Who Followed Who?

Ginny wandered into the dining room and took the seat across from Narcissa, who smiled warmly at her.

"The men of the Manor are often gone away on personal business," she explained, unfolding a cloth napkin and spreading it over her lap. "I've never gotten used to taking meals alone, so I can't tell you how good it is to have you here with me." Ginny smiled.

"It's nice to feel welcomed somewhere," she said simply, reaching for her glass. She took a sip of the purplish liquid and coughed. Narcissa smiled.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you. I had the house elves bring out the wine for us. If the men are gone, I always have wine with dinner. It helps ease my tension." Ginny nodded and composed herself before taking a smaller sip.

"I've only had wine once before," she admitted, licking her lips. "But it's good."

"A little wine with dinner on occasion is a good thing, I think," Narcissa said, smiling broadly. She began eating, and Ginny paused with her fork halfway to her mouth.

"How long do they usually stay gone?" she asked quietly. Narcissa took a drink of her wine before answering.

"It varies. Sometimes they stay gone as long as the whole night, and other times they come back as soon as an hour after they've left. Are you missing my son so soon?"

Ginny blushed scarlet, and Narcissa bit her bottom lip to keep from grinning.

"We were playing chess, and I just wondered if he was going to make it back to finish the game tonight."

"I wouldn't wait up for him, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility, either. Perhaps I would be suitable company, until he returns?" she offered. Ginny nodded and smiled.

"I'd like that."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

When Draco and Lucius arrived back at the Manor, all of the lights were out. Draco's heart sank; he'd been hoping that Ginny would be waiting up for him. Lucius offered him a quick goodnight and headed towards the bedroom, and Draco, who was not tired at all, headed towards his own room. He opened the door and went inside, closing it behind him.

He removed his robe and hood and shoved them deep inside his closet, then began removing his clothes. He had just pulled his shirt off when someone knocked on his door. He tossed his shirt across his bed and opened his door, annoyed that he was being bothered again. His annoyance faded when he saw Ginny standing in front of him, holding a tray with a mug, a teapot, and a covered plate. He stepped aside and motioned for her to come in.

When she had entered the room, he shut the door behind her and turned to look at her. Her hair was slightly disheveled and she looked as though she'd been sleeping. She was in her pyjamas, which Draco struggled not to turn his nose up at. He made a mental note to have his mother take her out to buy her some bedclothes, so he could burn the ones she was currently wearing.

"I brought you some chocolate," she said, fighting back a yawn. He raised his eyebrows at the teapot, and she blushed despite her fatigue. "I couldn't find anything else to put it in. I thought you might want something to eat, since you missed dinner."

"Why didn't you just let the house elves bring me something?" he asked curiously. She blushed a deeper red.

"I wanted to tell you that I made the chocolate," she said, feeling stupid. She sat the tray down on his night table and turned to leave. "Good night."

"Wait," he said, reaching out and grabbing her arm. She stared down at her feet. "Thank you." She smiled at him, and his stomach lurched pleasantly. It was a sleepy, sincere smile, and he thought it was possibly the nicest smile he'd ever seen.

"You're welcome. Goodnight." She turned and left, closing the door behind her. He stared after her for a moment, then sat down on the side of the bed and lifted the lid that sat on the plate. She had not fixed him a sandwich, as was the house elves' habit to do on meeting nights. Instead what he had before him was an honest to goodness meal- broiled chicken, new potatoes, and several rolls with butter on the side. He stared at the food, dumbfounded.

Did she care so much about him that she would have gone to the trouble of making sure that he got a real dinner? A warm feeling washed over him as he poured chocolate into the mug she'd provided and took a sip. Ginny Weasley was proving to be valuable to him in more ways than he'd ever thought possible.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Ginny awoke to sunlight streaming in through her window. She lay in bed, a slow smile spreading across her face as she thought of what had transpired between she and Draco the day before. She giggled to herself, and then snuggled deeper beneath the coverlet. She had just begun drifting off again when she was startled by a knock on her door.

She flung the coverlet off and ran her fingers through her hair quickly, trying to make it flat, then opened the door. Draco stood before her, perfectly groomed and looking as immaculate as always. He blinked at her.

"I was just coming to see if you were going to come to breakfast," he said, eyeing her pyjamas distastefully. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "But I can see that you're not, so I'll go." He turned to leave.

"I am coming," she said quickly. He stopped and turned to look at her. "I'll be there as soon as I've changed." He shrugged and headed down the hallway, and she closed the door behind him, feeling like an utter moron. She looked down at her pyjamas and wondered why she'd never thought to buy anything more feminine looking to sleep in.

Probably because I've never wanted to look feminine when I sleep, she reasoned to herself. She searched through her suitcase for something suitable to wear, but came up empty-handed. She turned to the closet, where the clothes that she'd gotten during her shopping trip with Narcissa hung. She only had to rifle through them for a moment to find what she was looking for - simple black trousers and an elegant emerald green silk blouse. Narcissa had insisted on purchasing them for her, saying that the green was a compliment to her copper hair.

After she had taken the quickest shower of her life, she dressed and hurriedly combed her hair. She hurried to the dining room and sat down in her usual seat (how strange to her that she should have a usual seat in the Malfoy household) across from Draco and Narcissa, and helped herself to a piece of toast. Lucius smiled at her.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said. "I must have overslept."

"Sleep as late as you like," Lucius said, sipping from his mug. "Don't feel as though you must rise early just to eat with us- the house elves will bring your breakfast to your room, if you so choose." Ginny nodded and bit into her toast, unaware that Draco was staring at her.

Narcissa noticed her son's expression and silently congratulated herself for buying the green shirt and flattering slacks for Ginny.

"Incidentally, though, it's a good thing that you did get up early this morning. Draco's just told us that the two of you are going to be having a visitor any moment now," Narcissa said, glancing at the large grandfather clock that sat in a corner of the room. Ginny's eyes widened slightly and she snuck a confused look at Draco, whose eyes were focused on his empty plate.

Before Ginny could open her mouth to ask who was coming, the doorbell sounded throughout the Manor. Draco stood quickly and left the room. Narcissa smiled encouragement at Ginny and motioned for her to follow Draco, which she did uncertainly.

Ginny entered the guest parlor with no small amount of trepidation. She was to meet one of Draco's friends, which did not bode well for her; she knew what they all thought of her and her family. When she saw that his visitor was not one person but two females, her heart sank. She recognized the blonde speaking to Draco as Pansy Parkinson, and fought to disguise her frown of confusion. Draco's face was very red, and he looked as though he was about to explode. Before she could get more than a foot into the room, however, she was accosted by the other female in the room.

"Well, if it isn't little Ginny Weasley," the woman cooed, her voice sickeningly sweet. Draco and Pansy stopped hissing abruptly and looked up and the woman circled Ginny. "And wearing surprisingly new clothes, at that." Ginny felt her temper spike.

"And you are?" she forced through clenched teeth. The woman tossed her shiny chocolate hair behind her shoulder and eyed Ginny appraisingly.

"Daphne Greengrass Flint," she said, sticking her nose in the air. Ginny stiffened.

"I remember you now," she said simply. Pansy and Draco exchanged curious glances. Pansy stepped forward and extended her hand.

"I think you remember me, too," Pansy said, smiling. Ginny shook her hand slowly, and then gave her a cautious smile.

"Yes, I remember you, too." Draco wondered how Ginny could maintain her calm so well around two of the wiliest females that Slytherin had ever seen- especially since their reputations as such surely preceded them. He motioned for the women to sit down, and watched as Ginny waited for Pansy and Daphne to situate themselves on the sofa before taking a seat in the large armchair across from them. Draco surprised all three of the women by lounging on the arm of the chair that Ginny was sitting in. He stared expectantly at Pansy, who caught his eye and cleared her throat.

"Well, Ginny, it's been a while since Hogwarts, so when Draco told me that you were staying with him, I thought I'd come by and introduce myself." Ginny nodded.

"It has been a while," she agreed. Daphne rolled her eyes, and Ginny noticed that Draco visibly tensed up when she did. "Have you been doing anything interesting?" Daphne snorted.

"And pray tell, what do you consider interesting? Because as far as I'm concerned, I don't enjoy cooking or cleaning like a house elf." Ginny wondered briefly if Draco had told the other two women that she made her own bed in the morning, or that she made him chocolate, but quickly decided against it for reasons she couldn't explain. She gave Daphne a sickeningly sweet smile.

"And as far as I'm concerned, I agree, since it's highly likely that you don't even know how to do either of those things, anyway." Pansy looked surprised for a moment, and then stifled a giggle with her hand. Draco's stiffness melted, and he smirked at Daphne, whose glare was shooting daggers at Pansy.

"Draco, are you going to sit there and let her speak to one of your guests like that?" Daphne asked. Draco arched an eyebrow.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Mrs. Flint," he said caustically. "Ginny is a guest here as well. And a welcome one, at that, as opposed to you, who happens to be tagging along behind Pansy." Pansy stuffed her fist into her mouth, and Ginny smiled at her as she shook with silent laughter. Daphne was turning a nasty shade of purple.

"I'm perfectly within my rights being here," she said defensively. "I'm a guest of Pansy's, and she told me I could come with her while she ran errands."

"As I recall, I threw you out yesterday and told you not to return." Ginny blinked in surprise. Daphne saw her confusion and pounced on it like a cat on a wounded bird.

"What's the matter, Ginny? Didn't ickle Drakie poo tell you who he left you to come and visit with?" Draco stood angrily. "Didn't he ever tell you that during our time at Hogwarts, he was in love with me? I was even his first, you know." Pansy's head snapped up.

"Daphne!" she exclaimed in horror. "That's hardly proper conversational matter!" Daphne stood and pouted playfully at Draco, who was glowering at her.

"But she has a right to know, hasn't she, Draco? Doesn't she have a right to know that you could never harbor feelings for someone like her, someone of such low birth? Really, Draco, if you wanted to go slumming..." her voice trailed off as she shrugged. No one noticed the impact the word had on Ginny, who had thought the very same thing just the night before.

"Out!" Draco said, his voice low and dangerous. "Now, before I have time to reach my wand." Ruthless, cold, and cruel when angry, Draco was not one to be trifled with, and Pansy knew it. She stood and shoved Daphne towards the door, shooting an apologetic look at Ginny.

"I'll be in touch, Draco," she called, tugging a protesting Daphne behind her. Once they had gone, Draco turned to Ginny, noting her slumped shoulders and faraway look.

She felt his eyes on her and looked up at him, forcing a smile as she stood. "Well, Pansy looks like life has been treating her well." Draco stared at her.

"It has," he said cautiously. "Look, about what Daphne said-" Ginny held up a hand to stop him.

"It's between the two of you," she said, shaking her head. "It's none of my business, and I know that she said it to agitate me, although I don't know why she thought it would." His jaw dropped slightly.

"What?" She shrugged and headed towards the door.

"It doesn't bother me. I told you the night you came to my flat that I knew you weren't interested in me like that, remember? I'm not stupid enough to delude myself into believing otherwise." She forced another smile at him before disappearing into the hallway, leaving him staring after her.

What was he to say, how was he to respond to that accusation? He wondered. She had said that to him, and he remembered thinking at the time that she was absolutely correct - but now, now things were different. He'd kissed her twice, and he wanted more. She had intrigued him beyond comprehension; she was interesting and kind and honest, but at the same time she could be vindictive and nasty (he remembered just how nasty she could be from an encounter with her during his fifth year at Hogwarts). She had even defended him to Potter for no apparent reason.

Now she had openly told him that she wouldn't believe, couldn't believe, that he was interested in her romantically.

She was starting to piss him off.

He was used to getting what he wanted, providing that what he wanted was within reason. Ginny Weasley was within reason. She should have fallen into his arms, grateful to him for befriending her and showing interest in her welfare, but she hadn't. He tore into the hallway and sprinted towards her room, his anger fueling him on.

When he reached her door, he turned the knob and entered without knocking or otherwise announcing his presence. She looked startled as he slammed the door behind him and grabbed her arms roughly, his mouth descending on hers with such force that he knew he was bruising her.

He forced her lips apart with his tongue and plundered her mouth savagely, wanting to devour her. A low whimper escaped her, and he pulled away slowly, realizing how much he must have been hurting her. He let go of her arms, which she dropped limply to her sides, and stood staring at her, his chest heaving.

"You're right, you're being stupid," he said, his anger melting into shame at the stunned look in her eyes. "If you think I wouldn't be interested in you, then why have I kissed you three times now?"

"You were experimenting," she said evenly.

"Then why did you kiss me back?" Her cheeks turned crimson, but she refused to look away.

"Because I wanted to." He hesitated only a moment before lowering his lips to hers. At first the kiss was so soft that she wasn't even sure he was kissing her, but then she felt his tongue sweeping lightly across her bottom lip. She parted her lips for him and raised her arms to encircle his neck as his hands roamed up and down her back gently.

She was drowning in him. His scent pervaded her nostrils; he smelled of soap and the subtle cologne that he almost always wore. His warm hands were all over her back, touching and caressing lightly, and leaving her wanting more. His hard chest was pressed against her soft curves so closely that she wasn't sure where he ended and she began.

He was kissing her so thoroughly that her legs were beginning to feel weak and wobbly. When her knees were about to buckle, he stopped kissing her and pulled away slightly, leaving her breathing erratically and aching for more than his kisses. He licked his lips and stared at her with dilated pupils.

"I'm through experimenting," he said softly, watching her carefully. "Are we clear on that?" She nodded and looked down, trying to catch her breath. He slipped a finger beneath her chin and forced it up so he could look into her eyes before his lips brushed hers again lightly. He repeated the kiss several times before stopping to look at her.

"Why did you do that?" she whispered, confusion etched all over her face.

"I'm interested." Her eyes widened, but before she could speak again, his mouth had covered hers in another consuming kiss.

Chapter Nineteen

When Ginny pulled away, she was breathless. She stared at Draco, neither of them moving for several long moments - neither of them wanted to be the first to move away. Finally Ginny broke the silence.

"Why would you be interested in me?" she asked cautiously.

"Because you make the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted." She laughed, and he grinned at her.

"You know, that wouldn't be half so funny if I didn't actually believe you." Her sienna eyes sparkled madly at him as she spoke. His smile faded as he leaned in for another tender kiss. When he pulled away, he grinned - her eyes were still closed.

"Oh," she whispered, opening her eyes and pressing her fingertips to her lips. He saw (with no small amount of satisfaction) that she was trembling.

"Are you cold?" he asked, knowing full well that she was not trembling due to the temperature of the room. He knew because he was trembling, too. She smiled shyly at him and shook her head.

"No," she said, feeling embarrassed. How could she explain that she was trembling because he kept kissing her like that? She couldn't, for fear that he'd think her nothing more than a silly schoolgirl with a crush. Her cheeks flushed at the thought.

"I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds or made you uncomfortable," he said quietly, misinterpreting her blush. She shook her head quickly.

"No!" she breathed. "No, you haven't. I wouldn't have let you kiss me if-" her voice died, and this time he laughed at her blush.

"If you hadn't wanted me to?" he offered. She nodded, her face burning. She gave him a weak smile, and he smiled back. "That's okay - you shouldn't be embarrassed by your honesty. It's nice to find someone who isn't constantly playing games."

"Speaking of playing games," she began, a teasing note in her voice. "We haven't finished the one we started yesterday." He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Are you that eager to be beaten again?"

"Big talk from someone who tried to get me to forfeit my turn due to an imaginary time limit," she laughed. He grinned.

"I'll play if you'll make a pot of chocolate to drink during the game." She sighed melodramatically.

"I knew it. I'm being turned into your personal house elf." He laughed, and she admired the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he did. He saw her expression change and wondered at it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, giving him the softest of smiles. His stomach did several somersaults. "I just noticed that you have a really nice smile, is all." The warmth rose in his cheeks and his breath caught in his throat.

"I like yours, too." He reached for her hand, and then threaded his fingers through hers. "Now, how about that chocolate?"

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Where is she?" Ron asked angrily, kicking the ground in frustration. Hermione shot him a sympathetic look and put her hand on his shoulder, hiding her hurt expression when he shrugged it off.

"I'm sure Harry will find her," she said quietly. Ron frowned and stared off into the distance. Hermione was frightened. She'd never seen Ron so worried before. He jumped, startled, when Harry strode into the room, and looked hopefully at his friend.

Hermione knew it was going to be bad news when Harry took a deep, steadying breath before speaking.

"I'm sorry Ron, I didn't find her." Ron swore under his breath. "Look, we've been looking all day, and we're all tired, so why don't we take a break to relax and get something to eat? I still have a ton of things I need to get done for the Order, and I'll never get to bed tonight if I don't finish them all." Ron stared at Harry as though he'd just sprouted a second head.

"Take a break? Take a break?" he shrieked, his ears turning purple. "I'm not taking any bloody breaks! I want to find my sister! How can you just dismiss her like she doesn't matter, Harry? You need to do some things for the Order that are more important than my sister?"

"Ron, Harry's right. We just need a short break, to take care of some other things, and then we'll start looking for her again," Hermione said, glancing down at her wristwatch. "It's almost seven o'clock, and we haven't done anything else all day except look for Ginny." Ron glared at her.

"Ginny is supposed to be your friend, Hermione. Don't you care about finding her, either?"

"Of course I care about finding her, Ron! I just think we need to focus on some other things for a bit, and after we've regrouped, we can look some more. Besides, Ginny is a big girl, and she can take care of herself." Ron gaped at her, his jaw hanging open.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," he boggled, looking between them. "Harry wants to stop looking and run errands, and you're complaining because we've been looking all day?" Hermione sighed and tried to look sympathetic, even though Harry could tell by the way that she was standing that she was getting annoyed.

"Ron, you're blowing this all out of proportion! You didn't see how she blew me off for Malfoy when I went to talk to her. She was happy that he was there! She doesn't want us to find her, or we would have found her by now."

"The last time I saw her, she was telling me that she never wanted to see me again, and Malfoy was there, laughing at me," Harry offered, nodding at Hermione.

"See, Ron? Harry was right to have banned her from the Order meetings. Who knows what she's telling Malfoy, even as we speak!"

"You know what? I'm fed up with you always taking Harry's side when you're supposed to be on mine." Hermione looked stricken. "And I can't believe that the two of you are here trying to convince me to give up on my sister."

"I only meant that-" He cut her off by holding up his hand.

"I don't want to hear it. This-" he gestured between them. "Isn't working for me anymore."

"What?" she gasped. Harry's mouth fell open.

"Ron, you can't mean that!" Harry said disbelievingly.

"I know what I mean. I'd like my ring back, Hermione." He held his hand out, palm up. Tears filled her eyes as she removed the sparkling diamond ring and dropped it into his hand. She gave him one last pleading look, then ran from the room, sobbing. Harry gaped at his best friend of ten years.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" he asked. Ron glared icily at him.

"I'm going to go and find my sister. And you had better hope, Harry Potter, that I find her, and that she's all right. Because if she's not, and I find out that it's because of you, you'll regret it."

"She's been talking to Malfoy, Ron! There's no telling what he's poisoned her mind with!" Harry protested angrily. Ron snorted.

"My sister has a mind of her own. She won't let Malfoy influence her."

"Just like she didn't let Tom Riddle influence her?" Harry blurted. The moment the words were out, he wished he could take them back. Why had he said that? He was starting to sound like Snape. Ron's face hardened.

"I think we both know whose fault that was," Ron said, his words clipped. Harry's mouth dropped open.

"I know you aren't blaming me," he said, pointing to himself.

"Didn't she start writing because of you? She told me that all she wrote about in that stupid diary was you."

"It's not my fault," Harry growled.

"Of course not," Ron said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Nothing is ever the great Harry Potter's fault, is it?"

"She fell victim to Voldemort because she was being ignored on all fronts, Ron, not just by me!"

"A mistake I don't intend to repeat." Ron turned and strode towards the door.

"You're not thinking straight," Harry called after him. "Ron, wait!" But Ron was already gone. Harry removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering why the Gods thought it was so funny to torture him.