Night had fallen, and frightened, Ginny had held on tighter to Malfoy's waist, her face hidden in the folds of his cloak to avoid the wind which was biting at them. She didn't even know what terrain they were flying over anymore.
"I feel bad just leaving them there, Malfoy." Ginny's muffled voice said.
"Well, it's the only way." Draco said coldly.
"You don't have to snap." Ginny chided, "Besides, I'm worried about them."
Draco growled.
"All alone...in a dark, cold forest..."
"They have their cloaks don't they?" Draco interrupted.
"Well, yeah-"
"Then stop worrying."
"It's not just that...what if your dad realizes we're gone and goes after them?! What if we're too late?! What if...what if..."
"Ginny, shut up." Draco snapped.
She narrowed her eyes, and pinched his back as hard as she could.
"Ow, bugger-" Draco cursed.
"Well, that's what you get." Ginny smiled smugly. "So Malfoy, still going out with Pansy?" she added slyly.
"That cow? No. I got sick of her after we spent a year being Prefects together. And call me Draco. Only my enemies call me Malfoy."
"Oh, so I'm not your enemy anymore? I thought I was, since I'm a Weasley. What changed?" Ginny said slyly.
Draco laughed. "You have. You're not chasing after Potter now. You stopped worshipping him and became a person, not just a member of his fan club. Plus, you make a bloody good Bat-Bogey Hex. Too bad it was aimed at me."
"Thanks, wait-HEY!!!" Ginny pinched him again.
"Shit. Sorry."
"It's okay. Draco, you were wrong before." said Ginny.
"Really, about what?"
"You aren't a bastard." Ginny clung tighter and tried to stop the new feelings about Malfoy, but she couldn't. She liked him. A lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry and Ron sat anxiously in Dumbledore's office. Harry paced the room, while Ron sat in his chair kicking Dumbledore's desk, muttering furiously under his breath.
"What's taking them so long?" Harry groaned. "I wish they had let us go with them."
"Harry, the whole reason they took Ginny, Hermione, and Amanda is to lure you there. Dumbledore explained that to you, remember?" Ron picked up one of a number of silver instruments on the desk. All the ones Harry had broken the previous year had been replaced, it seemed.
"Well, at least Dumbledore is there. I feel a bit better." Harry said, but his thoughts were different. 'Why couldn't I come, I knew this would happen...I'm a danger to everyone, they should just chuck me out...they could be being tortured right now...' Harry thought miserably.
As though he had sensed Harry's unhappiness, Ron got up and said, "Don't worry too much, mate. I'm sure they're fine." But the grim look on Ron's face made him feel worse.
Draco and Ginny finally reached Hogwarts. With his broom in one hand, and Ginny's hand clutched in the other, Draco ran up the stone front steps. They pushed it open, and ran into the Great Hall. They stopped, looked around, ignoring the many whispers (A Malfoy and a Weasley, holding hands? Look out the window! Are there any flying pigs?), and ran to Dumbledore's office. Draco said the password, (which he knew since he could guess) and with Ginny shivering with nerves beside him, quickly took the spiraling stairs upward. They ran in, and the door slammed behind them. Ron and Harry stared at them, then Ron looked down at Ginny's hand which was still holding Draco's. Sensing his gaze, they dropped hands.
Harry and Ron stood up, and Draco bristled beside her. Just in time, Ginny stopped Ron's fist from entering Draco's stomach. Harry still stood there, glaring at Draco.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Draco said frantically, his voice still icy.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry growled, holding back Ron.
"Holding my sister's hand no less." Ron added, furiously fighting against Harry's grip.
"Listen, you idiots, I just saved your sister and your girlfriend, Weasley," Draco sneered, "could I have a little more gratification? And Potter-I saved your girlfriend as well." Draco paused, and then said jerkily, "Now just tell me where Dumbledore is."
"He went to your summer house, Malfoy, because your father set me up." Harry said furiously.
"I realized something like that had happened, so I went there, got the girls out of there." Draco said coldly.
Ginny jumped in, trying to help, "It's true! Amanda and Hermione are probably fine, Draco took us out a trap door and into a forest. He didn't want to take me along at first, Hermione and Amanda convinced him so I went."
"Looks like it didn't take much convincing, Ginny. YOU WERE HOLDING HIS HAND!" Ron's voice boomed.
"HE'S CHANGED, RON! YOU'RE JUST TOO DENSE--" Draco smirked "--TO SEE IT! HE SAVED US! HE DIDN'T HAVE TO, HE JUST DID! HE RISKED HIS NECK TO GET AWAY WITH THIS UNDER HIS FATHER'S NOSE! SO SHUT UP, RON! WITHOUT DRACO I'D BE DEAD! " Ginny fumed.
Ron sputtered, then said "D-D-raco?!?! You call him Draco?"
Ginny sighed with exasperation.
Suddenly, the door opened and Dumbledore came in. He smiled at them and his blue eyes twinkled. "Ah, I see Miss Weasley has come back safe and sound."
"And Hermione?" Ron whispered.
"Miss Granger is fine. She managed to hex a great many Death Eaters, in fact, helping us enormously."
"What about Amanda?" Harry said urgently.
"She's fine as well. She resorted to Muggle dueling."
"What?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yes. She used magic at first, but Death Eaters took her wand away, and so she kneed a great many in the crotch." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he winked at Harry. "Very helpful."
They all laughed, relieved.
"And my father?" Draco dared to ask, causing Ron and Harry to glare at him again.
"In Azkaban, once again."
"Good. He deserves it. Now excuse me."
Draco got up and headed towards the door. Ginny followed him, causing Ron to turn red with anger and try to follow her, but Dumbledore asked him a question, and he had to sit down again to answer. When they closed the door behind them, Ginny grabbed Draco's hand and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks." She whispered, turned the famous Weasley crimson hue, and turned to go back in.
Draco grabbed her arm, leant down, and kissed her softly on the lips. She gasped and then kissed him back.
"I like you, Ginny." Draco whispered, when they had drawn apart.
"I like you too, Draco." Ginny whispered back.
"Can we meet in Hogsmeade on Thursday?"
"Yes, where?"
"In the Great Hall."
"All right." Ginny smiled.
"Meet you there." With that, Draco swept away down the spiraling stairs, pausing once to look behind him at her slender body and long, red hair. He touched his lips, smiled, and headed to the Slytherin common room in the dungeons.
"I feel bad just leaving them there, Malfoy." Ginny's muffled voice said.
"Well, it's the only way." Draco said coldly.
"You don't have to snap." Ginny chided, "Besides, I'm worried about them."
Draco growled.
"All alone...in a dark, cold forest..."
"They have their cloaks don't they?" Draco interrupted.
"Well, yeah-"
"Then stop worrying."
"It's not just that...what if your dad realizes we're gone and goes after them?! What if we're too late?! What if...what if..."
"Ginny, shut up." Draco snapped.
She narrowed her eyes, and pinched his back as hard as she could.
"Ow, bugger-" Draco cursed.
"Well, that's what you get." Ginny smiled smugly. "So Malfoy, still going out with Pansy?" she added slyly.
"That cow? No. I got sick of her after we spent a year being Prefects together. And call me Draco. Only my enemies call me Malfoy."
"Oh, so I'm not your enemy anymore? I thought I was, since I'm a Weasley. What changed?" Ginny said slyly.
Draco laughed. "You have. You're not chasing after Potter now. You stopped worshipping him and became a person, not just a member of his fan club. Plus, you make a bloody good Bat-Bogey Hex. Too bad it was aimed at me."
"Thanks, wait-HEY!!!" Ginny pinched him again.
"Shit. Sorry."
"It's okay. Draco, you were wrong before." said Ginny.
"Really, about what?"
"You aren't a bastard." Ginny clung tighter and tried to stop the new feelings about Malfoy, but she couldn't. She liked him. A lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry and Ron sat anxiously in Dumbledore's office. Harry paced the room, while Ron sat in his chair kicking Dumbledore's desk, muttering furiously under his breath.
"What's taking them so long?" Harry groaned. "I wish they had let us go with them."
"Harry, the whole reason they took Ginny, Hermione, and Amanda is to lure you there. Dumbledore explained that to you, remember?" Ron picked up one of a number of silver instruments on the desk. All the ones Harry had broken the previous year had been replaced, it seemed.
"Well, at least Dumbledore is there. I feel a bit better." Harry said, but his thoughts were different. 'Why couldn't I come, I knew this would happen...I'm a danger to everyone, they should just chuck me out...they could be being tortured right now...' Harry thought miserably.
As though he had sensed Harry's unhappiness, Ron got up and said, "Don't worry too much, mate. I'm sure they're fine." But the grim look on Ron's face made him feel worse.
Draco and Ginny finally reached Hogwarts. With his broom in one hand, and Ginny's hand clutched in the other, Draco ran up the stone front steps. They pushed it open, and ran into the Great Hall. They stopped, looked around, ignoring the many whispers (A Malfoy and a Weasley, holding hands? Look out the window! Are there any flying pigs?), and ran to Dumbledore's office. Draco said the password, (which he knew since he could guess) and with Ginny shivering with nerves beside him, quickly took the spiraling stairs upward. They ran in, and the door slammed behind them. Ron and Harry stared at them, then Ron looked down at Ginny's hand which was still holding Draco's. Sensing his gaze, they dropped hands.
Harry and Ron stood up, and Draco bristled beside her. Just in time, Ginny stopped Ron's fist from entering Draco's stomach. Harry still stood there, glaring at Draco.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Draco said frantically, his voice still icy.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry growled, holding back Ron.
"Holding my sister's hand no less." Ron added, furiously fighting against Harry's grip.
"Listen, you idiots, I just saved your sister and your girlfriend, Weasley," Draco sneered, "could I have a little more gratification? And Potter-I saved your girlfriend as well." Draco paused, and then said jerkily, "Now just tell me where Dumbledore is."
"He went to your summer house, Malfoy, because your father set me up." Harry said furiously.
"I realized something like that had happened, so I went there, got the girls out of there." Draco said coldly.
Ginny jumped in, trying to help, "It's true! Amanda and Hermione are probably fine, Draco took us out a trap door and into a forest. He didn't want to take me along at first, Hermione and Amanda convinced him so I went."
"Looks like it didn't take much convincing, Ginny. YOU WERE HOLDING HIS HAND!" Ron's voice boomed.
"HE'S CHANGED, RON! YOU'RE JUST TOO DENSE--" Draco smirked "--TO SEE IT! HE SAVED US! HE DIDN'T HAVE TO, HE JUST DID! HE RISKED HIS NECK TO GET AWAY WITH THIS UNDER HIS FATHER'S NOSE! SO SHUT UP, RON! WITHOUT DRACO I'D BE DEAD! " Ginny fumed.
Ron sputtered, then said "D-D-raco?!?! You call him Draco?"
Ginny sighed with exasperation.
Suddenly, the door opened and Dumbledore came in. He smiled at them and his blue eyes twinkled. "Ah, I see Miss Weasley has come back safe and sound."
"And Hermione?" Ron whispered.
"Miss Granger is fine. She managed to hex a great many Death Eaters, in fact, helping us enormously."
"What about Amanda?" Harry said urgently.
"She's fine as well. She resorted to Muggle dueling."
"What?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yes. She used magic at first, but Death Eaters took her wand away, and so she kneed a great many in the crotch." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he winked at Harry. "Very helpful."
They all laughed, relieved.
"And my father?" Draco dared to ask, causing Ron and Harry to glare at him again.
"In Azkaban, once again."
"Good. He deserves it. Now excuse me."
Draco got up and headed towards the door. Ginny followed him, causing Ron to turn red with anger and try to follow her, but Dumbledore asked him a question, and he had to sit down again to answer. When they closed the door behind them, Ginny grabbed Draco's hand and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks." She whispered, turned the famous Weasley crimson hue, and turned to go back in.
Draco grabbed her arm, leant down, and kissed her softly on the lips. She gasped and then kissed him back.
"I like you, Ginny." Draco whispered, when they had drawn apart.
"I like you too, Draco." Ginny whispered back.
"Can we meet in Hogsmeade on Thursday?"
"Yes, where?"
"In the Great Hall."
"All right." Ginny smiled.
"Meet you there." With that, Draco swept away down the spiraling stairs, pausing once to look behind him at her slender body and long, red hair. He touched his lips, smiled, and headed to the Slytherin common room in the dungeons.