Ginny's fingers wrapped in Harry's hair and she pulled so that his neck snapped back and he was staring at the dark sky. Then she shoved him so that he fell onto the concrete.
“What are you doing?” she snarled. She wished she had her wand so that she could hex him.
He looked at her, wiped blood from his lip, and scowled. He stood, swaying slightly, and advanced on her again.
Before he could touch her, however, he was blasted back.
“Are you alright?”
Draco emerged beside her. He trembled with fury. Ginny closed her eyes as he walked over to Harry and kicked him in the ribs. A scream rippled across the air.
“Ginny?” Draco's voice was soft as he touched her shoulders. “It's okay. It's just me.”
“I want to go home,” she said weakly.
“We will,” Draco assured her. “I just want to take care of him first.”
She opened her eyes to see him turn away from her. He stepped closer to Harry and
stomped on his fingers, that were reaching for his wand. He cried out again. Draco bent down and pick up the wand.
“Now you have one,” he told Ginny, handing it to her. He wrapped his arms around her. “Let's go home.”
No sooner had they gotten back to his flat, Ginny fell asleep. Draco busied himself in front of the fire. He wanted to Floo her parents, to explain why they left, and maybe about what Harry had done.
He thought against the last part, because no matter what, Harry Potter would always be The-Boy-Who-Could-Do-No-Wrong to the Weasley family.
And he would always be Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater. Thus, any goodness he had in him wouldn't exist to anyone.
Except her.
She saw something in him when everyone else was afraid to look. Too afraid to even care that he'd changed.
Slowly, he rose from in front of the warmth of the fire, extinguished the flames, and went into his bedroom. He found Ginny sleeping peacefully, despite the night she'd had.
He slept in the armchair across from the bed.
It was much later when his brain woke him. As he opened his eyes, he registered that it was almost dawn, and something stirred against him. He glanced down to see the red-haired girl that had once been in his bed, now curled in his lap, her head tucked under his chin.
Carefully, he scooped Ginny up in his arms and walked over to the bed. He laid her down and turned to go back to the chair, when she reached out and gripped his wrist.
“Don't go,” she said softly.
So he didn't.
**
Ginny woke with a start. She had a pillow over her head, the blanket drawn full over her body. She knew it was bright out, so she barricaded herself. She peered out to find Draco slumbering next to her, snoring.
Her hand slithered out from its shelter and she poked him. He grunted and rolled over. She tried again. And again, until she got a response. He cracked an eye open and narrowed it at her.
“Can I help you?” he asked gruffly.
“I just wanted to see if you were awake,” she mumbled. “sorry.”
“Slowly,” he said, groaning. “How did you sleep?”
Ginny shrugged and cuddled closer to him. “I fell asleep in my dress,” she muttered. “Ugh, and my hair probably looks awful.”
He smiled faintly. “You look pretty good to me, Red.”
She blushed.
“I guess last night was a disaster,” Draco commented. “I'm sorry Harry was such a prick. I wish I could have done more damage.”
“That's okay, I think you did enough.” Ginny ran her fingers along his chest. “He won't be using his wand for awhile, I think.”
“He could use his left hand,” said Draco.
“No,” Ginny replied, shaking her head. “He's right-handed. He'd fumble a lot with the left.”
“Good, so that leaves him defenseless. I should have kicked his ass. Or I should have let you do it. I think you could take him.” He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair.
“I wouldn't want to fight him,” she said. She glanced at Draco. “You didn't have to break his fingers, you know.”
“Better than a broken nose.” He smirked. “He can't hurt anyone now.”
“He wasn't going to hurt me. He was drunk.”
“Right. I saw his eyes, Ginny. He was pissed. His intoxicated state is messing with his head and he thinks he wants you back, so he'll do anything to make it happen.”
“Still, you could have seriously hurt him.”
“I wanted to,” he confessed. “I would kill him to protect you.”
Ginny bit her lip. “No, you wouldn't. You're not a killer.”
His eyes slid to hers and he narrowed them. Then he got out of bed and started pacing. He stopped and glanced at her, then spoke softly.
“You don't know what I'm capable of.”
**
That afternoon, Ginny went to the Burrow. She was greeted by her mother and asked if she wanted any tea. As she sat on the couch in the living room, she looked around. Nothing changed in her old home, she noticed.
“We didn't expect you today,” Molly said as she reentered, carrying a tray of tea. She set it down in front of Ginny. “Is everything alright? I heard about what happened with Harry.”
“Do you believe that he cheated? I know he's noble in your eyes,” her daughter mumbled.
Molly sat beside Ginny and touched her hair in a comforting gesture. “I believe whatever you do, Ginbug, but if he disrespected and hurt you, there's no reason for me to love him anymore.”
“You can love him,” Ginny said quietly. “He made a mistake. He's human. He has flaws.”
Molly smiled. “You used to never think that about him.”
Ginny laughed. “Yeah, I remember that. In my eyes, Harry Potter could do no wrong. Well, when you're eleven you believe anything.”
“He had everyone fooled, I suppose.” Molly took a sip of tea and handed a cup to Ginny. “I just hope he's happy with whoever he ends up with.”
“It looks like he'll be with Pansy Parkinson for awhile since she puts out.”
“Ginny!” Molly scolded. “That's terrible. Now, what is this about you and the Malfoy boy? How long have you been seeing one another?”
“We're not really seeing each other too seriously. It's just casual right now. I don't know if it'll turn into anything more.”
“Did you come to talk about that today?”
Ginny nodded. “I wanted to talk to George also. Is he around?”
Somewhere above them, a crack sounded and George Weasley fell in between them. As Molly yelled at him, Ginny couldn't stop laughing.
“That's a nice entrance,” Ginny said as she stood and helped him up.
“Isn't it?” George beamed. “I've been scaring people all morning.”
Ginny smiled then asked, “Have you heard from Harry?”
George shook his head. “You mean before or after Malfoy broke some of his fingers and took his wand?”
“Either,” mumbled Ginny. “He shouldn't have done that.”
“Honestly, I think Harry deserved it. He got drunk and touched you in a way you didn't want. Draco was merely coming to your rescue – like a boyfriend does.”
“He's not my boyfriend,” she said, looking at him. “He's just...ugh, I don't know what he is right now.”
George frowned. “You'll figure it out, and when you do, you'll have my support.”
She hugged him. “Thank you.”
“I have an idea,” Molly announced. She grinned at Ginny. “Why don't you Floo Draco and ask him to come over for dinner tonight. It would be nice to get to know him, and I'm sure your father would agree.”
Ginny bit her lip. “As long as you promise to not embarrass me.”
“I promise,” Molly said.
“I was talking to George,” said Ginny, glancing at her brother.
All George did was smirk.
Ginny went to the fireplace, preparing to invite Draco to the Burrow, butterflies tangled in her stomach.
“What are you doing?” she snarled. She wished she had her wand so that she could hex him.
He looked at her, wiped blood from his lip, and scowled. He stood, swaying slightly, and advanced on her again.
Before he could touch her, however, he was blasted back.
“Are you alright?”
Draco emerged beside her. He trembled with fury. Ginny closed her eyes as he walked over to Harry and kicked him in the ribs. A scream rippled across the air.
“Ginny?” Draco's voice was soft as he touched her shoulders. “It's okay. It's just me.”
“I want to go home,” she said weakly.
“We will,” Draco assured her. “I just want to take care of him first.”
She opened her eyes to see him turn away from her. He stepped closer to Harry and
stomped on his fingers, that were reaching for his wand. He cried out again. Draco bent down and pick up the wand.
“Now you have one,” he told Ginny, handing it to her. He wrapped his arms around her. “Let's go home.”
No sooner had they gotten back to his flat, Ginny fell asleep. Draco busied himself in front of the fire. He wanted to Floo her parents, to explain why they left, and maybe about what Harry had done.
He thought against the last part, because no matter what, Harry Potter would always be The-Boy-Who-Could-Do-No-Wrong to the Weasley family.
And he would always be Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater. Thus, any goodness he had in him wouldn't exist to anyone.
Except her.
She saw something in him when everyone else was afraid to look. Too afraid to even care that he'd changed.
Slowly, he rose from in front of the warmth of the fire, extinguished the flames, and went into his bedroom. He found Ginny sleeping peacefully, despite the night she'd had.
He slept in the armchair across from the bed.
It was much later when his brain woke him. As he opened his eyes, he registered that it was almost dawn, and something stirred against him. He glanced down to see the red-haired girl that had once been in his bed, now curled in his lap, her head tucked under his chin.
Carefully, he scooped Ginny up in his arms and walked over to the bed. He laid her down and turned to go back to the chair, when she reached out and gripped his wrist.
“Don't go,” she said softly.
So he didn't.
Ginny woke with a start. She had a pillow over her head, the blanket drawn full over her body. She knew it was bright out, so she barricaded herself. She peered out to find Draco slumbering next to her, snoring.
Her hand slithered out from its shelter and she poked him. He grunted and rolled over. She tried again. And again, until she got a response. He cracked an eye open and narrowed it at her.
“Can I help you?” he asked gruffly.
“I just wanted to see if you were awake,” she mumbled. “sorry.”
“Slowly,” he said, groaning. “How did you sleep?”
Ginny shrugged and cuddled closer to him. “I fell asleep in my dress,” she muttered. “Ugh, and my hair probably looks awful.”
He smiled faintly. “You look pretty good to me, Red.”
She blushed.
“I guess last night was a disaster,” Draco commented. “I'm sorry Harry was such a prick. I wish I could have done more damage.”
“That's okay, I think you did enough.” Ginny ran her fingers along his chest. “He won't be using his wand for awhile, I think.”
“He could use his left hand,” said Draco.
“No,” Ginny replied, shaking her head. “He's right-handed. He'd fumble a lot with the left.”
“Good, so that leaves him defenseless. I should have kicked his ass. Or I should have let you do it. I think you could take him.” He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair.
“I wouldn't want to fight him,” she said. She glanced at Draco. “You didn't have to break his fingers, you know.”
“Better than a broken nose.” He smirked. “He can't hurt anyone now.”
“He wasn't going to hurt me. He was drunk.”
“Right. I saw his eyes, Ginny. He was pissed. His intoxicated state is messing with his head and he thinks he wants you back, so he'll do anything to make it happen.”
“Still, you could have seriously hurt him.”
“I wanted to,” he confessed. “I would kill him to protect you.”
Ginny bit her lip. “No, you wouldn't. You're not a killer.”
His eyes slid to hers and he narrowed them. Then he got out of bed and started pacing. He stopped and glanced at her, then spoke softly.
“You don't know what I'm capable of.”
That afternoon, Ginny went to the Burrow. She was greeted by her mother and asked if she wanted any tea. As she sat on the couch in the living room, she looked around. Nothing changed in her old home, she noticed.
“We didn't expect you today,” Molly said as she reentered, carrying a tray of tea. She set it down in front of Ginny. “Is everything alright? I heard about what happened with Harry.”
“Do you believe that he cheated? I know he's noble in your eyes,” her daughter mumbled.
Molly sat beside Ginny and touched her hair in a comforting gesture. “I believe whatever you do, Ginbug, but if he disrespected and hurt you, there's no reason for me to love him anymore.”
“You can love him,” Ginny said quietly. “He made a mistake. He's human. He has flaws.”
Molly smiled. “You used to never think that about him.”
Ginny laughed. “Yeah, I remember that. In my eyes, Harry Potter could do no wrong. Well, when you're eleven you believe anything.”
“He had everyone fooled, I suppose.” Molly took a sip of tea and handed a cup to Ginny. “I just hope he's happy with whoever he ends up with.”
“It looks like he'll be with Pansy Parkinson for awhile since she puts out.”
“Ginny!” Molly scolded. “That's terrible. Now, what is this about you and the Malfoy boy? How long have you been seeing one another?”
“We're not really seeing each other too seriously. It's just casual right now. I don't know if it'll turn into anything more.”
“Did you come to talk about that today?”
Ginny nodded. “I wanted to talk to George also. Is he around?”
Somewhere above them, a crack sounded and George Weasley fell in between them. As Molly yelled at him, Ginny couldn't stop laughing.
“That's a nice entrance,” Ginny said as she stood and helped him up.
“Isn't it?” George beamed. “I've been scaring people all morning.”
Ginny smiled then asked, “Have you heard from Harry?”
George shook his head. “You mean before or after Malfoy broke some of his fingers and took his wand?”
“Either,” mumbled Ginny. “He shouldn't have done that.”
“Honestly, I think Harry deserved it. He got drunk and touched you in a way you didn't want. Draco was merely coming to your rescue – like a boyfriend does.”
“He's not my boyfriend,” she said, looking at him. “He's just...ugh, I don't know what he is right now.”
George frowned. “You'll figure it out, and when you do, you'll have my support.”
She hugged him. “Thank you.”
“I have an idea,” Molly announced. She grinned at Ginny. “Why don't you Floo Draco and ask him to come over for dinner tonight. It would be nice to get to know him, and I'm sure your father would agree.”
Ginny bit her lip. “As long as you promise to not embarrass me.”
“I promise,” Molly said.
“I was talking to George,” said Ginny, glancing at her brother.
All George did was smirk.
Ginny went to the fireplace, preparing to invite Draco to the Burrow, butterflies tangled in her stomach.
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