Working for the Dragon

Chapter 11. Stranger

A drink was what I needed and a drink was what I had.

Of course, it was an ordinary drink though, no cherry martinis for me for a long time.

Pumpkin juice.

Yep, I hated it. But apparently, that was all that I could find. Plus, I couldn't risk myself getting drunk and waking up in the morning with a hell of a hangover or worse, in someone else's bed.

I pushed the thoughts that were making me run a mile mentally, away.

Did I ever mention that I absolutely cannot do alcohol? Despite my love for cherry martinis which mind you, I only down them when I am depressed or in shock.

Which in my case, you couldn't blame me. Okay, I don't want to think about it.

Don't think about him. Don't think about him. Don't think about him.

Argh!

I'm failing miserably.

Okay, how about... Pickles.

Harmless, delicious pickles. Yum. Plain pickles, pickles in a sandwich, pickles in hamburgers, pizzas... Mmmm... Draco Malfoy biting on a pickle, yum!

Did I just think imagine Draco Malfoy ravishing a pickle with his mouth?

Awww... man. Why does that thought sound so perverted?

I banged my head against the wall in frustration, moaning out loud and wincing when I hit a little too hard.

Why? Oh why?

"Careful now, Weasel, I don't want you losing whatever's left of your intellect to the wall." Draco Malfoy's voice taunted me like nails scratching against a chalkboard.

Not that his voice was anything like that, thank you very much.

His voice was soft, smooth, low, seductive...

"I'm hallucinating" I spoke aloud in assurance to myself that I wasn't going crazy.

"Really?" An amused voice broke me out of my miserable reverie.

I opened my eyes only to find the object of my misery watching me with a bemused expression.

"I am hallucinating!" I wailed in despair turning back in vain attempts to dig a hole in the pillar with my head, banging my goblet void of pumpkin juice against the wall.

"Weas... Ginny..." He shook me gently, now alarmed.

I tried to look avoid his concerned gaze but failed because he tipped my face towards his with one hand and confiscated my goblet with another.

My eyes welled with tears of annoyance and paranoia. I really couldn't understand what was wrong with me today.

Gripping on to me strongly with one hand, he sniffed the goblet suspiciously.

"Have you been drinking?" He demanded.

I nodded my head, saying 'yes' to his question.

"What?" He interrogated.

"Pumpkin juice." I sniffed, trying my hardest not to let my tears of chagrin fall.

He sighed, exasperatedly.

"That's not what I meant, silly."

"Then?" I looked at him, utterly clueless suddenly aware of our proximity to one another. I could feel the hardness of his muscles against my shoulders.

He shook his head, "Nothing, nevermind. Are you feeling alright though?"

He gave me a once-over as though checking to see if I had gotten hurt or something.

He even raised my hands to check to see if I had grazed myself or anything like that. I stared at him in awe.

I couldn't believe it; Draco just pressed his palm against my forehead to check if I was running a temperature.

"You know what, I think..." He started.

"No." I replied before he could even continue.

If it weren't juvenile for him to roll his eyes, he probably would.

"As I was saying, you look peaky, but vitally, you're fine." He examined me for my reaction.

"What are you a doctor now?" I retorted sarcastically.

I don't think he expected me to be rude. "You know what, take the day off." He said abruptly. A hint of emotion flickered in his silver eyes.

That wasn't very nice of me was it?

As he walked off, I felt my heart piling up with guilt.

"Draco! Wait!" I rushed after him, my goblet clanking down on the floor and echoing throughout the empty corridors.

He stopped, looking at me ambivalently.

"I'm sorry." I breathed out apologetically. "I don't know what's wrong with me today. Really. I just..." I paused, wondering how on earth I should phrase my words without giving him a hint.

"Am not feeling well." He completed my sentence for me.

I nodded my head, relieved. Even though suddenly my throat was dry, oh no! The waterworks!

To my surprise, he gave me a tight hug. I froze in his arms for a minute there but finally gave in when I felt the one thing I craved the most coursing through my veins. Comfort.

My mind was clouded with his signature cologne, his musky yet citrusy scent while my head rested on his chest. It was sort of intimate, yet I liked it.

Draco Malfoy made me feel protected, safe.

And suddenly, as though he was struck by lightning, he pulled away, looking all awkward.

"You looked like you needed a hug." He shrugged, as though that explained everything.

I felt a small smile building on my cheeks even though my mind was screaming for help.

"Thank you, Draco."

He shrugged again, as though it was no big deal. Like he sat there giving people hugs every spare minute of his life.

"You can go home now. It's to be a half day anyway." He said wryly.

I nodded my head. On a normal day, I would have rejected the offer however today was different.

Today, I needed to clear my head desperately.

"Get some rest. You need it." He touched my cheek, his warm skin sending tingles down my spine before walking off.

I felt as though I just got shocked as I stared right after him in dismay.

How is it that someone so usually infuriating could have such an effect on me?

Walking down the path that led to home, I tried my best to clear my thoughts with fresh, cold air which practically burnt my nose. I was lost in my own thoughts, my world of daydreams.

Oh hell no, I was pondering.

It was dark outside and even though there were colourful fairy lights lit up for Christmas and the New Year's, I could barely see. Even then though, I couldn't be bothered to use my wand.

A sudden movement under the dim light caught my eye, nearly giving me a coronary. I stood rooted to the ground aware that there was another presence. I could feel my hairs standing in fear.

My thoughts were racing as fast as a Ferrari in an F1 race, my heart thumping like drums at a rock concert.

Mentally, I was encouraging myself. "C'mon, Ginny! You're a Gryffindor. Courageous and brave."

A sly voice though, on the other hand reminded me that the Sorting Hat did malfunction when sorting me. I'm part Slytherin.

The little devil popped since the angel wand and before I knew it, I lit my wand and pointed it at the direction from where I noticed movement earlier.

"Lumos"

Guess what? I was just in time to see the black figure retreating stealthily.

"Wwwho is there?" I called out, trying not to show my fear. My teeth chattered and I couldn't tell if it was because I was afraid or I was cold. Somehow though, I got the feeling that it was a mixture of both.

I followed the figure, stomping, not at all silent in the snow. I was crazy, I know.

Internally, I was shooting all kinds of profanities to myself.

"Stop right there!" I know, I know. I might as well have yelled "Freeze" like on American TV and saved my breath right?

Oh great, I forgot that I was a witch and I could have shot a stunning spell.

That's what exile did to people I guess.

We reached a dead end in a dark alley, the kind where you could find the regular dumpsters. That figure was all mine.

I was about to stun it but it got me first. It disapparated right before my very eyes with that 'pop' sound.

To say that I was stunned was really ironic since moments earlier I had wanted to stun the very figure.

Finally recovering I whispered in a huff, "Well asshole, I hope you got splinched."

Yes, that was mean, I know.

While I was 'shadowing' that figure, ah, the irony! I was not aware of the path that I had taken. Now that it had disappeared into the thin, misty air, I had all the time in the world left to discover.

I was in Knockturn Alley, I realised as I walked out of that dark, deserted alley. It was just the kind of place where I'd picture people taking a whiff of crack or dope. Whatever they called it these days.

The last time I walked down Knockturn Alley, I had seen something too. Was this mere coincidence?

As it was the eve of New Year's, I wasn't alone on the most notorious street in London. Drunken people lay unconscious on the icy sidewalk. I saw the most utterly creepy looking women whom I presumed were sex workers by their lack of certain clothing despite the frosty weather.

Hell, there was even sexual activity going on, I happened to unfortunately glance at this half-drunk, unshaven practically homeless looking man grope the breasts of this... well... sexually deprived looking woman.

And she looked like she was in the middle of an orgasm. They devoured each other like wolves in the middle of the street. There was constant cheering and yelling, the illegal pubs were in an uproar of chaos. It was illegally lively and the last place that young girls like me should have been at this hour.

Not that it was midnight or anything, it was just dark. Really dark, the fact that it was winter didn't help at all. During winter, the nights were long and the days were short.

It could have been five o'clock in the evening for all I knew. I had forgotten to wear my watch today.

Choosing to remain unnoticed by the creeps of the magical society, I walked quietly towards a pub I vaguely recognised that signified the end of the infamous street.

Boy was I glad that I was reaching the Leaky Cauldron. I shivered against the cold, my breath leaving little puffs of mist in the air.

Out of nowhere something grabbed me and pushed me, my head slamming against the brick wall with a hard impact. I barely had time to react, and all I saw now was stars.

"Where do you think you are going, my sweet?" A greasy voice asked me lazily.

I tried to blink against the bright light, trying to fight against it. I could feel my head spinning with dizziness.

Horror flowed within my veins as soon as I realised that I was helpless against this hobo or whatever he was.

I could feel his smelly, drunken, hot breath on my neck as I struggled aimlessly. I don't know what he wanted and at the rate things were going, I didn't think I would ever find out.

"Get away from me, yyyoou... bbbeeasst." My words slurred, the impact on my head was just too much, earlier.

The last thing I remember was receiving a stinging slap on my face before I fell into unconsciousness.

...

...

I felt sprinkles of what felt like iced water on my face.

"Go away, Fred...I want to sleep. My head hurts." I moaned and curled up against something that was really warm and comfortable.

"Er... You might want to ...erm... open your eyes, lady." A deep accented and completely unfamiliar voice said uncertainly.

"Huh?" My eyes fought against the light groggily. Everything came flashing right back to me as I stared into the brown eyes of a stranger.

Drowsily, I mumbled, "I suppose this is the part where I flutter my eyes and go all, 'My hero' for saving my life, huh?"

I couldn't be bothered to hear what he had to say as my head felt too heavy but as I closed my eyes, I heard laughter.

Knowingly or not, I trusted that I was in good hands.

My fellow minions, (I watched Megamind)

Ollo! ;)

Has anyone realised that my chapters are getting shorter as we get closer to the action?

Ginny is a lil' overly dramatic in this chapter. Her emotions are haywire. Trust me; it takes very little just to rile your emotions. She is confused, she doesn't understand why does Draco suddenly appear so utterly, butterly delicious to her and she is blaming it on her loneliness.

So guess who is the new stranger who saved our little damsel in distress?

So anyway, I finally watched HP7, two weeks ago with my bestfriend. Love it, it was bloody amazing! I teared a lil' when Dobby died. :(

So well, this chapter is for Dobby, the free houself. ;) R.I.P

Christmas is coming and my holidays start this Friday! :D I can't wait to rejuvenate. :D

Happy Holidays everyone!

Review please! :D