Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.
A/N: Hello everyone! I am rather pleased with the response I got after I had posted the first chapter of this story. Believe me the second chapter is even better, at least in my opinion. Thank you for you reviews, more are always welcomed.
Chapter 2
It's Kind Of Like That "Why Would I Chase, Your Shadow All My Life, And Be Afriad, Of My Own, I'd Rather Be With You, I'd Rather Not Know, Where I'll Be, Than Be Alone, And Convinced That I Know, When The World Keeps Spinning Round, My World's Upside Down, You And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, I've Got Nothing Else, To Lose, I Lost It All, When I Found You, And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, No, You And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, Everything I Know, Has Let Me Down, So I Will Just Let Go, Let You Turn Me, Inside Out, Cause I Know, I'm Not Sure, About Anything, But You Wouldn't Want It, Any Other Way, When The World Keeps Spinning Round, My World's Upside Down, You And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, I've Got Nothing Else, To Lose, I Lost It All, When I Found You, And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, Spinning, Turning, Watching, Burning, All My Life, Has Found Its Meaning, Walking, Crawling, Climbing Falling, All My Life, Has Found It's Meaning, You And I Wouldn't Chance, A Thing, No, You And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, When The World Keeps Spinning Round, My World's Upside Down, You And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, I've Got Nothing Left, To Lose, I Lost It All, When I Found You, And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, No, You And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing, No, You And I Wouldn't Change, A Thing."
Lifehouse - "Spin"
Ginny stuck Draco's card on her fridge with her favorite calico kitten magnet. She stared at it for a long time, wondering what in the world had come over Draco Malfoy. He was way to attached to Ginny for her liking.
He had been into the Cherry almost everyday the past two weeks and it was driving Ginny up a wall. It wasn't exactly Draco being there that tweaked Ginny, it was the fact that most of the waitresses went to peices in front of him.
She had had to bus six tables by herself because Emica had a meltdown, because her mother broke her leg and they were hard up for cash to begin with. Ginny had given Emica all her tips from that night.
Ginny sighed and collapsed onto a worn green sofa. "Draco Malfoy" her mind screamed for some odd reason. Ginny glared into space and tried to think of something else.
But no matter what she did she just couldn't. Draco's silver eyes were fixed in her mind and she had no idea how to get rid of them. So Ginny picked up the lilac colored phone and dailed his number.
Draco was laying about in his boxers. He was actaully at Faith's house, but she was out and invited him to stay until something happened with Pansy. He was thinking of Ginny. She had filled his thoughts constantly since the day he saw her again.
Just then his cell phone which was laying on the coffee table rang. He jumped up to get it, but tripped over the coffee table and went sprawling to the white carpet. He picked himself up and grabbed the phone.
"Hello," he said briskly as static filled his eardrums.
"Hi, Draco. This is Ginny," came the reply and Draco sucked in his breath.
"Oh how are you," he rasped and he could hear a slight giggle from the other line.
"I am pretty good and yourself," Ginny asked.
"I'm doing okay," Draco said getting back his smooth drawl.
"Well that's wonderful! I was wondering if you wanted to come and see a movie with my tonight," Ginny said in a breathy tone.
"Sure what did you have in mind," Draco asked, not believing in his good luck.
"Well I don't know, how about the Matrix Revolutions," Ginny said as she scanned the newspaper that she had spread out on the floor.
"Okay. What time does that start," He asked feeling kind of stupid.
"Seven fifteen or nine forty-five. Which is better for you," Ginny said sweetly.
"The earlier show. Don't want you out to late, what with you working tomorrow," Draco said before he smacked himself in the forehead for being such a dolt.
"Well it's nice to know you have my work schedule memorized," Ginny said teasingly.
"It's only because I like to take an interest into people," Draco gulped, turning red.
"Really? That's nice. I hope I'm the only one you've been taken with though, or is there someone I should know about," Ginny said laughingly.
"Actually there is. See I met this most charming creature down at the corner of 5th and Broadway and she's taken quite a liking to me," Draco said smirking at his own witt.
"Well is she litter trained. Ahhh, but let's stop joking around and figure out our plans," Ginny said getting down to bussiness, again.
"Well I guess I'll pick you up at six, that way we can go out for dinner and a drink and then see the movie," Draco stated sounding thuroughly to pleased with himself.
"Sounds good to me. Bundle up, the theater people believe in air- conditioning," Ginny said warningly, in a joking manner, although she was entirely serious.
"Will do. But I don't see us freezing to death. I'll warm you up," Draco said and Ginny could almost feel his smirk through the phone.
"I'm sure you will. But I better go, must get ready you know. See you at the movies you, over-grown tosser," Ginny said and hung up.
Draco put the phone back on the table and went to take a shower.
It was while Draco was taking a shower that Faith got home. She called something to him, that he couldn't hear over the sound of rushing water. He ignored her and finished washing himself.
He got out and dried himself with a blood red towel, that he sniffed at as though he thought it might be unclean. He left the bathroom, after checking his reflection one last time.
Outside Faith was standing in the hallway. She nodded to his towel and blushed. They maybe be friends, but one didn't want to be tempted.
"Nice look for you," Faith said laughingly and Draco smirked.
"When did you become fond of this color," Draco said holding out the edge of his towel and glaring at it.
"I always was, just never brought it up," Faith said rolling her eyes.
"Alright. Faith I won't be home till late tonight. I have a date," Draco said all this as though it really bored him to talk to Faith.
"You don't have to tell me everywhere you go. I am not your nanny. And don't you think it's a bit early to be putting yourself back on the market? You and Pansy are still married after all," Faith said cautiously and looked very skeptical at the thought that Draco knew what he was doing.
"Okay, just thought you'd like to know where I'll be. It's alright Faith I can take care of myself," Draco said hugging her with the arm that wasn't holding up the towel.
Faith nodded solemly and threw up her hands in surrender. Draco smiled and went to get dressed.
"This is cute," Ginny said softly as she looked at the little bar she and Draco were about to go into.
"Oh it's cozy enough," Draco said holding the door open for her.
Ginny blushed with pleasure and walked in.
The place was deffinately cozy, just as Draco had said. There were red and off-white bean-bag chairs towards one end and couches and comfy looking chairs towards the other.
The counter was a long strip of light oak and it gleamed softly in the light of a hundred candles. The bartender was a a poised older woman with dark black hair and a stud through her nose.
Draco led Ginny over to a love-seat that was pea-green. There was a candlabra filled with gold candles and as Ginny took a deep breath she caught a hint of lilac scent.
The whole atmosphere was warm and inviting. Ginny smiled nervously as Draco put his coat on a chair and stood back up.
"What would you like to drink," Draco asked.
"Draco, I'm only nineteen," Ginny stuttered, "All I want is a nice glass of water."
"Alright," Draco said and he sauntered over to the bar.
Saunter was a good word for the way he strode with his shoulders thrown back and his head held high. Confidence exsuded in his every step. Ginny noticed that she wasn't the only one who stared at him as he made his way to the bar.
A girl with ash blonde hair and dark almond eyes watched his every move with hawk eyes and an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair watched Draco with a feverous gleam to his steely eyes.
Ginny winced as the old man smacked his lips together in a wanton way. Draco was flirting with the barmaid. Ginny could tell it in the way his whole body was relaxed and the woman's hands fluttered needlessly over her skirt and apron.
Ginny didn't feel even a flurry of jealousy, she knew Draco could charm the warts off a toad. When Draco got back with their drinks he had a smoothie like drink for himself with a large cherry on top.
"Knock the socks off the barmaid?" Ginny asked her eyebrows raised in a look of mock irritation.
"Of course, how else do you think I got this cherry," Draco said childishly and he set down Ginny's glass of sparkling water.
"That has alcohol in it doesn't it," Ginny said suspiciously as Draco took a long swig of the bubbling red concoction.
"Nope, do you want a sip," Draco said extending the handle of his mug to her.
"No thank you," Ginny said primly and she sipped at her water.
"I feel like someone's staring at me," Draco said suddenly craning his neck around and looking at the other customers as if they were the culprits.
"Well, that man over there keeps looking at you in a quite flattering way and that girl over there finds you interesting also," Ginny whispered nodding her head ever so slightly towards both people in turn.
"Ugh, a man is checking me out? I know I have angelic good looks, but really that is taking it too far," Draco said disgustedly as he caught the eye of the older gentleman, who winked and grinned at Draco.
"People wouldn't stare at you so much if you you didn't prance around wiggling your butt," Ginny said rakishly and Draco glared at her.
"I do not prance," he said crossing his arms and glowering at Ginny.
"You do too," Ginny said and she even got up to demonstrate.
"I do not," Draco said poutingly and he turned away from Ginny.
"Fine, you don't prance, but you have this very flamboyant walk," Ginny said and Draco whirled around to face her again. His face was bright red with embarrasment.
"Flamboyant? So now I'm gay, just because I have an exagerated walk? Take that back, Ginny," Draco nearly shouted in rage and Ginny shook her head.
"Fine, I take it back. I'm sorry, Draco. You're not gay, you're just noticable is all. Please look at me," Ginny cooed and Draco slowly turned his eyes on her.
"Your forgiven," he drawled and then taking his mug in both hands, tipped it up and guzzled it down.
But when the blonde girl walked over to his table he nearly spit all of the smoothie out across the table. It was Pansy and on her arm was the smarmiest git alive, Blaise Zambini.
"Didn't take you long to find someone new," Pansy snipped glaring at Ginny.
"You're one to talk. You cheated on me with this loser," Draco hissed and Pansy rolled her eyes.
"I just wanted to tell you that we sent Rufus to the pound. I never liked that nasty dog, so when you left, I got rid of him," Pansy said briskly and she and Blaise exited the pub.
"That... that... floozie!" Draco said scathingly and Ginny patted his shoulder.
"Who is Rufus?" she asked her eyes kind.
"He's a dog I've had almost my entire life. He's like my best friend," Draco said choking slightly on his own words.
Ginny was going to say something to comfort Draco, but the barmaid walked by just then and Draco ordered himself a strong shot of vodka. This was soon followed by another and another, until Draco was tottering uneasily on his chair.
Ginny helped him walk out of there the best she could, but she didn't think he was in any shape to go to a movie. Instead she pulled out his wallet, which just happened to have Faith's address written on the inside.
Ginny got Draco into a cab, where he sulked against the window, going back and forth between being deeply depressed and quiet, to loud and vagrant. Finally after about a ten minute car ride they arrived at Faith's house.
The lights were all out and Ginny guessed that Faith wasn't home. She fished through Draco's pocket's for the house key, as he sagged against her shoulder.
She proceeded to half-drag, half-push Draco towards the front door. Once she had gotten him there he regained a bit of his mind and grabbed onto her arm to steady himself as he shook uncontrolabley.
This is about when Faith and her boyfriend pulled up into the drive, because in the next second Ginny was blinded by headlights and knocked over by Draco.
They fell heavily into the grass, and Ginny gasped for air as Draco lay heavily ontop of her. Faith came into the yard and ran towards the two. She and her boyfriend managed to pull Draco off of Ginny and get him standing on his own two feet.
Ginny put a hand to her ribs and tried to breathe deeply. It hurt a bit, and no matter what she did her breathing came out in ragged gasps. Faith took Ginny's arm and led her inside.
Faith's boyfriend followed with Draco. Draco slumped onto the couch and was fast asleep by the time Ginny could breath a bit better. Faith went into the kitchen to get her a glass of water.
Ginny sat heavily beside Draco. She took his head in her lap and look tiredly into his innocent face. Ha! It was almost funny to think that Draco could be innocent at all. She stroked his hair subconciously as she heard Faith fumbling around in the next room.
Faith came out bearing Ginny's water and put it unceromoniously on the coffee table at Ginny's feet. She looked kindly at Ginny when she say how sweetly the red-head was petting her Draco.
"What happened," Faith asked her brow knitting for a moment when Draco gave a momentary shudder.
"We ran into Pansy. She said that she had Draco's dog sent to the pound. She was with another man, he was tall with dark hair and an annoyingly smug face," Ginny explained.
"Oh, it's must have been Blaise Zambini. He's quite a tosser. No wonder Pansy shacked up with him. I can't believe the wench! First: she breaks dear Draco's heart and then she gets rid of his most prized possesion. I would love to just beat her face in," Faith said making violently demonsttrations with her hands.
"Me too! I'd of never thought she would have such an effect on Draco! I mean, he's always the cool collected one," Ginny said her voice trembling slightly with emotion.
"Yes, well Pansy Parkinson never was a very kind girl. I tried to warn Draco, but when he sets his mind to have something, he will get it, or everyone else will pay. Besides, Draco, cool and collected? Why do you think he has such a problem with Harry Potter? He gets under his skin and Draco has no control over his temper at times," Faith whispered as if telling a deep dark secret.
"Yes, I did notice that. But it was more him that bothered Harry, at least that's what I thought. I remember Hermione Granger telling me about slapping Draco. She said that it had been wonderfully satisfying and she had felt terrible for derriving such pleasure from violence," Ginny rambled.
"Draco, going to be out for a while, and it's awfully late to call you a cab. Why don't you stay in the guest room upstairs. I just put clean sheets on the bed," Faith offered.
Ginny smiled and looked down at Draco who now had a contented little half- smile on his face.
"Oh thank you so much, Faith!" Ginny said and she lifted Draco's head off her lap and stood up.
"No thank you for making sure Draco made it home," Faith said getting up also and heading up the stairs to where her lover was waiting.
Ginny looked one last time at Draco. If she looked closely enough she could see the dark circles under his eyes and knew he was under heavy strain. She kissed his forehead and bringing a blanket to rest right under his chin, Ginny turned and went off to bed.
It was maybe four in the morning and Ginny couldn't get back to sleep. She felt wide awake, although she had only went to bed a few hours before. She lay there staring up at the ceiling and thinking nothing until another half hour later, she summoned the energy to get up.
Ginny walked slowly down the hallway, intent on just making it down the stairs and gettinf herself a glass of water. She nearly tripped herself once, but caught herself before she tumbled noisily down the steps.
When she made it to the kitchen, Draco was standing near the sink, glass in hand, but he didn't look as though he knew what he was doing. Ginny came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
Draco jumped and spun on his heel to face her. His eyes were heavy with sleep and he looked totally drained from his night with the bottle. Ginny determined he must just be in his hang-over stage.
"How are you feeling," Ginny asked and Draco grinned slowly.
"Awful! I always was a lousy drunk," Draco said sheepishly as he set the clean and unused glass on the counter.
"You weren't bad, I've seen worse," Ginny said helpfully.
"I just don't know what to do about Pansy," Draco said sadly staring at the glass he hadn't filled yet.
"I don't know either," Ginny said and she grabbed Draco's arm.
"I'm sorry you had such a horrible time. First you get to see me get into a confrontation with my not-yet-divorced-wife and then you get to drag my drunk arse home," Draco said turning red.
"It alright we all have embarrasing moments and we all hit a low sometime," Ginny said comfortingly.
"Yeah, I really doubt this ever happened to you," Draco said bitterly.
"Well, no not this exactly," Ginny blushed as she remember something that had happened to her.
"Well I've done many things that horrible in the presence of someone I was infactuated with when I was younger," Ginny said.
"Potter," Draco muttered and Ginny's ears turned pink.
"Yes, you've been witness to some of them," Ginny said and Draco nodded.
"Alright so you embarrased yourself in front of the whole school many times, I hardly think that counts as a horrible disaster like my life," Draco said morosely.
"I was just trying to make you feel better," Ginny said shrugging.
"I'm sorry. Liquor, no sleep and depression make me this way," Draco said watching Ginny out of the corner of his eye.
"It's alright," Ginny said moving to stand beside Draco.
"You know I always loved your red hair," Draco said gazing at Ginny apprecatively.
"Thank you," Ginny said softly as Draco leaned over and put his face into her long auburn curls.
"Mmmm this is nice," Draco said as he hugged onto Ginny.
Ginny didn't know what to make of the situation. Draco was obviously still a bit tipsy, but he was so cute and loveable at the moment. What was a girl to do?
Ginny ended up not taking advantage of Draco. Although he tried to take advantage of her. She made him lay back down and go to sleep and resisted the urge to lay down beside him.
She made her exhausted way back up to bed and fell heavily into sleep.
The next morning Ginny awoke to the fresh smell of coffee roasting and biscuits baking. She got out of bed and walked down to the kitchen. The man who had been with Faith earlier was standing in front of the stove, flipping pancakes.
He looked up when the floorboard beneath Ginny's foot creaked and smiled warmly.
"I didn't think anyone was going to come and eat all this," he said loudly and Ginny heard a groan from the living room.
"Well thank you for making breakfast," Ginny said cheerfully.
"My pleasure. By the way, my name is Rob Shaw," he said as he flipped a nicely cooked pancake onto a plate.
"Ginny Weasley," Ginny said slowly.
"So how'd you come to be friends with Draco," Rob said not paying much attention to the way Ginny was looking guiltily towards the living room.
"I went to school with him, then we met again at the resteraunt I work at," Ginny said and Rob looked at her his eyes narrowed in concentration.
"You look familiar come to think of it," Rob said his eyebrows knitted as he stared off in deep thought.
"I was a Gryffindore, one year younger than Draco," Ginny said cautiously for she knew her brother's hadn't exactly made friends of the people from the three other houses and for some reason people took it out on her.
"Ohhh," Was all Rob said, but his lip curled slightly and he clammed up, not saying a word as Ginny said thank you once more and left the kitchen.
Ginny didn't know what had happend with Rob, but she presummed he must have been in Slytherin and couldn't tolerate Gryffindore's much like Draco had always been.
When Ginny entered the living room Draco was just trying to sit up. Since the room had many wide windows sunlight was streaming in and Draco had a hand over his eyes.
"It's all to bright," he moaned when Ginny sat by him on the couch.
"Not having a hangover would help," Ginny said playfully and Draco raised his hand just for a moment to glare at her.
"She's mean to me, why won't she go and let me wallow in self-loathing? Ahh my head," Draco said reproachfully.
Ginny laughed. "Because that wouldn't be any fun."
"I need a shower," Draco said and he pushed himself off the couch and stood up.
He almost toppled over onto the coffee table, but Ginny wrapped her arms around his slim waist and pulled him back.
"I think you may need a bit of help. You're weaving like a sailor," Ginny said and Draco grimaced.
"I can do it," he said strangely and he pushed her hands away.
He had only taken one step, when his leg gave out and he crumpled to the floor.
"Really I can do it," Draco said snidely as Ginny tried to help him up.
"Fine," Ginny said throwing her arms up in frustration.
Draco smirked at her then his face turned a bit green and he grabbed onto Ginny as he almost fell for the third time. Ginny laughed and finally Draco let her lead him up the stairs and into the bathroom.
"Sure you can stand up," Ginny asked patiently and Draco opened his mouth to say something rude, but instead fell to his knees and crawled to the toliet.
Ginny winced at the sound of him hurling up everything he had drank and eaten the night before. He stood back up wiping his mouth on his hand.
Ginny grabbed a wash cloth and held it to his lip. He looked grateful for a moment then he put a cool look back on his face.
"Go out, I have to get undressed," Draco said weakly when he had meant to sound in control.
"Alright, but be careful," Ginny said and she shut the door firmly behind herself.
Draco took forever getting undressed, as he had to hold onto the sink so he wouldn't fall over. When he had finished he wrapped a towel around himself and by holding onto things he made it to the shower.
Before Draco turned on the hot water, he could hear Ginny's soft breathing from the other side of the door, he realized she was making sure he didn't hurt himself, and for some reason it made his head buzz with feeling.
As if his head wasn't buzzing already, but this was different. For a moment Draco thought about this and decided that Ginny would make a good mother, then his headache gave a particularily painful jolt and hand slid off the towel rack he had rested it on and his shoulder hit the wall painfully. Draco straightened up and groaned.
Ginny was through the door in a flash and Draco saw red creep slowly up her neck as she stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. Draco had thought the door had been locked, but apperantly not. He just looked slightly shocked as Ginny glared at him.
"I thought you had fallen down and hit your head," Ginny said blinking and moving her eyes away from his lower half which was only clad in a soft white towel.
"I'm not dead yet," Draco said snootily and Ginny hurrumphed and went out.
Even though she wasn't happy with him Draco could almost feel her presence still outside his door. So she still cared. How touching. He turned and twisted the knob for hot water.
Discarding the towel he lurched into the shower, the muscles in his legs twitching oddly. Everything was going rather well until Draco was conditioning his hair and both his legs seized up.
His last thought before his head hit the side of the bathtub was; 'I hope I'm missed."
Ginny jumped when she heard the loud thump, but then she glared at the door.
"Draco, stop playing games," she called through the door.
There was no response, but she hadn't really expected one. But the sound of the water hitting nothing but the floor of the bathtub made her heart crash. If Draco was still in the shower then why wasn't the water hitting him then the floor?
She listened intently, hoping to hear the pop of shampoo or conditioner being closed. She heard nothing, but the water still rushing right into the drain. Ginny panicked.
She swung open the door, almost wishing she'd find a peturbed Draco getting dressed. But instead she saw blood dripping down the side of the bathtub and Draco was laying on his side, halfway out of the shower.
Ginny screamed and ran to Draco, carefully she felt his head and found the gash. Her hand came away streaked with blood and she felt her veins turning to ice.
Ginny shook herself back into awareness and half pulled, half pushed, Draco's naked body out of the tub. She laid him out on the floor, and place a towel gently on him to cover him up.
At that moment Faith came barreling into the bathroom, her eyes wide and unbelieving when she saw all the blood and an unconcious Draco laying on the floor.
"What happened," Faith gasped.
"He hit his head on the edge of the bathtub," Ginny said calmly, as she used the wash clothe she had picked up earlier, to clean the wound near Draco's left eyebrow.
"Do you have any large gauze pads for wounds and some medical tape," Ginny asked as Faith spastically stroked Draco's arm.
"Umm maybe," Faith said in an unsure voice.
"Could you look for them," Ginny asked pleadingly. Faith nodded and went in search of what Ginny had asked for.
Draco didn't stir as Ginny calmly petted his forehead. She didn't think he was seriously hurt. Most likely just a concusion, but the sight of him hanging over the edge of a bathtub with blood dripping down, had made Ginny feel shocked at how much she had cared if Draco ever opened his eyes again.
It really sobered her. This wasn't some casual fling she was having, she cared for Draco, even if he didn't want to have anything to do with her, she would have wanted to know he'd be alright.
Ginny sighed. Stupid boys, they always got you into trouble. There had been Harry, and Micheal, and Dean and then a few random guys who hadn't mattered. Ginny had always been the one to break it off, well almost always, Harry and her had come to mutual conclusion that they didn't work as a couple.
But Ginny was starting to wonder if she was ever going to settle down and have a family, or if she'd be forever doomed to men who just weren't right. It deffinately didn't make her happy to think all this.
Faith was taking an awfully long time to find those gauze pads. Ginny looked down at Draco and found that his eyes had flown open.
She leaned over to look closer at them, but Draco had other ideas. He grabbed the back of Ginny's head and brought her lips to his.