The Unforgettable Fire

CHAPTER 3: Year 3, Part 1, Frozen

Is it a healthy thing for a twelve almost thirteen year old to want to scare her family? If so, is it healthy for her to paint pictures of her family warm and happy while she is frozen solid in a block of ice? I didn't think so.

My mother found my paintings. It was one of the ones that I'd made near the middle of the summer that depicted me as the outsider. In most of the paintings I call my 'Ice Era' I am seen as a cold woman of ice standing alone with happy people out in the distance. They are very abstract, as the perfection of human bodies and proportions still eluded me at age twelve, and I feel that they are some of my less beautiful, and more terrifying works just because I was so young when I did them.

At any rate, my mother found them. I believe she was more than a bit disturbed, I mean, she wasn't used to having to deal with things like this. All her boys had been good and bright, shining rays of sunshine (which I had managed not to see for three weeks in a row at one point that summer) that would never do anything like this. Yes, I believe she was baffled. I don't know, maybe she blamed a bit of it on herself; her eyes always were bigger than her heart.

She decided right then and there that I would be going to the Quidditch World Cup whether I wanted to or not. Something about it being good for me to be around a bunch of people, socialize, something like that, I don't really know her reasoning.

But I bet you're wondering where the ice inspiration came from, right? I had another dream, this time with the Maiden of Ice...

It was cold, very cold. Ginny wrapped her arms around her body and looked around. Everywhere was snow, cold, yet clear and clean under the blindingly blue, cloudless sky. It was magical in an indifferent, chilling way.

"Virginia," she said. This time, Ginny wasn't surprised.

But she was in awe. The woman that stood before her was the picture of winter. She wore not clothes, but ice that seemed to have frozen on her body in the form and shape of a dress. She had a slightly blue tinge to her, like she had no flowing blood because she was so cold. She had the whitest hair that reached down to her knees and her eyelashes were lidded with ice, or diamonds, Ginny couldn't tell. Ice seemed to have formed patterns of blue tattoos on her skin, and they were dotted with ice-diamonds. She didn't smile, but her cold blue eyes pierced like an icicle cutting snow as it fell.

"Virginia, you have come," the Maiden of Ice, Nysilia said. Her voice was like the wind, though not like Morgana's, just clearer, sharper, crisper. "I have been waiting for you."

Ginny could only nod. She was so ghostly beautiful. It wasn't like the feminine beauty of Nefertiti, or the dark beauty of Morgana, it was like cold beauty, frozen and far away, unattainable as the stars themselves.

"Here is my training, my gift Virginia, my time with you is short," Nysilia said while she smoothly extended her hand, a crystalline ring of ice in her hand. Engraved in the ice itself were letters all foreign to Ginny. "In the language of Ice, it says Virgin-Maiden of Ice," Nysilia informed.

Ginny reached out for the ring, and as she did, for the briefest of moments, her hand touched Nysilia's, and all went numb. She felt nothing. No pain, no hurt, no loneliness, no nothing. It was like someone took her feelings and froze them solid and they couldn't hurt her anymore. Involuntarily, Ginny shivered, she loved it. It was the greatest gift she had received yet.

"Use this wisely, Virginia," Nysilia said, "I think it will benefit you in your mission. Use it wisely..."

And her voice drifted off, echoing off the barren wastelands of snow, and reverberating in Ginny's room when she woke.

So now I had three rings, cool, huh? Though really, I didn't have much time to admire or explore them. HE was coming to the Burrow. Why did HE have to come, I had enough problems and I didn't want his stupid, "I'll protect you Ginny!" bull shit. Really, I was almost thirteen, I don't need a body guard. If he said one thing about how I don't eat enough or sleep enough he gets the right hook...end of story.

In the middle of July, HE came. Hermione showed up first though, making herself busy in the kitchen helping Mum. I don't even do that any more, I have better things to do. Besides, my mother didn't want me in there anyway. I think she is scared of me really now. She never looks me in the eyes, or talks really, or...yeah, that is about it, she doesn't like being in the same room as me. Yup, Virginia the Terrible, that is me! ::grumbles:: As if, 'terrible' my ass. I WAS TWELVE! I needed support and all I got was fear!

So anyway, Hermione came, and Harry came by Floo, I was in my room at the time, working on my latest in my Ice Era, I was getting quite good actually, still not up to par yet though. Bill and Charlie and the whole Weasley clan was there, just waiting to get some more of Mum's home cooking. I had barely seen Bill and Charlie, but both seemed a bit distant to me, though more loving than Mum.

I think the worst part though, was dinner...

"Pass the boiled potatoes, Hermione," Ron said, his mouth full of food.

"Ron, please chew with your mouth closed," Ginny's mother corrected absently.

"Sure thing," he said, taking a big drink of pumpkin juice.

Ginny sat and poked at her ham, not really interested in anything, not Percy's cauldrons and definitely not the Quidditch World Cup. Sure she played Chaser all right, in fact, her brother Charlie took her out the previous day and said she could make Chaser on any Hogwarts team she wanted. He said she was fast and agile, though she could have a better arm. It was something to look into, but it didn't really interest her.

"So, Ginny."

Some one had spoken to her. Great, she thought, Harry.

"So, Harry," she said dully, turning to look over Bill at him.

"How are you?" he asked a bit awkwardly.

"My blood is pumping superbly," she said coldly, fingering the ring Nysilia gave her. She found strength in that ring, and she felt nothing, no emotions.

He chuckled a bit, not sure if she'd made a joke or not.

"Don't mind her, 'arry," Ron said, mouth full of broiled potatoes, "She's been odd all summer, didn't leave her room for three whole weeks once."

Ron was now openly picking fights with her, criticizing her and the like. He didn't seem to care about her any more, it was like he had too much to worry about (though she didn't know what that might be) and didn't want to bother with a sister.

Hermione frowned disapprovingly at Ron, then turned to her and said, "Are you looking forward to the Cup then, it should be very exciting."

"No," she said truthfully. Then sarcastically and loudly enough for her mother to hear, "But it should be a good learning experience for gaining social skills and a grand opportunity to watch the greatest Quidditch players of our generation."

Her mother's face flashed some unrecognizable emotions, and then, as if ignoring Ginny's comments, she said, "Would any one like some ice cream?"

There was a round of 'yes's and 'here, here's and her mother disappeared into the house, carrying a lot of strawberry ice cream, smiling happily. Ginny left, the goody-two-shoes of it all was killing her.

I went up stairs and painted myself dying. Hey, if it relieves stress...

I'd barely lain down on my bed when I heard my mother knocking on my door impatiently. I got up and yawned, it couldn't be after five; it was still dark out. I slipped on Nefertiti's ring for a moment, gaining some confidence for the day, and walked down stairs for breakfast. Bill, Percy, and Charlie weren't up yet; they were heading to the field later around eleven. We, however, were catching the earliest Port to the pitch. Lucky us.

After Mum had sufficiently stripped Fred and George of anything that they could sell at the game, we headed out, tempers a bit high, except for mine; I could care less. We met the Diggorys at the Port and then the Port Key pulled us to our entry spot.

It was actually really cold outside, I remember that most of all. That and Dad insisting that we do everything the Muggle way, really, I mean, we could just make fire with our wands. Everyone else was. Finally Hermione had to show him how, but even then, it took a while to make anything.

Finally, we headed over to the stadium. We climbed, and climbed, and you'll never guess what we did next...okay, maybe you will...and climbed. I hadn't realized we had gotten this good of seats...it almost made me excited to be there. Did you catch that? That was sarcasm right there.

Ginny watched as Draco, Lucius, and what she assumed was Draco's mother walk in. He had told her at the end of the term last year he would be going to the Cup, she should have guessed that he would be in the top box, rubbing elbows with the Need-To-Knows of the wizarding world.

"Good lord, Arthur," Lucius said softly after Cornelius Fudge had introduced him, "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Ginny, who happened to be standing right next to her father, watched him turn red and lost control of her cool. "Mr. Malfoy," she said in a conversational voice that betrayed nothing but feigned pleasantness. He looked at her sharply and she continued, "And just how many people have you bribed in the last week?"

He looked like he might have a snide remark, but Fudge turned back to them, oblivious of the war of wills, said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He is here as my guest."

The corner of Ginny's mouth turned up slightly and she turned on a heel and took her seat near the end of the row. The rest of her family sat down, most of them towards the middle, though they were quite a large group, and they filled most of the first row, even more so because Bill, Percy, and Charlie had just walked in.

Ginny crossed her legs, pulling down her Muggle-style, blue skirt and white blouse, not seeing the point in giving the whole stadium a view of her. Not like she had much to show. She still had a boyish, skinny body, though she was filling out a bit in the hips and chest. She just hoped she didn't turn out to have the same genetics of her mother, she wanted to be kind of tall, at least five feet seven inches, that way she could at least look down on some people.

"Virginia," Draco said smoothly, sitting next to her.

"Draco," she said cordially, "Finished taunting Gryffindors already, I thought you'd be longer."

"For now. Since when have you considered yourself Slytherin?"

"Since I woke up," she answered vaguely. He didn't seem to concerned that she had just slandered his family name seconds before, probably because he knew it was true. But she couldn't afford the same mistake twice. No emotion, Gin, she reminded herself. For precaution, she slipped on the Maiden of Ice ring. Immediately, she felt numb. Yes, this was her favorite ring.

"Well this looks friendly," Lucius said coldly, now standing in front of her and Draco, sneering and looking the most Malfoy he had ever looked.

"Father," Draco said, apparently ignoring his father's tone, "This is Virginia Weasley, a third year Slytherin. I think you remember her, right?"

"Yes," Lucius said coolly, "We've met."

"Virginia," Malfoy said, "This is my father, Lucius Malfoy."

Ginny stood and held out her hand, "Mr. Malfoy."

He looked at her for a moment, apparently sizing her up. Then he stuck out his hand. Ginny was surprised to say the least, the Malfoys weren't particularly friendly to the Weasleys...come to think of it, the Malfoy's weren't particularly friendly with anyone.

"Ms. Weasley," Lucius said after pulling back his hand. "One would never think they'd see the day a Weasley was put in Slytherin."

"Every family has its bad seeds," she said simply.

He only partially sneered, Probably not sure if I insulted him or not, Ginny thought.

"Father," Draco said, breaking the silence, "Virginia is one of the top students in her class, she even takes Advanced Transfiguration with the sixth and seventh years."

"Is that so," Lucuis said, "How good for you."

"I always thought so," Ginny replied, smiling slightly.

"Ginny," some one said from behind her. Ginny turned and saw Ron, Hermione, and Harry looking at her worriedly.

"What?" she said sharply.

"Is he bothering you?" Ron said forcefully.

"No, you are. Go back to your seats," Ginny said coldly, turning back around.

Lucius Malfoy looked like he had some sort of question waiting on his lips, but he never got to say it because Ludo Bagman started up his commentary.

"Sonorus! Ladies and gentleman...welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" Bagman announced. The audience clapped enthusiastically, and Ginny clapped politely. "And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce...the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!" As he said this, a huge scarlet wave applauded and cheered, making their approval known.

Veela, Ginny thought with disgust. The pranced about, trying to catch the attention of everyone present, flapping their blonde, wavy hair. Ginny, to her credit, sat impassive. Though Draco looked like he was having a hard time sitting in his seat. Ron and Harry had long ago left theirs and were looking like they might throw themselves off the Top Box seats.

"Be careful," Ginny whispered to Draco, "You don't want to look like them," she said pointing at Ron and Harry. Draco smirked.

"And now," Bagman continued, "kindly put your wands in the air...for the Irish National Team Mascots!" And immediately a golden green comet shot down to the stadium, circling then showering them with golden stuff.

"It is just too easy," Draco said pointedly as he watched Ginny shield herself from the hailing gold, "too easy."

Ginny glared at him but said nothing,

Draco: one, Ginny: one.

The rest of the Cup, Ginny watched as attentively as she could. It just didn't interest her. Though it interested Draco quite a bit. He would point out plays and make her look through his Omnoculars every once and a while. She humored him, but made a mental note to make fun of him for it later. Though he appeared to be having a good time, after all, he was a fourteen year old boy, Quidditch was his life.

Finally, the whole horrid affair ended; Ireland's win, Bulgaria's finish. Supposedly it was a huge surprise thing, or upset, or something. Draco invited her to have dinner at his tent as he was also staying the night, but Ginny declined, saying that she would never be allowed to.

If she wasn't mistaken, Draco was trying to make friends with her, which of course couldn't happen.

Alright. Let's clarify a point here. I don't have friends. The whole friendship thing, no, not so much. However, if I were to have a friend, the closest thing probably would be Draco.

I have learned, the very hard way, that friends get hurt. Not only that, friends hurt you. That, above all things, is something I will never allow to happen to me. My family and friends have shunned and hurt me enough for me getting put in Slytherin, and it takes very little for a friend to hurt you. No, the friendship thing isn't something I do.

Regrets? Yes. But what can you do? Your first job is to protect yourself.

Ginny had dinner with her very enthusiastic family, who seemed to be ignoring her, like usual. She managed to slip into her tent with Hermione to write in her diary in peace. She and Hermione had just turned off the lights, when Bill came into our tent.

"Ginny! Hermione! Wake up and get dressed. No time to explain, just do it," Bill said. Then he left.

I yawned and so did Hermione. "What do you think is up, Ginny?"

"More celebrating I'd say," Ginny said drowsily. She walked out of the tent, pulling on a light coat over her night clothes.

Then she looked in the sky. "Unholy Merlin..." Ginny said in astonishment. It was that Muggle family, just floating on the flames.

"We are going to help the Ministry!" her father shouted over the noise, rolling his sleeves. "You lot - get into the woods, and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

"C'mon," Fred said leading them all into the wood. It didn't take long for Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione to get split off.

After a few minutes of traipsing around in the dark, Ron gave a yell of pain, and Hermione apparently got fed up of not knowing what was going on said, "Ron, where are you? Oh, this is stupid - lumos!"

"Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," a drawling voice said from behind them. It was Draco.

Ginny and every one turned. Draco was standing alone nearby, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed. His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene at the campsite through a gap in the trees.

"Why don't you go fuck a stump you filthy, blue-blooded faggot," Ron said sharply.

"Language, Weasley," Malfoy said, his pale eyes glittering. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? Wouldn't want her spotted, would you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, looking a little spooked as a huge explosion was heard as Draco had said this.

"Granger, they're after Muggles," Malfoy said impatiently. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, then hand around...they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."

"Hermione's a witch," Ginny heard Harry snarl.

"Have it your way Potter," said Malfoy, grinning. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

"You watch your mouth!" Ron yelled furiously at Malfoy, who only grinned wider.

"Never mind, Ron," Hermione said calmly. Another huge explosion was heard and Ginny would have jumped if she hadn't grabbed hold of the Ice ring a half second before. Something odd was happening with her. Her blood was pumping faster, hotter, and she began a slow sort of walk towards the Death Eaters. There was something she was supposed to be doing; she knew it.

"Ginny?" Ron asked, as he saw her walking way. But she didn't answer or stop, but kept her slow, dreamlike pace towards the commotion. She slipped on the other two rings, she knew somehow she was going to need them.

"Ginny?" Harry said, running in front of her.

"Move," she said, much in the way that Morgana spoke. Then she ran into Malfoy's arm, she hadn't even seen him walk in front of her to block her.

"Come on, Virginia," he said casually, "Let's free ourselves of the riffraff; don't want to be around when the Death Eaters show up."

He had broken the spell, or need, or whatever the hell it was, and she now was quite dazed.

"Just let her go, Ron," Ginny heard Hermione say to the furious looking Ron.

"But! He's a Death Eater! He's bad news and -" but he was cut off by Hermione again.

"She's made her decision, Ron, let her go."

Ginny heard their voices die as they walked further away.

"What the hell was that?!?" Draco shouted at her, "Do you have a death wish?"

Of course I didn't tell him. What could I say? "Oh, sorry, my blood was calling me." I can see his response, "Oh, your blood, well in that case...you know they have places for people like you in St. Mungo's? You should look into that."

Sure, that would be a fun conversation. In actuality, I said I thought I saw some one I knew, but it turned out it wasn't anyone. He seemed to buy it, though with Draco, you never can tell.

Needless to say, the rest of the holidays weren't really...restive. Mum worried constantly and didn't want me or any of her boys out of her sight. I, however, did manage to escape to my room quite often. I had become really, really, REALLY, interested in the ring that Nysilia had given me.

I'm trying to find the right words to describe it to you. Okay, this isn't going to sound good. Have you ever been high? Or doped up on so much medicine, your mind didn't work properly? I guess it is kind of like that. When I put on Nysilia's ring for a long period of time, things tend to go numb. It is like...it is like floating in cold water after you can't feel properly. Your mind sort of turns off and you can't feel. You can't be happy, you can't be sad, you can't want. But most importantly, you can't hurt. It is what drew me to the ring. All the pain inside dulled so I couldn't feel it. Sure I couldn't feel anything else, but it was by far the preferred choice.

I would lie in my room for hours, lights off, shades down, ring on. It was like intense zoning. I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't sleep, and I wouldn't think. My mind wasn't in the past, present, or future, it almost wasn't period. In this respect it was like a drug...and in one other. It had nasty side effects. What happened, was when you have the ring on, you can't feel, so all your emotions build and build. The only way to stop the hurting is to put the ring back on again, it is addictive and powerful and I loved it.

I'll admit it, I loved that ring. It was an obsession...or would have been if I had enough emotion half the time to have that sort of feeling toward something. It turned me off and I loved it. But I knew, somewhere inside of me, I was misusing it. I'm not sure how I knew this, I just felt it...at least when the ring was off. I tried weaning myself from it, slowly, but it just hurt, so I stopped.

Eventually, I learned that there are two ways to wear the ring. One is on my pointer finger. When you wear the ring like this, you have not control over your body and mind, your whole being goes numb. The other way is on my middle finger. If you wore it like this, you could see clearly. It was like looking through the cleanest, clearest, blues of spring mornings. Your mind was focused, but you were cold inside. Still I couldn't feel my feelings, but it was in that state that I knew they were there, I just chose to ignore them.

I knew I was going to have to be careful with this, my mother had already seen me in my state of unconsciousness with my ring on my pointer finger. Somehow, she never saw the ring. This intrigued me, I mean, how often do you see a beautiful, expensive ring on the hand of a Weasley? I'll answer that for you, never. I tried an experiment. One morning, I wend down stairs wearing all three rings (and let me tell you, this in itself is an odd sensation) and sat at the breakfast table. Advertising them as much as I could with out looking insane, I ate. NO ONE NOTICED! At this point I'm thinking "Okay, Gin. This is a bit weird. Perhaps you should pull a Hermione and go to the library when you get back to school.

Thankful that the beginning of term was so far away, I went into my room and did what I call 'zoning' for a couple of hours. Though of course the minute I did that, the beginning of term seemed to be creeping up on me already.

Soon I was at King's Cross, getting on the Hogwart's Express...

Ginny walked onto the train, not bothering saying goodbye to her mother, and sitting in an empty car. She was tired and soaked to the bone. She wanted to put on Nysilia's ring, but knew she couldn't, not now at any rate. She heard her brother, Harry, and Hermione talking as they walked down the walkways, saying something like 'stupid Malfoy' and generally causing a scene.

"Virginia," Draco said as he stepped into her apartment. It was odd; all the stories she'd heard from her brother, she'd pinned Draco as the kind of guy who hung around those hulking idiots Crabbe and Goyle. But not once, not one time, had she ever seen him in the close vicinity of them. Probably can't handle the stupidity, she thought dryly.

"Draco," she said impassively. "You seemed to get them riled up right away, what is your hurry?"

"Can't miss an opportunity to show my superiority, now can I?" he said smugly.

"I guess you can't," she said quietly, "So are you going to tell me about what is happening at Hogwarts or do you want to lead me on a bit like you did with Ronald, Harry, and Hermione?"

"I suppose I could, but you aren't much fun. The last time I saw you get all riled up was at the end of last year," he smirked. "We are holding the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts this year."

Ginny looked at him, an eye raised and a doubtful look on her face, "That is what every one is getting their knickers in a twist about? Honestly..."

Draco snorted and said, "Most people would kill for the chance to compete, what is with you?"

"Let's just say that I could care less...about just about anything."

He looked her over appraisingly, "Virginia, you've changed."

"I'm not the same person I was born to be," she replied, looking out the window, "I was supposed to be a Gryffindor."

"How do you know?" Draco asked sharply.

Ginny looked at him like he was daft. Then she pointed to her hair, her freckles, and then pulled out the sack lunch her mother had made for her, "Ginny Weasley" was written on it. "I really don't think you need me to put the pieces of the puzzle together for you."

Draco seemed to let it go and they spent the rest of the ride talking quietly about this and that. It was odd; she never imagined Draco was like this. She never imagined she'd be talking to Draco like this. She never imagined she'd think of him as Draco.

It was a novelty, having some on to talk to, to share opinions with, crazy how things like this sort of just fit together. Looking back, I wish he had been my friend. Some things that people don't realize about Slytherins: They are very protective of their belongings, this extends to people. Slytherins are fiercefully loyal to those who they think deserve their loyalty, I mean, why else do you think Death Eaters stay with Tom? They are actually quite pleasant under their layers. (I see the confusion. It is written on your face. Have you ever seen the Muggle film Shreck? Anyway, you know how onions have layers? It is kind of like that. Parfaits have layers too. Every one likes parfaits. Have you ever met a person who says, "Hey, no thanks, I'd rather not have a parfait?" No, me neither. Um, sorry about that; back to layers. Slytherins have layers, one protecting the one under it. Every layer you get closer to the core, you get closer to the real person. I don't really know if I have layers, I suppose I do, I am a Slytherin. I suppose if I did have layers, Draco would be on the second to the surface. He is the closest person to my heart, now at least.)

So we entered the Great Hall and the news of the Triwizard Cup hit the public's hands. Everyone was so excited; you could almost taste the anxiety in the room. Stupid Triwizard stupid thing...get over here or I'll drop you like third period French. Sorry, a bit of aggression there. I really had bad feelings about that Tournament in the first case, and after what happened...let's just say I learned to be aware of my feelings.

Classes started. In a way it was a relief. I didn't have to use the Ice ring a whole ton because I was so wrapped up in my classes. I had chosen Ancient Runes, Arithmacy, and Astrology as my classes on top of Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and History of Magic. Sorry, no Divination for me. You'd have to break my legs, tie me down in the chair, burn off my eyelids, and rip out my tongue to keep me in that class. Divining the future my ass...grr.

Actually, my two favorite classes were my two hardest, Arithmacy and Transfiguration. They were actually quite interesting. I have a feeling I'm sounding a bit like Hermione, so I'm just gonna stop right here. Sorry, I have problems, not with Hermione, but with sounding like her. It is too creepy. Let's just say in enjoyed my classes to their full extent...except History of Magic in which I slept. I actually think Professor Binns sleeps sometime too, if that is possible for a ghost. I mean, sometimes, when I wake up, no one is talking, not even him. He sort of jumps and then begins in some goblin rebellion. He calls me Ms. Silverstreak...I don't know why.

Advanced Transfiguration was hard to say the least. And you can sure as hell bet that McGonagall didn't go easy on me because I was a third year in with a bunch of sixth and seventh years. In fact, she may have gone harder on me. But I'm not to sure, Gryffindor fair play laws sort of forbid that.

The weeks of my third year rolled by and my thirteenth birthday came and went. I've never actually looked forward to birthdays, not much to do really. The way I see it, it is just the number of times you've been in the same spot in the earth's rotation around the sun. I don't see the reason to celebrate. I'm not really sure how Draco figured it all out, but he managed to say happy birthday to me on the 22^nd of September, my birthday. Apparently it was important to him that I was born on a solstice. Well technically I'm born on an equinox, the autumnal equinox to be proper. As I said, don't look too much into it.

Halloween rolled around and the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students arrived in all their finery. Really the Beauxbaton students were disgusting; I've never met a group of more whiney, self-centered, conceited, bitchy know-it-alls than those stupid French witches. I don't hold the Durmstrang students in any higher regard. The lot of them are like Slytherins except dirtier, hairier, and smellier. I still didn't have any good feelings about the Triwizard Tournament. If you've ever read any of the Muggle comic books (don't ask, you'll find out later) Spiderman, you'll know the famous line, "My spider sense is tingling." Well, my spider sense was tingling that night.

Draco had been saying he hoped that Carl Warrington would get the Hogwarts champion position. He had said that Warrington played Chaser with him the year before as a fifth year and had been pretty good. I certainly hoped that a great natural disaster would occur and no one could do the Triwizard Tournament. It would be particularly nice if a black hole opened right above the Beauxbaton's carriages and sucked up all the prissy, I've-got-an-extremely-large-stick-up-my-ass students and their stupid horses. When it comes down to it, I don't like Beauxbatons students, could you tell?

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. there was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out -

"Harry Potter."

Ginny's heart sunk. This wasn't good news at all. Ginny looked at Harry, an extreme wave of sadness enveloped her and she wished that she had her Ice Ring to squelch her emotions. But she continued looking at him. He looked completely surprised and stunned. He looked around and up at Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore repeated. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

Ginny watched as Hermione pushed him up and he stumbled slightly over his robes as he walked up to the head table. Then after what seemed to be the longest walk and the loudest silence, he walked though the door and out of sight. Immediately the hall burst into a dull roar, every house talking excitedly about the...the...whatever just happened. Ginny sat in silence for a long while, the voices around her muffled and dull. She watched the door instead. It was as if it was just her and that door, waiting to see if he was alright. It was unreal the way it all died around her.

But slowly, her world turned back to reality and she heard Draco talking excitedly with one of the Durmstrang students he knew because apparently their fathers were friends. Slytherins don't have friends. The have subordinates. Either you had subordinates or you were a subordinate; that was the way it was and probably always would be.

"He must have cheated somehow! He is much too young, how?" Draco ranted. Ginny was convinced he was obsessed. It wasn't that big of deal. But who was she kidding; she had had a feeling that things weren't going to be good with the Triwizard Tournament. And here she sat in the Great Hall, watching as once again, Harry Potter was thrown into another life threatening situation.

One word: Weird-d-d-d-d-d-d...d.

Actually there is a second: Scary.

We went over the 'I don't do the whole scared thing,' right? Good.

I was scared. Scared he would die. There was something wrong with this picture, something wrong with this situation, something wrong period. Sitting there at the Slytherin table next to the stupid Durmstrangs (of whom the only one I could handle was Viktor, though even he was weird) there was nothing I could do.

So like the rest of the school, we were excused to go to our common rooms and go to sleep, the Durmstrang students went to their boat and the Beauxbaton students to their carriages. I was one of the last to leave the hall, a few Durmstrangs hanging behind and waiting for their teacher, Karkaroff.

I think I should go ahead and say it, by my third year, I had filled out a bit more, enough to be appealing to boys. I wasn't my ideal height yet, but my body was somewhere in the middle of its development. I am happy to say I had quite a good figure for a third year. What can I say, Weasley women mature fast. Unfortunately, the other six boys in my year had noticed. They themselves were just beginning to "grow into their bodies" and where, how you say, curious? More like horny and couldn't wait to slip mirrors under my skirts. Perves. At any rate, I'd have to deck them one soon because I was getting annoyed. I'm not saying I don't like boys, and Jonathan Wilkes, a fellow third year with me, was really quite attractive, but that doesn't mean I want them looking up my skirt.

Anyway, I was waiting in the Great Hall...

Ginny was packing up her books so she could head to the library, you couldn't pass McGonagall's Advanced Transfiguration with out studying every night, and Ginny would pass. She would pass even if she had to fail History of Magic. She had just put every book she owned in her bag and she heaved it over her shoulder, when it broke.

"Damn it!" she said quietly. She bent down to pick up her books and parchments when some one handed her a book.

"Advanced Transfiguration," he said. He was fair haired and tall with bright blue eyes and a well muscled build. He smiled at her and said, "Vat vould you be doing vith a book like this?"

"I take this class," Ginny said, standing up and looking him in the eye.

"Vat year are you?"

"I'm a third year Slytherin," she answered.

"They let you take Advanced Transfiguration in your third year in Hogvarts?" he said in an amazed voice.

"Only some people," she answered, bending down to stuff her things in her bag again, getting annoyed with the tall fair haired boy.

He bent down as well and helped her, smiling the whole time. After the last quill was in her bag, he smiled at her again, then ran a hand though his hair and said, "I'm Alexi, Alexi Polinen."

"Virginia," she said sticking out her hand and looking up at him with serious, big, brown eyes.

He took it, but instead of shaking it, kissed it, "Nice to meet you, Virginia. I hope to see you again."

Then he winked and turned back to his Durmstrang friends, speaking in what Ginny suspected was Russian. She frowned after him and then turned to go to the library.

Talk about weird. What was a sixth year (at least) doing hitting on me? Sure I was developed for my age, but that doesn't mean anything, he was probably three or four years older than me.

But if you thing that is weird, guess what happened next. No just go ahead and guess. No, good try. But it is weirder than even that.

Ginny rounded the corner to the library and almost ran into Draco.

"What was that?" he asked; his face unnaturally dark.

"What was what?" she asked, tired of being stalled on her way to the library.

"That! In the Great Hall! He is like four years too old for you!" he said furiously.

"I think you are read a bit much into that. My bag broke and he introduced himself; that is all. In addition, what business is it of yours and why would you care?" Ginny snapped.

Draco opened and closed his mouth once. "He is from Durmstrang, he can't be trusted."

Ginny stared blankly at him, all thoughts of the library gone. They began walking to the dungeons, not wanting to get caught out in the halls.

"That is your reasoning? 'He's form Durmstrang, he can't be trusted.' Give me a break Draco, we are in Slytherin, it is practically the same thing!"

"He isn't right for you," Draco said in a desperate voice.

"Oh, please. Not like it is any of your business, one encounter like that is no reason for me to go off and have the guy's babies, Draco. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

"I don't wear knickers."

"I didn't want to know that."

"So you wont date him?" Draco said, now leaning in my doorway like he always did.

"No," she spat. "I'm not going to 'date' anyone. Back off."

He looked at her sharply, then said, "Good night, Virginia."

"Good night, Draco," Ginny said, sitting down at her vanity and opening her diary.

Did I tell you? Yeah, weird, I know.

But what was I supposed to say. I didn't like Alexi, I never have and never will. Stupid Slytherin over-protectiveness.

Anyway, the first task came around and the whole school was awed by Harry's daring and dangerous broom flying. He really does have a gift. It is art the way he rides his broom. I thought the Chinese Fireball was particularly beautiful and now I sound like Charlie. I swear if it weren't illegal he'd go and marry a dragon, the biggest, meanest, most dangerous fire breathing lizard he could find and then find a way to procreate. Either that or he'll marry Elizabeth MacFustry of the Herbrigean MacFustrys, you know the ones who manage the Herbrigean Black Dragons Reservation? He's been dating her for years.

I, like the rest of the school, was aware of the Yule Ball that winter. But I, unlike the rest of the school, could have cared less. And I, like some of my school mates, was asked by the least likely of people, to this dance/ball/thing. No, not Draco. Pansy asked him and his father said he shouldn't refuse. He ranted about this for little over an hour one night, oh how I remember that particular rant, I had to put a silencing charm on the room so no one could hear.

But I bet you're dying to know who is...

Ginny sat at the library table, her feet propped on the table and books spread about her. She had long ago discarded her cloak and sweater top, Madam Pince liked it ungodly hot in the winter. Something about her being old and it got kind of fuzzy after that. But it was sweltering and Ginny almost wished for the cool dampness of the dungeons...almost. She flipped the page and loosened her school tie, wiping a bit of sweat off her head as she held her hair off her neck. Good Merlin it is like a sauna in here! She thought as she gave Madam Pince a death glare. Unfortunately Madam Pince couldn't see Ginny in her suffering; she was doing Merlin-knew-what with the new books that had been ordered. Booby trapping them probably the crazy old witch, Ginny thought.

Just as she was about to do a Breeze Charm, the doors of the library opened and in walked a group of Durmstrang boys, Alexi was with them along with a few older Slytherin boys she recognized. Alexi made eye contact with her and Ginny held it for a bit, not feeling scared at all.

He turned back to his friends and Ginny turned back to her work. Finishing the last of her Arithmacy problems, she went on to Transfiguration. She brought out her notes and started looking for her book, but couldn't see to find it.

"Looking for something," a voice behind her asked.

"It seems that an Advanced Transfiguration book has gone missing from my table, have you seen it," she said, turning to Alexi and looking up at him.

"It is nice to see you again, Virginia," he said with a smile.

"I can hardly say the same as you have my Transfiguration book, Alexi," she said with a hint of a smile on her face. It was hard not to like him.

"I still don't know vat you are doing in that class," he said, sitting across from her and sliding the book across the table.

Ginny shrugged and said, "Well, appearances aren't always what they seem."

"Too true," he admitted, looking around a bit. Then he looked her in the eyes and said, "What is in you that people don't see, Virginia?"

She leaned in close to him, like she was going to dissolve a secret. He leaned closer to her and Ginny said, "I was paid to keep track of the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students so they didn't figure out any of Hogwarts' secrets while they were snooping about the library."

He looked at her for a moment and then fell back in his seat laughing. Ginny leaned back in her seat and watched him. He really was quite good looking, but that still didn't change that she would never, could never, like or love any one like that.

"That vas funny," he said after a bit, "You really had me going for a minute there Virginia."

She smiled sarcastically and said, "So what are you doing in the library, then, if not trying to find out its numerous secrets? I can tell you that a few of the books in the restricted section lead to different rooms of books and the like, but other than that, I'm useless."

He looked at her closely, Ginny could tell he was fighting to keep his gaze on her face, not her chest. "Vell, since I have completed my mission. I guess I could ask you my question."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing.

"Vould you go to the Yule Ball vith me, Virginia?" he asked seriously.

Ginny looked at him with a blank expression. She must have been silent for too long because his face fell and he said, "I know I am a few years older than you and-"

"That isn't it."

"You like that other boy, that Malfoy, then," he said, looking a bit discouraged.

"No," Ginny said firmly.

"Then it is because I am from Durmstrang?" he asked.

Ginny shook her head, though he wasn't all wrong with the fact that he was too old for her and he was from Durmstrang.

She looked at him for a long while and before she could speak he said, "I sure vish I could see vat you are thinking."

Ginny's face softened a bit and she said, "I'm thinking you should meet me outside the Slytherin common rooms before the Yule Ball."

His face lit again, "So that is a yes?"

She nodded and he smiled. "I'll see you then, Virginia."

Then he left the library, his friends falling in line behind him. They spoke in Russian as they left. Ginny sighed and got back to work. She tried not to think about the dance...but what was she going to wear?