Sometimes It Be That Way

Confessions and Kisses

*

Throughout Christmas, she became more and more quieter. Hermione always seemed to find her in the library, curled up on a chair--as much as she could fit on it--day-dreaming about worlds outside her life. She withdrew from her friends' activities, so much that they began to persistently question her, and she found that she no longer hung out with Ron and Harry. Or, as Hermione pointed out one day, she was avoiding them. That remark had been followed by a quick snipe from Ginny and then Hermione decided to leave.

She was completely alone, only seeing Draco occasionally when they met up in the kitchens. The teachers were now watching her every move, pondering the day when Snape would have to wake her up from sleeping in a hallway again. Thanks to Snape, they all knew about it, although they weren't going to do anything about it but pester her all day about how to do this and how to do that.

So, the library was her only place to hide away from everyone. It was the most unlikely place to find her, and many people who were in the library were too concerned about their homework or about each other to even bother her. This was the perfect spot.

Until Draco found her.

He had been browsing a bookshelf close to the back of the library where she hid out when he saw her. He checked to make sure no one was around before casually strolling up to her chair and grabbing himself one to sit down in. She merely looked up at him mutely, wondering why he was consorting with her in public.

"Fancy seeing you here," Draco said, putting his book on the table silently. She didn't answer him but closed her eyes, and he leaned forward, taking in her dishevelled appearance. "You don't look so good."

"I've noticed," Ginny mumbled calmly.

"Do you need to tell me anything?" Draco asked her, watching her expression. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him for a second before shaking her head. "There's nothing that I can think of to tell you."

"Really?" Draco asked her, unbelieving. "If I recall correctly, you used to love being the center of attention, always seeking out your friends for a light conversation here or there. Now, you're huddled here, in the back of the library, avoiding everyone like they're planning to kill you. Why the sudden change?"

She shifted uneasily and her eyes filled with pain. "I don't want to talk about it."

"No?" He watched her even more closely and asked quietly and innocently, "Who's the father?"

At first, she didn't seem to have heard him. But then her eyes filled with fear and she straightened in her seat, tense. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said even more quietly.

Draco shook his head, amazed that she would lie about it when he obviously knew. He gave her a sour smile and got up from his chair, clutching his book. "I guess you don't."

He started to walk away, but he heard her say, "Wait..."

Turning back, he found her looking into space, her eyes carefully avoiding his. He silently walked back to the abandoned chair and sat down, again putting the book on the table. He patiently waited for her to talk.

It seemed a long time to him before she finally did talk. And when she did, she didn't start off like he had expected her to. "You should be able to guess who the father is. After all, you taunted me about him ever since I came to this school." She looked at him then, and he knew from her expression of pain who the father was.

"Potter," he said, disgusted.

She nodded, and suddenly gave a chirp of laughter. "Yes, Potter. Turns out that he's not a saint, either." She looked him over. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. You're my enemy. You're part of a group of people who are enemies with us, the good guys. I should hate you. So, why am I telling you this?"

"Because I'm just too nice and good-looking to not talk to me," Draco quirked. She looked at him reproachfully. "Sorry. By all means, continue."

She considered this, and then started from the beginning. It all came out in jumbles, her story, and he often had to interject to make sense of it all. By the time she was done, and he finally had a clearer picture of what was going on in her head.

"And that's what happened," Ginny finished. "And I am such a complete fool for falling for Harry in the first place."

"I'd have to agree with you on that one," Draco muttered, careful to leave his hatred for Harry out of his tone.

"I should never have slept with him in the first place, or this would never have happened," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him. "I would never have been pregnant if it weren't for that one night. I would be a normal student, enjoying a normal life at Hogwarts, going out on dates, anxiously waiting for dances to come up so I can be invited by nice boys and be paraded around the dance floor." She smiled. "I miss that. But I'll never be able to enjoy that life again."

She fell silent and he said, "If it helps, dances are overrated anyways."

She smiled at him, tears coming to her eyes. "Thank you," she said softly.

Draco lifted an eyebrow. He had never gotten any 'Thank yous' from anybody who actually meant it before. He smiled as well and said, "You're welcome." He watched her for a moment more, absorbed in her, before finally standing up to leave. "I don't want to leave you like this, but I have a big essay due soon and I have to go work on it." She nodded sadly and toyed with the sleeves of her sweater. Feeling just a little bit guilty, he suddenly leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. She tensed up at the sudden touch but didn't say anything. In fact, her manner didn't change as he pulled away and she curiously looked up at him without any fear or pain he had seen from her at the beginning of their conversation.

He backed away slowly, pointing vaguely behind him. "I'll just be leaving now," he said, giving her a smile. "And cheer up. You never know, you might actually like the kid you're going to have." She laughed at that and he grinned before turning around and walking away, his heart pounding every on every step.