Loving You Secretly
Chapter 4: He Knows
The month of September passed rather smoothly for Ginny. Apart from Draco's hostile attitudes towards her, everything was quite pleasing for her. She and Harry had became best friends well, and Draco as well, but he really didn't treat her like one. They spent their mealtimes together, and they studied together after school in the library. Harry was quite amazed by Ginny's knowledge in magic, while Draco simply remained indifferent.
On the other hand, Draco was almost tempted to ask Xavier questions about school work, but gave up because he'd let his pride get in the way. But this scruffy looking red head never failed to amaze him by performing difficult spells and scoring outstandings for almost all the assignments and tests. There was even once when Xavier had to help him correct his potion by adding some other ingredients while the Potions teacher, Professor Saravi Snape, was reprimanding another student who had gotten his concoction wrong as well.
Xavier played awfully well on the quidditch pitch. He never misses a goal. Everyone on the team was full of praises for him. Draco was in fact beginning to like this little guy, he's really good, and he's got no airs.
"Hey mate, where's Xav?" Harry asked as he saw his best blonde friend descend the stairs.
"Still asleep. He's rather tired out from practice yesterday. I thought I'd let him lie in a bit. Let's go for breakfast, then we'll bring something back for him" Draco drawled.
"Hmm, you're starting to like him, aren't you? I simply don't understand your dislike for the little guy, he's pretty likeable if you ask me. I had initially thought it was jealousy but apparently not, because Master Malfoy never gets jealous, eh?" Harry grinned, earning a smirk from the blonde.
"Shut it and let's go" Draco said attempting to hide the smile breaking out at the corners of his mouth.
"Say, mate, what do you think of the little guy? I really kinda like him. I like being around him, I like taking care of him. He looks so fragile, I think I'm beginning to fall for him" Harry declared as he bit into his apple.
"Tell me, you are not gay. Stay away from me" Draco said with a look of disgust.
"For all you know, I might be. But don't worry, you're too tough, I like the small fragile kind" Harry grinned as his best friend merely shook his head in defeat.
"I don't know. He does seem like a girl to me. But he obviously isn't. He's just the fragile type of guy that almost fall into the category of girls" Draco said matter-of-factly.
"You think so too? Then, do you think I should tell him that I like him?" Harry asked earnestly.
"Don't ask me. That's your problem. Just don't scare him" Draco mumbled.
"You're right, I should take it slowly" Harry grinned.
"Wake up. Wake up, sleepy head" Draco muttered.
"Hmm? What is it?" Ginny drawled.
"I brought you breakfast, you'd better start eating up. Practice starts in half an hour" Draco announced.
"What! Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I was still planning on taking a bath" Ginny yelped before she jumped off her bed and retrieved her clothes from her trunk. Rushing into the toilet, Ginny only realized that she had grabbed the inner vest which she had already grown out of, but she couldn't walk out to get a change or Draco would notice.
"Oh never mind. It won't hurt" Ginny thought as she attempted to zip up the vest and don the rest of her clothes, "It's a bit hard to breathe though"
Emerging from the toilet, Ginny gobbled up her breakfast at top speed, causing her to choke on her food a few times. Then grabbing her quidditch robes (which were royal blue incidentally) she rushed out towards the quidditch pitch.
"Off we go" announced Tai Ho and practice began. Ginny headed straight for the quaffle with no time to waste, and she had scored 50 points on her own barely 15 minutes into the game. Just as she was about the score her 60th point, Ginny felt the world spin around her and go black.
Draco watched as the red head attempt his 6th goal, but soon notice that something was amiss when the latter suddenly released the grip on his broom and slipped off. Watching in horror as Xavier plunged from at least 20 feet up in the air, Draco stirred his broom towards Xavier's falling figure, 3 metres, 2 metres, 1 metre, and suavely, Draco caught the falling redhead. Realising that Xavier was unconscious, he called out to his teammates, "You guys continue playing, I'll take him to the infirmary. He isn't hurt, just passed out. Fatigue, I presume"
With that, Draco landed on the ground and carried Xavier, running towards the infirmary.
"Mother, Mother, it's Xavier, he passed out" Draco called out.
Narcissa Malfoy emerged from her office in the infirmary only to see her son carrying a scruffy looking boy, whom she only knew to be her son's roommate.
"Quick, Draco, put him on that bed" Narcissa instructed. Then she proceeded to unbutton the redhead's shirt.
"It's this vest he's wearing, it's too tight, I've got to remove it" Narcissa said to her son. Unzipping Ginny's vest, she gasped.
"Turn away, Draco. Don't you dare look" Narcissa yelped.
"What mother? Is he hurt?" Draco asked as followed his mother's instructions.
"She's not hurt" Narcissa replied.
"Mother, Xavier's a guy" Draco chided his mother's outrageous use of words
"No my dear, she's a girl" Narcissa said.
"What? But how?" Draco started.
"I'm guessing that she's here because she wants to be in the top school, but nobody's suppose to know that she's a girl. I really hate to destroy her dreams, so I'm not going to report this to your father" Narcissa said as she buttoned up Ginny's shirt, "I hoping that you'd not destroy her dreams as well, because it's really rare to get such a talented student"
"I...I...I don't know mother. I can't stay in the same dormitory as her and pretend that nothing has happened. But neither do I want her to go" Draco stammered.
"Draco dear, I know what you mean. But she mustn't know that you know her secret or it would be terrible for her. You'd just have to learn to control yourself" Narcissa explained.
"Yes, mother. If there's nothing else, I'd be going back to the quidditch pitch" Draco said.
"Go then. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her" Narcissa assured.
"She's a girl. She's a real girl. Merlin, I can't take the news" Draco thought as he collapsed on a bench along the corridor. "I always thought her to be a guy, and to think I was so rotten to her. She must have hated me. Now that I know, I should treat her better"
Getting up from the bench, Draco headed back to the quidditch pitch.
"Where am I?" Ginny groaned as she sat up on the infirmary bed, "I remembered seeing the world spin around me then everything turned black"
"Hello, dear. How are you feeling? I'm Narcissa Malfoy, and I'm the nurse in the school infirmary. Really dear, it's high time you got yourself a new set of inner vest, you're growing too fast" Narcissa smiled at the red head.
"You're Draco's mother? Oh, pardon my rudeness. I'm feeling fine now, just a little faint. I'll get a new...wait a minute, you...you know?" Ginny asked, totally horrified.
"Yes dear, I do know" Narcissa kept smiling and wondering how adorable it was to have this little red head as a daughter.
"But...but...oh...that means I'll have to leave the school right..." Ginny said disappointedly.
"I only said I know your secret, I never mentioned anything about reporting on you, my dear" Narcissa smiled as she sat by Ginny.
"Really? Oh thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me" Ginny sighed.
"You see dear, as I watch you run around in the top wizarding school, beating all the boys at studies and quidditch, I can't help but wonder why I didn't have your courage to prove myself back then when I was your age. The things that you are doing right now were the dreams that could never come true for me. I want your dream to come true, and I kinda like you. I don't have a daughter, so I wonder what it's like to have one" Narcissa spoke as she watched Ginny with loving eyes.
"You don't have a daughter? You mean Draco's your only child?" Ginny asked, sitting up.
"No, Draco's got a brother, but his brother has been with their father ever since we divorced" Narcissa said with a sad smile.
"Oh...I sorry, I shouldn't have" Ginny apologized.
"No need to apologise my dear. But I'd be really happy if you could come round to have a chat with me occasionally. I'd really love to get to know you better" Narcissa smiled.
"Can I? I'd love to. I'd come down here every other day to see you" Ginny nodded.
"Haha, pipe down a little, my dear. Don't get too excited. People would be suspicious of you if you run down to the infirmary so often" Narcissa laughed.
"Oh, right, sorry" Ginny said dropping her head.
"Mrs Malfoy, how did I get here? I couldn't have flown here on my own, could I?" Ginny asked cocking her head to one side.
"Please, call me Narcissa. I am no longer a Malfoy by law. Well, my son gallantly rescued you and carried you all the way here" Narcissa explained.
"He did? Merlin, I really gotta thank him and...oh no, that means he knows as well?" Ginny said completely horrified.
"Calm down, my dear. Draco is not very smart. He doesn't know a thing. I shooed him out after he placed you on the bed. He really likes you. You know that? He seldom treats people the way he treats you, well, apart from Harry. The two of them have been inseparable since the day they were born" Narcissa grinned at the little red head.
"Phew, for one moment I was scared out of my life. Thank you so much Aunt Narcissa. You don't mind me calling you that do you? Well, I'm really feeling much better. I should be off now. I'd see you tomorrow" Ginny said as she got off the bed.
"Okay, if you insists that you're fine, I'll have nothing to say. Just take care of yourself, alright? Take this, it's for the giddiness and do come to me for a special medicine I've created should you be having, you know, monthly pains." Narcissa smiled and handed a vile of lavender liquid to Ginny.
"Bye, Aunt Narcissa" Ginny waved as she ran out of the infirmary.
"This is so great. There's someone whom I can share my girly thoughts with in this place" Ginny thought to herself, but little did she know that back in Room 13 of the Pegasus Dormitory, a certain blonde is mentally kicking himself for not knowing what to do.