Downfall

Chapter Six: They Say Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon

Ginny skipped her way down the West Staircase to the Great Hall, quite pleased with herself. She was on her way back from the Ravenclaw Common Room, where she had told a gleeful Padma the news about their esteemed Head Boy and Millicent Bulstrode's offer at lunch.

Padma, with her hair pulled back tightly in a chignon and a calculating smile on her face, thanked Ginny and rushed off, claiming to have "something, erm, important to do."

Ginny cackled as she cleared the bottom stair, giddily anticipating the mayhem she was likely causing. She glanced longingly at the doors to the Great Hall, noting dinner wouldn't begin for another hour. She sighed as she turned the corner and headed for Gryffindor Tower.

A hand shot out from an alcove, grasping her upper arm painfully. Ginny yelped and tried to reach for her wand, only to have the movement blocked, her attacker's hand swinging her captive arm around, deflecting her efforts. Before she had time to scream or to try to stamp on her assailant's feet, she was being dragged towards the staircase that led up to Gryffindor Tower.

Noting the sling and the silvery-blond hair of her captor, Ginny stopped struggling.

A chance to flaunt my victory in his face? I must have done something to please the fates. He got wind of this awful quick; I wonder who told him? Ah well, the chance to rub this in his face is well worth the arse-chewing it looks like I'm about to get.

When they had bypassed the staircase and instead were walking straight at the wall, Ginny balked. Yanking her arm back, she forced him to halt since he wouldn't release her.

"What, you're going to bash my head against the wall until I apologise for livening up your dreary existence?"

Malfoy hissed back at her, through lips so tightly compressed they seemed to have a Sticking Charm on them, "I should love to. In fact, I could say it's something I desire above all else right now. But my main purpose was to take this... discussion, someplace that offers a little privacy." He eyed her angrily. "Enough of my personal business is being bandied about already."

He swung her about and roughly shoved her forward. Ginny was about to protest and remark on how his unique notion of privacy included open areas near well-travelled staircases when she stopped. Squinting in the dim light, she made out the vague shape of a door.

"In there?" she asked incredulously. "A broom cupboard? You can't be serious. How cliched."

Malfoy was glaring at her so hard she was afraid his eyes would cross at any moment. She sniffed disdainfully and tossed her hair in annoyance as she moved forward and turned the knob, flouncing into the dusty little room.

Nostrils flaring, Malfoy stepped in behind her and slammed the door as hard as he could. Unfortunately for him, the seldom-used lock failed to catch. The door sprang right back, knocking him in the mouth.

After muffledly cursing and covering his battered lips for a full minute or two, he drew his wand and hexed the offending door with most every curse she had ever heard of for another five minutes.

Ginny settled back comfortably on an overturned crate, enjoying the fireworks. Poor Malfoy is having a bad couple of days, isn't he? Well, hang on tight, ferret-boy, it'll get alot worse before it gets better. She couldn't hold back a snicker at the thought.

Malfoy whirled round, wand raised and a crazed look in his flashing eyes. He was panting with exertion, his normally neatly-styled pale hair sticking up haphazardly.

Ginny opened her mouth to comment, but self-preservation made her change her mind. Doesn't exactly look the picture of rationality right now, does he?

"Accio Weasley's wand!"

Ginny, her guard down as she laughed at the sight in front of her, responded too slowly. Her wand slipped from her desperately grasping fingers and soared straight to Malfoy.

Nimbly catching it with the same hand that held his own wand, he reached above his head and placed both wands on a high shelf next to the door, one she couldn't reach even if she jumped.

Ginny stared at him a moment, her eyes huge with sudden fear, before she opened her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could.

He just stood there, wincing slightly at the racket she was making, and let her scream until her throat was burned raw and she was dizzy from the lack of air.

"Pay closer attention, Weasley. One of the spells I hit the door with was a Silencing Charm."

As he spoke, her eyes darted to the door, trying to think of a way to get past him.

"Please, Weasley. Use your head," he jeered. "I'm insulted. Do you really think I didn't use a personalised Locking Charm? Figured out how to modify Locking Charms during summer hols between fourth and fifth year. Quite handy, I'd say." He shifted his weight and removed the sling from around his neck, dropping it carelessly to the floor.

So, have an eventful day thus far?" he asked blandly, stretching his arms languidly.

"Do anything... interesting?" he continued, as he advanced on her.

Ginny scrambled up, knocking the crate over in her haste. She scuttled as far away from him as she could until her back hit something solid. He stalked her, mirroring her every change of direction, moving as gracefully as a Siberian Tiger tracking its prey.

She looked left and right, but all possible routes of escape were blocked. When she turned back towards Malfoy, desperately trying to think of a plan to get out of this mess, she found he was standing directly in front of her.

He inclined his head until they were nose to nose and she could clearly see the angry fire burning in his molten eyes.

His lips were only millimetres from her own. "Make any new friends, perhaps?" he whispered.

She summoned up a previously unknown quantity of courage and laughed in his face.

"You know, Malfoy, it's hard to take attempts at intimidation seriously from someone with a puffed-up lip." She smiled nastily. "You seem to be getting banged up an awful lot lately. Maybe you should think about staying in your room until this bad luck runs out."

He snarled and pinned her shoulders to the wall, leaning in until his breath fanned her cheeks. "Don't push me, Weasley. I've had about all I can take."

"Too bad, Malfoy. It's about to get alot more interesting around here. You should be thanking me. I inadvertantly may have enriched your love life." She jammed her hands against his torso and shoved him, with no result.

"My sex life doesn't need any help, little girl. It's stellar as is."

The anger emanating off of him was almost tangible. She felt her courage slipping away, and took one last crack at matching him shot-for-shot.

"Parkinson doesn't count, Malfoy. She's the village broomstick and everyone knows it. Even Goyle could have her if he wanted."

His eyelids drooped as he silkily replied, "Offering to take her place, Princess?"

Ginny froze as he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Are you as fiery in the bedroom as you are in a broom cupboard?"

Panicked, Ginny did the only thing she could think of. She punched him exactly where she remembered a large chunk of glass sticking out of his skin.

Draco gasped, but caught hold of her shoulders again almost immediately. "You'll pay for that, you little hellcat."

"Malfoy, stop. Please." She begged, trying a different tact. "I was just so angry at the way you tried to mess with my head in the hospital wing, and the things you said in the dungeons-"

"Bloody hell, Weasley," he bit out, exasperated. "I was bleeding to death. Do you think I had any idea of what I was saying down there?" He leered at her as he ran one finger along the outer curve of a breast. "But they are nice, even if they're attached to a psychotic, poor little Muggle-lover."

She willed herself to squeeze out a few tears, hoping for the helpless-little-girl look. Lower lip quivering, she sobbed, "P-Please let me go. I-I-I'll fix everything, I promise. Just let me go." Her voice trailed off slowly, until the last part was no more than a faint whispered plea.

Disgusted, the red haze that had clouded his head began to evaporate. As Draco looked at her, cowering and sniffling, he was disgusted with himself. Well, Father, looks like you got your wish after all. I'm turning into a perfect replica of you. Minus the snivelling to a vanquished Dark Lord. And the 430 year prison sentence, of course. Call me Lucius, Part Two. He whirled away from her. Stalking to the adjacent wall, he drew back his fist and furiously slammed it into the stone.

"Get out."

Ginny looked from under her lashes, not daring to hope he was actually buying this. "I-I can't reach my wand."

He cursed violently and brushed past her. Reaching up for both wands, he threw hers at her.

She stood staring at him with huge terrified eyes, not moving.

I hate her. His stomach twisted painfully. Okay. More accurately, I hate her like this, although it would take a serious bout of torture to actually drag that information from my lips. I almost enjoyed sparring with her. It sparked something in him; something that tormenting Potter and his worshippers, riding roughshod over his housemates and even making Head Boy failed to stir. He felt the throbbing of his hand. He felt alive. But watching this pathetic shell that whimpered and cried only left him with the vague, bitter taste of disgust in his mouth.

She looked up to find him staring at her, his eyes filled with loathing.

He turned sharply and lifted the Locking Charm from the door. Wheeling, he strode back to her, grabbed her arm, and in a perverse re-creation of their journey into the room, shoved her sharply back out. He watched from the doorway as she stood there, shoulders slumped.

Ginny slowly straightened, and turned back to face him, a smile on her face.

"Please, Malfoy. Use your head," she threw his own words back in his face. "I'm insulted. Do you really think I would cry and beg someone like you? You deserve everything coming to you. You've made so many people's lives miserable here. This is mild in comparison. Cheers for opening the door, though. I really didn't know how I was going to get around that."

"You'll-"

"Yes, yes, I know. I'll pay for that. See you in the Great Hall. Dinner should be starting in a few minutes."

Ginny sashayed a few steps away before throwing over her shoulder, "Oh, and watch your backside, Malfoy. I hear there're a few guys... I mean, people, who are anxious to get those 50 galleons tonight. Good thing the Head Boy has a private room. I'd be careful in the Prefect's Bathroom, though."

I am going to kill her. No, maim; that'll hurt more. No, then I'll have to listen to her hideous screaming again. I think good, old-fashioned psychological torture is the way to go here. But I have to admit, however much it pains me. She was good. I ate that load of shit up with a spoon. Well played, Weasley. Now it's my turn.