Disclaimer: I own nothing! This goes for all the chapters I will ever write.

A/N: First ever D/G pairing story- I hope you enjoy it :) This chapter is pretty short, but I promise that the rest will be long- if I get enough feedback, that is.

Draco Malfoy was completely alone.

Now that the war was over, nobody spoke to him, of him, near him. Nobody tried to fake sweetness or forgiveness; they were done with cringing. Draco Malfoy did not scare them anymore, and now, everyone had taken to giving him what they thought he deserved. Nothing. Slowly and quietly they had torn Draco apart. Now, he was empty; he did not feel, he did not know. He simply was. This he had learned to tolerate. But how long could he go without truly living? That, he did not know.

It was another day in the life, and Draco was on his way to A History of Magic. The walk through the hallway was regular. He ignored, as he always did, the glares and skeptical looks of his once friends. Shuddering, he remembered when he would give people those same stairs, and he found himself thinking about how it would have been different if he had been kinder or better yet, wiser. He glanced up, and saw one pair of eyes he had not seen in a long time. Beautiful hazel eyes stared back at him, not glaring, instead, they were simply looking at him. How odd. He pointedly looked down, making sure to avoid them. He didn't need more confusion in his life. He didn't want to get his hopes up thinking that maybe someone had forgiven him. Maybe someone had forgiven him for being born into the wrong family and trying to make them happy. Maybe.

The class was droning and quiet apart from the occasional giggles coming from Pansy Parkinson and her friends. Draco remembered when she had devoted herself to him. She had told him that she loved him. She had given herself up to him and laid herself out in front of him. But he couldn't do it. He didn't want her that way- he loved her, that was true, but he wasn't all that ready for what she wanted. Of course, neither was she. At that time the war was at its peak and everyone thought they were going to die; that was the only reason Pansy ever said those things. That along with the fact that at the time Draco had also been one of the most powerful young men in Hogwarts. He felt something tug at his heart, and he remembered the pain of the day she had told him she hated him. The day the war ended. Voldemort died and Pansy ran to Draco shouting about all that had happened and how she would never forgive him for what his family had brought upon Hogwarts. She had told him she had only said she loved him because she was scared of him- scared that if she didn't act that way his family would kill her. She would never forgive him, even if he thought he deserved it since the Dark Lord was now dead. 'It's your fault!' she had cried. It was his fault. The words spun around his head like a menacing ghost. They haunted him with hollowed eyes and wide black mouths; a snake slithered out from their depths, and Draco was awoken from his stupor when he ran into a flame. He jumped, but as the flame turned, he saw it was a girl- a Weasley. He hadn't seen her in a long time. He remembered hearing that her brother had died. It was a shame, he thought, for he held distant memories of their jokes and laughter in the Great Hall. Her hazel eyes seemed unwavering, and it was then that Draco realized it had been her who had looked at him without prejudice or revulsion. It was her, maybe, who understood.

But before he could say anything, she was gone.

All afternoon he thought about Ginny Weasley.

All night he thought about why he had been thinking of Ginny Weasley all afternoon.

All the while he got dressed the next morning he thought of how she could have possibly bewitched him so irrevocably with just one stare.

That day he looked for her in the Great Hall. She was there, sitting amongst the Gryffindors, avidly participating in a lively discussion. For the first time in his life, he wished he could go back and sit on that first year stool and beg the hat to put him in Gryffindor. Maybe then his parents would have abandoned him. Maybe then his parents wouldn't have obligated him to be so involved in their dark practices. It was always maybe. But he would never know. What he knew was the present, here and now. Here he was sitting alone in the edge of the Slytherin table and now he may have fallen for a Weasley. It was then when he regretted harassing her brother. It was also then when he saw Ginny reach over and kiss Potter on the lips. A burning sensation slid down his throat. How could he have thought that Ginny was more than indifferent towards him? How could he have thought that a person was kind enough to look at him as normal? How could he have thought that she might've…

That was it- he hadn't thought.

That day he gave up hoping. What was the point if he was going to be disillusioned every time?

He turned to look at her again, and she was getting up from the table. Potter was holding her hand and pulling her playfully with him. She giggled; Draco coughed and some people looked at him, wondering if he had finally said something. Ginny was wrapped in Potter's arms now, and he kissed her on her temple before they walked away. Draco stood up- or really his legs stood him up. He seemed to have no control over what he was doing now. His legs moved forward, following Potter and Ginny. This was bad. He knew this was bad. But he didn't try to stop himself. Potter and Ginny had led him to an empty hallway- both still unaware of his presence. Draco covered himself in the shadows. Potter started kissing Ginny and Draco began regretting coming here. He couldn't move, just stare. It was then he did something he hadn't done in a long time. He spoke.

"Hello," he said, his voice sounding strange, as if some foreigner was talking instead of him.

Potter turned briskly around and when he saw who it was his eyes shot daggers, "What are you doing here Malfoy?" he spat.

"I'm walking," he replied; he thought it best not to talk much.

"How about you don't walk where I'm walking if you know what's best for you ferret!"

Draco remained calm as Potter kept on getting angrier. "I didn't know the hallway was reserved."

"You bloody git," said Potter, "The war is over- leave me and my girlfriend alone."

At this, Ginny peeked from behind Potter's shoulders and her eyes bore into Draco's. They held nothing but compassion. Potter grabbed her hand and began taking her away, but she never tore her eyes from Draco's.

Sighing, he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked to the common room.

Why had he even bothered?

Those hazel eyes popped into his mind.

Ah, right. That's why.

A/N:Review, please! Seriously, that's what keeps me writing! One word, even: Good! Bad! Boo! Woo! Yes! No! Update! Don't! Anything, really :) They make my day.