Drinny FF
Chapter 19
I had been pacing my quarters for what felt like hours, my mind racing with thoughts of Ginny. Ever since she had pushed me away, I couldn't stop thinking about her – about the way she'd looked at me that night, the tension between us, the fire in her eyes. But now there was something else in the pit of my stomach, something far more unsettling than I'd ever felt before.
The commotion outside my quarters, snapped me out of my thoughts. For a moment, I thought I had imagined it, but then it came again, barely audible. I strode toward the door, my heart leaping in my chest for reasons I didn't want to admit.
When I opened the door, the sight in front of me made my breath catch. Ginny was slumped against the wall, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, her body trembling uncontrollably. She was shaking, her breaths coming in shallow gasps, her face pale and her eyes wide with panic.
Draco: Ginny?
My voice came out sharper than I meant, my heart pounding as I crouched down beside her. I had never seen her like this-so vulnerable, so fragile. It sent a jolt of fear through me, a feeling that was foreign and unnerving.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and I could see her hands shaking, clenched into fists as she tried to hold herself together. She wasn't fine. She wasn't okay.
Draco: Ginny, what happened?
My voice was lower this time, more urgent. I reached out, my hand hovering over her shoulder before gently resting on it, unsure of how to help but knowing I had to do something.
She didn't respond. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused, and my heart clenched at the sight. I didn't know what to do – I had never dealt with something like this before. She was always so strong, so fiery, but now she looked... broken. I forced myself to keep calm.
Draco: Ginny.
I said again, more softly this time, my hand moving to rub slow, steady circles on her back.
Draco: You need to breathe. Slowly, okay? In and out. You're going to be fine, but you have to breathe.
She was trembling so violently I wasn't sure if she even heard me. But I kept talking, my voice low and steady, trying to guide her through the panic that had clearly taken hold of her. I could see it in her eyes – the way they darted around like she was drowning in her own mind, unable to escape.
Draco: Look at me.
I moved my hand to gently tilt her chin up. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, there was a flicker of recognition, like she was starting to come back from wherever she'd been lost.
Draco: You're not alone. Just breathe with me.
Even as her breathing slowly steadied, she still looked.. empty. It wasn't just the panic. There was something deeper, something darker weighing her down. I'd seen it in her before, in fleeting moments when she thought no one was looking. But seeing it this up close, seeing her like this – it made something twist painfully in my chest. Seeing as she wasn't calming down any time soon, I wrapped an arm around her as I helped her to her feet.
Draco: Come on.
She leaned heavily against me, and i could feel how drained she was, like she had no energy left to fight whatever was going on inside her. I didn't press her for answers. Not yet. Right now, she just needed to rest.
I guided her into my quarters, closing the door softly behind us as I led her to the bed. I could feel her exhaustion as she slumped down onto the mattress, her body curling in on itself like she was trying to disappear.
I pulled the blankets over her, my movements careful, almost tentative. Seeing her like this, so vulnerable, made me want to protect her in a way I didn't fully understand.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my hand brushing a strand of hair from her face. She was still trembling, but the panic had given way to exhaustion. She looked so small, so different from the fiery girl who had challenged me at every turn.
Draco: Ginny.
I whispered her name softly, unsure if she could even hear him. I wanted to say something-anything-to let her know she wasn't alone. But the words caught in my throat, tangled up in the confusion and worry that had taken root in my chest. She then whispered, barely audible.
Ginny: I – I came to a – apologize, but then Crabbe and Goyle…
Her eyelids fluttered closed, and I watched as her breathing evened out, her body finally succumbing to the weight of sleep. For a moment, everything was still, the quiet of the room settling around us. Then my rage came. What the fuck did those two fuckheads do to her? I couldn't shake the tightness in my chest.
Whatever she was dealing with, though, whatever had torn her apart like this.. I wasn't going to turn my back on her. Not now.
I stayed by her side, my eyes on her as she slept, the flicker of vulnerability in her face still haunting me. Whatever was happening between us, whatever I felt – I couldn't deny it anymore.
