One review. Moderately depressing, but we press onward!
Thanks to BlueJeanJunkie our sole reviewer :o)
We really hope you guys are enjoying the story, and even if you're not, let us know so we can ponder it and such.
Thanks lovelies!
Cat and Ash
"So, Gabe," Ginny began nonchalantly that Friday, as she waved a dish into the cupboard. "How did your visit to the ministry go?"
He smiled before a look of confusion clouded his face. "What visit?"
Attempting to maintain her irritation under disguise she sweetly said, "On Wednesday. You left after eating here to go to the Ministry. How'd it go?"
Looking at her suspiciously for a moment he then simply smiled, "Oh, fine. Where should I put this dish?"
Pointing to the pantry, Ginny continued. "What did you do?"
Growing slightly annoyed, he simply said, "I... dropped some papers off."
"Which ones?"
"Why are we talking about work when I have you here alone all to myself?" He engulfed her waist in his arms, nuzzling her neck.
Surprisingly, Ginny was only more annoyed by his avoiding tactic. She nudged him away. "Because I want to know what you did."
"Why does it matter?"
Eyes round at his outburst, Ginny took a step back. "It matters to me."
Easing his tone a bit, he reached out for her but she simply stepped away, caressing the piece of paper in her pocket with her thumb. Throwing down the tea towel onto the counter, she left the house in a rush, ignoring his protests, and was soon unraveling the piece of paper to see Draco's address. Okay, so she was thirty minutes early. Big deal. Grabbing her broomstick, she found her way to his flat, stumbling at her landing as her vision was blurry. She wiped at her eyes, not even realizing she had been crying, before ringing the doorbell, her eyes a blotchy red.
Lucky for Ginny, Draco was home. Of course, he wasn't expecting her to be there just yet. He hadn't actually expected her to be there at all. This explained why he wasn't looking his best. His shirt was in the wash due to a large red stain, which could only have been caused by the pot of tomato sauce currently on the stove. When the doorbell rang, he didn't think twice before pulling the door open.
And then he didn't think at all. He just stared. "Ginny? What happened?"
"You told me to come," she immediately defended herself, self-consciously brushing her hair back with her fingers as she attempted to ignore the fact that he was shirtless. Difficult task, that was.
Well, of course he did, but he didn't actually think she would, especially not in tears like she was now. "Come inside." He ushered her in and shut the door behind her, leaning against it. "What's going on, Gin?"
"Nothing," she dismissed as she looked about his flat discreetly with curiosity as she finally just placed her hands in her jean pockets because of lack of anything else to do with them. "I just.. I want you to tell me everything you know about Gabriel. Please." She swallowed bravely.
"It doesn't look like nothing." He murmured, and he knew it wasn't. That bastard had done something to her, and when he figured out what it was, Gabriel would pay. Dearly.
"Well, it is," she insisted. Then frowned. "And don't call me Gin anymore." She was suddenly very intrigued by the tile floor in his foyer.
"Right. Sure." That was going to be difficult. "Are you hungry?" He disappeared down the small hallway, before she could answer his question. "Let me just go get a shirt."
She watched him disappear into a room down the hall before taking a few timid steps towards what she assumed to be the kitchen as she caught the scent of sauce. Leaning against the doorframe, she looked around at his bare necessities upon the cold counter. Such a guy.
He reappeared a moment later, buttoning up a black shirt, though his gaze was upon her. She looked amused. At least she wasn't crying anymore. "You didn't answer me…"
"I'm sorry, what?" She brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear self-consciously without meeting his gaze.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, smirking slightly.
Wrapping her arms around her petite waist, as if hugging herself, she quietly replied. "No, thank you."
"Are you sure?" He raised a brow at her, eyes drifting to her covered mid-section. "I have plenty enough for you."
"Yes, I'm sure," she dropped her hands to her sides.
He shrugged and pointed his wand at the stove. With a flick, the heat turned off, and he looked back to Ginny. "Then I'll eat after you leave." He waved her over to the couch, sitting himself down on one end. "What did you want to talk about?"
Seating herself in a chair a fair distance from him, she cleared her throat, not trusting it to not crack. "About Gabriel.. Wh-what.. do you know.. about him?" Oh, what pretty material was on the chair's armrest..
"That he's a sleaze," he muttered bitterly.
She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, waiting.
"I don't see much of a point in telling you anything. You'll just call me a liar and leave again."
"Then why the hell did you invite me here?" She demanded, finally lifting her head to meet his gaze.
"Why did you come?" he retorted, staring straight into those brown eyes.
"Because I.. because," she stopped for a moment. "Tonight I asked him about his visit to the ministry and he.." she waved her hand to erase the rest of her statement. "Never mind," she stood, looking at the door. "Obviously this was a mistake. So sorry to bother you." Don't cry. Don't cry.
He stared at her. Was she out of her bloody mind? Was she really so obssessed with this guy that she refused to see what was right in front of her face? "You're leaving?"
"Well, you don't want me here," she accused.
"If you're going to leave, then leave, but don't blame me."
She fidgeted for a moment. Damn it all. Walking over to his mantel, she looked at a few candid pictures of himself displayed. Most of them of him on his broomstick, playing Quidditch. But one in particular caught her eye. It was of them in the middle of his seventh year after a trip to Hogsmeade together, they both had rosy cheeks but were happily collapsed in each other's arms beneath a tree. The picture was mocking her.
"What is this?" Her hurt brought itself out in anger as she shook the photo at him accusingly.
"It's er…" Damn it all to hell. How was he going to explain that one? Somehow 'I have no idea where that came from!' didn't seem to be the right answer, nor did the truth. "It's a picture, Weasley." He muttered, snatching it from her. "What's it look like?"
"Why do you have a picture of us on your mantel?" she persisted, her brow furrowing together in a look of hurt and confusion.
"It's a nice picture." he replied calmly. "And last time I checked there's no law against it."
She followed behind him as he rested it back atop the mantel, "What do you do when your buddies come over? Show it off?" She began to mimic his voice, "Oh look, mates. Look at the Ginny Weasley that I fucked. She was so easy.." She glared at him. "Is that what you say? Come on, Draco. Tell me, I want to know."
Draco didn't answer her. His frustration was growing steadily with each and every word until he finally grabbed her hand, pulled open his front door and flung her outside. "Go home, Weasley." And the door slammed closed in her face.
Ginny stood outside his door for a few moments before beginning to mentally kick, scream, and yell at herself. She walked a couple blocks idly, not knowing exactly where she was going. And then it began to rain.
Thinking of the past, Ginny remembered so many memories with Draco. Laughing with Draco. Playing tricks on Draco. Meeting with him secretly. Snogging him senseless and then some. It just didn't make sense. They had been so happy... Tears began to mingle with the raindrops on her cheeks.
At some point in the midst of the walking and raining Ginny made her way back to Draco's flat. She stood outside his door, unknowing of the time, although it had to be a few hours later, the sun had set and the stars had begun to shine through the gray clouds.
Knocking feebly on the door, a soaked Ginny stood waiting for him as he opened the door, quietly asking, "Can I have some of that spaghetti now?"
End Chapter 3.