Mistletoe

Mistletoe

When I walked into the Great Hall that morning, I had no idea that my life was going to change. How could I have known? It started just like any other day, except that it was Christmas Eve. The whole school was beautifully decorated for Christmas, despite the fact that most students went home for the break. Soft enchanted snow was falling from the ceiling in the Great Hall as I sat down at the Gryffindor table and served myself some porridge.

Throughout breakfast I chatted with Hermione, Harry and Ron. After we had eaten, Harry and Ron went outside to have a snowball fight with a bunch of other boys, and Hermione decided to go to the library to study. I wasn't surprised; she was already studying for her N.E.W.T.s at every spare moment. She asked if I wanted to join her, but I politely declined. It's not that I had anything else planned; but the thought of doing my homework this early in the holidays seemed like torture. I was sure I could find something more fun to do.

So I left the Great Hall and began to climb the marble staircase, trying to think of something to do. Maybe I can find Luna and see if she fancies a game of chess, I thought. I changed direction and headed off to the library after all, thinking that Luna might be in there drifting about, trying to find a book on Crumple-Horned Snorkacks or something.

When I got to the library, however, Luna was not there. I sighed, bored. Not so bored that I was ready to study with Hermione, though. That kind of boredom would take another hour or two to present itself, at least.

I left the library and took to wandering aimlessly through the corridors. I began daydreaming and stopped paying any attention to where I was going, or what was in front of me. Which explains what happened next.

Suddenly, I crashed headlong into someone coming towards me. Both of us fell and slid down a short flight of stairs.

I heard the other person get up. I didn't stand up, however. The pain in my right ankle was kind of hindering that process. I winced as I moved it; it was either sprained or broken, probably the latter, I figured. I've always had a weak ankle, and I've broken it countless times.

"Are you alright?" asked whoever I had crashed into (I still hadn't looked up to see who it was). Now that the person spoke, I knew it was a boy.

"Um, no, not really," I replied. "I hurt my ankle."

"Oh! I am so sorry," said the boy, kneeling down beside me. It was then that I looked up at him. I had never seen him this close up before, but I still knew his handsome face. I had crashed right into Blaise Zabini.

From the look of slight surprise on his face, I gathered that he hadn't realized who I was until that moment either. Concern replaced surprise when he saw the strange angle of my ankle, though.

"Er, here, let me help you up," said Blaise. He grabbed my arms and hauled me to my feet.

"Thanks," I said.

"Can you walk?"

"I'm not sure," I replied. He was still holding on to me as I took a tentative step. I hissed with pain and collapsed into his arms.

"Guess not," Blaise said. "I'll carry you to the hospital wing, then."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"Well, you can't walk, and we have to get you to the hospital wing somehow," he replied, a slight smile dancing on his lips. "I figured carrying you would be the best course of action."

"Oh. Right. Okay," I said, feeling a slight blush creep into my cheeks. I'm so glad my ears don't go red like Ron's do - at least blush in the cheeks can look cute.

Blaise easily swept my slight frame into his arms and set off in the direction of the hospital wing. We were both silent for a minute, and then he spoke again.

"I'm really sorry. I should have been watching where I was going," he said, not looking right at me.

"No," I said, not looking right at him. "I wasn't looking where I was going either."

"But I made you break your ankle," he continued, sounding distressed.

"Well, I guess so," I replied. "But my ankle's weak anyway. Always has been."

He finally looked at me, directly into my eyes, his soft blue orbs meeting my brown ones. I felt my pulse quicken. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah. I've broken it loads of times. My mum constantly had to take me to St. Mungo's to get it fixed when I was a kid."

Blaise smiled. "I bet. You must have played rough, growing up with all those brothers. How many are there?"

I was surprised at the amount of interest he was showing in me, and how much he actually knew about me. I had thought that he wouldn't care, just like the other Slytherins.

"Six," I answered.

"Wow. That's... a lot." He sounded shocked.

I grinned at Blaise's reaction. "Yeah, it is."

I was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Blaise. I had never said two words to the dark-haired Slytherin before, but now the words were flowing out of me as easily as if I had been talking to Harry or Hermione.

Blaise appeared to be thinking. His eyebrows were knitted in a slight frown, as if doing mental calculations. I caught myself thinking how cute it was, and mentally shook myself. I don't fancy Blaise Zabini, do I? I asked myself. No, of course not. It's natural for a girl to look at handsome boys.

Then Blaise finished his calculation, or whatever he had been doing, and spoke to me again.

"You're the youngest in your family, then?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. My brothers are all older than me, and I'm the only girl. But what about you?" I asked after a moment. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No," Blaise replied sadly. "I always wished I had a brother or sister to play with, but..." His voice trailed off.

"What?"

Blaise shook his head slightly. "Never mind," he said. "We're here."

He turned and pushed the hospital door open with his back, carried me inside and laid me down on a bed.

"I'll go get Madam Pomfrey," he said. "Be right back."

I watched Blaise stride quickly down the ward and disappear into the matron's office. A moment later Blaise reappeared, followed by Madam Pomfrey.

"Hurt your ankle again, Miss Weasley?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she arrived at my side. I nodded. "Well, let me take a look at it," she said, and gently pulled up my robes so she could inspect the damage.

She began to examine my ankle as gently as possible, but it still hurt. I winced, and a second later, my delicate hand was covered by Blaise's strong one. I hadn't realized he was still there; I had expected him to leave as soon as the matron took over. But there he was, holding my hand to comfort me as Madam Pomfrey poked at my ankle.

I looked up at Blaise and found him looking down at me. Our eyes locked and suddenly the rest of the world ceased to exist. I didn't even realize Madam Pomfrey had mended my ankle until she said, "Alright, Miss Weasley, you're all fixed. Just be gentle with it for the next few days."

Blaise and I both started at the sound of her voice and the spell between us was broken.

"Okay. Thanks very much, Madam Pomfrey," I said, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing up. My ankle was as good as new.

Madam Pomfrey nodded to us and returned to her office. Blaise got up from the chair beside the bed and we made out way over to the door.

I reached out to open the door and stopped. I looked up at Blaise. "Thank you, Blaise," I said.

Blaise smiled down at me. "You're welcome."

I reached out again to open the door, but Blaise grabbed my wrist.

I looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. "What?"

Blaise was staring at the ceiling directly above our heads. "Mistletoe," he said, pointing.

I glanced up. Sure enough, a clump of mistletoe was attached to the ceiling above us.

"Ginny," said Blaise, speaking my name for the first time. His voice sounded throaty and nervous. My heart was drumming fast and hard against my ribcage.

"Yes?" I replied quietly.

Blaise didn't say anything more. He simply lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me softly. When I didn't pull away he took me in his arms and pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss.

It was then that I realized, maybe I do fancy Blaise Zabini after all. Or maybe I had known it all along, and I was just finally admitting it to myself. Either way, the moment Blaise kissed me was the moment my life changed completely.