At breakfast in the Great Hall, Ginny fought back frustration as her thoughts of Draco and her secret glances at him were interrupted by concerns from friends who hadn't seen her for days. She got through meaningless conversations with great aggravation and then tried to connect with Draco's eyes that were constantly n her face. It seemed that she only managed to meet his eyes for the tiniest moments before she was called again.

"Ginny!" Oh, great. Another one, Ginny thought. She turned to see Hermione's face. "You ok? You've barely touched your breakfast."

Ginny turned her eyes away from Hermione back to Draco and said,

"I'm fine, just a bit distracted. Hey, do you mind stopping anyone who tries to talk to me?"

"Ummm… Sure?" Hermione responded tentatively.

Ginny's gaze was finally linked to Draco's, and she smiled at the fact that they were silver, not gray; proof of the embraces he had given her, which in her deep sleep had seemed almost like a dream themselves.

Draco's eyes said, follow me, and he got up and walked out of the Great Hall. Ginny watched the doors shut behind him, then said goodbye to Hermione, who was talking with Ron and Harry, and left also.

Draco walked into the Great Hall and took his seat at the Slytheryn table. He searched the hall with his eyes trying to find Ginny. His blood flowed to his loins at the memory of her pale skin simmering in the shadows, and he felt the brush of his robes acutely against his erection.

Crabbe and Goyle sat down beside Draco and slapped his back in greeting, not daring to question where he had been. Draco ignored them, though a bit thankful because their arrival had effectively muted his arousal, and waited for what seemed like hours for Ginny to arrive.

She walked through the doors with Hermione and thankfully took a seat facing his. Her eyes searched around the room and connected with his eventually. Draco again felt the rush of arousal at the amazing green of her eyes, even visible across the Great Hall.

Ginny's gaze was too quickly pulled from his as she held soundless conversations with peppy girls with mock concern in their faces. Then after a brief conversation with Hermione, her eyes met his for an indefinable period of time.

God, he needed her. He needed to speak to her, to smell her, to be in her presence, just to solidify the amorphous experience on the tower. He gave her a look that he hoped conveyed his need, and left the room.

Ginny couldn't see Draco when she first stepped outside the Great Hall, but she knew where he has gone. She turned a few corners into the hall where they had first met—well, truly met, at least. Draco was half-laying, half-sitting on a wide windowsill that was just above her head. His eyes were half-closed, and he was looking down at her with a blank face that was basked in sunlight.

Ginny reached out and stroked Draco's hand with the tip of her middle finger, and his neutral expression jumped to life. He folded his hand around hers, and with his other, Draco whipped out his wand and levitated Ginny until her feet were at the edge of the windowsill. She stepped forwards in midair onto the ledge Draco was perched on and knelt down facing him.

Draco brought the hand he was holding to his mouth and kissed the fingertips gently, one by one, and then the palm. Ginny closed her eyes and laid forwards onto Draco's chest. His arm went around her waist and he let their still linked hands dangle off the edge of the sill.

Draco and Ginny laid like that for a few minutes solidifying their emotions and feelings regarding each other, and wondering about this strange connection they had so suddenly discovered.

Ginny suddenly sat up and looked into Draco's eyes.

"Draco, where did this come from?"

"What do you mean, where did this come from?" Draco asked, feigning ignorance. As much as he wanted to put this topic behind them, he didn't want to talk about his revolting treatment of Ginny.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Ginny said, drawing away. Draco felt the warmth of her body recede, and the disappointment settled into his stomach like a stone. He sighed and sat up as well.

"It rather goes without saying that I've been a complete dick to you for… actually for the entire time I've known you, and if you didn't speculate a sudden overnight transformation into…I don't know… prince charming or whatever, I'd think you were completely daft, but the honest truth is that if I saw anyone else treating you as I used to I would curse him until even Madame Pomfrey would have trouble curing him, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate myself for doing even the slightest bit of harm to you, really, I do, and you know the reason for my cruelty is not that I hated you, or even anyone really, but I was cruel as an outlet for the pain from my father's cruelty towards me, but that is beside the point; the point is that I cannot imagine harming the smallest hair on your head now, and I really have to admit that it started—but only started—because you remind me so much of someone I used to love, and I didn't want that remembrance to leave and so I couldn't think about you in any negative light at all, but now you've taken me over completely, I don't even know how but I know that I want to be with you, Ginny; Ginny, I'm sorry." Draco leaned forwards and whispered the last words in her ear, releasing his breath across her neck and raising goosebumps of pleasure.

Ginny gently cradled his head against her head in an acceptance of this mixture of confession, apology and release, as Draco just breathed against her skin. Draco slowly put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap, careful not to knock her off the windowsill.

They laid there until it was time for class; Draco jumped from the ledge and held out his arms. Ginny paused for a moment, thinking about the last time she had jumped. Draco, sensing what she was thinking, said,

"Do you want me to levitate you down?" At this Ginny sat down on the ledge and prepared to jump. Draco held out his arms again and she fell into them, laughing. Draco swept her feet out from under her, swung her around onto his back, and piggy-backed her down the hall.

Just to let you guys know, that big long sentance was a fully intentional writing technique, not laziness. It has a point and purpose.

And just to let you guys knkow, I have really come to look forwards to reading your lovely reviews, even critical ones. Actually, in a way, especially critical ones, because I can use that comment to improve where this is going. So thank you so much!

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