Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter Three : Hogsmeade

Ginny was thoroughly annoyed with herself. Not only had she kissed the enemy of everyone she knew and loved but she had managed to rip a huge hole in her robes that she could never hope to fix. There was no way to replace them either, she had foolishly spent all of her savings on a dress for the Halloween ball.

"Damn it!!" she cried exasperated from her bed the next morning. She wasn't too sure what exactly she was "damn it-ing" about. It could be her robes but she was more inclined to believe that it was because she had spent many daydreaming moments since the cupboard incident yesterday fantasising about what could have happened if she had stayed crushed up against Malfoy's muscular chest.

"Stop it!!!" she cried and flung herself out of the bed. What she needed was a harsh taste of reality. Cold shower ought to fix it.

The sound of something falling from the end of her bed caused her to stop in her tracks and go to the end of her unmade bed. Stooping, she picked up the large heavy box from the floor and set it back on her bed. Lifting the lid gently she was surprised to see that inside, wrapped in tissue was something made of luxurious black cloth, neatly folded. Lifting it tentatively she gasped as a beautiful new robe unfolded itself in her hands, this was quality she likes of which she had never seen in her life. Well, maybe on one person…..

Carefully she laid it out on the bed to admire it further but a small dark green and silver envelope caught her eye in the bottom of the now empty box. Lifting it to her face she caught a scent and sniffed. The musky scent hit her and she felt a jolt of surprise and what might have been lust travel down her stomach and warm her. She ripped the envelope unceremoniously apart and read the card inside.

Ginevra.

Sorry about the robes. Accept this replacement if you will as an apology for ruining what I assume are the only set of robes you have. I hope they fit, I am sure they will.

Regards

Draco Malfoy.

Ginny stood gaping, looking from the card to the robes laid out on her bed shaking her head with astonishment. Eventually she lifted the robes and threw them about her shoulders. The detail was quite exquisite. They were lined with satin and embroidered with a delicate floral pattern in gold thread and fell in luxurious folds to her ankles, exactly the right length.

She faced a difficult decision. She should take the robes back to him and tell him thank you but no thanks, but they were the most beautiful robes she had ever seen, let alone had on her body. And after all, she couldn't afford new ones herself and the old ones were totally ruined. It was an uncharacteristically generous gesture by Malfoy, she didn't even realise he knew her full name. His words seemed respectful and kind.

She would keep the robes, until she could afford her own and then she would return them. Maybe……

The Hogsmeade visit was a week later and Ginny found herself crammed in a corner booth with the other three Gryffindor girls, telling them all about the disastrous potion incident.

Lavender and Parvati, emitting squeals of laughter and exchanged looks of delighted horror as her retold her encounter with Malfoy after the Prefects meeting.

Ginny had neglected to divulge the later encounter with anyone as yet. She couldn't bear to see Hermione's shocked, disapproving expression. When Ron had seen her in the new robes he had demanded to know where she had got them from. "I don't know where they came from," she blushed "I found them on my bed. I thought they might be from Bill. I did mention that I needed new ones." She hated lying to her brother but she was sure that the truth would be far harder for him to accept.

"Oh right." Ron mumbled, turning back to his game of wizard's chess with Harry. He had seemed happy with the explanation. Hermione had frowned but said nothing.

Back at the Three Broomsticks the three girls were pushing for more news of how her task was progressing.

"There is less than a week left Gin!" stated Lavender " Better get a move on."

"Yeah, yeah I know. I have a plan." She lied. She was so unsure of how she felt about Draco. She had spent the week hiding from him and avoiding his eyes at mealtimes in the Great Hall. Half expecting his kindness to be an elaborately cruel joke, she had endeavoured not to give him a chance to get to her , giving cupboards and empty classrooms a deliberately wide berth.

Even so, all the time she found herself wanting to talk to him, to be near him. She had slept with the scented note he sent her under her pillow all week and the memory of their brief embrace haunted her. Hermione had expressed concern over Ginny's lack of concentration of late and It was too true. She had been wandering around in a daze, half conscious, half daydreaming about running her fingers through his silky blonde hair. She was doing just that when Hermione gave a loud tut and Ginny looked round at the three expectant faces across the table from her.

"Sorry?"

Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation. "What is wrong with you Gin? You are hardly ever with us anymore, always off in a daydream! I asked you if you were going to come with us to the fitters to get my dress?"

"Sorry Hermione. Yeah sure, sounds good. Shall we?"

The girls squeezed themselves out of the corner booth and through the crowd towards the door. A loud peal of laughter made Ginny turn around. Some loud seventh years had spilled a mug of Butterbeer all over the floor and one of them had managed to fall over in the resulting puddle. Rolling her eyes she went to make for the door after her friends. A flash of blonde caught her eyes. In a corner, far at the back of the room, sat Malfoy, alone and by the looks of things, miserable. He clutched a bottle of fire whiskey in one hand and a half full glass to his lips in the other.

"Hey Hermione!" Ginny called through the throng. "I'll catch you up ok?"

"Ok!"

Once Ginny was sure they had left she made her way over to Malfoy's table.

"Hi" she said gently. Draco lifted one groggy eye to look at her. It was fairly evident that he was quite drunk and not the least bit happy to see her.

"Yes?" Draco grunted at her

"I just wanted to say thanks for the robes, it was very generous of you."

Draco put his hand to his head and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Let me get this straight" he slurred. "you reject me after leading me on and when I give you a gift to show I am not a… what did you call me? A snob, was it? Right, when I try show you I am more than just a sneering elitist you completely ignore me and flaunt my gift in front of me while you hang all over Scarhead and his gang of losers."

"Hey, hang on a second!"

Malfoy waved his hand dismissively and continued. "Now when I come in here to get some peace from my humiliation and drink myself into oblivion you saunter up to me and expect me to accept your thanks gracefully, do you? Well," he said standing and slamming his glass on the table splashing fire whiskey all over the table "..why don't you just piss off back to your loser friends because I don't want your thanks. Keep the damn robes I wouldn't want them now that they have been contaminated with your Weasley filth."

Ginny stood there mortified. Her face glowing with rage and her eyes brimming with tears. "You know what Malfoy?" she said shaking, as the tears fell down her cheeks. "You nearly had me fooled. I thought there might just be something more to you than you ever let on, but I see it now. You are an arrogant bastard, you truly are!" With that she turned and ran through the crowded pub and out the door.

"Oh fuck it." Draco hissed. Shakily he moved to follow her, stumbling out of the door and out into the muddy street. Looking round frantically he spotted Ginny running behind the stone wall of Honeydukes sweet shop and swore loudly as he drunkenly stepped sideways into a puddle of muddy rainwater.

He turned the corner and saw her sitting with her back to the wall with her head in her knees, apparently sobbing and uttering angry curses to herself.

Rolling his eyes he stomped over to her and before she had a chance to protest he had hoisted her up by both arms and pushed her against the wall. "Stop crying" he said firmly. "I am sorry if I upset you." He lowered his head as if to kiss her.

"Right Malfoy, of course you are" she spat back savagely. "It's just like you to think that you can say things like that about my family and friends and with a flash of your smile I will melt in your arms. Well think again Ferret boy, I'm not one of your brainless Slytherin tarts who will drop to her knees and service you when ever you click your fingers. I have an ounce of self respect. So get your hands off me right now. I can't stand you, you make my skin crawl!"

Taken aback Malfoy released her and stepped backwards, not offended, more surprised at her accurate portrayal, How did she know those things about him? She stood there glaring at him, daring him to contradict her. At last he spoke, slowly and clearly.

"You can deny it all you like Ginevra," she flinched as he said her name. He made it sound exotic and sexy and it affected her in a way she didn't understand. The way it rolled off his tongue made her stomach flip.

"I can see it in your eyes, you want me and I want you. It is wrong and strange and neither of us understand it but it is what it is. You can try and hide it if you want but it won't go away."

He stepped back towards her. Her head was swimming, he wants her? If she doubted his words for a second she could easily see it his eyes. They were hungry, like a wild animal's. In his eyes she saw her own lust reflected. She couldn't let this happen. It was wrong and she had to get away. Pushing him away she bolted. Running back into the crowded streets of Hogsmeade and away towards the castle.

Watching her go, Draco felt a pang of disappointment. She was a fiery minx alright. He would have to have her.