The Golden Raven Chpt 11

Chapter Eleven


Ginny stood in the Potions Lab stirring the contents of a cauldron as she stared intently at the recipe for a Draught of Peace. She was so concentrated on her work that she didn't hear the door to the lab open and close as someone entered.

"What'cha up to Red?" Blaise's cool voice broke the absolute silence of the room.

Ginny screamed, spun around, flicked her wand and sent Blaise flying across the room and into a wall.

"Oh my God! Blaise are you alright?" Ginny advanced on the boy, kneeling at his side, her hands moving to his head to assess any and all damage.

He laughed after he caught his breath and gently moved her aside so he could stand up. "I'm fine Red. Now to repeat the question, what'cha up to?"

"Apparently I'm throwing people across the room." She smiled and turned back to her cauldron. "What are you doing here? Snape doesn't exactly like people in the lab when he's not here."

"Then I could ask you the same thing." He smirked as her eyes narrowed at the turn around.

"I'm different. Snape trusts me not to blow up the castle. The rest of you on the other hand ..."

"Very funny Red." Blaise looked in the cauldron, "What are you making?"

"Draught of Peace. The Hospital Wing needs new a new supply since exams are coming." Ginny barely looked up as she answered.

"Can you leave it for a few minutes? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Ginny studied the potion for a moment more before turning to face him. "Sure what's up?"

Blaise pulled a velvet case from his bag and handed it to her "Will you go to the Founder's Ball with me?"

Ginny stared at him for a second - processing the request. "Yes. Of course I'll go with you." She smiled and was about to put the box down when he stopped her.

"You're not going to look at them? It took me hours to pick them." His voice had a strangled quality to it and she laughed.

"Alright." She carefully lifted the lid and stared in awe at the set in the box. To say that they were gorgeous was an understatement; there were coils and loops of silver with diamonds and emeralds placed throughout. When she thought about her dress she smiled at the scene that was going happen when they walked in.

"They're amazing Blaise. I love them."

He smiled "Good. Not that my mother doesn't have about a dozen back up sets just waiting to be sent." He laughed at the look on her face “But this is the set I picked and I wanted you to like them.

She laughed quietly as she turned back to the cauldron "Your mother helped you pick them out?"

"Yes, no, well kind of." He leaned against a table across from her. "She brought out all of her jewellery and trust me, she's got a lot, and we went through them. It took hours."

"Why does she have so much? I mean, I imagine the wealthy have more cause to wear and collect but it sounds like your mother has more than usual."

"Well, it was basically all her husband’s ever got her. Birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's you name it those guys would come home with necklaces, earrings, bracelets. They were really unoriginal." He chuckled. "Not to say that my mother didn't like it, but she has her favorite sets and most of them are from my father. Or so she tells me."

Ginny smiled and went to check the potion; she was silent as she stirred the liquid a few times before waving her wand and watched as the cauldron poured its contents into labelled vials that settled themselves onto a table to cool.

“Meet me in the library tonight for some study time?” He asked as they gathered their things and headed for the door.

“Sure, I’m gonna be there after dinner with Hermione, you’re more than welcome to join us. You could even bring Draco, I’m sure she won’t mind.”

Blaise laughed and followed her down the hallway “Yeah I think they’ll both enjoy that. By the way, how to Potter and Weasley feel about that?”

Ginny turned to look at him, “About what? Oh Hermione’s thing for Malfoy?”

“Um… Yeah?”

“No idea. I’m not sure if they’ve noticed yet.” She chuckled and shook her head “It should be interesting when they finally do.”

.*.

“Man, you need to ask her.” Blaise was laying on a bed in the Slytherin dormitory as Draco paced in front of him. “You’ve had half a dozen chances and you haven’t asked her anything except how to spell ‘Plangentines’.”

“Yeah and I still spelled it wrong.” The blonde rolled his eyes and flopped face first onto his bed.

“The Founder’s Ball is in three days.”

“I know.” Came the muffled reply.

“If you don’t hurry up and ask her, somebody else will.”

“I know.” Still muffled but now more annoyed and Blaise knew he was finally making some progress.

“Weasley might ask her. Or Potter. Or both, then she’d have to choose. If you asked her after that, she’ll want to know why you waited so long. She might even think you’re only asking her to piss Weasley and Potter off.”

Without another word Draco was up and out of the dormitory; Blaise sat up, pulled the jewellery case from the trunk at the end of his friend’s bed and held it out. Silently Draco stormed back in, snatched the case and stormed back out again.

Chuckling softly, Blaise followed his friend out, hoping that his friend had finally grown a pair.