8. Chapter 8: Ginny

Wow! I can hardly believe that it's chapter eight already. Thank you, everyone, for over 100 reviews. -Hug-

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10 Ways to Kill Draco Malfoy

Chapter 8

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GINNY

Something very weird has happened this year.

Draco Malfoy has become hot.

Now that's something you don't see everyday. I mean, sure, Malfoy wasn't ugly last year. But he wasn't exactly drop-dead-gorgeous, either. He was just a little better than average when it came to looks - I'd say that he was about as good-looking as Harry, maybe, but in a different way. Harry was more cute good looking, whereas Malfoy was evil good-looking. But of course, Harry also happened to be a nice guy, not particularly sensitive when it came to girls, but a good bloke nonetheless. And there was the fact that Harry Potter was the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived'. So Malfoy couldn't really compare.

But this year... as soon as he stepped off the train and arrived in the Great Hall for the feast - bam, the girls are all over him. The Slytherin girls, anyway. The rest of us had too much dignity to be 'all over' Malfoy. And I had Harry. So the most we could do was gawk.

I sure hope Harry didn't see me staring at Malfoy. I would die if Harry, of all people, caught me looking at his worst enemy.

But of course, Parvati and Lavender have no such restrictions. They stare and giggle so much that it almost disgusts me. Sometimes I wonder if the Sorting Hat made a mistake in putting those two into Gryffindor. Most of the time they act like Slytherin girls.

"Omigod, Ginny! Have you seen Draco yet?" Parvati had gushed as we headed towards our dormitories after the train ride and feast. "He is, like, so smokin' hot!"

"I wouldn't mind having him to myself for a night, if you know what I mean," Lavender had purred, giggling with her friend.

"I know exactly what you mean. Now please, I want to get some sleep. Goodnight!" And I closed the door, sighing and shaking my head. Teenage girls these days.

Another weird thing is, Hermione doesn't seem the least affected by Malfoy's appearance. Everytime she passes him, she's not blushing like pretty much all the girls. She even keeps up her habit of insulting him whenever possible, whereas most girls, who used to do the same, has now suddenly run out of insults and just simpers at him.

The strangest thing that I heard from Ron and Harry, however, is that Hermione is apparently planning to kill Malfoy. What the hell! Has she gone out of her mind? I suspect that the boys were exaggerating a bit when they told me, but still... trying to kill someone? That's totally unlike Hermione. But then again, the person in question is Draco Malfoy, AKA the Slytherin sex god, and Harry's worst enemy here at Hogwarts. The very person who makes Dudley sound thoughtful and kind. As if that were possible.

And so, now I'm here in the crowd, past the Transfiguration classroom. Staring at the spectacle before me.

Malfoy, lying on top of Hermione, both of them in rather awkward positions. Draco's back looks like it's hurt, and Hermione has a funny expression on her face; as if she's enjoying this, but is hating herself for enjoying it. And there's a sprinkle of disgust on her face, too. Malfoy just looks like he's in pain.

In the few moments that I've been here, I've been told several versions as to what happened. One blond girl told me that Draco had passed Hermione in the corridors, and then he suddenly jumped on her and tried to tear her clothes off. Somehow, I find that unlikely, and I left the girl to fantasize by herself. Another boy, a third-year, I think, told me that a possessed suit of armor tried to kill Hermione and Draco leaped over her to protect her, hence the broken back. I dismissed that idea as well. Considering how much Hermione and Malfoy hate each other, I thought it was rather unlikely that he would save her. It was easier to imagine him laughing at the sidelines as the suit of armor tried to hack Hermione into bits. Not a particularly nice thought, and neither versions explained the smashed chandelier that is beside their feet.

The most acceptable theory of why the two were on the floor was that Peeves had hit Malfoy with the chandelier, breaking it and Malfoy's back at the same time. Hermione had been in front of him, walking, and he had fell onto her. This was told to me by a serious-looking seventh year.

Suddenly, Hermione shrieks and slaps the poor boy with the broken back. He rolls into a wall and groans in agony. Hermione stands, dusts herself off, and, ignoring Malfoy, grabs her bag and pushes through the crowd. When she sees me, her eyes widen. She hurries towards me and drags me around the corner. I notice that the girls in the crowd all rush towards Draco as she leaves.

"How long have you been watching?" she asks when we stop walking, a tinge of embarassment in her voice.

"Oh, for about two minutes? Not very long. I was on my way to Potions." I pat her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You two didn't look very dodgy." Yeah, not dodgy as in him-lying-on-top-of-you not dodgy.

She snorts. "That's not what I'm worried about! The whole crowd saw us lying there. I'm not to concerned about what I looked like. But..." she looks around, and the leans in a whispers: "Did you, um, see anything before I slapped him away?"

I think for a moment. I did see Malfoy trying to move around and supporting himself to get up, but nothing else. I shake my head. "Nope," I say truthfully. Hermione sighs in relief. "Why? Did something actually happen between you two?" I ask, grinning slyly. "Oh, Hermione. You disappoint me. At least pick a better spot for it next time."

She flushes and glares at me. "Nothing happened! I was just asking a outsider as to what it looked like."

"I thought you didn't care about what it looked like," I ask, confused.

She shakes her head. "Never mind. I have to go find Ron and Harry."

"Yeah, they were looking for you. You'd better go."

Hermione nods. "OK. Bye, Ginny!"

"Bye," I say as she disappears around the corner. I wonder what did happen. Looks like Hermione's not going to tell me, so I'll have to pry the information from someone else.

A few days later, when Malfoy has fully recovered from his back and is strutting about like normal, I walk into the common room after dinner and overhear Harry, Ron and Hermione talking in low voices about something. I slowly move closer, until I can hear snatches of conversation.

"- looks like he's healed -"

"- what will you do now-"

"- next plan, duh -"

"- sure he won't get revenge-"

"- ...enge? I seriously doubt it -"

"- never know -"

"- oh, relax, Ron -"

"- ...lax? Here you are, plotting to injure Malfoy again, and you're telling me to re -"

"- Ron, Hermione's not the smartest witch in school for nothing -"

"- ...anks, Harry -"

"- ...elcome -"

"- so you're actually going to pour Mandrake Potion into his pumpkin -"

"- shhhh! Do you have to say it so loud-"

"- sorry, but are you really going to do it-"

"- might as well -"

"- might as well! This is serious, we're talking about putting Malfoy into a coma here -"

"Ahem!" I clear my throat. I've heard enough. What is all this about Mandrake Potions and putting Malfoys into comas? The three look up, startled, guilty looks on their faces.

"Oh, um, hi Ginny!" says Harry, a tad too loudly. An unnatural smile has plastered itself onto his face.

"What are you guys talking about?" I ask, suspicious.

Ron rolls his eyes. "Don't be so nosy, Gin. Go away."

"That's not going to work on me," I snap. I haven't forgotten the last time he shooed me away when Harry had wanted to tell the two something private. About You-Know-Who, most likely. Not that it was necessary - after all, who had been the one posessed by him in their first year? "Why are you going to put Mandrake Potion into Draco Malfoy's drink?"

Hermione glares at Ron. "I told you not to talk so loudly!" she hisses, and then turns back to me, smiling. "Oh, we were just kidding. You know how much we love to joke about things like that. After all, we do hate him."

I fold my arms, signalling that I am not moving until they give me the truth. Ron knows this posture and sighs. "Hermione - she's not going to leave."

"Ginny... please," Harry says, his eyes soft. "We don't want to drag you into this." I nearly melt here and now, but my desire for an answer stops me.

"No. I don't care. Just tell me! You guys always hide things from me. It's not fair! I'm already 15. Only a year younger than you!" I stomp my foot. "Why do you still think you're so much bigger than me, and keep me out of things?"

Hermione sighs and rubs her temples. "Alright, Ginny. You win. I'll tell you what we're doing..."

"Are you sure, 'Mione?" Harry asks, worried. "Are you sure you want to give Ginny such a burden to carry?"

"Stop making it sound like it's something really serious! I'm only trying to keep Malfoy in the Hospital Wing, that's all." Hermione rubs her eyes wearily. "The way you two are putting it... it sounds like I'm murdering people or something."

I stare at her. "Keep Malfoy in the Hospital Wing? What do you mean?"

The explanation that I hear after that is the most outrageous plan that I've ever heard, but somehow it makes a bit of sense. Getting rid of Malfoy for a few days each time, by injuring him, would let us relax and not worry about Hagrid being sacked or us being jinxed randomly in the corridors. But the fact that it had been Hermione - easygoing, bookworm Hermione - who thought it all up, was a little unbelievable.

"So you're saying... that Hermione was the one that decided to do this?" I ask slowly, hardly daring to believe my ears.

"Yup. The one right here," says Ron, pointing at Hermione, who grins.

"It may sound a bit farfetched, but he does deserve it," she says, shrugging.

"And that case of Peeves smashing the chandelier into Malfoy's back... that was arranged by you as well?"

"Right," she nods. "I borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak and managed to persuade Peeves to do it by acting as the Bloody Baron. You know how he's afraid of the Baron. He's the only person - or ghost - that Peeves actually obeys all the time."

I sit heavily into a nearby armchair. "Wow... but I must say, the plan was quite ingenius."

"This is the second plan, Hermione failed the fir- ouch!" Ron yelps as Hermione smacked him on the back of the head.

"Shut up! I told you not to talk about that, Ron!" she snaps, glaring. Ron bows apologetically.

"Why are you so uptight about that time, anyway?" Harry asks curiously. Hermione switches her laser glare to him and he shrinks. "Never mind..."

"Well, I'm going to bed," Hermione says, smiling slightly at us, whilst giving Ron a funny look that I can't quite comprehend. "See you tomorrow! And Ginny - don't concern yourself with this. Leave it to us!" And with a last wave, she disappears into the sixth-year girls' dormitory.

Harry, Ron and I sit there for a while in silence. Then Ron hurriedly makes an excuse - something lame about how our mom told him to have a early bedtime - and leaves. So now it's just Harry and me. Alone in the common room again. I try to think of something interesting to say, but my mind has decided to pick this moment to grow blank.

"So... what do you think?"

I blink. "Think about what?"

"The plans, of course."

"Oh..." I could shoot myself right now. What a stupid question! It's obvious what Harry had asked about. "Um... weird?"

Harry nods. "Yeah... weird is right. Though I do hope Hermione succeeds. It's been nice without Malfoy stalking around these last few days. And we owe it all to Hermione."

"Right," I agree. Gosh, isn't there anything better to say than that? A rather uncomfortable silence ensues.

"So... see you tomorrow as well, Ginny," he says awkwardly, and stands. I quickly do the same.

"Oh! Um, alright. I have to go, too." As I walk past him, his hand brushes mine, and I start. I turn slightly and give him a questioning look.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly. I smile and head into my dormitory, where I change into my nightgown and flop onto my bed, thinking about tonight. Sorry? Why on earth was he sorry? If he didn't do that by accident... then that brush of the hand could have meant a lot of things. I smile to myself, and fall asleep hugging the pillow hopefully.

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A rather boring chapter in terms of HGDM... but a hint of Ginny/Harry! Hehehe. Don't worry, a very exciting chapter is coming up next! Or at least I hope it's exciting. :D