Disclaimer: The characters and places in this fanfic (Except Mei Lien Chang) belong to J.K. Rowling and respective companies. I do not claim anything in this story except the plot and Mei Lien (Maybe some other new characters coming up in later chapters, which will be stated.) This fic also contains situations that warrant the PG-13 rating (Which may be increased.) Please enjoy! =)
Still It Rains
- Chapter 1: Rain Brings Convention
Ginny pushed the door open and entered The Three Broomsticks, followed not too far behind by the Dream Team. The violent storm outside seemed to have not discouraged the townsfolk and other students from a night out, for the place was packed. Ginny was glad that the Hogwarts uniforms had an anti-rain charm, otherwise she would be soaked through.
Weaving her way amidst the tables and chairs, Ginny lead the Dream Team to a cozy booth in the far corner. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed, chattering away about something that Ginny could honestly care less about. Once they were all seated, Madam Rosmerta approached them with a bright smile.
"It's good to see all of you again! Would it be the usual for you?" Rosmerta asked. They all nodded.
"Yes, a round of butterbeers for now." Harry said politely to the blurry woman as he wiped the raindrops from his glasses.
"Coming right up!" With that, Rosmerta went back to the bar.
Ginny glanced over at Harry, who sat next to her, and admired how handsome he looked without his glasses. He would be handsome to her in a paper bag, of course, but it wasn't often that she saw him without his glasses. Hermione was the only one who seemed to notice, and when Ginny redirected her attention to Ron, who was talking, Hermione offered Ginny a slight smile. Either Harry didn't notice or he was a good actor, nevertheless, a light blush soon colored Ginny's lightly freckled cheeks.
After a few moments, Rosmerta reappeared with four foaming tankards of butterbeer. Ginny sipped at her drink slowly, staring off at nothing in particular as the Dream Team began to discuss the current issues regarding Lord Voldemort. She was extremely sick of hearing about it, and wished for once they would discuss something mildly pleasant. It wasn't long before her mind began to roam. Ginny's gaze settled on the floor as she began to imagine one of her many Harry Potter fantasies. A wistful smile touched her lips, and eventually she had drowned out everything around her entirely. All that existed to her in that moment was the fantasy, a fantasy that she knew would never become reality.
It was not long before her thoughts began to turn sour, which often happened when she thought too deeply about Harry. The image of Harry engaged in a passionate kiss with Cho Chang rang through Ginny's mind. She had, after all, come across such an image the year before, and ever since it had corrupted her fantasies about him. Standing, Ginny muttered an excuse and left the table, unable to withstand their questions if they realized something was troubling her. She went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, and after drying off she stared at herself in the mirror. Maybe I should give up on him…
Tears stung Ginny's eyes, and she found it difficult to prevent them from falling. She pushed open a stall and sat on the toilet, curled up, and cried silently. Glad that no one was there, she remained until she could manage to suppress the sadness, and soon emerged. Giving her reflection a glare, she wiped her eyes and went back out into the hallway where she lingered until she was sure the redness had left her eyes.
Right when she decided she had gotten hold of herself to return to the table, someone rounded the corner and blocked her path.
"You're in my way," a reproving voice drawled. Ginny would recognize that voice anywhere, and forced herself to avoid his eyes.
"Malfoy, there is plenty of room in this hallway to walk around me," Ginny retorted.
"You are standing right in front of the men's bathroom," Draco sneered and shoved her aside without a second thought. Ginny stumbled a little but caught herself on the opposite wall.
"Ass hole…" She murmured, glaring at the men's bathroom door that Draco had disappeared behind.
"Ginny?" Hermione's voice invaded the hallway and she came into view. Ginny glanced up at her with vacant eyes. "Is everything all right? You've been gone for a while."
"I'm fine, I'm okay," Ginny responded. "Just had a run-in with Malfoy, is all." Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"Don't let that brute bother you, let's go back to the table," Hermione said as she turned and went back into the crowded tavern. Ginny stood there for a moment, hesitating. She really wanted to just go back to her dorm and be alone for a little while. Unbeknownst to her, Draco had emerged from the bathroom and stood silently behind her.
"Did I hurt your feelings, little weasel?" said Draco, leaning close to her ear. Ginny couldn't help but shiver at the delicious tingle she felt all over her body at the sound of his voice. She dismissed it easily and rolled her eyes, turning slowly to face him.
"Don't flatter yourself," Ginny muttered, prepared to fix him with a scornful gaze. Little did she know that the beauty of his impassive demeanor would send every aspect of her world to a screeching halt. The scorn ebbed only to be replaced by heady passion as Draco swept his eyes over her, drinking in her exquisite femininity.
"I don't need to," Draco responded silkily. His eyes narrowed as he offered her his most alluring one-sided smirk, "You do it for me."
Oh, PLEASE! Could he get any more arrogant?! Ginny thought while simultaneously enchanted by his devious smile. She cleared her throat and finally managed to avert her eyes.
Draco lifted his chin, glancing down his nose at her as if searching for the meaning behind her lack of response. She was a Weasley, and that itself was a red flag for a short fuse. Why wasn't she hauling off and slapping the hell out of him for his conceit? Maybe he needed to push just one or two more buttons…
"Anyway, I'm sure you wouldn't know flattery if it came up and lit your horrid hair on fire…having never received it, that is. Now, remove yourself from my path." Draco's smirk became more of a sneer as he folded his arms. Ginny just stared at him expressionless.
"No." Ginny could barely believe that word just came from her mouth…directed to Draco, no less!
"Excuse me?" Draco lifted an eyebrow, not exactly taken aback—although it wasn't what he expected to hear.
"N…never mind," Ginny uttered and stepped out of his way. She really wasn't up to his bullshit and decided it would be best to humor him. Leaning against the wall, Ginny focused on the intricate pattern of the carpet, fully expecting him to just walk away.
"You've been crying." Draco commented without much concern. Ginny's eyes raised to meet his slowly. All of the noise and clatter from the tavern suddenly seemed so far away. He had said it with no ounce of feeling, and yet somehow it meant something to her.
"It doesn't matter." Was all she could say as she remained against the wall, suddenly aware of the fact that he wasn't leaving like she had thought he would. Draco studied her for a few moments, the subtle arch of his eyebrow indicating…intrigue? Ginny couldn't decipher, and so she pushed herself from the wall and left Draco alone in the hallway.
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Will this rain ever end? Thought Ginny as she stared longingly out of the bay window of her dorm. It was well passed midnight and she couldn't seem to find sleep. The low thrum of the rain against the walls of the ancient castle had been enough to lull the rest of her dorm-mates to sleep, however Ginny's mind was riveted by stray thoughts. Thoughts about her low mark in potions class, thoughts about the upcoming Halloween Feast, thoughts about Harry's passionate kiss with Cho that occurred last year. Then, without warning, her mind drifted to the least likely person imaginable—Draco Malfoy.
Ginny's encounter with Malfoy in The Three Broomsticks earlier that evening proved to be the most disconcerting, yet fascinating, experience of the day. He was acting as his typical prat bastard self, but something seemed…different about him. In a way, she might have believed he was flirting with her, although that idea was thrown out when she remembered his impolite shove. Oh, how could she forget the degrading comment about how she probably never receives compliments? What was it about him then that seemed so peculiar? He didn't seem so ready to tease her when he noticed she had been crying like she thought he would have—that must have been it. He also kind of…stood there, watching her. That means nothing.
There was that voice in Ginny's head again. She hadn't always listened to it, and what made her think that she would listen to it this time? It meant something, I just don't know what…
Before long, Ginny had dozed off with the image on her mind of Malfoy looking down at her inquisitively. Lucky for her, the bay window was littered with pillows and a rag-tag blanket, which provided at least a minor level of comfort.
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Staring at the ceiling of his canopy bed, Draco let out a slight groan of irritation as he massaged a sore muscle in his shoulder. It was pointless, there was no way he could sleep with Crabbe and Goyle sawing logs in their sleep—not to mention the annoying patter of rain against the window. Normally he enjoyed the sound of the rain, but tonight too many things were bothering him for him to find comfort in any noise. Not in all of his nearly seven years at Hogwarts had he had a more irritating day than he had today. It's not that too many bad things happened, he just attributed it to not getting enough sleep.
Well, that wasn't entirely true, he had nearly forgotten about Pansy until just now. Why? Why does she insist on clinging to me? He knew it was because he was devilishly handsome, and his charming demeanor probably had a lot to do with it as well—oh, and he was rolling in wealth. But…still. Sometimes she was tolerable, today just wasn't one of those times.
A very subtle click sound brought him back to his surroundings and he attempted to stare through the thick emerald canopy curtains to see who had entered the dorm. After a moment of silence, he closed his eyes to feign sleep. Someone swept open the curtain of his four poster very slowly, and a very familiar perfumed scent wafted over him. The weight of the person climbing onto his bed sent his eyes jolting open.
"Pansy." Draco muttered in barely a whisper.
"Yes, it's me." Pansy responded as she reached to close the curtain. "I was hoping you'd want to play a little…I can't sleep."
Play? Draco involuntarily shuddered. The very last thing he wanted to do right now was snog with Pansy. He rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply as he felt cold air rushing under his blanket. Pansy had slid beneath his covers and closed off the cold as her body pressed against his. Without hesitating, she went to work, kissing and nipping at his neck as her hand drifted beneath the hem of his shirt. He had to admit, she wasn't so bad at this. As he felt himself relax, he began stroking his fingers through her hair. This encouraged Pansy to bring her hand down to the elastic of his boxers.
Draco shifted so that he was on his side, which sent her rolling onto her back, and he placed his mouth over hers forcefully. His tongue coaxed hers as he kissed her with bruising force, causing her to moan. Her hands were all over him, clinging and rubbing—and just before she would begin the groping, for a fleeting moment he pictured himself kissing the adorable red-head he had encountered earlier in The Three Broomsticks.
That, of course, drove him wild for some reason that he wasn't coherent enough to understand at the moment. He imagined that the red-head was beneath him, clinging to him with a desperate need for release, and he shuddered with euphoria. He had always known her name, but he had conveniently forgotten it—along with many other names of the insignificant Gryffindors. Until this moment, that is.
"Ginny…"Draco breathed as he brought his mouth to Pansy's neck. Of course, she stiffened.
"What did you just say?" Pansy asked accusingly, her voice shrill. Draco blinked out of his revere and inwardly berated himself.
Okay, what the hell was that…Draco thought as he played the past few minutes over in his mind. He was sure that he had said it. Ginny. He was even more sure that he was pretending that Pansy was her.
"Just go. I'm too tired and my head hurts." Draco said, annoyed, as he pushed away from Pansy. Pansy lied there for a minute, unsure of if she should slap him or cry. When she had gotten the hint that he wasn't planning on touching her anymore, she huffed and stormed out of the dorm, slamming the door behind her.
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The next morning, the Dream Team made its way across the courtyard, talking excitedly to one another. Ginny trailed behind them with her friend, Mei Lien Chang, Cho Chang's little sister. Mei Lien was a year younger than Ginny, and had befriended her in a Healing Arts tutoring session. Mei, as Ginny often called her, and Ginny slowed their pace as they neared the water fountain, and watched as the Dream Team continued on their way to Hagrid's hut.
"They are always excited about something." Mei stated with her thick Chinese accent.
Ginny nodded and offered a shrug. "I just let 'em live in their own world."
"I think that Hermione is lucky to always be with such cute boys." Mei laughed a little and sat on the edge of the fountain, followed by Ginny who sat down next to her. Ginny wasn't sure if she totally agreed. I mean sure, Harry was definitely cute. Handsome was more like it—but her brother? Well, I guess he's all right. Not really in the mood to discuss cute boys, Ginny turned to her friend and politely changed the subject.
"How was your day yesterday? I feel bad that you weren't able to go to Hogsmeade."
Mei ran a hand through her sleek black hair and smiled a little. "It was all right. I got a lot of that Transfiguration paper done that I was complaining about."
"Oh that's good." Ginny responded with a warm smile. Their discussion lasted for a few more minutes, until Mei Lien had to take off for her next class. Ginny was glad that she was able to arrange her schedule so that she had just about every day after one o'clock free to do whatever she wanted. Feeling rather bored, Ginny fished through her bag for something to read until the Dream Team returned from their daily meeting with Hagrid.
For some reason, Ginny could not seem to focus on the book. Her mind drifted off into some obscure oblivion before she realized she had turned the page without any idea what she just read. The shuffle of footsteps approaching at a swift pace distracted her from any attempt to reread, and she glanced up just in time for her right cheek to be met by a fierce punch. Caught off guard, Ginny fell back flailing into the murky fountain water. The sharp sting from the punch sent her reeling as she struggled to regain her sense of surroundings. She felt another fist slam against her upper arm, followed by her head being lifted from the water by her hair.
Ginny looked up to her attacker—who pulled mercilessly at her hair, screaming about something she could barely understand for the throbbing pain in her cheek.
"You dirty slut! How dare you even think about touching my man!" A shrill voice echoed over the courtyard. Ginny finally regained her senses as she recognized her assailant as none other than Pansy Parkinson. What does she have against me all of a sudden?
Ginny wasted no time and landed a forceful kick into Pansy's shin. Shrieking, Pansy let go of Ginny's hair and fell back onto the cobblestone, clutching her leg. Before long, a cluster of observers had surrounded them, chanting fight, fight, fight. Drenched and rightfully pissed off, Ginny scowled down at Pansy and chose to take this moment to storm away. She knew she had at least fractured Pansy's shin, and boy did it feel good.
That'll teach her to come flying up to me like a mad harpy cursing about things that she probably hallucinated. Yeah, that's it, hallucinations caused by inhaling so much of that nasty perfume she wears.
"Nice kick, Weasley." A voice drawled from behind as Ginny passed a corridor on her way into the castle. She paused, recognizing his voice, and turned to glare at him.
"Thanks, Malfoy. Out of my way or I'll practice it on you." Ginny spat, narrowing her eyes. Draco couldn't help but find her unthreatening—all soaking wet with her hair dripping and a mark on her face that was swiftly turning an ugly shade of blue.
"I do not appear to be in your way, Weasley. You're clearly heading in that direction." Draco casually pointed down the hall, and then leaned back against the wall, offering her a smirk. Ginny fumed more and made a noise of disgust.
"But you're bothering me." She added.
"All you have to do is walk away." Draco offered indifferently, quite enjoying the view of this soaking wet redhead. He knew she wouldn't walk away—not from him.
Ginny fixed him with a look that could cast curses in multiple languages. He sounded so patronizing, so degrading—and yet so charming. Her face softened a little as she continued to stare at him. He wore dark robes of some expensive material that she couldn't name, and was poised so casually—yet with an air of confidence that made him all the more enticing. The uninterested expression on his face remained as she suddenly realized she was staring. She bit her lip and hesitated to walk away, but the throbbing pain in her cheek reminded her that she needed to tend to it right away.
"Don't be so defiant. Just walk away and I won't bother you anymore." Draco said simply. Something about the way he seemed so aloof and uncaring made Ginny want to do something that would make him care. What am I thinking?!
Without saying anything more, Ginny turned to continue on her way into the castle. Draco stood silently, leering with triumph as he watched her leave.
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A/N: What do you think? I've got a pretty twisted love story coming up in the next few chapters, so I hope this was a good start. Thank you so much for reading!! Please review. =)