"Can't Get Enough of You"
By: Sailor Gemini
Chapter 10: In Which the Breath Caught In Her Throat
Authors note: I know it's been forever guys. When isn't it forever between updates? Merry Christmas! I hope to get this out tonight…but it might not be for a week yet. I just have been bitten with the writing bug, so bless whatever this piece of crud turns into.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I really (REALLY) wish I did own some of it, because then I'd be entirely too rich, but I'm not. I'm just a poor high school student letting her creative juices flow so all of you out there can get some fun out of a Harry Potter story.
I can make the runner stumble
I can make the final block
And I can make every tackle at the sound of the whistle,
I can make all the stadiums rock
"I can't take it anymore, Hermione."
"What now Ginny?" She asked, her head buried in her book.
"You know your hair is in the pumpkin juice, right?" Ron told her, and she sat up abruptly, flinging little droplets across the table at Harry.
"That's disgusting."
"Sorry. What's wrong?"
"Everywhere I go she's lurking behind corners. I think she's going to try to stab me or something."
"This is the wizarding world, Gin. Stabbing is replaced with cursing," Harry reminded her grinning.
"Oh great," she remarked dully, poking her bacon with her fork.
"How was your last detention with the ferret last night?"
"Spectacular," she remarked dryly to her brother. Hermione looked at her, sensing her sarcasm and raised an eyebrow.
"Really? What was so great about it?"
"He taught my how to flip my head to keep the hair out of my eyes," Ginny grinned at the two boys. The both laughed.
Thankfully, there were no more questions about how her last detention went, as at that exact moment the mail came fluttering in.
Ginny picked up a piece of toast and started to nibble on it when Pig came diving at Ron.
Hermione looked at him, as he reached up. The look on his face was horror. "I haven't done anything!" He said loudly, grasping the red envelope from Pig's clutches.
"Ron, that doesn't have your name on it," Hermione said, putting her hand on his arm. Both pairs of eyes made their way toward Harry.
He gulped, choking on a piece of bacon. "I haven't done anything either," he said with his mouth full.
"It's addressed to you," Ron said, throwing it at him. He was quite glad to be rid of such an object.
"Make a run for it, Harry," Seamus advised.
Harry grabbed it as the edges started to burn.
"I'll be a man," he replied, gulping. He undid the edge of the letter, and it fluttered away from his grasp, a loud voice booming into the hall.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"
Ron cringed, hearing his mother's famous yell. "You're in for it, mate," he told him, as Harry buried his head in his arms.
"DO YOU WANT TO BE A POOR EXCUSE OF A MAN? YOU HAVE SUCH A BRIGHT FUTURE IN FRONT OF YOU! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR GRADE IN POTIONS? I COULD EXPECT THIS OF RON, BUT OF YOU? NONSENSE! DON'T YOU DARE GO AND TRY AND BLAME ANY OF THIS ON SPANE'S DISLIKE OF YOU OR YOUR FATHER. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE RESULT OF A LACK OF STUDYING YOUNG MAN. "
Harry's cheeks couldn't be any redder.
"WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTHER SAY? SUCH A BRIGHT YOUNG WITCH, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO TO REPAY HER; BY FAILING CLASSES THAT YOU SHOULD BY ALL MEANS BE PASSING? THINK OF YOUR FUTURE, LAD. IF I GET ONE MORE GRADE LIKE THIS, SO HELP ME. I MAY NOT BE YOUR LEGAL GUARDIAN, BUT THERE ARE MANY THINGS I CAN DO TO PERSUADE YOU TO STUDY, BOY. PULL YOUR GRADES UP."
"Even the tips of your ears are red, mate," Ron laughed at Harry as the shouting finally dimmed. "I'm embarrassed for you."
"I call bull," Hermione joined in, laughing. "You're embarrassed because that was your mum!"
"And everyone should be embarrassed by that," Malfoy drawled as he walked by.
"Oy, shut your god damn mouth Dra - Malfoy, before I shut it for you," Ginny barked after him.
"Don't talk to me you blood traitor," he turned around, walking backwards with a sneer on his lips.
She rolled her eyes, and noticed the small letter in front of her on the table. "I have had it with him. Rather annoying, I say." She elbowed Hermione from under the table. "Anyway, I'm off. You guys want to meet up before the quidditch game later this afternoon?"
"Sure. Why not? I would love to see the Slytherin's get slaughtered."
"Don't get your hopes up, Potter," Ginny told him. "They're going against Hufflepuff."
Harry laughed. "I guess your right. How about we get together at two?"
"It sounds good to me!"
Coming to a state of concurrence, they all departed with Ginny in the direction of the library.
After a few minutes of walking, she came upon a set of some dark hallways that reflected the state of her mood. She hated lying to her brother. Ok, so that was a lie. She didn't hate lying to him too much. But she did hate lying to poor Harry. He really was the innocent in all of this. She hadn't had the chance in the last few weeks to pause and really consider what happened to them and the effect it had on their friendship. Was she ready to admit to herself that maybe the ex-boy of her dreams really did love her?
"No, no no!" she hollered down the hallway.
"Somebody really is going to take you for a crazy," a voice responded.
"Oh hush it," she replied, closing her eyes.
"Did you get my note?"
"Of course."
"And?"
"And I don't appreciate the comment you made about my mother, you dork," she told him, turning and giving him a look.
"It was all an act," he replied, before his smirk replaced the nice look on his face. "But in all honesty, I would be embarrassed…"
"Oh shut it," she interrupted. "I don't want to hear some corny 'Your mom' jokes right now. Not in the mood."
"Touchy, I see. Well, what mood are you?" he asked her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"I don't know," she told him, shoving it off.
Draco grabbed her hand, and pulled her to a stop. "This is really awkward for me."
She sighed. "What is?"
"This. You, me. This 'actual relationship' crap. I'm used to snogging, shagging, and then leaving. None of this 'caring' stuff."
"Well, thanks for sticking around I guess," she turned to pull away.
"I am trying to help, Virginia."
"How many times do I have to tell you? It's Ginevra. Ginny to you, Ginevra to my mother." She cracked a small smile at him.
He leaned towards her, and she tilted her head back ready to kiss him with her eyes closed. Surprising her, the kiss landed on the tip of her nose. "You know as much as I love being cheesy as possible, I do have a quidditch game to go prepare for. I'm assuming you'll be in the Gryffindor stands cheering the Hufflepuffs on, yes?"
"Of course."
"And after, where will you be?"
"No idea."
"You must have some idea."
"I really don't," she tried to convince him.
"Read my note, dear," he drawled at her. "And I'm sure you'll have a crystal clear idea of where you might be.
"As long as it doesn't include a bed in the dungeons somewhere," she replied, wrinkling her nose.
"I hope your face gets stuck that way," he told her, squeezing her hand before turning to leave.
She twirled the ring on her finger, and reached into her pocket pulling out the note.
"Virginia –"
She grinned, before continuing on.
"It seems to me that I have a quidditch game today. And as long as I'm not terrible injured, I have this insatiable desire "
Her eyes widened.
"To see you outside of lockers after the game. If you don't come, I'll assume the worst of course and Potter might find himself on a spick somewhere. Cheers."
Laughing, her mood brightened considerably. She turned around, and walked in the direction of the common room. Why not spend some time with her friends? That sounded like a perfectly good idea. Who needed to be shut up in the dusty library on a day like this?
Sadly, when she wanted to be greeted by three of her favorite people, the only one that she had least likely wanted to talk to was the one to be found. "Hullo Harry," she told him, plopping into an armchair next to the empty fireplace.
"Where's Hermione?" he asked, pulling himself up from a slouching position.
"Why would I know where Hermione is?" Ginny asked, sinking herself into one.
"She stormed off looking for you, is all," he replied.
"Oh."
"Ron's up in the dorms," he told her.
"I assumed. A fight?"
"I suppose that's what you would call it."
"What was it about?"
Harry wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Malfoy," he spat the word out like a foul tasting cheese.
Ginny raised an un-plucked but still fashionably cute eyebrow at him. "Why in the world would they talk about that prat?" she tried to ask calmly. She hoped the warning bells weren't blaring in his head as loud as they were in hers.
"I don't quite remember what the argument was about. I don't listen to them most of the time, you know." He winked at her. "I just nod on and pretend I'm listening. Your brother, no offense, just spouts of nonsense most of the time. And Hermione is so bloody smart that I can barely understand the words coming out of her mouth. You, Love," he reached over, to pat her hand. "Are perfect. I – " he noticed the ring on her finger, and picked up her hand to examine the silver piece of jewelry.
"New boy?" he asked his once lively voice now dull, as her ran his thumb over it. His touch gave her the shivers, and most definitely not the good kind.
"No, not really," she said, jerking her hand back and cradling it to her chest. She twirled the ring around her finger.
"Then who gave you the ring?"
"I'd rather keep it a secret."
"And he does too?" she nodded before she realized that she gave away a vital piece of information. "Aha. Don't lie, Ginny-bug. It doesn't get you anywhere. A piece of advice though," he stood up from the chair and turned toward the entrance to the common room.
She looked up at him as he turned his head back toward her. "Any guy that's trying to keep you a secret is a guy that isn't worth your time. Love is about shouting it at the top of your lungs without any shame. Think about it."
Ginny watched him turn and continue walking toward the exit until finally she was alone in the common room.
'He's not ashamed of me, is he?' she asked herself. No, no that couldn't be at all.
'I mean, don't I have more to be ashamed of?' she asked herself, chuckling quietly.
'Alright, alright. I suppose that wasn't very nice. But it's not like I love him, do I? No, that couldn't be it. Why in the world would I love a Malfoy? Yeah, he definitely is a wee bit sweet around the eyes, and his kisses are like vanilla, but that's not what love is about. That's infatuation.'
Reasoning with herself did absolutely no good, and only made her feel worse. Soon enough she realized what time it was and started to make her way out of the common room toward the entrance to the school.
There was no one to meet her as she trooped her way up the stairs, and she wondered if she should even try to find the dream team. Sadly, there was no shock of friendly red hair to greet her as she finally made her way towards the top row.
"Hi Creevey," she said, sitting down next to Collin, who was putting film into his camera.
"Hi Gin," he said, leaning down over it. "What are you doing?"
"Letting the prime years of my life slip away without grasping onto anything important," she told him, turning to smile.
He didn't hear her, but she didn't care. Collin was a good friend.
Thankfully, before long there was a voice booming over the stands, announcing the beginning of the game.
Ginny got just as caught up in it as Collin did, and soon they were cheering whenever Hufflepuff scored a goal (which happened only twice, miserably) and hissing when Slytherin scored one (which happened quite often).
Ginny was laughing as Colin drew a picture of a badger chewing on a snake when a certain blonde girl made her way up the Gryffindor ramp.
Pansy Parkinson made her way directly in front of Ginny, and stood there with her hands on her hips. "How droll," she commented at the picture, throwing Colin an arrogant look. He blushed under her scrutiny, and turned away from the two girls.
"What do you want?" Ginny asked her, leaning against the back of her seat in a very casual position.
"It's very clear that what I want, you right now hold in your possession." Ginny's fingers tightened in a fist, with her thumb stroking the ring Draco gave her.
"And you think you can be persuasive enough to try and take it away from me by calmly talking?" Ginny asked, looking over Pansy's shoulder at the game.
"I think I can be incredibly persuasive if I need to be."
"Well, thankfully we don't hold that same opinion. Now, if you would possibly find it in your heart to leave, I'd like to cheer the Hufflepuff team on in peace."
Pansy's answer was lost on Ginny as at that moment she jumped and pushed past her, leaning on the balcony. Below her, in the game, Draco was diving faster and faster toward the ground. His hand was outstretched, reaching for the snitch.
Ginny's heart started to pound as she watched everything unfold. Things seemed to slow down in slow motion as she saw the beater turn towards Draco and smash the death ball in his direction. Draco was moving faster and faster, but the bludger was gaining on him quickly. 'He'll never see it coming,' her brain thought, and her breath caught in her throat as she watched it slam into his side.
The gasp never made it past her lips.
She started to panic.
She couldn't breath.
Her hand clawed at her throat, and her heart started to pound.
Draco tumbled to the ground of his broom.
Her legs gave way underneath her, and her eyes lulled as she came crashing backwards.
Her hands gripped in fists as everything became dark.
The last thing she heard was a rustle of robes moving away from her.
TBC
Authors note: Alright guys. It's almost the end of January. I started this at the end of December. It's not too long, but its something and I quite like what that something has become. My hard drive crashed last week and it scared me enough to finish this little piece of work, since thankfully I could salvage it. I hope you like it, and please review!
On the subject of re-writing, I am thinking long and hard about rewriting the first couple of chapters, as we all know they are a piece of crap. So please do check back within the next few weeks to check them, alright? I won't change anything drastically plot wise, but it might be nice to read a beginning that's not so full of shit. Toodles!