Just Communication

Just Communication

The last thing Virginia Weasley wanted was to spend more time with her gloating brother in Gryffindor Tower. The results to the N.E.W.T.s had just been posted and while no one was surprised that Hermione had near perfect scores, the school almost had a collective coronary, as the top male was none other than Ron. The ensuing bragging on Ron’s part and disbelief on the rest of the Tower was enough to drive Ginny out onto the grounds this spring morning.

The lake glistened from the sun high in the cloudless blue sky, but the day was actually rather cold. Ginny was greatly wishing that she could summon her cloak, but she knew that nestled underneath it was her sleeping best friend and the former object of her affection. Harry had fallen asleep on one of the couches, and conveniently pinned Hermione as well. Ginny had loaned her the aforementioned cloak to Hermione, laughing at Hermione’s apparent lack of discomfort at the situation. Just a year ago, she’d been dying on the inside to see them so in love. But the summer after her fifth year changed all that.

It had been so obvious everyone wondered how they could have missed it for so long. It was two summer’s ago when Harry and Hermione had begun dating. Everyone was very happy for them, and it forced Ginny to do some long overdue thinking. For years she had carried the blind hope that Harry would someday see her as more than the little sister of his best friend. She had been so blind, in fact, that she hadn’t noticed that Harry in turn had fallen for his other best friend. So when Harry and Hermione got together, Ginny figured out how to live life sans The Boy Who Lived.

Surprisingly, she didn’t have as hard of time with it as she would have thought. Her girlhood crush seemed more like a stupid obsession rather than the love of her life. It simply required a swift kick from reality to make her see that. Now she and Hermione were closer than ever, and all’s well that ends well.

Everything except the loneliness that went along with it all. Even if she couldn’t have Harry, couldn’t someone else come along to ease the empty feeling she got looking at the two of them? It was bad enough that Ron had been dating Lavender for over a year, and Neville and Susan Bones from Hufflepuff had been together for nearly as long. Ginny was certain that she had to be the only lone Gryffindor this spring.

But the sun still rose, and even though it was a cold day Ginny allowed the sun to warm her face ever so slightly. Sighing, she stood by the lakeside, closing her eyes and forgetting everything…

Flicking his cigarette away, once again vowing to quit after this one, Draco Malfoy coolly viewed the girl with the flame-red hair by the side of the lake. The part of him that had listened to his dead father for so many years told him to stop thinking about that stupid little Muggle-loving Gryffindor who had entranced him for almost a year now. But the other part of him, the part of him who had betrayed his father and his father’s master told him to walk over and at least attempt to comfort her.

It was a cold day. Why on earth hadn’t she brought her cloak? Unclasping his, he pulled his around her shoulders, breaking her out of her reprieve. She instantly whipped around, as he’d hoped, looking up at him with curious black eyes.

“Malfoy.” He flinched at the lack of warmth in her voice. “What are you…”

“You looked cold,” he interrupted her, hoping to stave off any insults or questions he wasn’t sure he could answer. What the hell was he doing?

“I was.” She shuffled her feet, seeming almost embarrassed. “Thank you.” He made a sound of acceptance and stood slightly behind her. He was mortified to find himself breathing in the scent of her hair. It was some flower, although being rather disinclined to make a study of such things; he had no idea what kind. It was nice, however.

“Won’t you be cold?” she asked, turning back towards the lake. Draco took this chance to move closer. His mind was racing, screaming at him to stop this stupidity. He ignored it.

“No. I don’t get cold too easily.”

“Yes, but,” Ginny said, turning around, almost landing in his arms. Looking up at him, her inquisitive eyes meeting is own, impenetrable ones, Ginny couldn’t help but to be startled. “Draco…”

That was enough. As Draco heard his name, his name rather than his god-forsaken surname, he kissed her forehead, her cheek, her lips. At first she stiffened, but gradually melted against him, answering her intelligible murmurs with her own. Gasping, they pulled apart, Draco almost guiltily.

“I’m sorry, Gin…” He couldn’t get the rest of her name out, as her hand covered his mouth.

“Draco, I don’t want to hear apologies or reasons.” She looked up at him with a mixture of determination and something else. “I don’t want to know why.” Draco, while showing no outward signs, felt as if she was punching him in the stomach. What she was saying was that she didn’t want him.

“I just want you to kiss me again.”