Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 5

Over the next month, Ginny and Draco met in secret, sometimes in the Room of Requirement, or in the secret dungeon room, other times they would sneak off to a well-hidden place on the grounds. Ginny had a suspicion that Harry and Hermione knew what was going on but she didn't think they'd say anything to Ron.

Harry and Ron were sitting in the common room one night playing chess. Hermione was sitting on the floor, her back up against Ron's chair, trying to do her homework. Ginny was busy preparing for another secret meeting with Draco.

As Ginny left, the tower Hermione shot a look at Harry. He almost immediately realized that the look meant she wanted to talk without Ron around, so he quickly let Ron win the chess game.

"You wanna play again?" Ron asked.

"No, I think I am going to try to get some homework done," Harry said.

Hermione followed his lead.

"I was just thinking that I should go to the library, you want to walk up there with me?" she asked.

"Sure, I could use some help on my Potions homework anyway," Harry said.

"You guys are going to do homework on a Friday night?" Ron shook his head in disbelief. "Hermione's rubbing off on you mate, pretty soon you'll be as big a know-it-all as she is."

Hermione playfully slapped her boyfriend's arm. "I have a lot of homework with the extra classes I am taking."

"Fine, be that way," Ron said teasingly. "I'll just go play Exploding Snap with Seamus, Dean and Neville."

Harry and Hermione quickly gathered some books, quills, ink and parchment. Harry ran up to his room and grabbed the Marauder's Map and the invisibility cloak. Harry returned to the common room. He and Hermione left the Tower quickly, and headed in the direction of the Library.

"Do you think Ginny really believes that we buy all the excuses she gives us?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Harry said.

As they rounded a corner Harry looked around and pulled out the invisibility cloak, draping it over both of them. After they were completely out of sight Harry pulled out the map and quickly said the familiar spell to activate it. A moment later, he pointed out the small dots labeled Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy to Hermione and said, "They are in the Room of Requirement."

"Then why are we standing here? Let's go!" Hermione said.

They practically ran to the tapestry that they both knew hid the entrance to the Room of Requirement. Harry paced back and forth in front of the tapestry, which was the only way to make the familiar door appear, once it did, they walked in. Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak and they heard Ginny gasp. It was lucky for all four of them that Ginny and Draco had just been sitting there talking.

"Hermione, Harry... What are you doing here?" Ginny asked, her face as red as her hair, half in anger at her friends and half in embarrassment.

"Can we talk to you in private, Ginny?" Harry asked, glaring at Malfoy.

Ginny stood up and started to speak but Draco interrupted her. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "It's ok, Ginny. I'll go."

Ginny nodded. "Ok."

Draco brushed past Harry and Hermione and out of the room.

"What right do you..." Ginny stopped mid-sentence, too furious to continue.

"Ginny, calm down," Hermione said.

"Why should I?" Ginny said, sitting back down.

"We were just concerned about you," Harry said.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Well this is Malfoy we are talking about here, the guy who up until a month ago would have rather hexed you than look at you," Harry said.

"Save it, Harry, I've already had this lecture. How did you know anyway?" Ginny said, glaring at Hermione.

"I had nothing to do with it. Harry came to me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I knew why you kept disappearing, I only confirmed what he already knew," Hermione said.

"How did you find us tonight?" Ginny asked.

Harry pulled out the map and Ginny smiled.

"I should have known," she said. "Have you told Ron yet?"

"No and we won't yet, but you need to tell Ron," Hermione said.

"I know," Ginny said sadly.