Wooooot! Chapter 10! Thanks for all the support! If you have any questions, let me know, I will try to answer them! Tell me what you think!
When Ginny awoke in the Hospital Wing later that day, her wrist was completely healed, it was still a bit bruised, but Madam Pomfrey assured her that would be gone by dinner, tonight. Pomfrey applied a light wrap and Ginny was ready to go.
"oh." Ginny said quietly when she remembered her missing shoes.
"What is it dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked, concerned.
"My shoes, I left them by the lake." Ginny said as she stood to leave, barefoot.
"Oh, well that Malfoy boy dropped them off shortly after you fell asleep…Ah yes, here they are!" Pomfrey explained as she scooped Ginny's shoes off of a bedside chair.
Ginny grinned brilliantly and pulled on her shoes. She left the Hospital Wing with a spring in her step, despite her bruised wrist and wet clothes.
Walking through the halls, Ginny met up with Hermione.
"Where have you been all day? We all wanted to go to Hogsmeade, Ron and Harry already left…I said I would wait for you!" Hermione exclaimed while hugging Ginny. Ginny shrugged and innocently held up her wrist, showing the wrap.
"What did you do? Oh my gosh, you're soaking wet!"
Ginny smiled, "I fell in the lake and broke my wrist."
"What were you doing in the lake? That was very irresponsible of you. Well, I guess you learned your lesson."
Ginny rolled her eyes.
Hermione pulled out her wand and ran it against Ginny's robes, steam rose from the hem and the robes became instantly dry. Ginny grinned appreciatively and pulled her damp hair into a messy bun.
"Huh. You're hair is a dark auburn when it's wet. It's quite pretty actually, although I'm sure Draco thinks so." Hermione said nonchalantly.
Ginny gasped, "What?"
"Oh c'mon, Ginny!"
"Well, I….didn't tell about you and Ron!" Ginny scrambled for ground on which to place her claim.
"There is nothing to tell about me and Ron." Hermione said coolly as her cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
"Yeah well…It better stay that way!" Ginny squeaked as she toyed with a loose thread on her robe hem.
"Excuse me. I wasn't going to tell anyone." Hermione said quickly as she used her wand to rid Ginny's robe of any loose threads.
"You're right. I'm….a little jumpy since Ron. Sorry." Ginny sighed, biting her lip.
Hermione nodded her acceptance and continued on.
"Where are you going?" Ginny called as she hurried after Hermione.
"I'm sure the service was lovely in the Hospital Wing, but I however have yet to eat lunch." Hermione said crisply as she sped up.
"Oh. I didn't even notice…" Ginny muttered as she clutched her now grumbling stomach. She was in a slight every-other step jog to keep up with Hermione's speed walk.
"Of course you didn't. You were too focused on your little love affair." Hermione hissed.
"Secret love affair." Ginny insisted as Hermione fought the urge to smile.
They had entered the Great Hall before Ginny turned to Hermione.
"How did you know about that, anyways?" Ginny demanded as they sat down.
"How did I not know about that? Remember that day you ran and hid from me? Yeah, real sneaky Ginny." Hermione stated bluntly. Ginny blushed remembering her meeting with Draco she had had upon running away from Hermione. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her blush, "See what I mean?"
Ginny sighed, "Is it that obvious?"
"Fortunately, no. But…" Hermione hesitated.
"What? Just tell me."
Now it was Hermione's turn to sigh, "I'm only going to say this once…and this is coming from me, your best friend." Hermione blew out a deep breath before continuing. "You know Draco's reputation, not just with his other girlfriends…but with me, and Harry. Not to mention Ron, we've always hated him. He's not good."
Ginny started to interrupt but Hermione held up her hand, signaling she wasn't done.
"I just don't want you to get hurt. Just think about who we are talking about, Draco Malfoy. The son of Death Eaters…" Hermione finished with a small pat to Ginny's back. Ginny stiffened, "You sound like my brother. I think I can handle anything and everything myself." Ginny stood up quickly, jostling the table.
"I wasn't that hungry anyways!" Ginny announced as her stomach gave an involuntarily loud growl of hunger. Ginny sighed at the smirk on Hermione's face.
Ginny snatched a ham and cheese sandwich off of the table and hurried out. She could eat in the Common Room.
She hated how everyone was trying to protect her. She was a big girl now; she could take care of herself. She stormed through the halls thinking about how her Saturday was such a waste. She sat down on a step and began chomping down on her sandwich. She bit down and the sandwich barfed mustard on her robes. Ginny groaned and stood up. She shoved the remains of her sandwich into her mouth and swallowed hard.
Ginny stood slowly and started on her way to go change. She was on the Changing Stairs when she met up with Draco. She quickly used her hand to cover the mustard stain. Draco grinned and stepped forward.
"How's your wrist?"
"Healed. It's good as new." Ginny replied, clearing her throat and showing her bandage.
Draco's grinned brilliantly. "That's good."
"Yeah. Thanks for bringing me my shoes."
"You looked upset when you realized you had left them." Draco said with a shrug, as if that explained everything.
Ginny's hand stayed over the mustard stain as she attempted to slip to the side, and leave Draco. Draco raised his eyebrows and stepped to the side to block Ginny's way. Ginny laughed awkwardly and stepped to the side. Draco moved simultaneously with Ginny.
Ginny sighed, "Excuse me."
"Hey, how about a tutoring session tonight?" Draco asked waggling his eyebrows.
"Do you really want to push Ron any further?" Ginny asked folding her arms.
"I don't give a damn what that….What your brother thinks…" Draco said quietly.
Ginny shook her head, "You don't understand."
"Then help me to." Draco pleaded.
Ginny sighed and shook her head, "I can't."
Draco groaned and stepped back, clearing a path for Ginny.
"I'm sorry…" Ginny whispered as she passed him.
Ginny picked up her speed and half jogged up the final stair case. Ginny reached the common room and hurried up to the dormitory. She slipped out of the stained robes and pulled on fresh, clean clothes. Ginny slipped back down the stairs into the common room. Ginny found an empty table in the common room and she dropped into a chair. Ginny pulled out a book, Defense against the Dark Arts; Precedent. Ginny tried to focus, in vain. She thumbed through the pages and caught a few words here and there.
Ginny was attempting to settle down and read when she drifted off, her head resting on the table, next to her class book. In her sleep, Ginny began to dream.
In this dream, Ginny was walking through Hogsmeade, it was snowing. Ginny was following foot prints in the snow. When she looked up, she saw Draco a few steps ahead of her. She began calling out his name, "Draco. Draco. Draco!" First calmly, but with growing urgency.
Ginny sped up, but as she did this, so did Draco. Their pace increased to a jog, then a slight run. Ginny had a burst of energy and she stretched out her hand. Just as she felt her fingertips brush Draco's shoulder, she felt herself being pulled back. She looked down and found two very familiar arms wrapped around her waist, holding her back.
"Draco!" Ginny shrieked as she fought against whoever was holding her back. She spun around, ready to fight off her captor. She turned and saw Ron, holding her. His face was set stone cold, "Ron! Let me go!" she protested as she hit against him.
She turned and saw Draco growing farther and farther away. "DRACO!" Ginny screamed one last time, before Draco vanished completely from view.
She turned on Ron, furious. "Ronald, you idiot, let me go! Look what you've done!"
Ron stayed silent, his eyes unseeing.
"Ronald…Ron? Ron….you're scaring me." She grew quiet. Ron's grip tightened, nearly suffocating her.
"Ron! Ron!" Ginny gasped.
Ron released her and started walking after Draco, Ginny collapsed in the snow, clutching her ribs. As Ginny fought for breath, Ron started to get farther off in the distance.
"Ron!" Ginny called as she struggled to stand. Ginny pushed herself up and just as she stood, she lost her balance and fell face first into the snow. Ginny's strength failed her, not allowing herself to push her body up from the snow.
She was suffocating.
She was going to die.
Nobody would save her.
Nobody could hear her.
Nobody could see her.
She was gone.
Ginny awoke with a start, her body shook and was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. She tried to control her heavy breathing. The common room was empty, and Ginny was thankful for that. Ginny quickly stood and walked to the window, trying to clear her mind of the dream. Ginny sighed and closed her eyes. Her head pounded from her dream, she rubbed her eyes with the tips of her fingers. The sun was sinking in the distance and it cast a reddish glow on the common room.
Ginny shook her head and decided to head for dinner.
She found Ron, Harry, and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table, and she quickly took a seat beside them.
"Uh, Hermione, could I speak to you…just for a second?" Ginny asked quietly, ignoring the stares she received from Ron and Harry. Hermione shooed off Ron and Harry and turned to Ginny.
"Does it have to do with Draco?" Hermione hissed, dropping her voice.
"Oh no! Nothing like that! Have you ever…had a dream where…you die?" Ginny questioned quickly.
"Oh! I…no, I haven't…but I'm sure it's….fine." Hermione insisted, her face showing concern. Ginny nodded and sipped her Pumpkin Juice. Hermione gave her one last concerned glance before turning back to her meal.
Ginny pondered the dream as she ate. She couldn't remember the last time a dream had frightened her so much. Ginny tipped her spoon into a tomato soup and slurped it up. When she glanced up, she saw Draco standing across the table from her. The table grew silent, and all eyes were going back and forth between Draco and Ginny. Ginny smiled up at Draco, but her smile fell at the look on Ron's face.
"Hello, Ginny."
Ginny grinned, "Hey, Draco."
"McGonagall wants us to have another tutoring session. She says your grades are not where she wants them to be." Draco smirked.
"It's Saturday." Ginny explained.
"Yes, well I presume she meant we could start Monday evening." Draco said coldly.
Ginny tilted her head to the side, "Same time?"
"Obviously."
Ginny closed her mouth, she hated his mood swings.
She stood up and leaned closer to Draco, he didn't flinch.
"I am tired of these mood swings." Ginny hissed so only he could hear.
Draco scoffed and walked away.
Ginny dropped back onto the bench in shock. Hermione stayed silent, but when she opened her mouth to speak, Ginny shook her head.
"Don't say it." Ginny pleaded.
Hermione just nodded.
It seemed like the entire hall had hushed and they were just now starting up their conversations, but still many continued to point and whisper behind their hands. Ginny felt a rush of hot tears, but she blinked them back. She didn't want to give Hermione the satisfaction of being right.
"Well, I've had enough for tonight." Ginny said as her voice cracked. Ginny stood quickly and Hermione started, "Don't bother." Ginny spat at Hermione.
Hermione sat back down, stunned.
Ginny fled the Great Hall so quickly, she missed Draco's apologetic glance that he sent her way.
She didn't notice how he had automatically stood when he saw her leaving.
She had missed how he had brushed off Blaise and had started after her, hoping to apologize.
I start school Monday, so I won't be updating as much as I would like. I know this chapter is somewhat lame, but I am building off of it!
Enjoy!