Err…*sees angry faces of reviewers*…I'm really, REALLY sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Things have been really crazy lately, and I just really didn't have the time! Plus, if I had put it out before, it would have SUCKED so…I'm SO sorry!!!! I hope this chapter works for you.
Therefore, I won't have time to thank everyone individually, but they all meant so much to me, you have no idea. Thank you.
Oh, and also I need to give credit to Zac for the nickname Malfoy gives Ginny…it's brilliant!!! thank you so much for letting me use it.
GREED
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(Ginny's POV)
I walked through the hallways, my books clutched to my chest and my hair everywhere, a huge halo of frizz. At least I think. I hadn't had a chance to look in the mirror, I overslept. I get stares that just follow me to all my classes; they're worse than one of those pimples that just will not go away not matter what you do! They won't just quit it. I feel so bad for Harry too, I was really harsh…honestly though, who on earth does he think he is? He knew I loved him and he flat out asked me about Melody.
Pushing my way through a crowd, my heart stops. Harry's standing there in the middle with his arm around some girl, talking. I slip behind a bulky Hufflepuff and listen in.
"I don't know what got into her, I mean, she came onto me. Some people just don't know what they're missing." He grins irresistibly and pushed his glasses up his nose. I could feel my face flushing. Wanting to do the ultimate Weasley thing ("defend yourself, dammit!" –Ron), I stepped forward and everyone turned to look at me; but once I was in the circle I didn't know what to do. It wasn't like the night before, where my emotions had gotten the better of me, and all the right words had come spilling out. I was just embarrassed, flushed like a too ripe tomato to make it worse, and the look Harry was giving me couldn't be deciphered. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Just as I thought I'd die of humiliation, someone's crisp voice cut in.
"You should think before advancing on to too many girls Potter." Everyone turned around suddenly, in utter shock as Draco Malfoy stepped into the circle. Everything blurred as he came into it; his hair gleaming, perfect like always, eyes narrowed in utter dislike of the messy haired boy in front of him. Relief flooded through me as he nodded to me, and I got out of the way really quickly. It wasn't my battle anymore and I really was grateful for it!
"Who asked you to get involved Malfoy?" Harry asked calmly, clutching his wand. You've got to hand it to him, I thought unwillingly, he's good in tough situations.
Like last night you mean? The nasty voice replied. Like when he grabbed your heart from your chest and stamped on it with his muddy boots? Like that?
You're right, the small voice replied in resignation. What an ass.
All of a sudden, I came crashing back to earth with a quiet yet filled with anger, "You'll pay for that Potter." I looked around wildly and saw everyone backing away quickly from the enraged teenagers who had their wands withdrawn now. I gasped in terror, but I couldn't move. Harry looked so angry that I'd bet he wouldn't hesitate to use an Unforgivable. Malfoy's face was flushed and his eyes were narrowed so small you could hardly see they were there.
"Oh yeah?" Harry challenged tauntingly. "How?" There was a heavy silence. Malfoy seemed to be in deep thought.
Finally, after maybe thirty seconds of utter silence, Malfoy put his wand in his pocket and walked away. "Coward," Harry muttered, before turning the other way and walking briskly down the corridor. I stood there watching their broad backs before realizing that the bell had rung and I was alone in the hallway, five minutes late for Potions.
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(Draco's POV)
I defended her, to some extent. I don't know why.
I was walking back from Quidditch practice, quite tired really, and all I wanted was a nice cup of tea. Was that really so much to ask? Of course it is, if that Pothead is running around making everyone's life miserable (especially mine of course). Why didn't anyone listen to me when I said he was an arrogant prat? Aren't they pleased now that they listened? *sarcasm*
So anyway, I was just in the hallways, minding my own business when I hear excited whispers breaking out everywhere, and I see a very red freckled face. My first instinct is to turn and walk the way I came from, because I really didn't feel like a run in with Potter and his Weasley friend, Ron. The last thing I need it a bruise on my arm, especially with a game coming up. But as I'm turning, I see that it's Ginn-the Weasley girl standing in front of Potter, blushing like I've never seen any girl do so before. Believe me when I say that's quite a feat. *smirks* So this girl is standing in front of the second most popular guy in school (I'm first of course!) trying to say something but can't seem to at all. The girl I can't get out of my head. That girl.
I grin despite myself and change directions again; this was too good to miss. Little Miss Weasley, almost yelling at precious Potter again? But as I get in the crowd, I realize that she's terrified to the very core. Dammit what a prat, I think silently. Look at her, she's a wreck, and he doesn't even care!
Why do you care? Came the counterpart in my mind. She's just a Weasley, remember? The same one your father nearly did in six years ago?
Right, my original voice replied. But look at her-she's so bloody gorgeous…
Before I knew what I was doing, I was in the circle. Damn, I thought in a panic, remaining cool on the outside. I was in the same situation as Ginny had, not knowing what exactly to do. Now what are you going to say?
You should think before advancing on too many girls Potter." Oh brilliant! the nasty voice sneered. Just bloody genius Draco my boy…no doubt he's going to insult you about all of your own "whores", even though YOU know you haven't screwed any of them, then what are you going to do? Hex him to hell and back? A slow smile spread across my face as my hands curled around my wand in my coat pocket and nod at Ginny to move. As I glanced to my side, I noticed with much astonishment that the girl was looking at me with a mixture of fear and…affection. It was there. I stared at her strangely before hearing Potter give his gibe. "What, planning to add Ginny to your list Malfoy? Haven't you had enough, or do you need to move on to innocent little girls?" I looked sharply at Ginny, but she didn't seem to be paying any attention. Why did he have to bring her into this? She's not even little anymore.
"Not particularly Potter," I replied coolly. "That seems to be in your department. The school's buzzing about your intent to get her into bed." I nodded at Ginny, and Harry's face just twisted. Not very flattering.
"I don't think any aspect of my life is any of your business; after all, you are a Death Eater, what's stopping you from telling You-Know-Who everything you know?"
Now, I usually pride myself on not rising to the bait, being frosty and aloof all the time, but this just crossed the line. Not only did he assume something that was just not true, he implied that I'm a freaking spy. I whipped out my wand.
"You'll pay for that Potter." I saw Ginny Weasley snap back to attention, and watched the dawning recognition appear on her face. Potter took out his wand faster than you could say 'Wizard's Duel' and soon we were just pointing our wands at each other. As the time dragged on, it was getting ridiculous, quite frankly.
Just curse him! The voice exclaimed excitedly. This is it, this is your chance, you can finally be rid of him! He provoked you this time, not the other way 'round, you have an alibi! This is great!
I don't want an alibi you freak! I heard. I just want to get out of here…have some tea…maybe figure out a way to get the girl…
Thinking about her again? A change of pace would be nice here. What happened to all of your interesting, hateful thoughts? All gone because of some skinny little freckled Weasley wench?
Yeah. Because of her.
And that's when I realized it; I didn't want to be a horrid beast when I was around her. She's dangerous, I thought wildly, putting away my wand. I turned and walked away without a word. I have to get out of here!...but he'll pay. Oh yes, will he ever pay! The satisfied smirk was at home once again as I went to the Great Hall.
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(Ginny's POV)
As I leave the empty hallway, I'm shaking with a mixture of mortification and anger. How dare he try to get everyone against me! Does he really always have to be in the spotlight…all the time? What happened to the modest Harry? "He changed fast," I muttered, pushing open the door, rather hard from anger, leading into the Great Hall. The door hit something very solid and it fell over. Horrified, I darted over to the fallen form; a person!
"Bloody hell!" I swore, getting out my wand to see what I could do. Turning the person over, I grasped the silvery blond hair covered head and turned him over. Draco Malfoy of course. "Oh, of all the luck!" I said, disbelievingly. "Err…get up?" Nothing. "Oh damn you Malfoy!!! Haven't you made this complicated enough already?!?" I whispered 'Levitatarium' under my breath and he hovered a couple inches off of the floor. I waved my wand impatiently and walked to the Gryffindor table, which was empty. He followed behind me, floating gracefully. Sitting down on the bench rather quickly, I waved my wand and his still form got up on the bench next to me. I helped myself to some tea and looked at his face. Eyes closed, a small bruise forming on his flawless face. Flawless? the voice shrieked. What the hell do you mean, flawless? This is Draco freaking Malfoy we're thinking about here! I shook my head quickly and dunked a biscuit in my tea just as I heard a low moan. I dropped the biscuit in the liquid in surprise.
"What the…?" Draco got up slowly, holding his head. I smirked slightly as I watched his bewildered expression grow considerably, taking in his surroundings. "Where the hell am I?"
"The Great Hall," I said matter-of-factly, trying not to show how nervous I had suddenly become. I forgot what a nice voice he has.
"Oh." Draco sat up straight and then a scowl passed over his face when he saw that the table was covered in maroon and gold. "Honestly Weasel, did you really have to get me over here, of all places?" I grinned.
"Do you really think your friends over at the Slytherin table would have welcomed me with open arms? Come on, look that the situation Malfoy; you were knocked out and your head was bleeding, they would have stupefied me for sure." I bit into an apple and relished the sneer that played on his lips.
"Good point." He rubbed his temples, in obvious pain, and I took out my wand.
"Do you need any help?" I asked, concerned.
"I think you've helped enough really. Isn't knocking me unconscious with a bloody door good enough for the day?" he swung his legs over the outside of the bench and got up slowly. "Good Lord this hurts like a mother!" I laughed. I couldn't really help it, he just looked so…funny. I realized with a jolt that that was something I had never seen before. Funny Malfoy? Yeah right.
As he scowled at my response, I couldn't help but noticed the definite twinkle in his usually stone gray eyes as he watched me laugh. It took me awhile to calm down really, and he waited very patiently as I wiped my eyes with a napkin. "Don't yet?" he asked, smirking. I nodded, balling the napkin up in my palm. "Good." He sat down again, head in hands. "How hard did you open that door, anyway?" I grinned.
"Pretty hard, sorry about that." I looked at the back of his head in amusement as he groaned in pain. His hair was slicked back like always, I longed to just mess it up, get one perfect hair out of place…
"You're worse than your brother," he muttered. It was a little muffled due to his head being buried in his robes, but I caught it anyway. I smirked; yes smirked. Do you really think only Malfoys can smirk?
"I can pack a pretty hard punch when I need to." I picked up a roll and started buttering it when he spoke again.
"So why didn't you back there?" The roll fell to the table and the knife collapsed with a clang on the floor. My hands froze and my mind raced.
Yeah, why didn't you? Don't you remember punching the living daylights out of Colin when he tried to fondle you in the gardens last Yule Ball?
Because he's Harry…it's different.
"It's different." Malfoy stated this with a calm tension in his voice and I jumped.
"I'm getting really bad with not saying these things out loud aren't I?" I sighed, picking the knife up off of the floor. I turned my back on the smirking Slytherin while sipping some pumpkin juice quietly. There was some silence as we both thought. I have no idea what he thought, but my head was guiltily relishing in the kiss we had shared before. Who would've thought it? I wondered silently. I remembered how strangely exhilarating it was, how tempting and how guilty I felt afterward…it felt great.
"Sickle for your thoughts," he interrupted, picking up an orange casually. I blushed.
"You're going to have to offer more than that," I said, keeping my back to him. Malfoy grabbed my shoulders and whirled me around.
"So saintly little Weasley is thinking naughty thoughts?" he said, his upper lip threatening to curl in a sneer. I tried to shake him off, but he's really strong, like Ron almost.
"You wish," I said, trying to sound confident, but it coming out as a timid whisper. He smirked and let me go.
"Whatever Weasley," he replied, peeling the orange. I watched as he popped a small slice into his mouth and got comfortable on the bench. Reaching inside his robes, Malfoy took out a small roll of parchment and started writing very fast on it with an eagle feather quill. I watched in fascination as he finished it with a small flourish and rolled it up expertly. Handing it to me, he gave me one final smirk and left.
I opened it with shaking hands:
Weasley-
We need to talk as much as I don't want to. Lake. Midnight. Be there.
-Draco Malfoy
Underneath his name was a tiny dragon that he obviously had just drawn-it was so beautiful. The eyes were what scared me most though; they were red and full of unleashed pain.
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(Draco's POV-present tense)
I wait while skipping a stone across the lake's surface. Wincing, I gently touch the bump that is now forming underneath my hair. "Bloody Weasley," I mutter, picking up another stone and throwing it rather violently across the lake. Why did I ask her to come tonight? I think absently, sitting down while wrapping my Invisibility Cloak around me, shivering. It's cold. The wind nips at me from all directions, and I curse at it under my breath. I've never liked the wind; it's an enemy you can't see or hurt. It just hurts you. End of story.
Like her. Little red head Weasley. Ha, Little Red, I think, grinning. It's the perfect nickname for her, actually. She is little, maybe not emotionally I frankly have no clue, but literally. Unlike her male counterparts, she's petite and graceful. The day her brothers are graceful is the day I snap my wand and become a Muggle…
"Malfoy?" All of a sudden her shy voice cuts through the night air like a butcher's knife. I stay deathly still, but I can't se her. "Oh come on, I know you're out there." Her voice is getting impatient now. "I have no time for this, you're damn lucky I came out here at all!" Silence. Then to my horror, I hear her cry. "Fine. I'll just go back in shall I? Go back to where I don't want to go, back to Harry, back to-" I don't let her finish.
"I'm here Little Red," I say taking off the Cloak. I hear a gasp and a cloak falls off of her. So she's got one too? I think while taking her indignant pose in.
"Little Red? When did you make up that charming nickname?" she says, hurriedly wiping her tears away with her sleeve, sniffing.
"Just came up with it now," I said shrugging.
"Why did you ask me to come here?" she asked softly through her robe sleeve. I see that her hair is curlier than normal, does she straighten it normally? "Malfoy?" Oh right. I snap back to reality.
"Right. Yes well…I, ummm…" When I start to talk, I realize I don't know why I asked her. I have no idea. I begin to panic, and she watches me with amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Oh I see." She hesitates. "This doesn't have to do with-you know…"
"Of course not," I say, raising my eyebrow. "That was just-"
"Just what Malfoy?" she asks, her voice dangerously low.
"Just a bit of fun," I say, smirking. It was, I think. I just wanted her then and there, so I was actually telling the truth. My smirk falters at that, and it's wiped off my face immediately when I see her fragile face fall. She sits down on her heels.
"Oh. Right." She picks up a grass blade and starts twirling it round and round between her thumb and index finger. Suddenly, she drops it and looks at me. "Let's all snog Ginny because she doesn't care!"
"Red, shut up, you sound like Moaning Myrtle," I say trying to calm her down; after all, it's midnight and she's practically screaming at me.
"Don't tell me to shut up!" she says, standing up now. It looks like I'm in for what Potter got yesterday…
"Don't tell me what to do," I say calmly, turning my back on her. I can practically feel the fury from where I'm standing.
"I can and I will Draco Malfoy. Maybe this hasn't happened to you before, but this time you kissed a girl with feelings! I do care." She stops, her voice shaking a little. "Do you think you can be horrid to me the whole time I've known you and then corner me in a dark hallway? What is wrong with you?"
"Don't tell me you didn't want it either," I say, the words coming out before I can stop them. It's dark, or else I'd bet fifty Galleons she's blushing.
"That is really besides the point."
"Is it?" I turn around. "Didn't you want to show Potter that you can move on? Didn't you want to feel…oh I don't know let's use a phrase from Pansy shall we?...'feel the thrill of kissing the biggest badass in school'? Come on Weasley, you're just lying to yourself. We're both greedy pigs and we proved it then." Wow, I think as I sat down. That's more than I've said to anybody in a long time.
There's a small silence before I hear her hiss venomously, "There's the difference between us Malfoy. I didn't kiss you out of greed."
I jerk my head up but she's gone. "Take that damn cloak off Little Red before I hex you!"
"Mr. Malfoy!" What the hell? I wonder, getting up with the Cloak behind my back.
"Who's there?" I say, squinting into the darkness. Holy crap, my mind screams as Professor McGonagall materializes out of the shadows.
I swear, that woman has it in for me! She's always breathing down my neck taking off points and practically stalking me as she catches me every time. Honestly, she's worse than Filch.
"Mr. Malfoy, I don't know who you were talking to, but that was an implied sexual assault. In addition, you are out after curfew. Thirty points off of Slytherin and two detentions. Get to bed."
"Professor McGonagall," I begin imploringly, "I wasn't implying anything of that nature! If you had seen whom I was talking to I'm sure you'd-"
"Don't try to sweet talk your way out of this one. I'll send you an owl with the details tomorrow." I scowl.
"Fine." I turn and walk back into the castle in a foul mood.
Oh, is Virginia Weasley ever going to get it!