Ginny slept like a baby throughout the night and didn't wake up until late the next morning. On her way to the Great Hall she spotted Draco, who had a big black eye. Ginny gasped and ran towards him, grabbed hold of his arm and forced him to look at her.
"What's happened?" she asked worriedly.
Draco grunted and pulled his arm away, avoiding her persistent stare and rushing away. Ginny just stood there, stunned.
After breakfast she returned to the common room where she found Hermione, Ron and Harry sitting by the fire. When Ron saw Ginny his facial expression rapidly changed from laughter to anger.
"Ginny! What the bloody hell were you thinking of last night?" he yelled.
"What are you talking about, Ron?" Ginny looked confused at first, but after a few seconds she understood what he meant, and returned his furious looks. "It was you, wasn't it?" she screamed at him.
"Of course! Did you really think I would let him get away with what he did to you?"
"Would you care to explain exactly what awful things Draco did to me?"
At the sound of Ginny saying Malfoy's name, Ron turned, if possible, even more enraged. Even Harry joined the shouting now. "He was obviously harassing you!" Harry bellowed.
"He wasn't harassing me, and even if he was, I can take care of myself! I don't know how many times I'll have to tell you that," Ginny finished and hurried out through the portrait hole again.
The next two weeks Ginny totally ignored her brother and Harry, only speaking to Hermione, who had subtly been trying to get information about the night of the ball from Ginny. But Ginny had been very dismissive and Hermione had eventually given up.
Ginny hadn't spoken to Draco either; she figured he was mad at her on the account of her brother being a complete git.
She was sitting in the library, writing a potions essay, when Draco walked in through the door and sat down at the same table as Ginny, but at the other end. Ginny ignored him and didn't even lift her head when he banged his books on the table, which earned him a stern look from Madam Pince.
After a while Ginny gathered her belongings, stuffed them into her bag, and left the library, still not looking at Draco, but hearing his chair scratching against the floor as he rose. Ginny fastened her pace down the corridor. In an empty hallway Draco caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder. She spun around and looked at him questioningly.
"I have to talk to you," he mumbled and pulled her into an empty classroom. He pushed her down onto a chair and sat down on his knees in front of her, looking up at her. "I'm sorry, Ginny," he said.
Ginny just looked at him at first, then a smile spread on her face and she threw her arms around him, making him fall backwards by the force. Ginny landed on top of him on the floor, and she started laughing. Draco, too, started laughing, which at first startled Ginny, but then made her lean over and kiss him softly on the lips. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, opening her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by his lips closing on hers once again.
"You understand that we have to keep this a secret?" said Draco.
"Yes, I know," Ginny said disappointedly.
"Good, because you know what would happen."
"Ron would probably rip you open, and Harry would gladly join in. And I can't see your father being too excited about it either," she remarked dryly.
"You should probably go now," said Draco.
"When can I see you again?"
"Tomorrow, in the Room of Requirement. Eight o'clock."
The next evening Ginny stood, impatiently waiting, inside the Room of Requirement. The clock turned five past, ten past, fifteen past and finally at twenty past the door opened and Draco entered. She looked at him disapprovingly and crossed her arms over her chest. But as soon as he pulled her into his arms her anger disappeared and she snuggled close to him.
"What kept you so long?" she asked.
"Pansy," he said and shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh."
She tilted her head back, opening her lips invitingly, and he gladly accepted the invite.
Ginny and Draco kept seeing each other secretly, meeting in empty classrooms late at night after hours. About four weeks later Ginny was waiting for Draco. After an hour of waiting she gave up and decided to go look for him. She walked down the corridors toward the dungeons. As she made to turn a corner she suddenly stopped. Voices were coming from the far end of the hallway, and she immediately recognized the male one as Draco's. She peeked around the corner to identify the owner of the other voice and saw Pansy Parkinson. She was standing close to Draco, talking to him with her shrill voice that sounded rather angry.
"What the hell are you talking about, Pansy?" Draco demanded.
"Oh, I saw you, Draco. With that little Weasel girl. You were leading her into one of the classrooms on the second floor. Is there something going on between the two of you?" Pansy asked.
"Don't be daft, Pansy. She's a Gryffindor and a Weasley. Why would I want anything to do with her?" said Draco with a smirk.
Pansy smiled widely and moved in on Draco, putting a hand on his arm in a seductive way. Draco's face stayed expressionless as Pansy leaned in and kissed him hungrily on the mouth. He didn't respond to the kiss, but didn't make an attempt to push Pansy away either. Ginny felt her stomach turn at the sight of the two of them and she had to steady herself against the wall.
With tears in her eyes she quickly ran back to the Gryffindor Tower. As she had climbed the stairs to her dormitory and had thrown herself onto the bed, she finally let the tears run freely down her cheeks.