As The Sun Sets

Title: As the Sun Sets
Author: Kristina [Sakura1287]
Disclaimer: Don't own Draco or Ginny, and certainly don’t hold the rights to the poor character I killed off.
Summary: Ginny notices things that many others overlook.

Author’s Note: I have no idea where the idea for this ficlet came from… I was washing my hair in the shower when BAM! I had to hurry and dry myself off so I could throw some clothes on and write.

-

This was not how it was supposed to be happening.

It was only three weeks into Ginny’s fifth year at Hogwarts, and already the worst had happened. Another death had struck the good side.

She remembered Dumbledore’s announcement at dinner earlier this week.

"This is a sad day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"

She recalled the snatches of conversation she’d heard in the hallways.

"Did you hear? Avada Kedavra-ed right down in Hogsmeade!"

She recounted the conversation she’d eavesdropped of Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s earlier that day.

"I feel weird being sad about this. I mean, I didn’t even like the guy."

It was an unusually sunny afternoon where Ginny stood, surrounded by the rest of her peers and professors. Various others were there too, mostly members of the Order.

She kept to the back. Ginny was an observer; she liked to take in everyone else’s expressions. She wasn’t sure how she herself felt, so instead she drank in the emotions of the crowd, studying everyone’s faces while they mourned.

Most of the staff was crying.

McGonagall was trying to keep herself composed while bringing a handkerchief up to her nose every two minutes. She had a black hat on with a lace covering over her face. It was tilted to the side of her head and shook a little bit as she took in a breath.

Hagrid looked pretty much the same except he wasn’t smiling.

Professor Trelawney was shaking her head sadly and muttering about how she knew all along…

But the worst sight Ginny saw was that Dumbledore’s twinkle was gone from his eye as he spoke to the group.

Many students were listening with rapt attention, but a few were having quiet conversations amongst themselves or crying as well.

Harry and Ron were whispering about something with looks of determination on their faces.

A little to the right of them, Hermione was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief of her own; she was ever the emotional one.

Lavender and Parvati didn’t look as though they cared much.

Neville especially seemed confused in how to feel.

Ginny decided to see how the Slytherins were taking it. She walked slowly and silently over towards the green cloaks, eyes flitting between saddened faces.

The worst on this side was Pansy Parkinson. She was sobbing her eyes out in between Crabbe and Goyle, who seemed to be holding her up.

Tracey Davis looked even paler than usual, standing off to the back with her fingers laced discreetly between Blaise Zabini’s. Blaise was stern-faced and frowning.

Ginny wasn’t sure why her eyes fell on Draco Malfoy next, but they did. And once her eyes made contact with him, she couldn’t seem to pry them away.

He was standing by himself. No one was comforting him like all the others. And he had his hood over his head, pulled down farther over his face than normal.

He was trying to hide, but Ginny had spotted him. She knew his secret.

Not a lot, and not even so that his body was quivering. But there were definite tears running down his chalk white cheek. He didn’t brush them away, or even seem to notice they were there.

But Ginny noticed.

As Dumbledore’s comforting voice rang out over them all, Ginny found herself inching closer and closer to Draco Malfoy. He hadn’t noticed her yet. She was doing a good job of being sneaky.

His shoulders heaved a tiny bit when she was only about a meter behind him.

She waited a minute, watching his shoulders rise and fall as he took in uneven breaths, before reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped.

"What on earth!" Draco tried to keep his voice down despite the shock he’d received. He wiped at his eyes instantly, worried that she’d seen.

Ginny just smiled at him, taking a step closer so that they were nearly shoulder to shoulder. Except that she was much short than he, so it was more like shoulder to forehead.

"So, were you close?" she whispered, staring forward so it didn’t blatantly look as though they were having a conversation.

"Why do you care?" Draco asked through clenched teeth. His voice was a bit too shaky for it to sound confident.

"Because it seems as though no one else does," Ginny explained gently, looking around at the gap of space between them and the other students.

"I just didn’t want to talk to anyone," Draco said matter of factly. He sniffled a little bit after saying so, which really killed his forcefulness.

Ginny’s face formed into a sad little half-smile. "You were crying, Draco."

His fist clenched. "I was not."

"I have been watching everyone. You’re not the only one crying, you don’t have to feel badly about it."

Draco muttered under his breath. "I was not crying. Go stand by the Gryffindors, I can’t stand this much red and gold."

"Where you really close? Is that why you were crying?"

He was getting upset, but Ginny wasn’t going to let up. She’s seen him.

"Ginny, please leave me alone. I don’t feel like talking to anyone today."

"So you were crying."

Not seeing any nonviolent solution to this situation, Draco turned slightly toward Ginny. He gave her his worst glare and kept his fist at his side. "Leave. Me. Alone."

"Just because no one else cares about you doesn’t mean I can’t."

The fuse Ginny had lit had officially run out. Draco’s eyes were livid.

"Somebody did care about me you suffering twit! And he’s lying six feet underground that hole up there!" The tears were falling again, and Ginny couldn’t help but stare as Draco gasped for air as his eyes betrayed him.

"There, are you happy? The big Slytherin bully is crying! Now have your laugh and leave me alone!" He stared straightforward, afraid to look at Ginny, afraid to look at anyone.

Ginny wasn’t phased at all. Instead, she reached down between the two of them, until her fingers bumped Draco’s. He tried to snatch his hand away but she was quicker. She latched on to his hand, tightly so he couldn’t get away. After he gave up, she loosened her grip and gave him a caring squeeze.

Draco’s hand was shaking, and Ginny did her best to comfort him with her careful grip. She didn’t know anything about him, about his connection to he who’s died, or why she even was standing next to him. All she knew was that it seemed her duty to make sure he was all right.

She still stared straightforward.

Dumbledore had finished speaking and people were filing up to look at and pay respects to the grave.

When everyone else was walking away, Draco and Ginny stayed.

When the last person had gone, they walked up together, staring at the grave.

And when the sun started going down, casting long shadows on the already gloomy day, Draco and Ginny stayed, hand in hand, staring straightforward.

In loving memory of Severus Snape, who died fighting for what was right.

A/N: Don’t worry, your Snapey-poo is fine. I don’t know what inspired this ficlet, and I certainly don’t want everyone’s favorite Potion’s Master to kick the bucket. =P Just wanted to try something different.