A/N: Hey guys! Here, as promised, is my little ficlet! I'm sorry it took
so damn long to write...but it's finally here! So enjoy!
A/N: Oh, and I apologize in advance for any misspellings you may encounter as you read. My spell check isn't really working right now, so if anything seems a little strange to you, feel free to ask!
Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter, it belongs to J. K. Rowling and her little minions.
Chapter 1: Cheesy Poems and Secret Admirers
She awoke to the sunlight streaming across her bed and the excited chatter of her roommates. Opening her eyes, she yawned and sat up, stretching out her sore body as she did so. Looking around, she realized that once again, she was late. Hurriedly, she jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, tearing off her nightgown as she went. Jumping into the shower, she quickly ran some soap over her body and shampooed her hair. Finishing, she turned off the water and dried herself off, before grabbing some new clothes and throwing them on. With a quick swipe of mascara and a few well- aimed yanks of her hair she was ready to face the world.
Grabbing her things, she flew downstairs to the Great Hall, lest she be too late to have any breakfast. Upon entering, she stopped short when she saw all the decorations. Pink and white streamers, with red hearts and little cupids everywhere.
"What the bloody hell...?" she said softly, looking around. "Oh Gods, don't tell me. It's already Valentine's Day again?"
Sighing, she sat down in her usual place at the table, next to Ron and across from Hermione and Harry, none of who noticed her presence. Her brother was too busy making eyes at some girl a ways down the table, and as for Harry and Hermione, they were too preoccupied with feeding each other breakfast.
"Ugh," she thought, watching as Hermione took a bite from the strawberry Harry placed at her lips. "Gag me now, why don't they? Must they do that here? Where people are actually trying to eat?"
Truth be told, Harry and Hermione being all lovey-dovey wasn't bothering her all that much. What was bothering her was that she had no one to act that way with. It seemed as though suddenly, all her friends had boyfriends (or girlfriends, depending on the sex of said friends) and she was left behind with no one. She and her girl friends had always sworn to put their friendship before their relationships, but lately, it seemed as though she was the only one that had actually kept that promise.
"I hate Valentine's Day," she thought sourly. "All it is is an excuse for people to snog all day long and the rest of us to want to puke our guts up. Whoever came up with is should be shot." She sighed thinking about the long day in front of her.
"Whoo hoo," she said sarcastically. "Can't wait." Sighing again, she stood and headed out of the Great Hall, nearly colliding with Colin and Vette, two of her good friends who, since hooking up the previous weekend had been all but inseparable. She started to say 'hello,' but the two walked right by her as though she wasn't there. Ginny laughed hollowly before practically running out of the hall, anxious to put as much space as possible between herself and everyone else. Looking at her watch, she realized she had about five minutes to kill before classes started. Knowing there wasn't much one could do in five minutes, she decided to just go to class and wait for everyone else to arrive.
She entered Professor Flitwick's room and made her way over to her seat, not being able to help but notice all the roses and chocolates on all the other tables. She sighed aloud, jealousy getting the better of her. Reaching her seat, she plopped down and pulled out her books to put on the table, but she couldn't. Something was already there.
She gasped softly as she stared at the solitary rose in front of her. Noticing the tiny white envelope next to it, her heart started to race as she picked it up and examined it for a name. Not finding one, she opened it and read the scrap of paper enclosed in it.
'Your eyes are two diamonds in the sky Your lips are like the petals of a rose.'
She reread them several more times, to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. After she was sure the words were real and not just a figment of her imagination, she scrutinized the paper, searching desperately for the name of the sender. It appeared, however, that whoever sent them wished to remain anonymous, for there was no name on the paper of the envelope.
She reread the two lines again as her mind reeled at the thought that she, Ginny Weasley, actually had a secret admirer!
"Hey Gin, where were you at breakfast? I didn't see you," said Vette as she slid into her chair next to Ginny.
"Can't possibly imagine why," Ginny muttered under her breath.
"What?" asked Vette.
"I said, I decided I wasn't all that hungry,"
"Oh. Shame you missed it then."
"Missed what?" Ginny asked, mildly interested.
"Pansy Parkinson was so bloody pissed at Draco Malfoy for not getting her anything for Valentine's Day, she dumped an entire pitcher of 'love punch' over his head!" Ginny sat silent for several seconds, Vette's words not really registering. Suddenly, she snapped her head up at Vette, eyes shining excitedly.
"Are you serious?" she asked. Vette nodded, and Ginny groaned and said, "And I missed it! Bugger!" Shaking her head sadly, she added, "Well at least give me the details! Tell me, c'mon!" Vette quickly filled her in on what happened, from Pansy's first outraged shrieks to Malfoy's punch- filled scowl. Ginny was soon howling with laughter as Vette described his reaction.
"At first, he didn't do anything. I think he was just shocked that she'd actually done that to him. Then he wiped the punch out of his eyes, glared at her, and stalked out of the room, probably to go put on another one of his expensive, white silk shirts," Vette said, giggling as she envisioned it again. Ginny smirked; although she felt bad for him for ruining such an expensive shirt, she was glad someone had finally done it, even if it was Pansy. Malfoy had long-since had it coming. Maybe now he'd realize what a pompous arse he was and get over himself.
'He probably didn't get her anything because he spent all his money on himself. Typical,' she scoffed. Deep down, though, she was glad he hadn't gotten Pansy anything. It was nice to know that not every guy who met Pansy fell for her slutty good looks, even if he was a Malfoy.
The bell rand then, signaling the beginning of class. As the rest of the students came pouring in, Ginny gave the rose one last longing look before placing it carefully in her bad so it wouldn't get crushed by her books. Then she placed her textbook on the table, as she had originally planned to do, and tried to put it out of her mind.
She drifted through the rest of class, never having been so thankful to hear the class-ending bell. Quickly shoving everything in her bad, making sure they didn't squish her rose, she made her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, only to find another rose, with another card. This one said
'To myself no longer can I lie, You are the one my heart has chose.'
Only after she repeated all four lines in her head did she figure out what is was.
'It's a poem!' she thought excitedly. 'Someone's sending me pieces of a poem!' And so they were.
In Transfiguration, her next class, the lines were
'Your hair is like the flame Burning in my chest.'
Care of Magical Creatures was 'My passion for you no one can tame, You're as beautiful as the sunset in the west.'
She even got one at lunch, delivered via owl.
'Too long have I said nothing, Only watched from a ways away.'
Herbology held the message
"But to the mountains I want to sing, Today is the day!'
She cringed slightly at that one. Obviously, they, whoever they were, had been a little desperate when they wrote that particular one.
The next one, though, made her smile.
Entering History of Magic, she was greeted with the now-familiar sight of a rose on her desk, with a tiny envelope next to it. Giddy with anticipation, she almost ripped the paper in her haste to open the card. Finally releasing it from its confines, she read the script inscribed on the paper.
'I'm sorry if my poem is really cheesy But I know I want you to be all mine.'
She nearly burst out laughing, but somehow, she didn't think Professor Binns would appreciate her interrupting his class, so she stifled her giggles.
It was extremely amusing to think that something would actually make her want to laugh in History of Magic, easily their most boring class. But she almost had, several times actually, since she kept rereading the lines throughout class.
After class was dismissed, she made her way to Divination, actually looking forward to going for the first time, well, ever.
She had no idea what possessed her to take the class; it was almost as boring as History of Magic. All they did was sit in Trawlney's heavily perfumed room, struggling to stay awake as she rambled on about omens and prophecies (usually bad) and her favorite subject: death. The woman was either very morbid or very crazy- all she ever talked about was death. She and her friends had made it a game to keep tally of how many times she said the words (or any form of them) 'death' or 'die' during class. At current, Colin's class was winning with 62, although Ginny's class was at a close second with 58.
As she entered the room, she staggered back and nearly gagged from the perfume scent. No matter how many times she walked into the room, the smell always hit her like a ton of bricks. Trying hard to keep breathing, she sat in her seat and grabbed the card from her table. Opening it, she read the two lines carefully.
'So Virginia Weasley, Will you be my Valentine?'
Although she was no poem expert, they appeared to be the end of the poem, which was certainly disappointing. She'd been looking forward to receiving one in Advanced Potions- it had given her something to be happy about going. Now she had nothing to be happy about; she just dreaded going, as usual.
She tuned out Trawlney, as she'd gotten so good at over the course of the year, too disappointed to even count.
After class was over, she walked slowly through the hallways, in no hurry to get to the torture chamber (her nickname for Snape's classroom, although in truth, it wasn't all that far off the mark.) Upon entering, she took her usual seat in the back of the room, only to find another rose and card awaiting her. She glanced down at them and then began counting seats to make sure she was in the right one. After assuring herself she was indeed in the right chair, she eagerly tore open the envelope, curious to see what they had to say. It wasn't another piece to the poem (so she'd been right, that last part had been the end) but a note.
'Did you like my poem? I hope so. Meet me down by the lake after dinner. Try not to eat too much at dinner, or you'll ruin my surprise.
-Your Secret Admirer
P.S.- Dress warmly. It's going to be cold.'
She could hardly contain her excitement. Her Secret Admirer wanted to meet her! She almost let out an excited squeal, but somehow or another, she exercised some control and managed not to. If Professor Binns wouldn't have appreciated her interrupting, Snape would even less. Besides, it would be hard to meet her Secret Admirer if she was in detention. Plus, she wouldn't know how to tell them she couldn't meet them because she didn't know who they were and they'd probably think she was standing them up. How brilliant that would be.
She couldn't wait for class to end, which, of course, made it that much longer. When the final bell rang, she jumped up and ran out of the room, for once being the first to leave.
Dinner was excruciating. Hermione decide4d she was feeling friendly, so all dinner-long it was
"How are you Ginny?" or "How have things been?" or "How are your classes going?" She didn't want to be impolite, so she answered her questions, most with one or two word answers. At one point, she interjected, asking Hermione how her classes were, which she knew would keep her talking for at least ten minutes. This gave her time to zone out and think about her upcoming meeting. For the first time, she began to seriously consider who her admirer was. She's tossed around some ideas before, but nothing serious. Now she began to wonder.
"Wow...who could it be? Not Harry, he's got Hermione. Not Colin, he's with Vette. Ron's not smart enough to think of a prank like this. Who else is there?" Although she'd never really looked at it, her list of boy friends was extremely short. This was, of course, due to the fact that Ron threatened to beat to a bloody pulp any boy that got within twenty feet of her. Ron could be a bit...overprotective at times. It had never really bothered her until recently. While all her friends were off meeting guys and going on dates, she wasn't even "allowed" to leave the castle without him or another one of the trio with her. This really perturbed her, because while Ron was off doing Merlin-knows-what with any girl that looked his way, she couldn't even talk to a boy alone. But tonight, things were going to change. Tonight, she was going to prove once and for all that she didn't need him holding her hand every second of the day.
After checking her watch for the umpteenth time, she excused herself and made to leave.
"Where ya goin' Gin?" asked Ron, and although he appeared to be very casual, she could detect the uptight note in his voice.
"Out to meet some friends," she said vaguely.
"Oh really?"
"Why not?" she shrugged. "It's Friday night, I got nothing better to do." Hermione opened her mouth, most likely to add something about doing homework or studying for NEWTS or something like that, but Ron spoke first.
"Who are you meeting?"
"Merlin Ron! What are you mum?" she snapped impatiently. "I already told you. I'm meeting some friends."
"There won't be any boys, will there?" She glared at him before saying,
"Well let's see. Considering you've managed to keep that list down to Harry, Colin and yourself I highly doubt it. But you never know. We might meet some while we're out," she added, knowing it would piss off Ron.
"You'd better not...or else," he said, face beginning to match his hair.
"Or else what Ron? What are you gonna do if I do?" she challenged, finally exploding. "Beat them like you're always threatening to? You're not mum Ron. You're my brother. You can't, and from now on won't, tell me what to do, okay? I'm sixteen Ron. I'm not a child anymore. I don't need you looking out for me all the time. I can handle myself. Besides, you think what you're doing is fair? Do you really think it's alright to tell me I can't even talk to a guy while you go off and snog every girl in sight?"
"But," he protested, "that's completely different..."
"How Ron? How is it different? That's bullshit and you know it! Please Ron, just let me live my life that way I want to." Rather than give him a chance to speak, she turned and stalked out of the room, leaving behind a blushing Ron, an awestruck Hermione and a somewhat amused Harry.
As soon as she was out of the hall, she leaned against the wall, taking several deep breaths. Who knew finally standing up to Ron could be so...exhilarating? She smiled to herself before hurrying upstairs to get ready. Ten minutes later, she gave herself one more look in the mirror before wrapping her warmest cloak around herself and heading back downstairs. She'd tried to keep it as simple and low-key as possible. Her normally unruly hair was pulled back, out of her face with a large clip. The make-up she'd kept to a minimum. A sweep of shimmer, a touch of mascara and a little gloss and she was ready to go.
She strolled down the stairs, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. At last, she reached the main entrance. Glancing around to make sure no on was watching, she stole out the door, taking care to close it softly behind her so no one would hear it. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and said quietly,
"This is it. No turning back." Opening her eyes, she stood still for a moment longer before making her decision. Letting go of the handle she'd been holding onto all this time, she walked towards the lake, slowly at first and then more confidently.
At last, she reached the shores of the lake. Looking around, she realized that there was no one there. Figuring she was early, she decided to wait a bit. After fifteen minutes, she was about to leave when she saw it. A light was shining through a particularly dense patch of trees. Curiously, she made her way over. Stepping into the clearing, she gasped in utter amazement.
It was so beautiful. The light turned out to be hundreds of little floating candles, circling a table obviously meant for two. On it was a vase of roses ('How strange that there are only four,' she thought) and a little card that said 'Reserved.' Next to one of the plates was a namecard that said 'Virginia Weasley.'
She gasped again. This was for her?
"Oh my god," she said softly.
"Like it?" said a voice from behind her, and she gasped for a third time, although this one was for different reasons. She knew that voice...
"You?" she asked incredulously, turning to face him. "You did this? You sent the roses and the poem?" He nodded and she stared at him in disbelief. Draco Malfoy? It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. He couldn't have done this. Could he? Unless...
"Oh bloody hell!" she spat out, things suddenly becoming clear (or so she thought). "I should've known...bugger!" Turning on Draco, who had remained quiet since initially speaking, she glared at him and said,
"Well? Where are they?"
"Where are who?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Oh don't play stupid with me Malfoy! Where are all your friends hiding, so they can jump out and make fun of me for falling for such a stupid joke? Ya' know Malfoy, this is a new low, even for you."
"Wait...what?" Suddenly, understanding dawned on him. "You think this is a joke?"
"Well what else could it possibly be?" she asked, anger fading into sadness. "I mean, you can't possibly have actually meant all that stuff." He stood silent, just looking at her. "Could you?" All of a sudden, she was filled with doubt. He couldn't...he's a Malfoy! It's not possible...it just isn't...is it?
"Ginny, I assure you, this is no joke," he said softly, and despite her every instinct not to believe him...she did.
"But...how? Why?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," he said truthfully. "Trust me. The last person I expected to fall for was a Weasley. But somehow, I did. And now here we are." It was her turn to remain quiet, so he continued on , the silence making him nervous.
"Look, I understand if you want to leave; to just turn around and walk away and pretend none of this ever happened. But please, I'm begging you. Just stay."
Ginny sighed inwardly, her feelings a jumble of thoughts in her head. Part of her was telling her to accept his offer and stay, but another part of her was saying to leave, that this was just another joke. At last, she spoke.
"How...how do I know I can trust you?" she said slowly. "How can I be sure that-" She was cut off abruptly by his lips crashing onto hers. She couldn't even move she was so stunned. Ending the kiss, he whispered in her ear,
"Trust your feelings."
But how did she feel? How could she trust her feelings when she didn't know what they were? Sensing her hesitation, he kissed her again, this time much gentler than before. Involuntarily, she began to kiss him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and toying with the hairs at the nape of his neck.
Breaking away, she sighed into his neck before saying (slightly muffled), "You know things just a got a hell of a lot more complicated." She felt him nod before adding,
"Yeah, but we'll get through them." She smiled at the 'we'. Definitely something she could get used to.
As they dined, Ginny found that is was amazingly easy to make conversation with Draco. Not only was he an incredible listener, he wasn't at all shallow, contrary to popular (or at least hers) belief. He was the complete opposite: intelligent, witty, compassionate- she found it hard to believe that the person in front of her was the same person who, at one point, had nothing but insults to hurl at her. Never before had they even exchanged two decent words; and now they were having an entire conversation with ease.
They were in the middle of talking (well more like arguing) about the side effects of an Ouvrious potion when it happened. There was a crash followed by a leonine roar.
"Ginny?! What the bloody hell is going on?" bellowed an extremely angry Ron.
"Ron?! What are you doing here?" asked Ginny, equally angry.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Ron asked, pointing at Malfoy.
"If you must know, Draco and I were enjoying dinner, until you came along," she added pointedly.
"Oh, so it's Draco now? What happened to ferret boy?" Ron said snidely.
"Grow up Ron," she snapped.
"Ginny, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, thank you very much Ron. And I do now need you standing over my shoulder questioning my every judgement," she said icily, trying to keep her temper in check.
"Really? Well come one has to 'cuz you've clearly lost it!" Ron said.
"Get a life Ron," she replies. "And get out of mine." Ignoring her, he turned on Draco, who had said nothing throughout their shouting match.
"Malfoy, what're you doing?" he asked. Draco's face remained impassive; only his eyes gave him away. "You so much as go near her again, and I'll beat you so bloody hard you won't even know your own name," Ron said menacingly, flexing his fists clutched tightly at his sides. Ginny strode over from behind Ron to stand next to Draco. She glared at her brother and said,
"Leave him out of this Ron. This is between you and me." Ron snorted and said,
"What? So quick to jump to his defense, now Gin?"
"Ron..." she said warningly.
"No Gin, I want to see what he has to say. C'mon Malfoy. What? Ferret got your tongue?"
"Ron!" she said angrily. Malfoy shook his head.
"It's alright Ginny. I'm not going to start anything with him. He's not worth it."
"Oh really?" said Ron mockingly. "Not worth it, eh? Well let's see if this will 'start' something." And with that, he punched Malfoy in the stomach.
Malfoy let out a low moan as he doubled over in obvious pain. Ginny stood for several seconds, glancing back and forth between Malfoy, still bent over, and Ron, looking at Malfoy with a smirk. In that second, she felt a rage for her brother, far worse than anything she'd ever felt before. Marching over to him, she slapped him, hard, across the face.
"That was for him," she said. "And this, this is for me." She punctuated her 'this' with a sharp jab to the nose. He hit the ground, hands clutching his nose as blood spurted out between his fingers. He opened his mouth, most likely to yell, but she beat him to it.
"You bastard!" she shouted. "Why the bloody hell did you have to punch him? He did nothing to you! This had nothing to do with him! This is between you and me and you know it! You're just pissed because I've stopped listening to you so you have no one to boss around anymore. But you know what Ron? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm sixteen. Sixteen Ron. I don't need you making my decisions for me. Who I choose to date is my business, not yours. You don't see me screwing around in your personal life, do you? No, you don't, because I don't. Why can't you do the same? Why can't you just get the fuck out of my personal like?" She glared at him, sitting on the ground, blood still pouring out of his nose, before going over to Draco and helping him up. With a last look, she and Draco walked back up to the castle, leaving Ron alone in the clearing.
Once back, Ginny insisted Draco go to the infirmary, just to be sure. She walked with him, and once there, she turned to leave. She moved all of three steps before she was stopped by his hand grabbing her wrist. Pivoting, she glanced back at him, as if to say,
"What do you want?"
"Stay," he said. Somehow, that one little word managed to set her heart fluttering all over again.
"But what if people see us?" she asked.
"Let them see," he replied, shrugging. "We have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. At least, I know I don't." She caught his unasked question, and said,
"Good. Neither do I." He smiled down at her, and she grinned back up at him, knowing things weren't going to be easy. But they would get through them. Together.
*~* La Fin *~*
A/N: Well? What do you think? Let me know if it's any good, alright?
A/N: Just so you know, this is loosely based on a Valentine's day fantasy of my own that I have...call me a hopeless romantic if you will...
A/N: Oh, and I apologize in advance for any misspellings you may encounter as you read. My spell check isn't really working right now, so if anything seems a little strange to you, feel free to ask!
Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter, it belongs to J. K. Rowling and her little minions.
Chapter 1: Cheesy Poems and Secret Admirers
She awoke to the sunlight streaming across her bed and the excited chatter of her roommates. Opening her eyes, she yawned and sat up, stretching out her sore body as she did so. Looking around, she realized that once again, she was late. Hurriedly, she jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, tearing off her nightgown as she went. Jumping into the shower, she quickly ran some soap over her body and shampooed her hair. Finishing, she turned off the water and dried herself off, before grabbing some new clothes and throwing them on. With a quick swipe of mascara and a few well- aimed yanks of her hair she was ready to face the world.
Grabbing her things, she flew downstairs to the Great Hall, lest she be too late to have any breakfast. Upon entering, she stopped short when she saw all the decorations. Pink and white streamers, with red hearts and little cupids everywhere.
"What the bloody hell...?" she said softly, looking around. "Oh Gods, don't tell me. It's already Valentine's Day again?"
Sighing, she sat down in her usual place at the table, next to Ron and across from Hermione and Harry, none of who noticed her presence. Her brother was too busy making eyes at some girl a ways down the table, and as for Harry and Hermione, they were too preoccupied with feeding each other breakfast.
"Ugh," she thought, watching as Hermione took a bite from the strawberry Harry placed at her lips. "Gag me now, why don't they? Must they do that here? Where people are actually trying to eat?"
Truth be told, Harry and Hermione being all lovey-dovey wasn't bothering her all that much. What was bothering her was that she had no one to act that way with. It seemed as though suddenly, all her friends had boyfriends (or girlfriends, depending on the sex of said friends) and she was left behind with no one. She and her girl friends had always sworn to put their friendship before their relationships, but lately, it seemed as though she was the only one that had actually kept that promise.
"I hate Valentine's Day," she thought sourly. "All it is is an excuse for people to snog all day long and the rest of us to want to puke our guts up. Whoever came up with is should be shot." She sighed thinking about the long day in front of her.
"Whoo hoo," she said sarcastically. "Can't wait." Sighing again, she stood and headed out of the Great Hall, nearly colliding with Colin and Vette, two of her good friends who, since hooking up the previous weekend had been all but inseparable. She started to say 'hello,' but the two walked right by her as though she wasn't there. Ginny laughed hollowly before practically running out of the hall, anxious to put as much space as possible between herself and everyone else. Looking at her watch, she realized she had about five minutes to kill before classes started. Knowing there wasn't much one could do in five minutes, she decided to just go to class and wait for everyone else to arrive.
She entered Professor Flitwick's room and made her way over to her seat, not being able to help but notice all the roses and chocolates on all the other tables. She sighed aloud, jealousy getting the better of her. Reaching her seat, she plopped down and pulled out her books to put on the table, but she couldn't. Something was already there.
She gasped softly as she stared at the solitary rose in front of her. Noticing the tiny white envelope next to it, her heart started to race as she picked it up and examined it for a name. Not finding one, she opened it and read the scrap of paper enclosed in it.
'Your eyes are two diamonds in the sky Your lips are like the petals of a rose.'
She reread them several more times, to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. After she was sure the words were real and not just a figment of her imagination, she scrutinized the paper, searching desperately for the name of the sender. It appeared, however, that whoever sent them wished to remain anonymous, for there was no name on the paper of the envelope.
She reread the two lines again as her mind reeled at the thought that she, Ginny Weasley, actually had a secret admirer!
"Hey Gin, where were you at breakfast? I didn't see you," said Vette as she slid into her chair next to Ginny.
"Can't possibly imagine why," Ginny muttered under her breath.
"What?" asked Vette.
"I said, I decided I wasn't all that hungry,"
"Oh. Shame you missed it then."
"Missed what?" Ginny asked, mildly interested.
"Pansy Parkinson was so bloody pissed at Draco Malfoy for not getting her anything for Valentine's Day, she dumped an entire pitcher of 'love punch' over his head!" Ginny sat silent for several seconds, Vette's words not really registering. Suddenly, she snapped her head up at Vette, eyes shining excitedly.
"Are you serious?" she asked. Vette nodded, and Ginny groaned and said, "And I missed it! Bugger!" Shaking her head sadly, she added, "Well at least give me the details! Tell me, c'mon!" Vette quickly filled her in on what happened, from Pansy's first outraged shrieks to Malfoy's punch- filled scowl. Ginny was soon howling with laughter as Vette described his reaction.
"At first, he didn't do anything. I think he was just shocked that she'd actually done that to him. Then he wiped the punch out of his eyes, glared at her, and stalked out of the room, probably to go put on another one of his expensive, white silk shirts," Vette said, giggling as she envisioned it again. Ginny smirked; although she felt bad for him for ruining such an expensive shirt, she was glad someone had finally done it, even if it was Pansy. Malfoy had long-since had it coming. Maybe now he'd realize what a pompous arse he was and get over himself.
'He probably didn't get her anything because he spent all his money on himself. Typical,' she scoffed. Deep down, though, she was glad he hadn't gotten Pansy anything. It was nice to know that not every guy who met Pansy fell for her slutty good looks, even if he was a Malfoy.
The bell rand then, signaling the beginning of class. As the rest of the students came pouring in, Ginny gave the rose one last longing look before placing it carefully in her bad so it wouldn't get crushed by her books. Then she placed her textbook on the table, as she had originally planned to do, and tried to put it out of her mind.
She drifted through the rest of class, never having been so thankful to hear the class-ending bell. Quickly shoving everything in her bad, making sure they didn't squish her rose, she made her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, only to find another rose, with another card. This one said
'To myself no longer can I lie, You are the one my heart has chose.'
Only after she repeated all four lines in her head did she figure out what is was.
'It's a poem!' she thought excitedly. 'Someone's sending me pieces of a poem!' And so they were.
In Transfiguration, her next class, the lines were
'Your hair is like the flame Burning in my chest.'
Care of Magical Creatures was 'My passion for you no one can tame, You're as beautiful as the sunset in the west.'
She even got one at lunch, delivered via owl.
'Too long have I said nothing, Only watched from a ways away.'
Herbology held the message
"But to the mountains I want to sing, Today is the day!'
She cringed slightly at that one. Obviously, they, whoever they were, had been a little desperate when they wrote that particular one.
The next one, though, made her smile.
Entering History of Magic, she was greeted with the now-familiar sight of a rose on her desk, with a tiny envelope next to it. Giddy with anticipation, she almost ripped the paper in her haste to open the card. Finally releasing it from its confines, she read the script inscribed on the paper.
'I'm sorry if my poem is really cheesy But I know I want you to be all mine.'
She nearly burst out laughing, but somehow, she didn't think Professor Binns would appreciate her interrupting his class, so she stifled her giggles.
It was extremely amusing to think that something would actually make her want to laugh in History of Magic, easily their most boring class. But she almost had, several times actually, since she kept rereading the lines throughout class.
After class was dismissed, she made her way to Divination, actually looking forward to going for the first time, well, ever.
She had no idea what possessed her to take the class; it was almost as boring as History of Magic. All they did was sit in Trawlney's heavily perfumed room, struggling to stay awake as she rambled on about omens and prophecies (usually bad) and her favorite subject: death. The woman was either very morbid or very crazy- all she ever talked about was death. She and her friends had made it a game to keep tally of how many times she said the words (or any form of them) 'death' or 'die' during class. At current, Colin's class was winning with 62, although Ginny's class was at a close second with 58.
As she entered the room, she staggered back and nearly gagged from the perfume scent. No matter how many times she walked into the room, the smell always hit her like a ton of bricks. Trying hard to keep breathing, she sat in her seat and grabbed the card from her table. Opening it, she read the two lines carefully.
'So Virginia Weasley, Will you be my Valentine?'
Although she was no poem expert, they appeared to be the end of the poem, which was certainly disappointing. She'd been looking forward to receiving one in Advanced Potions- it had given her something to be happy about going. Now she had nothing to be happy about; she just dreaded going, as usual.
She tuned out Trawlney, as she'd gotten so good at over the course of the year, too disappointed to even count.
After class was over, she walked slowly through the hallways, in no hurry to get to the torture chamber (her nickname for Snape's classroom, although in truth, it wasn't all that far off the mark.) Upon entering, she took her usual seat in the back of the room, only to find another rose and card awaiting her. She glanced down at them and then began counting seats to make sure she was in the right one. After assuring herself she was indeed in the right chair, she eagerly tore open the envelope, curious to see what they had to say. It wasn't another piece to the poem (so she'd been right, that last part had been the end) but a note.
'Did you like my poem? I hope so. Meet me down by the lake after dinner. Try not to eat too much at dinner, or you'll ruin my surprise.
-Your Secret Admirer
P.S.- Dress warmly. It's going to be cold.'
She could hardly contain her excitement. Her Secret Admirer wanted to meet her! She almost let out an excited squeal, but somehow or another, she exercised some control and managed not to. If Professor Binns wouldn't have appreciated her interrupting, Snape would even less. Besides, it would be hard to meet her Secret Admirer if she was in detention. Plus, she wouldn't know how to tell them she couldn't meet them because she didn't know who they were and they'd probably think she was standing them up. How brilliant that would be.
She couldn't wait for class to end, which, of course, made it that much longer. When the final bell rang, she jumped up and ran out of the room, for once being the first to leave.
Dinner was excruciating. Hermione decide4d she was feeling friendly, so all dinner-long it was
"How are you Ginny?" or "How have things been?" or "How are your classes going?" She didn't want to be impolite, so she answered her questions, most with one or two word answers. At one point, she interjected, asking Hermione how her classes were, which she knew would keep her talking for at least ten minutes. This gave her time to zone out and think about her upcoming meeting. For the first time, she began to seriously consider who her admirer was. She's tossed around some ideas before, but nothing serious. Now she began to wonder.
"Wow...who could it be? Not Harry, he's got Hermione. Not Colin, he's with Vette. Ron's not smart enough to think of a prank like this. Who else is there?" Although she'd never really looked at it, her list of boy friends was extremely short. This was, of course, due to the fact that Ron threatened to beat to a bloody pulp any boy that got within twenty feet of her. Ron could be a bit...overprotective at times. It had never really bothered her until recently. While all her friends were off meeting guys and going on dates, she wasn't even "allowed" to leave the castle without him or another one of the trio with her. This really perturbed her, because while Ron was off doing Merlin-knows-what with any girl that looked his way, she couldn't even talk to a boy alone. But tonight, things were going to change. Tonight, she was going to prove once and for all that she didn't need him holding her hand every second of the day.
After checking her watch for the umpteenth time, she excused herself and made to leave.
"Where ya goin' Gin?" asked Ron, and although he appeared to be very casual, she could detect the uptight note in his voice.
"Out to meet some friends," she said vaguely.
"Oh really?"
"Why not?" she shrugged. "It's Friday night, I got nothing better to do." Hermione opened her mouth, most likely to add something about doing homework or studying for NEWTS or something like that, but Ron spoke first.
"Who are you meeting?"
"Merlin Ron! What are you mum?" she snapped impatiently. "I already told you. I'm meeting some friends."
"There won't be any boys, will there?" She glared at him before saying,
"Well let's see. Considering you've managed to keep that list down to Harry, Colin and yourself I highly doubt it. But you never know. We might meet some while we're out," she added, knowing it would piss off Ron.
"You'd better not...or else," he said, face beginning to match his hair.
"Or else what Ron? What are you gonna do if I do?" she challenged, finally exploding. "Beat them like you're always threatening to? You're not mum Ron. You're my brother. You can't, and from now on won't, tell me what to do, okay? I'm sixteen Ron. I'm not a child anymore. I don't need you looking out for me all the time. I can handle myself. Besides, you think what you're doing is fair? Do you really think it's alright to tell me I can't even talk to a guy while you go off and snog every girl in sight?"
"But," he protested, "that's completely different..."
"How Ron? How is it different? That's bullshit and you know it! Please Ron, just let me live my life that way I want to." Rather than give him a chance to speak, she turned and stalked out of the room, leaving behind a blushing Ron, an awestruck Hermione and a somewhat amused Harry.
As soon as she was out of the hall, she leaned against the wall, taking several deep breaths. Who knew finally standing up to Ron could be so...exhilarating? She smiled to herself before hurrying upstairs to get ready. Ten minutes later, she gave herself one more look in the mirror before wrapping her warmest cloak around herself and heading back downstairs. She'd tried to keep it as simple and low-key as possible. Her normally unruly hair was pulled back, out of her face with a large clip. The make-up she'd kept to a minimum. A sweep of shimmer, a touch of mascara and a little gloss and she was ready to go.
She strolled down the stairs, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. At last, she reached the main entrance. Glancing around to make sure no on was watching, she stole out the door, taking care to close it softly behind her so no one would hear it. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and said quietly,
"This is it. No turning back." Opening her eyes, she stood still for a moment longer before making her decision. Letting go of the handle she'd been holding onto all this time, she walked towards the lake, slowly at first and then more confidently.
At last, she reached the shores of the lake. Looking around, she realized that there was no one there. Figuring she was early, she decided to wait a bit. After fifteen minutes, she was about to leave when she saw it. A light was shining through a particularly dense patch of trees. Curiously, she made her way over. Stepping into the clearing, she gasped in utter amazement.
It was so beautiful. The light turned out to be hundreds of little floating candles, circling a table obviously meant for two. On it was a vase of roses ('How strange that there are only four,' she thought) and a little card that said 'Reserved.' Next to one of the plates was a namecard that said 'Virginia Weasley.'
She gasped again. This was for her?
"Oh my god," she said softly.
"Like it?" said a voice from behind her, and she gasped for a third time, although this one was for different reasons. She knew that voice...
"You?" she asked incredulously, turning to face him. "You did this? You sent the roses and the poem?" He nodded and she stared at him in disbelief. Draco Malfoy? It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. He couldn't have done this. Could he? Unless...
"Oh bloody hell!" she spat out, things suddenly becoming clear (or so she thought). "I should've known...bugger!" Turning on Draco, who had remained quiet since initially speaking, she glared at him and said,
"Well? Where are they?"
"Where are who?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Oh don't play stupid with me Malfoy! Where are all your friends hiding, so they can jump out and make fun of me for falling for such a stupid joke? Ya' know Malfoy, this is a new low, even for you."
"Wait...what?" Suddenly, understanding dawned on him. "You think this is a joke?"
"Well what else could it possibly be?" she asked, anger fading into sadness. "I mean, you can't possibly have actually meant all that stuff." He stood silent, just looking at her. "Could you?" All of a sudden, she was filled with doubt. He couldn't...he's a Malfoy! It's not possible...it just isn't...is it?
"Ginny, I assure you, this is no joke," he said softly, and despite her every instinct not to believe him...she did.
"But...how? Why?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," he said truthfully. "Trust me. The last person I expected to fall for was a Weasley. But somehow, I did. And now here we are." It was her turn to remain quiet, so he continued on , the silence making him nervous.
"Look, I understand if you want to leave; to just turn around and walk away and pretend none of this ever happened. But please, I'm begging you. Just stay."
Ginny sighed inwardly, her feelings a jumble of thoughts in her head. Part of her was telling her to accept his offer and stay, but another part of her was saying to leave, that this was just another joke. At last, she spoke.
"How...how do I know I can trust you?" she said slowly. "How can I be sure that-" She was cut off abruptly by his lips crashing onto hers. She couldn't even move she was so stunned. Ending the kiss, he whispered in her ear,
"Trust your feelings."
But how did she feel? How could she trust her feelings when she didn't know what they were? Sensing her hesitation, he kissed her again, this time much gentler than before. Involuntarily, she began to kiss him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and toying with the hairs at the nape of his neck.
Breaking away, she sighed into his neck before saying (slightly muffled), "You know things just a got a hell of a lot more complicated." She felt him nod before adding,
"Yeah, but we'll get through them." She smiled at the 'we'. Definitely something she could get used to.
As they dined, Ginny found that is was amazingly easy to make conversation with Draco. Not only was he an incredible listener, he wasn't at all shallow, contrary to popular (or at least hers) belief. He was the complete opposite: intelligent, witty, compassionate- she found it hard to believe that the person in front of her was the same person who, at one point, had nothing but insults to hurl at her. Never before had they even exchanged two decent words; and now they were having an entire conversation with ease.
They were in the middle of talking (well more like arguing) about the side effects of an Ouvrious potion when it happened. There was a crash followed by a leonine roar.
"Ginny?! What the bloody hell is going on?" bellowed an extremely angry Ron.
"Ron?! What are you doing here?" asked Ginny, equally angry.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Ron asked, pointing at Malfoy.
"If you must know, Draco and I were enjoying dinner, until you came along," she added pointedly.
"Oh, so it's Draco now? What happened to ferret boy?" Ron said snidely.
"Grow up Ron," she snapped.
"Ginny, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, thank you very much Ron. And I do now need you standing over my shoulder questioning my every judgement," she said icily, trying to keep her temper in check.
"Really? Well come one has to 'cuz you've clearly lost it!" Ron said.
"Get a life Ron," she replies. "And get out of mine." Ignoring her, he turned on Draco, who had said nothing throughout their shouting match.
"Malfoy, what're you doing?" he asked. Draco's face remained impassive; only his eyes gave him away. "You so much as go near her again, and I'll beat you so bloody hard you won't even know your own name," Ron said menacingly, flexing his fists clutched tightly at his sides. Ginny strode over from behind Ron to stand next to Draco. She glared at her brother and said,
"Leave him out of this Ron. This is between you and me." Ron snorted and said,
"What? So quick to jump to his defense, now Gin?"
"Ron..." she said warningly.
"No Gin, I want to see what he has to say. C'mon Malfoy. What? Ferret got your tongue?"
"Ron!" she said angrily. Malfoy shook his head.
"It's alright Ginny. I'm not going to start anything with him. He's not worth it."
"Oh really?" said Ron mockingly. "Not worth it, eh? Well let's see if this will 'start' something." And with that, he punched Malfoy in the stomach.
Malfoy let out a low moan as he doubled over in obvious pain. Ginny stood for several seconds, glancing back and forth between Malfoy, still bent over, and Ron, looking at Malfoy with a smirk. In that second, she felt a rage for her brother, far worse than anything she'd ever felt before. Marching over to him, she slapped him, hard, across the face.
"That was for him," she said. "And this, this is for me." She punctuated her 'this' with a sharp jab to the nose. He hit the ground, hands clutching his nose as blood spurted out between his fingers. He opened his mouth, most likely to yell, but she beat him to it.
"You bastard!" she shouted. "Why the bloody hell did you have to punch him? He did nothing to you! This had nothing to do with him! This is between you and me and you know it! You're just pissed because I've stopped listening to you so you have no one to boss around anymore. But you know what Ron? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm sixteen. Sixteen Ron. I don't need you making my decisions for me. Who I choose to date is my business, not yours. You don't see me screwing around in your personal life, do you? No, you don't, because I don't. Why can't you do the same? Why can't you just get the fuck out of my personal like?" She glared at him, sitting on the ground, blood still pouring out of his nose, before going over to Draco and helping him up. With a last look, she and Draco walked back up to the castle, leaving Ron alone in the clearing.
Once back, Ginny insisted Draco go to the infirmary, just to be sure. She walked with him, and once there, she turned to leave. She moved all of three steps before she was stopped by his hand grabbing her wrist. Pivoting, she glanced back at him, as if to say,
"What do you want?"
"Stay," he said. Somehow, that one little word managed to set her heart fluttering all over again.
"But what if people see us?" she asked.
"Let them see," he replied, shrugging. "We have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. At least, I know I don't." She caught his unasked question, and said,
"Good. Neither do I." He smiled down at her, and she grinned back up at him, knowing things weren't going to be easy. But they would get through them. Together.
*~* La Fin *~*
A/N: Well? What do you think? Let me know if it's any good, alright?
A/N: Just so you know, this is loosely based on a Valentine's day fantasy of my own that I have...call me a hopeless romantic if you will...