Harry Potter isn't mine. JK owns every thing HP. But this plot… is mine…. Enjoy reading this as much as the one before it.
Chapter 5: Confrontations and Quidditch Practice.
Harry, Ron and Hermione went down to the dungeon to investigate Draco's present ordeal. They read about the news in that day's issue of the daily prophet. Harry and Hermione told Ron it wasn't a very good idea but he insisted on sneaking around and finding out what really happened to Draco's mother. Half way from reaching professor Snape's Office, they saw something that totally made Ron very irritated.
Right in front of Professor Snape's office was Ginny and Draco holding each other in what seemed to Ron as an intimate embrace. "Virginia Weasley! Just what the hell do you think you're doing!" he yelled out as he stormed his way to his sister and Draco who were startled by his staggering voice. Harry and Hermione running behind Ron.
Ginny and Draco Immediate pulled apart. Before Ginny could answer Ron started on Draco hitting him straight on his nose. Harry took hold of Ron Hermione helping him as well. Ginny knelt down beside Draco who was on the floor half lying holding his bleeding nose.
"Let me go Harry! This bastard is trying to get to my sister!" he said full of rage in his voice.
"Ron, stop it! Please be reasonable. Ginny was only trying to comfort Draco. They weren't doing anything," argued Hermione.
Ron was now even furious about what he was hearing. Hermione was taking Draco's side.
"Ron, Hermione's right. You shouldn't have done that. After all he must be going through right now…" Harry was trying to reason out but was interrupted.
"What is the meaning of this?" Snape's said as he got out of his office. "I could hear your arguments from inside. Haven't you learn anything about…" he stopped at the sight of Draco on the floor with a bleeding nose.
"Who started this hole predicament?" he asked them with eyes glinting at Harry.
"Potter have you anything to do with this?" he asked Harry.
"No professor, I fainted and hit the floor face first that's why my nose is bleeding. Good thing Ginny here saw me and tried to help me up," Draco interrupted as he stood up, Ginny helping him get on his feet.
Ron, who was still very furious about the whole scene he just witnessed, went off and ran up the staircase to the entrance hall. Harry ran after him while Hermione helped Ginny in assisting Malfoy.
"Well, I have no choice then. Weasley, Granger, take Mr. Malfoy to Madame Pomfrey to be treated," Snape instructed them. "Oh, Mr. Malfoy are you sure you had an accident or are you just covering for someone?" he asked again.
"I would certainly not professor. You know I wouldn't lie to you. I really had fainted," Draco lied to the head of his house.
"Very well, go on then," he told them as he went back to his office.
"Thanks," Hermione told Draco as she and Ginny helped him up the stairs to the entrance hall.
"For what?" Draco asked looking confused.
"For not telling Professor Snape about what Ron did to you," Hermione said.
"Actually, I could have told Snape about what my brother did to Draco and if he gets punished I really don't care about it!" Ginny snapped.
Hermione didn't argue with her because she knew that the girl was already upset as it is.
"Actually Ginn, I don't blame your brother. Who would want his sister with the one person he hates the most and I can't say that I'm not too guilty of giving him all the reason to despise me. I'm actually surprised with Hermione helping me right now after all the things I've said to her in the past," Draco muttered as he gave Hermione a grateful smile then he placed a hand over Ginny's shoulder.
"It's nothing really. Harry and I have noticed a few changes in you in the past month and at first we thought you were being drugged because you weren't harassing Harry or me with mean insults. I figured something or someone was influencing these changes and my guess was right. It was Ginny all along," Hermione mused very proud of herself for her discovery.
Ginny started to blush as they reached the door to the infirmary. "I haven't been influencing him. I just got the real Draco out. I knew he was hidden there somewhere," she joked.
"Actually, I've never been like this around other people. I had only been like myself when I'm alone with my mom," Draco muttered. The three of them fell silent.
"At least you have someone other than your mother who cares for you," Hermione exclaimed. "Cheer up. You still have a friend or should I say friends." She didn't know why she was being nice to him after all the things he had done in the past but something inside her told her that it was the right thing to do.
When they reached Madame Pomfrey, they told her the same story Draco told Snape although they could see the look of doubt in her face. She even found it rather odd to have two Gryffindors assisting a Slytherin to the infirmary. It was usually a Slytherin causing something to get a Gryffindor to be sent there and vice versa because of the never-ending rivalry between the two houses.
When Madame Pomfrey left them carrying her medical supplies the three resumed their chattering.
"Good thing Madame Pomfrey is very good at her job. It would have been very difficult to mend a broken nose and Ron really gave you a hard blow," Hermione said sounding a bit concerned. "Wonder where those two boys had gone to? Harry should be here by now."
"Actually, Weasley did give me a hard one. I could hardly stand up. I think I was almost knocked out for a sec. But Ginny don't worry I'm okay now and your brother was just being a typical big brother," Draco said as she held Ginny's hand trying to reassure her that he was okay.
"Well, I'm planning to give him a knock off myself when we get back to the Gryffindor common room," Ginny said. Draco and Hermione couldn't figure whether she was joking or serious, when Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle came storming inside the infirmary.
"Get your filthy hands off him!" Pansy demanded as she grabbed Ginny's hand from Draco. Crabbe and Goyle standing behind her. "What did these people do to you?" she asked Draco now focusing all her attention to him and Ginny jerked her hand off Pansy's grip.
Ginny was about to say something when Hermione stopped her. And spoke, " 5 points from Slytherin for your vague accusation. If you care to know the truth we helped Draco to see Madame Pomfrey because he fainted."
"You can't do that! I'm a Prefect!" Pansy retorted.
"Ow…yes I can. I'm head girl remember. And if you raise your voice to me or to Ginny ever again I swear I'll do anything in my power to revoke your position. Am I making myself clear!" Hermione said. Ginny was smiling and said a quiet goodbye to Draco before she and Hermione left him.
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"Stop Ron!" Harry yelled at him as he tried to keep up with Ron who was running as fast as he could. He finally stopped in the middle of the Quidditch pitch.
"I can't believe that git was getting to my sister right under my nose!" he bellowed. Harry just stopped behind him panting from the long run that seemed to him like a whole run around the Hogwart's castle.
"Could you please hear me out first," Harry demanded. "Ginny was just trying to be a good friend to him. Draco just lost his mother and you know how hard that is right. I mean I've told you many times how I wanted to have my mom back and to think I really never got to know her but Draco, he had been with his mom for as long as she was alive and now she's gone and nothing can bring her back."
"What do you mean she's just being a good friend?" Ron asked facing Harry. "Do you mean all those times in those Prefects meetings you see them together and you never said a thing to me about it. You and Hermione just kept silent!"
"No Ron, honest we didn't know. We just noticed a few changes in Draco but we didn't know that Ginny had anything to do with it. He isn't the smug git that used to throw insults at us. Heck, he doesn't even pull that mudblood dialogue at Hermione anymore," Harry argued.
"So are you saying that I'm the bad guy? I just hit the new and reformed Draco Malfoy who is so vulnerable right now because he lost his mother," Ron said sarcastically. "So do you expect me to apologize to him? Do you want me to beg for forgiveness? I would never do that. I know that git is up to no good and I will find out what it is. As for Ginny I don't approve of her hanging out with Draco. So if you still are my friend. Don't put those two together on Prefect duties. That's the least you can do for me," Ron said with a look of disappointment on his face.
"Okay, I will do that but Ron don't you think your being too harsh to your sister?" Harry asked a bit concerned.
"He's no good for her. The more she stays away from him the better her life would be," he answered.
"But how do you know what's good for her? She's the only one who can decide for herself. Ron, you're not like this at all. What happened to my funny and understanding best friend?" Harry asked.
"Well, Harry he just grew up and realized his responsibility to look after her baby sister," Ron said sternly.
"But Ron don't you think she's to old for that treatment?" Harry said scratching the back of his head. "She's a young woman now. And I don't think that big brother act will work."
"Well, Harry I'll tell Fred, George, Percy, Bill and Charlie and lets see if all six brothers wouldn't work," Ron said confidently. "No one can hurt my little sister not when I'm around."
"What if you end up hurting her by doing all that?" Harry asked him.
"I'm just looking after her and that's that!" Ron said before he turned his back on Harry and went walking back to the castle.
Harry was right behind him thinking. `If what Hermione said is true then we'll be in the middle of a very big mess,' he thought. `I never thought being head boy is going to be this complicated. And the Quidditch season is about to begin. What's going to happen then?'
A week had passed and it was two days before the first Quidditch match. Ginny hadn't had the chance to meet Draco secretly during early breakfast like they used to because Ron and Lavender was always around her. During Prefect meetings Pansy was always all over Draco. She knew that in a way things are helpless for both of them. Even her other brothers heard about it because Ron had to broadcast it to the whole family. And it was no surprise that even her father didn't like the idea of being with a Malfoy, he still tried to sound objective in his letter to her. Her mother on the other hand didn't seem to see anything wrong with the idea of making friends with Draco but the fact that all his brothers disliked him made the whole predicament a lot worst. The only way they could communicate was by owl. It was odd because they were writing to each other when in fact they were basically staying under one roof. All her time was now spent on studying, prefect duties, which were always spent with Dylan and Quidditch practice.
Hermione was in their common room doing some reading when Harry came in through the portrait hole. He went by her side and kissed her. He just finished Quidditch practice. They were to play against Hufflepuff but still he wasn't taking any chances. This was his last year in Hogwarts and they haven't lost a game since he became Captain. He had to win this last Quidditch cup.
"Hi Love. What's that you're reading?" he said as he sat beside her putting an arm around her.
"It's for Ancient Runes. I wanted to make some advance reading. How was your practice?" she asked then she placed a kiss on his cheek.
"It was good. But Ginny had been hitting Ron with the Quaffle. I'm not sure but I think she'd been doing that intentionally. I had to send Ron to Madame Pomfrey after the practice," Harry said.
"Poor Ron, beaten up by his own baby sister," she said as she cuddled closer to Harry. "Actually, Ginny would hate me if she heard me say she's a baby." Harry was stroking her hair like he had been doing for the past month every time they sat on their favorite couch together. "I really feel sorry for her. She and Draco hadn't been able to talk since the whole incident at the dungeon," she sighed.
" So what do you suggest we should do about it?" he asked her as he scanned the page that she was reading. "I mean we can't help them get together. What will Ron say if he finds out or worse what would he do to us?"
"Actually, what we need to do is prove to Ron that Draco really has changed and we will find a way eventually," she beamed at him. "Well, the only reason he doesn't want Ginny to be friends with Draco is because he had been a very annoying prat to the three of us. And honestly if I hadn't seen Draco's transition first hand I would be as hysterical as Ron."
"I wasn't as observant as you but I believe he has changed," Harry said.
"It's because I said so and you believe me. You take the things I say seriously and you trust my judgment," she mused and gave him a killer smile that almost made him melt on his seat.
"Am I not the luckiest man in the planet?" Harry exclaimed as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Well, I really do trust your judgment. The stats are all but in favor of you. Almost all if not all your hypotheses are true. And you manage to save my life all the time because of your all knowingness."
"Now your making me blush," she muttered as she did. " See I'm the one who's lucky. My boyfriend is the most good-looking head boy Hogwarts had ever had, not to mention his drop dead good at Quidditch but above all of those things, he's my best friend and I love him because behind all the popularity he's just a shy boy whom I've learned to love so much."
"And he loves you back even more," Harry said as he gave her a long and passionate kiss.
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A day before the game against Hufflepuff, in the afternoon where they finished all their classes, the Gryffindor went to the Quidditch pitch for practice. Dean, Collin, Seamus, Tina, Ginny, Ron and Harry went there on time. They were half way through practice when Harry saw Hermione in the stands with three young Gryffindors. They were Ethan, Alice and Simon. He told Ron to go on with the regular routine then he flew his Firebolt towards the stands.
"Hi Harry," they all said in unison.
"Hi Love. Hi kids what are you doing out here?" he asked them before he gave Hermione a quick kiss on the lips. The young ones just stared at the two lovebirds kissing in front of them.
"These boys just wanted to watch you practice and I was about to help Alice here study so I told her we can study here. Is it okay if we stay here and watch you guys?" Hermione asked him.
"Of course you can," he answered.
"Is that a real Firebolt?" Ethan and Simon said in unison.
"Yes, this is a Firebolt," Harry answered.
"Can we ride it?" Simon asked.
"You can ride the broom with me if you like but only one at a time. Ethan, Alice would you want to ride with me on my broom?" Harry asked the other kids.
"I'd love to. But you let Simon first," Ethan answered.
"No thanks, I think your sport is fairly dangerous I'd rather study here with Hermione," Alice muttered. Her response made Hermione smile.
"Very well, Simon you first we'll go around the stands then it'll be Ethan's turn," Harry instructed the boy.
"Yippie!!!" Simon said as he rode in front of Harry. Harry told the boy to hold on tightly then they went flying around the stands five times. They went around the three hoops in the left side of the pitch. Then they went back to the stands.
"That was great. Go Ethan. I'm telling you the Firebolt is really something," Simon kept talking.
"Okay your turn," Harry said as he motioned Ethan to ride his broom. "Hold on tight, here we go." Then they went of flying. They talked while flying.
"Say, where are your parents Ethan?" Harry asked as they swerved around the tallest hoop on the left.
"My father is dead but my mom is now working in Hogsmeade. She said she wanted to be close to me since it's only the two of us now. But we used to live in London," Ethan answered as he held tighter to the broom which seemed to grow faster and faster.
"I'm sorry to hear about your dad. So do you want to play Quidditch one day?" Harry asked trying to divert the conversation to something else less depressing.
"I…I want to be a seeker just like you," Ethan said shyly. "I want to be as good as you in Quidditch. I've read a lot about you and you're one of the best players Hogwarts ever had. Mom also told me that your dad was a good player like you."
"Your mom knew my dad?" Harry asked.
"Yes she did and your mother as well. I think they entered Hogwart's the same year. Mother told me she was friends with your mom and that she was very nice," Ethan muttered.
"Really? So do you have any brothers and sisters?" Harry asked the boy.
"I'm an only child and my dad died when I was nine years old. I had been living with just my mom since then," the boy answered.
"Well, you'll have fun here at Hogwarts and who knows maybe next year you'll replace me as Seeker when I graduate," Harry said cheerfully to the boy and made a summersault before flying towards the stands.
"Harry James Potter, what were you thinking?" Hermione scolded. "Ethan could have fallen off the broom." Alice was staring at Harry with the same facial expression as Hermione.
"Relax. This boy will soon be the Gryffindor Seeker so he won't fall out of the broom that easily," Harry said proudly about Ethan. The boy got out of the broom and sat beside Simon who was now talking rapidly about what the summersault looked like from the stands and Ethan started chattering with him about what it felt like doing those awesome moves.
"I better go boys. I have to get back to practice. And Alice, don't worry I won't let anything happen to Ethan," Harry said to the girl who was now back to her reading but had managed to smile back at him before he left the stands.
The Practice went smoothly and Ginny wasn't as hard on Ron as she did the last time. They had a fairly good practice. Harry made some record breaking time in finding the snitch and getting through it amidst Dean and Seamus beating the Bludgers to his direction. Harry wanted to practice faster maneuvers especially around the Bludgers. The Practice was over and they had to retire to their dormitories they had a rest for tomorrows match.
Harry and Hermione went back to their own common room, while the rest of the Gryffindor team went to their common room. Ron went to bed early for the match. Ginny was the last person in the common room when she decided to wander around for a while. She was a prefect after all so she would just say that she was on duty. She hurriedly went out of the Portrait hole.
Ginny sat down on the steps fronting the door of the entrance hall. She didn't know why but she just started crying.
"Why aren't you in your Common Room. It's late don't you have a match tomorrow?" A familiar voice asked her.
"Why are you here? Aren't you suppose to be with Pansy right now?" Ginny said as the shadow from the corner of the stair came closer. It was Draco probably doing his routine rounds.
"Why do you think that?" he asked as he sat beside her. "You know pretty well that I don't like her. She's just like Crabbe and Goyle."
"Well, the last time she spoke to me she made it clear that I shouldn't even be near you," she muttered.
"So you're saying that Pansy scared you off?" he joked.
"I would never be scared off by her. We're not in the same level," she said proudly as she smiled at him. He started to wipe the tears on her cheeks.
"Did you know that I've been waiting for you to come out here for almost a week now?" he said. "Your brother had been up early everyday since he saw us in the dungeon. So I figured I might have a glimpse of you at night during rounds but you were always with McGarth. Are you dating him?"
Ginny gave out a laugh, "You seriously think I'll answer that question."
"So had he asked you out?" Draco asked again.
"Of course not. He's nice and all but he hasn't ask me out. Well, at least not yet, but what is it to you?" she asked him. "Don't tell me your jealous of Dylan? And why would you, I'm just your friend and you have Pansy."
"First of Ms. Virginia Weasley, Pansy is not my girlfriend. Second, You're more than a friend to me. You've been the only person I can truly be myself with other than my mother. Third, yes, I would be jealous if he asks you out. I can't believe I just said all of that. You probably don't want to talk to me now," Draco said as he stood up.
"Stop it Draco Malfoy! Why wouldn't I want to talk to you? You just said the most romantic thing I've ever heard all my life. Not even Dylan sounded that good," she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to sit down.
"So he did ask you out," Draco snapped.
"Yes, but does it matter? Because I rejected his invitation," Ginny said.
"Nah, it doesn't matter anymore," he said as he placed an arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. "I'm just glad you're with me again."
"Draco, why were you jealous of Dylan?" Ginny asked innocently or at least she pretended to.
"Because Ginny Weasley, for the past week when we weren't together I kept thinking about you and I just realized that I…," Draco stopped.
"You what?" Ginny asked him. "Come on say it."
"That I Love you," he finally said.
"You don't just like me? You actually love me?" she said as if she was almost in a daze.
"Yes, I love you. It's not just a like phase I'm going through. You might think I'm just confused because I lost my mom but for once I'm sure about one thing and that's what I feel for you. Ginny, I really do love you," he said. `I can't believe I'm saying all this to her. What if she says she doesn't love me back?' he thought.
"I…don't know what to say," Ginny said at the brink of crying again. "I love you to Draco." And with that Draco cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
"I have to go now. I forgot I have to get up early for the match," she said as she stood up and offered her hand to Draco.
"Of course. Good luck tomorrow. I'll be there to cheer for you," Draco said.
"That'll be the day. Draco Malfoy, meanest of all Slytherins cheering for a Gryffindor," Ginny joked. "But I really want to see you there tomorrow."
Draco laughed at what Ginny said. "I will be there promise," he said and kissed her goodbye. He made his way down back to the Dungeon and she went up to go back to the Portrait hole.
To be continued…….
Author's note: Sorry it took a while. Got tones of school work so I haven't got that much time to write. Stressful week this is… Got a gazillion exams comin' up… pray for my sanity… The exams might make me go bonkers…hehehe…enjoy…reading please review. Please review the other fics that I've made…TNX