12) Another love story
Ginny stood outside the Slytherin common room…her normal confidence deserting her. She knew what Hermione had told her about Draco…and she had seen evidence herself that he was nice…in fact they'd exchanged a few pleasantries in the library on occasion. But was that all a show? Would he now be rude to her, now that Hermione wasn't there? Malfoy had always hated the 'blood-traitors'…both for liking muggles and for being poor.
Swallowing, Ginny took a deep breath. Harry was waiting impatiently by her side and Ron was waiting at the end of the corridor with the cake. Neither of them had been thrilled by the idea of retrieving Draco but Ginny had talked them round, insisting they had to do what Hermione would want. Harry had refused to let Ginny go anywhere near the Slytherins alone after Hermione's attack, so was hovering like an over-protective bodyguard, his wand held obviously in his hand.
"Excuse me?" Ginny said to the wall that was the entrance.
"Password." It hissed.
"Uh…I don't have the password. Please could you let me in?"
Harry rolled his eyes and Ginny trod on his foot.
"No." Was the firm hissed reply.
"Fine." Snapped Ginny. "DRACO! DRAAAAAAAAAACO!"
Harry clapped his hands over his ears, not having realised that Ginny had cast a silent Sonorous on herself. Ginny was getting far too good at silent magic…especially seeing as Harry couldn't even do it and he was older than her. He frowned, heart still pounding at the loud noise.
"Don't be jealous babe," Ginny said. "Although you do look pretty cute when you pout like that…" she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close…only to be interrupted by Draco, hurrying out of the doorway, dressed with a bunch of flowers clutched in his hand.
"Are we going to see Hermione?" he asked. "Nice spellwork by the way We…uh Ginny."
"Thanks Ma…Draco." Ginny beamed. "Where'd you get the flowers?"
"I went down to Hogsmeade really early this morning…don't tell anyone though, obviously it's against the rules."
"Since when have you stupid snakes cared about rules?" Harry said heatedly. "It's your…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Ginny struck again with her silent spell work…this time a Silencio.
"Um…Draco why don't you and Ron start heading up? Harry and I will catch you up!" Ginny said with a wide, friendly smile.
"Right." Draco said, hurrying off down the corridor with some chagrin. Potter clearly blamed him for Hermione's attack…and thought that he was like the other Slytherins. Whose fault is that? Draco's inner voice betrayed him. It was his fault. He'd built that level of hatred and distrust. He just had to hope that with time he could dissolve it and build something more positive in its place.
When Draco had gone, Ginny turned to Harry, an absolutely terrifying look in her brown eyes that reminded Harry of Mrs Weasley when Fred, George and Ron had rescued him using the flying car.
"Harry Potter!" Ginny scolded and Harry bit his lip. Ginny could be kind of scary when she got mad. "It was NOT Draco's fault that Hermione got hurt! In fact if it hadn't been for Draco finding her and getting her to the hospital wing, she would bloody well be dead! And, he stayed with her you know, all day yesterday! Pomfrey tried to make him leave but he just wouldn't go anywhere! Harry you'd better stop all this nonsense right now or so help me I will hex you!"
Ginny paused, breathing heavily and was surprised when Harry nodded.
"You're right," he wrinkled his nose. "As much as I hate to admit it, I was being a prick. Draco…well he's really changed hasn't he?"
Ginny stared at Harry, the most amazing feeling of pride rising in her chest. Her boyfriend was being the bigger person…admitting he was wrong…embracing someone that she thought he never would – with enough reason. Ginny stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around Harry. Harry hugged her back, glad that he had the fiery, beautiful girl to point out when he was wrong.
"Ginny?"
"Yes?" Harry swallowed. He knew that Ginny knew this…but he hadn't ever said it…because he was afraid. Afraid of how much she could hurt him by leaving him. But he was a complete idiot sometimes and Ginny stuck by him…
"I love you."
Ginny's brown eyes met his with a kind of heady exultation.
"I love you too, Harry." And she kissed him with enough force to take his breath away. Hermione and Draco weren't the only love story…there was another one….
"Um, what did you say they were doing?" Ron asked…Ginny was his baby sister after all. Maybe she shouldn't be left alone in a corridor with her boyfriend.
"I think they're arguing." Draco replied cordially. They were walking really slowly…but were still almost there.
"Oh, that's good." Ron said.
"So…uh…you here for Christmas?"
"Yeah." Ron replied. "You?"
"Yeah."
"Cool."
"Yeah."
Thankfully they were saved from the increasing awkwardness of the conversation by heavy footsteps, as a rather flushed looking Harry and Ginny caught up, holding hands. Harry smiled at Draco sort of tentatively and Draco returned the smile.
Ron handed Ginny the cake as Draco knocked on the door.
"Oh, here you are." Snape said.
"Well I did say we…"
"Don't be cheeky, Miss Weasley. Just because it is the holidays doesn't mean I won't take points."
"Sorry Professor." Ginny grinned, unperturbed. "Please may we come in?"
"Yes. I however am trying to work, and Miss Granger has already passed out once this morning from over-exertion so if the noise level gets too high for my liking you shall all leave. Understood?" At their agreement, Snape swept out of the way and allowed the annoying children into the room.
Hermione was lying in bed, a book in her hands. When she saw her friends she set it down with a big smile.
"Oh finally! I thought you'd never come and rescue me from Prof…er…boredom!" Hermione corrected at Snape's death glare as he settled down in the corner. "Oh Ginny, I love you!"
She took the cake and began eating it, oblivious to the sickly sweet smile that passed between Harry and Ginny.
"God I love cake." She said.
Draco pulled up a chair right next to her head and set the flowers in the empty vase on her bedside cabinet.
"How are you feeling?" Draco asked anxiously, smoothing her hair back off her forehead in an unsubtle attempt to gauge if she was a comfortable temperature. He kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"I'm okay," she smiled up at him and took his face in her hands.
"Are you sure? Your hands are kind of cold." Draco took them in his and rubbed them in an attempt to warm them up.
"Yeah that's because I had them out of my cosy duvets," Hermione said, glancing over at Snape who was absorbed in his book before pulling Draco closer and kissing him.
Feeling a little put out at the private conversation going on, Ron grabbed a chair and put it in the same position as Draco's on the opposite side of the bed.
"Hello Hermione!" He said loudly and Hermione smiled at him, turning her head away from Draco.
"Hey! Has Lavender gone home or did she not want to come and visit?"
"Oh…no…Lavender went home." Ron said, dragging his mind back to Lavender. He loved Lavender, so why was he getting this horrible angry feeling in the pit of his stomach when he looked at Hermione and Draco?
"I can't believe those guys did that to you, Hermione." Harry said, sitting at the end of her bed. Ginny sat on his lap. "If I'd have known…I'd have done something to help.."
"Of course, Harry!" Hermione said with a smile. "You can't save everyone though, and you weren't to know."
"If I ever see those guys again…" Ron grumbled under his breath and Hermione beamed.
Ron and Harry left shortly after that to go and get an assortment of wizard games and some of their supplies from Honeydukes and the five spent a large proportion of the day playing games, laughing, talking, telling jokes and eating. Despite the noise level being high, Snape didn't object because Hermione looked well and happy and he knew if they sent them away Draco would spend the rest of the day alone in his common room…plus it seemed that although Weasley remained silently hostile, Potter and Ginny were making a real effort with Draco…and Draco with them. So Snape allowed the noise to continue and tried to read his book.
Exploding Snap was the current game and Hermione lay back against her pillows, watching the cards with a chocolate frog in one hand and her cards in the other, feeling content. Everyone was so nice to her…it was perfect. She had the best friends in the world and the best boyfriend ever…she was so happy.
But happiness has a strange habit of disappearing just when it gets to unfair proportions…
Guys, please please review. There are 90 or so of you who have this on alert but few of you review and it makes me sad :'( :P
