Chapter 22
The next couple weeks passed quickly and before anyone knew it, it was the day before Easter Break. Ginny and Draco had gotten back into their old routine of meeting at various times and places and were closer than ever. Draco was still more than slightly on edge about his father, but had succeeded in postponing the planned 'father-son' time.
"Hey, Draco," Zi whispered as she sat down across from Draco at the table. They were in the deserted Library; being the Friday before break, no one had any desire to be in the Library.
"Hi," he responded dully, not looking up from the essay he was working on.
"Look, Draco, I know we've been civil and all that these past few weeks. But I still feel like I need to say this. I'm really sorry for the way I went off on you like that. Especially now that you and Gin are ... okay. So, forgive me?" Zi smiled warmly and stuck out her hand. Draco smiled and shook it firmly.
"Don't worry about it, Chang – I mean Zi." Zi smiled again and started to leave, but stopped and turned around.
"Ginny wants you to meet her in the old History of Magic classroom during dinner." Draco nodded as Zi waved and skipped out of the Library.
Gryffindor Common Room
"Checkmate! Yes!" Ginny stood up and started dancing around the room. She stuck out her tongue at Ron, who was completely bewildered, and continued to dance as Hermione joined her.
"Hey! Don't encourage her!" Hermione shrugged and smiled at Ron. "I can't believe she beat me! I'm Ronald Weasley ... I'm ... I'm the best!"
"Apparently not anymore, Ron!" Fred grabbed Ginny's hands and they started to spin about the Common Room.
"Some brothers you are!" Ron glared indignantly as George joined Ginny, Fred, and Hermione in the happy dancing.
"Up for another game Ron?" Harry smiled as he sat down across from Ron in Ginny's now empty seat. Ron grumbled something inaudible.
"Aww! Now ickle Ronniekins is all upset!" Hermione swatted Fred and walked over to Ron, wrapping her arms around his neck. He sighed, but smiled.
"I guess I can't expect any less from my star pupil ..."
"Ha! Me thinks the student has surpassed the master!" Ginny collapsed on the couch in a fit of giggles. Ron chucked a pillow at her. "Hey!" Ginny grabbed the pillow that she had ducked and threw it back at Ron. Fred and George grabbed a few pillows and threw them at Ron. He shot them a mock glare and, getting up, attempted to swat them with the pillows in his hands. Unfortunately, he accidentally hit Hermione and Harry, making Harry's glasses sit at a funny angle.
Within seconds, Fred, George, Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were all involved in a huge pillow fight. Ginny, Fred, and George ganged up on Ron and Harry, while Hermione just thwacked anyone that came near her. A few first years entered the common room, but quickly turned around and left, seeing the flurry of feathers and flailing arms.
Harry had ripped open a pillow, in some strange imitation of the Incredible Hulk, sending goose feathers flying everywhere. A few minutes later, the six friends collapsed on the floor laughing hard. Ginny threw one last pillow at Ron between giggles.
"You're a git, Ron." Ron smiled and shrugged in response to Ginny's statement.
The Great Hall
"Can you believe it? The year's almost gone!" Ginny smiled as she took a bite of her roll; they were all sitting at the Gryffindor Table eating dinner.
"I know ... it seems like just yesterday we were running around looking for you, only to find you coming out of the Forbidden Forest." Ron smiled mischievously as Ginny threw a carrot across the table at him, hitting him square in the forehead. "Hey!" Everyone laughed; in all honesty, they were extremely glad that Ron had gotten to a point where he could look back on the Forest incident, and laugh.
"But really though ... I've got O.W.L.'s coming up." Ginny sighed unhappily. "I'm not anywhere near as prepared as I should be."
"Oh please Gin! You've been studying for weeks! I studied for half as long as you already have and I managed to pass." Ginny rolled her eyes at Fred.
"Seriously though, Ginny. You'll ace potions, charms, and divination because you're taking the 5th year exams, not the 6th year. Besides, you're almost as smart as 'Mione here. You'll do fine." Ginny sighed again at Ron's statement.
"And what about you two? You've got your N.E.W.T.'s this year."
"Yes Mum!" Fred and George chorused, receiving an angry glare from Ginny.
"Alright, this has gone on long enough! Ginny you are becoming too much like Hermione and not enough like a Weasley, excusing Percy of course." Harry smiled mischievously. "For the remainder of the Easter Holidays you are not allowed to study ... at all!"
"Harry! You can't do that!" Hermione and Ginny shrieked.
"Oh but we can, and we will." Ron smiled cheekily.
"And to make sure you stick to this," George began.
"We're taking you books! All of your books!" Fred finished.
"Accio Ginny's Books!" Fred, George, Ron, and Harry yelled simultaneously. A few moments later, a large stack of books came sailing into the Great Hall and right into the outstretched arms of Fred Weasley.
"You are, by far, the worst brothers ever!" Ginny said as she glared, but, much to her dismay, a small smile was tugging on the corners of her mouth. "If I fail and can't become a healer like I want to, I'm going to wait until you're asleep and –"
"When'd you decide you wanted to be a healer?" Ron interrupted her.
Ginny shrugged, "I've always kind of had a liking for it. 'Spcially since that's what Mum did –"
"And you're bloody brilliant at it."
"Stop kissing ass, George. I'm still mad about the books." George smiled sheepishly and shrugged, going back to his shepherd's pie.
Just then, a tawny colored owl swooped into the Great Hall and right onto Ron's head. "What the –"
"It's Shakespeare!" The owl hooted happily as it spotted Ginny and hopped over to her. It settled down on the table in front of her and held out its leg, which had a single piece of folded parchment attached to it.
"Did you just say Shakespeare?" Harry asked, confused. The four Weasleys at the table laughed.
"Charlie's obsessed with this one poet/playwright. Ernie Shakespeare or something."
"Fred!" Ginny said as she sighed exasperatedly. "How many times to I have to tell you. William Shakespeare. William! Like Bill's name!" Fred stared at her uncomprehendingly and she threw her hands in the air. "Honestly! Anyways, Charlie really likes the works of William Shakespeare. So he named his owl," Ginny pointed to the tawny owl, which was nibbling her shepherd's pie, "Shakespeare." The owl looked up and hooted happily in agreement.
Ginny took the letter from Shakespeare and unfolded it. She glared at Ron, Fred, and George who where trying to read it over her shoulder. The letter said:
Hey Gin,
I'm terribly sorry I haven't sent an owl in so long. We've just gotten 5 new dragons in; someone kidnapped them from the wild and tried to raise them as pets. Hungarian Horntails. They're a bloody handful, so it's needless to say, the whole pet thing didn't exactly work out.
I hope you're not stressing too much about your O.W.L.'s and I hope the twins are stressing about their N.E.W.T.'s. I'm assuming everything is okay with your friend from Diagon Alley, considering you haven't sent my anything to the contrary.
I'll be there in two days! Dumbledore's going to let me stay at Hogwarts since I have some business in Hogsmeade. I'll be staying for your whole Easter Break. Try not to get into too much trouble until I get there. I wouldn't want to miss out on any of the fun!
Ron, Fred, and George: remember to put her books where she can't get them. If you can keep them safe for the next two days, I'll do some charms when I get there so she can't find them!
Say hi to everyone for me! Love,
Charlie
"Charlie's coming!!" Ginny cried, smiling widely.
"Huh?" came the response from her friends. Zi had just walked up to the Gryffindor table.
"Charlie's coming?!" Ginny nodded at Zi. "Yay!" Zi playfully pushed Fred, who was still trying to read the letter over Ginny's shoulder, and Ginny apart and sat down between them.
"He says he gets here in two days. He had business in Hogsmeade and Dumbledore's letting him stay here."
"Brilliant!" Fred smiled warmly as the rest of the Weasleys along with Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement. Everyone liked Charlie, that is unless you got on his bad side. He was closest to Ginny, but he was still pretty close to the rest of his brothers.
"Oh Bugger!" Ginny looked at her watch, frowning. "I'm supposed to meet someone to help them study. I'm going to go ask them to reschedule, since I can't very well help them without my books. I'll be back in a few." Ginny smiled and got up, waving as she walked out of the Great Hall. Everyone shrugged as she walked off, and turned back to his or her food.
Half an hour later, Ginny still wasn't back. "Why don't we go back to the Common Room and play some Exploding Snap?" Fred patted his stomach happily.
"Sure, but we should find Gin so she doesn't come back here and wonder why we ditched her." Everyone nodded, agreeing with Ron, and started out of the Great Hall. They walked a little ways down the corridor when they heard Ginny laugh.
"She must be in there," Harry said, pointing to an old classroom whose door was left open with a small crack. They approached the door and Fred pushed it open and stuck his head in. Hermione and Zi realized, all too late, what was going on.
Fred let out a cry and pushed the door open all the way. Harry and the other Weasley brothers looked hurriedly inside. Standing in the middle of the room was Ginny and Draco, having a good snog. Draco's eyes flew open and he and Ginny pulled apart hastily as they realized they were no longer alone in the room.
"This isn't what it looks like."
"NO?! BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE MY BABY SISTER IS SNOGGING A MALFOY!" Ginny stared up at Ron with scared eyes; she glanced at Hermione and Zi, who were standing in the doorway helplessly. Then she looked at Fred, George, and Harry; they all wore expressions identical to Ron's, pure, unadulterated rage.
"Ron, please, just let me explain!"
"Weasley, you've got to listen to what Ginny has to say."
"SHUT YOUR FUCKING PIE HOLE, MALFOY!" Fred screamed. Ginny gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
"HOW LONG?!" George's volume rivaled that of his two brothers.
"What?"
"BLOODY SODDING HELL! HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?!" Ginny avoided her brothers' eyes and felt Draco tense up next to her.
"GINNY! HOW LONG?!" Ginny looked up immediately; now it was Harry that had spoken.
"Since ... since the Forest."
"WHAT?!" Fred, George, Ron, and Harry shrieked simultaneously.
"Wait! Let me explain!" Ginny rushed up to her brothers, putting herself between them and Draco.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!" Ron pushed violently past Ginny and walked straight up to Malfoy. Without any notice, he punched in squarely in the face. Ginny shrieked and tried to run to him, but was caught around the waist by Fred.
"Let me go! Stop! Stop it Ron!" Ginny fought against her brother, but his arms, strong from years of playing as a Beater, held her fast. She watched helplessly as Ron's fist swiftly connected with Draco's stomach. Draco crumpled to the ground in a heap.
The next few minutes were a daze for Ginny. She knew her brothers and Harry were hurting Draco, but she couldn't do anything. She vaguely realized that Zi was hugging her tightly around the waist, while Hermione yelled at them, trying to get them to stop, but to no avail. Suddenly, something brought her out of her foggy state and she broke away from Zi, running over to her brothers and Harry.
Tears were streaming down her face as she cried, "Please, stop! Just stop!" She pushed them out of the way and knelt down next to the crumpled pile, a pile that only the people in the room could recognize as Draco Malfoy, and that was only because they had seen him there a few minutes earlier. Not even his trademark white hair was of help, for only a few, dark red, strands where visible. She bent over him and rolled him onto his back. Draco's face was red, starting to swell. His left eye had already carved its self in and his nose was severely bleeding. A stream of blood was issuing from his cut lip. Gaping at the beaten face of her love, Ginny realized that Draco was unconscious.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Ginny recognized the voice which belonged to Professor McGonagall before a wave of nausea hit her and everything went black, she collapsed on to the floor next to Draco, unconscious.
A/N: Gasp! The chapter you have all been waiting for! And its here! Much thanks to my loverly beta for the description of poor, poor Draco. Don't you just love how all the brothers and Harry totally flew off the handle?! I tell you it was bloody fun to write! I'm sorry this took so long! Many natural phenomenon prevented me from posting it! (All flames will be used to roast marshmallows!) I hope I lived up to whatever expectations you all had for this chapter! As it stands right now, we're looking at about 5 more chapters! Gasp! tear! I'm so sad! But it will make me lots of the happy if you REVIEW! Almost to 200! I'm sure we can get there by the end! Please?!
MasterHarper Menolly: LOL, yes well I suppose interesting is good ... right? I love RP'ing. I would go insane without it ... oh wait a second ... too late! Hehe. So how did you like the much-anticipated chapter?
Annabeave: Holy Mother of Moose! I'm so unbelievably flattered! Of course I don't mind if you write a snowball fight scene! It's really generic and even if it resembles mine, that's totally okay! I don't really mind if people use any of my stuff (like my Ocs, scenes and stuff) ... as long as they ask me first. Yes, sorry not much snogging in this chapter, LOL! Speaking of which, how was this chapter?
Lil Bre: Haha! It's impossible to do the happy dance badly ... it just doesn't work that way. Because if it was possible to do it badly then some people would be sad that they couldn't do it and it would defeat the purpose of the happy dance all together! LOL! Yes ... he doesn't want to pressure her, blah, blah, blah! Anywho, thanks so much and how was this?
Fieryred20: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! Sorry for the wait, but how was this?
Hoppers: joins in the happy dancing Thanks so much! YUM! A flame on which to roast my marshmallows! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really needed that sugar boost! Hehe! Eww ... now I'm all messy with marshmallow goo ... wait a second. Yipie! LOL. ANYWHO! Thanks so much, sorry for the lack of plot. This one had lots of plot so it kind of made up for it. How was this? Sorry for the wait!
Cool Milena: LOL, I'm flattered! I know ... they're so adorable! I would love to make it longer considering how much I love this story. But I don't want it to get boring and if I do then the abfabby ending I have planned for it won't work. And the ending is so much my favorite thing about this story that I would be lots of the sad if I changed it! So glad you liked it, how was this one?
Paintedsecrets: joins in the happy dance LOL, nice. No, no, of course I'm not offended! I know that you totally mean it in a constructive, not mean-spirited way! Kudo points are ... well ... kudo points! They're these imaginary points that my friend and I invented to give to people when they do something to our liking. I'm so flattered you think "not many people can carry of Draco/Ginny fics like me"!! I feel so ... special! Hehe. I know ... I'm still not really loving my own first chapter. But I'm too much of a lazy ass to go back and change it and consequently have to re-write the whole story. My story feels loved and thanks you for the hug! Haha. I'm so sorry this took so long, but I'm hoping the fact that you've been anticipating this chapter for a while now will make up for that! 5 more chapters, can you believe that?! Sigh Makes me sad, but I'll have fun while it lasts! And of course the rest of the series! Update your fic chica! ANYWHO! How was this chapter?
Luna Gypsy: OH! I feel so bad for not updating sooner! I'm so so so sorry! But due to lightning, a virus on my beta's computer, and tons of homework this took a lot longer than I expected it to! I'm so glad you liked it! How was this chapter?
ScrewyLouie12: Thanks a bunch. Sorry for the wait, how was this?
MoonlightPrincess: LMAO! That so rocks my socks ... all the way off! Your review so made my day! I'm so flattered and extremely sorry for the long wait! You can have Draco ... but I want Oliver Wood! swoons. Or George!!! (not Weasley, George from Vanity Fair ... hottest thing ever next to Aki from The Rasmus). ANYWHO! You are totally not insane, because that is something I totally would have done! Thanks a bunch, how was this?
Dark Rose: I'm sorry that you're behind. But maybe if you didn't scream obscenities at your mother you wouldn't have been grounded and wouldn't, therefore, be behind! Oh! The logic and the twisting of the mind! Oh yeah! Thanks a bunch ... don't worry about the lack of death (or wealth of living depending on how you look at it). There will be lots and lots of lack of living in the second story. So hold on to all your morbid tendencies for a week or two and you'll be lots of the happy! How was this?
Inukaino: Oh, thanks so much! I know ... I find myself wanting to kill Lucius more and more with each chapter. But alas, the voices do not permit me to do so! Damn voices! No, I really love my voices, but they do annoy me sometimes. ANYWHO! Draco is so abfabby! Between him and Oliver Wood I'm having trouble deciding who is the more abfabby one! How was this?
LaGau: Merci, merci beaucoup! Yes ... lots more of his 'tough side' in the second story. This one is kind of OOC in the sense that most of his scenes are with Ginny, where he is sensitive and not a bad boy, per se. So look out for the sequel because it will make you lots of the happy! So sorry for the long wait, but how was this chapter?
Dracoluver2009: LOL, nice. Thanks a bunch! Sorry for the wait, but how was this anywho?
Sam: Haha! I didn't intend to leave it as a cliffie. But I'm sorry to tell you that you'll have to wait a little while for any more Voldie-poo action! Hehe. So, so sorry for the long wait, but how did you like this chapter anyways?
Fleurdonohue15: Merci merci!