CHAPTER 2 – The Brilliant Idea

Draco woke late the next morning. He didn't know when he'd finally been able to fall asleep. He knew he should get up. It was imperative that normalcy remained or his mother would suspect. She was so conscious of his every move. Her pride and joy, Narcissa Malfoy adored her son beyond reasoning. He wondered if she would understand, should he wish to confide in her. Yet, as much as he wanted his mother to know, he couldn't risk Ginny's well-being.

He stepped into his lavatory, the marble feeling very cool under his bare feet. He approached the sink and stared at the reflection looking back at him. His gaze landed on the deep tub in the floor behind him and his memory gave way again. Draco was lost in the recent past…

He paced the floor back and forth, waiting for Ginny to approach the male Prefects' lavatory.

I hope this wasn't a bad idea. He shook himself of the thought. I don't care. Where else can we be alone?

He heard the door next to Boris the Bewildered start to creak open and he made himself look busy at the sinks in case it wasn't her. The mermaid on the wall flapped her tail and dove into the water within her picture. Ginny appeared around the corner.

"Made it," she exclaimed breathlessly.

"Did you have any trouble?" His voice was slightly panicky at her apparent lack of breath.

"No, everything was fine."

She dropped a flowing, watery-like object to the floor. It still irritated him that Ginny was using Potter's invisibility cloak. The first time he'd seen it, he thought it a brilliant idea. But knowing she was sneaking into the boys' dormitory to get to it made his skin boil. Not only was she inches away from Potter in her thin pajamas, but should she ever be caught, there would be hell to pay.

He quickly forgot his objection when she wrapped her arms around him and gently kissed his lips. Draco had never felt skin so soft. He longed to ask what it was she did to get that wonderful smell in her hair, but the thought was interrupted by the touch of her hand on his neck. Pulling her closer, he ran his fingers through the back of her hair. He wished he could do more, but he didn't want to blow his chances with someone that made him feel so good.

Ginny stepped back a bit and gazed into his eyes. Butterflies captured his stomach in a whirl of ecstasy as he silently cursed his thoughts. He slowed his breathing and focused on all things rational. Take it slow, Draco…you could lose her.

She seemed to read his mind.

"What's the matter?" She spoke with an almost seductive flair. "Afraid I'll run?"

His grin spread wide as a slight tinge of red entered his cheeks. "Actually yes. I just thought you'd prefer to take it slowly."

Her face brightened up at his suggestion and she pulled him close again, fully aware of the intimate way in which their bodies touched. Draco couldn't get enough of her, but he knew that even if they wanted to take things further it would be foolish to do so in the middle of a school lavatory.

Draco had a sudden horrible thought. He hoped that that Myrtle person would keep to herself. She had a habit of popping out of the faucet from time to time, giving herself a good laugh. Ginny's fingers at the back of his hair made him forget everything. He pulled her closer…

At long last they broke away. He walked her to the edge of the tub where they settled themselves down. Draco had filled the tub with warm, bubbling water. He bent down to turn on a faucet and the room slowly filled with a variety of colored bubbles. Ginny let her feet fall gently into the water, not daring to get any other part of her wet. She settled her head on Draco's shoulder and it was some time before she spoke.

"I want so badly to be alone with you, but we seldom get to see each other like this. How long can we keep it up?"

Draco didn't answer right away. He wanted to pretend that everything was fine, but he knew that she needed to hear reassurance. "We have no choice for now. I don't want to put you at risk."

"I wish you'd let me decide that," she said rather testily. "You won't be able to protect me like this forever. It might not be as bad as you think."

"Ginny, it will be. I know what my parents think of your family. I know what Slytherin thinks of Gryffindor. And furthermore," he paused and stared into the water. "I know what he would do to you." The "he" that Draco was referring to was the Dark Lord. He knew that Ginny was aware of this. He watched her slowly inhale with hidden frustration as he took his time getting the rest out. "My family promised me to him upon my birth. This is the path I've been training for my entire life. And now that we… well, now that I have you," his voice trailed off.

Ginny picked up his sentence for him. "I know. Being with me complicates your future."

Draco's slightly defensive voice rang out through the lavatory. "You don't understand. I've never had any intention of turning from this path. The confusion I feel right now, it's just unbearable. I love you, Ginny. I have no intention of becoming a cold-blooded killer anymore, but he just can't know that right now. And I just…I can't lose you. If they know we're seeing each other they will put two and two together and that will make you a target. In their eyes, anyone or anything that sways me from the path of becoming a Death Eater will be destroyed."

He was just trying to be honest. After all, they both knew that after next year he would be expected to follow in his family's footsteps. And she would be expected to do the same, after her seventh year. Ginny would become part of something that would fight against everything he was raised to believe. Draco was promised to the Dark Lord to be a loyal servant. How they were ever going to manage this was beyond him, but he didn't care about that now.

She must have felt his desire to change the subject. Wrapping her arms around his neck again, she tried to shield him from the confusion…

Draco opened his eyes. His mother was knocking softly on the door.

"Draco, darling?" Narcissa Malfoy's loving voice questioned if he was in his lavatory.

"Yes, mother? I'll be there in a moment." He splashed his face with cold water and, grabbing a towel, opened the door to let his mother catch a glimpse of him.

"You slept later than normal," she said. "I was getting a little worried. Are you having more sleepless nights?"

Sleepless nights? How did she know?

"Be honest with me, Draco. Mothers have a way of knowing these things."

"I'm fine," he lied. "Just thinking a lot about the upcoming school year."

His mother raised an eyebrow. "The upcoming school year is still five weeks away."

He knew she wasn't buying it.

"Yes I know, but this is it." He continued wiping the water from his face with the towel. "I've spent the last six years of my life at Hogwarts and there's a lot to think about for this year. Oh you know, Mother. There's my Apparition test to study for, the Head Boyship to think about, the fact that I STILL haven't caught a single snitch against Gryffindor, not to mention I'm running out of good ideas on how to antagonize Potter."

She smiled. "You're right. If you don't catch that Snitch soon your father is going to disown you once he…well, once he returns. But anyway, it's a lot to digest, your last year." She paused, still uncertain of his explanation. "If you need anything to help you sleep let me know. I'll send Blinka up with something."

She kissed him on the forehead and made for the door. He desperately wished she could comfort him without feeling the need to send the house elf with a sleeping potion. Could he make it another five weeks without letting his mother know what haunted him each night?

He made for his wardrobe and threw on his billowing black robes, the Malfoy crest shining brightly on the left side. He supposed he needed to leave the comfort of his room. The longer he stayed in here thinking about Ginny, the more he would wish for that sleeping potion of Blinka's.

He grabbed the doorknob to leave and paused with a sudden thought. Potion! How could I have been so stupid to overlook such a thing?

The summer suddenly looked brighter. He needed to visit his father's wing of the house, namely the library. He took a few deep breaths to try and hide his excitement.