Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hard Truths

Ginny's expression must have warned Theo and Blaise, her guards for the day, of her current mind-set. They didn't comment, merely followed her out and through the castle.

She was furious.

First, Draco ignored her for a week, and then just when they'd been making progress, he did it again only the second time was three weeks. But, what currently had her so damn angry was his attitude this morning. Chatting about following her like she couldn't bloody well take care of herself. With that in mind, she stopped half-way to the pitch.

"You two collect your Housemates and bugger off."

Theo winced and Blaise opened his mouth as if he was going to protest.

"Don't try it, Blaise. That is unless you want hexed for Draco's high-handed behavior?"

He shook his head fervently. "But, Snape, Ginny, he'll hex us to death if we don't follow orders."

Theo took a big step back. "We know he was an arse, but don't take it out on us."

Ginny pulled her wand. "I will hex you both, though I might feel a tad guilty about it afterwards. I'm certain I can handle the guilt, now go."

Theo shrugged and resumed the walk to the pitch while she and Blaise faced off. She knew that if she looked as angry as she felt, he was more stubborn than she thought he was. Wisdom and precedence should have had him running scared. "You'll want to run off now. I'm not in the mood for dealing with high-handed, overprotective men at the moment."

"Don't you get it?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Get what?"

Blaise sighed, shooting her an unreadable look. "Draco's had a thing for you for years. I've been watching you, you know. If it had been anyone, except maybe Daphne, that Weasel King hit…Draco would have hexed them and been done with it. You matter to him, more than anyone else I'd guess. He finally stopped being a sodding bastard and how do you repay him for it?"

Ginny huffed, pushing back the guilt his words had caused. "I hate being coddled! I'm not a simpleton, nor do I need someone protecting me! I can protect myself and have done so for years now, you know."

Blaise glared, hard. "I know that! Hell, anyone with half a brain knows that! Draco knew it from the beginning, don't you see?"

"See what?" she snarled, her already short patience disappearing rapidly.

Blaise threw his hands up. "You have to step back sometime. You want it both ways and it doesn't work that way, Ginny! You can't expect Draco to just step back and sit on his hands all the time. You've compromised, we all know it. But, you're not thinking about is how much Draco compromised. Hell, the row I heard about on the train should have convinced you that he respected you and your ability to handle anything thrown at you! I'm bloody well done with this. You figure what the sodding hell you want and then tell Draco. I've got things to think about."

She stood their slack-jawed as he stomped away towards the lake. She'd never seen Blaise like this. Was he right? Too confused to try and figure it out, she hurried to the pitch as not to be late. It would be interesting to see if anyone showed up.

-dgdgdgdg-

"We have to leave."

Mia snorted. "My arse is stuck to the bench until every last Gryffindor leaves."

"Same goes," Chris said warily. "Why the bloody hell would you expect us to leave?"

Theo plopped onto the bench. "Ginny ordered us gone and she's definitely not joking around about it. Draco brassed her off. You missed that screaming match. Anyway, Slytherins aren't on her good side at the moment. Potter and the rest of the team seem alright with her now at any rate."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Not happening, she can hex me until I'm out cold if she wants me gone that badly. I'm not facing Snape's wrath over their spat."

"Ginny's is worse," Theo reminded them.

"No," Chris corrected him, "Snape and Draco's together is worse. Until one of them tells me that my presence is no longer required, I stay."

Theo shrugged. "It's your funeral. I'm not going far, but she won't see me. Happy hexing, hope you both like the hospital wing."

He hurried away, tucking up under the stands with a perfect view of the entire pitch. This was the place the Slytherins had always spied on the Gryffindor practices. Then he looked around, not seeing Blaise anywhere. Now where did he run off to?

-dgdgdgdg-

Draco wasn't sure what he should do. If he sought Ginny out, she'd likely hex him. But, if he didn't, wouldn't that be just as bad? He was trying, damn it to hell and back. I thought we finally had this figured out. Is this how it will always be, getting along only between horrendous rows? Though, this one wasn't as bad as it could have been. I wasn't trying to make her angry. I simply wanted to…hell…prove myself.

Disgusted that he couldn't even admit what was going on, truly going on, even to himself, Draco stormed towards the pitch. Ginny could hex him all she damned well wanted to. He wasn't going to risk her, not when he finally understood just how much she meant to him.

-dgdgdgdg-

Ginny took to the air, flying over to where team, sans Ron, was gathered. "I assume this means that he took you seriously?"

Natalie snickered. "He sure did. You missed the groveling. Though, Colin did get pictures."

"Let's try to keep the discord off the pitch," Harry suggested lightly. "Chasers to the far end, practice your formations. The rest of us will be assessing the ones who want to try for the Keeper position. When we find someone good enough, I'll call you down. Any questions?"

"I have one!"

Ginny hissed, quite literally. She damn well knew that voice. She looked down and her suspicions were confirmed. She had her wand in hand the moment she realized that Parvati Patil really had the stones to show up and try to start a row. "What the ruddy hell do you want, slag?"

"Pot this is kettle, you're black," Parvati quipped.

Ginny moved to hex her, but someone was quicker. She hadn't even seen where the stunner had come from, it had all happened too fast. While disappointed at not doing it herself, she did laugh until she was forced to land or risk falling off her broom.

"Oh Merlin, where is Colin when you need him?" Natalie inquired sweetly, landing next to Ginny. "Did you do that?"

"No, though someone deserves a gift for it."

They both turned at the sound of uproarious laughter, from under the Gryffindor stands. As if by silent agreement, they dropped their brooms and hurried over to the stands. Half-way there, Harry landed and came with them. The laugher had turned almost hysterical by the time they reached the stands.

Ginny looked in and fell right on her arse with shock, laughing almost as hard as the perpetrator was.

"NEVILLE?" Harry screeched, before he too burst out laughing.

"Good one," Natalie added through her laughter as she dropped next to Ginny.

"I-I've…," Neville trailed off. He waved his hand towards Parvati and sputtered, "Years!"

Dean was next to arrive. "Did you do that, Neville?"

At Dean's wicked little grin, all four of them started laughing even harder than before which Ginny previously thought was impossible. Soon, the entire team was sprawled out, laughing loudly. It was just so improbable and one hell of a shock.

-dgdgdgdg-

Theo glared and then he chuckled as Patil fell before he could get a spell off. He watched closely as Ginny and McDonald were joined by Potter. It may look all amusing at the moment, but he wouldn't let his guard down. He lurched forward when Ginny fell, only halting when her laughter rang out across the pitch.

"What the ruddy hell is going on?" Draco asked, startling Theo.

"Shit, make some noise next time," he hissed. "Patil thought she'd start trouble and as you can hear, Longbottom stunned her for her trouble."

"Isn't that what you're here for?" Draco snarled.

Theo glared. "Don't you dare take it out on me, Draco. Longbottom obviously had a set plan in mind, which allowed him to move quicker than even Ginny."

Draco leaned against the pillar. "Fine, I take it Weasel King didn't bother showing up?"

Theo leaned against the other pillar and shrugged. "Enjoy the show provided and figure out how to get back in Ginny's good graces, leave Weasel King to the rest of us." Then he jolted. "Wait, how did you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't," Draco drawled dryly. "I simply thought it best that Ginny not hex me in front of the entire Gryffindor team. You just happened to be here, though you'd best have a good reason as to why that is."

"Ginny told Blaise and me to bugger off. You really got her angry."

"It was unintentional, I assure you. Where is Blaise?"

Theo winced. "I ran when she said to and he stayed. I heard them yelling at each other. I didn't dare go back and see what they were yelling about. It was likely his refusal to leave that set it all off."

Theo watched as Draco turned his attention back to the pitch, or rather, back on Ginny. He had to admit that he'd never seen Draco looking so…confused… lost…hell whatever it was, it was something not usually associated with Draco. "One word."

"What are you on about, Theo?"

Theo smirked. "One word that comes to mind when you watch Ginny like you are right now. The first one that comes to mind. Don't think, just answer."

"Content."

That Theo hadn't been expecting. "How and why?"

Draco shrugged lightly. "Because she does, make me content I mean."

Theo was speechless as Draco turned on his heel and walked off, whispering as he passed, "Anything happens to Ginny and you'll wish her brothers got to you first."

All Theo could do was stand there.

He quite simply didn't know what to do or say.

-dgdgdgdg-

Blaise paced around the lake, hoping not only to duck Draco's temper for doing as Ginny asked, but to clear his head as well. His thoughts were so confusing and muddled lately that some days he wondered why the hell he bothered to get out of bed, his empty bed. Which is part of the problem that much is obvious, but what to do about it? Can I do anything about it?

"Damn it all," he muttered irritably. "Why is everything mucked up this term?"

He shoved his hands through his hair and sat cross-legged on a large rock. He looked out over the lake wondering just why everything seemed to be going to hell in a hand basket.

"Haven't we all dealt with enough already?"

When he received no answer, Blaise buried his face in his hands, at a complete loss as to what he was supposed to do.