A/N: So sorry for the long wait! I got distracted with college applications and just life. For some reason writing this chapter felt really scary, especially the longer it had been. Last night it just clicked and so I'm back :) Thanks for bearing with me! I hope you enjoy! Please like and review (I LOVE reading your reviews and reactions) if you liked this chapter.
Rumors flew through Hogwarts faster than a firebolt. Apparently Dean had told his friends about Malfoy dismissing him, who then told their friends…
Neville relayed the gossip to me, his ears turning red at some of the racier ones. As I roamed the corridors, I overheard first-years whispering amongst themselves.
"I heard Dean caught her and Malfoy snogging."
"I heard she and Dean broke up over it. And it was a lot more than snogging..."
I had managed to alienate everyone except Neville and Luna. Ron refused to even acknowledge me. When I entered the common room he jumped up off the couch and stormed off. Hermione was off in close pursuit, yelling at him to be reasonable.
The rest of the room lowered their voices, and I felt many accusing eyes on me. I could throttle Dean. Why couldn't he keep his big mouth shut? The Hogwarts rumor-mill could spin a water drop to a monsoon.
I hunkered down on the recently abandoned couch, steaming. That was, until I couldn't take the stares anymore.
"Stop it! All of you! You can't just turn on me because of some stupid rumors! I've done nothing, and if I had, it wouldn't be any of your business." I let out in a furious breath.
"What about Dean? How could you betray him for Draco Malfoy? Don't you know what, or should I say WHO his family supports? Slytherins have called some of the people here mudbloods more than they can count," refuted a particularly furious Seamus. Was this turning into a full-blown Slytherin witch hunt? Because I had a potions test and I didn't have time for this BS.
"Let's get one thing for damn sure. I have never dated nor plan to date Dean or Malfoy. Get off that high horse Seamus and your thinly veiled shaming. I'm working so hard to get back on OUR house team that I don't have time for all these dramatics. Least of all an inter house affair." The room quieted in acceptance, I prayed for this to be over. The past couple weeks had been torturous.
Most of my fury was fueled not from Seamus or Dean, but my hurt at Malfoy's rejection. It stung more than I care to admit. Though I didn't have the time for the consequences of my attraction, I had come close to throwing it all away for Malfoy.
There it was. A tiny letter scrawled on my assessment, so small it seemed as if the writer couldn't believe it either. My first A in potions this year. I peeked up, hiding my grin as I heard gasps and groans ring out as Snape handed out our tests. Instinctively, I looked over at Malfoy who was laughing at Crabbe's paper, which I'm sure is a record low score. When Malfoy started to turn towards me, I flicked my head away so he doesn't catch me staring. Just because I miss our, well, whatever it was, doesn't mean I'm not still furious with him. If not for my pride, I'd run over there with my paper and leap into his arms.
Instead, I shook my paper in front of Harry, grinning.
"Look!" I waved the paper right under his nose. He peered over his oval glasses, squinting. Merlin, that boy has terrible eyesight. After a moment he looks back up at me with a grin.
"Brilliant, Ginny!" As my recent potions partner he knew how hard I had been working for this. He pulled me in for a hug and I leaned in, grateful for the support. Over his shoulder I spotted Malfoy rolling his eyes and tossing me a disgusted look. As I pulled away from the hug I heard the screech of wooden stool against stone. There was Malfoy huffing off. What, he can have a date to the ball but Harry can't hug me? I do not understand him.
To tell the truth, I would rather be potions partners with Malfoy and have him to smile over my score with. If he wasn't determined to hurt and confuse me, that is.
"What an arse! If I stormed off like that after a bad grade, Snape would have me cleaning Mrs. Norris' litter box." He nods towards the door Malfoy exited. I don't bother correcting him that Malfoy surely received a higher grade than either of us. Instead, I use the segue to pique my curiosity.
"I hear he's got a ball date. Wonder who's unlucky enough to go with him?" I hoped Harry could not see right through my careful facade. Phew, he laughed and scrunched his face in thought.
"I reckon he's got bigger problems than a ball date, what with his father in Azkaban." My eyes widened in shock and Harry nodded in reconfirmation.
"Bloody hell." I slipped out. How had I not known? I suppose burying myself in textbooks the past months had kept me out of the Daily Prophet loop.
"Merlin knows Lucius deserves worse than that. It's only a matter of time before Draco joins him, I bet. The death eater apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Harry released this accusation with a dark satisfaction in his tone.
I stiffened, my mouth begging to betray a string of defenses for Malfoy. To defend the boy who tutored me and tried to take the blame for me when Snape gave us detention. I surprised myself, finding that my protectiveness over him was greater than my anger at him.
"Do you truly believe that?" Harry must have heard the hum of venom in my words because he studied me with concern.
"Do you not, Ginny? He has always been evil."
How could I have harbored feelings for Harry for so long? His opinions were so severe, as if we were all bound to repeat our parents' mistakes. I guess the 'Chosen One' doesn't believe there's good in everyone after all. What happened to all his love and friendship hogswallop?
"Just because someone doesn't have good influences doesn't make them evil. I, for one, believe people have the capacity for good and change." I felt my face heating up and realized I should go before I went on further and revealed my deeper feelings for Malfoy. I wouldn't want to start another set of rumors.
I walked out of the classroom without a backwards glance, leaving Harry tongue tied. My head floated faraway from the bustling hallway around me, only aware enough to feel relief at no sight of a certain blonde.
Wouldn't want him to think I had a crush or something on him. Now that would be silly.
Not so silly, my brain refuted.
Ugh, what was I turning into?! I cursed Malfoy under my breath for whatever spell he had put me under.
Draco Malfoy was painfully hot tonight.
He was clad in all black, silk robes over a black button up. His heavy silver ring glinted under the twinkling lights set up in the great hall. Charmed snowflakes descended from the starry ceiling, turning into designs of dancers when they hit the floor. I watched some snowflakes fall, their essence becoming a man and woman twirling across the wood, his hands never leaving her waist.
When my eyes returned to him, Malfoy was closer to me, his ringed hand grasping a goblet of eggnog. He eyes the bottom of my black slip dress and lets his gaze follow the slit I cut all the way up my thigh. Finally, he met my gaze, cheeks flushed.
"Don't fancy dancing?" he asked, taking a slow sip.
"After my toes being stomped on far too many times, I would rather watch the disaster." I leaned back against the wall and tilted my head towards the dance floor, where our classmates were gyrating to the upbeat song.
Malfoy followed my gaze over, before grimacing good-naturedly.
"Shouldn't you be over there, embarrassing yourself with your date?" I couldn't help the bitterness in my tone. He arched a brow and edged closer to me. I peered around, nervous someone might see us. Luckily, the darkness and the music were to my advantage; no one paid Malfoy and I any mind.
"Oh, no need to worry about Pansy. She rather enjoys the attention of dancing with other people's dates." At my glare, he added, "she was only here as a distraction anyway." As if that makes it any better.
"Do you think it charming to use people in your own personal chess game?" I snapped. He took another step closer to me, now close enough that we shared the air between us. I put out a hand on his chest to stop him from coming closer, but couldn't stop the ache in my heart.
"My own personal chess game, huh? How absolutely clever of me to come with a friend since the girl I would rather dance with would be caught dead before being seen with me." Did he mean- no. There was no way. Yet, I could feel his heart pounding under his shirt. Malfoy makes a show of looking around him.
"Good thing no one is here, Weasley, otherwise you might have to defend your Gryffindor honor by telling me to go fuck off." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Oh heck no, he didn't get to reproach me when he had led me on then rejected me.
"Let me remind you that you were the one who refused to come with me to the ball. You don't get to just decide how everyone is going to act before they do!" I huffed, stomping my heeled foot and wishing it had made a more resounding sound. Malfoy's narrowed eyes glinted.
"Prove it. Dance with me." He outstretched an arm, palm hanging up towards me.
"Fuck you." I crossed my arms. Of course I couldn't. My house would burn me at the stake. And that would be after Ron killed me. "Ugh. Fine. You have a point, but you don't have to be such an asshole about everything. You could have just told me why." He shook his head and chortled.
"Now, now, Pet, half the fun is pissing you off." I gave him a light shove with my hand, to which he held a hand over his heart, feigning betrayal.
He pulled out his wand from beneath his robe and cast a charm over the snowflakes in front of us. They twisted and turned until I gasped at the two eye masks forming midair. He pulled them out of midair and laid one delicately over my face, before placing his own. I lifted my hands up, feeling the icy disguise on my skin. He does not stop there, charming our hair brown to make us less discernible.
"Now, will you dance with me?" He outstretched his arm once more. The slight color of his cheeks were the only indication of nerves from his otherwise steely exterior.
"I promise I won't step on your toes." he winked. I laughed, reaching for his hand.
Goosebumps traveled up my arm from where our hands met up towards my shoulder. My stomach released a swarm of butterflies in response to the touch. Malfoy traced small circles with his thumb over my palm while leading me to the middle of the dance floor.
My arm rested on his shoulder, the other remaining in the comfort of his hand. His other hand encircled my waist, spreading heat across my back. We waltzed to our own rhythm, the upbeat song around us fading as I followed the tempo of his body against mine. My ankle wrapped around his calf as he pulled me closer. Malfoy dipped me backwards with a protective hand under my neck. He stopped there for a moment before lifting me, and my eyes widened at the lust I found in his. We continued across the floor, spinning across like the room was only ours. We got confused looks from other students moving out of our way as we continue, but I couldn't care less. I let Malfoy lead us, while I soaked in the heat of his hand splayed across my waist and thumb over my hip.
I wished I could capture this moment and carry it around with me. Capture the way the icy snowflakes fell on his face, or the twinkling lights captured his stone-cut features. Wished I could tattoo across myself the feeling of Malfoy holding me, of falling and knowing his strong, lean arms would catch me. Or the way I didn't have to reach out to know our hearts were beating in tune.