A/N: Hello, lovelies! I decided to give you another chapter because I feel horrible for leaving you without one for so long! So, here it is. Chapter nine!

Enjoy! :)

Chapter Nine

Dinner was great, once I got past my little green monster. We all laughed and joked, and I even felt Draco's gaze on me more than a few times, which helped cool my jealousy. He didn't look at Hermione or Ginny the way he looked at me.

We all left the Great Hall in high spirits, wanting to go hang out by the Great Lake before we had to get started on homework. However, Seamus, Dean, Harry, and Ron had other plans. As soon as we walked out of the Great Hall Hermione, Ginny, and I were grabbed by Ron, Harry, and Dean, and Seamus grabbed Malfoy by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

"Shay! What are you doing?" I yelled, trying to shake Dean off me.

"Trying to find out what his plans are!" he yelled back. Ginny was fighting off Harry and Hermione had already broken free from Ron and had her wand against his throat.

"What's your game, Ferret?" Shay asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, Seamus? That was four years ago. Give it up," I said. He pointed his wand at me.

"Shut up, Arianna," he said. Draco wasn't happy about that.

"Hey! Watch where you point that wand, Finnigan! She hasn't done anything wrong!" Shay turned back to Draco, pointing his wand against his throat, but Draco was already angry. He wrenched himself free from Shay's grasp and reversed their positions, pointing his wand at Shay.

"First off," Draco began, "You, Potter, Weasley, and Thomas are going to apologize to these girls for handling them inappropriately. Second you're going to apologize to Ari for being a prick. Understood?" Seamus didn't say anything until Malfoy pushed his wand harder against his neck.

"Fine! Fine, I'm sorry! Let them go!" I was released from Dean's grasp, and Ginny from Harry's, but Hermione had already shot an Incarcerus at Ron, and he was lying on the floor. I turned and smacked Dean, leaving a red mark on his cheek. He was clearly shocked, but I didn't care. I walked over to Seamus and Draco, pushing Draco out of the way and pointing my wand at Seamus.

"You'd better stay away from me, Finnigan," I said through my teeth, "unless you want your taste buds in your arse." I turned on my heel, grabbing Draco by the shirt and pulled him along with me.

I could hear Ginny yelling at the four boys, but I knew she and Hermione could handle them. Once we got to a deserted hallway I shoved Draco against the wall.

"What was that—" I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. He seemed shocked at first, but responded. I flicked my tongue across his bottom lip and he returned the gesture, and I willingly opened my mouth for him.

He tasted sweet and I loved it. His tongue explored my mouth and I completely forgot about Seamus or Dean or whoever else there was. I loved the feel of his mouth on mine, and I was extremely disappointed when I had to pull away to take a breath. That didn't stop him, though. He simply kissed his way down my jaw and neck, leaving soft love bites.

"Draco," I moaned when he gently bit the sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder. I felt him smile against my skin and he kissed his way back up my neck, across my jaw, and to my lips. He gently pressed his lips against mine once, twice, three times.

"Arianna," he said, leaning his forehead against mine. "Thanks for defending me. I'm sorry about those idiots."

"Who?" I asked, still in a daze from his kiss. He chuckled softly and I felt shivers go down my spine.

"Seriously, Ari. I'm really sorry," he murmured against my lips.

"Nothing to be sorry for," I said between kisses. "My choice." He kissed me slowly.

"Perhaps it's the wrong one," he said, pulling away. I frowned and shook my head. "I don't want you to lose your friends because of me. I'm not worth it."

"Stop that!" I said, putting my hands on either side of his head, forcing him to look at me. "I don't care about them right now. I… I care about you. You matter to me. You're worth it, Draco." I pressed my lips to his again, desperate to show him.

"What are you doing to me, witch?" he asked. I laughed.

"You don't know? I've got a spell on you, of course," I said airily.

"Of course," he smiled, and kissed me again.

Then Ginny ran up to us.

"Whoa," she said. "Sorry for interrupting this snog session, but Headmistress McGonagall wants us all in her office."

"Oh, fuck," Draco said.

Oh, fuck is right.

xXx

"What on earth were the eight of you doing fighting?" she yelled. We all hung our heads. Well, all of us except Ginny, of course. The girl knows no bounds.

"These idiots jumped us and Seamus threatened Draco, Headmistress. Honestly, I don't what their problem is." McGonagall just stared at them, expecting an answer. Seamus provided one.

"Our problem is that stupid Death Eater!"

"Seamus!" I yelled. "What the hell? He is not a Death Eater!"

"Says you! He's probably got some spell on you!" I laughed at the irony of the statement.

"You're such a prick, Shay! Ari's got the right to date whoever she wants!"

"So you're dating him now?" Ron cut in.

"It's none of your business, Ronald!" Hermione yelled at him.

"Bollocks! It is our business, right Harry?" Ron looked at the black-haired boy.

Harry was silent.

"Harry!" Seamus, Dean, and Ron yelled at the same time.

"Guys," Harry said in his "you're not going to like this" voice. "I just think that if Ari, Ginny, and Hermione can all trust him, he can't be that awful."

The room was silent for two seconds. Then Seamus, Ron, and Dean started yelling so fast and loud that I couldn't decipher it.

"ENOUGH!" McGonagall screamed. The room fell silent instantly. "Weasley, Thomas, Finnigan. Stay here. The rest of you: out!" We didn't need to be told twice.

Once outside McGonagall's office, Ginny was kissing Harry's face enthusiastically. "Oh, thank you, Harry! I knew you'd see it our way!" Harry smiled and gently removed Ginny from his person.

"You're welcome, love, but I didn't do it for you," he said, kissing her on the forehead before turning towards me and Draco. "I did it for him. I know what it's like to be hated just because someone said some things about you. And I trust my girls," he looked at me, Gin, and 'Mione. "But know this, Malfoy. If you hurt any of them, you'll be at the top of my shit list. Got it?"

Draco stared at him for a moment then held out a hand. Harry took it. "Got it."

xXx

Draco walked with us up to the Gryffindor common room so he could say goodnight. The others entered, not bothering to be quiet with the password as they knew the Fat Lady would change it once he was gone.

"Ari," Draco said once they were gone. I looked up into his light grey eyes.

"Yes?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't try to apologize again. He'd done so seventeen times since we left the Headmistress' office.

"Thank you," he said, hugging me close. He buried his face in my hair so his next words were muffled, but I got the gist: "You've saved me." I didn't answer; I simply hugged him back, as close to me as possible without squeezing the air from him.

After a few minutes, he pulled away, rather abruptly.

"Draco? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. I didn't need to worry, though; he was smiling. "What is it?"

"Something you said earlier… Do you really know a spell to put someone's taste buds in their arse?"