Author's Notes:Hello, everyone. I'm excited for the chapter to be posted, all thanks to my new beta, fallenwitch. Thanks you for all your support and help! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and could you pretty please leave a review? :)
Lunaeyes
Chapter 9: His Girl
Ginny crept through the darkened corridors, her heart thudding against her chest and her long red mane streaming out behind her. She broke into a run at the sound of clattering somewhere in the castle. A smile tugged at her lips at the memory of his soft blond hair between her fingers, the trail of light kisses searing down her neck, and their overheated bodies pressed up against one another.
She had needed some air and some space to think, but she wanted him to have something tangible to remember her by - her soft, faded tie. It was a miracle that she remembered the nonverbal heating spell that Hermione had taught her a year ago. It melted the lock and granted her freedom as Draco stood there staring at her.
Now a wanton witch, she ran down another flight of stairs. The cool, crisp air flooding the corridors of the sleeping castle sent goose bumps along her previously overheated skin, sending delicious tingles down her spine.
The sight of his stormy eyes flashed in her mind. She bit her lip, sucked in another breath of cold air, and flattened herself against the wall, giggling. It had been ages since she felt so elated. She was alive and aching, wanted and wanting all at once.
Was it wrong? Yes. Was it sick? Perhaps. Was it dangerous? Maybe. But Ginny found that she didn’t care. He wanted her and she couldn’t believe it.
She was no pawn to him. She could feel it in the pounding of his heart and see it in those oddly gray-blue eyes of his. Something inside of him was changing, and something inside of her knew it was because of her.
She stopped abruptly in front of the portrait of the sleeping Fat Lady and rapped briskly on it.
"Wake up!” Ginny exclaimed in an excited voice that was far too loud to be using after hours.
The Fat Lady started and blinked a few times. “What?” she yawned groggily, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.
“Open up!” Ginny demanded, a smile creeping across her face.
The Fat Lady peered down at her. “My, do you look a fright! Just what have you been doing?”
She did? Ginny looked down. Her shirt was half unbuttoned, her tie was missing, and her skirt flipped up on one side. Running a hand through her hair, she discovered it was a tangled, wavy mess. She grinned again, ignoring the Fat Lady’s look of shock.
"Never mind that now!” Ginny replied with a wave of her hand. “Just let me in! Fizzing Whizbees!”
The Fat Lady gave her a stern look but swung forward on her hinges at the sound of the password.
Ginny twirled into the Gryffindor common room, her eyes sweeping for signs of other people. When she found none, she hugged herself tightly, twirling across the room and up the staircase to the girls' dormitory.
***
Draco shoved his hand deep inside the pocket of his robes when he entered the Slytherin common room, running his fingers over the frayed material of her tie. What the hell was he going to do with this thing?
He threw open the door to the Head Boy’s room, slipped the tie on the doorknob, and dressed for bed, turning his back on the damn thing. His green cashmere pajama bottoms felt rough against his skin now that he had caressed Ginny’s flaming hair between his fingers.
He flopped down on his bed and propped himself up against a wall of pillows, staring at the tie. The tie stared back at him. He didn’t want to look at it, but he didn’t want to look away either. The burning red reminded him of her fiery hair, and the gold was like the flecks that brightened her eyes. When had she invaded his mind so?
It annoyed him that he couldn’t blame his frustration on her. He had kissed her. To act on his baser impulses was unlike him, but it appeared she had quite a few of those impulses herself, until she broke that lock and fled the classroom and him. Was he mistaken to have approached her? Was she still in love with Potter?
He knew he shouldn’t want her, but he did. He wanted nothing more than to march up to the Gryffindor common room and snog her thoroughly again. Hexes and threats be damned.
Draco rolled over on his side to avoid staring at the tie that was still staring at him. A slender silver chain belonging to his mother lay across his mahogany nightstand. She made him promise to take it with him to Hogwarts. He was sure it was for sentimental reasons.
Something gripped his heart at the thought of his mother. A part of him knew she was dying. He had seen her last in her bed at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. She lay pallid and frail: her breathing shallow, her hair a blonde halo on the pillow, and her skin blue-white against the sheets. He gave her a gentle hug, not knowing what he would do if she died. She was his only real family. He didn't want to see his father or his aunt again. Without her, there would be nothing left for him: no family, no friends, no one.
Professor Snape flitted into his mind, and the faintest glimmer of a frown crept across Draco's face. Severus Snape was a traitor to everyone with no allies. Draco recognized that Severus loved his mother, although he didn’t know where that came from. But if Narcissa were to die, Draco would be dead to him as well.
***
The corridor was just as he remembered it, long and cold. A faint mist swirled about his ankles as he made his way to the room at the end. He entered it slowly, taking in the ancient scrolls and the Dark artifacts that sat there. Panic seized him as he saw a hooded figure sitting at his father’s desk. He knew he shouldn’t be here. His father had forbidden it, but before he could turn around and flee, a gentle voice called to him.
"Draco..."
He froze. The figure rose and made its way to him, its dark cloak swishing against the floor and cutting through the eerie mist. When the creature had drawn close enough for Draco to hear its ragged breath, its hood fell away, revealing Ginny's terrified face. Then her hair tumbled down her shoulders, cascading into his hands. His breath caught in his constricting throat.
“He’s coming for you, Draco,” she whispered, her eyes filled with tears.
Draco looked down at her red hair, but it was gone. Coarse blond hair now lay in his hands, and he looked up into the cold eyes of his father. A sneer crossed Lucius' face, and the frozen tip of a wand appeared between Draco’s terrified eyes.
Draco awoke from his dream, shaking. He’s coming for me.
***
Ginny shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other as she hurried along an abandoned corridor with two Ravenclaw girls from her Transfiguration class, taking their usual short cut to Charms. Her bag was old and splitting at the seams, but she took care not to pull it too tightly.
“I forgot to drop off my Potions essay with Slughorn," Elizabeth groaned, rummaging through her bag and removing a long sheet of parchment.
"Any later and it'll be another five House points," Anna admonished, irritated. "Come on, I'll go with you. Let's hurry."
Anna grabbed Elizabeth's arm and started off running, nearly knocking Elizabeth off her feet. "Ouch!"
“We’ll see you later, Ginny!” they called, disappearing down the corridor.
When the sound of her friends' bickering and scampering footsteps faded, a heavy silence buzzed in Ginny’s ears. The castle was suddenly colder, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She spun around but no one was there. A portrait of a witch wrapped in heavy furs against a frozen tundra scowled at her. Ginny scowled back.
She quickened her step, eager to get out of the abandoned corridor. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind a tall, gray statue of Hengist of Woodcroft and pulled her behind the statue. Ginny cried out, but her scream was muffled by a smooth, pale hand pressed against her mouth. She tried to bite the hand, but it cupped her jaw expertly. Ginny felt her eyes roll in panic as her unseen attacker pushed her up against the wall.
Ginny waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, her chest heaving and her breathing short. Draco’s sharp face came into view, and her body sagged with relief. The hand fell away from her mouth. “Shh...” he soothed.
Now tensing with rage, she hissed at him, "What the hell do you think you’re doing? Were you trying to give me a heart attack?” She felt her skin burn with humiliation and anger.
He was smirking at her. “I didn’t need your scream to alert the whole castle to our position.”
“And what position is that?” Ginny snapped.
“A compromising one.”
He leapt forward, bringing his lips down on hers, silencing any possible protest and felt her tense, anger-filled body begin to go limp in his arms. Ginny could feel his hot breath against her skin, his hands on her, and she shivered in anticipation. When he surfaced for a breath, she closed her eyes and threw her head back, but his lips never touched down again. She pressed her body against his, waiting.
He laughed faintly against her skin and whispered, “Don’t be late for class.” Then he darted out from behind the statue and disappeared. Ginny fell back against the wall, breathing heavily. After catching her breath, she flattened her hair and gathered up her bag. The corridor was as deserted as ever, and Ginny had to run to make it to Charms on time. She took her seat shortly after Professor Flitwick shut his door. Anna and Elizabeth stared at her questioningly.
“Cutting it close there, eh, Miss Weasley?” he said, peering at her.
She nodded and smiled apologetically, digging through her bag for her textbook. As she lifted it out, something pulled out with it. It slithered to the floor and curled up there like a sleeping snake, a gold and scarlet snake.
Ginny’s eyes widened as she reached for her tie. A small green note was attached to it, reading:
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at quarter to nine. –D
***
Draco had to clench his fists to keep himself from fidgeting. There was something about fidgeting that seemed like a Weasley quality, not a Malfoy quality. Fidgeting was for those with no self-control, and Draco certainly had self-control. Just not lately, he thought with a grim smile.
The challenge wasn't learning her schedule or knowing where she'd be every hour of the day. The challenge was getting her alone. She was always running with a pack of girls, flanked by some bint or the other. But he had waited and watched with a patient obsession until he finally caught her alone.
Oh, he saw the look of unfulfilled need on her face when he pulled away and escaped from behind the statue, leaving her with a certain little present in her bag.
Draco thought he might be disturbed by revisiting the Astronomy Tower, where the disastrous final minutes of his previous term at Hogwarts had taken place. But the cool, light air circling him was pleasant and forgiving. It drew no memories of that catastrophe.
The door to the tower creaked open, and Draco felt his mouth twist into a small smile. Her vibrant hair flew out from behind her, catching the nighttime breeze and the moonlight. Something flapped against her maroon jumper. It was that loosely knotted tie.
She was innocent perfection as she made her way across the top of tower. Her steps were full of grace and care, and the light wisps of hair that framed her face gave her a regal look. As she neared him, she folded her arms protectively across her chest.
“Hullo,” she whispered.
“Hullo,” he said, his voice catching as it came out. She looked up at him and smiled, her caramel eyes twinkling, and her face flushed a soft pink.
He reached down and kissed her gently, drawing her marvelous form to him. When he kissed her, he felt his whole body throb and ache. Closer, he need to be closer to her, and he couldn’t remember why he had felt the overwhelming desire to possess her like a trophy that Potter kept on his highest shelf. He wanted to pull her so close that they wouldn’t ever have to part. His fingers fumbled with her tie until it came undone and hung limply to her waist. His fingers sank into to her hair, dancing in fiery red.
“Draco,” she whispered.
“Hmmm?” he murmured against her lips, marveling at the newfound wonders of his girl. She was sweetness and spice, chocolate and cinnamon. Just being near her was enough to make his head spin.
“What are we doing?” she asked softly before leaning forward for another dangerous, forbidden kiss.
Draco smirked, “If you have to ask, then we must be doing it wrong.”
She laughed lightly, "No, I mean, what is this?”
Draco sighed. Hadn’t they been over this? He didn’t know what the hell he was doing, and he didn’t think she did either. Why was she so concerned about it? It felt pretty damn good to him. Why screw with a good thing?
“I don’t know,” he said stubbornly.
She gave him a small pout, making her lips look even more kissable as she pulled away, backing into the stone wall around the edge of the tower. “What do you want from me?”
She had asked the question before when they were in the classroom, and Draco still didn’t know how to answer it. I want to make you mine so Harry-bloody-Potter will realize that it doesn’t matter if he saves the world and catches the Snitch. I got the girl. How could he possibly tell her that?
“I don’t know. I don’t know what you mean.” Draco took a deep breath. “What do you want?”
Ginny hoisted herself up on the wall and sat with her legs dangling back and forth. “I don’t know.”
He took a cautious step towards her. “Then how can you expect me to know?”
She shrugged, giving him a nervous smile.
He hated the feeling of uncertainty that stirred in her eyes and churned in the pit of his stomach. He hated that something about her still screamed “Potter”.
Draco positioned himself between her legs as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned down to kiss him. He smiled slightly and nibbled on her lower lip, causing her to moan deeply.
Draco possessed the highest level of control as he held her against the stone wall. If she tipped backwards, it would be a long fall. She had to trust him a little to let him hold her there, right?
Draco walked a trail of tender kisses along her collarbone, caressing every potent of inch of her. When she whispered something against his shoulder, it was so soft he had to lean closer to hear her.
“Where are we?” She was reaching for something, desperately wanting him to answer the question that tormented them both.
Draco brought his lips up from her shoulder to reply, “We’re here.” She threw her head back, as if that was all the response she needed.
Lunaeyes
Ginny crept through the darkened corridors, her heart thudding against her chest and her long red mane streaming out behind her. She broke into a run at the sound of clattering somewhere in the castle. A smile tugged at her lips at the memory of his soft blond hair between her fingers, the trail of light kisses searing down her neck, and their overheated bodies pressed up against one another.
She had needed some air and some space to think, but she wanted him to have something tangible to remember her by - her soft, faded tie. It was a miracle that she remembered the nonverbal heating spell that Hermione had taught her a year ago. It melted the lock and granted her freedom as Draco stood there staring at her.
Now a wanton witch, she ran down another flight of stairs. The cool, crisp air flooding the corridors of the sleeping castle sent goose bumps along her previously overheated skin, sending delicious tingles down her spine.
The sight of his stormy eyes flashed in her mind. She bit her lip, sucked in another breath of cold air, and flattened herself against the wall, giggling. It had been ages since she felt so elated. She was alive and aching, wanted and wanting all at once.
Was it wrong? Yes. Was it sick? Perhaps. Was it dangerous? Maybe. But Ginny found that she didn’t care. He wanted her and she couldn’t believe it.
She was no pawn to him. She could feel it in the pounding of his heart and see it in those oddly gray-blue eyes of his. Something inside of him was changing, and something inside of her knew it was because of her.
She stopped abruptly in front of the portrait of the sleeping Fat Lady and rapped briskly on it.
"Wake up!” Ginny exclaimed in an excited voice that was far too loud to be using after hours.
The Fat Lady started and blinked a few times. “What?” she yawned groggily, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.
“Open up!” Ginny demanded, a smile creeping across her face.
The Fat Lady peered down at her. “My, do you look a fright! Just what have you been doing?”
She did? Ginny looked down. Her shirt was half unbuttoned, her tie was missing, and her skirt flipped up on one side. Running a hand through her hair, she discovered it was a tangled, wavy mess. She grinned again, ignoring the Fat Lady’s look of shock.
"Never mind that now!” Ginny replied with a wave of her hand. “Just let me in! Fizzing Whizbees!”
The Fat Lady gave her a stern look but swung forward on her hinges at the sound of the password.
Ginny twirled into the Gryffindor common room, her eyes sweeping for signs of other people. When she found none, she hugged herself tightly, twirling across the room and up the staircase to the girls' dormitory.
Draco shoved his hand deep inside the pocket of his robes when he entered the Slytherin common room, running his fingers over the frayed material of her tie. What the hell was he going to do with this thing?
He threw open the door to the Head Boy’s room, slipped the tie on the doorknob, and dressed for bed, turning his back on the damn thing. His green cashmere pajama bottoms felt rough against his skin now that he had caressed Ginny’s flaming hair between his fingers.
He flopped down on his bed and propped himself up against a wall of pillows, staring at the tie. The tie stared back at him. He didn’t want to look at it, but he didn’t want to look away either. The burning red reminded him of her fiery hair, and the gold was like the flecks that brightened her eyes. When had she invaded his mind so?
It annoyed him that he couldn’t blame his frustration on her. He had kissed her. To act on his baser impulses was unlike him, but it appeared she had quite a few of those impulses herself, until she broke that lock and fled the classroom and him. Was he mistaken to have approached her? Was she still in love with Potter?
He knew he shouldn’t want her, but he did. He wanted nothing more than to march up to the Gryffindor common room and snog her thoroughly again. Hexes and threats be damned.
Draco rolled over on his side to avoid staring at the tie that was still staring at him. A slender silver chain belonging to his mother lay across his mahogany nightstand. She made him promise to take it with him to Hogwarts. He was sure it was for sentimental reasons.
Something gripped his heart at the thought of his mother. A part of him knew she was dying. He had seen her last in her bed at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. She lay pallid and frail: her breathing shallow, her hair a blonde halo on the pillow, and her skin blue-white against the sheets. He gave her a gentle hug, not knowing what he would do if she died. She was his only real family. He didn't want to see his father or his aunt again. Without her, there would be nothing left for him: no family, no friends, no one.
Professor Snape flitted into his mind, and the faintest glimmer of a frown crept across Draco's face. Severus Snape was a traitor to everyone with no allies. Draco recognized that Severus loved his mother, although he didn’t know where that came from. But if Narcissa were to die, Draco would be dead to him as well.
The corridor was just as he remembered it, long and cold. A faint mist swirled about his ankles as he made his way to the room at the end. He entered it slowly, taking in the ancient scrolls and the Dark artifacts that sat there. Panic seized him as he saw a hooded figure sitting at his father’s desk. He knew he shouldn’t be here. His father had forbidden it, but before he could turn around and flee, a gentle voice called to him.
"Draco..."
He froze. The figure rose and made its way to him, its dark cloak swishing against the floor and cutting through the eerie mist. When the creature had drawn close enough for Draco to hear its ragged breath, its hood fell away, revealing Ginny's terrified face. Then her hair tumbled down her shoulders, cascading into his hands. His breath caught in his constricting throat.
“He’s coming for you, Draco,” she whispered, her eyes filled with tears.
Draco looked down at her red hair, but it was gone. Coarse blond hair now lay in his hands, and he looked up into the cold eyes of his father. A sneer crossed Lucius' face, and the frozen tip of a wand appeared between Draco’s terrified eyes.
Draco awoke from his dream, shaking. He’s coming for me.
Ginny shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other as she hurried along an abandoned corridor with two Ravenclaw girls from her Transfiguration class, taking their usual short cut to Charms. Her bag was old and splitting at the seams, but she took care not to pull it too tightly.
“I forgot to drop off my Potions essay with Slughorn," Elizabeth groaned, rummaging through her bag and removing a long sheet of parchment.
"Any later and it'll be another five House points," Anna admonished, irritated. "Come on, I'll go with you. Let's hurry."
Anna grabbed Elizabeth's arm and started off running, nearly knocking Elizabeth off her feet. "Ouch!"
“We’ll see you later, Ginny!” they called, disappearing down the corridor.
When the sound of her friends' bickering and scampering footsteps faded, a heavy silence buzzed in Ginny’s ears. The castle was suddenly colder, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She spun around but no one was there. A portrait of a witch wrapped in heavy furs against a frozen tundra scowled at her. Ginny scowled back.
She quickened her step, eager to get out of the abandoned corridor. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind a tall, gray statue of Hengist of Woodcroft and pulled her behind the statue. Ginny cried out, but her scream was muffled by a smooth, pale hand pressed against her mouth. She tried to bite the hand, but it cupped her jaw expertly. Ginny felt her eyes roll in panic as her unseen attacker pushed her up against the wall.
Ginny waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, her chest heaving and her breathing short. Draco’s sharp face came into view, and her body sagged with relief. The hand fell away from her mouth. “Shh...” he soothed.
Now tensing with rage, she hissed at him, "What the hell do you think you’re doing? Were you trying to give me a heart attack?” She felt her skin burn with humiliation and anger.
He was smirking at her. “I didn’t need your scream to alert the whole castle to our position.”
“And what position is that?” Ginny snapped.
“A compromising one.”
He leapt forward, bringing his lips down on hers, silencing any possible protest and felt her tense, anger-filled body begin to go limp in his arms. Ginny could feel his hot breath against her skin, his hands on her, and she shivered in anticipation. When he surfaced for a breath, she closed her eyes and threw her head back, but his lips never touched down again. She pressed her body against his, waiting.
He laughed faintly against her skin and whispered, “Don’t be late for class.” Then he darted out from behind the statue and disappeared. Ginny fell back against the wall, breathing heavily. After catching her breath, she flattened her hair and gathered up her bag. The corridor was as deserted as ever, and Ginny had to run to make it to Charms on time. She took her seat shortly after Professor Flitwick shut his door. Anna and Elizabeth stared at her questioningly.
“Cutting it close there, eh, Miss Weasley?” he said, peering at her.
She nodded and smiled apologetically, digging through her bag for her textbook. As she lifted it out, something pulled out with it. It slithered to the floor and curled up there like a sleeping snake, a gold and scarlet snake.
Ginny’s eyes widened as she reached for her tie. A small green note was attached to it, reading:
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at quarter to nine. –D
Draco had to clench his fists to keep himself from fidgeting. There was something about fidgeting that seemed like a Weasley quality, not a Malfoy quality. Fidgeting was for those with no self-control, and Draco certainly had self-control. Just not lately, he thought with a grim smile.
The challenge wasn't learning her schedule or knowing where she'd be every hour of the day. The challenge was getting her alone. She was always running with a pack of girls, flanked by some bint or the other. But he had waited and watched with a patient obsession until he finally caught her alone.
Oh, he saw the look of unfulfilled need on her face when he pulled away and escaped from behind the statue, leaving her with a certain little present in her bag.
Draco thought he might be disturbed by revisiting the Astronomy Tower, where the disastrous final minutes of his previous term at Hogwarts had taken place. But the cool, light air circling him was pleasant and forgiving. It drew no memories of that catastrophe.
The door to the tower creaked open, and Draco felt his mouth twist into a small smile. Her vibrant hair flew out from behind her, catching the nighttime breeze and the moonlight. Something flapped against her maroon jumper. It was that loosely knotted tie.
She was innocent perfection as she made her way across the top of tower. Her steps were full of grace and care, and the light wisps of hair that framed her face gave her a regal look. As she neared him, she folded her arms protectively across her chest.
“Hullo,” she whispered.
“Hullo,” he said, his voice catching as it came out. She looked up at him and smiled, her caramel eyes twinkling, and her face flushed a soft pink.
He reached down and kissed her gently, drawing her marvelous form to him. When he kissed her, he felt his whole body throb and ache. Closer, he need to be closer to her, and he couldn’t remember why he had felt the overwhelming desire to possess her like a trophy that Potter kept on his highest shelf. He wanted to pull her so close that they wouldn’t ever have to part. His fingers fumbled with her tie until it came undone and hung limply to her waist. His fingers sank into to her hair, dancing in fiery red.
“Draco,” she whispered.
“Hmmm?” he murmured against her lips, marveling at the newfound wonders of his girl. She was sweetness and spice, chocolate and cinnamon. Just being near her was enough to make his head spin.
“What are we doing?” she asked softly before leaning forward for another dangerous, forbidden kiss.
Draco smirked, “If you have to ask, then we must be doing it wrong.”
She laughed lightly, "No, I mean, what is this?”
Draco sighed. Hadn’t they been over this? He didn’t know what the hell he was doing, and he didn’t think she did either. Why was she so concerned about it? It felt pretty damn good to him. Why screw with a good thing?
“I don’t know,” he said stubbornly.
She gave him a small pout, making her lips look even more kissable as she pulled away, backing into the stone wall around the edge of the tower. “What do you want from me?”
She had asked the question before when they were in the classroom, and Draco still didn’t know how to answer it. I want to make you mine so Harry-bloody-Potter will realize that it doesn’t matter if he saves the world and catches the Snitch. I got the girl. How could he possibly tell her that?
“I don’t know. I don’t know what you mean.” Draco took a deep breath. “What do you want?”
Ginny hoisted herself up on the wall and sat with her legs dangling back and forth. “I don’t know.”
He took a cautious step towards her. “Then how can you expect me to know?”
She shrugged, giving him a nervous smile.
He hated the feeling of uncertainty that stirred in her eyes and churned in the pit of his stomach. He hated that something about her still screamed “Potter”.
Draco positioned himself between her legs as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned down to kiss him. He smiled slightly and nibbled on her lower lip, causing her to moan deeply.
Draco possessed the highest level of control as he held her against the stone wall. If she tipped backwards, it would be a long fall. She had to trust him a little to let him hold her there, right?
Draco walked a trail of tender kisses along her collarbone, caressing every potent of inch of her. When she whispered something against his shoulder, it was so soft he had to lean closer to hear her.
“Where are we?” She was reaching for something, desperately wanting him to answer the question that tormented them both.
Draco brought his lips up from her shoulder to reply, “We’re here.” She threw her head back, as if that was all the response she needed.
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