In the Bleak Midwinter

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The shadows in the Gryffindor common room grew longer as the winter sun began to set. Though it was still early in the evening, dinner was fast approaching, and many of the students crawled up to their dormitories to shower or change from casual wear to robes. Lessened as their numbers were due to the holidays, soon only Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were left reading before the fire.

"Want to join us for a game of Exploding Snap, Gin?" Harry asked.

Ginny glanced up from the book she'd been reading to her wristwatch. Her eyes widened as she realized what time it really was. "Merlin! Harry, I'm sorry, but I've got to go." It was five minutes past five. She'd already kept Zacharias Smith waiting for five minutes. Add five more for the journey from the tower to the library, and he might not be there when Ginny arrived.

Harry's eyebrows had shot up and the question was written all over his face, but Ginny was in too much of hurry to explain. Ron's mouth opened, but Ginny interrupted him, saying, "I'll see you in the Great Hall at dinner."

"Bye," Hermione said loudly, trying to cover the boys' protests. She and Ginny exchanged knowing smiles before the youngest Weasley disappeared through the Fat Lady's portrait.

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Ginny paid no attention to her surroundings as she raced down the stairs to the library. Paintings flew by on either side of her; she skidded around corners and practically leaped down the halls. Thus, it was not surprising when she ended up running into someone and landing in an ungraceful pile on the floor.

"I'll certainly have a few interesting bruises tomorrow."

A week ago, Ginny would have greeted the voice with scorn. Two days ago, Ginny hadn't known what to greet it with. That evening, for some strange reason, she grinned wryly up at the speaker.

"Grace has never been on my list of virtues," Ginny explained as she pulled herself up.

"That much is obvious," Draco Malfoy replied, surveying her with a mock-smirk on his face but a humorous glint in his eyes. Then he smiled.

Ginny felt a tingle shimmy its way up her spine. She had come to expect the unexpected with Draco; what she hadn't come to grips with was what she felt about it. Did she like it? Hard as it was to admit, deep down she knew that she didn't dislike it. What did that mean? She just couldn't answer.

Draco's smile faded, but his eyes were bright. "So what lucky student are you so anxious to meet?"

Ginny didn't know whether or not this was meant to be a compliment, but she treasured it all the same. "Actually, I'm off to the library. Tutoring, you know. I'm, er... failing a couple of things." Normally, she'd be hesitant to admit this to anyone... but after that night, she felt she could tell Draco anything. It was an amazing feeling, but a frightening one as well. It seemed that everything was ambiguous with Draco now.

He looked surprised. "Tutoring? With whom?"

"Zacharias Smith. Blond, Hufflepuff..."

Something flickered in Draco's eyes. "Right. Snarky bloke."

Ginny snorted. "You're one to talk," she teased. She was trying to hide her amazement with playfulness, for was that jealousy she saw in Draco's stone-colored eyes?

He smiled again, but it didn't hide the other emotions. Ginny had learned to read him; she followed the flickerings of his eyes and the movements of his jaw. She knew that he felt something; the hardest part was deciding exactly what.

After watching him for a moment, she just shrugged it off. She was imagining things. She would be thinking too much of herself to imagine that Draco was jealous of another boy over her. Ginny Molly Weasley? No way.

"Good luck bringing up those marks," he told her after a short silence.

Ginny nodded her thanks. "I'm glad you don't have the same problem." Then she swung her bag over her shoulder and hurried off down the hall. She was even later now; she wouldn't blame Smith if he'd left ages ago.

She was in such a rush that she didn't notice the silver-haired Slytherin following her.

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"Sorry," Ginny said breathlessly as she slid into the seat beside Zacharias. "I ran into someone on my way down." Literally, she thought, and smiled to herself.

"No problem," he replied. He indicated the book that was open in front of him. "Mind if we start with Potions? I'm supposed to make a bit of Confusing Concoction..."

Ginny sighed, relieved. At least he hadn't made a big deal out of her being late. "Sure. So what don't you understand?"

He pointed at the list of ingredients. "None of the measurements are exact. It all says 'a pinch' or 'a handful.' My potion always turns out horribly because I can't get the amounts right."

Ginny sighed. "I know it's aggravating when they don't use real measurements. But the one thing I love about Potions is its logic. You don't have to think on another level; you don't need a broad mind to walk into the classroom and succeed. Potions are literal. So take it literally."

"You mean, actually pinch a bit of ingredients and put it in?" His brows knitted. "But... isn't it dangerous? Couldn't you be putting in the wrong amount?"

"If the recipe doesn't ask for specific measurements, it can't be that dangerous when a little less or a little more goes it."

"But... it seems so simple."

Ginny laughed at the doubtful expression on his face. "Sometimes simplest is best."

Zacharias shrugged. Then he turned his large blue eyes onto Ginny and met her gaze. Several long minutes of silence passed; Ginny grew more and more uncomfortable as she waited for him to say something or look away. Finally, just as she opened her mouth to break the discomfort, he spoke.

"Will you go to the Masque with me?"

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Draco could hardly believe his ears. Had he misjudged the friendship between Ginny and Smith? He thought they were merely acquaintances; he'd never seen them together before. He'd never even seen them speak to each other. What had brought on this sudden question?

The real confusion Draco felt was not over why Smith had asked, but over what Ginny would answer. Strangely, Draco felt a strong desire not to see them together. In fact, his emotions ran wild at the thought. He couldn't let Smith have her for the evening; he couldn't give her up that easily!

Wait - when did she become mine for the giving up anyhow?

That annoying voice that's always present when you don't want it to be answered, That night.

That one oddly magical night.

Suddenly, Draco knew what he had to do. Without pausing for thought of consequences, he burst out from his hiding place behind the bookshelf and stalked to Ginny's side.

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"The - the masque?" Ginny asked, dumbstruck. Her mind had gone numb.

Zacharias looked a bit nervous at her reaction. "The New Year's Masque. Will you be my date?"

Ginny blinked. She was completely stunned. She was here to study, and nothing more. What was this, and where was it coming from? Sure, she thought Smith was cute... but she couldn't even call him by his first name, not even in her thoughts! "I - I..." she stuttered, trying to buy time.

Then an easily recognizable drawl said, "She's already going with someone else."

Ginny whirled in her chair. Zacharias was a second slower than her. Both of their eyes widened when they saw Draco standing there, his jaw clenched and a determined look in his eyes.

"What?!" Zacharias and Ginny asked simultaneously.

"She already has a date," Draco explained, his voice stern.

"I do?" Ginny asked.

Fortunately, Zacharias didn't hear her. He was too busy demanding, "Who is it?"

Draco shot Ginny half a glance - Will she hate me for it? - before sticking his chin in the air and replying, "Me."

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Ginny would have been less surprised if Draco had come out wearing a dress and singing a Celestina Warbeck song. She felt as if he'd slapped her in the face. Gaping up at him, she vaguely registered the sound of Zacharias saying, "What? Malfoy?! Ginny... is this true?"

But Ginny couldn't take her eyes of Draco. He was watching her closely, and rather than malicious - Is this some sort of trick? - they were worried, anxious, hopeful. Ginny couldn't believe. Does he mean this?!

Then, suddenly and amazingly and impossibly, he smiled. And seeing those thin lips curl upward, full of pleading hope, convinced Ginny. She knew this was true; she also knew without a second's hesitation that she had wanted it to be true. She wanted to go with Draco; she wanted him to have genuinely asked her.

Ginny smiled, feeling dazed and lightheaded. She stood up, swinging her bag over her shoulder. "Good luck in Potions," she said to Zacharias, her eyes never leaving Draco's face. Draco watched her, too, his eyes telling her more than a thousand words could have.

And with that, the two of them stalked out of the library, leaving a stunned and shell-shocked Zacharias Smith to gape, open-mouthed, after them.

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Ginny's feet carried her by reflex down the silent, empty hallway. She followed Draco's rhythm, slow but smooth. She still felt completely blown away, but in a sense, she also felt completed. Whole. Content.

"Ginny?" Draco asked finally. His voice was small and quiet. Ginny had never heard him talk like that, and certainly never to her.

She stopped and turned to face him. She saw the question in his eyes, the disbelief. "I meant it, if you did," she told him before he could ask.

He looked as amazed at the situation as she felt. "I meant it." He blinked, and he looked startled at his own words when he added, "Of course I meant it."

It was as if the world had turned upside-down. Never in a million years could Ginny have foreseen this moment; if anyone had told her this was going to happen, she would have laughed in their face. And if they had added that she would enjoy it, she would have refused to speak to them.

But that was before. Now, this moment felt perfect to Ginny. It was as if she had taken a sharp turn off her normal pathway of life and begun to wander down a beautiful new road. She was no longer walking alone, either; Draco had joined her.

He smiled at her, then, his eyes full of awe. She grinned, and suddenly, she felt a laugh bubbling up from her chest. It must have come straight from her heart. It escaped, and she burst out into peals of chuckling, until the whole hallway was full of her laughter.

A moment later, to the surprise of both of them, Draco joined her.

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