Pink Hearts
Author: Faith
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Flying pink hearts, chocolate frog songs, and muffins. What ever is Draco to do? Very late Valentine's ficcie.
Disclaimer: Created by J.K. Rowling. I am in no way affiliated ot linked, or in association with her. I do NOT own Harry Potter, the book series.
"Draco!" Ginny yelled, her legs covering the distance, her footfalls sharp against the hard floor.
"Get those little legs moving, Weasley." He called back to her, heading out the door.
"Will- you- wait- up- you- stupid-" She seethed, slowing to an exhausted walk next to him.
"Now, now, do I even have to tell you why you shouldn't finish that question? After all, I am doing you a favor..." He said cheekily, the winter sunlight blinding him for a moment.
Ginny's chest heaved, and she dragged herself along next to his long stride. "Sod the favor, slow down!" She snapped.
He stopped so abruptly, turning on her so fast, Ginny stumbled with surprise, a breath away from knocking into him. He leered over her, and she was suddenly very aware of the fact he had a few good inches on her.
"All right then, I'll just go tell good ole Irish the truth," he smiled with an odd glint in his eyes, "that you'd rather spend a day with the evil Slytherin Draco Malfoy than the corn beef and cabbage of Gryffindor himself."
Ginny's eyes widened. "No! You wouldn't-"
Draco scoffed. "I very well would."
The red head pursed her lips together, and crossed her arms. "All right, Draco, what do you want from me for this?"
He smirked coldly, his eyes giving her the up and the down. "What do you offer?"
Cinnamon eyes narrowed and her pale, freckled face flushed pink. "Why, you-"
"Na uh." Draco reprimanded, smile widening. "I've got you, Ginny. Finnigan is only just inside..."
"You're disgusting, and I would rather rot in hell than-"
"You're going red, Weasley. Very festive of you." Draco drawled, and he could almost imagine the steam whistling out of her ears. He could spend all day just like this, watching her get riled up because of him, something that was much more satisfying then setting off her brother or Pothead. Resignedly, he sighed. "Calm down, Ginny. Don't get your knickers in a knot. There will be no inappropriate behavior of any kind."
Slowly, her face drained. "Fine." She agreed briskly. A relieved exhale escaped her body.
"Two butterbeers, please."
Ginny played with the hem of her shirt as Madam Rosmerta smiled a bit quizzically at the two. They had to look the odd couple- red clashing with blonde, the red neither looking happy nor in love, whilst the blonde looked much too satisfied.
The Three Broomsticks was adorned with red and pink glitter streaking across the ceiling, little cupids dancing merrily above them. A stray magical arrow dissipated as it struck the table, white sparkling crystal that seemed like broken glass tumbling over the surface before vanishing.
"I'm not thirsty." Ginny crossed her arms, raising a challenging eyebrow at Draco.
He smiled sugar sweetly. "Of course you are, Valentine."
Her lips twisted in disgust. "If I was thirsty, I'd buy it myself."
Draco scoffed and turned to Madam Rosmerta. "She's thirsty, and I'm buying."
Seemingly somewhere between confused and amused, she assented to the order and walked away. "I'll pay for my own drink." Ginny said stubbornly, once she was out of earshot.
"That's not how a gentlemen would allow his woman to act." Draco drawled, leaning back into his chair.
"You are so Teutonic, Draco. And I am not your 'woman.' " She accused through narrowed eyes. "Why are you doing this to me? We didn't have to go to Hogsmeade-"
"Oh, contraire, I believe we did, supposing, of course, you still want Fin Boy to suspect this isn't some kind of love tryst."
Ginny clucked her tongue, even as her heart skipped a beat at the thought. "As if. Let's just get this over with..."
Draco's smirk slowly wavered, and he leaned forward, resting his hands and elbows on the table. "Listen, Weasley," he sighed, "this is not how you want to spend your day, and you know I'd rather jump in the lake and offer myself as breakfast to the giant squid. So, we can get through this the hard way, or the easy way. Your choice."
Another arrow collided with the space in between them, a firework of stars. Ginny felt her insides softening.
"What would the easy way entail, then?"
"A day in my wonderful company." Smugly, Draco leaned back again.
Eyes rolling, Ginny raised her eyes to meet his. "And I suppose the hard way will be..."
"Poor, heartbroken Finnigan."
A frown took hold on Ginny's features. "You're really being horrible, Draco," she said sadly, blinking into grey eyes.
Draco gave a bitter laugh, his heart panging almost painfully. "I try."
Butterbeers finished and another witty repartee later, Draco led Ginny out into the streets of Hogsmeade, where the pairs of couples only brought sneers from the Slytherin, and a few chastising looks from the Gryffindor.
"Where to now?" Ginny had asked, and Draco had shrugged. "Bloody fun, you are, Draco. How about Honeydukes?"
"Weasley, your language!" Mockingly pressing a hand to his chest, he had gasped rather dramatically.
"Oh, do shut up."
And so, Honeydukes it was. As according to the wondrous day, red and pink decorations were abound. But, much to Ginny and Draco's relief, so was an enormous amount of chocolate.
"This," Ginny started, swallowing a bit of chocolate, "is the only good part about this holiday."
They had taken to a lone bench near Honeydukes, settling down with armfuls of sweets.
"Indeed." Draco agreed, opening a Chocolate Frog and scrambling to catch it. "We're going to get sick from all this chocolate, you do realize?" He drawled, and took a bite.
Settling into another piece of chocolate, Ginny felt her lips curl. "And I'm sure I care."
"I will not be holding your hair back for you if you spew, Ginny." He warned, but a small smile had wandered onto his face.
Ginny chuckled, swallowing her bit and reaching for more. Her red hair fell forward, wisping across her face and shadowing her freckles, the sun creating yellow flecks in the long mane. Sliver eyes watched the corner of her mouths, slowly reaching upward into a pleased grin.
"Not so bad, is it?"
"Wha?" Ginny asked from behind a mouthful.
"A day in my wonderful company." He suggested, and a bold move flexed his hand forward to move said hair behind her ear.
Her tongue flicked out to save a crumble of chocolate, her cheek growing a pink underneath scrutiny. "Huh." She forced out, causing red to creep down to her neck. "Chocolate. Not you. I'm having a wonderful day in the company of chocolate."
Draco finished his Chocolate Frog in a triumphant flourish. That had to be a good sign.
"I give it two weeks."
Ginny scrunched up her nose in disagreement. "Really? I don't know, they seem to really like each other."
Draco flicked a bit of lint from his pants, and then quite casually wrapped his arm around the back of the bench. "Weasley, they'll never last. They hang all over each other. They'll get bored out of their minds after awhile."
Teeth nibbled diligently on a bottom lip. "Some people call that love, Draco." The tone of stubborn rebellion had rose into her voice, the kind he knew would kick, scream, and yell until he agreed with her. Oh, what a wonderful temper she had. Why did he like her, again?
"What about them?" He asked, gesturing to the next couple. Cho Chang and Michael Corner were smiling in the other's eyes, holding hands and making their way to Honeydukes.
Ginny huffed and crossed her arms. "I wish he walks into a pole."
"They will if they don't start looking ahead of them."
"I'd laugh." Ginny whipped her head around to him. "Laugh with me?"
Draco smirked, watching as she blinked hesitantly, noticing how close they were truly sitting. "Laugh?" He scoffed, "I'd trip him for you."
Cinnamon eyes lite up with mischievous intentions, and her leg kicked out from behind his, lurching it forward.
And Michael Corner plopped into a thick covering of snow, slowly melting from fading winter.
He couldn't help it. He honestly couldn't. The sight of the flailing body falling straight into a pile of sludgy snow was just too funny not to laugh. And so he did, loud, side-clutching, barks of uncontrollable laughter.
"Oi!" Ginny cried, falling to her knees to help the Ravenclaw. "Draco, I cannot believe you just did that!" Michael sputtered out pieces of mingling dirt as Cho hurriedly asked if he was all right.
"I'm fine." He answered, and through Draco's tear-filing eyes he saw Michael's face turn such a shade of rose it would be difficult to differentiate from Hogsmeade's festive decorations.
"Stop laughing, you big oaf!" Ginny ordered him. "I am so sorry, Michael."
"Yes, we understand that." Cho snapped impatiently, wiping his face with her scarf. Cheeks were steadily getting redder as both girls fluttered over him, and Draco was still ever laughing.
"I'm all right, I'm ALL RIGHT!" Michael stood up hastily, putting up his hands in surrender.
With that, he took Cho's arms and rushed into the hearts of Honeydukes'.
"I'm sorry!" Ginny shouted after the jingle of bells (to the tune of My Funny Valentine, if it must be known) above the door.
Draco wiped his eyes, slowly recovering from the comical sight. Grinning happily, the Gryffindor sat unceremoniously back down. "Thanks, Draco. I feel much better now."
Right at that moment, while amusement hung to her lips and grey clashed with cinnamon, he remembered why he liked her, after all. His throat suddenly felt blocked, and he cleared it with an effort he had never experienced before.
He should tell her right there. 'Listen, I know I'm a Malfoy, and you're a Weasley, and all that Slytherin and Gryffindor righteous rivalry, but don't get me wrong, I'm really am a great bloke, counting my looks, of course, that is, but I think we should risk it all and snog. What do you say?'
An annoying voice in his mind (that sounded suspiciously like Blaise) laughed heartily at his attempt.
Ginny wrapped her arms around her waist and looked into the street, her cheeks blushing from his strange expression. "How about them?" She offered quietly.
Tearing his gaze, it rested on (speak of the devil) Blaise and Tracey. A disgusted sound rose up from the back of his throat. "They're so in love it's nauseating. 'Blaise, that's the last chocolate muffin,' 'I know Tracey, I saved it for you,' 'oh, how sweet of you; I love you ever so much.' "
A hand reached out and playfully swatted his arm. "That is sweet, Draco."
"The way to a women's heart is a muffin?" His eyebrow raised so high it was in danger of merging with his hairline.
"No, it's caring about them. Being sensitive to their feelings."
"In other words, being a pansy."
The only response was Ginny rolling her eyes. "Is the day over yet?"
Lips thinned. "No." He answered defiantly, crossing his arms and sulking back into the bench.
One moment they were laughing over the imprint of Michael Corner's face, and the next she hated him with the fire of a thousand burning suns, eager for any opportunity to get away. It just figured, having his luck.
Women.
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Thanks to ktkc1031, DarkenedQuasar, Draco's Gurl, pinksunryse, darkcharlie, Ri, and Momentyne for the reviews! They're very appreciated. :D And you're welcome to call me Starry, Darkened Quasar. Ri- Another signature change?? :P