Hp is not mine! But I can dream…

A/N: Ok. So I didn't know that Ginny's real name was Ginevra. I always thought it was Virginia ! But I guess I am not complaining because I don't really like either of those names. So I changed her full name throughout the story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! All of you are awesome wonderful people! A special thanks to my Beta reader, Ari

Charmed

By Terra Rose

Chapter 7

"If you love all things, you will also attain the divine mystery that is in all things. For then your ability to perceive the truth will grow every day, and your mind will open itself to an all-embracing love". Fyodor Dostoyevsky

It was a remarkably cloudy day entailing rain, thunder, and an awfully drafty castle. Ginny sat in her Advanced Transfiguration class later that same day, struggling to pay attention to the lecture on Physical Transfiguration. She casually tightened the ties on her black cloak, and searched the pockets for a sugar quill in vain.

While McGonagall's tedious voice droned on in the background, Ginny didn't hear a word about physical transfiguration. All she heard were the thoughts twirling around in her head like a carousel of Draco and the mysterious love letter. She continuously found that her brown eyes wondered away from her text book and rested upon the window where the forest was visible. Draco had Care of Magical Creatures at that very moment and they were probably studying Kip beetles that only came out after it rained. She could imagine Draco outside with his dark green cloak over his heavy shoulders, hunched over a Kip bush searching for the almost microscopic beetles. He would of course, be muttering under his breath about the daft professor and how stupid the study assignment was. And his blond hair would be untidy from the periodic rain, falling into his intense eyes. And if perhaps he were to look up from his task, his cerulean blue eyes would twinkle mischievously. He was rather dishy, in Ginny's opinion

After Ginny realized that she had been musing about Draco, she chided herself. It didn't matter how she might feel about him. He was probably interested in someone else. She was certain that his kindness was because of Dumbledore. He was forced to spend his time with her and be considerate because the Headmaster had instructed him to do so. There was also the fact that someone had written her a love letter.What if the letter was written by Draco? Wouldn't that be lovely?

She opened the letter and read it once again, the beautifully written words filling her with such warmth that she could never describe. She couldn't resist reading the proclamation of love, for it gave her butterflies every time she gazed upon the parchment.

A secret admirer…A love letter…the very idea was completely romantic. Ginny remembered reading fairy tales where ladies and knights would fall passionately in love. She had often sat in her tree house outside the Burrow, pretending that one day a brave knight would come for her. He would be kind and handsome. And he would rescue her from her pain and suffering. She had always been a hopeless romantic, believing that anything was possible if you had someone to love.

"Ms. Weasley? Is my class not worth your interests?" McGonagall's voice sounded sharply, bringing Ginny out of her reverie. She quickly covered the letter with her Advanced Transfiguration Book . McGonagall smiled at her, being sympathetic towards Ginny.

"Now, As I was saying. I would like it if you practiced this level of transfiguration quite often. It will definitely be a major part of the Transfiguration N.E.W.T.S. that you all will take next Spring."

When class was over, Ginny began to carefully gathered her things. Mcgonagall approached her with a concerned look painted on her worn face. Or perhaps it was that all of her hair was gathered rather tightly in a knot, raising her cheekbones.

"Ginny? Are you alright?" She asked warmly, sitting down in one of the vacant desks nearby. Ginny nodded her head quickly, brushing her rogue bangs out of her face in a frustrated manner. McGonagall arched her fine eyebrows in question.

"I am sorry that I was not paying attention in class, Professor." Ginny apologized in a quiet whisper.

"Ginny, I wonder if perhaps you need to take some more time off. I have never seen you in my class not dying for more knowledge. Your absence of attentiveness is what troubles me." The older woman's voice was creaky as though she had been speaking in front of massive groups of children about transfiguration for centuries.

"I just have a few things on my mind, Professor. Be assured that it won't happen again." Ginny answered carefully.

"Alright, dear. Perhaps I'm just being a worry wart."

The delicious smell of mashed potatoes, Sheppard's pie, and fresh pumpkin juice were what met Ginny's nostrils when she stepped into the Great Hall at supper. Her stomach growled angrily at her for skipping lunch earlier, but she had to study for a major Potions exam tomorrow. She casually noticed Malfoy sitting alone at the Slytherin table reading a Transfiguration textbook and taking notes, his spectacles sliding down the crook of his Roman nose. She carefully made her way over to her seat at the center of the grand Gryffindor table next to Hermione. Hermione was deep in a heated conversation with Ron. Ginny smiled to herself as she slid gracefully into her chair; the pair of them flirted passionately one moment and then argued like a pair of Gorillas the next. Ginny began to fill her plate with the delicious food while thinking about Draco coming to her defense earlier, when Hermione broke away from the argument with Ron.

"Are you alright, Ginny?" Hermione's sweet and concerned voice sounded like a soft bell in Ginny's thoughts.

" Hmmm?" Ginny acknowledged distantly, taking a few rolls of a nearby platter. Hermione rolled her eyes, glancing at Ron to discover he was now animatedly talking to Harry about the Chuddley Cannons.

"I said ' Are you alright, Ginny?' " Hermione repeated.

"Yes, Hermione. I'm ok, thanks." Ginny's voice came out like a quite breeze, almost unheard to Hermione if she had not learned to listen. Hermione sat for a moment observing Ginny as the young Gryffindor ate her Sheppard's pie slowly.

"Is it a boy, Gin? You can talk to me, if you would like." Hermione offered, brushing her bushy bangs out of her eyes. Ginny smiled softly, and continued eating.

"I wish that it were only a boy." Ginny stated faintly.

"Now then, I know that things didn't go too well with Harry…but that is no reason to mope."

Just when Ginny was going to respond curtly, Professor McGonagall interrupted their conversation with concern written in her beady eyes.

"I think that you had better come with me, dear."

They quietly made their way to the headmaster's office, McGonagall offering a few words here and there about the weather and school work. When they reached the familiar Gargoyle, McGonagall whispered something that sounded a lot like 'caramel toenails'. The Gargoyle sprung to life and stepped aside to let Ginny and her brilliant Transfiguration teacher climb the stairs to Dumbledore's office.

"Ginny, dear. Come inside and have a seat. Would you care for some lemon drops?" Dumbledore's kind voice sounded from behind his massive desk where he sat.

"Albus, I am afraid that this is not the time for pleasantries." McGonagall hissed, stepping a bit closer to Ginny. Dumbledore nodded seriously, knowing that his hospitality was not always appropriate. Ginny sat down slowly on the edge of one of the red tuft chairs, and folded her hands nervously.

"I asked Professor McGonagall to bring you here because the muggle post in a village close to Hogsmeade received a letter for you. We got word from the ministry that it came from the Romanian City that was raided by Deatheaters a few months ago. It has been at the Ministry undergoing testing to be sure that it was not hexed or whatnot. " His words were dry and confusing, but Ginny understood perfectly what they meant; Charlie. The old and wise Wizard took a small letter out of his cloak.

"I am sorry that it was not given to you sooner but we just received it by owl." He stated handing her the precious envelope. She immediately ripped the letter open, her heart pounding with fear of what pain it would bring her. She recognized Charlie's handwriting immediately.

When Draco treaded into the elegantly decorated Reading Room of the Slytherin Common Room anticipating more interesting conversations with the young redhead, he discovered a girl that he had never experienced. She sat on a small maroon loveseat that had not been there yesterday, with a few tissues and a letter in her hands. Her face was as white as a ghosts, her lips thinly straight, and her eyes were red as though she had been crying. But there was something about her eyes that caused him distress; they were clouded over and almost onyx.

Earlier that day, he had struggled through all of his lessons while composing another letter to send to his beloved. During Care of Magical Creatures, he thought of the sweet smiles she had granted him at breakfast to get him through another tedious assignment. During supper, he secretly put a few finishing touches on the letter while appearing to take some notes out of a textbook. It was somewhat surreal that he had already written another letter to her and that he was actually going to mail it to her. He decided to wait until after 'their hour' to post it so that he could be sure that she would receive it and not one of her roommates.

"Ginny…what…Are you alright?" The words came from his mouth clumsily as he dropped his bag on the floor absently. Her eyes flickered, a single tear escaping from her glassy eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Draco's voice was filled with worry and uncertainty as he awkwardly sat down next to her.

"Malfoy…my heart…my heart is broken." Ginny whispered before she began sobbing quietly into her hands. Draco sat very confused for a few moments, feeling such compassion for her.

"He wrote me a letter, Malfoy. Charlie wrote me a letter." She choked the words out, holding the tiny letter out for him to read. He was surprised that she trusted him enough to read a personal letter. With trembling hands, he took the letter out of the envelope and read the words carefully:

Dear Ginny,

I am sending this letter by muggle post in the hopes that it will reach you, though I am not certain when. I am told that soon, we will be involved in a Deatheater attack. Our operative sent a warning by owl about an hour ago. I cannot say that I am not scared out of my mind. All I could think to do was write to you. There are so many things that we have yet to talk about and I fill a paining regret for not hugging you more often. I always appreciated our friendship, Ginny. You were the one that ceaselessly listened to my stories and woes. I wish that I could write of all the great things you did for me, but that would take up far too much parchment and I only have a few muggle stamps. I am hoping that when you receive this letter, I will still be helping dragons and living the dream. But if not, I just want you to know that I was filled with courage thinking of you and your desire to make a difference in the world. Your refusal to give up hope on the world has given me something to fight for. I finally agree with you that there has to be a little good in every person…there just has to be. Please don't be sad if I depart from this life. Because you gave me so many memories to remember how wonderful my life was. At least you can know that I died trying to make a difference.

With love,

Charlie

Draco folded the letter and put it to the side. He didn't really know what to say to Ginny. Her dearest brother had mailed her a letter right before he died in a Deatheater attack. Draco had never had to deal with that kind of pain. In fact, her loss made him feel self-centered for ever pitying himself and his situation.

" I am so sorry, Ginny." He said quietly, wiping a few stray tears from her face. She weakly smiled at his kindness, embracing him before continuing to weep on his shoulder. He uncomfortably put a hand around her, whispering words of encouragement once in a while.

"I feel like I can't breathe…like I am going to die." Ginny uttered through tears. Draco took out a soft handkerchief from his cloak pocket and continued to wipe away her tears.

"I know that you are hurting. But if anything good came from the letter, it was that you knew what a difference you really made in Charlie's life." He spoke softly, tending to another tear. Ginny nodded after a moment of thought. They continued to talk for a while about Charlie and other things. Ginny mentioned her stress regarding her classes and asked him for some advice regarding N.E.W.T.S.

"Thanks for talking to me, Malfoy. You're very sweet." She murmured giving him a short hug. Blushing, Draco handed her the letter back. He got up to pour himself some tea, and offered her a cup as well but she declared that she was actually very tired and wanted to go to her dorm.

"Oh, ok. I'll walk you to your common room, that is, if you want me to?" He asked, setting his tea saucer down gently. She nodded and began to gather her rucksack and scarf.

"Let me carry that for you." He instructed kindly, taking the bag from her and winking charmingly. It was her turn to blush at his helpfulness.

He accompanied her to the portrait of the Fat lady where they stood for a few moments talking about the next Hogsmeade trip that very weekend. They would, of course, have to stay together according to Dumbledore's instructions.

"Well, I guess it will be a little bit of fun. Perhaps a distraction from school would be a good thing for you." Draco suggested, brushing a few strand of blond hair out of his face.

"I suppose you are right. I am just dubious about going back there after the fiasco that happened last time." She mentioned faintly.

"Ok, Well, See you tomorrow." Draco stated beginning to step away, " Oh, your bag. Here you go." He handed her the rucksack just as the portrait door swung open unexpectedly. Startled, Ginny took a step closer to Draco. Harry stepped out of the portrait hole and looked at them suspiciously.

"Hullo, Ginny." Harry greeted in a cold tone. He stood a little bit taller when Draco cleared his throat to announce his presence. Ginny nodded at Harry politely.

"Thank you for walking me to the portrait hole, Draco. See you tomorrow." And just because Harry was standing there, Ginny reached up and gave Draco a friendly hug.

Ginny climbed the stairs to her dorm slowly, tempted to share the letter with Ron. But when she spotted him sitting by the fire with Hermione, it looked as though he didn't want to be interrupted. When she reached her dorm, she tenderly set the letter from Charlie down on her nightstand and began to change for bed. She decided she would try to keep moving in the right direction for his sake. He had been brave for her and she would do the same. Her dorm mates were chatting among themselves, accustomed to giving Ginny space. So Ginny took out her new journal and began writing of the day. After briefly writing about Charlie and the letter, she paused before continuing. What was she to write about Draco? He was sweet? He was more than a friend? He was the nicest, sweetest, most wonderful guy ever? No…she couldn't write those things because then that would mean that she was admitting to herself that she felt something more.

Draco really gave me a lot of comfort and good advice while dealing with all of my emotions.

Ginny stretched out her legs on her bed and set her quill down. She took out a small bag of sherbert lemons to snack on. She knew that she wasn't truly confiding in her journal. If she were, she would have confessed to how she felt when Draco had talked to her in the reading room. She would have mentioned how she was daydreaming about him all day, hoping the love letter was from him. Ginny yawned, noticing that her roommates had already drawn their curtains and gone to sleep. Ginny opened her window to stargaze for a few minutes. The night air against her face was cool and refreshing. She closed her eyes for a while to feel the breeze when she heard a soft screech. Her large eyes fluttered open and for a moment, she thought she saw something flying towards her window. Then all of a sudden, a black owl flew right over her head and landed on her bed gracefully.

"Oh, I know you." Ginny whispered sweetly, when the owl stretched out it's leg for her to receive the parcel. She untied the red ribbon attached to the owl's talons.

"Please wait…" Ginny requested, gently stroking it's head. He chirped softly as she tore the elegant letter open. Much like the last letter, her name was written in the most picturesque script and a red ribbon was tied around it along with a golden wax seal in the shape of a star constellation. But instead of a letter, there was a silver charm bracelet along with a little package of Butterscotch broomsticks, her favorite. There was a small white note attached:

I was hoping to make you smile, sweet Ginny.

Ginny gazed at the gifts laid out on her soft comforter, touching the writing gently. She was wondered so many things. For example, Why her secret admirer felt the need to make her smile? Perhaps it really was from Harry and he felt that he needed to send her the gift after seeing her with Draco. Ginny suddenly leaped out of her bed and began to frantically search her cloak pocket. When she found what she was looking for, the handkerchief Draco had given her, she held it up to her face as though she were embracing a childhood teddy bear. After a few moments, the dark owl hooted to call her attention. She nodded at him, taking out a small piece of parchment to scratch a brief note to her admirer. He held out his leg for her to attach the note before shooting out the window like a rocket. Ginny sighed as she settled into her bed and began dreaming of the secrets in her heart.

He had decided that Ginny didn't need anymore letters that night. She was experiencing so many emotions and he thought that his letter would only make her feel worse. He had bought her the bracelet and sweets during their last Hogsmeade trip. At the time, he didn't understand what had prompted him to buy the gifts for Ginny. But now, he was glad that he had done so..

Draco pulled his silk pajamas on and began to get into bed when he heard his owl, Apollo tapping on the window. Why isn't he at the Owlery? He pulled the window open and the petite owl climbed onto Draco's arm noticing that his owl was delivering a tiny note. He greedily snatched it off of the owl's leg and opened it to read Ginny's words:

You are a very kind person. The gifts were quite thoughtful. But I must ask you not to owl me anymore because it would be in vain. I care very much for another boy.

I'm very sorry,

Ginny

Draco read and reread the letter several times, frantically hoping that the words would somehow be different the next time he read it. He had the strong urge to crumple the note but he couldn't bring himself to crush something written by her. Instead, he pulled out the secret diary and began the Handwriting charm Ginny had showed him the night before.

I am sorry for the cliffy! Those are always the pits! I will try very hard to update ASAP!

Please leave a review! I would appreciate to hear what you think of the story!