I actually don’t sail on the Draco/Ginny ship anymore, so I wasn’t sure if working on this story was a good idea or not. I guess I’ll just see if people like it, and if they do I’ll keep it going. I hope you enjoy it! *crosses fingers, toes, and tongue* Oh, and please review!
Thanks!
Disclaimer: Hmm… If I owned Harry Potter, I would live in an enormous mansion with a dozen walk-in closets. Since I currently live in a tiny subdivision, and my closet is about 2 feet across, we can safely conclude that I do not own Harry Potter.
Enjoy!
“Ugh. Two feet of parchment on the properties of wolfsbane? He’s mad!” Ginny grumbled to herself before sinking into a chair next to Hermione at the Gryffindor table.
“Snape’s hobwork gein oo ‘own, Gin?” Ron said, through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
Ginny and Hermione exchanged looks of disgust before snapping at Ron to swallow before trying to talk. This sent the two sixth years into another of their frequent arguments, leaving Ginny to ponder her horrible fate alone. She never imagined the homework would be so extensive in fifth year! Yes, there were the O.W.L.s to prepare for, but was it really necessary to load them down with so much work that she could hardly find time to sleep anymore? However, before she could spend too much time dwelling on this subject, Harry showed up and decided to bring her back into the conversation.
“So Ginny, I heard you broke up with Dean? Sorry to hear about that,” Harry said, in what he obviously hoped was a casual, indifferent tone.
“Yeah, Harry I did. He just wouldn’t except that I’m a big girl who can climb through the portrait hole all by herself,” Ginny answered. She’d noticed that Harry had started to send hopeful looks in her direction at mealtimes, and he also made sure to walk with her back to the school after Quidditch practices.
‘Well it’s too bad it’s taken him five years to realize he’s interested!’ she thought to herself. ‘I mean everyone knows I was crazy about him at first, but does he really expect me to still feel that way?’
Ginny still loved Harry, but he was more like another brother to her than a boyfriend. She’d realized this in her third year, and soon after that she started dating, hoping to find someone who saw her as Ginny, and not as “Ron’s little sister” or “the girl with the crush on Harry Potter”. Michael Corner was okay, but he was much too obsessed with Quidditch for her liking. Then came Dean, and after that break up, Ginny pretty much found herself on her own for the time being. Once again pulling herself out of her dismal thoughts, Ginny tried to follow Harry’s new plans for Quidditch practice.
“Ok, I think if we nail these new techniques, we’ll have the game against Slytherin in the bag. I can’t wait to see Malfoy’s face when we snatch the Cup right out from under them!” Harry exclaimed.
Ron guffawed at the thought, and Hermione scowled at him to “be quiet while she tried to finish reading this paper for Arithmancy”.
At the mention of the blonde Slytherin’s name Ginny had turned around to look at him, expecting to see him insulting or hexing someone. Instead his silver eyes were fixed on a letter, brought by his eagle owl, who was now helping itself to some of Malfoy’s pumpkin juice. As his eyes scanned the page a dark look crossed his pale face, followed by something that looked a lot like panic.
Thinking she must have imagined it, Ginny hurriedly finished up her dinner of steak and kidney pie before begging Hermione to help her with her Potions essay.
“Hermione, please! I’ll never get it done with out you, and if Snape gives me a detention I’ll miss Quidditch practice! Please, please, please?” she whined.
“Oh, alright! I’ll help you, but don’t blame me when you fail your O.W.L.s because you haven’t done any of your homework with out me correcting every other sentence you write!” Hermione finally agreed.
“Yes! Thanks ‘Mione!” Ginny squealed, wrapping her friend in an enormous hug.
“You know Gin, if you strangle me the teachers might have something to say about it, not to mention I won’t be able to help you do your homework ever again,” Hermione managed to choke out.
,
“No, no! Ginny, wolfsbane and monkshood are identical not wolfsbane and mandrake! Come on now, I’ve been telling you that for ages,” Hermione exclaimed later as the two Gryffindors sat in the common room, trying to ignore the first years’ game of Exploding Snap going on right next to them.
“Sorry Hermione, but it’s kind of hard to concentrate on one’s homework when one is in danger of getting their head blown off by those midgets,” Ginny grumbled bitterly, sending a withering glare at the eleven year olds. This essay was taking way too long and she just wanted to go to bed and forget about it. When in her life was she going to need to know this stuff anyway? It wasn't as if she wanted to become Professor Snape Jr. or anything.
As if she could read Ginny’s thoughts Hermione answered the question she’d been pondering.
“You know Gin, almost every career out there requires you to be able to brew a few potions, and wolfsbane is one of the most important ingredients there is! Now hurry up, you’re almost done. Just fix that bit about the mandrake and you should be able to get at least an A on your essay.”
‘Finally,’ Ginny thought, as she corrected her paper to Hermione’s liking. ‘Maybe I’ll actually get some sleep tonight!’
After packing up her quill and parchment, she was about to head upstairs when Hermione called after her.
“Ginny? Can I talk to you about something?” she sounded nervous.
“Sure, ‘Mione, but make it quick, I’m exhausted!”
“Oh, no that’s alright, I’ll just…never mind,” Hermione muttered.
Ginny sighed. She knew Hermione. If that girl ever thought she was inconveniencing someone with her own problems, she would just clam up and hope she could deal with it by herself.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so annoyed. We can talk for awhile if you want,” Ginny relented.
“Oh, well I just wanted to ask your advice on something,” she hesitated. “Let’s say there’s this guy, and he’s been your friend for awhile but lately you feel kind of different around him? Like you start getting nervous and your palms sweat whenever he’s around? And you always fight but really you just want to”“
“Hermione, I think I’ve broken your cleverly devised code. You’re talking about Ron, aren’t you?” Ginny sighed.
“Oh, um…maybe,” Hermione squeaked.
“Oh come on ‘Mione! You guys are perfect for each other. He’s just too thick to realize that you’re interested,”
“But he never shows that he’s interested either! He just acts like he always does. I don’t think he has feelings for me, or at least not the same ones that I have for him…,” Hermione trailed off.
“That’s because he has the emotional span of a teaspoon, remember? You said so yourself,” Ginny said grinning.
“I suppose,” Hermione said, smiling back. She seemed to gain some confidence after this. “So I’ve told you who I’m after. Don’t you think you should do the same? I mean now that you’re over Dean you’ve got to find someone new, right? Who’s it gonna be?”
For a second a pale face with stormy eyes flashed in Ginny’s mind, but she dismissed it as an effect of lack of sleep.
‘That could never happen. He’s a Slytherin! His father’s a Death Eater; he’s probably a Death Eater, too. But then again he is gorgeous, there’s no denying that, and he”“
She was broken out of her thoughts by Hermione clearing her throat and looking up at her expectantly.
“Oh, I think I’ll probably just stay single for now. There isn’t really anybody I’m interested in,” she said, tossing back her long red hair and trying to sound casual, but ending up sounding slightly out of breath.
Hermione nodded, but her face was the picture of skepticism.
Biting her lip, Ginny said a quick goodnight before retreating towards the stairs, dodging several explosions coming from the first years on the way up.
Had she just thought of Malfoy as handsome? What was wrong with her! She groaned as she flopped down on her red and gold sheets.
‘I just need to sleep,’ she thought. ‘My brain is obviously not working properly. No wonder I mixed up monkshood and mandrake…’ And with thoughts of her potions essay running through her mind, she finally drifted off to sleep.
But not before reminding herself once again that Draco Malfoy was an evil, cocky, cruel, hateful, gorgeous, sexy…stupid guy.