Chapter Nine

"Going back to Hogwarts?" Ron asked from Ginny's doorway. Ginny jumped, taken completely by surprise. Ron hadn't spoken to her since the first night she had been home.

"Yeah," Ginny replied. "Train leaves in an hour."

"Good," he said, nodding. Ginny stared at her brother, wondering what the hell he was up to. He shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed. "I've been thinking about what you said. About going back."

"And?"

"And you're right. I was being stupid, and they need my help." Ginny was relieved. Even though she didn't feel the same kind of connection to Harry, she still wanted him to succeed. And she knew he needed Ron to do that.

"That's great, Ron. I'm so glad you came around.'

"I'm going to leave tonight while Mum and Dad are bringing you to the station. Mum will give me a hard time if I tell her my plans."

"Good idea," Ginny agreed.

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me realize what I needed to do. And goodbye," he added quietly. Ginny crossed the room and threw her arms around her older brother.

"Goodbye, Ron. You'll be fine," she said comfortingly. Ron pulled away and left the room before his sister could see the tears in his eyes.

-

Back on the Hogwarts Express, Ginny settled into a compartment and waited for Luna. Romilda and Colin found her first and sat across from her.

"How was your Christmas, Gin?" Colin asked.

"Interesting. Yours?"

"It was nice. Good to be home," he replied. Romilda nodded in agreement. The train hissed and lurched into motion. Ginny frowned.

"Where's Luna? Did she miss the train?" Colin and Romilda shrugged.

"Maybe she's in another compartment," Romilda suggested. Ginny shook her head.

"We always sit in this compartment. She wouldn't be anywhere else."

"Maybe she did miss the train. I'm sure she'll show up at school though," Colin said reassuringly. Ginny nodded, but didn't believe it. She had a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach. Something was wrong.

The trip back to Hogwarts seemed to take longer than the trip home. She was so anxious to see if Draco was back yet, and to see if he was all right. Aside from that, she wanted to find Luna. Something about her absence felt ominous, and Ginny knew she wouldn't be able to shake that feeling unless she saw Luna in person.

Ginny, Colin and Romilda discussed their plans to continue their quidditch club all the way up the castle. When they headed for the Great Hall to eat, Ginny decided that she couldn't wait any longer. She made up a flimsy excuse about not feeling well, and headed directly for the Gryffindor tower.

When Ginny reached her room, a familiar Husky puppy was waiting outside the door. It barked excitedly when it saw her, and Ginny smiled broadly. She dropped to her knees and the puppy leapt into her arms, licking her face affectionately.

"I missed you too," Ginny said giggling. "Let me open the door." She let them inside the room and locked the door. By the time she turned around, Draco had transformed back into a human and was capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. He pressed her back up against the door, unable to get as close to her as he desired.

"I can't believe I forgot how wonderful it felt to hold you," he murmured, abandoning her lips and making his way down her neck. Ginny sighed with pleasure.

"How did your assignment go?" She asked with slight difficulty. He didn't respond right away. He was obviously preoccupied with kissing every inch of available skin first. He kissed her once more on the lips and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Very well. How was your Christmas?"

"Interesting. I can't believe you got me a Firebolt, Draco. It must have cost a fortune," Ginny said shaking her head. Draco grinned.

"You're welcome."

"Oh, of course. Thank you so much. But you didn't have to spend so many Galleons on me," Ginny amended. Draco rolled his eyes and kissed her.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You're worth it, Ginny." Ginny blushed and looked away. Draco chuckled and lifted her chin with a gentle finger. "You're so adorable when you blush like that." Her cheeks flushed even deeper and Draco laughed.

"Do you have another assignment yet?" Ginny asked, hoping that he didn't. Draco shook his head and pulled her tighter.

"No, not yet. But until I do, I have made a very important decision."

"What's that?"

"I'm never letting you go," he replied with a grin. He caught her lips in another passionate kiss and simultaneously led her backwards towards the bed. Draco collapsed onto it, pulling Ginny on top of him.

"Draco?" Ginny whispered, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"What? Did I hurt you?" He asked in alarm. Ginny shook her head and touched his cheek gently.

"No, I'm fine. I just…there's probably something you should know about me," she said tentatively. Draco nodded her on, his brow still furrowed in concern. Ginny took a deep breath and tried to figure out the best way to say it.

"I'm incredibly attracted to you, Draco. And being with you feels amazing," she began slowly. Draco grinned.

"I tend to agree, love."

"I'm just a little nervous about the way things are escalating. Don't think that I've never had any sexual experience before, because I have. I just haven't…I just have yet to…I'm still a-" Ginny trailed off, almost embarrassed to admit it in front of Draco Malfoy, Slytherin sex god. Fortunately, he seemed to know what she was getting at.

"You're still a virgin," he finished casually. Ginny blushed and looked away. Draco held her face in his hands and gently forced her to look at him. "Hey. Ginny, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm glad you told me. The last thing I want to do is push you or make you feel uncomfortable."

"Really?" Ginny asked softly, a small smile creeping onto her face. Draco nodded earnestly.

"Really," he insisted genuinely. Then he smirked and added, "I'm actually rather relieved to hear that you didn't do it with Potter." Ginny rolled her eyes but couldn't prevent a smile.

"Don't worry, Draco. You make me feel things that I never felt with Harry," she said honestly. Draco raised an eyebrow and played with a strand of her hair.

"Is that so? What kinds of things?" He asked with a glint of desire in his eyes. Ginny grinned, understanding that she currently possessed a lot of power. She bit her lip and pretended to consider her thoughts for awhile, knowing that Draco was fixated on her mouth.

"Well, somehow you manage to make me feel powerful and dominated at the same time," Ginny said slowly. Draco's eyes read confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked curiously. Ginny didn't answer. Instead, she rolled over onto her back, pulling Draco over so that he was now on top of her. She dragged his head down to hers so she could kiss him with an intensity that surprised both Draco and Ginny, herself.

"I have the power to put you wherever I like. And right now, I like that you're in a somewhat dominating position," she clarified when she ended their kiss. Draco growled and kissed her again.

"How can you possibly be a virgin?" He murmured in her ear as he nibbled affectionately on her neck. Ginny groaned in satisfaction, arching her back against Draco's strong body that pinned her to the bed.

"I might not be for very much longer if you keep that up," Ginny replied breathlessly. Draco grinned and kissed her neck one last time.

"Can I ask why you're choosing to be a virgin? I'm assuming it's your decision, because I can't imagine why any guy wouldn't kill to have sex with you," Draco said, looking over her body with approval. Ginny shrugged.

"Sex is a special thing for me. I want to have it with someone I'm truly in love with. Not just any guy off the street." Draco nodded.

"I can understand that. I respect it too. Sometimes I wish I had waited for it to actually mean something," Draco said wistfully. Ginny kissed his cheek sweetly.

"It's in the past, Draco. Just start over, like you've done with everything else."

"All right. I think I will."

"Good. Now get back to whatever wonderful things you were doing to my neck," Ginny said with a devilish grin. Draco laughed and kissed her mouth gently.

"My pleasure, love."

--

Ginny woke up the next morning wrapped in Draco's arms. She smiled and rolled over to face him. He was still sleeping; his face was the epitome of peaceful slumber. Gently she leaned forward and kissed him. It took him a moment to wake up, but once he had, he kissed her back fervently.

"I was afraid last night had been a dream," he said quietly. "I had so many dreams about you while I was away, and I was always disappointed to wake up and realize that you weren't there." Ginny snuggled into him and sighed with contentment.

"I don't ever want to move," she mumbled somnolently. Draco glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Don't you have Potions in five minutes?" He asked cautiously. Ginny sat upright abruptly.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, vaulting out of bed. "I slept in too late! I have class in five minutes and I'm not even dressed!"

"Personally, I like the bedraggled look," Draco said with a grin. Ginny didn't acknowledge his comment. She was busy rummaging through her closet for an appropriate outfit while simultaneously running a comb through her hair.

"Draco, can you please get my books together and put them in my bag?" Ginny asked as she pulled a sweater that she had put on backwards over her head again. Draco did as she asked and handed her the bag when she had finished dressing.

"Relax, Ginny."

"Snape is always looking for an excuse to give me detention. I can't believe I'm giving him a legitimate reason now."

"Run. You still have two minutes to get to the dungeons," Draco advised. Ginny kissed him before hurrying out the door. She knew she was going to be late. There was no way she could make it to the dungeons before class began. And even if she made it exactly on time, Snape would be only too happy to point out that she wasn't abiding by the Potions classroom dress code.

Snape raised his eyebrows when she walked in the classroom a few minutes after he had begun teaching. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss Weasley."

"Sorry, Professor," Ginny grumbled, taking her seat next to Colin.

"You're late and you're not even properly dressed for my class," Snape pointed out with a sneer. Ginny clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to fight back.

"I overslept, and I had just enough time to run down here. I'm sorry. It won't happen again," Ginny recited through gritted teeth. Snape gave her a look of disapproval.

"Yes, well, you wouldn't be a Weasley without a little irresponsibility," he said snidely. Ginny's blood boiled beyond the point of self-control.

"Excuse me? How dare you say something like that about my family! You may be my professor and the school's headmaster, but neither of those positions gives you the right to slander my family like that," Ginny replied heatedly.

"Au contraire, Miss Weasley, those positions give me authority over you. Detention tonight in the dungeons. Seven o'clock sharp. Do try to be on time," Snape added nastily. Ginny got to her feet in her anger. Colin tried to calm her down, but she ignored his efforts.

"Severus Snape, you are the vilest person I've ever been forced to be in contact with. You betrayed the Order of the Phoenix and murdered Albus Dumbledore, the best headmaster this school has ever had. You've consistently treated the students of Hogwarts like dirt, and it's time someone let you know what a prat you are!" Dead silence lapsed over the entire room when Ginny finished her speech. Colin was staring at her, horrified. Some students looked about ready to cheer for her, while others appeared to be trying to melt away into nothingness.

Snape looked livid, but he was silent. Colin looked like he was bracing himself for some kind of explosion. Ginny kept her gaze strong as she glared up at Snape with defiance. Inside she was terrified of what was going to happen to her. But she would never let him see her fear.

"See me after class, Miss Weasley. I'm sure a suitable punishment for your outburst can be determined," he finally hissed. Ginny sat down, feeling slightly light headed.

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," Ginny whispered to Colin, who was still open-mouthed in shock. The Potions class seemed to drag on even longer than usual that day. When Snape finally dismissed them, Ginny hung back to speak to him. Once everyone had left, Snape shut the door and rounded on Ginny.

"Have you lost your mind, Weasley?" Snape thundered angrily. "I am your professor and your headmaster and therefore, you will show me some respect!"

"I don't respect you, and I can't even pretend to," Ginny retorted. When her anger returned, she found herself to be less intimidated by him. Snape's face went white.

"Miss Weasley, you will learn to keep your mouth shut about things that you know very little about." Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"You mean the murder that I witnessed you committing? If you can't own up to that, then you're not just a prat. You're a coward too," Ginny spat. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Snape lunged at her and grabbed hold of her wrists, slamming her back against the wall of the dungeon. Ginny yelped in surprise and fear.

"Stupid girl," he hissed. "Say whatever you like about me, but don't you ever call me a coward. Understand?" Ginny's lip trembled and she found herself unable to speak. Snape's eyes flashed with rage, and he gripped her wrists even tighter, shaking her roughly. "Do you understand me?" He demanded harshly. Ginny whimpered and nodded her head weakly. Snape released her violently and stormed from the dungeons. Ginny let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. Shakily, she left the cold room and headed back to Gryffindor tower.

The smile on Draco's face immediately dissolved when he saw the expression on her face. He took her into his arms and held her comfortingly.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" He asked gently. Ginny shook her head.

"Snape," she said thickly. "Bastard," she added vehemently.

"He gave you detention?"

"Among other things," Ginny replied hatefully, holding out her wrists. They had turned red and some places were tinged with purple. Draco stared at her in disbelief.

"He did this to you?"

"Not to say that I didn't deserve it," Ginny admitted grudgingly. Draco shook his head vigorously.

"It doesn't matter if you deserved it or not. He shouldn't be touching you," he said, his fury rising with every word. Suddenly, he released Ginny and started for the door.

"Draco, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill him," Draco replied simply. Ginny blocked his exit.

"You can't, Draco! You're not even supposed to be here. You can't just walk around Hogwarts, attacking professors!" Ginny exclaimed. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'll figure out how to do it unseen. I just can't sit back and do nothing after something like this," Draco replied furiously. Ginny looped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently.

"Draco, I think it's really sweet of you to get all worked up about this, but it's impractical for you to murder Snape."

"I know," Draco admitted reluctantly. "If I ever get the chance in the future, though, I'll certainly have some things to say to him."

"You're so cute when you come to my defense like that," Ginny said with a grin. Draco shrugged and brushed some hair from her face.

"I promise, Ginny. No one will hurt you ever again as long as I'm around," Draco said seriously. He leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft embrace. A knock promptly interrupted their kiss.

"Ginny? Are you in there?" Romilda's voice inquired.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?"

"Colin and I are going to lunch. Do you want to come?" Ginny looked up at Draco who nodded and motioned for her to go.

"I'll be down in a minute," Ginny replied. Then she added in a softer voice to Draco, "Don't go murdering anyone while I'm gone." He smiled and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"I'll try to resist." Ginny gave him one last kiss on the cheek before hurrying back downstairs to where Colin and Romilda were waiting.

"Okay, I'm ready," Ginny said, smiling brightly. They both return the gesture hesitantly, eyeing her wrists.

"Ginny, who did that to you?" Romilda asked carefully. Ginny glanced at her wrists, which managed to look worse than they had a few minutes ago. She tried to play it off as though it wasn't a big deal.

"Snape and I don't see eye to eye. That's all."

"He touched you?" Romilda gasped in horror. Ginny glanced around, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention.

"It's not that big of a deal. He didn't really hurt me." Romilda looked sickened, and Colin looked as though he couldn't wrap his head around the concept. Ginny led the way out of the tower and down towards the Great Hall.

"Ginny, you have to do something about this," Romilda said quietly. "He can't get away with something like that."

"Who am I supposed to report him to? The ministry? Currently run by You-Know-Who?" Ginny pointed out matter-of-factly. "That would go over well."

"This is awful," Romilda sighed as she sat down at the Gryffindor table. "I can't believe there's nothing we can do."

"It's not like he broke a bone, Romilda. He just bruised me a little bit. The only thing it's done is strengthen my resolve to stand my ground."

"Maybe we should cancel quidditch club," Colin suggested quietly. Ginny's eyes flashed suddenly.

"Absolutely not! Why would we do that?"

"Snape is going to find a way to get you in trouble for it. Maybe, in light of what's just happened, we should lay low for awhile." Ginny shook her head firmly.

"That's exactly what he wants me to do. And I refuse to give in to his scare tactics," she said stubbornly. Ginny glanced over at the Ravenclaw table and frowned. Romilda noticed and leaned in so that no one would overhear.

"I heard that Luna's missing. My mum knows her dad, and she's been gone for almost a week," Romilda said solemnly. Ginny's eyes widened.

"Gone? Gone where?"

"The ministry took her," Romilda elaborated. "I don't know much else." Ginny felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. If it was coming down to kidnappings, she knew she herself would be high on the list. Even if no one knew about Draco, she had several connections to the Order, including Harry himself. Ginny couldn't help feeling a little more secure with Draco living in the same room with her. He would be sure to come to her rescue if anything were to happen.

"That's horrible," Ginny whispered. "Her father must be so worried."

"Have you heard from Harry recently?" Colin asked. Ginny shook her head, noticing that the realization didn't sting as much as it had in the past.

"I'm sure Harry would try to help her if he knew about it," Ginny said, although she was unsure of how Harry would react to such news. He tended to lock in on his goals and block out everything else.

"Maybe you should tell McGonagall, Ginny," Romilda said suddenly.

"About Luna?" Ginny asked in confusion. Romilda rolled her eyes impatiently.

"About Snape. Maybe there's something she can do. Like hex him into oblivion." Ginny and Colin laughed.

"That would be an epic duel," Colin pointed out.

"Definitely," Ginny agreed. "Snape can make Potions, but McGonagall could almost certainly kick his ass in a duel."

"Mind your profanity, Miss Weasley," McGonagall said as she walked past the three Gryffindors. Ginny could have sworn she saw the stern professor smile, and a couple of rubies fell into the Gryffindor hourglass.

--

Ginny could see her breath as she made her way down to the secluded clearing by the lake to wait for Draco. He had only been gone for two days, but it seemed like much longer than that. Over the past couple of weeks, they had spent a great amount of time snogging, but an ever greater amount of time was spent talking. She had learned so much about the Draco Malfoy that she had never known existed. They had so much more in common than she had ever imagined, and they could talk for hours about their favorite song by the Weird Sisters or the weirdest Every Flavor Bean they had had the misfortune to consume.

She glanced at her watch and frowned. It was 9:45 and he was supposed to arrive any moment now. Her eyes searched the horizon as her heart rate accelerated tremendously. This could be the night. This could be the time when he didn't come back, and she would never see him again. When she had kissed him goodbye, she didn't know that it would be her last time, and she desperately wished she had known.

Five more minutes passed, and Ginny could barely breathe. He had never been this late before. This could not possibly be a good sign. Suddenly, a twig snapped behind her and she whirled around with her wand outstretched.

"Ginny, it's me," Draco hissed from within the dark foliage. He stumbled out, clutching his arm. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was drenched in blood.

"Oh my God, Draco. You're bleeding," she whispered in shock. His face was contorted in pain, but he shook his head.

"I'm fine. I just need to sit for a minute."

"No, you need help. We just learned about Healing Charms this week," Ginny said hurriedly, trying to recall the correct information.

"It's nothing to worry about," Draco insisted, grimacing in a very unconvincing manner. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Shut up. I remember the spell that stops the bleeding. I'll do that for now, and once we get up to the room, I'll look up the other ones."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Draco asked uncertainly.

"Yes, I'm sure," Ginny replied quickly. "Now…what was that incantation again?"

"I can walk, Ginny. Really, I'm all right," Draco insisted urgently. Before he could convince her, she had said the incantation and a flash of blue light temporarily blinded them both. When Ginny opened her eyes, she was relieved to see that Draco was still there and seemed to be all right.

"How do you feel?" She asked tentatively. Draco examined his wounds carefully.

"Well…it looks like the bleeding stopped. And everything else feels okay," he said, checking the rest of his body for new problems.

"I did it!" Ginny exclaimed happily.

"You know, it doesn't make the patient feel better when the doctor is surprised at her own success," Draco commented wryly.

"Oh whatever," Ginny said dismissively. "Be thankful you're not dead." Draco rolled his eyes but transformed into a puppy so that the two of them could make their way back to the Gryffindor tower.

Once inside the room, Draco transformed back and lay down on the bed. Ginny dug her Charms book out of her book bag and began flipping through it for appropriate Charms. Draco carefully peeled off his shirt and examined his wounds.

"What exactly happened, Draco?" Ginny asked as she thumbed through the book. Draco sighed.

"My father has a study in the basement, and he keeps all sorts of documentation down there. Everything from Death Eater meeting places to his latest correspondence with the Dark Lord himself."

"Did you get what you were looking for?"

"Yeah, thankfully. Or this would have been for nothing," Draco commented, gesturing to his injuries.

"So does your father's study have teeth?" Ginny asked with a slight grin. Draco chuckled mirthlessly and shook his head.

"You're very close. The dragon that guards it has the teeth," he corrected her. Ginny gasped.

"That's awful!" She exclaimed in horror. Draco shrugged.

"It's not that big of a deal. Dragons tend to like me. Or at least obey me most of the time. This one was kind of a bastard."

"All right, I found some Charms that should help," Ginny said, lifting her book onto the bed. Draco watched her cautiously.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"If you really don't want me to, I can just clean you up and bandage you up."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Ginny," Draco said gently.

"Then what is it?" She asked irritably. He took her hand and kissed it softly.

"I like the idea of you taking care of me. It takes much longer for wounds to heal on their own than if you used a spell." Ginny smiled and shook her head.

"You're so sweet," she said, kissing his cheek affectionately.

"You're sweeter," he insisted. Ginny conjured bandages and a wet washcloth. She gently washed the blood from his arm and chest, exercising great care to make sure she didn't cause him any more discomfort.

"I'm sorry for making you wait, Ginny," Draco said suddenly. Ginny shook her head.

"It's fine, Draco," she insisted. Draco smirked at her.

"I know you, freckles. You were probably near cardiac arrest when I got there." Ginny sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know what I would do if you never came back," she said softly, finishing his bandages. Draco pulled her onto the bed next to him and held her in his strong arms.

"I'm always going to come back to you, Ginny." He kissed the top of her head, and she snuggled as close to him as she could.

"If someone told me last year at this time that this is where I would be, I would have called them crazy," Ginny said softly. Draco chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"I would have had them committed. Although, I can't say I'm entirely surprised that we ended up together. I think I've always been attracted to you."

"What?" Ginny exclaimed in surprise.

"I don't think I ever wanted to admit that to myself, but I've always thought that you were attractive."

"Even when you hated me?"

"God, Ginny. I hated you because I was supposed to. And because of that damn bat bogey hex." Ginny giggled.

"Sorry about that."

"Well, actually, in a strange sort of way, it was kind of a turn on."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, you proved that you could stand up for yourself. And that you were capable of some pretty epic magic." Ginny blushed.

"I had no idea it had such an effect on you."

"Well, like I said, I wasn't really reading too much into it back then. But now, it's all very clear to me. I always had a bit of a soft spot for you, Ginny."

"Glad to hear it," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry, though. I wish I could say the same thing, but I pretty much always despised you." Draco burst out laughing, but stopped immediately, as it caused him great pain to laugh so hard.

"Not a problem," he said, still grimacing. "I have a question for you, Ginny."

"Sure. What is it?" Draco hesitated before responding. He was ashamed for even having to ask, but he genuinely wanted to know the answer, so he decided it was worth the risk of sounding like an idiot.

"What is Ginny short for?" He asked, looking sheepish. Ginny blinked. Then she burst out laughing. Draco blushed. "I feel stupid enough. You don't have to laugh at me." Ginny shook her head.

"You're so adorable, Draco. I'm sorry for laughing. A lot of people don't know what my actual name is."

"So…what is it?"

"Ginevra."

"Ginevra," Draco repeated. Ginny smiled.

"It sounds so much prettier when you say it," she said softly. He grinned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I like it," he decided.

"Well, don't think you'll be calling me Ginevra all the time. I much prefer people to call me Ginny."

"I'll save it for special occasions then," Draco compromised.

"Fine," Ginny agreed. "Call me Ginevra only when you're completely serious."

"Done."

"Good."

"Ginevra?"

"Yes, Draco?"

"I think I'm in love with you."