A Drunken Mistake

Chapter Four

Ginny awoke Saturday morning in a fairly good mood. The week had gone by considerably better then the week before. Besides an increasing amount of trips to the bathroom and retching after she forced herself to eat a bit of chicken, the symptoms of her pregnancy seemed to be on hold. Her pants were still a bit tighter and she was finding she just couldn't get enough sleep, but she could deal with those symptoms. Her professors didn't even once object when she put her head down on her desk! The week had gone well, but she was expecting her mood to sour at any time.

Ginny dressed in a warm pair of grey sweatpants and a warm baby blue sweater. The castle was freezing lately, making Ginny envy the muggles with her electric heating. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and applied a small amount of mascara and eyeliner to her eyes. She may have been hanging out with Malfoy, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to make a little effort to look good. With one last glance in the mirror, Ginny placed her brush back on her nightstand and made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

When Ginny arrived at the hall, Hermione, Ron and Harry were all up and quietly chatting, Gryffindor Table nearly empty. Ginny slipped into the seat beside Hermione who was arguing with Ron, like usual. Neither took any notice of Ginny, but she couldn't help watch Harry stare at her from the corner of his eye.

"Ronald, you can't be seriously thinking that Potions should be removed as a class." Hermione was saying in a high pitched voice.

"Yes, I do think so," Ron replied, his arms crossed as he glared at his friend. Ginny watched them without a word as she began piling anything on her plate that look appetizing. She noticed the eggs were smelling a little off to her, but she took them anyway. Eggs had yet to make her sick, so she doubted they would now. "When in my life am I ever going to need to make a potion that can melt metal?"

"Well for your information, Potions is one of the most needed classes for life after schooling. Many witches and wizards use potion brewing in their daily lives for a number of things..." Ginny's mind drowned Hermione out as she focused on her food. Ron and Hermione always seemed to be bickering about something. At first it had been rather amusing, but now it was just irritating. Although shouting at them to shut their mouths was tempting, but she figured it was just be less hassel to keep quiet and ignored them.

Harry was still giving her an odd look, watching her as she buttered her toast. She wanted to ask him what his problem was, but knowing Harry, the reason would most definately be something not to discuss infront of her brother. She had an idea what it was about, she'd been dreading it for weeks, but the longer she put off the conversation, the better.

Ginny quickly ate her food, feeling as if she hadn't ate in weeks. The hall was becoming increasingly noisey, students filing in, their eyes heavy with sleep. She helped herself to a second plate, and was about to get a third, but Harry was still watching her. She was paranoid about people noticing anything different, and eating like Ron would definately seem suspicious. Instead, she gulped down her pumpkin juice as her food spun around uncomfortably in her stomach. Her bloated belly was pushing against the waistband of her pants, making her feel selfconcious and fat. She crossed her arms across her waist and leaned over so no one could see her weight gain. Turning her attention back to the others, relieved to see Harry now immeresed in conversation with Ron.

"So I was thinking we could take that time to maybe take advantage of Hermione's new priviledges and get a few restricted books." Harry was suggesting in a hushed voice. Ginny rolled her eyes. She was used to the three of them always getting into something and somehow managing to save the day. It was all getting old, being the little sister of a hero wasn't exactly something she fancied.

"Why not just take a quick trip into Hogsmeade?" Ron asked in a childish voice.

"Harry can't afford to risk it," Hermione hissed at him. "If the wrong person sees him that will not turn out good. With how things are right now we don't have to luxury of relaxing anymore."

"Sorry, mate," Harry appologized. "But it's just something we need to do."

Not caring to listen to more of Ron's whining, Ginny slipped out of the hall and walked down to the library. It was nearly eleven, but Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. She took a seat at an empty table, feeling herself growing impatient.

Half an hour later, a smug looking Malfoy strolled into the library in his usual black attire. A dark hickey glistened on his neck, his turtleneck doing nothing to hide it. A Nimbus Two Thousand One was slung over his shoulder along with his thick black cloak.

"You're late." Ginny stated simply, annoyed.

"Yeah well, Pansy held me up." He replied. It wasn't an appology, not like it would have helped any.

"Next time, I'm not waiting," She told him, standing up. She steadied herself with the table as she felt herself get lightheaded. She then nodded towards his broom, "And what's that for, exactly?"

"That," He motioned at his broomstick. "Is called a broomstick. Used for flying, cleaning, that sort of thing."

"Shut up, you know what I meant."

"Well, Weasley," Malfoy said, sounding bored already. "Since witnessing your rather pathetic game of Quidditch last week, I figured the least we could do was make this day productive and improve your flying."

"You call scoring three goals pathetic?" Ginny replied in disbelief. How could he be so cocky when his team lost?

"We were trying out a new keeper, obviously he wasn't good enough for Slytherin." He told her, his pointed face lacking any emotion.

"Can't you ever just accept defeat?" She asked him, placing her hands on her hips. For some reason, talking to Malfoy made her feel like she was speaking to a child.

"I will when I'm defeated. Now go get your broom."

"I will not be ordered around, I'm not one of your house elves." Ginny could feel her face growing hot with frustration, making her wish she'd worn a t-shirt underneath her sweater.

"Do you always have to be so difficult?" He asked her, seeming annoyed. Ginny felt a bit of satisfaction that she wasn't the only one completely irritated.

"Do you?"

"Fine, forget it, you ride a Cleansweep Five, don't you?" He asked her out of nowhere.

"Why?" Ginny asked suspiciously. She figured Malfoy was going to make fun of her rather shabby broom, but instead he pointed his wand towards the high ceiling, then dropped it without a word. Within seconds she could hear something coming towards the library fast. She turned around just in time to see her broomstick flying right at her. She let out a shriek and ducked. Malfoy easily caught the broom, handing it to her.

"Unless you'd like to repeat that little noise you just made, let's get going." He told her, walking past her. Ginny slung her broom over her shoulder and jogged to keep up with the blonde.

The two walked towards the Quidditch Pitch in silence. The air outside was cold, frost lay across the fields and their breath came up in small clouds. Malfoy walked quickly, making Ginny jog to keep up. He pretty much ignored her the whole walk, staring ahead of him and keeping a steady pace. The silence irritated her, but she said nothing. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her.

They walked out onto the pitch, the stands empty and quiet. Malfoy wordlessly removed his cloak, tossing it in a pile along with his scarf. He then mounted his broom, turning to Ginny expectantly. She shivered as she mounted her own broom, wishing she'd brought her cloak. The cold November air whipped her face, blowing her red hair out behind her.

"Okay, Weasley, show me what you've got." Malfoy said cockily, kicking off from the ground. Ginny quickly kicked off, determined to prove to him that she was better then he'd admit. She watched him as she increased her height. He was soaring through the air, making swift turns and dives. She couldn't help at laugh at him for showing off. There was no doubt about it that Malfoy was a talented flyer, but it was obvious how hard he was trying. Quidditch wasn't always about winning, sometimes you just need to do it for fun.

Getting bored of watching Malfoy, Ginny sped up towards him, leaning closely into her broom. The blonde was too focus on doing his fancy tricks to notice that she was gaining on him. She was within arm's reach when Malfoy finally looked back. His silver eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on his broom. He sped up fast, quickly losing the red head.

Ginny refused to give up without a fight. She would make Malfoy eat his words. He thought he was so superior, she would disprove that theory easily. Growing up in a house full of boys, she'd grown up around Quidditch. It was expected of her to play well, and she wasn't about to let her family down. Besides, living with brothers could come in handy.

In seconds she was right on his tail. She outstretched her hand, her finger tips grazing the straw of his broomtail. Malfoy tried to speed up, but Ginny grabbed on tight. The weight of her held him back, causing him to slow down.

Malfoy looked down onto the pitch below them. He could see two people watching them from the ground, but he couldn't make out who it was. He shrugged it off, he was used to having curious little Slytherins come out to watch him fly. Not that he could blame them. His broomstick suddenly jerk under him, losing a bit of height. He turned around to see the red head jumping onto the back of his broom, her blue eyes sparkling as she laughed. Normally he would have shouted at her to get the hell off, but he had to admit, her carefree attitude was refreshing.

"Hold on tight." He shouted back to her. Ginny wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pressing her body against his back. She locked her arms together, bracing herself as Malfoy sped up. He turned sharply, causing Ginny to scream and laugh at the same time. It was one of the most delightful sounds he could ever remember hearing. Ginny gripped his waist tighter, ensuring she couldn't fall off. Out of nowhere Malfoy went into a sharp dive, Ginny screaming loudly. She'd never been much into dives, but there was just something so exhilarating about watching the world come at you so fast.

She looked ahead of them at the pitch, noticing two people looking up at them. She squinted, just barely making out flaming red hair.

"Shit." She breathed out. Ron was going to murder her. Malfoy then sped up his broom a bit more, going into a loop. Ginny screamed out as she laughed, dropping her broom to the ground. She could hear Ron shouting something at her, but she ignored it. She was having fun, who cared if Ron didn't like it?

As Malfoy turned into another dive, Ginny felt her stomach churn. Her breakfast was spinning around inside her, making her feel sick. She closed her mouth tightly, feeling the bile rise in her throat. Malfoy looked back at her, seeing the grimace on her face. He didn't need to ask what was wrong, he already knew. He slowed down and carefully decended in the air, stopping when his broom was only a foot off the ground. Ginny jumped off, her hand over her mouth. Ron and Harry rushed over to them.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, what in Merlin's beard do you think you're doing?" Ron shouted, her face and ears a deep red.

"Ron, leave her alone. We have stuff to do." Harry told his friend, eyeing Ginny suspiciously. Her head was pounding furiously as she struggled to keep the vomit down.

"Answer me," Ron said, ignoring Harry. "What were you thinking getting on a broom with him?"

"Cool it, Weasel," Malfoy stepped in. "She's a big girl, she can handle herself."

"Why don't you go polish your Death Eater mask and leave my sister alone." Ron spat at the blonde. Malfoy walked over so he was standing toe to toe with Ron, his silver eyes dark.

"You're not her mother, she can do what she wants."

"Yeah, she can do anything she wants, except be in the presence of filth like you." Ginny watched with wide eyes as Malfoy clenched his fists at his sides, fingering his wand in his pocket.

"Care to say that again?" Malfoy asked in a deep voice close to a whisper.

"Come on Ron," Harry said, grabbing the red head's shoulder. "He's not worth it. Let's just go."

"You, Malfoy, are a disgusting little cockroach," Ron told him through gritted teeth. "If you're so desperate for a shag then why don't you go find Parkinson and leave my sister be." Malfoy opened his mouth to reply, but was interupted by Ginny stepping in. She knew if she didn't, Malfoy was sure to tell Ron about Halloween.

"Ron, I can take care of myself." She said, stepping between the two boys.

"Obviously not if you're wasting your time with the likes of him." Ron nodded towards Malfoy.

"I'm better company then you'll ever have." Malfoy replied.

"That's it," Ron grabbed Ginny's arm roughly, pulling him towards her. "We're leaving."

"Ron, let go," Ginny struggled against her brother's tight grip. He tried to drag her away, but she kept her feet firmly planted on the ground. "You're hurting me."

"That's enough, Ron." Harry said, but Ron wasn't paying any attention.

"I'm tired of always having to rescue you, Ginny," Ron was telling his sister. "How do you think mum would react if I told her what you've been doing? Going out all hours of the night, passing out, and now hanging out with scum like Malfoy. Think she'll be happy to hear about all this?"

Malfoy walked up to Ron in one big stride, his face inches from the red head's. "Don't you ever dare call me scum again, Weasley, or you will surely regret it. And another thing," He wrenched Ginny's arm free from Ron's grasp. "When you're sister says you're hurting her, you better damn well let go." Ron stared, open mouthed, at the blonde. Ginny could tell the two were about to have a row, and she wanted to stay and see what happened, but at that moment, she felt the bile rise up in her throat again. With both hands covering her mouth, she dashed out of the pitch and towards the girl's bathroom. Ron and Malfoy were too busy yelling at each other to notice, but Harry watched with curiousity as she fled, trying to make sense of it all.

*

Ginny was still retching in the bathroom when Malfoy found her. He set both of their brooms down on the ground, then stood in the doorway of the stall she was in. He watched silently as she emptied her stomach, not even seeming the least bit disgusted at seeing her with her head in a toilet. He wasn't exactly sure what to do, so he stayed back, waiting until she was finished. When the retching had stopped, he grabbed some toilet paper and handed it to her to wipe her mouth.

"Thanks," She said breathlessly. Her face was pale and sweaty from the vomitting, but, oddly enough, she didn't look as bad as one normally would. Malfoy could notice a rosy tint to her pale cheeks, making her skin glow. "I'm sorry about all of this by the way."

"Don't worry about it." He told her. He'd actually kind of enjoyed yelling at Weasley, it wasn't everyday that he came off as the good guy. He offered Ginny his hand, helping her to her feet. The stall was tiny and cramped, so once she'd stood, Ginny was practically flush against Malfoy's body. Neither one moved as they stared at each other, never having been this close to the other before. Suddenly, Malfoy realized that they were much to close. He dropped his gaze down to the floor and stepped back, allowing a blushing Ginny to step passed him.

Ginny quickly washed her hands and face, watching Malfoy in the mirror. He seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He looked up from the ground, their eyes locking in the mirror. She gave him a weak smile, and, to her surprise, he smiled back.

"Today was fun." She told him as she wiped her hands on her pants. The silence had grown far too long for comfort, so she'd needed to say something to break it.

"Yeah, it was." Malfoy admitted. He hadn't really expected to get along with the girl, but he had enjoyed himself. Maybe getting to know her wouldn't be too terrible.

"We on for next Saturday, then?" She asked. "No Ron this time, I promise."

"I don't know," He replied saracstically as he handed her her broom. "I'm not sure if I'm willing to take that risk."

"Oh, come on, you had fun today." Ginny said with a smile as they both walked out of the bathroom.

"If I have to." He told her, smirking.

"Good, because I wasn't going to take no for an answer." She laughed, smacking Malfoy's bottom with her broom playfully.

"You little witch!" He growled, turning on her. Ginny let out a shriek, running fast as Malfoy chased after her. She wasn't exactly sure why, but for some reason, she really enjoyed spending time with Malfoy. She'd expected it to be pretty much torture, but, then again, that was really only going on everything she'd heard about it. Perhaps everyone else was wrong, maybe he was just misunderstood. Either way, she was seriously beginning to reconsider her whole opinion on the boy. Maybe having him father her baby wouldn't be so bad afterall. However, that was a big maybe.

To Be Continued...

Okay, so finally, this chapter is finished. Not much has really changed in this one, just a few minor things. I hope you're all liking the changes so far. Thnxx goes out to lily69, thanks for your review. It's greatly appreciated. Remember to R&R, if you do, I'll be sure to make the next chapter nice and long.

Much Love...

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