A/N: Why hello again everyone. here is another addition to my lovely collection of fanfiction. I wrote this all in one sitting, then slept on it, came back the next day and tweaked it so it is now presentable. Now, this is something I haven't really done before, it is a Ginny|Draco fanfiction, not quite my cup of tea but I was in a mood to write one. So here it is. I tried to keep them in canon, or at least best to my ability considering the pairing. Uh, do review, I like reviews and I hope you enjoy it.
One Breath at a Time
She was merely a flash of ruby hair when she sprinted with all her might. Even that wasn't going to be enough for Ginny to get there in time. Why had she been so careless as to leave her bag in Herbology? Was it the tug in the pit of her stomach that indicated that she was extremely hungry? Perhaps it was too hard to think when Colin Creevey was gazing at her throughout the whole class as if he was mentally undressing her. Just thinking of his glares made her cheeks flush to a crimson color, slightly resembling her hair. She didn't have time to think about that now, let alone think. If Ginny Weasley didn't get to the 5th year greenhouse before Prefect Patrol, she would be in even more trouble. There was no use for her to get extra points taken off for her negligence.
The petite Gryffindor pushed through the Hogwarts doors and ran along the bricked path until she got to the Greenhouses. Dashing as quickly as she could, Ginny ran past each one until she got to her own years. She arrived at the entrance and proceeded by scavenging for the handle, turning it rapidly and jiggling it repeatedly. No matter how hard Ginny tried the door wouldn't budge, and her bag was in there, containing all her homework and her wand.
How could she have possibly been so stupid that she forgot her only line of defense in the Herbology class? Alohamora wouldn't do any good, considering her wand was at the least 5 meters away. Ginny groaned in frustration, throwing her hands up into the air as if to give up. It wasn't until realization struck that she moaned even louder; it was Friday, and she wouldn't have Herbology until Tuesday.
After taking hold of the knob one more time Ginny gave up completely, it was a lost cause until she could find Professor Sprout to open the Greenhouse, or persuade one of her friends to come back out here with her or let her borrow their wand. Carefully backing up to the tall brick fence that surrounded the gardens, Ginny slid down and looked up, only to see heavy clouds cast over the grounds.
"Brilliant," Ginny expressed to herself aloud, a hint of sarcasm gleaming from her voice, "this is just bloody brilliant."
She sighed while dropping her head into her lap, scarlet hair spreading over her knees as she did so. It wasn't until the first droplet of liquid fell upon her bare hand that she pulled herself up to head on back into the castle. Ginny wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived back in the school, Prefects could be doing their rounds all ready for all that she knew. Time escaped her mind when she was perched on the ground waiting for the rain to fall.
And boy was the rain falling as she trudged back on the path and finally into the darkened main hallway of the school. Her once sleek ginger hair was now plastered against her face, her clothes stuck to her body and for once in her life Ginny Weasley was glad that she was wearing her robe for if not, too much of her body would be revealed. In attempt to cover as much as she could, Ginny wrapped her school robe completely around her and walked as fast as she could to get up to the Gryffindor tower.
Everything was moving along smoothly until Ginny reached the stairs approaching the third floor. Only then was it that she ran into any trouble, and it was the last person she wished to meet.
"Well if it isn't young little Weasley, sneaking up the stairs after a late night stroll," a cold, sneering voice echoed in her ears.
"Just take points away, Malfoy, and let me go to my dorm," Ginny wasn't up for a row with Slytherin Prefect Draco Malfoy.
"But if I just let you go on your merry way," Draco paused to circle around the short, red-headed Gryffindor, taking in her drenched clothes, "who's to say that you'll go right to your tower?"
"What exactly do you think I might do? I'm not quite dressed for mischief," Ginny seethed through tightly clenched teeth, as she looked down to the floor, she didn't want to let her eyes wander over his steel gray orbs, or lengthy, brushed back hair.
"What makes you think I can trust you?" His voice was calloused as he brought the tip of his wand to the bottom of Ginny's chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"I'm not in the mood to bicker with you Malfoy. I'm completely covered in rain and I'm not even armed with my wand. So do what you want, just let me go up to my dorm," Ginny figured he'd find out eventually that she didn't have her wand to defend herself.
"Is that so?" He cocked up his left eyebrow, a grin replaced the smirk that once occupied his face, "and I suppose you wish to doff those saturated clothes of yours don't you?"
"Why are you asking me pointless questions?" When Draco just stared at her, eyebrow still arched Ginny rolled her sapphire eyes and sighed, "Yes I do wish to change into my nightgown and sleep if it concerns you that much."
"The ironic thing is little Gryffindor, that it does concern me." Ginny's expression must've changed to confusion because he continued, "You see, you are wandering in my halls, and I have every right to know what's going on when I'm patrolling. So a question remains, why is it that you were outside to get your lovely Hogwarts robes soaked?"
Ginny shuddered as the word 'lovely' passed through his lips, "The grounds aren't anywhere near your corridors, so it doesn't concern you."
Finally Draco brought his wand down, only to replace the long, smooth wood with his fingers, grasping her chin roughly, "Do not think for one moment that you can override my power!" He nearly spat in her face.
"Take away house points, and let me go to my dormitory," Ginny demanded in a soft voice, she was nearly quivering with an emotion she couldn't exactly pin point, but she knew that it was flowing throughout her because Draco's face was merely inches from hers.
"If only it were that easy, Ginny." It surprised her to hear him utter her name aloud.
"What do I have to do so you will let me get a descent night of sleep?"
Suddenly Draco's furrowed brows lightened, pulling back to reveal a smile teasing his lips, "You say that you wish to change, so you can remove yourself from these clothes?"
Gulping deeply, fearing that she may regret answering, she did, "Yes."
Draco brought his lips closer to Ginny's face, then turned so they were mere centimeters from her ear. This act surprisingly didn't throw Ginny into repulsion, but instead his warm breath seemed to soothe her ear lobe.
His words broke her only thoughts, "Then let me help you,"
It took Ginny a moment to realize what he stated, and when she did, she almost stopped breathing. One thing suddenly registered into her head, Draco Malfoy was making moves on her, no, more like forcing moves on her. What is even stranger, is the fact that she didn't intend on stopping him and it wasn't because he was stronger, taller, and more prepared to fight than she was. There was a peculiar, exotic feeling produced as Draco brought her into the Prefect bathroom.
From nowhere Ginny got a shudder of nervousness, what was he going to do to her? What did he mean by 'let me help you'? She in took a shaky breath and looked at her surroundings. There was a pool-size tub, on the other side there was a stone mermaid whose tail was swishing along in the water.
"I've been watching you for days, weeks even, just to see how you react to everything, how your gestures tell a story of your life. I saw every time you use your hands to emphasize what you're talking about, but those fool friends of yours still don't get your meaning." Draco, towering over Ginny's small frame, took one of Ginny's hands and placed it between both his palms, "How I have longed to touch them, clasp them in my own. I knew you wouldn't want me at all, what with all the hate thrown at me from your brother and Potter, of course you wouldn't dare find yourself in the arms of nasty Slytherin."
As he spoke Draco bent down and rolled his lips over the nap of Ginny's neck. Chills swept through her causing the fine hairs along her body to stand on end, it didn't help the fact that she was shivering because of her wet clothes.
"They'll wonder where I am at," Ginny said as Draco continued a trail of kisses up to Ginny's ear, and lightly nibbling on the lobe.
Taking a break for a second or two Draco lightly whispered, "let them wonder. You're a big girl; you can take care of yourself."
"But what if they come looking for me?" Ginny protested, backing away from Draco's touch, "Hermione is a Prefect, M-Ma-Malfoy," Draco grimaced at the use of his last name.
Stepping towards Ginny, Draco brought one of his hands to her cheek and caressed it tenderly, "What's my name, Ginny?" He questioned.
"Draco," she lipped, no sound coming from her mouth. She inhaled once more and tried again, "Draco."
Using his hand to change the direction of her gaze, Draco stared straight into the sapphire gems that occupied her eyes, "Now kiss me."
Some force pulled Ginny towards him, some force made her advert her stare to look up at him, and some force made her place her somewhat dry lips onto Draco's swollen ones. Though it was her own free will that wrapped her arms around his neck to hold herself up to his height. Ginny's hands raked through Draco's smooth blonde locks as her lips explored his, looking for anyway to deepen the kiss, to get her closer to him.
"Ginny," Draco gasped, able to break their mouths apart, "you're shivering."
"That tends to happen when you're covered in layers of wet clothes," Ginny clasped her mouth around Draco's and smiled coming out of it, "what happened to you helping me?"
Draco inched back towards the massive tub and turned on the taps, quickly making the room steam and the pool of a bath filled with warm water. He then walked around to stand behind Ginny, and slowly removed the robe from her shoulders. Ginny was afraid that he was going to scrutinize her body, noticing every flaw that she knew she had. To her surprise he didn't seem to care that she wasn't as skinny as all the blonde Slytherins he was accustom to. A thought dawned on her, and this one thought questioned him entirely.
"Why me?" She asked, watching as Draco turned off the faucets seeing as the bath was full, "Why is it me that you wish to drive your lust into? Why not someone taller, bigger breasted, prettier? Why is it that you all of a sudden want me?"
"You intrigue me Ginny Weasley, and even I don't always have the answers to questions that plague our brain." Draco turned to Ginny and stepped close to her, "All that I know is that right here," he placed a fist to his chest to represent where his heart his, "I want you so much that it hurts."
As he said that, something in his eyes changed, it was as if the veil that was hiding his true emotions lifted, revealing what he actually felt. Ginny brushed back a piece of his hair that had fallen out of place while he spoke and then barely touched her lips to his when she pulled back and stepped into the tub, clothes on and everything.
"What are you doing?" Draco questioned, a puzzled look consumed his face.
"I'm taking a nice warm bath," she explained as she removed the clothing that covered her body, "come in, the water's perfect."
When Ginny turned around, fascinated with the mermaid, Draco rid himself of his clothes and hurriedly placed himself into the water. From there he wadded towards Ginny and enveloped her in his arms. Ginny took in a deep breath and shuddered for the hundredth time that night.
"What's wrong, you can't possibly be cold?" Draco's concern touched Ginny and she turned to face him.
"I'm not sure," she shrugged and thought for a moment, "I guess you're sort of like oxygen to me. Though however much good you do for me, too much will be the end of me," she laughed to herself, "see, you've all ready got me delusional. I can only take you in, one breath at a time."
The ever familiar smirk was etched on Draco's face as he spoke, "Then we'll just have to be here for awhile then now won't we?"