The Blood of A Virgin
----------------------------
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot.
Summary: Draco has a hidden childhood obsession. It has taken control of his mind; and has lead him to emphasize a Gryffindor as a victim. But what happens when the victim tries to change him?
***
"What's this about, Harry?" she asked, not standing to look at him.
"It's about...you. And Malfoy," Harry added.
"Look...I know it looked dodgy," Ginny started to explain, but with no avail, as she was suddenly interrupted by Colin's appearance, his flushed face toward Harry's.
"Harry, Dumbledore needs to speak to you. Say it's urgent."
"Not now, Colin. I am having a discussion," Harry remarked coldly.
"Harry!" Ginny said, startled. "Go to Dumbledore. We'll talk later. Thanks for the message, Colin," she said, smiling at the redhead sweetly.
He blushed, scurrying away, with only one glance at Harry before he did. With a nod, she began to walk away, turning her back to him, not one fleeting look back. Something she had wanted to do for a long time.
***
At Transfiguration, Ginny was relieved and delighted to see that Draco was early, sitting in the classroom, as if expecting her arrival so soon.
"Hi," she muttered softly, going shy as she slid in the seat next to him. "This seat's not err...taken, right?"
He didn't answer. Looking straight forward, he asked, "Why are you acting like this, Weasley?"
"Acting like what?" She tried not to appear flustered, and began to unpack her books, trying to take the embarrassment that was heaving in her chest.
"Look, I didn't...I didn't mean to kiss you that night," Draco prompted. "It just...happened. There's some things I can't tell you, but it'll never happen again. Your a Gryffindor, not to mention a Weasley...you don't have to be nice to me just because I attacked you."
Her face fell into a crestfallen expression. Then, anger rose. "Have you ever heard of being nice, Malfoy?" she spat inwardly, her cold voice ringing painfully throughout her ears. "It's what some people do. Normal people, anyways."
He bit his lip. "Normal people? Normal people. Well, some would say it's not so 'normal' to be completely innocent and open the Chamber in which unleashed the greatest of the Hogwarts four. Some wouldn't call it normal for a girl to be nice to a guy that almost forced her. Some would say 'normal' isn't what describes a silly little girl that goes crushing after the same guy for over four years!"
She sat up, people who had arrived, looking at her as she did. "You suck, Malfoy, you know that?" she yelled, not caring whether or not the whole world heard her. "You're a piece of shit and I can't believe I even thought of being nice to you, you're so filthy! It must be nice to almost kiss me just this morning, and then go back to the egotistical bastard you are. Of course, with a father like yours, who can blame you?"
"Ginny!" she heard a female voice exclaim. She was pretty sure it was Hermione's, but she didn't care. Not bothering to even pick up her books, she stumbled out of her chair, flushed and angry with dripping rage.
"Miss Weasley, where are you going...where are you going?" Professor McGonagall cried after her, but Ginny was so enraged that she walked out, slamming the door behind her, the slam echoing in the silence that followed, and all eyes were now on Draco. However, to everyone's surprise, he silently gathered Ginny's books, barely looking at his own, and them tucked under his arm, he followed suite.
***
***
Ginny raced upwards the hallway and stopped when she heard footsteps behing her. Whirling around, she brushed against the person who had followed her. Draco.
"What're you doing here?" she asked, surprised that he had ran after her. "Because I am not accepting your apology."
"What apology?" he sneered. "I wasn't going to apologize, Weasley."
"Then why did you follow me?" she challenged him, her eyes pondering over his angelic, pale face.
For this, he was silent. He looked down at his feet, not meeting her eyes directly.
"Here's your books," he murmured, handing them to her. She accepted them quickly.
"Thanks," she whispered. "I...better go." She turned swiftly.
"But...Professor McGonagall's going to be mad you skipped class."
"I'll make up for it," she confided quietly.
"Oh. Alright."
Surprised at how civil he was being, she turned her head shyly. "You want to come?"
His eyes bored into hers, and he opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. he seemed to be recalling something, because a frightening expression was imprinted on his face. Finally, he said, "No."
"Alright," she said, trying to ignore the heaving disappointment rising in her chest, and walked away, robes flashing, her auburn curls shining behind her.
***
"It's hurting more than ever," Draco complained. It was the end of classes, and he was now in Professor Snape's room, rolling his sleeve up, showing him the dark mark that was drawn fiercely in his arm, that was now burning into his flesh even more.
"Hold still, Draco," Professor Snape said carefully, taking a vial of lime colored potion and dropping several drips of it into his arm. He let out a yell as it stinged through his bone, and he felt sure that the blood had drained out of his body...then a peaceful silence overcame him as the pain slowly went away, but the dark mark was still glowering at him.
"When was the last time it hurt?" Professor Snape asked.
"A...few nights ago, I think. I had a dream, and it just burned..."
"What dream?" he insisted.
"A - a personal dream," Draco muttered, still looking at the Dark Mark as if he was more interested in it than ever.
"Personal dream?" Professor Snape repeated. "Then why would it hurt?"
"Well...in the end, I - I was showing - I was showing somebody the Dark Mark on my arm...and I saw red eyes...it could've been mine, I don't know, really..."
"Draco. This is serious, did you tell the Headmaster?"
"No. My father's already out of Azkaban, I don't want anybody else to think I am some kind of demon or something," he replied carelessly.
"Draco," Professor Snape said in a warning tone.
"Alright, alright," he said, sighing. "I'll tell him...thanks." He put the sleeve of his robes down, nodding toward the teacher and exiting out of the room.
***
The days passed by with no melodrama or events. At the end of the week, Ginny was relieved to see March was only two weeks away. The faster the months passed by, the faster Ginny would be out of the studies, the tests, preparing for her N.E.W.T.S. next year. It had tired her so much that every time she arrived in her dorms, she fell straight asleep in her bed, and woke up in the morning late, missing breakfast and some of her first class. She wasn't the only one. Other sixth years took to studying in classes, and brought an enchanted quill to write their notes for them. That is, until the teachers found out and forbid it completely. The seventh years were the wreck. They had their N.E.W.T.S coming in April, and locked themselves in their rooms, studying until midnight, or sometimes even morning.
Ginny was in the library, studying hard for the Defense Against the Dark Arts part of her exams. Although sixth years didn't have N.E.W.T.S yet, they still had end-of-the year exams, and Ginny wanted to be highly prepared for them, as she had dreams of working in the Ministry, or becoming a Healer after school. It wasn't definite yet, all that she knew was that she wanted to do something good, and she wanted to have her name well-known. As she skimmed through the pages of books, she looked up and saw that Draco was sitting across from her, watching her silently.
She gasped. "You scared the hell out of me!"
"Sorry," Draco said. Leaning over, he picked up one of her books. "What're you studying for? It's us seventh years that have the pressure on."
Ginny glared at him. "I'll have you know that sixth years have exams too, you know."
"Oh, right. End of the year exams. Who cares about those? It's the N.E.W.T.S that's going to get you where you want to go."
She didn't respond. Instead, she tried to block all things from her mind, except for the book in front of her. She concentrated hard on studying, trying not to think about Draco. But it was hard as he yawned several times, tapping his quill against the desk rapidly, and she knew he was trying to annoy her.
"Can you please stop?"
"Stop what?" he asked, blinking innocently.
"You know very well what!"
He stopped, but only for the next twenty minutes did she get to study more. After that, she began to feel oddly drowsy, and the library was now almost deserted, since it was night, and they all settled for studying in their common rooms or dorms.
Picking up her books, she began to walk away.
"Wait!" he caught up to her, walking beside her. They walked silently, until she stopped in front of the Fat Lady.
He grabbed her arm, and she was pulled into him, pressing against him like she'd never done before. She could feel his reaction to her as he wrapped his arms around her neck, tilting her head so that his lips were centimeters from hers.
"I promise not to bite this time," he breathed, and she could feel his heartbeat thumping against his chest as he was wrapped around her.
And with that, he heatedly devoured his lips against hers, savoring the taste of purity brushing against his mouth, and his arm felt as if it was going to explode - it felt as if a thousand knives had stabbed through his arm, and he could almost see the mark as clear as lightening, under his closed eyelids.
***
