A/N: Hey, I know this is really short, but I'm still typing, so maybe this weekend or early next week. Cross your fingers!
Chapter 8
Draco's seductive face formed a tiny smirk as he lowered his lips onto hers.
It was slow and sensuous, and when he pulled away, she didn't want him to.
He just looked at her, his expression blank, not letting her know if he wanted more or not.
That thought made her nervous so she decided to stop it herself, to save her feelings if he had planned to reject her.
"Um, I don't think I'm ready for anything else tonight," she said quietly.
He nodded, "Do you want me to go?"
She looked at him for a moment then just shook her head and opened the door.
Draco followed her slowly and shut the door behind him.
She was in the kitchen when she asked loudly so he could her here from the living room, "Do you want some French Vanilla Cappuccino?"
She could hear the smirk in his voice when he replied, "Let me guess, with French Vanilla cream?"
She laughed as she came through the kitchen doorway carrying two mugs, "Of, course."
"I didn't say I wanted a cup."
"Well, I just assumed."
"What if you assumed wrong?"
"Then I'll have to ask you to drink it anyway, so as not to hurt my little feelings," Ginny said with a fake pout. Then she smiled and handed him the cup.
He smiled back and took it from her. He raised his eyebrows is surprise when he tasted it, "It's better than what I thought it would be."
"See, you just got to give things a chance."
"I'm giving things a chance," he said in a suddenly serious tone, "Are you?"
Ginny knew what he meant and nodded slowly, "Maybe, I don't think it's hurting anyone. . . yet."
Draco looked confused, "Who's going to get hurt, Ginny?"
Ginny looked at her hands and didn't say anything.
Draco lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers, "Do you think I'm going to hurt you, Ginny?"
Ginny reluctantly looked at him, "I don't know. I don't think so, but sometimes. . . sometimes. . ."
"Sometimes you think I haven't changed, or that I'll change my mind now," Draco finished for her.
"I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't want to hurt your feelings."
"Come on, a Malfoy? Feelings? Whoever heard of that," he said with a playful laugh.
Ginny tried not to smile, "Draco, I'm being serious."
Draco stopped laughing and said, "I know. I understand. I was a. . ." he stopped searching for the right word.
"A bastard," Ginny finished for him.
"Well, I was going to go with prick," he put on a sad face, "Your word was hurtful."
"I thought you didn't have feelings," Ginny said lightly pushing his shoulder.
He suddenly straightened his face, "That's right, I don't."
Ginny patted his head as she stood to take their cups to the kitchen, "You keep telling yourself that."
When she got to the kitchen, she let out a breath that she had been holding. Her stomach was in knots. She was so nervous. She leaned against the cabinet and held her stomach. She had to calm down. That kiss was amazing, but she was sure to mess this crazy relationship up if she wasn't careful.
Draco noticed she had set her book onto her coffee table, so he picked it up and, out of curiosity, he flipped it open to the first page and began to read.
He was on the fourth page when Ginny had finally calmed herself down enough to return to the living room.
She stopped in front of him with her hands on her hips, "Are you reading my book?"
Draco finished the sentence he was on, then looked up at her, "Yes, does that bother you?"
"Yes, it's my book. You can borrow it once I'm done. Maybe. I can become obsessive over my books."
Draco scoffed, "Obviously," he said referring to her romance novel.
"Don't make fun of me," she said in a playfully defensive tone.
"Well, anyway, I bought the book, so if I wanted to be cruel, I could say it was mine and take it with me."
Ginny was taken aback she had forgotten she let him buy her the book. She thought for a moment then said, "Fine, how about every night we read a chapter together?"
Draco stood up and stood in front of her, "Are you asking me to come here every night and read you the book?"
"Well, yes and no. I'm asking you to come over and we can switch nights on reading it aloud."
Draco nodded and smiled, "That sounds like a great idea."
"Great, hang on a second," Ginny turned around and went into her bedroom.
She got into her pajamas and jumped into the bed and under the covers, "Draco, bring the book and come here!"
Draco was a little confused, but he grabbed the book and headed to her room anyway. He knocked, there was no way he would make his earlier mistake by not knocking again.
"Come in," Ginny said, and Draco poked his head in tentatively. She waved him over and patted the bed.
He walked around to the other side and just stood with a questioning look on his face.
"It's okay, Draco. I just like to read in bed. I trust you."
He slowly sank onto the bed and sat beside her, on top of the covers of course.
And that was the beginning of their ritual. Every night Draco would show up at her apartment with two pieces of cheesecake, and Ginny would have two steaming cups of French Vanilla cappuccino sitting on her night stand. They would take turns reading the chapter and would talk for at least an hour afterwards.
Nothing else ever happened.
It was really starting to piss her off.
Seriously, was he not interested in her anymore? Is this the point where she got hurt?
~*~
Two Weeks Later
~*~
Ginny was trudging up the stairs to Draco's office. She didn't really want to be doing this because the last time she came up here she ended up in America.
Pansy looked up and smiled, "So, are you in love with him yet?"
"No," Ginny replied back a little to quickly.
Pansy's smile grew, "Oh, yes you are!"
"No, really, I'm not."
"Well, you think you might be."
Ginny didn't say anything, so Pansy's smile turned into a knowing smirk.
"So, do you want to know what he said?"
Ginny instantly knew what she was talking about, "Yes, I do."
"You have to tell me why you and Harry broke up first."
"No, that's not fair. Why do you want to know?"
"Because I just do. If you and Harry broke up for some stupid reason, then what is the point of even telling you my secret?"
Ginny wasn't exactly sure what point Pansy was trying to make. She stood there a moment to see if Pansy would say something, or just tell her anyway.
When Pansy made no move to tell her, Ginny sighed, "Okay, fine, I'll tell you."
Pansy leaned forward in her chair in triumph and concentrated on what Ginny was saying.
"Just before the war started, Harry went crazy and was so paranoid of everything. He wouldn't let me do anything. I couldn't even leave the house! I couldn't owl or floo anybody, he just basically cut me off from the world for months. Then after the war, he just went into this pit of depression, and Hermione came to his rescue and they fell in love. I think."
"You think they fell in love?"
"Well, he told me he was in love with her and I haven't talked to her about it."
"Why?"
"It's awkward."
"Well, why?"
"Because she stole my fiancé, but freed me from his prison too."
Pansy just nodded, "That makes sense. Well, were you in love with him?"
Ginny hesitated, then said, "No, I wasn't."
This confused Pansy just a little, "Then why were you with him?"
"I thought I was, and maybe I was. . . until he went crazy."
"So you're not in love with him now?"
"No."
"Are you two friends?"
Ginny pondered the question for a second the said, "We could be. . ."
"If. . .?"
"If I talked to him."
"Ah-ha."
Ginny stood there in silence for a few minutes. She grew impatient and finally asked, "So what does he say?"
Pansy smirked and leaned forward toward Ginny in a conspiratorial manner. Ginny instinctively leaned forward too.
Pansy whispered, "Nothing."
Ginny was slightly shocked, and hurt to be honest.
"Nothing," Ginny asked, trying to be nonchalant.
"Exactly," Pansy leaned back, "He doesn't say a word, and trust me, that is saying something."
"Saying nothing is not saying something! It's saying nothing!"
"But it means something, even if it's saying nothing."
"Why? How is that great? That I'm not good enough for even one nasty comment of his? That he's just leading me on?"
Pansy put her hand up to stop Ginny from talking, "Sweetheart, when does Draco Malfoy not have anything to say?"
Ginny thought about it and said, "Never," with a hint of realization in her voice.
Pansy pursed her lips in a satisfied manner, "Never."
A/N: Okay, okay, please review! I love them, and they give me encouragement. You want the next chapter sooner, right?
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