Ginny made her way from the Room of Requirement to Gryffindor tower, checking her watch as she went. Thankfully they were on the same floor, as she wasn’t feeling up to managing the stairs just yet. She let loose a sigh as she realized that it was only six o’clock in the morning! Why do I have to be such a bloody light sleeper?
Granted, if she weren’t a light sleeper, Malfoy would have gotten away with that little stunt he’d been trying to pull. Touching her cheek, for the love of Merlin! What had he been thinking?
Oh, sure, he said he was only trying to thank her for helping him. But, really, there are much better ways of doing that than what he was doing. Honestly, for a minute, she’d thought he was trying to take advantage of her.
He was attractive, to be sure. With all of that white-blond hair of his and his smoky grey eyes. What girl in her right mind wouldn’t think him good looking. But that wasn’t nearly enough in her opinion to make him desirable. And she definitely didn’t enjoy waking up to him standing over her with his hand on her face. No, sir!
When she reached the portrait of the fat lady, Ginny was forced to stand in the cold hallway for several long minutes. The fat lady was not a light sleeper, and was grumpy to have been woken up. She complained about inconsiderate students and refused to open.
Finally, after Ginny had apologized twelve times, she relented. “Just don’t make a habit of it,” she admonished grouchily. “I’m sure you wouldn’t like to be woken up so early!” She emphasized this with a wide yawn.
“No kidding,” Ginny mumbled under her breath. She crawled though the portrait hole and literally had to drag her aching limbs up the stairs to her dormitory. Trying not to wake her happily sleeping friends, she quietly gathered fresh robes and headed for the bathroom. A long, hot, relaxing bath was all she wanted right then.
Ginny turned on the hot water, added her favourite scent, and sank into the enormous tub. She floated for a minute, letting herself relax. As she felt the stiffness wear out of her muscles, she heaved a contented sigh and let her thoughts drift.
An hour later, she woke up, not having realized she had fallen asleep, still feeling tired, and now upset with herself for dozing off. She climbed out and got dressed, wishing she could crawl into her bed and start over.
Stupid Malfoy! This was all his fault. If he hadn’t gone and gotten himself drunk, or better yet, fallen where there was no one to take care of him (or at least not her), she wouldn’t be so tired. Staying up all night, taking care of a drunken idiot who had nightmares of being attacked by Merlin only knows what was not her ideal way to spend an evening.
Ginny sighed. Classes wouldn’t wait. Not even for exhaustion. She grabbed her school bag and hurried down to the Great Hall and ate as much food as she could manage before heading to her first class.
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Draco skipped his morning classes in favour of getting some unintoxicated sleep. He was startled awake at ten o’clock by Blaise, who had decided to spend his free period in the dormitory. The boy burst through the door noisily, accompanied by a blond girl Draco had never seen before.
The two promptly sat on Blaise’s bed and began sucking face. Draco looked away in disgust. “Don’t let me disturb you,” he said.
They didn’t. They just kept right on going as if there were no tomorrow. Draco doubted they even realized he was there. He stood up groggily and left, tossing a pillow at his friend on the way.
In the common room, which was thankfully empty, he sat in front of the fire to think. He pulled his father’s letter out of his pocket and smoothed it out to read it over again. What could the Dark Lord want? Draco wondered as a thousand unpleasant possibilities ran through his head.
He angrily wadded up the piece of parchment an threw it into the flames. I don’t want to work for him! He’ll expect me to kill people! What will he do when I can’t?
Draco felt a prickling of fear. He knew exactly what Voldemort did with those who displeased him. He would kill them. If they were lucky… or not, depending on your point of view… he would torture them to within an inch of their lives. Either way, it didn’t bode well.
Draco was lost in his contemplation for a very long time, how long, he didn‘t know. Before he realized it, Blaise and his girlfriend, both frazzled and disheveled, were coming down the stairs. “There you are Draco,” his friend exclaimed loudly. “I haven’t seen you all day.”
“I was in bed when you came in with your… friend.” Here he gave the simpering blonde a pointed look. She was busy straightening her blouse.
“Oh.” Blaise looked surprised to hear that. “I guess I didn’t see you.”
“No way,” Draco muttered, too quiet to be heard.
“Well, come on,” Blaise continued, once again oblivious as he winked and smiled at his girlfriend. “Time for Muggle Studies. Miss Carrow gets angry when people are late. Besides, she’s made the class much more enjoyable.”
Draco grunted noncommittally as he rose from his seat. Blaise kissed his girlfriend goodbye (she was a sixth year and didn’t have Muggle studies until later) and hurried Draco out the door.
All through class, Draco could feel his concentration slipping. Not too long ago, he would have enjoyed hearing someone ranting against Muggles and proclaiming the wizard’s superiority. But now… No. He just couldn’t enjoy it.
He still hated Muggles and Muggle-borns, of course. That would probably never change. But he just plain didn’t care about the whole deal anymore. He didn’t care about much, really. He just wanted to get through school.
With Voldemort steadily rising back to power, and Draco feeling as though he was being pulled under the train, so to speak, wizard-kind didn’t look too wonderful. The mindless killings; the raging destruction. None of which really made any difference in the long run but to show off power and ability. This sort of blood-thirsty power sickened him.
Needless to say, Draco was glad when the lesson was finished and everyone was allowed to go to lunch. Glad to not have to listen to any more stories of raids on Muggle homes, he marched to the Great Hall, looking to all the world like the arrogant, confident boy they were used to seeing.
In the Great Hall, he noticed hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns had been set out. He suddenly realized that it was Halloween. The last day of October. He’d been at school for two whole months now.
Draco sighed as he sat down at the Slytherin table. Time was flying by more quickly than he liked. In just a short while, he’d be going home and hearing about his new task. He was dreading it. Both going home, and the order.
He’d only just begun eating when something caught his attention. Ginny Weasley was asleep at the Gryffindor table. Draco was suddenly smiling at the sight she made, her arms crossed in front of her, her head laying over them, red hair spilling out all over the place. He also felt sorry for being the reason she was so tired.
He hadn’t intended on looking over at her. It just sort of happened. Like his eyes had a mind of their own. He watched her for a couple of minutes as her roommates and all the wonderful Gryffindors obliviously talked on right next to her.
Luna Lovegood got up from her seat at the Ravenclaw table and moved over to the red-head. She shook her friend with a mildly frustrated and amused look on her face, as if this wasn’t the first time she’d had to do that. Ginny sat up, looking apologetic, and yawned.
Draco quickly made up his mind and stood. He intended to go over there and tell her to go straight up to bed and get some decent sleep. It wouldn’t do for her to be falling asleep all over the place. After thanking her properly, of course, as he still hadn’t been able to manage that.
Pansy, noticing the direction he was looking, got out of her own seat and stood in front of him. “Draco. What are you doing?” she demanded. She propped her hands on her hips as if it would make her look more intimidating. Instead she just looked like a pouting child.
Draco didn’t even hesitate to think. “Bathroom,” he said shortly.” I think I’m going to be sick.” Lying had always been second nature to him. Pansy looked down in horror at the food, assuming that it had made Draco ill.
He made his way around her, but by this time, Ginny had noticed him. She watched him cautiously all the way down the table until it became evident where he was headed. She jumped up off the bench, whispering a hurried excuse to her friends, and went flying through the great double doors before he’d even finished the turn towards the Gryffindor table.
Draco pulled up short, knowing he’d never catch up to her. He glanced back at his own table. If he went back now, his friends would become suspicious. He looked longingly at his untouched food and then left the Great Hall.
He’d missed breakfast, and now lunch. He could only hope that nothing would keep him from dinner, or he’d become very angry.
Granted, if she weren’t a light sleeper, Malfoy would have gotten away with that little stunt he’d been trying to pull. Touching her cheek, for the love of Merlin! What had he been thinking?
Oh, sure, he said he was only trying to thank her for helping him. But, really, there are much better ways of doing that than what he was doing. Honestly, for a minute, she’d thought he was trying to take advantage of her.
He was attractive, to be sure. With all of that white-blond hair of his and his smoky grey eyes. What girl in her right mind wouldn’t think him good looking. But that wasn’t nearly enough in her opinion to make him desirable. And she definitely didn’t enjoy waking up to him standing over her with his hand on her face. No, sir!
When she reached the portrait of the fat lady, Ginny was forced to stand in the cold hallway for several long minutes. The fat lady was not a light sleeper, and was grumpy to have been woken up. She complained about inconsiderate students and refused to open.
Finally, after Ginny had apologized twelve times, she relented. “Just don’t make a habit of it,” she admonished grouchily. “I’m sure you wouldn’t like to be woken up so early!” She emphasized this with a wide yawn.
“No kidding,” Ginny mumbled under her breath. She crawled though the portrait hole and literally had to drag her aching limbs up the stairs to her dormitory. Trying not to wake her happily sleeping friends, she quietly gathered fresh robes and headed for the bathroom. A long, hot, relaxing bath was all she wanted right then.
Ginny turned on the hot water, added her favourite scent, and sank into the enormous tub. She floated for a minute, letting herself relax. As she felt the stiffness wear out of her muscles, she heaved a contented sigh and let her thoughts drift.
An hour later, she woke up, not having realized she had fallen asleep, still feeling tired, and now upset with herself for dozing off. She climbed out and got dressed, wishing she could crawl into her bed and start over.
Stupid Malfoy! This was all his fault. If he hadn’t gone and gotten himself drunk, or better yet, fallen where there was no one to take care of him (or at least not her), she wouldn’t be so tired. Staying up all night, taking care of a drunken idiot who had nightmares of being attacked by Merlin only knows what was not her ideal way to spend an evening.
Ginny sighed. Classes wouldn’t wait. Not even for exhaustion. She grabbed her school bag and hurried down to the Great Hall and ate as much food as she could manage before heading to her first class.
##################################################################
Draco skipped his morning classes in favour of getting some unintoxicated sleep. He was startled awake at ten o’clock by Blaise, who had decided to spend his free period in the dormitory. The boy burst through the door noisily, accompanied by a blond girl Draco had never seen before.
The two promptly sat on Blaise’s bed and began sucking face. Draco looked away in disgust. “Don’t let me disturb you,” he said.
They didn’t. They just kept right on going as if there were no tomorrow. Draco doubted they even realized he was there. He stood up groggily and left, tossing a pillow at his friend on the way.
In the common room, which was thankfully empty, he sat in front of the fire to think. He pulled his father’s letter out of his pocket and smoothed it out to read it over again. What could the Dark Lord want? Draco wondered as a thousand unpleasant possibilities ran through his head.
He angrily wadded up the piece of parchment an threw it into the flames. I don’t want to work for him! He’ll expect me to kill people! What will he do when I can’t?
Draco felt a prickling of fear. He knew exactly what Voldemort did with those who displeased him. He would kill them. If they were lucky… or not, depending on your point of view… he would torture them to within an inch of their lives. Either way, it didn’t bode well.
Draco was lost in his contemplation for a very long time, how long, he didn‘t know. Before he realized it, Blaise and his girlfriend, both frazzled and disheveled, were coming down the stairs. “There you are Draco,” his friend exclaimed loudly. “I haven’t seen you all day.”
“I was in bed when you came in with your… friend.” Here he gave the simpering blonde a pointed look. She was busy straightening her blouse.
“Oh.” Blaise looked surprised to hear that. “I guess I didn’t see you.”
“No way,” Draco muttered, too quiet to be heard.
“Well, come on,” Blaise continued, once again oblivious as he winked and smiled at his girlfriend. “Time for Muggle Studies. Miss Carrow gets angry when people are late. Besides, she’s made the class much more enjoyable.”
Draco grunted noncommittally as he rose from his seat. Blaise kissed his girlfriend goodbye (she was a sixth year and didn’t have Muggle studies until later) and hurried Draco out the door.
All through class, Draco could feel his concentration slipping. Not too long ago, he would have enjoyed hearing someone ranting against Muggles and proclaiming the wizard’s superiority. But now… No. He just couldn’t enjoy it.
He still hated Muggles and Muggle-borns, of course. That would probably never change. But he just plain didn’t care about the whole deal anymore. He didn’t care about much, really. He just wanted to get through school.
With Voldemort steadily rising back to power, and Draco feeling as though he was being pulled under the train, so to speak, wizard-kind didn’t look too wonderful. The mindless killings; the raging destruction. None of which really made any difference in the long run but to show off power and ability. This sort of blood-thirsty power sickened him.
Needless to say, Draco was glad when the lesson was finished and everyone was allowed to go to lunch. Glad to not have to listen to any more stories of raids on Muggle homes, he marched to the Great Hall, looking to all the world like the arrogant, confident boy they were used to seeing.
In the Great Hall, he noticed hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns had been set out. He suddenly realized that it was Halloween. The last day of October. He’d been at school for two whole months now.
Draco sighed as he sat down at the Slytherin table. Time was flying by more quickly than he liked. In just a short while, he’d be going home and hearing about his new task. He was dreading it. Both going home, and the order.
He’d only just begun eating when something caught his attention. Ginny Weasley was asleep at the Gryffindor table. Draco was suddenly smiling at the sight she made, her arms crossed in front of her, her head laying over them, red hair spilling out all over the place. He also felt sorry for being the reason she was so tired.
He hadn’t intended on looking over at her. It just sort of happened. Like his eyes had a mind of their own. He watched her for a couple of minutes as her roommates and all the wonderful Gryffindors obliviously talked on right next to her.
Luna Lovegood got up from her seat at the Ravenclaw table and moved over to the red-head. She shook her friend with a mildly frustrated and amused look on her face, as if this wasn’t the first time she’d had to do that. Ginny sat up, looking apologetic, and yawned.
Draco quickly made up his mind and stood. He intended to go over there and tell her to go straight up to bed and get some decent sleep. It wouldn’t do for her to be falling asleep all over the place. After thanking her properly, of course, as he still hadn’t been able to manage that.
Pansy, noticing the direction he was looking, got out of her own seat and stood in front of him. “Draco. What are you doing?” she demanded. She propped her hands on her hips as if it would make her look more intimidating. Instead she just looked like a pouting child.
Draco didn’t even hesitate to think. “Bathroom,” he said shortly.” I think I’m going to be sick.” Lying had always been second nature to him. Pansy looked down in horror at the food, assuming that it had made Draco ill.
He made his way around her, but by this time, Ginny had noticed him. She watched him cautiously all the way down the table until it became evident where he was headed. She jumped up off the bench, whispering a hurried excuse to her friends, and went flying through the great double doors before he’d even finished the turn towards the Gryffindor table.
Draco pulled up short, knowing he’d never catch up to her. He glanced back at his own table. If he went back now, his friends would become suspicious. He looked longingly at his untouched food and then left the Great Hall.
He’d missed breakfast, and now lunch. He could only hope that nothing would keep him from dinner, or he’d become very angry.
Author notes: Well. There you go. You've read. Now be a dear and go push that lonely little review button. See it smiling at you? No? Well... it is. Special thanks to choravenclaw, NB72, and SUSY3456 for their reviews!
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