I've wanted to write this scene from the beginning. I planned it as the last chapter, but it kinda evolved into something entirely different. So, I will be wrapping the story up in the next 1-2 chapters instead of this one. There's a lot of convo in this one, instead of thoughts like the previous one. Hope yall like it, and that Ginny and Malfoy's thoughts/POVs are in character for them. Well, enjoy! :)
"You want us to do what?!" Malfoy shouted, his composer slipping as he stared incredulously at Professor McGonagall. Ginny rolled her eyes at him before turning back to the frustrated witch. "Just ignore him. We're very grateful that you are letting us finish our detention time a few days early," she said sweetly, ignoring Malfoy's silent fuming.
McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the young man and pressed her lips into a thin white line. "Thank you, Ms. Weasley. As I was saying," she said with a stern glare towards Malfoy who heatedly returned it. "Your last detention is to gather enough ginger roots to fill these four baskets for Professor Slughorn's class. I'm sure I can trust you two to get along enough to not need Hagrid to accompany you," she finished with a slightly dubious look.
Ginny nodded enthusiastically and stomped on Malfoy's foot as he opened his mouth to argue further. "But-agh!" he broke off as her heel connected with his foot through the soft fur boots. Ginny smiled innocently at the older witch and waved goodbye at her. McGonagall sent one last apprehensive glance towards them before turning and walking back towards the castle.
As soon as the older witch was out of hearing range, Malfoy spun around towards Ginny and thrust his face close to hers. "Just what do you think you're doing?" he hissed, his eyes blazing with a furious light. Ginny frowned up at him before walking away and grabbing her two baskets.
"Come on Malfoy. It's going to take us a while to gather all the roots we need and I don't want to have to stay out here after dark," she called to him over her shoulder as she headed into the trees.
Malfoy was left staring after her with a gaping mouth, unable to believe that he had been trapped into going back to the one place he said he would never go again.
The Forbidden Forest.
"This is all your fault, you know," Malfoy commented to Ginny as he knelt down to tug up another stubborn ginger root. The Gryffindor glanced over at him from her spot beside a large pine tree. She sat her two baskets down and put her hands on her hips, glaring at his bent back. "Excuse me, but just what is my fault?" she asked heatedly, a now familiar blazing expression on her fair face.
Malfoy tugged at the small root, twisting it hard. "Oh, let me think. There are sooooo many instances to choose from," he shot back snidely over his shoulder. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him and stomped over to his spot. Grabbing the back of his robes, she dragged him up and spun him around to face her.
"Draco Malfoy! I have had enough of your snarky attitude, your degrading comments, and. . . .and well, I'm just sick and tired of you! You just like to belittle people to make yourself feel better because you know that no one cares enough to stick up for you, so you take that out on other people. You go strutting around this school like you own it, but you don't!You are a nobody now! Your father is in Azkaban where he belongs and your mother should be shipped off there, too. Your whole family is nothing but stuck up snobs who like to dabble in the Dark Arts to make themselves feel important. Well, let me tell you this. You might think that because your father has the Malfoy fortune to back him up that you can do whatever you want, but you can't. You are just like everybody else here. You don't matter any more or any less than any other student. So stop acting like you're some kind of king!" she shouted, gulping in breaths as she waited for his reaction to her harsh words.
Malfoy stared at her, his fists clenched so tight that the veins threatened to pop out. "Are you done?" he asked in a deathly cold tone. Ginny's eyes widened as he stepped closer to her, and she stumbled back blindly.
"First of all, Weasley, do you honestly think that I like having no friends to talk to, nobody to ask for advice, nobody to care about me? Second, I never asked to be born a Malfoy. I never asked to be given parents with such high standards. Do you want to know what happened to me when I disobeyed my father's orders? I was punished. Not your kind of punishments where you have to go to your room without dinner. No, I went to my room only after having been literally cursed for my disobedience. I never wanted to dabble in the Dark Arts, as you so aptly put it. I was forced to take the Dark Mark under pain of death, not only of myself, but my whole family. The Dark Lord would have killed my parents if I didn't do exactly what he told me to do. Do you think that I wanted to kill Dumbledore? He was a fool, but an innocent one. And when I had my chance, I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him! Do you have any idea what Voldemort did to me because of that? No, I don't think you do. And another thing, my father isn't in Azkaban anymore Weasley. He's dead. Given the Dementor's Kiss Christmas day, he was. My mother is in St. Mungos because of her depression. So, don't you dare talk to me about what my family deserves," he spat out, his face contorting into a fierce scowl and his eyes burning into hers like smoldering coals.
Ginny's mouth gaped open as her mind frantically tried to process what he was saying. "I. . . I don't understand," she whispered with a stricken expression. "No. I guess you don't," he muttered before turning stiffly on his heels and striding away to angrily kick his two baskets over. She watched in stunned silence as he avoided her questioning gaze and instead started walking towards the castle with his fist in his pockets.
"Mal-Draco wait," she called softly, running up and hesitantly placing a hand on his broad shoulder. He visibly stiffened under her touch and jerked his shoulder out from under her hand. "Just leave me alone Weasley," he snarled quietly, bowing his head so that his hair hid his pained eyes from view. Just as she was about to try to apologize, a sudden crash echoed through the trees, sending flocks of birds shooting into the sky, squawking loudly.
They both whirled around, and stared into the dark trees, trying to penetrate the darkness and see what had made the sound. Malfoy whipped his wand out and held it in a shaking hand, his entire face paler than it had ever been. Ginny clutched his arm with one hand while the other held her own wand. "What was that?" she whispered sharply, fear clutching her heart. Malfoy licked his lips nervously before whispering back.
"Just shut up! It might hear you," he replied in a low tone, unconsciously placing himself between her and the direction the sound was coming from. "Back away slowly," he continued softly out of the side of his mouth. Ginny nodded numbly, stumbling backwards in silence, still clutching his right arm.
All of a sudden, a figure came bursting out of the trees and straight towards them. They screamed hoarsely in terror before turning and bolting towards the direction of the castle. Ginny looked over her shoulder for a second and screamed again.
"It's a gigantic troll!" she yelled to Malfoy who was running beside her. He shouted a powerful spell over his shoulder towards the troll before grabbing Ginny's hand and pulling her onwards.
They burst out of the tree line and almost wept with relief as they caught sight of Hagrid's hut, smoke billowing cheerfully from the tall chimney. Behind them, the troll staggered back as the sudden light hit his sensitive eyes.
Shielding his eyes, he let out a frustrated bellow before giving up and stumbling back into the forest with a dazed expression. Ginny and Malfoy managed to crash onto the porch and weakly pound on the door before falling to the floor of the porch in an exhausted heap.
They dragged in ragged breaths as they waited for Hagrid to open the door. But, he never did. "Where is that blasted gamekeeper?" Malfoy ground out hoarsely, his back against the door and his legs spread out in front of him. Ginny slid over to sit beside him and rested her head on his strong shoulder.
"I'm sorry Draco," she finally managed to whisper, closing her eyes so that she wouldn't have to look into his. Malfoy was silent for a moment before resting his head against the tip of hers. "I'm sorry too, Ginny," he replied softly, breathing in the scent of her strawberry shampoo, unable to resist placing a light kiss on her delicate head. That was when she knew that they were going to be okay. On many different levels.
That was how Hagrid found them on his porch when he came back from checking on the bowtruckles at the other end of the forest. Ginny curled against Malfoy's side, his left arm snaked protectively around her slender waist, and both sound asleep.
Aww! So sweet heh. So, how was it? Any thoughts on what yall want in the last chapter(s)? Yes, I am going to try and work in a kiss ;) Plus, still have the second condition for the truffles!