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Chapter 9
It was a brisk December morning. Although the air was cold, the sun was out and shining brightly as Colin, Ginny, and Liane rode the carriage into Hogsmeade.
"Ginny, just forget about him for today. Today is for the ladies, aight?" Liane slipped into her American slang, pleading with Ginny as she caught her glancing at Draco's carriage.
"I guess that means you'll have to miss your date with Xavier this afternoon huh?" Ginny teased.
"Well this morning is for the ladies, although if that's what it takes, I'd do it!" Liane replied sincerely.
"A ladies morning is it? How many times do I have to tell you girls? I am still a man, just one who prefers other men to women," Colin interjected.
"Alright, it's a friend morning. Liane, I'd never dream of you giving up your date with Xavier. Colin will keep me entertained I'm sure!"
Colin grinned, "Anything for you Gin! So; what's first ladies?"
"Why don't we head over to see what the twins have new in stock? I wouldn't mind replenishing my stock of Pumpkin Pusties." Liane giggled.
"Oh my Gosh, I just about died at those. Ron will never agree to be the twins' sacrificial lamb in my place again. Seeing his head swollen with sores and pus oozing out of them all over his face, I thought I was going to lose it." Ginny laughed at the memory.
"Yeah, the best was your brother and Harry slipped them to Crabbe and Goyle at the Halloween Feast. I thought those two were as bad as they come, until I saw them after the pumpkin pusties," Colin laughed heartily at the memory of the Slytherin oafs' swollen heads at the feast.
****
"I have been asked to supervise the decoration of the Great Hall for the Halloween feast this year," Malfoy informed Ginny after she had finished pressing his dress robes for him and organizing his closet.
"That should be lovely," Ginny said sarcastically as she approached the door to the Slytherin common room.
"I'm counting on you to make it such. I volunteered your services to take care of the Great Hall decorations."
Draco heard Ginny's groan and detected that she was barely listening to him.
"I trust, of course, that you will ensure that the décor meets my standards?" Draco replied, grabbing her arm and spinning her to face him.
"But of course," Ginny cooed. "So, what shall I prepare for the Prince of Slytherin? I was thinking perhaps we could conjure the Dark Mark to appear on the ceiling; or perhaps the entry way into the Great Hall can be charmed to resemble the mouth of Salazar Slytherin himself," Ginny replied before snatching her arm from Draco's grasp.
Draco grabbed Ginny's hair, pulling her neck down so that she had no choice but to look up into his eyes.
"You might want to watch your tongue little Weasley, or I can make sure that you see the things that you speak of away from the protection of Dumbledore!" he spat before letting her go roughly causing her to step back in order to regain her balance.
Ginny raised her head and tossed her hair indignantly over her shoulder. "For all of your posturing, I am amazed at how little you know about what I have seen." She stated plainly before exiting Draco's room.
'Stupid Gryffindor," Malfoy thought as he pulled his robes on over his jeans and jumper knowing what would be awaiting Ginny in the common room.
As Ginny descended the steps, Adrian Long slipped behind her, "Look at the little Weasel in the snake pit," he hissed in her ear before nipping her earlobe.
"I bet I can make the Weasel go *Pop*," Lauriston Stephens, a burley fifth year that strongly resembled Crabbe and Goyle, hissed in Ginny's other ear, pulling open her robes as Long moved his finger to run it along the hem of her skirt.
Just as Ginny spun to run back up the stairwell she heard Malfoy call "Stupefy!" and saw Adrian fall to the bottom of the steps as Lauriston backed down slowly.
"Let that be a warning, as long as Weasley here is in my charge; she is off limits." With that, Draco strode down the steps behind Ginny and hissed in her ear, "You owe me for that Weasley, do not make tonight a waste of my time!" before leading her safely out of the dungeons.
***
Ginny stepped into the Room of Requirement at 7:45 in preparation for Draco's arrival. She had put Liane off following dinner claiming that she needed some time alone to think and was going to stroll around the Lake, returning after curfew.
As she looked around the ever changing room, she was amazed at how soft and beautiful the décor was, and wondered why on earth the magic of the room had decided to take on this appearance.
The room was lit by soft candlelight, and there was a small table for two set with tea.
In the middle of the room there was a small sitting area with a love seat. The room was decorated in soft mauve highlights with mahogany accents throughout the room. It was simply elegant, and did not register as Ginny thought of all past interactions she had been afforded with Draco Malfoy.
"What is this place?" Draco inquired startling Ginny as she poured herself a cup of tea.
"I'm quite sure I explained to you last night that I would not divulge any more information about this room than what you already have," Ginny replied simply, as she lifted the tea kettle to offer Malfoy a cup.
"Yes please," Draco replied before starting.
"Alright then, tell me; how is it that you recognized The Dark Lord yesterday?"
"You remember when the Chamber of Secrets was opened five years ago?" Ginny asked Draco; coming over to join him in the sitting area placing his tea in front of him and taking a sip of her own.
"Of course, how could I forget? I had nearly half a term without that annoying mudblood Granger," he snickered.
"Malfoy, let's get one thing straight. I have agreed to meet you here tonight to answer your questions about my knowledge of that hypocritical *muggle born* Tom Riddle that your family insists on idolizing."
"Yes I said *muggle* born," Ginny emphasized, noticing the momentary surprise that had sprung to Draco's eyes.
"Our agreement does *not* include your berating my family and friends. So, if you care to continue with this evening you will kindly keep your opinions to yourself!"
"You are nutters; you belong in St. Mungo's. Do you honestly expect me to believe that the greatest wizard of all times…"
"Aside from Dumbledore," Ginny interjected.
"… the *Greatest Wizard of All Times*, without exception," Draco continued. "You want me to believe that he was born of muggles?"
"One muggle to be precise, Tom Marvolo Riddle, which can be rearranged to spell 'I am Lord Voldemort', was born of a muggle father. He was left to be raised in a muggle orphanage, until he received his letter to attend Hogwarts. I don't want you to believe anything; I am simply stating the truth." Ginny replied.
'So he doesn't know. I wonder how many of his ridiculous views he has simply accepted blindly from Lucius,' Ginny thought before continuing.
For the next hour Ginny recalled the details of how she had come into possession of the diary, and come to escape the Chamber of Secrets.
"That bastard," Malfoy whispered.
"Oh please Malfoy, don't pretend as if you care!" Ginny retorted, offended that he thought her so easily fooled.
"Trust me Weasley; I don't, at least not about you." Draco responded before walking towards the door.
Curious, Ginny ran up behind him and grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving.
"What is it then?" she asked as Draco stopped.
'I can't believe that bastard had the nerve to give a child, a Weasley no less, such a powerful object. I am the heir of Malfoy, the son of Lucius. I should have been the one opening the Chamber and commanding the Basilisk attacks on Hogwarts,' Draco thought wildly, barely registering Ginny's small hand in his, pulling waiting for an answer.
"Nothing you would understand Weasley," Draco replied absently, thinking how unjust his life was.
'I'm betrothed to that slut Parkinson who fucked my best friend last night, I take father's physical abuse without question, in an attempt to prove that I am worthy to carry on in his place, and he entrusts such a weapon in the hands of this silly child?'
Ginny could see the anger in Draco's eyes, and knew that wherever he was, it was not here in this room, at least not consciously, so she tried one more time.
"Are you alright? Draco, you're scaring me."
At hearing his name, Draco snapped out of it.
Pulling his hand abruptly out of Ginny's, he looked down into her eyes, "Draco? Since when were we on a first name basis? I wouldn't get too comfortable, you might just find more surprises in your possession," he replied turning once again to leave.
'If he thinks he's just going to walk out of here like this," Ginny thought before spinning him once more and grabbing his bicep to keep him facing her.
"You might like to think that you are just as evil as Lucius, and maybe one day you will be; but let's get one thing straight. I am not afraid of you Draco Malfoy. You are no more than a little boy trying to wear his father's shoes. The whole Death Eater thing is too big for you."
Draco grabbed Ginny's hand, twisting it painfully, "No, you need to get this straight, you do not know what you speak of, so I would stop playing at things that you do not understand little girl."
"Don't understand? Don't understand what?" Ginny replied indignantly snatching her hand away and thrusting her chin up to confront Malfoy.
"I guess I don't understand that those welts I saw on your chest and back last night were probably inflicted by your father. Preparing you for service to the Dark Lord was he? Or maybe I don't understand that when you were lost in thought you were probably wondering why your father passed Voldemort's diary off to me instead of you; why you had to find out your father's plan from a little Weasley instead of from Lucius himself. Or perhaps I don't understand that for all of the Malfoy money, you can't buy more than a common place whore. Yes Malfoy, I know that your little *girlfriend* shagged your best friend last night, and told you as much with a straight face."
Ginny hadn't meant to let it slip that she had witnessed the exchange between Draco, Blaise and Pansy the night before, and felt as if she might have gone too far.
"No please, don't stop there," Draco stated as Ginny started to retreat to the other side of the room.
"I thought that you were not afraid of me? I'm just a *little boy* Weasley? Then tell me, why are you backing up?" Draco taunted, taking pleasure in the fear that he saw in her eyes as she backed up blindly before falling into the love seat.
"I find it interesting that you took note of my relations, perhaps you wish to replace Pansy," Draco drawled before leaning into Ginny's body and kissing her menacingly.
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A/N: This chapter was pretty hard. I knew that it was time for Ginny and Draco to get a little more personal, but again, I wanted to do it keeping the character's as much in character as possible. So how does one get a Malfoy and Weasley together? I went for the fear factor. Hopefully it worked. I love you all, and here are my 'shout outs'
To my reviewers:
AznDreamer802: what can I say, you keep me going :) Thanks for your reviews
SlytherinChic4: You have been great to a new writer. Thanks so much for pointing me to fictionalley, I think I might have found a beta. So if not this story, hopefully the next one will benefit from her expertise!
Chikkalaura: I have no intentions of leaving this undone. Thanks for keeping up with me
ForbiddenMaggiks: I'm glad that you're enjoying, this one's for you!