The FLC-Trouble In Paradise

1. The Forbidden Love Chronicles-Trouble In Paradise

A/N: Please visit the website for the FLC at www.silverwhisps.com after 10, 2004.

Trouble In Paradise

Ginny watched Draco with pride shining in her eyes. Her man was doing very well now that he’d adjusted to his transfer from Slytherin, a month before. As people slowly gave him a chance, they came to see he wasn’t that bad. She was coming to see he wasn’t that bad either. She’d had her fears that Draco’s rising popularity would cause him to revert to his former arrogant self, but he was doing surprisingly well. Sure, there had been a few times when he’d come close to showing his old face, but she’d reigned him in well. It had been well over a week since she’d had to tell him to watch it because his head was getting too large to carry on his shoulders.

            Even Hermione had begun to warm up to Draco, and that was really saying something. He’d apologized profusely for the times he’d insulted her, but what had really turned Hermione around was how Draco had come to her defense when Warrington and Pansy Parkinson, now a couple, had begun taunting her and calling her a mudblood.

Unfortunately there didn’t seem to be anything she, Draco, or even Hermione, could do to bring Harry and Ron around to Draco. Draco, Ginny admitted fairly, wasn’t exactly bending over backwards to form a friendship with them either. There was just too much animosity between them.

At the moment, Draco was kicking Hermione’s butt at a potions mock test, and if Ginny didn’t know better she’d swear Hermione was having the time of her life while battling genuine anger and frustration every time Draco beat her to an answer.

Ginny read the next question.  “The benefit of moonstone in a fertility potion such as utilis is-“

Draco’s hand snaked out to the buzzer first, beating Hermione to it for the third time in a row. “Moonstone is a natural anti-inflammatory,” Draco said, staring up at the ceiling and thinking. “It helps strengthen the uterus, while at the same time keeping down inflammation that is usually a side effect of the merry weed in the utilis potion. Unfortunately, Moonstone has a tendency to shorten the shelf-life of the potion, so it can’t be stored for more than two months in order to remain effective.”

Hermione glared at Draco. “Very good Draco. You…you win.”

Draco wiggled his fingers at Hermione. “It’s my Seekers reflexes. That’s all.”

“Too bad they never worked on the pitch when we played against each other,” Harry said. Ginny watched Hermione close her eyes and rub her forehead, readying for another argument.

“Harry, please don’t pick a fight,” Ginny said pleadingly. “Everything is going so well.”

“Don’t worry Ginny,” Draco said, looking up at Harry hatefully. “I have no intentions of rowing with Potter.”

“You don’t have the wit for it,” Ron said, coming to stand beside Harry.

“He just beat me at a potions test,” Hermione said hotly. “So he’s witty enough.”

“He must have cheated,” Harry said, shrugging.

“I did no such thing!”

“Aw, come off it,” Ron said, sneering. “A Slytherin would cheat in a heartbeat and not give it a second thought.”

“Draco isn’t a Slytherin anymore,” Hermione said, sitting forward.

“Why are you taking up for him?” Harry demanded. “After all the times he’s insulted you, why would you stick your neck out for him?”

“Because he’s changed and you two won’t give him a chance!” Ginny said heatedly.

“He’s changed,” Ron said, shaking his head. “Right. And I’m the new Minister of Magic.”

“Come on Ron,” Harry said, heading for the dorm. “Let’s leave the new trio to themselves.”

“Harry,” Hermione said, standing and going after them. Ginny watched her have a quiet but heated exchange by the dorm entrance with Harry and Ron. She touched Harry’s arm but he pulled free of her and went up the stairs, leaving Hermione looking after him with a wounded expression on her face.

Draco watched the exchange thoughtfully. “I hope they don’t break up over me.”

Ginny laughed. “What? Hermione and Harry aren’t dating.”

“Really?” Draco said, looking genuinely surprised. “When did they break up?”

“They were never a couple.”

“Really?” he said again, surprised. “Huh…the way they are with each other, I assumed they were a couple.”

“They do give that impression, don’t they?” Ginny said, watching Hermione as she went up the stairs to the girl’s dorm. “What made you think they were a couple?”

Draco shrugged. “The way they look at each other, stand next to one another. Just stuff in general. They look like they’re in love.”

“They probably are and just don’t know it, or they’re hiding it from everyone. I just can’t imagine Hermione dating Harry and not letting me know.”

Draco looked back at Ginny. “Want to play matchmaker?”

“No. We’ve got enough going on as it is,” Ginny said. “We’ll leave Harry and Hermione to themselves.”

Draco laid a hand over hers. “Dinner is almost an hour away.”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Want to work up an appetite?” Draco said, winking at her. Ginny grinned and took his hand.

“The room of requirement?”

“I was thinking something different. Like a hot little broom closet.”

“I know just the place,” Ginny said, smiling wickedly. “Come with me.”

~~~~~

Ginny collapsed onto Draco, panting and trying to catch her breath in the hot closet. She laid a sweaty head on his equally sweaty chest, listening to his heart thunder beneath her ear.

“Mmm…” she sighed, contented. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he said softly, stroking her hair back. He ran a hand down her back, feeling himself soften inside her. He regrettably slid out, but Ginny remained in place, straddling him, grunting in disappointment.

“Isn’t there a potion or a spell we could use to keep you hard?” she simpered. “That way you could stay inside me as long as I want.”

Draco laughed. “Not that I’m aware of. Well, there is this potion for impotence, but I don’t have that problem.”

“You sure don’t.” She kissed him again and then sat up. A frown pulled at her lips.

“I’ve been thinking about Harry.”

Draco let slip a little hiss, sounding very snake-like. “That’s the very worst thing you could say to me, ever, but especially after we make love.”

“Draco, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“He…he wasn’t on your mind while I was making love to you, was he?”

“Of course not! I just meant I was thinking about his reaction earlier today. He had sat in the common room watching us quietly. I think he was jealous that you and Hermione were interacting so well together. I think he feels threatened by you.”

“Oh yeah?” Draco said, grinning devilishly. “I like that.”

“I don’t,” Ginny said. “Draco you, Ron, and Harry are going to have to learn to put your differences behind you if we’re ever going to be friends. I miss my brother, and I miss the friendship I had with Harry. I want them back in my life, without all the anger.”

“Well, it isn’t from my lack of trying,” Draco pouted.

“Yes, it is. You rise to them every single time they bait you.”

Draco looked offended and sat up. “That’s not true. What about today when Potter made that crack about Quidditch? I didn’t rise to the occasion then. Why don’t you give me credit when I do something right?”

“I do give you credit! Answer me this: do you think you could have held out if Hermione hadn’t said anything?”

“Why is it up to me?” Draco said angrily. He maneuvered out from under Ginny and pulled his pants up, his face hard and angry. “Do you give Harry and Ron these lectures?”

“I’m not lecturing you,” Ginny said. She pulled up her underwear and straightened her hair. “I’m trying to talk to you.”

“Talk?” he said. “It sounds a lot like lecturing to me.”

He went over to the door and stormed out, not bothering to check for traffic, like a teacher who would question what he and Ginny had been doing in the closet.

“Draco!” Ginny said, running after him.

“I’ve been working my arse off trying to put right my wrongs!”

“I know you have, and I’m very proud of you for that, but it’s going to take more than a month for that to happen.  I’m just saying that all three of you need to make more of an effort to learn to forgive and forget.”

“Why should we?” Draco said, looking down at her.

“What kind of question is that?” Ginny demanded heatedly.

“It’s a simple one Ginny. Do I have to like Ron and Harry to have your love?”

“No, but it would be better for all of us if we could trust one another, especially with this war against Voldemort going on.”

“I’ve got news for you,” Draco said. “I’ve tried to befriend both Harry and Ron, and they spit in my face every time. I gave up, Ginny. I’m not extending the hand of friendship to someone when I know they’re just going to slap it away.”

“But, Draco-“

“I’m through with this conversation,” he said, striding away.

“Oh, I see,” Ginny said, following after him. “You don’t like a conversation so you say its over and that’s that huh?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

“Who died and left you king, Draco? You’ve changed in some ways, but you’re just as bad as always in others. How dare you be so presumptuous! How dare you assume you can just cut me off whenever you feel like it!”

“Trouble in paradise?”

They looked up and found Pansy Parkinson eyeing them with malevolent glee in her eyes.

“Oh, shut up you fat cow!” Ginny yelled angrily, strolling past her and into the Great Hall. Pansy shrieked in laughter and crossed her arms.

“Poor Draco,” she said. “Girl troubles? Need a shoulder to cry on? You can use me.”

“I’d rather be eaten by a horde of starving Blast-ended Skrewts than touch you, Parkinson.” Draco said. He walked past her indignant face with a feeling of grim satisfaction in his belly, but it was soon drowned in misery as he sat down next to Hermione, who was now between him and Ginny. Harry and Ron were digging into their food, ignoring him.

“What’s the matter with you two?” Hermione asked, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

“Ask Lord Draco,” Ginny said, grabbing a roll. She tore it apart and bit into it savagely. She slapped food onto her plate, slamming dishes and utensils. Draco did likewise, and suddenly a look of glee played across Harry and Ron’s faces.

“Did you two break up?” Ron asked hopefully.

“Want us to kill him for you Ginny?” Harry said, eyeing Draco hatefully.

“Shut up you two,” Hermione demanded. She looked at Draco and found him in a stare off with Harry.

“I’d be happy to rid the world of him for you,” Harry said.

Draco slammed his napkin down wordlessly, stood, and strode out of the Great Hall.

“See!” Ginny said angrily, drawing the attention of everyone at the table. “Why do you have to always do that, Harry? Why can’t you just accept him? And you!” Ginny said, rounding on Ron, pointing an accusing finger at him. Now everyone in the great hall was looking at her.

“What about me?” Ron demanded coldly.

“You act like you’re my father instead of my brother, and that you have the right to make my decisions for me. Well you don’t and I’m sick of it, do you hear me? I’m sick of the both of you! Just…stay away from me Harry, Ron. You’re ruining my life. You’re ruining the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I hate you for it!”

Ginny stormed away from the table as McGonagall stood to say something to her for disrupting dinner. Hermione watched her go, then turned back to Harry and Ron’s shocked faces.

“She’s so…” Ron started, but his voice trailed off.

“Right,” Hermione said. “She’s right. You two won’t even give Draco a chance. You, Harry, should know better than anyone how important second chances are. Remember how you felt when no one would believe the truth about Voldemort’s return and how people treated you like you had the plague?”

“This isn’t the same th-“ Harry started, but Hermione cut him off, starting on Ron.

 “And you, Ron, are always trying to control her life, and mine, and everyone that you claim to care about. You’re not God, so stop trying to act like Him. Ginny has found true love. A person is lucky if they can die saying they knew what real love was, and you two are doing your level best to take that away from her. I’m disgusted with both of you.”

Hermione grabbed a plate, piled it high, took a pitcher of pumpkin juice, and walked out of the Great Hall, hoping to find Ginny and convince her to eat. She didn’t see the confused looks she left behind on Harry and Ron’s faces, and even if she had, she doubted she would have cared.

~~~~~

Ginny was surprised when Draco strode across the Quidditch pitch with his Nimbus 2001 slung over his shoulder during tryouts for a new Beater. For a moment she’d forgotten her anger with him and started to smile, but then their fight from the night before came back to her, and so did her anger, only now it was considerably less than it had been the night before. Draco cast a furtive glance her way, and then strode over to Madam Hooch.

“Mr. Malfoy,” Hooch said, marking a check on her clipboard. “You’re here to try out for the recently vacated Beater position?”

“Yes,” he said. He lowered his broom and it floated at his knees.

“This will require you to protect your other team members from attack by the enemy bludgers,” Hooch said sternly. She looked between Harry, Ron, and Ginny, picking up on the hostility there, but she didn’t mention it. “I know there’s been some bad blood between you and the Seeker in the past, but you’ll need to work past that to be on this team. Here’s a scenario: A Chaser, in this case, Ginny, and the Seeker are both in danger of being hit by a Bludger. You have just as much chance of saving one as you do the other. Who do you protect?”

“The Seeker,” Draco said, without hesitation.

“That’s right,” Hooch said. “Always protect your Seeker. But you don’t really like Harry, and you’re dating Ginny. Would you be able to look past your personal relationships with Potter to uphold that fundamental rule of a Beater?”

Draco looked Hooch straight in the eye. “I’d like to think I would.”

Hooch nodded. “That was honest of you. You played Seeker for the Slytherin team before you transferred to Gryffindor. I needn’t tell you that the Beater position is tougher, and requires more concentration and physical activity than the Seeker position. The Bludger is always active, always attacking, and you have to keep up with it. You can’t rest, you can’t allow your team mates to be unseated from their brooms. Especially your Seeker! Loose your Seeker, you lose your game.  Think you have what it takes to do that?”

“Let’s get up there and find out,” Draco said. Hooch nodded vigorously and smiled. She blew the whistle as Draco mounted and the team shot up fifty feet into the air. Draco heard Hermione in the stands, cheering them on with a few other Gryffindor students, and Luna Lovegood, who wore a maroon jumper with a golden R on it.

Hooch hit the Quaffle, sending it into the air, which Ginny deftly caught. She then released two Bludgers, and finally the golden Snitch, which Harry chased immediately. “Marsden!” Hooch said, rising into the air on her broom. Brandon Marsden, a tough sixth year, rode over to her.

“Try to take out the Seeker, I’ll concentrate on Ginny. Let’s give Malfoy a practical examination, shall we?”

“Right.”

Marsden, who had replaced Jack Sloper earlier in the year, was doing a much better job as Beater than his predecessor. He continued to chase the Bludger around, deflecting it just as it attacked Ron. After ten minutes of practice, he saw his chance. Malfoy was flying after a Bludger, which Madam Hooch slammed with a spare bat she’d had hanging on the back of her broom. At the same time, he sent a Bludger at Harry, who was hanging in the air, searching for the Snitch.

Draco’s eyes widened. Both Ginny and Harry were in danger, and he could only save one of them. Draco made his decision, and flew toward Harry. He deflected the Bludger just before it could hit Harry. He swung around just in time to see the back of Ginny’s broom explode as the second Bludger slammed into it.

“Ginny!” Draco shouted, just as Ron and Harry did.

Draco dove for Ginny as she spun in mid air, unseated from her broom. She screamed as she barely managed to hold on to what was left of the broomstick with one hand. Madam Hooch took out her wand, prepared to catch Ginny, but Draco beat Harry to her and he looped an arm around her. He pulled her down, onto the broom, so that she was sitting on it sideways with her right side to his chest. She gripped his neck tightly, trembling as he stroked her back and sank to the ground. “I’ve got you, sweet. I’ve got you.”

Draco and Ginny got off the broom and he held her close. “You’re okay,” he cooed.

“I thought I’d fall,” Ginny said in a shaky voice. She looked up at him. “But I’m glad you saved the Seeker.”

Draco sounded disgusted with himself.  “I should have saved you. What if the Bludger had hit you instead of your broom? I would have broken ribs and knocked you right off your broom!”

“You did the right thing,” she said shakily. “And I’m fine.”

“You’ve got the job, Mr. Malfoy,” Madam Hooch said. “And I’m making you backup Seeker, should something happen to Potter before the beginning of a game.”

Draco looked at her with eyes that were bright with adrenaline. “You sent that Bludger at her purposely!”

“I wouldn’t have allowed her to fall,” Hooch said, taken aback by the anger in Draco’s voice. He was barely aware of Hermione, Luna, Neville, and Seamus coming up to them, asking if Ginny was okay.

“Take the position Draco,” Ginny said. “Please? You’re a great Beater. The team needs you. Please?”

Draco sighed. He couldn’t really refuse her when she looked at him like that. “Alright.”

Draco turned to lead her off the field when he found Harry and Ron blocking his path.

“You beat me to her,” Harry said, sounding deeply impressed. “You really did some beautiful flying. How come you never flew like that for the Snitch?”

“I didn’t love the Snitch,” Draco said, leading Ginny around Harry and the others, toward the locker room.

Draco pressed a cold cloth to Ginny’s swollen wrist. Now that he’d come down off the adrenaline high, he felt weak and tired. He just wanted to crawl into a bed with Ginny, wrap his arms around her, and sleep until the next day.

“Draco, Harry and I would like a word with you.”

Draco and Ginny looked up to see Harry, Ron, Luna, and Hermione approaching. Ginny heaved a sigh, preparing for a confrontation, as Hermione was, obviously.

“Look, I’m not-“

“We’ve been a…maybe we’ve been kind of…” Ron said, fumbling for words. He had a pained look on his face. “Look, I didn’t trust you, and I still don’t a hundred percent, but I did see one thing out on the pitch. Both Harry and I saw it.”

“Saw what?” Draco said, frowning, wary of another verbal attack.

“That you really do love Ginny,” Ron said. “Nobody could fake that kind of love, especially a snow-white little git like you.”

Luna elbowed Ron the ribs. “That wasn’t very nice, Ronald.”

“It’s the truth anyway,” Ron insisted, rubbing the place where she’d elbowed him.

Harry studied Draco. “I saw it too. I don’t fully trust you yet, but I’m willing to give you a shot,” Harry said. He offered Draco a hand. “I’m willing to try and put our past behind us if you are.”

Draco felt Ginny squeeze his arm and he sighed. He didn’t really like Harry, or Ron, but Ginny loved them, and he loved her. He also knew he’d once been the bad guy, while they’d been the good guys. He’d just have to take another couple of bites of crow and force it down until he’d made up for the wrongdoings of his past, and that, he knew, could take years.

Draco shook Harry’s hand, and then Ron’s.

“Hungry?” Harry asked.

Draco nodded. “Starved.”

“Let’s go get something to eat then. And that was some really cool flying. I was very impressed by how you-”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Draco said, “until you apologize to your girlfriend for hurting her feelings yesterday.”

Harry looked taken aback. “What?” He then cast a glance at Hermione, and found her cheeks glowing red. “Hermione isn’t my girlfriend.”

“I didn’t say she was,” Draco said, smiling now. He’d never dreamed he’d ever have a reason to smile at Harry Potter, but here he was, doing it. “You’re the one who looked at her.”

“But…who…Hermione isn’t my girlfriend,” Harry repeated, blushing. Ron and Luna were grinning at him.

“Maybe she should be,” Draco said. He wrapped an arm around Ginny and looked her in the eye. “Love is grand. You should give it a shot.”

He leaned down and kissed Ginny softly on the lips. Ron groaned. “Aw, come on you two, cut it out.”

Draco looked up to say something to Ron, and found that the red haired boy was looking at Harry, who was staring at Hermione, who was staring back at Harry with a gooey glow on their faces.

“Get a room,” Ron joked.

“How about we get some dinner?” Hermione said. Harry offered his arm and Hermione took it. They walked out of the locker room first.

Ron wrapped an arm around Luna and followed them.  “My jumper looks great on you, Luna…”

Ginny looped fingers with Draco, following Ron and Luna. “I’m sorry, Draco.”

“No, I’m sorry. I should have respected what you had to say and listened to you.”

“And I shouldn’t have laid it on your shoulders to make friends with Ron and Harry. I was wrong.”

“We both made mistakes,” Draco said. “What do you say we forgive and forget?”

“I say I’d be glad to.”

“I love you Ginny.”

Ginny wrapped an arm around Draco’s waist and walked into the sun with him. “I love you too Draco.”