Fined

Closed Doors

The hallway was now empty, haunted by the sounds of her elder brothers' party among the compartments farther up.

Draco's fleeting back had disappeared into one of the several empty boy's lavatories. Ginny knew she had no right to follow him there.

Of course, that didn't stop her from taking the footsteps that led her to the door Draco had entered. With a sigh, she leaned against the side wall.

Once he exited he'd be quite angered. Not only at the behaviour of what she was beginning to think was a rather large mouth, but at the nerve of her following him here.

That brought to mind the question: Why was she here?

That, however, was already resolved in her mind. Draco had a lack of some much needed sympathy. She could offer that. She was doing this only out of the kindness of her heart. If it weren't for his sick mum, she wouldn't have anything to do with Draco Malfoy. If she could help it, that is.

Despite herself, she laughed. What a poor excuse that did sound like. And funny it was, not being an excuse at all. Right?

She shook her head. Of course it wasn't an excuse. An excuse for what?

Seeing Draco, maybe?

The door beside her swung open and Draco came with it, muttering something under his breath. He stopped as soon as he caught sight of her, the door hitting him abruptly in the backside.

Moving out of its way, he stared down at her.

She was once again turning that tiresome red.

"Funny. I thought you only fancied dark haired lads.."

Ginny's mouth dropped, and moved as if to say something, but with every bit of strength she managed to stop it. No doubt it would only be something to make her seem even more foolish.

Dismissing her, Draco continued walking. Ginny kept pace right alongside him.

They walked for several minutes like this, in silence and aptly trying to ignore each other's presence. Finally, Draco stopped.

"Why'd that idiot Potter have to go and punch me?"

Surpressing her surprise at his speaking, she shrugged rather dumbly. "You did hurt him."

Draco rolled his eyes at her, in a way that made her feel rather young. "So, it's a bit like a fine is it? I've been fined for insulting the scar face with a punch in the nose."

Ginny stared at him. "Fined?"

Draco heaved a sigh of disbelief. "With your father being the deranged Muggle lover he is, you'd think you know these things. When Muggles, say, park their ve-hikles.."

"Like cars?"

"Yes, like cars." He cast her a glance that clearly stated she was not to speak. "If they park them in the wrong place, or for too long, those palicky men.." Ginny so greatly wanted to tell him they were palice, not palicky, but thought better of it. "..give the Muggle a parking ticket and they have to pay a fine. Be it fifty pounds or more."

Ginny nodded as if she understood, of course not actually absorbing much of what he had said.

"How do you know so much about Muggles? I always thought.."

"Don't you go thinking I like them." He seemed disgusted at the prospect and eager to clear his name. "Father suggested I take Muggle Studies." He grinned. "Get to know the enemy, and all."

"The enemy? But, they're not.."

Draco clearly had no problem with interrupting others.

"Of course they are! They threaten everything we are with their prejudices against our magic."

"Not all of them are like that. The Grangers.."

"Mudblood's parents?" Draco laughed. "Would they be able to think otherwise? That bookworm would have them cursed in a.."

"NOW STOP THAT!"

Draco blinked. Ginny quivered with anger.

"HERMIONE'S JUST AS GOOD OF A WITCH AS ANY PUREBLOOD. IN FACT, SHE'S BETTER THAN YOU! SHE'S MY FRIEND AND I WON'T HAVE YOU INSULTING HER!"

"Never knew you had it in you, Weasley. Took after your brother, I see. Easy to anger, the both of you are." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Same degree of foolishness too."

Ginny decided to ignore that remark and fell into a calm pace of footsteps again. This time, Draco walked alongside her.

It was now clear to her that she couldn't handle being around the trio dubbed ferret boy for a prolonged amount of time without blowing her top. Just when she was about to leave for her brothers' party, he began the conversation once again.

"So, Mudblood and your brother are going out then?"

"Oh!" Ginny had waited so long to spill this to someone. Colin and Neville didn't much care, but she couldn't tell Draco could she?

Obviously, she could.

"They've always liked each other, you know," she said excitedly. "And well, one night I caught them kissing in the common room. They swore it was the first time, and I believed them, of course. Ever since they've been holding hands and talking. I guess Harry's figured it out too, but I didn't want.."

Draco seemed a bit shocked at the bubbly girl.

"A simple yes or do would have done well."

Ginny, however, wasn't finished.

She went on to tell him about the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw which Ron and Hermione had been absent from, and the time they were both called to McGonagall's office, and the time..

She continued on and on, and when they at last reached Malfoy's compartment door it was only natural that they both enter. After all, they were so involved in the conversation. Or at the very least, Ginny was.

The both sat in the places they had been in earlier, and Ginny continued to relay the events of Hermione and Ron's odd relationship to him. It wasn't until she found little more to say that they both grew aware of their surroundings, alone and with a closed door..