((A/n: *grins sheepishly * Sorry it took so long, guys. My computer broke down again and I was on vacation for spring break. -_- But, my computer's back up as you can see, and I'm typin again. Mainly because my friend Natalie is gunna KILL me if I don't add on to this soon. ^_^ Here you go, Nat. It's lame and stuff, but whatever. It's the moment you've all been waiting for! And Okay, okay, so I suck at Peeves. :/ Maybe he was high off of one of Snape's potions or something. And you'll find out about that "Little Dragon" thing later. I started typing this on 4/11/02. Let's see how long it takes me to finish.))
Not Exactly Charming Chapter 9Slytherin Pride
Brrriiiiiiiiing!
"I'm awake," mumbled Draco. "I'm up! I'm up for heaven's sake!" He fumbled for his alarm clock ((A/N: Wait, why would a wizard have an ordinary alarm clock? Oh well)) and clicked the button. He rolled over groggily. Reluctantly, he sat up, rubbing his face.
Hey, dude, Quidditch today, a voice in his mind said. Draco yawned and got up. After getting dressed, he dragged himself down to the great Hall for breakfast. Crabbe and Goyal were still sleeping like the big oafs they were.
It hadn't been twenty minutes after he say down when Professor Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. The Hall fell silent.
"I would like to make an announcement," he said. "The Quidditch game has been postponed by two hours due to some minor difficulties with some of the school's magical creatures. It will now take place at two o'clock. Thank you." He sat back down.
Draco yawned again. ((A/N: Man, just writing about someone yawning makes me yawn!)) He'd have to find something else to pass the time. Then he saw his solution stand up from her table and run her fingers through her flaming hair. She talked to her friends for a moment, then left the Hall.
Draco watched as Ginny left. Then he stuffed his last piece of toast in his mouth, took a last swig of juice from his goblet, and stood up. He left the Hall and headed for the library, figuring that's there Ginny would be.
A wave of cold air met him upon opening the library door. He shivered. It was usually warm in the library…oh well. He looked around various bookshelves and tables. He finally spotted Ginny's books on one of the tables and he smiled his lopsided grin. He continued looking around until he caught a glimpse of red-orange. He stopped and saw Ginny looking at some books on palm reading. Draco walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. Ginny flinched, but then realized who it was. She gave a small laugh.
"Draco, what are you doing?" she asked, smiling.
"Being bored," the Slytherin answered simply. Ginny smiled.
"Come on, I gotta find this book," she said.
Draco replied, "What book?"
"Some stupid book for Divination," Ginny told him, laughing. "Come on, let go." Draco let go and put his hands in his pockets, scanning the bookshelves.
"You coming to the game?" he asked her.
"Of course. Ah! Here it is!"
She removed an enormous leather-bound book, picking the cobwebs off of it. Draco raised an eyebrow at the thing. Ginny brought it over to her table, opening it to the table of contents, every now and then glancing at her paper to see what information she needed.
"So," she said. "Are you ready for the game?"
"Aren't I always?"
Ginny smiled. "Yeah, I suppose so."
Draco watched her flip through the book's tattered pages. His eyes were drawn to her hands as they flew threw the pages. Their perfect forms drifting, gathering information for her eyes. He watched her for a moment, then blinked, forcing his mind back into reality. Then Ginny stopped. She looked up towards the library doors. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had just walked in, the boys arguing with her about homework issues. Draco watched them, too, his eyes slightly narrowed.
"Uh oh," Ginny said quietly. "You'd better go. Ron will throw a fit if he sees us."
"Hmpf," Draco responded. But he stood up, starting to walk away. He ran his fingertips across Ginny's hair as he left. "See you at the game," he said in a hushed tone.
Ginny didn't look up from her work, but she reached up and took Draco's hand, letting it slip from her grasp as he walked away.
"See you there," she answered, in the same quiet voice. Draco disappeared behind the bookshelves.
"Oi, Gin!" Ron called. He and the other two walked over to Ginny. "What're you up to?"
"Homework," she said, a bit irritated that they had made Draco have to leave. Ron nodded. "Okay. Are you and your little girlfriends going to the game?"
"We're not little, Ron. And yeah, we'll bet there," his sister replied. Ron shrugged.
"Okay then," he said. "See you there."
"Bye Ginny," Hermione said.
"See you," Harry added. The three of them left.
Draco's heart pounded against his chest. Not from fear, but from anticipation. He could feel the pulse in his ears and smell the excitement in the air. The crowd outside was cheering madly, but he heard none of it. His mind blocked it out. He stood, broom in hand, eyes closed. The only thing he heard was his own pulse pounding steadily. He took a deep breath and slowly looked up, opening his eyes.
This was it.
The rest of his team was gathered around him, some nervous, some calm, some already laying curses on the Ravenclaws.
"Here we go," said Draco's coach sharply. "No screw-ups!" Draco took another deep breath.
Suddenly the doors in front of them opened with a bang and the Slytherin team entered the Quidditch stadium.
Ginny sat down in her place in between Sara and Jessica. They were one row down from her brother and Harry and Hermione. The game was about to start. She felt as though her stomach had butterflies in it. She cursed the little insects and became aware that her heart was thumping. For the first time in her life, she was worried for a Slytherin.
Her stomach churned at the thought. Those damn butterflies had mistaken her stomach for a trampoline.
"Hey, Ginny," Sara and Jessica greeted her.
"Hi guys," Ginny said. She looked out onto the field. The players hadn't come out yet. She began crack her knuckles. Sara watched her.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Ginny looked at her.
"What?" she replied, spreading her hands out as if to say, what am I doing?
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Cracking you're knuckles. You always do that when you're nervous," Sara told her with a laugh. Ginny smiled and folded her hands under her knees.
"Whew! It's freezing out!" Jess said. "I was starting to miss Quiddtich. Too bad Gryffindor's not playing."
"Yeah," Ginny said absent-mindedly. Those stupid butterflies were flying around again. The thought of Gryffindor, her team, playing against Draco was unbearable. When the time came, she wasn't sure if she could stand to watch that sort of match…
"What's the matter with you, Gin?" asked Sara. "Are you feeling okay?"
Ginny nodded. "Yeah, why?" she lied.
Sara shrugged. "I dunno. You just seem like you're getting sick."
"I'm fine." Sara shrugged again.
Relax, she told herself. Then the Ravenclaw players filed out onto the field. Lee Jordan read their names into the microphone as they did so, but Ginny didn't pay attention. She just cheered along with the other Gryffindors. Then the Slytherin team emerged. The Gryffindors all booed, save Ginny. She pretended to be preoccupied with her glove. She glanced up and spotted Draco as Lee Jordan announced the team names. Suddenly his eyes met hers. She gave a small smile and he gave his Slytherin smirk back.
Draco smiled to himself upon entering the stadium. At last! Quidditch! The Heart and Soul of those who enjoy it. For many, Life itself revolves around the game. And so it was with Draco Malfoy. Nothing in the world could give him greater joy than the game. (Except maybe Ginny.) Commentator Lee Jordan read out their names, but Draco didn't listen. His eyes were scanning the field for a hint of fiery red hair, for Ginny. It came without thought, a thing that, once he thought about it, surprised Draco. His eyes just started glancing about, as though they were controlled by a machine. He did it without knowing he was doing it. He found her in her usual spot and she smiled at him. He smirked back. Then Madam Hooch ordered them to get ready and the crowd went silent.
Hooch's whistle blared. Both teams shot into the air. Draco immediately rose up to search for the Snitch, weaving in and out of the other players as he did so.
Draco was in the air. This was where he belonged, and this was where he was meant to be. The frosty air blew in his face as he rose higher and higher. He flew about scanning the area for a trace of gold. His teammates and the Ravenclaws flew about him, zipping here and there. The sounds of the stadium dulled, as they usually do when a player is engaged in the game.
He focused all his senses on locating the Golden Snitch. Every muscle, every fiber, every atom of his body was tuned into this one goal. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of color and his brain immediately decided it was a bludger and almost immediately he veered up. It came in one simple, fluid motion, without much thought.
((A/N: ok, I'm just gunna make up names here…))
"Carson has the Quaffle," Jordan was saying, " no, now Armstrong, here comes a bludger, oh! Barely saved by Slytherin Beater, Jace Horak! And-NO! He scored! I mean…*ahem*, ten points for Slytherin."
Everyone except the Slytherins booed and shouted. Draco simply smirked.
"Come ON, Ginny! What's the matter with you?" Jess asked. "You're not cheering or anything!"
Ginny racked her brain for a suitable alibi. "I'm just…not in the mood, that's all," was all she could think of to say. She sighed and watched her breath linger in the air for a moment, then scanned the stadium for Draco again.
Draco's fingers were getting numb from the cold and still no sign of the Snitch. He shook it off.
Serves you right, you moron, He told himself. You should have worn different gloves.
There! He saw it, a glimpse of gold, but only for a second. He looked frantically about for Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker. He spotted her and gave a shaky sigh of relief. She hadn't seen it.
There it was again! This time Draco saw it more clearly. It was at the other end of the field. He went for it.
"SCORE! TEN POINTS FOR RAVENCLAW!" bellowed Jordan. "And it looks like Malfoy's seen he Snitch! But Chang's right on his tail!" Draco didn't dare to shoot a backward glance. He believed what the Gryffindor had said and didn't need reassurance that Cho was right behind him. "Oh! And McKeran takes a nasty hit from a bludger, but he seems okay…And…THAT WAS A FOUL!"
Madam Hooch hadn't seen the act, but Draco had. A Slytherin beater had hit the end of Cho's broomstick with his club, sending her spinning. She just barely held her grip. Draco shifted his own grip, beginning to feel guilty, though he wasn't sure why…
"What the hell…?" he asked himself, stopping his broom. Where was the Snitch? He cursed himself for getting sidetracked.
Ginny watched Draco, puzzled. Why did he stop like that? He must have lost sight of the Snitch. She and the others in the stand sat back down.
Ravenclaw scored again. The stadium applauded and Ginny rubbed her hands together, trying to keep them warm.
This is a lot different from the island…she thought.
Draco looked around frantically once more. Where was Cho? Did she see the Snitch? She hadn't. She was looking around, like he was.
He flew higher into the air and looked around. There it was! The Snitch! He dove again, and the Snitch zipped away. He pulled up sharply and followed it. Cho Chang caught sight of it as well and went for it. Draco glanced to his right over at her. He blinked against the cold air, which now felt like ice from the speed of the chase.
Ginny held her breath as Lee Jordan yelled over the crowd, getting frantic over the close chase between the two Seekers. Then-
FweEEEeeew!
Draco stopped short as a bludger zoomed past his face.
"…And Malfoy just barely misses being hit in the face by a bludger! That would have left a mark…."
Ginny took a breath and closed her eyes, her heart calming a bit. Draco hadn't been hit.
Draco looked over at the Slytherin beaters, who were flying around stupidly, looking for something to hit and not seeing the bludgers.
"Hey, do your jobs!" Draco yelled at them. They flew off to chase the bludgers. Draco immediately began looking for the Snitch again.
"Wow, too bad," Ginny heard Ron say. "It almost hit him." Ginny fought the urge to slap him reeeeeally hard.
"Oh, now, come off it! That was a foul!"
Draco looked to see that a Slytherin Chaser had shoved a Ravenclaw Chaser on the shoulder really hard, trying to knock him off his broomstick, and almost succeeding. Draco felt awkward again. That wasn't cool…if they were going to win, they should win fairly. Not by cheating. What did that mean? Nothing. ((A/n: *gasp!* What's this? A change of heart, perhaps??))
There it was! The golden blur in the corner of his eye. The Snitch.
Draco sped after it, and Cho Chang was already on the move. He weaved in and out of other players and almost got hit with a bludger. He was almost there. Just two more yards. Chang was just a hair ahead of him and four feet away…
That's when it happened. A Ravenclaw Beater suddenly lost control of his broomstick and he flung his arms around wildly to regain his balance. The club he was holding hit Draco on his left side. He felt the sledgehammer blow that sent his mind reeling. He was knocked clear off of his broom and fell from fifteen feet in the air and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Slowly, he opened his eyes, but his vision was blurry. Then everything went black.
Everyone in the stands stood up to get a better view. Ginny leaned over the railing of the stands in horror, staring at Draco's motionless form. Lee Jordan was screaming on the microphone, "MALFOY TAKES A HIT FROM A CLUB! He is DOWN folks! And I don't think he'll be getting up from that one for a while!" Madam Hooch's whistle blared.
Ginny heard Ron say, "Ha! Serves him right."
"Ron! He could be really hurt from that!" said Hermione.
Draco still didn't move from where he had fallen. Ginny's heart pounded and adrenaline rushed through her veins. Jessica was saying something, but she wasn't listening. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She ran from her seat and flew down the wooden steps of the bleacher, leaving Ron, Harry, Hermione, Jessica, and Sara staring after her.
"What's with her?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged.
"Maybe she just freaked or something," Ron said.
Draco's senses were slowly coming back to him. There was a horrible pain in his left side. His mind was reeling and his vision was blurry. He lay on his stomach, trying to remember how he got there, but the pain wasn't letting him think straight. He heard voices around him, but he didn't know what they were saying….
The murmur of the crowd grew as the school saw Ginny Weasley run out onto the Quidditch field towards Draco Malfoy. Ron and the others watched, squinting with confusion. "What the hell…?" Ron muttered. "What is she doing?"
Draco felt someone gently turn him over and heard a voice he recognized.
"Draco? Draco are you okay?" Draco opened his eyes and blinked. Ginny…She was leaning over him. "Draco, please…" But he couldn't answer; nothing was making sense to him.
Professor McGonagall, Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfry,((A/N: Did I spell that right?)) and Professor Dumbledore ran over to him. Dumbledore gently pulled Ginny away and Pomfry was checking Draco over, trying to get the boy's senses back. The players shifted on their broomsticks.
Draco moaned and tried to sit up. "No, no," said Pomfry. "Lie down." She stood back up. "His ribs are broken. I can heal them."
"No," replied Hooch. "It's against Quidditch rules to have a player healed during a game.((A/N: Is it really against the rules? I dunno. Oh well.)) If he cannot play, then the Slytherin team will have to forfeit." Ginny looked at Draco, whose mind was clearing.
Forfeit? No. It wasn't an option. They couldn't….
By now the Slytherin coach had arrived.
"You can't just say he can't play, we'll lose!" he cried.
"I cannot allow him to play with broken ribs," said Pomfry. "I simply cannot allow it. If he were to play and be roughed about, then one of his ribs could pierce his lungs!" Ginny, who was still being held by Dumbledore, closed her eyes, praying that wouldn't be so.
The Slytherin coach still argued. "He can't be that bad-"
"He cannot play! I must take him to the hospital wing this instant!"
"No…" Draco moaned. But they were too caught up in their argument for them to hear. "No!" He forced himself to sit up, the pain in his side screaming. He had to play. He couldn't forfeit. His Slytherin Pride would not allow it… "No…I have to play…I can do it," he said. The adults looked at him in shock.
"Draco, you can't-"
"Let me play!" Draco argued. The pain in his side doubled with each word he spoke, and the color was draining from his face.
"But-" Ginny started.
"Let the boy decide," said Dumbledore, speaking for the first time. Pomfry and McGonagall tried to argue, but the Headmaster held up his hand to silence them. "It is his own life. Let him do as he wishes."
There was silence. Then, McGonagall slowly nodded her head.
Draco eased himself onto his broom, pain searing through his entire body. He nodded to Madam Hooch, and the game was started once more. Ginny stood on the sidelines.
Draco flew high into the air, his hands gripping the broomstick so hard from the pain…so hard his nail dig into his Quidditch gloves and his knuckles turned white. It hurt just to breath….
The game raged around him, more intensely than before. The Slytherins were seeking revenge for their injured Seeker, and that just made the Ravenclaws more angry and aggressive. Draco looked about for the Snitch. He could taste blood in his mouth. A bludger veered his way and he had to swerve sharply to avoid it. His body screamed at him for doing so. Draco cursed and grimaced. Head bowed, trying to clear his mind of the pain. He squeezed his eyes shut. His breathing was shallow.
Maybe he couldn't do this…maybe he just needed to go with Madam Pomfry to the hospital wing…
Ginny looked up at him, hands cupped over her mouth.
"Come on, come on…" she muttered. "You can do it…"
Draco felt a slight breeze on his face just as Ravenclaw scored again. He looked up. It was the flutter of the Snitch's delicate wings. The Snitch was flying right in front of him. He grabbed for it, but it sped away and he flew after it. It zipped to and fro, weaving in and out of other players, and Draco followed. He blocked out the roar of the crowd, the yells of the other players, and did the best he could to block out the pain in his side. The Snitch was just inches from his grasp…Cho Chang was right behind him…
Draco's hand shot out and grabbed the Snitch. Slowly, he lowered his broom to the ground, and stepped off, the Snitch still in his hand. Ginny ran out to him and caught him in her arms as he stumbled. She felt his body trembling with pain.
"AND SLYTHERIN WINS THE GAME!!" Lee Jordan screamed. The crowed cheered and booed-depending on what House they were from or how good-natured they were. Madam Pomfry and Professor McGonagall ran out and took Draco to the Hospital wing as the rest of the school filed out of the stands.
Ron sat in the bleachers, Harry and Hermione standing next to him. He watched his sister leave the stadium, following Pomfry, McGonagall…
And Draco Malfoy…
He shook his head.
"What was she doing?" he said to no one in particular.
"I don't know…" Harry said. They stood there until everyone else had left the stadium. Finally, Harry shook Ron's arm gently. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go."
Ginny followed as far as the hospital wing. McGonagall and Pomfry were helping Draco along. Every now and then he coughed, choked with the blood that was blood. Then McGonagall told her to go back to the dorm and she could come by later. Then the door was closed. Ginny stared at the door. Then she sat down, leaning against the wall opposite the hospital wing.
She remembered how bad he was shaking…how pale his face was….
Ginny couldn't believe he had done that. She knew he'd be okay, for she had great confidence in Madam Pomfry, but naturally, she was still worried.
Finally, she decided it was getting late and she had better leave and get to bed. It had been a long day. She stood up stiffly from the stone floor, stretched, and began to slowly make her way to the Gryffindor Common Room.
When she arrived, most of the kids were already in bed. But Harry and Ron were sitting in the couch, and Hermione was in the chair. They looked at her as she came in. Ron's expression was cold. He stood up and walked over to stand in front of her. Ginny felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. Her face flushed.
"So," he said. "You mind telling us what that was all about?" Ginny didn't look at her brother, and said nothing.
"How long have you two been friends?" Ron demanded when she didn't answer. "And just how close are you?" Ginny looked back up at him. "Ginny, that's Draco Malfoy we're talking about. How could you?"
"I can explain-"
"Well I hope you can explain!" Ron said, his voice rising in anger. "Because the whole school saw you run out to him! To him! Shit, Ginny, he's DRACO MALFOY! Of all people! You know what he's like!"
He was yelling now, and Ginny began to feel angry. Her fists clenched.
"I'm not a baby anymore!" she yelled back. "You don't even know him!"
"I know him well enough to know he's a slimy good-for-nothing-"
"God, Ron, just shut up! Please!" Ginny said. "You don't know him! Not for who he really is!"
"Listen here, Ginny, You're just lucky-"
"Ron!" said Hermione. "Stop it! Let her talk!"
"Not now, Hermione!" Ron snapped. Harry started to say something, but Ron turned back to Ginny and said, "I don't want you to see him anymore, okay? I don't want you anywhere near him, and if he comes near you, I swear to God, I'll kill him!"
Ginny couldn't believe he was saying this. "You can't tell me what to do! You're not Mum!" she cried.
"Ron, be reasonable!" Harry said. "She can do what she wants!"
"Yeah, well, I hope she wants to write a nice long owl to Mum and Dad about all this." He glared at Ginny.
His sister replied, "I'm not writing anything to anyone! And I'll see him if I want!" She shoved her brother aside and stormed off into the girl's dormitory.
She threw herself onto her bed and started to cry. She couldn't believe what Ron had just said. This whole day was like a nightmare…
"Ginny?" said a soft voice.
"Go away!"
"Ginny, it's us. Jess and Sara…"
Ginny looked over at them, teary-eyed. Jess offered her a smile and put a hand on her shoulder. Ginny wiped her eyes and sat up.
"So do you wanna talk?" Sara asked. Ginny nodded.
"Yeah," she sniffed. "I guess."
((A/N: Well, today's date is now May 29, 2002. Wow. This was one of the hardest chapters to write. I don't know why. o.O Lot's of crazy stuff has happened in the past month. School's almost out, (Thank GOD!) and I'll be writing a little bit more in the summer. I hope you liked this chapter. And everyone finally knows about Ginny and Draco! YAY! (I think) . In the next chapter, Ginny's gunna have to face the school's reaction. Eek! LoL. See ya round! Please review!))
My first Harry Potter fic. Bare w/ me. It's D/G . Ginny's in her fourth year, Draco in his fifth. Basicaly, they get a few detentions together, start 2 get 2 know one another, and fall in love. Of course, Voldie's got some of his own plans for Harry, as usual...R/R ^_^