I want to thank all of those people who took time to tell me what they thought. penfold; hpfreak; jcap1526 (thanks for reviewing even though you've read it before); choravenclaw (sorry to disappoint, but no Extremely Naughty in the forseeable future); quirky_vixen; and Rosalie.
Ginny blinked groggily. She had come to the Room of Requirement to relax after her detention from Snape. She, Neville, and Luna had broken into the Headmaster's office two days earlier. Snape had caught them sneaking down the stairs with the Sword of Gryffindor. For punishment, they had been sent into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. Since they were with Hagrid, it hadn’t been too bad, of course. They’d been digging up some odd roots for Madam Pomfrey.
It had taken the entire afternoon, though. Ginny, hoping to have some time to herself, had snuck in here. Now a loud crash had startled her out of her sleep.
What was that noise? she thought. She looked around slowly for the source of the noise. Then her eyes flew wide with shock.
“Draco Malfoy?” she exclaimed. “What are you doing in here?”
He had the grace to look embarrassed. “I… I was… It got late and…” he stammered. “I didn’t mean to…”
Then pulled himself up straight and seemed to pull himself together. “I was not aware that there were any restrictions on this room. It’s past curfew and I would rather not be caught out in the halls.”
Ginny tried to stand up. Her legs were wrapped rather tightly in her robes. “Why didn’t you leave when you realized I was in here?” she demanded. She glared at him, but the effect was ruined when she tumbled to the floor. “Ow!” she cried. She had landed hard on her hip. Her robes were still wrapped firmly around her.
Malfoy laughed. He apparently found this amusing.
“What’s so funny, little ferret?” Ginny yelled, her frustration building. She reached down and pulled at the hem of her robes. Her fingers were stiff and sore and she couldn’t make them grip well enough. “Oh, Merlin!”
Malfoy knelt down next to her, stifling his laugh. “May I?” he asked, indicating her legs.
She sniffed angrily, but nodded anyway. Goodness knew it would take her a while to do it herself.
He lifted her legs, much more gently than she had expected, and began to unwind the fabric. “I wouldn’t normally stoop to helping a Weasley,” he explained. “But I’d rather that than listening to you gripe for who knows how long.”
Ginny looked up at him, still grumpy and noticed that his steely eyes were twinkling. “This isn’t funny,” she huffed.
Malfoy shook his head. “It is, actually. How did you manage to get so tangled up?” He finally got her free. “There!”
“I didn’t. These things happen.” She stood up and dusted herself off. “How did you manage to knock over all of the fire tools?” she countered.
“I didn’t. These things happen,” he said, imitating her. He gave her one of his signature smirks.
“Oh, shut up, Malfoy!” Ginny cried. She grabbed her school bag, stuffed her book inside, and marched toward the door. She was limping slightly from the impact with the floor.
Malfoy caught her arm as she passed. “Weasley. It’s past curfew. You could get detention if you’re caught out there now.”
Ginny looked down at his hand. He quickly pulled it away. “I don’t want to stay in here with you! You horrible, stuck-up, self-centered little…”
“Alright! I get it,” he interrupted, throwing up his hands. “I’m evil. You hate me. But do you really want detention?”
“Of course not. But I’d rather have it than spend the night trapped in here with here with you! Since when do you care , anyway?”
Malfoy sighed heavily and looked around to see what the Room of Requirement had provided. “Look.” He pointed. “Two couches. One for you, one for me.”
“So?”
“So. You can pretend I’m not here. I’m not leaving. I certainly don’t want detention.”
Ginny spun on her heel, her robes slapping against his leg, and went to stand in front of the now-dead fire. As she passed the couch where she had been sleeping before, she threw her bag onto it.
Malfoy stood the tools upright and pulled out the poker. He moved over to the fire with it.
“What are you doing?” Ginny asked, feeling just slightly nervous.
Malfoy gave her a half-hearted smile. “I’m going to stab you with it, of course. What do you think I’m going to do?” He knelt down and began stirring up the fire.
Ginny was still tense when he stood up and put away the poker. But then he yawned and realized he was probably too tired to do anything to her.
Her suspicions were confirmed when he walked over to his couch, several feet further away from the fire, and collapsed onto it, his eyes already closed. He yawned widely and she rolled her eyes. She herself could not sleep, having been woken up already. Not to mention, his presence was a little disconcerting.
Ginny had never liked Draco Malfoy, and he made it quite clear that he felt the same way about her. The prospect of being alone in the Room of Requirement with him was not a pleasant one. A whole night spent in his company was, in Ginny’s opinion, equivalent to throwing herself into a pit of Blast-Ended Skrewts.
She sighed and flopped back onto her pillows. What choice do I have? she asked herself angrily. She had already had two detentions that month, one from Miss Carrow, the other, just today, from Snape, and definitely did not want another.
The Carrows’ ideas of punishment were decidedly old-fashioned. They employed the whip on a daily basis to one student or another. At this very moment, three students were chained in one of the dungeon rooms below the school. For her last detention, Ginny had been given the Cruciatus Curse.
Across the room, Malfoy’s breathing became even and deep, indicating that he had gone to sleep. Ginny huffed. “Yeah. Rub it in. Wake me up and then just drop off like it’s nothing!” she fumed.
She yanked off her robe. “Now it’s too hot in here.” Once the robe was off, though, she quickly became cold.
“Oh, for goodness sake!” she exclaimed. “Can’t he even build a fire properly?”
“What are you on about?” he mumbled sleepily. His voice was slightly muffled by his pillow. She had woken him up, but she didn't care.
“Shut up!” Ginny snapped. She shivered and pulled her robe up over her shoulders. A minute later she growled and threw it off. It was too hot to have it on, but too cold to have it off.
“Would you like to switch couches?” Malfoy asked. “This one’s farther from the fire. You’re keeping me awake.”
“Oh, by all means. Don’t let me disturb you!” Ginny pulled the robe back up. Threw it off.
After two more rounds of this, Malfoy made a low growling noise and stomped toward her. “Get up,” he demanded shortly.
“Pardon me?”
“I’m getting tired of this. We’re switching.”
“I think not!”
Malfoy grimaced. “Oh yes. We are.”
And, with that, he bent down and lifted her up. He smelled surprisingly good. A rich, spicy scent that was hard to name. Ginny found herself momentarily sidetracked by it.
“Draco Malfoy! Put me down this instant!” Ginny screamed, regaining control of herself. She tensed up every muscle in her body. Why did I put my wand in my bag? she berated herself.
Up this close, Ginny noticed that Malfoy’s skin looked even paler than usual and he had dark circles under his eyes. She felt a rush of compassion for him when she saw it. Shocked to find herself feeling like this all of a sudden, she pushed against his chest. “Now, Malfoy!”
Finally he deposited her on his couch. To her chagrin, she found it warm and smelling slightly like him. She jumped up to confront him, but he had already turned and gone back to the couch by the fire. Frustrated, she collapsed back down again, preparing for an incredibly long night.
Ginny blinked groggily. She had come to the Room of Requirement to relax after her detention from Snape. She, Neville, and Luna had broken into the Headmaster's office two days earlier. Snape had caught them sneaking down the stairs with the Sword of Gryffindor. For punishment, they had been sent into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. Since they were with Hagrid, it hadn’t been too bad, of course. They’d been digging up some odd roots for Madam Pomfrey.
It had taken the entire afternoon, though. Ginny, hoping to have some time to herself, had snuck in here. Now a loud crash had startled her out of her sleep.
What was that noise? she thought. She looked around slowly for the source of the noise. Then her eyes flew wide with shock.
“Draco Malfoy?” she exclaimed. “What are you doing in here?”
He had the grace to look embarrassed. “I… I was… It got late and…” he stammered. “I didn’t mean to…”
Then pulled himself up straight and seemed to pull himself together. “I was not aware that there were any restrictions on this room. It’s past curfew and I would rather not be caught out in the halls.”
Ginny tried to stand up. Her legs were wrapped rather tightly in her robes. “Why didn’t you leave when you realized I was in here?” she demanded. She glared at him, but the effect was ruined when she tumbled to the floor. “Ow!” she cried. She had landed hard on her hip. Her robes were still wrapped firmly around her.
Malfoy laughed. He apparently found this amusing.
“What’s so funny, little ferret?” Ginny yelled, her frustration building. She reached down and pulled at the hem of her robes. Her fingers were stiff and sore and she couldn’t make them grip well enough. “Oh, Merlin!”
Malfoy knelt down next to her, stifling his laugh. “May I?” he asked, indicating her legs.
She sniffed angrily, but nodded anyway. Goodness knew it would take her a while to do it herself.
He lifted her legs, much more gently than she had expected, and began to unwind the fabric. “I wouldn’t normally stoop to helping a Weasley,” he explained. “But I’d rather that than listening to you gripe for who knows how long.”
Ginny looked up at him, still grumpy and noticed that his steely eyes were twinkling. “This isn’t funny,” she huffed.
Malfoy shook his head. “It is, actually. How did you manage to get so tangled up?” He finally got her free. “There!”
“I didn’t. These things happen.” She stood up and dusted herself off. “How did you manage to knock over all of the fire tools?” she countered.
“I didn’t. These things happen,” he said, imitating her. He gave her one of his signature smirks.
“Oh, shut up, Malfoy!” Ginny cried. She grabbed her school bag, stuffed her book inside, and marched toward the door. She was limping slightly from the impact with the floor.
Malfoy caught her arm as she passed. “Weasley. It’s past curfew. You could get detention if you’re caught out there now.”
Ginny looked down at his hand. He quickly pulled it away. “I don’t want to stay in here with you! You horrible, stuck-up, self-centered little…”
“Alright! I get it,” he interrupted, throwing up his hands. “I’m evil. You hate me. But do you really want detention?”
“Of course not. But I’d rather have it than spend the night trapped in here with here with you! Since when do you care , anyway?”
Malfoy sighed heavily and looked around to see what the Room of Requirement had provided. “Look.” He pointed. “Two couches. One for you, one for me.”
“So?”
“So. You can pretend I’m not here. I’m not leaving. I certainly don’t want detention.”
Ginny spun on her heel, her robes slapping against his leg, and went to stand in front of the now-dead fire. As she passed the couch where she had been sleeping before, she threw her bag onto it.
Malfoy stood the tools upright and pulled out the poker. He moved over to the fire with it.
“What are you doing?” Ginny asked, feeling just slightly nervous.
Malfoy gave her a half-hearted smile. “I’m going to stab you with it, of course. What do you think I’m going to do?” He knelt down and began stirring up the fire.
Ginny was still tense when he stood up and put away the poker. But then he yawned and realized he was probably too tired to do anything to her.
Her suspicions were confirmed when he walked over to his couch, several feet further away from the fire, and collapsed onto it, his eyes already closed. He yawned widely and she rolled her eyes. She herself could not sleep, having been woken up already. Not to mention, his presence was a little disconcerting.
Ginny had never liked Draco Malfoy, and he made it quite clear that he felt the same way about her. The prospect of being alone in the Room of Requirement with him was not a pleasant one. A whole night spent in his company was, in Ginny’s opinion, equivalent to throwing herself into a pit of Blast-Ended Skrewts.
She sighed and flopped back onto her pillows. What choice do I have? she asked herself angrily. She had already had two detentions that month, one from Miss Carrow, the other, just today, from Snape, and definitely did not want another.
The Carrows’ ideas of punishment were decidedly old-fashioned. They employed the whip on a daily basis to one student or another. At this very moment, three students were chained in one of the dungeon rooms below the school. For her last detention, Ginny had been given the Cruciatus Curse.
Across the room, Malfoy’s breathing became even and deep, indicating that he had gone to sleep. Ginny huffed. “Yeah. Rub it in. Wake me up and then just drop off like it’s nothing!” she fumed.
She yanked off her robe. “Now it’s too hot in here.” Once the robe was off, though, she quickly became cold.
“Oh, for goodness sake!” she exclaimed. “Can’t he even build a fire properly?”
“What are you on about?” he mumbled sleepily. His voice was slightly muffled by his pillow. She had woken him up, but she didn't care.
“Shut up!” Ginny snapped. She shivered and pulled her robe up over her shoulders. A minute later she growled and threw it off. It was too hot to have it on, but too cold to have it off.
“Would you like to switch couches?” Malfoy asked. “This one’s farther from the fire. You’re keeping me awake.”
“Oh, by all means. Don’t let me disturb you!” Ginny pulled the robe back up. Threw it off.
After two more rounds of this, Malfoy made a low growling noise and stomped toward her. “Get up,” he demanded shortly.
“Pardon me?”
“I’m getting tired of this. We’re switching.”
“I think not!”
Malfoy grimaced. “Oh yes. We are.”
And, with that, he bent down and lifted her up. He smelled surprisingly good. A rich, spicy scent that was hard to name. Ginny found herself momentarily sidetracked by it.
“Draco Malfoy! Put me down this instant!” Ginny screamed, regaining control of herself. She tensed up every muscle in her body. Why did I put my wand in my bag? she berated herself.
Up this close, Ginny noticed that Malfoy’s skin looked even paler than usual and he had dark circles under his eyes. She felt a rush of compassion for him when she saw it. Shocked to find herself feeling like this all of a sudden, she pushed against his chest. “Now, Malfoy!”
Finally he deposited her on his couch. To her chagrin, she found it warm and smelling slightly like him. She jumped up to confront him, but he had already turned and gone back to the couch by the fire. Frustrated, she collapsed back down again, preparing for an incredibly long night.
Author notes: So I wonder how many of you liked this one? I know I had one person, at least, anxious for Ginny's reaction to Draco's presence. Does this work for you? Go ahead and tell me. I don't bite... much!
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