441 Ginny and Draco Pt 1

Ginny

Ginny Weasley still remembered the day she found Draco Malfoy alone in a dark classroom. He was practicing some sort of spell in a corner when Ginny stormed inside huffing and puffing after another argument with Dean. It started with small and silly things but slowly Ginny realized how Dean viewed her and she started to get frustrated. She was always either too bossy, too hasty, or too hotheaded for him. So when they had another argument over their views on the current situation in Hogwarts, Ginny walked away from him saying that she needed time to cool off, and that was how she ended up in that classroom. She was so angry by that argument that it took her several minutes to realize she wasn't alone.

She knew it was Malfoy as soon as she saw his white hair in the dark.

"What are you lurking here for?" Ginny asked bluntly. She was already mad and seeing Malfoy wasn't helping.

"You just walked in here, Weasley, looking like you could punch through the wall. I was already here," Draco said lazily looking up which just earned him a glare from Ginny. 

"Still, me walking in here wouldn't count as suspicious as you just sitting here," Ginny countered scowling.

"That's –" Draco's eyes burned for a moment and Ginny gripped her wand expecting an attack. But the rage died down from his eyes as soon as it came and Ginny noticed for the first time how tired he looked. There were dark purple patches under his eyes, not to mention how thin he looked as if he was skipping meals regularly. Even his voice sounded pretty tired when he spoke again, "That's actually truer than you think. I should get going then, huh?"

Draco got up pocketing his wand and ran a hand through his hair making it messier before looking at Ginny and walking past her without another word. Ginny stood there without understanding what just happened. 

After that, Ginny did want to forget that meeting but she kept noticing Draco around the school and kept remembering what he said. She couldn't understand if Draco was actually doing something suspicious or was just being sarcastic. She even debated if she should say something about it to Chris, her friends, or Dumbledore maybe? Who knew what they were up to?

"Hey, Colin, didn't Chris say Astoria and Malfoy broke up before the school began this year?" Ginny asked abruptly two days later while she, Colin, and Luna were eating lunch at the Great Hall (Chris was already gone after scarfing down her lunch) when she noticed Draco Malfoy sitting at the end of the Slytherin table barely touching his food. No one at that table was paying any attention to him either, which reminded Ginny how a few weeks ago Chris mentioned that Astoria was now hanging out with Jason because she and Malfoy broke up.

Colin, who was telling some story to Ginny and Luna, looked startled by Ginny's sudden question but answered anyway.

"Yeah, Jason told her that. Why?"

"I was wondering why they broke up," Ginny said realizing it could be something related to what Malfoy said that day. Maybe he was doing something suspicious. What if Voldemort put him up to something or his father did?

"I heard he broke up with her," Luna added nonchalantly. "Daphne Greengrass, Astoria's sister was pretty mad at him for that. She even jinxed him badly enough to land him in the hospital wing."

"How do you know that, Luna?" Ginny asked surprised.

"Ravenclaws gossip a lot more than people think," Luna replied with a chuckle. "Our common room is always buzzing with either Nargles or some new gossip."

"Really? I thought . . ." Colin kept talking but Ginny was already lost in her thoughts. 

Everything did look fishy. Why would Draco Malfoy, whose life revolved around his family name and reputation behave like this . . . unless he did have an agenda? Ginny didn't want to repeat her mistakes, so after lunch, she went straight to Dumbledore's office. She planned to tell Dumbledore what Malfoy said and in case Dumbledore wasn't at school, she would talk to Chris, even though Ginny didn't want to talk to her. Chris was already walking around looking like an exhausted zombie all the time from all the work she was doing along with all their O.W.Ls studies.

Luckily, Dumbledore was in his office and asked Ginny to come in when she knocked.

"Miss Weasley," Dumbledore gave a big smile as soon as he saw her. "Is everything alright?'

"Yes," Ginny answered automatically but then backtracked. "No! I mean . . . Professor, I just wanted to inform you something."

"Yes?" Dumbledore's face turned serious.

"I think Draco Malfoy is up to something."

"Really? And why do you think so?"

"Well, a few days ago I kind of stumbled upon him in an empty classroom trying to do some spell and he said something along the lines of doing something suspicious," Ginny explained and Dumbledore looked pensive for a moment. 

"Thank you for informing me of this, Miss Weasley, but I think it is not actually what you think," Dumbledore let out a small sigh. "I don't think the Malfoys are in any position to do something that could impress Voldemort."

"What do you mean? His father is –"

"Was, Miss Weasley, his father was a Death Eater. Right now, they are in hiding from Voldemort and Maligno."

"What?"

"You see, after last year's incident where one of the Black sisters, Tonks' mother was killed by another Black sister, Draco's mother Narcissa got worried, and when I offered Theodore Nott help, she reached out to me. Judging by the way Lucius was failing at his Death Eater jobs, I knew Narcissa's fears weren't completely baseless. Their family easily could have been used by Voldemort or Maligno as their next move, so I helped them hide. A few Order members know about this," Dumbledore's forehead wrinkled in worry as he paused briefly before continuing, "But thank you for bringing Draco to my attention. To tell the truth, I was worried about him since he started school this year. Breaking away from something like that is not easy. Anyhow, how are your studies going, Miss Weasley? Are learning well from the new Professors?"

Ginny answered a few more Dumbledore's questions before leaving his office while thinking about what Dumbledore said about Draco. Were the Malfoys really turning around? She didn't believe it, so the next day she went to the same classroom at the same time again, hoping Draco would be there. He was.

Draco looked up surprised when Ginny walked in and stood by the doorway glaring at him.

"What? You want me to leave again?" Draco said sarcastically when Ginny didn't say anything.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked ignoring his question. 

"Existing. Why? You have a problem with that, Weasley?"

"Yes," Ginny replied looking him dead in the eyes. "Because just some time ago you and your family had a problem with my muggle-born friends, Harry, and not to forget me and my family. I refuse to believe you all just changed overnight."

Confusion gave way to slow realization on Draco Malfoy's face.

"You know."

It wasn't a question, so Ginny didn't bother answering. Draco sighed.

"You are not asked to believe anything, Weasley. You can believe whatever you like. I can ask for forgiveness if that's what you want but realistically speaking, we both know that's not enough. No amount of sorry can make up for wishing and wanting people to die just because you think they are lesser than you. I know that now."

That night Ginny couldn't sleep at all. Draco's words played repeatedly in her mind because he wasn't wrong exactly. How do you really forgive someone who wished you would die? And how do you ask forgiveness for that? The next few days went normally for Ginny but without realizing she started to keep an eye on Draco Malfoy. Sometimes he noticed her and looked up to meet her eyes but said nothing. But as the days passed, he kept looking worse and worse. One day, Ginny noticed Malfoy looking pale and running into the second-floor bathroom haunted by Myrtle. There was a time when she tried to hide in that bathroom in her first year and as if compelled Ginny walked into the bathroom after a few moments. As soon as she stepped in she heard Draco throwing up and saw his nose bleeding. Moaning Myrtle was hovering above him.

"You don't look so good," said Myrtle in a pitiful voice. "Maybe it's time for you to visit the Hospital wing?"

But Draco shook his head.

"No, I am alright–" he stopped short noticing Ginny in the mirror behind him. "Weasley? What are you –?"

"You are not alright," Ginny said interrupting him. "You look worse than a few days ago. Myrtle is right, you should go and see Madam Pomfrey."

"No, thank you," Draco said splashing water on his face. "I will be fine. You don't need to bother with me."

"I am not –" Ginny began angrily but noticed fresh blood dripping from Draco's nose and he looked up to stop the blood from running down his face. "No, no, don't inhale the blood!"

Ginny quickly walked towards him and before Draco could respond, she pushed his head down to the sink.

"Weasley, what –?" Draco mumbled startled. 

"Let the blood out or it will rush back to your breathing pipes," Ginny said holding Draco's head down.

Myrtle looked at them and went away pouting. 

"Thank you," Draco said as Ginny finally let him raise his head. Draco noticed how close they were standing but he quickly recovered from the sudden closeness and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his bloody nose. He tried to change the subject. "How do you know this? Do you want to work at St. Mungus or something?"

"First of all, that's none of your business," Ginny stepped back from him. "Secondly, I wish I was that good at healing. Healing is more like Chris and Luna's thing. They are actually good at it. I just listen to them once in a while, that's all. Anyway, you should still go to the hospital wing. You were already pale but right now you look like you would faint any moment."

"I do look that bad," Draco looked at his reflection in the mirror but remained unfazed. "But I don't think I need to visit the hospital wing. I will be fine."

"What's going on with you?" Ginny burst out picking up the tiredness and resignation in his voice. "There was a time, when you ran to the hospital wing for every little inconvenience, so much so that Madam Pomfrey got annoyed and now suddenly you don't want to go to the hospital wing even on the verge of fainting?"

Draco Malfoy stared at Ginny surprised at her outburst and after a long moment of silence, he looked down and spoke,

"Have you ever wished to be born into a different family?"

[To be continued]