You Live, You Learn

Chapter 10: Running Towards You

Draco sat, alone, in the Slytherin common room. He stared at a letter in his hands. The letter was a reply from Ginny. He stared at it for a few moments, knowing when it was opened that it could change everything.

He unrolled the letter and smoothed it out. He read for a few moments, his expression blank.

He looked up for a moment.

Why did he tell her? Why did he have to tell her? Stupid Malfoy!

Stupid love.

****

The next morning, Ginny trudged down to breakfast. She had bags under her eyes since she had been up all night tossing and turning, thinking about him. The him, whom Ginny knew so well, was Draco Malfoy. Why had she told him no? She knew that she had wanted to him to love her for the longest time, but she told him that she was seeing Paul. Paul was only an excuse. Ginny shook her head. No, she loved Paul.

She walked into the Great Hall.

Only two people were there, being as it was Saturday, Christmas vacation, and very early in the morning, Draco and Hermione. They both looked up. Ginny's insides lurched, and she walked over to Hermione.

"Morning Ginny," Hermione greeted her with a cheery voice. "You sure look tired."

"I am," Ginny yawned. She couldn't help but glance over at the Slytherin table. Draco was sitting there reading a book and occasionally eating a spoonful of porridge. She was so intent with looking at Draco that she didn't notice that Hermione was getting ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked, worried that it would only be her and Draco in the Great Hall (the teachers seemed to have slept in as well.)

"Library, I have some research to do for Herbology. Enjoy your breakfast."

Hermione left, and there were a few moments where both Ginny and Draco pretended to be very interested in whatever they were doing. After a few moments of this, Ginny stood up and walked over to the Slytherin table. So she didn't love him. That didn't mean they could still be friends.

"Hey," Ginny said. "What are you reading?"

Draco looked up. His eyes were hard and emotionless.

"Nothing you would care about," he said plainly. "Why don't you ask your boyfriend what he's reading because you're wasting my time."

"Morning Gin," a familiar voice said brightly from behind her.

"Hi Paul."

"Did you sleep well?" Paul asked, grabbing an orange for his breakfast.

"Fine."

"Good. Do you want to do something for a day?" He began to peel the orange.

"Sure."

"Great, how about taking a walk around the grounds?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I have to go, but I'll see you then." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left.

"Dr-Draco?"

"What?" he asked in a harsh voice.

"I-I'm sorry."

He blankly stared at her for a moment.

"You're sorry?" he asked, his voice sounding as if she had been kidding. "I spill my guts to you, and you push me down. And you're sorry?"

"Yes." YES I AM YOU GREAT LUSH! She screamed inside her head.

"You know what Weasley? There is something I should make clear here."

"What?"

"I didn't mean what I said. I won't wait forever for you," he snarled and walked off. "Because I'm over you," he added quietly to himself, so that Ginny couldn't hear. "I swear over my Grandmother Bubby's grave that I'll never fall for that Weasley again."

Ginny stood there for a brief moment, fighting to keep her face straight. Then, she walked back over to the Gryffindor table as students began to enter the Great Hall.

Had she made a mistake?

****

Ginny didn't enjoy the walk with Paul.

Days went by, and she barely enjoyed anything. Everything she did reminded her of Draco in some way. When she read anything, she thought of him reading his books at breakfast. Whenever there was porridge, she thought of him eating it that one day. Whenever there was an owl for her, she prayed it was him, but it never was.

Draco seemed to move on with his life.

Christmas was miserable. Paul celebrated with her, but even he found that there was something wrong with her. He tried to help her become her old self again, but it was no use. She killed her own spirit. She deserved to die a slow and painful death. She hated herself. Draco deserved so much better than her.

****

A few days after Christmas, Ginny found herself sitting outside in the rain, leaning up against a Willow tree, a crying tree. When it began to rain harder, she showed no intentions of going back inside. She longed to talk to Draco, to listen to him, to kiss him.

Tears fell silently down her cheeks, blending in with the pouring rain. He wouldn't wait for her to grow up. She was an immature buttface. She'd lied and told him she didn't love him when she really did. She watched a small figure flying around on the Quidditch field. At first it looked like Harry, but it wasn't, she could tell. It was him! She pushed herself off the ground and ran off towards the Quidditch pitch. It was time to grow up.

****

It began to rain even harder as Ginny made her way to the Quidditch field. She knew it was Draco practicing. She had only seen him at lunch and on the field. Even thought the rain poured on him as well, he kept practicing.

Ginny stood below him, by the stands, and shouted,

"MALFOY!" She saw him slow down and look at her.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he shouted down at her. He was barely visible through the rain.

"I MADE A MISTAKE! I'M SORRY!"

If you leave,

Don't leave now.

Please don't take my heart away.

Promise me, just one more night.

Then we'll go our separate ways.

We've always have time on our side.

Now it's fading fast.

Every second,

Every moment,

We've got to,

We've got to make it last.

I touch you once.

I touch you twice.

I won't let go at any price.

I need you know like I needed you then.

You always said,

We'll still be friends.

Someday.

If you leave,

I won't cry.

I won't waste one single day.

But if you leave,

Don't look back.

I'll be running the other way.

Seven years went under the bridge.

Like time is standing still.

Heaven knows what happens now.

You've got to,

You've got to say you will.

I touch you once.

I touch you twice.

I won't let go at any price.

I need you like I needed you then.

You always said,

We'd meet again.

Somewhere.

If you leave...

Don't look back.