"Go to my office, right now, both of you," he hissed coldly. Malice sparkled in his black eyes. "I need to return to my class with these newt eyes, but I'll be there soon, don't you worry." He glared severely at both of them and then swished away.

Silently, Draco and Ginny started towards Snape's office. Draco's chest felt like it was closing. His moth was growing dryer and dryer. Next to him, Ginny was whimpering involuntarily. When Draco glanced sideways at her, he could see how terrified she liked. He desperately wanted to grab her hand, to do anything to take away any of the fear, but it was too risky.

They arrived at the dark, gloomy office. Once the door clicked closed and concealed them from the rest of the castle, they were in each other's arms.

"Oh God," Ginny moaned. She pressed her face, now fresh with tears, into Draco's shoulder. A wet spot was developing on his sweater.

"Stop crying, right now," Draco said urgently. It couldn't appear that anything was wrong when Snape arrived. He pulled away and roughly brushed away the tears from Ginny's freckled cheeks. Placing a hand on her lower back, he guided her towards a wooden chair and sat in the one next to it.

The enormity of what had occurred was beginning tow ear on Draco. He put his face into his hands and went over everything that was now destroyed. Of course, his father would find out. That would probably lead to permanent banishment from the manor. Shame would come to the Malfoy family; he would be burned off the family tapestry...

He would never see her again, once their families were done with them. Out of everything that would come out of it, that was what scared him the most.

He looked up and looked directly ahead. There were several ugly paintings on the wall, mostly of dark grays and blacks spread haphazardly across a canvas. They were nothing like the beautiful, pristine, calculated works of art his mother collected. The dim lighting made them look even worse.

"No matter what happens," he said, staring at the same unattractive paintings "don't forget about us. I care about you more than any other person in this world, and I've only really known you for three months. Yeah, it feels like forever, but that's all. You're something special, don't forget that. You're beautiful."

The voice he was using was no different than a voice he would use while talking to any classmate, but the words he said meant more than anything he could ever say to them. It was all he had felt for the past three months, ever since she had come soaring into his life like a warm breeze.

She was sobbing loudly now, to Draco's displeasure. The situation was bad enough without her bringing her tears back into it. Now his heart was breaking apart.

"Don't be scared.... it'll be fine... don't be scared..." he told the painting.

Suddenly, the door swung open dramatically, and the sobs stopped immediately. Snape strode in importantly and perched himself behind his desk. First, he silently stared directly at Draco, hate in his eyes. Then he gave Ginny a brief glare, and turned his attention to Draco.

"So, it seems I have interrupted something today, have I?" he said quietly but harshly.

Draco cleared his throat and tried to sound confident. "No, sir, not at all. It all seems to be a misunderstanding. We simply passed one another in the corridor.... you're not suggesting that we're.... that she and I..." He gave a loud, false laugh. "Oh, Professor, don't be ridiculous!"

Snape gave him a stare that seemed to penetrate into his thoughts. Jolted, Draco broke the contact. There was a long silence that seemed to slice through Draco. His fear grew larger.

"Well..." Snape said slowly, seeming to understand the effect was having on the both of them. "Let us never... ever... let this misunderstanding... happen again." He sneered arrogantly at both of them. "Miss Weasley, I want a two scroll essay on shattering solutions, since you seem to think they're unimportant enough for you so skip out on my lesson. You're free to go."

Completely stunned on how easy it had been, Draco stood shakily. Next to him, Ginny rose as well. He wobbled towards the door, not believing his own luck.

"No, Mr. Malfoy, take a seat. I'm not done with you."

Dammit, I knew it. Draco slid back into his seat, suddenly nervous and jittery again. Of course, I couldn't possibly get off that easily!

Ginny slipped out quietly and shut the door. Draco could hear her heels clicking quickly down the hall, and he wished he was with her, hand in hand, running away...

"Mr. Malfoy, do not take me for a fool," Snape began smoothly. His eyes were more murderous than ever. "I know exactly what was going on today, and it is absolutely not appropriate."

Deciding to give the ignorance bit one more shot, although it would not work, Draco said politely, "Excuse me, sir? Just what went on? I seem to be confused..."

"Shut up, boy! I told you, I am not a fool! I could see it in both of your stupid faces when I caught you there! You're having some kind of relationship with the Weasley, and like I said, IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE."

Snape was breathing heavily, and a vein was pulsing at his temple. He was the angriest Draco had ever seen him. For the first time, he was afraid of the man.

"You don't seem to have any respect at all for the family you come from! Fraterninzing with common street trash like her! Have you no pride in your blood, in what you are? If your father knew what the heir to his fortune was doing when the lights were out... and if I ever, EVER, catch you in a situation like this, believe me, Mr. Malfoy, he will find out!! It is not suitable!"

Anger he did not know he possessed was overtaking Draco. How dare that man, who knew nothing of his life, and his family, and his Ginny, speak to him like that?

Abruptly, he stood and strode towards the door, saying quickly, "Yes, sir, I understand." He knew that he might not be able to contain his anger if he stayed any longer.

"One more thing, Mr. Weasley."

The impatience Draco was feeling for his professor was driving him crazy. Through gritted teeth, his hand on the doorknob, he muttered, "What?"

"Next time, make sure you put your robe back on so that it is NOT inside out. You may go."

...............

Now that the relationship had been discovered, at least by one, and condemned, at least by one, Draco wanted Ginny more than ever. He now knew that he meant all the things he had said to her in the office to comfort her. If she wasn't in his life, he didn't know what he would do with himself.

Their classroom was no longer safe territory. They started meeting every night in their old place, the Owlrey. If there wasn't an Astronomy class, they would go up there. Draco stopped requiring sleep. All he needed was her.

The nights were bitterly cold, and an inch of snow sat stubbornly on the ground. Both towers were open and frigid. It didn't matter to them. Draco would hold her, and she would hold him back, and it was the only warmth they needed.

Their relationship had changed dramatically since the scare. It was no longer the extremely physical, desperate way it had been when they had lain on the floor of the classroom. Sometimes, they would just sit there, the other's presence being enough. They also talked about anything and everything. Ginny told Draco all about what it was like in her family, and he was beginning to understand the Weasleys. He now knew that they weren't the blood traitors Lucius had made them out to be, but just kind, decent people who were trying to do what was right.

He told her everything. He told her about things that he didn't even realize he knew about himself. She heard every story, from when his mother bought him his first toy broom, to his summers in Spain, to all the abuse he had suffered through.

She started to open up more and more to him, which he reveled in. Not only did she talk about her family's trips to Wales to visit cousins, or Ottery St. Catchpole. The whole ordeal she had gone through slowly became a common topic of her conversation. She started out slowly at first, just glazing over the facts. As the nights progressed, she began to speak more and more, and soon it seemed like the words were flying out of her mouth. It was as if she had finally found someone to tell it all to, who wouldn't judge her like other people would, and so she had to tell it all before it all ended.

They would sit around for hours, sometimes until the sun was almost up, but it was never enough for Draco. He cared for her more than ever, and felt more connected. Before they had discovered one another, by chance, he had never known that two people could understand one another as deeply as they did. He knew his friends were starting to notice, and that his grades were slipping, but none of that mattered anymore. As long as she would be there every night, with a warm body, a new story, and a few kisses, then everything was all right.

Christmas was only a week away, and he would have to go back to the Manor... back to his father... away from her...

The very thought made him cherish each moment even more than he already did.

[A/N- Phew, can't believe I just wrote all of that! I came in here to go email someone and I end up writing a chapter! update soon!! Mr. Weasley's big incident is coming up, ooohhh the suspense!

Great to see you back, wipd cream and HP! Thank you so much for all the comments, I loved it!]