She got to the restaurant around seven as requested. As she was lead to the table and seated, she noticed across from her was empty. She frowned until she felt something brush her shoulder, then glanced up and smiled. He grinned, his eyes roaming.
“God you look amazing,” he commented. “I kind of wish we didn't have to eat. I'd rather go back to the flat and – oh, what are you doing here?”
Blaise and Pansy stood next to the table.
Ginny sighed, picking at her napkin. She knew what was going on. And she wasn't sure she liked it. Her head throbbed suddenly and she pressed her palms against her eyes. As soon as the waiter came around with the wine menu, she decided she didn't want to be there.
It was too much.
She loved him, but it was all too much.
Tears prickled her eyes but she blinked them away. As Draco ordered red wine, Ginny looked desperately at Pansy. “Will you excuse me?” she asked, gripping the dark-haired witch and dragging her outside.
“What's wrong?” she asked once they were outside.
Ginny sighed. “I can't do this.”
Pansy frowned and shook her head. “I don't get it. What happened? When I left you, you were fine.”
“It all hit me at once,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I've thought about it often, but every time I did, I got scared. I love him so much, but I just can't do this. Is that terrible of me?”
Pansy smiled slightly. “If everyone was sure of their feelings, everyone would be happy and the world would be a perfect place.”
Ginny looked into the restaurant, watching Draco and Blaise talk, and all she wanted to do was leave. How cowardly. When she made a move to go, Pansy grabbed her elbow and held tight, her eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing?”
Draco emerged from the restaurant, his tone mixed between urgency and something else that Ginny couldn't decipher. But if she had to guess, she would have said confusion or surprise. His mouth twitched and he frowned.
“I should go back inside,” Pansy muttered.
He put his hand out. “Stay. Ginny obviously needed to talk to you.” He looked at his friend. “She was leaving, wasn't she?” He glared at the redhead. “You were, weren't you?”
Pain rippled through Ginny as she lowered her head, and whispered, “I'm sorry.”
“You're sorry?” Draco's growled. “I was going to ask you to marry me tonight. Dammit. How could you do this?”
“Draco, it's not that simple.”
His face softened and he said quietly, “Tell me you're scared and I won't ask. Tell me that's all it is, and I won't get down on one knee until you're ready.”
Ginny closed her eyes and replayed the way his voice sounded. She didn't know what to say to him that would make any of this better. He would leave her if she didn't open her mouth to explain. She opened her eyes. But when she spoke, she knew she'd ruined everything.
“I can't marry you.”
**
A month had passed since Draco had last seen her or even done anything. It had become too much of an effort to get out of bed in the morning, and his job had suffered immensely because of his depression.
Narcissa had owled him countless times, and she had not received a response, so she enlisted Blaise's help. He had come by for weeks, knocked on the door for an hour, then left. He repeated the process so much that Draco cast a barrier to keep him out.
All he wanted was to be left alone.
But that changed when an owl flew into his open window and placed a letter on his lap. He didn't want to open it, knowing it would be from his mother. He pressed the tip of his wand to the parchment, intent on burning it, when he noticed the familiar scrawl on the front.
It was hers.
With an aching heart and shaking fingers, he opened the envelope.
Draco,
I wanted to write to you every day to tell you how sorry I am for hurting you. If I could take back what I said, I would. But it doesn't mean that I don't still love you. Because I do. I was just scared and needed time. But I have to fix this.
Will you meet me to talk?
I hope to hear from you.
Yours,
Ginny
**
The Three Broomsticks was crowded. He found her quite easily, and when she saw him, she frowned. Her eyes were wide, as though she hadn't expected him. He approached her slowly and slipped into the seat across from her. Neither of them said anything for several minutes. When he heard her voice, his heart twisted.
“I'm surprised you came.” She looked tired, with dark shadows under her eyes.
He smiled sadly. “I wasn't going to.”
“I deserve that,” she muttered. “What made you change your mind?”
He shrugged. “After spending weeks in an empty flat with zero motivation, I was surprised to receive your owl. I don't know if I can forgive you for what you did, but I do want to try and fix things with you too. I've missed you so much.”
Ginny let out a sigh and twisted her hair around her finger. “I'm happy to hear that. I missed you too.”
Draco leaned over and took her hand. “In your letter you said you needed time. Does that mean you're reconsidering what I asked you?”
Ginny gripped his fingers, her voice soft. “I realized I had no reason not to accept, but by then it was too late. Being scared is inevitable with something like that.”
He waited.
When she smiled, her whole face brightened. “I think you have a ring to buy, Mr. Malfoy.”
Draco grinned, pulled her across the table, and kissed her. She tasted sweet, like vanilla, and he missed this part of their relationship so much that if he could rewind the months and fix his mistakes, he would have. When he Apparated them away, she smiled against his mouth.
“God you look amazing,” he commented. “I kind of wish we didn't have to eat. I'd rather go back to the flat and – oh, what are you doing here?”
Blaise and Pansy stood next to the table.
Ginny sighed, picking at her napkin. She knew what was going on. And she wasn't sure she liked it. Her head throbbed suddenly and she pressed her palms against her eyes. As soon as the waiter came around with the wine menu, she decided she didn't want to be there.
It was too much.
She loved him, but it was all too much.
Tears prickled her eyes but she blinked them away. As Draco ordered red wine, Ginny looked desperately at Pansy. “Will you excuse me?” she asked, gripping the dark-haired witch and dragging her outside.
“What's wrong?” she asked once they were outside.
Ginny sighed. “I can't do this.”
Pansy frowned and shook her head. “I don't get it. What happened? When I left you, you were fine.”
“It all hit me at once,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I've thought about it often, but every time I did, I got scared. I love him so much, but I just can't do this. Is that terrible of me?”
Pansy smiled slightly. “If everyone was sure of their feelings, everyone would be happy and the world would be a perfect place.”
Ginny looked into the restaurant, watching Draco and Blaise talk, and all she wanted to do was leave. How cowardly. When she made a move to go, Pansy grabbed her elbow and held tight, her eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing?”
Draco emerged from the restaurant, his tone mixed between urgency and something else that Ginny couldn't decipher. But if she had to guess, she would have said confusion or surprise. His mouth twitched and he frowned.
“I should go back inside,” Pansy muttered.
He put his hand out. “Stay. Ginny obviously needed to talk to you.” He looked at his friend. “She was leaving, wasn't she?” He glared at the redhead. “You were, weren't you?”
Pain rippled through Ginny as she lowered her head, and whispered, “I'm sorry.”
“You're sorry?” Draco's growled. “I was going to ask you to marry me tonight. Dammit. How could you do this?”
“Draco, it's not that simple.”
His face softened and he said quietly, “Tell me you're scared and I won't ask. Tell me that's all it is, and I won't get down on one knee until you're ready.”
Ginny closed her eyes and replayed the way his voice sounded. She didn't know what to say to him that would make any of this better. He would leave her if she didn't open her mouth to explain. She opened her eyes. But when she spoke, she knew she'd ruined everything.
“I can't marry you.”
A month had passed since Draco had last seen her or even done anything. It had become too much of an effort to get out of bed in the morning, and his job had suffered immensely because of his depression.
Narcissa had owled him countless times, and she had not received a response, so she enlisted Blaise's help. He had come by for weeks, knocked on the door for an hour, then left. He repeated the process so much that Draco cast a barrier to keep him out.
All he wanted was to be left alone.
But that changed when an owl flew into his open window and placed a letter on his lap. He didn't want to open it, knowing it would be from his mother. He pressed the tip of his wand to the parchment, intent on burning it, when he noticed the familiar scrawl on the front.
It was hers.
With an aching heart and shaking fingers, he opened the envelope.
Draco,
I wanted to write to you every day to tell you how sorry I am for hurting you. If I could take back what I said, I would. But it doesn't mean that I don't still love you. Because I do. I was just scared and needed time. But I have to fix this.
Will you meet me to talk?
I hope to hear from you.
Yours,
Ginny
The Three Broomsticks was crowded. He found her quite easily, and when she saw him, she frowned. Her eyes were wide, as though she hadn't expected him. He approached her slowly and slipped into the seat across from her. Neither of them said anything for several minutes. When he heard her voice, his heart twisted.
“I'm surprised you came.” She looked tired, with dark shadows under her eyes.
He smiled sadly. “I wasn't going to.”
“I deserve that,” she muttered. “What made you change your mind?”
He shrugged. “After spending weeks in an empty flat with zero motivation, I was surprised to receive your owl. I don't know if I can forgive you for what you did, but I do want to try and fix things with you too. I've missed you so much.”
Ginny let out a sigh and twisted her hair around her finger. “I'm happy to hear that. I missed you too.”
Draco leaned over and took her hand. “In your letter you said you needed time. Does that mean you're reconsidering what I asked you?”
Ginny gripped his fingers, her voice soft. “I realized I had no reason not to accept, but by then it was too late. Being scared is inevitable with something like that.”
He waited.
When she smiled, her whole face brightened. “I think you have a ring to buy, Mr. Malfoy.”
Draco grinned, pulled her across the table, and kissed her. She tasted sweet, like vanilla, and he missed this part of their relationship so much that if he could rewind the months and fix his mistakes, he would have. When he Apparated them away, she smiled against his mouth.
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