Chapter two: Saw You Differently

It didn't start this way
It happened just one day

You smiled at me and I saw you differently

- I'm Gonna Love You, Jennifer Love Hewitt

"I'm pretty sure she likes you, Draco," Amedei said before sloppily eating a piece of watermelon on Draco's bed the next morning.

"Use a napkin, will you?" Draco whined, trying to find a tissue of some kind. "Or... something?"

"And I know you won't admit you like her because, you know, why make things easy for the matchmaker?"

Draco growled. "I can't bloody find any napkins, don't you have any? - Hell, you're dripping!"

"And of course you won't tell Blaise or Crabbe or Goyle, you know, because you have to be all secretive," Amedei continued.

"Ame, I just cleaned up. You told me to clean up, then you walk into my room at six in the morning with a fruit bowl, out of nowhere, how did you even get it? anyway -"

Amedei finished her watermelon and started on the grapes. "And I mean, she hasn't acted this way since Harry in like, third year, so obviously she must have some feelings for you."

Draco continued, "- you don't even have the decency to ask whether I want any or not, then you start talking mid sentence about how 'she' likes me, who the hell is 'she' anyway?"
Amedei made a 'uck!' sound, clearly exasperated. "Ginny! Who do you mean, 'who is she?'" Draco sighed loudly.

"You're obsessed with putting us together. I don't like Weaselette, Amedei -"

Amedei nearly laughed out loud. "You act as if I didn't see the staring match between you two -"

"Never have -"

"And then when she said 'no,' you totally freaked out and got on the defensive."

"-Never will," he said in a tone that screamed "AND THAT'S FINAL!"

Amedei shook her head. "Will you at least let me try to get you two together? Just let me try!"

Draco took a deep breath, mulled it over, and finally said, "Maybe."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"You talked to Draco behind Ginny's back?" Liz asked incredulously between sips of her pumpkin juice.

"Of course I did! How couldn't I? Draco obviously likes Ginny, and I haven't seen Ginny stare at anybody since...well, you know. I think they're perfect for each other."

Liz shrugged. "Opposites don't always attract, Amedei."

"I know, but I have a pretty good track record of knowing who likes who and being correct, and they're practically begging me to hook them up!" Amedei said with a laugh.

"By begging do you mean yelling 'No, no, no'?" asked Liz innocently.

Amedei glared but continued anyway. "They're clueless, really. It's like they don't realize they basically love each other."

Liz shook her head. "Have you ever tried thinking about how maybe, just maybe, they don't like each other? I mean, if you get them together and something bad happens, they're going to be heartbroken. And it could have all been avoided if you would have just let things happen for themselves!"

"They're heartbroken?"

She nodded. "Yeah, they might be."

"I've made two of my best friends heartbroken?"

Another nod. "And it's all your fault."

"I'm a horrible pers - HEY! Wait a minute! You're using some weird psychiatrist act on me, aren't you?"

Liz looked away, whistling.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ginny was on the way to Great Hall for breakfast when she felt someone looking at her. Spinning around, she saw a familiar blue-eyed blond leaning against the wall and ... was he smiling at her?

"Hey," he said, as if they went through this every morning and they weren't practically mortal enemies.

Ginny was a bit taken aback. Why the hell...? Is he...? What is he...? What the...?

After having practically an hour pause, she said, "Uh. Hi." Brilliant, Ginny. Just brilliant.

"Where you headed?" he asked, walking next to her.

Another pause. "Uh. Great Hall."

Draco smirked. "Mind if I walk you?"

Me? Mind? "Uh. No. Of course not."

"Cool," he said with a smile and extended his arm for her to link.

"Uh. Thanks," said Ginny, blushing deeply and putting her arm through his.

Amedei and Liz looked up as an overwhelming silence filled the Great Hall.

"What's going -" Amedei put up a hand to quiet Liz and pointed to the doors of the Great Hall, where Ginny and Draco stood. Together. Which was, clearly, a shock. One fifth year Slytherin began choking on his bagel. The room was so quiet, everyone could hear Ginny and Draco's conversation.

"Uh. Thanks," she said, attempting a smile while looking around the silent room.

"No problem," he smiled. With that, he sauntered over to the Slytherin table, which began talking again.

Ginny had a bit of problem with sauntering and not acting embarrassed, so instead practically sped over to the Gryffindor table, next to Liz, and took a deep breath. "SO," she practically screamed, "WHAT'S UP?"

Liz looked at Amedei. "Why are you yelling?" she whispered.

"NO REASON, WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST?"

And Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw became uninterested.

"Ok, good, they're not listening - guess who just walked me to the Great Hall!"

Amedei smirked. "Wild guess: Draco Malfoy?"

Ginny crossed her arms. "YES. Out of nowhere! And he even asked me!"

"Asked you?" Amedei asked, interested. "How?"

"He was like, 'Mind if I walk you?'"

Liz blinked, fully shocked. "Mind if I walk you?" she repeated. "Malfoy asked if you'd mind?"

Ginny nodded. "And all I could say was 'Uh. Sure.' or something!"

Liz laughed lightly. "You guys are acting like you're in fourth grade or something!"

Ginny crossed her arms. "We are."

"No, I meant - oh forget it."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ginny felt as if she was in a daze all day, from morning when she walked with Draco to the Great Hall all the way until she walked into the commonroom at the end of the day. What could make her feel this way? Draco Malfoy asking if I wanted to be walked to the Great Hall, she said to herself with a laugh. She was about to go upstairs and lay down, hopefully to escape the thoughts of Draco asking if she wanted to do other things when a raven-haired boy stood, a tired expression on his face.
"Uh, Ginny?"

Ginny shook her head, shaking the thoughts from her head. "Huh? Oh, hey, Harry. Whatchaneed?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably on both feet. "Can we, um, sit for a minute?"

Ginny shrugged and dropped her bag on the floor before sitting on the big red couch next to Harry.

"Is there something you want to talk to me abo -"

"Yes," he answered quickly while blushing. "Uh, you know how I... y'know, broke up with Liz?"

Ginny cleared her throat. "It was more like she broke up with you..."

"She wouldn't have unless I was honest to her, but... I wasn't completely honest with her."

"Oh? How so?" she asked, the sudden random image of Draco smiling at her popping into her head.
Harry sighed. "I didn't tell her that I was in love with someone else."

Ginny's eyes opened wide, snapping back to reality. "What?"

"Ginny... I never really stopped... loving you."

"What?" she whispered, a mix between confusion, flattery, and anger apparent on her face.

"It killed me having to break up with you this summer... and when Liz started coming on to me I guess I figured that I'd be able to forget about all the fun times we had, but... it didn't work. It just made me think about how much I missed you."

"...What?" Ginny was confused; one day over the summer he's practically ignoring her, choosing her brother over her, and now he's... Suddenly, a random memory of that summer came flooding back to her, summing up her unhappiness.

Ginny stepped out onto the grass of her backyard, where Harry was seated, alone, reading a Quidditch magazine. As soon as he heard her footsteps, however, and saw it was her, he turned around and went inside.

"Harry, you ignored me every moment you were at my house. You avoided me like the plague, and you never even said you were sorry. You've pretty much ignored me all year, except for a brief week in the end of September in which you asked my advice on if you should ask Liz out or not. You've treated me like complete crap so far, and now you want to say you love me? What gives you that right?"

Harry cringed slightly. "I don't have a right. It's just how I feel. I didn't mean to ignore you... but it hurt too much to be around you."

"You think you felt hurt? Think of how it was for me! Getting the cold shoulder from someone who you loved for no reason at all! You broke up with me, and then to add on to the pain, you ignored me. I loved you, Harry. I really did. And then you ruined it." She got up, picked up her bag, and put it over her shoulder.

"Wait - please, give me another chance," he said, getting up as well.

Ginny stopped and crossed her arms. "Another chance for what, exactly? To start over our friendship, or..."

"Restart our relationship."

"I don't know, Harry," she said slowly. "My best friend just broke up with you a few days ago, and it took her a while to get over it. If we date, she won't be happy..."

Harry sighed. "I know, but I need to be with you again. I need to hold you, and just... I don't know. I'm practically begging now, and that's pathetic. If it's a no, it's okay."

Ginny looked into his eyes and they said, give me a try, please.

"Okay, Harry. But if you break my heart again..."

Harry shook his head. "I won't."

"Good."

She turned around to go to bed, but Harry lightly grabbed her arm and spun her around. Softly, he kissed her on the lips just as Liz came down the stairs.

"Oh. Well, at least you've moved on, Harry," Liz hissed, glaring at Ginny. "I thought you were my friend, I thought you told me he was a prat for not liking me for who I was!"

Ginny tried to explain. "Liz, really - he just wanted another chance - what could I say?"

"You could have said no," Liz said simply, leaving the commonroom.

Ginny sighed and looked at Harry, wondering, is he even worth it?

Author's Note: No! He's not! Goshhhh! Lol. Sorry, I'm getting way to into this story. And I'm getting mad at myself for putting poor innocent Harry in the role of Dean. If you're a gilmore girls fan you know what I mean, if not, you're pleasantly clueless. I also plotted out the whole thing, and I have to say, I'm dreading a bit of this! PLEASE review and tell me whatchathink, eh?

BIG IMPORTANT UPDATE!

Okay, I had up until...chapter 7? written...AND I LOST IT ALL. So now I only have up to chapter four and a bit of Five, which is why I've been taking so long to get updates out. I've been kinda mad at wordpad, lol. But now I'm back and I will rewrite all of it... (Sigh)