Draco smiled as he watched Ginny walk away from him. She had a gentle sway to her walk that was completely natural. Pansy sometimes put so much sway in her walk that he wasn’t sure how she stayed upright. The thought made him chuckle.
“Something funny, Malfoy? Is this some sort of game to you?”
Looking at the door, Draco realized he’d forgotten Potter’s presence. “What are you talking about?”
Harry gripped his wand menacingly in his right hand. “Did you set Ginny up? I wouldn’t put it past you. You probably put her life in danger just so you could rescue her and make yourself look good.”
Smirking at Potter, Draco began twirling his wand in a casual manner. “I don’t need anyone to make me look good. I’m a Malfoy. I always look good.”
Harry scowled and took a step towards him. “I’m warning you. Stay away from Ginny.”
Draco shook his head. “I can’t very well do that. Think about how disappointed everyone would be. Haven’t you heard? Ginny and I are star-crossed lovers. We’re destined to be together. I never put much stock into popular opinion, but after seeing her in that little, red bikini I think I’ve become a convert.”
Harry growled and stomped out of the room. “That was too much fun,” Draco stated. Then, he waited until he was sure the hallway would be clear. He debated walking back to the dungeons, or towards Dumbledore’s office.
***
Ginny stuck her head into the fireplace. “I’m all right, Mum. I went swimming, and I had a scare.”
Molly Weasley eyed her daughter critically. “What were you doing swimming by yourself? You know you’re a terrible swimmer.”
Sighing and reminding herself that her mother loved her, Ginny said, “I didn’t go alone. I went with a friend. He helped me when I got into trouble.”
Molly nodded. “He sounds like a good boy. Sorry to hear about you and Harry by the way.”
“It’s all right. I think I’ve moved on.” Ginny heard Ron make a sound of disgust behind her. If Dumbledore and Snape hadn’t been in the same room, she would have sent a rude hand gesture his direction. Instead, she just shot him a sideways glare. “Sorry to scare you, Mum. I promise I won’t go swimming again anytime soon.”
Ginny pulled her head out of the fireplace and cringed when she saw Professor Snape glaring at her. Dumbledore stood next to him with an amused expression on his face. “Sorry for the trouble, Professors.”
Snape’s glare intensified. “Whom did you go swimming with?”
Dumbledore chuckled. “Severus, haven’t you been paying attention? She and Mr. Malfoy are star-crossed lovers. They are going to reunite the shattered Wizarding World. I think it’s a lovely idea.”
Professor Snape uttered a few choice words that Ginny had never heard him use in her presence before. Turning, she left the room as quickly as possible.
***
Draco stood in an alcove he was sure Ginny would have to walk past. He hoped she would be alone, so he could talk to her. He wasn’t disappointed.
Stepping out into the hallway, he resisted the urge to smirk. “We need to talk.”
Giving him a tentative smile, Ginny said, “All right. I have a minute.”
Taking her hand and pulling her into the alcove, Draco whispered into her ear. “There was something I wanted to say, before we were interrupted.”
He felt Ginny’s intake of breath. Her voice came out husky. “Really, what was that?”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her so that he could lean down and brush his lips lightly against hers. She didn’t seem to object. When she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, he figured she was quite fond of the whole idea. They kissed for several heart pounding minutes until the sound of her brother’s voice echoed down the hallway.
“Ginny, it’s almost curfew. I know you can hear me. Come out, before I look for you and see something that might make me rethink my kindly attitude towards MalFerret.”
Ginny pulled back from Draco. “Sorry, it looks like I have to go.”
Draco raised an eyebrow at her. “MalFerret?”
She patted him on the chest. “Think of it as a nickname.”
***
The next morning, Ginny knew the entire school was talking about her. Wherever she went, people put their heads together and whispered. She wondered if Draco had mentioned anything about their time together. If he’d told anyone that she’d lost her bikini top, she was going to have to invent a truly creative hex.
Harry stopped her in the hallway while she was pondering whether she should enlist Hermione’s help in searching for hexes, just in case she needed them.
“Ginny, we need to talk.”
Stepping away from him, she replied. “We’re done talking.”
Harry sighed and gave her a look that made her stomach hurt. Then, he said, “I think we should try again.”
Draco came up behind Ginny and put his arm around her, startling her. “Sorry, Potter. Ginny is trying new things.”
Harry’s expression hardened. “Is that true? Have you moved on to Malfoy?”
“Uhm...” Ginny didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t tell whether Draco was just enjoying annoying Harry, or if he was serious. The kiss they’d shared had felt real enough, but that could be chalked up to lust. “Harry, I’m not sure what is going on with Draco, but I do know that you and I are not going to work out.”
Turning abruptly, Harry walked away. Ginny almost felt sorry for him. She stared after him, until Draco cleared his throat to get her attention.
“Any regrets?” he asked.
Ginny looked up at him. “What do you want from me?”
“If I answered that question honestly, you’d smack me,” he told her with a smirk. “How about we just say that I want to spend time with you.”
“All right, but you have to promise not to sell me off to the dark lord as some type of sacrifice. I think I’d find that irksome,” she told him with a sly grin on her face.
“Darn, there go my plans for advancement. I suppose I’ll just have to join up with the good guys. I hear you have a better clubhouse.”
Ginny felt her restraint slipping, and she started laughing. After wiping her eyes, she said, “We would get into so much trouble if certain people heard us joking.”
“Too true. My father is in prison. No worries there. My mother likes the idea of being on the side of the right for a change. I Flooed her yesterday. She said she always liked your mother.”
Ginny snorted. “Really? I would have thought your mother would have been more upset about the whole situation.”
“She admitted that she’d Flooed Dumbledore and allowed him to search my father’s study. Anything Dumbledore didn’t take, she’d placed in storage in the dungeons.”
Ginny blinked. “You have dungeons?”
“They’re not working dungeons. Think of it as a large cavernous storage area with leaky walls.”
“I’d rather not think of it at all, thanks.” Shivering, she said, “Now, I’m a bit disturbed.”
Draco pulled her towards the dungeons. “I know what will make you feel better. Come and see the dungeons here at school. You’ll see there is nothing wrong with them. Take my room for example. It’s just a normal room with furniture in it.”
Ginny stopped walking. “Draco Malfoy, I am not going to your bedroom.”
Sighing, Draco said, “You wound me. I was worried about your mental health and you accuse me of having ulterior motives.”
Ginny watched as Draco’s wounded look slowly turned into a smirk. “I knew you couldn’t hold that face for too long.”
“Wait and see. I’ll practice in front of a mirror. By the end of the week, I’ll have the perfect pout.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Ginny chuckled. She pulled on him. “Come with me.”
Draco let her lead him along. “Where are we going?” he asked after they headed down a few hallways.
Looking around, Ginny seemed satisfied with their location. “I wanted some privacy,” she told him as she snaked her arms around his neck. As her lips moved closer to his, she said, “There is something I wanted to say to you.”
Her lips brushed against Draco’s and he replied enthusiastically.
“Something funny, Malfoy? Is this some sort of game to you?”
Looking at the door, Draco realized he’d forgotten Potter’s presence. “What are you talking about?”
Harry gripped his wand menacingly in his right hand. “Did you set Ginny up? I wouldn’t put it past you. You probably put her life in danger just so you could rescue her and make yourself look good.”
Smirking at Potter, Draco began twirling his wand in a casual manner. “I don’t need anyone to make me look good. I’m a Malfoy. I always look good.”
Harry scowled and took a step towards him. “I’m warning you. Stay away from Ginny.”
Draco shook his head. “I can’t very well do that. Think about how disappointed everyone would be. Haven’t you heard? Ginny and I are star-crossed lovers. We’re destined to be together. I never put much stock into popular opinion, but after seeing her in that little, red bikini I think I’ve become a convert.”
Harry growled and stomped out of the room. “That was too much fun,” Draco stated. Then, he waited until he was sure the hallway would be clear. He debated walking back to the dungeons, or towards Dumbledore’s office.
***
Ginny stuck her head into the fireplace. “I’m all right, Mum. I went swimming, and I had a scare.”
Molly Weasley eyed her daughter critically. “What were you doing swimming by yourself? You know you’re a terrible swimmer.”
Sighing and reminding herself that her mother loved her, Ginny said, “I didn’t go alone. I went with a friend. He helped me when I got into trouble.”
Molly nodded. “He sounds like a good boy. Sorry to hear about you and Harry by the way.”
“It’s all right. I think I’ve moved on.” Ginny heard Ron make a sound of disgust behind her. If Dumbledore and Snape hadn’t been in the same room, she would have sent a rude hand gesture his direction. Instead, she just shot him a sideways glare. “Sorry to scare you, Mum. I promise I won’t go swimming again anytime soon.”
Ginny pulled her head out of the fireplace and cringed when she saw Professor Snape glaring at her. Dumbledore stood next to him with an amused expression on his face. “Sorry for the trouble, Professors.”
Snape’s glare intensified. “Whom did you go swimming with?”
Dumbledore chuckled. “Severus, haven’t you been paying attention? She and Mr. Malfoy are star-crossed lovers. They are going to reunite the shattered Wizarding World. I think it’s a lovely idea.”
Professor Snape uttered a few choice words that Ginny had never heard him use in her presence before. Turning, she left the room as quickly as possible.
***
Draco stood in an alcove he was sure Ginny would have to walk past. He hoped she would be alone, so he could talk to her. He wasn’t disappointed.
Stepping out into the hallway, he resisted the urge to smirk. “We need to talk.”
Giving him a tentative smile, Ginny said, “All right. I have a minute.”
Taking her hand and pulling her into the alcove, Draco whispered into her ear. “There was something I wanted to say, before we were interrupted.”
He felt Ginny’s intake of breath. Her voice came out husky. “Really, what was that?”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her so that he could lean down and brush his lips lightly against hers. She didn’t seem to object. When she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, he figured she was quite fond of the whole idea. They kissed for several heart pounding minutes until the sound of her brother’s voice echoed down the hallway.
“Ginny, it’s almost curfew. I know you can hear me. Come out, before I look for you and see something that might make me rethink my kindly attitude towards MalFerret.”
Ginny pulled back from Draco. “Sorry, it looks like I have to go.”
Draco raised an eyebrow at her. “MalFerret?”
She patted him on the chest. “Think of it as a nickname.”
***
The next morning, Ginny knew the entire school was talking about her. Wherever she went, people put their heads together and whispered. She wondered if Draco had mentioned anything about their time together. If he’d told anyone that she’d lost her bikini top, she was going to have to invent a truly creative hex.
Harry stopped her in the hallway while she was pondering whether she should enlist Hermione’s help in searching for hexes, just in case she needed them.
“Ginny, we need to talk.”
Stepping away from him, she replied. “We’re done talking.”
Harry sighed and gave her a look that made her stomach hurt. Then, he said, “I think we should try again.”
Draco came up behind Ginny and put his arm around her, startling her. “Sorry, Potter. Ginny is trying new things.”
Harry’s expression hardened. “Is that true? Have you moved on to Malfoy?”
“Uhm...” Ginny didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t tell whether Draco was just enjoying annoying Harry, or if he was serious. The kiss they’d shared had felt real enough, but that could be chalked up to lust. “Harry, I’m not sure what is going on with Draco, but I do know that you and I are not going to work out.”
Turning abruptly, Harry walked away. Ginny almost felt sorry for him. She stared after him, until Draco cleared his throat to get her attention.
“Any regrets?” he asked.
Ginny looked up at him. “What do you want from me?”
“If I answered that question honestly, you’d smack me,” he told her with a smirk. “How about we just say that I want to spend time with you.”
“All right, but you have to promise not to sell me off to the dark lord as some type of sacrifice. I think I’d find that irksome,” she told him with a sly grin on her face.
“Darn, there go my plans for advancement. I suppose I’ll just have to join up with the good guys. I hear you have a better clubhouse.”
Ginny felt her restraint slipping, and she started laughing. After wiping her eyes, she said, “We would get into so much trouble if certain people heard us joking.”
“Too true. My father is in prison. No worries there. My mother likes the idea of being on the side of the right for a change. I Flooed her yesterday. She said she always liked your mother.”
Ginny snorted. “Really? I would have thought your mother would have been more upset about the whole situation.”
“She admitted that she’d Flooed Dumbledore and allowed him to search my father’s study. Anything Dumbledore didn’t take, she’d placed in storage in the dungeons.”
Ginny blinked. “You have dungeons?”
“They’re not working dungeons. Think of it as a large cavernous storage area with leaky walls.”
“I’d rather not think of it at all, thanks.” Shivering, she said, “Now, I’m a bit disturbed.”
Draco pulled her towards the dungeons. “I know what will make you feel better. Come and see the dungeons here at school. You’ll see there is nothing wrong with them. Take my room for example. It’s just a normal room with furniture in it.”
Ginny stopped walking. “Draco Malfoy, I am not going to your bedroom.”
Sighing, Draco said, “You wound me. I was worried about your mental health and you accuse me of having ulterior motives.”
Ginny watched as Draco’s wounded look slowly turned into a smirk. “I knew you couldn’t hold that face for too long.”
“Wait and see. I’ll practice in front of a mirror. By the end of the week, I’ll have the perfect pout.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Ginny chuckled. She pulled on him. “Come with me.”
Draco let her lead him along. “Where are we going?” he asked after they headed down a few hallways.
Looking around, Ginny seemed satisfied with their location. “I wanted some privacy,” she told him as she snaked her arms around his neck. As her lips moved closer to his, she said, “There is something I wanted to say to you.”
Her lips brushed against Draco’s and he replied enthusiastically.
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