Behind Close Doors: Part One of Three

-CJ Wellington

Part One: Where It All Starts…

Summer passed by quickly for Ginny. Her days were filled with helping out with the Order, finally, even though it was small tasks, and her evenings were filled with laughter and too many swigs of Fire Whiskey smuggled from her parents cabinets. She celebrated her seventeenth birthday, being one of the oldest in her class had it's perks and her parents lifted up on her being such a helpless little girl. Even Ronald had eased up on being the annoying protective older brother, more emphasis on the protective part, less on the annoying part.

"Virginia, are you ready to go yet? Mum told us to be in the car 10 minutes ago!" Ron hollered up the staircase and into Ginny's bedroom

Ginny stuck her head out her door and yelled back, "On my way down, hold your broomsticks!"

Throwing the last of her school supplies on her truck, Ginny shrank it and placed it in her pocket. She was so happy to be able to do magic outside of school and not get into trouble.

When they arrived at Kings Cross, Ginny quickly separated her self from Ron, Harry, and Hermione and left to go wander around the carriages. As she made her way past the Hufflepuff carriage, she entered into the First Year's carriage. A bunch of 11 and 12 year olds giggling and practicing spells. All were curious to the house they would be placed in and which professors would be the hardest.

Probably Head Mistress McGonagall Ginny thought to her self, she barely passed Transfigurations her first year at Hogwarts. Transforming spells had not come easy to her and Professor McGonagall was a very strict teacher. Tardiness was unacceptable and anything less that perfection was disappointing…especially if you were a Gryffindor.

Ginny was passing in between the First Year's carriage and the Food Carriage when her passing was blocked by a tall blonde dressed in dark jeans and a green jumper. His hair was cut short but his grey eyes were still as cold as she remembered. "Afternoon Malfoy, can you please step out of my way?" Ginny inquired, trying to step around the now Seventh year Slytherin.

"Well you sure do look different Weasley. I see that summer treated you nicely." Draco smirked, crossing his arms and not letting Ginny pass around him.

Ginny glared at him and tried hard to keep the color from rushing to her cheeks. Her auburn hair had gotten longer and had more waves, her skin darkened from hours out in the sun, and her body had finally seemed to be proportional. "Sod off Malfoy, I would like to get a fizzy drink and you are in my way."

Draco stepped closer to her, "Think about me at all this summer? I am sure it must be boring to be the Order's lap dog and run silly errands for them all day long."

"You never crossed my mind once," Ginny lied, there were actually a few times where the blonde had crept into her mind…mostly in the evenings though, while she slept. "Now please move." Ginny didn't acknowledge the comment about the Order, it was none of Draco's business what she did for them and she didn't want to give anything way that could be sent over to Lord Voldemort.

Ginny moved to step around Draco but his arm shot out to block her passage. She was now very close to Draco's body and it was unnerving. He smelled like peppermint and lavender, his cheeks scattered with faded freckles from the sun, and his eyes a cool grey; seeming to cut through the tension and hold her in place. She had never been this close to him before, her pulse began to race and Ginny felt her cheeks begin to heat up.

They stood in silence staring at one another for what seemed like an hour though only mere seconds passed before Draco spoke.

"What is wrong Weasley, cat got your tongue?" Draco smirked.

Ginny squared out her shoulders and pushed Draco's arm off the wall, causing him to lose his balance and stumble side ways, "No, I was just waiting for the right moment." Then the red head stepped over Draco and continued on into the Food Carriage, leaving Draco sitting stunned on the floor.

-0-

A few weeks later, on a Friday, Draco was studying in the library for his Advanced Potion's test. School had just begun and all Seventh years were already bombarded with exams. There was no grace period for the students who were entering their last year at Hogwarts. They took their N.E.W.T's this year so the professors had to make sure they were as prepared as they could be. Last years delay because of the death of their Headmaster caused academics to be pushed off to the side. A lot of Seventh years had been excused from N.E.W.T's because of the tragedy but this group held no chance of being excused. It was a new year and things had to be kept normal so not to incite chaos among students.

Professor McGonagall had taken over as Head Mistress at the end of the prior year and Severus Snape took over the Dark Arts section of their academics. Draco was excited for Advanced DADA this term but was nervous about Potions…the new Professor didn't like Slytherins very much. His father would wring his neck if his grade dropped during his last year at Hogwarts. Nothing but perfection was accepted in the Malfoy home.

Around midnight, Draco was packing up his belongings when a commotion outside the Library doors interrupted the quiet. Throwing his book bag over his shoulder, Draco exited the Library to find Ginny Weasley and a group of other Gryffindors her age, giggling in the corridor. It was thirty minutes till curfew and they had seemed to be heading back to their dorm when one of them tripped over the carpet and fell to the floor, taking a statue down with her.

"Bethany we are going to get into so much trouble!" Ginny whispered, her words were slurred, "I knew this was a bad idea. Ron is going to kill me when we get back to the common room. He is probably waiting up for me to return back…blasted brother."

Draco had never seen Ginny with anyone other than the Golden Trio; it was strange to see her with students her own age.

The brunette that Ginny had been addressing stood up off the ground and tried to place the now broken statue back on its perch, "Oh hush Ginny, you needed to get out and away from those boring Seventh years. I don't know what all the fuss was that people used to make about you. You are just as strange as me and Samantha and you are anything but scary." Bethany giggled and locked arms with Ginny.

The third girl with them nodded her head and spun in a circle, "I agree, Miss Ginny Weasley we have officially debunked the myth that you are too odd to hang out with normal students. I mean come on…everyone gets haunted by a ghost at least one in their life. My great great great grandfather used to haunt me, used to knock down picture frames in my Mum's home."

Ginny and Bethany exchanged glances and lapsed into a fit of giggles.

Draco was slowly becoming annoyed by the drunk Sixth year girls in the corridor. It was late, he was tired, and dealing with them was the last thing that Draco wanted to do on a Friday night. "Excuse me" Draco interrupted their laughter. All three girls stopped laughing and turned to face Draco.

"Oh bugger" Ginny mumbled, "Malfoy here to ruin our fun" The red head stifled another laugh behind the palm of her hand.

"I think we'd better go back to the dorm Ginny." Bethany pulled on Ginny's hand, trying to get her to turn around.

"No, I am not afraid of a stupid Slytherin." Ginny pulled her hand out of Bethany's grip and stared at Draco.

"Come on Gin. This is neither the time nor the place, especially since we are currently breaking the rules." Samantha's voice was hushed at the end, as if she was trying to hide the fact that they had been drinking that evening.

"Sam, Bethany, you should probably head back to the dorms. I can find my way back there in a little bit. I would like to speak to Draco Malfoy." Ginny's cheeks were flushed from the alcohol and her vision was slightly fuzzy, her surroundings covered in a hazy glow.

Bethany and Samantha exchanged looks and then nodded, mumbling a quick goodbye they disappeared around the corner and headed back towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"So you aren't afraid of a Slytherin…I think that would be the Fire Whiskey talking." Draco rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

"Wait, Malfoy, I wanted to speak with you." Ginny reached out and grabbed his arm. She wobbled slightly but quickly regained her balance. She didn't want to look like a lush in front of Draco Malfoy. That humiliation would be worse than being called a Mudblood Lover.

"What Weasley, it is late and it seems both of us are better suited in bed than in the corridor." Draco sighed.

"Why do you hate those who are not like you? I am a pureblood just like you, just because my opinion is different than you doesn't make me any less of a pureblood and any less worthy of being in your presence." Ginny's face burned with a mixture of alcohol and nervousness. She had never been this straight forward with anyone, let alone Draco Malfoy.

"Why I choose to believe what I believe is none of your business Weasley." Draco sneered. He didn't like being asked those types of questions.

"My name is Ginny, not Weasley. Weasley is surname, not my first name. I would appreciate it if you didn't use it to address me." Ginny let go of Draco arm and took a step back.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because it is the polite thing to do and I will stop addressing you by your last name as well." Ginny smiled, "Can we make a deal, and I promise I won't tell anyone that you made a deal with a Gryffindor."

A small smile crossed Draco's face. Her words were still slightly slurring and her face was still flushed but she seemed genuine in her request. Draco stared at her for a few moments before answering. Ginny was dressed in her uniform still, shirt un-tucked and her tie loose around her neck. Her auburn curls fell in waves over her shoulders and the top of her blouse was unbuttoned just enough to see the freckles that danced across her collar bone.

"So what do you say…Draco?" Ginny interrupted Draco's thoughts. Draco quickly shook his head to rid himself of her image and nodded his head.

"Whatever you say Gryffindor" Draco laughed when Ginny's mouth dropped open, "I agreed to not use your last name but that was it. I can use any other word now to address you, just not Weasley."

"Just like a Slytherin to find a loop hole." Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. Then she shook her head, "Never mind, I think you are right…it is time for me to go to bed, the corridor is beginning to spin. I am not a big Fire Whiskey drinker."

"I can tell" Sarcasm dripped from Draco's voice and Ginny glared at him.

"Goodnight Slytherin."

"Goodnight Gryffindor."

-CJW