FIC: A Million Ways to be Cruel - Part 3

[featherxquill]

Title: A Million Ways to be Cruel
Author: icicle33
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Harry/Ginny, Ginny/Draco, Pansy/Blaise, Pansy/Ginny, Luna/Neville (unrequited), Ron/Hermione (and perhaps a couple surprise pairings that I don’t want to give away)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Revenge is a dish best served cold, and as Harry and Ginny find out the hard way, you should never cross a poisonous snake. Harry breaks Draco’s heart, and with Pansy’s help, they decide to implement a twisted revenge scheme to break Potter’s heart. Of course, as always, things are more complicated than they seem, and no one ever escapes a revenge ploy unscathed.

Part 1 | Part 2



~8~8~8~

Ginny tiptoed out of Draco’s room, down the dormitory stairs, and crept through the Slytherin common room, making as little noise as possible. When she reached the door, she thought she was finally home free and let out a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, she celebrated too soon.

“Long night, dear?” an all too familiar voice, drawled behind her.

“Fuck!” She spun around to face a smirking Pansy Parkinson, who had been lying down on one of the common room couches and hiding from her.

“Who me?” Pansy asked batting her eyelashes. “Didn’t you get enough of that last night, dear?” She grinned wickedly at Ginny and sniggered. “If not, I’m going to have a little chat with Draco. He always used to be good in bed. Or at least passable.”

“Pansy!” Ginny shrieked as she blushed profusely. “We’re not discussing this.”

“Sure, we are darling.” Pansy looked over her nails innocently. “Unless you want everyone to see what’s under that coat.”

“What are you on about?” Ginny asked, arching an eyebrow at the Slytherin girl.

Pansy muttered a spell under her breath and Ginny blushed even deeper once she realised that Pansy had Vanished her coat.

“You bitch!”

“Hardly,” Pansy replied in a bored tone. “Come on,” she instructed, grabbing Ginny by the arm and dragging her, which was much too reminiscent of that first day of school train ride. “You’ll thank me later. I promise.”

“Ugh. Not again.” Ginny protested, but allowed the older girl to lead her anyway. “You’re going to lend me something to wear. And replace that coat.”

“Whatever, Weasley.” Pansy ignored her complaints and arm still in tow, dragged her to her room. Somehow, Pansy had managed to get herself a private room. Ginny was afraid to ask the details but had to admit reluctantly that the other girl had exquisite taste.

“I’ll lend you whatever you want from my closet,” Pansy said eagerly, “even give it to you. But I want information about last night. Every detail.”

Ginny crossed her arms in front of her chest. For some reason, she was uncomfortable being in her knickers around this girl, especially since Pansy kept sending her peculiar looks.

“That’s awfully nice of you, Pansy,” Ginny replied slowly, “but I’m not sure if I’m comfortable discussing that with you.”

“Come on!” Pansy protested. “We’re friends aren’t we? And-we’re all girls here.”

Ginny frowned and regarded the other girl closely. She really wasn’t in a position to argue here, considering the fact that Pansy had her alone and practically naked in her private dormitory.

“Fine,” she agreed grudgingly. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.” Pansy rolled her eyes and offered her signature ‘you can’t be serious’ look. She scooted over on her bed and patted the spot next to her, wanting Ginny to join her. Ginny sat down next to Pansy as far away as possible and groaned.

“Pansy,” she whinged, “there really isn’t much to tell. I actually don’t even remember all that much.”

“Uh huh.” Pansy crossed her arms and scooted closer to Ginny. “I think you’re lying, dearie.” She leaned over and whispered in Ginny’s ear, her long hair tickling Ginny’s face. “I’ve heard that one before from you.”

Ginny frowned deeper. “What do you mean?”

Pansy laughed and shook her head, her pretty face contorting darkly . “You don’t fool me, Weasley. You only get one foggy memory card and you’ve already used yours. I doubt you’ve already extracted this memory.”

Ginny’s eye widened and felt a deep pang in her chest. Could it be? Did Pansy know her secret? No, it just wasn’t possible. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ginny replied as firmly as possible.

“Right,” Pansy muttered as she leaned back on her bed, sprawling out on a large pillow and closing her eyes. She looked years younger with her eyes closed and so much warmer. Pansy was an attractive girl there was no denying that with her long dark hair and tanned skin. She had mysterious brown eyes and legs that just went on for days, quite the opposite of Ginny’s petite and pale appearance; yet, Pansy, much like Draco, was always scowling or pursing her lips in her signature bored expression.

At that moment, however, watching the other girl lie there, eyes fluttering and chest slowly heaving up and down, revealing ample sun-kissed breasts that Ginny couldn’t help be jealous of, Ginny realised that the other girl really was quite stunning in her own way-if only she would let her guard down once in awhile. It must be exhausting to wear a mask as hardened as Pansy’s at all times. When her face wasn’t all pinched, she really was quite lovely, a far cry from the pug faced girl she had been in her youth.

“Pansy,” Ginny said softly, not wanting to disturb the other girl, “I-”

“No,” the other girl interrupted, her eyes still closed. “Let me talk, please.”

“Alright.”

“Ginny, I’m not going to tell anyone what you told me about France. We all have our demons. I can hardly blame you.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ginny was trying to play it cool, but her arms and legs were covered in goose pimples now.

Pansy exhaled loudly but didn’t open her eyes. “Don’t you remember?” she asked, her voice strangely wistful. “About a week ago at the Slytherin party. We were both pissed, beyond pissed really, bloody Nott...and you told me that you had extracted most of your memories from France.”

Ginny blanched noticeably. So it was true. Pansy did know the truth. Fuck, fuck fuck. “I-I...” Her voice was nonchalant, so calm as if they were discussing the topic of next week’s Charms assignment rather than Ginny’s darkest secret. Ginny just wanted to punch her in the face.

“Look it’s okay, Weasley,” Pansy told her, finally opening her eyes and gazing at the ceiling. “Like I said, we all have our demons. You don’t want to know some of the memories I have from the war...and Draco...fuck...I can’t even imagine some of the horrors he witnessed being in the manor with that monster. If we hadn’t all found our methods to cope, we’d be insane.”

Ginny swallowed loudly, her hands shaking now but didn’t respond. She was too stunned to speak.

“So whatever happened in France...who cares? It’s better left forgotten. You’re secret is safe with me. Just be a doll and tell me about last night.” She sighed longingly. “It’s been so long since I’ve been with a bloke that I need to start living vicariously through my girlfriends.”

“Alright,” Ginny said, finally releasing the breath she had been holding. So it wasn’t as bad as she thought. Pansy didn’t know any details only that she had extracted some of her bad memories from France. That was all. Thank Merlin. It could have been so much worse. “I’ll tell you but you can’t judge me.”

“Darling,” Pansy replied smoothly. “I’m a Slytherin. Nothing you could say would shock me.”

Ginny snorted and relaxed even further. “He tied me up. And Gods...I let him do it...with green silk ribbons and all.”

Pansy’s eyes lit up and a smug look crossed her face, her pale lips parting. “You are wild one aren’t you? A little firecracker in the sack....just like I thought.”

“No...I-I’ve never done anything like that before. Honestly.” Ginny looked away, Pansy’s heated glance making her ashamed.

“Neither have I,” Pansy said with a wink. “What else? How was he? Rate him on your long list of lovers.”

“What makes you think I have long list of lovers?” Pansy just arched an eyebrow at her in response. “I don’t. And Draco was good.”

“Just good?” Pansy pried.

“Okay...better than good.” Ginny sighed exasperatedly and decided to finally give in to Pansy’s pestering. “He was rather attentive.”

“How so?” Pansy sat up again, now looking at her with wide, curious eyes as if she were an eager puppy waiting for instruction.

Ginny bit down on her lip and moved closer to the other girl, only inches from Pansy’s face now. She hoped that the other girl had a Silencing Charm on her room. She leaned over and whispered in her ear. “He kissed me...everywhere.” She felt her cheeks heating and hands starting to sweat, but for some reason she knew she could trust this girl with this-that she wouldn’t share her inappropriate behaviour.

“And...be specific,” Pansy whispered too, her tone so quiet and silky that it gave Ginny chills. What is with these Slytherins? Was talking in deep, sultry registers a requirement for joining their house?

Ginny closed her eyes. She figured that if she was going to share this embarrassing information it would be better if she didn’t have to stare into dark, expressive eyes that were much too amused for their own good.

“He kissed me everywhere, Pansy, every part of my body. He started on my neck and then kept going,” she explained, pausing for a second, eyes still firmly closed. “First the kisses were soft and slow...tender even.” She thought she heard Pansy stifle a chuckle. “Then they were harder, fiercer...sometimes he even used his teeth, marking me...but then when he reached my hips, I thought he would stop...”

She bit her lip and frowned, wishing that it wasn’t so difficult to talk about this. For Merlin’s sake, if she was able to partake in such deviant acts, then she should be able to talk about them. She wasn’t a child.

“Go on,” Pansy urged, her voice kind not demanding in the least. She grabbed Ginny’s hand and started tracing her knuckles. The affectionate gesture from the usually cold girl was oddly soothing. Ginny opened her eyes and locked eyes with Pansy. She called upon all her Gryffindor courage and finished her story, even if she was mortified and wanted nothing more than to hide under a rock and die.

“He didn’t stop. He kept kissing me, going lower and lower,” she said, her voice more steady this time. “I.-I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen. You aren’t supposed to kiss someone there. It’s weird...but he did...and at first it felt odd.”

“Odd?” Pansy gave her a questioning look and wrinkled her forehead.

Ginny shrugged and broke eye contact with the confused Slytherin.

“Yeah, kind of wet...you know? And it tickled.”

Pansy narrowed her eyes and rubbed a finger to her forehead; she looked annoyed but her voice was even. “Isn’t that good though? Tickling can be...entertaining,” Pansy finished, her voice like honey.

“I-I suppose so. And it was...in a way. After a while, it stopped feeling wet and it tickled more and more...and it felt hot...and it was like I had an itch that needed to be scratched immediately. I didn’t want him to stop. It was...” Ginny bit down on her bottom lip and looked at the other girl nervously. “The best thing I’ve ever felt.”

Pansy scowled, narrowing her full lips into a thin line and regarding Ginny closely, judging to see if she was serious. Ginny could only shrug half-heartedly and pretend that something on the floor was suddenly interesting. She was beyond embarrassed and didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how she would ever face the other girl again. But then Pansy laughed, and not just a little chortle or snigger like the ones she tried to conceal in Potions’ class when Neville blew up another cauldron or Draco did his impressions; it was a real, hearty laugh that came from deep within her chest. She titled her dark head back and cackled loudly, sharply really, but for some reason, Ginny found the sound soothing.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was joining in and laughing so hard that her stomach, which was still on display for all the world to see, ached. She grinned at the girl sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders again, and waited for her to make the next move. Ginny had shared her embarrassing story; she had given her details just as she asked. Now the ball was in her court.

“Oh, Weasley,” Pansy’s cheeks were still bunched in a smile, and Ginny noticed that she had a rather adorable dimple in only one of her cheeks, “you crack me up.”

“Huh?” Ginny asked, pursing her lips.

“You’re joke about Draco going down on you and it being the best thing you’ve ever felt. It was hysterical, classic really,” Pansy replied, her face finally stoic again.

“Erm...I wasn’t joking.” Ginny’s voice was small, too small. She felt as if she were eleven again and woke up in her pyjamas, hair a nightmare, and then came downstairs to find Harry Potter, wizarding hero and her biggest crush, sitting at the breakfast table dining with her family. She wanted to die.

“Come on, Weasley,” Pansy drawled, exasperated, “I’m not an idiot or a Gryffindor.” Her dark eyes were regarding Ginny closely again, burning into her and causing Ginny to tense. “Don’t expect me to believe that’s the first time someone has ever eaten you out.” She motioned with her hands, as Pansy always did when she particularly annoyed or anxious. “I know about France.”

Ginny gulped and felt her hands start to tremble. What in the world was Pansy talking about? Ginny didn’t remember most of France. She had extracted her memories-of that much she was sure. Certainly, those lost memories didn’t include vulgar sexual encounters, did they? No, absolutely not. Why would she ever extract something like that? Pansy had to be wrong. She closed her eyes and tried to remember last night, her mind finally less cloudy since she was sober.

If she pushed herself, she could see Draco, all pale skin and blond hair, disappearing between her legs, doing forbidden things to her with his agile tongue. She shuddered at the memory. But still, that had been the first time. Most definitively, she would have remembered something like this. She dug deeper into her mind, pushing softly on the mental blocks that she knew possessed various memories of France- long dark hair, deep blue eyes, and her screaming and writhing below a warm body. She opened her eyes with a start. What the hell?

“No,” Ginny insisted. Those images that just flashed through her mind must have been a dream or her imagination. That was all.

Pansy pursed her lips, running a hand through her dark locks, and then turned to smile at her, but not that dazzling smile from earlier, her crooked ‘I want something’ smile.

“Darling,” she said slowly, roaming her eyes over Ginny’s body, her assets, “if that’s true, then it’s quite sad. What you experienced was an orgasm...a weak one...if I remember Draco’s skills accurately.”

Ginny narrowed her eyes and a flash of anger hummed beneath her fingertips. “I know what an orgasm is,” she snapped. “I’m not a bloody virgin.”

“Do you?” The other girl examined her fingernails.

“Of course, I do.”

Ginny was furious, her knuckles turning white; she had the urge to curse the other girl, but then thought about what she had insinuated. It was preposterous. Clearly, she had experienced orgasms before with Harry, Dean, and Michael. She had slept with them multiple times and always seemed to please them, and she had enjoyed it as well. She had felt close to them, aroused, loved even. But then she considered the events of last night, the ones she remembered anyway-her tied up to Draco’s bed, squirming beneath him, begging him to continue...to not fucking stop or I’ll kill you...Malfoy...as she had screamed in orgasm. She had never been like that with any of her previous lovers, especially not Harry. Fuck, sometimes, she just wanted Harry to finish, so it could be over with. Pansy was right. That utter bitch.

“Pansy,” she whimpered, desperation written all over her face, hoping that the other girl would understand.

Pansy just bent closer, her face serious but not unkind. “Let me help you.” She tucked her tousled hair, which Ginny was certain was a nightmare, behind her ears and grinned ever so gently at her. “Men,” she started, leaning in as if she were whispering a precious secret, “are clueless when it comes to women. You can’t blame them because we’re so much more complicated than they are.” She stopped for a second, licking her lips and staring at Ginny. “I can help you. Who better than another woman to understand what gets you off? What you need to reach an entirely new level of bliss?”

“Pansy?” Ginny’s eyes grew wide. “I’m not-”

“What?” Pansy shrugged. “A lesbian? A carpet muncher? I’m not either, dear. Not in the least.” Her voice was smooth, too smooth, like velvet. She leaned over, her lips brushing Ginny’s ear. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t understand. You deserve to feel amazing. To understand your body. I promise that I can make you scream so loud that you’ll forget your name.”

Ginny gasped, she was much too shocked to respond. “Please,” Pansy moaned, “let me do this for you, Gin-ev-ra,” saying Ginny’s name as if it was sexiest thing she had ever heard. These Slytherins really knew how to make anything, even an awful name like Ginevra, sound erotic.

“You won’t regret it, I promise.” She blew into Ginny’s ear, her breath hot and much too tantalising. “It’ll be our little secret...amongst friends, of course.”

Ginny closed her eyes, her breath hitching. Pansy’s words had made her flush, a heat forming between her thighs that she just couldn’t ignore. Before she could stop herself, she responded, “Yes. Show me.”

Pansy grinned at her, her dark eyes shining more brightly than she had ever seen. “Lay back,” she instructed, “and just relax.”

Soft hands grabbed her, circling her wrists and brought her close-Ginny gasped and Pansy entwined her hands within her hair, her long nails caressing Ginny’s scalp. And then she did the unthinkable and kissed her. Ginny froze, immobile and in disbelief-a girl and not just any girl-Pansy bloody Parkinson, was snogging her. It was wrong-so wrong-but then why in fucking hell did it feel so good? She hated her last kiss that she shared with Harry, he had been much too rough and hard, almost choking her with his tongue. And Draco, well, kissing Draco had been different, good different; he was much gentler than Harry, much more skilled with his tongue. But holy shit...kissing Pansy Parkinson was fucking amazing.

Pansy’s mouth was hot and sweet beneath hers-her lips tasting like strawberries and so smooth against hers. Merlin, what kind of lip gloss did this girl use? At times, she felt that when she was kissing Harry or even Draco, that the other boy engulfed her, intimidated her with their large lips, but not Pansy. Pansy’ lips were full and pouty, slightly larger than Ginny’s, but still a perfect fit. Her tongue massaged against Ginny’s moving in sync with hers and never poked her or slobbered as sometimes the boys had, when they got over enthusiastic and then started rubbing up against her. Nothing like this.

She gasped and rested her forehead against Pansy’s her heart hammering inside her chest, so loudly that the other girl could probably hear it.

“Pansy-” she stammered, “that was-”

“I know,” Pansy replied smugly. “Now, lie back and trust me. That was just a sample,” she ordered, pushing Ginny down on her soft but sturdy bed. For once, Ginny obliged without a complaint.

With a quick, unfamiliar spell, probably the same one she had used earlier, the Slytherin girl vanished Ginny’s undergarments.

“You won’t be needing those. Just close your eyes and think of whatever gets you off...Draco, Potter, Oliver Wood...whatever tickles your fancy there, Red.”

“Oliver Wood?” Ginny asked perplexed, watching the other girl rummage in her nightstand.

“Yeah, he’s a guest star in quite a few of my fantasies. Have a problem with that?” she snapped.

“Not at all.”

“Good.”

Pansy pulled out a large, oddly shaped purple vibrator from her nightstand, which caused Ginny to scowl fiercely. This was not what she had in mind. At all. She wasn’t actually sure what she did have in mind, but it didn’t involve a glittery purple vibrator with rabbit ears of all things. She shuddered briefly. Toys were taking things a little too far.

“Trust me.” And even though Ginny felt her heart racing even faster and her palms starting to sweat, she just nodded and closed her eyes. She had no idea how that was going to fit....it was bloody huge, but she had agreed and was not going to back down now.

Ginny had expected pain; she had assumed that the other girl was just going to shove the vibrator into her cunt roughly, jamming it in there repeatedly until she could force Ginny to come. But that’s not what happened. Ginny winced in anticipation of the large, cold object, but instead was surprised by the feel of soft, warm fingers.

“Relax. Weasley,” Pansy coaxed. Pansy inserted her long, nimble fingers, in and out of Ginny, up and down-each time deeper and massaging, while kneading Ginny’s breast with her right hand. Ginny let out a deep moan and bit down on her lip, trying to contain the heat that was spreading down her body and causing her to tremble.

“Feels good doesn’t it?” Pansy’s voice was sultry and Ginny imagined how wicked her face must look. “Just you wait.”

She kept this up for several minutes, at first her pace slow, but gradually speeding up. Ginny was frantic, trying to stay still and not jerk her hips into every motion, but her body betrayed her, her pussy becoming wetter by the second.

“You like this, don’t you?” Pansy taunted. “You like it that I’m fucking your cunt with my fingers. You’re a little slut, you know that?”

Ginny bit down on her lip, harder than before even, tasting blood in her mouth, and groaned, begging the other girl to continue.

“Don’t worry, the fun is just starting.”

She removed her fingers and Ginny groaned, protesting at the loss of contact, but before she could complain further, Pansy thrust the vibrator into her. She thought that it would be cold, but it wasn’t; it was warm and smelt of cherries, not as warm as Pansy’s fingers, but comfortably so, and it was huge, much larger than she imagined, splitting through her and sending a burst of pain down her spine.

“Gah-”

“Relax,” Pansy cooed, her voice soft but full of lust. “Shhh.”

Ginny exhaled loudly and tried to heed Pansy’s advice. It’s not that the vibrator was painful, because it wasn’t, it was just so thick, thicker than any cock she had ever had between her legs. At first, it felt uncomfortable, but as Pansy kept slipping it in and out, as if it were caressing her G-spot, and brushing by her clit, as if teasing her, she relaxed, gave in.

“More,” Ginny moaned, “More.” Her body was betraying her again, a wetness spreading through her legs that she had never felt before, causing her to shudder, her back arching in anticipation of every movement and the smell of cherries becoming more prominent. Each time Pansy inserted the vibrator deeper and harder, making sure to slow down and rub up against her clit right before entering, and then those bizarre little rabbit ears tickled her profusely and made Ginny go mad, making her plead for the other girl to continue.

“If you insist,” Pansy drawled, never stopping from fucking her, “start picturing whatever cock does it for you, dear, because I’m going to show you what Draco should have done to you yesterday.”

Ginny gasped and wanted to protest, but her entire body was vibrating now, begging her to continue. There was no way she could stop her. Ginny just closed her eyes, and tried not to think about the fact that Pansy Parkinson was fucking her and was about to go down on her too.

If Ginny had thought that Draco had been brilliant with his tongue, that he massaged her and pushed into her pleasure, then Pansy was a goddess. She doesn’t know how long she laid there, with her eyes closed, and muttering incoherent thoughts. It could have been hours, minutes, or perhaps even just mere seconds, but what she did know was that before she knew it, her entire body was on fire, painfully so. A cold sweat was streaming down her back, her back arching off the bed, and her toes curling. She did the only thing she could and grabbed onto Pansy’s bed in attempt to steady herself. Thank Merlin that girl had iron frame headboard.

The pain was pulsating through her body, her entire body on fire and trembling; she was gasping, her chest tightening, and just when she though she couldn’t take it anymore, when she was about to push the other girl off while screaming in desperation, her mind so muddled that she could barely remember her own name, the pain subsided. It was replaced by a cool, heady sensation, flushing through her body as if exalting her, pushing her into the stars again. And the bliss-the pure mind blowing ecstasy that Pansy had promised washed over her, almost overwhelmingly so, and with thoughts of golden blond hair and long, fluttery eyelashes framing blue-grey eyes, Ginny came, her whole body exploding in orgasm harder and louder than she ever had before.

Bloody fucking hell...what just happened? She opened her eyes, her chest still heaving and panting.

“Pansy,” she cried as the other girl untangled herself from Ginny and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, somehow her red lip gloss still intact.

But before she got a chance to respond, there was a loud knocking on the door.

“Pansy, come quick...one of the fourth years chained up some of the Hufflepuff first years in Snape’s old dungeon cell again. We can’t get them down.”

“Salazar’s balls not again,” Pansy sneered, rolling her eyes. “Sorry Weasley, you’re on your own. Take whatever you want from my closet and keep that rabbit as a little parting gift, yeah?” She leered at Ginny smugly, quirking her eyebrows and then she was gone.

Slowly, Ginny sat up and started banging her head against Pansy’s headboard, her lower body still shaking .

What had she just done? She was in far hotter water than she had been in for a long time, but still, she couldn’t help but smile as her mind was clearer than it had been years.

~8~8~8~

After that morning where Ginny briefly lost her mind and let Pansy Parkinson shag her, things had started to go pear-shaped rather quickly. Out of curiosity, she had taken the purple vibrator with her and learnt to use it quite efficiently and more often than she would ever admit. That wasn’t her main problem though. Not really. It was a positive that she was starting to become more comfortable with her body, finally able to ask for and understand what pleased her, teasing the fine line between pleasure and pain-no longer being ashamed.

No, her main problem was who was not only guest starring but becoming the primary fixation in every one of her fantasies. Each time she came, no matter how her fantasy had started, it always ended with images of starry nights, long blonde hair, blue grey eyes, and soft milky white skin. And cherries. Why always fucking cherries?

For a while, she tried to lie to herself, tell herself that it was Draco that she was fantasising about-that her feelings for the elusive blond ran deeper than she originally thought-that it was more than just sex.

She tried to take him up on his offer to be his girlfriend, praying that the exclusivity and formal relationship would settle her raging mind, but it didn’t. She still found the hauntingly beautiful blonde as the star of most of her fantasies and dreams, and now, even her daydreams in dreadfully boring classes, found her thinking about and watching the other girls as she never had before. She noticed the way Pansy’s breasts always looked perky and fantastic in everything she wore, always tastefully showcased to make her look sexy rather than skanky like Lavender-but even Lavender with her humongous globes that bounced when she walked, full hips, and wild blonde waves that swayed behind her when she walked, was catching her attention. It was a disaster.

She wasn’t gay. Most definitely not a lesbian. For heaven’s sake, what would her parents think? Her father was probably rolling over in his grave. Yet, each time she tried to tell herself that she was only looking and fantasising-that it didn’t mean anything at all, as long as she didn’t give into her unnatural desires; then she would show up and greet Ginny with the sweetest smile she had ever seen-a smile that could light up the entire room and made her breath catch. But still, it was normal, it had to be. Didn’t everyone feel that way when she turned her entrancing gaze on them and graced them with her brilliant smile?

Yes, every time she would seek out Ginny, especially those times when she would so casually lean against her shoulder at lunch or brush against her in the corridors, Ginny would lose it. She would go positively mental and find Draco straight away, dragging him to his room for a quick shag or even a nearby broom cupboard if his room was too far away. The blond never seemed to complain, even if they missed classes, he would just smirk at her wickedly and attempt to tame his obviously just shagged hair and dishevelled robes before returning to class.

All in all, she thought her relationship with Draco was working out quite well. Up until last week, when she caught him fooling around with Padma and Parvati Patil in his bedroom. Problem was though, that instead of being furious, instead of wanting to hex the little tarts halfway across the globe, she just shrugged and turned around to leave. Before she could leave, however, Draco caught her by the arm and dragged her over to his magically expanded bed. He leered at her, quirking both eyebrows, and said, “Join us,Weasley, yeah?”

And without even a moment’s hesitation, she did. It was a rather bizarre experience and quite messy with so many extra limbs, but the twins had been exotic and experienced lovers, pushing the limits even for her and Draco. Still, even with two stunningly beautiful women, seducing her and reducing her to a quivering mess, with a very amused and perverted Draco watching in the corner, all she could think about was flushed pale skin and stolen kisses under the moonlight. And cherries, how she longed to have sex, real sex, not just with a toy, that smelt of cherries.

There was no use in lying anymore. If even the Patil twins couldn’t cure her of her crush, then no one could. No, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, however many people she fucked, she was still completely gaga for her best friend.

That night, another night in her long list of nights that she vowed never to speak of again, she broke up with Draco. He just laughed it off claiming that he always made a lousy boyfriend, and she wasn’t really the girlfriend type either. The breakup had gone better than she had imagined, but she was worried things between them, which had been so comfortable, would get awkward. But they didn’t. Thank Merlin. In fact, two days later, she pulled Draco into another broom cupboard and he didn’t even bat an eyelash or ask for any type of explanation. He just stripped and got right down to business as if nothing had ever changed. It was obvious that she was using him, only using him for a quick shag here and there, but he didn’t mind.

She knew that he was a million miles away during their love making sessions as well, but she never asked any questions either. It didn’t seem right to pry and figured that it was okay if they were using each other. She pretended not to see the pain behind his fierce grey eyes every time he came, and he pretended not to notice the dark circles under her eyes, which were becoming a permanent fixture. No, banging each other whenever it tickled their fancy was just a way to pass the time and mask the pain. Luckily, at least at the beginning, it seemed to work.

~8~8~8~

Weeks went by like this, the holidays came and went, with Ginny skipping more and more of her classes to have sex with Draco or drink with Pansy. True to her word, the other girl had never mentioned that crazy day in her room, when Ginny had gone mental and let Pansy fuck her until she couldn’t remember her name. Strangely, they had grown closer, bonding over bottles of firewhisky and tequila that somehow, Pansy always managed to acquire from younger students, regardless of the ban or ration that was in effect. Ginny never talked about the huge crush she was harbouring on her best friend, but Pansy still seemed know and stroked her hair, while kissing away silent tears during many sleepless nights.

Things were getting harder again, her mind becoming hazy, and certain days, she felt completely lost as if she were watching herself go through the motions rather than actually living her life. The prospect of meaningless orgasms and mind numbing intoxication were no longer as satisfying as they once had been. Their novelty had completely worn off.

The days and nights blurred together, and all Ginny knew is that she yearned to feel again, to feel anything that wasn’t loneliness and pain. The small flame that Draco had helped ignite in her that first night they made love had burnt out fast, and now, she was worse off than before, knowing what it was like, even if only for a moment, to be bathed in light. The intense pain of being cast back into the eternal darkness, into the nothingness of her mind, was almost too much to handle. She needed to do something and fast, but what was there to do? How could she push herself out of the darkness when it encompassed her and greeted her with open arms? The only person who brought her even a drop of happiness could never love her, would never want her, especially with the things she had done.

And, it wasn’t just her anymore. She wasn’t the only daft one. The entire wizarding world, the new ‘secure’ world order, which the Ministry was working so hard to protect was slowly deteriorating into madness. Various attacks had taken place in Hogsmeade, a group of renegade citizens attacked the families and loved ones of those that came from the dark bloodlines, the disgraced sorcerers, as the families of former Death Eaters were now called. The intense, irrational fear that the Ministry was propagating about each citizen having a responsibility to its society, to make sure that all its members were good and pure, following the proper wizarding way of life. Well, that propaganda was utter bullshit and it had cost too many innocent lives. How were they any different from Voldemort, when the Ministry was indirectly giving its citizen’s carte blanche to take the law into its own hands?

The attacks had been devastating, hundreds killed in their already endangered population. Pansy’s mother and younger brother had been killed-her only remaining relatives, since both her father and eldest brother had been given the Kiss after the war trials. Draco’s aunt had been killed as well, even though she had no ties to Death Eaters at all, other than having the unfortunate luck of being related both to the Malfoys and Bellatrix Lestrange. Teddy, Draco’s cousin and Harry’s godson, had been taken into custody and placed into Saint Judas’ Centre for Magical Creatures and the Incurably Ill, for his own protection, of course.

Ginny had almost lost it when she heard; she wanted to march into Harry’s office and punch him right in the face, to keep on attacking him until some sense finally got knocked into him. She wasn’t able to though and it broke her heart. After the attacks, security around and in the castle had been heightened considerably. They were no longer allowed to take supervised visits to Hogsmeade or leave the castle at any time without written permission from a teacher. She had pleaded with all the professors to grant permission to visit Harry or at least Ron at the Ministry, but all of them, even the Headmistress, denied her request.

Looking back, it probably didn’t help that Ginny was barely passing her classes and skiving them off more frequently than not. She was already lucky that she wasn’t in detention every evening, so asking for any favours beyond that was improbable. The only thing she could do was write Harry an angry letter. His reply was so formal and filled with Ministry rubbish that Ginny burnt it without even finishing reading it. Harry claimed that this was most definitely in Teddy’s best interest because he would be around other children and a stable, protective environment where he could receive the proper attention for his delicate condition. Further, he explained that he and Ron could not provide Teddy with a stable home because of their busy Auror schedules, and even though Narcissa had requested custody of Teddy, she had been found as an unfit guardian. He insisted that they had no other choice and that he and Ron would visit Teddy weekly and check up on his progress.

When she heard the news, Ginny was practically in tears. What had happened to Harry? The old Harry, the hero that she had worshiped as a child, would never have agreed to place Teddy in a glorified orphanage. She knew that he meant well-he always did-but it was getting harder and harder to believe that he was still the incorrigible boy who defeated Voldemort, rather than the Ministry’s newest and greatest pawn. In some ways, he was probably as damaged as she was, if not more so, but when did he stop caring about the welfare of his loved ones over the good intentions of the Ministry?

They had all seen, Harry more than most, a multitude of horrors during the war. Ginny’s demons extended even further than that, but she never could have predicted this. Apparently, even the great Harry Potter was only human and could be bought for a price.

Fucking Hell. What was to become of them?

~8~8~8~

18 April 2000

“Draco we need to talk,” Pansy said stiffly as she sat down on the couch next to him.

He scoffed at her when he realised that she sat herself all the way on the opposite end of the couch, obviously making sure that she gave him enough space just in case he decided to hex her. Sometimes Pansy was so predictable.

“What about dear?” Draco asked drily, still fingering the bottle of scotch in his hand.

Pansy scowled and motioned to the large bottle of scotch in his hands.

“And?” Draco quirked an eyebrow at her. “What...would you like some? Usually, I don’t like to share, but I suppose I can make an exception.”

“No, I would not like some!” Pansy shrieked. “Draco, for Salazar’s sake, I know we’re Slytherins and all, but you can’t drink scotch in the Slytherin common room at one in the afternoon.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and sent him her most violent glare. “And from the bottle no less. Have you no manners?”

Draco shrugged, ignoring Pansy’s glare. Hopefully, he had consumed enough scotch that whatever hex she sent his way wouldn’t be too painful.

“It’s five o’ clock somewhere.”

“DRACO!”

“Fine,” Draco agreed reluctantly. Even though he loved Pansy, the girl could nag like no other. “You’re right, drinking scotch in the common room is disgraceful. I should be ashamed.”

Pansy’s eyes softened a little, but she still didn’t look convinced and eyed him warily.

“Why is that?”

“Because,” Draco replied smugly, wriggling his eyebrows. “It is Muggle scotch after all. I couldn’t find anything else. Our stash seems to be running low.”

Pansy threw her arms in the air and shrieked, that high-pitched annoying wail, that Draco always despised and she pretended she didn’t make.

He rolled his eyes and watched her hide her head in her arms, shaking it back and forth, as she rested on the arm of the couch.

“You are impossible, Draco Malfoy. An absolute horror.”

“I know,” Draco said with a grin.

“Come on,” she said, getting up from the couch and grabbing onto his arm. “I have to talk to you.”

“Not now, Pans. You’ll kill my buzz.” Draco attempted to shrug her off and Pansy’s eyes flashed dangerously at him.

“Draco,” she warned.

“Bugger.” He sighed loudly and allowed Pansy to drag him away, but clutched the bottle close to his chest as if it were a precious treasure. “But I’m bringing the bottle.”

~8~8~8~

“What is it that you want to talk about?” Draco drawled coolly, sprawling out on Pansy’s bed.

“Draco,” Pansy said seriously. “I’m worried about you.” She crawled up on the bed next to him and started stroking his hair. Pansy loved Draco best when they were alone like this, and he was somewhat unguarded. It was almost as if they were children again.

“Buzz kill. I knew it.” Draco closed his eyes and started rubbing the temples of his forehead.

“Look,” Pansy snapped, grabbing the bottle of scotch that Draco had placed on his chest for safekeeping. “I know you’re depressed about Potter or whatever, but you have to stop pining over him at some point. He couldn’t have been that brilliant of a shag.”

Draco started to protest, but Pansy called him off.

“Yes, yes, Malfoys don’t pine or get depressed. I’ve heard it all before, and I don’t care what it is...just stop doing it.”

“Pans,” Draco said, his voice soft, much softer than usual. He reached out for her hand and she gave it to him graciously. “It’s not that. And it’s not Potter, I’ve been thinking about.”

“Ahh.” Pansy clicked her mouth in comprehension. Draco’s withdrawn nature of recent wasn’t just about Potter. Thank Merlin, if not she was going to have to slap some sense into the boy. “You’ve been thinking about Vince and-”

“Blaise,” Draco finished, his tone emotionless.

“I miss them too,” she said. “All of them. You know how I felt about them.” Draco squeezed her hand in response and it was obvious that Pansy wasn’t just talking about Vince and Blaise, but her brother and mother as well. When it happened, they hadn’t even talked about it. Draco hired the best security money could buy for their funeral, and stood the entire time with his arm wrapped protectively around her, not letting anyone near her. She had thought that she was finally all alone in the world, but Draco had assured her otherwise.

“But love,” she continued gently, “we can’t just mope around all day. We have to get on with our plan.”

“Well will,” Draco assured her.

“But when?” She didn’t want to do this now; she knew that it would go over badly with Draco, but something had be done before it was too late.

“Don’t kill me for saying this, but you’re getting too attached to Girl Weasley.”

Draco’s eyes sprang open and he huffed, his calm face contorting into his stern, angry Malfoy mask.

“I am not,” he cried impetuously, like a 5-year-old child. “Not anymore than you are, dear.” He narrowed his eyes at her accusingly. “I heard about you taking long walks with her at night and comforting her.”

Pansy blanched and chewed on her bottom lip. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She thought that no one knew about that. How the hell did it get back to Draco?

“People are talking. They are saying you’ve lost your edge too, dear.” Draco grinned at her haughtily and she wanted nothing more than to hex that grin off his smug little face.

“Draco,” she warned and he just shrugged at her. “Fine. Perhaps the Weaselette is not as bad as I thought she would be. She’s quite entertaining at times and drinks like a fish.” She paused for a second, chewing on her lip again.“But that doesn’t mean we can keep her. She’s not a stray mutt that we can just domesticate. We need to get on with the plan before everything comes undone.”

“And we will.” Draco sat up and started kneading Pansy’s back. Damn him, he knew her weaknesses. “I agree that Red is nothing like her hell spawn brothers, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spare her. The plan will be finished over the hols. I’ve asked her if I can spend them with her at Chez Weasel.”

“And she bought it?” Pansy asked, raising an eyebrow and not wanting to admit that she was more than mildly impressed.

“Naturally,” Draco drawled. “I told her that Mother and I were in a row and I couldn’t bear to be trapped with her at that dreary manor.”

Pansy laughed and shook her head at Draco’s theatrics, watching him put a pale hand to his forehead and pretend to swoon.

“That’s brilliant,” she said, pursing her lips, “even though I-”

“I know. I know. You’ll miss me,” he interrupted, “but don’t worry, darling. You’re always welcome at the manor. I’m sure Mother would be happy to have you.” He turned his eyes on her, soft and bright for once, so different from the empty darkness she had seen recently. “You’re my family, Pans. You’ll always have me.”

Pansy smiled at him brightly and kissed him on the cheek. “Lucky me.”

“And Pans, don’t forget that with this latest development, it needs to be taken care of immediately.”

“I know,” Pansy answered seriously. “Already started. I convinced that idiot Longbottom that he actually has a chance with Luna.”

“Lovely.”

“Yes, Draco darling, leave that part to me. You worry about Potter.”

~8~8~8~

19 April 2000

The Easter hols were around the corner. Officially, they started tomorrow, but Ginny had skived off classes today and started the celebration early. She really had planned to attend her classes that morning, hoping to at least make an appearance and find out what assignments she would have to worry about over the break. But last night she hadn’t slept again. The same dreams that had been troubling her and creeping into her mind for the last few months were now becoming almost unmanageable.

Each night, she would close her eyes and images of bright lights, faceless strangers, and pearl white sand would invade her mind. At the first, it wasn’t so bad. The bright lights and sand were almost soothing, numbing at the very least, but recently her dreams had become nightmares. The bright lights that had once been inviting and enticing, were now disturbing and dizzying. The faceless strangers, who at first only made sporadic appearances, were now daily recurrences, no longer friendly or in the background. They were becoming almost familiar and were now starring in her dreams, chasing her down, and at times even catching her and having their way with her. Yet, worst of all was the sand; the pearl white sand, which glittered in the moonlight, was no longer sand but fine white crystals that surrounded her and encompassed her. Some nights it felt uplifting, as if she were floating through the air, finding solace in the clouds, but other nights, the fine white crystals would suffocate her and bury her alive.

Each time, however, as she gasped for air, she would always hear the same sweet voice, her voice, calling for Ginny and pleading for her to return from the darkness. But it was always too late. No matter how hard she struggled, no matter how loud she screamed, no one could hear Ginny, and she was just out of reach. The white crystals and faceless strangers just held her down, their grip only becoming tighter with time. And sometimes, on nights like last night, the dreams would no longer feel like nightmares, but distant memories of a painful history that Ginny hoped had been long erased.

~8~8~8~

After only getting two hours of sleep last night, Ginny knew that today was going to be a bad day. She never would have imagined how bad though. Luna, her Luna, had been invading her daydreams as usual, but today, something terrible had happened. Reality.

Ginny was sure that she wasn't the only one who noticed Luna's inane beauty. Luckily, since Luna spent her days surrounded by fierce Slytherins and an overprotective Ginny, most students seem to leave her alone -except for one Neville Longbottom. Ginny had never had a problem with Neville before. If anything, she had always sympathized with the poor awkward boy. It wasn't his fault that he was clumsy and un-magically gifted. He was a nice enough boy, and during her early years of schooling, she used to have picnics with him outside by the lake and grill him to the nth degree. She would ask all sorts of questions about her brother and Hermione, but mostly about Harry. Really, he must have been quite gullible as to not notice that every time she got together with him all she wanted to do was gossip about the older students, namely Harry. Still, he always humoured her, so eventually she held a certain fondness towards the gormless boy. Today, however, that former gratitude or fondness had completely vanished. Today, Neville Longbottom became her enemy.

Even with all the new security measures in place, gossip still travelled fast around the school. Halfway through lunchtime, everyone knew the Neville Longbottom had declared his undying love for Luna Lovegood and kissed her. The rumours varied on whether or not, Luna had accepted his proposal and kiss but it didn't matter to Ginny. Either way, Longbottom was going down.

Finally, the green-eyed monster within her had been roused.

~8~8~8~

That same afternoon, she decided that she could no longer stow away her feelings. Even though she knew that Neville was no longer a threat, since she had cornered him and warned him to stay away from Luna, her heart still clenched at the thought of someone, anyone else really, getting to Luna first. Rational or not, if she couldn't have Luna, then no one else could either. Ginny had become quite protective of the whimsical blonde. When she finally got a hold of Luna, she tried her best to act normal and not question her about her encounter with Neville. Rather, she told her best friend to meet her at the top of the Astronomy Tower after curfew-that she had something important to discuss with her. Luna had accepted Ginny’s offer readily, saying that she would miss Ginny over the Easter hols and was more than happy to spend some alone time with her beforehand.

Ginny had fretted all afternoon and evening, not quite knowing what she was going to say her best friend, how she was going to confess feelings that even she didn’t really understand. What she did know, was that one way or another, she would make Luna understand, and even if she didn’t quite return her feelings, at least they would be out in the open. Luna was much too kind a soul to hold them against her. And perhaps Ginny would finally be able to sleep. Yes, this confession was long overdue, and even though she had told herself time and time again that she would never tell Luna the truth, she decided that she owed it to the other girl and to herself as well. This was her last chance before the darkness engulfed her completely.

~8~8~8~

19 April 2000, late evening

Ginny had told Luna to meet her after nine. However, she had arrived at the Astronomy Tower at around seven. She had needed Padma and Parvati’s help to distract the guards and prefects, so she could sneak to the top of the tower, since it was forbidden to students without written permission from Professor Sinistra. Hopefully, Luna would not have any issues after curfew.

Even though it was practically the end of April, it was still a cold evening, so she had wanted to set up various long lasting warming charms around a small area of the tower. Everything needed to be perfect tonight. She had laid out two oversized wool blankets on the floor and brought with her eight candles, which represented the eight glorious years that Ginny had known Luna-two pink candles to promote romance and friendship, two red candles to attract passion and love, two silver candles to banish negativity and encourage stability, as well as two orange candles to invoke creativity and the ability to speak one’s mind effortlessly. Deep down, she knew that Luna would appreciate the sentiment and the effort. Now, she just hoped that it would be a clear night, so if all went well, they could gaze at the stars all night.

“Ginny, this is so lovely. Thank you so much for doing this. The stars are quite beautiful tonight and the candles too.”

“It’s nothing,” Ginny answered, trying her best to hide her blush. Her palms were sweating and her arms and legs covered in faint goose pimples. Slowly, Luna inched closer to her, and before she knew it, they were lying next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the stars.

Ginny’s heart was hammering against her ribs as she laid so close to Luna, who looked so beautiful and ethereal drenched in moonlight, even more beautiful than in any of Ginny’s dreams. Her golden hair was streaked with silver in the fierce moonlight and her eyes twinkled like blue sapphires. Ginny’s breath was hitching as she took in the vision beside her, her best friend since they were eleven, and now her other half. She took a deep breath and wiped her palms on the blanket, wanting nothing more than to kiss Luna breathless and hold her in her arms all night. It was now or never.

“Luna,” Ginny said slowly, reaching out and lacing their fingers together. Luna’s hands were so soft; her skin was almost translucent in the moonlight, but what really fascinated Ginny was that their fingers intertwined perfectly as if they were made for each other. “I-I heard that Nev-ille,” Ginny said, saying Neville’s name as if it were something foul, “kissed you today and basically asked for your hand.” She turned around and faced the other girl, locking eyes.

“Is it true?”

Luna giggled and the knot that had been forming in Ginny’s stomach loosened considerably.

“Yes and no,” she replied cryptically, her tone even and eyes expressionless.

Ginny squeezed Luna’s hand in response and waited for her to continue.

“He told me he loved me and would like nothing more than to make me the happiest woman in the world for the rest of my life.” Luna laughed again, tilting her head further back and gazing up at the stars. “What a ridiculous notion. And then he kissed me.”

Ginny chewed on her bottom lip, to keep herself from protesting virulently on the other girl’s behalf. How dare he be so presumptuous and just kiss Luna, her Luna, like that? Longbottom was dead. Perhaps threatening him had been too kind.

“And?” Ginny asked, hoping that her voice was neutral. Luna was much too perceptive for her own good, which was a quality that Ginny usually adored but not in moments like these.

Luna blew her hair out of her face and was silent. The silence only lasted seconds, but to Ginny, it felt like hours.

“I told him that it wasn’t written in the stars. That I didn’t-” she paused for a second and turned her head slightly, now facing further away from Ginny. By now, Ginny was used to Luna’s habits. During conversations, sometimes even at the most intense moments, the dreamy girl would lose focus and space out for a bit. It made most people mad, especially Draco, but Ginny just found it alluring, forcing her to hang onto Luna’s every word.

“Luna?” Ginny pulled on one of Luna’s long waves gently trying to get her attention.

“Hmm?” Luna said, turning to face her. “Oh right, Neville...I told him that I didn’t love him and couldn’t love him. That I was sorry.”

“I see.” Ginny’s mouth was dry and her heart racing again. Luna didn’t want Neville, thank goodness. But did that mean she could actually return Ginny’s feelings? She leaned in closer to Luna, now laying on her side and their foreheads almost touching.

“Did you like it? The kiss?” she breathed, her lips only inches away from Luna’s.

“No,” Luna replied firmly, her soft eyes fixated on Ginny still and not backing away.

“Oh.” Ginny felt like an idiot, but she was completely tongue-tired around the other girl. At times, it was as if Luna could read her mind, and she didn’t want to royally fuck this up before she could properly explain her feelings.

“He wasn’t a very good kisser.”

Ginny laughed and started tracing Luna’s knuckles with her free hand, their hands still intertwined.

“I can imagine not.”

“But it’s not his fault.” Luna turned over onto her back and Ginny almost gasped at the loss of contact. “He’s a boy,” Luna said softly, her voice almost a whisper. “I don’t like kissing boys.”

Ginny gasped and dropped Luna’s hand.

“What?” There must be some mistake. She must have heard Luna wrong because it couldn’t be that the girl that she had been pining over for months because she was afraid that she liked men or was perhaps even asexual, actually preferred woman instead. The universe couldn’t actually hate her that much, could it?

“Please don’t be angry.” Luna sat up and clutched her knees to her stomach, wrapping her arms firmly around them. She looked years younger, and her eyes usually so calm, looked sad, almost desperate. “I-I can’t help it,” she stammered, her voice only a squeak. “It’s written in the stars.”

“I’m not mad,” Ginny blurted out. “I could never be mad at you, Luna. I’m just shocked. You never said.”

Ginny had the urge to throw her arms around the other girl and never let her go, but she could tell that Luna needed her space. If she pushed her, Luna might run off and that was the last thing Ginny needed.

“I-I’ve only told Draco.”

Ginny gulped and nodded, still utterly tongue-tied.

“Draco would always sneak into the dungeons and bring me extra food and blankets.” Her voice was strangely wistful. “And sometimes, we would talk for hours about everything. I told him that I didn’t like kissing boys. He laughed and said that it was because I had kissed the wrong boys, so he grabbed me and kissed me, a real passionate kiss.”

Ginny gasped and narrowed her eyes. Now, Draco was on her list of people to murder too-right after Neville. That bastard.

“And?” Ginny squeaked.

Luna sent her a small smile and shrugged. “Well, it was better than Neville and better than the one time Harry had to kiss me because of mistletoe.” She bit down on her lip. “Draco’s a very good kisser, but it wasn’t right. I didn’t feel anything.”

“And you think that with a girl it would be different?”

“It depends.” Ginny could see the other girl trembling slightly now and she wondered if her Warming Charms were wearing off. Without a second thought, she ran over to Luna and wrapped her in a warm embrace, rubbing her hands up and down her shoulders.

“You’re frozen.”

“I-I.”

“Don’t talk,” Ginny said softly, placing a kiss on Luna’s forehead. “Luna,” Ginny said seriously. “You’ve been my best friend for years and I could never imagine my life without you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Gin.”

“No.” Ginny turned the blonde girl around, so that they were facing each other, Ginny’s arms still firmly wrapped around her. “I love...love you,” Ginny explained. “I think I have for years now. I just didn’t know it.”

Luna’s eyes widened, wider than Ginny had ever seen them; it was if she were staring into two endless pools. Her heart was hammering against her ribs again, threatening to rip itself from her chest. She needed to make her move now, to be brave. All her recent first kisses from Pansy, Draco, and even Harry had been initiated by the other person; all she ever did was react. This time, this first kiss that she had dreamt about for months, was going to be on her terms.

She stared into Luna’s eyes again, who was just blinking at her stupidly, obviously still in shock. Her pink lips were parted slightly and Ginny took this as a sign. Slowly, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against Luna’s only for a second. Somehow, that tender chaste kiss, had electrified her entire body, and it tasted sweet like cheeries.

Luna’s exhaled quickly, her breath a white puff, which was faintly streaked with gold and smiled her most dazzling smile..

“I love you, love you too,” she said. “You’re my other half, Gin. Always have been.”

Ginny released a deep breath as well, which puffed out in a grey cloud in front of her. Without them realising, the temperature must have dropped. She returned her smile and grabbed her again, this time for a real kiss. Cherries again. Ginny wondered if Luna had a fondness for eating cherries, or just somehow tasted inherently sweet that way. Either way, she wouldn’t be surprised; Luna was definitely one of a kind.

“How was that?” Ginny asked, as she rested her forehead against Luna’s and tried to catch her breath.

“Written in the stars,” Luna replied and Ginny couldn’t help but laugh.

They spent the rest of the night drenched in moonlight and lying together underneath the stars. As she stole sweet kisses from Luna and held her in arms, listening to her rapid heartbeat and soft exhale as if it were a lullaby, Ginny had never been happier. She didn’t know if it was because of the extraordinarily bright night or perhaps because a lead weight had been lifted from her chest, but for the first time in weeks, she slept soundly basking in the light with Luna, who had brought her back from the edge.

Part 4 Part 5