Subversive

Author's Notes: This was written as a pinch hit for the rarepair_shorts (LJ comm) Spring 2010 exchange. Beta read by the incredible mods at rarepair_shorts.

Subversive

"Spattergroit?" Neville whispered. "That's-- That's really contagious." Ginny was just explaining to him and Luna why Ron wasn't coming back. They were hunched together, knee to knee, in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. The whole trip had been very weird so far, starting with the fact that she and her mum had gone to King's Cross alone this year. It was the first time since Charlie had started school that there would only be one Weasley at Hogwarts.

Then, there had been Ministry officials at the platform, checking names off of a list. Apparently, only students of 'Ministry-approved ancestry' had been allowed on the train. Ginny wondered what Muggle-borns like Dean were doing.

"It's very good for the constitution, though," Luna chirped. "Do you think I could come by your house and get exposed?"

"He doesn't really have spattergroit," Ginny explained, looking at the blond witch in exasperation. Her voice was so low it was barely audible above the clatter of the train on the tracks. "We've just got to say he does, so no one comes looking for him."

"And what if they do come looking for him?" Neville seemed worried.

Ginny leaned in closer. "We've got a ghoul--"

All of a sudden, the door to their compartment slammed open. The three friends jumped apart guiltily.

Draco Malfoy stalked in, followed closely by Pansy Parkinson. They had identical sneers on their faces, and, pinned prominently to their school robes, identical golden pins. Head Boy and Head Girl. Ginny nodded grimly to herself. After seeing on her schoolbooks list that Snape was now the Headmaster -- despite the fact he had murdered Professor Dumbledore in cold blood -- she had expected something of the sort. Ginny caught Pansy glaring at her. She returned the look until Pansy smiled, a cold and ruthless grin. A shiver ran down Ginny's spine.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Draco had become, if possible, even paler and smarmier over the summer. "Looks like the dregs of the purebloods to me. Just barely made the cutoff to be allowed back. What do you think, Pansy?"

The dark-haired witch stepped around him so she could drag her wand along Ginny's cheek. "I think someone's sad they couldn't stay home and play with their friends."

Ginny shoved Pansy's wand away. "Ron's ill, in case you don't know. He has spattergroit."

"I'm going to go and expose myself as soon as possible," Luna added. "It's very good for the--"

"Shut up!" Draco shouted. "We don't have to take your nonsense this year, Lovegood. Nor yours!" He waved his wand at Neville and Ginny. "Things are going to be run differently this year. No more favoritism for Gryffindors. This time, Slytherins have the say." He surveyed them triumphantly.

"Oh, are we taking turns?" Luna asked brightly. "Will it be the Ravenclaws' turn next year, do you think?"

"I said, shut up!" Draco Silenced Luna with a jab of his wand.

"Stop it!" Ginny screeched, jumping up to place herself between the Slytherins and her friends. She wished she had her wand, but it was in her bag, on the overhead luggage rack.

"I don't think you've understood yet, Weasley," Draco spat. "Our time has come. We make the rules. If I say, 'Shut up,' you shut up. If I tell you to jump, you ask how high."

"Oh, that's very original," Ginny sneered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Draco's face twisted into a mask of rage, but before he could cast another spell, Pansy put her hand on his arm.

"I think we should bring her to Professor Carrow," Pansy suggested darkly. "She has a very... persuasive way of explaining things, don't you think?" She hadn't taken her eyes off Ginny.

Draco lowered his wand as a smug look spread across his face. "That's not a bad idea at all. Cheek like this needs to be nipped in the bud, from the roots up. Let's go, Weasley."

"You're not taking her anywhere, Malfoy!" Neville shouted, trying to elbow his way in front of Ginny.

"It's all right, Neville," Ginny said. "I'd like to meet this Professor Carrow. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I assume?" She directed the question at Pansy.

"Muggle Studies, actually." Pansy seemed amused. "But she has a brother, also Professor Carrow, who will be taking over DADA. You'll be meeting him, too. First things first, however. Shall we?" Pansy stepped out into the corridor and indicated that Ginny should join her.

Ginny reached up to get her bag. "I assume I'm allowed to take my things with me?" she said coldly.

"Whatever, Weasley." Draco jerked his head toward the corridor.

"Be careful, Ginny," Neville said in a low voice.

"I told you, I'll be fine, Neville," Ginny insisted, gripping her bag firmly, although inwardly, her heart was beating wildly. She was trying to think how to get her wand out without Draco or Pansy seeing, but she was sandwiched between them, with Pansy in front and Draco bringing up the rear.

They had only gone a couple of compartments further when heavy footsteps sounded behind them. Ginny turned to see Crabbe and Goyle lurching along the narrow corridor, both red in the face and panting.

"Draco! I mean -- Mr. Malfoy!" Goyle blurted out.

Ginny snorted to herself. She wondered if this was just the Head Boy badge going to Draco's head, or if there were some new rule in place.

"We caught some Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors trading with these..." He held out what looked like playing cards.

"What--?" Draco spluttered, clearly annoyed, as he flipped through the cards. "These are Chocolate Frog cards. What do I care about them?" He shoved them back at Goyle.

"But they've got... you know, Dumbledore..." Crabbe said hesitantly, as if merely speaking the name would bring the wrath of the unholy down on his head. "And Gryffindor, and Tremlett... the stuff it says about them is 'subversive and counterproductive to harmony in the new wizarding world'." Ginny doubted he'd come up with the last bit by himself; probably another one of those new Slytherin rules.

"Oh for Merlin's sake," Draco snapped. "Can't you two take care of anything yourselves? Don't you see we're busy with Weasley here?"

"I can take her on ahead, Draco," Pansy sighed in a martyred voice.

Draco hesitated.

"If you want something done right..." Pansy prompted.

"Oh, very well," Draco said, running his hand through his hair. "Come on, then. Show me." He indicated that Crabbe and Goyle should lead on. "I won't be long," he said over his shoulder to Pansy. "Don't start the fun without me."

"We won't," Pansy said, and then to Ginny: "All right, let's go." She started again toward the front of the car. Ginny considered... She could duck back into the compartment with Neville and Luna, somehow barricade them in... but that was just asking for more trouble in the long run, and anyway, now that Draco was gone... But she did slip her hand into the side pocket of her bag and slide her wand up her sleeve.

At the end of the car, though, instead of going through to the next car, Pansy stopped suddenly, took a quick look down the length of the corridor, and whipped open the door to the WC, pushing Ginny in ahead of her.

Before Ginny even had a chance to think, Pansy had her pressed against the wall, her mouth on Ginny's, her hands in her hair, that damned ring caught just like always. Ginny didn't care though, because Pansy's tongue was soft and slippery and her sweet scent was filling Ginny's nostrils. Her firm, small breasts rubbed against Ginny's fuller, softer ones. In a reptilian reflex, Ginny's eyes fell half-shut and she leaned her head back, exposing her throat. She was immediately rewarded with proof that Pansy had remembered the exact spot that made Ginny moan.

"God, how do you do that?" Ginny breathed out.

Pansy stopped what she was doing and clapped her hand over Ginny's mouth. Her blue eyes were wide open, and if Ginny didn't know her better, she'd have said Pansy was afraid. "Shh." She looked around, then leaned in so that her mouth was right over Ginny's ear. "We don't have much time. I do have to take you to the Head carriage." Her breath was hot in Ginny's ear, and was followed by Pansy taking Ginny's earlobe into her mouth and sucking hard.

Ginny hissed in a gasp.

"Potter's not around this year, darling. Whatever will happen to you?" Pansy teased in a low whisper.

"Are you insinuating that I have need of either a protector, or a lover?" Ginny shot back, wishing Pansy would shut up and make better use of her hot little tongue.

"Oh, is that what he was to you?" Pansy pulled back with an expression of mock surprise.

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "I told you, what goes on between me and Harry has nothing to do with us. And I see Draco still has you on a short leash. Head Girl." She fingered Pansy's golden pin, then let her fingers trail on down her chest to where she figured the other girl's nipple was, and pinched.

"Cheek," Pansy purred, and leaned in again to give Ginny another wet, open-mouthed kiss.

Ginny didn't know if she had an oral fixation or what, but Pansy's mouth was her favorite thing about her. She could never get enough of kissing her. She'd almost forgotten the reason they were squeezed into the tiny WC -- breathless, with Ginny's bag still hanging off her elbow, both of their hair mussed and Pansy's lipstick smudged around her mouth like a strawberry stain -- when Pansy pulled herself abruptly away.

"Shit, we have to go." She maneuvered herself around so she could see her face in the mirror. "You'd better do your hair," she said peremptorily, while she waved her wand around her own head. In seconds, her dark, bob-cut hair lay flat and glossy, the longer ends in front curling gently just so; her face once again looked as fresh and smooth as one of Molly's newly-laundered duvets.

Ginny just pulled her fingers through her long hair to get out the worst of the tangles. "If you wouldn't always get that stupid ring caught in it..." Ginny complained.

"Use your wand, why don't you," Pansy said impatiently to Ginny's reflection. "You're not a Muggle."

Ginny let her hands fall. "I thought it'd look better for you if they thought you'd roughed me up a bit," she teased.

Pansy turned around to face Ginny. There was no humour in her eyes. "Things are going to be different this year, darling. Slytherin will be on top. Like Draco said, you'd do well to remember that," she finished coolly. "Now out." She opened the door and indicated that Ginny should go first.

Ginny tossed her hair like she didn't care. But as they made their way closer to the front of the train, Ginny felt in her sleeve again to make sure her wand was there. She'd never felt this alone in her life.