This was just something that was on my mind that wanted to come out. This is a rather long one shot that I'm sure I could have broken down into chapters but I really didn't want to plus some of the chapters would have been way too short. Don't worry, In still working on my other stories, so expect updates from them soon.
As usual I own nothing of Queen Rowling's. No suing allowed.
~Her~
I had watched her for years. Ever since before second year when she stood up for that bloody git Potter in Flourish and Blotts, I've had my eyes on her.
At first it was because of that situation. How dare she have the nerve to speak to me in such a manner. She was a Weasley. A poor man's daughter, the last of a huge litter of puppies. And I hated dogs.
Every time I would glance at her unsightly red-orange hair, her face that looked like someone splashed flecks of brown paint on it, and her annoying ears that seemed too big for her moronic head, I would plot on ways to get back at her. The opportunity presented itself on Valentine's Day when she gave Potter that ridiculous Valentine's Day message. I'll never forget the words that dwarf sang out loud and the embarrassed look on her face when I told everyone it was from her:
His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's truly divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.
Her face had turned redder than her hair and she ran off. I laughed about that for days. That was until the next time I got a good look at her. She was starting to look pale and nervous and depressed. I found myself actually wanting to know why.
Who knew that my bloody father had given her that stupid diary to open up the Chamber Of Secrets. She was setting that creature on Muggleborns in the school. She had been possessed. I found myself feeling sorry for the girl. I couldn't fully relate, but I did know what it was like to fear dark magic.
Third year I watched her come back a bit quieter. She still looked as she did before school was over last term, all introverted and scared. She still had that ridiculous crush on Potter. It disgusted me, but at that time, I didn't know why.
She looked at me one day in the library. I was doing homework with Blaise Zabini, my only real friend, trying to avoid those dumb sods Crabbe and Goyle. They probably didn't even know where the library was.
Anyways, as I was saying, she looked at me and I looked at her. It wasn't much longer than a few seconds, but in those seconds, I noticed that her eyes were brown. Not just any plain old brown. It was light and like the topaz that my mother had in one of her amulets. They seemed to twinkle in the sunlight that was shining in the window behind me. She gave me a slight sneer, then turned back to the bookshelf she was standing in front of.
I kept thinking, that unworthy bitch. How dare she look at me, Draco Lucius Malfoy, with such disdain. As if I was the one beneath her and not the other way around. I had vowed once again to embarrass her, or do something to her that would irritate her or make her cry. To put her back in her place.
Unfortunately I was too caught up in my own drama with bloody Pansy to ever get around to doing anything to the girl. Which was lucky for her because I had started to learn some very rotten hexes and had reserved a couple nasty ones for her and her alone.
The next time I saw her was in passing at the Quidditch World Cup. We were about to pass each other on the stairs, when I purposely brushed her shoulder with mine. I didn't know why I did it, but at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. She turned to me and told me to watch myself. I then proceeded to tell her to watch that back of hers and called her Weaslette for the first time. She looked as if she was ready to push me down the stairs, but one of those twin weasels caught her attention, telling her to keep up. He saved her life that day. If she would have pushed me, I would have guaranteed that she went down with me.
I remember the exact day and moment that I started to find the little bint attractive. It was December 21st, 1994. I had noticed her sitting at the lake. Of course the first thing I noticed was her hair, which had started to go from that weird reddish orange looking color to something of a light auburn mix, and in the light it shown like flames cascading down her back.
I had caught her by surprise when I walked up to her. Hell, I caught myself by surprise because I hadn't realized what I was doing until I got in front of her. It was then that we had our first official conversation.
"Ah if it isn't the Weaslette," I said with mock cheeriness.
She looked up at me and sucked her teeth, clearly disgusted by my presence. Good.
"What do you want Ferret Boy, I'm busy." she groaned.
I clenched my fists at that name. That demented bastard of an auror, Mad-Eye decided to turn me into a bloody ferret that year because he was defending that bitch Potter. Ever since then, every bloody Gryffindor had been having a go at me about it. At first I had tried to ignore it and show that I truly didn't give a fuck. But for some reason, her saying it rubbed me the wrong way.
I decided to ignore my urge to hex her and continued talking. "Didn't your mother teach you how to speak to your superiors?"
"As a matter of fact, she did. And when I meet one, I'll be sure to show proper respect." she smirked.
I couldn't help but smirk back. She was witty. Very witty. I actually liked it.
"Cheeky little Gryffindor aren't you?"
"I'm about as cheeky as you are arrogant Malfoy, so you figure it out."
She didn't skip a beat.
"Had anyone ever told you that cheeky women are to be seen and not heard? No respectable man would want a woman that speaks the way you do," I said, hoping to piss her off.
"You certainly would know what a respectable man wants in a woman since you are the poster child of respect and politeness," she said, again rolling her eyes.
I grinned mischievously as I decided to sit down beside her. She looked at me as if I had done something revolting.
"Is there a reason as to why you are sitting beside me?"she asked as she turned her head towards me.
It was then that I had noticed that some of her freckles that she had had over the years were starting to fade. Her lips were starting to become fuller, tempting.
It was the first time ever that I had actually thought about what it would be like to kiss a girl.
"Are you going to the Yule Ball? Oh wait. You're a third year baby, I forgot. You can't go anyways can you?" I taunted. I didn't realize at the time that I was actually asking her that for a purpose.
"If you must know, Neville Longbottom asked me and I said yes. Not that it's any of your business," she said, turning back to the parchment she was writing on.
I started to feel strange at her words. My insides constricted and I was overcome with a vision of punching Longbottom in his pathetic face.
"Longbottom? Your feet will be swollen from his uncoordinated ass stepping on them by an hour. How come you're not going with your precious Potter?"
She bit the inside of her cheek at that. I knew speaking on Potter would get the rise out of her I wanted.
"What's it to you Malfoy? Why don't you take your pale ass somewhere far away from me? You're ruining my concentration." she said angrily.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her. She looked cute when she was angry.
I got up and kicked up some dirt into her parchment.
"Malfoy what the bloody hell!"
"See you around, Weaslette," I said smirking as I walked off.
The Yule Ball did it for me. I remember sitting with Pansy at a table when she walked in with Longbottom. She looked positively radiant with a seafoam green dress with pink accents, her hair pinned back simply and not complicated like those other bints that were in the room. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I had found myself regretting our conversation a few days prior. Hell, I found myself regretting not asking her to the ball myself. I should have. I could have stolen her from Longbottom easily. Who wouldn't want to walk into a ballroom with me on their arm?
But no, I had to sit there and watch her wince but have fun dancing with the bumbling fool. It disgusted me. I had thought many times of just putting him in a full body bind, but I actually considered her fucking feelings about the situation. What was she doing to me?
By my fifth year everything was starting to go to hell. The Dark Lord had returned, despite Fudge's stupid refusal to face facts. My father was starting to pressure me about considering becoming a Death Eater. And while at first I had always lived for my father and his approval, I found myself not wanting it anymore.
And it was all because of her.
She already didn't approve of me, so what would she think of me if I actually became a Death Eater? And besides, The Dark Lord terrified me. The way he didn't value life unnerved me to the point to where I would have nightmares about him wiping out my entire family as if we were nothing but expendable.
Hogwarts was under the rule of Professor Umbridge. She was a vile lady that looked like a fuzzy pink toad. I hated the bint, but I had to act as if I agreed with everything she stood for. I even joined her idiotic Inquisitor Squad, a gang of Slytherin snitches that ensured that her rules were being followed.
The night Potter decided to break into her office is on my list of worst nights ever in my life. It was also the night that I finally realized and acknowledged to myself that I had strong feelings for her.
Granger and Potter had taken the great toad to some weapon of Dumbledore's, while Bulstrode, Warrington, Crabbe, Goyle, and I stayed behind with her, her tosser of a brother, Longbottom, and Looney Lovegood.
I had a hold of her, and I couldn't help but become almost blissfully inebriated from the smell of her hair. The smell of strawberries and cream consumed my nostrils. Her arm was in my hand. I could feel her soft and smooth skin and it took everything in me not to run my thumb across it. I had actually thought about doing it as a means to fuck with her, but the last thing I wanted to do was to appear a creep.
I was about to antagonize her with something when the Weasel acted as if he was hungry and convinced Crabbe and Goyle, the giant oafs, to go into to confiscated candies that were in the room. Their guards were down and the Weasel snatched back the wands, immediately disarming them, causing me to let go of her to defend myself of oncoming spells.
Big mistake. She promptly turned to me and threw one of the nastiest spells I had every encountered in my entire life. A fucking Bat-Bogey hex.
I'll never forget those nasty fuckers forcing their way out of my nose, almost breaking it, and attacking my face. It was one of the most painful and sickening things that I had ever experienced. When it was finally over and they were long gone, I found an entirely new respect for her. I couldn't even properly stay angry wish her for what she had done. It was flawless, it was brutal, it was completely brilliant.
Summer was rough. Because of the actions my father did at the Ministry he was arrested and sent to Azkaban. The Dark Lord was furious. He was ready to kill me and my mother, but decided to give me the mission of killing Dumbledore. It was either kill him, or my mother and I would be killed. So I had no choice but to accept.
I saw her in passing during a Hogsmeade trip. She was with that toshpot Dean something or other, I really didn't give a fuck. They were dating at the time. The way he clung to her made my blood boil. Who was he to hold her hand? To touch her hair? To kiss her lips? She insulted me by choosing that tosser over me. I found myself almost hating her for it.
The mission and her plagued my mind day in and day out. Whenever I wasn't spending my time mending that bloody cabinet, I tried to think of ways to talk to her. Not insult, but actually talk to her.
It was in February. Valentine's Day to be exact. I had done an extremely foolish and almost Gryffindorish thing of anonymously sending her a letter.
'Your eyes shine in the sun as they haunt my moonlit nights.
Your hair sends flames through the wind that heat my cold exterior.
Your voice is music to my ears, and I lose myself to a simple hello.
The thought of not being able to gaze upon your vanity causes me not to be able to breathe.
I want to know you, feel you, explore your mind as you plague my own.
If only I could make you laugh more than he does, make you smile more than he.
One day, it will be you and I.'
I know, it was a bunch of soft nutter nonsense, shut up.
I sent the letter along with a emerald pendant necklace with a diamond snake wrapped around the emerald. I saw it resting around her gorgeous cinnamon dusted neck the very next day. I was actually shocked to see it on her.
I was even more surprised when five days later, she was still wearing it.
I had to say something. I had to approach her and actually be nice about it. I seen her walking by herself from study hall, and took a shot.
"Weasley," I said as I stood in front of her, stopping her dead in her tracks.
She did her usual rolling of her eyes and sighing. I was used to it, but it still didn't cease to turn me on.
"What do you want Malfoy, I'm late," she said impatiently.
"I just wanted to talk to you. No need to get nasty Weaslette." I scoffed, mentally slapping myself across the face.
"Why the hell would I entertain anything you have to say to me?" she asked, tapping her foot.
"Still cheeky I see. I only wanted to apologize to you," I said, wincing inwardly. Malfoys never apologized for anything. My father would be oh so proud.
She looked at me as if I were joking. "And what may I ask are you apologizing for?"
"That nasty business with my father at the Ministry. I had heard he tried to throw a couple hexes at you"
She huffed. "Don't try to stand here and act like you aren't proud of your dear old daddy. You can't fool me," she said, her eyes boaring into me as if she could see into my soul.
"I'm being honest actually. You don't have to accept it if you don't want. But I am. And I'm glad he didn't hurt you," I said as sincerely as I could.
Her face started to soften a bit as she took in my words and expression. She finally seen that I was in fact being true to her.
"Well...thanks. I guess. No, really. Thanks," said Ginny slowly, her eyes glancing up at me and then down as if she was all of a sudden nervous to be around me.
I couldn't help myself. I reached out and picked up the emerald and diamond pendant on her necklace, my finger lightly brushing up against her creamy skin. She didn't flinch at the touch, but instead froze.
"Quite a few gems you got there, Weasley." I complimented, running a finger over the snake.
Ginny proceeded to stare into my eyes, looking as if she was trying to brace herself for anything I might do.
"It was a present." she whispered.
"Ah really? That Dean bloke finally got his eye off that muggle ball kick game and onto the finer things?"
Ginny grinned slightly, taking a couple steps back so the emerald slipped out of my fingers. "I never said he was the one who gave it to me, Malfoy," she said rather coyly.
I couldn't help but smirk. I wanted to confess to her right then and there. 'It was me! All me! I sent you that and I want you to leave the boy and get with me, a real man.' But I kept that all to myself. I chickened out like the coward I was.
"Of course not," I said instead.
"Besides, he gave me this anyways" she said showing me some cheap ass silver bracelet that would probably turn her wrist green. Clearly muggle jewelry. And not even the good shit.
"Oh. Cute." I said scrunching my nose up at the simple bracelet. What was the git thinking? She was worth way more than something that looked like if you stared at it long enough, it would fall apart.
"I like it. I do wonder who gave me this necklace though."
"Probably your Saint Potter yeah?" I said almost spitting the words out.
She smirked." Oh I don't know. I wouldn't think that this would be his style. It's rather...Slytherin like if you ask me. Don't you think?" she said almost knowingly.
I almost lost my composure. I felt as if a small part of her knew it was from me. Dammit, she was so smart. Or maybe I was just that obvious. Now the tables had been turned and she had me feeling like an idiot.
"I would guess judging by the snake," I said smugly but shakily
I felt as if I was about to float away. We had stood there for a good five minutes and had a normal conversation, a semi moment, and for once I didn't fuck it up. For the first time in weeks I felt ecstatic about the way things were going.
"See you around Malfoy," she said turning around and walking away from me. I stood still, watching her hips sway as she walked away from me, not so gentlemanly thoughts running through my head about what I wanted to do with those hips.
I figured that maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something. Maybe not everything I wanted, not yet at least, but at least something.
That was until the bloody Quidditch cup and Gryffindor won. Her and fucking Potter got together.
Why why why does that prick always win? He didn't deserve half the praise he got and he for damn sure didn't deserve her. What would he do with her? He didn't know shit about her, he hardly paid the girl any mind.
He didn't know that her favorite color was blue. That when she was concentrating on something or was trying to hide frustration she would bite the inside of her cheek. That when she was nervous, she would constantly push her hair behind her ears, even when it was all there. It was all about him and nothing about her. Hell, she had liked him since she got here and he hadn't given her the time of the fucking day! Now all of a sudden he wanted her?!
Fine! If that's the way it was going to be I would do what I was told to do. I worked even harder on mending that bloody cabinet and finally it was ready for what the Dark Lord had planned.
However, before I allowed them to come through, I secretly put a couple of protection charms on her. Sure I was angry with her, but I would never want her to be hurt. Especially with my dear sweet aunt on the prowl.
Chaos ensued. I didn't kill him. I couldn't bring myself to do it. For one, I chickened out and for another , I knew that she would indeed hate me forever if I had carried it out. I figured she would already hate me for cursing one of her Quidditch teammates, mistakenly getting her brother poisoned, and for being the cause of the havoc being wreaked upon the castle. But I figured that me actually murdering someone would be the icing on top of the horrendous cake that I had made for myself. Plus really, what did this man do to me personally? He wasn't any harm. I actually admired the old coot.
It was Snape that took Dumbledore's life. He took it as if the man was nothing more than a fly that was getting on his nerves. I had never seen anyone die in front of me before, and in that moment, I vowed that I would never become someone that could kill a person without blinking an eye.
That summer was pure hell. My father was let out of Azkaban. He took me on the raids that he and the others would go on. I saw so many things that would be etched in my mind and haunt me forever.
I saw my father wipe out an entire muggle family. Children and all. There was even a baby. Didn't look to be nothing but a few weeks old. And he killed her. He killed her as casually as he ate breakfast in the morning. I could never. Wouldn't even dream it.
He tried to force me to a couple times but it never worked. To use the killing curse you had to want to do it. And I didn't. I wasn't even interested. I would point and say the words in mock enthusiasm and nothing would happen. It was then that I learned exactly what the Cruciatus curse felt like. During those times the only thing that kept me from going insane was thinking about her. Fantasizing about me and her just sitting and chatting in random places. Sometimes we were arguing playfully. Other times I was just holding her, taking in her essence as if it were my life force. Those thoughts saved me from losing my sanity. They kept me alive. If I could just survive this long enough to see her face again, I would die a happy man.
Seeing her again for my seventh year was like a breath of fresh air. She had become a fucking rebel and I adored her for it. She had been the one running around putting D.A. graffiti all over Hogwarts.
The only thing I hated about it is that those fucking Carrows tortured her relentlessly. One time they had crucioed her so badly that she had collapsed heading back to wherever the Gryffindors stay. I seen her on my way back to Slytherin. I almost cried seeing her slumped over the steps near the Great Hall. She looked like a wounded warrior, her hair, the color of fresh blood now was all over her face.
I gently moved her hair from her face and gazed at her. She had a couple of cuts, but nothing too serious. And even in her fragile and vulnerable state, she was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes upon.
I looked down and seen she still had the necklace on! That shocked the hell out of me. That was the moment that I knew I had fallen in love with her.
I picked her up and cradled her in my arms. She whimpered a bit, but didn't open her eyes. I didn't exactly know where to take her, seeing as I didn't know where Gryffindor was, so I took her to the only place I knew she would be safe.
Blaise's room. He was Head Boy.
I covered her hair and most of her body up with my cloak. I changed the color of her skirt and socks from Gryffindor red to Slytherin green, in case someone seen me. Thankfully no one did and I made it without trouble.
Blaise didn't even object when i brought her in. He already knew about my little obsession with her and actually approved of it. He helped me heal her as best as we could of her bruises and cuts, then we revived her.
She was not in the best of moods waking up. Matter of fact, Blaise got kicked in the stomach, and I got a smack to the face before we finally got her calmed down enough to explain why she was laying on a bed we transfigured from a sofa.
When she finally calmed down, she told us what happened and what had almost happened. I had to hide my rage. I wanted to beat them within an inch of their lives, feel their warm blood flow through my fingers as they begged for death. The thought of it both excited and scared me, but I had already known that I would do anything for her. Include take a life.
"Why?" she asked me when Blaise went off to bed.
"Why what?"
"Why did you do this?"
I gave her a passive look. "Did you think I would've just left you there?"
"Honestly? Yes. I very surprised you didn't. You've changed," she said as if she thought the feat was impossible.
"Maybe I haven't changed at all. Maybe I've always been this way," I said without realizing my words until they came out.
"So you actually wanted to help me?" she asked sounding a bit hopeful.
"Actually I did it to help myself. Had I left you out there and one of the other professors found out, I more than likely would have been blamed for some bullshit," I said, trying my best to keep up Slytherin appearances.
Her face fell and it made me realize how much of a prat I was sounding like. I actually felt bad about it.
"That, and I wanted to help you. I couldn't leave you out there to the wolves, you know." I added, hoping that would make up for my arrogance.
It must have because she smiled at me. Genuinely smiled. It was the first time I ever gotten one of those out of her. I felt accomplished. Like I had done a great deed. I smiled back at her. A real one.
"So marble does crack." she joked as she poked my cheek. An innocent, playful touch that made my skin warm up. I wasn't used to anyone touching my face with the exception of my mother. So to have not only a girl but the girl of my dreams as well as nightmares touch me, it meant more to me than just a mere amusing gesture.
I gently put a few strands of her wild embers behind her ear. She closed her eyes to my touch as if she was actually enjoying it. The urge to snog her senseless crashed into me like a wave to a beach, but I didn't react.
"Well I'll let you get some sleep then. It's after hours and Blaise is either asleep or entertaining so he wouldn't want to walk you back to Gryffindor, and I can't," I said as I stood up.
"Where are you going to sleep? Can you stay here?" she asked much too quickly for her from the look on her face.
"Here as in the room or here as in-"
"Here. With me. I feel...I kinda feel safe with you here right now," she said nervously biting her bottom lip.
I couldn't refuse her. My heart wouldn't allow me to, even though my brain was begging me not to. I climbed in behind her and draped the blanket that Blaise had left for her over us.
I didn't know what I was doing until I actually did it. I had put my arm over her. When I realized exactly what I was doing, I was about to snatch back and apologize when she scooted back into me, snuggling against me as if this was something that we did every single night.
My hand was on her abdomen, and I found myself tracing small patterns on it as she sighed contently. In my wildest dreams I never thought that she would ever let me get this close to her. To hold her the way I was. Her hair still had that strawberries and cream smell I remembered from fifth year, and it felt like heaven to take that scent in on a more friendly setting.
"Don't get used to this, Malfoy. In the morning I'll be gone and this would have never happened," she said chuckling.
As much as she was laughing about it, I knew she was serious. It hurt. But not enough for me to be upset, and definitely not enough for me to let her go. If that's what she wanted, then that would be what I would give her. I just hoped the morning wouldn't come too quickly.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Weasley." I said as I pulled her in as close as I could get her. Soon her breathing had slowed down and she had fallen asleep.
I stayed awake, taking the moment in, and about thirty minutes later, she turned to face me. Her head ending up on my chest, her arm draped around my torso, and my arm ended up pinned under her side.
Not even Potter himself could have ruined that moment for me. I kissed the top of her head and settled myself in for the sleep that was creeping up on me.
And in the morning, she was indeed gone.
For months after that I didn't see her at all anymore. There were rumors that the fifth, sixth, and seventh year Gryffindors had escaped Hogwarts, along with some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. They had searched the castle from top to bottom but they were nowhere to be found. I missed her terribly. I felt as if I was going to go mental. I didn't know if she was safe. Hell, I didn't even know if she was alive.
In the midst of it all, I had went back home during Easter break and ended up having Potter, Granger, and the Weasel in my parlor. That ordeal in itself is another story that I don't feel like getting into. Especially since this story is about her, and not them.
The war happened. Turns out, everyone that was missing had moved to the Room Of Requirement. They had apparently been surviving and training the entire time for what everyone knew was eventually going to happen.
It was chaos all around, people running this way and that. I saw her run out of Ravenclaw common room, looking frantically around for someone. She spied me and pointed her wand at me, not knowing if I was safe to be near or not.
"Weasley you need to get the hell out of here!" I yelled, hoping she would listen, but of course, she wouldn't hear any of it.
"I'm not going anywhere! My family is out there fighting and I'm going! Don't you fucking think about telling me not to! I'm more that capable, dammit!" she yelled, almost as if she was about to throw a temper tantrum.
One thing I learned early on about her was that she never wanted to be treated like some weakling, some damsel in distress type. One would say that it was the Gryffindor in her but I knew that wasn't true. It came from being the youngest and the only girl out of a clan of guys and they had very well toughened her up. She knew her worth. She knew her strength. And she knew she was ready for any battle that came her way.
I knew that about her as well, but I still couldn't help wanting her to run rather than fight.
"I get all that Weaslette, but this shit is getting nasty. People are fucking dying!"
"Really Malfoy? I hadn't noticed!"
"Just get your ass somewhere and wait this out! Why can't you bloody listen?!" I yelled in frustration at her.
"What the hell do you care, Malfoy? Why would you care if I lived or died?!"
"I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU OKAY!?" I cried out.
She blinked at me and lowered her wand slightly. "You...you what?" she choked out.
I approached her slowly, putting my wand in my pocket to show her I wasn't a threat.
"I...I just don't want anything to happen to you okay?" I said as I stood in front of her. "I don't know what I would do, how I would... Look just make yourself scarce, okay? Can you do that for me? For my sanity?"
She looked into my eyes with a look that in the six years of knowing her, I had never seen before. She never looked at that Ravenclaw bloke like this, nor Dean, and I had not even seen this look given to Potter. She looked at me as if she was broken. As if she was being pulled in different directions. Like she was having an internal battle with her head as well as her heart.
And then it happened.
She tiptoed to me and slammed her lips into mine. She was kissing me! My mind took a couple of seconds to register, but once it did I kissed her back with as much force as she was giving me, putting my arms around her tight as anger, pain, worry, fear, passion, elation, uncertainty, and a whole bunch of other emotions transferred back and forth between us in this dynamic kiss.
And then she broke away, tears raining down her face. She stared at me as if she was confused by it all. Of course she was, I was too. I wanted nothing but to scoop her up and take her somewhere, anywhere, and hide with her until this bullshit was over.
"Ginny, please..." I whispered as our foreheads connected, my eyes staring into hers.
"I...my family...I can't." she whispered back.
I was defeated. There was nothing more I could say to convince her otherwise.
"I know. You'll be safe then?" I asked.
"Yeah." she said breathlessly.
I reluctantly let go of her, my eyes staring at her as she backed away from me.
"See you later...Draco." she said, the sound of my name coming from her lips caused the tear that was trying its hardest to stay in my eye to fall. I watched as she turned and ran down the corridor.
I threw a protection charm on her as she ran. She wouldn't know. Just like last time, she didn't feel it. I meant what I had said about not wanting to lose her.
Saint Potter had defeated the Dark Lord. With my help of course. If anyone ever told me that I would help Potter not once, but twice in my life, I would have thought that they were telling me some ridiculous joke. In the process there was nothing but death surrounding us. I stood with my mother and father as Death Eaters fled the scene. My parents had thought of doing the same, but I convinced them not to just yet. The longer we stayed, the less guilty we would look.
Instead I led them into the Great Hall, which was full of sorrow and death. Including the death of my cousin that I hardly knew and my cousin's werewolf husband.
Also, her brother. One of the twins. I could honestly say that I liked and admired the twins.
I watched her sit stoned faced while her mother rubbed her shoulder. I watched as the Weasel cried in the arms of Granger, her rubbing his back, desperately trying to comfort him. I wanted to do that for her.
She happened to look over at me the same time I looked over at her. Our eyes met and a quick unspoken exchange was made.
She walked out of the Great Hall. I waited a few minutes before I followed after her. I didn't have a clue where she had went as I walked down the corridor. I then seen the door to the transfiguration classroom was cracked, so I took a chance and went in.
There she was sitting on a desk facing the door. I closed the door, sealed it, walked over to her, and put my arms around her shaking form. She continued to shake, trying hard to keep her composure.
"Let it out, baby." I told her. And for the next thirty minutes I held her as she screamed, cursed, and cried her eyes out.
When she was done, she seemed as if she was ready to pass out. She looked at me as if we had been like this with each other our whole lives. It was also a look that I read as a goodbye. The goodbye that I knew was coming.
"My family is probably looking for me." she said in a hoarse voice as she played with the fringe of hair on the back of my neck.
"Mine too. Maybe." I muttered.
She looked down, and then back up at me, almost sorrowful.
"We can't. You know that right?" she asked me.
I took in a deep breath and sighed. "I've known that for a long time, love."
"We could be friends you know." she said, her beautiful eyes seeming to read my mind. She knew as well as I did that friendship was out of the question for us.
"Could we really?" I asked her, grinning.
She grinned back at me and shook her head slowly. "No," she said. "No, we couldn't."
"A Malfoy and a Weasley getting along? The world isn't ready for it. At least, not right now," I said.
"So shall I return this then?" she asked, smirking as she played with the emerald around her neck.
I couldn't help but smile. I always knew she knew.
"Of course. It was a gift, after all," I said, lightly touching her cheek.
She nodded, looking as if she wanted to say more, but held her words in. Instead she kissed me tenderly on the lips and then my cheek.
"I gotta go," she said turning away from me and walking towards the door as I unsealed it.
"Ginny?" I called after her as she opened the door. She looked back at me, waiting for me to speak.
I wanted to tell her that I was in love with her. That I wanted to take her by the hand and apparate away together to wherever she wanted to go. I wanted to tell her everything that was on my mind, bare out my entire soul.
Instead I said. "You know how I feel about you right?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I do."
And with that she walked out and closed the door. And that was the last time I ever spoke to her.
The next time I saw her in person was years later when she started playing to the Holyhead Harpies. She was like a shooting star, that muggle contraption they called a rocket, the best chaser the team had had in years. I went to all her games for many years, even made investments in the Harpies. In her personally. But I never let on that I was around. From pictures and news stories in the Daily Prophet, she seemed happy with her life.
The last time I saw her was in the Daily Prophet when her and bloody Potter's wedding was announced. And she still had on that necklace.
Nine years later
Ginny's POV
I sat in The Three Broomsticks sipping on a warm mug of butterbeer. It had been a long time since I had my very first glass in this very place. I had went by Hogwarts to speak to Professor McGonagall about me scouting out the seventh year quidditch players for the Harpies. This had been my job since I had James, with motherhood replacing quidditch altogether.
Being there brought back memories. Some good, some bad, some out of this world.
To say I hadn't thought about him since that last moment in school would have been a lie. I thought about him every time I looked in the mirror. Every time I touched below my neck.
Harry had always hated the necklace. He acted as if the necklace was another boyfriend. He would buy me other necklaces and chains to replace, but the necklace had became a part of me a long time ago, and I could never bring myself to remove it.
I had always known how Draco Malfoy had felt about me. I had figured it out my third year after that poor attempt to see if I was going to the Yule Ball or not. I used to feel his gaze on me all the time. At first it was a bit unsettling. However, after enduring it over the months, I found that I rather liked the attention.
The little run ins that we would have excited me, but I couldn't let him know that. Letting him know would have opened up a chapter in my life that was forbidden. A Weasley fancying a Malfoy? My parents will have disowned me, or shipped me off to Beauxbatons or something.
And then he sent me that necklace. I knew the instant that I saw the envelope, the way he wrote out Ginevra, that it was from him. I had a detention where I had to help Snape grade papers and I remembered admiring his immaculate handwriting. I read that letter a good 10 times before I even unwrapped the present. My mind was completely blown by the intensity of his words. I honestly felt loved at that moment.
I wanted to thank him. I wanted to thank him and tell him that I indeed fancied him too, and that maybe one day, we could see how things went. Maybe, just maybe, we could make it work. Especially when two months later, I had broken up with Dean.
But then Harry happened.
No one, except probably Mum was happier than I was that my dream had finally came true. Harry and I were finally a couple. But every now and then I would catch Draco looking at me. At first it was a look of hate, and that hurt me. Then it started going from hate, to sadness, and that actually hurt me even more.
Soon after, all that mess with the Death Eaters, and him letting them in happened. I ended up despising him. I had no clue that Harry was right in all his Malfoy rants. I hated him for almost killing Ron, and for allowing that monster in that mangled Bill's face. I almost ripped the necklace off, but for some reason, something deep inside of me kept me from doing so. A small part of me still cared for him, and even felt sorry for him.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had left me during Bill and Fleur's wedding reception. Harry had left me twice actually, having dumped me weeks after getting together. I was all alone going back to Hogwarts, and seeing him made it even worse. I wanted nothing to do with him. I wished he had never came back.
But all that changed the night he saved me. He actually took care of me and made sure that I was okay. I felt safer with him that night than I had ever felt in my life. I asked him to stay with me, to comfort me. I slept in his arms and got the best sleep I had ever gotten since before Tom Riddle's diary. But I knew it wasn't right. To be with him, like really be with him, would be a betrayal to my family, my friends, and to everything that was good.
I was glad when later on that morning, us rebels took refuge in the Room Of Requirement. We stayed there and with the help of the room, house elves, and Aberforth Dumbledore, we ate, slept, stayed clean, trained hard, and was constantly on the listen for anything to do with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
When Luna had returned after her abduction to Malfoy Manor, she stayed up with me one night and told me everything that had happened to her.
"It wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be," she said in her light and airy voice. "True, some Death Eaters came to scare and torment us, but Draco was the nicest ever to me."
"Malfoy was nice to you?" I gasped in disbelief. "Good one, Lovegood."
Luna gave me a knowing smile. "The other Death Eaters would try to give us stale food, but when Draco arrived at the manor, he always brought us fresh fruits and meats and made sure we were fed properly. He gave us blankets and pillows from his own room, and in the midst of it all, he was trying to help us come up with a plan of escape but before we could try anything, Harry, your brother, and Hermione showed up. He also lied to keep Harry alive, Gin. Lied right in front of his wicked aunt and his horrid father."
I couldn't believe it. If it was anybody else but Luna who had told me that, I wouldn't have believed it. The little faith I had in him was starting to restore.
Seeing him the night of the war was painful. I was angry at everybody. Angry at Harry for just showing up out of nowhere, along with Ron and Hermione, who seemed to had gotten closer. Angry at Mum for trying to keep me locked away. Angry at my brothers for agreeing with her about me not fighting. And then he made it worse by not wanting me to fight too.
And then he told me he didn't want to lose me. I felt my heart almost explode in my chest. Next thing I knew, I was in his arms, kissing him as if it was normal for us to do so. It wasn't because of the war, nor was it because of desperation. At that moment, he needed me and I needed him, and it was the most powerful kiss I had ever had.
When I lost my brother, and the war was done, Draco was the only one that I could unleash around. He was perfect for it. Family would have made it worse, Hermione was already comforting Ron, and I didn't want to see Harry. He would have just rubbed my back and told me that it would be okay and not to cry, blah blah blah.
But Draco didn't say anything. He just let me be me until I had worn myself out. I appreciated that so much, and it was the moment where I knew I loved him.
But I also knew that it couldn't happen. My family wouldn't have allowed it. His family would have probably killed him.
And Harry needed me.
So with him not fully telling me how he felt, and with me not telling him period, I left him in that room. Went on with my life. Dated Harry again. Played for the Harpies. Watched my brothers get married and start their families. Got married myself and started my own family. I didn't see Draco through any of this except in the papers about him investing in different companies both wizard and muggle, and then his wedding announcement with Astoria Greengrass. I hated how much seeing that hurt my heart.
I had decided before I left Hogsmeade, I would stop by Honeydukes and get some candy, for old times sake. I went in and almost drooled at the sight of the chocolate section, my favorite section in Honeydukes. And just like old times, I was stuck choosing between a large slab of chocolate, and a huge box of chocolate frogs.
I smelled him at first. That forbidden glorious smell of money, power, and pride that he used to smell like back in Hogwarts. My eyes grew big but I didn't turn around. And then I felt his vaguely familiar hands on my waist, causing me to freeze up.
"Ginevra Weasley, it's been awhile." he said, his voice somewhat aged, but my name still sounded sensual and sinful as it always had coming from his mouth.
Dare I turn around? Dare I speak back? Maybe if I didn't speak or move, he would go away and I wouldn't have to see him.
But as usual, my curiosity got the best of me and I turned around and met those still glossy, shiny, brushed steel eyes.
And I was hooked.
The End?