Cat & Mouse

"So Gin has Herbology while we have Potions. It shouldn't be that hard to get her away or with us then," Parvati stated thinking over their schedules.

"And if we're not enough to keep him from trying to pull something, well then we could..." Lavender trailed off, knowing Ginny wouldn't like what filled in the blanks.

"No. No way. Not a chance. I do not need any help from my brother and especially not Harry. Besides," she continued, "they'd probably just get themselves, and maybe even us, in trouble anway."

"No offense," Parvati started, "but I don't understand why he's interested in you in the first place. I mean, two days ago you were just another Weasley and suddenly you're supposed to be his hunny bun?" Ginny and Lavender gave her a look that said exactly what they were thinking. Hunny bun?

"Okay, okay. He's not exactly the romantic type, and he's more likely to call you his bitch than his hunny bun, but still, what gives? Why's he suddenly concentrating all his efforts on you when you're probably the most unattractive girl in this school to him?"

"Yea," Lavender agreed. "There's definitely something else behind it."

"But what?" Ginny wondered, staring off into space towards the Slytherin table. "I'm not even sure I want to know, though."

"Okay, we've got you covered when you go to Herbology," Lavender drilled, "and the rest we've got planned except when we have Care of Magical Creatures and you have Potions. It's right after we've got it with the Slytherins. We have to rush out or Professor Snape will get suspicious and deduct points or give us detention, but Malfoy always stays a while unless he's making fun of Harry."

"Which he's not likely to do if his new goal is you," Parvati interjected.

"It's likely you'll run into him since he always comes late to Care of Magical Creatures and it takes a while to get from Professor Hagrid's hut, but if you're brother and Harry is around it could make him stop..." informed Lavender.

"...or just encourage him more," finished Parvati with a sigh. Ginny had to smile.

"What would I do without you two?"

"Tag along with the wonder trio?" teased Parvati.

"Or worse, the Creevey brothers," Lavender said dramatically. They all laughed as they walked out of the Great Hall, and talked in the Entrance Hall until they were sure Ginny would safely make it to the greenhouse.

As Malfoy passed he did nothing other than shooting Ginny a smile that would have made any other girl, and nearly Lavender and Parvati, melt in their socks.

"Boy, is he turning on the charm..." Lavender sighed as they walked towards the stairs that led to the dungeons.

As they said their goodbyes Parvati said, "We'll be sure to ask Professor Trelawney about it."

"Yea, she'll probably have some good advice. She always does," Lavender added. Ginny just shook her head.

"I don't need a crystal ball reading from Trelawney to help," Ginny grumbled to herself as she made her way to Greenhouse One on the damp grounds. "What I need is a Vanishing Spell on Malfoy from Professor McGonagall."