Chapter 10- One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
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"Why would Zabini want mousse, but no spoon?"
It was the evening following what gossips termed the chocolate scandal, but Ron was still clueless about what had actually happened. Harry's wide-eyed look told Ginny not to expect him to explain the facts of life to the boy who acted thicker than mousse.
She smiled wryly, wondering if her brother had fallen on his head as a baby. Mum loved to tell stories of how Fred and George so loved to tote their ickle Ronnikins about. What if whenever they wandered out of parental view, the twins had also loved to play 'Toss the Ronald?'
She caught Hermione's eye and smiled sympathetically, although inwardly Ginny wondered if her friend wasn't obtuse when it came to romance. The girl had spent ages with Ron in the Astronomy Tower and the only thrill she had received was standing next to the oblivious boy.
Oh, wait...there was that magical moment when Ron had brushed Hermione's hand while he reached to adjust the telescope for his 'friend.' How sad, grim, and pathetic that she'd packed more romance into ten minutes with Malfoy under the bloody Slytherin table than the hapless pair had during hours gazing at the stars. Here was proof that romance came from the brain, and needed no external stimuli.
Thoughts of Draco lead to glancing over at the Slytherin table. Ginny bit her lip. He was looking at her! Oh gods, he was so...and smiled so...and she wanted so much to...
"Play Exploding Snap, Ginny?"
Ron might be dense at times, but he was a good brother. Smiling at him, she shook her head and turned to face Draco, who was watching her with a lifted brow. Ginny said clearly, "I'm going to the library."
"I'm not stupid, Ginny. You don't have to enunciate like that."
She laughed. "Enunciate, huh. I guess not, brother dear."
Later, Ginny sulkily contemplated her finished homework scattered across the library table. She should leave. He wasn't coming, and why she cared...
Her mood lifted when Draco arrived. He sat across from her and opened up a heavy tome. His agile-looking fingers flipped through the pages until he stopped, read for a while, and then unrolled a parchment and began writing with a quill. Draco worked steadily, without glancing up once.
She was piqued. He hadn't even said hello. Ginny shrugged and packed away her things before deciding to enjoy the view. She spent several dreamy minutes attempting to catalogue every striking feature. Hair--like something out of the Seelie Court; eyes- quicksilver, or rain, or clouds; nose--classical, arrogant, perfect; skin--pale, like porcelain; mouth--soft, but firm, chiselled...tempting...smiling?
"Like what you see, Red?"
As long as he kept his attention on work, she refused to dignify that remark. Even though the answer was yes, his behaviour was maddening. What was he up to?
"I'm up to the last sentence of an essay enumerating the important dates during the Goblin Rebellion of 1776. It seems that England lost her colony as a result. Wizard preoccupation on the Goblin front left the Muggles on their own in the war effort. Dull stuff."
Oh gods, did I just say that aloud?
She startled when Draco looked up. His lips twitched at the corners. "No, Ginny, you didn't say that aloud. I read your mind through wandless Legilimency."
Oh gods, I've been thinking about how perfect looking and tempting he is!
"That was a joke, Ginevra. I could feel you staring, and then you did say 'what is he doing' aloud. Other than that, you are extremely easy to read. Is that a Gryffindor trait, letting every thought and emotion show so boldly?" He gave her considering glances, saying with a half smile, "Your reaction to the thought of my reading your mind was very interesting. Having naughty thoughts about me, were you?"
Her blush to rival her hair colour must have answered that question, because Draco's smile widened into something even more sinfully appealing. "Will you feel better if I confess to thinking naughty things about you too, Ginny?"
"Yes. Why do you keep repeating my name, Draco?"
"So you do remember our little bargain made under the table?"
"I remember everything."
Abruptly, Draco rolled his parchment before stowing his things and rising to his feet, stretching like a great cat. Coming round and pulling her chair back, he gestured for her to follow. Ginny's brows drew together. What was he up to? He answered her unspoken question by lifting the heavy tome and saying, "Care to help me shelve it?"
She nodded and followed him up the stairs to the deserted third floor. Draco headed to the back, where he re-shelved the text. Hands free, he reached out and pulled her close. Ginny shivered as he brushed strands away from her ear. Her pulse leapt when he whispered, "Thanks for the help with my homework."
Bemused, she asked, "How did I help?" Her gaze focused on Draco's mouth.
"You gave me reason to finish quickly," he murmured, before parting her lips in a kiss.
Ginny melted into the embrace. This was what she'd longed to feel with Harry, with Michael, with Dean but never had. She surrendered to the need to touch his hair and explore his mouth, happily aware the library would remain open for another glorious hour.
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The dimming of the library's magicked candles and torches brought Draco back to himself. He smiled at the girl dazedly opening her eyes. Desire was weighing down her lids and it was all for him. He felt something unfamiliar. It was as though every negative emotion he had ever experienced had drained away.
Bizarrely, he wanted to shout with laughter and spin Ginny around in circles until she was dizzy. He kept his composure, but inwardly chuckled at the fanciful thought of waltzing her out of the library and carrying her away somewhere private.
"What are you thinking?"
He cradled her face with his hands and softly pressed kisses to her eyelids and her lips, struck by a brilliant idea. "I'm thinking you should go with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
Soft brown eyes widened in surprise. It was a bold idea, more suited to a Gryffindor than a Slytherin. He smiled at the radical notion of a Malfoy and a Weasley strolling through town together.
"What will people think?"
Draco laughed. "Who cares? We're the only ones who matter. C'mon...I'll buy you sweets, little girl."
Ginny didn't smilingly agree as he'd expected. She looked stricken. "My friends would care. My family--I don't even want to imagine. Everyone in Gryffindor would care. I can't just throw you in their face. They won't understand."
"They will, eventually," he said persuasively. "Look, I promise to ignore Potty and Weasel...your brother... I will be civil. I'll bite my tongue if I have to. I'll do it for you." Lifting her downcast face, he said, "I want to spend time with you, Ginny. Get to know you and let you know me."
He took hope from her smile. "We can do that. I want that. We can just go separately and meet up...somewhere."
Draco grew tense. "What, you go with your friends, I go with Blaise, and we sneak off to be together because you're ashamed to be seen with a Slytherin, is that it?"
Her face turned pink. "I'm not ashamed. I'm realistic. I have ranted about how much I loathe you for years. I can't just go swanning into the Three Broomsticks with you."
He stroked her cheek. "Sure you can. It's like that play you're reading in Muggle Studies. Much Ado About Nothing. Don't they start off loathing each other but in the end, they're together?"
"That's a play, Draco--fiction, make-believe, not reality. This is real...and..."
"And what, you want to keep meeting on the sly, snogging under tables and in the back of the library?"
She bit her lip. "It's not like that. I just want to wait awhile, until..."
"What? Potty, Weasel and Granger give their blessing and welcome a Malfoy into their charmed circle? When will that happen, do you suppose? Days...months...years?" Malfoy realised that his tone was becoming louder, sharper. "How long, Red?"
Tears were shining in her eyes. "I don't know! I don't know anything, not even why I thought this would ever work. You must really be a love god, Malfoy. A few of your kisses and I'm insane enough to believe that..." He felt his stomach twist as Ginny's face crumpled. "It's not going to work. No one I love will ever accept you and nothing is going to change that."
"What about our feelings? They won't change either," he said roughly, part of him recoiling from the emotion implied. Salazar Slytherin, had he actually admitted to having feelings?
"Feelings." For an instant, he thought she would give in, but her eyes and expression grew hard. "Know what Shakespeare says about love, Malfoy? What is love? Tis not hereafter. Present mirth hath present laughter. What's to come is still unsure."
Draco couldn't believe his ears. How had everything gone so wrong? That Shakespeare stuff, it sounded right, but there was something important left out. His face twisted. Bloody hell, who cared about some old dead Muggle anyway? He had to say something, "Ginny..."
"That was another bad idea, Malfoy."
The library will be closing in five minutes, if you wish to check out, please bring your books to the librarian's desk.
Madam Pince's spell-amplified voice broke the heavy silence between the two. Draco allowed his customary mask of indifference to fall into place. After years of use, it felt natural, and so much more comfortable than emotionality. He drawled coolly, "See you around, then, Weasley."
A single tear rolled down Red's cheek before she dashed away. Was it supposed to be a comfort that she shared his misery? Outwardly impassive, Draco made his way out of the library and turned toward his house.
Nearing the Slytherin corridor, he saw Crabbe, who exclaimed, "I've been looking everywhere for you! Goyle's brother sent him a bottle of firewhisky!"
Draco forced his lips into a slight smile, nodding his acceptance of the unspoken invitation to get royally pissed. Bitterly, he decided that alcohol was a fine way to forget the look on Ginny's...no...Weaselette's...face that said more plainly than if she'd spoken the words aloud, Not if I see you first.
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Hours later, the Prince of Slytherin had banished his court from the common room. He presided over the chamber alone, with an almost empty bottle of firewhisky. Draco sneered at Crabbe and Goyle, passed out on sofas across the room. Some people couldn't hold their liquor. He rose unsteadily. He'd removed his socks and shoes long ago and now swayed as he threw his robes on top of the other items on the floor.
Slouching down on the sofa, he looked around the room through the last inch of amber fluid left in the bottle--Bloody boring as ever. Morose as he was, Draco did have one happy thought. Snape had used the elf Slinky to return the robes without any reprimand whatsoever.
Good Ole Snapey...he and Lorelei are probably slithering around the sheets right this minute...
His lips quirked roguishly over the thought of Professor Lorelei, and then grimaced at the thought of Lorelei and Snape. Stomach churning, he took a swig from the bottle.
He was considering trying to drag his sorry arse up the stairs when Blaise came back from her romantic rendezvous. Squinting, he blearily noticed that her mouth--without a speck of lipstick--was red and swollen. She walked towards him, brows drawn in concern. There was a small mark on her elegant neck. He'd been careful not to leave one on Ginny.
Feeling vicious, he leered. "Congratulations, the whole school's talking about your little chocolate incident with Boot."
Dark brown eyes evaluated his mussed hair, bare feet and the drunken snores echoing in the deserted chamber. Warily, she said, "I haven't heard anything, but even so, who cares what people think?"
He laughed shortly. "Oh you'd be surprised, Blaise darling...people care. Some people care so much what other people think that they..." Breaking off with a scowl, Draco took another swig.
Empty...damn...
"What are you talking about?"
She was sitting beside him now, holding his hand and peering worriedly into his face. How nice. Someone cared. He liked how her caring soothed his battered ego. He had never used the sympathy card, but it was really starting to appeal.
"Something happened. You said you were going to the library earlier. Did you see Ginny? Did she say something?"
Oh, yes, that note of outrage was good to hear. It felt good too, inside where it smoothed over his rough emotions. Allowing his melancholy to show, Malfoy admitted, "I asked Red to go to Hogsmeade with me, but she just wanted to sneak around--snog under the table some more."
"Under the table...Merlin, no wonder you spat in Parkinson's face! You said no to sneaking around, is that it?"
"Yeah, so she said no to me and we're back to calling each other by our last names again. Said calling her 'Ginny' was another bad idea." Draco knew he was pouting unhappily, and didn't care.
"Oh Draco, you thought firewhisky would make things better?"
He'd thought it a bloody fine idea at the time. Now the whisky was gone. He stared sadly into her eyes. "Nothing's going to make me feel better."
Drunkenly introspective, he pondered the paradox of tears. One girl's tears made him feel so bad, while another girl's tears made him feel better. Blaise pulled him to his feet and slid an arm around his waist. "C'mon, I'm putting you to bed."
Draco smiled crookedly as she led him up the stairs to his room.
Inside his dorm, Blaise stared in amazement. "Draco, your bed's a double!"
He ran a shaky hand through his hair while she pulled apart the green velvet bed curtains and turned down the covers. "Yeah, when Peter what's-his-face left on account of the pustules, Crabbe wondered why I didn't just transfigure the beds into one. Vincent has rare flashes of Sytherin brilliance. I bought him a Skivving Snackbox for that one."
She smiled. He stepped forward, thinking, Crabbe and Goyle are downstairs and I'm upstairs alone with Blaise. How for...fortu...lucky... She stiffened when he put his arms around her. Don't look nervous just because I'm standing so close, you gorgeous girl. I'm only giving you a lil' hug...
Stepping out of the embrace, Blaise pushed him gently onto the bed. "Sleep it off, Draco."
He grabbed her wrist, refusing to let her go. "Stay with me. There's plenty of room. I promise to be good." Bluntly, he admitted, "I don't want to be alone."
His sorrowful tone had the desired effect. Blaise took off her boots and robes and lay down beside him. Out of habit, Draco began to take off his shirt. A slender hand pulled it back down. "Keep your clothes on, big boy. Even nice girls get bad ideas when faced with temptation."
Lying on his side to face his friend, Draco smiled. "Tempt you, do I?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's one of the perks of being a love god's best mate." Becoming serious, Blaise said, "I don't forget that while I love you, I love Terry."
His lips curved in an ironic smile. He'd lost a girlfriend and found a best mate in the same night. Figure the odds. Draco rested his head against a soft chest and sighed when Blaise stroked his hair in a soothing fashion. He murmured, "This is one of the rewards of being your best mate," and allowed caring fingers to caress him to sleep.
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"Crikey, Crabbe! Malfoy's in bed with Zabini!"
Blaise opened her eyes to see Crabbe and Goyle standing beside the bed, staring down in slack-jawed fascination. It was like that Muggle tale where the girl falls asleep and wakes up to hear bears say, "Someone's been sleeping in my bed, and she's still here!"
Each boy was large enough to be a bear, certainly. Sleepy eyed, she lifted her head to say, "Go get Draco a couple of potions, Morning After and Nauseous No More. Have Slinky send up a couple bowls of porridge and a pot of tea. Be quick about it and for Merlin's sake don't tell anyone I'm here."
"But Fiona and Morrigan are asking if anyone's seen you," said Goyle.
She sighed. "Tell them we'll meet up at Zonko's at eleven. Got it? Good...Go."
The boys backed out and shut the door. She looked down. Draco was pretending to sleep, but she had felt his silent laughter. Blaise tugged white-blond tendrils, watching the incorrigible wretch pretend he had just awakened.
"Ow...my aching head. What happened last night? Why are you in my bed and why aren't we naked?"
She pursed her lips to restrain laughter that would give passers by something to talk about. Blaise narrowed her eyes, although inwardly she was relieved to see Draco acting himself again. She accused, "You know bloody well how and why we're here."
Roguishly smiling eyes became searching. "Did you mean that best mate bit last night?" At her nod, he asked, "When did that happen?"
Blaise shook her head. "I don't know. Our mum's are best friends, we've spent every holiday together since we came to Hogwarts. We study together, hang out." She shrugged. "You can be a bastard, but...oh bloody hell. You're my bastard, okay? I care about you, tell you things I don't tell anyone else...seems like ruddy best mate shite to me. What are you laughing at?"
"You're language, really goes into the gutter when you're embarrassed, Zabini." She pretended to smother him. He grabbed the pillow and awkwardly confessed, "That stuff you said...yeah, me too." A bark of laughter escaped. "Except for you being a bastard, since you're a girl...do I get to call you my bitch instead?"
"If you want to die a slow and painful death."
"Here're your potions," said Crabbe, barrelling into the room.
Slinky stepped from the fireplace. "I will be putting young sir's tray here."
"I told Fiona eleven o'clock, Blaise. Morrigan said 'Ah-ight, tell girlfriend we're down with that'," said Goyle, entering the room behind Crabbe.
Blaise playfully shoved Draco away and slid off the bed. She thanked the three who came bearing potions, food, and messages, shooed them out and closed the door. Turning around, she found her friend ravenously eating a bowl of porridge. Those potions sure worked fast.
"What's up with Morrigan?" asked Draco.
She handed over her unwanted bowl of porridge and accepted a cup of tea, sitting beside him on the bed to explain, "Yank boyfriend. The ripple effects are just starting to be felt."
Smiling over the idiosyncrasies of friends, they sat in companionable silence. Blaise ignored Draco's smirk until she got ready to leave. She checked to make sure the corridor was clear and demanded, "Go ahead. Say it. Get it out of your system so you can take the secret to your grave."
A dazzling white smile was her reward. "Fine, I always knew you'd end up in my bed again, Zabini." He doubled over, roaring with laughter over her rolled eyes and sour expression.
What a prat, making holiday sleepovers sound pervy. Determined to have the last word, Blaise taunted as she opened the door, "If you'd asked, I would've done it sooner."
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Later, waiting outside the Bludger, she checked her appearance in the restaurant's glass window. Hip hugging black jeans, cropped red top and collarless black leather jacket. Would Terry like her outfit? Were the Raven earrings too much?
"Nice earrings...nice everything."
Spinning around, she threw herself into Terry's arms and kissed him until they were both gasping for air.
"Excuse me, I hate to intrude, but if you could shuffle to the right a bit..."
The couple broke apart. Luna Lovegood was standing behind them. Blaise realised they had been blocking the door. With a cheeky smile, she teased, "Party of three's already waiting. Don't worry, mate, we'll be sure to sit in an opposite corner."
Terry greeted Luna with a smile and held the door as the girls went inside. Blaise followed her guy over to a booth, admiring the brown leather jacket he wore with a jumper the exact colour of his eyes. She grinned when he caught her eyeing his rear view. As he slid onto the bench beside her, she reached out to touch his long brown hair and said, "Have I told you how gorgeous you are today?"
His face lit up at her breathy words and his eyes gleamed wickedly. Before he could speak, the server came to take their orders. When they were alone again, he slipped one hand down to run his fingers along the skin left exposed by her top and used the other to position Blaise's head just so. He kissed her softly and whispered, "Why don't you show me instead?"
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Luna sat at a table with Harry, Ron and Hermione, watching them eat dessert and listening to them chat. She felt this had been a very successful venture. The boys had spent most of lunch discussing Quidditch. She had paid close attention, although she didn't truly care for it except the flying and cheering.
Harry Potter was awe inspiring on a broom. The look on his face as he chased the snitch was so intense, Luna always made sure she got a front row seat at every game, just to see it up close.
Of course, there was that danger of leaning too far out to watch him. Thank heaven for strongly knitted scarves, that's all she had to say about it. Her housemates had grabbed hers countless times to keep her from tipping out of the stands. It was becoming something of a joke--asking who got the job of holding the end of Lovegood's scarf. She didn't mind too terribly. One paid a price for what one wanted, after all.
Like this lunch. Luna would have preferred to have Harry to herself, but the boy wasn't ready for that kind of stress. In addition, Ron and Hermione bickering like courting bandersnatches was very entertaining.
Her eyes drifted to Harry. He looked like he was trying not to laugh as Ron pointed to the couple across the room and said, "No, Harry, I mean it...they've got dodgy names that could be either for a boy or a girl, and she's got short hair while he's got long. Don't they get confused?"
Luna stared at Ron, smiling at the image of him being force-fed worms like the male bandersnatch. That wouldn't really happen. He was human. Hermione would likely claim him by pinning him down and feeding him grapes.
She turned her smile on Harry when he said dryly, "It doesn't look like they're confused to me."
Everyone at the table looked over to Blaise's booth. She and Terry were currently snogging away. Androgynous names and hairstyles aside, the Slytherin looked very much a girl. The Ravenclaw was more masculine than any other male in the room, except Harry, who was currently giving her that amused look again. Emerald eyes were so attractive. A few minutes later, Luna noticed that the couple was walking their way, likely headed for the loo. What a toned abdominals the girl had. Terry's hand looked pale against her darker skin.
Blaise paused to say, "Hi Luna."
"Hello."
Ron spoke up. "Um...erm...can I ask you a question, Zabini?"
Luna's pale brows rose. What was this? Ronald Weasley was starting a conversation with a Slytherin? She darted a glance at Harry. His eyes were huge behind his glasses, and he had a peculiar look on his face--horrified amusement? Hermione just looked horrified.
Blaise smiled. "Sure, Weasley, go ahead."
Luna wasn't the only one blinking in surprise when Ron blurted, "Why did you want mousse, but no spoon? I don't get it and no one will tell me."
Red lips parted in a sultry smile, the girl bent down and said, "How 'bout I show you...Ronnie." Dipping a fingertip into the slack-jawed boy's ice cream, she put it in her mouth and sucked it clean in a way that made poor Ronald blush a truly impressive shade of red. Winking, Blaise sauntered away.
Using the excuse of needing to powder something, Luna followed. She was unsurprised to hear Ron cry out in pain and then say plaintively, "Aw, Hermione...what'd I do now?" Female bandersnatches were territorial.
Inside the ladies' room, Luna washed her hands and said, "I think you've just corrupted the last innocent at Hogwarts, Blaise."
Laughing as she applied more lip-gloss, the girl replied, "If anybody ever needed to be shown the light, it's that one. I did it for Weasley's good. His unbeknownst-to-him girlfriend is going to do him bodily harm if he doesn't snog her soon."
After a pause, they asked simultaneously, "How's your date going?"
Mutual laughter filled the small space. Blaise nodded to Luna who said serenely, "Very well. Harry likes my sense of humour. That's very encouraging...and yours?"
"You probably saw for yourself that Terry and I...gods, it's so good, it scares me to death. I'm afraid that something will happen, roger everything up." Blaise shook her head as if she was shaking off fears and changed the subject. "Our matchmaking's not going so well." Luna waited patiently for an explanation.
Biting off her lip-gloss, the girl said, "When I came back to the common room last night, I found Draco plastered and really, really upset. Seems he asked our Beatrice if she'd go to Hogsmeade and she told him no, broke everything off, and told him not to use her first name anymore. He was really gutted."
They probably should have expected something like this. Ginny was no Juliet promising she would no longer be a Capulet. All they could do was wait and see if true love really conquered all.
Something about Blaise's account made Luna curious, though. She asked casually as possible, "I suppose Crabbe and Goyle dragged Malfoy off to bed last night."
Brown eyes widened and then looked off to the left. Didn't Professor Tonks tell them in DADA that people who were preparing to be deceptive did that? It seemed that Blaise could look everywhere but straight into Luna's eyes.
"Oh, yeah...I...he...Draco...got to bed, all right. He's at our house right now, supervising the arrangements for the party tonight. He's okay." With a bright smile, the girl reapplied her gloss and said, "I'd better go. Terry and I are going to wander around. Good luck with Harry, Luna."
Offering information unasked- didn't dodgy individuals do that when questioned by Aurors? Realising all the worry in the world wouldn't change a thing, Luna ran a brush quickly through her long blonde hair and silently wished her friend luck in return. She had a feeling Blaise was going to need it. With a last glance in the mirror, she returned to the table, and Harry.
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A/N: Don't flame me for making Draco and Ginny's road to true love bumpy...they make me do it! lol. Is it teasing too much to say things will get worse for everyone before they get better? It is? Good, my work here is done...Muahahaha - Ha!