The Mistresses of Draco's Heart

Chapter Seven

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It was the last Quidditch game of the year. After this the O W L s and N E W T s would start. All of the Quidditch players went up to the pitch. The Gryffindor team had all the same players, except for a new Seeker. Weasley. Draco hissed and she stared at him like she had never seen him before. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and they flew up into the air. The game started and in a moment Draco saw the Snitch at the other end at the pitch. He rushed there, but saw Ginny following him. When he looked back the Snitch was gone ...

The game had ended, he was holding the Snitch in his hand. He was smiling broadly and at that moment Ginny landed in front of him. Draco gasped. She looked...wild. Her cheeks were bright red and she was trying to catch her breath. She came closer to him and put her hands on his shoulders. Draco smirked, but Ginny kissed him on the lips. Draco lowered his hand and started to stroke her back ...

Draco gasped for breath and sat up. He was drenched with sweat, as if he really had been flying. He touched his forehead, it was hot. He got up from the bed. Because he was sleeping topless, he opened the window to enjoy the cold night air. Goose-flesh appeared on his skin and Draco knew that he might get sick again. He sat on the windowsill and put his head in hands.

***

The next day Draco appeared at the Slytherin table, but this time he ate his oatmeal, without playing with it. Harry had spent the night in the hospital wing for the night and Draco enjoyed watching the Gryffindor table without the dirty, dark-haired head sneaking in his vision. Draco had dressed in his Quidditch robes already and was waiting for his team Captain to show up. Draco stretched and yawned. They were playing against Ravenclaw. This was going to be a moment of mystery, when I make history, he thought. Their Seeker was still Cho and the rest of the team hadn't changed. He went over his strategy. Number one - make her cry. Number two - get Snitch. This was going to be as easy as taking candy from a baby.

***

After the game Draco walked to his dorm grinning. Yep, he liked his "bad, bad, nasty, nasty Slytherin" reputation. A moment ago Cho had ran past him crying uncontrollably. Draco had reached the portrait in front of his dorm. He said the password and went in. He threw himself on the bed and in that moment his grin disappeared. He could still remember his dream clearly. Now, that would be an advantage for the Gryffindor team in the next week's game. He would be afraid to play against them if that Weasleybint was Seeking, as she did sometimes.

***

Pansy rushed in Draco's dorm and threw herself on him.

"We won! All thanks to you!"

"Calm down!" he muttered and got out from under her.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to jump on me like this?"

"I'm sorry, Drake...What did you tell that Ravenclaw girl, that Seeker?"

"You don't want to know."

"Oh yes I do! Come on, tell me!"

"Nah."

"Don't be so dramatic! I'm your girlfriend! I must know what kind of things you tell girls!"

Draco sneered and leaned closer Pansy.

"Have I ever said that I like you? Have I ever said that I want you as my girlfriend? Have I?"

Pansy quickly kissed him on his lips and giggled. Draco wiped his mouth in his sleeve.

"I'm a Slytherin, Drake. This is what we do."

"I'm a Slytherin too. But you don't see me hanging on someone's neck all the time, do you? If your parents have that great idea to marry into the Malfoy family, then you can go home or owl them that they have a huge hole in their plan."

Pansy didn't seem to notice what Draco had just said.

"So...the girl? What did you tell her?"

"I just asked her, when the hell is she going to get herself another boyfriend, as the first one is dead and the second doesn't know how to kiss. That's it! Nothing more! I swear. I really can't understand why she started crying." Draco shrugged.

Pansy giggled.

"Oh, you're soooo funny, Drake! But who was her second boyfriend, the one who doesn't know how to kiss?"

"Potter, who else?"

"No way!"

"Way."

"Really?! Why didn't I know about it?"

"Because you're a Slytherin?"

"How do you know, then?"

"I do listen around, Pansy."

"Do you know how to kiss? If you don't I can teach you."

"Give me a brake, will you?"

***

When Pansy had left Draco's dorm he sat at his table, took quill and parchment and wrote a short letter which he addressed to his father. He called his owl and tied the message to its leg. Then he opened the window and let the owl fly out. He watched it until it had disappeared. Now it's up to my Father, I'd say, he thought and closed the window.

***

After the lunch break, when Fudge opened the door leading to his office, he started. There was a man sitting at his table, his feet put on the neat and tidy papers Fudge had left on the table the previous day.

"Hello, Cornee-e-elius!" the man said.

Fudge flinched.

"You should know, Mr. Malfoy that..."

"That what?"

"That you are only out of Azkaban thanks to your Son, and he won't be able to get you out of there if you get back."

"Why? You think that my son would let his old father down and make him sit in a cold and wet cell? Nah, you don't know Draco so well, Cornelius."

Fudge straightened up as much as he could and announced:

"Please leave my office, or else..."

"Or else what? If you haven't noticed I put some charms on your assistants - they are not here. They won't help you. This office is deserted in two hundred metre radius."

"What do you want?"

"Now that's a way to start a dialogue with a Malfoy. I found out that you have taken some of my books."

"So what? I have the rights to..."

"I would like to get them back. All of them."

"I...I...I can't give them back to you!" Fudge squeezed. He was scared to be alone with that man in one room when there were no others. At the Manor it had been different. Then he had been the one who demanded, but now their roles were changed.

Lucius smiled.

"Oh yes you can."

Lucius was whirling his wand in his hand and now pointed it to Fudge.

"I found a new spell recently. I wanted to try out. It makes a man feel everything I want him to feel. So, do you want to feel knives poking into your chest? Do you? It hurts. I can tell you from my own experience."

While Lucius was talking, Fudge had slid his hand down and now it was nearly at the entrance of his pocket, where his wand was.

"I wouldn't do it, were I you, Cornee-eelius. Drop it! You will give me everything I ask you to and then... maybe I'll change my mind of getting the election start earlier because of a dead Minister!"

***

The night was starry. Draco was tossing and turning in his bed and couldn't fall asleep. He got up from the bed as he had done earlier tonight, but this time he put on his trousers, instead of pyjama bottoms. He opened the door of his dorm silently and crept out into the empty corridor. It was cold in the dungeons and Draco shivered. There sure are some advantages of being a prefect, he thought. As he was a prefect, he was allowed to keep a fire going in the fireplace. Draco looked around and turned right, then after some steps - left. It was easy to get lost in the dungeons, but he knew where he was heading. The torches were unlit and only moonlight showed him the way to the Astronomy tower. Draco liked sitting there and watching the stars, even if it was cold up there. He turned left again and now he was in a long corridor. The sight was beautiful. The moonlight shining through the windows curled into different shadows, each of them interesting and a little scary. Draco smirked. There was nothing to be afraid of shadows! He walked further and when he walked past a window he stopped short. Someone had jumped in front of him and that someone was Ginny.

***

Ginny felt a little dizzy. She only remembered that they had been sitting with Ron in the Muggle police office and then someone had rushed in and ... pointed something at them? Then she remembered walking somewhere and ... that was it. She had recovered completely only in her bed at Hogwarts.

Now she had gone to send her mother an owl and when she had returned from the Owlery, she couldn't resist sitting for a while on the comfortable windowsill. In Hogwarts there were many large windowsills. Students used to sit there and chat because each window was separated a little from the others. Ginny had been sitting there for quite a long time, until she heard someone stealing down the corridor. She jumped up immediately and nearly bumped into a shirtless Draco.

***

Ginny stared at Draco and Draco gazed back. They both stood in the middle of the corridor, one shirtless, the other one quite surprised, but none of them moved. After some minutes they both lowered their eyes and made a step forward. Ginny wanted to go round Draco on her right, and Draco wanted to pass Ginny on his left. They bumped into each other and Ginny hit her nose hard against Draco's chest. Draco jumped back a little but then leaned closer to her to see if she was hurt. In the same moment Ginny raised her head and their lips touched together.

***

Ron was lying on his bed and thinking. He didn't want to go to sleep yet. Somehow his memory of the night he had taken Ginny to the Manor had become clearer. The more he thought about it, the more details he remembered.

***

He was sitting alone in "The Three Broomsticks" and a glass of Butterbeer stood in front of him. He was staring at it, but didn't drink it. The door of the pub opened and an interesting looking girl entered. She glanced at everyone in the room and finally her gaze stopped on Ron. She pulled off her gloves and went to Ron.

"Hey! You're Ron Weasley?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"There's someone waiting for you around the corner."

Ron raised his head and looked into the newcomer's eyes.

"Are you sure it is me that the person wants to see?"

"Well...you are Ronald Weasley, aren't you?"

Ron nodded.

"Then go! He said he has something to tell you...about Ginny..."

"What? Is something wrong with her?" he asked getting up and throwing on his coat. Then he rushed out into the cold evening.

***

He turned the corner and glanced around the quiet side street. There was someone at the other end, so Ron hurried and then ...

Lucius turned and faced Ron. He raised his wand and light, very bright light shot out of the wand.

***

Ginny opened the door.

"Ron!" she called happily. "What brings you here? It is the last day of the Easter holidays! You should have come earlier! We have eaten all the eggs!"

Ron pulled her out and closed the door firmly behind her.

"Ginny...I have to get you away from here as soon as possible. Don't look at me like that - I know what I'm doing. Now go inside quietly and tell Mum that you're going out with someone. Tell her that you'll be home late, so she shouldn't wait until you come back."

Ginny looked at him with her deep brown eyes and didn't move a muscle.

"Ginny - trust me! Now go! It is really important for me to get you to safety. Have I ever lied to you?"

Ginny turned around and rushed in the house. Ron waited for her outside.

After a few minutes Ginny came out and pulled a brown cloak tighter around her shoulders.

"Let's go," she said and they both went away.

***

The moment their lips touched Draco felt Ginny flinch, but then she threw her hands around Draco's neck and pressed their lips closer. Draco stood there, in the middle of corridor and didn't move a muscle. He didn't answer her kiss, but neither did he tear himself away. He was too surprised to do anything. Ginny slid her hands lower and still was kissing Draco passionately. Draco lifted his arms uncertain what to do, but then he pushed Ginny away from him and ran. Ran away from her, ran silently to his room, so as not to disturb anyone in the Slytherin dorms. He ran into his room and closed the door firmly behind him.

Ginny stood in the corridor, left alone. Her hand moved to her mouth and she touched her lips, where she could still feel the heat of Draco. Then she turned and rushed to her dorm, where other girls where sleeping. She locked herself in the small bathroom, sat on the toilet and started to cry.

***

The next day Draco sat at the Slytherin table playing with his oatmeal again. The other Slytherins were not laughing about the way he ate oatmeal any more. All of them were eating burgers or sandwiches. Pansy was eating oatmeal too, but her look told that she was doing it only because Draco was doing it. She finished her breakfast and leaned closer to Draco.

"Hey, Drake! What is it with you today?"

Draco didn't answer her and stared at the Gryffindor table.

"Hello, Drake?" She waved her hand in front of his eyes.

Draco flinched. Then he looked at Pansy.

"What is it with you? You are feeling okay, aren't you?"

Draco just looked at her with hated in his eyes and then turned all his attention to his oatmeal. Pansy, who was sitting in front of him across the table, crawled under it and came up on the other side. Now she was sitting next to Draco. She put her hand on his shoulder, leaned closer to his face and looked into his eyes.

"Draco, you can trust me. Forget all about yesterday. I'm sorry I jumped on you. It must have hurt. You...you are not angry with me, are you? I can...I'll do anything just...don't look so miserable!"

Draco snarled something under his breath, which sounded like "Kiss my ass" or something like that.

"Don't you become rude, you...Drake!"

Draco laughed softly. Smile started to play in the corners of his mouth. Pansy was looking at him intently now. She knew that the smile now curling up on his face was true and there were not many times it would happen. She enjoyed watching the slow movement of it. Pansy took Draco's chin and turned his head. Now he was facing her and she leaned closer him. Her soft lips brushed past Draco's cheek, but when she was about to kiss him on the lips, a very loud hiss disturbed her. Draco broke loose from her grip and glanced at the Gryffindor table. He saw Ginny's eyes fixed on him. Everyone else in the whole hall was watching Ginny. She drew her gaze away from Draco and looked around.

"And what are you looking at?" she shouted. Everyone lowered their looks and turned to their breakfast.

Only Draco kept his head raised and a smile curled on his face.

***

"What was wrong with you, Ginny?" Celine Bender asked her during Care of the Magical Creatures. She was a short girl with blond hair and a very sweet-looking face. She was a little roundish but very kind hearted. She was patting a cat-like animal with a big, fluffy tale and enormous ears. It was sleeping in her arms and purring. The only thing that made it different from a cat were its six legs. Ginny was sitting on a tree stump and holding a cat-like animal in her hands too. This one was not sleeping but trying to break loose. Ginny was holding it as tightly as she could.

"Celine, why is my Snuffyleg so excited? Hagrid said that they are calm as mice."

"Yeah, but do you really believe what Hagrid tells you?"

"Ouch!" Ginny shrieked. The Snuffyleg had realised that the only way to get free from Ginny's grip was to let his sharp and long nails run into Ginny's arm.

"It scratched me! Celin, I'm going to Madam Pomfrey...catch that Snuffyleg! Please!" Ginny jumped to her feet and ran to the school, holding her hand tightly to her chest. Blood was spraying all around, for it was a really deep cut. She entered the school and ran to the infirmary. She put her intact hand on the doorhandle and pressed it. The door didn't open. She tried again and then on the door appeared a text in Madam Pomfrey's handwriting. It said that she had gone to London and that the infirmary was not available. If there was something serious, she recommended going to the House Heads. Ginny hissed. She didn't want to go to McGonagall. Hagrid's staying as a teacher was already very questionable. This would only make it worse. Ginny turned around and slowly headed to McGonagall's office. There was nothing else she could do. No, wait. There was something else! But...it was insane. The only one she knew who was better than Hermione at Healing magic was Draco.

***

Ginny turned a corner and went down the corridor leading to the Astronomy tower and Owlery. She slowed down a little. This was the corridor where she had kissed Draco last night. She went further. And this was the windowsill she had been sitting on ... and there was someone sitting there now. Ginny lowered her gaze and hurried forward. She wanted to pass as quickly as she could.

***

"Well, look what the cat drug in!" a cold voice from the windowsill drawled. Ginny stopped in mid-step. She turned around slowly and faced Draco, who was sitting in the same place where she had been sitting last night.

"What? Hoping that I'll jump on you as you did on me last night? Not a chance Weasley."

Ginny counted to ten slowly and then spoke.

"Malfoy, could you please help me?"

Draco raised one eyebrow.

"What for?" he smirked.

"You'll have to figure it out yourself, Malfoy."

"Trying to be rude, Weasley?"

Ginny counted to ten again. Her hand hurt like hell and the one person who could help her was sitting in front of her and smirking.

"Draco Malfoy, ask me anything you want, just...stop being an idiot and heal me!" she uttered.

Draco jumped on his feet and came closer to her.

"I think that you are making some progress, Weasley," he said and walked past her.

"Draco, wait!" Ginny shrieked. Now Draco did stop and there was a smirk curling on his face.

"Yee-ees, Weasley?" he asked turning around.

"Please...I'll do anything..."

"Let me see," he said and pulled her hand away from her chest.

"What was it?"

"A Snuffyleg."

Draco rolled up her sleeve and examined her cuts. There were four of them - two deep and two not so deep. Draco sighed and put his fingertips on her skin. Heal he thought. When nothing happened he closed his eyes and whispered:

"Heal."

Blue sparks ran from all of his body and concentrated in his fingertips. Then they jumped on Ginny's skin and started the healing there. Draco drew his hand over all the bruises and left the sparks working there.

"Ferula!" he called opening his eyes and dragging out his wand. Neat bonds appeared from thin air and wrapped around on Ginny's arm.

"Leave your hand in peace for some hours, Shorty," Draco said. Ginny touched the bandages and then looked at Draco. He was paler than he usually was.

"Thanks...Draco."

"I won't say that you are welcome, Weasley." He smirked. Ginny came closer.

"Can I ask you something?"

"I don't see anything disturbing you."

Ginny lowered her gaze.

"Did you enjoy last night?"

Long silence followed. Ginny raised her head and saw that Draco was looking out of the window. Finally he said:

"Yes."

And the bell interrupted the silence which had followed after Draco had answered.

***