All Harry Potter Characters don't belong to me.
The Source - Chapter Thirty Four
"Speaking"
<Thinking>
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Madame Pomfrey said that it would take the Hair growing potion a few days to kick in, so for the last few days Ginny had hair growing little by little, but after a week it would be back to its original length. Ginny's hair was now down to her ears only, but at least she wasn't bald. Amy lent her a few clips so that she could clip the short strands out of her eyes and she looked lovely.
Ginny was let out of the hospital two days ago and it seemed that the whole incident in the hall was forgotten already. The culprit had confessed to the Professors and had been punished. Obviously the person had been paid by Felicity to own up to the crime, but no one knew that except Draco and he didn't tell the professors because he didn't have any proof.
Draco didn't know whether to tell Ginny it was Felicity who had played the prank on her or not. He was afraid that if he did, then Ginny would be scared to come near him because it would mean she was in danger. He knew that it was dangerous for Ginny be near him since Felicity was obviously insane, and he knew he was being selfish, but he also knew he would miss her terribly. Plus he was sure he could protect her so he ended up not telling her.
Ginny was sitting on the floor next to Draco in his room, and they were both doing their homework. Ginny was getting frustrated because there was this one bit of hair which kept getting into her eye. She was about to throw a tantrum when Draco's elegant fingers helped her to move the bit of hair to the back of her head and slip it into a clip.
"I never thought a piece of hair could annoy you so easily," Draco teased.
Ginny huffed "I hate this short hair," She complained. "It gets in the way so much because it isn't long enough for me to tie up."
Draco smiled. He had never seen Ginny get annoyed with anything and it was even more amusing since it was just some hair. "Well I think you look nice with short hair," he complimented her sincerely.
Ginny looked at Draco with a surprised expression and then blushed.
"Short hair makes me look like I'm a walking torch," she said sadly. "maybe I'll dye it brown or something, just for now."
"Don't dye it," Draco said. "I like your red hair."
Ginny was once again shocked at what Draco was saying. "But I thought you hated red hair," She said.
"I don't hate red hair," Draco stated truthfully, "I wouldn't hate something so rare and special." he smiled and played with a strand of her hair. He then couldn't help wondering what Felicity was planning now. <What part of her is Lateris going to harm next?>
Ginny was looking at Draco worriedly because he had suddenly zone out and was staring into space.
"Malfoy?" Ginny said carefully. Draco snapped out of his daze and looked at Ginny sadly. He really didn't want anything else to happen to her and the rush of emotions caused him to do something very out of character. He hugged her.
Ginny was in Draco's arms, pressed against him and was very confused. One minute he was complimenting her, the next he was off in his own world and now he was hugging her.
"Malfoy?" Ginny said with concern in her voice. "Has something happened? What's wrong? Please tell me?"
Draco pulled back and was torn between whether or not to tell her about Felicity being the one who hurt her, and about how much he worried about her.
Ginny could see in his eyes his inner turmoil. "Is this about Felicity Lateris?" she asked.
Draco looked at her surprised. "Do you know that she…?" But then he trailed off.
Ginny sighed. "I know it was her," she said. "and I also know that she is targeting me because she thinks it was because of me that you two broke up."
Draco didn't know what to say. She knew everything.
"But I won't let her get to me," Ginny said confidently. "Her little games don't scare me, and I won't let her affect my life." And then Ginny smiled reassuringly at Draco.
Draco also smiled. What he was worrying about wouldn't happen now because Ginny had just said that she would not stop coming to see/heal him just because Felicity was threatening her. He was overjoyed but at the same time very worried.
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Draco had to do some extra requirements for Potions tonight so he told Ginny about it and she had agreed to go to the potions room to give him his medicine.
Ginny entered the potions room and saw Draco already in there concentrating on making a potion at the front desk. She walked in quietly as not to disrupt his concentration and sat down at a desk watching him.
<He really is one of a kind,> Ginny thought dreamily. <It's no wonder half the girls at Hogwarts drool over him.> Ginny blushed at that thought because she too drooled over him, but then she sighed sadly. <I'm getting too attached to him. Observing him for the last three years was alright because he didn't even know I existed. But now that we have a sort of friendship going, I don't think I can let go when the time comes. And I don't want to either.>
"Have you finished day dreaming yet?" Draco asked from the front of the room.
Ginny snapped out of her daze and looked at Draco who was at the front desk. He was leaning on the table and looking at Ginny while smirking.
"What are you smirking about?" Ginny asked him back while standing up and walking towards the front desk.
"Nothing. Just that I think someone was daydreaming about what a hunk I am," Draco said arrogantly and then ran his hand though his hair sexily.
Ginny blushed but them composed herself as she reached the front desk. She put his medicine on the table and Draco took it.
"Have you finished the potion yet?" She asked him.
Draco nodded. "All done. I just have to pack up now." and then he started taking the jars of ingredients into the backroom.
There were a lot of jars on the desk so Ginny thought she'd help him. Ginny would take the jars into the room while Draco put them back in the right places on the shelf. Ginny was holding the last two jars in her hand as she entered the back room but she tripped as she was walking into the room. Luckily Draco was quick and caught her before she fell flat on her face.
"Are you alright?" Draco asked as she was steadying herself.
Ginny was about to answer but the sound of a door slamming shut caused her to turn around and look at the closed backroom door. Ginny and Draco both froze and just stared at the door.
"Please tell me they've fixed that door," Ginny said desperately while looking at the door.
"Nope," Draco said bluntly. "It still doesn't open from the inside."
"Then please tell me you have your wand," Ginny said hopefully.
"Nope," Draco said again. "I left mine on the desk."
Ginny groaned and found a shelf to put the jars she was holding down. "I left mine in my book bag, which is on the table outside," she said grumpily. "How are we going to get out?" She asked.
Draco sighed. "We'll have to wait till tomorrow morning when Professor Snape comes in," he said calmly.
Ginny frowned. "Why are you so calm about this?" She asked curiously.
Draco shrugged his shoulder. "There's no big deal in being stuck here for the night."
"Well I think it's a big deal," Ginny whined. "Its cold and dark." she said and then wrapped her arms around herself.
Draco smiled and then unclasped his cloak.
"You better not take that off Mister," Ginny warned Draco while glaring at him.
"Gee Weasley;" Draco said annoyed. "You said you were cold so I'm giving you my cloak." And he resumed taking his cloak off.
"Oh, no you don't," Ginny said and then pulled the cloak back onto his shoulder. "I'm not going to let you catch a cold while I'm in the middle of healing you."
Draco sighed in frustration "I've worn less going to Hogsmeade Weasley, and I never got sick." And then he started to take his cloak off again.
"Don't be stupid Malfoy," Ginny said quite annoyed, "that's because I always made sure…" Ginny slapped her hand over her mouth once she knew what she was about to say.
Draco raised his eyebrow at her and shrugged his cloak back on properly. "You made sure what Weasley?" Draco asked her.
Ginny dropped her hand from her mouth and shook her head. "Nothing," she said.
"I don't believe you," Draco said while smirking and advancing on Ginny.
Ginny was backing up against one of the shelves and Draco was getting closer.
"Come on Weasley, tell me the truth." Draco coaxed her. He was enjoying this.
Ginny shook her head again.
"I'll tickle you?" Draco threatened with an evil smile, and when Ginny wouldn't speak up he put his fingers on her sides and tickled her.
Ginny yelped and was trying to get away but Draco grabbed her waist and prevented her from getting away. He kept tickling her and Ginny was laughing so much her stomach was beginning to hurt.
"Alright, alright," Ginny said between laughs. "I'll tell you."
Draco stopped tickling her and Ginny was able to get away from his fingers.
"Now tell me," Draco said while smiling.
Ginny pouted but knew she had to tell him. "Ok," She said and then sighed. "You never got a cold from going to Hogsmeade while wearing very little, because I always made sure the clothes you wore had very fine warming charms on them. The charm is cast at the opening of the clothes so that no wind can get in. That's why you didn't get cold that easily." Ginny explained.
Draco listened to all this and was speechless at how caring Ginny was towards him. No wonder he never got sick in these past few years. Ginny had been secretly looking after him and he didn't even know it.
Draco stepped closed to Ginny and took her hand in his. He then started to sit down on the floor and dragged Ginny down with him so that she was sitting between his legs with her back facing his chest.
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked as she was seated in front of him.
"Well," Draco said while wrapping his arms around her, "since you won't let me give you my cloak, I'll be your cloak for tonight."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Ginny said nervously and then tried to get up, but Draco's hold on her was too strong.
"If you're worried that I'll…"
"I'm not worried," Ginny said sincerely and turned her head so she could look at him.
"Then don't move," Draco whispered and he hugged her tighter.
Ginny didn't want to protest anymore and just leaned against Draco to relax. He was so warm and it was so comfortable that she dropped of to sleep very soon, resting her head on his shoulder. Draco smiled at how easily Ginny was able to go to sleep and so he rested his chin on her shoulder so that he too could fall asleep.
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Draco woke up with the feeling of something pressed against him. He opened his eyes to see lots of jars filled with potions ingredients and the events of last night came back to him. He had been locked in the backroom with Ginny and she had ended up sleeping in his arms.
Draco looked at what he was holding and indeed it was the form of Ginny, who was still sleeping soundly. Ginny's head was resting on his shoulder and then she suddenly nuzzled her nose into his neck. Draco smiled and used one of his hands to move some hair out of Ginny's face.
A door was heard slamming shut and it startled Ginny out of her slumber. Ginny rubber her eyes with her hands and sat up a bit. Once she saw her surroundings she seemed to remember where she was and shot up from the ground.
Draco was a bit surprised at her sudden movements but then he too got up off the floor. The door to the backroom flung open and Professor Snape stood at the entrance staring at them.
"I presume you got locked in last night Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Weasley," Snape asked in his usual emotionless voice.
"Yes Professor," Draco said while brushing at his robes and Ginny just nodded.
"Back to your rooms. Now," Snape told them and allowed them to come out of the back room.
Ginny walked over to her bag quickly to pick it up and then walk out of the room. Draco packed his stuff up slowly and watched as Ginny left without a word.
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Draco walked into the Great Hall and the commotion he saw made him stop and stare. Everyone was chattering very loudly and some people were even staring at him and pointing. There was a crowd of people crowding in the middle of Gryffindor table and there were also pieces of paper flying everywhere.
A fellow Slytherin came to Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Nice one mate," the guy said and handed Draco a photo.
Draco's eyes widened when he looked at it. It was a photo of Draco hugging Ginny in the backroom of the potions room. More specifically, it was a photo of the position Draco and Ginny were sleeping in last night.
"I hear that red heads are very frisky. So is it true?" The guy asked and then chuckled. His laughter stopped though when he saw Draco glaring at him and so he backed away quickly.
Draco scrunched up the photo in his hand and threw it onto the floor. He then pulled his wand out and aimed it at the middle of the room.
'Accio Photo,' he yelled at the top of his voice.
The Hall went silent and all heads in the hall turned to look at him while every single photo in the room went flying towards Draco to land in a pile at his feet.
Draco's movements were quick and once every photo was at his feet he pointed his wand at the pile, whispered 'incendio' and they ignited into flames.
Draco had a menacing look on his face as he looked up at everyone in the Hall. He saw that the crowd at the Gryffindor table had moved away slightly and he could see Ginny and the pain in her eyes.
"Who did this!" Draco yelled into the silent hall.
End of Chapter Thirty Four. Thanks for reading and I Hope you Review.
AN: Ok, I know that the hug Draco gave Ginny was VERY out of Character, but I did say that it was out of character for him and after 34 chapters I think Draco is allowed to be a little bit different towards Ginny. Don't you think?
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