Chapter 2

Wasn't it enough that she was nice and attentive and smiling? Did she have to do everything a boy asked her? Of course not, that was ridiculous. She wasn't some dumb Hufflepuff bimbo who would let a boy touch her however he bloody well pleased just so she could wear his jumper and say she had a boyfriend. Why would Dean think that of her?

Ginny didn't want to be consoled. She didn't want to talk about it. Not yet. Now she wanted to be alone and feel bad for herself. Later she would let Hermione talk to her and tell her she did the right thing and rub her shoulder. But not now.

By the time she reached McGonagall's classroom, Ginny couldn't go any further. Her eyes were about to run over and she didn't want to break down in a stone corridor where the sound would echo. She opened the door and when she saw no candle on the desk, went inside. A light on the end of her wand guided her to the front of the room where she sank to the floor behind the large wooden desk. No one entering would see her.

It felt so good to cry; to let the flood of emotions and hatred and disgust flow out of her. She hated Dean, hated herself, hated expectations and assumptions and love. She hugged her knees to herself and enjoyed the steady pressure of her own body. She was through with men, through with letting someone get close to her who would defy her trust and hurt her. No one would ever make her feel this way again.

Over her own sobs, she didn't hear the scrape of the door opening, but she did hear the click of shoes on stone as someone walked down the classroom aisle toward her. Ginny grabbed her wand, raising it toward a faint light she saw approaching her. Her fingers were crossed that McGonagall wasn't coming to give her detention for being out of her room after hours.

His face appeared suddenly and stopped short, just as he had done before. The ends of his robes touched her knees, but he stayed a foot away. Anger pulled his eyebrows down toward his nose and his steel eyes bore into hers. Ginny stood up quickly, pointing her wand at Malfoy's chest, mirroring him. For a second time, they stood this way, neither of them moving.

"I told you not to come back here."

"It's a classroom, Malfoy. You can't lay claim over a classroom."

"Get out."

Anger welled in Ginny's chest. "I was here first."

"And I'm here now. Get out."

She didn't move.

"Did you just come here to cry, Weasley? Are you sad that your family's so piss poor?"

"Don't pretend you weren't here crying last time, Malfoy."

His eyes narrowed. "Don't tell lies."

"I know what I saw." Ginny raised her wand confidently and Malfoy followed. "Your eyes were red and I saw tears-"

"Silence!" he hissed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I won't be silenced by a Malfoy." Ginny could still feel wet tears on her cheeks, but she was snarling. This family had done enough to her already and she wouldn't hear of it again.

He stepped closer to her, almost touching her with his wand. He was taller than her and leaned over her so that she had to look up to keep their eyes locked.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Weasley. And you don't know who you're talking to. If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here and find a new place to scurry off to when you're rat of a brother is bothering you at night. Get out."

She didn't move. "You don't know everything, Malfoy."

"And neither do you."

He shifted his weight and Ginny noticed a large volume tucked under his left arm. He seemed to be keeping it out of her sight as much as possible. When she looked down at it, he turned so that it was out of her line of vision.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the book with her free hand.

"Homework," he said.

"Liar."

"Don't you dare accuse me of lying."

"You're lying right now."

Malfoy shifted again, bettering his grip on the book and raising his wand to her head. "Say I'm lying one more time."

"What's it called then?" Ginny didn't want to push her luck. "The book, what's the title?"

"It's a Dark Arts textbook for NEWT students."

"It doesn't look like the one Hermione uses."

His eyes narrowed. "Special project." He put the book down on McGonagall's desk. It was massive and Ginny suspected he couldn't hold it in such an awkward way any longer. The front cover didn't have any words stamped into the green leather. Ginny reached out to open the cover, but Malfoy grabbed her wrist. "It's time you went to bed, Weasley."

Ginny thought about going back to the common room. Dean would be there, waiting in an armchair and wanting to talk to her, to explain that he didn't mean it and that she should give him another chance. He was a good guy, deep down. It was a load of dragon dung.

"No. I'm not going back."

"Well," Malfoy said as his eyes narrowed, "you're not staying here."

Ginny turned away from him and strode to a front row desk where she sat down and crossed her arms, glaring at Draco.

"I think I'll stay, actually. Right here."

Malfoy's face twitched slightly and Ginny wondered if he was resisting the urge to yell at her. He was no longer a prefect and couldn't rat her out without turning himself in so she sat. He turned away and Ginny felt an uneasiness rising in her stomach that she had learned to trust. It was a feeling she'd had for the first time in the Department of Mysteries and it was a feeling she always trusted. Her fingers wrapped around her wand.

When Malfoy turned with wand raised, Ginny was ready. She ducked under the desk, narrowly avoiding a flash of light. From under the table, she found Malfoy's feet and fired her own charm.

"Expelliarmus!" A tinkling sound told her that the charm had been successful and Malfoy's wand had flown from his hand. She stood quickly and leveled her wand at his chest. "What curse was that?" she growled.

Malfoy's face was twisted in anger. He remained silent.

"I could have you expelled from this school in a moment, Malfoy, so tell me. What curse was that?"

"Stunning spell," he grumbled. "I was going to drag you out of here."

"That eager to be alone?"

He snarled but said nothing.

"I could hex you right now. I could stun you myself and take a look at this book of yours." She reached a hand toward the volume and despite the wand at his chest, Malfoy grabbed her wrist again. "Someone's feeling brave." She pushed the wand tip into his jumper.

He let her wrist go.

"Grab your wand and leave," Ginny said. "Unless you want me to read this book." She did want to read it, now that she saw the extent Malfoy would go to in order to keep it hidden. Weighing her options, it seemed better to skip the late night reading in favor of avoiding a hex.

Keeping eye contact, Malfoy grabbed the leather book from McGonagall's desk and turned his back on Ginny. She was tempted to stun him anyway and see what the book was about, but restrained herself. Malfoy picked up his wand and walked toward the door. He only looked back to shoot her a frustrated glare over his shoulder and pulled the door shut behind him.

Ginny leaned back against McGonagall's desk. She didn't feel like crying anymore. Her hands were shaking from tension instead of distress. She had made him back down. She had taken control of the situation and won. All of the sudden, facing Dean in the common room didn't seem so bad. She picked up the candle Malfoy had left on the desk and carried it with her as she left the abandoned room. She felt ready to face another enemy.

***A/N- Thanks to those who read chapter 1 and are still here. I have an idea of where this is going but don't know how long of a story it will be. Special thanks to ManonVarendaz, Laramariani, and a Guest for leaving comments. I love writing fanfiction because of the supportive community and your words are appreciated.