Ginny always enjoyed the feast, seeing her friends, catching up, eating and eating. But on this occasion she could not keep her eyes from straying over to the Slytherin table, to Blaise.
He seemed lost in thought, and uncomfortable next to Malfoy who was shouting and gesturing as per usual, making sure he was the centre of attention.
She balanced her chin on one hand deep in thought, staring up at the evening sky, littered with stars. Glancing over at Blaise again, her eyes met his and for one brief moment, they gazed at one another. She broke away, staring instead at the table top, her thoughts in a whirl.
She couldn't stop looking at him, which was both irritating and in some strange way good. Harry shouted something down the table to her, but she could not pick out the words. They just merged together, in a buzzing sound. She simply shook her head wearily and turned to Luna next to her.
***********
Ginny lay in bed, staring at the canopy overhead without seeing it. Instead, she saw Hogwarts on the day term ended, when she had been sat under the willow reading. She had been annoyed when a shadow fell over the page, and even more so when she looked up and saw who it was.
"What do you want Malfoy?"
"Don't take that tone with me, blood traitor"
She set her book down, and leant back against the tree, waiting. He shuffled from one foot to the other.
"I want you to ask Hermione... Never mind," And with that he turned and stalked back up to the castle. Ginny half smiled, perplexed.
"I don't understand him either," Came a voice, making her jump. Blaise appeared from around the side of the willow. She stared at him, annoyed at his sudden presence and yet, glad to have him near for a strange reason.
She had never properly looked at Blaise before, always dismissing him as Malfoy's friend and hanger on, but now as he stepped forward into the sunlight, she found herself admiring his deep eyes. Someone could get lost in those eyes, she thought dreamily, before mentally pulling herself back, appalled at her thoughts.
He pointed at the grass beside her before asking, "May I?"
She shrugged, as though it was of no importance to her when her whole being tingled at his nearness. He sat, and twisted so he was looking directly at her.
"He's been acting strangely for a while now," He continued, "Sometimes dreaming, sometimes extra snappy,"
"Well I have no idea." Ginny shifted away from him slightly, "I don't make a habit of examining Slytherins, or talking to them for that matter,"
He was annoyed by that, a sudden frown creased his forehead.
"You need to stop being so stereotypical" he told her, to her great irritation.
"What? Why? You have barely even acknowledged my existence before now, and suddenly you are acting all friendly? What do you want, Blaise?" He was silent, his head bowed.
She sighed and turned, looking out across the lawns to Hagrid's hut where a thin wisp of smoke curled lazily in the air. She could almost taste the wood smoke and as she listened to the birds singing she lifted her hands, watching the dappled light play over them.
"I just wanted to talk to you," His voice was soft, "As far as I know, that's no crime."
He leaned forward, his face mere inches from her own. She found she had stopped breathing, and her heart was beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
He seemed to hesitate for a second, before gently kissing her lips. She was not going to be kissed by a Slytherin, by one of Malfoy's followers no less, but her lips took on a will of their own, and as he began to draw back, she leaned forward herself and kissed him back.
Surprised at herself, she stopped and knelt back trying to analyse her feelings. He smiled to himself, the tip of his tongue playing over his teeth. He glanced up, and she saw in that look that he liked her, despite who and what they were. She was startled by her own rush of emotion, and realised how much of an effect he had on her.
She liked a Slytherin.
She liked Blaise.
Shit.