I own nothing but the plot!
When Ginny got out of bed that morning, she stubbed her toe on the bedpost. When she put on her favorite t-shirt, she ripped a hole in the chest. Monica bumped her arm in the bathroom, causing a large dollop of mascara to smear across her nose. All in all, the day was off to a bad start. When finally she made it down to the common room, she had a dark scowl deeply set on her features, and she was thanking whatever Gods could hear her that it was Saturday. Harry was already at breakfast, but Ron and Hermione gave her a wide berth as they accompanied her to the Great Hall. After one scowl at the breakfast layout, however, Ginny found she had absolutely no appetite what so ever. Ron was now totally absorbed in the conversation with his two friends, so she bothered him not and swept out of the hall by herself, striding quickly towards the lake.
The summer air was glorious today; it was warm enough for shorts, but not so hot as to make her run for shade, nor was it humid. Her irritation, though, heated her blood, moving her to remove her flip-flops and stroll along the edge of the lake, her feet barely covered by the water. She walked halfway around the lake before slowly turning and crouching down in the water, careful not to get her shorts wet. Cupping her hands in the water, she brought the crystalline liquid to her lips to drink. Refreshed, she stood and kept strolling. Bit by bit the calming effect of the lake was brushing away her irritation.
Draco's morning had begun without incident, even pleasantly. He awoke from a dreamless sleep and lay contentedly in his warm bed for a long time before getting up and running a long shower. In the common room, the fire had been lit long before he arrived, giving the warmth time to spread. Here he met up with his friend, and was happy to discover that it was Saturday – and he was done all assigned homework. He and Blaise chatted amicably all the way to the Great Hall, where he ate a full hearty breakfast of sausages, hash browns, eggs, juice, and bacon. All in all, the day was off to a pretty decent start. Finally he pushed his plate away, and sat back with a groan.
"Well, I think I'm going to have to go walk off a few of the pounds I just gained!" he joked to Blaise, patting his swollen stomach. Blaise laughed as Draco got up and casually strolled away, passing the youngest Weasley on the way. As she passed by, not even noticing him, a piece of paper dropped from her pocket. He was about to call out, but the dark look on her face caused him to reconsider, so he pocketed it. He would wait until later.
The grounds were gorgeous today, with warm winds and green hills and sparkling blue water. Draco took a deep breath as he lightly jogged towards his favorite spot. There was a rather large oak tree that stood about twenty feet from the southern tip of the lake. Not three feet from that tree was a large boulder with a flat top. In the morning, if Draco perched atop that boulder, the warm sun kissed his face in a gentle way. And at high noon, when the day was hottest, the tree was positioned so perfectly; as to shade half of the boulder, and leave the other half in sun, giving Draco blessed alternatives to choose between.
As he sat atop the rock today, the wind blew ever so gently, like a lover's touch, directly in to his face. It pleased him. Draco lived for the simple pleasures. And this place was abundant with small, simple pleasures. Draco adored the giant, reaching branches of the oak tree. He cherished the small patch of forget-me-nots that grew at the base of said tree. And he loved to sit and watch the waves of the lake roll in and out, peacefully swishing the shallows and making the water lilies dance. Today, today was a perfect day. One of those days where you suddenly realize that life is wonderful, that it feels good to be alive, that you appreciate the beauty of everything around you. Draco breathed deep again, tasting the tang of fresh cut grass. And then movement caught his eye, and his breath was quite taken away. Feet half covered and unclad, crouched at the edge of the water, Ginny Weasley cupped her hands in the water and drank the clear water. He watched, fascinated, as small drops dribbled through her hands and slipped back in to the lake. Then she stood.
Draco had never noticed how long her legs were, nor how tall she was. The jean shorts she wore rode low on her hips, and buttery golden skin showed between the top of her bottoms and the bottom of her top, a tight orange tank top. Her strawberry hair, as opposed to most others in her family, was straight and quite fine. She wore it down, sweeping to mid-back. Draco stared as the gentle wind blew a few soft hairs in front of her eyes, seeming to reach towards him. It wasn't until she was almost to him that he realized that she had veered from the path along the lake shore and, sandals in hand, was striding towards his tree, gazing up in to the leaves. Without realizing he was doing it, Draco slipped off of his rock and came down to stand in front of her. She turned her head and started when she noticed him there, then tilted her head to the side when she realized he was not sneering or making any comments. Indeed he seemed to be looking at her as though he were seeing her for the first time in his life. Silently she stared back. And then there was a paper in his hand.
"You dropped this." He told her, holding it out. "I didn't read it." Even though he was sure it was just schoolwork, he for some reason thought it was important to inform her of her unbroken privacy. When she saw the paper, her eyes widened as if frightened, and she snatched it back, clutching to her breast. Draco blinked. Maybe it wasn't schoolwork, he thought. For a moment, they just stared at each other.
"Thank you." She said finally in a soft voice. Her voice hit Draco like a blow and he would have staggered had he been any less awake. His heart quivered and he realized all at once the reason he watched for her in the halls, the reason he baited her brother more when she was around, the reason he was staring at her now. Slowly, he bent and picked a blue flower off of its stalk. He twirled it in his fingers, contemplating it, before he stepped towards her. He moved so quickly and without notice that she let out an involuntary gasp. Suddenly, they were inches apart. Her eyes were round and wide, sparkling a clear blue like the lake. Like the flower. Draco boldly reached up and tucked it in to her hair, just behind her ear. As he brought his hand back down, he trailed one finger down her cheek.
"Forget me not." He whispered. Then, offering a small smile, he turned and walked towards the school. In doing so, he missed the words, carried away by the soft wind to whisper to the trees.
"Never."