[ I'd Rather Be In Love With You ]

chapter ten: so we're friends, huh?

"I believe she said she can't," a voice said. Ginny looked up to look at the person who spoke and she let out a breath of relief.

Standing before the four of them was Draco Malfoy's tall figure. Although Draco was only a sixth year, yet he was taller than all three seventh years, looming over the four of them. Draco looked at each of the Slytherin guys with disgust and when his eyes raked over their victim, his eyes showed confusion and his brows furrowed.

"Weasley?" asked Draco, looking intently at her. Ginny could only look at him with pleading eyes.

"Draco Malfoy, look whom we found," the Slytherin said and Ginny noted how his face turned from being a sinister to a scared puppy. Judging by the looks of things, Slytherin as they might be, they're still scared of Draco Malfoy, although Ginny didn't know whether because Draco was a Death Eater or that with Draco's build he could easily take on all three of them.

"We were just talking and we invited her to come with us to play a little game," the Slytherin interjected, placing his arm yet again on Ginny's shoulder giving her a friendly shake.

Draco stared blankly at all three Slytherins with cold eyes and then his gaze settled on Ginny. Ginny's eyes looked at him, pleading for him to understand that she didn't want to go. She shook her head a little to hint that she didn't want to go with them.

Draco understood perfectly what was going on. Williams (the talking seventh year Slytherin) decided to take another victim for them to pull their pranks on. On this account, Ginny was their chosen one. He particularly wondered why they'd pull such pranks now when they can do it on broad daylight. He can only assume that they rather have something more serious in mind.

But Draco's mind was in turmoil. Should he help her? Why? If he won't, surely Ginny would be in trouble. If he did... well, he didn't know what would happen. But then, he knew what it was like to be forced to do something he didn't want to do. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. Maybe he shouldn't help her. After all, he didn't want to have to anything about her and helping her is doing something for her. Maybe he really shouldn't.

But still, the thought of the three Slytherins forcing themselves on Ginny was unthinkable! So, he did the only thing he could think of.

"That's very unfortunate for you, Williams," Draco said, looking at the appalled Slytherin.

"Why is that?"

"Because she's coming with me," Draco said, glaring at all three Slytherins.

Ginny's eyes widened. Then, as if that wasn't enough, Draco's hand shot out and he grasped Ginny's arm and pulled her away from the three Slytherins. Ginny settled herself behind Draco, stepping aside a little so she could see what was going on.

"Hey! We found her first, why can't you look somewhere else?" the Slytherin countered, though, still looking like he regretted what he said.

"She is coming with me, Williams," Draco stated with finality in his voice. "Because Professor Dumbledore told me to look for her. He wanted to talk to us."

"What would Dumbledore want with a slip of a girl like her?"

"How the hell should I know?" Draco asked irritatedly his voice harsh and angry. "I'm not Dumbledore. Why don't you go figure it out yourself."

"Alright! Alright! I was just asking, dammit," Williams said placing his hands in front of him as if surrendering. He motioned for his cronies to follow him and they obeyed, pretty much like Crabbe and Goyle with Draco. "Come on, we're going back to the Common Room," he said to his associates.

Before walking away, Williams glared at Ginny then avoided Draco's gaze.

Ginny kept her mouth shut but deep down she was in awe. How fascinating it was to watch older guys cower against a younger one. But then again, Draco was taller than all three of them.

Both Ginny and Draco were looking at the retreating forms of the three Slytherins, then Draco turned and faced Ginny.

Ginny shifted her gaze to Draco Malfoy's gray ones. For a moment, they were just looking at each other. Ginny couldn't somehow look away from his gray eyes. She felt like melting beneath them.

Then, all of the sudden, Ginny felt her head getting dizzy again, the same one she's been having lately.

"Hey, are you alright?" Draco asked seeing the pained expression on Ginny's face.

She closed her eyes momentarily shook her head a little.

"Weasley?"

She clutched her head, then...

"What is the matter with you," Draco asked forcefully.

It was gone.

"Nothing," Ginny replied, looking up at him. "I'm fine."

Draco looked at her suspiciously then, looked down to Ginny's books lying on the floor.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Ginny bent down to pick her books which were scattered everywhere. Draco watched her and asked himself: "Why did I have to be the one who had to be here at the moment she was in trouble? Why couldn't it be Potter or her brother?"

Draco sighed and picked up one of her books, which was lying next to his foot then handed it to her. Ginny accepted it wordlessly then looked up at him. Somehow just looking at Draco Malfoy's silver gaze rendered her speechless.

"Way to go on getting yourself in trouble like that, Weasley," Draco drawled.

Ginny frowned. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"You must have done something to make them do that to you," Draco replied.

"I did not! I was just walking to the Great Hall and they blocked my way!" Ginny was getting angry.

Draco kept silent. He thought she must have been speaking the truth; he just didn't want to admit it. Any guy would be able to notice someone as stunning like Ginny Weasley. In his opinion, her fiery hair was enough to turn someone's head around.

Ginny tried to suppress her anger then looked down momentarily then gazed back at him. When she did, her anger for him disintegrated. His face was devoid of any emotion but there was a softness in his eyes that Ginny didn't notice before.

"By the way, thank you for saving me. That was very nice of you," Ginny said shyly but sincerely.

Draco looked down. He wasn't sure what to say to that. Very few people ever say that to him.

"Whatever, Weasley," Draco muttered. Ginny thought that was such an inappropriate answer but at least he wasn't smirking.

"It was," Ginny said intending to say more when–

"MALFOY!"

Ginny and Draco both turned their heads.

Ron and Harry were walking quickly towards them. They both have irate expressions on their faces. The moment Draco saw the two of them his expression became aggravated.

"Get away from my sister, Malfoy!" Ron shouted.

Ginny breathed in, rolled her eyes, let out an annoyed sigh and then stepped in front of Draco, as if it was her turn to save him.

Ron and Harry stopped right in front of Ginny and Draco stayed where he was without saying anything glaring at both guys.

"Ginny, get away from that git!" It was Harry who yelled that time, motioning for Ginny to walk the other way.

Ginny looked back behind her and saw Draco glaring at both Harry and Ron.

"Ron, please," Ginny began, but she was interrupted by Ron.

"I mean it Gin, go now!"

"What did he do to you?"

"Are you alright?"

"Did he hurt you?"

Ron and Harry fired questions at her.

"No guys–"

"What did you do to her, Malfoy?

"Ron–" Ginny started again.

"You disgusting maniac!"

"Harry, please–"

"Don't you dare touch my sister or I'll kick you right at your–"

"Ron!" Ginny yelled so she could make herself heard. Both Harry and Ron stared at her, as if puzzled. Ginny noticed that Draco's glare at both Ron and Harry was so sharp that if looks could kill, they'd both be dead and buried by now. She knew he was itching to say something scathing back to the both of them.

"He didn't do anything, OK? We were just... talking, alright?"

"Talking?" Ron said while Harry looked at her as if she was growing another head.

Draco's resistance snapped. "Yeah, that's right Weasley, so go stick your nose where it's wanted!"

"Shut up, Malfoy, I wasn't talking to you," Ron snapped, looking furious than ever.

"Like hell I care, Weasley!"

"That's enough!" Ginny yelled, her hands spread out at her sides as if to stop both parties from attacking each other.

"Look, Ron! There's no problem here so just go!" Ginny tried pushing both Ron and Harry to make them go.

"Have you forgotten who it is you're mingling with?" Harry asked, appalled.

"No, I haven't and I don't care! He's my friend, alright? Now go!" Ginny urged. She figured it's going to take more than that for both Ron and Harry to go away so she resorted to the only thing that was available.

"If you don't start moving this instant, I'm sending Mum an owl saying who broke her favorite chair!" Ginny said.

"You will not! It was an accident! George and Fred told me to jump on in twice to see what happens!" Ron argued. Ignoring Draco who was smirking at the scene unfolding in front of him.

"You knew it was weak and you had to believe Fred and George when they told you to do that?" Ginny bit back.

"Those two set me up so they could blackmail me!"

"Have you no brains, Weasley? You knew it was weak and you just had to jump on it. Either you don't have a brain or your head's made up of slime!" Draco voiced.

Ron jumped to attack Draco, but Harry stopped him. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy Death Eater!"

Draco's whole expression changed. His face became murderous and Ginny was getting worried. She noticed his fists were clenched so tight that if he was pale, his knuckles were even worse.

"Look, Ron, just go. I can take care of myself," Ginny repeated. "If you don't go this instant, I will really owl Mum."

Left with no choice, Ron gave a defeated sigh and, still scowling, motioned for Harry to go with him. Before moving away, both guys glared at Draco. Draco just stared back without so much as a blink.

"I'm sorry about that," Ginny muttered looking down, still a little embarrassed with what just happened.

Draco turned to look at her and when their gazes met, Ginny felt that dizziness again... only milder this time that she didn't feel like fainting. She closed her eyes and shook her head a little.

Draco, oblivious to Ginny's dilemma, could barely believe what he just witnessed. Ginny actually defended him in front of Potter and her brother. Him. Her brother's enemy. Her family's enemy. Her friends' enemy. She actually stood in front of him bullied his brother into leaving them both alone. Somehow, that delighted him. It pleased him that she'd take his side instead of Potter's and her brother's.

"So, we're friends, huh?" Draco asked, remembering what she said to her brother a while ago.

Ginny's dizziness withered at the sound of his voice. "I guess," she sounded unsure.

"Are you even sure you want to be friends with me, Weasley?" asked Draco.

"Why not? You make it sound like it's a bad thing," replied Ginny.

"Being a friend of a Death Eater is bad enough, Weasley, in case you didn't know," Draco told her. "Nobody likes Death Eaters and I don't think anybody would like their friends, too. I know I won't like them either if I wasn't one."

"But you're not a Death Eater anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Draco asked, taken aback by what she said.

"Well, Voldemort's no longer around," Ginny started and Draco was surprised that she wasn't scared to say his name. "He's never coming back again, so you're no longer a Death Eater. I mean, you may have the Dark Mark but you're no longer serving anyone since Voldemort's already gone. So if that's the case then you're really not a Death Eater anymore."

Draco mentally applauded her. This girl has common sense. No one ever gave him that kind of discourse before. Everyone always looked at him with disgust at the knowledge of what he was without thinking. Shortly before Voldemort perished, he had been thinking that. He had wished that if ever Voldemort met his downfall, the Dark Mark would disappear, too. But to his utter disgust, it didn't. He knew everybody would never look at him in another light because of the Dark Mark on his arm.

"To you, that maybe the case, Weasley. But to everyone else, I'm still a Death Eater," Draco informed her.

"I don't really care what people think as long as I know what's true. I never do. Do you?" Ginny asked him.

"No, Weasley. I don't give a rat's ass about what other people think," Draco replied.

"Shouldn't we be going to Professor Dumbledore?" Ginny asked as she remembered what he said to the Slytherins. "I mean, you said he wanted to talk to the both of us."

Draco looked at her almost guiltily and said, "Oh, I just made that up."

"Oh," was all that Ginny could say.

Then there was an uncomfortable silence. None of them knew what to say next. Draco might not want to admit it, but in truth, he's been wanting a friend for a long time. A real one. The one who would accept him for everything he is. He was speechless for the moment, because here was this girl, offering just the kind of friendship he wanted. He didn't know what to do or say. He wanted to but, he didn't know how to tell her. He wasn't entirely sure if she knew what she was getting herself into. Maybe she didn't really mean what she said about being friends.

Draco looked towards the Great Hall and said, "Look, Weasley, I have to go the Great Hall."

When Draco said that, he saw the disappointment in Ginny's face.

And that was all that Draco needed.

"Alright," Ginny said defeatedly and Draco turned and headed for the Great Hall.

Ginny looked down. Draco isn't clearly very enthusiastic about being friends with her. She wasn't offering him friendship because of pity or something like that. She was offering that friendship because, she, too, needed one. Sure she has a lot of friends but they're not the ones she could really confide in to. The one she could talk to anytime.

Ginny let out a defeated sigh. Maybe Draco doesn't need any friends. Maybe he was disgusted by the thought of being a friend of a Weasley. Maybe...

"Well?" Ginny heard Draco say. She looked up and saw that he was several feet away from her, clearly on his way to the Great Hall.

Ginny was confused. "What?" she asked, her brows furrowing still clutching her books to her chest.

"Look, Weasley, I'm starving so if you want to come along you better start moving," Draco said. And Ginny noticed that he said in a sort of scathing way, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. For the first time, Ginny noted that his face wasn't completely blank. There was a trace of a smile in his lips and Ginny couldn't help but give a disarming smile at him.

She immediately hurried up to his side, almost playfully, and Draco looked at her until she was beside him.

"Thanks," Ginny muttered to him and Draco just gave her a nod.

They treaded to the Great Hall side by side. Since no one was really watching them, only a few people noticed that they were walking together. But since the idea of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin being friends is a little absurd, the subject was dropped altogether. Ginny looked before her and saw that Professor Dumbledore was positively beaming at them.

Draco maintained his unaffected stance and Ginny didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Ginny took her place in Gryffindor Table and started eating occasionally looking at the Slytherin Table. Ginny ate silently and alone as usual.

When both parties were through, they each went out of the Great Hall without another word. They didn't finish together so they went to their dormitories separately.

Ginny went straight for her room, thankful that she didn't see Ron or Harry anywhere.

Probably off somewhere doing who-knows-what, Ginny thought.

She went straight to bed so she won't have to face Ron or Harry or even Hermione that night. She was simply too tired to talk to any of them.

Despite her sleepiness and her weariness, Ginny couldn't help but smile as she replayed what happened that day in her mind.

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A/N: Please review! Tell me what you guys think of this? Yes, it was Draco, who else could it be? I'm sorry to those who were expecting that Draco throw a punch at those Slytherins. I'm not a big fan of violence and stuff like that. Draco is much better than that. Anyways, thank you to everyone who reviewed. I will love you guys forever! :) Also if it's not too much to ask, please read my other ficlet "I Will See You Again". It's a songfic and it would mean a great deal to me if you do. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story except the plot, so please don't sue me. Thanks!