Tangled Web

Chapter Three - Fall Out

Pansy was ready to strangle Draco if she could only lay her hands on him. She'd just helped Blaise clean up while she told the whole sordid story of what happened in the corridor for all of the Slytherin common room to hear. Like she didn't already know about the Weasley thing. This was getting tiresome; she'd have gray hair before she graduated at this rate.

"There, good as new," Pansy said, admiring her magical first aid although hating to use it on the likes of this girl. "You should get cleaned up."

"You're not even angry are you," Blaise accused bitterly.

Pansy narrowed her blue eyes, giving the other girl a dark look. "Oh, believe me, I'm plenty angry."

"Well, you certainly don't look angry."

Pansy glared at Blaise. There were no words to describe how much she loathed that girl. She'd hated Blaise intensely from the moment she first laid eyes on her in the sitting room at Malfoy Manor when they were children; she knew it would be a battle for Draco from the start. And it was a battle she didn't intend to lose, especially now that the stakes were so high.

"It's very unbecoming to wear one's emotions on their sleeve, Blaise," Pansy stated curtly.

"I'm just saying that if it were my fiancée snogging in the corridor with a Gryffindor no less, I'd be ready to murder." A wicked smile threatened to curl the corner of Blaise's mouth. "I mean honestly, not only a Gryffindor, but one of those mudblood loving Weasleys. Merlin, all that red hair and freckles." She shuddered with her distaste, wrinkling her nose.

"I wouldn't do that, you might damage the repairs and we couldn't have you going around with a wrinkled nose could we?" Pansy said, her voice dripping with poisoned honey.

Blaise immediately touched her nose checking for wrinkles. Pansy snorted, yes, if there was anyone in this world possibly vainer than Draco, this girl was it. She knew someday she was going to enjoy rearranging that face herself.

"And don't you worry yourself too much because Draco will get exactly what's coming to him." Pansy gave Blaise a smug look before she headed down the steps to lay in wait for him to return.

~*~

Ginny stumbled through the entrance to the common room where the entire dorm had turned out to get the details on the Zabini take down. She was blinded by tears, her long hair hung wildly about her; she still had blood on her face. She was in no mood to deal with anyone. They wanted it from the source, not the wild account that Ron was giving everyone currently. He was known to expand the details a little bit.

Seamus was immediately at her side when she stepped into the sitting area. "Gin, you alright?"

She tried to rush past him, but he grabbed her arm in an attempt to stop her. Everyone was trying to talk to her or touch her. She was being bombarded by questions to the point she thought her head might explode.

Ginny wrenched her arm away from Seamus' grasp. She couldn't take his gentle, sweet concern right now. It just made her angry. "Stop," she screamed shrilly. "Just stop...I can't...just stop." She glanced around the room; everyone was staring back at her. It was just too much.

She bolted for the stairs, leaving behind a group of confused Gryffindors.

Ron stared after his sister. "I wonder what's eating her."

Hermione gave him a hard shove and glared at him. "She's obviously upset, Ron, honestly. She just left Snape's office. I'm sure he gave her detention."

"Yeah, but who cares? She got Zabini! That is worth the detention," he said gleefully. "What I wouldn't give to get Malfoy like that!"

"Is that all you ever think about? Getting Malfoy. No wonder your grades are so horrible," Hermione sighed dramatically.

Harry snorted, trying to contain his laughter. Leave it to Hermione to work Ron's grades into the conversation. She was quite good at it actually and it amused him to no end.

"Leave my grades out of this. This is far more important."

"Important how," she asked, looking thoroughly scandalized. "There is nothing more important than grades! Clearly, you have all your priorities wrong."

Ron crossed his arms and snorted, preparing for another losing battle. "At least I get out of the library on occasion."

Seamus, noticing that everyone had stopped paying attention to the bickering friends, attempted to make a break for the steps.

"And where do you think you're going Seamus Finnigan?"

He froze in mid-stride at the sound of Hermione's voice. He turned, dreading what was coming next. "I was going to see about my girlfriend."

"Oh no, you're not. I will see about Ginny. She doesn't need any of you insensitive prats to make her more upset."

And with that said, Hermione gave all the boys one last withering glance before heading up the stairs to see to Ginny.

~*~

Draco paused a moment before entering the Slytherin common room just to make sure that he had himself under control. It would not do for him to walk into the room with his conflicting emotions showing, it would be just like walking into a den of lions all bloodied up. It simply wouldn't be a pretty picture. He just wanted to make it to his room where he could shut the door and pretend the world doesn't exist for a while.

"Draco Malfoy," Pansy called loudly as soon as he slipped through the entrance, getting everyone's attention, "we need to talk."

He strolled over to the center table, making a show of picking out just the right apple from the fruit bowl while ignoring his other half standing at the top of the stairs.

"Now." She'd crossed her arms and tapped a foot.

He finally acknowledged her presence with a glance. She cocked her head and raised an eyebrow signaling that she meant business. He picked out a large red apple before giving her his full attention. Everyone in the room was watching them with bated breath. It was like Mummy and Father having a fight. Blaise sat back in her favorite armchair by the fire, smiling like a sated cat while occasionally wrinkling her newly repaired nose despite the warning Pansy had given her not ten minute before.

This was going to be good and the Slytherins were all bucking for the best seat in the house to watch the events unfold.

Draco didn't even have to look around the room to assess the situation. This was not a conversation he wanted to be having in front of the entire house lest anything be said he didn't want to get back to his father. He affected a look of annoyance as he brushed roughly past Pansy on his way down the stairs. "I'm going to go take a shower," he announced for the benefit of everyone watching.

"You sound just like Mum you know," Draco said as he entered his room, shedding his filthy Quidditch robes, dropping them to the floor as he made his way to the wardrobe. He knew she was right on his heels.

Pansy shut the door behind her, uttering silencing and locking charms; there was no need for this conversation to become fodder for the Hogwarts' rumor mill. She rolled her eyes at the mess he was making.

"Don't even start."

"Pans, I'm not in the mood for this," he muttered while digging around for something comfortable to put on. He pulled out his favorite boxers with the snitches that were charmed to flutter, but quickly stuffed them under a pile of jumpers. He could only imagine what she'd have to say about those. He opted for a pair of jeans, his Falmouth Falcons sweatshirt, gray and blue plaid flannel boxers and a pair of socks with the little snitches on them, tossing the clean clothing on the bed while he finished striping.

"Too bad, I'm angry with you."

"Me?" Draco sounded offended. "Me? Blaise was the one that caused a scene, not me." He cast a quick cleaning charm because he knew then that there was no way he was seeing a hot shower tonight.

"You caused one too, you know?" She watched him change clothes with his back to her while avoiding his reflection in the full length mirror. She groaned loudly as he messed with his hair after he finished dressing.

"How," he said finally, turning back from the mirror to give her his undivided attention.

"Oh, Blaise came back to the common room full of wild stories about you and a certain red haired Gryffindor snogging in the corridors."

"Oh that, it was nothing. I was just giving her a hard time." He suddenly felt very guilty, which was a new feeling for him.

"Nothing?" she all but screeched, sounding dangerously close to what a harpy sounded like in Draco's opinion. "A hard time? According to Blaise you practically had your way with her."

Draco snorted. "Blaise is a jealous bint, not to mention an accomplished liar."

Pansy gave him a filthy look. "Precisely, that is why I'm angry with you. If you had any brains you would have left that girl alone, but you don't think with your brains do you? You knew she was trouble, always has been and always will be, but no...you couldn't leave her alone could you?"

He flopped in one of the big leather armchairs before the fire, he had a feeling he was going to be here a while. "Blaise?"

"Of course her, you git. I don't care about the Gryffindor, she won't ruin our plans."

Draco stared into the fire wishing desperately he was alone instead of being berated.

"You're worse than your father you know that?" Pansy continued on as she had a few things on her chest she needed to get off.

"Thank you! I didn't think I'd accomplish that being so young and all. That has been my life's work, being worse than my Father," Draco sneered, glaring at her.

"Merlin, you're a bastard."

"Am I going to have to produce my parent's marriage certificate to prove I'm not?"

Pansy rolled her eyes as she sat down in the other armchair. "Do not get snarky with me. This is serious; we may have to change some of our plans."

"You think," Draco asked, suddenly very serious. He really thought Blaise was pretty harmless, a little on the easy side, but harmless.

"You're making me reconsider your Father's assessment of you being stupid. Of course, I think so. There is no telling what Blaise will do."

"I doubt she'd cause that much trouble," he said, furrowing his brow.

"You really have no idea about Blaise or women in general do you?" She sighed deeply. "You should spend more time with your mother."

"Father won't allow that and you know it."

"Your father is an idiot." Draco regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "Women are mean, petty and vindictive in ways that men cannot begin to fathom."

"Really?" he said, taking a sudden interest in the conversation. "I had no idea."

"Why do you think I've been doing all the plotting and planning?" Pansy asked, almost afraid of hearing what his reply might be.

"I just thought you were a pushy know it all like Granger. I mean really, if someone wants to do all the hard work while I get to take credit for the end result, then there is no skin off my nose. Besides I make contingency plans."

"Merlin, Arthur and Guinevere, not only are you lazy, you're arrogant too." Pansy was utterly insulted that he compared her to the mudblood.

"I get the arrogance from Father."

"How well I know."

They fell silent for a little while, staring into the fire, contemplating their shared fates. Draco looked at Pansy, really looked at her for the first time in his life. She was a pretty witch when she was unguarded like she was right now with him. Her dark brown hair hung straight, framing her face in a bob cut that reached her chin. He'd been on the receiving end of more blue eyed death glares than he cared to count. What she lacked in height, for she was shorter than Blaise or Ginny, she made up in sheer attitude. He also knew the real Pansy Parkinson, not the simpering airhead she led everyone to believe her to be once upon a time. The Pansy he knew was brilliant, cunning, very ambitious and a complete conundrum.

He didn't feel anything for her, no, that wasn't true, he did feel something, but he was hard pressed to name it.

"Can I ask you something, Pans," Draco said softly, finally breaking the silence after a long while.

She looked at him warily, not sure of his motives, with a Malfoy you could never be too careful. "Sure."

"Why have you stuck by me?" He turned to look her in the eye. "I'm a miserable, horrible excuse for a person. I've been nasty to you. I do terrible things to other people..." His voice trailed off, sounding a bit emotional for his usual standards.

"Because," she said, getting up to kneel next to his chair, taking his hand in hers. "I love you."

He flinched at her words.

"Don't worry, you're not my grand love or anything like that and I still don't want to marry you. You're just part of my life. I don't remember a time that you weren't around. Yes, you're an annoying prat sometimes, Merlin only knows how many times I've wanted to kill you, but underneath that Malfoy sneer is someone worth knowing. I do love you, like I love my brother."

His only response to her words was a slight nod. She finally looked hard at him, accessing his mood. He wasn't trying to hide anything from her, which was unusual for him.

"Draco, what brought all this on," Pansy probed gently. This was a new frontier for them.

He ignored her question and continued to stare into the fire. To be quite honest, he was shocked at her admission. He thought her as unfeeling, uncaring and callous as the rest of the Slytherins. She had a commanding presence, everyone was afraid of her. Together they could make some the younger students, especially Hufflepuffs, cower. He smiled at that thought.

"So, what do we do about Blaise," Draco asked getting back to the business at hand.

~*~

Ginny knelt in the shower just letting the warm water rush over her sore body. She'd cried all the tears she was going to for the afternoon at least. Right now she just felt like her insides where in knots, but at least she her heart had stopped racing.

Malfoy kissed her. Actually, honest to Merlin kissed her. She couldn't remember how long she'd been dreaming he'd do something like that. It had been even better than she'd dare to dream.

"Gin, are you still in there?" Hermione peered in the door upon hearing the shower still running after half and hour of waiting. "C'mon out, you'll be a drowned rat if you stay much longer."

Ginny shut off the water, toweled herself off and slipped on her worn old blue bathrobe. She knew she'd have to face Hermione sooner or later and it would be less painful sooner she figured, well maybe not less painful, but it would be at least over. She stepped out into the corridor that led to the girls' dorms, finding Hermione sitting on the floor reading a book, waiting patiently.

She stood immediately, quickly assessing the situation. "C'mon, let's put you to bed. I think you could do with some sleep." Hermione wrapped an arm around Ginny's shoulder in order to guide her toward the prefects' room. "I'll bring you back some dinner."

"No," Ginny said, stopping cold. "They'll ask too many questions. Can't I hide in your room a while?"

"Sure, but Ron will find you there eventually."

"I don't mind Ron so much as I don't want to see Seamus right now."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh," was all she could manage. She muttered the password to open her door, allowing Ginny to go ahead of her.

She sat down in the armchair by the fire while Ginny went through her drawers looking for suitable pajamas to put on. Hermione was used to her sharing things with Ginny at this stage. They really were like sisters after all the years of them against all the Weasley boys.

Ginny finally surfaced from the bottom drawer triumphantly with a pair of blue flannels with little yellow duck all over them, quickly slipping into them before fishing out a pair of socks from another drawer.

Hermione waited for her to dress before getting down to business. "So you care to tell me what all of this is about? It's way more than fighting with Zabini isn't it?"

Ginny flopped on the bed in a decidedly ungraceful manner. "I don't know how it got so complicated," she sighed. "This whole mess with Zabini and Malfoy."

"What's Malfoy got to do with this? Is he bothering you? I can take it up with Professor McGonagall. He should know better, being head boy," Hermione stated in her best bossy, take charge voice. "What did he do?"

"Nothing really, just gave me a hard time after I left Snape's office." There she said it and it was the truth. She just left out some important deals, but she didn't honestly think Hermione would understand the thrill of snogging Malfoy seeing as she regarded him as she would something distasteful on the bottom of her shoe.

"How much detention did Snape hand out?"

"Every night this week and all day Saturday in the dungeons, same thing the bitch got," Ginny answered disgustedly.

"You'll miss Hogsmeade! The boys were supposed to treat us to lunch." Hermione could barely hide her disappointment. "We were going to look at robes for the New Year's Ball."

"I know." Ginny was frankly relieved she wouldn't have to deal with Seamus or look at robes that she couldn't afford. She snuggled down in Hermione's bed, making a show of a big yawn hoping that she'd catch the hint and leave.

Hermione got up to get the extra blanket from her trunk and laid it on the foot of the bed. "I suppose I'll head on down to dinner. Try to get some rest and I'll bring you back something." She made a show of tucking Ginny into bed.

"Yes, Mummy," Ginny muttered closing her eyes while Hermione chuckled as she exited the room.

As soon as she shut her eyes all she could see was Draco in his Quidditch uniform standing before her with his silvery hair falling over those knowing gray eyes of his. And at that very moment she was hard pressed to even recall her boyfriend's name.

~*~

Blaise tried to listen through Draco's bedroom door. They'd been in there hours now and not a peep could be heard. Damn Pansy and her silencing charms. She'd just have to ask Draco later. She had her ways of extracting information from him.

Her ruby red lips curled into a wicked smile as she though of some of the more delightful ways she could use to get what she wanted out of him. Draco was like putty in her hands. She knew that women had a certain power over men when they wanted to exert it.

Blaise knew she could out wait them and out plot them for she was sure they were in there plotting something. She saw the look that passed between them before they headed to his room. She'd also seen that diabolical smile on Draco's sensuous mouth enough to know that it meant he was up to no good. Pansy thought she was so smart; well that little heifer was going to get a nasty surprise when she stole Draco away from her.

Her eyes got wide when an idea for getting Weasel back for this afternoon popped into her head.

She smiled her knowing smile. "Well, well, well...two birds - one stone."

~*~

Seamus pulled up to his full height at the sight of Malfoy in the deserted corridor, but he was still a good head shorter. He noted that the goons, Crabbe and Goyle, were nowhere to be seen, he'd been waiting days for just such a chance. Hermione had informed him of Malfoy's sudden interesting in Ginny and he was determined to put a stop to it posthaste.

"Malfoy, a word," Seamus said, his Irish lilt thick with annoyance.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "What do you want Finnigan," he asked, sounding positively bored. "I've got places to be and people to destroy with my cunning wit."

"Think you're so amusing do you," Seamus grunted as he slammed Draco against the wall and shoved a forearm up tight against his throat in a deft move, effectively pinning him.

Draco watched Seamus casually, like this was completely normal, his hand slipping unnoticed into his pocket for his wand, just in case.

"What are you playing at with Ginny?" Seamus demanded.

Draco blinked, startled slightly. "Who?" he feigned in ignorance.

"You know who, you tosser, Ginny Weasley."

"There is another Weasley? A female one? Imagine that," he drawled slowly like he was pondering some great revelation. "I hadn't noticed."

Seamus' answer was a hard push with his forearm causing Draco to gasp for air.

"She's off limits! She's a good girl, much better than the likes of you. I'm going to marry her and I'll not have the likes of you ruining her!" Seamus said in the most threatening voice he could muster. "You stay away from her, you hear me? Or I'll...I'll...I'll do something bloody awful..."

"What?" Draco sneered cutting Seamus off after he'd clearly had had enough of this little exchange. His lips curled into a smirk as he made up his mind that ruining the lovely Ginny Weasley was his new goal in life. "You'll kill me with a potato is that it, you Irish git?"

He shoved Seamus hard, sending him sprawling on his back across the stone floor. Draco stood over him with one foot heavily pressing on his chest and his wand pointed directly in face. "Touch me again and I'll do something bloody awful."

With that, Draco turned, his black school robes swirling impressively about him, walked away from Seamus still lying on the floor. He never looked back because it would ruin the effect of a good menacing exit. His father taught him that. If there was one thing Lucius Malfoy taught his son, it was how to be menacing.