A/N: Many, many thanks to the best beta there is, Rowan-Greenleaf. This is for you, babe.

semicolon

n : a punctuation mark (;) used to connect independent clauses; indicates a closer relation than does a period

heh heh, closer relation (snicker)

Disclaimer: JKR would never claim this; I can barely claim it as mine.

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CHAPTER FOUR

Ginny was contemplating on the conversation she had with Draco in the Room of Requirement a few days ago. She had still been a little shaken and had been glad to be sitting in Draco's lap on the love seat.

"Ginny love, are you okay now? I was so scared when I saw the fear in your eyes. I don't ever want to feel like that again." The sincerity in Draco's voice caused Ginny to look into his eyes. She saw his left eye give a twitch as he swallowed loudly. "I'm sorry I pushed you away earlier. It was hurtful of me, and I wasn't thinking about what I was saying."

Ginny knew how difficult it was for Draco to admit his limitations to her. By simply remembering that conversation, she felt the same overwhelming warmth and affection for him that she had felt at the time.

'I think I'm falling in love with Draco Malfoy.' As Ginny finally admitted this to herself, she felt as if a great weight was being lifted.

She hadn't realised how much her worries over how she was truly feeling about Draco had been stressing her out.

She heaved a great sigh and lifted herself from the red overstuffed chair placed in front of the Gryffindor fire. The common room was empty at this time of night and the room was peacefully silent for a change.

Ginny walked to the window and looked out into the inky night sky around the castle. The grounds looked as if they were in the same serene state as Gryffindor tower was at the moment. Ginny gave another little happy sigh that briefly clouded the window in front of her.

When the fog cleared from the glass she thought she saw a red streak of light move quickly towards the castle from the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

She looked closer, but the light had gone.

It had glowed like a spell would, but seemed to have had a specific shape to it.

Ginny felt her stomach drop when she realised it was the same red glow that Blaise's revealing spell had shown the other day. She began to panic as she realised she was alone in Gryffindor common room this time, and wouldn't be running into any saviours tonight.

Why was this happening to her? What was happening to her?

In a state of urgency born of fear, Ginny ran out the portrait hole towards the dungeons. She didn't want to be caught by the snake before she got to Draco.

She was close to the Slytherin common room, panting from running so fast, when she encountered someone she hadn't planned on meeting.

"Miss Weasley," a nasal voice drawled, stopping her in her tracks.

Ginny hadn't seen her skulking Potions Master exit his office as she ran past it.

"What could possibly be so important to have you out after curfew and in the dungeons?" He raised one eyebrow at her as if daring her to say something other than she was here to see her boyfriend.

Ginny had never talked about it with Draco, but she assumed that Professor Snape did not approve of their relationship. Looking into his intense, dark eyes, she braced herself for the worst.

But even her fear of the Slytherin Head of House didn't exceed her fear of the demon she was sure would not be far behind her. In Ginny's state of distress she could think only of the safety she felt in Draco's embrace, and failed to recognize the potential help standing in front of her in the form of the scowling, black clad teacher. She was looking about wildly in all directions expecting to see a red shape coming towards her.

"It's important that I speak to Draco immediately, Professor. I need his help and I need it now. If you care about the safety of one of Hogwart's students then you'll let me see him." Ginny knew it was a bit unfair to imply he didn't care about herself, or any of the students, but she was desperate in her fear.

"Perhaps if you explained to me wha-" Snape didn't have time to finish before Ginny cut him off.

"I need his help! He's the only one I trust!" She was shouting, and each word was escalating in pitch until she was sure even small dogs in France were whining over the screeching.

Snape gave her a chilling glare. "You will not address me-" again he was cut off; this time by Draco and Blaise, who had sprung from the entrance to the common room at the sounds of the two shouting in the hall outside.

Draco had caught enough of what was said and he could see the look in the eyes of both. He knew there was only one thing to be done. "Uncle Severus, can we take this in your office? We need privacy and safety right now."

Snape looked imperiously down his hooked nose at both Draco and Ginny before he replied. "I will assume -since you chose to make use of some imagined emotional bond by calling me by some delusional name of affection- that you feel this is important." The cold in his voice could have chilled Lucifer's iced tea to perfection for a pleasant day in hell.

Ginny shivered just a little, reaffirming her earlier thought of his displeasure with her.

"If either of you is wasting my time by simply trying to avoid detention, rest assured, you will have defeated yourselves in that attempt. I will make sure even Mr. Filch will tire of seeing you suffer before I am through." He had already turned around and was opening the door for them by the time he had finished.

Ginny thought it a little odd that though his words showed great disdain for them, his actions portrayed that he respected their request for privacy.

Ginny shrugged her shoulders and followed the three Slytherins into the office, thankful to be going some place she at least felt was safe.

Her desire to understand Snape was soon forgotten, for the presence of three strong and able wizards gave her greater feelings of safety.