Bill replied almost immediately. He asked Ginny to meet him at The Three Broomsticks for lunch, so naturally she went. She felt a little guilty about not having Draco with her, but it had been his choice to stay behind.
On her way to see her brother, Ginny ran into Pansy Parkinson. That was the last person she ever wanted to see, and since the banquet, since Draco stole Harry's wand and broke his fingers, neither of them had seen the pug-faced girl.
Until today.
She had been walking and stopped as soon as she saw the redheaded witch, her lips drawn back into a sneer. She reached into her pocket and withdrew her wand, a smirk on her face.
“Well, well,” she said. “I'm surprised to see you out. Where's Draco? Finally got tired of you? Or weren't you satisfying him?”
Ginny smiled and shook her head. “You're pathetic, did you know that? I think I keep having to remind you. I don't know if Harry told you, but Draco gave him quite an ass-kicking the other day. He deserved it.”
Pansy snorted. “That was hardly an ass-kicking. If you wanted to see one done properly, I could show you.”
“No thanks,” said Ginny. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”
As she walked by, Pansy gripped her wrist tightly. “I don't think so,” she said quietly. “You need to learn your place, Weasley.”
Ginny didn't see the first punch coming. She landed on the ground, pain shooting through her head. Her vision blurred slowly and she tried to stand, but failed. She crumpled to her knees with Pansy standing over her, and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.
Then there were no sounds around her at all.
There was nothing.
**
When Ginny opened her eyes, she saw that she was in an unfamiliar bedroom. Panicked, she sat up, looking around. She didn't recognize anything. Her mouth tasted stale and her head throbbed dully.
“Hello?” she called out.
“So, you're awake,” murmured a voice. “I was beginning to worry.”
“This is your flat?” she asked.
Blaise Zabini nodded. He had been sitting in a chair that was in the corner of the room. Ginny touched her head, feeling the bandage.
“What happened?”
“You don't remember?” he asked, leaning forward.
Searching her memory, Ginny said, “Pansy. I remember seeing her and talking to her. But what happened after?”
Blaise stood and came to sit on the edge of the bed. “She punched you, you fell, and you hit your head on the street.” He frowned. “How come Draco wasn't with you?”
“I was meeting someone,” Ginny said.
Blaise raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes holding hers.
“My brother,” she confirmed, before he got any other ideas. “He wanted to meet for lunch and now I've stood him up. I'll have to explain what happened when I owl him.”
From somewhere in the flat, there was a knock on the door. Blaise excused himself to answer it and came back with Draco, who sat down next to Ginny and took hold of her hand. Then he touched her head. She winced.
“Sorry,” he said softly. “Are you alright?”
“I'm okay,” she said. “I just have to explain things to Bill when I get the chance.”
Draco smiled slightly. “You can talk to him when we get home. He's at my flat as we speak.”
“He is?” Ginny asked, her eyes wide. “Why?”
“He came by when you didn't meet him, said he was worried. Blaise had Flooed me to tell me to come here, and your brother stayed behind. I didn't tell him what I was doing, because then he would just worry more.”
“Wait,” Ginny muttered, putting up her hand. “How did he know where you lived? He's never even liked you, why would he go see you?”
“Give the man some credit,” Blaise told her. “Draco's been very kind to you and maybe your brother went to see your family first, then they told him.”
Draco glanced at Blaise and nodded. Then he said to Ginny, “See? Not all Slytherins are evil.”
“That's clear,” Ginny said, smiling. “Thank you,” she said to Blaise.
“I'm glad you're okay,” he replied. “When I got to you, Pansy was hysterical. She thought she'd killed you.”
“Wow,” said Draco. “She actually cared?”
“She cared because you would have been devastated and she didn't want that for you.” Blaise looked at both of them. “So, you see, the great bitch does have some form of a heart. I mean, she's got to if she's with Harry, doesn't she?”
“Harry doesn't have a heart,” said Ginny, closing her eyes. “I know that now. I'm sorry.” She looked at Draco, pulled his face to hers and kissed him softly.
He returned the kiss and lifted her from the bed. “Thank you for keeping her safe,” he said to his friend. Then they disappeared.
**
Bill was pacing the length of the living room when a crack startled him. He watched Ginny, who was being carried by Draco. He saw the bandage of her head and he started to panic.
“I'm alright,” Ginny assured him as Draco put her on the couch. “I'm sorry I didn't meet you. Are you okay?”
“I should be asking you that,” Bill said, touching her hair. “I can come back when you're better.”
“I can talk to you, that doesn't hurt.” Ginny grinned at him. “You didn't tell Mum, did you?”
Bill shook his head. “She doesn't know what I wanted to see Draco for. She would just have a fit if she did. I won't say anything to her, if you don't want me to.”
“I don't want her to know, and since I'm okay, we can talk like we were supposed to. If Draco doesn't mind us being here.”
Draco shook his head. “I don't mind at all. I'll make you some tea.”
When he disappeared into the kitchen, Bill said, “So, what happened at home? Mum said when you two left unexpectedly, Harry was getting up off the ground with a pissed off look on his face.”
Ginny bit her lip. “I didn't do anything. Draco was just defending me.”
Bill nodded. “He's been very hospitable and kind to you, but why? Why aren't you with Harry?”
“He cheated on me,” Ginny said, taking a breath. “With Pansy Parkinson. And it's been unpleasant ever since, because I occasionally run into the two of them. It's pretty awful.”
Bill, who was always the sensible brother, wasn't sure of what to say. For the first time in his life, he was stuck for words. After awhile, he found his voice.
“That's terrible,” he said, taking her hand. “I'm sorry he did that. Now I understand why you're here. He treats you well?”
Ginny nodded. “Yes, very well. But how are you doing? How's Fleur?”
“Things are fine, thank you. Have you heard from Ron or Hermione?”
Ginny shook her head. “No. It's been a few months since anyone's heard from them. I'm sure they're just enjoying married life.”
Draco finally returned with their tea. He handed them their cups but Bill shook his head.
“I can't,” he said. “I've got to get going. Sorry, Ginbug.”
“It's alright, I understand you have things to do.” Ginny sipped her tea. “Thank you for stopping by.”
Bill bent down and kissed his sister on the head. Then turned to Draco. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”
He promised to write her again, then he was gone. After they were alone, Draco joined Ginny on the couch and pulled her to him.
“It's been a long day,” he murmured. “Maybe we should take a nap.”
Draco lifted her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her to the bedroom. As Ginny settled into sleep, she heard Draco say something. She cracked an eye open and looked at him.
“What did you say?” she asked.
In the darkness of the room, Draco's eyes gleamed as he leaned close and brushed his lips against her ear, making her shudder.
“You heard me,” he whispered.
On her way to see her brother, Ginny ran into Pansy Parkinson. That was the last person she ever wanted to see, and since the banquet, since Draco stole Harry's wand and broke his fingers, neither of them had seen the pug-faced girl.
Until today.
She had been walking and stopped as soon as she saw the redheaded witch, her lips drawn back into a sneer. She reached into her pocket and withdrew her wand, a smirk on her face.
“Well, well,” she said. “I'm surprised to see you out. Where's Draco? Finally got tired of you? Or weren't you satisfying him?”
Ginny smiled and shook her head. “You're pathetic, did you know that? I think I keep having to remind you. I don't know if Harry told you, but Draco gave him quite an ass-kicking the other day. He deserved it.”
Pansy snorted. “That was hardly an ass-kicking. If you wanted to see one done properly, I could show you.”
“No thanks,” said Ginny. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”
As she walked by, Pansy gripped her wrist tightly. “I don't think so,” she said quietly. “You need to learn your place, Weasley.”
Ginny didn't see the first punch coming. She landed on the ground, pain shooting through her head. Her vision blurred slowly and she tried to stand, but failed. She crumpled to her knees with Pansy standing over her, and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.
Then there were no sounds around her at all.
There was nothing.
When Ginny opened her eyes, she saw that she was in an unfamiliar bedroom. Panicked, she sat up, looking around. She didn't recognize anything. Her mouth tasted stale and her head throbbed dully.
“Hello?” she called out.
“So, you're awake,” murmured a voice. “I was beginning to worry.”
“This is your flat?” she asked.
Blaise Zabini nodded. He had been sitting in a chair that was in the corner of the room. Ginny touched her head, feeling the bandage.
“What happened?”
“You don't remember?” he asked, leaning forward.
Searching her memory, Ginny said, “Pansy. I remember seeing her and talking to her. But what happened after?”
Blaise stood and came to sit on the edge of the bed. “She punched you, you fell, and you hit your head on the street.” He frowned. “How come Draco wasn't with you?”
“I was meeting someone,” Ginny said.
Blaise raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes holding hers.
“My brother,” she confirmed, before he got any other ideas. “He wanted to meet for lunch and now I've stood him up. I'll have to explain what happened when I owl him.”
From somewhere in the flat, there was a knock on the door. Blaise excused himself to answer it and came back with Draco, who sat down next to Ginny and took hold of her hand. Then he touched her head. She winced.
“Sorry,” he said softly. “Are you alright?”
“I'm okay,” she said. “I just have to explain things to Bill when I get the chance.”
Draco smiled slightly. “You can talk to him when we get home. He's at my flat as we speak.”
“He is?” Ginny asked, her eyes wide. “Why?”
“He came by when you didn't meet him, said he was worried. Blaise had Flooed me to tell me to come here, and your brother stayed behind. I didn't tell him what I was doing, because then he would just worry more.”
“Wait,” Ginny muttered, putting up her hand. “How did he know where you lived? He's never even liked you, why would he go see you?”
“Give the man some credit,” Blaise told her. “Draco's been very kind to you and maybe your brother went to see your family first, then they told him.”
Draco glanced at Blaise and nodded. Then he said to Ginny, “See? Not all Slytherins are evil.”
“That's clear,” Ginny said, smiling. “Thank you,” she said to Blaise.
“I'm glad you're okay,” he replied. “When I got to you, Pansy was hysterical. She thought she'd killed you.”
“Wow,” said Draco. “She actually cared?”
“She cared because you would have been devastated and she didn't want that for you.” Blaise looked at both of them. “So, you see, the great bitch does have some form of a heart. I mean, she's got to if she's with Harry, doesn't she?”
“Harry doesn't have a heart,” said Ginny, closing her eyes. “I know that now. I'm sorry.” She looked at Draco, pulled his face to hers and kissed him softly.
He returned the kiss and lifted her from the bed. “Thank you for keeping her safe,” he said to his friend. Then they disappeared.
Bill was pacing the length of the living room when a crack startled him. He watched Ginny, who was being carried by Draco. He saw the bandage of her head and he started to panic.
“I'm alright,” Ginny assured him as Draco put her on the couch. “I'm sorry I didn't meet you. Are you okay?”
“I should be asking you that,” Bill said, touching her hair. “I can come back when you're better.”
“I can talk to you, that doesn't hurt.” Ginny grinned at him. “You didn't tell Mum, did you?”
Bill shook his head. “She doesn't know what I wanted to see Draco for. She would just have a fit if she did. I won't say anything to her, if you don't want me to.”
“I don't want her to know, and since I'm okay, we can talk like we were supposed to. If Draco doesn't mind us being here.”
Draco shook his head. “I don't mind at all. I'll make you some tea.”
When he disappeared into the kitchen, Bill said, “So, what happened at home? Mum said when you two left unexpectedly, Harry was getting up off the ground with a pissed off look on his face.”
Ginny bit her lip. “I didn't do anything. Draco was just defending me.”
Bill nodded. “He's been very hospitable and kind to you, but why? Why aren't you with Harry?”
“He cheated on me,” Ginny said, taking a breath. “With Pansy Parkinson. And it's been unpleasant ever since, because I occasionally run into the two of them. It's pretty awful.”
Bill, who was always the sensible brother, wasn't sure of what to say. For the first time in his life, he was stuck for words. After awhile, he found his voice.
“That's terrible,” he said, taking her hand. “I'm sorry he did that. Now I understand why you're here. He treats you well?”
Ginny nodded. “Yes, very well. But how are you doing? How's Fleur?”
“Things are fine, thank you. Have you heard from Ron or Hermione?”
Ginny shook her head. “No. It's been a few months since anyone's heard from them. I'm sure they're just enjoying married life.”
Draco finally returned with their tea. He handed them their cups but Bill shook his head.
“I can't,” he said. “I've got to get going. Sorry, Ginbug.”
“It's alright, I understand you have things to do.” Ginny sipped her tea. “Thank you for stopping by.”
Bill bent down and kissed his sister on the head. Then turned to Draco. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”
He promised to write her again, then he was gone. After they were alone, Draco joined Ginny on the couch and pulled her to him.
“It's been a long day,” he murmured. “Maybe we should take a nap.”
Draco lifted her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her to the bedroom. As Ginny settled into sleep, she heard Draco say something. She cracked an eye open and looked at him.
“What did you say?” she asked.
In the darkness of the room, Draco's eyes gleamed as he leaned close and brushed his lips against her ear, making her shudder.
“You heard me,” he whispered.
Leave a Review