A few days after Ron's embarrassing outburst, Ginny and Draco had settled into an uneasy truce. They met regularly in the Potions lab to work on their project, keeping their conversations strictly professional. Despite the tension, they were making progress. Ginny couldn't deny that Draco was skilled, and neither of them was willing to let personal issues ruin their work.

Still, Ron hadn't let up. Every time Ginny saw him, it was the same routine: a stern reminder to stay away from Draco. "Don't sleep with him again," he'd say, in some variation or another, as if she needed the constant reminder. It was getting old, fast, and Ginny was growing more irritated with every encounter.

And it wasn't just Ron.

One afternoon, as Draco left the Potions lab, he spotted Harry Potter leaning against the wall in the corridor, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Draco sighed, already guessing where this was going.

"Potter," Draco greeted with a nod, keeping his tone cool but neutral. "What do you want?"

Harry pushed off the wall, stepping closer, his green eyes cold and calculating. "We need to talk, Malfoy. About Ginny."

Draco kept his expression blank, though irritation simmered beneath the surface. "Oh, Ginny? I never would have guessed. What about her? Still playing the protective ex?"

Harry's jaw tightened, clearly done with pleasantries. "Cut the crap, Malfoy. You got her into bed once, and I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Draco rolled his eyes, a smirk pulling at his lips despite the annoyance creeping up his spine. "This again. Look, Potter, we're working on a project, and that's it. I'm not trying to get her back in bed."

Harry stepped closer, his fists clenching. "You think I'm going to believe that? I know you, Malfoy. You're always looking for an angle. I'm not going to let you mess with her. Stay away from Ginny."

Draco's temper flared. He was sick of being painted as the villain in everyone's narrative, especially by Harry. "She's not yours to protect anymore. You dumped her on her arse, remember?" he spat, his voice sharp.

Harry's voice dropped, venom lacing every word. "If you don't stay away from her, I'll make you. This is your last warning."

Draco's patience snapped. He stepped closer until they were practically nose to nose, his tone icy and taunting. "Funny thing, Potter. I don't remember her calling your name once that night. So maybe, just maybe, this isn't any of your business."

The words hit Harry like a curse. His face turned red with anger, and before he could stop himself, he shoved Draco hard against the wall. "You fucking bastard," he spat, eyes blazing with fury. "You stay away from her, Malfoy, or you'll regret it."

Draco's own temper ignited. He shoved Harry back just as forcefully, his eyes flashing. "Back off, Potter. If she wanted to be with you, she wouldn't have moved on so quickly. So why don't you take a hint and stay out of it?"

Harry stood his ground, his breath heavy and fists clenched. "This isn't over, Malfoy," he growled, voice shaking with barely controlled rage. "Stay away from her."

Draco glared as Harry stormed off down the corridor, the tension still thrumming in the air. He was tired of this, tired of being the one everyone blamed, tired of Weasley's constant badgering, and now Potter's empty threats. He wasn't going to back down. If Potter wanted to make things personal, Draco was more than ready to meet him head-on.

But for now, he had a project to finish. He wasn't about to let Potter or anyone else get in his way.

Ginny pushed open the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room, feeling the weight of a long day in the Potions lab pressing on her shoulders. All she wanted was a quiet evening, maybe a cup of tea, and a chance to unwind after the exhausting hours of working with Draco. But she knew before even making it to the fireplace that her evening was about to get more complicated.

As expected, Ron was sitting by the fire, his gaze immediately locking onto her the moment she entered. Ginny let out a sigh, already bracing for the interrogation she knew was coming.

"How was the project?" Ron asked, his tone forced into casualness that fooled no one.

"Fine," Ginny said shortly, dropping her bag into a chair and starting to pull off her scarf, hoping to cut the conversation short.

"Did you...manage to stay focused?" Ron added, his tone still pretending to be innocent but missing the mark entirely.

Ginny paused, raising an eyebrow at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ron shifted, trying to act nonchalant but failing miserably. "Nothing. I just meant...you didn't get distracted or anything, right?"

Ginny stared at him, her patience already thinning. "Yes, Ron. We worked on the potion. No distractions. Nothing happened. Why do you care so much?"

Ron gave her a hard look, his voice rising just a bit. "Because, Ginny, you almost had his baby. Do you really think I'm just going to sit back and not be concerned about you spending all this time with him?"

Ginny's face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She stepped closer to him, her arms crossed. "You don't get to keep throwing that in my face, Ron. I made a mistake, okay? But it wasn't like he took advantage of me or something. We were both drunk. I made the choice to go to bed with him, just like he did."

"You don't know him like I do," Ron said, his voice rising with frustration. "He's trouble, Ginny. He'll take any chance he gets, and I'm not going to stand by and let you get hurt."

Ginny's expression softened slightly, though her frustration still simmered. "I get that, but the only person talking about me shagging Malfoy again is you. Malfoy and I don't talk about it. You're the one who keeps bringing it up."

Ron's face reddened with frustration. "Maybe you should be talking about it. Maybe you should make it clear to him not to expect any more favors."

Ginny's eyes widened in disbelief. "Favors? Merlin, Ron, what do you think I am? That I'm just out there handing out sexual favors?" Her voice rose, her frustration boiling over. "Is that really what you think of me?"

Ron flinched slightly, realizing he'd crossed a line. "No, that's not what I meant," he muttered, though the discomfort was evident in his voice. "I'm just saying...I don't want him to take advantage of you again."

Ginny threw her hands up, exasperated. "I don't know how to get this through your head without giving you details you don't want to hear, Ron. I wasn't taken advantage of! Yes, I was drunk, and maybe it loosened me up, but I wanted it."

Ron looked horrified at the bluntness of her words, opening his mouth to protest, but Ginny didn't let him. "I know you hate Malfoy, and trust me, I'm not thrilled about what happened either, but this wasn't some situation where he cornered me. We made a mistake, both of us. I wasn't helpless."

Ron blinked, struggling to find the right words. "I just, "

"I know you're trying to protect me," Ginny interrupted, her tone softening but still firm. "But you need to trust that I can take care of myself. Malfoy and I aren't talking about that night, and I'm done losing sleep over it. So stop making it a bigger deal than it is."

The next day, Ginny met Draco in the Potions lab, already irritated by the morning's events. As soon as she walked in, she could feel her frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. She dropped her bag on the table with a bit more force than necessary just as he did the same.

"You good?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Ginny sighed, running a hand through her hair. "No. I'm getting sick of getting the 'don't shag Malfoy' speech from my brother. I thought I got him to drop it yesterday, but before I even left the common room, he was back at it…What's your problem?"

Draco dropped into a chair, rubbing his temples. "Your bloody boyfriend," he muttered. "Ambushed me in the corridor. Seems to think I'm up to something."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Harry's not my boyfriend," she snapped. "He's made that perfectly clear. But what did he want?"

Draco sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You're not alone. I got the 'don't shag Ginny' speech from Potter yesterday. And your brother? He keeps making that stupid 'I'm watching you' motion every time I pass him in the halls."

Ginny's head snapped up, eyes narrowing. "Wait, Harry talked to you about me?" Draco gave her a sideways glance, clearly amused by her reaction.

"Yeah, Potter cornered me yesterday. Gave me the whole 'keep your hands off her' speech." He paused for a beat, then added with a smirk, "I've got to say, though, it lacked creativity. Not like Weasley's version. What was it again?" Draco tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Oh right, 'stay on the outside of you.' Real poetic, your brother."

Ginny's face turned red, though it wasn't just from embarrassment. "Fuckin' crude is what he is," she muttered, rolling her eyes in frustration.

Draco chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Your mum must be very proud."

Ginny glared, clearly furious. "It's none of their business! I don't belong to either of them, and they sure as hell doesn't get a say in who I spend my time with. And the worst part is, it's pointless! I would never sleep with you again. I don't care how many times Ron or Harry lecture me. That's not happening. Ever."

Draco raised an eyebrow, clearly amused but still maintaining his aloof demeanor. "Geez, Weasley. It's not like I'm chomping at the bit for a repeat either. Should I be insulted you're working so hard to make that clear?"

Ginny shot him a glare. "Oh, shut up."

Draco's smirk deepened, and he leaned in slightly, his tone dropping, deliberately teasing. "Actually, now that you mention it, I don't know...maybe they should be worried."

Ginny's breath hitched, and her heart leapt into her throat, her eyes widening in shock. She wasn't prepared for how his voice had shifted, or how suddenly the air between them seemed to change.

Draco watched her reaction for a beat before breaking into a low chuckle. "Merlin, Weasley, your face!"

Ginny blinked, and despite herself, a laugh bubbled up. She smacked his arm, her heart still pounding. "That's not funny!"

Draco's eyes sparkled with amusement. "It's a little funny."

"My brother wouldn't think so," Ginny shot back, rolling her eyes.

Draco's smirk stayed put. "Well, that's a shame because I'm hilarious." he responded dryly.

"Modest, too," Ginny shot him a look, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Let's just get this done before someone really does get the wrong idea."

With a final smirk from Draco and an exasperated sigh from Ginny, they turned back to their potion, the unspoken tension between them lingering as they tried, once again, to focus on their work.