A/N: I'm really sorry for the long wait, and I promise that it won't happen again! Once again thanks to my wonderful and helpful beta, Darcie! Thanks!

Roses In December

Part III

----------------

The long walk back to Draco's dormitory lasted a century, perhaps even an era or two. Ginny hobbled on, feeling tired and old behind him.

The corridors seemed to purposely stretch into infinity, but at long last the slightly moldy smell of the stone dungeons came in sight. Draco uttered the password and they stepped inside.

"Thanks," he muttered gruffly, barely audibly. Ginny, instead of feeling extremely surprised and softening at his words of gratitude—she felt angry.

"They'll catch you soon enough, anyway," she said. "They'll find whoever it was you killed. So no thanks needed. They'll find him, and they'll find you."

"They won't, Weasley!" He sounded like he was reassuring himself, as he threw his hands up in the air. "They won't ever fucking know! So just shut your mouth!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Malfoy!" Ginny retorted hotly, her cheeks red.

Giving a half grunt, half sigh, Draco turned sharply on his heels and walked briskly to his room.

The hall echoed with his footsteps.

--

She stayed out there for three hours, twenty-four minutes and 5, 6, 7, 8 seconds, in constant fear that a Slytherin might enter and ask what she was doing here. She wondered the same. What was she doing here? She felt a lump form in her throat.

No use, a sensible voice said coaxingly. No use in going over that again. What has happened has happened.

But she couldn't go back to Draco's room and sleep, like she so desperately wanted to. She was raised to have more dignity than that.

That's not dignity, the voice returned again, sleepily. That's being foolhardy. Being unnecessary stubborn. Now, doesn't a nice, soft bed sound nice?

Reason always won with her.

Tiptoeing back to the third door to the right, Draco's, she pressed her ear against the wooden door.

Nothing.

Didn't the boy make a sound? Ginny bit her lip. What if he was sleeping already? She'd be stuck out here all night, and then surely someone would catch her.

Turning around and pressing her back against the door, she sighed. Perhaps she would let herself be caught. That way, maybe she could get away from Malfoy and whatever he had planned for her.

Ginny gasped and lost her balance as the doors suddenly sprang open. Falling ungracefully to the cold floor inside the dormitory, she glared.

"Get in," Draco said emotionlessly, before closing the door and climbing back into his own bed.

"And where am I supposed to sleep?" she asked haughtily. "It's not break yet, so no one has gone home, have they?"

She felt bile rise to her throat as Malfoy gave a wicked smirk.

"Well, I guess that leaves you with no choice, then," he said softly. Ginny dreaded the words that he would surely say next; that she would be fated to sleep next to him. Would she be reduced to some common whore now?

"You can sleep on the floor next to my bed," he said instead. Ginny gaped, relief spreading throughout her body. And then, she felt a burst of outrage.

"On the floor? It's freezing!" she protested. Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Then what? You think I would give up my own bed for you?"

"That would be the gentlemanly thing to do."

Draco merely laughed.

"What if someone sees me?" Ginny added. Draco rolled his eyes.

"My bed is on the edge, Weasley. No one is going to come over here to check if there's someone lying next to my bed," he glanced at her. "You know how to be discreet, don't you?"

Ginny stood still, focusing all her hatred on the horrible little monster in front of her. Oh, how she wished he would just drop down dead, just like that poor boy he had….

Don't you dare think about that.

Ginny composed herself, and then gave a small nod.

"Good," Draco said. He threw over a blanket and a pillow. "Then go to bed before the others get here."

As Ginny tried to rest her body upon the cold, textured tile that she lay on, she wondered how she would survive for the next few days until break began. The cold stone wall nearly pressed against her cheek, and the thin blanket did nothing to keep the cold from melting into every part of her skin.

--

By early next day, Ginny was beginning to learn that no one got up as early as Draco Malfoy. But then again, by the time she awoke, everyone else had gotten up and left too—but Draco's bed was kept clean and organized, with not a single wrinkle in his bed sheets. Ginny yawned and peered at the note left on his bed.

Meet me by the corridor leading to the library at breakfast.

Ginny frowned as her stomach growled. Biting her lip, and wondering as she dressed if perhaps her skirt had grown looser, she knew that with this constant, overbearing dread did not relent, she would not make it to Christmas.

--

"I hate you," Ginny spat as she listened to what he was telling her. Draco looked at her blandly.

"How that knowledge scars me," he said dryly. "Just do as I say."

"Of course," Ginny replied bitterly. "What am I now, your bloody servant?"

"I guess you could say that. You obey because you have to, don't you? That's what servants are."

Ginny took a step back.

"Well, I refuse."

"I thought we discussed this already, Ginny," he said slowly and with patience. "I don't want to hurt you."

Ginny threw her head back and laughed.

"Ha! You don't want to hurt me?" she asked incredulously. Her eyes were shining manically. " It's in your nature to want to hurt, you horrible monster," Ginny snapped. "So don't you dare lie to me."

Then, Ginny recoiled in slight surprise as Draco advanced towards her harboring deep hurt in his eyes.

"What do you know about me, Weasley? How do you go around acting like you've got me all figured out?" he yelled, not caring whether or not anyone heard. "If you hadn't been snooping around, I would never have to do this—"

"I wasn't snooping around!" she yelled, her volume matching his. Her ears were ringing. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time!"

"No, you were curious," Draco shook his head. "You should have run when you heard voices."

"You're wrong," Ginny said. "You're only trying to take me captive because you're a coward. You're too scared of what would happen to you if anyone found out, so you're trying to quell me."

Draco didn't answer, but Ginny doubted he was rendered speechless.

"You're right," he said finally. Ginny felt a small dose of surprise, but more so a sense of pride for being right. "I am a coward."

He leaned in, and then whispered in Ginny's ear in exactly the way she hated most.

"But you'll do as I say."

--

Classes weren't the same. How could anyone concentrate, anyway, if they had such a colossal problem resting on their shoulders? How could anyone remember the right ingredients, in what order, if their mind was far, far away on a boy who's mere image made her want to break down and cry?

"Another failing grade, Miss Weasley?" Snape advanced on her like a skilled predator on the prowl for fresh meat. These days, it was always her. "But perhaps a little detention would amend matters," he droned on. Ginny barely listened. Instead, she nearly felt happy. Detention would mean less time spent with Malfoy.

"Yes sir," Ginny said absentmindedly. "Right after I cross my name off the list, sir."

Professor Snape gave the hazy eyed girl an odd look, but said no more.

--

"Do it," he mouthed from across the hall. Ginny's hands felt sweaty. This felt like her last chance to escape him, and so far, she could not think of a way to get out of it.

Finally, seeing no choice, Ginny stood up. Striding towards the long list of students going home for break, she searched for her own name.

Taking a quill from her bag, she leaned forward to carefully scratch it out. She froze when she saw from the side that her brother was standing there.

"What are you doing, Gin?" he asked, mildly concerned. Ginny gulped, her mouth feeling inexplicably dry.

"I-I'm not going home, Ron," she said firmly, even managing to plant a small smile on her face.

"Why not?" Ron asked, frowning. "Gin, Mum and Dad were looking forward to it!"

Ginny shrugged. She couldn't think of a reason fast enough.

"I don't now—I just—"

"Because of me, Weasley." Ginny closed her eyes. Why did he have to interfere? Why did he have to ruin everything? Her heart pounded with the knowledge of what was to come.

"And what the bloody hell does that mean, Malfoy?" Ron said, his voice rising significantly.

"The silly thing's completely besotted with me," he said smoothly. Ginny turned red, at once cursing him and wondering how he could lie so well.

He's only a deatheater, Gin.

"What?" Ron asked, his voice suddenly small. He turned to her. "What's this bugger talking about?"

All eyes looked upon Ginny. Draco's cold gray ones reminded her of the consequences if she gave the wrong answer.

Keeping her eyes wide open to prevent her eyes from growing wet, she shrugged indifferently.

"I want to spend more time with him."

Ron let go.

"What?" he bellowed, face red, so very, very red. "Ginny, have you lost your mind?"

Ginny kept her stance, slanting her eyes slightly to glance at Draco. The corners of his lips were lifting.

"It's my choice, Ron, " she said with power.

"I'm staying here."