Can't Decide to Love or Hate You

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Â

Chapter Two

Â

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Â

       Â

Â

Â

Â

Ginny hesitantly opened her eyes the next morning. Apart of her wished that if she never opened her eyes, she wouldn't have to face today. Today was officially the first day that Harry Potter is her ex-boyfriend. She could no longer cuddle with him on the couch or whisper sweet nothings into his ear. She could no longer feel safe in his arms and be happy with the world. Right at this moment, the world sucked.

       Â

Â

She was actually set on staying in bed all day when her roommate Riley came over to her bed. "Ginny," she said loudly, "Ginny, wake up! You're going to be late for breakfast!"

       Â

Â

Ginny moaned at her loud voice, only making her tighten her hold on her blankets. "Go away," she mumbled into her pillows. All she wanted to do was sleep and forget about everything. Yes, sleeping and ignoring the problem would help.

       Â

Â

Riley groaned with frustration. She quickly clenched the soft, warm blankets on top of Ginny and threw them onto the ground in a flash. Ginny managed to hold in a yelp from the sudden blast of coldness, but squirmed enough to where Riley got a good grasp on her pillow. Once that accompanied the blankets, Ginny sat up frustrated. Before giving Riley a quick glare, she rubbed her sleepy eyes, still puffy and red from crying so much last night.

       Â

Â

Riley's annoyed face quickly turned to concern. "Gin, are you okay?" she asked softly.

       Â

Â

Ginny looked up at her friend, almost ready to burst into tears all over again when she stopped herself. Today was a fresh new day, and if she wanted to get a go on her plan, she might as well start right now. No more tears should be wasted on Harry. That's what Harry would like to see, wouldn't it? To see that he was the one that made her weak and fragile, making her hopeless without him. If she wanted any type of revenge, she had to be strong.

       Â

Â

Ginny managed a fake smile. "No, nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

       Â

Â

Riley looked at Ginny with questioning eyes. "It's just that, well, there was this rumor going around last night that you and Harry broke up."

       Â

Â

Ginny felt her heart clench into a knot. Did the whole school already know about her misery? Did he not even bother keeping a secret and sparing her feelings? Close to tears, Ginny quickly got up from her bed and walked towards the door towards the girl's showers.

       Â

Â

"Oh, that little thing? No big deal, really. We both agreed that it wasn't working out and you know, all that," Ginny lied quickly, hoping that Riley would believe her.

       Â

Â

Riley gave her another measuring look before nodding her head, leaving Ginny to walk to the showers. Once the water was on and she was sure no one would hear her, Ginny completely broke down. She wasn't sure if she was more wet by the water or her own tears. She sat on the tile floor with her arms around her knees, praying that she would drown. This whole acting strong thing was going to be harder than she thought.

Â

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
       Â

Â

Draco waited impatiently outside of the Great Hall. He shook his head, just remembering how long it took him to get his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle, to leave him alone before breakfast. They were actually set on standing by his side as usual, until they took one look at the mounds of food on the table. Before Draco knew it, his 'friends' left him for food.

       Â

Â

Draco shook his head in annoyance as he gracefully leaned against the wall, his arms crossing against his chest. Why was he waiting like this? Why would he, a Malfoy, actually take time out of his busy life to have a little chat with a certain Weasley? And why is she so goddamn late?

       Â

Â

Just as Draco's stomach growled in hunger, he caught a glance of red hair in the corner of his eyes. He turned towards it, only for his face to twitch in disgust. Ginny's eyes were puffy and red with visible tear marks on her cheeks. Her hair was slightly tangled, as if combing took too much effort. Her usually pale face looked even paler, which did not go well with her hair color.

       Â

Â

Draco looked her up and down, and when she was close enough he said to her, "You look like shit."

      Â

Â

 Ginny scrunched her face in annoyance. "Good morning to you too," she growled.

      Â

Â

 Ignoring Ginny's reply, Draco kicked himself off of the wall and took a step closer to her. "Can't you at least use a glamour spell to hide your face? I mean, you might as well wear a sign around your neck that says 'Crying over Potter is what I do best'."

       Â

Â

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Draco dangerously. "Shove it, Malfoy," she snapped. "I guess crying over someone you care about is a hard thing for you to understand without a heart and all."

       Â

Â

Draco shook his head angrily at her. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time to help you, Weasel."

       Â

Â

He made a move to end the conversation with retreating back into the Great Hall when Ginny sighed impatiently and grabbed his forearm. "I'm sorry for saying the truth, Malfoy, but let's just both shut up and get this thing over with." She released her hand from him and stuck it out in front of him.

      Â

Â

 Draco stared at the frozen hand curiously. "What, do you want to shake?"

       Â

Â

Ginny groaned in frustration. Maybe his social skills are what kept him from making Head Boy. "No, you idiot. Hold my hand."

      Â

Â

 Draco's face scrunched in disgust. "Why the hell would I do a thing like that?"

       Â

Â

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you not there last night for the whole 'fake girlfriend' thing?" Ginny said sarcastically.

      Â

Â

 "I don't remember being there to discuss touching each other. I don't want Weasley cooties."

       Â

Â

Ginny took her hand and let her forehead rest on it. She could have easily gone into another row with Draco about him acting like a five year old, but her stomach told her to get the show on the road. "Look, Malfoy. We have to do something to convince Harry that we're a couple. Even Ron won't buy us 'being together' by us just claiming we are. We have to give everybody a little show."

       Â

Â

Draco looked at her silently. Who would have thought that Draco Malfoy was repelled by holding a girl's hand? Draco was far from being prude, but he wasn't willing to just throw himself at her.

      Â

Â

 Draco nodded his head in agreement, but then voiced his own opinion. "Wouldn't it be a little odd if the night after you and Potter broke up, we waltzed in there holding hands? Everyone would know we were up to something. We need to give them something they would buy."

       Â

Â

"How about flirting?" Ginny asked. "I mean, that's usually how most couples start off."

       Â

Â

"Unless you've been obsessed with someone since before you could talk, you mean," Draco added slyly.

       Â

Â

"Malfoy," Ginny said in clenched teeth, "All of your comments are getting really old so shut your."

      Â

Â

"You know, we have to start calling each other by our first names," Draco interrupted. "I don't think anyone will take Ferret and Weasel as pet names."

       Â

Â

Ginny stared up into his gray eyes. This was beginning to be more a pain in the ass than she was ready for. "Okay, Malfoy, I mean, Draco. Now will you please just touch my boob or something so I can eat?"

       Â

Â

Draco's usually expressionless face brightened with laughter. "Damn, Weasley, you move fast. Why won't we just screw this whole revenge thing and go shag in the broom closet?"

       Â

Â

"It's Ginny to you," Ginny said loudly. "And you better show some kind of interest in me before I just dump this brilliant idea of yours."

      Â

Â

 A smirk crossed Draco's face. "Is that what you want, Ginny?" Draco stepped away from her and popped his blonde head into the Great Hall, staring at the Gryffindor's table. "Because Potter looks plenty happy without you."

       Â

Â

Ginny quickly joined his side and followed his gaze. He was right; Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione at the table, laughing as he ate his bacon. He acted as if nothing important happened last night. Maybe nothing important did happen. Maybe he was finally happy that he got rid of her.

      Â

Â

Biting her trembling lip, Ginny looked up into Draco's eyes. She hated how her misery could cause him so much happiness. Sighing with frustration, Ginny moved them so they were now standing in the center of the doorway. Draco gave her a curious look as she whispered, "Just play along."

      Â

Â

 Draco was about to question on what she was planning on when her giggles suddenly filled the Great Hall. Draco looked at her with wide eyes, slightly aware that every pair of eyes in the room was also looking at them. Ginny just continued to giggle as if Draco said the funniest thing to her.

       Â

Â

Ginny gave him a quick menacing look before saying, "Sure I'll meet you later at the lake, Draco. Just promise you won't be late."

       Â

Â

Draco sighed with annoyance. He'd much rather grab her boob than play along in her little skit. "Would I ever keep you waiting, Ginny?" he added with force.

       Â

Â

Ginny smiled brightly in response, hoping that everyone, mainly a certain Gryffindor, could see her happy expression. Satisfied, she was about to walk away when Draco grabbed her hand and stopped her.

       Â

Â

Draco was intent on letting her go when he glanced at Potter's face. His expression was somewhere between confusion and jealousy, and it gave Draco a whole new meaning to life. He never thought of the possibility of Potter being jealous over him. Truthfully, it was always Draco who hated him with jealousy over his real friends and even his real talent in Quidditch. The famous Potter had everything happen so easily to him, and Draco could never have easy. For once in Draco's life, Harry Potter may actually be jealous of him. So wouldn't it be proper for Draco to rub it in his face?

       Â

Â

Ginny looked at him curiously, silently asking him what he wanted. Draco flashed a smile in response, and before she could try and walk away again, he quickly took his wand from his pocket and created a single red rose. Making sure that everyone got a glimpse of its full, glittering petals and its perfect form, Draco handed it to Ginny.

       Â

Â

Ginny stared at the flower in wonder, fully unaware of who gave it to her and for what reason. No one in her whole life has ever given her a flower, unless she counts the time that Fred and George gave her flowers that spit flour into her face every time she went to smell them. Unsure of what to do exactly, Ginny carefully lifted the rose up to her nostrils and inhaled the sweet perfume. She looked up into Draco's eyes and smiled shyly before walking over to the Gryffindor table.

       Â

Â

Fully unaware that the Great Hall was dead silent and every head turned when she walked passed, Ginny quietly sat down at the table, holding the rose carefully. She was about to put it down so she could eat when it was pulled out of her hands.

      Â

Â

 "What is this all about, Ginny?" Ron asked angrily as he shook the red flower. Ginny looked at him in surprise. She didn't even realize that she just sat next to him; it was probably just out of habit. Or maybe something else, no, someone else led her to sit there.

       Â

Â

Completely ignoring Ron, Ginny mustered all of her Gryffindor courage and looked at the boy sitting across the table from her. Harry looked at her, then the rose in Ron's hand, and then back at her, the whole time silent. Ginny too sat there silently, content on searching his face. His green eyes bore into her, silently asking what the hell she was doing. Ginny's bottom lip started to tremble when she looked into his face, knowing that he was the one who broke her heart. But then how could he still look at her with those caring eyes that made her melt inside? She furiously bit her lip, determined that she was done with crying. Deep down she knew this would be hard, but instead of being upset, she would get revenge.

       Â

Â

Tearing her eyes away from Harry, Ginny looked at her angry brother. "What do you mean, Ron?" she asked innocently.

      Â

Â

 Ron stared at her as if she was stupid. "You and Malfoy! I heard you giggling at him and then he gave you-he gave you."

       Â

Â

"A flower," Ginny said slowly.

       Â

Â

Ron's face started to turn a violent shade of red. "I don't care if it's a bloody bag full of galleons! The whole point is Malfoy gave it to you and you accepted it! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

       Â

Â

Ginny took a slice of toast and buttered it as if she had all the time in the world. "I don't believe that what I think is any of your business, Ron," she said. Her voice was calm, but she knew she was pushing all the wrong buttons.

      Â

Â

 Ron glared at her, his temper bursting inside of him. "Just because Harry broke it off doesn't mean you have to go throw yourself at the next guy you bump into!"

       Â

Â

Ginny's knife froze on her slice of toast as she heard Hermione gasp in surprise. Did Ron just really say that out loud, while her and Harry were both there? She felt Hermione kick Ron under the table, but couldn't concentrate on that. Even though she was staring at her food as if it was the most interesting piece of artwork she has ever seen, she felt Harry's eyes on her. She could feel the tension now surrounding all of them.

       Â

Â

As much effort as it took, Ginny placed the knife onto the table and looked right up at Harry. She was right; he was staring right at her. His eyes widened slightly at Ron's comment, but they were so hard to read. Was it sadness? Embarrassment? Jealousy? Anger? Regret, maybe?

      Â

Â

 Never taking her eyes off of Harry, Ginny said to Ron, "And just because Harry broke it off, doesn't mean I have to wait around for him to take me back." And with that she grabbed her toast and left the Great Hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

       Â

Â

Too hungry to ignore the Slytherins' glares, Draco sat down and immediately dug into some buttermilk pancakes. Nothing had ever tasted so good to him. His stomach finally happy, he was about to take a drink from his pumpkin juice when a voice filled the room.

       Â

Â

"What is this all about, Ginny?"

       Â

Â

Draco raised his gray eyes over the cup he was drinking out of to see Ron shaking the misery out of the poor flower. An angry Weasley usually made Draco happy, but knowing that he was the cause of his anger delighted him. This would be more fun than he thought.

       Â

Â

Completely ignoring Ginny and Ron's family feud, Draco was about to continue with his breakfast when Pansy Parkinson nudged her foot with his to get his attention. Rather annoyed she chose to bother him; Draco turned his head towards her and glared at her.

       Â

Â

"What?" he asked in his best Malfoy voice.

       Â

Â

Pansy rolled her eyes at his attempt to frighten her. Long were the days when she would have trembled at his touch or voice. As his closest friend, she knew him as close as a Malfoy would let anyone get to know them. But flirting with a Weasley, and a Gryffindor at that, was the last thing Pansy would have expected from Draco.

      Â

Â

 "What?" she whispered sternly. "You really don't know? Take a look at your house and then maybe something will bite you in the ass!"

      Â

Â

 Knowing that she wouldn't leave him alone until he did so, Draco took a quick glance at the Slytherins. In between bites of food most of them were giving him looks of shock, anger, or just plain confusion. Draco rolled his eyes at them. Honestly, did he really care what his house thought of? Did they really think that by giving him a nasty look he would immediately break off this whole thing with Ginny?

       Â

Â

Draco turned his gaze back to Pansy. He was about to tell her to leave him be when a flash of red crossed the Great Hall. Not making anything of it, Draco made a second attempt to go back to eating when he once again had the feeling of someone watching him. Quite sick of all this watching and expecting, Draco looked up to see the whole room once again staring at him, waiting for him to do something. Draco looked over to see Ginny gone, realizing that they were all expecting him to run after her or something. Draco sighed loudly. It was beginning to be a pain to pretend to care about someone. Grabbing an apple, Draco strutted out the Great Hall after her, robes bellowing and all.

Â

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

       Â

Â

Ginny sat underneath a tree right besides the lake, munching on her toast sadly. After looking at Harry's face, she had no desire to eat, but the food was the only thing keeping her from crying. Half way through her toast she looked up to someone walking towards her. The person's richly made robes bellowed gracefully behind him, his perfect slicked back hair shining in the sunlight. Ginny groaned in annoyance. Couldn't he just leave her alone for one minute?

      Â

Â

 "What do you want?" she asked, her annoyance in her tone.

       Â

Â

Draco looked at her with equal annoyance. "Don't act like I ran after you on my own free will," he spat. "The whole room was waiting for me to run after you and just sweep you up in my arms or something. Trust me, if I had a choice I would have just flat out ignored you, or make you cry harder."

       Â

Â

"Do you see any tears?" she asked him angrily.

       Â

Â

Draco sighed heavily and sat down next to her. Taking a bite from his apple he asked, "So what made you run out? Couldn't take the wrath of your prat of a brother?"

       Â

Â

Ginny threw the remains of her toast into the lake and watched the giant squid take it under. "Ron could scream at me all he wants and I wouldn't care. It's my life, not his."

       Â

Â

"So what was it?"

      Â

Â

 Ginny looked at Draco's perfect face. For a minute there he sounded like he cared, but as usual his face was emotionless. "He just brought the reality into Harry breaking up with me, that's all." She sighed loudly. "Draco, we have to get this plan into action. I don't think I can take Harry looking at me all weird any longer. Let's just hit him big right away."

      Â

Â

 Draco smiled at her hungry attitude. "We could always shag each other in his bed, that might get his attention."

       Â

Â

Ginny scrunched her face at him. "Is that all you ever think of? Shagging?"

      Â

Â

 Draco doubled his wicked smile. "I am a teenage boy, aren't I?" Suddenly he stopped in deep thought, his face flashed with horror.

       Â

Â

"What?" Ginny asked him.

       Â

Â

Draco looked at her angrily. "Because of you I'm going to have to wait awhile for a shag."

       Â

Â

"Excuse me?"

       Â

Â

"Well if we're 'dating', it would be a little odd if I went up to the astronomy tower with other girls." Draco glared at her. "Thanks a lot. This is all your fault."

       Â

Â

Ginny couldn't help but laugh at him. He acted as if not getting action was the hardest thing to deal with in his life. And he thought she was dramatic?

       Â

Â

Draco frowned at her. There she was, laughing at him again. "Yeah, well you still look like shit," he added quickly, hoping that would shut her up.

      Â

Â

 It didn't. It just made her laugh harder at him. "Okay, Draco. Whatever you say," she said through smiles. Laughing at Draco was already making her day a little better. Maybe this plan won't be as bad as she was expecting.

Â

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Â