Title: By the Lake
Pairing: D/G, one-shot
JKR owns Draco and Ginny, in case you were unaware. Please R&R.
Ginny dashed along the trodden path that wound its way toward Hagrid's Hut. Care of Magical Creatures had started five minutes ago and she couldn't afford being late again. Her golden red hair was a complete disaster as it flew into a tangled mess behind her as she ran. Shorter pieces flew into her eyes as she desperately and pointlessly tried to fend them off. Ginny was nearing the lake. The surface glistened in the early morning sunlight as a lone eagle owl plunged up and down in the clear air. She half wanted to stop where she was and stare at its agility and grace, but the other half still stung from her last set of detentions. Ginny was now running parallel to the lake, feeling intermittent sprays of water shower her face. She ran; her shoe falling off, her socks missing, hair flying everywhere, and water in her eyes. And in spite of it all, the day was glorious.
She came around a bend in the path, the crystalline lake still beside her, and nearly tripped over a tree root growing stubbornly from the ground. She stopped to regain her balance and when she looked up she saw the eagle owl swooping down on her. For a moment she thought it was aiming for her, but it flew gracefully over her head, just brushing her hair with its feathers. Ginny followed its path of flight and swallowed hard as she saw it land regally on the outstretched arm of Draco Malfoy. He sat against an old oak tree whose long branches and numerous leaves caused a dappled, warm light to play against him. His green and silver Slytherin tie had been pulled loose and he had taken his shoes off and left them by the lake. He did not seem to notice her so Ginny watched him for a moment, only vaguely realizing how strange it was that Draco was skiving class, before turning around on her heels and walking away.
Perhaps it was too beautiful a day to spend it learning about things like Flobberworms. She found another tree down the path and – making sure she was out of Draco's sight – lay down her books beneath its shady realm. She took of her shoes carelessly and walked toward the lake, dipping her toes in when she had reached its waters. Ginny pulled her hair back, drawing a hair tie from her robes and securing it with her nimble fingers. She stared up into the sky but had to shield her eyes from the intensity of the blazing sun. Then she splashed the water with her hands as the eagle owl flew high over the lake once again. Then, for no reason at all, she laughed out loud and smiled on that warm day in mid-June.