Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it belongs to JK Rowling, etc etc.

Authors Note: I know I haven't had much Harry/Hermione stuff lately, so the little scene at the beginning will hopefully keep you satisfied for now. Sorry about that, but the focus had to shift to Draco/Ginny for now, at least. Also, I finally get to include some Luna in this story, who is my favourite character in the Harry Potter Universe. She just rocks. I hope I did okay with her and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Twenty-One

The first Hogsmeade trip of term arrived on a windy, but otherwise fine day. As was typical during a Hogsmeade weekend, Hogwarts was mostly empty, most of the students having piled out of the castle during the early hours of the day. They wouldn't be returning until darkness was falling.

Choosing to avoid the crowd this time, Harry was waiting for Hermione in the entrance hall, his body concealed by his Imperceptible Charm. Curiously, when he had awoken this morning, he found that Draco was nowhere to be seen. Wondering idly where his best friend had gone, he had quickly gotten ready, cast the Charm, and made his way down to the entrance hall. He wasn't waiting long.

Hermione arrived less than five minutes after him and he called her over, again noticing the look of momentary confusion on her face when she didn't recognise him, followed by the recognition and beaming smile that made her look all the more beautiful to him.

"Harry," she said in greeting, walking up to him and taking his hand, "have you been waiting long?"

"Yeah," he said, grinning at her, "you really shouldn't keep a guy waiting you know. We can get all sorts of ideas. I was beginning to think you didn't like me anymore." Harry did his best to sound like your typical ditzy blond girl, affecting the highest voice he could.

Hermione giggled. "Don't be silly," she chastised lightly, smiling.

Together they made their way down to Hogsmeade, holding hands the whole way, without even noticing it. It had become instinctual to them both. Whenever they were together, they normally clasped hands, without even a conscious thought. It was a testament to their familiarity with each other, that closeness that only comes with someone your can really relax around - the simple intimacy of a simple act like holding hands.

As they wandered down the path to Hogsmeade, Hermione curled her arm around Harry's, pulling herself into his warmth and resting her head lightly on his strong shoulder. He placed a small kiss on her head and tightened his grip on her arm, loving the moment, and loving her.

It was something that annoyed Harry greatly, his inability to talk about or voice his feelings. He figured it came from growing up with nobody. The isolation he felt as a child creating a barrier around himself and his heart. It's not that he didn't feel, or that he couldn't love, just that he could not express it. No matter how hard he tired, he couldn't tell Hermione he loved her. And he had tried, over and over again. He could say the words when he was alone, but they always felt wrong to his ears, like he shouldn't be saying them. Every time he tried to tell Hermione, the words just wouldn't come. It was like his throat closed up, blocking anything from escaping.

Harry hated it, but he was unable to do anything about it, and so he tried to tell her in other ways, his actions and his attentions - anything that would show her how he felt. He just hoped she understood and that someday, he would be able to get those three tiny little words that meant so much out.

(----)

Ginny was nervous, so dreadfully nervous. She was waiting for Draco at the entrance to Hogsmeade, having walked down with her friend Luna, who was only coming down to pick up some supplies. They had split up at the entrance and Ginny had spent the last ten minutes waiting nervously, hopping on the spot. Was he not coming? Did he change his mind? How many times had those thoughts flittered through her mind? All they did was add to her nervousness.

She had a lot to be nervous about. She was about to actively, publicly, go on a date with a Slytherin. And not just a Slytherin, but also a Malfoy, a member of the family most hated in her family. If Ginny had been any bit educated in the Muggle world, she might have compared her situation to that of Romeo and Juliet. Not being, however, she could only wait and bite her lip pensively.

Another question that had entered her mind on more than one occasion since she had asked Draco out on this date suddenly sprung itself on her once again, and she found herself checking her surroundings. Nobody was around. The rest of the student body would be further down the street, clogging up the most visited areas in Hogsmeade - including the Three Broomsticks and outside of the Shrieking Shack.

Sighing with relief, she went back to looking and waiting for Draco. What was the question?

"What am I going to do if Ron sees us together?" Ginny mumbled under her breath.

Out of all the questions, this one caused her the most trouble. Not to mention lack of sleep. No matter how much she though about it, it could only end one way. Fighting. Either Ron would attack Draco, which was pretty much a given, and beat Draco up, or he would attack Draco and get beaten up. Neither option appealed to her. Ginny hated fighting.

She may appear to be strong on the outside, but inside, Ginny knew she was weak. Ever since she was used and taken into the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny had been terrified of the dark, of closed in spaces, and of violence and blood. Even though she didn't really remember much of her time spent in the Chamber, she still had nightmares, and that was more than enough to terrify her. She tried to act as brave and as tough as she could, but she knew, if anything bad ever did happen, she would mostly likely fall apart. She was just weak.

Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts, Ginny forced herself to focus on the path before her. Anything but those nightmare visions of gigantic snakes with blood covered fangs and the dark, echoing sound of nothingness.

Coming back to herself, Ginny realised she was shaking and that she had apparently wrapped her arms around herself at some point. Forcing the shakes to stop, Ginny took a deep steadying breath and looked up at the path, spotting a figure approaching her. Black cloak, green snake emblem (don't think about it!), and of course, his notorious silver hair. It was Draco.

"Hi," she said quickly, blushing at how pathetic she sounded.

"Hey," Draco said, coming to a stop before her, "sorry I'm late. I was...kind of nervous."

"Me too," Ginny admitted, smiling at his bashful look.

"Shall we then?" Draco said, motioning towards the village.

"Okay," Ginny squeaked, and before she could even think twice about it, she grabbed his hand and started towards the village.

She wasn't going to be weak. She wasn't going to be afraid. She was going to be strong. She was going to face them all.

(----)

Draco smirked inwardly, his plans continuing smoothly. He had idled back at Hogwarts before starting towards Hogsmeade, leaving Ginny to sweat, and also so that he could pretend to be nervous about their 'date'. He wasn't in the slightest. It was just another step that had to be taken, so that he could eventually humiliate the girl. He was going to do it publicly, so their relationship had to be public knowledge. On top of that, he was hoping to bump into her brother. No doubt the idiot Gryffindor would try to pick a fight. Draco was counting on it.

Noticing that Ginny had come to a stop, Draco looked up. He spotted a few students just down the street, loitering outside Zonko's. They looked like seventh years to Draco. He glanced at Ginny, who looked a little pale, then gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He took a breath (for show) and then spoke:

"Come on," he said, "don't worry about them. Let's go, okay?"

Ginny took a breath, mirroring him, then nodded. "Yeah," she said.

Together they strode down the street. The three seventh years looked up as they approached, but only two of them showed any shock. The last one didn't seem to care. However, the other two stared at them like they where walking down the street naked, one of them ineffectually pointing at them.

"Ignore them," Draco muttered reassuringly, making Ginny relax a little. He saw her nod out of the corner of his eye as they passed the gaping students.

But now they were entering the town proper, and more and more students began to appear. Like the seventh years, some stared, and some pointed, but most of them began whispering to friends. A murmuring babble broke out wherever they went, following them like a Homing Charm. They passed Professor Snape at one point - who glanced questioningly at Draco - but he didn't say anything.

The first person to actually approach them was a Ravenclaw from Ginny's year. As the exuberant girl advanced on them, Draco recognised her as Ginny's friend, the one he had seen her with on many occasions when he had been watching her. Her name was Luna Lovegood, but most people called her 'Loony' Lovegood.

"Hullo Ginny," she said, coming to an abrupt stop before them (almost colliding with them, in fact), before turning her everlastingly surprised eyes to Draco, "Hello, I'm Luna Lovegood. Pleased to meet you."

"Erm." To say the girl threw Draco would have been an understatement. Didn't she know who he was?

"I wonder what everyone is looking at?" Luna murmured, glancing around at all the staring faces, before turning to look at Draco and Ginny again. "Do I have something on my face? It's not a Pimple Pixie is it?"

"No," Ginny said, smothering a giggle, "it's not you. It's us. They're staring at us."

"Whatever for?" Luna asked, looking even more startled. Draco figured this time she was actually surprised. Luna looked around at everyone, and when she spoke, she raised her voice: "Don't you people know it's rude to stare."

Ginny laughed out loud, all evidence of her nervousness gone. Draco looked at her, taking in her beauty as she laughed, her dimpled cheeks and mirth filled eyes. He was momentarily stunned, because the next thing he knew Luna was snapping her fingers in front of his face.

"Do you think he's all right?" she asked Ginny with genuine concern.

Ginny just started laughing again.

"I'm fine!" Draco snapped. He was pleased to see her taken aback. The girl was just plain weird, no wonder everyone called her 'Loony'.

"No need to snap Draco." Ginny said through her chuckles, before turning her attention to Luna. "Don't mind him, he's really sweet really. He just thinks he has to act all tough because he's a boy," she grinned playfully at Draco, who, despite himself, couldn't help but smile back.

What the hell is wrong with you? He berated himself. She's taking the piss out of you and you're bloody smiling about it! Snap out of it!

"He's doing it again," Luna said blandly.

Ginny just laughed again.

They left Luna behind and continued further into Hogsmeade, doing their best to ignore the stares. Ginny seemed a bit better now after meeting her friend, though how she could be friends with someone that odd he would never understand.

"Where do you want to go first?" Draco asked.

"I don't know," Ginny said, "but I don't mind if you pick. Surprise me."

"Okay," Draco said, giving her a smile. She just continued to play into his hands, didn't she? He started walking towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Wait," Ginny said, jogging to keep up with him, "the Three Broomsticks? Isn't that a little crowded? I don't want to cause a scene."

"Don't worry," Draco said, pulling her along by the hand, "it'll be good. We have to show that we aren't afraid. We're on a date and we aren't ashamed of it, right?"

"I guess," Ginny conceded, obviously unable to argue with him.

But Draco suspected she was afraid of something else. Perhaps the thing he was looking forward too? After all, where else would Ron Weasley be but the Three Broomsticks? Draco saw him their every time, without fail, and always with his little friends.

He pushed open the doors to the pub and entered, his eyes searching for the familiar red hair. It didn't take him long to find it. A few seconds passed as they stood in the doorway and the noise and ruckus expected in the pub continued, before it stared to quiet down. Eyes began to turn towards them, all belonging to Hogwarts students. Draco didn't care about those eyes. He was staring at the back of Ron Weasleys head.

"No Draco," Ginny whispered, "we should go. I don't want to be here, please..."

But it was too late. That moron Dean Thomas, the one who used to go out with Ginny in fact, had spotted them. He went pale. The boy next to him, Seamus Finnegan, was looking around, obviously wondering why it had gone silent. Dean Thomas stood up sharply, his eyes locked on Draco and Ginny. Ginny was trying to pull him out of the pub. Finally, Ron Weasley noticed what was going on, and looked up at Dean, before turning his head.

The look on his face was priceless.

"What the fuck?" Dean Thomas bellowed, pointing at Ginny, not caring about the fact that he was surrounded by students and Professors alike.

"Oh no," Ginny moaned, giving up on pulling on his arm.

"Relax Ginny," Draco whispered, getting in character, "ignore them."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean Thomas roared, starting over towards them.

Seamus had stood up as well, but he just looked confused. The one Draco was interested in, Ron Weasley, had yet to move. He was just staring at them in shock.

"What are you doing with him?" Dean yelled, right in front of their faces now. He wasn't speaking to Draco though.

"Please don't Dean," Ginny begged, her nervous eyes darting between Dean and her immobile Brother.

"Don't what?" Dean said, before pointing a finger at Draco. "Do you know who that is?"

Draco slapped his hand away. "Don't point at me idiot," he said.

"That's it!" Dean yelled, grabbing Ginny by the arm roughly.

Draco was on him in a second, grabbing him by the throat with one hand and pointing his wand at him with the other.

"Don't you dare touch her!" he roared.

Draco was caught up in everything, he didn't even realise he wasn't acting anymore.

Finally, the Professors seemed to come to their senses. The huge oaf Hagrid came bounding towards them, pushing past the startled little Professor Flitwick.

"Now, now," he roared, pulling Dean back by the scruff of his neck, causing the startled boy to let go off Ginny.

Draco let go as well, but didn't pocket his wand, instead keeping it clenched in his hand whilst he stood protectively in front of Ginny, who was routed to the spot with wide eyes. Ron Weasley had yet to make a move.

"Let me at him!" Dean roared, flailing around like a lunatic. Maybe he should date that Luna girl, Draco though casually.

"Calm yourself Mr. Thomas," Professor Flitwick squeaked, whilst Hagrid gave him a little shake. Of course, a little shake to Hagrid was more like a violent tailspin to Dean, and he came out of it a bit dizzy. Draco figured that had more to do with his compliance than anything else as Hagrid marched him out of the door.

"I suggest you get yourselves back up to the castle," Flitwick advised, nodding towards the door, "before we have another scene. I will have a word with Mr. Weasley here."

"Thank you Professor," Ginny mumbled red faced, and Draco allowed her to drag him from the pub. The not so hushed whispers followed them.

It wasn't exactly what Draco had in mind, but it was better than nothing. He was hoping the other Weasley would have started a fight with him. He would have allowed the red haired boy to beat him, further alienating the girl from her family, and pushing her even further into his arms. However, Dean Thomas's outburst ruined those plans. Still, Draco thought he had at least made a good impression on Ginny. Out of the two, he was definitely the saner, not to mention nicer. Either way, Draco decided he better play it up a little.

"I'm sorry Ginny," he said, looking down at the ground in 'shame', "I didn't mean to cause that scene back their, you know that right? I didn't think, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Ginny said, lowering her head to meet his eyes, "you weren't at fault. It was that stupid jealous Dean Thomas's fault. I can't believe him. I dumped him ages ago, but he just won't leave me alone. I guess he didn't like seeing me with someone else."

"I don't think it helped that it was me," Draco said dryly.

"That too." Ginny said.

"Anyway," Draco went on, "I'm still sorry. I guess I ruined our date didn't I?"

"No," Ginny said fiercely, that admirable fire in her eyes returning, "I'm not letting that jealous prick ruin our first date. Let's go somewhere, away from here. I'm sure we can find somewhere nice and quiet to spend the rest of our date in piece, right?"

"Yeah," Draco said, "good idea."

The rest of the date passed quietly. They shared a romantic stroll through the countryside around Hogsmeade, ending up near the Shrieking Shack, and when they eventually returned to Hogwarts it was already late at night. They said goodbye to each other outside the Gryffindor common room, where Ginny gave Draco a long and sensual kiss. Draco walked away with a smirk on his face.

However, tomorrow was a whole new day, and the news of their date had already spread throughout Hogwarts.

(----)

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