36. Obvious [345]
"Actually," he said with an air of afterthought, "your attraction to me is painfully obvious."
Ginny blinked, opened her mouth; closed it, and flushed. Draco smirked.
"You've never been good at hiding these sorts of things, ever since That Valentine" (he pronounced That Valentine like it was legendary and unneeding of further clarification, only confirming a dreadful suspicion she'd always had) "but you really sank low this time."
He paused for a moment, and Ginny dared to hope he might be done, but he was just clearing his throat. He shook his head at her ruefully. "After all, just happening to frequent all my favorite places? And yet always furtive, unable to meet my eyes – it almost hurts to watch, really it does."
Ginny took a deep breath, humiliated. Draco was still smirking at her in some sort of horrible amusement at her pain.
"Not, of course, that I want to cause you any discomfort – I feel for you, I really do. But – and Ginny, don't get resentful – but I regret to inform you that I'm already in a perfectly happy relationship. This… well, I hesitate to call it stalking, but…"
Ginny was feeling resentful. Very resentful, along with humiliated and shocked. It was not pleasant.
"Well, my point is just," and he reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, "I know it's hard, but please – give up on me. I can't stand seeing this go on any longer, and really it does you no credit. I'm happy, and if we once could have had something, the timing is all wrong now. So for your own sake, desist this nonsence before I'm forced to report you to the Ministry."
With a final curt nod, he let go of her and strode away, leaving Ginny paralyzed in shock and horror.
Draco slunk up from by the wall, now grinning outright. "Ginny!" He exclaimed gleefully. "Why, I never knew! And you so very obvious!"
"…I've never seen that man before in my life," Ginny said woodenly, too shell-shocked to even blink.