CHAPTER 8 – TRUTH

"Shouldn't you be out with Malfoy finishing off what you started this morning?" Her brother reminded her bitterly whilst they were sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny rolled her eyes and looked at her brother with raised eyebrows.

"Do you really want to talk about that?" She asked, knowing that he didn't. Because if that's what it took to stop this conversation, she would tell him in full detail what had happened, that would be enough to shut him up.

Harry groaned, letting his head fall back to rest on the chair Hermione was sitting on. "Give it a break Ron," He said quietly, Ginny looked down, feeling greatly guilty. It was only two nights ago she had kissed Harry, she couldn't even begin to imagine how he was feeling. She bit down on her lip, only now did she realise how much she must have hurt Harry. But what was she to do? She couldn't deny she had feelings for Draco or that what had happened between them was an accident. What could she say to Harry? Ginny had no answers. Maybe she should just let their conversation go where it would, she had to talk to him, had to apologize.

"Uhm, Harry. Could I talk to you for a minute?" She asked him, standing up and indicating for him to also. He nodded silently and got up also. They walked out of the Common Room for a little privacy as Ginny leant against the wall outside of the portrait hole. Harry looked at her for a moment before talking.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked in a dejected tone, Another wave of guilt overcame her, it's like she had broken her. Ginny thought that their kiss the other day was just a one time thing, but how could she possibly know what that moment meant to him? Were his feelings much more strong than she had ever guessed? How much had she really hurt him? Harry looked up at her and an awkward silence came between them as she stared into his green eyes. Ginny's thoughts were screaming at her. Why couldn't she be normal and like Harry like she liked Draco? He was obviously the much more healthy choice, why did she have to give up so easily on him after running after him for three years? Did she still have any feelings for him? Enough to ignore her feelings for the Slytherin she had so much adored lately and work and work on a relationship with Harry?

"I'm sorry." Ginny blurted out, unable to contain her apology any more.

Harry laughed a little, it sounded a little too forced. "Sorry for what?" He asked, avoiding her gaze now and finding sudden interest in his black converse. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to think of an explanation.

She said the first thing that came to her head. "For kissing him," Ginny whispered, looking up at him but he was still staring at the floor. What was he supposed to say to that? What answer was she expecting? Harry looked up to her suddenly, his eyes smouldering with a strong emotion she couldn't quite name.

"It's fine," Harry muttered, the emotion still burning in his eyes. "Our kiss didn't mean anything to you, I get it." He said and Ginny's eyes widened, is that what he thought? Was that really the impression she was giving off? She shook her head a little, wondering exactly what she would say to him, she didn't even know her answer yet. Did the kiss mean anything to her? Was any feeling in that intimate moment between her and Harry? It wasn't meaningless, she kept telling herself, it meant something.

"No, Harry!" She defended, still shaking her head, placing her hand on his forearm. "Don't say that! Of course it meant something," Ginny knew she did have truth in her words. "I don't know how you could think it didn't," She muttered quietly, looking him straight in the eye, trying desperately to feel something.

Harry laughed without humour. "Then what did it mean?" He asked lightly before staring back up at her.

"I.." She didn't know the answer. "I don't know." Ginny whispered, looking down now, feeling worse than ever for not even being able to provide him with an answer. Something was in Harry's eyes that again, she couldn't quite figure out. She stared at him, trying to see into this secret emotion that hid in his eyes.

Then, for the second time this week, Harry leant towards Ginny and kissed her, with more forceful passion than before. His lips were hungry against her own, desperate maybe. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she placed one hand on the side of his neck. Ginny knew they were in public solitude, but how could anything get worse than the rumours already spread about her and Malfoy?

Draco.

Ginny used all the strength she could muster to push him away, his lips broke from hers and he looked at her, not frowning, just with that mystery emotion playing in his eyes.

"I can't do this." She whispered and she saw Harry take a step back, his hand shooting inside his jacket, pulling his wand out.

"Sure as hell you can't." Ginny's breathing hitched as she heard his voice, she turned around just to see Draco shoot a hex at Harry.

"Protego!" Harry defended, Malfoy's hex bouncing off his protective shield. Draco had the tip of the curse on his tongue when Ginny took hold of his wrist and stood between the two.

"What is wrong with you two? Do you know what McGonagall would do if she saw you fighting in the hallways?" She scorned, wondering idly in her mind why whenever she kissed someone, people always caught her. First when she kissed Harry, Draco had seen. Then she had kissed Draco and Pansy had seen. And now, for the second time, when she kissed Harry, Draco caught them again! What was the world coming to?

Harry seemed to ignore exactly what she had said as he pushed her a little to the left to shoot a spell at Draco. "Expelliarmus!" Draco's wand flew out of his hand into Harry's awaiting fist, his fingers curled around Malfoy's wand as he smirked at him, twiddling it around in his hands. Ginny unexpectedly turned on Harry, subconsciously, she must have decided to take Draco's side, she cringed a little at how easily she had made that decision.

"Give Draco back his wand, Harry." She told him calmly, trying to be nice and polite but Harry raised his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, so he's 'Draco' now?" He asked, handing over the wand regretfully. She took it, avoiding his gaze now, before handing it back to Draco without turning to look at him.

"What's happened to you?" Harry asked quietly, addressing her directly as if Malfoy wasn't there. He looked into her eyes for a couple of second before shaking his head. Ginny looked down, his words piercing her like a knife, the truth of them hurting more than anything else. She felt like she had been slapped around the face, had a thousand insults hurled at her, but the truth was, she was just seeing how much she had changed. What had happened to her? Why had she let Draco effect her this way? So much so that even the best of her friends didn't want to be around her any more. Had she changed for the worse? How much had she noticeably changed was the real question. What had Harry meant? But no, she couldn't ask him, in fear of hearing the truth. How could she even talk to him after this? When she had clearly chosen Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin, his enemy over him, Harry Potter, the 'Chosen One', the most heroic person she had ever met.

But she could not deny it, there was a mystery about Draco that intrigued her so which she could not just simply ignore.

"Ginny," Draco started to say but Ginny held up a hand in motion for him not to talk. He fell silent but stood closer to her, trying to see her face. "What were you thinking kissing Po-" She shook her head and looked up at him, a fierce expression now on her face.

"What was I thinking kissing you?" She asked, more to herself than anyone else. He looked outraged, insulted. She had to be alone. She bid him no farewell for Draco did not deserve it, she shoved past him, her shoulder brushing against his on her way.

"Ginny?" He called out to her, but she ignored him and continued walking.

What had she gotten herself into?

Again, apologies for the crapness.

Sorry!