Madam Pince ceremoniously coughs, catching Ginny Weasley's attention. She shifts her gaze to the large wall clock. She has 15 minutes to pack her things and go back to the Gryffindor common room before curfew. Being the last student left, she pulls the door shut as she steps out of the library.
She passes through an empty corridor, slowing down her pace as she hears muffled laughter. She stops in front of a supposedly unused classroom, its door slightly ajar. She quietly takes a peek. Several boxes are stacked up on one side surrounded by dusty old books. Ginny continued her inspection. Her eyes landed on the tables and chairs scattered in the middle of the dimly-lit room. A girl with dark brown hair is seated on a chair. She is smiling at the tall blond boy leaning on the table across from her. His face is covered by the camera positioned to snap a picture of the brunette in front of him.
"Astoria. Let's get married." His cool voice echoed across the room the same time as a flash of light came from the camera.
"Draco..." She avoided the serious look he gave her once the camera is out of his line of vision. "You know I can't....with ballet and the possibility of Bulgaria."
"I'm sorry." She continues while softly caressing Draco's right cheek. A loud gasp escaped from Ginny. She immediately covered her mouth with her right hand. The sound caused Draco to turn his head to the door. He got a glimpse of a black skirt. He dashes outside to catch the student who has been eavesdropping on them.
"HEEEEY!" Draco called out. The girl halts her escape.
"Stop right there!" he ordered. The girl resumes brisk walking instead. She then started to run as he comes closer.
Ginny is out of breath by the time she reached the landing before the Gryffindor common room. Only then did she dare to look behind her. Relief washed over her when a murderous Draco is nowhere in sight. The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow at her paranoid state.
Draco goes back to an empty classroom. He grasps his camera tightly as he breathes deeply.
Tattered robes. Faded school uniform. Flaming red hair. Of all people, the little Weasley has to witness a Malfoy's marriage proposal getting rejected.
"This humiliation is unacceptable," he declares.
-------
Upon entering the Great Hall, Ginny suddenly feels goosebumps all over her skin. It is as if someone is staring coldly at her. She stops on her tracks to scan the crowd. Her eyes instinctively fall on the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy is looking straight at her as he sips his coffee. Last night’s events come to her mind.
‘Malfoy is probably planning my death right now.’ Ginny could not help but think as she makes her way to the Gryffindor table.
“Good morning.” Harry greets her as she takes the empty seat across from him. Ginny is about to respond but she felt a familiar kiss on her cheek. A smiling Dean Thomas is standing behind her.
“Hey, Babe. How about we study together in the library later?” Dean offers sweetly to Ginny. He has missed their study date because of detention. “Sorry I was unable to join you last night, Seamus and I have been held up by McGonagall.’
“I have Quidditch practice.“ Ginny replies. Besides, she does not want to go back to the library or anywhere near that abandoned classroom so soon. Malfoy might be lurking nearby to ambush her with hexes or worse, unforgivable curses.
“Oh right. I’ll see you after your practice then.” He playfully pinches her right cheek before going back to his seat beside Seamus.
She takes some toast and sees Harry avoiding her gaze. He focused on Ron and Hermione bickering as usual.
'Great. My childhood crush and now team captain is judging me like how my brother does for having a boyfriend.' Ginny thought as she spread the butter on the bread.
“I did not know you still do that.” Draco turns his head to his seatmate. Blaise Zabini is spreading strawberry jam to his croissant. An amused look is plastered across his face.
“Do what?” Draco asks irritably.
“Observing red-heads.” Blaise winked at him as he sliced a piece of his croissant.
“You are talking nonsense.” Draco frowns as he bites on his sandwich.
“I thought you were long past your strange habit of watching little weasel.” Blaise continued.
“Was it two years ago when you shifted your interest to a brunette instead?” Both of them glanced seven seats away. Astoria is talking to her sister Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. Draco looked away before she could notice.
“Rubbish.” Draco spat. His best friend laughs at his defensiveness.
“Well, I give you credit for being the first of the Hogwarts male population to notice that Weaslette is indeed eye-catching.” Blaise resumes his teasing. “Her now girl-next-door looks befits her campus sweetheart reputation.”
He does not want to confirm any of his best friend’s accusations even how true they are.
He first noticed Ginny Weasley because of Harry Potter. He has been keeping tabs on him when he discovered that Weasel’s little sister has a huge crush on Scarhead, going as far as standing up against him just to defend the saint. He has been a witness to her unrequited love- how Potter ran away from her lousy singing valentine, her disappointment when he did not ask her to the Yule Ball, and her finally moving on. Fortunately when stalking her and the trio was getting unexciting, he met Astoria.
They began secretly dating. Because even if Greengrass is a wealthy pureblood family, his parents discouraged him to get attached to either sister as his marriage has long been arranged to another member of the Sacred 28. They assured him that it is not Pansy. They would inform him before his 17th birthday, the year he would get married. Fast forward to two years, he proposed to Astoria. It might seem a foolish act of desperation. But he was hoping that if they elope before his betrothal, his parents would finally let go of their control, and disregard the arranged marriage. But then Astoria declined his proposal. He overlooked the fact that for Astoria, ballet comes first. She has been in love with it even before he came. It has always been her dream to be the Wizarding World's finest ballerina. She has an offer to be trained by the best in Bulgaria this coming summer. And Ginny Weasley had chosen that embarrassing moment to eavesdrop, becoming the sole witness of Draco getting rejected big time.
He noticed her again. Indeed, she grew up beautifully. And now it seems that Harry Potter finally caught on to what he missed all these years. Pity, that it took Thomas dating little Weasley for the Scarhead to wake up from his stupidity.
“Tell me. Why does it seem that your curiosity over the red Gryffindor is back?” Blaise tries to uncover Draco’s thoughts.
“Curiosity kills.” Draco stands up and makes his way out of the Great Hall, trailing behind Ginny.
--------
It is already sunset when Ginny step out of the locker room. She took her time showering all the grime and sweat from today’s training. Harry’s Quidditch drills has been complicated and exhausting. She just wants to fly directly to her bed and pass out.
She is rummaging her bag for her wand when she gets suddenly pulled to the side, a soft palm covering her mouth.
She opens her eyes slowly. A tall blond man, with both hands already in his pockets, is smirking at her.
"What the hell?!” She cursed. Her eyes widen when she realized who is in front of her.
“Ma…Malfoy?!” He could not help but shake his head. The little Weasley panicking is a funny sight.
She tries to walk away but Draco slams his left hand to the wooden wall. She cringed.
“For a Gryffindor, you are such a coward, Weasley. Grabbing every chance to run away from confrontation.” This is the ambush she has been avoiding all day.
He uses his right hand to pull her back. She is now leaning on the wall below the Quidditch stands. Draco is in front of her, both hands serving as cage in case she attempts to escape.
“Go away!” She pushes him hard but he remains solid as rock.
“What do you want from me?!” she yelled on his face.
“Your silence,” he answers as he puts his right forefinger on her lips. As if it got dirtied, he hastily swipes his finger on the left collar of her white blouse.
“You need to be Obliviated,” he said in a dangerous tone.
“No way!” She is about to punch his arrogant face when he grabbed her wrist and pinned it over her head.
“Why, Weasley? Isn’t it the appropriate consequence for someone who’s eavesdropping on a delicate conversation?“ He sneers.
“I won’t waste my time spreading gossip about your social life, Malfoy!” she counters. She fails again in breaking away from his grip.
“I don’t believe you. Being a traitor runs in your blood anyway.” He is looking straight at her. This has been their longest conversation yet. They have never been this close to each other before.
“Enlighten me, Malfoy, what benefit will I get from announcing your wedding plans,” she snaps. He is making a big deal out of this.
“For one, you can divulge it to the golden trio to blackmail me!” He says sarcastically.
“Unlike you, I won’t go that low to use an unrequited love to tease anyone!” With that, he let go of her wrist. He steps back from her. Both of them still breathing heavily.
After a long silence, Draco speaks up, “Ten points from Gryffindor.”
He then quietly walks out.
She passes through an empty corridor, slowing down her pace as she hears muffled laughter. She stops in front of a supposedly unused classroom, its door slightly ajar. She quietly takes a peek. Several boxes are stacked up on one side surrounded by dusty old books. Ginny continued her inspection. Her eyes landed on the tables and chairs scattered in the middle of the dimly-lit room. A girl with dark brown hair is seated on a chair. She is smiling at the tall blond boy leaning on the table across from her. His face is covered by the camera positioned to snap a picture of the brunette in front of him.
"Astoria. Let's get married." His cool voice echoed across the room the same time as a flash of light came from the camera.
"Draco..." She avoided the serious look he gave her once the camera is out of his line of vision. "You know I can't....with ballet and the possibility of Bulgaria."
"I'm sorry." She continues while softly caressing Draco's right cheek. A loud gasp escaped from Ginny. She immediately covered her mouth with her right hand. The sound caused Draco to turn his head to the door. He got a glimpse of a black skirt. He dashes outside to catch the student who has been eavesdropping on them.
"HEEEEY!" Draco called out. The girl halts her escape.
"Stop right there!" he ordered. The girl resumes brisk walking instead. She then started to run as he comes closer.
Ginny is out of breath by the time she reached the landing before the Gryffindor common room. Only then did she dare to look behind her. Relief washed over her when a murderous Draco is nowhere in sight. The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow at her paranoid state.
Draco goes back to an empty classroom. He grasps his camera tightly as he breathes deeply.
Tattered robes. Faded school uniform. Flaming red hair. Of all people, the little Weasley has to witness a Malfoy's marriage proposal getting rejected.
"This humiliation is unacceptable," he declares.
-------
Upon entering the Great Hall, Ginny suddenly feels goosebumps all over her skin. It is as if someone is staring coldly at her. She stops on her tracks to scan the crowd. Her eyes instinctively fall on the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy is looking straight at her as he sips his coffee. Last night’s events come to her mind.
‘Malfoy is probably planning my death right now.’ Ginny could not help but think as she makes her way to the Gryffindor table.
“Good morning.” Harry greets her as she takes the empty seat across from him. Ginny is about to respond but she felt a familiar kiss on her cheek. A smiling Dean Thomas is standing behind her.
“Hey, Babe. How about we study together in the library later?” Dean offers sweetly to Ginny. He has missed their study date because of detention. “Sorry I was unable to join you last night, Seamus and I have been held up by McGonagall.’
“I have Quidditch practice.“ Ginny replies. Besides, she does not want to go back to the library or anywhere near that abandoned classroom so soon. Malfoy might be lurking nearby to ambush her with hexes or worse, unforgivable curses.
“Oh right. I’ll see you after your practice then.” He playfully pinches her right cheek before going back to his seat beside Seamus.
She takes some toast and sees Harry avoiding her gaze. He focused on Ron and Hermione bickering as usual.
'Great. My childhood crush and now team captain is judging me like how my brother does for having a boyfriend.' Ginny thought as she spread the butter on the bread.
“I did not know you still do that.” Draco turns his head to his seatmate. Blaise Zabini is spreading strawberry jam to his croissant. An amused look is plastered across his face.
“Do what?” Draco asks irritably.
“Observing red-heads.” Blaise winked at him as he sliced a piece of his croissant.
“You are talking nonsense.” Draco frowns as he bites on his sandwich.
“I thought you were long past your strange habit of watching little weasel.” Blaise continued.
“Was it two years ago when you shifted your interest to a brunette instead?” Both of them glanced seven seats away. Astoria is talking to her sister Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. Draco looked away before she could notice.
“Rubbish.” Draco spat. His best friend laughs at his defensiveness.
“Well, I give you credit for being the first of the Hogwarts male population to notice that Weaslette is indeed eye-catching.” Blaise resumes his teasing. “Her now girl-next-door looks befits her campus sweetheart reputation.”
He does not want to confirm any of his best friend’s accusations even how true they are.
He first noticed Ginny Weasley because of Harry Potter. He has been keeping tabs on him when he discovered that Weasel’s little sister has a huge crush on Scarhead, going as far as standing up against him just to defend the saint. He has been a witness to her unrequited love- how Potter ran away from her lousy singing valentine, her disappointment when he did not ask her to the Yule Ball, and her finally moving on. Fortunately when stalking her and the trio was getting unexciting, he met Astoria.
They began secretly dating. Because even if Greengrass is a wealthy pureblood family, his parents discouraged him to get attached to either sister as his marriage has long been arranged to another member of the Sacred 28. They assured him that it is not Pansy. They would inform him before his 17th birthday, the year he would get married. Fast forward to two years, he proposed to Astoria. It might seem a foolish act of desperation. But he was hoping that if they elope before his betrothal, his parents would finally let go of their control, and disregard the arranged marriage. But then Astoria declined his proposal. He overlooked the fact that for Astoria, ballet comes first. She has been in love with it even before he came. It has always been her dream to be the Wizarding World's finest ballerina. She has an offer to be trained by the best in Bulgaria this coming summer. And Ginny Weasley had chosen that embarrassing moment to eavesdrop, becoming the sole witness of Draco getting rejected big time.
He noticed her again. Indeed, she grew up beautifully. And now it seems that Harry Potter finally caught on to what he missed all these years. Pity, that it took Thomas dating little Weasley for the Scarhead to wake up from his stupidity.
“Tell me. Why does it seem that your curiosity over the red Gryffindor is back?” Blaise tries to uncover Draco’s thoughts.
“Curiosity kills.” Draco stands up and makes his way out of the Great Hall, trailing behind Ginny.
--------
It is already sunset when Ginny step out of the locker room. She took her time showering all the grime and sweat from today’s training. Harry’s Quidditch drills has been complicated and exhausting. She just wants to fly directly to her bed and pass out.
She is rummaging her bag for her wand when she gets suddenly pulled to the side, a soft palm covering her mouth.
She opens her eyes slowly. A tall blond man, with both hands already in his pockets, is smirking at her.
"What the hell?!” She cursed. Her eyes widen when she realized who is in front of her.
“Ma…Malfoy?!” He could not help but shake his head. The little Weasley panicking is a funny sight.
She tries to walk away but Draco slams his left hand to the wooden wall. She cringed.
“For a Gryffindor, you are such a coward, Weasley. Grabbing every chance to run away from confrontation.” This is the ambush she has been avoiding all day.
He uses his right hand to pull her back. She is now leaning on the wall below the Quidditch stands. Draco is in front of her, both hands serving as cage in case she attempts to escape.
“Go away!” She pushes him hard but he remains solid as rock.
“What do you want from me?!” she yelled on his face.
“Your silence,” he answers as he puts his right forefinger on her lips. As if it got dirtied, he hastily swipes his finger on the left collar of her white blouse.
“You need to be Obliviated,” he said in a dangerous tone.
“No way!” She is about to punch his arrogant face when he grabbed her wrist and pinned it over her head.
“Why, Weasley? Isn’t it the appropriate consequence for someone who’s eavesdropping on a delicate conversation?“ He sneers.
“I won’t waste my time spreading gossip about your social life, Malfoy!” she counters. She fails again in breaking away from his grip.
“I don’t believe you. Being a traitor runs in your blood anyway.” He is looking straight at her. This has been their longest conversation yet. They have never been this close to each other before.
“Enlighten me, Malfoy, what benefit will I get from announcing your wedding plans,” she snaps. He is making a big deal out of this.
“For one, you can divulge it to the golden trio to blackmail me!” He says sarcastically.
“Unlike you, I won’t go that low to use an unrequited love to tease anyone!” With that, he let go of her wrist. He steps back from her. Both of them still breathing heavily.
After a long silence, Draco speaks up, “Ten points from Gryffindor.”
He then quietly walks out.
Author notes: It has been years since I last wrote a fanfiction. This is my first Harry Potter fanfic. Please be gentle. 😂 My fascination with Draco and Ginny has been renewed while in quarantine.
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