Attention

Chapter Sixteen

As soon as Draco's cloak had vanished out of sight through the doors, the entire Great Hall broke into babble.

Ginny snatched up her bag and swung her legs over the bench. She was certain that he ought not to be alone, though how she knew she didn't know.

'Where are you going?' asked Harry, who looked pale at the prospect of having just been outed by Pansy.

'To find Draco,' Ginny said in a low voice. Harry would have plenty of support, judging by Hermione's expression.

She reached the entrance hall just in time to see Draco disappearing out through the front doors. Breaking into a run, she caught up with him at the vegetable patch.

'What do you want?' Draco asked as Ginny came up alongside him. He sped up slightly as the ground sloped downwards, but didn't try to shake her off.

'Just to make sure you're all right,' Ginny said with a shrug, falling into step a little behind him.

Draco laughed. 'I thought you didn't give a fuck what happened to me?'

'I didn't.'

Draco stopped short, and Ginny bumped into him. He felt very solid.

'Past tense?'

'Yes.'

'What changed?' Draco had turned around and was now looking at her.

'Honestly? I have no idea.'

They stared at each other. It was an awkward moment; Draco searched Ginny's face and Ginny searched his, wondering what was going to happen.

'Does Potter really have a crush on me?' Draco asked, finally breaking eye contact and continuing to walk.

Ginny followed, considering how to answer. Finally she said, 'Well, he was definitely shocked by what happened in that classroom.'

'Oh,' said Draco heavily.

'But I don't think he really has a crush on you. I think he's more confused than anything.'

'Is he really... I mean, does he really...'

'Is he gay?' Ginny said, amused that Draco had trouble with the word. 'Maybe.'

'Maybe!'

'Maybe,' Ginny repeated. 'It's not my place to say these things...'

'But you're going to anyway,' Draco smirked.

'Well, he can't be sure yet,' Ginny said. 'He's only had a little while to think about it, you know.'

'It would explain a lot,' Draco mused. 'He's never been able to keep a girlfriend more than a month or so.'

Ginny nodded.

They had reached the bottom of the sloping lawns, where a few stray trees cast what shade they could with their early spring leaves.

'Shouldn't you be in a lesson?' Ginny asked, looking at Draco.

'Free period,' he said. 'And you?'

'Herbology,' Ginny replied, 'but Sprout's pretty lenient. I have twenty minutes at least.'

Another long moment of silence seemed to stretch its legs and then wander off towards the castle. Ginny found herself studying Draco's face, noticing exactly the sweep of his chin and the fall of his hair. For a moment his face looked completely unfamiliar as she noticed new lines and shapes, but then the newness melded with the oldness and he looked like himself again. Draco was equally studying her face, but this time it didn't seem awkward, which in itself felt strange.

Ginny watched passively, waiting for Draco to make the next move. Would he try to kiss her again? If he did, what would she do? What if he didn't try to kiss her? Maybe she ought to make the first move.

But for a good minute or two, they simply looked at each other.

Finally, Ginny broke the silence.

'What happens now?'

'What do you mean?' Draco asked, blinking as though coming out of a deep reverie.

'Aren't we supposed to have a long talk or something?'

'About what, feelings?'

Ginny shrugged. 'Well, what are your feelings?'

Draco looked at her coldly. 'I'm not in love with you, if that's what you're hoping.'

'I wasn't. What are you in, then?' Ginny asked.

Draco shrugged, the sudden coldness falling away as quickly as it had appeared. 'Apart from wanting to get my hands up your skirt, I'm not sure.'

Ginny raised her eyebrows. 'You're in lust?'

'Sure, if that's what you want to call it.'

'Then why aren't you attacking me and taking what you want?' Ginny asked.

'Maybe because if I do anything, Potter and Weasley will tear my throat out.'

'Do you want me to call them off? I can do that, you know,' Ginny said, not entirely sure how serious she was.

Draco shrugged, then changed the subject. 'I got a letter from my father,' he said, pulling it out of his pocket and handing it to her.

As Ginny read the letter, her stomach grew tenser with every word. 'This is horrid!' she exclaimed when she'd finished.

'What? Why? He's angry that Pansy's broken off the engagement--he wants me to reinstate it, that's all.'

'You have no clue,' Ginny said callously. 'Don't you see? Failure and weakness.... He's talking about Hermione!' She shook the letter vehemently.

'But how is Granger any sort of temptation to me?' Draco asked, furrowing his brow.

'If Pansy told him that you're in love with Hermione, then he'll think that she tempts you, won't he? How could you miss that?'

Draco stared at her, then snatched the letter up again. As he read it through, Ginny watched his face go from pale to paler. He looked as if he'd rather like to sit down heavily, but there was nowhere to sit.

'Sweet Merlin,' he breathed. His eyes were wide.

'I don't suppose I told you so would be appropriate?' Ginny said.

'Shut up,' Draco said, panicked. 'Fuck, what do I do? If he doesn't care about the Pansy thing, and he thinks I'm going to elope with Granger...' He ran his hands through his hair, which then fell back unkempt. 'How does he expect me to redeem myself, then? Kill Granger and present her head on a platter?' He chewed his lip thoughtfully. 'Maybe if I ambushed her outside of Potions...'

'You can't be serious,' Ginny proclaimed.

'Don't worry, I'm not,' Draco said dismissively. 'But obviously, something has to be done.'

Ginny snorted. 'Obviously!'

Draco was now pacing up and down in front of her. Ginny watched his body move, quietly enjoying the sight and feeling unabashedly lustful.

'We could just tell the truth,' she suggested half-heartedly.

'Oh, I'm sure he'll love that. A Malfoy and a Weasley! If I tell my father anything about... about us...' Draco trailed off.

'Us?' repeated Ginny. 'I thought it was just lust. Since when is there an us?'

'Ever since I kissed you in the library,' Draco answered, as if it ought to be obvious. 'Ever since Pansy set my own father against me. Since you followed me out of the Great Hall--I'm sure everyone noticed. It's going to get around. I thought the thing with Potter would be completely secret, but somehow Pansy found out.'

Ginny wasn't listening very well. She was startled at the concept of belonging to an 'us' involving Draco Malfoy, of all people.

'Anyway,' Draco was saying, 'what are your parents going to say when they find out you've been hanging around with me? You can't possibly imagine they'll welcome me with open arms.'

'No,' Ginny said slowly. 'No, they won't. In fact, they'll probably be furious with me.' She sighed, imagining the scene. She could hear her mother raging against the Malfoys in general, and her father going on about how disappointed he was--again--at Ginny's decision.

'But if we don't get the truth out,' she said, 'then your father will still think you're in love with Hermione. Which is worse?'

'You, definitely,' Draco said at once.

Ginny glared. Then she glanced up towards the castle; there was a babble of voices that sounded like students coming down to Herbology.

'I'd better go,' she said to Draco.

But as she turned to go, Draco suddenly grabbed her, and Ginny found herself crushed in a kiss that was so violent it was almost unpleasant. She pushed away, breaking free only with extreme effort.

'What the bloody hell was that for?' she asked angrily, wiping her mouth on her sleeve, half-expecting blood.

Draco's eyes glittered. 'Because I could,' he said.

'Well, there are a lot better ways to kiss than that, you know! And if you want more, you'd better learn them!'

Draco raised an eyebrow. 'Oh, I know how to kiss,' he said.

Ginny crossed her arms, feeling unreal as she challenged, 'Prove it.'

She knew what would happen before Draco did it. It was once again out of those wireless melodramas, and she almost wanted to laugh, except that she had no breath left as Draco approached her.

He put out one hand and tilted her chin up, then gently brought his face down and touched his lips to hers with a delicacy that itself made the kiss unbearably intense. Ginny thought her knees would give way, but even if they did, Draco had entwined one hand in hers and could catch her if she fell. After a few seconds of lips on lips, they broke apart, and Ginny opened eyes she hadn't known she'd closed.

'I'd better go to Herbology,' she said, avoiding Draco's gaze, because she was frightened of what she might see there. His hand was still entangled in hers.

'Right,' she heard him say.

Ginny left, not looking back.