Author's Note: Thank you, thank you very much to all who reviewed. I am much encouraged. You guys are the greatest! You know who you are, Myrttle, hypermonkey67, B. Maude, maranwe, August, FlamingElf, Mandy-Love14 and leaf. Thank you again. Thank you. Thank you. I hope you liked this chapter too.
Author's Note (2): This chapter is re-posted. I've made some slight modifications to the last part of chapter, as I felt the words I used in my previous version doesn't describe Ginny's feelings as well as I would like it to be.
Chapter 12 The Gala Charity Ball
When Ginny Weasley walked down to breakfast the next day, her mind was still thinking "Please let him be the sender……please."
But Ginny knew it was wishful thinking. Her emotional heart wanted it to be him. Her logical mind told her it was a remote possibility. How could Draco Malfoy be the one who sent her the ball gown and ticket? How could he be nice to HER? He was always so mean, and intimidating. It was almost impossible to see anyone in Slytherin, especially Draco Malfoy, son of Lord Lucius Malfoy and heir to the Malfoy financial empire, be nice to another person if there was no benefit to be reap from it. Once, Ginny had heard her father speak of how the Malfoys had acquired and expanded their financial empire. It certainly was not through being nice and friendly to everyone. In the ancient times, when wizarding law was not enforced, the Malfoys had built their financial empire on the bone and blood of their enemies. In recent times, it was through cold and calculative planning and ruthless execution to takeover wizarding trades who could contribute more galleons to the Malfoy vault. They had wealth, and they used their wealth to acquire power, and power to acquire more wealth. "Bad blood" her father had said, which was what Hagird had said before too
Ginny shook her head. She was getting mental. She has been thinking about Draco Malfoy all night and thoughts and feelings, no, to be more precise, confusing thoughts & unfamiliar feelings were churning inside of her. She stole a glance at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was speaking to Morag MacDougal, who had a wicked grin on his face. Draco's eyes were cold, but she thought she could see a flicker in those eyes. But it was gone just as quickly. Draco suddenly looked up at her and for a moment in time, their eyes freeze onto each other. Ginny pulled herself away from his gaze and walked to her own table with as much pride as she could muster.
She didn't eat much breakfast. Harry, for once, seemed to notice that Ginny was becoming more quiet than usual.
"Hm, Ginny? Are you alright?" Harry asked her, with concern in his eyes.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, Harry." Ginny muttered, not looking at him.
"Are you sure? You look kind of, hm, lost, Gin."
No answer.
"Sorry, Ginny, I didn't mean……I was just worried."
"It's alright Harry, thank you for your concern."
Ginny stared at Harry. She stared very deeply into Harry. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she had this very strong urge to want to look into his eyes, and tell herself that she loved Harry Potter. That she had always loved Harry Potter, and it was no different now. She didn't know why she thought this was important now. Somehow, loving Harry Potter was important. Being in love still with Harry Potter was very important.
But at that moment, at the breakfast table, looking into those kind green eyes, it suddenly dawned on her. She was no longer in love with Harry Potter. She was no longer in love with The-Boy-Who-Lived.
She was in love with someone else. And it was scaring the living daylights out of her.
Ginny was horrified. She bolted up from the Gryffindor table and ran through the door. "Ginny!" Harry called.
The students looked up, amazed at the commotion. "What the……" Ron choked on his scrambled eggs.
Over at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy watched as Ginny ran out of the Great Hall. There was a flicker in those cold grey eyes again. The flicker that Ginny should have caught it with her eye. A malicious flicker.
IN THE CORRIDORS……
Ginny ran out onto the corridors. She tried to breathe. But it seems that every breathe she takes was choking her. She wanted to cry. "What's happening to me? Why am I like this? I was alright yesterday."
But deep down in her heart, she knew what was wrong. Her mind went back to last night, when she first unwrapped the parcel. The ball gown had taken her breath away. And her intuition had told her exactly who had sent it. Draco Malfoy. But it was impossible. Draco Malfoy being nice to her. Why should he? She was plain, old, stuttering Ginny, she kept reminding herself. It was a beautiful gift, definitely. It was an expensive gift, of course. But more than that, it was a gift which fulfil her girlish desire, and the fact that her desire was important enough for someone to care and make the effort to realize it for her, touched her. It touched her deeply. Virginia Weasley, who had been ignored most of her life, was important enough to someone, for someone to ensure that she has her dream realized.
It reminded her of Tom Riddle. The boy who cared enough to listen to her pouring out all her troubles into the diary. Of course, Tom did that for his own murderous objective. But during the time when Ginny was confiding in the diary, it had been one of the best periods of her life. She had a secret, and she had a friend, someone who cared for her. Or so she thought. But what did Draco Malfoy wanted from her? She had nothing that he wanted. She was a Gryffindor, and Draco Malfoy, like all Slytherins, despised Gryffindors.
Her mind was confused. But not so confused that she doesn't know she was slowly falling in love with him. She admit that. She doesn't know why. Because he was good-looking, Because he was the first guy she kissed. Because his gift touched her. Because he was so different. Because he was elite-born. Because he was so un-Gryffindor. Or because he reminded her of Tom Riddle?
Ginny doesn't know. Draco Malfoy is a confusing, attractive concoction. It was a dangerous concoction, for a young, vulnerable girl like Ginny Weasley. Very dangerous indeed. And Ginny is terrified.
