Draya Malfoy

39 - Nobbly Bobbly

"Harry, will you come in here a moment? I'd like a word."

It was Ginny. Ron came to an abrupt halt, but Hermione took him by the elbow and tugged him on up the stairs. Feeling apprehensive, Harry followed Ginny into her room.

Last time he'd been in her bedroom, they'd exchanged more than just a word. Perhaps he shouldn't have followed, but he felt he owed her at least that since humiliating her in front of the whole school.

Ginny looked up into his face, took a deep breath and said, "Happy seventeenth."

"Yeah... thanks."

Was this all she wanted to do? To wish him a happy birthday? Harry had been in the Burrow for a couple of days now since the others had brought him over. They'd exchanged not a single word until now. But Harry had barely spoken to anyone except for Ron and Hermione, too depressed after the journey had cost Mad Eye's and Hedwig's lives, and not to mention the great loss of George's ear.

"I couldn't think what to get you," Ginny said, looking at him steadily.

Harry swallowed, wondering where the hell she was going with this. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I didn't know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you."

She took a step closer to him.

"So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some Veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing."

Harry took a nervous step back, hitting the wall behind him. "I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest."

"There's the silver lining I've been looking for," she whispered, and then she pressed her lips against his.

Stunned, Harry did not immediately react. But then Draya's face flashed in his mind and he quickly pushed her away.

"Ginny, no. I've already told you- Draya-"

"You're not seriously telling me that you're still interested in that woman after what she did?!" Ginny spat, her eyes flashing fiercely. "She's the reason you're not going back to Hogwarts!"

Harry shook his head. "No... she's the reason I want to save the world."

As soon as Harry said these words, he knew they were true. He realised, in fact that he would probably die for Draya Malfoy if it came to it.

"But- but she betrayed you!" Ginny spluttered. "She's a Death Eater who tried to kill Katie Bell and my brother! Your best friend!"

"I know," Harry shrugged. "But there's more to it than you realise."

Ginny glowered up at him, hatred twisting her features. "Oh, I realise alright - I've seen the way you look at her. But a relationship needs more than just sex to survive!"

"It wasn't just sex," Harry gritted, feeling a gnawing guilt as he remembered the last time he was with Draya in the Room: he'd fucked her before unintentionally ending it with her.

Fuck, he'd messed up badly. He'd been so focused on getting her to turn herself in, that it never occurred to him how frightened she must have felt. He recalled the way her face crumpled and broke on the Astronomy Tower as the wand shook in her hand, revealing how truly afraid she'd been for her life.

Just then, the door banged open, causing Harry to look up in surprise.

Ron was standing in the threshold, glaring at him. "Get away from my sister!"