Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter Characters. Some objects or situations may seem familiar. I only own the plot of this story. =)
Author Note: I think can do better than the previous chapter. Hopefully. =) This is a long chapter. Enough said, now on with the story.
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
Emphasis/Shouting
Time passed
The Bench By The Lake – Chapter Two
Ginny ran to the entrance to her common room and yelled the password at the Fat Lady.
"Did you want the whole castle to hear that? Why can't you be like some of your brothers? Like Percy Weasley. He's a fine young man. He was the best head boy..." mumbled the Fat Lady.
"Let me enter!!" Shouted Ginny. The Fat Lady continued to mumble on why isn't she like any of her brothers.
'If anyone even mentions my brothers, I will explode!' Ginny storms in the common room.
The common room was full and noisy. Didn't want hear another word about her brothers, she wanted to go to her dorm. Dean quickly gets off the sofa and stopped Ginny. "Hey Ginny, did you see Ron? I want to challenge him in chess. I think I won't lose badly this time." Dean asked with a grin on his face.
'That's it!!!'
"FIND MY BLOODY BROTHER YOURSELF!!" Ginny shouted at Dean. The once loud common room became dead silent - everyone stared at her. She pushed Dean aside and ran up to her dorm. Hell has no fury like a woman scorned - especially a female Weasley.
"What's wrong with her?" Dean asked, being the first to break the silence. "Maybe it was the time of the month." The boys laughed and the girls shook their head at the boys.
Ginny stared at the ceiling of her room. She has been lying on her bed for few hours, her face streaked with tears.
'But I feel lonely and helpless. I feel that the world is against me.'
Last year, Ginny was one of the top five students in Hogwarts for her year but she was having a hard time for her 4th year. With the additional commitments of being the new chaser for Gryffindor and advance charms classes, she felt that life was sucked out of her.
Her grades slipped and training for quidditch was tough. Professor Flitwick was breathing down her neck for being late for advance charms due to extra quidditch practice. The expectations from her parents, quidditch team and professors are getting to her. Always being compared to her brothers was making it worse.
Taking advance charms and joining quidditch was not entirely her idea. Her parents thought that learning advance charms can help her in the future, Ron and Harry insisted that she joined the house team because she was good. They voiced out their disappointment for every time she didn't do well. She felt alone fighting this battle.
'Why can't I be myself?'
She cried herself to sleep and hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.
1 week later
Ginny dragged herself to the hall for lunch. The whole week was hell for her. Her exams have just ended and she hoped that she did not fall any of her subjects. She almost fainted during one of the quidditch matches against Ravenclaw. Thank God Harry caught the snitch before any of that happened.
She sat beside Ron and sighed at the plate of food in front of her.
"Ginny, you look horrible! You better rest well before this evening's practice." Ron said.
Ginny just nod her head continue eating her lunch. She didn't want to say thing, she didn't want to have another enactment from last week. She didn't have any energy either.
As she took another helping of whipped potatoes, she saw Draco staring at her with disgust from the Slytherin table.
'That's reminds me, I haven't been to the bench for the whole week. ' Ginny thought. Ginny thanked her lucky stars that Malfoy didn't taunt her for the whole week. 'Was it because Draco was avoiding her or was it because Draco being civil to her in school?' Ginny was quite amused at the thought of Draco being civil to her in school.
Suddenly, a plate of chocolates appeared in front of Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione with a note.
Harry took the note and read "'For Mr Potter and friends, from Dobby.' Wow, this a nice reward after our exams!" Harry handed out the chocolate to the three of them.
Ginny was about to put the chocolate in her mouth but saw Draco shaking his head. Draco's friends, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle, were smirking at the trio. 'Something is wrong. Are they the pranksters that cause chaos around the school recently?' Ginny thought as she made eye contact with Draco and saw mischief in his eyes. Something in his eyes also told her to not eat her chocolate. She glanced at Harry, Ron and Hermione who were already eating more of the chocolates.
"Harry, you can have my chocolate. I'm already full." Ginny offered Harry. 'He has already eaten so many; one more won't hurt, right?'
"Thanks Gin! You're the best!" Harry took her chocolate and popped it into his mouth.
Ginny saw Draco covering his mouth. It looks like he was stopping himself from laughing. 'The good Ginny Weasley should have warned Harry Potter but instead, she caused more damage.' Ginny thought and suppressed a giggle.
'So, what will the chocolate do?' Ginny thought.
"I feel awful." Harry said. His face looked kind of green. Hermione and Ron were also feeling the same way.
"This feels kind of familiar....... Oh no!!!!" Hermione shouted.
"What is it? Tell me, Herm!" Ron asked who looked like he is going to puke.
Before she could answer, something happened. The hall went silent, everyone stopped eating. You can even hear a pin drop. Ginny stared at them.
"HAHHAHAHA!!!" Ginny laughed, breaking the silence of the Hall. "Pink POOOOODLES!!!" Ginny pointed at trio before wiping her tears from eyes. She started to feel that her stomach start to hurt from all the laughing.
Apparently, the chocolate contained some Polyjuice Potion which turned people to half breed pink poodles. (Something like what happened to Hermione in her 2nd year) And soon after, everyone started laughing at the trio too.
Professor Dumbledore, who also seemed to be amused at the pink poodle trio, asked the students to quite down. "Professor McGonagall, could you please bring Harry, Ron and Hermione to Madam Pomfrey?"
"And Ms. Weasley, could you please come with me?" Dumbledore said. The students started whispering if Ginny Weasley was the one behind the pranks.
'Oh bloody hell.' Ginny glared at Draco who was smirking at her.
Ginny was in Dumbledore's office, sitting comfortably on a chair. 'I have done nothing wrong. Well, except offering Harry one piece. He was pinker than Ron and Hermione. Oh and... '
"Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore interrupted her thoughts. Ginny slight jumped at her seat.
"Yes, professor?"
"Ginny, I know you are not the prankster but do you know who is behind it?" Professor Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"I don't know who is behind it, Professor." Ginny lied.
'What the hell am I doing, protecting Malfoy!? '
"Thank you, Miss Weasley for your help. You can go now." Ginny gave a sigh of relief. She turned around and walked to the door.
"He must be a great friend for you to protect him." Ginny froze at mid step as Dumbledore said that.
"I hope that he is." Ginny said and continued to walk.
Dumbledore smiled.
Ginny took her time to walk to her favourite bench and found that Draco was already there. Ginny sat at her usual spot, enjoying the cool breeze from the lake.
"So..." Ginny hesitated.
"FYI, I'm not the one who did the prank. But I did supply the pink poodle chocolates." Draco smirked at his wonderful supply of tricks.
Ginny remember the pink poodle trio and started laughing loudly again. "That was absolutely brilliant, Draco! Did you see how pink Harry was? I really thought he was going to start chasing his tail! HAHAHA..."
"I almost gave myself away when you offered him a piece. I thought I will never see the day where a Gryffindor was involved in making the beloved Harry Potter into a pink poodle. Since when did you get yourself involved this whole prank?" Draco asked with his eye brows raised. Ginny was still laughing.
Finally, Ginny's laughter died down. "I was involved when you signalled me that something was wrong with the chocolate."
Draco seems to stiffen at her words. "I did not!! You didn't see me throwing love letters on your way, have you? Anyways, you looked horrible for the entire week. Who wouldn't notice? You're like a bloody zombie walking around the school. Did Pothead reject your love letters?"
"Honestly, do you get tired of insulting me, my brothers or Harry? Oh, please do not answer that." Ginny slap her hand on her forehead; thinking how Draco would have answered her.
Moments of silence passed as Ginny drown herself in her thoughts.
Ginny picked up a pebble and threw it into the lake. Ripples started to form as the pebble sank to the bottom of the lake. Like the pebble, she was sinking rock bottom. She felt lost and alone, doing the things that was not her at all. She wanted to smile, laugh and be happy but in reality, she can't. People that she loved have caused her pain in her heart.
'Is there something wrong with me? Is it wrong to be who I am? Why?' Ginny thought desperately.
She lowered her eyes and sang softy.
"Walking up the hill tonight when you have closed your eyes.
I wish I didn't have to make all those mistakes and be wise.
Please try to be patient and know that I'm still learning.
I'm sorry that you have to see the strength inside me burning."
With tears in her eyes, she turned to Draco and said "Why can't the world accept me for who I am?" Ginny covered her face with her hands and broke down.
Ginny felt arms wrapped round her and held her in an embrace. She cried on his shoulder. "I don't know, Gin." Draco said a gentle voice as Ginny continued to sob. Draco held her and understood how she felt – the pain was not much different from his.
At her favourite bench, Ginny has found a most unlikely friend who understood her most.
To be continued...
I think it's a sad chapter. The song is from the movie 'Once' – The hill by Marketa Irglova. I don't know how the next chapter will be because this chapter did turn out as I have planned. I cried while I wrote it because I currently feel that way. I will update this next week! See ya.
Love,
Angela