As they approached the doors of the hospital wing, Ginny's nerves were still on edge, but she took a deep breath and followed Hermione inside. The familiar scent of antiseptic filled the air, and Madam Pomfrey was busy sorting potions on a shelf.

Hermione walked straight up to her, her voice calm but urgent. "Madam Pomfrey, we need your help. Ginny needs a contraceptive potion, and it's urgent."

Madam Pomfrey turned, her eyes softening as she took in the two girls. "Of course, dear," she said kindly, putting aside her work. "Come sit down, Ginny. Let's take care of this."

Ginny sat on the edge of a nearby bed, her nerves still frayed. Madam Pomfrey moved to a cabinet, selecting a vial with a practiced hand.

"Don't worry, Ginny," Madam Pomfrey said gently, bringing the vial over. "These things happen. You're doing the right thing by coming here, and I can assure you, everything that happens here stays private."

Madam Pomfrey handed two small vials to Ginny, her voice soothing. "Take this now, and another dose tomorrow. It's most effective when taken as soon as possible, but it should help."

Ginny took the vial, uncorking it and drinking the potion in one gulp. The taste was bitter, but she forced it down, knowing it was necessary.

"Thank you," Ginny said, her voice a bit steadier now.

Madam Pomfrey gave her a reassuring smile. "You're welcome, dear. If you have any questions or need anything else, you know where to find me. This is your business, and it stays between us."

Ginny nodded, feeling a small measure of relief. "Alright," she said, standing up, ready to leave.

Hermione gave her a supportive nod. "We've done what we needed to. Let's go."

Ginny nodded, feeling a bit calmer as they left the hospital wing, the weight of the morning's events starting to lift just a little.

Two days later, Ginny made her way through the bustling corridors of Hogwarts, the distant roar of the crowd already echoing through the castle. The Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin match was about to start, and the entire school seemed to be buzzing with anticipation. Normally, Ginny would have been caught up in the excitement, eager for the adrenaline rush that Quidditch always brought. But today, her thoughts were elsewhere—fixated on Draco Malfoy.

As Ginny neared the Quidditch pitch, she spotted Draco ahead, his broom slung casually over his shoulder. The stands were filling up quickly, the noise of excited chatter and cheers growing louder as students gathered for the big game. Ginny quickened her pace, determined to catch him before he reached the players' entrance. She caught up to him just as he was about to disappear into the narrow passageway leading to the pitch.

"Malfoy," Ginny called, her voice low but urgent.

Draco turned, a frown already on his face. "What do you want, Weasley?" he asked, glancing around with irritation, clearly not thrilled about talking to her right before the game.

Ginny pulled him a little further into the shadows, her voice tight with annoyance. "I just wanted to tell you that I've taken the doses of the contraceptive potion," she said quickly. "Both of them. I thought you might want to know."

Draco's eyes narrowed, his irritation evident. "You chose now, right before a game, to bring this up? Couldn't it wait?" he muttered, keeping his voice low but clearly annoyed.

Ginny's own temper flared at his response. "You know, I didn't have to tell you anything," she snapped. "I thought I was being considerate by letting you know. But clearly, that was a mistake."

Draco looked at her, his annoyance momentarily tempered by the realization. "Fine, you told me," he said, his tone still clipped. "Can we drop it now? I need to focus."

Ginny folded her arms, her eyes flashing. "Yeah, consider it dropped. Just remember, I didn't have to do this. I was trying to be nice."

Draco sighed, glancing towards the pitch where the rest of the team was already gathering. "Alright, point taken. Thanks for letting me know," he said, his tone grudging.

Ginny nodded sharply, turning to leave. "Good luck with your game, Malfoy," she said over her shoulder, her voice tinged with sarcasm.

Draco watched her walk away, feeling a mix of frustration and relief, before turning and heading towards the pitch, trying to push the encounter from his mind and focus on the game ahead.

As Ginny made her way to the Gryffindor stands, she couldn't shake off the tension from her brief encounter with Draco. She found a seat among her friends, who were all eagerly chatting about the upcoming match, but her mind was elsewhere. She kept stealing glances at the Slytherin team, watching as Draco mounted his broom and took to the air.

The match began with the usual energy, the crowd cheering loudly as both teams sped off, chasing after the Quaffle. But it didn't take long for Ginny to notice that something was off. Draco, usually one of the most composed and sharp players on the field, was missing easy passes and seemed a step behind the action. His movements were sluggish, his reactions slow, and his usual confident demeanor was replaced by a tight, distracted expression.

"Wow, what's up with Malfoy today?" one of Ginny's friends muttered, leaning closer to her. "He's playing like he's never been on a broom before."

Ginny forced a casual shrug, trying to hide her own worry. "Maybe he's just having an off day," she said, her eyes still fixed on Draco as he fumbled another pass.

The Slytherin team was visibly frustrated, shouting at Draco as he continued to make mistakes. He narrowly missed a Bludger that came flying his way, swerving at the last second and nearly crashing into a fellow Chaser. The crowd groaned, and Ginny could hear whispers and murmurs starting to spread. Draco was playing like he had a weight on his shoulders, his usual sharp focus completely shattered.

As the game went on, Draco's performance only worsened. He missed an easy shot at the goalposts, sending the Quaffle flying wide, and the Hufflepuff Keeper easily blocked his half-hearted attempts. His teammates were visibly annoyed, one even throwing up his hands in frustration after Draco failed to intercept a pass.

Ginny watched, feeling a mix of emotions. She knew she was to blame for his distracted state. She hadn't meant to throw him off so much right before the game, but she couldn't deny the satisfaction she felt seeing him struggle a little. After all, she was struggling too, and it was only fair that he shared in the discomfort.

As the game neared its end, Slytherin's hopes of winning were all but dashed. Draco's mistakes had cost them dearly, and the Hufflepuff Seeker had no trouble catching the Snitch while Draco was distracted yet again. The final whistle blew, and the stands erupted in cheers.

Ginny couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy as she watched Draco land and storm off the pitch, his face set in a furious scowl. He tore off his gloves and threw them to the ground, clearly seething with anger. She knew he was upset, and she felt responsible for distracting him before the game.

As the Hufflepuff team celebrated their victory with the others, Ginny slipped away from the stands, her heart pounding. She made her way towards the Slytherin changing rooms, the cheers and laughter of her housemates fading behind her. She didn't know exactly what she was going to say, but she felt a need to talk to Draco, to at least try and make things right.

Finding a quiet corner near the entrance to the Slytherin changing rooms, Ginny waited. She figured Draco would be the last one to leave, wanting to avoid the jeers from the Hufflepuffs and the criticism from his own team. She was right. One by one, the Slytherin players filed out, still in their green robes, muttering under their breath. Draco was the last to emerge, his broom in hand, looking every bit as furious as he had when he left the pitch.

Ginny stepped out of the shadows as he approached, catching him by surprise. He stopped, his expression shifting from anger to irritation. "Merlin, not you again," Draco muttered, shaking his head.

Ginny took a deep breath, ignoring his annoyance. "I just… I wanted to apologize," she said, meeting his gaze. "I shouldn't have ambushed you before the game. I thought I was helping by telling you, but it was the wrong time and place."

Draco's scowl softened slightly, but his irritation didn't fade. "You really think I'm a moron, don't you?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I know the contraceptive potion isn't exactly reliable if taken after the fact. You're crazy if you think you're the only one worried about this."

Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but Draco cut her off, his voice rising slightly. "You think I need the distraction of picturing telling my father that I got the Weasley girl pregnant? Or imagining your entire family ready to kill me?"

Ginny cringed at his words, the reality of the situation hitting harder. It was the first time either of them had said the word "pregnant" out loud, and it felt like a slap. "I know, alright?" she said, her voice quieter now, the sharp edge of her anger softening. "I know what's at stake. That's why I told you, so you'd know I'm doing everything I can."

Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Fine. You've told me. Let's just... drop it now, alright? No more ambushing me, especially not right before a game," he muttered, his tone still tense.

Ginny nodded, her voice steadying. "Okay. We don't have to keep talking about it. I just wanted to make sure you knew."

Draco nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "Fine. Apology accepted," he said gruffly. "But seriously, Weasley, we don't need to make this any more complicated than it already is."

"Agreed," Ginny said, feeling the tension between them ease, even if just a little.

As Draco turned slightly, preparing to leave, Ginny's eyes caught sight of a love bite on his neck, just visible under the collar of his robe. She couldn't help but stare for a moment, memories of their night together flooding back—her lips on his skin, the taste of firewhisky. It was a reminder of the things they'd done, things neither of them could remember clearly but still left traces.

Draco heard her breathe in sharply, and he looked back at her, his gaze following hers to the mark on his neck. His expression tightened, a mix of annoyance and something else—something that made Ginny's stomach flip. The air between them seemed to grow heavier, the awkward reality of what had happened pressing down on them.

"You don't have to look so surprised," Draco said, his tone edged with irritation. "You're the one who left that."

Ginny's cheeks flushed, a mix of embarrassment and something she didn't want to name. "I didn't—" she started, then stopped, her words catching in her throat. "I mean, it's not like I remember doing that."

"Neither do I," Draco replied, his voice low, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "But the evidence is pretty clear." He tilted his head slightly, giving her a pointed look. "You should see the rest of me. You were pretty thorough."

Ginny's eyes widened, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. "I—I didn't mean to—" she stammered, but her embarrassment quickly turned to anger. "Thorough? You make it sound like I was the one all over you, like I couldn't control myself!"

Draco raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting to a teasing smirk. "Relax, Weasley. I'm not saying you were desperate, just that you left a mark… or several," he said, his tone light, almost playful.

Ginny's cheeks flushed hotter, a mix of anger and embarrassment washing over her. "You make it sound like I was attacking you or something," she shot back, her voice rising. "Like I was more into it than you were."

Draco's smirk faded slightly, his eyes taking on a more serious look as he stepped closer, his voice dropping. "From what little I can remember, Weasley, I was plenty into it," he said, his gaze locking onto hers. "not just you."

Ginny felt her heart skip a beat, caught off guard by the shift in his tone. The air between them seemed to thicken, the reality of his words settling over her. She swallowed, trying to maintain her composure. "Right. Well… I guess we just try to move on."

Draco's eyes lingered on hers for a brief second, but then his expression hardened, his annoyance resurfacing. "Yeah," he said, his voice curt as he turned away. "Let's move on. The sooner we forget this, the better."

He walked past her, heading towards the castle. As Ginny watched him go, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that their night together was more than just a bad memory. The love bite on Draco's neck was proof that, no matter how much they tried to forget, some things couldn't be ignored.

Standing there, a chill ran down her spine. Ginny could only hope that the love bite was the only evidence left from that night. The thought of any other consequences—something far more serious—loomed in her mind, filling her with an uneasy dread.

With a heavy sigh, Ginny turned and walked away, the worry clinging to her. Despite the apology and their attempt to move forward, the possibility of something more permanent haunted her thoughts, a shadow she couldn't shake.