Opposite Attraction

Ch. 8

Where we left off:

Her heart started to beat wildly in her chest. She could feel his breath on her face, even count the eyelashes above his eye she was so close!

Feeling her heart would burst with anticipation and excitement, she closed her eyes and waited. . .

Chapter 8

Ginny closed her eyes and waited, anticipating the feel of his lips on hers. She waited. . . and waited. . . and felt only air.

She opened her eyes just in time to see Draco's eyes shoot open and his body move farther away from hers.

Wait, he's supposed to be moving closer, not farther! Wait! Come back!! She thought frantically, her eyes widening, wondering why in Merlin he had recoiled back so suddenly, as if she were a snake, when his lips had been just centimeters from hers.

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no! What if I have something on my teeth?

Running her tongue quickly over her teeth, she discovered nothing on, between, or behind her teeth.

"Well, I'll, see you around then!" Draco said quickly jolting her out of her speculation, and without waiting for a goodbye turned and ran down the stairs his feet pattering lightly against the stone as she saw a last flash of his bright hair and he disappeared from her sight.

Ginny stared bewildered after him, wondering, what the bloody hell just happened?

Then with a bitter laugh she realized he'd forgotten his cloak.

She trudged up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, cursing Peeves on her way when he dropped a load of water balloons and she was unable to avert them.

Shaking her head like a dog to get the water out of her hair, she continued on her way to Gryffindor Tower, dragging her feet and feeling thoroughly sorry for herself.

She stepped slowly through the portrait and was met immediately with an angry Ron confronting her.

"Ginny where the hell have you been! Nobody saw you in Hogsmeade, and Luna (at these words he shot Harry a glance that Ginny couldn't quite make out, to which Harry blushed furiously) and Macy said they had dates, and weren't with you!" Ron said, his voice with a tinge of worry in it.

"Ron give it a break! You don't have to know where I am every second!" Ginny said angrily. Her frustration first with Draco running away, and then being confronted with Ron when she just wanted to change, finally coming out.

"I was worried about you Gin!" Ron said his feelings obviously hurt.

Her face softening, Ginny went over to Ron and gave him a small hug.

"I went to Flourish and Bott's to see if they had the book I wanted in yet, sat down in a chair to read, and lost track of time." Ginny explained, marveling at how easily the lie came.

Ron just nodded, but then a few seconds later, "Ginny?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why is your hair wet? You weren't in the lake were you? You could catch a cold! That was foolish, Gin! Mom will have my head for letting you!" Ron said quickly launching on another tirade.

"Ron!" She said, but he ignored her.

"RON!" Ginny bellowed catching the desired attention of Ron, and also of everybody else in the common room.

"I was walking up the stairs and Peeves dropped water balloons on me and I didn't get out of the way in time! Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to change out of my clothes before I really do get a cold!" She said exasperatedly, and with that she turned and jogged up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Well at least that's not a lie. She thought.

After she had changed out of her wet clothes and put on dry ones, she checked her watch, (A Muggle one her father had repaired and given to her for her last birthday) deciding that she had enough time before dinner and walked quickly out of the common room, avoiding everybody so as not to have to stay and talk to any of them.

She opened the portrait quickly, banging it shut and muttering an apology when the Fat Lady cried out, to which the portrait just "Humphed" and turned away, muttering about the state of children these days.

Breaking into a jog once she reached the stairs she reached the main doors, opened them, and took a deep breath of the crisp, cold night air. She walked down the path towards the lake, and when she reached it turned sharply right and arrived at her favorite place on the grounds. (Besides the Quiddtich Pitch) A tall, drooping Willow tree. It's branches draping out and lightly skimming the water. She had discovered the tree in her third year when she had wanted to get away from her brother, and escape all the excitement over the Triwizard Tournament.

Ginny had been delighted to find that it had many branches that were perfect and just the right height for her to climb up into its foliaged protection. In the summertime it was perfect for spying on people taking a walk by the lake, or just sitting along its banks. She could peer at them through the many holes in the leaves and branches, but nobody could see her.

That year, and through her fourth year it had been her refuge. She'd gone there and thought about things. There in those branches she'd thought about Harry. She'd thought about him until she saw him dancing at the ball with another girl, and upon realizing that she didn't feel any butterflies in her stomach, or pangs in her heart when he danced with another girl, she had known that, finally, she was over Harry Potter.

Later that night, after the dance when everybody was in their dormitories, she'd slipped downstairs and come out to her tree. She felt free. Better than she had in a long while. It felt so refreshing not to like Harry anymore, as absurd as it sounded. She'd known for a while that the chance of him ever feeling about her as more than a friend for very unlikely to none, she hadn't been able to totally let him go until that night. And she was relieved more than anything.

Because she didn't like Harry anymore, she was no long a simpering, bumbling fool around him. She became more confident, and obviously the boys noticed it too. First, it had been Neville. Then the next year Dean followed, and then Justin Flinch-Fletchey at the end of her fourth year.

She had liked them, but she had never felt about them the way she had felt about Harry, or. . Draco.

Do I really like Draco that much? Ginny thought with a shock, her eyes widening with the realization.

Do I love him? Ginny asked herself. She shook her head, quickly dismissing the idea.

I like him, though. Ginny thought, her face adopting a dreamy smile, and her eyes glazing over slightly, as she began mentally naming off the reasons.

Funny, well not exactly funny, but he has this sarcastic wit. Nice, (when he wants to be) she added wickedly. Adorable (he'd kill me if he heard me calling him this). She thought, grinning widely. He's smart, the only one who can give Hermione a run for her money. And who can ignore his looks? His hair, it looks so soft! I imagine running my hands through it would be heavenly. Pity they don't have a swimming pool here at Hogwarts, She let herself drift off into her thoughts of Draco.

A few minutes later she was startled out of her daydreaming by the sound of a twig snapping beneath her. Instantly her senses were alerted, her body stiff, as she cautiously but quickly reached into her robes and pulled out her wand.

She looked down apprehensively, her mind conjuring up dozens of images of things that could be down there.

She heard the sound of a shoe slipping on bark and a thud as someone's body hit the ground. A moment later she heard a muffled "Ouch!" as whoever it was rolled over and gracefully hit their head on the trunk.

Smiling as she realized who it was, she opened her mouth to call out to them, but closed it, deciding that it would be much, much more fun to surprise them.

She crept back along a branch and waited as she listened to them climb up the tree. She waited until she saw a flash of silvery-blonde hair against the darkness of the tree. She could make out its color even in this pale light coming from the moon and stars.

"Boo!" She yelled as soon as he had gained a steady footing.

Startled, Draco let out a short bark that could be mistaken for a scream and stumbled backwards.

"You!" Draco grumbled angrily realizing who it was, adopting a gruff tone to his voice, although Ginny could make out a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"What are you doing here?" She asked lightly.

"I come here a lot. To think about. . . things." He replied.

Ginny nodded and switched her gaze out onto the lake as he settled himself next to her, not close enough to touch her, but close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body, and it was oddly comforting, just knowing he was beside her. And although she wasn't receiving too much heat from the closeness of his body, the night was suddenly warmer to her.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked training the spotlight on her.

"I come here a lot to think too." She replied softly glancing at him and back to the lake quickly.

"About what? Potter?" He asked, but this time his voice held none of the contempt it had earlier in the restaurant when he spoke Potter's name. Only a soft-spoken curiousity.

"Kind of. After the Yule Ball last year, I realized I didn't have feelings for him anymore when I saw him dancing with other girls and I didn't feel anything. So I came outside think, and I found this tree, and it's been my special thinking place ever since." "What do you think about up here?" Ginny asked.

"I come up here a lot just to think. Sometimes, after I lose a quidditch game I come up here, and it helps me calm down. Or. ." He said, trailing off.

"Or what?" She asked averting her gaze from the lake and back to his face.

"Or. . . sometimes, when it all just becomes too much." He replied softly. So softly, she almost didn't hear him.

Puzzled for a second, she wondered what he could mean?

"When what becomes too much?"

"All of it! Having to be a Malfoy, having to be constantly keeping up this reputation. This reputation that I'm this bastard, somebody you should fear. This whole façade! It just gets tiresome sometimes. And on top of it, I've never really had a friend. Except. . for now. You. You're the closest thing to a real friend I've ever had." He said looking up at the stars.

Ginny felt a mixture of emotions at hearing his words. She felt so happy she wanted to sing to the treetops, at hearing his words, "You're the closest thing to a real friend I've ever had." But then her heart would plummet to the ground, at the word friend.

Well if nothing more, it's better to be his friend than enemy.

Deciding upon this decision, she cautiously put her hand over his larger, perfectly manicured one and said, "Draco, I am your real friend."

Training his familiar gaze on her, the gaze that often made her feel trapped and exhilarated, caged and free, at the same time, he gave her a fleeting smile but said nothing. But the smile was all she needed, it spoke all the words she wanted to hear and more.

Pulling her hand delicately away, she was surprised to feel his own hand tightening it's hold around hers, effectively keeping it nestled in his larger one.

Startled she looked at him, searching for an explanation among the curves and planes of his face, only to see him staring determinedly at the lake.

After a few minutes spent in peaceful silence, Ginny got lightly to her feet, pulling Draco up with you.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked.

"I want to see the stars, you can't see them from near the trunk, so you have to go out on the branches." She replied easily, moving onto a precariously thin branch.

"Ginny, that's not safe! That branch could snap any moment!" Draco said nervously taking a tiny step towards her onto the base of the branch.

"Scared?" Ginny mocked with a teasing smile, taking another large step on the branch.

"Ginny!" Draco said. "I demand that you come back right now!"

"Well sorry, but somebody has to say no to a Malfoy sometime. So why not start now?" She took another step quickly succeeded by another.

"Then you leave me no choice but to come after you!" Draco said, hesitating only for a moment before making his way out onto the branch towards her.

She took another step forward, tempting him. The challenge glowing bright in her eyes did not miss Draco, and he determinedly accepted it, taking another a final step onto the branch, reaching her and grasping her hands in his.

It seemed to happen all at once, Dracos' face moving closer and closer to Ginny's, the resounding crack of the branch as it finally snapped, and the swift fall into the cold, numbing water of the lake beneath them, leaving them to struggle, sputtering to the surface.

As he came to the surface, Dracos' first thought was of Ginny and her safety. He whipped his head to the side, searching and hoping for just a glimpse of her hair in the water. Seeing it bob just above the surface he swam quickly over to her and asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Any broken bones? Can you swim, or do you need me to carry you?"

Laughing easily Ginny replied, "Draco relax, I'm fine! I grew up in the water, I learned how to swim when I was four, when the twins threw me into the water to see if their new flotation gumdrops worked!"

Not satisfied, Draco swept his gaze over her face, checking it for scratches or bruises.

Seeing Draco acting like a mother hen was too much and Ginny burst out laughing as she treaded the water easily.

"What?" Draco said.

Shaking her head, Ginny continued to laugh, unable to answer.

"Oh shut up." Draco said embaressedly, splashing her with water.

Squeaking in indignation, Ginny proceeded to splash him with even more water, bombarding him with wave after wave of water.

Sputtering indignantly he said, "Oh you'll pay for that Weasley," as he unsuccessfully tried to pick her up and throw her, while still in the water.

Laughing at his failure, she playfully dunked his head underwater and swam away quickly, but obviously not quickly enough as she felt his hand grab her ankle and yank her back towards him.

He caught her in his arms and said, "Well, now that I've captured you, what do you think a proper punishment would be?"

Snog me until the sun comes up would be punishment enough for me, Ginny though, smirking inwardly.

The playful light in his eyes faded to a determined glow, and his arms tightened around her, as her eyes closed and her breath caught in her throat. She felt as if her heart would break out of her chest any second now, her heart was beating so fast.

She brought her arms up around his neck, and just as his lips were about to meet hers in a gentle caress, they heard the mocking meow of a cat, and the greasy crackling laugh of the one and only Hogwarts caretaker as they prowled the grounds looking for students up and about creating mischief.

"Bloody hell," Draco groaned. "Will nobody leave us alone?!"