Title: Happy? Me? Of course…

A/N: Hello. I have great news! You will actually be able to understand this chapter! Audrey, my new beta reader, made sure of that. Thanks again…

And sorry if Harry is a bit annoying, but he isn't really my favourite character.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and JKR owns everything… but you allready knew that.

Chapter five: Friends…?

During lunchtime, Desdemona and Miranda sat in the Great Hall, trying to figure out what was wrong with Ginny. She had been so quiet ever since that night, a week ago. Miranda and Desdemona sat with their heads close together and were whispering. Ginny, who sat right in front of them, poking her fork in her food, didn't seem to notice.

"So, what do you think it is?" Miranda whispered.

"I don't know… but look at Harry! He's been weird too. Think it has something to do with him?"

"I don't know… Just hope it doesn't have a bad effect on 'her' homework." They looked at each other and broke out in hysterical laughter.

Ginny looked up from her plate. "What's so funny?"

Miranda and Desdemona stopped laughing and both gave her an innocent smile "Nothing, why?" Ginny shrugged and began to play with her food again, and Desdemona and Miranda got back to whispering and gossip.

Even though Ginny's potatoes weren't very interesting, she couldn't take her eyes off of them. Since that night a week ago, she had met Draco by the lake every evening at eleven o'clock. She loved to be there with him, but she could hardly stay awake anymore. She had fallen asleep in at least three lessons and during the day she walked around like a zombie. She was glad that it was finally Saturday…

Every night she tried to be friendly with him, but it wasn't always that easy when he always insisted to be cold and mean. It had taken her some time, but now she knew it was just a mask. He didn't scare her anymore. He tried, but for no good. Something that did scare her, though, was the weird feeling she always got when he looked at her. Ok, so she knew what it was, but she would never be able to tell him that. What if he rejected her? What if he sneered and said, 'Sorry, Weasel, but I don't associate with losers like you,' and then laughed at her? And what about Harry? She had tried to avoid him all week, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he caught her and made her talk to him. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She didn't want to talk to him, she just wanted him to… disappear. It was bad enough that she had to sit in the same common room as him, and that he always spent his summers at the Burrow, but why, oh why, did he have to talk to her?

"Ginny? Are you coming, or what?" Ginny shook her head and looked up at her friends.

"What? Oh, sorry…" She stood up and followed them out of the Great Hall, but turned around for a last glance at Draco. And he was staring right back at her.

~*~*~*~

Draco watched her walk out of the Great Hall along with those annoying friends of hers. Pansy was sitting next to him, trying to get his attention, but he ignored her. On his other side sat Crabbe and Goyle, putting drinking straws up their noses and laughing at each other. Draco sighed and rested his head in his hands. He had dark rings around his eyes after all the late nights with Ginny, but it was worth it. She was worth it. He was starting to wonder how the hell he had been able to live without a real friend for so long.

Friend? He sighed again. She's driving me crazy… he snorted and looked up at his friends. So pathetic, he thought as he got up and left the room. He could hear Pansy call after him, but he ignored her. Like always.

~*~*~*~

Ginny ran down to the library and sat down in a corner so she couldn't be seen. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had and that scared her. She knew she was starting to feel something for him, and she also knew it was going get her in trouble. She froze when she heard footsteps coming closer.

Draco?

"Ginny?" she heard someone whisper. "I know you're in here. Where are you?"

She chewed her lip but didn't say anything. She pulled her legs under her chin to make herself smaller and waited for him to go away. But he didn't. He came around the large bookshelf she was sitting behind and looked down at her. "Shouldn't you be with Desdemona and Miranda, Ginny?" he asked and sat down next to her.

Ginny tried to sit as far away from him as possible. "Please, Harry, go away" she whispered.

He sighed. "No, Ginny, I won't."

Ginny tried to stand up to leave, but he held her back and forced her back down "Let go of me! I'm supposed to meet my friends now, you said so yourself!" Ginny cried and tried to get her arm back, but Harry held her too hard, and it almost hurt her.

"Ginny, we need to talk," Harry said softly and loosened his grip on her wrist. She quickly pulled her arm back to her and looked at him, fear shining through her big, brown eyes.

"I-I don't want to… please, leave me alone…" she begged and started to feel desperate.

"I wish I could, but I want to know why you're afraid of me."

Tears started to fall down her cheeks and she gave up. He wasn't going let her get away. But she didn't say anything. She just sat there and felt her robes get more and more wet as her tears dropped down on them.

"Are you going to tell me?" she heard Harry ask her, but she didn't react. Harry tried to shake her but she moved away as if he had burned her. "Ginny! Come on! I'm not gonna hurt you!" he cried out desperately. Ginny sobbed and looked down at her hands. "You hurt me, even if you don't know it," she whispered.

Harry glanced her, confused. "What… do you still have a crush on me?"

Ginny snorted. "No… trust me, I'm over you"

Harry felt a bit hurt but kept cool. "So, tell me!"

"I will never be able to look at you without remembering Tom Riddle and our little 'adventure'. And I know it isn't your fault, but I can't change the way I feel! You scare me, and I don't want to have anything to do with you! Can't you just accept that?"

"But…"

"Ginny? What's going on?" Ginny looked up.

"Draco!" she cried out and before she knew what she was doing, she jumped up and hugged him tightly. He held her close to him and sneered at Harry.

Draco hadn't been expecting to find them there, but when he heard her yell like that, he obviously understood something was wrong. And, of course, Potter was the reason.

Harry got to his feet and pulled Ginny away from Draco. "Don't touch her!" he growled. Ginny took a few steps back and watched them. They were looking at each other like two lions ready to fight.

"Harry, please don't," she whispered, frightened.

Harry reached for his wand and pointed it at Draco. But Draco didn't move. Why should he? Without a word, Draco turned on his heel and walked out of the library.

~*~*~*~

Harry stormed into the Great Hall and sat down next to Ron and Hermione.

"Err… what's wrong, Harry?" Ron asked, confused.

"Your sister!" He spat out.

Ron frowned. "What? What has she done?"

"She has something going on with that damned Malfoy!"

Hermione gasped "She… what? You can't be serious, Harry…"

"Hermione, I am serious! I just saw them! Hugging!"

Ron shook his head. "No way… Ginny wouldn't do that"

"Well, she did!"

Hermione squeezed Ron's hand. "Ok, just calm down. Maybe you just misunderstood Harry. There has to be a logical explanation to this…"

"No, Hermione. I don't think there is. I honestly think she's interested in him," Harry said and sighed.

"Then we have to put a stop to that," Ron said and shrugged, his cheeks turning more and more red.

They all turned their heads and watched as Ginny walked in. She glanced at them before she tried to run away, but Harry was faster. He gripped her wrist and forced her to turn around.

"Ginny, we need to talk to you."

Ginny looked at them "A-about what?" she asked and tried to smile.

Ron shook his head. "You know what about."

"Ron, calm down!" Hermione hissed.

"Ginny, I told them about Malfoy," Harry said softly. Ginny gasped and tried to get loose from Harry's grip. "Harry… Let go of me… I'm already hurting from what you did in the library, please don't make it worse." She whispered. The Great Hall was almost empty now, but some of the Gryffindors were watching the little scenario.

Ron stood up and walked over to her. "What the hell is wrong with you, Ginny?"

Ginny tried to come out of Harry's hard grip but refused to look up at her brother. She started to feel like some trashy doll he could just throw around.

Suddenly, she heard a cold laughter from behind her and turned around.

"I assure you, big Weasel, there was nothing wrong with her until our little hero here tried to break her wrist."

Ron turned around and faced his archenemy. His face quickly turned red and he clenched his fists, ready to punch him.

Draco glanced at Ginny and then at Harry. He felt a rage of anger shoot up inside of him, but his face still had the cold, intimidating sneer.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron muttered and tried to look just as calm as Draco. But that only made Draco's sneer grow wider.

"Well, well, Weasley, is that all you can say? I guess I'll just be waiting for you to beat me up now, right?" Draco said and pretended to sound scared. "Well, come one! I'm waiting!"

Ron took a step closer and raised his fist.

"Ron, don't!" Hermione cried out. "If you do that, I'll never talk to you again!"

Draco took the opportunity and threw away a Filibuster firework in the middle of the crowd. He had stolen it from that annoying Longbottom guy just a few days ago, and thought it might be useful. Obviously he had been right.

Surprised, everybody started to scream and run around the Great Hall like crazy. Harry let go of Ginny's arm and Draco motioned for her to run away. She gave him a thankful smile and ran out, Draco following close after.

~*~*~*~

Ginny ran out from the castle and down to the big tree where she and Draco always sat late at night. She sat down and leaned against the tree, waiting for him to come.

"Hello, Weasel."

Ginny turned around and saw Draco sit down next to her. She blushed and turned away again. She felt something tingle in her stomach again, but tried to ignore it. As always.

"You know, Draco… you can call me Ginny."

Silence.

"Don't I even get a 'thanks'?" Draco asked after a couple of minutes.

"Thank you, Draco."

Draco muttered something sounding like "whatever" and then turned to face her.

"Draco…" Ginny turned to him and felt her cheeks turn red as she saw him watching her.

"Yes?"

"I… I think… I…" she stammered. She didn't really know what she was about to say, she just knew she had to say it.

Draco leaned forward and softly cupped her face in his hands. He felt her tremble under his hands and tried his best not to tremble himself.

She saw the sneer fade from his face and it was replaced with a mixed look of confusion, fear and some other feeling Ginny couldn't read. He hesitated but then softly pressed his lips against hers. Her heart started to beat faster and her hands quickly found their way around his neck. She had never experienced something as… great as this and she never wanted it to end. Cautiously, she let her lips open and his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Draco forgot that the world consisted of more than just the two of them, and finally he felt all his anger, fear, and pretend flowing off of him. All he felt was… what was it? Love? No, it couldn't be… but it definitely felt right. And he didn't want it to stop. Ever.

They broke apart, gasping for air, and looked at each other. He softly pulled away a lock of hair from her face and saw her cheeks turn even redder, if that was possible.

"Were you trying to tell me something?" he whispered, still holding her face in his hands.

Ginny hesitated. "Promise not to freak out?"

Draco tried to smile. "I promise"

She took a deep breath and forced herself to say it, but it only came out as silent mumble.

"I… I think I love you."

Draco's heart began to beat faster again. Did she just say that, or was he just dreaming? Oh, what a great dream it must be… Did she really love him? Him?

"Why?" was all he could say. He saw the disappointment in her eyes and quickly pulled her in for another kiss. He broke it and looked her in the eyes. "I… guess you're not that bad after all."

"But you don't love me?" she whispered sadly and looked down at her hands.

This isn't going right… of course I love you! Oh God, what the hell is happening? I… can't tell you that…

She sighed. She had really thought that he did love her. But she was wrong. And now she had made a fool out of herself, just like always. She felt tears starting to stream down her face and looked up at him.

"It's okay, Draco… It is. Of course you don't love me back… I don't know what ever made me think that… I'm so stupid…" she started to mutter but suddenly stopped when she saw the look on his face.

His eyes were full of warmth and love; she had never seen him like that before. He kissed her again and whispered, "You're not stupid."

~*~*~*~

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