Of Lions and Snakes
Chapter Three
It was a few days after Ginny had seen Malfoy out on the grounds. For the past few days Ginny had been watching him at every meal for clues, but he always acted perfectly normal. She was beginning to lose interest in her secret little mystery.
It was Friday evening and Ginny had decided to get a head start on her weekend homework. She had unceremoniously dumped her school robe and uniform on her dormitory floor and replaced them with jeans and a light blue jumper.
She had taken her usual spot at the window in the library, studying potions this time. She had magically stationed her red hair atop her head in a high ponytail, because she could not concentrate with it constantly creeping into her face.
After a well spent hour and a half of studying OWL level potions, she took again to letting her attention wander, this time to inside the library. There was a table of Ravenclaws religiously studying and a table of Hufflepuffs who invariably were not studying as their books were closed and their mouths constantly open. Finding these people of no good entertainment, she looked through the rows upon rows of books.
She stopped her gaze at the forbidden section of the library, as she saw the bottom of a robe disappear behind a shelf. She casually rose and strolled closer to an unoccupied couch, trying not to arouse any suspicion. She saw it again; the swish of a school robe disappearing behind a shelf, this time she had seen a shock of white-blond hair atop its head. It had to be Draco Malfoy, with that characteristic Malfoy hair, and he was speeding through the shelves and eventually out of the library altogether.
She counted to ten in her head before slipping silently out of the library and pulling out her wand. There was no sign of which direction he had taken, so she stole left and headed speedily towards the dungeons. Turning a few corners she saw the blond hair as he turned a corner ahead of her. She waited a moment, knowing he had sensed her presence. In this time she heard the sound of a classroom door opening and closing hastily. She whipped around the corner and stared at the door.
She put her hand on the knob and turned gently – it opened. It was pitch dark, being in the dungeons, and she saw nothing as she peered in from the doorway. She took a hasty step in and the door slammed shut behind her, revealing him.
He approached her slowly, slow enough not to alarm her to the degree that she would raise her wand to him. She slowly backed away and the back of her knees ran into a desk. He smirked at her, his gray, wolf like eyes boring into her own brown ones and she stared defiantly back at him.
"Well look what we have here. A little weasel has crawled into the serpents den". He whispered eerily, moving ever closer. His hair was mussed and in his eyes, which were maniacal and reminded Ginny of Tom Riddle's. "Now, little weasel, why is it that you are following me, hm? Are you looking for trouble? You should know not to wander out of the safety of your precious Potter's reach…" He spat, glaring down at her.
His presence was overbearing and made her knees feel like jelly and she hated feeling intimidated by anyone. "What were you doing in the forest at night earlier this week?" She asked boldly, forgetting that it was she that was cornered and in no position to be demanding answers.
"So you've made a hobby out of watching me, have you, weasel? Given up the role of president of the Potter fan club?" Every time he brought up Harry's name, the venom poured through his words.
Ginny smirked, finding her inner Gryfindor courage. "When have you taken up the hobby of avoiding questions by answering them with irrelevant questions?" He slammed his hands down hard on both sides of her, on the desktop she was now heavily leaning on.
"Watch your step, weasel, you are in no position to be talking back to me." He leaned all his weight against her and whispered into her ear, "If you really find it entertaining to follow me around and spy on me, why don't you stop by my bedroom later on tonight and I can put you to some proper use." He said it with calm confidence and Ginny could only press her lips together and keep quiet.
He pushed his weight off of her and turned to the door. As he left the dark room, he replied, "Oh, and stop staring at me during meals, people are starting to notice". And with that he strolled out of the room leaving Ginny Weasley alone, in the dark, and reeling with anger.
Ginny Weasley's secret little mystery was starting to become interesting, and she still planned to keep it to herself.
A/N: That was SO MUCH fun to write, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.