Forcing Himself

Chapter One: A New Day's End

Virginia Weasley was exiting yet another tortuous Potions class. Carmen Leotte "accidentally" whispered the name of the one person Ginny liked. Carmen Leotte was a Slytherin but she and Ginny had been friends. After working on a Divination project together, they very maturely had forgotten the enmity between Slytherin and Gryffindor. But of course Carmen's loyalties found a better home along with the other Slytherins. Ginny had never been so embarrassed. Not only did the fifth year Slytherins know about Ginny's crush, but also the Gryffindors knew. And to top it off, Ginny had never been on good terms with her fellow Gryffindors except the other Weasleys, Hermione, and of course Harry. In fact, many of the other sixth years befriended Ginny, like Neville (who took her to the Yule Ball, two years ago) and Dean (whom Ginny dated at the end of last year), and Seamus. Ginny hurried up the stone steps, not looking back, clutching her books with the last of her muscles, so they won't drop and she won't have to stop. When she felt that the books were going to topple down, she finally reached the entrance to the Great Hall. The Great Hall was decorated with Jack-O Lanterns, ghosts, witches, and ghouls. Ginny had forgotten that this very day was Halloween. Ginny ran to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Hermione.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" asked Hermione, who suddenly stopped laughing at Fred Weasely's joke.

"Potions. Everyone. EVERYONE found out about You-Know-Who," said Ginny, taking a bread roll and tearing it apart. She took a knife and spread butter on the roll as if spreading human organs on a table.

"Oh, 'him'?" whispered Hermione. Ginny knew that Hermione would be the last person to tell.

"Yeah, it was that stupid Carmen Leotte. That bit-" Ginny started, but a short girl interrupted her.

"Hi!!" said the girl. The girl was short, with glasses and braces. Her robes were a flame blue, and her hair was the exact same color. She would remind someone of a girl who was the product of a rhino and a peacock.

"Hello, Carmen. Your hair-it's interesting," said Ginny, not taking her eyes of Carmen Leotte.

"Well, I wanted to match the holiday, but when I got here I was like orange and black, not blue!" she exclaimed. She giggled. Ginny gave a sarcastic "heh!" and turned her attention to the pork chops. Carmen must have gotten the signal and left, returning to the Slytherin table. Ginny looked up and saw the flame blur hair suddenly turn into orange-and-black stripes.

"Hermione, what is it called when you change your appearance, just like that? You know, like Tonks," Ginny asked, hoping for an answer.

"It starts with an 'M'. Meta-meta-Metamorphmagus!" she exclaimed, looking pretty pleased with herself.

"Right, Metamorphmagus," said Ginny, casting a very dark look at Carmen.

Ginny had avoided the fifth year Gryffindors as much as possible. She tried not to look at them straight in the eye, while trying not to seem like she is scared of them. Hermione had tried to cheer her up, but Ginny was a lost case. Nothing. Nothing could make up for the embarrassment of the entire school knowing that she fancied Professor Phoebus Laurel, the new Astronomy teacher (Professor Sinistra retired at the beginning of the year). Ginny went completely red in every single Astronomy class. She sat in the front, and worked hard for full marks in everything. She was always taking notes, always answering his questions, but she also found herself too weak to take notes. She seemed to lose her strength being in the presence of the god, that is Professor Laurel. And a god he was! Phoebus Laurel was a handsome man in his late twenty's. He was very muscular, and he was Greek. Greece had always attracted Ginny, and this hunk of a man was too much for the fifteen-year-old heart. Ginny even tried to take extra classes...

"Professor McGonagall?" she asked one day, entering Minerva McGonagall's office.

"Yes, Ginny. Always good to see you," replied McGonagall, taking her reading glasses off, and closing her romance novel (As The Potions Churn).

"Well, lately Astronomy has been really interesting for me. And I was wondering if there were any extra classes... if you catch my drift," said Ginny hopefully. Professor

McGonagall had no change of expression.

"Well, Ginny, ever since Professor Laurel entered our staff, you are the twelfth girl to ask for extra classes with him. And I will tell you the same thing I told the other eleven: ask him, not me," she said, looking straight into Ginny's eyes.

"But-but that would mean that I'd have to talk to him-I can't!"

"And why not?"

"Y-you see, professor-it's very hard to explain-"

"Well, then, I suggest you go along-you'll be late for your next lesson," said the professor, with a note of finality.

Ginny walked away, and for the first time, dreading her next lesson with Professor Laurel. And that was not too far away, for that night Ginny had Astronomy...

Ginny spent the next few hours, pretending to read when really she was preparing what she was going to say. At dinner, Ginny went up to the staff table where Professor Laurel was sitting. Laurel was casually waving to swooning students, his eyes sparkling. Ginny was beside herself in fear. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt as if Laurel could hear it.

"Virginia! How can I help you?" he asked. Ginny, for the first time, didn't care that she was addressed as Virginia and not Ginny.

"W--well, professor, I've become shockingly interested in Astronomy, s--so I was wondering if there are any extra-curricualr classes I can take or books I can read?" she asked, her lips quivering and her eyes almost in tears at the embarrassment.

"Well, well! Virginia, you aren't the only one! How about this? Meet me at the Astronomy Tower, in the room with the balcony, right after dinner," he said, flicking his hand as a signal to leave.

Ginny ran all the way to the Gryffindor table, and told Hermione about everything...