Disclaimer: I own the plot (I remembered the disclaimer!! Go me).
And thanks so much to my wonderful editor, dreamoftf!!!
"Ginny?" Patricia, her friend, asked softly. "What's wrong?" Ginny shrugged and continued to stare into space from her bed. "O.k., well if you ever want to talk, just know I'm here." Ginny gave her a sad smile and small thanks. "At least come to the game?" she pleaded. "Gryffindor is gonna kick Slytherin butt- that should cheer you up!"
Ginny sighed in resignation, mumbling, "Just give me a minute."
Ginny went out to the packed stands and sat between Hermione and Patricia. "Look at Ron!" she giggled pointing. His face was bright red from the cold, perfectly matching his hair and blood red Quidditch robes. He was quite a sight.
"He looks like a tomato," Patricia giggled.
"No, tomatoes are round! He looks more like a pepper," argued Ginny.
"A lobster!" They cracked up laughing.
"Oh, hush," Hermione scolded, but her smile gave her away.
"Welcome to the first Quidditch Game of the season! It's GRRYYYYYYYYFFFFFFIIIINNNNDOOOOOOORRRRR vs. Slytherin." Seamus Finnigan was commentating, as you might have guessed it was not a Slytherin. "Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy shake hands, and they're off!"
Ginny groaned. How could she have forgotten he would be here? She tried to concentrate, but her mind wouldn't budge.
Hermione shook her. "Are you awake? Gryffindor scored again and you didn't cheer or anything."
"Again?" a startled Ginny asked. "What's the score?"
"Fifty to twenty."
"Sorry," she said, her eyes already locking back on Draco. "Didn't get much sleep last night." Ginny sighed. Anyone watching her would think she was obsessed, in love even-
She gasped, and it was luckily drowned out by the noise the crowd was making as Harry and Draco went into a dive.
I can't love him! she thought desperately. He's evil, he's my family's enemy, and he hates me... I barely know him!
But she knew it wasn't true. She knew he wasn't evil, she knew his name wouldn't matter if he loved her back, knew that she knew him better than anyone else in the world; but most of all, she knew that she did love him. She also knew one other, important detail...
He hates me.
Harry pulled out of the dive, victorious, and the bleachers erupted into cheers. Everyone came down and crowded around him. Draco walked off to his own locker room, scowling. Ginny watched him go, fingering his father's note in her pocket. It wouldn't hurt to give it to him back... right?
She started off, to hear Ron call after her, "Hey- where are you going? Party in the common room!" She waved him off.
"Be right there!"
Draco stomped into the locker room, tore off his robes, and got into the shower. He didn't understand. I have the same broom, the same flying talents, and heck, I've played my whole life. So why does Potter always catch the snitch?
Ginny looked quickly around to make sure no one saw her go in. She heard a shower on, and she covered her eyes quickly. "Draco, I need to talk to you!" she called. The shower stopped.
"What?" A voice asked harshly.
"Well, I-" she stopped and gasped as she uncovered her eyes.
Draco was standing in front of her, a towel the only thing covering him. "Um..." she said, all thoughts flying out of her head as she looked him over. She couldn't believe the thoughts that entered her head just from the sight of his chiseled abs, muscular arms... Stop! she reprimanded herself.
Draco smirked as Ginny stared, stuttered, and drooled. At least his summers with his father had been worth something... that vigorous training he'd had had definitely been a good idea. "Yes?" he asked, pretending to be impatient.
Knowing she wouldn't be able to think if he wasn't properly covered, she suggested with a crimson face, "Um... maybe you could put some clothes on?"
Draco rolled his eyes but complied as she turned around. Ginny smacked her face as she was turned around. I am such an idiot...
"If you're done abusing yourself, you can turn around."
Her face turned, if possible, an even redder than before. "Sorry."
"It's of no consequence to me. What do you want?"
"Um... Are you o.k? That was a pretty rough match to lose out there."
His eyes turned stony, and he leaned back against the wall. "It's alright- we deserve to win. That loser Potter just had a head start."
"O.k..."
"Why are you still here?" he asked forcefully. Ginny felt tears spring to her eyes, but held them in. Why was she still here? Oh yeah, the note- "I wanted to talk to you about-"
"For goodness' sake already, Weasley!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air exasperatedly. "Will you ever learn? I- don't- like- you. Just give it up and go away!"
"Fine!" she yelled back, losing her temper. "Just fine!" Right in front of the door she stopped and turned back around. "By the way, I didn't want to talk to you about that- you're decision already seemed pretty decided. I wanted to show you this-" she took the note out and threw it at him.
Draco stared stupidly at it. "Where did you-"
"I couldn't believe I had been stupid enough to fall for it twice," she said, now almost surely about to cry. Her voice softened. "You were right you know. I am just a stupid, little girl," she spat the words out bitterly.
"Ginny-" he started, but she was already gone. Draco looked at the paper, his face written with the word 'hatred' all over it. He ripped up the note and slammed his fist into the wall as hard as he could, screaming. Hell always happened to him.
Ginny refused to cry. She would never, ever, cry again for any boy, and that was a promise. She couldn't stand everything. Being used a second time, especially when she was five years older, was possibly the worst possible thing she could imagine. What made it worse were her feelings. She hated loving Draco, yet life would be pointless if she didn't. And he hated her. To him, she was a worthless Weasley; twice as aggravating as her entire family put together. A bug that needed to be squashed, an itch that would never go away, a lost puppy that followed you everywhere... she could think up thousands of examples; and she did. She spent weeks sad and confused, and would take help from no one. Her roommates tried to help; they spent dinner with her (she never seemed to be hungry), they made interesting conversation with her- they even tried to set her up with an all too willing boy, but that didn't work out. Her brother and friends tried to see what was wrong too- they spent an hour every night talking to her and helping her with her homework (she never seemed to find the time to do it). Well, most of the talking they did was to try to bug what was wrong out of her, but hey- it's the thought that counts.
Her housemates, however, were not the only ones worried... there was one other.
Draco Malfoy missed Ginny's presence terribly. His dinners were never complete with her not there to watch and smile at. Sure, he occasionally caught sight of her in the halls, but that was far from satisfying. The smiles she used to send to everyone as she walked past seemed to have permanently taken a turn the other way; the healthy glow she used to have diminished as her body shrank and face turned gaunt. He knew he was the cause of this, but he was only trying to protect her... right?
She finally came to breakfast one day when Ron refused to let her sit there on the bed any longer.
"Ron-" she had complained, but he wouldn't let her get a word out.
"No, Ginny. You're seventeen years old; you should be having a good time instead of sitting on your stupid bed for hours. You'll get plenty of that in 50 years. Plus, you haven't eaten a proper meal in ages. You get your arse off that bed now and come down with me, or else mum's getting an owl tonight."
Ginny couldn't get out of eating, either, because Ron watched her like a hawk. So although she wasn't hungry at all, she forced some food in and listened to the conversation.
"Yeah, so in Potions, that bast-"
"Ron!" Hermione cut him off. "Honestly, I wonder if you could go a day with out using a bad word.
"Somehow I doubt it, Hermione," Harry grinned at her.
"Well, what else would you have me use then?" Ron challenged.
"I don't know- replace it with cruel or something."
Ron snorted into his goblet. "Did you just say cruel, Hermione? Yes, I can see my self using that!" He adapted a high-pitched, girly voice. " 'Yeah, so in Potions, that cruel boy spilt my cauldron!' Yeah, that'll be a catcher, Hermione!"
She looked crossly at him. "My dad broke that habit by saying Julius Caesar every time he got angry."
Ron burst out in laughter. "Ju- Ju- Julius Caesar? Where on earth did he come up with something like that?"
Hermione gave him a stony glare. "I came up with it."
Ron stopped laughing. "Oh, it's- a very (cough) good idea, Herm. I'll give it a try," he added unconvincingly.
"No you won't. How about we make a bet? You have to say it for a month, and if I hear you utter one other obscene word-"
"I'll wear a dress to Hogsmeade next time we go." He nodded his head seriously. "Come on, let's shake on it." They shook, and as Ron pulled his hand away he knocked his goblet over, and the contents spilled all over him. "Shit! Wait- no!"
Hermione looked jubilant, Harry looked on amused, and Ginny- well, for the first time in weeks Ginny couldn't stop laughing.
Fifteen minutes later, the three seventh years dragged a hysterical sixth year into their common room. They deposited her on the couch.
"I just don't get it," Ron said, shaking his head. "First she goes from an inch from death to... I don't know, insane." His thoughts were justified as Ginny, still in peals of laughter, rolled off the couch knocked her head on a table, making her laugh even harder.
Harry smiled at her, chuckling himself. "You've got to admit- this Ginny is much better."
Ron sighed. "Yeah, I was wondering when she would get out of that drag she was in. Speaking of which- Hermione, please, please, please, in the name of God, do not make me wear a drag dress- or any dress, for that matter! Can I have another try? I didn't even have time to prepare myself; the juice just fell over! I was like, holy shi-!" he clamped his hands over his mouth, and Hermione gave a disapproving cluck of her tongue. "Sorry Ron, but bets are bets. Don't worry, it won't be that bad."
"Yes it will," Ron groaned. Hermione just laughed and pecked him on the lips.
"Ah, not in front of me please!" Harry groaned also, earning two pairs of rolling eyes and more hysterical laughter.
Draco entered the Owlery and hurriedly handed his owl a letter. "Deliver this to Miss Weasley- and quickly. Before I change my mind," he added as the owl flew off into the night.
Ginny had finally been able to calm herself down, but it hadn't been easy. She sighed, ready to fall into the terrible dreams she'd been having lately. Just then, an owl tapped at her window. She didn't recognize the amber eyes and black feathers and wondered whom the letter was from. It didn't have a name on it or anything, and she opened it up to find a short message:
Ginny:
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at dinnertime next Friday. What I have to say is important- be there.
Not needing a name to tell her whom it was from, Ginny sighed happily and got back into bed. Anything he had to say was worth hearing. Even if it was to insult her. I've gone from stupid to pathetic...
Wow, I cannot believe I wrote all that... in one day, no less! Luckily I too was in a * happy * mood today- otherwise it probably would have been sadder...(sigh.) Well anyway, you know me; I can't keep the story sad for too long. But it's not going to go all uphill from here... there will be quite a few problems in their paths: Voldemort, family, fights...
I know that this chapter is shorter than the last, but I had requests to make them a little shorter- they may go back to long if it works better. Heck, at the rate I'm going, the next chapter'll be out Sunday.
Last but not least, please review! Thanks, and bye for now.
And thanks so much to my wonderful editor, dreamoftf!!!
"Ginny?" Patricia, her friend, asked softly. "What's wrong?" Ginny shrugged and continued to stare into space from her bed. "O.k., well if you ever want to talk, just know I'm here." Ginny gave her a sad smile and small thanks. "At least come to the game?" she pleaded. "Gryffindor is gonna kick Slytherin butt- that should cheer you up!"
Ginny sighed in resignation, mumbling, "Just give me a minute."
Ginny went out to the packed stands and sat between Hermione and Patricia. "Look at Ron!" she giggled pointing. His face was bright red from the cold, perfectly matching his hair and blood red Quidditch robes. He was quite a sight.
"He looks like a tomato," Patricia giggled.
"No, tomatoes are round! He looks more like a pepper," argued Ginny.
"A lobster!" They cracked up laughing.
"Oh, hush," Hermione scolded, but her smile gave her away.
"Welcome to the first Quidditch Game of the season! It's GRRYYYYYYYYFFFFFFIIIINNNNDOOOOOOORRRRR vs. Slytherin." Seamus Finnigan was commentating, as you might have guessed it was not a Slytherin. "Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy shake hands, and they're off!"
Ginny groaned. How could she have forgotten he would be here? She tried to concentrate, but her mind wouldn't budge.
Hermione shook her. "Are you awake? Gryffindor scored again and you didn't cheer or anything."
"Again?" a startled Ginny asked. "What's the score?"
"Fifty to twenty."
"Sorry," she said, her eyes already locking back on Draco. "Didn't get much sleep last night." Ginny sighed. Anyone watching her would think she was obsessed, in love even-
She gasped, and it was luckily drowned out by the noise the crowd was making as Harry and Draco went into a dive.
I can't love him! she thought desperately. He's evil, he's my family's enemy, and he hates me... I barely know him!
But she knew it wasn't true. She knew he wasn't evil, she knew his name wouldn't matter if he loved her back, knew that she knew him better than anyone else in the world; but most of all, she knew that she did love him. She also knew one other, important detail...
He hates me.
Harry pulled out of the dive, victorious, and the bleachers erupted into cheers. Everyone came down and crowded around him. Draco walked off to his own locker room, scowling. Ginny watched him go, fingering his father's note in her pocket. It wouldn't hurt to give it to him back... right?
She started off, to hear Ron call after her, "Hey- where are you going? Party in the common room!" She waved him off.
"Be right there!"
Draco stomped into the locker room, tore off his robes, and got into the shower. He didn't understand. I have the same broom, the same flying talents, and heck, I've played my whole life. So why does Potter always catch the snitch?
Ginny looked quickly around to make sure no one saw her go in. She heard a shower on, and she covered her eyes quickly. "Draco, I need to talk to you!" she called. The shower stopped.
"What?" A voice asked harshly.
"Well, I-" she stopped and gasped as she uncovered her eyes.
Draco was standing in front of her, a towel the only thing covering him. "Um..." she said, all thoughts flying out of her head as she looked him over. She couldn't believe the thoughts that entered her head just from the sight of his chiseled abs, muscular arms... Stop! she reprimanded herself.
Draco smirked as Ginny stared, stuttered, and drooled. At least his summers with his father had been worth something... that vigorous training he'd had had definitely been a good idea. "Yes?" he asked, pretending to be impatient.
Knowing she wouldn't be able to think if he wasn't properly covered, she suggested with a crimson face, "Um... maybe you could put some clothes on?"
Draco rolled his eyes but complied as she turned around. Ginny smacked her face as she was turned around. I am such an idiot...
"If you're done abusing yourself, you can turn around."
Her face turned, if possible, an even redder than before. "Sorry."
"It's of no consequence to me. What do you want?"
"Um... Are you o.k? That was a pretty rough match to lose out there."
His eyes turned stony, and he leaned back against the wall. "It's alright- we deserve to win. That loser Potter just had a head start."
"O.k..."
"Why are you still here?" he asked forcefully. Ginny felt tears spring to her eyes, but held them in. Why was she still here? Oh yeah, the note- "I wanted to talk to you about-"
"For goodness' sake already, Weasley!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air exasperatedly. "Will you ever learn? I- don't- like- you. Just give it up and go away!"
"Fine!" she yelled back, losing her temper. "Just fine!" Right in front of the door she stopped and turned back around. "By the way, I didn't want to talk to you about that- you're decision already seemed pretty decided. I wanted to show you this-" she took the note out and threw it at him.
Draco stared stupidly at it. "Where did you-"
"I couldn't believe I had been stupid enough to fall for it twice," she said, now almost surely about to cry. Her voice softened. "You were right you know. I am just a stupid, little girl," she spat the words out bitterly.
"Ginny-" he started, but she was already gone. Draco looked at the paper, his face written with the word 'hatred' all over it. He ripped up the note and slammed his fist into the wall as hard as he could, screaming. Hell always happened to him.
Ginny refused to cry. She would never, ever, cry again for any boy, and that was a promise. She couldn't stand everything. Being used a second time, especially when she was five years older, was possibly the worst possible thing she could imagine. What made it worse were her feelings. She hated loving Draco, yet life would be pointless if she didn't. And he hated her. To him, she was a worthless Weasley; twice as aggravating as her entire family put together. A bug that needed to be squashed, an itch that would never go away, a lost puppy that followed you everywhere... she could think up thousands of examples; and she did. She spent weeks sad and confused, and would take help from no one. Her roommates tried to help; they spent dinner with her (she never seemed to be hungry), they made interesting conversation with her- they even tried to set her up with an all too willing boy, but that didn't work out. Her brother and friends tried to see what was wrong too- they spent an hour every night talking to her and helping her with her homework (she never seemed to find the time to do it). Well, most of the talking they did was to try to bug what was wrong out of her, but hey- it's the thought that counts.
Her housemates, however, were not the only ones worried... there was one other.
Draco Malfoy missed Ginny's presence terribly. His dinners were never complete with her not there to watch and smile at. Sure, he occasionally caught sight of her in the halls, but that was far from satisfying. The smiles she used to send to everyone as she walked past seemed to have permanently taken a turn the other way; the healthy glow she used to have diminished as her body shrank and face turned gaunt. He knew he was the cause of this, but he was only trying to protect her... right?
She finally came to breakfast one day when Ron refused to let her sit there on the bed any longer.
"Ron-" she had complained, but he wouldn't let her get a word out.
"No, Ginny. You're seventeen years old; you should be having a good time instead of sitting on your stupid bed for hours. You'll get plenty of that in 50 years. Plus, you haven't eaten a proper meal in ages. You get your arse off that bed now and come down with me, or else mum's getting an owl tonight."
Ginny couldn't get out of eating, either, because Ron watched her like a hawk. So although she wasn't hungry at all, she forced some food in and listened to the conversation.
"Yeah, so in Potions, that bast-"
"Ron!" Hermione cut him off. "Honestly, I wonder if you could go a day with out using a bad word.
"Somehow I doubt it, Hermione," Harry grinned at her.
"Well, what else would you have me use then?" Ron challenged.
"I don't know- replace it with cruel or something."
Ron snorted into his goblet. "Did you just say cruel, Hermione? Yes, I can see my self using that!" He adapted a high-pitched, girly voice. " 'Yeah, so in Potions, that cruel boy spilt my cauldron!' Yeah, that'll be a catcher, Hermione!"
She looked crossly at him. "My dad broke that habit by saying Julius Caesar every time he got angry."
Ron burst out in laughter. "Ju- Ju- Julius Caesar? Where on earth did he come up with something like that?"
Hermione gave him a stony glare. "I came up with it."
Ron stopped laughing. "Oh, it's- a very (cough) good idea, Herm. I'll give it a try," he added unconvincingly.
"No you won't. How about we make a bet? You have to say it for a month, and if I hear you utter one other obscene word-"
"I'll wear a dress to Hogsmeade next time we go." He nodded his head seriously. "Come on, let's shake on it." They shook, and as Ron pulled his hand away he knocked his goblet over, and the contents spilled all over him. "Shit! Wait- no!"
Hermione looked jubilant, Harry looked on amused, and Ginny- well, for the first time in weeks Ginny couldn't stop laughing.
Fifteen minutes later, the three seventh years dragged a hysterical sixth year into their common room. They deposited her on the couch.
"I just don't get it," Ron said, shaking his head. "First she goes from an inch from death to... I don't know, insane." His thoughts were justified as Ginny, still in peals of laughter, rolled off the couch knocked her head on a table, making her laugh even harder.
Harry smiled at her, chuckling himself. "You've got to admit- this Ginny is much better."
Ron sighed. "Yeah, I was wondering when she would get out of that drag she was in. Speaking of which- Hermione, please, please, please, in the name of God, do not make me wear a drag dress- or any dress, for that matter! Can I have another try? I didn't even have time to prepare myself; the juice just fell over! I was like, holy shi-!" he clamped his hands over his mouth, and Hermione gave a disapproving cluck of her tongue. "Sorry Ron, but bets are bets. Don't worry, it won't be that bad."
"Yes it will," Ron groaned. Hermione just laughed and pecked him on the lips.
"Ah, not in front of me please!" Harry groaned also, earning two pairs of rolling eyes and more hysterical laughter.
Draco entered the Owlery and hurriedly handed his owl a letter. "Deliver this to Miss Weasley- and quickly. Before I change my mind," he added as the owl flew off into the night.
Ginny had finally been able to calm herself down, but it hadn't been easy. She sighed, ready to fall into the terrible dreams she'd been having lately. Just then, an owl tapped at her window. She didn't recognize the amber eyes and black feathers and wondered whom the letter was from. It didn't have a name on it or anything, and she opened it up to find a short message:
Ginny:
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at dinnertime next Friday. What I have to say is important- be there.
Not needing a name to tell her whom it was from, Ginny sighed happily and got back into bed. Anything he had to say was worth hearing. Even if it was to insult her. I've gone from stupid to pathetic...
Wow, I cannot believe I wrote all that... in one day, no less! Luckily I too was in a * happy * mood today- otherwise it probably would have been sadder...(sigh.) Well anyway, you know me; I can't keep the story sad for too long. But it's not going to go all uphill from here... there will be quite a few problems in their paths: Voldemort, family, fights...
I know that this chapter is shorter than the last, but I had requests to make them a little shorter- they may go back to long if it works better. Heck, at the rate I'm going, the next chapter'll be out Sunday.
Last but not least, please review! Thanks, and bye for now.