For a long time, neither of them moved much. They just stared at each other, Draco tracing invisible lines on her bare back with his fingertips. Every so often, Ginny would shudder, and he would smirk.
“I'm not going to leave you,” he reminded her. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I don't know why you thought that in the first place.”
“I don't know,” she muttered. “I just feel like you could one day, even if I loved you.”
Draco looked at her before nodding. “I think I get it. You're afraid of feeling the same about me because that would mean letting someone else in after you've been hurt by someone you've loved for a long time.”
“Can you blame me?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said, shrugging. “I mean, if I were you, I would feel that way. It's quite common. And if you never say it back, it's not the end of the world. I don't need to hear it. It's enough that you know I feel it.”
Ginny didn't say anything. She just closed her eyes, enjoying the fact that his hands were still on her skin. After awhile, she dozed off. When she woke, Draco wasn't next to her. She slipped out of bed and padded down the hallway.
He was sitting on the couch reading and sipping coffee. He looked up at her and smiled. “Your hair,” he said, gesturing to his head. “What's wrong with it?”
She scowled and put a hand on her head. “You know what? Shut up. You never have to deal with awful, bed hair.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I never have terrible hair,” he declared.
Ginny snorted. “Right. Your hair is always so well groomed. Or you use magic.”
“Not anymore,” he said, shaking his head. “I stopped using magic for certain aspects of my life. Haven't you ever just done things the Muggle way?”
Ginny looked at him, then shook her head. “No. I like being able to have my wand. Or Harry's wand anyway. Just having a wand in general makes me feel useful.”
He stood, walked over to her and wrapped is arms around her waist. “You're quite useful to me, darling.”
She grinned and laid her head against his chest. “Were my parents worried when you showed up last night?”
“At first they didn't understand why you weren't with me,” he said, stroking her hair. “Then I explained that we had a fight and you disappeared.”
“Did they freak out?” Ginny asked.
“Not right away,” Draco said. “But when I asked where you were, your Mum was confused. She said you hadn't stopped by for awhile. Then I think there was shouting, and it bothered me so I left. I probably should owl them and apologize for that bit.”
“Why did you think I'd go there?” Ginny asked, running her hand through his hair. “After the last time? And you leaving abruptly again. Ugh, they're going to think we don't like spending time with them.”
Draco smiled. “I'm sure they won't think that. You're being paranoid. If you want to go see them tomorrow, we can.”
“Okay.” Ginny smiled.
They spent the rest of the morning on the couch, Draco reading, and Ginny leaning against him drinking tea.
She could get used to this.
**
The next day, before they even entered The Burrow, George came outside. “Harry's on his way over,” he said to Ginny. “Mum didn't know you were coming by.” He cleared his throat. “He's bringing Pansy.”
“Great,” she said, trying to sound cheerful.
“You might want to have a more upbeat tone,” Draco reminded her. “But I understand how you feel. We just can't get away from them these days.”
“No,” Ginny said, shaking her head, “Maybe we should go.”
“Don't be a coward,” said Draco, staring at her. “That's what they want. You know Pansy would just love to know you ran away.”
Anger flared. “That's a shitty thing to say. You know I'm not afraid of her.”
He glared at her, but before he could say anything, there was a crack from somewhere and Harry appeared with Pansy.
“This isn't happening,” Pansy muttered.
“Take it easy,” Harry said, gripping her hand. “And don't say anything that would risk either of us getting hit.”
Pansy rolled her eyes as she swept past Ginny.
“Bitch,” Ginny hissed as they entered the house. George followed, leaving Draco and her alone. “I know, I know.” She put her hand up.
“You need to relax,” Draco said softly. “It'll be okay.”
He gripped her hand and walked inside. The house was quiet at first, then Molly, Arthur, Bill, and to Ginny's surprise, Charlie came into view.
“Oh my God!” squealed Ginny, throwing herself at her brother. “Mum didn't say you were coming!”
“She didn't tell me a lot,” Charlie said as he hugged her tightly. “There's a few new things going on. How are you?”
“I'm good,” Ginny said, untangling herself. “Charlie, you remember Draco Malfoy, don't you?”
Charlie nodded briskly, then reached out to place his hand on the blond's shoulder. “I've been hearing quite a bit about you, Malfoy.” At Draco's expression, he laughed. “Oh, don't worry. It's all good. You've been making my sister very happy.”
“I have,” he agreed, wrapping an arm around Ginny. “And I plan to keep doing that.” As he spoke, he spotted Harry in the living room, and their eyes connected. Then Draco smirked.
“Stop it,” Harry snapped, coming up beside Charlie. “He keeps smirking at me!”
“Oh, shut up!” Ginny shouted, startling everyone. “I can't take this anymore. Harry, stop acting like a little kid. You're the one who screwed things up, so why the hell are you mad at me? You're lucky my family even wants you around, because I sure don't.”
No one spoke.
Pansy, having heard this, pointed her wand at Ginny and sent a spell spiraling at her. She ducked, and the jet of light slammed into the door, blowing it off.
“STOP!” Draco screamed. “You're not going to ruin this house or hurt this girl. Get out, Pansy, before I throw you out!”
Pansy just looked at him.
Ginny had taken refuge by the stairs, her eyes wide, body trembling with anger. “I think everyone should leave,” she said. “Harry, Pansy, and you.”
“You're serious?” Draco asked. “Ginny, come on, this wasn't my fault.”
“Please—” she whispered. “Just go. I can't do this now.”
Then she dissolved into tears.
“I'm not going to leave you,” he reminded her. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I don't know why you thought that in the first place.”
“I don't know,” she muttered. “I just feel like you could one day, even if I loved you.”
Draco looked at her before nodding. “I think I get it. You're afraid of feeling the same about me because that would mean letting someone else in after you've been hurt by someone you've loved for a long time.”
“Can you blame me?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said, shrugging. “I mean, if I were you, I would feel that way. It's quite common. And if you never say it back, it's not the end of the world. I don't need to hear it. It's enough that you know I feel it.”
Ginny didn't say anything. She just closed her eyes, enjoying the fact that his hands were still on her skin. After awhile, she dozed off. When she woke, Draco wasn't next to her. She slipped out of bed and padded down the hallway.
He was sitting on the couch reading and sipping coffee. He looked up at her and smiled. “Your hair,” he said, gesturing to his head. “What's wrong with it?”
She scowled and put a hand on her head. “You know what? Shut up. You never have to deal with awful, bed hair.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I never have terrible hair,” he declared.
Ginny snorted. “Right. Your hair is always so well groomed. Or you use magic.”
“Not anymore,” he said, shaking his head. “I stopped using magic for certain aspects of my life. Haven't you ever just done things the Muggle way?”
Ginny looked at him, then shook her head. “No. I like being able to have my wand. Or Harry's wand anyway. Just having a wand in general makes me feel useful.”
He stood, walked over to her and wrapped is arms around her waist. “You're quite useful to me, darling.”
She grinned and laid her head against his chest. “Were my parents worried when you showed up last night?”
“At first they didn't understand why you weren't with me,” he said, stroking her hair. “Then I explained that we had a fight and you disappeared.”
“Did they freak out?” Ginny asked.
“Not right away,” Draco said. “But when I asked where you were, your Mum was confused. She said you hadn't stopped by for awhile. Then I think there was shouting, and it bothered me so I left. I probably should owl them and apologize for that bit.”
“Why did you think I'd go there?” Ginny asked, running her hand through his hair. “After the last time? And you leaving abruptly again. Ugh, they're going to think we don't like spending time with them.”
Draco smiled. “I'm sure they won't think that. You're being paranoid. If you want to go see them tomorrow, we can.”
“Okay.” Ginny smiled.
They spent the rest of the morning on the couch, Draco reading, and Ginny leaning against him drinking tea.
She could get used to this.
The next day, before they even entered The Burrow, George came outside. “Harry's on his way over,” he said to Ginny. “Mum didn't know you were coming by.” He cleared his throat. “He's bringing Pansy.”
“Great,” she said, trying to sound cheerful.
“You might want to have a more upbeat tone,” Draco reminded her. “But I understand how you feel. We just can't get away from them these days.”
“No,” Ginny said, shaking her head, “Maybe we should go.”
“Don't be a coward,” said Draco, staring at her. “That's what they want. You know Pansy would just love to know you ran away.”
Anger flared. “That's a shitty thing to say. You know I'm not afraid of her.”
He glared at her, but before he could say anything, there was a crack from somewhere and Harry appeared with Pansy.
“This isn't happening,” Pansy muttered.
“Take it easy,” Harry said, gripping her hand. “And don't say anything that would risk either of us getting hit.”
Pansy rolled her eyes as she swept past Ginny.
“Bitch,” Ginny hissed as they entered the house. George followed, leaving Draco and her alone. “I know, I know.” She put her hand up.
“You need to relax,” Draco said softly. “It'll be okay.”
He gripped her hand and walked inside. The house was quiet at first, then Molly, Arthur, Bill, and to Ginny's surprise, Charlie came into view.
“Oh my God!” squealed Ginny, throwing herself at her brother. “Mum didn't say you were coming!”
“She didn't tell me a lot,” Charlie said as he hugged her tightly. “There's a few new things going on. How are you?”
“I'm good,” Ginny said, untangling herself. “Charlie, you remember Draco Malfoy, don't you?”
Charlie nodded briskly, then reached out to place his hand on the blond's shoulder. “I've been hearing quite a bit about you, Malfoy.” At Draco's expression, he laughed. “Oh, don't worry. It's all good. You've been making my sister very happy.”
“I have,” he agreed, wrapping an arm around Ginny. “And I plan to keep doing that.” As he spoke, he spotted Harry in the living room, and their eyes connected. Then Draco smirked.
“Stop it,” Harry snapped, coming up beside Charlie. “He keeps smirking at me!”
“Oh, shut up!” Ginny shouted, startling everyone. “I can't take this anymore. Harry, stop acting like a little kid. You're the one who screwed things up, so why the hell are you mad at me? You're lucky my family even wants you around, because I sure don't.”
No one spoke.
Pansy, having heard this, pointed her wand at Ginny and sent a spell spiraling at her. She ducked, and the jet of light slammed into the door, blowing it off.
“STOP!” Draco screamed. “You're not going to ruin this house or hurt this girl. Get out, Pansy, before I throw you out!”
Pansy just looked at him.
Ginny had taken refuge by the stairs, her eyes wide, body trembling with anger. “I think everyone should leave,” she said. “Harry, Pansy, and you.”
“You're serious?” Draco asked. “Ginny, come on, this wasn't my fault.”
“Please—” she whispered. “Just go. I can't do this now.”
Then she dissolved into tears.
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