Stole

STOLE

Chapter 5

Countdown - 8 Days

"Draco? Draco! Wake up!!! It's 10.45am! Someone might come up here! Everyone will be looking..."

"Ginny? Shh! It's alright, really. Nobody comes up here. Why else would I choose here?"

"I can't believe we fell asleep!"

I stood up and straightened my robes. I ran my fingers through my hair to detangle it and quickly rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I thought about what happened and made somewhat of a checklist in my head.

'Ok Ginny. This is what happened. You met Draco in the Hall and he took you up to this tower to show you, he confessed to knowing everything and you made out a little. That's all.'

Draco came from behind, and wrapped his arms around my waist and started kissing my neck softly. His hands started roaming up my newly straightened robe and back into my shirt.

"Will you ever leave them alone Draco?!" I said jokingly.

"When you stop enjoying it so much, I will." He said in that sly voice, never pausing in proceeding with his hands.

I grabbed his hands, swung around to face him and placed them on my hips.

Just as I took and intake of breath to say something to him, he swept down and kissed me, in a very demanding, passionate kiss.

I felt his grip tighten on my hips as he moved me until I felt the cold stone through my robes. Then he moved his hands up to my face and cupped it firmly. I moaned deeply as I felt his hips grinding into mine. I felt his hands move slowly down my back and rest on my hips again. I had just started to get into it when my watch beeped 11am, breaking me out of his trance.

"Holy shit! Draco! It's 11am!"

"So?"

"Well for starters, we've missed breakfast..."

"I'm not hungry. Besides it's almost lunch..."

"...and Harry will be looking for me."

Draco stopped dead still and stared. It was almost like his eyes were burning a hole right through my soul.

"Is that what you're worried about? You haven't seen Potter this morning? Do you miss him Ginny? Maybe this is all a mistake to you? Well go Ginny. Just leave ok? Go find your precious Harry Potter..."

"Draco! You know that's not true! This is everything but a mistake to me. You know what you don't realize Draco? I'm risking my ass just as much as you are, if not more. If I didn't want any of this, I wouldn't go to the trouble of hiding you from Harry..."

"Potter wouldn't notice even is you did expose this. He's too wrapped up in his own ego to realize...'

"I may really dislike Harry right now, but that's not true. Harry is actually a very considerate person. Not to mention the fact that he's too shy to brag about his fame. He's got just about everything, and doesn't even drop a hint about it..."

"YEAH?! WELL MAYBE THAT'S WHAT I HATE ABOUT HIM!!!" Draco screamed.

I stared back at him, stunned. Draco stared at me for a second, and then looked away from me, avoiding my eyes.

I stepped towards him, and grabbed his hands. I stepped up closer and put my face towards his. I placed my cheek on his and spoke ever so softly into his ear.

"Draco, I told you. I told you not to get jealous. You gave me your word that you wouldn't."

He pulled away from me so sharply that I gasped.

"You have no idea, do you Ginny? All my life, I have received every single thing that I have ever wanted. Except for this. And of all people to lose it to, I lose it to Potter, the one person I have been brought up to hate most. I have to watch you all day as he drags you along with the famous trio. I watch as he kisses you in the hall before leaving you alone to walk to class. I have to watch him walk down the hall holding the hand of that one girl whose hand is not for him to hold. And every time, I'm left thinking that it could never be me."

I was left avoiding his eyes. I never realized Draco really did have the capabilities to feel these emotions. I always thought he was just another hard-ass Slytherin, the worst of them all, at that.

"Draco, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you felt like this. But you do have me. You have me in a way Harry never will be able to have me. I don't love him. I love you. This way sucks, with me having to stay with Harry. But it's the only way. You think that I actually enjoy when Harry is kissing me? Draco, the whole time, I'm thinking of you! I want this to be over. I want to be with you."

Draco looked into my eyes once more and leant down to kiss me softly.

"Ok Ginny. I believe you."

"Thanks. Now we really have to go down to lunch, otherwise they'll have a search party out looking."

"Yer, for you. Not me. I'm evil Malfoy. If I went missing, it would be considered a blessing."

I looked over at him and expected to see him sad, and saw him wearing that trademark smirk.

"If I didn't know better, Draco, I would think you were proud of that reputation..."

"It keeps you from getting into trouble. If I was anyone but Malfoy, people would suspect you cheating."

I reached up and kissed him.

"I know your little secret, Malfoy. You don't scare me."

"Well then, I think its time for me to threaten you into silence..."

"No, I think its time we went down for Lunch."

"Oh, right. Well I'll wait up here and give you 20 minutes to get to the Hall..."

I turned to leave and grabbed my hand firmly and whirled me back around to face him.

"Ginny, I love you, and I'm sorry it has to be this way."

He kissed me on the forehead, and I left without another word.

"Where the HELL have you BEEN Ginny?! We have been looking EVERYWHERE for you!"

"Shut-up Ron, you sound like Mum."

I took a seat in the Great Hall, across the table from Harry.

Harry looked at me, as if silently scanning me for evidence as to where I had been. I helped myself to some pie as Ron kept ranting on about how they had been looking for me all morning.

Harry ate in silence and avoided my eye contact. He knew something was wrong, and it frightened me into silence for the rest of Lunch.

I finished my pie quickly and retreated out of the hall quickly.

As I was walking, I ran straight into, of all people, Draco.

"What are you here, Gi..."

"Ginny?! Ginny! What's with..."

I look behind me and see Harry running after me fro the Hall.

Shit.

I look up at Draco quickly and I see that he understands the situation. I see that sadness flood into his eyes as he looks back at me, and throws me away, back towards Harry. Harry catches me as I stumble violently back. And all Draco does is smirk.

"Take your trash, Potter. You really should watch where you leave her. And she should really watch where she's going."

"Take that back Malfoy."

"Take what back, Potter?"

His steel-grey eyes glared at Harry with loathing, daring Harry to have a go.

"C'mon Ginny. I want to talk to you." Harry grabbed my hand and pulled me away. I had no choice but to follow Harry, as Draco stared back at me with the look of jealous-sadness in his eyes.

"Ginny, what's wrong?"

"How do you mean, Harry?" I avoided his eyes.

"You haven't been yourself lately and you been disappearing a lot more than usual..."

"I go away. I need to get away from things. I need to think sometimes."

"Is there anything wrong with us? Do we need to talk about anything?"

"No. It's fine. It just feels like I have too much stuff going on and I need to clear my head."

"Well hunny, you do know that if you ever need anyone to talk to..."

"I know - you're there. But it's just me. I just need some time to myself sometimes. Do you understand me?"

"Yer. I do. I really do love you Ginny. I don't want you to worry too much."

"Thanx Harry. I know you do."

I cross my fingers behind my back and say - "I love you too..."

"Thanx Ginny." He reaches down and gives me a quick kiss, and heads back into the Hall.

"...Draco."