Author's Note: Huzzah! Chapter 11. And I'm running out of fun exclamations. Damn! Well, there's one that's impossible to overuse. Damn damn damn damn damn...oh, right...story. Right, so isn't Draco just positively evil? Remind you of someone? (Smirks satisfactorily.) Well, now we've got Draco being a tosser, jenna getting (rightfully) pissed, and more 'I hate you"-ness. HooHah! Yes. I love you all who have sent me reviews, although I'll never find the time to degrade myself to where my ego is at a healthy level again. Curses, though I still love you all. Read and enjoy!
Disclaimer: Not mine unless it looks like mine. Not much changes, so just be good little devils and don't steal anything.
Puffy Red Eyes
Chapter 11: The Internal Debate of Draco Malfoy
Once outside the hospital wing, Draco ran. And ran. He ran all the way to the Slytherin common room. "Mugglimerdis!" He panted. Dashing up the steps to the boy's seventh year dormitory, Draco flung himself into the fortunately empty room.
"Aaaarrrrggghhhh!" He screamed, punching his fist into the wooden door, which cracked. Ignoring his bleeding knuckles, he ranted and raved, kicking and hitting random objects around the room. He picked up a lantern that was resting by his bed and hurled it forcefully into the wall, where it consequently shattered.
He flopped onto his bed and buried his face into a silken green pillow. He screamed into it several times. Before long, his screams turned into sobs. Resignedly, Draco Malfoy did what he detested so much, which he'd only done once in his life and had vowed never to do again: he cried.
Ginny was asleep when Jenna visited the hospital wing. She stood next to her friend's bedside. Her face was red and blotchy, and her eyes were puffy and swollen. Madame Pomfrey came up to her side.
"Poor thing. She's been crying all day. She didn't stop until I gave her some sleeping potion. Started right after that young man left." She explained, removing her bandages.
Jenna tilted her head. "What young man?"
Madame Pomfrey smiled. "Young man from Slytherin. Malfoy." She sighed. "It would be so nice to see those two stop this silly war between their families."
Jenna was thinking about other things, however. "She started crying after Malfoy left?" She said, perplexed. Madame Pomfrey nodded, and stared down at where Ginny was moving slightly. "Looks like you can ask her yourself." She said, bustling off to another hospital bed.
"Ginny?" Jenna asked, sitting down by her friend's bed.
Ginny's eyes opened. "Jen?" She asked, and her lower lip began to tremble as she recalled what had happened earlier that day.
Jenna nodded and whipped out a bunch of purple roses. "Ta-da! I was hoping these might make you feel better. You gave us an awful shock, not turning up for breakfast like that, and then when we found you…" She shuddered, beginning to arrange them in a vase she'd conjured.
Ginny felt the weight settling in her chest again. "Draco's gone." She said quietly.
Jenna nodded, not really comprehending. "Probably had to go to class. I was surprised when Professor McGonagall let him come with you and Professor Snape."
Ginny shook her head and tugged at her friend's robes. "No, Jen, he's really gone. For good." She croaked, sobs welling up in her raw throat.
Jenna turned to the battered red-head, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "He's done what?" She asked, her amber eyes hardening.
Ginny frowned and bit her lip to try and stop it from quivering. "He left. He didn't- he never- he didn't care for me, Jen. He never even liked me. There were times I could have sworn he almost loved me, but he said…" She trailed off, tears trickling down her face.
Jenna growled. "Bloody tosser! I'll kill him! If I ever get my hands on him, I'll wring his bloody neck." She roared.
Ginny shook her head. "I just can't believe it."
Suddenly Jenna sat up. "I don't believe it." She said softly, to herself.
Ginny wiped a tear from her eye. "What?" She asked.
Jenna snapped back to reality. "Nothing. Look, I have to go back to…the library. Madame Pomfrey said you're free to go back to classes tomorrow if your head doesn't hurt too much, and in that case, I'll see you tomorrow night." She hurried off, giving Ginny a quick peck on the cheek.
Ginny stared up from her bed, lost.
Jenna marched down the stairs. Malfoy should be at dinner now. She thought, storming off in that direction. She entered the Great Hall. Surprisingly enough, Malfoy wasn't sitting in his customary spot. He wasn't at the table at all.
She glanced around. Damnit! Where was he? She threw her shoulders back and whirled off in the direction of the library.
She ignored Madame Pince's annoyed glances as she fumed through the doorway. Glancing around, she scanned the tables. They were mostly empty, save for one in the back, where just the top of a pale blonde head was visible over a book propped up in front of him.
Jenna stomped over to where he was sitting, and flipped the book down flat. Malfoy, startled, glanced up at her.
She was about to start berating him when she noticed his eyes. Though they were now scowling at her coldly, they were still watery and red. She could tell what he'd been doing. She stared openly.
Draco stared right back. "Listen, Werner. I know I'm good looking and all, but do you have to goggle so obviously?" He jeered, then frowned. "So you caught me. Believe me, it's not a regular thing. I haven't…cried…since I was five." He forced, through clenched teeth, not really sure why he was admitting this…to a half-muggle Gryffindor, of all people.
Jenna glared at him with all the intensity and hate she could muster. She drew back her hand, and slapped him across the face.
Draco's head whipped around, and he brought one hand to where hers had left a red mark. "What the hell, Werner?!" He nearly shouted.
Jenna scowled darkly at him. "Like you don't know. You may be a heartless prick who can't feel pain emotionally, but you know what? The rest of us are human. We feel, and with your usual stupidity and ignorance, you chose to hurt a girl who feels more than anyone I know. Why did you, you disgusting piece of filth, want to hurt her so much? What did she, personally ever do to you? You haven't cried since you were five? So what, I'll bet Ginny hasn't cried this much altogether since she was five. I just want to know what makes you think you can do this to people? What makes you so superior that you can dismiss other people's emotions and love with a wave of your over-manicured hand?" She sat down across from him, staring at him with the most determined of looks.
"I'm waiting." She crossed her arms over her chest.
Draco gaped at her, his eyes wide open, and his face pale save for the red mark on his cheek; the lightening remnants of Jenna's fury.
His startled features turned fluidly into enraged ones, his silvery eyes darkening.
"Not that it's really any of your business, Werner, but she just wasn't worth it." He flinched inwardly. Good way to 'turn the other cheek'. He sounded like…his father…a cold, heartless bastard.
To his extreme amazement, she scoffed. "Bullshit Malfoy, and you know it. Now, you're not leaving this library until you tell me why you're sitting in here crying, and she's sitting in her hospital bed, crying." She sat back in her seat, a look of curiosity on her face. This would be worth hearing.
Draco looked at her dubiously. "And who's going to stop me from leaving? You?" He asked, doubtfully.
Jenna simply grinned (albeit a maniacal, wicked one) and pulled her long, slender yew wand from her pocket. "It would be such a pity, Malfoy. You tragically getting in the way of students practicing Engorgement Charms, wrecking that perfect nose you're always sniffing so contemptuously at us Gryfs with." She said, smiling sweetly and flipping her wand around her fingers.
Draco snarled, crossing his arms as well. "If only people knew how conniving and evil you little Gryfs are…there's you, sitting here threatening to blow up my face, and the extraordinarily self-controlled Ronald Weasley, and of course, young Virginia, starting this whole thing just to get back at Potter, who I won't even start on." He growled.
Jenna sneered (his sneer). "Cooperating?"
Draco glanced pointedly at her wand, which sparked lightly. "Like I have much choice?"
Jenna nodded and put her wand down, but still in close range. "Not really."
Draco sighed resignedly. Not much chance of getting out of this one. Why had he let his sentimental side come out, now, over a Weasley?!
"I suppose you won't believe me if I said I don't care about her?" He asked, half-hopefully.
Jenna shook her head menacingly. "Not a chance in hell, Malfoy."
He made a face at her. "How annoyingly perceptive of you, Werner, by the way."
Jenna just glowered.
Flattery wasn't going anywhere. Damn Gryffindors. "How much has dear Virginia told you?" He asked.
Jenna tilted her head. "Not that much. Not that she really had to. She was head over heels for you…until you decided she was a worthless pile of crap. Way to boost her self-esteem, Malfoy. D'you know how long it took me and Ron to get it to how high it was? Being around you helped 'specially after Harry left her. You seemed to make her happy. Not doing much now. Just makes her hate herself even more. Thinks she's not pretty enough or good enough for you."
Draco looked startled. Weasley had self-esteem issues? How could someone so…pure…have problems feeling good about themselves?
"Wait, hang on a tick. She can see the good in everyone else (obviously, since she gave me a chance) but she can't see how…perfect she is?!" He gasped.
Jenna smirked. "That sounds much better, but why couldn't you have told HER that?"
Draco shook his head. "You don't get it, do you? I did it for her, Werner. You really think I'm stupid enough to give up someone like her? I'm not that much of a git, am I? I just can't- I can't let anything happen to her." He felt so lost without her.
Jenna's suspicions were immediately aroused. "Just what, do you expect will happen to her?" She asked icily.
Draco swallowed. "It's a long story."
Jenna held her arms open. "I love long stories, as long as there'd a happy ending."
Draco told her everything. Excluding their more intimate moments, of course. He told her about Weasley's idea, Pansy seeing them, the pug-nosed bitch threatening Weasley, the 'accidents' and finally, the real reason why he'd left Ginny.
Jenna frowned thoughtfully. "Damn you, Ginny." She said to herself. "Why didn't she tell me? I would have waited for her. Stubborn weasel."
Draco's pale thin eyebrows disappeared into the strands of hair brushing wildly across his forehead. "Stubborn what, Werner?" He asked, shocked.
Jenna leered at him. "Don't push it, Malfoy, you're lucky I'm not ripping you to shreds. Sensible, what you did, though I can't say I approve."
Draco shrugged his shoulders weakly. "What, do you want her to get shoved down the stairs again? What else am I supposed to do? And Virginia won't leave me alone unless she thinks I hate her, which is killing me."
Jenna knitted her brow. "Ooh, I'd love to see them get thrown out of school, them and that prat, M-" She broke off, covering her mouth with her hand.
She'd nearly said, 'and that prat, Malfoy'. She had momentarily forgotten who she was talking (almost pleasantly) to. At least they weren't sharing barbs anymore.
Draco simply looked amused. "Which prat? Certainly you weren't thinking of moi?" He blinked repeatedly, looking highly and dramatically affronted.
Jenna had the Gryffindor decency to blush. "Sorry, Malfoy. Forgot you're not the same prick we've had to put up with for the past seven years." She said, guiltily.
He waved it away. "Not that I'm apologizing, really," he said, clearly "but I guess I was rather malicious in my early years." He said, nostalgically.
Jenna straightened. "What d'you think would happen if they got caught in the hospital wing, trying to do something to Ginny?" She asked abruptly.
Draco's jaw hung open. "What?! Are you insane? I want them tossed out as much as you do, maybe more, but what if they actually did something to her?" He looked shocked and amazed that she would even suggest something like that.
"You do care for her." She said, awed. "I didn't think about that…but think about it. It would be so perfect. Or maybe if they got caught trying to do something to Ginny after she's out of the hospital. We could be watching over her, and if a teacher happened to be walking around…" She trailed, eyes gleaming.
Draco shook his head adamantly. "No. I'm not chancing it. For two blubbering idiots and a simpering guttersnipe, they can manage surprisingly well on their own if they're motivated enough."
Jenna frowned. "Then, what are you going to do?"
Draco frowned. "Back on the train, Virginia and I were talking about possibly doing something like…breaking up in front of them. Or having me do something really nasty to Gi-Virginia so they get the same idea. Other than that, there's not much we can do. They've already been punished, thought not nearly as much as I'd like. We'll just have to wait and see."
Jenna nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me. But, then what?"
He shrugged. "We go our separate ways, I guess."
Jenna whipped her head around to glare at him. "What? If they leave her alone, you're still not going to stay with her?" She asked incredulously.
Draco's shoulders slumped. "You weren't in that hospital wing, Werner. Thank the gods, or you'd be blasting me to pieces. Virginia was…upset" (that was an understatement) "and she wouldn't believe me when I said I thought we should split up." He swallowed.
He'd never, in all the times he'd insulted Potter and his friends, ever, caused someone that much pain. The ironic thing was, she was the only person in the world he gave a damn about.
"She told me what I had to say to make her believe me…" He hesitated.
Jenna cocked her head. "Please tell me you didn't say what she told you to say." She said, pleadingly.
Draco shrugged, weakly and guiltily. "Unfortunately." He whispered, as Jenna smacked a hand to her forehead.
"Good going, Malfoy. She'll have a hard time taking you back now."
Draco's head perked up. "What?" He asked, curiously.
Jenna rolled her eyes. "You didn't think she'd welcome you back with open arms, did you? After what you said?"
"After what I said, I wouldn't expect her to even look at me."
Jenna shrugged. "She's a pretty forgiving person. She's even forgiven Harry about that whole mess. Now they're back to being like brother and sister again." She waggled her eyebrows at Draco. "Although that might have something to do with a certain Slytherin blonde than her forgiveness skills." She said, implicatively.
Draco's eyebrows shot up again, making Jenna giggle. "You think…she'd forgive me?" He asked, hating how hopeful he sounded.
Jenna stood. "Not if you don't tell her the truth."
She stared at the pale boy for a moment, her gaze raking up and down him to land on his eyes, which she held a second. "I don't know what she sees in you…as her boy, I mean; you're not too bad of a person. But I do know that she cares about you. A great deal. Talk to her." She said, moving away from the table.
Draco looked down at his knees. Jenna turned around and tapped on the table.
"Oh, and Malfoy? Try not to do anything stupid." She sauntered off, oblivious to the hateful glares Malfoy was shooting her back.
Ginny was sitting up in the hospital bed. It was Friday, early in the morning. Madame Pomfrey had to give her one last inspection before she could be cleared to go.
She stared around her, taking a scrap of comfort at the still-blooming flowers Jenna had placed next to her bed. She hadn't had any visitors save for Ron, Harry, and Hermione sneaking down under Harry's invisibility cloak to see how she was doing. They explained why they'd been thrown out. Luckily, Ginny had already spent her supply of tears (probably for the next few months, too), or she would have made them suspicious.
Hermione had glanced nervously about. Apparently, her appetite for adventure and rule-breaking had been assuaged by becoming a Gryffindor prefect.
They stayed for a while, Hermione passing her an outfit she'd brought along for her to wear the next day, and Ron and Harry shooting her worried glances.
And now Ginny was alone. She hadn't slept much during the night, and had finally decided to wait for dawn instead of trying fruitlessly to find sleep.
She stared down at her hands, which were healing, though still painful.
She sighed as Madame Pomfrey pulled the curtain away from her bed. After a brief examination (what's your name? etc.) Madame Pomfrey removed the bandages and pronounced Ginny free to leave.
Ginny stumbled from her bed and gathered her clothes, walking towards the bathroom with some difficulty. A quick shower relieved her taunt muscles and revived her somewhat. Feeling much better, she stepped from the stall and dressed quickly.
She smiled at Hermione's choice in clothes. She was wearing, once again, an old tee and a beat up, baggy pair of pants. She pulled her hair back and up into a messy ponytail. She smiled weakly at her reflection. No wonder he left. She thought, smiling at her mirror-self pathetically.
She made her way back to the Gryffindor common room. Jenna was sitting on an armchair near the fire, looking anxious. She flung herself at Ginny when she saw her.
Assuring her friend that she was fine, Ginny sat down near the fireplace, too.
"Tired?" Jenna asked.
Ginny grinned artificially. "You've no idea."
The day passed, too slowly for Ginny, who was beginning to feel the lack of sleep.
Her head drooping, she made her way into her last class of the day. She walked straight to her desk and plopped down. She looked up at Professor Snape standing at the front of the Potions class. Something nagged in the back of Ginny's mind, but she didn't know what, and was frankly too exhausted to bother trying to find out.
Shockingly, she made it through the class without blowing anything up. She sat, stirring her Aging Potion sleepily. She glanced around the room, to see if any others were done. Ron, Harry and Hermione were flicking beetle eyes at Crabbe's back and sniggering (at least, Ron and Harry were).
Neville was tentatively adding shredded apllevus to the green mixture in his cauldron. Dean and Colin were glancing at a Quidditch book under their table. Ginny turned her head slightly, and just as quickly turned it back, stifling a gasp.
She'd forgotten, Draco Malfoy was in this class, and was at this moment, staring at Ginny intently. He looked furious! She shook slightly, trying to calm herself. It was scary how wrong she'd been about the cool Slytherin. It didn't help that her stomach flip-flopped every time she saw him, or that she couldn't help but miss his touch.
She stared determinedly at her cauldron, shivers tingling down her spine.
Draco WAS furious. Sitting in the slowly-filling Potions class, he'd looked around hopefully for her. Then she came in. Draco had cringed.
She was one of the most lively people he knew, always helpful, and encouraging, even to him, and occasionally some of the other Slytherins. She was constantly smiling; that soft, sweet smile that called out to him.
She had walked into the class as if dead. Her head was down, her eyes half closed, and blearily dull. She'd shuffled along instead of with her usual bounce. She wasn't wearing the clothes she had at the beginning of school, either. She was back into a tee and baggy pants, her damp hair pulled up into a hasty ponytail.
Her face was drawn, dark circles under her eyes, and the usual rosy tint washed from her pale cheeks.
Draco opened his mouth as she walked toward him, but before he could say anything, she'd walked right past him, not even acknowledging his presence. He sat there for a second, his mouth open, staring at her as she sat down heavily and stared determinedly at the front of the class.
She was avoiding him.