Chapter 2: Being a Malfoy
Persistance-- an admirable quality the wealthy encouraged. It was an attribute so honored in fact, that it was bred for. Those with persistance got what they wanted, riches were insured that way. Push something until it broke, that is how it worked. Persistance coursed through Draco Malfoy's veins. Most of his unfortunate toys as a child had taken the brunt of his persistance and were destroyed beyond recognition because of his ever-present desire to get more from the plaything. For that's all it was. Something to use and then disgard.
He followed her silently like a shadow up the stone steps, climbing upwards but never taking his eyes off of the girl's swaying form. Draco's stomach lurched, egging him on to reach out and grab her, for he was only a few paces behind. But he told himself to wait. Everything is better after a little anticipation afterall. That was the appeal.
Ginny halted in her travel slightly as the corner of her robe had been caught by the jagged edge of an ancient stone corner. Draco's eyebrows raised as the opportune moment seemed to have come.
"Leaving the party so soon?" he said in his naturally cold tone, his voice couldn't seem to come out any other way, stepping out from behind the shadows. He smirked in wicked pleasure as Ginny turned with a start from the task of releasing her robes.
"M-Malfoy?" She said, allowing a surprised gasp to escape her cherry lips. "What are you doing up here?" She added, furrowing her brow and turning back to unsnag her robes.
"What's it to you?" He asked curiously, crossing his arms over his chest and stepping forward, piercing her with his crystalline eyes.
"Absolutely nothing," she said flatly, obviously having recovered from being startled and beginning to walk away again, her soft tendrils bouncing with every step. His chance was slipping through his fingertips.
"Why did you leave without your friends?" He called after the red-haired girl, making her stop again and turn slowly towards him. She looked at him as if silently questioning why he cared. He stepped forward again smirking as Ginny squirmed uncomfortably in front of him, obviously contemplating her answer.
"I-I wanted to be alone for a while," she replied, wringing her hands as Draco took yet another slow step towards her. Her eyes darted around quickly, looking at everything except for Draco's pale, delighted face. His constant stare was bothering her, he knew it, but he wouldn't stop it for anything.
The sassy, independent role Ginny tried to play was only an act she used when around Potter. Underneath she was as vulnerable and pure as the day Lord Voldemort had controled her, Draco could see it in her eyes, as if they were an opened book dying to be read. That was why it had been so easy for the Dark Lord. They locked eachother's gaze and everything around them seemed to disappear. He could see it all, like her soul had been suddenly exposed and all lay bare.
Ginny's mouth opened to say something, perhaps to protest Draco coming any closer, but no audible sound came out. Now only a foot a part, Draco could see just how much of a that little girl Ginny Weasley pressence had in her. Her scared face looked up at him, lips trembling, softly pleading for him to take away the bizarre, hypnotic hold Draco seemed to have on her; to have mercy on her troubled spirit.
He could take her now, he knew it. She would have done whatever he wanted to escape their bind. But it would not be right to seize it all so quickly. Even now as she stood before him completely at his mercy, almost begging to be held, he could not do it. Propriety demanded he wait.
Draco tore his eyes away from her fair face, breaking the bond. "I'll leave you alone then," he sneered, tension thick in his voice after denying himself what he could have had. With that, he turned on his heal and disappeared into the shadows once again, leaving a pale and weak Ginny shaking behind him.
For now his obsession had been satisfied. He smirked to himself, thinking of the events that had transpired as he stalked past the Great Hall still booming in celebration and headed directly towards the dungeons. It had been perfect, and he mentally applauded himself for once again not missing an opportunity such as this. He knew when to act. For this was what made him a Malfoy.
Over the next few weeks, Draco couldn't help but notice the sudden change in Ginny Weasley. No longer did she laugh merrily with her friends (Harry and Ron took turns elbowing her during meal times to see if she was even aware of her environment) and her appetite had all but vanished, though she tried to disguise it. This, Draco grinned, was because of that night in the dark corridor.
It had more of an effect on her then he ever imagined, Draco surveyed, eying her alarmingly pale face and swollen eyes one day. If this untidy appearance of hers was the result of all of their meetings, perhaps he had better take a different approach. Since that night, Draco had left her alone. Part of his masterful plan. As he had hoped, Ginny would jump whenever she saw him coming, leave the Great Hall glancing behind her sholdour in nervousness, and tremble if Draco's gleaming eyes moved her way. She was certain he was after her, and acted as if at any moment he might fly into the room and steal her away forever.
He knew his next move would have to be made soon, possibly even that night. With that thought in mind, Draco got up from lying on his green satin sheeted bed, glanced in his full-length mirror to make sure his hair was perfectly coiffed, and headed out of the Slytherin dormitories to the Great Hall. His fists hung stiffly at his sides as he entered in a determined manner, his eyes scanning the crowded hall.
Draco glanced at the Gryffindor table where the red-headed beauty sat picking at her food and trying to smile as her brother recounted yet another story about the Gryffindor quidditch practice. With a rigid frame and ignoring the incessant calling from the Slytherin girls, Draco headed towards the Gryffindors.
Any color left in Ginny Weasley's face disappeared as she watched Draco get closer to the group, looking as mischevious as ever. Her fork made a clatter as it toppled to the floor having slipped from her twitching hand, and she bent down nervously to pick it up. Ron had barely enough time to glance at what startled Ginny before Draco's elbow collided with his body, making him fall backward off the bench. The Slytherins howled with laughter from across the Great Hall, most of them not even having noticed Draco had entered at all until his deliberate disturbance.
"What the heck are you doing Malfoy?" Ron roared, accepting Hermione's hand to pull him up off the stoney floor and rubbing his hand across the back of his head that seemed to have taken the brunt of the fall.
"I'm terribly sorry Weasley… I wasn't looking where I was going," Draco grinned maliciously as Ron's face became redder and Harry got to his feet, still clutching a chicken leg in his hand.
"Weasley, Malfoy, Potter, what is going on here?" Professor McGonagall's voice called tursely from her seat at the teacher's table above them.
"Nothing Professor, nothing at all," Malfoy answered immediately before anyone else could speal, and hitching his fallen robes back onto his shoulders. With a quick but piercing glance at a speechless Ginny, he wheeled around and exited the Great Hall, slowing down slighty as he reached the doors, knowing he would be followed.