Days Go By
Draco looked up from his book when he heard the knock on his door. He glanced at his clock and frowned when he saw it was after eleven. Bloody students. It was probably a first year that had a nightmare. He thought about ignoring it, but knew he would hear about it from McGonagall if he did.
He marked his page in the book and stood slowly. Whoever it was knocked it again and Draco growled. He jerked the door open and was surprised to find Ginny standing there. "Weasley?"
She didn't smile at him. "Can I come in, Draco?"
The blond stepped aside so she could enter. He watched as she seated herself in the chair he'd just vacated. "Weasley, are you okay?"
Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."
She wasn't acting like herself. He watched her carefully, unsure of what to say. This wasn't like her at all. "Do you…Can I get you something?"
Her head was buried in her hands, but she shook it anyway. Draco watched as she pressed her palms into her eyes and sighed loudly. "I shouldn't have come here."
"What?"
The redhead looked up at him. "I shouldn't be here. Actually, this is the last place I should be, given the circumstances."
"Circumstances?" he repeated. "There are circumstances?"
Ginny nodded. "Even though you don't know what they are, yes."
She wasn't making any sense to him, which Draco thought was better. It wasn't often she showed up at his rooms, invited herself inside, and talked in riddles about special circumstances. This had never happened before. Draco made his way over to his supply of Muggle alcohol and poured her a drink. "Drink this," he instructed. "It's sweet and it'll help settle your nerves." When her shaking hands wrapped around the tumbler, he let her hold it and got himself a bottle of firewhisky.
He watched as she sipped the drink slowly, his curiosity piqued by her appearance. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"It depends," she answered.
"On?"
"Whether you want to talk about what's really bothering me or what you can actually fix."
"Say again?"
"Let's start with what you can fix: Zachary Parkinson is driving me mad." Ginny finished the rest of her drink and winced as it burned going down her esophagus. She thought about asking for another, but didn't. Given her recent state-of-mind, getting pissed with Draco was not the best of ideas. "Today in class, he transfigured Zelda Whitehorn's spare quill into a snake, and then laughed when she picked it up and it hissed at her."
Draco was careful to not let her see his amusement. In fact, that was probably a prank he would have tried while he was at Hogwarts. "Weasley, it was probably a joke."
She rolled her brown eyes at him. "I'm sure. It was easily fixed, though. What concerned me more was that he walked out of class when I gave him detention and deducted points. Of course, that was after he called me a 'meddling bint' and promised to 'talk to his father and have me sacked'."
"I don't think you have to worry about being sacked. McGonagall will back you up."
"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried that I might physically harm him if I have to deal with him. So that's kind of why I'm here. I gave him detention for two weeks, but can't face the idea of actually supervising it. Filch supervised his detention tonight, but he'll be out of the castle tomorrow and the next day, so I was hoping you could…"
"Cover for you?" Draco finished. When she nodded, he said he would. "Not a problem. I have some cauldrons that need to be scrubbed. Besides, I'd like to have a word with him as his Head of House."
"Thank you." Ginny knew she'd done what she'd needed to do, and probably should leave, but she didn't want to. Things had changed between them since she'd become engaged, and it wasn't often that she and Draco could openly talk. But things seemed to be okay now. However, the silence stretched between them. She struggled to find a topic that was safe. She knew that confessing she couldn't stop thinking about him would not be good.
"How is your family?" Draco finally asked. He only hoped she wouldn’t bring up Potter.
Ginny smiled in relief. "Good. Dad was promoted and is now heading up his department at the Ministry. Mum is busy, too."
"Wedding planning?" he guessed.
She nodded. "Yes. Every few days I'll get an owl from her with different designs and her thoughts on them. Sometimes I wonder how we'll get everything together by August."
"You are getting married rather quickly. Aren't Granger and Krum getting married this summer as well?"
"Right after this term finishes. When I was home last, Hermione and I went into Diagon Alley and bought her dress. I also found some designs I liked."
"I see." Draco finished his firewhisky and stood up to get another. "Would you like something more to drink?"
"Can I have some water?" She again thought about leaving, but decided against it. "Hermione's really excited. Every time I speak with her, she has some new wedding detail to tell me. She and Viktor are good for each other."
He returned with her water. "I was surprised by that, honestly. I always thought your brother had a thing for Granger."
Ginny smiled. "I think he did, at one time. But Hermione and Ron would've killed each other. If not for Harry, I sometimes wonder if they'd be friends at all. I guess she knew that."
"But Krum?" Draco questioned. "It's rare that young love will last."
"True." She absently ran her finger over her engagement ring. "But I've seen them together, and somehow they work. I would have never guessed Ron would fall for Pansy, but he did."
"You have a point." He watched as she played with her ring and wondered if she was thinking about Potter. "It's been what, three years now?"
The redhead nodded. "Yup. I wonder if they'll ever marry, though."
"Maybe. Knowing Pansy, it's probably not something she is worried about. I see her occasionally and she seems very happy."
"She and Ron make each other happy." Ginny swallowed the last of her water, before changing the topic. "What about you? It seems that everyone from school is finally settling down. Are you seeing anyone?"
He shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever marry, so then I wonder what the point is."
Ginny was surprised by this. "Maybe you haven't met the right person yet. You're too young to rule out getting married. And what about the Malfoy line? You can't just let it end."
"The line wouldn't end with me. I do have cousins who would carry the name on. As for me…I think I have met the right person, and it turns out she's married to some other bloke."
"Oh." She was stunned into silence for several moments. For the last four months, she'd done nothing but think of Draco and now it turned out he was hung up on someone else. Ginny clinched her left hand closed and felt the diamond dig into her palm. The pain brought tears to her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
He wasn't looking at her and missed her reaction. "There's no reason for you to apologize. I had multiple chances to tell her how I felt, and each time I was a coward. If anyone is to blame, it's myself."
An awkward silence stretched between them, neither of them wanting to deal with the obvious questions. Ginny wanted to know who his mystery witch was, but couldn't bring herself to ask. Draco dug his nails into his thigh, silently berating himself for what he'd told her. He cleared his throat, before shifting the conversation back to her. "You said you found a robe for your wedding?"
In her mind, Ginny could picture the dress she loved so much, and knew she would never have an opportunity to wear. "I'm beginning to learn that you may find the perfect dress, but sometimes it isn't right."
"That doesn't make any sense, Weasley."
She held her empty glass out to him. "Can I have another?"
"More water?"
"No. What you gave me before."
Even though he thought it was odd, Draco refilled her glass. His brow furrowed when she drained the glass quickly before standing. "Weasley?"
"I need to go," she told him.
"Why?"
"Because I've just realized I can't trust the one person who has always taken care of me."
"Potter?" he questioned.
The redhead shook her head. "Myself." She handed him the glass before fleeing his rooms.
***
The next night, he held Zachary Parkinson far longer than he should have, but he wanted the boy to understand he was never to treat another teacher like that. Draco told himself it had nothing to do with Ginny Weasley. It was more about respect. The result was the same, though – when he'd finished, the first year had scrubbed every surface of the Potions room. Draco had let him go ten minutes before curfew.
On his way back to his chambers, he was surprised to run into McGonagall. She looked like she was waiting for him, but he didn't know why. "Headmistress."
The older woman smiled at him. "Draco. I was hoping to speak with you."
Draco stopped and nodded. "What is it?" Surely she hadn't heard about Zachary Parkinson's punishment already?
"I received a letter of the most interesting nature today. It was from Severus."
"Severus?" he echoed. "Is he okay?"
She nodded. "Yes, child. He is fine. However, he was being…meddlesome. He brought to my attention something that has been going on for sometime, but I was choosing to ignore."
The blond crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't understand."
"For as long as I can remember, it has been frowned upon for staff members to fraternize. While there may have been the occasional dalliance, it's never been a problem, until now. I need your help solving that problem, Draco."
Draco raised an eyebrow at his old teacher. She couldn't possibly be speaking about him and Ginny.
"Do you know what I'm speaking of?"
"No."
The older woman raised an eyebrow at his response. "Draco, you forget I've known you since you were eleven."
"What're you implying?"
"I've made some observations in the last several years, concerning you. When Severus recommended you as his replacement, I admit I was hesitant. If not for the letter from Albus explaining everything, I probably would not have agreed. However, since you first joined the staff, I've been happily surprised. You've been very successful here, Draco.
"I've also known Ms. Weasley since she was a child and had none of the same reservations I had with you. Her intentions have never been anything but clear. But I've noticed that she has not been herself recently."
"How does this involve me?" Draco interrupted. "Besides, I think Weasley is going through a lot right now, and is probably just distracted."
"Distracted," she echoed. "I suppose one could call it that."
"I think you should be having this conversation with her."
"Perhaps. However, I wanted to know your feelings on the matter first."
"Headmistress, I don't have any feelings on the matter. I'm not even sure what the matter is."
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" she questioned. "Every time you look at her, it's obvious you care deeply for her. Yet, you sit back and do nothing."
He was not having this conversation. Not in the middle of the hallway, not with McGonagall of all people. "Weasley and I are friends, nothing more. In case you missed the news, she's engaged to Potter."
The former teacher frowned at him. "I'll forgive your tone this once, Draco. It's obviously a touchy subject for you, but I can help you. Just remember you can't sit idly by and expect everything you want to fall in your lap. If you want something, sometimes you have to work for it." She looked at him fondly. "If it helps at all, I don't think your attachment is as one-sided as you think. She cares for you a great deal."
The blond watched as the older woman turned away from him. He thought about calling her back, but stopped himself. If he did, he'd have to admit to her that she was right about his feelings for Ginny. That would mean he'd have to say the words out loud, to another person. Telling Severus was one thing, telling McGonagall would be another.
Draco continued into his rooms and sank onto his bed. None too gently, he hit himself in the forehead with his fist. What was he going to do?
Funnily enough, the only person who might have an answer for him was the one person he couldn't ask. Ginny could never know about his feelings. Even if he thought he could tell her, the mark on his arm reminded him that he couldn't.
Draco looked up from his book when he heard the knock on his door. He glanced at his clock and frowned when he saw it was after eleven. Bloody students. It was probably a first year that had a nightmare. He thought about ignoring it, but knew he would hear about it from McGonagall if he did.
He marked his page in the book and stood slowly. Whoever it was knocked it again and Draco growled. He jerked the door open and was surprised to find Ginny standing there. "Weasley?"
She didn't smile at him. "Can I come in, Draco?"
The blond stepped aside so she could enter. He watched as she seated herself in the chair he'd just vacated. "Weasley, are you okay?"
Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."
She wasn't acting like herself. He watched her carefully, unsure of what to say. This wasn't like her at all. "Do you…Can I get you something?"
Her head was buried in her hands, but she shook it anyway. Draco watched as she pressed her palms into her eyes and sighed loudly. "I shouldn't have come here."
"What?"
The redhead looked up at him. "I shouldn't be here. Actually, this is the last place I should be, given the circumstances."
"Circumstances?" he repeated. "There are circumstances?"
Ginny nodded. "Even though you don't know what they are, yes."
She wasn't making any sense to him, which Draco thought was better. It wasn't often she showed up at his rooms, invited herself inside, and talked in riddles about special circumstances. This had never happened before. Draco made his way over to his supply of Muggle alcohol and poured her a drink. "Drink this," he instructed. "It's sweet and it'll help settle your nerves." When her shaking hands wrapped around the tumbler, he let her hold it and got himself a bottle of firewhisky.
He watched as she sipped the drink slowly, his curiosity piqued by her appearance. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"It depends," she answered.
"On?"
"Whether you want to talk about what's really bothering me or what you can actually fix."
"Say again?"
"Let's start with what you can fix: Zachary Parkinson is driving me mad." Ginny finished the rest of her drink and winced as it burned going down her esophagus. She thought about asking for another, but didn't. Given her recent state-of-mind, getting pissed with Draco was not the best of ideas. "Today in class, he transfigured Zelda Whitehorn's spare quill into a snake, and then laughed when she picked it up and it hissed at her."
Draco was careful to not let her see his amusement. In fact, that was probably a prank he would have tried while he was at Hogwarts. "Weasley, it was probably a joke."
She rolled her brown eyes at him. "I'm sure. It was easily fixed, though. What concerned me more was that he walked out of class when I gave him detention and deducted points. Of course, that was after he called me a 'meddling bint' and promised to 'talk to his father and have me sacked'."
"I don't think you have to worry about being sacked. McGonagall will back you up."
"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried that I might physically harm him if I have to deal with him. So that's kind of why I'm here. I gave him detention for two weeks, but can't face the idea of actually supervising it. Filch supervised his detention tonight, but he'll be out of the castle tomorrow and the next day, so I was hoping you could…"
"Cover for you?" Draco finished. When she nodded, he said he would. "Not a problem. I have some cauldrons that need to be scrubbed. Besides, I'd like to have a word with him as his Head of House."
"Thank you." Ginny knew she'd done what she'd needed to do, and probably should leave, but she didn't want to. Things had changed between them since she'd become engaged, and it wasn't often that she and Draco could openly talk. But things seemed to be okay now. However, the silence stretched between them. She struggled to find a topic that was safe. She knew that confessing she couldn't stop thinking about him would not be good.
"How is your family?" Draco finally asked. He only hoped she wouldn’t bring up Potter.
Ginny smiled in relief. "Good. Dad was promoted and is now heading up his department at the Ministry. Mum is busy, too."
"Wedding planning?" he guessed.
She nodded. "Yes. Every few days I'll get an owl from her with different designs and her thoughts on them. Sometimes I wonder how we'll get everything together by August."
"You are getting married rather quickly. Aren't Granger and Krum getting married this summer as well?"
"Right after this term finishes. When I was home last, Hermione and I went into Diagon Alley and bought her dress. I also found some designs I liked."
"I see." Draco finished his firewhisky and stood up to get another. "Would you like something more to drink?"
"Can I have some water?" She again thought about leaving, but decided against it. "Hermione's really excited. Every time I speak with her, she has some new wedding detail to tell me. She and Viktor are good for each other."
He returned with her water. "I was surprised by that, honestly. I always thought your brother had a thing for Granger."
Ginny smiled. "I think he did, at one time. But Hermione and Ron would've killed each other. If not for Harry, I sometimes wonder if they'd be friends at all. I guess she knew that."
"But Krum?" Draco questioned. "It's rare that young love will last."
"True." She absently ran her finger over her engagement ring. "But I've seen them together, and somehow they work. I would have never guessed Ron would fall for Pansy, but he did."
"You have a point." He watched as she played with her ring and wondered if she was thinking about Potter. "It's been what, three years now?"
The redhead nodded. "Yup. I wonder if they'll ever marry, though."
"Maybe. Knowing Pansy, it's probably not something she is worried about. I see her occasionally and she seems very happy."
"She and Ron make each other happy." Ginny swallowed the last of her water, before changing the topic. "What about you? It seems that everyone from school is finally settling down. Are you seeing anyone?"
He shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever marry, so then I wonder what the point is."
Ginny was surprised by this. "Maybe you haven't met the right person yet. You're too young to rule out getting married. And what about the Malfoy line? You can't just let it end."
"The line wouldn't end with me. I do have cousins who would carry the name on. As for me…I think I have met the right person, and it turns out she's married to some other bloke."
"Oh." She was stunned into silence for several moments. For the last four months, she'd done nothing but think of Draco and now it turned out he was hung up on someone else. Ginny clinched her left hand closed and felt the diamond dig into her palm. The pain brought tears to her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
He wasn't looking at her and missed her reaction. "There's no reason for you to apologize. I had multiple chances to tell her how I felt, and each time I was a coward. If anyone is to blame, it's myself."
An awkward silence stretched between them, neither of them wanting to deal with the obvious questions. Ginny wanted to know who his mystery witch was, but couldn't bring herself to ask. Draco dug his nails into his thigh, silently berating himself for what he'd told her. He cleared his throat, before shifting the conversation back to her. "You said you found a robe for your wedding?"
In her mind, Ginny could picture the dress she loved so much, and knew she would never have an opportunity to wear. "I'm beginning to learn that you may find the perfect dress, but sometimes it isn't right."
"That doesn't make any sense, Weasley."
She held her empty glass out to him. "Can I have another?"
"More water?"
"No. What you gave me before."
Even though he thought it was odd, Draco refilled her glass. His brow furrowed when she drained the glass quickly before standing. "Weasley?"
"I need to go," she told him.
"Why?"
"Because I've just realized I can't trust the one person who has always taken care of me."
"Potter?" he questioned.
The redhead shook her head. "Myself." She handed him the glass before fleeing his rooms.
The next night, he held Zachary Parkinson far longer than he should have, but he wanted the boy to understand he was never to treat another teacher like that. Draco told himself it had nothing to do with Ginny Weasley. It was more about respect. The result was the same, though – when he'd finished, the first year had scrubbed every surface of the Potions room. Draco had let him go ten minutes before curfew.
On his way back to his chambers, he was surprised to run into McGonagall. She looked like she was waiting for him, but he didn't know why. "Headmistress."
The older woman smiled at him. "Draco. I was hoping to speak with you."
Draco stopped and nodded. "What is it?" Surely she hadn't heard about Zachary Parkinson's punishment already?
"I received a letter of the most interesting nature today. It was from Severus."
"Severus?" he echoed. "Is he okay?"
She nodded. "Yes, child. He is fine. However, he was being…meddlesome. He brought to my attention something that has been going on for sometime, but I was choosing to ignore."
The blond crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't understand."
"For as long as I can remember, it has been frowned upon for staff members to fraternize. While there may have been the occasional dalliance, it's never been a problem, until now. I need your help solving that problem, Draco."
Draco raised an eyebrow at his old teacher. She couldn't possibly be speaking about him and Ginny.
"Do you know what I'm speaking of?"
"No."
The older woman raised an eyebrow at his response. "Draco, you forget I've known you since you were eleven."
"What're you implying?"
"I've made some observations in the last several years, concerning you. When Severus recommended you as his replacement, I admit I was hesitant. If not for the letter from Albus explaining everything, I probably would not have agreed. However, since you first joined the staff, I've been happily surprised. You've been very successful here, Draco.
"I've also known Ms. Weasley since she was a child and had none of the same reservations I had with you. Her intentions have never been anything but clear. But I've noticed that she has not been herself recently."
"How does this involve me?" Draco interrupted. "Besides, I think Weasley is going through a lot right now, and is probably just distracted."
"Distracted," she echoed. "I suppose one could call it that."
"I think you should be having this conversation with her."
"Perhaps. However, I wanted to know your feelings on the matter first."
"Headmistress, I don't have any feelings on the matter. I'm not even sure what the matter is."
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" she questioned. "Every time you look at her, it's obvious you care deeply for her. Yet, you sit back and do nothing."
He was not having this conversation. Not in the middle of the hallway, not with McGonagall of all people. "Weasley and I are friends, nothing more. In case you missed the news, she's engaged to Potter."
The former teacher frowned at him. "I'll forgive your tone this once, Draco. It's obviously a touchy subject for you, but I can help you. Just remember you can't sit idly by and expect everything you want to fall in your lap. If you want something, sometimes you have to work for it." She looked at him fondly. "If it helps at all, I don't think your attachment is as one-sided as you think. She cares for you a great deal."
The blond watched as the older woman turned away from him. He thought about calling her back, but stopped himself. If he did, he'd have to admit to her that she was right about his feelings for Ginny. That would mean he'd have to say the words out loud, to another person. Telling Severus was one thing, telling McGonagall would be another.
Draco continued into his rooms and sank onto his bed. None too gently, he hit himself in the forehead with his fist. What was he going to do?
Funnily enough, the only person who might have an answer for him was the one person he couldn't ask. Ginny could never know about his feelings. Even if he thought he could tell her, the mark on his arm reminded him that he couldn't.
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