A/N: …and thus the Draco/Ginny ship starts. I am almost done my story on ff.net with Draco and Ginny and will post that one here soon. It will parallel this story and even go beyond where "Crescent Moon" ends. I really liked the scene between D and G and left it in here. Posting will be a bit slower as I edit the rest of this story for huge D and G parts as this is an H and Hr ship! I am reading every review, so please keep them coming!
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First Snow
It was one more week until the Yule Ball and Christmas festivities were in full swing. Decorations were abound in the castle including mistletoe, minus Nargles which made Luna very happy. No one was able to predict where the mistletoe would be as it had been charmed to roam about the castle. Many first years would run away screaming as they could see it coming towards them and a fellow student; however from third year and up the screaming stopped and people would try and catch it to bring it back so they could kiss the boy or girl they fancied. The beautiful landscape around Hogwarts was brought inside in the form of Christmas Trees in each Common Room, garland hanging from the ceiling and even Nearly Headless Nick floated around with a Santa hat perched on top of his nearly severed head.
A thirty foot tall Christmas tree had been erected in the Great Hall with help from Hagrid. Christmas lights adorned each branch along with a candle. A beautiful silver star lay upon the top of the tree and house elves were busy decorating it with multi-colored balls. This holiday season combined with the first snowfall of the winter, put many students in joyful moods, sometimes leaving their homework until the last possible minute so they could have snowball fights out in the snow.
Hermione loved the snow. A tradition had begun, in her first year, of a snowball fight between the boys and girls of Gryffindor and today was the day. A crisp, clear Saturday morning had dawned and everyone was wolfing down breakfast in a rush to get outside and begin magically building their forts; each group had one minute to conjure up what they could, then wands went away and an all out snowball fight would occur.
Comments were made and insults were born at the breakfast table as the students grew louder and louder anticipating the yearly snowball fight. Harry and Ron were the first ones done and they ran up to grab their gloves, winter cloaks, boots and all the other winter items needed to play outside on a day like today. In a matter of minutes, most of the Gryffindor third years and up were outside waiting from the signal from Neville to start the magical one minute clock.
A single word, "GO" was uttered and magical walls, castles, ice moats and many other types of forts were conjured up in less than a minute.
For the better part of an hour, balls sailed to and fro, many of the younger students getting pelted by sixth and seventh years. Slowly, they got frustrated and went off to the lake for ice skating. As was par for the course, the fight usually came down to the seventh years, but not all of them as some discovered a hill to sled down, the lake to skate on or were just too cold to continue.
"Ginny, Harry and those guys are killing us. We need a good plan." Samantha crouched down behind their six foot high wall, watching snowballs come over the top.
"A clean or dirty plan?" Ginny asked mischievously as she hauled one over the wall, hearing a thud as it landed against the boys' castle wall.
"Who cares at this point?" Hermione grumbled shaking snow off of her hat then pulling it back down over her ears. She was not happy to be losing and swore somehow the guys were cheating as every snowball they tossed over the fort, seemed to hit her!
"How about we call a time out? I will say I have to go to the bathroom and as they watch me, you guys circle around those trees and get the three of them." Ginny suggested. Luna who had joined them after Ravenclaw decided they needed to do some studying, agreed and gave her the thumbs up sign.
Ginny yelled for a time out.
She walked out to the left of their wall, explaining what she was doing seeing their heads follow her as she walked slowly towards the castle. At the same time, the three other girls dashed out of the right side and ran through the trees, keeping low and keeping the snow on the backs of their cloaks to help them blend in to the backdrop of trees.
Ginny ran inside, hopping into Moaning Myrtles bathroom because it was the closest, then ran back out again, rounding the corner at full speed, slamming right into Draco Malfoy.
"OH! Sorry!" Ginny gasped, stumbling back a few steps. "I'm on my way out."
"I can see that. Filch will have a fit when he sees all the snow you are leaving in the hall." Draco pointed to the trail she had made.
"Well, not if I move quickly." Ginny's eyes danced, her cheeks flush with the cold.
"Care to get creamed in a snowball fight?" she challenged, seeing the competitive glimmer come into his eyes.
"Well, I just beat the britches off of Hufflepuff, so why not you?" Draco followed her outside, seeing Harry's head pop up above the wall.
"Girls versus boys, Malfoy. Which side you on?" Harry yelled then ducked as Draco hauled a snowball over Harry's head. He trotted off to Harry, Ron and Neville's side and Ginny ducked back into her fort, noticing the girls were gone. Not ten seconds later she heard screaming as apparently, the other three girls were spotted. Sighing, Ginny darted out of her fort and trotted over, seeing Harry pinning Hermione to the ground, Luna in Neville's grasp and Samantha was thrown over Ron's shoulders like a sack of potatoes.
"You girls suck!" Ginny laughed, tossing her snowball at the back of Samantha hitting her right in the arse.
Hermione screamed as Harry managed to stick his cold fingers down the neck of her cloak. She looked up in time to see Samantha being tossed down next to her.
"Hey!" Ron dumped Samantha unceremoniously to the ground and took off after Ginny, telling her only he got to throw things at his girlfriend. It didn't take long until Ron tackled her and they rolled around, wrestling in the snow.
"Do they always do this?" Draco asked, watching Ginny darting out of Ron's grasp, only to have her ankle grabbed.
"At home, yea, not usually here," Harry answered and let Hermione up, brushing off her cloak and gasped when she shoved a handful of snow down his shirt. She took off running, followed by Harry. She wove her way through the trees until she felt his hand on her arm and he pulled her to him.
"You little witch," he laughed and she gave him an evil smile, enjoying the fun that they were having. Next thing she knew, his mouth was on hers, and her back was pressed up against the tree. She could barely hear the muffled shrieks of her friends on the outskirts of the woods, but they soon too vanished as she gave into Harry's ever warming mouth and she wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to get as close as possible to him. Briefly, as his mouth left hers and kissed her neck she heard Ginny shriek with laughter…
Draco watched Ron pin Ginny and could hear her shrieks of laughter coming from the edge of the trees. He walked over
and gazed down at Ron, sitting on Ginny's legs, pinning her arms by her sides.
"Look, Ron. Malfoy is behind you!" Ginny gasped and wriggled out of his grasp as he turned to look. Ron and Draco looked at each other and Draco let a slow smile come across his face as they both took off after her. Ginny managed to run past Harry and Hermione who emerged from the forest both laughing hysterically at Neville and Luna skidding across the moat in front of some other Gryffindors fort. However, she didn't get far when she felt a pair of hands grab her and she fell to the ground. There was Ron, again, pinning her legs and Draco holding down her arms.
"Now what?" Draco asked Ron, who sat back thoughtfully.
"Usually I tickle her, but her paybacks for that are costly." Ron answered then felt a snowball smack him in the back. Turning around he saw Samantha before he ducked in time to avoid getting hit in the face.
"Be right back!" Ron motioned for Draco to hold his sister's legs and he took off after Samantha, yelling war cries the whole way.
"Well, Weasley. Not very often that I'm on top." Draco grinned down at her, feeling her struggle beneath him.
"Really? I didn't think you would be on the bottom either!" Ginny said, managing to free one of her legs, pushing it against his hip and rolling him over, so now she was on top.
Draco grinned up at her, feeling her hands on his arms.
"Well, thanks to you I am now!" Ginny pushed his arms down and tried to calculate how much time she would have to release one arm and grab some snow. She gave him a grin then removed her hand from his arm and scooping up snow as he rolled her over, she managed to shove it down his sweater peeking out from his cloak.
"Weasley!" He roared and that was enough for her to break free. She scrambled to her feet but didn't get very far past the startled look of Harry and Hermione before Draco tackled her again behind her fort wall. This time, he fell flat on her, his hands holding hers and securing them above her head…
Harry and Hermione stared at each other.
"Should we go back there?" Harry asked and Hermione shook her head.
"Looks as if they are having fun," she said, a hand on his arm.
"Fun? Malfoy? They don't usually go together in the same sentence!" Harry said watching Ron's red
head in the distance as he carried Samantha on his back around the lake. He was so happy his best friend had found
someone, just like he had found Hermione. But at the same time he was concerned about who Ginny was currently rolling
around with in the snow.
"Well, let's stay nearby just in case," Harry said momentarily startling himself with this new protective aura he seemed to be embracing.
"Ok…let's do something non-contact like building a snowman or something," Hermione led him a few feet away from the fort Ginny had disappeared behind…
Ginny stared at Draco, trying to catch her breath which wasn't easy to do with him lying on top of her.
"Gotcha." Draco smiled and her and Ginny felt her heart skip. She had rarely ever seen him smile and he looked so different, so handsome when he did.
"Yes, you did," she answered quietly, hearing the shouts and laughter of her friends chasing each other, the screams of the first years as they skated on the ice. Ginny swore she could feel the snow melting under her as the heat from his body transferred onto hers. He moved a bit, taking both of her hands in one of his and it was all Ginny could do from closing her eyes and gasping out loud. He propped his arm up for support on one side of her and stared down at her.
"Now, what would be a fair payback for shoving snow down my shirt?" Draco asked in a menacing voice. Ginny shook her head, not trusting her voice. She felt his hand move to her ribcage and she knew that he was going to tickle her. She was going to curse Ron for admitting she was ticklish. She let out a shriek as she moved her body away from his touch. Briefly she wondered why Harry or Hermione hadn't come back here to check on her yet.
"Stop, stop." She laughed squirming under him, not really aware that her legs had come up so they were bent at the knee on either side of them her feet planted firmly on the ground. She felt him still his fingers, but his hand stayed there in a threatening position. She jumped slightly as he moved his hand, a grin spreading across his face.
"Ticklish are we? Never would have pegged that on you, Weasley."
"My only weakness," she replied, now realizing the physical position she was in.
'Oh my god…if Ron comes back here and sees me like this…' she thought to herself, although she could hear him yelling at Harry about some snowball that hit him. 'Don't let anyone see me, don't let anyone come back here, don't let him move.'
Ginny had these thoughts running through her head as she stared up at him, and their eyes met, searching; Ginny realized that his hand was now threaded through her fingers above her head and the hand that was on her ribcage had moved to the snow next to her. Ginny felt him move slightly, rearranging his weight and Ginny was sure he heard her suck in her breath. She never wanted anything more at this moment than for him to kiss her, which at this point was her only thought. The blood was pounding in her ears and all the noise from over her wall was silenced in her mind. She was only truly aware of how still he was, how he felt on top of her and how long they could stare at each other.
She opened her mouth to say something, something smart like, "Get off me." Or "Let me up!"; she could even flip him over with her legs free but all that came out surprised her more than finding herself in this position.
"Draco-," she whispered and it was all he needed for his lips to meet hers, to send shockwaves through her body. Her eyes closed, savoring the coldness of his lips against hers. Just a light, caress on her lips and his hand tightening around hers; she squeezed his hand back and moved her lips under his, feeling them warm quickly as they hesitantly moved over hers. Ginny felt him pull back as someone was yelling her name. She recognized Hermione's voice and now was mentally cursing her for ruining this pivotal moment.
He let go of her hand and helped her up, his cheeks as flushed as hers. Not saying anything, they stood up only to get pelted by two snowballs, breaking the mood, and the war was on again until everyone was soaked, cold and hungry.
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Ginny was warming up in front of the Common Room fire sitting next to Hermione when she blurted out, "I need to tell someone or I am going to burst."
"What?" Hermione glanced over, brushing out her hair. She knew. She had seen their faces as they popped up from the fort and had patiently waited for Ginny to tell her. Ginny looked around at the other students and lowered her voice.
"Malfoy kissed me, behind our fort." Ginny felt a blush coming to her cheeks. Hermione stared at her and didn't say anything for a few seconds, not having thought through exactly what she was going to say when Ginny told her.
"Well," Hermione started out, "how do you feel about that?"
Ginny glanced down at her hands then back to the fire.
"What was it like when you and Harry first kissed?"
Hermione smiled, remembering the Tower last Spring.
"It wasn't planned, but was magical in every sense of the word. And, to experience Harry Potter letting his control go was so awesome; it was like you could feel the power radiating out of him…," Hermione trailed off, clearing her throat. "But, this is about you!" she grinned at Ginny who was looking very confused.
"Well, he certainly kept control, but it was unexpected. I just don't know what to do now."
"How was it?" Hermione asked, her hairbrush now on her lap and her attention focused on Ginny.
"It was…nothing like you would think from Malfoy. And, I think I even called him "Draco" right before he kissed me," Ginny mumbled, feeling almost ashamed at using a name that had such a different connotation in her mind. "I'm just glad Ron didn't see us because I think he might have gone loony."
"Ginny, as dense as your brother can be, I think he sees something that we all see; "we" meaning me, Harry, your brother," she counted people off on her fingers, "Samantha and even Neville, and that would be an interest in each other. But, I can also see you fighting it."
"Mostly because what would my family think? What would I think of myself if I let myself get involved with the "enemy" so to speak? For six years he did nothing but degrade my family, make hurtful remarks to you and make fun of Harry. Why, then do I feel jumpy every time I see him?"
"I think with his father gone, no one is around to tell him what he should be thinking and how he should act towards anyone who isn't full blooded. Your family is, but I think now that he can see people for who they are not just for their income status. He might be trying to change his views of them, of you."
"Ron would still kill me." Ginny sighed seeing her brother come down the stairs, but head towards the back of the room where a chess game was being played.
"I don't think he would. You're of age, you're smart and you can read and feel so much about people from just watching them. I think if you talked, or if even Draco talked, to Ron, then the animosity might not be there," Hermione paused knowing that that was a lot to ask and backtracked a bit, "Well, as much anyway. As for the rest of your family, if you can get Ron to see that Draco Malfoy has changed, then he will be a big help in helping your family see it too." Hermione put an arm around Ginny's shoulder, seeing Harry start her way. She shook her head slightly and Harry raised an eyebrow but changed direction to the chess game.
"Let me tell you something else." Hermione lowered her head to Ginny's and began talking in a whisper. "I don't know if you know this, but apparently when two full blooded wizards get together and…well…YOU KNOW…the power is supposed to be amazing." Ginny looked up so quickly she almost collided with Hermione's chin.
"WHAT?"
"Well, I read and have heard that if the man and woman are full blooded and consummate their relationship, the feeling and power is tremendous. I read that objects around the room fall, or items even fly around the room. I have and never will experience it, but apparently if someone doesn't exert tremendous control, all this can happen." Hermione saw Ginny's face go pale. "But, I am not saying that you will experience this with HIM, but I just wanted you to be aware, that if you feel he is holding back or in control…that is why. It can happen even when kissing, but not as much so as…," Ginny stopped her with a small nod, obviously not previously knowing any of this information.
"Sounds like it would be amazing, but I could see how it could scare someone if they didn't know." Ginny let out a huge sigh, trying to take in even more information.
"Do you want me to talk to Ron? Malfoy? What can I do to help you?" Hermione asked quietly. Ginny shrugged.
"If the situation presents itself, go ahead but I don't even know what you would say." Ginny stood up, very warm now from the fire and the conversation.
"I think I might take a walk and clear my head a bit at the lake. I'll be back soon." Ginny squeezed Hermione's hand and trotted off to her room. Hermione stood up and walked over to where Harry was watching Seamus and Ron play chess. She tugged his arm and nodded towards his room. Harry quietly followed her, listening to Hermione explain what happened. As they sat on Harry's bed, Hermione turned to Harry.
"I said I would talk to Ron or Malfoy to try and get some semblance of peace between them…what do you think?"
Harry pressed his lips together and stared out the window.
"I think if you talk to Ron, he will think that you are trying to tell him what to do. If you talk to Malfoy and gently suggest to him that if he went to Ron and let him know his feelings about Ginny, it would go over a bit better. Though, we should both be present as well as another bloke to restrain Ron if Malfoy says the wrong thing." Harry flopped back on the bed. "Leave it to Ginny to really complicate things." Harry smiled as Hermione lay next to him.
"I guess I'll go find Malfoy and see if I can talk to him, if he will even listen to me. I think that if they would go to the dance together, then everything will fall into place for them." Hermione felt Harry's hand next to hers and she reached out and took it. They lay there for a bit, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione turned towards Harry who was staring at the ceiling.
"I think I will go find Malfoy. Can I borrow the map for a minute?" Hermione asked and Harry sat up, got off the bed and pulled out his trunk. He knew better than to stop her once she got her mind set on a task.
He handed the map to Hermione who found Malfoy walking down the hall near the library.
"Ok, off to the library I go. I'll probably get some studying in while I can. Meet you back in the Common Room in a few hours?" Harry agreed feeling very relieved that he would be able to go to Hogsmeade for a quick visit and get back without making excuses this time.
Hermione ran up to her room, gathered up a few books, took off down the hall and stairs towards the library. Just as she planned, she saw Malfoy walking towards the library with a notebook and POTIONS book tucked under his arm. He had NEWT level Potions and Hermione knew that it was the hardest class. They had it with Professor Snape together and even though there were a fair amount of Slythterins in the class, he didn't go easy on any of them.
"Malfoy." Hermione came up next to him and he looked at her startled for a moment when he saw she was alone. "Can we talk for a moment?"
Now he stopped and stared at her.
"What did I do?" he asked suspiciously.
Hermione couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.
"Nothing. I just need to talk to you for a minute." She held the door to the library open for him and he walked through, pausing on the other side. She led him to the furthest corner, near the restricted section and sat down, motioning him to sit across from her. For a moment they stared openly at each other and Hermione fully expected him to get up and leave but he sat there patiently waiting for her to talk.
"I have something to say that might help you and I just want you to listen until I am done." Hermione crossed her arms in front of her and leaned closer to him. "There isn't much that escapes my attention and I can see that you have somewhat of an interest in Ginny."
Hermione held his gaze, marveling that he had so much control over his emotions that he didn't give away anything. His face was set in the same neutral expression as when they sat down.
"And I think that if you were to talk to Ron first before you would think about asking Ginny out, or putting yourself in a position where you are alone with her, then you might find it easier to get whatever it is you are seeking. Being the only girl for seven generations, a very powerful witch and a pureblooded one at that and having six older brothers doesn't bode well for anyone that is interested in her. But I know Ron...," Hermione lowered her voice a bit as someone walked by them, "And if the next bloke that takes Ginny out recognizes that Ron is an entity in Ginny's life than he has a much better chance to get involved with her." Hermione sat back, and watched him move slightly in his seat. He looked almost uncomfortable as if he wanted to jump up and run away, but was waiting to be dismissed.
Hermione had another thought hit her and she added to her speech, "And Ginny doesn't have a date to the dance. She has been asked numerous times but said she is waiting for the right person to ask her."
Hermione saw his eyes raise from the table top to hers. She smiled at him and did something she never ever thought she would do, she reached across the table and laid her hand on top of his arm. She felt him flinch at the unfamiliar gesture but he didn't move his arm.
"I also know that Ron will be down having a snack in a few minutes, and Ginny is taking a walk around the lake. This might be the best time to talk." Hermione removed her books and in a selfless gesture she got ready to leave the table first, so he could leave on his own accord.
"Off to study Potions now. Good luck." Hermione turned and walked through and aisle of books, not turning back to see what he did. She congratulated herself quietly for not messing up and having him run away and for keeping her cool when he didn't say anything. With a loud sigh, she laid out her parchment and books and sat down, trying to concentrate on her homework, but also thinking of what kind of history could be in the making in the next hour or so.
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Ron was munching on some pretzels, flipping through a magazine when Draco came and stood in front of him. Ron looked up surprised, when Draco asked if he could sit down for a minute. Ron nodded and pushed his magazine to the side.
"Something wrong?" Ron asked cautiously, not sure what to make of this situation. Draco shook his head and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. Ron nibbled on another pretzel, a small somewhat happy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he sensed whatever Draco was about to say it was hard for him.
"Seeing as you are very good at breaking my nose I figured I would ask you something before a situation presented itself where you would do it again."
Ron stared at him, pretzels forgotten. Draco was looking at the magazine in front of Ron, then looked up and met Ron's eyes.
"I would like to ask your sister to the dance, but thought it would be safer to clear it with you first," he blurted out, eyes never leaving Ron's.
Ron blinked and caught himself from laughing out loud forcing himself to remain silent for a minute as a feeling that he owed Malfoy something (from calling off his Quidditch team when they had walked near Harry the morning of Hermione's miscarriage) took form in Ron's head.
"Welllll…," Ron said slowly, "Alright I guess. I can't answer for her but feel free to ask." Ron felt like the tables were turned and that he had Draco Malfoy in the palm of his hand and he wasn't sure what to do about it.
A thought occurred to him and Ron leaned in a bit, "But, if you do anything to hurt her you will be very, very sorry." Ron saw Draco nod his understanding as he stood back up.
Malfoy reached across and snagged a pretzel, muttering a "thanks" either for the pretzel or permission, but Ron said cheerfully, "You're Welcome," and bowed his head to his magazine as Draco walked out of the great hall with challenge number one completed.