No one spoke after Harry entered. He was fuming, his eyes burning. He rubbed blood and dirt off his face and winced.
“Harry?” Molly questioned, but she didn't jump up and rush to him like she normally would have. “What did you say?”
“I said,” Harry muttered through clenched teeth, “that Draco Malfoy tried to kill me. You shouldn't listen to anything he has to say. He's a bloody liar.”
A hand fell on Harry's shoulder and he turned to see Bill staring down at him with a frown.
“No,” Bill said softly. “Draco didn't do that to you, Harry. He's been with us all morning.”
Harry's eyes narrowed. “Then he did it last night!” he shouted, shrugging Bill away.
“Wrong again, mate.” Blaise smirked unkindly. He pointed to his face. “Whoever you paid to do that, I wish they had let me in on it.”
Harry blanched and shook his head. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Please,” Draco scoffed. “You're only embarrassing yourself.”
“I think you should go,” said Ginny, standing up. “You're not welcome here anymore.”
Harry stepped forward and raised a fist at Ginny. It took a fraction of a second for his fist to be caught by Draco, and as Draco put pressure on his bones, he tried to pull away.
“Let go,” Harry hissed.
“I don't think so, and if you ever try to hit my girlfriend again, I will make sure you regret it.”
Ginny stepped back, her hands shaking.
Bill had his wand pressed into Harry's back. “You're causing more damage just by being here, and if you don't want me to knock you unconscious and throw you out, you better leave right now.”
“You wouldn't do that,” Harry said.
Bill gripped his shoulder and pulled him away from Draco. Harry pushed him off, muttered, “This isn't over,” and left the house.
“I'm sorry,” said Ginny, frowning. “This is all my fault.”
“It's not.” Draco turned around and hugged her. “He's obviously not wrapped tightly anymore. If you want to go home, we can.”
“I don't,” she whispered against his chest. “I'll be okay. He's not here anymore.”
“He's hurt you enough,” Pansy said, putting a hand on Ginny's shoulder. “Just forget about him and come have some tea.”
Blaise handed her a cup. It was hot going down her throat but at that point she didn't care, even though she would have preferred alcohol at the moment. Slowly, the warm liquid calmed her and all the anger she had ebbed away.
Arms encircled her waist and his mouth touched her ear. He didn't say anything, just held her tightly.
She closed her eyes and said, “I want to go home now.”
**
The door opened and Ginny slumped onto the couch, kicking her shoes off and pulling her legs up underneath her body. She glanced at Draco, Blaise and Pansy.
“I'm fine,” she said. “Oh, don't look at me that way, ferret.”
Draco smirked and settled next to her, pulling her against him. He glanced at his friends. “If you guys want to leave, feel free.”
“I think we'll stick around,” Blaise said, sitting next to Ginny. “We've got nothing else to do, right?”
Pansy leaned against the wall by the door. “Well, I was going to break up with Harry today but I think he'll get the hint when I stop coming around.”
Ginny frowned. “I really wish I knew what happened to him. I don't know what he's so upset about.”
“Does it matter?” Draco asked. “It's over. He's going to leave us alone.”
“I hope so,” Ginny murmured. “I really do.”
It was late when Blaise and Pansy left.
Ginny was heating up some coffee for Draco to come home to, as he'd gone to run some errands. She was just pouring the coffee into two mugs when there was a knock on the door.
Someone Ginny thought she'd never see again stood there, glaring at her.
“Where is Pansy?” Daphne hissed.
Ginny scowled, keeping her hand on the door. “I don't know. What are you even doing here?”
Daphne pushed past her and entered the flat. She whirled around. “Where the hell is she? I know you're friends with her now.”
“I don't know,” Ginny said, narrowing her eyes. “Could you please leave?”
“Tell me where she is,” Daphne snapped, backing her against the wall. She pinned Ginny's arms at her side.
“Get off.”
Daphne withdrew her wand and tapped it against Ginny's cheek. She stepped back and Ginny tried to move, but was slammed into the wall. She let out a cry and the other girl smirked.
“I know you know where she is, and you're going to tell me.”
“I don't know where she is,” Ginny snarled. Her body felt like it was being weighed down. “I'm not lying, so let me go. This is so unnecessary. Have you lost your fucking mind?”
Daphne's eyes flashed and her smirk dropped. “I'm not crazy, and she doesn't deserve him!”
“Doesn't deserve him?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, I get it now. You like Harry, for whatever reason, and you made it seem like I wrote that letter to make Pansy back off. Well, I have good news and bad news for you. Which would you like first?”
“You need to let her go, Daphne.”
Pansy emerged from the hallway behind them, frowning.
“You're here,” Daphne said. “I need to talk to you.”
“No you don't. First, you need to let Ginny go. You're hurting her.” Pansy gripped Daphne's wrist. “I'll talk to you, just stop.”
Ginny took a breath and flexed her fingers. The magical presence she felt was gone and, as she slipped to the floor, she thought about hexing Daphne.
“What the hell is going on?” demanded a voice. “Gin, are you okay?”
Draco knelt down beside her and touched her face. She locked eyes with him and nodded. She was tired but she was okay. He stood up and grabbed Daphne by the hair and threw her out into the hall, then he slammed the door.
Pansy was in the process of helping Ginny stand. “I'm okay,” she assured her. “Really. But what are you going to do?”
“I have to talk to her,” replied Pansy, frowning. “She's not well.”
“Neither is Harry,” Ginny said. “They deserve each other.”
Draco rubbed his temples and walked into the kitchen. He saw the coffee and heated it up, took the cup back into the living room and gave it to Ginny.
“Drink this,” he murmured.
Ginny took a sip and shook her head. “I'm fine, I swear.”
Draco shook his head. “You're amazing, you know that? You're dealing with all of this crap and you just come out of it stronger.”
Pansy nodded. “It's admirable is what it is. If it were me, I'd be in a corner freaking out somewhere. Seriously, how haven't you cracked yet?” A smile touched her lips.
Ginny said, “Because I have people who help me not do that.”
“One person shouldn't deal with all of this,” said a voice.
Blaise was shutting the door behind him, grinning.
“We need a lock on that,” whispered Ginny.
Draco chuckled. “I suppose we do. I don't know how people keep getting in.”
“I was going to knock but it was unlocked. Good thing for me, then.” He looked around before asking, “What's happened?”
“I don't even really know. Ginny doesn't want to talk about it.” Draco looked at his friend with a frown.
Pansy was walking with Ginny into the bedroom. The door shut, leaving the men alone. Draco sighed and turned to Blaise.
“Listen,” he said quietly, “I need a favor.”
“Harry?” Molly questioned, but she didn't jump up and rush to him like she normally would have. “What did you say?”
“I said,” Harry muttered through clenched teeth, “that Draco Malfoy tried to kill me. You shouldn't listen to anything he has to say. He's a bloody liar.”
A hand fell on Harry's shoulder and he turned to see Bill staring down at him with a frown.
“No,” Bill said softly. “Draco didn't do that to you, Harry. He's been with us all morning.”
Harry's eyes narrowed. “Then he did it last night!” he shouted, shrugging Bill away.
“Wrong again, mate.” Blaise smirked unkindly. He pointed to his face. “Whoever you paid to do that, I wish they had let me in on it.”
Harry blanched and shook his head. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Please,” Draco scoffed. “You're only embarrassing yourself.”
“I think you should go,” said Ginny, standing up. “You're not welcome here anymore.”
Harry stepped forward and raised a fist at Ginny. It took a fraction of a second for his fist to be caught by Draco, and as Draco put pressure on his bones, he tried to pull away.
“Let go,” Harry hissed.
“I don't think so, and if you ever try to hit my girlfriend again, I will make sure you regret it.”
Ginny stepped back, her hands shaking.
Bill had his wand pressed into Harry's back. “You're causing more damage just by being here, and if you don't want me to knock you unconscious and throw you out, you better leave right now.”
“You wouldn't do that,” Harry said.
Bill gripped his shoulder and pulled him away from Draco. Harry pushed him off, muttered, “This isn't over,” and left the house.
“I'm sorry,” said Ginny, frowning. “This is all my fault.”
“It's not.” Draco turned around and hugged her. “He's obviously not wrapped tightly anymore. If you want to go home, we can.”
“I don't,” she whispered against his chest. “I'll be okay. He's not here anymore.”
“He's hurt you enough,” Pansy said, putting a hand on Ginny's shoulder. “Just forget about him and come have some tea.”
Blaise handed her a cup. It was hot going down her throat but at that point she didn't care, even though she would have preferred alcohol at the moment. Slowly, the warm liquid calmed her and all the anger she had ebbed away.
Arms encircled her waist and his mouth touched her ear. He didn't say anything, just held her tightly.
She closed her eyes and said, “I want to go home now.”
The door opened and Ginny slumped onto the couch, kicking her shoes off and pulling her legs up underneath her body. She glanced at Draco, Blaise and Pansy.
“I'm fine,” she said. “Oh, don't look at me that way, ferret.”
Draco smirked and settled next to her, pulling her against him. He glanced at his friends. “If you guys want to leave, feel free.”
“I think we'll stick around,” Blaise said, sitting next to Ginny. “We've got nothing else to do, right?”
Pansy leaned against the wall by the door. “Well, I was going to break up with Harry today but I think he'll get the hint when I stop coming around.”
Ginny frowned. “I really wish I knew what happened to him. I don't know what he's so upset about.”
“Does it matter?” Draco asked. “It's over. He's going to leave us alone.”
“I hope so,” Ginny murmured. “I really do.”
It was late when Blaise and Pansy left.
Ginny was heating up some coffee for Draco to come home to, as he'd gone to run some errands. She was just pouring the coffee into two mugs when there was a knock on the door.
Someone Ginny thought she'd never see again stood there, glaring at her.
“Where is Pansy?” Daphne hissed.
Ginny scowled, keeping her hand on the door. “I don't know. What are you even doing here?”
Daphne pushed past her and entered the flat. She whirled around. “Where the hell is she? I know you're friends with her now.”
“I don't know,” Ginny said, narrowing her eyes. “Could you please leave?”
“Tell me where she is,” Daphne snapped, backing her against the wall. She pinned Ginny's arms at her side.
“Get off.”
Daphne withdrew her wand and tapped it against Ginny's cheek. She stepped back and Ginny tried to move, but was slammed into the wall. She let out a cry and the other girl smirked.
“I know you know where she is, and you're going to tell me.”
“I don't know where she is,” Ginny snarled. Her body felt like it was being weighed down. “I'm not lying, so let me go. This is so unnecessary. Have you lost your fucking mind?”
Daphne's eyes flashed and her smirk dropped. “I'm not crazy, and she doesn't deserve him!”
“Doesn't deserve him?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, I get it now. You like Harry, for whatever reason, and you made it seem like I wrote that letter to make Pansy back off. Well, I have good news and bad news for you. Which would you like first?”
“You need to let her go, Daphne.”
Pansy emerged from the hallway behind them, frowning.
“You're here,” Daphne said. “I need to talk to you.”
“No you don't. First, you need to let Ginny go. You're hurting her.” Pansy gripped Daphne's wrist. “I'll talk to you, just stop.”
Ginny took a breath and flexed her fingers. The magical presence she felt was gone and, as she slipped to the floor, she thought about hexing Daphne.
“What the hell is going on?” demanded a voice. “Gin, are you okay?”
Draco knelt down beside her and touched her face. She locked eyes with him and nodded. She was tired but she was okay. He stood up and grabbed Daphne by the hair and threw her out into the hall, then he slammed the door.
Pansy was in the process of helping Ginny stand. “I'm okay,” she assured her. “Really. But what are you going to do?”
“I have to talk to her,” replied Pansy, frowning. “She's not well.”
“Neither is Harry,” Ginny said. “They deserve each other.”
Draco rubbed his temples and walked into the kitchen. He saw the coffee and heated it up, took the cup back into the living room and gave it to Ginny.
“Drink this,” he murmured.
Ginny took a sip and shook her head. “I'm fine, I swear.”
Draco shook his head. “You're amazing, you know that? You're dealing with all of this crap and you just come out of it stronger.”
Pansy nodded. “It's admirable is what it is. If it were me, I'd be in a corner freaking out somewhere. Seriously, how haven't you cracked yet?” A smile touched her lips.
Ginny said, “Because I have people who help me not do that.”
“One person shouldn't deal with all of this,” said a voice.
Blaise was shutting the door behind him, grinning.
“We need a lock on that,” whispered Ginny.
Draco chuckled. “I suppose we do. I don't know how people keep getting in.”
“I was going to knock but it was unlocked. Good thing for me, then.” He looked around before asking, “What's happened?”
“I don't even really know. Ginny doesn't want to talk about it.” Draco looked at his friend with a frown.
Pansy was walking with Ginny into the bedroom. The door shut, leaving the men alone. Draco sighed and turned to Blaise.
“Listen,” he said quietly, “I need a favor.”
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