Brown Eyed Girl

Chapter 2: In Which Ginny Formulates a Plan

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Ginny stood after dinner and headed towards the part of the table where more of the first years were sitting. "First years!" she called out. "Come with me, please." Eleven little heads turned her way and Ginny smiled pleasantly. She was barely a foot taller than the tallest first year. Ginny grinned at that and gestured for them to follow her.

After a couple minutes she heard someone panting. Ginny frowned; who could that be? She turned her head slightly and nearly laughed at what she saw. "Hi, Ginny," Neville said breathlessly; he had obviously been running hard to catch up with the brisk pace Ginny had set for the first years. "I don't know the password, but I'm sure you do. So can I uh ... well, tag along with you guys?" He motioned at the first years, who were now staring at him with round eyes.

"Sure, Neville," Ginny said. "Watch out for this step," she told the first years, "it's a trick step." Ginny paused as she heard a sight "thump". "Neville has so kindly demonstrated where exactly the trick step is." The first years giggled nervously as Ginny pulled Neville out.

"Thanks, Ginny." Neville blushed.

"No problem," Ginny said, trying once again not to laugh. Ginny led the first years and Neville up several flights of stairs and down some more, until they got to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Swallowtail," Ginny said clearly to the portrait.

"Hello dears," the Fat Lady said, smiling down on the first years. The portrait swung open and Ginny stepped inside. The first years followed her into the large room.

Ginny turned to face them, smiling kindly. "That's the boys' dormitories -" she pointed at one staircase, " - and that's the girls'," she said, pointing at the other. "Keep going up until you see a door with 'First Years' written on it."

The first years went to their separate dorms, a couple saying thank you. Ginny smiled, knowing they were nearly asleep on their feet.

Neville turned to Ginny. "Merlin, Ginny, you're really good with kids!" he exclaimed.

Now it was Ginny's turn to blush. "Thanks Neville ... I'm going to go to bed now. I'll see you tomorrow!" She smiled and waved to him as she walked up the girl's staircase.

Ginny let her hand rest for a second the door labeled "Fifth Years." So much had happened in her five years, it was sad when she considered there were only three left. Quietly Ginny shut the door behind her and walked over to her bed.

Ginny lay back in her four-poster, eyes half shut and - for the time being - grateful for the quiet.

The door slammed open and Amy, Joy and Bella stood there. "Hey!" they all yelled, very obviously glad to see Ginny - even though it had only been a brief ten minutes since dinner.

Ginny winced inwardly but sat up on her bed. "Hey, what's up?"

Joy came and sat on her own four-poster bed next to Ginny's. Her tiny frame seemed swallowed up by the bed, and once again Ginny wondered if Joy was okay. With her dark hair, large eyes and tiny frame, she always seemed to be sick. However, when Joy smiled Ginny forgot about her problems; Joy had that effect on people. Ginny smiled at her as Bella bounced over to Ginny's bed, her blonde hair trailing behind her like a banner and quiet, mousy Amy followed.

Bella smiled mischievously from her perch across the room from Ginny. "Who wants to play truth or dare?" she asked the group, her blue eyes daring them to agree.

All three heads turned to Ginny, who smiled as well. "Okay, sounds like fun," she said, without really meaning it.

Ginny looked out the window as the other girls started to play, wishing - not for the first time - that she was somewhere else.

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Draco sat in an armchair in the dungeon common room. He had a glare on his face as he watched the flames from the fire dip and part. Blaise was sitting beside him, a nervous look on his face. "Draco..." he began, obviously wanting to know what was wrong.

"Blaise, what do you want?" Draco asked, his steel-grey eyes flashing with the glow from the fire.

"What happened over the summer?" Blaise inquired, keeping his voice low. "You can tell me - I mean, we have only been friends for ... what? Fifteen years!"

Draco sighed, Blaise did have a point. "Father - just, well, grew pushier about me joining the Death Eaters. Nothing extraordinary. Happens every holiday ..."

Blaise looked down at his hands; he knew Draco didn't exactly want to kill Mudbloods or anything, he just didn't like them very much. "It's okay, Draco," he said slowly, "you're going to graduate school in a couple years ..." He trailed off, seeing the look on Draco's face.

"Do you think that matters? It will be even worse then! I won't have Hogwarts to run away to; I'll have to join then!" Draco's eyes blazed. "I've got to go to bed, I'll see you tomorrow." He turned to go, but Blaise took a hold of his robes.

This reminded Draco oddly of his time on the train. "What?" he asked Blaise, amusement flickering in his steely eyes.

"It will be okay," Blaise said evenly, catching Draco's sharp eyes with his dark brown ones. He dropped Draco's robes and turned back to face the fire.

Draco shook his head sadly and walked up to his dormitory. He pulled the heavy green hangings around his four-poster bed shut, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Ginny woke up the next morning feeling very much annoyed. She wouldn't have been if Bella hadn't been drying her hair with her extremely loud wizard blow-dryer on high. She rolled her eyes; Bella was always obvious when she let her Muggle half show; a simple spell would have dried her hair in half the time, and half the noise.

Ginny groaned loudly and rolled over in bed. Unfortunately she forgot she was already on the edge, and she rolled off the bed in a tangle of blankets and freckled limbs. "Ow. That hurt," she informed her pillow.

"Ginny, are you okay?" Amy jumped down from her bed and peered at her friend's face, her mousy-brown curls itching Ginny's freckled nose.

Ginny blinked slowly and muttered, "I'm fine, what time is it?"

Ginny heard Joy's lilting voice calling across the dormitory, "It's almost eight."

Ginny swore under her breath, she had less than an hour to get to class. Sighing, Ginny pushed herself up off the floor and piled her blankets back on her bed. She had really wanted to have a slow, easy first Monday.

After a quick, yet refreshing shower Ginny rushed down to breakfast, stopping to grab her books, some parchment and a couple quills off her desk in the dormitory.

She made it down to breakfast in record time, managing to avoid the Creevey brothers quite expertly. She sat down and grabbed some toast. Turning her wrist over she inspected her watch. It was quarter to nine. Ginny sighed and grabbed another piece of toast. She picked her books up from the seat beside her and walked back out of the hall towards the Charms classroom.

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Draco laughed at something Goyle said to him, then turned to scan the Great Hall. He couldn't help but be hopelessly bored. Crabbe and Goyle were good as bodyguards, but they were certainly not material for entertainers.

His grey eyes caught on a girl with flaming red hair. He smiled slowly as he watched her walk hurriedly across the hall, trying to balance her books, parchment and a piece of toast.

"I'll be back in a second," he informed Crabbe and Goyle. Draco stood and made his way over to Ginny. "Hello," he said plainly, his head held high and his signature smirk stretching across his face.

"Umm hi, Malfoy." Ginny had one eyebrow raised and a confused look on her delicate face.

Draco nearly laughed. "Do you want me to help you carry those?" He gestured at the books. "It looks like you have a lot to handle, and I happen to have Potions next." He smiled at that comment, knowing the worst reprimand he would get from for being late was a slight scolding.

Ginny frowned, tiny wrinkles appeared on her freckled forehead. "No thank you, Malfoy, I do think I am capable of handling this on my own." She turned away from him and walked away through the double doors stiffly, standing straight and tall.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly and went back to Crabbe and Goyle to pick up his book bag. "Let's go," he said, trying to keep his fury out of his voice; he was merely being a gentleman, that lowlife Weaselette couldn't even figure that out.

"Hey, Draco?" Crabbe asked slowly, "why were you talking to that Weasley? I mean she's all ... er ... Weasel-ly." He smiled slowly, a grin stretching across his stupid face. Draco rolled his eyes at Crabbe's stupidity and led the way down the dungeons.

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At lunchtime that same day Ginny was watching one boy with particular interest. Her eyes following his graceful movements as he illustrated a story. She watched his emerald eyes go bright with amusement, and his smile stretch wide across his tanned face.

Ginny sighed and rested her chin on a closed fist. There is no way I am going to get him...not without a plan, she thought. Then she smiled. No guy can resist an irresistible girl, can they? All I need is the perfect guy for Harry to be jealous of.

Her eyes traveled along the Gryffindor table. Not Dean, I think he's still mad at me for using him last year... Seamus... well, Bella has had her eye on him for years....

Ginny looked towards Bella, who was glancing at Seamus from the corner of her eye when she thought no one was watching.

Bella could get any guy, but she wants that one! Ginny thought, momentarily off track.

Ginny turned and looked down the other half of the Gryffindor table.

Right...and Neville is definitely no way.

Ginny frowned as she looked to the lower grades of Gryffindor; they would never work, it had to be Harry's grade or higher. Ginny looked over Amy's head towards the Ravenclaw table; then she stopped. Her eyes caught on a blonde-haired boy. She smiled slowly; that would be absolutely perfect.

Ginny ran her fingers through her hair, and then she stood up, confident about her plan. "I'll be right back," she told Bella, Amy and Joy. "Or I'll see you in Transfiguration if this doesn't go exactly as planned." She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Harry was watching her with great interest. Ginny turned, her hair catching the sunlight coming from the ceiling.

As she walked by the Slytherin table she glanced over at Malfoy. Ginny smiled flirtatiously as she saw Malfoy's gaze riveted on her. She tilted her head and walked out the door, hoping he would follow her.

She had barely begun climbing the staircase when she heard a call from behind her. She turned and looked down to see Malfoy striding towards her.

"Weasley ... I ... you ... I mean it's just that... you are so...." He trailed off and Ginny looked slightly amused; it wasn't often guys were speechless around her, let alone Malfoy.

"Yes, Malfoy?" She raised one eyebrow again, and moved down the stairs, so there was only a step between them.

Malfoy looked slightly abashed. "You can call me Draco, if you would like. I don't particularly care if you do...however it has some meaning to girls in general." He looked up at her, his icy calmness restored.

Ginny smiled and was just about to say something when another cry sounded from the door of the Great Hall.

"Ginny?!" Her brother's voice rang out, reaching her ears. "What are you doing with that - that - that - THING?" His face was a purple color and he seemed to be having a hard time breathing.

Ginny sighed and looked back at Draco. "Thank you, Draco; you may call me Ginny. That's what my friends call me." She smiled at him and turned back to the stairs.

A few seconds later she felt a hand on her elbow, "What on earth do you think you are doing?" Ron's voice came through gritted teeth. "That was Malfoy you were talking to!" Ginny turned back to see Draco still standing there, an amused look on his face.

"I know, Ron." Ginny said plainly, trying to get her elbow out of his tight grip, "I'm not blind!"

Ron's mouth dropped open. "You wanted to talk to ferret-boy?" He seemed stunned by the very idea. "He'll just hurt you, Gin. Why, why on earth would you want to even look at him?"

Ginny frowned, "Because, Ronald." They were now standing at the top of the stairs. "He happens to look back." Ginny shook his hand off her and walked away to the Transfiguration classroom, fully unaware she was being watched by someone other than just her over-protective brother.

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