The next day Ginny went to the library for fifth-period. Draco tried talking to her between classes but she walked away knowing he couldn't shout after her with everyone watching. When he realized that wasn't working he started writing letters saying he was sorry, that they could talk it out, and even begging her to come back. After a week of the "silent treatment", she wrote back.
You know what it will take. Don't write again until you're willing to.
-G
After that, the letters stopped. She was back to her normal life. If she was honest she missed the way that she could lay it all bare before him and he just got it, but ultimately her pride and stubbornness won out. She could feel his gaze trace her from across the great hall, through the library, or at an occasional quidditch match. She went back to ignoring. When she did sneak a peek back, she saw he had been looking worse and worse. She hoped he would give in soon.
A month later Ginny was coming out of class and walked past a group of people huddled by Myrtle's bathroom. She was really hungry and so decided to pass by, rather than wait around the bathroom to see some lame schoolyard duel, especially that bathroom. As she got to the stairs she heard Snape yelling at Harry. She turned now more curious and listened to some of the other students' comments. That's when she heard Draco's name. The blood drained from her face. What had he done to himself? She elbowed her way to the front of the crowd. There on the bathroom floor was Draco, his shirt ripped to shreds, pink scarring welts across his body. "No!" She cried, collapsing next to his lifeless body checking to see the depth of the wounds. "No! No... is he…?" She looked at Snape, trying to read the professor's level of concern.
"He should be ok… eventually. You and Mr. Zambini take him to the infirmary. I will be there as soon as I finish disciplining Mr. Potter." Said Snape, giving her the slightest sympathetic grimace. Ginny and Blaise lifted Draco onto their shoulders. Blaise carried most of the weight. As they entered the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey ushered them into one of the bed stalls.
As she fussed around Draco checking him over, Blaise and Ginny looked on. "So…" said Blaise light-heartedly "you're the thing that's been taking all his time, huh? Here I thought he had joined some underground fight club." Ginny stared back at him blankly. "Physical state aside, it's good. He's not such a jerk anymore. Whatever you're doing, don't stop." Ginny looked back at the bed searching for any sign of life in Draco. "Well, until he's awake, I think I'm more in the way here than any help. It's probably you that he wants to see anyway." And with that Blaise left the hospital wing.
Madame Pomfrey had gone to her store cupboard and Ginny took the opportunity to go to Draco's bedside. She gently placed her hand on his chest but he did not wake up. New tears began to swell. She took his hand and placed it on her own heart. She felt his slight warmth in the palm of his hand. His touch calmed her. The tears flowed from both sorrow and relief. Somehow the calm meant he would be ok. She leaned forward and pressed a desperate kiss across his lips. Breaking from the kiss, she whispered in his ear "Stop this Draco, please, just stop." She gave him more kisses on both his cheeks and his forehead, coming to rest against his cheek and continuing to whisper "please" softly.
Madame Pomfrey came back from her store cupboard and said "There will be time enough for that dear when I am done. Run along now, I can owl you when he wakes."
"Couldn't I stay and help you?" pleaded Ginny.
"I'm afraid this sort of thing is best left to the professionals." She said dismissing Ginny with a wave.
As Ginny left, she passed Professor Snape coming in to update Madame Pomfrey. He gave her a vaguely quizzical look but said nothing.
At dinner, the story of Harry slicing Draco open and Draco almost dying was all anyone could talk of. Harry was pale and hunched over at the other end of the table muttering feverishly to Ron and Hermione. Travis came over carrying her bag, which she had left discarded by the bathroom. "So you and Malfoy, huh?"
"Yah Draco was my friend," Ginny said flatly.
"I'd say he still is unless I'm missing something," Travis said gently
"I can't support a friend who does that to themselves" she insisted half-heartedly.
"Well, there are about 50 witnesses who will tell you Potter did that to him" He reminded her. "All I can tell you is that you weren't around for fifth-period shenanigans as much for a while then you were but didn't really seem like you wanted to be— not in a bad way— just if he is who you want to be with, you should be."
"Thanks." Said Ginny, taking her bag back and pondering his words. Did she want to be with Draco? She had kissed him. But that was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. Did Draco even want to be with her? She believed he liked having her to talk to but why be with someone you can't fully open up to.
That next Saturday was Gryffindor's final game for the house cup. Harry had been given detention for the duel. Without him, as a seeker, it was up to Ginny to step up as seeker for their last match. Normally, Ginny found the seeker position didn't have enough action for her liking. She would frequently end up watching the match rather than looking for the snitch. Today, however, with Draco's condition and their friendship (or whatever) on her mind, her only objective was to end the match fast and get back to him as quickly as she could. Points were scored rapidly for both teams. She and the other seeker circled the pitch routinely. Floating like vultures above the rest. Then, in the distance, a faint glimmer of gold. She had spotted the tiny glittering ball. Choosing not to dive and alert the other seeker of the found snitch, she allowed herself to slowly glide towards it diving just at the last second before the other team had the time to react. She climbed out victorious, snitch in hand. The match had ended just afternoon, if she was quick in the locker room she could stop in and see Draco before having to return to the Gryffindor common room and celebrate with the team.
She sat on the edge of Draco's bed, her hand resting on his chest. She wasn't sure if it did anything with him asleep but she kept it there anyway. As she sat, she told him all about the quidditch match and her glorious win. Going into detail about every penalty, and point. Finally, at one o'clock, madame Pomfrey said Ginny would need to leave so she could change Draco's dressings.
Ginny was only back in the common room for five minutes when Harry came in from his detention. She knew he hadn't heard the result of the game and probably wasn't expecting a win. Ron gave him the good news and they watched the realization dawn on him that they had won the cup. Ginny moved in to give him a hug and Harry, lost in the excitement, wrapped an arm around her, tilted her back, and kissed her in front of everyone. Ginny flushed red with embarrassment, frozen in place. Everyone began to whistle and holler. Sensing her embarrassment, Harry gestured towards the portrait giving her an out from all the attention.
As the portrait swung shut behind them, the whooping and cheering faded. Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and hid behind his glasses' rims to avoid catching her eye. They took a looping route empty of onlookers and talked about the game for a bit before Harry brought up the kiss. "I'm sorry for coming at you like that in front of everyone." He said, "I just have been wanting to for a while and it had just come naturally then." The 11-year-old crush in her fluttered momentarily but having given her own kiss out of excitement (granted a very different kind of excitement) she knew that her heart simply had not been in this kiss.
"I get it." She told him. "I nearly kissed Madame Hooch when she gave us the Trophy. I love having you as part of my family Harry but I just don't quite feel that feeling right now. Perhaps we stick to hugs and high-fives next season?" She could tell this wasn't what he expected or wanted but he accepted it graciously nonetheless.
"It's Ok if it's not me," He said, coming to a stop just out of earshot of the fat lady "just don't go for Malfoy, he's a bad guy."
"He's more than your hallway duels and classroom squabbles, you don't know all of him." She said, dismissing his concerns.
"Neither do you." Harry pressed with a pointed look before slipping back into the common room alone.
Over the next two weeks, Ginny visited Draco every day. Rumors continued to flow about her, Draco, and Harry. Was this why Harry cursed Draco? Would Draco wake and want revenge? Who would she choose? Ginny ignored it all, her sole focus was Draco. She slowly gained the trust of Madam Pomfrey who was allowing her to assist more and more. The senior witch had taught her a lot of tips and tricks the books didn't have. Blaise stopped in, on occasion, too. Ginny recognized although he was a smooth-talking, slippery Slytherin, Blaise was committed to Draco. From what she gathered, Blaise recognized her commitment to Draco as well. Luckily, he didn't put a lot of stock in rumors and so he wasn't too inquisitive about Harry, which Ginny was grateful for. After fourteen days of care, Ginny got a note at breakfast that Draco was awake. As she stared at the note, she realized she did want to be with Draco but she wasn't over the divide his secret mission placed between them. Nothing had changed and she was sure yelling at him was not good for his care. She wasn't sure she was ready to see him yet. She opted to give the note to Blaise, telling him when Draco was over the hump, she looked forward to hanging out again. When Blaise was absolutely sure she was not going to go see Draco quite yet, he took Theo instead.
After another week Draco got released and as Ginny had suspected he went right back to the mission at hand. His near-death experience had not slowed him down but rather renewed his energy. Draco still watched her when he joined them for meals but he hardly did that anymore and she saw him in the halls less and less. Blaise would slip her an update every couple of days just to assure her that Draco wasn't dead. The sentimental side of Ginny couldn't shake the thought that Draco was out there hurting himself and so had been looking for books that seemed to match Draco's mission. She hoped if he finished faster he was less likely to end up in the hospital wing. This wasn't easy seeing as she still didn't clearly understand what the mission was. She just knew it was related to spatial movement. If she found a book she would leave it outside their classroom. She knew that he would know it came from her, but she couldn't give him the satisfaction of handing it right to him. She thought of him often but after a while, he began to feel far from her, like an old pen pal you've fallen out of contact with.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. All characters, names and situations are the creation and property of J.K. Rowling and Universal Studios. I do not receive compensation for writing this story.