Chapter 7
Back
to school
September first, Grand
Central Station,
platform 9 and three
quarters
10 o'clock am.
Draco strides to the crimson colored Hogwarts Express, expecting the worst of his Slytherin classmates but still, striding with is head held high and wearing his best school robes.
The last month back home had been full of preparing for his return to school, expecting trouble. He had built up his form again, strengthened his chest and back after his broken ribs had healed, built up his arms, hoping to make a good impression on the population of Hogwarts. A scowl is set on his face, daring anyone to look at him badly, and as he strides across the platform he gathers the looks of many people. Dark looks from many Slytherin parents, admiring winks from many of the young women on the platform and, thankfully, fewer dark glares than expected from his Slytherin class mates. Everyone else just seem to look past him.
''Oy Princess!'' Someone calls. Blaise Zabini: Draco's best friend in Slytherin. Not quite sure of his friend's reaction, Draco stands and waits for Blaise to approach.
''Merlin's balls, Draco! What have you been doing all summer, you look great!'' Blaise declares loudly. ''You'll wanna watch out for Pansy tho, she doesn't care about what happened to you father, and she hasn't stopped talking about you all summer. Drakey this and Drakey that... Bloody disgusting really... Oy! Lets go find a compartment and you can tell me all about your summer.'' The raven haired boy rattles out. Draco smirks at his friend and begins following Blaise to the train, quite relieved that at least not everyone hates him.
A flash of red catches his attention. Ginny Weasley is standing sightly apart from her family, looking in his direction with a satisfied look on her face. She smiles at him when she catches his eye and...
''Oy Princess! Are you coming or not?'' Blaise calls. Draco strides off with his friend, looking back only for a moment, only to have lost her in the crowd.
Ginny stands with her family, Harry and Hermione just inside platform 9 and three quarters. She looks away, glancing around the platform at all the families saying farewell to each other and smiling at a few crying first year girls, hoping to encourage them. Suddenly a tall form catches her attention and her eyes focus on Draco, who is striding across the platform, tall and proud, his ribs obviously having healed well. She watches as one of his friends walks up to him, pats him on the back and begins conversing loudly with him. Draco smirks as usual and begins following his friend to the Hogwarts express but looking around anxiously. Ginny watches as his face turns toward her and he pauses, watching her as she grins to him. He stares blankly at her for only a moment before his attention is caught by his friend again. He strides off to the train and Ginny watches him go.
When she can no longer see him through the crowds, Ginny turns back to her family. Harry, Ron and Hermione are already on the train and her mother is waving at them tearfully.
''Bye Mum! I'll see you at Christmas!'' Ginny says, dashing off to find a compartment before they all fill.
Halfway to the train, Ginny's cart catches on a wide crack and all of her things go flying. Ginny's trunk flies off the cart and bursts open, sending her cloths and books and everything rolling under everyone's feet and causing a few of the students to curse or laugh. Ginny gets to her knees and begins shoveling everything back in as fast as she can, struggling to get it all to fit. Thankfully her new robes were at the bottom, so they had stayed clean... She finally manages to get all her things back on her trunk and she makes it to the train just as the whistle blows, sighing and slumping her shoulders as she begins searching the train for an open compartment.
Ginny makes her way to the end of the train and all the way back to the front without finding a single compartment that wasn't full. She hadn't even tried the compartments with Slytherins, or with her brother because they were all full and she knew the Slytherins wouldn't let her sit with them. She makes another round of the train before she finally drops her trunk in the corridor and flops down on it, nearly screaming in frustration. She looks around, shooting death glares down the empty corridor, her hair tumbling down in her face.
Suddenly the compartment door in front of her slides open, making her jump in surprise. Ginny glares up at the person exiting but stops when she sees who it is.
''Why in Merlin's name are you sitting out here?'' the figure demands lightly. Draco Malfoy is standing in front of her with a hand on each side of the doorway, smirking down at her. She looks at him in shock for a moment.
''Uh...'' She starts in shock. ''...All the compartments are full...'' She says sheepishly. Draco stares at her for a moment before rolling his eyes and stepping up next to her. He grabs the handle on the side of the trunk and pulls it up, dumping Ginny onto the floor. He drags the trunk into the compartment and lifts it onto the rack before turning to look down at Ginny with a smirk on his face.
''Well? Are you gonna get that freckly little arse in here or not?'' He asks snarkily. Ginny stares at him for a moment in utter shock as he steps forward, reaching for her hand... She takes it and Draco pulls her up, answering her silence with a smile while his back is to his friends who are peeking curiously into the corridor. Draco turns his smile to a smirk and strides back into the compartment with his friends, leaving Ginny to follow in shock.
''Oy Draco, who is it?'' A voice rings out. Recognition and disgust breaks across the girl's face as Ginny steps into the room and everyone mirrors her expression wonderfully. Ginny recognizes the girl as Pansy Parkinson.
''Bloody hell Draco! She's a friggen Gryff! Not to mention a Weasel! What do you think you're doing bringing her in here!'' Pansy demands. The distaste is evident in her voice and Ginny glares at her, still standing in the doorway. Ginny watches as Draco turns on the girl, his eyes radiating the same danger that he had seen so many times in Lucius's eyes. He had learned to imitate it well.
''For your information Pansy, this Gryff saved my life. If it hadn't been for her, I would be dead in some field somewhere... or worse, in a Muggle house. So if you don't mind, I think she deserves to have a place to sit other than the corridor.'' He says, smoothly drawling lightly on a few of his words. Ginny suppresses a grin at Draco's order of priority and watches as Pansy tries to stare him down. Finally she turns her gaze to her lap, away from the raging Malfoy's temper.
''Even so, there's no room left for her.'' She says after a moment, staring at Ginny as she responds quietly. Ginny turns her attention to Draco and finds him sneering at Pansy again as he leans back in his seat.
''Thats alright, she can sit with me... and you can sit in someone's lap.'' Draco replies. Pansy glares in shock at Draco for a moment but, sensing trouble, another Slytherin boy speaks up. Ginny notes the raven hair and sapphire eyes, and gasps slightly in surprise at how much Zabini resembles... Tom.
''Oy, its alright Pansy, you can sit on my lap and we'll leave Draco to his little Weasel.'' He says distastefully. Pansy allows herself to be dragged onto Blaise's lap and watches as Draco grabs Ginny's hand and drags her down next to him.
Ginny settles herself and looks around at the other occupants blankly. Crabe and Goyle are sitting one on each bench and Blaise and Pansy are sitting on the bench opposite of Draco and Ginny with Pansy sitting on Blaise's lap. Ginny is almost crushed up against the side of the compartment and she shifts slightly, causing Draco to notice her unease. He thinks for a moment before lifting his arm and setting it on the back of the bench, leaning away a bit and giving her just enough room to be comfortable. She smiles at him shyly for a second and he smirks back, obviously not wanting to lose face in front of his friends... Ginny had learned the difference between Draco's various expressions, difficult to do at times but still. Ginny turns her eyes to her lap and begins listening to the conversation between Blaise and Pansy and Draco. The other two had obviously decided to ignore her and were fighting the urge to be angry with Draco. The least worried of them was Blaise. He regarded her silently for a moment before turning back to the conversation, not to look at her again for quite a while.
The trip was ending up a little cramped but at least somewhat enjoyable. After the first few, rather uncomfortable minuets of conversation, things lightened up and once everyone was calm again, the trip went rather quickly. The Slytherin friends had teased and laughed and joked with each other the whole trip, carefully avoiding the mention of Weasleys but having fun despite it. Ginny thoroughly enjoys listening to the friends bantering back and forth, reminding her greatly of the friends that she had before the incident in the chamber of secrets... before she had become an outcast. She smiles to herself. These Slytherins weren't so bad after all. They were just like any other group of friends in Hogwarts.
Draco glances down at his watch and announces that it is time to get changed for school. Pansy and Ginny go down to the bathrooms to change into their school robes and Pansy pushes past Ginny just as they reach the restrooms, giving her a haughty look over her shoulder. Ginny follows behind her, rolling her eyes at the Slytherin girl's immaturity. Once in the girl's loo, Ginny changes into her school robes swiftly under the scrutiny of the Slytherin queen and just as she reaches for the handle, she is stopped by a voice behind her.
''You're not good enough for him you know... He's just using you.'' Ginny turns to Pansy and replies as calmly as ever.
''You shouldn't judge what your small mind cannot comprehend.'' Ginny says coolly. ''I know I'm not good enough by you standards, but then... neither are you. At least I am not the one falling all over herself to catch his attention. Draco chooses to be around me. If he suddenly decided that he wanted nothing more to do with me than I wouldn't bat an eye.'' She replies scathingly to the Slytherin girl. Ginny turns and strides proudly from the bathroom headed back to the compartment.
Draco watches the girls as they leave the compartment, his eyes pausing on Ginny's rear as she exits. The compartment door shuts behind them and Draco turns back to his friend. Crabe and Goyle had gone already to find the food trolley, leaving Draco and Blaise alone.
''Draco... Man, what are you thinking? Haven't you already had enough trouble this summer?'' Blaise says despairingly. Draco turns to him with flawlessly blank eyes.
''I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.'' He says evenly. Blaise rolls his eyes and puts his hand on his hip.
''Don't play that with me Princess. You and I have been best friends since we were two years old. I saw the way you looked at her. I can tell when you smile, even with your back turned. What happened this summer?'' He demands. Draco lowers his eyes and leans back against the window.
''Well lets just say... my family puts the "FUN" back in dysfunctional.'' Draco begins. ''I refused to join Lucius again and he beat me... took me down to the dungeon and whipped the living daylights out of me. I barely escaped and was nearly dead... I thought I was dead for a bit but when I woke up I was at the Weasleys' house. No one wanted to hardly look at me but her. She took care of me while I finished healing and we talked a lot. She was the only one who talked to me at all really.'' He says thoughtfully. Draco turns and smirks at his friend. '' Actually, she reminds me a bit of you.'' He says, chuckling at Blaise's adverse reaction to that news as he pulls his robes on.
''So what... are you two friends now or something?'' He asks coolly. Draco shrugs.
''I don't know... She's not afraid of me, thats for sure... The girl has a temper hot as anything. Nothing you would want to be on the wrong end of, thats for sure.''
''But are you friends with her?'' Blaise asks again. Draco scowls at the door and Blaise jumps as Crabe and Goyle enter the compartment again, carrying arm-fulls of goodies from the food trolleys and chuckling thickly to each other. Draco moves his feet and Goyle sits down followed by Crabe on the opposite bench. Suddenly the train lurches and an opened butter beer goes flying, landing on Draco's lap.
''Bloody Hell! What the...'' Draco's exclamation is followed by a string of obscenities and he jumps to his feet, shaking his soaked clothing away from his body and dropping the now empty bottle on the floor. Crabe and Goyle wince away from Draco's rage but Blaise positively cackles as Draco strips off his robes and banishes the remains with his wand. Draco is still muttering crossly under his breath, standing in nothing but his dragon-hide boots and his boxers when the compartment door slides open and Ginny strides into the room flopping down on the bench next to Goyle. She looks around at four boys in the compartment, who are all staring back at her as tho she had grown a second head.
''What?'' She asks innocently. Blaise looks up at Draco and then back at Ginny. Ginny looks up at Draco and realizes what they are thinking. ''Oh... Well I've seen it all before you know. I did take care of you on that first day you came to the Burrow.'' She looks over at Goyle. ''Mind if I have one of those?'' She asks, reaching out her hand. He hesitantly hands her a cauldron cake when Draco glares at him. Ginny doesn't notice the look. ''Thank you.'' She says politely. Draco pulls a new set of robes out and pulls them on, glancing at Blaise's shocked look and raised eyebrow. Ginny leans forward and pecks Goyle on the cheek and, oblivious to the even more shocked look from the boys, opens her cauldron cake. Draco gawks at Goyle in a very un-Malfoy-ish manner.
''Well then Goyle, aren't you just a regular stud...'' Draco says waspishly. Blaise bursts into wild laughing again and Draco finishes pulling his cloths on. He flops down next to Ginny, who is now sitting next to the window and throws his arm up on the back of the bench again. Ginny sticks her tongue out at Draco and takes a bite from her cauldron cake, getting comfortable again. At that moment Pansy flaunts into the room.
''Well then... Isn't this just a dandy sight.'' She says emptily before prancing across the compartment and situating herself proudly on Blaise's lap. Draco rolls his eyes and Blaise continues to laugh, making Pansy bounce up and down on his lap with each laugh. Ginny grins and leans over to whisper in Draco's ear.
''Is it just me or does that image look like it belongs in an empty bedroom?'' She nods her head toward the pair on the opposite bench, indicating Pansy's bouncing bum and its placement on Blaise's lap. Draco bursts into laughter. Not evil laughter but true, deep chested, gut laughter. The kind that Ginny had been missing for the last month since Draco had left. Blaise stops laughing but looks over at Draco with amusement still lacing his voice.
''Dear Merlin... is our Princess actually laughing?'' He asks with mock amazement. ''Oh lord he is! Quick Pansy! Duck and cover, the world is ending!'' At this, Pansy joins in Blaise's rampant laughter. She curls up farther on Blaise's lap and strokes his cheek affectionately, glancing over to see Draco's reaction. He of course is still oblivious in his laughter. Blaise turns to Ginny with amusement in his eyes. She gives him an exaggerated look of innocence and smiles.
''What? You assumed that I really am that sweet little innocent girl that I make people believe I am?'' She asks lightly. Blaise and Draco both raise an eyebrow.
''Well my dearest Ginevra, aren't you?'' Blaise asks lightly. Ginny finally breaks the charade and snorts out a laugh.
''Honestly! Do you really think anyone would be dumb enough to pretend anything but innocence with 6 older brothers watching my every move?'' She points out. At that, Blaise blushes.
''Well I just figured y'know considering the 6 older brothers that you would be that innocent...'' He says accusingly. Ginny grins and shakes her head.
''No... No. I learned quite a long time ago how to sneak around behind my brothers' backs. Otherwise I would have even less of a life than I do now.'' She replies. Draco turns to her, having stopped his laughter.
''You should have been in Slytherin, Kitten... Maybe I should call you little Fox instead of little Kitten...'' He says wryly. ''Why do you avoid everyone Gin? I mean... even at dances you sit off by yourself, even if you have a date...'' He trails off. Ginny frowns at this and looks down at her lap, scooting closer to the window. She shrugs her shoulders.
''I don't know... People bore me I guess.'' She replies.
''Do we bore you?'' Blaise asks. Everyone in the cart stares at her and she thinks for a moment.
''Well... I don't particularly know any of you very well, but if what Draco has said about you is any idea then I'm sure I could get along pretty well with the lot of you.'' She replies seriously. She grins softly around the compartment and is met with 4 masculine smiles... Pansy however seems to be far to preoccupied with trying to make Draco jealous, and ignoring Ginny. Ginny rolls her eyes as Blaise bats her hand away from a rather sensitive place between his legs.
''Bloody hell Pans, I know you want to strip me naked and ravish me like there's no tomorrow but we have company...'' Blaise exclaims, breaking the serious mood that had begun to fall. Ginny cackles at this but shivers as Draco absentmindedly draws little meaningless shapes on the back of her neck.
''Oh go on Pans... We all need a 'little' laugh.'' Draco sneers at the two of them and looks pointedly at where Pansy's hand is resting. Blaise glares at him playfully.
''Aw come on princess... You know better than anyone that that isn't true, what with the four of us all bunking together for 6 years...'' He trails off. Of course Blaise had only meant that because they had been roommates for 6 years that there are certain things that you cant miss, but Ginny bursts into a new gale of laughter, leaving a rather flabbergasted Draco and a very pink Blaise both staring at her in wonder at her sense of humor.
''Bloody hell woman... You really weren't kidding about the lack of innocence thing were you?'' He says incredulously. Ginny shakes her head, not yet able to answer through her laughter.
''Oh god no... That was an image I could have done without... now the two of you maybe I could handle but add the others to the mix...'' She shivers at the thought... ''Wow... Slytherin orgies... Gay Slytherin orgies at that...'' She shivers again and this time its Pansy's turn to laugh.
''You'd be surprised at how many times that actually happens...'' She cackles.
''Pansy!'' Draco exclaims.
''Not with these two of course,'' She corrects. ''despite Blaise's strange fascination with making people believe it... but a few more Slytherins than expected are a bit more... comfortable... with the same sex than most females desire them to be.'' Ginny's interest peeks.
''Really? Like who?'' She asks. Ginny watches as Blaise looks to the ceiling, counting of on his fingers...
''hmm... Baddock, Bletchley, Pucey, Flint...'' Ginny gasps.
''Flint? As in Marcus Flint, the manly-man quidditch captain Flint?'' Draco nods solemnly.
''The very same.'' Draco supplies.
''Oh my god... Ron would die if he knew.'' She exclaims without thinking. The tension in the room suddenly tightens around Ginny's neck, threatening to strangle her and she feels Draco go ridged beside her. She looks around at all their threatening glares. ''Oh don't worry... I wouldn't tell him.'' She says, looking slightly disgusted at the thought of her brother. ''If I told Ron half the things I know I'm sure nearly half the male population of Hogwarts would be dead already...'' She replies coolly. The tension fades again.
''Really? Like what sort of things?'' Blaise asks lightly. Ginny smirks at him, surprising the Slytherins at the Malfoy-ish effect of it.
''Well, there was that time...''
And so it went. Ginny Weasley the Gryffindor ...had the Slytherin boys completely wrapped around her sweet, thin little fingers. Despite the fact that they would never admit it to anyone... even themselves... and the fact that Ginny was completely oblivious to it, it was most assuredly true. Pansy of course saw everything and was very displeased. She saw every time her Draco looked at Ginny, every time he touched her. He saw when Ginny shifted to get more comfortable and ended up leaning against Draco, she even saw that Blaise was distracted in the redhead's presence. Pansy saw everything and was completely at a loss at how to get her favorite men out of the Gryffindor's grasp... Ginny on the other hand was happy for the first time since Draco had left the Burrow. Oblivious to the effect that she was having on all of the Slytherins, she was actually enjoying the ride for her first time.
In the last bit of the trip, nearly everyone in their compartment had fallen asleep. Crabe and Goyle had fallen asleep with their heads against the wall; Blaise had ended up on the floor, leaning against the door; Pansy had taken over his spot on the seat and was sleeping with her feet draped over Goyle's lap; and lastly, Draco had fallen asleep on Ginny's shoulder, nearly on her chest with the way they are sitting, but Ginny doesn't mind. He had fallen asleep on her many times while he was at the burrow, using her as a pillow in much the same way, only less cramped. Ginny glances around at the sleeping Slytherins, admiring how safe they look while asleep. She grins to herself and gently strokes the hair from Draco's face. He had let it down halfway through the trip and now it is hanging handsomely in his eyes. She glances out the window at the huge castle, looming over the cliff side. She smiles... Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad.
Hermione walks from compartment to compartment, reminding the students that they would be at Hogwarts soon. Ron had gone to tell Harry and the others, tho she suspected she wouldn't see him until the train stopped. She rolls her eyes at the thought and grins as she opens the next compartment, interrupting a rather... occupied... couple with red faces. She shuts the door soundly and moves to the next door. She pulls the door open and looks up, opening her mouth to speak... but instead it drops in shock. On one side there are two Slytherins, one girl that Hermione recognizes as Pansy Parkinson and the other as one of Draco's cronies, which one: she was unsure of. On the floor is another Slytherin leaning against the back wall, one she identifies as Blaise Zabini; and on the opposite bench is Draco Malfoy and Ginny. Ginny has her legs draped over Draco's and he is turned on his side so that he is pillowed against her chest. They all seem to be quite comfortable and quite asleep. She can hear soft snores coming from the left bench, the one that holds Pansy, and she glances around the compartment one last time before shaking her head and softly shutting the door, praying that Ginny knows what she is doing.
