You Live, You Learn

Chapter 2: Confronting Fears

Draco fell back onto his bed. He was in love with someone. He was in love. No matter how many times he said it, it still seemed absurd. Draco looked back at the book. There was a part that he had never read before visible. He picked up the ratty book and read,

The consumer of the potion will fall in love with the person he last talked to before drinking the potion. If you have made the potion incorrectly and afraid that if the one you love has already drunk it, see page 117.

After rereading everything, he thought back to what he had done earlier before he drank the potion. Who had he talked to?

Then it hit him. He was in love with Ginny Weasley.

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Ginny was not sure why she got so mad at Hermione, but she just was fuming. She walked out of her dormitory, and headed towards the library. On her way out Harry and Ron tried to stop her, but she just keep walking ignoring their,

"Ginny, what did you do to Hermione?"

"What is wrong with you Ginny?" On her way to the entrance hall, on her way she ran into Draco Malfoy.

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Draco left the common room. He did'nt know what he was going to do. He could tell Ginny then maybe she could help him, but her brothers would just slaughter him. But, Ginny did deserve to know the truth. Draco shook his head. He was sounding like a cheap, little, romantic fool. It was all because of the love potion.

He headed toward the library hoping to find something that could help him. Instead, he ran into Ginny Weasley.

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"Sorry," Ginny apologized immediately and started to walk off.

"Wait," Draco said before he could think twice about it. Ginny turned around and faced him.

"What?" she asked.

"I just need to talk to you," Draco added. "In private."

"Okay," Ginny answered, wondering what he could want to tell her. Draco grabbed Ginny's arm and led her to the library.

"Okay," Ginny said. "What is it?" She was dieing to know what Draco had to say. He did not seem to be acting as himself, and maybe he... Ginny shook her head and focused on Draco.

"You know how we ran into each other today?" Draco asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know how the Passionate Infatuation works?" Draco asked completely off the subject.

"Yes, but what does that have to do..." Ginny gasped.

"OH MY GOD! DID YOU DRINK A LOVE POTION?" Ginny cried. Draco hung his head.

"Yes and no," he mumbled, staring hard at the ground.

"And you are in love with me?"

"Kind of, sort of."

"What do you mean 'kind of'?"

"Well, it was not a love potion, more of a passionate tonic."

"Oh, oh my God," Ginny whispered, near hysterical.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Draco added hastily. Ginny, for some reason, felt disappointed.

"Oh," she mustered, shaking aside the disappointment. "Do you know how to fix this?"

"No, I have no clue. That is why I told you, so you could help me," Draco said.

"You told me so I could help you fix this?" Ginny asked.

"Yes."

"Let me get this straight, you did not think that I deserved to know? You thought that if I could not help you that you would have never told me?" Ginny's voice rose.

"Ginny that is not what I meant-"

"REALLY? WELL YOU KNOW WHAT MALFOY? SCREW YOU!"

"Sorry," Draco said and actually looked like he meant it. "Bye." He muttered and walked off towards the library. Ginny immediately felt terrible.

"Draco wait," she said trying to sound apologetic. Did she just call him by his first name? She shook her head, it was only because she was so upset at yelling at him like that. Draco turned around. "I would love to help you actually. I mean, if you still need it."

Draco smiled widely.

"I do." Ginny walked past him. I love her, he thought, but then shook his head, YOU ONLY LOVE HER BECAUSE OF THE POTION! He told himself, but still he could not help thinking that he was going to enjoy spending the extra time with Ginny.

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"Find anything?"

"Nope," Ginny replied. "You know what? I think I am going to call it quits for tonight. What about you?"

"I should probably keep going, but I don't think I will. What are you going to do?" Draco asked, trying not to seem forward.

"I was going to go for a walk. Would you like to come?" Why was Ginny inviting Malfoy to walk with her?

"I would. Let's go now," Draco stood up. The librarian was staring at him and his very large pile of books.

"I mean now after we put up all these books," he added, smiling sweetly at the librarian.

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They were walking by the lake now.

"You know maybe the potion could have-"

"Okay Ginny, let's talk about something else than the potion. It is quite depressing to know that I am no longer in control of my own life."

"Okay," Ginny said sitting down on the ground. Draco sat down next to her.

"So."

"So," Ginny realized that they really had nothing to talk about. She turned to face Draco and watched him for a while. He was staring out across the lake. A few minutes later Draco turned his head and looked at Ginny and smiled.

"You need something?"

"No," Ginny said, blushing. "I just..." Draco's smile grew even wider.

"Okay then."

Ginny sighed. She could see her breath. She really loved the winter; it was her favorite time of year. The cool winter breeze hitting her on her face, her nose going numb, and-

"What are you thinking?" Draco asked.

"Nothing that you would be interested in."

"Try me, why don't you?"

"Well, I don't know I guess I was thinking about the potion," she lied. "Aren't you thinking about that? I mean it is pretty important."

"I guess I was," he said, almost whispering. He moved forward; his face was now only an inch away from hers.

"You guess?" Ginny gave a small smile.

"Yes, I do." Draco leaned in even more, and before either of them knew it, they were kissing Ginny. Ginny wasn't sure what he was doing at first, but then it hit her. Draco Malfoy was kissing her, Ginny Weasley. Ginny pulled away.

"Something wrong?" Draco asked.

"Look this isn't real, you are under the love potion you don't really want to kiss me. THAT KISS MEANT NOTHING!" Ginny pushed her self up.

"How do you know I didn't mean it?" Draco asked, standing up also.

"How do you know you did mean it? You would have to kiss me with no love potion, and have you ever done that? NO!" Ginny shouted. The wind whipped her face. "SO YOU HAVE NO CLUE THAT IT DID MEAN SOMETHING! YOU SAID YOURSELF THAT THIS POTION DOES NOT LET YOU CONTROL YOUR OWN LIFE!" And with that last remark, Ginny ran back towards the castle leaving Draco standing dumbfounded by the lake.