A/N: Hi… Ok. R/R
The next few weeks were bright and sunny, but Draco felt miserable. He had tried to seduce Ginny many more times after the first encounter, but none seemed to get to her. He had to admit, he was bad with girls.
As he sat down glumly in his seat at breakfast, Jeff leaned over and whispered,
" So, my lad, did it work?"
Draco stared down at his food and didn't answer. Jeff saw how depressed he looked and took it that it didn't work. Not knowing how to comfort him, he shrugged,
" The girl must be weird!"
Draco looked up from his plate and glared daggers at him.
" She is not weird." He snarled. His mean demeanor startled Jeff. This guy was really obsessed! But just how long had he loved her? Curiosity getting the better of him, he looked at Draco.
" When, and why did you start liking this girl?" he asked.
Draco didn't answer. He kept looking at his food and pushing it around with his fork. Jeff was about to give up and leave when he said something incoherent.
" What was that?" Jeff asked, amusement in his voice. Draco looked up at him and said louder, " I've liked her since my 4th year." Jeff was surprised. He's liked her for 3 years!
"And I like her because, I dunno, she's so good to people… And when she laughs, it sounds like bells tinkling… I don't exactly know why I love her, I just do… Have you ever felt that way?" Draco went on.
Jeff frowned. " No. I—I've never felt that way. Anyway why did you decide to tell her all of a sudden?" he murmured.
Draco shrugged and got up from the table. " Because I figured that if I didn't tell her this year, I'd probably never see her again, since this is my last year at Hogwarts…"
Draco turned away from Jeff, and walked out of the Great Hall. " Meet me later in the common room for your next lesson!" Jeff yelled after him.
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" Alright then." Jeff sighed. "Seducing her isn't gonna work. Why don't ya just give up?" Draco looked stricken, " I'm not going to give up! I love her! It's not some silly schoolboy crush!
Jeff was still skeptical, they had thought of every other method, but it was all ruled out.
" I'll try one more time, and then if it doesn't work, I guess I'll live with it." Draco said.
Jeff bit his lip, trying to remember how he always won the girls. Most of the time it was because he was so good-looking. But in Draco's case, he didn't have looks to brag about, and his personality wasn't much either, since he was the King of Insults.
" How's this Draco, since Ginny apparently doesn't like who you are, changing yourself might help…" Jeff began.
He wasn't sure if it would work, but it was worth a try.
Draco brightened at his idea, and he nodded his head fervently. So, for the most part of the night, they sat there, by the flickering firelight, working out a plan to make Ginny love him.
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Draco groaned in exhaust as he lifted the dumb bells for the last time—at least for that night. Jeff nodded, satisfied with his work.
" Now tomorrow, you'll do 100 push-ups, instead of 50. Good work Draco."
Draco grumbled in response. This was part of his 'training'. They assumed that if he became muscled and tan, he might look better. He was half content at the idea, but the other half told him that what he looked like shouldn't matter. Too tired to debate with his conscience, he plopped down on his bed, not bothering to shower.
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' I'm still not sure if this will work…' Draco thought. It was hard work exercising and all that. It had been about a month since they had formed this plan, yet he wasn't improving. His muscles were sore, and he could barely walk. Still, he had to get away from Jeff. He was pressuring him to keep working out 24/7. He was constantly telling him what to do. Thinking about Ginny, he crawled along the corridors, groaning every once in a while.
" Oof!" squeaked a female voice. It was Ginny. Draco extended his hand to the girl who had landed flat on her face. She accepted without a second thought, not knowing whom it was.
" Tha—" Ginny stopped mid-sentence to see that it was Draco.
" Are you alright?" Draco asked, real concern heavy in his voice.
This caught Ginny off-guard. She knew when someone was faking concern, and this was for real. Draco really cared for her.
'Well no duh Ginny, he's been telling you that for the past week!' her mind told her.
' Oh, shut up! I thought it was just lust or something…' Ginny snapped at her brain.
While she was arguing with herself, Draco stared at her, slightly confused.
" Ginny! Are you ok? Your face is twitching!" he yelped. Ginny snapped back to her senses.
" What? Oh, I'm fine Malfoy…" she replied nonchalantly. Draco stared at her, not knowing what to say.
" Um… Do you want to go for a walk?" He asked apprehensively.
Ginny stared at his pleading eyes, and she couldn't say no. He had been very nice to her so far, but then again, when had he been mean to her? Sure, he had been nasty to the Dream Team, and he had been a little perverted and gross around her, but he had never really been mean to her…
" Uh, sure…" she replied with some uncertainty.
Draco's pale face beamed at her, as they began to walk out the door and into the cold, evening air. Ginny shivered as the wind blew her hair fiercely. Draco noticed and he shrugged off his robes and draped it over her, smiling at her.
Ginny felt warm and cozy all over. Not really because of the cloak, but because of the warm smile he gave her. She had never noticed what a unique eye color he had. She had never seen him smile warmly. And she had never noticed how silvery his hair was. Now that she looked at him up close, he didn't look half bad. As they walked on, Ginny spotted a tall dark figure bent over by the lake. Ginny ran over to him, realizing that it was Harry Potter, and Draco ran after her.
" Oh Hullo Ginny!" Harry greeted her cheerfully. Ginny smiled at him heartwarmingly. Draco couldn't help but feel jealous. If only she would smile at him like that. Ginny suddenly spoke, " What are you doing out here Harry?" she asked softly. Harry looked up once more and said, " Oh! Um, I dropped my glasses…" Ginny giggled softly. She bent down and picked up his glasses, and placed them on his nose. Harry grinned sheepishly, making Ginny giggle more. Harry took that moment to notice Draco.
" Hey! What's Malfoy doing out here?" he spat. Draco narrowed his eyes and sputtered, "I can do what I want Potter." Ginny frowned, not enjoying the moment. Draco felt guilty, so he decided to go back in. He said good-bye to Ginny, but she did not hear him. She was busy watching Harry Potter with a look of pure adoration and love.
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Draco sighed. It seemed as if he had been doing that a lot lately. The way Ginny had looked at Potter, it was the way he probably looked at her. He didn't deserve her. She would never learn to love him the way he loved her. She deserved someone better, like Potter. ' Besides,' his conscience reminded him. ' She should like you for who you are!' Draco frowned wearily, wondering why he ever had to fall in love with her.
FLASHBACK
Draco was strutting around Hogsmeade, looking fairly smug. He had yet again put down the Dream Team. It was around Christmas; the air cold, twinkling lights everywhere, and spirits were high. Yes, Draco had to admit, this was his favorite time of year.
As he was walking, he would glance at the windows of the various stores in Hogsmeade. One particular store caught his interest. Honey dukes, was sporting a new type of candy, specially made for Christmas. Many little children had their noses pressed up against the window, mouth watering for a bit of sweets.
Draco walked in the store, hoping to find something suitable to buy. He was walking from aisle to aisle when he spotted her. Ginny Weasley. She was looking at a box of chocolates wistfully. She was dressed in a heavy back coat, with the Gryffindor scarf wrapped tightly around her. Snowflakes were sprinkled in her flaming red hair in a cute manner.
Draco noticed how much she had grown. She was not the small, shapeless girl he had teased back in her first year. She was a young woman. Her friend next to her was also looking at some sweets. She muttered something to Ginny, and she threw her head back and laughed. It was wonderful. It sounded like tinkling bells.
And the way her eyes sparkled. Draco kept staring at her, marveling at how beautiful she looked. Ginny glanced at him, startled by his gaze. Draco had panicked, not wanting to upset her. But to his surprise, she smiled. It was a warm smile, a smile rarely seen. Other times, her face would be set in a glare when she saw him, but not that day. Her smile melted his heart. It was at that moment he fell in love.
END FLASHBACK
He got up from his bed and walked down the stairs. In the corner of a sofa, Jeff was snogging a Slytherin 5th year girl. Draco nudged Jeff, interrupting his snogging session. Jeff looked up disgruntled, his eyes looking dazed.
" What?" his voice was slurred. Draco sat down on the armchair next to him.
" I'm here to tell you that I don't need your lessons anymore. I'm giving up on her…"
Jeff sat up straight and blinked, as if trying to register in his mind what he had said.
" After all that, you're giving up?" he asked. Draco was surprised. This wasn't the reaction he had expected.
"Yes." Draco replied. Jeff shook his head.
" But your Draco Malfoy! You're the king of cunning! You cheat! You play dirty! You get what you want and you don't care about who gets hurt in the process!" Jeff cried. Draco looked at Jeff darkly, "How do you know this Jeff? You have no idea who I am…" Draco got up from the sofa, and stomped out of the portrait hole.
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A/N: What will happen next? I thought that this was a pretty dramatic chapter. The next chapter is a bit fluffier I'm hoping… Poor Draco…But lemme warn you, I've written the ending to this, and it is not a happy fic… Thanks!
