Ginny stormed out of the room. She'd had enough. Couldn't Harry just understand that she needed to do something with her life? She thought he knew her better than that. Maybe she was wrong.
She didn't even know how the argument had started - one minute they had been peacefully sitting down together eating; the next both of them were livid, wands out and food flying around the kitchen.
This had been happening a surprising amount recently. They had first begun fighting when Ginny had announced her intention of becoming an auror, and Harry's adamant refusal to allow this had made her wonder if they were good together after all. She needed someone who respected her decisions, not tried to smother her will by being over-protective. But Harry was never going to change; the need to save everyone around him was engraved too deeply in his personality, especially after the war.
But right at that moment, she didn't care about his reasons. He was infuriating; completely and utterly maddening.
She needed a friend.
She grabbed a handful of the white powder next to her, and disappeared into the green flames that filled the fireplace. Reappearing seconds later in another location entirely, she half-ran, half-walked to Hermione's office. She knocked loudly on the door, and opened it without waiting for a reply.
"Hermione, I need a drink. Can we get out of -" Ginny started, then she froze in disbelief.
"Come in then" drawled a horribly familiar, sarcastic voice from the usually empty desk next to Hermione's. With his feet resting on the table and his blonde hair slicked back with copious amounts of gel, Draco Malfoy appeared the picture of nonchalance.
He looked almost exactly the same as he had when they had last seen each other 5 years ago, save for a few subtle differences that did wonders for his overall appearance. He had filled out a lot and was no longer the scrawny kid that he used to be. He seemed almost… sexy.
No, that couldn't be right, what was she thinking? She shook her head to clear it of these unexpected thoughts, and glanced over to where Hermione normally sat. Her chair was empty.
"Your bushy haired control freak isn't here at the moment," the Slytherin said condescendingly. "Whatever trivial unimportant matter you seem so upset about will have to wait." An evil glint appeared in his eyes, "Unless, of course, you wanted to talk to me about it."
"It's nothing," Ginny said hastily, getting over her shock. "And don't call her that" she snapped, noticing the insult, "she's a damn-site better than you'll ever be." All the attraction she'd felt disappeared in an instant as she remembered what an arrogant prat Malfoy was.
Ignoring Ginny's defence of her friends, Malfoy focused on the hasty pretence that she was fine.
"Things not working out with Potter?" he smirked, guessing the cause instantly. "Or had you just had enough of life in that shack you seem to think of as a home?" he added as an afterthought, smiling smugly as his jibes had the desired effect.
Ginny's face went red with anger. She had already been at breaking point, and the blonde had just pushed her over the edge. In a flash her wand was in her hand and pointed straight at his head. She would feel so much better when he was lying on the floor covered in boils and blisters.
Just at that moment, the door opened and Hermione walked in. Ginny heard the gasp of shock at the scene before her, and slowly turned to face her friend.
"What. Is. HE. Doing. Here?" she spat, still fuming. Hermione took quick stock of the situation, and tried to think of a way to end it without anyone getting hurt.
"Draco, leave" she said shortly, more worried about the red-head doing something illegal in her anger. Still smirking, Draco stood up.
"It would be my pleasure," he said as he strode out of the room. As he shut the door, they heard him call back to them: "you never know, she might be contagious"
Hermione gently guided Ginny to a chair and sat her down, conjuring a pot of calming tea before anything got blown up. Ginny glared at her, waiting pointedly for an explanation. Hermione sighed. She should have guessed that this would happen.
"Malfoy arrived last week. He's my new partner" she said with distaste. "He hasn't changed much since school, has he?" she grimaced. "Did you need me for something?" Ginny nodded slowly, trying to remember why she had come it the first place. She managed to compose herself and looked Hermione in the eye.
"It's Harry," she said sadly, "I don't think I can stand much more of him."
