The Land of Make Believe

Chapter Three: One Step Too Far.

It took Ginny a few minutes to identify the cause of the feeling of dread in her stomach when she woke up. I kissed Draco Malfoy. Okay, I did more than kiss him. He snogged me senseless. Quite literally senseless, since they'd been caught by Filch. Ginny was supposed to have been in the Astronomy Tower, doing a Divination project, Draco had just shown up on a very early morning stroll.

Oh god, she thought, rolling over in bed. What if everyone knows?

"Ginny?" a voice called from the doorway.

Pulling one of the curtains that surrounded her four-poster bed back, Ginny saw Hermione just inside the room. "Yep?" she asked.

"Ah, Ron wanted to talk to you. I convinced him that coming in here wasn't the best idea."

Ginny's stomach dropped, and she went pale. "What does he want?" she asked quietly.

Looking confused, Hermione said, "It was something about Bill's birthday present. Apparently you said you'd go halves with him."

"Oh, thank god," Ginny said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"What?" Hermione asked, having not quite heard her.

"Oh, er, tell Ron I'll be down in a minute," she said. "It really can wait until I'm dressed."

"I told him that," she said, smiling.

Hermione left the room and Ginny left her bed. After a quick wash she got dressed in her school robes and went down to the common room. On the way down to breakfast, Ginny and Ron decided to go to next Saturday to Hogsmeade, the local town, to get their elder brother, Bill, a birthday present. Ginny wasn't really listening. Her head was floating a few feet above everyone else, going over the previous night's events.

Draco was feeling quite proud of himself. He had convinced the head of his house, Professor Snape, that he, whilst he shouldn't have been out of bed, he had desperately needed fresh air, and he had certainly been doing nothing with that Weasley girl. After all, who would believe Peeves? Draco knew Snape wouldn't mention Ginny's involvement, so he'd gotten away with it. Snogged the enemy and survived. A self-satisfied smiled spread across his face as he entered the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle. He immediately spotted Ginny at the Gryffindor table. She wasn't looking at him, but was in deep conversation with Potter.

Damn Potter, he thought, but it lacked his usual malice. He hated to admit it to himself, but he'd felt almost... happy since last night's events. Ginny kissing him back had made his heart flip over in his chest, a feeling he'd never experienced before.

Draco tucked into his fried breakfast with satisfaction, choosing not to dwell on these new experiences. He was quite adept at ignoring the things that bothered him, something he had learnt from his upbringing. You didn't question worrying things in the Malfoy household; it had nasty consequences. Draco saw Ginny leave the Gryffindor table from the corner of his eye. Shovelling in his last mouthful of croissant, he got up and followed her, not really thinking about what he was actually doing.

He watched her head up the main staircase and followed her, four steps behind. As she reached the top, she turned left. Draco took two wide strides, grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her into an empty classroom on their left. She stiffened in his grip and spun round. For a split second her expression was scared. It then flipped to shock and annoyance quickly followed.

"Malfoy," she hissed. "What are you doing?"

"It was Draco last night," he said smoothly, smirking at the colour rising in her cheeks.

"You - you haven't told anyone have you?" she asked fear on her face.

"You really think I'd tell anyone I'd had a fumble with a Weasley?" he sneered.

"I suppose you'd tell everyone if it was Harry you'd pulled," she said dryly, showing her own smirk.

Draco's face darkened. "Now, look here, Weasley," he hissed, stepping towards her menacingly. To her credit, she did not step back. "Whatever happened last night was... well, it was a mistake. You and I are... well, it's just not right, is it? A Malfoy and a Weasley?"

"Anything with a Malfoy that's not crawling out of a desiccated grave and craving fresh brains is just wrong," Ginny said, glaring defiantly at him.

Draco was shocked. Girls did not talk to him like this! "Shut up and listen to me, Weasley," he said firmly. He saw the shock on her face. "I won't say anything about last night, and neither will you. It was a moment of madness. An out of body experience. I was merely finding out what it feels like to kiss someone with no class."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Oh yes, because Pansy Parkinson is just brimming with class, isn't she?" she spat. "You think I want people to know that a piece of scum like you had his hands up my top? Relax, Malfoy, I have a reputation of actually having taste to keep up."

"And Potter's tasteful is he?"

"Harry? Honestly, been there, done that. Déjà vu just isn't what it used to be." She paused, glaring at him. How dare he bring Harry into this? "Malfoy, Harry's got more class, honour and decency in his little finger than your whole family has put together!" Ginny cried, her angry growing.

"Honour and decency weren't what you were after last night," he said in a low, suggestive voice.

Ginny blushed furiously and backed towards the door. "You dirty little... bastard," she breathed. In one smooth movement she opened the door, gave him one last distasteful look and left.

Draco watched the door slam shut and released and breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "What a woman," he said quietly. "What a bitch." He was impressed.

Ginny was fuming as she returned to Gryffindor Tower to get her bag for her first lesson. How could he get her so mad? She almost yelled the password at the Fat Lady, flung herself through the portrait hole and stamped up the stairs.

The infuriating, arrogant little wanker, she seethed. As if I'd want people to know that I'd done those things with him? She stood by her bed and took deep breaths.

"Ginny?" Natasha Patrick said, looking over from her bed in the far corner.

"Tash?" Ginny said, looking up. "Sorry. Bad experience."

Natasha got up and walked over to Ginny. "What happened? You look like you've just had a slagging match with Snape."

Ginny laughed bitterly. "Almost." Following Natasha's enquiring look, she elaborated. "Malfoy."

"What? Why?"

"When did Malfoy ever need a reason to have a go at a Weasley?" Ginny said simply. "He's just a scummy wanker, trying to make up for his own emotional short comings by picking up on other peoples. Ooh, I'd like to wring his scrawny neck."

Natasha looked at Ginny in surprise. "Blimey, Gin, I don't think I've ever seen you this angry."

"Apart from when Fred and George transfigured my hair green; but that was at home." Ginny sighed and picked up her bag. "He's not worth worrying about, but really..."

Natasha chuckled at the forlorn look on her friend's face. "Come on, we have Divination."

"Wow. Just throw in a little rectal surgery and this is my best day ever."

At dinner, Draco watched Ginny covertly, not letting her catch him at it. She'd been on his mind all day, which hadn't helped when trying to transfigure a ball of wool into a jumper. It had ended up knitting itself into a woollen tortoise which had proceeded to attack Longbottom's toad, which made messing up the assignment worthwhile. Professor McGonagall, however, had not been as amused.

The Slytherin table was filled with talk about the Quidditch match the following day, a subject that was beginning to grate on Draco. He had been on the Slytherin Quidditch team as Seeker since his second year, and in all his years at Hogwarts, Potter had beaten him to the Snitch. If he didn't get it tomorrow, he would never have another chance. He could imagine the expression on his father's face, far worse than the other years, because on the other years he'd still had next year. Now there were no next years left. He'd never have a problem beating Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's seekers; Draco would never admit it out loud, but Harry Potter was, well, a better Seeker than he was. It was a fact that he hated more than the fact that Ginny Weasley wasn't simpering after him and begging for another session like they'd had last night.

"So, Draco," Millicent Bulstrode said, trying to sound alluring. This however was unsuccessful, considering her body shape resembled a small house. "Do you have any special plans for tomorrow?"

"Why would I have special plans?" Draco sneered. "Other than beating Potter into the ground like he deserves?"

"Oh, because you're so capable of that?" Millicent went on. "Though you couldn't any other year?"

Draco was about to snap at Millicent to fuck off, but then a typical Draco thought crossed his mind. It was nasty, underhanded and something to be ashamed of. It was perfect. A slow, lazy smile spread across his face, and he saw Millicent's eyes glaze over. "This year is different," he said smoothly. "Just you wait." With that, he turned away and caught Ginny Weasley looking at him with a glare crossing her attractive face. He smirked at her, his favourite expression, and enjoyed the way her eyes narrowed.

Tomorrow will be fun.

Ginny's bad mood deepened when she caught Draco's smirk. Big, smug, stuck up, ugly git, she thought angrily, ignoring the fact that he certainly was not ugly as it didn't support her current rage.

"Ginny, are you okay?" her brother Ron asked from the opposite side of the table.

"Hmm?" she said, glancing at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Well, the team's going to bed at nine o'clock tonight," Harry, sitting next to Ron, said. "How are you feeling, Gin? Okay?"

She smiled, managing to ignore the Slytherin table. "I'm fine, Harry. I'll be fine until just before the match. Then I'll start panicking."

"Just don't panic like you did when you found George's head in your bed," Ron said.

"You found what?" Hermione cried. "How?"

Ginny laughed, remembering the event at home when she had been between her third and fourth year. "George transfigured a chicken into a replica of his head and left it in my bed. I've never screamed so much in my life as I did then. It was awful. Mum nearly strung him up by his earlobes from the oak tree."

Harry was giggling quite violently, as was Ron. Hermione simply looked horrified. "That's awful," she said with extreme emphasis. "I've never been so glad that I don't have any brothers."

Ginny smiled. "If you ever change your mind, I can donate a few."

"Well, perhaps Charlie," Hermione started, getting Harry's attention.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Not another one with a thing for dragon hide trousers."

"Mm," Hermione said, ignoring Harry who was staring at her dreamy expression. "Although, Bill's awfully charming, too."

Stifling a smile, Ginny nodded. "True. Percy can be too, just ask Penelope."

Hermione began to sigh, when she stopped and laughed. "I'm sorry, but Percy's just... I just can't even fake it!"

Ginny laughed, as did Ron and Harry. "Percy's an acquired taste," she said. "He's lovely really, if you can put up with all the... well, personality traits he has."

"You're so cruel," Harry said, looking at Hermione with his most hurt expression. "But if you want to be with Percy, I won't hold you back."

"You'd better had Harry Potter," Hermione said firmly. Then, in a quieter voice that clearly only Harry was intended to hear, but Ginny and Ron heard too, she said, "You'd better always hold on to me."

"I intend to," Harry said, leaning in to kiss her. Ginny, smiling softly, turned away, in time to see Malfoy leaving the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle. I don't care, she thought firmly. I don't care one little bit.

But she did.

Ginny dreamed again that night.

She was sitting up on a large double bed with crisp white sheets. The room she was in was enormous, with dark wood floors, a large stone fireplace and lots of large expensive looking furniture. As she lay in bed, she felt content but tired, a feeling of immense satisfaction flowed through her. She had had her baby that morning.

She looked around the room for a cot, but there was none. A feeling of panic welled up inside her. Where was her baby?

Suddenly the bedroom door swung open. Framed in the doorway stood her husband, in his arms was a bundle of white material which appeared to be wriggling. Her baby. Their baby.

"Draco?" she asked her husband. "What did we have?"

A warm, genuine smile spread across his gorgeous face. "A boy, Ginny, our own little boy." Draco crossed the room to the bed and sat down next to Ginny, handing over the bundle so that the baby was lying along her knees that were drawn to her chest.

Ginny looked down at him and sighed. "He's beautiful," she sighed happily.

"Just like his mother," Draco said warmly, sliding his arm around her shoulders. He hugged her tightly and kissed her lips once, firmly.

Ginny felt like the happiest person on earth. "He's perfect."

"He's just like us," Draco said. "Look." With on of his hands he loosened the swaddling. Ginny took over using both hands. She caught the baby's tiny hands in her own, smiling down at this wonder she created. "Look closer," Draco said.

Ginny pulled the baby's arms straight, and stifled a scream. Just below the underside of the little boy's elbow was the Dark Mark of Lord Voldemort, a black skull and snake. She gasped.

"Look at your own arm," Draco said firmly, as he rolled up his own shirtsleeve. Unable to stop herself, Ginny tugged up the sleeve of her white nightdress. Sure enough, there was the Dark Mark, and Draco had one too.

Ginny felt as if she was going to be sick.

"No, no..." she breathed, tears gathering in her eyes. "No, I can't... we can't... My baby..."

Draco began to laugh. He cupped her chin and turned her to face him.

"I thought we'd call him Tom," he said, looking genuinely happy and endearing. "Tom Riddle Malfoy. What do you think?"

In response, Ginny screamed.

She was still screaming when she woke. Someone was shaking her.

"Ginny! Ginny, wake up!"

Ginny opened her eyes, blinking until they adjusted. Natasha stood over her bed, her other dorm mates stood a little further back. Ginny was panting.

"Oh, god..." she said quietly.

"Ginny?" Natasha sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay? What was wrong?"

Ginny took a deep breath. Just a bad dream, Tash," she said quietly. "I'm okay, really."

It took a little more persuading for Ginny to get Natasha to leave her alone, but eventually she did, drawing the curtains of Ginny's bed around her. Once she was alone, Ginny pulled back the sleeve of her pyjama top. Just below the crease of her elbow was a large black bruise the shape of her thumb.