A/N: I don't really have much to say about this one but I am just writing again to thank everyone for their comments and reviews, please, as always, keep them coming! They are such a great motivator and make me continue to update as soon as I possibly can! So PLEASE keep doing what you're doing, I love you all and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
"You see," Draco spat, his voice shaky. "I told you, I'm dangerous."
He knew she was utterly speechless. What was she supposed to say? It wasn't like she could have predicted this. Sure, he'd been a prat all his life but who could have ever suspected that he'd end up joining the ranks of the Dark Lord's army before he even finished school.
He didn't say anything either and just stood in front of her, staring at her while she stared at his arm. It was completely quiet except for her ragged breathing and he could practically see the gears working in her head. She was figuring it all out, he knew it. She understood now why he had been so distant all year, so detached from everything that was going on.
He wasn't sure what had exactly possessed him to kiss her again. He had done so well the last few months – at least he told himself he was doing well – trying to get her out of his head. He had just begun thinking that it was possible to forget her when she'd followed him into the Room of Requirement.
She thought she was being sneaky but he knew she was coming after him as soon as she'd started. He should have turned on her before he reached the Room, should have demanded that she leave him alone for good, but he just didn't. And he didn't know why.
He wasn't going to kiss her, the thought didn't even cross his mind until she showed him that she was wearing his family amulet around her neck. Bloody hell, he'd forgotten he'd sent the damn thing to her and yet she'd been wearing it around her neck the whole time. Something shattered inside of him when she showed it to him, an invisible wall that he'd put up to keep her – and only her – out. After that wall was gone, he couldn't help himself, he had to taste her again. He'd gotten so used to Pansy's boring and predictable scent that the fresh taste of her peppermint breath was utterly intoxicating to him and he couldn't help but take more of what he wanted. If she hadn't stopped him he would have kept going, he had no doubt about that. She just felt so right in his arms. She was like a drug that he couldn't stop taking. He was addicted to her and it scared the living shit out him.
It killed him that he had shown his Mark to her, he felt like she was too pure to see something like that, something so dark and evil. He hated Voldemort in that moment for forcing him to take it. Ever since he'd done that, his life had been turned upside down and now he'd dragged Gilbert into the middle of it all. Hopefully now that she'd seen who he really was, she'd realize that she needed to leave him alone for good.
She finally spoke but her voice was too low and he didn't catch it.
"What?"
"The…Mark," she confirmed, nodding at his arm. "Does it hurt?"
He shrugged and looked down at it. "Sometimes," he hoped she couldn't see how utterly defeated he was.
She must have seen it because she came to him. She slid off the desk and walked slowly over to where he stood a few feet from her. He was staring down at the floor, making sure not to look at her because if he did, he knew it would all be over. He would see the disappointment on her face and it would haunt him for the rest of his life, just like his dream.
As if she were asking for him to scream at her, she reached out and took his left hand in hers. He held his breath as she cradled his larger hand in her smaller one while she flipped his arm over to reveal the Mark again. Dammit, he hated feeling so exposed, so open. She was literally holding his every being in the palm of her hand. With her free hand, she traced the outline of the Mark with her index finger, slowly running it over the skull and the snake's twisted body. He shivered at her light, delicate touch but it was a good feeling. Her touch calmed him in some sick way.
"I've never seen it up close before," she whispered, still staring down at his arm. He was looking at her now, trying to gauge her reaction but knowing he couldn't. She was so unpredictable in everything she did.
"It's ugly from wherever you're standing," he told her and she looked up to meet his eyes. "There's nothing good about it."
She licked her lips and he watched as tears formed in her eyes. Fuck. No, she can't cry. She can't, he already felt like utter dirt. If she cried, he might just fall apart completely.
"Hey," he said, reaching out to cup her cheek with his hand. "Don't cry for me, okay? I deserved this."
Her brow furrowed and she shook her head as a tear ran down her cheek. "How can you say that?"
"It's true, Anna," he said, wiping away the stray tears from her cheeks. "I'm a Malfoy."
Her bottom lip quivered and he resisted the urge to capture it between his teeth again and instead, took a step closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't hesitate to do the same and he let her cry into his shoulder, despite how much it was tearing him apart inside. Why was she weeping for him? He didn't deserve her pity; he didn't even deserve her hate. As much as he wished he could have her, he knew he couldn't put her through that. But damn, he wanted her.
Honestly, he could hardly believe she was still there. Shouldn't she be running for the hills by now? For fucks sake, he'd just shown her his bloody Dark Mark. She knew his deepest, darkest secret and she wasn't running away screaming or trying to rat him out. No, instead, she was pressed firmly up against him once more and was holding him tightly, as if she never wanted to let him go.
He wasn't sure how long they had stayed like that, just holding each other, but it felt nice. He knew that probably after tonight, it wasn't likely he'd ever get to talk to her again so he wanted to use the time to his advantage. Holding her seemed like the right thing to do so that's what he did and she let him without protest.
When he finally told her that it was getting late and that she needed to get back to the dorms before curfew, she hesitated and stared up at him with wide, pleading eyes.
"I know that you think I should stay away from you," she started and he held his breath, waiting for the rest of her statement to come out. "And deep down I know that I should too but….I told you that I don't think I can."
He licked his lips and sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anna-"
She held her hand up. "Draco, please. I may not be experienced in the relationship department, but I do know that if I try to stay away from you I might go crazy."
Good, because if he was forced to stay away from her, he'd definitely go crazy. He knew he should be protesting her defiance, he should be forcing her to leave him alone for her own good but….he just couldn't find the will to do it.
Still, he tried one more time to convince her otherwise. "I really don't think it's a good idea-"
"Tell me you don't feel anything for me," she said, mocking his words from earlier when he'd whispered them in her ear and he felt his pants tighten. "If you can honestly tell me that you want me to leave you alone and never speak to you again then do it."
Draco bit his lip. He knew he should, God, he knew that with every fiber of his being. It was selfish of him to put her in this position but he really had no other option. Without Anna, he would literally go insane. He needed her in his life for some God damned reason and he would do anything to be able to keep her there.
So he just shook his head at her request and he watched her visibly relax in front of him.
"Okay," she sighed and then smiled at him. "Guess I'll see you around then, Malfoy."
He smirked. Thank God she'd called him that. Hopefully she was back to calling him that for good, at least then he could have some restraint when he was around her. Hearing his name come from her lips did impossible things to his body and it was dangerous whenever she said it.
"I'll see you around, Gilbert," he said and then watched as she left the room and he was alone with himself again. And the reality of what had just happened hit him like a ton of bricks.
Shit. He was fucked.
He'd just revealed his biggest secret to a bloody fucking Gryffindor! And one that was friends with Scarhead! Oh God, if the Dark Lord or his father or anybody for that matter ever found out, he'd be a dead man for sure, no questions asked.
How could he have been so stupid? He had just betrayed virtually everything that his family believed in by sharing his deepest, darkest secret with a Half-Blood. Damn, wouldn't his father be proud of him. He still couldn't believe that he did it and that she hadn't reacted in even the slightest way that he thought she would have. The way that she should have.
He shouldn't have been surprised though. Everything that Gilbert did usually surprised him. She was incredibly unpredictable.
Although one thing was for certain, if he was going to be….involved with Anna Gilbert – and he was, he couldn't bear not having anything to do with her, they'd shared too much with each other to back out now – he had to protect her. He was in deep shit, almost too deep for him to handle and if he fucked it up, he would drag her with him and he couldn't do that. She didn't deserve that.
He went back to the dorms after he attempted to mend the cabinet again. It was nearly finished and the thought of how close the end was coming was really starting to make him sick to his stomach. It would be ready within the next few weeks, probably sooner and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.
Scratch that, he knew he wasn't ready for it. Especially now
When he entered the common room he wasn't surprised to find Blaise and Theo sitting on one of the couches in front of the fire playing a game of Wizard's chess. The two were always playing that bloody game and Draco really couldn't understand what they found so fascinating about it, but he went to join them all the same.
"Ay Draco, you're just in time to watch me beat the piss out of Blaise again," Theo announced proudly as Draco took a seat on the sofa next to Blaise.
The thinner Slytherin glared at his friend. "You didn't win last time, you cheated."
"You can't cheat in Wizard's Chess, mate. It's not possible," said Theo, looking at Draco for confirmation and Blaise did the same.
The blonde shrugged. "I suppose it's true. I don't play it enough to know."
Theo smirked triumphantly and the two went back to playing their game while Draco watched.
"Pansy's been looking for you all night," Theo told him with a teasing smirk and Blaise laughed.
Draco rolled his eyes. "That incorrigible wench," he mumbled. "You would think she'd take the hint that she's nothing more than someone to shag when I feel like it."
"Oh, she knows, mate," said Theo and then he chuckled. "She's just too in love with you to put an end to it."
Draco shuddered at his words. God, he hoped that wasn't true. "Why won't she go after one of you two?" Draco mused, nodding his head to his friends. "Leave me alone for a while."
"She does from time to time," Blaise admitted with a shrug.
"But she likes you the best, mate. Though I'm not sure why," Theo winked at him with a smirk and Draco kicked his shin with his boot. "Ow!" the brute cooed and reached down to rub the sore spot. Blaise laughed and Draco couldn't help but crack a smile, though it didn't last long and he returned to his regular sullen features.
Both of his friends looked at him wearily. "What's got you looking so….." Blaise searched for the right words to describe Draco.
"Shitty," Theo filled in without hesitation and Blaise shot him another death glare.
"Thanks, mate," Draco said sarcastically.
"Anytime," Theo chuckled.
"What Theo means is that….you don't look well, Draco. You're always so….distant and look like you're going to throw up. What's wrong with you?" Blaise asked, turning in his seat and Theo leaned in closer.
Draco just shrugged. "I'm fine."
Theo scoffed. "Mate, if you were fine do you really think we'd be asking? Obviously we know something's up. You've been moping around for months now."
"Draco, you can tell us," Blaise encouraged and Draco rolled his eyes. He felt like he was being interrogated by the sodding Inquisitorial Squad. When the fuck had his friends become so…observant? He thought the only person that could see through him was Gilbert and look how that turned out. But he'd already spilled his secret to her, if he told Blaise and Theo, he'd be royally fucked.
"I really can't, mates," he finally sighed, running a hand over his face. "I would if I could, honestly, but I just can't."
"Malfoy, you know if you need help, we've got your back," Theo said, his voice full of sincere concern and Blaise nodded in eager agreement. It was weird for Draco to hear something like that come out of his old friend's mouth. Theo was usually the joker of the trio, never serious and always looking to find the humor in things, even if it wasn't there. But now, Draco could really see that he wasn't laughing or saying it as a joke. He really meant it.
Draco nodded. "I know."
Theo sighed and rested his elbows on his knees. "If it's about…..You-Know-Who, then we already know."
Draco's eyes narrowed in confusion and he looked between his two friends in wonder. "What do you know?"
Blaise swallowed skeptically. "That you….you took the Mark," he said the last part in a whisper, looking around the common room for any eavesdroppers.
Draco's face dropped and his stomach knotted.
Shit. God dammit, how the hell did they know? Jesus Christ, was it at all possible to keep a fucking secret anymore?
"How long have you known?" he asked quietly, staring at the floor and not at his friends.
"Well, Theo's known all year," Blaise started and Theo cut in.
"My father tried to force me to take it, but I refused," Theo said shamefully and Draco knew he wasn't looking at either of them either. "Luckily the Dark Lord didn't want me as much as he wanted you, so I got away with it….for now."
Draco licked his lips and gritted his teeth at the thought of Theo's dad and what he probably did to his son after he'd refused the Mark. Probably the same thing Lucius would have done if Draco had refused and he wasn't in prison.
"He told me right after Katie Bell was cursed," Blaise explained. "You cursed her, didn't you Draco?"
"Keep your voice down," Draco hissed at him and Blaise looked around again. "Yes, I did and you know why I did it. I had no other choice."
"We want to help you, mate," Blaise told him and Theo nodded in agreement.
Draco sighed. "Don't you get it?" he asked, his voice becoming angry and he didn't mean it. "You can't help me. Do you understand what I have to do?"
"Yes….you've got to kill….Dumble-"
Draco cut Blaise off. "Exactly, I have to do it. No one else."
"But we can at least….help you," Theo growled. "It'll be easier than doing it alone, mate."
Draco pondered his words for a minute, knowing that he really meant them, but how could they help him? It was hard enough staying hidden by himself, how would all three of them remain unknown? He had to admit though, the thought of having two allies on his side and not the Dark Lord's….that would be….fantastic.
"Do you have a plan yet?" Theo asked after a few more minutes of silence.
Fuck it.
Draco told them all about his plan to let the Death Eaters in through the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. It felt good to finally talk about it, he hadn't told anyone but the Dark Lord of his plans and it was nice to finally have the weight lifted off of his chest. Blaise and Theo listened like they were in a classroom and Draco was suddenly very glad that they were there and that he finally had a reason to stop being alone all the time.
"Did it hurt?" Theo asked after they were done discussing the plan to kill Dumbledore. He nodded at Draco's left arm and he instantly understood what he meant.
Draco swallowed and licked his lips to look up at his friend. "Like hell, mate. Worse than when that bloody Hippogriff broke my arm."
Blaise snickered at the memory but Theo's face remained still as he stared at Draco's arm. Draco knew it was because he was scared that he would have to go through with it soon as well and it was probably true. Theo's father was right up there with Draco's in Voldemort's army and had been a Death Eater during the first Wizarding War as well as he would be in the second. It was expected of Theo to follow in his father's footsteps but Draco could see his reluctance.
He wondered if the Dark Lord would blackmail him into joining the army as well.
"It's such bullshit," Theo whispered huskily.
Draco nodded in agreement, staring again at the floor. "It's what we were meant for. Why we were born."
"Bollocks," Theo spat and shook his head in disgust. "I hope Potter kills the bloody bastard."
Draco didn't answer even though he agreed wholeheartedly with Theo, though he would never say it out loud. He had been dealing with the inner turmoil for a while now and even though he hated the Dark Lord and everything he was doing, he knew that he couldn't fight alongside Potter, against everything he knew, everything that he'd grown up on. He couldn't just turn his back on his beliefs.
But wasn't he already doing that by being with Gilbert? She was a Half-Blood, something that he'd been taught to despise and yet….he knew he didn't hate her and he didn't think her to be inferior to him. He respected her and he….had the strangest infatuation with her that he wished would go the fuck away but he looked at her in an entirely different light now. She was no longer the insolent Half-Blood that he'd always thought her to be. She was….something else entirely. Her and those damn green eyes.
Fuck. He was hard again.
He needed to find Parkinson again. Masturbating to the image of the brunette just wasn't going to cut it tonight, that much was certain. It had been a long night and he was in need of some relief. Gilbert had left him wanting more and he was intent on getting some and he was sure his ever faithful Slytherin fuck buddy would be more than happy to oblige to his needs.
"Duty calls, mates," he said as he stood, trying to hide his sudden boner. "Any idea where I can find Pansy?"
Theo laughed loudly and Blaise just rolled his eyes and Draco winked at his friends arrogantly, happy to finally be able to talk to them again and have them understand why he was acting like such a….wanker.
The next day was Saturday and the school was allowed a visit to Hogsmeade for the day, which Anna was extremely thankful for. She needed to pick up a few things and it was going to be nice to get out of the castle for the day with Ginny and Luna. It was going to be a cliché girl's day and Ginny and Luna wanted to go to Gladrags to purchase a dress for the Spring Ball that was being held in two weeks. Of course, they each had a date and Anna didn't but she was more than happy to accompany them and help them pick something out.
The three girls sat at breakfast in the Great Hall that morning with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville, chatting aimlessly about their classes. Neville and Ron were also going to go to Hogsmeade but were planning on going to Dervish and Banges so Neville could repair his wand that he'd somehow manage to chip. Harry and Hermione were staying back at the castle for the day, Hermione to get work done in the library and Harry claimed he had to meet with Dumbledore, which she was sure was true but she didn't ask questions.
Anna didn't dwell on Harry's peculiar reasoning and was focusing on the day that she was going to spend with her friends. She hadn't had a day like that in a while and since her parents died, she hadn't gotten out much.
"Oh I can't wait to see what dresses are there today," said Luna giddily as the girls pulled on their jackets. The morning April air was sure to be a bit chilly so Anna had dressed in a pair of jeans with her favorite blue sweater over top of a white tee.
Ginny nodded in agreement. "Hopefully I've got enough money saved up to buy one. Wouldn't want to attend the dance in one of my old nightgowns."
The girls all laughed together and started to head for exit of the Great Hall when Anna's eyes caught a pair of icy blue iris' staring straight at her. She focused in on Malfoy as he sat at the Slytherin table next to Blaise Zabini. He had a smirk on his defined face and he winked at her as she walked by.
Unable to hide her blush, Anna quickly looked away so she wouldn't be caught staring by her friends. Her mind instantly went back to the night before and what they had done. She knew it was harmless, merely just kisses and small caresses, but her body was still tingling from his touch and she felt like she could still feel his lips on hers. Did he have that effect on all the girls he was with, or was it just her?
He's not with you, stupid, you're just…..
What were they? Could they even consider themselves friends? She wasn't even sure if they'd reached that point yet. Perhaps they were friends in her book but she wasn't even sure if he thought that.
She pushed Draco Malfoy to the back of her mind and focused on her friends. This was going to be a relaxing day of shopping and giggling with her two closest pals.
They went into the shop and her two friends immediately started trying on dresses. Anna knew it was going to be a long day because Ginny didn't like anything and Luna loved them all and wanted to try on the whole store.
She sat outside of the dressing rooms as her friends changed into the dresses and gave her opinion when needed. The girls seemed to be having fun, which meant she was having fun as well, although it was hard to keep her mind from wandering to a long, green dress hanging front and center that reminded her of a certain blonde Slytherin-
"I think you should get a dress, Anna," Luna's voice interrupted Anna's thoughts and the brunette startled out of her daze and looked at her friend who was wearing a purple dress with frills and sparkles covering it and Anna snickered.
"What would I need to get a dress for, I haven't got a date," she told her and Ginny came out of the other room wearing a burgundy colored dress that reached the floor and had a large flower attached to the shoulder. By the look on her cousin's face, Anna could see that she wasn't pleased with it at all.
"This one is terrible," Ginny muttered as she looked in the mirror.
"I quite like it actually," Luna said with a smile.
"It's terrible," Anna confirmed and Ginny sighed, turning around.
"I'll get you a date."
Anna's brow furrowed. "Who could you possibly get that would want to take me to a dance?"
Her meddlesome cousin smirked. "Oh believe me, I'll find someone."
Anna rolled her eyes. "No thanks, I'll pass. I'm sure there's something more interesting I can do on that night anyways."
"Like what?" Ginny asked, putting her hand on her hip.
"Oh please come, Anna, it will be so much fun!" Luna said, looking at her with her large, puppy dog eyes.
Anna sighed. "I'm sure everybody already has a date-"
"Nonsense, I know exactly who I'm going to ask," Ginny told her, grabbing her hand and hauling her up to her feet. "So let's get you a dress, missy!" Anna reluctantly went with her friends to find her own dress, even though she knew it would all be for nothing. Who would want to go with her? If anything they would say yes out of pity for her. The last time Ginny had played 'matchmaker' she ended up going to Honeydukes with Neville and she'd never felt more awkward in her life.
So who was this mysterious person that Ginny was going to ask? She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know.
Anna tried on five different dresses before she finally tried on the green one that she had been looking at before, the one that reminded her of Malfoy. It was simple, yet elegant and that was what Anna loved about it. The silky skirt flowed gracefully down to her feet, flaring out slightly at her hips and then hugging to her torso. Around the bodice was a strip of silver gems that glinted in the lights of the shop. The two straps held up a sweetheart neckline that showed off her slender neck and creamy skin, the color accented her chestnut hair and bringing out her green eyes.
She knew she probably should have picked a different colored dress but there was just something about that one…something that attracted her to it, like a magnet. Almost like Malfoy.
She was satisfied with her choice and she was actually the first of the three to settle on one. Ginny was torn between two dresses that looked almost identical except for the color, one being dark blue, the other lavender. With a little prodding from Anna, she finally chose the purple one and Luna went with a bright red dress that had extra frills and ruffles all over.
The three girls left Gladrags with their dresses in garment bags and smiles on their faces, although Anna was still skeptical about why she had even bought one in the first place. The fact that Ginny was once again trying to set her up on a date had her on edge, her nerves kicking into high gear. She didn't want someone to take her to the dance because they felt bad for her, she didn't want to be a charity case. She wanted someone to want to take her, to want to have fun with her, instead of being forced to have a good time. Godric, she hoped Ginny knew what she was doing.
For the next week, she let herself worry about it until she eventually figured that whoever Ginny had tried asking had refused to take her and that her cousin wasn't telling her because she felt bad. Anna had to admit, she was kind of angry that she'd spent money on a dress that she would most likely never wear. Dresses were never really her style and she didn't go to enough fancy events to need something so elegant.
So she just shrugged it off and tried to act like it didn't bother her much, even though it did. For once, she wanted to be able to do something fun with her friends. They all had dates, Ginny was going with Harry, Hermione with Neville and Luna with Terry Boot. Even Ron was going with Romilda Vane, though Anna had heard that she had a thing for Harry. She really was the only one that didn't have a date and probably wouldn't be attending the dance, as usual. There wasn't anybody that she could think of that she would even want to go with, especially since there was now only three days until the dance.
Well…there may have been one person. A certain blonde wiht blue-grey. But she knew that it wasn't possible. She wished it could be, he was the only person that she could see herself having at least a remotely good time with. At least she hoped they would have a good time. But it didn't matter, it was out of the question, absolutely mad-
"Anna?" a voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to meet the handsome eyes of Michael Corner. He was smiling at her as she was still sitting at her desk in Transfiguration. As she looked around, she noticed that all of her other classmates had left, including Ginny, who usually waited for her, and Michael and her were the only ones in the room. Even McGonagall had left.
"Oh, hello, Michael," she said timidly, her face flushing slightly in embarrassment. She must have been so deep in thought that she hadn't realized that class was over. "Sorry, I was uh….daydreaming."
He chuckled. "I figured as much, which is why I thought it'd be a good idea to wake you. Wouldn't want you to doze off in here and miss supper."
She sighed and stood up to start gathering her books. "Well, thank you for waking me. I swear I get so lost in my thoughts sometimes, it's like I'm in a different world."
He laughed again and helped her put her books into her bag as they shared an awkward silence and Anna could sense that there was an underlying reason as to why he had come to talk to her.
Her thoughts were confirmed when he cleared his throat. "Um, actually Anna, I came to ask you if you would like to come with me to the Spring Ball."
Anna froze for a split second, just long enough to contain her shock and she looked up to meet his eyes as she pulled her satchel around her shoulders. She eyed him cautiously for any signs of teasing and couldn't find any so she cocked a brow.
"What?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"Did Ginny put you up to this?" she asked, settling her hands on her hips.
"No…uh, yes, but let me explain-"
Anna just sighed and waved him off. "It's alright, Michael, I appreciate the effort but I'm not going to force you to go with me, it would be completely selfish," she started heading for the door, intent on finding Ginny and hexing her into next week.
The dark haired boy shook his head quickly. "No, Anna wait it's not like that," he told her, rushing to plant his feet in front of her, blocking her path. "Just listen to me."
"I don't really want to talk about it, Michael," she told him, giving him a small smile. "Thank you for being generous but it's really not necessary. I'll just go by myself-"
"Look, Ginny did tell me that you were looking for a date, but that's all that was said. She didn't tell me to ask you, I decided to do it myself," he explained quickly, his eyes full of hope and Anna relaxed as she took his words in. He sounded like he was telling the truth. "I would never ask someone to go with me if I didn't want to."
Anna blushed again and her eyes flickered away from him. "Really?" she said and he nodded eagerly in answer. "So…..you want me to be your date to the Spring Ball?"
"Yes, of course," he said with another big smile. "Please, will you come with me to the dance this Saturday?"
Anna hardly had any time to think about it because Ginny appeared right then and answered for her.
"Of course she'll go with you, Michael. Meet us near the Gryffindor Common Room, seven o'clock sharp the night of the dance!" she said excitedly, gripping Anna's hand and starting to pull her towards the door.
"Really?" he called after them, looking expectantly at Anna.
Anna really had no other choice but to agree. "Yes, I'll go with you, Michael!" she was able to yell at him as Ginny dragged her out of the classroom. When they were finally out of earshot, she ripped her hand out of her cousin's grasp.
"What the hell was that?" she hissed, glaring at the redhead.
Ginny just shrugged. "Oh don't be such a prat, if I hadn't said yes for you, you never would have," she said and kept walking.
Anna gaped at her and followed after Ginny, desperate to keep up with her pace. "For your information, I was going to say yes before you barged in!"
"Were you?" Ginny asked, obviously not convinced. "It sure didn't look like it to me."
Anna resisted the urge to smack her cousin upside the head. "What if I didn't want to go with Michael?"
"Well you really have no choice now," Ginny told her as they made their way up the stairs towards their dorm. "Or are you going to go back in there and tell him that you were just bluffing about being his date."
Anna rolled her eyes but didn't answer because she knew she wouldn't. Like it or not, she had a date to the dance. Shouldn't she be happy? That's what she wanted, wasn't it? Now she could go to the Spring Ball along with all of her friends and have a good time, something she hadn't had in a while.
This was a good thing. She needed to embrace it and she was determined to do so. The dance was going to be fun and she definitely deserved to have some fun. What could possibly go wrong, right?
