Chapter 2 -The Note
A/N: If you're reading the second chapter, then it must mean that you liked the first. And, uh, sorry about the little mistakes in it, I meant to say Ron turned as red as his hair before he dyed it, and the twins are gone and making lot's of money at their joke shop, far away from Mrs. Weasley, who still haven't gotten over the fact that her sons are a pair of black haired clowns with red squeaky noses. Thank you sooooo much to all you people who reviewed, plz keep on reviewing, even if it's just one word (like "great….") And thanx for the tips. Also, sorry if some sentences sound weird and don't go together (Hey, it's my first fanfic!).
"Ginny."
She looked up from her Potions homework. Harry was standing beside the desk, smiling down at her, his green eyes twinkling behind his glasses. She felt a tingle as she returned the smile. Looking over him, she spotted Hermione and Ron looking at her anxiously, Ron in particular. Her smile turned to suspicion.
"Ginny…can we talk?" he said quietly.
Her suspicion rose. She knew she should be delighted that Harry was finally talking to her, Harry, who she'd crushed on for so long. But there was something weird about how he asked. He had never asked for a private talk with her before. Something was going on, she knew what it was and yet she didn't.
"Okay," she heard herself say.
"Let's go to my dorm, where we'll have privacy." he said, as she stood up, sweeping her books into her arms.
Any other girl would have be thrilled to have famous Harry Potter invite them to talk. Harry had grown immensely famous over the last few years. The fifth years and up had dances every two months, the seventh years had a graduation dance. Every time there was a dance coming up, he would get lots of offers for dates. But he always went with Ron and Hermione, never with anyone else.
Ginny followed Harry up the stairs; Ron and Hermione close behind. As they reached the top, the four of them filed into the room, Ginny settling on a bed, Ron and Hermione on opposite beds, and Harry standing up.
"Ginny," said Harry. He cleared his throat nervously. "Um, Ginny…Ron told me about …about you and Malfoy."
Ginny took a sharp intake. She glanced quickly at her brother. He turned away. She felt anger boil inside her. How could he do this to her? Wasn't he her brother? She tried to stay calm, hoping that no one else would find out, trying to listen to Harry's next words.
"Um…we just wanted to make sure that you're not…uh…" He glanced at Hermione.
"Interacting with Malfoy," she said, and Harry nodded sheepishly.
Ginny had a feeling Harry had already memorized what he was saying, because she could she Ron nearby, mouthing the words.
"I'm not," she replied firmly, pushing away the time she went into the Slytherin common room. Her voice shook with confidence. And a little bit with anger. She didn't like them barging into her business. She also pushed away the small voice at the back of her head that told her Malfoy was trouble and Harry was trying to do what's right. "I'm not," she repeated loudly, louder and bigger than the small voice. "I have nothing to do with Malfoy."
Harry looked hesitant. Hermione looked anxious. Ron was staring out the window, like he didn't tell them anything about Malfoy, singing softly the song, 'Do your ears hang low?' Ginny shot him a menacing look.
Sighing, Hermione got up and sat down beside her. "Ginny, it's okay. We won't laugh at you. You can tell us." She said kindly.
"Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?" Ron sang.
Ginny felt like they didn't trust her. Here was her brother's best friends, not trusting her. "You don't trust me," she said, saying aloud the thing they were all thinking.
Those words hung in the air. There was silence, except for Ron's singing, 'Can you sling them over your shoulders like a Continental soldier? Do your ears, hang lo-oo-ow?"
"Shut UP!" Ginny snapped at Ron.
He glanced over at her. And his eyebrows dipped into a V. "Look Gin, I don't know if you're like, Malfoy's girlfriend or something. I don't care if he kisses you a dozen million times. Or if you kiss him back. All you have to do, Ginny, is change your name to Hope Malfoy or something, change your appearance, move into Slytherin, and pretend I'm not your brother! 'Cause if you're dating Malfoy, I don't want to know you!"
Ginny stared at him. And the door burst open, revealing Dean Thomas.
"Malfoy kissed Ginny? And she kissed back?"
Ginny was furious, as she stood up, stomped out and slammed the door behind her.
There was a few moments of silence, as Harry, Ron and Hermione stood there looking awestruck, and Dean looking awestruck, but for an entirely different reason.
"Wait till I tell Seamus!" said Dean, and, before anyone could stop him, rushed out.
There was another silence.
Harry was the first one to speak. "Hope Malfoy?"
***
Ginny was running. She had stormed out of the common room, receiving quite a bit of weird looks from the other Gryffindors. She knew, as a big sixth year, she was supposed to act cool, but this was the exception. Ginny sprinted down the hall, having no clue where she was going. But at last she stopped somewhere and sat down, feeling that this place felt familiar, and started to untangle her thoughts.
She was mad at Ron. She was mad how Ron couldn't handle the fact that Malfoy kissed her himself and had to go babbling to Harry and Hermione, like a little kid running to his mommy. Ginny felt that throughout her whole life, she always acted a lot older than Ron, who was supposed to be a good example. Ron always ruined things. When Ginny was getting to the best part of a good romance, Ron would snatch it up and insist on her reading some sort of science fiction novel. Ron didn't know what it was to be loved by some girl, that's why he didn't like it, and didn't want Ginny to like it either.
But of course, Ron thought of it differently. He thought Ginny was always dreaming about some sort of Prince Charming that's going to come and sweep her off her feet, and they'd go and live happily ever after. But that wasn't life, he once argued. That's daydreaming. It's better than rejecting everyone, Ginny had snapped back. She sighed. Ron and her would never be close, Ron always making sure she wasn't reading romances under her textbook, not going to watch Titanic when they went to the Muggle theater. He wasn't anything like the twins, who could always make her laugh, even with their ridiculous black hair.
And Harry. Ginny sighed again and buried her head in her arms. Harry would never like her now, now that he thinks she likes Malfoy, or Malfoy likes her. Harry would fall for some dumb trap one of those flirty girls set up and Ginny would never know what he really felt for her. He would ignore her, even if he did like her, telling himself that Ginny already had someone, didn't need him. But I do need him, she groaned to herself.
Then it clicked. It wasn't all Ron's fault. It was Malfoy's. He was the one who kissed her, pulled her into all these problems. He-
Suddenly, the wall beside her slid open, and she jumped. Now she remembered. This was where the Slytherin common room was. She stared as a figure emerged, and turned to look at her. It was Malfoy.
"What're you doing here?" he asked, looking down at her.
"That's none of your business," she said.
"Whoa, what's with you?" he frowned.
"Nothing, it's what's with you," Ginny said angrily.
"What?" Malfoy looked frustrated.
"Don't act like you like me, Malfoy, because you don't!" Ginny spat.
Malfoy looked even more confused.
"Don't act all innocent either, and stop making fun of me!"
"What're you talking about? I never pretended anything!"
"You were drunk when you kissed me!" Ginny said, remembering the smell of liquor in his breath. "You were just drunk, you didn't even like me!"
"Ginny, okay I admit it, I…do like you, is that what you want me to say?"
Ginny was really frustrated. "Oh, what do you know?" she snapped.
And, to Draco's surprise, she got up, and stomped away, leaving him very confused.
***
Draco could tell something was wrong when he saw Ginny by the common room. At first he thought she had come to see him or something, just didn't know the password, but no, that wasn't it, the password hasn't changed since he walked her there.
He didn't really think about it, until the next day when he walked into Potions. A hush went over the Gryffindors. Good, he thought. They're even more afraid of me. As class went on, Snape talking about a potion that could make the drinker invisible, Draco found Dean Thomas and Seamus acting weird, glancing at him and snickering. He frowned as he noticed Dean scribbling on a piece of paper, then folding it up and passing it to Lavender Brown.
Draco's eyes narrowed as she read it, stifled a gasp and passed it Pavarti Patil. Her eyes widened as she folded it back up and handed it to Longbottom, who looked curious. He too, unfolded it, and read it slowly. His cheeks went pink and he threw it to Harry clumsily. Harry didn't hardly noticed as the note landed beside his desk.
Draco saw his chance. "Assio," he whispered, and the paper flew to him. He opened it up:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Says Malfoy to Ginny,
"There is none I like more than you."
Pass it on, but not to Slytherins!
So, he knew, did he? Draco felt a mixture of feelings of anger and nervousness. And embarrassment. Now all the Gryffindors knew! No doubt that they would tell all the Gryffindors in the other years. And surely it would get around to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. A piece of gossip like this about a really popular guy would get around fast. And it would also get to Slytherin. Where all his fellow Slytherins would laugh at him.
Draco's hand shook as he pointed it back to Potter. He watched Potter pick it up, and frown at it as though he wasn't sure if he should open it…
"Potter! What have you got there?" Snape's voice cut Draco's thought.
Draco sank into his seat. Oh, great. Now Snape was going to read it. He tried to catch the Potion Master's eye. Don't read it, don't read it, don't read it. He pleaded silently. But it was no use. Snape had already opened it and read it aloud without thinking.
A hushed silence filled the room as Snape finished. Then he glanced quickly at Draco, as though just realizing what he had done. His face said sorry to his favorite pupil, but it made no difference, as Draco wanted desperately to gulp down some of the invisible potion Snape had mentioned earlier.
Snape glared at the group of Gryffindors. "Who wrote this?" he demanded. Longbottom shriveled under his furious stare. "Longbottom, do you know?"
Neville's fear of Professor Snape had overpowered his loyalty to Gryffindors. "I…I… sir…I think…it…it…was…um, well…it was Dean!" surprised at his outburst, he quickly covered his mouth.
Snape's stare lingered over Dean Thomas. "Fifty points off for passing notes," he said in his usual quite tone. "And fifty points for lying in your note."
Dean looked like he wanted to sack him. Draco could plainly tell that Snape was trying to make it up to him, but he knew it won't be any use. In two days the whole school would know.
***
Ginny rushed through the halls, eager to find a certain someone. She knew why he hadn't come to his classes, as she had overheard Harry talking a day ago.
"Hasn't shown up," he'd said.
"Must be of that note," was Ron's reply.
"Pretty careless of Snape to just read it out loud," Hermione said.
Ginny sighed as she weaved in and out of the crowd. He can't be hard to spot, with his wonderful blond hair and intense look. Ginny sighed again. It seemed to her she was falling for him, and actually having a crush on him. She pushed the thought away as she spotted him, coming from the common room.
"Draco," she said.
A/N: So, cliffhanger. Better read the next chapter for what Ginny says to him. Do they fall madly in love? Okay, okay, it was rotten of me to do that, but, hey, I do need to keep my audience. Anyways, it wasn't much of a cliffhanger, and I still don't proofread my work so review, review and review!