Drinny FF
Chapter 23
After that night, something shifted between them. Neither Ginny nor Draco spoke much about what had happened, but there was an unspoken understanding now—an acknowledgment of the fragile but undeniable connection they shared. It wasn't the kind of thing that could be easily defined, but it was there, lingering in every glance, every touch, every moment they spent together.
And so, the tutoring lessons resumed, but this time in the quiet, private space of Draco's quarters.
Ginny showed up the next evening, her Potions book clutched tightly in her hands as she knocked lightly on his door. There was still an edge of uncertainty between them, as if they were both walking on a tightrope, unsure of where they stood, but when Draco opened the door and saw her, he gave her a small smile, and she found herself relaxing just a little.
"Come in," he said, stepping aside to let her enter.
Ginny nodded, stepping into the familiar space. His quarters were just as she remembered—dimly lit, with shelves lined with books, a few quills scattered across the desk, and the faint smell of parchment in the air. It was warm and quiet, a place where the rest of the world seemed to fall away.
Draco closed the door behind her and gestured to the small table near the window where they usually worked. "We can start where we left off last time," he said, his voice neutral, though she caught the slightest hint of hesitation.
Ginny sat down, pulling out her notes and opening her textbook to the marked page. Potions had always been one of her weaker subjects, and despite their odd relationship, Draco had proven to be a surprisingly good teacher. He was patient with her, explaining things in a way that made sense, his sharp intellect somehow less intimidating when it was just the two of them, away from the prying eyes of the school.
As they began working, Draco was his usual self—calm, focused, with that air of quiet authority that always made Ginny feel like he knew exactly what he was doing. But there was something different tonight. Every now and then, their hands would brush as they reached for a quill or a piece of parchment, and each time it happened, Ginny felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach. She could see the way Draco's eyes flickered toward her, the way his breath would catch for just a second before he went back to explaining the intricacies of a particularly difficult potion.
It was subtle, but it was there.
The hours passed quickly, their conversation flowing between potions and more personal topics, neither of them acknowledging the shift in their dynamic, but both aware of it. At one point, Ginny looked up from her notes and found Draco watching her, his gaze softer than she had ever seen it.
"You're getting better at this," he said, his voice low, as if they were sharing a secret.
Ginny smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've had a decent tutor."
Draco's lips quirked into a smirk, but there was no arrogance in it, just the quiet confidence she had come to associate with him. "Well, I try."
For a moment, they just looked at each other, the air between them thick with something unspoken. Ginny felt her heart race, the familiar tightness in her chest returning, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was something else—something far more dangerous and exciting.
She cleared her throat, breaking the moment. "So, what's next?" she asked, glancing down at the page in front of her, trying to refocus on the lesson.
Draco hesitated for a second longer, his eyes lingering on her face before he finally looked away, back to the textbook. "We can move on to Draught of Peace. It's a tricky one, but you should be able to handle it."
They continued working, but the tension between them remained, simmering just below the surface, waiting for the right moment to spill over. And for the first time in a long time, Ginny didn't feel the need to run from it.