A/N: Sorry for keeping you waiting for so so long, but we're going to have
to ask you to wait even longer for Part 3. But look happy, it'll probably
end there.
Chapter 2
"God, have you gone mad, girl?"
Ginny gave a huge sigh and said – for about hundredth time – "No, dear older brother Ron, I have not gone mad, and I don't see what there is to get so worked up about. So I'm dating someone, big deal. Had to happen sometime, right? I couldn't stay eleven years old forever!"
Ron's worried face twisted a little more. "Ginny, this isn't just someone. This is Draco Malfoy, Malfoy for the love of the Lord! Malfoy!" He shook his head.
"Ron, Herm, come on! It's Draco Malfoy, fine, I'm dating your arch nemesis, you'll just have to get used to it! It's not like I'm dating a Manticore!" Hermione looked at Ginny, that "lecture' expression on her face again. "Save the sermon, Hermione. I. Am. Not. A. Baby. And I have every right to do what I want without you people interfering like a brood of worried mother hens!" Ginny felt like kicking herself immediately afterwards, of course. That had been completely uncalled for. Ron looked really hurt, Harry looked steadfastly away – he had neither looked at nor spoken to Ginny all morning – and Hermione, well… it suffices to say that Ginny felt a worm. It made her even more defensive.
Hermione – quite gently – said, "Gin, Malfoy's worse than a Manticore. We know him. It's not about you dating someone, we don't mind that. It's just…I thought you had a little more sense in that head of yours!" she finished exasperatedly.
Ginny's chin tilted up some forty five degrees. Her voice hard and sharp, she snapped "What are you telling me to do, Hermione? Bring all my boyfriends to you for inspection so you can put a little 'Rejected' sign on all of them? And then you'll ask me to be a good little girl, I suppose, and say something like, stick with Uncle Harry, he'll protect you aginst all those baaad people?"
Hermione looked straight at her, finally, her eyes blazing. Obviously she knew all about last night. In a low, even voice that Ginny had never heard from Hermione before, "Ginny, never let me hear you say that again. Do you understand?" She nudged Ron hard. "Say something, Ron!" Ron's face tightened and he looked stubborn, but he didn't say anything.
Ginny sighed and looked away. This was turning out much worse than she had expected. She looked towards the Slytherin table for comfort, and Draco, turning towards the Gryffindor table for a minute, smiled and flashed her a devilish wink. She smiled back, her low spirits soaring sky- high. What did disapproving brothers and sermonizing best friends matter as long as she had Draco?
As the time for the first class of the day drew near, a lot of students began to detatch from the house tables in little clumps, leaving for their respective classrooms. Ginny rose and nodded at Ron and Hermione, who simply glared back. She tried to catch Harry's eye, but he refused to even glance in her direction. Draco could help her with disapproval and and sermons, but who would help her with injured self-respect – not even Ginny's self-respect. Harry's self-respect, for crying out loud.
A week and several spats with Ron and Hermione later, Harry was still putting on a 'hurt, injured and affronted' act and it was getting on Ginny's nerves. She had tried several times to talk to him, but was largely unsuccessful in getting him to even look at her, except for once, when he had turned around and looked at her from head to toe, making her feel about that small.
On the other hand, she and Draco were doing better than ever. They were meeting all over the school and Ron's feeble attempts to find out what they were doing were met by cold glares. Hermione was being very cold about the whole thing and Ginny was finding it more necessary than ever to get away from them and whom else could she go to, apart from Draco? They were trying to dissuade her from being with Draco, but paradoxically they were actually throwing them together.
The Christmas holidays began, and since there were announcements that the Yule Ball was on, ron, Hermione, Ginny and Draco had elected to remain behind. Harry normally stayed back for the Christmas holidays anyway.
One day a few days before the ball, Harry walked up to Ginny at breakfast. Ginny was talking to Draco, who was standing leaning against the table, all grace and charm. Harry would never have that unconcious elegance that emanated from Draco. Harry stopped at Ginny's seat and nodded coldly when he saw Draco. "Malfoy." Draco gave him a smile in return that was calculated to infuriate.
Harry, to his credit, didn't seem to bother. He looked down at Ginny. "Ginny, are you going to the Yule Ball with anyone? Because if you're not-" Draco cut in smoothly before Ginny had a chance to respond. "Never mind, Potter. She's going with me." Harry looked down at Ginny again, and nodded. There was something in his face she couldn't quite define. Betrayal? Sorrow? Disappointment? "All right, then. Have fun." Ginny called after him as he walked away. "Won't you be coming, Harry?" Harry turned to look at her from the Doorway of the Great Hall. He shook his head and walked off, the messy outline of his dark hair just visible against the shadows in the Entrance Hall.
You're going with Draco, not Harry, she told herself. And quite right too. Draco was her boyfriend and he cared for her. So why was she so disappointed herself?
A/N: Well, that's that. Thanks a million to everyone who reviewed Chapter 1. You really made our day. But Draco lovers, be warned, there's going to be some serious Draco bashing! (No offence to Draco lovers, I'm one myself. – R) Love from R and J.
Oh, look! There's a little button down here! You can use it to review! (Hint, hint.)
Chapter 2
"God, have you gone mad, girl?"
Ginny gave a huge sigh and said – for about hundredth time – "No, dear older brother Ron, I have not gone mad, and I don't see what there is to get so worked up about. So I'm dating someone, big deal. Had to happen sometime, right? I couldn't stay eleven years old forever!"
Ron's worried face twisted a little more. "Ginny, this isn't just someone. This is Draco Malfoy, Malfoy for the love of the Lord! Malfoy!" He shook his head.
"Ron, Herm, come on! It's Draco Malfoy, fine, I'm dating your arch nemesis, you'll just have to get used to it! It's not like I'm dating a Manticore!" Hermione looked at Ginny, that "lecture' expression on her face again. "Save the sermon, Hermione. I. Am. Not. A. Baby. And I have every right to do what I want without you people interfering like a brood of worried mother hens!" Ginny felt like kicking herself immediately afterwards, of course. That had been completely uncalled for. Ron looked really hurt, Harry looked steadfastly away – he had neither looked at nor spoken to Ginny all morning – and Hermione, well… it suffices to say that Ginny felt a worm. It made her even more defensive.
Hermione – quite gently – said, "Gin, Malfoy's worse than a Manticore. We know him. It's not about you dating someone, we don't mind that. It's just…I thought you had a little more sense in that head of yours!" she finished exasperatedly.
Ginny's chin tilted up some forty five degrees. Her voice hard and sharp, she snapped "What are you telling me to do, Hermione? Bring all my boyfriends to you for inspection so you can put a little 'Rejected' sign on all of them? And then you'll ask me to be a good little girl, I suppose, and say something like, stick with Uncle Harry, he'll protect you aginst all those baaad people?"
Hermione looked straight at her, finally, her eyes blazing. Obviously she knew all about last night. In a low, even voice that Ginny had never heard from Hermione before, "Ginny, never let me hear you say that again. Do you understand?" She nudged Ron hard. "Say something, Ron!" Ron's face tightened and he looked stubborn, but he didn't say anything.
Ginny sighed and looked away. This was turning out much worse than she had expected. She looked towards the Slytherin table for comfort, and Draco, turning towards the Gryffindor table for a minute, smiled and flashed her a devilish wink. She smiled back, her low spirits soaring sky- high. What did disapproving brothers and sermonizing best friends matter as long as she had Draco?
As the time for the first class of the day drew near, a lot of students began to detatch from the house tables in little clumps, leaving for their respective classrooms. Ginny rose and nodded at Ron and Hermione, who simply glared back. She tried to catch Harry's eye, but he refused to even glance in her direction. Draco could help her with disapproval and and sermons, but who would help her with injured self-respect – not even Ginny's self-respect. Harry's self-respect, for crying out loud.
A week and several spats with Ron and Hermione later, Harry was still putting on a 'hurt, injured and affronted' act and it was getting on Ginny's nerves. She had tried several times to talk to him, but was largely unsuccessful in getting him to even look at her, except for once, when he had turned around and looked at her from head to toe, making her feel about that small.
On the other hand, she and Draco were doing better than ever. They were meeting all over the school and Ron's feeble attempts to find out what they were doing were met by cold glares. Hermione was being very cold about the whole thing and Ginny was finding it more necessary than ever to get away from them and whom else could she go to, apart from Draco? They were trying to dissuade her from being with Draco, but paradoxically they were actually throwing them together.
The Christmas holidays began, and since there were announcements that the Yule Ball was on, ron, Hermione, Ginny and Draco had elected to remain behind. Harry normally stayed back for the Christmas holidays anyway.
One day a few days before the ball, Harry walked up to Ginny at breakfast. Ginny was talking to Draco, who was standing leaning against the table, all grace and charm. Harry would never have that unconcious elegance that emanated from Draco. Harry stopped at Ginny's seat and nodded coldly when he saw Draco. "Malfoy." Draco gave him a smile in return that was calculated to infuriate.
Harry, to his credit, didn't seem to bother. He looked down at Ginny. "Ginny, are you going to the Yule Ball with anyone? Because if you're not-" Draco cut in smoothly before Ginny had a chance to respond. "Never mind, Potter. She's going with me." Harry looked down at Ginny again, and nodded. There was something in his face she couldn't quite define. Betrayal? Sorrow? Disappointment? "All right, then. Have fun." Ginny called after him as he walked away. "Won't you be coming, Harry?" Harry turned to look at her from the Doorway of the Great Hall. He shook his head and walked off, the messy outline of his dark hair just visible against the shadows in the Entrance Hall.
You're going with Draco, not Harry, she told herself. And quite right too. Draco was her boyfriend and he cared for her. So why was she so disappointed herself?
A/N: Well, that's that. Thanks a million to everyone who reviewed Chapter 1. You really made our day. But Draco lovers, be warned, there's going to be some serious Draco bashing! (No offence to Draco lovers, I'm one myself. – R) Love from R and J.
Oh, look! There's a little button down here! You can use it to review! (Hint, hint.)