Swinging Into Your Arms
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or any other related materials in Harry Potter. If I did, do you think I'd be writing a FANfic? The song "You Set Me Free" belongs to Michelle Branch.
Author's Note: I was kind of inspired when I went to this park and started swinging on the swings. Yeah, I get weird inspiration. This is a short one-shot D/G. Hey, be thankful it's not angsty this time. It's quite fluffy, actually. ::eye twitches:: Not…used….to…writing…fluff….
Dedicated to Anna, my almost twin—D/G fanatics unite!
It was nearly 6 o'clock in the evening, and the sunlight was slowly fading away. However, even with the sky darkening, the children continued to play. Their parents stood aside chatting amongst themselves, looking up every now and then to check on their child. Laughter and shouts of joy filled the increasingly chilly air. As the light breeze blew through the playground, some sand was picked up. This made the children scream with delight. After a while, a few parents called their children back because it was getting dark and cold.
An auburn haired girl, about 16 years of age, sat on a swing just at the corner of the playground. Her legs moved back and forth, but her feet and the rest of her remained on the ground level. She traced her fingers on the chain of the swing, quietly whispering something that could not be understood by the Muggle ear.
She wasn't performing a spell; no, it was summer, and she wasn't allowed to do it yet. If she did, it would be breaking the law of Underage Wizardry. Instead, Ginny was reciting the ingredients to a very complex potion. A sigh escaped from her lips because she could not fathom how she was even going to pass Potions this year at Hogwarts.
The breeze grew a bit stronger and the clouds started forming in the sky above her. Slowly, she backed up her swing and lifted her feet. As her legs pushed back and forth, the swing lifted her higher, higher, and higher.
Suddenly, she heard a small pop. Someone had apparated next to her.
"Alright, Mum, I'll be home in a second…" Ginny said, slowing down the swing, not looking at who it was.
"Mum? That would be very odd if I was your mum, Weasley." came a cold drawl.
Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed angrily. Quickly, she turned her head and saw Draco Malfoy had apparated there.
"What are you doing here? You do realize this is a Muggle park, right?" Ginny said, glaring at him.
"That's none of your business."snapped Malfoy. "And aren't you a bit old to be playing in these Muggle playgrounds?"
"No." came Ginny's reply.
The blonde smirked. His eyes cast a cold feeling towards Ginny, which made her shudder inwardly. He sat on the swing next to her and continued staring at her with the same smirk. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him and started swinging again.
A few parents who were still standing by the playground started chatting quietly and glancing at Malfoy and Ginny. A few laughs could be heard, and Ginny caught the phrase, "…young lovers…"
Ginny frowned in disgust and stopped the swing. She looked over at Malfoy, who was moving back and forth idly. For a while, he continued to do that, staring blankly at the sand. Then, he saw from the corner of his eye that Ginny was staring at him.
He sighed mockingly and said, "Must you stare?"
Ginny blushed and said, "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"
"I'll answer that if you tell me what you're doing here."
"No reason in particular. I just come here to get my mind off things, or to be alone." Ginny answered, shrugging.
"I had nowhere else to go."was Draco's answer.
Ginny looked puzzled. How could he have nowhere else to go? He was a Malfoy, wasn't he?
Deciding that it was, indeed, none of her business, she did not ask why. The sky was completely dark now, and the remaining children ran back to their parents. Lights that were placed around the playground turned on. The breeze picked up a couple grains of sand and dropped them back down. It was, now, silent except for the soft squeaking coming from both swings.
The two sat in silence, moving back and forth on the swing. Ginny shifted uncomfortably on the swing seat, and inhaled shakily.
"Er…so how's your summer?" Ginny said, in attempt to start a civilized conversation.
"Shit. How about yours, Weasley? Did your family make some money yet?" Draco said, coldly.
Ginny glared at him and said harshly, "Last time I checked, it was your family who was running out of money, so I wouldn't be saying anything right now. And to answer your question, yes my family has been making money, since your father has been sent to Azkaban!"
Draco got up from the swing and violently grabbed both chains on Ginny's swing.
"Don't you ever talk about my father in Azkaban, you piece of filth!"he snarled.
"Get out of my face, Malfoy." Ginny hissed.
Draco let go of the swing and sat back down on his own.
"Just get lost, Weasley." Draco said, quietly.
Ginny looked at him and saw that he wasn't the same Malfoy as the one back in Hogwarts. He was defeated and broken, with nowhere to go. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was in Azkaban prison and the whole Malfoy family was losing money. She never thought she'd admit this, but she actually felt bad for him.
Ginny sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to say that."
"Whatever." Draco said.
"No, really." Ginny persisted. "I'm really sorry."
A silence devoured them again. Ginny could have easily left him there, but for some strange reason, she did not want to leave him alone. She felt like she needed to comfort him, enemy or not.
In a desperate attempt to lighten the mood, she said, "Want to see who can go the highest?"
Draco looked at her, puzzled, and said, "What?"
Ginny smiled and said, "On the swings. Do you want to?"
"Er…no, not real-"
But Ginny was already off the ground, and she called, "Are you really going to let a Weasley beat you, Malfoy?"
Draco laughed and shook his head. "Malfoys always win."
With that, he started swinging until they were almost at the same height. Ginny laughed as she tried to get her swing higher than Malfoys, but she failed.
"Who do you think is higher?" Ginny called.
"I am, of course."
She laughed and jokingly said, "That's not fair. You used magic!"
"How did you know?" Draco said mocking a surprised tone.
Suddenly, Ginny said that she was unusually high. She looked back and saw Draco, smirking, while putting his wand away. Ginny screamed both with delight and fright. Their swings were now in the same height.
"This is very high!" screamed Ginny, both scared and amused.
"We should jump off." Draco said, smirking.
"NO! Are you mad?!" Ginny screamed, very scared now.
Both swings started slowing down, and both were out of breath from laughing and screaming. Ginny had never seen Draco laugh before, and to be honest, she was quite happy being with him right now. As the swings got lower, Draco leaned over from his swing and touched Ginny's hand, which was firmly grasped on the chain. Ginny looked at him and saw that he was looking at her. Ginny blushed and smiled, shyly.
The swings were synchronized, and abnormally close to each other. Draco leaned over more and was an inch from Ginny's face. Ginny leaned into his face, closed her eyes, and kissed him gently on the lips. They remained like that, while rocking back and forth on the swing. Draco's hand touched her face and traveled to her hair. Their kiss grew deeper as the swings came to a complete stop. Ginny got off her swing and sat on Draco's lap. The kiss lasted for what seemed like hours until they broke apart.
"I don't know why I just did that…" Ginny said, quietly and out of breath.
"Me neither." Draco said and laughed nervously.
For a while, they sat there talking about random things. Then, they both heard a small pop from a distance. Ginny turned her head and saw her mother in a distance, walking towards the playground.
"Oh, no…" Ginny breathed.
"What is it?" Draco asked.
Before Ginny could answer, Mrs. Weasley screamed, "GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT IN A PARK, SITTING ON A BOY'S LAP!"
Ginny cringed as her mother shouted those words. Slowly, she stood up from Draco's lap and turned around. Her mother was close now, and Ginny did not want her to see Draco.
"I've better go, Draco." Ginny whispered, quickly. "She'll have a fit if she sees it's you. No offense, but you know how it is with your family and mine. And, not to mention, if my brothers find out they might—"
"It's okay, Ginny." Draco reassured.
"WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER HEARS ABOUT THIS!" bellowed Mrs. Weasley.
Sadly, she looked at Draco and whispered, "Bye."
She turned to go, but Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. Draco gave her a quick kiss and whispered earnestly, "Tomorrow? Here at 7?"
Ginny smiled and said, "We could have another contest…"
Draco smirked and disapparated, just before Mrs. Weasley came into clear view. She looked angry and out of breath, which made Ginny wipe the dreamy smile off her face.
"Sorry, Mum," she said, brightly, "I guess I lost track of time..."
When I was alone
You came around
When I was down
You pulled me through
And there's nothing that
I wouldn't do for you
'Cause I wanted to fly,
so you gave me your wings
And time held its breath so I could see, yeah
And you set me free
..:Michelle Branch:..