Evidently, anything you recognise doesn't belong to me. Long wait - sorry - but once more, updates will be sporadic
When someone gets 'friend-zoned' you'd think they'd know about it, right? Wrong. At breakfast Malfoy sat opposite me, without his bimbos. At the Gryffindor table. I mean, it's not unusual to see Theo there and for the most part, everyone just ignored him. The Gryffindor's let it slide because Ivy 'isn't really one of us'. I can see where they're coming from; her brother, her parents, her entire family has all been in Slytherin. But the sorting hat placed her with us and that makes her a true Gryffindor in my opinion.
Suffice to say, his presence caused a bit of a stir.
As per usual, I had my mug of tea in hand and was happily staring off into space – an excellent morning ritual, even if I do say so myself – when BANG! There he was. I jumped half out of my skin and he just smirked pleasantly back. I didn't even notice the entire hall go silent.
Blinking my eyes, I tried to clear my fuzzy brain, tried to say something. Why does he always render me speechless? It's really annoying. And then, before I could even mutter 'you're at the wrong table' he took my mug from my loosely clenched hand and took a sip. My mouth was hanging open. I know it was. I just couldn't close it. That was my tea.
He made a face. "No sugar?"
My mouth quirked into a half-smile and I looked down at the table top. I shook my head, blushing slightly. I don't drink tea with sugar. Ruins the taste. And your teeth.
Right before my very eyes he takes two spoonfuls of sugar and stirs them into my tea, tastes it and then passes it to me. "Try it." Like the serpent offering the apple. The glint in his eyes tells me he's amused. Way too amused for the situation. Like he knows what I just thought.
I look warily down at my cup. The hall is buzzing. I look back up at him as I bring the cup to my lips. Okay, so temptation's a bitch.
The mug goes flying out of my hands, scalding hot tea splashing over a second-year, my favourite mug crashing to the floor in a spectacular shower of porcelain. A hand rests on my shoulder and I look up. It's Harry. "What were you thinking, Gin?" I furrow my brow. "It could have been poisoned. I wouldn't put anything past him."
Really? If Malfoy wanted me dead, he would have done it on our clandestine walk around the grounds.
These things always happen so fast. One minute I'm staring blankly at Harry, the next Ron is pushing Malfoy, telling him to 'stay away from his sister'. To Malfoy's credit, he stares Ron down, never moving from his space. Until Ron punched him that is. Then everything went to hell.
The chant of 'fight, fight, fight' went up in the hall as Malfoy threw himself at his opponent. I was up and out of my seat in record time. Shaking off Harry's grip on my shoulder, I ran towards the battling boys. It wasn't about me any more. They were just beating the hell out of each other for the sake of it.
Managing to finagle my way between them I tried to push them apart. I know Harry had hold of the back of Ron's shirt. He was red from hair to neck. That was his angry face. Yeah, well, I was angry too, god damn it!
"Just stop it!" I looked between them, realising too late that I was in the middle of the crossfire, and neither one of them had noticed. Shit. "Stop!"
In the middle of pushing Malfoy away from my brother, in the middle of saving this fiasco of a morning, I felt a splitting pain in the back of my head. My vision blurred. My world went black.
"Yeah? Well if you hadn't been using her as a shield, she wouldn't be here, would she?"
"Piss off, Weasely."
"Make me!"
A chair screeched. I groaned. I don't want to open my eyes. My head hurts. In fact, I have a splitting headache. I bring my hand up to my eyes and rub.
Finally opening them up, I find both my brother and Malfoy, on either side of me, peering at me. And both standing far too close. I jerk my head back into the pillow in surprise. And wince. That hurt.
They take the hint. I push myself up into a sitting position, crossing my legs beneath the blanket. Hospital wing. Huh. Not surprising considering someone punched me in the back the head.
"I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to get you." He's not even looking at me. He's glaring at Malfoy. I sigh. So it's like that.
I hear the hospital doors open and clang shut and I hope beyond all reason that it's Ivy come to save me from all the testosterone in this small little room. No such luck. It's Harry and Hermione.
And although Hermione is a girl, we're not all that close. She'd never see the ridiculousness of this situation.
"You can leave now. She's awake. She doesn't need you." Oh, Harry, do you live to embarrass me to death? I bring my hand to my forehead. Please, world, just swallow me up?
"Harry's right. Off you go." Hermione's got her nose in the air again. I can see it through my parted fingers. I can also see Malfoy's rigid back as he faces the 'Golden Trio' head on. I feel like crying. I feel like telling him to stay. I feel like telling the other three to fuck off. But I can't. Because Ron's my brother. Because it would be like betraying my family. Because I know what vicious rumours will go around. Because I don't know if I really want him to stay. Because... because of a lot of things.
So I don't say anything. And I know he notices. And I feel like the biggest prat this side of the equator.
He touches my wrist, pulls my hand from my eyes, and I'm staring in his ice-grey orbs, completely lost. "I'll come by after dinner." His voice is soft. And I find myself nodding along, transfixed.
"Like hell you will." We both ignore my brother.
He moves the hair hanging from my eyes. And for one fleeting, terrifying second, I think he's going to kiss me, right in front of everyone. But he doesn't. He pulls back. "Later, Red." He's gone.
I exhale and fall back onto my pillow. Oh.
Hermione sniffs and comes to sit on the edge of my bed, Harry takes Malfoy's seat and again I start to hope. I hope they won't begin the inquisition. I hope they will just miraculously forget that Malfoy happened to be here. That would be great.
But that wouldn't be my life, would it? No, everything in the life of Ginny Weasely has to be as difficult as possible.
No one speaks. Decidedly uncomfortable and wringing my hands, I start. "So, how long was I out?"
"An hour or so, Gin." Hermione's taken my hand. No doubt to stop my nervous habit. It grates on her. "It wasn't really that bad. But this is the kind of thing that happens when you get involved with Malfoy."
I snatch my hand from hers. "I'm not involved with him! Merlin!"
"It didn't look that way, Ginny. And I doubt the rest of the school is going to see it that way."
"Give it up, Hermione. Ginny wouldn't do that to us. She wouldn't betray us like that, would you, Gin?"
"Of course not, Harry!" Indignation and denial, you will find, are used to cover up more lies than you can count. Okay, so I've thought about it, but for all intents and purposes I am not 'involved' with Malfoy and therefore I haven't 'betrayed' them. So for now, I'm good.
"There. See?" Harry's nodding, satisfied. "So next time he visits you, you can tell him you're not interested, right?"
"Yeah. Right." I'm so not doing that. I am not interested (see aforementioned 'friend-zone'). But that doesn't mean I have to go crazy and tell him that. He's not interested in me that way either. For all I know this is how he is with all his girl friends. I mean, friends that are girls. You know what I mean. Shut up.
So the conversation moved on. Hermione promised to go fetch me the work for all my classes, considering Madame Pomfery is going to keep me in for 'observation' over night. Ron didn't really contribute much, just kind of muttered to himself about Slytherins.
Hermione rushed off to the library for something – I don't even think she knows what she's supposedly looking for – and dragged a confused Ron with her. Around now I'm starting to think something's up.
I needn't have worried. Me and Harry just chatted and laughed and had a good time, like we always do. We made fun of Snape and moaned about our schedules and talked about my family and the twins and their inventions. We played exploding snap for one competitive hour and we talked Qudditch – a lot. I didn't even notice the time fly by. Before we knew it the bell was tolling, calling the students to dinner.
I was smiling when he left. He gripped my hand, squeezed and promised to use the invisibility cloak to come see me tonight. Heaven knows I can't sleep in hospital beds. Ever since my first year. But we don't need to go into that.
Pomfery came to check my non-existent wound not long after and performed a few wand movements that were apparently supposed to tell her something. I told you I'm not academic. For all I know, she could have just been doing it for show. Anyway, when she'd finished, she scuttled off to dinner herself.
So, left alone. Brilliant. On my night stand there are a couple Qudditch magazines Harry dropped off and I absently start flicking through one. This is last weeks edition – one that goes into exclusive detail about the complete destruction of the Cannons by the Harpies. Led on my back, magazine levitated above me – with a handy little charm Ivy showed me – I start examining plays. So engrossed am I that I don't notice the door open, I don't notice the footsteps and I don't notice the people at my bedside until I hear an inhuman shriek. I'm being hugged/strangled before I know it, my magazine flopping lifelessly onto my face in my shock.
Light streams onto my face as I look into the eyes of Draco Malfoy. He's holding my magazine and glancing at the front pace. "I brought you a present."
Looking down I realise it's Ivy. Really, who else would it be?
"I'm so sorry, Gin. I was totally going to visit but after they kicked Malfoy out -"
"Hey! I wasn't kicked out. I left voluntarily. Gryffindor stink, you know."
I raise an eyebrow, not sure whether to be offended or not.
"Anyway, after they made Malfoy leave voluntarily, I didn't want to come up and make it worse and Theo said I should just wait and then Malfoy said he was coming up during dinner so they couldn't stop him and I said that I should come too and I hope you're okay and -"
"Ivy, take a breath. I'm fine!"
She squeezes me once more and sits up. I lean up on my elbows so I can see her. "Were they awful to you?"
"Not really. Just had a lot of questions, you know? They think me and Malfoy are 'involved'" I laugh. It just seems even more ridiculous now he's here. I see his head snap up. Ivy chuckles a little weakly.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" He's not paying attention to my article any more. He's looking straight at me.
"Er... to them I think it signifies the end of the world. I don't even know where they got that idea from. It's just so unbelievable." Nice going, Gin. Just brush over the question.
"It's not that unbelievable. I've been known to be quite charming." He smirks, running a hand through his hair and striking a model-like pose.
I laugh and launch my pillow at him, hitting him straight in the side of the head. The look of shock on his face will be framed forever in my mind. I giggle into my hand.
"Why you little minx." The pillow caught me straight in the face. I didn't notice Ivy glance between the two of us knowingly. I didn't notice how the pillow fight progressed until we were hitting each other solidly with our fluffy weapons. I didn't notice Ivy leave the room.
Breathless, I held my hands up in surrender. I got a pillow in the side for my trouble. "Hey, no fair! I surrendered."
"Slytherin." He shrugged, holding his own hands up. Like I should expect a cheap shot. The look of pure innocence on his face sent us both into fits of laughter.
We were led together at the foot of the bed, his arm around my shoulders, both breathing heavy. I smiled. It felt nice, friendly.
"So what's my victory prize?" I look up at him.
"Free Transfiguration tuition?" I reply cheekily, poking him in the side.
He barks a laugh. "I don't need tutoring. In anything." I blush. He laughs again. Guess I'm the entertainment for tonight.
"My undying gratitude for your mercy?" I try again, trying to keep a straight face.
"Now that, I'll take." He moves the hair from my eyes before I could blow it away, and his hand moves to cup my jaw and I think that this is it. This is the moment Draco Malfoy will kiss me. This is it. And I want him to. I think. Just to see what all the fuss is about.
But he doesn't. And it isn't. And I feel so stupid. Instead, he says "I've got another fight coming up. I want you to come." It wasn't what I was expecting. My mind flashes back to that horrific fight in the Shrieking Shack. I haven't even seen Seamus. I feel so bad.
"I'll have to check my social calendar." I smile. So does he. But I think he can tell I don't know whether to say yes or not.
"It's in two days. In the room of requirement. You should come. Bring Ivy. Whatever. I want you there." Wow. It's not like he said please or anything but just... wow.
"Okay. Owl me." Owl me?! Really? He only lives a couple of floors down, he only sits two tables away at meals. Another spectacular example of my faulty brain-to-mouth filter. "The details, I mean. You know. For the fight."
He's smirking at me again, his eyes lit up in humour. "I know what you meant, Red. Calm down." Right.
Checking his watch, he pulls away from me. "Gotta go, Red. Don't get in the middle of any more friendly debates while I'm gone, yeah?"
I nod my head and push him off my bed. Friendly debates my arse. I watch him leave, putting my ridiculous behaviour down to my bump on the head. That sounds about right. But it was nice having him here. Really nice.
As soon as I hear the door clang shut, Harry appears out of thin air. "Arrrgh!" I jump so high I fall right off the bed and onto the hard marble floor. Rubbing my sore behind, I look up at his outstretched hand. "Thanks."
"You okay?"
"Erm... how long have you been stood there?" That is the more pressing issue right now.
"Long enough to know you didn't tell him you're not interested, Gin. He's dangerous." He sits me on the edge of my bed and I wince. That fall jarred my back. Harry passes me my favourite sweet – strawberry wands – and starts unwrapping a chocolate frog for himself, crossing his legs.
"It's not like that Harry. I'm not even sure we're friends, you know." I don't mind talking to Harry about stuff, sometimes. He's less hot-headed than my brother and we've been through a lot with each other. Sometimes I think he knows me better than I do.
"You looked pretty friendly." His mouth is stuffed full of chocolate frog, but he still manages to make the words sound accusatory.
"You're starting to sound like Ron – in more ways than one." I mock-glare at him. He smiles and just like that the tension is broken, forgotten, left in a rotting heap in the corner.
We sit like this for most of the night. Cross-legged and facing each other, a treasure trove of sweets between us, talking way into the early hours of the morning. As soon as a decent hour dawns, I'm discharged and Harry and I walk back to Gryffindor. Harry is nice. Harry is safe. And when he takes my hand on the walk back I don't think anything of it. Because it's Harry and that's the way it's always been.
He leaves me at the dormitory steps and his hair is ruffled and messier than ever. He looks shattered. "Sorry for making you stay with me."
"You didn't make me do anything, Gin. I'm just glad you're okay." I smile. "Now go get changed. Somehow we've got to make it through classes. Move it."
Grinning like an idiot, glad that I'm officially forgiven for my madness with Malfoy, I'm up the stairs, showered and changed in record time. I'm down the stairs, with my bag slapping comfortingly against my side and throw myself right into Harry's arms. I hug him fiercely. "Thank you." I say in his ear. He didn't have to stay with me all night, to save me from my own demons, but he did and I am eternally grateful.
"Any time."
I let go and rush out of the portrait hole to find Ivy, content in the knowledge that nothing could possibly happen to ruin my good mood. It was going to be a perfectly perfect day. I would make sure of it. I wouldn't let anyone ruin this mood.
I wouldn't let any one person ruin this mood. But a whole school? Yeah, that's a really quick way to ruin someone's buzz. Walking into the Great Hall was like running head first into a wall of noise and every one's head turned when I stood in the entrance. Eyes wide, I searched for Ivy. Sitting half-way up the Gryffindor table she was hissing at Theo. As I approached their voices got quieter and quieter. I'm not being paranoid. I was the topic on the agenda today.
"Go. She's here. Go." That was literally all I got of their conversation. Ivy waved him off towards his own table. I didn't have enough brain cells to look up at the Slytherin table. I was a little preoccupied with the staring and pointing and giggling.
"Did I miss something?" I ask as I pour myself a cup of tea and pop one sugar in it. Malfoy and his bad habits.
"I should be asking you that!" My head snapped to the side. Ivy sounds pissed. I didn't do anything. "First, you and Draco are all over each other and this morning, you're seen prancing around the castle holding Potters hand! What the hell is going on?"
"Shhh!" People around us had stopped talking to listen to our conversation. I bent my head close to hers. "He stayed with me last night. Nothing happened, you idiot. I am not with Harry. And I was not all over Malfoy."
"Yeah. Right. And if you're not with Potter, how come he stayed with you last night?" Question: Was my best friend born stupid? She knows all about my past. Literally all of it. I trust her.
"Hospital beds." That was my only response. And it seemed to do the trick. Ivy's fork clattered to the plate. Jogged her memory, eh? "Oh, Gin, I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot."
"Yes, you are." I said, taking one more gulp of my tea and getting to my feet, meaning to make a fabulous exit, only to walk face first into Harry. "This cannot be happening." I mutter to myself. Now the entire hall is paying attention. Waiting for that epic moment when Harry Potter and Ginny Weasely come clean – after all, every one knew it would happen eventually, right? They might as well just get on with it.
"I can't deal with this right now. Get Ivy to fill you in." And with that, I walked straight past him, to the sheer disappointment of the rest of the student body. I could feel eyes on me as I left. Now I feel like crying like a baby in some far corner of the castle.
Before I know it, this will get back to my mum and she'll be hounding me about him all over again. I only just got her off my back. I got over Harry. I'm not his number one fan any more. And it's sad to know that people still think about me like that.
I made my way to History of Magic before the swarms of people burst out of the hall, hoping to avoid more gossip. Soon, I'll be breaking the Chosen One's heart and it'll be all over the papers – like everything with Harry always is. Nothing stays secret.
And throughout all my inner monologue, I didn't pause to think about Malfoy once, or what he thought of these rumours. That was until I saw him storm down the corridor, back rigid, hands clenched. It was then that I realised he's obviously got issues of his own. Well, that was until he looked straight at me and then brushed past as though I didn't even exist. Great.
Ivy caught up with me and we entered the classroom. She apologised about ten more times before telling me she's started 'damage control'. Ivy is brilliant but I don't think there's any catching this thing. Fuck my life.