AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Heyy! I'm back... I know this took a little longer than usual, but I'm on winter break, so I went south with some friends, were I obviously had no computer, etc. However, I really needed to say that, whatever happens, I'm not planning on giving up on this fic, so if one week I don't update, don't panic! I promise I'll never abandon it, as long as you don't abandon reading it... And for what you say on your reviews, I'm fairly confident that you won't :)
Another fact that I wanted to point out to all those who've been wondering about the new Dark Prince Dylan V. Gray ist that he's a creation of my own... No, it's not Harry, Voldemort or anyone you could possibly know. Sorry if I disappoint anyone with this. Dylan is a character that has always lived in my mind, and he fits so well with the plot, that I just had to put him in. There's a great story to him too, I won't just throw him in. I hope by the end you will get to love him as much as I do.
Anyway... OVER A HUNDRED REVIEWS! woot woot! You guys are so great and supportive... I luv you so much! I write this story only as a way to thank you for all the wonderful words you've written about my story... I think I'll cry... snif, snif so… before that happens, on with the story!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of JK Rowling's amazing characters. However the plot and the new characters are all mine.
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Chapter VII: NOT ALL PEACHES N' CREAM... OR YES?
"For Merlin's sake, Wihler! Can't you do one thing, just one miserably simple task without turning your mission into a complete disaster?" asked an irritated hoarse voice.
"Oh, your highness" he sobbed. "I'm so terribly sorry..." replied a small, afraid voice.
"You always are, you incompetent wanker, but I still don't see any results that could possibly amend your situation!"
"But Master, you know I've always been your most loyal and most faithful, and most -"
"Oh, shut up, Wihler, don't go all gooey on me, you worthless imbecile," the strong voice said in a tired tone. "That won't do to ease my anger right now..."
"I tried, your highness! I really did!"
"Then why - don't - you try... HARDER!" he scolded, his words echoing in the room. "I even told you her exact location and then you go and screw up! What kind of fool are you!"
"Master, you must understand that you told me she was in one place and then, there was this other girl there, which I brought to you!"
"Wihler, for heaven's sake! You know the way she looks, you know the marks that tell her apart from the rest! Is it all that difficult, really!"
"Oh, my Lord, but she did have this..."
"Scars, you idiot! They're all full of scars, obviously!" he scowled.
"And what was -?"
"A birth-mark, you nimwit! can't you tell the difference, after all this years? Merlin, you're really making me feel all frustrated here..."
"I'm so sorry, Master, I promise I won't ever miss again" he begun excusing himself.
"You better," he warned.
"In fact, in this very moment I'm planning something faultless to capture my Lady, the princess to your throne".
"Good... Although faultless is not a word that is usually compatible with you, as anyone could see," he added mordantly.
"I know, your majesty... but I'm telling you, your highness, this is just spotless and perfect, and -"
"That will do, Wihler! have a break, for pity's sake..."
"Alright then. Until the next report, Master Gray!" he replied cheerfully, to which the other voice didn't reply.
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Ginny woke up that morning feeling as relaxed and rested as ever. She stretched her arms lazily, arching her back, without yet opening her eyes. She had slept so pleasantly last night, absolutely unperturbed. The red-head rubbed her eyes with her fists and when she finally opened them, she snapped out of it.
"Oh my freakin... -" Ginny gasped, sitting up and looking around, realising where she was. "God!" she cried, feeling more desperate by the second. She had fallen asleep. "How could you do that, Ginny! What were you thinking! Falling asleep with a Malfoy marauding around... Oh my god, oh my god..." she kept repeating herself as a thousand images of what might have happened to her last night flashed through her mind.
Ginny breathed heavily, almost panting, leaving a dim cloud of white steam in the air, due to the awfully cold temperature of the room.
"You were raped, Ginny... that's it... You had it comin','" she thought, frantically. "No way in hell that the bastard didn't take this opportunity... uh, uh." She bit her nails nervously at the thought.
Ginny felt like crying at the time... She had saved her virginity for so long and idealized that special moment a million times, what for? So that it happened with a guy she didn't want to, unwillingly and now she couldn't even remember it at all. So much for her 'first time'... Nothing like the prince charming she had always dreamed of...
"Nice..." her inner voice kept reproaching her, as she glared at the other side of the bed, noticing that it hadn't been used, therefore they hadn't exactly 'slept' together. She figured out he probably didn't sleep at all.
"Great... So he was on top of me the whole time," she explained herself. "...on top of me, below me, inside me..." she heard a voice inside her remind her. Ginny curled her lips and begun feeling really nauseous all of a sudden. What difference did it make? She had been abused and nothing would ever be the same for her.
Then she scarily lifted the covers down to her waist and rose her dress' top part to inspect her body's condition through the neck aperture... She was sure that the bloody git wouldn't have treated her precisely like fine china...
"That's funny..." she thought, gazing at her chest. Her underwear was still on and her body didn't seem mistreated at all.
She reached with her hands to press her breasts gently in search of bruises or sensible spots from last night. Nothing. She frowned in disbelief.
"So the prick did treat me good after all... Even had the courtesy of leaving my clothes back on... wow, that's comforting" she thought, sarcastically. "Oh my god..." she uttered, reaching a little lower, between her legs, her eyes closed with the psychological struggle she was going through. "Please..." she begged. However, after her thorough tactile inspection, she opened her eyes back again.
"Could it be?" she wondered. She was still as virgin as she was when she'd fallen asleep the previous night.
However, this only left the poor red-head more confused than she was when she'd woken up that morning. What had he done to her then? Did he rape her and then jinxed her back to normal or something? Was there such charm? She furrowed her brow, feeling awfully frustrated and angry with herself.
"How dare him touch me after all he's done?" she thought in fury, tears peeking through her eyes with helplessness. "Be strong, Ginny for heaven's sake!" she told herself. "You promised him…" she sobbed. "you promised him you would never give up!" she added, thinking of the day Harry and her had parted, which didn't make her feel any better.
"No..." she whispered softly, yet meaningfully, her eyes glowing with rage. "You won't do it for him anymore..." she uttered, sobbing and wiping the tears off her eyes. "You shall survive this for you, and for you only, Ginevra Weasley! Even if it's the only thing you do, you won't let any of this tear you apart!".
And with this last words, she stood up tall, straightened her dress and strode off to the kitchen for breakfast duties, fighting desperately to push every unpleasant thought away.
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"Heeello, you little devil..." Blaise taunted Draco in a slightly high-pitched tone as they sat for breakfast.
"Sod off, Blaise, will you?" Draco replied, making a gesture with his hand, not bothering to face the dark-haired boy who looked at him with a malicious smirk on his face, expecting to hear his story.
"Aww... what happened, Drakie boy? The girl's been... sweeping the floor with you?" Blaise suggested, meaningfully, as he grabbed the blonde's arm and looked up at him with puppy eyes. Draco brusquely shuddered off.
"Blaise, I'm warning you... This is horrible timing for jokes, so don't fuck with me right now" Draco threatened.
"Not in the mood, are we?" he uttered, faking a tone of understanding and partnership. "The girl didn't satisfy you, my friend? Oh, not to worry, mate... There's plenty of fish out there in the deep blue sea and I'm sure that -"
"It's not like that, you pillock! Keep your nose out of this, Zabini!" he yelled, looking at Blaise with hate as he poured some black coffee into his mug.
"Let me see..." Blaise begun, rubbing his chin with his fingers, as if thinking something. "Oh, I know," he paused, adding a pitiful tone to his words. "Last night's stratagem backfired again..."
Draco didn't answer, as he had a sip of his coffee and thought on what he had done last night. Or rather, what he had not done.
"I knew it, I just knew it..." Blaise sighed, interpreting Draco's silence as approval. "I was thinking you could really use some help, Draco". The blonde glared at him, brutally biting a piece of toast. "No, seriously! At this rate, you won't ever get laid again".
"Blaise," begun Draco, in an attempt to stay calm "How many times do I have to tell you that my sex-life -"
"Or the lack of it..." Blaise reproached
"IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" he scolded.
"Had a bad night? Is that it? The little bitch couldn't get enough of you... tough, strong stallion?" he added chortling, grabbing Draco's chin, after which the blonde quickly shrugged off, making his anger even more evident.
"Don't you dare call her like that!" he scowled as Blaise dig his teeth on a carrot muffin.
"Wha-?" Blaise muttered in a suffocated voice, still chewing his muffin.
"Don't play innocent with me, Blaise... I know you're not all that stupid, you know perfectly well what you said," Draco threatened.
"I know I called you a tough stallion, since when did that ever bother -"
"Her, you pillock! Her!" he retorted, already losing his tempter.
"Oooh... So we're becoming fond of this cute, little servant, are we?" he said, patting his shoulder
"No..." he answered, removing his friend's hand off his shoulder with two clamp-like fingers, feeling his cheeks slightly flushed. "We're becoming tired of the stupid comments of the brainless git who's sitting right next to me!" Draco scolded. Blaise glared at the rather nervous guy who was sitting next to Draco for a second.
"You know, Chad may be chubby and dorky at times, but he's not all that bad..." he pointed out, in a serious tone. Draco rolled his eyes. "I mean, next to my potions' buddy Daryl, who keeps reminding me of how he once went hunting with his super-hero daddy, he almost seems like a nice chap and I don't think that- Bloody hell! Speaking of nothing, he's heading this way..." he warned, hiding behind Draco's shoulder. The blonde saw as Daryl waved from the entrance and made his way towards them, dropping chairs and stumbling against everything on his way.
"I'm out of here," he mumbled and stood up from the bench to head towards his room and wash his teeth, leaving Blaise without his cover.
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"That's so sad, Gin," Bekka uttered, after hearing her sad tale.
"Yeah, but I- Merlin, I don't know! I guess on the good side, he didn't leave me all bruised and everything... It's probably better that I don't remember a thing… I couldn't live with myself otherwise... It's just-" Ginny begun in a gloomy tone.
"Disappointing?" Vicky inquired.
Ginny nodded, grinning sadly, as she cleaned a dish for what it seemed like the ninth time already.
"Well?" shrieked Mrs. Draggery behind her, causing the girls to get back to their own duties. "Are you planning to rub that dish until it speaks to you to say it's enough, missy, or will you finally realise you've got a huge pile still waiting to be cleaned before dawn!" The old woman now picked on Ginny as often as she possibly could.
"Yes ma'am," replied Ginny politely, without looking up.
"'Yes ma'am'..." she said, in an unsuccessful attempt to mimick Ginny's voice. "That's all you ever got to say, don't you? Still, it seems like you never learn, do you? You worthless piece of scum!" she added, grabbing the edge of her dress' neck. "What the -" she begun, noticing something inside her dress. "What the bloody hell is this!" she yelled, grabbing the neck of Ginny's orange tank-top; she always wore it under her uniform on those cold days.
"It's umm.. it's just a t-shirt, ma'am" she answered, with fright in her tone.
"A t-shirt, ey? I wonder when did I ever allow you to wear it... Again my memory must be very fragile; let me see..." she said, pausing as if to think for a brief second, taping her fat cheek with his forefinger. "NEVER!" she scowled.
"I'm sorry, madam, it's just that I was dreadfully cold and I thought that -" Ginny begun excusing herself.
"Aww... poor thing... You haven't found the school's accommodations suitable for your most sensitive health? Then it is me who should be sorry, I believe..." she said sarcastically.
Ginny sighed, knowing she was doomed.
"Do you see any of the other girls wearing this kind of thing?" she said, holding a piece of cloth from the tank-top as if it was a dirty diaper.
The red-head nodded, though she knew of some other girls who did the same as her.
"What a coincidence, neither do I!" Mrs. Draggery retorted, faking a tone of surprise. Then she transformed her cynical smile into an evil smirk, pursing her thin lips. "Follow me!" she barked and strode off towards the exit of the kitchen, then through a number of hidden corridors and finally up to the very top of the astronomy tower, where the roof had been blown out, so there was nothing but a solid rock base.
Ginny followed quietly, feeling how the hairs at the back of her neck pricked up, because of the temperature. Her feet were absolutely stone-cold frozen.
Mrs. Draggery looked around from the top of the tower and sighed with satisfaction. Then she finally turned around to face the appalled red-head and spoke calmly.
"Undress," she commanded, not looking at her.
Ginny gaped her eyes at her, without moving an inch.
"What, are you stupid and deaf? I said, undress! and quickly, if you don't mind..." she ordered, staring at the horizon.
Ginny slowly begun pulling her zipper down and reluctantly taking her dress off. The wind was so strong and cold, that Ginny felt she would blow away any minute. When she finished, she stood shyly staring at the fat lady, who in turn stared back at her.
"For bloodily's sake, girl! Do I have to say this yet again! I said undress!" Ginny looked at her half naked body supposing it would be self-explanatory enough. "Completely!" she scowled, with a vicious glare and a smirk.
Ginny undid the brooch of her bra, covering her small, round breasts with the other hand and painfully begun to pull her knickers down, covering as much as she could with her skinny hands, which didn't help much. The situation was so denigrating... The only comfort the red-head seemed to have, lied in the fact that Mrs. Draggery didn't seem to show much interest for her pale, naked body and instead preferred to look away, or rather straight into her eyes.
The day was freezing; Ginny couldn't feel her body anymore.
"Now lay down, on your stomach. Legs and arms parted over the stones," she ordered.
As Ginny obeyed and her bare skin made contact with the hard, gelid stone, she gasped, feeling she might actually turn into an ice statue any second. The coldness was unbearable and she could almost feel her skin getting stuck to the floor, if she wasn't so icy that her senses were not responding properly anymore.
"What?" asked the old woman, noting her reaction. "Things suddenly got a little chillier?" she chortled. "Now stay there until sunset, when I'll be waiting for you downstairs," she added turning towards the staircase, while Ginny shivered. "And I wouldn't move too much if I were you, or else the ravens will come pecking on you before your time is up," she added sinisterly, following downstairs.
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The time went by as slowly at it had ever done before... Ginny watched impatiently as the sun descended at the rate of what seemed like an inch per hour and felt completely helpless. Worse of all, with so much time available without doing anything, all she could do was think about last night's incident, still cursing herself every time she put the thought into mind, with her lip tingling out of control.
The red-head felt like she would faint, but it was the cold itself that kept her awake. Every single bone of her body ached as nothing had ever before, immobilising her limbs. The chilly wind caressed her slender, petrified curves, forcing her to stop breathing every now and then.
She saw how a tear fell from her eye and turned into ice as soon as it reached the gelid stone.
She soon realized that things just couldn't get any worse; she was as cold as she had ever been, and so all she lived to do was to wait... Her brain wasn't responding properly either now, and Ginny somehow felt thankful for that, because now she wouldn't be able to ruminate about her horrible nightmare.
Little by little, the sun finally descended and that was when a tough challenge was set upon her: get her body to respond and crawl down stairs. Slowly and gently she tried bending her arms, to impulse her body up, but her muscles couldn't take it and forced her back down to the floor again, collapsing painfully. It hurt like hell every time she tried and Ginny felt her bones might actually be breaking into pieces with every nasty fall. It took her twenty-three tries to finally dis-attach herself from the ground and crawl down the stairs, feeling the warmth coming from inside the tower.
She reached a room with a mushy carpet and a lit fireplace, which made her feel as thankful as ever. Her body slowly begun to return to its normal state again, involuntarily shuddering every once in a while, when Mrs. Draggery arrived strumming in.
"Learned a lesson there, ey?" She said bitterly. Ginny, in turn, glared at her with scorn, as she still shivered. "Aww... still cold, honey?" she questioned cynically, gazing at the red-head whose naked body was practically inside the fireplace in her attempt to warm herself and still cover her parts at the same time. "Let me help you out!" she yelled, sprinkling some live red hot coals over the girl's back with her walking stick, making her scream in pain as the live coals seemed to melt her back's skin.
"SHUT UP NOW, YOU WHINING, LITTLE SLUT! You asked for it!" she scolded, throwing her pile of clothes at her, while Ginny sobbed. "Dress up and report to Mr. Malfoy's room".
Ginny did this as fast as she could and ran out of the tower, minding not to trip, as her feet were still half frozen.
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Draco was lying on his back over the bed. Then he rolled to his side, then he sat up and then laid on his back again. The blonde was restless and incredibly nervous. This time there was no escape, she would arrive any minute now and they would unavoidably have to confront. What would he say?
Suddenly, he heard sobs from down the corridor and moans that kept drawing near. He furrowed his brow. Something was not right.
Then the door opened and in came a weeping, little red-head, with her skin a colour that went from white to almost blue, and pale red in her cheeks, nose and ears. Draco was pretty shocked by the sight and gasped as if to say something.
"Malfoy," she sobbed in a weary, hoarse tone, as the cold had taken her voice partially away. "Save it... You're the last person on Earth I would like to talk with right now, especially after -" she paused.
"What!" replied Draco, defensively, thinking on how good he had been to her last night and how little she seemed to have cared about it. "Maybe it's better that way," he thought.
"Don't play the victim with me, Draco. You've done enough already. I hope you enjoyed yourself last night, 'cause I'm warning you, it will never happen again! Did I make myself clear?" she hissed, then coughed painfully.
Draco looked puzzled to the extreme and didn't even reckon the fact that she had called him by his first name.
"Are you threatening me?" he shot back. "Has somebody forgotten about the hierarchy around here all of a sudden?" he added, eyeing her maliciously.
"I'm not afraid of you, you slug," she retorted, totally aware that this conversation had the taste of a true slave insurrection.
"Well, maybe you should," he threatened, smirking.
"You are such an asshole, Malfoy," she spat with distaste. "I can't even believe you have the face to talk to me like nothing is the matter!" she added, unable to alter the blonde's serene countenance. "Then again, you are a Malfoy, aren't you?"
"Look Weas - urm, Gin-...nev-...ra," he replied in an attempt to chill things down, noticing how oddly satisfying it felt to say her name, but minding she didn't notice it. "I don't know what's come up to you, but after spending a night in the couch, which I don't remember ever doing before, the least I would expect is a little conside-"
"You spending a night in the couch while I pleasantly slept on your king-sized bed! Do you actually expect me to believe such bullshit?" she scowled. "You insult me!"
"I swear! I didn't touch you!" he shot, minding it sound as if he wouldn't have minded touching her if he had really wanted to.
"Yeah, right... And I'm Pansy Parkinson saying I'm still a virgin! Honestly Draco, who do you take me for!" she retorted.
"Was that my name?" he noticed, "And who'd ever think the little weasel would actually look somewhere close to beautiful when she's irritated… Or maybe I just enjoy annoying her," Draco thought, absentmindedly with a fixed smirk on his face.
"Look, if you won't believe me, then fine! Go ahead; my conscience is clear..." he uttered with determination.
"As clear as the toilets I have to clean every morning, that is!" Ginny scolded back at him, but instead of replying back, Draco just grimaced at her and turned away towards his desk.
"What? Are you backing up? Finally admitting your crime? What a bloody coward you are..." she suggested, but the blonde didn't bother and kept walking. "I didn't expect much more coming from a bloody Malfoy anyway..." she added meanly, to which Draco paused.
"All right, that did it!" he yelled, turning on his heel and walking decidedly to stand next to her.
He roughly grabbed her by the shoulders and added.
"Now listen Mrs. I'm-too-perfect-to-accept-I-was-wrong, I can be many things, but a liar and most importantly, a coward! So unless you really want me to be truthfully evil at you, you will mind you mouth!" he said both mordantly and meaningfully, looking her straight into her apparently hurt eyes.
He smirked with pride at the evident effect his words had had on her.
"Reverential fear," he thought, snottily. "Now that's what I call a real Malfoy trademark," he added to himself.
In an incredible self-management effort, he let go of her and made it towards his desk again. However, something wet in his fingertips caught his attention. He looked at the red liquid on them and after smelling it, he confirmed what it was.
Maybe it hadn't been about Malfoy reverential fear afterall.
"You're bleeding," he uttered, furrowing his brow in disbelief.
Ginny sobbed.
"So what if I am?" she replied in an attempt to sound tough.
"Alright..." he said, rolling his eyes and turning towards one of his cupboards, unlocking it and spreading what seemed like hundreds of potion bottles until he finally came up with a jar containing a transparent, thick gel. Then he walked towards the red-head who stood defiantly.
"What do you want?" she said brusquely.
"Why, to give you a nice massage and see if I get lucky enough to get you to bed tonight," he said in a sarcastic tone. Ginny grimaced.
"What's that?" she asked, staring at the flask he was carrying in his right hand.
"It's burn-healing paste. I think that's what happened to you, am I correct?" he questioned.
She nodded, reluctantly and furrowed her brow, unbelieving at this apparently nice' gesture from him.
"Don't fool yourself, Weasel," he hurried to explain. "I just don't want my carpet all stained in Weasley blood," he stated. "Now, pull your zipper down so I can put it on your wounds".
Ginny gasped, feeling deeply offended.
"What would ever make you think that I would bare my skin to you?" she scowled in her almost soundless voice. "Willingly!" She quickly added, upon remembering what the blonde must've done to her the other night.
Draco sighed.
"C'mon, woman, either you trust me for a moment here, or you bleed yourself to death," he urged, noticing the back of her uniform was soaking with blood stains.
"Why should I!" she uttered roughly, tears falling from her eyes as she felt the open wounds in her back stinging like hell.
"Because -!" he begun, scowling aloud. "Because," he continued, lowering his voice. "I'm... the.. only one... who..." Ginny gaped her eyes at him. "who could save your skin right now!" he finished, noticing a slight disappointment in her eyes.
Ginny gasped loudly, searching for a suitable excuse to decline Draco's offer. When she convinced herself that she wouldn't make it through the night in that state, she defeatedly replied.
"Alright".
"Good," Draco stated in a sort of professional tone "Good..." he repeated, then cleared his throat nervously.
"But if you dare to do anything more than healing the wounds, I'll -"
"Ok, fine... deal!" he uttered with boredom, rolling his eyes. "As if there was anything more exciting to it other than preventing my room to look like a war battlefield," he added.
But they both knew there probably was…
"Well?" he asked, seeing that Ginny wasn't doing too well with that zipper.
"It's stuck," she said, while she struggled with the zipper. Then she turned her head around, gazing at him over the shoulder. She sighed. "Alright, would you help me out?" Draco smirked.
"My pleasure, I'm sure," he said, gallantly, closing the distance between them.
As he touched her neck with one hand, Ginny felt a jolt of electricity up her spine and couldn't help being obvious about it.
"What was that?" inquired Draco, smirking with pride at the reaction he was able to cause on her.
"I'm just cold," she hurried to answer. "That's all".
And with a brusque, but skilful movement, he pulled the darned zipper down to her lower back, making her gasp in astonishment, taking her hand to her back, which didn't prevent Draco from getting a glimpse of her black knickers, that made him feel a little aroused.
"Alright, will you lay on the bed?" the blonde asked Ginny, who glared at him uncertainly. "Please," he added in his most charming tone.
The red-head did as she was told and waited for him to sit next to her. When he did, he opened the folds at the sides of her dress for a better view of the damage. He cringed at seeing how hurt she was and how painful those gashes should be.
Without previous warning, Draco undid Ginny's bra brooch with one hand, holding her stunning mane of fiery red-hair aside with the other one, so that it wouldn't bother, which caused the surprised red-head to shrug. Ginny decided not to protest, for the moment, unless things got uglier.
Then the blonde took the lid off the flask and begun applying the gel in gentle circular movements around each wound, whichg would heal instantly, in an almost miraculous way.
Then someone inopportunely knocked on the door.
"Not now!" Draco protested, thinking it must've been Blaise coming to bug him off, as usual. "What the hell do you -" he begun, opening the door. "Want" he finished the sentence, bewildered at the fact that no one was standing there.
He opened the door further and stared into the corridor. No one.
"Bloody cowards..." he uttered, and slammed the door, that strangely bounced back, instead of staying shut. "What the -" he said, returning to shut the door, that now didn't show any resistance. "Duh..." he mumbled, spotting a dirty sock in the floor, by the door frame.
"What's wrong?" asked Ginny, who was lying, waiting for him, over the bed.
He fought the urge to shoot back a Malfoyish `what the hell do you care?' answer, deciding it would do nothing but make him look childish.
"Nothing," he resolved, "just some stupid wankers, I guess..."
She rolled her eyes, unimpressed yet again by the blonde's way of referring to people.
"By the way, urm... Gin-ny" he begun. The red-head grinned faintly upon listening him call her by her short name. "I was just wondering... why didn't you ever tell me off after... well... you know... when you saw me with that girl and -"
"Don't be ridiculous; as if they would ever believe me over your word... Especially since that dreadful Draggery woman appears to have a little crush on you, it seems," she suggested.
"Oh... that," he replied. "Disgusting, old, whale, isn't she?"
"You have no idea..." she chortled, followed by a brief silence.
"Did she do this to you?" he asked, pressing softly a blister that wouldn't come out. When he lifted his finger, it was gone. Ginny nodded, while the blonde sighed. "How would anyone have the heart..."
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, furrowing her brow. The question caught Draco unaware, as he thought he had said those last words in his head.
"Well, to damage something so... delicate, so... beautiful..." he paused, tightly shutting his eyes in remorse, as he waited for the girl to laugh at his slip of sensitiveness.
But she didn't and instead listened quietly, seemingly pleased by his words.
"It's like tearing a rose apart with one's fist..." he dared continue.
"You might prick a finger that way, though," she suggested. " In this world, some thorns might even kill you".
"Are you suggesting something?"
"Only that strength is not always the most powerful weapon," she replied. "Draggery might tear my skin apart or break my bones into pieces, but as long as she doesn't break my spirit, she won't get me down".
"True..." Draco uttered, feeling a little itchy jealous about her strength of will somewhere in his heart.
The rashes, wounds and blisters had almost disappeared by then, leaving Ginny's back as lean as it ever was. However, Draco now appeared to be struggling to erase one last scar that didn't seem to be affected whatsoever.
"Damn it," he uttered, rubbing a little harder.
"What is it?" the red-head asked.
"It's this funny-shaped scar on your left shoulder that won't come off," he grumbled.
"Oh, I know what you're speaking about. Leave it, it's not a scar, it's a birth mark. I've had it ever since I can remember," she explained.
"Really?" inquired Draco, giving up the rubbing and staring curiously at the mark. "It doesn't look like a birth-mark at all, though... That shape... It's like a -"
"A twisted cross?" she chuckled.
"No, not really... I mean well yes, now that you mention it, but it looks a bit like a bird to me," he added, studying the birth-mark, while Ginny furrowed her brow. "A stork maybe or… No, more like a swan perhaps".
"You're the biggest liar ever, Draco!" she yelled, in a friendly, though challenging, tone.
"No, I'm not," he censured.
"Yes you are!" she reproached, throwing a cushion at his face, which caught him slightly unaware, so he hesitated for a moment.
"Oh yeah?" he threatened, smirking mischievously, and decided to play the game, throwing it back at her.
Before they knew it they were in a middle of a slightly heated pillow fight, laughing and screaming, when Draco suddenly ended up throwing her against the mushy carpet, holding her hands apart, while they caught their breaths. Then he looked at her, penetrating her with his silvery eyes and without even thinking, as though a supernatural force had driven him to it, he fiercely pursed his lips with hers, planting a deep kiss that left the red-head breathless.
Ginny gaped her eyes open, freeing her hands and grasping the carpet in despair, but soon enough her hands loosened up and found their way towards the back of Draco's head, where her fragile fingers tangled playfully, though urgently, between his golden locks, which caused the blonde to groan with pleasure.
As unlikely as it was, the pair remained locked up in an intoxicatingly intense kiss, unable to break apart, without even knowing why they were doing what they were doing or how did they ever engage in such a compromising situation, being that they passionately despised one another…
Maybe after a while the hate didn't matter anymore… And all that was left was the passion...
Draco's right hand was intrepidly lifting the edge of her dress when... she felt it.
The red-head uttered a suppressed whimper, shrugging off and pushing him apart, abruptly.
"Draco... I -" she hesitated at what she was about to say, "I think we should leave it there for tonight, alright?" she said, feeling her cheeks flushing with arousal as she stood up.
"Oh, sure... I was- erm... thinking the same thing," he lied, slightly panting and feeling ultimately stupid.
"Well I... wondered- whether... or how..." she continued, embarrassed by the uncomfortable situation.
"Oh, yes..." the blonde begun, reading her thoughts. "You can take the bed," he offered, "I'm okay with my good, old couch here," he said, patting its leather surface. "Nothing as comfortable".
"Really?" she asked, uncertain.
"Sure," he replied, rolling over to face the back of the couch as he covered up with the blanket he had used the previous night.
"Well, I- Good night then," she uttered, slipping inside his bed.
"Night," he replied and closed his eyes, feeling as frustrated as ever. The blonde didn't remember the last time, if there ever was one, when a girl had turned him down in a situation like that.
"Everything was just perfect!" he thought angrily, with impotency. "What could've possibly gone wrong?" he wondered and accommodated grumpily in the couch, going through his every move in the hope to find his mistake.
"If he only knew..." Ginny sighed, from the opposite corner of the room. "He would never believe me..."
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Chappie Seven! yay! I think I'd never written a chapter so fast, it's just that over the holidays I kind of mentally wrote everything down in my head, so all I had to do now was type it out. This is one of the chapters I had thought from the very beginning. Hope you like it, though I reckon it might be a little dark and scary at times... But hey! Everything in this story happens for a reason.
Don't forget to READ & REVIEW... Every opinion counts for me... I read all of them and enjoy each one thoroughly!
Special thanks to my last chapter's REVIEWERS: **down2earthangl85**, **Seana**, **Mooshy**, **-T-**, **hunnee**, **chocolatefroggie**, **mattt k**, **Tears ofthe Phoenix**, **kirara**, **Faeries Masquerade**, **draco li'l hottie**, **Dj Mandy B**, **lilmisspotterluver**, **Peanut**, **Momentyne**, **werewolfgal4**, **monagy3**, **ferret girl**, sevenofseven**, **Pirate**, **Taryn**, **essence** and various **Anonymous**
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