Sorry, this chapter's probably not as long as you'd like, but it's here, hot off the presses. (And I've got a final at 7:30 in the morning!!!) So, if you weren't aware, I've posted a seriously smutty prize fic called Happy Birthday, r + r that if you haven't please! Also, I'm gonna post a piece in my LJ called Gives Up that may or may not end up here soon. And that's because I'm not sure where it's going. If you could leave comments/advice/criticism (constructive please) that would be most helpful.
PS. Only 1 more chapter of this to go!
CHAPTER 12 Just Friends
With N.E.W.T.s looming in just over a month, the seventh years were running full throttle. Homework was being piled on them, so much that Ginny and her friends finally decided to divide it up. They each did what they were best at and everyone else copied. It was the only way to get the assignments done. A typical day involved getting up at 5 am to finish homework, scarfing down breakfast while quizzing each other, heading off to classes for lectures, impossible assignments, and mental breakdowns, skipping lunch to get a head start on the latest task, more classes, falling asleep during dinner, to the library to study until 10, then to the common room to study until 1 or 2 am. Even her dreams were filled with DaDa spells or potions ingredients or Transfiguration techniques.
Ginny was ready to give up. Everyone's stress levels were so high that fights kept breaking out. Zoë and Bianca got into a row when Zoë couldn't find her quill - it was in her bag - and then Zoë and Bianca ganged up on Helena when she had the gall to ask for help on her DaDa assignment. Colin had taken to wearing ear plugs and Ginny was beginning to consider doing the same.
On top of all that, Gable's absence hadn't gone unnoticed, and someone, probably Helena, and let it slip that Ginny had slept with him, and then gotten mad and claimed rape. More than once Ginny's fingers had itched to push the bint down a staircase or at least shove her off a moving one.
She and Draco smiled nervously at each other when they passed in the halls or caught each other's eyes in the Great Hall, but that was it. Occasionally he asked how her studies were going, and he was quick to take away unreasonable amounts of points to anyone who even appeared to be gossiping about the Ginny Gable incident, as Zoë called it. There were nights when she wanted nothing more than to slam her books shut, forget about her assignments and creep down to his room. Then she could curl up under the covers with him and just forget about everything. She missed those times. A lot.
When N.E.W.T.s finally arrived, Ginny was more relieved that nervous. She couldn't cram one single more thing inside her head, and wanted to get it over with before she forgot anything. In the end, she felt that she did fairly well on all her subjects, except perhaps, the written Astronomy exam which detailed the chemical composition of the galaxy. After that, they only had two more weeks of school, one week of classes, which was rather pointless since N.E.W.T.s were over and then a week of nothing before the Hogwarts Express shipped them back to the real world.
Sunday evening, Ginny was sprawled outside with her mates, soaking up the fading sun and discussing what to do now.
"This is it," Zoë sighed. "All the things we know are leaving."
Bianca nodded. "So now what? What is the `real world' like?"
"We are in the real world," Luna reminded them airily.
Ginny stifled a giggle. "But the world away from Hogwarts. What are we going to do next?"
"You're supposed to know by now," Colin announced, dropping down beside them.
"Easy for you to say," Zoë teased. "You've been taking pictures since forever!"
He wiggled his eyebrows. "Not to mention Taste Magazine liked my fashion photos of your cousin and offered me an internship!"
Eventually, Luna wandered off to "owl Neville" and Colin dozed in the grass beside the three girls.
"When do you start with the Canons?" Bianca asked finally.
"August," Ginny answered. "They want me to find a flat near Chudley, but I don't know. I can't afford it yet."
"Ask Professor Malfoy to get one for you," Zoë giggled. "I heard he's getting his fortune back!"
Ginny rolled her eyes and smiled. "I'll just commute until I get paid!"
"So," Bianca drawled, "have you two decided anything?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what's going to happen when you leave here?"
Ginny shrugged. "Nothing. Nothing's happening now, so I don't know why anything would happen later." She stood to her feet and poked Colin. "Let's go eat."
After dinner, Ginny played with her galaxy globe while Zoë painted her toenails and Colin photographed her.
"Here," Zoë reached out when she was done. "I'll paint your toes."
Ginny let her, not paying attention to the commotion in the room and wondered what playing for a profession Quidditch team would be like.
After she had climbed in bed, Bianca's voice reached her ears. "Gin?"
"Yeah?" She sat up and opened the curtains.
"I'm not trying to bug you, but I just don't want you to miss out on anything."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you should go talk to Professor Malfoy, see how he feels and see how you feel."
Ginny sighed and lay back in her bed. "I can't. I already told you."
"You know," Bianca said, crossing the room and sitting at the edge of Ginny's bed, "you've got to get over this. What are you going to do? Live your life in a bubble so that no one can ever hurt you? I hate to break it to you, but you can't do that. Get over this! I'm sorry he hurt you and I'm sorry Gable tried to shag you, but it's time to move on!"
Ginny gaped at her friend.
"Have you never, ever done anything to hurt someone before?"
Ginny's eyes widened and she was silent for a moment and then began to giggle. "I can't believe you said that!"
From across the room, Zoë began to laugh as well. "I thought that was me talking! Except I obviously don't have the courage to say that to you."
"I'm sorry," Bianca sputtered, "but it's true. I just don't want you to throw anything away that you'll regret forever."
"I don't even know how to go back to him," Ginny sighed. "What if he doesn't want me?"
"Then you'll know. At least you'll know," Zoë told her. "And if you know, you can move on."
"Besides," Bianca added, "do you really think he would have held out for you for so bloody long if he didn't?"
She chewed at her lower lip. "But what if . . ."
"Stop! If you go down there, there won't be any what ifs."
Ginny swallowed nervously. "I'm scared."
"Stop that!" Bianca pulled her to her feet and tossed her a pair of denim shorts and a tank top.
Tears began to well in her eyes. "No. I'm scared. I can't do it."
"Yes!" Bianca hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders. "If I didn't love you, I wouldn't do this! Come on. This is not the Ginny I know and love. The Ginny I know is ferocious and can be quite bitchy when it comes to getting what she wants. And I know you want Professor Malfoy."
A small smile began to play on her face.
"Do you really think he's going to hurt you again?" Zoë asked. "I don't. If he didn't care so much he would have moved on. He only took this job because of you. He didn't really need the money, Gin. He had no other reason to stay."
Ginny found herself being marched out of the Gryffindor tower, down the stairs, and into the dungeons. "Let go of me!" she hissed. "I can do this."
"No. You can but you won't," Zoë said flatly.
"I will!"
Bianca and Zoë didn't let her go until she was directly in front of Draco's bedroom door. Zoë reached up to knock, but Ginny grabbed her arm.
"Snape's room is down here! You'll wake him!" She sucked in a deep breath and whispered the password, and to her surprise, it still worked. The door silently swung open. Ginny glanced at her two best friends.
Bianca nodded, and Ginny felt Zoë's hand on her back, giving her a light shove. She crept into the room, dark except for one low candle. She could make out Draco's sleeping form curled underneath his sheets. She missed him. She did.
****
"Ginny?"
She could hear someone calling her name.
"Gin, what are you doing?"
She managed to pull her eyes part, which were swollen from the night's crying. Draco was looking down at her.
"Are you alright?'
She nodded and glanced around. She was still in his room - in his bed, in fact, and he was leaned over her, propped on his elbow. She'd slept incredibly well; better than she'd slept in ages. Draco's arm had found its way around her during the night and she'd been reassured. But right now, the expression on his face wasn't promising.
"When . . . when did you get here?"
"Last night. I didn't want to wake you." Her heart was fast sinking. Draco didn't look pleased to see her; he just looked confused. "Sorry." She began to sit up, wishing she had never come here. She had waited too long, the chance was gone.
"Don't leave."
Ginny froze.
Draco reached for her arm and pulled her close. "I haven't slept that good in . . . in a long time."
She raised her arms, lowered them, and then tentatively placed them around his back in a nervous hug.
"So what does this mean?" he asked, his face pressed into her shoulder.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I, I wanted to tell you thank you. For everything, you know."
"That's it?" He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away, his silver eyes searching her.
"I don't, I just, I mean . . ." The words refused to leave her mouth. Why couldn't she just say it, just tell him that she wanted to start over, to give him another chance? "I missed you." Oh gods, tears were forming again and he had pushed her away.
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