Potions went by quickly for Ginny. Snape ignored her, for the most part and her headache potion was finished quickly. She sat at her desk reading for her next class, Charms. When Snape finally let the students leave, Ginny immediately started for the Great Hall. Four hours of Potions was enough to make anyone hungry. When Ginny entered the Great Hall she saw Draco first; he still looked tired and his eyes seemed blank as if his mind wasn't on the lunch in front of him. When she turned toward the Gryffindor table she noticed the trio scanning the entrance for her. She was glad that her red hair was pulled back today and disguising her most obvious Weasley trait. Instead of walking that way she moved toward the Ravenclaw table, grabbing a sandwich and an apple. She would skip on a drink for right now, but she didn't want to deal with her "protectors" right now. The Library was beckoning to her and her Charm book.
Draco sat down to lunch after his Care of Magical Creatures class. He barely paid attention to the food in front of him though as his mind drifted to Ginny. Maybe he had overstepped his bounds by kissing her hand this morning; she had looked so shocked at his actions. But as he reflected more, he realized that she hadn't looked angry or disgusted either. It was so odd to be thrown together with her, though not unpleasant. Being with her could sometimes be painful or uncomfortable, but never unpleasant. Actually, after all the animosity she had been directing at him recently, it was a pleasant surprise to actually have her direct a smile at him.
Draco saw a flash of red pass by him, coming from the Ravenclaw table. He did a double take; it was Ginny leaving the Great Hall with food in her hands. He abandoned his barely touched meal and got up to follow her.
Ginny heard someone exit the Great Hall behind her and sped up thinking that Harry or Ron was following her.
"Ginny!" Draco called, to get her to slow down. When she turned he could hear her audible sigh of relief. "Hey, why aren't you eating in the Great Hall?"
She rolled her eyes, "The trio was looking for me to once again give me a lecture on my grades or tell me how evil you are. I swear they live to torture me." She motioned for Draco to follow her as she started walking again.
He did start walking, falling into step beside her. "Where are we headed?" He avoided the question that he really wanted to ask, Why don't you think I'm evil anymore? He slid his bag more securely onto his shoulder.
"Library." She stated shortly before arriving at the large Library doors. Draco opened said door and Ginny walked in, leading him to one of the tables near the Restricted Section. Ginny pulled out her Charm book and started munching on her sandwich. Draco watched her for a moment puzzled at why he was here with her instead of eating his lunch. At the thought of food his stomach gave a rumble. He really hadn't eaten much. Ginny giggled and offered him half of her sandwich. When he just glared at her she quieted, "What? I'm not very hungry and you obviously didn't get a chance to eat. Besides that, I still have an apple to snack on." His expression softened slightly, but he made no move for the food in front of him. "Draco, please just eat it."
He smiled and picked up the sandwich, taking a small bite. "I do appreciate this, but you really should be the one eating. Not me." She dismissed his words with a wave of her hand.
Soon they were both studying for their next classes. Draco found that for once he didn't mind the silence of the Library. Ginny's presence beside him calmed him more than anyone had been able to in the past. Ginny flipped a page in her textbook and Draco felt his eyes tracing her soft features. Her pert nose with at smattering of freckles across it's bridge, her bow shaped red lips, her clear brown eyes flicking across the page.
Ginny read her charms text in silence for a while, it was nice having somebody to study with that didn't nag her or try to distract her. She was on the last page of the chapter when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. He was watching her, or staring at her was more appropriate. The writing blurred before her eyes. "Yes?" She finally gave up on reading and turned to Draco.
"Hmmm," Draco didn't stop scanning her body. The column of her throat made him want to taste the skin and the swell of her breasts would be a perfect fit in his hands.
"Draco, my eyes are up here. Not on the front of my shirt." When he still didn't meet her eyes Ginny moved to snap her fingers in his face. His eyes were that dark slate color once again as they finally met her's and Ginny barely heard him apologize before she started having another vision.
Harry yelled at her as she left the Gryffindor common room crying, "How can you even think that you love him? He's evil, just like his father. Don't you remember that it was Lucius Malfoy that gave you Tom Riddle's diary? His fucking father tried to kill you."
The Ginny from her vision was out of earshot, but the present Ginny saw Ron move to restrain Harry. "Shut up Harry! Haven't you noticed the way he looks at her, it's like she's the greatest gift he could ever have. And haven't you noticed that he's nicer...more polite. He hasn't said anything derogatory to Hermione since Ginny and him started working together. Don't you see it?"
"What's there to see? It's just him putting on a performance to get in Ginny's knickers. That's all Malfoy knows." Ginny's eyes narrowed at this.
"No Harry. he loves her. And if you don't see it you're blind." Ron walked away from Harry, sadly shaking his head at his best friend's pig-headedness. Usually he was the dense one, not Harry. He turned back to Harry, "I won't have you hurting Ginny, Harry. If you're not going to at least be polite, stay away from her and Draco."
Hermione looked between her retreating boyfriend and Harry. "You know he's right. They do love each other. Just because you missed your chance with Ginny you don't have to try and ruin this for her." With that said the brown haired girl followed Ron out of the common room.
Ginny blinked as Draco reciprocated her finger snap. "Hmmm?"
"Well are you going to tell me about that one? Or is it another secret vision?" Draco looked slightly perturbed, but also slightly curious. He had placed his other hand on her shoulder and was using it the brush her red locks out of her face.
Ginny chuckled, "This one had nothing to do with you, it was just Harry and Ron arguing." She never could lie worth crap, but half truths weren't lying. "The one last night however…"
Draco leaned in closer to her, "Yes?"
Ginny's smile dropped, "It was your father. He was trying to get Snape to tell him where you were. I don't know how, but he knew about me too and he was trying to get Snape to bring me to him. The last thing I saw was Snape saying 'Over my dead body!' it was odd to see him trying to protect me." Ginny paused to gauge Draco's shock. He looked contemplative, but not surprised. "The reason I didn't want to tell you last night was because I didn't know how you would react. I'm sorry that your father is going to be such a problem."
Draco let out a short laugh. "That's all Lucius ever does, is cause problems. I'm just glad that my mother doesn't listen to a word he says anymore. She's the only one in that manor with any sanity left."
The frown that marred Ginny's face was one of confusion. "You seem quite sane to me. Why would you say that about yourself?"
He turned away from her, "You have been hexing me all year, you know that right? You hated me. Even if you can tolerate me now, you did hate me. Tell me, if I wasn't insane how could I have started to like you when you hated me so much? That is my insanity, I fell for the only girl I could never have." Before Ginny could answer Draco had risen from his chair and was walking out the Library doors past Snape.
Severus wondered momentarily why the young Malfoy who passed him seemed so distraught until he saw one Ginny Weasley sitting at a table in the back of the Library. She sat stock still and as he watched a tear slipped out the corner of her eye. Snape watched her brush the drop away and pack her things. When she passed him, he felt compelled to speak. "Don't be too hard on him Miss Weasley, he is a Malfoy. Despite his lack of Lucius like qualities emotions are not commonplace at Malfoy Manor." Ginny nodded jerkily and brushed more tears away. The Potion teacher watched her stoically as she walked away.
