Draco couldn’t believe the mess he’d gotten himself into. First he’d wound up serving detention tomorrow, the day he was supposed to execute The Plan. And then worst of all, Ginny Weasley knew he was a Death Eater.
After his embarrassing encounter with her, Draco took his time walking back to the Slytherin House. He wasn’t sure what to think of the situation. At first he kept thinking it was just a bad dream – that he’d wake up any moment and find that his identity was still a secret. But the truth of it all eventually made his head hurt.
He’d contemplated performing a Confundus charm on her so that she’d forget what had happened. But he didn’t have the heart to do that. Even though the girl had every opportunity to run her mouth off to Dumbledore, he didn’t think she would. She’d given him her word, and he felt as though that meant something.
You’re being naïve, he chided himself.
In a weird, twisted way, Draco felt almost relieved. He’d felt as though he’d been holding his breath all this time, and running into Ginny Weasley had allowed him to surface for air. The fact that she knew made him feel vulnerable and exhilarated at the same time. It was as though he was rebelling against the Dark Lord by informing the enemy of his…his…his what, exactly? Status?
Many Death Eaters had been revealed after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. It would be no surprise to anyone that Draco had followed in his father’s footsteps. So why was he concealing the information?
Because they’d be watching you even more closely, his conscious reminded him. And he certainly didn’t need that, what with all he had to do this year.
He’d simply have to keep a watch on the girl. He wouldn’t let her in on anything else, oh no. He would allow her to believe that he’d been wrongly branded as a Death Eater and his participation ended there. She’d never know anything else. And if she told anyone – who would actually believe her?
Draco felt much better as he told himself that things would work out. This is merely a minor setback, he smirked.
As he approached the Slytherin entrance, he couldn't help but to think of the girl and the way she had touched his face with her hand. She'd had all the opportunity to run, scream, and call him vile names, but she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she'd given him what he'd needed for so long - an open mind and heart. It confused him.
When he walked through the entrance to the dungeons, he found that there were a few students sitting in the Common Room. It was only a little after ten o’clock. He found a vacant loveseat and flopped down onto it, throwing his head back in a frustrated groan. Somebody’s schoolbag lay at his feet. He kicked it to the side.
“Oi, what’s got your knickers in a knot?” Blaise asked, settling into a nearby armchair.
“Blaise, you have an uncanny ability to appear at the worst moments,” Draco sighed as he rubbed his temples.
“What can I say, I’m just a corking kind of guy.”
He looked up to see Astoria Greengrass approach them. She eyed him carefully, her expression unreadable as she tucked her long blonde hair behind her ears.
She was about to bend over to grab the schoolbag, but Draco picked it up for her.
“Allow me,” he said coolly, keeping his gaze steady with hers, as he rose to his feet.
“Why thank you, Draco,” she said, the ghost of a smile from earlier in the day flitting across her face.
He waited for her to leave before taking a seat once again.
Blaise coughed loudly.
Draco raised an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t be a prat. What was that?”
“A gentleman always assists a lady in need,” he said, trying to mask a smile.
“In need of a good snog, that’s what I’m saying,” Blaise winked at him.
Draco sighed. “Zabini, you are one barmy old bloke.”
“I won’t deny it, but you certainly do,” Blaise said.
Draco was thoughtful for a moment before he sucked up his pride and asked his housemate, “Is she like Daphne?”
Blaise blinked. “Who?”
“Now who’s being the prat,” Draco said impatiently.
Blaise’s eyes danced mischievously. “Daphne’s a bit dodgy if you ask me. I don’t know much about her sister, mate. But she seems all right. ”
“She’s definitely a tease,” Draco mused.
“The best ones always are,” was the response.
_____________________
The next morning the school was abuzz with the tragic news of the death of Hannah Abbott’s mother. Students poured through the Saturday morning edition of The Daily Prophet for information, since Hannah had been removed from the school immediately.
“The poor girl,” Hermione said, shaking her head. “I could only imagine what it must be like.”
They were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, attempting to enjoy a Saturday morning.
Ginny noticed Harry open his mouth to speak, but closed it just as suddenly, as though he’d thought better of it.
Harry had become an even more recluse in the past few months. Ginny initially thought he was still mourning the death of Sirius, but she had the feeling that there was something else going on. He would leave the Common Room late at night and wouldn’t speak of his whereabouts to anyone except Ron and Hermione.
The only thing she’d been able to pick on was Harry’s new obsession with Draco Malfoy. He was convinced that he was a Death Eater.
Ginny shuddered, remembering the incident from the night before. She thought it must have been a bad dream. But Malfoy’s cries of pain were still ringing in her ears. Once she’d calmed down and the two of them had gotten to their feet, she wanted to ask him why the Mark had begun to burn. But before she could ask anything at all, he dismissed her.
Of course, after hearing about Hannah’s mother, Ginny had a feeling she knew what had happened. It made her feel sick.
She wasn’t sure where this left the two of them either. They weren’t friends, and yet she bore a burdensome secret of his that she really should tell others about. But she’d sworn she wouldn’t. Maybe it’s not my place to tell, she rationalized.
Ginny was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t see Dean approach her. They hadn’t spoken in days.
“Hello, Ginny,” he said. He was trying his best to give her a casual smile, but it came out lopsided.
She stifled a giggle. “Dean.”
“Can I talk to you for a mo’?” he asked.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staring at Ginny.
“Um, all right,” she said. He offered her a hand to help her out of her seat and she took it. She could feel him squeezing her hand gently.
He led her towards an isolated part of the Common Room by a staircase leading to the girls’ dormitories.
Dean shifted his weight on his legs and scratched the back of his head. He always did that when he was nervous. “Ginny, I-”
Ginny interrupted him. “Wait, Dean, I know what you’re going to say.” She released a big sigh before continuing. “I haven’t really been myself lately, and I’ve been awful to you. I feel terrible about it.”
Dean’s eyes lit up. “Well, I feel like I’ve been a git. I haven’t been listening to you, you know?”
“We have some things to work out,” she said, nodding her head slowly. This conversation was going nowhere Ginny wanted it to go. But she couldn’t bring herself to end it with him. She’d broken up with Michael Corner easily, but that was because he was a sodding prat.
Ginny, you’ve handled six brothers your whole life, can’t you just handle one other boy? her conscience was hissing at her.
Dean started rambling about how much he’d missed her and what all he’d done to compensate for her absence in his life. Ginny’s stomach churned restlessly. He took her elbow and was walking her away from the staircase. She wasn’t sure where they were going and the increasing dizziness she was feeling wouldn’t allow her to resist.
Before she knew it she was being pushed roughly through the portrait hole. Ginny snapped her head back. “Dean! What is your problem?”
Dean’s mouth dropped slightly and he began to stammer. “Wh-what did I do?”
Ginny threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and let out a very unladylike growl. “You always do this. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to help me out of a portrait hole, let alone push me!”
“But I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Dean exclaimed. He looked utterly clueless, which made Ginny angrier.
And Ginny suddenly felt a very calming sensation sweep over. Where just a moment ago she wanted to tear her hair out, she now felt as though things had become crystal clear for her.
“Dean, I can’t do this anymore,” she said as a-matter-of-factly. “We’re through.”
His face crumpled as he stared at her in disbelief. Ginny’s heart may have broken the day before, but she felt nothing for him now.
As Ginny began to walk away from the Gryffindor entrance, leaving Dean to gape at her, she could’ve sworn she’d seen the faint flash of a pair of tattered trainers walking themselves on the stony ground.
Two hours later the students made their way to Hogsmeade. As they went through security under Filch Ginny joined the trio. Hermione and Ron weren’t on speaking terms, which didn’t surprise her one bit. This left Harry in a precarious situation and he seemed appreciative of Ginny’s presence.
“They’ve been at it since this morning,” Harry informed her quietly. She nodded.
Hermione fell into step with Ginny. “Are you and Dean going to the ball together, Gin?”
Ginny almost stopped in her tracks. “No,” she said, trying to come off as nonchalant as possible. “We had a row and I broke up with him.” She noticed Ron’s failed attempted at holding back his pleasure at hearing this. She also noticed Harry’s shoulders stiffen. Boys, she thought.
Hermione looked apologetic. “Oh! I’m-”
Ginny waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. It was going to happen sooner or later.” After a moment’s pause she asked, “Are you going with anyone?”
Hermione’s face flushed. “Well…I’ve had some people ask, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
Ginny couldn’t help notice that Hermione had said this a little louder than necessary. She glanced at Ron for a fraction of a second. He was scowling into the snow-covered ground. Ginny smirked at Harry and his eyes danced with amusement.
Once they’d arrived at Hogsmeade, Ginny waved the trio off as she found Colin and Luna. She was feeling a growing sense of hollowness inside of her. The fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione excluded her had driven her mad her for so long, but Dean had been a nice distraction. And now he wasn’t there anymore.
“Where to?” Colin asked, linking his arms with both girls.
“I’d like a nice Butterbeer,” Luna said dreamily.
“That sounds nice.” Ginny nodded in agreement.
The three of them headed towards The Three Broomsticks. The place was packed with students. The found an empty table and quickly grabbed it.
Madam Rosmerta strode towards them. While ordinarily friendly with a natural bounce in her step, she seemed oddly disconcerted with a glazed look in her eyes.
“What’ll you lot have?” she asked.
“We’ll have three Butterbeers, please,” Ginny responded. She was about to ask the young woman if everything was all right, but she abruptly left.
“That was odd,” Colin said.
Next to their table sat three Slytherin girls. Ginny recognized two of them as the Greengrass sisters. The third was Tracey Davis, one year above her.
“You won’t guess who asked me to the ball,” Astoria Greengrass said, grinning ear-to-ear.
Merlin, is that all these girls talk about? Ginny thought.
“Pray tell, baby sister, what monster is taking you?” Daphne Greengrass smirked.
“Draco Malfoy,” Astoria said, holding her head up high.
Daphne snorted. “Good luck. He’s a project, that one.”
Tracey rolled her eyes. “Ignore her, Astoria, she’s probably just jealous she and Draco didn’t work out. You must join our group then. It’ll be me, Blaise, Theo, and Daphne.”
“That won’t be the least bit awkward.” Daphne scowled.
“What about Pansy?” Astoria asked. She was trying to pull off an innocent, wide-eyed expression, but the glee in her emerald green eyes revealed otherwise. They reminded Ginny of Harry’s eyes.
“Pansy won’t be coming with us. She’s going with a seventh-year, Charles Warrington.” Daphne said.
Tracey wrinkled her nose. “She’s selling herself short if you ask me.”
Daphne shrugged.
Ginny focused back on her own table. Colin and Luna hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation and were currently engrossed in a discussion about Quintapeds.
She felt sick. What’s wrong with me? Am I this upset over Dean? But her thoughts kept going back to what she’d just heard. Draco Malfoy was taking Astoria Greengrass to the Winter ball.
She wasn’t that pretty. Sure, she had long blonde hair, flashy green eyes, and full lips, but how many wizards actually went for that type?
Why do you care who Draco takes to the ball? her conscience teased her.
I don’t. But she just doesn’t seem like his type.
So? And how do you know what his type is?
“Ginny,” Luna’s voice broke into her thoughts. “We’re going to head over to Honeydukes.”
“Oh, right,” she answered, staring at her still full Butterbeer. She clasped the handle in her hand and without taking a second thought to it, she downed it in one go.
Ginny tugged her knitted cap over her head as they set foot outside. She hadn’t even taken two steps when two pairs of arms linked themselves around her elbows and lifted her off the ground.
“There’s our baby sister,” Fred said.
“We’ve been looking for you,” George piped in.
“To make sure you weren’t with any particular boys,” Fred finished, giving a deathly glare towards Colin, who obligingly backed away.
“Put me down,” Ginny demanded, while trying to hold her laughter back.
“She sounds just like Mum,” George said, as the two of them released her.
“What are you doing here?” Ginny asked, rubbing her gloved hands together. It was getting very cold.
“We’re thinking about buying Zonko’s,” Fred said.
“Expand our business opportunities,” George added.
“That’s great,” Ginny said sincerely. She’d been so proud of her brothers. They’d proved everyone wrong and made something spectacular of themselves. They were the two brightest wizards she knew.
The twins disappeared and Ginny and her friends were heading towards Honeyduke's when an ear-splitting scream stopped them. At first Ginny thought it was the wind, which had gained momentum in the past few minutes. But the excited shouts that followed proved her otherwise.
The three of them ran towards the direction of the voices. Ginny couldn’t believe what she was seeing. About thirty feet away from them stood Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Leanne Ambry, a seventh year Gryffindor, staring towards the sky. Floating above them was Katie Bell, her hair fanned about her face, which was twisted into an expression of horror. The screaming was coming from her. For a brief moment, Ginny was reminded of Draco from the night before.
“Katie!” Leanne was screaming hysterically. “Katie! What’s wrong with her?!”
More people had gathered onto the street to witness the unusual scene.
“Oh my,” Luna whispered next to her. Ginny wanted to move closer to the scene, but her feet remained rooted to the ground. It was dangerously hypnotizing and scary at the same time.
She noticed Harry break into a run towards the school. Leanne continued to scream hysterically, and Hermione wrapped an arm around her in comfort. Ron was gaping at the scene, a fearful look in his eyes.
Moments later Harry returned with Hagrid who took Katie Bell in his large arms and rushed her back to the school. The crowd that had gathered began to disperse.
“It’s definitely, Dark Magic,” Luna said quietly, taking Ginny’s hand and squeezing it in her own.
After his embarrassing encounter with her, Draco took his time walking back to the Slytherin House. He wasn’t sure what to think of the situation. At first he kept thinking it was just a bad dream – that he’d wake up any moment and find that his identity was still a secret. But the truth of it all eventually made his head hurt.
He’d contemplated performing a Confundus charm on her so that she’d forget what had happened. But he didn’t have the heart to do that. Even though the girl had every opportunity to run her mouth off to Dumbledore, he didn’t think she would. She’d given him her word, and he felt as though that meant something.
You’re being naïve, he chided himself.
In a weird, twisted way, Draco felt almost relieved. He’d felt as though he’d been holding his breath all this time, and running into Ginny Weasley had allowed him to surface for air. The fact that she knew made him feel vulnerable and exhilarated at the same time. It was as though he was rebelling against the Dark Lord by informing the enemy of his…his…his what, exactly? Status?
Many Death Eaters had been revealed after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. It would be no surprise to anyone that Draco had followed in his father’s footsteps. So why was he concealing the information?
Because they’d be watching you even more closely, his conscious reminded him. And he certainly didn’t need that, what with all he had to do this year.
He’d simply have to keep a watch on the girl. He wouldn’t let her in on anything else, oh no. He would allow her to believe that he’d been wrongly branded as a Death Eater and his participation ended there. She’d never know anything else. And if she told anyone – who would actually believe her?
Draco felt much better as he told himself that things would work out. This is merely a minor setback, he smirked.
As he approached the Slytherin entrance, he couldn't help but to think of the girl and the way she had touched his face with her hand. She'd had all the opportunity to run, scream, and call him vile names, but she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she'd given him what he'd needed for so long - an open mind and heart. It confused him.
When he walked through the entrance to the dungeons, he found that there were a few students sitting in the Common Room. It was only a little after ten o’clock. He found a vacant loveseat and flopped down onto it, throwing his head back in a frustrated groan. Somebody’s schoolbag lay at his feet. He kicked it to the side.
“Oi, what’s got your knickers in a knot?” Blaise asked, settling into a nearby armchair.
“Blaise, you have an uncanny ability to appear at the worst moments,” Draco sighed as he rubbed his temples.
“What can I say, I’m just a corking kind of guy.”
He looked up to see Astoria Greengrass approach them. She eyed him carefully, her expression unreadable as she tucked her long blonde hair behind her ears.
She was about to bend over to grab the schoolbag, but Draco picked it up for her.
“Allow me,” he said coolly, keeping his gaze steady with hers, as he rose to his feet.
“Why thank you, Draco,” she said, the ghost of a smile from earlier in the day flitting across her face.
He waited for her to leave before taking a seat once again.
Blaise coughed loudly.
Draco raised an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t be a prat. What was that?”
“A gentleman always assists a lady in need,” he said, trying to mask a smile.
“In need of a good snog, that’s what I’m saying,” Blaise winked at him.
Draco sighed. “Zabini, you are one barmy old bloke.”
“I won’t deny it, but you certainly do,” Blaise said.
Draco was thoughtful for a moment before he sucked up his pride and asked his housemate, “Is she like Daphne?”
Blaise blinked. “Who?”
“Now who’s being the prat,” Draco said impatiently.
Blaise’s eyes danced mischievously. “Daphne’s a bit dodgy if you ask me. I don’t know much about her sister, mate. But she seems all right. ”
“She’s definitely a tease,” Draco mused.
“The best ones always are,” was the response.
_____________________
The next morning the school was abuzz with the tragic news of the death of Hannah Abbott’s mother. Students poured through the Saturday morning edition of The Daily Prophet for information, since Hannah had been removed from the school immediately.
“The poor girl,” Hermione said, shaking her head. “I could only imagine what it must be like.”
They were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, attempting to enjoy a Saturday morning.
Ginny noticed Harry open his mouth to speak, but closed it just as suddenly, as though he’d thought better of it.
Harry had become an even more recluse in the past few months. Ginny initially thought he was still mourning the death of Sirius, but she had the feeling that there was something else going on. He would leave the Common Room late at night and wouldn’t speak of his whereabouts to anyone except Ron and Hermione.
The only thing she’d been able to pick on was Harry’s new obsession with Draco Malfoy. He was convinced that he was a Death Eater.
Ginny shuddered, remembering the incident from the night before. She thought it must have been a bad dream. But Malfoy’s cries of pain were still ringing in her ears. Once she’d calmed down and the two of them had gotten to their feet, she wanted to ask him why the Mark had begun to burn. But before she could ask anything at all, he dismissed her.
Of course, after hearing about Hannah’s mother, Ginny had a feeling she knew what had happened. It made her feel sick.
She wasn’t sure where this left the two of them either. They weren’t friends, and yet she bore a burdensome secret of his that she really should tell others about. But she’d sworn she wouldn’t. Maybe it’s not my place to tell, she rationalized.
Ginny was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t see Dean approach her. They hadn’t spoken in days.
“Hello, Ginny,” he said. He was trying his best to give her a casual smile, but it came out lopsided.
She stifled a giggle. “Dean.”
“Can I talk to you for a mo’?” he asked.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staring at Ginny.
“Um, all right,” she said. He offered her a hand to help her out of her seat and she took it. She could feel him squeezing her hand gently.
He led her towards an isolated part of the Common Room by a staircase leading to the girls’ dormitories.
Dean shifted his weight on his legs and scratched the back of his head. He always did that when he was nervous. “Ginny, I-”
Ginny interrupted him. “Wait, Dean, I know what you’re going to say.” She released a big sigh before continuing. “I haven’t really been myself lately, and I’ve been awful to you. I feel terrible about it.”
Dean’s eyes lit up. “Well, I feel like I’ve been a git. I haven’t been listening to you, you know?”
“We have some things to work out,” she said, nodding her head slowly. This conversation was going nowhere Ginny wanted it to go. But she couldn’t bring herself to end it with him. She’d broken up with Michael Corner easily, but that was because he was a sodding prat.
Ginny, you’ve handled six brothers your whole life, can’t you just handle one other boy? her conscience was hissing at her.
Dean started rambling about how much he’d missed her and what all he’d done to compensate for her absence in his life. Ginny’s stomach churned restlessly. He took her elbow and was walking her away from the staircase. She wasn’t sure where they were going and the increasing dizziness she was feeling wouldn’t allow her to resist.
Before she knew it she was being pushed roughly through the portrait hole. Ginny snapped her head back. “Dean! What is your problem?”
Dean’s mouth dropped slightly and he began to stammer. “Wh-what did I do?”
Ginny threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and let out a very unladylike growl. “You always do this. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to help me out of a portrait hole, let alone push me!”
“But I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Dean exclaimed. He looked utterly clueless, which made Ginny angrier.
And Ginny suddenly felt a very calming sensation sweep over. Where just a moment ago she wanted to tear her hair out, she now felt as though things had become crystal clear for her.
“Dean, I can’t do this anymore,” she said as a-matter-of-factly. “We’re through.”
His face crumpled as he stared at her in disbelief. Ginny’s heart may have broken the day before, but she felt nothing for him now.
As Ginny began to walk away from the Gryffindor entrance, leaving Dean to gape at her, she could’ve sworn she’d seen the faint flash of a pair of tattered trainers walking themselves on the stony ground.
Two hours later the students made their way to Hogsmeade. As they went through security under Filch Ginny joined the trio. Hermione and Ron weren’t on speaking terms, which didn’t surprise her one bit. This left Harry in a precarious situation and he seemed appreciative of Ginny’s presence.
“They’ve been at it since this morning,” Harry informed her quietly. She nodded.
Hermione fell into step with Ginny. “Are you and Dean going to the ball together, Gin?”
Ginny almost stopped in her tracks. “No,” she said, trying to come off as nonchalant as possible. “We had a row and I broke up with him.” She noticed Ron’s failed attempted at holding back his pleasure at hearing this. She also noticed Harry’s shoulders stiffen. Boys, she thought.
Hermione looked apologetic. “Oh! I’m-”
Ginny waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. It was going to happen sooner or later.” After a moment’s pause she asked, “Are you going with anyone?”
Hermione’s face flushed. “Well…I’ve had some people ask, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
Ginny couldn’t help notice that Hermione had said this a little louder than necessary. She glanced at Ron for a fraction of a second. He was scowling into the snow-covered ground. Ginny smirked at Harry and his eyes danced with amusement.
Once they’d arrived at Hogsmeade, Ginny waved the trio off as she found Colin and Luna. She was feeling a growing sense of hollowness inside of her. The fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione excluded her had driven her mad her for so long, but Dean had been a nice distraction. And now he wasn’t there anymore.
“Where to?” Colin asked, linking his arms with both girls.
“I’d like a nice Butterbeer,” Luna said dreamily.
“That sounds nice.” Ginny nodded in agreement.
The three of them headed towards The Three Broomsticks. The place was packed with students. The found an empty table and quickly grabbed it.
Madam Rosmerta strode towards them. While ordinarily friendly with a natural bounce in her step, she seemed oddly disconcerted with a glazed look in her eyes.
“What’ll you lot have?” she asked.
“We’ll have three Butterbeers, please,” Ginny responded. She was about to ask the young woman if everything was all right, but she abruptly left.
“That was odd,” Colin said.
Next to their table sat three Slytherin girls. Ginny recognized two of them as the Greengrass sisters. The third was Tracey Davis, one year above her.
“You won’t guess who asked me to the ball,” Astoria Greengrass said, grinning ear-to-ear.
Merlin, is that all these girls talk about? Ginny thought.
“Pray tell, baby sister, what monster is taking you?” Daphne Greengrass smirked.
“Draco Malfoy,” Astoria said, holding her head up high.
Daphne snorted. “Good luck. He’s a project, that one.”
Tracey rolled her eyes. “Ignore her, Astoria, she’s probably just jealous she and Draco didn’t work out. You must join our group then. It’ll be me, Blaise, Theo, and Daphne.”
“That won’t be the least bit awkward.” Daphne scowled.
“What about Pansy?” Astoria asked. She was trying to pull off an innocent, wide-eyed expression, but the glee in her emerald green eyes revealed otherwise. They reminded Ginny of Harry’s eyes.
“Pansy won’t be coming with us. She’s going with a seventh-year, Charles Warrington.” Daphne said.
Tracey wrinkled her nose. “She’s selling herself short if you ask me.”
Daphne shrugged.
Ginny focused back on her own table. Colin and Luna hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation and were currently engrossed in a discussion about Quintapeds.
She felt sick. What’s wrong with me? Am I this upset over Dean? But her thoughts kept going back to what she’d just heard. Draco Malfoy was taking Astoria Greengrass to the Winter ball.
She wasn’t that pretty. Sure, she had long blonde hair, flashy green eyes, and full lips, but how many wizards actually went for that type?
Why do you care who Draco takes to the ball? her conscience teased her.
I don’t. But she just doesn’t seem like his type.
So? And how do you know what his type is?
“Ginny,” Luna’s voice broke into her thoughts. “We’re going to head over to Honeydukes.”
“Oh, right,” she answered, staring at her still full Butterbeer. She clasped the handle in her hand and without taking a second thought to it, she downed it in one go.
Ginny tugged her knitted cap over her head as they set foot outside. She hadn’t even taken two steps when two pairs of arms linked themselves around her elbows and lifted her off the ground.
“There’s our baby sister,” Fred said.
“We’ve been looking for you,” George piped in.
“To make sure you weren’t with any particular boys,” Fred finished, giving a deathly glare towards Colin, who obligingly backed away.
“Put me down,” Ginny demanded, while trying to hold her laughter back.
“She sounds just like Mum,” George said, as the two of them released her.
“What are you doing here?” Ginny asked, rubbing her gloved hands together. It was getting very cold.
“We’re thinking about buying Zonko’s,” Fred said.
“Expand our business opportunities,” George added.
“That’s great,” Ginny said sincerely. She’d been so proud of her brothers. They’d proved everyone wrong and made something spectacular of themselves. They were the two brightest wizards she knew.
The twins disappeared and Ginny and her friends were heading towards Honeyduke's when an ear-splitting scream stopped them. At first Ginny thought it was the wind, which had gained momentum in the past few minutes. But the excited shouts that followed proved her otherwise.
The three of them ran towards the direction of the voices. Ginny couldn’t believe what she was seeing. About thirty feet away from them stood Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Leanne Ambry, a seventh year Gryffindor, staring towards the sky. Floating above them was Katie Bell, her hair fanned about her face, which was twisted into an expression of horror. The screaming was coming from her. For a brief moment, Ginny was reminded of Draco from the night before.
“Katie!” Leanne was screaming hysterically. “Katie! What’s wrong with her?!”
More people had gathered onto the street to witness the unusual scene.
“Oh my,” Luna whispered next to her. Ginny wanted to move closer to the scene, but her feet remained rooted to the ground. It was dangerously hypnotizing and scary at the same time.
She noticed Harry break into a run towards the school. Leanne continued to scream hysterically, and Hermione wrapped an arm around her in comfort. Ron was gaping at the scene, a fearful look in his eyes.
Moments later Harry returned with Hagrid who took Katie Bell in his large arms and rushed her back to the school. The crowd that had gathered began to disperse.
“It’s definitely, Dark Magic,” Luna said quietly, taking Ginny’s hand and squeezing it in her own.
Author notes: The Quintaped is a creature mentioned in Fantastic Beasts
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