She watched Draco from her spot in the kitchen. He was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. Pansy was next to him, her hand on his back. She was talking softly to him, but Ginny couldn't really hear what she was saying. Not that she wanted to eavesdrop.
Pansy was beside her now, a worried look on her face. “He's not doing well. I mean, he's sobered up, but now he's just kind of sitting there, muttering about how could someone do this to him. He's actually pretty pissed.”
“I don't blame him,” Ginny murmured. “I'd like to know who did this to him, too. Then I'd find them and hurt them very, very badly.”
“Take it easy, Red,” Draco said quietly. “You wouldn't hurt them. It's not in your nature. I, however, am completely capable of violence.” He smirked a little. “Pansy, I hate to do this, but could you give us some time alone to talk?”
Once she was gone, Draco came over to stand by Ginny. He leaned against the counter and brushed a hand through his hair. He watched her for a few minutes before speaking. His question was something she'd already thought about, but never voiced.
“Do you think it was my father?”
She turned to him, her eyes searching his face. “That's impossible. You wouldn't have told him about us, right?”
He stared at her. “Absolutely not.”
“Right. Of course not. But I'm trying to figure out who could have done this to you. I know you had a long list of enemies, but I swear, no one knew about us.”
“Obviously someone did,” he said coldly. “If it wasn't my father, then I have no idea who it could have been.”
Ginny nodded. But something still nagged her about the whole situation. She looked at him. “Did you ever wonder why whoever found out didn't just tell you they knew? I mean, why go through all the trouble of erasing that part of your memory?”
“Because whoever did this didn't like me much, I suppose.”
She frowned, her tone serious. “I think whoever did this hated you.”
If possible, his eyes darkened. Scratching his chin, he said, “That's more likely. Believe me, I'd never have done something like that. I wouldn't have traded what we had.” The last part was spoken quietly.
“I never thought you did it to yourself, I just knew you thought that I did.”
He touched her cheek, his knuckles brushing her jaw. He drew her into his arms. “Dammit, I loved you so much. I can feel it every time I look at you now. I'm so sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” she said softly. “I know how you feel.”
Then he kissed her.
**
Pansy was sitting on the steps outside the flat. She wasn't going to leave, not until they let her back in and she could find out what they talked about. After all, she was the one that Ginny told her secret to. As she stood to head back in, someone fell in step beside her. Blaise looked at the door, then back at her.
“Are you having trouble getting inside?”
She laughed. “Draco is in there with Ginny. He's kind of a wreck.”
“I guess you heard then,” Blaise muttered, leaning against the railing. “But I don't see her ever hurting anyone.”
Pansy shook her head. “She wouldn't. She's too – oh, fuck. Does Draco know you have a crush on his girlfriend?”
“She's not his girlfriend,” Blaise said firmly.
A scowl. “Well, she's currently off limits, as I expect they're patching things up. Is that why you're here, to ask her out?”
“Not that it's any of your business, but I was going to see if she wanted to grab lunch,” he answered. “I guess I can't do that now.” He glanced at her. “Do you know when they'll be done?”
“You can't be serious. They. Are. Fixing. Things. Understand?”
Blaise's lip curled slightly, and he turned away from her. Stepping onto the sidewalk, he looked over his shoulder. “Yes,” he said, his voice strange. “Tell her I stopped by.”
Pansy sighed and knocked on the door before opening it. She hoped that she wouldn't see anything that would cause her to want to stab her eyes out.
**
Breathless, faces flushed and some clothing removed, the two sprang apart as the door opened. Draco slipped his shirt back on and glanced at Ginny, who was fixing her tank top, her red hair slightly messy.
“Well, it's nice to know you're on speaking terms, and more, with each other.” Pansy slid past Ginny and opened the freezer, digging out the ice cream. “By the way, Blaise came by. He was acting weird. You might want to talk to him.”
Ginny blinked. “Is he okay?”
“I think he feels rejected,” Pansy said as she ate. She glanced at Draco and tipped the carton. He shook his head.
“I didn't do anything,” Ginny said. “I knew he liked me, but I didn't feel the same. He's got to know that. Crap, I guess I'll talk to him tomorrow.” She looked back and forth between them. “Would you two want to go out for lunch?”
Pansy nodded, stuck the ice cream back in the freezer and headed for the door. “Okay, but on the way I want details of what happened here today.”
Pansy was beside her now, a worried look on her face. “He's not doing well. I mean, he's sobered up, but now he's just kind of sitting there, muttering about how could someone do this to him. He's actually pretty pissed.”
“I don't blame him,” Ginny murmured. “I'd like to know who did this to him, too. Then I'd find them and hurt them very, very badly.”
“Take it easy, Red,” Draco said quietly. “You wouldn't hurt them. It's not in your nature. I, however, am completely capable of violence.” He smirked a little. “Pansy, I hate to do this, but could you give us some time alone to talk?”
Once she was gone, Draco came over to stand by Ginny. He leaned against the counter and brushed a hand through his hair. He watched her for a few minutes before speaking. His question was something she'd already thought about, but never voiced.
“Do you think it was my father?”
She turned to him, her eyes searching his face. “That's impossible. You wouldn't have told him about us, right?”
He stared at her. “Absolutely not.”
“Right. Of course not. But I'm trying to figure out who could have done this to you. I know you had a long list of enemies, but I swear, no one knew about us.”
“Obviously someone did,” he said coldly. “If it wasn't my father, then I have no idea who it could have been.”
Ginny nodded. But something still nagged her about the whole situation. She looked at him. “Did you ever wonder why whoever found out didn't just tell you they knew? I mean, why go through all the trouble of erasing that part of your memory?”
“Because whoever did this didn't like me much, I suppose.”
She frowned, her tone serious. “I think whoever did this hated you.”
If possible, his eyes darkened. Scratching his chin, he said, “That's more likely. Believe me, I'd never have done something like that. I wouldn't have traded what we had.” The last part was spoken quietly.
“I never thought you did it to yourself, I just knew you thought that I did.”
He touched her cheek, his knuckles brushing her jaw. He drew her into his arms. “Dammit, I loved you so much. I can feel it every time I look at you now. I'm so sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” she said softly. “I know how you feel.”
Then he kissed her.
Pansy was sitting on the steps outside the flat. She wasn't going to leave, not until they let her back in and she could find out what they talked about. After all, she was the one that Ginny told her secret to. As she stood to head back in, someone fell in step beside her. Blaise looked at the door, then back at her.
“Are you having trouble getting inside?”
She laughed. “Draco is in there with Ginny. He's kind of a wreck.”
“I guess you heard then,” Blaise muttered, leaning against the railing. “But I don't see her ever hurting anyone.”
Pansy shook her head. “She wouldn't. She's too – oh, fuck. Does Draco know you have a crush on his girlfriend?”
“She's not his girlfriend,” Blaise said firmly.
A scowl. “Well, she's currently off limits, as I expect they're patching things up. Is that why you're here, to ask her out?”
“Not that it's any of your business, but I was going to see if she wanted to grab lunch,” he answered. “I guess I can't do that now.” He glanced at her. “Do you know when they'll be done?”
“You can't be serious. They. Are. Fixing. Things. Understand?”
Blaise's lip curled slightly, and he turned away from her. Stepping onto the sidewalk, he looked over his shoulder. “Yes,” he said, his voice strange. “Tell her I stopped by.”
Pansy sighed and knocked on the door before opening it. She hoped that she wouldn't see anything that would cause her to want to stab her eyes out.
Breathless, faces flushed and some clothing removed, the two sprang apart as the door opened. Draco slipped his shirt back on and glanced at Ginny, who was fixing her tank top, her red hair slightly messy.
“Well, it's nice to know you're on speaking terms, and more, with each other.” Pansy slid past Ginny and opened the freezer, digging out the ice cream. “By the way, Blaise came by. He was acting weird. You might want to talk to him.”
Ginny blinked. “Is he okay?”
“I think he feels rejected,” Pansy said as she ate. She glanced at Draco and tipped the carton. He shook his head.
“I didn't do anything,” Ginny said. “I knew he liked me, but I didn't feel the same. He's got to know that. Crap, I guess I'll talk to him tomorrow.” She looked back and forth between them. “Would you two want to go out for lunch?”
Pansy nodded, stuck the ice cream back in the freezer and headed for the door. “Okay, but on the way I want details of what happened here today.”
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