Ginny stared down the empty stairwell, wondering if maybe he would return. For some reason, she wanted to tell him everything—why her life was so miserable. Well, it wasn’t that horrible, but things between her and Harry certainly weren’t the best. She knew he probably wouldn’t give a damn, but he seemed to be just as detached and lonesome as she was. Maybe he would understand…
She sighed and slowly trudged back to Gryffindor, wondering to herself how she could have felt so good with him. She hung her head, and kicked the ground as she walked. Of course he wouldn’t want her—Harry didn’t really want her, no one really wanted her. She was just Ron’s little sister, and Harry Potter’s girlfriend. She had no identity for herself.
On second thought, Ginny decided she didn’t really feel like going back to the dorms. She would just be lonely there, just like she was lonely and unwanted here. She might as well go sit where it was nice, and enjoy the time to herself. Ginny headed outside trekked out across the lawn to the lake, where she sat down and stared at the reflecting surface, wondering what to do with herself.
Sitting on a wall outside, Draco watched from under his cloak as a depressed looking Ginny wandered through the school, and then out to the lake. As much as he wanted to just let her go, he knew that he had to at least go keep watch on her—the grounds of Hogwarts weren’t exactly the safest place to be alone these days. He shook his head at the idiocy of what he was about to do.
On the lakeside, Draco watched from behind a tree as Ginny sulked. He didn’t know why he was down here. He should have just gone to bed. But, there was something about the way she was sitting there so alone that made him feel as though she could possibly understand what he was going through.
He slowly crept up beside her and sat down, pulling off his cloak. She seemed somewhat unnerved, but she didn’t seem to care all that much. She must be pretty upset if the presence of a Malfoy didn’t provoke her. Not that there was anything wrong with being a Malfoy, but he knew from personal experience that Weasleys and Malfoys didn’t mix. He also knew why, of course—but now that his father was locked up, Draco didn’t see how his father could come berate him for what he was currently doing.
They sat for several minutes in compete silence, observing the calm lake. Ginny spoke first. “Have you ever felt alone, because everyone expects so much from you, and if you succeed, nothing happens, but if you fail, everyone cares?” Draco looked at her in utter shock—she had said exactly what was on his mind. But why did she feel the same way? She was one of those Muggle-loving Weasleys. They didn’t have problems like he did. Wasn’t her whole family just one big happy, hugging group? After pondering her statement, Draco decided it would be most appropriate to respond.
“My father has high expectations for me, but I don’t know if that’s the path I want to follow,” he said simply. His father wanted him to be a Death Eater, and if Draco accepted then all would be good, but because he had not yet agreed, he was getting hell from his father’s cronies. Of course, now that his father’s Death Eater identity was known, Draco’s situation had become increasingly difficult.
“My family expects me to be like the rest of my brothers—prefect, Head Girl, play Quidditch. I mean, not everyone in my family did all of those things, but everything I could possibly do here has already been done. They don’t really care that I’m a prefect—it was just expected, it’s nothing special,” Ginny rambled on. “And now, I don’t see myself doing anything—I’m just standing still, I don’t know whether I should bother with Harry. He’s always so preoccupied…” she trailed off, staring off into the distance. Draco wasn’t sure if she was talking to him, or just venting out loud.
“Potter doesn’t pay attention to you,” he said truthfully. He had seen Potter, Weasley and the Mudblood around the school, but never had he seen the little Weaslette near them. Ginny dropped her head between her knees. She appeared to agree with what he had just pointed out, but she didn’t seem to want to accept it.
“Well…” Ginny started, seemingly trying to find something good to say about Harry, but she failed, and she shook her head. “I don’t know—I liked him for so long, and when he finally came around it was like a dream come true—but now it seems like he never has time for me… It’s like he’s only using me when he needs me. Or maybe he just likes to say he has a girlfriend… It just seems so… fake…”
Draco could almost understand her feelings on this as well. He felt the same way whenever Pansy Parkinson draped herself over him, trying to pass herself off as his girlfriend. Sure, Pansy was good for a guaranteed date to any of the dances, or for a convenient shag, but she was fake as well. She knew the honor of the Malfoy name, and she just spent time with him because people envied her for it. Draco had no idea who his real friends were anyway—he had never really cared though. As long as there were people to fawn over him—whether their motives were sincere or not—he didn’t really give a damn. Draco thought for a moment, and then chose not to respond to her comment. His personal life was really none of her business, and while she saw it fit to tell him about her relationship, he didn’t really feel like it.
Instead, Draco felt himself reaching out to stroke the coppery hair running down her back. It just felt so right to comfort her. He was surprised at how similar their problems were.
She looked up, giving him a wide-eyed, shocked expression. She seemed surprised by his touch, but she did nothing to stop it. Instead, she just continued to talk, attempting to ignore his touch, but she did seem a bit flustered. Realizing his actions, Draco snapped back to reality and stopped comforting her, but he didn’t leave like before.
They talked about anything and everything for the next few hours, just enjoying each other’s company. Not only did they have similar troubles from family expectation, but they also had a liking of Quidditch, which gave them a lot to talk about.
Draco couldn’t remember the last time he had been so happy talking to someone, especially someone who had been almost a stranger earlier in the evening. They just seemed to have so much in common.
At around three in the morning, Ginny was so tired that she could have just fallen asleep on the edge of the lake, but she knew it wouldn’t do well for people to find her there in the morning.
“Okay, well, thanks for talking to me Draco,” she started, and gave him a smile. “Maybe we can have another late night talk sometime.” She stood up and brushed off the dirt from her clothes.
Draco smiled at her—a weak smile, kind-of a cross between a smile and a smirk, but he seemed to have genuinely enjoyed the conversation. She reached out and gave him a quick hug before turning and scampering off to the castle. Draco froze, unsure what to do—she had just hugged him! He couldn’t remember the last time he had been hugged. It was… nice… He raised his arm and waved at her, but she never looked back.
Draco sat and watched her for a few moments more, gazing at her retreating back. Did he really have a coherent conversation with a Weasley? He was shocked, partially by the fact that Weasley had problems like him, and even more so that he didn’t even regret having spend half the night talking to her. She had even hugged him… It was almost as if they were… friends…
Draco frowned—it wouldn’t do to be friends with a Weasley. His father would never allow that—if word ever got out to him where he was locked up… Draco knew he would never hear the end of it. Not to mention that he would be ridiculed by all of Slytherin. No, he would just have to stay away from her from now on… He could deal with his problems on his own, he always had. And it had never mattered before whether his friends were real or fake. He would just have to ignore that Weasley. He had let his guard drop too much tonight, and now he would have to show her that tonight didn’t matter. Yes… That’s what he would do…
She sighed and slowly trudged back to Gryffindor, wondering to herself how she could have felt so good with him. She hung her head, and kicked the ground as she walked. Of course he wouldn’t want her—Harry didn’t really want her, no one really wanted her. She was just Ron’s little sister, and Harry Potter’s girlfriend. She had no identity for herself.
On second thought, Ginny decided she didn’t really feel like going back to the dorms. She would just be lonely there, just like she was lonely and unwanted here. She might as well go sit where it was nice, and enjoy the time to herself. Ginny headed outside trekked out across the lawn to the lake, where she sat down and stared at the reflecting surface, wondering what to do with herself.
Sitting on a wall outside, Draco watched from under his cloak as a depressed looking Ginny wandered through the school, and then out to the lake. As much as he wanted to just let her go, he knew that he had to at least go keep watch on her—the grounds of Hogwarts weren’t exactly the safest place to be alone these days. He shook his head at the idiocy of what he was about to do.
On the lakeside, Draco watched from behind a tree as Ginny sulked. He didn’t know why he was down here. He should have just gone to bed. But, there was something about the way she was sitting there so alone that made him feel as though she could possibly understand what he was going through.
He slowly crept up beside her and sat down, pulling off his cloak. She seemed somewhat unnerved, but she didn’t seem to care all that much. She must be pretty upset if the presence of a Malfoy didn’t provoke her. Not that there was anything wrong with being a Malfoy, but he knew from personal experience that Weasleys and Malfoys didn’t mix. He also knew why, of course—but now that his father was locked up, Draco didn’t see how his father could come berate him for what he was currently doing.
They sat for several minutes in compete silence, observing the calm lake. Ginny spoke first. “Have you ever felt alone, because everyone expects so much from you, and if you succeed, nothing happens, but if you fail, everyone cares?” Draco looked at her in utter shock—she had said exactly what was on his mind. But why did she feel the same way? She was one of those Muggle-loving Weasleys. They didn’t have problems like he did. Wasn’t her whole family just one big happy, hugging group? After pondering her statement, Draco decided it would be most appropriate to respond.
“My father has high expectations for me, but I don’t know if that’s the path I want to follow,” he said simply. His father wanted him to be a Death Eater, and if Draco accepted then all would be good, but because he had not yet agreed, he was getting hell from his father’s cronies. Of course, now that his father’s Death Eater identity was known, Draco’s situation had become increasingly difficult.
“My family expects me to be like the rest of my brothers—prefect, Head Girl, play Quidditch. I mean, not everyone in my family did all of those things, but everything I could possibly do here has already been done. They don’t really care that I’m a prefect—it was just expected, it’s nothing special,” Ginny rambled on. “And now, I don’t see myself doing anything—I’m just standing still, I don’t know whether I should bother with Harry. He’s always so preoccupied…” she trailed off, staring off into the distance. Draco wasn’t sure if she was talking to him, or just venting out loud.
“Potter doesn’t pay attention to you,” he said truthfully. He had seen Potter, Weasley and the Mudblood around the school, but never had he seen the little Weaslette near them. Ginny dropped her head between her knees. She appeared to agree with what he had just pointed out, but she didn’t seem to want to accept it.
“Well…” Ginny started, seemingly trying to find something good to say about Harry, but she failed, and she shook her head. “I don’t know—I liked him for so long, and when he finally came around it was like a dream come true—but now it seems like he never has time for me… It’s like he’s only using me when he needs me. Or maybe he just likes to say he has a girlfriend… It just seems so… fake…”
Draco could almost understand her feelings on this as well. He felt the same way whenever Pansy Parkinson draped herself over him, trying to pass herself off as his girlfriend. Sure, Pansy was good for a guaranteed date to any of the dances, or for a convenient shag, but she was fake as well. She knew the honor of the Malfoy name, and she just spent time with him because people envied her for it. Draco had no idea who his real friends were anyway—he had never really cared though. As long as there were people to fawn over him—whether their motives were sincere or not—he didn’t really give a damn. Draco thought for a moment, and then chose not to respond to her comment. His personal life was really none of her business, and while she saw it fit to tell him about her relationship, he didn’t really feel like it.
Instead, Draco felt himself reaching out to stroke the coppery hair running down her back. It just felt so right to comfort her. He was surprised at how similar their problems were.
She looked up, giving him a wide-eyed, shocked expression. She seemed surprised by his touch, but she did nothing to stop it. Instead, she just continued to talk, attempting to ignore his touch, but she did seem a bit flustered. Realizing his actions, Draco snapped back to reality and stopped comforting her, but he didn’t leave like before.
They talked about anything and everything for the next few hours, just enjoying each other’s company. Not only did they have similar troubles from family expectation, but they also had a liking of Quidditch, which gave them a lot to talk about.
Draco couldn’t remember the last time he had been so happy talking to someone, especially someone who had been almost a stranger earlier in the evening. They just seemed to have so much in common.
At around three in the morning, Ginny was so tired that she could have just fallen asleep on the edge of the lake, but she knew it wouldn’t do well for people to find her there in the morning.
“Okay, well, thanks for talking to me Draco,” she started, and gave him a smile. “Maybe we can have another late night talk sometime.” She stood up and brushed off the dirt from her clothes.
Draco smiled at her—a weak smile, kind-of a cross between a smile and a smirk, but he seemed to have genuinely enjoyed the conversation. She reached out and gave him a quick hug before turning and scampering off to the castle. Draco froze, unsure what to do—she had just hugged him! He couldn’t remember the last time he had been hugged. It was… nice… He raised his arm and waved at her, but she never looked back.
Draco sat and watched her for a few moments more, gazing at her retreating back. Did he really have a coherent conversation with a Weasley? He was shocked, partially by the fact that Weasley had problems like him, and even more so that he didn’t even regret having spend half the night talking to her. She had even hugged him… It was almost as if they were… friends…
Draco frowned—it wouldn’t do to be friends with a Weasley. His father would never allow that—if word ever got out to him where he was locked up… Draco knew he would never hear the end of it. Not to mention that he would be ridiculed by all of Slytherin. No, he would just have to stay away from her from now on… He could deal with his problems on his own, he always had. And it had never mattered before whether his friends were real or fake. He would just have to ignore that Weasley. He had let his guard drop too much tonight, and now he would have to show her that tonight didn’t matter. Yes… That’s what he would do…
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