Chapter One // She's So Smart
Ginny Weasley, the youngest Weasley, the girl Weasley, stared at her reflection in the mirror. Skinny and pale with auburn curls for the day. She wasn't pleased with what she saw, but it was the best she could do to get a good look. She wore her newest hand-me-down robes that reached up to her ankles. There wasn't a particular event that she was dressing nice for. No, she just wanted to look nice. She wanted a boyfriend. That's why. Ginny wanted a boyfriend. Simple and true. . . a boyfriend. Her brother, Ron(ald) Welasey, would FREAK, but she couldn't help that he couldn't tell the difference between a five year old and a fifTEEN year old. He was just too blind.
Ginny sighed to herself and walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She knew she was early and didn't wait up for Dhyna, her best friend, but she had nothing better to do. If she waited in the common room, all Ron would do would be bugging her about why she looked so nice. 'Honestly,' she thought, grinning, 'he needs to grow up.'
She walked in, knowing she would find no one there. But she was wrong. There were a couple of girls from Gryfinndor and Ravenclaw, chattering away over the latest issue of a witch magazine called S.P.A.R.K (Special, Pretty, And Really Kewt- the magazine for any teen witches!). Those girls were hopeless. Didn't they know that the magazine was made for dense heads? Honestly. . .
The dense girls weren't the only people in the Great Hall. Ginny looked around at her surroundings. Davy Fretchers and his girlfriend, Danielle Engles were at their Hufflepuff table, staring at each other with goo-goo eyes. Ginny turned her gaze to somewhere else. Now, she was looking at something worse! Ester Ringles and her boyfriend Drew Matherson were making out! 'EW! EW! EW!' Ginny thought and changed her gaze once more. Soon, she sat down, trying to digest what she saw. She saw Ryan Pingles and Lory Young making out, along with five other couples. She also saw six couples making goo-goo eyes at each other- NOT including the Hufflepuffs. Everyone had seem to have a love interest these days! Even Hermione! The bookworm- er. . . not that Ginny didn't like Hermione. Hermione and Ron had FINALLY started getting the message that had been right in front of their noses for like. . . what? FOUR YEARS?!
Harry, on the the other hand, was going out with Cho Chang. Ginny didn't mind. She finally realized Harry was a brother, not a boyfriend, and understood it well. She was actually happy for the two. She was. . . really! The only part that sucked was, well. . . she had no one that loved her.
Ginny sat there, finally digesting everything she'd seen. She had been staring at her plate and hadn't noticed the ferret in front of her. She slowly brought her gaze up and blushed madly.
"Weasley," he stated.
"Er. . . Malfoy? What are you. . . doing? This is the Gryfinndor table," she said.
"It's not my fault that McGonagall ordered me to sit here. Is it?" Draco said.
"What? Why?" Ginny asked.
"Darn you, Weaslette. You have to tutor me in Transfiguration," said he.
"WHAT?!" Ginny shouted, grabbing a lot of couple's attention. She blushed again.
"You. Me. Learning. Library. After dinner. Don't eat slowly," he said and stalked off towards the Slytherin table.
Ginny groaned. This was horrible! What kind of guy liked a girl who stayed in the library all day long?! Well. . . maybe Ron, but he's her brother! She was doomed. 'So much for getting a boyfriend!' she thought and got up and turned around to go talk to the head of her house.
"Eeep!" Ginny squealed. Professor McGonagall was standing right in front of her.
"Miss Weasley. Come with me," she demanded and Ginny followed.
Professor McGonagall took Ginny along as she grabbed five other students, all from different houses. She was walking with Neville Longbottom, Maleen Neethed, Martin Harrison, Hermione Granger, and Danny Matson. Ginny wondered why Professor McGonagall was taking all the smart kids (in Ginny's opinion) along with her.
Finally, after walking for about five minutes, Professor McGonagall took the group of students into her Transfiguration classroom.
"Now. All of you must be wondering why I needed to take you out of breakfast. The reason is that some students here in Hogwarts are failing some classes. . . No one specifically at the moment. All of you here have major talent in Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, Herbology, or perhaps Potions, and I would like each one of you to tutor a student. If you do so take this offer, you will be awarded to participate in classes with the students a year ahead of you from now on. Now, anyone objecting to this offer?" Professor McGonagall explained.
No one but Martin Harrison stepped up.
"I. . . I do, Professor. I think I would. . . like to stay in my normal classes," Martin mumbled.
"Right then, Mr. Harrison. Anyone else?" Professor McGonagall looked around. "Good. Mr. Harrison, you may return to breakfast. All of you others participating in this offer, please come up to me when I call your name and I will tell you who you are assigned to tutor and when, where, and what. Come along, then Mr. Longbottom."
Neville looked around. He certainly looked nervous and went up to Professor McGonagall. Now Ginny knew what Malfoy was talking about and she groaned again.
"Neville, you'll be teaching Herbology to Mr. Ron Weasley," Professor McGonagall said and coninued talking to Neville as Hermione and Ginny stole glances at each other and let out muffled giggles.
"Miss Wealsey," the professor said.
Ginny stepped up, ready for the bad news.
"You'll be tutoring Mr. Malfoy. In the libraries, every Monday through Thursday, starting today. You're excellence in Transfigurations has earned you a spot in Transfigurations with the students a year ahead of you. Now, no objections?"
"Professor, I'm- er. . . Really looking forward to this, but isn't there another student who need help other than Mal- I mean Mr. Malfoy?" Ginny asked slowly.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Weasley. Perhaps you want to reject this offer?"
"No. . . No, ma'am. No. Thank you," Ginny muttered gloomily. This was the offer of a lifetime! How could she reject it! Besides, rejecting it would only convince Malfoy to tease her some more. She had to do this. . .
"You may go back to breakfast. Have a good day. You'll be receiving a new schedule soon enough at breakfast and you will start advanced Transfiguration with the sixth years tomorrow," Professor McGonagall stated. Ginny nodded glumly and walked out of the classroom.
'Great! Just peachy! Me tutoring a Malfoy. . . I'm gonna die!' Ginny thought to herself. 'Not to mention, NO BOYFRIEND! Me, boyfriend-less. That makes it worse!'