Following her detention from Professor Carrow, Ginny was transported out of the Dark Arts classroom by way of a floating stretcher. The stretcher was propelled by a seventh year Hufflepuff who refused to look at her. Just straight ahead, his lips pressed together in a firm line.
Ginny moaned, feeling sore and tired. She could fully understand why the Cruciatus was an Unforgivable Curse. It was the worst thing she’d ever had to endure. She could hardly comprehend anything through her haze of pain.
“Hippogriff,” the Hufflepuff said suddenly.
Ginny vaguely decided that he must be a prefect as she felt a bump as her stretcher ran into the side of the portrait hole. Gryffindor Tower, she thought. Good. I’m tired. Could do with a nice long nap.
The student who was guiding her spoke again, this time to the occupants of the common room, “Please see that Miss Weasley gets upstairs and into bed. Professor Carrow’s orders.”
A tall girl got up from her seat on the sofa by the fire. She came over and stood next to Ginny. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down at her. “Not another one,” she groaned.
The portrait slammed shut after the Hufflepuff prefect. The other students took this as their cue. They all jumped up and gathered around the stretcher, each one trying to help. Ginny couldn’t hold in a whimper as she was jostled by the many sets of concerned hands.
The first girl was finally able to take charge, shooing everyone else away. She took out her wand and very carefully guided Ginny up the stairs to her dormitory. Then she settled Ginny on her bed and vanished the stretcher.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she closed the curtains.
Ginny shut her eyes and tried to thank the girl. Her mouth felt heavy and dry, so all she managed was a soft noise in the back of her throat that was somewhere between a moan and a sigh. She fell asleep almost immediately after the door had closed.
When she woke up, she was buried beneath her blankets. She was warm and comfortable, though a bit stiff. She carefully stretched, testing her muscles, then decided she had better see Madam Pomfrey about a pain potion. Rolling out of bed, she groaned slightly, then stumbled downstairs.
The common room was completely empty when she arrived. A quick glance at the clock revealed the time to be half after twelve. She’d been asleep for three hours.
So much for lunch, Ginny told herself as she headed for the hospital wing. By the time she got her potion, the meal would be finished.
Ginny hurried through the corridors, trying to ignore the dull ache she felt in every part of her body. She’d lost count of how many Cruciatus’ she’d been given that morning, but it was enough that she could still feel it, even after her long nap.
“Ginny!” someone suddenly called from behind her. She didn’t want to talk to anyone just yet, so she pretended not to have heard and kept walking.
“Merlin, Weasley! Will you slow down?”
Ginny gasped and whirled around. “Draco!” She ran back towards him.
He smiled and caught her in a hug, burying his face in her hair. Ginny bit back a wince and hugged him back. Then she pulled back and lightly smacked him on the chest. “You idiot! Why did you jump in front of me?” she demanded.
Draco twirled a bit of her hair between his fingers. “Well, you wouldn’t believe me when I told you I cared for you, so I…”
Ginny cut him off. “So you thought you’d show me by being an idiot!”
He shook his head. “I couldn’t just stand there and let him torture you. I had to do something.”
Ginny grabbed his collar in both hands and pulled his face down to within inches of her own. She fought to keep a straight face as his eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t you think I had everything under control?” she asked in a low voice.
Before he could say anything in response, she leaned forward and planted a fierce kiss on his lips. He only hesitated for a second before pulling her tightly to his chest and returning her kiss.
They broke apart smiling. Draco gently yanked on the piece of hair he was still holding and said smugly, “I take it that means you believe me now.”
Ginny sighed. “How could I not? You took a Cruciatus for me. If you’re not sincere, then you’re just plain crazy. Frankly, I’d rather it be the first.”
Draco cleared his throat and asked, “What did you mean, ‘you had everything under control’?” His grey eyes were twinkling.
“Just a technique I’ve been working on to… avoid immediate discomfort,” she replied casually.
He raised his eyebrows. “Oh really?”
Ginny took a minute just to stare at his face. When he was happy and joking with her, he looked laid-back and mischievous rather than his usual glum and intimidating look. He was actually handsome beneath his scowling demeanor and nasty attitude.
He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, taking her by surprise. She blinked up at him and he laughed.
“You make me nervous when you watch me like that. I mean, I’m flattered that you can’t take your eyes off me, but after a while…”
He straightened and led her down the hall. “Where were you going in such a hurry that you couldn’t even stop for me?” he asked, changing the subject abruptly.
“I was going to visit Madam Pomfrey about a pain potion.” Not wanting to admit that she was still sore, she quickly added, “I have a bit of a headache.”
“Oh. About that.” Draco suddenly stopped walking, pulling Ginny up short as well. “I made a visit to Madam Pomfrey myself and explained the situation. She gave me a little extra to give to you.”
“Oh, good,” Ginny said, sighing in relief. “I wasn’t looking forward to the long walk to the hospital wing and missing lunch for it.”
Her relief turned to uncertainty as Draco looked away, his face reddening. “What?” she asked hesitantly. Then realization struck. “You drank it all, didn’t you?”
He nodded slowly, still not looking at her. “I’m sorry.” His lip twitched.
Ginny narrowed her eyes and grabbed his chin, turning his face toward her. When his eyes met hers, he burst out laughing.
“This isn’t funny,” she scolded, feeling slightly grumpy.
“Yes it is.” He pulled a bottle out of his pocket. “Here is your potion. I wouldn’t really drink it, you know. My own dose is plenty! That stuff is absolutely disgusting.”
Ginny shoved him and took the bottle. “You prat!” she snapped.
She drank the potion quickly and grimaced. “Nothing could make those taste good!” she complained.
Draco smirked. “Really?” He bent down and gave her a tiny kiss.
“Well, maybe some things.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “So, truthfully…”
“Oh, no,” Draco moaned.
“Shut up! Truthfully,” she paused to glare, “who’s a better kisser? Me, or Pansy Parkinson?” She was only half-joking as she asked this. The other half really wanted to know.
Draco paused and place a finger against the side of his chin in a classic thoughtful pose as he pursed his lips. “Hmm. I’m not sure.” He gave her a sly grin. “Maybe we should try again. Just to clear up any confusion.”
Ginny poked him. “Don’t press your luck, Malfoy. I may believe that you didn’t kiss Pansy of your own accord, but this is still new to me.”
Draco took a step back. “I can do slow,” he told her solemnly. “It’s new for me, too, so I understand.”
Ginny looped her arm through his. “Well, not too slow.” She blushed and changed the subject when Draco smirked. “Lunch is almost over. If we hurry, we can grab a couple of bites.”
She knew that it would cause a stir for her to walk into the Great Hall with Draco Malfoy, but she found that she didn’t care. She was truly happy for the first time all year. Besides, damage control was ridiculously easy. A simple little half-truth and they believed whatever.
They stopped outside the doors and exchanged nervous looks, then stepped forward and walked in. Sure enough, ever head in the room turned and focused on the odd couple standing in the doorway. Jaws dropped all over the place.
Ginny and Draco moved off to their respective tables, ignoring hostile glares and incredulous looks. Ginny felt like laughing. She sat down with her friends and waved away their questions. That could wait. For now, she was hungry and really wanted to eat.
Ginny moaned, feeling sore and tired. She could fully understand why the Cruciatus was an Unforgivable Curse. It was the worst thing she’d ever had to endure. She could hardly comprehend anything through her haze of pain.
“Hippogriff,” the Hufflepuff said suddenly.
Ginny vaguely decided that he must be a prefect as she felt a bump as her stretcher ran into the side of the portrait hole. Gryffindor Tower, she thought. Good. I’m tired. Could do with a nice long nap.
The student who was guiding her spoke again, this time to the occupants of the common room, “Please see that Miss Weasley gets upstairs and into bed. Professor Carrow’s orders.”
A tall girl got up from her seat on the sofa by the fire. She came over and stood next to Ginny. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down at her. “Not another one,” she groaned.
The portrait slammed shut after the Hufflepuff prefect. The other students took this as their cue. They all jumped up and gathered around the stretcher, each one trying to help. Ginny couldn’t hold in a whimper as she was jostled by the many sets of concerned hands.
The first girl was finally able to take charge, shooing everyone else away. She took out her wand and very carefully guided Ginny up the stairs to her dormitory. Then she settled Ginny on her bed and vanished the stretcher.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she closed the curtains.
Ginny shut her eyes and tried to thank the girl. Her mouth felt heavy and dry, so all she managed was a soft noise in the back of her throat that was somewhere between a moan and a sigh. She fell asleep almost immediately after the door had closed.
When she woke up, she was buried beneath her blankets. She was warm and comfortable, though a bit stiff. She carefully stretched, testing her muscles, then decided she had better see Madam Pomfrey about a pain potion. Rolling out of bed, she groaned slightly, then stumbled downstairs.
The common room was completely empty when she arrived. A quick glance at the clock revealed the time to be half after twelve. She’d been asleep for three hours.
So much for lunch, Ginny told herself as she headed for the hospital wing. By the time she got her potion, the meal would be finished.
Ginny hurried through the corridors, trying to ignore the dull ache she felt in every part of her body. She’d lost count of how many Cruciatus’ she’d been given that morning, but it was enough that she could still feel it, even after her long nap.
“Ginny!” someone suddenly called from behind her. She didn’t want to talk to anyone just yet, so she pretended not to have heard and kept walking.
“Merlin, Weasley! Will you slow down?”
Ginny gasped and whirled around. “Draco!” She ran back towards him.
He smiled and caught her in a hug, burying his face in her hair. Ginny bit back a wince and hugged him back. Then she pulled back and lightly smacked him on the chest. “You idiot! Why did you jump in front of me?” she demanded.
Draco twirled a bit of her hair between his fingers. “Well, you wouldn’t believe me when I told you I cared for you, so I…”
Ginny cut him off. “So you thought you’d show me by being an idiot!”
He shook his head. “I couldn’t just stand there and let him torture you. I had to do something.”
Ginny grabbed his collar in both hands and pulled his face down to within inches of her own. She fought to keep a straight face as his eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t you think I had everything under control?” she asked in a low voice.
Before he could say anything in response, she leaned forward and planted a fierce kiss on his lips. He only hesitated for a second before pulling her tightly to his chest and returning her kiss.
They broke apart smiling. Draco gently yanked on the piece of hair he was still holding and said smugly, “I take it that means you believe me now.”
Ginny sighed. “How could I not? You took a Cruciatus for me. If you’re not sincere, then you’re just plain crazy. Frankly, I’d rather it be the first.”
Draco cleared his throat and asked, “What did you mean, ‘you had everything under control’?” His grey eyes were twinkling.
“Just a technique I’ve been working on to… avoid immediate discomfort,” she replied casually.
He raised his eyebrows. “Oh really?”
Ginny took a minute just to stare at his face. When he was happy and joking with her, he looked laid-back and mischievous rather than his usual glum and intimidating look. He was actually handsome beneath his scowling demeanor and nasty attitude.
He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, taking her by surprise. She blinked up at him and he laughed.
“You make me nervous when you watch me like that. I mean, I’m flattered that you can’t take your eyes off me, but after a while…”
He straightened and led her down the hall. “Where were you going in such a hurry that you couldn’t even stop for me?” he asked, changing the subject abruptly.
“I was going to visit Madam Pomfrey about a pain potion.” Not wanting to admit that she was still sore, she quickly added, “I have a bit of a headache.”
“Oh. About that.” Draco suddenly stopped walking, pulling Ginny up short as well. “I made a visit to Madam Pomfrey myself and explained the situation. She gave me a little extra to give to you.”
“Oh, good,” Ginny said, sighing in relief. “I wasn’t looking forward to the long walk to the hospital wing and missing lunch for it.”
Her relief turned to uncertainty as Draco looked away, his face reddening. “What?” she asked hesitantly. Then realization struck. “You drank it all, didn’t you?”
He nodded slowly, still not looking at her. “I’m sorry.” His lip twitched.
Ginny narrowed her eyes and grabbed his chin, turning his face toward her. When his eyes met hers, he burst out laughing.
“This isn’t funny,” she scolded, feeling slightly grumpy.
“Yes it is.” He pulled a bottle out of his pocket. “Here is your potion. I wouldn’t really drink it, you know. My own dose is plenty! That stuff is absolutely disgusting.”
Ginny shoved him and took the bottle. “You prat!” she snapped.
She drank the potion quickly and grimaced. “Nothing could make those taste good!” she complained.
Draco smirked. “Really?” He bent down and gave her a tiny kiss.
“Well, maybe some things.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “So, truthfully…”
“Oh, no,” Draco moaned.
“Shut up! Truthfully,” she paused to glare, “who’s a better kisser? Me, or Pansy Parkinson?” She was only half-joking as she asked this. The other half really wanted to know.
Draco paused and place a finger against the side of his chin in a classic thoughtful pose as he pursed his lips. “Hmm. I’m not sure.” He gave her a sly grin. “Maybe we should try again. Just to clear up any confusion.”
Ginny poked him. “Don’t press your luck, Malfoy. I may believe that you didn’t kiss Pansy of your own accord, but this is still new to me.”
Draco took a step back. “I can do slow,” he told her solemnly. “It’s new for me, too, so I understand.”
Ginny looped her arm through his. “Well, not too slow.” She blushed and changed the subject when Draco smirked. “Lunch is almost over. If we hurry, we can grab a couple of bites.”
She knew that it would cause a stir for her to walk into the Great Hall with Draco Malfoy, but she found that she didn’t care. She was truly happy for the first time all year. Besides, damage control was ridiculously easy. A simple little half-truth and they believed whatever.
They stopped outside the doors and exchanged nervous looks, then stepped forward and walked in. Sure enough, ever head in the room turned and focused on the odd couple standing in the doorway. Jaws dropped all over the place.
Ginny and Draco moved off to their respective tables, ignoring hostile glares and incredulous looks. Ginny felt like laughing. She sat down with her friends and waved away their questions. That could wait. For now, she was hungry and really wanted to eat.
Author notes: I like this chapter over-all, but it seemed a little choppy to me. I don't know. What do you think? Tell me in that little box right down there. See it? Good!! And just so you know... when Ginny was talking about damage control it was because they are planning on telling a lie to keep people from guessing that they are together. I posted this chapter on another site and everyone was confused, so I just thought I'd clear it up ahead of time. Anyway... Thanks to Rosalie, choravenclaw, 4everdandg, and psyche for reviewing. Loves!
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