"Assigned seats?" Ron practically yelled, pieces of his lunch flying out of his mouth. He turned the opened letter in his hand around, showing Hermione and Harry.
Hermione grimaced at the glob of gravy that covered the first couple words of the second sentence of the note. "It's not that big of a deal. The ride is only a couple of hours," Hermione reasoned. She picked up her own letter, which stated who she was forced to sit with on the ride home for the holidays. They had all received them that afternoon from Professor McGonagall. "I think it's nice, promoting inter-house unity and all that. It won't be that bad, maybe we'll even make friends with-Pansy Parkinson! I can't sit in a compartment with her."
Harry chuckled, and glanced over her shoulder, looking at whom else she was sitting with. "Gary Maynard? Who's that?"
"Second year Hufflepuff," Hermione read off of the paper. "They shouldn't be forcing children to sit with Pansy, she might scar them for life. Really, who put these things together? Obviously someone who-"
"Careful, Miss Granger, I would watch my tongue if I were you," a particularly unhappy voice interrupted. Severus Snape was handing out letters to those who were late to lunch. He pursed his lips while surveying the trio, before continuing. "I took the time out of my busy schedule to put these impeccable plans together. I would think you of all people, with your border-line annoying obsession with learning, would enjoy the company of others who have been exposed to different situations."
"Of course, sir," Hermione groaned, sagging in her seat a bit. She scowled at him as he walked away.
"As long as I'm not with Malfoy, I'm fine," Harry chuckled, opening his letter. "Safe," he approved his compartment. "All under fourth year. Sounds like I'll be able to take a nap."
"Good afternoon all," Ginny greeted them brightly. She had an extra skip in her step. Her uniform was in perfect condition, even her hair looked neater than normal; she had obviously taken extra care when getting dressed that morning.
"You're happy," Ron grunted, jealous of her pep, "and yet there is no reason to be smiling."
"You know, Ronald, you're too negative," Ginny told him, pinching his cheek as she sat next to him. "I just finished my last midterm and I did amazingly. Now I'm home free," she sighed, grabbing a sandwich from a tray in front of her.
"Don't think so fast, Gin," Ron said, pointing over his shoulder at Snape who was on his way back over.
"Miss Weasley, I see you're late," he pointed out, looking down his nose at her. "Here, your assigned seat for the train ride home," Snape drawled, shoving an envelope under Ginny's nose.
"Oh," Ginny breathed quietly. She took it from him and smiled politely.
"Don't worry, Miss Weasley, I took extra care with your compartment," he informed her with a smirk before trying to catch up with a late Ravenclaw.
Ginny gulped at the letter but shook her head and any bad feeling she had. "Nothing can bring my mood down," she exclaimed, opening the letter and skimming it.
"Well..." Harry prompted, leaning forward.
"Fucking hell!" Ginny cursed, covering her face with her hands and the letter.
"That bad?" Harry asked, reaching across the table to soothe her, rubbing her hand.
She picked up her head and sighed, "Draco Malfoy." She handed Harry her paper and went back to covering her face.
"What?" Ron yelled. "My baby sister is not going to be forced to sit with a death eater for hours! No way!"
"I'm sure Ginny'll be fine, Ron. We're all sitting with less than ideal people." Hermione sighed and took another bite of her salad. "Just think that by dinner time tomorrow we'll be home and happy."
Ginny moved around in her seat, trying to catch Draco's eye but failing. She simply would not allow him to ruin her train ride home. It was her only peaceful break from any family before the chaos of the holidays set in. He finally looked up at her from his letter, smirking and raising an eyebrow. After another moment, he stood up from his table and began to leave the hall.
"I'll be back. I've forgotten something in Flitwick's room," she said, climbing back over the bench and jogging out of the hall. She stopped abruptly after opening the door, seeing Draco leaning against the wall casually.
"Weasley," he greeted, inspecting his fingernails.
"I want to set ground rules for the train ride," Ginny said, approaching him with her arms crossed.
"You need to get a hair cut, love," he told her, tugging at the ends of her brilliantly red hair. "You're starting to look like a common half-blood."
She slapped away his hand and narrowed her eyes. Glancing around at the few students passing by them, she took a step closer to him. "No fucking around on the way home, Malfoy. Do you get it?" she asked, fire in her eyes.
"But we're good at fucking around. It's what we're best at, really. You know I love giving the people a good show."
"Justin and Luna will be in with us and they will report back to Harry and my brother. I don't want them to hear about how I cursed your bits off. No messing about. No show for the others. You're to act as if you don't know me or care about me in anyway. No talking to me, no looking at me, no-"
"No looking? But you know how that red hair of yours draws my eye in," he said, the corners of his mouth curving up.
"Look, I'm not in the mood to play around."
"Obviously, but Weasley, you've forgotten something," he told her, turning and beginning to leave. "I'm always in the mood for a game with you."
"Malfoy," she called after him, but it was no use, she was in for a crazy train ride whether she liked it or not.
Ginny sighed, lugging her carry-on over her shoulder. "Where the hell is 1124?" she groaned, continuing down the hall of the train.
"Next left," a voice from directly behind her said.
She shivered at the surprise of his presence. "You scared me, Malfoy." Ginny pushed open the door and dropped her bag promptly.
"Ginny," Luna greeted happily, pulling her hat off and shaking out her blonde hair. She had clearly only found the compartment a few moments before Ginny. "I'm glad you're sitting with me." Luna patted the spot next to her.
"Get up," Draco ordered Justin Finch-Flechley, who was sitting in the window seat across from Luna. "I'm in seat 2, move."
Justin looked up at Draco uncomfortably. "It's just I... um..."
"Well?" Draco prompted, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Malfoy," Ginny warned through her teeth. She narrowed her eyes at him, warning him about making a big deal.
"What? The Hufflepuff is in my seat," Draco told her reaching for Justin's arm to pull him up, but Ginny caught Draco's hand before he had a chance.
"What are you doing?" she asked, shoving his arm back into his chest.
"Justin gets motion sick," Luna explained, patting Justin's knee. He looked like he was going to be sick right then and the train hadn't even started moving.
"Fine," Draco seethed. "I'll let the mudblood take my window seat." He sat across from Ginny, avoiding her eyes, knowing she was more than angry with him.
"What is everyone doing for the holidays?" Luna asked, looking around at everyone else in the compartment.
"Not now, Luna," Ginny said, shaking her head.
Justin stared out the window, rubbing his eyes from time to time. He chanced a glance at Ginny and looked away quickly when he met her sympathetic eyes. He wiped his cheeks of any tears and bit his lip.
Ginny opened her mouth to say something to Justin when the door to their compartment slid open. "Professor," Ginny spat, showing her anger with the dark haired man.
"Miss Weasley," Snape acknowledged, his eyes surveying the small room. "I see everyone is in the right compartment. Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Finch-Fletchly, you two are in the wrong seats."
Justin's eyes darted around. At a loss for words, he looked back out the window and sunk into the corner as much as possible.
Draco sighed and leaned back in his seat. "It's fine, Professor, we've spoken about it. He apparently gets motion sick." Draco looked as if he was physically in pain after speaking.
"How generous of you, Mr. Malfoy," Snape complimented, glancing sideways at Ginny, whom he was sure was responsible for this kind action. "If you need any assistance, the first cabin in every car has a prefect in it. Enjoy your holidays," Snape mumbled at the end, slamming the door shut after him.
Soon the train started moving, and the four began trying to ignore each other. Luna was reading an old copy of the Quibbler, laughing and oh-ing when she came across something interesting. Justin cast a bubblehead charm on himself, and was bobbing his head along to the music played within. He alternated between staring out the window and watching Ginny. Ginny was reading a potions theory book, and had put her feet up on the edge of the bench opposite her, right between Justin and Draco. She didn't seem to care if either of the boys minded. The cabins were technically built for six people, so she figured it didn't matter. Draco was reading a book, too, but the cover of his book gave no title or author.
After about an hour, Justin looked down at his bag, thinking about looking for a snack when he saw Ginny's oxford clad feet next to him. He noticed when she put them up and hadn't said anything because it didn't bother him one bit, but he hadn't noticed Draco's hand. Draco rested it on one of her ankles, and was drawing small circles with his thumb absentmindedly. Justin looked away quickly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He looked across at Luna, hoping to get her attention, but she had donned some sort of strange headgear that cover the top half of her face. When Justin looked back he caught Draco's eye.
"Get your feet down, Weasley," Draco said rudely, shoving her feet off the edge with the hand Justin thought he had seen caressing her.
"Ow, Malfoy," Ginny moaned, leaning over to massage her ankle.
"This isn't your shack of a house, you can't just do as you please," Draco sneered, looking sideways at Justin to see if he was watching.
"Bastard," Ginny whispered under her breath, crossing her legs and continuing to read her book.
A knock at the door caused the group to rise from their separate activities. The door slid open, much slower than when Snape had come by. The first thing that could be seen was a wall of treats and colorful sweets.
"Hello, dears, anything from the trolley," the kind woman asked, waving her hand over the trolley's contents.
"I'll have two pumpkin pasties and one of those sandwiches there," Justin said, handing the woman a hand full of coins.
"Here you are. Anyone else?" she asked looking to Luna, who plucked a bag of chocolates and set a galleon in its place.
Draco turned his nose up at the cheap food and looked at Ginny, who was digging in her bag for her coin purse. She went through it after locating it and then looked up.
"None for me," Ginny told the lady, smiling weakly. She avoided making eye contact with the rest of the cabin once the door closed. She picked up her book and began reading quickly.
The compartment was silent beside the noises of Luna and Justin eating, and Ginny's stomach occasionally growling. Draco made a show of opening his satchel and pulling out a bag. Everyone looked over at him, but Ginny's eyes widened. He had pulled out a bag of elf made chocolate cookies; they were the most delicious and expensive cookies at Honeydukes.
"Ugh," Draco groaned, inspecting the bag.
"What?" Justin asked, confused at what could possibly be wrong with the blond's gourmet sweets.
"They sent me the hazelnut kind," he said in disgust, glancing at Ginny. "I might as well throw them away." He set them next to himself with a sigh.
"I didn't know they made hazelnut," Justin said, inspecting the bag. "These were specially m-."
"I didn't buy them for you to read the bag, Finch-Fletchly," Draco snapped, grabbing it from Justin's hands. "Worthless," he mumbled. "Here, you can have these disgusting cookies, make your stomach stop yelling." Draco set them in Ginny's lap and picked up his own book.
"Thank you," she whispered so quietly she wasn't sure he could hear her. Ginny opened the bag and instantly the compartment was filled with the smell of chocolate and hazelnut. She moaned in delight after biting into the first cookie.
Justin studied the two, watching their silent communication. Draco couldn't help but smile as he read his book. The sounds Ginny was making were almost sexual. Justin was sure his cheeks were bright pink as he listened to her delight.
"Do you like hazelnut?" Justin asked Ginny, smiling as she shoved another cookie in her mouth.
"It's my favorite," she answered nodding.
"What a happy coincidence," Justin said pointedly, looking at Draco out of the corner of his eye. "You couldn't have planned something like that, could you, Malfoy? What a special surprise for Ginny."
"Can everybody shut up, some of us are trying to read," Draco spat, giving Justin a dirty look.
"You're always so peachy, Malfoy," Ginny giggled, looking at Justin's ashamed face.
Draco stared up at her for a minute before turning back to his book. He angled it away from Justin, who seemed intent on trying to figure out what the subject matter was. "I just don't want to hear your incessant muggle loving chatter."
"Were talking about cookies, your cookies by the way, not anything muggle related," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.
"Well if I knew you were going to give a speech about how much you love stuffing your face with food you can't afford, I wouldn't have let you eat my garbage," Draco sneered down at her.
"Stop it," Ginny told him with an eyebrow raised. "Don't talk to me like that."
Luna smiled at the duo; they had such depth. "Do you think Harry is having trouble in his room? I saw him this morning and he seemed quite frazzled." She examined Draco's face as he watched Ginny.
"I'm sure he's fine; Harry gets along with everyone," Ginny said, looking at Draco pointedly.
"Saint Potter," Draco mumbled under his breath.
"Get over it, Malfoy," Justin said, finally talking back to Draco. "I'm so sick of you being an asshole about everything."
Ginny giggled a bit and how taken aback Draco was. "Well Justin, I have a whole new opinion about you." She smiled at him and he blushed in return.
"I think I'm beginning to be sick," Draco huffed, pursing his lips in disgust. "Switch places with me, Lovegood?" he asked, beginning to stand before she had even looked at him.
"Okay, but only because I can tell you've got a lot on your mind. Nargles: they're all over you," she explained, standing and taking his seat across from Ginny. "This is a much better view of you, Ginny. I like the way the light catches your hair. Did you know red hair can indicate a heightened interest in danger?"
"No, I didn't, Luna. Good to know," Ginny nodded, leaning back in her seat and stretching. "Merlin, I'm tired." There was a murmur of agreement before their talking died down.
Luna closed her eyes for the first time on the trip and leaned her head against the plush wall. She fell asleep easily as the train rocked gently. Justin tried as hard as he could to sleep, but found himself only able to lean against the window and close his eyes, letting his mind wander.
Draco stared out the window and got lost in the landscape before finally turning to examine his compartment mates. He saw Luna and Justin's still bodies, assumed them both asleep, and looked at Ginny. She was having trouble finding a spot that was comfortable. After moving a bit more she saw Draco looking at her.
She inspected the other students in the compartment before speaking. "I got hurt in Quidditch practice yesterday. I have a huge bruise on my side," she explained, lifting up her shirt to show him the welt the size of a bludger spread across her stomach and part of her back.
"Fuck, that looks painful," he cursed quietly, reaching out to touch the edge of the purple skin with two fingers gently. "You didn't go to the Hospital Wing to get some bruise salve?"
She shrugged and pulled her shirt back down. "Ron said to just wait and have mum heal it. I figured I wouldn't be doing anything that would make it worse today so..."
Draco frowned and looked at Luna and Justin again before reaching out to Ginny. "Come here, love." He put one of his legs up on the bench and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her back against him.
"Oh, now you like me again," Ginny said, wiggling against him until she was comfortable. She turned her head sideways and laid it against his chest.
"I always like you, I just can't always show it," he murmured into her hair before pressing a kiss on the top of her head. "I have a bruise as well, a little minx of a girl gave it to me four days ago in a broom closet."
"Oh, yeah? A broom closet? Sounds like a slag," Ginny laughed, looking up at him with a smirk on her face.
"I know. We can normally make it to my room, but she just couldn't wait," Draco explained, playing with the hem of her skirt with one of his hands. His other hand was lying under hers, wrapped around her and pressed against the middle of her stomach.
"Right," Ginny hushed with a laugh. "It was me who couldn't wait." She sighed and closed her eyes, sinking into his arms completely. "Did you arrange this?" she asked, looking like she was already fast asleep.
"I might have made a suggestion to Severus. He is my uncle after all. He has my best interests at heart, and right now my best interest is you."
"Mmm," Ginny hummed, falling asleep a little more. "I had a feeling you," she paused to yawn before completing her thought, "might have had something to do with it. Only you would think a disaster like this would be a good idea."
"Disaster?" Draco questioned with an eyebrow raised. "I wouldn't call holding you as we went home for the holidays a disaster."
"I would call you saying I eat your trash and telling me some rubbish about my shack of a house a disaster," Ginny informed him, reaching above her head with one hand to caress his cheek.
"I have to keep up appearances," Draco explained, kissing her hand.
She yawned again, fighting sleep as hard as she could. "That's why I hate being with you with anyone else around," she explained softly. "You make me feel so awful."
Draco frowned, feeling a pang in his chest when she said that. At the beginning of their relationship, she said she understood keeping it a secret. She wanted to keep up the show. "Gin, you understand though, don't you?" She ignored him. "I care about you." She stayed quiet once more. "Ginny?" He shook her gently. "Asleep," he confirmed with a soft sigh. He leaned the back of his head against the window and adjusted a bit to get more comfortable without moving Ginny too much. He couldn't help but close his eyes, but he hoped that Justin and Luna would stay asleep.
Justin peeked an eye open after the room was silent for a while. There was something about seeing Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley in an intimate embrace that gave him the shivers. It sounded like they had been seeing each other for a long time. He couldn't really imagine someone as lovely as Ginny dating someone as awful as Draco. Had they been together for years, just hiding it? He wanted to clear his throat, tell them he had seen it and they could give up the charade, but he stayed silent.
He studied them for a while. Everything about them, from the way her hand laid atop his, to the fact that they were breathing in unison, said that they had spent a lot of time together. They obviously had deeper feelings than a normal Hogwarts romance. Why should they have to keep it secret? Justin opened his mouth to say something, to wake them up, to tell them no one would care if they were dating. He wanted to give them comfort. But as soon as Draco opened his eyes, Justin snapped his shut, feigning sleep.
"Gin," Draco hummed softly, rocking the redhead in his arms. "Love, you should get up before anyone wakes up."
"Who cares, Draco?" Ginny groaned, lacing her fingers with his and staying put.
Draco tried to stand up but he didn't want to wake anyone. "Get up, please," Draco asked nicely before moving about again. After she didn't move he began to get frustrated. "Ginny, get up now," Draco told her gruffly.
"Let's just tell everyone," she suggested, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it. Her eyes remaining closed the entire time.
"I don't want to tell anyone, I don't ever want to tell anyone. Don't you get it?" he asked harshly, his voice still a whisper.
She let go of his hand and sat up, allowing him to bring his leg back to the floor. "I get it, Malfoy," she snapped at him, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She began digging through her bag.
"Don't overreact, you knew what this was," he whispered, anger evident in his voice. He looked at Justin and Luna who were beginning to stir, and angled himself away from Ginny before they woke up.
"Well, what a wonderful nap," Luna commented happily. "I thought what with all of Draco's nargles that I might have trouble sleeping, but I was fine. Justin?"
Justin seemed surprised she asked him. "Oh—great, I had a good nap. Quiet," he nodded, his eyes shifty.
"Got something to hide, mudblood?" Draco questioned, an eyebrow cocked.
"For fuck's sake, Draco, stop calling him that! I'm sick of it! It's disgusting!" Ginny yelled, her eyes large and shiny. "I'm sorry, Justin," she said sweetly.
Justin merely nodded and smiled back at her. "I'm fine," he assured her, but his eyes were just as hurt as hers were.
Ginny smiled through her pain and set something in her lap that she pulled out of her bag. She tucked her bag back under her seat before picking up the envelope that was in her lap. Reaching behind her neck with both hands, she undid the clasp of her necklace and pulled it off. She set it on top of the envelope and placed them both next to her before standing. "I think I'll just go to the loo," she told everyone before leaving.
"You're not very good at expressing feelings, are you, Draco?" Luna asked, dreamily. "You probably had an infestation of gargling gnats in your crib as a baby; they make you unable to comprehend emotions."
"I'm not emotionless, Loony, nor did I have any sort of infestation in my house as a child. She just over reacts," Draco reasoned, staring at where she had just left.
Justin stood and straightened his school slacks. "I think I'll just go and see if she's okay." He began to leave, but Draco threw his arm out in Justin's way, making it impossible to leave.
"Don't go around using me to try and get the girls, mudblood," Draco spat, pushing Justin back into his seat.
Justin clenched his jaw and looked down at the floor, unable to meet anyone's eyes.
"I don't think Ginny likes it when you say things like that, Draco," Luna pointed out, placing her hand on Justin's knee once again.
"Why would I care what she thinks? You don't honestly think I give a shit what some muggle loving loser thinks, do you?" Draco laughed.
"We get it, Malfoy, you're a cold hearted bastard. I'm going to see of Ginny's okay, because unlike you, I have this horrible affliction called empathy," Justin said strongly, standing again and this time actually leaving. The door bounced after him, closing and then opening slightly again just to close.
Luna watched Draco with a dazed look. She had a small smile on her face and seemed content, even though there was so much tension in the tiny compartment. She watched Draco place his elbows on his splayed knees, covering his face with his hands and pulling at his blond strands.
"What?" Draco snapped, looking at her finally.
"You're quite beautiful," Luna sang. "Dynamic, layered, and interesting. I bet you and Ginny can spend hours together and never get bored."
"We don't spend any time together," Draco told her, finally glancing down at the letter and necklace.
"A lot of boys fancy Ginny," Luna said, her big blue eyes studying Draco. "They ask her out and she always says no. I was starting to think maybe she didn't fancy boys, but this makes more sense."
Draco didn't look up at the Ravenclaw. He wrapped the necklace around his fingers, watching them turn purple the tighter he pulled at the gold chain.
"She's wonderful, really," Luna paused, waiting to see if he would make some snide comment about how if she liked Ginny so much, then she should just date her, but he stayed silent. "You're going to lose her," Luna said finally.
Her words hung in the air. The compartment was silent except for the noise of the train.
Draco rubbed his forehead and clenched his jaw for a second before finally meeting Luna's eyes. "Unfortunately, I believe that I already have." He gathered his belongings and stood up, setting the necklace back down on Ginny's seat and picking up the letter next to it.
"Where are you going? You can just apologize when she gets back," Luna told him, pulling on the sleeve of his school jumper. She looked up at him like a hopeful child.
He held the letter up, "She was planning on breaking up with me." He swung his bag over his shoulder and opened the door to leave.
"But you have to stay! This is your compartment," Luna insisted, staring up at him with a look of innocence in her eyes that only she could achieve.
"I'm Head Boy, I think I can find somewhere else to sit. I'll probably just go to the prefects' compartment," Draco told her, nodding to her as he left.
He began walking down the hall to the next car when the door to the first compartment opened and a familiar looking Ravenclaw girl poked her head out.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy," she stammered, turning pink. "You can't leave your compartment until the end of the journey."
"No, I have to sit somewhere else," he informed her, continuing on his way towards her.
"Oh, er, you can sit in here with me, but if you leave this car I'll have to report you," she told him, smiling weakly.
He exhaled and weighed his options before pushing into her compartment and setting his things on the bench across from her. She was the only one in her quiet compartment. He should have signed up for duty instead of thinking he could do anything right in his relationship with Ginny.
Draco collapsed into the seat closest to the window and immediately closed his eyes. He felt simultaneously restless and exhausted. If he sat in anyone position too long he thought about Ginny and felt he needed to shift and move to get her out of his mind. He was an idiot to think it would ever work out. It was a bit upsetting that if they had just lasted two more weeks they would have been dating for a whole year. He had never had anything for a whole year. It would have been an accomplishment for him, being able to hold on to something so precious for so long.
His arm stung for a split second. It was something he had become used to, but with his sudden sensitivity it seemed to radiate though his body. Draco looked down at his left arm and scowled. Yet another strain on his relationship with Ginny was his recent summer activities. He remembered sneaking out to see her two days after he was given his mark in July. She had cried for close to an hour. He was sure she was going to break it off then, but he had misunderstood her tears. She apologized to him. She told him she wished there was something she could do to help. She said it wasn't fair for him.
None of his friends had taken it that well. Blaise ignored him for almost two months before finally breaking down and beginning to actually listen to what Draco had to say; he didn't want the mark anymore than any of the Gryffindors did, he just had no choice.
She wasn't just his girlfriend she was his best friend. Sometimes it felt like she was his only friend.
He looked down at the envelope and swallowed his nerves before beginning to open it.
Draco,
For a while now I think we have been on the edge about to fall. I'm studying for NEWTs and you're dealing with other more serious issues. I used to go to you when I was stressed out and you were always able to calm me down. Hiding us never really hurt until recently. I'm not sure if you think you need to prove yourself more to your housemates, but I feel like you use me to take out your anger because you know I always forgive you. I can't anymore. Our relationship is now more stressful than any other aspect of my life. I hate lying to my friends and family all the time. I'm scared of how you're going to act on the train. I'm making myself sick with worry that you'll treat me like you have been when we're in public. I can't pretend it doesn't hurt me anymore. If you behave like I'm scared you will, I can't do this anymore. I hope in the future you'll be able to pass me in the hall and just ignore me. Maybe someday later on we can try again, not in secret.
Ginny
He folded the letter up and put it back in the envelope, shoving it into his bag. He felt a stinging behind his eyes that he hadn't felt in months.
"Are you okay?" the girl asked weakly, clearly uneasy around the Slytherin boy.
"I'm fine," he answered quickly. He began to turn back to the window when an all too familiar face passed by the compartment door window.
The Ravenclaw prefect looked up and smiled as Harry Potter walked by with his normal arrogance. She seemed perfectly fine with him gallivanting about like he owned the train.
"Shouldn't he be in his compartment?" Draco snapped, standing up and making his way to the door so he could punish the boy himself.
"Oh, he should be okay," the girl answered with a shrug.
"So the Head Boy can't walk around, but any prat with a scar can do whatever he wants," Draco nodded, agreeing sarcastically. He pulled the door open and stepped outside. "Potter, back to your compartment, now!" Draco hadn't yelled at anyone like that in a while; it felt good.
Harry turned around, smirking. "Just stopping by to see a friend. Shouldn't take longer than a minute," he told Draco and continued to the compartment Draco had been assigned to.
"Potter, if you go into that compartment you will have a month of detention when we get back," Draco threatened, his eyes narrowed in anger.
Harry opened his mouth to respond when the door to the changing rooms opened and Ginny stepped into the hallway. Draco turned to see what Harry was looking at when he saw Ginny.
"Gin, we're almost there and I wanted to give you your Christmas present a little early," Harry said, walking towards Draco and, ultimately, Ginny.
Draco stepped out in the hall to block Harry from reaching her. "Go back to your compartment," Draco demanded, his jaw tense with anger.
Pulling a long, black velvet box out of his coat pocket, Harry smiled at Draco. "It'll just take a second," he informed the Slytherin, before attempting to push by him.
Draco took this brief physical contact as an invitation to shove Harry back. He watched Harry trip back, falling on his butt.
"Draco!" Ginny scolded, squeezing by him to kneel next to Harry. "What is the matter with you?" She helped Harry to his feet and gave Draco a dirty look.
"Can we talk somewhere privately?" Harry whispered into Ginny's ear, throwing an arm around her shoulders.
Her eyes held Draco's before drifting to the ground. "I'm not feeling well, Harry. I would rather just go sit down." She shrugged his arm off of her and walked to her compartment.
Harry followed her and pushed into the compartment after her, despite Draco's threats earlier. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting next to her. Feeling something underneath him, he sat up a bit, and pushed what he had been sitting on over.
Ginny picked it up; it was the necklace she set down earlier with Draco's letter. "Wait, get up, Harry," she said, pulling his arms up.
He was confused, but complied. He sat back down once she let go of him, finishing her inspection of the seat he was in. "What's going on?"
"He took the letter," Luna told Ginny from behind the book Draco was reading earlier. She looked at Harry and smiled before her eyes reached Ginny again. "I've always thought you were lovely, Ginny. Not everyone has options. My mother used to tell me even when everything seems to make sense to everyone around you, don't assume it should make sense to you. It works the other way round as well. Just because something makes no sense to everyone else, doesn't mean it shouldn't make sense to you." She set down the book and smiled. "It's a muggle story of star-crossed lovers during a war."
Harry studied Luna with the same expression he always did, one of confusion. After a moment he shook his head, chalking her speech up to her small level of insanity. "Anyway," Harry began, holding up the velvet box he attempted to give Ginny earlier. "Actually, Luna, d'you think you could give us a few minutes alone?"
She nodded and rose to her feet. "Are you okay?" the blonde asked Ginny, waiting for her friend's permission for her to leave.
Ginny stared at the ground, her brow furrowed, before looking up and nodding. "Yeah, of course. Thanks, Luna."
"Gin," Harry began once Luna left, "I bought this for you months ago, but I couldn't get up the courage to give it to you." He opened the box and revealed a diamond bracelet.
Ginny's jaw fell slack for a moment. The obnoxious piece of jewelry made her sick to her stomach. "Oh, Harry," Ginny groaned slightly.
"I know," Harry nodded, taking her groan as one of pleasure. "Hold out your arm, I'll put it on."
She shook her head slightly, but Harry ignored her. He grabbed her wrist and set the bracelet on her, doing the clasp up himself. She put on her best smile when he looked up at her. "Thank you, Harry. It's too much, really."
He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It's too little. I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now about us."
"Us?" Ginny asked, uncomfortable. She fiddled with Draco's necklace in her hands. She felt as if she might be sick any second, with the constant reminder that she would never go to Draco's Head Boy rooms again.
"I've been thinking about you more than anything lately," Harry admitted. "I think about you constantly: during class, during quidditch, while I do homework. I fancy you, Gin. I've fancied you for months, maybe even years and I just didn't know it."
Ginny couldn't hold it in. She rolled her eyes openly. "Harry, this is the worst possible time for you to say this to me."
He seemed positively shocked that she didn't simply fall at his feet and cry in happiness. "What?" he gaped at her.
"Five minutes until arrival," the compartment prefect called down the hall.
"Go get your things, I'll talk to you once we get off the train," Ginny said, pulling her hands out of his.
He stood and left, clearly unhappy with the occurrences. Once he was gone, Luna and Justin reentered. By the looks on their faces they had not been able to hear them through the door.
"Did he ask you out?" Luna asked dreamily. She sat down and pulled her bag into her lap.
"Who? Harry?" Justin questioned, looking back and forth between the two girls. "That's it? You and Malfoy are over? One fight?"
Ginny laughed, a hallow laugh. "One fight?" she scoffed, still unable to put Draco's necklace away. "We've been constantly fighting since we were five. I thought we could work around it, and we did for a while, but I guess it caught up with us." She picked her own bag up and stood while the train stopped. She looked out the window and saw the platform already filling with students greeting their parents. Letting Luna and Justin leave first, Ginny spotted her own parents among the crowd. They were barely a broom's length away from another couple, the Malfoys.
Ginny threw her bag over her shoulder and exited the compartment. She looked down the hall and didn't see Draco anywhere. Stepping down the steps to the platform, she couldn't help but smile at her family. They were hugging Ron and taking his things from him. Her mother seemed extremely intent on fixing Harry's crazy hair. Her father, however, was watching her with a small smile on his face. He glanced at her mother for a second before looking back to Ginny, rolling his eyes slightly and laughing.
She was making her way through the crowd to them when someone stepped directly in her pathway. "Draco," she said simply, attempting to side step him.
He moved with her and refused to let her pass. "What do I have to do?"
"Move," she informed him, trying to get to her family once more, and failing.
He grabbed her shoulders, forcing him to meet his eyes. "What do I have to do to get you back? I'll do anything."
Ginny tried to shrug his arms off of her, while looking to make sure no one was staring at them. "No, you won't."
"Don't start dating the boy who ignored you for sixteen years," Draco groaned, holding her wrist up and inspecting the bracelet. He couldn't help but notice that she was still gripping on to the necklace he had given her months before.
"It's none of your business anymore."
"Listen to me, Gin. I will do anything," he told her, holding her eye contact with strength. "Do you want everyone to know about us? Do you want everyone to know I love you?"
"Draco, come now," Lucius called from behind them. He was clearly impatient and saw no reason why his son should be taking so long to talk to a Weasley.
"Go on, Draco. Daddy calls," Ginny spat.
Draco moved his arms from her shoulders to her cheeks. He swiped his thumbs gently across her skin a few times before he leaned down slowly, capturing her lips. Everything around them slowed and silenced. They had never felt the rush of kissing in public, all eyes on them. When Draco broke away from her, she didn't open her eyes right away.
Ginny looked around at the passersby who seemed more shocked than she was. People were confused, surprised, and angry. "Draco," she breathed.
"I'm not letting you off that easily," he told her, taking the necklace from her hand and putting it back on her. "I love you. I think I'm ready to try again, not in secret."
She smiled without being able to stop herself. "I think I am, too." A look to her family told her that break might be more stressful than normal, but it was worth it. "Do you really love me?" she giggled, quietly.
"Of fucking course I love you, you twit," he laughed. Pressing another kiss on her forehead he looked over his shoulder at his family. "I should probably get going, and prepare for many serious conversations about my choices."
"Sorry," she mumbled, taking his left hand in hers.
"It's not your fault, love. It'll be good for me," he pointed out. "I'm a bit quiet about my wrongdoings normally." He smiled, getting ready to turn to leave, but she didn't let his hand go.
"I love you, too," she said, pulling his left arm up to her mouth. She placed a kiss atop his sleeve, knowing what laid beneath. "Be safe," she instructed, finally releasing him.
"You, too," he told her. "I know how anxious you can get when you have nothing to do. I'll see if I can escape for an hour or two," he whispered and then took a step away. He flashed her one more smile before walking to his parents.
She watched him leave. His parents both held stern faces that gave no hint to their emotions. She was sure her parents would be the exact opposite. Turning to her family, she was quite surprised. While Ron and Harry showed faces of anger and confusion, her mum only seemed slightly murderous. It was her father who bewildered her. He still had his smile from earlier plastered on his face. Was it possible that not everyone would object to her relationship?
Only twelve days until she could stay up late in front of the fire in the Head Boy's dorm, she told herself as she walked towards her family. Only twelve days until she could be back at Hogwarts. Only twelve days until she could see the boy she loved.