Chapter 20

The Broom Closet

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“I’ll see you at dinner, Colin!” Ginny walked briskly toward the broom closet which was situated just outside the Quidditch arena. She felt so guilty about having to miss practice all week that she decided she would skip lunch and do some drills on her own. She opened the door and headed straight for the Pegasus Vortex that was mounted on one of the upper racks. She cast the charm and spoke the password to unlock the broom from its current position.

“Vexatio Mercatus Dissolutum!” she whispered. She had placed an extra hex on the broom just in case anyone thought to attempt to steal it. If anyone did, they would bear the mark of a thief and receive a rather uncomfortable jolt whenever they came near the broom. It was something she had learned from her older brother Bill during their last visit to Egypt. Bill had also informed her that the mark could only be removed with an Ignosco Potion (also known as the pardoning potion), which had to be brewed by the person who cast the initial curse. One of the key ingredients for the potion was jawajuice and was typically very difficult to come by as jawas could only be squeezed on the first day of a Leap Year so he warned her only to use it on something extremely expensive or precious.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit drastic for a broom?”

Ginny didn’t have to turn around to see whom the voice belonged to.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Malfoy,” she stated as she summoned the broom.

“That was the counter-spell for a rather nasty thievery curse. You should be more careful and look about to see who’s listening. First of all, I’m sure that particular hex is against Hogwarts policy and second of all, I now know how to steal your broom.”

She turned around to see him smiling slyly at her. She silently commanded her heart to stop beating so rapidly, but she knew it wasn’t going to listen. It never did when she was around him anymore. Common sense told her to fight the urge to snog him again. There was no purpose to it.

Aside from the sheer ecstasy of his lips against mine, she reasoned.

“If you wanted to steal the broom then why did you send it to me in the first place?” she countered. “And since when did you ever care about Hogwarts policy on broom security?”

She was impressed that he was even aware of ancient curse, though it really shouldn’t have surprised her. It was just the type of thing he would be interested in. She grudgingly reminded herself that ancient hexes were also something that fascinated her. She was finding the growing number of things that they had in common rather alarming

“I don’t want to steal your broom, I was just making an observation. And you’re right. I’ve never really cared for Hogwarts rules on the type of hexes we are allowed to use to safeguard our equipment. I find the ones that are permitted are quite pathetic in terms of security and I’d rather not have my broom stolen either,” he commented with a smile.

“Really?” she paused and raised her eyebrows at him. “Sternax Detrudo Dissolutum!” she said and flicked her wand at Draco’s broom, also a Pegasus Vortex. The hex he had placed was one that caused anyone who touched the broom to be thrown to the ground with force. It was a much stronger repelling spell than typically allowed at school. She spoke his password and released it from the rack with a levitation spell and then set it down at his feet.

His eyes widened in amazement that she knew the curse and how to disengage it. The wrist movement was usually a little tricky.

“Perhaps you should be the one more careful about checking your surroundings for unwanted eyes and ears,” she mocked. “I could have stolen yours.”

“Touché,” he replied silkily, still gazing at her with fascination. “It’s a good thing I got you your own.”

She sat on the bench in attempt to ignore his gaze and began examining the bristles. She wanted to keep the broom in top condition and had gotten into the habit of performing light maintenance on it prior to and after taking it out. She doted just a little longer than usual on the task assuming that Draco would quit gawking at her and take his broom out to the pitch, leaving her a moment’s peace. She was in serious need of gathering her thoughts and was becoming frustrated with her inability to control her desire to taste his lips again. He needed to leave before she was tempted to give in.

“You have your broom now, aren’t you heading out to the pitch?” she said casually, still not looking up at him.

“I didn’t come for my broom.” He was smirking again. She could tell just by his intonation.

“Oh,” she said, still keeping her casual tone. “Well, I’ve got drills to do. Harry is a little upset that I won’t be making it for practice tonight, so I better get going.”

She wanted to get up and make a quick exit, but he was between her and the door, and her legs refused to allow her to move from the bench.

He sat beside her.

“Malfoy - ” she began, but as the scent of his cologne found its way to her nose she was suddenly distracted. Merlin, why does he do this to me?

“Why are you fighting it, Ginny?” he asked earnestly. “And don’t tell me that you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
She looked up and met his grey eyes.

Damn him for having such mesmerizing eyes! she thought.


She sighed. “Malfoy – ”

“Draco,” he corrected.

She paused. “Alright, I’ll admit, you’re quite proficient with your snogging abilities, though, obviously you’ve had a lot of practice,” she muttered with just a little sourness. “So go ahead and add me to the incredibly long list of girls that have taken pleasure in your kisses.”

He smiled. “I’m glad to hear I’ve finally met your standards.”
She gazed at him for a moment. All common sense left her. The words came tumbling out of he mouth before she even realized how insane she was being.

“You’re right. I’m tired of fighting this insane urge kiss you. What I need to do is get you out of my system,” she said with a bit of irritation.

Draco was actually taken slightly aback. “What do you mean, get me out of your system,” he said, still grinning amusedly.

“Don’t you find this – this –whatever this is that we have -”

“You mean mutual attraction?” he interjected.

“Yes! NO! Yes... Don’t you think it’s odd? I don’t even like you!”

“So you continuously remind me. Tell me,” he said crossing his arms across his chest and continuing to smile devilishly, “how are you going to get me out of your system? Though I must admit really rather enjoy the fact that I’ve finally been able to get into it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t believe I’m even suggesting this,” she muttered half to herself. “This is not the type of thing I would ever normally consider, but right now I see no other way around it.”

“And what is it that you’re suggesting?” He was finding it humorous that she was still in denial.

“Let’s have whatever absurd fling we need to have and get it over with!”

“You mean snog each other senseless until we get bored?” he clarified.

“Exactly.” She ignored the hint of levity she sensed coming from him.

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed flippantly. “I suppose we can meet in broom closets and empty classrooms between classes until we, as you so delicately put it, ‘get this out of our systems’.”

“Right.”

“You do realize we’re in a broom closet right now.” There was mischievousness in his voice.

“Right,” she said again, though this time with a little uncertainty.

“Shouldn’t we be snogging?” he asked inching closer to her.

“Right,” she repeated for the third time. She was slightly breathless at the thought of another kiss.

“We never did get to finish what we started in the forest,” he said leaning even closer. Ginny wondered if he could hear her heart pounding and again thought that it was highly disturbing that Draco Malfoy could do this to her.

“Ri –” she began again, but was interrupted by his lips gently caressing hers. She felt his fingers brush lightly through her hair and she let out an audible sigh as he slowly began trailing soft kisses from her lips to the nape of her neck and back again. When he reached her mouth he took his time tasting her again and she followed suit. But just as she was ready to deepen the kiss he pulled away gently.

“There’s one flaw to your proposition,” he said fixing his eyes upon hers.

She couldn’t believe he had pulled away to speak.

“And what’s that?” she said with a trace of annoyance at getting interrupted again.

“What happens if we don’t get bored?” he asked, the cunning smile returning to his lips.

It wasn’t something that she had thought of. She was insistent that it was a phase. He couldn’t seem to stay with one girl long enough to remember her name. She wasn’t about to let herself get too emotionally involved with someone who was incapable of anything more than a careless fling. They were destined to get bored of it at some point, they had to. Ginny didn’t think she’d let him go as far as several other girls apparently had. And once they reached that stopping point he would surely want to move on to someone who was willing.

It had occurred to her that Ron was probably right. He was after one thing. But this thought didn’t really faze her. She felt perfectly capable of dealing with anything he thought he was going to try on her. For now she would just enjoy the most amazing kisses she’d ever experienced in her life.

“I’m pretty sure that will eventually happen, so I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you,” she said resolutely. She was still a bit peeved that he stopped just to ask such a silly question.

“Come to Hogsmeade with me.”

Ginny was puzzled by the unexpected change in subject.

“I’m already going to Hogsmeade with you, you dolt. I lost the bet, remember?”

“I want you to come with me because you want to.”

He was serious, and she was thoroughly confused.

“I thought we already agreed just to get this snogging business over and done with,” she said adamantly.

Draco chuckled slightly.

“It's funny. Usually I’m the one who uses girls to fulfill my needs. I didn’t think I’d ever be on the other end of that situation.”

Ginny glared at him. “I thought that it would be the ideal solution to this insanity. I’m getting tired of dealing with all these romanticized notions I keep having of you,” she grumbled in frustration.

She was beginning to wonder why her thoughts were flowing so easily from her brain to her mouth.

“Romanticized notions?” his eyebrows perked up in curiosity. He was well aware of her dreams, but it was interesting to hear her admit to having any type of fantasies involving him. “And what kind of romantic notions do you have of me?”

“None of your business. But I’m sure it stems from the fact that you’ve been playing the part of Casanova. I’m not going to be another one of your victims. I’m not falling for all this romance that you’ve been trying to drown me in,” she said defiantly.

“I thought that was the type of thing every girl dreamed of,” he commented, slightly puzzled that she claimed not to enjoy it. Though it did seem that she was in the mood to deny quite a few things.

“Has this really worked on all of your other victims? You can’t tell me that you haven’t had a girl or two figure your little game out.”

He thought for a moment. “I’ve never actually had to go to such lengths for anyone else before. Girls usually fall right into my arms without a second thought,” he quipped with the ever-present smirk.

“So I should feel special then?” she returned with sarcasm. She hardly believed that no girl had ever actually challenged him.

“Yes. And it’s odd that you should mention Casanova. He used love potions and entrancing charms. I rely solely on my good looks and charm,” he replied with a slight air of arrogance.

She fought back an amused grin, but failed.

“Yes, and that’s why you sent me the Firelilies, right? Just being charming as usual?” she gave him a knowing look.

“I thought you’d enjoy them,” he said in a very poor attempt at acting innocent, though he realized that he’d been caught. He was shocked she wasn’t on the verge of sending and unforgivable curse his way. In fact, she seemed to think it was comical.

“I doubt I enjoyed them as much as you thought I did. It’s a good thing my roommate, Mo, is allergic to flower pollen. They were de-pollinated the first day I got them.”

“What?” Draco blinked in surprised. “So you haven’t been affected by the Firelilies at all?”

“No. Though I wish I were, then I’d have a decent excuse as to why I like kissing you so much. I spent a good amount of time in the library on Monday researching passionflowers after a little chat with Dennis and Neville about Firelilies. The scent is completely harmless without the pollen.”

Draco found this bit of information very intriguing. One corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. “Then I am winning you over with my charm.”

“I wouldn’t say that either. I would have strangled you for sending me the passionflowers, but I find it rather quaint that you would have to resort to such means to get a girl to like you.”

“But you don’t like me,” he stated.

She shook her head. “But you still think you like me. Though I have to wonder if you just like snogging me and have the two completely different ideas confused.”

“I like both,” he said simply.

“Whatever,” she sighed with glib indifference. “I admit to the enjoyment of snogging you and that’s it. So we can have this casual fling or whatever you want to call it. Then when we’ve had enough we go our separate ways. I can go back to properly loathing you and you can go back to detesting all Weasleys.”

“What if I decide I want more than just snogging?” he said with an impish gleam in his eyes.

“That’s too bad. I won’t let it go any further than that,” she responded firmly. Then she had to wonder what exactly he meant by ‘more’.

“I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?” the corners of his mouth curled up in a devious grin. “So do you want to come to Hogsmeade with me?”

“No. What are people going to think seeing me with you? Why don’t we just stay here and snog,” she offered. She had the feeling that he would consider Hogsmeade an actual date. A date would be stepping too far out of the casual fling boundary. And she would much rather spend the day in a secluded room snogging him.

“Let them think what they want. And you’re still coming with me,” he insisted.

“I thought you said you wanted me to come only if I wanted to.”

“I didn’t say only if you wanted to come, but I thought it would be nice that you come willingly.”

“I’m not going.”

“Have you forgotten? I’m the son of a Death-Eater. I’m well versed in the techniques of the Imperius curse. You will come with me and you will have a good time, whether you want to or not,” he taunted.

“And thus the true secret of the seemingly undeniable Malfoy charm is revealed!” she returned with a sarcastic smirk. “I thought it was suspicious that so many girls fell so easily into your arms.”

“That would include you,” he informed her. “And I haven’t used the Imperius curse on you.” And then he added just to see how she reacted, “Yet.”

“I highly doubt you have the skill to control me with an Imperius curse,” she said with confidence. “And I’m only using you for a good snog. I haven’t fallen into anything except your lips.”

“If that’s what you really want to believe. Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt, you know.” He chortled slightly at her continued insistence that connection they shared was little more than a physical attraction.

“I’m not in denial,” she said determinedly.

“Your actions tell me otherwise,” he teased.

Ginny looked as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t think of a proper retort. He was right. She had been careless and had shown jealousy toward Pansy. But she wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

“But if it makes you feel better, I’ll allow you to continue believing that, until I decide otherwise,” he said when she was silent for a moment.

“Until you decide? I don’t think so. And when the hell are you going to tell me how to get this bracelet off,” she said in more annoyance at herself than anything. She loved the bracelet, but by wearing it he probably was going to continue to assume she was falling for him. “Merlin only knows what kind of spell you’ve tried putting on this thing if you were desperate enough to send me the Firelilies.”

“I wasn’t desperate when I sent you the lilies. You were irrationally mad at me and I needed a little bit of an edge to keep you from hating me any more than you already did, though apparently they didn’t really serve their purpose as you had them de-pollinated. Yet you are still talking to me. Don’t you find that interesting?”

“No.”

“And I find it remarkable that you haven’t made much of an attempt to get the bracelet off,” he continued.

“This is the third time I’ve asked you, remember.”

“For as stubborn and determined as you usually are that seems hardly an attempt. But I will grant you your request tomorrow.” A surreptitious smile lingered on his lips.

“Fine. I need to go practice.”

She was growing irritated at herself. She was allowing Malfoy to get to her and that was the last thing she needed. She wasn’t entirely sure that all she wanted from him was a good snog. But that was all she was going to expect of him. Even if he claimed that he liked her she still found it hard to believe that he could last two minutes if anything became serious. If she didn’t expect anything then she couldn’t be disappointed.

“Later, Casanova,” she said as she stood up and swept past him.

“I had one more comment for you,” he said as he followed her.

She was at the door, but stopped and turned around ready to tell him she had no time for any more of his comments, but the moment she turned she felt his arm snake around her waist and his lips had descended upon hers again. Almost immediately she was lost in the passion of the kiss and released her broom letting it fall carelessly to the floor. She brought her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her at last getting the full effect of his mouth upon hers. She barely noticed as she fell back into the door with a thud. She was concentrating too hard on the rapture of kissing Draco Malfoy again.

It seemed that both an eternity and no time had passed when they finally pulled away from each other. She was severely light-headed and was hesitant to even speak. She had no idea what to say, but the word “Wow” managed to escape her lips at some point.

“I would have to agree with that statement,” he said. He appeared to be calmer than she felt at that moment. The adrenaline rush she had gotten from snogging him was still in full effect.

“I suppose I should let you go practice now,” he said a slight breathlessness now apparent in his words. He stepped back to allow her to move, but his usual gracefulness failed him. He somehow tripped over his own feet and landed on his rear. Ginny clasped her hand over her mouth to hide the laughter that was bubbling up at the back of her throat. He stood up regaining his composure, though Ginny could see a very light hint of pink coloring his cheeks.

She had finally gotten control of her giggling fit when she heard the unmistakable sound of her brother’s voice closing in on the other side of the door.

“…be right out! I’ll just grab our brooms…”

Her eyes widened in horror at the thought of being caught in the broom closet by her brother with Malfoy of all people.

“Shit!” she mouthed as she leaned against the door with all her might preventing him from opening the door.

“Hey!” said the muffled voice of Ron on the other side of the door when he made an attempt to open the door and failed. “It’s stuck. Oy! Harry, help me out here!”

“Shit!” she mouthed again. Malfoy seemed to be more amused about the situation than she was.

“What do you want me to do?” he whispered, holding back his laughter.

The gears quickly turned in her head. She calmed herself and fought back the panic that was rising.

“Here, help me with this,” she heard her brother say. “I think there’s something blocking the door. On three. One…Two…”

At three Ginny stepped away from the door allowing it to freely swing open as the two on the other side of the door tumbled in. Their mouths dropped open in shock at seeing her and Malfoy.

Her instincts took over. “Thank you, Ron, Harry,” she said nodding in their direction. “The door was stuck and I thought I’d have to be trapped in there all day with that git,” she said waving her hand slightly in Malfoy’s direction. She picked up her broom and walked out the door calmly without saying another word. As she walked out she ran her fingers through her hair trying to straighten out the mess that had been made of it during her snogging session.

“Weasley, Potter,” Malfoy acknowledged them calmly as he, too, left the scene carrying his own broom.
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