Ginny watched as a tittering group of girls followed Malfoy and his friends back to the school. They looked incredibly foolish, giggling and pointing. As they passed, she heard one rather large girl say, “I can’t believe Pansy broke up with him! He’s so hot!”
Ginny rolled her eyes and glanced over at Luna and Neville, who were standing beside her, to see their reactions. Luna was explaining to Neville the effect a Wrackspurt had on the mind. They obviously had not heard.
Malfoy seemed to be oblivious to the group of girls, she noticed. He was staring straight ahead, dragging his feet, not really even watching where he was going. Anyone who looked hard enough could have seen the tired cast to his eyes and the sorrowful way his arms hung limply at his sides.
You’re imagining things, Ginny told herself. His friends don’t seem to notice anything amiss. It’s all in your head.
Then again, his “friends” were a bit slow on the uptake. Blaise Zabini was walking backwards, grinning and waving at the girls behind him. The tall, dark-skinned boy usually could be found with a girl or two hanging off his arm, oblivious to all around him. And he was easily Malfoy’s most observant friend.
Theodore Nott was whistling and glancing around at this and that. He was very easily distracted. There was a rumour going about that Theodore had been answering a question in Potions about the Draught of the Living Dead when a song had popped into his head. Right there, in the middle of reciting the components of the potion, he had begun to sing.
Crabbe and Goyle… well, what was there to say about them, really? They were just sort of trudging along behind Malfoy, not paying attention to anything in particular. This was usual for them. Stupidly following Malfoy wherever he went, waiting to be told what to do. It was a running joke that they needed permission from their leader to use the loo.
Ginny’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. She had just seen several brown bottles poking out of the five Slytherins’ bags. She hoped it was just Butterbeer, but something told her otherwise. Firewhisky was sneaked into Hogwarts quite frequently.
“There’s going to be a party soon,” Luna noted suddenly. Her observation came completely out of the blue, in the middle of her description of some tiara or something, and even Neville looked a bit surprised.
Ginny was startled slightly. She had almost forgotten her friends were there. “You noticed, too?” she asked.
“Oh, yes,” Luna replied lazily. “It was quite obvious. They never bother to hide the bottles until they’re near the castle. It’s like they’re bragging.”
Neville nodded his agreement. “I think they are.” He was watching the Slytherins pass cautiously.
Ginny sniffed. “Well, I don’t think it’s impressive. Some rules I happen to agree with.”
Luna and Neville bobbed their heads vaguely. Parties involving Firewhisky usually ended up in drunken brawls. It wasn’t pretty, but it still seemed to have an allure for older Hogwarts students.
The three friends were interrupted by a low growling sound to their left. Turning, they spotted Pansy Parkinson standing between two shops. Her face was hidden in shadows, but it was apparent that she was glaring at Malfoy’s back, muttering darkly under her breath.
Ginny watched the other girl closely. She looked angry, and a Slytherin was dangerous enough on a good day. She sucked in a breath as Pansy drew her wand. She was going to hex Malfoy in the back!
Without taking time to think, Ginny quickly pulled out her own wand and shot a mild Cunfundus charm at her. The Slytherin girl dropped her wand and stared down at it for a minute, blinking. Then she picked it up and put it away, wondering how it had gotten out of her pocket.
Luna giggled. “Good one, Gin!”
“Why’d you save Malfoy from her, though?” Neville wanted to know. He looked slightly disappointed at the thought.
Ginny didn’t really want to think about what had prompted her to defend Malfoy. It had just been pretty much an automatic response. Even if it was him. She just kept thinking about his eyes and how… tired they looked. Like he wasn’t getting enough sleep, or maybe he was depressed. But what did Malfoy have to be depressed about?
Ginny shrugged off her thoughts. “It isn’t fair for someone to be hit while their back is turned. Not even him.”
“That’s never stopped you!” Luna said with a smile. “If I had a Galleon for every time you hexed Draco Malfoy…”
“Besides,” Ginny interrupted, “something’s wrong with him. Have you looked at him lately?”
Neville looked surprised. “At Malfoy?” he asked loudly. “I’m usually too busy trying to avoid him.”
Luna smiled softly. “You have to admit, he doesn’t really allow people to just see how he’s feeling. He’s kind of closed off and private. And easily angered. You, of all people, should know that, Ginny. With Harry and your brother always being at odds with him. And you, of course.”
Ginny sighed. Apparently no one else could see anything the matter with Malfoy. Maybe she did just imagine it. It was probably nothing more than her own lack of sleep that prompted all of this.
An image of clear, silver eyes, ringed with shadows popped into her head. Along with it came the now-familiar feeling of wanting to fix it that she couldn’t quite figure out. No, it wasn’t her imagination.
Why would she feel compassion for Draco Malfoy? Was it just a desire to be helpful? If so, Ginny was sure she could not have picked a worse target for her Good Samaritan syndrome. Malfoy would probably rather she kill him than help him.
Luna gave Ginny an odd look and Ginny blushed, reminded of what her friend had said about her thoughts showing plainly on her face. I’ve really got to work on that, she told herself.
Neville expressed that he was getting bored and suggested popping into Zonko’s. Luna quickly agreed and Ginny followed them towards the joke shop. Maybe looking at the merchandise in there would be enough to get her mind off of Malfoy.
As if drawn by a magnet, her eyes drifted back to the group of Slytherin boys. Malfoy’s hands were shoved in his pocket and he was kicking a rock along in front of him. Ginny watched for a minute, until she noticed Zabini watching her. When their eyes met, he inclined his head to her. Ginny nodded back, then darted after her friends again.
Ginny rolled her eyes and glanced over at Luna and Neville, who were standing beside her, to see their reactions. Luna was explaining to Neville the effect a Wrackspurt had on the mind. They obviously had not heard.
Malfoy seemed to be oblivious to the group of girls, she noticed. He was staring straight ahead, dragging his feet, not really even watching where he was going. Anyone who looked hard enough could have seen the tired cast to his eyes and the sorrowful way his arms hung limply at his sides.
You’re imagining things, Ginny told herself. His friends don’t seem to notice anything amiss. It’s all in your head.
Then again, his “friends” were a bit slow on the uptake. Blaise Zabini was walking backwards, grinning and waving at the girls behind him. The tall, dark-skinned boy usually could be found with a girl or two hanging off his arm, oblivious to all around him. And he was easily Malfoy’s most observant friend.
Theodore Nott was whistling and glancing around at this and that. He was very easily distracted. There was a rumour going about that Theodore had been answering a question in Potions about the Draught of the Living Dead when a song had popped into his head. Right there, in the middle of reciting the components of the potion, he had begun to sing.
Crabbe and Goyle… well, what was there to say about them, really? They were just sort of trudging along behind Malfoy, not paying attention to anything in particular. This was usual for them. Stupidly following Malfoy wherever he went, waiting to be told what to do. It was a running joke that they needed permission from their leader to use the loo.
Ginny’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. She had just seen several brown bottles poking out of the five Slytherins’ bags. She hoped it was just Butterbeer, but something told her otherwise. Firewhisky was sneaked into Hogwarts quite frequently.
“There’s going to be a party soon,” Luna noted suddenly. Her observation came completely out of the blue, in the middle of her description of some tiara or something, and even Neville looked a bit surprised.
Ginny was startled slightly. She had almost forgotten her friends were there. “You noticed, too?” she asked.
“Oh, yes,” Luna replied lazily. “It was quite obvious. They never bother to hide the bottles until they’re near the castle. It’s like they’re bragging.”
Neville nodded his agreement. “I think they are.” He was watching the Slytherins pass cautiously.
Ginny sniffed. “Well, I don’t think it’s impressive. Some rules I happen to agree with.”
Luna and Neville bobbed their heads vaguely. Parties involving Firewhisky usually ended up in drunken brawls. It wasn’t pretty, but it still seemed to have an allure for older Hogwarts students.
The three friends were interrupted by a low growling sound to their left. Turning, they spotted Pansy Parkinson standing between two shops. Her face was hidden in shadows, but it was apparent that she was glaring at Malfoy’s back, muttering darkly under her breath.
Ginny watched the other girl closely. She looked angry, and a Slytherin was dangerous enough on a good day. She sucked in a breath as Pansy drew her wand. She was going to hex Malfoy in the back!
Without taking time to think, Ginny quickly pulled out her own wand and shot a mild Cunfundus charm at her. The Slytherin girl dropped her wand and stared down at it for a minute, blinking. Then she picked it up and put it away, wondering how it had gotten out of her pocket.
Luna giggled. “Good one, Gin!”
“Why’d you save Malfoy from her, though?” Neville wanted to know. He looked slightly disappointed at the thought.
Ginny didn’t really want to think about what had prompted her to defend Malfoy. It had just been pretty much an automatic response. Even if it was him. She just kept thinking about his eyes and how… tired they looked. Like he wasn’t getting enough sleep, or maybe he was depressed. But what did Malfoy have to be depressed about?
Ginny shrugged off her thoughts. “It isn’t fair for someone to be hit while their back is turned. Not even him.”
“That’s never stopped you!” Luna said with a smile. “If I had a Galleon for every time you hexed Draco Malfoy…”
“Besides,” Ginny interrupted, “something’s wrong with him. Have you looked at him lately?”
Neville looked surprised. “At Malfoy?” he asked loudly. “I’m usually too busy trying to avoid him.”
Luna smiled softly. “You have to admit, he doesn’t really allow people to just see how he’s feeling. He’s kind of closed off and private. And easily angered. You, of all people, should know that, Ginny. With Harry and your brother always being at odds with him. And you, of course.”
Ginny sighed. Apparently no one else could see anything the matter with Malfoy. Maybe she did just imagine it. It was probably nothing more than her own lack of sleep that prompted all of this.
An image of clear, silver eyes, ringed with shadows popped into her head. Along with it came the now-familiar feeling of wanting to fix it that she couldn’t quite figure out. No, it wasn’t her imagination.
Why would she feel compassion for Draco Malfoy? Was it just a desire to be helpful? If so, Ginny was sure she could not have picked a worse target for her Good Samaritan syndrome. Malfoy would probably rather she kill him than help him.
Luna gave Ginny an odd look and Ginny blushed, reminded of what her friend had said about her thoughts showing plainly on her face. I’ve really got to work on that, she told herself.
Neville expressed that he was getting bored and suggested popping into Zonko’s. Luna quickly agreed and Ginny followed them towards the joke shop. Maybe looking at the merchandise in there would be enough to get her mind off of Malfoy.
As if drawn by a magnet, her eyes drifted back to the group of Slytherin boys. Malfoy’s hands were shoved in his pocket and he was kicking a rock along in front of him. Ginny watched for a minute, until she noticed Zabini watching her. When their eyes met, he inclined his head to her. Ginny nodded back, then darted after her friends again.
Author notes: And there you have it! My sweat and tears have gone into this story. I've laboured day and night to bring you something worth reading. (Note heavy sarcasm- I worked hard, but not that hard ;-)) Please leave a review!
P.S. Thanks to atruenut, merriza, hpfreaklk, and shezachica.
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