An Acceptable Risk
Part 8
Ginny hesitated at the door of the library, then stiffened her shoulders and walked in. Sitting at a table in the corner was Malfoy, flanked on either side by his dimwitted cohorts Crabbe and Goyle. Ginny gave Draco a pointed look, and then shifted her glance to an empty table at the back of the room, near the restricted section. She walked over to the table and placed her books down and sat, waiting and watching to see what Malfoy would do. He whispered something to Crabbe and Goyle, and the two gathered their belongings and exited the library. Draco waited a few moments, and stood and walked across the room to join Ginny.
Victory, she thought to herself. He's coming to me, I'm sure I've hooked him. Be cool Ginny. Everything depends on convincing him you are on his side. "Hi Draco," she said smiling. I'm sorry I couldn't meet you last night, but Professor Snape kept me for hours.
"What did Snape have you doing last night?" Draco asked as he sat down in a chair next to Ginny.
"Oh, frog livers," she said shuddering delicately. "Really, I'm sure my brother will be in trouble within the next day or so, he could have saved them for him. He deserves them anyhow."
"Ginny, I must say, you've changed completely this year. I'm having a very hard time believing this is the real you," Draco said a bit suspiciously.
"You never did know me Draco, you just automatically didn't like me because I'm poor, and because of who my family is. So you can bloody well think as you like. I'm fed up with people who are forever doubting me," Ginny whispered in a fierce voice as she began to gather her books to leave.
Draco put his hand on her arm. "Relax Ginny, I'm sorry, it's just rather peculiar, you and I sitting here together talking. I mean, your family despises mine."
"And yours mine," Ginny added pertly.
"True enough," he conceded. "May I ask you a question, at the risk of having my head torn off and handed to me?" Ginny nodded her ascent, and Draco continued, "You've changed. What's happened to make you feel this way?"
"Honestly Draco, I haven't changed. I've always had these feelings inside. I'm sick of being little Ginny Weasley, the one nobody takes seriously. I hate the fact that I'm poor, and everything I own is second or third or forth hand. And I hate, with a passion, being compared and found lacking to Hermione Granger. Ever since Ron's first year at Hogwarts, all we heard about at home was Hermione this, and Hermione that. Hermione transfigured her pincushion into a hedgehog quicker than anybody else. Well, I'll tell you something. Hermione could transfigure herself into a pin cushion, and I for one wouldn't be horribly sad over the fact."
"Well you know," Draco began.
"And another thing. It just cuts me to the quick that someone like her should be so successful at everything when a pure blood like Neville has to struggle so much. If people like her weren't here, the professors would have time to give extra help to the students who need it."
Draco waited a moment to be sure that Ginny was done with her diatribe before he said, "Well, there are others who feel the same way you do Ginny. They are working to prevent such things from happening in the future."
"You're talking about Voldemort, aren't you?"
"Shhhh," Draco said looking around before nodding.
"Come on Draco, you must realize he isn't my favorite person, after what he did to me in my first year."
Draco pretended to look mystified, but Ginny wasn't buying it and told him so. "Come off it Draco, the whole school knows about it, so don't play dumb. You know exactly what he did to me, and it was because of your father.
"Alright," he said, "Don't bite my head off. "I heard about Dad slipping that book in with your school stuff. He took a risk. I mean he didn't know whose diary it was, he just knew it was enchanted and with the ministry's stupid muggle protection act, he wanted to get rid of it. It was just dumb luck, what happened."
"I don't know Draco," Ginny said thoughtfully. "I need to think about what you've said. I mean, I know how I feel, but it's still hard, going against everything your family believes in. I do know one thing though," she added, baiting her trap. "I really enjoyed talking with you tonight, and I hope we can do it again, real soon." She looked up from the piece of parchment she had been idly doodling on.
Draco's face turned a dull red and he stammered to form a reply, but before he could, Ginny gathered up her books and stood up. "I've got to run, I have a huge essay to write for History of Magic. Night Draco." She walked out of the library and glanced back to see Draco pick up the scrap of parchment she doodled G.W. + D.M. on.
Gotcha she thought to herself as she walked back to her room.