Don't tell me
The bad news
Don't tell me anything at all
Just tell me
You need me
And stay right here with me
Luna and Hermione were talking about Ginny's mystery date when she burst through Hermione's door with a mile
wide grin on her face. Hermione and Luna gave her the third degree immediately.
"Yes, I take it?" Hermione guessed.
"YES, YES, YES, YES!" Ginny yelled.
"Wooooooo hooooooo!" yelled Luna with her.
"Soooooooo…" Hermione started.
"So what?" Ginny teased.
Exasperated Luna said, "WHO IS HE?"
"You'll see...it's not someone you would expect though." Ginny teased further.
"Hahaha, oh Ginny you're so needy for a date you asked Professor Snape? I told you I know some cute Ravenclaws," Luna laughed.
Hermione giggled, "No, Mr. Filch!"
"EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" they all cried in unison.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Hermione laughed, "Bwahahahahaha D-Dra-Draco Malfoy"
Ginny got quiet.
Hermione sat upright. "Oh no Ginny, you didn't"
"Ronald will kill him first," warned Luna.
"He is very nice, I'll have you both know. He tutored me in Potions and he is just as nervous to come here as I am to bring him. Be nice please," begged Ginny.
"Alright," Luna said with a sigh, "but only because you said please."
Hermione and Luna nervously walked down the stairs. Ginny had gone out into the hall to meet Draco and it was their job
to run interference for Gin. The girls approached Harry and Ron.
"Uh…" started Luna.
"Okay, we have to tell you guys something but you have to remember that we are only the messengers. GinnysdateisDracoMalfoy." Hermione said stringing all the words together quickly.
"NO!" cried Ron.
Luna soothed him. "Yes Ronald, he has been tutoring her in potions and she rather fancies him so I suggest you get used to the idea real quick because she's going to be here any minute. This is her choice Ronald. You cannot change it nor should you try. Be civil please."
Hermione nodded her head in agreement. "You guys have to be polite for one evening at least. It's not too much to ask. Soon we'll be done with Hogwarts and we won't have to see him anymore."
"Ok, I guess we can just ignore him for the night, but you better keep him away from me cause if he starts smirking I might throttle him," Ron replied.
"Well glad that's settled, because here comes Ginny," noticed Harry.
Ginny walked into the common room on the arm of Draco Malfoy and the room got deadly silent. She walked over to where Luna and the others were standing.
"See, I told you that you wouldn't be the only non-Gryffindor here," she whispered.
"Yes Gin, but I hardly think Luna Lovegood counts since she IS your brothers girlfriend," he whispered back.
"Well, just try to be polite please," she requested.
"I will if they will."
"Hello, Ginny, Malfoy," Harry nodded at them.
"Good game this afternoon Potter. You only beat me to that snitch by half an arms length," Draco commented.
"That's because I am a better flyer," Harry said with a chuckle.
"Maybe so, but my broom is better," Malfoy joked.
"Draco, would you please get me a drink," Ginny asked. She needed a minute alone with her friends.
"Sure. Anyone else?" Draco asked.
"Yeah sure," they all mumbled.
Once he walked away Ginny turned to Ron.
"Please Ron, I've never asked you for anything. Please just be nice this once. You may even find that you have more in common than you thought."
"I highly doubt that, but ok, I'll be civil," Ron promised.
Ginny thought it seemed all too easy, but all that mattered was that her friends made the attempt to be nice. If after tonight they didn't want to speak with Draco again, that would be okay. Just this one night was all she felt she needed to change their minds.
Draco looked over at Ginny. He thought about how lucky he was to know her. How lucky he was to actually get to be with her in front of other people. He had been tutoring her for the better part of the school year and somewhere along the way he had come to care about Ginny Weasley very much.
Unbeknownst to him, he was in much the same predicament as Harry. He knew he really cared about Ginny, but was afraid to tell her. Not only because of his overwhelming fear of rejection, but also because of the conversation he'd had with his father prior to the match this afternoon. His father had told him that he was to report to Lord Voldemort at the end of the term. He would be marked a Death Eater and "live the rest of his life in servitude to the Master".
He'd tried to make his father see that by being so subservient to Voldemort they were no more than mere house elves. His father didn't see it that way and demanded to know who was filling his head with such nonsense. "Which tramp is it this time?" Lucius had asked.
Faced with a choice, Draco knew that he had to do something. He could either go with his father to do something he didn't want to do and never see Ginny again, or he could stay with Ginny and live in fear that his father or Voldemort would find and kill them.
He had to choose soon.
*********Flash back to earlier that day*********
"So, who is she?" his father demanded, "Someone is filling your head with all this house elf nonsense."
"It's no one Father, I just don't want to be subservient to anyone. No one is planting ideas in my head, they are all my own," Draco replied.
"I highly doubt that as you are totally incapable of making any type of decision on your own. You get that from your dear mother."
"Fine Father, whatever. I have a secret girlfriend who helps me plan what I am going to say every minute of the day." Draco retorted sarcastically.
Lucius however, was no longer paying attention. He was watching the young girl with the bright red hair approach. He ducked into the shadows as she got closer.
"Draco! I've been looking for you. I wanted to ask you something." Ginny called out.
Draco spun around. "Not a good time right now Ginny, please leave," he demanded with a slight nod toward the spot where Lucius was hiding.
Ginny caught a glimpse of his father's hair in the darkness. Her eyes full of terror and she quickly ran away.
"So, the Weasley girl. Tsk, tsk Draco. Resorted to scraping the bottom of the barrel have you?" Lucius' voice was cold as ice.
"Father she is nothing to me, Professor Snape asked me to tutor her in Potions and how was I to refuse?" Draco needed to think more quickly. "Filthy Mudblood lover."
Lucius sneered. "Your eyes give it away every time Draco. Be prepared. The Dark Lord will be coming for you, and after you, he will get her." And with that Lucius disappeared.
Draco knew he had to warn Ginny, but there was no time. The Quidditch match was going to start soon. He would have to try to get her alone after the match.
He ran toward the locker room to get changed. After putting his pants on backwards and his robes on inside out, he knew he had to try to talk to her or signal her during the match.
With this uniform on properly, he took to the pitch for a little flying practice. He watched as students began to fill the stadium. He spotted her sitting with Hermione. The Gryffindors had taken to the air as well by this time. He could see her brother looking for her and Granger.
Draco flew toward Ron. Making sure that Ron couldn't see him he looked over toward Ginny. She spotted him too. He gave her a wink and she blushed furiously. She nodded her head slightly to acknowledge that she understood.
He sighed and made his way toward the Slytherin side of the pitch before anyone caught on.
****End Flashback****
Draco returned with the drinks and once everyone had one, he decided to propose a toast.
"Raise your bottles everyone," he said.
Ginny eyed him curiously.
"To Hogwarts, the best and worst 7 years of your life!" he said with a chuckle.
"Cheers!" came the reply from the others.
With the proverbial ice now broken, he thought he should ask Ginny to dance.
He held out his hand toward her. "M'Lady, may I have this dance?"
Blushing, Ginny nodded and took his hand.
Once they were dancing, Ginny looked up at him. "That was your father wasn't it, you know, earlier today?"
Draco sighed, he had hoped she didn't see him. "Yes."
"He knows?" her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
"Yes and he said…"
"Don't tell me the bad news. I don't want to know. Don't tell me anything at all." Ginny said with a false bravado in her voice.
"It's not that simple, Gin."
"Yes it is. Just tell me that you need me and stay right here with me."
Draco sighed and pulled her closer. He didn't know if he could reply, even if he wanted too.
***
A/N: Thanks to all who are reading, I know you are out there!! Leave me a little note, let me know what ya think. ;-) And I know I said 1 update a day, but I got bored this evening so decided to post this chapter as well. Tomorrow I will post the last part. Thanks again to H_HrFan for the beta and encouragement. And Anonymous…this is for you…we have a deal!
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