Dealing with Danger

Thanks to everyone who reviewed after my first chapter!!! Don't forget to do the same again! Sorry for the long wait- I've just been totally busy doing stuff around the house and watching after the garden. That's all for now!

"Well, well, well...," he said, licking his lips, "It seems like I've caught myself a little weasel." A very pretty weasel, he added to himself.

Ginny's initial shock of seeing him there quickly wore off. "It's nice to see you too, Malfoy," she replied coolly, unaffected by his remark.

"What's this?" He grabbed her purse and dumped its contents into the palm of his hand. A few sickles and a knut were the total amount. "Aw, Weasley, is this all you've got?" He took out a small sack from his pocket and showed her the galleons stuffed in it. He tossed her one.

"I don't need your charity," she spat back and threw it at him.

"Ginny!"

Suddenly Ron, Harry, and Hermione appeared beside her.

"Is this Slytherin bothering you?" Ron asked as he glared at Draco. Draco shifted his position so he was standing with his arms crossed, looking down at him.

"Ron, it was nothing," Ginny covered up, "we should get going." She turned to leave and Hermione followed her.

Once they were out of sight, Ron turned and growled, "Don't you dare mess with my sister or that pretty little head of yours will be scarred forever." He and Harry left, leaving Draco staring after them. He had an amused expression on his face. I'd like to see him try, he thought before going into the Apothecary.

"Gin, are you sure you're okay" Ron asked for about the tenth time after leaving Draco behind.

She sighed, exasperated. "Yes Ron, I'm fine. I can handle Malfoy and old day. Now can we just go?"

"Okay...," Ron replied hesitantly, still not believing her.

"Mabel Ann Malfoy, step forward."

A young girl, no more than eleven years old, walked up to her father's large desk and stood patiently.

"You are going to Hogwarts," her father informed her, "If you have any questions or problems, ask your cousin Draco."

"Yes sir," she answered quietly. She was promptly dismissed and allowed to leave the large study.

Her raven black hair billowed out behind her as she ran up to her bedroom to write to Draco. He was, by far, her favorite cousin even though he seemed like an egotistical jerk most of the time. You just had to get to know him better.

Dear Draco, she wrote, I am going to Hogwarts like I hoped for, D you think you could watch out for me and possibly give me a tour of the place? Thanks!
Love,
Mabel

She sealed the letter with wax and attached it to Artemis, her owl, and sent him off. Her blue sapphire eyes watched him fly away until he was nothing but a speck in the sky.

"Gin, we're leaving now," Hermione reluctantly told her as they were leaving the Burrow, "We've only got an hour before the train comes."

Ginny sighed and took one last look before leaving.

They arrived at King's Cross Station a little while later where they said their final goodbyes and clambered on board the Hogwarts Express, leaving Platform 9 ¾ behind.

Ginny was sitting by herself when a small girl, most likely a first year, appeared.

"Excuse me," she said politely, "May I sit here?"

"Of course," Ginny answered. The girl scooted in the seat and sat before Ginny, looking up at her. Her blue eyes stared straight into Ginny's brown ones.

Ginny began to feel uncomfortable and attempted to start a conversation. "My name's Ginny. What about you?"

"Mabel," the girl replied, pushing a strand of black hair away from her face. "Is it true you have to face a troll before being sorted?"

Ginny stifled a giggle. "No, it's nothing like that. It's not scary at all." She proceeded to tell Mabel all about Hogwarts and all the experiences she'd had there- excluding her first year. She didn't notice when the door between the train cars opened.

A person cleared his throat, interrupting their conversation.

"Malf-" Ginny started to say but was cut off when Mabel all of the sudden jumped into his arms. She sat, shocked to see this new development.

"Where were you?" Draco asked, letting his usually mean demeanor drop. "I was saving you a seat in another compartment."

"I couldn't find you," Mabel replied. "You're not mad, are you?"

"No, not at all." He looked up at Ginny. "Have you been having fun?"

"Yes, tons!" Mabel answered. "Ginny's really nice. Have you met?"

"Yes we have," he said, returning to his usual self. Ginny glared at him and turned to look out the window.

"We should go," he told Mabel.

"Okay," Mabel reluctantly agreed. "Maybe I'll see you around?" she asked hopefully towards Ginny.

Ginny nodded. "Maybe."

The two left, leaving Ginny by herself again. She sighed and decided to take a nap.

They were sitting at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the first years to finish being sorted.

"Malfoy, Mabel Ann!" the hat shouted. Ginny perked up. She didn't know Mabel was a Malfoy. Is she his sister? No, she shook her head, Maybe his cousin.

"Slytherin!"

Mabel walked to the Slytherin table where people shifted to allow her to sit beside Draco. Whoever she is, she's certainly not like Draco, Ginny said to herself.

Draco caught her staring at him and met her gaze squarely. She found herself caught in a trap with his silver eyes staring back intensely at her.

Suddenly Neville appeared and sat opposite Ginny, blocking the view and snapping her out of her trance.

"Hi Neville," she greeted, "How was your summer?"

"Hey Ginny. It was great! Grandma took me to some place in the Caribbean- the Bahamas I think it was called. It was so hot! And all the girls...-" he droned on and on while Ginny pretended to listen.

Suddenly, the room silenced as Professor Dumbledor stood up to give his speech. "Welcome new students. And welcome back to the rest. Due to recent developments, we are unable to have Professor Trelawney or Professor Guilding with us." Professor Guilding was the previous Defense Against Dark Arts teacher. "In their places will be Professor Manilla and Professor Osciendus." Both new professors stood up and received some applause. "I remind you that the Forbidden Forest is off limits and no magic should be done between classes without authorization. Everyone, enjoy the feats and we look forward to a wonderful year!"

The food appeared on the table and the students, as well as the teachers, began to dig in. Ginny listened to the conversation between two of her friends, Sam and Vicky, about the new professors.

"Professor Osciendus looks kinda cute," Sam was saying.

"No way! He's too old!" Vicky exclaimed. "What do you think of Manilla"

"Looks like another McGonagall to me."

Getting bored, Ginny got up and asked Hermione, who was Head Girl, for the password before leaving the banquet hall.

"Going somewhere?" Draco asked as she reached the foot of the stairs.

"Yes. To my room." She began to walk back up when he stopped her again.

"Is it true you're taking all seventh year classes?" he asked. It was a rumor Pansy Parkinson, his girlfriend, had heard and passed on to him.

She nodded in response and continued her flight. It was true that she was skipping sixth year. In her fifth year, Ginny had found that she worked at a much faster pace than any of her classmates. So, with special permission, she was admitted into the seventh year classes.

"Just to let you know," he called, "we have Potions and Defense Against Dark Arts together."

She continue upward as if she hadn't heard him. Draco turned and sat on the bottom step. He'd never met a girl quite like Ginny. She wasn't affected by his snide remarks or insults like her brothers- she always had a way of ignoring him and making him frustrated for not being able to unnerve her.

"Hey Draco," Crabbe said from behind him. He and Goyle had come out moments before. "Have a goal?"

"What?" Draco looked up quizzically at them.

"You know, getting the Weasley girl," Goyle answered.

Draco shrugged.

"Fifty galleons says you can't," Crabbe bet. Draco's eyes glittered dangerously.

"Fine." He shook hands on it and it was official. I can get her easily...

Ginny tried to go to sleep despite the fact that her three roommates were up and gossiping about the boys. She'd never really had friends like the people in her in her year, but she wasn't really bothered by that. She liked being alone.

"What do you think of...Draco Malfoy?" one of them asked and they burst into a fit of giggles.

"Cute, but dangerous," another one replied. "I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

"Duh. Pansy Parkinson."

"Oh her- she's such an annoying prat. Who would ever, in their right mind, go out with her?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Could you guys lower it a bit? I'm trying to sleep."

"Oh sorry," they apologized and went down to whispers as Ginny drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

A.N : Remember to review and also, if you've got any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at [email protected]. The next chapter will probably be out in a week or so, so look out for it!!

*Adel Swiftrider