When Ginny crept through the portrait hole in the common room she found she was alone. She breathed a sigh of relief and let herself drop in front of the fire, face in hands.
"Malfoy" she whispered to herself, head shaking in disbelief. He had probably saved her life, or at the very least saved her from a savage beating - or worse.
She would decide how she felt about it right now, she decided. And proceeded to make a pros and cons list in her head. One the one hand, Draco Malfoy was arrogant. He hated muggles. Was probably going to be a death eater one day, hated her friends…
On the other hand. He was gorgeous, and there were times, even for the slightest instant, when he forgot himself or thought she hadn't noticed, where he looked so real. And kindness came through. She knew he was genuinely concerned for her when that Slytherin was attacking her, if he hadn't come along she didn't know what she would have…
"Wait" her head shot up "What was he doing there?" the corridor she was in was a dead end he only could have come from McGonagall's office but she was there and never saw him. Could he have been waiting for her? But why? And how would he know she was there?
Her mind swam with thoughts and theories and suspicions and worries and she tried to piece the whole puzzle together and couldn't. every time she thought she had come to a solution she would remember something else. "Bloody hell." she muttered to herself before giving up trying to figure everything out and heading up to bed.
The next morning she was awoken by Hermione, wanting to know where she had been until so late.
"I'm so sorry Hermione, I didn't even tell you, it's been so confusing and there's a million things going on and I've had classes and assignments and now extra training with McGonagall -" at this Hermione put her hands up in an effort to stop Ginny's rambling
"Ok ok I get it it's fine, let's just take a step back - McGonagall?"
"Right" Ginny sighed and settled in to fill Hermione in on what happened the day Draco had sprained his wrist - telling her the same story she had told Colin, that she was walking by and saw him fall. She saw no point in bringing up Malfoy at the moment. One issue at a time. She went on to tell Hermione about what she had seen in McGonagall's office - about her offering to train Ginny so that she could control it and finally, how she would be having classes twice a week, which meant she would be late back.
"Hermione nodded in understanding "Did she mention anything about Le Fay?"
"No, actually" Ginny thought, McGonagall hadn't mentioned anything about where the power came from, others who had it, how she learned it. Ginny was amazed at how much she thought she had learned whilst not learning much at all. McGonagall was smart. "I'll ask her tomorrow." She promised, and Hermione dragged her down to breakfast.
Halfway through her cereal, Ginny saw Draco out of the corner of her eye, getting up to leave the great hall and she moved to follow him, ignoring as Hermione cried out to her.
As she approached him and went to call out, she was suddenly stumped. What does she call him? Were they familiar enough for her to call him Draco? It didn't really feel like it, but she couldn't just call him 'Malfoy, he had saved her last night.
"Hey!" was what she decided on.
Draco stopped and turned casually toward her, he didn't smirk or smile, he kept a steady expression. He didn't seem irritated or frustrated even, just stood with an unreadable expression.
"Hey, Red, you get back to your room alright last night?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes, thank you, that's why I chased you, to thank you, I don't know what I would have done." She looked at her toes and back up to him, he maintained his indifferent expression as he spoke.
"Well what was I to do, Red? Let him beat you to a pulp? Anyone would have done the same."
Everything he said was so matter of fact Ginny felt foolish having chased him down in the middle of her breakfast.
"Right, well I'm just glad you were around. And I'm sorry about your face, I was just - "
Draco cut her off "It's fine." he said, more matter of fact. "you warned me didn't you Red" a small chuckle escaped him before he stopped himself suddenly and returned to his vacant expression. Without so much as a goodbye he turned and continued the way he came, she noticed him shaking his head slightly. She didn't understand what he meant when he said she'd warned him until halfway back to Hermione. A conversation they'd had in the hospital wing came back to her.
"I might be a nasty git to you and your's but I've never ended you in the hospital."
"Well I guess you'll have to stay on your toes around me Malfoy, wont you?"
Ginny smiled, despite herself and slid back in next to Hermione.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked, looking concerned again.
"I just wanted to apologize for hitting him" she lied "I felt really guilty and wanted to clear the air before he hexed me into oblivion."
"Clear the air?" Hermione questioned.
"Well, as clear it could be between someone as wonderful as me and that git." Ginny Laughed with Hermione, but felt guilty for saying it. Even though he didn't hear her, she felt it might hurt his feelings. It was short lived though, the idea of Malfoy having his feelings hurt was laughable.
Ginny spent the rest of her day in and between classes with Colin. They both had Charms, potions, ancient runes and transfiguration together. She had tried to speak with McGonagall after class but by the time all her classmates had left the new class was coming in and McGonagall hurried her away.
After classes, Ginny and Colin sat on the grass near the lake, Colin was copying Ginny's potions notes, which he had failed to take.
"It's been good hanging out with you today Gin, I feel like I've hardly spoken to you these past few weeks."
Ginny gave him an apologetic smile "I know Colin, its been…" she searched for the words "…it's been hectic."
Colin didn't want to push her so he just smiled and changed the subject.
Across the courtyard, from a window in the astronomy tower, Draco found himself seething. He was watching Ginny and Colin Creevey after they'd finished classes, and was disgusted to find himself jealous of the tiny Gryffindor boy.
This was ridiculous, he thought. He was Draco Malfoy and he didn't give girls a second thought, he bedded them, and he let them go, that's how he worked it was easy.
Maybe that was it, it was always so easy with the others. The one time he had tried to kiss Ginny she had decked him - he chuckled at the memory.
He wouldn't give in to his weakness, he told himself. He suspected that Ginny had abilities in Locumency. Had she already chosen to fight against the dark lord, she could be a huge threat, especially if she was able to control it.
The dark lord would almost certainly have her 'removed' which meant he would probably make Draco kill her. If not, if he was able to sway her to the dark side, he would destroy her, she wouldn't be her anymore. Handing her over to Voldemort was meant to be his ticket out but he found it harder and harder to imagine doing it every time he saw her and it frustrated him. He had decided to romance her so she would trust him, he would get close to her so that she would show him what she could do. But he knew now that he was doing it because he wanted her. Whether or not he would admit it to himself was yet to be seen. And seeing her with creevey like that pissed him off, for now he told himself it was because he needed to get close to her for his plan to work. He thought about the letter he had written to his father three weeks ago, the letter he had never sent.
After an hour of hanging out with Colin by the lake it was dinner time so Colin helped Ginny up and led her to the great hall. They sat together with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Everything felt so blissfully normal.
"Hey stranger" Harry had said when she sat down
"Hey Harry" he smiled "how was your DADA exam?"
"Aced it!" Harry cheered and Ginny laughed, she didn't realize how detached she had been from her friends and she let herself become lost in Ron's 'Ten reasons why Pumpkin pie is better than pumpkin juice' list.
The five if them all went up to Gryffindor tower together with no sign of Malfoy and no incidents of accidental magic. She giggled with Hermione and Ron, made plans for the holidays, talked about a party for her birthday with Colin, and after hours of chatter, she went to bed and fell asleep.
The next week went much the same way, she continued be with her friends, Studying with Hermione, flying with Harry, Eating with Ron and spending the rest of her time with Colin. When Friday came it was the first time she would be seeing McGonagall since the incident with the 7th grade Slytherin and she was cautious as she approached her professors office but arrived without incident and knocked softly on the door until she was invited in and seated in her normal position across from McGonagall.
"Today we will be running through some simple spells you would have learned in your first or second year, simple stunning, petrifying, expelling, things like that, you essentially need to learn how to harness your powers the same as you would with a wand. With a wand it is rather easy to attack whatever you are aiming at, but without one you need to be very focused about where the magic is going, otherwise you might hurt someone else, instead of your attacker."
"Yes Professor" Ginny obeyed when McGonagall gestured for her to rise and follow her to a chest she had in the back corner of her office, whilst she fumbled around pulling out items and transfiguring them into things for Ginny to manipulate, Ginny thought she would ask about le Fay and any part she might be playing in Ginny having these abilities. When she mentioned Morgan le Fay McGonagall's head shot up and leveled with her.
"Miss Weasley I want to make something perfectly clear. Morgan Le Fay was a dark witch, and though she did possess to some extent the ability to perform wandless magic she is in no way a role model you should be associating yourself with or looking up to. And before long you shouldn't even need to, Morgan Le Fay spend decades learning the craft of Locumency and never possessed the potential you do." Her eyes softened "You were born with an extraordinary amount of power Ginevra, this is a gift that has been given to you. Morgan Le Fay was a mediocre witch even with her wand, you will be spectacular. As long as you stay focused and use the tools I give you."
She ended her speech with a nod, signaling to Ginny quite clearly that she wouldn't be speaking of Morgan Le Fay any more, and Ginny let it rest, she certainly didn't want to aspire to be a dark witch, she just didn't want to actually blow Ron's head off next time she imagined doing it in the middle of a fight.
By the end of her lesson that evening she had successfully petrified a mouse, stupefied McGonagall several times and been able to levitate several feathers without too much concentration. McGonagall told her that the limit of what she could do was only drawn by the limits she set herself in her mind. As long as she was looking at the subject and there was an appropriate spell in existence for what she needed to do she could as long as she stayed focused and set her mind to it.
She headed back to Gryffindor quickly not wan ting a repeat of what had happened to her last week, she thought she heard something behind her and turned into the long empty corridor behind her, she shook her head and teased herself for being so paranoid about an old echoing corridor and turned back to the way she was going.
When she found herself on the floor five seconds after she made that decision and looked up to see that what seemed to be a brick wall she had walked into was actually a very amused looking Draco Malfoy she grimaced.
"Again Red. May I ask why you insist on one of us getting hurt every time we meet?" he drawled as he extended his arm to help her back to her feet. Ginny looked at his hand suspiciously before taking it. She wasn't surprised to find he had very soft hands, warm to the touch. A sign of never having done any physical labor in your life short of picking up damsels late at night in the empty corridors of Hogwarts.
When she was upright and steady she released him "Thank you, I do seem to be a bit of bad luck with two left feet don't I?" she laughed as she pulled off her robe to sweep the dust from the back.
With her eyes cast down at her robes Draco let his eyes wander over her. Her robes were old and worn but her uniform was quite new, her skirt hung lower than most of the girls at the school, swishing around her knees as she struggled with her robes. Her pale white legs a drastic contrast to her grey uniform. And her shiny black Mary Jane shoes seemed to be quite new. His eyes lingered on her face as thick, long red curls fell out of her messy ponytail and hung in her eyes. She wiggled her nose as her hair tickled her and he smiled affectionately.
By the time Ginny looked back up to him he had replaced it with his usual impatient smirk. "I was just taking a walk, Red, want to join me? Or are you too scared to break the rules?" he grinned and Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Well as much as I'd like to say I have a prior engagement I don't, no classes tomorrow either. If you really don't mind me tagging along." She looked up questioningly but he had already turned the way he came from, calling back to her.
"Hurry up red, before I change my mind." And with that, Ginny gathered up her books and jogged after him, finding him about to leave the confines of the school through a portrait hole near the great hall.
"We can't go outside" Ginny complained "It's almost ten, and it will be freezing."
"Man up Weasley" he smirked "Thought you Gryffindor were meant to be brave." and he walked through the portrait with Ginny following him, a scowl plastered to her face.
They walked in silence for some time, Ginny's hair whipped around her in the wind and her nose went numb, but she didn't really mind, it was fun to be outside the school at night, despite her present company.
It suddenly occurred to her how normal it felt, to be outside at night with Malfoy, the way he had asked her made her feel as though it were nothing out of the ordinary but it hit her now how much trouble she could get in, and if she weren't in danger of detention from teachers, she could be in danger from Malfoy for all she knew, he was in Slytherin after all.
Draco must have sensed her nervousness. "Relax Red, I come out here all the time, I've never run into a teacher, we'll be fine."
They reached the edge of the lake and although it was even colder than it had been up near the school, the scene was so breathtaking Ginny's mouth fell open in awe. Pure white moonlight streamed through the canopy of trees above them slicing into the water, which resembled diamonds with the reflection of the stars twinkling in it's depths. Malfoy sat beside her and she followed.
"What do you do so late to be wandering my turf so late at night, Red?" he asked innocently.
"I have tutoring with McGonagall" Ginny said without thinking, distracted by the beauty of the place and forgetting who she was talking to, Draco looked at her expecting an explanation. Ginny thought quickly. "Extra credit." was all she said, and with a quick smile changed the subject.
"What about you? Why are you always wandering the corridors at night?"
Draco thought before he answered, it was true that he wandered the corridors even when he wasn't keeping an eye on her, but how he should explain himself was important.
"I need some time away from the imbeciles I have the unfortunate need to share a house with." he spoke very matter of factly "Even being here with a gryff like you is an improvement." he sounded cruel but When Ginny looked up at him, she saw he was grinning teasingly.
"Well thanks" she rolled her eyes again "I suppose being here with a Slytherin like yourself is an improvement on being by myself, as pathetic as that is."
"Why by yourself, you have friends right?"
Ginny shifted awkwardly at the casualness of the conversation "Yes of course, the golden trio and Colin, all of whom are asleep right now so, by myself."
Ginny shivered from the cold, since they stopped walking it was getting colder by the minute, Draco chuckled and pulled off his robe, wrapping it around her shoulders, Ginny was intoxicated by the overwhelming fragrance of violets that she had come to associate with him. And his robes were so warm she accepted them gratefully and wrapped them tightly around herself.
Draco lay on his back and stared up at the stars, Ginny followed and lay beside him.
"have you ever played that game where you try to make pictures form the stars?" Ginny asked him.
He looked at her quizzically "No, and what?"
"You look at the stars and you make pictures, like connect the dots you see" Ginny leaned over him to point out a gathering of stars and he was intoxicated by the smell of cinnamon. Even in this old she smelt of warmth "Over there it kind of looks like a teapot!" Ginny shifted and Draco stared amazed as she got more and more excited at every sighting "That one looks like a giraffe! Oh and over there it's a dragon!"
Ginny forgot about Draco being a Malfoy, she forgot about death eaters, she forgot about her brother, Harry and Hermione, and how angry they would be if they knew she was here with him, she forgot about how she was supposed to feel about him, and let herself get lost in the game, he would laugh his true, honest laugh when she pointed out funny pictures. "You find one!" her eyes sparkled as she watched him expectantly, he searched the skies for a moment before leaning over her the way she had done, propped up on one elbow he pointed at a large cluster. Her gaze followed him arm and she squinted.
"It's a pig" he pointed out, and Ginny laughed. She settled back into her position on her back and continued to stare at the skies, Draco remained propped up on one arm and found himself watching her.
"Have you ever seem anything more beautiful?" she asked him, looking in awe and the ocean of diamonds above them.
Draco's eyes didn't shift from her face. He forgot about her family, he forgot about the dark lord and what he was supposed to be doing, he forgot about her brother and her friends, he forgot how he was supposed to feel about her.
"yes" he whispered, his warm breath on her cheek alerted Ginny that he was still leaning slightly over her, his face closer than she remembered and her lips slightly parted.
Ginny's mind went blank. She could think of nothing but closing the space between them but she lay still, petrified of what was about to happen.
Draco caught her gaze in his and held it steady, he brought his hand up to her face and cupped it, his fingers sliding around the back of her neck and his thumb grazing her cheek. Ginny gasped the tiniest gasp you could imagine and if Draco wasn't so close to her at that moment he wouldn't have even noticed.
But he did, and he took it as permission. He lowered his lips to hers and a fire went in waves through Ginny's body, she brought her hands up to roam over his chest and shoulders as he kissed her deeply.
Draco's Hand traveled down to her waist and lingered there, gripping on to her as if he thought she would run at any moment. Neither of them remembered why they hadn't been doing this all along. Her lips were soft and full against his and they intoxicated each other into a stupor which left them breathless.
When they broke apart, Draco kept his hand on her waist and gauged her reaction. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes fluttering almost closed and her breathing came in short puffs. Draco smiled an honest smile and lay back down beside her. Ginny instinctually rolled onto his chest and rode out the wave she had been thrust into.
Neither of them spoke a word, they lay in the shadows of the trees, the moonlight dancing over them. Draco brushed the hair out of Ginny's eyes and noticed they were closed, her breathing became slow and steady and he knew she was sleeping. Draco smiled at her, and it was only at that moment that he realized the gravity of what had just happened. He had kissed Ginny Weasley. He had started this with every intention of handing her over to the one person in the world he was certain would cause her the most harm. But now, as the warmth of her presence spread through him, all he could think about was kissing her again.