Ginny's All That

May 15.

The day was finally here.

Draco woke up the next morning, bright and early, knowing full well what had to be done today. Today, he and Harry would go through with his plan. Today he was going to get Ginny back.

All night he couldn't get her out of his mind. When she sat down with him in his room and told him how much their encounter had meant to her, it took every strength he had not to put his hands on her, kiss her passionately, and repeat the experience. But he didn't do it because she didn't want him to, or if she did he knew he'd regret it later because she'd resent him for it.

But Harry had said some things to him that really made him think.

"She has to trust you again," Harry had said. "When she found out that you started spending time with her because of some sick joke, it didn't make her feelings for you change, but it made her want them to."

"What do I do, then?" Draco had asked. "How can I show her that I can be trusted?"

"You have to make yourself vulnerable. Put yourself in a position where you can't lie to her. Embarrass yourself for her."

Draco had an idea.

*****

Ginny spent the better part of the day getting ready for the dance. She was nervous for a lot of reasons. First, she had realized after talking to Draco the night prior that she really did want to be crowned Princess. At first it seemed pointless and trivial and something that really didn't interest her, but after everything happened it turned into the only thing that she had to look forward to.

And then another thought occurred to her. If she and Draco were both crowned, they'd have to dance. If he put his hands on her, he might try to kiss her, and she might not have the strength to say no.

And what about Harry?

Oh, Harry.

What if he tried to kiss her or touch her? She loved Harry with all of her heart, but not that way. She really hoped he hadn't gotten the impression that they were going to get back together. Leading him on was never her intention.

She styled her hair very simply. She placed her long red hair into a loose and delicate bun with curly tendrils falling around her face and onto her neck. On the right side of the bun she slipped in the studded butterfly. The dress looked beautiful against her white skin, and it accented the jewels in the clip. The final touches were next - a lip reddening charm, some simple magical makeup, and silver glitter in her hair. She was about to put some glitter onto her neck and shoulders when she heard a knock at the door.

She turned and smiled as Harry entered the dormitory.

"You know it really isn't appropriate for you to be here," she said playfully.

He smiled. "Don't tell the Head Boy."

"Want to help me with this?" she asked. She handed him the glitter and said, "Could you put it on my back for me?"

He gingerly sprinkled the muggle glitter onto her back. She felt electricity between them that she had never felt with him before, including the night they had made love. She turned to face him. They were very close and see leaned very near him. At that point she really just wanted to kiss him, but he took a step away. Ginny was very grateful that he had, and Harry smiled knowingly at her. He knew that Ginny didn't want him and that she was mostly just feeling very lonely.

The black pumps that she had chosen were her final step. She put them on as Harry offered his arm, and she took it. Together they entered the common room.

"Oh Ginny," Hermione said with wide eyes. "You look beautiful."

Hermione looked very nice. She wore a tank dress that was laced with pink and orange. Her hair was in an elegant bun that was glittered with rhinestones. "You look lovely," Ginny told her truthfully.

Ron stood beside Hermione and did not look at his sister. After everything happened with Draco and Ron found out that she had slept with him, he had not spoken to her. Ginny looked at her brother pleadingly, wishing for nothing more than for reconciliation between them. She loved her brother so, and her heart was breaking at the thought of them not getting along. Hermione, noticing the tension, took Ron by the arm and led him from the common room. Harry escorted Ginny, and they gracefully exited through the portrait hole.

"Ron hates me," she whispered.

"He's disappointed," Harry said gently. "But you're his baby sister - his only sister. He just cares. But if it helps, he won't talk to me either. I tried to soften the blow about Draco and I told him about us as well."

Ginny smiled a little. "Harry, why?"

"Because I care about you, and I didn't want to see all the blame put on you." Harry winked at her and she smiled back at him thankfully.

As they approached the entrance to the Great Hall, Harry escorted Ginny off to a separate room where all of the candidates were instructed to go. The nominees were about to be paired to enter the ball together. The four others were already present.

She glanced at Draco, who looked incredible. He wore a black suit with an emerald green shirt, and a dress cloak that clasped at the base of his throat was swooped over his shoulders.

McGonagall entered and paired them off by height. The tallest girl, her, was to be accompanied by the tallest boy, which was Draco. Harry was paired with Parvati, and Zacharias was to escort Cho. She stood next to him and he offered her his arm. He would not look directly at her.

"I saw Pansy," she said casually. "She looks nice, but she sure isn't wearing emerald green."

"Wishful thinking," he said leisurely, still not looking at her. "The dress looks nice on you."

"You picked it."

They spoke for a few moments before they together entered the Grand Ballroom. Nothing important was said, and Ginny really was not interested in what he had to say. She did not understand why he would not look at her.

Once they entered, each pair split to join their respective dates. The feast came first, and then it would be time for the crowning.

Ginny sat with Harry and waited with him for the food to appear. While they were waiting, she looked across the way and saw Draco with Pansy. They were talking in a friendly manner, but her heart ached at the sight. Ginny was much prettier than the Slytherin girl, but Draco was looking right into her eyes. She was jealous; Draco would not look at her, even while they were speaking. She looked at Harry, who was being a complete gentleman, and wanted to melt. She felt horrible that she was sitting here with her long-time crush and friend, but could only think about her former Slytherin lover.

After eating for a bit, Ginny turned to Harry and said, "I need some fresh air. I'll be right back."

"Would you like me to join you?" he offered.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, but thank you. I'll only be a moment."

As soon as she left, Harry caught Draco's eye and nodded his head toward the garden. Seeming to understand, he whispered something to Pansy and followed the redhead.

He saw her sitting on a small bench.

"Hi gorgeous," he said.

She looked up at him and replied bitterly, "Call me Ginny, would you?"

"I can't even compliment you?"

"I'd rather you said nothing to me at all." She didn't mean it, and she knew it. Ginny was being a brat because she was irritated. Why won't he look at me?

"I just saw you alone and thought you could use some company. I wasn't trying to annoy you."

She stood up. "Annoy? Not the word I'd use. Pathetic seems to be more suitable." The more she insulted him, the more she realized what a hole she was digging.

She began walking inside the castle when she felt his hand grab her shoulder, gently but firmly. She turned and looked at him. "What do you want? Tell me in ten words or less."

"I only need one."

"Four."

"Oh, very funny."

"Seven."

"I - want - you."

"Oh, a perfect ten. Well, I'll see you inside, then." She began to walk back to the Ballroom and Harry.

"Ginny!" he shouted at her. "Just bloody talk to me. Give me ten minutes instead of ten words, please!"

"I have no interest in speaking with you, you sodding bastard! If you can't even look directly at me, I will not talk to you," she shot at him.

And then he was kissing her. If he couldn't get her to talk, all he could do was kiss. Ginny desperately wanted this - to melt into his kiss, to falter under his touch, to just let go. But that wasn't going to happen. She summoned all the will power her body could muster and pushed him away from her. "Stay away from me," she said icily. "I mean it."

*****

About thirty minutes later, the six students stood in the center of the Grand Ballroom. The girls stood in front of the partner that escorted them in.

Professor McGonagall said, "I will raise my wand, and the will crown the Prince."

The room went silent as she raised her wand, and a gold crown that sat at the center table in the room floated to the row of boys. It gracefully landed on the head of...

"Draco Malfoy!" the crown shouted.

Draco stood in the middle of the dance floor and awaited his princess. This was not so much of a shock. Although many people hated Draco, his family, and everything that they stood for, he did have many friends. He also had many female admirers. Ginny even voted for him, but she decided that this was something she'd never admit to.

"I will now crown the Princess," McGonagall stated.

She again raised her wand. Ginny saw Draco watch nervously as the beautiful tiara floated. Glancing around the room, she saw many people whispering to each other. Ginny was suddenly anxious. She closed her eyes and felt something softly touch her head.

"Ginny Weasley!" the crown shouted.

She blinked several times, finally understanding that she was the Princess of the Ball. She was even more nervous when she stepped toward Draco. She glanced over at Harry, who winked at her, and she looked at Ron. Ron had a hint of a sad smile on his face, and Ginny wished so badly that she could go and speak to her brother and skip the rest of this bloody ball.

McGonagall said happily, "And now we invite the Prince and Princess to their first dance."

Draco took his Princess into his arms and swept her around the floor, holding her tightly. She knew she wouldn't see Harry much during the evening because everyone would be pressuring her to continue dancing with Draco. Harry didn't seem to mind though, as she noted him joining Ron and Hermione at one end of the room.

She looked up at Draco. He did not seem to be expressing much emotion. Whether he was irritated about their encounter in the garden, or whether something else entirely was on his mind, was completely unclear to Ginny.

When their first dance was over, they stopped in the middle of the floor to allow fellow students to come up to them with congratulations and take pictures. She desperately wished that things had turned out differently with him because this moment would have felt so much better.

The next song began and Draco turned to Ginny. "Do you want to dance again?" he asked, somewhat sheepishly. "I didn't know if maybe you'd like to keep up appearances or not. If you want to go, I'd understand."

"Well," she said, pondering the thought. "I feel bad for not spending much time with Harry, but you are just such a lovely dancer."

He smiled at her - a real, genuine display of happiness. He held her again and they began to dance slowly as other couples joined them on the floor.

"I hope Pansy is terribly bored," Draco stated.

Ginny chuckled a bit. "I guess you're safe then," she said. "No running around naked?"

Draco smiled. He felt a little uneasy that she spoke of the bet so lightly, but she must have found something rather humorous about the terms. "No, but Blaise sure isn't."

"Ginny -," Draco began again a few moments later. "I talked to Ron."

They stopped dancing. She removed her hand from his, and took her other hand from his shoulder. Staring up at him with an emotion even she couldn't identify, she asked. "Why did you talk to Ron?"

"Harry told me that Ron won't speak to you."

"How is that any of your concern?" she asked, a little irritably.

"Because it's my fault!" he retorted a little ominously. "If I hadn't been bragging to everyone about shagging you, he'd have never known."

Her cheeks turned pink. "Draco, stop butting in. This shouldn't worry you - I shouldn't worry you. I told you that I was done with you."

"Harry said -"

"I don't give a damn what Harry said!" she shouted rather loudly. "And since when are you and Harry so sodding close?"

Draco looked around and noticed that some people who had been dancing had stopped and began to stare. Perfect.

"Ginny, I did this for you!" he retorted. "I thought that maybe if you saw I was making an effort to fix things, you'd give me another chance. But no, you are just too bloody stubborn, aren't you?"

"I never asked you to fix anything," she said, getting very worked up. "Quit taking it upon yourself to try and help me. I never asked you to talk to me in the first place, let alone fix anything for me. I'm not bloody broken, Draco! I don't need you."

Draco glanced around. Everything was still as she and Ginny shouted at each other.

"I can't even believe how ridiculous you are!" he spat at her.

"I'm ridiculous?" she said in a warning tone. "Draco Malfoy, I am not the one who disregards other people's feelings. I don't make stupid little bets with my friends so I can hurt people. I don't pretend to care about someone just to fucking tease them, and then throw it in their face! It'd bloody bad enough that I fell in love with you on false terms, but to keep torturing me with it is just cruel!"

Draco stopped dead. "You love me?" he asked quietly.

Ginny screamed. "Are you kidding me? All of that and that's what you heard?"

"Ginny, I'm not trying to throw anything at you," he said, slightly calmer now. "I'm just trying to get you to trust me again. Just tell me what to do - I'll do anything."

"Don't you understand that I don't want this?" she said, slightly defeated.

He stared at her for a moment. Frustrated, she threw her arms up and began walking past a group of students who had gathered around to watch the show.

"Bloody hell... Weasley!" he yelled, now running to keep up with her.

She sat on the stairs leading to the dormitories, just outside the ballroom. He stood in front of her and stared. It was quite clear that not only had he embarrassed himself, but he had also embarrassed her.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Draco said as calmly as he possibly could.

"Why won't you go away?" she cried.

"I talked to Ron," he said, trying to explain what he had been earlier. "I thought maybe if I got him to talk to you, you wouldn't be so mad at me anymore."

"How did it go?"

He gave her a half-smile. "Well, he punched me in the gut and said 'I never want to hear about my sister getting shagged again' and walked away. I think we really connected, you know?"

She smiled despite herself. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, really wanting to know.

"I love you, Ginny," he whispered.

"Oh."