A New Term Begins
Ron, Hermione, and Harry were sitting at the Gryffindor table waiting for Professor Dumbledore’s annual Beginning of Term speech. Hermione had walked into the Great Hall expecting Harry and Ron to be seated near Ginny. When she saw her best friends, however, Ginny was nowhere near them. As soon as she took a seat next to Ron, she asked, “Where’s Ginny? Or have you two even found her yet?”
Harry responded by looking pointedly down the table. Hermione followed Harry’s eyes and found that Ginny was sitting all the way at the other end of the table. Hermione finally noticed Ron’s reddening face when she looked up after catching him clenching and unclenching his fists. “What is wrong with you, Ron?”
Ron only snorted in the direction of where his sister was sitting. Again, Hermione turned her head to look at Ginny’s end of the table. It was then that she saw who Ginny was sitting next to and what exactly was going on between them. Hermione looked back at Ron and Harry. Ron still looked like he was about to go over to the boy and pound his head in. Hermione was surprised to see that Harry looked like he was about to do the same. She knew that she and Ginny were like sisters to Harry, but she hadn’t known Harry to be close enough to Ginny that he would actually be willing to distort a boy physically just for flirting with her. Then she saw it. While Ron’s eyes flashed with overprotective ‘oh-no-that-git-is-not-flirting-with-my-baby-sister’ anger, Harry’s eyes had something else in them, not just anger but…jealousy. Hermione was beside herself. When had that happened? She just couldn’t believe it. After all these years, Harry was finally noticing Ginny. Not Ron’s younger sister Ginny, but just…Ginny. She couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto her face.
*****
Ron couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Was that Creevey boy actually flirting with his sister? What the hell was he thinking? Ron was pretty sure that he and the twins had done a pretty good job of making it clear to the male population of the school, especially to those of Gryffindor tower; no one was allowed to touch the Baby Weasley. Ron was absolutely fuming.
*****
“Thank you, Colin.” Ginny smiled sweetly at the undeniably handsome young man that Colin Creevey had grown to become. She also had to fight from rolling her eyes. Ginny wasn’t blind, she knew that Colin was handsome. She just never looked at him as more than a friend.
The hall quieted as the doors to the hall opened and the first years walked to the front of the room. As soon as everyone was sorted, Dumbledore stood to give his speech. It was pretty much the same as it was every year, except this year, Dumbledore seemed to have a little sadness in his voice. The twinkles in his eyes weren’t as bright as they usually were. “…And so, a new term begins.”
Everyone applauded, and the food appeared.
As Ginny raised her goblet to her lips, Colin asked, “So Ginny, would you like to accompany me on the first trip to Hogsmeade?” Ginny almost spit out the contents of her mouth all over Colin’s front.
“W – what?” Ginny stuttered in surprise. ‘Did he just ask me out on a date? Oh, shit, he did.’ “Colin, I real─” Ginny was cut off by a big thump to her right. She groaned as she turned to find Ron at her side.
“Hello Ginny,” Ron smiled at his sister. “Creevey,” he addressed Colin with a nod and a glare. Colin must have realised the hint; he quickly said goodbye to Ginny, promising that they would talk later, and went to ask Hermione for the new password, so he could head up to the common room. After Colin got the password from Hermione, he made his way back down the table toward the doors and surprised the entire hall by cupping Ginny’s face with one of his hands and kissing the corner of her mouth. Everyone in the Great Hall, teachers and students alike, sat with their mouths agape. All the girls couldn’t believe that Colin, one of the most attractive boys in school, just showed open affection to a girl that wasn’t them. The boys, on the other hand, looked on with both jealousy and admiration. Ginny Weasley was no doubt one of the, if not the, most attractive girls in school. She was also seemingly unattainable with six older brothers and the great Harry Potter watching over her. The boys, Slytherin included, were jealous of the fact that Ginny might actually be taken, but also respected Colin’s bravery at displaying open affection in front of one of her own brothers.
Ginny was frozen in place. ‘He did not just do that! He wouldn’t dare! Ron’s right beside me. Shit, shit, shit! How the hell did I get myself into this mess?’
Colin had just begun to continue his way up to the common room, when he bumped into someone. Colin looked up expecting to see either Ron or Harry and gasped as he discovered that it was neither. Colin found himself staring at the cold and expressionless face of Draco Malfoy. Colin braced himself for an insult, but was only more surprised when Draco continued to look over his shoulder before he curtly nodded, and turned to leave the hall. Colin, though relieved, was thoroughly confused, as was the rest of the Great Hall.
*****
“What do you think that was all about?” Harry turned to ask Hermione when everyone began talking again.
“I don’t know, but Malfoy was looking right at Ginny…”
“Do you think that maybe they have some sort of… I dunno… mutual respect for each other?”
“Maybe.” One of Harry’s brows rose in question as Hermione answered in barely a whisper.
“Hermione, is everything okay? What do you think is going on?”
“I know this might sound a little far-fetched, but have you ever thought of the possibility that Malfoy might be a part of whatever Ginny is hiding from us?”
Harry gaped for a very long time before he was able to compose himself, “You can’t be serious! Ginny knows better than to involve herself with a Malfoy. You do remember what happened in her first year, right?”
“Well maybe she is being forced to do something. I don’t know, maybe Malfoy has something to hold over her head.” Hermione shook her head and looked down at her hands. If Ginny had been hanging out with Malfoy, then a lot of things made sense. Of course, she’d hide it from everyone. The Weasleys and the Malfoys hate each other. Their houses hate each other. Hermione couldn’t help the small smile that graced her lips, as she thought that if Ginny and Malfoy were really seeing each other, or were just friends for that matter, how much their situation resembled that of Romeo and Juliet’s. Ginny’s brothers, specifically Ron, would be a fitting Tybalt. Although it was Capulet that was the irate father, that part would no doubt suit Lucius Malfoy far better. If Hermione’s assumptions about Harry’s feelings for Ginny were correct, then Harry would be Paris.
Hermione was snapped out of her deep trance of comparing Shakespeare’s most famous play to the most famous family rivalry in the wizarding world when she saw the blur that was Harry get up from the table and walk right out of the hall.
It wasn’t before Ron spoke that she even noticed that he was there. “Ginny said that she was going to go back to the common room.”
“Ron, what’s going on?”
“She never came to you for the password.”
“Oh.”
“I didn’t realise that until I sat down and Harry pointed it out to me. Since we have duties, he offered to go and check on her. He said he’d make sure to keep a very close eye on her.”
*****
Ginny had just stepped out of the Great Hall and was about to head to…
“Hey Gin!”
She suppressed a groan and slowly turned around, “Hello Harry.”
“Ron said that you were going to head up to the common room, but you forgot to get the password.”
‘Shit, he’s right. How could I have been so stupid?’
“I was feeling a bit tired myself, so I came to catch up with you so we could walk up together. The password is ‘suckleberries’.”
Ginny racked her brain for an excuse to get away.
Ron, Hermione, and Harry were sitting at the Gryffindor table waiting for Professor Dumbledore’s annual Beginning of Term speech. Hermione had walked into the Great Hall expecting Harry and Ron to be seated near Ginny. When she saw her best friends, however, Ginny was nowhere near them. As soon as she took a seat next to Ron, she asked, “Where’s Ginny? Or have you two even found her yet?”
Harry responded by looking pointedly down the table. Hermione followed Harry’s eyes and found that Ginny was sitting all the way at the other end of the table. Hermione finally noticed Ron’s reddening face when she looked up after catching him clenching and unclenching his fists. “What is wrong with you, Ron?”
Ron only snorted in the direction of where his sister was sitting. Again, Hermione turned her head to look at Ginny’s end of the table. It was then that she saw who Ginny was sitting next to and what exactly was going on between them. Hermione looked back at Ron and Harry. Ron still looked like he was about to go over to the boy and pound his head in. Hermione was surprised to see that Harry looked like he was about to do the same. She knew that she and Ginny were like sisters to Harry, but she hadn’t known Harry to be close enough to Ginny that he would actually be willing to distort a boy physically just for flirting with her. Then she saw it. While Ron’s eyes flashed with overprotective ‘oh-no-that-git-is-not-flirting-with-my-baby-sister’ anger, Harry’s eyes had something else in them, not just anger but…jealousy. Hermione was beside herself. When had that happened? She just couldn’t believe it. After all these years, Harry was finally noticing Ginny. Not Ron’s younger sister Ginny, but just…Ginny. She couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto her face.
*****
Ron couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Was that Creevey boy actually flirting with his sister? What the hell was he thinking? Ron was pretty sure that he and the twins had done a pretty good job of making it clear to the male population of the school, especially to those of Gryffindor tower; no one was allowed to touch the Baby Weasley. Ron was absolutely fuming.
*****
“Thank you, Colin.” Ginny smiled sweetly at the undeniably handsome young man that Colin Creevey had grown to become. She also had to fight from rolling her eyes. Ginny wasn’t blind, she knew that Colin was handsome. She just never looked at him as more than a friend.
The hall quieted as the doors to the hall opened and the first years walked to the front of the room. As soon as everyone was sorted, Dumbledore stood to give his speech. It was pretty much the same as it was every year, except this year, Dumbledore seemed to have a little sadness in his voice. The twinkles in his eyes weren’t as bright as they usually were. “…And so, a new term begins.”
Everyone applauded, and the food appeared.
As Ginny raised her goblet to her lips, Colin asked, “So Ginny, would you like to accompany me on the first trip to Hogsmeade?” Ginny almost spit out the contents of her mouth all over Colin’s front.
“W – what?” Ginny stuttered in surprise. ‘Did he just ask me out on a date? Oh, shit, he did.’ “Colin, I real─” Ginny was cut off by a big thump to her right. She groaned as she turned to find Ron at her side.
“Hello Ginny,” Ron smiled at his sister. “Creevey,” he addressed Colin with a nod and a glare. Colin must have realised the hint; he quickly said goodbye to Ginny, promising that they would talk later, and went to ask Hermione for the new password, so he could head up to the common room. After Colin got the password from Hermione, he made his way back down the table toward the doors and surprised the entire hall by cupping Ginny’s face with one of his hands and kissing the corner of her mouth. Everyone in the Great Hall, teachers and students alike, sat with their mouths agape. All the girls couldn’t believe that Colin, one of the most attractive boys in school, just showed open affection to a girl that wasn’t them. The boys, on the other hand, looked on with both jealousy and admiration. Ginny Weasley was no doubt one of the, if not the, most attractive girls in school. She was also seemingly unattainable with six older brothers and the great Harry Potter watching over her. The boys, Slytherin included, were jealous of the fact that Ginny might actually be taken, but also respected Colin’s bravery at displaying open affection in front of one of her own brothers.
Ginny was frozen in place. ‘He did not just do that! He wouldn’t dare! Ron’s right beside me. Shit, shit, shit! How the hell did I get myself into this mess?’
Colin had just begun to continue his way up to the common room, when he bumped into someone. Colin looked up expecting to see either Ron or Harry and gasped as he discovered that it was neither. Colin found himself staring at the cold and expressionless face of Draco Malfoy. Colin braced himself for an insult, but was only more surprised when Draco continued to look over his shoulder before he curtly nodded, and turned to leave the hall. Colin, though relieved, was thoroughly confused, as was the rest of the Great Hall.
*****
“What do you think that was all about?” Harry turned to ask Hermione when everyone began talking again.
“I don’t know, but Malfoy was looking right at Ginny…”
“Do you think that maybe they have some sort of… I dunno… mutual respect for each other?”
“Maybe.” One of Harry’s brows rose in question as Hermione answered in barely a whisper.
“Hermione, is everything okay? What do you think is going on?”
“I know this might sound a little far-fetched, but have you ever thought of the possibility that Malfoy might be a part of whatever Ginny is hiding from us?”
Harry gaped for a very long time before he was able to compose himself, “You can’t be serious! Ginny knows better than to involve herself with a Malfoy. You do remember what happened in her first year, right?”
“Well maybe she is being forced to do something. I don’t know, maybe Malfoy has something to hold over her head.” Hermione shook her head and looked down at her hands. If Ginny had been hanging out with Malfoy, then a lot of things made sense. Of course, she’d hide it from everyone. The Weasleys and the Malfoys hate each other. Their houses hate each other. Hermione couldn’t help the small smile that graced her lips, as she thought that if Ginny and Malfoy were really seeing each other, or were just friends for that matter, how much their situation resembled that of Romeo and Juliet’s. Ginny’s brothers, specifically Ron, would be a fitting Tybalt. Although it was Capulet that was the irate father, that part would no doubt suit Lucius Malfoy far better. If Hermione’s assumptions about Harry’s feelings for Ginny were correct, then Harry would be Paris.
Hermione was snapped out of her deep trance of comparing Shakespeare’s most famous play to the most famous family rivalry in the wizarding world when she saw the blur that was Harry get up from the table and walk right out of the hall.
It wasn’t before Ron spoke that she even noticed that he was there. “Ginny said that she was going to go back to the common room.”
“Ron, what’s going on?”
“She never came to you for the password.”
“Oh.”
“I didn’t realise that until I sat down and Harry pointed it out to me. Since we have duties, he offered to go and check on her. He said he’d make sure to keep a very close eye on her.”
*****
Ginny had just stepped out of the Great Hall and was about to head to…
“Hey Gin!”
She suppressed a groan and slowly turned around, “Hello Harry.”
“Ron said that you were going to head up to the common room, but you forgot to get the password.”
‘Shit, he’s right. How could I have been so stupid?’
“I was feeling a bit tired myself, so I came to catch up with you so we could walk up together. The password is ‘suckleberries’.”
Ginny racked her brain for an excuse to get away.
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