I think I love him... Hermione's words ran through Ginny's head as she made her way down to the Slytherin dungeons. How dare he hurt her friend like that? She stopped at a statue of an ugly-as-sin snake and knocked sharply three times on the wall opposite. The stone slowly creaked open and Ginny faced a looming Goyle with a scowl. "Out of my way, Goyle," she snarled.
"Draco doesn't want to see you," he said.
Ginny tapped her foot impatiently. "Did I say I wanted to see Malfoy? No, I don't believe I did."
Goyle gave her a confused frown.
"For Merlin's sake, Goyle. Let me in." Much as she hated to touch the giant Slytherin, she reached out to push him aside. He gave little resistance and shifted so she could squeeze past him into the Slytherin common room. Malfoy, however, was hovering close behind.
"What the devil are you doing, Goyle, letting in stray Gryffindors?" Malfoy glowered over at her. "And especially this Gryffindor," he added scathingly.
"I'm not here for you, Malfoy. I'm looking for Zabini."
Malfoy's eyes widened at this pronouncement, then he scowled and shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. "Like hell you are," he growled.
"I'm not playing this game with you today," she replied, widening her stance and crossing her arms under her breasts. "Where's Zabini? And if you don't tell me right now, I swear I'll never snog you again."
"Keep it down, Weasley," Malfoy hissed. "Do you want the whole house to know?"
"I don't care whether the whole sodding school knows, Malfoy," she said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "You're the one who's so damn paranoid. Now," she took a deep breath, "where's Zabini?"
Malfoy looked thoughtful for a moment, then strode forward three steps and hooked his hand around her neck, pulling her towards him. His mouth descended on hers for a brief, searching kiss and his hands slid down her back to press her against him.
When he released her, Ginny stumbled slightly, gripping the front of his robes for balance. She was always amazed at how someone so thoroughly annoying could make her take leave of her senses so easily. He had the most wonderful mouth, so supple and warm and... Ginny shook her head and stepped away from him, schooling her features into a disapproving frown.
"What?" he asked innocently, a smirk lurking in his eyes. "You said you didn't care."
"I don't, particularly," she said smoothly. "But before you start to beat your chest and drag me off to your lair, I'd like to go kill Zabini."
"Kill him, you say?" Malfoy queried, not in the least bothered that she'd pointed out how blatantly possessive he was acting. "Well, I suppose that's allowed."
"I'm so very grateful you've given me your permission, Malfoy," Ginny said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She cocked a brow, waiting for him to continue.
Malfoy shrugged. "He's in the library, stalking Granger."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Perfect." She started to turn, but caught sight of Pansy glaring at her, moving swiftly across the common room towards them. Cursing under her breath, Ginny grabbed Malfoy by his tie and curled her other hand around his nape, bringing his mouth down to hers again. She felt his lips curve in a smile against hers briefly before she swept her tongue across the seam, and then licked inside as he parted them for her. She hummed in her throat and then stepped back, inwardly grinning at the bemused expression on Malfoy's face. Outwardly, she narrowed her eyes and whispered dangerously, "If I hear anything about you and Pansy, you're a dead man."
Not at all worried, he grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Pansy's in a snit behind me, isn't she?"
"Draco?" Pansy whined, as if on cue.
Malfoy sighed, but kept his eyes fastened on Ginny, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her lower lip. "Go away, Pansy," he growled.
"But what are you doing with her?"
His mouth crooked up slightly and Ginny saw amusement sparkle in his eyes, warming the gray. "I'm distracting her," he said.
"Oh. Draco?" Pansy asked again, this time tugging on his robes. "Distracting her from what?"
Malfoy snaked an arm around Ginny's waist so she couldn't pull away. "From killing Blaise," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Why you..." Ginny struggled in his grip, pushing against his chest, but his arms remained entwined solidly around her.
"Oh," Pansy said, sounding a bit happier.
"Now, go away Pansy, so I can tell the little Weasel that I love her," Malfoy said with a mischievous smile and a slight arch to his left eyebrow, gazing into Ginny's widened chocolate eyes.
"What?" Pansy and Ginny said in shocked unison.
"She's an infuriating piece of baggage," he went on calmly, "and I'm going to take her upstairs and show her exactly how much I love her." He bent down and swung Ginny up into his arms and she automatically wrapped hers around his neck. He carried her over to the stairs, leaving Goyle and Pansy and a handful of other Slytherins staring open-mouthed after them.
"Are you really doing this to distract me?" Ginny asked, stunned and a bit breathless.
"Yes," he said shortly, effortlessly ascending the steps.
She lowered her voice and whispered huskily, "Do you really love me?"
"Yes." He glanced down at her askance. "And if you expect me to spout poetry and love words left and right you're as barmy as your brother."
"I don't expect anything from you at all, Malfoy," she said softly.
He nodded and looked rather pleased with himself. "That's why I'm going to marry you some day."
"Are you proposing?" She laughed, familiar with the saying and knowing full well that he wasn't.
He gave her a serious frown. "One of these times I'm going to really mean it, you know; and then what will you do?"
"Before or after my brothers kill you?"
