Never Noticed
The cool wind smacked her face in a threatening pace. Ginny walked a few steps toward Hagrid's Hut, then stopped. Where was she going? It was a Saturday, and she had been walking aimlessly around the castle's grounds for quite some time now. She could see Harry in a distance, staring at the lake wistfully, his raven black hair glimmering in the slight sunlight.
She walked toward him, and prodded him on the back. He jumped a bit, then turned around and managed a smile.
"Hi, Ginny," he said quietly.
"Hi. Relax Harry, the second task's over...you don't have to go there in again," she said, looking at the lake pointedly.
He sighed. "I guess so, I wasn't thinking about the third task. Thanks for getting me worried though," he joked.
Ginny laughed softly. "Well look on the bright side...after that, it's all over."
Harry nodded. "I guess so. Then everyone will stop being prats about my name in the Goblet of Fire and all."
Her eyes flickered toward his face, searching his expression. "I believe you," she whispered.
"You do? You believe I didn't put my name in?" Although his expression looked highly doubtful, there was a slight hope behind it.
"Of course...the look on your face, I mean, anybody who's not an idiot should know. Guess that explains a lot about my brother, eh?"
He chuckled. She closed her eyes for a bit, hearing the languid chuckle and pause, the cool air bouncing off her ringlets of hair.
"Same thing Hermione said. About the look, I mean."
"Harry!" a voice called.
Harry turned around, and Ginny saw Hermione running toward them.
"Hey, Harry, we have to practice the Sheild Charm, alright?"
"Alright. Bye, Gin," Harry said.
"Bye."
He turned around, and started walking again. Suddenly, he looked over his shoulder, and called, "Hey Gin! They like to be touched in the legs!"
If there was one way to get rid of the bitter cold, it was the hot blush that was now burning in Ginny's cheeks.
~*~
Weeks passed by, and the excitement after the second task was growing rather dreary. The air was still cold, but everyone was looking forward to who would be the Tri-Wizard champion, and summer was not far away. Ginny avoided Draco Malfoy at all times possible, even when he tripped her and made his Slytherin friends laugh, she ignored him completely, and knew there was a scowl tracing his face for her lack of annoyance.
The week before the third task, however, Ginny was walking to her dormotories for a good night's sleep when somebody approached her. It was Michael.
"Hey, Ginny," he said, looking extremely nervous.
"Hi," she said simply, amazed she had not stammered.
"Still going out with Malfoy?"
Ginny felt a lurch in her stomach; finally, she answered, "No, things didn't work out."
"Really? Great! I mean - sorry," Michael said, looking down.
Ginny restrained a laugh, and said, "Do you want to go out on a Hogesmade weekend, or something?"
"Sure," Michael agreed quickly.
"Great. Well, good night."
"Good night."
They both went seperate ways, and as Ginny walked, she was surprised at her own daring.
~*~
"Stupid Fletcher, he put those itching crabs on me again. He's going to get it," Draco threatened to his two massive friends, who were nodding stupidly in agreement.
"When, Draco?" Crabbe asked, his mouth full of pumpkin pastries.
"During the third task. He's going to get it - nobody'll be watching, so I'll manage to do it soon -"
What Draco didn't know was that a flame-haired Gryffindor had heard this conversation while passing by the hallway in a very different way.
Ginny was taking a shortcut to the Gryffindor Common Room when she heard Draco's voice maddening in it's own superiority.
Curious, she stopped to listen.
"During the third task - He's going to get it - ... I'll manage... soon."
Ginny's eyes widened, and she stepped away quickly from the corrider.
Draco's up to something, a voice mockingly said in her mind.
It's nothing, she thought to herself. Nothing. It could mean anything...
But it took Ginny all night to convince herself.
~*~
The day of the third task was loud. It was the only word to describe it. Luna was actually jumping up and down at the Gryffindor table in anticipation, others were chattering excitedly about Cedric or Viktor, or Fleur, and of course Harry in either an enouraging way, or insulting.
Ginny sat quietly by herself, looking every so often at the Slytherin table.
During breakfast, she looked over at Draco, and their eyes met. He gave her an unreadable look, but his eyes were searching her for something.
I know what you're going to do. You're going to do something to hurt Harry, she thought, telepathically. His expression didn't change the slightest.
She gulped, tearing her eyes away from him, picking at her food.
But every so often, she could feel his eyes pierce into her back.
~*~
The third task began. Hermione was wiggling furiously in her seat, and Ron was gaping at the feild.
"Ron, it'll be back," Ginny said, exasperated.
He glared at her, but made sure he was still paying attention to the maze, but it looked tiny from up above the stands in the Gryffindor area that it was hard to see any moving figures at the time. The darkness didn't help either.
"Ginny, are you cold?" her mother asked.
"No, mom," she said, groaning.
"Hungry?"
"No..."
Minutes passed. For a moment, everything was silent. The crowd wasn't whispering, nor focused on anything else but the maze below them.
And then, there came the scream.
It was a loud, female scream that carried all the way through the stands.
A few people followed the process of shrieking, but Professor McGonagall ushered the others to sit down once more.
It was about a half-hour before red sparks filled the air.
Ginny couldn't see much, she could only see a dark figure racing toward the inside of the maze. Ginny ignored the worried looks on Ron and Hermione's faces, and looked over to her right, where Bill was sitting, and over to the Slytherin area.
Draco was already looking at her. It was a look she had never saw before.
It was panic.
They stared at each other for such a while that it seemed as if hours were passing them by. He had never looked so handsome, a look of compassion on his face, with his green robes for the special occasion, the gleaming badge that read "Support Cedric Diggory", his silver hair not slicked back, but this time falling over his eyes in a charming way.
That's when they heard somebody yell, "THE CHAMPIONS ARE GONE!"
Ginny didn't let go of Draco's stare. They both looked at each other intensely. It's just a game, just a game, a mild voice prompted her. Who's going to stop staring, who's going to blink...
But neither one did. A female was soon shrieking, "They touched the cup! I just - I saw them! They just vanished!"
"No," Ginny said.
"No." It was much louder this time, and she broke away from Draco's stare, getting up from the stands. Draco looked at her, and made a motion as if to follow her -...
"It was you!" she hollered in fury. "You did something! You did something!"
People were screaming now. Mrs. Weasley was rising to her feet in horror, Hermione was clutching her face in her hands and sobbing, Ron was yelling something at her...something inaudible...something she couldn't hear...
"Son of a bitch!" she yelled as loud as she could, stumbling over to the Slytherin stands.
She was ready for murder...in three years of knowing him, she had never seen somebody so full of evil...
"Ginny!" Her brother was holding her back...she was struggling.
Then, the loudest scream of all reached the air. Ginny looked down from the embrace of her brother and looked down at the maze. It was girl - it was Luna...
"Cedric Diggory's dead!" Luna screamed loudly.
There was much more screaming...
To her shock, Draco Malfoy's eyes were boring into her now. He was right in front of her. Ron had loosened his grip and was charging through the stands to meet Harry - Hermione was frozen in terror...
"You're misunderstanding yourself, little girl," he seethed. "What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you? Talk to me!"
"You murderer!" Ginny exclaimed. "You -"
He clutched her face in his hands. "What're you talking about? What? What is it?"
"Harry - Cedric," she gasped.
"Ginny! Are you okay?"
It was Michael's voice...Michael's sweet, caring voice...
Someone was screaming...she could vaguely recall somebody huge carrying Harry in his arms...Dumbledore was rushing behind them in a far distance...
Ginny couldn't take it anymore - voices were rushing through her mind...
"Harry," she whispered.
And then she collapsed.
Right in Draco's arms.
~*~
The cool wind smacked her face in a threatening pace. Ginny walked a few steps toward Hagrid's Hut, then stopped. Where was she going? It was a Saturday, and she had been walking aimlessly around the castle's grounds for quite some time now. She could see Harry in a distance, staring at the lake wistfully, his raven black hair glimmering in the slight sunlight.
She walked toward him, and prodded him on the back. He jumped a bit, then turned around and managed a smile.
"Hi, Ginny," he said quietly.
"Hi. Relax Harry, the second task's over...you don't have to go there in again," she said, looking at the lake pointedly.
He sighed. "I guess so, I wasn't thinking about the third task. Thanks for getting me worried though," he joked.
Ginny laughed softly. "Well look on the bright side...after that, it's all over."
Harry nodded. "I guess so. Then everyone will stop being prats about my name in the Goblet of Fire and all."
Her eyes flickered toward his face, searching his expression. "I believe you," she whispered.
"You do? You believe I didn't put my name in?" Although his expression looked highly doubtful, there was a slight hope behind it.
"Of course...the look on your face, I mean, anybody who's not an idiot should know. Guess that explains a lot about my brother, eh?"
He chuckled. She closed her eyes for a bit, hearing the languid chuckle and pause, the cool air bouncing off her ringlets of hair.
"Same thing Hermione said. About the look, I mean."
"Harry!" a voice called.
Harry turned around, and Ginny saw Hermione running toward them.
"Hey, Harry, we have to practice the Sheild Charm, alright?"
"Alright. Bye, Gin," Harry said.
"Bye."
He turned around, and started walking again. Suddenly, he looked over his shoulder, and called, "Hey Gin! They like to be touched in the legs!"
If there was one way to get rid of the bitter cold, it was the hot blush that was now burning in Ginny's cheeks.
~*~
Weeks passed by, and the excitement after the second task was growing rather dreary. The air was still cold, but everyone was looking forward to who would be the Tri-Wizard champion, and summer was not far away. Ginny avoided Draco Malfoy at all times possible, even when he tripped her and made his Slytherin friends laugh, she ignored him completely, and knew there was a scowl tracing his face for her lack of annoyance.
The week before the third task, however, Ginny was walking to her dormotories for a good night's sleep when somebody approached her. It was Michael.
"Hey, Ginny," he said, looking extremely nervous.
"Hi," she said simply, amazed she had not stammered.
"Still going out with Malfoy?"
Ginny felt a lurch in her stomach; finally, she answered, "No, things didn't work out."
"Really? Great! I mean - sorry," Michael said, looking down.
Ginny restrained a laugh, and said, "Do you want to go out on a Hogesmade weekend, or something?"
"Sure," Michael agreed quickly.
"Great. Well, good night."
"Good night."
They both went seperate ways, and as Ginny walked, she was surprised at her own daring.
~*~
"Stupid Fletcher, he put those itching crabs on me again. He's going to get it," Draco threatened to his two massive friends, who were nodding stupidly in agreement.
"When, Draco?" Crabbe asked, his mouth full of pumpkin pastries.
"During the third task. He's going to get it - nobody'll be watching, so I'll manage to do it soon -"
What Draco didn't know was that a flame-haired Gryffindor had heard this conversation while passing by the hallway in a very different way.
Ginny was taking a shortcut to the Gryffindor Common Room when she heard Draco's voice maddening in it's own superiority.
Curious, she stopped to listen.
"During the third task - He's going to get it - ... I'll manage... soon."
Ginny's eyes widened, and she stepped away quickly from the corrider.
Draco's up to something, a voice mockingly said in her mind.
It's nothing, she thought to herself. Nothing. It could mean anything...
But it took Ginny all night to convince herself.
~*~
The day of the third task was loud. It was the only word to describe it. Luna was actually jumping up and down at the Gryffindor table in anticipation, others were chattering excitedly about Cedric or Viktor, or Fleur, and of course Harry in either an enouraging way, or insulting.
Ginny sat quietly by herself, looking every so often at the Slytherin table.
During breakfast, she looked over at Draco, and their eyes met. He gave her an unreadable look, but his eyes were searching her for something.
I know what you're going to do. You're going to do something to hurt Harry, she thought, telepathically. His expression didn't change the slightest.
She gulped, tearing her eyes away from him, picking at her food.
But every so often, she could feel his eyes pierce into her back.
~*~
The third task began. Hermione was wiggling furiously in her seat, and Ron was gaping at the feild.
"Ron, it'll be back," Ginny said, exasperated.
He glared at her, but made sure he was still paying attention to the maze, but it looked tiny from up above the stands in the Gryffindor area that it was hard to see any moving figures at the time. The darkness didn't help either.
"Ginny, are you cold?" her mother asked.
"No, mom," she said, groaning.
"Hungry?"
"No..."
Minutes passed. For a moment, everything was silent. The crowd wasn't whispering, nor focused on anything else but the maze below them.
And then, there came the scream.
It was a loud, female scream that carried all the way through the stands.
A few people followed the process of shrieking, but Professor McGonagall ushered the others to sit down once more.
It was about a half-hour before red sparks filled the air.
Ginny couldn't see much, she could only see a dark figure racing toward the inside of the maze. Ginny ignored the worried looks on Ron and Hermione's faces, and looked over to her right, where Bill was sitting, and over to the Slytherin area.
Draco was already looking at her. It was a look she had never saw before.
It was panic.
They stared at each other for such a while that it seemed as if hours were passing them by. He had never looked so handsome, a look of compassion on his face, with his green robes for the special occasion, the gleaming badge that read "Support Cedric Diggory", his silver hair not slicked back, but this time falling over his eyes in a charming way.
That's when they heard somebody yell, "THE CHAMPIONS ARE GONE!"
Ginny didn't let go of Draco's stare. They both looked at each other intensely. It's just a game, just a game, a mild voice prompted her. Who's going to stop staring, who's going to blink...
But neither one did. A female was soon shrieking, "They touched the cup! I just - I saw them! They just vanished!"
"No," Ginny said.
"No." It was much louder this time, and she broke away from Draco's stare, getting up from the stands. Draco looked at her, and made a motion as if to follow her -...
"It was you!" she hollered in fury. "You did something! You did something!"
People were screaming now. Mrs. Weasley was rising to her feet in horror, Hermione was clutching her face in her hands and sobbing, Ron was yelling something at her...something inaudible...something she couldn't hear...
"Son of a bitch!" she yelled as loud as she could, stumbling over to the Slytherin stands.
She was ready for murder...in three years of knowing him, she had never seen somebody so full of evil...
"Ginny!" Her brother was holding her back...she was struggling.
Then, the loudest scream of all reached the air. Ginny looked down from the embrace of her brother and looked down at the maze. It was girl - it was Luna...
"Cedric Diggory's dead!" Luna screamed loudly.
There was much more screaming...
To her shock, Draco Malfoy's eyes were boring into her now. He was right in front of her. Ron had loosened his grip and was charging through the stands to meet Harry - Hermione was frozen in terror...
"You're misunderstanding yourself, little girl," he seethed. "What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you? Talk to me!"
"You murderer!" Ginny exclaimed. "You -"
He clutched her face in his hands. "What're you talking about? What? What is it?"
"Harry - Cedric," she gasped.
"Ginny! Are you okay?"
It was Michael's voice...Michael's sweet, caring voice...
Someone was screaming...she could vaguely recall somebody huge carrying Harry in his arms...Dumbledore was rushing behind them in a far distance...
Ginny couldn't take it anymore - voices were rushing through her mind...
"Harry," she whispered.
And then she collapsed.
Right in Draco's arms.
~*~
