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For the 2012 Christmas Gift Fic Exchange at the DG Forum. Merry Christmas Kyla AKA The-Darkness-Befalls (and to all my lovely readers)!
Love, Kris Kringle
Prompt: Circumstances alter faces
Extenuating Circumstances
Ginny sat on the balcony overlooking the Entrance Hall, her skirt hiked high up her thighs and her legs threaded through the tinsel covered balustrade as her arms wrapped tightly around the stone columns. Her hair tumbled wildly over one shoulder as she leaned to the side, her chin tilted slightly to better her view of the near-deserted hall below.
"I'd recognise those threadbare robes anywhere," said a voice behind her and her head hit the the hard stone with an audible smack as she hastily pulled her head back through the balcony railing.
"Shh!" she hissed at him, grabbing his hand to yank him to his knees beside her as she rubbed her aching head with her other hand.
"Weasley, what –" Draco began but was promptly cut off when she slapped her hand across his mouth.
"Look!" she whispered to him, pointing to the hall below.
Draco raised his brow skeptically, pushing her hands away from him. "Your role as prefect does not entitle you to roam the corridors in the middle of the night or touch my person at any time though you might desperately desire to, Weasley," he said, his voice low.
Ginny merely rolled her eyes, seeming distracted. "Just shut up and look, Malfoy."
Humouring the clearly deranged girl, he brushed aside a stray piece of holly, mimicked her position and threaded his legs through the banister, looking down at the hall below.
"What in Merlin –" he began before stopping himself, so surprised by the sight below.
Two people stood, entwined in an intimate embrace below some low hanging mistletoe, and Draco felt the bile rise at the back of his throat.
Snape and Granger. Together. It was unmistakable, that horrible, bushy brown hair brushing softly against Snape's ominously billowing black robes. Disgusting.
He leaned back, physically repulsed. "I never realised voyeurism was a sport for peasants," he whispered to her.
"Shut it." She pulled her head back through the balustrade to shoot him a vehement glare. "We have to tell someone."
"Snape will get sacked over this," he said to her, more of a statement than an argument. He glanced down once more, braving the puke-inducing sight. Granger had probably slipped Snape a love potion, or something; it was the only explanation.
He narrowed his eyes at the pair as Granger leaned up to the older man, whispering something in his ear and, Merlin help him, Snape almost smiled.
Draco climbed up from his spot on the floor and brushed off his robes as he looked at Ginny solemnly, torn at the thought of ratting her out and selling out his favourite Professor, the one that had tutored him in potions from his first day at Hogwarts so he could scrape by with an Exceeds Expectations for his OWLs, then waived his Outstanding requirement to allow Draco to take Potions for his NEWTs.
This was beyond wrong but, as loathe as he was to admit it, he owed Snape. "We were never here."
Ginny frowned up at him. "But –"
"We were never here," Draco said again forcefully, grabbing her arm to haul her to her feet.
"Draco!" she hissed indignantly as he dragged her down the corridor, away from the spectacle below. "Even you have to admit this is insane!"
"Insane or not, you aren't telling a soul."
She wrenched her arm from his grip, putting her hands on her hips. "Oh yeah? And you're going stop me how?"
He shot her a glare out of the corner of his eye as he pretended to examine his fingernails. "I could just Obliviate you; Lockhart isn't the only wizard handy with a memory spell."
Draco almost smiled when her jaw dropped. "You wouldn't," she said, though she didn't sound a bit sure of herself. Ginny shook her head forcefully. "You even think about spelling me and I will hex you into next week."
He scowled down at her as he took a step closer. "I haven't forgotten the last time, Weasley."
She raised her chin, hands on hips as she stepped closer as well and each battled to intimidate the other. "You'd think you would have learnt your lesson the last time you had bats flying out of your nose."
"You know, I think I have learnt my lesson," Draco said after a moment. "Though I'm not too sure your brother would like to hear how you were out of bed in the middle of the night - with a Malfoy, no less."
"Right, because I'm going to tell him all about it."
"No, but I will." Draco said with a sly smile.
She couldn't suppress a very unladylike snort. "And he'll believe you, why?"
"Because I'll have proof." Draco said as he tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Wha-" Ginny began in confusion, before Draco's mouth descending upon her own cut her short. She stood, frozen and wide eyed as his firm lips pressed hotly against her own before slowly melting against him, unable to resist.
His hands moved to cup her face, thumbs stroking gently below her jaw and she sighed softly as his tongue swept against her parted lips. Right where I want her.
Draco began to trail leisurely kisses against her flushed skin, slowly following line of her jaw before making his way down her neck. He paused, his lips poised over her skin as his his breaths fanned against her neck, and she let out a ragged breath. At the noise he pressed his mouth against her neck, kissing her, his tongue darting out instinctually before he gave a long, measured suck.
She was only pliable for a moment longer. "Malfoy!" She hissed as her fists began raining down over his chest, but he snatched her waist, his fingers splaying across her back to hold her firmly against him.
A few moment later he pulled away, admiring the hickey darkening her skin. "Well, there's my evidence. How do you plead?"
"You- you- good for nothing, son of a bansh-"
A cold voice cut her off. "Weasley, Malfoy, I do hope I'm not interrupting. I would never have expected to see the two of you roaming the halls at such a late hour."
Draco and Ginny froze, slowly turning to where Snape stood at the end of the corridor. Snape carefully observed their close proximity. "Thirty points from Gryffindor for abusing your role as prefect, Weasley. Draco, your father will hear of this... incident. Both of you, get to bed."
The pair stood there, mouths agape as Snape turned and stalked back to where he'd come from.
Ginny turned to Draco with a scowl. "Thanks for that, Malfoy. And I shouldn't tell, why?"
Draco returned her scowl with a long glance at her neck. "Because everyone will hear exactly how you lost thirty house points, and no one's going to argue when you have a love bite the size of my mouth covering your neck. Good night, Weasley."
He had the brief satisfaction of Ginny's muffled scream of frustration as he returned to the Slytherin dormitories - he couldn't hold it over her forever, but it would do for now.