Disclaimer: I do not anything except the plot! Happy Reading!
Chapter One
A chorus of mad, mocking laughter rang up around the Slytherin table, as Ginevra Molly Weasley fought back tears and struggled to keep her chin up.
This isn't happening.
"Nice Ginny," Pansy Parkinson sneered at Ginny as the pug-faced girl draped a possessive hand around Draco Malfoy's shoulder. "Say it again so we can all have a good laugh for the second time." She looked around the crowd and on cue, all laughed at her. All except Draco's good friend, Blaise Zabini, who was watching Ginny with a darkened expression, from his seat and Draco himself.
Ginny felt her hand being pulled and out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Luna Lovegood.
"Let's go, Gin." Luna said, looking at her, eyes filled with unshed tears for her.
For her stupidity.
That morning, she couldn't take it anymore. She woke up, deciding she would do it.
It was telling Draco how she felt for him. That she had began to love him ever since he danced with her at the Yule Ball, if only because of a dare.
Ginny had always believed Harry Potter would be the one for her. Her ultimate crush, Harry was the dream prince turned reality. The prince who would be willing to fight dragons just for her. Well it might as well be Voldemort he would fight for her, but anyway, that's her impression of Harry. Her exes, Dean and Neville, were all but proof of how badly she crushed on Harry, but then Yule comes and Draco had taken her off-guard by bowing low and sweeping her to the dance floor. All thoughts of Harry flew away fast from her mind, faster than a Snitch and attraction for Draco hit her like a Bludger.
From then on, she would think of how good he smelled, so masculine and musky. Sleeping at night was hard if she would not first think of how he had expertly glided both of them through the vast Hogwarts dance floor. Thinking of how he had made her feel on top of the world even though people were staring at them like they would stare if Snape kissed Professor Mc Gonagall and thinking of how sexy he sounded when he whispered to her that he just needed to dance with her for a full minute in order to win the bet against Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini, were too much for her. Not to mention the fact that she still felt so hot when she thought of how his warm breath touched her neck.
That was almost a year ago, back when she was a third year and he was in fourth. It was a surprise she even lasted this long without telling him. Until now.
Now, even though she was not regretting that she told him, she mentally scolded herself for not waiting until he was alone, or at least he was Pansy-less or even with just Blaise with him.
The reason she had reacted so impulsively was because she had had enough of Pansy's groping him every time. The she-pug pretending to be human kissed him fully in the mouth and Ginny, adding the fact that she was determined to tell him anyway, sometime today, just blew it. Wrenching the girl from him, she kissed him herself on the mouth.
When Draco had pulled her away from him, she blurted it.
"I'm in love with you."
That was the reason everyone laughed. She couldn't blame them really. She was in Slytherin territory of course, and she had just professed her feelings for the Prince of their house.
"Let's go, Ginny." Luna forcefully pulled at her hands now. Ginny looked at the girl dazedly, getting sight of her brother Ron who was staring at her while standing up, red in the face as his hair; Hermione who was sitting beside him, hands on her mouth and glancing alternately at her and Ron; and Harry looking concernedly at her and was standing up.
Luna tugged again and this time, Ginny let herself be pulled away from the tittering crowd of snakes, away from their prince who was staring at her with an expression she couldn't read.
Draco threw his body inelegantly on his bed. It pays to be Head Boy. Nobody sees that sometime the Malfoy heir also has some human qualities.
Putting his hands to pillow his head, he stared up the ceiling of his four-poster bed.
Someone had professed her love for him.
He shouldn't be shocked really. Being who he was, Draco had had many of those episodes.
But none of them had dragged Pansy off me to kiss my lips themselves. None had braved the Slytherin table like that. None was bold enough to do that, even though some had been Gryffindors. And noen of them were named Ginevra. Ginevra WEASLEY.
He unwittingly touched his lips, remembering how Ginny had kissed him, with eyes closed. The kiss wasn't special, really, Pansy's kisses were much much more deeper than that but then…
Draco sneered. He was thinking too much about this when he shouldn't. He should be getting his arse up and changing for Quidditch practice.
When he was dressed, he went down the common room to find Blaise, squatted by the fireplace, poking the fire. Smirking, he touched his wand, and with a flick, the fire cackled. Blaise, partly taken aback looked up. He scowled.
"Are you a wizard?" Draco sneered at him.
Blaise stood up and eyed him. Lying on a couch, he turned back to the fire and closed his eyes. "Yes. I was just thinking about something."
Draco raised one pale eyebrow at him. "That's news."
Blaise opened his eyes and stared dryly at him. "Sod off."
Draco laughed. "Gladly."
He was near the door when Blaise spoke up.
"Did Weasley taste sweet?"
Something was wrong with his voice but Draco overlooked it. Not turning his back to face him, he sneered. "Yeah."
"Ginny!" Hermione called out from her door. "Open up the door!"
"Gin!" Luna joined in. "Gin, let us in."
Ginny ignored them both and continued to cry. She had never been so embarrassed in her whole life.
"Let her be, Luna, Hermione." Harry's voice spoke up. "She needs to be alone for now."
"But dear…" Luna argued, sounding like her mother whenever these kinds of things happen to their family.
Luna and Harry. Who knew?
It started back after Cho had rejected Harry. Harry's heart, obviously shattered by Cho's rejection, had taken Luna's friendly comfort and somehow, they ended up to be together. Which was perfect timing, because Ginny's crush for Harry had instantly vanished after Draco had swept her off to dance, and Luna and Harry had started dating some two days after the Yule Ball.
"Let her Luna. She brought this shame to herself, so let her deal with it alone." Ron's hard voice sounded off. "Malfoy…seriously Ginny!" he yelled. "Have you turned mental?"
Ginny's sobs turned uncontrolled as her brother ranted at her being under some jinx, some spell. "Have you been Imperiused?" Ron roared.
"Ron…" Hermione's voice was of consoling. Being his girlfriend and one of Ginny's best friends, she didn't know how to settle things between the two people she loves.
"And since when have you felt this for that slimy git?" Ron ranted on. "Did you think you would be welcomed with open arms by that…that…arse!"
"Ron…" this time it was Harry. He was having a hard time like Hermione, Ron being his best friend and Ginny being like a sister to him. A sister all these years.
"An opened zipper would have been better to hope for!" Ron went on.
"Ron!"
Luna, Hermione and Harry all shouted at him.
Suddenly, the door opened and spat Ginny out of the hallway.
"What did you say?" Ginny spoke, tone silent and serious. Very, very frightening.
"Now Gin, your brother was only mad that's why he had said that." Harry placed himself in between the red-headed siblings.
"No I wasn't!"
"Ron!" Harry shouted, turning at him exasperatedly. "Stop it!"
"No!" Ginny stopped Harry. "Let him speak. What did you say again Ron?"
"Gin…" Hermione helplessly called her.
"I said you might as well be asking to get laid by Draco when you said that, you moron!" Ron shouted, red-faced.
Slap.
Ron took a step backward as Ginny lowered her hand. Fighting back tears, she ran away from the group.
Draco whistled as he made his way to the Quidditch field where every Slytherin, except for his so-called good friend Zabini would be watching the team play. Or to put it more right, watching him play.
As the usual exciting buzz was heard when he neared the field, he felt something hit him hard from behind.
Damn Bludgers!
But as he turned to see what it was, he took a step back as he saw red everywhere.
Red hair.
Weasel?
No, it was Weaselette.
She was staring at him, eyes puffy and red, lips opened in shock.
"D-Dra…M-Malfoy!" she spat.
He raised an eyebrow as he felt his house mates nearing them. "Weaselette." He greeted her.
"Back for more, Weasley?" Pansy's voice drawled from behind him. "A hug this time?"
Everyone snickered. Draco remained staring at her curiously.
"Why don't you tell her where her place is, Draco." Bulstrode piped up.
A chorus of Yeah went around the crowd. Ginny stepped back.
Draco sneered. "Sorry Red, I don't go for red-headed, self-sacrificing virgins like you."
Blaise was walking by the lake when he heard sniffles coming from somewhere. Following the sound, he ended up standing by a willow tree, so bent its leaves were touching the ground. Knowing who he would find, he hesitated against drawing back the vine-like leaves. When he heard the sobs getting louder, he stepped in and disappeared in the thick mass of leaves.
Sure enough, Ginny was sitting there, head on knees and shoulders shaking violently. Blaise almost stepped back again when Ginny lifted her head and he saw her tear-stricken face.
Her face, Blaise instantly felt sorry for her and cursed himself, registered terror that was quickly hid. She jumped up, wand out, ready to jinx him.
He understood the girl. With so many Slytherins laughing out at you, you can't stop but be on your guard. But the only difference between Harry's 'on-guard' and Ginny's was that she was visibly trembling, although she was doing a good job trying to conceal it. Blaise knew better, he was close enough to feel her tremble, close enough to see her lower lip quivering.
"What are you doing here?" she said, forcing the words out to make them sound like she wasn't scared.
"Whoa, Weasley." He said, trying for a light approach. "Easy with the wand." He smiled at her, gesturing with his left hand for her to put the wand down.
Ginny stared at him for a while, then without putting her wand down, she sat again. "Why are you here, Zabini?" she asked again, voice now much clearer. "Haven't your kind have enough?"
Blaise, although he knew she wouldn't strike him, yet, didn't look away from the wand but still sat down beside her. "My kind, Weasley?"
Ginny smirked. Blaise raised an eyebrow. Interesting. They even have the same expression. He thought, referring to Ginny and Draco. Sweet.
"Yes, your kind. Your bloody egomaniac kind!" she breathed out, looking angry, eyes cast towards the lake. "Your bloody gitty kind!"
Blaise nodded. "Well, my kind tends to be those at times. There're even those who're like that twenty-four-seven."
Ginny smirked again. "At times, Zabini?" she said, this time looking at him. "And what's your kind like at other times?"
Blaise smiled. "Hmmn…let's see. We can be like this too." He answered her simply.
Ginny's eyebrows crinkled together. "Like this what?"
"Like this." Blaise gestured at the things around them. "Making friends feel better."
Ginny snorted at first then broke into a laugh with an unpleasant ending. "Don't jest Zabini! We're not friends, and neither are you making me feel better."
"I don't?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked, looking out to the lake again, after several minutes of silence lapsed. "Dra-You're snake best friend must be looking for you to polish his shoes."
Blaise snorted. "He's not my best friend and I don't shine his shoes for him. Crabbe does that just to please him though. He doesn't even have to ask." Blaise told her as-a-matter of factly. Like he was telling it to an eight year-old.
"I bet he doesn't even have to ask for anything." She said, her voice angry but sounding sad.
Blaise shook his dark head. "No Weasley." He told her, surprising her a bit by his answer. She looked at him.
"Huh?"
"Draco. He's been a fine guy, although people think he's on the bad side. Well, people think all Slytherins are." He started. "You know his Dad right?" he asked her.
Of course she knew. He was the reason Tom Riddle had gotten to her. She nodded.
"Well, his father is the leader of the Dark Lord's army." Blaise continued. "So, being the only son of 'such a great man'," Blaise made quotation signs with his fingers. "Much of the army expected him to be great like his father. Some actually says Draco should be the leader of a younger batch of the Dark Army. He's used to being praised like that so it's hard for him to lower himself to make other people see the true Draco.
"But still, Draco, even though he likes to be praised, doesn't depend on other people's opinion of him. Malfoy pride I think." Blaise said thoughtfully. "So he doesn't care what people say about him which makes people free to make stories of how bad he is."
Ginny couldn't say anything at first. She was having a hard time digesting it all. Yes, she believes that Draco was just misunderstood, but having it confirmed by someone so close to him…
"I thought you're not his best friend?" was all she could ask.
"I'm not."
"Then why…"
"Because he's my lover."
Ginny's look was precious. He wished he had his wizard camera with him so he could capture the transformation from mild surprise to shock then to disbelief.
"What?!"
Blaise searched for another thing in her face. But it wasn't there. Disgust wasn't there.
She must really, really fancy him. Too bad Draco couldn't see it the way I do.
Blaise decided to stop the girl's anxiety. "I'm joking."
A/N: The title's from the song "The Little Things" by Colbie Caillat. If you enjoyed reading my first Chapter, I'd be happy if you'd tell me so! Watch out for the next chap dearies! Toodles!