An Acceptable Risk

Chapter Seventeen

Ginny skipped dinner all together and waited for Draco in the History of Magic classroom. While she waited, she skimmed through a text on transfigurations looking for a way to transfigure Hermione's old dress robes.
"Reading anything interesting?" asked Draco as he lounged negligently in the doorway.
"Not really, just doing a bit of extra reading for Transfigurations. Professor McGonagall seems to think that I'm not applying myself enough and thoughtfully assigned me some extra work," said Ginny, with a sarcastic smile on her face.
"Old bat," said Draco. "Want me to get Pansy to do your work. She's so good at Transfigurations that even old McGonagall can't find a reason to mark her down."

Ginny winced inwardly at unfair assessment of Professor McGonagall, but she smiled. "No thanks Draco. I can handle it. I've just been letting this thing with Hermione get in the way of my studies, but not anymore. I'm not going to give her any reasons to gloat. Besides," she added honestly. "I don't think Pansy would want to help me at all. She considered you her personal property, and thinks I've been trespassing."
"She doesn't have any claim on me, Ginny. I don't belong to anybody. Yet," he added as an afterthought.
"What are you talking about Draco?" asked Ginny. She was certain he wasn't referring to a relationship with her. Not the way he had uttered the yet. She pulled a chair out beside her and patted it.
"Come on Draco, sit down. You're making me nervous standing over me like that."
"No, I don't want to sit. Come on, let's go for a walk outside."
"A walk – outside?" questioned Ginny. "But we're not supposed to leave the castle Draco."

Malfoy just stood there watching her, not saying a word. After several minutes' indecision, Ginny slammed her book shut.
"Alright then, how do we get out of here?"
"Ginny, can I trust you? I mean really trust you?" Draco asked suddenly.
"Of course Draco," said Ginny, a bit unnerved by his piercing gaze. "I'm your friend, you know that."
"Are you, are you really? Or are you just like the others, like Crabbe, Goyle and the rest? Are you being nice to me because of who my father is?"
Ginny looked at him in shock and amazement and then burst out laughing. "Draco, what are you talking about? I'm certainly not being nice to you because of who your father is. If anything, you'd think I'd avoid you because of who your father is."
"Alright then," said Draco, seeming to come to some decision in his mind. "Come on then, let's get out of here."

Draco led Ginny through the halls of the castle until they came to the same suit of armour Ginny had seen him disappear behind once before.
"You have to promise, and I mean promise to never reveal to anyone what I'm about to show you," he whispered.
"And who would I tell?" Ginny enquired. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm sorely lacking in the friends department lately."
"Well, you have me," said Draco.
"And you have me," said Ginny suddenly realizing that in a certain way, she really meant what she said.
"Look, keep watch," he said. Ginny turned her back and looked up and down the hall.
"It's clear," she whispered. Draco tapped on a sequence of stones in the wall and a door opened. Taking Ginny by the hand, he pulled her into the tunnel. Luminous they both whispered and the tunnel was lit with the light from their wands.
"Where does this take us?" asked Ginny.
"Just outside the gates of the school," said Draco. "Don't worry, it's safe."
"Well, I'll admit to being worried," said Ginny with a smile, "But I also know you wouldn't take me anyplace that wasn't safe."

Draco paused momentarily; stunned by the trust she was putting in him. He still couldn't accept the fact that someone like Ginny would care about him at all, especially when she had someone like Potter chasing after her. The tunnel came out into a small cave, which was located in a small wood a short distance from the gates of the castle grounds. Draco led Ginny over to a fallen log and they sat down.
"Is this where you are going to teach me how to apperate?" Ginny asked looking around
"No, this is where I'm going to ask you about Potter," said Draco.
"Harry?" Ginny asked in a puzzled voice. "What about him?" Ginny trembled inwardly. She had anticipated this conversation, but none of her mental rehearsals prepared her for the real thing.
"Well, everybody thought that you and he would end up together," said Draco. "Why are you here with me?"
"You asked me, he didn't," said Ginny simply.
"So what then, I'm your consolation prize?" snapped Draco.
"No, that's not what I mean," said Ginny. "Oh, I'm making a mess of this! Look Draco, there was a time when I had a serious crush on Harry, you know it, I know it, I think the whole school knows it. But that's when I was a little girl, and I'm not a little girl any longer."
"No, you certainly aren't," said Draco with a little leer. Ginny trembled a little at the look on his face, but she tamped down her fear and continued on.
"Harry and I want different things out of life Draco. He loves the way my family lives, and money isn't important to him. He's also best friends with someone that I can't stand. It doesn't seem like a winning recipe for life long happiness."

"So you came looking for me," said Draco standing and glaring down at Ginny.
"Draco, I didn't come looking for you, I wasn't looking for anybody. You're the one who started talking to me, remember? Look, this obviously was a mistake, why don't you take me back to the castle."
"Ginny, I'm sorry," began Draco.
"I asked you to take me back. If you can't trust me, and believe me, then I don't to have anything to do with you Draco." She stood up and walked into the woods in the opposite direction of the cave entrance.
"Ginny!" shouted Draco. "Ginny wait, you're going the wrong way." He waited for a moment to see if she answered. "Ginny?" he called her name again, but the only answer he got was a small scream. Draco ran towards the sound of Ginny's voice, calling her name.
"Draco, I'm over here," she cried out.
"Keep shouting Ginny, I'll find you!"
"You're getting closer, Draco. I'm down here; I'm in a hole. Watch out, don't fall in!"

Malfoy stopped short on the edge of the same hole that trapped Ginny and looked down.
"Are you alright?
"Draco, I don't want to talk to you, just get me out of this bloody hole so I can go back to the school," Ginny huffed.
Draco lay down on the ground and reached his hand into the hole. Ginny stretched up to reach him but there was a gap of several inches between their hands.
"It's no good," gasped Draco. "I can't reach you that way. Is there anything down there you can stand on.
"N-no," stammered Ginny. "I don't think so. Luminous," she said and used her wand to illuminate the hole. "Draco!" she screamed. "Get me out of here right now!"
"What? What is it?"
"T-there's a snake down here," she said, her voice trembling.
Draco peered over the edge of the hole and saw the snake in question, and began to laugh. "It's ok Ginny, it's just a garter snake. They're harmless, really."
"I don't care what it is! Get me out of here."

Draco jumped up and quickly removed his robes and tied the arms together to form a loop. "Ginny, I'm going to lower my robes down to you. Slip your arms through the loop, and then take out your wand. When I start to pull you up, I want you to do Wingardium Leviosa. Ok?"
"Ok," said Ginny doubtfully. Draco lay back down on the ground and held on to the hem of his robes around his hands.
"Ok," said Ginny. "I've got it."
"Now, take out your wand and point it at yourself and do the charm. When I start to pull, try and walk up the side of the hole."
Ginny removed her wand and chanted " Wingardium Leviosa."
Draco began to pull on the robes, and Ginny scrambled up the side of the hole. Dirt from the edge of the hole trickled down and landed on Ginny's upturned face. Draco edged his way backwards, slowly pulling Ginny up inch by inch. With one last final tug, he pulled Ginny up over the edge to safety.

The two collapsed in a heap at the edge of the hole panting from the exertion. "Are- are you alright," Draco gasped.
"Yhe-yes," answered Ginny. "Draco, thank you for getting me out of there. I was so afraid."
"It's ok Gin, you're safe now. Come on," he said standing up. "Let's get you back to the castle." He reached down and extended his hand to Ginny to help her up.
"OOOWWW!" she cried when she tried to put her weight on both feet. "Draco, I think I've hurt my ankle. I don't think I can make it back to the castle."
"Sure you can," said Draco. "I'll help you." He slid his arm around Ginny's waist and the two began the long trek back to the castle.
"Ginny?"
"Yes Draco."
"I'm sorry I acted like such a stupid git. You're not like the others, I know that, and I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"It's fine Draco, I guess I understand," answered Ginny.
"So you're not mad any longer?"
"No Draco, I'm not," said Ginny. But she was very angry. Angry with herself. I didn't expect to start caring for Malfoy, Ginny thought to herself. I never thought about him well, having feelings. He's no different than me or Hermione or Harry. I wasn't expecting this at all. He's actually almost nice when you get to know him. Ginny shook her head resolutely. Still, it doesn't matter. It's Harry I have to save.

The two made their way through the tunnel and Draco opened the hidden door and stepped out into the hallway first to make sure they were unobserved. He reached his hand back and helped Ginny to emerge from the tunnel. They were making their way to the staircase that led to the hospital wing when they heard footsteps running up behind them. Before they could turn to see who it was, Draco was tackled from behind and went tumbling to toe floor. Draco began to swing at his invisible assailant.
"Stop it!" shouted Ginny, "Stop it now." She reached into the melee and gave a tug and pulled the invisibility cloak off of Harry as the hallway filled with students. Draco and Harry continued to roll around on the floor, and Ginny used the opportunity to shrink Harry's invisibility cloak unobserved. Seamus and Dean pulled Harry off of Draco while Ron held Draco's arms.
"Stop this right this instant," said Professor McGonagall as she descended the staircase. "Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, you will come with me right this instant. Is that clear?"
Harry nodded and began to follow Professor McGonagall down the hall. She looked behind and saw that Draco, instead of following her was trying to make his way to Ginny.
"Mr. Malfoy, I believe I said NOW."
"Yes Professor, but Ginny, she's hurt her ankle. She needs to see Madam Pomfrey."
Professor McGonagall looked at Ginny, her lips pursed in an expression of disgust. "Very well. Mr. Longbottom, will you kindly escort Miss Weasley to the hospital wing? The rest of you, get to your rooms this instant.

The crowded hallway emptied quickly and Neville began to help Ginny up the stairs. Once she was safely settled in the hospital wing, he left quickly. Ginny sat alone and friendless in the dark, the tears falling from her eyes like raindrops from the sky.