Not Meant to Be Happy.
Happy New Year everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't own it, okay?
The end of the year is often thought of as a time for recollection and closure. It is meant to be something calm and thought provoking. As for Ginny Weasley, it was a time she wished she could simply erase from all of her memories. For as long as she can remember, never once did dredging up old and painful memories do anything but open old war wounds. If it was meant to be something so joyous, Ginny would be half drunk before it ever began if they expected her to play happy when the New Year bells rang.
"Ginny, if you looked any happier I think you might be competition for Snape after the Gryffindors won the house cup," Hermione sighed as she glanced up at her friend from her studies.
"God love you Hermione, because only you could think that would possibly do anything to improve my mood," Ginny said trying to sound firm but sadly the smile was escaping her. Oh how she wished she could be happy with everyone else in this family. But thanks to her inability to just let the past stay in the past, she would be plastered long before any memories thought about making an appearance.
"Gin, mum wants you in the kitchen," called her brother from the other side of her bedroom door. Ron used to have really bad habit of entering her room without permission. Of course, that was before Hermione and she scared him into thinking there were hoards of spiders sleeping inside her room waiting for him to make the mistake of wandering where he wasn't wanted. Convincing him this was nothing hard because they never made it passed the word spiders and he believed every word. It was extremely funny.
With a sigh, Ginny pushed herself up of the bed to head to the kitchen. While she loved her mother, Molly Weasley could not get it through her head that Ginerva Weasley would never enjoy cooking. Despite popular belief that she was identical to her mum, Susie Homemaker was not going to be her title anytime soon.
"Ginny, would you be so kind to help me with the clean up? I do wish you would have gotten up a little sooner so that you could have made those lovely little pastries for tonight," Molly mumbled to herself. She kept the conversation going but Ginny simply drowned her out because she had heard this speech several times before.
"I'll help but as soon as I'm finished, I am heading in to Hogsmeade for the night," Ginny said hoping that her mother would simply pass over it as she kept muttering to herself.
" Yes, Yes, have a good time dear," mumbled Molly just as Ginny hoped she would.
An hour and a trip to the bath later, Ginerva Weasley was heading for Hogsmeade via broom. She could have opted for apparition but decided to go about it the long way. It was a lovely late afternoon and she could resist a good ride on her new broom from Christmas. However, this was increasingly difficult because her ball cap refused to stay a top her head. Instead of dressing up for this bothersome occasion, she had simply thrown on a pair of jeans, an old well worn t-shirt, and sweat shirt jacket. Nothing fancy meant no one would notice her.
Upon arriving in Hogsmeade, Ginny headed straight for the Three Broom Sticks. After a brief conversation with Rosmerta, she found a seat towards the back in a rather secluded booth. Now it was time to get started. Ginny ordered fire whiskey after fire whiskey. Needless to say, an hour into her evening and little Ginny was well on her way to obliviousness. Of course, that was until she realized the booth she had chosen was not as empty as she had assumed. The sound of someone's groan under the table startled her enough back into reality land, for her to glance down to see with whom she was sharing this booth with. Much to her surprise and dismay, Draco Malfoy peered up at her.
"Oh bother, what are you doing here Malfoy?" groaned Ginny as she pulled him back into a seat. So much for a peaceful evening of drunkenness.
"I could say the same thing Weaslette, but at this point, I am far to gone to think about it," Draco managed after regaining some consciousness. In truth, Draco was there for all the same reasons though neither would ever admit they shared something in common.
"You know, at this point, I could care less if I was spending the evening with Peter Pettigrew, I suppose your as good of company as anyone," laughed Ginny as she was to far gone to really care if he thought she was insane. Which she was.
"Agreed, why not let bygones be bygones. Enough of this silly rivalry," came the dry reply. The look on his face was enough to stop traffic. The great Draco Malfoy, Slytherins pride and joy, was smiling.
"Stop smiling, you're going to put me into a mental institution because I'll go around telling everyone I saw you do it and they will know I'm mad," laughed Ginny. Surprisingly enough, she was granted a hearty laugh on the part of Mr. Malfoy for her comedic comment.
"Bottoms up Weasley, I officially claim you as my drinking partner," exclaimed Draco as he raised his glass to the ceiling. This was going to be one interesting evening.
Eight hours later, to say the two of them where beyond wasted would be an understatement. During their time together, they had unofficially told the entirety of their lives and several crude jokes to boot. Ginny had shared her frustrations with her family, the never ending fight against Voldermort, and her life changing experience with Tom Riddle. Draco, surprisingly, shared that he hated what his father stood for and what he was to he must become. No one could say what really caused them to share so openly with one another, it may have been the whiskey, but perhaps it was something more.
Midnight approached and the count down began with the whoops and hollers of other patrons shouting a loud the numbers signifying the coming of a new year. Songs broke out in awkward keys and dancing began.
"Tonight, I had planned on having the worst night of the year, just like every year before, until you showed up," said Ginny through her drunken haze.
"To be honest with you little Weaslette, this is the best New Years I've ever had. I usually just want to drink it away and forget everything, but not tonight," Draco said quietly. Vulnerability was not something he showed willingly, least of all to a Weasley.
"Draco, will we still hate each other after all of this?" mumbled Ginny as she slowly drifted closer to the table and yet still closer to sleep.
"Well little Ginny, I don't think I could ever hate you again, even if I tried," Draco said seriously although he knew it fell on deaf ears. Ginny Weasley was fast asleep.
They may never tell anyone about the night they shared their sorrow and regret, but neither of them will ever forget the connection that was made that night between the most unlikely pair.
A/N: Well, that's it. My first finished piece. I absolutely adore Draco and Ginny but I didn't want to write a straight romance. I'm not in the mood. Hope you like it!