Disclaimer: All the characters except Linda belong to JK Rowlings, Hogwarts belongs to her too.
A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed, Crystal, rachelbabycake, cosmoz, blazefury, fishy, Elenya, Beccs, brown-sugar.
Chapter 8: I love you
"It's okay, I just got here, do you want to eat?" He asked smiling at her.
She smiled back and nodded.
*-*-*-*-*
Ginny sat down on the blanket across from Draco.
"We have a lot of food. Probably what they're having in the Great Hall right now," Draco said looking inside the basket.
Ginny watched him, and she looked across the lake. It looks beautiful she thought. When Draco looked up and saw her looking at him, he smiled.
"Is something the matter?" Draco asked her.
"Why did you invite me here Draco?" Ginny asked him.
"I didn't want to be alone."
"Why me?"
"I don't know, I couldn't ask anybody else, I'm not really popular in the Slytherin house at this moment."
"You just asked me because I was there?" Ginny asked feeling a little hurt.
Draco did not know what to say.
Ginny thought that maybe he asked her because he felt something for her. She shook her head; Draco didn't like her. He's only around her because she won't stop bugging him, she thought. Her thoughts drifted to their kiss yesterday. She remembered what he told her before he kissed her.
"Let's play around a little. Why don't we let your brother think we are more than friends? Let's have a little fun."
Suddenly Ginny didn't feel comfortable sitting near him.
"Ginny, are you okay?" Draco asked.
Ginny looked at him. She wanted to get away get away from him. She couldn't think of anything to say.
"I…I have to go," Ginny said.
She got up and ran towards the castle. Draco watched her shocked, he wanted to run to her and stop her, but he couldn't. His legs didn't seem to move. He replayed what happened in his mind. He hit his head with his hand.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he said to his-self after each hit.
He should have said something else to her. What was I thinking, he thought. He looked back at the basket of food. He suddenly wanted to hurl it across the lake, so he did. He watched the giant squid come up and go down with the basket. Draco gathered up the blanket. When he turned around to walk toward the castle, he felt something hard hit the back of his head. When he turned around, he saw the basket on the ground in front of him. He looked at the lake and saw bubbles going to the surface. He scowled and picked up the basket and started walking back towards the castle.
*-*-*-*-*-
Ginny didn't turn around to see Draco's reaction. She didn't stop running until she got to the portrait of the fat lady.
"Dear, why in the hurry? Isn't it still lunch time?" The fat lady asked her.
"Malificent," Ginny said, she did not want to talk to anybody right now.
The fat lady frowned but she opened the passageway to the Gryffindor common room. Ginny ran up the stairs leading to the girl's dormitory. When she reached fourth year room, she opened the door and when she got inside, she locked it. She hoped that her roommates did not forget anything. She went to her bed and put her face on her pillow and she screamed. She was frustrated, what was she thinking trying to be friends with Draco Malfoy? She didn't know how long she was in her bed. Suddenly she heard a tapping at the window. When she looked at what was tapping on the window, she was surprised. It was Draco. She just stared at him; she did not want to talk to him right now.
"Ginny, please open the window," Draco said, "I'm losing my grip, please open it."
"Go away Draco!"
"Ginny, please, we have to talk," Draco pleaded with her.
Ginny walked over to the window and pushed it open. Unfortunately for Draco, she hit his nose, and he did lose his grip on the windowsill. He also most fell but he was able to grab the windowsill again.
"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry," Ginny said.
She helped him get inside the room. When Draco did finally get in her room, he fell to his knees. Draco reached in his back pocket and got out a handkerchief. He pressed it to his broken nose that was bleeding. Ginny bent down to face him.
"I'm sorry Draco. Here, let me see it," Ginny said.
Draco removed the handkerchief to let her see his nose. Ginny took out her wand and pointed it to his nose. She muttered a spell and his nose stopped bleeding.
"Thank you," Draco told her.
Draco looked at her face; Ginny feeling uncomfortable in his gaze got up and closed the window.
"How did you get here Draco?" Ginny asked.
"I climbed the vine to your window," Draco answered.
"What vine? There's no vine out there."
"Oh… well, there's one now," Draco answered.
"Why didn't you just fly here? And how did you know where my room is?" Ginny asked.
"I asked someone. I didn't fly because I thought that climbing up would be more romantic."
Ginny sat on her bed.
"Romantic?" Ginny asked.
Draco sat next to her.
"Yes, romantic. Ginny, I want to say sorry about the lunch," Draco said, "And…"
Draco didn't care what Hermione would say now. He remembered his goal, to make Ginny love him. He didn't care what he had to do to accomplish that goal. When he turned to look at Ginny, he caught her eye. He was mesmerized with her eyes. He couldn't look away.
"I love you," Draco said.
Ginny looked shocked, so was Draco. That was not what he was going to say. Draco didn't know where that came from.
"Wha…What did you say?"
Draco opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Ginny would have thought that it was a funny sight, but she couldn't believe what Draco just said. Draco Malfoy just told her that he loved her.
"Did you just say that you loved me?" Ginny asked.
"Yes," Draco answered.
Draco didn't know why he said he loved her, but he decided not to deny it.
"Please Ginny, give me a chance," Draco asked.
"Draco," Ginny said.
Draco took her hand in his.
"Is that why… why you're being nice to me?" Ginny asked.
Ginny remembered what he told her during their DADA class
"Why are you nice to me, and not anyone else?" Ginny asked.
"Because you're different from everyone else," Draco answered.
Did he love her even then, she thought. Draco thought about what he was going to say next. If he would say no, then everything that he said would mean nothing to her. He decided to take his chances and say yes.
"Yes," Draco answered.
"Draco, I don't know what to…" Ginny started but she was cut off when Draco brought down his face to her.
Again, Ginny was surprised when he kissed her, but she kissed him back. It was different from the kiss at the DADA classroom. Ginny thought that it was probably because Draco was not "playing around." Draco was feeling guilty lying to her like this. Draco decided to put some feeling in the kiss. He ruined her first kiss; he wanted this to be special for her. Before they both knew it, Draco was on top of Ginny on her bed. Her hands were buried in his hair. Draco was losing himself to her so he decided to end the kiss. Ginny moaned when he did this. When she moaned her eyes widened. Draco laughed at her.
"Don't laugh at me," Ginny said blushing.
Draco's forehead was now touching hers.
"You look cute when you're flushed after I kiss you."
Ginny tried to push him off her, but she failed, he was too heavy. Draco rolled off her and was now next to her on her bed. Ginny went on her side to face him. Draco was also on his side. Draco pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Draco?" Ginny whispered.
"Yes?" Draco whispered back.
"Did you mean everything that you said?" Ginny asked.
She was hoping that he would say yes. If he were to say no, she would just forget about her plan to show everybody Draco is a good guy. She could never look at him in the eye ever again if he said no.
Draco looked at her in the eye.
"Yes," Draco answered.
Ginny looked at his eyes and saw that he was sincere. She hugged him. If Ginny had looked longer, she would have seen a sign guilt in his eyes. Draco wrapped his arms around her.
"Okay, I'll give you a chance," Ginny murmured against is chest.
Draco pulled away a little to look at her and he smiled.
"Really?" Draco asked
Ginny smiled and nodded.
"What would your brothers do if they find out about us?" Draco asked.
"Why? Do you want to hide this from everyone?" Ginny asked him.
"No, of course not."
"Good," Ginny said.
She hugged him again. Draco stroked her hair. They didn't know how long they were together, just holding each other. They heard a knocking on the door.
"Ginny, are you all right? You didn't come to lunch, Ron and I were worried about you," a voice said.
Draco and Ginny broke apart.
"Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Yes, open up Ginny," Hermione said.
Draco got up and opened the door.
"Do you want something Granger?" Draco asked.
Hermione stared at him in shock. Ron who was next to Hermione was also shocked.
"Draco," Ginny said pulling him in the room, "Hermione come in, Ron you too."
Hermione pulled the speechless Ron inside the room and closed the door. She put a silencing spell around the room.
"Ginny what is the meaning of this?" Hermione asked.
Before Ginny could answer, Ron pushed Draco up against the wall. He was holding him up by his robes.
"What did you do to my sister Malfoy?" Ron asked.
Draco smirked and said, "Nothing that she didn't want."
"Why you…" Ron said and he brought up his hand to punch Draco, but Draco ducked and Ron hit the wall. Hermione pulled Ron away from Draco.
"Ron leave him alone, we have to talk civilly," Hermione told him.
"Ginny what is Malfoy doing in your room?" Hermione asked.
"We were talking. What's wrong with that?" Ginny asked her.
"Why talk in your room?" Ron asked.
"Well… I was alone at first, but Draco was outside the window," Ginny answered.
"What was Malfoy doing outside the window?" Hermione asked.
"I ran away from our lunch by the lake, Draco followed me," Ginny answered
"You were having lunch with…with him?" Ron asked.
"Yes she was, what's wrong with that Weasley?" Draco asked.
"Ginny what is wrong with you?" Ron asked, "Did he do something to you? Is he blackmailing you?"
"Ron for the last time, no. Draco did not do anything to me. I'm doing this out of my free will. What's wrong with spending time with my boyfriend?" Ginny asked.
For the second time today Ron thought that he was going to pass out. First he finds Malfoy in his sister's room, and then he finds out that Malfoy is his sister's boyfriend.
"What did you say? Wait till mom hears about this," Ron said.
"Mom wouldn't care, I'll write to her first," Ginny said.
Ron walked over to Ginny and shook her.
"Ginny wake up!" Ron yelled at her, "Do you know what you're doing? This is Malfoy!"
"Yes I know Ron," Ginny told him.
"Ginny he'll hurt you, he's just playing with you," Ron told her.
"Please Ron, I can protect myself. He's not playing with me; Draco said he loves me and he was sincere. I saw it," Ginny told him.
Hermione and Ron were surprised by the news.
"Ginny," Ron said.
"Ron, please try to accept us," Ginny asked him.
Ron hugged Ginny.
"I'm worried about you Ginny. Fine, I'll accept it but you have to write mum a letter," Ron said.
"Thank you Ron," Ginny said hugging him tighter.
"Ginny, please let go I can't breathe," Ron told her.
Ginny laughed, went over to Draco, hugged him and she let go. She looked so happy, Draco thought.
"Classes are about to start. We have ten minutes," Hermione told them.
"Ginny, I have to get my books," Draco told her.
"Okay," Ginny told him, "You don't have to walk me to class today."
"How do you get out of here?"
"Come with me," Ginny told him grabbing his hand and pulled him down the stairs to the common room.
When Draco saw the common room, he thought that he might be blinded. The room was full of red and gold. Red couches, red curtains, red everything.
"Your common room is smaller than the Slytherin's," Draco told her.
"It is? Do you like it?" Ginny asked him.
"Yes, it looks nice in here. It has a comforting feeling about it," Draco told her.
When they reached the portrait hole they stopped walking, and they faced each other.
"So, what now?" Ginny asked.
"I'll meet you at Hagrid's hut after your class," Draco told her.
"You don't have to walk me to my classes," Ginny told him.
Draco lifted her chin so that she would look at him.
"I want to," Draco told her, "I'll see you later okay."
Ginny nodded, then Draco gave her a quick kiss on the lips, he opened the portrait hole and left. Ginny stared at the closed portrait and touched her lips.
*-*-*-*-*-
Draco walked in his room. He sat on his bed and hugged his knees.
"What did I just do?" Draco asked himself.
Draco was thankful that Lucius got him his own room. Being part of the board of governors had its advantages. Dumbledore let him keep his room thinking that it would be better for him being away from the other Slytherins, preferably the sons and daughters of the Death Eaters.
"How could I tell her I love her?" He asked himself.
-Flashback-
Draco and Hermione were sitting on a bench in the park behind her house. It was night outside and the stars were shining brightly.
"Draco?" Hermione asked.
"Yes?" Draco asked her.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?"
"Hermione, think back to when you first met me. Do you think that I'm the kind of person that would love? Let alone believe in love at first sight," Draco told her.
"Well…" Hermione started.
"What is love in the first place?"
"Love is a feeling. It's something shared between two people…"
"Love is just a thing people refer to when they're confused," Draco interrupted.
"No it's not. When you say those three words it means…" Hermione started.
"It means nothing," Draco interrupted again, "Those three words mean nothing. I could tell you that I love you and for all you know I hate you."
"That's not true. Love is something more than that. Love is something special," Hermione told him.
"Really? Well then, how would I know what love is if I never been loved?" Draco asked.
"That's not true. Everybody has somebody that loves them, what about your parents?" Hermione asked.
"My parents?" Draco asked standing up, "My mother probably loved me, but she could never show it. When she does, it's usually for a short time, and then she turns emotionless. That makes me wonder if she even feels anything for me. My father, maybe he loved me. But in his own twisted demonic way."
"Draco," Hermione said.
Draco turned to face her.
"I don't know what it's like to be loved. I've never felt it before, so how can I know what it is or how to return it?" Draco asked her.
Hermione lifted his chin so that he would look at her.
"I can show you," Hermione told him.
"You didn't show me Hermione. You didn't show me anything," Draco said angrily.
Draco got his books and walked to his class.
*-*-*-*-*-*-
Ginny was sitting in the Great Hall for dinner. She was across from her three brothers.
"So, Ginny. We heard about you and Malfoy," Fred said.
"Yes, we heard so many things about you and that big bad Slytherin, tut tut," George said.
"Tell us, what exactly were you two doing in your room?" Fred asked winking at her.
"For the last time, we were just talking," Ginny asked, "What's wrong with talking to my boyfriend?"
"Your boyfriend," George asked.
"Yes, my boyfriend. I'm happy, so please don't say anything. He told me he loved me," Ginny told them.
"Really?" Fred asked.
Ginny nodded.
"Well then…CONGRATULATIONS!" Fred and George said blowing horns and throwing confetti in the air.
"What?" Ron and Ginny asked confused.
"It's about time that Mal-ferret told you his feelings," Fred said.
"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked.
"Well you see baby sister, the git came to us yesterday," George said.
"Yup, he asked us if he can quote quote court you," Fred said.
"You should have been there Gin, it was hilarious seeing him try to tell us how he felt for you," Fred said, "The git actually blushed when we found out that he liked you."
"Can you believe it Gin? Malfoy blushing and he was so nervous too," George added.
"What did you do to him?" Ginny asked them.
"We didn't do anything to him," Fred said.
Ginny looked at him incredulously.
"So, does that mean he really does love me?" Ginny asked.
"I'm afraid so," George told her.
*-*-*-*-*
"How could you do that?" Hermione asked Draco.
They were inside the empty DADA classroom. Draco asked Linda if he and Hermione could use it and she agreed.
"I don't know," Draco answered.
"Well, do you love her?" Hermione asked.
"What do you think?" Draco answered.
"So that's a no isn't it?" Hermione stated, "For a person who doesn't believe in love, it's kind of hard to actually think he is in love. Why did you tell her you loved her? What were your exact words."
"I don't know why I told her I loved her. It just came out of my mouth. I said I love you," Draco told Hermione.
"That was a wrong move Draco," Hermione told him.
"Do you think that I meant for this to happen?" Draco asked, "I feel guilty for deceiving the girl."
"What exactly do you feel for Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"Do you want to know the truth," Draco told her.
"The truth would be good," Hermione said.
"I feel nothing for her," Draco said, "Absolutely nothing. The only reason I'm being nice to her is because you and your insane Aunt are forcing me."
"You better hope that Ginny never hears what you just said," Hermione told him.
"She'll never find out unless you or I tell her," Draco told her.
Unknown to the two of them a pair of eyes were watching them, and the person heard everything they said.
*-*-*-*-*-*
"Well, here comes lover boy now," Ron said.
Ginny turned around and saw Draco walking towards her. When he saw her he smiled, and Ginny smiled back. When Draco reached her he took the seat next to her.
"So, what did I miss?" Draco asked her.
"Nothing, did you ask my brothers permission to date me?" Ginny asked.
"Yes, why? It's only proper to do so," Draco told her.
"Well, it's old fashioned," Ginny told him.
"Oh," Draco just said.
Hermione came in the Great Hall and sat between Ron and Harry.
"So what did Professor Shaw say?" Ron asked Hermione.
"What? Oh yes, I just asked for a lesson plan. I asked her what we were going to do this term," Hermione answered.
Draco looked at Hermione.
"Do you want something Malfoy?" Hermione asked him.
"No, nothing at all Granger," Draco answered.
The rest of the dinner was not very eventful. The twins offered Draco some candy, but to their dismay, he declined. Draco walked Ginny to the tower and kissed her on the forehead goodnight. When Ginny got into bed, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
-Dream Sequence-
It has been a month since Gwenivere first saw Darien get out of his carriage, and already she hated him. She thought that he was the rudest person she ever met. He constantly insulted her brother Reynold. He acted as if he owned everybody just because he owned the land they lived and worked on. One hot day her feelings started to change.
Everybody was exhausted, it was nearing harvest season and everybody was working hard. Even some of the elderly were working, one of these people were Lazarus. The man lost his only son in a war and he had only daughters that couldn't work. He was the only person fit to do farm work. In spending time in the heat, he collapsed. The overseer, Orius, saw this and walked towards Lazarus.
"Get up old man," Orius told Lazarus.
Lazarus tried to get up but was not able. Orius was about to strike him but Darien came and grabbed his hand.
"What do you think that you are doing?" Darien asked Orius.
Orius bowed down to Darien, "My lord, this man stopped working. I was only trying to get him up."
"How can he work in his condition?" Darien asked Orius.
Darien bent down to Lazarus.
"My lord," Lazarus told Darien.
Darien felt Lazarus' forehead. Lazarus was hot, burning with a fever.
"Get me some water," Darien ordered Orius.
"But my lord."
"Are you questioning my order?" Darien asked Orius.
"No my lord."
"Then go, get drinking water," Darien repeated.
"Yes, my lord," Orius said leaving.
"Lazarus, why are you working? You have a fever," Darien asked him.
"My lord, I am the only person fit to work. I have daughters that are still young," Lazarus told him, "I have to work to have food on the table."
Darien looked at him feeling pity for the man. Orius came back with the water. Darien helped Lazarus drink the water.
"You will go to your house and rest. I will come to check on you everyday," Darien told him.
"My lord, I need to work," Lazarus told him.
"You are working for food?" Darien asked Lazarus.
"Yes my lord," Lazarus answered.
"Send your daughters to the manor, I will give them food there for your family," Darien told him.
"My lord, thank you," Lazarus said crying.
Darien helped Lazarus to his house. When he came back to the field, Gwenivere approached him.
"Thank you my lord," Gwenivere told Darien.
"Whatever for?" Darien asked Gwenivere.
"For helping Lazarus, Lord Darien," Gwenivere told him.
"Tell the rest of the workers, if they do not have enough food for their families to come to the manor. Food will be provided for them there," Darien told her and then left.
Gwenivere watched him walk away. Maybe he is different after all, Gwenivere thought.
A/N: Please don't hate me for this chapter. Draco just met Ginny he cannot fall in love with her after just one day. Many things will happen before he will actually find out that he does love her. Who is the person that was watching Draco and Hermione? You'll find out much later on in the story. I hope that it's not too confusing so far. To clear some things, the scene with Hermione and Draco was a flashback. Hermione and Draco did like each other during the summer, but things changed. Linda put a stop to their relationship because Draco has a role as Darien. Now they are just good friends. There is nothing between them now.
Next chapter: Stargazing and Quidditch.