Ginny Weasley and the Female Crew

Episode 19: Breaking the Ice

Narrator: Ginny

Anyway, after lunch in the great hall it was double potions with Snape and the Slytherins. Why we're always paired with them I don't know. Fortunately, my friends from Gryffindor, Cate and Mandy were there, although Mandy was in the far corner working with a slytherin girl I didn't know. Poor Mandy, I thought to myself. 

  Snape, always in a cantankerous mood, began to proceed with his boring lesson with no one paying attention. I looked at Cate who I was paired with. While we did hang out briefly this summer, I didn't notice how truly worn out she was. Her normally tidy honey blond hair was not only messy but completely lost its beautiful shine. Her brown eyes were dull and covered with dark circles and she seemed to grow paler.

   While Snape appeared not to pay attention, I began my friendly interrogation. "Little Italy?", I gave my annoying but endearing nickname for my friend, who was half Italian. Cate rolled her eyes. "Yes, Weasley?"

"Are you okay?" I started. "You look like hell."

"I'm okay", she said automatically, almost aggressively as she tried to write notes in class. "Everything's fine. All is right with the world."

As if! I thought bitterly, before snorting. "Bull. Listen I know Missy gave you a hard time", I started, "But you can talk to us about it. About anything, whether it's school trouble, boy trouble, girl trouble-"

   Suddenly, Cate almost knocked into the table. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm sorry," I apologized profusely. I felt guilty and instantly regretted rushing into the conversation. Last year, Cate was hanging out with a girl from Beauxbatons called Angelique, who was a year older. At first, most of the girls were jealous and feeling left out until one night, when Mandy and I were at the Yule Ball (Mandy played the violin and joined the orchestra so she didn't really need a date), Cate went with Angelique as friends but then we saw them come out of a foggy carriage and one time I saw them hold hands before Angelique left and we all assumed that they were a thing.

   Not that it bothered us, we liked Cate and always thought she was a great girl. Besides, she liked guys too, because she did try to flirt with Cedric Diggory once, that and she flirted with other guys in our year and often talked about cute quidditch players. But we never actually discussed any of this. Well, until now.

"What are you talking about?", demanded Cate, her baggy eyes suddenly narrowed in slits that rivaled Voldemort's and looked at me with such fury. I instantly blushed. "It's nothing", I tried to dismiss it. But she wasn't fooled, she opened her mouth as to interrogate me instead of the other way around when her eyes widened behind me,looking in Mandy's direction. "The f————?"

  Suddenly, I heard Snape from behind us. "Wydeville, you spiny pathetic girl. You know good as well you're not supposed to swear in class. Obviously ", he slides the last word as always. It was weird the way he did that ever so creepily. "Detention".

 I immediately rushed to my friend's defense. "I'm sorry. It was me. I swore-"

But Snape cut me off. "Weasley, always being the sidekick for your friend. Must run in the family. But do yourself a favor and quit being so noble".

 I fought the urge to slap him in his stupid face. Suddenly, Mandy gave me a look that said I know he's a lousy git but do yourself a favor and drop it. I nodded,telling her I got the memo before suddenly, I heard the door barge open. I saw Umbridge back again. Probably using her, I ran out of paper excuse. "Hello, class. Professor Snape, I was wondering if I could have some paper", she whined in her little girlish voice.

"I'm sorry, but I thought you had enough since you asked paper from the entire staff", Snape said ever so cold. While he was doing so, Cate buried her face in her hands, just like she did last time. Trying not to draw attention to herself, I noticed. I knew Cate was in the middle of a crisis with the ministry of magic but I forgot that the crisis was also here. Cate's parents, Ruby and Alex were in the ministry of magic and were very loyal. While Cate caught a glimpse of the dementors and knew that Voldemort was back, she also knew that if she didn't parrot her parents' beliefs, she would not be accepted  to hogwarts. So she pretended.

  Unfortunately, Umbridge saw through that. "If it isn't Catharine Wydeville ", she said smiling at Cate. Everyone else looked in shock, half with betrayal. Mandy winced and so did I. "I just want to thank you for supporting the ministry ", she said loudly and clearly before continuing. "May others follow your example". With that, she walked away. Shortly after class, Care disappeared completely out of sight.

Luckily, Mandy caught up with me in the hall. "Poor Cate. I guess this is what she's afraid of."

"Yeah ", I agreed." That and I may have mentioned the Carriage Incident."

Mandy turned to me in shock. "What?" 

"Yes, yes. I only mentioned that we would be there whenever she had girl troubles. I only meant periods though. I mean, the girl places tampons the wrong way", I lied about the last parts. The period thing. Not her placing tampons the wrong way.

Mandy then looked at me weird and laughed." You're getting mixed up with Luna. Remember first year, when Cate mistaked pads for quidditch cleats".

I laughed at the memory too. It was so funny but it kinda made me sad that the adorable girl with pads on her knees was now a skinny girl with dark circles on her yes. I couldn't help but fight the urge to cry.

Mandy, fortunately saw through that. "Anyway, I really feel bad. She was our best friend. My favorite bestie-"

"Hey", I interrupted, elbowing her as we walked. "Seriously?"

"Yep, sorry. She's my bestie for life. We do all sorts of hijinks. I talk to her about my life and she talks about hers. She told me almost everything, well, except for Angelique. Based on the fact that she flirted with basically every single guy including your brother since she got here, I'm guessing her and Angelique had a falling out."

  That explained a lot. No wonder why she was feeling depressed. She has her family on one side and us on the other, she's an insomniac, she's worried about school, Missy's giving her crap and her friend/ girlfriend is not speaking with her and the two may be done. Wow. She really needs a hug. Wait a minute...

"Speaking of Cate, today I heard her swearing. Swearing while looking in your direction", I whispered in her ear so no one would hear.

She gave me an incredulous look. "I thought you were going to ask which brother. And she probably saw that slytherin girl, Meg passing me a note from Theodore. Anyway, did I tell you I'm trying out for keeper?" She immediately changed the subject. (She was always a good keeper in Quidditch)

Not fooled, I glared. "Theodore as in Nott?" Luna texted me that the two shared a cabin together and was worried that her friend didn't gag at the thought. While Luna saw the good in people, she was always cautious about friends, especially if they meet her bullies.

  Mandy rolled her eyes as we walked closer to the greenhouse for herbology, luckily Luna and Lisa were going to be there to talk some sense into her. " Yeah, so?"

"I'm not sure if you know this, but his dad's a death eater ", I whispered even quieter to my muggleborn friend.

"Well", she began brushing her reddish blonde hair, "he's not. Besides, I've got this, little G."

I wanted to tell her to be careful, but by then we were already in the herbology class room. I tried to pay attention in class, but all I paid attention to was the growing dread and worry I was getting for my young friend. Mandy was already going through so much. Her dad abandoned her and her mother to his childhood home in America. He met a new wife there recently, which of course bothered Mandy whose mother had turned to alcohol to cope. This forced Mandy to have a neighbor look after her mom before returning home and actually taking care of her all holiday.