Ginny’s eyes widened and she choked on her wine. She turned around, eying Draco carefully. He didn't look mad or surprised, just a little confused.
“I was going to tell you,” she said softly, putting her glass down.
A slow, easy smile came across his lips as he crossed the room and enveloped her in a hug, his chin on her shoulder. He inhaled the scent of her hair and twirled a piece between his fingers before pulling away and looking at her.
“I knew it,” he said smugly, grinning.
Blaise chuckled. “It took her long enough, didn't it?”
Draco nodded. “You only me 5 galleons, Zabini.”
Ginny blinked, finally understanding. “You made a bet about when I would confess how I feel?” she asked. “I guess my feelings don't really matter to you.”
“It's not like that, Gin,” Blaise told her, sighing. “He was actually betting me because he thought you would never feel the way he did. He was so certain he'd win.”
“That doesn't make me feel any better,” she grumbled, glaring at Draco.
He frowned and put his his hands up. “It wasn't to make you feel bad.”
Ginny put her hands on her hips. “Enlighten me, then. What exactly what were you trying to accomplish? You know, this is just typical of you. You really haven't changed. You're always going to be a conniving, deceitful, arrogant prick. Money is the only thing that matters to you.”
Draco dragged a hand down his face and growled, “Will you stop your goddamned accusations, you little twit? What's gotten into you?”
“Me?” Ginny hissed. “I'm not the one who is playing with someone's feelings here. God, you know what? You are just like your father. I don't know why I didn't see it before.”
Draco's eyes widened and his jaw clenched. If she had been some guy, he would have hit her. But she wasn't. She was a woman with a lot of anger, and that anger was proceeding to turn into a fire that threatened engulf him if he didn't defuse the situation fast.
Instead, he did something incredibly stupid. He thanked Blaise for having him over and headed to the door, but not before telling Ginny she should stay away from him for awhile, if she valued what little relationship they had left.
**
“It's actually very fair,” Ginny said as she poured her third glass of wine. She was sitting on Blaise's counter, swinging her feet. “You see, he's just getting back at me for before.”
Blaise raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
With her glass half empty, Ginny felt warmer than she had since she got there. The alcohol was soothing every cold, hurt part of her. She waved her hand at her friend, moving the hair from her eyes.
“We got into a fight at my parents house when Harry showed up with Pansy. Well, really we were the uninvited guests this time. Anyway, Pansy tried to blow me up or something and Draco screamed at her. I told them all to leave, but he stuck around. I don't really know why.”
“She tried to blow you up?” Blaise said.
“She threw a spell at me, I ducked, and she blew part of the house away. I think it was the front door,” Ginny laughed softly. “I messed everything up, didn't I?” Her face grew serious, her eyes shining with tears.
Blaise shook his head and joined her on the counter. “I don't think so, no. Draco's heart is big, and it may be a little bruised right now, especially since you told him he was like Lucius.”
“God,” Ginny groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “I can't believe I said that. I didn't mean it.”
Blaise sighed. “Draco grew up with money, so he's going to be a little greedy now and again.” He smiled a little. “But he cares more about you than I've ever seen him care for anyone else.”
Somehow Ginny believed that.
**
She Apparated into the hallway, her breathing hitching as she reached a hand out to knock on the door. Before she did, however, it swung open. A familiar woman with deep brown hair stared back at her, clearly startled.
As Ginny opened her mouth, anger boiling inside of her, the woman put her hand up. “If you're going to scream at me, I daresay you wait until you've heard what I have to say.”
“I don't want to hear how you're shagging my boyfriend!” Ginny shouted.
The brunette snorted. “Please. I've got more class than that. Draco's nice and all, but he's most certainly not my type. Now will you shut up and listen to me?”
Ginny nodded slightly.
“Good.” Daphne Greengrass smiled at her. “Now, as I was getting ready to explain before you so maturely jumped to conclusions, I was looking for Pansy.”
“I haven't seen her,” said Ginny, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on edge.
“You wouldn't, would you? I heard she's dating your leftovers.” A slow smirk and a chuckle. “As it happens, I don't think Draco wants to see you right now. He's furious at you. I don't know what you did, Weasley, but whatever it was—”
“I pretty much accused him of being like his father.”
Daphne's green eyes widened. “Oh, tell me you're not serious. You must be the stupidest person alive.”
Ginny shook her head. “I was mad, okay? Then he left me at Blaise's and told me not to come around for awhile.”
“You and Blaise, huh? I mean, I can't even see you and Draco, but I guess the best friend is better than nothing.”
Ginny made a face. “That's gross. I would never do that to Draco, and I'm not even attracted to Blaise. He's just a friend.”
“So was Draco at one point,” Daphne said. “How did you even end up with him?”
Ginny sighed and rubbed her temples. She wasn't in the mood to talk to someone she really didn't like, and about something so personal. She had said enough already.
“Oh, come on,” Daphne prodded. “It's not like I'm going to tell anyone anyway.”
“You're not exactly known for being tight-lipped,” said a voice. Draco stood behind Daphne, frowning. He looked at Ginny. “I thought I told you I didn't want to see you.”
“I know you did, but I needed to apologize.”
“Apology not accepted,” Draco said harshly, eyes narrowed.
“But I didn't—”
He put a hand up. “Daphne, if you're done here, could you leave?” He glanced at Ginny, his grey eyes searching her face. Then he sighed. “Fine. But you have ten minutes. If I don't like what you have to say, and I'm fairly sure I won't, you will go. Am I understood?”
As Daphne disappeared onto the street, Ginny entered the flat, her heart beating faster than she expected at the prospect of possibly losing the best thing that ever happened to her.
“I was going to tell you,” she said softly, putting her glass down.
A slow, easy smile came across his lips as he crossed the room and enveloped her in a hug, his chin on her shoulder. He inhaled the scent of her hair and twirled a piece between his fingers before pulling away and looking at her.
“I knew it,” he said smugly, grinning.
Blaise chuckled. “It took her long enough, didn't it?”
Draco nodded. “You only me 5 galleons, Zabini.”
Ginny blinked, finally understanding. “You made a bet about when I would confess how I feel?” she asked. “I guess my feelings don't really matter to you.”
“It's not like that, Gin,” Blaise told her, sighing. “He was actually betting me because he thought you would never feel the way he did. He was so certain he'd win.”
“That doesn't make me feel any better,” she grumbled, glaring at Draco.
He frowned and put his his hands up. “It wasn't to make you feel bad.”
Ginny put her hands on her hips. “Enlighten me, then. What exactly what were you trying to accomplish? You know, this is just typical of you. You really haven't changed. You're always going to be a conniving, deceitful, arrogant prick. Money is the only thing that matters to you.”
Draco dragged a hand down his face and growled, “Will you stop your goddamned accusations, you little twit? What's gotten into you?”
“Me?” Ginny hissed. “I'm not the one who is playing with someone's feelings here. God, you know what? You are just like your father. I don't know why I didn't see it before.”
Draco's eyes widened and his jaw clenched. If she had been some guy, he would have hit her. But she wasn't. She was a woman with a lot of anger, and that anger was proceeding to turn into a fire that threatened engulf him if he didn't defuse the situation fast.
Instead, he did something incredibly stupid. He thanked Blaise for having him over and headed to the door, but not before telling Ginny she should stay away from him for awhile, if she valued what little relationship they had left.
“It's actually very fair,” Ginny said as she poured her third glass of wine. She was sitting on Blaise's counter, swinging her feet. “You see, he's just getting back at me for before.”
Blaise raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
With her glass half empty, Ginny felt warmer than she had since she got there. The alcohol was soothing every cold, hurt part of her. She waved her hand at her friend, moving the hair from her eyes.
“We got into a fight at my parents house when Harry showed up with Pansy. Well, really we were the uninvited guests this time. Anyway, Pansy tried to blow me up or something and Draco screamed at her. I told them all to leave, but he stuck around. I don't really know why.”
“She tried to blow you up?” Blaise said.
“She threw a spell at me, I ducked, and she blew part of the house away. I think it was the front door,” Ginny laughed softly. “I messed everything up, didn't I?” Her face grew serious, her eyes shining with tears.
Blaise shook his head and joined her on the counter. “I don't think so, no. Draco's heart is big, and it may be a little bruised right now, especially since you told him he was like Lucius.”
“God,” Ginny groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “I can't believe I said that. I didn't mean it.”
Blaise sighed. “Draco grew up with money, so he's going to be a little greedy now and again.” He smiled a little. “But he cares more about you than I've ever seen him care for anyone else.”
Somehow Ginny believed that.
She Apparated into the hallway, her breathing hitching as she reached a hand out to knock on the door. Before she did, however, it swung open. A familiar woman with deep brown hair stared back at her, clearly startled.
As Ginny opened her mouth, anger boiling inside of her, the woman put her hand up. “If you're going to scream at me, I daresay you wait until you've heard what I have to say.”
“I don't want to hear how you're shagging my boyfriend!” Ginny shouted.
The brunette snorted. “Please. I've got more class than that. Draco's nice and all, but he's most certainly not my type. Now will you shut up and listen to me?”
Ginny nodded slightly.
“Good.” Daphne Greengrass smiled at her. “Now, as I was getting ready to explain before you so maturely jumped to conclusions, I was looking for Pansy.”
“I haven't seen her,” said Ginny, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on edge.
“You wouldn't, would you? I heard she's dating your leftovers.” A slow smirk and a chuckle. “As it happens, I don't think Draco wants to see you right now. He's furious at you. I don't know what you did, Weasley, but whatever it was—”
“I pretty much accused him of being like his father.”
Daphne's green eyes widened. “Oh, tell me you're not serious. You must be the stupidest person alive.”
Ginny shook her head. “I was mad, okay? Then he left me at Blaise's and told me not to come around for awhile.”
“You and Blaise, huh? I mean, I can't even see you and Draco, but I guess the best friend is better than nothing.”
Ginny made a face. “That's gross. I would never do that to Draco, and I'm not even attracted to Blaise. He's just a friend.”
“So was Draco at one point,” Daphne said. “How did you even end up with him?”
Ginny sighed and rubbed her temples. She wasn't in the mood to talk to someone she really didn't like, and about something so personal. She had said enough already.
“Oh, come on,” Daphne prodded. “It's not like I'm going to tell anyone anyway.”
“You're not exactly known for being tight-lipped,” said a voice. Draco stood behind Daphne, frowning. He looked at Ginny. “I thought I told you I didn't want to see you.”
“I know you did, but I needed to apologize.”
“Apology not accepted,” Draco said harshly, eyes narrowed.
“But I didn't—”
He put a hand up. “Daphne, if you're done here, could you leave?” He glanced at Ginny, his grey eyes searching her face. Then he sighed. “Fine. But you have ten minutes. If I don't like what you have to say, and I'm fairly sure I won't, you will go. Am I understood?”
As Daphne disappeared onto the street, Ginny entered the flat, her heart beating faster than she expected at the prospect of possibly losing the best thing that ever happened to her.
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