Chapter 3: Visions and Confrontations
~*~
On the way down to dinner Ginny had once again encountered Pansy and kept walking. Hearing Pansy stop and whisper frantically to the two girls walking next to her, Ginny slowed her steps but couldn't hear anything. She sped back up the sound of Pansy's shrill laughter following her all the way to the Great Hall.
Once there Ginny searched for Luna but to no avail.
Where could that girl have gotten herself off to? Ginny scowled. Well now that I'm down here I might as well eat something. No one likes an empty stomach.
She sat down at the Gryffindor table away from the last few stragglers and picked a piece of roasted chicken off of one of the many still remaining platters of food and bit down. She then scooped some mashed potatoes and greens beans onto her plate and continued eating.
When she had finished her meal (which consisted of no less than three plates), Ginny stood and stretched.
It seemed that only a few people were still in the Great Hall and unfortunately for Ginny one of them was Draco Malfoy.
Ginny noticed him looking at her and she glared in his direction.
How dare he even glance at her after his performance this morning (which she had to admit was rather nice)?
She turned around flinging her long red hair behind her and stormed out of the Great Hall. She needed to find Luna and fast, before she exploded.
Walking right through some first-years Ginny decided to check the library next.
Entering the Library she realized where all of the students were.
Dear Circe! There aren’t exams for another three months! Don't these people have lives? Ginny shook her head.
Having circled the Library a few times, Ginny finally spotted Luna at one of the bookshelves. She stalked over to her.
"Where have you been?" she questioned a bewildered Luna forcefully. "I went down to dinner because I needed to talk to you and you weren't there!"
Luna cocked her head to the side and looked at Ginny strangely for a moment, her eyes seemingly blank. In fact Ginny could swear that Luna was looking straight through her.
"You kissed Malfoy this morning. Is that why you're so worked up?" Luna said returning to look for the book she had been searching for.
"He kissed me thank you very kindly, and yes that is what I am 'so worked up about'" she replied in a loud singsong voice.
"I don't understand what the problem is Ginny. You've been complaining for at least two months now that you've missed kissing and are lonely. Then when something like this happens, no thanks to your reluctance to let me find a snorttleplatter to suck out the plumdigger attatched to your earlobe which as you know causes brothers to become over-protective of their younger sisters driving all potential boyfriends away..." Here she paused and took a deep breath.
"Anyways you seem to have gotten rid of it all on your own." Luna whispered once again browsing titles while Ginny just stared.
Luna picked a book up off the shelf and pulled it down. She read its title and fliped through it seemingly looking for something. All the while Ginny was contemplating her friend's statement; her mouth set in a firm line.
"Like I said before," Luna continued "I don't understand why you're upset. You got what you wanted, plumdigger or not, didn't you?"
Luna started walking back towards her desk when Ginny began yelling.
"Luna, you can't be serious! This is Malfoy we're talking about! I can't believe..."
Whatever Ginny couldn't believe was cut-off, however, by a very red in the face Madame Pince frustratingly squeaking in disapproval and trying to make her way over to Ginny to scold her, but having trouble getting through all of the students in the library.
Ginny saw this and grabbed Luna by the arm pulling her behind a bookshelf and out of sight.
Luna turned to Ginny and sighed.
"Look, Gin. You know, I'd be willing to help in any situation involving snorttleplatters and plumdiggers but I really need to get this Potions essay done or Snape will have me cleaning toad guts off of the floor with a toothbrush for the rest of the year. So can we maybe talk about this tomorrow at breakfast or something?"
Ginny deflated just a bit.
"Sure, Luna, I'm sorry to have come bursting in here and bothering you. I was just so piffed at Malfoy, you know?"
Luna nodded. "I understand, but if you don't like him in the first place why are you making such a big deal about one little kiss?"
With that she turned away and walked back out into the library to try and find her desk again.
Ginny frowned at the thought Luna had given her and followed Luna's path back out into the library heading for the exit.
She didn't see Luna jump as if waking from a dream and shake her head as if to clear the cobwebs from it.
~*~
Wandering around the halls, she thought about what Luna had said and came up with an answer.
Although, I didn't like him, and still don't really, that kiss this morning was one of the best I've had, and there wasn't even tongue involved!
"Perhaps it's better for me to forget the whole thing ever happened." Ginny sighed and shook her head.
There's no future for a Malfoy and a Weasley anyways, so I might as well nip this in the bud.
She turned from the direction she had originally been going and walked back towards the hallway that would take her back to Gryffindor tower when she heard a commotion up ahead.
Treading lightly, Ginny slipped behind one of the many statues lining the hallway and waited for whatever was going on to come her way.
Sure enough, she heard two sets of footsteps and loud voices approaching her hiding place.
One of them was Draco Malfoy.
"No, Blaise, I don't see your point!" he said rather loudly, seemingly frustrated with his companion.
"How could you not!" Blaise replied, also frustrated. "I shagged Parkinson as a favor to you, and now I ask a favor of you and you deny me?"
Ginny turned so that she could see the two boys while still being covered behind the statue.
Draco turned to point a finger directly at Blaise's chest.
"I asked no such thing of you! You did Pansy because you were randy and couldn't keep it under control!"
Blaise came back at Draco full-force. "You always talked about how plain and uninteresting she was! What else was I to assume, but that you didn't want her anymore, if you did at all in the first place?"
"I did you a favor, mate. Now you don't have to marry that bint!"
"You don't get it do you?" Draco countered. "My father will find someone new, probably more spoiled than Pansy to fill her shoes!" He sighed and continued, "Even if I was to find someone else it wouldn't matter."
Blaise's eyes grew large and a shocked expression crossed his face.
"You already have someone else! The Weasley girl! That's why you won't let me have a go! You've got feelings for her don't you?"
Draco moved so fast Ginny was hard-pressed to follow his movements as he grabbed Blaise by the collar and shoved him against the closest wall.
"I am allowed anyone I choose. Understand?" Draco gritted out.
Blaise only nodded his agreement, his eyes now filled with fear.
"Good." Draco dropped the boy and stepped back. "I'm sure you know what my father thinks of blood traitors. So I trust you know when to keep your mouth shut?"
Draco said the last bit with a threatening edge to his voice.
Blaise nodded and slapped Draco on the back.
"Of course, my friend," he said cheerfully, but his eyes gave away that he knew Draco Malfoy was not to be messed with.
"Excellent," Draco replied, walking down the corridor further with Blaise in tow.
As they walked further away, Ginny emerged from behind the statue and took off for Gryffindor tower, her mind racing with what she had heard.
She didn't see as Pansy slid from behind one of the other many statues and made her way towards the library, smiling all the way.
~*~
~*~
On the way down to dinner Ginny had once again encountered Pansy and kept walking. Hearing Pansy stop and whisper frantically to the two girls walking next to her, Ginny slowed her steps but couldn't hear anything. She sped back up the sound of Pansy's shrill laughter following her all the way to the Great Hall.
Once there Ginny searched for Luna but to no avail.
Where could that girl have gotten herself off to? Ginny scowled. Well now that I'm down here I might as well eat something. No one likes an empty stomach.
She sat down at the Gryffindor table away from the last few stragglers and picked a piece of roasted chicken off of one of the many still remaining platters of food and bit down. She then scooped some mashed potatoes and greens beans onto her plate and continued eating.
When she had finished her meal (which consisted of no less than three plates), Ginny stood and stretched.
It seemed that only a few people were still in the Great Hall and unfortunately for Ginny one of them was Draco Malfoy.
Ginny noticed him looking at her and she glared in his direction.
How dare he even glance at her after his performance this morning (which she had to admit was rather nice)?
She turned around flinging her long red hair behind her and stormed out of the Great Hall. She needed to find Luna and fast, before she exploded.
Walking right through some first-years Ginny decided to check the library next.
Entering the Library she realized where all of the students were.
Dear Circe! There aren’t exams for another three months! Don't these people have lives? Ginny shook her head.
Having circled the Library a few times, Ginny finally spotted Luna at one of the bookshelves. She stalked over to her.
"Where have you been?" she questioned a bewildered Luna forcefully. "I went down to dinner because I needed to talk to you and you weren't there!"
Luna cocked her head to the side and looked at Ginny strangely for a moment, her eyes seemingly blank. In fact Ginny could swear that Luna was looking straight through her.
"You kissed Malfoy this morning. Is that why you're so worked up?" Luna said returning to look for the book she had been searching for.
"He kissed me thank you very kindly, and yes that is what I am 'so worked up about'" she replied in a loud singsong voice.
"I don't understand what the problem is Ginny. You've been complaining for at least two months now that you've missed kissing and are lonely. Then when something like this happens, no thanks to your reluctance to let me find a snorttleplatter to suck out the plumdigger attatched to your earlobe which as you know causes brothers to become over-protective of their younger sisters driving all potential boyfriends away..." Here she paused and took a deep breath.
"Anyways you seem to have gotten rid of it all on your own." Luna whispered once again browsing titles while Ginny just stared.
Luna picked a book up off the shelf and pulled it down. She read its title and fliped through it seemingly looking for something. All the while Ginny was contemplating her friend's statement; her mouth set in a firm line.
"Like I said before," Luna continued "I don't understand why you're upset. You got what you wanted, plumdigger or not, didn't you?"
Luna started walking back towards her desk when Ginny began yelling.
"Luna, you can't be serious! This is Malfoy we're talking about! I can't believe..."
Whatever Ginny couldn't believe was cut-off, however, by a very red in the face Madame Pince frustratingly squeaking in disapproval and trying to make her way over to Ginny to scold her, but having trouble getting through all of the students in the library.
Ginny saw this and grabbed Luna by the arm pulling her behind a bookshelf and out of sight.
Luna turned to Ginny and sighed.
"Look, Gin. You know, I'd be willing to help in any situation involving snorttleplatters and plumdiggers but I really need to get this Potions essay done or Snape will have me cleaning toad guts off of the floor with a toothbrush for the rest of the year. So can we maybe talk about this tomorrow at breakfast or something?"
Ginny deflated just a bit.
"Sure, Luna, I'm sorry to have come bursting in here and bothering you. I was just so piffed at Malfoy, you know?"
Luna nodded. "I understand, but if you don't like him in the first place why are you making such a big deal about one little kiss?"
With that she turned away and walked back out into the library to try and find her desk again.
Ginny frowned at the thought Luna had given her and followed Luna's path back out into the library heading for the exit.
She didn't see Luna jump as if waking from a dream and shake her head as if to clear the cobwebs from it.
~*~
Wandering around the halls, she thought about what Luna had said and came up with an answer.
Although, I didn't like him, and still don't really, that kiss this morning was one of the best I've had, and there wasn't even tongue involved!
"Perhaps it's better for me to forget the whole thing ever happened." Ginny sighed and shook her head.
There's no future for a Malfoy and a Weasley anyways, so I might as well nip this in the bud.
She turned from the direction she had originally been going and walked back towards the hallway that would take her back to Gryffindor tower when she heard a commotion up ahead.
Treading lightly, Ginny slipped behind one of the many statues lining the hallway and waited for whatever was going on to come her way.
Sure enough, she heard two sets of footsteps and loud voices approaching her hiding place.
One of them was Draco Malfoy.
"No, Blaise, I don't see your point!" he said rather loudly, seemingly frustrated with his companion.
"How could you not!" Blaise replied, also frustrated. "I shagged Parkinson as a favor to you, and now I ask a favor of you and you deny me?"
Ginny turned so that she could see the two boys while still being covered behind the statue.
Draco turned to point a finger directly at Blaise's chest.
"I asked no such thing of you! You did Pansy because you were randy and couldn't keep it under control!"
Blaise came back at Draco full-force. "You always talked about how plain and uninteresting she was! What else was I to assume, but that you didn't want her anymore, if you did at all in the first place?"
"I did you a favor, mate. Now you don't have to marry that bint!"
"You don't get it do you?" Draco countered. "My father will find someone new, probably more spoiled than Pansy to fill her shoes!" He sighed and continued, "Even if I was to find someone else it wouldn't matter."
Blaise's eyes grew large and a shocked expression crossed his face.
"You already have someone else! The Weasley girl! That's why you won't let me have a go! You've got feelings for her don't you?"
Draco moved so fast Ginny was hard-pressed to follow his movements as he grabbed Blaise by the collar and shoved him against the closest wall.
"I am allowed anyone I choose. Understand?" Draco gritted out.
Blaise only nodded his agreement, his eyes now filled with fear.
"Good." Draco dropped the boy and stepped back. "I'm sure you know what my father thinks of blood traitors. So I trust you know when to keep your mouth shut?"
Draco said the last bit with a threatening edge to his voice.
Blaise nodded and slapped Draco on the back.
"Of course, my friend," he said cheerfully, but his eyes gave away that he knew Draco Malfoy was not to be messed with.
"Excellent," Draco replied, walking down the corridor further with Blaise in tow.
As they walked further away, Ginny emerged from behind the statue and took off for Gryffindor tower, her mind racing with what she had heard.
She didn't see as Pansy slid from behind one of the other many statues and made her way towards the library, smiling all the way.
~*~
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