Chapter 7- Patrick’s Doing
Time passed, days came and went, and Ginny for the most part fell back into her old routine: go to classes, gape at amount of homework, go to rehearsal, hang with Draco instead of doing homework, go to bed, repeat. The routine was comforting in that life was finally getting back to normal. When she was singing her heart out, gossiping with Natasha, or playing pranks with Blaise, she felt like Hogwarts was home again. Still, there was this small needling aggravation that she couldn’t shake, like a mosquito that won’t stop buzzing around your ear. Something was wrong… or, to be exact, someone. Yes, you know who.
Ginny watched from across the room as Kaya flirted with Blaise, a mixture of disgust and jealousy on her face. Her head told her that she had no reason to hate Kaya like she did, but the stubborn Weasley in her said that Blaise deserved better.
“What does that look mean?”
Ginny jumped and whipped around, glaring up at the person who had surprised her. “Patrick, you’ve got to stop doing that! My gosh, one of these times I’m going to drop dead from heart failure.”
Patrick just grinned unrepentantly and nodded toward Kaya and Blaise. “What was that look for, Gin? You looked like you had to listen to Blaise’s rendition of ‘Man, I Feel like a Woman’ again.”
Ginny had to smile at the memory of last year’s cast party, but she shrugged and sighed at his question. “I don’t know... I guess I just really think Blaise could do better than her.”
A strange look flickered across Patrick’s face, but Ginny missed it. “Do you even know her, Gin?"
Ginny snorted. “I’ve seen all I need.”
Patrick straightened, frowning. “I thought you were better than that, Ginny. You made the same snap judgments about Draco last year, and it turned out you were all wrong. I’d have thought you learned your lesson.”
“But-” Ginny started to reply, but Patrick had already walked away. Feeling more than slightly hurt and confused, she turned back to watch Kaya flirt with Blaise. The pretty blonde didn’t seem to be doing anything more than playing with his emotions, but maybe she actually cared, who knew?
Heaving a sigh, Ginny rose from her bench and walked across the room to where the laughing pair sat.
“Blaise, I’m borrowing Kaya for a second,” she said, grabbing the other girl’s arm and pulling her away. They got out of hearing distance from Blaise, and Ginny suddenly found she didn’t have the words.
“Listen, I... um... ” Ginny struggled to get it out, but understanding filled Kaya’s blue eyes.
“Yeah-” Kaya stopped and smiled slightly, awkwardly. “Me, too.”
Blaise watched the two women walk away and his heart squeezed. Ginny was Draco’s and Draco was Ginny’s, and that was just the way things were. Why couldn’t he accept it? And what was this strange feeling? Was it possibly… need? This was a new completely foreign experience for Blaise. He’d grown up in a very prosperous, very privileged wizarding family; he’d never wanted for anything. So why did he suddenly feel like he was missing something?
“There are other fish in the sea, Blaise. Set your sights on someone else and be happy for your friends.”
Natasha’s words from the previous week rang in his head. Ginny was taken; he needed to put those feelings aside and move on. Unconsciously, Blaise’s gaze slid from the slightly curvy redhead’s form to Kaya’s voluptuous figure. He read the slight tension in her muscles as she and Ginny carried on a conversation that obviously awkward for both of them. He watched the light play off her shimmery golden hair as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.
“There are other fish in the sea, Blaise. Set your sights on someone else…”
Their interchange finished, Ginny and Kaya headed back to where Blaise was sitting. Kaya laughed at something the redhead said, and a moment later, her sparkling blue eyes met Blaise’s intense brown ones; she held his gaze for just a second longer than protocol dictated, and Blaise felt chills run down his back.
“Set your sights on someone else…”
Patrick watched Ginny and Kaya rehearse, their stage chemistry finally flowing, and he felt something akin to fatherly pride. Ginny was really growing into such a performer. Last year… she’d been good, but not great. This year, she was finally starting to understand what acting really was. It wasn’t pretending to be someone else; it was being someone else.
Actually… Ginny was growing up, period. She had matured so much over the last year that it was hard to even connect her to the person she’d been before. Sure, she had relapses every now and then, but all she really needed was a nudge in the right direction and she’d get back on track. Patrick shook his head and sighed. Draco didn’t know how lucky he was.
Just then, the music reached a crescendo and Patrick’s attention was drawn back to the stage, where Kaya was just pulling a calendar of famous leaders out of a suitcase.
“When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features
I remind them on their own behalf to think of
Celebrated heads of state or especially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?”
Kaya threw the calendar over her shoulder, amused incredulity on her face.
“Don’t make me laugh! They were popular
Please, it’s all about popular
It’s not about aptitude, it’s the way you’re viewed
So it’s very shrewd to be very very popular like me!”
The music slowed, and Kaya put a mirror in front of Ginny, sounding awed. “Why, Miss Elphaba—look at you. You’re beautiful.”
Ginny stared at herself, then rose and quickly left the room. “I—I have to go--”
“You’re welcome!” Kaya said in a huff, then she smiled and softened.
“And though you protest your disinterest
I know clandestinely you’re gonna grin and bear it
Your new-found popularity
La la la la
You’ll be popular
Just not quite as popular as me!”
Time passed, days came and went, and Ginny for the most part fell back into her old routine: go to classes, gape at amount of homework, go to rehearsal, hang with Draco instead of doing homework, go to bed, repeat. The routine was comforting in that life was finally getting back to normal. When she was singing her heart out, gossiping with Natasha, or playing pranks with Blaise, she felt like Hogwarts was home again. Still, there was this small needling aggravation that she couldn’t shake, like a mosquito that won’t stop buzzing around your ear. Something was wrong… or, to be exact, someone. Yes, you know who.
Ginny watched from across the room as Kaya flirted with Blaise, a mixture of disgust and jealousy on her face. Her head told her that she had no reason to hate Kaya like she did, but the stubborn Weasley in her said that Blaise deserved better.
“What does that look mean?”
Ginny jumped and whipped around, glaring up at the person who had surprised her. “Patrick, you’ve got to stop doing that! My gosh, one of these times I’m going to drop dead from heart failure.”
Patrick just grinned unrepentantly and nodded toward Kaya and Blaise. “What was that look for, Gin? You looked like you had to listen to Blaise’s rendition of ‘Man, I Feel like a Woman’ again.”
Ginny had to smile at the memory of last year’s cast party, but she shrugged and sighed at his question. “I don’t know... I guess I just really think Blaise could do better than her.”
A strange look flickered across Patrick’s face, but Ginny missed it. “Do you even know her, Gin?"
Ginny snorted. “I’ve seen all I need.”
Patrick straightened, frowning. “I thought you were better than that, Ginny. You made the same snap judgments about Draco last year, and it turned out you were all wrong. I’d have thought you learned your lesson.”
“But-” Ginny started to reply, but Patrick had already walked away. Feeling more than slightly hurt and confused, she turned back to watch Kaya flirt with Blaise. The pretty blonde didn’t seem to be doing anything more than playing with his emotions, but maybe she actually cared, who knew?
Heaving a sigh, Ginny rose from her bench and walked across the room to where the laughing pair sat.
“Blaise, I’m borrowing Kaya for a second,” she said, grabbing the other girl’s arm and pulling her away. They got out of hearing distance from Blaise, and Ginny suddenly found she didn’t have the words.
“Listen, I... um... ” Ginny struggled to get it out, but understanding filled Kaya’s blue eyes.
“Yeah-” Kaya stopped and smiled slightly, awkwardly. “Me, too.”
Blaise watched the two women walk away and his heart squeezed. Ginny was Draco’s and Draco was Ginny’s, and that was just the way things were. Why couldn’t he accept it? And what was this strange feeling? Was it possibly… need? This was a new completely foreign experience for Blaise. He’d grown up in a very prosperous, very privileged wizarding family; he’d never wanted for anything. So why did he suddenly feel like he was missing something?
“There are other fish in the sea, Blaise. Set your sights on someone else and be happy for your friends.”
Natasha’s words from the previous week rang in his head. Ginny was taken; he needed to put those feelings aside and move on. Unconsciously, Blaise’s gaze slid from the slightly curvy redhead’s form to Kaya’s voluptuous figure. He read the slight tension in her muscles as she and Ginny carried on a conversation that obviously awkward for both of them. He watched the light play off her shimmery golden hair as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.
“There are other fish in the sea, Blaise. Set your sights on someone else…”
Their interchange finished, Ginny and Kaya headed back to where Blaise was sitting. Kaya laughed at something the redhead said, and a moment later, her sparkling blue eyes met Blaise’s intense brown ones; she held his gaze for just a second longer than protocol dictated, and Blaise felt chills run down his back.
“Set your sights on someone else…”
Patrick watched Ginny and Kaya rehearse, their stage chemistry finally flowing, and he felt something akin to fatherly pride. Ginny was really growing into such a performer. Last year… she’d been good, but not great. This year, she was finally starting to understand what acting really was. It wasn’t pretending to be someone else; it was being someone else.
Actually… Ginny was growing up, period. She had matured so much over the last year that it was hard to even connect her to the person she’d been before. Sure, she had relapses every now and then, but all she really needed was a nudge in the right direction and she’d get back on track. Patrick shook his head and sighed. Draco didn’t know how lucky he was.
Just then, the music reached a crescendo and Patrick’s attention was drawn back to the stage, where Kaya was just pulling a calendar of famous leaders out of a suitcase.
“When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features
I remind them on their own behalf to think of
Celebrated heads of state or especially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?”
Kaya threw the calendar over her shoulder, amused incredulity on her face.
“Don’t make me laugh! They were popular
Please, it’s all about popular
It’s not about aptitude, it’s the way you’re viewed
So it’s very shrewd to be very very popular like me!”
The music slowed, and Kaya put a mirror in front of Ginny, sounding awed. “Why, Miss Elphaba—look at you. You’re beautiful.”
Ginny stared at herself, then rose and quickly left the room. “I—I have to go--”
“You’re welcome!” Kaya said in a huff, then she smiled and softened.
“And though you protest your disinterest
I know clandestinely you’re gonna grin and bear it
Your new-found popularity
La la la la
You’ll be popular
Just not quite as popular as me!”
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