Matters of Blood and Connection

Chapter 4: Dismantle, Repair

He had his hands around her back when the door to the library opened, and Draco could have sworn that he heard a soft growl from across the room. He sighed heavily and turned his head, very aware of who he would find staring at them.

There was something odd about the way she stood looking at them, her eyes wide with shock and her jaw set. She looked as though she wanted to strangle him, and he would have allowed it, had it not been for the redhead beneath him, who was nearly panting with want.

Another person stepped in beside Pansy, almost frantic to pull her back, to spare her from anything else that might have happened in her presence. When he came into view he stared at Draco, and then at Ginny, who was sitting on the table. His eyes were dancing with amusement as he took in the hilarious situation.

Draco glared. "Is there something I can help you two with?"

Blaise shook his head and looked at his friend apologetically.

Pansy looked horrified, like someone who had just been slapped. Her eyes were directed at the floor, as if she didn't want to look at anyone. "You broke up with me for her?"

"You shouldn't make such assumptions, Parkinson."

Ginny had started to get off the table when Pansy tossed a disgusted look her way. "Don't feed me that bullshit! You just couldn't wait to get into her pants."

"It wasn't like that at all. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Pansy countered, her eyes darkening as she reached up and stroked his cheek. "I'm not an idiot, sweetheart. I know you've been having fantasies about her."

Blaise took this moment to step in, because the tension was just too heavy. He sighed and touched Pansy's shoulder. "I think this is between them now. We should go."

"I'm not done!" she shrieked. "I want to know if Weasley has anything to say. The poor dear has been so quiet."

Ginny stared around the room with wide brown eyes, and then she looked at her hands. They trembled slightly against her lap. "I don't have anything to say."

Pansy's mouth twisted. "I didn't think Malfoys cheated with scum."

"I did not cheat!" shouted Malfoy.

"Listen," began Ginny quietly.

"I'm through listening!" Pansy said angrily. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything!" Ginny screamed, her eyes narrowing. "You need to calm down before you do something you'll regret."

"You need to take her and go," said Draco quietly to Blaise. "I don't want her hurting Ginny."

Blaise barely said a word as he gripped Pansy's arm firmly. He watched her for a moment as she struggled against him. "He says we have to go now. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt."

"You mean he doesn't want that bitch to get hurt," Pansy snarled.

"We have class to get to," Draco reminded them firmly.

Pansy's demeanor changed quite suddenly and she groaned. "I forgot to do a paper for Potions."

Draco turned to Ginny as soon as they were alone. "I'm sorry," he said quietly as he knelt down and gently took her hands.

She stared at him. "You're going to be late."

Ginny's thoughts were clouded as she walked out of the library an hour later. She was heading back to Gryffindor Tower when she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione coming from the Great Hall.

"You missed something spectacular, Gin!" said Ron excitedly.

"Pansy had a complete meltdown," Hermione said softly. "She and Malfoy were arguing about their break up and she just started sobbing. I think everything was too much for her, really. I kind of feel bad."

"You of all people should be happy after the way she treated you," Ron said angrily. "Besides, that wasn't even the most interesting part of the fight." His eyes darkened suddenly and his expression turned serious.

"She was screaming about a girl seen kissing him," said Harry, his eyes on the ground. "A loud redhead."

"It's not-" Ginny began.

Ron looked at her, his eyes flashing with embarrassment.

"Why?" he asked.

Clearly, that was the question of the day.

"I don't know," said Ginny weakly, shrugging. "He was saying all these really nice things and-"

"Nice?" Harry said with amusement. "You do realize who you're talking about, right? Malfoy isn't nice. He doesn't say nice things to anyone, about anyone."

"So you're telling me I made up all the things he said to me?" Ginny asked curtly.

Their expressions were obvious.

She stormed past them without a word and into the Great Hall. Draco was sitting next to Pansy, who gave a hiss when she saw the redhead. Ginny said nothing as she grabbed Draco's hand and led him out into the hallway, determined to settle things once and for all.

"Where are we going?" Draco asked. "Weasley, you can't just come and take me out of there when you have no-" He stopped abruptly as he saw the backs of their head's in the not too far distance. "What are you doing?"

"I want to straighten things out," said the redhead quietly.

Draco stopped walking and turned her around to face him. "Do you want me to die?" he asked seriously. "Because they're going to kill me."

"Hermione would never-"

"Granger's smart," he replied. "She could make it look like an accident. But Potter and your brother despise me, and it's not like it would hurt their popularity to do away with me."

Ginny didn't get another word out as she felt Draco's hand wrench free from hers. She couldn't believe what she saw when she turned around.

He was halfway down the corridor with a very ugly sneer on his face. He wouldn't let this girl ruin his reputation, even if she was a bloody good kisser. Draco stood there for a moment wondering how difficult things would have been with Ginny as his girlfriend.

As he walked down the corridor, he could almost hear her voice in his ears, the way she said his name, the way she laughed. He concluded that this would have been the worst, as well as stupidest, mistake had he carried on with it.

As he came closer to the Slytherin common room, someone was coming out of it in the distance. He smirked when he noticed the wavy brown hair as the girl headed towards him.

"You made quite a scene before," she said with a smirk as she stopped walking. "How is Pansy holding up?"

Draco merely glanced at her and shrugged.

Daphne smiled at him and said, "I could see the jealousy radiating from Pansy when the Weasley girl showed up at the table. What were you thinking getting involved with her, Draco?"

"We're not involved," he said, emphasizing the last word harshly. "We just kissed."

"From what Blaise and Pansy said it looked like you were about to-"

He glared and held up his hand to stop her right there. "We weren't going to do anything, Daph. Ginny and I-"

"Since when are you on a first name basis?" Daphne asked, her eyes narrowing. "She is a Weasley."

Draco had walked past her with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. "I know what she is, Daphne."

He stopped when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He hadn't moved much until he felt her lips against his earlobe. He couldn't help but moan as her tongue swept against his skin.

He turned around and crashed his lips against her mouth fiercely, pushing her into the nearest wall. He didn't give a damn if Pansy caught him, because all she would do was whine that he had cheated again, when he never had in the first place.

"I don't want to use you to make myself feel better," said Draco quietly as he pulled away.

His only response was her lips against his and a pair of eager hands undoing the belt on his trousers.