Poisoned

Chapter Twelve

Where Draco and Ginny live happily ever after, but only for some time

Ginny never got tired of being pulled inside empty classrooms, or broom closets while walking distracted to her classes. Feeling his arms close around her felt like heaven, and she loved the playful smile he'd always give her.

It was a different smile, and a very interesting one. Usually his playful and malicious smiles never implied before what they did now; almost like he hadn't known what he could do to her, but now that he did, he wouldn't stop. Ginny never complained - that was her smile; she had never seen him smile like that to anyone. And everything implied there didn't bother her, because she felt the same way.

Not to forget she could see past the smile. She could see the need he felt of being with her; the sadness of having to be content with a few stolen kisses between classes; the hope that no matter how unsatisfactorily that situation was, it wouldn't ever end.

So every time he held her, she held him back, more fiercely; and every time he kissed her, she kissed him back, even though it hurt so much she couldn't describe.

There was no way for her to know he hurt to. He would smile and hold her, but he couldn't stop feeling like he was destroying something so precious and pure; her spontaneous laughs were giving more and more way to intense looks and naughty smiles.

Sometimes it hurt even more, especially when he would think of her arms around that prat she had dated. Every time he thought she could have smiled like that to someone else, he felt like he'd go crazy, and he had to spend more time with her, and hold her more tightly.

Once she seemed scared, so he restrained himself and asked what the problem was. But when she saw his eyes a darker shade of grey, looking at her more hungrily than ever, Ginny giggled, almost shyly. "It's just that I'm not used to being so requested by a boy."

Draco smiled his malicious smile. "What, that Corner didn't ask you to be with him every time you could?"

She shook her head, red with embarrassment, as she would think that whatever Corner and she had done, it seemed feeble and innocent compared to what they were doing. Not that they were doing anything wrong - though she knew that since the school regulations prohibited snogging anywhere in the castle, they were doing everything wrong, strictly speaking, - but it seemed impossible to compare Draco to anyone.

"I've always known he was an idiot." He laughed, and put a stop in that subject by kissing her again.

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

They would still study together, of course, but now the lessons would always take longer to finish. They didn't worry about the consequences, though; they were doing too well in their subjects to care about them as they used to.

She could remember like it was yesterday, Snape handing her an Outstanding paper with a face that indicated he would rather drink poison. Draco and Ginny laughed heartily about it later that evening; so Ginny never got to know how it felt like to be in Snape's good side, but Draco told her it wasn't that big deal - he would still be unpleasant and deduct points from Slytherin when no one was looking. Ginny laughed, amazed with the idea that Snape would actually treat Slytherins like he treated Gryffindors, but Draco had corrected, "Not like he treats Gryffindors, no. More like the way he treats Ravenclaws."

Professor Flitwick was much more agreeable around Draco than before, too. He had even stopped with all the extra homework, and confessed in front of the entire class the boy had surpassed the other students of Advanced Charms. And although Draco had tried not to, he couldn't help but feel proud of the hurt expression he had seen on Hermione's face. He had confessed it - with great degree of shame - to Ginny, but she surprised him by saying, "Well, it will do her good."

What they didn't know was that it didn't do Hermione any good. Since that class, the girl had been studying Charms like crazy, ashamed that she had been surpassed by the Slytherin she hated so much. And she was taking her prefect duties even more seriously than she had before, trying to prove herself better than Malfoy in more ways than one.

Ron couldn't understand all her concerns - he thought she was miles better than him, and there was no need to prove it -, and it caused many arguments between them, which explained why she was patrolling the corridors alone so late at night on a Wednesday. But Draco and Ginny didn't know that. They also didn't know she had already caught two couples that were snogging in broom closets on the second and third floor, given them lines and scowled them to their common rooms; yet that hadn't put her in better mood, and she was very cranky when she listened to the hushed laughter close to the Potions classroom - the sound they were making.

"Now, shush!" Draco said, trying to keep her voice down while holding Ginny closer in a very affectionate manner. "We are very close to Snape's room, and he might hear us if you keep on laughing like that."

"I can't help it, you're making me tickle!" Ginny laughed, trying to break away from his grip, but only half-heartedly.

So he smiled. And Ginny, who was used to that smile, didn't pay much attention to it, but Hermione couldn't believe how he looked so little like Malfoy, his eyes shinning with delight; not the same kind of delight he'd show when he'd succeed at putting Harry in trouble, but an almost innocent delight.

The whole scene put her off balance. She was petrified in her place and only had time to wish they wouldn't see her when Ginny turned her head and went completely rigid.

Ginny couldn't believe her eyes, and for a second she thought she was having a hallucination - a very vivid hallucination of Hermione standing in the middle of the corridor, a few steps from them, looking shocked and furious at the same time.

Draco saw the change in Ginny's expression, and followed her eyes to see Hermione, who, he thought, was too stunned to say anything.

He quickly took a step back, something he immediately regretted, because it was obvious she had already seen enough. But he didn't know what else to do but stand there, wondering what he could do to his hands so they wouldn't hang beside his body, looking as if he didn't know what to do with them.

Hermione didn't know what else to do but stand there too, trying to collect her thoughts, too shocked with the idea that Ginny had been holding Malfoy of all people. And Ginny was wondering if Hermione knew how she looked exactly like Mrs. Weasley in that moment.

Ginny didn't like that expression in her mother, and she sure didn't like that expression in her friend either, so she mumbled, "Look, Hermione, I can explain-"

"Oh, can you?" Now she was the perfect copy of a very angry Mrs Weasley, what wasn't good. "Can you really? So, please, explain. Let's see what your excuse is for being in the dungeons, with this boy, at ten o'clock, a time you know you should be in your common room!"

"We have permission," Draco said, but realised he shouldn't when the two girls looked at him reproachingly.

"We do." Ginny nodded, turning to Hermione again. "We have been studying together for some time-"

"Studying? And since when does studying mean holding each other late at night?"

They looked at each other, their faces showing their guilt, so the girl answered, her voice not louder than a murmur, "For a few months now."

"A few months?" Hermione was as loud as Draco feared she would be, so he tried to reason. "But the proper studying has been going for a lot longer than that."

Hermione's fury seemed to have been replaced by disbelief. "How come I didn't know that?"

"I couldn't tell you, could I?" Ginny stepped closer to her friend. "You'd say I was insane for studying with Malfoy."

"Well, you are! If you were having problems, you could have come to me and I would help you! You didn't need to go to him!"

"There was no need to bother you, you were full of things yourself. And besides, Draco is a great teacher."

"Yes, I am!" Draco exclaimed, offended with Hermione's incredulous expression. But when he saw Ginny looking reproaching once more, he added, "You were not bad yourself."

Suddenly Hermione's face lit up, as if she had understood everything. "You have been helping him with Charms, haven't you?"

When Ginny nodded, she exclaimed in joy, "I knew it! There was no way you could have done it all by yourself!"

"Hey! I-" Draco was going to say something, but was interrupted by Snape, who came out of nowhere looking much scarier than a thousand furious Hermiones.

"Can anyone explain the reason for this commotion?"

It was clear he had put on his robes hurriedly, and Ginny couldn't help but notice his hair was less greasy. She only wished he had left his room in his night gowns, for maybe in that case he wouldn't look so frightening there, looking at the three teenagers with a glint in his eyes that showed he was ready to deduct a thousand points from Gryffindor.

No one could say a word, so he turned to Hermione. "As much as I find fascinating your inability of speaking when I finally want you to, I'd still like to hear some answers."

Long seconds passed before Draco gathered the courage to speak. "As you know, we were studying Potions in your classroom, as we always do on Fridays, Professor."

"Yes, I know that." Snape's voice was very soft and controlled, what indicated great danger. He turned to Hermione. "So what are you doing here?"

"I was patrolling." She seemed unable to look away from the floor.

"That's a prefect's job," Snape pointed out.

"I am a prefect, professor." She finally looked at him.

"Oh, that's right. I always forget Professor Dumbledore didn't have much sense when choosing the Gryffindors prefects last year," he said, though he didn't sound like he had forgotten anything.

Hermione clinched her teeth, which amused Draco, but he wouldn't show anything, not with Ginny beside him, looking indignant.

"So? They were studying, you were patrolling. What else?"

"I found them together and thought they should be in their common rooms."

"And they explained you why they weren't in their common rooms?"

She nodded.

"So what was the problem?"

"Well, they were-" She didn't know how to continue, sensible enough to know she couldn't tell the truth, so she stuttered until she exclaimed, "They were talking to each other!"

Draco and Ginny sighed in disbelief. He felt like shouting. What kind of genius answer was that?

Snape was clearly amused by the situation. "Is it against school rules?"

Hermione flushed and focused on the floor again, not saying anything else. Draco was trying very hard not to smile, and Ginny seemed about to scream in frustration, so no one spoke for several seconds, until Snape lost his patience and said, "Maybe now it's time for everyone to go back to their common rooms. And five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for the disturbance you caused. A prefect should know better."

Draco eyed Ginny warningly, worried that she might burst how unfair it was, but she didn't say anything. She didn't move either, and neither did Hermione, that seemed too entranced by the floor to react in any way.

"Off you go, now!" Snape exclaimed, and that took them away from their thoughts.

Only when Hermione and Ginny disappeared in the corridor Snape called Draco.

"Mr Malfoy, we both know it wasn't your chat that disturbed Miss Granger so much." His eyes had a dangerous glint, what scared Draco. "We are all trying to overlook your behaviour, but did you stop to think what would have happened if it was a Slytherin to catch you?"

Draco flushed. "I'm sorry, professor. It won't happen again."

"You do know the gravity of your situation, don't you?" Snape said eyeing the boy with something Draco could swear was concern.

When Draco nodded, he continued, "Then you know your hormones are of very little use for you now."

"I'm not being controlled by my hormones, professor," Draco stated, though his voice was shaky. He didn't expect to be having this conversation with anyone, let alone with his Head of House.

"I hope so. I'm sure you are aware of the risks, but perhaps you're not aware of the consequences. And you know I'm not talking about loosing points, Mr Malfoy." He let this sentence hang in the air, waiting for it to sink in.

But he didn't need to. Draco was sure he wouldn't forget about this conversation any time soon. And when Snape bid him good night and left him alone in the corridor, he had to gather his courage to head to his common room, for what he knew would be a sleepless night.

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

Ginny didn't know what she could say, and Hermione didn't seem eager to start a conversation any time soon, so they made their way to the Gryffindor tower in complete silence. She thought maybe she should say something, but what could she say? Hermione was very angry, she could tell by the frowned expression her friend had, and she couldn't imagine how she could defend herself. She also wondered if she should defend herself - she hadn't done anything wrong, and it was Hermione who still had misconceptions about Draco. For a second, Ginny imagined herself defending him. He's read Hogwarts: A History! she would say, but Hermione would only stare at her, irreducible.

The thought was so absurd she couldn't suppress a soft laughter, what caused the girl to look at her, fuming, while still walking. "What's so funny?"

For a moment Ginny thought would be best if she didn't answer anything, but her friend was so mad she didn't know how she'd take her silence. "I was just remembering of Draco telling me he has read Hogwarts: A History."

"He did?" Hermione seemed stunned, but soon she recovered. "Well, it doesn't change anything, does it? He's still the same spoiled arrogant prat he has always been, and you still kissed him."

"You don't understand, he's changed-"

"That's Malfoy we're talking about, Ginny!" Hermione turned to her. "Don't you remember the things he did to us?"

"They were minor things, mostly childish bickering!"

"He tried to get Hagrid sacked and Harry expelled! He was a snitch to Umbridge! Not to mention he enjoyed every single opportunity he had to hurt Harry, Ron and I!

"Well, he never hurt me!" Ginny exclaimed, furious, not bothering to keep her voice down.

"Isn't that wonderful?" Hermione exclaimed, stopping in front of a sleepy and shocked Fat Lady. "A few months with him and you are already as selfish as he is!"

As Ginny wouldn't answer - mostly because she couldn't deny he was, indeed, kind of selfish, - Hermione continued, "I don't know what possessed you to do that. I just know you can't be in your right mind, to betray your closest friends, and your brother, for a boyfriend! And to think the boyfriend is Malfoy! I thought you were better than that!"

"It's not like that!" Ginny still tried to reason, but her voice was failing and she was sure she couldn't hold back her tears for much longer.

"How is it, then?" Hermione had stopped shrieking, but her hurt tone made Ginny feel worse.

She couldn't bring herself to say anything. How could she possibly start? How could she explain what attracted her in Malfoy? How could she impress in Hermione that certainty she had every time she was with him, that no matter how hard it would be staying with him, backing away would be harder? And how could she explain how she managed to understand and accept Draco, if she couldn't understand it herself?

She just couldn't. So she just stayed there as Hermione said the password and entered the common room, leaving her behind with a curious portrait that smiled, sympathetically. "Rough night, dear?"

Ginny sneered through her tears in a way Draco would be proud. "You have no idea."