Cry

It was September twenty-third, the sixteenth September Draco Malfoy had ever experienced. It happened to be a fairly warm day even though the sun wasn't shining. In fact, the sky reflected his eyes very well; it was a cold slate gray. A frustrated Malfoy decided to take a walk on Hogwarts' grounds. He circled the lake twice, but when that didn't seem to cheer him up, he went out to the Quidditch field to fly around for a while.

When he got there, he saw that someone had already taken his idea, but he couldn't quite figure out who it was. He decided not to worry about it because the girl wasn't really in his way; the stadium was big enough for the both of them. Malfoy got on his broom and kicked off. He never got tired of the wind rushing through his long, platinum blonde hair; he had long since stopped slicking it back.

He wasn't five minutes in the air when he spotted a gold shimmer fly straight past his left elbow. A head of thick, flowing crimson hair chased after it. 'Who is she?' Malfoy thought. He got an idea; he darted toward the shimmering Golden Snitch that was now hovering on the far side of the field, just below the right goal post. Crimson Hair saw him and decided to have a little fun. 'There's no harm in a little competitive fun,' he thought when he realized she was ready for a good game of 'Capture the Snitch'. She changed directions ever so slightly, so that she cut him off. Malfoy had to pull back, to avoid crashing and burning into the quidditch field, but he never once took his eyes off the Snitch. He figured he'd find out who Crimson Hair was, even if she wasn't wearing her house robes. She was wearing tight jeans that hugged her hips just right and a formfitting black shirt with some kind of logo on the front that he couldn't quite figure out. The most frustrating thing was she wouldn't let him close enough for him to see her face. There were plenty of girls with red hair at Hogwarts; it could be any of them. Malfoy caught up with Crimson Hair and trailed her to the Golden Snitch. A smile crept across his face; the snitch was his seconds later. He flew over to where Crimson Hair had backed off to and held out the Snitch that was closed tightly in his left hand.

She took it. "Thanks, nice game. Next time I'll beat you." The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place where he heard it before. And before he could ask her name, she took the Snitch, flew off to the other side of the stadium and went down to the Quidditch box to put away the Snitch.

Malfoy followed her. "I'm sorry...I didn't get your name," he stated. She turned around, but the hair blew in front of her face so only her eyes showed. He had never seen such strikingly beautiful green eyes, yet somehow they were vaguely familiar.

"You really want to know?" she asked.

"Yes, that is why I'm asking," Malfoy said.

"Well then, you'll have a reason to come and find me again." Crimson Hair walked away, leaving Malfoy startled. No one had ever handled Malfoy like that before. She was going to make him crazy.

Malfoy's mood had changed. He couldn't get those eyes out of his head and he kept hearing her voice saying, "...come and find me again...."

As he ate dinner, he looked around the Great Hall to see if he could find Crimson Hair. He had no luck, only a few comments and 'who you looking for Malfoy?' from some of the others Slytherins. He responded to each with 'shut up, none of your business!'

He looked everywhere he went, still he couldn't find her. Once, he thought he saw her as he was walking to Potions class. When he did the double take he realized it was only the Weasley girl, Ginny. 'Couldn't be her,' he thought. He couldn't figure out where she had gone. She was driving him crazy. Many times he tried to forget her, but things he saw would always remind him of her. After a week or two of this insane search he finally gave up.

Malfoy had been meaning to go to the library all week for a paper that was due the next day on gillyweed. He kept procrastinating, hoping to find his crimson friend. Finally he decided to get it over with and he headed to the library. While he was looking on a shelf near the back of the library, he thought he saw some red hair pass by him. He immediately thought of Crimson Hair.

'Come on, stay focused; you're here for that book. Don't think about her,' he tried to coax himself. In his search for Crimson Hair he had looked everywhere, everywhere but the library. He found the book, after some tough convincing that the girl wasn't her and sat down at the nearest table.

Malfoy spent an hour trying to concentrate on his assignment, but he had no luck. He finally decided to get up and stretch his legs. As he was walking around, he stumbled upon a part of the library he had never seen before. There was a couch by a fireplace and at the only table in the spot sat a red hair girl, no not red, Crimson, his Crimson Hair. He knew it was her right away even without seeing her lovely emerald eyes. He didn't remember her being so beautiful. Graceful maybe, but never did beautiful cross his mind until now. "Hello, Crimson Beauty," Malfoy said out loud.

"So you've come up with a name for me then?" Crimson Beauty asked.

"Sorry," Malfoy apologized. "It's just that you wouldn't give me a name so I created one for you. I hope it doesn't offend you."

"Malfoy, you're apologizing to me? If only you knew who I was, you would die of embarrassment, I'm sure. You'd insult me, spit on me, and walk away like there was nothing going on between us. I know you've been thinking about me, and I, in return, have been thinking about you. It hurts to admit that I actually have feelings for you. And that name 'Crimson Beauty', you must feel something too," she said slowly and sadly.

"It's hard to admit this, but you are the only thing I have really thought about since the last time I saw you. You are perhaps the most beautiful person I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I don't care who you are as long as you're my Crimson Beauty. I can't stop thinking about you," Malfoy replied.

"That is as honest as I've ever seen you, Draco."

"Umm...thanks? So you've seen me before have you?"

"I see you everyday, Draco. But I guess you don't see me," she replied.

"I told you, I've looked everywhere. Where have you been?" Draco Malfoy asked.

"I've been everywhere and nowhere, perhaps in the shadows too." Malfoy looked slightly confused by her answer. "Close your eyes please. There's something I want to do before you find out who I am."

Malfoy did as he was told. The next minute he felt her brush up against him, her lips catch his. The moment was magical; like a fairytale with fireworks. It seemed like neither of them wanted this moment to end. Crimson Beauty pulled away first and turned around. Still, she wouldn't let him see her face.

"Hold me," Crimson Beauty told Malfoy quietly. "Please." Malfoy took hold of her hand and led her to the burgundy couch. He sat down, pulled her on top of him, wrapped his arms around her and held her.

After a while Malfoy finally said, "I'll hold you forever."

"I wish it were true," Crimson Beauty said.

"No, you will always be my Crimson Beauty."

"Draco, hold me tight, never let go. Please. I want to be your Crimson Beauty always, even after I can't."

Malfoy kissed the top of her head, "Tell me, Crimson Beauty, what is your name?"

"One condition," Crimson Beauty said to Malfoy as she got up.

"Okay, anything," Malfoy answered.

"You will always kiss me with the same feeling you did before you knew my name and my face. And you will give me one last kiss before you stop calling me Crimson Beauty."

"Alright. I will," Malfoy promised Crimson Beauty. He got up and turned Crimson Beauty around. He was no longer looking at his Crimson Beauty, but staring back at him was Ginny Weasley, that prick Ronald Weasley's little sister. Malfoy seemed shaken but not surprised. He let go of her arms and she looked down. "It was you all this time? You, the one who was always tailing you're brother and his friends and right under my nose. First, being Ginny Weasley and then becoming my Crimson Beauty away from them. Why didn't I see it?" Malfoy said more to himself then to her. "Why didn't I realize this? How stupid was I to go falling in love with a Weasley?"

This surprised Ginny. Had she just heard him correctly? Was he in love with her? But then again, did he just say it was stupid to fall in love with a Weasley?'

"What?" This was the first thing Crimson Beauty had said after she became Ginny. Malfoy didn't hear her. He was mumbling to himself some more.

Finally, he turned to her and said, "A promise is a promise." He bent down and kissed her gently at first, then more fiercely. He didn't want to stop. He didn't care who she was, it was his fault he fell for her. She tried to warn him, but he didn't listen. He wasn't sure he was unhappy he didn't listen to her either.

Ginny pulled away first. "Why?"

"Why what?" Malfoy said.

"Why Draco..."

"I love it when you say my name," Malfoy said.

"What's wrong with you!?! You should be halfway back to the Slytherin common room thinking about this new joke of yours. Ginny Weasley fell in love with you, and all your glory!" Ginny said flushed.

"Ginevra Weasley, did you just say you were in love with me?" Malfoy asked.

"Malfoy, you disgust me, making a joke out of my poor behavior." she paused. "To think I could ever make you fall in love with me." She started to cry.

"But Crimson Beauty you've won, you got me." He wiped the tears off her face and kissed her once again.