What is Love?
AN: Thanks for the reviews! And I especially thank my beta readers, because they help so much! R/R! Enjoy! Here's my newest story...it involves Ginny and her love problems...I kind of got tired of the HG/DM love thing, because everyone does it AND, I hate leaving Ron left out...so I did this....I hope you enjoy! R/R! By the way, I apologize to Paige and TiNk, because I brought them through hell with this story. Best friends you guys! Love ya!
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters...just the plot! Don't keep making me repeat myself, you'll just make me grovel in embarrassment.
Summary: After Charlie's wedding, Ginny Weasley, 15 years old, is going crazy, desperate for answers. What is love? She had never been kissed, and only had a couple of boyfriends. So how will she know when she finds the one?
Chapter 3: Humiliated Grapes
"Blimey," Ginny heard Draco say as she showed off her scar.
"Why is he staring at me?" She then thought to herself. "Anyway," she said out loud to her spectators, adjusting her shirt on her shoulder to once again hide the scar, "I got it from a broom accident."
At this, Ron turned bright red. "I'm sorry, Gin."
Ginny glared at her brother and continued. "It was Charlie, Fred, and George against Ron, Julie, and I. Ron went to swing at the bludger, and whacked me instead. Luckily, it wasn't that bad, but I was stuck in St. Mungo's for nearly three days!" Ginny looked up and noticed Malfoy was still in their compartment. She rolled her eyes.
Ron looked over at Hermione, knowing she was going to yell, but Hermione just smiled and said, "Well, he did apologize, Gin."
Ginny smiled back at Hermione. She knew Hermione was really starting to like Ron. All she would have to do is to set them up. It was oblivious for the past two years that Ron fancied Hermione, Ginny was just glad that Hermione finally admitted to her feelings.
Ginny smiled and looked up once again. Everyone around her had been caught up in their own conversations. Except for Draco. His silky blonde hair seemed somewhat dim, even with the light of the train. He had been staring at her non-stop since he came in. The site was almost like a romantic comedy.
Everyone seemed to be chattering loudly until Ginevra spotted the boy all the way on the other side of the compartment. It all went silent as he stared lovingly at her with his cool blue eyes. It was love at first sight, and as they reached out for each other... SMACK!
"Ginny get your hand out of my face. You look like an alien in that movie E.T." Hermione then waved her hand in front of Ginny's face. "Hellooo? Anyone in there?"
Ginny was thrust back into the sad cold reality by Hermione's annoying voice. But Ginny couldn't help but think. Did Draco see what she just saw? Better yet, was she falling for Draco?
Just then, a short, slightly stout girl of about sixteen years walked in. She had a pretty face, with very tan skin. Her hair was in a ponytail that reached about mid-back, and she had a huge smile, though the boys would later learn to never get on her bad side. "Hermione?" the girl asked in a sweet, motherly tone. "I'm so glad I've found you."
Ron leaned over and whispered to a snickering Harry, "Hermione has other friends? How does she fit them in with all of her study habits?"
"We were supposed to study together," the newcomer said.
The two boys burst out laughing, only to be met with hard smacks to their heads.
Neville, who had been sitting rather quietly in the room, turned pink when the girl walked in. And as she went around the room introducing herself to everyone, she stopped for an extra long time in front of Neville.
"Hi," she said in an almost-shy tone. "I'm Patricia. But you can call me Trish." She held out her hand for him to either shake it or kiss it, but he did neither.
Instead, Neville kept his hands deep inside his pockets. In an undertone, Patricia barely heard him say, "Neville." Little did Trish know that Neville's hands were shaking uncontrollably. He had never been so afraid in his life, even with his encounters with his potions master, Professor Snape.
After everyone settled once again into their own conversations, Ginny found that Malfoy was still staring at her! It wasn't a blatant stare, but more of an absent dazed stare. She began to get a little uneasy, and squirmed in her seat, though she didn't know why. All Ginny knew for sure, was that she would have to get him alone so they could talk.
Running through all possible ideas in her head, Ginny finally came up with one when Harry spoke out. "Oi!" he said, "What's Malfoy still doing here? Did you get lost on your way to your own compartment?" He began to snicker. "Heh, heh, heh, you little Mamma's boy. Eh Ron?"
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Why don't we show Blondie here, the way back to his private compartment?"
Suddenly, as if snapped back into reality, Crabbe and Goyle got up and began to protect Malfoy. Then Ginny said with a snicker, "Eh hem, do you mind if I have the honors? I did it once, and I would love to do it again." Nobody realized it then, but there was something suspicious about the way she said "love". Without waiting for an answer, Ginny took out her wand and held it steadily at Draco. "Move it," was all she had to say, for he was taken aback by her supremacy.
When the four of them made it to Draco's private compartment, Ginny's face and tone immediately softened. "We need to talk."
Malfoy smirked and turned to his companions. "Vinnie, Greg, may I have a minute?" Being the bimbo's that they were, Crabbe and Goyle got confused. Gregory, the slightly smarter one, began to head for the door to leave Draco and Ginny alone. But Vincent began to head closer to Draco thinking that he wanted to talk to them while Ginny waited outside. At the end of the commotion, a very much-bruised Crabbe and Goyle waited outside the compartment patiently all the while, looking for food.
"What is it you wanted to discuss?" Draco asked tilting his head to the side a bit, causing a strand of hair to fall into his face.
Ginny made to brush it away but caught herself in time. She turned around with a sigh, "So, what's up?"
Malfoy was startled at first, because he wasn't expecting anything so casual. His usual swift remarks became jumbled, and confused, so all he could spit out was, "Nothing." Then returning back to his normal self, he added in a casual James Bond-type tone, "I heard you needed to speak with me."
"Talking to Draco is going to be a lot harder than I thought." It was awkward for her to try to have a normal conversation with a well-hated family friend. It was actually paining her, because she wanted to hate him, and rip out his guts, but she couldn't. Ginny was stuck with these feelings she had that were deep inside of her that kept saying, "You like him, you like him..." Just taunting her over and over again. "Erm, no...not that I know of. You must be thinking of that blonde bloke in the next compartment over." Ginny was now back to her feisty self.
Malfoy sneered and grabbed a chair. He was tired of standing up, and decided to stare at his feet. Ginny followed suit, and grabbed the other surprisingly soft, velvet chair. "What's the matter?" She asked him as she sat down. They'd both been quiet for some time.
Looking up, he said, "Ah, it's nothing." He had kind of a gloomy way about him that made Ginny worry.
"Honestly, Draco, what's wrong?"
Getting up from his chair, Malfoy ran his fingers through his gelled hair. He didn't feel guilty doing it this time, because he didn't put as much gel in it as he usually did. The teen was debating whether to tell her the news.
"If you don't want me to know, Draco, I'll—."
"My birthday is coming up, and my father told me that for my sixteenth birthday..." He paused because he knew he didn't want to tell anyone, let alone a "Weasel". "No one can know this," he said fiercely, and Ginny flinched at his tone.
"Ok," Ginny smiled, "I promise."
Taking a deep breath, the Malfoy continued, "He wants me to join...the Death Eaters." Ginny gasped, and he added, "It's not that bad, really. I mean, the Death Eaters aren't bad. You just have to kind of think of it through their perspective. Muggles don't believe in us, they don't like us. So, it's better to separate our worlds. They only make it harder for us to live..."
Aghast, Ginny said, "Yeah, and like your father is making it any better by killing wizards off."
"I'm not saying I support them," Draco said defensively, standing up.
"Yeah, but you agree with what they're doing!" Ginny shot back.
"No, I'm not! I'm saying that...I'm saying that...Blimey! What am I saying?" Draco grabbed his hair, and sat back down in the chair. He was having a hard time understanding what he was thinking, and whose side he was on.
Ginny kneeled next to him, and rubbed his leg. It wasn't meant to be a sexual move, but Draco tensed up anyway. "It's ok," she said sympathetically to him. "It's got to be hard to have three-fourths of the school against you...three-fourths of the wizarding world against you, and your father pressuring you. I can't imagine what it would be like to have my father put me in a position like that. I'd probably get pregnant just to get myself disowned!" Ginny was the only one who laughed at this, though uneasily, and removed her hand from Draco's leg immediately.
After a while, the two became hungry, so Draco called the cart lady (his dad paid the cart lady extra to give him whatever he wanted.) for some food. As they picked a comfy spot out on the floor, the cart lady gave Ginny some tapioca, and Draco a chocolate milkshake. Ginny's tapioca had raisins in it, and she began to pick them out.
"You don't like raisins?" Draco asked.
"Not really."
"Why not?" He was curious and she could tell.
"They used to be fat and juicy, and now they're twisted...like they had their lives stolen." She really thought about it and added, "Well, they taste sweet, but really...they're just humiliated grapes. I can't say I'm a big supporter of the Raisin Consul." Ginny smiled at her own analogies.
"Did you see those raisins in the Daily Prophet? The ones that sing and dance and stuff?" Draco asked pensively.
"They scare me."
"Yeah. Me too."
"It's sick. The commercial people make them sing and dance so people will eat them." Ginny said as she picked out the last of the raisins.
"Cannibals."
"It's a shame about raisins."
"Yeah..." There was a long pause, and then Draco asked, "Do you like avocadoes?"
Then, in an as-a-matter-of-factly tone, Ginny added, "They're a fruit you know."
"Ruthie?" He called to the cart lady, "You got any avocadoes?"
Ginny found that she rather liked Draco, and wondered why she hadn't. He was smart, opinionative, and a good listener. The thing was, she didn't have an actual crush on him. She felt like he was a really good friend; a lifelong friend. Their relationship seemed special...somehow different from the rest.
"...and that's how I learned to milk a goat." Draco chuckled, making Ginny giggle even more. Then glancing out the window, he added, "Blimey, it's late! We'd better get you back to the compartment. Your brother will be looking for you." Because they were sitting on the floor, Draco got up first, and then helped Ginny.
As they opened the door, they found Crabbe and Goyle asleep at their guard stations. Draco nudged them with his foot, and said, "Oy, you pigs, get up!" As the two boys were thrust back into reality, Ron and Harry came vigorously over to them.
Flaming, Ron yelled, "Were you with this bloke the whole time?"
"That's none of your business," Ginny replied just as intensely. Fifteen years surrounded by boys did her some good.
Then Harry piped in, "As long as the two of you weren't snogging, I'm fine."
Draco got uptight, and said defensively, "Why would I want to go and snog a Weasel?"
"The same reason why you would want to go and snog Parkinson!" Ginny snapped back. She then smirked and added, "to get in their pants."
"Whoa, Ginny," Harry chuckled. "Now let's not get too hasty."
She rolled her eyes just in time for Draco to say, "Trust me, no one would ever want to get into your pants, so you won't have to worry."
"Hey! There is nothing wrong with my sister's...knickers," Ron said uncertainly. He was clearly uncomfortable with this subject.
"What's going on here?" It was Hermione, and when Ginny saw her, she got even more upset, and ran for the nearest bathroom.
"See what you did?" Ron said to whoever was listening, and ran after her.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Hermione asked as she followed Ron, clearly annoyed.
No one knew, but Ginny had found herself in a private enclosed compartment, and stayed until it was time to get off the train. As everyone was getting off, Ron spotted Ginny, but Hermione decided it was best not to disturb her. She needed time to herself. Although to their surprise, Ginny joined them in the short carriage ride from the train to the beautiful candle-lit castle. And before they knew it, the time had come for the sorting to begin.
All grew silent as the hat was placed on the head of the first student, Lorelai Richardson. "RAVENCLAW!" The hat cried out after much anticipation.
The Ravenclaw table cheered out the loudest as Lorelai took a seat next to what appeared to be her brother. He smiled over at Ginny, and she waved.
Ron made to comment on it, but Hermione held him back. There is no way Ginny would have explained.
Sensing this, Ginny said with a huff, "Tyler is just a friend."
"I don't care," Ron said turning slightly pink. Hermione smiled at his embarrassment.
AN: So, that was my chapter. Sorry it took soooo long to post it. School is driving me crazy! Please review...and I will update faster, I swear. Also, I am in the need of some more beta readers, so just email me if you would like to be my beta. Thanks for reading!
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