The Game
It was thirty minutes until the game between Ravenclaw and Slytherin was about to begin, and Ginny Weasley was hurrying down the corridors, heading for the Quidditch field, when an arm suddenly reached out from the shadows and pulled her in with it.
With a mixed feeling of astonishment and irritation she twisted herself out of the strong arms that she really shouldn't consider unfamiliar, and looked up into a pair of eyes she'd surely exchanged looks with many times before.
"You," she stated, not really knowing how to react. "thought you would be out by now?"
"I should," he answered, a smirk growing on his lips. "it's just that, I forgot something."
"What, me?"
He made the sound she loved hearing from him. He chuckled. "It has got to do with you, Freckles."
"Really?" she shamed with pouted lips. "What's on you mind then?"
As he cleared his throat, obviously to get the right mood, he brought up his Slytherin scarf. "If you are to cheer for us," he said, and carefully placed it around her neck, "you must look like it."
As they lapsed into silence, Draco bowed playfully, and the next second he was vanished behind the tapestry. Ginny shook her head and stepped out from the shadows, putting the scarf down in her pocket. It was now only 20 minutes left, and she wondered how Draco could have been brave enough to sneak away when the game was so near. "If I was his captain," she thought as she resumed her pace towards the entrance. "I would go nuts."
She stifled a laugh at the thought of six Slytherins dressed in Quidditch robes running around all over the place.
"Ginny, wait!" a voice called, and she stopped with her hand on the entrance door.
"Will I ever get there?" she thought irritated and turned around. "Harry, what do you want?"
Harry gave her a crooked smile as he approached her. "I want to take you on a walk," he said, as if he'd just come up with the thought. "as we decided."
Ginny gaped. This was the first time in weeks he hadn't cancelled. "Sorry Harry, but I've already made some other plans."
"Other plans?" Harry asked, looking oblivious, "How can you make other plans when you're already booked?"
"Oh, I don't know, Harry," She answered and pretended to think, "Maybe because every time we've decided to do something the last few weeks, you've cancelled it."
Harry became awfully quiet, and Ginny thought it was because he'd finally realized how she'd been feeling when he had put her down time after time. She was wrong though. Had she followed his eyes down to where he'd locked them, she would have realized that.
"Why, Ginny," he said harshly all of the sudden, "Do you have a Slytherin scarf in your pocket?"
Luckily Ginny had always been quick minded, "I'm to cheer for them at the game." She said, as if it was a matter of fact.
"What? Have you gone nuts?"
"Harry, you should know, that it benefits our house if Slytherin wins, since Ravenclaw won over us."
She gave him a faint smile, kissed him on the cheek, and headed of outside. She ran all the way to the Quidditch field, and when she was there, she found that the stands were completely loaded, and that there was no chance she could get a good seat.
"I guess," she told herself, "I'll have to watch it from under the stands."
She brought up the scarf, and as the Slytherin team, and Draco, was introduced, she cheered like nuts.
Up in the grey, raincloud-covered sky, Draco was searching through the crowds, looking for her. "She should not be hard to discern." He thought when he could not find a single person with her flaming hair. Astonished he began to believe she'd backed out, but in a narrow left turn downwards, a glimpse of red in the corner of his eye made him stop and turn.
Everyone thought it was the snitch that had caught his eyes, but Ginny knew better. He stared right into her eyes like he never had before, and she could see how a smile threatened to crack his features. She laughed, and even through the distance between them she could clearly see how he winked before he once again took off.
"I didn't know you liked me that much." A voice whispered in her ear as two arms wrapped themselves around her.
She was still surprised that he didn't notice her body grow tense whenever he was present,
"Oh," she said and closed her eyes, "Blaise, you're here."
"I saw a flash of red from the stands, and well, I just had to come here," He let go of her and let his eyes scrutinize her from top to toe, "So, are we going official? I mean, you are cheering for my house."
For the second time that day Ginny gaped. What had happened to everyone? She snorted. "This has nothing to do with you Zabini, there's nothing going on between us."
"You sure don't sound that way after curfew."
She didn't remember when he'd started to disgust her, but right now, she was ready to vomit,
"We should have ended this weeks, even months ago, Blaise. I should have ended it."
Suddenly, the rain began to fall heavily to the ground, and the commentator's voice rang over the grounds, "The game is over! Draco Malfoy has caught the snitch! Slytherin has won!" Ginny glanced over to the field where the players where landing, all gathering around Draco, and she made a move to leave.
Unfortunately, she was stopped.
"Oh no you wont," Blaise said and grabbed her arm roughly, "What made you think you could end this?"
"You don't scare me, Blaise!" Ginny exclaimed, "I do not fancy you a bit, and whatever we had, it's over from now on!"
He laughed and pressed her up against the stand. "Little Red, shush now, you know you want me."
"I don't want you anywhere," she hissed, "it's not you who I like."
He tightened his grip and a stiff expression grew on his face, "Well, who do you like then?"
"I--I-"
"Tell me!"
She didn't know how, or why she said it. But somehow it just seemed right. "Draco Malfoy, alright?"
This, was the 19th chapter of The Dare, and I'm sorry to say it, but I'm 85 sure that chapter 20 will be the last one.
It is possible, though, that I will write two more. It depends on a few crucial things which I cannot tell you about ;)
But we'll see.
I liked writing this chapter, for the first time for a while on this story I just let go and let the imagination lead the way (it wasn't much planning, I just knew that for a reason Ginny had to be at the field and see Draco win his game). Oh, I'm rambling...sorry.
Hopefully, I will update next chapter of Fate soon. I just have to send it for editing.
/honey