((Wuu-Huu! First new ... uhh... Update! Yeah, that's the word! ... first
new update in a looong time. It'll prolly be kind of crappy since I haven't
read the HP books in a while, but I remember most of what I was planning to
do..... because I just reread the fic. *^_^* Anyway... Onward!))((Multiple
POVs, Ehh, who cares. ONWARD!))((BTW, my spelling's improved. Yaay! w00t!))
-_-_-_-
By the time he got up the next morning, Ron had cooled down only slightly. Hermione and Harry had agreed not to share this information with Fred and George, if just for Ginny's sake. They were still thinking of a way to tell her, though. They had planned on telling her today, after she was released, and they didn't plan to bring Ron.
But they underestimated him. By the time they got to the Hospital Wing, Ron was already there. He scowled. "Thought you could leave me behind?" Harry and Hermione shifted nervously. Ron shook his head impatiently. "Nevermind. Ginny's just getting dressed now." They nodded silently and waited.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Ginny sat on the edge of her hospital bed, watching Draco sleep. She sighed.
'This might be the last time I'll see him alone, if *they* have anything to do with it' she thought bitterly, directing her malice twoards Ron, Harry, Hermione, and everyone else who were trying to keep her "safe". She scoffed at that thought. What was "safe"? Safe... she had felt safe when he was holding her, when he was.... she blushed, thinking about it. Oh, for goodness sake! She was only 15! She hastily sat up and walked twoards the door.
Before she opened it to walk out, she took a deep breath. She knew from listening in on Harry and Hermione's conversations that they planned to "tell" her today about Draco's "real feelings". Stifling a giggly, she composed herself. This would take quite a deal of acting. Making sure that Harry's 'token' was hanging in plain view, she walked out to where her brother and friends were standing.
She bit her lip. She hadn't expected for them to bring Ron along. This would be more difficult.... Harry and Hermione hadn't lived with her their whole life - Ron had. He'd be able to tell if she was faking or not... oh well. She'd just have to make it believable.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Ron shifted nervously from foot to foot. Suddenly he wasn't so full of rage..... he didn't want to break his sister's heart, but... she had to know. "Ginny..." he began. She tilted her head to one side and looked confused. "Ron? What's wrong?" He looked down. Hermione stepped forward. "Ginny, you know.... sometimes... people say things. And.." she trailed off, looking helpless. Harry cut in. "Malfoy's been lying to you. " Hermione gaped at his bluntness. She glanced at Ginny. She still looked confused.
"Lying? How so?"
"Well..." Harry continued. "We don't know what he might have been after, when he was... when he looked like he was showing interest in you. But you know Malfoy isn't... right in the head, quite.... I mean, he may have said some things, or done some things, that may have looked very goodin your eyes, but the truth is, he was just playing with you, Gin."
Ginny shook her head, looking defiant. "No. You're making it up. You're lying."
Hermione looked at Ginny with pity. "Ginny, it's true. I was there. He... he was insulting me, and he was insulting Ron, and your family, and.... he was... tormenting Harry."
Ginny looked like she was trying to pretend she didn't believe them, but hurt showed in her eyes. "No..." she said weakly. "No... I won't believe it... you're making it up..."
"Damn it, Ginny! " Ron yelled. "You know how he is! He's a Malfoy! Don't you remember all the crap he put us through? Us... our family... Harry and Hermione... he hates us all! Even you! This was probably his twisted way of getting back at me, or-or Harry! You need to realize the truth, Ginny!" He softened his voice. "He doesn't care about you... we do... I do..." Harry moved forward. "I do..." He put his arm around her shoulders.
Suddenly Ginny collapsed into Harry, and she was sobbing. "Why... why?" She slouched into Harry's chest as he rubbed his arm down ehr back and made soothing noises. She sniffled and looked up at him, fingering her necklace. "I... didn't want to believe it.... he sounded.... it felt ... so real..." she started crying again and Harry led her away.
Hermione followed after them, looking worried. Ron lingered behind, thinking about what had just happened. He hadn't thought his words would take such a drastic effect on her..... with a sigh he shrugged and hurried to catch up with Hermione and the rest.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Ginny smiled up at Harry, who wasn't looking at her. She congratulated herself in her head.
'Yes! They bought it.....'
She continued whimpering and sniffling all the way to Gryffindor House, where she said she "needed some alone time" She would have gone upstairs to write to Draco, but Parvati and some of the other girls were up there, and, seeing her red and blotched face, they all crowded around and sympathized for her. She sighed inwardly. She'd have to write it some other time.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Draco sat in the Slytherin Common Room for a long time, just staring quietly at the fre, unaware that he was making everyone else nervous. He had been released from the Hospital Wing just moment after Ginny and Harry led the Pity-Parade out of sight. He had watched and listened to it all, wondering with each moment whether she believed it or not. It sure seemed as though she took her brother's words to heart, and it's not like he *hadn't* done any of those things.
Still.... the way she had just crumbled into Potter's arms, and the smug look on his face... the way he was touching her.... he felt a sharp pain in his hand. He looked down. He had been absentmindedly digging at his palms while he thought, and he had cut himself in the skin just below the thumb. As he watched the blood sluggisly rise to the surface of the wound, he thought.
About whether Ginny would ever talk to him again.
About how much he hated Harry Potter.
About how, if he were ever to get married to Ginny, he would be forced to be nice to her hick family.
He winced at that last thought. Get married? Where had that come from? And besides.... Ginny wasn't at all like her family. Her brothers, and her father... always tinkering, and meddling, being so annoying and worthless. And that mother of hers.... but Ginny seemed different.
She had a sort of... class. A sophistication that made her rise high above the levels of her .... underpriviledged family. he snorted, then looked at his hand. He had done it again. Draco smiled ruefully. If he kept going on like this, he could get seriously hurt.
-_-_-_-
By the time he got up the next morning, Ron had cooled down only slightly. Hermione and Harry had agreed not to share this information with Fred and George, if just for Ginny's sake. They were still thinking of a way to tell her, though. They had planned on telling her today, after she was released, and they didn't plan to bring Ron.
But they underestimated him. By the time they got to the Hospital Wing, Ron was already there. He scowled. "Thought you could leave me behind?" Harry and Hermione shifted nervously. Ron shook his head impatiently. "Nevermind. Ginny's just getting dressed now." They nodded silently and waited.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Ginny sat on the edge of her hospital bed, watching Draco sleep. She sighed.
'This might be the last time I'll see him alone, if *they* have anything to do with it' she thought bitterly, directing her malice twoards Ron, Harry, Hermione, and everyone else who were trying to keep her "safe". She scoffed at that thought. What was "safe"? Safe... she had felt safe when he was holding her, when he was.... she blushed, thinking about it. Oh, for goodness sake! She was only 15! She hastily sat up and walked twoards the door.
Before she opened it to walk out, she took a deep breath. She knew from listening in on Harry and Hermione's conversations that they planned to "tell" her today about Draco's "real feelings". Stifling a giggly, she composed herself. This would take quite a deal of acting. Making sure that Harry's 'token' was hanging in plain view, she walked out to where her brother and friends were standing.
She bit her lip. She hadn't expected for them to bring Ron along. This would be more difficult.... Harry and Hermione hadn't lived with her their whole life - Ron had. He'd be able to tell if she was faking or not... oh well. She'd just have to make it believable.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Ron shifted nervously from foot to foot. Suddenly he wasn't so full of rage..... he didn't want to break his sister's heart, but... she had to know. "Ginny..." he began. She tilted her head to one side and looked confused. "Ron? What's wrong?" He looked down. Hermione stepped forward. "Ginny, you know.... sometimes... people say things. And.." she trailed off, looking helpless. Harry cut in. "Malfoy's been lying to you. " Hermione gaped at his bluntness. She glanced at Ginny. She still looked confused.
"Lying? How so?"
"Well..." Harry continued. "We don't know what he might have been after, when he was... when he looked like he was showing interest in you. But you know Malfoy isn't... right in the head, quite.... I mean, he may have said some things, or done some things, that may have looked very goodin your eyes, but the truth is, he was just playing with you, Gin."
Ginny shook her head, looking defiant. "No. You're making it up. You're lying."
Hermione looked at Ginny with pity. "Ginny, it's true. I was there. He... he was insulting me, and he was insulting Ron, and your family, and.... he was... tormenting Harry."
Ginny looked like she was trying to pretend she didn't believe them, but hurt showed in her eyes. "No..." she said weakly. "No... I won't believe it... you're making it up..."
"Damn it, Ginny! " Ron yelled. "You know how he is! He's a Malfoy! Don't you remember all the crap he put us through? Us... our family... Harry and Hermione... he hates us all! Even you! This was probably his twisted way of getting back at me, or-or Harry! You need to realize the truth, Ginny!" He softened his voice. "He doesn't care about you... we do... I do..." Harry moved forward. "I do..." He put his arm around her shoulders.
Suddenly Ginny collapsed into Harry, and she was sobbing. "Why... why?" She slouched into Harry's chest as he rubbed his arm down ehr back and made soothing noises. She sniffled and looked up at him, fingering her necklace. "I... didn't want to believe it.... he sounded.... it felt ... so real..." she started crying again and Harry led her away.
Hermione followed after them, looking worried. Ron lingered behind, thinking about what had just happened. He hadn't thought his words would take such a drastic effect on her..... with a sigh he shrugged and hurried to catch up with Hermione and the rest.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Ginny smiled up at Harry, who wasn't looking at her. She congratulated herself in her head.
'Yes! They bought it.....'
She continued whimpering and sniffling all the way to Gryffindor House, where she said she "needed some alone time" She would have gone upstairs to write to Draco, but Parvati and some of the other girls were up there, and, seeing her red and blotched face, they all crowded around and sympathized for her. She sighed inwardly. She'd have to write it some other time.
*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*
Draco sat in the Slytherin Common Room for a long time, just staring quietly at the fre, unaware that he was making everyone else nervous. He had been released from the Hospital Wing just moment after Ginny and Harry led the Pity-Parade out of sight. He had watched and listened to it all, wondering with each moment whether she believed it or not. It sure seemed as though she took her brother's words to heart, and it's not like he *hadn't* done any of those things.
Still.... the way she had just crumbled into Potter's arms, and the smug look on his face... the way he was touching her.... he felt a sharp pain in his hand. He looked down. He had been absentmindedly digging at his palms while he thought, and he had cut himself in the skin just below the thumb. As he watched the blood sluggisly rise to the surface of the wound, he thought.
About whether Ginny would ever talk to him again.
About how much he hated Harry Potter.
About how, if he were ever to get married to Ginny, he would be forced to be nice to her hick family.
He winced at that last thought. Get married? Where had that come from? And besides.... Ginny wasn't at all like her family. Her brothers, and her father... always tinkering, and meddling, being so annoying and worthless. And that mother of hers.... but Ginny seemed different.
She had a sort of... class. A sophistication that made her rise high above the levels of her .... underpriviledged family. he snorted, then looked at his hand. He had done it again. Draco smiled ruefully. If he kept going on like this, he could get seriously hurt.