Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 5 - Consequences

Ginny looked up at Draco knowingly.

"Don't worry, my love," she whispered cautiously. "We'll beat him somehow. He can't come between us." Draco laughed harshly.

"No, he can't. But he'll try his bloody hardest, you mark my words." He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, love. But with a man like dear old Lucius..." Narcissa looked at her only son sympathetically, knowing what he spoke of. Molly ran a hand through her red hair wearily and looked at her friend questioningly. Narcissa nodded her confirmation of an unspoken request that no one else understood.

"We must leave now, children." Narcissa informed regretfully, smiling sadly at Draco. "Don't let Lucius get to you Virginia, Draco." Her face hardened. "He will be dealt with." Draco looked at his mother quizzically but she just shook her head, refusing to elaborate.

"That shall be all then, students," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat dismissively. Draco, Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron left the office single file and were halfway down the Charms corridor before they heard noises indicating a fight.

"Oho!" Draco cried. "A skirmish is afoot!"

"Deranged Slytherin," Ron muttered sourly under his breath. Hermione looked at the "Deranged Slytherin's" girlfriend questioningly.

"Don't look at me." Ginny laughed before running down the corridor after her boyfriend, whooping and laughing the whole way as Draco's crazy joy filtered down their link. Harry, Ron and Hermione just looked at each other, grinned, and ran after the couple.

~*~*~*~

It so happened that the people fighting were Seamus Finnigan and Millicent Bulstrode, a Slytherin Seventh Year. Hermione laughed, yelling "Go Milli!" before diving in and getting a few good shots at the beleaguered Seamus before Ron and Harry dragged her off of the overwhelmed Irish boy, Ginny and Draco performed the same service for Milli.

"What happened?" Draco asked between bouts of laughter as Seamus ran like a rabbit.

"He- he tried to - to kiss me!" Milli spluttered indignantly, smiling happily at Ginny and Draco.

"But I got him good," she added thoughtfully before busting into peals of ringing laughter along with the rest. It seemed to be catching somehow. Milli looked at Ginny with a lopsided smile. She wasn't as nasty as most Slytherins made her out to be. A shapely 5'9'' she wasn't exactly tall, but her voluptuous curves caught the attention of the males of any house. She was quite friendly with Ginny, whilst not in public, of course. A Slytherin could not be friends with a Gryffindor in public at any time of the day. Stupid rule, really, Milli thought. Why couldn't the two houses get along? Just because Salazar and Godric hadn't agreed on many issues. Oh, Milli thought suddenly, the whole 'mudblood' thing. She grimaced with distaste at the hateful term. Draco wound his arm around Ginny's shoulders. This gesture was not lost on Milli.

"Draco?"

"Mmm?"

"You do know your father will be most upset at this recent development, don't you?" Milli asked, concerned. Draco sighed, running a restless hand through his pale blonde hair, his eyes the only things giving away his weariness at the whole debacle unfolding before him. Why couldn't he just be with the woman he loved? Why did he have to be a bloody Malfoy? He drew Ginny closer to him, holding her protectively, as if to ward off any harm that may befall her. And knowing Lucius, it just may, if Draco was not there to protect her.

"I know," he answered finally, looking up at the other girl. "And I don't care." He chanced, feeling relief that no knives were flying towards his back at such a disrespectful statement.

"Seeing Dumbledore again?" Ginny asked quietly when she and her lover were out of earshot of the others.

"Yes," Draco affirmed, steering her back toward the stone gargoyle. Ginny screamed as a huge snake slithered around her feet, reared up and sank its teeth into the soft flesh of her ankle within the space of an eye blink. She crumpled quickly. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was Draco's frantic yells for help and Milli's light footsteps coming quickly toward her stricken form.

It had begun.