Chapter 8 - Threads of Connection
As the portrait swung back to reveal Hermione carrying a large tower of books, Ginny took the opportunity to leave the rather suffocating locales of one Harry James Potter and another Ronald Bilius Weasley.
"Oi, 'Mione, that's enough books to last you a lifetime," Ron remarked from his lounging position on the coach.
Without acknowledging the redhead, Hermione set her books down and picked up the topmost volume before proceeding to bury her nose deep in it.
"And here I thought I would get some decent conversation," Ginny sighed, putting down the stack of books she had taken from the older girl.
"I'm sorry, Ginny, but I have a lot of research to do. It can't wait."
The tight tone in Hermione's voice stirred the other girl's curiosity, but she knew it was a hopeless cause. She would not get anything out of Hermione while she was so deeply entrenched in her research. Ginny turned around. Her place between Ron and Harry was still empty.
"Oh, you don't like our company?" Harry asked, leaning forward.
Ginny squirmed under the boy's emerald gaze. "It's not that, Harry. Sometimes a girl just needs to" snog your arch-nemesis "talk to another girl." Shrugging her shoulders, she continued, "I think I'm going to bed early. Busy day tomorrow."
"Don't forget about Quidditch practice."
"Of course not," Ginny said, rolling her eyes at her brother. She gave the trio a half-hearted wave, her mind already turning to Draco as she walked up the stairs. But then she remembered her cloak. She had left it on the coach, next to Ron, and she would need it to meet Draco down in the kitchens after curfew, as they had done every night since they first met there nearly three weeks ago.
"Hermione," Ron was whining, "are you going to be reading that book all night?"
"No," she said shortly. "I plan on reading all of the books here by the end of the night."
Ginny frowned. She didn't understand why Ron was always antagonizing Hermione. It was hardly the way to win a girl's heart. 'Perhaps he should take lessons from Draco,' she thought, a wicked smile replacing her displeased expression from only moments before.
"You know, there are more important things than N.E.W.T.s," Harry offered.
"Yes, there are. And I am working on that right now."
There was a pause while the redhead girl stood on the stairs, trying to decide what to do. It seemed like the conversation could get volatile and she didn't want to get caught in the middle of it. Nevertheless, she wanted to wear the dark cloth over her school uniform when she snuck out later. She placed her foot lightly on the stone step below as Hermione began talking again.
"Are you working on the Horcruxes, Harry? Dumbledore needs your help."
"I know, it's just-"
"It's just what? Harry, that is important. The remaining four need to be found and destroyed before you can even face Voldemort."
Ginny could almost hear Ron shutter.
"It's just a name!" Hermione shouted.
'Bloody hell,' Ginny thought. 'Hermione is in a mood tonight.' The redhead leaned against the wall, curious about the ever exclusive Golden Trio's plans for saving the world. She had once been jealous of their little circle, of their guarded privacy which she thought she had a right to, but now, all her thoughts and feelings were channeled to none other than their enemy, Draco Malfoy.
But as Ginny played with a strand of her fire-colored hair, she thought they were all less different than any of them probably thought they were. In fact, Draco's study habits reminded her of Hermione. Only last week she had gone to the library to catch up on some reading and instead, caught sight of Draco's white-blond head bent over at least three foot of parchment, furiously scribbling. Blaise Zabini dodged some flying ink with practiced ease while a Hufflepuff boy, she thought perhaps it was Zacharias Smith, was watching the blond with open fascination.
"What the bloody hell are you doing, Malfoy? It's Transfiguration homework, not the Triwizard Tournament of writing."
When Draco did not respond, or even acknowledge the other boy, the latter leaned forward to snap his fingers under Draco's sharp nose. "Oi! Malfoy, I'm talking to you."
Blaise roughly pushed Zacharias' hand away from his fellow Slytherin. "Look, he's not going to answer so don't even bother. You're a Chaser, right? Why don't you go chase a rat down?"
Smith scowled but moved off.
When they had met hours later, Ginny opened her mouth to comment on the incident but Draco had pulled her into his arms and left her breathless. She only managed to mention it when parting.
"Grades are important. They are indicative of the work you have accomplished and how well you have accomplished it. Even if I don't need to get good marks for a job afterwards, the skills I learn here will still be useful." He had shrugged slightly but his words were formal and his tone quite serious. She knew he meant it.
"What are you doing afterwards?"
"Family business."
Ginny had raised her brows in surprise. She could only imagine what 'family business' really meant when it came to the Malfoys.
"It's not what you think," he had replied a bit testily. "My father actually does 'honest' business. Well," he smirked, allowing a small smile to get pass his cool façade, "he inherited the company from his great-grandfather in any case and he runs that at least the way it should be."
"Oh." Ginny replied, a little lost on how to respond appropriately. "That's nice. To have it all set up for you, I mean. I don't know what I'm going to do."
Draco had frowned. "But it's better that way, isn't it? You get to decide for yourself, not let anyone decide for you."
And in those few words, Draco had reminded her of Harry. Harry who had no choice but stood by the choice made from him anyway.
But then again, Draco had shunned his destiny as a Death Eater, hadn't he? Ginny shook her head. Hardly anything could be simplified to black and white anymore. Leaning against the stone wall of the stairway, she looked for threads of connection between Draco and her brothers, as though comparing them would ground her covert relationship into some concrete entity that had both a present and future existence. Deep inside, she knew she was too young to consider things like a future, never mind how she - they - would move beyond years of bad blood between their respective families. But she could not help herself. She could imagine herself with Draco. Moreover, she could imagine him with her family. After all, he was intelligent like Bill. A great seeker like Charlie. Meticulous like Percy. And to her surprise, he possessed a wicked sense of humor not very unlike the twins. 'Though I can't imagine him having much in common with Ron,' she thought as she was jerked back to the present by a deep snort from her brother. 'No, nothing in common except me perhaps.'
"How can you forget?"
"How can anyone forget with you nagging us all the time?" Ron huffed.
Crouching down, Ginny leaned forward and peeped around the stone wall. Harry had stood up in front of Ron and was addressing Hermione somewhat nervously. "So, 'Mione, what are you doing exactly?"
"Extra credit for Snape," she said briskly.
"Extra credit? How is that more important than N.E.W.T.s?" Ron cried, also standing up.
"It's a special project, Ronald."
Ginny smiled as she sat back on the steps, out of sight. Only Hermione could say Ronald the same way Molly Weasley did. She heard Hermione emit a soft "oh" and snap her book shut.
"What are you doing now?" came Ron's irritable voice.
"I have to go." And with a bustle of robes, Hermione was gone.
After waiting a few moments, Ginny casually made her way into the common room. "Oh, that's where I left my cloak." She pretended to look around and briefly thought this whole acting business was a rather fortunate by-product of spending time with a Slytherin. "Where did Hermione go?"
"She ran off to do some extra credit for Snape, that slimy git," Ron mumbled.
Throwing her cloak around her shoulders, she said brightly, "But he has such a refined manner, don't you think? And he has such great posture!"
Ginny flounced out of the common room, leaving her brother and Harry behind with identical expressions of shock on their faces. She made a mental note to tell Draco about Ron and Harry's remarkable ability to resemble goldfish.