With a flick of her wand, Ginny vanished the takeaway containers, though the greasy smell of dinner stubbornly clung to the air. Beside her, Draco stood with his arms crossed, tapping his foot like he had a personal vendetta against the floor.
"Sofa?" she asked, her voice heavy with exhaustion. Draco rolled his eyes but had no choice but to follow her. When they finally reached the sofa, Ginny practically collapsed into the cushions, while Draco had to flop down beside her in a graceless heap.
Ginny tried to bury herself in the book Luna brought her, but Draco was impossible to ignore. Sat uncomfortably close, he radiated frustration, sighing dramatically every few seconds. His hands fidgeted, his fingers tapped against his knee, and he shifted constantly, each move punctuated by annoyed muttering.
He was restless and his irritation filled the room. Another sigh, louder this time.
Finally, Ginny let out a small huff, holding her book a bit closer, hoping he'd take the hint that she wanted some quiet. But, of course, he didn't. Instead, Draco leaned in, blatantly peering over her shoulder.
She gave him a quick, irritated glance over her book, her heart beating faster despite herself. "Do you mind?" she said, hoping he wouldn't notice the pink in her cheeks.
Draco raised his eyebrows, his smirk returning in full force. "Not at all. Continue with your riveting novel, Weasley. I'll just…sit here."
Ginny tried to focus on her reading, but she could feel him glancing over her shoulder, his curiosity beginning to get the better of him. His gaze drifted lower, tracing the lines she was reading, and she sensed the exact moment he caught a particularly...interesting passage.
Draco's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward slightly. "What in Merlin's name are you reading, Weasley?" he demanded, sounding half-scandalized and half-amused.
Ginny's eyes widened as she snapped the book shut, glaring at him. "Excuse me? Stop reading over my shoulder!"
"Why? Trying to hide...that?" He tilted his head, pointing at the book with an expression caught between amusement and feigned shock. "Wow, Weasley, I didn't peg you for someone who'd be into...that sort of thing."
Ginny's cheeks flushed as she clutched the book defensively against her chest. "It's just a novel! Not that you'd understand. And it's not as if the whole thing is-"
"Oh, don't even try," he cut in, his smirk widening as he leaned back lazily against the couch. "I read more than enough. So, this is your idea of a bedtime story, is it?"
She shot him a glare, trying to regain her composure. "Maybe I just appreciate a well-written story. Ever heard of escapism, Malfoy?"
"Escapism?" he scoffed, eyebrow raised skeptically. "This is less 'escape' and more…" He paused, looking utterly amused as he searched for the words. "...'bodice-ripping,' really."
"Bodice-ripping?" she sputtered, red-faced. "It's called literature. Just because there's some romance doesn't mean-"
Draco chuckled, his grin widening as he gave her a playful, knowing look. "Literature? Sure, if you mean a 'masterpiece' featuring…" Draco's eyes searched the back of the book, "...Roderick the Ravishing." He leaned back, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Sounds like a real intellectual hero."
Her face turned nearly maroon as she pressed her lips together, mortified. "Okay, for your information, Roderick happens to be an excellent character with a rich backstory. And if you don't appreciate it, just stop reading over my shoulder!"
Draco raised his hands in mock surrender, his smirk only deepening. "Alright, alright. But to be clear, I'm the one sharing a bed with you tonight - not Roderick. So maybe keep your 'appreciation' for him on a short leash."
Ginny's jaw dropped as she looked at him with barely contained outrage. "Are you implying that I can't read without getting…'worked up?'"
Draco bit back another laugh. "Let's just say I'd rather not wake up to any…enthusiastic murmurs about 'ravishing.'"
"Enthusiastic murmurs?" Ginny looked positively outraged, clutching the book like she was ready to hurl it at him. "Malfoy, I am perfectly capable of reading without getting 'carried away,' thank you very much. If anything, I'm enthusiastically tempted to shove this book up your nose."
Ginny had barely managed to scoot a precious few inches away from Draco on the couch, clutching her book protectively, when, with the reflexes of a Seeker, he swiped it right out of her hands.
"Draco Malfoy! Give it back!" she hissed, lunging forward. But he held the book just out of reach, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he thumbed through to her page.
"Oh, come on, Weasley, don't be shy," he taunted, his eyes flicking over the lines. "Let's see what kind of...highbrow literature you've been indulging in."
"Malfoy, I'm warning you," she muttered, her tone icy as she glared at him.
Ignoring her, Draco found the line he'd glimpsed earlier, his eyebrows shooting up in glee. In an exaggerated, dramatic tone, he read aloud, "'Roderick traced a slow, tantalizing line down her spine, his gaze smoldering as he whispered, 'I have waited for this night, my sweet, to unleash the fire that only you can ignite.'" He looked up, smirking wickedly. "Unleash the fire, Weasley?"
Ginny's eyes flashed with fury as she made another grab for the book, but Draco leaned back just out of reach, clearly relishing her frustration.
"Oh, no, I'm not done yet," he said, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He cleared his throat dramatically and continued, "'His hands, rough from years of sailing the treacherous seas, moved with unexpected tenderness as he-'"
Draco's voice faltered mid-sentence as he skimmed ahead, his smirk fading into an awkward cough, and, to Ginny's delight, a faint blush actually crept over his face.
Seizing the moment, Ginny snatched the book back and hugged it to her chest triumphantly. "Serves you right, Malfoy," she retorted, holding it protectively, as if the book could somehow shield her from further humiliation.
Draco looked away, giving a small cough as he tried to cover his embarrassment. "Honestly, Weasley, I think I've reached my limit on your...literary tastes."
"Oh, and like you've never read anything...passionate!" she shot back, still flustered.
He shot her a skeptical look, his lips curling into a wicked grin. "Trust me, Weasley, I'd remember if I'd ever read anything about a hero with 'rough fingers' doing all that...exploring. Tell me, are rough fingers your thing?"
Ginny clenched her jaw and glowered at him. "You're such a prat. And for the record, Roderick would never act like such a…a pompous git."
Draco shrugged, his smirk unfazed. "Well, I'm here, and he's not. I suppose you'll just have to live with it."
She huffed, but their banter fell into a lull as they both glanced around the small, quiet room, realizing they'd exhausted all distractions. The silence between them grew as neither one moved.
"So...now what?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
She let out a frustrated sigh. "Honestly, I just want to go to bed. I've had enough of today."
They both lingered in the quiet room, glancing toward the staircase. With an exasperated sigh, Ginny started for the stairs, Draco close behind, in the awkward side-step dance they were slowly becoming used to.
They reached the narrow staircase and turned to face each other, edging their way up in uncoordinated sync. Ginny sighed as they bumped shoulders.
"If you could move without taking up half the stairwell…" she muttered, trying to keep her balance.
When they reached the bedroom, Ginny dropped to her knees by her bag, rummaging for her pajamas. This forced Draco to stand close, awkwardly hovering with his hands shoved into his pockets. Ginny could feel his presence beside her, a quiet reminder of just how much her personal space had shrunk in the past few hours.
Grabbing her clothes, she stood, hugging them to her chest as a flush crept up her neck. "Alright," she said, trying to sound casual. "I'll change first. Just… turn around."
Draco raised an eyebrow but obliged, crossing his arms as he turned his back. Ginny felt her cheeks warm as she fumbled with her pajama top, every rustle of fabric sounding far too loud in the silence.
"Done," she said, clearing her throat. "Your turn."
He faced her, and she quickly looked away, fixing her gaze on the wall as he began changing. The quiet, punctuated by the soft rustle of his movements, made her hyper-aware of his nearness. Finally, his voice broke the tension. "Finished," he said, his tone lower than usual, and she turned back, neither quite sure how to handle the small, intimate space they were forced to share.
Ginny turned around, avoiding his gaze. "Right. Let's just get this over with," she muttered, moving toward the bed.
They stood on the same side of the bed, each glaring at the other, they could almost feel the curse between them pulsing with a mocking insistence. Neither looked thrilled about sharing this space.
"Fine," Draco said, throwing up his hands in irritation. "I'll get in first. Just try not to make this harder than it already is." He climbed onto the bed slowly, "It'll be easier if you get in at the same time that I move over."
Ginny shook her head, crossing her arms. "Right, because your very presence makes everything so easy."
He shot her a glare. "Hilarious, Weasley. Now, if you'd kindly join me in this nightmare."
But just as she made her first move to climb up, Draco shifted too quickly, his quick motion pulling the tether tight. With a yelp, Ginny lost her balance and went flying forward, landing squarely on top of him.
Draco grunted, more from surprise than pain, as her body crashed onto his. His hands found her waist, steadying her with a grip that felt both too firm and too gentle, and he looked just as shocked as she felt. "Weasley! What the-"
Ginny felt her face burn, her hands splayed against his chest. She tried to push herself off, but the cursed tether kept her close, the pull unrelenting. "Don't look at me like that! This is your fault!" she snapped, her voice high and defensive.
"My fault?" Draco repeated, his voice cracking with disbelief. He glared at her, but his expression changed as he registered just how close she was, the tension between them palpable. His grip on her waist tightened involuntarily for a moment before he seemed to catch himself.
They froze, faces inches apart, the air between them charged. Ginny could feel his heart pounding beneath her hands and hated that her own heartbeat was racing to match. She swallowed hard, her gaze locking with his, and for a split second, she thought she saw something warm flicker in his gray eyes - something that sent a different kind of shiver through her.
Draco's eyes flicked to her lips for a split second, and his grip on her waist tightened before he seemed to catch himself. His expression darkened, and he rolled his eyes in an exaggerated display of irritation. "Just…get off me," he muttered, though his voice had a weird edge to it, like he was fighting something.
Ginny struggled to roll off, the tether finally easing enough to let her flop onto her back, mortified and breathless. "Brilliant," she muttered, glaring at the ceiling. "Exactly how I wanted to end my day."
Draco propped himself up on one elbow, rolling his eyes. "Oh, please. You're heavier than you look, you know."
Ginny's eyes narrowed and she yanked a pillow from behind Draco's head, ignoring his indignant "Hey!" and wedged it directly between them. The pillow sat there awkwardly, like a mute referee at crotch level. She was grateful when no headache came.
Draco propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at the pillow, then back up at Ginny. "Is that really necessary?"
"Absolutely," she shot back, fluffing the pillow for good measure. "Think of it as…a protective barrier. For both of us."
Draco muttered under his breath, "Not exactly the protective barrier I'm used to."
Ginny gave him a sharp shove on the shoulder. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about!"
Draco smirked, his eyes glinting. "You wouldn't be stuffing a pillow in Rodericks lap, would you?"
Ginny's face felt hot instantly, and she shot him with a warning look that could cut glass. "Say Roderick one more time," she said, her voice low and dangerous.
Draco rolled his eyes. "You're right. I'd hate to tarnish his…good name."
Ginny raised an eyebrow and shot back, "What would you know about a good name?"
Draco's smirk faltered for the briefest moment before he covered it with a casual shrug. "Yeah, well...good names are overrated anyway."
They lay in awkward silence for a few more moments, each staring determinedly at their own side of the room, both painfully aware of how the accidental closeness had felt strangely...electric.