The Adventure
By RowlingIdol
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own the song `Scandalous'. This chapter contains slight language, teen drinking and sexual references. Review if you wish! They are most appreciated.
Author's Note- Parts of this feels like filler because it was starting out that I thought it wasn't going to be as long as I had hoped it to be but then it turned out longer than expected so that's good. I apologize for any boring filler material. Please continue to read.
Chapter 6: Scandalous
The kiss had lingered too long. Much too long than it should have. Ginny pulled away quickly at this realization and turned her head away from Draco.
"What's wrong?" He asked concerned.
She shook her head.
"Nothing….. Maybe….. I don't know." She muttered. The paper surrounding the bouquet of flowers Ginny held crackled as she broke away from Draco's grasp.
"I… I have to go." She said, still avoiding his gaze.
"Ginny wait!" Draco called after her as she hurried off towards the castle. When he realized she wasn't stopping, he followed her.
"Would you STOP?!" He called after her. She came to a halt, her shoulders heaving up and down as she breathed heavily.
"I think we should talk." Draco said. Ginny didn't turn around.
"Do…. Do you want to go inside to talk?" he questioned her back. There continued to be silence.
"All right." came Ginny's meek reply.
"All right." Draco repeated.
Ginny allowed Draco to walk along side her as they made their way to the school. Once inside, the halls were bustling with students hurrying to dinner. As if on cue, Ginny's stomach rumbled.
"Meet me in the hallway near NEWT prep, when you're done okay?" Draco said, his turn to not look at Ginny. He could see her red curls bob as she nodded yes. He walked off towards the stairs while Ginny proceeded into the Great Hall.
"Oh Ginny! Where did those come from? Maybe from a seeeeeecreeeet admirer?" Hermione asked Ginny, elbowing Harry when she said the word `secret'.
Ginny paled. She still had the bouquet in her arms.
"Oh! Um… I uh…. I was uh…. Studying in the greenhouses…. And I made a bouquet. For um… Decoration…. In the dorm." Ginny said, laying the flowers on the table.
"I hope nothing you picked is going to eat me." Ron said, shying away from the flowers, eyeing them as if one of the blooms was going to crawl towards him in an attempt to swallow him whole.
"They're safe." Ginny said, gently touching the paper surrounding the flowers. She smiled.
First chocolates, now flowers? All apologetic gifts but exactly what did it all mean? She needed to hurry and eat so she could go and meet Draco. They REALLY needed to talk.
~*~*~*~
Ginny slowly approached the hallway in which they had their big argument last Monday. Draco was leaning against the wall, arms folded. He looked up as she approached. None of the other students passing down the hall looked their way.
"Hi." Ginny said.
"Where are the flowers?" Draco asked, seeing her empty hands.
"I brought them to my room. Too big to keep carrying around. Plus they needed water." She said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Ah." Draco said.
Silence set in between the two.
"So…." Ginny started.
"Yeah…." Was Draco's response.
"We really need to discuss--" He motioned between the two of them with his hand. "This."
"What's there to discuss?" Ginny asked sharply, looking away.
"I mean I liked the chocolates and the flowers. It was a nice gesture." Ginny said. "I appreciate your apology but you know that last Sunday was just a mistake. It was a one night stand."
The last words burnt on her tongue. It sounded so cruel.
"What about what happened at the lake? Was that a mistake?" Draco nearly snapped. Ginny bit her lip and looked away, avoiding his intense stare.
Ginny couldn't fool herself. It had been intentional.
"I thought so." Draco said, sadistically satisfied. He gracefully slouched on the wall.
"What about those butterflies? Did you take care of them?" Ginny asked, turning the attention to Draco. He was quiet.
"I thought so." She replied in a mocking tone.
"I tried." Draco said. "The bastards must be immune or something…."
Ginny blushed. The butterflies in her own stomach started a flutter. Ever since the Hogsmeade trip on Saturday, they had been there. She couldn't deny them any longer. It had been torture trying to ignore them all this time.
"Look." Ginny said, holding her hand up and shaking her head.
"This is COMPLETELY insane. You're…. You. And I'm… Me."
"You don't think that I find this absolutely crazy as well? Because, believe me, I do."
"You`re first class and I`m….. Well look at me!" Ginny said.
"I am." Draco said sincerely. She looked up at him with watery eyes. His gray eyes stared intently back.
"This is wrong." She said, shaking her head and turning away from him, arms hugging herself.
"It is indeed problematic. Dangerous even." Draco mused.
"Not to mention scandalous." Ginny added.
"Most definitely." Draco agreed.
"Do you want us to stop?" He questioned.
"No." Ginny answered immediately.
"That was a quick answer. Are you sure?"
"I don't need to think about it."
"What about Potter?"
"What about him?"
"Don't you think you should tell him?"
"Tell him what?"
"That you're my girl-"
"Hold it right there mister! I am NOT your girlfriend."
"What are you then? My lady friend?"
"Oh Merlin that sounds even worse."
"Then what are we? Obviously we're not just friends anymore."
"I don't know what we are."
"Maybe you should ask Granger. She seems to have answer for everything."
"You're such a jerk!"
"Yes I am but you like me anyways."
The two stopped their bickering for a moment.
Ginny sighed.
"All right. I don't know WHAT we are but I really don't think we need any labels right now."
"If you think so." Draco said, shrugging.
Ginny glared at him.
"I don't need labels to tell me what I already know, thank you very much." She snapped.
"What do you know exactly?" Draco pressed. Ginny went red.
"That er….. You like me and…. I like you…. I guess." She answered.
"I see." Draco said, smirking.
"But don't think because I've admitted it means you get to….. To… To hold my hand or such things." Ginny said, going redder by the second.
Draco grinned evilly.
"Like I would hold hands with you." Draco said. He stuck his hands in his pockets and proceeded to stroll out of the hallway. Ginny stared dumbfounded after him.
"What do you mean you wouldn't hold hands with me?" She yelled after him.
~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, at the Malfoy Manor, Lucius and Narcissa were getting ready to turn in early. A house elf turned down the bed sheets and deeply bowed before scurrying from the room.
"Ah…" Lucius said, suddenly clutching his chest.
"What's wrong my dear?" Narcissa asked quickly, looking concerned at her husband
"I sense a disturbance in the Malfoy line…." Lucius gasped.
"Oh pish posh! You and your nonsense! Go to bed!" Narcissa said, waving her hand at him. She daintily got into the bed, pulling the silk sheets up to her graceful neck.
"You think I'm joking woman?" Lucius snapped. "Something is amiss…."
~*~*~*~
The following Monday, Ginny hurried to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She was anxious.
Minutes later.
"Oh thank MERLIN!!!" Ginny cried out.
"What are you yelling about in there?" Hermione called to her.
"I got my PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!" Ginny screamed out of pure joy.
"All you all right? I wouldn't exactly be thrilled about a week of irritability and foul tasting potions for cramps." Hermione said.
"I am MORE than all right!" Ginny said, practically dancing out of the bathroom, brushing her hair as she went.
"Well. I'm sure your mood will definitely brighten everyone's day." Hermione said, smiling at her.
Ginny was all smiles. She couldn't wait to get to class. It would be the first time she would be near Draco since their talk in the hallway.
The week since their discussion had been uneventful and without meeting. They had given each other smiles across the Great Hall at meal times. Today felt like a good day.
During lunch, Harry and Ron took notice to Ginny's exceptionally cheery mood.
"What's her deal?" Ron asked.
"Lady issues." Hermione whispered.
"Urgh." Harry and Ron said in unison. Ron received a slap on the knee from Hermione.
"Don't be so insensitive!" She scolded.
"Someone else seems to be in a pretty good mood." Harry said, changing the subject. He nodded towards the Slytherin table at Ron and Hermione's confused looks.
"Malfoy. He seems to be back to his old, pompous self." Harry explained.
Draco was standing over a group of 6th year students, who were cowering from him. He seemed to be bossing them around, much like other students back in the day had. He had a big smirk on his face, reveling in the satisfaction of being top Slytherin.
"Wonder why he's so happy." Hermione said, passing around a basket of rolls.
"Maybe he just got his monthly allowance of a million Galleons." Ron guessed glumly.
"Come now Ron." Harry said, clapping a hand on his friends back. "Don't waste your time with him."
"Hurry up! We should get to class early today! Today's lecture is about avoiding procrastination! Something YOU two need to pay attention to!" Hermione said, indicating the boys sitting on either side of her.
"You say something `Mione?" Ron asked.
~*~*~*~
In NEWT prep, Ginny tried not to look anxious as she waited for Draco to come into the classroom. She busied herself with her handbook for the class, not looking at the door.
"'Sup Scarhead? Weasel? Granger?" Draco asked, smirking at the trio as he walked past them on the way to his seat behind Ginny.
Ginny blushed and stifled a giggle at the shocked looks on her friends faces. Draco had hardly said a word to any of them, especially Harry, since the beginning of school.
"How come you didn't get a nickname?" Ron whined to Hermione. She shrugged. Harry seemed mildly irritated.
"Hey you." Draco purred into Ginny's ear as he took his seat. She giggled and blushed behind her pamphlet.
"Miss me?" He asked. Ginny giggled again and nodded.
"Good." He said. She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was smiling. It made her smile too.
After class, the four Gryffindors headed towards their common room.
"Forgetting something?" Drawled a voice behind them. They stopped and turned around.
"Excuse me?" Ron asked, stepping forward, shielding Hermione.
"Not you." Draco said. He reached out and pulled Ginny towards him much to everyone's surprise.
"We were going to the library to work on that extra credit NEWT prep assignment, remember?" Draco said to Ginny, quickly winking.
"Oh yes! I almost forgot. Yes, we were going to go to the library and work on that extra credit NEWT prep assignment." Ginny repeated, playing along. Draco slung an arm around her shoulders, letting it relax casually. Harry and Ron went red in the face with anger. Hermione, however, had other things to worry about.
"What extra credit assignment?!?!" she asked in a panic. "I didn't hear anything about an extra credit assignment!"
"That's because you had to ask for it." Draco said, rolling his eyes.
"Omigosh! I didn't think to ask if there was any extra credit I could be doing!" Hermione said, now in full blown panic mode. "I have to go back and ask if there is any other extra assignments he can give out!" she said, rushing off back towards the classroom.
Ron glared at Draco.
"Get your hands off my sister." He growled.
"Really- Ron. It's fine." Ginny said before Draco could comment. "I can take care of myself."
Harry stared with his eyebrows furrowed at the two. The casual way Draco leaned on Ginny's shoulders, the way her hip leaned towards his. He must be seeing things. He was letting paranoia get to him.
"It's just an assignment. Don't worry." She assured them again. The boys continued to be silent.
"Let's go before it gets crowded." Ginny said to Draco. She turned around and walked towards the library, leaving the speechless Ron and Harry behind.
After they were out of earshot, Ginny spoke up.
"Extra credit assignment?" She asked.
"Of course. Did you have a better idea of how we could have some alone time?" He said lightly.
"You want alone time?" Ginny asked, blushing slightly.
"Why wouldn't I?" He asked, smirking. Ginny smiled.
"What happened to not wanting to hold my hand?" She asked.
"I'm not holding your hand." Draco said.
"You've got your arm around my shoulders still. That constitutes as touching."
"I never said I didn't want to touch you."
"You don't want to hold my hand though."
"Holding hands is over-rated."
"Is it now?"
"Of course it is Ginny. Now speed up the pace so we can get a table in the back."
Ginny blushed.
~*~*~*~
Once at the library, they wandered through the aisles of bookshelves.
"So I've been wondering." Ginny said, letting her finger run across a dusty bookshelf. She brushed the dust from her finger.
"Hmm?" Draco asked, scanning bookshelves.
"How did I get back to my room that night?" she asked, blushing.
"Well… Afterwards, you looked over at me and said point blank- `Draco I'm tired. Take me home.' So I obliged. You may think that I'm a jerk Ginny but I most certainly still am a gentleman."
"That still doesn't answer my question." Ginny said, drawing patterns in each dust coated bookshelf they came to.
"What else do you want to know?"
"How I physically got back to school."
"I carried you."
Ginny went red in the face and stopped her dust doodling.
"Then what?" She said after a moment, having regained her composure.
"Dropped you off in front of the Fat Lady. Luckily she was muttering the password between snores so I was able to get you in.
"You were IN the common room?" Ginny said a little too loud. Ginny stopped and waited for Madam Pince to show to shush her but thankfully she didn't appear.
"You were conscious enough by that point to take the clothes I folded for you and wobble upstairs." Draco smirked at the memory.
"You're lucky you didn't break an ankle in those shoes the way you were walking." He told her. Ginny went red again.
"You give one mean hickey." Ginny blurted.
"Do I now?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow at her. He plucked a few books from a shelf and moved on to the next bookshelf.
"Thankfully, Hermione knows a good concealing spell." Ginny said, sticking her tongue out at Draco.
"Figures." He replied, rolling his eyes. He sighed, picking out another book.
"You ought to consider trimming those claws of yours. I believe I still have scratches from you." Draco said lightly, causing Ginny to blush.
"Sorry." She mumbled.
"I've had worse." He said, shrugging.
Ginny blushed. She wasn't going to ask. At least… Not today.
"I think these will be enough." Draco said, grabbing two more books and adding them to his pile.
"For what?" Ginny asked.
"The extra credit assignment." Draco said.
"But I thought you made it up." she said, frowning.
"Nope." Draco said, smirking.
Ginny's mouth fell open.
"You mean we have to do work?"
"Yeah. I made sure we'd have several weeks just the two of us here in the library."
Ginny bit her lip. Doing homework was Hermione's fun idea of a date. Not hers.
"Not exactly your cup of tea?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"It's fine. Next time, though, I get to decide what we do." she told him, leading the way back to their table.
"Oh really? Says whom?" Draco asked, following close behind.
"I do."
"So you wear the pants in this…. Whatever it is?"
"Yes." Ginny replied.
"I think I can take those pants off you." Draco purred. Ginny went bright red in the face. She whirled around.
"That was a one time thing! I told you! Don't think its ever going to happen again!" she said to him, pointing a finger at him. Draco just smirked again.
She would grow to eat those words.
~*~*~*~
The next day at lunch Hermione hung all over Ginny.
"Are you SURE you don't need help with the assignment?" Hermione asked for what was probably the umpteenth time.
"We are FINE Hermione." Ginny said, letting her silverware clatter noisily against her plate.
"For Merlin's sake it isn't even that big of an assignment anyways." Ginny said, wiping her hand on her napkin.
"You really couldn't use a third person?" Hermione begged.
"Yes Hermione. We are fine as it is. Just the two of us." Ginny said, now beginning to gather her belongings. It was nearing the end of lunch and she was meeting Draco again at the library.
"Just be careful." Harry told Ginny. "Malfoy seems up to something."
Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I can tell you, he's not up to anything."
"Well when I asked the professor about the extra credit assignment he said that it was Draco's idea that you help him with it." Hermione said.
Ginny stopped for a moment,
"Well the professor must be mistaken because Draco told me that it was the professor's idea that I help because we worked so well on that team assignment." She said, holding her head high.
"Think about it `Mione. Malfoy hates us. He would never do anything with us intentionally." Ron put in.
"Just keep an eye out, all right Gin?" Harry said.
Ginny just grabbed her book bag and stormed off towards the library.
~*~*~*~
Ginny threw her bag down on a table in the library, causing a cloud of dust to rise up. The loud noise earned her a `SHHH!' from Madam Pince, who sat behind a desk near the front of the library.
"What's wrong with you?" Draco asked from the armchair next to the table.
"I'm not in the mood." Ginny said, collapsing into the adjacent armchair.
"Fine." Draco said, returning to the book he was reading.
There was silence between the two, the only noise being that of turning pages.
"I mean they are SO annoying!" Ginny burst out.
Draco lowered his book slightly.
"I thought you didn't want to talk about it." He said. He raised the book again.
Ginny sighed.
"They are SO annoying sometimes!"
"Don't I know it."
"They act like nobody changes. It's a bunch of bullocks. Ron and Hermione have changed. They hated each other. Look at them now! Look at Neville! He helped with the Voldemorts defeat. Never saw that one coming come first year did you? I think not!" Ginny ranted.
"So I take it someone made a comment that you didn't take kindly to?" Draco drawled from behind his book.
"Yes." Ginny mumbled. She pushed herself out of the armchair and stormed off into the rows of books behind their table. She needed to be alone.
Ron's words echoed in her head. Malfoys would never do anything with Weasleys intentionally. She knew in her heart that it was wrong. Draco had changed. She knew it. Why couldn't anyone else see it? Or maybe she had been wrong. If she was wrong, then was Draco just playing her this entire time?
She had made it close to the Restricted Section of the library when she realized Draco had followed her back there. He practically had her corned.
"Leave me alone Draco." She said, turning to get away from him. She couldn't go anywhere. She turned around, Draco was advancing towards her. She backed up, back pressing up against a bookshelf.
"Who said it." He growled.
"Said what." Ginny said.
"Who said it." He repeated.
She avoided his stare and looked over his shoulder as he loomed towards her.
"Ron." she said, not looking at him.
"What did he say."
"That you would never do anything with us Weasleys intentionally." She said, looking at the floor.
"And you believed him?" He asked, his face dangerously close to hers now. She shied away from him.
"No." she shook her head adamantly.
"Then why are you upset?" He whispered.
"Because I wish they would see you how I do." She sniffed.
A hand made its way up to her face and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
After a long pause and a deep breath, he lowered his lips to hers and gave her a gentle kiss.
He pulled away after a moment.
"What was that for." Ginny asked, blushing a deep red.
He took a step back, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and shrugged.
"Thought it was deserving." He muttered, shrugging his shoulders.
"Ah." Ginny said, looking down.
"A Malfoy would never do anything intentionally with a Weasley, huh?" he replied, smirking.
"Crazy right?" Ginny asked meeting his eyes.
The smirk grew wider.
"Scandalous."
~*~*~*~
Next Monday in NEWT Prep, Hermione glowered in her seat as the professor praised the extra credit assignment Draco and Ginny turned in.
"Wonderful wonderful!" the teacher beamed at the two of them as he leafed through the several pieces of parchment that were handed in.
"100 extra points to each your houses for your added effort! Yes yes!" The professor said. He used his wand to stamp a smiley face on the top of the paper.
Hermione wasn't the only one glowering in her seat. Harry had his arms crossed, glaring at Ginny and Malfoy at the professor's desk.
"Do you think there's something we don't know?" Harry whispered to Ron.
"What do you mean?" Hermione interrupted.
"I mean look at them." Harry said.
The three looked.
"I just see a blonde ferret who used my sister's smarts to get a passing grade in this class." Ron grumbled.
"I see myself having to study an extra 10 hours this week because I lost out on that extra credit assignment." Hermione replied, sighing.
Harry was quiet with his answer.
His insides churned as he watched Ginny give a beaming smile to Draco as the professor handed them their extra credit assignment back. Draco gave her a smile back and quickly winked at her, causing her to blush. On the way to their desks Ginny had a spring to her step, Draco eyeing her arse as she sashayed to her seat, which initiated a pompous looking strut on behalf of Draco.
"I see something fishy." He replied.
~*~*~*~
"So what are you doing Thursday." Draco casually asked Ginny during the study portion of NEWT prep. Ginny was turned in her seat and was sharing Draco's desktop.
"Besides class, just homework and studying." She shrugged behind her book. "Why do you ask?"
"I owe someone a visit." He grumbled.
"You don't have to visit me." Ginny whispered, blushing.
"Not you. Zabini."
Ginny put her book down.
"It's not a Hogsmeade weekend. And you're talking about Thursday anyways." She said.
"It's called `sneaking out'. Have you ever heard of it? It's quite fun sometimes." He replied sarcastically.
"Ha ha." Ginny replied mockingly. "I know what sneaking out is. You don't think I've snuck out before?"
"Most likely not."
"Well I HAVE thank you very much."
"Yeah? To where? The kitchens in the middle of the night?"
Ginny was silent.
Draco sighed from behind his book.
"That doesn't constitute as sneaking out."
"Fine. But I don't want to go back to that place after what happened last time."
"Come on." Draco slightly whined. "I owe him."
"You can go on your own. I don't need to hold your hand. You don't want to hold it anyways."
Draco sighed again.
"He wants me to bring you. He owled me last week."
"Why? So he can exploit my dancing talents?"
"He better not."
"Fine. Whatever. I'll go. But if we get in trouble I'm blaming it all on you."
"Deal." Draco said, sounding very pleased with himself.
~*~*~*~
The bell rang signaling the end of class. The students clambered for their belongings. Ginny smiled at Draco before heading out of the classroom.
Draco stuffed his books in his leather book bag before hefting it onto his shoulder.
"Hey Malfoy." Came a harsh voice from behind him. He slowly turned around.
"Can I not help you Potter?" Draco replied snarkily.
Harry glared at him.
"I don't know what you're up to, but I'm on to you." Harry told him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't mess with me Malfoy."
"I'm not messing with you, Potter. No one's out to get you. Just leave me alone." Draco said, moving to shove past him.
"I'll leave you alone once you leave Ginny alone." Harry demanded. Draco stopped.
"Who are you to tell me to leave her alone? Wasn't it her who told me to leave you alone six years ago?"
"She doesn't need a jerk like you bothering her and staring at her arse. That's right. I saw you looking at it."
"So? Wouldn't you want to look at it if it was wiggling right in front of you?"
"Just leave her alone. She's mine."
"She's yours? She's a person Potter, not a piece of property. You should learn some manners." Draco said, shoving past Harry.
~*~*~*~
"Do we really have to be out so late?' Ginny asked, rubbing her arms through her robe. The sweater she wore underneath didn't help much against the cold October air as she and Draco walked down to Hogsmeade.
"His place doesn't open until late. Who wants to party at one in the afternoon? No one." Was Draco's response.
"Alcoholics might." Ginny pointed out.
Draco shrugged.
"Why did he want me to come> He's your friend. Not mine."
"He said he had something for you."
"Hope its not our sex tape." Ginny grumbled.
"For Merlin's sake woman! There is NO sex tape."
"How do you know?" She snapped.
Draco growled and rolled his eyes.
"I don't, all right? Just…. Come off it."
"Fine." Ginny said defeated.
"Here. Take my coat." Draco said, stopping on the pathway to shrug out of his fancy black long coat.
"It's cold out." Ginny protested.
"I'll be fine." He told her. He handed the coat to her. She handed him her wand, which they had been using to light their way to Hogsmeade.
She slid into the coat, the warmth from his body still lingering. It instantly warmed her. Draco handed her wand back.
"Thank you." She said.
"You're welcome." Draco replied.
Once they reached Hogsmeade, Zabini's, the Three Broomsticks, and the Hog's Head were the only places still open. A loud, repetitive, thump was coming from Zabini's. It grew louder as someone opened the door and exited. Draco held the door open to Ginny who quickly darted in.
"What is that awful racket?" Ginny yelled over the music to Draco.
"I don't think I want to know." He replied. He scanned the room, finding Blaise behind the bar. Blaise waved animatedly at them.
Draco put his hand on the small of Ginny's back and led her towards the bar.
"Hey!!! You made it!" Blaise called over the thumping music to the two.
"What the bloody hell are you playing?" Draco yelled, indicating the music.
"It's Techno Thursday mate! Glow stick?" Blaise replied, holding out plastic glowing key chains to Draco.
"What are you doing with those Muggle party favors?" Draco asked, disgusted.
"These are from her brothers shop." Blaise said, nodding towards Ginny. "They never go out!" Blaise explained. Ginny shook her head at the key chains.
"No thanks." She called over the music.
"Pleased to see you little lady." Blaise, making the gesture of tipping a hat to her.
"Hi." Ginny replied, unenthused.
"So we came to visit. What do you want." Draco said.
"For you." Blaise said, indicating Draco. "I have my latest concoction." sliding a lime green drink towards him.
"And you miss." Blaise said, this time to Ginny. He pulled a drawstring bag from his pocket.
"Your earnings." He said, presenting the bag to her with a flourish of his hands.
"My what?" Ginny asked, reaching for the bag. She pulled open the top, tipped it over the counter and out spilled wizard money.
"Why are you paying her?" Draco snapped at Blaise.
"That night she was in here last was my best night to date. This is her share." Blaise said, grinning. Ginny went bright red in the face.
Draco reached across the bar and grabbed Blaise by the front of his shirt.
"Don't give her money for that! She's not one of your burlesque dancers!" Draco threatened.
"Calm down mate!" Blaise said, wrenching free of Draco's grip. "I'm not cheap! I pay all my girls!"
"She's not YOUR girl." Draco snarled.
"I can't take your money." Ginny said, pushing the bag of money back across the bar to Blaise.
"I insist." Blaise said, smoothing his shirt from where Draco grabbed it.
Ginny bit her lip and shook her head.
"If you don't take it here I'm just going to owl it to you later." Blaise said, reaching for an empty glass.
Ginny stared at Blaise for a while before reaching her hand out for the bag.
"This ones on the house." Blaise said, handing her a glass of the same drink that Draco had already successfully downed.
"So how are things?" Blaise asked, leaning his arms on the counter.
"Fine." Draco answered. "Mother says Father has been feeling ill lately but he's all right."
"I meant with this." Blaise said, motioning to the both of them.
"You put any of my advice to any good use? Huh huh?" Blaise asked Draco.
"Oy! We need more ice!" called out another bartender from down behind the bar.
"Oy! It's in the cooler out back!" Blaise called to him.
"It's locked! And you have the key!"
"For fucks sake Marcus!" Blaise said, throwing his hands up in the air. He turned to Draco and Ginny.
"Pardon my language." He winked at Ginny. "I'll be back." he told Draco.
"He KNOWS?" Ginny asked, whirling around to Draco in her seat in the barstool.
"It's his club." Draco said, reaching behind the bar counter and grabbing a bottle and popping the top off.
"But he KNOWS." Ginny wailed. She hid her face in her hands for a moment before slapping Draco's arm.
"Why didn't you tell me he knew?"
"You didn't ask!" Draco said in defense.
"But you didn't think that I should know that someone else knew what happened here?"
"I did but I knew you'd get mad so I didn't say anything!"
"I'm mad you didn't tell me!"
"Well I'm sorry, I should have told you." Draco said, taking a swig from the bottle.
They didn't speak to one another until Blaise got back from getting the ice.
"I take it I'm the only one who knows?" Blaise asked, cocking an eyebrow at them.
"It would seem so." Ginny replied unhappily.
"Come on. It's not that bad." Blaise said. "I'm sure Draco makes a fine boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend."
"I'm not her boyfriend."
The two said at the same time.
"Really now? Then would one of you like to explain to me then what THIS is?" Blaise said, stepping back and crossing his arms across his chest.
"We don't know what it is." Draco said.
"He's a Malfoy. And I'm a Weasley. It's bad enough right there." Ginny grumbled.
"It's scandalous!" Blaise gushed.
"We know." The two said in unison.
"Admitting you're boyfriend and girlfriend isn't going to make it any different." Blaise pointed out. "So you might as well do it."
Draco looked over at Ginny, who was staring at him. She quickly looked away.
"Come on mate." Blaise whispered to Draco though with the music so loud it shouldn't even be considered whispering. "She's special. Like, diamonds and pearls kind of special."
"I know that." Draco snapped at him.
"She's got your head spinning and you're in a twirl. Grow a pair and admit you're her boyfriend."
"No. She has to want it or I'm not admitting to anything." Draco said, turning away from Ginny. He knew she could hear.
Blaise turned his attention to Ginny.
"Look, I know he's been a major jerk in the past and all that. His family is trying to branch away from what happened this summer. You know that right?"
"Right." Ginny said, playing around with her empty glass.
"Sure, he's dangerous. Non stop looks to kill. Straight talk sex appeal. One touch gives you chill. You didn't think I noticed that when he led you over here to the bar well I did." Blaise hissed in her ear.
Ginny blushed and started playing with a strand of hair.
"He's got you feening and he's got you feeling weak. You've got him going crazy. He can't sleep. Don't worry about your no fortune. Your moves… You hypnotize him. You`re his number one and you came to rock his world."
"All right all right I get it." Ginny said, irking away from Blaise.
"So how's about it you two?" Blaise said, looking between the two. "A little stimulation? A little conversation maybe?"
"Fine. We can talk about it." Draco said, not looking at Ginny.
"That's a step mate. Now why don't you take the lady to dance floor. I've got work to do. Money to make. Bills to pay. Chop chop!" Blaise said, waving the couple away from his bar counter.
Draco stood up and waited for Ginny to slide down, a bit wobbly, off her barstool. He started to lead the way to the dance floor.
"Aw come on!" Blaise called after them. "After all I just said would you hold her bloody hand already?" Blaise barked at Draco.
Draco sighed as several heads turned to look in their direction.
Draco reached down and grabbed Ginny's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. He held her hand tightly, almost in a fist, but not tight enough to hurt.
He pulled her to a far corner of the dance floor near the private curtained rooms.
"Is it that bad?" Ginny asked.
"What?" Draco asked.
"Holding my hand."
Draco looked down at their hands.
"It's okay." Draco said, trying to keep himself from smiling. "I still think its overrated though." He said.
"You like holding my hand." Ginny said, grinning, swinging the arm of the hand Draco was holding back and forth.
"I like a lot of things." Draco told her, moving closer to her. His voice was beginning to hurt from all the shouting.
"Like what?" Ginny asked.
"Well, you're hot stuff, head to toe." Draco said, pulling her hand up and twirling around. Ginny giggled and nearly tripped over herself. She fell into him.
"Ow! You're solid as a rock." Ginny whined, rubbing the shoulder that collided with Draco's chest with her free hand.
"I think you need to sit down." Draco told Ginny.
"No not in there!" she complained as Draco pulled her into one of the booths.
"Where else do you want to sit? At the bar? It's quieter in here." Draco said. Ginny frowned at the room.
"I still don't like this place." Ginny said, sitting on the couch.
"What was in that drink?" Ginny asked.
"Hard liquor."
"It was good." she said.
"It was. Really hit the spot." Draco said. The next thing he knew, Ginny had crawled into his lap and leaned in close to his ear, her hair tickling his nose.
"How many ways can you hit the spot?" she purred into his ear. She nipped at his earlobe with her teeth,
causing him to take in a sharp breath.
"Show me what you got." he smirked.
At that moment it was all about the two of them. And as the night progressed, it was obvious: a one night stand was not enough.
~*~*~*~
Author's Note- Feening is apparently a slang term for craving. I had to look it up after reading the lyrics for the chapters inspired song. For those who are curious, the techno song from the club is `Bidibodi Bidibu' by `Bubbles'. Sorry this chapter took a while to get out. I seemed to be working a lot. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon. I'm excited to write the next chapter so there's a good chance it will be. Don't want to keep all you readers and reviewers waiting. Please review! Thank you!
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