find yourself in China."

"Attention!" McGonagall called, interrupting the little argument, "We will now be assigning the Slytherin-Gryffindor trip roommates. Professor Flitwick, will you escort the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to the side chamber there to give their assignments?"

"Absolutely, I can." the little professor piped up. After all the others left, McGonagall looked over the disapproving faces of the Gryffindors and Slytherins before turning to Snape, "Care to start?"

"Of course," he answered slowly. "All of you will remain absolutely silent while names are being read. When you find out your roommate, you will go sit beside them. Two Gryffindors, two Slytherins; two boys, two girls. Understood? Good, now keep your traps shut, as I know the very first group will cause an uproar." Unrolling his parchment, Snape read, "First four are Pansy Parkinson, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, and Neville Longbottom."

Hermione groaned softly, "Parkinson and Zabini?"

"I feel so sorry for you, 'Mione." I whispered back before the two Slytherins took seats across from us. As they took their seats, Parkinson began exclaiming, "This is horrible! Life is so dreadfully unfair, but at least I'll have you to keep me company, Blaisykins." Hermione covered her mouth with her fingers, barely holding in her giggles at Zabini's face, and he glowered at her.

"Second," McGonagall cleared her throat to silence Parkinson's wails. She cleared her throat once more just for effect, "Second will be Draco Malfoy, Millicent Bullstrode, Ginevra Weasley, and Colin Creevey." Her hawk-like eyes narrowed on her two students at my look of defiance, and Colin and I shot up and took our places by Malfoy and Bullstrode, not looking happy about it in the least though.

Snape smirked and read the next two groupings while I grumbled away about being stuck with Malfoy. The ferret did not look happy either, apparently I would be able to get near him without "ending up in China" like he said. Like he even could send me to China! My eyes turned to glare at the blond sitting diagonally from me, and as if feeling my eyes he turned, raising an eyebrow. I flipped him a rude gesture that would either make my brothers faint from shock I used it, or be proud I used it towards him. Malfoy rolled his eyes and went back to watching Snape and McGonagall.

"The last groups are," McGonagall looked at her list, "Harry Potter, Gregory Goyle, Parvati Patil, and Cecily James...Ronald Weasley, Vincent Crabbe, Lavender Brown, and Jeshikah Rowland. Lastly, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Kitty Blake, and Grace Jones. You have a half hour to plan out your roles with your roommates before you will be portkeyed to your houses, all on the same block in the village. Each house will have an adviser - a volunteer - to keep track of what you are all doing, fights you get in, and the such. Good day to you all, I will see you tomorrow for your transfiguration lesson."

"She can't be serious!" I finally blurted as the rest of the students erupted in chatter. "We'll kill each other! Not only are they forcing together Slytherins and Gryffindors, but they're meshing the biggest of enemies together! Parkinson and Neville? In one house? And Mione and Zabini!"

"I know," Colin agreed, "Parvati and Cecily will tear each other's throats out by the end of the night, and Goyle will just make a fool of himself trying to argue with Harry."

Malfoy rolled his eyes again, "I'm sure Potter and Goyle will be on the same mind-field, so there are no worries of either of them hurting the other. Themselves, well, that's another matter entirely. I highly doubt any of the Slytherins are looking at this with more enjoyment than you are, so shut up about who will kill who and plan what you'll be doing." I snorted. "What?"

"What we'll be doing? You and Bullstrode are gonna be helping just as much as Colin and I. It's part of your NEWT grades, remember, Malfoy?"

He raised an eyebrow, "We'll be making sure you don't hurt yourselves or blow the cover of the entire wizardry world."

"You might be the one with that problem. Colin's muggle-born, and I grew up around muggles. I think we know a helluva lot more than you two do on how to behave like muggles." I smiled sweetly, "So, which would would you prefer, grocery shopping or doing the cooking, Malfoy?"

"And Bullstrode," Colin could not help but smirk, which made this all the more funny in our eyes, "which would you like to do, house-cleaning or working and earning muggle money?" The broad-shouldered girl glowered intensely, but Colin just raised an eyebrow, "Be thankful we're giving you two the choice."

"My father is going to be more than angry with this, he won't stand for it and I'll be back at Hogwarts in no time." Malfoy spoke nonchalantly.

"And you'll fail the year and have to spend one more with me," I chirped, "which will, undoubtedly, involve another trip to another muggle town, which will be another year you'll fail when daddy dearest pulls strings to get you out of it, and that will start the cycle all over again." This solicited another scowl from the two Slytherins, "So, Malfoy, shopping or cooking?"

"Cooking," he answered with something of a sneer at the idea. I smirked, "Great. Bullstrode?"

"I'll be working. No way in hell I'll be caught doing a house-elf's job and cleaning. I'll leave that to the fairy boy here." the girl grunted. Colin flushed, not because he actually was a 'fairy boy' but because it was embarrassing that people actually thought so.

"That's another thing," I barely controlled my temper, "no name calling. We will agree to not refer to you as anything but Malfoy and Bullstrode, as long as you do the same and refer to us as only Weasley and Creevey. I will make the exception for Weaslette, as my brother will more than likely always be around, but that is it. Understood?"

The two ignored me, simply rolling their eyes, I stood, hands on the table and I leaned forward in their faces. They jumped back at my sudden movement, and I stared them each in the eye. I would make this work. My grade would not suffer because they wished to be prats and get me riled up, cos Merlin knew I would be the one to snap, they would just be the ones to get me to my breaking point. My eyes narrowed to slits, "No name calling. Am. I. Clear?"

"Crystal, Weaslette," answered Malfoy, putting a hand on my shoulder and pushing me back in my seat. He then proceeded to wipe his hand on his trousers like I was a dirty animal. I huffed and crossed my arms.

Meanwhile...
Hermione's POV

"No, no, no." I snapped. "Zabini, Neville and I are not going to be your personal servants for the school year. Get over yourself!" I was losing it, and quickly. The very moment McGonagall had said to plan roles of the household, the two Slytherins proclaimed they would not do a thing. Cleaning, no. Cooking, no. Shopping, no. Working, no. Watching TV, maybe, if they knew what that was. I promised to hit them all with a shovel of snow when I had some handy. Neville was not faring better and looked like he was making a personal promise along the same lines.

"No one said you had to be. We just aren't doing anything. That's servant work, for house-elves." Parkinson tossed her hair.

"News flash, Pugface, we won't have any house-elves!" I rolled my eyes. Wow, I never knew I could be mean like that. I guess it just took the right Slytherins to set me off. "This is our grades on the line, you dolts. Not only will you fail if you don't help and have a role, other than the lazy arses, but Neville and I will fail because of how we couldn't get along and make a compromise. Now make up your bloody minds on what you'll be doing, and do it!"

"What Hermione is trying to say," Neville interjected nervously, shocked by my outburst, "is...well, actually, I don't have a nicer way of putting it."

"Obviously." Zabini sniffed. "Fine, I'll go to work and support you all. Though there is such a thing as a wizard bank where you can cash in galleons for muggle cash. So much simpler to live rich than have to work for money we already have."

I lifted my handles in a 'I'm-going-to-strangle-you-soon' gesture and tried to take deep calming breaths. It didn't help that Zabini was looking bemusedly at me instead of looking scared like he should have been.

"You got your compromise, Granger," Parkinson rolled her eyes and pouted, "I'll help with cooking, but only because I'm horrible at it and hopefully I'll poison both of you so Blaise and I can have some peace and quiet."

Neville scooted another inch away from them, "I'm not sure whether to be grateful for your agreement or lock you up for your reason."

Across the hall...
Harry's POV

Well this was brilliant. Just brilliant. I was partnered with a girl who held a grudge over my not dancing with her, a blond bimbo only concerned with what he cold air will do for her skin, and, well, Goyle. I'm not quite sure what category he would ever fall into. Parvati I could work with if she would stop making references to the night of the Yule Ball in fourth year all the time. She never stopped. Even when she wasn't talking to me, if I was nearby she'd make a comment on how her current boyfriend would actually dance with her. Ron found it hilarious, but now even he had to pity me. I had to live with her, not just as a dorm-mate but as a sharing-a-house-and-always-seeing-each-other type mate.

And Goyle and James were just... This was bloody effing fantastic. Was Dumbledore's completely nutters? Even as his favorite student, I couldn not get out of this. Trust me. I tried last night before heading up to bed, it had been useless.

"Maybe if we do really good, then the teachers will let us have a yule celebration and we can come to the castle for one night for a ball." Parvati thought out loud. This instantly made Cecily James her new best friend. Cecily squealed, "I was thinking the same exact thing! Maybe the dresses in Alaska could be cute...? Probably not. We can order dresses though!"

Bloody hell. Where was Ron?

He was over at the Ravenclaw table, between Jeshikah Rowland, a sixth year Slytherin, and Lavender. Crabbe was spaced out, in his own little world. But the three of them looked fine together. Rowland did not have much animosity with Ron or Lavender, apparently, as she never ran into them. It seemed Lavender and her had struck up an instant friendship, like Parvati and Cecily.

Where was 'Mione? Looking smug about something, probably getting her way with Zabini. Whoa, that sounded so wrong...but, ignoring the sexual, double-entendre, it was more than likely true. Hermione always got her way. Ginny? Glowering at Malfoy, but it seemed they had all their planning done. Seamus and Dean? Looking like they're in heaven, they were obviously making excuses to be real close to Grace and Kitty. Maybe Dumbeldore wasn't mad after all...so many Gryffindors and Slytherins are potential friends - or more than friends in Seamus's and Dean's situation - but none had the guts to start trying. This could open so many doors to at the least civility between the houses.

This could work after all.

TBC

A/N: What do you think? 2,681 words without the author's note! I was really trying to show the different characters in their little groups, without revealing too much of what would happen through foreshadowing. As you can probably tell, many arguments will arise, maybe a lil love? *wink wink* Maybe Dumbledore will actually create unity between the houses! Who knows? *wwaves hand back and forth* Ohh, oh! I DO! XD

Thanks to mercedescello for being the first to review my story and show support of it. I'm glad to know that my idea was original, finding out from a reader that they haven't seen the type of plot set up before is an author's dream come true, lol. Well, not that major, but it's pretty exciting to be the first with this exact idea. :)

Please read and review, lovelies!
Love yas,
SlytherinLuver