2. Don't Know Why


I waited 'til I saw the sun
I don't know why I didn't come
I left you by the house of fun

I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come

When I saw the break of day
I wished that I could fly away
Instead of kneeling in the sand
Catching teardrops in my hand

My heart is drenched in wine
But you'll be on my mind
Forever

Out across the endless sea
I would die in ecstacy
But I'll be a bag of bones
Driving down the road alone

My heart is drenched in wine
But you'll be on my mind

Forever

Something has to make you run
I don't know why I didn't come
I feel as empty as a drum
I don't know why I didn't come

- Norah Jones

Dear Harry,

How are the Chudley Cannons? Still boring? How's
Taylor? She still thinks you are too much of a jock for her tastes? (Taylor was this pretty girl from one of the other quidditch teams whom Harry quite liked) Anyway, you will not believe who's my new Potions Professor. Guess. Okay, I'll tell you. Draco Malfoy. Yes the one and only.

Augh, it's unbearable. Am going to write to my whole family and inform them about my dire straits. Maybe I should pull a 'Fred and George' and ride off into the sunset on a broomstick, away from Hogwarts.

Love

Ginny

Ginny smiled grimly as she handed the letter to Zeus, the brown colored good natured owl Harry and Hermione had bought for her birthday this year.

She could count on Harry's sympathy. She realized that she was glad to be friends with Harry and nothing more. He made a good friend.

She could not imagine ever wanting more. He was like another brother but a less dense and more considerate one at that.

"Ginny!" Colin burst into the common room rushing over to sit beside her.

He looked slightly breathless and very excited with his curly blonde hair all over his face. He was attracting stares from the other gryffindors.

"You won't believe this." He cried out, barely able to contain himself.

'What?" Ginny asked, dreading whatever was coming. Her day could not get any worse.

"Maconagall slapped Malfoy." He let out in a incoherent rush. Ginny gasped, finally understanding what he had said.

"What?"

"Yeah, I just saw it. Me and Luna." Colin babbled. Ginny gaped at him. This was great.

"What happened?" She asked, delighted by the turn of events and barely considering why Luna and Colin were wandering around together at night.

'They're in Dumbledore's office now. We saw them going there. Dumbledore intervened I think Malfoy said something to the degree of Macongall not being able to control her Gryffindors. We only heard the last bit because we heard them arguing and Luna wanted to know what was going on so we stepped into the staff room pretending to ask Flitwick something. We heard that and Macongall went all red before striding toward Malfoy and slapping him. I think she's wanted to do that for sometime." Colin grinned, seeing the surpised yet delighted look on her face.

"Malfoy's face went red and he stood up all angry but Macongall rocked! She just stood there glaring at him even though he was a total head tall than her. And then Dumbeldore strode in and you should have seen his face. He looked like he was trying so hard not to laugh. Then Luna and I had to run out because I was going to have an asthma attack from stifling my laughter."

By then all the other gryffindors in the room, were gathered around them listening avidly to Colin's narration.

"But why was Malfoy insinuating the Gryffindors for?"

Colin shrugged but he glanced at Ginny, his cheeks turning red, a sure sign that he was lying. Ginny reminded herself to interrogate him about that later.

Colin was busy fielding questions from his audience who soon dispersed to mull over this piece of news.

Some even commented admirably in Macoangall's favour. Everyone, even the first years thanks to their informative seniors knew all about Draco Malfoy.

"So why was he complaining about us?" Ginny asked, Colin who looked a tad sheepish.

'I don't know but Luna reckons that he was complaining about you mouthing off to him." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I'm not that influential and powerful I'm afraid so tell Luna to sod off with her stupid theories." Ginny snapped.

Colin held his hands up as if in surrender.

"Hey I'm not getting in the middle of both of you'll." He looked genuinely terrified at the idea.


"I'm telling you-" Luna murmured into her ear.

"SHUT IT." Ginny grit through her teeth, her famous Wealsey temper rising, one that was known to be as fiery as her flaming red hair.

"I would advise you to do so." Colin nodded towards Luna who shot him a dirty look but shut up nonetheless.

If Ginny's mind had not been so occupied with the thought of serving detention under Malfoy that night, she would have realized that Luna had actually listened to Colin. What was the world coming to?

Ginny glared down at the grand table where Draco sat two seats down from Dumbeldore.

Ginny had lost her trust in Dumbeldore's state of mind. The war must have traumatized him pretty badly for him to hire Malfoy of all people.

The stupid git had given her detention for just walking into class one minute after the rest of the class.

He was onto her, practically breathing down her neck during the lesson and taking great delight in reminding her about her detention later than night, smirk on his face and all.

Luna had insisted upon hearing this that it was retribution since Ginny had been the indirect cause for Draco getting slapped.

According to Luna this proved that she was right about Draco complaining about her to Maconagall. Ginny had blanched and told Luna to give IT UP!

Her two friends bade her good bye later as she headed down to the dungeon alone, the cold seeping into her bones despite her cloak.

She felt a ripple of fear. Whether it was because of the eerie dungeons that appeared even darker at night or the prospect of spending 'quality' time alone with Malfoy, she did not know.

She knocked on the door before stepping in. There was no sign of Malfoy and for this she was thankful.

She could at least settle down and psychologically prepare herself for his arrival and possible torment.

The door burst open startling her (so much for her psychological readiness) as he stomped in a flurry of dark emerald robes.

He brushed past her, and headed for his table where he sat down abruptly, supporting his elbows on his desk, his head in his hands, his fingers entangled with his wheat blonde hair which flopped over his face concealing it from her view.

She wondered if he had even noticed her presence. Perhaps she could slip out unnoticed..

"You can label the bottles on the bench there." Draco murmured, his voice noticeably

thick.

He was still not looking up. Ginny got up and meekly moved across the room and did as she was told.

Somehow she felt as if this was not the time for her Weasley wit. Obviously something had happened.

Had Maconagall slapped him again? Ginny smirked at that thought.

She glanced up at the sound of running water.

Draco was leaning down into the sink nearby, splashing his face with water.

As he straightened up, the water running in rivers down his pale, chiseled face did not conceal his red-rimmed ocean gray eyes.

He had been crying.

Ginny froze for a moment stunned by this revelation that Draco Malfoy whose entire reputation was based on the fact that his heart was literally stone, had shed tears.

Tears of what Ginny could only wonder. Heartbreak? Lonesome? Fear?

"What're you looking at, Weasley?" He sneered at her, his lip curling in disgust, though it did not infuriate her as much as it usually did.

In fact she felt a twinge of sympathy for this man-boy who was nothing but a bundle of insecurities beneath that hard-core exterior.

"Nothing." She replied calmly, a sense of superiority settling over her due to her recently acquired knowledge.

He glared at her obviously taken aback by the lack of rebellious response.

"Now you're staring." She pointed out, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips at the sight of his eyes widening in surprise as he realized that she was not snapping at him or hexing him.

"I would never stare at a Weasley!" He protested, grimacing as if he had swallowed skele grow.

"You're sure about that? Wouldn't want to eat you words so soon would you?" She asked, cheekily. She wondered inwardly where that had come from.

She glanced at Malfoy to see if he looked as shocked as she felt. He did not. He was seated at his desk, his legs up on the table, smirking at her.

She felt the beginnings of a prickle of her anger. She hated that smirk no matter what.

"So you think I, a Malfoy, would check you out?" He asked, snidely.

Before she could respond,

"Think again, Miss. Weasley." He added, looking smug and feeling on top of himself again.

"Thought about it and believe me, it gives me the eepie jeepies just thinking about it." She shot back, labeling the last bottle.

"I'm done."

"Good."

"Can I go?" She asked, standing in front of his table.

He looked up at her, smirking, though the smirk never reached up to his seemingly sorrow filled eyes.

"Go."

She turned and walked out of the room, only to pause at the doorway, look back at him, her shoulder length wavy red hair swinging off her face,

"Good night." she said before walking out of the dungeons.

It was a small polite gesture, one that she had not given much thought to but then again, power could be found in the tiniest things and so the hard stone began to crack, unbeknownst to all.


A/n - Thank you for all the reviews will not update more chappies till I get at least ten reviews..hehe I noe very demanding.