"What did the She Weasel want the other night?" Blaise asked, generously buttering a piece of toast on his plate. He glanced at his friend, who was, once again, staring at Ginny across the Great Hall while attempting to be discreet. The dark-haired Slytherin boy rolled his eyes at the fact that Draco was failing miserably at this task.
Draco continued to stare intently, and looked away only when his point of fixation glanced his way. "She apologized," Draco said.
"To you?"
"Yes. She accused me of being a man-whore, I told her off, and she apologized."
Blaise nodded, intrigued. He had spoken to Ginny a few times over the course of their time at Hogwarts, and although they weren't on friendly terms, he always kind of liked her. She was different from other Gryffindors. Sure, she was foolishly brave and righteous, but she was sneaky, too. From what he remembered of her twin brothers, she seemed to have taken a page right out of their book. Ginny was also passionate and even more hot-tempered than Ron, and Blaise thought it suited her. These observations were the main reasons why he never gave Draco a hard time about his friend's hopeless crush on her.
"How come she isn't sitting on top of Potter like she normally is?" Blaise asked.
"They're 'on a break,'" Draco said, still not taking his eyes from her. He, too, noticed that she was not sitting with Harry, as per usual. In fact, she was not even sitting on the same side of the Gryffindor table. "I think that is the official term she used. Something about that little scene we witnessed with him trying to shag her in the middle of their party." He took a bite of his cereal, chewing thoughtfully. "I give them until after Potions."
"That long? We have Potions second."
Watching Ginny was like an addiction for Draco. No matter what she happened to be doing, she made it interesting to watch. Draco prided himself on the ability to shield his emotions, never letting anybody in unless he wanted to, but she wore her heart on her sleeve. When she was happy, her smile went to her eyes and her whole face lit up like Christmas lights. When she was upset, her whole face would shatter in a way that was completely heart wrenching. Every emotion, every feeling, and every experience for Ginny, was plastered across her face for the world to see, and it worked for her. The way she demonstrated such lack of restraint should have been seen as a weakness, but it was a strength for her. It made her beautiful.
Not that she needed the help. Ginny was beautiful to begin with, although not stunningly so. Nothing about her really stood out in a crowd, aside from the color of her hair, but something about her made a person keep looking.
The two Slytherin boys exited the Great Hall after breakfast was over. Their first class of the day was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and then following that they had Double Potions with the Gryffindors. Draco was even more excited about Potions this year. He had always done well in the subject and did always enjoy it, but when he found out the first day of classes that Ginny had skipped her year and joined the class, he was ecstatic.
Herbology was over quickly. It was not a subject that Draco had much of an opinion on. He did well on the exams, and he didn't really mind Professor Sprout. Still, it was neither here nor there.
A knot formed in his stomach as the two boys made their way to the dungeons for class. He was certain that Ginny and Harry would be getting back together any second now, and it made him sick to know how hopelessly in love with Potter the girl was. Himself, he could not find many redeeming qualities about the Gryffindor boy. He wasn't well-groomed, and he wasn't even particularly attractive for a guy. Draco was sure that he was nice enough, although he'd never admit such atrocities aloud, but there wasn't anything that was really appealing. Potter, certainly, was not good enough for a real relationship with Ginny.
"Harry, just stop it," he heard a girl's voice say. The voice was coming from a ways down the corridor, toward the classroom, and it was unmistakable who the voice belonged to. "I said to take the time and think, and I meant it. Two days are not sufficient."
"Don't you love me?" the Gryffindor boy plead. "Don't you want to be with me?"
She closed her eyes in frustration and pressed her fingers into them. "Please don't do this. Not here. There is nothing that needs to be said right now."
"Are we at least going to be partners for Potions?"
"No. Not for a little while, at least."
"Who, then?"
Ginny faltered for a minute, obviously caught up in a trap. Apparently, she hadn't quite thought ahead that far. She glanced around and noticed the blond Slytherin watching her. Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments. "Malfoy," she said. "I asked him to be my partner on Friday. Remember? I asked him to stay after the party for a moment."
Harry looked as though he wanted to say something. His mouth was slightly agape, and his eyes were narrowed.
"Ready, Weasley?" Draco asked, appearing behind Harry a moment later. When Ginny nodded, the unlikely pair walked into the Potions classroom. They were seated for a moment before Draco spoke again. "What was that about, then?"
The redheaded girl rolled her eyes. "Harry doesn't seem to get what a break is. He's driving me mad." She began copying down the notes for the day's assignment, chewing on her bottom lip vigorously. After a few moments, she set down her quill and looked to Draco, who was also copying his notes. "How come you agreed to be my partner so easily?"
Draco frowned in thought for the briefest of moments before a sly smirk crossed his lips. "And miss out on a chance to make Potter mad?"
Ginny smiled, and Draco thought he might melt.
*****
He honestly felt like a stalker. He knew her entire routine, and he made sure that he "accidently" bumped into her between classes. It was different, though. Normally, she would be with Potter, who would snarl at him for coming too close to his girl. Not now, though. She was alone, and she would shoot him a little half smile every time she saw him. He wondered if she knew what she was doing to him, if she knew that he was driving him mad with desire, but he sincerely doubted it.
There was large oak tree that sat near the lake that she always sat beneath. Normally, he would sit directly across from the point that it sat and stare. But not today.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked, stepping into the light.
Ginny looked up, surprised, a small smile graced her pink lips. She did not respond with words. Rather, she lifted her bag into her lap and scooted over slightly, making room for the Slytherin boy on her blanket.
"Waiting for someone?" Draco asked after sitting in silence for several minutes.
She shook her head. "No. Normally, Harry and I sit together out here before dinner."
Draco tensed slightly. "Should I leave, then?"
"Oh, no. He isn't coming." She curled herself up, bringing her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Her chin rested on the slight gap between her knees. "Can I ask you something? A serious question?"
"Yeah. Go on."
"Is there something the matter with me? Is there something off-putting about me?"
He sensed that she was legitimately upset. On the tip of his tongue, he had a snide quip about there not being much wrong, aside from the fact that she was a filthy weasel with ugly hair, but he kept it inside. Instead, he shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with you," he answered softly, not looking at her.
"Well, then why? Why did he do it?"
"I thought you broke up with him?"
She sniffed. "I did." She wiped her newly-formed tears off of her cheek with the back of her hand. "But, that's the thing. I thought he'd come back to me, apologize for constantly trying to get into my knickers, and tell me that he'd wait for me forever if he had to."
"He didn't?"
She shook her head. "No."
Draco breathed in deeply, turning to face her. "If Potter thinks that shagging you is more important than just being around you, than he's gone 'round the twist. I barely know you, and even I can see what a catch you are."
Ginny smiled to herself. "You're just being nice." She furrowed her brow. "Why are you being nice?" she asked, suspiciously.
He shrugged. "I may be a right bastard, but I know better than to kick someone when they're down." He paused a moment. "At least, someone who hasn't ever done anything to me."
"You're kidding me, right?" she asked, smiling. "Malfoy, I've known you for five years now. All you ever do is kick people when they're down! You pride yourself on it, in fact." She cocked her head to the side. "Honestly, what are you playing at? What do you want from me?"
He shrugged again. "I don't really think I have an answer for you that you're going to allow yourself to believe."
"That's fair; there probably isn't much you could say about anything that I would put any trust in." Ginny grinned cheekily. "But, at this point, I think I'd rather talk to a dishonest git rather than Harry."
Draco smiled despite himself. "It's Friday; let's do something fun tonight."
"I'm not going to the Gryffindor party tonight."
"I said fun, Weasley," he said, rolling his eyes. "Meet me tonight in the Room of Requirement at eight o'clock. I'll make you forget him, even if it's only for tonight." He glanced sideways at her. "What do you say, Weaselette?"
Draco continued to stare intently, and looked away only when his point of fixation glanced his way. "She apologized," Draco said.
"To you?"
"Yes. She accused me of being a man-whore, I told her off, and she apologized."
Blaise nodded, intrigued. He had spoken to Ginny a few times over the course of their time at Hogwarts, and although they weren't on friendly terms, he always kind of liked her. She was different from other Gryffindors. Sure, she was foolishly brave and righteous, but she was sneaky, too. From what he remembered of her twin brothers, she seemed to have taken a page right out of their book. Ginny was also passionate and even more hot-tempered than Ron, and Blaise thought it suited her. These observations were the main reasons why he never gave Draco a hard time about his friend's hopeless crush on her.
"How come she isn't sitting on top of Potter like she normally is?" Blaise asked.
"They're 'on a break,'" Draco said, still not taking his eyes from her. He, too, noticed that she was not sitting with Harry, as per usual. In fact, she was not even sitting on the same side of the Gryffindor table. "I think that is the official term she used. Something about that little scene we witnessed with him trying to shag her in the middle of their party." He took a bite of his cereal, chewing thoughtfully. "I give them until after Potions."
"That long? We have Potions second."
Watching Ginny was like an addiction for Draco. No matter what she happened to be doing, she made it interesting to watch. Draco prided himself on the ability to shield his emotions, never letting anybody in unless he wanted to, but she wore her heart on her sleeve. When she was happy, her smile went to her eyes and her whole face lit up like Christmas lights. When she was upset, her whole face would shatter in a way that was completely heart wrenching. Every emotion, every feeling, and every experience for Ginny, was plastered across her face for the world to see, and it worked for her. The way she demonstrated such lack of restraint should have been seen as a weakness, but it was a strength for her. It made her beautiful.
Not that she needed the help. Ginny was beautiful to begin with, although not stunningly so. Nothing about her really stood out in a crowd, aside from the color of her hair, but something about her made a person keep looking.
The two Slytherin boys exited the Great Hall after breakfast was over. Their first class of the day was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and then following that they had Double Potions with the Gryffindors. Draco was even more excited about Potions this year. He had always done well in the subject and did always enjoy it, but when he found out the first day of classes that Ginny had skipped her year and joined the class, he was ecstatic.
Herbology was over quickly. It was not a subject that Draco had much of an opinion on. He did well on the exams, and he didn't really mind Professor Sprout. Still, it was neither here nor there.
A knot formed in his stomach as the two boys made their way to the dungeons for class. He was certain that Ginny and Harry would be getting back together any second now, and it made him sick to know how hopelessly in love with Potter the girl was. Himself, he could not find many redeeming qualities about the Gryffindor boy. He wasn't well-groomed, and he wasn't even particularly attractive for a guy. Draco was sure that he was nice enough, although he'd never admit such atrocities aloud, but there wasn't anything that was really appealing. Potter, certainly, was not good enough for a real relationship with Ginny.
"Harry, just stop it," he heard a girl's voice say. The voice was coming from a ways down the corridor, toward the classroom, and it was unmistakable who the voice belonged to. "I said to take the time and think, and I meant it. Two days are not sufficient."
"Don't you love me?" the Gryffindor boy plead. "Don't you want to be with me?"
She closed her eyes in frustration and pressed her fingers into them. "Please don't do this. Not here. There is nothing that needs to be said right now."
"Are we at least going to be partners for Potions?"
"No. Not for a little while, at least."
"Who, then?"
Ginny faltered for a minute, obviously caught up in a trap. Apparently, she hadn't quite thought ahead that far. She glanced around and noticed the blond Slytherin watching her. Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments. "Malfoy," she said. "I asked him to be my partner on Friday. Remember? I asked him to stay after the party for a moment."
Harry looked as though he wanted to say something. His mouth was slightly agape, and his eyes were narrowed.
"Ready, Weasley?" Draco asked, appearing behind Harry a moment later. When Ginny nodded, the unlikely pair walked into the Potions classroom. They were seated for a moment before Draco spoke again. "What was that about, then?"
The redheaded girl rolled her eyes. "Harry doesn't seem to get what a break is. He's driving me mad." She began copying down the notes for the day's assignment, chewing on her bottom lip vigorously. After a few moments, she set down her quill and looked to Draco, who was also copying his notes. "How come you agreed to be my partner so easily?"
Draco frowned in thought for the briefest of moments before a sly smirk crossed his lips. "And miss out on a chance to make Potter mad?"
Ginny smiled, and Draco thought he might melt.
He honestly felt like a stalker. He knew her entire routine, and he made sure that he "accidently" bumped into her between classes. It was different, though. Normally, she would be with Potter, who would snarl at him for coming too close to his girl. Not now, though. She was alone, and she would shoot him a little half smile every time she saw him. He wondered if she knew what she was doing to him, if she knew that he was driving him mad with desire, but he sincerely doubted it.
There was large oak tree that sat near the lake that she always sat beneath. Normally, he would sit directly across from the point that it sat and stare. But not today.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked, stepping into the light.
Ginny looked up, surprised, a small smile graced her pink lips. She did not respond with words. Rather, she lifted her bag into her lap and scooted over slightly, making room for the Slytherin boy on her blanket.
"Waiting for someone?" Draco asked after sitting in silence for several minutes.
She shook her head. "No. Normally, Harry and I sit together out here before dinner."
Draco tensed slightly. "Should I leave, then?"
"Oh, no. He isn't coming." She curled herself up, bringing her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Her chin rested on the slight gap between her knees. "Can I ask you something? A serious question?"
"Yeah. Go on."
"Is there something the matter with me? Is there something off-putting about me?"
He sensed that she was legitimately upset. On the tip of his tongue, he had a snide quip about there not being much wrong, aside from the fact that she was a filthy weasel with ugly hair, but he kept it inside. Instead, he shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with you," he answered softly, not looking at her.
"Well, then why? Why did he do it?"
"I thought you broke up with him?"
She sniffed. "I did." She wiped her newly-formed tears off of her cheek with the back of her hand. "But, that's the thing. I thought he'd come back to me, apologize for constantly trying to get into my knickers, and tell me that he'd wait for me forever if he had to."
"He didn't?"
She shook her head. "No."
Draco breathed in deeply, turning to face her. "If Potter thinks that shagging you is more important than just being around you, than he's gone 'round the twist. I barely know you, and even I can see what a catch you are."
Ginny smiled to herself. "You're just being nice." She furrowed her brow. "Why are you being nice?" she asked, suspiciously.
He shrugged. "I may be a right bastard, but I know better than to kick someone when they're down." He paused a moment. "At least, someone who hasn't ever done anything to me."
"You're kidding me, right?" she asked, smiling. "Malfoy, I've known you for five years now. All you ever do is kick people when they're down! You pride yourself on it, in fact." She cocked her head to the side. "Honestly, what are you playing at? What do you want from me?"
He shrugged again. "I don't really think I have an answer for you that you're going to allow yourself to believe."
"That's fair; there probably isn't much you could say about anything that I would put any trust in." Ginny grinned cheekily. "But, at this point, I think I'd rather talk to a dishonest git rather than Harry."
Draco smiled despite himself. "It's Friday; let's do something fun tonight."
"I'm not going to the Gryffindor party tonight."
"I said fun, Weasley," he said, rolling his eyes. "Meet me tonight in the Room of Requirement at eight o'clock. I'll make you forget him, even if it's only for tonight." He glanced sideways at her. "What do you say, Weaselette?"
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