Chapter 26-Out with the Old
Her conversation with Luna bothered Ginny more as the evening went on. Draco certainly had said and done all the right things since being back. He was kind and loving as a boyfriend. More loving than any she'd had before. She was concerned now that he may have ulterior motives. She would confront him just as she'd told Luna she had already done.
Draco was sitting in the library close to one of the windows. His books were strewn across the table to ensure no one else would sit there. He saw Ginny coming. What's wrong, he thought? She looks different somehow.
"Hi, Ginny, sweetie…what's wrong? You look upset." Said Draco trying to ease into a conversation rather than cause an upset.
"I…I have a few questions for you, Draco." Ginny paused for a second as she tried to find the courage, hating the fact that she could ruin a good thing before it even started if she sounded accusatory. "First, you know I care for you Draco. I never thought I would when you first got back. But you convinced me that you were a nice guy, but someone asked me how I could be sure that it wasn't an act. That secretly you might be working for your father to hurt Harry. I defended you, but now I need to hear it from you."
"What are you on about?" Draco said with a puzzled look. "You think I'm acting when I tell you you're beautiful and I thank you for turning me around from being a sarcastic, hateful person to trying to be a friend to everyone. That hurts Ginny. How long do I have to suffer for being a jerk when I knew no better?" He truly felt hurt. He didn't know why, but there was a pang of guilt there. What was it that made him feel guilty right now?
"Well, that's the point, isn't it? Leopards don't change their spots and tigers don't change their stripes. I mean this is a big change. I am not accusing you, but when others ask…well, I just remember Dean and also…The Chamber of Secrets…I am very gullible…maybe that's the wrong word…naive and I don't want that to happen again." Ginny felt horrible as her eyes teared. She wanted desperately for Draco to deny it all and tell her something she could believe.
"Listen, this is the real me. When all the hate and intolerance is stripped away, this is me. A kid as confused as the rest of you. I was so scared when I was being tortured, I soiled myself. I heard my father just let them do that to me. I hate him. I can't believe I am alive sometimes." Draco could hear his heart pounding in his ears. His recollection of the night in front of Voldemort burned into his memory. Something told him that he shouldn't say any more, but he couldn't help it. "Ginny, I would have told Voldemort or anyone anything to save my skin. I think I did too. But I am here. You and your friends have turned me around. And I am damned scared if you want to know the truth." He wanted to tell her about the vials and potions, but he was afraid that doing so would sign his death warrant.
Across the room, an interested first-year listened as Draco spilled everything except what he was here to do, Voldemort's personal attention and the potions. He was scared. The first-year was supposed to follow him everywhere, but now he figured that he'd better report what he'd heard.
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Harry and Hermione were curled up on the bearskin rug in front of the fire totally spent. Hermione lay naked across Harry as he held her in his arms. Neither one of them could think of anything but the sensations they had experienced. Hermione hoped she didn't regret it. She knew it would happen one day, but never had she thought she'd be so happy and frightened at the same time. She could still feel the ripples in her tummy as she lay there. Harry was so wet with perspiration that she felt sorry for him. He had been so tender.
"Hermione," Harry said in a loving whisper. "I didn't think it'd go that far. I hope you don't regret it." He had never experienced such weakness in his legs before. Twice in one night she had brought him to orgasm. They had described it right, "magic time" had been just that. They had been silent and lying there like that for more than a half-hour.
"Harry, I never have to think about what it would have been like if anything happened to you. Now I have a real good reason to make sure nothing does." She smiled though the fear of being pregnant still remained, yet she meant it. She had heard stories of friends who found it uncomfortable and unrewarding the first time. "You didn't do anything nature didn't intend. At least I don't think you did." She was just as responsible as Harry. When he began to kiss her from head-to-toe and all places in between she knew he wasn't going to stop until she stopped him. She hadn't and he didn't. She didn't want Harry to feel guilty, because even though she wished she had waited until she was married…she knew they were in love…it just wasn't doing it for the sake of hedonistic pleasure. Hermione hated the fact that she analyzed everything. She just wanted to feel that again. She wondered if Harry was up to it.
"I've never been so tired in all my life. I thought I was in shape. How can one beautiful girl make you more tired than wrestling a mate in a wrestling match?" He laughed a little but he could feel her soft breasts on his chest and her hand moving from his chest down to begin softly stroking him for more. "What have I done? I've unleashed a monster." He couldn't resist the temptation to feel her softness envelope him once more. She moved on top of him and put him inside and they made love again. This time they felt sensations still left over from the last time. Neither one of them could breathe.
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Pansy Parkinson sat quietly on the other side of the library from Ginny and Draco. As she looked up, she saw a first-year approaching her. She smiled and said, "Hi, Carl, I mean Chad. How's it going?"
"How do you think it's going with you screwing up my name in public? Remember this lame-brain, it's Chad…you blow my cover and I'll get word to Lord Voldemort faster than you can ever imagine." He whispered vehemently. "I didn't agree to take on Chad Smythe's identity for fun. We used a new first-year because no one would know him. Don't screw up like that again."
Parkinson's face turned every shade of red imaginable. Her diminutive brother Carl had graduated from Durmstrang a year and a half ago. He was now working directly for the remaining Death Eaters and Voldemort. No one suspected. He had used polyjuice no less than four times to assume the identity of Hogwarts staff members and students to get to places he wanted in school. He was so unnoticed he had even left for a couple of days and no one had missed him.
"So, what do you want then if you are so worried about blowing your cover?" Asked Pansy with a smirk.
"Malfoy's over there spilling his guts to Weasley. The nosey little tramp will ruin everything. I'm sure she'll tell Potter and Granger. We'll see what she does and if necessary I will remind Malfoy of his debt to us." He seethed in anger. Pansy was afraid for herself. Her brother was every bit as vicious as anyone she'd ever met.
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After Ginny finished talking to Draco, she immediately went looking for Harry and Hermione. She knew where they were, but did she dare go in. Hermione had told her of the growing passion between her and Harry. She decided that it could wait until morning so she headed off to Gryffindor Tower hoping that Hermione would return soon.
Hermione returned just a little after 11:30 PM. She wouldn't look Ginny in the eye. She was afraid that what she'd been doing with Harry would be written all over her face. But for some reason, Ginny was not going to leave her alone tonight.
"Hermione, are you okay? You look flushed. You look like you just ran a marathon or something." Ginny paused as Hermione looked away. She noticed a small reddish mark on her neck near her collar bone. "Another night of studying anatomy, Hermione?" Ginny joked with no real idea what had happened.
"I don't want to talk about it." Hermione was afraid to say anything. She wasn't ashamed of herself, but she was afraid Ginny would be ashamed of her.
"What, a little snogging and touching? You don't want to talk about it. I didn't ask you to talk about it I just made a statement." Ginny looked more carefully at Hermione noticing the tears welling in her eyes. "Did things get out of control tonight?" Ginny asked sympathetically. She was sure they had, but she had thought they'd been doing it for a while. She just thought Hermione had been only telling part of the story. Tonight she knew she had been wrong.
Hermione nodded as trickle of tears ran down her face. She was smiling in an odd sort of way.
"Are you happy or sad," Ginny asked calmly.
"I'm completely and utterly in love with Harry Potter. I don't regret anything." She sniffed.
"So, what's with the water works?" Ginny asked impatiently this time.
"I couldn't help myself. At first, it was weird and then I felt like I was on fire. I made him do it to me again before I came back. It was the most wonderful feeling I have ever experienced." Hermione said quietly. "But I am afraid of the consequences. He was so gentle and caring I wanted more. I could not believe how I could get so out of control. I think he thinks I'm a little trashy."
"Hermione Jane Granger, you know Harry isn't like that. Stop being melodramatic! He loves you." Ginny chastised.
"But you didn't see me. I was like…oh forget it … you're probably right." Hermione said unconvincingly. "So I am sure you didn't wait up to see Harry and I did it or not. What's up?" Hermione changed the subject and immediately felt a little better.
Ginny related the conversation with Luna and then the one with Draco. She tried to tell Draco's story as close to word for word as she could get. She told Hermione that she believed him. She also told her she was afraid to be wrong.
"Ginny, I know you want him to be a changed man, but there is a great chance he's not. What can I do?" Hermione asked.
"Have Harry talk to him. He can tell whether people are lying to him, can't he? Or at least, I heard he can see what their thinking if they are hiding something or very emotional." Ginny pleaded. "I'd go crazy if I got caught up one more time as a naive little girl."
"I'll talk to him and make sure he knows to be discrete." Hermione answered. She wasn't sure she could convince Harry to talk to Draco, but she'd try.
"Don't let Harry be mean to him. I mean Draco looked really upset that I called him on it. He'd think I made a big deal about it. Please Hermione." Ginny again pleaded for Harry to be nice.
"Go to bed Ginny. I said I'll talk to him." Hermione said as she wrapped the towel around herself and headed for the shower.
Hermione showered with pleasant memories about the interlude with Harry. They'd laughed at how he'd not been able to restrain himself standing by the fire, but there was none of that later. She wondered if it got better as you learned each other's bodies. She looked at herself in the mirror and for the first time she realized just how beautiful she was. She was a young woman now, not a little girl. At least, she felt different now.
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The uneasiness and exhilaration of seeing each other the next morning wore off pretty quickly for Hermione and Harry. They kissed and held hands on their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. They joked about not completing the list last night and how they'd have to go to Luna's room this morning to finish it and use her as excuse for missing class. They'd already used the list once as an excuse. It wasn't like Hermione to find ways to skip class, but today being with Harry was the most important thing she was going to do.
As they rounded the last corner toward the Great Hall, Hermione had just finished telling Harry about her conversation with Ginny. He was a little embarrassed that she'd told Ginny about him getting too excited before he could even get undressed. He wanted to tell her not to share that kind of stuff with her friends, but he knew for the most part she wouldn't.
"So, you want me to invade Malfoy's thoughts, huh? You want me to talk to him and not be mean. I haven't been mean to him since the day I told him to be respectful to Ginny. And I did that on purpose to prove a point. I can talk to him. If he will talk to me, I can talk to him." Harry said in an upbeat manner. He wasn't sure of how much he believed of the story but he had at least a little to go on when they talked.
Occlumency went well with Dumbledore, they thought. Except they were sure that the afterglow of the night before had been a little confusing, because they tried to be as business-like to each other as possible to avoid letting on too much. They weren't sure it worked, but Hermione was getting much better at defending her thoughts and Dumbledore complimented her. Harry wasn't progressing much, but Dumbledore said that progress comes in leaps and bounds and then there were periods of no progress. Not to worry, he'd told them.
After Occlumency, Harry waited at the front door for everyone to return from the morning lesson at Hagrid's. He hoped he could get Malfoy alone for a few minutes to do what he'd promised Ginny and Hermione. Ginny saw him waiting and made an excuse leaving Draco behind.
"Draco, can I have a word?" Harry asked with a smile and outstretched hand offering a handshake.
"What's this all about Harry?" Draco seemed to smell a rat. "Handshakes from Potter…what your wand in the other hand today?" he half joked.
"I promised Ginny I'd talk to you Draco. She believes you are a changed man. Me, I'm a little more objective and harder to convince. I have to admit though; I don't get angry at you anymore when I just look at you." Harry was being as honest and straight-forward as he could. He wanted to see if there were still remnants of the hatred Draco had had before.
"Well, that's good. And, I don't want to puke because of your goodie-two-shoes act, either." Draco said with a wry smile.
"Touché! Hey, if anyone knows what it is like to face that bastard Voldemort, I do. If what you said to Ginny is true, he must have believed you to let you go alive." This time Harry was being intrusive. He looked hard into Draco's eyes and listened for signs of a lie.
"I told Ginny I agreed with everything he said." Harry was amazed at how truthful this sounded. He had told him that Voldemort had been there. Something that Ginny had not realized. "He tortured me to the point of death and held me there only to make the burning in my stomach and abdomen real. You saw the scars. Why would I do anything for a man who'd do that to me?"
"To save your skin if he had spies to catch you telling the stories," said Harry. Harry noticed Draco's eyes dilate slightly at that comment. "You know he has spies here. You must. How else could his men find Ron, Luna, and Ginny so quickly?" Harry was shooting in the dark now.
"How do I know that? I'll bet you're right though. Look, I just want to enjoy life and stop feeling like an outcast. I like Ginny and the more I see her the more I begin to know how wonderful she is. I listen to her tell stories about you and Ron. I sometimes wish I could have as devoted a friend as you. The way I grew up there is not loyalty. You know the old saying, 'No loyalty amongst thieves…' I can't convince you, you have to decide to try to trust me first." Said Draco.
"Well, I never turn down friendship when it's offered, but this time I have to make an exception. At least temporarily, anyway. Ginny's horrified that she's going to fall in love with another person who has deceived her. I can't blame her for that." Harry explained. "Draco, this may sound silly, but I believe you don't want to hurt anyone. I just can't see Voldemort allowing you to waltz away without some catch. Until I can figure that out, I'm going to have to promise to be cordial to you, but I'm not ready to mend all the fences."
"Harry, based on the past, I respect that. I would have to do the same. I am scared though Harry. I feel like I am one of Voldemort's targets too. Take care and say 'hi' to Hermione for me." Draco dropped that last bit in to let Harry know that he wanted to be friendly. Draco was alarmed at how well Harry had read the situation. He didn't want to hurt anyone and he wouldn't. Was he supposed to do something? He couldn't remember.
Standing 15 feet away, Carl heard every word. 'Okay,' he thought. 'We knew the potion might begin to change his personality, but he's forgotten the stuff he doesn't want to remember. It's the potion. I'll have to go in and remind him tonight about telling Potter too much and what he has to do.'