Just Like I Should, I'll Getcha Good

He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table, talking with her friends. He had seen her talking with Potter, and had seen them kiss. This definitely confirmed what his master had been hoping for: Potter and the Weasley girl were closer than a wand to its core.

He smirked. This was going to be easy. That Bat-Bogey Hex she had gotten him with months ago was a fluke. She had been scared, and panicked. It was of no consequence. He would simply ambush her, take her prisoner, perhaps torture her a little to get some information for his own pleasure, then send word to his master the moment he felt Potter coming for her.

Reaching for the pumpkin juice jug, his sleeve slid back a little on his arm, showing the slimmest glimpse of his new Dark Mark. He quickly shook his sleeve back over his arm, looking down the table he had once sat at as a student here at the school. No one seemed to have noticed, for which he was grateful. He didn't like being back here again, but it was necessary for the plan to succeed. It was easy to tail Potter and his friends here, and he would have the Weasley girl in no time. He smirked again. It was too simple.

*******

She felt eyes on the back of her head and whipped around, catching sight of Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table. She didn't know why he was here, but the gleam of his silver eyes meeting hers unnerved her. She vaguely remembered Harry telling her he was here to study the school just as they were, that he was on the right side now, but she didn't believe them. She turned back around to her friends quickly, slightly jumpy at the fact that Malfoy was watching her. Why? What did he want with her? She would have to avoid him for a while.

And avoid him she did.

*******

"Hi Harry, Ron, Hermione." Ginny said the next day, perching upon a library chair next to them. She was extremely nervous, having being shot glances from Malfoy increasingly often. Explaining her problem to the trio, Ron's brow furrowed, Hermione's face darkened, and Harry leaned forward in his chair, looking very concerned.

"How about if I put some extra charms around you? You know, protection stuff," he advised. Ginny agreed. They both stood, Harry drawing his wand. They assumed various stances over the next twenty minutes while Harry cast spell after spell. Sometimes they held hands, sometimes they stood shoulder to shoulder, and sometimes facing each other. Ginny felt the air around them vibrating slightly as Harry enchanted her. Harry's lips were tight, concentrating on the last spell. He had protected her the best ways he knew how. Both Kreacher and Dobby the house-elves had died, so he couldn't have her tailed all the time, but this was the very best he could do. He wouldn't let anything happen to her; she meant the world to him. If something happened... Harry shuddered. He didn't want to think about it. Smiling at her to indicate he was finished, he kissed her lovingly, holding her protectively in his arms. His love for her was as deep as the sky was high. Finally letting her go, he watched her head off to class as her free period ended. He didn't like what she had told him, and wished Malfoy had never come back to Hogwarts.

*******

Walking casually down the Charms corridor, he whistled. He wasn't very fond of whistling but it was a pastime Muggles amused themselves with, so he thought that while he was waiting he might as well give it a try. He was waiting for Ginny Weasley to come out of her Charms classroom, and the bell was taking a very long time to ring. He leaned against the wall, impatient. When would she come out? He had been following her to her classes for the past week, and he hadn't gotten the chance to get near her.

Finally the bell rang. Ginny's classmates streamed out of the room, but Ginny was not among them. She couldn't be sick, because he had been up there this morning to steal some things just for fun, and she hadn't been there. Where had she gone? He was really annoyed. He had been on this wild goose chase for too long. Yanking a copy of her schedule from his pocket that he had managed to nick from her dormitory, he saw that she had Transfiguration next, and decided to try again.

After the lesson, he did see her wild red hair flying out behind her as she hurried away. Grabbing her by the elbow and hastily muttering, Silencio! he silenced any cries of protest she might have made. Dragging her away into an empty classroom, he tried to perform a charm that would make her still and docile, but she was kicking and punching everywhere she could reach, and his wand had gotten knocked aside. He tried to look for it, and by the time he had finally found it, Ginny had opened the door to the classroom and sprinted away.

This was not going to be as easy as he had thought.