AN: Thanks for all the reviews. I love you guys! I'm glad you're all enjoying this and stuff. Doll head – Thanks for your total of sixteen reviews. Appreciate them and glad you finally gave me that 'POP' but anyway, I'm surprised you say that it's the 'rip-off' of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, and I quote because truth is, I've never seen How to Lose a Guy in Ten days and it's just a coincidence that it's so alike. And as for the 'How to' thing that I kept naming my chapters, it's only because the story is How to Get into a Girl's Pants and so I decided to write it like that, NOT because I copied it off of that one movie or anything of the sort. Thanks for everyone's reviews. Love you all. Lemon. .
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Chapter Seventeen
How to Deal with Blaise – Ginny Weasley
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A ball of fire began to rise over the horizon beyond the lake, eating away any traces of darkness and the nightmares that plagued a young redhead's sleeping hours. Early birds were upon the ground, digging into the dewy dirt for an early breakfast before the occupants of Hogwarts were up and their chirps woke the redhead from a night of horror, sweat pouring down her face.
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.
She hated nightmares. For countless months after the Tom Riddle incident, she was overwhelmed with nightmares after nightmares, unable to rid her self of the effect that he had on her. Even now, his very name scared her beyond belief. That was how strong Tom's hold over her had been. That was how much he had haunted her, scaring her until she thought she would go mad.
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.
Of course it was starting to wear off. She was a normal girl, living a normal life, but that doesn't mean that the past didn't scare her. That doesn't mean that she wasn't still afraid, scared that those days of torture might return.
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.
Ginny threw the curtains that shielded her from watchful eyes apart and slid off her bed. The cold, stone floor of the chamber chilled her tiny feet and sent goose bumps up her arm, raising the hair on the back of her neck. She's woken up many mornings like this, forgetting the comfort of her slippers that Hermione gave her from Christmas, who learned the discomfort she had with the floor. .
.
Another day in the body of Ginevra Weasley, youngest and only girl in a family of six boys. She could hardly wait. Whether asleep or awake, she was still in a nightmare.
.
.
A warm shower washed away any evidence of the night's effect on her and she grabbed the robe hanging on her bed from last night. She pulled her wet hair into a bun and then she was off, down towards the common room.
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Harry was waiting for her. He was seated against a stonewall, his head lolling and his eyes fighting against sleep. The bags underneath his eyes told her that he hadn't gotten much sleep last night.
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"Harry?" Ginny asked, peering down at him with concern.
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He blinked a few times before his eyes focused on her. "Ginny, I have to tell you something," he said, trying to stand up in vain.
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"It's okay," she whispered, holding him down with a hand. "You can tell me later. What's important right now is getting you down to the Hospital Wing. Come on," she said, helping him up.
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Harry let her pull him up and rested most of his weight on her. Together, they limped down to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey put Harry to bed, diagnosing him with a cold.
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"Ginny? Harry?" a girl's voice asked from the next bed over.
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The redhead looked up in surprise to find Hermione peering at them through two white curtains that were supposed to give the patient their privacy. "Hermione?' Ginny asked, standing up from where she had been sitting beside Harry's bed. "What are you doing in here?"
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Hermione's eyes were blazoned with anger for a second there. "Your brother could have been killed," she answered, her voice filled with anger. "Malfoy's push had injured him more than we thought."
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.
For the first time, Ginny finally realized that her brother might have been badly hurt. "I wasn't thinking," Ginny said as a way to explain why she wasn't by her brother's side. "Malfoy didn't have anyone to tend to his wounds and he didn't even start that fight. I care about Ron, but sometimes, he needs to learn himself."
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Hermione's clenched fists were loosened and she slumped into her seat, staring exhaustedly at Ginny. "I'm so tired," she admitted. "I hate this whole Ron and Malfoy thing. They don't like each other, but they have got to accept the fact that if either of them want you in their lives, they would have to learn to get along."
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Ginny smiled and looked down at Harry's sleeping form. "Well, that's too much to ask for," she answered. "At least for now anyway. How is Ron doing?"
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The older girl shrugged, placing a gentle hand on Ron's forehead. "He hasn't awoken ever since I brought him in the other night. Madam Pomfrey says he'll be fine after he gets a little rest, but she's not sure herself when he'll wake up. What's wrong with Harry?"
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The redhead shrugged, looking down at Harry with furrowed eyebrows. "I honestly don't know," she answered hesitantly. "I woke up this morning to find him leaning against the stonewall, barely alive."
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Hermione looked sadly over at Harry and gave Ginny a reassuring smile. "What happened to you and Malfoy the other night anyway? Did you two make up last night?"
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What happened last night flashed behind Ginny's eyes and she winced. It wasn't something she was proud of doing, but she had been so angry with him. He thought he could use her for something as stupid as rebelling and she'd be happy with it? What was he? Mad? She wanted him to hurt, she wanted to cut him up and rub salt against his wounds at the same time that she wanted to hold him against her.
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"I wish I knew," she whispered, staring at her hands. "Merlin's Beard, I wish I knew a lot of things, but I don't. Hermione, how does a person get so confused in the matters of a week or so? I've barely known Malfoy for that long and yet, I can't stop thinking about him at the same time that I don't want to. Why does everyone have to make this so hard on me?"
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Hermione tucked a strand of loose brown hair behind her ears. "It's so easy to get confused," she answered. "One moment, it may seem like the whole world will bend at your will and another, you'll be the one bending at its will. As much as it seems that Ron is against your everything, he just wants what's best for you and so do we. What's really confusing you now is yourself, not the people around you. You can't make up your mind and so you want to blame it on someone else, but you can't escape the fact that you're to blame.
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"Ginny, I'm not saying that this is your entire fault because it's not. You just have to choose between what you think is best for everyone else and what you want and they are two different things in the forms of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter; Draco being what you want and Harry being what everyone else wants."
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Ginny chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the older girl. So now it was her fault. Everything got so complicated because Ginny couldn't make up her mind. Hermione was such a bloody good friend; just great! "Harry doesn't even like me!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in surrender.
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Madam Pomfrey's head popped out from her office and she eyed Ginny dangerously. The redhead lowered her voice and looked away.
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"You've been just like Ron for the past months," Hermione informed Ginny. "Oblivious to the people around you."
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Ginny's face was darkened with a frown. "I have not been oblivious to the things around me," she argued. "I know perfectly well what is going on. For one thing, I didn't miss the fact that you're obviously drooling head over heels for that brother of mine who doesn't even appreciate you. He's going around, lip-locking with some Hufflepuff while-"
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The glittering behind the older girl's eyes stopped Ginny and she sighed, hating herself. What had she become? She used to be so understanding and now, she was everything that she had despised. She had turned into that monster she's feared of for so many years.
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"I'm so sorry," she apologized, going around towards Hermione. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I was just so angry and confused and I hate myself because this is all my fault. You're right. If I would only make up my mind, no one would be in this situation right now. I just can't seem to choose between what I want and what the world wants."
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"What's more important to you?" Hermione asked, letting Ginny take her into a friendly hug.
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It took Ginny a moment to decide. "What I want," she answered at last.
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Hermione's face was filled with admiration. She nodded and looked at Harry. "I'll look after them both," she said. "Don't you worry. Go find him and tell him what you really feel; what you really want."
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Ginny's grin could have outshined the sun. She turned and ran out of there in search of Draco, not wanting to wait for another moment longer. The corridors and the way down to the Great Hall seemed longer than ever before, but that wasn't going to stop her from getting there. She'd reach him and she would tell him no matter what it took.
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The buzz of students talking was a good sign that Ginny was almost upon the Great Hall. He'd be in there. He'd be sandwiched between Crabbe and Goyle and they were the easiest to spot at the Slytherin table.
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Ginny's excitement didn't die down when she was at the door, searching for his face. She would find blonde hair and piercing gray eyes that would look upon her immediately. He would look away, of course, but he would still have looked at her.
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What she hadn't expected though, was to find that he wasn't in there nor were Crabbe and Goyle. Ginny's eager face was suddenly replaced by confusion. Where were they? She knew they would have been to breakfast by now. It was Crabbe and Goyle for Merlin's Beard!
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"He isn't here anymore," a feminine voice drawled.
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Ginny turned around to find Blaise standing behind her with Pansy. "Draco, I meant," Blaise continued on. "He's not here anymore. Didn't he tell you? His father sent him a letter, requesting for him to return home this instant and he's gone. Has been ever since this morning."
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Ginny's heart shattered into pieces that could not be repaired. He went home? For what? Was that what he had wanted to tell her yesterday; what he had wanted her to forgive him for?
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"No," Ginny shook her head. "He can't have gone already."
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The triumph smirk on the other girl's face made Ginny so angry. This was the girl who messed up Ginny's life as well, but Ginny owed everything to her. If she hadn't of done anything then Ginny never would have gotten to know Draco and she never would have fallen in love with him.
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"When will he be returning?" Ginny asked.
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"He's not ever going to come back," Blaise said.
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The tears were gathering in her eyes and even though she tried to fight it, it was useless. Ginny walked past both of the Slytherin girls, trying not to let the tears slip. She would not let them see her cry. She couldn't let them.
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"Weasley," Pansy called after her.
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Ginny didn't even bother to turn around. She continued to walk down the corridor, holding back the tears.
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"He just left," Pansy said. "Draco's only been gone for maybe five minutes or so. If you want to catch up to him, you'd better hurry."
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The redhead looked at the other girl in confusion. Was this some trick?
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"What are you doing, Parkinson?" Blaise asked coldly, confronting the other girl.
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Pansy's face was set and the cold in her eyes scared Ginny. "I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago," she answered and then to the redhead's surprise, Pansy punched the other girl in the face, sending her flying into the wall.
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Ginny's mouth was opened in shock, unsure of what to do. She wanted to run after Draco, but she didn't know if she could trust Pansy. "That was amazing," Pansy said, staring at Ginny with a grin on her face that has never been there ever before. "Now go get him before you lose everything."
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That was all it took. Ginny gave the older girl a thankful grin and ran out of the double doors, heading towards Hogsmeade. The breezy air hit her face and she smiled against it, hope rising within. She would find him and she would tell him that she was sorry. She would tell him that she loved him and that they belonged together.
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Ginny wasn't sure what Draco's response in return would be, but she hoped it was something good. She hoped that he would take her into his arms and tell her that he loved her as well and that the past had been a mistake.
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The train was beginning to leave the platform as Ginny reached it. She searched for him, looking at every face to make sure that she wouldn't miss him. She had to tell him. Draco had to know how she felt.
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But she never saw him.
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On her way back to Hogwarts, Ginny's hands were getting chilly. She tucked them into the pockets of her robe and was surprised to find something in there. It was a crumbled piece of parchment, the same one that she picked up last night after running away from Draco.
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Ginny made to toss the parchment away, but stopped in mid-motion when she saw Draco's name. Stopping in her tracks, Ginny desperately opened the parchment and read it once over before looking up towards Hogwarts. She's just made the biggest mistake of her life.
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And then she ran towards Hogwarts.
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#############
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Draco,
You are to return home this instance. Your actions are shameful! You have disgraced the name of all Malfoys and I do not even wish to claim you as my son. I have sent an owl to Dumbledore and you will be on the first train home the first thing tomorrow morning.
Lucius
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"That's a bit harsh don't you think?" Hermione asked, handing the parchment back to Ginny. "What has he found out about Draco that will 'shame all Malfoys'?"
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It was obvious to Ginny what Lucius knew. The only problem she had was how he got to knowing it. Could it be that someone snitched and told him about Draco? It could have been. They were Slytherins after all.
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"What Draco has been doing, isn't it obvious?" Ginny asked, standing up from her chair beside Harry's bed. "It makes me so angry. Who does he think he is? He's controlling Draco's life as if it's his own!"
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"Don't you understand it, Ginny?" Hermione asked, cocking her head to the side and staring down at Ron. "Lucius Malfoy is treating Draco as Lucius' father treated him."
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Ginny frowned, clenching her fist in anger. "So he had a bad childhood, what gives him the permission to treat his son the same way?" Ginny bit out bitterly. "It's not fair."
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Hermione shook her head and ran her hand lovingly across Ron's forehead. Ginny smiled lightly, dazed by their love. It was amazing how she could still love him after all he's done to her.
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"What happened to you and Ron anyway?" Ginny asked, wondering for the first time. She never thought about it before, but honestly, what did happen between them?
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The older girl looked at Ginny and shared the same light smile. Her eyes were unfocused, dazed by their love as well. "He told me that he loved me," Hermione said. "After you left with Draco, he actually wondered why I could love him when it could be that he would never love me back and then he told me he loved me before he fainted. I never got to tell him how I felt."
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"So do you still love him?" Ginny asked out of curiosity.
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Hermione grinned and nodded. "Of course," she answered.
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Silence reign in the Hospital Wing and Ginny found herself thinking. Ron asked her why she would love a man who could never love her back and truth is, she didn't know an answer to that. It wasn't because Draco didn't love her because she was sure he did, they just couldn't be together.
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"Hermione," Ginny asked after a while. The older girl looked up. "Would you ever love someone who's all wrong for you? I mean, would you ever love someone who you could possibly never end up with?"
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The brunette took a while to think about it. Finally, she looked at Ginny and shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "But I don't think it would really matter much. Ron is completely wrong for me. He's everything that I despise and yet, I can't stop loving him, just like you can't stop loving Draco."
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Ginny's never been so confused. She looked down at Harry and gently brushed away hair that was falling into his closed eyes. What would she do if Draco returned? She would still tell him, of course, but what if his father brainwashed him to hate her? Things were getting more complicated by the second and Ginny hated it. She wished she lived in a perfect world where nothing could go wrong, but that place didn't exist, did it?
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"I wish my life was as simple as yours," Ginny said, standing up. "At least I would know that he loves me and we could still possibly end up together."
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Hermione frowned and watched Ginny walk away. Before the redhead reached the door, the older girl called out, "My life isn't all that simple, Ginny. You'd be surprised how hard it was before it got here."
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Ginny smiled and waved before she went out.
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Chapter Seventeen
How to Deal with Blaise – Ginny Weasley
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.
A ball of fire began to rise over the horizon beyond the lake, eating away any traces of darkness and the nightmares that plagued a young redhead's sleeping hours. Early birds were upon the ground, digging into the dewy dirt for an early breakfast before the occupants of Hogwarts were up and their chirps woke the redhead from a night of horror, sweat pouring down her face.
.
.
She hated nightmares. For countless months after the Tom Riddle incident, she was overwhelmed with nightmares after nightmares, unable to rid her self of the effect that he had on her. Even now, his very name scared her beyond belief. That was how strong Tom's hold over her had been. That was how much he had haunted her, scaring her until she thought she would go mad.
.
.
Of course it was starting to wear off. She was a normal girl, living a normal life, but that doesn't mean that the past didn't scare her. That doesn't mean that she wasn't still afraid, scared that those days of torture might return.
.
.
Ginny threw the curtains that shielded her from watchful eyes apart and slid off her bed. The cold, stone floor of the chamber chilled her tiny feet and sent goose bumps up her arm, raising the hair on the back of her neck. She's woken up many mornings like this, forgetting the comfort of her slippers that Hermione gave her from Christmas, who learned the discomfort she had with the floor. .
.
Another day in the body of Ginevra Weasley, youngest and only girl in a family of six boys. She could hardly wait. Whether asleep or awake, she was still in a nightmare.
.
.
A warm shower washed away any evidence of the night's effect on her and she grabbed the robe hanging on her bed from last night. She pulled her wet hair into a bun and then she was off, down towards the common room.
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Harry was waiting for her. He was seated against a stonewall, his head lolling and his eyes fighting against sleep. The bags underneath his eyes told her that he hadn't gotten much sleep last night.
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"Harry?" Ginny asked, peering down at him with concern.
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He blinked a few times before his eyes focused on her. "Ginny, I have to tell you something," he said, trying to stand up in vain.
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"It's okay," she whispered, holding him down with a hand. "You can tell me later. What's important right now is getting you down to the Hospital Wing. Come on," she said, helping him up.
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Harry let her pull him up and rested most of his weight on her. Together, they limped down to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey put Harry to bed, diagnosing him with a cold.
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"Ginny? Harry?" a girl's voice asked from the next bed over.
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The redhead looked up in surprise to find Hermione peering at them through two white curtains that were supposed to give the patient their privacy. "Hermione?' Ginny asked, standing up from where she had been sitting beside Harry's bed. "What are you doing in here?"
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Hermione's eyes were blazoned with anger for a second there. "Your brother could have been killed," she answered, her voice filled with anger. "Malfoy's push had injured him more than we thought."
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.
For the first time, Ginny finally realized that her brother might have been badly hurt. "I wasn't thinking," Ginny said as a way to explain why she wasn't by her brother's side. "Malfoy didn't have anyone to tend to his wounds and he didn't even start that fight. I care about Ron, but sometimes, he needs to learn himself."
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Hermione's clenched fists were loosened and she slumped into her seat, staring exhaustedly at Ginny. "I'm so tired," she admitted. "I hate this whole Ron and Malfoy thing. They don't like each other, but they have got to accept the fact that if either of them want you in their lives, they would have to learn to get along."
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Ginny smiled and looked down at Harry's sleeping form. "Well, that's too much to ask for," she answered. "At least for now anyway. How is Ron doing?"
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The older girl shrugged, placing a gentle hand on Ron's forehead. "He hasn't awoken ever since I brought him in the other night. Madam Pomfrey says he'll be fine after he gets a little rest, but she's not sure herself when he'll wake up. What's wrong with Harry?"
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The redhead shrugged, looking down at Harry with furrowed eyebrows. "I honestly don't know," she answered hesitantly. "I woke up this morning to find him leaning against the stonewall, barely alive."
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Hermione looked sadly over at Harry and gave Ginny a reassuring smile. "What happened to you and Malfoy the other night anyway? Did you two make up last night?"
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What happened last night flashed behind Ginny's eyes and she winced. It wasn't something she was proud of doing, but she had been so angry with him. He thought he could use her for something as stupid as rebelling and she'd be happy with it? What was he? Mad? She wanted him to hurt, she wanted to cut him up and rub salt against his wounds at the same time that she wanted to hold him against her.
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"I wish I knew," she whispered, staring at her hands. "Merlin's Beard, I wish I knew a lot of things, but I don't. Hermione, how does a person get so confused in the matters of a week or so? I've barely known Malfoy for that long and yet, I can't stop thinking about him at the same time that I don't want to. Why does everyone have to make this so hard on me?"
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Hermione tucked a strand of loose brown hair behind her ears. "It's so easy to get confused," she answered. "One moment, it may seem like the whole world will bend at your will and another, you'll be the one bending at its will. As much as it seems that Ron is against your everything, he just wants what's best for you and so do we. What's really confusing you now is yourself, not the people around you. You can't make up your mind and so you want to blame it on someone else, but you can't escape the fact that you're to blame.
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"Ginny, I'm not saying that this is your entire fault because it's not. You just have to choose between what you think is best for everyone else and what you want and they are two different things in the forms of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter; Draco being what you want and Harry being what everyone else wants."
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Ginny chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the older girl. So now it was her fault. Everything got so complicated because Ginny couldn't make up her mind. Hermione was such a bloody good friend; just great! "Harry doesn't even like me!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in surrender.
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Madam Pomfrey's head popped out from her office and she eyed Ginny dangerously. The redhead lowered her voice and looked away.
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"You've been just like Ron for the past months," Hermione informed Ginny. "Oblivious to the people around you."
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Ginny's face was darkened with a frown. "I have not been oblivious to the things around me," she argued. "I know perfectly well what is going on. For one thing, I didn't miss the fact that you're obviously drooling head over heels for that brother of mine who doesn't even appreciate you. He's going around, lip-locking with some Hufflepuff while-"
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The glittering behind the older girl's eyes stopped Ginny and she sighed, hating herself. What had she become? She used to be so understanding and now, she was everything that she had despised. She had turned into that monster she's feared of for so many years.
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"I'm so sorry," she apologized, going around towards Hermione. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I was just so angry and confused and I hate myself because this is all my fault. You're right. If I would only make up my mind, no one would be in this situation right now. I just can't seem to choose between what I want and what the world wants."
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"What's more important to you?" Hermione asked, letting Ginny take her into a friendly hug.
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It took Ginny a moment to decide. "What I want," she answered at last.
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Hermione's face was filled with admiration. She nodded and looked at Harry. "I'll look after them both," she said. "Don't you worry. Go find him and tell him what you really feel; what you really want."
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Ginny's grin could have outshined the sun. She turned and ran out of there in search of Draco, not wanting to wait for another moment longer. The corridors and the way down to the Great Hall seemed longer than ever before, but that wasn't going to stop her from getting there. She'd reach him and she would tell him no matter what it took.
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.
The buzz of students talking was a good sign that Ginny was almost upon the Great Hall. He'd be in there. He'd be sandwiched between Crabbe and Goyle and they were the easiest to spot at the Slytherin table.
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Ginny's excitement didn't die down when she was at the door, searching for his face. She would find blonde hair and piercing gray eyes that would look upon her immediately. He would look away, of course, but he would still have looked at her.
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What she hadn't expected though, was to find that he wasn't in there nor were Crabbe and Goyle. Ginny's eager face was suddenly replaced by confusion. Where were they? She knew they would have been to breakfast by now. It was Crabbe and Goyle for Merlin's Beard!
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"He isn't here anymore," a feminine voice drawled.
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Ginny turned around to find Blaise standing behind her with Pansy. "Draco, I meant," Blaise continued on. "He's not here anymore. Didn't he tell you? His father sent him a letter, requesting for him to return home this instant and he's gone. Has been ever since this morning."
.
.
Ginny's heart shattered into pieces that could not be repaired. He went home? For what? Was that what he had wanted to tell her yesterday; what he had wanted her to forgive him for?
.
.
"No," Ginny shook her head. "He can't have gone already."
.
.
The triumph smirk on the other girl's face made Ginny so angry. This was the girl who messed up Ginny's life as well, but Ginny owed everything to her. If she hadn't of done anything then Ginny never would have gotten to know Draco and she never would have fallen in love with him.
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"When will he be returning?" Ginny asked.
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"He's not ever going to come back," Blaise said.
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The tears were gathering in her eyes and even though she tried to fight it, it was useless. Ginny walked past both of the Slytherin girls, trying not to let the tears slip. She would not let them see her cry. She couldn't let them.
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"Weasley," Pansy called after her.
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Ginny didn't even bother to turn around. She continued to walk down the corridor, holding back the tears.
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.
"He just left," Pansy said. "Draco's only been gone for maybe five minutes or so. If you want to catch up to him, you'd better hurry."
.
.
The redhead looked at the other girl in confusion. Was this some trick?
.
.
"What are you doing, Parkinson?" Blaise asked coldly, confronting the other girl.
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.
Pansy's face was set and the cold in her eyes scared Ginny. "I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago," she answered and then to the redhead's surprise, Pansy punched the other girl in the face, sending her flying into the wall.
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.
Ginny's mouth was opened in shock, unsure of what to do. She wanted to run after Draco, but she didn't know if she could trust Pansy. "That was amazing," Pansy said, staring at Ginny with a grin on her face that has never been there ever before. "Now go get him before you lose everything."
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.
That was all it took. Ginny gave the older girl a thankful grin and ran out of the double doors, heading towards Hogsmeade. The breezy air hit her face and she smiled against it, hope rising within. She would find him and she would tell him that she was sorry. She would tell him that she loved him and that they belonged together.
.
.
Ginny wasn't sure what Draco's response in return would be, but she hoped it was something good. She hoped that he would take her into his arms and tell her that he loved her as well and that the past had been a mistake.
.
.
The train was beginning to leave the platform as Ginny reached it. She searched for him, looking at every face to make sure that she wouldn't miss him. She had to tell him. Draco had to know how she felt.
.
.
But she never saw him.
.
.
On her way back to Hogwarts, Ginny's hands were getting chilly. She tucked them into the pockets of her robe and was surprised to find something in there. It was a crumbled piece of parchment, the same one that she picked up last night after running away from Draco.
.
.
Ginny made to toss the parchment away, but stopped in mid-motion when she saw Draco's name. Stopping in her tracks, Ginny desperately opened the parchment and read it once over before looking up towards Hogwarts. She's just made the biggest mistake of her life.
.
.
And then she ran towards Hogwarts.
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#############
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Draco,
You are to return home this instance. Your actions are shameful! You have disgraced the name of all Malfoys and I do not even wish to claim you as my son. I have sent an owl to Dumbledore and you will be on the first train home the first thing tomorrow morning.
Lucius
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"That's a bit harsh don't you think?" Hermione asked, handing the parchment back to Ginny. "What has he found out about Draco that will 'shame all Malfoys'?"
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It was obvious to Ginny what Lucius knew. The only problem she had was how he got to knowing it. Could it be that someone snitched and told him about Draco? It could have been. They were Slytherins after all.
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"What Draco has been doing, isn't it obvious?" Ginny asked, standing up from her chair beside Harry's bed. "It makes me so angry. Who does he think he is? He's controlling Draco's life as if it's his own!"
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"Don't you understand it, Ginny?" Hermione asked, cocking her head to the side and staring down at Ron. "Lucius Malfoy is treating Draco as Lucius' father treated him."
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Ginny frowned, clenching her fist in anger. "So he had a bad childhood, what gives him the permission to treat his son the same way?" Ginny bit out bitterly. "It's not fair."
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Hermione shook her head and ran her hand lovingly across Ron's forehead. Ginny smiled lightly, dazed by their love. It was amazing how she could still love him after all he's done to her.
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"What happened to you and Ron anyway?" Ginny asked, wondering for the first time. She never thought about it before, but honestly, what did happen between them?
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The older girl looked at Ginny and shared the same light smile. Her eyes were unfocused, dazed by their love as well. "He told me that he loved me," Hermione said. "After you left with Draco, he actually wondered why I could love him when it could be that he would never love me back and then he told me he loved me before he fainted. I never got to tell him how I felt."
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"So do you still love him?" Ginny asked out of curiosity.
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Hermione grinned and nodded. "Of course," she answered.
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Silence reign in the Hospital Wing and Ginny found herself thinking. Ron asked her why she would love a man who could never love her back and truth is, she didn't know an answer to that. It wasn't because Draco didn't love her because she was sure he did, they just couldn't be together.
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"Hermione," Ginny asked after a while. The older girl looked up. "Would you ever love someone who's all wrong for you? I mean, would you ever love someone who you could possibly never end up with?"
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The brunette took a while to think about it. Finally, she looked at Ginny and shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "But I don't think it would really matter much. Ron is completely wrong for me. He's everything that I despise and yet, I can't stop loving him, just like you can't stop loving Draco."
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Ginny's never been so confused. She looked down at Harry and gently brushed away hair that was falling into his closed eyes. What would she do if Draco returned? She would still tell him, of course, but what if his father brainwashed him to hate her? Things were getting more complicated by the second and Ginny hated it. She wished she lived in a perfect world where nothing could go wrong, but that place didn't exist, did it?
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"I wish my life was as simple as yours," Ginny said, standing up. "At least I would know that he loves me and we could still possibly end up together."
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Hermione frowned and watched Ginny walk away. Before the redhead reached the door, the older girl called out, "My life isn't all that simple, Ginny. You'd be surprised how hard it was before it got here."
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Ginny smiled and waved before she went out.