Abandon

Ginny Weasley squeezed viciously into the line, peering over people's heads. It was quite difficult, as she had an armful of presents, wrapping paper and various different colored bows. Someone shoved her rudely. "Excuse me," said a cold voice behind her. "But you cut in."

Ginny turned her head and glared at the person before her. It was none other than eighteen year old Draco Malfoy. She recognized him easily. His gray eyes emitted a glowering presence, his white-blonde hair was slicked over his forehead, and he towered over her menacingly. His shirt outlined the fine lines of his chest. Ginny blushed, forcing herself to look up to his face.

"I - I really need to go home early," she protested.

He smirked. "Don't tell me you have money, Weasley? What did you have to sell?" he sneered, looking over her suggestively.

"For once, Malfoy, be civil! You can have your God damn place," she snapped, pushing him away and going at the end of the line.

Devon's going to kill me, Ginny thought to herself. I am late! It took almost a half-hour to get her turn, and she swore to herself the next time she saw Draco Malfoy, he'd get a square punch in the face.

~*~

And yet, that was last Christmas. Now that it was two weeks before this very Christmas, she was right in front of him, gaping. Draco Malfoy had changed his appearance completely. His robes were now shabby and dirty, he was sitting cross-legged in the ground, his hands over his face, his shoulders shaking. It was so pathetic that Ginny couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The snow was obviously cold enough as he tugged his robes more tightly around himself, looking down at her shoes.

"What do you want?" he whispered, his teeth clattering.

"What happened to you?" she exclaimed, hesitating before walking one more step toward him.

He looked up, snow glittering on his eyelashes, drips of water - or was it tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Don't know why you care," he sneered, his cheeks tinting red. "But my father's disowned me. So go away. I don't need you gloating over me, Weasley."

"I wasn't gloating!" she argued, red ringlets covering her eyes. She pushed them away with one careless hand, her arms folding stubbornly across her chest. "Do you...do you have someplace to go?"

"Don't mock me."

"I am not mocking you. I am asking if you have any place to go."

Reluctantly, his head poised forward. His eyes showed a flash of weakness, although his face was expressionless. "No."

"No?" she breathed. A wring in her chest twisted. "Well...if you want, I'll find you a place to stay."

"No thanks, Weasley, I don't want your pity right now."

"I am not pitying you, Malfoy! I am trying to help you! At least let me walk you to the Leaky Cauldron!"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I - I have no money left...my father didn't give me any to spare," Draco notified her, blushing immensely.

"That's awful!" Ginny commented. Why was she feeling pity for this boy? The boy who was in Slytherin, the boy who had teased her, the boy who was always prejudiced against her family because they didn't have the amount of money he had? Because you're a freaking Gryffindor, Ginny Weasley, she thought to herself regretfully. And that's what Gryffindors do.

After a few moments of silence, Ginny offered her hand. Draco looked at it questioningly.

"Do you want me to kiss your hand or something?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice, still gazing at the glove-covered hand that was sprinkled with snow. Finally, he took it, feeling warmth fill his fingertips as he rose, then pulled away quickly, and they both stared awkwardly at each other.

"Let's go," she said.

"Where?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Just come." Ginny knew exactly where she was taking him, but she was in such disbelief that she merely let him walk beside her as she led the path.

Their feet crunched on the snow at the same pattern, and she examined him. He was quite handsome, of course, he had always been. His gray eyes was the most startling feature. His thin lips were the only pink available, that shone out in his pale complexion. His figure was lean and slender, but he seemed to have a tight grip. He looked at her, and she looked away, blushing furiously. She had been caught. A few moments of silence and walking, Ginny felt a prickling at her neck, as if she was being watched. She looked beside her, but Draco was examining the scenery, so she tilted her head the other way and her breath caught in her throat.

Someone that looked suspiciously like Devon was running away from her. No, it's impossible, she said, shaking the thought off. Devon and I broke up months ago...he said he'd leave me alone! Frantically, she squinted her eyes. She could see the familiar cloak and scarf, but anybody could've bought that! It couldn't have been him...not after what he did to her...

She closed her eyes, the memories rushing through her mind. But she stopped thinking when she realized Draco had been tugging at her cloak for over minutes.

"What?"

"Weasley, where the hell are we going?"

"Hold on." She searched her pockets and smiled as she observed the small muggle dictionary in her hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Hold onto this." Giving her a stony look, he obeyed, holding onto the backside as she held onto one of the pages.

In moments, the world around them began to spin, and Ginny felt her stomach lurch. She liked Apparating more than Portkeys, of course, but under certain circumstances, she felt Portkeys were much safer.

Ginny fell into the ground as Diagon Alley dissolved and crisply replaced with another scenery. Draco fell on top of her. Their eyes bore into each other and she felt oddly flustered as he pushed himself off of her, glancing at her coldly, then turning his gaze onto the place before him. It was a massive tall building, lopsided, with many rooms, roofs, and chimneys placed crazily into corners, bewitched to stay in balance.

He looked at Ginny expectantly. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Welcome to the Burrow."

~*~

Err... a little experiment. No need to review if you don't like it...