Chapter 3
Draco Malfoy walked past Ginny Weasley and her friend, Viv, in the hall. Just out of their sight something made him stop, and from where he stood, around the corner from the two girls, he could hear them talking.
"Ooooh," giggled Viv, "if only he weren't a Slytherin." Ginny tossed her head. "You are so silly Viv."
"Silly? Me?" asked Viv.
"If only? Yes Viv, If only he weren't the biggest prat in the history of the universe."
"Oh, come on Ginny, he can't be that bad."
"hmph." Ginny's eyes flashed.
"Oh, I see. What did he say to you?"
"Nothing."
"To Ron? Or is it Hermione again? Come on, you can tell me."
"He told Ron Hermione was a mudblood last week."
"So?"
"SO? SO?"
"No, Ginny, I mean, doesn't he call her that all the time?"
"And you can just accept that?
"No, but usually you don't get this upset! I wish I had never brought this up!"
The red began to fade from Ginny's cheeks. "I'm sorry Viv, It's been building. Today I just lost control." Viv calmed down too. "It's OK." "It's just that, it seems like he never misses a chance to insult my family or my friends." said Ginny "I'm so sick of it. I hate him!" "It's OK Ginny" said Viviene soothingly "It's fine."
And the girls walked off, this minor argument affecting only one person, affecting only the subject of it. And that subject stood, leaning against the wall. Varied emotions passed through Draco Malfoy's mind. First came anger, and stung pride. These feelings were pushed out by an overwhelming sadness.
She had never been his, and never would be. She never could be. He knew she hated him, and she had every reason to. He had been arrogant, conceited, and insulting. At one point in time he might even have tried to hex her. He wasn't sure. He knew he had put curses of varying degrees on her dearest friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, and on her brother, Ron. He had made fun of her family for being poor every chance he got, though they weren't really that badly off, especially since her father's last raise.
That was the other reason. Almost from birth, Weasleys and Malfoys had been taught to despise each other. The two families were almost complete opposites. Opposites attract, don't they? said the voice in his head. He shook his head. Not these opposites. The Malfoys were rich, the Weasleys were poor. The Malfoys were in Slytherin, the Weasleys in Gryfindor. He was the Malfoy's only child, while the Weasleys had seven or eight children, he wasn't sure. Any way, they were total opposites
Draco realized that thinking about their differences was pointless. It wasn't going to help him any. What would he do if he could overcome those differences? Walk up to her and say "Hey, Ginny, I just wanted you to know that I've fallen in love with you. Now I know you're in love with Saint Potter, but if you ever realize he doesn't care about you, drop me a line?"
***
The next day, Draco received an owl from his father. His father was obviously anxious about something, but he had no idea what. He got the vague idea that it was another death-eater "mission". That made him a little nervous because if his father was still anxious by the Christmas holidays, Draco might as well not go home.
***
Outside on the grounds one day, Malfoy saw Potter lean over and whisper something to Ginny. Ginny immediately blushed and giggled. (In reality, Harry had whispered "If Ron doesn't stop staring at Hermione, he is going to walk into that tree." but Draco didn't know that) Draco couldn't help sighing.
Hermione, standing on the other side of the path, heard Draco sigh. It confused her. The expression on his face was so... so... lonely. But the next moment it was gone, so Hermione stopped thinking about it.
Over the next few weeks, Hermione began to notice the same things Ron had. Being just a little more perceptive, she also realized who he was staring at. "Well, he'll never get anywhere. I mean, Ginny is never going to give him a chance." She couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him. That made her angry. "What has he ever done to deserve my pity? It's a good thing he doesn't have a chance because he doesn't deserve her!" But she couldn't help thinking how she would feel if Ron hadn't noticed her. " Oh well, there's nothing I could do, even if I wanted to. Malfoy would never admit it, and Ron and Harry, much less Ginny, would never accept it." And with that, she tried to put it out of her mind.
***
Draco knew Ginny didn't like him but he couldn't help hoping against hope that someday, it wouldn't be that way. He knew he didn't have a chance if he kept attacking her family and friends, so he insulted her family a little less than he normally would. To their faces at least. In the Slytherin common room he still made comments about the golden trio, but never about Ginny.
***
One day, as Ginny, who would be late for potions in a minute, ran down the hall with her arms full of books, she stumbled and dropped them. Draco Malfoy, being the only other person in the hall, (Hermione was far enough away that she could see them, but they couldn't see her.)bent down and picked up some books for her. As he held them out, she waited for him to say something insulting. Finally, she took the books and snapped "Thanks."
Hermione watched Draco's face as Ginny walked away. With a rueful smile, Draco shook his head and walked away, not noticing Hermione. Hermione stood, thinking, until she realized she was five minutes late for Arithmeticy. She took off at a run.
A/N: Yippee! I finished this chapter! Tell me you hate it and I will never post anything I write in study hall again. Please keep reviewing!!! Yay! This is my longest chapter yet! Does anyone know how to do italics? Thanks, Katerinarose24
Mariz: Thanks for reviewing. I'm trying to keep Draco in character, but he has to be somewhat not evil. I tried to make my layout better this chapter. Tell me what you think.
Draco Malfoy walked past Ginny Weasley and her friend, Viv, in the hall. Just out of their sight something made him stop, and from where he stood, around the corner from the two girls, he could hear them talking.
"Ooooh," giggled Viv, "if only he weren't a Slytherin." Ginny tossed her head. "You are so silly Viv."
"Silly? Me?" asked Viv.
"If only? Yes Viv, If only he weren't the biggest prat in the history of the universe."
"Oh, come on Ginny, he can't be that bad."
"hmph." Ginny's eyes flashed.
"Oh, I see. What did he say to you?"
"Nothing."
"To Ron? Or is it Hermione again? Come on, you can tell me."
"He told Ron Hermione was a mudblood last week."
"So?"
"SO? SO?"
"No, Ginny, I mean, doesn't he call her that all the time?"
"And you can just accept that?
"No, but usually you don't get this upset! I wish I had never brought this up!"
The red began to fade from Ginny's cheeks. "I'm sorry Viv, It's been building. Today I just lost control." Viv calmed down too. "It's OK." "It's just that, it seems like he never misses a chance to insult my family or my friends." said Ginny "I'm so sick of it. I hate him!" "It's OK Ginny" said Viviene soothingly "It's fine."
And the girls walked off, this minor argument affecting only one person, affecting only the subject of it. And that subject stood, leaning against the wall. Varied emotions passed through Draco Malfoy's mind. First came anger, and stung pride. These feelings were pushed out by an overwhelming sadness.
She had never been his, and never would be. She never could be. He knew she hated him, and she had every reason to. He had been arrogant, conceited, and insulting. At one point in time he might even have tried to hex her. He wasn't sure. He knew he had put curses of varying degrees on her dearest friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, and on her brother, Ron. He had made fun of her family for being poor every chance he got, though they weren't really that badly off, especially since her father's last raise.
That was the other reason. Almost from birth, Weasleys and Malfoys had been taught to despise each other. The two families were almost complete opposites. Opposites attract, don't they? said the voice in his head. He shook his head. Not these opposites. The Malfoys were rich, the Weasleys were poor. The Malfoys were in Slytherin, the Weasleys in Gryfindor. He was the Malfoy's only child, while the Weasleys had seven or eight children, he wasn't sure. Any way, they were total opposites
Draco realized that thinking about their differences was pointless. It wasn't going to help him any. What would he do if he could overcome those differences? Walk up to her and say "Hey, Ginny, I just wanted you to know that I've fallen in love with you. Now I know you're in love with Saint Potter, but if you ever realize he doesn't care about you, drop me a line?"
***
The next day, Draco received an owl from his father. His father was obviously anxious about something, but he had no idea what. He got the vague idea that it was another death-eater "mission". That made him a little nervous because if his father was still anxious by the Christmas holidays, Draco might as well not go home.
***
Outside on the grounds one day, Malfoy saw Potter lean over and whisper something to Ginny. Ginny immediately blushed and giggled. (In reality, Harry had whispered "If Ron doesn't stop staring at Hermione, he is going to walk into that tree." but Draco didn't know that) Draco couldn't help sighing.
Hermione, standing on the other side of the path, heard Draco sigh. It confused her. The expression on his face was so... so... lonely. But the next moment it was gone, so Hermione stopped thinking about it.
Over the next few weeks, Hermione began to notice the same things Ron had. Being just a little more perceptive, she also realized who he was staring at. "Well, he'll never get anywhere. I mean, Ginny is never going to give him a chance." She couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him. That made her angry. "What has he ever done to deserve my pity? It's a good thing he doesn't have a chance because he doesn't deserve her!" But she couldn't help thinking how she would feel if Ron hadn't noticed her. " Oh well, there's nothing I could do, even if I wanted to. Malfoy would never admit it, and Ron and Harry, much less Ginny, would never accept it." And with that, she tried to put it out of her mind.
***
Draco knew Ginny didn't like him but he couldn't help hoping against hope that someday, it wouldn't be that way. He knew he didn't have a chance if he kept attacking her family and friends, so he insulted her family a little less than he normally would. To their faces at least. In the Slytherin common room he still made comments about the golden trio, but never about Ginny.
***
One day, as Ginny, who would be late for potions in a minute, ran down the hall with her arms full of books, she stumbled and dropped them. Draco Malfoy, being the only other person in the hall, (Hermione was far enough away that she could see them, but they couldn't see her.)bent down and picked up some books for her. As he held them out, she waited for him to say something insulting. Finally, she took the books and snapped "Thanks."
Hermione watched Draco's face as Ginny walked away. With a rueful smile, Draco shook his head and walked away, not noticing Hermione. Hermione stood, thinking, until she realized she was five minutes late for Arithmeticy. She took off at a run.
A/N: Yippee! I finished this chapter! Tell me you hate it and I will never post anything I write in study hall again. Please keep reviewing!!! Yay! This is my longest chapter yet! Does anyone know how to do italics? Thanks, Katerinarose24
Mariz: Thanks for reviewing. I'm trying to keep Draco in character, but he has to be somewhat not evil. I tried to make my layout better this chapter. Tell me what you think.