Disclaimer: I own neither Draco Malfoy, nor Ginny Weasley. They, as well as all other magical lingo, are owned by JK Rowling.
This story is written to be a Draco/Ginny romance.
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Chapter 2 – To Observe
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The first thing she noticed was that the wood floor still creaked. The ever-present crowd of students shuffled around the small room. There were crackers, dung bombs, and all sorts of other pranks piled high all around the room. Most notable was the dull smell of smoke that lingered in the room.
It'd been ages since she'd been inside this joke shop. The last time was about two years ago when Fred and George let her come along. She wandered through the shop, stopping to look at a display of Fred and George's Canary Creams. She smiled, dreamily remembering all the times she'd been fooled into eating one.
The bell on the door rang, announcing a new customer entering, and she turned to see who it might be. It was a disgruntled-looking Malfoy and his group of friends. She sidled behind stacks of frog spawn soap boxes, keeping her eyes focused on the tall blond. She knew the look on his face could only mean trouble. No need to make herself a ready victim.
He was looking around the store, trying not to be too conspicuous. At first she thought he was looking for something, but soon she realized he was looking for someone. He paced, pretending to survey the goods, eyeing the milling students, while his friends scattered around the store.
She found herself transfixed by the deep frown plastered on his face. That boy really needs to loosen up, she thought. When he turned his back to look into a glass display case, she shook herself.
Knowing she had no money in her pockets, she started for the door. Maybe she could borrow a few sickles for a drink from Ron, if she could find him.
The bell jingled as she pushed it open and when she looked casually back over her shoulder, she thought she caught a glimpse of Malfoy watching her exit.
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It was an odd prickling sensation. She recognized it immediately as the strange feeling she got when she was being watched.
She looked around her, but the stands were crowded with students eager to watch Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw. It made it difficult to pick out any one person, much less one person looking at her. Most people had their attention turned to the 15 people on broomsticks.
She pursed her lips, shrugging to herself.
She turned her attention back to the match, trying to ignore that prickling feeling for the remainder of the game.
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She frowned, scratching her nose. Her Potions assignment was proving to be more difficult than she'd thought. She set down her quill and leaned back in her chair, stretching. That was when she felt that same sensation she'd felt at the Quidditch match. Lately she'd been feeling it quite often. She glanced around the library. There were several people studying at the tables. Not one seemed to be interested in looking in her direction.
Confused, she turned back to her half-completed essay. She admitted that she felt a bit relieved, though also disappointed.
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She caught him. That prickling sensation. She wasn't just imagining things. She was being watched. And she caught him.
At dinner, she was eavesdropping into Harry and Ron's conversation. They were talking about their horrid afternoon in double potions with the Slytherins. Apparently, Malfoy had been particularly nasty, slipping something into Hermione's potion and causing it to explode. Her eyes flickered briefly to the Slytherin table, seeking out the silver-blond head.
And she did a double take when she saw that he was staring straight at her. His eyes widened in surprise, seeing her staring back. She watched him bolt out of the Hall, before she could even react. She caught him.
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Malfoy was staring at her. She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes, trying to keep her head aimed straight ahead. She marched past him and his friends in the hallway. She could feel his cool gaze on her back. Her heart thudded in her chest, and felt a blush creep into her cheeks.
The past several days, since she'd caught him staring at her, she felt self-conscious about everything. The way she dressed, the way she walked, the things she ate, the things she did.
On one hand, she was angry at him. It was as though he were intruding on her privacy. Though, she reasoned, the Great Hall or the library didn't really constitute a private environment. But still…what right did he have to look at her? His gaze always made her feel so inferior.
On the other hand, she was flattered. Someone had finally noticed her. But why did it have to be him?
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Oddly enough, she found herself stealing glances at him every chance she got. Sometimes their eyes would meet, and they'd both look away, embarrassed. Other times, she was able to observe him unnoticed.
His soft silver hair fell into his cool gray eyes. The chiseled edges of his features screamed aristocrat. And his soft mouth seemed incapable of turning up into a smile.
She observed his comfortable friendship with his fellow Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle seemed like to be large oafs, but they were loyal and ever attentive. Several girls from his house were keen and clever. She felt pangs of jealousy when she watched them interact like a group. It reminded her of Ron and Harry and Hermione.
She'd also seen him studying in the library. Watched him slouch down, looking unconcerned, when doing his Transfiguration assignments. Watched him sit up straight, looking engrossed, while doing his Potions readings.
She even kept her eyes on him throughout the entire Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match. She almost cheered aloud when he caught the Snitch. She felt an odd rush of pride. Putting her hand over her pounding heart, she dashed to the field with Hermione, offering condolences to Harry and Ron, and pretended to glare over at Malfoy.
He smirked, looking over at them. And he looked straight at her, softening his smirk to a small smile, and he winked. He winked!
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Author's Notes:
Hehe, I thought this was cute. Seeing things from Ginny's point-of-view. Here ends the quick-jumping prologue. I don't like the idea of having Prologues, but that's more or less what the first two chapters have been. I'll continue writing from each person's point-of-view…but if you enjoy this, I can make the chapters longer, with greater detail, and more plot. Originally, it was just a little wisp of a story I thought up. It was what I thought was very in character for Ginny, being innocent and neglected, and also for Malfoy, being observant and obsessive.
So. Please review, let me know what you thought. Also, please consider reading my other Draco/Ginny story, Even Better Than the Real Thing. It's pretty good, so I've heard. ;-)
Thanks!
Till next time –
Eclipsed Planet