Ginny locked herself in the bathroom and stared into the mirror at herself. Draco had just told her he loved her, but was it really possible? Did she even want it to be? Suddenly, she realized very much that she wanted it to be true. He was what she'd been waiting for. Snogging Dean and the other boys had been nice, but even kissing Harry hadn't been like this. She felt something inside her welling up, she felt as if she were on fire. She was pretty sure no boy had ever made her as flushed as she was right now, staring into the mirror. She grabbed a brush and started furiously brushing her copper locks, trying not to think of Draco's hands running through her hair. He might be trustworthy as far as the war went, but could a leopard really change his spots? He had tormented her for years, and been all over that repulsive Pansy Parkinson.
But there had been sparks, on both sides. And why would he say something like that? He was what she wanted, she was sure of it. But was she wanting something impossible?
She stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over her, relaxing her. She tried to push Draco out of her head by fiercely scrubbing her skin. About twenty minutes later she climbed out of the shower feeling much more refreshed. Her hair dried as she ran her brush through it, and she briefly wondered for the umpteenth time how muggles managed without magic. Everything must take them twice as long, she thought.
She went downstairs in a much better mood to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting at the kitchen table. They stared at her when she came in.
"What," she said, only slightly defensively.
"How long has this been going on?" Ron demanded, finally having figured things out.
"It hasn't been going on at all. Nothing happened. We were just fooling around." Wrong choice of words. Ron exploded.
"Fooling around with a MALFOY?" His voice got louder and louder as he continued. "He's just using you, you know that? You can't trust a Malfoy. He was in Slytherin, and he called 'Mione a mudblood more times than I can remember! How dare you fool around with him. I won't have my little sister be a…a…." Words seemed to fail him at this point, but Ginny's own Weasley temper kicked in.
"Why don't you just say it Ron? A slut?" Harry stood up, shoving back his chair.
"She's not a slut, Ron. She's not a kid anymore. You have to let her make her own decisions!" Ron gaped at Harry's response.
"Harry! Why are you on her side? You dating her, I'm fine with. But Malfoy? Blimey, Harry, I thought you were in love with her?" As soon as he said it, Ron shut his mouth and silence fell over the room. Harry glared at his best friend and stormed out of the room. After an awkward pause, Ginny ran out too, but she didn't follow Harry.
She went to the only shut door on the upper floor and banged on it.
"Who is it," Draco called out.
"It's me," she said. "Open the damn door." He did and she rushed at him so quickly he almost fell. She was crying, and so he pulled her to him, confused, and let her cry. Finally, she dried her eyes. "It's that stupid git, Ron, always trying to run my life. When's he going to realize that I'm almost of age?"
"I don't know, Ginny. Guys are weird sometimes, we get protective. I'd probably be mad if I were him too." He gave a wry smile. Winning over Ginny's brother would not be an easy task, and would require overcoming years of verbal abuse. "Ginny…" he said, and she looked up at him. "Ginny, do you want to be with me? I mean, I understand if you don't. I've done horrible things, and everything that's happening, it's all my fault. Maybe I should leave, I'm just screwing up more by being here, making you fight with your brother, getting in the way of you and Harry." On the last part, a lump caught in his throat. She answered by wrapping her arms around him and kissing him fiercely.
"I don't want Harry. I want you, Draco."
