I'd Rather Be In Love With You
chapter fourteen: one sure glimpse
"Mr. Malfoy, must I ask you once more?" the frenzied woman almost shouted out loud, giving Draco a stern look. "What did you do to this poor girl?"
Do? Draco thought exasperatingly. I never did anything to her!
"Look, I already told you Madam Pomfrey, I didn't do anything to her and I don't know why she fainted either," Draco replied for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.
"Then tell me why you ended up in here carrying unconscious Ms. Weasley," the nurse asked as she continued fussing over Ginny. "What exactly happened? What have you been feeding her? I need to know now, Mr. Malfoy!"
Draco gave an annoyed shrug, and placed his right hand at the back of his neck. Somehow, he was getting tired of this. How many times in the last ten minutes has she asked me that question? Draco asked himself. Do I really look that suspicious that she suspects I'm the reason that Ginny is in this state?
Draco really had no idea how Ginny ended up like this. He remembered sitting with her and drinking Butterbeer in Three Broomsticks, then both of them walked to the tree near the lake in Hogwarts' grounds. They talked for a while then Ginny decided that it was time for lunch. They both paced towards the entrance door and then all of the sudden, for some reasons, Ginny stopped then he saw her face all screwed up in pain. He wanted to suggest that she go to the Hospital Wing when she suddenly fainted.
Ginny landed right to him and Draco thought that if it weren't for him, she'd be suffering something more than fainting right now. Since he had no other choice, Draco hastily carried Ginny to the Hospital Wing, receiving avid looks from passerbys.
And now he was here being scolded for something he didn't even do. Or worse, he was being scolded for something he didn't even understand.
"This isn't the first time this happened to Ms. Weasley this term," Madam Pomfrey commented.
Draco looked at her, confused. This isn't?
"You mean she has fainted before?" Draco asked the school nurse.
"What did you think I mean, Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Pomfrey asked Draco as if he was an idiot.
Draco kept quiet and stepped back to let Madam Pomfrey do her job, contemplating why Ginny has been fainting. His brows furrowed as he kept on thinking. Maybe Ginny has some kind of disease. If so, Madam Pomfrey could easily mend that.
But what if...?
Draco frowned. What if...? Well... it wasn't really his business. They weren't together or anything so maybe he shouldn't worry about it. If so, then why did it bother him so much? Maybe if he could ask the nurse about it.
Maybe he just shouldn't. After all, it wasn't really his responsibility. Nothing happened between them.
But what if she was?
Ginny would be in trouble. What if her family disowned her? No, that would never happen. But what would her brothers do? Who's half-responsible for it? Her brother Ron would surely suspect him to be the one who's responsible. And worse if he tells her other brothers, they won't think twice in believing Ron.
Maybe it was best if he asked the nurse. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "Madam Pomfrey, may I ask if there's a possibility that..." he stammered, "that... that maybe she's... she's pregnant?"
There. He finally got the question out.
Madam Pomfrey stood still for a moment then turned to face him. The nurse glared at him. She plunked her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed at him. "Dare I ask that, if she is, you would be the father-to-be, Mr. Malfoy?" the nurse asked him sternly.
Draco froze eyes wide.
"No, Madam Pomfrey," Draco said after a moment. "I was merely asking if there is a possibility," Draco reasoned, trying to keep a straight face.
Madam Pomfrey remained silent and studied him with narrowed eyes. Draco kept his face passive, something he was good at. The silence between the two seemed to stretch a mile when Draco couldn't take it any longer.
Draco gave a wearied shrug and said, "Look, Madam Pomfrey, it's not what you think. I never did anything to her."
Madam Pomfrey crossed her arms over her chest but kept silent. Her silence was beginning to confirm Draco's suspicion and Draco was getting upset.
"I never touched Ginny if that's what you're thinking and I don't know who did either!" Draco added, as if that would explain everything.
Finally Madam Pomfrey spoke. "I know, Mr. Malfoy, and I do not have any reason to believe that Ms. Weasley is pregnant," the nurse said, uncrossing her arms and pulling the covers around Ginny.
Somehow, with that admission from the nurse, Draco unconsciously let out a breath of relief.
"You, young people will never learn," Madam Pomfrey muttered, still fussing over Ginny. "Now will you please step aside, Mr. Malfoy, so I can do my job"
Draco did as he was told and watched Madam Pomfrey go on about her work in the side, all the while thinking what could be wrong with Ginny.
"Madam Pomfrey, what is wrong with her?" Draco asked the nurse.
Madam Pomfrey gave a defeated shrug and said, "I imagine Miss Weasley would be tired from all her work. I find no illness, no marks to prove she had an accident, no signs of dark magic, nothing!"
"Goodness! Miss Weasley must be suffering an overload from all the work she has to do," the nurse exclaimed.
Draco thought about that and took a mental note that maybe he ought to tell Dumbledore about it so Ginny could quit the tutoring every night. But maybe I shouldn't bother about that, he said to himself. Maybe I'm putting too much thought on the issue. Maybe...
Then all of the sudden someone opened the door forcefully.
"Malfoy did it! I know he did!" a shout came from the door and both Draco and Madam Pomfrey turned to look.
Ron Weasley was walking hurriedly towards the both of them looking as red as his hair, followed by Hermione and Harry who had worried looks on their faces.
"Mr. Weasley! Calm yourself down! You cannot simply shout about like that in here! My patients are asleep!" Madam Pomfrey said as if something unforgivable was done.
"I'm telling you, Madam Pomfrey, Malfoy did it! This sorry prat did it!" Ron said pointing to Draco all the while giving him a heated glare.
"Mr. Weasley, I will not tolerate this behavior!" Madam Pomfrey said her hands plunked at her hips. "One more time, Mr. Weasley and I will be forced to usher you out of this place!"
Ron inhaled hard as if to calm himself, but failing. He closed his hands and tightened his grip as if to relieve him of his anger towards Malfoy for doing this to his sister but to no avail.
"Madam Pomfrey," Ron started again, his voice strained but still full of fury. "This useless slime did it. I'm telling you Madam Pomfrey! I tried to warn Ginny about this but she wouldn't listen!"
Draco rolled his eyes at this. Like I never saw this coming, Draco thought to himself.
The nurse crossed her arms over her chest again and looked at Ron. "What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley?"
"Madam Pomfrey, don't you see?" Ron told Madam Pomfrey as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Malfoy's been doing all kinds of dark magic to Ginny. Who knows what he's been doing to her when they're in an arm's reach most of the time!"
"Ron, will you please calm down for a moment," Hermione told Ron.
"Madam Pomfrey will you please explain to us what really is wrong with Ginny," Harry said to Madam Pomfrey. "She can't keep fainting for nothing. It's just not normal."
"She should have listened to me, Harry!" Ron exclaimed, oblivious to what Hermione and Harry said. "I tell her to stay away from Malfoy, but no! She insists that he's different, she insists that he's not like before! Well, look at her now! Lying in the Hospital Wing, unconscious..."
Ron went on ranting and Draco was about to snap back something at Ron, but when he heard about the part where Ginny believes he's not like before, he kept his mouth shut and his gaze shifted back to her sleeping form. He looked at her sleeping quietly, wondering what she was dreaming about when the commotion beside him interrupted his train of thought.
"Ron!" Hermione shook Ron so he could snap out of his anger. "Shut up for a moment! We're not understanding each other for heaven's sake!"
"Let me handle this, Hermione!" Ron told her. "This is my sister we're talking about and I'm not gonna let some slimeball mess around with her!"
"Shut your fat mouth for a moment, Weasley," Draco told Ron, glaring at him. "It's disgusting as hell listening to it."
"This is all your fault, Malfoy, you evil git!" Ron flared at Draco, taking advancing steps towards him with his fists clenched. "I will knock your sorry arse if you..."
All of the sudden, Ron held out his clenched fist and was about to throw a punch at Draco when Harry caught Ron just in time.
"... do this to her..."
Hermione screamed in surprise.
"... again!"
"Ron, don't!" Harry said.
"Let go!"
"Mr. Weasley!" Madam Pomfrey said, aghast.
"Let go, Harry!"
Draco did not take a step back was he stood rooted on his spot glaring at the three. How pathetic can this get, Draco thought.
"Let go of me!" Ron screamed, struggling to break free. "Let me at him, Harry! Let go!"
"Ron, stop it!" Hermione said helping Harry in holding Ron back.
"Mr. Weasley, that is enough! I will not tolerate this behavior from you!" the disintegrated nurse barked at Ron. "Get out of this Hospital Wing right now!"
"You are pathetic, Weasley," Draco mused, standing calmly, placing his hands in his pant's pockets as if what was happening was normal.
"Ron, come on," Harry said pulling Ron towards the door holding him tightly.
"Out! Out!" Madam Pomfrey bellowed pointing to the door. "Out! Now!"
"Let go of me, Harry, I can walk myself out the door!" Ron struggled one more time. Harry let go of Ron and then Ron stopped advancing towards Draco.
"This isn't over, Malfoy," Ron told Draco as if to threaten him.
Draco just stood there, unmoving, his face a mask of silent threat daring Ron to take a punch at him.
Ron, knowing that he couldn't very well pummel Malfoy in the Hospital Wing, turned red in fury and walked out of the Hospital Wing muttering to himself. Harry gave Draco one long glare before following Ron out.
Hermione looked at Harry's retreating back and turned around to face Draco. Draco could only stare at her blankly and she wondered if Ginny was right about Malfoy or not.
"What are you waiting for Granger?" Draco asked Hermione blankly. "Your associates just walked out the door. You should follow suit lest Weasel will think you've befriended me, as well."
When Hermione made no move to walk out the door, Draco said, "Run along, Granger. I take no pleasure in having your presence near me."
Hermione just looked at Draco and then, turned away and ran out the door.
How odd, Draco thought. She didn't even say anything scathing back. In the past, Draco was certain she'd say something back to him given the circumstances but now, she didn't.
Madam Pomfrey continued to fuss over her other patients while muttering to herself, no doubt about the commotion. Draco continued looking at the door his mind still on how strange Granger just acted. There is something seriously wrong with that insufferable know-it-all, Draco thought to himself.
Draco then turned around and stood at the foot of the bed, facing Ginny. Madam Pomfrey passed behind him carrying a set of linens.
"You may stay if you wish so, Mr. Malfoy, seeing that you can control your temper better than Mr. Weasley can with his," Madam Pomfrey told him in a slightly stern voice. "Just make sure that you don't wake Ms. Weasley up. I assume she would be asleep for hours. She needs her sleep badly and I will not have her fainting again. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Malfoy?"
Draco stayed glued to his spot, his hands never leaving his pants' pockets. He didn't pay much heed to what the nurse was saying but he nodded anyway. It wasn't like he was going to start screaming in there for no reason.
He let out another annoyed shrug. Somehow, even with all that commotion, Draco still couldn't understand what was wrong with Ginny. For once, Potter was right. It just isn't normal for Ginny to keep fainting here and there for no reason at all. Madam Pomfrey said there was nothing wrong with her... not even dark magic...
He knew a lot about dark magic and so far, he had to agree with Madam Pomfrey. If the nurse hadn't pointed out that she didn't know what was wrong with Ginny, Draco would've went on thinking it was just stress or some difficulty in breathing that causes Ginny to fall unconscious.
Draco moved from his spot and sauntered over to the chair beside Ginny's bed. He took a seat on the chair and stared at the slumbered figure of Ginny Weasley. He noted that she looked so peaceful while sleeping that he was almost jealous. He never gets any good sleep. He expected he never will after all the things he has done in the past.
His gaze roved over her, starting from the tops of her hair, so fiery that it looked like the white pillow beneath Ginny's head was on fire. Her pale face was smooth and he could see the faintest hint of freckles across her nose. If he didn't look close enough, he wouldn't have seen them. Her closed lids, her nose, her mouth... Her hands were small and delicate and they were lying on her side.
Draco suddenly had an urge to hold her hand so he instinctively took one of his hands out of his pocket. Then, he slowly reached out to touch Ginny's hand. When his hand was almost touching Ginny's, he stopped himself. Why do I want to do this? Draco asked himself, closing his fingers together and pulled back his hand and settled it on his lap.
Why am I doing this? Draco thought again. He didn't know what compelled him to do that, but at that moment, it felt right to hold her hand.
What is it that makes me do such things? Draco kept asking himself. True, he never did understand himself when he is around Ginny.
Draco shrugged again. He thought that maybe it was no use trying to work out these things since he doesn't even understand where they come from. He chased those thoughts away and settled on just sitting there and watching Ginny sleep.
Then suddenly, Draco could feel something run down his spine. A feeling he was too aware of. It told him that something or someone was watching him.
He straightened up and looked around. He knew someone was watching him, he was sure of it. He automatically placed a hand in his pocket, ready to take out his wand in case he needed it. His eyes scanned the room then his gaze landed at the entrance of the hospital wing. Somehow, his instincts told him to go and take a look.
Draco narrowed his eyes. There was nothing there.
He took a step forward. Slowly and quietly, he took another. He carefully moved toward the entrance knowing that whoever it was that was hiding there, he was going to find out any second.
Another step...
Draco made sure his footsteps weren't audible.
And another...
His grip on his wand tightened.
Whoever's there will undoubtedly be the receiving end of his anger in a matter of moments. If there's one thing that Draco hated, it was being eavesdropped. He didn't like people looking in on his privacy.
Almost there...
Then suddenly a gentle fuss at the far end of the hospital wing jolted Draco from his progress. His gaze turned to the noise and he saw Madam Pomfrey fussing over medicines and bandages.
No time to dwell on that. Draco quickly hurried to the doors of the hospital wing and looked around.
There was no one there.
Draco took out his hand from his pocket and sighed. He didn't catch the culprit. If Madam Pomfrey didn't make any noise and startle him, he would've caught the sneaking fool.
Draco took one look at Ginny's sleeping form then decided to get out of there. Where it was that he was going, he didn't know. He just needed to get out of there.
Absentmindedly, his feet carried him on the castle grounds.
He didn't notice two widened brown eyes following him from afar, stunned at the scene she just witnessed and terrified as well from almost being caught.
Hermione kept on walking silently. What she saw was just something that she never thought would ever happen in a hundred million years. Her mind was swimming with questions and it included whether or not she should tell Ron and Harry about what she saw.
How did this happen?
When did this happen?
Is it even possible?
All these questions piled up in Hermione's head. And she didn't know which one to dwell in first!
After the bicker in the hospital wing, Hermione decided to take matters into her own hands. She stayed behind at the entrance of the hospital wing to spy on Malfoy.
Hermione has heard and seen enough to contemplate on whether or not Ginny was right about Malfoy being different than what they've been led to believe.
After seeing the sight she saw before she left the hospital wing, Hermione was beginning to wonder if Ginny had been right all along. At first Hermione thought she was hallucinating. She had to shake her head a few times and rub her eyes just to be sure it was the real thing she was seeing.
Hermione placed her right hand over her heart. It was still pounding furiously. Malfoy almost caught her spying on him. If it weren't for whatever Malfoy heard, he would've seen her surely. She didn't like to think about what Malfoy might do if ever he caught her looking in on his privacy. She wasn't scared of Malfoy himself, but she just didn't want to be cursed again, especially having had to endure all the pain during the war. Malfoy might be different but she didn't completely trust the idea yet.
Clearly, Malfoy didn't want anybody to see him in his private moments, Hermione thought. She felt her heart rate return to normal. Walking aimlessly while thinking about what she just saw, slightly worried about the whole situation.
Then suddenly she bumped into someone.
"Hermione!"
It was Harry. And behind him was Ron, his face still a shade of scarlet.
"Harry! Ron!"
"What's the matter with you?" Ron asked her, referring to her worried expression.
"Nothing," Hermione replied, recovering from her surprise and trying to look innocent of anything they might suspect.
"Malfoy didn't hurt you, did he?" Ron asked her his face already looking angry again.
"No, no! Certainly not," Hermione said, trying her best not to look like she knew something. "You just startled me, that's all."
"Malfoy will pay for this, that good-for-nothing slimeball," Ron said.
"Well come on then, we're eating at the Great Hall, I'm starving," Harry said, ignoring what Ron just said.
"Come on, Ron," Hermione said to Ron, pulling him towards the Great Hall by his arm.
"I mean, what was Ginny thinking!" Ron ranted on all throughout their lunch. "I have to find a way to make Ginny see reason not to go near Malfoy again!"
"Don't you think that you should be thinking about what's making Ginny faint, Ron?" Harry asked his friend.
"Harry, haven't you realized yet that Malfoy is the reason Ginny is fainting? I mean, didn't you notice that Ginny only started fainting when she started hanging around Malfoy?" Ron asked Harry as if he was stupid.
Hermione kept silent. She didn't really know what to think after what she just witnessed.
"Why am I the only one who believes that Malfoy did it?" Ron asked no one in particular. "Just because that git turned away from You-Know-Who doesn't mean he can't curse!"
"I know that, Ron. And maybe you're right... but... I don't know," Harry said with a shrug. "Maybe she's just ill or something."
"I swear. That prat will get what's coming to him," Ron declared. "I will pummel him to the ground and make him pay for this."
Now, Harry kept quiet as well as they headed for their seats in the Great Hall. Like Hermione, he was thinking twice on accusing Malfoy of bewitching Ginny to faint. He didn't rule Malfoy out as a possible suspect yet, but he couldn't exactly say that he didn't do it. Ron was right; Ginny only started fainting when she started hanging around Malfoy.
Harry shrugged. Just thinking about Ginny's predicament made her head spin.
As they started to eat, Ron talked nonstop about all kinds of excruciating torture he was going to do to Malfoy once he's had his chance. Harry and Hermione could only listen as they were figuring out the explanation on Ginny's condition, each theory as unlikely as the next.
And somewhere outside of the castle, Draco Malfoy was sitting beside the lake, on the same spot he sat as he told Ginny about his past, and kept thinking about the same thing...
A/N: Ok, I know I don't deserve any review for this. I haven't written in more than a year! Oh well, I'll still finish this story even it is in this pace. By the way, I have a reason why I haven't written for such a long time. You have to understand that I'm in my third year of college and work just keeps piling up. I also had to do some catching with my reading and I sometimes I don't even have time for myself. I wrote this chapter, a scene at a time. Whenever I remembered this, I started writing it. The plot of this story is in my head but sometimes, I don't know what to do with the character. But I promise, I will finish this fic, it's just taking me a long time, that's all. Thanks for reading anyways and if anyone reviewed, thanks! I will love you forever:).
Mooney's Girl: This fic was written way before that information was passed around and way before the fifth book was released so you have to forget it exists to like this story. I'm not sure when Ginny will explain her dreams. We'll see what happens. Ok? :) Thanks a lot for reading this story.
Jen: Oh my God, you made me feel so guilty when I read your review through my mail. Did you read the email I wrote you? I feel so bad for making you feel depressed. I can totally understand that feeling and I am so sorry. There's only one thing I can promise you. I will finish this story. I'm just not sure how long it will take me. Thank you so much for always checking it. I will pray to God that all your wishes come true for the regard you give to my fic. Once again, I am truly sorry.
luza: Of course I plan to finish this story. Thanks for reading it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story except the plot, so please don't sue me. Thanks!