Smile
They were standing on a peninsula overlooking an outstandingly beautiful sea; the waves choppy, the white froth of the surf clearly visible, even from that height. The breeze was cool, a welcome release from the sweltering heat of the day. The sun was just setting, sending red and gold rays over the water, creating a stunningly romantic backdrop for the couple standing on the headland. The young woman had her face angled towards the wind, the cool air washing over her. Strands of her long fiery hair were occasionally caught up in the flow of air and floated for a moment as if they had a life of their own. A tall man was standing right behind her, as handsome as she was beautiful, with shoulder length flaxen hair tied back with a black ribbon, matching his long black robes. He stood close, his arms around the woman, his head resting against hers, both of them looking out at the stunning landscape in front of them, each taking comfort in the other's embrace.
"It's beautiful" Ginny whispered, leaning back against Draco and feeling his arms tighten around her in response, pulling her even closer. "It's almost as though nature's doing it for us."
"Showing off" Draco murmured into her hair. He reached down and took hold of her hand, bringing it up to his mouth. He gently kissed her palm and she sighed.
"Remember our first kiss Draco?" she asked him quietly.
Ginny could almost see him smirking behind her at the memory. "I do. How could I forget? It was a nightmare!" he said. He laughed softly. "God it was funny! That stupid dare of yours."
Ginny scowled although he couldn't see it, being behind her. "Well I didn't make up the dare! And there was nothing funny about it! Lavender dared me to kiss someone, and so I agreed, not knowing it was going to be you! She and Parvati thought it would be amusing to try to get me to kiss you, the person I hated most. I was horrified!" she exclaimed.
"Ah but you still did it though didn't you?" he said.
Ginny snorted. "it wasn't like I had much choice really though was it! We just bumped into you in the corridor and you practically jumped on me!"
Draco laughed softly. "Well I was rather surprised myself. I was just innocently walking along when you three come thundering round the corner and crash into me, nearly knocking me flat! One look at me and you turned as red as your hair, and the other two started giggling madly. It was really quite disturbing you know. Then when I asked what you were so red for, and why they were giggling so much. They practically cried they were laughing so much."
Ginny giggled. "I know. It was awful! But the look on your face though…you looked like you were about to have a fit or something. You were so mad. I remember, you said 'No-one laughs at a Malfoy! What's your problem?'" Ginny mimicked Draco's superior tone perfectly.
She felt him shrug. "Yeah well. By that time I was pretty annoyed. Then Lavender finally told me about the dare, when she could breathe again. You looked like you wanted to disappear." he smirked.
"I wanted to die! I couldn't believe it! Parvati was in hysterics, I thought she was going to pass out, she was laughing so much. You got really mad."
"Yeah well. You stood there, refusing to even look at me. I just snapped. I wanted to do something to stop them laughing at me, anything."
"So you pinned me against the wall and practically raped me!"
Draco snorted. "I didn't see you complaining!"
Ginny turned to face him, saw the light from the setting sun reflected in his silver eyes, sending shadows dancing across his face. "That just changed everything. I fell in love with you that minute." she said softly. "I'm still falling in love with you. More and more each day."
He brushed a strand of hair from her face and tilted her chin upwards, stroking her cheek softly with his hand. "I'm so completely in love with you that it scares me Ginny." he whispered, bringing his lips down on hers and kissed her softly, conveying his love for her so utterly that she felt herself floating away. She wrapped her arms around him, wanting to never let him go. But too soon they pulled apart.
"I want it to stay like this forever Draco. I never want you to leave." Ginny said earnestly, turning in his arms to look out again at the achingly beautiful scene. Now the sun had almost sank beyond the horizon, the sea was now a molten pool of shimmering gold, a haze of red gold light painted the sky above the disappearing sun. Ginny suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to run away, to escape from the chaos around them. She felt like running off into that beautiful sunset and never looking back.
Draco stepped in front of her and grasped her shoulders. "Don't cry Ginny. Please." She hadn't even realised she was until Draco brushed the tears from her cheeks. She offered him a shaky smile.
His intense silver eyes locked with hers and he kissed her deeply. "Come on Ginny, smile like you mean it." he whispered.
"Only when you do." she replied, looking into those enchanting silver eyes and seeing them sparkle with his own tears. She hugged him hard, and felt him do the same.
They stood like that for a long time, lost in their own thoughts, safe in each other's arms. Ginny closed her eyes, trying to block out the world around them. The cruelty. The unfairness of it all. He was leaving her. Joining the Death Eater ranks as a spy for Dumbledore. Tears cascaded freely down her cheeks, soaking Draco's shirt.
The top of her head was damp, she realised that he was also crying. "Oh Draco" she said despairingly, and held him fiercely, never wanting to let go. She squeezed her eyes shut, letting the images of the past two years wash freely over her. Two years of bliss. That's all they had. Just two years. Ginny couldn't stand the unfairness of it. She had found the good in Draco Malfoy, shattered the ice that surrounded his heart and found the real him. She had fallen totally, inescapably in love, and found that she was loved in return. All that was being cruelly ripped away from her. Everything she held dear.
"I don't know when I can see you again." Draco finally said, his voice soft in her ear.
"Don't" she whispered. "Don't talk about it. Not right now."
They walked hand in hand away from the beach, through the woodland that covered the cliffs. They talked about everything and nothing. Both avoiding the subject that needed to be talked about, but was too painful. They finally found themselves in a tiny clearing, wild grass growing under the perfect indigo night sky.
Draco sat down in the middle of the clearing and pulled her down with him. They lay there together for what seemed like an eternity, just looking up at the stars, remembering. Ginny looked over at Draco and felt overwhelming love for him. He had seen her at her very worst and still loved her. He had always stuck by her, through everything, both bad and good. She loved him with all her heart and knew that he absolutely loved her. Not just because he said he did, but because he showed her in his actions, every single day.
She leaned over and kissed him, looking into his silver eyes, moved by the intensity of the love she found in them, and amazed by the power of the love she felt for him. She didn't think it was possible for one person to care about another this much. She felt like her heart would surely burst.
There, on that last night under the stars, they made a wordless promise to love each other forever, to stay true and strong, as long as they lived. And they meant every word of it. And Ginny smiled. But her heart was breaking.