Disclaimer: All characters belong to JK Rowling.
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Chapter 8
Fireworks in the Great Hall
Ginny had relaxed and begun to enjoy herself over in the Slytherin section of the Hall passing out the candy and having conversations with some of the Slytherin girls (she didn't know that Pansy had told them to be nice to her) when Draco asked her to dance.
Smiling at him she said, "I'd love to Draco."
Draco helped her out of the chair and led her to the dance floor. On the other side of the dance floor Ron was desperately trying to remember not to step on Hermione's toes when Pavarati's words floated over to him.
"Neville, look over there and tell me I'm imagining things," she said.
"Over where?" Neville asked as he spun Pavarati around to look in the right direction.
"Where Ginny is dancing," she said. That statement got Ron's full attention so he stopped dancing to try and look also.
"Okay, it's Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, so what am I looking for?" Neville was very puzzled now.
"Yes, it is, but who is the Wolf?" Pavarati insisted as she craned her head for another look.
"It's...I can't quite make out the face...wait, it can't be, can it?" Neville sounded as if he'd choked on something.
"So I'm not imagining it? It is Draco Malfoy?" Pavarati said.
Ron froze at those words. At that moment found what he was looking for. Next to him Hermione said something that sounded like, "Here comes trouble" but Ron ignored her since he was frozen in place. Not only was Ginny dancing with Malfoy but she was pressed so close to him that he didn't think he could get a piece of parchment between them, let alone his hand. Vaguely he registered that Malfoy was snarling at anyone that gave her more than a passing glance but that information was tossed to the wind as his rage boiled over. How dare Malfoy do this! He didn't know what spell Malfoy had used to get his sister to agree to this but he was going to get her away from him NOW! Dragging Hermione with him, he crashed right through Harry and Pansy. Harry, taken startled by this for a moment, saw the look on Ron's face and decided he'd better follow him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Pansy saw him start to walk away and pouted but then followed when she saw what he was looking at. Ron had reached the dancing couple by this point and he reached out and took Ginny by the arm. When he pulled her away from Draco, she looked up, startled.
"I don't know what your game is, Malfoy." Ron's voice was so filled with rage that several other couples stopped dancing and stepped away from them. "But I'm not going to let you hurt my sister with any of your games."
Before Draco could say anything he was stopped by the sound of Ginny's voice, "Just what do you think you are doing Ron?"
"Getting you away from this lousy git before he does something to you, that's what," Ron told her, surprised by the fierceness she was displaying.
"And what if I happen to be perfectly happy and I am enjoying myself with my date," Ginny retorted pulling her arm from his grasp and stepping back towards Draco before turning and facing her brother.
"You can't be serious, Ginny! There is no way you are going to tell me that he didn't blackmail you or something to get you to agree to this?" Ron's voice was furious while his eyes pleaded with her.
"I made the choice, Ron, without anyone looking over my shoulder while I did it," Ginny responded, "I'm not a baby anymore Ron, I don't need my big brothers to follow me around and make sure I don't fall or anything."
"Ginny! He's a Slytherin for crying out loud." However Ron was interrupted by a soft voice at his elbow.
"I'm here with a Slytherin, Ron," Harry's voice shook him. It took Ron a moment to compose himself.
"Yes, but she's not Draco bloody Malfoy is she," he said pointing at Pansy. When he whirled around to yell at Ginny again, the feather of his cap fell over into his face making him look like a donkey with a carrot dangling in front of it. He did his best to ignore it.
Ginny looked at her brother and almost burst out laughing (which would have been very bad in this instant). Behind her Draco smirked and was about to laugh anyway when Hermione caught his eye and glared. Ginny caught the look on Hermione's face also and glanced behind her at Draco. Draco gave her his best innocent expression but he thought that she probably didn't buy it.
"I really don't care what you think, Ron, for someone who's so concerned with what happens to me you are very picky about when you're going to protect me." Ginny shot at Ron before she could start to giggle. I will NOT laugh, no matter how ridiculous he looks, she thought, which only goes to prove what a git he is.
"What are you talking about, Ginny?" Ron asked, "I always worry about what's happening to you."
"Really, then where were you when Goyle was raping me?" Ginny fired at him angrily, "It seems to me that Draco did a much better job of protecting me than you seem to be doing."
Ginny suddenly went white when she realized what she had just said. Behind her Draco had apparently decided to mimic the color of one of the ghosts and froze in place. Ginny acted before anyone else though. She bolted out of the Great Hall before the echoes of her words faded. Just as Ron started after her a silvery form floated down in front of him. It was the Bloody Baron. He glared at Ron for a moment before transferring his gaze onto Draco. Draco stared as the Baron looked at him then slid his eyes toward the door Ginny had just left through and back to Draco. Draco gulped as he realized what the Baron was not saying and left the Hall in the same direction Ginny had taken. Once Draco was gone he glared at Ron for a moment longer then said in a voice that included everyone in the immediate area, "This will NOT be spoken of." Finished, he looked at Ron one more time and then floated back up to where the ghosts were holding their own party. Around them people began trying to get back into the festivities but everyone knew that it would be very difficult in the wake of Ginny's words.
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