Nothing I Have Ever Seen

Chapter 3

Draco lay awake long after the others in his dormitory had fallen asleep that night, his mind going over and over what had happened between himself and Ginny Weasley. What hadn´t happened, he corrected himself. What will never happen. Ever.

What had he been thinking? His trademark wit had failed on him. Ordinarily he would have let out some crude, sharp and ideally insulting comment that would have let her know where she stood with wizards such as himself. So much for letting her 'experience his being'. Still, she´d looked as intimidated by him out there as he had felt taken by her presence.

Why.

He couldn´t work it out. Not even after turning it over in his head until past four in the morning. Did he have feelings for this girl? This girl, who was worlds apart from the one he called his own? This girl who, more importantly, was the daughter of a man despised by his own father? Not to mention sister of that common Weasley boy who insisted on following Potter wherever he went. She was a nobody. Virtually non-existent. Most certainly not worthy of his time and thoughts. Although she seemed to be getting much of these anyway.

He turned his gaze to the deep emerald curtains that covered the bay window. He watched as the first morning rays of weak wintry sunshine shone through the gap at the bottom. He must have stayed awake all night. He picked up his wand placed next to his bed.

"Tempus."

A silvery ribbon shot out of the end of the wand, arranging itself into the current time. Seven forty-five. A sudden and entirely welcome wave of sleep hit him and when he woke up, the dormitory was empty. Checking the time again he saw that it was eleven o´ clock. A trip to Hogsmeade had been arranged, scheduled to depart from Hogwarts at eleven thirty.

Joining the group of students waiting at the gate, he saw Crabbe and Goyle near the front. Draco´s instinct was to stay as far away from them as possible. As gratifying as it was to have the equivilant of two oversized house elves constantly following him around, he did not feel the want of their company today. Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. His heart jumped- then fell as he realised who it was. Pansy.

"Draco, I thought you weren´t coming!" she smiled at him.

"Well I´m here now, aren´t I?"

"Yes, and that´s all that matters! Come on, come and do your shopping with me, I have so much to buy! You can help me find a dress for the Yule Ball Draco, I know you have fine taste in clothes..." she gushed.

God, what had put her in such a saccharin sweet mood this morning? It was slightly nauseating. Thankfully Marcus Flint joined Pansy and Draco at that moment which saved Draco from blasting Pansy with the force of his annoyance.

"Draco," Flint acknowledged him.

Draco merely nodded- he was part angry with Flint for asking Pansy to the Ball. People should know where their boundaries lie, and Flint had a damn cheek if he hadn´t noticed that Pansy was well within Draco´s. Not that he had intended to do anything about Pansy or her attention but she was almost like an unspoken possession of his that Flint was trying to take away just because he didn´t use it.

How rude.

He thought it was high time that he mentioned this to Flint, but a bright flash of colour to Pansy´s left captivated him. Ginny. Draco´s mind was wiped of any insult about to be thrown at Flint as his attention was torn away from the conversation beside him to the small group of girls in which Ginny was included. Ginny was at the centre, apparently telling something important from the looks on the girls´ faces. Draco forced his eyes away from them. What did he care what they were talking about? It can´t have been that important, face it- they were Gryffindor girls. When had anything Gryffindors valued ever interested him? What could he have gained from even trying to find out? But something in Draco´s subconscious made him question whether Ginny was talking so seriously about him. Ridiculous, he knew it. But what if...?

The walk down to Hogsmeade was a blur to Draco. The more he tried to ignore Ginny, the more she intrigued him with her secretive glances, gestures and whispers to her friends.

He sighed as Hogsmeade came into view. His thoughts and actions over the last couple of days were most unlike him and it was quite disconcerting. Before Ginny had made an appearance in his life, it was straightforward- he knew where he was going, what he wanted to be doing. Now he was not so sure.

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