In Denial

'Going already?' Draco asks lazily, watching her adjust her knee-length skirt. Ginny glances at him as she pulls on her jacket.

'Break is almost over,' she says, checking her bag. 'People will be getting suspicious.'

Draco's expression becomes shuttered with, Ginny realises with a sort of bitter satisfaction, anger. But his voice is steady as he asks, 'Getting suspicious? Of what, Ginny? Of you having an affair?' He laughs unpleasantly.

Ginny doesn't look at him. 'How can I have an affair when I'm not involved with anyone? Neither are you. Or maybe I'm missing something?'

Draco sneers. 'Oh, so I'm invisible now? How touching, Virginia, to know how important I am in your life. Just a reason for a quick little shag when you're feeling unloved?'

Ginny just stares at him, wondering how she could ever be attracted to such a bastard. He stares straight back, his mouth set in a grim line.

'Is that what you really think I'm like? A slut who goes around sleeping with anyone, just for fun?' She glowers at him, but feels sadness well up inside her. 'You don't know me at all, do you?'

'How can I, when you ignore me in public, and then spend time simpering over me in private?' Draco retorts. 'What are you really afraid of, Ginny? What everyone's going to say? Because if that's the answer, you don't deserve to be in precious Gryffindor at all. Brave, they say?' He scoffs. 'Yeah, that's you alright.'

She turns away, and picks up her bag once again. 'No, it's not because of that. Do you really want to know why I can't commit? It's because of you. You, and your stupid smarmy attitude, and your big ego, and the way you strut around thinking you're better than everyone else! It's the way you put down others when they don't even do anything, the way you think you're so much better than everyone else, the way you never show your feelings so I never know what the fuck is wrong with you because you don't even act like a normal human being!' Ginny glares at him, her cheeks bright red from anger and mortification and walks towards the door. Her eyes are strangely watery, but she shows no sign whatsoever of breaking down. I will not cry, I will not cry. 'I don't care anymore. I'm sick of arguing, it never gets us anywhere.'

She opens the door, and turns to face him again. 'I hate you,' she says tearfully. 'I really really hate you.'

Draco meets her gaze calmly, his anger strangely forgotten. He seems almost serene now, and Ginny cannot work out why. 'You love me.'

'I love you,' she finds herself repeating. She turns around and walks away, down the hall. She thinks she can hear 'I love you too,' follow her, but the sound is so quiet that maybe she's imagining it.