Chapter 4: Study in Room 214
Ginny Weasley was not one to be easily fooled. She could see that Malfoy's eyes were not moving as he stared at a page in his book. She wondered what was distracting him, and then a second later she wondered why she cared. Stupid really, he was a Malfoy, what he did was of absolutely no importance to her.
This study period was completely pointless! It would've been much easier for her to do her homework back in the Gryffindor common room, away from the sneaking Slytherins. She had to admit however, Nott, wasn't too bad. He seemed quite civilized compared to Zabini and Malfoy. Shockingly she was becoming reasonably used to his presence. This was a good thing she guessed, considering she was going to have to deal with him a lot this year.
Deciding she may as well get some work done, she pulled her Herbology essay out of her bag and started working on it. It was dull work and she'd never really liked the subject. Twice she wrote the wrong definition and had to redo it. On the third attempt she was perfectly content with leaving it be and moving on, when Nott who noticed her struggle, turned to help.
"It's the Atengiores' buds that are poisonous not their leaves." He said reading what she had written. She gave him a weary smile and added the fact to the definition. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Malfoy shoot Nott a quizzical look.
Probably pondering the meaning of helpfulness. Ginny thought smugly.
With Nott's help she had managed to finish most of her essay by the end of the period. The class left the room as soon as the bell rang. Many people she didn't know hurried past her for the exit. As soon as she was out of the class she looked around for Nott and spotted him walking a little way behind Malfoy and Zabini, heading to the Great Hall for lunch. She hurried to catch up with him.
"Thanks for the help today." Not bothering to look at Malfoy, who had turned around suddenly at the sound of her voice, she smiled at Nott. Normally, she would never show signs of affection toward a Slytherin, but after all the help he'd been she felt Nott deserved a note of thanks.
"Your welcome." He said, returning her smile timidly. "You were doing pretty well on your own; you just needed some fine tuning."
They continued to the Great Hall together, Malfoy frequently glancing behind him and shooting them perplexed looks. The seventh time this happened Ginny nudged Nott and pointed it out.
"I'm not complaining, but why don't you hangout with Malfoy? Every other Slytherin in your year seems drawn to him." She hoped by asking this she wasn't pushing it. If she was going to spend the whole year at a study table with Slytherin boys, it would be helpful to have a friendly face to look forward to. Nott, it seemed, was not offended and he answered her after a second's thoughtful silence.
"I'm not interested in rallying around anyone. The thought of someone controlling me does not…appeal to me. Being a Slytherin does not mean being attracted to power. A Slytherin is supposedly full of cunning and self preservation." He smiled a little at these words, a smile filled with Slytherin pride. "Unfortunately, to most this means rallying around someone bigger or stronger than themselves. I am fortunate enough not to share this trait. I prefer to stand alone."
Ginny just nodded in silence. She had never heard a Slytherin talk like that before. She had always considered them selfish bastards who loved to make fun of anyone they could. As she thought on it though, she came to realize that she didn't really know any Slytherins.
Gryffindor and Slytherins hated each other on site. She'd never taken the time to really get to know any of them. Head buzzing she said bye to Nott and headed off to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat next to Ariella Jack.
Ariella Jack was her best friend. Though they never really hung out over summer or holidays, she knew she could trust her with anything. Ariella's dark black hair hung long down her back and her pale white skin shinned flawless and clear. Her bright blue eyes, usually round with happiness and surprise, were narrowed with suspicious as Ginny took the seat next to her.
"Why did you just walk into the Great Hall with Theodore Nott?" Ariella asked her tone shocked. Ginny loaded her plate not answering at first. Finally Ariella cleared her throat and Ginny sighed.
"We're in the same study group and he was on the train with me, remember." Spotting the scandalized look on her friends face she said quickly "He's not like the others though! Way different from Wikly and Stepinson."
Thomas Wikly and William Stepinson were two Slytherins in their year. They had made it their life's mission to insult Ariella at ever opportunity. All because her pureblood father had married a muggle woman.
"That's what you say now, until he tries to trick you into something." Ariella said knowingly. Ginny rolled her eyes and didn't answer.
*****
Tuesday dawned grey and cloudy. Powerful winds blew rain against the windows forcing teachers to speak extra loud in order to be heard. Ginny's first few classes were as boring as ever. She had a double study after lunch today and as soon as she had finished her meal in the Great Hall she slumped off to room 214. She'd arrived early to make up for being tardy the day before. Hardly anyone was there yet. She took her seat at the empty table and was surprised when Draco Malfoy entered the class a minute after her. With a seconds hesitation he took the empty seat next to her.
"Malfoy?" He didn't answer and she stared at him as he pulled a potions book and a roll of parchment out of his bag.
"Malfoy!" she whispered loudly once the class was quietly settled around them.
"Yes?" He said curtly, not looking up from his potions essay.
"Why are sitting next to me?" She tried to keep her voice steady and calm, but this was just too bizarre. He spared her one look, his grey eyes meeting her brown ones, before turning back to his essay.
"Blaise and Nott don't have study this period since they take Advanced Ancient Runes." He crossed out a sentence and flicked through a few pages of his book. Ginny stared at him until it was clear he wasn't going to speak again.
"But that still doesn't explain why you're sitting next to me." Draco gave an exasperated sigh and turned, slowly, to face her.
"I didn't think it was such a problem. If it's really upsetting you I can move." He said this slowly and calmly, putting as little spite into it as he could possibly muster. He stared into her brown eyes and she stared back into the grey. There was no coldness or hardness to them, almost a curious calculating look. Finally, Ginny broke the gaze and leaned back in her chair.
"Its fine, you can stay." Draco swallowed and it looked like he was trying to say something difficult.
"Thank you." He replied curtly before swiftly returning to his essay. Ginny smirked and watched him return to work. His light blonde hair fell across his forehead were it had come loose from the gel he put in it. He slicked it back unconsciously and crossed out another sentence. Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled out an essay for Transfiguration.
The double period seemed to be going by slower than usual; halfway through it and she still hadn't finished more then the beginning of her essay. Annoyingly, next to her, Malfoy appeared to have finished all his homework and was causing green sparks to float in the air like frozen fireworks. Most of which seemed to float in her direction so that she had to pause in her writing to shoo them away. The third time this happened she threw her quill onto the table, angrily turning to look at Malfoy, infuriated even more to see that he was smirking.
"Do you mind?" She said irritably "I'm trying to work here."
He flicked his wand once and all the green sparks vanished. But Ginny wasn't finished with him yet.
"Just because I let you to sit next to me doesn't mean I give you permission to act like an ass and distract me from my work." Growling under her breath, Ginny picked up her quill and began fiercely crossing out her last sentence; which she had just realized was utterly wrong. She could see Malfoy looking at her, with an amused smirk on his arrogant face, out of the corner of her eye.
"Need some help with that?" He asked as she crossed out another sentence with resentment.
"No." She stated coldly, not looking up from her work. Malfoy didn't speak for a minute and she added another sentence to the essay.
"Human transfiguration has eight elemental properties, not five." He said quietly after several silent minutes had passed.
"Thank you," She replied stiffly and Malfoy merely nodded. She changed her mistake and took a deep breathe and let it out slowly, almost as if preparing herself for an epic battle.
"How many properties does animal transfiguration have?" She could almost feel the smugness radiating off him as she asked.
"Four." He answered simply, pulling his chair closer to read over her shoulder. Ginny could feel his breath on the back of her neck. It tingled slightly in a pleasant way and she shivered at the thought.
"Can you not read over my shoulder? It's distracting." She said frustrated. He shuffled back slightly although he continued to correct what she had written.
Shockingly, Malfoy knew a lot about transfiguration and Ginny had finished her essay with five minutes to spare before the end of the period. Putting past grudges away for the moment Ginny rolled up her essay and turned to Malfoy.
"Thanks Malfoy." She said gratefully packing away her things for the end of class.
"You're welcome Weasley." He hesitated for a second before adding, "You have trouble in your classes?"
Ginny paused in her packing to look at him and she roll her eyes.
"No. I just have no interest in my classes." She returned to packing in her things. "They're to boring."
"And what do you find interesting then?" He asked a little spiteful, he happened to find transfiguration very interesting.
"Flying." She answered simply, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.
"What? Like Quidditch?" He asked, sounding surprised
"Yes Malfoy, like Quidditch." She heard loud laughing behind her and spun around, stunned to find Malfoy laughing hard, his head thrown back.
"Like you could play Quidditch!" He managed to say through his laughter. "Good joke Weaslette."
Ginny didn't move she was used to her brothers picking on her for her love of Quidditch.
"You'll see Malfoy." She said calmly. "First match is Gryffindor vs. Slytherin and I'll be playing seeker."
"You really think you can beat me?" He asked smirking slightly, the laughter not yet gone from his face.
"Yeah, I do." She said with confidence.
"I doubt it Weasley." He replied smugly, while the bell signaled the end of class.
"You'll see, Malfoy." She assured him; grabbing her bag she left the room before he could reply.