Draco Malfoy slipped into the Minister of Magic's office, his gait quiet and stealthy - more learned at other people's houses than at Hogwarts or the Manor, both of which tended towards stone. Gently, quietly, he closed the door behind him. Then he turned around - and froze.
As the Minister's exquisite leather chair pivoted, Draco Malfoy straightened, assuming an arrogant confidence that he never used while sneaking around. Counterproductive. Who was there? Draco's eyes widened as he saw the freckled face of the Weaselette - looking not in the least surprised to see him. Hmph. Draco Malfoy thought to himself, his thoughts dancing madly, scrambling to find purchase. Why was she here?
"Draco Malfoy," Gin Weasley said, with intent eyes, and hands that fiddled with her wand in her lap, the way a cat batted idly at a mouse - prepared at the instant to pounce. Draco's was still up his sleeve, of course - and would stay that way if he had any sense at all.
"Ginevra Weasley, it is my pleasure." Draco Malfoy said, his voice lacking most of his usual flirtatious affect. You didn't greet a warrior the way you greeted a doll, after all - it would be an insult, and would most certainly be treated as such.
"Indeed." Gin said, leaning forward slightly, "Decided to beat the crowd?"
Draco Malfoy shrugged insouciantly, saying simply, "Perhaps."
"Fortunate, that. I've been meaning to have a word with you." Gin Weasley said, pausing slightly. Draco Malfoy said nothing at all, simply arrogantly stood there, waiting - listening. "What are your intentions towards Hermione Granger?" The Weaslette's eyes were steady, almost hard.
Draco Malfoy fought to not stiffen, his mind busy thinking about all manner of things. Possibilities swirled through his head. Trust her. His mind said, and it was rarely wrong. Draco Malfoy leaned forward, slightly, crossing his arms and managing to seem more open despite it all - even the devilish cant to his smirk. "I have no idea." The truth, put plainly, had a tendency to sound like a lie. Or maybe it was just that Slytherins were so rarely entirely honest.
Gin Weasley's eyebrows cocked up, just a tad, and her lips twitched, "Really?" Typical, you can be as honest as you want with a Gryffindor, and they'll never believe you.
"I'm not lying. If I do figure out my "intentions" I'd be happy to let you know." Draco Malfoy said, thinking venomously, She told a Weasley!
"And in return, you want what? I know Slytherins don't offer anything for free." Draco nearly smirked at her words, recognizing the calculating look in her eyes as one that the twins often got - shortly before they made a deal with a Slytherin.
"Don't bother your... traveling companions with distant possibilities." Draco Malfoy said steadily, needing her word on something that the Weaselette had already implicitly agreed to. She was here alone, after all.
"Promise you won't hurt her." Gin said coldly, her eyes cold and sharp as glass.
"I can't do that." Draco Malfoy said, shaking his head, and pausing for a moment - his eyes seeking the left side of the room. Pictures and memorabilia from dozens of Ministers, all in a pile. Too precious to be thrown out, and too stupid to actually display. At last, Draco said, "Hurting her is not a goal of mine and it never will be."
A snort was all the response from Gin, and Draco's eyes sharpened as he spoke, "I can swear to that if you like."
"It's not good enough. You could hurt her incidentally, by happenstance, inadvertently. Lose a pawn, gain a knight."
Draco spun on his heel, walking the whole way to the edge of the room, and then spinning around, "I could. It would have to be for something important." Draco said as he strode forward.
"If you hurt her, you'll hurt ten times worse." Gin Weasley said in a tone that brooked no dissent. Naturally, Draco Malfoy had to oblige.
Giving in to his anger, Draco said, "Why, in all the seven realms, do you think you need to remind me of this? I am a Slytherin, a fact you surely haven't forgotten. I value self-preservation more than your displays of foolish bravado. I already know that." Draco gave a huge sigh, and then said firmly - with a shrewd twinkle in his eye, "You had to say that, didn't you?"
Gin Weasley nodded, before climbing to her feet. As she walked by Draco she turned - her face nearly in his - and said, "I didn't tell her. I'll let you have the honors. Good luck."
As Gin Weasley left the room, Draco heard her say to Blaise Zambini, "Here to keep the Ministry from falling down around our ears? Good. I'll join you."
As the door shut, Draco Malfoy wore the slightest of smiles, thinking, I am so dead meat.
[Last chapter, so write a review. Did I use too much italics? Were the visual scenes too hard to read? Do you want a sequel? Where did I do well, where did I screw up?
I have a few scenes in the sequel already in my head, so if there's enough interest, I may go ahead and write it. (Unlike The Floating World, this one wasn't explicitly supposed to be a prequel).
This one really wasn't planned as more than one loooong conversation, I swear!
There will be a Hufflepuff's guide to Slytherins coming up, so stay tuned!]
