Chapter 11 Threatened
The next morning, Ginny saw Draco ahead of her, walking up the corridor to the Great Hall. She hurried to catch up with him.
"Morning," Ginny said.
"Morning," Draco replied. He cast a wary glance around.
"On your way to breakfast?"
"Yeah, Crabbe and Goyle are waiting for me."
They reached the doors of the Great Hall and stopped.
"Want to make a go of this, then?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised.
She nodded.
"You understand what's going to happen?"
"Yes."
"Well, here we go…" Draco glanced at Ginny, his eyes guarded, and joined his hand with hers.
Ginny swallowed, nodded and they walked through the doors together. Draco walked Ginny over to the Gryffindor table and then waited until she had sat down.
"Well, see you later," Ginny smiled up at Draco.
"Later," Draco nodded as went over to sit at the Slytherin table.
As Ginny began to glance around, she noticed that many pairs of eyes were shifting between her and Draco with open curiosity. She fixed a smile on her face, and saw Hermione, Ron and Harry coming to join her. Ginny could see Draco sitting down next to Crabbe, whose eyebrow was furrowed. Warrington was casting a speculative eye at Draco. Whispering could be heard throughout the Hall.
"Are you mad?" Ron hissed incredulously as the three sat down around her.
Ginny shook her head. "We…we've decided not to be so secret anymore."
"But Ginny…" Ron's eyes went wide. "What if Malfoy's-"
"Draco," Ginny interrupted quietly. "His name is Draco."
Ron rolled his eyes. "What if Draco's father finds out?"
"Then he finds out."
Ron looked imploringly at Hermione who seemed, for once, to be at a loss for words.
"Ginny-" Hermione tried worriedly.
"All right, look," Ginny interjected heatedly. "Draco and I have talked, and this is what we want. We know we're putting ourselves in danger, but both of us think this relationship is worth it." She paused looking at each of them in turn. "We're going to the Christmas Dance together. End of story."
The other three goggled at Ginny in disbelief.
"You're what?" Ron said loudly, his ears turning red.
"Be quiet, Ron!" Harry said quietly, as people turned to look in their direction.
Ginny glanced at the Slytherin table. She could see Draco concentrating on his plate as Warrington spoke intensely to him. Crabbe and Goyle looked on, and nodded every now and then. Draco's eyes lifted briefly to hers and then lowered again. Warrington caught the look, and turned slightly to lock his eyes onto Ginny's. Ginny met his gaze defiantly, but then had to suppress an icy shudder as she saw his lips quirk into a maliciously calculating smile. She felt the blood drain from her face and turned away.
Ron was talking to her again, but she couldn't focus through the whine of fear in her head.
`What have I done?' Tendrils of dread were beginning to worm their way through her mind. Ginny rose slowly out of her seat and began to make her way blindly through the other students.
"Ginny…" Hermione was by her side. "Come with me." She guided Ginny out of the Great Hall.
"What have I done?" Ginny said aloud, tears now welling and spilling over.
"Shh, keep walking…we're almost to the portrait."
"I was the one who wanted this…not Draco," Ginny said, choking as she climbed into the common room, which was mercifully empty.
Hermione put an arm around Ginny, and got her to sit down on the couch. Ginny put her head in her hands, trying to calm herself. Just then, Ron and Harry made their way in through the portrait hole bringing Hermione and Ginny's books with them.
"Ginny, are you alright?" Ron knelt in front of Ginny as Harry sat on the couch beside her.
"I don't know..." Ginny told the others what she had seen Warrington do. "I just thought we could…overcome this somehow," she finished miserably.
The others exchanged worried glances over Ginny's head.
"Ginny," Ron said determinedly, "I want for you to be with at least one of us at all times, or at least as much as possible."
Ginny nodded.
"I'll walk you to class. Here's your books-we need to go-we're already late."
Ginny stood up and followed Ron out of the common room, with Harry and Hermione right behind them.
*********
Later that day, Ginny walked out of Transfiguration to find Draco waiting for her. She looked around for Ron but didn't see him.
"What are you…" she began.
"Walk with me."
"I saw what happened this morning. If you want to forget…"
Draco turned steely eyes to hers. "I don't."
"I think you're in danger…"
"I thought we expected that."
"But what are we going to do?"
"I'll worry about that."
"Draco…"
"Enough!" Draco stopped and turned to her. "This is what I tried to warn you about. Either we're together, or we're not. Which is it, Ginny?"
After a long moment, she reached out and placed her hand in his.
"So that's how it is," a voice smirked from behind them.
Draco and Ginny turned quickly to find Warrington, Crabbe and Goyle standing in the corridor behind them with nasty grins on their faces.
Draco stepped in front of Ginny. "Yeah, that's how it is."
"What does your father think about this, Malfoy?" Goyle leered.
"I don't know," replied Draco softly, eyes narrowed.
"Y'mean he's not been…informed…about this relationship?" Crabbe tilted his head.
"I really don't see how it's anyone's business." Draco said shortly.
"Oh, really…well, we'll see about that," Warrington slowly looked around Draco to Ginny and grinned nastily. "She is a nice piece of…"
"Watch it, Warrington!" Draco said dangerously. He drew his wand from his robes, and held it ready.
"Yeah, right, take us all on!" The three boys walked away laughing. "Later, Malfoy!" Warrington called back menacingly.
Draco and Ginny stood in silence for a while, waiting for their footsteps to fade.
"Draco, I'm so sorry…" Ginny was shaking with sobs behind him. "I didn't want this to…"
Draco turned to her, gripping her arms almost painfully and pulled her into the nearest empty room. "Ginny, stop! This was my choice, too, and I knew what I would be dealing with when I made it."
Ginny flung her arms around him. "I just want you to be safe…"
Draco pulled her arms down, and fixed his eyes on hers. "You see now what we're up against…are you willing to go on with it?"
Ginny placed her hand back in Draco's.
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