Chapter 11- Pureblood Knowledge
“Her?! She’s a Slythie, Mate!”
“Thank you, Prongs, I hadn’t noticed the green and silver scarf around her neck.”
“I think James is right, Padfoot; she-”
“Shush, Moony, I’m trying to prepare here.”
“Padfoot, wake up! She’s a Slytherin!”
“Yeah, and she’s sexy; that makes it worth it.”
Ginny heard the voices of three of the four Marauders following her up the corridor, but she pretended not to. Part of her wanted to whirl around and inform them, quite snidely, that she did have ears, but her curiosity over what they were planning won out in the end. She kept walking.
After a moment, the voices became muffled, the footsteps faded, and Ginny could tell they’d stopped walking to argue. Before long, however, Sirius Black came trotting up next to her.
“Lovely morning, don’t you agree, Miss Delacour?”
Ginny glanced at him coolly and pursed her full lips. “It was, Mr. Black, it was.”
Sirius raised his eyebrows and grinned, apparently oblivious to the fact that she’d just insulted him. “You know my name? My fame must precede me.”
“Every true pureblood knows your name, Mr. Black.” Ginny began a thorough examination of her perfect nails and bit back a smile. “I don’t know about famous, but I certainly know you’re notorious. Imagine, a Black being sorted into Gryffindor.”
Sirius’s smile faltered for a moment, but it was hurriedly steadied again. “So, you’ve figured out that I’m the rebel Black. Well, you’re not the only one with ‘pureblood knowledge.’” The words were most definitely a mockery coming from his mouth. “I happen to know that the Delacours don’t have a daughter right now. What did you do to earn yourself disownment?”
Ginny’s smug smirk faded a bit, and she looked away quickly, mind working furiously. After a few deep breaths, she raised her head, calm and sure once more. Draco had said that the Delacours had always disowned for rather petty reasons. “A few years ago, I made the mistake of mentioning to my mother that I thought you were rather. . . admirable.” That was all the information she volunteered, but it was enough.
“Ouch.” Sirius had turned serious for once, and he grimaced. “I can’t imagine that going over well.”
Ginny nodded curtly, trying to cement the Slytherin attitude to herself once more. “Obviously, it didn’t.”
Sirius didn’t reply, and the pair walked on in a surprisingly comfortable silence. After a few minutes, they neared the Great Hall, from where the smells of breakfast wafted out to them. Sirius jogged ahead a few steps and pulled open one of the doors, holding it for Ginny to walk ahead of him.
“I’ll be seeing you, Isendre.”
Ginny swept past him supremely, hoping she’d managed to turn her smile into a smirk. “Unfortunately so, Mr. Black.”
Sirius allowed the door to fall shut with walking through it, waiting instead for his friends to join him. They did so, pulling off the invisibility cloak after checking carefully for any watching eyes. Remus shook his head wonderingly as James stuffed the cloak away.
“Padfoot, I have to admit I’m impressed.”
James grinned cheekily. “I’m not. Sometimes she reminded me of good old Snivelly, but the other half of the time she wasn’t a very good Slytherin.”
Sirius looked affronted, as if James’s words were a personal attack on his flirting abilities. “How so?”
“Too nice.”
Unnoticed by only semi-careful eyes, Draco watched the Marauders walk into the Great Hall, bickering over how good a Slytherin Ginny was. The cool blond thought carefully over the scene he’d just witnessed, and his gray eyes darkened considerably as his mind saw Sirius flirting shamelessly again, and again, and again.
Draco rolled his neck slowly, considering. He would soon have to make sure that Ginny was so enamored with him, she forgot all about Sirius Black.
Once again, the late hours found Draco and Ginny in the Slytherin common room, though they weren’t quite alone yet. The pair sat on opposite ends of the sofa in front of the fire, neither speaking. Ginny’s thoughts were spinning over the day, which had been filled with classes, constantly forcing herself to be Slytherin-like, and propositions from Sirius. Draco was just trying to think of a way to break the silence. Eventually, something came to him.
“I forgot to tell you,” he said slowly, waiting until her head came up in acknowledgement of his words. “You were incredible last night.”
Ginny looked up, both surprised and. . . pleased? “Really?”
Draco’s brows shot up. “Did you doubt?”
Ginny looked down at her lap, picking at the fabric of her jeans. “No, I just. . .value your opinion, that’s all.”
She continued to stare at her legs, and Draco was struck by her sincerity, her unfiltered sweetness. Without warning, guilt assailed him for the way he’d treated her over the years, the way he’d plotted with Blaise and Pansy, and the way he was still acting toward her.
Draco stood suddenly, grabbing Ginny’s hands and pulling her to her feet, too. “Come with me.”
“Her?! She’s a Slythie, Mate!”
“Thank you, Prongs, I hadn’t noticed the green and silver scarf around her neck.”
“I think James is right, Padfoot; she-”
“Shush, Moony, I’m trying to prepare here.”
“Padfoot, wake up! She’s a Slytherin!”
“Yeah, and she’s sexy; that makes it worth it.”
Ginny heard the voices of three of the four Marauders following her up the corridor, but she pretended not to. Part of her wanted to whirl around and inform them, quite snidely, that she did have ears, but her curiosity over what they were planning won out in the end. She kept walking.
After a moment, the voices became muffled, the footsteps faded, and Ginny could tell they’d stopped walking to argue. Before long, however, Sirius Black came trotting up next to her.
“Lovely morning, don’t you agree, Miss Delacour?”
Ginny glanced at him coolly and pursed her full lips. “It was, Mr. Black, it was.”
Sirius raised his eyebrows and grinned, apparently oblivious to the fact that she’d just insulted him. “You know my name? My fame must precede me.”
“Every true pureblood knows your name, Mr. Black.” Ginny began a thorough examination of her perfect nails and bit back a smile. “I don’t know about famous, but I certainly know you’re notorious. Imagine, a Black being sorted into Gryffindor.”
Sirius’s smile faltered for a moment, but it was hurriedly steadied again. “So, you’ve figured out that I’m the rebel Black. Well, you’re not the only one with ‘pureblood knowledge.’” The words were most definitely a mockery coming from his mouth. “I happen to know that the Delacours don’t have a daughter right now. What did you do to earn yourself disownment?”
Ginny’s smug smirk faded a bit, and she looked away quickly, mind working furiously. After a few deep breaths, she raised her head, calm and sure once more. Draco had said that the Delacours had always disowned for rather petty reasons. “A few years ago, I made the mistake of mentioning to my mother that I thought you were rather. . . admirable.” That was all the information she volunteered, but it was enough.
“Ouch.” Sirius had turned serious for once, and he grimaced. “I can’t imagine that going over well.”
Ginny nodded curtly, trying to cement the Slytherin attitude to herself once more. “Obviously, it didn’t.”
Sirius didn’t reply, and the pair walked on in a surprisingly comfortable silence. After a few minutes, they neared the Great Hall, from where the smells of breakfast wafted out to them. Sirius jogged ahead a few steps and pulled open one of the doors, holding it for Ginny to walk ahead of him.
“I’ll be seeing you, Isendre.”
Ginny swept past him supremely, hoping she’d managed to turn her smile into a smirk. “Unfortunately so, Mr. Black.”
Sirius allowed the door to fall shut with walking through it, waiting instead for his friends to join him. They did so, pulling off the invisibility cloak after checking carefully for any watching eyes. Remus shook his head wonderingly as James stuffed the cloak away.
“Padfoot, I have to admit I’m impressed.”
James grinned cheekily. “I’m not. Sometimes she reminded me of good old Snivelly, but the other half of the time she wasn’t a very good Slytherin.”
Sirius looked affronted, as if James’s words were a personal attack on his flirting abilities. “How so?”
“Too nice.”
Unnoticed by only semi-careful eyes, Draco watched the Marauders walk into the Great Hall, bickering over how good a Slytherin Ginny was. The cool blond thought carefully over the scene he’d just witnessed, and his gray eyes darkened considerably as his mind saw Sirius flirting shamelessly again, and again, and again.
Draco rolled his neck slowly, considering. He would soon have to make sure that Ginny was so enamored with him, she forgot all about Sirius Black.
Once again, the late hours found Draco and Ginny in the Slytherin common room, though they weren’t quite alone yet. The pair sat on opposite ends of the sofa in front of the fire, neither speaking. Ginny’s thoughts were spinning over the day, which had been filled with classes, constantly forcing herself to be Slytherin-like, and propositions from Sirius. Draco was just trying to think of a way to break the silence. Eventually, something came to him.
“I forgot to tell you,” he said slowly, waiting until her head came up in acknowledgement of his words. “You were incredible last night.”
Ginny looked up, both surprised and. . . pleased? “Really?”
Draco’s brows shot up. “Did you doubt?”
Ginny looked down at her lap, picking at the fabric of her jeans. “No, I just. . .value your opinion, that’s all.”
She continued to stare at her legs, and Draco was struck by her sincerity, her unfiltered sweetness. Without warning, guilt assailed him for the way he’d treated her over the years, the way he’d plotted with Blaise and Pansy, and the way he was still acting toward her.
Draco stood suddenly, grabbing Ginny’s hands and pulling her to her feet, too. “Come with me.”
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