Envy and Manipulations: Rewrite 36

by rrabbit

Sixteen year old Ginny Weasley has her first summer job at the Folk Hills Country Club, the most prestigious high society club in the wizarding world. When Draco Malfoy comes home from his summer internship at the Ministry of Magic things get complicated, dark, and twisted. Rewrite.

9. Chapter 9

"What was it like?"

"What was what like?" I ask as I move some hair out of my face. It is too damn hot in this greenhouse. Sprout needs a cold air charm in here or something because I'm starting to sweat.

I hate sweating.

"Making love," Luna says softly and I glance around quickly to see if anyone heard her say that.

We're in herbology, digging through some dirt to find a certain kind of root that Sprout said we needed for our lesson. I grabbed Luna right away and made her sit with me so we could talk about things. I haven't talked to her since the summer holiday but all she wants to talk about is Theo, and sex, and having sex with Theo. It's all very tiresome and I'm not in a good mood anyways. I missed lunch because I had seen Draco speaking with Cho right before I went into the Great Hall and it made me lose my appetite. I have no idea what they were talking about, but my stomach feels like it's going to start eating itself soon if I don't get some food in there.

"It was... different," I admit in a whisper once I'm sure the other Gryffindors and Ravenclaws aren't listening.

"Did it feel good?" she asks, not even bothering to keep her voice down and I blush as I pick up a large chunk of dirt with my gloved hands. I plop it down on the table and my stomach growls loudly. I cover it with a cough and continue with the dirt removal. I don't answer right away, so she asks louder. "Ginny, did it feel good?"

"Yes," I say quickly so she won't ask again. I look at her quickly and she blinks her large eyes at me. She told me she wanted to start 'making love' with Theo, so I guess she's trying to figure out what to expect, just like I had quizzed Daphne before I slept with Draco. "I mean... it was kind of uncomfortable at first," I say honestly as I remember the initial pain of having Draco in me for the first time. "But, you know, Draco was very sweet to me and it ended up feeling really nice."

She sighs wistfully and I furrow my brows. "Is it romantic to make love?"

The way she says 'make love' makes me want to vomit, to be completely honest. "I don't know," I say as I focus on my pot of dirt. I don't want to talk about my sex life anymore. It makes me feel uncomfortable and anyone could hear her because she doesn't bother to whisper. She doesn't exactly have the best social skills.

"How do you not know?" she asks. I find the root Sprout wanted and I pull it out, thankful for the distraction.

"I found it," I say as I hold it up to get a better look. "It looks kind of like a prune, doesn't it?"

"Ginny," Luna says. She found her root too and she's following me to my desk. "How can you not know? Is making love romantic or not?"

"I guess it is," I say just so she'll stop talking about it. "I guess it depends on the couple," I say as I take my seat and put my root on the desk in front of me. I wouldn't exactly call it romantic. I just liked being close to him. "Let's talk about something else," I say as she sits at the desk beside me.

"I think I'm going to make love to Theo soon."

I sigh and put my head in my hands. "You said that before," I remind her as I glare at my desk. I don't want to talk about her creepy boyfriend anymore.

"When you did it," she says and I shake my head in annoyance. "Did you let him finish in you, or did you make him go in a cup?"

I look at her. Did she really just say that?

"What?" I ask flatly and she furrows her brows.

"When Theo and I fool around, he always finds like a cup or something to finish in."

I make a disgusted face. I do not want to hear about her creepy boyfriend jizzing into cups.

"Do you let Draco actually finish in you?"

I don't feel like telling her that it seems to be something Draco insists on no matter what part of my body he's using. I literally could not see him pulling out to finish anywhere else unless I insisted on it…. And even if I did insist on it I'm not totally sure he would listen to me because it seems to be such a turn on for him. I like it too, honestly. There is something so sexy about being full of him.

That's where it belongs, yeah?

Yeah.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," I say uncomfortably because she is getting way too personal.

"If you let him finish," she starts as the other kids start to sit at the desks as well. "How do you know you're not pregnant?"

"There are potions you can take," I hiss at her and I look behind me again to make sure other people aren't listening to this ridiculous conversation. I don't need the whole school thinking I could possibly be pregnant. "Now, this isn't appropriate to speak of anymore," I tell her gently.

She nods her head like she understands, but she keeps talking anyways. "Has Draco ever asked you to drink a polyjuice potion..."

"Luna," I snap, leveling her with a glare. I put my hand up when she opens her mouth to respond. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Please stop."

"Fine," she says as she sits back and crosses her arms in a pout. "I was just trying to talk to you."

I roll my eyes and look at Sprout as she walks to the front of the room to give her lecture about the root we had to dig up. Double Herbology is going to be my least favorite subject, I think. I take notes diligently and ignore Luna's glare until the bell rings. I pack up my notebook and quill and put my root in one of the classroom containers to preserve it until next time as Luna stays impossibly close to me. When we finally leave the green house, she's so close that our arms are touching and she's making me veer to the right.

"Luna, what are you doing?" I ask with a sigh because she's walking right into me, but not saying a word.

"Just walking. Am I allowed to do that?" she asks sharply and I glare at her as I hike my bag up a little further. "Since you don't want me to talk to you."

"It's not that I don't want to talk to you," I t ell her tightly. "I just don't want to talk about how your boyfriend puts his semen into cups."

"Friends talk about everything, Ginny," she says like I was being foolish. "Everything."

"Not when everyone else can hear," I say seriously. "I will be more than happy to-" I don't finish that sentence because before I can get it all out, she gasps and starts running towards Theodore Nott who's standing by the stairs of the castle.

I watch her hair shimmer in the sun as she runs towards him and I make an angry face at her retreating back.

Friends talk about everything. What a joke.

Hmf.

I walk by myself all the way to the castle and I glare down at my feet as I stomp up the stairs and walk towards the Great Hall. I'm grateful it's dinner time because my stomach is starting to hurt and I want to take off these stupid heels. I try to shake off how annoying Luna is. She never was like this before and I completely and utterly blame freaking Theodore Nott and his stupid weedy looking face. I scowl at the thought of him. I need to find Luna someone else... someone who's nice and sweet and not a perverted creep.

When I see Draco standing at the top of the stairs on the second level, my bad mood vanishes and I find a grin on my face when he turns to look at me.

He is so impossibly handsome.

"Hey," I say gently as I get closer to him. I resist running because I don't want to be like Luna.

"How was Herbology?" he asks as he takes the bag off of my shoulder. I love that I never have to carry anything around him. He makes me feel like a lady.

I shrug. "It was alright," I say, trying to keep my irritated thoughts about Luna at bay. "It's not my favorite class," I admit and he smiles as he kisses my head.

"It's important, though," he says as he takes my hand.

He says that about every class. He's such a nerd about school work.

"I'm starving," I say as I put my hand on my empty stomach. "Dinner couldn't come soon enough." He nods his head, but pulls me to the right- the opposite way of the dining hall. "What are you doing? I just said how hungry I was."

"You can eat in a minute. I want to talk to you," he says, stopping when we're away from the dinner crowd and facing me full on.

"Okay..." I say nervously. I find that 'talks' never turn out very well in relationships. "What is this about?"

"Why haven't you been sitting with Ivy Parkinson in potions?" he asks and when I realize what he's talking about, I almost laugh. "And I was also told that you didn't sit with them this morning when you had defense class."

"Are you serious?" I say as I relax my body. I thought it was something serious.

"Yes, I'm serious. I wanted you to sit with them."

"Why do I have to sit by them? I don't even like them."

"Because I said so," he says bitterly, like that made sense. I narrow my eyes, glaring right at his silver Head Boy badge. "Relationships are about compromises, Gin. I'm telling you I would prefer that you sit with Ivy and the rest of the people from my house when you're in classes with them. I expect you to do as I say because you love me."

That sentence made me uneasy and I bite my lower lip as I try to think it through. I do love Draco... I love him so much but sometimes when he speaks I get a very manipulative vibe from him. Like right now, for instance. I doubt he even realizes it, but sometimes he falls into one of the worst categories a boyfriend can fall into: Controlling.

"But that doesn't make any sense," I say as I lean against the wall, trying to make him see reason. He props his hand up by my head as he towers over me. "I'm not friends with any of them."

"Who are you friends with?" he counters and I purse my lips.

"Does it matter?" I watch a group of students walk by us, headed towards the Great Hall. I'm envious of every single one of them. I bet they're serving chicken tonight... I love the grilled chicken they serve with that white gravy. "I just don't want to have to sit with people I don't like just because my boyfriend says so," I say dryly as I look up at him. "It's not like it's a big deal or anything."

He clenches his fist against the wall. Apparently it is a big deal to him.

"Ginny," he says with a tight jaw. "I gave a very specific order," he says and I furrow my brows as I remember that very concerning look Ivy had given me. "I expect everyone to listen to me, including you. Especially you."

I shake my head. "I just don't understand why."

"You don't need to understand. You said it was no big deal so for my sanity, will you please just do as I say and sit with them next time?"

"What about when I have class with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs? Do you want me to find a random Slytherin in the hall and drag them to class with me so I won't be alone?"

"Don't get smart," he snaps and I roll my eyes.

"What if I told you I wanted you to sit with my house when you had classes with Gryffindor?" I counter. "Right between Ron and Harry."

"That's not funny," he says, glaring at me. "I have friends, Ginny. Who are your friends?"

That kind of hurt me. I don't know if he intended it to sting- but it did. Because the truth is… I don't actually have any friends. Not really. Not anymore. When did that happen? A silence falls over us and I look away, glaring at the opposite wall with his breath warm on my face. I still don't get why he wants me to sit with his freaking Slytherin people. There's no point.

"Why do they always do what you say?" I question as I flick a glance up to him. It has been something that has been bothering me for a while, actually. "All your friends just do what you say like their life depended on it."

"Maybe it does," he says softly and I furrow my brows before the corner of his mouth tilts up. "Joking, of course," he adds because I think I'm giving him a very troubled look. "People do as I say because I have authority and they respect that," he says and that doesn't make any sense either so I cross my arms. "You should do as I say because you're my girlfriend and you should want to please me."

"What about what pleases me?" I ask stiffly and he raises one sharp eyebrow.

"That is always on the forefront of my mind, I assure you," he says with a sinful smile and I blush at what he's implying. "In fact," he says, taking a step closer so his body is almost touching mine. "I think I know something that will immensely please you, my love."

I duck under his arm and step away from the wall so I'm no longer trapped against it. "Don't manipulate me with your sexy talk," I say with a pout. "This is a serious discussion we're having." I cross my arms again. "Why do your friends always seem like it's the end of the word if they disobey you? Ivy looked at me like she thought you would do something terrible because I didn't sit with them and all your other friends are all 'Draco said this... Please don't tell Draco that... Draco won't like this..." I sigh tiredly. "What is that all about?"

"Who says 'please don't tell Draco that'?" he asks with narrowed eyes and I open my mouth before snapping it shut.

He's avoiding my question.

"It doesn't matter. That's not what I asked."

"Ginny," he says flatly, taking a menacing step towards me. He has that look in his eyes now. "Who said that and why did they say it?"

I eye him for a moment. He looks so serious.

"Daphne practically begged me not to tell you when she was late one time meeting me at Folk Hills..." I trail off and clench my jaw as I think about it. "And about that... Why did you have them babysit me all the time?" I put my hands on my hips. "This is all so confusing and Blaise said you were playing chess against someone and I was the queen and I have no bloody idea what's going on and I don't like it."

I stomp my foot at the end of my little rant and he smiles at me like I was a child doing something adorable.

"Don't laugh at me," I say with a frown. "I'm being serious."

"You don't have to be troubled about anything," he says with a ghost of a smile still on his lips as he takes a strand of my hair and twirls it around his finger. "I told you I would take care of things. All you have to worry about is making me happy."

I scoff and smack his hand away.

"Honestly, Draco. That isn't an answer and you know it."

"Listen," he says with a sigh as he puts his hand in his front pocket. "When I'm around everyone else. I am constantly on guard. I have to block my mind and watch what I say... I can't relax. I haven't relaxed since I was a child, but when I'm around you, I finally can."

He brings his hand up and touches my cheek.

"You have no agenda. You have no ambitious plan to use me for whatever reason." He shakes his head and lets his hand drop to my neck. "You have no idea how it feels to just let go for a while," he says gently. He takes a step closer and puts his forehead against mine. "I don't want to lose that with you. I want to keep it simple. You can do that for me. Can't you?"

I exhale slowly. Again, he didn't answer my freaking question.

"But why do you want me to be around your friends all the time?" I ask softly. His soft words and his feather light touches are winning me over, but I need to know the answer. I can't just keep letting him change the subject on me... right?

"Tell me who you would rather be with and I'll change my mind on the matter," he says seriously. I don't say anything right away because I don't have much of an answer. "No answer?" he says with a brow raised. "Colin Creevey, perhaps?"

My eyes snap to his. He's glaring again.

"I don't even like him," I admit with a head shake. "He's annoying."

"Then why did you sit with him?"

I open my mouth and then snap it shut. I'm not the one who should be questioned here. "That's not what we're talking about. I just want to know why it's such a big deal to you that I sit with your house."

"I want them to be your friends too," he says gently, his hand moving to grip my waist as the other lingers on my neck. "We come from different worlds, Ginny, and I want you to fit in."

I bring my hand up to his and hold it against my neck as I try to figure out if I can accept that answer. He studies my face for a few moments before tilting his head and kissing me softly.

"That is fair, isn't it?" he whispers against my lips. "That makes sense?" I nod my head and let him kiss me some more.

I figure that's as much of an answer that I'm going to get from him today and I resign myself to that fact as he continues to press his body against mine.

"Draco," I whisper as he moves to push me firmly against the wall with his hand on my hip. "I saw you talking to Cho Chang today," I say seriously as I remember seeing them together before I met him for lunch. "What did she want?"

"What she always wants," he says, adding a kiss to my jaw.

He doesn't say anything to that and I frown, pushing him back. "And what's that?" I ask sharply. "Please don't ignore this question. I've had enough of you avoiding the topic today."

"She's annoyed that I ended things with her so abruptly," he says nonchalantly as he goes in to kiss me again. "She has emotional issues after what happened to one of her last boyfriends and can't seem to accept what happened," he says with a scoff. "You have nothing to worry about," he adds. "She is no threat to you or your standing with me. I've firmly established my intentions with you and I find her fucking annoying."

"Oh," is all I say as I think of Chang.

Cedric Diggory had died when the Dark Lord came back. How did I forget that? Suddenly hating Cho was a bit harder, but I couldn't take her constantly bugging my boyfriend about getting back together. Especially when I think she's prettier than me and she fits in better with his friends.

"Draco," I say again to get his attention as he moves to my neck with his hand caging me against the wall. "I'll do as you say," I tell him and he pulls back to look at my face. "I'll sit with your stupid house mates if you promise to not talk to Cho again."

I see a dark smirk curl at the corner of his mouth and his silver eyes start shining.

"You were the one who wanted me to speak with her at Zabini's house over the summer."

"I know," I answer with a head nod as I put my hand on his chest to play with his tie. "But I don't want you speaking with her anymore. I do what you say and you do what I say, right? Relationships are about compromises?"

"Right," he says with a pleased smile. "What a little negotiator you are."

"It's a deal then?" I ask softly and he nods his head, putting his fingers on my chin to tilt my face up.

"It's a deal," he says in a deep voice before leaning down to kiss me, letting his tongue slip against mine so I can taste him.

"You're in a hallway!"

I push Draco back with alarm and widen my eyes at my brother. He's standing right behind us, looking murderous with his ears tinted pink, clashing horribly with his hair.

"You're snogging Draco bloody Malfoy in a freaking hallway where anyone can see you! Have you no shame!" he screeches, looking at me like he had never seen me before. Harry is beside him, looking decidedly uncomfortable but when his eyes slide to Draco, he glares.

"It's none of your business," I retort, a little shaken because I wasn't expecting this confrontation right now.

I've been successfully avoiding my brother and his friends and I suspect Hermione has kept my brother under wraps from doing anything rash because this is the first time he's addressed me like this after his scolding in the Great Hall that first night. My mother has also sent me a few howlers, but Draco sets them on fire before they even open, which I am immensely grateful for. Everyone from my life before my current boyfriend seems to be disgusted with me, but Ron especially hates me now.

I can only imagine what's being said when they have classes together. Everyone keeps hinting towards it being ugly but I haven't actually heard anything solid about what's been said or done… but this morning was pretty terrible. I guess Ron had cursed Draco during their shared Transfiguration class.

"It's all my business," he says as he takes out his wand. Draco pushes me behind him and brandishes his own from his pocket. "You're acting like a... like a..." he searches around for a terrible word to call me before settling on one of the worst. "Like a slag."

"Ron," Harry scolds sharply, but Draco raises his wand.

Ron has the grace enough to look sorry for it but he doesn't take it back.

"Don't speak to her like that again," Draco says in a deadly voice.

"She's my sister, Malfoy," Ron says like that would mean anything. "I don't know what you're playing at, but I know you're taking advantage of her. I know what you are, Malfoy."

"Ron," I narrow my eyes and take out my own wand. "I'm not an idiot."

"You're with him. I wouldn't doubt it."

"That's enough," Draco says with a menacing growl in his voice. "I have been more than patient with you, Weasley," he hisses the name and I furrow my brows. The hatred that dripped from his voice when he said it makes me uncomfortable because it's my last name too. "One more word and I'll blast you across the room."

"I'd like to see you try," Ron says and then he shoots a curse.

I push Draco aside and deflect the curse with my wand. It hits a nearby statue and makes it shake. The fury I feel right now is unparalleled. "Ronald Weasley, how dare you."

"His father is a Death Eater, Ginny," he says sharply. His eyes sliding to Draco before he looks at me. I see him soften and he starts to lower his wand. For once I can see him for the brother I loved. The one who was my best friend until Harry Potter and Hermione Granger came along with their companionship and thrilling adventures. "We saw him," he tells me, his voice almost pleading like he wanted me to understand…. But it was gone as soon as it came and he narrowed his eyes as he looked back at Draco, his rage winning out. "And we saw you," he says glaring at my boyfriend. "We know what you are."

"Shut up, Ron," I hiss when he lifts his wand again. Draco scoffs at the wand pointed at his chest like it was insulting him. I look at Harry. "Please, make him go away," I plead. I don't want to fight right now.

Harry looks at me with his eyes puzzled but when he looks at Draco, they harden again.

"Having a girl fight your battles now?" Harry asks coldly, looking at Draco with narrowed emerald eyes.

"At least I have a girl who likes me enough to want to protect me," Draco says flatly, his eyes leveled at Harry. "The last girl who loved you was probably your mother and she's dead."

I flick a disappointed glance at Draco.

"Why would you say that?" I whisper because it's a low blow, but Harry raises his wand and shoots a curse right at Draco's chest before I can properly make him feel bad for it.

Harry's getting emotional and his cheeks turn red when Draco easily deflects his curse. I step in between them to stop the duel that I know is coming and I turn towards Draco with my hand on his until he lowers his wand. He clenches his jaw and tries to resist snapping at me as I shake my head.

"Please don't," I say softly to appeal to his more sensitive side... if he has one. I know Draco could do some damage but so could Harry and I don't want to see either of them getting hurt. "Let's not do this."

He looks at me for a few angry moments before glancing over my shoulder. "I'm walking away before I change my mind and kill you," he says to them before turning on his heels. He looks at me over his shoulder when he realizes I'm not following. "Ginny," he snaps harshly as I put my wand in my bag with an uneasy feeling in my stomach. "Come with me."

He offers me his hand.

I look at my brother, he's practically seething now and when I remember hearing about the curse he hit Draco with this morning, I make up my mind. I swallow hard before taking Draco's hand.

"Ginny, bloody hell," Ron sneers in disgust as Draco pulls me down the hallway. He takes a few steps towards us as Draco looks steadily ahead of him with a tick in his jaw. "You're going with him after what he just said to Harry? Where is your loyalty?"

I look over my shoulder and give my brother an evil glare.

I stop walking.

"Loyalty?" I snap hatefully as I think of all the conversations I was butted out of. All the secrets that were kept from me. All the times I was left in the dust because of him and his stupid friends. "Don't talk to me about loyalty, Ron."

He curls back his lip in anger but before he can respond Draco pulls me away with a firm jerk. I shake out of it and realize that Draco's pulling me towards the Great Hall with swift and steady steps. Before we get to the doors, Draco stops us and pushes me into an alcove with his lips crashing against mine almost painfully.

I barely even get out a muffled 'what' before he forces my legs apart with his knee and he pins me against the wall.

"What are you doing?" I whisper once he pulls back.

He looks at me with dark eyes before bringing a hand up to my breast inside my robe and squeezing. Anyone could see us right now and I try to pull him away, but he's stronger than me and won't yield.

"Draco..." I whisper to get his attention. He kisses me again, successfully silencing me.

"My Ginny," he whispers against my ear. It sends a pleasurable chill down my spine and my body starts to tingle. He runs his lips over my neck and cheek, finally settling on my lips. "My beautiful Ginny. You're such a good girl for me, aren't you?"

Sweet Merlin.

I suppress a moan as I start moving against his leg, deciding to give in. He presses his thigh more into my sex as I move against it and it's hitting just the right spot. I'm getting really turned on and when I go to untuck his shirt, he pulls back.

"Why did you stop?" I ask like a pathetic thing and he smirks before kissing my forehead.

"When I tell you to meet me at a certain time- I expect you to show up at that time," he says, glancing down at me and smiling at the face I make. "You were late meeting me last night," he explains and I frown. I was barely five minutes late meeting him by the library yesterday but he acted like it was the end of the world. He can be so damn dramatic about things. "If I leave you wanting, you won't keep me waiting," he says with a smug smile and I cross my legs because I'm now uncomfortably wet.

"You're kind of a jerk sometimes," I tell him shortly and he laughs.

"I love you, Ginny," he says, kissing me briefly before pulling back. "I'll meet you in the library at eight on the dot, right?" he says, eyeing me like he was expecting me to agree and never be late again.

I right my uniform and glare at him.

"You're not coming to dinner?" I ask and I have to stop myself from hitting him or saying something hateful. It is very rude to get someone that worked up only to pull away at the last second. I doubt he would like it if I did it to him.

In fact, I know he wouldn't like it and he would not accept it either.

"No," he says shortly. "I have something to take care of."

We walk out of the hidden alcove and I grab his hand before he walks the opposite way.

"Wait," I say worriedly. "You're not going to do anything to my brother or Harry are you?" I ask uncomfortably. I saw how mad Draco was during that fight and I figure he's itching to use his wand against them without me there to stop him.

He scoffs.

"I have more important things to worry about than Potter and his boyfriend, thank you. Go eat. I'll see you later." He stops himself like he just remembered something and he looks at me seriously. "You know where I expect you to sit?"

I don't reply right away… and then he narrows his eyes so I just nod to appease him.

"Good."

With one last kiss he walks off and I watch him disappear down the staircase.

Pansy catches me before I can sit anywhere else and with a heavy sigh I take a seat at the Slytherin table surrounded by Draco's friends. Daphne's chattering about some stupid magazine article she read and Millicent is sitting across from me, pretending like I don't exist, which is just fine with me. I sigh as I put my chin in my hand and eat my food.

I was right. It is grilled chicken night but it doesn't taste half as good as I was hoping.

No one worthwhile is in the hall right now and my eyes scan the tables until I land on Neville who is reading some kind of large text that has green pages. He looks up and smiles at me. I smile back and then my eyes find Luna's head of blond hair sitting at the end of the Slytherin table with Theodore Nott. I scowl at them and look back at Neville.

An idea hits me.

Neville and Luna would make a lovely couple.

"Draco isn't coming to dinner tonight?" Pansy asks as I think of multiple ways to get Luna away from Theo the weirdo and with sweet, harmless Neville.

I bet Neville would never jizz into a cup.

"No," I shake my head and finally look at her. She has her hair done up in a short ponytail with a sparkly headband that is clearly for show because it's not holding back any hair. "He said he had something to do." I shrug my shoulders and use my fork to pick up part of my roasted potato. I take a bite as I study Neville with a curious tilt of my head.

I wonder if he would date Luna...

"Did he tell you what he was doing?," she asks with an irritable sigh as she reads this morning's Daily Prophet over her chicken and broccoli.

"Nope," I tell her.

Focusing on Luna and Neville's future relationship helps me ignore what happened in the hallway with Ron and Harry.

She shakes her head like she was annoyed with me and then she turns the page of the paper with her eyes narrowed.

"You know, you could have told me."

"Told you what?" I ask. I push around my chicken and I try to ignore the way my mind is wandering towards my brother.

He's one step away from disowning me, I think. I know I need to talk to him just one on one and maybe I can make him understand. He's not completely heartless and I know he's been under a lot of stress… I mean… He can't hate me forever for who I decide to date and even though I know him and Draco have never gotten along…. Well, Draco isn't evil. It's not like I'm dating Lord Voldemort. There really is no reason for him to be so upset.

We saw him… and we saw you….

What did that even mean? The words wash over me like a cold shower. My brother has never been very good with his words. It literally could mean anything… and besides… we all had to live through his Lavender Brown phase and I think she was worse than anything Draco or his friends could throw at me. I know he has a lot to say to me and judging by the howlers I'm getting from my mother, I suspect she does as well. I wonder if I can get Ron calm enough to have a serious, rational conversation about Draco...

I think his face has been in a permanent sneer since school started, if I was being completely honest.

"That you and Draco are having sex."

I nearly choke on my pumpkin juice. "What?"

"Daphne told me," she says with narrowed eyes. I pick up my napkin and clean up the spill caused by my surprise. "Tara told her and her little sister told Tara that you were talking to Luna Lovegood about it in Herbology."

Jesus Christ news travels fast around here.

I feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment as I turn back to my plate. I suppose someone did hear us in Herbology and that makes me feel dirty.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she snaps and I inhale a shaky breath as I look around the room. Lavender Brown makes eye contact with me and I look away quickly with a blush staining my cheeks. Does she know too? How many other people know that Draco and I do it? How fast does information like that travel?

"It was personal," I whisper as I bring my hand up to my face to cover my reaction. I feel like everyone in the room is staring at me right now. "I didn't want everyone knowing."

Oh, my God. I widen my eyes. What if my brother finds out?

I feel like slumping under the table and hiding for the duration of the school year.

"Why not?" she asks flatly as she folds the paper over and lays it on the table.

"I don't want people thinking I'm easy..."

I am very close to having a panic attack and I lick my lips nervously before chewing on my nails. I wonder if I can get to those pills my mum made me pack before one hits me. They are stuffed in my trunk. I thought I was done with them like I thought I was done with Dr. Carroll… but maybe I'm not. What if someone saw me practically humping his leg in the hallway? Literally. Like a dog. I was humping his leg. Oh, Jesus. People are going to think terrible, horrible things about me now.

"Do you think I'm easy?" she asks sharply. I shake my head and furrow my brows because she isn't being very understanding about this whole thing. My eyes flick to the Ravenclaw table where Cho Chang is. She's looking at me and she whispers to her friend Claire Walker. Does she know too? "Do you think I'm a slut just because I have sex?"

"No, of course not... but... it just feels weird having people know we do that..." I trail off awkwardly and she raises an eyebrow.

"It's not weird to get fucked by your boyfriend," she says as she takes a drink from her cup. I give her a scandalous look for her crude wording and she levels me with a glare. "You're fucking, Ginny. And it's not 'making love' like that loony Lovegood freak keeps saying. Draco is fucking you and you're letting him. Stop acting like a little girl about it. Do you even know how many people would kill to be fucked by Draco Malfoy? Get over yourself."

I blush again and look away, feeling hurt by how sharp and unfeeling she's being towards me. I wish Draco was sitting with me right now. He usually makes me feel better and he usually makes his friends shut up when they are being awful.

"Why are you being so mean to me?" I whisper softly as I start chewing on my nails again.

She sighs loudly and then she flicks her dark eyes to the end of the table. I see Blaise down there, flirting with a pretty Slytherin girl who's a year younger than me. He's working a toothpick in between his teeth and I suspect it's because he can't smoke as freely in the castle.

"I'm sorry," she spits out as she cracks her knuckles. When she looks at me again, her eyes soften the slightest bit. "I've been in a bad mood all day. I find that I hate the male sex at this particular moment," she says flatly as her eyes flick to Blaise again and then back to me. I'm still chewing on my nails and she takes my hand, pulling it away from my mouth. It is a bad habit, I guess. "But I shouldn't take that out of you because you're here."

I nod my head in understanding and exhale slowly as I go back to my meal.

"So..." she starts after a few moments of awkward silence. "Did you like it?" I nervously nod my head and she smiles as she pats my back. Her sour mood seems to be shifting into a more light hearted area. "It got better after the first time, didn't it? I hope Draco took care of you."

"Yeah, he did," I say. I clear my throat and look at her. Pansy is a girl... I need a girl to talk to right now that doesn't consist of my gossipy roommates or a spaced out Luna. I think of the talk I had with Draco in the hallway and the way he worked me up just to pull away so I wouldn't be late meeting him tonight. "Sometimes..." I start and her sharp eyes look at me. "Sometimes I feel like he has a lot of control over what I do," I admit in a soft and worried voice. I know she might not be the best person to talk to about it- but she was the one that I felt knew him best. "He seems to have a lot of control over everyone."

"Draco has a lot of influence in our group," she says seriously. "He's smart, rich, and handsome. That's all there is to it. If you don't want to do something, get a backbone and don't do it. Don't blame him if he convinces you otherwise."

Right.

She watches me for a moment before sighing again and leaning in.

"I told you it could be sexy. You know he likes being in charge and I can tell you like it too," she says gently, placing her hand on my leg. I look down at it. "It's okay to like it," she says as her hand curls more to the inside of my thigh. "Especially now that you're having sex with him. It's okay to give into him that way when it turns you both on. Just think of it as long foreplay," she says, giving me a little smile. "A lot of people like that dynamic, you know. You can still be a strong independent woman and still obey your boyfriend because he'll turn around and obey you when it truly matters."

She's looking at me so strangely now. I swallow hard and move my leg so her hand slips off of it.

"Do you like it when he tells you what to do?" I counter, raising an eyebrow. "It doesn't look like you like it that much," I say, remembering how angry she looked at her party when he snapped at her.

"Well," she says, her eyes looking over my face. "He isn't giving it to me afterwards, now is he?"

"I guess not," is all I say because I literally have no idea how to reply to that.

I put my chin in my hand and grumpily eat the rest of my food as Pansy turns to talk to the girl on the other side of her. I'm glad she's done talking to me. She wasn't any help at all and she's starting to freak me out. The newspaper lays folded on the table and I pick it up to look it over.

Bodies found in the Department of Mysteries

I bite my lip as I skim the head line article.

….The bodies of three ministry officials were found Tuesday morning in the highly secretive science wing at the Ministry of Magic. Scientists were allegedly developing a spell that would control and contain the effects of the Fiend Fyre curse...

I think of Draco's Prometheus project and I frown.

...The victims had been there for weeks based on the state of decomposition of the bodies. Aurors say that it had taken so long to find them because of the secrecy surrounding the project...

…...The formulas the group were working on were not found at the scene and all their findings seem to have been destroyed...

I put the paper down.

Does that have anything to do with Draco? I start chewing on my nails. Of course, Draco wouldn't kill anyone but it has to be more than a coincidence that they were working on Fiend Fyre as well as Draco... Of course, it is a little far-fetched that a wizard his age could control it and work on something like that independently... but he did... I saw it... and Draco did have an internship at the ministry this summer… Didn't he say he found it?

My head starts hurting as I try to put it all together.

Something catches the corner of my eyes and I divert my attention to the end of the Slytherin table. I see Zabini smirk at the pretty blond girl and then he gets up.

Blaise.

He might be the person to talk to.

I grab my bag and stand up. "I'm going to go meet Draco," I lie.

I keep my eyes on Zabini as he leaves the Great Hall. I speed walk to catch up to him and I keep my distance so he doesn't realize he's being followed. He puts his hands in his black slacks as he jogs down the stairs and I try to be quiet as I step behind him, following him all the way to the owlery.

Most of the owls are sleeping on the perches above and I stay back by the stairs as Blaise walks over to one of the windows and takes a cigarette from his pocket. I watch him with a furrowed brow as he throws his toothpick out the window and he lights the end of it with his wand.

I hear footsteps behind me, and I panic because I don't want someone to see me in the owlery with Zabini while he smokes. It could be a prefect or a teacher… or worse… it could be Draco. I hide behind a statue, but I scowl when I see lanky Theodore Nott walk past in his school robe looking like a big dumb idiot.

He approaches Zabini and I crane my neck to see them from my hiding spot.

"Nott," Zabini greets without even looking away from the window. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You have to talk to Draco for me," Theo the creep says as he glares at Zabini's back. "He's been ignoring me."

"He does that," Blaise says without a care as he turns slightly to see Nott from his peripheral vision.

"Tell him I don't want to do this anymore," he says and I furrow my brows even more as Blaise rolls up his sleeves with fast little jerks. "Tell him I'm tired of it. She's weird and I can't do it anymore."

"You act like you have such a hard job," Zabini rolls his eyes and I narrow mine. What is he talking about? She's weird? He better not be talking about Luna.

Merlin help him if he is talking about Luna.

"I don't want to do it anymore," Theo says. "Tell him I said that," he says sharply before turning on his heels and walking back out. Zabini shrugs and flicks his ashes out of the window.

"You can come out now," he says and I bite my lip. "You have red hair, Weasley. It doesn't exactly blend in with the shadows there."

Fuck.

I try not to blush as I step out of my hiding spot and I try to look dignified as I step into the owlery.

"Why are you spying on me?" he asks as he looks down at his cigarette and then he glances out the window.

"I'm not spying," I admit, embarrassed that he caught me. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"About Draco?" he asks. He looks at me as he loosens his tie with his eyes slightly narrowed. I don't answer and he shakes his head with a bitter smile on his face. "I'm sorry, but do I have a fucking sign on my head that lets people know I'm the Draco Malfoy complaint department?"

I can't think up a response to that, so I ignore it.

"I just thought you could help me sort some things out, Blaise," I say seriously and he raises his eyebrows.

"It's Blaise now?" he says sarcastically as I cross my arms uncomfortably. "Well, since we're on a first name basis, I guess we truly are friends now. What would you like to know, Ginevra?"

Ugh, he made my name sound terrible.

"Was Theo talking about Luna?" I ask worriedly as I point to the archway where Theo had just left.

An owl hoots up above, but I ignore it.

"I thought you wanted to talk about Draco," he adds dryly as he flicks more ashes out the window.

"You aren't allowed to smoke on school grounds," I point out because I'm not exactly sure how to word what I want to say to him.

"I didn't realize you had more authority over me," he says as he taps his prefect badge.

I inhale an angry breath and I stare at him for a few moments before trying once more.

"Who is Draco playing against?" I ask and he squints. I take a step closer. "You said that Draco was playing against someone at your party over the summer."

"I don't remember telling you anything," he lies and my temper flares.

"Blaise," I say angrily. "You set up a whole little chess board with your cigarettes and everything. You said I was the queen."

"Oh, that," he says flatly as he blows smoke from the corner of his mouth. "It was nothing."

"But..."

"Is there anything else you would like to say to me?" he asks as he throws the cigarette out the window with a flick of his fingers.

"Yes," I say with my hands on my hips as I think about that Prophet article. "Do you know anything about Draco's Prometh-"

"I'm going to stop you right here," he says with his hand up. "Before you get yourself any deeper, I would like you to know that I won't tell you anything. Though it's endearing that you think I would... I suggest you speak to your boyfriend about it."

He puts his hands in his pockets and starts to walk towards the archway, but I'm not done.

"Wait," I say as I run over to him and grab his arm.

He spins on me quickly and I nearly stumble back as he looks into my eyes with so much intensity that it almost burns me.

"Wait," I say softly once I get my bearings back and I take a step back from him and his menacing amber gaze. "You're his best friend... I thought you could help me understand a few things."

"Best friend?" he scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Who do you think we are? Prepubescent girls?" He shakes his head and then he looks at me. "Listen, I like you and he really likes you. You're sweet and uncomplicated and I would suggest keeping it that way. You get to see a side to him that people rarely ever see and you should take advantage of it while he still lets you. He has a lot on his plate right now and all you have to do is keep it simple."

I open my mouth to retort, but he cuts me off.

"Now, are you going to tell him about this conversation, or am I?"

"What?" I ask softly as he crosses his arms over his fit chest.

"He's going to find out anyway," he says as he studies my face. "I always find it's received better from one's own mouth."

I stare at him and he licks his teeth.

"I'll give you tonight to tell him yourself, but by morning I will have to let him know," he says seriously and I frown even deeper because this just adds to the puzzle. "I would just like to point out that he still gives you the benefit of the doubt. I don't get that from him anymore."

"What does that mean?" I say, more confused now than when I started this conversation.

He starts walking again.

"You are in way too deep now, Weasley," he mutters as he stuffs his hands back into his pockets. "You should have listened to me."

"What?" I say to his retreating back.

I watch him walk all the way back to the castle and with an annoyed turn to my feet, I follow angrily behind him. No one is on my side in this. I realize that right now and I have an angry scowl on my face when I head towards the library to meet my boyfriend.

I glance at a clock as I walk down the hallway and when I see that it's ten past eight, I cuss and start running.

"You're late," Draco says as I scurry into the library with my heavy bag over my shoulder. He's already seated with a quill poised in his hand.

"I guess your teasing method didn't work very well for you," I snap as I take a seat across from him.

I pull out my quill and some parchment and open my transfiguration text so I can work on my assignment.

"Gin," he says and I look up at him. He's staring at me seriously, his eyes slightly narrowed. "You had better not be late again. This is the last time."

I want to fight him on it. I really do but I know that being late is rude even though he is being a right git about it. So I blush a bit and nod my head, going back to my homework so I don't have to see him glaring at me again.

It's okay to like it.

All my thoughts turn towards that article, though, and I glance at Draco as he works through whatever homework he has in front of him. He's taken off his sleeveless jumper and loosened his tie, giving him a very laid back look. His silver eyes snap to mine and I look back down quickly. It has to be a coincidence, right? Blaise and Pansy have been no help to me... maybe Blaise was right. I should talk to Draco about it but I just feel like he runs circles around me sometimes.

We work for half an hour before he speaks again.

"Is there something you would like to say to me?"

I glance up and then quickly look away.

"No. Why do you ask?" I ask softly as I twirl my quill around in my hand. It's close to curfew so the place is almost empty.

"It just seems like there is something on your mind," he says flatly and I shake my head before writing something down on the Transfiguration essay I've been muddling through. I wouldn't even know how to bring up that article and I feel a bit guilty about talking to Blaise even though I know I shouldn't.

I can feel him staring at me and then he grabs my essay.

"Hey," I whisper fiercely as he picks up his quill and scans the parchment with his sharp eyes.

After he reads it all, he shakes his head and starts scratching things out.

I narrow my eyes.

"You can tell you didn't read the chapter," he says seriously as he uses his quill to edit the hell out of it. "Stupidity is one thing I can not tolerate. I know you are smarter than this."

My cheeks heat in embarrassment and I reach across the table to grab the essay back.

"It's just a freaking rough draft," I hiss and he raises an eyebrow as I look at all the things he crossed out and corrected in that short amount of time. "I don't need a tutor."

"Apparently you do," he says flatly and I glare at him. "Make those corrections and actually read the chapter so you know what you're talking about," he says, nodding to the parchment. "And take out that second paragraph. You have no need for it. You're just repeating what you said in the first one with different words. Quality over quantity, Gin."

"I don't want to do my homework with you if you are going to be this judgmental," I tell him as I start gathering up my school work to put in my bag.

I'm ready to go to bed and get away from him.

"I just want you to live up to your full potential in every subject," he says and I shoot him a look before stuffing all my papers in my bag. "When you're finished with it, I would like to read it again," he says as he starts putting his things away as well. "Transfiguration is one of my best subjects."

I make a scoffing noise in the back of my throat and he shoots me a scolding look.

"You are being awfully serious today," I tell him with a frown. He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms.

"Yes," he says with a head nod. "I spent most of my morning in the infirmary nursing a stinging curse," he says and I suddenly feel bad because I know who did that to him. "You know, it was very Slytherin of your brother to shoot a curse at me when my back was turned."

I bite my lip and slump a bit in my chair.

"I'm sorry about him, Draco. I don't know what to do about it." I shake my head in anger when I think about what happened in the hallway with Ron and Harry. I was actually there for that one... I wonder what they say when I'm not around.

"You shouldn't be sorry about anything, but I will say that my patience is running thin. One of these days I am going to curse back and he will not enjoy it," he says and I nod my head in understanding. "There's only so much I can take."

"I know. Ron would deserve it, of course," I admit and he gives me a little smile before standing up.

I stand up as well and he takes my bag. As we leave the library, Draco takes my hand and keeps me close. I guess I'm not so annoyed with him anymore. When we walk past the stairs I need to take to my dorm, he tugs me back.

"Curfew is soon," I point out.

"You're coming to my room," he tells me without even asking. "I haven't touched you in a while and I wanted to start on your Occlumency lessons."

Oh, joy. More lessons.

"But I can't go into your room," I whisper. "Girls aren't allowed."

"Please," he scoffs as he starts pulling me in a different direction. "If Granger can figure out the counter to that charm to let your stupid brother in—trust I am more than capable."

"Oh," is all I say. "Is her room close to yours?"

"Right across the hall," he answers.

When we get to his room, I hesitate before stepping in and he gives me an amused look as he places my bag down on his bed.

"Don't be afraid," he says with a smile.

The door closes behind me and he smirks as he takes off his tie.

"You can take a seat," he says nodding to a small writing desk along the wall. "I'm going to change."

He disappears through a dark door and I hesitate a second as I look around. The room is of a modest size, full of his house colors and stone walls. There's a small love seat under a rather large curved window and candle holders curl out from the walls like snakes. I take off my shoes and loosen my tie as I look around me curiously. Draco's room is impossibly clean and his bed is impeccably made. My room never looks like this in the tower and I have to wonder if he tips the house elves or if he does it on his own. He's such a perfectionist that I'm pretty sure he does it himself.

"Would you like more casual clothes?" he asks as he comes out of a room that I'm going to assume is the bathroom. He's wearing a thin cotton t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants that have his Quidditch number printed on the thigh.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," I say because if he's going to be comfortable, I might as well be. He goes over to a set of drawers and digs through it until he takes out a black V neck shirt and a pair of plaid boxers. He hands them to me and I start walking towards that bathroom, but he blocks me.

"You can change out here," he says and I roll my eyes as I remember a conversation close to this at his Manor.

"You didn't," I point out and he smirks darkly at me.

"You know I like watching you," he says as he walks past me and takes a seat by his writing desk. "I haven't seen your body in a while. I would like to watch," he says as he sits back in the chair with his legs crossed. He's watching me expectantly, and then he raises an eyebrow. "Well?"

"What's in it for me?" I question softly with a smirk and he laughs.

"Well, what do you want?" he asks with a smile. I don't say anything as I try to think of something clever... but I'm not nearly as clever as he is. "You know I could give you anything, right?" he says, sounding a bit more serious. "All you have to do is ask."

"Could you give me an island?" I joke with a smile.

"If you play your cards right, I could get you three," he smirks and I laugh. A silence falls over us and he cocks his head to the side with his elbow on his desk. "I can't force you," he says nodding to the clothes in my hand. "But it would please me."

It's okay to like it.

I don't want to disappoint him, actually, so I smile at him before dropping the bundle of clothes onto the bed. I take off the tie and I start unbuttoning my shirt. I can't be sexy about it, actually. I don't know how. So I nervously look down and push every button through the hole as quickly as I can. I shrug off the shirt quickly and then move to my skirt, with my hair falling in my face so I won't make direct eye contact with him. I let my skirt fall to my feet and I kick it to the side before awkwardly taking off my tank top, leaving me in my bra and knickers... that do not match. I realize this a moment too late and I sigh at the cotton white knickers and navy bra.

I just can't be effortlessly sexy, unfortunately.

Draco puts his fingers under my chin and I gasp in surprise as he tilts my face up. I had no idea that he moved from the chair. He looks down at me with a warm look in his eyes and then he kisses me sweetly.

I sigh softly and kiss him back with my hands wrapped around his arms. Everything is always so good when it's just the two of us.

"You make me so happy, Ginny," he says and my heart flutters when he pulls back. I smile at him as he puts his hand on my neck and I place my hand over his. "You are perfect for me," he says as he runs the fingers of his right hand down my side, tickling the curve of my waist and hips.

I lean up and place a kiss against his neck, pressing my body against his because I like being close to him.

"Alright," he says as he wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "Get dressed and we'll get started."

"Okay," I say softly, stuck in a love stupor. When he steps back, I quickly put on his clothes. They're a bit too big for me, but nothing too ridiculous.

"There are different layers to mind reading," he says as he takes a seat back by his writing desk.

There's nowhere else to sit but the bed to see him comfortably, so I sit with my legs crossed on the mattress.

"That's one of the main things you have to understand. It's divided up into three different categories: Thoughts, fantasies, and memories. They always overlap and interrupt each other, so it takes a lot to actually go in and dig the truth out. If a thought is forefront in your mind... or an image... then it will not be hard for a person to grab it. You wouldn't even feel it. Like, for instance, you thinking about reading that article while we were in the library," he says and I let my jaw drop.

"What?" I say softly even though I know perfectly well what he means.

"It is just a coincidence, Ginny," he says with a serious tilt of his face. "I don't want you to think about it anymore. This is why you need to learn this stuff. I can't have people listening in on you to find out my secrets."

"I'm sorry," I say quickly, even though I'm not sure if I should be. "But, how did I not feel it?" I ask seriously. "I felt it the last time you were in my mind."

"The only time you feel it is when someone takes out a memory without lies. That's the hardest to shield."

"Like when you looked up that memory with Harry?" I ask softly and he nods his head.

"That always hurts," he says flatly. "That's why we need to teach you how to block your mind."

"Even from you?" I ask and he raises an eyebrow.

"You'll never be able to block me," he says seriously and I frown. "You feel too much for me," he admits. "Emotions always get in the way."

"That hardly seems fair," I mumble and he stands up with his wand in his hand.

"It's not," he admits as he takes my hand so I'm standing and he gives me my wand. "But you have nothing to hide now, do you?"

I think of my conversation with Blaise and how he said I needed to tell Draco before he did. I inhale deeply and look down.

"Do you?" he repeats flatly and I tighten my jaw.

"I talked to Blaise before I met you in the library," I admit in a soft voice and he raises an eyebrow again. Sometimes I hate when he does that. "I thought I could talk to him about that article I read about the deaths at the Department of Mysteries. I almost asked him about your Fiend Fyre project."

"Why wouldn't you just ask me first?" he asks sharply and I shrug.

"I don't know," I admit. "I just... I don't know. I thought he could... I don't know," I repeat stupidly and he licks his lower lip.

"Will you let me see the conversation?" he asks as he takes a step closer to me.

"What?"

He takes another step closer, putting his hand on my face and looking into my eyes.

I feel it again, that mind raping feeling that went through me when he was digging out that memory with Harry. He finds my conversation with Blaise in the Owlery and I clench my eyes shut as he watches it. It hurts and I nearly start crying. When he's done and he pulls out, I open my eyes, noticing they're a bit wet from the intrusion.

"If you have questions, you come to me from now on," he says seriously as he runs his thumb over my lips. "Is that fair?"

I nod my head.

"Good, now, stand over there," he says, pointing to the opposite wall. I do as he says and I cross my arms.

He spends two hours giving me a tiring lesson on how to block my mind from intruders and when he's finished, I slowly crawl into his bed and rest against his pillows. I'm exhausted and my brain hurts from him digging through it so viciously. It's such an awful kind of pain that I find myself sweating and breathless even though I didn't move around all that much. He managed to dig up every random memory I had…. Kissing Dean for the first time. When my father taught me how to ride a bike. The first time Harry stayed at our house... and when I found Tom's diary in my cauldron.

He told me that if I start thinking of something out of nowhere, just a random thought that pops up, then I should shield myself because it's probably someone gently prodding my mind. I feel like that happens all the time and it doesn't make me feel all that great.

"You did well," he whispers as he slides in beside me but I don't have the strength to reply. "I know it's not easy."

I sigh when he puts his arms around me and I try to ignore the dull ache in my head as I drift off to sleep.

I awake to an alarm clock going off.

I crack an eye open and when I see what time it is, I groan.

"Why is it so early?" I snap groggily as Draco reaches over me to turn the alarm off.

"I have a meeting with the prefects," he says in a voice thick with sleep.

He kisses my cheek and I look up at the ceiling… panicking when I realize we are in his Head Boy room and not my bed at the Burrow.

"I stayed the night," I say breathlessly as I sit up straight and my head pounds with a headache. "I have to leave. I could get into so much trouble."

I don't even know what would happen in a situation like this but they would definitely tell my parents. That would be so horrible.

"Relax," Draco pulls me back into the bed and runs his nose along my cheek. "The new Gryffindor Head of House is that dusty old man so I'm sure he doesn't even care and your roommates wouldn't even notice you were gone."

As sad as that is- he is right. I don't really have friends in my house anymore.

"Don't worry," he gives me a gentle kiss as I settle back against the pillows. "You can go back to sleep for another hour or so," he says as he slides off the bed. "I have Head Boy duties."

"Glorified hall monitor," I mumble and he laughs.

I close my eyes as he makes his way to the bathroom and I huddle under the covers, trying not to worry about how much trouble I would be in if anyone ever found out I had stayed with him. His bed is much more comfortable than my dorm bed, though, and I'm glad I get to sleep in it a bit longer. I hear a shower turn on and I cuddle more into the warmth of the blankets.

I fall asleep for all of ten minutes before I feel Draco's presence by me once more, sliding the covers back.

"I thought I had an hour to sleep in," I whine as he lights the candles by the bed.

"You do," he says in a deep voice as he pulls the covers totally off of me. I scowl and close my eyes because the light is way too bright. "But I had some wicked thoughts while I was in the shower and since the source of my discomfort is willingly in my bed, I thought I'd take advantage of it this morning. "

"But I'm tired," I say with a yawn as I roll to my back and cover my eyes with my arm.

"And I'm hard," he says as he reaches out to touch me. "Only one of us can win this war... and I think we both know who that's going to be," he says as his hand slides in between my legs.

I arch my back when his fingers slip under the waistband of his boxers and I finally open my eyes to look at him.

He smiles at me.

I narrow my eyes but I let him kiss me anyways.

"I'll have to deal with so many idiots today," he says. He pulls back and I lick my lips, looking at him as he stands up. He never got dressed after the shower, and he's just wearing a towel wrapped around his hips. He lets it drop and then he crawls into the bed. "This will put me in a good mood."

I scoot over to give him room as he tugs on the shirt I'm wearing.

"Take this off," he says after giving me a firm kiss.

I sigh loudly before doing as he says and removing the shirt. He starts snogging me again and his clever fingers reach around my back to unhook my bra. It is so freaking early in the morning that it's still dark outside and my eyes feel so heavy.

I hold back a yawn as I lift my hips to push down my knickers and the boxers while Draco caresses me all over with his sinful right hand. After he's successfully worked me up, he lays back and rolls me on top of him. I make a groaning noise into his mouth as we kiss and I try to get back on the bed, but he stops me.

"I'm tired too," he says with a smirk as he grabs me around the back of the knees and moves me forward so I'll straddle him. "Why don't you be a good girlfriend and let me relax," he says as I use his chest as leverage to sit up.

He puts his hands behind his head and smirks at me. I become self conscious, so I go to cover my chest, but he stops me with his hands firmly around my wrists.

"Don't do that," he says sharply, lowering my hands and drinking me in. "Never hide your body from me. You won't do that to me, okay?"

I shyly nod my head and keep my hands on my thighs so he can look.

"You have the smallest waist," he says after a while of just staring at me, his hands encircling it as he looks me over. "And the fullest…" he brings his hands up to cup my breasts and I bite back a smile as he looks at my chest. He always seems so happy when he looks at them. "I love your body so much."

I smile at him… but I still don't feel comfortable.

"I would prefer to be on bottom," I mumble. I don't know how to move or how fast to go. He's in a position where he can see absolutely everything and I haven't even brushed my teeth yet.

He shakes his head with a smile.

"I'm tired of doing all the work," he says as he reaches down between our bodies to rub the good spot. I arch my back a little. "Come on. You know what to do," he encourages. "Be sweet to me."

Be sweet to me.

I lift myself up and settle my body on top of his, slowly lowering down until we're fully connected. I pause a second and close my eyes as I lay my hands on his chest. It is still such a strange sensation to have him inside of me. I feel him tuck some hair behind my ear and when I open my eyes, he's smiling at me.

"Move," is all he says.

I bend down to kiss him as I start to rock against his body.

I know I'm doing this wrong. I feel uncomfortable and everything is moving oddly.

"Is this okay?" I ask nervously as I keep moving against him.

"You're doing fine, sweetheart," he says sweetly as he settles back on the bed with his hands on my hips. "Just do what feels good."

"You always feel good," I admit in a soft whisper and he smiles at me again. The beautiful one. "I don't want to do this wrong."

"You were doing it fine enough on my leg yesterday," he says with a sinful smirk and I blush when I remember how I behaved. "You know what to do. Just keep moving the way you are. Remember? Lift up," he says as he puts his hands on my hips again and he starts manipulating my movements with his strength. "And then come down, moving forward. Doesn't that feel good?" he asks and I nod my head. He moves his hand down and rubs me there while I move. "Does that feel better?" he asks with a smug smirk.

"Yeah..." I say in a breathless whisper because, oh my, it does feel good.

"Good," is all he says as he watches me move. "Just keep that up. Now, put your arms back," he says, moving my hands away from his chest and having me rest them behind my back on his thighs. "I want to see the way your body moves. There you go." He watches me in that intense way that he has like he was trying to study and remember everything about me as he grabs my waist to manipulate my movements. Why doesn't he ever just close his eyes? He's so annoying. "That's it," he whispers, giving me his handsome smile. Well, maybe not so annoying. "Good girl."

Eventually, he starts telling me to go faster and I obey because I want to keep the feeling going. He sits up and leans forward to take one of my breasts into his mouth with his arms wrapped around my back making me sit up straight. I start sweating and my cheeks feel hot as I move against him with my fingers threaded through his hair. I manage to find a way to hit the good spot in the front every time I move forward and I hold him against me with my arms around his shoulders as he jerks his hips up to match my own movements.

"I'm…" I clench my eyes shut and lean forward to keep the feeling going as my hair falls over him, getting into his face. He gathers it up and holds it back for me. "I'm going to…"

The bursting feeling comes swiftly and it's so intense that I call out and bite my lip painfully hard to stop the noise from escaping. I put my hands on Draco's chest and push him down roughly against the pillows just because it's too much for me. I don't even say anything intelligible as I lean over him with my hands on both sides of his head, pressed into his soft pillow. I make a weird moaning noise as I start moving so fast that it's more of a bounce to ride out the feeling that's making my entire body feel like it's clenching in the most wonderful way. When I finally come down from it- I rock back and forth a few more times before I stop moving all together and slump against his chest with my head buried into his neck.

"Was that a good one?" Draco asks against my ear and I nod my head, trying to catch my breath.

After a second Draco kisses the side of my head.

"Keep moving," he whispers, using the grip he has in my hair to gently pull me back. "I'm not done yet."

I nod my head and get back up so I can help him finish. I start moving in the way he taught me and I can feel how incredibly wet I am. So wet that he keeps slipping out when I move and the feeling is just… it's just too much…and my legs just aren't working the way I want them to.

"Can we switch?" I ask with a whine, guiding him back into my body once again and just sitting on top of him with his body in mine. "Will you be on top?" I love how hard he can go. He hits me in just the right spot when he's in control… and I am just so tired.

He nods his head with flushed cheeks and he rolls us in one fluid movement. He grabs my wrists and pins them to the bed as he pounds into me.

I get off quickly again and he follows a few moments later with a little strangled noise in my ear. He collapses on top of me, resting for a few moments before he kisses my temple and rolls off the bed.

"Go back to sleep," he says softly as he gets dressed.

I watch him walk about the room as I lay with my legs open, welcoming the cool morning air after getting so hot. I'm breathless, my chest rising and falling as I try to steady my heart. He combs his hair out and then he walks over to me. He takes a moment to look me over and then he gives me a fond little smile.

"Look at you," he whispers before he bends down and kisses my burning lips. He cages me on the bed, putting his hands on either side of my body as he hovers over me. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall for breakfast, yes?" he says, running his right hand up my naked thigh as I press my legs together and turn slightly towards him.

I nod my head and then I grab his tie. I surprise him by pulling him down for another heated kiss and I slip my tongue along his, making him smirk against my mouth.

"I set the alarm for you," he whispers, looking pleased when he pulls back. He runs the back of his fingers over my stomach and the underside of my breasts. "It should give you enough time to go back to your room to change and grab what you need."

"Thank you," I whisper, still sounding breathless.

I give him a little smile and he leans down to kiss me one last time. I love him so much so I hold him there with my hand on the back of his neck, refusing to let him go just yet. He turns off the lights before leaving and I roll on my side to fall back asleep with a very uncomfortable wetness between my legs.

---

XXXXXXXXX

---

I wake with a start.

I look over at the clock and realize that I slept through the alarm.

"Shoot," I whisper as I jump up and start getting dressed in the uniform and underwear I was wearing yesterday. I quickly button up my shirt and throw on my skirt. I grab my tie, my bag, my robe, and throw on the awful heels as I mentally scold myself for being so stupid.

I have no time to go back to my room now.

I go into his bathroom and I use his toothbrush to quickly get rid of the disgusting morning breath and I even use his deodorant even though it smells a little too manly but after what we did earlier I know I don't smell that great. I get my hands wet and try to do something with my hair. It's hopeless… but I braid it really quickly over my shoulder before going back to his room and grabbing my bag.

I open it to make sure I have everything I need… but I end up fumbling and everything slides out.

Text books, parchment, quills, and my inkwell hit the floor and scatter all about.

"Damnit," I say as I get down and grab a few things I'll need for the first two classes of the day. I grab a quill but my inkwell has cracked and the ink is bleeding all over the fresh parchment. Some of it even got on Draco's rug and I frowned at it. "Shit."

I pull out my wand and try a cleaning spell. The ink disappears but it still leaves a stain.

"Shit," I repeat as I stand up and look at the clock.

I have to go.

I leave the rest on the floor and run out, looking around to make sure no one saw me leave Draco's room before running towards the Great Hall. As I'm jogging up the stairs, my ankle rolls and I end up falling down. The pain is instantaneous. I whine loudly and sit down for a moment on the stairs, cussing to myself as I grab my foot. I take off the heels and glare down at them like it was their fault that my morning is going so poorly and I resist throwing them at the wall. The stairwell that I'm on ends up moving in a different direction and I squeal in frustration.

Just bloody great.

I stand up and grab my shoes, stomping up the stairs the rest of the way barefoot as I try not to limp. I end up in a hallway I don't want to be in and I have to wait for the stairs to move again before I can get back to where I need to go. It's taking forever. Damnit.

"Ginny?"

I close my eyes when I hear that voice and then turn around to give Harry a fake, sunny smile.

"Hey!" Why is my voice so damn chirpy?

I turn back around and put on my robe, trying to ignore him as he walks towards me.

"Are you alright?" he asks, his voice full of sleep and his hair messier than usual as I put down my bag. I'm guessing he just woke up too.

"I'm fine," I say quietly as I glance at the stairs. Students are walking from the Great Hall to get to their first class. "Just running late."

"Me too," he says and when I glance at him, he gives me a little half smile.

He's not wearing his robe and his shirt is untucked. His tie is loose around his neck and I start tying mine as he looks over my face.

"Goodbye," I say, giving him a quick smile as I slip the awful heels back on.

I grab my bag and I turn to walk away as I tuck in my shirt.

"Wait."

"I'm already running late," I say, not turning around… but I do stop. "I want to grab some food."

"Ginny, can we please just talk for a minute?"

He sounds sad again.

I make a face before turning around to face him, finding him standing a lot closer than before. He's never wanted to talk to me before… Why would it be any different now? Draco is going to kill me… but I can't just walk away from him right now. How could I when he is looking at me like that?

"What is it?" I ask, trying to act like I don't care as I open my bag to make sure all my stuff is packed.

It's not. I know it's not but at least I grabbed my wand.

"Will you at least look at me?"

I glanced up at him, surprised by his words and his tone of voice. Like my brother, Harry was no longer the boy I knew. Whatever they were doing this summer had changed him… changed them all… and I wondered if he could see the changes I have been through as well.

"I feel like you've been avoiding me."

I have, but he didn't need to know that. He's never really wanted to talk to me before so I'm not sure why he's looking at me like I had done something bad to him.

"I've been avoiding a lot of people," I admit to soften the blow. It wasn't like Harry was a big staple in my life before. It was easy to not be around him when he never wanted to be around me. "Everyone seems to be mad at me."

"Not mad," he says gently. "It's just hard to understand."

He doesn't say anything else and I look over his face, trying to read his expression. He has something white on his jaw close to his ear and I tilt my head.

"What is that on your face?" I ask, taking a step closer. He blushes and lifts his hand to his cheek. I realize just coming out and asking that is kind of tactless. "I'm sorry," I say quickly because I don't want him to be embarrassed. "It's on the other side… There's something…" He keeps on missing it so I step forward and wipe it off myself. I realize what it is before wiping it off on my robe and I smile a little. "Did you shave this morning?"

"Oh," he wipes his face again to make sure it's all gone and he smiles his little boy smile that is so endearing. "Yeah. Your brother had to teach me how, as funny as that is."

I didn't really think that was funny. I thought that was sad because Harry didn't have a father figure in his life to take those steps with him.

"Well, you did a good job," I say, not realizing Harry could grow enough facial hair to shave off.

"Thank you," he says, giving me a proud little smile. "And you…" he looks down at my shirt and I glare for a moment thinking he's looking at my chest… but Harry isn't like that…. "You did not button your shirt correctly."

I look down.

"Oh."

I did mess it all up and now it's my turn to blush.

I turn around and unbutton it quickly. I left my tank top on Draco's floor so I try to straighten the shirt and button it correctly without my bra showing. When I'm satisfied, I turn back to him.

"We are just a mess," I joke, smiling a little as I tuck in my shirt. "Aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are," he says with a lopsided smile. "But you still look nice. Which is more than can be said for me," he sighs as he messes with his hair.

"You look nice," I whisper and he looks at me in such a strange way that I feel like I did something I shouldn't have.

"Thank you," he says seriously.

There was no smug smile or little smirk. He was so different from Draco.

Why did he always have to be so kind? Why couldn't he be like Ron and rage at me so it would be easier to dismiss him and be mean? I look away for a moment, knowing I should keep my word to Draco and walk away… but when I look at Harry again… at his handsome face that my little girl's heart was so determined to love… I feel guilty for wanting to leave him.

"Look… what Draco said… that thing about your mum… That was wrong," I say because I don't want him thinking that I agree with the cruel things Draco can do. I wanted him to think I was kind too. "I'm sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize for him," he says, his eyes slightly narrowed. "He's not a good person, Ginny," he says flatly, like his anger was shifting to me for a moment before he thinks better of it.

As strange as it is, anger made Harry more confident and he seemed to stand taller. He wasn't as tall as Draco, but he was getting there and I looked up at him, trying to understand what was happening between us. I wanted to defend Draco… Tell Harry just how wonderful Draco could be… but I'm angry that no one trusts me enough to know what I want.

"I can make my own decisions," I tell him.

"I know that."

"I'm not an idiot."

"I didn't say you were."

"And it's not so far-fetched that someone like Draco would like me," I say flatly. "I'm a likable person."

"I know you are."

"And…" What did he just say? Did he just agree I was likable? "And…" I continue. "You know, just because he's with me doesn't mean there's some ulterior motive for it. It's not to hurt you or to hurt Ron…. or whatever other reason people think. I am great to be around. I am… well… I am good at flying and I am funny sometimes… and… people like to be around me…and…. "

Why was it so hard to come up with reasons why Draco may like me? What is wrong with me? Why was my list of good traits so damn short and weird? I am good at flying? Really? That's the first thing I can come up with? I am such an idiot.

"I know," he says quickly. "I know all those things. Of course he wants to be with you. Why wouldn't he? Malfoy wanting you is not the unbelievable part," he says and there is some kind of emotion in his voice… like he had been keeping something in and it was finally all spilling over. "The unbelievable part is you wanting him. You are way too good for him, Ginny."

I stare at him, trying to understand something I don't think I want to understand at all.

"You don't know him like I do," I say flatly. "You don't even know me."

"I know him, Ginny," he says, now he's angry and that confidence is back. "I've known him longer than you have…. And of course I know you," he says and the way he is looking at me… I take a step back and shake my head. "That's why this is all so bloody hard. It's been hard on me for a while," he admits uncomfortably. "But at least when you were with Dean I knew he was a decent enough bloke. This… this is just killing me."

I shake my head again. This was so unfair.

"What are you doing, Harry?" I ask, exasperated

"Do you really not know?" he asks gently.

I had wanted to be with him for so long and now he decided it was time when I was already too far gone. The first class bell hadn't even rang yet and my body was already full of Draco Malfoy just like he likes it to be… because I was his now and I never had the chance to be Harry's because he never wanted it when I did. It was already too late and it wasn't fair of him to do this to me now.

"I'm sorry," I say, turning around to go back to the stairs. I can hear the tell tale creak of the magic and I know they are going to shift back. "I have to go."

I can feel him staring at me as I walk away but then I make a noise when he jumps on the moving staircase right beside me as it starts swinging to the right.

"I'll come too," he says.

I ignore him and look straight ahead as he settles beside me, so close that his hand brushes mine when he moves. I pull away violently, not wanting a repeat of what happened our first night. We wait for the staircase to change back to the main hallway and I step off without even looking at him when it settles in place. That does not seem to deter him and he walks close by my side.

"What are you doing?" I ask, sparing him an annoyed glance.

"Hoping to grab some breakfast," he says with a small smile on his face like he thought he was so funny.

I do not want to walk in and have people see him so close to me. I don't want Draco to see when he already told me that I shouldn't be talking to him alone like this… and apparently with good reason, I am now finding out.

"Maybe we can talk later," I say, just to give him something as I stop in front of the doors to the hall.

Go away now.

He smiles a little. I don't know why. I feel so uncomfortable and I'm sure it's written all over my face.

"Okay," he says, his green eyes settling on my lips.

No, none of that.

I turn away quickly and spin completely around when I hear someone say my name. I look towards the stairs to see Draco coming into the hall with Pansy and Blaise on either side of him. I walk towards them quickly, trying not to look guilty. They all look quite annoyed, honestly, and behind them are a few other prefects from the other houses and grades. I stop and let him walk towards me, ignoring the way my stomach is clenching.

"Our meeting ran late," Draco says, getting close and letting his eyes flick all over me like he just realized I hadn't been where he thought I should be. "Did you just wake up?"

"I slept through the alarm."

"Oh," he says with a little smile. "Did I wear you out?" he whispers with a sinful smile. "It looks like we both will miss breakfast, then."

"I'm sorry."

He gives me a funny kind of look and then he glances behind me. His stance becomes more rigid and he stands straight. He reaches out to grab my arm, letting it slide down and move to my waist where he grips a little more tightly than he should.

"I see," he says, like he just realized something was amiss and he narrows his eyes at me for a moment before looking back over my head where I am sure Harry is standing. He bends down and he kisses me. I let him even though I know what he's doing and I inhale a sharp breath when he deepens the kiss in a way that is not okay to do in the hallways out in the open where any teacher could see. "Now," he whispers, pulling back and tilting his head. "I will walk you to class."

He takes my bag and sends one more look over my shoulder before taking my hand and turning us to walk the opposite way. I can't even look back knowing what I'll find there.

He doesn't say anything as he leads us down the hall and I don't even try to talk to him. When we get to the Charms classroom, he pulls me around the corner and presses me into the wall. He stares me down, making me feel so small and helpless for a moment.

"Are you going to let me see?" he asks.

"See what?"

"Don't do that," he says, shaking his head. "You know what I'm asking."

"Nothing happened," I say, looking at his throat.

"Then I guess you won't mind if I just have a peek."

I don't say anything. With a loud sigh he brings his hand up to my face and then I feel that piercing blade as he digs into my mind. He watches the entire exchange like he was flipping through a book. He keeps going back to the moment I wiped the shaving cream off of Harry's jaw and when he pulls out, I feel a single tear slip down my cheek from the pain.

He brushes it away with his thumb.

He doesn't say anything right away. He just stares down at me and then he props his hand on the wall by my head. He's breathing a little heavier, but his face gives away nothing as he looks at his hand that's against the wall, narrowing his eyes slightly before looking down at me.

"Fix your tie," he says flatly.

I bring my hands up, tightening it to my throat.

"Tuck in your shirt correctly." I look down, not knowing what he means but then I realize that I did do a pretty shoddy job. It looks sloppy and puffy in some places so I untuck it and try again. "I think you know how I feel right now, don't you?"

I nod my head, feeling guilty even though I didn't actually do anything wrong. I thought I handled myself pretty well considering….

He stares at me some more and then he reaches down and pushes my robe aside so he can bunch up my skirt, his fingers moving gently up my thigh. I inhale a shaky breath.

"Your legs shouldn't be bare," he says and I can feel his warm breath against my ear when he bends down. "It's not ladylike, you know. You will start wearing tights with your uniform everyday."

I swallow hard as he runs his cheek along mine. He smells so good. I love his cologne and the smell of his shampoo.

"Draco–"

"Be quiet," he says sharply and I blink up at him in surprise. "I love you," he says, adding a kiss to my cheek like he wanted to soften the blow of his demand and he smiles a little as I try to read him… trying to understand if he's serious or if this was one of those sexy things he likes to do. "You are going to start waking up at a decent time and meeting me for breakfast at seven." Seven? That is so early. "You will be dressed. You will be ready for the day and you will greet me with a smile." I must be making a face because he glares. "You are going to listen to me on this, Ginny."

There is a heavy pause and I nod my head just so he'll let up. I don't really want to cause a scene over it and I'm starting to get so turned on by his voice.

"Good," he says, before tilting his head and kissing me gently. "Now, you are going to sit with the girls from my house." He nods his head, leaving no room for argument. "You are going to be good. You are going to be friendly. You are going to pay attention to your professor and you are going to tell me if anyone upsets you for any reason. Yes?"

"Yes." I say, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

He smiles his handsome smile and I can't help but smile back a little, pleased that he's not angry with me. I reach out and grab his belt buckle, pulling him to me for a quick kiss that makes him smirk. He runs his middle finger down my profile before he takes my hand and walks me to the door of the classroom- basically handing me off to Astoria Greengrass and Ivy Parkinson like I was some prisoner of war with a significant look that tells me he was only half joking when he was talking to me. I sit with them towards the back of the room with my legs and arms crossed as Flitwick stands on his little podium to give his lecture on a drought making charm.

"Are you okay?" I turn to Astoria as she leans over to whisper to me as I slip off the terrible heels and hide them under the desk. "You look a little… um…"

"I overslept," I say flatly, looking down at the desk and running my eyes along the ancient grooves in the wood.

I hope no one heard how bossy he was being. It's one thing for him to say it to me… It was another thing for people to hear him say stuff like that.

"Malfoy didn't seem too happy when he was dragging you down here," Ivy says, looking at me from the corner of her eyes. Of course, Ivy is a prefect and was right there for the odd greeting in front of the Great Hall. "It's not great when he's unhappy with you, is it?" she asks shortly like she was remembering something unpleasant.

Well, I guess she is.

"He's not unhappy with me," I say carefully, not looking at her. "We're fine."

Flitwick tells us to quiet down and I reach in my bag to take out some parchment and a quill to take notes… but then I realize I don't have any. It all fell out in my haste to get out of Draco's room and my quill tip is broken.

"Here," Astoria hands me some paper and one of her purple feathered quills. "You can borrow some of mine."

"Thanks," I whisper, taking it from her with a tight smile.

I huddle over the desk to take notes and I write down everything Flitwick says, even when he gets off track and starts talking about the strange rain clouds hovering outside.

When class is over, I hand Astoria her quill with a tense smile and then I put my notes in my bag before slipping on the heels.

I walk out of the classroom, but find myself flanked on each side by Astoria and Ivy. I stop walking for a moment and look at them. I shake it off and start walking again only to find them still following me.

"What are you doing?" I ask sharply, rounding on them. "I have Transfiguration next with Hufflepuff. I don't know where you guys need to be."

"We'll walk you," Astoria says, not nearly as bubbly as her sister but still so much sweeter in disposition than Ivy who is looking at me so coldly.

"That's not necessary."

"Oh, yes it is," Ivy says flatly like none of us have a choice in the matter. "Just go along with it, Weasley. Save us all a lecture, please."

We walk in silence until we get to the Transfiguration classroom and I glare as I turn to face them.

"Well, I have been safely delivered."

Ivy rolls her eyes but Astoria watches me for a moment.

"If you just go along with it- it would be much easier," she whispers. "You don't have to fight it. He loves you so very much, you know."

I make a face at that. How would she know anything?

She walks off and I turn to go into the classroom but Ivy says my name so I give her a curious look.

"Look," she says as she opens her bag. "I know we wear the same size shoe," she says as she pulls out a pair of black heels. They have a thicker heel and are not nearly as high as the ones I keep wearing that are literally killing me everyday. "I know you're uncomfortable," she says, for a moment her voice is gentle and it catches me off guard. "I can see you taking them off all the time."

She hands me the heels that have a little mary-jane buckle across the bridge. I give her a suspicious look, remembering how mean she had been to me at Zabini's house over the summer. Her words still haunt me sometimes… and I'm not sure they will ever go away.

"I think these will pass my sister's inspection. She can be a real bitch sometimes."

"You don't have to give me these," I say, feeling weird about it.

"I know," she says flatly. "But I am… So you're welcome."

"Thanks," I say, slipping off the three inch pumps and slipping on Ivy's heels that are so much more comfortable. I actually sigh out loud. "Thank you," I whisper again, this time I really mean it. "I can... Do you want these back? Or can I give you money or something?"

"Weasley," she sighs. "You are something else, aren't you?"

"What does that mean?"

She doesn't answer, she just walks off. I watch her go, a bit baffled by her actions before I pick up Pansy's heels to stuff in my bag. I go into the classroom and I find a spot to sit by myself towards the back… but Romilda Vane decides to sit beside me and she starts chattering my ear off about boys, and classes, and how lucky I am to have such a handsome, rich boyfriend. For some reason I think of Harry… how green his eyes are and how he's been looking at me recently. He wouldn't go on little power trips like Draco does. He would be sweet and gentle and maybe even a little bumbling at times…. But would I even like that anymore?

I don't know.

I look down at the new heels, smiling a little to myself because I don't feel like cutting off my feet in them.

I put my chin in my hand and daydream about everything and then nothing at all as I look outside the window. The new Transfiguration professor is an old man named Professor Browning who prefers to lecture and read outloud from a text than use his wand. He's short and bald- with a lot of hair coming out of his nose and ears. He kind of looks like a sprouted potato… He speaks quietly and he's boring and I hate everything about him, I've decided. It's almost disrespectful to see him standing where McGonagall once stood. I'm reminded again that I miss her and I hope she's okay… wherever she might be.

Now I feel bad for a whole other reason.

I sit with Draco at lunch and let the conversation move around as he keeps his hand on my thigh, gently squeezing every now and then. I can feel eyes on me and I try not to look up… but the one time that I do manage it, I find Harry staring at me from across the hall. I blush and abruptly look away only to feel Draco digging his fingers so hard into my thigh that I feel like he's trying to leave a mark.

"That hurts," I whisper, sparing him a little look.

"Does it?" he asks, not looking at me as he takes a drink from his cup.

"Draco," I put my hand on top of his. "Stop it."

He loosens his grip and gently strokes my thigh.

"Forgive me," he says, taking my hand and pressing his lips to my knuckles. "I'm a little on edge."

Now I feel bad for him because I know how he can get. I bring my hand up to his neck and run my fingers through his hair like he likes and when he glances at me, I give him a little smile.

"It's okay."

After lunch I have ancient runes and then after that I have muggle studies which Draco thinks is a waste of time and told me so in his not so pleasant voice. By the end of the day I feel exhausted but at least my feet don't hurt anymore. So there is that. I will have to thank Ivy again.. Which is something I never thought I would ever do.

Draco is waiting for me in the hall and he greets me with a kiss. I smile against his lips and then we walk hand and hand to his room so I can gather my things as people watch us and whisper and wonder. I look over at the Head Girl's room across the hall as he opens his door with a whispered password.

When we get inside, I take off my robe and throw it over the desk chair before going to use his bathroom. It's nice, I suppose. It's stone walled like the rest of his room, but it has white tiles around the shower and sink that brightens it all up. I wash my hands after I'm done and I dry them on my skirt as I come back out… only to find Draco standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed.

"Jesus, Ginny," Draco says sharply as he looks around. "You made my room a fucking mess."

"I was in a hurry," I say with a frown as I take off my tie.

"That's no excuse," he says, turning to me fully. I notice the way he's looking at me…and it sends a pulse right between my thighs when I realize what he wants to play. "You're going to clean it."

"I don't think we have time for that."

He starts unbuckling his belt, his darkened eyes never once leaving mine.

"You're going listen to me, Ginny," he says as he sits down on his bed and unbuttons his trousers. A thrill goes through me and I shift my legs, pressing them together. "Come here first," he orders and I hide a smile before walking towards him.

He puts his hand behind my right knee and lifts it up so that my foot is on his thigh. He unbuckles the strap over my arch and then pops the shoe off. He sets my foot back down on the floor and then he does the same to the other side as I watch his handsome face look so serious and determined.

"Where did you get these shoes?" he asks as he unbuckles the strap.

"Ivy gave them to me," I whisper as he slides the shoes off and places it next to the other on the ground.

He nods his head and then leans forward to kiss my knee before letting my foot rest back on the floor. His eyes flick up to mine as he untucks my shirt and starts to unbutton it, pushing it open to reveal the same bra I was wearing yesterday. I smile at him as he runs his hands up the curve of my waist and I have to wonder how this game is going to go. In my room it was easy enough.

He would come over and find some clothing on the floor… or my brush in the wrong spot… or even dust on my dresser and he'd sit back on my bed and make me clean it all in front of him until he was satisfied with his hand in his pants as he watched me, gently stroking himself as I did the things he told me to do and said the things he told me to say. Then he'd finally tell me to stop as he looked at me with darkened, satisfied eyes before yanking me back on his lap to reward me… or punish me.

I haven't actually figured that part out yet.

I just know it feels good.

Sometimes I could hear Theodore Nott's voice in my head because sometimes it was so fitting.

Is Daddy disappointed?

He is always disappointed when we play this game and he would make me look at my reflection in the mirror as he fingered me. He would say such naughty things into the shell of ear about how I liked it- because I did- and how I was wet -because I was- and that my room had better be clean the next time he came even though we both knew it wouldn't be.

"Now," he says as he sits back and I shake out of my thoughts. I wet my lower lip as I watch him put his hand inside his trousers. We haven't played this game since we started having sex and I don't know what it's going to look like now. "Get down on the floor and pick up all your books and papers first."

I hesitate a second.

"Do as you're told," he demands, giving me a narrowed eyed glare. "Clean it up."

I get down on my knees and gather up the papers and books that I left scattered on the rug in my haste to leave this morning. I can feel him watching me and it makes me blush. I try to do a good job because I know he'll make me do it again if I don't.

"It's really disrespectful to leave my room this way, Ginny," he says as he watches me put my papers in a pile before moving to the two books I put on the ground. I shift my legs uncomfortably as I feel my own arousal between my legs. "You know how I like to keep my space and it is not like this."

"I know," I whisper with a sigh.

"Do you?"

I nod my head. I did know, of course. He is such a neat freak and that has nothing to do with our sex game.

"Maybe you should apologize." I look up at him and he raises an eyebrow. "Unless you think you don't need to."

I bite my lower lip and decide if I should.

"I'm sorry," I say, not meaning it but willing to play along. "I won't do it again."

"Hm," he says, his eyes flicking down to my opened shirt. "I don't know if I believe that."

I don't say anything. I'm very aware of his eyes on me as I grab my bag to put my things away, feeling excited by what's going to happen next. I have that almost cold feeling again that I get when I'm nervous but so incredibly turned on by him.

"Don't just stuff them in your bag," he chastises, sounding annoyed. "I hate how fucking messy you are."

I give him a look and he gives me one right back.

"Do it correctly." I take everything out of my bag and put it all back in a more organized manner to please him. I glance his way again to see his cheeks are flushed and his eyes are getting darker as his hand moves inside his pants. "Good girl," he whispers. "Now, pick up the clothes you left on the floor."

I go over to the shirt and boxers I had borrowed from him that I had left on the floor by the bed. I pick them up and put them in the basket by the bathroom door and then I grab my tank top, placing it on the desk with my robe.

"Your clothes are dirty too," he says, sounding a little more breathless as he strokes himself. "Take them off."

I take off the shirt easily enough. I fold it up to put it on his desk and then I unzip my skirt, letting it fall to the ground and stepping out of it before kicking it by the chair.

He tsks his tongue.

"That's not where it goes."

I pick it up and fold it to place it with my shirt as another pleasant shiver runs through my body because of how good he looks sitting there… staring at me.

"There you go," he whispers. "You left a quill under my desk," he says and I watch his throat as he swallows hard. "Pick it up."

I hesitate again.

"Pick it up," he says sharply, annoyed once more… but he looks so sexy I can't be angry at him for it.

I get down on my knees and peek under his desk looking for the quill. I don't see it right away. I get down on all fours and look underneath- completely aware of the view I am giving him as I try to find what he was talking about…. but I freeze when I feel hands on my hips. I can hear his heavy breathing as he lowers my knickers to my knees. I'm sure he can see how wet I am because I feel completely soaked.

"I'm disappointed in you, Ginny," he whispers. I smile a little because he is always disappointed. His hand runs up my back and he gently grabs my neck. "You are not going to do this again."

He doesn't even bother with his fingers, he just pushes inside and I steady myself on my forearms because I've never been in this position before.

"I'm going to go eat dinner after this," he whispers as he rams into me. One hand still on my neck and one gripping my hip. I gasp after a particularly hard thrust and then put my head down on my arms. "You are going to stay here and finish cleaning. I want my bed made and my floor clean, do you understand?"

"Yes," I whisper in a small voice just because he feels so good and his voice is so deep. He finds a steady rhythm and I clench my fists, wishing I had something to hold onto.

"You will never leave my room like this again, do you understand?"

"Yes," I whisper again, biting the corner of my lip because this angle feels so new and different.

This was such a strange position. I liked seeing him and touching him… but this one made me feel… something. It feels more animalistic and my breasts move with each of his thrusts in a way I am not sure I like… but it feels sexy and I wonder what he thinks of his view. I get up on my hands and he grabs my waist, using his strength to move my body against his. I look up and then back at the floor under the desk.

I don't think there's a damn quill under there at all.

"You know what else you're not going to do?" he asks, his hands gripping my waist a little too tight. "You are not going to talk to fucking Harry Potter again."

I don't say yes to that right away and he brings his hand up to thread his fingers into my hair. He tugs and adds a hard thrust.

"Yes?"

"Yes," I whisper, figuring this is part of the game as a shock of excitement goes through me because I love it when he uses that voice even if he does say ridiculous things.

"You had better hope I don't see what I saw today again," he says darkly and my body responds to it as my lips part. "I'm serious, Ginny," he says, leaning on my back. His right arm wraps around me and he uses his clever fingers to rub me between the legs. "I'm dead serious."

I can't even reply to that because my orgasm comes so quickly it takes me by surprise.

I make a weird little noise and clench my teeth together as I reach out and grab the leg of his desk just to have something to hold onto. He grabs my waist and then presses one hand on my back as he continues to plow into me with so much force that it surprises me and I have to hold myself in place so I don't fall forward. He's making strangled little noises in the back of his throat and I close my eyes, waiting for him to be done so I can turn around to kiss him. My whole body is moving with his forcefulness and he starts talking again. Telling me that if he says something then I better start listening and that I piss him off when I clearly disobey him. I resist telling him to shut up because he seems to be into whatever he's doing.

"Here," he says breathlessly. "Here," is all he says before he slams into me one last time and finally finishes.

He falls partially on my back, breathing heavily against my neck and running a hand down my side.

"I'll bring you something back to eat," he says breathlessly, kissing my shoulder before pulling out.

"Was there even a quill down here?" I ask suspiciously as he stands and I turn around to look up at him.

He smirks and helps me to my feet, pulling me into a tight hug before kissing me sweetly.

"I might have been mistaken," he says, running his nose along mine before stepping back and buckling up his pants. I notice he kept all his clothes on and I stare at him as I pull up my knickers.

"You're really not going to let me come to dinner?" I pout.

"Well, I can't stop you," he says, smiling down at me. He's sweating a bit and his cheeks are still pink. "But someone has to make my bed."

"You're just going to mess it up again in a few hours," I say, rolling my eyes.

I have never understood why people make their bed each day.

"I make my bed every morning, Ginny," he says, so seriously I can't even laugh at him. "The only reason I didn't today was because you were in it."

"I bet you use magic," I say, frowning at him.

"I do," he smirks. "Maybe one day I'll teach you the spell. Until then…" I roll my eyes. "You're just going to have to rough it."

I exhale slowly and step closer to hug him because I'm getting cold.

"I'll like it," he says, running his lips over the top of my head as his hand dances down my back. "You, waiting here for me while I'm out there. Will that turn you on too?" he asks, tilting his head to see my expression. "Waiting here for me?"

"Wouldn't it be sexy to actually have me sitting with you during dinner?" I offer because I am hungry.

"So Potter can eye fuck you some more? No, thank you."

I look up at him, surprised by the venom in his voice. That strange anger was back- that dead eyed coldness. I know Harry is a sore spot and I don't want him to feel bad about me talking to him today. I sigh loudly as I circle my arms around his neck, curling on my toes and pressing my chest to his.

"Do you promise to bring me food?"

He smirks and locks his hands behind my back to keep me in place.

"Of course."

"What about a drink? You can't just be carrying a goblet around the hallways."

"I'll figure it out," he says, kissing my forehead. "I'll be back soon."

I watch him leave with a frown. Sometimes I can't figure out where the line between our sexy game ends and his controlling nature starts… but I like it most of the time, I guess. I cross my arms and look around his room before realizing I'm just standing in my underwear. I put my uniform back on and leave it unbuttoned as I pick up his stupid room and then I go over to make his bed. I'm not very good at it but I pull the covers tight and tuck it like I know he prefers.

I can never make it look perfect, though, which he feels the need to tell me every time.

I think I'll look up that bed making spell myself.

When I'm done with that, I take out one of my text books and lay down on top of the bed to read some chapters that were assigned. I resist looking at the clock as I flick through the pages. Not really seeing anything because I don't want to do homework but there's nothing else to do in here. I resist going through all his stuff even though a part of me wants to and I end up just laying down on my stomach with my head on my arms as I daydream about stupid stuff like playing Quidditch for the Holyhead Harpies… and meeting Elle Lyons…. But it's just so boring and he is taking so long.

I hop up and go over to his wardrobe, a big gray wooden thing. How nice that he gets to hang his clothes when everyone else has to bunch up their things in a trunk all year. I run my fingers over his fine clothes that are so nicely organized by style and color. The expensive jumpers and smooth dress shirts… his polos and henleys that got me so hot and bothered this summer….I pause when I get to his school robes. I have only one. He has seven. I dance my fingers over the Slytherin crest and suck on my lower lip like I've seen Draco do so many times before.

My Ginevra….

I close my eyes at Tom's voice and drop my hand. The Slytherin robes look the same hanging in Draco's closet just like they did when they were hanging off Tom Riddle's handsome frame.

Why must you always disappoint me…

I slam the wardrobe shut and go over to the love seat, sitting up on my knees to look out the window. His room faces the greenhouse and I start biting my nails as I glare out at the grounds- trying to stuff Tom and his deep voice into one of the colorful boxes in my mind… but he won't go in. He doesn't fit anymore. He's gotten too big.

I slump back and draw my knees up to my chest as I try to resist scratching my thighs… but when I hear Tom again…. laughing that cruel laugh of his… I sit up straight and hike up my skirt so I can run my nails over my skin.

It makes me feel better.

My mind drifts to the article that was in The Daily Prophet. I try to put the pieces together and I try to understand the relationship Draco has with his friends. It's so odd. I know I do what Draco says because it's sexy and I like to sometimes… but his friends? I doubt Blaise does what he wants because it turns him on…. And everyone else? Why are they so afraid of him? It's not like he's the Dark Lord but he does seem to have some kind of strange hold over them.

I just don't understand it. Sure he could be scary sometimes but I don't see how so many people could just defer to him like they do. Harry doesn't even command that much loyalty and he's been saving people since he was a baby.

I worry about it all as I scratch my skin but I stop when the door opens. I smile at Draco when he walks in… but I let my face fall when I realize he doesn't have anything in his hands.

He laughs.

"Calm down," he says, shutting the door behind him and lifting his wand. He does a spell I don't know and a plate with food appears on his desk… along with a goblet full of pumpkin juice. "Well?" He watches me with twinkling eyes, looking so incredibly pleased. "Are you going to eat?"

I go to him first, hugging him and letting him lightly lift me off the ground before giving him a kiss. He pulls back and looks over my face. I smile for him before going to his desk and sitting down. It's shepherd's pie with roasted vegetables and some kind of bean salad. Not my favorite- but it will do.

"How was dinner?" I ask as I eat, turning in the chair so I can see him.

He inspects the bed before grabbing a book and going over to the loveseat under the window.

"You are so bad at making beds," he says, shaking his head with a little smile. "Dinner was fine. Your brother glared at me the entire time."

I drink the pumpkin juice and try to ignore the guilty way that makes me feel.

"Did anything interesting happen?" I ask, giving him a curious look.

"No," he says, inhaling deeply. I frown and sit back when I realize he isn't going to talk to me much about it.

I turn back to the table and start eating.

"I thought about you the whole time," he says after a few quiet moments when he notices my disappointed pout. "Thank you for staying here. It made me very happy."

I give him a little smile back.

He goes back to reading. I go back to eating. When I finish, I stand up and start gathering my things.

"Where are you going?"

"I can't stay here another night," I say, not wanting to push it and get caught. "I have to go get clothes and my school stuff for tomorrow."

"I suppose that makes sense," he says with a sigh. "I should walk you."

He puts a bookmark between the pages, but I go to him before he can get up. I push him back down and kiss him as I prop my right leg up on the couch beside his body to halfway straddle him.

"I know the way," I whisper against his mouth. "Now, you stay here," I joke, copying the way he speaks. "You do not leave this room the rest of the night. Yes?"

He smiles and runs his hand up my calf.

"Yes," he whispers, his hand moving up my thigh that is still burning from scratching it so hard. He notices the red lines and tilts his head as he lifts my skirt up to get a better look. "Maybe I should make you stay again," he says, running his fingers over the lines before leaning forward to kiss them "I like knowing what you're doing."

I give him a little smirk and lean down to give him a lingering kiss on the lips.

"I need to sleep in my own bed tonight," I whisper as I run my fingers through his hair, making it stick up at the top.

He nods his head, looking adorable, and then he stares at me for a long while. I stare right back and something heavy passes between us that makes my heart speed up. His hand is gently stroking the back of my leg and he looks down for a thoughtful moment.

"Ginny," he says, looking up at me again. "I trust you, yeah?" I nod my head. "Don't make me regret that."

I know why he said that. He's sending me back to Gryffindor tower where he knows Harry will be and I had already mucked that up our first night here.

"We took that oath," I whisper, looking over his face as I run my fingers through his hair again. "I promise to be faithful… I promise to be yours. Remember?" He nods his head, his eyes on my lips. "You don't have to worry."

"There are more ways to be unfaithful than just touching inappropriately, Ginny," he says, narrowing his eyes at me. "You know that, don't you?"

I guess I do.

"You can trust me, Draco," I say, looking into his eyes and wanting him to believe me because I mean it. I lean down and kiss him again. "I'll see you in the morning," I say, putting my bag over my shoulder and stepping away from him.

"At seven." He says as he opens his book again. I make a face as I slip on my shoes. That is too early. "Ginny."

"Fine," I whisper. "At seven."

I take my time going to Gryffindor Tower because I'm nervous. I'm nervous to face what might be waiting for me there. Things have started to get uncomfortable and it was only a matter of time before it all boiled over. I could feel the tension everywhere around me and I knew the confrontation with my brother was overdue… but I was not looking forward to it going down any time soon… and what if Harry tried to talk to me again?

I shake my head and give the fat lady the password before going through the portrait hole. There are a lot of people still hanging about the common room. Dean and Seamus are playing chess in the corner, yelling and ribbing one another. Dean sees me and gives me a little head nod in greeting. I give him a small smile in return. My brother is nowhere in sight and neither is Harry so I sigh in relief. I just need to go to my room. That's what I need to do. I start walking that way and when I get to the stairs I hear someone call my name. I turn around to find Romilda Vane and Liza, our other roommate, standing behind me with strange little smiles on their faces.

"Yeah?" I ask carefully.

"Why don't you come sit with us?" Romilda says, nodding over to one of the couches where Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil are sitting in front of the fire. "You never hang out with us."

I almost say no. I know I should just run up to my room and hide the rest of the night… but I don't like that I don't have any friends…. I don't like that when Draco asked me who I wanted to sit by- I didn't even have one person to say. I don't even have anyone to talk to about what happened with Harry this morning because I know what Pansy and Daphne would do and it would all be about Draco.

I look around again. Maybe it would be safe. My brother isn't here and everyone is so involved in themselves…

"Okay," I say softly, nodding my head. "Let me go change."

I have got to change my underwear. I just have to.

I run upstairs and put my bag down. I change into a fresh pair of knickers and comfy leggings that already have a small hole in the crotch but no one will be able to see it. I grab that old quidditch jersey of Bill's and I pull it over my head as I try not to talk myself out of hanging out with those girls. I've never liked them before. Lavender and Romilda are the worst, honestly… but I need friends. I need them and I can suffer through some gossip for it. I put my hair up in a high ponytail and I can smell the deodorant I put on this morning and I smile because it smells so much like Draco.

I hesitate one second before leaving the room.

Yes.

This will be good.

I will make friends.

I sit down by Romilda in front of the fire and listen to them gossip for a bit. They know a lot about what's going on in the castle. Who is snogging who and who is getting fingered by the quidditch stands… Lavender starts talking about having a crush on Dean and then for some reason all of them look at me.

"What?" I ask, furrowing my brows.

"I mean, doesn't that bother you?" Romilda asks, glancing at that idiot Lavender as she eyes me coolly. "Since you were with Dean for so long?"

"Oh," I shake my head. "No. We weren't that serious or anything." I look at Lavender as she curls a strand of her long sandy hair around her finger. I remember her being with my brother and being an absolute psychopath… so I wish Dean all the best. "He's all yours."

"I mean, you dated Dean for like a year," Lavender says, narrowing her eyes at me and I shift uncomfortably. "Did you…."

"Did I what?" I ask, flicking my eyes to the other girls.

"I mean, you didn't sleep with him, did you?"

"What?" My fale pales. "No. I just said we weren't serious. We didn't do anything like that… anything close to that…"

Why am I talking so fast?

"No?" Lavender asks skeptically and then she looks at Romilda who gives her a funny little smirk. "You're with Draco Malfoy now, right?"

"He is my boyfriend," I admit, looking down at my knees and picking at the seam along my leggings.

"Are you serious with him?" Romilda asks as she leans forward.

I look at her, trying to figure out her meaning and why her voice sounds so strange.

"Very serious, I think." Lavender adds.

What are they doing? They are all looking at me again and now I realize what this is. It's a girl ambush and I walked right into it.

"Yeah," I whisper. "We're serious."

"Do you love him?" Lavender asks and I nod my head. I'm not going to lie about that. I am not embarrassed that I love him. I cross my arms and lean back into the couch, slumping down. So much for making friends. I'm so stupid. "Does he say it back?"

"Yeah. He does."

"Could you imagine Draco Malfoy saying that he loves you?" Lavender smiles at the other girls around her. "I didn't think he was capable of loving anyone but himself."

"But he loves Ginny," Romilda says, her voice sounding so mean.

"Apparently he loves her very much," Liza says, throwing her braids over her shoulder and wiggling her eyebrows at Lavender.

Then they all giggle.

"I should be going to bed—"

"I didn't realize just how serious you and Draco Malfoy were," Romilda says. "I mean…" Her and Liza share a look. "Now that you're doing it with him and all."

My face falls.

"Doing what?" I ask as a blush creeps up my neck and onto my face as Lavender, Romilda, Parvati, and Liza all stare at me with the fire roaring behind them.

I knew that was going to get around and I feel embarrassed as I look down and remember what we just did before I came here. That sexy game that I think is so fun… now made me feel so dirty. I need to take a shower.

"I think you know," Romilda says and then she and Liza giggle to one another. She is terrible. "Luna Lovegood was telling everyone at dinner."

I open and close my mouth a couple times and I look around again. Only Parvati looks uncomfortable… but no. That couldn't be. Luna wouldn't do that to me.

"That's not true," I say, feeling the betrayal tasting bitter in my mouth.

"I heard her myself," Liza says. She's a larger girl who likes to wear her hair in box braids and she was wearing a pair of bright blue flannel pajamas. "I guess people overheard you talking about how much you love having sex with Malfoy during Herbology and she was trying to defend you for being a modern witch when Cho Chang and a couple of her friends were talking about it."

I didn't think I could feel any worse… but the blows just keep coming.

"None of that is true," I say. I'm so incredibly embarrassed but also angry because it wasn't any of their business.

It wasn't anyone's business.

I look around. We are in the common room and this would just be terrible if other people heard.

"At first I didn't believe it," Romilda says and I look over her shoulder when someone comes into the portrait hole. It's Harry. Just great. My heart starts to quicken and I have the urge to turn around and run right up the stairs to get away from them… but for some reason I'm stuck… like someone glued me to the couch. "You know, on account of you being such a prig last year when you dated Dean."

A prig?

"I need to go to bed."

I start to get up.

"Yeah, speaking of your bed," Romilda says, standing up as well. "Where did you sleep last night?"

My heart drops even further down… I think it's going to end up on the floor soon.

"What do you mean?"

Harry is so close now that I know he can hear what we're saying.

"You were not in your bed last night," Romilda says, looking at Liza with a sly smile.

Lavender makes a funny noise behind them… something like a fake gasp.

"Leave her alone," Parvati says with a sigh, finally gathering up some courage to help.

"We're just having girl talk," Lavender says, brushing her off. "Ginny's a big girl. She can handle it. Why weren't you in your bed last night, Ginny?"

"I was," I say, a blush creeping up my neck as my eyes flick to Harry. He's not looking at us but I just… I just know he's listening. "I just came to bed late."

"Not what Mable says," Romilda smiles again and I flick a glance to Harry, my face positively steaming now as he scratches his forehead. "She says she woke up to go to the bathroom at around three and your bed was still empty."

"Well, she must have been dreaming because I was there."

"I don't think you were," Romilda says, smiling as she flicks black hair over her shoulder. "I think I know where you were."

I don't say anything. I turn away, willing her to shut up.

"You know, Poloma saw you leaving the Head Boy's room this morning. Looking all disheveled."

They giggle at one another again. I can't tell if they actually think this is just light hearted fun or if they are actually trying to embarrass me. I've never really done anything to any of them to warrant that kind of treatment but Lavender did seem to hold a grudge against Ron for breaking up with her.

I can't look at Harry anymore….. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him again. I resist taking out my wand and I want to defend myself… and make them believe that the truth is a lie because if I walk away I know they are just going to keep talking about me and the truth will grow and everyone will know.

"I think we all know what you've been doing," Romilda says, giving me a saucy look and it makes me think of what Draco and I did in his room before dinner. The games we play and the way his sex feels… I look down and cross my arms tightly over my chest as I try to think of the best way to make this feel right again. "Makes sense the way Malfoy is always touching you–"

"You shouldn't be spreading rumors," Harry says and I look at him in surprise as he steps up behind Romilda. His eyes are hard and he stands to his full height with his arms crossed. "Ginny and I walked to the Great Hall together this morning so Poloma saw wrong," I give him a thankful look as he glares down at them. "You're blocking the fireplace," he says seriously. "You should move."

Romilda pales and looks upset and Liza looks positively mortified by the way Harry is talking to them. I smile a little bit as they scurry away and then watch Lavender and Parvati follow suit.

"Thanks for that," I say, slumping my shoulders again. "They just... You know they are annoying."

"Is that true?" he asks carefully, like he wasn't sure if he should ask. "Did you stay with him last night?"

"That's against the rules," I say, not willing to tell him if it was true or not.

"Right," he nods, willing to believe me because he is good and he is kind… and he would never make me clean his room. "You weren't at dinner."

"I had some stuff to get done," I say, thinking of how I made Draco's bed and just waited there for him… Would Harry think something like that was sexy? Probably not. "Where is Ron?" I ask to change the subject.

"He's already in bed," he answers. "He said he was tired so I just took a walk."

"I'm tired too," I say, thinking of Draco and how he trusts me. "Thanks again for… you know."

He nods.

I hesitate a second before telling him goodnight and turning to walk up stairs.…. But when he says my name, I stop and turn to him reluctantly.

He doesn't say anything. He just stares at me and I stare right back. Why is he looking at me like that?

"Don't," is all I manage to whisper before turning around and running to my room like a coward.

I pull the curtains tightly around my bed and stare up at the canopy as I ignore my awful roommates who ruined my night. Parvati comes at one point before lights out and apologizes, claiming she didn't realize that they were going to do that to me and I accept it because why not? It doesn't change anything. I shouldn't have even bothered.

When I tuck in for the night, I am so uncomfortable with myself that I flip on my stomach and scream silently in my pillow while kicking my legs. It doesn't make me feel better, but I do it anyway.

As I try to fall asleep, I see Tom sitting in the corner of my mind and he smirks when I look his way.

I make a face and try to build myself a bigger box to stuff him in. I definitely don't need him coming back to haunt me.

Tom Riddle is the last thing I need in my life right now.

---

XXXXXXXXX

---

I haven't written anything in weeks and every time I try to sit down and actually come up with something, my mind draws a blank. All I think about now is Draco. How he smiles. How he makes me feel. The clever things he says. I have decided not to worry about Harry or anyone else and to dive head first into my relationship with him. Everyone else is terrible and he is the only person who is nice to me and makes me feel like I matter so I am going to reward him for that by being steadfast like he wanted me to be.

I'm a little obsessed, honestly, but I think he is enjoying the attention.

With each thought of Draco there's an underlying feeling of unease. That look Ivy had given me had really shook me and I can't help but try to figure it all out. The cryptic things that Blaise had said, the way Daphne acts like Draco is her boss, and the looks I always get… I know it's not normal. I know it…. but how is any of that worse than what's waiting for me on the other side of things? Where my brother and his friends still disappear for days at a time and my roommates giggle behind their hands every time they see Draco show me affection.

Ugh, it hurts my brain.

I glare down at the empty page and chew on the end of my pen as I try to think of something to write. I sigh and take out the pamphlet that I have stuffed in the back of the notebook. I sit back and look at the pink Victorian house by the sea. I think I'd like to live in an old Victorian one day. They are just so beautiful. I read about the retreat again and I sigh loudly, pressing the pamphlet to my chest.

I don't have enough money yet. I am almost there… Maybe I should ask Draco. I know he would help me with it but I don't want to do that. I feel like this is something I need to do myself and if I can pick up a small seasonal job over Christmas I might just make my goal in time.

My thoughts, of course, drift to Draco again. He's such a mystery to me. I never get a straight answer from him and he always turns it around on me somehow. I know that's not the best thing to think about the person you love, but it's true. I have to be honest with myself.

Draco can spin a good story.

I look down at the page again and sigh. Unlike me, apparently.

With an irritated glare, I stuff the pamphlet back in the book and snap it shut. I look out at the lake and squint my eyes against the sun as I try not to worry too much about it. Draco has been giving me nightly Occlumency lessons that wear me out, but the nightly shags aren't so bad. I think of it with a little smile and I touch my lips with my fingers.

"Can I sit with you?"

I jump and snap my neck to the right to see Hermione approaching. It's a Sunday, so she's wearing her casual clothes. A pair of jeans, white trainers, and a pink t-shirt that has the name of her parent's business on it with a picture of cartoon tooth.

I don't answer, I just nod my head and sit forward again, trying to still my beating heart.

I scoot over as she sits beside me and we sit in silence for a while until she finally speaks. "How are you doing, Ginny?" she asks softly.

I scratch my cheek nervously and look at the lake. "I'm fine. How are you?" I ask formally. I haven't spoken to her yet. In fact, I've been avoiding her all together.

"I'm tired," she says honestly and then I glance at her from the corner of my eyes. She has her frizzy hair up in a messy bun and her eyes look dark. "It's hard," she says and then she licks her dry lips. "It's hard to go to class and try to act normal when nothing is normal."

"Do you like having your own room, though?" I ask, trying to be optimistic. "Being Head Girl and all. I thought it would be your dream come true."

"My priorities have changed," she says dryly. Another silence falls over us and I hug my notebook to my chest. "This is the only time I've seen you alone," she says, her eyes studying my profile. "You're always with those girls... or him."

She says him like Draco was some sort of deadly disease.

"Yeah," I say as I nod my head because she's right. "I came out here to be alone," I admit in a whisper as I look behind me like I thought some Slytherins would be there watching me.

I'm never alone anymore. Pansy and Daphne are always around when I'm not with Draco and the Slytherins in my grade always keep an eye on me in class. That's another concerning thing, but I try to tell myself it's just because they like me... that I'm Draco's girlfriend so it's normal... That Draco just wants them to be my friends too so I can fit in better...

A part of me knows that's complete bullshit, though.

I'm starting not to mind it either. Astoria and Ivy aren't so bad… I find them more tolerable to Romilda and my other roommates and when I told them why I was always so short with the girls from my house… I couldn't help but be pleased at the Slytherin meanness they started to throw Romilda and Liza's way. They even made Romilda cry one day which I felt a little bad about… but not bad enough to run after her when she left the potions room in tears.

"Oh," she says and then she turns her body more towards mine. "Is he... is he nice to you?"

"Is who nice to me?" I ask, knowing full well who she means.

"Malfoy... he's so mean to everyone else," she says and then she purses her lips. "Is he nice to you at least?"

"Yes," I answer truthfully. I finally look her in the eyes so I can convey what I really mean. "He is so sweet to me."

"I've noticed the way he acts towards you," she says and I raise an eyebrow. "He's always with you, leading you around and touching you... You hated it when Dean was like that."

"I know," I say because it's the truth. I shrug. "I guess I just don't notice it so much when Draco does it. It makes me feel special, I guess," I admit a dark secret to her and she furrows her brows. "Dean was just awkward about it, though... Draco seems like a gentleman when he opens doors and puts his hand on my waist."

She eyes me for a few moments before looking down at my lap.

"Did he give you that?" she asks, nodding to the bracelet on my wrist.

I nod and put my arm out so she can see it better. "He did," I say and I smile a little bit as I remember the night he gave it to me. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It looks very old," she says as she puts her fingers out to touch the dragons.

"Yes, I suppose it is," I muse as I look at the sparkling emerald eyes. "It's the nicest thing anyone has ever given me," I admit and she frowns.

"Harry told me about what happened in the common room the first night here," she says and I glance at her before looking away. "He said that when he got close to you, some kind of magic threw you back. What was that?"

"I think he was going to kiss me," I say to change the subject. "Why would he do that? He knows I'm with Draco."

She sighs loudly.

"He's liked you for a while now, Gin," she says and I shoot her a look. "He didn't know what to do about it because of your brother, but seeing you with Malfoy is just killing him." I don't say anything... I just keep looking at her. "I know Malfoy might be exciting and all that. You can rebel against your family, whatever," she shakes her head. "But, Ginny," she puts her hand on my exposed knee. I'm wearing a dress. The white one my mum made me that I actually like because it's plain and not ridiculous. Draco likes it too. He told me I looked so sweet in it before lifting it up and showing me just how sweet he thought I was. "Harry likes you. He's just been too nervous to admit it all this time."

"Why didn't he tell me sooner?" I snap and she raises her eyebrows.

I know where this is going. I am not an idiot and Harry has done just about everything but out right say it…. But it was too late. I don't even know what she wants to accomplish by telling me this.

"Well, I mean, he kind of did, Ginny," she says sharply. "You haven't even bothered to mention the letter he wrote to you."

I roll my eyes. That card was hardly a letter and the talk before breakfast doesn't really count either because he never says what he means. He is not straight forward like Draco is.

"Don't do that," she says like she was disappointed in me. "It took a lot for him to write that."

"He didn't even write anything," I snap and she tilts her head as she looks over my face.

"Really?" She says. "How can you be so dismissive? You know Harry struggles with expressing his feelings."

"I don't know that," I say flatly. "Because I don't know Harry." She knew how much I liked him. If he's 'liked me' all this time, she should have mentioned it. "Is this your scheme to get me to break up with Draco? I'm not a stupid little girl, Hermione, and this thing with my boyfriend isn't just a fling."

I stand up, so does she.

"Harry only told me he liked you that way this summer," she says and then she sighs. "But I think I've known that he's wanted you for a while... Just the way he looks at you..." she trails off. "He's my best friend and he made me promise not to say anything to anyone, especially you or Ron."

I cross my arms. I was such an idiot all this time thinking that Hermione was my best friend. God, I am so pathetic. All these people in my life that I thought were so important just don't care about me the same way I care about them. What is wrong with me? Why can't I see these painfully obvious things?

"The timing of this seems suspicious."

"Ginny, Harry likes you," she says. "Isn't that what you've always wanted? And he's so... sad all the time now. I think you'd be good for him," she says, echoing the talk I had with Daphne and that makes me uncomfortable.

It's like I'm not even real. That my feelings don't matter so much. That I'm on this planet just to comfort the people around me when they finally decide to see me. Nobody is saying that Harry or Draco would be good for me. Nobody cares whether or not I'm happy but I'm expected just to do what they want because suddenly the important men in their lives decided that they wanted me for whatever reason. Everyone thinks it's my job to submit because I am apparently nothing but an object to be had and my affection is to be given whether I like it or not… because Draco and Harry are so much more important and their wants are so much greater than mine could ever be.

I hate feeling this way.

"He needs someone to love him now. Something more than what me or Ron could give him. He has no one else."

"I love Draco," I state solidly, even though there is a little flicker in my heart over Harry. I stamp it down quickly.

I've made my choice already and it's not my job to love someone just because they're sad.

"How can you love him?" she says in disgust. "You barely even know him. You've been dating him for what... a few months maybe? You've loved Harry since you were a kid." She shakes her head in disbelief. "And from what I've seen, your relationship with Malfoy isn't normal. He has way too much control over what you do."

"What are you talking about?" I scoff. "You don't know what our relationship is like.

"I know what I see," she says. "He never sits with your friends. He never lets you out of his sight and I know what happened between you and Harry… that spell that made you get thrown back... that's not normal. That sounds like some kind of creepy dark magic to me." She looks at my bracelet. "Have you checked that for spells?" She asks and I glare. "Can you take it off?"

I narrow my eyes.

"He doesn't sit with my friends because I don't have any in my house that I'd want to introduce him to," I say hatefully, hoping to hurt her. "I thought you were my best friend until I realized your loyalty wasn't to me," I say as I stuff my notebook in my bag and I fling it over my shoulder. "It's always someone else," I mutter to myself. "I'm never anyone's number one."

Why can't anyone just put me first for once?

"That's not true, Gin," she says with a head shake. "Where are you going?" she asks with a sigh as I start walking away.

"Away from you," I hiss as she jogs to catch up with me.

"Gin, I'm sorry about everything," she says. "We'll be leaving soon." I stop walking to look at her. "We have to. Dumbledore told us to come back, but we haven't heard from him in months," she sighs and crosses her arms. "We've found a way to kill Voldemort, Ginny," she says in a whisper as she looks around us to make sure no one is listening. "There are things we have to find before we can, but once we do, we can finally destroy him for good."

"That's... That's good..." I say like an idiot because I can't say anything else.

"Harry might die," she says in a tight voice. "We all might. I don't want you holding a grudge against any of us. I miss your friendship and I'm sorry for what happened this summer, but some things are more important."

"Right," I tell her and then I look away.

Of course she's right. I'm always so selfish.

"You need to talk to Ron, Ginny. He's your brother. I told him that he's been going about this all wrong and he's just pushing you away with his anger. He's willing to talk. He loves you too. He's just on edge and Draco- he isn't making it easy, you know?"

I nod, feeling guilty.

A silence falls between us and I don't know what to say to fill it. So I don't say anything and I can feel her staring at me as I struggle with what I should do next.

"I have to meet Pansy," I say honestly after a few moments when I remember. "We'll talk later, yeah?" I say, my anger melting and she nods her head.

"Yeah," she whispers as she watches me walk off.

When I meet Pansy and Daphne in the hallway by the Slytherin common room, they look annoyed.

"Where have you been?" Pansy asks as she checks her watch. "We've been waiting."

"Sorry," I mutter as she turns towards the portrait to give the Slytherin Password.

Daphne takes my arm. "It's alright," she says brightly as we walk into their common room and I try to ignore the guilt I feel. Their common room isn't very inviting either... It's all dark and green and menacing looking. It's nothing like the warmness in Gryffindor tower. "We weren't waiting that long."

"Good," I say with a sigh as I let myself get pulled towards the seventh year girl dorms.

When we get to their room, Daphne sits me down at one of the chairs in front of a large mirror and she starts brushing out my hair. Pansy digs through her school chest and pulls out a bottle of wine. I look down at the bracelet on my wrist. To be honest, I haven't even tried to take it off. I frown at the thought of what Hermione said and I use my right hand to try to remove it.

"Where did you get that?" I ask as Daphne finds a pair of scissors in one of the drawers. She's been determined to cut my hair and she's been bothering me about it for days. I finally gave in this morning when she started to whine about it over breakfast.

"There's a secret passage in our common room," Pansy says as she pops the cork and lets it breathe for a few moments before taking out three plastic cups.

Classy.

"It leads right outside of Hogsmeade and there's a place that sells the best wine a few blocks down."

"So you can leave the castle?" I ask with a frown as Daphne combs out my bangs so she can trim them. I bring the bracelet up to my teeth in an attempt to open the clasp because my fingers don't seem to be strong enough.

"Not many people know about it," Pansy answers as she pours the wine into the cups. Daphne smacks my hand because it's in the way and I go back to trying to slip the bracelet off against my lap. "Only Draco knows how to open it. His grandfather gave him the password last year. I would appreciate it if you didn't run and tell everyone that fact."

I nod my head. "Yeah, I won't." I honestly.

"Ready?" Daphne asks once she combs my bangs the way she needs them. They are getting long. They are almost to my jaw line now. I don't think they officially count as bangs when they're that long, actually.

"Don't make them too short," I say worriedly as I stop fiddling with the jewelry. "There is nothing more stupid looking than a girl with bangs that are too short."

She laughs and brings the scissors up.

"I'm a professional, Ginny. Just relax," she says as she takes one of the plastic cups from Pansy and she takes a significant gulp before setting it down on one of the tables.

"Could you not drink right before cutting my hair?" I say seriously and she snorts.

"Don't worry," she says as she brings up the scissors and they make an irritating cutting noise as they chop through my hair. The strands fall on my lap and I try not to panic too much. "It's just a little hair maintenance, is all. Nothing too serious."

"Right," I whisper as she moves the scissors through my bangs. Each cut is like sandpaper on my ears and I start biting my nails once she's out of the way.

When she's finished, she combs my bangs again and I dust off the hair, gathering it up and throwing it away before walking towards the mirror to have a look. It actually doesn't look too bad and I touch them before smiling. I have a cowlick at the corner of my hairline that naturally parts them but they look good. They rest right at my eyebrows now, like bangs should.

"What do you think?" Daphne asks as she walks towards me and hands me one of the plastic cups of wine.

"It looks good," I say before taking a drink. "Thank you."

"You know, if it paid better I believe I would enjoy being a hairstylist," she says as she puts my hair over my shoulders and she grins at my reflection.

"You are good at it," I say as I look at her own curled hair that she has done up in a complicated looking twist.

I sit on Daphne's bed and flick through a magazine while Daphne and Pansy talk about Blaise Zabini and what a whore he's being this year. It's a shoe catalog and I think about the borrowed heels from Ivy that I wear everyday... I should get some of my own. I know eventually I'll have to return the shoes to her and I know my mum isn't going to send me anything any time soon because she's so bloody angry with me.

"What do you think, Gin?" Pansy asks as I bite my lip and try to decide what shoes I want to order.

"About what?" I ask as I turn the page.

"About Blaise. I think I'm going to break up with him." I look up and take a drink from my glass as Pansy eyes me.

"I didn't know you were actually with him," I admit and she narrows his eyes .

"I told you we had an open relationship, but I gave him an ultimatum. Either we get serious or it's over."

"What did he say to that?" I ask softly as she downs her cup.

"He laughed," she says bitterly and I give her a sympathetic look as Daphne pats her back. "I don't even know why I try. He can't keep it in his pants."

"But he's so pretty," Daphne sighs and Pansy shoots her a hateful look.

"Zabini is a jerk," I say as I think of our talk in the owlery and she nods her head in agreement. "You deserve better."

"I know I do," she says and then she looks at Daphne. "You're right, of course. It's harder because he's pretty." She laughs a little and I smile sadly.

"When do you think you'll do it?" I ask softly and she shrugs her shoulders.

"I might just write him a note. He probably wouldn't even mind," she states bitterly.

"Doesn't he like you?" I ask cautiously. To be honest, I've never seen him treat her in any good way like a boyfriend would. "I mean, when you're alone, is he sweet?" I ask as I think of Draco.

She raises her eyebrows. "As sweet as he can be," she says with a shrug. "It's not exactly in his DNA to be loving."

"Oh," I say softly as I close the magazine.

"Is Draco loving to you?" Daphne asks as she takes a strand of Pansy's hair and she starts braiding it.

"Yeah," I admit. I look back down at the bracelet and try to pull it off without bothering with the clasp, but it's too small to fit over my hand. "He's very loving."

"I wonder what that's like," Daphne says with a sigh as I clench my teeth and try to angle my wrist the right way to successfully take the bracelet off. "Draco is so short and hateful when he talks to me."

"That's because he doesn't like you that much," Pansy says as she looks down at her fingernails with her long legs crossed. Daphne makes a scoffing noise.

"Hey, he does."

Pansy looks at me and rolls her eyes before taking a drink from her cup. "You slept with his uncle," Pansy says with an irritable sigh. "You knew how pissed off he was."

"Well," Daphne scrunches up her face. "His uncle seduced me."

"Hardly," Pansy says with an eye roll.

"Draco has an uncle?" I ask fiddling with the clasp some more.

"He has a Great Uncle," she says and I look up.

"Great uncle?" I say, my eyes sliding to Daphne who is trying not to look at me. "How old is he?"

"Too damn old," Pansy says.

I will never understand Daphne's fascination with older men and I make a face at the thought of it.

"That was last year anyways," Daphne says. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"It doesn't matter. Draco doesn't like loose women," Pansy says and she winks at me when I look at her. Daphne pulls her hair and Pansy cusses. "I was just joking," Pansy snaps as she pulls away so Daphne can't cause anymore damage as she rubs her scalp. "Don't be a bitch."

"Ginny, what are you doing?" Daphne asks as I put my arm against the bed so I can get a better hold on the clasp. "You look incredibly stupid."

I glare at her.

"I'm trying to take off this bracelet," I say as I furrow my brows and attempt to use my fingernails to pry it open. "Can one of you help me?" I ask as I get off Daphne's bed and I take a seat by Pansy with my wine cup in my right hand. I hold out my wrist to her. "Can you take it off?"

"Why do you want it off?" she asks skeptically and I shrug.

"I just want to," I say and she eyes me for a few serious moments before opening her mouth to respond, but someone comes barreling into the room without preamble. I snap my hand back to my lap.

"You guys need to listen to this," Ivy Parkinson runs over to the wireless radio against the wall. She spares me a little glance before clicking it on and turning the volume up. "The whole castle is listening," she adds seriously.

...The body of Albus Dumbledore was found this afternoon in the basement of a dilapidated home in Knockturn alley...

I drop my cup of wine and it splashes all over the hard floor.

….His body was thin and near death when the Aurors say someone used the killing curse to end the renowned wizard's life...

Harry.

With Dumbledore gone, Harry isn't safe.

"I have to go," I say. I get off the bed and head towards the door, ignoring Pansy as she calls after me.

When I get to the hallway, I start running. I head towards the Head Boy and Girl hall and when I get to Hermione's door, I pound on it.

"Hermione, it's Ginny. Open the door."

A few seconds later, the door opens and I step inside to see Harry and Ron both sitting on the bed with worried looks on their faces. The radio is on and the same voice I heard in the Slytherin dorms is coming from the speakers.

"You've heard," I point out and Harry nods his head. "Harry, you have to leave," I say seriously as Hermione closes the door behind me.

"We've tried. All of the secret passages out of the castle have been blocked... and there are dementors at the doors," she says softly with a worried frown on her face

Oh my God...

We all look at the radio. That can't be good.

This just in: the Ministry has fallen.

My heart starts hammering.

Reports are pouring in from all over England. The Ministry of Magic has been taken over by a group of black cloaked figures... The Dark Mark was seen above the carnage... Another report: Gringotts has been seized and many goblins slaughtered...Azkaban has been broken into and many inmates freed...Oh, my God...

The announcer's voice gets cut off and then there's dead air, buzzing through the radio in an eerie whisper.

I look at Harry. He stands up and pulls on his hair.

"Government and money," Hermione whispers and then she gives us all a worried look. "Education is next. They'll be coming for Hogwarts."

"You have to leave," I state again, more fiercely this time and Harry snaps me a look. "Snape isn't going to protect you or the castle. McGonagall isn't even here to help."

"How, Ginny?" Hermione asks, sounding irritated and stressed. "We're not ready to fight him and there's no way to leave."

"Wait," I say as I think of what Pansy said in her room. "Stay here," I say quickly before leaving.

I run across the hall and say Draco's password. I find him sitting by his writing desk, polishing his shoes as he listens to the radio.

"Draco," I say quickly and he puts his polishing brush down as I run over to him. "I need your help," I tell him anxiously and he stands up, towering over me. "Harry needs to leave this castle and all the exits are blocked."

"What am I supposed to do about that?" he asks flatly. His eyes look cold and lifeless. I don't like it, so I take a step closer to him and I take his hand.

"Pansy said that there's a passageway in the Slytherin common room that leads just outside of Hogsmeade. She said you're the only one who knows how to open it."

"And?" he asks coldly and I blink back tears as I think about the terrible things that will happen if the Dark Lord finds my brother and his very important friends.

"Draco, you can't deny that he's back now," I say as I motion to the radio. There's a new voice now and it keeps on listing off the different government buildings and public places that the Death Eaters have taken over in their coup. "Please help," I say with my eyes watering. "They will kill Harry if he doesn't get out tonight."

He just stares at me and I let tears slip down my cheeks.

"Draco, please," I say softly. "Please help." I'm not above begging when it comes to the lives of people I care about. "Please," I say as I lean up to place a convincing kiss against his lips. "Please help."

There's a loud beep and then Headmaster Snape's voice filters through the room.

"All students report to the Great Hall," his sour voice says calmly. "I repeat, all students and their Head of House are to report to the Great Hall immediately." There's another loud beep signaling the end of the announcement and I look at him again.

"Please," I say with a pitiful sob. I place another kiss at the corner of his mouth to try to win him over as I wrap my arms around him. Why isn't he helping? "Please, for me?"

After a few moments, I hear him sigh.

"Fucking fine," he says as he slips on his newly polished shoes. He walks over to his door and opens it. Students are running to get to the Great Hall and he looks over his shoulder. "Can he make it through the halls undetected?"

I think of his invisibility cloak and I nod my head.

"Good," is all he says as he walks back into his room and he pulls two Slytherin cloaks from his wardrobe. He hands them to me and I take his hand, leading him to Hermione's room where I pound on the door again.

"It's Ginny," is all I say and then the door opens. They're all up and packing their bags quickly, but when they see Draco, they all freeze and raise their wands.

"Wait," I say with my hand up. "Wait, he can help."

"Ginny, what are you thinking?" Ron hisses as he glares at me.

"He knows a way out of the castle. He can help," I say as I squeeze his hand.

"How can we trust him,? Hermione says as she flicks her eyes to Draco who looks away with an eye roll.

"You can trust him because I trust him. When Snape notices we're not in the Great Hall. They're going to come looking for us. What other options do you have?"

"Do you really trust him on this?" Hermione asks as she looks deeply into my eyes. I nod my head and after a few moments she sighs. "Fine," she says as she looks at Harry. "It's our only plan right now."

I throw his cloaks to Ron and Hermione as Harry puts on his invisibility cloak. I watch as Hermione tucks her hair under the hood and covers her face before we leave the room. The halls are a mad place, with students running and pushing one another in a panic to get to the Great Hall. I see Neville running towards one of the exits of the castle but he gets blasted back by a security charm.

No way out now.

When we get to the Slytherin common room, it's completely empty and I figure everyone is in the Great Hall. I watch as Draco walks over to the fireplace and he looks at all of us before shaking his head and tapping a few stones beside the mantle with his wand while whispering a quiet phrase in an old language I don't recognize.

When the fireplace turns to reveal a tunnel, an open and unblocked tunnel, I find a pleased smile on my face because it was true and Draco is helping.

"How do we know there aren't Death Eaters waiting for us on the other side of that tunnel?" Ron asks suspiciously as Draco leans against the wall with his arms crossed.

"You don't," Draco says flatly and I give him a look.

"He didn't volunteer to help," I point out. "I asked him. He wouldn't have this planned," I say and my brother sneers like the hateful beast he's become.

"Either we stay here and die or we go there and die," Harry says tiredly as he takes off his cloak, revealing himself.

"Here," Hermione digs through her small lavender purse and she pulls out a golden compact. "I have the other one," she says as I open it and look at the mirror. "Keep this on you. When we... if we..." she says as she flicks a glance to Draco. "If we get to safety, I'll let you know. The mirror will vibrate if I leave a message."

"Okay," I say with more embarrassing tears in my eyes as I give her a hug. "I'm sorry I was so short with you earlier," I say against her hair and she nods her head.

"Me too."

I go to my brother next and give him a firm hug, holding onto him a little longer than necessary. I couldn't take it if anything happened to him. Even though he is the biggest prat in the world, I still love him.

"If your boyfriend leads us to our death, I will never forgive you," he mutters as he hugs me back.

"Be safe," I tell him, ignoring his comment.

When I get to Harry, I hesitate a moment before giving him a quick hug. I don't want to start burning again and when I pull back, I glance at Draco. He raises an eyebrow at me before I look back at Harry.

"Bye," I say weakly because I can't think of anything else to say. My brother starts walking towards the tunnel with Hermione on his heels, but Harry just stares at me.

"Come with us," he says after a few long moments of silence.

"What?" Draco says dryly, but Harry ignores him as he takes a step closer.

"You're not safe here either, Gin," he whispers as he looks into my eyes. "Come with us. Please."

"Please," Draco says sarcastically as he pushes himself off the wall so he can stand by me. "She's not going anywhere with you."

"That's not your call," Harry says darkly and then he looks back at me. "Ginny, I want you to come with us."

How many years have I wanted to hear something like that from Harry Potter? Draco puts his arm around my waist and glares at my profile as I think of how to respond. Too many years, actually.

"No," I say with a dry throat, not exactly sure if it's the right decision or not. "I... I should stay here."

"Why?" Harry asks. Hermione comes up to him and puts her hand on his shoulder.

"We've got to leave now," she says quietly. "Mrs. and Mr. Weasley will probably pull her out soon," she says gently. "She'll be safe and at least her family will know where she is."

Harry looks at me for one long moment before nodding his head and walking towards the tunnel. I wave to them as they leave and I sag my shoulders a bit when Draco shuts the passageway.

"Satisfied?" he asks and I pull him to me in a tight hug. "We have to go to the Great Hall," he says after a few moments. "People will get suspicious."

I nod my head and I let myself get led towards the hall with his hand on my back. The Great Hall has been emptied of all its tables and the house banners that usually hang from the walls are gone. All the students look confused and scared and I follow Draco until we're by Zabini and his small group of friends.

After half an hour of standing and worrying, the doors by the professors' table open and the faculty file out along with a few more menacing looking figures.

A man I don't recognize steps towards the front and clears his throat. He's middle aged with black hair that's white and gray peppered at his temples. His skin is very pale, sallow almost, like he hasn't seen the sun in a very long time and his eyes are rimmed in red. I fold my body more towards Draco and put my arm around his waist to keep him close as the man pulls a wand from a pocket in his black dress robes.

"My name is Izador Rookwood," the man says with a deep voice. A few students make some gasping noises at the name. I know Rookwood was a Death Eater... I don't know if this is the same notorious wizard that killed so many people during the first war with Lord Voldemort. "After tonight, I will officially be the new Head of Education and a liaison to the New Ministry."

I swallow the thick lump in my throat.

"Tomorrow you will wake up to a new world and your education is going to be top priority in our empire," he says. "Classes will be canceled while we do evaluations on each and every student here," he says as his dark eyes skip around the room. "We'll be building a new curriculum and a new way of learning."

I bite my lip so hard it hurts.

"I know some of you would like to leave," he says as he zeros in on some of my Gryffindor house mates. "But if you attempt it, you will officially be tried as blood traitors to our cause and sent for re-education in the newly established Azkaban penitentiary."

I glance around me until I find Neville nursing a wound from the protecting charms on the door. He looks one step away from cursing the man in front of us. There's a rage in his eyes that I've never seen Neville possess before and it was chilling

"Re-education?" I whisper but Draco shushes me.

"It has recently come to our attention that Harry Potter has left Hogwarts," he says as he puts his hand on his chest. "Any student known to have aided him in his departure will be punished to the full extent of the law." I start shaking, but Draco holds me firmly against him. "If anyone has any knowledge of his whereabouts, we urge you to come forward and share it with us. From this day forward, he is to be known as public enemy number one and he will be seized on sight," he says harshly and then he takes a deep breath. "Now, we want everyone in this room to rise to their full potential. Every drop of magical blood is needed for our world and we will hone your craft and help you grow within your required field."

I furrow my brows and I look at Zabini because he's crossing his arms. He has his eyebrows raised and he looks slightly amused by this whole thing. I shake my head and turn back to the man at the front of the room.

"There will no longer be houses dividing up the students of Hogwarts," he says as he takes out his wand and raises it to the ceiling. "We will live and die under one powerful symbol. We are all in this for the greater good of our race."

He shoots out a spell from his wand and we all look up at the Dark Mark that's sizzling green against the cathedral ceiling. I think I might faint and I instantly regret not going with Harry and my brother. I hope my family's okay. We're known for being 'blood-traitors' and my father works at the ministry. I start biting my nails again. I worry about them as the dread pools in my stomach and I blink back tears. I try to remind myself that no one could get through our wards. If they were home when this happened, they should be fine.

People start clapping and cheering as the Dark Mark glows green against the castle walls.

I flick at glance at Draco.

He's smiling and when he notices me staring at him, he brings a hand up and pulls my fingers away from my mouth.

"Stop biting your nails," is all he says before turning back to Rookwood who's still giving his speech on education reform and military diligence.

I feel sick and I hold my stomach to keep it from doing anything bad.

We're released to our rooms after that, with a reminder on the evaluations that will start in the morning. I follow Draco all the way back to his room, feeling numb and unwell. I put the golden compact on Draco's writing desk and I stare at it intently for an hour as I chew on my fingernails and will it to work. Draco doesn't even try to talk to me as he sits down on the small love seat by the window. He takes out a book to read like the world didn't just turn upside down and I spare him a little glare before staring at the compact again.

When it finally vibrates, I jump up and grab it. I open it quickly and look into the mirror, sighing in relief when I see Hermione's face. She's covered in ash, but all in one piece.

"We were able to make it to a safe house," she says and my heart leaps. "Everyone is alright, but we can't talk for very long," she says and I nod my head like she could see me. "Be safe, Ginny," she says before closing the compact.

I'm left staring at my own reflection again.

My heart is soaring now and I run to Draco and pounce on him.

"Thank you," I say as I kiss him, throwing his stupid book to the side. "Thank you so much." I straddle his lap and kiss him deeply. "You saved their lives." I say softly when I pull back and I lock my hands around his neck. "Thank you. I love you so much."

"Yeah," he says dryly as he rolls his eyes.

I slide off and curl next to him, kissing his arm and his shoulder and his neck and his cheek over and over again to show him how grateful I am as I try not to worry about what tomorrow will bring. He picks up his book again and starts reading as I lean against his side and I tuck my feet underneath me after kicking off my shoes.

I stare blankly ahead of me, randomly kissing his arm as I try not to worry.

After a while, Zabini comes into the room unannounced, but Draco doesn't even look up from his book as Blaise clicks on the radio and sits on top of the writing desk. I stare at him as he pulls a cigarette from his pocket and lights it with his wand as a hissing and high pitched voice starts speaking.

I know whose voice that belongs to and I get a chill as I cuddle up closer to Draco.

Pansy comes into the room next. I sit up and give her a confused look as she closes the door and takes a seat on Draco's bed.

No one says anything and I worry my lower lip between my teeth as they all stare off, listening to the Dark Lord hiss out his plans for the future. Draco puts the book on his knee and brings his hand up to his chin as I stare at his profile and worry about my family. All of them belong to the Order... Does the Dark Lord know that?

I kiss Draco's cheek just so I can touch him.

He glances at me and puts his arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arm as Lord Voldemort goes on about unity and blood status and the importance of purity in family lines.

I tuck my head against his chest and stare at the floor as Zabini's cigarette glows against the dim lighting in the room.

When the speech is done, Blaise turns off the radio and the three of them share a long and significant look that's totally lost on me. I don't even question it. Things feel too terrible right now and I can't think straight.

I feel something right now that is very uncomfortable for a Gryffindor like me to feel...

Fear.

I'm officially afraid.

I look at Draco's profile again and when he glances at me, I sit up and kiss him firmly against the lips, ignoring the other two in the room. I know I can trust him with anything after what he did for Harry, Ron, and Hermione tonight and all my doubts and worries and bad thoughts get thrown out the window. I don't care that he's controlling and overbearing. I don't care that he can be ridiculous and mean. I am just so grateful. I slip onto his lap and bring my hand up to his neck as I continue to kiss him with all the passion I have in my body. When I pull back, I look into his eyes so he can see how grateful I am towards him... I want him to see how much I love him.

I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

I keep repeating that thought over and over again, hoping he'll hear it if he decides to listen in on my thoughts. After a few moments of studying my face, he smiles and brings a hand up to my cheek. I take his hand and kiss his palm and his fingers and his wrist as my feet dangle off his lap.

"Gin, it's okay," he whispers as I hold his hand against my lips. "Stop worrying."

He says that when we just listened to the public return of the Dark Lord on the radio and everyone that I love could potentially be dead.

"You're with me," he says with a smirk, like everything was fine as I furrow my brows worriedly. "You're mine, Ginny. You're golden."

You're golden.

What does that even mean?

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A/N- I know I mentioned that I have an account on AO3 as r_rrabbit

With all the glitches happening with this site I figured I should transfer some stories over there too. I have no back ups if something were to happen so I thought, why not? I'm starting with I'm Yours... which is the main story I wanted to delete in the years I wasn't doing anything with writing because it seemed to be pretty polarizing... but it is still the most visited story on my profile all these years later. So, I guess some people want to read it. I am editing it while I go. It will change slightly just because I'm a different writer now but I will be posting it there pretty quickly because I didn't write nearly as much and I'm not really adding and changing as many things. In case anyone was interested.

Thanks for staying with me,

rrabbit