Chapter Two: Stupid Git
"This isn't at all amusing Weasley," Draco hissed to Ginny who was grinning at him from as far away as the 'string' would allow.
"It's horrible," she snapped at Draco. "I wasn't thinking about the situation at that moment, Malfoy."
Draco sneered and looked away from her, over to where the three professors' and the Headmaster were talking to one another intently. When Dumbledore had been told about the incident and had came and checked over the two of them he'd called immediately for Snape. Snape was furious when he found out what had happened to Draco, and had sent Ginny many murderous looks before they moved to a more private area to speak of the problem.
The huge cat Aoria was sitting lazily between the two of them, looking quite pleased with itself, licking and stretching its paws periodically.
"What'd you do?" Draco asked suddenly. Ginny looked over at him sharply, not expecting the question. In truth, he hadn't meant to say it out loud, it was just a thought that had voiced itself.
"I didn't do anything," Ginny said.
"You didn't wish it or say something to that...thing?"
Ginny snorted, "Yes, Malfoy, I wished that I could be attached to you. It was my one desire."
"I told you already this isn't amusing. If this can't be broken than you'll have to follow me around." Draco said, then after a thought added. "Instead of Potter."
"I don't follow Harry around," Ginny said, turning red.
Draco smirked, "You do, Weasley. Just like your brother you follow around and dote on the stupid git."
"We're friends with Harry. We do not dote on him," Ginny said slowly, with a surprising amount of venom.
"That explains why he ignores you so well, your his friend,"
That was a direct hit. Ginny looked shocked that he'd said that, her mouth opened to retort but nothing came out. Suddenly, with surprising speed, her wand came out and held level to his chest. Draco seeing this drew his own and watched her carefully.
"How can you be so cruel," Ginny hissed to him, her wand held steady despite the emotion in her voice.
Draco never got the chance to reply, because a loud cry to their right and the rushing of feet made them lower their wands. Snape and McGonagall hurried over to them looking furious at the both of them. Snape seemed to direct his anger more toward Ginny, Draco noted.
"You two," McGonagall said angrily. "Fighting will not stop this...predicament any sooner."
Aoria purred.
"I'm sure you're happy about it," Draco glared at the black cat, which just tilted its head at him.
"Have you figured anything out?" Ginny asked trying to change the subject, replacing her wand back in her robe. "Can this spell be broken?"
McGonagall allowed herself to let it be dropped and looked almost sadly at Ginny.
"There is no countercurse," Dumbledore's voice answered, as he approached the two and halting in-between Snape and McGonagall. "Its as Aoria said."
"'Until peace between two, become allies or love, the bonding together will then dissolve.'" Ginny sighed.
Dumbledore nodded his usual merry face serious and grave. "You're parents have been each sent owls to be informed on this. They should be along shortly, where we'll have to discuss the arrangements,"
"Arrangements?" Ginny asked weakly. Dumbledore nodded, and then turned to Hagrid who stood behind them a bit.
"Could you inform your friend of what happened, and see if they have any experience with this magic and also tell them we might have to keep Aoria around a while," he asked the caretaker.
Hagrid nodded briskly, his beard wagging with the movement. "Right away sir," and he disappeared from the Hall.
"Professor Snape, McGonagall, please figure out the sleeping arrangements and come to my office when these two parents come," the two teachers nodded, "Ginny and Draco, please come with me. We'll wait in the office."
Both nodded mutely and followed the Headmaster out of the hallway quickly. Before McGonagall left, she pointed at the ink spill and cleaned it up.
Aoria stood and stretched slowly, before padding off in the direction Draco and Ginny had gone.
"Ginny! What's wrong? What did you mean she's been linked to another student?" was Molly Weasley's words when she burst into the Headmaster's office. Ginny's father followed after, looking calmer but he looked over to his daughter with concern.
"Miss Weasley, please calm down. Everything will be answered once Draco's parents arrive," Dumbledore responded.
Molly blanched. "Draco?" she looked over at Ginny who was looking away in embarrassment. Beside her sat Draco, who watched Ginny's parents without emotion.
The door again opened, and in walked Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, who immediately looked at Draco furiously. Ginny, who had looked up when they entered, noticed this and looked quickly over to Draco with a shocked look. Draco didn't even bat an eye when his parents entered. His gaze moved briefly to his father before they turned to his mother.
Narcissa had a calm look on her face. Much unlike the one she wore at the Quidditch World Cup which was the only other time Ginny had seen her. She nodded slightly to Draco before looking to her husband, who had now turned his furious gaze to Arthur.
"What did your daughter do, Arthur?" Lucius asked coldly.
"Ginny had no fault in this, just as your son has no fault," Dumbledore said, raising a hand at Lucuis as though to stay him. "It is a matter that cannot be reversed, we'll just have to let it run its course."
"What has happened to them, Albus?" Arthur asked, tearing his look from Lucius.
"I'm sure you've all learned of Aoria. The black cat who still lives and possess powers from ancient times. I believe she did her catenatus bond on your two children," Dumbledore said, calmly.
Catenatus? Ginny thought, looking confused. Her mother and father nodded, their faces grave. Lucius' look was turning again to one that held uncontrolled anger. Narcissa however, intervened before her husband said anything.
"There is no counter curse for it I heard. How long will it take for it to wear off?" she asked.
Dumbledore shook his head, "There is no telling. It depends on the two the spell is put on,"
"So what will they have to do? Come home?" Molly asked.
"My son will not be going home with your daughter," Lucius spat.
"I wouldn't want your son in my house at all, Lucius," Molly responded, her smiling face lost of all mirth.
"They can continue their school year. There will have to be a few changes, such as the classes they will attend and where they will sleep," Dumbledore said.
"Um, professor?" Ginny asked in a small voice, just as he said this. All of the grown ups heads turned to her, causing Ginny to flush slightly but she continued, her voice coming out stronger. "How will me and...him sleep? We can't get much farther from each other than an our arm lengths apart."
"How indeed?" Molly shrieked.
A knock on the door saved Dumbledore from having to answer. At his bidding, it opened where Professor Snape and McGonagall walked in, both looking rather irate. Lucius nodded at Snape when he entered, and Ginny thought she saw Snape grimace.
"We've a room for them," McGonagall said finally. "It's near the Gryffindor tower, just down the hallway as a matter of fact, near mine."
Lucius straightened at this, he didn't look too happy. Snape saw this, "The Slytherin dungeons had no where suitable for either of them." he added.
"They will sleep in separate beds?" Molly asked.
"Mother!" Ginny cried.
Molly gave her a hard look before looking sternly at McGonagall again. "Will they not?"
"We could try it, I'm not sure they have enough room between each other for separate beds. It would be inappropriate for them to sleep in the same bed. I will be able to arrange something," McGonagall reassured.
Molly nodded the worry in her face ebbing slightly. Lucius had now withdrawn all his emotion from his face, which reminded Ginny of Malfoy immensely.
"If there are anymore questions Professor Snape and I will be happy to answer them. Minerva will take them to their dorms to get their belongings," Dumbledore said.
"I would like to have a word with my son." Lucius said stiffly.
"Of course," Dumbledore nodded.
Lucius moved over to his son and bent low, talking quietly into his son's ear. Ginny, even though she was sitting close to Malfoy, couldn't hear a word he said. His expression on his face wasn't very pleasant, so she figured whatever he was telling his son wasn't very good. Lucius backed away when he was finished, and nodded to Dumbledore.
"Come along," McGonagall said, opening the door to the office.
As Ginny, sticking close to Malfoy so she wouldn't be dragged, passed her mother, she felt the reassuring pat on her shoulder from her mother.
"You behave yourself dear," Molly told her.
Ginny managed a weak smile before disappearing out the door.
McGonagall had opened the Slytherin common room and told them she would wait outside for them, and to be quick. Draco, not bothering to acknowledge what she said, hurried through the common room where many Slytherin's stared in surprise as Ginny half ran after him.
"Don't touch anything," Draco said immediately when they got into the boys dormitory.
"I wasn't planning onto," Ginny snapped. Draco didn't answer her, just continued to his bed, where his things sat.
Ginny stood next to his bed looking around the Slytherin room with interest. Much like Gryffindor, the house colors decorated the room and the bedding. Every bed was unmade and messy, except Malfoy's, she noticed. As he moved around, putting his personal things into his trunk, she also saw that he was very neat about what he did.
The door to the dorm opened, and Crabbe, Goyle, and two other Slytherin boys she didn't recognize entered. They sneered at her before looking to Draco, who had stopped and looked up at their entrance.
"What is she doing here?" one of the boys asked.
"I'm stuck with her." Draco replied before finishing up packing his things. "Help me with this, Weasley."
Ginny, too frightened in being the only Gryffindor in a very unfriendly environment, helped him carry the trunk past the boys. Most of the Slytherin common room had been waiting for their arrival, and each wore the similar look of distaste when Ginny appeared.
"Draco!" Pansy's voice cried as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "What are you doing with her?"
"You'll hear all about it soon enough, Pansy." Draco sighed, irritated with the entire situation. They managed to make their way out of the Slytherin house to the waiting McGonagall, who placed a charm on it to make it weightless. It followed obediently behind them as they went to the Gryffindor tower.
"Get your things Ginny, I'll be here when you get back. I need to go take Draco's things to your new room." Professor McGonagall said, before opening the tower.
Ginny swallowed hard before stepping into the common room. Nearly the entire house was back from the afternoon classes, and it was very noisy when she stepped in. The instant Draco followed after her, everything went gradually quiet.
"Ginny," Ron said, standing up from where he sat looking very surprised.
"What are you doing in here, Malfoy?" Harry asked, furiously.
Ginny looked over at him Draco, looking pale. "Something's happened, I can't explain it now, we have to go."
"Where?" Ron asked.
Ginny shook her head and hurried toward where her dorm was, not bothering to check if Draco was with her.
"He actually spoke to you Weasley." Draco said, while she began to pack. "You should hang around me more often."
"I think I've been around you long enough as it is, Malfoy." Ginny sighed.
She finished packing quicker than Draco did, since no one came up to question what was happening. Though when they went back downstairs, all her brothers, Harry, and Hermione were waiting.
"You're not leaving here until you tell us what's happening." Fred said, when they halted in front of them.
"Look, guys, it's been a long day. I can tell you what happened at lunch, right now I just want to finish what we're doing." Ginny said, too tired to argue with them. All of them hesitated, and would have probably moved aside if Draco hadn't decided to jump in the conversation.
"Would you all bloody move, you're taking up the entire room here."
"What did you do to my sister Malfoy," Ron hissed, grabbing Draco by the front of his robes.
"I haven't done anything. It's her fault."
"It is not!" Ginny cried.
"Mr. Weasley let go of Mr. Malfoy right now." McGonagall yelled from the portrait.
"But Professor." Ron started.
"No buts, let him go now."
Ron let go reluctantly of Draco's robes, and sneered at him. "You're going to get it."
Draco brushed off where Ron had grabbed onto, "Keep your filthy peasant hands off of me Weasel."
"This is where you'll be staying," McGonagall said opening the door to their room. It had taken her a moment to get Ron and his two brothers off Draco, who had luckily, came out unscathed. All four of them got a warning, before she trooped Ginny and Draco off to the room.
Their room was just large enough for both of them, with two beds that looked as though they were taken from the Gryffindor tower, a fireplace, a table, and a closed door near the window.
"That door leads to the bathroom," McGonagall said pointing to the closed one. "We've managed to get Aoria to give a spell to separate you two for fifteen minutes. It will only work three times a day so use them wisely."
Ginny nodded in relief at that, she thought of how mortifying it would have been to take a shower with Draco Malfoy standing in the same room with her. She giggled slightly wondering on what his face would be if she had to watch him. She saw him look at her out of the corner of her eye.
"You'll have the rest of the day to unpack and get used to your new place. You may come down to lunch and dinner if you'd like or you may have your meals up here for today, otherwise you'll be eating up here. Tomorrow you will be given the schedule you will take until this spell is broken." McGonagall said, she began out the door. "I'll leave you to do your work, behave yourselves."
When the door shut, Ginny and Draco stared at each other uneasily before moving toward their trunks where McGonagall had placed them at the foot of the beds.
"The only way we'll be able to sleep in separate beds is to push them together," Ginny said thoughtfully. "Help me push mine against yours."
When the beds were arranged so they could sleep in them, they began to put away their belongings. Before long, it was dark out, and both of them were noticing how hungry they were.
"I missed lunch," Ginny groaned, "I promised I'd tell them at lunch, we have to go down to dinner, Draco."
Draco raised his eyebrow when Ginny called him by his first name. "What happened to Malfoy, my dear Weasley?"
Ginny blushed, realizing she did call him by his first name, thinking quickly she said, "I-I thought that since we have to break this spell by getting along, we should start with calling each other by our names. Not our surnames."
Draco recognized the lie for what it was; Draco didn't say anything for a moment, before nodding slightly. "I suppose it'd be for the best. I want this stupid spell to be done with already."
Ginny agreed with him, relieved he didn't suspect her fib and the two made their way down the Great Hall. The entire Hall was a low murmur when they approached it, but as they went through the doors, it rose to a buzz, and everyone at every table pointed at them.
Out of habit, Draco began for the Slytherin table, and Ginny for the Gryffindor, where she saw Hermione waving frantically, when suddenly she felt someone bump into the back of her. She turned and saw a frowning Draco.
"The same direction, Weasley." Draco snapped and he began for the Gryffindor table, surprising Ginny completely. She hurried after him before she got dragged, and sat in-between him and Hermione. The buzzing became louder at this, and Ron was glaring daggers at Draco.
"What happened?" Hermione asked, ignoring Draco. "What's up with you and Malfoy being around each other all the sudden."
With a deep breath, Ginny began to tell the story, from the time she bumped into Draco in the hall, which he received more glares for, to where they moved into their room. Draco didn't even seem to be listening. He picked at his plate, eating little, his look distant.
"So you can't take it off? It has to wear off?" Harry asked when she finished.
"Yes, me and Draco have to get along before it leaves." Ginny said.
"That'd be a miracle." Hermione snorted. Harry and Ron were staring at Ginny with uncertain looks.
"Draco?" Ron asked.
"We can't get along by calling each other by our surnames, Weasley." Draco snapped suddenly. He stood quickly, and began to move toward the Slytherin table. Ginny wasn't ready for this, so she was dragged from her chair and after Draco before she could move.
"Speaking of surnames," Ginny snapped, when she caught up with him. "You haven't called me by my name since we've left the room. We agreed to and yet you still call me by my last name."
Draco didn't say anything, he continued toward the Slytherin table. Ginny grabbed him by the arm in front of the Hufflepuff table causing him to turn.
"Don't touch me," he growled, pulling away his arm.
"Then don't ignore me," Ginny cried.
"Quit pestering me then!"
"Say my name, Draco. I won't stop until you say my name, I will not allow you to call me Weasley anymore. Not unless you want to be stuck with me forever." Ginny yelled. Draco was quiet at this. The Hall was deathly silent, everyone listening intently on what was happening.
For a long time, Draco didn't even move, he just stared at her. After a while, Ginny began to wonder what he was thinking, before he blinked. "Ginny," he said softly. The sound of everyone letting out the breath they held followed her name. Draco looked around as though he just realized he was in a room full of people. "I want to go back to the room. Have you eaten?"
"I'm fine," Ginny said.
Draco didn't respond, he just turned and began for the doors, walking slowly so she could keep up.
