for sam, for gge [fic two]

thanks, ana, for betaing!

559, by google docs

Draco's not sure who's more surprised: him, or the people already there. He just wanted peace and quiet in the Room of Requirement, yet when he gets in it's full of people, lounging around. but it's They all eye each other for a count of three before someone calls out:

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Draco turns, and it's one of the annoying Gryffindor boys in his year, the Irish one. Draco tries to not show his wince; he looks awful, with bruises and cuts littering his body. All of the people there look awful.

"I was looking for a place to hide. I came here. What are all of you doing here?" Draco says, holding his head high. He knows that there are others who know about the Room of Requirement—Potter's stupid group was held there—but he doesn't realise that there's so many of them.

"How do we know you won't turn us into the Carrows?" another voice pipes up. Draco turns, and it's the Weaselette, her fists clenched.

"I won't. I didn't even expect all of you here. I just want out, I swear." He knows they won't believe him, but it's the truth; he's done serving the Dark Lord. He doesn't want to do it anymore.

He sees the Weaselette make eye contact with Longbottom and have a silent conversation.

"Welcome, then," Longbottom finally says, standing up. He tries for a smile, but Draco can tell that it's forced.

He's not going to be welcome.

Draco has his own corner. Each of the cots in the Room of Requirement are sorted by house, and as Draco is the only Slytherin who came, he has his own spot.

The Weaselette—Ginny—is the only one who visits him. The rest leave him be, only sparing him wary looks. Ginny, though, talks to him, treats him as if he's more than a piece of dung.

"Why?" he asks her, as she walks over after everyone eats breakfast, supplied by the barman at the Hog's Head—Aberforth, Draco's told.

"Why what?" she asks back, sitting down on his cot, shoving him over to make room for herself. Draco's found that she's very pushy and touchy. Draco's not so sure how he feels about.

"Why are you nice to me? Why don't you act like I have the plague, like everyone else?"

At this, Ginny gives Draco a look like he's gone insane. Her eyebrow is raised, her brown eyes, squinting at him.

"Because you're here the same as us," she explains. "Why should I treat you any different?"

Looking into her eyes, Draco sees no sign of joking or teasing.

Maybe having her as a friend wouldn't be that bad.

It's been two weeks before Draco realises that he's done it again: fallen in love.

He hates himself.

He can't help it; it's what he does, but with Weaselette? But, no, she's not Weaslette. She's Ginny. His friend.

He just likes the way she laughs at his jokes, likes her sassy and quick remarks.

He really hates himself.

So he starts to push her away.

Because he can't stand being in love with her, he can't stand going against his instinct.

Except he's already gone against his parents, his 'Lord'. What's one Weasley crush? One that'd probably fizzle out. One that'd probably never come true.

At least she's a pureblood.