Chapter Eight: Our Love Is ... Pinned Down and Abused

Ginny had enjoyed spending the remainder of her break with Blaise. Honestly, why wouldn't she have enjoyed it? After all, it was Blaise. She'd had an awkward feeling around him the day after, but she finally let that slip and had become comfortable around him. Today, this Saturday, marked the last day of the vacation; the day everyone would be returning to the school.

"You aren't coming to Hogsmeade with Harry and me?"

As every year promised, the students who stayed behind for the break were allowed to spend that final afternoon in the wizarding village and return to the castle with the others.

"No," Ginny muttered as she continued to read the concluding book of her trilogy.

"Why not?" Ron asked as he leaned against the back of his sister's chair, peering at the tiny font of her book. "You're not going on your own, are you?"

Cocking her head back, Ginny looked up to Ron's blue eyes. "Of course not," came her reply. Still being in her pyjamas, the redheaded Weasley stood and made the small trek to her dorm to change, Ron stared like a baffled twit after her, wondering what she was up to.

Of course she wasn't going down to Hogsmeade all on her lonesome. Not only would that be absurd, but also it would be dreadfully boring. Blaise had arranged, only the previous night, to meet her at the castle entrance and head to the small town with her. And Ginny couldn't help herself but comply with this.

Arriving at the doors, Blaise not in sight, Ginny leaned against the frigid stone wall and crossed her arms over her chest. She waited there for the Slytherin.

"Shall we be off Miss Weasley?" Blaise appeared to her side and Ginny's face glowed with a smile. He pulled the door open and followed her out.

Ginny shook her head and tutted at Blaise as he rubbed his hands together. "You know you'll just catch cold again. Unless you like Pepper-Up Potion, I suggest you wear mitts."

Pushing her lightly with his hip, Blaise knocked Ginny's footing from the packed-down path into the two feet of fresh snow. "It's not that cold," he added as he shook the snow from his boots, stepping onto Hogsmeade ground.

She hated that he was right and she was wrong, but it was true. It was surprisingly warm for the beginning of January and Ginny could feel moisture at her fingertips. Taking off her mittens and stuffing them in a pocket, she narrowed her eyes up at him. Blaise grinned with the triumph of being right.

"Besides, even if I were cold, I have a way of keeping myself warm." His grin widened as he slid his fingers between hers. Ginny felt an odd tingle course from the tips of her fingers to the base of her shoulders as he'd done so and she smiled away, almost shyly.

"Butterbeer?" he offered, but was already lightly pulling at her hand. Obliging, Ginny followed him to the Three Broomsticks. Upon entrance, they grabbed two butterbeers from Rosmerta and took up a small, round table at the back of the inn.

Silence was intolerable; Ginny did not like it one bit. It gave her time to think, and that dreaded question popped back into her mind. The same one, she'd never asked him the first time, and didn't want to ask him this time. But she felt like she needed the answer.

"What's wrong?" Blaise questioned as he put his half-drained mug back on the table. His dark eyes searched her for answers.

"Nothing," she lied for the second time about the matter.

"You're a bad liar," he informed, leaning back in his seat. "You can't even come up with a good excuse. Nothing never cuts it as a good answer. You could come up with something like 'Ron's being such a prat' or 'You know that guy, his name is Blaise? Yes, he's a real git'. I might believe you then."

Ginny chuckled and looked across the table at him. "I don't think we'd ever have a problem with that one."

"Well that's a good thing. But honestly Gin, what's up? And don't tell me nothing, your eyes give you away?" She quizzically looked at him. "You don't hide your emotions very well," he added.

"Unlike some people I never had the need to hide my emotions," she spat without thinking twice.

"I resent that."

"It's true. All you bloody Slytherins are like that. You, Malfoy, Baddock," she added in a few other Slytherin names. "I only ever see two emotions on your face; pride and glory."

Blaise shrugged. "That's just the way we were raised, to hide our emotions."

"I don't see why," she argued back.

"You've never really had to deal with half of what most of us had to deal with. So, you don't really understand it all. Most of us were taught to hide what we were feeling."

"Were you taught to put others down too?" she sneered sardonically.

"In most cases. But if you're talking about Potter and his friends, they often deserve what they have coming."

"So Hermione deserves to be called a Mudblood because of her parentage? Is that what you're saying?" Her eyes narrowed with animosity.

"I've never called her that."

"Malfoy has."

"I can't speak for Draco."

"He is your best mate. That does say something."

"Gin, where the hell is all this hostility coming from?" he asked her. This was foolish argument and he didn't really want to hear her beat down at him. What had suddenly gotten into her?

Ginny had known she'd said some stupid things, but it was rare for her to think before she spoke. She'd regret some of it later. "Blaise," she sighed, knowing she'd have to ask him sooner or later, "are your parents Death Eaters?"

Slightly stunned with her question, he blinked sharply twice and cleared his throat. "My father was," came his solemn reply, "but he died when I was five."

Feeling a bit bad for bringing that up, Ginny looked away from his eyes and down to her empty glass the Butterbeer had once been in. She still needed to know the answer to her next question and so she posed it. "Where do you lie with all this? And Blaise, give me an honest answer."

"Probably more to the Dark Side than you'd like to hear," his answer was low, but loud enough so that Ginny could hear him speak. "I doubt I'll ever be a Death Eater, but I don't follow Dumbledore and all his glory." After a couple seconds that seemed like an eternity, his voice came back, "I'm sorry if you don't like to hear that Ginny, but that's just where my alliances are." He stood and dropped enough wizards' coins on the table to cover both drinks. He'd turned his back on her and was about to walk away, but he felt a grasp on his arm and her chin came to rest on his shoulder.

"You're right," she spoke softly into his ear. "I didn't want to hear that, not really, but I had to. It may not be something I like, but I guess I'm going to have to work around it." She planted a gentle kiss on his cheek and took hold of his hand. Blaise looked back at her and beamed. "Come on." She led him from the inn and made her way to Honeydukes. Always had to get her Bertie Bott's.

She froze as she entered, having spotted Harry and Ron in the candy shop. They just had to be there, and by her jellybeans too.

"Gin?" Blaise questioned, about to let go of her hand, thinking that's what she wanted. Thinking she wanted to hide this from her brother and Harry. But it wasn't.

"They'll have to find out eventually, right?" Ginny pulled him toward the bins of beans and she released his hand, only to scoop up her blessed peanut butter flavoured beans. Ron looked at her with a look of horror pledged across his face. She took a scoop each of strawberry and orange and then headed to pay, Blaise right behind her.

"That went smoothly," he muttered, exiting the store and taking her hand again. Ginny slipped the small bag of candy into her pocket.

"Zabini," came Ron's growl and the two whirled to see the Gryffindors approach. "What the hell are you doing with my sister?"

"What does it look like I'm doing with your sister Weasley?" Damn. Blaise couldn't make any knocks about the Weasleys anymore. He'd just have to find other things to torment Ron about.

For a half moment Ron didn't say anything, probably because he couldn't think of anything to say to the Slytherin. "Ginny?" he questioned his younger sibling. "You actually like being around this prick? He's no better than Malfoy."

"If I didn't like being around him, would I be with him right now?"

Ron's cheeks flushed as he cowered at his sister. "I can't believe you Ginny."

This was so unfair. It wasn't as if she was staring down Ron's future relationship with Hermione. He had no right pinning her for hanging around with Blaise just because he was in Slytherin.

"Piss off Weasley," Blaise lashed. "Ginny's old enough to make her own choices, she doesn't need your help."

"Zabini, you have your's coming."

"What are you going to do Potter? Let me beat you again in Quidditch? I'm so scared. Or are you going to bring up another hoax call?" Blaise shook his head and watched Harry and Ron storm off, heading to the Three Broomsticks. Turning his attention back to Ginny, he sighed heavily, "Sorry."

"For?" she questioned, not fully comprehending what it was he was apologizing for.

"Snapping at Potter and Weasley like that. Weasley is your brother, and Potter's a friend, I'm sorry."

"That they deserved," she said with a remote chuckle and smiled at him.



"Ginny!" Quin's voice echoed down the station, causing Ginny to turn and look at the brunette running after her. Quinlan paused when she'd come to Ginny and looked at Zabini. Quin surveyed the fact that Ginny's hand was wrapped around the seventh year's arm.

"Quin ... Blaise. Blaise ... Quin." She felt stupid doing an introduction. Quin's eyes widened, but she said nothing, she only nodded slowly.

"I'll see you later Gin," Blaise mumbled, turning to her. He kissed her nose, smiled and was off to chase down Malfoy.

"Let's go," Quin said as she grabbed Ginny's wrist, yanking her off in the direction of the school. "We're finding Lynda and then the three of us are going to have a small discussion about your break."

"If that's what you want."

Forty-five minutes later, Ginny found herself up in their sixth year dormitory with Quin and Lynda, explaining the whole situation. She skipped over the boring, tedious details of the first week that they didn't really want to hear and went straight to the first day she'd known Blaise had been around for the holiday.

"I can see there's something here between you and Zabini," Quin said with a devious grin. "An older Slytherin, and we'd thought it was Malfoy."

"We were definitely wrong Quin," Lynda said. "Does your brother know about this?"

Ginny filled them in next about the whole Hogsmeade incident and they didn't seem shocked one bit.

"Can you trust him Gin? I mean, Zabini is a Slytherin?"

"Don't give me that Lynda," advised Ginny. "I don't want to hear it from you."

"She's got a point though," Quin put it her opinion. "First off he's in Slytherin. Second off his best mate his Malfoy. I mean, Gin, how do you know you can trust him?"

"I know because he's told me all I need to know. I don't want to listen to this from you both. So let's, for the time being, drop the whole thing."

A glance of nervousness was exchanged between Lynda and Quinlan. They didn't really care if Ginny could trust Zabini, they didn't and they weren't about to. Not anytime soon. The three headed out of the room and made way to the Great Hall for supper, chattering aimlessly as they went about Quin and Lynda's break.



Ron spent the entire return feast glaring down the table at his sister. How stupid was she being? Getting into a relationship with a Slytherin, and Zabini no less. The only way she could get any worse would be if she got into something involving Malfoy. For Merlin's sake this was Zabini! He was only Malfoy's right-hand man. He'd pestered her for how many years and now she was willingly getting into a relationship with him.

Taking a spoonful of mashed potatoes, Ron looked quickly to the Slytherins and watched Zabini. He then looked back to his sister who was seated several seats away. It was a disgrace to the whole Weasley family. His parents had thought it was bad when Fred and George had wanted to open a joke shop (mind you, they are rather successful now). What about Ginny having some sort of connection with a Slytherin? They'd have a fit!

"Ron, let Ginny make her own mistakes," Hermione said, and Ron turned his attention to her. Ron and Harry had filled her in about the run-in they'd had with Ginny and Zabini in Hogsmeade. "You won't be able to do anything for her."

"But it's stupid. Zabini, what is she thinking?"

"Really Hermione," Harry pitched. "Ginny's likely going to find herself in a dangerous situation here. Can we really sit by and let her do that?"

"Can we do anything to stop here?" Hermione said rationally, they were both acting so immature over the whole situation. Of course she wasn't Zabini's biggest fan, but if Ginny wanted to be around him than Ginny was going to be around him. Ron just didn't like it because he was a Slytherin and Malfoy's friend. Harry, for the same reasons, but he probably also wished he were in Zabini's place right about now.

"We should be able to," Ron cursed, glaring at his sister even more.

"Well you aren't going to be able to. Ginny'll have to learn on her own who it's wise to hang around with and who it isn't." Hermione prayed that Ginny'd be all right and that she wouldn't have to regret not stopping Ginny from digging herself a hole. She didn't like this relationship that had sprouted between the two, but what could she really do? Ginny was sixteen years old, she was old enough to take care of her own and didn't need her brother and his friends telling her otherwise. Now if only Hermione could make Ron see that.



"Gin, I hear you've hooked up with a Slytherin," Rock sat across the Gryffindor table from him. He smirked from ear to ear, his grey-green eyes sparkling.

"Where does everyone hear this from?" she muttered to herself in questioning.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! School of 'no-secrets-everything-is-everyone's-business'," Rock chuckled at his own joke. "That's pretty rough, a Gryff and a Slyth, didn't think that day would ever come to be. Guess you got to be careful around that lot, no?"

"Shut up Rock," Ginny said firmly, not wanting to listen to him speak. "I don't really fancy hearing any of this from any of you, so if you'd be so kind as to DROP IT and move on with your lives, that would be great. I'd appreciate it oh so much." She stared down at her plate and cursed.

She should've seen this coming. Of course news of her and Blaise would get around the school more rapid than a cheetah catching an antelope, and of course nobody would be accepting of it. Least of all the Gryffindors and Slytherins. She should've known, but she'd played a fool. A naive fool in the sake of love.

Shaking her head at her own ignorance, Ginny looked across the room and locked eyes with Blaise. She saw him give her an encouraging smile, but didn't return it. Everyone's persecutions made her so angry. Really, what was their problem? It wasn't their business if she chose to date Blaise, it was hers. And bloody hell she would do whatever it was she wanted to do. If anyone had a problem with that they could move on with their lives and forget about it. Especially Ron.



Poor Ginny. Blaise knew she wasn't dealing with this well. What with Ron heckling her, Harry doing the same and just about every other Gryffindor, she could barely handle it. He watched as a boy from her year sat across from her and an irate look came to her features. He too was obviously bothering her.

When Ginny looked up to him he gave her a comforting smile, but it didn't seem to take any effect. The poor girl, letting everyone get to her. She had to have seen it coming. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin - as if that was going to get no sour comments. She just had difficulty shrugging them off. Blaise, on the other hand, didn't have that problem.

He didn't have a brother or sister to get hounded by, nor did he have anyone from the older grades to badger him. Luckily the Slytherins of the younger grades were probably too afraid of him to say anything. But it's not as if Blaise would care either way. The only ones Blaise had to contend with were the Slytherins of his year.

Did he really care what Vince and Greg said? Nope. Or the girls? Not really. Sure, Pansy's comments kind of stung, and there were worse to come, but those were easy to shrug off. The only remarks that somewhat affected him were those made by Draco when he'd first stepped of the Express and had seen Blaise with Ginny. But Draco had kept quiet after that, unusual for the Malfoy, but none the less Blaise enjoyed the boy's silence.



A/n: Hi there again. I thought I'd actually sit down and write this weekend, so here was the result of that. Anyway, I'd just like to give a few thank you's. Selene-chan thanks so much, your reviews mean a lot to me. Sorry I can't update quicker. I too would like to, but sometimes that just doesn't happen. Thanks again. Polar-zephyr thanks to you too! And I sense a thing for cucumbers? :chuckles: Tristan thank you so much for the song! That was really getting to me, but now I know. And yes, all my chapter titles are phrases from songs. Everyone thanks so much for reviewing!

Ah. Unfortunately I had to alter the phrase for this title. The actual lyric is 'our love is like water pinned down and abused', but that would make for one long chapter title and really, I don't think I need to talk about water. The phrase just worked well for the chapter and I couldn't help put it in (I also thought the phrase didn't have the water in it at first, so I kind of addicted myself to an unreal phrase and couldn't get it out of my head). Lizi