AN: Hey guys! Surprise! I did update(~ Its just cuz I luff you all so much!
Well..hahah actually its because so many awesome ppl sent me reviews!
That's so great:D, I'm hoping my dream of getting 36, by 6 chapters will
come true! HINT HINT..*coughs*..hehehe. Anyhow, this is where things "heat
up" a bit..so enjoy.
PS: Although OOTP is a tad bit of a spoiler, this only includes important events in the story. **********************************************************************
Over the following two weeks, Mcgonagall, Snape and Lupin met in the library to discuss their "plan of action." Students who stumbled upon them were dumbstruck at seeing teachers who they imagined to be enemies, actually collaborating together.
Ginny seemed to be showing Percy like tendencies, and was one of the best witches in her year. She took advanced Transfiguration with the Seventh years and even seemed to be good at potions!
" What a pity," sighed Snape, as he gazed down at yet another Potions test which she had aced.
" Why?" asked Mcgonagall
" We could have always assigned Malfoy to her as a tutor!" he replied.
" Why don't we just separate and each come up with a strategy that
involves our classes, and make one joint plan?" Lupin suggested.
This idea was agreed upon, and then they decided to start it all with an unexpected encounter for the two students.
" Just how are we supposed to do this? Besides, what is so romantic
about unexpected meetings?" Asked Snape.
" The unpredictable element. Unexpected happenings make people behave
very differently than they normally would. There's nothing that an
accidental late night rendezvous can't overcome!" Mcgonagall replied, sounding dreamy.
Lupin rolled his eyes and Snape shook his head as they both mouthed "Women" behind Mcgonagall's back. Lupin began to smile, but it was erased from his face when he realized that he had just shared a friendly moment with Snape!
Evidently Snape thought of this too because he quickly frowned again and cleared his throat.
" So, what exactly are we going to do?"
" I have been observing Miss Weasley's habits for the past few days, and it has come to my knowledge that she somehow sneaks out of the Gryffindor common room every Tuesday at midnight," said Mcgonagall.
" Why?" asked Lupin
" She goes to the Prefect's bathroom"
" Why?" Lupin asked again, sounding more confused than ever.
" To take a bath! It's a witch thing. "
" But, she's entitled isn't she? Last time I checked, Weasley and Draco were both Prefects."
" Yes, but that isn't her night for patrol. So she is actually breaking the rules by leaving the common room after nighttime."
" How does she manage to go by unnoticed though?"
Snape interfered now.
" Potter's infernal invisibility cloak! He's been following her around
like a puppy dog this year, I'm sure he would loan it to her anytime she
wants. It will be very easy."
Lupin meanwhile was frowning at Snape. He was now Harry's guardian, and
he didn't like to hear him referred to in such terms.
" Yes, I'm glad that you have figured that out, but what does this do to
further our plan?" This query was from Mcgonagall.
" Malfoy's patrol time is on the same night. Couldn't we arrange things
so he "happens" to stumble across Weasley, when she's coming back from
her bath?" Snape replied.
" We could, but she's invisible! How are we supposed to know where the
two of them are?" Mcgonagall asked.
" Lupin knows. He still has that piece of parchment!"
" What piece of parchment?" Lupin looked confused for a second, and then
his face cleared and grew upset.
"The Marauders map! Very interesting. Yes, Sirius, James and I designed
it so that it would even show people in Invisibility Cloaks."
Although the news was good, the corners of Lupin's mouth were turned down and he looked away and his voice caught, as he remembered his lost friends.
Snape and Mcgonagall exchanged a look. Snape shifted uncomfortably, now aware that he had brought up a painful subject. Mcgonagall meanwhile attempted to brighten things up by saying
"We could just assign that part of the corridor to Malfoy's patrol!
Excellent. Severus, you will be going to bribe Peeves. Remus, bring the
map to the faculty room this coming Tuesday night. Depending on the
results of this exploit, we will plot out our moves from there."
" But why should I bribe Peeves?"
" What did I tell you about working together Severus? We need Peeves to
create some sort of disturbance so that Malfoy and Ginny have to work
together in order to escape it."
" Strange, I never thought I would see the day where someone would
actually ASK Peeves to cause trouble." Snape grumbled, as he gathered
his things and prepared to leave.
Mcgonagall coughed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Fred Weasley!"
" In case it has escaped your notice, Minerva and Severus, Tuesday just
happens to be tomorrow!" Lupin said agitatedly.
" Well in that case, we'll have to burn the midnight oil! I'm on my way
to tell Malfoy about his patrol now. That map better be with you the
room tomorrow Lupin!" With this, Snape turned on his heel and left.
Lupin was left with his mouth open.
" I think that it is rather unfa-"
" Goodbye Remus! Don't forget to bring refreshments with you as well!"
Mcgonagall too hurried away, unaware of the fact that Lupin was pulling a particularly hideous face at her turned back. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
At the stroke of midnight on Tuesday night, 5 people were doing very different things. Ginny Weasley was wrapping Harry Potter's cloak around her and gingerly hopping through the portrait hole, while Draco Malfoy made his way to the corridor in front of the prefect's bathroom.
Mcgonagall, Snape and Lupin were all hunched over the map in the staffroom, monitoring every move. They had decided to take turns, so each teacher was assigned a "shift".
To his luck, Lupin was first.
" Who knew that Severus Snape snored in his sleep? Well, another juicy
piece of information for Moody!" Lupin mused to himself, as he gazed at
the Ginny Weasley dot and the Draco Malfoy dot.
MEANWHILE
Ginny curled her toes and inhaled blissfully, absorbing the sweet smelling warmth around her. She closed her eyes, and sank down a little further. Suddenly, she slipped and slid underwater with a shriek. She emerged laughing, until she heard a sharp voice. A voice that she knew all too well.
" Who is that? Is there someone in there?"
Draco had been pacing the corridor, so bored that he was trying to see if he could make a dent in the floor with his feet. He had heard a squealing sound come from the bathroom and immediately tried to find out what, or who it was.
Ginny quickly jumped out of the bathtub, toweled herself hastily and threw on her bathrobe. She pulled Harry's cloak on and peeked through the crack in the bathroom door. Sure enough, there stood Malfoy, glaring curiously at the door, waiting to prey on his victim. She stifled a grin when she pictured his astonishment at the door opening and no one seeming to come out.
The bathroom door slid open, and Ginny slipped outside confidently and walked past Draco, grinning with the knowledge that the look on his face was exactly what she had imagined.
Draco was confused. The door opened, but no one came out! Still, a very distinct smell of roses and peach wafted to his nose as something passed by. He began to wonder if there was some kind of ghost he didn't know about.
" Don't be silly Draco, how can a ghost smell like roses and peaches?"
he reasoned with himself, looking around cautiously all the same.
STAFFROOM
Just as Lupin's head was beginning to slump over the map, he noticed movement. He gleefully woke Snape up, directed him toward the map, and fell into a deep sleep.
Through bleary eyes, Snape looked at the two dots. He detected that Ginny Weasley was just at the point of walking past Malfoy uncaught. Snape knew better however, and his lips twisted in a sly smile.
" Do your thing Peeves."
Ginny was quickly walking to the other side of the corridor, when a loud noise made her halt in her tracks. She heard loud singing and howling and silently groaned. Peeves was at it again!
Unfortunately, after his participation in the war, Dumbledore had endowed him with the power of seeing through invisibility cloaks. Something the poltergeist had specifically requested, so that he could spy on more students.
She quickly ran the other way. Unfortunately her head was turned and she didn't notice that she was running straight at Malfoy. It wasn't until she found herself face to face with Draco that she realized what had happened. Judging by the expression on his face, her cloak had probably fallen off during her run.
Draco heard the raucous noises and wrinkled his nose in disgust.
" Bloody poltergeist. Between him and Filch, I'll get gray hair before I graduate! "
Before he had the time to substantiate this thought, something knocked into him hard and he made a grab, just in time feel the fall of something smooth. Draco was again confronted with that intoxicating smell of roses and peach, and when he looked up, he gulped.
He was face to face with Ginny Weasley. Ginny Weasley, whose hair was soaking, and who was wearing nothing but a bathrobe.
Snape yawned and stretched. His work was done. He quickly woke Minerva with a tickling charm, watching her squirm and finally burst out into a shrill giggle, which made him wince and regret his choice of spell. Mcgonagall woke up in a fury and was on the verge of transfiguring him into a toad, when he shoved the map into her hands and fled from the staff room.
Ginny decided to make a dash for it. She made as if to move, when her hand was seized and she found her face pressed into Malfoy's chest, and her back against the wall.
" Peeves is still in the next corridor, any noise will alert him." He
whispered in her ear, causing her skin to involuntarily break into goose
bumps.
Goosebumps from Malfoy! Although Ginny chastised herself for reacting the way she did, she was secretly quite comfortable. Draco felt so warm and smelt wonderful. She could feel his heart beat under her temple, and unconsciously nuzzled her head into the crook of his arm.
Draco was annoyed at himself. He knew very well that Peeves wouldn't hear a thing, however he was looking for an excuse to have Ginny next to him. There was something he felt here that he did not want to admit to himself, and definitely not to her.
When she moved her head, he couldn't help but smile at her gesture and moved his arm so she could rest her head against it. Her wet hair unstuck from her neck and fell in a loose curtain around them. Forgetting himself, Draco inhaled and twirled a strand of it around his fingers. It wasn't until he saw the quizzical brown gaze above him that he comprehended what he was doing.
Ginny was just adjusting herself in Malfoy's arms when her hair escaped from its wet hold and fell around them. When she tried to push it aside, she found that she couldn't, because her hands were trapped against Malfoy's chest. She was distracted when he suddenly took a strand of her hair and twirled it around his finger.
Draco's eyes widened when he realized what he was doing, and he looked at his hand, still holding her hair, and then into her eyes, which were locked with his.
Ginny felt helpless. Not physically, but definitely mentally. Draco seemed to have some unknown power over her, and with one single gesture, had managed to awaken feelings that she didn't even know existed.
The moment was ruined however when Peeves threw a water balloon onto them.
Mcgonagall cursed loudly, causing Lupin to jerk awake.
" That abysmal poltergeist has ruined things again! I knew he couldn't
be trusted! I think there was going to be an important MOMENT between
those two, which of course, he interrupted!"
Lupin was too sleepy to remind Mcgonagall that it had been her idea to involve Peeves. He merely sighed, and fell back to sleep.
Ginny quickly moved away from Draco, who looked very angry. He frowned at her and then quickly turned his gaze toward the ceiling.
" Get Lost Peeves! I'm a Slytherin remember? The Bloody Baron is my House ghost!"
At this, Peeves gave a rude retort, and pelted the poor students with water before sailing away.
" Ok, I'll just be going now. Good night Weasel!"
Malfoy was in a great hurry to get back to his common room and berate himself for what he had almost done. Unfortunately for him, he was so preoccupied in his thoughts of "almost kissing the weasel" that he didn't notice the water on the floor. It was only when he heard the distinct giggle behind him that it sunk in.
When Malfoy prepared to leave, Ginny felt a little dejected.
" Stop! You are only proving Colin right! You didn't actually want to
kiss him did you?" she angrily questioned herself.
But she couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in her throat when she saw his hurried walk interrupted by the water on the floor. He slipped, and fell to the floor in a graceful arc.
"Damn him! How can he be clumsy and graceful at the same time?" she
mumbled to herself, as she picked up the fallen cloak and walked over to
see if she could help him up.
Draco shook his head and tried to ignore the throbbing in his back as he raised himself onto his elbows.
" Need some help?"
Ginny stood before him, her arm outstretched. He made a face, grasped it, and pulled himself up. Their weight was entirely out of sync however, and this resulted in Ginny almost falling on him.
Of course he had to prevent this. Through a tangle of limbs, Ginny found that she was in Draco's arms once again, slightly bemused when she found out that she wasn't exactly averse to her position.
"Look Weasel, just work with me." Malfoy turned her around against him,
and placed his hands on her hips.
" Place your feet on mine."
" What in the world?"
" Shhh Virginia, just do it!"
" Alright, but don't say I didn''t warn you. I'm not exactly a feather
you know. And do you mind telling me WHY exactly we're doing this?"
"Because we are bound to slip if we walk on our own. This water seems to
be enchanted. I studied about it in Charms, and I remember Flitwick
telling me something about putting weight on it."
"You actually pay attention in class?"
" Will you stop being a smart-ass and hurry up?"
Ginny complied, and let out a squeak when Draco wrapped his arms firmly around her (very ticklish) waist.
" Alright, now walk with me. Whenever I raise my foot, you raise your foot along with mine, ok?"
Ginny nodded. They somehow managed to walk past the puddle of water, and when the reached the end, the two of them just remained as they were for a moment, secretly enjoying their position.
Draco was panting and out of breath, that was more difficult that he had expected! Add to this his painful back and the confusion he felt about his unexpected happiness of having Ginny in his arms; and he was now furious.
Ginny wriggled out of his grasp, hopped off his feet and looked up at Draco. She couldn't see very well in the corridor, but it seemed as though he was frowning. Still, he had helped her, and been sweeter than she had ever expected. Instead of thinking of her mixed feelings, she decided to just thank him and walk away.
" Thank you Draco."
" Don't mention it." He replied brusquely, and began walking away when he stopped.
The weasel had just called him by his first name, and it sounded so...different. He turned around and watched her walk away without a backward glance.
Ginny walked toward her common room, willing herself not to turn around, although she desperately wanted to.
Mcgonagall sighed.
" The dominant but helpful male. How romantic!"
Lupin turned over and somehow managed to again mouth the word "Women", although he was fast asleep!
AN: At last! Some action! The good news is, things only get better from here. The bad news is, that Harry wants to play a sizeable part in Ginny's lovelife as well. I know Draco was a little OOC in this chapter, but that is the effect I wanted, because it shows how there is more to him, than Ginny thought. I mean..who can resist a gentlemanly+ hot guy right? Hehe..well keep reviewing and I'll keep writing:D, you know the drill!
PS: Although OOTP is a tad bit of a spoiler, this only includes important events in the story. **********************************************************************
Over the following two weeks, Mcgonagall, Snape and Lupin met in the library to discuss their "plan of action." Students who stumbled upon them were dumbstruck at seeing teachers who they imagined to be enemies, actually collaborating together.
Ginny seemed to be showing Percy like tendencies, and was one of the best witches in her year. She took advanced Transfiguration with the Seventh years and even seemed to be good at potions!
" What a pity," sighed Snape, as he gazed down at yet another Potions test which she had aced.
" Why?" asked Mcgonagall
" We could have always assigned Malfoy to her as a tutor!" he replied.
" Why don't we just separate and each come up with a strategy that
involves our classes, and make one joint plan?" Lupin suggested.
This idea was agreed upon, and then they decided to start it all with an unexpected encounter for the two students.
" Just how are we supposed to do this? Besides, what is so romantic
about unexpected meetings?" Asked Snape.
" The unpredictable element. Unexpected happenings make people behave
very differently than they normally would. There's nothing that an
accidental late night rendezvous can't overcome!" Mcgonagall replied, sounding dreamy.
Lupin rolled his eyes and Snape shook his head as they both mouthed "Women" behind Mcgonagall's back. Lupin began to smile, but it was erased from his face when he realized that he had just shared a friendly moment with Snape!
Evidently Snape thought of this too because he quickly frowned again and cleared his throat.
" So, what exactly are we going to do?"
" I have been observing Miss Weasley's habits for the past few days, and it has come to my knowledge that she somehow sneaks out of the Gryffindor common room every Tuesday at midnight," said Mcgonagall.
" Why?" asked Lupin
" She goes to the Prefect's bathroom"
" Why?" Lupin asked again, sounding more confused than ever.
" To take a bath! It's a witch thing. "
" But, she's entitled isn't she? Last time I checked, Weasley and Draco were both Prefects."
" Yes, but that isn't her night for patrol. So she is actually breaking the rules by leaving the common room after nighttime."
" How does she manage to go by unnoticed though?"
Snape interfered now.
" Potter's infernal invisibility cloak! He's been following her around
like a puppy dog this year, I'm sure he would loan it to her anytime she
wants. It will be very easy."
Lupin meanwhile was frowning at Snape. He was now Harry's guardian, and
he didn't like to hear him referred to in such terms.
" Yes, I'm glad that you have figured that out, but what does this do to
further our plan?" This query was from Mcgonagall.
" Malfoy's patrol time is on the same night. Couldn't we arrange things
so he "happens" to stumble across Weasley, when she's coming back from
her bath?" Snape replied.
" We could, but she's invisible! How are we supposed to know where the
two of them are?" Mcgonagall asked.
" Lupin knows. He still has that piece of parchment!"
" What piece of parchment?" Lupin looked confused for a second, and then
his face cleared and grew upset.
"The Marauders map! Very interesting. Yes, Sirius, James and I designed
it so that it would even show people in Invisibility Cloaks."
Although the news was good, the corners of Lupin's mouth were turned down and he looked away and his voice caught, as he remembered his lost friends.
Snape and Mcgonagall exchanged a look. Snape shifted uncomfortably, now aware that he had brought up a painful subject. Mcgonagall meanwhile attempted to brighten things up by saying
"We could just assign that part of the corridor to Malfoy's patrol!
Excellent. Severus, you will be going to bribe Peeves. Remus, bring the
map to the faculty room this coming Tuesday night. Depending on the
results of this exploit, we will plot out our moves from there."
" But why should I bribe Peeves?"
" What did I tell you about working together Severus? We need Peeves to
create some sort of disturbance so that Malfoy and Ginny have to work
together in order to escape it."
" Strange, I never thought I would see the day where someone would
actually ASK Peeves to cause trouble." Snape grumbled, as he gathered
his things and prepared to leave.
Mcgonagall coughed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Fred Weasley!"
" In case it has escaped your notice, Minerva and Severus, Tuesday just
happens to be tomorrow!" Lupin said agitatedly.
" Well in that case, we'll have to burn the midnight oil! I'm on my way
to tell Malfoy about his patrol now. That map better be with you the
room tomorrow Lupin!" With this, Snape turned on his heel and left.
Lupin was left with his mouth open.
" I think that it is rather unfa-"
" Goodbye Remus! Don't forget to bring refreshments with you as well!"
Mcgonagall too hurried away, unaware of the fact that Lupin was pulling a particularly hideous face at her turned back. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
At the stroke of midnight on Tuesday night, 5 people were doing very different things. Ginny Weasley was wrapping Harry Potter's cloak around her and gingerly hopping through the portrait hole, while Draco Malfoy made his way to the corridor in front of the prefect's bathroom.
Mcgonagall, Snape and Lupin were all hunched over the map in the staffroom, monitoring every move. They had decided to take turns, so each teacher was assigned a "shift".
To his luck, Lupin was first.
" Who knew that Severus Snape snored in his sleep? Well, another juicy
piece of information for Moody!" Lupin mused to himself, as he gazed at
the Ginny Weasley dot and the Draco Malfoy dot.
MEANWHILE
Ginny curled her toes and inhaled blissfully, absorbing the sweet smelling warmth around her. She closed her eyes, and sank down a little further. Suddenly, she slipped and slid underwater with a shriek. She emerged laughing, until she heard a sharp voice. A voice that she knew all too well.
" Who is that? Is there someone in there?"
Draco had been pacing the corridor, so bored that he was trying to see if he could make a dent in the floor with his feet. He had heard a squealing sound come from the bathroom and immediately tried to find out what, or who it was.
Ginny quickly jumped out of the bathtub, toweled herself hastily and threw on her bathrobe. She pulled Harry's cloak on and peeked through the crack in the bathroom door. Sure enough, there stood Malfoy, glaring curiously at the door, waiting to prey on his victim. She stifled a grin when she pictured his astonishment at the door opening and no one seeming to come out.
The bathroom door slid open, and Ginny slipped outside confidently and walked past Draco, grinning with the knowledge that the look on his face was exactly what she had imagined.
Draco was confused. The door opened, but no one came out! Still, a very distinct smell of roses and peach wafted to his nose as something passed by. He began to wonder if there was some kind of ghost he didn't know about.
" Don't be silly Draco, how can a ghost smell like roses and peaches?"
he reasoned with himself, looking around cautiously all the same.
STAFFROOM
Just as Lupin's head was beginning to slump over the map, he noticed movement. He gleefully woke Snape up, directed him toward the map, and fell into a deep sleep.
Through bleary eyes, Snape looked at the two dots. He detected that Ginny Weasley was just at the point of walking past Malfoy uncaught. Snape knew better however, and his lips twisted in a sly smile.
" Do your thing Peeves."
Ginny was quickly walking to the other side of the corridor, when a loud noise made her halt in her tracks. She heard loud singing and howling and silently groaned. Peeves was at it again!
Unfortunately, after his participation in the war, Dumbledore had endowed him with the power of seeing through invisibility cloaks. Something the poltergeist had specifically requested, so that he could spy on more students.
She quickly ran the other way. Unfortunately her head was turned and she didn't notice that she was running straight at Malfoy. It wasn't until she found herself face to face with Draco that she realized what had happened. Judging by the expression on his face, her cloak had probably fallen off during her run.
Draco heard the raucous noises and wrinkled his nose in disgust.
" Bloody poltergeist. Between him and Filch, I'll get gray hair before I graduate! "
Before he had the time to substantiate this thought, something knocked into him hard and he made a grab, just in time feel the fall of something smooth. Draco was again confronted with that intoxicating smell of roses and peach, and when he looked up, he gulped.
He was face to face with Ginny Weasley. Ginny Weasley, whose hair was soaking, and who was wearing nothing but a bathrobe.
Snape yawned and stretched. His work was done. He quickly woke Minerva with a tickling charm, watching her squirm and finally burst out into a shrill giggle, which made him wince and regret his choice of spell. Mcgonagall woke up in a fury and was on the verge of transfiguring him into a toad, when he shoved the map into her hands and fled from the staff room.
Ginny decided to make a dash for it. She made as if to move, when her hand was seized and she found her face pressed into Malfoy's chest, and her back against the wall.
" Peeves is still in the next corridor, any noise will alert him." He
whispered in her ear, causing her skin to involuntarily break into goose
bumps.
Goosebumps from Malfoy! Although Ginny chastised herself for reacting the way she did, she was secretly quite comfortable. Draco felt so warm and smelt wonderful. She could feel his heart beat under her temple, and unconsciously nuzzled her head into the crook of his arm.
Draco was annoyed at himself. He knew very well that Peeves wouldn't hear a thing, however he was looking for an excuse to have Ginny next to him. There was something he felt here that he did not want to admit to himself, and definitely not to her.
When she moved her head, he couldn't help but smile at her gesture and moved his arm so she could rest her head against it. Her wet hair unstuck from her neck and fell in a loose curtain around them. Forgetting himself, Draco inhaled and twirled a strand of it around his fingers. It wasn't until he saw the quizzical brown gaze above him that he comprehended what he was doing.
Ginny was just adjusting herself in Malfoy's arms when her hair escaped from its wet hold and fell around them. When she tried to push it aside, she found that she couldn't, because her hands were trapped against Malfoy's chest. She was distracted when he suddenly took a strand of her hair and twirled it around his finger.
Draco's eyes widened when he realized what he was doing, and he looked at his hand, still holding her hair, and then into her eyes, which were locked with his.
Ginny felt helpless. Not physically, but definitely mentally. Draco seemed to have some unknown power over her, and with one single gesture, had managed to awaken feelings that she didn't even know existed.
The moment was ruined however when Peeves threw a water balloon onto them.
Mcgonagall cursed loudly, causing Lupin to jerk awake.
" That abysmal poltergeist has ruined things again! I knew he couldn't
be trusted! I think there was going to be an important MOMENT between
those two, which of course, he interrupted!"
Lupin was too sleepy to remind Mcgonagall that it had been her idea to involve Peeves. He merely sighed, and fell back to sleep.
Ginny quickly moved away from Draco, who looked very angry. He frowned at her and then quickly turned his gaze toward the ceiling.
" Get Lost Peeves! I'm a Slytherin remember? The Bloody Baron is my House ghost!"
At this, Peeves gave a rude retort, and pelted the poor students with water before sailing away.
" Ok, I'll just be going now. Good night Weasel!"
Malfoy was in a great hurry to get back to his common room and berate himself for what he had almost done. Unfortunately for him, he was so preoccupied in his thoughts of "almost kissing the weasel" that he didn't notice the water on the floor. It was only when he heard the distinct giggle behind him that it sunk in.
When Malfoy prepared to leave, Ginny felt a little dejected.
" Stop! You are only proving Colin right! You didn't actually want to
kiss him did you?" she angrily questioned herself.
But she couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in her throat when she saw his hurried walk interrupted by the water on the floor. He slipped, and fell to the floor in a graceful arc.
"Damn him! How can he be clumsy and graceful at the same time?" she
mumbled to herself, as she picked up the fallen cloak and walked over to
see if she could help him up.
Draco shook his head and tried to ignore the throbbing in his back as he raised himself onto his elbows.
" Need some help?"
Ginny stood before him, her arm outstretched. He made a face, grasped it, and pulled himself up. Their weight was entirely out of sync however, and this resulted in Ginny almost falling on him.
Of course he had to prevent this. Through a tangle of limbs, Ginny found that she was in Draco's arms once again, slightly bemused when she found out that she wasn't exactly averse to her position.
"Look Weasel, just work with me." Malfoy turned her around against him,
and placed his hands on her hips.
" Place your feet on mine."
" What in the world?"
" Shhh Virginia, just do it!"
" Alright, but don't say I didn''t warn you. I'm not exactly a feather
you know. And do you mind telling me WHY exactly we're doing this?"
"Because we are bound to slip if we walk on our own. This water seems to
be enchanted. I studied about it in Charms, and I remember Flitwick
telling me something about putting weight on it."
"You actually pay attention in class?"
" Will you stop being a smart-ass and hurry up?"
Ginny complied, and let out a squeak when Draco wrapped his arms firmly around her (very ticklish) waist.
" Alright, now walk with me. Whenever I raise my foot, you raise your foot along with mine, ok?"
Ginny nodded. They somehow managed to walk past the puddle of water, and when the reached the end, the two of them just remained as they were for a moment, secretly enjoying their position.
Draco was panting and out of breath, that was more difficult that he had expected! Add to this his painful back and the confusion he felt about his unexpected happiness of having Ginny in his arms; and he was now furious.
Ginny wriggled out of his grasp, hopped off his feet and looked up at Draco. She couldn't see very well in the corridor, but it seemed as though he was frowning. Still, he had helped her, and been sweeter than she had ever expected. Instead of thinking of her mixed feelings, she decided to just thank him and walk away.
" Thank you Draco."
" Don't mention it." He replied brusquely, and began walking away when he stopped.
The weasel had just called him by his first name, and it sounded so...different. He turned around and watched her walk away without a backward glance.
Ginny walked toward her common room, willing herself not to turn around, although she desperately wanted to.
Mcgonagall sighed.
" The dominant but helpful male. How romantic!"
Lupin turned over and somehow managed to again mouth the word "Women", although he was fast asleep!
AN: At last! Some action! The good news is, things only get better from here. The bad news is, that Harry wants to play a sizeable part in Ginny's lovelife as well. I know Draco was a little OOC in this chapter, but that is the effect I wanted, because it shows how there is more to him, than Ginny thought. I mean..who can resist a gentlemanly+ hot guy right? Hehe..well keep reviewing and I'll keep writing:D, you know the drill!