asimplechord (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
asimplechord) wrote2006-01-18 11:57 pm
asimplechord) wrote2006-01-18 11:57 pm
Fic: Photo album, Snapshot 1
As promised, the first snapshot in the photo album of Harry's relationship with Draco.
Snapshot Title: Having it out with Ginny
Warnings: total fluff, not HBP-compliant
Rating: PG for now
Archived: OWL
Disclaimer: I only wish these characters were mine. But since the things I'd do to them would be obscene, perhaps it's for the best that they belong to JKR, Scholastic, etc.
Previous ficlets in this arc are Dance Lesson and The Yule Ball.
Draco melted into the crowd, and Harry turned to face the music.
The first person he saw was Snape, who merely sneered disdainfully before turning to cuff the Slytherin who was trying to spike the punchbowl with firewhisky on the back of the head. Harry let his gaze shift from one person to another, noting who made eye contact and who avoided it. Surprisingly, the Headmistress was one of the former, as was Hermione. Finally Harry looked directly at the two people whose gazes he’d been evading: Ron and Ginny.
Ron was staring over Harry’s shoulder, his eyes glued to the spot where Draco had been standing. His jaw had dropped, and his mouth formed a round, incredulous O. He was, for the moment, quite speechless, but the shock and growing anger on his reddening cheeks spoke volumes.
Ginny, Harry could see, was equally angry. More so, probably, since she had been irritated with him before he had abandoned her to dance with Draco. Her temper, though, showed in a blanched face and lips pressed into a thin line, as if that were the only way she could keep from spewing furious words at him.
Why control herself now? Harry wondered cynically. She hadn’t had any qualms about causing the scene that had led to Draco’s interruption.
“What did you think you were doing, dancing with that—that—that Slytherin?” Rather than the strident tone he was expecting, indeed, had been hearing all evening, Ginny’s voice was so low as to be nearly inaudible. Oh no. Not a good sign. A quiet Weasley is a livid, vicious Weasley.
“Ginny—”
“Don’t. Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t. There’s no excuse for that!” Ron had found his tongue, and the fact that he appeared to be ready to defend Ginny hardened Harry’s resolve to have this out.
“This is between me and Ginny, Ron, not you. I’m willing to take this conversation somewhere private, but you are not joining us.”
“Not—”
“No. Do I interfere with your relationship with Hermione, who is my other best friend? Did I say anything when you crashed and burned with Lavender? No. I know that Ginny is your sister, but my relationship with her, and what she wants it to be, are none of your business.”
Ron would probably have objected, but Hermione placed a warning hand on his arm and shook her head. With a final irked glance, he stalked off. Hermione smiled sympathetically at Harry before pursuing him.
Harry turned toward the Great Hall doors, gesturing for Ginny to precede him. With a haughty lift of her chin, she strode out, through the Entrance Hall and down the corridor to an empty classroom. Harry trailed along after her, trying to marshal his thoughts for the argument he knew was coming. When he entered the classroom, a flick of Ginny’s wand had the door slamming shut. Harry quietly cast locking and Imperturbable charms as well; the gossip was sure to be bad enough without any nosy students overhearing this.
“How could you? First you behave like a buffoon, and then you humiliate me by leaving me to dance with someone else. And not just anyone else, no, not even with another woman. With Malfoy, Draco bloody Malfoy of all people! What were you thinking, that that’s the proper way to treat me?” Ginny’s voice started out quiet, but it gained volume with every word, and she was shouting by the time she paused for breath.
Refueled, she continued her tirade, beginning with her dissatisfaction with his inattentiveness and going on from there. Harry listened impatiently, trying to stick to his Weasley-wait-out strategy, but he couldn’t contain himself when Ginny called Draco a Death Eater in hiding.
“That’s enough! Draco is not the issue here.”
“Draco? You’re calling him by his given name now? Just what is going on with you? You looked awfully cozy and familiar dancing with him. Have you been cheating on me?”
Seeing that Ginny was about to embark on another rant, Harry banged his fist on a desk, startling her to silence.
“I have TRIED to be polite about this, Ginny, really I have. I didn’t mind spending time with you when Ron and Hermione wanted time alone. I was happy to give your family space at Grimmauld Place when Death Eaters destroyed the Burrow. Your mum takes better care of the pile than I ever would. And I felt sorry for you, so I didn’t object when you acted like the house and its contents, including my house-elves, were yours. But I can see that I should have – it’s given you the idea that you’re the mistress of the house, and that, by extension, someday you will own ME, will be my wife. Let me tell you bluntly: you won’t.
“You are like my little sister, Ginny. That one kiss, the reason you think I’m such a poor kisser? We were playing Spin The Wand, and even back then I knew I wasn’t interested in you that way. I had no intention of asking you to be my date tonight, but you invited yourself, and for the sake of our years of friendship, I went along. But I am not your boyfriend, not your possession. Just because you don’t know something about me doesn’t mean it never happened; just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean you should count on me not liking them either.
“You started this whole fiasco when you insulted my friend, then me, in public. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, but this time you pushed me too far.”
All the color Ginny had lost before had by now rushed back into her cheeks, and she was almost purple with rage. She sputtered for a moment, trying to think of a response.
“Just wait until Mum hears about this!”
With that, she stalked to the door. Reversing his charms, she flounced out.
Probably going to find Ron, then home to complain to Molly, Harry thought. He sat at a student desk and dropped his head into his hands in despair. He could already imagine the Howler he’d receive in the morning, the cold shoulder from Ron. Closing his eyes, he wondered what he would do without Molly as a surrogate mum. Miserably he contemplated the strained holiday festivities he was sure to experience at Grimmauld Place if Molly was angry with him.
Harry sighed and stood up. He supposed he should return to the Ball since he was one of the chaperones. Stiffening his spine, he turned to the door.
“Hey.” Draco hovered in the doorway, uncertain of his welcome.
“Hi.”
“I didn’t mean to cause a problem. Well, that’s not true. I didn’t mean to cause you trouble. Irritating and upstaging the Weaselette is one of life’s little pleasures. But I’m sorry you got caught in the back draft.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, those words had to said sometime.” Harry joined him at the door, and they headed back down the corridor.
“Well in that case, you should be thanking me, Scarhead.”
“Thanking you? For causing a scene that will keep the Hogwarts gossip mill grinding for days? I can just imagine what Snape will have to say at the next staff meeting. And McGonagall!”
“You can always blame it on me if she asks – just tell her it was a Slytherin prank taken too far.”
“Hmm, she might accept that. Actually, I don’t think I’ll hear much from her about this. I’m more concerned about Ron, and about Mrs. Weasley’s reaction.”
“They’ll still be there tomorrow, you can worry about them then.”
“I can think about it tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day? Mal-ferret, have you been watching Muggle movies again?”
Mock angrily, Draco responded, and the teasing continued the rest of the way back to the Great Hall. Before they re-entered the room, Draco paused, resting a hand on Harry’s sleeve.
“Harry, I really am sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, Draco. It’s not like Ginny was the love of my life.” He looked Draco square in the eye.
“Contrary to what she might have believed? In any case, think of all the awkward dances I’ve saved you from.”
And with that, Harry laughed and threw open the heavy door.
TBC... in the next confrontation, Harry discusses things with Hermione and Molly. Probably. Unless the muses change their minds.
Snapshot Title: Having it out with Ginny
Warnings: total fluff, not HBP-compliant
Rating: PG for now
Archived: OWL
Disclaimer: I only wish these characters were mine. But since the things I'd do to them would be obscene, perhaps it's for the best that they belong to JKR, Scholastic, etc.
Previous ficlets in this arc are Dance Lesson and The Yule Ball.
Draco melted into the crowd, and Harry turned to face the music.
The first person he saw was Snape, who merely sneered disdainfully before turning to cuff the Slytherin who was trying to spike the punchbowl with firewhisky on the back of the head. Harry let his gaze shift from one person to another, noting who made eye contact and who avoided it. Surprisingly, the Headmistress was one of the former, as was Hermione. Finally Harry looked directly at the two people whose gazes he’d been evading: Ron and Ginny.
Ron was staring over Harry’s shoulder, his eyes glued to the spot where Draco had been standing. His jaw had dropped, and his mouth formed a round, incredulous O. He was, for the moment, quite speechless, but the shock and growing anger on his reddening cheeks spoke volumes.
Ginny, Harry could see, was equally angry. More so, probably, since she had been irritated with him before he had abandoned her to dance with Draco. Her temper, though, showed in a blanched face and lips pressed into a thin line, as if that were the only way she could keep from spewing furious words at him.
Why control herself now? Harry wondered cynically. She hadn’t had any qualms about causing the scene that had led to Draco’s interruption.
“What did you think you were doing, dancing with that—that—that Slytherin?” Rather than the strident tone he was expecting, indeed, had been hearing all evening, Ginny’s voice was so low as to be nearly inaudible. Oh no. Not a good sign. A quiet Weasley is a livid, vicious Weasley.
“Ginny—”
“Don’t. Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t. There’s no excuse for that!” Ron had found his tongue, and the fact that he appeared to be ready to defend Ginny hardened Harry’s resolve to have this out.
“This is between me and Ginny, Ron, not you. I’m willing to take this conversation somewhere private, but you are not joining us.”
“Not—”
“No. Do I interfere with your relationship with Hermione, who is my other best friend? Did I say anything when you crashed and burned with Lavender? No. I know that Ginny is your sister, but my relationship with her, and what she wants it to be, are none of your business.”
Ron would probably have objected, but Hermione placed a warning hand on his arm and shook her head. With a final irked glance, he stalked off. Hermione smiled sympathetically at Harry before pursuing him.
Harry turned toward the Great Hall doors, gesturing for Ginny to precede him. With a haughty lift of her chin, she strode out, through the Entrance Hall and down the corridor to an empty classroom. Harry trailed along after her, trying to marshal his thoughts for the argument he knew was coming. When he entered the classroom, a flick of Ginny’s wand had the door slamming shut. Harry quietly cast locking and Imperturbable charms as well; the gossip was sure to be bad enough without any nosy students overhearing this.
“How could you? First you behave like a buffoon, and then you humiliate me by leaving me to dance with someone else. And not just anyone else, no, not even with another woman. With Malfoy, Draco bloody Malfoy of all people! What were you thinking, that that’s the proper way to treat me?” Ginny’s voice started out quiet, but it gained volume with every word, and she was shouting by the time she paused for breath.
Refueled, she continued her tirade, beginning with her dissatisfaction with his inattentiveness and going on from there. Harry listened impatiently, trying to stick to his Weasley-wait-out strategy, but he couldn’t contain himself when Ginny called Draco a Death Eater in hiding.
“That’s enough! Draco is not the issue here.”
“Draco? You’re calling him by his given name now? Just what is going on with you? You looked awfully cozy and familiar dancing with him. Have you been cheating on me?”
Seeing that Ginny was about to embark on another rant, Harry banged his fist on a desk, startling her to silence.
“I have TRIED to be polite about this, Ginny, really I have. I didn’t mind spending time with you when Ron and Hermione wanted time alone. I was happy to give your family space at Grimmauld Place when Death Eaters destroyed the Burrow. Your mum takes better care of the pile than I ever would. And I felt sorry for you, so I didn’t object when you acted like the house and its contents, including my house-elves, were yours. But I can see that I should have – it’s given you the idea that you’re the mistress of the house, and that, by extension, someday you will own ME, will be my wife. Let me tell you bluntly: you won’t.
“You are like my little sister, Ginny. That one kiss, the reason you think I’m such a poor kisser? We were playing Spin The Wand, and even back then I knew I wasn’t interested in you that way. I had no intention of asking you to be my date tonight, but you invited yourself, and for the sake of our years of friendship, I went along. But I am not your boyfriend, not your possession. Just because you don’t know something about me doesn’t mean it never happened; just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean you should count on me not liking them either.
“You started this whole fiasco when you insulted my friend, then me, in public. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, but this time you pushed me too far.”
All the color Ginny had lost before had by now rushed back into her cheeks, and she was almost purple with rage. She sputtered for a moment, trying to think of a response.
“Just wait until Mum hears about this!”
With that, she stalked to the door. Reversing his charms, she flounced out.
Probably going to find Ron, then home to complain to Molly, Harry thought. He sat at a student desk and dropped his head into his hands in despair. He could already imagine the Howler he’d receive in the morning, the cold shoulder from Ron. Closing his eyes, he wondered what he would do without Molly as a surrogate mum. Miserably he contemplated the strained holiday festivities he was sure to experience at Grimmauld Place if Molly was angry with him.
Harry sighed and stood up. He supposed he should return to the Ball since he was one of the chaperones. Stiffening his spine, he turned to the door.
“Hey.” Draco hovered in the doorway, uncertain of his welcome.
“Hi.”
“I didn’t mean to cause a problem. Well, that’s not true. I didn’t mean to cause you trouble. Irritating and upstaging the Weaselette is one of life’s little pleasures. But I’m sorry you got caught in the back draft.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, those words had to said sometime.” Harry joined him at the door, and they headed back down the corridor.
“Well in that case, you should be thanking me, Scarhead.”
“Thanking you? For causing a scene that will keep the Hogwarts gossip mill grinding for days? I can just imagine what Snape will have to say at the next staff meeting. And McGonagall!”
“You can always blame it on me if she asks – just tell her it was a Slytherin prank taken too far.”
“Hmm, she might accept that. Actually, I don’t think I’ll hear much from her about this. I’m more concerned about Ron, and about Mrs. Weasley’s reaction.”
“They’ll still be there tomorrow, you can worry about them then.”
“I can think about it tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day? Mal-ferret, have you been watching Muggle movies again?”
Mock angrily, Draco responded, and the teasing continued the rest of the way back to the Great Hall. Before they re-entered the room, Draco paused, resting a hand on Harry’s sleeve.
“Harry, I really am sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, Draco. It’s not like Ginny was the love of my life.” He looked Draco square in the eye.
“Contrary to what she might have believed? In any case, think of all the awkward dances I’ve saved you from.”
And with that, Harry laughed and threw open the heavy door.
TBC... in the next confrontation, Harry discusses things with Hermione and Molly. Probably. Unless the muses change their minds.
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Go Harry! You tell the presumptuous bint.
I love Draco there at the end. He's a bit snarky and sweet at the same time. I can't wait to find out how Molly and Hermione react.
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<3
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Harry needed to get through to her somehow since his indifference obviously wasn't doing the trick. And miserable as you can feel afterwards, at least it clears the air.
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hp_hardcore presents Hardcore Valentines! Click here to get your own!
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Yes, I see a GoF-like period of estrangement for Harry & Ron in the near future, only this time it will push Harry and Draco closer together, thus helping Harry clarify his feelings for the Mal-ferret. :)
I've totally had moments like Harry's, where resentments have building for ages and I just can't hold my comments in any longer. It all spews out and you feel instantly relieved, then horrified that you just said that, that it can't be taken back and might cause waves in other relationships, but then you accept that it was all for the best. The other person can accept it and you can come to a compromise, or they can piss off. (Or at least, that's my experience, which may be skewed.)
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I can see that happening with Ron and Harry...and Harry and Draco. Mal-ferret, that tickles me - lol.
Me too, on the emotional scene stuff...a person can only be nice for so long, can only take crap for so long, before the truth comes out, less diplomatically than we might like, but there it is and the other person can just...cope. Or not.
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