You Set Me Free

You Set Me Free

Ginny Weasley ran down the corridor, clutching her potions book tight against her chest. If she didn't hurry, she was going to be late, most likely resulting in a loss of Gryffindor points. Again.

She would have made it into the classroom just in time too, if it hadn't been for...whatever it was.

She had almost made it, running to the stairs leading down to the classroom when she smacked dead into something hard.

Stumbling back, Ginny dropped her books and attempted to steady herself against the wall. Once she was in no danger of falling, she allowed herself a small moment to catch her breath, looking up to see what was blocking the path.

From what she could tell, there wasn't anything there. But she had run into something. As far as she knew, no one went around running into walls of nothing and almost falling because of it.

Lips pursed in thought, she stretched her hand out in front of her cautiously, right towards the very spot where she had run into...something.

While she wasn't sure what an invisible wall would be doing in the middle of the Potions corridor-usually they were found in the upper parts of the castle-she reminded herself that this was Hogwarts after all, and stranger things had happened than walls moving.

Fully expecting to find her hand up against some unseen object, she was completely surprised when she felt...absolutely nothing.

No wall, no gate, not even an invisible person. Nothing but air.

"Ouch!" The wall was back. She hadn't felt it with her hand, but as soon as she had tried to walk forward she had bumped into it again.

Suddenly suspicious, she glanced around quickly, looking up and down the hallway. No one was in sight, but Ginny knew that that didn't mean anything.

"Okay, nice joke. Haha and all that, but you can take the wall down now, I really need to get to class."

Only silence answered her. Ginny was beginning to get mad. It had to be someone at school playing a trick on her, even Hogwart's famous invisible walls allowed students to pass when they were on their way to class. Not to mention the fact that there had never been a wall here before.

"I mean it. Let this wall down right now!"

Draco grinned to himself from around the corner. Ginny was right of course. He had been the one who put the invisible wall up, he was hoping to have a chance, maybe, to talk to her alone.

He wasn't sure why, but ever since term had started, he seemed to run into her a lot. They had even had an almost civil conversation a couple of times. That is, before her brother or one of his friends showed up and started in on him.

Ever since their last conversation in the library, Draco hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. It had amazed him that any Weasley, girl or no, could actually have a particle of brain matter.

She had really surprised him.

He had been walking by the table where she was sitting in the library, when he had heard her muttering to herself.

Feeling curious, he had slowed down, listening shamelessly. She hadn't even realized when he had stopped behind her chair.

"Let's see," she had been muttering, "if you mix dried Billywig stings with the bark of the Bowtruckle and simmer on high heat for two minutes in a concentration of Bubotuber pus, what do you get?"

Draco watched as she bit the end of her quill, her eyes narrowed in concentration, obviously thinking hard.

"The Floating Potion? No wait, that's what you get when you add Mandrake Root to the Billywig stings..." she murmured.

"The Reverse-Sting Potion."

"Huh?" Ginny said, head snapping up as she looked around to see who was talking.

"The potion. Adding dried Billywig stings and Bowtruckle bark in Bubotuber pus makes the Reverse-Sting Potion. The Bowtruckle bark actually counteracts the effect of the Billywig stings, giving you their antidote," Draco told her coolly, before adding, "And do you always talk to yourself or is it just because you want to attract attention so someone will help you?"

Ginny's eyes widened as she realized who was talking to her. "No I do not go around talking to myself to attract attention, thank you very much. I always do that." Ginny winced, realizing that that statement made her sound even more pathetic than the alternative.

To her surprise, Draco didn't ridicule her as she expected, but instead, he burst out laughing.

Ginny couldn't help but smile a little too, ignoring the strange looks they were receiving from some of the other students in the library.

Once they had both stopped laughing, Ginny looked at him seriously. "Thank you. For the answer, I mean. It would have taken me ages to find it otherwise; Potions is not my best subject. Of course, it will still take me ages to look it up in the book, but-"

He glanced at her strangely, wondering if he was hearing correctly. "I just told you the answer, why would you still need to look it up?" He honestly didn't understand the girl. If someone had told him the answer to a homework question, he would have jotted it down and been done with it.

"Because," she informed him. "I'd like to know where it's at in the book, that way if there's another question..."

"Oh," was all Draco could think of to say, then, "Chapter 5, page 271."

Ginny glanced up at him, eyebrows raised. "You even know the chapter and page number? Just how many times have you read this book anyway?" she asked, eyes darting to the chair next to her, as if inviting him to sit down.

He had accepted, and that was that. He had ended up helping her with Potions, and she helped him with Care of Magical Creatures, which she was quite talented at.

It had only been a few days ago, but they hadn't really had time to talk since then. When they passed each other in the hallway, they would nod their heads in greeting, but both of them seemed a little reluctant to just suddenly stop and have a conversation in front of everyone.

When he saw her alone in the corridor, it seemed the perfect chance to strike up a conversation. Too bad Draco was horrible at that.

Ginny was still standing there, peering down the hallway, when suddenly, a flash of silvery-blonde hair appeared around the corner, gray eyes emotionless and bored looking.

"Really Weasley, what are you going on about? Decided you weren't late enough for class already, so you have to hang around outside a little longer bothering other students?"

Ginny shot him a death glare, "You're a little late for class yourself, aren't you?" She glanced at the text book Draco was holding.

"Hardly. I have a free period, so I was going to help Professor Snape out with his Potion's class today. In fact, while we're on the subject, 10 points from Gryffindor because you're not in there at this very moment."

"But-" Ginny started to protest.

"No buts, Weasley. Now, either get out of my way, or-" Draco, who had been shoving his way around her, stopped suddenly, his hand going to his face. "I think I broke my nose!" he exclaimed loudly, then added in an undertone, "And you'd think I'd remember to take my own invisible walls down before I walk into them, wouldn't you?"

"I tried to tell you, " Ginny said smugly, arms crossed as she smirked at him. "Wait, what? You put the wall up? Were you trying to make me late or something?"

Draco sniggered, all thoughts of his sore nose gone. "Actually, Ginny, if I wanted to make you late, there are plenty of other ways I could have done it." His voice was suddenly low and husky, like the purring of a cat. He moved slowly closer to her, causing her to stumble back. Right into the wall he had put up.

Ginny felt the wall at her back, and knew she had nowhere to go. Her heartbeat sped up as sudden panic struck her- no wait, it was already beating abnormally fast. In fact, it had been pounding in her chest from the very moment Draco had walked around the corner. The same way it had ever since their conversation in the library where Ginny had learned that there was much more to Malfoy than met the eye.

Like the fact that he actually liked Potions, and wasn't good at it just because Snape liked him and would let him get away with anything. And the fact that he actually did most of his summer homework before he left school. Not to mention that he was an avid Quidditch fan, with the whole collection of the Falmouth Falcons (his favorite team) action figures that he'd had since he was ten. He had even tried to persuade his dad to buy the team when it had come up for sale a few years ago, but, needless to say, that hadn't gone over very well.

As she looked up at Malfoy, hear heart in her throat, she actually saw him smile at the fear and confusion he saw in her eyes.

"Calm down, Weasley, I'm not going to hurt you." He winked at her seductively, even as his hands came up and wrapped around her waist.

He felt her tremble slightly, and heard her sharp intake of breath as he held her up against him.

"D-Draco," she started.

"Shh," he whispered back, "all I want is a kiss. One small, harmless moment of your lips touching mine. That's not so bad, is it?" he asked her, his natural charm turning on automatically and giving her a brilliant, you-know-you-love-me smile, even as he brought his own lips down to hers without giving her a chance to answer.

Ginny gasped at the touch. His lips were ice cold, but quickly warming. His hands moving gently on her waist sent shivers up and down her spine, but she came to the sudden realization that she didn't mind them at all. Not in the least. In fact, she knew abruptly that this was what she wanted, had wanted ever since the day she had first seen the real Draco, and not the act that he put on for everyone else. For a time, though it couldn't have been more than a couple of hours, she had learned what everyone else around him never realized at all, or chose to ignore.

Draco was very much his father's son, but he would never be like his father. He may be arrogant, and aggravating, and every inch the detestable jerk, but he wasn't evil. He would never be evil.

Ginny felt the change in Draco as he held her close, kissing her gently, and passionately, moving slowly, as if giving her the chance to pull back and turn away if she wanted to.

She didn't. Instead, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. All thoughts of Potions class were gone from her mind and she could think of nothing besides the fact that here she was, little Ginny Weasley, being held so gently and protectively by the very person she was supposed to despise the most. And she was loving every second of it.

They parted for a moment, both gulping for air and trying to put their thoughts together. Nothing like this had ever happened to either of them before.

"Draco, why-"

He put his finger to her lips, shaking his head slowly, telling her plainly that she didn't need to worry why or how; sometimes things just happened.

Ginny nodded, knowing he was right. Smiling, she looked up at him teasingly. "Will you kiss me again, Draco Malfoy, or should I kiss you?"

"I think I can handle it. With pleasure." Draco grinned as he brought his lips down to hers once more. Basking in the newfound feeling of freedom he felt whenever he was around her. At that moment, he wished for nothing more than for time to stand still so that he could hold her in his arms forever.

They had just parted reluctantly, Ginny suddenly remembering she was supposed to be in Potions class. This realization hit home hard, knocking her out of the dream-like state she had been tossed into ever since Draco first put his arms around her.

"Draco- I- we can't- I mean-" Ginny stuttered, now fully aware of what she had done. She had kissed Draco Malfoy for crying out loud. Yeah, you know, she reminded herself, the one you're supposed to hate.

But that wasn't the worst of it, in Ginny's point of view. No, what was worse, was that she had actually liked it.

"I've got to go," she told him quickly, trying very hard not to panic. Her mind was spinning with a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more confused than the last. What if someone had caught them? Oh my God, what if someone did catch us?!!

She looked quickly up and down the corridor, but thankfully, it had remained empty.

Draco, seeing her furtive glance, tried to reassure her, and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Stop that!" she told him, her voice shrill. "What if someone sees?"

"So what if they do?" he shot back, eyes flashing in anger. "Are you embarrassed by me or something?"

"Of-of course not, Draco. I just-"

"I think you are. You're afraid of what everyone will think when they find out, aren't you? A Weasley and a Malfoy. Not the most anticipated match ever, but still, after...that," he told her, clearly meaning their kiss, "I would have thought that you wouldn't care..."

Draco didn't sound quite so angry anymore. In fact, Ginny thought, feeling a bit guilty, he sounded more sad than anything.

"Oh, Draco, I'm sorry." And she truly was. She hadn't meant to hurt him; to make him feel like he wasn't good enough for her (that was a twist). "I didn't mean it like that. It's just... I'm scared. I mean, I don't know what will happen. I want to be with you. I have ever since I realized that you actually had a heart inside that cold shell of yours-" Draco rolled his eyes at this- "and..." she trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"I know what you mean, Gin. I don't really expect my father to jump for joy either, but then, we don't have to tell anyone yet. Not if you don't want to," he offered, his face searching hers for an answer.

Ginny sighed, taking his hand in hers. "Everyone will find out anyway. I guess it's better if we don't try to hide anything to begin with. I'm not ashamed of you. Are you of me?" Only the slight quivering of her lower jaw betrayed her anxiety about his answer. After all, she was a Weasley, the only daughter of a muggle-loving wizard who (according to Lucius Malfoy) was a disgrace to the name of Wizard.

"Of course not," he told her fiercely. "Don't worry Ginny, we'll find a way to make them understand. Or if not that, at least to except the fact."

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Ginny quoted the famous saying.

"Exactly."

So that's what they did. Together, they faced the world and showed everyone that love truly does conquer all.

Neither of their families could tear them apart, though that's not to say that they didn't try. It was finally accepted by everyone though, for even Lucius Malfoy could see how determined his son was.

"Draco?" Ginny called softly to him one morning, "Are you awake?"

"Mmhhm," he answered, his mind elsewhere; back to the day when he first found her. This angel he was holding in his arms. She had rescued him then, from the dark path that had been his destiny until the moment when he had taken her in his arms and known that if she wanted him to, he would leave all the darkness behind, and follow her into the light. The day he discovered that there was more to life than the shadows he'd lived in for so long.

That had been one of the reasons that he clung to her so hard. She had pulled him out and away from the hell-hole that his life was sure to have become if he'd never seen her that day in the library, or if she hadn't offered to let him sit down beside her, crumbling the walls that had been built between them since the day they were born.

"Why did you put that wall there, that day in the Potions corridor?"

Ginny's voice shook him out of his reverie, while at the same time throwing them both back into the past.

"The truth?"

Ginny giggled, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Of course the truth."

Draco laughed and pulled her closer, his arm encircling her waist protectively. "I wanted to talk to you alone," Draco told her, suddenly serious. "I kept thinking about that day in the library when I actually noticed you for who you were, and not just the little Weasley brat I always thought you were." He heard Ginny sniff indignantly at that. "I learned I was wrong about you. You were different from anyone else I'd ever met, and I wanted to get to know you better."

"So you came barging up and taking points off of Gryffindor?" Ginny asked doubtfully. "Really not the best way to go about it if you ask me."

Draco snorted with laughter. "Yeah, I realized that too. After I'd already done it."

Ginny glanced up at him, noticing the sheepish grin on his face. "That's okay," she told him, "I'm glad you did that. If you hadn't put that wall up, we might never have realized that we-us- could ever exist."

"I know," he admitted softly. "That's why I'm so damn glad I did and that you reacted the way you did. I honestly don't know what I would have done if you had shoved me away and ran when I kissed you." He seemed to grow quieter and more somber at the very thought.

"Yes, but I didn't, did I?" She snuggled closer to him and he kissed her head gently.

"And I love you, Ginny Weasley, ever since the day you showed me what love was and gave me the wings to fly."

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