The Laws Have Changed - Chapter 11
"Ginny, do you mind if I speak with you for a moment?"
She looked at Luna with a raised brow. The blonde Ravenclaw hadn't asked Neville to stay behind, so she was curious as to what her friend wanted to speak about that couldn't be mentioned in front of the older Gryffindor. Before she could question it further, though, Luna spoke up again; clarifying the thought she currently had running through her head.
"Don't worry; it's nothing to do with the D.A. I just wanted to have a girls' chat with Ginny."
Satisfied with her answer, Neville left the pair in the Room of Requirement. She smiled as she turned back to her friend; genuinely happy to have some alone time with her, but also finding comfort in the room where she shared so many memories with Draco.
"What's up, Lu? Everything okay?"
"Are you sure you want to keep leading the meetings?"
She scrunched her brows in confusion. "Why wouldn't I? Besides, I feel like it's more of a team effort between you, me, and Nev."
Luna smiled at her, eyes alight with some kind of secret knowledge. "I only brought it up because it isn't all that fair to put our new Head Boy in a tight spot."
She could feel her eyes go wide. How in the hell did Luna figure out her relationship with Draco? Even back when they were getting to truly know one another, they were incredibly careful when they were in the hallways or around other people. If anything, it would just look like he wasn't interested in taunting the Weasleys like he normally did.
"I saw you in the library. He left a little used area and then you followed a couple of minutes later."
Fuck. She thought she had planned her route carefully, taking a couple of detours until she finally arrived at the area where he placed his note.
"Please tell me you were the only one who saw that." Her stomach was doing flips, and twists, and pirouettes as she waited for Luna's answer. She couldn't lose her access to Draco; especially now that she was able to see him easily again.
"I was the only person around, as far as I can tell." She felt herself release her breath at her friend's words. The blonde walked over and linked an arm with hers, guiding her to sit at one of the couches. "Were you ever going to tell anybody?"
"Probably once everything was over for good. He's in too dangerous of a situation right now and I think we're both afraid of how our relationship would be used against him."
"Do you know what you're doing?" Luna asked rather light-heartedly, yet when she made eye contact, her face became creased with worry.
"I think I am, actually. Things feel different whenever I'm around him, but in a good way. He's been exceedingly honest with me about his situation and I know he respects me. I don't know how long things will last, but I'm happy whenever I'm with him."
And it was true. From the beginning of everything between her and Draco, she, surprisingly, never felt ill at ease whenever she was around him. Even during that first encounter with him, she knew he was irritated, but she could also tell that he wasn't actually interested in harming her. Once they began dating, that feeling of safety only grew and multiplied exponentially with each meeting. He was always mindful of her — helping her when she asked for it, contributing to their conversations even if he wasn't keen on the topic, not deriding her for taking things slower in their physical relationship. She knew that he genuinely valued their time together and she was starting to love him for it.
Luna smiled at her words before enveloping her in a tight hug. "It's so interesting seeing how much people can change when they know there's someone who cares for them, don't you think?"
She squeezed back and gave her friend a grin as she pulled away. "It is, Lu, and I want everyone to know what he's really like, too."
"We need to talk."
They had said the phrase simultaneously, causing her to devolve into sinking down on the couch as she giggled. He couldn't help but grin as he watched her.
It was their third time meeting in his room, almost a week since he had given her his note. If he had it his way, he'd have her sleep there every single night. He made a point to bring it up during her second visit, explaining that his room was probably one of the safest places in the castle. When she had asked how that was possible, he explained all of the wards he had placed around and inside his room to prevent any unwanted visitors. He even put up ones that alerted him anytime one of the new professors was nearby.
He remembered the pride he felt when she told him how impressed she was at his foresight before leaning up to kiss him.
Seeing that his girlfriend at present wasn't calming down anytime soon, he decided that the best way to sober her up was to distract her in the only way he knew how.
He grabbed a hold of a leg and an arm and lifted her up to straddle his lap, smirking when he saw how quickly she went quiet.
"Sorry," she stated sheepishly. "You go first."
He kissed her nose, then a quick peck on the lips before he began. "Technically, I have a couple of things."
"Interesting, as do I."
He rolled his eyes. "May I continue?" He started up again at her shy nod. "The biggest thing is that Blaise knows about us. He said he saw me write my note in the library and put two and two together when he saw you holding it."
"Huh, Luna kind of had a similar experience when she figured us out."
"Lovegood knows?"
She nodded quickly, her face contorting as she thought. "She noticed you leave the section you left the note in and noticed me leave a similar area a couple of minutes later. But she said she was the only person nearby and no one else knows. And she knows not to say anything about us." The last phrase was clearly said to placate the minute look of panic he was trying to hold in.
"Fucking Merlin," he said with a small chuckle, finally allowing his body to relax. "No offense to your brother and Granger, but Potter should have Blaise and Lovegood with him. He might get the job done faster with those two."
"When you put it like that, I'm curious as to how much they know about the student body, in general."
"I don't know if I like the idea of those two teaming up, but if I know Blaise like I do, their services wouldn't come cheap."
"Speaking of," her eyes became filled with worry, "can Blaise be trusted?"
"I'd trust him with my life."
"Really?" Her eyes went wide at his unexpected declaration.
"Without a doubt. He's probably the only other person who's been as understanding of everything as you've been."
She laid her head on his shoulder as her arms encircled his waist. "I'm glad you have someone else who can be there for you."
He kissed her hair and started rubbing slow circles with his palm on her back. "What was the other thing you wanted to tell me?"
She leaned up, looking sheepish once again. She picked at the hem of her skirt and averted her eyes as she spoke.
"So, do you remember how in your fifth year, Harry decided to start the whole —"
He used a hand to bring her face up, forcing her to make eye contact with him. "I already know."
"You do?" she asked, incredulously. "How did you…?" She trailed off for a moment before realization dawned and she let another round of laughter take control. "Oh, sweet Merlin, don't tell me Blaise found out and told you?"
He kissed her nose again in response. "I really do have the most clever girlfriend in the whole school."
"So can I assume that he wanted you to mention it to me?"
"He might've. He said you all might want to be a bit more subtle about things; whatever that means."
She grimaced at his words. "Does that mean you'd need us to stop?"
"Let's just say, Gin, that I have no idea what you get up to in your spare time and there's no need to investigate a group that was forced to disband during my fifth year. If you must, though, consider me to be on a need-to-know basis regarding your club of sorts."
He grinned as she squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck to squeeze him to her. When she pulled back, she gave him a lingering kiss that he wished would've gone on for a bit longer.
"Understood and thank you."
He turned and kissed her right forearm. "Although, I should mention that I am amenable to offering up my tutoring skills in case you wanted private lessons for certain spells or if you want to try wandless magic." He kissed her forearm once more, then gently bit down on the delicate skin there.
She smirked at his words and actions, appreciating his offer and understanding his intentions. "I might have to take you up on that. You do seem to have a knack for helping me understand more advanced concepts, after all," she replied as she leaned in to capture his lips with hers.
Ginny chewed on her bottom lip as she paced in front of his fireplace.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? What if they don't like each other? What if other people find out? What if —"
He silenced her by squeezing her cheeks together has he held her face. He snickered at the face his actions made, letting a grin develop when she brought her brows together in irritation. He loosened his hold and brought her lips to his, knowing that kissing was a sure-fire way to distract her.
He knew it worked when he felt her lean into him, letting her hands go around his neck. He thought he could persuade her to move things to his loveseat when she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away.
"One day you're not going to be able to use snogging as a means of distraction," she intoned, narrowing her eyes at him in mild annoyance.
"Yes, well, until that day comes, expect for me to utilize it anytime I need to direct your attention elsewhere."
She huffed, rolling her eyes as she dropped gracelessly onto the small sofa nearby. He took the space next to her, smirking in delight at how effective his methods were.
"Don't act like you didn't enjoy yourself, Gin." He pulled her close, draping an arm across her back so she could rest her head on his shoulder.
She scoffed and he knew that she was trying to decide if she was mad at him. "Of course I did, Draco, but you know there are other ways to distract me."
"I'm sure there are, but my current method is not only more fun, it also has a high success rate. It only makes sense for me to keep the odds in my favor."
He knew she had calmed down when she chuckled at his words before cuddling closer to him.
"Remind me again why I decided to date you?" she asked teasingly. He grinned at the implied smirk in her tone and squeezed her shoulder.
"Because I make you laugh, I help you with your homework, I'm an excellent kisser, and you're the only girl in this entire castle who somehow found me attractive last year."
She tilted her head up at him as she gave a wide-eyed look of concession at his words. There were a couple of others he thought he had probably missed, but he'd gotten a majority of them correct. He could've added on that she knew he was grateful for the company she provided, along with his willingness to confide in her, the tenderness he seemed to reserve for her alone, and, most importantly, he loved her. He'd eventually reveal that last one, but it could wait. That moment was the first time he'd gotten comfortable enough to verbalize the thought internally without feeling like he didn't deserve whatever affection she gave him.
He had a small feeling that she felt the same way, even if neither one of them had said the words, but he knew that expressions of love came in a multitude of forms. Most of theirs had been physical ever since the new term started — cuddling in front of the fireplace; slow, passionate kisses when they needed a break from homework; letting the other nap as their head rested in their lap. It was as though they were making up for lost time after he tried denying her for so many months.
The couple was pulled away from their thoughts when they heard his portrait door swing open.
"Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Zabini?"
Blaise snickered as he strolled over, coming to a stop behind the loveseat. "Lovegood thought I should've, but I thought it would've been funnier if we'd caught you in some kind of act."
"Oh, hello," the blonde Ravenclaw stated as she closed the door behind her.
Ginny bolted out of her seat, ignoring his pout, as she ran over to greet her friend. "Luna!" he heard her cry out and he titled his head back to see the two embrace.
"Is everything okay, Ginny?" Lovegood asked, her arm bent at the elbow to awkwardly pat his girlfriend's head. "You seem awfully panicked."
He strolled over to where the two girls stood, giving the blonde a small smile. "She was nervous that you wouldn't come."
The Ravenclaw smiled dreamily as her friend pulled away, but still held tight to her shoulders. "Of course I'd meet with you." She paused, bringing her left hand up to rest against Ginny's right. "It's all a bit fascinating, isn't it? You dating Draco and you both deciding to bring me and Blaise into this whole thing. It's almost like we're a little group of spies."
The other three before her laughed and he supposed that Lovegood was right, in a way. He and Ginny had mutually agreed to bring their closest friends into the fold, hoping that the merger would give them an added layer of protection during a tumultuous year. He also vaguely remembered that something important was going to happen to the blonde young woman standing before him, but the memory was eluding him. Whatever it was, he hoped that her close proximity would prevent it from occurring in this life.
"Did you know that during the Muggle Second World War women were some of the most effective spies?" Luna (he'd have to make a point to use her name) continued, walking over to sit on the loveseat, tucking a leg under her bum as she lowered herself. "The men in charge rarely suspected that their secretaries, wives, or girlfriends were with them for more nefarious reasons. I've never felt 'nefarious' before." She turned her head when Ginny sat down next to her. "Is this what you felt like when you first started dating Draco?"
He watched as his girlfriend chuckled, rolling her eyes as she did so, completely unfazed by the change in subject. "I wouldn't say 'nefarious' is the right word, but I did feel naughty, in a way." She winked at him as she said her preferred word and he felt desire course through him at the simple implication.
He glanced up at her from his seat on the floor, giving her a knowing smirk. They hadn't done anything more than heavy petting while snogging, but he was hoping that her teasing would one day lead to something more.
"Ah, yes; the forbidden danger of a Gryffindor dating a Slytherin," Blaise began with a chuckle, letting his hands go behind him to lean back. "Whatever is our world coming to." He smirked, flicking his eyes between his friend and Ginny. "Was there any additional purpose to this meeting? Or did you just want to show off, Malfoy?"
He sighed at the darker-skinned boy's comments. Although he had said it in jest, he knew that Blaise was on the defensive. He was still skillfully maintaining his neutral position and didn't need to be dragged into something that could potentially force his hand. He knew Anaïs Zabini had taught her son well, but his friend had no intention of actually using his mother's knowledge unless absolutely necessary.
"Is it really showing off if Ginny and I have to hide?" He paused to glance at the boy on the floor next to him. Blaise had conceded his defeat by nodding his head after flashing a brief smile. "The reason we asked you both here, though, was to have you be part of a contingency plan of sorts." He looked up at his girlfriend again. "Your turn, Gin."
She nodded, casting her gaze between their two friends as she spoke. "We're not saying that we're unaware of how precarious our situation is, but we are asking for help, in a way." She took a deep breath, wringing her hands in her lap in an effort to figure out how to word their request. "Draco can only do so much on his own to protect me, to protect us, and since you two figured out we were dating, we thought that it might be a good idea to look out for one another. And this wouldn't be just for myself and Draco." She rushed out the last statement when she saw Blaise squint at her. "Let's say something happens to any of us sitting here, we could alert the others to try and help. We could even use this room as a safe haven considering the wards that have been placed in it and around it."
"But what about the DA? Don't you think it would be better for Draco and Blaise to use that as a safety net?" Luna had grasped onto her friend's still fidgeting hands as she asked her questions. He noticed the blonde girl squeezed them lightly, silently trying to relieve the tension she had been holding since before the unusual pair walked into his room. He was grateful to see that Ginny had friends like Lovegood. Although neither of them now felt the need to hold back when it came to discussing anything and everything, he knew that, sometimes, a long-time friend could understand things better than a romantic partner could.
The redheaded witch shook her head. "The less they know about the DA, the better. Knowing too much could put both of their lives in danger. It's like I told you a couple of days ago, Lu; myself or Draco could have our knowledge be weaponized in some way and I don't want Tom to be given that opportunity."
Luna gave Ginny's hands one last squeeze before releasing them. "You care for him a lot, don't you?"
His girlfriend sighed and made eye contact with him. She was smiling at him with the same kind of immeasurable warmth she always gave him, but she looked away briefly, as though she were trying to hold back a grin. He could tell she was thinking about something. She always shifted her focus when she was contemplating what to say about the person or subject presented to her. She bit her lip as she continued thinking and, for reasons he still couldn't explain, he knew.
He knew what words were being held back by her conscious mind even though her subconscious was willing to let them slip off her tongue. He knew because he had only that day felt buoyed by acknowledging what it was that he had come to feel for Ginny Weasley. But he also knew they were both scared; a shroud of acute fear resting over their relationship like a lethifold waiting to devour them. He also realized that he would need to be the one to let go of that fear for the both of them. For all of her House's bravado, he knew she had become cautious on this particular front and it would be up to him to free her of her last bit of hesitation.
She finally looked back at her friend, letting her grin peek out as she chuckled. "I absolutely do, Luna. More than I think he even realizes."
She looked down at him again, a smaller smile curling up her lips.
"I know," he silently mouthed to her because he did know.
All that was left was for them to actually say it.
A/N - Thank you for reading, commenting, etc! I appreciate y'all!
Also, as some shameless self-promo, the Draco x Ginny Discord has started posting fics from their 2024 Fic Fest! (Since FF doesn't like my inserting links, you can look up the fest on Ao3 under "Draco/Ginny Fic Fest 2024") I've written 2 stories and, if you join the Discord, we have threads to discuss each story as they get posted AND a channel dedicated to trying to figure out who wrote what. Even if you don't join the server, we still encourage folks to read, comment, and kudos on Ao3 to help boost our now rare ship lol.