Blissfully Innocent.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, everything belongs to J.K.Rowling.
"No Ginny, you're too young! We don't want you to play with us!"
Seven-year-old Ginny Weasley watched as her six brothers left without her. It wasn't fair! They always left her behind! And now they'd made her cry.
She'd show them, she'd have much more fun without her stupid brothers. Little Ginny pulled on her pink jacket, that clashed horribly with her bright orange hair, before leaving the house.
She kicked pebbles along the ground and skipped down the path until she was met with the tall, intimidating trees at the edge of the forest. She was sure she'd find something entertaining to do in there. The small redhead squeezed past the trunks until she came to her most favourite place in the world. It was her most favourite place because only she knew about it, it was where she'd go if she was ever upset or angry. Ginny Weasley had a hot temper and often needed somewhere to go to cool down.
In front of her sat a brightly lit clearing in the middle of the forest. A stream of fresh, sparkling water could be seen and along the sides of the stream were many different weeds and flowers, adding to the natural smell of the magical place. The sounds of birds and squirells could be heard as they went about their daily life only stopping once to stare at the new arrival before scattering off again. Once, Ginny had even seen a dear drink from the stream.
Ginny spent the next hour trying to occupy herself but her thoughts kept wondering unwillingly back to her brothers and she wondered if they were having fun without her. This caused the little girl to start crying again, she wanted so much for her brothers to love her and want to have her around. But they didn't, none of them wanted her.
Ginny sat in the mud by the stream crying and feeling lonely, when she heard a twig snap behind her. She twisted her head around swiftly and was meet by a pair of dazzling grey eyes. She stood up quickly, not caring that she'd gotten her best dress all dirty. Ginny cocked her head to the side and stared with unbridled curiosity at the young, blond boy who stood only metres away from her.
He too stared at the girl, taking in her bright hair and muddy dress and then lastly noticing her tear stricken face. What a strange thing it was. Never had he seen such a thing in his life. This eight year old had grown up surrounded by fineries and rich people dressed in extravagant attire.
The boy in front of Ginny was dressed in fantastically tailored robes of green and sported a heavy looking grey fur cloak with a silver clasp. Ginny has only ever seen boys like him in story books, rich, pampered little prince. Ginny instantly liked him, she always did have a taste for strange things and now she had a rich, smug looking boy to add to the list.
Ginny grinned at him and the boy eyed her suspiciously before responding with a half-hearted, hesitant smile. Ginny took this to mean he liked her too and walked over to him. He seemed so tense and Ginny wondered whether he was in pain.
Her mother had taught Ginny manners and Ginny had never met this boy before, therefore she stuck out a small freckled hand for him to shake. The boy stared down at the hand as though it may eat him.
"Hi" the creature spoke "I'm Ginny Weasley what's your name?" It asked. Ah so it had a name and it looked like a girl. Ginny was shocked when young Draco took her hand, raised it to his face and brushed his lips against it.
"Hello, I am Draco Lucius Malfoy, son of Lord and Lady Malfoy and heir of Malfoy manor." Draco repeated what his parents had told him to say if anyone should ask who he was. Draco held his head high and his arms down by his sides like how he'd been taught. Young Ginny burst out laughing at the serious looking child. "I fail to see what is so funny about my name." Draco told her sternly. Ginny ceased laughing but kept a friendly smile on her face. Ginny Weasley baffled Draco Malfoy. He'd never seen anyone laugh like that before; he'd heard his mother's polite giggle and his betrothed's fake laugh. But never before had someone been so open with their emotions in front of him.
"I'm sorry Draco," Ginny said. "Do you want to pick flowers with me?"
Pick flowers! He would get his hands dirty! Or worse his robes! But there was something about little Ginny Weasley that made Draco want to be more like her. Yes, she was dirty and yes, her clothes were simply awful, but the girl was well loved and it showed through the way she acted and spoke and even laughed. That's the reason why when Ginny Weasley asked Draco Malfoy to pick flowers with her by the stream, he took her up on her offer.
The pair picked flowers, paddled in the stream and chatted away together the whole morning. Draco was very nervous around Ginny, he'd never had a friend like her before, all of his friends were the sons or daughters of important, rich men.
As the morning drew to a close and Ginny's mother shouted to her for lunch, the two new friends were forced to say goodbye.
"You'll come back tomorrow won't you?" Ginny asked hopefully.
"Yes, if you promise to be here. I'll come at nine o'clock." he answered.
"Oh I promise! I've never had a friend like you before," Ginny told him and he raised an eyebrow. "I like you Draco Malfoy and we'll be friends forever and ever." and with that Ginny gave Draco a tight hug, which Draco was too shocked to return, and skipped off in the direction of her house.
Eight year old Draco Malfoy stood still, thinking about the strange and wonderful morning he'd had. He'd picked flowers for the first time, he'd paddled his feet in water for the first time and he'd made friends with a strange little girl with a nice laugh and a friendly smile. Yes, today had been a very good day. But would his parents approve of the Weasley child? Draco's gut feeling was saying that they wouldn't.
The next morning Ginny ate her breakfast as quickly as humanly possible and was out the door and walking towards the forest in a flash. She really didn't want to keep her new friend waiting. Ironically, Draco had been having similar thoughts and had arrived at the clearing fifteen minutes before nine o'clock.
Ginny made that familiar route through the tree trunks until she arrived at the brightly lit clearing. She was relieved to see Draco standing by the stream trying to skip rocks, but the water was far too shallow and the rock, instead of skimming the water, landed heavily sending a splash in the direction of Draco. He coughed and spluttered while Ginny, from behind him, laughed loudly at the comical scene.
Draco turned around with a wet face and grinned at Ginny, she smile back brightly and skipped over to greet him.
Little Draco was definitely relaxing around Ginny. She was so unlike anyone he'd ever meet and he found that very refreshing. Pretty soon their trips to the clearing became a daily thing. Draco shared secrets with Ginny and told her things he'd never tell anyone, not even his best friend since birth Blaise Zabini, but Ginny noticed he always dodged questions about his home or family. She told him stories, often they were outrageous and completely fiction but other times they'd be stories about her ridiculously large family. About the kinds of mischief her six brothers got themselves into. Ginny's life sounded like so much fun! Draco longed to have siblings and often wished Ginny was his sister.
Over the next few months Ginny and Draco became as close as brother and sister. Whenever the pair had a spare moment they'd rush off to the clearing in hopes that the other might be there waiting for them. Ginny's family started to wonder where Ginny was spending all of her time and why she was hardly ever at home any more, but her family had never seen their little girl look so happy and choose not to mention anything. Draco's family on the other hand noticed nothing, they never did; neither of his parents took much of an interest in the boy unless it was to reprimand him, which was usually done in the evening, after his parents had finished whatever it was they did during they day.
Draco was making his daily trip to the clearing in the forest, as he drew closer he heard muffled sobs coming from a little, shaking, red lump sitting on a tree stump. The sobs were coming from his best friend Ginny Weasley. As she looked up Draco was reminded of the first time they'd met and how shocked he was to see someone crying. His father had told him long ago that crying was something only weak people did and that it was a waste of time. He himself had been taught not to cry since before he could speak. And yet watching the little girl he'd grown so close to with tears running from her big brown eyes brought on a wave of emotion he didn't know he possessed and he felt an uncomfortable stinging in the corners of his own eyes.
He walked over to Ginny and sat down beside her, not sure what to do as he'd never had to deal with a crying person before, he put a comforting arm around her and waited to see her reaction. She simply gave him a watery smile. He took that to mean she was okay with it and started to ask the question that was bugging him.
"Why are you crying?" when she said nothing he decided to try a different tactic "I remember the first time I saw you, you had been crying then also. Are you going to tell me, or will I have to force it out of you?" he asked and she grinned up at him, before tightly closing her mouth with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Suit yourself." And with that Draco started to tickle Ginny so hard that after five minutes she was breathless from laughing and gave up.
"Okay, okay I'll tell you. My brothers have gone to a field by my house to play Quidditch and I really wanted to go too but I'm never allowed they always say I'm too young and that they don't want me to play with them. It really upsets me 'cause I love them a lot and I don't think they love me." By the time Ginny was finished she felt like she was going to cry again. This boy beside her always listened to whatever she had to say, never interrupting or contradicting her. He looked at simplest things as though he'd never seen them before. The way he sometimes spoke or acted was almost as if he'd never said or done anything like it in his short life. It was after Ginny noticed these things when she realised; herself and Draco lived very different lives.
Draco racked his brains for something had would make Ginny feel better. "Hey I know! Why don't I take you flying? I have a broom; we could go to that field you were talking about, only if you want to."
"Really, could we? Oh I'd love to? When, when, when?" Ginny asked impatiently. She was bouncing up and down in excitement with all former sorrows forgotten.
"Tomorrow morning, if you'd like. We'll meet here and then walk down. Have you ever been on a broomstick Ginny?" Draco asked.
Ginny shook her little red head. "No never. But I've always wanted too. I'm soooooo excited. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're the bestest friend in the whole wide world Draco!" Draco blushed slightly at what she had said; Draco Malfoy was not used to getting compliments. He was used to insults, shouting and threats. Ginny Weasley was a little ray of sun shine, the silver lining in his great big, black cloud of a life.
The two children spent the rest of the day talking and planning what they were going to do the next day. How Draco would smuggle his broom outside, how they would reach the field without getting caught and what things Draco would teach Ginny. When it was unfortunately time to say their goodbyes Ginny was ready to burst with excitement.
She could hardly contain herself when her mother asked why she couldn't stay still at the dinner table or when Bill asked why she had a stupid grin plastered on her face. She told her mother she just had ants in her pants (She'd heard the phrase being used by muggle parents when their children wouldn't stay still) and she told her brother to bog off and mind his own business before she let the family ghoul lose in his precious bedroom. Both replies worked well and seven-year-old Ginny was able to reach her bedroom without any more nosey family members interrogating her.
She lay down in bed contemplating why she wasn't telling her family about Draco. She always told them anything she found interesting. There was such a mysterious air about Draco Malfoy, he told her very little about his life at home. He preferred to listen than to talk, he sat by Ginny when she told her stories and soaked in every word she said. They was something about Draco that made Ginny want to keep him her secret. She could just imagine the reactions she'd receive if she did tell her family. Her father would be worried, her mother would be angry and disapproving, Bill would be protective, Charlie would tell everyone he didn't care, storm up to his room and brood about how life wasn't fair as teenagers do, Percy would lecture her, the twins would tease her and Ron would want to meet him. The latter surprisingly, worried her the most. She was very possessive of Draco and the thought of having to share him with someone was enough to make her not want to tell them anything. She found him first and he was her friend, not theirs. Her brothers got everything and were able to do anything, she wanted at least one thing that they didn't have and that thing was Draco Malfoy.
Ginny woke up far too early the next morning; it was so early that the sun wasn't even up. 'The sun isn't even awake! So why am I?' Ginny asked herself whilst rubbing her sleepy eyes. She lay back down, pulled the sheets over her head and tried her best to fall back to sleep. But none of her efforts worked. She rolled over on to back, she curled up into a small ball, she lay flat on her stomach with her face in her pillow, but however hard she tried she simply would not fall asleep.
Ginny sighed loudly and stepped out of her bed, shuffling her feet across the cold wooden floor she made her way to the bathroom. She picked up her purple toothbrush and spread on some fruity gluey toothpaste. Whilst she brushed her little teeth she wondered to herself why she'd woken up so early, then memories of the day before came rushing back to her and she grinned into the mirror opposite her. Today was the day she would fly on a broomstick for the first time in her life. Yes, today was definitely an important day; of course she'd woken up early. Her body had wanted her to be absolutely ready and alert. She spat out the foam that brushing her teeth had caused and washed her hands and face. Ginny ran back to her tiny bedroom and opened her wardrobe, frowning at the contents. She wished she owned some really pretty clothes like the muggle girls she saw in the town, but all her clothes used to belong to her brothers or cousins she'd never even meet, apart from her jacket and a few dresses her mother had made her. After much deliberation, Ginny decided on wearing a red t-shirt and Bill's old dungarees.
After she was washed and fully dressed Ginny stomped her way down the stairs, making sure to make as much noise as possible. As was to be expected nobody was awake, or if they were they weren't down stairs. Ginny stared up at the clock on her wall and tried to understand the time, she was never very good at telling the time and she struggled to make it out, all she knew was that the small hand was very near the number five. She was meeting Draco at eight o'clock that means she had at least three hours to wait. Ginny was proud of herself for being able to work around her time-telling problem but also sad that she had so long to wait before seeing Draco.
At six o'clock Ginny's mother, Molly Weasley had come down stairs, ready to cook breakfast for her husband and children, only to find her youngest child and only daughter sitting in an arm chair watching the clock as it ticked away each second.
"Ginny dear, you're up early." Molly stated whilst pulling pots and pans out of a cupboard.
"Couldn't sleep. What time is it mum?" Ginny asked ripping her eyes away from the clock.
"It's about ten past six darling, why?" Her mother asked suspiciously.
Ginny hesitated, she didn't like lying to her mum but she also didn't want her to know she was going flying with her friend. She decided on not lying but also not telling the entire truth.
"I'm going out to play at eight o'clock," her mother turned to look at her and Ginny knew what she was about to ask "I'm going up to the field." Ginny answered truthfully. Her mother nodded and carried on pottering around the kitchen.
As soon as the clock struck eight, Ginny bolted out of her sit, threw on her cardigan and waved goodbye to her confused family.
"What the bloody hell is up with that girl?!" asked Charlie.
"Watch your language young man or I'll wash your mouth out with soap! I don't know what's happening in Ginny's life but I intend to find out." Mrs Weasley told her family.
"I think she's playing with those muggle brats again." Spoke Percy.
"I think she's barking." George told everyone grinning.
"I agree with George, she's probably off playing with her imaginary friend." Laughed Fred.
"Well I think she's got a boyfriend," Muttered Bill.
"Don't be silly Bill, Ginny is much too young to be interested in boys." Molly told her son sternly.
"Think what you want mum but it all makes sense, she's very secretive, she out all the time and no one knows where she goes or who she's with." Bill then stood up and left the table. Mr and Mrs Weasley looked worried.
"You don't think it's true do you Arthur?" asked Molly in a scared voice.
"Of course not Molly dear, she's probably just found a new friend. It might be a muggle like what Percy was saying." Arthur reasoned with her.
"Oh, but she's been like this for months now. I'm worried about her."
"Don't be, I'm sure she perfectly fine." Arthur said, trying to assure his wife.
Ginny did not feel perfectly fine… she felt absolutely brilliant! She was bubbling with excitement as she ran as fast as she could towards the trees. She made it to the clearing in record time. "Draco! Hi, hi, hi." Ginny shouted, then ran over to greet him properly. He dropped the broom and bag he'd been carrying just in time, Ginny jumped into his open arms and squeezed him tightly, he hugged back and grinned over her shoulder. Ginny pulled away first "Come on lets not waste time we only have four hours!" Ginny told him. Grabbing his hand, she started to drag him out of the forest. Draco laughed at her impatient attitude before picking up the broom and bag and letting her lead him out of the trees and up a path.
Ginny didn't need to drag him now but she didn't let go of him. Draco looked down at her hand gripped tightly around his own, he felt happiness swell inside of him and his white cheeks coloured dramatically. He didn't want Ginny to see him blushing so he looked down at the ground as he walked, successfully hiding his red face with his hair that was in desperate need of a good trim. She'd think he was silly and that was the last think he'd wanted. They kept walking at a regular speed and Ginny chatted away to Draco like she always did, unfazed by his hand holding hers. Draco chanced a peek at her face and saw her smiling straight ahead with her lips moving to form every word coming out of her little pink lips, her cheeks were rosy from the warm summer breeze and her big, brown eyes were shining with excitement. At that moment Draco thought she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen and he couldn't help but stare. He'd never thought of her as ugly, she was much to interesting to be ugly, but he'd never thought of her like he did then. This feeling was slightly uncomfortable and he wondered what had happened to have made him see her in a new light. Ginny carried on talking all the way up to her field; Draco wondered if it was the excitement that had made her talk so much. Then he remembered that Ginny talked when she was bored, happy, sad, hungry, tired and nervous. In fact she never shut up. Draco smiled at that thought. There was never a dull moment with Ginny around, no awkward silences, actually, no silences at all!
The pair made it to the field and Ginny introduced Draco formally as though she as introducing Draco to an important family member not a patch of grass. Draco laughed at her silliness and sat down on the dry ground. Ginny joined him and Draco become very aware of her arm brushing against his. She reached over and picked up Draco's broom carefully with both hands and stared at it in awe. It was so beautiful! Shiny and sturdy, Ginny longed to be riding it straight away. "It's fabulous Draco. What's in the bag?" she asked curiously.
"A quaffle," he answered and pulled out a football sized, red, leather ball. "I thought we might be able to play a game with it." Ginny nodded her head in agreement.
"First I'll show you the basics and then I'll let you fly." He told her smiling.
And so he did. He told her how a broom works, he told her how to hold a broom and he told her how to kick off from the ground. She listened to everything he said, nodded in the right places and hung on his every word. Draco liked being in control, he was so used to her being the one who talked all the time. He was the one who usually listened and having her full attention was exhilarating. Though after half an hour Ginny was starting to grow bored and restless with listening, she wanted action, she wanted to be in the air. Draco sighed and reluctantly agreed that that was enough talking for the day. She grinned and clapped her hands in anticipation.
Ginny held her hand over the broom and ordered it 'up'. It did as it was told and Ginny mounted it exactly how Draco had shown her. She kicked off the ground lightly, her face twisted in concentration and the broom hovered about five feet from the ground. Ginny was ecstatic "It worked! It worked!" she shouted down to Draco. He smiled and congratulated her. "Come on with me. I want to go higher, but not by myself, come on with me, please!" she pleaded with him and he agreed.
Ginny angled the broom downwards and it moved slowly towards Draco. Once she was low enough, Ginny hopped off the broom and Draco climbed on. He moved the broom further down and waited for Ginny to climb on behind him. Ginny looked at Draco on his broom and smiled, he looked so much more comfortable in the air than on land. She swung her leg over the broom and used the back of Draco's robes to pull herself up. Once she was sited on the broom she wrapped her arms instinctively around Draco's waist, Draco stared down at her arms in shock, a familiar happiness filling him up as he felt her cheek resting on his back.
"Are you ready Ginny?" Draco asked and he felt her nod her head against his back. He kicked his feet off the ground with force and Ginny gasped in shock. Up and up they went until they were so high that they had to stop for fear of muggles seeing them.
Ginny looked down at the world below her, little houses and tiny tree tops. It was such an adrenalin rush to be flying so high in the sky where she could quite easily fall to her death. But Ginny trusted her best friend not to let her fall meaning she was free to enjoy the views and the buzz of flying through the warm, morning air.
"Higher Draco, higher!" Ginny shouted then laughed loudly. Draco raised the tip of his broom and flew them higher in the air, watching out for any muggles may have seen them. After five minutes of flying through the clouds Draco explained that it was too risky to fly that high for too long. Ginny wasn't happy about flying lower but understood.
Once their feet were back firmly on the ground Draco began to explain the rules of 'catch'. Ginny listened with attentive ears and was itching to get back on Draco's broom. There wasn't really much to the game. Ginny flew close by and Draco threw the quaffle for her to catch, she'd then pass it back to him and the sequence would start again.
In one swish movement Ginny was back on the broom and whizzing through the air so fast that she was almost just a blur. Draco gave her a few minutes to get used to moving around on the broom before passing her the quaffle. She missed the first one completely and the second one bounced right out of her hands, but on the third attempt she caught the red quaffle in between her small hands and shouted out in joy at her success. Draco clapped his approval and she passed the quaffle back to him. They spent about one hour and a half doing this. Draco, making the throws slightly harder each time until eventually Ginny was forced to fly half the width of the field in order to catch the quaffle.
Dinner time creeped closer and Ginny and Draco wanted to visit the clearing before saying goodbye for the day meaning they had to pack away the quaffle and get ready to leave.
"Thank you so, so much for showing me how to fly Draco, today was one of the best days of my live. I don't need six stupid brothers when I have you!" Ginny told him smiling brightly. Draco felt his white cheeks turn red once again and he smiled sheepishly.
"You were great Ginny, you'll make a excellent chaser one day." He told her truthfully.
Ginny pushed her red hair behind her ear and winked cheekily at him. She saw the shocked look on his young face and burst out laughing, like she always did when Draco did something she found amusing
The forest came into view and Ginny took Draco's hand again. Draco stiffened then relaxed when he realised she'd meant it in friendly way. She skipped along next to him and whistled a catching tune, she seemed so innocent.
They dodged the trees quickly and settled down on an old tree stump. "Percy, Charlie and Bill are going to Hogwarts in a few weeks," Ginny stated whilst kicking her feet off the bark of a near by tree "I can't wait till I'm old enough to go to Hogwarts, I've got another four years to wait yet." Ginny huffed.
"Well I'm lucky, I only have three years to wait. What house do you want to be sorted into?" he asked genuinely curious.
"Well…I'd like to be in Ravenclaw but my family wants me to be in Gryffindor; everyone in my family has been placed in Gryffindor." Ginny looked miserable.
"Well I want to be in Slytherin. But I wouldn't mind being in Ravenclaw I suppose."
"Hey! We can be in Ravenclaw together Draco!" Ginny told him, her mind made up. Draco didn't want to bore her with tales of how his father had told him if he wasn't in Slytherin he'd disown him, it would only serve to depress her. "We'll always be best friends won't we Draco?" she asked.
"Always and forever Ginny." He promised and she seemed satisfied.
"Can we go flying again tomorrow? And the next day and the next day?" Ginny asked hopefully, Draco laughed and nodded. Right then Ginny heard her mother shouting and sighed dramatically. "Got to go." She told him, then she bent down to give him a brief hug before skipping off "See you tomorrow Draco!" she shouted before disappearing between the trees.
A/N: Well? Was it good/bad/average? Review and tell me please :)