Before Ginny even opened the door to Harry’s flat, she felt arms go around her waist, pulling her back. She could smell his cologne, so she knew who it was right away. What she didn’t understand was why he was holding her.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed, turning to look at him.
“Saving you from killing him,” Draco said. He released her and stood back. “As much as I’d like to see you hit him, and I would very much, I’ll just do it for you.”
Ginny looked at him, her lips curling into a smirk. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea that he knew was forming inside her brain.
She knocked.
The door opened almost immediately and Pansy stood there, her eyes wide.
“Well, well,” she said sweetly. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a rebound, Weasley. Draco, what the hell are you doing?”
He stepped next to Ginny, reached out and grabbed her hand.
“What does it look like?” he asked snidely.
“It looks suspicious,” said another voice.
Harry came into view behind Pansy, his black hair disheveled more than usual. He narrowed his eyes.
“I just came to get my things,” said Ginny. “I don’t want to cause any trouble. Draco came to make sure I didn’t hex you too badly.”
“That’s nice of him,” Harry said unkindly. “I boxed all your things for you. They’re in the living room; if you could get them together and out of my flat, that would be great. I’m kind of tired of looking at all your clothes.”
“You’re tired of—” Ginny started, her voice rising.
Draco squeezed her hand as she stepped forward. “I think we should get your stuff and get out of here,” he whispered to her.
“You’re staying with him?” Harry sneered. “That’s rich. I guess it didn’t take you long to find another fucking partner.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Draco snapped. “And, for your information, we’re not doing that. I’m just helping her out after you ruined everything. So, well done, Potter.”
Ginny didn’t say anything, just stepped by Pansy and Harry into the flat. She looked at all of the boxes scattered on the floor and wheeled around.
“You’re so careless,” she told Harry. “If it’s not yours, it doesn’t matter. I have more than clothes and you could have broken fragile things.”
“I’m sure you have such important things,” Harry shot back.
“You know I do!” shouted Ginny, her eyes welling up. “You know what? I’m going to get all this when you aren’t here. I can’t deal with this right now. I don’t know what I was thinking coming here.”
“You mean you didn’t come here to show off this git?” Harry snarled. He glanced at Pansy. “Do you want to go somewhere?”
“Please,” she urged.
“I don’t want to hear her beg,” Draco groaned.
“I’d rather not hear what Harry does every night,” Ginny said with disgust. She came back into the hall and glanced at Draco. “Could we please go now?”
“Yes,” he said, nodding.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and they disappeared.
**
They landed in the living room of his flat, their arms still around each other. Ginny had her face pressed into his chest, her eyes shut, willing the tears away. She was angry at everything that had happened, but somehow Draco made her feel better.
The former Slytherin Death Eater made her feel at ease.
He made her feel safe.
He made her feel something when she was with him.
She didn’t understand it.
“Are you alright?” he asked as he moved away from her. “You seem a little shaken. I guess it was a bad idea to go over there.”
“I’ll be okay,” she said, opening her eyes and looking at him. She sat on the couch and shut her eyes again, rubbing her temples. “He’s just so aggravating right now. The sneaking around and cheating are one thing, but treating what I own like garbage makes me so mad.”
“What else is there but clothes?” Draco asked as he sat on the armrest and glanced at her.
“Things I got from my family, friends, and other people.”
“Did he ever get you anything?”
“Just flowers, but that was rare.” Ginny sighed and pulled her knees up to he chest. “Why are you so curious? I mean, you hate him, don’t you?”
“Sometimes,” Draco murmured. “But then I remember I’m not a kid anymore and I shouldn’t hold grudges. Aside from recent events, I haven’t really thought about Potter at all.”
“I thought he was a good guy,” Ginny said softly. “I really did.”
“And you thought I was a git.” Draco smirked. “I was, but you weren’t exactly the nicest person, either.”
“That’s because you were rude as hell,” she said, smiling faintly. “You’re not so bad now.”
“Oh, well thank you.” He grinned at her. “You’re pretty charming yourself, Red.”
Ginny looked at him. “That’s a nice nickname.”
Draco nodded and slid off the armrest onto the cushion. “At least it fits. It’s not like calling someone Pointy Ferret Face, is it?” He looked at her knowingly.
Ginny blushed and said quietly, “I didn’t know you knew about that.”
“Blaise overheard someone with red hair calling me that one day. He said it was a female and I know you don’t have a sister, so I connected the two. I’m quite smart.”
“That was so long ago,” she said defensively.
“Nicknames stick,” Draco said. “Did you ever hear the one I had for you? It wasn’t nearly as childish as the one you had for me, by the way.”
“If I did, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have liked it,” replied Ginny, rolling her eyes. “You weren’t exactly known for your kindness.”
“Oh, you no doubt would have been annoyed at it, because you wouldn’t have understood it, I think.”
“Are you calling me stupid?” Ginny asked quickly.
Draco put his hands up. “Not at all. I’m just saying you wouldn’t have appreciated it.”
“Well, that depends. What was it?”
He leaned in close, so close that their breath twisted together. Ginny was sure he was going to kiss her, so she shut her eyes.
“Vixen,” he whispered in her ear. “That’s what I called you, but I never told anyone.”
She opened her eyes and looked into his grey ones.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“It wouldn’t have had the same effect, if I told people.” He gazed at her, his hand sliding across her face, knuckles brushing her cheek.
Then he did what she had been anticipating.
He kissed her.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed, turning to look at him.
“Saving you from killing him,” Draco said. He released her and stood back. “As much as I’d like to see you hit him, and I would very much, I’ll just do it for you.”
Ginny looked at him, her lips curling into a smirk. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea that he knew was forming inside her brain.
She knocked.
The door opened almost immediately and Pansy stood there, her eyes wide.
“Well, well,” she said sweetly. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a rebound, Weasley. Draco, what the hell are you doing?”
He stepped next to Ginny, reached out and grabbed her hand.
“What does it look like?” he asked snidely.
“It looks suspicious,” said another voice.
Harry came into view behind Pansy, his black hair disheveled more than usual. He narrowed his eyes.
“I just came to get my things,” said Ginny. “I don’t want to cause any trouble. Draco came to make sure I didn’t hex you too badly.”
“That’s nice of him,” Harry said unkindly. “I boxed all your things for you. They’re in the living room; if you could get them together and out of my flat, that would be great. I’m kind of tired of looking at all your clothes.”
“You’re tired of—” Ginny started, her voice rising.
Draco squeezed her hand as she stepped forward. “I think we should get your stuff and get out of here,” he whispered to her.
“You’re staying with him?” Harry sneered. “That’s rich. I guess it didn’t take you long to find another fucking partner.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Draco snapped. “And, for your information, we’re not doing that. I’m just helping her out after you ruined everything. So, well done, Potter.”
Ginny didn’t say anything, just stepped by Pansy and Harry into the flat. She looked at all of the boxes scattered on the floor and wheeled around.
“You’re so careless,” she told Harry. “If it’s not yours, it doesn’t matter. I have more than clothes and you could have broken fragile things.”
“I’m sure you have such important things,” Harry shot back.
“You know I do!” shouted Ginny, her eyes welling up. “You know what? I’m going to get all this when you aren’t here. I can’t deal with this right now. I don’t know what I was thinking coming here.”
“You mean you didn’t come here to show off this git?” Harry snarled. He glanced at Pansy. “Do you want to go somewhere?”
“Please,” she urged.
“I don’t want to hear her beg,” Draco groaned.
“I’d rather not hear what Harry does every night,” Ginny said with disgust. She came back into the hall and glanced at Draco. “Could we please go now?”
“Yes,” he said, nodding.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and they disappeared.
They landed in the living room of his flat, their arms still around each other. Ginny had her face pressed into his chest, her eyes shut, willing the tears away. She was angry at everything that had happened, but somehow Draco made her feel better.
The former Slytherin Death Eater made her feel at ease.
He made her feel safe.
He made her feel something when she was with him.
She didn’t understand it.
“Are you alright?” he asked as he moved away from her. “You seem a little shaken. I guess it was a bad idea to go over there.”
“I’ll be okay,” she said, opening her eyes and looking at him. She sat on the couch and shut her eyes again, rubbing her temples. “He’s just so aggravating right now. The sneaking around and cheating are one thing, but treating what I own like garbage makes me so mad.”
“What else is there but clothes?” Draco asked as he sat on the armrest and glanced at her.
“Things I got from my family, friends, and other people.”
“Did he ever get you anything?”
“Just flowers, but that was rare.” Ginny sighed and pulled her knees up to he chest. “Why are you so curious? I mean, you hate him, don’t you?”
“Sometimes,” Draco murmured. “But then I remember I’m not a kid anymore and I shouldn’t hold grudges. Aside from recent events, I haven’t really thought about Potter at all.”
“I thought he was a good guy,” Ginny said softly. “I really did.”
“And you thought I was a git.” Draco smirked. “I was, but you weren’t exactly the nicest person, either.”
“That’s because you were rude as hell,” she said, smiling faintly. “You’re not so bad now.”
“Oh, well thank you.” He grinned at her. “You’re pretty charming yourself, Red.”
Ginny looked at him. “That’s a nice nickname.”
Draco nodded and slid off the armrest onto the cushion. “At least it fits. It’s not like calling someone Pointy Ferret Face, is it?” He looked at her knowingly.
Ginny blushed and said quietly, “I didn’t know you knew about that.”
“Blaise overheard someone with red hair calling me that one day. He said it was a female and I know you don’t have a sister, so I connected the two. I’m quite smart.”
“That was so long ago,” she said defensively.
“Nicknames stick,” Draco said. “Did you ever hear the one I had for you? It wasn’t nearly as childish as the one you had for me, by the way.”
“If I did, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have liked it,” replied Ginny, rolling her eyes. “You weren’t exactly known for your kindness.”
“Oh, you no doubt would have been annoyed at it, because you wouldn’t have understood it, I think.”
“Are you calling me stupid?” Ginny asked quickly.
Draco put his hands up. “Not at all. I’m just saying you wouldn’t have appreciated it.”
“Well, that depends. What was it?”
He leaned in close, so close that their breath twisted together. Ginny was sure he was going to kiss her, so she shut her eyes.
“Vixen,” he whispered in her ear. “That’s what I called you, but I never told anyone.”
She opened her eyes and looked into his grey ones.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“It wouldn’t have had the same effect, if I told people.” He gazed at her, his hand sliding across her face, knuckles brushing her cheek.
Then he did what she had been anticipating.
He kissed her.
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