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Elemental Force	By : aikakone Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 3427 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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CHAPTER 4:

Tumbles and Spills

Please let me go with you.

I'll wear the smile on your face.

~Neil Finn

More than a week had passed since Bill had brought Ginny her new broom, and she was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. She had chosen to do her homework there, and as her mind was occupied, she did not notice that someone had come to the table until a shadow fell across her face.
Looking up, she saw that it was Professor Snape standing in front of her. She had no idea why he was there, but assumed that it was likely something very unpleasant. On the last Friday of detention he had been the most angry with her that she had personally ever seen, and she didn't like that feeling at all.
"Thank you for saving my book, Miss Weasley," he said with what sounded like great effort.
A expression of gratitude from Severus Snape was so unusual that Ginny dropped her quill and embarrassingly babbled, "Yes, sir. Of course, sir."
He looked down his long nose at her as if he were debating something objectionable. Snape finally spoke yet another thing that surprised Ginny.
"Your hand is especially good at copying texts, and you had the quick-thinking to save my book. I require your assistance to help copy more books in my personal library."
Ginny was bewildered by this. Copying books and texts for part of her detention as if she were a recalcitrant monk was one thing, but wasn't there a more magical way to make copies of the book?
"Thank you, sir. Would you not prefer to have Hermione Granger copying texts for you? I am sure she would enjoy it greatly, and she has an even hand like my own," Ginny said quite formally to her Potions professor.
"Granger," he said, sharply emphasizing her name, "is an insufferable know-it-all, and she has Head Girl duties. You have no such time restrictions."
"That is true, sir," Ginny grumbled.
"Weasley, I will be seeing you later!" Snape concluded. "You will be hand copying every single one of the Potions texts in my personal library. If you are a lucky soul," he said with malevolent humor, "you may see daylight by the time you take your NEWTs."
Professor Snape walked away from her, his cape billowing dramatically behind him with practiced ease. Meanwhile, Ginny felt like she had a severe case of indigestion.
~*~*~*~
Ginny started her non-detentions with Snape immediately after classes on Monday. She worked hard on copying the ancient tomes. She was surprised that some of the books he had were not on the shelf of the main library with Madam Pince. Perhaps this was a way to give a gift to the school library, but Ginny didn't think altruistic motives to be very likely coming from Severus Snape.
When she was again busy on Tuesday after classes, Harry's suspicions were raised. Upon her return to Gryffindor Tower that evening, he confronted her.
"What have you been doing?" Harry asked Ginny.
She shrugged artlessly. "Just more and more text copying for Professor Snape. Who knew the way to the man's cold, black heart was through a quill?"
Harry ignored her joke and instead demanded, "Let me see your hands."
Ginny held her hands out to him palm up so he could see them. She thought Harry might be looking for quill calluses, but when he turned her hands over, she knew he was looking for something else.
"No, he didn't do that," she said in answer to Harry's unasked question.
"Good," Harry bit out. "How long is he going to make you do this?"
"I don't know, but he's threatened to make me do it until I graduate. He'd probably hold me longer if he could."
Harry guided her hands and wrapped her arms around him. When she held him in a hug he kissed her. "Snape can't have you forever. You're my girlfriend."
"Ew, Harry!" Ginny said using a face that looked very much like Ron's sour face. "He's too old for me. Don't even get me started on his grooming habits."
"I didn't mean it like that!" he said, showing his own look of distaste. "He can't keep you in this detention-but-not-a-detention forever. We'll go to McGonagall and Dumbledore if we need to."
Ginny didn't point out that Harry himself had been vaguely in a similar situation with Umbridge and refused to ask Dumbledore or McGonagall for help.
"Right, I know. Eventually he will get bored. I hope for my sake that it's before my hand falls off! On the bright side, though," she said with a smile, "I should have no trouble with the Potions portion of the NEWTs, because I've been copying some of the most complicated potions there are."
"So glad you can see the silver lining," Harry commented.
"It's a skill I've had to learn, Harry," she said back, momentarily sounding tired.
He released her, and they each went about the rest of their homework. Ginny went off to work with her fellow sixth years, and Harry naturally found Ron and Hermione.
~*~*~*~
On Wednesday the copy work continued as it had the other days Ginny had been with Snape. She found the formula for Wolfsbane potion, which the professor had been brewing all week for Remus Lupin. This elaborate potion was quite interesting, and she quickly became absorbed in the work and reading all the notes that came with it.
Professor Snape had been in and out of his chambers on several errands, and left instructions that she was able to stop after she had copied texts for two hours or completed twenty pages. She had copied more than that because of her interest in the specific potions, and felt cramped from slouching over at the desk. When she looked up, she noted that she completed both her requirements, and she prepared to leave. Ginny carried the new copies of the potions texts to the bookshelf.
She saw the pensieve and was careful to avoid it. She wasn't like Harry and curious to fall into one every time he found one. She rather felt that it was not anyone's business to know someone else's thoughts without permission. Perhaps it was merely an ethical matter, or it could have been reinforced by her early experiences with Tom. In either case, she most certainly did not want to encounter those swirling silver threads.
As she placed the books on the shelf she noticed how dusty and dirty it was. All the dust in the dank dungeon made Ginny react very much like David Tompkins. She sneezed violently, stumbling backwards into the shelf. When she hit the shelf, several objects fell to the floor, but she was too caught up in a sneezing fit to notice.
Ginny continued to sneeze and stumble around the room near the bookshelf. She had such a fit that she lost her balance and stomped her feet several times. She realized it was serious when her foot collided with something that felt like a bowl. She heard a sound like the breaking of china and felt the sensation of warm goo all over her foot. She opened her eyes to see that she'd broken Professor Snape's pensieve beyond all possible repair.
Only seconds later Snape returned to the room. He noticed the damage immediately. "What do you think you're doing?" he roared at her.
Ginny only stared dumbly down at the mess. It was slithering away like mercury that had been set free. "I'm sorry, Professor. I sneezed," she said to him in bewilderment.
"Miss Weasley, you did a purposeful destruction of my private possessions! I can't ever get those back," he snarled in accusation.
"I did not!" she yelled back defensively. Foregoing her usual respect with teachers, she was ready to challenge him. "If your chambers weren't so dirty, maybe I wouldn't be sneezing! Don't you have a house elf you torture like the rest of your Slytherins?"
"Miss Weasley..." he warned.
"No, I know what it is," she continued to rage. "You're such a greasy-haired git, you would never know what clean was even if it bit you in the..."
"Enough! I will not have such disrespect from a student!"
Unlike his normal bluster, he was in a quiet rage, and it wasn't the first time this month that she had seem him this way. He came to her and said in a deceptively calm voice, "I should have known better than to trust a Gryffindor. You're not brave. The whole lot of you are raving idiots! Leave. Now!"
Ginny backed away from the Potions Master, but he followed her as she was backing out of the room.
"There will be repercussions. Goodbye, Miss Weasley."
~*~*~*~

October 16th, afternoon

If Ginny wondered what Snape's idea of repercussions might be, she didn't have long to wait. She was summoned to Professor McGonagall's office right after lunch the next day. She had no doubt that this would involve her recent turn of bad luck in everything related to Professor Snape. Blast Snape for being so Snape and McGonagall for being so egalitarian.
"Sit down, Miss Weasley," McGonagall began when she entered. "As I am sure you are aware, your performance lately with Professor Snape have been unacceptable. For that reason, I have been asked to exact a special reprimand."
Ginny's eyes darted around the room. "What will you do?"
Minerva McGonagall looked without malice at her student. "This will hurt me as much as it does you, Ginny."
Ginny sunk lower in her chair because that was the sort of thing her mother said to her before something truly horrible happened.
"At this time, it seems the best course of action is to temporarily remove your new broom from your possession," the witch said in very logical and legal-sounding tones.
Ginny gasped with shock and looked up, but immediately drew her gaze back down to the fingers in her lap. She tried to ask in an even voice, "Will I still be allowed to play in the game?"
"Yes, you will, though it is the opinion of your Potions professor that you should be removed from the game as well." McGonagall said tiredly, "I had quite the difficult time in getting him to agree to keep you in the game."
"Yes, Professor." Ginny replied while blinking hard to keep the mist of tears from her eyes.
"I am truly sorry, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said before finishing on a business-like note. "Leave your broom with me, Miss Weasley. You are dismissed."
Ginny got up to leave the room, but before she could go, a thought came to her. "Professor, do I still have to go back to Professor Snape's office to copy texts?"
"No, you don't. I think you found the one sure way to make him never want to see you again unless it is absolutely necessary," McGonagall said with an almost undetectable hint of humor.
~*~*~*~
When Ginny left Professor McGonagall's office she was hurt and angry. She pushed and shoved everyone in her way to get where she was going. She was in the mood that she would have loved to have a beater bat in her hand and whack a few inanimate objects. Instead, Ginny blindly rushed head-long into someone standing in the hallway and almost knocked him down to the floor.
She looked up to see that it was Remus Lupin with a steaming goblet in his hand. A crushing feeling of guilt smothered her as she looked him.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor." Ginny looked honestly remorseful. "That wasn't anything valuable, I hope," she said as she gestured to the contents spilled over his robes and the floor.
"Nothing important except Wolfsbane Potion," he sighed, looking at the mess.
"Oh, that's right!" she gasped as she forgot her own problems and remembered that tonight was the full moon. "I am so sorry," Ginny said miserably. "It's just that I was so mad, I wasn't thinking about what I was doing."
"You might have to learn to control your temper, Ginny," he said while he was trying to wipe the mess away from his clothing.
She laughed apologetically. "Charlie did always call me a hot-head! He said my temper was worse than a dragon's when..."
Lupin put his hand on her shoulder, making her stop mid-sentence. "I am sorry to cut this short, but I really have to go." He turned and walked away quickly through the crowd of students.
"I'm sorry," she said again in a very quiet voice to his retreating back.
As she continued to walk down the hallway at a much slower pace, Ginny heard a voice she had learned to hate. "Oh-ho! What now, Weasley? Have you grown tired of Potter and are now trying to spread for that werewolf?"
She whirled to see Draco looking as haughty as ever standing a few short feet away. "Are you everywhere?" she asked with exasperation. "You are worse than Filch and Mrs. Norris!"
"Worse?" He actually looked contemplative as he said the word. "I don't think it's possible to be worse than a blood traitor like you, Weasley."
Ginny marched right up to him, standing toe to toe and nose to nose. "Malfoy, you aren't even worth the effort of getting angry, but I am so glad you're in your seventh year because after this I don't have to see your pointed, pale face ever again."
She searched his face before her expression relaxed to one of cruel musing. "Maybe if I get really lucky, you can go visit your father in Azkaban. Permanently!"
She turned to walk away but Draco caught her by the wrist.
"Gerroff, Malfoy!" Ginny looked ready to strike.
He removed his hand quickly as if he'd just been singed. He gave an assessing look to her angry gaze while he massaged his hand. Having nothing at that moment to say, however snide, he left without comment.
~*~*~*~
After the evening meal, Ginny returned to the common room and sat beside Harry on a sofa in front of the fire. She noted the darkness of the sky and realized the full moon would rise soon.
"I heard you bumped in to Remus today," Harry mentioned conversationally.
"Yes. Literally," she frowned. "I made him spill most of his Wolfsbane Potion. I felt awful! Most of the time, I forget that he's even a werewolf."
"I don't think he ever forgets. You never saw him as much as I did back when he was teaching here. When we were working on the Patronus charm, he always looked so sick." Harry shrugged in thinking about it. "If I didn't like him so much, I would probably feel sorry for him."
"I just don't know what to say to him, Harry. He's not our teacher anymore, and then Sirius died. I mean, I thought I heard once that he and Sirius were..." She blushed and looked away. "Never mind."
Harry nodded slowly. "I know, but I try not to think about it. That really isn't any of my business."
"It is your business. You both loved the same person and lost him." Ginny looked deeply concerned for Harry.
In one of his rare moments of complete honesty about his emotions, Harry admitted, "I've lost others and will probably lose many more before this war is over. It won't change things, Ginny."
She leaned over low to hug him around his chest. "Harry, you know that we are all here for you. Sometimes a burden seems lighter when you share it."
Harry stroked her hair but did not answer.
"You can share if you want to," she said into this chest, though her voice was muffled. "No pressure, of course," she emphasized as she looked up at him.
"I know," he said.
He did know that quite well, but he was still learning to express himself without shouting as he had done so often after Voldemort returned. Open talk about feelings seemed to be more natural to the Weasleys who were a large and loving family. It was even more essential for them so that they could get what attention they needed. It was a polar opposite to the non-magical invisibility that Harry had practiced during the ten years with the Dursleys before he came to Hogwarts.
Harry chose to change the subject to something he hoped would bring happier thoughts. "So how do you think we will do against Ravenclaw in the game next week?" He winked at her.
Ginny wanted to smile, but her face froze in a frown. "McGonagall took my new broom. She said it was punishment for having made a mess of everything with Professor Snape."
He gasped in disbelief at the crime. "Not the broom that the twins got you!"
She sighed, "Yes, that broom."
He frowned in true sympathy for her loss. His own broom was the one material possession that he treasured above most anything else in the world. Part of it, of course, was that it reminded him of Sirius. He took extra special care of the broom. It's not that he had ever really neglected it before, but the care of it became a ritual that in its own way honored his fallen godfather.
"At least she didn't exclude you from the game," he said in attempted consolation.
"I know," Ginny said while sitting up and stretching. "It just would have been so much more fun with my new broom!"
Harry watched her stand up to leave and offered, "There's always the next game."
She gave him a small tight-lipped smile before going up to her room.
~*~*~*~
Harry and the team had several practices over the week after Ginny had to turn over her broom. Harry said he didn't want to leave anything to chance when it came to a win. Ginny worked hard, venting her frustration with authority, and tried to focus it on making herself play better than ever. The others on the team silently admired her determination, and they tried to make sure their game performance was as perfect as possible.
On the Saturday of the game, the entire Gryffindor team ate breakfast in the Great Hall together. As they were dressed in their team robes, they got a few cheers from members of their own house and sympathetic Hufflepuffs and the obligatory jeers from the Slytherin table. Being that Ravenclaw was their first opponent of the term, the friends they had made in the other house did not cheer for Gryffindor this time.
When they were finished with their meal, they rose as one in a similar manner to that which Harry had taught them on the Quidditch pitch. As the Gryffindor team was walking together out of the Great Hall, Hobie stopped by the Ravenclaw table near Luna Lovegood, Artemis Florin and David Tompkins.
"Lovely day for a Quidditch match, isn't it?" He tried to use his charm that had won him several fan girls.
"Sorry, Hobie, but I can't cheer for Gryffindor this time," Luna stated. "I can't even find the hat any more."
"Hmmm, well, thanks, Luna." He turned his attention to the other girl in the group and projected an air if confidence. "Artemis, you goddess, are you going to the match?"
She looked to Hobie and said a demure "Yes."
"Would you care to place a wager on the outcome of the game?" He flirtatiously eyed her with interest.
"Absolutely. I can bet on a sure thing. Ravenclaw will win!" Artemis smiled sweetly.
"So... if Gryffindor wins, you can take me to the Halloween Ball, but if Ravenclaw wins, I'll take you to the Halloween Ball." He winked and used one of his most winning smiles.
She looked at him suspiciously and then stood up to shake his hand. "It's a bet! I will be seeing you at the game, Mr. Simmons!"
"And at the Halloween Ball, too. Don't you just love those bets where everybody wins?" He smiled again with happiness that could not be contained.
"I do." She gave him a serious look before breaking into soft chuckling.
Hobie ran to catch up with the rest of his team, especially Dina to tell her of his date. He'd actually gotten the gorgeous sixth year to go with him. There was nothing that could spoil this day.
~*~*~*~
The game itself happened very quickly with a predictable Gryffindor win. Though Ginny flew a Comet instead of her Pleiades, she scored several goals. She tried to cheer herself that she hadn't had the new broom long enough to be used to it, and the school broom she rode was much like the brooms her brothers had.
Harry was far better than the Seeker for Ravenclaw, who didn't even fare well in comparison to Ravenclaw's own Cho Chang. It was such an easy victory that Harry had to give the team a different pep talk after it was over. He mentally kicked himself that this was the kind of insanity done by someone like Oliver Wood. He wanted to make sure his team didn't get complacent because not all games are so easily won. Just because they had been champions for years did not mean they would always be champions without solid work and skills behind it.
At the end of the team meeting, Harry reminded them that practice would continue on Tuesday morning without fail. Then with a more relaxed attitude he dismissed his team to the party that was sure to be happening in Gryffindor tower.
They left as a group, but Ron Weasley had several things on his mind not related to the game, so he returned much later than the rest of his teammates. When he entered the common room, the whole house was in the midst of celebrating their game victory. It was rounds of butterbeers and sweets for all. There were even a few choruses of singing "Weasley is our King". Some people changed the lyrics to "Weasley is our Queen" to show support for Ginny's spectacular goals. It was quite the jovial mood with festive people all around.
Dina was sitting near Colin smiling prettily at him. He was raptly listening to all the airborne details of the game and was chatting about the excellent photographs he had taken of the team, especially her. When Hobie wasn't gloating about his being able to go to the Halloween Ball with Artemis, he was teasing Dina and Colin about their own fresh turn as a couple. Ron, who had other couple thoughts on his mind, avoided them.
Instead, the Keeper went to find that one special someone that he wished to keep most of all. Ginny's words annoyingly echoed in his mind's ear that the time was wasting. He walked over to the chair at the edge of the group where Hermione had been sitting and greeted her awkwardly.
"Great game, wasn't it?" He shuffled his feet and ran his hands through his hair. Great start, Ron! he mentally chided himself.
Hermione benignly smiled. "You know I only go to those games because of you, Harry and Ginny."
When Ron's face showed his disappointment, she added, "But it was a good game. Gryffindor usually plays well, though, so it wasn't that much of a surprise."
Ron rolled his eyes. If this was to become the kind of talk he had intended, this was not the way to go about it.
"Hermione, would you like to take a walk with me?" He held out his hand to her.
She finally did look surprised then. "Yes," she said curiously as she took his hand.
They grabbed their jackets and walked out of the common room together.

~*~*~*~

The Neil Finn quote in this chapter is from "As Sure As I Am", performed by Crowded House on Woodface.
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