Pretty Girl

A/N: One-shot. Drop me a review, kind soul.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Honestly. The song Pretty Girl belongs to Sugarcult.

Pretty Girl

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by sky is blue

Pretty girl is suffering

While he confesses everything

Pretty soon she'll figure out what his intentions were about.

And that's what you get for falling again; you can never get him out of your head

And that's what you get for falling again; you can never get him out of your head…

£+£

She stood in front of the mirror. A plain face, but it was a pleasant one. Her reflection smiled back at her with confidence.

Today was a special day, and she had to look perfect. At the end of the day, she would be the happiest girl in the world. Glancing at the clock, she sat down in front of the mirror, humming a small tune. Make-up, of course, was essential in going on a date.

She applied foundation—but not too much, recalling something he had once told her.

‘Your freckles are adorable, you know.’

Her fingers lightly grazed across the long clutter of cosmetics and what not laying carelessly atop her vanity, before they stopped at one particular shade of lipstick.

‘Red is a nice shade on you.’ Soon, crimson red flowed onto her lips, making them look full and inviting, filling the dull pink with an almost dangerous color.

‘Gold makes your eyes sparkle beautifully, Virginia.’

Her eyes were adorned with a light gold color, and her lashes were dark and thick. Her hair was brushed until the strands shined in the bright light, and it was put up with a clip in one swift and elegant twist of her wrists. ‘I love it when you put your hair up like that…’

Her closet was thrust open with vigor as she curtly snapped a thin black dress off of a rickety hanger, wasting no time to see it on herself.

‘Black dresses were made for you.’

Then came a pair of stiletto heels on her pert feet. She stood taller, and looking in the mirror, she saw someone very different from the girl of a few minutes ago. But one thing was still missing. She stood face to face with her bare neck. A slow grin appeared on her face, and her fingers fumbled around the small jewelry box.

‘Oh…Draco, is it--?’ He nodded with a small smile on his face.

‘It’s beautiful…’ She whispered throatily, clutching her middle as if she could not breathe properly. ‘Something to remember me by.’ He said briefly, before smiling at the guests that had piled in the door…

The most important thing of all, the symbol of the most important person in her life. The thin chain rested comfortably on her pale skin, glittering slyly. The sheer light that emitted from its gems seemed to emanate all over her, illuminating her skin and perhaps even her faceÑor was that just the prospect of meeting Draco? No need to say, it was beautiful beyond words. She sighed as her eyes traveled the full length of her body.

Sleek, shiny hair that would be a tangled mess after his hands combed through it countless times.

Brandy brown eyes that would sparkle with ferocity after his hands caressed her that night.

Full, red, enticing lips that would be dull and swollen after his lips were on hers.

A perfectly pressed dress that would be limp with wrinkles.

Shoes that would only be troublesome as she walked home late at night drunk with his love.

And a heart that would be completely his after that night, the night he would tell her he loved her dearly, just as she had dreamed every night.

The doorbell rang. She grabbed her purse, and after throwing her reflection a cocky grin, she was gone.

Draco Malfoy changed her in more ways than one.

£+£

Ginny came home early that night. Panting heavily, her tired body fell like a rag doll on the bed, her eyes wide open as she looked at the ceiling listlessly.

It was crowded. As she entered, her arm looped between his, and she squinted to make out the figures standing inside the dimly lit room. Couples danced, men drank endlessly at the bar. She smiled softly. Immediately, she pulled him towards the middle of what was the dance floor, and tentatively, her arms lay on top of his shoulders.

‘Dance with me.’ She begged. He didn’t reply. His arms went around her waist, and his cold eyes remained just that—cold. They swayed for a moment, letting the silence fill in the empty spaces while they did not talk. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she listened to the slow music that played for them and only them while they danced alone. Or so she liked to imagine.

‘I’m so glad I’m sharing my birthday with you.’ She said excitedly. But he didn’t say anything. His lips tightened into a thin line. He seemed to have not heard her. When he opened his eyes again, they were clearer and grayer.

‘I have to tell you.’ He said firmly, as if reassuring himself. She blinked and her arms dropped as she waited for him to speak.

‘Go ahead.’ She said.

‘I’ve found someone else.’ He said simply, looking her square in the eye. He didn’t blink. Neither did she.

‘What?’ She asked, completely dazed. He sighed, pressing his hand to his forehead.

‘You’ve got to move on.’

She stood in front of him, amazement filling her made-up face—a face that had been made up for him.

‘Draco, what are you talking about?’ She breathed, touching his face. He waved her hand away.

‘Stop being a nuisance, Ginny.’ He snapped, becoming irate. She laughed quietly. Soon he would crack an irresistible smile and kiss her tenderly, telling her it was a joke, telling her happy birthday and confessing his undying love for her. Funny guy, Draco was.

‘You’re just not the one for me.’ But then--the words that came out of his mouth were all wrong.

Her mind didn’t know what to say or think, because what she was hearing was probably a lie. But her heart seemed to know, because tears were streaming down her face, and he made no move to wipe them away as she expected him to. She told herself to stop crying—there was no reason to, but they kept coming. And as the dull moments passed, his face became even more impassive, and her confusion increased.

Her life couldn’t be shattered this easily. He wouldn’t do this to her, not after all the times he had kissed her, not after all those times--

‘You-you don’t want me?’ She asked. He didn’t answer. It might have been a sign of remorse, but what she saw on his face said otherwise. There was nothing on his face but contempt and annoyance. She cried silently, feeling her knees give out under her.

‘Why?’ Her voice was barely audible.

‘Because these—these relationships don’t last forever.’ He explained exasperatedly.

‘But you love me.’ She whispered, her trembling hand reaching for his.

‘I never said I did, Ginny.’ Indeed, perhaps her world could shatter within minutes. Remembering all the things he had ever said to her, and the way he had said them. Foolish girl, unable to let go.

‘But I love you.’ She said helplessly. His eyes flitted over to her, flashing with surprise. His face grew, if possible, even more solemn.

He leaned towards her until she was against the solid wall, and his arms went on either side of her.

‘You love me.’ He repeated, as if marveling at the fact.

‘I do.’ She choked out, wishing with every fiber of her being that he would return the words.

But instead, he kissed her. She didn’t see the smirk of malice on his face. She kissed him with all the strength she had, hands fluttering around his body, tears flowing down so freely that the both of them could taste the bitter saltiness of her tears. Sad, that she could only taste her own tears, and not his.

He kissed her as he had done many times before, fiercely, without reason, his tongue demanding entrance, making her choke at the intensity. And she could never resist him. His lips were always soft on hers, and he tasted wonderful, just as he had always. A sense of intrigue in his lips that she could never fully comprehend. She savored the feeling of his soft hair through her fingers, enjoyed his hot breath on her neck, and welcomed the inviting scent of his cologne. Cologne that she had given him, she recalled bitterly.

She wanted something that maybe she would never get. Pushing to get closer to him, though it didn’t seem possible, wanting to have such an effect on him that he couldn’t leave her, that he would finally feel his own heart break and want her because he realized with a jolt that she had become a part of him. Wasn’t that the way it worked in all romances, both big and small?

Oh, of course. This was reality.

Life didn’t always grant her wishes, however strong her will.

His strong hands suddenly pushed her away, and her eyes flew open, hoping that there was understanding and warmth and love in his eyes. Hoping for a last chance.

There was disgust.

‘You don’t love me, Draco?’ She asked, tenderly touching his soft cheeks—perhaps it was the last time. He stepped back until he was out of her reach.

‘You’re just another girl.’ He said with a shrug of his shoulders. His hand stroked her cheek.

‘Poor girl.’ He muttered. Not sounding sorry at all. He stepped back, about to turn around and walk out.

But right before he left, he ripped out her aching heart, and only then did he walk out for the last time on her birthday—the day that was supposed to be perfect. And all she could think was how much she loved him, and just how beautiful he was.

She was blind. She found comfort in the thought that he would come back to her one day, and tell her that he was stupid to let her go. That she had changed him, and that she was the one special girl for him. And only then would she be happy. Those thoughts had all been things she had made up to reassure herself.

She stood up slowly, wobbling uncontrollably on her heels. The mirror stood in front of her still and she looked at her pathetic reflection. The only thing it showed was truth. Truth that was painful Truth that was painful, yes, and often times unbelievable--truth that showed her for the first time what ignorance had covered. Her own ignorance that had disabled her to see for herself just how miserable she was, just how trapped she had been because of him. Things that she didnÕt want to believe. But no matter how you described it, mirrors never lied.

Red hair that was a tangled mess beyond recognition.

Thin lips that were dull and useless.

A smart black dress that sagged with wrinkles.

Brandy brown eyes that sparkled with tears.

And a heart that did not beat.

Troublesome, stiletto heels that were unstable in her state of drunkenness. But she did not take them off. In the end they shook and crashed, taking Ginny Weasley along with its fall to the cold floor. Her hands wrapped tightly around the thin silver chain on her neck. A small but unmistakable snap echoed throughout the room.

A tear fell on the ever-sparkling ornament.

‘Something to remember me by.’

£+£

She's beautiful as usual

With bruises on her ego

And her killer instinct tells her to be aware of evil men.

And that's what you get for falling again; you can never get him out of your head

And that's what you get for falling again; you can never get him out of your head

It's the way that he makes you cry.

It's the way that he's in your mind.

It's the way that he makes you fall in love.

It's the way that he makes you feel.

It's the way that he kisses you.

It's the way that he makes you fall in love...

love....