Chapter Three
"Where do you want to sit?" Pansy asked politely.
"It's completely up to you, I don't mind either way." Harry replied with a smile.
"How about we see where Ron and Millicent are sitting, and we can sit with them." Pansy suggested. Harry was about to respond when Pansy's foot caught on one of the stone's. She called out as she tripped. She closed her eyes bracing for impact, but before she could fall onto the stone a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist, successfully preventing her fall. She opened her eyes to see a pair of green one's staring back intently.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked with concern. Pansy couldn't respond, as she was too caught up. Before she could arrange her thoughts and respond a voice boomed from behind her,
"What the hell is going on in this place?!" Ron shouted. Harry and Pansy straightened out and returned to a standing position, avoiding each other's eyes.
"Let's go grab some breakfast." Harry suggested, successfully changing the subject.
"Great idea mate." Ron stated happily, forgetting about what just happened. "Come on Millicent," Ron said half-dragging his partner with him towards the Gryffindor table. Harry and Pansy followed with a few chuckles, putting what had happened into the back of their minds. Once seated, Ron proceeded to pile food onto his plate.
"We could always rotate tables every other day, to keep it fair." Pansy offered to the other teens.
"I gueff that woube okay," Ron mumbled with food in his mouth. Pansy wrinkled her nose and shared a look with Harry, but said nothing.
"So…how are you two getting along?" Harry asked.
"Quite well, Ron and I found out that we have a bit in common." Millicent replied with a polite smile. Harry would have said something else had it not been for the commotion at the entrance to the Great Hall. Murmurs could be heard around the Great Hall as two very ruffled looking teens walked in, attempting to seem inconspicuous and trying to stifle their giggles.
"Who is tha-GINNY!!" Ron shouted, trying to jump up, food splaying everywhere. Although as he attempted to jump away from his seat he unfortunately forgot that he was still attached to Millicent. A loud crash could be heard as everyone's eyes shifted from Draco and Ginny to Ron and Millicent tumbled on the floor. Harry and Pansy attempted to hide their laughter, but failed miserably.
"Oof-er! I need to- arg." Ron cried, trying to escape. Finally freeing himself and rise to his feet, helping Millicent up, he looked to the Slytherin table. However, Draco and Ginny were nowhere in sight.
Laughing hysterically, Draco and Ginny ducked into a crevice around the corner from the Great Hall, just in case Ron caught his balance and chased them out. Sure enough, he stormed by a few moments later grumbling to Millicent about little sisters. Stifling their gasps until he passed, Draco and Ginny pushed themselves farther back into the crevice.
"Do you think he's passed?" Ginny whispered.
"I think so," Draco replied, turning to face her. The situation became all too familiar, with Draco staring into Ginny's eyes. She could feel the blush creeping up to cover her face. Stupid redhead genes, she thought. Luckily for her, the darkness of the crevice covered it.
"We should, uh, probably head out before he comes back," Ginny said, trying to find her voice. Draco snapped out of the revere.
"Yes, of course." He turned abruptly and started heading out of the crevice. Looking both ways before he exited, he turned back to Ginny,
"Coast is clear." He murmured trying to clear his head. However as he stepped out, without looking he bumped into something.
"You two are horrible." The voice said. Draco shook his head and looked at Harry.
"But we won't say anything, right Harry?" Pansy replied. He looked to be thinking about it quite pensively.
"No…I suppose not, come on Pansy we better get to class." As they walked away Harry turned around and gave Ginny thumbs up. She chuckled slightly to herself.
"They're right you know we probably should head to class." Draco said, feeling twisting in his stomach at the sight of Ginny laughing at Harry. He brushed it off as the lack of food. They had missed breakfast after all. He looked down at Ginny,
"Wait you're a sixth year, how are they going to do this?" He questioned.
"I was placed in advanced courses for this year anyways, regardless of this-" she lifted the arm attached to Draco's, "binding thing."
"Huh, didn't peg you for the smart type, Weasel." Draco smirked.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" She growled turning to him, bracing for an argument.
"Well you know, your clan is pretty dumb." He shot back ready for whatever she was willing to dish out. What he wasn't expecting was for her to draw her wand and have it at his throat before he could blink.
"Keep going Malfoy and you'll be spitting slugs for months." Draco was prevented from replying by the meow of a cat.
"Dammit, we're late for class, we'd better hurry before-"
"Before what Malfoy?" said a grimy voice. Filch appeared from around the corner, walking up to his cat.
"Excellent work my sweet. Duelling in the halls? Late for class? I think this calls for…detention tonight in my office at seven. Now hurry to class before I change my mine and add on another."
The two students grumbled their apologies and hurried down to the dungeons for Potions. Refusing to look at Draco, Ginny continued at a quick pace slightly ahead of him. Draco was perfectly fine with this arrangement. He preferred it to the other arrangement they caught themselves in earlier that morning. Upon entering the class, Snape looked up at the teens.
"Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Weasley, how nice of you to join us. Detention with me later this evening for your tardiness." He said with a scowl.
"But Professor-" Ginny began.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, anything else Miss. Weasley?" Snape smirked.
"I didn't think so," He continued on as Draco and Ginny found their seats, pulling them as far apart as they could.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. Can anyone tell me what the Draught of Living Death does?" Pansy raised her hand from the back.
"Yes, Miss. Parkinson?"
"It causes whoever takes it to fall into a deep sleep." She said shortly.
"Excellent, ten points to Slytherin. Now the instructions are on the board-" as he said this, the instructions appeared on the board. "Finish before class ends, or there will be consequences. Oh, and obviously you will be partnered with whomever you are attached to."
"I'll go get the ingredients." Ginny said quietly.
"Are you forgetting something?" Draco held up their bound arms with a scowl. Ginny glared daggers at him. The pair headed up to the cupboard to get the few ingredients required for the potion. Draco grabbed them quickly, almost as though he already knew where they were. Ginny looked on suspiciously but just attributed it to him being a Slytherin and a Snape suck up. They eventually made their way back to their seats and began preparing the ingredients for use. Ginny flipped to page ten of her Advanced Potion-Making textbook for reference and started to crush the sopophorous bean.
"How did you know to do that?" Draco asked without looking up.
"There is a reason why I'm in this class." She said icily. After the ingredients were added Draco began to stir it. After the sixth counter-clockwise stir Ginny murmured to him,
"Don't forget after every seventh counter clockwise stir add one clockwise stir."
He would have retorted that he knew that, but he figured he didn't want to piss her off again. And frankly he was impressed that she knew it, it wasn't in the book. He resolved to just not reply. The potion was releasing a blue steam, just what was required. Ginny took a moment to look around. Harry and Pansy were along the same track as Draco and her. They were a bit behind but it looked like Pansy was trying to explain everything to Harry. Surprisingly, it looked like he was not only listening intently, but understanding as well. She smiled to herself as she thought Hermione would be shocked. Draco noticed her slight smile in Harry's direction and once again felt that same tightening in the stomach. Noting the potion was a deep purple colour, the indication of a halfway point he grumbled to Ginny,
"What are you smiling at?" Her smiled vanished and she continued to ignore him. She shifted her eyes to Ron and Millicent. They didn't look like they were fairing as well with their potion, they looked to be struggling as they worked through it. Rising from her seat, she bumped Draco over and reached for the spoon.
"I can take over for now," she said softly. As she touched his hand on the spoon she felt a slight shock but figured it was static or something. He nodded and sat down, simply watching her stir the potion, looking into its purple depths, as if looking for something. Draco figured he'd talk to Snape after class, notifying him that they had to conflicting detentions this evening. He was sure his Head of House would understand, he usually did. Draco peered into the cauldron to see that the potion had turned a light lilac, indicating the potion was going well. He leaned back into his seat letting his mind wander back to the morning in the crevice beside the Great Hall. He didn't understand why he was helping her and being even slightly nice to her. He hated her, well maybe hate was a strong word, but he didn't like her. He was sure he was certain about that. He remembered the look in her eyes just before they almost-
"The potion is done." Ginny said quietly, ending her stirring. Draco looked into the cauldron again. The potion was as clear as water, she was right they had finished.
"Bottle it, cork it and let's hand it in."
They cleaned up their workstation in silence and headed up to the Professor's desk well before anyone else. He looked up and noticed the clear potion in Ginny's hands.
"Well, I guess I couldn't expect anything less from my two best students." He said roughly, taking the potion from Ginny.
"You may go early, and five points to either house for finishing first. I knew I was right about you Miss. Weasley. Just see that you aren't late to any more of my classes."
"Thanks you Professor," Ginny said, turning to leave.
"I'm sorry Professor, but I need to inform you that Weasley and I have a detention with Mr. Filch this evening at seven." Draco said, stopping Ginny from leaving.
"Well enough, tomorrow evening than." Snape said, turning back to his papers. Draco and Ginny slipped out of the class without another word.
"Can we head down to the kitchens?" Ginny asked.
"Definitely, I'm starving. We missed breakfast this morning." Draco replied looking ahead.
"Yeah." Ginny was quiet for a minute.
"Thanks for that. I know it probably ruined your reputation or something, so thanks."
"Don't mention it. I did it to piss of your brother really so it was no loss for me." Draco smirked to himself, walking into the kitchens with Ginny behind him. A few house elves were on them as soon as they entered, including Dobby.
"Hello Dobby, how are you?" Ginny asked politely, surprising Draco.
"Dobby is good! How is Miss. Wheezy?" He squeaked with a large smile on his face.
"Excellent! Can we just have whatever is being served for dinner?" She asked walking over to the table and taking a seat.
"Yes, yes of course! And for Mr. Malfoy? How is Mr. Malfoy? Dobby hopes most well!"
"Yes Dobby, I am well, and I'll have the same." Draco replied smoothly.
"Certainly." Dobby said with a low bow, hurrying off. Alone finally and facing each other at the table the two of them thought the exact same thing, this dinner will be interesting.
Author's Note:
Well, well it has been quite some time now. I apologize for the extended delay, life got in the way. What a bother huh? Well I'm off for the summer and hopefully I will finish this story because that would make me, and hopefully you happy! So there it is, tell me what you think, I'm a bit rusty! Hopefully another chapter will be up soon! Oh and to momo and zuko make me happy, you were correct that was what I was thinking when I was first thinking, but I thought it might be a tad too predictable, and I don't like being predictable, so I changed it up a bit. Hope you like! Review!
aos