Outside of the classroom environment, however, some were still less than willing to participate in the newfound camaraderie. Yet Ginny's introversion became less hostile as people realized that she would rather just be alone. At least, she thought she would rather be alone if those were the people who she had to choose from. She didn't dislike any of them, but she didn't feel as if anyone really understood her as anything other than Weasley's sister or the famous Harry Potter's ex-girlfriend. She surely didn't characterize herself as either of those and didn't appreciate that anyone else did.
There was one person in the castle who felt her need for solitude, however, and that was Draco Malfoy. She had to admit that he could be pretty funny. At first she went out of her way to irritate him, because she didn't mind feeling anger at him if it meant she could forget her anger at everyone else. Every now and then, though, he would appear out of nowhere and he was always armed with a wit that never failed to make her smile- whether or not she showed it.
Since that day in the library when Ginny had seen him laugh, she managed to have more run-ins than usual with him. He would mutter something under his breath about someone across the room as he passed her or give her a knowing look as she exasperatedly explained that yes, she was fine, and no, she did not want to talk about it. He also never failed to catch her when she was slipping into her hostility again.
It was a Monday and Ginny had not had an ounce of luck all day. She had woken up too late for breakfast and arrived late to potions, which meant that Malfoy was her partner. Though technically it was not all that bad to be partnered with Malfoy in potions because he was quite good at it. They worked in silence and had a surprising rhythm- each knew what the other needed and did it before being asked. The others in the room watched with a sort of fascination at this unspoken communication that Ginny and Malfoy didn't even seem to notice.
After potions, Ginny went to Charms when she realized that she had done the wrong assignment. Not to mention she had stayed up almost all of the night before to do the wrong assignment, so she was exhausted and grumpy. She flew to lunch and ate with a zeal not unknown to her brothers so that she could take a nap before her next class, Transfiguration.
Unfortunately, that had not been told to her alarm, which failed to wake her up again. She woke up sleepily right as Herbology was beginning, after Transfiguration had begun and ended. She looked at the clock and flew into a frustrated rage.
What the bloody hell is wrong with me today! She flew down the stairs and out towards the greenhouses where it was pouring rain. Just my luck. By the time she got to Greenhouse Seven, she was soaked to the bone, and jumped quickly inside and out of the rain. She let out a strangled cry of frustration as she saw that she was alone. They probably moved class inside to keep us out of this bloody storm, she thought shivering. She reluctantly poked her head out of the door and decided she'd have to take it at a run if she was ever going to make it to class and not die of pneumonia.
Just as she was nearing the doors to the castle, however, her bag split and her books fell all over the pavement thoroughly soaked. At this point, Ginny had just about had it. She sunk down onto the ground, in the rain, and put her head in her hands. I'll just stay out here. I'll just die. Honestly I didn't think that a day like this was possible. The gods must be out to get me. She didn't notice that a figure had stepped out of the castle and into the rain. He was gathering up her books and it wasn't until she heard him mumble the spell to repair her bag that she noticed he was there.
"Malfoy?" Ginny was startled to see a handsome blonde gathering her things and as soaked as she was.
"Care to get out of the rain, or did you fancy sitting out here all day?" Malfoy asked, but without any venom in his voice. He held out his hand for Ginny to take.
She took it and looked up at him. He looks concerned. Must think I've gone nutters. Sitting out in the rain… Maybe I have… "Thanks," she mumbled, and she saw him crack a smile. A smile? Does his face even do that? Now I know I've gone mental. But she followed him into the castle.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" Ginny asked.
"Shouldn't you?"
"I asked you first, but if you want to know, I fell asleep and was running late. So why weren't you there?"
"Professor Sprout asked me to make sure that you hadn't gone outside. Class was moved into the spare classroom on the second floor. I suppose you slept through Transfiguration, too then?"
Ginny sighed, "Yes. Was McGonagall furious I was gone?"
"I told her that you weren't feeling well and that you had probably gone up to the hospital wing." Ginny was caught completely off guard.
"You did what?"
"I-"
"Yes, I heard you, but you covered for me? Why would you do that?"
Malfoy started to say something rude, then changed his mind, "Because I-" but Ginny cut him off.
"I'm so sorry, why am I even questioning you about that. I am being so stupid. I've just had the worst luck today and I've probably gone and given myself the flu by running around outside. So what I meant to say was thank you."
It was now Malfoy's turn to be surprised. He couldn't remember the last time that someone had thanked him for anything. He could hardly remember the last time he had held a full conversation, for that matter. After the incident with Dumbledore and the astronomy tower, he had pretty much stopped talking, and then his parents… and before that his chats with Crabbe and Goyle hardly counted as intelligent conversation anyway.
He finally stumbled out, "You're welcome." And it was Ginny's turn to smile. He continued, "You should probably actually head up to the hospital wing now. If you weren't sick before, you probably will be now. I'll tell Professor Sprout for you." Malfoy turned to go down the hall toward the class when he heard Ginny call him.
"Draco-" Did I just call him Draco? "Draco, thanks again," and Ginny smiled before heading toward the hospital wing.
Draco was so surprised it was a miracle that his chin was not on the ground. She had called him by his first name. He hadn't heard that in ages. And she was friendly. And pretty, but that was beside the point. As he resumed his walk to class he mumbled under his breath, "You're welcome."
As Ginny ascended the stairs she was lost in thought. What the hell just happened? I called him Draco. He smiled. I smiled- twice! She had also just held her first real conversation since the trio left on the train weeks ago. The dead shadow of his eyes was gone. He looked like he did that day in the library, when he laughed. Little did she know, that during the exchange her eyes had also found the glint that had gone out. She didn't know that people compared her and Draco when they weren't around. 'Neither of them speaks.' 'They spend all of their time alone.' 'Their eyes look empty.'
She shuffled up the stairs in complete bewilderment. If she had to admit it, though, and she was glad that she didn't, she felt better. Not just about her miserable day, but about everything since the train that day. It's like when I wrote him that letter… What in the name of Merlin possessed me to do that?
In Draco, Ginny had found a kindred spirit. Not one that she wanted to admit. Not even one she really cared to talk to. She found, though, that as the weeks had passed, she didn't mind it when he had butted in on her little jokes. She didn't mind the look he gave her when she felt like punching Colin for talking to her. She didn't mind the fact that it was no longer unusual to feel his eyes watching her as she walked down the corridors. But most of all, she didn't mind what they had shared that day in potions. Sitting in silence and working together. Or this afternoon, he came to find me. He got me out of the rain. He was nice. Friendly even. And she didn't mind his kind of friendly as opposed to Neville's kind of friendly. Draco and Ginny had somehow come to an unwanted and unspoken agreement and neither seemed to mind.
When Ginny finally made it to the hospital wing to be tutted over by Madam Pomfrey, she sat back and relaxed and forgot everything horrible that had happened that day. The hostility that so often lay just below the surface extinguished and something new blazed somewhere inside. She felt better and she had Draco to thank. Not Malfoy, she decided, Draco. She also decided that maybe he was not so bad after all.