Everlasting

Chapter 3 - Day and night of secret sorrow

Ginny was in the Great Hall for breakfast. While she was eating her toast with mint-chocolate-strawberry jam, Draco came in. She looked at him sorrowfully. He stared back but was pushed along by that dreadful girl, Pansy.

I want to talk to him. Now. I have to explain myself. I don't understand my feelings but I don't want to loose him. I have to think of another way, maybe . . .

Otherwise she would probably loose him and she felt so bad about this that even thinking of it hurt her.

"Ro-on?!" she turned to her brother who was sitting next to her

"Yep, wash wrong?!" he asked with pancake and syrup in his mouth.

"Would you lend me Pigwidgeon?!"

"Um, he just returned yesterday with a package. I guess he's too tired. Who do you want to write? Mum?"

"No, not Mum. It's no one you'd know."

"I just wondered how far it would be for Pig..." he snapped back.

"Haha...very funny! You just wanted to know whom your little sister is going to write. I promise you that he'll be back today!"

"Today...okay then. He's in my room. Just go up!"

Ginny gulped down the rest of her toast and got up quickly.

"Oh Ginny, and if you see Harry, tell him that Hermione and me are going to visit Hagrid, okay?!"

Ginny nodded and left. She went to the Common room and found a parchement lying on one of the tables. She wrote a quick note, folded the paper and hurried up to the boys' bedroom, hoping that nobody would ask her nasty questions. She stumbled in the room and saw someone sitting on the bed. It was Harry, but he wasn't alone. Cho was sitting on his lap and they were kissing. As they recognized Ginny, Harry took off his hands from Cho and both stared at her.

"Um . . . oh . . . sorry . . . I didn't meant to . . . Ron told me . . . I need . . . Excuse me . . . I just wanted . . .!"

She grabbed Pigwidgeon and left the room as fast as she could, closing the door most silently.

She ran down the stairs, out of the common room, half the way through the castle and finally out into the lawn. There, she needed a break, for she was gasping for some fresh air and her heart was beating so fast. She fixed the note for Draco (of course it was for him) on Pigwidgeon's leg and watched him flying off to the back of the castle. She sighed and dropped into the grass beside the lake. That scene had shocked her. Harry snogging on Cho - she didn't even know that they were already together - and she didn't want to imagine what she would have seen if she'd arrived later.

Why is this bothering me so much? I gave up on Harry, right?! He and Cho . . . why did I have to come across them right now?!

She didn't have the time to think about it any longer because Ron and Hermione had left the castle and were coming over to her.

"Hey Gin - seen Harry?" Ron asked when they arrived.

"Yes, in your room, but you shouldn't interupt him now . . . well, it's . . .!" When Ginny saw Hermione's stressed face she didn't finish her sentence.

"We can't go up and collect him anyway, Hagrid is waiting, Ron!" Hermione said.

Poor Hermione, I never thought about her. She told me once that she had a crush on Harry since their first year. I never dared to tell her the truth about my own feelings. I was so afraid to loose her friendship. And now?! I'm sure that Hermione knows about Harry and Cho; she is Harry's best female friend and she is also very sensitive. How can Hermione bear this? I'm glad that she hasn't seen them like I had.

Ron gazed from Hermione to Ginny and back again.

"I'm wondering if there are boys who understand weird girls like you . . . anyway, you're right Hermione, Hagrid is waiting. Ginny, will you come with us?!"

"Mhm . . . " Ginny frowned "I'm so desperate to know what the giants told them but unfortunately I've still lots of homework to do, History of magic, you know. You'll tell me afterwards, won't you?!"

"Sure, see ya later then!"

"Yes, see ya . . .!" Ginny waved and went back to the common room.

She sat down in a quiet corner of the room. She hadn't lied to her brother, there was much homework to do, but she couldn't concentrate on the struggle between Oldely the Pureblood Veela and Anolia the Dwarf-queen while she had to fight with her own feelings. She spent some time watching Fred and George who were packing a huge amount of their joke-deo-creation into a bag to send it to one of their clients by owl.

Fred and George, they definatly make my life more funny - I can't imagine living without them. Other people call them crazy . . . Ginny smirked to herself. Yes, indeed they are, my whole family is, but I have to admit that I don't mind. Every one of them is special in such a lovely way and I hope, I will be too someday.

Her eyes went back to her watch - only five minutes passed so far. In her note she begged Draco to see her a 6:30 p.m. and now there was a long afternoon in front of her, which she didn't know what to do with. It was time for lunch now and she decided to go down to the Great Hall with the twins. Both tried to explain her that they were currently working on a new dress that would catch fire whenever it would be touched by any man except the husband. It was one sure thing to prevent betraying. Ginny was really interested but their explanations were getting so weird and such into detail that she finally gave up on listening. She gazed around the hall as Harry came over to the Gryffindor table. When she saw him she quickly looked down to her plate but couldn't hide her blushing face. Harry sat down at the opposite side of the table and grinned at her nervously. She smiled back slightly.

Argh, why do you have to come here right now? I don't want to talk to you. Everything is just so weird. Don't say anything about Cho or I'll just scream.

She finished her meal as quickly as possible and went back to the common room again. There she found Cathy McMillan and Betty Scott, two fellow fourth year girls, sitting at a table and doing some homework. She joined them and they passed some hours chatting and chuckling about History of Magic, friends, holidays, Quidditch and teachers . . .

At six o'clock Ginny decided that it was time to leave and she went out under the pretext that she would go looking for Hermione and Ron who hadn't returned yet. She made sure that nobody followed her and went out to that small group of trees where Draco and she had met yesterday. She sat down beneath an old oak and kept an eye on the entrance. Her watch told her that it was twenty after six now. How could ten minutes be so long? There was nothing she was longing for but to see Draco coming out of the castle.

What if he won't come?! What if he is fed up with me because of yesterday?! He has to think that I'm kind of little, weird girl. I really acted stupid. Everytime it is me who destroys everything. I'm just too shy to get close to someone . . .

6:30 p.m. came . . . and passed. Then the halves of the big main doors opened. She was already on the run when she recognized that it wasn't Draco who had exited. It was a Ravenclaw boy named Dorian Cartney. She knew him cause he was Betty's boyfriend. She didn't find anything about him attractive, but well, it was Betty's choice. Ginny leaned back against the tree. She watched him coming down the stairs with a piece of parchement in his hands, gazing around. He didn't see anyone, not even Ginny and she was glad about it when she saw him shrugging and turning back to the castle. She left out a big sigh when his black robe finally disappeared behind the thick castle walls. Ginny had a look at her watch again. 6:50 p.m.. He wasn't coming. She closed her eyes . . . she had been an idiot again.

"Hey . . . hey . . .Ginny . . . ."

Ginny opened her eyes and jumped to her feet. She had fallen asleep and now it was the dead of night and darkness surounded her.

"Ginny - what are you doing here?" Ginny looked around but couldn't see anyone.

"Who are you?" she cried in panic.

"Shh shh . . .calm down! It's just me . . ." Right in front of her Draco's face appeared - but his body was still invisible.

Ginny gasped, "Draco - how are you doing this? Is this black magic?!"

"No . . . it's an invisibility cloak, just like Potter has."

"Harry?! He never disappears like this . . ."

"Oh my god, you are so innocent sometimes. O'course he does. I thought you'd know, 'cause your brother does . . ."

"Ron?!" Ginnys eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, but they don't know that I know their secret - and they don't know that many Slytherins use invisiblity cloaks as well!" He smiled. "But you haven't answered my question yet; What are you doing here?!"

"I was waiting for you." Ginny blushed - now it was Draco's turn to be surprised

"Gimme a break, Ginny . . . Waiting for me?? And how should I know you were here?!"

"I told you in my letter . . ."

"Which letter?!" Draco lifted an eyebrow. He was absolutly confused.

"I sent it to you this morning... I guess Pigwidgeon was to tired and didn't bring it to you . . ." In her mind Ginny marked down that she would have a serious conversation about his job with Pig ". . . but now you are finally here."

Draco stroke her hair "Sorry for being late . . . and there's something I have to do before we can talk. It'll just take five minutes. Will you wait?"

"Maybe . . . ."

I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone out here in this darkness. Don't leave me here . . .

Then Ginny did something she'd never expected: she hugged him. She felt how his arms welcomed her and she knew that she didn't want anything but stay in his arms which gave her the certain feeling of being safe and warm. Draco smiled and his blue eyes seemed so warm suddenly.

"Be back as soon as possible, okay?!" Ginny begged him when she let him go again.

"Sure," he answered, grinned and disappeared again. She could hear his footsteps on the ground becoming more and more silent until they were completly gone.

Some minutes passed and they seemed like eternity, then there was again some noise next to her.

"Who's there?" This wasn't Dracos voice, it was a voice she knew better. Ginny turned around and saw Ron and Hermione coming home from Hagrid's.

"GINNY? What the hell are you doing here? It's already 10:45 p.m . . .are you crazy?!"

Ginny couldn't tell them the truth "Oh, I was concerned about you two."

"And for this reason, you leave the castle all by yourself in these dangerous times?! You act like a little child. Never do anything like this again"

Ron and Hermione took her by the hand and pulled her back to the castle.

"I'm not a little first year girl anymore Ron!"

"I know, but we aren't safe in these times. No one is. And it's especially dangerous when your on your own!!"

When they reached the common room, Ginny went to bed immediatly. She laid down on her bed and tried to get all the things she learned today in the right order: Harry and Cho, Hermione's sorrow, Pigwidgeon's mistake, the invisibility cloaks, her brother who treated her like a baby and . . . yes, her feelings towards Draco.

I can't believe that I really hugged him! It seems so unreal. Yesterday I told him that I was falling in love with him. Today I wanted to correct what I told him and then I hugged him. Am I crazy ?! I'm always so different when he's around. I'm wondering if this is true love?! And what if it is ?! Oh my god Ginny, please be realistic, there is NO chance for a love between a Weasley and a Malfoy, a Gryffie and a Slyth ! He's just playing with you. Don't make a fool of yourself.

But before she fell asleep her heart was deeply concerned; What would Draco think when he returned and find out that she didn't wait? Everything was so complicated and there was nobody. She couldn't share her sorrows.

Draco was grinning when he went away. Ginny, this girl surprised him everytime they met. This time it was finally a completely positive surprise for him. She hugged him! He took a big breath of the warm and delicious night breeze. The soft ground under his feet swallowed every sound. When he reached the hidden meeting place at the border of the forbidden forest, he saw that most members of the Neo- Death- Eater Youth organisation had already arrived. He sneaked around silently and finally found the person he had been looking for.

"Hey, Avalon, keep your mouth closed and come over here."

A tall boy with short dark hair followed Draco in the shadow of the forest. "President?! Why did you order me to come here?!"he frowned .

"Because I don't want the whole organisation to see me. Julian, you are the vice-president and today I order you to hold the meeting all by yourself. I absolutly have no time. I have another, more important meeting. It could be important for all of us - but keep it as a secret for now. I'll tell all of you later on."

Julian Avalon nodded in agreement, "You can count on me, president"

"Alright then." Draco pulled the cloak over his head again and went away.

Draco was at the little stand of trees, in no time he recognized that Ginny wasn't there anymore.

Where is she? I can't imagine she has gone without a word. No, she wouldn't act like this, she hugged me and . . .

Draco heard voices from above. He looked in the direction he supposed they were coming from and then, he saw two persons pulling another one, someone smaller, towards the castle. He felt like his heart had stopped for a moment; Ginny had been caught. It only took him a few seconds to realize that the two persons weren't teachers. One of them definatly had long, curly hair. They weren't too far away and the full, silver moon illuminated the entrance area of the castle. It was Granger, probably together with Potter or Ginny's brother. Draco was furious. Finally Ginny had been honest, finally she was in the mood for talking to him and then there was this nosy Granger and one of her damn boyfriends who destroyed the opportunity.