Ok this is the 7th chapter. I hope you like it. Most characters belong to J.K Rowling.
Finding Draco
I quickly got dressed. I put on the charm bracelet and hoped no one noticed it. It really was beautiful. It captured all of my aspects and even some hidden things. Had Draco paid that much attention to me? I ran out of the common room hoping no one saw me. The quicker I found Draco the better. I had to find him. I had to make him explain himself because his maze is so confusing I don't think he even knows which way is the end. One day he hates me the next he wants to be my friend. Which one is it really?
I headed down the hall. Perhaps he went this way because I had heard him leave only moments ago. To my disgust, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were headed my way. I desperately looked for somewhere to hide. There wasn't anything in the hallway and it was too risky to go into a class room. I looked helplessly up at the old ceiling as if my answer was lying on the cold stone. It wasn't. I looked at them. I prayed that today would be one of those days when they walked right past me. Too late, they spotted me and they came my way, trapping me against an old wall with no escape from them, only delaying my pursuit to find Draco. "Hey Ginny!" said Ron, "how was your Christmas so far?" I put on the fakest smile I could muster and said, "Great, Ron, just great. I really love the Cd. Harry, I really needed some more paper to write on! And thank you so much Hermione, I will be sure to use your gift certificate." I pulled them all into a small hug but I couldn't help but think that what I said was a little different than I had planned. My hug really didn't hold any emotion but I wasn't in a happy mood despite their gifts. Who would be? They'd never even come to see me! To them it's like wasting their time to just say hello. They can't even manage that. Just think if I took this seriously! Boy, they can really make a person feel blue, unappreciated, and worthless.
I am sorry if I don't exist in their perfect world, but I exist in this one. And while they are out defending the world I am stuck here watching as my life passes me by, as I wait every day for them to pick their heads up and say something that is not required and is from the heart. They are always so wrapped up in each other that they don't even realize that I am standing right in front of them waiting for them to finally see past my eyes into my soul. Sometimes I feel like yelling, "Here I am! I am right here! When are you going to stop pushing me away? How many times? Well one day I am not going to be there and it will be way too late to say you're sorry. Sorry is not what I want to hear!" When will they realize that? For now I will just have to keep pretending that everything is all right, when it really isn't. The time will come when I just can't stand it anymore and I am going to tell them how I feel and how they are treating me. I will give no mercy and I will no longer hide the truth from them. It is their own fault that they cannot realize the impressions they leave on people. Real people who don't over look the faults and refuse to just stare popularity and heroism in the eye. Refuse to brush away wrongness like a piece of dust. They are just like everyone else and should be treated as such. Finally, I realized that I was still standing next to them. "Look guys, I just have to mail a letter, I'll meet you at the great..." I stopped, they were already walking away. I clenched my fists at my side. Now is not the time to worry about them and the problems they cause. I have to concentrate on finding Draco.
I ran all the way to the owlry only to be greeted by an empty disappointment. He was not there. I searched my mind for any place that he could possibly be. Well, he was good in potions, perhaps he was with Snape. I shuddered. I just have to keep telling myself, it's for Draco, it's for Draco. So I went to search the potions lab. I hesitated at the slightly open door. Maybe Snape was in a meeting. I could really loose points for Slytherin, or is it Gryffindor? I pushed my worries aside and opened the door. There was no Draco and thank god, there was no Snape. It was nearly lunch time. I would search the common room and Draco's room one more time before I left for lunch. The common room was pretty empty, holding only people's faces I did not recognize. They stared at me as I knocked on Draco's door, but I didn't care. There was no answer. I knocked once more. When there still was not an answer I ran to my room and to my balcony with one last hope that he was near. No such luck. I decided to get to lunch before I missed it. Maybe Draco would be there.
* * * * * * *
I saw Katie and she waved to me. I sat down next to her after quickly scanning the room for Draco's face. "Merry Christmas!" she said.
"Merry Christmas, Katie," I said and pulled her into a hug, "Thank for the present you and Jill bought me. It was super nice of you!"
"You're welcome. Thanks for the present you bought me. I love the necklace and earrings." She pulled back her hair to reveal the gifts.
"You're welcome," I said. I began to eat my lunch, my worries seeming suddenly distant and unimportant. When I was done eating, I said goodbye to Katie and made my way to the Gryffindor Common Room. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't spend anytime with Jillian. I said the password. I hesitated upon entering. It's strange how this familiar route now seems so unusual and uncomfortable. Sometimes I think that I would not be accepted as a Gryffindor anymore and they would all turn their backs on me. I once thought that Gryffindor would be the only home, only place in Hogwarts where I would feel like a person. But, as I now come to realize, living in Slytherin has changed me, and contrary to my first thoughts, has changed me for the better. I can stand up for myself, without doubting that I was only lying to myself. I shook my head. Next year, I don't think I will ever be able to put as much faith and hope into Gryffindor as I have been because it really did nothing for me. I thought that it gave me friends and people to trust, but in reality, the people were only being nice and never really did care about my answer to their questions. Like if someone asked me, "How are you Ginny." My reply would mean absolutely nothing to them even if I had said, "Oh, well, I am kind of dying but, I guess I am ok." And you know if you think about it, when you grow up and are out of the school, it doesn't matter what house you were in. This is all an exception of Jillian. She really is my friend.
I entered the common room when the fat lady stated impatiently, "It's not a life or death situation! You are either in or out! Pick one! But, please, don't just stand there! I have places to go, people to see." I resisted the urge to laugh. She was a portrait. Where could she possibly go in such a hurry? Was her life more important than mine? She only lived beside the walls of a school, could she possibly be needed that much? I sighed. Knowing this school, she was probably fighting off evil paintings. This is really not my day.
I spotted Jillian sitting on a chair, reading the book I bought her. She is really good at transfiguration, so I bought her an advanced book about it. I tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "What-ew-huh?" She looked up startled. "Oh, hi Gin! You scared me!"
I said, "Sorry Jill. I didn't mean to. Merry Christmas!" I gave her a huge hug. "Thanks for the book you and Kate bought me. I really am going to enjoy reading it."
"Oh, Gin, you're welcome!" We started talking for a little while. We ate some of my mom's fudge that Jillian had. I almost forgot that I had to find Draco, when Jill screamed, "Oh my god! Who gave you that charm bracelet? It's so beautiful!" Oh- oh. I sighed.
"Draco Malfoy." It came out as a whisper but Jill heard it.
"No way! Really? It looks like he has a soft spot for you!" She giggled.
"It's not funny! Do you really think he likes me?"
Jillian smiled, "Of course he does! I guess you don't see the looks he gives you at dinner or the way he glares at Harry when he talks to you. Or the way he talks to you or the way he smiles at you!"
"How do you know these things?" I asked softly almost in disbelief.
"Well, first, I am not blind and second, what I don't see, Katie does. She saw you guys on Christmas Eve in the morning. It was obvious you were both checking each other out. And we saw you guys walking around the lake! Please, we know you like him and he defiantly likes you." I was going to protest but instead, I smiled.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Well, of course not! But, to your friends, it is." God, she new me like the back of her hand! But wait. . .
"I thought you guys only met on Christmas Eve. How is it that you guys saw me walking around the lake?"
"Oh, I had to make sure you were in good hands so the second day I met Katie and told her to keep and eye on you. We have been having secret meetings and are planning when we should blow our cover and tell you that we are really secret agents." I laughed and hit her playfully in the arm. She was always looking out for me, but she was no secret agent. I talked with her a little longer. A little later I left and continued my search for Draco.
I went all the way to the North Tower, the Astronomy Tower. No luck. So, I went all the way back to the Slytherin Common Room. I checked and knocked on his doors for the third time that day. No answer. By the time dinner was over I still hadn't found him. I was beginning to get worried. Not to mention a little frantic. I finally decided to check outside. What did I have to loose?
* * * * * * * *
I can't let her find me. I am hiding for a reason. It is because I am afraid that she will think my gift was stupid. I am afraid that she will hate me. I am finally admitting my feelings and I think she hates me! How hopeless it that? Damn it! I can't do this. If she doesn't love me to, I don't know what I will do. I keep thinking that I will just wake up one morning and forget about her. But, that is not happening. Every morning I wake up wishing that she loved me. Then, I know I can't forget her. This isn't just a sorry gift anymore. It's real and everyday it becomes only more complicated. What will she do? How will I act? Will she hate me? Do I truly love her? These are only some of the many questions that plague me every morning. It's like a dream I never want to wake up from, but I don't want to sleep everyday. I just wish I could tell her how I feel. But, I can't. I can't bring myself to. All I can do is silently pray and watch from afar, hoping no one will take her before she realizes how I feel. I want this to work I really do, even if we have to become friends first. I don't care that she is a Weasley. She is Ginny. That's all that matters.
* * * * * * *
I searched the grounds behind Hagrid's hut and at the edge of the forbidden forest. I eyed the mysterious place apprehensively. I hope he wasn't in there. I passed by praying nothing would run out and grab me. Then I had an idea. I ran to the lake where he first jumped on me, my worries about the forest were left behind with the old piles of wood no one seemed to care enough about to use. He wasn't there. Damn. I started walking around the lake deep in thought. If I find him, what am I going to say? I have no idea. I was so worried about finding him I hadn't taken the time to consider what I would say to him. What if Jill was wrong? What if he just wanted to give this to me because some teacher made him? I hope not. Because the truth is: I love him. That's right. I am the first Gryffindor to fall in love with a Slytherin and the first Weasley to fall for a Malfoy. (Or so she thought, meanwhile a similar thought was going through a certain blonde's head) I have no idea why. He is mean, nasty, a git, annoying; - I could go on for ages! But, he is not like that to me. Or, he is and I just can't see it because those are all the things that I love about him. He is Draco. That is what I love about him. He demands respect, gives orders, bullies people, and thinks very high of himself. He is his own person. He is not like the hero, who everyone has to like, OR ELSE! He is not like the villain who has no feelings what so ever. (Lucius) He is in the middle and can play both roles at the same time. He is the result when emotions collide, and hero and villain becomes one person.
Suddenly, I heard a noise that brought me back to my senses. I looked around and walked to a very large boulder that the sound appeared to be coming from. It was just off the path of the lake and next to the woods. Sitting there was no other than Draco Malfoy himself. I found him . . . finally!
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What did you think? I hope you liked it. Thanx to everyone who reviewed! A/N
First Comment on this story: From: Your Beta Reader ~*~The Mystery Girl a.k.a K@tie
Really really good! Love it! Adds depth and new personalities to Mrs. Rowlings's characters! All people should review this to tell you how great it is! So pple that button at the bottom isn't for decoration! USE IT! Also there is no possible way to flame this story!
