A/N: Sorry for the long break. I've got three different school papers that
I'm working on. I'm very busy. I've finally gotten a hold of the original
version of Wickedly and have gotten back to correcting the new online
version. The new version should be ready by Monday. Anyone who hasn't read
the first part should email me to get a copy (at
blackpearl@fastermail.com). That way you won't be confused. I'll repost the
link to the first part when I've completed changes.
Thanks for your patience. If you have any questions you can ask them via email or include them in a review.
~BP
Chapter 10
Dark stirrings
Draco allowed his body to fall back lazily onto the common room couch. The Slytherin common room tended to be deserted at this time of the day, though it would be filled with the commotion of students in a couple of hours. Draco toyed with a ring on his right hand's middle finger. It was a gift given to him on a past birthday. He gently removed the ring from his finger. Draco admired the ring with his eyes, but his mind was elsewhere.
He was losing his focus. No, he had already lost it. Why the hell had he gone through the trouble to "torment" his little red-haired toy? It was Potter he wanted to torment, and painfully. It was always Potter. Potter, Potter, Potter. Fucking Potter. Draco felt the knot of hatred twisting his insides and with a deep breath, released the tension within. Yes, that's better.
"Oh, there you are."
Draco didn't so much as look up.
"What do you want Pansy?" he asked flatly, not bothering to indulge any belief that he was interested in her response.
"Everything," the slytherin girl said simply, sitting beside him on the couch. She was smart enough to keep a healthy amount of space between them.
"What else is new," He remarked in a bored tone. He was in no mood for Pansy's quirky taunts, whining voice, or her startlingly accurate insights.
"That's a nice ring."
Draco slid the ring carefully back onto his finger.
"You've seen it before," he said, not thanking her for her comment.
"Yes, but I've never said anything about it."
"In that case, thank you. Now what the hell do you want?"
Pansy was taken a back by the sudden harshness in his previously disinterested voice.
"Well?"
Pansy hesitated. She then leaned forward and kissed Draco softly on his lips. The pressure was enough make it clear that she was sincere, but gentle enough not to be seen as "forward." Draco waited patiently. That was all he did. He did not return her gentleness or her kiss. He simply bided his time.
When Pansy pulled away, slowly and reluctantly, Draco raised his right hand to her face, looking deeply into her expectant eyes.
"Pansy..." he said. There was no denying the seductive undertone in his voice. She quivered at his touch but did not move away.
"Pansy, Pansy," he smiled slightly. His eyes danced in cold amusement. "I thank you for that." He allowed his hand to trail slowly down her arm and onto her lap.
"Now," Draco said leaning forward slightly, "Fuck off."
Pansy was hurt, but not surprised. She forcefully removed Draco's hand from her lap, standing abruptly.
"I don't know why I try," she said, her voice trembled slightly.
"Because you're an idiot?"
Pansy turned to him and for a moment, Draco was startled out of his cruelty. She looked just like his mother. At that moment, for a brief and merciless instant, they could have been twins.
Draco felt the smallest pang of guilt, but it was gone with Pansy when she fled the common room.
Draco suddenly recalled that it was his mother who had given him the ring.
There, alone in the common room, and the world, Draco sat. He wondered about his mother, Pansy, and Harry Potter. He tried his damnedest to push Ginny out of his mind. He would not think of her until he had a use for her; until he was certain he could get her under his thumb once more. He would not have to wait long for a thought to become an idea. He was full of thoughts and full of ideas.
***************
Ginny's terror upon entering the Gryffindor common room was put to rest with Hermione's story. She explained what happened, carefully dancing around the implicating details which would have been the end of Ginny.
Ron had been particularly kind. As they sat, he examined her arm, which Draco had held in a bruising grip not long before. Ron whispered soothing words in her ear, while at the same time calling Draco everything vile thing that he could think of.
"I think we should go to Professor Dumbledore," Ron said, "Or Professor McGanagall. He had no right to put his arm on her like that."
"No!" Ginny protested, a little louder than she meant to. "I mean, it's not important."
"Not important?" Harry repeated in disgust, "Ginny, he was trying to hurt you. Really trying to hurt you! I don't know what you said...but whatever it was, it must have pissed him off."
"I just don't want to make too big a deal out of this," Ginny said quietly, "I'll....just stay away from him. He can't hurt me if I avoid him."
Hermione, who had been silent up until this point said, "That could be for the best, Gin."
"It is for the best," Ron said, "and I'd like to personally see to it that the bastard keeps his distance. If he doesn't I'm all for going to Dumbledore. He may think he can get away with anything, but I don't mind being the first to show him that he can't."
Ginny sighed. "Okay, Ron."
She stood, and Ron stood with her.
"Are you sure you're alright, Ginny?"
Ginny gave Ron's hand an affectionate squeeze.
"I'm fine," she said, "I'm just tired. I've got some studying to do, so I'll just go up and get that out of the way. Hopefully I'm not too tired for it."
A couple of third year girls entered the common room, whispering delicious gossip between them. Ginny followed them into the girl's dorm, grateful that their chat didn't involve her.
It was not until Ginny lay on her bed that she allowed herself to take in everything that had happened up to that moment. Everything. Some details were still fuzzy, thanks to the potent power of Draco's mystical chocolates, but she recalled enough to make her want to weep in shame.
It was all her fault. If she had just said no to Draco in the first place, none of this would have happened. Dark thoughts stirred behind her troubled young eyes, and Ginny wondered briefly how Draco would feel to be in her shoes. To be as manipulated, humiliated, and hurt as she was.
"You are a bastard," she whispered aloud, "Ron was right about that." He was a bastard who deserved less than what his future assured him. Perhaps, someway, she would get even with him. Maybe then, she'd be able to free herself from his hold, and to ensure that he'd never hurt the ones she loved again. She was already a casualty. As far as she was concerned, whatever happened to her would be irrelevant, as long as Draco got his comeuppance. The idea came surprisingly quickly. It hit her as if it had been dropped from the ceiling onto her head.
Ginny knew it was risky, and that it was terrible, and that it would, without a doubt, stun her family and friends. Being stunned would be much better than being destroyed. It would be a calculated gamble, one that could backfire painfully. At this point, however, she saw it as the only way to shame and hurt her tormentor.
Ginny yawned. Even the excitement of her forming plans could not curb the need for rest. The next morning would signal the beginning of the end for Draco Malfoy and his damned control over her life. Ginny would free herself, even if it meant sacrificing herself in the process.
****************
That's the end of chapter ten. I go on Spring break tomorrow, but hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter up by Monday.
~ BP
Thanks for your patience. If you have any questions you can ask them via email or include them in a review.
~BP
Chapter 10
Dark stirrings
Draco allowed his body to fall back lazily onto the common room couch. The Slytherin common room tended to be deserted at this time of the day, though it would be filled with the commotion of students in a couple of hours. Draco toyed with a ring on his right hand's middle finger. It was a gift given to him on a past birthday. He gently removed the ring from his finger. Draco admired the ring with his eyes, but his mind was elsewhere.
He was losing his focus. No, he had already lost it. Why the hell had he gone through the trouble to "torment" his little red-haired toy? It was Potter he wanted to torment, and painfully. It was always Potter. Potter, Potter, Potter. Fucking Potter. Draco felt the knot of hatred twisting his insides and with a deep breath, released the tension within. Yes, that's better.
"Oh, there you are."
Draco didn't so much as look up.
"What do you want Pansy?" he asked flatly, not bothering to indulge any belief that he was interested in her response.
"Everything," the slytherin girl said simply, sitting beside him on the couch. She was smart enough to keep a healthy amount of space between them.
"What else is new," He remarked in a bored tone. He was in no mood for Pansy's quirky taunts, whining voice, or her startlingly accurate insights.
"That's a nice ring."
Draco slid the ring carefully back onto his finger.
"You've seen it before," he said, not thanking her for her comment.
"Yes, but I've never said anything about it."
"In that case, thank you. Now what the hell do you want?"
Pansy was taken a back by the sudden harshness in his previously disinterested voice.
"Well?"
Pansy hesitated. She then leaned forward and kissed Draco softly on his lips. The pressure was enough make it clear that she was sincere, but gentle enough not to be seen as "forward." Draco waited patiently. That was all he did. He did not return her gentleness or her kiss. He simply bided his time.
When Pansy pulled away, slowly and reluctantly, Draco raised his right hand to her face, looking deeply into her expectant eyes.
"Pansy..." he said. There was no denying the seductive undertone in his voice. She quivered at his touch but did not move away.
"Pansy, Pansy," he smiled slightly. His eyes danced in cold amusement. "I thank you for that." He allowed his hand to trail slowly down her arm and onto her lap.
"Now," Draco said leaning forward slightly, "Fuck off."
Pansy was hurt, but not surprised. She forcefully removed Draco's hand from her lap, standing abruptly.
"I don't know why I try," she said, her voice trembled slightly.
"Because you're an idiot?"
Pansy turned to him and for a moment, Draco was startled out of his cruelty. She looked just like his mother. At that moment, for a brief and merciless instant, they could have been twins.
Draco felt the smallest pang of guilt, but it was gone with Pansy when she fled the common room.
Draco suddenly recalled that it was his mother who had given him the ring.
There, alone in the common room, and the world, Draco sat. He wondered about his mother, Pansy, and Harry Potter. He tried his damnedest to push Ginny out of his mind. He would not think of her until he had a use for her; until he was certain he could get her under his thumb once more. He would not have to wait long for a thought to become an idea. He was full of thoughts and full of ideas.
***************
Ginny's terror upon entering the Gryffindor common room was put to rest with Hermione's story. She explained what happened, carefully dancing around the implicating details which would have been the end of Ginny.
Ron had been particularly kind. As they sat, he examined her arm, which Draco had held in a bruising grip not long before. Ron whispered soothing words in her ear, while at the same time calling Draco everything vile thing that he could think of.
"I think we should go to Professor Dumbledore," Ron said, "Or Professor McGanagall. He had no right to put his arm on her like that."
"No!" Ginny protested, a little louder than she meant to. "I mean, it's not important."
"Not important?" Harry repeated in disgust, "Ginny, he was trying to hurt you. Really trying to hurt you! I don't know what you said...but whatever it was, it must have pissed him off."
"I just don't want to make too big a deal out of this," Ginny said quietly, "I'll....just stay away from him. He can't hurt me if I avoid him."
Hermione, who had been silent up until this point said, "That could be for the best, Gin."
"It is for the best," Ron said, "and I'd like to personally see to it that the bastard keeps his distance. If he doesn't I'm all for going to Dumbledore. He may think he can get away with anything, but I don't mind being the first to show him that he can't."
Ginny sighed. "Okay, Ron."
She stood, and Ron stood with her.
"Are you sure you're alright, Ginny?"
Ginny gave Ron's hand an affectionate squeeze.
"I'm fine," she said, "I'm just tired. I've got some studying to do, so I'll just go up and get that out of the way. Hopefully I'm not too tired for it."
A couple of third year girls entered the common room, whispering delicious gossip between them. Ginny followed them into the girl's dorm, grateful that their chat didn't involve her.
It was not until Ginny lay on her bed that she allowed herself to take in everything that had happened up to that moment. Everything. Some details were still fuzzy, thanks to the potent power of Draco's mystical chocolates, but she recalled enough to make her want to weep in shame.
It was all her fault. If she had just said no to Draco in the first place, none of this would have happened. Dark thoughts stirred behind her troubled young eyes, and Ginny wondered briefly how Draco would feel to be in her shoes. To be as manipulated, humiliated, and hurt as she was.
"You are a bastard," she whispered aloud, "Ron was right about that." He was a bastard who deserved less than what his future assured him. Perhaps, someway, she would get even with him. Maybe then, she'd be able to free herself from his hold, and to ensure that he'd never hurt the ones she loved again. She was already a casualty. As far as she was concerned, whatever happened to her would be irrelevant, as long as Draco got his comeuppance. The idea came surprisingly quickly. It hit her as if it had been dropped from the ceiling onto her head.
Ginny knew it was risky, and that it was terrible, and that it would, without a doubt, stun her family and friends. Being stunned would be much better than being destroyed. It would be a calculated gamble, one that could backfire painfully. At this point, however, she saw it as the only way to shame and hurt her tormentor.
Ginny yawned. Even the excitement of her forming plans could not curb the need for rest. The next morning would signal the beginning of the end for Draco Malfoy and his damned control over her life. Ginny would free herself, even if it meant sacrificing herself in the process.
****************
That's the end of chapter ten. I go on Spring break tomorrow, but hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter up by Monday.
~ BP