CHAPTER 2
Draco could taste the peppermint of Ginny's toothpaste as the two kissed in the Quidditch changing rooms. He felt a warmth as he came closer to her, and she ran a hand through his hair. As he reached down to run a hand through hers she pulled way, breaking apart the sweet kiss Draco had been craving.
She walked over to a bench and sat down, her hands clinging to the bottom as she took in deep breaths.
"Alright Weasley, I know I'm good, but it was just a kiss." He said cockily.
He watched as she looked down breathing in and now not making a sound. He felt concerned as she bobbed up and down. Draco moved over to her, extending his arm to rest his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't." she breathed
Draco took his hand away and stood in front of her.
"Weasley, are you ok. Do you need me to get anything?" He was genuinely concerned for her.
"Just go." She said.
He didn't want to leave her like this but she sounded angry. He had been at the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes before and he didn't fancy finding out what else she would do if he persisted.
Draco gathered his broom and headed out of Quidditch changing rooms, leaving Ginny to breathe heavily, alone.
The reality of what just happened hit him as he reached the edge of the hill up towards the castle. They had kissed. They had touched. He just kissed Ginny Weasley. Sister of one of his enemies and ex-girlfriend of is worst enemy. He had just kissed the beautiful redhead, the Gryffindor chaser, the powerful witch. And he felt something, something he had never felt with any other girl. His skin still tingled. Then he remembered how distressed she was. He lingered by the hill for a moment before sitting down. He wanted to make sure she was ok.
After five minutes a movement out of the corner of Draco's eye made him look up. He watched as Ginny roared up into the skill, elegantly flying in the air. He smirked, brushed himself off and ascended the hill back to the castle.
*.*.*
He kissed me! And I kissed him back! Ginny thought as she climbed into the air on her broom. He had been in my nightmare. He saved me from it… all thoughts in Ginny's mind were of Draco now and she couldn't shake them, no matter how hard she tried.
She could only manage zooming around for fifteen minutes before she had to stop and breathe again. She entered the changing rooms cautiously but was relieved to find that Draco had left. She took in another deep breath and decided to clean up and go for breakfast.
Ginny slunk into the castle, quickly returning to her dorm to place her broom back under her bed. She washed her face, changed her shirt and headed down to the Great Hall.
It was only 8:30 so the hall was quiet. Ginny entered the room, Draco's solitary figure catching her eye. She didn't dare linger and moved swiftly to the Gryffindor table. She decided it best to sit with her back to him so she didn't have to look at him.
Ginny ate slowly, still trying to shake the events from earlier. It was just a kiss, she told herself, nothing more. But she could feel the lie as she thought it. She was beginning to get frustrated with herself as flashes of blonde and grey passed her mind. Why couldn't she shake this?
After eating four pieces of toast and an apple, Ginny rose and decided to head to the potions class to do her assignment for Slughorn. She glanced over to Draco for a split second as she stood up; he wasn't watching her. She felt slightly disappointed at this then quickly left before she allowed her mind to do anything else.
*.*.*
Draco watched the flow of red hair exit the Great Hall. At least she's still breathing, he thought, returning to his bowl of porridge. He didn't have much to do that day, except to try and find out what a particular potions ingredient did. He hadn't been able to find a clear answer in a book and decided it was best to try and find the ingredient in the potions supply room.
He travelled through the halls down into the potions corridor. He tried the supply room in the hall; locked. He then slowly pushed potions class room door finding it was open. Slughorn usually left it unlocked at weekends when he had set potions making assignments.
Draco entered the room quietly and a figure in the background caught his eye. The girl looked at him for a few moments with a blank expression on her face and then back down at her cauldron. He thought about saying something then decided against, not wanting to send her into another panic attack.
He walked over to the supply cabinet on the right of the classroom, drumming his fingers lightly in the side as he looked for the ingredient.
"Do you mind?" He heard Ginny say behind him.
"Not at all." He replied, still drumming his fingers.
Ginny groaned and he heard her begin chopping loudly.
Draco smirked at her anger, then finally found the ingredient he was looking for. It was in a glass bottle and had uses written on the label on the back. Thank gods for that.
As he turned he saw the purple smoke rising from Ginny's cauldron. She put in whatever she was chopping and the smoke turned a greenish yellow. Ginny groaned and looked back into her potions book.
"What're you making there?" He asked her.
She ignored him.
"I can help." He drawled.
"I don't need nor want any help from you." She snapped, not taking her eyes off the page.
He smirked, "Suit yourself."
She began chopping again as Draco went to leave.
"Agh, son of a-, agh."
Draco spun round to see blood dropping from Ginny's hand. He quickly opened up a drawer at the side of the classroom and found a clean rag.
"Here." He said pressing the cloth onto Ginny's wound.
"Thanks." She muttered as she patted down the cut.
She took the rag away after a few moments, but the blood still poured.
"Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey." He suggested, glancing at the red wound which ran down her thumb and along her hand. How she managed it Draco did not know.
"I'll be fine." She murmured, flinching as she patted the scar.
"You really are stubborn bitch, aren't you?" He quipped.
Her eyes shot up, "And you really are an intolerable area hole, aren't you?"
"I'm only trying to help!"
"Why?"
"Because you're hurt, gods, you'd think I was the one who did this the way you're acting!"
They scowled at each other for a few moments, until their gaze moved to the opening door.
Professor Slughorn entered the room with Headmaster Snape. They were chatting idly and stopped at the sight of Ginny and Draco.
"Good heavens Miss Weasley, what happened?" Slughorn was looking at the blood stained rag wrapped around her hand.
"C- cut my hand whilst chopping, Sir." She replied.
"And you didn't think to visit the hospital wing?" Professor Snape sneered.
Draco smirked feeling full of himself, "I did tell her." He inputted.
Professor Snape strolled over to the desk and examined Ginny's hand.
"Let me see it." He said, holding out his hand to take hers.
She hesitated, unwrapping the cloth and stretching out her arm. He took her hand in his, turning it to examine the cut. The bleeding had slowed, but it was still red.
Draco watched as Snape took out his wand and murmured "Vulnera sanentur". The cut closed up immediately and Ginny looked at it in amazement.
"Thank you, Sir." She whispered.
"Clean this mess up." Is all he said and he retreated to the office where Slughorn was now standing. The door shut behind them and Draco's gaze fell on Ginny again.
"I did tell you." He smirked.
*.*.*
Ginny ran her hands over the area where she had cut herself. There was a long silver scar now, as if the cut had been healed for weeks. She then moved her head up and watched as Draco exited the potions classroom.
She lingered on the closed door longer than she should have and then turned back to her cauldron, trying to salvage the last of the potion.
Ginny finally managed to get the smoke to turn red – well technically it was pink, but that was good enough for Ginny, who's hair was starting to expand from perspiration. She poured the liquid into a phial, attached a label with her name on it and placed it in the drawer marked 'Year 6'.
Slughorn and Snape hadn't left the office and she didn't want to still be there when they did. She packed up her things, cleared the mess and left the potions room into the dark dungeon corridors.
She passed a clock on the wall as she made her way up the stairs. It was already just after half past ten. She didn't have much to do today and decided to just retreat to her dorm.
As she entered the bedroom she caught sight of her broom and the events of earlier flashed in her mind. The tingling sensation she had felt returned to her and had to sit down. What is wrong with me? It's Draco Malfoy for fuck sake. Again she started to get flustered and needed air. She wasn't going to risk the Quidditch pitch again today, and since that was the scene of the crime, it was probably worst place that she go.
Ginny grabbed a hoody and headed out of the dorm room, passing Neville and Seamus on her way out of the common room.
"Morning." Neville said as walked passed.
She tried to give them a genuine smile back but her mind distracted her.
She kept her head down as she rushed out into the castle grounds, breathing in the chilly air. She headed down the hill, going around the other side of the building and down towards the lake.
It was even chillier down here as she looked out across the water. The autumn air was nice of her skin though as she lay by the edge of the water and closed her eyes.
She awoke to the feeling of water on her face. Her eyes shot open and she looked up into the now grey sky. She hadn't meant to fall asleep but it had been the first time in a while since she had a dreamless sleep; a nightmare-less sleep.
Ginny got up, brushed herself off putting her hood up and headed back into the castle.
*.*.*
Draco had finally finished his stupid potions essay around one, making sure that he was happy with it. He had jotted down what he needed from the back of the potions bottle in Slughorn's classroom, leaving the Weasley girl to finish whatever it was she was doing. She is so stubborn he thought, before shaking his mind of her. Why did he think that? Why was that on his mind?
He bundled his essay into his bedside drawer and headed to the Great Hall for lunch. The Common Room was empty when he passed through, meaning that the Slytherin table was probably full.
His suspicions were correct as he moved over the threshold of the Great Hall, taking in the crowd at the Slytherin table. There was some space at the end of the table and he quickly sat down, not making eye contact with anyone.
He was slurping some rather tasteless broth when she walked in, looking slightly damp. He smirked at the sight of her, the front strands of her hair sticking to her face. He followed her with his eyes, watching as she sat with her usual crew. The events of earlier flashed in his mind and his skin tingled, remembering the heat. He had to talk to her.
He waited, lingering over his food as he waited for her to finish her lunch. Unfortunately she departed with her friends, but he followed them out anyway, not caring.
"Weasley." Draco drawled, as he watched the group ascend the stairs.
"Can I help you Malfoy?" she snipped, spinning around to look at him.
"Um, er-" he hadn't really formulated what he wanted to say. There was also the added pressure of having her crowd hanging around.
"Well?" she said, shaking her head.
"How is your hand?" he slowly muttered.
"It's…fine." She said, looking at him suspiciously.
"Good."
He could see Longbottom and Seamus looking at each other with confusion. Draco wasn't insulting or tormenting them. Quite the opposite; he was showing concern.
"Good." Malfoy repeated, feeling utterly foolish.
He didn't know what else to say but gave Ginny's friends a cold sneer and left back down the corridor.
How stupid could he be? Why did he even bother trying to speak to her anyway? He didn't actually have anything to say; well nothing in the company of others. He couldn't say that he'd been thinking about her all day or that he was pining to kiss her again. He couldn't say how much he wanted to be near her, to feel her tender body next to his. Maybe he couldn't say those things at all.
As he rounded a corner, scowling at himself he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"That you completely lost your marbles, Malfoy?" she said.
He looked around, a smirk forming on his face as he saw her standing there, arms crossed over her chest.
"I don't know what you mean, Weasley?" he said lightly.
"Well you just asked me how my hand was and you didn't once say anything to Neville." She scowled at him. She was angry at him for not insulting her or her friends?
"What is it you really wanted?" she asked, looking straight through him.
You, he thought.
"That is what I really wanted." He said, unsure.
"No it isn't!" She shouted, taking a few steps towards him.
Draco took a few steps towards her as well and the two were close again. Ginny stood her ground in front of him. He admired her bravery.
"What. Did. You. Want?" she asked, and Draco could have sworn he saw a hint of playfulness in her eyes.
Her voice filled him and he couldn't hold back as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He was afraid she might pull away and start hyperventilating like she did this morning, but instead she pulled closer, opening her mouth and allowing Draco to slip his tongue. He moved his hands down to her waits, hers looped around his neck. He was consumed by her, a heat filling him as he took in her touch.
He finally felt her pull away and look at him with her big brown eyes.
"Meet me in the changing rooms later?" he almost pleaded.
She nodded, the corners of her mouth twitching into a small smile.
He felt his stomach flip at her reply.
"9 o'clock?" he said.
She nodded again, smiling for sure this time and then turned to walk back up the corridor. He watched as she walked around the corner, feeling truly happy for the first time in so long.
*.*.*
It was quarter to nine at night. Ginny had been replaying her and Draco's moment in the corridor in her mind, remembering his touch, his smell. She hated herself for feeling so giddy but she couldn't help it. Anytime she was near him all negative thoughts left her mind. He had managed to make her happy.
It wasn't raining anymore thankfully, as Ginny made her way down to the Quidditch pitch. She had changed into a more decent top and jeans, trying to make some of an effort.
Ginny took in a deep breath as she pushed open the door to the changing rooms. Her stomach flipped as she saw him sitting on one of the benches, smiling, not smirking, at the sight of her.
"I didn't know you could smile." She teased.
His grin grew bigger as he approached her, looping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
"What can I say, you bring it out in me." He said, kissing her cheek.
Her face then fell and she pulled away from his grip.
"What're we doing Draco?" She asked him, using his name for the first time.
"I don't know." He sighed, clearly feeling the same as she did.
"We hate each other." She said.
"Yeah."
"We despise each other."
"Yeah."
"Then what are we doing?" she raised her voice, not meaning to.
Draco sat back down on the bench, loosening his tie.
"Well, we're just snogging." He said, innocently.
"But why? We hate each other!"
"Yes, you already said that."
"So?"
The two stayed in awkward silence for a few moments until Draco finally spoke;
"I like you Weasley." He muttered.
"What?" Had she heard right? Did he just say what she thought he said.
"I like you." He repeated, standing up and stretching his arm behind his back.
Ginny looked away, her face flushing slightly.
"So this isn't just snogging." She sighed.
"Um. No. No it's not." Was his whispered reply.
She turned to look at him again, his arm still stretched over his head and behind his back. She could see his defined torso as his white shirt stretched up with his arm. She felt another tingling sensation as she looked at the lines of his muscles.
"OK." Then she said, walking over to him.
"OK." He said, stepping towards her.
The engulfed each other in a warm kiss, their arms tightly hanging onto each other. Ginny felt the tingling grow stronger as she felt Draco's lips on hers.