Author: Lee Velviet
E-Mail: Vampslay@Bellsouth.net
Disclaimer: You know who this stuff belongs to-J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc-I own absolutely nothing! ::Sob::
(A/N: Reviews would rock, flames are welcome, but constructive criticism would be better! As always, please let me know if I get facts wrong! Thanks for reading!)
~***~
4.Harry And Ginny's Small Corner Of Teen Angst
Harry was grinning from ear to ear the next morning when Ginny wandered listlessly into the Great Hall for breakfast. He had switched places with Hermione in order to sit next to Ginny. She smiled at him weakly his smile dropped like a ton of rocks.
"What's wrong?" He asked gravely in his quiet, husky voice. He took her hand under the table. "Have you changed your mind?"
Ginny bit her lip as she watched his skin pale. "No. I love you, Harry never doubt that. I want to be with you. Always." She clutched his hand almost desperately.
He blushed at the intensity of her voice, but looked relieved, closing his eyes briefly. "What's wrong, then?"
She felt like she was going to throw up. "I don't feel well," she said honestly.
"That's not all, is it?" He looked at her in that serious way of his that made it seem like he could see everything going on inside her head.
"No," she felt her face crumple briefly before she noticed Ron and Hermione looking at them curiously from across the table.
"Come with me." Harry said abruptly, standing up, still holding her hand.
Ginny resisted, not wanting her dream to come true, not when they'd finally found each other. "B - but…class, we have to - we'll be late -
Harry looked at her fiercely, "Screw class, Ginny. This is just school - we're talking about the rest of our lives, here," he said coldly, and a chill ran down her spine as she stood, shaking her head at Ron as he frowned and stood also, as if to follow them.
She turned her head away as Harry led her off, and she caught Draco looking at her with intense flashing eyes through the soft, spiky fall of his white hair, saw him place his hands flat down on the table and slowly push himself up, ignoring the odd looks from Pansy Parkinson as she tugged ineffectually at his robe sleeve. He narrowed his eyes on them, sending Ginny a look that made her lose her breath.
Then they were out of the hall, and Harry led her back up to the common room, deserted at this time of the morning. Harry let go of her in front of the Fireplace, and Ginny sank down onto the carpet, her legs unable to hold her up.
Harry had his hands stuffed deeply into the pockets of his loose fitting khaki's, and he was pacing, his shaggy dark head lowered, hiding his face.
He was quiet, and Ginny didn't dare say a word; she just looked at every inch of him while she had the chance. Who knew if he'd ever want to even talk to her again after this-she knew she couldn't lie to him.
Her eyes watched his feet, clad in heavy, worn black boots, scuffle across the thick pile of the carpet, the slightly tattered, rolled cuffs of his hand me down pants fall low around the heels.
Poor, overlooked, mistreated Harry. Her eyes rose, hesitating at the edge of his robes as they fluttered around his legs as he walked. She looked at his wrists, the white cuffs of his shirt showing below the ribbed gray edge of his jumper. Her gaze traveled up the sleeve of his robes, to the chest she'd noticed had widened and deepened over the summer holidays. His shoulders looked wider, and his neck more muscled beneath the pristine white collar of his shirt and the scarlet and gold tie he never quite managed to knot evenly.
He turned to look at her then, and she felt her breath catch in her throat.
"Gin…" he swallowed, and she noticed his hands trembled slightly as he pulled them from his pockets.
She looked at him helplessly.
He fell down onto his knees, sliding across the carpet to her, drawing her into his arms.
She felt him shudder against her, and she held him, gratefully, her arms having ached for him, her fingers sliding up into the nape of his silky, untidy black hair. She had to hold him as long as she could…
"What is it, Gin? What's happened?" He sounded cold, his voice shaking. "Did I do something? Say something?"
"You didn't do anything, Harry. I love you; I always have…" she squeezed her eyes shut.
"You don't want to be with me, is that it?"
"I do, you have no idea..."
He flung her arms away, pushing back until he wasn't touching her anymore, until he was kneeling before her on the carpet, teeth bared, looking dark and hurt, angry and dangerous all at once. "It's not going to work between us, is it? That's what you're too damned scared to tell me, isn't it?" He was breathing heavily, unconsciously raising a hand to rub the area of his chest over his heart, as if it were hurting him.
She raised a hand to her throat, plucking at her tie. "Harry," her voice was a mere whisper.
"Why did you tell me you loved me, Ginny?" He reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her against him. His voice broke. "Why did you even tell me?"
Before she could say a word, Harry's face had hardened, and he was looking down at her in a way she'd never seen before, his emerald eyes darkening to impenetrable diamond hard pools. He grabbed her waist and dragged her against him, breathing raggedly. She closed her eyes as he crushed her lips under his, the kiss drawing blood in its intensity.
She made a sound of pain, but didn't pull away, kissing him back with a confused, growing passion.
When he pulled open her robes, she tore her mouth from his, breathing heavily, "No Harry…"
He grasped her chin in his fingers, his eyes frosty. He reached up and pulled off his glasses, throwing them across the room uncaringly.
"This isn't you, Harry," she sighed unhappily crystal tears running down her cheeks.
"Well, maybe I don't want to be me, anymore," he said in an unfamiliar, harsh tone. "Maybe I'm tired of being the nice, heroic guy who loses everything."
"You know this won't change anything, Harry," She sighed, lips trembling. "You'll be taking advantage of me - you know how I feel about you, I won't stop you-"
"I 'know' how you feel about me?" He looked at her incredulously. "You 'won't stop me'?" His eyes narrowed to slits as he bent over her, forcing her to fall back onto the carpet, eyes wide.
"Well," he laughed coldly, sounding eerily like Draco, "You know what that makes you, Ginny, don't you? Here I thought you were so innocent - but you're willing to let me take you, here, like a common Wh -
"Stop it!"
He clenched his jaw. "You'd let me take you, knowing full well you love Malfoy, that slimy bastard." Harry looked at her in disgust. "You're not who I thought you were, Ginny. The girl I knew wouldn't have given an evil rat like Draco Malfoy a second look."
"You think I like this?" A sob burst in her throat. "You think I enjoyed having you finally look at me, finally love me, after five years- five years, Harry-of watching you fawn over Cho, and realizing I loved you and Malfoy? I hate him for that, and I don't even know why! He certainly didn't give me anything to love him for!"
"You can't be in love with two people at the same time, Gin," Harry growled, catching her wrist in his hand. "It's not fair to me, and I don't care how much of a prat Malfoy is, it isn't fair to him either!"
Ginny laughed harshly, her eyes full of pain. "No, Harry, it's not. But you don't understand. Draco Malfoy doesn't love me-he'd just as soon step on me than look at me-He doesn't even know I exist!"
She laughed again at the confused look on his face. "Hilarious, isn't it? To love someone who cares nothing about you, knows nothing about you? Someone who looks on you as being just another annoying bug?"
"Maybe I've just been cursed to fall in love with guys who ignore me- look at you, you paid me absolutely no attention, and then when you finally do like me-I'm going on about someone else who wouldn't give me the time of day! I must be the poster child for self- punishment! Anyway, you don't have to feel so badly-Trust me when I say I feel more than bad enough for the three of us, right now. I hurt more than I ever thought I could," she whispered turning her head and squeezing her eyes shut.
"You'll have to forgive me for wanting some small part of you to remember you by. I was being selfish, wanting you to hold me, touch me… I've loved you for so long, Harry…it kills me to see you this way, knowing you loathe me, how much you must despise me, and knowing it's my fault, knowing I had you in my arms at last, and now I've thrown it all away-like my nightmare come true."
Harry took a deep breath, his face looking drawn and pale. He sat back on his heels, running a shaking hand through his hair. He looked down at her, eyes distraught, before he blinked, and they went cold again, his lips twisting. "Don't expect me to feel sorry for you, Gin. I don't. You have no idea what I'm thinking right now-in fact, Ron would probably murder me if he knew…"
He leaned down over her again, placing his hands on either side of her head, his nose almost touching hers. "Who knows if what I felt for you was really love, anyway?"
Ginny went white, biting her lips against the pain streaking through her heart.
"Ginny," his voice dropped to a low, husky whisper, "after all this, you owe me a little something at least. After all," he lips brushed hers in a deceptively gentle fashion; "you did say you wanted a part of me to keep with you, since you love me so very much…"
The sarcasm in his usually friendly voice made her start crying in earnest, although she didn't make a sound. She knew anything he did he'd do without a single thought for her, or her feelings-he'd do it because he wanted to hurt her, like she'd hurt him-
The force of his lips on hers suddenly, took her breath away, and she dug her hands into his hair, every sane thought flying out of her head.
She heard him groan, and fire streaked through her in a blinding flash as his hands slid into her open robes -
Just as quickly his hands were gone, and her eyes snapped open to see him standing over her, his glasses in his hand, his chest heaving, his green eyes wintry, flat, looking at her with revulsion as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
His dislike was evident in his voice when he smiled frostily and remarked, "Sorry, Gin…guess I don't really want anything you have -" his eyes raked her small, slender form insultingly, 'or rather, haven't, got." He turned on his heel, stalking off, leaving Ginny alone in the common room with her heart - rending sobs.
~***~
Ginny didn't stop crying, nor did she go to any of her classes that day. She ignored anyone who tried to speak to her, and slept most of the day away, in her blinding grief.
Hermione came that evening, before dinner, and Ginny lay still on her bed, pretending to sleep, hoping she wouldn't bother her.
Hermione, however, was having none of it. She grabbed Ginny's ankles and pushed them off the bed, forcing her to sit up. When Ginny reluctantly complied, she sat next to her, not saying a word, but putting her arm around Ginny's shoulders.
Her friends quiet acceptance made her cry again, as it was the last thing she'd thought to expect. She should have known better than to think, no matter how bad things were between them, that Harry would go airing their dirty laundry, or spread nasty rumors abut her.
Hermione sighed, and rested her head against hers, patting her back.
Finally, Ginny sat up, looking at her with streaming red eyes. "How can you be so nice to me?" She asked croakily. "You've no idea what I've done."
Hermione took her hands, pursing her lips. "Ginny Weasley, you know I don't judge people-I'm your friend, and right now you need me-so here I am." She smiled, "Ro's outside pacing a rather unsightly hole in the carpet. He's been frantic about you since you didn't return with Harry."
"Where-is Harry?"
Hermione's lips turned down. "He got himself detention with Snape this afternoon-picked a fight with Malfoy, during Potions-he very nearly killed him, I believe-you should have seen the way they fought-it was positively violent-"
Ginny caught her breath. "Are they all right?"
Hermione shook her head. "Malfoy got sent to the infirmary-so did Harry, but he wasn't so badly hurt-"
"They didn't use magic?" Her heart-seized up-Malfoy was badly hurt?
She snorted. "Nope, Harry heard Malfoy make some snide remark about you-didn't really hear what he said-but next thing you know, there went Harry, diving over his desk at him, fists flying." She shook her head again. "Stupid, the both of them, they could have gotten expelled. Harry took a swing at Snape when he rushed in to pull them apart broke his bloody nose, I think. You should have seen the look on the man's face. He was ready to do murder-"
"Oh, God!" Ginny buried her face in her hands. She wondered if Harry were defending her, or just angry because Malfoy dared to mention her to him. "This is all my fault, Hermione."
Her friend stroked her hair. "We can't help who we love, Ginny." She said softly.
Ron looked relieved when Ginny finally came down the stairs. "Ginny, are you all right? Why didn't you go to any of your classes today? Why didn't-
"Hush, Ron," Hermione motioned the tall redhead away with a shooing motion.
"What?" He followed after them, looking bewildered and annoyed. "Geez, first Harry goes Nutters, now you two,"
"Be quiet, Ron." She held him back as Ginny crawled out of the portrait hole.
"What are you doing? Where is she going?"
Ginny heard Hermione talking quietly as she made her way down the hall, and then Ron's voice shouting.
She ran down the empty corridors, almost collapsing by the time she reached her destination.
She pushed through the doors of the infirmary, her knees trembling, her hands shaking.
Ginny pushed open the inner doors silently, just in case Madame Pomfrey was still about. She moved in towards the beds, realizing that no one was about. She drew a deep breath, taking a few more steps, hesitant about seeing Draco.
She found him in the bed nearest Madam Pomfrey's office-his head was turned from her, and he appeared to be sleeping.
Ginny took the last steps to stand at his bedside, eyes taking in his black silk pajamas, the strong, pale curve of his neck, and the glossy, white blonde hair laying feathered against his pillow.
She felt an ache rise in her chest as she watched his chest rise and fall, remembering the first morning she'd seen him walk onto the Quidditch Pitch, appearing out of the fog, looking like nothing she'd ever seen before…she'd loved him then, and hadn't even known it.
Now he was lying there hurt, because of her. She reached out and put her hand over his, which was bandaged and lying limply on the bed sheets.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered to him, knowing the only way she'd ever be able to talk to him again would be while he slept. He'd start in on her again, one day soon, pick on her just like always, and he'd never be the wiser. Maybe if she told him, just this once while he slept, how she really felt, it would be off her chest…
She noticed one of Pomfrey's bottles of sleeping draught on the table next to him, empty, and sighed in relief. She glanced around, and slid onto his bed to sit next to him, taking his hand into hers gingerly.
Sighing, Ginny realized she didn't know what to say. "Draco," his name still felt unfamiliar on her tongue. "I know you can't hear me…If you could, I can just imagine what you'd be saying. "Why, Weasley, I didn't know you cared." She said mockingly, and then giggled slightly. "Of course it'd probably be a lot worse than that-anyway…it's my fault you're here in this bed." She stared down at his hand; absently stroking it with her fingertips, trying to make it warm-it was so icy…
"I know you think I hate you-but I don't. I hate the way you treat people, the way you act sometimes…you can be so mean, Draco. I wish I knew who made you this way; I'd like to kill them." She sighed again, looking over at the back of his head. He hadn't stirred. "I guess I'd best just get to the point, there's no telling who's going to walk in here at any minute. I wouldn't want to embarrass you-but what I'm about to tell you would probably do that anyway, if you were awake." Ginny leaned down to his perfectly formed, perfectly sized, velvety looking ear. "I'm in love with you, Draco Malfoy. I know I'm a fool, I know I'm a Weasley, and therefore considered beneath you; I know you'd just as soon kiss a toad than look at me-but there it is, the truth."
"I told Harry today, how I felt-actually he guessed, I think." She swallowed past a lump in her throat, brushing away a tear as it felt to his pillow. "He was so hurt, so-so angry. He said awful things, but I know he didn't really mean them. I felt so sick, knowing what I'd done to him."
Her hand came up to rest on his shoulder. "I still love him, Draco. I love you both, and I don't know why, and it's killing me." She laid her head on his pillow, crying. "I could have lied to him, pretended I didn't love you, and we could have been together forever, just like I always dreamed…but I couldn't. I couldn't lie to him-or myself. Or you." She caught her breath.
"I'm so sorry he hurt you-you must have thought he was insane, tackling you like that over some remark about me. This is all my fault." Ginny pressed a hasty kiss to his neck, blushing furiously, and crawled off the bed, wiping at her eyes. She laid his hand down, and began backing away. "I do love you, Draco. I do…God, what am I doing?" She turned and ran out of the room with a sob, not knowing where she was going.
~***~
A pair of opal colored eyes snapped open wide in the darkness of the infirmary. Draco turned his head slightly on his pillow, looking after Ginny regretfully as she ran from the infirmary in tears.
"Ginny Weasley, you stupid fool." He whispered to no one in particular, fisting his hands at his sides and closing his eyes, trying to rid himself of the fiery feeling her lips on his neck had sent racing through him.
~***~
Ginny padded out onto the balcony of the girls' dorm a month later in anticipation. The sky was purple from twilight-her favorite time of day. She paused to pull on her gloves before she mounted her broom and kicked off. She twisted her hands around the polished wood, relishing the way her stomach dropped when she flew off over the balcony, and then out over the frosty lawns to the Quidditch Pitch.
She closed her eyes momentarily, savoring the cold wind streaming through her long hair, tickling along her scalp, and she breathed deeply of the crisp cool December air, catching the scent of burning leaves and freshly trimmed grass.
Ginny listened hard, recalling the words of her uncle, about how if one listened hard enough, you could hear the trees, winds and grass whispering.
At peace for the first time in months, Ginny hung there in the air for a few minutes, using a Seeker's Hover that Draco had taught her a while back.
Thinking of Draco made her think of Harry, and she didn't want to think of either of them. The first Quidditch match against Slytherin was in two days time, and she wasn't going to worry about being near the both of them until she had to.
After circling the pitch a few times, and dodging around the goal posts, Ginny settled herself on the ground, and fell backwards onto her robes, staring up at the evening sky. The sky was still a blazing multicolor palate of pastels, and she found herself staring at a huge scarlet colored sweeping cloud, and it was shaped just like a Quidditch player in mid flight, complete with flowing robes and broomstick. She grinned at the sight, and then moved her gaze onto the black silhouettes of trees against the multicolored sky, listening to a breeze wash through their branches, and watching the skeletal limbs waver slightly.
She watched as the stars began studding the sky, and the moon was full and round and bright, so bright it was almost like daylight.
She moved restlessly, and flew up on her broom again, unable to get enough of the night. She flew until her fingers were numb from the cold, and her feet icy inside her boots. Just as she reluctantly decided to turn back, a mass of clouds moved across the moon, completely blocking its light and turning her world pitch black. Nervously, Ginny stopped, hovering as she prepared to fish out her wand and use it to light her way back to the castle.
She heard a familiar swooshing noise, and called out softly, "Hello?"
She felt rather than saw a shape appear next to her in the darkness, heard someone breathing in the air next to her. "Harry?"
The breathing wavered, and she barely made out the hesitant nod. He was still upset. He didn't say a word.
Ginny sighed, "Please…say something. I'm sorry…I know you must hate me right now."
He shook his head.
"I know I hurt you…I'm so sorry. I never meant-I didn't want to have feelings for Draco." She ignored his sudden intake of breath. "I love you, and I always will. Bit I think I am in love with him-and I know I'm a fool, I know he'll never look at me except to insult me." She sighed tremulously. "I think it's a curse of mine, to always fall in love with those who don't love me back."
Harry's hand reached out and touched hers where it clutched the handle of her broom. She smiled; scalding tears trickling down her chilled cheeks.
"I love you," he said in such a low whisper that he hardly sounded like himself.
"Thank you, Harry." She closed her eyes, her heart aching. She felt him drift closer, his leg brushing hers, and before she could open her eyes, he had leaned over and kissed her, his cool lips brushing against hers hard, and then there was a strong breeze that ruffled her hair as he shot off, leaving her alone in the air over the Quidditch Pitch.
Ginny opened her eyes and saw that the clouds had moved away a bit, and the moonlight had spilled free again. She touched her lips, her heart thudding against her ribs painfully.
~***~
A dark shadow watched over Ginny until she returned to the safety of her balcony. After the little redhead was safely inside, the shadow moved into the light from the moon, revealing himself fully and hovering in hesitation before gliding around the castle and touching down on the grass outside of an open, ground level window. The boy dismounted from his broom, and entered a candlelit dungeon through the green and silver stained glass window.
Vincent Crabbe and Gilbert Goyle waited inside, their dull, beady eyes alight with anticipation. "Did you do it, Malfoy? Did you -"
"Be quiet." Draco Malfoy said imperiously. "Leave me, I wish to be alone."
Crabbe and Goyle showed marked disappointment but nonetheless left him alone in the Slytherin common room.
Draco lowered himself into his favorite green velvet chair before the fireplace, and stared into the flames broodingly. He was angry, furious with himself for allowing Ginny to think he was Harry - when he'd seen her out there on the Quidditch Pitch, he'd thought only to give her a scare she'd never forget, but when he'd come closer to her, he'd noticed she'd been crying, and the evil thoughts had gone straight out of his head, just like the night she'd cried on his pillow in the infirmary…
The fact that she fancied herself in love with him should have been laughable, but it wasn't. You could have knocked him off his Firebolt with a feather when she'd said it.
He still didn't know why he'd told her he loved her out there-it was an impossible situation at best. He was the son of a powerful Death Eater, indeed, destined to become one himself one day soon. She on the other hand, was the insignificant daughter of a poor ministry worker, although she was a pure blood. Lucius would never allow it - he hated Arthur Weasley with a fiery vengeance.
He sure as hell wasn't going to be Ginny's second choice.
Draco closed his eyes, confused by the questions drumming inside of his head.
~***~
The day of the Quidditch match dawned dark and dreary, and there was a chill in the air that just wouldn't warm. The sun struggled to find it's way out from behind the wall of silvery gray clouds to no avail.
Ginny moved through the day numbly, eating her breakfast early before Harry or Draco came down, as head become her habit, and skipping lunch and usually dinner because of her nerves. She dragged through her classes, ducking her head when Harry or Draco happened by, damning her red hair for making her stand out. She just wanted to forget, and be forgotten…
She arrived at the Pitch that afternoon dragging, her heart thudding in her chest wildly. She'd have to face Harry, they'd be standing next to each other before they flew out to the field…she'd been fortunate enough to have avoided him at the practices, since he practiced with The Snitch at the opposite end of the field.
You can do this, Ginny told herself fiercely. Quidditch was one of the only things that made her happy lately, and she wasn't giving it up, not for Harry, not for Draco. She'd gotten damn good at being a Chaser, she knew, and she'd had boys asking her out left and right, who admired her skill, and unbeknownst to her, her natural fiery beauty.
Of course there was no way she'd date anyone else, and that had only seemed to make her more popular with the boys.
Ginny took a deep breath as she opened the large heavy doors into the girls' locker room. It was almost time to do battle.
Harry looked after Ginny Weasley with confused, somewhat angry green eyes, watching her walk somewhat unsteadily off the Quidditch Pitch with no little concern.
Ginny had been a chaser on the house team for several months-she'd proven herself to be quite good at it, actually, scoring several points herself during the games. She'd never been hurt either-until that day.
Neville Longbottom, one of their reserve beaters, had taken a roaring slam at a bludger coming too near Harry, and although he'd succeeded in keeping it off the seekers' back, he'd inadvertently slipped on his broomstick and the heavy missile had been sent screaming across the air straight into the back of poor Ginny's head, instead of at one of the Slitheryn team players.
Harry had looked on, horrified, as she'd pitched backwards right off the broom and started a fifty foot fall to the green turf below- He knew that a fall from that height would no doubt kill her, if the bludger hadn't beat it too it. He was quick, but he knew was still way too far from her to make it to her in time. Harry had raced toward her, watching her fall faster and faster, hopelessness weighing in his chest-
Just as he was about to squeeze his eyes shut a blur in green and silver robes came up right beneath her, not five feet from the ground, and caught her just in time.
He looked over at where Ginny's brother Ron was standing white-faced and panicked in the stands. Then he saw Ron's face change into an expression of complete surprise. Ron caught Harry's eye and mouthed while pointing - "Malfoy?"
Harry felt his brows arch in surprise as he looked down, and sure enough, there was Draco Malfoy, the Seeker for the Slitheryn team gliding down to the ground, Ginny draped in his arms. Harry tried to give Ron a careless shrug and flew down to see what was going on, as Ron began to race down out of the stands, Hermione, their mutual best friend and now Ron's girlfriend close on his heels.
Draco had climbed off his broom and was standing; hands in pockets, watching the Medi -Wizards tend to Ginny where she'd been placed on the ground.
Harry came up beside him, his broom on his shoulder as he eyed him suspiciously, still jealous of the boy who'd stolen Ginny's heart away, behind the frames of his round glasses. "I don't know why you bothered Malfoy, but thank you -you probably just saved her life." He said this grudgingly, thinking longingly of that day he'd kicked Malfoy's unsuspecting, insulting ass halfway around Hogwarts. So what if he'd had Detention for two months-finally nailing Snape too, and man, had it been worth it.
Draco turned his head and looked at Harry boredly, his silver eyes icy with disdain. "Don't thank me - I'd just seen the Snitch and was diving for it - she just got in the way, Potter. Believe me, I doubt the world would miss yet another Muggle - loving Weasley." His pale, sharply patrician featured face smirked slightly as he looked once more at the unconscious girl on the ground and he turned, walking back to where he'd left his expensive, top of the line racing broom.
Harry's hands clenched into fists as he watched him go, his teeth grinding. He still had no bloody idea how Ginny felt about him, the callous bastard. He had no frigging idea what he was over – looking - Ron ran up just then, looking sweaty and breathless, Hermione next to him.
He decided not to tell Ron what Malfoy had just said immediately - he'd more than likely move off to the Slitheryn side to do murder. Harry was giving the thought some serious consideration himself…
A time out had been called, while Ginny's state was being diagnosed, and the crowds of students in the stands made a quiet roar with their murmurs. Harry had gratefully accepted a cold glass of water from Hermione, who'd noticed the fierce red of his heated cheeks, and his skin damp with sweat - though it was almost mid – December, the Quidditch robes were heavy and stifling.
At last Ginny was able to sit up on her own, shaking off the concerns of the Medi-Wizards and Madam Hooch as she held an ice pack to the back of her head.
'I really must insist that you be taken to the Hospital wing Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall was saying sternly, eyeing Ginny's efforts to stand. "Head wounds are nothing to sniff at."
Ginny was having none of it, and she pushed herself up off the grass, wavering before a concerned Harry caught her in his arms.
"You should really go -" Harry began, the first words he'd said to her in months- only to be pushed away by an irate and very determined Ginny.
"I'm fine," she said unsteadily, her voice angry. She glared across the field at something, her brown eyes hot with rage.
Harry followed her stare and saw Malfoy sneering back at her, and he realized Ginny had heard what Malfoy had said. "Ginny, come on, you -
"Leave off it, Harry," Ron said, putting his hand on his shoulder. He shook his fiery red head, sighing. "She's not going to listen."
"Ron, she'd going to end up killing herself -"
"Harry, you're talking about the girl who refused to sleep for two weeks straight when she eleven years old because she had one nightmare about you and You – know - who." Ron shook his head, not noticing the red flush on Harry's cheeks. "You couldn't drag her off this field if you wanted to. Hell, sod that, Mum couldn't drag her off this field, and that's saying something."
"Ron," Ginny was holding her head, wincing slightly, yet still glaring at her fiercely. "Did anyone ever tell you, you talk too much?"
Hermione put up a hand and looked about to say something when Ron rolled his eyes and led her off. "Good luck, Harry."
Ron and Hermione started back off the field, and Ginny had retrieved her broom, and was now looking at Harry. "I'm not quitting, Harry," she said with quiet determination. "I'm not giving Slytherin a better chance at winning by leaving you all one chaser short, and you can't make me go, no matter what happened between us in the past."
Harry bit his tongue. He sighed roughly, and then smiled to Ginny's great surprise, his cheek dimpling slightly. "All right."
They both looked to Madam Hooch, who looked back at them with intense yellow eyes, and then blew her whistle. "Come on, let's finish this match! Longbottom, please remember, the bludger is to be hit away from your teammates!"
Neville Longbottom's round face flushed as several hundred people snickered and laughed. "Y- yes ma'am!"
Harry mounted his Firebolt and moved off into the air, watching as the other players took their places.
The whistle was blown then, and the game resumed, the competition fierce and unpredictable.
By the end of the game, Ginny had managed to score several more points, making the crowd roar at her show of spirit. Harry could see the strain on her face though, and knew the pain from her wound was taking its toll on her. He'd watched her bat the last quaffle through with tail of her broom, and she'd almost fallen off of it again, making him, and the crowd gasp, and then roar as she straightened and took off yet again into the thick of the game. She wasn't going to last much longer. He felt a sudden rush of admiration for her, blinking as he began to see her in a new light, remembering his buried feelings-
"Ballocks! Watch out Harry!"
He ducked a bludger suddenly, and was sending Neville a sour look when the snitch flashed several feet below him, glinting in the setting sunlight. Problem was, Malfoy had seen it too, and was much closer. Bloody hell…
He sped down, the air ruffling his bangs, squinting against the stinging wind. Malfoy was almost there - but then the snitch moved suddenly, shooting upward, and Harry saw the triumphant look on Malfoy's face fall before he pulled out of his dive and took off almost vertically after it.
The snitch didn't seem to want to stop - it kept darting upward, just out of his reach. This had given Malfoy a chance to catch him up, and now they were side by side, racing as the snitch continued to climb, higher and higher -
Harry didn't dare look down - he knew the ground was far below. It had started to snow, quite heavily…He kept his eyes on the snitch, unwavering, and then finally when the air began to get thin, the snitch made a half turn, and shot just over his shoulder -where Harry snatched it in his gloved hand, eyes closing momentarily in relief. He'd done it, caught the Golden Snitch.
Malfoy made a strangling noise, part rage, part disgust, and sped off back down to the ground.
Harry grinned, and took his time flying down. They'd won.
"Harry Potter catches the snitch! The match is over! 150 points! Gryffindor wins!"
~***~
Harry pulled himself out of his memories and went over to where Ron waited at the edge of the field.
"Hey, what's up with Ginny?" Harry asked, shaking his head, watching as Ginny walked away from the wildly gesturing Medi -Wizard angrily.
"Guess that bludger did more damage to her head than we first thought," Ron said scratching his head.
"Why?"
"The Medi-Wizard said she's got temporary amnesia." Ron looked confused as he shrugged. "S'posed to come and go."
"Oh. Well then, that explains why she kept calling me Francis after the game a few minutes ago," Harry said, smiling bemusedly.
He watched Hermione's face go into a dark disbelieving frown suddenly. "What is it?"
It seemed like it took a moment for her to be able to move her lips. "That also must be why she's walking over to Malfoy, right?"
Ron looked over and his brown eyes flew wide. Harry had finally told him what Draco had said after rescuing Ginny. "Arrrgh! She's gonna' kill him!" Ron howled, racing off, slipping and sliding across the snow-covered field, Harry and Hermione on his heels.
~***~
Draco Malfoy may have looked cool and arrogant to everyone around him, but inside he was a seething mass of burning hatred and jealousy.
Damn that Potter, he thought, eyes narrowed to silver slits as he watched him across the field. It was a damn shame that huge frigging prat Longbottom hadn't hit Gryffindor's golden boy with that bludger instead of the youngest Weasley - and damn if that wasn't bothering the bloody hell out of him as well. Everyone else on the Slitheryn House team had about laughed themselves off their brooms when that imbecilic clod had inadvertently hit his own teammate - that load he'd given Potter about seeing the bloody snitch was just that - he'd hadn't seen it, or been anywhere near it. Something in him had flipped over in panic when he'd seen Ginny Weasley fall. Before he knew what he was about, he'd forgotten all about watching for the cursed snitch and rushed off like a total idiot to catch her.
He'd probably just blown his only chance to beat the great Harry Potter at anything - he snarled inwardly. You're a Malfoy, he hissed at himself. Give yourself more credit than that.
The reason he'd done it still hadn't come to him. You love her you bloody stupid prat…hissed a very low voice inside of him. He shook his head, vehemently pushing the voice away.
But the usual sense of cold detachment he felt had shattered when he'd caught her, the blood from her head wound running over the front of his robes, the back of his hand as he'd cradled her against him. Something about seeing the red of her blood and feeling the warm stickiness of it had shocked him out of the self - imposed wall of ice he'd built around himself since his abusive childhood. He'd remembered thinking, my god she's real. She's alive and real, and warm. Her blood is the same color as mine.
He'd grown up having been trained to hate Muggles and Muggle loving wizards alike. This had included the Weasley's with their horrid red hair, hand me down robes, humble little burrow of a house, and their annoying, rabbit - like numbers.
So it was disturbing to him beyond the telling of it that he'd actually thought of Ginny Weasley as being an actual person, with feelings and warmth and -
"You!"
Draco narrowed his eyes as he turned and –ran right into the object of his thoughts - and her fist.
"Ow!" He grabbed his nose, which was promptly beginning to spill blood. "What the bloody hell, woman! I save your miserable life and you march over here and punch me?"
"You liar!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "I heard what you told Harry. You cold-hearted… snake! I can't stand that you actually touched me! I'd rather have fallen into a nest full of basilisks twice the size of the one Harry killed! You snobby, stuck up, spoiled little wanker! Do me a favor next time you see me fall-don't bother?"
With that, Ginny turned and marched away, muttering lowly, "I can't believe I told you I loved you, I'm such a damned idiot," her bloodied red tresses fluttering in the evening breeze.
Draco watched her walk off through a haze of pain and rage, and when Crabbe and Goyle, standing some distance away started snickering, he turned on them so ferociously that they cowered.
He kept his freezing gaze on them so long they finally melted away with the lingering crowd.
Draco snarled, flinging blood from his face with his fingertips. Only half the school had seen her - a frigging girl – even worse a Weasley - land him a nasty facer, nearly breaking his nose! "Nice bloody way to show me how much you care!" he snarled darkly. He glared across the field at her as she entered the locker rooms with a laughing Potter and a near hysterical looking Ron. It wasn't hard to figure out just what-or rather, who, they were laughing about.
He stalked off toward the school and the Hospital wing, swearing he'd make Ginny Weasley pay- and dearly! She had no idea who she was messing with- she'd already been on his bad side, just for being a Weasley, but now it was quite personal!
~***~
Ginny almost threw up half a dozen times as she walked back to the locker rooms with Ron and Harry, nearly losing her grip on her broom. She did her best to hide it, though she did stumble against Harry a few times, dizzy as she was. There was no way she was going to literally spill her guts in front Harry Potter. No way…
The world grew dark and began to tumble suddenly as Harry held the door open to the locker rooms, and she was on the floor when it finally righted itself.
She could hear snatches of conversation above her, and she made out Harry's concerned green eyes close to hers a few times, feeling a warm hand on her cheek…
"Ginny?" Ron's voice swam somewhere above her, and then Neville, sounding scared and guilty, "Is she okay?" Hermione, "I'm getting Madam Hooch - and then Harry, making her heart race madly, "No, I'll take her…"
She felt herself start to go under again as she felt him lift her-he was still wearing his Quidditch robes, and her nose brushed them, catching his cool clean scent, the odor of sweat and dirt and a hundred evening rides snuck on his Firebolt. She could feel his heart beating strongly against her cheek, his breath soft, warm, and jerky against her forehead. She rolled her head on his arm, squinting up at him as her sight began to blur around the edges. He looked down at her, smiling gently.
Then Ron said, " Gee, that's a long walk Harry- you want me to do a weightlessness charm on her?"
Ginny made a mental note to throttle her sibling when she woke up.
She woke up with a throbbing headache, a queasy stomach, and a cloudy mind, not to mention cloudy vision.
She did recognize the green eyes floating in front of her, making her heart thud suddenly, though she didn't have a name to go with them… "Francis?"
The green eyes narrowed briefly behind a pair of round - rimmed glasses, and then they disappeared, only to be replaced by a pair of kindly brown ones. "Now my dear…you don't recognize Harry?"
Harry-? "Who?"
"Oh, dear…this isn't a good sign, I'm afraid. Do you remember me?"
"N - no…head hurts…"
"What is your name?"
"I - I don't remember…I feel sick…"
There was a movement again, and she closed her eyes tight against the tilting shadows…
"Madam Pomfrey, do you really think bringing him in will help?" The boys voice was doubtful, with an underlying anger.
"Well, you did say that she punched him, and hard from the looks of those knuckles and his nose! She may recognize him - a strong emotion may be able to bring her around…"
"Mr. Malfoy…come stand over here please…yes, just there."
She blinked through the haze, drawing a breath when she saw a familiar pair of light gray eyes come into her sight, flashing angrily like quicksilver as they met hers.
She saw them again suddenly, in her mind, looking bored, and again, narrowing meanly, and yet again, wide in surprise as she slugged his sneering face with all her might -"Bloody snake," she muttered angrily, her eyes fluttering shut. "Draco…"
An angry, surprised breath was drawn from nearby, and above her, someone snickered, drawling in a deceptively quiet, silky voice -"Guess we know who is the most memorable around here, eh, Potter?"
She opened her eyes again, briefly and saw an incredibly good - looking pale skinned boy standing over her, his longish, silvery blond hair glinting in the light, his eyes silvery gray and filled with taunting humor.
The most amazing thing, was that he had wings-honest to God, huge white and silver wings…she looked at him in awe, and then movement at the end of the bed drew her attention - she gasped as she saw another angel like creature there, a tall, lean boy with untidy shining raven black hair, and eyes so green it almost hurt to look at them -his wings were black, almost leathery looking, but so soft she wanted to touch them -"Am I in Heaven?" She whispered foggily, knowing she couldn't possibly be, for Lust was most definitely a sin. Lust for two boys had to be even worse…
"Why Weasley, I'm flattered…" came the mocking voice again, and then the Dark angel turned his head fiercely to the Light one, threat of Death in his blazing eyes.
"She's delusional, she hasn't any idea what she's saying…" came the older woman's voice before he could speak. "She's suffering from the effects of a high fever. I'm sorry but you'll all have to go."
"Pity…" the Light angel leaned down to her, eyes brilliant, voice low, wintry and threatening. "Don't you dare die on me, Ginny Weasley. You're in possession of something I want, and I'm bloody well not letting you go until I get it. You owe me." The cold, whispery voice was gone then.
She shivered, suddenly cold, and knew she'd be seeing him again, frightened even though she loved him so -"Harry," she found herself whispering, almost like a protective chant. "Harry-
"I'm here, Ginny, I'm here." She looked, over a long distance it seemed, and saw the Dark one standing over her, felt him holding her hand and stroking her cheek.
"Hi, Francis," she sighed, then in a moment of recognition, "Harry…oh Harry, what's going on…I feel horrible…"
Harry looked at her intensely, seeming like he wanted to say something, and then he sighed unsteadily, grinning. "Just you being all lazy, laying here in this bed."
Ginny tried to smile at him. "You look good in wings," she muttered, and then she found herself choking down some foul tasting mixture suddenly. It tasted like Ron's socks smelled, and she said so. It made her instantly sleepy, and she felt weightless and exhausted, the pain finally, finally subsiding. She fell into a deep sleep, just before the four words she'd once been waiting to hear from Harry Potter all her life were whispered once again, shakily into her ear.
"I - Love you, Ginny… Please get better."
Draco found himself wearing a huge grin as he finally left the infirmary, and as stupid as he knew it was, he couldn't seem to get rid of it. He was filled with satisfaction at the memory of Potter's face when the little Weasley had remembered him, Malfoy, and not the great Harry Potter, God's gift to adolescent teenage girls everywhere. He'd looked positively stricken - he sniggered at the thought. Though she had called him a bloody snake. He hadn't taken offense-he was a Slitheryn after all.
His mind was working at an insane speed as he walked back to the Slytherin common room. He'd wanted to get at the annoying Potter for almost six years, now, and the Weasley girl seemed to be the raw nerve of Potter's that he could poke at. She had it coming to her anyway, he reasoned nastily as he reached the portrait and hissed the password.
"Vengeance!"
It was a rather appropriate, the password, he thought as he climbed into the common room. It was deserted, which was all the better; it gave him much needed time to think.
Draco spent the next hour brooding over his feelings for Ginny, alternately worrying about her injuries, and thinking of revenge for the way she'd acted out on the pitch. He stared into the fire from his chair, and caught himself wondering if he ought to send her flowers. Was she allergic? Maybe chocolate would be better -
"Frigging hell - that girl is driving me out of my mind!" He spat, and stood to pace angrily.
~***~
"Harry, I think I may have to off Hermione. I swear, woman, if you ask me if I flossed this morning one more time I'm gonna' bloody scream!"
Ron's voice was barely penetrating the chaotic thoughts in Harry's head. He stared at something Ron couldn't see across the Great Hall, and murmured something unintelligible.
Ron looked over at Harry twice before shooting a look mischievous look at an annoyed Hermione and saying loudly, "Harry would you mind if I borrow your Firebolt?"
"Sure," Harry sighed, not noticing the near hysterics of Ron as he sat next to him.
"So, can I have it?" He asked slyly.
"Yeah, whatever."
Hermione smacked Ron hard on the arm. "Leave him alone. He's still worried about Ginny."
Ron looked suspicious suddenly. His brown eyes narrowed as he leaned over to Harry and said in a shocked voice, "My God, what's Ginny doing down here in nothing but her underwear?"
Harry's head turned so fast he almost knocked it into Ron's. "What! Where?"
Hermione shook her head as she pursed her lips and watched Ron's red head fall forward onto the table. "That was just wrong." But it was wasted - he was ignoring her.
"I cannot believe it! I can not believe it!" He looked up at Harry with a long -suffering expression. "You like Ginny don't you? You like my little sister!"
Looking down, Harry studied his untouched dinner and said not a word.
"I think I'm as close to passing out as I'll ever be in my entire life at this very moment," Ron wheezed, grabbing his water glass. His face was an unpleasant shade of red as he tried to decide if he was angry or shocked or both. "Ginny? I mean, Ginny! She's like, a baby!"
"She's only a year younger than you," Hermione chastised quietly, eyeing the mottled red of his skin worriedly. "Calm down!"
"But - but," sputtering, Ron turned even redder, "No way! I won't have it! She's just a kid, don't even think of - Arrrgh!" A sudden wash of icy cold water rushed down over him as Hermione grasped a crystal pitcher and abruptly upended it over his head.
Harry stared at Hermione for a long moment before his face broke into a huge grin, and his chest began to shake, as he laughed so hard he couldn't make a noise.
Hermione looked at her boyfriend with a dry smile. "Better now?"
"Why you -!" Ron shook a drop of water from his nose and tackled her suddenly, causing her to shriek as they both rolled off the bench and fell hard under the table.
Harry's stomach hurt as he wailed in laughter, and he leaned down, shouting under the table, "I want this to be a clean fight - no hair pulling, no biting and no use of blunt instruments!" He heard several other students around them murmuring and several began giggling and laughing.
Hermione shrieked again, Ron having found her ribs and tickling her mercilessly.
"Hey, I saw that! Keep that knee away from there!"
"Mr. Potter!"
Harry choked back his laugh as he looked up and saw Professor McGonagall's disapproving eyes looking at him reprimandingly over her glasses.
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, up from there, immediately!"
Hermione and Ron emerged looking subdued and disheveled, with everyone staring and snickering from their perspective tables.
"This is not acceptable behavior! These antics of yours caused poor Professor Dumbledore to choke on a roast potato - however he since he was laughing, he refuses to let me give you detention or take away points, as you so richly deserve." Looking ruffled she blinked and huffed, "I advise you to comport yourselves in a proper manner, and take this as a warning!" She looked at them sternly, but a twinkle of humor in her violet eyes gave her away before she turned away back to the teacher's table.
Looking deflated and half - drowned, Ron lowered himself back into his seat and looked at Hermione who was looking cowed but with a small smile curling her lips.
Harry brushed at a soaking spot on his robes where the water had caught him, too, and asked Ron with a teasing glint in his eye," So, Ron," He cleared his throat loudly, "you were saying?"
Ron grinned back grudgingly and kicked Harry foot under the table. "Break her heart and I'll have your ass," he said grumpily, clapping him companionably on the shoulder before turning to glare at Hermione.
What if she's already broken mine? He thought a bit peevishly. Harry looked down the table at the empty space where Ginny usually sat and decided to leave early-maybe she was awake now.
~***~
Draco paused outside the Infirmary, looking out for Madam Pomfrey, before heading in to sneak a look at Ginny. She was still asleep, her breathing normal and regular. He studied her, deciding she looked peaceful, and grudgingly, very pretty. Her long flame red curls fanned out over her pillow, her dark eyelashes doing the same on her pale cheeks.
He felt heat rise in his own cheeks as he remembered her visit to him months ago when she'd thought he was asleep…
Draco reluctantly reached out and rubbed a curl between his fingers, almost fancying he could feel heat coming off of it. He jumped when Ginny sighed in her sleep, and shifted.
A noise sounded from across the room, and Draco left, after giving her one last, searching look.
Harry crept into the infirmary and sat watching Ginny for several long minutes.
"Rest up, Gin." He whispered to her when he at last stood to leave. "I'll be waiting for you." He smiled and touched the back of her hand. "I'll be right here waiting."
~***~
(All right! Finally, the boy who lived manages to grow a pair! ::coughs:: Anyway, let me know what you think-I already know what I think, and it can't be written down! ::Sigh:: Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Anyone? I know someone's out there! You guys who reviewed-you are my sunshine! Right-going to bed now-write more later…^-^)
E-Mail: Vampslay@Bellsouth.net
Disclaimer: You know who this stuff belongs to-J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc-I own absolutely nothing! ::Sob::
(A/N: Reviews would rock, flames are welcome, but constructive criticism would be better! As always, please let me know if I get facts wrong! Thanks for reading!)
~***~
4.Harry And Ginny's Small Corner Of Teen Angst
Harry was grinning from ear to ear the next morning when Ginny wandered listlessly into the Great Hall for breakfast. He had switched places with Hermione in order to sit next to Ginny. She smiled at him weakly his smile dropped like a ton of rocks.
"What's wrong?" He asked gravely in his quiet, husky voice. He took her hand under the table. "Have you changed your mind?"
Ginny bit her lip as she watched his skin pale. "No. I love you, Harry never doubt that. I want to be with you. Always." She clutched his hand almost desperately.
He blushed at the intensity of her voice, but looked relieved, closing his eyes briefly. "What's wrong, then?"
She felt like she was going to throw up. "I don't feel well," she said honestly.
"That's not all, is it?" He looked at her in that serious way of his that made it seem like he could see everything going on inside her head.
"No," she felt her face crumple briefly before she noticed Ron and Hermione looking at them curiously from across the table.
"Come with me." Harry said abruptly, standing up, still holding her hand.
Ginny resisted, not wanting her dream to come true, not when they'd finally found each other. "B - but…class, we have to - we'll be late -
Harry looked at her fiercely, "Screw class, Ginny. This is just school - we're talking about the rest of our lives, here," he said coldly, and a chill ran down her spine as she stood, shaking her head at Ron as he frowned and stood also, as if to follow them.
She turned her head away as Harry led her off, and she caught Draco looking at her with intense flashing eyes through the soft, spiky fall of his white hair, saw him place his hands flat down on the table and slowly push himself up, ignoring the odd looks from Pansy Parkinson as she tugged ineffectually at his robe sleeve. He narrowed his eyes on them, sending Ginny a look that made her lose her breath.
Then they were out of the hall, and Harry led her back up to the common room, deserted at this time of the morning. Harry let go of her in front of the Fireplace, and Ginny sank down onto the carpet, her legs unable to hold her up.
Harry had his hands stuffed deeply into the pockets of his loose fitting khaki's, and he was pacing, his shaggy dark head lowered, hiding his face.
He was quiet, and Ginny didn't dare say a word; she just looked at every inch of him while she had the chance. Who knew if he'd ever want to even talk to her again after this-she knew she couldn't lie to him.
Her eyes watched his feet, clad in heavy, worn black boots, scuffle across the thick pile of the carpet, the slightly tattered, rolled cuffs of his hand me down pants fall low around the heels.
Poor, overlooked, mistreated Harry. Her eyes rose, hesitating at the edge of his robes as they fluttered around his legs as he walked. She looked at his wrists, the white cuffs of his shirt showing below the ribbed gray edge of his jumper. Her gaze traveled up the sleeve of his robes, to the chest she'd noticed had widened and deepened over the summer holidays. His shoulders looked wider, and his neck more muscled beneath the pristine white collar of his shirt and the scarlet and gold tie he never quite managed to knot evenly.
He turned to look at her then, and she felt her breath catch in her throat.
"Gin…" he swallowed, and she noticed his hands trembled slightly as he pulled them from his pockets.
She looked at him helplessly.
He fell down onto his knees, sliding across the carpet to her, drawing her into his arms.
She felt him shudder against her, and she held him, gratefully, her arms having ached for him, her fingers sliding up into the nape of his silky, untidy black hair. She had to hold him as long as she could…
"What is it, Gin? What's happened?" He sounded cold, his voice shaking. "Did I do something? Say something?"
"You didn't do anything, Harry. I love you; I always have…" she squeezed her eyes shut.
"You don't want to be with me, is that it?"
"I do, you have no idea..."
He flung her arms away, pushing back until he wasn't touching her anymore, until he was kneeling before her on the carpet, teeth bared, looking dark and hurt, angry and dangerous all at once. "It's not going to work between us, is it? That's what you're too damned scared to tell me, isn't it?" He was breathing heavily, unconsciously raising a hand to rub the area of his chest over his heart, as if it were hurting him.
She raised a hand to her throat, plucking at her tie. "Harry," her voice was a mere whisper.
"Why did you tell me you loved me, Ginny?" He reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her against him. His voice broke. "Why did you even tell me?"
Before she could say a word, Harry's face had hardened, and he was looking down at her in a way she'd never seen before, his emerald eyes darkening to impenetrable diamond hard pools. He grabbed her waist and dragged her against him, breathing raggedly. She closed her eyes as he crushed her lips under his, the kiss drawing blood in its intensity.
She made a sound of pain, but didn't pull away, kissing him back with a confused, growing passion.
When he pulled open her robes, she tore her mouth from his, breathing heavily, "No Harry…"
He grasped her chin in his fingers, his eyes frosty. He reached up and pulled off his glasses, throwing them across the room uncaringly.
"This isn't you, Harry," she sighed unhappily crystal tears running down her cheeks.
"Well, maybe I don't want to be me, anymore," he said in an unfamiliar, harsh tone. "Maybe I'm tired of being the nice, heroic guy who loses everything."
"You know this won't change anything, Harry," She sighed, lips trembling. "You'll be taking advantage of me - you know how I feel about you, I won't stop you-"
"I 'know' how you feel about me?" He looked at her incredulously. "You 'won't stop me'?" His eyes narrowed to slits as he bent over her, forcing her to fall back onto the carpet, eyes wide.
"Well," he laughed coldly, sounding eerily like Draco, "You know what that makes you, Ginny, don't you? Here I thought you were so innocent - but you're willing to let me take you, here, like a common Wh -
"Stop it!"
He clenched his jaw. "You'd let me take you, knowing full well you love Malfoy, that slimy bastard." Harry looked at her in disgust. "You're not who I thought you were, Ginny. The girl I knew wouldn't have given an evil rat like Draco Malfoy a second look."
"You think I like this?" A sob burst in her throat. "You think I enjoyed having you finally look at me, finally love me, after five years- five years, Harry-of watching you fawn over Cho, and realizing I loved you and Malfoy? I hate him for that, and I don't even know why! He certainly didn't give me anything to love him for!"
"You can't be in love with two people at the same time, Gin," Harry growled, catching her wrist in his hand. "It's not fair to me, and I don't care how much of a prat Malfoy is, it isn't fair to him either!"
Ginny laughed harshly, her eyes full of pain. "No, Harry, it's not. But you don't understand. Draco Malfoy doesn't love me-he'd just as soon step on me than look at me-He doesn't even know I exist!"
She laughed again at the confused look on his face. "Hilarious, isn't it? To love someone who cares nothing about you, knows nothing about you? Someone who looks on you as being just another annoying bug?"
"Maybe I've just been cursed to fall in love with guys who ignore me- look at you, you paid me absolutely no attention, and then when you finally do like me-I'm going on about someone else who wouldn't give me the time of day! I must be the poster child for self- punishment! Anyway, you don't have to feel so badly-Trust me when I say I feel more than bad enough for the three of us, right now. I hurt more than I ever thought I could," she whispered turning her head and squeezing her eyes shut.
"You'll have to forgive me for wanting some small part of you to remember you by. I was being selfish, wanting you to hold me, touch me… I've loved you for so long, Harry…it kills me to see you this way, knowing you loathe me, how much you must despise me, and knowing it's my fault, knowing I had you in my arms at last, and now I've thrown it all away-like my nightmare come true."
Harry took a deep breath, his face looking drawn and pale. He sat back on his heels, running a shaking hand through his hair. He looked down at her, eyes distraught, before he blinked, and they went cold again, his lips twisting. "Don't expect me to feel sorry for you, Gin. I don't. You have no idea what I'm thinking right now-in fact, Ron would probably murder me if he knew…"
He leaned down over her again, placing his hands on either side of her head, his nose almost touching hers. "Who knows if what I felt for you was really love, anyway?"
Ginny went white, biting her lips against the pain streaking through her heart.
"Ginny," his voice dropped to a low, husky whisper, "after all this, you owe me a little something at least. After all," he lips brushed hers in a deceptively gentle fashion; "you did say you wanted a part of me to keep with you, since you love me so very much…"
The sarcasm in his usually friendly voice made her start crying in earnest, although she didn't make a sound. She knew anything he did he'd do without a single thought for her, or her feelings-he'd do it because he wanted to hurt her, like she'd hurt him-
The force of his lips on hers suddenly, took her breath away, and she dug her hands into his hair, every sane thought flying out of her head.
She heard him groan, and fire streaked through her in a blinding flash as his hands slid into her open robes -
Just as quickly his hands were gone, and her eyes snapped open to see him standing over her, his glasses in his hand, his chest heaving, his green eyes wintry, flat, looking at her with revulsion as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
His dislike was evident in his voice when he smiled frostily and remarked, "Sorry, Gin…guess I don't really want anything you have -" his eyes raked her small, slender form insultingly, 'or rather, haven't, got." He turned on his heel, stalking off, leaving Ginny alone in the common room with her heart - rending sobs.
~***~
Ginny didn't stop crying, nor did she go to any of her classes that day. She ignored anyone who tried to speak to her, and slept most of the day away, in her blinding grief.
Hermione came that evening, before dinner, and Ginny lay still on her bed, pretending to sleep, hoping she wouldn't bother her.
Hermione, however, was having none of it. She grabbed Ginny's ankles and pushed them off the bed, forcing her to sit up. When Ginny reluctantly complied, she sat next to her, not saying a word, but putting her arm around Ginny's shoulders.
Her friends quiet acceptance made her cry again, as it was the last thing she'd thought to expect. She should have known better than to think, no matter how bad things were between them, that Harry would go airing their dirty laundry, or spread nasty rumors abut her.
Hermione sighed, and rested her head against hers, patting her back.
Finally, Ginny sat up, looking at her with streaming red eyes. "How can you be so nice to me?" She asked croakily. "You've no idea what I've done."
Hermione took her hands, pursing her lips. "Ginny Weasley, you know I don't judge people-I'm your friend, and right now you need me-so here I am." She smiled, "Ro's outside pacing a rather unsightly hole in the carpet. He's been frantic about you since you didn't return with Harry."
"Where-is Harry?"
Hermione's lips turned down. "He got himself detention with Snape this afternoon-picked a fight with Malfoy, during Potions-he very nearly killed him, I believe-you should have seen the way they fought-it was positively violent-"
Ginny caught her breath. "Are they all right?"
Hermione shook her head. "Malfoy got sent to the infirmary-so did Harry, but he wasn't so badly hurt-"
"They didn't use magic?" Her heart-seized up-Malfoy was badly hurt?
She snorted. "Nope, Harry heard Malfoy make some snide remark about you-didn't really hear what he said-but next thing you know, there went Harry, diving over his desk at him, fists flying." She shook her head again. "Stupid, the both of them, they could have gotten expelled. Harry took a swing at Snape when he rushed in to pull them apart broke his bloody nose, I think. You should have seen the look on the man's face. He was ready to do murder-"
"Oh, God!" Ginny buried her face in her hands. She wondered if Harry were defending her, or just angry because Malfoy dared to mention her to him. "This is all my fault, Hermione."
Her friend stroked her hair. "We can't help who we love, Ginny." She said softly.
Ron looked relieved when Ginny finally came down the stairs. "Ginny, are you all right? Why didn't you go to any of your classes today? Why didn't-
"Hush, Ron," Hermione motioned the tall redhead away with a shooing motion.
"What?" He followed after them, looking bewildered and annoyed. "Geez, first Harry goes Nutters, now you two,"
"Be quiet, Ron." She held him back as Ginny crawled out of the portrait hole.
"What are you doing? Where is she going?"
Ginny heard Hermione talking quietly as she made her way down the hall, and then Ron's voice shouting.
She ran down the empty corridors, almost collapsing by the time she reached her destination.
She pushed through the doors of the infirmary, her knees trembling, her hands shaking.
Ginny pushed open the inner doors silently, just in case Madame Pomfrey was still about. She moved in towards the beds, realizing that no one was about. She drew a deep breath, taking a few more steps, hesitant about seeing Draco.
She found him in the bed nearest Madam Pomfrey's office-his head was turned from her, and he appeared to be sleeping.
Ginny took the last steps to stand at his bedside, eyes taking in his black silk pajamas, the strong, pale curve of his neck, and the glossy, white blonde hair laying feathered against his pillow.
She felt an ache rise in her chest as she watched his chest rise and fall, remembering the first morning she'd seen him walk onto the Quidditch Pitch, appearing out of the fog, looking like nothing she'd ever seen before…she'd loved him then, and hadn't even known it.
Now he was lying there hurt, because of her. She reached out and put her hand over his, which was bandaged and lying limply on the bed sheets.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered to him, knowing the only way she'd ever be able to talk to him again would be while he slept. He'd start in on her again, one day soon, pick on her just like always, and he'd never be the wiser. Maybe if she told him, just this once while he slept, how she really felt, it would be off her chest…
She noticed one of Pomfrey's bottles of sleeping draught on the table next to him, empty, and sighed in relief. She glanced around, and slid onto his bed to sit next to him, taking his hand into hers gingerly.
Sighing, Ginny realized she didn't know what to say. "Draco," his name still felt unfamiliar on her tongue. "I know you can't hear me…If you could, I can just imagine what you'd be saying. "Why, Weasley, I didn't know you cared." She said mockingly, and then giggled slightly. "Of course it'd probably be a lot worse than that-anyway…it's my fault you're here in this bed." She stared down at his hand; absently stroking it with her fingertips, trying to make it warm-it was so icy…
"I know you think I hate you-but I don't. I hate the way you treat people, the way you act sometimes…you can be so mean, Draco. I wish I knew who made you this way; I'd like to kill them." She sighed again, looking over at the back of his head. He hadn't stirred. "I guess I'd best just get to the point, there's no telling who's going to walk in here at any minute. I wouldn't want to embarrass you-but what I'm about to tell you would probably do that anyway, if you were awake." Ginny leaned down to his perfectly formed, perfectly sized, velvety looking ear. "I'm in love with you, Draco Malfoy. I know I'm a fool, I know I'm a Weasley, and therefore considered beneath you; I know you'd just as soon kiss a toad than look at me-but there it is, the truth."
"I told Harry today, how I felt-actually he guessed, I think." She swallowed past a lump in her throat, brushing away a tear as it felt to his pillow. "He was so hurt, so-so angry. He said awful things, but I know he didn't really mean them. I felt so sick, knowing what I'd done to him."
Her hand came up to rest on his shoulder. "I still love him, Draco. I love you both, and I don't know why, and it's killing me." She laid her head on his pillow, crying. "I could have lied to him, pretended I didn't love you, and we could have been together forever, just like I always dreamed…but I couldn't. I couldn't lie to him-or myself. Or you." She caught her breath.
"I'm so sorry he hurt you-you must have thought he was insane, tackling you like that over some remark about me. This is all my fault." Ginny pressed a hasty kiss to his neck, blushing furiously, and crawled off the bed, wiping at her eyes. She laid his hand down, and began backing away. "I do love you, Draco. I do…God, what am I doing?" She turned and ran out of the room with a sob, not knowing where she was going.
~***~
A pair of opal colored eyes snapped open wide in the darkness of the infirmary. Draco turned his head slightly on his pillow, looking after Ginny regretfully as she ran from the infirmary in tears.
"Ginny Weasley, you stupid fool." He whispered to no one in particular, fisting his hands at his sides and closing his eyes, trying to rid himself of the fiery feeling her lips on his neck had sent racing through him.
~***~
Ginny padded out onto the balcony of the girls' dorm a month later in anticipation. The sky was purple from twilight-her favorite time of day. She paused to pull on her gloves before she mounted her broom and kicked off. She twisted her hands around the polished wood, relishing the way her stomach dropped when she flew off over the balcony, and then out over the frosty lawns to the Quidditch Pitch.
She closed her eyes momentarily, savoring the cold wind streaming through her long hair, tickling along her scalp, and she breathed deeply of the crisp cool December air, catching the scent of burning leaves and freshly trimmed grass.
Ginny listened hard, recalling the words of her uncle, about how if one listened hard enough, you could hear the trees, winds and grass whispering.
At peace for the first time in months, Ginny hung there in the air for a few minutes, using a Seeker's Hover that Draco had taught her a while back.
Thinking of Draco made her think of Harry, and she didn't want to think of either of them. The first Quidditch match against Slytherin was in two days time, and she wasn't going to worry about being near the both of them until she had to.
After circling the pitch a few times, and dodging around the goal posts, Ginny settled herself on the ground, and fell backwards onto her robes, staring up at the evening sky. The sky was still a blazing multicolor palate of pastels, and she found herself staring at a huge scarlet colored sweeping cloud, and it was shaped just like a Quidditch player in mid flight, complete with flowing robes and broomstick. She grinned at the sight, and then moved her gaze onto the black silhouettes of trees against the multicolored sky, listening to a breeze wash through their branches, and watching the skeletal limbs waver slightly.
She watched as the stars began studding the sky, and the moon was full and round and bright, so bright it was almost like daylight.
She moved restlessly, and flew up on her broom again, unable to get enough of the night. She flew until her fingers were numb from the cold, and her feet icy inside her boots. Just as she reluctantly decided to turn back, a mass of clouds moved across the moon, completely blocking its light and turning her world pitch black. Nervously, Ginny stopped, hovering as she prepared to fish out her wand and use it to light her way back to the castle.
She heard a familiar swooshing noise, and called out softly, "Hello?"
She felt rather than saw a shape appear next to her in the darkness, heard someone breathing in the air next to her. "Harry?"
The breathing wavered, and she barely made out the hesitant nod. He was still upset. He didn't say a word.
Ginny sighed, "Please…say something. I'm sorry…I know you must hate me right now."
He shook his head.
"I know I hurt you…I'm so sorry. I never meant-I didn't want to have feelings for Draco." She ignored his sudden intake of breath. "I love you, and I always will. Bit I think I am in love with him-and I know I'm a fool, I know he'll never look at me except to insult me." She sighed tremulously. "I think it's a curse of mine, to always fall in love with those who don't love me back."
Harry's hand reached out and touched hers where it clutched the handle of her broom. She smiled; scalding tears trickling down her chilled cheeks.
"I love you," he said in such a low whisper that he hardly sounded like himself.
"Thank you, Harry." She closed her eyes, her heart aching. She felt him drift closer, his leg brushing hers, and before she could open her eyes, he had leaned over and kissed her, his cool lips brushing against hers hard, and then there was a strong breeze that ruffled her hair as he shot off, leaving her alone in the air over the Quidditch Pitch.
Ginny opened her eyes and saw that the clouds had moved away a bit, and the moonlight had spilled free again. She touched her lips, her heart thudding against her ribs painfully.
~***~
A dark shadow watched over Ginny until she returned to the safety of her balcony. After the little redhead was safely inside, the shadow moved into the light from the moon, revealing himself fully and hovering in hesitation before gliding around the castle and touching down on the grass outside of an open, ground level window. The boy dismounted from his broom, and entered a candlelit dungeon through the green and silver stained glass window.
Vincent Crabbe and Gilbert Goyle waited inside, their dull, beady eyes alight with anticipation. "Did you do it, Malfoy? Did you -"
"Be quiet." Draco Malfoy said imperiously. "Leave me, I wish to be alone."
Crabbe and Goyle showed marked disappointment but nonetheless left him alone in the Slytherin common room.
Draco lowered himself into his favorite green velvet chair before the fireplace, and stared into the flames broodingly. He was angry, furious with himself for allowing Ginny to think he was Harry - when he'd seen her out there on the Quidditch Pitch, he'd thought only to give her a scare she'd never forget, but when he'd come closer to her, he'd noticed she'd been crying, and the evil thoughts had gone straight out of his head, just like the night she'd cried on his pillow in the infirmary…
The fact that she fancied herself in love with him should have been laughable, but it wasn't. You could have knocked him off his Firebolt with a feather when she'd said it.
He still didn't know why he'd told her he loved her out there-it was an impossible situation at best. He was the son of a powerful Death Eater, indeed, destined to become one himself one day soon. She on the other hand, was the insignificant daughter of a poor ministry worker, although she was a pure blood. Lucius would never allow it - he hated Arthur Weasley with a fiery vengeance.
He sure as hell wasn't going to be Ginny's second choice.
Draco closed his eyes, confused by the questions drumming inside of his head.
~***~
The day of the Quidditch match dawned dark and dreary, and there was a chill in the air that just wouldn't warm. The sun struggled to find it's way out from behind the wall of silvery gray clouds to no avail.
Ginny moved through the day numbly, eating her breakfast early before Harry or Draco came down, as head become her habit, and skipping lunch and usually dinner because of her nerves. She dragged through her classes, ducking her head when Harry or Draco happened by, damning her red hair for making her stand out. She just wanted to forget, and be forgotten…
She arrived at the Pitch that afternoon dragging, her heart thudding in her chest wildly. She'd have to face Harry, they'd be standing next to each other before they flew out to the field…she'd been fortunate enough to have avoided him at the practices, since he practiced with The Snitch at the opposite end of the field.
You can do this, Ginny told herself fiercely. Quidditch was one of the only things that made her happy lately, and she wasn't giving it up, not for Harry, not for Draco. She'd gotten damn good at being a Chaser, she knew, and she'd had boys asking her out left and right, who admired her skill, and unbeknownst to her, her natural fiery beauty.
Of course there was no way she'd date anyone else, and that had only seemed to make her more popular with the boys.
Ginny took a deep breath as she opened the large heavy doors into the girls' locker room. It was almost time to do battle.
Harry looked after Ginny Weasley with confused, somewhat angry green eyes, watching her walk somewhat unsteadily off the Quidditch Pitch with no little concern.
Ginny had been a chaser on the house team for several months-she'd proven herself to be quite good at it, actually, scoring several points herself during the games. She'd never been hurt either-until that day.
Neville Longbottom, one of their reserve beaters, had taken a roaring slam at a bludger coming too near Harry, and although he'd succeeded in keeping it off the seekers' back, he'd inadvertently slipped on his broomstick and the heavy missile had been sent screaming across the air straight into the back of poor Ginny's head, instead of at one of the Slitheryn team players.
Harry had looked on, horrified, as she'd pitched backwards right off the broom and started a fifty foot fall to the green turf below- He knew that a fall from that height would no doubt kill her, if the bludger hadn't beat it too it. He was quick, but he knew was still way too far from her to make it to her in time. Harry had raced toward her, watching her fall faster and faster, hopelessness weighing in his chest-
Just as he was about to squeeze his eyes shut a blur in green and silver robes came up right beneath her, not five feet from the ground, and caught her just in time.
He looked over at where Ginny's brother Ron was standing white-faced and panicked in the stands. Then he saw Ron's face change into an expression of complete surprise. Ron caught Harry's eye and mouthed while pointing - "Malfoy?"
Harry felt his brows arch in surprise as he looked down, and sure enough, there was Draco Malfoy, the Seeker for the Slitheryn team gliding down to the ground, Ginny draped in his arms. Harry tried to give Ron a careless shrug and flew down to see what was going on, as Ron began to race down out of the stands, Hermione, their mutual best friend and now Ron's girlfriend close on his heels.
Draco had climbed off his broom and was standing; hands in pockets, watching the Medi -Wizards tend to Ginny where she'd been placed on the ground.
Harry came up beside him, his broom on his shoulder as he eyed him suspiciously, still jealous of the boy who'd stolen Ginny's heart away, behind the frames of his round glasses. "I don't know why you bothered Malfoy, but thank you -you probably just saved her life." He said this grudgingly, thinking longingly of that day he'd kicked Malfoy's unsuspecting, insulting ass halfway around Hogwarts. So what if he'd had Detention for two months-finally nailing Snape too, and man, had it been worth it.
Draco turned his head and looked at Harry boredly, his silver eyes icy with disdain. "Don't thank me - I'd just seen the Snitch and was diving for it - she just got in the way, Potter. Believe me, I doubt the world would miss yet another Muggle - loving Weasley." His pale, sharply patrician featured face smirked slightly as he looked once more at the unconscious girl on the ground and he turned, walking back to where he'd left his expensive, top of the line racing broom.
Harry's hands clenched into fists as he watched him go, his teeth grinding. He still had no bloody idea how Ginny felt about him, the callous bastard. He had no frigging idea what he was over – looking - Ron ran up just then, looking sweaty and breathless, Hermione next to him.
He decided not to tell Ron what Malfoy had just said immediately - he'd more than likely move off to the Slitheryn side to do murder. Harry was giving the thought some serious consideration himself…
A time out had been called, while Ginny's state was being diagnosed, and the crowds of students in the stands made a quiet roar with their murmurs. Harry had gratefully accepted a cold glass of water from Hermione, who'd noticed the fierce red of his heated cheeks, and his skin damp with sweat - though it was almost mid – December, the Quidditch robes were heavy and stifling.
At last Ginny was able to sit up on her own, shaking off the concerns of the Medi-Wizards and Madam Hooch as she held an ice pack to the back of her head.
'I really must insist that you be taken to the Hospital wing Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall was saying sternly, eyeing Ginny's efforts to stand. "Head wounds are nothing to sniff at."
Ginny was having none of it, and she pushed herself up off the grass, wavering before a concerned Harry caught her in his arms.
"You should really go -" Harry began, the first words he'd said to her in months- only to be pushed away by an irate and very determined Ginny.
"I'm fine," she said unsteadily, her voice angry. She glared across the field at something, her brown eyes hot with rage.
Harry followed her stare and saw Malfoy sneering back at her, and he realized Ginny had heard what Malfoy had said. "Ginny, come on, you -
"Leave off it, Harry," Ron said, putting his hand on his shoulder. He shook his fiery red head, sighing. "She's not going to listen."
"Ron, she'd going to end up killing herself -"
"Harry, you're talking about the girl who refused to sleep for two weeks straight when she eleven years old because she had one nightmare about you and You – know - who." Ron shook his head, not noticing the red flush on Harry's cheeks. "You couldn't drag her off this field if you wanted to. Hell, sod that, Mum couldn't drag her off this field, and that's saying something."
"Ron," Ginny was holding her head, wincing slightly, yet still glaring at her fiercely. "Did anyone ever tell you, you talk too much?"
Hermione put up a hand and looked about to say something when Ron rolled his eyes and led her off. "Good luck, Harry."
Ron and Hermione started back off the field, and Ginny had retrieved her broom, and was now looking at Harry. "I'm not quitting, Harry," she said with quiet determination. "I'm not giving Slytherin a better chance at winning by leaving you all one chaser short, and you can't make me go, no matter what happened between us in the past."
Harry bit his tongue. He sighed roughly, and then smiled to Ginny's great surprise, his cheek dimpling slightly. "All right."
They both looked to Madam Hooch, who looked back at them with intense yellow eyes, and then blew her whistle. "Come on, let's finish this match! Longbottom, please remember, the bludger is to be hit away from your teammates!"
Neville Longbottom's round face flushed as several hundred people snickered and laughed. "Y- yes ma'am!"
Harry mounted his Firebolt and moved off into the air, watching as the other players took their places.
The whistle was blown then, and the game resumed, the competition fierce and unpredictable.
By the end of the game, Ginny had managed to score several more points, making the crowd roar at her show of spirit. Harry could see the strain on her face though, and knew the pain from her wound was taking its toll on her. He'd watched her bat the last quaffle through with tail of her broom, and she'd almost fallen off of it again, making him, and the crowd gasp, and then roar as she straightened and took off yet again into the thick of the game. She wasn't going to last much longer. He felt a sudden rush of admiration for her, blinking as he began to see her in a new light, remembering his buried feelings-
"Ballocks! Watch out Harry!"
He ducked a bludger suddenly, and was sending Neville a sour look when the snitch flashed several feet below him, glinting in the setting sunlight. Problem was, Malfoy had seen it too, and was much closer. Bloody hell…
He sped down, the air ruffling his bangs, squinting against the stinging wind. Malfoy was almost there - but then the snitch moved suddenly, shooting upward, and Harry saw the triumphant look on Malfoy's face fall before he pulled out of his dive and took off almost vertically after it.
The snitch didn't seem to want to stop - it kept darting upward, just out of his reach. This had given Malfoy a chance to catch him up, and now they were side by side, racing as the snitch continued to climb, higher and higher -
Harry didn't dare look down - he knew the ground was far below. It had started to snow, quite heavily…He kept his eyes on the snitch, unwavering, and then finally when the air began to get thin, the snitch made a half turn, and shot just over his shoulder -where Harry snatched it in his gloved hand, eyes closing momentarily in relief. He'd done it, caught the Golden Snitch.
Malfoy made a strangling noise, part rage, part disgust, and sped off back down to the ground.
Harry grinned, and took his time flying down. They'd won.
"Harry Potter catches the snitch! The match is over! 150 points! Gryffindor wins!"
~***~
Harry pulled himself out of his memories and went over to where Ron waited at the edge of the field.
"Hey, what's up with Ginny?" Harry asked, shaking his head, watching as Ginny walked away from the wildly gesturing Medi -Wizard angrily.
"Guess that bludger did more damage to her head than we first thought," Ron said scratching his head.
"Why?"
"The Medi-Wizard said she's got temporary amnesia." Ron looked confused as he shrugged. "S'posed to come and go."
"Oh. Well then, that explains why she kept calling me Francis after the game a few minutes ago," Harry said, smiling bemusedly.
He watched Hermione's face go into a dark disbelieving frown suddenly. "What is it?"
It seemed like it took a moment for her to be able to move her lips. "That also must be why she's walking over to Malfoy, right?"
Ron looked over and his brown eyes flew wide. Harry had finally told him what Draco had said after rescuing Ginny. "Arrrgh! She's gonna' kill him!" Ron howled, racing off, slipping and sliding across the snow-covered field, Harry and Hermione on his heels.
~***~
Draco Malfoy may have looked cool and arrogant to everyone around him, but inside he was a seething mass of burning hatred and jealousy.
Damn that Potter, he thought, eyes narrowed to silver slits as he watched him across the field. It was a damn shame that huge frigging prat Longbottom hadn't hit Gryffindor's golden boy with that bludger instead of the youngest Weasley - and damn if that wasn't bothering the bloody hell out of him as well. Everyone else on the Slitheryn House team had about laughed themselves off their brooms when that imbecilic clod had inadvertently hit his own teammate - that load he'd given Potter about seeing the bloody snitch was just that - he'd hadn't seen it, or been anywhere near it. Something in him had flipped over in panic when he'd seen Ginny Weasley fall. Before he knew what he was about, he'd forgotten all about watching for the cursed snitch and rushed off like a total idiot to catch her.
He'd probably just blown his only chance to beat the great Harry Potter at anything - he snarled inwardly. You're a Malfoy, he hissed at himself. Give yourself more credit than that.
The reason he'd done it still hadn't come to him. You love her you bloody stupid prat…hissed a very low voice inside of him. He shook his head, vehemently pushing the voice away.
But the usual sense of cold detachment he felt had shattered when he'd caught her, the blood from her head wound running over the front of his robes, the back of his hand as he'd cradled her against him. Something about seeing the red of her blood and feeling the warm stickiness of it had shocked him out of the self - imposed wall of ice he'd built around himself since his abusive childhood. He'd remembered thinking, my god she's real. She's alive and real, and warm. Her blood is the same color as mine.
He'd grown up having been trained to hate Muggles and Muggle loving wizards alike. This had included the Weasley's with their horrid red hair, hand me down robes, humble little burrow of a house, and their annoying, rabbit - like numbers.
So it was disturbing to him beyond the telling of it that he'd actually thought of Ginny Weasley as being an actual person, with feelings and warmth and -
"You!"
Draco narrowed his eyes as he turned and –ran right into the object of his thoughts - and her fist.
"Ow!" He grabbed his nose, which was promptly beginning to spill blood. "What the bloody hell, woman! I save your miserable life and you march over here and punch me?"
"You liar!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "I heard what you told Harry. You cold-hearted… snake! I can't stand that you actually touched me! I'd rather have fallen into a nest full of basilisks twice the size of the one Harry killed! You snobby, stuck up, spoiled little wanker! Do me a favor next time you see me fall-don't bother?"
With that, Ginny turned and marched away, muttering lowly, "I can't believe I told you I loved you, I'm such a damned idiot," her bloodied red tresses fluttering in the evening breeze.
Draco watched her walk off through a haze of pain and rage, and when Crabbe and Goyle, standing some distance away started snickering, he turned on them so ferociously that they cowered.
He kept his freezing gaze on them so long they finally melted away with the lingering crowd.
Draco snarled, flinging blood from his face with his fingertips. Only half the school had seen her - a frigging girl – even worse a Weasley - land him a nasty facer, nearly breaking his nose! "Nice bloody way to show me how much you care!" he snarled darkly. He glared across the field at her as she entered the locker rooms with a laughing Potter and a near hysterical looking Ron. It wasn't hard to figure out just what-or rather, who, they were laughing about.
He stalked off toward the school and the Hospital wing, swearing he'd make Ginny Weasley pay- and dearly! She had no idea who she was messing with- she'd already been on his bad side, just for being a Weasley, but now it was quite personal!
~***~
Ginny almost threw up half a dozen times as she walked back to the locker rooms with Ron and Harry, nearly losing her grip on her broom. She did her best to hide it, though she did stumble against Harry a few times, dizzy as she was. There was no way she was going to literally spill her guts in front Harry Potter. No way…
The world grew dark and began to tumble suddenly as Harry held the door open to the locker rooms, and she was on the floor when it finally righted itself.
She could hear snatches of conversation above her, and she made out Harry's concerned green eyes close to hers a few times, feeling a warm hand on her cheek…
"Ginny?" Ron's voice swam somewhere above her, and then Neville, sounding scared and guilty, "Is she okay?" Hermione, "I'm getting Madam Hooch - and then Harry, making her heart race madly, "No, I'll take her…"
She felt herself start to go under again as she felt him lift her-he was still wearing his Quidditch robes, and her nose brushed them, catching his cool clean scent, the odor of sweat and dirt and a hundred evening rides snuck on his Firebolt. She could feel his heart beating strongly against her cheek, his breath soft, warm, and jerky against her forehead. She rolled her head on his arm, squinting up at him as her sight began to blur around the edges. He looked down at her, smiling gently.
Then Ron said, " Gee, that's a long walk Harry- you want me to do a weightlessness charm on her?"
Ginny made a mental note to throttle her sibling when she woke up.
She woke up with a throbbing headache, a queasy stomach, and a cloudy mind, not to mention cloudy vision.
She did recognize the green eyes floating in front of her, making her heart thud suddenly, though she didn't have a name to go with them… "Francis?"
The green eyes narrowed briefly behind a pair of round - rimmed glasses, and then they disappeared, only to be replaced by a pair of kindly brown ones. "Now my dear…you don't recognize Harry?"
Harry-? "Who?"
"Oh, dear…this isn't a good sign, I'm afraid. Do you remember me?"
"N - no…head hurts…"
"What is your name?"
"I - I don't remember…I feel sick…"
There was a movement again, and she closed her eyes tight against the tilting shadows…
"Madam Pomfrey, do you really think bringing him in will help?" The boys voice was doubtful, with an underlying anger.
"Well, you did say that she punched him, and hard from the looks of those knuckles and his nose! She may recognize him - a strong emotion may be able to bring her around…"
"Mr. Malfoy…come stand over here please…yes, just there."
She blinked through the haze, drawing a breath when she saw a familiar pair of light gray eyes come into her sight, flashing angrily like quicksilver as they met hers.
She saw them again suddenly, in her mind, looking bored, and again, narrowing meanly, and yet again, wide in surprise as she slugged his sneering face with all her might -"Bloody snake," she muttered angrily, her eyes fluttering shut. "Draco…"
An angry, surprised breath was drawn from nearby, and above her, someone snickered, drawling in a deceptively quiet, silky voice -"Guess we know who is the most memorable around here, eh, Potter?"
She opened her eyes again, briefly and saw an incredibly good - looking pale skinned boy standing over her, his longish, silvery blond hair glinting in the light, his eyes silvery gray and filled with taunting humor.
The most amazing thing, was that he had wings-honest to God, huge white and silver wings…she looked at him in awe, and then movement at the end of the bed drew her attention - she gasped as she saw another angel like creature there, a tall, lean boy with untidy shining raven black hair, and eyes so green it almost hurt to look at them -his wings were black, almost leathery looking, but so soft she wanted to touch them -"Am I in Heaven?" She whispered foggily, knowing she couldn't possibly be, for Lust was most definitely a sin. Lust for two boys had to be even worse…
"Why Weasley, I'm flattered…" came the mocking voice again, and then the Dark angel turned his head fiercely to the Light one, threat of Death in his blazing eyes.
"She's delusional, she hasn't any idea what she's saying…" came the older woman's voice before he could speak. "She's suffering from the effects of a high fever. I'm sorry but you'll all have to go."
"Pity…" the Light angel leaned down to her, eyes brilliant, voice low, wintry and threatening. "Don't you dare die on me, Ginny Weasley. You're in possession of something I want, and I'm bloody well not letting you go until I get it. You owe me." The cold, whispery voice was gone then.
She shivered, suddenly cold, and knew she'd be seeing him again, frightened even though she loved him so -"Harry," she found herself whispering, almost like a protective chant. "Harry-
"I'm here, Ginny, I'm here." She looked, over a long distance it seemed, and saw the Dark one standing over her, felt him holding her hand and stroking her cheek.
"Hi, Francis," she sighed, then in a moment of recognition, "Harry…oh Harry, what's going on…I feel horrible…"
Harry looked at her intensely, seeming like he wanted to say something, and then he sighed unsteadily, grinning. "Just you being all lazy, laying here in this bed."
Ginny tried to smile at him. "You look good in wings," she muttered, and then she found herself choking down some foul tasting mixture suddenly. It tasted like Ron's socks smelled, and she said so. It made her instantly sleepy, and she felt weightless and exhausted, the pain finally, finally subsiding. She fell into a deep sleep, just before the four words she'd once been waiting to hear from Harry Potter all her life were whispered once again, shakily into her ear.
"I - Love you, Ginny… Please get better."
Draco found himself wearing a huge grin as he finally left the infirmary, and as stupid as he knew it was, he couldn't seem to get rid of it. He was filled with satisfaction at the memory of Potter's face when the little Weasley had remembered him, Malfoy, and not the great Harry Potter, God's gift to adolescent teenage girls everywhere. He'd looked positively stricken - he sniggered at the thought. Though she had called him a bloody snake. He hadn't taken offense-he was a Slitheryn after all.
His mind was working at an insane speed as he walked back to the Slytherin common room. He'd wanted to get at the annoying Potter for almost six years, now, and the Weasley girl seemed to be the raw nerve of Potter's that he could poke at. She had it coming to her anyway, he reasoned nastily as he reached the portrait and hissed the password.
"Vengeance!"
It was a rather appropriate, the password, he thought as he climbed into the common room. It was deserted, which was all the better; it gave him much needed time to think.
Draco spent the next hour brooding over his feelings for Ginny, alternately worrying about her injuries, and thinking of revenge for the way she'd acted out on the pitch. He stared into the fire from his chair, and caught himself wondering if he ought to send her flowers. Was she allergic? Maybe chocolate would be better -
"Frigging hell - that girl is driving me out of my mind!" He spat, and stood to pace angrily.
~***~
"Harry, I think I may have to off Hermione. I swear, woman, if you ask me if I flossed this morning one more time I'm gonna' bloody scream!"
Ron's voice was barely penetrating the chaotic thoughts in Harry's head. He stared at something Ron couldn't see across the Great Hall, and murmured something unintelligible.
Ron looked over at Harry twice before shooting a look mischievous look at an annoyed Hermione and saying loudly, "Harry would you mind if I borrow your Firebolt?"
"Sure," Harry sighed, not noticing the near hysterics of Ron as he sat next to him.
"So, can I have it?" He asked slyly.
"Yeah, whatever."
Hermione smacked Ron hard on the arm. "Leave him alone. He's still worried about Ginny."
Ron looked suspicious suddenly. His brown eyes narrowed as he leaned over to Harry and said in a shocked voice, "My God, what's Ginny doing down here in nothing but her underwear?"
Harry's head turned so fast he almost knocked it into Ron's. "What! Where?"
Hermione shook her head as she pursed her lips and watched Ron's red head fall forward onto the table. "That was just wrong." But it was wasted - he was ignoring her.
"I cannot believe it! I can not believe it!" He looked up at Harry with a long -suffering expression. "You like Ginny don't you? You like my little sister!"
Looking down, Harry studied his untouched dinner and said not a word.
"I think I'm as close to passing out as I'll ever be in my entire life at this very moment," Ron wheezed, grabbing his water glass. His face was an unpleasant shade of red as he tried to decide if he was angry or shocked or both. "Ginny? I mean, Ginny! She's like, a baby!"
"She's only a year younger than you," Hermione chastised quietly, eyeing the mottled red of his skin worriedly. "Calm down!"
"But - but," sputtering, Ron turned even redder, "No way! I won't have it! She's just a kid, don't even think of - Arrrgh!" A sudden wash of icy cold water rushed down over him as Hermione grasped a crystal pitcher and abruptly upended it over his head.
Harry stared at Hermione for a long moment before his face broke into a huge grin, and his chest began to shake, as he laughed so hard he couldn't make a noise.
Hermione looked at her boyfriend with a dry smile. "Better now?"
"Why you -!" Ron shook a drop of water from his nose and tackled her suddenly, causing her to shriek as they both rolled off the bench and fell hard under the table.
Harry's stomach hurt as he wailed in laughter, and he leaned down, shouting under the table, "I want this to be a clean fight - no hair pulling, no biting and no use of blunt instruments!" He heard several other students around them murmuring and several began giggling and laughing.
Hermione shrieked again, Ron having found her ribs and tickling her mercilessly.
"Hey, I saw that! Keep that knee away from there!"
"Mr. Potter!"
Harry choked back his laugh as he looked up and saw Professor McGonagall's disapproving eyes looking at him reprimandingly over her glasses.
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, up from there, immediately!"
Hermione and Ron emerged looking subdued and disheveled, with everyone staring and snickering from their perspective tables.
"This is not acceptable behavior! These antics of yours caused poor Professor Dumbledore to choke on a roast potato - however he since he was laughing, he refuses to let me give you detention or take away points, as you so richly deserve." Looking ruffled she blinked and huffed, "I advise you to comport yourselves in a proper manner, and take this as a warning!" She looked at them sternly, but a twinkle of humor in her violet eyes gave her away before she turned away back to the teacher's table.
Looking deflated and half - drowned, Ron lowered himself back into his seat and looked at Hermione who was looking cowed but with a small smile curling her lips.
Harry brushed at a soaking spot on his robes where the water had caught him, too, and asked Ron with a teasing glint in his eye," So, Ron," He cleared his throat loudly, "you were saying?"
Ron grinned back grudgingly and kicked Harry foot under the table. "Break her heart and I'll have your ass," he said grumpily, clapping him companionably on the shoulder before turning to glare at Hermione.
What if she's already broken mine? He thought a bit peevishly. Harry looked down the table at the empty space where Ginny usually sat and decided to leave early-maybe she was awake now.
~***~
Draco paused outside the Infirmary, looking out for Madam Pomfrey, before heading in to sneak a look at Ginny. She was still asleep, her breathing normal and regular. He studied her, deciding she looked peaceful, and grudgingly, very pretty. Her long flame red curls fanned out over her pillow, her dark eyelashes doing the same on her pale cheeks.
He felt heat rise in his own cheeks as he remembered her visit to him months ago when she'd thought he was asleep…
Draco reluctantly reached out and rubbed a curl between his fingers, almost fancying he could feel heat coming off of it. He jumped when Ginny sighed in her sleep, and shifted.
A noise sounded from across the room, and Draco left, after giving her one last, searching look.
Harry crept into the infirmary and sat watching Ginny for several long minutes.
"Rest up, Gin." He whispered to her when he at last stood to leave. "I'll be waiting for you." He smiled and touched the back of her hand. "I'll be right here waiting."
~***~
(All right! Finally, the boy who lived manages to grow a pair! ::coughs:: Anyway, let me know what you think-I already know what I think, and it can't be written down! ::Sigh:: Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Anyone? I know someone's out there! You guys who reviewed-you are my sunshine! Right-going to bed now-write more later…^-^)