Chapter 17
As the girls huddled around the open cabinets that held rows of movies, the guys scattered around the room. The couch, which was in shape of a squared U, was big enough to easily fit all six of them, however Draco grabbed some pillows and stretched himself onto the floor. Harry was nestled up against the corner of one side of the couch as he propped his feet on one of the two matching ottomans, while Ron decided to do the same on the other side of the couch.
"Oh, this looks sweet," Ginny said as she held out a video and on the cover was a picture of a man and a woman embracing with a bow of a massive ship below them.
"Titanic," Hermione read as she grabbed the video. "I heard about this movie. It's based on the tragic sinking of the Titanic back in 1912."
"So it really happened?" Luna asked as she took the video to study the picture. "How sad."
"The two main characters are probably fictional, but the actually sinking really did happen."
"Have you girls made up your mind yet?" Ron asked as he stifled back a yawn.
"I believe we have," Ginny said as she took back the video, pulled it out of the box, before sliding it into the machine.
"Let's turn the lights off," Hermione suggested as she straightened. "No, I'll get it," she said when she saw Harry start to get up. "You're all situated."
"So…we're watching a movie about some boat sinking?" Draco asked from the floor. "I don't get how that can be entertaining."
"Well, why don't you hush up and watch it to find out," Ginny said as she breezed by him, but not before giving him a light kick in his side.
Draco jerked at the contact, then flashed out an arm to slap her leg. Ginny just grinned as she stretched herself onto the part of the couch that jutted straight out, causing her head to be close to Harry, but her whole body was lying perpendicular to Draco a few feet off the ground.
She rolled over to loom over him. "Why are you on the floor anyway? There's plenty of room up here."
Draco could smell her subtle scent as her hair flew dangerously close to his face, but he kept his eyes trained on the screen, pretending to be interested in the opening credits. "I like the floor."
"It's starting," Luna announced as she stretched out like Ginny, but on the other end of the couch and her head was only inches away from Ron's thigh.
After Hermione had douched out the lights she walked around to the front of the couch, jumped quickly over Draco, stepped up and over Harry's legs, before finally plopping herself between Ron and Harry and propped her feet up on the same ottoman as Harry. "Gosh, the music is just heart wrenching," she said with a heavy sigh. "I have a feeling we'll be crying by the end of this, ladies."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Ginny said as she shifted to get comfortable. "I can cry at just about anything."
"I probably won't," Luna commented. "I don't cry easily."
"Are you girls going to yap through the whole movie?" Draco grumbled from the floor.
"No, calm down." Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's hasn't technically started yet."
"Okay, children," Harry said with amusement. "Let's behave and watch the movie."
After a few snorts, and giggles, the room eventually grew silent as they watched the small submarine sink down, down, into the ocean. For the most part, everyone was quiet enough to be interested in the movie, even the guys seemed to get hooked on it. When young Rose was revealed for the first time, Draco said, "Oh look, red hair…must be a Weasley."
It got a laugh out of Harry, Hermione and Luna, while Ron said a dry, "Ha, ha," and Ginny used her long legs to reach over and slam a foot down on his gut. Draco grunted in pain, but kept right on laughing. "Sorry, sorry…couldn't resist."
"Try," she warned, but only smiled in the dark as she chuckled on the inside.
There was some laughter, some collective sighs from the women when it got sweet and romantic, and of course some woof whistles from the boys during the scene where the lucky Jack Dawson got to sketch the pretty-and very naked-Rose DeWitt Bukater.
"Pigs," Ginny muttered.
"You know it. Hey Weasley, you probably shouldn't be looking since you're related."
"Shut, it, Malfoy. You're ruining this wonderful moment."
If the boys weren't bad enough, they were even worse during the love scene in the car. "Steaming up the windows," Harry commented with a chuckle. "Very nice. Hey!" He winced as he rubbed the ribs Hermione had just jabbed. "What was that for?"
"You're ruining the romance out of it."
"All I said was…oh, never mind." he said with a roll of his eyes. "Clearly not worth arguing over.
Hermione grinned and gave him a slight poke. "Smart man."
Although they were a lot of teasing and laughing during the beginning of the movie, everyone was eerily silent once the sinking had begun. When Harry had heard the first of many sniffles from Hermione, he smiled softly as he put a comforting arm around her. "C'mere."
"It's just so sad," she murmured as she curled into him.
"I know." He ran his hand up and down her arm, hoping to sooth her.
By the time the movie was officially over, Draco slowly got up to a sitting position and noticed all three girls were crying. "Talk about depressing," he said as he got up from the floor and shooed Ginny's legs aside to sit down. Lying on the floor for just shy of three hours did a number on his back.
"Oh, but it was so good," Ginny said through her sniffles as she shifted over to give Draco room.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Ron said as he sat up, twisted his back both ways until he got a satisfying pop. "I mean, some of it was cheesy, like that whole, `I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go." Gag me with a spoon."
"Don't bring that up," Hermione said as she wiped away the last of her tears. "That's when I started to completely lose it."
"Me too," Luna said with a quiet sniffle. "I really thought I wouldn't cry but…it just got to me. Especially when poor Jack disappeared into the ocean."
"That killed me," Ginny said as a few more tears slipped by her and reached over for Draco's shirt.
Draco balked when she tugged the sleeve of his shirt over to wipe her tears. "Do I look like a human box of tissue?"
"Sorry," she said laughing weakly but gave a few more dabs before letting go and then let out a shaky breath. "Wow, that movie wore me out. I know it was long and everyone is tired, but I think we need to at least start another one. I don't want to end on such a downer."
"Good idea, Gin," Hermione said as she reluctantly shifted herself away from Harry. He had held her, she thought with an inward sigh. Held her as he let her blubber all over his shirt. Was he not the sweetest man? "Maybe a lighthearted comedy or something. Oh, hush," she added when all three men groaned. "Head to bed if it's so horrible to think about."
"I think I'm going to do that." Luna sighed as she got up from the couch. "I could stay and try to watch another movie, but I know I'll just fall asleep before it officially begins."
"Don't blame you at all, Luna," Hermione said. "I probably won't last long either."
"Good night, Luna," Ginny said as she got up, stretched. "See you in the morning."
"I think I'm going to head up too," Ron said as he let out a long and ridiculously loud yawn as he stood up. "I'm completely drained."
Draco and Ginny shared a quick smirk, while Harry and Hermione shared an intriguing look. "Okay, Ronald," Hermione finally said and then smiled at both him and Luna. "You two have a good night."
Ron flustered a bit as he gave a quick wave, murmuring good nights as he followed Luna out of the room. "Hey, you're okay, right?" Ron asked her as they walked together up the stairs.
"Yeah," she said as she gave him a soft, reassuring smile. "Just tired."
He nodded. "Yeah, me too."
"Well," she said as they lingered at her door. "Have a good night, Ronald."
"Luna." He reached out and placed a hand on her arm, then immediately dropped it. "About earlier…I'm sorry about what happened, or if it embarrassed you."
She blushed as she looked shyly down at the floor. "It didn't…I mean, yeah it was kind of awkward, but I told Ginny about what happened."
"Good." Ron shoved his hands in his pockets as he tried not to shuffle his feet. "That's good. Well…you should also know that neither of us told that part of the story to the others. They don't know."
"Okay."
"In case you were worried."
"I wasn't…but thanks for telling me."
"Sure…I mean, no problem."
She ran her hands nervously through her hair. "Well. Good night."
"Good night," he said quickly. "Er…sleep well, and everything."
She smiled over her shoulder as she opened her door. "You too…and everything."
When she shut the door, Ron raised his eyes hopelessly to the ceiling as he gripped his hair in frustration. "Sleep well, and everything?" he whispered to himself. "Stupid, stupid." He chanted it, over and over again as he made his way down the hall and into his bedroom.
XXXX
"What about this one?" Hermione asked as she stifled back a yawn. "Looks kind of cute."
"You've Got Mail." Ginny grabbed the box, then turned it over and did a quick read before shrugging. "Sure, looks cute. Pop it in." Ginny stood up and rubbed her arms. "Kind of cold."
"Yeah, I was about to say." Hermione got up as well and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's freezing."
"I guess it's a little cold," Draco said casually as he gave his arm an absent rub. "What gives, Potter?"
"Claudia must have turned the AC on, since it can get pretty hot during the night. Plus the AC is more powerful downstairs, than upstairs. I can turn it up? Or, wait…there's a blanket here." He twisted and grabbed the quilt that had been tossed over the edge of the couch. "Fairly big enough for us."
"Yes, definitely," Hermione said as she rushed back to her spot as Harry quickly spread out the quilt. "C'mon, Gin…plenty of blanket left."
"Don't mind if I do." She hurried over and scooted herself next to Hermione and then raised a brow to Draco. "In or out?"
He wanted to say a firm, no, and stay a safe distance away from the very enticing-but mostly annoying-Ginny Weasley. But damnit…it was freaking freezing. On a soft curse, he got up from his spot and stalked over. "Move over," he grumbled as he sat down next to her. "Don't be stingy over there, give me some."
"Hold your horses, Malfoy," Harry said as he gave Ginny and Draco more slack. "There? Everyone happy now?"
"Ecstatic," Draco mumbled as he pulled some blanket up to cover his arms. "Let's just get this torturous movie over with."
"No one's making you stay down here, Mr. Cheerful," Ginny pointed out.
"I'm not tired," he said as he wished he could shift a few more inches away from her, but the blanket was just long enough to reach him.
Ginny just let out a quick, pyft, sound as she turned her attention to the screen and ignored Draco. Or at least tried to, it was kind of hard when he was practically sitting on top of her.
Everyone was quiet after that, as the girls snuggled deeper under the blanket while the movie about a man and a woman meeting on the Internet began. It wasn't long after though, maybe thirty minutes in, when both Harry and Draco felt something plop heavily on their shoulders.
Harry looked down to see Hermione fast asleep on his shoulder, while Draco looked to see Ginny's head perched peacefully on his shoulder. He then looked up at Harry. "Great…now what to we do?"
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