Ach! I'm so sorry this took so long to post. I honestly do not have much time to get on the computer. Also, I've got a HUGE Biology test coming up that I really need to study for. But I made this chapter a bit longer, hoping to make up for the long break. Sorry!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of this.
Chapter 14: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin
Ginny stormed back and forth in her room. A flurry of emotions was spinning through her head and she was struggling to make sense of them all. The biggest thing that was on her mind, however, was what the school was saying about her. Lately rumors had started up, saying that she was the one responsible for the disappearances of the students. Ginny could hardly believe it, though something in the back of her mind told her she should've suspected it. Filch had caught her at the scene of the crime.
That's no reason to suspect me, Ginny thought furiously. She couldn't really see how anybody could think that she was the kidnapper; she would never do anything like that. It was becoming difficult though. Many of the people in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were turning on her, people she had once called friends. Even a few Gryffindors seemed a little cooler to her than usual but none of them were openly nasty. Of course, the Slytherins always looked for any excuse to torment a Gryffindor; they were relishing this.
And then there was Draco. Ginny slapped her forehead and growled in frustration. What had he been thinking yesterday, helping her like he had? That was probably the dumbest thing he could have done. The feud between their families was infamous; what would people say if they knew they were working together? One day Draco was teasing her in the hallways and the next he was helping her. Honestly, that boy was worse than a girl with PMS.
Once that incident had taken place and everybody on the school grounds had played witness to it, the whole school found out. For the first night the rumors and cat-calls were terrible and Ginny spent most of the time in her room. She had been lucky, though, when Trent Johnson had been found. Obviously he was bigger news.
Ginny herself didn't know what had happened to the boy. All she could figure out was that he had been found in one of the boys' bathrooms and that he didn't remember anything. The memory charm told Ginny that the same person was behind the attacks…at least she thought so. The thing that puzzled her most was the condition in which Trent had been found. Purple hair and green skin? What was up with that?
Another thing that added to the stress of Ginny's life, but in a better way, was the upcoming Quidditch match: Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Ginny had no doubt that Gryffindor would win. From what she had heard from Dean and Seamus, who had taken on the roles of Gryffindor spies, the Slytherin team wasn't much better than last year, mainly due to the fact that Crabbe and Goyle were still on it. She couldn't wait for tomorrow night.
Over the summer, Ginny had constantly been practicing Quidditch with Ron in their backyard; her dedication really showed when she was on the field. Harry had even complimented her on her skills, which had resulted in her blushing furiously. Thankfully, her beet-red face hadn't been too noticeable since everybody's faces were windblown and red.
Ginny sat down on her bed and sighed. Though she didn't know what her situation was with Harry, she knew that it wasn't improving. She chided herself for ever getting into this mess. She should have just left well enough alone but some things the heart just couldn't forget. It was the same thing with her conscience; she didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse. She liked to think it was a curse. Her conscience hadn't been leaving her alone ever since she first teamed up with Draco Malfoy.
She flopped backwards and let her feet hang over the edge of her bed. Why did life have to be so difficult?
Ginny woke bright and early the next morning; her blood was already pumping hard and her fingers tingled with excitement. Today was the day. Today was the day that she helped Gryffindor beat Slytherin and showed the whole school that she was a great Quidditch player.
She jumped out of bed and got dressed. There was no need to take a shower now; she'd just be all sweaty after the game. She braided her hair in a French braid that ran down her back and pulled her Quidditch robes on over her clothes. It was the end of November and it was freezing cold out but she only wore a sweater over her shirt. Even though she'd probably be cold flying around, she couldn't risk being too bulky or it would slow her down.
When Ginny went down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room, the first thing she noticed was the Creevey brothers. They were both sitting in chairs facing each other near the far side of the room and were staring out the window. Their small forms were frozen like statues and extremely nervous looks graced their faces. She stepped towards them uncertainly, trying to decide whether or not she should comfort them somehow, but a voice in her right ear stopped her.
"Don't worry about them," someone whispered into her ear. Ginny jumped to the side and took a deep breath when she only saw Seamus Finnigan standing beside her. He folded his arms and smiled at her; he was already in his Quidditch robes.
"They've been sitting like that for the past ten minutes. They're just nervous…they'll be fine," Seamus said in that thick Irish accent of his.
"Oh," Ginny said quietly, turning back to Collin and Dennis Creevey. Their hands were clasped together, holding on to each other as their minds silently went through who knows what. Seamus sat down on the couch facing the fire place and Ginny sat in one of the chairs. Besides the four of them, the common room was empty.
"Dean, Harry, and Ron are upstairs just finishing getting ready," Seamus said casually. "When they get down here, we're all supposed to go down to the Great Hall and get something to eat; so says Harry, anyway."
Ginny smiled. She had always liked Seamus; he had always been nice to her. Ginny couldn't help noticing either that he was very attractive…girls always went crazy over his accent.
Her thoughts were interrupted though by a clamoring from the boys' staircase. Looking wide awake and very excited, Dean came bouncing down the steps. He stopped when he reached the bottom, spun, and gave a very elaborate bow, coming to a halt with his right hand resting in a fist just under his left shoulder and his chin held high in the air.
"Make way for the heroes of Hogwarts," he announced in a clear voice. "Here we come to bring glory and honor to Gryffindors old and young, veterans of the House team and rookies alike. Slytherins beware because here come the Gryffindors!"
Ginny laughed at Dean's antics and he smiled widely, revealing two rows of perfectly straight white teeth. Harry came behind him, grinning brightly yet failing to hide the nervousness that showed in his eyes.
After Harry came Ron, stumbling down the stairs and trying to suppress a yawn. He tripped over the last step and came to a halt beside Dean, squinting at the brightness of the room.
"Don't see why you're so awake, Dean," Ron mumbled. "It's too early for anybody to be this cheery…"
"You better wake up, Ron," Seamus said. "The match is in an hour and we can't have our Keeper flying around on his broomstick asleep."
Ron's eyes opened widely and his face paled. "The game's today?" he gasped.
"Of course it is, Ron," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "What did you think you were doing when you put on your Quidditch robes this morning?"
Ron's head jerked downward as his eyes took in what he was wearing. He pulled at the robe and looked back up in shock.
"How did I get into these?" he asked, his voice becoming squeakier with every syllable. "I thought these were my regular robes…Why didn't you tell me the match was today?" he looked at Harry with a horrified expression on his face.
"Oh relax, Ron," Dean said, clapping him on the back. "You'll be fine. Now, the Creeveys, on the other hand, may not…" he trailed off as he looked at Collin and Dennis, who hadn't yet moved. He looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "Whad'ya reckon, Harry?"
Harry shook his head and walked over the Collin and Dennis. He said something to them, but Ginny couldn't hear it from the other side of the room. When neither Collin nor Dennis moved, he shook their shoulders, resulting in both brothers jumping out of their seats. Ginny could tell that he was talking to them because his lips were moving, but other than that she couldn't hear him.
After a moment, the three of them walked back towards the portrait where Ginny, Ron, Seamus, and Dean were standing. Collin and Dennis both looked calmer though there was still some doubt in their eyes.
"You'll be fine, Collin," she whispered to her friend as they exited through the Fat Lady's portrait. "I've seen you and your brother at practice. You have nothing to worry about, especially from the Slytherin Beaters. Crabbe and Goyle don't stand a chance."
"Thanks, Ginny," Collin smiled weakly at her.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team walked through the corridors and down the many stairs until they reached the Great Hall. It was still fairly early in the morning and there was hardly anybody there. There were only a few Ravenclaws and a teacher or two. However, all of the Slytherin team was sitting at their House table. Ginny glanced at Draco who stared moodily at her. She raised her head higher and followed the rest of her teammates to the table and sat down next to her brother.
Grabbing her plate, she piled some eggs and potatoes onto it and filled her goblet with pumpkin juice. Beside her, Ron was staring at his plate with wide eyes.
"You know, Ron," Ginny said, leaning towards him, "you have to physically put food on there. It doesn't just appear by staring at it."
"I know that," Ron snapped back. He shakily grabbed a piece of toast and started spreading marmalade onto it. Seamus was sitting across from her and raised an eyebrow at her but Ginny just shrugged and went back to eating. Her mind flitted over to the Slytherin table; she could sense a pair of eyes on her. She turned around and looked that way but only saw the seven Slytherins on their Quidditch team hunched together and whispering. Well, make that five Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle were busy stuffing their faces with doughnuts.
Soon, the Great Hall started filling up as more and more students filed their way into the room. Abruptly Harry stood and nodded his head for his teammates to follow. Ginny rose with everybody else and cheers broke out from the Gryffindors in the room; all of the Slytherins booed and hissed as they walked by.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team trudged through the snow until they reached the locker rooms down by the pitch. It was a half hour until the game started and they were all nervous now. Ginny got out her new broom, which she had gotten for her birthday, and sat down. Collin, Dennis, Ron, Seamus, and Dean all sat as well, but Harry remained standing. He paced the room a few times but then stopped, his hands clasped behind his back.
"We've been practicing hard for this," Harry said. "Since the school year began, we've been training for this." He looked up and his eyes met that of every one of his teammates. "I know all of us are nervous, but we should be. If we weren't, then this game wouldn't be anything because nothing is worth fighting for that you aren't passionate about. But the Slytherins are nothing! We've been training harder for this than they have and we deserve this game. This is a chance for us to get higher up in the ranking for the Cup. If we win this then we are automatically in the lead."
"So no pressure, right?" Seamus asked.
Harry smiled and nodded. "Something like that," he said. "Let's just all have fun though, okay? It doesn't matter if we win or lose, but let's have fun."
"But winning would still be nice, right?" Dean asked, grinning.
"Something like that," Ginny said, smiling at him. Harry glanced at her but looked away quickly.
For the next twenty minutes or so, the Gryffindor Quidditch team sat silently in the locker rooms. They could hear the booms of many feet above them as the students clambered into the stands. Ginny's heart rate slowly yet steadily rose until she thought everybody could hear it her heart thumping against her chest. Her hands were cold and she tried rubbing them to get some warmth back into them. She gave up though at the squirming in her stomach.
Soon, a voice came over the loudspeaker; since Lee Jordan's last year at school, a fifth year Gryffindor boy, Jacob Smith, had taken his place as announcer. Jacob's magically magnified voice boomed over the loudspeaker.
"Welcome to the first game of the year!" he shouted, and every person out there roared and cheered with excitement before Smith continued. "Here are the Slytherins! Alan Howry, Blaise Zabini, and Aidan Tulson are this years Chasers, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle still as the Slytherin Beaters, Warren Quinn as Keeper, and Draco Malfoy is playing Seeker!" When Smith announced the Slytherin team, many cheers rose from the Slytherin stands. Ginny could hear their roars from in the locker room and she gulped slightly. Mixed in with the cheers were boos from the Gryffindors as well.
"It's time," Harry said. With Harry in the rear, everybody lined up in front of the door that led to the pitch.
"And here come the Gryffindors!" shouted Smith from the stands as the door to the locker room swung open and the players zoomed out onto the field on their brooms. "Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Ginny Weasley as the Chasers, brothers Collin and Dennis Creevey as the Beaters, Ron Weasley is playing the Keeper, and Harry Potter is still the Seeker!"
The Gryffindor fans whistled and stomped their feet, causing the stands to shudder under the weight. Their cheers drowned out the boos from the Slytherins.
Ginny and her team, Dean Thomas leading, circled the pitch once and came to a stop in a straight line on one side of the pitch, facing the other side where the Slytherins rested just five feet above the ground.
Madame Hooch stood in the center of the field with a small trunk at her feet. She blew her whistle and said through her also magnified voice, "Team captains come forward and shake hands."
Harry flew towards the center of the pitch and hovered above Madame Hooch. Draco flew forward as well until they were only a few feet apart. Harry stuck out his hand and Draco gripped it. It was obvious even to Ginny that both Harry and Draco were trying to crush each other's hand. She rolled her eyes and thought, Boys…
After a few seconds they let go and flew back to their awaiting teammates. Within moments, Madame Hooch blew her whistle and released the balls from the trunk that held them. Ginny's eyes immediately focused on the Quaffle and she raced forwards at the same time Harry flew straight up to watch for the Snitch.
The game had begun.
An hour into the game, Ginny started to grow frustrated. So far, nobody had scored and the Snitch was nowhere in sight. Ginny hovered thirty feet in front of Ron who was guarding the posts; Blaise Zabini was zooming towards her carrying the Quaffle with Dean and Seamus flying furiously behind him.
As Zabini approached, Ginny raced forward and punched the Quaffle out of his right arm, swooping below him and towards the Slytherin goal posts where their Keeper, Warren Quinn, was waiting. She heard Zabini curse as he swished around and zoomed after her.
Ginny glanced over her shoulder and noticed Zabini gaining on her; then Seamus appeared at her right and she tossed him the Quaffle.
"After a fantastic steal from Blaise Zabini, Ginny Weasley passes the Quaffle to Seamus Finnigan, a rookie to this year's Gryffindor team. And my, look at them go!" shouted Jacob Smith's voice across the stadium. Ginny wasn't paying too much attention to the commentary because another Slytherin Chaser, Aidan Tulson, was coming forward to meet them.
Ginny guarded Seamus's left side as they flew closer and closer but a Bludger came roaring towards them and flew right in between Ginny and Seamus. The young Gryffindor girl rose higher in the air and flew some twenty feet above Seamus as he dodged another Bludger sent by Crabbe. This would be a perfect time to try one of their new moves.
"Seamus! Number three!" Ginny screamed down at him. Ginny grabbed the Quaffle as Seamus passed it up towards her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Zabini was still trailing her. She rose higher to dodge a Bludger that was aiming for her head and saw that Zabini still was following her. Seamus and Dean were flying much further ahead of her now, along with the remaining two Slytherin Chasers, trying to make way for her as she approached the goal posts. Time to put the play into action, Ginny thought.
Without warning and without stopping, Ginny forced her broom to fall straight downward; at the speed she was flying at, the movement caused the back end of her broom to rear up and she did a full 360 degree turn, just as she had been practicing.
Zabini was so caught off guard that he kept flying straight before he realized that Ginny was below him. Angrily, he flew downwards and tried to catch up to Ginny, but it was too late.
"Ginny Weasley performs a spectacular new move that I haven't heard of and…GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" Smith shouted over the loudspeaker. "Finally there are some points on the board!"
Ginny grinned as she turned around and flew away from the Slytherin goal posts, leaving a scowling Warren Quinn behind. Dean paused for a moment to high-five Ginny; Seamus was already racing after the Slytherin Chaser Alan Howry, who already had the Quaffle.
"Nice move, Ginny!" Dean shouted; then the two of them flew after Seamus, Ginny grinning from ear to ear.
A half hour later, the score was tied at 50-50. Ginny was flying so close to Aidan Tulson that their knees were knocking together. They were almost to the Gryffindor posts and Ginny could see Ron's face clearly, determination sketched across it. She gritted her teeth and tried to steal the Quaffle from Tulson but with a spurt of speed, he shot ahead of her. A Bludger whistled straight in front of him and he pulled his broom up short to avoid hitting it; the motion caused him to lose his grip on the Quaffle, which started plummeting to the ground.
Ginny fell after it and within seconds, she had the ball in her hands. She turned around and headed back towards the Slytherin posts. As she was about to pass the ball off to Dean, a Bludger barreled into her outstretched hand and grazed the edge of it. The Quaffle tumbled from her hand and Ginny clasped it in pain. She could tell that her wrist wasn't broken, but she knew that it would be badly bruised by that night.
She looked up and saw Goyle sitting on a broomstick not thirty feet away, a dopey grin plastered on his face at the knowledge that he had actually done something right. Then another Bludger collided with his club and the object went sailing towards the ground. Ginny looked to her left and saw Collin grinning at her. Ginny returned the smile and darted forward again on her broom.
Dean had caught the Quaffle when it had fallen from Ginny and was sandwiched in between Aidan Tulson and Blaise Zabini. He passed the Quaffle over his shoulder to Seamus who escaped from Alan Howry and raced towards the goal posts.
He lobbed the ball through the far left post and Jacob Smith screamed "GRYFFINDOR SCORES AGAIN! Seamus Finnigan scores his second goal of the day!"
The Gryffindor fans screamed and howled their delight, powerfully drowning out the Slytherins who booed. Ginny was pumping her fist into the air when something shiny zipped in front of her, hovering slightly in the air. It was the Snitch.
Ginny looked around and spotted Harry far above her and to her right; Draco was below her and to her left. She debated for a moment on who would get there first if she shouted for Harry, but decided to go for it.
"Harry!" she screeched at the top of her lungs. Harry turned in the air, a questioning look on his face. Then he saw the Snitch and raced towards it as Ginny moved out of the way. Harry was a far ways off and Draco had also her heard; it seemed as if the whole stadium had heard her.
"It looks like Harry may have seen the Snitch," Smith commented, "but wait! It looks as if Malfoy saw it too! It'll be a race to see who gets there first now…"
A hush fell over the entire pitch as the two Seekers raced towards the motionless Snitch, one from above and one from below. To Ginny, it looked as if Draco might have had a slight lead, but she couldn't tell for sure. Then Harry rocketed forward and snatched the Snitch from the air and zoomed straight over Malfoy who got there at the same time.
"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" roared Smith and the Gryffindors erupted in wild cheers.
Harry, grinning, held his hand high in the air, the fluttering Snitch still trapped within it. Along with her fellow teammates, Ginny flew towards Harry and they all surrounded him. Ron started thumping him on the back and Dean was shaking his shoulders in happiness. Ginny glanced around and saw Malfoy hovering in the distance, a look of disappointment on his face. Then he scowled and turned around, sulkily heading towards the ground.
As one big ball of Gryffindors, the team slowly made their way to the ground. A mob of Gryffindor fans was racing onto the field and before they knew it, the whole Gryffindor team was picked up and held in the air by their admirers.
"Party in the common room!" someone shouted.
"The Cup will be ours this year!" said another.
Ginny felt high on the euphoria of the victory and clasped her broom to her. This was a day that she wouldn't forget for quite a while.
That night there was a party in the Gryffindor common room. It started when everybody got back to the castle and didn't end until Professor McGonagall, whom Hermione had fetched in irritation, came and sent everybody to bed. Ginny had gone upstairs hours earlier however; after Seamus and Dean (whom Ginny suspected had had too much butterbeer) started making the couches fly through the air, she decided that enough was enough.
Throughout the next day Ginny had to listen to the other girls in her year talking about the upcoming ball. Ginny herself didn't quite know what to think. At the Yule Ball in her third year, she had only gone because Neville had asked her and she wasn't sure she wanted to repeat the experience; her toes had sustained quite a beating last time she danced with him.
Also, who would ask her to go? Ginny didn't like the idea of asking a guy herself; she thought it was the guy's job to do the asking. Call it old-fashioned, but that's what she liked. And at the moment, the only guy she really considered going with was Harry, and that was certainly out of the question. Perhaps she would go and perhaps she wouldn't. If a boy asked her, however, it might be a good chance to try and get over Harry.
Ginny shrugged her shoulders and tried pushing the thought from her mind. At the moment, she was still more concerned about finding some way to prove that Draco Malfoy was guilty. She figured it must be him because who else hated mudbloods such as he did? The only problem was that Malfoy seemed to be very good at ignoring the school's accusations of him. He even appeared innocent at times, but Ginny knew better.
Her anger and irritation at him bubbled within her. He thought he was so wonderful, he thought that the school would just forget their suspicions of him. Well, she would show him wrong. He was up to something.
Especially that one night he had just left her in that tunnel underground. It was his idea to go down there in the first place and he must've known she would get caught. He was probably even the one that led Filch down there somehow. Then he had run so that Filch would find only Ginny; that was what had started the rumors. Maybe he was trying to frame her. And then his stunt the other day, pretending to help her like that…then the rumors had really started flying around.
She sat down and pulled out a piece of parchment and some ink. It was time that she and Malfoy had a talk.
The next morning in the Great Hall, Ginny was bent low over her bacon and eggs. She watched intently as the morning mail came flying in and a small letter landed in Draco's lap. He unfolded it and scanned it quickly. Then his eyes darted towards the Gryffindor table and met Ginny's. He glanced down at his hands and then back up, almost as if he was confused. Then he crumpled Ginny's letter into a ball and stuffed it in his robes.
Ginny smiled quietly and began eating her food again. Tonight she would make sure that Malfoy wasn't up to any funny business.
That night, at fifteen minutes till midnight, Ginny crept out of the Gryffindor tower. One thing that she disliked was the walk from her common room all the way to the Astrology tower; it was on the completely opposite side of the castle.
Ginny took the stairs two at a time, making sure to hop over all of the trick steps. By now her feet knew by instinct which steps to avoid; she had learned the hard way which steps those were.
When Ginny got to the tower, the dark room loomed before her; the door to the room was cracked open. There was an open window to her left and the stone wall of the castle to her right. She paused before pushing open the door and took a deep breath; then she stepped inside. The Astrology tower was cold and seemed dreary to Ginny. There was a large window, half-moon window near the ceiling of the room and moonlight spilled in, streaming across the floor in gentle waves.
Sighing, Ginny scraped back one of the chairs and plopped into it. She folded her elbows onto the table that stood before her chair and rested her chin on them. She didn't know why, but depression seemed to be rolling upon her like a fog. What was wrong with her? All she had come here to do was to tell Malfoy off and make sure that there was nothing going on. So why did it seem as if everything was wrong?
What's wrong with me? Ginny asked herself. You're just here to do some business, nothing wrong with that. Was it her guilt? Ginny did feel guilty, but she couldn't believe that her conscience would be bowling over her this ferociously.
A creak in the doorway caused Ginny to look up. Standing there, with his hands in his cloak pockets, was Draco Malfoy.
"What do you want?" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm here; now what do you want?"
"I just want to talk," Ginny said, simply. Where was her fire? Where was the steely rage that had been burning within her only earlier that day? Why did she now feel humble and meek? Ginny continued to stare at Malfoy, trying to find the right words.
"Talk about…?" Draco said with a rare, blank look on his face. Ginny could read no emotions in his eyes, not even scorn.
Buck up, Ginny, she told herself. It's just Malfoy.
"What are you up to?" she asked sharply, though not with as much determination as she would've liked.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" Draco sighed, rolling his eyes. "What do you mean, what am I up to?"
"What are you up to?" Ginny asked darkly. "What kind of stunt were you pulling the other day? Why did you help me? The whole school already thought that I was guilty; it's not going to take them long to piece together their hate for both of us with that little incident outside."
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Weasley," Draco sneered, walking into the room and sitting across from Ginny. He leaned back in the seat and propped his legs on the table. His sheer relaxation and coolness irked Ginny to her bones.
Gritting her teeth, she said, "The only thing that I want to twist, Malfoy, is your neck. You've gotten me into so much trouble not only over the past month or so, but ever since I met you!" Ginny's hands shook with her long-forgotten anger that was returning at full speed. "You're an insufferable, conceited, lazy, selfish, good-for-nothing pig who only cares about himself!"
"Ooh, temper, temper, Weasley," Draco said, amusement clearly written across his face. He put his hand on his chin and pretended to be thinking hard. "Now, from what I gather, you seem to think that I somehow got you into trouble. By all means, please enlighten me." Draco held his hands in front of him, beckoning Ginny to speak.
"Well let's see," Ginny said in mock thoughtfulness. "First you drag me down into that tunnel searching for clues and then leave me there for Filch to find while you run off like a coward. Second, you humiliated me in front of the whole school the other day. What were you thinking?"
"If I remember correctly, I was helping you," Draco pointed out, irritation just barely laced in his words. "I wouldn't call that getting you into trouble."
"Ugh," Ginny shivered with displeasure. "Since when does a Malfoy ever help a Weasley?"
"Since when does a Weasley help a Malfoy?" Draco said defiantly, his cool gray eyes boring into Ginny's brown ones. She sat back, never breaking the eye contact. Her mouth twitched as she tried to find a good comeback, but none sprang to mind.
Finally she looked away, unable to stare into his eyes any longer. Eyes that were gray like the moonlight that filled the room….Ginny! What are you thinking? Concentrate here! Horror flooded Ginny's mind at what she had almost thought. An unwanted blush crept up her neck, but Ginny didn't think it was too noticeable.
"I was just trying to do the right thing," Ginny lied. "I suppose that's something foreign to you though…doing the right thing."
"What?" Draco asked outrageously. "Why is it so hard for you to think that I can't do anything nice?"
"Are you kidding me?" Ginny screeched. "You've always done everything in your power to make everybody else as miserable as possible! That's what you do!"
"I helped you and all you can do is insult me…" Draco said, shaking his head. "I don't know why I even bother."
"Oh shut up, Malfoy," Ginny snapped at him. "Get down off your high horse and stop acting like it's all about you."
"Of course this is all about me," Draco said incredulously. "That's why we're here in the first place! You offered to help me, and I foolishly agreed."
"That's right," Ginny said. "I helped you, and now you're turning the whole school against me! Everybody used to like me, and now they think I'm…they think that I'm…like…" Ginny trailed off, unsure if she should continue.
"Like me?" Draco said, his eyebrows raised.
"Yes," she said defiantly, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "But I suppose that's what happens when I hang around someone like you."
"Someone like what?" Draco said quietly through clenched teeth. Ginny knew she was treading on thin ice when a Malfoy got overly irate, but her own anger was clouding her better judgment at the moment. She stood up to seem more impressive and continued.
"Someone who's a Death Eater," she said quietly though her voice never quavered. Draco's mouth twitched as a ferocious look crept up his face. His eyes became hard and cold, his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. He stood slowly and came towards Ginny.
"Everybody knows you're a Death Eater," she continued saying, though her brain was telling her to shut up and pull out her wand, that Draco Malfoy was about to murder her right there in the castle. "You're just like your father; you only care about yourself and what will get you the most in life," Ginny said while backing slowly away.
Draco came from around the table, his eyes boring holes into Ginny's as a fire raged within them. His hands were clenched in fists at his side and fear slowly started to seep throughout Ginny. What had she been thinking? She had let that Weasley temper get a hold of her and run off with her sense; now she was going to have to pay the price.
She whipped out her wand as Draco closed the distance between them. He towered above her, staring down upon her intently. Ginny hated that she had to look up at him, that she seemed so small and defenseless next to him, but he was much taller, bigger, and stronger than she was.
Only about two inches of space rested between Ginny's and Draco's bodies, and she glanced nervously to her left and right, trying to find any way that she could escape.
"Don't come any nearer, Malfoy," she threatened, trying to shove her wand in between the two of them and get a clear shot at Malfoy. "I'll curse you; don't think I won't."
Ignoring her, Draco leaned forward and said, his voice hot on Ginny's face, "I'm. Not. A Death Eater." Though his voice was quiet, Ginny could hear the malice coursing through his every word.
She refused to acknowledge him and said, "I mean it Malfoy, I'll curse you."
Draco merely looked at her and after a moment, a small smirk found its way across his face. "Whatever, Weasley," he said. His eyes roamed her face for a minute before he turned abruptly and strode out of the room, his cloak swishing behind him.
Ginny let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and closed her eyes, leaning against the cold stone wall. She had been so stupid to anger Malfoy; she knew how dangerous he could be. She shook her head wearily and stuck her wand back in her robe pocket.
The moon was visible through the window as Ginny hurried out of the Astrology tower and back to Gryffindor House.
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A/N: There! Hope you guys like it! The "Get down off your high horse" line...My biology teacher actually said that to me (among other things) and I couldn't resist putting it in here. lol Well, please leave a review and let me know how you like it! You guys are awesome!
Lauren
