Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Madison, Andre, and the plot.
Author Notes: Hey all. Sorry for the long wait. I feel like the wait gets longer every chapter! I should finish this story soon. I never have time for it anymore! Anyways! Here's one for you. Thought I'd have it up Saturday but then my friends came and then I decided to add those two scenes at the end so it took a little longer. But here is! Enjoy!
I LOVE YOU REVIEWERS!
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Ginny lay awake the next morning, a slit of sun shining through her curtains, casting a bright beam of light over her body. She had been awake for a while now. Turning her head, she read the clock on her bedside table. 7:05 AM. She sighed and turned to lie on her back, the soft swish of her silk bed sheets a comforting sound. All though the night, she had subconsciously thinking about her current situation. What happened to her was chilling, no doubt about that. And the fact that they knew nothing about what happened was even more frightening. But now, as Ginny peeked out her large window, she came to a resolution. This would not control her life. Just like Professor Dumbledore had said. It would no her no good to grieve in misery and anxiety. It could have been anything. She had everyone watching out for her. And Professor Dumbledore doing the best he could, right? With this newfound pledge, she pulled the smooth silk sheets off her petite body, wandering over to her window. She yanked the curtains back, flooding the room with light. She smiled, feeling the warm sunlight hit her face. She turned back to her room, only now noticing the furnishings of her room. Yesterday, by silent agreement, both Ginny and Draco remained quiet for the most part, each caught up in their own thoughts. Ginny had been tired. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. But as she gazed at the bright Hogwarts grounds, she couldn't help but feel her heart lift a little. Perhaps this was all she needed. Simply to stop dwelling on what she couldn't help. With a small smile, she wandered over to her large armoire, scuffling though her clothes.
Draco let the steaming water massage his back, the contact of his bare skin (A/N: Once again and always, drool...) and the water soothing his mind as well. He leaned his head back with a sigh, his thoughts once again on Ginny and the prophecy. How much longer could they go on this way, knowing that there was evil afoot? He knew that as much as he wanted and needed to tell Ginny, he couldn't. But every day, every minute, every second was making it harder for him to lie to her. She trusted him so much and he was lying to her. He turned off the water abruptly, shaking his platinum head free of water. Grabbing the fluffy green towel that hung by his shower, he stepped out, walking tensely over to the mirror. It was for her own good, right? The weary look on his face only put him into further confusion. He exhaled loudly. How would she be today? He shook his head and walked out of his bathroom to his closet.
Draco was already seated at the kitchen table when Ginny came down. He immediately noticed the change in her. A slight smile graced her features as she stepped down the stairs and her skin glowed again for the first time in three weeks. Her eyes sparkled again, no longer containing the haunted look they had adopted recently. She was dressed in something other than red, he noticed as well. A red long-sleeved cashmere sweater and a pair of light blue jeans. The energy from her was contagious; the second he saw her, he forgot all his thoughts and concerns. She walked over to the table, taking a seat across from him, giving him a sweet, but chaste kiss on the lips.
"Morning Draco," she said pleasantly.
"Morning love," he replied dully, still slightly surprised by her turn of attitude. She smiled at him again, before pouring herself a mug of coffee and reclining in her seat. Draco couldn't find any words to say. He knew what he wanted to ask, but couldn't quite figure out a way to express them without being inconsiderate. He opened his mouth and closed it several times before Ginny spoke, catching the hints.
"You want to know why the sudden change, huh?" She asked, setting down her cup. He just nodded, a confused and amused (A/N: Hey that rhymes!) look on his face. She looked him in the eye and spoke simply but clearly.
"I don't want to waste my time worrying about some joke, Draco. I've wasted away for the past few days, and I'm tired of living in my own darkness. I want to things to be like how they used to be. I want to put what happened behind us, alright?" She said. Draco forced a well-practiced smile. He was glad of course that she had decided to move on, but a nasty thought kept popping up in the back of his mind. It might never be the same Ginny. But he saw her bright smile as she looked over at him and he forgot every thought that come to his mind.
Draco and Ginny walked silently though the halls, hand in hand. Ginny however, didn't even notice that she had left Draco's rooms. She was deep in thought. Today was her first day of classes in a long time. So many questions popped up in her mind. Would she be able to keep to her resolution to forget about the poisoning? Would her friends smother her? Would her enemies tease her? Shaking her head of auburn red hair, she cleared her mind. There was no question she could answer at this point. Whatever happened would happen. She felt Draco squeeze her hand gently and looked over to see his soft smile and warm silver eyes. She smiled and exhaled a breath. And she'd have Draco beside her for everything. They stopped in front of the doors to the Great Hall, Draco giving Ginny's hand another gentle squeeze before pushing the doors open.
Ginny felt relieved at once. As they walked in the Great Hall, no one seemed to be paying special attention to her. The Gryffindors ignored her as always, the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws simply glanced at her, and the Slytherins all nodded their heads in recognition. Ginny smiled and took a seat next to Draco by Madison, Blaise, Pansy, and apparently Andre. Madison and Pansy both gave her cautious smiles as she sat down. Ginny knew why; they weren't sure what to do. She smiled at them, letting them know that she was back to her normal self. They beamed and her and reached across the table, enveloping her in a bear-hug.
"We're so happy to have you back Gin," Madison whispered softly. Ginny smiled again; it was good to be back. When her two best friend's had finally pulled away from her, breakfast had begun. She immediately set into her food, suddenly feeling as though she'd been deprived for days. But during the meal, she felt several pairs of eyes on her and she looked up, immediately regretting it. She tensed up immediately, feeling a small knot of anxiety form in her now half-satisfied stomach. Draco, his arm wrapped around her shoulder for the time being, felt her stiffen and looked over to see what had caused this. Ron Weasley and his Gryffindor goons were staring at Ginny again. Ron though, had a glare directed toward Ginny that made her shudder slightly and pull back out of reflex. She never did leave his eyes until she looked over at Hermione and Harry. Hermione had a look of loathing written on her face all too clearly reflecting her dislike for the girl. Harry stared hungrily at Ginny, but suddenly looked very interested in his food when he caught Draco's icy glare. Ginny sat frozen, every emotion flooding through her. Why did it have to turn out this way? When would things ever be set right? She felt Draco's hand run soothingly down her arm.
"Don't worry about them, alright Gin? They're bastards..." He whispered in her ear. She nodded unsurely; the only movement she made was relaxing a bit. He removed his arm from her shoulder, instead slipping it around her waist. He caught Madison's eye and gave her a small look.
"So Ginny, did you hear about the Yule Ball?" Madison asked, catching the hint. At this, Ginny smiled and shook her head.
"No, when is it?" She asked, now interested. Draco hid a smile; his diversion had worked.
After breakfast, Draco paid special to avoid the Dream Team as they exited. Normally, he would have wanted to get IN their way, but today was not one of those days. Draco walked out of the hall, his arm still wrapped protectively around Ginny. Blaise and Madison walked hand in hand beside them. Pansy however was quite a bit behind them flirting shamelessly with Andre. Ginny and Madison kept sneaking suspicious and amused looks back and forth to each other. Draco simply smirked.
"How long do you think it will be until we have to welcome Andre to our little group?" Draco muttered.
"I'll give it till Christmas..." Blaise said, smirking in response. Draco raised an eyebrow and turned back to the group. Pansy had joined them now, grinning like an idiot.
"Where's Andre?" Blaise asked with his signature smirk in place.
"He had a meeting or something..." Pansy mumbled. Ginny rolled her eyes, giving Madison a knowing look. Madison returned it with a disbelieving one of her own. The five continued on their way down the hall, headed lower and lower in the castle to the dungeons. Ginny was chatting idly with Pansy and Madison, and Draco smiled a bit. It was good to have her back. They finally arrived at their Potion's classroom, taking their assigned seats, which were all very close. Most of the class had already settled in and Draco casually scanned the faces of his classmates. He noticed with satisfaction though, that the Dream Team and Gryffindor groupies weren't there. Good, he thought, maybe they fell in the lake and drowned. But as if on cue, they took that moment to walk in, Ron, Harry, and Hermione of course leading the group. Upon seeing the Slytherins, they began their glares again. Draco narrowed his eyes threateningly, glancing over at Ginny, hoping she hadn't noticed. She had. Once again, she sat stiffly in her chair, looking extremely uncomfortable. Draco glared darkly at the intruders, daring them to make a comment. They simply returned the looks, and sat down at their tables as the bell rang. Professor Snape, punctual as always, stormed in that instant, robes billowing behind him. The glowering on both sides slowly ceased as class began.
Ginny sat in class sometime later, carefully writing down the procedure for the potion on the board. She glanced anxiously over at the clock. Two minutes left. She wanted out of this classroom. The entire hour, Draco and Ron had been staring daggers at each other. It was very unsettling to say the least. She finished the last sentence of her procedure, looking it over critically. Once determining it fit, she placed it in her book bag and sat back, looking around the class. Her eyes landed on Professor Snape, at his desk with a large quill in his hand, frustratingly scribbling away on parchment she could assume was homework. It was then she remembered what Professor Dumbledore had told her in his office that day.
"Sir, why did Ginny wake up if it was irreversible?" Draco asked.
"Professor Snape, being the fine Potions Master he is knew the antidote," Professor Dumbledore said.
Ginny blinked in surprise. He had saved her life. The bell rang loudly, throwing Ginny back to the present. She reached down for her bag, packing away the rest of her materials. Draco walked up behind, squeezing her shoulders gently.
"Ready to go?" He asked. She picked up her bag, shaking her head as she turned to face him.
"I need to speak with Professor Snape for a moment," she said. He frowned.
"Want me to stay here?" He asked. She shook her head again.
"It's alright," she said finally.
"Okay, I'll wait for you outside the classroom," he said. Ginny nodded, standing on her toes to give him a peck on the lips. He gave her a half-smile and walked out of the class. Ginny took a deep breath, readjusting her book bag and waiting for a moment as the last two Slytherins trickled out of the class. Finally, she walked up to the front of the room, stopping in front of his desk where he was still scratching angrily away in red ink on a fifth year's essay. Taking another small breath, she cleared her throat.
"Professor Snape?" She asked timidly.
"Yes Ms. Weasley?" He asked, dropping his quill on his desk and looking up at her with his endless black eyes.
"I, um," she started uncertainly. "I just wanted to thank you for saving my life..."
At this, a look of slight surprise passed through his eyes, disappearing as quickly as it came.
"You're welcome Ms. Weasley," he said, a trace of compassion evident. "Anytime... You are after all a Slytherin."
She smiled a bit, turning around to walk out the door. But as she was nearing the door, she heard him call out to her.
"And Ms. Weasley, be careful," he said. She furrowed her brow for a second and then nodded, pushing open the door and walking out.
Draco walked out the Potion's classroom, with all intentions to simply wait outside. But he immediately spotted the aggravating Gryffindor's ahead. He sped up, approaching the group from the back.
"Weasley," he bellowed. The Gryffindors turned, Ron pushing his way to the front. "A word now."
"What the hell do you think you're doing just demanding I come?" He said, turning red. "Hell no!"
Draco walked up to him, his silver eyes staring directly into Ron's.
"I mean now..." He hissed dangerously. He grabbed Ron's arm, pulling him into a nearby empty classroom, leaving the bewildered Gryffindor's alone. Ron wretched his way out of his grip when they entered the classroom.
"What the fuck Malfoy!' He spat out angrily. Draco stepped closer to him, staring defiantly at him.
"Listen here you piece of shit. Leave. Ginny. Alone," he whispered ominously. Ron shoved Draco back.
"Why, so you can have my slut of a sister to yourself?" He yelled. Draco lunged forward in one motion, instantly pining Ron to the stone wall by the neck, his feet dangling an inch or so from the ground. Years of vigorous training for Seeker had done him well.
"Never say that about her again..." he said darkly, his voice so low he could hardly be heard. His eyes were blazing. "Got it?"
Ron glared, but slowly nodded as he realized he would suffocate if he wasn't released soon. Draco dropped him haplessly to the floor and stormed out of the room, ignoring the worried and confused looks on the Gryffindor's faces. He walked over to the door of the Potion's dungeon just as Ginny exited a worried look on her soft features. But both relaxed upon seeing each other.
"Ready to go?" Draco asked. Ginny nodded, smiling and the two set off towards Herbology.