You Live, You Learn

chapter 5: Dread

"Who was the owl from Ginny?" Hermione asked when Ginny came down for dinner. Ginny looked around the Great Hall; it was practically empty since they were on Christmas vacation. She looked over at the Slytherin table. Three people were there. Paul, Pansy, and Draco. Ginny sat down.

"No one you would know," Ginny put simply.

"Well, maybe I would know if you told me I would know."

"You wouldn't really care."

Ginny looked over at the Slytherin table again. Draco was staring hard at his plate. Ginny felt tears coming to her eyes once again, but she brushed them away before she they could even start. Instead, Ginny directed her gaze towards Paul. He stared back at her and smiled. I am going to meet him tonight. Ginny decided.

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Draco did not look at Ginny once during dinner. He left the Great Hall before dinner was even finished. Ginny wondered where he went, but she did not have much time to think about that because she had to go meet Paul.

An hour after dinner Ginny headed towards the Entrance Hall. She was nervous about seeing Paul again, but he had seemed to like Ginny before she even knew him. Ginny reached the entry doors.

"Hey Ginny, where are you going?" Ginny spun around. It was Harry.

"Just for a walk," she replied.

"Can I come with you?" Harry asked.

"No!" Ginny blurted out. "I mean, I have to go, and, er, help, um someone."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. See you Ginny."

"See you." Harry walked away. Ginny let a sigh of relief out. She did not want anyone to find out that she was meeting a Slytherin for walks. She slipped out the doors.

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"Hey Ginny. I'm glad you came."

"Hi."

"I heard you talking to someone in there," Paul said as he sat down on a bench.

"Oh, it was no one important." Ginny sat down next to him. Neither of them spoke for a while.

"Ginny?"

"Hmm?"

"Do, do you think that you and I, that we are..."Paul's face flushed and Ginny's cheeks reddened. He did not ask the question completely, but Ginny understood.

"I don't know. Do you?"

"Well, I kind of wanted to hear what you said first. I, kind of thought, well you see, I was going to ask you, well I am now," Paul stumbled over his words. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Ginny blushed harder.

"Sure," she said quietly. Relief washed over Paul's face. "Sure," Ginny repeated, trying to convince herself that this was the right thing to do.

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Ginny finished her walk with Paul. She was walking up towards the common room. She was obviously over Draco if she wanted to date Paul, wasn't she? Of course she was, she told herself; she did not love Draco. She wanted to love Paul. Everything was Paul now. She walked in the common room.

"Where were you Ginny?" Hermione asked, she was the only one in the common room.

"No where."

"Ginny, you can't lie to me. I know where you were."

Ginny closed here eyes. Hermione knew everything.

"Oh, well you see I was just-" Ginny started.

"You went to help Draco with the love potion, right?" Ginny stood there. Of course Hermione was wrong.

"Yeah, I was Hermione," Ginny lied.

"I told you that you couldn't lie to me."

"You are right again Hermione," Ginny forced a smile. Hermione was something she rarely was, wrong.

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When Ginny had woken up that morning, she felt awful. But she managed to trudge downstairs to breakfast.

"Hey Ginny," Paul walked over to her and kissed her. "Have breakfast with me."

She gave a nervous smile.

"I...Just let me go and tell my friends."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry did not know about her and Paul yet.

Ginny headed towards the Great Hall, trying to think of something to tell them.

"Hello Ginny," Hermione said.

"Hi, I am going to go eat breakfast," she said.

"Okay, sit down," Hermione said. Ginny stared at her, then Ron, then Harry, both of whom were staring at her, as if they wanted listen carefully not to miss anything.

"Hermione, can I talk to you? Alone."

"Sure Ginny," Hermione said standing up. The two walked out of the Great Hall.

"What's wrong Ginny?"

"I am not eating breakfast with you guys," Ginny said very quickly.

"What?"

"I am going to eat breakfast at the Slytherin table."

"WHAT? Ginny look, Draco and you have nothing."

"I am not eating with Draco. Well Hermione you see, I am dating-"

"YOU ARE DATING DRACO MALFOY!" Hermione screeched, and Ginny was sure they would be able to hear them in the Great Hall.

"Shut up!" Ginny hissed. "Do you want everyone to hear you? And no, I am not dating Draco. I am dating Paul Smite," she said, trying to look as if nothing Hermione said could changer her mind.

"Ginny he is not in your year!" Hermione looked disapproving.

"Don't worry 'mother', I won't do anything bad. Just eating breakfast."

"Ginny, I am only looking out for you."

"I know," Ginny said exasperated. "Everyone seems to be 'looking out for me' when will anyone get that I am an adult and that I can look out for myself?"

"Ginny," Hermione said in a warning tone.

"Okay, okay. You will be able to see me anyway. Now that I think about it, I do not even know why I told you. I am going to go, no matter what you say. Bye."

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It was only Ginny and Paul at the Slytherin table. Ginny sat with her back to the Gryffindor table, but she could still feel Harry and Ron's eyes on her. Ginny was jumping at every single thing. She was nervous about when Draco would come to breakfast. Paul mainly made conversation; Ginny would just answer simply "yes" or "no".

"Are you alright Ginny, you seem a little jumpy?"

"I'm fine."

Draco came to the table. Ginny had been dreading this moment.