So, that was how it started. At night, Ginny and Draco would often creep out, catching up on their sleep in the day. They would go downstairs and play Wizard chess or exploding snap, or outside for a bit of night-time Quidditch. Or, they would simply sit and talk, always remembering to cast a silencing charm on their surroundings.
That night was no different and Draco, who had been half asleep, felt his watch vibrate as the hands hit midnight.
Yawning slightly, he got up. He hadn't bothered to get changed, but smoothed his hair down, as it had tousled slightly.
"You look beautiful" grumbled the mirror sleepily "now stop being so vain and get to bed!"
Draco ignored it, and stepped outside his room, where Ginny was waiting for him.
"Grab your cloak" she breathed. He arched an eyebrow, but did as he was told. Perhaps they were going to play Quidditch.
Once again, they crept downstairs, their steps feather light.
Ginny silently unlocked the door, and Draco allowed himself to be a little noisier as he stepped outside. It was a cloudless night, and a chilly breezed played about in the air. He headed to the broom shed, but Ginny caught him by the wrist.
"No" she whispered. "No broomsticks tonight."
Draco looked at her confusedly, and she slid her hand down his wrist to entwine with his, and with a jerk she tugged him in the opposite direction. They ran through the orchards where they usually played Quidditch, and Ginny led him over a small muddy marsh near the stream. They didn't stop until she had led him to the very top of a hill.
Panting, Draco snatched his hand from hers.
"Gin! Are you going to tell me where we're going?" he bent double, catching his breath.
"Here." Not out of breath at all, Ginny sat down on the dewy grass and pulled out a miniature telescope.
"Why?"
"To look at the stars" she pointed upwards "It's such a clear night, and this is a perfect spot."
Draco looked up. Twinkling, winking stars were scattered across an inky black sky, like tiny shards of glass shattered on a sheet of slate. They were outshone only by tonight's full moon, which cast an ethereal glow on the slumbering landscape.
He sat down contently next to her. She was looking up at them enthusiastically, her face bathed in the moon's cold glow.
They gazed up at the star- sprinkled sky, breathing clouds of mist into the frosty air. A shooting star occasionally streaked overhead of them, ruining the dense darkness with a line of light that lingered, then shortly faded.
He heard a small clinking noise, and saw Ginny enlarge the telescope.
A whisper of a breeze pushed her hair out of her face as she peered up at the night sky through the telescope.
"Hey!" she sounded shocked. "What on earth's that?"
He stared up avidly, searching for the thing she could see. "What? Where?"
"Wow, it's really weird- looking. But, I think it's alive."
Filled with wonder, Draco swung his neck around. "What? What can you see?"
"Yep, definitely alive. What a weird specimen." Draco glanced at her, to see she was peering at him through the lens, grinning evilly.
"Oh, har, har" he grumbled. She rolled around, laughing. "I thought you were looking at stars?"
"I thought Draco was a star?"
Draco grinned. "It is. Well, a constellation. Err…" he scanned the heavens "there it is." His finger encircled a bunch of dots from which his name originated.
"Oh… cool" Ginny squinted up, obviously not seeing it.
"It is! Look, there's the alpha star, Thuban."
"Thuban." Ginny smiled fondly.
"And, err… there's Orion, I think."
"Orion." Ginny smiled again.
"Uh, and there's Leo, Scorpius, Cassiopeia…"
Ginny smiled and nodded, as though they were somehow familiar to her.
"You know a lot about constellations."
Draco let his hand, which had been pointing to the stars, drop. "Most of my ancestors were named after them. Mother made sure I knew about them."
Ginny nodded and lay back on the ground. "Can you see shapes in the stars?"
"Yes. Haven't we just been discussing that?"
"Not constellations. I mean, just… shapes."
Draco mimicked her and lay flat on the grass, the cold earth pressed against his back.
"Look, there's a bunny!" Ginny laughed, drawing lines in the air. Draco's eyebrows furrowed. He could only see constellations.
"Don't you see? And… there's a horse!"
Draco squinted, joining the dots she was pointing to to form a horse in his mind.
"Oh… oh yeah" he smiled weakly.
"And… a cat!"
"Yeah, yeah I see it! Hmm… that one looks like two wizards killing each other in a duel!" he laughed, and Ginny shot him an apprehensive look. "Ha, I've never done this before."
"Really? I and dad used to do this all the time. We'd just lie up here and look at the stars." She sighed happily. "It was especially fun when Fred or George or Ron came. They'd make really random shapes and smuggle food."
Draco smiled at her but stayed silent. He wasn't particularly interested in her brothers, but she was happy, so he kept quiet.
"… And Bill or Charlie would take their brooms up, and we'd go flying. Oh and there was this one time when Percy was being a real smart-arse, and Fred gave him a little shove and he went rolling down this hill" she giggled. Draco smirked. Her giggles were quite pretty. "Draco." She suddenly turned to face him, looking inquisitive "what's it like, not having any brothers or sisters?"
Draco slowly turned his head to face her. "What a peculiar question" he murmured. Truth was, he'd never really thought about it. "Well, I've never known what it's like to have siblings, so I can't really compare, can I?"
"I suppose not…" she sat up, cross legged. "But, didn't you ever get lonely, cooped up in that Manor all by yourself?"
Draco frowned, and sat up too. Was she insulting his home, or his childhood? "Couldn't you have asked Potter that, if you're so interested?" he sneered.
Ginny shrugged and fiddled with some grass, averting his eyes.
"Harry and I never really talked about that kind of thing" she muttered in a small voice
"I was scared of hurting his feelings, I suppose."
Draco rolled his eyes. Oh, poor Potter. Who cared about his feelings? Well, she did, obviously, so he let it drop.
"I wasn't cooped up. It's massive, the manor; not to mention the grounds. It was a very, ah, extravagant place to grow up." He chuckled. "But, I suppose it could be a bit…empty, without any humans to be with."
"Humans?"
"Oh, when I was a kid, I could get the house-elves to play with me. I remember that time when I got them to pour water over the kitchen floor and freeze it so I could have my own ice rink." He sniggered at the memory. "Mother and Father went berserk."
Ginny smirked too, and watched him carefully. His eyes were out of focus, lost in memory.
"Do you miss them?" she whispered.
Draco's eyes trailed to hers. If it were anyone else, he'd shun them coldly and rudely tell them it was none of their business. But something about her made him trust her.
"A little bit" he whispered "I worry about them more than I missed them. Especially Mother. The Dark Lord-"
He stopped, and stared at his hands that were clasped together in his lap, biting his lip.
"Yeah?" said Ginny soothingly, and lay a hand on his. She was unsurprised to find it was colder than the average person's: apparently it was normally for him to have a low body temperature. He stared at her small fingers against his for a moment, and drew a shuddering breath.
"When- when I first disobeyed the Dark Lord, he took it out on Mother. He tortured her." He took a handful of grass and tore it out, swallowing hard. "And- and he said if I did something like that again, he'd punish her. Worse." He shredded more grass, feeling his throat closing up.
"He tortured her?!" exclaimed Ginny. "But- but he tortures his own servants?!" Draco said nothing. Ginny stared at him, open mouthed. She couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel. How could he torture people who were loyal to him? And poor Mrs. Malfoy… tears sprang to Ginny's eyes just thinking about it.
"No, don't cry!" said Draco gently. "I don't care to see you cry." He wiped a tear away softly with his sleeve.
"Sorry" Ginny muttered, hastily wiping her eyes. "I just can't believe someone could be so horrible!"
Draco looked grim. "I think… I think Father realises it was a mistake to join him. I realise that." He looked at the burnt patch of flesh on his arm where the mark used to be, and kneaded his eyes with his palms. "Ack, I'm a mistake."
"No you're not" said Ginny quietly. She stared at him through watery eyes. "You know what I think?"
"What?"
"Methinks… someone needs a hug!"
The atmosphere lightened immediately.
"I… don't need a hug" said Draco, half- smiling unsurely.
"Oh, yes you do!"
"I don't want a hug!"
"Give me a hug, Draco."
"No!"
"Wheee!" she flung herself on top of him, sending them both rolling down the hill, laughing.
They stopped, still giggling, and remained lying down. Draco became conscious of how close they were, and his collar became rather warm. She was still giggling, her hand resting lightly on his chest.
"Feeling better now?" she asked happily.
He chuckled but didn't answer. She began drawing lazy circles on his shoulder, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry." She withdrew her hand, and then giggled again. "Oh, I can just imagine Fred or George or Ron's face if they were here."
Draco smiled weakly. She was talking about her brothers again.
"Yes. They do hate me spectacularly, don't they?"
Ginny's smile faltered a little. "Well, you know what they're like."
"Not like you." He stroked her fingers before lacing them with his. "You're like… a beautiful flower that grew from a pot of dirt."
Ginny's eyes flared and she snatched her hand away.
"That's a horrible thing to say!"
"Huh? You were the one complaining about them!"
"Yes, but you can't just call my family dirt!" she sat upright, furious, and turned her back on him.
"Oh, great. Well, no wonder they hate me. Even when I'm complementing you, I insult you."
He sat up and tucked his knees into his chest, sulking, and turned away from her. "Now you hate me too."
She looked back at him and sighed. She was going to have to be very patient with him.
"Draco…" All his muscles tensed as she wrapped her arms around him again. Man, this girl was affectionate. "I don't hate you."
She sighed, breathing in his scent: an interesting mixture of expensive aftershave, tobacco smoke, and (surprisingly) oranges.
"I know" Draco grumbled quietly.
"In fact, I like you."
She was whispering, her moving lips tickling his ear.
"A lot."
He turned to face her. Her eyes were clouded with sincerity, lust, and something he couldn't define. She was drawing nearer… their noses were almost touching… he could feel her steady breathing against his lips… he could count every freckle brushed across her nose…
*
A/n- credits to The Lion King, Potter Puppet Pals and The Simpsons
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