Chapter 5

Kissing You

Pride can stand a thousand trials
The strong will never fall
But watching stars without you,
My soul cried. Heaving heart is full of pain,
Oh, oh, the aching.

'Cos I'm kissing you, oh.
I'm kissing, oh.

Touch me deep, pure and true
Gift to me forever.
'Cos I'm kissing you, oh
I'm kissing you.

Where are you now? Where are you now?
'Cos I'm kissing you
I'm kissing you, oh, oh!

It was the day before Saint Valentines when Ginny slipped down the stairs a few minutes before two a.m. Her Gryffindor red shawl was pulled tight over her shoulders to ward away the February chill. She had on warm plaid pyjama pants, three sizes too big as they used to be a pair of Bill's, but only a thin long sleeved white t-shirt on top. She couldn't quite bring herself to put on a sweater, she knew it would be practical but she rather liked the effect of the thin t-shirt. Or rather, how it would affect Draco. Ginny stifled a giggle.

She was halfway to the portrait when a throat cleared behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ginny tensed, swearing under her breath before she turned to face her youngest brother, where he had been slightly hidden in the large arm chair before the fire. "Out."

Ron leaned back to look her in the eye, and Ginny's heart sank as she saw the glass of firewhiskey in his hand. "Don't play games with me, Gin. Where are you going at two in the morning?"

She stepped towards him. "What are you doing up, Ron?"

He looked moodily into his glass, scowling. Ginny took another step.

"Ron."

"Justin and I are through."

"Oh Ron," she sat upon the arm of the chair and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I told myself I knew what I was doing, that I could just let it be a fling and not let him hurt me again." Ron leaned his head against the plush rest. "I screwed up, again."

"Justin's a prat," Ginny soothed.

"Yeah, but I still want him." Ron took a long drink of his whiskey, then cracked an eye open at her. "But I'm not letting you distract me, missy. Where were you going?"

Ginny looked down at the carpet, tracing a pattern with her slippered foot. "The infirmary."

His eyes, their deep brown colour so like her own, narrowed. "What's so important in the infirmary that can't wait until morning?"

"He's lonely, Ron..." she began but was cut off as he swore.

"You're sneaking out at night to see Malfoy? Merlin, Gin, when you go bad - you go all the way, don't you?" Ron shook his head at her.

"He's not his father, Ron and you've been prejudiced against him for five years now..." she tried to plead Draco's case but Ron just gave her a deeper scowl.

"So now it's my fault that he's been a git to us since the first day?"

Ginny looked down. "By 'us', I assume you're referring to you, Harry and Hermione." At his silence, she continued. "I'm not really a part of your little group, Ron. You can't expect me to agree with you on everything. And yes, Draco was a git when he was younger, but you can't fault him from being a product of his home."

"So you're admitting he's exactly like his father."

Ginny bit her lip, holding back an outburst that would spark a fight with her already maudlin brother. "No, I'm saying that he was under his father's influence and now he is not. He's becoming his own person, Ron."

Ron gave her a wary look. "A person you like?"

Ginny blushed delicately. "A person I more than like."

Ron opened his mouth, then closed it. Opened it again, pursed his lips and took a long drink of the whiskey.

A silence fell over the siblings as he looked into the fire and she watched him warily.

Finally. "I want you to be careful, Ginny. I don't like it - but I have a feeling I don't have much choice in this."

"Nope," she shrugged and planted a kiss on the top of his head. She took his chin and turned his face to face hers. "Go to bed, Ronnie. Sleep it off - things will be better in the morning."

He nodded, standing and brushing a kiss of his own onto her forehead. With a squeeze of her hand, he headed up the stairs to the boys' dormitory and she pulled her shawl about her again, and set off - leaving the common room.

---

When she reached the infirmary, Draco was leaning against the windowpane, arms crossed across his chest, covered by a grey cotton t-shirt. At the sound of her footfalls, he turned and a small smile graced his face.

"Hey."

She smiled back, her eyes lit up at the sight of him - he was so handsome in the moonlight. "Hey."

Draco motioned for her to join him at the window and she came to stand next to him, both gazing out at the stars.

Silence fell.

"Stargazing?" she asked.

"Um, yeah." was his brilliant reply. He didn't like looking at stars, usually, Astronomy had been termed a 'geek' course in the Slytherin dungeons since before his father's time. But he had been waiting for Ginny, hoping she would come. Also trying to pretend he wasn't quaking at the thought she might not come.

"Nice stars out tonight," Ginny started nervously.

"Quite," Draco agreed readily.

The silence returned.

Ginny sneaked a glance out the corner of her eye at him, and inadvertantly caught his own gaze. They both looked away. Ginny was trying to study the Sirius constellation when she felt the warmth of his side brushing against hers. A moment later his hand brushed against her outer hip and she held her breath. He tugged at her gently and she allowed him to pull her against his side. Both stood perfectly still for a long moment until she relaxed against his shoulder and both gave a little sigh.

His breath was warm against her hair. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"Ron caught me on my way out."

His arm around her waist tightened slightly. "What happened?"

"I told him I was coming to see you."

And silence won another battle as Ginny wanted to smack herself for telling him that. And Draco wanted to smack himself for getting her into this situation.

"And let me guess, he forbid you to ever see me again." they were going to take her away, his angel - the only bright spot in his eternally crappy life.

She turned to look at him and slowly shook her head. "He wasn't happy, Draco - but he can't forbid me anything. He just wants me to be careful."

"Why do you have to be careful? I'd lose a limb before I ever hurt you," he whispered and delighted in the warmth of her eyes.

"I know that," she soothed, running a hand through his pale bangs. "Ron is just exercising the prerogative of the older brother - to be an overprotective prat. But he really has no standing to lecture me on healthy relationships, as he was nursing a drink over yet another break up with Justin Finch-Fletchley tonight."

Draco looked at her carefully. "So, you're not going to be - disowned for being seen with me?"

She shook her head. "No... I have my brothers wrapped around my pinkie in all actuality. If I tell them to - they probably won't touch you. Threaten yes, maybe a shake or two..."

"Oh you're making me feel so much better, angel." Draco closed his eyes and Ginny giggled.

She suddenly stopped and gave him a close look. She had caught that last word.

Draco swore mentally. He hadn't meant to let that slip. He thought of her as an angel, but he wasn't about to start telling her that and look like a complete dork. He did have his pride after all, and he wasn't about to lose it to a girl, pretty as she may be. Okay, very pretty. Exceptionally pretty. And the smell of her hair... was making him a little light headed. The fact she was standing next to him in plaid pants that hung low on her hips, exposing a good inch of pale midriff, beneath a white t-shirt that didn't leave much to the imagination. Imagination of perfect, round....

Draco gave himself a mental smack upside the head.

Ginny was giving him a slightly confused look and he gave her a sheepish grin. "Just so long that if your brothers do come after me, you have my back."

"I'll always have your back, Draco." she assured him.

"Promise?" his voice was husky.

"I promise," her voice was definitely full of promise and her eyes lidded as he pulled her even closer.

Draco's breath was coming in short bursts as she raised up on the balls of her feet and he wrapped his other arm around her, to pull her torso flush against his. Her touch was pure warmth, where their bare skin touched fire burned. And when his lips pressed against hers, any chance Draco's heart ever had at standing against the onslaught that was Ginny Weasley was eternally, irrevocably and willingly lost. He was kissing her. Maybe stargazing wasn't so bad.