OK, this is where it starts to get racy… I had far too long to think about it, and so I decided that this was the way to go. Damn fanfiction.net, always crashing on me… Well, it seems to be up right now, so you, you lucky dog, get to read.
Part VI Detonation
She didn't know how long she stayed there, crouched in the loam and mast of the forest floor, staring at her hands in front of her, staring out past the trees, along the path that Draco had walked. Above her, the branches stirred in the gentle breeze, whispering what had happened there, passing the story through the trees. The water continued to drip off the leaves, occasionally landing on her shoulders and head to mingle with the rain already seeping through her tee shirt and hair.
Ginny drew a hand across her eyes, wondering if the liquid there was the result of tears or rain. Her whole body ached, as though she had been sitting there for hours, while in reality she knew it had only been a few minutes. She was torn between wanting to give up on everything and just let Draco live his life as he pleased, and wanting to jump to her feet and tear after him. Even now, even after she had told him outright that she did love him, he didn't seem to believe her. The way he just turned and walked away told her as much. But what could she do? He was gone, now.
She knew she had to try. The more time she wasted sitting there on the forest floor, the less time she had to change Draco's mind.
Ginny climbed to her feet, wincing as her muscles protested. She was amazed at how fast the forest had cooled off as the sun had sank beneath the horizon. She shivered as the crisp spring breeze nipped at her skin through her damp clothes, and began to walk the path that Draco had blazed in his haste to leave the scene. How could she possibly be so calm? she wondered. Draco had said that he might not come back, that he might just die…
She quickened her pace, finally breaking into a sprint as the calm was taken over by an odd sense of determination, and the knowledge that she was running short on time. The branched whipped past her, occasionally catching on her clothes, slowing her down, which only made speed up. The deeper she went into the foliage, the darker it became, and she began to feel that she would never find him. How had he gotten so far in such a short time?
The sun finally disappeared, and the only light in the forest was the silvery full moon that was just making itself known above the tips of the trees. Behind her, somewhere, the torches and fires of Hogwarts castle burned through the night, but she could no longer see them.
Ginny didn't notice the root that was protruding from the round until it was too late, and her foot made direct contact with it, sending her crashing to the ground. She hit the soil hard, the air rushing out of her lungs with the impact, and she groaned and raised her head, beginning to get back up—
—And saw Draco sitting just ahead, his back to her, knees drawn to his chest, hunched over as though his shirt were made of the heaviest lead. She jumped to her feet instantly, then regretted the action as her head swam and her vision threatened to go black. She put a hand to her temple and tried to even her breath, then took a step forward and extended a hand towards Draco's shoulder, quietly whispering his name.
He didn't seem to hear her, and Ginny walked around so she was standing in front of him, and looked down at his still form. He had his arms wrapped tightly around his legs, face buried between his knees. She could just barely hear his breathing, quiet and even, but ragged. She bit her lip and knelt down before him, reaching out to touch his hair.
Draco's head snapped up as soon as her fingers brushed the top of his head. Even in the darkness, Ginny could see that he was crying, albeit silently. The silvery eyes that matched his hair were rimmed with red, and his face was streaked with tears. He looked shocked to see her there in front of him, and he reached out a hand to grasp her arm, as though he couldn't believe she was real. "Ginny?"
"It's me," she whispered, letting her hands settle on his hair, then his face. "Why did you run? I meant what I said." All her fear and anxiety was gone now, replaced by the need to heal this dying boy before her. She could almost feel him giving up; feel his faith slipping out of his body under her hand.
He let go of her and stared at the ground. "How could I believe you?" he finally sighed. "Why would you love me? Why would anyone? There's nothing in me left to love."
"That's not true," Ginny countered. "I may not have a good explanation as to why I love you, but I do. That much I know." He met her gaze again, and she wanted to cry at the desperation she saw in his eyes. "Don't you see? I love you."
She had put as much conviction as she could into that final sentence, desperate to convince him. Draco closed his eyes again, climbing unsteadily to his feet, and Ginny straightened with him. He held her by the shoulders, looking down at her appraisingly, as though trying to decide whether or not he wanted to take her words as truth.
"I want to believe you," he whispered finally. "It's just—I've always been a jackass, especially to you. Ginny…" He paused and stared at her, chewing on his lower lip. "I don't know why you would lie about something like this, or what you think you could get out of it—"
He choked and stared at the ground again, and Ginny let her hands wrap around his wrists, then slid up his arms to touch his shoulders. He looked back at her, the uncertainty in his eyes replaced with a feverish hunger that made her gasp.
"Ginny—" Draco's voice came out as a rasp, and he slid his hands down the sides of her body to rest at her waist. "I… I love you, too, you know. Maybe you think that I'm not capable of loving anybody, but I do. I know this is crazy, but—I do love you… with all there is left in me for loving."
She felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes, and she blinked, trying to hold them in. One of Draco's hands came back up to touch her cheek, brushing across her eyelid and coming away damp. He sighed and traced his finger down the bridge of her nose, leaving a salty wet trail. Ginny reached out and wrapped her hand around his, her fingers interlocking with his own. Draco met her gaze once more, his eyes betraying the level of passion and desire that she had ignited with in him.
He was so close now that she could feel his breath on her face, warm against her cheek, smelling of cinnamon again. Ginny's cheeks tickled as his eyelashes brushed against them, and her lids fell shut as he finally leaned in the last few inches and touched his lips to hers.
He had only kissed her the once, before, and that kiss had been fiery, hard and desperate. But this—this was sweet. Draco's arms and hands around her body were gentle, obviously afraid to scare her away. His mouth on hers was barely even there—just touching. Ginny let go his hand that she had been grasping and let her own hand slide back up his arm and come to rest just below his shoulder. He made a noise when he felt her touch his chest, something between a growl and a moan, and very suddenly he tightened his grip around her, pulling her snugly against him.
Ginny caught her breath when their bodies finally made direct contact, and again when she felt Draco lightly run his tongue over her bottom lip, her upper lip, and come to rest at the corner of her mouth. She let her jaw relax, and he took the reaction as consent, sliding his tongue through her lips and into her mouth. But even then, he was cautious, slow, charting her reactions very carefully. She finally relaxed completely, and met one of his thrusts, the tip of her tongue touching his.
Oh, Goddess, Ginny thought weakly as Draco moved his mouth over hers. Why did I avoid this for so long? It made her wish she had said something to Draco earlier, if this was the result. Her hands seemed to have developed a mind of their own, gliding softly up and down his arms, over his chest and shoulders, around his neck and through his hair, and back again. She could feel him tensing under her touch, and his own arms tightened around her waist and shoulders. Each times their tongues met and danced, she felt something within herself opening up to him. Arms around his neck, she tightened her grasp, and gasped against Draco's lips as one of his hands ran around to the front of her neck, stopping just at the collar of her tee shirt, then went lower.
"Are you all right?" Draco whispered huskily in her ear when she froze. "I'll stop, if you want."
He had taken his hand away from her body, and she was surprised at how she missed its presence almost instantly. "I—I'm all right," she gasped. "Don't stop—"
He cut her off by sealing his mouth over hers again, replacing his hand on her shoulder, then sliding it down to her hip. He tore his mouth away, trailing his lips down the side of her face to her neck. Ginny let out a moan-like breath as he kissed her under her ear, wrapping one arm tightly around her ribcage, and anchoring his other hand on the back of her neck, playing with her hair. One of her hands rubbed his neck, then managed to work its way under the collar of his robes and shirt, brushing lightly against his bare back, surprising them both.
Draco lifted his head from her shoulder and put a hand to her cheek, turning her face to look at him. "Gin, you know what I want…" he began, his voice little more than a gasp.
She jumped when the realization hit her, and stiffened in his arms. He loosened his grip on her, and tried to step back. "No," she ordered, holding him there, trying to catch her breath. "I know what you want, Draco. I just—" I'm losing the battle here, she thought incoherently. And I don't even care… She relaxed, and pulled him back. "I love you, Draco, I really do."
She knew she sounded mad, but by that point it no longer mattered. She only wanted to say what she felt. How can I? I don't even know what I want… Ginny opened her eyes and looked at Draco, desperately trying to communicate. His gray eyes watched her carefully, staring back into hers like two silver laser beams. He shakily stroked her cheek with his fingertips, and pushed back the stray hair that had fallen into her eyes. His breath was as ragged as her own, but he kept a hold on himself.
His eyes said all she needed to hear. Without saying a word, Ginny nodded, pulling Draco back and shivering as his arms wound around her body. He kissed her again, exploring her mouth like he needed to memorize everything. As her fingers found and undid the clasp to his robes, as it slipped off his shoulders and fell unheeded to the ground, Ginny new that she was being incredibly stupid. There was so much that could go wrong in a situation like this, not to mention the fact that they were standing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest in the black of night.
But as Draco kissed her, as he worked his hands up the back of her shirt to caress the sensitive skin of her back, as he pulled her down to kneel before him, she knew that she couldn't have fought this if she'd wanted to.
She didn't want to.
'
The next chapter WILL BE A LEMON! I promise not to go all disgusting-monkey-sex on you, that kind of thing only annoys me, but it will be rated higher, and intended for a more mature audience. Just a warning.
Now quit scowling and review!