She could hardly contain her excitement. He got me a gift! He got me a gift! Merry Christmas to me! She had not even noticed the packages resting at the foot of her bed. She was far more anxious to hear from Draco. She set down the parcel and eyed it eagerly as she tore open the letter.
Ginny smiled broader and broader as she read the letter. Her heart was fluttering, and she had no idea why, but didn't really care. She was so excited that it was Christmas and that she had received an owl from Draco.
She placed the letter on her bed and eyed the small parcel as if wondering if she should wait to open it or not. Of course not! It's Christmas! She reached over and quickly removed the green paper. Always a Slytherin, of course. She found a small, white, square box and gingerly removed the top before gasping and dropping it on the floor.
Ginny squealed and threw herself off the bed in pursuit of her fallen gift- a small, silver bracelet with a small plaque that said, "For my friend," and had a dainty ruby and emerald set into each side. She sat huddled on the floor, in her bedclothes with her hair tousled from the leap, admiring her gift when the door opened, and she immediately put her hands behind her back and tried to look innocent.
Ron came bounding in. "Come on, Ginny! Presents! Let's go downstairs. Harry and Hermione are waiting and Bill looks so giddy he may wet himself. He's a married man for crying out loud…" Ron grinned cheekily, and Ginny rewarded him with a smile. She was in such high spirits that nothing could bring her down.
"Give me just a second, okay, Ron?"
"Sure. Hey, why are you on the floor?" Ron's eyes moved over the bed and saw the empty parcel. "Hey! You started without us!"
"No, it's just someone from school. I didn't think you all would mind if I opened it. I wanted to do it quickly, so I could send the owl back."
"Looks like Malfoy's owl," Ron remarked stupidly. "So who is the present from?" Thank Merlin that Ron was not blessed with enough brains for critical thinking.
"You don't know her. A friend at school."
"Oh," he eyed her suspiciously before adding, "So are you coming down?" Ginny nodded, and he left.
She sighed audibly. Well that was close. Poor thing really is thick. She chuckled and moved over to Draco's owl. "Do you know," she asked it, "that Malfoy has an owl that looks just like you? What a small world." She laughed as she reached for some parchment to send a reply so that she could get down stairs.
"Ginny! Hurry up!" she heard called through the floorboards. Oh fine, she thought, I'll have to do it after I deal with those bloody gits. She stroked Draco's owl again and said, "You'll have a bit longer to rest. Oh, and Merry Christmas." She grinned goofily at the owl that merely stared. "Oh fine, then, I'm mental. I'm talking to a bird."
She clasped the bracelet onto her wrist and made her way downstairs with her packages. She was greeted by the twins, Ron, Harry, Bill, and Charlie all looking eagerly and frustratedly at her while Fleur yawned, and Hermione looked somewhat indifferent. She heard her mother bustle in from the kitchen with a tray of steaming hot cocoa.
"Merry Christmas, dear." Her father came in and sat down. This was the cue that the boys had been waiting for, and they began tearing into their gifts.
"Thank you" chorused around the room in various intervals as Ginny moved through her pile of gifts. She got the usual- the Weasley sweater, some candy, a book, and little knickknacks. She got to her last package, a small red box, which she saw was from Harry.
Great, she thought, I wonder what it is. That prat keeps looking at me like I am his long lost puppy or something. Can't he understand that it just doesn't work that way? She carefully opened the box and was greeted by- a bracelet. It was a thin gold rope with a lion on the clasp with a small ruby for the eye. Another bracelet! Is the world out to get me?! Now he'll see that I am already wearing one!
Ginny looked up to thank Harry and saw that he had moved from his place on the sofa.
"Do you like it?" Ginny heard from mere inches beside her.
"Harry! You startled me," she said leaning away from him a bit. He frowned slightly.
"Yes, I like it very much, thank you. You really shouldn't have gotten me anything so nice, though."
Harry grinned, obviously heartened by her response. "No, Ginny, you are worth it. I feel like a positive prat leaving you like we did. We should have talked to you about it. We should not have left you in the dark. I'm sorry." He reached out and grabbed her hand. Ginny's eyes widened and she snatched her hand back. Again, Harry frowned.
"Sorry, I am still a bit sleepy." What a lame excuse! You are the lousiest liar I have ever met, Miss Ginevra Weasley, she scolded herself mentally. "I think I'll go upstairs and put on some proper clothes." She stood to excuse herself, and Harry stood also.
"Here, let me put that on for you," he said, motioning to the bracelet. Oh no no no. He grabbed her hand again and saw that she was already wearing a bracelet. She saw his eyes flick over the little plaque, and he looked up to her. "I didn't know that you already had a bracelet."
"Oh, yeah, I got it this morning from someone at school."
"Who?"
"Mmm, you don't know her. She's younger. Ravenclaw."
"Oh." His eyes took in the ruby and emerald and he looked at her questioningly.
"I'm going to go change now. But here, I'll wear your on my other wrist. I can wear two at once." She thrust out her left wrist, and he hesitated before clasping it for her. She thanked him and dashed up the stairs cringing at how his hand had grazed her skin.
What have I done to deserve this! What in the name of Merlin? She got to her room and closed the door. She leaned her back against the closed door and breathed a sigh of relief.
She sat at her desk and smiled at the owl that sat perched looking curiously at her. "You don't even want to know." She picked up the quill, but before she could write a word, there was a knock on the door. What is wrong with these people?
She crossed to the door and cracked it open. Hermione peered uncertainly in at her. "Harry asked me to check on you. He said that you were acting strangely." Acting strangely indeed, she thought indignantly, I am not the one who broke up with him only to give him jewelry and try to hold his hand.
Ginny opened the door wider and allowed Hermione to enter. "I'm fine," Ginny said at last. "It's early and I was caught off guard. I really didn't expect something like that from him." She sunk down onto her bed. Why am I even telling her this? It's not like it even matters to her.
Ginny eyed her empty roll of parchment longingly. Hermione followed her glance, noticed the owl and said, "That looks like Malfoy's owl." Ginny fought back a laugh, which came out as more of a cough.
"So really, though. What is going on?"
"I told you, I was just caught off guard."
"You know he still likes you." Ginny looked up at the bushy haired girl alarmed. Hermione smiled consolingly. "I thought that was the problem. Did you honestly think that he would just stop liking you like that?" She snapped her fingers. "He left you for your own good. He talks about you constantly. Poor thing. So don't even worry about that."
Ginny's mind was racing. What have I done to deserve this! What have I done to deserve this! She pinched the bridge of her nose before looking up at Hermione's smiling face and saying, "That is completely off the point." Hermione frowned.
"But I thought-"
"Ah, Hermione Granger is finally wrong. I am over Harry. I thought he was too. That was a good thing. Then he goes giving me jewelry and getting all goggle-eyed. Not supposed to happen."
"But you liked him for ages, you don't just-"
Ginny put her hands in the air. "Whoa, Hermione. Over it. Tell him that." Hermione's eyes moved to the silver bracelet.
"So who really gave you that?"
Ginny looked away awkwardly. "I told you all. A girl. From Ravenclaw."
"Then what is with the emerald?"
"Oh honestly, no one is allowed to like emeralds unless they are in Slytherin?"
"Ah. Slytherin." Hermione's eyes glanced back toward Draco's owl. "I never said anything about Slytherin."
Ginny growled frustratedly. "Okay, I need to change. I already told you, and if you don't believe me, then that is your problem, not mine."
Hermione left the room looking suspiciously at Ginny. When Hermione closed the door, Ginny sighed and grumbled about good-for-nothing-know-it-alls as she set about grabbing some warm clothes. As she changed she pondered taking off Harry's bracelet, but thought it might be a bit rude.
She gazed appreciatively at Draco's bracelet again, and moved to sit down at her desk when the door flew open.
"Honestly, don't you people knock!" Ginny shouted at the intruder.
Ron frowned and said, "Mum wants you downstairs for breakfast." Ginny narrowed her eyes, but followed him thinking that she would never get to send Draco's letter and gift.
As she sat down at the table, she saw the looks that Hermione passed between Harry and herself.
"Oh Ginny, dear, I found this in your cloak when I went to wash it," Her mother handed her an envelope.
"Thanks, Mum." She flipped it over in her hands wondering what it was. She opened it, and two copies of a photo fell onto the table.
"Well what do we have here?" Fred reached across and grabbed one of them as George did the same.
"I don't know, because you nosy sods took them before I even got a chance to look at them," Ginny retorted bitingly but noticed the look on George's face contort quickly.
"What is going on here?" he asked her in a low voice with his eyes still on the photo. Ginny was a bit nervous. What is it? It can't be anything too horrible can it? What have I done that I can get in trouble for? She reached up and snatched the photo out of George's hands as Fred handed his to Ron whose face promptly turned beet red.
She flipped it around and saw the photo from the snowman day. She laughed out loud at the snowman and felt her heart leap when she noticed herself leaning against Draco would was fiddling with her hair. She unconsciously began twirling his bracelet and continued laughing softly.
Unbeknownst to her, the kitchen had fallen silent as Fred, George and Ron glared at her and everyone else gathered around the photo Ron was holding.
Ron's voice broke the silence as he said low and dangerously, "Care to explain?"
"What?" Ginny's head snapped up and took in the angry and curious eyes.
"Oh! Zat iz ze Malfoy boy! I remember him from Hogwarts. He was quite lovely." Fleur smiled indulgently at Ginny, who snorted out a laugh as her brothers turned to look at her incredulously.
Bill was looking murderous. "Lovely? Is he lovely, my dear? Is this," he gestured to the scars across his face, "lovely?"
Fleur blanched slightly and said, "Ooh. I forgot."
"Lucky you."
Ginny was glaring furiously at the interchange. She had forgiven him. He was not the same boy. He was different. They were not likely to take that story in anytime soon.
"I think I'll take that now," she snatched the photo out of Ron's hand. Outraged cries sounded and several hands reached to claim the photo, but she kept her hold of it. She caught Harry's eye. He looks confused. He looks hurt. Well it's not my bloody fault. We are not together, Potter, she felt like yelling but held it in.
"Ginny?" her mother asked questioningly.
"What? Can I not have a friend? This lot left me high and dry. I had no one and neither did he. His parents were murdered! Did anyone stop to think that maybe he might need a friend!"
"I think he's got more than friendship on his mind," Ron retorted angrily.
"Oh this is rubbish. I don't have to explain myself to you. I can take care of myself. Not that I need to," she added quickly. "He has changed. I gave him a second chance, but I don't expect you closed-minded prats to do the same. You think that the Slytherins are prejudiced, but it's nothing compared to you three. You stand behind these ideals and judge them before you speak to them. You are just as prejudiced as they are." Ginny turned on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen leaving everyone wide-eyed and shocked.
When she reached her room, she slammed the door, and Draco's owl hooted indignantly. She muttered several locking charms before throwing herself onto the bed, angry tears in her eyes.
After about an hour of plotting slow and painful deaths for the trio, Ginny finally stood and moved over to her desk with every intention of finally sending Draco's gift. She felt bad that it would arrive so late
Dear Draco,
Thank you so much for the bracelet! It is beautiful. I have spent all morning admiring it. It was very thoughtful of you. I always pegged you as the type to give generic gifts, but I was pleasantly surprised. I judged too soon, I see.
Speaking of judging. I got into a fight with my family this morning. All of them. They saw this photo of us. I didn't even know that it had been taken, but Colin gave it to me on the way to the train at the beginning of the holiday. I forgot about it until this morning and opened it at the breakfast table. Needless to say, I live in a family full of small-minded prats. But I gave them a good telling off.
I wish more than ever that I were back at school with you… But now I have the photo, so I feel a bit better. I hope it makes you feel better too. I was contemplating seeing if they would send me back early, but I'm not so sure that they will after this morning. Eh, maybe they will just so they can get rid of me more quickly.
Anyway, Merry Christmas. Sorry my gift isn't as wonderful as yours. I did the best I could with a load of nosy sods following me around Diagon Alley.
Missing you terribly, Ginny
She smiled and sealed the letter before attaching it to the parcel, which contained a customized set of potions vials. She knew that he needed more, and she bought the nicest ones that she could afford. She added a copy of the photo to the parcel and secured it to the owl's leg. She smiled as it sailed away quickly and hoped that his day was going much better than hers.
She screwed herself up to go back downstairs and convince her mother to let her leave. As she turned away from the window, though, she saw Ron, Harry and Hermione walk out the back door as her mother trailed tearily behind. They apparated away with a crack and her mother let out a loud sob before returning to the house. So they have gone already. My fault no doubt, she thought. Now Mum will be really angry that I scared them away so soon. It will be my fault, of course. Ginny took a deep breath and turned to face the door. As she heard footsteps draw closer, she removed the locking charms and waited for her mother's rant.