All it took was one word, a name really, for all his illusions to shatter. It was almost laughable how much one word could change his world.
Then had all been in the Great Hall eating breakfast when it happened. He was munching on pancakes and trying not to laugh as Hermione scolded Ron for talking with his mouth full…again. Ginny was staring at nothing with a half grin on her lips like she had been doing for the past week. Hermione thought the stress of school had finally gotten to her, Ron thought she was cursed, and he thought she looked absolutely beautiful.
Anyway, it was a normal breakfast, for them anyway, when the devil himself walked by their table. Well, the son of the devil, but still. This too was normal, as were the words he directed at them.
"Potter, Granger, Weasel." He'd never really given up hating Ron though it seemed Malfoy's feelings for himself and Hermione had lessened to mere dislike. They, of course, responded in kind.
"Malfoy."
"Malfoy."
"Ferret."
And then he deviated from the script. Instead of tossing out an insult he turned to Ginny.
"Weasley."
Then it happened. The one word that turned Harry's world upside down.
"Draco."
Harry could hear Hermione gasp and he could see Ron's eyes bug out. Harry felt his own mouth drop open. She did not just say that. Harry and the rest of Trio looked to Malfoy to see what he would do…there should be an insult now at least. Not that he thought Ginny couldn't handle whatever Malfoy could dish out, but still an insult was to be expected.
But Malfoy just gave her a weird half grin (the same half grin that Ginny had been sporting earlier that morning) and nodded to her. She smiled back. Harry was so shocked he didn't even hear the insult Malfoy had finally gotten around to hand out. He was pretty sure that Ron and Hermione didn't hear it either. Then he was gone and Ginny turned back to her breakfast.
It didn't take long for the questioning to begin but Harry stayed out of it. He already knew what had happened. He didn't really know the details but he figured out the gist of what was going on.
Harry later wondered (after it happened) how they could not have noticed the signs. Like Ginny staring at the Slytherin table or her disappearing after dinner almost every night and not showing up until right before curfew. That had been going on longer than the past week, but they never noticed it -- How could we be that blind?
He couldn't believe that one word, a name really, could change his world so much. He had always figured that he would be the one with Ginny. He was the knight to her princess. They were supposed to be together; that was always the way it was meant to be. Or so he thought. Now she was with him, the son of the devil, and from what he could tell she was happy. He was sure if Malfoy was happy, but he didn't really care to find out either.
Harry figured the shock would wear off soon. Not the shock of them being together; hHHhhhhlkjdfalsdkfjiee had already gotten over that. He figured that they weren't going to be together forever (they weren't even out of school yet). And then he would have a chance to get the girl. He even said as much to Hermione who had shrugged and told him not to get his hopes up.
"You see the way they look at each other. This isn't just some fling."
No, Harry had gotten over the shock of them being together. He was in shock over the fact that it had only taken one word to change his life so much.