The rain hit the windows around the Great Hall repeatedly, mimicking a tap on the glass continually, as if in a rhythmic pattern, a soothing trance. The lightning bolted outdoors to the ground, causing ripples in the once still lake water. The illuminated bolt from the sky continued to reflect into Ginny's chocolate eyes, brightening her somber expression for that mere moment.
She continued to swish her fork throughout her plate, as she had done for the past three days. Now, her plate looked like someone had been sick what with the bacon, eggs, and hash brown pieces mingled into one another. Yet, she was oblivious, her hand just moving idly as she stared off through the window, hoping to see something that would never come.
"I sure hope you're not going to eat that." She suddenly heard from behind her, yet it sounded more like, "Ji jure ope vure vot una eet tat," As Harry's jaw was still recovering. He gave her a small smile as he joined her, sitting across the table from her, his own tray full of liquids. Madam Pomfrey had told him he shouldn't have gotten in a fight in the first place, so therefore deserved to recover the muggle way, painfully and slowly.
She returned the smile, quite meekly at that. Neither one had spoken of what had happened in the hallway, and every time Hermione or Ron would mention it, they'd both run off with their tail between their legs or simply change the subject. It was as if it were now an unspoken secret between them, one that continued to make Ginny wonder curiously.
Ginny sighed a bit, bored by the silence surrounding her and oblivious to Harry's annoying slurps as he had a bit difficulty with his meal. She almost offered to help him when something caught her attention out of the corner of her deep, brown eye. She slowly turned her head, her red hair going with her, a few strands falling into her scrambled eggs, mixed with some sausage.
She spotted Draco. He appeared to be sopping wet near the willow tree by the lake, not a very cheerful look on his face.
"I'm sorry Harry, I need to go..." Her voice trailed off as she stood, clearing her tray, and out the door she was.
The rain pelted her as if she were a target, immediately soaking her within the first few seconds. The cold didn't tend to help as it just made her steps more frigid as she slowly approached the blond-haired boy. By the time she reached him, her hair was sopping wet, her robes clinging to her, and frequent drops continued to slip down her pale cheeks. She stood, staring a bit pleadingly at Malfoy, as her dark eyes searched his white face, looking for some sort of emotion.
* * *
Emotion? Draco had no emotions. At least that's what he told himself and made damn near everyone else believe.
Why should he look cheerful? The one girl he thought he might just be able to trust; who actually cared about him was out swooning after Potter and his broken jaw. Yes, he'd broken the boy's jaw, with much satisfaction at that. It was only fair for Draco to hit him back after Harry hurled not one, but two punches at him. The fact that he missed the second one was a minor detail. He still TRIED to break Draco's face, so why couldn't he TRY to break his? So what if it was about twenty times more likely?
But Weasley didn't see it that way. No, she came swooning after Harry just like every other bloody person on this side of the globe. 'Is Harry okay?' 'What happened to Harry?' 'Oh God! Someone help Harry!' 'Poor Harry!' Never mind the fact that Poor Harry had thwarted him. Let's just leave that out of the story why don't we?
Footsteps were approaching. No one would dare come near him in their right mind, so who was being utterly stupid? Oh. Who else? The Weaslette.
"Go away Weasley." he said coldly.
* * *
Ginny stood underneath the overhanging of the crisp willow tree leaves as they showered her with rain through their cracks and breaks. She looked at him for a moment, as he told her to go away, and part of her wanted to obey. To run away. Trot off with her tail between her legs, never to be seen again.
But the other part... The other part that cared for Malfoy, and desperately wanted those muscular arms around her once more, won out.
She simply took a step closer, her eyes not meeting his anymore, but instead completely enthralled with her shoelaces, as she scuffed her feet against the ground awkwardly, trying to think of something to say. But, What was there to say? She came a step closer, her tears now mingling with the raindrops, making it unobvious that she was crying. She bit her lower lip for a moment, teetering her weight on the edges of her feet as she came even closer, finally meeting her pooled chocolate eyes with his steely gray pair.
"I'm really sorry, Draco." She finally said, barely audible, a whisper, but a sincere apology nonetheless. She looked at him with wanting eyes, pleading almost. And when she still received an emotionless gaze, she remained defeated, and accepted that, however horribly unwanted it may have been, and turned to leave. She had said her piece.
* * *
Sorry? She was SORRY? Oh, yes. He was so sure. After all, she got a good snog out of it, didn't she? The two most wanted boys in school as she loved to call it were fighting for her in the middle of the hallway, and she'd chosen which one she'd wanted. Why the HELL should she be sorry? Sorry for him? Well, he didn't want her damned pity. He didn't want her, not anymore. No, he did then. Yes, he'd wanted her so badly he could taste her, but now... now she was Harry's. She'd always been that bloody Potter's ever since first year.
"What? Is this the part where I chase after you and snog you 'til you drop, Weasley?" he demanded coldly. "Because, you know, I'd hate for you to be snog deprived, what with Potter's jaw being in the fix that it is." His eyes were full of frustration and anger as he gazed at her back.
"I don't NEED you, Weaselette. You may THINK I do, and that oh hell, why not throw Malfoy for a whirl?"
* * *
Ginny slowly turned as he ranted and raved behind her. She studied him intently as he argued, with himself it almost seemed, yet she listened attentively taking in what he had to offer.
She simply nodded her head as he exclaimed to practically the world that he didn't need her, and probably never would, she silently mentioned to herself, wondering if coming down here had been the right choice.
The rain continued to berate down upon her, only she didn't notice, she stood there for a moment, speechless, when she finally came to her senses, she took a few steps back into the rain, to where she was almost a haze to him.
"You may not need me, Draco. And you most likely never will." She paused for a moment, looking down to the ground, her tears making her voice slightly crack as she searched her mind for the right words. "But I need you." The words finally escaped from her pink lips, her voice ragged, and whispered.
She raised her soft, chocolate eyes to his briefly, not looking for any response in particular. He had already said what he felt, and she had to accept that. She nodded her head slightly to herself, as she willed herself to leave, yet she couldn't force her feet to move from this spot. She simply hung her head, the rain droplets hitting the back of her neck, as the tears fell from her eyes, splashing against the grass below.
* * *
Oh, so now she was going to try and make him feel guilty for what he'd done. Well, he honestly couldn't say he was surprised, but there was nothing he could do to hide the fact that he hated the way she looked at him. He hated the way she smiled when she saw him in the hallway, the way she looked up hopefully only to be rejected, the way those damnable brown eyes always managed to find their way to lock with his.
But what the hell was he supposed to do about it? He couldn't just run away, and he couldn't stand there and watch her cry because she couldn't have him, or so she claimed. Couldn't he... accio Potter and make him hug her and glare at him over his shoulder like he would normally do? No... but the sight of Potter flying through a stone wall did appear to be rather amusing.
"You need me, Weasley?" he asked, his voice still its chilling calm. "Even though you've got Pothead right there, following you around like a blasted puppy. You looked perfectly happy with him when I broke his jaw. Oh yes, you swooned over him and gave me a glare, didn't you, Ginny? Because GOD FORBID, the boy who lived might just die and then what would the world do without its protector?!"
He sucked in a breath. "You want Potter? Take him. You want me? You'd be making one hell of a mistake, but I'm just going to sit. Let me know, will you?" That said, he calmly sat back down, staring out at the lake, cold and grey as was fitting for such a drear day; cold and grey... reflecting perfectly in his eyes... if it was a reflection at all.
* * *
Ginny flinched as his voice remained calm, but it felt like yells echoing in her small ears. She raised her head defiantly as he slouched down onto the ground after he'd said his piece. She raised a brow, getting a bit angry. She had said all she had came here for, and yet he did not want her. Perhaps, she just had to accept that.
She had cried all her tears, and now her face looked almost as cold and blank as his usually did. The only think that helped her remain realistic looking was the fire burning in her brown eyes, as they filled with anger, disappointment, and a frustrated flicker, swirling about together. Her chocolate eyes told her emotions like a story.
She remained where she stood for a moment or two, deciding on whether or not to go to him. Yet the fact that he stated that she would be making a mistake, hit her like a ton of bricks. Would she? She knew now that he didn't feel the same way about her; the feelings weren't mutual, no matter what she wished.
She had just been a good snog to him.
The fire intensified in her eyes as her anger burned within her. She bit her lip, hoping to restrain the spiteful comments yanking at her instincts. She slowly turned around, and headed to the castle, her dark robes and fire red hair, to match her mood, flowing behind her.
* * *
It was the biggest match of the year in most people's eyes: Gryffindor VS Slytherin. The two arch-rivals were going head-and-head, each determined to win and to continue their undefeated season. But the spectacle wasn't quite what one would expect it to be. No, the focus wasn't on the chasers, the beaters, and the keepers, sweeping frantically about, but the two seekers, hovering nearby each other as they searched non-stop for the golden snitch.
"You know, the snitch doesn't have a disgusting scar upon it's forehead, contrary to popular belief." Draco drawled, tossing her a glare as he gazed hastily about the pitch. "You may want to stare at something other than Pothead."
* * *
Ginny hovered in the air, a few feet from her enemy seeker. Draco Malfoy.
It figured, it truly did. It was just her luck.
She gave him a death glare as he commented about her looks towards Harry. In truth, she had shot glances towards him, but only because she knew how desperately he had wanted to play in this game, and she hadn't. Her nerves crept with shaking, she was on a natural high, and she could feel it plummeting the more Malfoy opened his dreadful trap.
"Neither does it have two fat, pig faces." She shot back, smirking slightly as she gestured to Crabbe and Goyle with a toss of her head lightly, as they too hovered on the brooms, Goyle scratching his head as he looked about, oblivious to anything going on, and Crabbe clutching his stomach from a "tummy ache" as he had muttered earlier. "I can see how you find them irresistible." She said flatly, her deep brown eyes scanning about his head, looking out for that fleck of gold.
* * *
"Oh, honestly, we've been through this already." He replied sarcastically. "I don't swing that way and you know it." He smirked the classic Malfoy smirk. "But if you want them, I'm sure they'd be pleased to dog pile upon you until you can't breathe." It wouldn't take much... Just Crabbe hopping ballet-like upon the small Weaselette would probably flatten her like a pancake.
"Look alive, will you, you two?!" he cried to the two beaters, who perked up immediately at the sound of their captain's voice. "Where the chasers go, you go. HIT SOMETHING!" He rolled his eyes and continued searching.
"Oh and... bye Weasley." He gave her a wink and a small laugh before his broom suddenly tilted quite downward and the Slytherin made a steep dive, flattening himself against his broom to remove any unwanted drag.
* * *
Ginny rolled her eyes as he suggested her at the hands of his cronies. She shook her head as if in disgust, as Crabbe's face turned an unnatural should of purple, making it appear as if he were going to be sick. She floated a few feet farther from him as Malfoy yelled at them to.. "Look Alive." Whatever the hell that meant.
She turned her attention back to Malfoy as he said her name, yet when she looked towards the spot in the air he should have been, he was no longer there. She then peered down to see him zooming towards something. But, it couldn't have been the snitch, she didn't see it anywhere near the direction he was heading. She sat there for a moment, puzzled by his sudden exit, a look of almost boredom as she gazed about, watching out for that flicker of gold, or the beating of its silent wings.
She raked her hands lazily through her fire red locks as she molded her petite body to the broom, zooming about in a circle lazily, oblivious to the bludger, Goyle had formerly been commanded to hit, heading straight for her innocent body.
* * *
"And Malfoy's zooming downward! It looks like he's surely seen something! Ginny Weasley looks as though she doesn't care, however. Does she think he's bluffing perhaps?" The announcers voice boomed throughout the pitch, much to Malfoy's displeasure. If there was any chance of him going unnoticed to others, it had surely fled him now.
It most certainly was not a bluff, and Draco was in no mood to fake a dive such as he was for no particular reason. Honestly, if Weasley hadn't taken the bait, would he still be going? No. He most certainly wouldn't. "And he pulls out of his dive!" Say it louder why don't you? Malfoy thought bitterly.
There. The glint of gold, clear as daylight was fluttering nearly five feet from him, and he was in no rush to let it slip away. His eyebrows knitted in concentration as he urged his broom to go faster, to catch up. It was so close... so close... so close...
Zip. Zip. Zip. The bugger was there... so willing. He extended his hand, feeling the cool metal in his hands as he smirked delightfully. Oh yes, Weasley had been foolish not to follow him... damned foolish. The extremely loud announcement of how he'd masterfully caught the snitch filled his ears, but above all the commotion; the cheers of Slytherins and mutterings of Gryffindors, he heard a sickening crack.
* * *
Ginny's brow furrowed in anger as she heard the announcer calling her careless. She sat in her position, carefully watching Malfoy, he had to be bluffing, right? She could see no flicker or gold, nor hear any beating of the precious wings she had become so accustomed to.
She squinted her eyes, and lowered her broom a bit, watching as he enclosed his hands around the golden bugger. "Damn!" She exclaimed, hitting the palm of her hand against the broomstick, raking her other hand through her Weasley locks, a bit frustrated. "Damn, damn, damn.." She muttered under her breath as her shoulders slouched in defeat.
She tuned out the Slytherin's cheer and the Gryffindor's moans of loss, to where she could only hear a sound of wind coming towards her, something.. Powerful. She raised her head, just in time to see the bludger heading right towards her side. She gazed up to see an evil snicker on Goyle's face, as she was thrown from her broom, the ball hitting her square in the ribs, breaking two of them, and knocking her to the ground.
She started to fall quickly, faster and faster, she could see the grass soon approaching, she opened her mouth to scream for her life yet no sound came out and instead in mid-air she formed into a ball as she clutched her aching side with her hands, starting to sob from the pain and terror. It was all happening so fast. She grew nearer and nearer to the ground, the mound becoming closer,.. 60 feet... 50 feet... 40 feet... 30 feet.... 20 feet...
* * *
The Slytherin did not hear Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley's cries of "GINNY!". No, he didn't hear them one bit. All he heard was the sickeningly horrific sound of breaking ribs and the rush of air as the blur of red, maroon, and gold hurled toward the ground at ungodly speeds.
He would not let her fall... He'd said that, but he had. He'd let her fall, plummet toward the bottom of the pitch, curled up into the ball as she was so that her speed only increased. Damn.
Before he could think about what he was doing, the seeker zoomed toward the falling body, a terrified look in his eyes that, had he realized he'd looked such a way, he'd pray to Merlin, God, and Allah, whatever necessary, that no one had seen. He had to get under her... had to get there fast enough. The broom wasn't moving fast enough. If he didn't hurry...
The boy leaned forward until he was as flat as a board against the broom, blonde hair flailing in the wind behind him. Close.. so close... would he be able to? With a not-so-gentle thud, Ginny Weasley landed in Draco Malfoy's arms. Not so much as a clap emerged from the horror-stricken audience.
"Ginny!" he whispered, brushing several strands of red hair from her face. "Ginny, please..."
* * *
The wind whipped around her as she felt herself growing closer to her death. This was it.
And just when shed given up all hope, she felt a pair of familiar arms surround her small, curled-up body, his arms piercing her sides, causing her to cry out in agonizing pain. Tears formed on to her already stained, pale cheeks, from the horror of the fall, her broken ribs, the relief of being caught all at the same time.
She could barely hear Harry and Ron's cries for her. All she saw was Draco, and all she felt were his arms around her.
And her ribs.
Her tears increased as the pain was too much, causing the color to drain rapidly from her face and body, as she was most likely suffering from internal bleeding as well. She could feel her strands of hair that were plastered to her face from her tears being quickly removed by his swift, slender fingers. She clutched her fingers to his collar, sobbing into his chest, as her other hand clutched her side. Her body shook violently, reeking with pain and fear. "Draco.." She quietly whispered, yet winced as the words reverberated to her pained side.
* * *
"Shhh...." If she kept talking it would only hurt more, much more. Obviously, she was already in far too much of that.
"You're okay, Ginny." He told her softly, in the process of flying down to the ground and over to Madam Prompfrey with the sobbing girl. Why the bloody hell was she way over there. The woman was trying to sprint, but it wasn't doing much good thanks to her... stature and so, it seemed it was up to Draco to get there fast enough.
"What on Earth happened?"
"Broken ribs." He replied calmly, not missing the flailing bodies of Harry and Ron flying toward him at about the same speed as Ginny had fallen. He rolled his eyes. "Smacked with a bludger." He took that time to shoot a glare at Goyle. "I caught her in mid-fall."
"It's a good thing you did..." the woman mumbled, gently feeling around to see just what damage had been done. "Oh my... two broken..." She sighed, just before the screaming friend squadron appeared.
Oh joy. "Move Malfoy!" came the cry of Ronald, followed by several more he couldn't place. Someone, though he couldn't quite place who, in the mob yanked him backwards to give Harry and Ron entrance to Ginny. With a growl and a swift punch to the nose. The problem was taken care of, Harry was shoved backwards and back he was.
"Is she okay?!" The two asked in unison. Ron looked at Draco, shocked, before turning back to his sister, a moderately puzzled look about him.
* * *
Ginny clutched Draco, along with her side as he gently hushed her. The wind's barreling gusts calmed as she neared the ground with a soft thud, causing her injuries to jolt with a vibration of pain. She could faintly hear Madame Pomfrey's small shoes making a soft pitter-patter footstep rhythm on the grass as she came towards the hurt redhead.
She laid back as Draco gently set her down, and suddenly felt a jab in her side as Pomfrey continued to examine. Ginny's mouth opened suddenly to yelp in pain, yet she remained in silence, unable to speak, as she felt her vision going hazy. "Two broken bones..."
She heard very faintly as her vision faltered and she felt herself escaping into oblivion. She felt wrapped in a black veil of nothingness. She was consumed into a dark and lone abyss, only caughtin her own thoughts, or lack there of.
She felt her lashes flutter, once twice, making soft shadows on her colorless cheeks.
Then she saw black.
She continued to swish her fork throughout her plate, as she had done for the past three days. Now, her plate looked like someone had been sick what with the bacon, eggs, and hash brown pieces mingled into one another. Yet, she was oblivious, her hand just moving idly as she stared off through the window, hoping to see something that would never come.
"I sure hope you're not going to eat that." She suddenly heard from behind her, yet it sounded more like, "Ji jure ope vure vot una eet tat," As Harry's jaw was still recovering. He gave her a small smile as he joined her, sitting across the table from her, his own tray full of liquids. Madam Pomfrey had told him he shouldn't have gotten in a fight in the first place, so therefore deserved to recover the muggle way, painfully and slowly.
She returned the smile, quite meekly at that. Neither one had spoken of what had happened in the hallway, and every time Hermione or Ron would mention it, they'd both run off with their tail between their legs or simply change the subject. It was as if it were now an unspoken secret between them, one that continued to make Ginny wonder curiously.
Ginny sighed a bit, bored by the silence surrounding her and oblivious to Harry's annoying slurps as he had a bit difficulty with his meal. She almost offered to help him when something caught her attention out of the corner of her deep, brown eye. She slowly turned her head, her red hair going with her, a few strands falling into her scrambled eggs, mixed with some sausage.
She spotted Draco. He appeared to be sopping wet near the willow tree by the lake, not a very cheerful look on his face.
"I'm sorry Harry, I need to go..." Her voice trailed off as she stood, clearing her tray, and out the door she was.
The rain pelted her as if she were a target, immediately soaking her within the first few seconds. The cold didn't tend to help as it just made her steps more frigid as she slowly approached the blond-haired boy. By the time she reached him, her hair was sopping wet, her robes clinging to her, and frequent drops continued to slip down her pale cheeks. She stood, staring a bit pleadingly at Malfoy, as her dark eyes searched his white face, looking for some sort of emotion.
* * *
Emotion? Draco had no emotions. At least that's what he told himself and made damn near everyone else believe.
Why should he look cheerful? The one girl he thought he might just be able to trust; who actually cared about him was out swooning after Potter and his broken jaw. Yes, he'd broken the boy's jaw, with much satisfaction at that. It was only fair for Draco to hit him back after Harry hurled not one, but two punches at him. The fact that he missed the second one was a minor detail. He still TRIED to break Draco's face, so why couldn't he TRY to break his? So what if it was about twenty times more likely?
But Weasley didn't see it that way. No, she came swooning after Harry just like every other bloody person on this side of the globe. 'Is Harry okay?' 'What happened to Harry?' 'Oh God! Someone help Harry!' 'Poor Harry!' Never mind the fact that Poor Harry had thwarted him. Let's just leave that out of the story why don't we?
Footsteps were approaching. No one would dare come near him in their right mind, so who was being utterly stupid? Oh. Who else? The Weaslette.
"Go away Weasley." he said coldly.
* * *
Ginny stood underneath the overhanging of the crisp willow tree leaves as they showered her with rain through their cracks and breaks. She looked at him for a moment, as he told her to go away, and part of her wanted to obey. To run away. Trot off with her tail between her legs, never to be seen again.
But the other part... The other part that cared for Malfoy, and desperately wanted those muscular arms around her once more, won out.
She simply took a step closer, her eyes not meeting his anymore, but instead completely enthralled with her shoelaces, as she scuffed her feet against the ground awkwardly, trying to think of something to say. But, What was there to say? She came a step closer, her tears now mingling with the raindrops, making it unobvious that she was crying. She bit her lower lip for a moment, teetering her weight on the edges of her feet as she came even closer, finally meeting her pooled chocolate eyes with his steely gray pair.
"I'm really sorry, Draco." She finally said, barely audible, a whisper, but a sincere apology nonetheless. She looked at him with wanting eyes, pleading almost. And when she still received an emotionless gaze, she remained defeated, and accepted that, however horribly unwanted it may have been, and turned to leave. She had said her piece.
* * *
Sorry? She was SORRY? Oh, yes. He was so sure. After all, she got a good snog out of it, didn't she? The two most wanted boys in school as she loved to call it were fighting for her in the middle of the hallway, and she'd chosen which one she'd wanted. Why the HELL should she be sorry? Sorry for him? Well, he didn't want her damned pity. He didn't want her, not anymore. No, he did then. Yes, he'd wanted her so badly he could taste her, but now... now she was Harry's. She'd always been that bloody Potter's ever since first year.
"What? Is this the part where I chase after you and snog you 'til you drop, Weasley?" he demanded coldly. "Because, you know, I'd hate for you to be snog deprived, what with Potter's jaw being in the fix that it is." His eyes were full of frustration and anger as he gazed at her back.
"I don't NEED you, Weaselette. You may THINK I do, and that oh hell, why not throw Malfoy for a whirl?"
* * *
Ginny slowly turned as he ranted and raved behind her. She studied him intently as he argued, with himself it almost seemed, yet she listened attentively taking in what he had to offer.
She simply nodded her head as he exclaimed to practically the world that he didn't need her, and probably never would, she silently mentioned to herself, wondering if coming down here had been the right choice.
The rain continued to berate down upon her, only she didn't notice, she stood there for a moment, speechless, when she finally came to her senses, she took a few steps back into the rain, to where she was almost a haze to him.
"You may not need me, Draco. And you most likely never will." She paused for a moment, looking down to the ground, her tears making her voice slightly crack as she searched her mind for the right words. "But I need you." The words finally escaped from her pink lips, her voice ragged, and whispered.
She raised her soft, chocolate eyes to his briefly, not looking for any response in particular. He had already said what he felt, and she had to accept that. She nodded her head slightly to herself, as she willed herself to leave, yet she couldn't force her feet to move from this spot. She simply hung her head, the rain droplets hitting the back of her neck, as the tears fell from her eyes, splashing against the grass below.
* * *
Oh, so now she was going to try and make him feel guilty for what he'd done. Well, he honestly couldn't say he was surprised, but there was nothing he could do to hide the fact that he hated the way she looked at him. He hated the way she smiled when she saw him in the hallway, the way she looked up hopefully only to be rejected, the way those damnable brown eyes always managed to find their way to lock with his.
But what the hell was he supposed to do about it? He couldn't just run away, and he couldn't stand there and watch her cry because she couldn't have him, or so she claimed. Couldn't he... accio Potter and make him hug her and glare at him over his shoulder like he would normally do? No... but the sight of Potter flying through a stone wall did appear to be rather amusing.
"You need me, Weasley?" he asked, his voice still its chilling calm. "Even though you've got Pothead right there, following you around like a blasted puppy. You looked perfectly happy with him when I broke his jaw. Oh yes, you swooned over him and gave me a glare, didn't you, Ginny? Because GOD FORBID, the boy who lived might just die and then what would the world do without its protector?!"
He sucked in a breath. "You want Potter? Take him. You want me? You'd be making one hell of a mistake, but I'm just going to sit. Let me know, will you?" That said, he calmly sat back down, staring out at the lake, cold and grey as was fitting for such a drear day; cold and grey... reflecting perfectly in his eyes... if it was a reflection at all.
* * *
Ginny flinched as his voice remained calm, but it felt like yells echoing in her small ears. She raised her head defiantly as he slouched down onto the ground after he'd said his piece. She raised a brow, getting a bit angry. She had said all she had came here for, and yet he did not want her. Perhaps, she just had to accept that.
She had cried all her tears, and now her face looked almost as cold and blank as his usually did. The only think that helped her remain realistic looking was the fire burning in her brown eyes, as they filled with anger, disappointment, and a frustrated flicker, swirling about together. Her chocolate eyes told her emotions like a story.
She remained where she stood for a moment or two, deciding on whether or not to go to him. Yet the fact that he stated that she would be making a mistake, hit her like a ton of bricks. Would she? She knew now that he didn't feel the same way about her; the feelings weren't mutual, no matter what she wished.
She had just been a good snog to him.
The fire intensified in her eyes as her anger burned within her. She bit her lip, hoping to restrain the spiteful comments yanking at her instincts. She slowly turned around, and headed to the castle, her dark robes and fire red hair, to match her mood, flowing behind her.
* * *
It was the biggest match of the year in most people's eyes: Gryffindor VS Slytherin. The two arch-rivals were going head-and-head, each determined to win and to continue their undefeated season. But the spectacle wasn't quite what one would expect it to be. No, the focus wasn't on the chasers, the beaters, and the keepers, sweeping frantically about, but the two seekers, hovering nearby each other as they searched non-stop for the golden snitch.
"You know, the snitch doesn't have a disgusting scar upon it's forehead, contrary to popular belief." Draco drawled, tossing her a glare as he gazed hastily about the pitch. "You may want to stare at something other than Pothead."
* * *
Ginny hovered in the air, a few feet from her enemy seeker. Draco Malfoy.
It figured, it truly did. It was just her luck.
She gave him a death glare as he commented about her looks towards Harry. In truth, she had shot glances towards him, but only because she knew how desperately he had wanted to play in this game, and she hadn't. Her nerves crept with shaking, she was on a natural high, and she could feel it plummeting the more Malfoy opened his dreadful trap.
"Neither does it have two fat, pig faces." She shot back, smirking slightly as she gestured to Crabbe and Goyle with a toss of her head lightly, as they too hovered on the brooms, Goyle scratching his head as he looked about, oblivious to anything going on, and Crabbe clutching his stomach from a "tummy ache" as he had muttered earlier. "I can see how you find them irresistible." She said flatly, her deep brown eyes scanning about his head, looking out for that fleck of gold.
* * *
"Oh, honestly, we've been through this already." He replied sarcastically. "I don't swing that way and you know it." He smirked the classic Malfoy smirk. "But if you want them, I'm sure they'd be pleased to dog pile upon you until you can't breathe." It wouldn't take much... Just Crabbe hopping ballet-like upon the small Weaselette would probably flatten her like a pancake.
"Look alive, will you, you two?!" he cried to the two beaters, who perked up immediately at the sound of their captain's voice. "Where the chasers go, you go. HIT SOMETHING!" He rolled his eyes and continued searching.
"Oh and... bye Weasley." He gave her a wink and a small laugh before his broom suddenly tilted quite downward and the Slytherin made a steep dive, flattening himself against his broom to remove any unwanted drag.
* * *
Ginny rolled her eyes as he suggested her at the hands of his cronies. She shook her head as if in disgust, as Crabbe's face turned an unnatural should of purple, making it appear as if he were going to be sick. She floated a few feet farther from him as Malfoy yelled at them to.. "Look Alive." Whatever the hell that meant.
She turned her attention back to Malfoy as he said her name, yet when she looked towards the spot in the air he should have been, he was no longer there. She then peered down to see him zooming towards something. But, it couldn't have been the snitch, she didn't see it anywhere near the direction he was heading. She sat there for a moment, puzzled by his sudden exit, a look of almost boredom as she gazed about, watching out for that flicker of gold, or the beating of its silent wings.
She raked her hands lazily through her fire red locks as she molded her petite body to the broom, zooming about in a circle lazily, oblivious to the bludger, Goyle had formerly been commanded to hit, heading straight for her innocent body.
* * *
"And Malfoy's zooming downward! It looks like he's surely seen something! Ginny Weasley looks as though she doesn't care, however. Does she think he's bluffing perhaps?" The announcers voice boomed throughout the pitch, much to Malfoy's displeasure. If there was any chance of him going unnoticed to others, it had surely fled him now.
It most certainly was not a bluff, and Draco was in no mood to fake a dive such as he was for no particular reason. Honestly, if Weasley hadn't taken the bait, would he still be going? No. He most certainly wouldn't. "And he pulls out of his dive!" Say it louder why don't you? Malfoy thought bitterly.
There. The glint of gold, clear as daylight was fluttering nearly five feet from him, and he was in no rush to let it slip away. His eyebrows knitted in concentration as he urged his broom to go faster, to catch up. It was so close... so close... so close...
Zip. Zip. Zip. The bugger was there... so willing. He extended his hand, feeling the cool metal in his hands as he smirked delightfully. Oh yes, Weasley had been foolish not to follow him... damned foolish. The extremely loud announcement of how he'd masterfully caught the snitch filled his ears, but above all the commotion; the cheers of Slytherins and mutterings of Gryffindors, he heard a sickening crack.
* * *
Ginny's brow furrowed in anger as she heard the announcer calling her careless. She sat in her position, carefully watching Malfoy, he had to be bluffing, right? She could see no flicker or gold, nor hear any beating of the precious wings she had become so accustomed to.
She squinted her eyes, and lowered her broom a bit, watching as he enclosed his hands around the golden bugger. "Damn!" She exclaimed, hitting the palm of her hand against the broomstick, raking her other hand through her Weasley locks, a bit frustrated. "Damn, damn, damn.." She muttered under her breath as her shoulders slouched in defeat.
She tuned out the Slytherin's cheer and the Gryffindor's moans of loss, to where she could only hear a sound of wind coming towards her, something.. Powerful. She raised her head, just in time to see the bludger heading right towards her side. She gazed up to see an evil snicker on Goyle's face, as she was thrown from her broom, the ball hitting her square in the ribs, breaking two of them, and knocking her to the ground.
She started to fall quickly, faster and faster, she could see the grass soon approaching, she opened her mouth to scream for her life yet no sound came out and instead in mid-air she formed into a ball as she clutched her aching side with her hands, starting to sob from the pain and terror. It was all happening so fast. She grew nearer and nearer to the ground, the mound becoming closer,.. 60 feet... 50 feet... 40 feet... 30 feet.... 20 feet...
* * *
The Slytherin did not hear Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley's cries of "GINNY!". No, he didn't hear them one bit. All he heard was the sickeningly horrific sound of breaking ribs and the rush of air as the blur of red, maroon, and gold hurled toward the ground at ungodly speeds.
He would not let her fall... He'd said that, but he had. He'd let her fall, plummet toward the bottom of the pitch, curled up into the ball as she was so that her speed only increased. Damn.
Before he could think about what he was doing, the seeker zoomed toward the falling body, a terrified look in his eyes that, had he realized he'd looked such a way, he'd pray to Merlin, God, and Allah, whatever necessary, that no one had seen. He had to get under her... had to get there fast enough. The broom wasn't moving fast enough. If he didn't hurry...
The boy leaned forward until he was as flat as a board against the broom, blonde hair flailing in the wind behind him. Close.. so close... would he be able to? With a not-so-gentle thud, Ginny Weasley landed in Draco Malfoy's arms. Not so much as a clap emerged from the horror-stricken audience.
"Ginny!" he whispered, brushing several strands of red hair from her face. "Ginny, please..."
* * *
The wind whipped around her as she felt herself growing closer to her death. This was it.
And just when shed given up all hope, she felt a pair of familiar arms surround her small, curled-up body, his arms piercing her sides, causing her to cry out in agonizing pain. Tears formed on to her already stained, pale cheeks, from the horror of the fall, her broken ribs, the relief of being caught all at the same time.
She could barely hear Harry and Ron's cries for her. All she saw was Draco, and all she felt were his arms around her.
And her ribs.
Her tears increased as the pain was too much, causing the color to drain rapidly from her face and body, as she was most likely suffering from internal bleeding as well. She could feel her strands of hair that were plastered to her face from her tears being quickly removed by his swift, slender fingers. She clutched her fingers to his collar, sobbing into his chest, as her other hand clutched her side. Her body shook violently, reeking with pain and fear. "Draco.." She quietly whispered, yet winced as the words reverberated to her pained side.
* * *
"Shhh...." If she kept talking it would only hurt more, much more. Obviously, she was already in far too much of that.
"You're okay, Ginny." He told her softly, in the process of flying down to the ground and over to Madam Prompfrey with the sobbing girl. Why the bloody hell was she way over there. The woman was trying to sprint, but it wasn't doing much good thanks to her... stature and so, it seemed it was up to Draco to get there fast enough.
"What on Earth happened?"
"Broken ribs." He replied calmly, not missing the flailing bodies of Harry and Ron flying toward him at about the same speed as Ginny had fallen. He rolled his eyes. "Smacked with a bludger." He took that time to shoot a glare at Goyle. "I caught her in mid-fall."
"It's a good thing you did..." the woman mumbled, gently feeling around to see just what damage had been done. "Oh my... two broken..." She sighed, just before the screaming friend squadron appeared.
Oh joy. "Move Malfoy!" came the cry of Ronald, followed by several more he couldn't place. Someone, though he couldn't quite place who, in the mob yanked him backwards to give Harry and Ron entrance to Ginny. With a growl and a swift punch to the nose. The problem was taken care of, Harry was shoved backwards and back he was.
"Is she okay?!" The two asked in unison. Ron looked at Draco, shocked, before turning back to his sister, a moderately puzzled look about him.
* * *
Ginny clutched Draco, along with her side as he gently hushed her. The wind's barreling gusts calmed as she neared the ground with a soft thud, causing her injuries to jolt with a vibration of pain. She could faintly hear Madame Pomfrey's small shoes making a soft pitter-patter footstep rhythm on the grass as she came towards the hurt redhead.
She laid back as Draco gently set her down, and suddenly felt a jab in her side as Pomfrey continued to examine. Ginny's mouth opened suddenly to yelp in pain, yet she remained in silence, unable to speak, as she felt her vision going hazy. "Two broken bones..."
She heard very faintly as her vision faltered and she felt herself escaping into oblivion. She felt wrapped in a black veil of nothingness. She was consumed into a dark and lone abyss, only caughtin her own thoughts, or lack there of.
She felt her lashes flutter, once twice, making soft shadows on her colorless cheeks.
Then she saw black.