Fall From Grace

Chapter Ten - Extenuating Circumstances

"Morning Sleepy." Draco pushed the hair out of Ginny's eyes as she yawned and stretched, nearly knocking him out.

"Hey," Ginny said sleepily, "Where are we?"

"My room and it is ten past six on a Saturday morning."

"Ten past...oh God. I never realised there was a ten past six in the morning!" Ginny pulled the covers up over her head and rolled so she was wedge into Draco's armpit.

"The early bird gets the worm!"

"The early bird gets shot at first." Ginny's voice was muffled and her breath was beginning to tickle.

"Are my pits really that interesting?" Draco asked dryly.

"Yeah. How do you not stink this morning? Your were sweating like a pig in a slaughter house last night." Ginny blatantly refused to move away from his soft, warm body.

"So crass Virginia. It was you that demand such a...work out. I'm a Malfoy, I always smell nice." (A/N Official Rule Number 10: Malfoys always smell nice.)

"Why, Darling, have you woken me up at this un-Godly hour?"

"The portrait told me your friends were knocking for you last night. I went out this morning." Draco sighed and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh shit. Chris and Chloe were supposed to be coming round to talk about you...I guess we were busy. Why did you go out this morning?" Ginny wriggled as Draco got out of bed and let in a cold draft.

"You were screaming so loud, no wonder we didn't hear them. Come out from under the covers and I'll show you what I was doing."

"It better be good," Ginny said as she pulled the duvet from her head and peered into the darkness. She had only been up for a second when Draco walked quickly back over to her, tray in hand.

"Breakfast," he said simply putting the tray on her knees.

"Oh, where did you get this?" Ginny gazed at the glorious spread Draco had brought up to her.

"I know how to get into the kitchens. House-elves are only too happy to help. You have strawberries, grapes, pineapple, grapefruit, natural yoghurt, Irish porridge, tea and strawberry cream waffles."

"What exactly is Irish porridge?" Ginny gazed at the selection of her favourite breakfasts.

"My favourite breakfast. It's porridge with loads of brown sugar, cream and baileys or whiskey. The best hangover cure in the world." (A/N It works, try it! Yummers!)

"D! How can you eat that in the morning?" Ginny started picking at the fruit.

"We have Hogsmeade and I think your mates will probably want to speak to you soon. I figured we would have breakfast sex and then you could get off to the Gryffindor common room. Fraternise with your house!" Draco smiled and ate the grape she had in her fingers.

Giggling Ginny began to feed him breakfast and smiled contented. This arrangement with Draco seemed to be doing her the world of good. He was so nice and he made her feel pretty. It was a shame that as soon as Harry grew the balls to ask her out she would have to leave him. Ginny was puzzled by the question she would undoubtedly have to answer when she saw her friends, did she love him?

Draco was surprisingly pondering the same thing. He wasn't sure but he was beginning to enjoy the time they spent together. It was all right at first because he had always wanted to have something before Potter but now...Ginny was the only person in the world who knew about who he really was. She knew that he had more Dark Arts training than anybody in the school did yet she still wanted to spend time with him. His idea of a 'last supper' style breakfast as genius. After today she would probably go to Potter and he would never be able to lie awake smelling her hair again.

Over the last few weeks Ginny had began to space out for no reason. She would constantly be on edge and she would have her focus on something other than him for most of the time. Draco guessed it was Potter and did the grunt work for them, for Ginny.

%%%

Standing on the otherside of Draco's door Ginny smiled to herself and set off happily down the corridor. Tom walked along side her.

"Why so cheerful Virginia?"

"I've just had a wonderful breakfast with my boyfriend." Ginny grinned uncontrolably.

"Oh. So he didn't just send you back to Gryffindor?"

"Well...well yeah but not because he want's to get rid of me." Ginny's smile fell from her face.

"Of course, it's probably not my place to say but if I got to keep you with me I would always want you there." Tom picked her hand from where it had fallen to her side and wrapped it in his own.

"You think he doesn't want me there any more?"

"You can't balme him for getting bored..."

"He's bored?" Ginny looked shocked, "Oh God. He's only doing it to annoy my brother and if Ron's ignoring us. No wonder he wants me to leave."

"Ginny, don't fret. Draco's a man of his word. He's not like me, I can't ever leave you because I love you but the minute that you want to get with Harry Draco will leave his end of your bargain."

"Because it's not real. Draco and I. I forgot it was an agreement...I guess I wished for too much, hey Tom?"

"Yeah Ginny you did. But that's alright because you can go back to Gryffindor. Here we are. I'll see you later. I love you."

"Yeah. I love you too...I always have." Ginny said with a smile as she prepared to go through the fat lady's portrait.

%%%

The school was bustling with the news that a seventh year had broken Professor Lupin's nose but nobody, not even the young Gryffindors who had seen the incident with Hermione the evening before, could figure out who it was.

Dennis Creevey had put it to all of his year that Ronald Weasley was the boy to do it but nobody would believe that the youngest Weasley boy who had time for everybody would do something like that to everyone's favourite teacher. Lavender Brown was certain that it was Draco Malfoy because she had seen a bruises round his wrists during Potions earlier that week. The other favourite idea was that Sirius Black was back to his psychotic-self and had just hit Remus during the night. Although Sirius found it a little un-nerving to be the subject of gossip he was in stitches of laughter when he smiled at two first years, who then ran away shrieking about him baring his teeth at them.

The entrance hall was full of students eager to set off for Hogsmeade and as soon as Dumbledore opening the doors to the carriages the students dived inside. Dean took Hermione into a carriage a little way from Ron's as she was not yet capable of speech in front of him yet. Harry was sitting between Ron and Neville who both kept looking out of the window every time a girl walked past.

"What is with you two?" He asked, exasperated.

"I'm looking out for Susan," Neville said with a small smile. It was no secret that he had a crush on the girl but after he accidentally transfigured her pencil into a suite instead of a sweet, and she had to spend overnight in the Hospital wing, she was studiously avoiding him.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Ron asked quietly.

"Who?" Neville gave up on his quest for Susan and joined in the conversation.

"Hermione and Dean. Do you think I should go and see that they are ok?" Ron stood a little but was dragged back down by Harry.

"No Ron. They will be alrigh-" Harry was interrupted by a shy knock on the door.

A small girl wearing tight bright pink jeans, a small white strappy top and hair that matched her jeans came into the carriage. Harry felt his mouth drop open, only Ron seemed to not notice.

"Hi, can we sit in here?" she indicated to the ordinary boy that was standing behind her. He was looking hesitant and he blushed slightly when Harry looked at him.

"Sure Chloe," Ron said, sighing and not turning away from the window.

"Thank Ron!" She answered brightly. She turned to Harry and beamed at him, "may I ask you a favour?"

"Sure," Harry said, trying not to look down her top.

"I get sick if I ride backwards, can we swap seats?"

"Yeah, of course, so long as you promise not to vomit on me!" Harry laughed getting up and sitting next to the boy on the other seats.

"It's only if I go backwards, I'm ok facing the right way." She sat down, a lot closer to Ron than she did not Neville Harry noticed, and she gave a small squeal of surprise when the carriage started off.

"So, Christov and I have nobody to go around Hogsmeade with, do you think we could stick with you guys today?" Chloe asked and Harry nodded.

In fact, Harry had nodded at almost everything she had said since the carriage started off. The bumpy roads on the way to Hogmeade made the carriage shake and with each tremor her top slipped, lower and lower, it was all Harry could do not to drool visably.

"Great, that's sorted then!" She said brightly not noticing the two boys, for apparently Neville momentarily forgot about Susan, staring freely at her chest. Christov did notice and was sulking nearly as much as Ron.

As the carriages pulled into Hogmeade Ron turned around from the window for the first time. He nearly chocked when he saw Chloe and, like Harry and Neville, her assets.

"Your...hair...it's..." Ron stuttered.

"Pink. It matches my jeans, do you like it?" Chloe asked, the smile that she had been wearing the entire ride beginning to fade.

"Yeah, you'll get noticed that's for sure. I think we might have to work on not letting any of these nasty boys near you. You'll cause serious damage," Ron said and Chloe's smile returned.

"Harry already said it would be ok if we tag around with you today. I take it that you will look after me?" she asked. Ron nodded and stood up, from this point he could see right down her top. Being the gentleman he was he looked away and offered her his arm as they left the carriage.

Hogwarts student milled around the small town and the shouts and squeals of excitement could be heard every where. A group of Ravenclaw boys walked past Ron and Harry's group outside their carriage. They whistled very loudly and made a few very rude comments about Chloe riding their broomsticks.

"Why don't you piss off?" Ron yelled after the boys and put a protective arm around her shoulder. Chloe beamed and Harry casually noted that even when the boys had gone from sight Ron left his arm around her shoulders. It was this way throughout the afternoon.

Ron walked with Chloe and left the three other boys behind. They stayed glued to each other in every shop and each time they caught sight of Hermione and Dean, Ron made sure he held Chloe a little tighter or whispered something into her ear. By the time they reached the Three Broomsticks at lunch, Harry was feeling slightly sick.

The pub was packed and the only available table was a table for four along the back wall. Without asking the others Ron sat in the corner seat and pulled Chloe onto his lap. He whispered something into her ear and she giggled loudly. Harry was puzzled for only a moment until the girl in the booth behind them turned round. Hermione glared at Ron before giving Harry a sad little smile and turning back to Dean, who was glaring furiously at Ron.

Ron did not even give up his lover-boy act when the food came. He fed Chloe chips whilst she remained on his knee. She smiled at him and put a chip between his teeth and then reached down to bite half off for herself. Needless to say Ron took this a the perfect opportunity to kiss her senseless. Harry rolled his eyes at his best friends antics. Ron was currently making loud 'ummmm' noises to try and get Hermione's attention. He was actually attracting the attention of everybody in the pub. Hermione left the remainder of her meal on the table and tentatively walked to Harry. She was deliberately not looking at Ron, who had one hand inside Chloe's top, but Hermione smiled at Harry.

"Would you like to come to the Shrieking Shack with us?" she asked loudly.

"Sure," Harry said, glancing quickly at Ron. Neville and Christov began to make excuses about having to go elsewhere anyway and the soon all left the pub.

Hermione, Harry and Dean were deep in conversation and didn't even notice Ginny walk past them. Neville had spotted Susan in one of the dress shops and was now oggling her under the pretense of looking at dresses in the window. Christov laughed when Ginny walked up,

"Honestly, who would be straight? Girls are way too much trouble."

"Me?" Ginny asked with a worried little smile.

"No. Chloe is currently getting the seeing-to of her life by your charming brother. Full on groping in the Three Broomsticks. It's sick."

"Why's Ron doing that?"

"I reckon it's got something so do with Hermione, she was sat behind us. Anyway, it's none of our business. What we have to concentrate on it why you weren't answering Draco's door last night?" Christov laughed as he and Ginny hooked arms and made their way to the shops on the opposite side to the pub.

"I was...busy," Ginny said blushing furiously.

"I would say get a room but...you did. Ginny can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Ginny said. "I might not answer it but you can ask."

"OK. Why are you with Draco Malfoy?" Chris stopped walking a just looked at her.

"What? I...I...you want the truth?"

"From the very start," Chris said sitting on a bench.

"Well, I thought that if I was with Draco Harry would notice me more. I...I, oh God this is hard to tell, I actually made a deal with Draco. If he pretended to be my boyfriend I would..."

"Sleep with him!" Christov interuptted.

"No! Gods no, Chris! I wouldn't stop him from teasing the hell out of them. He agreed because he really likes pissing off Harry and the street cred he gets for stealing the littlest Weasley out from under Gryffindor's nose...it was worth it to him."

"So why did you start sleeping with him?"

"Do you remember the first time I came to breakfast, after the Quidditch match? Ron and Harry were so horrible to me and Draco...saved me. He didn't care that it was four on one because they were upsetting me and he wouldn't even let somebody treat his pretend girlfriend like that!"

"Didn't you ever think it was just to save face?" Chris asked delecatly trying to not hurt Ginny's feelings.

"It's hard to explain. In third year just before the Yule Ball Malfoy cursed Hermione's teeth, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ron and Harry nearly blasted Malfoy six ways from Sunday, but when he laughed at my Valentine they just let him and last year when he turned my robes see-though Harry blushed and averted his eyes and Ron laughed. Where were they to curse him for me? I actually had to get close enough to point my wand at his balls before he released the charm and they laughed about it."

"I would have rescued you," Chris said, sadly.

"I know honey but you weren't there. They were and they laughed."

"So that's why you started sleeping with him, because he saved you?"

"No. That's why I kissed him then..." TOM the voice in her head screamed, TELL HIM ABOUT TOM, "...the situation changed."

"Do you love him?"

"No," Ginny answered very qucikly.

"Doth the lady protest too much? Promise he can't steal you from me?" Chris threw an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. "Be careful, this is very fragile." Chris put his hand over her heart. Ginny smiled at him but a sharp cough to their right made them both jump.

"I hope you are not groping my girlfriend...for your sakes." Draco sneered at the younger boy and Ginny had to put her hand to her mouth to stop from laughing.

"I thought today was my Gryffindor day?" She said.

"It is but...I had to defend your honour when I saw you being attacked by this...person."

"Draco! This is Chris," Ginny said.

"Chris? Oh Chris..." A flush of red invaded Draco's pale cheeks, "Chris who is...your best friend...the...you know."

"Yeah."

"Oh sorry mate I thought...you know." Draco stuck out his hand for Chris to shake.

"It's ok," Chris said shaking Draco's hand. "You can steal her away if you wish. It's getting late I was going to walk back up to the castle anyway."

"Well if Ginny is done we could walk with you. I have nothing more to get. Honey?" Draco wrapped his fingers around Ginny's as they stood up.

"I'm done. What did you buy?" she asked as they set off along the path to Hogwarts.

"Just some Quidditch stuff I'll have to put it in the changing rooms later," Draco said but the next sentence stuck in this throat. Up ahead were Dean, the Mudblood and Potty.

"Hi Ginny!" Hermione called, apparently having forgotten that they weren't talking. Dean looked shocked and Harry looked relieved.

"Hi," Ginny said in amazement. Her heart had skipped a little as Hermione said her name. Maybe this was the beginning of her being allowed back into the loop. If Tom was right about Draco then her talking to Hermione would help her get back into Gryffindor.

"You heading back up to the school? So are we. Maybe we could walk together?" Hermione's eyes were red from crying but Ginny didn't want to pry into the older girl's business so soon into what she hoped would be their new friendship.

"Erm..." Ginny looked nervously between Harry and Draco who were glaring at each other.

"Draco!" Hermione said brightly, sensing Ginny's point she dragged him to one side, "I believe I need to talk to you about Head Boy and Girl things."

Draco plastered a fake smile to his face and looked as if he might be sick. Ginny made please-rescue-him faces at Christov and before Hermione could fully get into her conversation Chris was pushing her away from Draco and chatting to him. Draco's face relaxed a little but his eyes were fixed on Ginny.

"Hey Gin," Harry said walking next to her.

"Hey."

"When are you going to give up this Malfoy thing?"

"What?"

"This ridiculous relationship you two have? Can't you find a nice boyfriend? Loads of boys like you."

"Harry, that's not true. Not the ones I want anyway..."

"You wanted me once."

"And you don't want me."

"Yes I do..." Harry's words hung heavy in the air and he dropped back to talk to Hermione. Seeing an opportunity Draco hurried to walk with Ginny.

"Gin? Ginny? Ginny? Giiinnnny?" Draco was staring at her as if she had grown another head. In fact she was just looking into space and not registering what was happening around her. Harry liked her. Harry liked her. Harry liked her.

"Fine!" Draco said. He turned left at a fork in the path and took the route around the lake to get back to Hogwarts. Ginny didn't notice.

%%%

"Why did you say that to me?" Ginny demanded after everybody else had gone though the portrait into Gryffindor tower, after dinner. She blocked Harry's way with her body.

"I meant it. It's been killing me to see you with Malfoy. Your so special Ginny and I don't want to see him crush your innocence. I think I love you." Harry brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"You...really?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Harry said gently and leaned down to kiss her. This lips were soft and he tasted of chocolate. It was obvious to Ginny that Harry had not have half as much practice as kissing girls as Draco had. Internally she was shouting at her self, why was she thinking of Draco when Harry Potter was kissing her? That was something she had dreamed of for as long as she could remember and this was why she had gone to Draco in the first place. The voice in her head laughed again at her thoughts of Draco. Harry pulled out of the kiss panting slightly and a faint blush on the base of his neck.

"That was amazing," he said softly.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed before greedily reaching her arms around his neck for another kiss. This was much more passionate than the first and gingerly Ginny pushed her tongue towards Harry's mouth. He let her invade in mouth and groaned as he teased him with the hand at the back of his neck.

"So can I take it you and Malfoy will be over?"

"What?" Ginny's heart was racing. She had to tell Draco that the plan had worked. Harry wanted her to be his girlfriend. "Yeah. I'll go and tell him now actually."

"Now?" Harry asked raising one eyebrow.

"Well after you kiss me again," Ginny said sliding her hands around his waist and kissing him deeply.

After the kiss had ended Ginny wandered around the castle. Knowing that although it was after dinner and it was well before curfew Ginny relaxed and thought about everything the day had brought. It seemed like everybody had gotten their man. She was with Harry and Chloe was with Ron. She had seen her friend at the Gryffindor table. Chloe was still wrapped around Ron but she had promised that, because Ginny was moving back into her dorm room, they would need a girl-talk before the evening was out. Her mind racing Ginny didn't spot Hermione until they bumped into each other.

"Sorry Hermione I wasn't looking where I was going. Have you seen Draco?" Ginny asked polietly.

"No, I thought you and Harry were...together?" Hermione looked confused.

"I need to break things off with D. That's why I'm searching for him," Ginny said.

"He did say something about Quidditch stuff on the way back from Hogmeade, perhaps he's out there," Hermione nodded in the general direction of the Quidditch field. "Have you seen Professor Lupin?"

"No, sorry. Have you tried his office?"

"Yeah but he wasn't there. I think I'm just going to give up and catch him later." Hermione looked at the ground, "Good luck finding Malfoy anyway!"

"You to!" Ginny said before rushing off towards the Quidditch changing rooms.

They were empty when she arrived and, braving the weather, Ginny made her way onto the stands. A storm was beginning to build and Ginny could see a lot though the darkness. Shadows moving below her caught her attention although it took Ginny a minute to realise what they were.

Draco and Tom were screaming at each other in the stand below Ginny. The stadium was empty but still over the wind she couldn't make out the words either boy was saying. Her mind was working overtime, how could Tom be talking to Draco? In the last two months, when he had been in Hogwarts, he had only spoken to Ginny and nobody else appeared to see him. They had given up on speaking in anything but Parcel tongue a long time ago and Ginny was beginning to wonder if Tom could remember English.

She was supposed to be in Draco's room meeting Chloe (probably to talk about Ron but girl talk was girl talk!) and Draco was supposed to be doing rounds. This didn't explain why both of them were in the middle of the Slytherin Quidditch stands after dark. He didn't seem to notice she was only one stand up from him.

Neither Draco nor Tom had a wand drawn; it would have seemed silly, as Tom was a part of Ginny imagination...who was fighting with Draco. Ginny shook her head hoping it would jolt her brain into remembering what had happened and why Draco could see Tom. Tom wasn't real...unless...Ginny looked at the figure again and he seemed to shift and take the shape of an older man with...the wind caused Ginny to close her eyes and when she looked back Tom looked sixteen again. Draco's stark blonde hair whipped about his face and Tom's dark faded into the night. The battle between good and evil, light and dark Ginny almost giggled at the boys who had taken a step towards each other.

Draco had taken more than a step, he had grabbed Tom by the shoulders and the two boys fell over the edge of the tall tower. Without thinking Ginny raised her wand and yelled, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The pale boy froze in mid air his black cloak swirling about his body in the winds, holding him up. Ginny watched the other body fall the fifty feet onto the ground. She could almost feel the sickening thud as he landed. Shaking uncontrollably Ginny whispered, "Accio Malfoy," and the Slytherin flew towards her. Not once did she tear her eyes from the figure lying prone on the floor.

"Well done Ginny, I could have died."

"I killed Tom," Ginny whispered but the boy took her in his arms.

"No sweetheart. I'm right here," Ginny finally tore her eyes from the body on the floor and looked to where Malfoy had been standing with his arms wrapped protectively round her, Tom was there, smiling and pushing the hair off her face. Ginny's eyes flew back to the figure on the grass; she could just make out a flash of blonde.

"Oh...Tom."

"It's alright. You saved me, you love me."

"I love you...yeah," Ginny sighed, her eyes still fixed on the figure on the floor.

"Yes."

"But...but I...I killed Draco, I killed Draco," Ginny whispered over and over, beginning to shake more. Tom began to fall into the shadows and Ginny didn't feel the tears running down her face.

At half past six the next morning when Sirius Black took his morning run he found the boy still on the Quidditch pitch with the little Gryffindor's wand still pointed at his cold body.