a/n: firstly I am terribly sorry at the delay. My computer is being a douchewaffle. Anyways sorry that Ginny's such a bitch, but she is. *the views of that particular character infuriate me, and do not in anyway reflect my views* anyways. Love you all.

Chapter 21: A Slytherin After All

Draco

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!"

I nearly whimpered at the feeling of Potter pulling away from me. After finally getting what I wanted for all these years, to have it cruelly wrenched away by a poorly placed Weasley. It was unthinkable. My mind was snarling its indignations. But then I saw Harry's face. The dazed "I just kissed my former enemy" look faded quickly to be replaced with a look of acute horror.

Ginny Weasley.

Oh sweet Salzaar. This was not good at all.

"Ginny" Harry replied coolly. I couldn't help but admire how collected he seemed in the face of the fuming woman.

"What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On.?" She all but snarled back at him, her face twitching in anger.

"Well, Ginny, Draco and I are living together, as you probably know, on command of the ministry, and recently we have become friends."

"That certainly didn't look like friendship to me Harry" she sneered his name contemptuously. "And as for you" she started rounding on me. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Just because you're clearly a queer doesn't mean that you need to infect Harry with your ways"

I sputtered furiously for a moment trying to dredge up an appropriate reaction. In the end I didn't need to because Harry stepped protectively in front of me, pushing me towards the door. I could feel his raw magic crackling around me in his anger. When he spoke next he was deathly quiet and calm.

"Draco, I think you should leave, for your own safety. You don't need to hear this."

I reluctantly followed his instructions, slinking out into the hallway. I found a hidden alcove that I could easily view and hear the going-ons without being seen myself. I cast some concealment spells and stood in wait. I could still hear everything clearly as they weren't exactly being quiet.

"Is that what you think this is Ginny? Are you honestly jealous about this? You left me remember. And how dare you insinuate that one being gay is a disease, one you somehow, densely believe in transmittable, and two that Draco was doing anything untoward or taking advantage of me in any way."

She glared furiously at him, and I shivered involuntarily at the intensity of her gaze.

"Why on earth else were you kissing that thing"

He scoffed.

"Honestly Ginny, I think you would have learned by now that insulting my friends is not only an extremely stupid thing to do, but also rather dangerous. I've been known to get rather possessive"

She gaped.

"You would defend that scum, at the cost of hurting me?" she spat furious.

He chuckled darkly.

"As if you could possibly believe that you deserve any of my pity or protection after what you did. Running off with Dean like that."

She floundered, clearly shocked for a moment.

"Oh please Ginny, you knew I would have found out about that. I'm not dense enough to believe that you both just co-incidentally left the country at the same time, right after you left me with no explanation."

She had the nerve to look scolded and apologetic.

"Don't you dare look at me like that! I don't want your fucking pity Ginny."

She inhaled deeply, clearly regaining her fury.

"Oh clearly," she taunted "you look like you've found exactly what you need in this filthy death eater. I hope you at least managed to change the sheets between him and me that you didn't forget in your haste to bed him."

Harry got even quieter in his fury I now had to strain to hear him. The magic was now audibly crackling in the air, if I hadn't been so far away; tucked behind a wall I would have been petrified.

"How dare you insinuate that you had anything at all to do with this? As if I would ever use Draco as a rebound. Plus, apparently you're too dim to realize that he was only released from Azkaban" he visibly cringed at the word "long after you were gone. And not that it's any of your business, but no, I haven't slept with him. He means more than that to me. He isn't some fuck to be used and dropped."

His voice lowered to a whisper, and I almost didn't catch what he said:

"Like you should have been."

Her face darkened to a shade I had previously only had the ability to see on the older weasel in school. Dear me, it seemed all the Weasley's turned that unattractive shade of puce when infuriated.

"What did you say to me" she snarled.

"You heard me Ginny." He raised his eyebrows in challenge. "You were a poisonous bitch who only wanted me for my money and my fame. Don't think I didn't notice you hounding the glory, all the fancy restaurants, and Quidditch games. Don't think I didn't notice you slipping out at all hours of the night, probably to see Dean. But I didn't take notice of that because I thought that I loved and trusted you. Look where that got me. You were power hungry. You never loved me. You loved the idea of me sure, but not me. You loved and fucked the Great Harry Potter but you didn't give a shit about Harry."

Her face softened but remained its hideous puce colour.

"Harry, you know that isn't true."

His quiet temper suddenly snapped the air heavy with his power. He snarled loudly at her.

"Ginny, you would think after all these years, I finally have you figured out." He laughed harshly. "And the Ginny I knew as a boy, before she became a deranged gold digging whore, would have wanted me to be happy."

She sneered. Not a good look on a Weasley I'll tell you.

"And that thing makes you happy?"

He got quiet and serious again.

"Yeah Ginny, he does. Happier than you ever made me. Because unlike you, he gives a shit about Harry and couldn't care less about The Great Harry Potter."

She looked utterly outraged and confused. I could barely hold in my laughter at her facial expression. But I wasn't taking the risk that they realize I was still standing here.

"He can never give you the things you need harry. You know that."

My heart sunk in realization when I understood what she was getting at.

"Who the hell do you think you are, knowing what I need?" he growled.

"I know you need to be loved and comforted, need to be secure, you need family. You need someone who can look after you, but let you look after them too. He can never give you that, any of it."

He laughed humorlessly.

"Shows what you know Ginny. He's been better for me than you ever have. He lets me take care of him like you never did, he's not afraid to admit that he's weak. Not above being human. And I love that about him Ginny. And as far as family goes, I have Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and Hagrid, I don't need you."

She sighed sadly.

"You know that isn't what I meant by family"

"What? You think you're better because you can give me a child? Is that what this is? I love him Gin. That's all that matters."

"Just think about what you're doing Harry, about all the things that he did to you."

"I don't need you to control my life Ginny. Not anymore. You gave that option up when you left."

She sighed.

"I can see that I'm not going to make you see sense, at least not tonight. I think it's best if I leave."

He exhaled slowly.

"I think that's probably a good idea."

She left the room and I felt the magic recede back into harry startlingly fast. He seemed to deflate after his huge fight, collapsing into the sofa. He buried his face in his hands and exhaled deeply.

"holy shit" he murmured.

I sat gently beside him and wrapped an arm around him. He seemed to tense up, only now realizing I was there. He then relaxed into my embrace leaning back and resting his head on my shoulder. I leaned my cheek against his hair and ran my hand soothingly up and down his arm.

"How much did you hear?" he asked quietly.

"What do you think?" I asked amused "I am a Slytherin after all"

He chuckled lowly.

"I should have known you wouldn't leave." He said sadly. "I'm sorry about all that you know. What she said"

I sighed.

"It's not your fault."

We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, processing the fight.

"Did you mean it?" I finally asked hesitantly.

"Mean what?" he asked feigning ignorance.

"You know." I sighed impatiently.

"Yeah, I did" he finally said, slightly reluctantly.

I smiled to myself.

"We should probably go to dinner; the rest of the clan probably wants to know what's going on. Nosy bunch those Weasley's"