Seven
Ginny's stomach was churning as she headed towards Professor Dumbledore's office the following evening. The night before had passed without incident when the pair returned to the Transfiguration classroom. They both finished their lines and didn't speak a word to each other and then when Professor McGonagall returned they both handed them in in silence. As they headed out of the classroom all that could be heard were their footsteps echoing in the halls. Ginny sighed, "See you tomorrow Ferret," she muttered as soon as she was out of earshot. At the exact same moment, out of her own hearing range Draco Malfoy had muttered, "See you tomorrow Weasel."
And now here they were, stood outside of Professor Dumbledore's office. Ginny looked at Malfoy and then back to the entrance. Professor Dumbledore had told them the password but she didn't fancy being the first one in. Neither did she want to be the one to break the silence that had crept over from last night and placed itself between the two again. Draco Malfoy didn't say a word, didn't even look at Ginny. He would never admit it of course, but Professor Dumbledore made him feel intimidated. There was no way he was going first.
Ginny sighed quietly. "Lemon Drop," she muttered and the entrance sprang open revealing stairs for them to climb. What was the point in being a Gryffindor if you couldn't be braver than a coward like Malfoy after all?
"Ah good," said Professor Dumbledore smiling up at them from his desk as they walked in, "Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy. I was starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost."
"Ah, yeah, sorry sir," said Ginny.
Dumbledore smiled, "It's fine, you're only five minutes late after all. Sit down."
He waved his wand and two chairs appeared in front of his desk. Having to stop herself from glancing back at Malfoy Ginny took the seat on the left, a second later Draco filled the one on her right.
"Well, as you're probably wondering why I have called you here, I suppose I should get straight to it. I would like you to both bear in mind the seriousness of unleashing curses at one another in the middle of the corridor before you refuse what I have to offer you. I'd say that the show you put on would earn you at least one detention a week until the end of term, if not two or three a week, depending on the view that your heads of houses take upon it. Do you understand?"
Ginny nodded and watched Draco do the same from the corner of her eye. She had been wondering why no punishment had been given out the night before and this must have been why. Dumbledore had something else that he wanted them to do.
"Well then, in that case, here's my little problem. House unity has become a thing of the past, and I really do think that it's time to change that. I propose a set of friendly games, with joint after parties and clubs in which all four houses mix, particularly the Gryffindors and the Slytherins - with you two at the head of it. You two will meet up once a week and decide upon what activities to hold, where and when. The people at the head of the plan will change every two weeks, so if you were to agree, you'll just be in charge of getting it up and running. It's not a permanent responsibility."
Ginny bit her lip. Which was worse? Detention or working with Malfoy? Her parents would probably kill her either way. Her father would kill her for working with Malfoy and her mother would kill her for the detention.
Apparently the choice was a lot easier for Draco.
"I'm not working with her," he snorted.
She had to admit that stung a little. She turned to look at him and gave him her best glare, "Well I wouldn't want to work with you either."
His eyes flickered towards her, a bit of hurt there and she felt guilty, but, hey, if they were going to refuse they might as well make it convincing.
"And I'm definitely not working with any other Gryffindors either. I'd kill myself first," Malfoy added.
Professor Dumbledore rested his head on his hands and examined them both carefully through his half-moon spectacles. His gaze rested on Ginny.
"You're sure?" he asked.
Ginny's heart dropped as she nodded. He looked disappointed.
"Very well then. I shall talk to your heads of houses and you can expect a note tomorrow morning with your punishments for the display yesterday. Good evening." Professor Dumbledore dropped their gaze, and went about writing on a piece of parchment. Ginny stood up and left, her chair making an awful scraping noise in her rush, but she had to escape quickly.
She waited at the end of the corridor for Draco who was along not long after.
"Well," she said, "That went well."
Draco nodded. "I couldn't agree to it. Father would murder me."
Ginny nodded back. "I know."
"Thank you for going along with it."
"Whatever. Look Draco, what the hell was that yesterday?"
"What was what?"
"You. Being a complete and utter dick."
"Haven't you heard? I am a complete and utter dick."
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Really? That's not what I saw when you were actually being nice the other night."
"Nice?" Draco smiled, "You've got the wrong boy."
Ginny bit her lip and convinced herself to say what had been on her mind since that first kiss. "Anyone in their right mind would say that you want something. That you don't care for me, that you're just good at pretending you do. That these times when you're angry and cold - when you scream names at me, that's the real you."
Draco shook his head, and reached out, taking a strand of her hair and running his hands along it. Focusing on her hair rather than her face he said, "I am good at pretending. But when I'm 'nice' as you put it, I'm not pretending. I don't want anything. I wish I did sometimes, I wish I had an excuse for my actions, but I don't. I just can't keep away from you."
Ginny's heart faltered. "Then what about when you yell and scream and order me to write lines for you?"
Draco looked up, a smirk on his face. "Merlin, Ginny, when I get angry, it's because I'm angry. You just frustrate me so much sometimes, as I do you. I've seen it in your eyes. I am good at pretending, but it's when I say I hate you that I'm pretending, of course it is."
Ginny didn't say anything, she just slunk backwards against the wall, sliding down and sitting on the floor. She smiled and he took it as a positive sign and crouched down next to her.
"Ginny?"
She looked up. "Draco?"
"Will you go out with me?"
"What?"
"Will you go out with me? I mean properly. We won't tell anyone. We'll do it in secret."
"Like a date?"
He nodded, a flicker of a worried look in his eyes. "Yes."
