~*~Green and Gold~*~
By Kellyanne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good…oh, I mean…I own nothing *sheepish grin*
Chapter 8
Just like Hermione had promised, the Halloween feast was one that would go down in Hogwarts history. Not only did the hall contain the normal Halloween decorations, like bats and a band of skeletons, but all the House Banners had been enchanted to change. The Gryffindor banner kept changing to the Slytherin banner and the Hufflepuff banner kept taking over Ravenclaw's. None of this would have been exciting, but Professor Dumbledore insisted that everyone sit under their House Banner.
That announcement made the feast very, very interesting.
Hogwarts students were sent running through the Great Hall, trying to be seated under their banner before it decided to change.
Everyone was laughing…everyone except Ginny. She had too much on her mind to take pleasure in Dumbledore's festivities. Sure, Hermione kept dragging her from table to table, but she didn't laugh…she didn't even break a smile.
After a half hour, Dumbledore had had his fun and he used a Deletrius spell to make the banners go back in their rightful places.
Dumbledore also enchanted their food to run away just as they were about to stab it with their forks. Fred and George had done this once at the Burrow and it made Ginny chuckle.
Still, her mind was stuck on one thing…well, one person, to be exact.
"Ginny, are you enjoying the feast?" Ron asked, noticing that his little sister was staring into space like she had been petrified.
"Yeah, it's great Ron," She mumbled without actually looking at him.
The three seventh years frowned and Hermione sighed, "Gin, what's up?"
"You know," She said softly, turning to look into Hermione's big, brown eyes. Brandy eyes, Ron had called them.
"You're still thinking about what happened after Hogsmeade??" Her brandy-eyed friend was truly shocked. Her eyes were the size of teacup saucers.
"Why did he kiss me??" Ginny asked softly, dropping her gaze back to her plate of feverishly running corn. If she had looked up, she would have seen the looks of anger/astonishment on her brother and Harry's faces.
"He did it…probably because…he likes you," Hermione stuttered, tipping Ginny's chin up so she met her friend's gaze.
"Whoa…hold on a second. Who kissed Ginny?" Harry said. She turned to him and saw his green eyes were glowing like a Floo-powdered fireplace.
Ignoring Harry's question, Ginny turned back to Hermione, her emotions caught in her throat like they had been that morning, "Why would he, though. I'm a…I'm a Weasley."
Hermione looked at her with sympathy that she wasn't sure she wanted. She needed answers, not pity.
"Hermione!! WHO KISSED GINNY???" Harry and Ron hollered in unison.
"Malfoy! Now shut up!!"
This made the boys go silent.
"Hermione, he's never cared about me before, and now he just comes up and kisses me. AND he knows who I am. He knows I'm a Weasley. He's been taught to hate me!" Ginny sighed and fought back tears.
Blimey, she hadn't realized that she had fallen head over heels for…oh God…for Malfoy.
"Ginny, love, he may have been taught to hate you," Hermione paused and leaned across the table so her voice was a whisper only Ginny could hear, "But people can easily forget what they've been taught…if they really love what they've learned to hate."
She sucked in a breath to keep her heart from stopping. Was it possible that Draco Malfoy might actually have feelings for her that weren't unrelenting hatred??
"What should I do?" Ginny whispered to Hermione, who had leaned back in her seat across the table. Ron and Harry were listening curiously, though neither were commenting on the fact that Malfoy had kissed her.
"Ginny, you put him in the Hospital Wing," Hermione stopped to choke back laughter, "Can it be any easier to question someone who can't get out of a bed?? He'll be helpless and you can find out how he feels."
Ginny grinned and stood, rushing out of the Great Hall like a girl running from death.
His head hurt. It was throbbing unbearably as though he had been hit over the head with a hammer…several times. He groaned and turned on his side, only to find out that that hurt as well. A flash of white-hot pain shot up the side of his body and he took a sharp breath of air to keep from crying out in agony.
Settling painfully back to his previous position, he opened his eyes. White.
Everything in the room was white. The beds, the walls, the floors…everything!
He recognized the blindingly colorless room as the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. But…why was he here??
He thought back, remembering talking to Ginny as they walked to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade. She walked away, falling in pace with Granger. And then…then he went up to her and kissed her.
After that, a wand was whipped out…her wand…and he went stiff.
She had used a Full Body Bind curse to make him unconscious!!! Blimey, she really was a vixen.
He groaned and closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead with his hand, wincing when he forgot that his head was still throbbing.
He tried to fall back asleep, but the noises coming from the Great Hall were keeping him up. He wondered if she was having a good time…not that he wanted her to, or anything.
"Madame Pomfrey, are you here?" She asked, looking around the shockingly white hospital ward. She had forgotten how colorless the room was. The last time she had been here, which was after the whole Chamber of Secrets ordeal in her first year, the room had reminded her of snow. Now it reminded her of a mental institution.
"Miss Weasley, what brings you here? You aren't hurt, now, are you?" The school nurse appeared from her office, making Ginny jump.
"No. I was…just…wondering if I could see Dra…Malfoy." Oh, please don't let him be awake, she silently pleaded.
"Well, Miss Weasley, you brought him here, so why must you see him again? It was only an hour or so ago that you first arrived with his unconscious body." The older woman's answer made Ginny's jaw tighten. Why was she being so bloody difficult??
"Professor…um…Snape wanted me to tell him the…um…Potions assignment." She lied, realizing that she was jeopardizing Gryffindor points by doing so. If Pomfrey found out that she was lying, points could be deducted from her house. Wouldn't that be a nightmare?
"Oh. Well, I suppose that's all right. But please be quick. I need to take care of Mr. Malfoy and get down to Great Hall to help with the Ball."
"Ball?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, I guess you left before the announcement. Dumbledore planned a surprise ball for this evening. I really must get down there…"
"I could watch Draco, if you want."
Hold on…had Ginny just offered to watch over him? He must be delirious or something, because that wasn't right. She hated him. Everything about her told him that.
So why was she offering to help him??
Probably because she feels guilty for putting you in here.
"Well, that's very nice of you, dear. I'll be gone for quite a few hours…twenty points will be awarded to Gryffindor for your kind actions."
Or maybe she had offered so her house would get points?
The curtain that had surrounded his bed was suddenly pulled opened and he snapped his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.
"Thank you again, Miss Weasley. Now, I really must be going." His eyes still closed, he heard Pomfrey bustle out of the room with a swish of skirts.
Once the door had closed behind the nurse, Ginny spoke, "I know you're awake, Malfoy. You're a horrible actor, even if you're only trying to fake sleeping."
He smirked, but kept his eyes closed, "Why are you here, Weasel?"
"Well," She started, taking a seat on his bed. The scent of vanilla filled his nostrils and he cursed. She shouldn't be allowed to smell so good, "I put you in the hospital. I only thought it fair to see how you were doing."
"Ah, so you feel guilty for cursing me," He said, opening his eyes and smirking at the redhead.
"I never said I felt guilty, Malfoy. Don't flatter yourself. I just wanted to make sure you weren't…damaged," Her eyes were dancing with mirth, "God-forbid that one hair on your perfectly greasy head was misplaced during your fall."
"So, if you aren't feeling guilty, then why are you here?" He repeated, not finding her comments funny.
She shrugged, "Had nothing better to do."
He studied her face, looking into eyes that refused to meet his own. She blushed.
"You want to ask me something, don't you?" He questioned, the look in her face giving her motives away.
"No…I…"
"You're a horrible actress, Weasel, even if you're only trying to lie," He smirked when she turned to look into his eyes, "Now ask me what you came here to find out." He liked being in control of the conversation.
"I wanted to know if…you…liked me," Her gaze was on her feet, but he saw her cheeks reddening.
"Why would you bloody think that?" He said, trying to hide how he really felt. Blimey, he hoped she couldn't see through his lies.
"Well, when normal people kiss each other, they usually like each other to start with!" Ginny's eyes were on him now and he felt like melting into her chocolate gaze, though he knew he couldn't.
Wait…she had said 'they usually like each other to start with.' Was she saying that she liked him??
"Hey, I was bloody pissed off. You can't expect me to be rational!" He retorted. Another lie. He knew exactly what he was doing when he kissed her.
"Well, I was pretty shirty then, too. I didn't do anything irrational!" She yelled back.
"You turned me into a human log. I was stiff as a board, Weasley! How is that bloody rational???" Don't smile, Draco. Whatever you do, don't smile.
"You deserved it," She said, getting closer to him on the bed, "and you bloody well know that you had it coming!"
"Ginny," He whispered, his eyes focused on her lips, full and pink.
"What?!?"
"What would you do if I kissed you again?" He smiled when her face filled with shock.
"I…I…"
"I hope you don't have your wand," He whispered before he wrapped a hand behind her neck and pulled her closer, claiming her lips like an explorer claiming newly discovered land.
He kissed her softly, knowing that anything else wouldn't be right for her. Her lips were like rose petals, soft and delicate, and a hard kiss would crush them to dust.
She had just started kissing him back when he pulled away.
"You gonna use your wand on me again?" He asked softly, marveling in the shocked look in her eyes.
"Maybe," She responded, a smile creeping across her swollen lips.
He kissed her again, his lips feverishly taking hers. He was warm for the first time in a long time and he didn't want to let that go.
He pulled away when someone in the room cleared their throat. Ginny gasped, hearing it as well.
Granger.
"Gin, your brother is coming, so I think it would be best to…get off of Malfoy," Granger was smiling and he laughed, a real laugh. Blimey, true laughter felt strange.
"Are you joking?" Ginny asked as she straightened her robes and tried to fix her hair. He reached out and grabbed her hand.
"You look beautiful. Leave your hair alone," She looked as shocked as he was for saying it.
"Alright," She mumbled before sitting in the chair next to his bed. Granger sat next to her and he pretended to be asleep.
"WHERE IS SHE???"
Ah, so Weasley had decided to make his appearance. He didn't have to open his eyes to know Potter was with him.
"Ron, she's right her," Granger said.
"What did he do to you???" Potter demanded. Blimey, these two blokes were mental.
"Nothing Harry. Blimey, Madame Pomfrey asked me to watch him while she went to the ball!"
"Did he try to have sex with you?" Weasley asked.
He had to choke back laughter so he still appeared asleep.
"RON!!" Ginny and Granger screamed together.
"What? I wouldn't put it past the bloke," Weasley muttered.
Now he was fighting back to urge to punch him in the face. He might have a reputation for being an arse, but he had morals.
"Harry, Ron, come on. Let's get back to the ball," Granger said. He was actually glad she was here, acting as the voice of reason.
"I'm not leaving her with him."
"Blimey, he's asleep!" Ginny said, her voice laced with anger. He could just see her cheeks flushing red.
"Harry! Ron! We're going!!" Granger said loudly. A second later, after a few more protests from Potter and Weasley, the door slammed and he opened his eyes.
Ginny looked very, very pissed.
"Well," He started, motioning her to sit next to him again, "that was interesting."
A/N- Well, there's Chapter 8. I hope you guys enjoyed. Tell me you love me by reviewing. Pretty Please??
Love from Kellyanne