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Chapter 2: Draco at Last
Ginny followed Hermione up two flights of stairs until they stood in an empty hallway. Hermione walked to the door at the end of the corridor and opened it. Inside Ginny saw a room with one bed, and one bed only.
"We're not sharing a room?" Ginny asked, half-disappointed, half-excited.
"No," Hermione replied, staring at the room. "I guess not. Everyone has their own room this time. I do, Harry does, Ron does, Malfoy, even his mum."
"His mum is here?" inquired Ginny, looking at Hermione curiously.
"Mm-hmm," Hermione replied, grabbing Ginny's bag and setting it on the bed.
Ginny sat down, Hermione's words ringing through her like a bell. Narcissa Malfoy was here? Two emotions filled Ginny then: happiness and dread. She was happy that Draco had his mother back safe and sound, but Ginny couldn't help but remember the cold way Narcissa treated her. Would that change over time, as Reina Juriac had suggested? Ginny's friend had said that Narcissa wasn't lost, that there was still hope for the two of them to get along. Would she indeed be right?
And what exactly was Narcissa doing here anyway? Had she joined the Order with Draco, or was this just a safe place for her to stay?
"So where's she staying?" Ginny asked.
"Some other room on this floor. I think it's funny, actually," Hermione pondered. "All of the women are on this floor, and all of the men are on the floor directly below us. I know it wasn't Harry's doing, because he was wondering the same thing, so it must have been Dumbledore."
Ginny was silent. Draco was staying on the floor below them. Though that might make it difficult to see him, the fact that she had her own room and didn't have to share with Hermione was promising. Perhaps there would be time for one of them to steal away to the other's room…
"Well, Ginny, did you know that –"
The door to the room opened, interrupting Hermione to reveal Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
"Hey, Ginny," began Ron, but he stopped at seeing the exasperated look on Hermione's face. "What?" he asked, stopping in the doorway.
"Don't you ever knock?" Hermione asked. "What if one of us had been changing clothes or something?"
"But you weren't," Ron said happily, pointing his finger at Hermione. "So that's all that matters."
While Ginny smiled, Hermione shook her head sadly.
"How've you been, Ginny?" Harry asked. Ginny looked to the dark-haired boy, whom she had once loved – infatuation, it probably had been. Whereas a year ago, when Harry would walk into a room, Ginny's heart would leap into her throat, now she was able to smile at him without even sweating, and the best part was that she no longer cared for him romantically. A new person had filled that spot, filled it in a way that Harry never had.
"Pretty good," Ginny said, nodding. "Terribly bored, but now that I'm here, things should be more interesting."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Harry began. "I would've invited you too, you know, but Ron told me not to."
"Ron!" exclaimed Ginny, staring indignantly at her brother. Hermione huffed and folded her arms across her chest.
"Honestly, Ron," the older girl admonished.
Ron sheepishly turned to his sister, sending a glare towards Harry. "I-I-thought you'd like it better at home…you know how you always liked being at home during the summer…"
"Well, yeah," Ginny said sarcastically, her brows furrowing, "that was when there were actually other people there. I've been stuck at home for two months with nothing to do but de-gnome the garden while you're here having a grand old time saving the world or…something to that extent," she finished quietly, her mouth a thin line.
Her brother gave a fleeting laugh that didn't carry to his anxiety-filled eyes before saying weakly, "Care for a game of chess?"
Ginny shook her head at her brother actions, but soon a smile crept onto her face; who could stay mad at a brother who was looking at you as if he'd just committed some unforgivable sin? "Sure," Ginny said.
As she followed Harry and her brother out of the room, Ginny shrugged at Hermione. She'd be able to talk to her friend later, probably; whatever Hermione had been about to tell her could wait for now.
The result of a chess game between Ginny and Ron ended with the latter pulling at his hair in frustration as the former proudly crowing, "Checkmate! I win. Again," Ginny added smugly. Ron waved his hand at her in disgust and leaned back in his chair in one of the sitting rooms at Grimauld Place. The two of them had been playing each other for nearly a half hour now, and both times Ginny had won. Hermione, absorbed in a book, sat next to Harry, who watched the game with bored indifference.
Ginny glanced past Ron to the other side of the room, where Draco was sitting. He had walked into the room shortly after their game had begun and had been reading quietly the whole time. At least to the rest of the room, he was reading, but Ginny had a suspicion that Draco was in the room to watch her. To be perfectly honest with herself, some part of Ginny was secretly glad that he was there solely to watch her.
Clearing her throat, Ginny said, "Well, I'm hungry, and it's almost lunch time, so I'm going to go see if Mum or whoever is cooking around her these days needs help." Ron nodded at her and turned to Harry.
On her way out the door, Ginny paused and looked back at Draco, who met her eyes. She raised her eyebrows in question before disappearing out the door. She'd walk slowly toward the kitchen and give Draco time to catch up to her.
Ginny didn't have to wait long, however, because she was barely halfway down the hall when she heard footsteps hurrying to catch up with her. Already smiling, Ginny spun around to come face to face with the person she had longed to see for two months.
When he was two feet away, Draco stopped, and for several seconds, the two stared at each other. Now able to see him up close, Ginny could tell that he hadn't changed much, at least not in appearances. He still had the same handsomeness about him that had captivated Ginny earlier, and his silver eyes still shone brightly.
Swallowing away the tightness in her throat, Ginny said, "Hello."
"Hi," Draco replied, a grin appearing on his face. In the next instant, he had closed the distance between them and his lips were on Ginny's.
Ginny, caught unawares by Draco's sudden movement, barely had time to lift her arms to embrace him before he broke their kiss. "After dinner," he whispered in her ear, "go up to your room early for the night, and I'll come to you."
"Bu–" Ginny began, but then her eyes darted past Draco to where she saw her brother emerging from the room she had just vacated; he was leaning back into the room, saying something to Harry, and Ginny barely had time to step back from Draco before Ron's eyes were upon them.
"Watch where you're going, Weasley!" Draco growled, successfully tripping forward and turning to snarl at Ginny convincingly. Ron started to approach them, but Draco continued his charade as he walked out of the hallway. "The filth in this house has already dirtied me enough. There's no need for your assistance."
By the time Ron was at her side, Draco was gone.
"What was that all about?" Ron inquired suspiciously.
"Oh, you know him," Ginny muttered, scowling at the corner Draco had disappeared around before turning to her brother. "Just being the same sodding Malfoy as always. Have you had to put up with that all summer?"
"Yeah," Ron snorted. "Told you that being home would be better."
"Is that what you meant in your letter about home not having the pests that are here?" Ginny asked, her eyebrows raising.
"Hah, yeah," Ron laughed. "Come on. Malfoy doesn't even deserve our thoughts."
"But why did he join the Order?" Ginny asked, walking with her brother toward the kitchen. "I mean, he's…he's Malfoy. Why?"
"Beats me," Ron remarked. "Dumbledore says that he's completely trustworthy though. He and his mum have been here longer than I have this summer."
"Dumbledore and his mum?" Ginny asked.
"No, Ginny," Ron said sarcastically, turning to Ginny. "Dumbledore's like what, eighty years old, and his mum is still alive? Right, like that makes a lot of –"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Weasley," called a very familiar, very knowing voice.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Ginny cried, elbowing Ron in the side. "It's good to see you again."
"And you, Ms. Weasley," acknowledged Dumbledore, nodding his head in her direction. "I trust that you will be staying with us at Grimmauld for the rest of your summer?"
"Yes, Sir," Ginny replied, smiling. "And maybe I'll even get to hear about what's going on in the Order, right?" She had a hopeful look on her face.
"Ah, Ms. Weasley," smiled Dumbledore happily, "the aspirations of the young never cease to delight me. But keep those ambitions of yours, and in a year or two, perhaps, you can join the Order."
"But let's hope that there's no need for the Order in a year or two, right?" Ginny asked, her smile softening a bit.
Dumbledore gazed at her for a moment before he replied slowly, "Exactly."
Throughout the conversation, Ron had been standing next to Ginny, a slightly green tinge to his face. As Dumbledore started to walk away from them and Ginny continued on, he glanced back at his former Headmaster before following Ginny.
"Oh, and Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore added, turning around.
"Huh?" squeaked Ron nervously.
"Do I really look as old as eighty?"
Ginny had to laugh at the contemplatively troubled look on her Headmaster's face, and she laughed even harder at the miserable look on her brother's face; Ginny was sure that Ron failed to notice the amusement in Dumbledore's eyes.
Ron whimpered some response that Ginny couldn't hear, but Dumbledore walked away chuckling and Ron continued on in stony silence, so she assumed that all was well.
Asking to help Mrs. Weasley prepare for lunch had different results that what Ginny had originally intended. After eating, she had been assigned the task of getting food ready for dinner. When her mother had suggested this, Ginny had thought it ridiculous since they had only just finished eating lunch, but Molly had said that Order members were expected for dinner and so they had much to prepare.
Hours later, Ginny collapsed in an exhausted mess onto her bed in her room. While she had been peeling potatoes with her mum and mixing up different beans for a salad, Ginny had been thinking about Draco. Tonight she would get to see him in private and would be able to talk to him like she used to – without the fear of anybody hearing or seeing them.
Ginny glanced at the clock on the wall; it read 4 'o clock. Dinner would be in roughly two hours, Molly Weasley had said. Rubbing her eyes, Ginny laid back down, feeling herself relax. Not getting much sleep the night before was catching up to her now. Ginny just hoped that she'd be able to stay awake long enough for Draco to come to her tonight.
Resisting the urge to fall asleep, Ginny rolled out of her bed and proceeded to take a shower in the bathroom down the hall. After spending several hours in a hot kitchen, a cool shower felt wonderful.
After that, she spent the rest of the afternoon playing games and talking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. According to Harry, Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George were all coming tonight. Ginny wondered if there were any thoughts of something other than just a friendly dinner; after all, to have so many Order members over just for dinner was strange. In addition, Severus Snape was arriving afterwards. Ginny's main suspicion was that a meeting was planned. Why else would Dumbledore be at headquarters at this time of day, and why would Snape come if not for a meeting?
When Ginny finally sat down to supper that evening, she saw Draco again; she hadn't seen him at all since their meeting in the hallway. If Ginny had had her way, she would have been sitting right next to Draco. It would have been easier to sit next to him and pretend to ignore him than to have seven people separating them, as was the case. Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie had all arrived late that afternoon, and Ginny had enjoyed catching up with them. In addition, the other expected Order members had come.
"Ginny, pass the potatoes, will you?" George called. Ginny frantically tore her eyes away from Draco and passed the bowl of potatoes across the table to George. Had her brother noticed her watching Draco? No, George was now continuing his conversation with Fred without the utmost air of suspicion.
Relived, Ginny shook her head and took another bite of chicken. Only moments later, her eyes darted back towards Draco, only to dash back down to her plate again as a hot blush crept up her neck; Draco had been watching her too. When she dared to look back up, Draco was talking politely with Tonks. It seemed like the metamorphmagus was the only one willing to sit next to Draco, for he was sandwiched in between her and the end of the table.
Of course, Ginny noticed, throughout the dinner others talked to him; she saw Dumbledore, Lupin, her brother Bill, and even her mother, who were all sitting within talking distance of Draco, engage him in a short conversation once or twice. However, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins all seemed to ignore Draco completely, refusing even to look in his direction. Draco seemed only too happy to reciprocate, for the only times Ginny saw his eyes in their direction were when they watching her.
When almost everybody had finished eating, Ginny scraped back her chair and stood up slowly, yawning. "Well," she sighed, "I'm off to bed."
"But Ginny, it's barely six 'o–" began Ron.
"I didn't get much sleep last night, Ronald," Ginny replied airily, resisting the urge to look at Draco. "I'm tired. Goodnight, all!"
From whom she received goodnights, Ginny couldn't tell. Soon, she was back in her room, sitting on her bed. For several minutes, she tried to figure out how long it would take for Draco to come to her, as he had promised.
Nearly an hour passed, and still Draco didn't come. Ginny began to wonder if he even would, or if he had forgotten. It seemed that from the moment she had come to her room, her heart hadn't stopped pounding. Any second Draco would knock on that door, and she would finally be able to talk to him again. Any second, and all Ginny could feel was the butterflies in her stomach. She had heard the phrase, "The suspense will kill you," and now she thought she understood. If she had to wait much longer, she was bound to crack from the strain.
Then, to her utter relief, she heard footsteps outside her door, and Ginny's breath caught in her throat. As a gentle knock sounded, Ginny bolted towards the door and threw it open.
There he stood. His eyes looked through the doorway expectantly, and when they found hers, they lit up. A smile appeared on his face, one that almost broke Ginny's heart. She could see genuine joy on his face, something she had rarely seen. His stormy eyes, which Ginny loved to lose herself in, held so much passion and, if she wasn't mistaken, relief, that her heart started to pulsate.
"Ginny," Draco breathed softly. In one swift movement, he had stepped into her room, shut the door, and wrapped Ginny in his arms. For a time, he just held her, his chin resting on her shoulder.
Ginny felt herself relax and she closed her eyes, satisfied to be held by him again. Her stomach fluttered with a familiar feeling, one she always seemed to feel when Draco held her close to him. It was something she had never experienced until he had come along, and it was something that she hoped to never lose.
"I missed you, Ginny," Draco whispered, pulling away so that he could look into her eyes. His thumb brushed her hair to the side and tucked it behind her ear. Ginny, who suddenly felt her tongue catch in her throat, only managed to smile before he gently captured her lips in his.
Now the feeling in Ginny's stomach intensified, and as Draco's slow caresses became more enthusiastic, she felt her knees start to weaken, and she cursed herself for enjoying how he made her feel, how he used his seductive power over her.
Draco pulled Ginny's body closer to his before moving his hands up to her face and holding her as his mouth worked against hers, his tongue demanding an entrance which Ginny readily yielded. Ginny could feel the desire in him, could tell that he would easily take the situation further; however, he never had before. And as Ginny's breathing became more erratic, Draco relinquished Ginny's mouth and stepped back.
"Merlin, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he sighed.
"Re-really?" Ginny stammered, regaining some control; she smoothed her shirt. The way Draco was looking at her now, with a fire in his eyes, gave Ginny her answer. "That kiss in the hallway was just a preview then?"
"A preview of better things to come," Draco smirked. Ginny blushed at the implications of his statement.
"I missed you," he repeated.
"I know," replied Ginny. "I missed you too."
"How's your summer been?" Draco inquired, taking a seat on Ginny's bed.
Ginny shrugged. "It was alright. Exceedingly boring, though. Mum made me de-gnome the garden I don't know how many times, and no matter how much I asked about what was going on here, nobody would tell me anything."
"I bet seeing me here shocked that cute arse of yours off you, didn't it?" Draco asked, folding his arms across his chest and looking up at Ginny with a mischievous grin on his face.
Ginny snorted and sat down beside Draco, punching him playfully in the shoulder. "Don't be so conceited," she laughed. When Draco tried to sling his arm over her shoulder, Ginny scooted towards the end of the bed and looked at him, equally mischievous. "Draco Malfoy, I'm not entirely sure I feel comfortable sitting so close to you on my bed. What would someone say if they walked in to see us right now?"
"Well, Ginny Weasley," Draco grinned back at her, "I think they would congratulate you on finding yourself such a fine man."
Ginny laughed. "Harry and Ron are right. You really are just a mass of ego that's taken the form of a human boy."
"Man," Draco corrected her, holding up a finger. "I'm eighteen, okay? I am a man."
Ginny didn't know if it was Draco's arrogance, the way he was talking, or if she was just so happy to be back in his presence, but she couldn't stop grinning. "Okay, Draco the Man…" she cleared her throat, trying to look important. "If you are a man, what are you doing with a girl like me?"
"Ah, but you are not a girl," Draco said pensively.
"Oh? Well I'm certainly not a woman."
"No, not a woman either. When you say 'woman,' I think of some old person. No, you, Ginevra Weasley, are a lady."
"Oh," Ginny said. "Well, I guess I'm one lucky lady, then."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because," Ginny said, her voice gradually becoming like that of a baby's, "I have such a big, stwong man to pwotect me." She scrunched her face up and pinched Draco's cheek. Draco swatted her hand away in annoyance, and as he reached for Ginny, she shrieked and backed away, laughing. Draco grabbed Ginny by the ankles as she attempted to escape, and this only caused her to laugh louder. As Ginny scrambled to get away, Draco dragged her towards him, her back lying against the bed. Draco pinned her arms above her head and straddled her waist to keep her from moving.
"What say you now, Ginny?" he asked, grinning.
Ginny, who was fighting to stop herself from blushing at their intimate position, couldn't reply. She just stared up at him, her adoration visible. Draco looked down at her contemplatively for a few seconds before he lowered his head, his lips brushing Ginny's so softly she almost couldn't feel them. She struggled to get her arms free so that she could pull his face closer to hers, but Draco held them firmly in place, shaking his head with a smile.
As Draco placed a soft kiss on Ginny's chin, traveling slowly up the side of her face, Ginny closed her eyes. She could feel his chest inches away from hers, so close and yet so far. She longed to be able to hold him, but Draco seemed to want to do all the work. Having to just lie there and not return the affection was like a torture, slow and unyielding. His kisses were feather-light, teasing; Ginny wondered if Draco knew just how crazy he was making her.
Unexpectedly, as Draco kissed her neck, Ginny whimpered, and with a surprising show of strength, wrenched her arms free and pulled Draco's face closer to hers. Whether or not she would have succeeded in getting more substantial kisses was a matter of debate for Ginny and Draco later on, for at that moment, there was a knock at her door.
The two teens paused, both moving their heads towards the door. Panicking, Ginny slid out from underneath Draco and stood, looking around. Draco sat up, looking uncertainly at the door. Someone knocked again.
"Who is it?" Ginny asked, moving closer to the door.
"Hermione."
"J-just a second. I'm changing," Ginny called out. Turning, she flapped her hands frantically at Draco, motioning for him to hide. He looked around desperately and Ginny, spying the bed, brought him to his knees and shoved him under it.
Once Draco was safely hidden, Ginny threw on a bathrobe over her clothes and opened the door. Hermione, wearing a sweat shirt over her pale blue pajamas, smiled at Ginny and walked in.
"Hey," Hermione greeted her, sitting down on the bed and folding her legs under her.
"Hey," replied Ginny, sitting down next to Hermione uncertainly. "What's up?"
"Nothing much," Hermione replied. "We just didn't get to catch up a lot earlier because the boys barged in. I thought we could talk more now."
Ginny groaned inwardly but forced a smile. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know; what do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know," Ginny replied. After a few seconds of an awkward silence, she said, "What were all the Order members doing here?"
"We had a meeting," Hermione said. Instantly Ginny perked up; Draco hadn't mentioned a meeting yet.
"What happened?" Ginny asked. "I mean, what's been going on here all summer?"
Hermione shrugged uncertainly. "Well, there's been all the talk you'd expect – where's Voldemort? What's he up to? What are we going to do about him?"
"And the answers to that are…?"
"Well, Harry and Dumbledore have been talking a lot about the horcruxes and –"
"The what?" Ginny asked.
"Horcruxes," Hermione repeated. "It's a long story, but basically a horcrux is something in which a wizard places part of his soul. Voldemort split his soul into seven pieces, you see. One is still in his body, and six others were placed in different objects. The idea was that if his body died, he would still live because his soul was still alive."
"So…there are six other pieces of Voldemort out and about?" Ginny asked, shocked. She hadn't heard about this before.
"Not anymore," Hermione replied. "Two have already been destroyed. One was a ring that used to belong to Voldemort's mum's side of the family, and Dumbledore got that one. And the other…" Hermione trailed off, looking anxiously at Ginny.
"What was the other?" Ginny asked, ignoring the foreboding feeling in the room.
"It was…the diary," Hermione said slowly, fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
Ginny sat back, looking at Hermione. She knew exactly what diary Hermione was talking about; she knew all too well. "That was part of why it seemed so alive," Hermione continued. "It had part of him still in it. But Harry destroyed it back in our second year, so that one is gone too."
"So," Ginny began, "there are still four other parts of him out there?"
"Yes," Hermione said. "And Dumbledore is positive that Voldemort can't be defeated until all of the horcruxes are destroyed, so that's basically our plan of action."
"But how is he going to find them? I mean, they could be anything!" Ginny cried.
"That's the problem. But he had a pretty good idea of what they are, so we don't have to worry about it. The hard part will be to actually locate and destroy them. But let's not talk about it now," Hermione sighed. "It's not a very uplifting conversation."
"Huh," Ginny remarked. The two fell into silence again, during which Hermione removed her sweatshirt, claiming that Ginny's room was too stuffy. After Ginny retorted by saying that that it wasn't hot at all, all the while sweating like crazy under her fuzzy bathrobe, Hermione looked up excitedly, a new thought showing in her eyes.
"What did you think of seeing Malfoy here, huh?" She asked, her eyes wide.
Ginny cleared her throat. "Well, it was rather disturbing, really," she said, choking back a laugh. "Why didn't anybody tell me?"
"Dumbledore said not to tell anybody," Hermione replied. "We couldn't. Harry and Ron hate it that he's here, but Dumbledore said he was on our side. We don't even know the fully story."
"Oh," Ginny replied. "Well, couldn't Harry have just not let him in? I mean, this is technically Harry's house, right?"
"I guess." Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I haven't talked to Malfoy a lot. Seems like he's either sulking in his room or being a pain in the arse. Well, at least to Harry and Ron. He seems to get along alright with Dumbledore. Oh, hey, Ginny, did I tell you that Ewan is coming?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"No," Ginny replied. "Ron mentioned something about it in a letter though."
"Yeah, he doesn't exactly know where it is he's coming to, since he doesn't know the whereabouts of the Order of the Phoenix, but we got to talking about it last year and he said that he wanted to join. So we're meeting with Dumbledore in a few days to get it all organized."
"Really," Ginny murmured. "That ought to be good. I mean, the more members in the Order the better, right?"
"Mm-hmm," Hermione remarked, nodding her head. "Plus, it'll be great to see him again. Ever since school let out, we've just been writing letters like crazy. I miss him…I bet you never thought I'd act like this over a guy, right?" Hermione pushed some of her hair behind her ears, looking only slightly uncomfortable. "I mean, wasn't I always the one saying that worrying over boys was pointless? Could only cause more stress? That school was more important?"
Ginny laughed nervously. Truth be told, the last thing she wanted was to have a discussion on boyfriends when only a few feet of mattress, springs, and blankets separated Draco from them.
"Well, it's not like they're completely bad, I guess," Hermione contemplated. "What about you, though, Ginny? Are you going to find a guy when you go back to school?"
"Uh," Ginny coughed. "Wh-why do I need to bother with boys? Like you said, they're just a big pain."
Something that felt suspiciously like a foot –an angry foot– knocked into the mattress underneath Ginny, but the girl shifted positions on the bed so that Hermione wouldn't suspect anything. She coughed again.
"Well, uh, what I mean is," began Ginny, "what do I need with a boy when I can have a man?" she laughed. "I mean, boys are so immature and arrogant, right? If I had a man, then I wouldn't have to worry about a thing," she finished lightly.
Hermione looked at her questioningly. "Gin, you aren't thinking of turning into one of those girls who is…in to – guys that are…like, twenty years older than them, are you?" Hermione asked uncomfortably.
"No," Ginny snorted. "I was being slightly sarcastic. What I meant was that dating a Hogwarts boy right now is not what I need. I'll wait until I'm out of school to start dating." There, thought Ginny. Now I don't have to worry about Hermione asking me why I'm not dating anybody at Hogwarts during my final year.
"That's the spirit, Ginny!" Hermione beamed. "It's good to keep your mind focused on your studies. After all, what boy –err, man– will respect you if you can't keep your grades up?"
"Exactly," Ginny replied with a smile. After a few seconds of silence, Ginny yawned, surprised to find that she didn't even have to force it out. Hermione saw this and stood up.
"Well, I should go, I guess. You did say that you didn't get much sleep last night."
"Alright," Ginny replied, standing up as well. "We can talk more tomorrow, I suppose."
"Yeah. Goodnight," said Hermione.
"Goodnight."
After Hermione was out of the room, Ginny shut the door with a thankful sigh and threw off the bathrobe. "Man, that was a close one. Draco?" Ginny asked, kneeling down and looking under the bed.
"Bloody hell, you girls can talk forever," Draco exclaimed indignantly, squirming out from underneath the bed. "Do you have any idea how much dust is under that thing? I don't think Potter's had the house elves cleaning very well."
"You know there aren't any house elves here," said Ginny, helping Draco up. "And I didn't mean to talk that long."
"Hmph," Draco snorted, laying down on Ginny's bed and stretching. "So Granger's got herself a boy-toy now, has she?"
"Boyfriend," Ginny corrected him. "And she's actually quite fond of him, so I wouldn't push it when he gets here." Ginny pushed Draco's legs off the bed and sat down, resting her back against the wall. Draco, with a smirk, lifted his legs back up and laid them across Ginny's lap.
"He's not one of those bookworms like she is, is he?" Draco asked, frowning.
"Do you think Hermione would date someone who isn't?" Ginny smiled. "Of course he is, and he's nice too. Unlike some boys I can think of."
"Obviously not me," Draco said airily, "because we've already established that I am a man."
"Right," laughed Ginny. Clearing her throat, she asked, "So what did Hermione mean exactly by all that horcrux talk?"
Draco's face instantly hardened and he looked down. "She had it all right. Potter is supposed to go find the others and destroy them."
"But –"
"You know," cut in Draco, "I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Granger on one thing: Let's not talk about it tonight."
Ginny frowned, but nodded. "Fine then. Tell me what you're doing here of all places. And you brought your mother?"
Draco nodded. "After we got back from down under the school that night at Hogwarts, and after you passed out and were taken to the Hospital Wing," Draco said, "I had a talk with Dumbledore. I told him all about my mother and how I didn't want to become a Death Eater like my father and how my father thought that I was dead. And then Dumbledore said that my mother and I could come stay here and I could help the Order."
"So you are actually a member?" Ginny asked.
"Yes, I am," Draco answered. Then he suddenly grinned. "Come to think of it, I became a member of the Order of the Phoenix before Potter or your brother or Granger did, even."
"Oh boy," Ginny chuckled. "I bet Ron was upset when he found out, right?"
"If I remember correctly," sighed Draco with happiness, "there was a fight –a verbal fight– between Potter and Dumbledore when Potter got here, because I had already been initiated and he hadn't, and he thought I was spying for Voldemort. And then many of the other Order members questioned Dumbledore's actions when they found out because most of them didn't know about it either."
"But they trust Dumbledore, right?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, it's just like with Snape," Draco said. "Not all trust him, but they trust Dumbledore, so they accept Snape. In fact, Snape is one of the few besides my cousin to really accept me."
"And so," continued Ginny, "you've just been hanging out here all summer? Have you even been out of headquarters? What have you been doing?"
Draco sighed. "To your first question…yes. Second question…no. Third question…I've been going to all these Order meetings and learning about what I can do to help. I haven't been allowed out of headquarters because someone might see me and tell my father, who still thinks I'm dead. So I've been holed up in here all summer."
Ginny made a face. "Hmm…well, we'll have to see if we can get you out at all."
"Good luck with that…" sighed Draco. "I doubt I'll be allowed out. But…now that you're here, it won't be so bad."
Ginny smiled softly at Draco and patted his legs, which were still draped across her legs. Ginny felt another yawn come, and though she tried to force it back, it succeeded in escaping. Draco watched her, and Ginny, her mouth wide open in her yawn, laughed, and her yawn died on her lips.
"You are tired," acknowledged Draco. "Granger was right. You should get some sleep." He started to slide his legs out from under Ginny.
"No, I'm fine, you don't have to –" she began.
"Ssh," Draco interrupted her. "I can tell you're tired. You'll be better entertainment for me tomorrow if you're actually awake."
"Oh, so I'm just a source of amusement for you now, am I?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrow.
Draco smirked playfully at her. "You bet," he grinned as he leaned in for a kiss. Ginny smiled against his mouth before pulling away; and when she did, Draco frowned.
"I shouldn't waste all of my amusement on you tonight," she said loftily.
"You are getting just a bit too conniving for my liking, woman," Draco grinned, shaking his head.
Ginny opened the door and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, pushing him through the doorway. "Ah, but we've already established," whispered Ginny, "that I am in fact a lady."
She winked at him and leaned against the doorway. Draco bowed mockingly before her and started to walk away, a smile on his face. Ginny watched him go and was just about to turn back into her room when Hermione came rushing down from the other end of the hallway.
Ginny's eyes darted towards Draco's retreating figure; Hermione couldn't possibly have missed seeing him.
"Hey, Ginny," Hermione breathed heavily, stopping in front of the door. She glanced down the hall where Draco was turning the corner. "Is that Malfoy?" she asked with a frown.
"Oh, is it?" Ginny murmured, hoping her nervousness wasn't audible. She peered down the hallway. "Must have been visiting his mum or something…didn't you say that she was staying on this floor too?"
Hermione eyed Ginny suspiciously but nodded. "I left my sweatshirt in your room. Mind if I get it?"
She was still looking at Ginny cautiously as Ginny let her into the room. Hermione picked up her sweatshirt from the bed and turned back to the door. Then she halted. "Gin? Why are you wearing your clothes? Weren't you wearing a bathrobe when I came in last?"
Ginny's eyes darted down to the clothes she had been wearing all day, and panic once again assailed her. "Uh…I had thought to go downstairs and get something to drink, and I didn't want to go in my bathrobe," she stated nervously. Would Hermione buy her story? "I'm not that thirsty anymore, actually."
"Well…whatever," replied Hermione, shrugging her shoulders. Ginny could tell, though, that some suspicion lingered in her friend's eyes.
After she once again said goodnight to Hermione, Ginny collapsed on her bed and stared at her ceiling, hoping that Hermione wouldn't figure things out. Are you kidding, Ginny? she thought to herself in dismay. She's Hogwarts' smartest witch.
Oh bollocks…I'm doomed.
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A/N: So there's chapter two. Hopefully this will be kind of a constant chapter length. Occasionally they'll be shorter like the first chapter, but then sometimes they're really long, like some in my last story were.
Please review!
Lauren
