Hanging By A Moment

By Duck Goddess

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and Leah.

NikkiEvans – Why is Chapter Three always the pointless chapter?

Cinnamon Spice – Thanks! LOL, I'm always bored and hyper when I write.

eatingmania – What's still a bit weird to you? I can't be bothered to post all the chapters at once.

basketball15 – Yes, she is in HK. She called me.

I'll be gone from the 13th to 24th July so I won't be able to update for a bit.

Chapter Four

Ginny woke up and stared at the hangings in her four-poster bed. She was mesmerized by the scarlet richness and the gold lining. It reminded her so much of everything – including Draco. Ginny instantly felt sick and rolled over. She could feel the tears coming but she couldn't cry it out.

Ginny didn't know how to face him in Potions today. Although Snape was back to normal, they were still partners since their levels in potions were similar. She just wanted to go back home – back to the Burrow and forget about the War, Draco and Harry.

Stop it! Ginny scolded herself. You'll do no good moping about. Get a grip on yourself! She rolled onto her side and groaned. Ginny saw the roses Draco gave her on Valentines Day. She put a charm on it to stop them from dying but now she felt like jumping up and down on them.

Ginny reached for her wand to remove the charm but she couldn't. She just looked at the roses. How could he say those things last night? How could he not know how that would affect me? "A Weasley and a Gryffindor," his voice taunted. Seconds later, the tears were running down her cheeks.

Stop crying! YOU FUCKING GIT, STOP CRYING!

It's okay to cry, Gin. Just let it out.

He'd call you worse things if he saw you like this.

Draco's not like that. Maybe Voldemort possessed him last night, or something.

Face it, Ginny. Draco Malfoy said those things last night. Nothing will change that.

Ginny instantly wiped her tears away and drew the curtains. The others were still asleep but surprisingly, Leah was gone.

"Lee?" Ginny called. There was no answer. She checked the toilet. She wasn't there.

Ginny frowned. Leah wasn't what you would call a morning person. Normally, you'd have to scream something in her ear to wake her up. If that didn't work, dumping cold water on her would do it.

She went to the toilet and got dressed. Ginny went down to the Common

Room and found Leah, asleep on an armchair. She instantly felt relieved.

"Leah," she said, shaking her softly. She didn't stir. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Leah," she tried again. This time, Leah groaned and opened her eyes reluctantly.

"Ginny, what the hell do you want?" Leah said crankily. Ginny couldn't help but smile. This was one thing about her that wouldn't change.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked her.

"I couldn't sleep last night so I came down here. I guess I fell asleep," she said wearily.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"What happened last night?" she asked her, "You and Colin looked worried."

"I'm surprised you actually noticed," Leah replied, "With Malfoy and all. Anyways, I received something…interesting."

"What?" Ginny asked, frowning. Leah reached into her pocket and drew out the letter from her father.

"Um…this is meant to be interesting?" she said, scanning through the letter.

"Read the postscripts."

"You're right. It is interesting," Ginny said after she read it.

"I have no idea what the last one means," Leah said, sighing.

"You should ask Hermione. She'd probably know," Ginny advised.

"Yeah, she probably would. There was another letter. It burst into flames," she said.

"What did it say?" Ginny asked, not sure if she would like the answer.

"The weird thing was, it came with my dad's letter. But it wasn't for me. I couldn't touch it but Colin could."

"Yeah, yeah, what did it say?" Ginny said impatiently. Leah glared at her.

"What?" Ginny asked, "So it was for Colin. What did it say?"

"I know who you care for, you filthy mudblood. You are worthless and you deserve to die. Run from this world before she does," Leah said softly. Ginny's eyes widened. There was silence after that.

"Does it mean you?" Ginny breathed, finally breaking the silence.

"I think so," Leah said quietly. Ginny looked at her and wrapped her arms around her. They didn't usually hug but now that Leah was so depressed, it just seemed right to comfort her.

"Death Eaters are bastards," Leah said angrily. Ginny nodded but she couldn't help thinking about the Malfoys.

Lucius gave her the diary in her first year and she nearly died. Actually, she did die in that year. Her childhood died and Ginny was forever haunted. After that day, her hate for that family intensified. But then Draco came along. She hated him but then she fell in love with him. How could that have happened?

Draco looked so much like Lucius but they were so different. Well, that's what Ginny believed until last night. She couldn't help but see a bit of Lucius in his words.

"Ginny? Are you okay?" Leah asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ginny said reassuringly. She couldn't help but feel guilty – she never told Leah or Colin about the Chamber.

"Let's go down to breakfast, I'm soo hungry," she said and they left the Common Room.

Colin sat on his bed, thinking about Leah's letter. There was no doubt that some Death Eater sent it. But how come it came with a letter to Leah? Why couldn't they just send it to him? God, this is so confusing, Colin thought.

Someone he cared for. There was no doubt it was Leah. It could be his mother or Ginny. But Leah was the most important person in his life right now. Dammit, what the hell do they have against muggleborns? We haven't done anything to them!

But what do they have against ME? I'm just an ordinary guy who happens to be going out with an extraordinary girl. Ginny's normal. My mother's normal. Why would they send a letter to me?

Ginny sat in the dungeons, listening to Snape threatening them. Harry was on her right and Hermione was on her left. She could feel a pair of eyes on her but didn't turn around.

"Now, go with your partner and get started," Snape sneered. Ginny stood up with her head high and walked over to Draco.

"I'll get the ingredients," Ginny snapped and went to the student cupboard. Draco sighed.

They were making Veritaserum and it was extremely hard. Draco had to keep checking the board to see if he made any mistakes. He didn't. It was even worse because Ginny wasn't speaking to him and kept making "hmph" noises.

"Ginny," he whispered. She ignored him.

"Ginny!" Draco tried again. It was no use. She wouldn't respond to him. No! Malfoys don't give up! Draco told himself.

"Ginny, please listen to me. I'm really, really sorry! It was my first training session and I just got really, really stressed and all that crap! Please forgive me!" Draco pleaded (A/N: Lucky Gin. She's got him whipped).

Ginny turned and glared at him. Draco gave her puppy eyes. It didn't work.

"Just because you're feeling insecure about your training with Harry it doesn't mean you have to take it out on me," Ginny said hotly.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Draco said. He wasn't used to apologizing to people but he always thought people would accept it, especially Gryffindors.

"You said that you don't trust me because I'm a Weasley and a Gryffindor," Ginny said coldly, "Do you have any idea how that makes me think and feel? It makes me think that you hate me again because of our families. I thought we got over that and I fell in love with you. I thought your feelings were genuine and you didn't care about how our families felt about each other. It made me think that you thought of me as a lowly, inferior Gryffindor again!"

Draco was speechless. That was some speech, he thought. Ginny continued glaring at him, the fire burning in her brown eyes. Her hands were curled into fists and her lips were drawn into a tight, thin line. Her hair was up into its usual ponytail but some tendrils had come out and they framed her face. Everything about her screamed "angry, furious and dangerous".

Draco gulped. What could he say? She didn't know that he didn't think about her in those ways. But knowing her stubbornness, she wouldn't listen to him. He had to try, though.

"I don't think of you as a Weasley I have to hate. I don't think of you as a lowly, inferior Gryffindor. I think of you as Ginny or Ginevra or Gin or whatever. I did think of you as those before but I don't now. It's true, I swear it," Draco said quietly.

Ginny looked away from him. She couldn't look at him right now. All she could see was Draco Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater's son. A Death Eater that tried to kill her by having Voldemort possessing her from a diary.

"We should get back to work, Malfoy," Ginny said coolly and continued brewing the potion.

Draco sighed. How could he get win her back? He loved her but he wasn't sure if she still loved him.

Ginny concentrated on making the veritaserum even though she knew they wouldn't be able to finish it today. She inconspicuously glanced at Draco. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked paler than usual. Ginny couldn't help but feel her heart hammering again, even though she was meant to be pissed at him.

Ginny joined Leah and Colin at lunch when some owls flew in. She frowned. Owl post usually occurred during breakfast, not lunch. One of them dropped a letter on her plate and she read it.

Dear Ginny,

There was an attack in the Ministry and your father is in St. Mungo's. I would like you to floo home tomorrow. We'll go to St. Mungo's together. Be careful. Say hello to Leah and Colin for me.

Love,

Mum

Ginny dropped her letter, her mouth open. She instantly looked at Ron. He gave her a worried look. She knew what he was thinking. Mr. Weasley was probably there on Order business.

She got up and walked over to Ron.

"Let's go see Dumbledore," she said. He nodded. They walked to the Head Table.

"Ah, Ronald, Ginevra," Dumbledore said.

"Hello, Professor," Ron said politely, "We –"
"Say no more, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, "See me at my office after lunch. I will tell your teachers."

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said and they headed back to Gryffindor Table.

"How do you think he is?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Ginny said worriedly, "It's probably got something to do with the Order."

"How come it wasn't in the Daily Prophet?" Ron wondered.

"I don't think the Ministry wants people to know," Ginny said. She passed the Slytherin Table and caught Draco's eye. Ginny instantly looked away and caught Harry's eye instead. He gave her a worried look. She smiled sadly at him.

Ginny couldn't help but feel drawn to his bright, emerald-green eyes hidden behind glasses. They held so much emotion and intensity; they were so different from Draco's. Thank Merlin I'm going home. I could use a break.

A/N: Will Ginny and Draco make up? What about Ginny and Harry? Review if you want the next chapter!

Originally written: June/July 2005