The Ultimate Payback
Disclaimer; I do not own Harry Potter and I am not getting any payment or royalties from this story. Everyone and everything Harry Potter related belongs to J.K Rowling. Only the plot is mine.
Epilogue
"Well, don't you look happy?"
Ginny looked up from her book to see Colin, Neville, and Luna standing around her table in the library. Ginny gulped uneasily and looked around at the three of them, none of them looked too happy to be talking to her right now and Ginny couldn't blame them. She hadn't talked to them since that night outside with Draco when everything was cleared up. In fact, she had been avoiding them; worried about what they would think when they found out that she had become friends with the two Slytherins again. Ginny flicked her eyes back down to her book before sighing and looking back up at her friends. She couldn't avoid them forever.
"So I heard you made up with Malfoy." Colin said with a smirk.
"Uh, yeah, I explained everything." Ginny couldn't understand why she was so nervous to talk to her three best friends.
Neville shook his head and sighed before sitting beside Ginny. "Gin," Ginny tore her eyes away from Colin to look to Neville. "Look, you don't have to hide from us anymore, we know."
"What?"
"We know about your little crush on Malfoy." Luna said dreamily as she plopped down in front of Neville.
Ginny felt her face grow hot. "I don't know what you mean."
"Yes you do." Colin rolled his eyes.
"It's been obvious since you started hanging out with Malfoy and Zabini." Luna said without looking at Ginny.
Ginny bit her lip nervously but didn't reply.
Colin rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh before taking the seat on the other side of Luna. "I don't know why you look so nervous." Colin pointed out with a smirk.
"Yeah Gin, it's not like we hate you for it." Neville smiled warmly.
"I didn't expect you to hate me; I just thought you would be angry, or upset." Ginny admitted.
"So you do like the tall, hot, blonde Slytherin then?" Colin wiggled his eyebrows at Ginny.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Shut up Colin, you all already knew."
"True," Colin smirked. "but that doesn't mean you get to hide it from us."
"Yeah Gin, we understand." Luna said with a faraway look on her face.
"We do?" Neville and Colin asked in unison.
"Yes," Luna gave the two boys a stern look. "we do." She said flatly.
"Why though?" Ginny asked without looking at anyone. "I mean, he's Malfoy."
Colin snorted at Ginny words, earning him a glare from Neville and Luna. "What?" He asked his two friends that were currently sending him a death glare. "I was going to ask the same thing is all." Colin shrugged.
"I don't know." Ginny answered honestly. "He's... different." She looked up at her friends and saw that they were all giving her quizzical looks.
"I know it doesn't make any sense, but after I started hanging around Blaise, and Blaise kept pushing Draco and I together, I realized that Draco isn't all that bad. Sure, he's a git, he's arrogant, he can be the biggest prat at times, but it's on such a smaller scale now." Ginny tried to explain.
"I think it was more than that." Luna said looking directly into Ginny's eyes; this made Ginny a little more than nervous.
"I think you've always liked him, but this year he wasn't so much of a prat, as you said, and he started to show an interest in you." Ginny opened her mouth to speak but Luna held up her hand to stop her. "Listen, when he started to show an interest in you, even though you were annoyed, a part of you was excited about it, and another part of you was determined to figure out why he was acting this way. So you started talking to him more, and when Blaise pushed you two together you allowed yourself to be a little more opened minded." When Luna was finished Ginny stared at her with a slightly opened mouth and a shocked expression.
"Wait," Ginny seemed to come out of her daze. "I would have had to get to know him anyway, because of that stupid plan." Ginny said the last part with a scowl.
"True. But if we never acted on that plan, and if Draco still showed such a strong interest in you, wouldn't you do whatever it took to find out what was happening?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You mean if Draco still acted the way he did, and if there was no plan to get back at everyone this year would I still try to talk to him and figure out what was going on?" Ginny asked because Luna had her confused.
"Right."
"Of course I would." Ginny answered without hesitation.
"Then all of this would have happened anyway." Luna said with a smile and then leaned back in her chair with her usual faraway look.
Ginny sat there thinking through everything Luna had just said. She knew that it was Luna's intention to make her feel less worried but all her words did to Ginny was make her feel even more guilty. Now she knew that if she hadn't thought up that stupid plan this year then things would have worked out properly. Draco would still have shown an unexpected interest in her because Ginny's plan had nothing to do with how Draco acted because he didn't know about it until recently.
"The point is," Neville pulled Ginny out of her guilty thoughts. "that it doesn't matter."
"Yeah," Colin smirked. "so what if you like the snaky Slytherin?"
"Really? You guys don't mind?" Ginny asked biting her lip.
"We may not like it." Neville said with an apologetic smile.
"But it's not like we can do anything about it." Colin finished. "At besides, if you had to fall for a slimy Slytherin at least you fell for a hot slimy Slytherin." Ginny laughed.
"Thanks guys." Ginny beamed at the three of them. "Sorry about not telling you." She smiled sheepishly.
"And for ignoring us?" Colin asked with a cocked eyebrow.
Ginny pretended to think for a moment. "I don't know," She smirked. "the break from you was relaxing."
"When are you going to stop?"
Draco and Blaise stood in front of the Great Hall waiting for Ginny. At Draco's words Blaise looked up at his best mate curiously.
"What are you talking about now?"
"Ginny explained everything; I accepted it and forgave her." Draco explained.
Blaise cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, and..."
"When are you going to stop trying to push us together?" Draco rolled his eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Blaise smirked.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Draco gave Blaise a pointed look. When Blaise didn't say anything Draco sighed and went on. "Before what happened in the Great Hall, you were constantly trying to push Ginny and I together, and now you're trying to do it again."
Blaise smirked. "You know me so well."
"Seriously Blaise, just don't." Draco glared at his best mate.
Blaise gave Draco a genuinely confused look, Draco sighed; he did not want to discuss this with Blaise.
"Look, last time you pushed us together it ended badly. So just stop okay?" Draco couldn't look Blaise in the eye.
Blaise understood, and he felt horrible, but Draco wasn't paying attention now, he didn't see the signs. Blaise couldn't help but smirk a bit; Draco usually wasn't this thick, so seeing him struggle was entertaining. Blaise's smirk flattered when he looked back at Draco, even though he hid it well Blaise could see that Draco was still a bit raw about everything that had happened this year. Even though it was none of his business Blaise felt the urge to tell Draco everything he was missing (like Ginny's feelings for him) but just as Blaise opened his mouth to say exactly that he caught Ginny running toward them out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey." Ginny sounded breathless as she reached Blaise and Draco.
"Late again red." Draco scoffed, but Blaise could see the delight swimming in Draco's eyes. No matter how often Draco denied it Blaise could see that he still loved Ginny.
Ginny glared at Draco. "Yeah, I was–"
"How interesting," Draco leaned against the wall and looked at his nails with a bored expression. "and as much as I am sure we would love to hear about it I'm afraid I'd rather be trampled by a hippogriff." Draco smirked.
Ginny didn't seem at all put off by Draco's less than friendly attitude. "Weren't you already trampled by a hippogriff?" She asked with a hand on her hip and a smirk.
Draco glared daggers at Ginny and Blaise laughed out loud. "Okay, let's get down to the kitchens before you two kill each other." Blaise started walking.
"You think a change in venue will stop me from wanting to kill Draco?" Ginny said scornfully.
"What's the matter red? Can't take a little friendly banter?" Draco let out a low chuckle.
"No, it's not that. I'm just worried you may be a little too... sensitive to what I might say."
Blaise snapped his eyes shut and groaned; Ginny really shouldn't have said that.
"Sensitive?" Draco stopped dead. "Did you just say I was sensitive?" Draco looked like he could kill.
Ginny looked taken aback by the obvious venom in Draco's tone. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as Draco stepped closer. Draco had Ginny backed into the wall; he placed his hands on either side of her head caging her between his arms. Blaise stood off to the side watching the little interaction with an amused expression. Ginny looked absolutely terrified, and if it had been anyone but Draco Blaise would have stepped in, but Blaise could see the humour in Draco's eyes. Ginny was in no danger, and watching her think she was and squirm because of it was very entertaining.
"Malfoy's are not sensitive." Draco nearly growled, Blaise had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.
"S-sorry." Ginny stumbled.
"You should be." Draco's tense expression softened slightly but by the look on Ginny's face Blaise could tell that she hadn't noticed. Draco winked, the action and the confused expression on Ginny's face caused Blaise to laugh out loud.
"Okay Draco, I think you tortured her enough." Blaise stepped in.
Ginny was flushed; she stepped off the wall on shaky legs and looked between Draco and Blaise. Draco chuckled at the confused and slightly worried expression on her flushed face. Ginny, realizing what had actually happened, slapped Draco on the arm. "You bloody bastard." She screeched.
"Hey!" Draco stopped chuckling. "Now, that's not true, my parents were married when they had me." Draco smirked.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Are we going? I'm hungry."
Ginny, Blaise, and Draco walked down to the kitchens for their usual dinner together. After dinner Ginny said goodbye to Draco and Blaise and headed up to Gryffindor tower alone. These little routine dinners were getting easier, but Ginny was still able to feel the tension whenever Blaise made another attempt to push Draco and herself together, like things used to be before Ginny messed everything up. Ginny pushed opened the portrait hole with a sigh, she was dead tired and all she wanted right now was to fall onto her comfy bed.
"Hey Gin." Ginny had one foot on the spiral staircase when she heard her name. When Ginny saw that it was Harry who had said her name she groaned; looked like her comfy bed would have to wait.
"Hey Harry." Ginny said trying to be friendly.
"Out with Malfoy again?" Harry spit Draco's name.
"And Blaise." Ginny confirmed.
"Right." Harry nodded tightly.
Ginny stood there awkwardly, not sure if Harry was finished talking to her. Just as she was going to turn and continue on her way up to the dorms Harry spoke again.
"I don't like you hanging out with the Slytherins."
Ginny felt a surge of relief, Harry was still being Harry, at least something in her hectic life had returned to normal. Instead of showing Harry how relieved she was about hearing him talk about Blaise and Draco with such disdain Ginny sighed annoyed.
"Well it doesn't matter whether you like it or not Harry. You're not my brother, and even if you were it wouldn't make any difference." Ginny was surprised by the vicious tone she used. Draco was definitely rubbing off on her.
"Can't you see that he's no good for you?" Harry stood up from the couch and glared daggers at Ginny.
Ginny felt the urge to tell Harry that she couldn't see how Draco was bad for her, because he wasn't, because he was exactly right for her. Even though she wanted to annoy Harry, anything to make him stop, Ginny couldn't bring herself to be quite that cruel.
Ginny laughed weakly. "Who is? You? Is that what you're trying to say?"
Harry's hands were balled into fist at his sides; he looked absolutely deadly at the moment. He opened his mouth to speak, or yell, but Ginny didn't want to hear it.
"No Harry, I'm so sick of this. I don't like not being able to talk to you anymore, but if this is how you're going to act just then fine." Ginny stood there with her hand on her hip glaring at Harry.
"Ginny I –"
"Goodnight Harry." Ginny spun on her heel and marched up the stairs.
"Okay that's it." Blaise pulled back the curtains of Draco's bed.
"Ugh! Go away!" Draco pulled the pillow over his head to block out the harsh sunlight.
"No, get up. You and I have to talk."
"I'm sleeping." Draco groaned.
"Not anymore."
Draco sighed knowing he wouldn't get rid of Blaise until he talked to him. "What do you want Blaise?" Draco propped himself up on his elbow but made no other move to get out of bed. "Hurry up or I'm going back to sleep." Draco said when Blaise didn't speak.
"You and I need to talk." Blaise repeated.
"Yeah, you already said that." Draco stretched out and yawned. "What about?"
"Ginny." Blaise said simply.
That got Draco's interest. "What about her?" Draco's shrugged in a failed attempted to seem bored.
"I am so sick of you two." Blaise said exasperated.
"What are you talking about?" Draco raised an albino brow. "There is no 'us' when it comes to Ginny and I." Blaise noticed the contempt in Draco's tone.
"That's what I'm talking about." Blaise sighed and sat down beside Draco.
"You're not making any sense; can I go back to bed now?" Draco yawned again and pulled the pillow back over his head.
"No," Blaise snatched the pillow. "you can't."
"Goddamnit Blaise, will you please just get to the point so I can go back to bed." Draco's eyes started to droop.
Blaise glared at Draco, he had come in here intending to tell Draco everything about Ginny, everything that Draco had been so blind to miss. True, it wasn't Blaise's business to tell Draco anything but he really couldn't take it anymore. But now that Draco was being such an annoying little prat about the whole thing Blaise was starting to re-think his plan.
"You love Ginny." Blaise said after a moment.
Draco shrugged. "Maybe I do, or maybe I did."
Blaise shook his head. "No, you do, that's not the point though."
"What is the point then?" Draco sat up fully now, leaning against the bed post as a back rest.
Blaise took a deep breath. "Okay, you better be awake, I'm going to tell you everything."
"Harry. Bleeding Harry fucking Potter had to go and tell Ron that I was sneaking off with Draco every night." Ginny walked around the common room muttering angrily to herself.
The last time Ginny talked to Harry about Draco she had thought he understood, or that he would at least let it go. But no, Harry had to go and tell Ronald! That would have been bad enough, but of course Harry had to completely embellish the story and make it seem as if Draco and Ginny were seeing each other.
"Ugh!" Ginny screamed and kicked her foot at the wall, succeeding in nothing other than stubbing her big toe. "Fuck!" Ginny yelled as she dropped into one of the squishy armchairs and began rubbing her injured foot.
"Ginny?"
Ginny whipped her head around and saw Ron standing on the staircase looking worried. "Ron! What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you." Ron slowly came closer, acting as if Ginny would rip his head off should he moved too fast.
Ginny narrowed her eyes. "What about?" She nearly growled.
Ron sat down and rolled his eyes. "You know what this is about Gin."
Ginny gritted her teeth. "Ronald..."
"Wait and listen to me." Ron held up a hand.
Ginny took a deep breath but remained silent.
"Look, I know this year has been... odd. And I know I wasn't that great of a brother that day in Hogsmeade when I saw Zabini and Malfoy talking to you."
"You weren't that great of a brother after that either." Ginny interrupted remembering when Ron ignored her.
"Can you really blame me?" Ron sounded bitter. "It's Malfoy Gin! He's horrible! I know I told you everything that he's done to Harry and I over the years."
"Yeah you did, and I also heard everything that you did to him over the years."
Ron sat speechless for a moment. "Do I have to remind you that it was his father that gave you that diary in your first year?"
Ginny's mouth fell open, she couldn't believe Ron had said that! Suddenly Ginny was on her feet seething with anger. "Of course I remember it you git!" Ron flinched at Ginny's tone, he had never heard her so furious.
"After all I was the one who had the diary talking to me! I was the one that Tom Riddle decided to control! I hurt all those people! I killed those chickens! I wrote the messages on the wall!" Ginny was shaking with anger by this point. "And I was the one who woke up in the Chamber of Secrets! How dare you bring that up." Ginny furiously wiped away the angry tears that had fallen during her little rant.
"So how can you trust him? After going through something like that." Ron's tone softened slightly but his words didn't help Ginny's anger.
"It was his father, not Draco." Ginny spat.
"Same thing!" Ron yelled.
"No Ronald! It is not the same thing." Ginny said through clenched teeth. "You would know that if you ever took the time to get to know him, to even look at him, watch how he acts with people, how he acts with me." Ginny said the last part in a whisper but Ron caught every word.
"I can't sit by and say nothing when I find out that you are running off with Malfoy every night. I can't keep my mouth shut when I hear that my baby sister is seeing that git."
"I'm not a baby Ronald. And I am not seeing Draco." Ginny bit back.
Ron stood there with his mouth hanging open. "But Harry... Harry said that..."
"Harry's mad at me because I don't want him." Ginny explained with a sigh.
"No, I've seen you with Malfoy." Ron shook his head.
"That's because we're friends Ronald. Nothing more." Ginny sighed. "But even if I was seeing him, it doesn't matter. It's my life, and I'll live it anyway I want." Ginny stormed out of the common room before Ron could get another word in.
Ginny walked through the corridors still seething with anger and muttering things like 'Ronald' 'Harry' and 'idiotic brothers' every now and then. Before Ginny had thought that Harry was just being a bit selfish, and that he'd get over it and things would go back to normal, now she was thoroughly convinced that she never wanted to talk to him again. Not paying attention to where she was walking Ginny slammed headlong into someone else, she felt herself falling and closed her eyes bracing herself for the impact of hard cold stone on her arse when suddenly she felt strong hands wrap around her waist and pull her back completely onto her feet. Praying that it was anyone but Harry Ginny cautiously opened her eyes and looked up into the cool mercury depths of Draco's eyes.
"You should really watch where you're walking red." Draco chuckled as he released his hold on her.
Ginny just nodded without saying anything.
"Or were you planning on crashing into me?" Draco cocked a brow.
"Of course I wasn't." Ginny snapped.
Draco took a step back because of Ginny's tone. "Okay, relax."
Ginny sighed. "Sorry." Ginny said but didn't offer any details that would explain her foul mood.
"I'm actually glad you ran into me."
Ginny looked at Draco disbelievingly.
"Okay, well not glad that you ran into me literally, but I was looking for you." Draco smirked.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I want to talk to you."
"Okay. What about?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Blaise told me everything." Draco said with a little smirk.
Ginny felt her face fall in horror. Oh no! Blaise had told Draco that she loved him! Ginny's mind raced, her first instinct was to play dumb and ask what he was talking about, but that wouldn't work because there was no way Draco missed the horrified expression on her face. She could say that it was just a joke... no she couldn't, she did that once... bad idea. There was nothing else left to do.
"Look, I know it's not something you want right now and that's fine. Nothing has to change. God this is horrible, I'm going to kill Blaise." Ginny was talking to herself more than to Draco but he watched with amusement as Ginny ranted. "I know I should have told you, but I didn't know what you'd think of it, and I didn't want you to think I was just playing again, and I knew I shouldn't have said anything to Blaise." Ginny nearly forgot that Draco was standing only a foot away as she yelled about how she was going to murder Blaise. "How could he tell you that! It's none of his business! Then again that's never stopped him before. But how could he tell you that I love you?!?!"
"Wait a minute." Draco grabbed Ginny by the shoulders. "What did you say?"
"Oh God! Oh God no!" Ginny's eyes were wide as saucers. "But you said that Blaise..."
Draco smirked. "Blaise told me that if I found you and told you that Blaise had told me everything then I would finally find out what you two have been hiding."
Ginny smacked Draco in the chest. "You tricked me! You and Blaise! I'm going to kill you both! Why would you do that?"
"Uh, Slytherin?" Draco waved a hand over his black uniform with the green and silver accents. "Remember?" Draco smirked.
"Fucking Slytherin gits." Ginny mumbled.
"So, did you say what I think you said?" Draco grinned.
"Look, I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry, now if you'll just let me..."
But Ginny never got to finish that thought because at that moment Draco's lips crashed against her own. For a moment Ginny stood there in utter shook but when Draco playfully nipped at her bottom lip she responded, melting into his arms. Draco broke the kiss, much to Ginny's annoyance, and leaned back with a smirk.
"You love me?" Draco grinned.
"Ummm..." Ginny pretended to think for a moment. "Just a little bit." She smirked.
Draco smiled, a real smile, and bent down to kiss her again.
"I thought you said you weren't seeing Malfoy?!?!"
Ginny pulled out of Draco's arms and spun around to see a red faced Ron seething with anger.
Ginny shrugged. "I guess I changed my mind." She smiled as Draco's arms wrapped around her waist.
A/N; Okay, this took WAY too long! Sorry! I'd like to thank ALL of my reviewers; kiwiisemo, EmeraldGreyClouds, Nikki2009, opaque-girl, Laney Tate, xSugaryTearsx, LauraZabini, lucygirl07, bittersweetazn, BelhavenOnTap, SlytherinHottie94, Ravenclaw's Redhead, sing-me-this-lullaby, Alexandra Malfoy, The Puppeteer, Preetoaka Raven Potter Weasley, XxBreeLynettexX, DodgerMcClure, iMnOtReAlLYcRaZy, HarryxPotterx4ever, foxgodess07, mariababii xo, XxBreeLynettexX, Saerus Anima, HarryxPotterx4ever, Isabela de Lincourt, Silverblade11, AnimeSiren, Tansy Moon, Moonlight, emo, snowfire81, Leigh151, The Elegant Egotist, native-kitten, padfootedmoony, merriza, andI-Heart-DracoM. You all have been amazing! Thanks for your reviews and patience! That's it! It's done! Hope you all like this last chapter, no, I won't be continuing it and I will not write a sequel. Sorry! I am writing another fanfic though, something more similar to 'Broken' it will be called 'Stolen Memories' please look for it. I will post a full description on my profile. Again, thank you all so much! I couldn't have finished it without you guys! Buh bye for now!
-Brittany (Wiccan98)
