Matters of Blood and Connection

Chapter 18: Long Time

Being back at Hogwarts after the weekend at the Malfoy's was difficult for Ginny. Not only was she hiding the fact that they were engaged, but it was becoming harder to be around him in the halls and not touch him. The Trio knew that they were dating, of course, and they weren't happy about it. That didn't surprise Ginny in the slightest.

When she was in the library, a hesitant Blaise stopped her. She ignored him and sat down at one of the tables, and he joined her soon after.

"When were you going to tell me?" he asked.

Flipping through a book, Ginny said, "Tell you what? We aren't friends."

"I would have appreciated knowing you slept with my best friend, instead of having to hear it from Theodore Nott. I don't trust him, and I think he knows-"

Ginny's heart leapt into her throat.

"Theodore told you?"

"Yes, Ginny, I did. Is that a problem?"

Theodore had emerged from a row of books shelves to their right and was looking at the redhead strangely. He sat down next to her, across from Blaise, and reached out to touch a strand of her hair. She glared at him and pulled away.

"Don't touch me," she hissed.

"That hurts me, Ginny," he said coldly. "I thought we were friends."

"I think you might want to get away from her, Nott," Blaise said quietly. He wasn't looking at them, but behind his shoulder, at the door. "You'll be sorry if you don't."

Nott smirked and gripped Ginny's face between his hands. "You won't have anyone left when word gets out," he whispered. "No one wants to sleep with a traitor."

"Stupefy!" a voice shouted.

Nott's body jerked and flew back, and as he hit one of the other tables and disappeared over the edge, Ginny started for the door. He stood there, wand out, eyes burning. He stepped closer, and his outstretched arm picked her up, holding her to his chest.

"Are you all right?" he asked, brushing his lips against her forehead. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," she whispered. "Why did you do that? You could have serious injured him."

"I want you to come with me," Draco said, gripping her tighter. His eyes fell on Blaise next. "Will you tell Professor Sprout I won't be there today?"

"Sure," said Blaise suspiciously. "But why not?"

Draco didn't reply, only turned back to face Ginny, his gray eyes softened as he searched her eyes. "Because, I have somewhere else to be. Come on."

He pulled her out of the library, to the Entrance Hall, and outside into the grounds. He stood with his hands on her hips for a few moments before letting her go, and turning his back on her.

"Draco, what's going on?" Ginny asked, feeling uneasy. He wasn't looking at her, and he hadn't spoken all the way here, which worried her. When she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, he put his hands on hers and untangled them from his body.

"This was wrong," he said, looking up at the sky. "All of this. Can't you see?"

"I don't understand." Ginny swallowed nervously.

"My father sent me a letter after the party," he said quietly. He turned his head slightly and frowned. "He wants us to stop seeing each other, or he's assured me he's going to make it stop. Do you understand now?"

"Yes, but-"

He closed the distance between them quickly and kissed her roughly, his arms sliding around her waist. He pulled her against his body in an urgent manner, and was pleasantly surprised when she moaned and responded enthusiastically to his touch. Her arms went around his neck and she bit his lip.

He pulled away and breathed slowly, his head was spinning. "Do you see what you do to me?"

"You started it," teased Ginny. Her mouth fastened onto the sensitive spot on his neck. "Why don't you finish it?"

Draco was trying very hard to resist her, but it wasn't working. Instead, he brought his hands to caress her neck, and then he touched her face, bringing it up to his. He crashed his lips against hers hungrily, and she staggered back, still clinging to him so as not to fall. His fingers tangled in her hair, as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

"I can't," he breathed between kisses.

"Yes, you can," she whispered, clinging tighter to him.

"No, I-"

"Take me somewhere," she ordered, pressing her lips harder against his.

Without arguing, because he was feeling too turned on to do so at the moment, he pulled her hand and led her back into the castle.

She was barely paying attention to where they were going until he stopped. Looking around, she recognized where they were immediately.

The Room of Requirement.

"You know about this place too?" she whispered anxiously.

He turned to her and grinned. "Of course. You didn't think Potter was the only one who knows a secret passage or two in this school? I found it awhile ago and I used it when Pansy and I - I mean, when I needed somewhere to practice."

"Practice what?" wondered Ginny. When he didn't answer, she wriggled wrinkled her nose.

"No!" he said, horrified that she thought he meant that. "It was supposed to be surprise." He opened the door and pulled her through. "There," he said grumpily. "It was going to be your Christmas present."

Several feet from them stood a beautiful, white grand piano.

"You bought me a piano?" she asked, confused.

"No," he said shaking his head. "Silly, I didn't buy you a piano. I was writing you a song as a Christmas gift."

Ginny's eyes lit up slightly as and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips to his softly, before she pulled away. "I love it. Oh, I do. No one has ever done that for me before."

He brushed a hand through her red hair and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger for a few moments. "So, can we talk about what we're going to do?" he asked, slowly, deliberately watching her face. "Or are you just going to stare at me and keep drooling?"

Ginny closed her mouth and glared at him. "Are you going to listen to your father?"

"I don't know," he said, his fingers dancing lightly over the keys. "I mean, I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to refuse him either, because he could hurt you himself."

"I won't let him," she said, sitting down beside him and leaning her head on his shoulder. She smiled slightly when he stroked her cheek.

"He's vicious," Draco reminded her. "He'll use anything to get what he wants, and if he wants to hurt you, there's no telling how he might do it."

Ginny took a breath and let it out slowly.

Maybe she should have stayed in the common room all day, like she had planned, after all.