Chapter 14
"That's Malfoy?" Hermione asked, inspecting the blonde. He actually looked handsome, and it was a big change from the boy he was in school. His hair was no longer slicked back with loads of gel, and he had definitely grown, taller and stronger. Malfoy and the man he was with sat down at a table on the other side of the restaurant, not caring to observe anything or anyone around them.
"Yes," Ginny replied with a small nod, still hiding behind her menu.
"Why are you hiding from him?" she asked, turning her gaze from Draco to her friend.
"Because I haven't seen him since the kiss," she answered. "We have to get out of here quick. Come on."
Ginny pulled her friend out of her seat and ran out of the restaurant, still holding the menu in front of her face. When they were outside she threw it back into the place and then dragged Hermione along away from the Chinese establishment.
"It's ok, we'll just go eat at a different place," she huffed as they walked down the street. She was pretty sure that she had not been spotted, so she felt relieved.
They settled on another restaurant called The Witches Pavilion, and then sat down with their menus. They both ordered and then Hermione sat there looking at her friend. Ginny was sitting across from her with her head in her hand and her arm on the table.
"What is it that you had to tell me?" she asked.
"I'm thinking of going back to my red hair," Ginny responded, twirling some of the blonde hair with her fingers. "I feel like I'm not myself anymore."
That was true. Lately she had not been acting like herself. She kissed Draco for Merlin's sake and that was a very un-Ginny like thing to do. Everything had just been so crazy in the past weeks, all stemming from one of her brilliant ideas.
"That is it?" Hermione asked, expecting something bigger. "Well, in that case, go for it. You do look good in blonde hair, but red is more you."
"Actually no," she answered. "I wanted to tell you how my article went."
"I told you that you would write one! So, go on, I'm anxious to know."
"Well, remember how I, um, borrowed some things from Draco's apartment?" she asked, not realizing or caring that she just called him Draco again.
"Yeah."
"That turned out to not be about him, but it was even better. I can't tell you what they were about, I want you to read my article tomorrow, but I can tell you that my boss loved it. I got the promotion!" Ginny excitedly proclaimed.
"This is wonderful. I knew you would."
"That makes one of us," she replied. "but you should have seen Cho's face when I told her. It was the funniest thing I think I have ever seen."
"So that means that you finally beat her. Congratulations," Hermione said with a smile. "This is certainly a cause for celebration."
"Indeed," she responded. The more she thought about it the higher her excitement level grew. "And tomorrow I get to go work in my new office."
"You have your own office now?"
"Yeah, you should come visit me."
"I will."
After they had lunch together they went their different ways, Hermione had to return to work and Ginny went home. She had a feeling of accomplishment, of setting a goal and then achieving it. Although, she also felt like everything was over, and in an odd way she knew that she was going to miss all the excitement of the game between her and Draco.
Speaking of Draco, she would never see him again. Ok, maybe she would accidentally see him like earlier that day, but she would not intentionally see him. That had just been a coincidence, or had it? What if it was fate?
Hah, real funny. She didn't believe in fate and if someone came up to her and told her that Draco and her were destined to be together then Ginny would laugh in their face. It was such a silly thought, so unrealistic that it was actually humorous.
Several months ago she would have expected to end up with Harry. There had been a time when he was all she could think about. It's surprising how much can happen in such a short period of time... and how fast feelings change.
And why had Harry broken up with her? It didn't really matter because she was planning to break up with him anyway, but she was just curious. Maybe he noticed that their relationship just wasn't working out. They hadn't been spending much time with each other, and it wasn't until recently that Ginny noticed how big the difference between being in love and just loving someone was.
Or maybe he liked someone else... Nah, he wasn't like that. Harry would never want to hurt her, and even though she cheated on him she knew that he would never cheat on his girlfriend. Although, liking someone else doesn't necessarily constitute as cheating, but kissing them sure did.
It was a shame though; Draco was quite pleasing to look at...
She had been sitting on her couch absent-mindedly, when her glance moved around her living room. Sitting on the table was the romance novel that she never finished, and beside it a pile of more books she was supposed to read for her old book review column. She looked on them with scorn, and then her expression suddenly changed to one of mischief.
She got up from her couch and walked over to the pile of books. Starting with the romance novel, one by one she victoriously threw them into her trashcan. Her frown turned into a wide smile as she returned to her spot on the couch and picked up her remote.
She had finally conquered evil. Ok, that was looking at the situation in an entirely too overdramatic perspective, but every once in a while Ginny liked to look at things dramatically. And what was so wrong with that anyway?
She flipped through some channels, eventually landing on her favorite one, the sports channel. She watched TV for a bit. Tomorrow would not come soon enough.
Ginny woke up exceptionally more energetic then usual. She had an hour and a half to get ready, and then she even made it to the office fifteen minutes early. She wore more professional type attire, and she was bringing along some pictures to set on her new desk in her new office. Yes, her new office. She was finally going to get her own office.
She had never walked through the office with such pride. She went to Mr. Hillman's office, where his door was ajar. Pushing it completely open, she entered to see that he had been waiting for her at his usual spot behind the mahogany desk.
"You are early for once, Miss Weasley," he stated, getting up from his desk and walking over to her. "I'll show you to your office."
He led her down the hall, passing many of her co-workers who still had spots in cubicles. She waved to some of them, receiving a hello in return. Many of them were jealous at her leap in her career, but there were still the few that were genuinely happy for her. Those were also the type of people who did not stomp on others to get ahead.
Eventually he stopped walking outside of a door. He opened it and then stepped back for Ginny to go on ahead by herself.
"I'll expect a rough draft by the end of next week," he said before turning around and then walking back to his own office.
Ginny stepped into her office, and then taking a double take to see her name on the door. Then she continued on it and shut the door behind her. She set down her bag on the desk, and took a couple picture frames out of it. One was a photo of her entire family, including all of her brothers. Another was of her and Hermione on her birthday.
Lastly, she pulled out the picture of her and Harry that she had taken from Draco. Why he had that picture in the first place was a mystery to her, but it was so cute that she had to frame it. She set up the three picture frames on the left corner of her desk, and then took a seat in her chair.
She was happily spinning around in her chair, feeling like a child again, and then she heard her door open. She spun back around and looked up to see who it was. Standing in her doorway was Draco. She couldn't seem to escape him. Wherever she was he would appear. Someone must not like her, either that or must really enjoy irritating her.
"Hello Paige," he said, walking in like he owned the place after first closing the door and then taking a seat in the only other chair in the room. Then he plopped a copy of that day's Warts newspaper. "or should I call you Ginny?"
"Draco-" Ginny started.
"I see you used my help," he interrupted with a sly grin.
"Thanks. Did you come here to gloat?" she asked him rhetorically. He must have placed the papers in his briefcase intentionally, but why would he want to help her? "I don't want to play any more games."
"Oh, but it was all a game that you started wasn't it?" he asked in response. Why did he always have to be right?
"I don't have time for this," she said, not knowing what to say.
"Have it your way," he replied, and before she could even take one last look at him he was gone.
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A/N: Thanks for reviewing!
Please review!
"That's Malfoy?" Hermione asked, inspecting the blonde. He actually looked handsome, and it was a big change from the boy he was in school. His hair was no longer slicked back with loads of gel, and he had definitely grown, taller and stronger. Malfoy and the man he was with sat down at a table on the other side of the restaurant, not caring to observe anything or anyone around them.
"Yes," Ginny replied with a small nod, still hiding behind her menu.
"Why are you hiding from him?" she asked, turning her gaze from Draco to her friend.
"Because I haven't seen him since the kiss," she answered. "We have to get out of here quick. Come on."
Ginny pulled her friend out of her seat and ran out of the restaurant, still holding the menu in front of her face. When they were outside she threw it back into the place and then dragged Hermione along away from the Chinese establishment.
"It's ok, we'll just go eat at a different place," she huffed as they walked down the street. She was pretty sure that she had not been spotted, so she felt relieved.
They settled on another restaurant called The Witches Pavilion, and then sat down with their menus. They both ordered and then Hermione sat there looking at her friend. Ginny was sitting across from her with her head in her hand and her arm on the table.
"What is it that you had to tell me?" she asked.
"I'm thinking of going back to my red hair," Ginny responded, twirling some of the blonde hair with her fingers. "I feel like I'm not myself anymore."
That was true. Lately she had not been acting like herself. She kissed Draco for Merlin's sake and that was a very un-Ginny like thing to do. Everything had just been so crazy in the past weeks, all stemming from one of her brilliant ideas.
"That is it?" Hermione asked, expecting something bigger. "Well, in that case, go for it. You do look good in blonde hair, but red is more you."
"Actually no," she answered. "I wanted to tell you how my article went."
"I told you that you would write one! So, go on, I'm anxious to know."
"Well, remember how I, um, borrowed some things from Draco's apartment?" she asked, not realizing or caring that she just called him Draco again.
"Yeah."
"That turned out to not be about him, but it was even better. I can't tell you what they were about, I want you to read my article tomorrow, but I can tell you that my boss loved it. I got the promotion!" Ginny excitedly proclaimed.
"This is wonderful. I knew you would."
"That makes one of us," she replied. "but you should have seen Cho's face when I told her. It was the funniest thing I think I have ever seen."
"So that means that you finally beat her. Congratulations," Hermione said with a smile. "This is certainly a cause for celebration."
"Indeed," she responded. The more she thought about it the higher her excitement level grew. "And tomorrow I get to go work in my new office."
"You have your own office now?"
"Yeah, you should come visit me."
"I will."
After they had lunch together they went their different ways, Hermione had to return to work and Ginny went home. She had a feeling of accomplishment, of setting a goal and then achieving it. Although, she also felt like everything was over, and in an odd way she knew that she was going to miss all the excitement of the game between her and Draco.
Speaking of Draco, she would never see him again. Ok, maybe she would accidentally see him like earlier that day, but she would not intentionally see him. That had just been a coincidence, or had it? What if it was fate?
Hah, real funny. She didn't believe in fate and if someone came up to her and told her that Draco and her were destined to be together then Ginny would laugh in their face. It was such a silly thought, so unrealistic that it was actually humorous.
Several months ago she would have expected to end up with Harry. There had been a time when he was all she could think about. It's surprising how much can happen in such a short period of time... and how fast feelings change.
And why had Harry broken up with her? It didn't really matter because she was planning to break up with him anyway, but she was just curious. Maybe he noticed that their relationship just wasn't working out. They hadn't been spending much time with each other, and it wasn't until recently that Ginny noticed how big the difference between being in love and just loving someone was.
Or maybe he liked someone else... Nah, he wasn't like that. Harry would never want to hurt her, and even though she cheated on him she knew that he would never cheat on his girlfriend. Although, liking someone else doesn't necessarily constitute as cheating, but kissing them sure did.
It was a shame though; Draco was quite pleasing to look at...
She had been sitting on her couch absent-mindedly, when her glance moved around her living room. Sitting on the table was the romance novel that she never finished, and beside it a pile of more books she was supposed to read for her old book review column. She looked on them with scorn, and then her expression suddenly changed to one of mischief.
She got up from her couch and walked over to the pile of books. Starting with the romance novel, one by one she victoriously threw them into her trashcan. Her frown turned into a wide smile as she returned to her spot on the couch and picked up her remote.
She had finally conquered evil. Ok, that was looking at the situation in an entirely too overdramatic perspective, but every once in a while Ginny liked to look at things dramatically. And what was so wrong with that anyway?
She flipped through some channels, eventually landing on her favorite one, the sports channel. She watched TV for a bit. Tomorrow would not come soon enough.
Ginny woke up exceptionally more energetic then usual. She had an hour and a half to get ready, and then she even made it to the office fifteen minutes early. She wore more professional type attire, and she was bringing along some pictures to set on her new desk in her new office. Yes, her new office. She was finally going to get her own office.
She had never walked through the office with such pride. She went to Mr. Hillman's office, where his door was ajar. Pushing it completely open, she entered to see that he had been waiting for her at his usual spot behind the mahogany desk.
"You are early for once, Miss Weasley," he stated, getting up from his desk and walking over to her. "I'll show you to your office."
He led her down the hall, passing many of her co-workers who still had spots in cubicles. She waved to some of them, receiving a hello in return. Many of them were jealous at her leap in her career, but there were still the few that were genuinely happy for her. Those were also the type of people who did not stomp on others to get ahead.
Eventually he stopped walking outside of a door. He opened it and then stepped back for Ginny to go on ahead by herself.
"I'll expect a rough draft by the end of next week," he said before turning around and then walking back to his own office.
Ginny stepped into her office, and then taking a double take to see her name on the door. Then she continued on it and shut the door behind her. She set down her bag on the desk, and took a couple picture frames out of it. One was a photo of her entire family, including all of her brothers. Another was of her and Hermione on her birthday.
Lastly, she pulled out the picture of her and Harry that she had taken from Draco. Why he had that picture in the first place was a mystery to her, but it was so cute that she had to frame it. She set up the three picture frames on the left corner of her desk, and then took a seat in her chair.
She was happily spinning around in her chair, feeling like a child again, and then she heard her door open. She spun back around and looked up to see who it was. Standing in her doorway was Draco. She couldn't seem to escape him. Wherever she was he would appear. Someone must not like her, either that or must really enjoy irritating her.
"Hello Paige," he said, walking in like he owned the place after first closing the door and then taking a seat in the only other chair in the room. Then he plopped a copy of that day's Warts newspaper. "or should I call you Ginny?"
"Draco-" Ginny started.
"I see you used my help," he interrupted with a sly grin.
"Thanks. Did you come here to gloat?" she asked him rhetorically. He must have placed the papers in his briefcase intentionally, but why would he want to help her? "I don't want to play any more games."
"Oh, but it was all a game that you started wasn't it?" he asked in response. Why did he always have to be right?
"I don't have time for this," she said, not knowing what to say.
"Have it your way," he replied, and before she could even take one last look at him he was gone.
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A/N: Thanks for reviewing!
Please review!