[Котенок]

По многочисленным запросам трудящихся Кэсси выложила сцену, вырезанную из DV1. Повторно. Каноном не считается... и мало что проясняет в отношениях Джинни и Драко, но все равно каждый (ну, почти каждый, если считать и фиклет Something Impossible) образец Кэссиного пера достаточно ценен.

Message 18380 of 21141
From: cassandraclaire73@yahoo.com
Date: Tue Sep 25, 2001 3:57 pm
Subject: Excised scene from DV1


Hmm. Things are quiet and it'll be another few days before DV2, so I hereby present...a scene that I cut out of DV1. "So why have you decided to inflict this unwanted scene upon us?" you ask. Well, one because I was rather fond of it but it just didn't fit into the narrative, and two because people seem interested in further Ginny/Draco breakup backstory. This should not be considered DD/S/V canon. So here it is: the first day of school on Platform 9 3/4, from Hermione's POV.

--Cassie



***

"I swear this owl hates me. Look how she looks at me."

"Ron, your owl doesn't hate you," said Hermione, looking with amusement at her best friend, who was bending down eye-to-eye with the rather cranky-looking black owl his parents had given him the day before. "She's probably hungry."

"I miss Pig," said Ron gloomily, straightening up. He looked jealously at his ex-owl, who was perched serenely on Ginny's shoulder. Pig twittered merrily, tugging with a dimunitive foot at a curl of Ginny's loose red hair. "Pig appreciated me."

"He appreciates me more," said Ginny, with a distracted smile. Though Platform 9 ¾ was crowded with students hopping onto the Hogwarts Express, Ginny had been searching in vain for the particular student she was looking for since the senior Weasleys had dropped them off. Draco Malfoy was nowhere to be spotted.

"We appreciate you, Ron," said Harry good-naturedly, and Hedwig, safely secured in her cage, hooted assent. "No fear."

Ron shrugged in resignation and took hold of the handle on his owl's cage, hauling it after him as he boarded the train. As he walked, sunlight glinted off the Head Boy badge pinned to his chest. Fred and George had been so horrified at Ron for accepting the Head Boy position that they nearly hadn't spoken to him the nightbefore at the Burrow, where they had all been gathered to celebrate Harry, Hermione, and Ron's last year of school.

Hermione bit back a smile at the memory. It had been the culmination of a very pleasant two-week holiday at the Burrow, during which time she, Harry and Ron had done little more than lie by the Weasleys' pond in the sun, Harry getting very brown and Ron multiplying his freckles daily. It had been a nice way to relax after the hectic events of the summer.

Hermione's only regret was that Draco hadn't come as well, and hadn't furnished much of an explanation as to why not. She'd seen how disappointed Ginny was by his absence, though she tried to hide it -- apparently she didn't know why he'd chosen not to visit either.

Hermione followed Ron on to the train, Harry behind her. Ron was still grumbling. Hermione caught every other word. "When Bill was Head Boy...big send-off...absolute harem of girls waving goodbye..."

"Mourning your lack of a harem of girlfriends?" Ginny teased.

"I don't see why I shouldn't have a harem of girlfriends," her brother replied.

"Maybe your standards are too high," suggested Hermione.

"I dated *you*," Ron pointed out.

"That's because my standards are too low."

"I resent that inference," put in Harry.

Hermione turned and smiled at him. "Not you, of course." On her tiptoes, she kissed him on the cheek.

"Move it along, you two," said Ginny good-naturedly, and pushed past them. She walked ahead of Ron, who followed her down the narrow corridor in between train compartments, trailed by Hermione and Harry.

Hermione didn't realize Ginny had stopped moving entirely until she crashed right into Ron, who had himself nearly walked into his sister. "Hey, Gin," he was saying good-naturedly, "What's the hold up...?" His voice trailed off, and he swore under his breath.

Hermione looked at him in surprise, and then at Ginny, who was standing stock-still with her right hand over her mouth, very pale. Hermione followed her gaze and saw that she was staring through the window of the nearest compartment. She stepped up beside Ginny and looked through the glass.

At first she thought the compartment was empty. Then she realized it was occupied by two people, who were sitting - no, lying - onthe floor. The girl was slender, and tall from what Hermione could tell. Her gold-red hair was braided around her head, and a silver serpent choker glittered at her throat. Hermione recognized her as Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin seventh-year who she had last seen dancing at Harry's birthday party. Now, however, she was half-sitting, half- lying on top of...

"Well for the love of--" Hermione began, and trailed off into speechlessness. She whirled around and stared at Harry, who was also looking very taken aback. "Did you know about this?" she demanded.

Harry began to shake his head. He looked rather stunned himself.

Hermione spun around and returned her gaze to the window. She felt as if her jaw was set on a hinge that had swung open, and refused to swing back. She couldn't quite believe that the boy on whom Blaise was sprawled, and whom she was kissing with great energy and thoroughness, was Draco Malfoy, but it was. The bright silver hair was unmistakable, as was the long-fingered hand splayed across Blaise's back. On the fourth finger the Malfoy seal ring glittered like a curious eye.

"What *is* Draco doing?" Hermione demanded, rhetorically.

"I think it's pretty obvious," said Harry, who now looked mildly embarrassed. "Maybe we should go."

"Ginny, come on," said Ron, awkwardly touching his sister's motionless shoulder. "Let's get out of here," but Ginny seemed unable to move. In the end, Ron had to pick her up in his arms and half-carry her down the corridor to an empty compartment, shoving his way past groups of staring students.

Harry and Hermione piled into the compartment after them in time to see Ron set Ginny down on the seat nearest the window. No sooner had the door clicked shut behind them all then Ginny buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

"Oh, hell." Ron down next to his sister and put his arms around her. Hermione slid her hand into Harry's and squeezed it tightly. They were both only children, but she often felt Harry's dearth of a brother or sister more intensely than she felt her own, since she at least had two loving parents to counterbalance the lack. She was glad Ginny had Ron in this circumstance -- she herself wouldn't have known what to say. "Don't worry about it, it's probably just a fling?" but Draco wasn't the sort of boy who had flings, and the silver snake at Blaise's throat been very recognizably the Malfoy serpent design ... Draco must have given it to her.

Stroking Ginny's hair, Ron looked up at Harry. "Did you know about this?" he said tightly, his eyes level and serious.

Harry shook his head. "No, I didn't." Hermione believed him - he looked well and truly startled. "I mean, it's not like Malfoy and I talk about his love life much, or ever - and this past two weeks I haven't even seen him -"

Ron shook his head. "I'm going to kill him," he said darkly, his mouth a thin line. He gently detached himself from Ginny, and stood up. "I am. I'm going to kill him."

Harry quickly moved to block Ron's access to the door. "Steady on," he said quietly. "Let's just wait a minute."

"I don't want to wait a minute," Ron began, but he was interrupted by Ginny, who had gotten to her feet. Her eyes were red, but her face was dry of tears.

"Harry's right," she said. "Draco didn't do anything -"

"What?" Ron interjected. "So I suppose it wasn't him we just saw with some girl stuck to his face?"

Ginny paled a little but held her ground. "He never -- we never --"

They all looked at her.

"He never promised me anything," she finished. "I don't know who that girl was, but --"

"Blaise," said Ron flatly. "Blaise Zabini -- she's a Slytherin. A Chaser, in fact."

"Oh," said Ginny, in a small voice. "Oh. I see."

Ron shook his head. "Look, Gin-"

Ginny raised her head. "Ron, she said fiercely, and clutched at her brother's sleeve. "You have to promise me you won't ever do or say anything about this, to Draco or anyone else."

Ron looked surprised. "But-"

"Promise me," she said again, fiercely. "Swear."

Ron nodded reluctantly. "All right. If that's what you want."

"Swear it."

Ron looked almost exasperated. "I swear, I will not say anything about you to Malfoy. Ever. And I won't break his spine into several pieces either, much as he deserves it."

Ginny looked relieved. "Good."

"I ... can talk to him if you want me to, Ginny," said Harry, looking mightily embarrassed at the prospect.

"No!" Ginny said sharply. "Especially not you, Harry. I'd rather none of you said anything at all to him." She forced a quick smile. "I'm fine. It was just a surprise, that's all. I don't even mind that much. It's nothing. I guess I'm just a little nervous about school - it's been a year since I've been back."

"Right, of course," said Hermione, and went and sat down, and after a moment, Ginny sat down next to her. Hermione put her hand on top of Ginny's and Ginny squeezed her fingers quickly before turning her attention to the window. Next to her, Harry and Ron seated themselves, neither looking at the other. A worried silence descended upon all four of them as the train pulled out of the station.

***