It was a cold night and no one dared to confront the weather by going outside. It was as though people were afraid that by daring to do so, they would be tempting faith. Looking outside her apartment, the woman noticed that all the lights had turned been turned on giving the snow a form of eternal glow. Even though most people hated winter, she loved it. She liked sitting by the window in a blanket and reading her book of the week. It gave her a sense of self and independence; something that she had craved since her teenage years. If someone had looked from outside, they would have noticed a normal woman, maybe around her late twenties, enjoying the evening. Although she was taking pleasure in resting at home, she was not any normal woman. What she could do would probably be classified as defying all laws of physics. She might even be kidnapped to be studied as a guinea pig who displayed unique behaviour. For this woman could do magic and would be classified a witch.
Yet, if someone had been tailing her, they would not have found anything out of the ordinary. Like any other person, she woke up at 7:00 and left for work by 7:55 so she could catch her 8:00 bus. She would get all the way to downtown where she worked as a waitress at the little restaurant that she owned. By 9:00 at night, the chef and she would close the place and they would part ways. Sometimes, if the weather was really bad, the chef would drop her off to her place. But nothing but friendship existed between the two. Some asked why an eligible woman like her didn't even have a boyfriend. She would easily joke that she had had enough of men and could easily take a few more years off.
The chef had repeatedly tried to set her up with some of his younger friends but every time, she replied that she just didn't have the time for it. But that was not entirely true since she always took Friday evenings and Sundays off, preferring to rest at home and read a good book. Waking up later on Sundays, she would treat herself to a good breakfast and head to the supermarket where she would buy groceries. Sometimes, she went to the mall as well but it was usually a rare occurrence since she had always felt that she had never belonged there.
All in all, she was unique. And that's what I loved about her. She didn't care about what people thought of her yet I dreamily held on to the hope that maybe she would move on; maybe she would find a man that could love her the way she deserved to be loved. But as I looked on, it seemed as though, she was not willing to let me go. Were I a selfish lover, I would have watched on loving that she was still mine and my power over her. Yet, I loved her too much for that. I loved her to the point where I did not matter. She did. And I loved her enough to want her to find love again.
Sometimes, I wish that she would answer her brother's phone calls as he repeatedly tries to get into contact with her. But I understand that she is not ready to face him; to face everything. I remember the day when they found out that she was in love with me.
I had been lying on the couch, still heeling from some wounds, and she had been making us hot chocolate. I clearly remember that night. It had been different. There had been a sense of mischief in the air. Swaying her hips, she had walked towards me and handed me the cup. Kissing me tenderly on the lips, she had pulled away sitting on the ground and resting against the couch.
"Any particular reason why I'm getting special treatment tonight?" I had asked smiling playfully. "Not to forget the hot chocolate?"
Turning towards me, I remember that she had rested her head against my torso, smiling as she had sipped from her cup.
"Particular reason is that," she had started. "is that I'm in love with you."
I remember that I had been gloriously happy and resting the cup on the table, had pulled her into my arms. But at the exact moment, something unplanned had occurred. There had been a pop and we both had known that someone had apparated into the room. Looking up to find a redheaded man, we had not known what to do.
"Ginny," the man had asked calmly. "What's going on here?"
"Bill," she had started getting up towards him. "It's not what it looks like."
"Then, what is it?" he had asked pointing his wand towards me. "You do know he's the enemy right?"
"Bill, please," she had begged. "I love him."
Pushing her out of the way, he had pointed his wand at my throat, and turned towards me.
"What kind of spell do you have her under," he had asked me threateningly. "You son of a bitch!"
"Well," I remember replying steadily. "My mother is not a bitch, so strike one. And I don't have her any spell, you can check. It's not like I can do much. My body is half damaged and I don't have my wand."
Whispering a quick Finite Incantatem and getting the same answer from her, he had let himself fall onto a chair and had begun to massage his temples.
"Ginny," he had started looking up once again. "How did this happen?"
After explaining to him the beginning of our acquaintance and its evolution into a relationship, he had quietly sighed and looked up at his sister.
"You do know that he is wanted for several crimes," he had said looking miserable. "Gin, I love you but this is the stupidest mistake you have ever made."
"No, it's not," she had said coming to stand behind me. "We have made our minds. We're moving out of this country."
It had been true. We had been planning our exit out of the wizarding world for quite some time now. Everything had been set; we would take the airplane to Canada, where we would live in Toronto. I had even been able to acquire muggle I.D.s so that no one would be able to track us. I had also bought a little restaurant which we would run together.
"You can't leave now," he had said talking to himself more so than us. "I'm sorry but Harry's still in love with you and if you disappeared, he would be left broken hearted. And we can't handle another problem for him. He's already going through too much."
"Excuse me," I had said looking up at the moment. "You are talking about the same man who cheated on your sister right and then, told her that she was never anything to him? I'm taking her with me and none of you can stop us. Try and you'll regret it."
"I know that," he had replied glaring at me. "This is what you love?"
"Bill!" she had answered haughtily. "Don't you dare talk about him like that! Harry is not even half the man he is! Now that I've finally found someone who is mine, you dare try to take him from me?"
"Gin..." he had started.
"Get out," she had said pointing her wand at him. "Get out now."
As he had looked at her, I knew that he would do something about this. From the stories that she had told me about me, he did not seem the type who would admit defeat that easily.
"We need to leave," I had started getting up.
"No," she had said forcing me back down. "He's not going to do anything. Trust me."
"But Ginny..." I had started.
"No," she had replied. "You're way too weak to apparate to the airport and the flight is booked for tomorrow morning anyway. Don't worry, love, he's not going to do anything until then."
Sometimes, I wish that I could go back and not listen to her. That I would've packed up right there and left with her for a country on the other side of the ocean. But I had not. And that is when everything had changed.
That morning, I had woke up by myself and she had not been on the bed. Slowly getting up, I had looked around the room but once again, she had been absent. Looking to grab my wand from the bedside table, I had found that it was not there.
"Looking for this?" had asked a smooth voice from the doorway.
I had recognized that voice instantly since I had spent seven years sharing a dorm room with the man.
"Draco," I had asked smirking. "What's going on here?"
"Well, you see," he had said walking away from the bedroom and towards the living room. "A little birdie has told us something very interesting."
"And what would that be?" I had asked upon entering the living room.
Ginny had not been in the bedroom because she had been bound to a chair in the middle of the living room. She had seemed to be screaming yet no noise had came out of her mouth. A Silencio spell was basic knowledge for a Death Eater.
"Well, you see," he had answered resting his head on Ginny's neck. "It seems that you have been conducting a secret affair with this little phoenix here. And the Dark Lord is not really acting the part of the excited mother. In fact, I do believe he said something about fraternizing with the enemy and giving them information."
"Draco," I had said going to sit on the couch lazily. "She doesn't mean anything to me. Who doesn't want a warm body at night? And you always knew that I found her attractive during school."
"Yes, well," he had started laughing. "Who did not? Sometimes I even thought that Severus wanted in her skirt. But my dear friend, the difference between you and him is that you actually care for this little bitch."
Before I could protest, he continued on: "Don't deny it. You know your mind is quite vulnerable when you're sleeping."
"What do you want?" I had said understanding that there was no point for a facade. He already had been through my brain.
"Your death," he had said simply. "And maybe a go at her."
At that point, I had stood up to hit him squarely in the face but his wand had become pointed at my throat stopping me from any further course of action.
"No, no, no," he had said smirking wickedly. "I'm going to rape your pretty little redhead right in front of you and then, I will kill you."
"Draco," I had replied sternly.
But before I had continued, he had cast the Imperious spell on me and had told me to stand there and watch what he was going to do.
"Watch and learn," he had said as he had whispered a spell towards Ginny.
I watched as he had removed the other spells yet she had still been sitting motionless, with foggy eyes. At that moment, I knew that he had cast the Imperious spell on her as well. I had seen that her hands had begun to slightly shake. Good girl, I had thought, keep on fighting.
"My dear Ginevra," he had said as he sat on the couch. "You're going to have sex with me right here on this very couch, with your frozen boyfriend over there, enjoying the show."
I resentfully watched as she had slowly gotten up and walked towards him. I could tell that she was fighting it as tears began to pour through her eyes. As she had reached close enough, he had pulled her into his arms and had urgently begun to kiss her. At the same time as his hands had begun to rove around her body, my heart had begun to quench. And I had become even more resolute to fight this spell.
I had watched as he had ripped her nightgown off and began to undo his zippers. Before he could have done anything else, I had been able to fight through the spell. I remember jumping on him and fighting him with my bare hands. I had been so overcome by emotion that that I had forgotten that Ginny had still been under the Imperious. A fatal mistake. Before I had the chance to properly finish him, I had heard her monotone voice.
"Stop or I'll kill you."
Turning around I had noticed that she was pointing at me. Looking down at Malfoy, he had been smiling.
"Forgot that I could do spells, without saying the words?" he had asked smirking.
Slowly getting off of him, I turned towards her.
"Ginny, my love," I had said desperately ad Malfoy had gotten up. "You can fight this."
As tears had begun to pour down her cheeks, I had known that she couldn't. Even though we had practised millions of times, she had never been able to get out of my spells. And unlike me, Malfoy had begun practicing before he had even started school.
"Kill him," he had said as he had walked towards her.
As I had stood there, watching as the love of my life fought through this, I knew that it was the end. And when the spell finally hit me, it was not a surprise. It was, then, that I, Blaise Antonio Zabini, died. Now, I watch as the love of my life goes through life with no one. I watch as she cries herself to sleep. I can tell that she blames herself for my death even though it had not been her fault. It is during those times that my heart burns and I want to hold her in my arms. Yet, I can't. So here I am, watching as she cries through life, hoping that she finds love again.