Disclaimer:
A/N:
Ginny wrung her hands as she approached the doors to the Great Hall. She felt very foolish all of a sudden. There was Lavender Brown dressed like genie - a very slutty genie. There wasn't much left to the imagination with that costume. Ginny unconsciously pulled down the hem of her pristine, white dress. It didn't matter. The boys were so riveted by the sight of Lavender's breasts they didn't pay any attention to little Ginny.
Damn costume, she thought. Damn ball. Damn Halloween. Why couldn't they just have a normal feast like they did every year?
* * * * *
Why couldn't they have a normal feast like they did every year?
Draco rolled his eyes. God, how ridiculous everyone looked. As if he were going to be fooled into thinking that Pansy Parkinson was a virtuous princess. She kept batting her eyelashes at him, like a coat of paint could make an old house new.
He inched father away from Crabbe and Goyle, who were dressed as Knights. Except, their armor was too heavy and they kept knocking each other over. Perhaps if he got far enough away he could forget that he knew them. Or perhaps the earth would swallow him up right then and there.
Draco found himself aching for the incredibly dull parties his mother threw. At least no one ever tried to make him wear silly hats then. He had refused to wear a costume. Professor Snape was the only other person who had opted to wear plain, black robes to the festivities. Their eyes met briefly. Snape was just as horrified as Draco was. His statement read plainly: kill me now.
He glanced around the room again, becoming more depressed with humanity every moment. Was no one sane in this school? The Headmaster, fittingly dressed as a clown, was dancing with Professor Sprout, who wore a large pumpkin suit that made it hard for her to move properly. She kept banging into the other partiers.
Over at the Gryffindor end, Colin Creevey was taking massive amounts of pictures. Draco snorted. What icing atop the cake: not only did they look like idiots, now the moment would be immortalized so they could go back and look at it whenever they wanted a good laugh.
He was prepared to get up and stalk out of the room when his eyes caught a flash of red coming through the door. Draco nearly choked. Was that Ginny Weasley?
Owoooooooo!
Who's that I see walkin' in these woods?
Why, it's Little Red Riding Hood.
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood,
You sure are looking good.
You're everything a big bad wolf could want.
Listen to me.
"Hi, Ginny." Hermione grinned widely at her friend.
Ginny blushed. Even bookish Hermione had a better costume than she did. She was dressed as a witch that had been burned at the stake, complete with robes that were tattered in just the right places.
Hermione noticed where Ginny's eyes were and started to explain. But Ginny didn't hear who Hermione was supposed to be, when she was killed or any of the other parts of the history lesson. She kept noticing how her brother, Ron, was looking at Hermione. Ginny sighed. She wished someone would look at her like that. Even when they looked like an old, dead witch and a Chaser for the Chudley Cannons, they still made a good couple.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Hermione asked patiently bringing Ginny out of her reverie.
Ginny looked down at her costume. Wasn't it obvious? White, baby-doll dress, pigtails, red cape. "I'm Little Red Riding Hood."
"Oh," said Hermione sheepishly as Ron nudged her toward the dance floor. "See ya later, Gin," she called over her shoulder.
Ginny sank dejectedly into a chair. Sure, her costume was a bit old. It was a hand-me-down that had fit her perfectly a few years ago. Now the dress was a bit short and the cape was tight around her neck. But surely a girl as smart as Hermione should be able to tell who she was supposed to be.
She leaned over to reach for some Pumpkin Juice and found herself face-to-breast with Dean Thomas. Ginny blushed furiously and tried to cover herself. Damn dress was too small! She was popping out all over the place. To her surprise Dean blushed too. He walked away hastily casting furtive glances at her while he chatted with Seamus.
Oh my god. Was he checking her out?
Little Red Riding Hood
I don't think little big girls should
Go walking in these spooky old woods alone.
Owoooooooo!
Draco watched her from across the room. To his dismay, so did most every guy in the place.
It was almost obscene the way her little dress climbed up her thighs like that. And the way it gathered around her perky breasts. He closed his eyes trying to shut the images out. He should not be thinking about Ginny this way. It was like the 11th Commandment. Thou shalt not lust after Weasleys.
Crabbe and Goyle had noticed her now. They were pointing and snickering dully. For some reason, he felt like throttling them. How dare they? The things they were saying about her... it was sick. Didn't they know she was sweet and innocent? Or that she was too good for either of them?
From across the room, her big brown eyes met his. He felt his stomach drop and his pants tighten.
What big eyes you have,
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad.
So just to see that you don't get chased
I think I ought to walk with you for a ways.
Goyle said something to Crabbe and lumbered toward Ginny. He walked the way only drunk men and Goyle could walk. Draco was filled with an odd sort of emotion. Jealousy? Anger? Protectiveness? Lust?
He leapt to his feet, finally vacating his spot. He could easily outstrip Goyle. Draco moved with such grace that one might think he were floating while Goyle, well, Goyle fell a lot.
He grabbed Ginny's hand and steered her away from the larger boy. "Leave us alone, idiot," he said in a tone that made Goyle stop short. He retreated to Crabbe with his tail between his legs.
Ginny looked up at him, her eyes wide. She obviously didn't understand why he would tell off his "friend" for her. Or why he was moving her toward the dance floor now. Draco always seemed so cold and frightening. Right now his touch was fiery and he was still frightening but it was oddly exhilarating.
She bit her lip. How could she be so attracted to him?
What full lips you have.
They're sure to lure someone bad.
So until you get to grandma's place
I think you ought to walk with me and be safe.
"Listen," Draco began uncomfortably. "Goyle's not very gentlemanly. Maybe I should take you back to Gryffindor tower."
Ginny looked around. It wasn't like she was having any fun anyway. No one would notice that she was gone really. "Ok." She let him lead her to the exit. His chivalry was throwing her. Wasn't this the same guy that had made it his life's work to torture her brother? Why would he want to look after her?
Draco rubbed his eyes trying to get the image of Goyle's dirty hands all over Ginny's body out of his head. Then that was replaced with one of his hands all over her body which was more appealing but still disturbing. He wondered if she knew that her skirt revealed the swell of her bottom when her hips swayed like that. Or that when she bent over to buckle her black patent leather shoes it gave a nice view of her chest.
Geez Draco, he scolded himself, keep your pants on.
I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on
Until I'm sure that you've been shown
That I can be trusted walking with you alone.
Owoooooooo!
"We're here," Ginny whispered. The Fat Lady was snoozing in her portrait. Ginny felt a little bad about having to wake her. She also felt bad about having to leave Draco here. She had sort of hoped he would do something...but she didn't know what.
"Oh." Draco kicked himself for not thinking of something more interesting to say.
She moved a step toward him. "Would you like to come inside?"
He was sure she thought it was a polite gesture. Simple. He found it very seductive. "I don't think your friends would like that," he whispered hoarsely trying to convince himself more than anything. He couldn't go in there. If he did then he would do things that weren't polite. Bad things. Things that would probably scare her if she knew he was thinking about them right now.
And the last thing he wanted to do was scare her away.
"You're probably right." She sighed crestfallen. It seemed like he had been interested in more than just walking her home for a few minutes there. She had hoped that once, just once, someone would stop thinking of her as Ron's little sister. The littlest Weasley. The baby.
Draco's throat was very dry.
Little Red Riding Hood
I'd like to hold you if I could
But you might think I'm a big bad wolf so I won't.
Owoooooooo!
Suddenly he was right on top of her. Ginny gasped. His hands were on her shoulders, stroking her arms. She closed her eyes reveling in the feel of his touch. She breathed deeply so she wouldn't forget the smell. Draco's smell. She buried her head in his hard chest. It felt like her entire body was wrapped in warmth. She just wanted to stay there with him. All those other people, they didn't matter.
He looked down at her with a hungry need. He desperately wanted to kiss her - to feel her rosy lips quiver under his. Then to run his hands all over her body, those smooth legs, her round ass, the ample breasts that had teased him all night and the soft skin of her face. He wanted to hear her scream his name.
He wanted her to howl.
What a big heart I have-the better to love you with.
Little Red Riding Hood
Even bad wolves can be good.
I'll try to be satisfied just to walk close by your side.
Maybe you'll see things my way before we get to grandma's place.
Draco tried to regain his composure. He wouldn't. He couldn't. What was he doing? He jumped back as if bitten by a snake. Ginny blinked. Now he was really confusing her.
He watched the emotions play across her delicate face. His mouth curved into a slight smile. "I should go," he whispered thickly.
She nodded. She didn't want him to but maybe it was for the best...
Draco leaned forward, gently brushing his lips across the top of her fiery head. "Good night, Little Red Riding Hood."
It lasted only for a second. His skin touched her head and sent chills all the way down to her toes. She shivered from the cold and wished he would hold her again. She knew he wouldn't.
He could only kiss her head, and he shouldn't even have done that, or he'd mar her pure skin with his touch.
As he walked away, Draco threw one last glance over his shoulder.
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood
You sure are looking good
You're everything that a big bad wolf could want.
Owoooooooo! I mean baaaaaa! Baaa?