Chapter One- The Slytherin Prince
“Hermione, how. . ? Hermione?”
Ron looked up from his homework to find the girl in question nowhere to be seen. “Hey, where’s Hermione?”
Ginny glanced up from where she was helping Harry with his Charms homework and sighed. “Ron, she’s sick. She said at least three times that she had a headache, then said she was going to bed. Honestly!”
Ron sighed and frowned, then grinned. “Then you can help me. You’re good at Potions, Ginny. How do you do this one?”
Ginny rolled her eyes, moving to kneel by where her brother was doing his homework. She glanced at the problem he was pointing at, then at him. “You have to use the equation Professor Snape gave you yesterday. Isn’t it in your notes?” When Ron continued to look at her blankly, she rolled her eyes and called across the room.
“Hey Harry, do you have your Potions notes with you?”
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Ginny left the dungeons in a bad mood. Honestly, Ron and Harry could do well in potions if they tried a little harder. Since neither of them had copied down the notes, she’d had to get Hermione’s from where they’d been left
in the dungeons earlier. Muttering to herself, Ginny stalked up the passageway, mindless of where she was going.
“Hey!”
At the unexpected shout from behind her, Ginny jumped slightly. Quickly schooling her features, she turned toward the source of the shout and felt a shiver of fear run up her spine. Draco Malfoy was strolling up the hall toward her, a look she couldn’t puzzle out upon his face.
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Draco sighed as he walked through the dungeons. He came out here every night to think, to be by himself. Though the corridors were often full of Slytherins, he didn’t worry about anybody bothering him. Any dweeb with half a brain knew by now to stay out of his way. The Slytherin Prince tolerated people in his own house well enough, but that didn’t mean he would stand for them bugging him day and night, trying to be his friend to get in on his money. Very few people actually understood him.
Turning a corner, Draco was surprised to see a slim, red-headed figure retreating up the passage. “Hey,” he called, not quite registering who it was. The figure jumped at his shout. Ginny Weasley turned to face him, her look of surprise giving way to one of fear, then quickly turning indifferent.
“Yes?”
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The closer he got to her, the more Ginny wanted to turn and run. The stubborn Weasley part of her wouldn’t allow it, though, and compelled her to speak.
“Yes?”
Draco didn’t respond until he was less than a foot away from her. “What are you doing down here?”
Ginny felt her face flush at his nearness, but tried to hide it with a brisk tone. “I had to get some notes, not that it’s any of your business. Why do you care?”
Draco moved closer yet to her, lowering his face so it was less than an inch from hers. “The dungeons aren’t a safe place for any girl at night, especially innocent little Gryffindors. You shouldn’t be here.”
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Draco was less than a foot from her by the time he could respond. “What are you doing down here?”
Draco watched her cheeks go pink, and something caught inside of him. She was so naive. He had to get her out of here. “The dungeons aren’t a safe place for any girl at night, especially innocent little Gryffindors. You shouldn’t be here.”
Ginny’s pretty brown eyes widened in surprise, then softened. “Are. . .you actually trying to help me?”
Silently, he took her wrist and led her down the hallway. Two minutes later, the exit was in sight.
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Ginny felt her eyes widen as he moved closer to her, and another shiver ran down her spine. This time it wasn’t fear that held her, but wonder. His grey eyes were so deep, like pools she could just drown in. Then what he had said registered. “Are. . .you actually trying to help me?”
Without responding he grabbed her wrist and led her up the hallway. A few minutes later they were at the stone archway that signified the end of the dungeons. He stopped when they reached it, releasing her wrist. “This is as far as I go. You’re safe from here.”
Ginny opened her mouth to say something: she didn’t know what, but he turned and walked away. When he didn't hear her move away, Draco turned back for a moment. “Go.”
“Hermione, how. . ? Hermione?”
Ron looked up from his homework to find the girl in question nowhere to be seen. “Hey, where’s Hermione?”
Ginny glanced up from where she was helping Harry with his Charms homework and sighed. “Ron, she’s sick. She said at least three times that she had a headache, then said she was going to bed. Honestly!”
Ron sighed and frowned, then grinned. “Then you can help me. You’re good at Potions, Ginny. How do you do this one?”
Ginny rolled her eyes, moving to kneel by where her brother was doing his homework. She glanced at the problem he was pointing at, then at him. “You have to use the equation Professor Snape gave you yesterday. Isn’t it in your notes?” When Ron continued to look at her blankly, she rolled her eyes and called across the room.
“Hey Harry, do you have your Potions notes with you?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ginny left the dungeons in a bad mood. Honestly, Ron and Harry could do well in potions if they tried a little harder. Since neither of them had copied down the notes, she’d had to get Hermione’s from where they’d been left
in the dungeons earlier. Muttering to herself, Ginny stalked up the passageway, mindless of where she was going.
“Hey!”
At the unexpected shout from behind her, Ginny jumped slightly. Quickly schooling her features, she turned toward the source of the shout and felt a shiver of fear run up her spine. Draco Malfoy was strolling up the hall toward her, a look she couldn’t puzzle out upon his face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Draco sighed as he walked through the dungeons. He came out here every night to think, to be by himself. Though the corridors were often full of Slytherins, he didn’t worry about anybody bothering him. Any dweeb with half a brain knew by now to stay out of his way. The Slytherin Prince tolerated people in his own house well enough, but that didn’t mean he would stand for them bugging him day and night, trying to be his friend to get in on his money. Very few people actually understood him.
Turning a corner, Draco was surprised to see a slim, red-headed figure retreating up the passage. “Hey,” he called, not quite registering who it was. The figure jumped at his shout. Ginny Weasley turned to face him, her look of surprise giving way to one of fear, then quickly turning indifferent.
“Yes?”
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The closer he got to her, the more Ginny wanted to turn and run. The stubborn Weasley part of her wouldn’t allow it, though, and compelled her to speak.
“Yes?”
Draco didn’t respond until he was less than a foot away from her. “What are you doing down here?”
Ginny felt her face flush at his nearness, but tried to hide it with a brisk tone. “I had to get some notes, not that it’s any of your business. Why do you care?”
Draco moved closer yet to her, lowering his face so it was less than an inch from hers. “The dungeons aren’t a safe place for any girl at night, especially innocent little Gryffindors. You shouldn’t be here.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Draco was less than a foot from her by the time he could respond. “What are you doing down here?”
Draco watched her cheeks go pink, and something caught inside of him. She was so naive. He had to get her out of here. “The dungeons aren’t a safe place for any girl at night, especially innocent little Gryffindors. You shouldn’t be here.”
Ginny’s pretty brown eyes widened in surprise, then softened. “Are. . .you actually trying to help me?”
Silently, he took her wrist and led her down the hallway. Two minutes later, the exit was in sight.
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Ginny felt her eyes widen as he moved closer to her, and another shiver ran down her spine. This time it wasn’t fear that held her, but wonder. His grey eyes were so deep, like pools she could just drown in. Then what he had said registered. “Are. . .you actually trying to help me?”
Without responding he grabbed her wrist and led her up the hallway. A few minutes later they were at the stone archway that signified the end of the dungeons. He stopped when they reached it, releasing her wrist. “This is as far as I go. You’re safe from here.”
Ginny opened her mouth to say something: she didn’t know what, but he turned and walked away. When he didn't hear her move away, Draco turned back for a moment. “Go.”
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