Ginny's Valentine

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Fourth-Year Ginny Weasley woke up with a funny feeling. Something was going on. Then she remembered what day it was and buried her head under the pillows with a sigh. February 14, Valentine's Day, another year had gone by and now she had to go through another day of watching all of her friends receiving cards and gifts from their family and love ones.

Of course she usually got a candy box from Hermione, but what she would love to have only a card from her parents or brothers. She always sent all her brothers chocolate frogs on Valentine's Day, just so they would feel remembered, but she never ever got anything in return. Not from Harry either, although that didn't hurt as much anymore. Ginny was long over her childhood crush on Harry Potter, as a matter of fact it had only lasted two years, even if people thought she still had it. She didn't mind, if they thought she was pining over Harry, then they were never going to suspect who she truly had a crush on...

She heard her roommates starting to wake up and amazed gasps was heard, no doubt from their Valentine's gifts, Ginny made a grimace.

"Ginny! Wake up! Look at your bed!" She heard the amazed and curious voice of Miranda Welsh.

"What?" Ginny removed the pillows from her face and sat up and just dropped her jaw.

The air above and surrounding her bed was pink and glittering and red rose petals were slowly strewn over her bed, just out of nowhere. It was the most beautiful magic she had ever seen and judging by the faces of the other four girls in the room, they very much agreed.

"Hey, there is a note!" Rachel Lidhart pointed at a piece of parchment that just floated down among the petals.

Ginny caught the parchment and read it. 'You deserve to wake up like a princess at least once a year. Happy Valentine's Day!' was beautifully written in royal blue ink and Ginny couldn't help a big smile from taking over her lips. Even if she didn't knew whom it was from, somebody had actually done this for her. She was going to like this Valentine's Day.

There was a knock on the door and after a moment Hermione Granger stepped inside. She looked wide-eyed at Ginny's bed: "Wow"! She was just as amazed as the other girls, then she eyed the box of candy she had brought Ginny. "This sure feels pathetic now." She smiled.

"Never mind, I love your candy, Mione!" Ginny smiled and hugged her friend when she was handed the box. She then got the playing rose she had for Hermione and gave it to her. "Fred and George actually made some good stuff." The rose was scarlet red with golden sparks on it. Ginny had actually sent off another playing rose, but that one wasn't red and gold. She really hoped the receiver liked it and never found out whom it was from...or she would be so embarrassed.

"This is sweet." Hermione laughed and then looked at the beautiful spell on Ginny's bed again. It started to fade now, the air was less glittering and the petals were fewer, but it was nice that it faded and didn't just end abruptly. "So, do you know who gave you this beautiful awakening?"

"No, but there is a note." Ginny handed the parchment to Hermione who frowned when she read it. "What, I think it's nice."

"Oh yes, it is, but I know this handwriting, I just can't place it...somehow it doesn't fit." Hermione gave it back to Ginny. "If it comes back to me, I'll tell you."

"Maybe it's Harry." Miranda said with a hopeful voice.

"No way." Both Ginny and Hermione laughed. "It's a miracle even Harry can read what he writes!" Hermione explained to the other girls. "He would never be able to write like this."

"But it has to be a Gryffindor, nobody else can come in here." Rachel pointed out and Ginny had to agree with her. A spell wasn't something you could owl in...

"I don't know, this is Angliac-magic, I can tell. I've read all about it." Hermione said in her 'lecture voice'.

"Angliac? As in the famous Healer Family?" Sarah McDoughal asked surprised.

"Yes." Hermione smiled. "In the good old days, before You-know-who, the Angliac Family was quite famous for its spells and charms that created beauty - like this one. The only thing is, you have to have Angliac blood in your veins for being able to perform them."

"But there are no Angliacs at Hogwarts and certainly not in Gryffindor, every Angliac known has been in Rawenclaw." Miranda said.

"I know, I can't explain it, but believe me, this is an Angliac spell."

Ginny was lost in her own thoughts after this. One thing Hermione hadn't say, but that was well known was that the Angliac Family also was known as the most good hearted in the wizarding world and that was an attribute that absolutely not fitted the one she would like to be her secret valentine. She was thrown back into the real world by Sarah's: "We have to go to breakfast." And just then the spell ended and the room was back to normal. *Hey, great timing.* Ginny thought smiling.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"GINNY!!!"

It was lunchtime and everybody who already was in the great hall looked up when Hermione came running inside, calling for the attention of the youngest Weasley.

Ginny was chatting away with her classmates over the last charm homework and jumped at hearing her name. "Geez, Mione, where's the fire?" She asked when Hermione dragged her out of her seat and towards the doors.

They were just going through when Harry, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor Fifth-Years entered. "Hey, Hermione, why the hurry?" Harry asked. "Hi, Ginny." He smiled.

"Yeah, you ran off so fast I thought you were just starving." Ron joked and Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're not going to eat my sister, are you?"

"Ew, Ron, gross!" Ginny made a face.

"She won't do for dinner, too skinny." A cold voice said from the doorway. Pansy Parkinson and the Slytherin Fifth-Years walked in right after the Gryffindors. *Right, they just had potions together.* Ginny noted. *And I have memorized his schedule, I'm so pathetic!* She sighed as her eyes scanned the Fifth-Years for a certain blonde Slytherin boy.

"Yeah, I would rather eat you any day, Parkinson, you would last a week." Came the drawling voice of Lucie Malfoy.

Pansy spun around and eyed the blonde girl with something very close to hate. "Are you saying I'm fat, Malfoy." She spat out the name like it was something with a bad taste.

Lucie looked Pansy over from head to toe: "Nah, just meaty." She smirked and walked away earning laughs from the other Houses that had heard them and snickering from her fellow Slytherins. Left was a dumbstruck and frustrating Pansy who stomped her foot and just looked like she wanted to punch somebody. Hermione and Ginny quickly left the great hall.

"Things surely has become more interesting after the arrival of Malfoy's sister." Hermione laughed when they were out in the corridor. "Nobody can put Pansy Parkinson down like her."

"And Pansy sure hates her." Ginny smiled. Lucie Malfoy's transfer from Durmstrang this year also had another effect; Draco had stopped harass the Gryffindors so much. Yes, he was still the master of nasty comments, but seldom threw them out unless provoked.

"Isn't that a little odd? I thought those two would be best friends, both Slytherin princesses with tongues of venom..."

"You don't think Pansy Parkinson would give up her reign over the Slytherin girls without a fight, do you? Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about, Mione, you dragged me away from my lunch."

"Oh, yes, I found out why I recognized the handwriting on your parchment this morning!" Hermione almost bounced up and down, actually she didn't but she looked like she really wanted to.

"So, why? And more important, who?" Ginny was curious.

"Curious, huh?" Hermione teased. "Well, I strongly advise against telling your brother this, but it was written by Draco Malfoy."

"What? How? No? Why? Really? How do you know?!" Ginny stuttered, blushing.

"Snape partnered us up in potions today." Hermione explained. "And although Malfoy did what was acquired from us in class, he was a little distant and when I looked over he was writing something on a small parchment. Of course he snarled at me and put it inside his book when he caught me looking, but it was the same handwriting as on the one you got this morning, but in Slytherin green ink."

"Wow." Ginny was a little shocked. She had wished for it to be him, but now when she heard it most likely really was, she didn't know what to feel. "I will never tell Ron, you're right about that one...but wait, this doesn't fit with the spell being one of Angliac."

"I know, that's probably why it didn't fit in my mind when I saw your note; somehow it didn't fit with the Angliac magic, but you know, Malfoy could easily pay an Angliac descendant to put the spell on your bed."

"Yes, I suppose so..."

"So, are you happy or freaked out?" Hermione looked at her friend curious.

"Honestly? I'm confused." Ginny answered.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Ginny walked in a daze the whole afternoon, it was a miracle that she even got to her classes, but her roommates probably were to thank for that since they just dragged her along. She thought a lot about all the things Hermione had said and she tried to think that even if the handwriting was similar, there was no proof that it was Draco who had sent the spell.

She had had a secret crush on Draco Malfoy for over a year and all along she knew it was impossible. Little mousy Ginny Weasley would never even be noticed by the Slytherin King, not as anything more than the youngest Weasley, and even if she was, it would be hell on earth from both their families.

Her father and Lucius Malfoy were bitter enemies, from when she didn't know but it seemed it had always been that way, and Ron hated Draco with a fire she hadn't known her brother possessed. But Fred and George seemed to be more neutral, they had even agreed to make a playing rose in green and silver for her and that one she had sent Draco as an anonymous Valentine's Gift.

On the other hand Draco seemed to hate Ron equally, even more so than he hated Harry, hm, curious when you came to think about it, but he hadn't said a mean thing to her since her second year. Then there was Lucie. Ginny didn't really know what to think of Lucie Malfoy. She didn't know her; the only time they had ever talked was on the Hogwarts Express September 1st, where Ginny had spent the last half of the trip in the surprisingly nice company of the Malfoy twins. Of course Ron had hated Lucie from the moment he heard her name and not even tried to get to know her, or change his opinion. Most of the Hogwarts students thought Lucie was evil and even more so than her brother, but she had never said a nasty word to Ginny.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

When she entered the Great Hall for the feast that night, Ginny scanned the Slytherin table for Draco like she did every time, but he was nowhere to be seen and neither was his sister. Ginny sat down in her usual spot at the Gryffindor table from where she had a clear view over the part of the Slytherin table where Draco used to sit. A moment later Harry Potter took his seat on her left side and it just hit Ginny that he always sat there. She turned and looked at him, curious.

"What?" Harry asked and shifted a bit uncomfortably under her curious stare.

"Harry, why do you always sit here?" Ginny asked.

He blushed a little and looked down on his empty plate. "Eh well, why do you?" He countered and looked up at her. This question made Ginny blush too and unconsciously she sent a glance toward the Slytherin table. Harry noticed this and smiled. "Yeah, I thought so. I'm here for the same reason you are, Ginny, or let us say; almost..."

Ginny stared at him, wide-eyed. Harry Potter had a crush on Lucie Malfoy! Merlin help them if the rest of the school found out... "Wow!" Ginny whispered. "Do Ron and Hermione know?"

"Of course not." Harry said. "And I trust you won't tell them."

"You know I won't."

There was some commotion by the doors and they turned to watch what appeared to be Lucie Malfoy and the new seventh-year Ravenclaw in a fight over something. They weren't screaming, but the air was thick with the insults thrown between them. It all came to an end when the dark haired Ravenclaw girl threw out the worst she could think of: "You're an evil spawn of a Death Eater."

Lucie, calm as ever, just raised an eyebrow "And you aren't?"

This caused Draco to smile and the rest of the Great Hall to be confused. Was there a Death Eater child in Ravenclaw?! Sure, the other Ravenclaws were a little edgy around their new House member and the tall, beautiful girl was somewhat cold towards them.

Nobody had time to think about this much, because the usually cold and controlled Ravenclaw now attacked Lucie physically. Both girls seemed to be good in hand to hand combat, but they weren't given much time to show this since they were interrupted by the professors arrival. Professor Filtwick and Professor Snape immediately hurried through the hall towards the fighting girls. "What's going on here?" Snape demanded menacingly.

"Ms. Snape, Ms. Malfoy, stop that in this instant!" Little Professor Filtwick shouted and most of the students frowned: Ms. Snape?

"Oh, that doesn't do it." Snape sneered at his colleague. "Mr. Malfoy?" He looked over at his student, who nodded and at the same time they grabbed a girl each and pulled them apart.

Draco had been the smart one and grabbed his sister's hair in the neck and was able to hold her off until she calmed down. Snape, however, had grabbed the other girl by the waist and when he pulled her away from her target she spun around and hit him hard in the face.

The whole Hall was dead silent. Sure Professor Snape did look very different this year after the glamour spell had been lifted off him and many girls in Hogwarts had developed crushes on him since the start of the school year, but he acted like he always had and some younger students actually feared he would kill the girl who hit him.

Snape didn't even blink; he grabbed the girl's hand and still held her by the waist with his other arm while he looked down on her and Lucie. "Twenty points from both of you and detention for you two and for Mr. Malfoy for not stopping the fight." He said calmly. Draco didn't protest. "You will serve detention with me tonight at 8.30."

"Yes, Professor." Both girls mumbled.

"Now, everybody back to your tables." Filtwick ordered and all the students who had watched the fight scrambled back to their seats.

Most of the talk now was about how the Ravenclaw could have escaped some punishment for hitting Professor Snape of all people, of course it was by accident, but nobody thought they could do it without him trying to get them expelled.

"Well, hello people, her name is Regina Snape. They must be related somehow, she's probably his niece." Hermione said with her know-it-all voice.

Harry and Ginny, however, didn't participate in the discussion. Sometime during the fight they had turn back to their table and discovered two small parcels on the table between their plates and busied themselves with opening them.

Ginny pulled the paper off the little box and then opened the lid. There lay the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. On a silver chain was a silver charm shaped as a snowflake, about an inch in diameter and with what looked like a diamond in the middle. She caught a glimpse of a parchment at the bottom of the box and pulled it out:

'Not as beautiful as you, but it is charmed to protect you against dark magic so I hope you will wear it. Thank you for the rose! I love it.' It was written in green ink and the handwriting was the same as on the note Ginny had recieved in the morning.

Ginny felt her face flush and she couldn't help a smile when she looked up and over at the Slytherin table. She immediately caught Draco's eyes and nodded her thanks. He smiled and actually blushed a little. Then she looked at Harry to see what he got.

Harry had also got a necklace; about the same size as Ginny's, but it was a golden Gryffindor Lion. Ginny glanced at the note in his hand and understood that his was too charmed for protection against the Dark Arts. Not at all what anybody thought a Malfoy would give...especially not the female half of the Malfoy twins, who was supposed to be highly advanced in the Dark Arts after her four years as a student under Professor Karkaroff at Durmstrang.

Harry looked a little embarrassed, but very happy and Ginny had to elbow him to get him to stop look at Lucie. It wouldn't do any good for Harry Potter to be caught staring at a Slytherin girl. He wasn't caught though and both he and Ginny had managed to open their gifts without anybody, except the givers, notice thanks to the commotion after the fight between the two girls. Ginny looked over at the Rawenclaw table and almost jumped out of her seat when she saw Regina Snape looking directly at her. The Ravenclaw looked from Ginny to Harry and smiled conspiratorially. Then it hit Ginny: *They staged the fight to get us the gifts unseen!*

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

When Ginny went to bed the night of that Valentine's Day her head was filled with many questions, as in: 'What would come out of this? It wasn't like a Slytherin and a Gryffindor could just start dating, especially if their last names were Malfoy and Weasley...and what about the fight, why would the Ravenclaw Regina Snape help the Slytherins to deliver their gifts and loose house points to that?!'

Ginny sighed and pushed the confusing thoughts off her mind and for the first time in many years Virginia Weasley went to sleep with a smile on her lips.