Draco ran with Ginny down the hallway, pullling her as they went. She wanted to stop, not go to the feast. Not be interrogated by her brother and recieve questiong looks from Hermione as Harry stares at the floor, trying not to be there. It happened evrytime she did something stupid. And, oh boy, she couldn't WAIT to get home to Mum and Dad...
"Come on, love, let's go," Draco said, as Ginny simplely stopped. For some reason, Professor Snape was staring at her as he was talking with Tahmores. Draco put his arm around her waist protectively and shot him a glare as the entered the great hall. Snape did not glare back but let them enter and resumed talking to Tahmores, forcefully. Draco caught snatches of the conversation.
"Stay away from Weasley, if you know what's good for you..." Snape hissed and enter the hall behind them. Draco pulled her closer to him.
He was suddenly pushed backwards. "Lay off my sister, Malfoy," Ron said, trying to be calm. Harry and HErmione stood behind them. Draco stepped forward.
"Please, don't hurt him," Ginny said to Draco. "He's a dolt and a prick, but he's my brother and I love him."
Draco stepped back. "Whatever you say, love."
Ron pushed him again. "Don't CALL her that!" he shouted. People were beginning to gather around them. Draco fell to the floor, stood up, brushed his pants off, but didn't make a move toward Ron.
"I'm not going to fight you, Weasley," he said. "Though I hate you, and I think you know why, I'm not going to fight you." Ron grabbed his shirt and leaned in menaceingly.
"Why not, you scared?"
"No, I'm not scared of you. The lady asked me not to, and seeing as I love her, I should..."
"YOU DO NOT!" Ron said, pushing him onto the floor again. He jumped on top of him, punching his face. Draco didn't make a move. Harry and Ginny tried to pull him off, but he brushed them aside.
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, what is going on here?" Prfessor McGonagall asked, her lips pursed, thinner than Ginny had ever seen them. Ron ceased punching him. Professor Dumbledore stood behind her, a knowing look on his face. Tahmores and Snape stood a few feet behind him.
"All right, nothing to see here, move along now," Tahmores said, winking at Ginny. "All right, there, Miss Weasley?" Snape looked sour.
"Yessir, I'm fine."
"Now, Mr. Weasley, what caused this?" Professor McGonagall asked. Hermione and Harry immediately jumped to his aid.
"He was provoked, Professor..."
"Malfoy was taunting him..."
"Then why was Draco not fighting back?" Ginny demanded.
"I'm not oging to let Mixed-blood hating scum like that date my sister!" Ron shouted. Professor Dumbledore cut in.
"Mr. Weasley, I don't care if he's dating your mother, there will be no fighting in my school." Dumbledore said, recieving a snicker from the crowd. After a moment of thoughtful pause, he added. "I suppose you could take it into the Forest, if you REALLY wanted to, but I doubt..."
"Yeah, let's go!" Ron said, jumping off of Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle helped their boss off the floor.
"Er, Ron, I think he was kidding," Harry said, knudging him. Ron looked crestfallen.
"Oh."
"Mr. Weasley, I'm giving you a warning, simplely because I know what you're going through, but if you touch Malfoy again and someone reports it, I shall have to give you detention for..."
"A month?" Draco asked.
"A year?" Ginny added, eagerly.
"I was thinking a week, actually, but very good suggestions, I'll take them to heart," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye. "Now, everyone sit down and enjoy the Feast!"
***
"Miss Weasley, could you hold back for a second," Professor Sanpe asked her at the end of their first Potions class. Ginny looked alarmed, but stayed anyways. She hadn't done anything wrong.. today...
"You're not in trouble, I just wanted to make sure everything was all right with you. Nothing has happened?" Snape asked, sitting on the edge of her cauldron.
"Um... no sir, I don't think so." Ginny was getting a little uncomfortable.
"That's good," Snape said, standing up. "If anything does happen, come and tell me, and I'll.."
"Sir, what do you mean by 'anything?'" Snape looked back to her.
"You'll know when it does."
"Hey, Gin, come on, we'll be late for... class?" Draco said, juttin his head in the doorway. Ginny picked up her things and walked out of the room, trying very hard not to look back.
***
One Week Later
Ginny stared at the lake, her eyes shining with delight. Draco's arm was around her shoulders and his chin sat on the top of her head. Ron, while, not entirely happy about all of this, was taking a dip in the lake. Harry was there with him, and Hermione sun bathed nearby in a bikini that Ginny had helped her pick out. It was unusually warm for September, up into the high ninety's. Ginny's toes dipped into the cold water. And Draco kissed her hair gentlely and stood up.
"Professor," he said. Ginny turned around.
"Hallo, Tahmores!" Ginny said, smiling, her eyes squinting from the light of the sun. He smiled back and sat down.
"Nice of Dumbledore to call school off today," Draco said, sitting on the other side of Ginny.
"Well, the teacher's had ameeting this morning, so he figured, why make the kids go at all?" Tahmores answered, taking off his shoes and dipping his feet in the water. Harry swam up to him.
"Hey, Tahmores!" he said. "Whatcha doing out here?"
"Meeting's over," he answered. Harry sat down next to him, and Ginny knew what he was thinking. Harry had been hinting at Tahmores being his guardian since he had found out he was Sirus's cousin.
Ron walked over, sitting between Hermione and Draco. He had to admitt, Malfoy had grown on him. He was so sweet to Ginny... although he still didn't trust him.
Hermione sat up and smiled at him. He put his arm around her shoulders, like Draco was doing to Ginny. Ginny had told him he needed to take lessons...
"Ron... what are you doing?" she asked. He removed his arm awkwardly.
"Nothing..." he said. She scooted closer and placed the arm once again around her.
"Well, then do something."
"Hey, Ginny, I need some help moving around the new display for the next class. Could you lend me a hand?" Tahmores asked.
"Course, I could," she said, rising. Draco stood with her.
"Oh, no, Ginny and I can take care of it, thanks any ways, Draco," Tahmores said. Ginny kissed Draco on the forehead.
"I'll be back as soon as we're done. Relax in the sun for a while," she said and walked away into the castle.
Draco remained standing, watching her enter the castle. Only then did he sit down again, his forehead creased into a frown.
"What is it, Malfoy?" Ron asked, noticing his look of concern. Draco shook his head.
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this..."
"Come on, love, let's go," Draco said, as Ginny simplely stopped. For some reason, Professor Snape was staring at her as he was talking with Tahmores. Draco put his arm around her waist protectively and shot him a glare as the entered the great hall. Snape did not glare back but let them enter and resumed talking to Tahmores, forcefully. Draco caught snatches of the conversation.
"Stay away from Weasley, if you know what's good for you..." Snape hissed and enter the hall behind them. Draco pulled her closer to him.
He was suddenly pushed backwards. "Lay off my sister, Malfoy," Ron said, trying to be calm. Harry and HErmione stood behind them. Draco stepped forward.
"Please, don't hurt him," Ginny said to Draco. "He's a dolt and a prick, but he's my brother and I love him."
Draco stepped back. "Whatever you say, love."
Ron pushed him again. "Don't CALL her that!" he shouted. People were beginning to gather around them. Draco fell to the floor, stood up, brushed his pants off, but didn't make a move toward Ron.
"I'm not going to fight you, Weasley," he said. "Though I hate you, and I think you know why, I'm not going to fight you." Ron grabbed his shirt and leaned in menaceingly.
"Why not, you scared?"
"No, I'm not scared of you. The lady asked me not to, and seeing as I love her, I should..."
"YOU DO NOT!" Ron said, pushing him onto the floor again. He jumped on top of him, punching his face. Draco didn't make a move. Harry and Ginny tried to pull him off, but he brushed them aside.
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, what is going on here?" Prfessor McGonagall asked, her lips pursed, thinner than Ginny had ever seen them. Ron ceased punching him. Professor Dumbledore stood behind her, a knowing look on his face. Tahmores and Snape stood a few feet behind him.
"All right, nothing to see here, move along now," Tahmores said, winking at Ginny. "All right, there, Miss Weasley?" Snape looked sour.
"Yessir, I'm fine."
"Now, Mr. Weasley, what caused this?" Professor McGonagall asked. Hermione and Harry immediately jumped to his aid.
"He was provoked, Professor..."
"Malfoy was taunting him..."
"Then why was Draco not fighting back?" Ginny demanded.
"I'm not oging to let Mixed-blood hating scum like that date my sister!" Ron shouted. Professor Dumbledore cut in.
"Mr. Weasley, I don't care if he's dating your mother, there will be no fighting in my school." Dumbledore said, recieving a snicker from the crowd. After a moment of thoughtful pause, he added. "I suppose you could take it into the Forest, if you REALLY wanted to, but I doubt..."
"Yeah, let's go!" Ron said, jumping off of Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle helped their boss off the floor.
"Er, Ron, I think he was kidding," Harry said, knudging him. Ron looked crestfallen.
"Oh."
"Mr. Weasley, I'm giving you a warning, simplely because I know what you're going through, but if you touch Malfoy again and someone reports it, I shall have to give you detention for..."
"A month?" Draco asked.
"A year?" Ginny added, eagerly.
"I was thinking a week, actually, but very good suggestions, I'll take them to heart," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye. "Now, everyone sit down and enjoy the Feast!"
***
"Miss Weasley, could you hold back for a second," Professor Sanpe asked her at the end of their first Potions class. Ginny looked alarmed, but stayed anyways. She hadn't done anything wrong.. today...
"You're not in trouble, I just wanted to make sure everything was all right with you. Nothing has happened?" Snape asked, sitting on the edge of her cauldron.
"Um... no sir, I don't think so." Ginny was getting a little uncomfortable.
"That's good," Snape said, standing up. "If anything does happen, come and tell me, and I'll.."
"Sir, what do you mean by 'anything?'" Snape looked back to her.
"You'll know when it does."
"Hey, Gin, come on, we'll be late for... class?" Draco said, juttin his head in the doorway. Ginny picked up her things and walked out of the room, trying very hard not to look back.
***
One Week Later
Ginny stared at the lake, her eyes shining with delight. Draco's arm was around her shoulders and his chin sat on the top of her head. Ron, while, not entirely happy about all of this, was taking a dip in the lake. Harry was there with him, and Hermione sun bathed nearby in a bikini that Ginny had helped her pick out. It was unusually warm for September, up into the high ninety's. Ginny's toes dipped into the cold water. And Draco kissed her hair gentlely and stood up.
"Professor," he said. Ginny turned around.
"Hallo, Tahmores!" Ginny said, smiling, her eyes squinting from the light of the sun. He smiled back and sat down.
"Nice of Dumbledore to call school off today," Draco said, sitting on the other side of Ginny.
"Well, the teacher's had ameeting this morning, so he figured, why make the kids go at all?" Tahmores answered, taking off his shoes and dipping his feet in the water. Harry swam up to him.
"Hey, Tahmores!" he said. "Whatcha doing out here?"
"Meeting's over," he answered. Harry sat down next to him, and Ginny knew what he was thinking. Harry had been hinting at Tahmores being his guardian since he had found out he was Sirus's cousin.
Ron walked over, sitting between Hermione and Draco. He had to admitt, Malfoy had grown on him. He was so sweet to Ginny... although he still didn't trust him.
Hermione sat up and smiled at him. He put his arm around her shoulders, like Draco was doing to Ginny. Ginny had told him he needed to take lessons...
"Ron... what are you doing?" she asked. He removed his arm awkwardly.
"Nothing..." he said. She scooted closer and placed the arm once again around her.
"Well, then do something."
"Hey, Ginny, I need some help moving around the new display for the next class. Could you lend me a hand?" Tahmores asked.
"Course, I could," she said, rising. Draco stood with her.
"Oh, no, Ginny and I can take care of it, thanks any ways, Draco," Tahmores said. Ginny kissed Draco on the forehead.
"I'll be back as soon as we're done. Relax in the sun for a while," she said and walked away into the castle.
Draco remained standing, watching her enter the castle. Only then did he sit down again, his forehead creased into a frown.
"What is it, Malfoy?" Ron asked, noticing his look of concern. Draco shook his head.
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this..."
