A few weeks later, Ginny stood in the Potions lab, staring at the list of assigned partners for the final project. Professor Slughorn had explained the assignment at the beginning of class: Sixth years would be paired with seventh years to "foster collaboration and mentorship." And each pair would be made up of two different houses to "promote inter-house unity". It was an annual tradition in Slughorn's class—he believed pairing students with complementary skills from opposing houses would result in a more interesting, dynamic final potion.
Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes just thinking about it. Slughorn's matchmaking had more to do with his personal fascination with "inter-house unity" than with actual academic benefit. It had always seemed more like a social experiment than a real project to her.
Still, it was supposed to be a difficult potion, and she could use the help. Ginny scanned the list, her heart sinking as her eyes landed on her name.
Next to it: Draco Malfoy.
"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered under her breath.
Next to her, Hermione, who had been looking over the list as well, glanced at Ginny. "What's wrong?"
Ginny pointed to her name on the list, her finger hovering over the unfortunate pairing. Hermione's eyes widened in sympathy, and she winced. "Oh… well, maybe it won't be so bad," Hermione offered, though she didn't sound convinced.
Ginny let out an exasperated sigh. "The last thing I need is to spend more time with Malfoy. Slughorn always does this- pairing us up as if we're all going to become best mates just because we're forced to work together."
Hermione glanced at her own name on the list. "I've got Luna," she offered. "That'll be an interesting mix."
Ginny laughed softly. "Wanna trade?"
Just as she turned to find a seat, Draco walked into the lab. His eyes scanned the room before landing on Ginny. His expression shifted revealing the faintest hint of discomfort. He must've seen the list.
He approached, looking less smug than usual. "Weasley," he greeted, his tone neutral but awkward, as if unsure how to handle the situation.
"Malfoy," Ginny replied, trying not to sound too awkward herself.
Draco glanced at the list, then back at her, his shoulders stiffening slightly. "Looks like we're partners."
"Yeah," Ginny said stiffly, "Lucky us, right?"
He nodded, clearly feeling the same tension she was. "Slughorn wants the plan for the project by the end of the week. We should probably get started."
Ginny sighed again, but this time with less frustration and more resignation. "Right. Let's just...get it done."
They stood there for a moment in awkward silence, both clearly thinking about the uncomfortable situation they were now stuck in, before they reluctantly sat down to start planning their work.
They spent the next hour in stilted conversation, discussing the various potions they could choose from. Discussing potions got Draco back to his usual self, smug and opinionated, but Ginny found herself grudgingly admitting that he knew his stuff. They finally settled on a complex healing potion that required precise timing and rare ingredients.
As they were wrapping up, most other teams leaving, Ginny felt a familiar presence behind her. She turned to see Ron standing in the doorway, his eyes narrowed as he watched Draco. Hermione had filled him in on the project pairing, and Ginny could see from his expression that he wasn't happy about it.
"Ron, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked, trying to keep her tone light.
Ron ignored her, his gaze fixed on Draco. "Malfoy," he said, his voice low and cold.
Draco looked up, arching an eyebrow. "Weasley. Can I help you with something?"
Ron crossed his arms, his posture tense. "Yeah, you can. Don't fuck my sister again."
Ginny's eyes widened in shock, and even Draco seemed momentarily taken aback. Then, his eyes narrowed, and he straightened up, his expression hardening.
"Ron!" Ginny hissed, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "What the hell are you doing?"
Draco's smirk returned, though his eyes remained cold. "You've got quite the way with words, Weasley," he said to Ron. "But if you must know, your sister and I are just working on a project. Nothing more."
Ron took a step closer, his voice low and threatening. "I'm serious, Malfoy. Stay on the outside of her. You've already caused enough trouble."
Ginny stepped between them, her face flushed with anger. "I don't need you fighting my battles, Ron. Malfoy and I are just partners for this project. That's all."
Ron glared at her, his voice tight. "I'm just trying to look out for you, Ginny. You don't know what he's like."
Ginny's temper flared. "Ron. I can handle myself. I don't need you to protect me from him."
Draco watched the exchange with a bemused expression, his arms crossed. "As touching as this sibling drama is, I have better things to do. Weasley," he said, turning to Ginny, "let me know when you want to meet next. We need to gather some ingredients."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Ginny and Ron standing in the lab. Ginny glared at her brother, her hands on her hips. "You didn't have to do that," she snapped.
Ron looked exasperated. "I'm just trying to help, Ginny. You don't know what he's capable of."
Ginny shook her head, her frustration boiling over. "That was mortifying. I'm not some damsel in distress, Ron. I can handle Malfoy. Just trust me, okay?"
Ron sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. But if he does anything, anything at all, you let me know."
Ginny nodded, though her anger hadn't abated. "I will. Now go, before you make this worse."
Ron shot one last glare in the direction Draco had gone, then turned back to Ginny. Jabbing a finger in her direction, he muttered through gritted teeth, "Just don't sleep with him!" before storming out of the lab.
Ginny stood there for a moment, her cheeks flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. This project was going to be more complicated than she'd thought, and it wasn't just the potion that was going to need careful handling.
As she gathered her things, Ginny wondered what was going through Draco's mind. His reaction to Ron's outburst had been hard to read, but one thing was clear: they were both stuck in this, whether they liked it or not.
