Trust Me

Chapter Three: Pre-Meditated Betrayal

Ginny had a lot on her mind as she sat in the Common Room that evening. Leaning further back into her arm chair she stretched out her bare feet towards the fire and turned her head towards where Harry was playing a game of wizards' chess with Ron. He was loosing, as usual.

"Argh! You can't do that!" Harry exclaimed in frustration as Ron captured his last bishop. "Ginny come over here and give me some help!"

Feeling rather annoyed that he had demanded rather than asked for her help she shook her head. "You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out. Why do you even play when you know you're going to lose?"

Harry shrugged his shoulder and leant closer over the chess board. An evil smile came over his lips as he ordered his knight to capture one of Ron's castles. "Lucky move," Ron mumbled as the knight decapitated the castles turret.

"Yeah right," Harry gloated happily, "it was pure skill and you know it." Ron shook his head exasperatedly as took Harry's victorious knight with his queen in a single move. The boastful smile left Harry's face, leaving his face wide open in shock.

Ginny sniggered quietly to herself, fondly thinking how cute Harry looked when things didn't go his way. Turning her gaze back to the fire flickering merrily in the grate she thought of her conversation with Malfoy earlier that day. She had to admit when he wasn't patronizing her or insulting her family Malfoy made pretty good company. It didn't stop him from being a slimy git, but at least he could hold a semi-civilized conversation.

She forcefully blocked out his final words to her about Harry not being good enough for her. Of course he was, he loved her. And she loved him; she had for as long as she could remember.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Dean Thomas came over to her and asked her if she wanted to play a game of Exploding Snap. She agreed instantly, glad to have something to take he mind off her tangled thoughts. As she sat down a wooden table in the corner of the room and began to deal out cards she remembered how she had had a crush on him for a while last year. She knew now that her infatuation with Dean and her short-term relationship with a Ravenclaw, Michael Corner, in fourth year, had just been covers, disguising the feelings she had for Harry, even from herself.

She and Dean managed to finish five explosive rounds of Snap before Harry came up behind her and told her he was going to bed. Quickly she excused herself from Dean and followed Harry up the first set of stairs. When they were out of sight of the rest of the Gryffindors Harry turned to her and took her in his arms.

"I know I let you down today," he whispered softly in her ear, "but I promise I will make it up to you." He drew back and took a jewellery box from his jean pocket. He opened it and Ginny looked in to see the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. The chain was made of 18 carets, sparkling gold, and a single emerald tear-drop hung from the bottom. She drew in a deep breath. It was beautiful. "Harry I love it," she sighed.

She turned slightly so he could fasten it around her neck, savouring the cool feel of his hands on her skin. Looking down at it she took the pendant in her hand, brushing her thumb lightly over its surface. "Where did you get it?"

"There's a new jewellery shop in Diagon Alley. I saw it when I was getting my school books. The crystal's charmed with spells of protection and love." He smiled. "I saw the emerald and it reminded me of you. Your eyes mainly." He looked at her seriously, staring deep into her orbs, which did indeed mirror the colour of the emerald exactly.

Smiling slightly, Ginny felt her cheeks grow heated under his intense gaze. "I love it," she whispered. "I love you."

He pulled her into his embrace once more and kissed her slowly and gently. "I love you too."

At the sound of footsteps on the stairs they drew apart. Hermione rounded the corner and looked at the curiously, causing them both to stare at their feet self-consciously. Smirking knowingly she bade them both goodnight and climbed the stairs to the girls dormitories without another word. With another swift kiss to Harry, Ginny followed her. After second of staring after the girl he loved, Harry turned and walked up the opposite set of stairs to the boys dormitories.

That night Ginny slept more peacefully than she ever had before.

*~*~*~*

The next day dawned bright and merry, and this time Ginny could find no fault with it. In the Great Hall she ate her breakfast with one hand, the other was clasped tightly in Harry's own. As she looked over to the Slytherin table across the Hall she saw Malfoy staring at them intently, with an emotion sparkling in his eyes that Ginny couldn't seem to comprehend. Ignoring it she returned to her meal, basking in the feel of her fingers warmly interlinking with Harry's own.

The next time she looked up she saw Malfoy walking over to the Ravenclaw table. Cho Chang looked up in surprise when he approached her. He bended down and said something to her in a quiet voice. She stared at him in bemusement before turning her gaze towards Harry and Ginny. Ginny stared back wondering why they were looking at her. Cho whispered something back and Draco nodded before walking off.

She stared after him in confusion until Harry asked her what she was looking at. "Nothing," she replied and turned her eyes on him instead.

Harry and Ginny spent their last day of freedom before classes resumed basking in the pleasant heat of the sun, talking and joking, much like she had seen the junior students do yesterday. Around midday they were joined by Hermione and Ron. Harry seemed a little annoyed at the intrusion but made no comment. Together they four of them discussed everything, from what Hermione did at Hogsmeade yeasturday (she had gone with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil) to what they were planning to do next holidays (which were, unfortunately, still ten weeks away).

When the conversation lapsed Harry excused himself for a moment saying he had to go to the bathroom. The conversation slowed a little while Harry was gone, but the three used the time to do a little sun-baking instead.

Around five minutes later a large shadow cast over her, blocking out the warmth of the sun. Ginny looked up and saw the pale frame of Draco Malfoy towering over her. She sat up in annoyance. "What do you want Malfoy?" she asked irritably.

"Oh, I just wanted to say hi," he replied smoothly.

"Well now you have you can go," she responded grumpily. She wasn't in the mood for her day to be spoiled by Malfoy.

"I thought we could continue the nice little conversation we had yesterday." He told her.

Ginny looked up in disbelief, ignoring Hermione and Ron's curios stares. "I think you said enough yesterday, Malfoy. I have nothing more to say to you."

"Pity," he commented briefly. He eyes flickered down to the base of her neck, where the green emerald was bumping gently against her throat. "Where'd you get the necklace?" he asked.

"Harry gave it to me," she replied wondering why even cared. "Why?"

"It's nice," was all he said. He smirked Draco-ishly and walked off leaving Ginny to stare after him in absolute amazement.

"What was all that about?" Ron demanded after he left.

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine,"

Hermione was silent for a moment as if she was pondering some amazing idea. Suddenly she shook her head and looked down at her watch. "Harry's been gone for a while now," she commented.

"Oh, he's probably just talking to someone he met along the way," Ginny replied. "He'll be back soon."

But it was another ten minutes before Harry did return.

"Half an hour toilet break," Ron cried laughingly when he finally did come back, "That's got to be a record!"

Harry looked uncomfortable. "Oh, um, I met, um, Seamus on the way. He wanted to talk to me about the Quiddich Try-outs, that's all."

Ginny frowned. Seamus had been sitting under the oak tree by the lake for the last half an hour. She had been watching him and Dean muck around trying to knock each other from the branches. He hadn't moved once.

Ginny smiled when she felt Harry's gaze but wondered juts what it was that he was keeping from her.

*~*~*~*

It had taken Draco a long time to work up the courage to go over and talk to Cho at breakfast that morning. He had sat there for at least ten minutes just looking at her trying to force himself to stand up and walk over to her. He probably would have chickened out completely if it hadn't of been so vital to his plan. He smiled smugly despite himself. He had spent all of last night forming a scheme to get Ginny to trust him enough to talk to him about Harry. It was difficult; he also needed her to dislike Harry enough to tell him about his weaknesses. One thing was for sure though, if he was going to get anywhere near Ginny Weasley he would have to break off her relationship with Harry Potter. He and Potter had been the bitterest of rivals ever since they had first laid eyes on each other, and if it came to choosing sides Draco knew without a doubt that Ginny would always chose Potter over him. He had a feeling that Ginny liked him well enough, despite how she acted towards him; the only thing that was really standing in the way of him and Ginny was Harry Potter.

But not for long. Draco smirked evilly and looked over to the dark haired beauty sitting at the Ravenclaw table. He knew that Cho had never stopped being in love with Harry, no matter how much she denied it and flaunted her relationship with other guys. When he had caught her spying on Potter and Weasley last week, she had only proved his speculation.

His eyes wandered over to the Gryffindor table. He looked at Ginny and Potter as they sat smiling and laughing beside each other. His eyes fixed on the clasped hands and growled quietly under his breath. Goyle turned to him and gave him a stunned look. Draco wasn't surprised. He very rarely showed any emotion at all in public, but there was something about Harry and Ginny's "happy couple" act that made his blood boil. He stood up. It was now or never.

Draco sauntered confidently over to the Ravenclaw table. He leant down to whisper in Cho's ear, cutting off her friend Marietta Edgecombe in midsentence. Marietta looked at him with an appalled and irritated expression on her face, but he ignored it; he had more important things to worry about than Cho's snappy friend. "Don't Potter and Weasley make such a charming couple?" he whispered mockingly.

She turned towards where they were sitting and Draco couldn't mistake the anger and jealousy in her eyes. "Why do you care?" she whispered back.

Out of the corner of his vision Draco saw Marietta staring at them intently. He turned towards her a fixed her with such an icy glare that she turned away and struck up a very passionate conversation about pineapples with Justin Flinch-Fletchy who was unfortunate enough to be seated next to her.

"Meet me at the Astronomy Tower in one hour and I'll tell you," he said, pausing for her answer. She hesitated for a moment, a confused frown creasing her creamy forehead. Finally she looked back at him and nodded. Draco smiled smugly and walked away, the whole time conscious of Ginny's curious eyes fixed on his back.

Forty-five minutes later he was sitting on a window seat in the Astronomy Tower across from a very impatient Cho. "So spit it out Malfoy," she demanded crossly, "I'm meant to be meeting Justin in the gardens in fifteen minutes, so you better tell me."

He regarded her coolly. "I'm afraid you're going to have to cancel your date with Justin today, Chang. We have much more important business to attend to."

She exhaled loudly and began pulling at the threads at the bottom of her robes. "Like what?"

"I want to break up Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter." He said straight out.

She stopped in mid-fray. Half-sniggering she looked up at him in complete disbelief. "Why?"

"I have my reasons," was all he would say. "But I don't think I would be far off in saying that this would work in your advantage as well."

Cho opened her mouth to retort and just as quickly closed it again. "What makes you think I care anything for Harry Potter?" she asked him as casually as she could.

"I never said anything," he replied with his most annoying smirk. "You just confirmed something I already knew."

She blushed scarlet and looked down. "Look, he said, "I'm not going to tell anyone. I just need your help to break them up. Afterwards you can do whatever you want with Harry Potter. Reclaim him as your own if you want, or you can make his life complete hell - I would prefer the second option - just don't tell me about it. Are you in?"

"What's in it for you?" she asked slyly. "You got the hots for that Weasley girl? I didn't think she was your type."

Now it was Draco's turn to blush, though he tried to keep it as inconspicuous as possible. "She isn't," he said shortly. "Look I need Ginny for reasons of my own, and they're none of your business. I just want to know if you're going to help me or not."

Cho was silent for a few minutes, carefully considering what he had said. Finally she met his eyes, a fierce determination that he had never seen in her before, playing across her face. "I'm in."

"Good," he replied. "Let's get to work."

*~*~*~*

Three hours later Harry Potter headed towards the boys toilets. He didn't get far however before a creamy-brown arm pulled him into an empty classroom and pinned him down on one of the desks. Seductively she lifted her shirt over her head to reveal a lacy pink bra. She smiled evilly at him before crushing his lips with her own, using her arms to restrain his flailing limbs.

From behind them, Draco lifted a large, old fashioned camera and, with a satisfied smile, snapped pictures of her hands up his shirt and her lips plastered against his. Smiling with grim satisfaction Draco slipped soundlessly from the room, allowing Cho to fulfil her lustful desires.