Unofficial Portkey Archive

A.N. Thanks for all your lovely reviews for chapter 4. Sorry it wasn't very long but I have updated quickly to make up for it.

Enjoy.

Chapter 5

She found herself running down the corridor to his room, the one he had been given on his return to Hogwarts after his father's death. Like Ginny, it had been decided that giving Draco private rooms would be prudent in his circumstances. She knocked but when she got no answer she tried the handle she found it was already open. She stepped into his study room, a room that she had frequented many evenings, and found it empty.

A noise from his adjoining bedroom made her jump and she put her hand on a quill left on the side. Cursing, she looked down at her hand which was now smeared with ink. Her eyes were now drawn to his bedroom door, curiosity pushing her onward and she stepped into the one room she had never seen before.

It was richly furnished and decorated in green and silver. The bed was immaculately made and there was very little clutter, a vast contrast to the untidy study room she was used to. There was only a small silver picture frame on a singular bedside table. There was no sign of Draco.

Admitting defeat she decided to look in the library for him once she had washed her hands. She stepped into the bathroom and felt the familiar shiver of magic passing over her. She had walked right through a silencing spell. Bewildered, she looked around in the direction of the sound that now reached her ears.

Draco stood completely naked in the shower, his eyes closed, belting out the loudest rendition of one of the Weird Sisters tracks Ginny had ever heard. Not that she was paying much attention to what he was singing at all. Ginny's eyes travelled over his body as her mind screamed at her to look away before he opened his eyes. He was hands down, the most fantastic specimen of manhood she had clapped eyes on.

His skin, which she has always thought was milky pale, looked slightly tanned against the white of the soap bubbles that ran from his flattened blonde hair, down to the base of his muscular back which was dusted with golden hair. She noticed with a start that he had a large tattoo of a dragon there too, a Welsh Green she thought or something similar.

She shook herself mentally, she had to get out of here quickly. She retreated hastily and quietly back into his bedroom and sat on his bed while she regained her composure. Her attention was drawn to the picture frame by his bed. Picking it up she observed the frolicking pair in the photo, all smiles and playful glee. It was a picture of Draco and Ginny that Madam Rosmerta had taken one evening during one of their Friday night drinking sessions. She didn't even know he had a copy. She looked down at his smiling face, he was gazing happily at the Ginny in the picture, his arm around her while she grinned drunkenly at the camera.

Ginny felt thoroughly ashamed of herself. Draco trusted her, he had had an awful time of it the last year or so and she was sitting in his private space planning how best to betray the trust he had put in her. Disgusted with herself she put the picture back and left his rooms.

She headed back to Gryffindor common room, her head bowed and her shoulders slumped. She was in love with Draco, she knew it and now she had finally admitted it to herself she realised that she had done so for a very long time. Still, the recognition weighed upon her heavily.

She tried to reason it out, could she love him and continue being close to him and say nothing? She doubted it. One thing she had come to realise in the few months that she and Draco had been friends was that he could read her like an open book. He would see it in her the minute she met his eyes and she couldn't bear to see that apologetic look from him. She remembered it all too well, having seen it coming from Harry many, many times. It would break her heart for him to feel awkward around her now.

No, she had to make the break on her own terms.

Ginny was so deep in thought that she hardly noticed that she was letting her feet walk the corridors from Draco's rooms. Unhappily, her feet were not accustomed to the tall figure that blocked her passage and they walked her directly into it.

"Ooof. Sorry!" Ginny looked up into the accusatory stare of her older brother. "Oh Ron. Its you. I wasn't looking where I was going. Sorry."

Ron raised his eyebrows at her, "Where have you been Ginny? Off with your boyfriend I suppose."

Ginny sighed wearily and rolled her eyes. This was the very last thing that she needed. "Look Ron I'm tired and I don't have time to fight with you today so why don't you save it until I have had enough sleep to swallow whatever brotherly advice you have for me eh?"

She made to walk by him but Ron held her tightly by the arm. Ginny scowled dangerously at him, her face reddening. Ron ignored her obvious indignation and pushed her back until she was facing him again and hissed through his gritted teeth at her.

"Bravo. You have out done yourself this time. A Weasley shagging a Malfoy, that's special Ginny, real special. I haven't had the heart to tell mum and dad yet but when I do I hope they take you out of school and lock you up at home because you clearly can't make rational decisions for yourself."

Ginny struggled against her brother whose grip got tighter as he spoke, bruising her painfully. Tears of pain and frustration began to fill her eyes and a sob of misery escaped her like the yelp of an injured animal. Ron took no notice of her protests and held her other arm as all the rationale in his mind evaporated. He began to shake her roughly, his voice louder now.

"HOW COULD YOU? HIS FATHER WAS A DEATH EATER! HE TRIED TO KILL YOU AND ALL THE MUGGLEBORNS IN THIS SCHOOL! HE PLAYED A PART IN SIRIUS'S MURDER AND NOW YOU ARE SHGGING HIS SON? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG…."

"Weasley! Stop it! You are hurting her!" Draco had come down the corridor, curious to see what all the commotion was about.

Ron looked up at him blankly and then down at his sister who was sobbing limply in his hands. He let her go and Ginny slid to the floor holding her arms in pain. Ron stood above her aghast at what he had just done. He looked pale and confused as if he had just come out of a trance.

"Ginny, I….I'm so sorry." He knelt down and reached out his hand to her, shaking his head. Draco stepped between them and Ron looked up at him.

"I think you have done enough Weasley. Go back to your common room and cool off. I'll look after her." There was no malice behind his words as he spoke, understanding that it probably wasn't the time for a macho display of insensitivity. Ron rose slowly, anger and hatred flashing in his eyes for a moment but letting out a weary sigh. With a curt nod, Ron walked away, a numb expression on his face. Stopping before he rounded the corner he turned to Draco, who was cautiously observing his retreat, he raised a finger accusingly and said,

"I know you have done something to her. I KNOW this is your fault and when I find out how I'm going to end you Malfoy. You mark my words."

When he was sure Ron was gone he turned to Ginny and knelt next to her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her still sobbing form tightly to him.

"I'm so sorry Ginny. This is all my fault. I'm sorry he hurt you because of me."

Ginny raised a bleary eye to look up at Draco's face, his features betraying his deep pity and concern. She felt so safe with him. She felt warmer and calmer than she had since she was a small child when she was in his arms like this. She felt a rush of love for Draco and in the same moment felt a deep foreboding.

Struggling from his arms, she stood shakily. Draco tried to stop her but as he tried to grasp her hand she flinched. She could tell that Draco was deeply hurt even if she was refusing to look into his face. She continued to walk away from him giving no explanation or vindication, her heart breaking a little more with every step she took.

Draco stared after her, and when she showed no sign of looking back at him he shook his head, turned and walked back towards his rooms. As he approached them he noticed someone in the shadows. Drawing his wand he stalked towards them, thinking that it was Weasley or Potter come to seek revenge and hoping to gain the advantage of surprise if there was to be a fight. Instead, Draco found it was he who was surprised. Standing outside Draco's rooms with his eyes shut, apparently in some kind of meditative trance stood Albus Dumbledore.

Draco came abruptly to a halt, his wand still raised.

"Put that away Draco. You have nothing to fear from me."

Dumbledore opened his eyes and looked serenely at Draco.

"I would ask you to accompany me to my Office if you will. I have something to ask you."

Draco nodded mutely and followed.

Ginny was very grateful to find that Ron had not lingered in the common room upon his return. It was late and the cosy room was empty and silent apart from the crackle of the fire. Climbing wearily to her room she blinked back the tears threatening to run down her cheeks.

Where had it all gone so wrong for her? A short while ago she had a wonderful friend that she could count on and tell anything to. A year ago she had had friends and a close and loving family to depend on. Before she came to Hogwarts she had been innocent and happy. And now? Well now she was alone, utterly miserable and more jaded than she ever thought possible.

Ginny performed a few spells to reduce the bruising on her arms and climbed into bed, curling into the foetal position and allowing the tears to flow. Ron was right, it defied all understanding as to how she had found herself in love with Draco but there it was. She had driven her brother to such extremes that he had physically hurt her, something that he would never had done had she taken the time to talk to him. If she had been mature enough to see that her childish little games with Ron were driving him further and further down a dark road then none of this would have happened. And now, because of her the man she loved and her brother were likely to face each other in a battle that would only end with them both hurt, or worse.

I am despicable. I deserve to be alone.