A/N: For those of you who read this story on fanfic.net there will be changes made from that one to this one…thru out the whole story. I will be leaving out certain scenes and adding some new ones in. Thanks for reading!
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Halloween
It was on Halloween Night that Ron lost his virginity, and it was that very same night that Ginny danced with Draco.
None of it was planned, no one expected these two events to happen, but in life unexpected things have a way of coming about.
Hogwarts had a Halloween Dance, costumes optional which Samantha found uproariously funny because so many Muggles dressed as Wizards and Witches and here were some real ones, dressing up as their favorite Magic Musician or Quidditch Player. Samantha just wore her dress robes that she had bought, figuring it was pretty much a costume for her. Most people followed her lead, wearing their dress robes.
Harry and Hermione walked among the throngs of students gathered in the Great Hall. The band, "Weird Sisters", was playing in the area the head table usually was situated. Hermione headed towards the refreshment table as Harry got sidetracked by a Quidditch player from Hufflepuff, talking about their match against Ravenclaw a few nights ago.
Ron and Samantha headed to the dance floor, getting caught up in the festivities by joining a large group of seventh years doing some type of fast dance that Samantha had never seen before.
Ginny was talking to a few friends from Ravenclaw at their table, while Neville and Luna had secluded themselves in the furthest corner talking quietly. It was at this point, while Ginny was laughing hysterically at a joke Padma and Parvati told, that the whole of Slytherin walked in together.
Draco was last in line, behind everyone else from his house, with Pansy cemented to his side obviously trying to talk to him. The whole room was rearranged to make a dance floor by placing the tables along the walls of the room and the Ravenclaw table happened to be situated near the doors that night.
Ginny could hear them arguing in low voices, and being the curious person she was cocked an ear in that direction while pretending to admire the bats, pumpkins and twinkling lights that were floating around the ceiling. She let her eyes flick to Hermione at the Gryffindor table, trying to get her to look at her. But, she was busy talking to a third year and Harry wasn't anywhere near her.
"Draco, listen, I don't know why you have to stay mad…," Pansy was saying, but Draco cut her off.
"You didn't come to my father's funeral. HE was the one who set up this," he gestured towards her, them himself, "arrangement and YOU couldn't even show up." Draco's voice was very deep and angry. He was looking down at her and being nearly six feet tall he was a very imposing figure in his dark green dress robes, towering over Pansy.
"I didn't think you would care! You hadn't said one word about him for the past YEAR...," Pansy tried to explain, but Draco held up his hand. By now Ginny was watching them openly as were a few other Ravenclaw's.
"You should have been there, to show support for my family. But, you were just thinking of yourself as always. Leave me alone…we have talked about this and you know how I feel." Draco turned around and his eyes met Ginny's. She hadn't heard the tempo of the music change to a slow song until he walked over, leaving Pansy staring at him, and roughly grabbed Ginny's hand dragging her behind him to the dance floor.
"That would have been a much nicer exit if it looked as if I had gone with you willingly," Ginny said sarcastically as they stopped at the edge of the dance floor while removing her hand from Draco's. They stood there a minute, Ginny looking at him and Draco looking up at the band then down at her. Her red hair was flowing freely down her shoulders, contrasting with the chestnut colored robes that brought out her eyes. It was the first time she wore her new dress robes and the first brand new robe she owned.
"Will you willingly dance?" Draco asked and Ginny's heart stopped beating for a second. She could sense he was restraining the anger he felt and thought maybe a dance wouldn't hurt. She nodded, still not trusting herself to speak.
They walked onto the dance floor joining the rest of the students dancing slowly with their partners.
Ginny felt Draco's arm go around her waist--she saw Harry and Hermione dancing as close as two people could get with clothes on;
she felt Draco's hand take hers and raise it up towards his shoulder---she saw Ron glance over at her and his mouth opened to say something, but stopped when Ginny gave a slight shake of her head;
she laid her hand on Draco's left shoulder and felt the silky feel of his dress robes beneath her hand;
she saw Samantha turn slightly in Ron's arms, give her a small smile and a thumbs up which Ron quickly swatted down causing Samantha to turn towards him, slapping him on the arm;
she felt Draco's fingers splayed against the small of her back, practically covering the lower half.
Ginny smiled when she saw Samantha reach up and plant a nice kiss on Ron's mouth, distracting him from her and Draco dancing. This was her brother's and Samantha's first official public display (outside of the Common Room) of affection and Ginny was glad they finally got it out of the way.
Draco, noticing the smile on Ginny's face, turned around and looked over his shoulder. Suddenly, she felt Draco's hand squeeze hers, just a touch, as he watched them for a few seconds and then relax as he turned back towards her.
"Ron and a Muggle. Your dad must love that," Draco said softly, managing to floor Ginny once again with the softness of his voice. Ginny's hazel eyes just moved over his face as if waiting for something else. He rested his dark, unreadable gaze on her and Ginny felt something she had never felt before. Not with Michael, maybe with Harry? She couldn't remember at the moment…but she felt a fluttering in her heart, a blush move throughout her whole body, and her pulse seemed to increase all on its own.
"Yeah," she whispered, "he likes her." She was still looking at him, their gazes not breaking. She wasn't even aware of Harry nudging Hermione to look over at them; or the look of surprise on Neville's face as he tripped over Luna's feet once again.
Summoning up her willpower she broke off the staring contest and stared instead at a spot on his shoulder.
"Why did you and Pansy break up?" she asked softly, her gaze moving to the couple next to her who bumped into them. Draco moved her over a few feet and turned her so her back was to the band.
Her eyes met Hermione's who raised her eyebrows at her and Ginny gave her a small smile, raising her eyebrows back. She knew Hermione would grill her tomorrow. Ginny turned her attention back to Draco who had begun talking.
"She didn't show at the funeral, said some choice words and I realized that with no one dictating my life anymore I could see whomever I please." Ginny knew that Pansy's family was one of the few full blooded wizarding families left and it didn't surprise her that the Malfoy's and Parkinson's arranged for them to get married. With Lucius out of the picture and Draco of age, he was free to do as he wished.
Ginny nodded, but didn't say she understood because she really didn't know what it was like to have someone
chose your wife or husband for you at a young age.
"She's realizing her mistakes a bit too late," Draco added, seeing her nod again then tilt her head back to look at him.
"Did you love her?" Ginny asked him quietly, noting that he moved his gaze away from hers and it darted across the room to where Pansy was sulking by the doors with a few of her fellow Slytherins.
She knew then that the answer was 'No'.
If it was 'Yes' he would have said so right away, instead he retreated into his past "Draco-ness" and didn't answer her, at least not right away. She watched his gaze slip over to Harry and Hermione. She had her arms around his neck and they were talking and smiling at each other. Harry had his hands on her waist and you could see one of them rub absentmindedly up and down her hips, covered by her maroon dress robe. Ginny could hear Draco make a noise in his throat.
"No," was his curt answer and Ginny actually felt a bit sorry for him. Anyone who looked at Harry could see he was totally in love; you could even look at Ron who was dancing very close to Samantha, their hands tucked between their chests.
Ginny heard the band say something about how everyone looked so happy that they thought another slow song was in order. Applause was scattered throughout the room and Draco stopped, looking down at her, his face expressionless but Ginny could sense that he was asking her if she wanted to continue. She noticed he didn't remove his arm or his hand, but they stood still as the music started up around them.
'Now, this is a dilemma', Ginny thought to herself.
If she stopped here and walked away there couldn't be any rumors. Most people had seen him drag her onto the floor and realized he was just being Draco. But, if she stayed she knew it would lead people to look even longer, to start talking and on top of that it would make Ron mad. She quickly caught Ron's gaze as he looked at her coolly from across the room, then someone blocked their view. Ginny found that she didn't care, impulsively she took a small step forward, their chests almost touching and felt his rough hand tighten around hers for a moment, the only emotion he gave away. They began moving to the music, but Ginny wasn't sure what the song was; her pulse sounded so loud in her ears she was sure Draco could feel or hear it.
Meanwhile, Ron was cursing under his breath to Samantha.
"WHY is she dancing with him?" he growled, eyes narrowed and his body tense. Samantha reached up and touched his cheek making him look at her.
"Ginny is a good person and a very smart witch. She will be fine. Maybe they are having an in depth conversation or maybe it's to make Pansy jealous. Who knows? Just let her do what she wants," Samantha argued with him.
"What she wants? I don't think she even knows. It's what Draco wants that I am afraid of." Ron stopped dancing at this point and made a move to go over there, but Samantha held tight, then reached out to grab Harry as they danced over.
"Tell Ron to leave his sister alone," Samantha pleaded, as they all stopped and turned to look at Draco and Ginny. Samantha kept her hand on Ron pleading with her eyes. She had seen older siblings try and get in the way of a younger ones' relationships back at her Muggle high school and it always turned out nasty. She wanted everyone to be happy and was having a hard time keeping Ron from running over and dragging Ginny away.
Hermione sensed what Samantha was trying to do.
"Ron, she is seventeen, Draco is eighteen and they are adults so let them be," Hermione said stepping in front of Ron and placing a hand on his arm.
"Dance with me." She pushed Samantha over to Harry and put her hand into Ron's forcing it to hold hers.
"Ron, just listen to her…," Harry added before Samantha steered him away.
Hermione had to really tilt her head up him.
"When did you get so tall?" she asked him, making him gaze down at her.
"When did you stop growing?" Ron cracked a smile and Hermione laughed. "How are you feeling?" Ron asked in a low voice.
"Tired but fine," she responded.
"Back to Ginny." Hermione forced him to take a step back.
"Listen, Ron, she is an adult and she told me, which WAS in confidence until now, that he has talked to her a few times. Harmful, meaningless conversations, but she feels it's a reach into a direction he has never been. She feels like she should talk to him. You know she's a good judge of character…after all she did give him that Bat Bogey Hex when he fully deserved it. Remember when he insulted your brothers the last day of school years ago? Trust me, she could hex him into yesteryear if she wanted." Hermione felt Ron relax a bit as his arm went around her waist. She took a step towards him and hugged him.
"Why are you almost always right?" Ron asked hugging her back.
"Almost?" Hermione scolded, stepping back as Harry steered Samantha over to them.
"We'll see if what you just said is right, 'til then I reserve my right to change my mind." Ron held out a hand to Samantha and they exchanged partners once again, dancing until the end of the song.
Harry asked Hermione what Ron had said and she gave him a quick rundown. Harry gazed over at Draco who was standing a respectable distance from Ginny and every once in awhile they would look at each other and say something, then go back to looking over each other's shoulders.
"Can you tell if there is more than a friendly interest there?" Harry asked Hermione who glanced over her shoulder.
"I don't know for sure. Draco is hard for me to read; Ginny seems slightly interested in the way he has become much calmer and such, but don't you worry," Hermione patted Harry's chest and he reached up and grabbed her hand, "I'll grill her later about how she got to dance with him."
Harry smiled and followed his friends off the dance floor, glancing again at where Ginny and Draco had stood. He wasn't getting a bad feeling about them, just an odd feeling that something was amiss with Malfoy.
Ron steered Samantha to the refreshment table and was busy loading up his plate, moving down the line behind Samantha not noticing Draco was right behind him. Turning to grab one last pumpkin pasty, he locked a stare on Draco. Ron could feel Samantha's hand on his back, exerting pressure to tell him to be quiet.
Draco stood up straighter, waiting for the remark to come, meeting Ron's blue stare, and with Ron being taller than
him he had to look up. All that Ron wanted to say was conveyed in those five seconds of staring into Draco's icy
blue gaze. Ron snatched the pumpkin pasty and set it on his plate. Turning around he followed Samantha to their table
where the rest of the Gryffindors were eating and laughing.
Ginny saw Ron approach her and steeled herself for what was coming. She could tell by his movements that he was angry and the way he turned to her, staring at her for a second or two before he spoke.
"Be careful," was all he said as Samantha patted his leg under the table. Ginny's eyes widened and her mouth almost dropped open, not expecting those words at all.
"Ron, I-," she started and he shook his head, warning her not to push it. She smiled at him, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush. Dumbledore had just made an announcement that it was time for the Prefects to do their rounds, so Ginny jumped up and headed out the door with the other Prefects.
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The dance lasted well into the night. Harry and Hermione had left around 11pm; Hermione barely keeping her eyes open. Draco and Ginny had danced one more dance together, in silence then both sat the next few out. Ginny had been doing her last round after the dance, one in the morning, when she caught her brother and Samantha making out in the hallway.
"Ron, go get a room," Ginny shouted at them, shielding her eyes. She walked past them, said the password and ran through the portrait hole.
"Sorry Gin," Samantha giggled and they jumped into the portrait, heading up to Samantha and Hermione's room, where they drew the curtains around her bed and Ron cast a silencio charm.
After a few moments of hand wandering, Samantha pulled away from Ron and gazed at him in the darkness. He could see a serious look come over her shadowed face.
"You did a great job not blowing up at your sister." Samantha's hand found his tie and began loosening it. Ron swallowed as her fingers brushed his neck.
"Thanks. Your hand on my knee helped distract me greatly." He reached over and undid the clasp of her robe, letting it slide off her shoulders, revealing a short sleeve white shirt and tan pants underneath. He leaned over and kissed her, feeling her push herself into him. She felt his hands tentatively explore her body, never resting in one place which sent shivers down her spine and her body wanting more.
"Ron…," Samantha gasped as his hand wandered under her shirt. He stopped and pulled away.
"You need to…do something," she whispered, feeling his hand make small circles on her abdomen.
All sense of control she had melted away. He was so attentive to her sometimes she felt she didn't deserve him. All the other boyfriends she ever had wanted one thing eventually, and Ron had never even mentioned it beyond telling her about what Hermione had said about Contraception Charms not working on Muggles…which is how he thinks many half blood kids were born. The uneducated witch/wizard thought it would work, but it didn't. Samantha ran a hand down his cheek and realized that she had connected with him on a level she never had with anyone before…emotionally.
"I did." He kissed her again, thankful she wasn't telling him to remove his hand. "Hermione won't hear anything."
"No. Not that…," Samantha paused as his hand slid to her back and up towards her neck. She reached into a drawer in the little table by her bedside, twisting her body so she didn't have to turn over.
"This," she murmured and felt him still beside her. She pressed a small, foil wrapped, square package into his hand. He had mentioned to her a few weeks back that certain charms don't work on Muggles.
"That…are…are you sure?" Ron pulled back, not stopping the smile that played across his face. She nodded, her brown eyes serious. She was nervous, scared and happy all at once that this was going to happen to her with someone very special…and with a wizard nonetheless!
"I am," she said, her hand tentatively reaching for the belt of his jeans.
"Just go slow," she whispered against his lips.
And he did.
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After Harry had kissed Hermione goodnight and seen her to her room, making her promise to sleep in as much as she needed, he headed back to his dorm. He undressed, pulling on a pair of pajama pants and climbed into bed, sorting through his thoughts. Since he was alone and it was quiet he thought he might be able to make some more sense of the whole Snape-knowing-his-aunt scenes he had floating around in his head. As he sorted them out, mentally putting them in order in a timeline that was streaming through his head he drifted off to sleep.
Harry's dreams were mixed with his memories of legilimensing his aunt.
Snape was walking down a sidewalk on the side of a narrow street with run down houses on either side. Harry knew he was seeing him through Petunia's eyes. He was older, at least sixteen, taller and skinnier than ever. His hair was actually a bit shorter like he had just gotten it cut and actually washed it. Petunia stopped at a corner, near a Muggle market and Snape stopped too, staring at her for a few seconds.
"Ready?" he asked and she nodded, falling instep beside him, down the sidewalk she just came, past the market, past a small bank, past a gift shop and they slowed down outside a deli. They both walked in and Harry heard Snape order two sandwiches to go.
Minutes later they were walking side by side, each with a bag towards a park with benches. Harry noticed that it was summer from the way the children were dressed on the playground.
"So, what is my sister like in school? As annoying as she is at home?" Petunia asked. Snape looked evenly at her.
"Very much the savior I suppose. I don't associate with her much," he replied in the same low drawl he had as Harry knew him.
"Why are we here?" Petunia asked and Harry detected a note of nervousness in her. Snape didn't say anything, he looked down at his sandwich and picked up the other half. "I mean, I've seen you come and go on the train and then get that cryptic message the last time and then last week a note to meet you at this corner. What is it that you want?"
Snape looked up at her, his dark eyes unreadable and for a moment it looked as if he wasn't going to answer.
"I don't know."
He went back down to eating his sandwich and Petunia stared at him mulling over in her mind as to whether or not to pursue his answer. Wisely, she decided not to.
Harry felt the memory drift away as his body fought to wake up. He could sense someone else was in his room…and it wasn't his dorm mates.