Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! No copyright infringement intended.
A/N: Owing to all your encouraging reviews here comes another quick update.
mugglemagic101, I highly appreciate your advice regarding my admittedly excessive use of exclamation marks – I promise to keep it in mind! ;)
Regarding your profile all I wanted to say was that I totally agree with what you say .... ;)
Please leave comments or suggestions after you finish reading! Let me know what you think. It keeps me going. :)
Whatever it takes ...
Chapter Four: Sir Galahad
„I think it's best Draco shows you how to fly the Nimbus 2001 properly before we begin, Weasley. You know it's a real broom. For real men." Urquhart said and winked at his mates. „I'm sure you've never flown one."
The Slytherins were roaring with laughter.
Ginny arched a brow at his words but had to admit that he was right.
In fact she hadn't even touched one.
But she was burning to do so.
All of a sudden Draco furrowed his brow and asked Urquhart,
„Are you telling me that she'll be on my broom? With me?"
„I mean, together?" he curled his lip.
He had never allowed any girl to even come near his Nimbus 2001.
Let alone touch it.
And now Urquhart was telling him to fly it.
With her.
Why her of all people?
He grimaced for a moment, when a horrible thought flashed his mind all of a sudden.
„Wait! You're not telling me I'm supposed to let her fly my broom while I'm taking the backseat, Urquhart?"
A nasty grin appeared on his captain's face.
The others were laughing again.
No, he couldn't be serious about that!
His Nimbus 2001 was Draco's sanctuary, his everything.
And he would not let Weasley violate this.
Not for the life of him.
Draco gave Urquhart a pitiful look.
„Exactly, Malfoy." Urquhart said and showed his ugly, crooked teeth. „The rest of us will play a little game until the two of you are ready to join."
Warrington snickered.
„Stow it." Draco ground out.
Ginny gave the Slytherin captain a strained smile.
Admittedly it was rather a snarl.
At first she had thought about protesting.
She'd never sit on one broom with Malfoy.
Not to mention let him fly it whilst she was sitting behind him unable to do anything.
But when she had noticed the desperate expression on Malfoy's face she had made up her mind.
Yes, she would be able to make an exception to her principles.
And she'd behave stupidly.
„Let's do it then." she piped in a fake sweet tone and gave Draco a syrupy smile.
„Yes, let's do it." a frowning Draco muttered reluctantly and called „Up!"again.
He tried hard to keep up a picture of Krum's face in front of his inner eye.
„Have fun, Malfoy ..." Warrington teased and sneered again.
Then he left.
All Draco did in return was letting out a growl.
Hovering in the air right in front of Ginny Draco began his lecture,
„... most important thing, Weasley, is to lean into the curve with me. Otherwise we'll fall off. Got me?"
„Really? I didn't know that." Ginny lied and unnoticed by him rolled her eyes.
Did he really think she was that daft?
After another ten minutes without anything really new for Ginny he lowered his broom patronisingly to let her mount it.
In awe she stalled and touched the perfectly trimmed bristles with her fingertips for a moment.
Her mouth fell slightly ajar.
Ron would definitely envy her for this experience!
„What is it, Weasley? Do I have to show you how to mount it?" Draco asked and turned around to look at her with a bewildered expression on his face.
Ginny smiled sheepishly and looked at him with puppy dog eyes.
He sighed and dismounted.
„Are you sure you're playing for the Gryffindor team?" he gave her a questioning look.
She shrugged and gave him another sheepish smile.
„Not surprising they're losing the whole time." Draco muttered more to himself and, with a somewhat disgusted expression on his face, held out his hand gallantly to help Ginny mount the broom.
His mind was racing.
Firstly he was angry that Urquhart had teamed her up with him.
Thanks to her he'd lose their little game and his mates would make a mock of him at the changing room.
This was as sure as eggs is eggs.
Secondly he told himself to take a closer look at Ginny's flying skills during the next match.
He could hardly believe that she didn't even know how to mount a broom.
And therefore thirdly he was getting somewhat grumpy because he couldn't shake the suspicion that she was trying to have him on.
But he managed to recall what was at stake.
Draco looked at Ginny and gave her a fake smile.
He knew that he'd have to play along to make sure to be on that bloody team.
Oh yes, he wanted to play against Krum.
Badly!
Ginny beamed at Draco in return.
'Just you wait, ginger! I'll wipe that smile right off your face!' he thought surly and swiftly mounted his broom too.
'Showtime!' Ginny thought and a sly grin flashed her face.
„And always keep in mind to lean into the curve with me, Weasley. Just like I've shown you." Draco's voice came.
„Yes!" Ginny called and rolled her eyes.
As a precaution Draco decided to call „Hold on tight!" before take-off.
„Sure!" Ginny called and reached for his neck, grinning again.
She felt that he was swallowing when she put her hands around his neck.
„Not my neck, silly!" he said in a somewhat choked voice and grabbed her hands.
When he placed them on his admittedly well-trained stomach she bit her lower lip and felt a tingling sensation on the inside again.
Draco's flying skills were truly amazing Ginny.
He was flying difficult manoeuvres without the slightest buckling of the broom.
And the Nimbus 2001 was really fast.
Her eyes were watering due to the airflow even though she was cowering behind Draco.
Several times Ginny was trying to unbalance the broom.
She was skilled enough to know exactly how far she could go without exposing the two of them to any danger.
Of course she hadn't leaned into the curve from time to time.
Once she had even leaned against it with dash.
The broom had got into a spin and Ginny knew that Draco had noticed that she had provoked this.
But he had kept the broom under control masterfully.
When they were looping a loop Ginny screamed,
„Wheeeeew!"
Oh how she loved to fly on a broom!
Draco instead had taken it for a scream of horror and muttered to himself,
„Oh yeah, ginger, I definitely know which side my bread is buttered on."
A smug grin appeared on his face.
When he flew another loop he joined in in Ginny's crows.
Finally he landed the broom gently.
„It's my turn then, isn't it?" Ginny said and tried hard to sound as worried as possible.
When Draco turned his back on her for a moment to adjust the footrests Ginny rubbed her hands with glee.
„Yep!" Draco said and handed her his beloved broom.
Reluctantly.
His team mates were watching the whole scene and roaring with laughter.
A muscle in Draco's jaw was jumping but apart from that he kept a straight face.
Ginny let him help her mount the broom again.
Then Draco took the backseat.
He put his arms around her from behind to take the glossy, ebony black broomstick.
„Whoa!" came Warrington's voice.
Draco's cheeks reddened noticeably.
Ginny leaned back a bit.
Therefore Draco had to rest his chin on her left shoulder.
He curled his lip.
Their cheeks were touching for a split second and Ginny felt this tingling sensation on the inside once more.
Somewhat confused Draco backed off a bit, cleared his throat and told her matter-of-factly,
„To take off you have to pull up the stick."
Ginny nodded.
„Gently!" he warned sternly and wrinkled his nose as one of Ginny's locks was tickling him.
„Alright!" Ginny called while Draco let go of the stick and leaned back some more.
At first he wanted to put his hands on her hips but then he stalled in the middle of his movement with a disgusted expression on his face.
Very self-confident, he finally decided to sit on the broom without holding on.
They'd only be doing a little up-and-down again anyway.
He wouldn't let her fly it properly.
No chance!
Before Draco could tell Ginny that he was ready to go, Ginny hoicked the stick.
On full purpose.
The broom gave an odd jerk and jolted up into the air at lightning speed.
Ginny grinned broadly.
Draco who - on the other hand - had almost fallen off the broom had just been able to grab her waist in the nick of time.
„Oops!" Ginny called in a fake sweet tone and got ready to fly a sharp turn.
After having managed to regain his composure Draco yelled,
„I said: Gently!"
Ginny bit her lower lip.
„Sorry." she piped and leaned into a left turn.
„What are you doing?" Draco screamed.
Ginny noticed a slight tone of fear in his voice.
„I'm flying." she stated and grinned again while Draco tightened his grip on her waist.
She didn't object.
In fact she enjoyed it.
At least a bit!
„Lower the stick!" Draco called huskily. „Lower that damn stick!"
Ginny snickered gleefully.
She held her breath for a moment, then she pressed the stick down forcefully.
„Like that?" she asked sheepishly while the broom was racing almost vertically towards the pitch.
Highly concentrated she pressed her lips together.
„Merlin, what are you doing?" Draco's voice cracked.
She felt him pressed against her back and grinned.
None too soon she veered away and finally stopped.
She could hear Draco breathe heavily.
Quickly he jumped off the broom.
Ginny dismounted too and looked at him.
Before she could say anything, Draco snapped distractedly,
„I think that'll have to do!"
He licked his lip and ran his hands through his hair, deliberately ignoring her.
„Alright then." she piped. „Let's join the others, mate!"
She turned to pick up the Nimbus 2001 Urquhart had got for her and grinned again.
Judging from the look on Draco's face she had just scared him.
To the core.
With a smug grin on her face she stomped towards the other players, a scowling Draco at her heel.
„Wow! Not bad!" Cassius Warrington said excitedly when Ginny flew another round on her own Nimbus 2001.
Draco who was hovering in the air next to him stated boastfully,
„Not surprising with me as her teacher. She didn't even know how to mount a broom in the beginning."
He was relieved that finally his heart rate had come to a normal level again.
„Certainly." Cassius teased and patted Draco's chest showily.
Then he noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were going for Ginny and said,
„Oops! I think it's time to save your ginger protégée from your knaves, Sir Galahad."
Draco curled his lip and waited for Crabbe's lucky strike.
TBC
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