Chapter 19: "Just Friends"
Sorry it took so long to write. I've been behind in school... because I'm a senior and a natural procrastinator. The two should not mix. I still have to write something for my other story. Hope you like it.
"Draco Malfoy, when will you learn to listen to me? I mean, I told you, whoever it is, she's not like other girls and she's not going to go for any of your usually tactics. But NO. You had to be pigheaded and just go right along and scare here away!" Blaize laughed as he flipped through a book, sitting in his favorite reading chair. Draco was pacing back and forth, back and forth annoyingly, occasionally running his hand through his hair. Blaize had known this would happen. It was obvious to him that if a guy like Draco can't seem to get to her through unbelievably - romantic you could call it – ways, then this girl needed something more. Some finesse. She couldn't be tricked into acknowledging the fact that she liked Draco as much as he liked her. Because she did. Blaize was one hundred percent positive. "And if you don't sit down right now, I'll break both your legs and you won't be able to go after this mystery girl ever again!" Blaize yelled, throwing his book at Draco's forehead.
Like a dog, Draco sat, or slumped, down into the coach with a sigh.
"It's Ginny," He finally spoke, flatly, throwing Blaize his book back.
"Who's Ginny?" Blaize asked rather unconcerned with the matter as he was once again reading. Blaize was a great reader.
"Ginny is the mystery girl. Her name is Ginny," Draco replied in an annoyed voice.
"I don't know a Ginny."
"Will you pay attention! You do know her. It's the only Ginny in the entire bloody school! Ginny Weasley! I like, no I'm infatuated, with Ginny Bloody Weasley!" Draco yelled at Blaize in a very ill composed, definitely not well bread, way. And to it all, Blaize simply smiled.
Laying his book aside and bringing his ankle up to rest on his knee, Blaize quietly said, with a stupid grin on his face, "Now that THAT's out of the way, we can move onto you showing her that she feels the same way."
"You don't care that it's Ginny?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes at his friend. He had expected a completely different outcome to the situation.
"No. Why would it bother me?"
"Oh I don't know? Maybe because she's a Gryffindor, a Weasley, a blood traitor…"
"The best thing to ever happen to you and you're lucky to have finally realized that she's perfect?" Blaize supplied. Draco didn't say anything but started looking around, avoiding everything. "You know, most people wouldn't really care, Malfoy. No one really cares that much about you to bother with who you fancy. And the only person that I can think of that has a problem with it, is you. You're just trying to find excuses to not like her. Well tough shit man, because I'm not going to supply them to you. And if you want her to like you, you better get over your high and mighty ways and realize, this isn't about you anymore."
For a moment both boys just stared at each other, deciding whether or not to beat each other's brains out. Both knew they'd never really fight. Their friendship depended on Draco being blind, stubborn, and down right annoying, and Blaize had to be the disgustingly blunt one. Finally Draco cleared his throat and said, "What's your plan to woo her."
"That's just it. We're not going to woo her. We're going to do everything opposite of what you've been doing."
"Are you trying to sabotage me? How is that going to do anything?"
"Don't you get it Malfoy? Girls don't want to be chased. Well, most don't. They want what they can't have. And frankly Ginny's to damn smart for any of the usual tricks. She knows to much. She's had enough brothers to make a Quidditch team. Don't you think she's seen them all before? No, we need a completely different approach. She's got to be pissed off into liking you because that's how she works."
"Well I don't chaise after girls! They run to me!"
"Sure. So then you should be fine not chasing after Ginny."
"Except for the fact that I think you're mental and this won't work…. What do you purpose, then? Tell her I hate her?" Draco asked skeptically.
"It's simple. Tell her you want to be friends."
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Ginny didn't know how she had fallen behind so far in her classes. The school year was going by so slowly and yet the homework load was quite large. For a while Bella sat with her in the library, till she finished her homework, ran out of things to say, and decided her butt would fall off if she sat there any longer. So she left to sit in the common room. Next Hermione swung by. Not to do homework, no Hermione was 2 weeks ahead with her homework. She came by to tell Ginny off for being such a procrastinator, but quickly felt sorry for her friend and gave her a few hints. Harry dropped by right after, looking for Hermione.
"I'm surprised you missed her, she just left 2 seconds ago and went back up," Ginny replied not giving it much attention as she continued to write. Had she looked up or at least gave Harry the time of day, she would have noticed that he went slightly pink.
"Er, right. I guess she took a short cut then… Listen I wanted to know…. Uh to know if… if…" Harry stuttered, pulling on the sleeve of his shirt.
"Harry, honestly I have a lot of work to do. What is it," Ginny asked in a tired voice, putting down her quill and giving him her full attention. Maybe he'll leave her alone faster…
"Uh… I was wondering…. If you'll be coming to Quidditch practice tonight," Harry asked, face falling slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Why wouldn't I be at Quidditch?"
"Because we have tutoring, Weasley," Draco answered for Harry as he walked over to their table, a few books under his arm. He looked over at Harry who looked like he was about to spit up a slug. "Hello their Potter. Need something else?" Harry gave him a glare and quickly left the library. As Malfoy began to situate himself at Ginny's table, Ginny began to pluck her things up, trying to leave quickly.
"Where are you off to? I thought we could do homework together," Draco asked, crocked smile playing at his mouth.
"We don't have classes together, Malfoy," Ginny spat, not caring any more how messily she did it, and began to slide her possessions off the desk and into her bag.
"Hey what's the rush? If I didn't know any better I would say I'm making you uncomfortable…" He asked playfully, leaning back his chair. When he realized that she was done glaring and was about to leave he jumped out of his seat and blocked her exit route.
"Malfoy, move. I have work to do," Ginny said coldly looking past him at the door.
"Then sit down and make yourself at home Weasley, we are after all in a library."
"Yeah I was about to ask if you knew where you were, don't see the likes of you around here much…"
"Now that's not true… we were just in here a few nights ago…."
"That does it!" Ginny whispered angrily, trying to elbow her way out, but Malfoy grabbed her shoulders.
"Calm down, I was just kidding. Seriously, sit down," He said, guiding her back down into her seat.
"FINE! What do you want Malfoy?" Ginny asked, slamming her books down and crossing her arms, glaring daggers at him while jiggling her foot.
"I want to be friends," Malfoy simply stated, leaning back in his own chair.
"What?" Ginny asked, turning her head to look straight at him. He was smiling.
"What? Disappointed, Weasley? You had your chance. If you think I want to jump your bones, sorry, but no. Just friends."
"You want to be friends. With me."
"No Colin Creevey. YES Weasley. Why is that so hard to believe?" Draco said in an exasperated tone.
"Oh I don't know Draco, maybe because I'm a Weasley and you're you. I have a normal family, and you're the spawn of Satan. I'm a Gryffindor, and you're one of THEM," She said motioning her head towards two Slytherin 2nd years switching the covers on books. "Don't you have a job to do, Head Boy, Sir?"
Draco jumped out of his chair causing it to fall over as he yelled, "Hey! You two! Detention! Tonight! Report to Filch IMMEDIATELY!" When the two went slightly pale and walked quickly out of the library, he turned back to Ginny and said, "Well where were we. I yes, I was being compared to Satan."
"No I said you were the spawn of Satan. Now to the point. What's your angle, Malfoy? Why do you want to be friends."
"Because you're entertaining. I don't know. I just do. Do you always have an application and interview process when someone wants to be your friend, or am I just that special?"
Ginny stared at him for a few moments, long enough to make him squirm. Then she threw her bag onto the table and started pulling her things out. "Fine. We'll be friends."