Disclaimer: Not mine. Perhaps in a parallel universe but I doubt it so I disclaim there too. Also the title of this chappie comes from the Show "Will & Grace."
Chapter 7: "Love Ya Like a Cold Sore!"
"Come on. Let's go finish our transfiguration in the library before dinner starts." Nikki said as she led the way from the greenhouses where they had just finished double herbology with the ravenclaws. "I don't think that there is a worse class to have at the end of Friday then one with ravenclaws. It's like having class with a room full of Hermione's."
Ginny gave a very unladylike snort of agreement and asked, "Is it really necessary to use our only free period on Friday studying?"
"If you want to get transfiguration out of the way and have a weekend without trying to cram in study time then yes it is necessary." Groaning, Ginny continued to trudge after her friend towards the library and the torture that surely awaited her.
Grumbling and complaining the entire way about the unfairness of it all, Ginny had just followed her friend into the library when she realised that she had nothing with her but her herbology books. Perking up she told Nikki, "grab a table; I've got to get my things. All I have are my herbology books."
"But," Nikki watched as Ginny raced out of the library to get her books. She had been about to say they could share hers but she guessed that wasn't worth pointing out now. Giving an exasperated sigh, Nikki found an empty table and started on the massive amounts of essays that were due that coming week.
When Ginny arrived back in the library in less then ten minutes, Nikki sputtered a bit before finally getting out, "Did you run the entire way? You are never this eager to start homework. Do you have a fever, are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine. I just want to get as much done as we can tonight, no sense in having it hang over our heads all weekend like the bloody sword of Damocles."
Nikki started to get up from her chair, pulling Ginny with her. "Come on, I'm taking you to see Madam Pomfrey. You must be sick, acting this eager to do your work. Hmm, you are a bit flushed…" Nikki snapped her fingers, "ah ha! You ran into Draco didn't you? That is why you are in such a rush to get this stuff done. You want to go spend time with your drakie-poo don't you? Never thought I would say this but I think he might actually be having a decent effect on you. Well that is except for the growing fondness you have for all things sarcastic."
"I do not like all things sarcastic!"
"Fine, just blonde sarcasm." Nikki looked over her shoulder to see who would have the nerve to interrupt her. Seeing Hermione, she thought to herself 'damnit she is going to rain on our parade again.' Of course being intelligent, she refrained from saying anything of the sort. Unfortunately, Ginnys new liking for sarcasm decided to rear its ugly head.
"Well if it isn't the schools most prominent bookworm. What brings you up for air? Finally, decided people are better then books? You know, since people can actually talk back to you, and not just in your head." Ginny looked up at Hermione smirking.
"You look like Draco when you do that Gin." Nikki whispered to Gin as she stood up before continuing in a normal voice, "I'm going to go grab some books that we need. See you Hermione."
Ginny watched as Nikki strolled off into the library stacks before turning back to Hermione. Heaving a great sigh of exasperation, she looked up and asked, "Well what do you want? Surely, you are not here just to be social with me. You've never bothered before and I see no reason to start now. So if you please, I have some essays to get done." She turned back to her table and picked up her quill; she had just started writing when Hermione sat down at the table across from her.
"What do you think you are doing Ginny? You can't seriously think that Malfoy is decent. You are going to get hurt. You need to stop seeing him. Ron and Harry are both worried about you. Come to your senses before it is too late." Hermione hissed across the table.
"HA! Worried my arse! The only things those two care about is quidditch, and the only reason you are here is because they had some fool notion that I would listen to another girl. They would hardly bat an eye if I decided I wanted to take a flying leap off the astronomy tower. The only reason they have noticed now is that Draco is their so-called arch-nemesis. Completely stupid school rivalries, Draco's even become annoyed by it. It's not entertaining any more. Just go back to your golden boy and your puppy love for my brother; you and your false sincerity are not welcome with me."
"Gin, how can you say that? All of us, we only want what is best for you."
"You three wouldn't know what was best for me if it jumped up and bit you on your oversized arse's. Just leave Hermione; I have no interest in continuing this conversation with you. Actually, I have no interest in continuing any conversation with you. Talking with you distinctly reminds me of banging my head into a wall."
"You can't be serious. You prefer Malfoy to your brother and Harry. You were completely in love with Harry for years"
"Keyword dear, were, not is, not am, but were as in past tense."
"Do not tell me you love Malfoy."
"No I do not love Draco. But at least he pays attention to me instead of treating me like a flippen hat stand. Honestly Hermione, just give it up and leave. I used to think I was a sorry person, tailing around after you three, but now I realize that you are the truly sorry one. You let them take advantage of you just so they will stay your friends. Especially since no one else can stand you."
"What do you know? You are blind and being used yourself. He is only with you for information."
"Oh heavens forbid I let something slip. I might endanger precious bloody Potter. However would I live with myself." Ginny stood up and shoved her things into her bag along with her friends before calling over her shoulder to Nikki, "Hey Nik! I'm out of here. The level of company has been decreasing and I find it unbearable. Meet me at Draco's room." Turning back to Hermione, she continued, "Well as much fun as it has been, I honestly can't stand you very much so I'll just be off now."
"You are nothing but a stupid naive little girl." Hermione glared at Ginnys retreating.
Ginny just continued on her way, tossing over her shoulder one last statement before exiting through the door, "love ya like a cold sore Herm."
For a moment, silence rang in the library, as the door started to close behind Ginny the students at the tables and who had emerged from the stacks broke into a ringing applause that took Madam Pince close to 5 minutes to quiet. Nikki, who had been watching the entire thing through a gap in one of the stacks, doubled over laughing. It was so nice to see Ginny finally tell off the overbearing know it all.
After running into Ginny, Draco headed back to his room. He figured that he had maybe half-an-hour before Ginny showed up complaining about having to work in the library with all that noise. He flopped gracefully into his armchair and started thinking about the conversation he had with Ginny that morning. Just as he was getting deep into his thinking, the portrait hole was yanked opened and emitted a highly irate Ginny. "What's happened now Ginevra? You always seem off about something lately."
Dropping both her things and Nikki's onto his desk, she refrained from answering as she took a deep breath. Unable to regain any semblance of normalcy, she gave it up for lost and sat herself in Draco's lap, noticing a barely there widening of his eyes, she leaned forward and proceeded to snog him silly. Just when things were starting to heat up, and get good in his opinion, a knock sounded at the entrance. Groaning he broke away from her and hollered, "Go Away! I'm busy." Confident that would be the end of it he leaned in to continue kissing Ginny, but before he even got to touch her lips again, they heard a slightly muffled exclamation.
"Ginny stop trying to devour Draco and open up this portrait. I am not going to stand out here forever and you have my things."
Groaning in frustration, Draco asked Ginny, "Do you have to stop just to let her in?"
"Well Yes I do," she started to get up but stopped when Draco grabbed her. "Are you going to carry me to the door then?" Ginny quirked an eyebrow at him, looking faintly amused.
"Now that is a capital idea." With that Draco started to kiss her again as he rearranged her legs so that they were around his waist. Now while Ginny was a slender girl, she was by no means a short one, yet Draco stood up effortlessly with her wrapped around him. He opened the door and raised his head just long enough to smirk at Nikki and say, "Close the door behind you," then turn to walk to his bed where he laid on his back so that Ginny would be on top of him.
"I take back what I said about him having a decent affect on you. He is turning you into the whore of Babylon." When neither occupant of the bed responded, Nikki continued with what she was sure would get a reaction. "Maybe Hermione is right. Ya know…"
Ginny practically flew off the bed, producing a wand from somewhere and had her best friend pinned to the wall by the point of her wand. 'My gods but she is gorgeous when she is pissed.' Draco thought as he reclined on his bed and watched the red haired vixen live up to the legend of her fiery temper.
She was a remarkable sight. Ginny stood tall, stretching out to her full five foot eight inches of height, wand arm extended in a perfect dueling pose. The magic inherent in her body seemed to be leaking out through her hair, eyes, and skin. She was almost glowing with the power she radiated and Draco noticed for the first time that her eyes were not the ordinary brown that he thought they were, but were really the color of red honey. Her hair was crackling with energy and seemed to shimmer in the light from the fireplace. It danced around her back and shoulders like flames lick at a log.
He was mesmerized for a moment as he took in the picture of beauty before him; he quickly snapped out of it and separated the two girls. Addressing Ginny first seemed to be a priority, but after several failed attempts to calm her down, he looked to Nikki and asked, "You did this, and now how do I make it stop?"
"Kiss her."
"You have got to be kidding me. She would probably bite my tongue off."
"Trust me, just kiss her. She needs to channel the energy somewhere, and it is easy to change into passion. That or give her something to maul."
"Fine." Draco pulled Ginny against him and kissed her. It was hard and demanding. He didn't ask for anything with this kiss as he did with the others in the past, he took it and demanded that she respond. He had not planned to kiss her that way, afraid he would scare her away, but she answered the demands his mouth made on her own. He felt like he had swallowed a blast-ended skewrt and was being consumed by the resulting flames.
Breaking apart, aggression, magic and fury all finally spent, Ginny flushed a brilliant shade of red and moved over to Nikki. "I'm sorry, but you should know by now to never tell me that arse kisser is right."
"True. I apologize. I will try ever so hard to refrain in the future."
"Now would anyone like to clue me in on why I almost had a violent crime happen in my room?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Ginny pouted and threw herself across Draco's bed.
"Fine, then you tell me." Draco sat on the edge of his bed and glared at Nikki.
"Alright, I do so love to tell a good story, and I have an excellent memory." Nikki grinned and sat in the armchair after she turned it to face the two on the bed. "Well, it started not long after Gin returned to the library…" Nikki recounted the scene with Hermione in the library, as far as Ginny could tell it was word for word.
"I didn't realize they started applauding. I would have stopped to bow or something." Ginny laughed at the absurdity of it.
Draco, while having enjoyed the replay immensely, just had more questions, but none that he wanted to ask in company. "So are you two here to study or just giggle like a pack of mad hyenas?" Ginny looked up at him, and he was well aware of what she was most likely seeing. His normal cold mask, knowing that it frightened her, he felt a small (and I mean small as in minuscule) pang of guilt. It was nothing that he could control. Draco hated having doubts and questions, so he was not feeling all that friendly or nice at the moment.
Draco watched as Ginny scooted off the bed and walked over to the desk where her things were. Thinking that she was going to leave, he had just started to reach out a hand when she turned around with only a few books in her arms. She walked over to her friend and handed the books to her.
"I think Draco and I have to talk. I'll see you at supper and then we can try to do the essay then, 'kay?"
"Sure Gin." Nikki put her books into her bag before giving her friend a quick hug and whispering something in her ear.
Ginny laughed and shook her head before she pushed Nikki out the door. Ginny leaned her forehead against the back of the door before she turned back to Draco and walked to the armchair where she settled herself. Visibly steeling herself she looked up and met Draco's eyes before saying, "I have some questions. I also think I might be able to answer some of your questions, if you have any."
A/N: Once again Thank you to all those who found the kindness deep down in side of them to review. I'm sure the rest of you could find it in yourselves to review also, you just might have to dig deeper. With that said…Thank You to: Velfin some people need to have the Obvious pointed out to them so it's ok); Dark Anejul (it's like Draco Law, he has to run off at some point.); Aurora Rezanya (Special thanks for volunteering for the dubious pleasure of being my beta); Keeperofthepineneedles (my spellchecker hates your name); Daisy Rae (He is nice that way isn't he?); moonpixi (patience is a virtue, That I also do not possess)and elf grrl (Did I hurry enough?).
And one more thing. Thank you thank you thank you thank you to Aurora for being my beta! And for being a super fast one! And she even picked out the wonderful quote out of the chapter for the title! squeals like a little kid