FIC Challenge: Goodbye
Title: Goodbye
Author: bluefuzzyelf
Rating: PG
Summary: She needs something to fight for; to stay for; to live for.
A/N: I was heavily influenced by two scenes in Cassie Claire's Draco series, as you'll probably notice.
I am so sad this com is closing, and as an ending remark:
I LOVE YOU ALL, D/G FICCERS!!!
"You're going." Her voice broke a little, and he pretended not to hear.
"Well, that's not as eloquent as I had imagined, but yes-" he said, his tone light.
Ginny whirled on him. "Don't you dare be flippant about this," she snarled. Draco actually jerked, and Ginny almost felt sorry. She watched him leaning against the stone, his face lit in sharp angles by the moonlight and she could see the toll the last months had taken. His face was sharper, a more refined edge than even his wit and cruelty.
"I-"
"Don't. I don't want to hear it." She looked out the window. "I can't just sit here, you know that. I need something to keep me going, to keep me here Draco." She looked at him again, and he was watching her with inscrutable eyes. "I need you to promise me something."
He instantly looked wary. Ginny knew Harry's answer would have been "Of course," and Ron's would have been "There's not a boy involved, is there?" Draco's was simpler: "What?"
"I need you to answer a question, and I need you to just tell me, not quote anything, or be flip, just tell me the answer."
The waryness did not leave Draco's face.
"Do you love me?"
Draco blinked. "That's the question? I'm going to join Voldemort's ranks, Harry's possibly going insane, your brother is dying, and that's what you want to ask me?"
"Yes," said Ginny resolutely. "I need a reason not to go haring after you once you leave, and I need you to give it to me."
Draco frowned. "Me loving you with keep you away? That's certainly backward."
"Draco," and her voice was breaking and his face softened. He stood close to her, picking up a slender wrist in his fingers. "I know it's a stupid question, because you love completely and if you loved me, you'd be the first to know, but I just...I need to know."
"No," he looked stricken. "No, Ginny, I would be the very last to know. I wasn't bought up to love. I want to. I want to love you with everything I have, but I just don't know how. But if I ever could love someone, Ginny, you'd be her."
His voice was soft and she bowed her head, hiding the brightness in her eyes. He lifted his other hand to push back her hairand drag his knuckles down her cheek.
"I love you." Her voice was thick with tears and so much more stunning to Draco.
"Why?"
Ginny shrugged. "I just do. The real you, not a fantasy version of you. "You're unbearably cruel sometimes, and sharp as a knife and you're arrogant and someimes petty and selfish and vain-"
Draco chuckled, but it sounded pained.
"But you're also all sorts of good things too, and I just love you."
He leaned into her, and she into him. They stood there, a silhouette with just their fingertips and foreheads touching, breathing in tandem.
"I can't tell you I love you." He sounded truly regretful.
"I know."
"Is it enough, that I could?"
Ginny let out a shaky breath. "It will have to be, won't it." It wasn't a question.
She wasn't sure who moved first, but all of a sudden his lips were on hers, dry and soft. He tasted of the tart he must've had for desert, and cold night air and desperation. As always, his kisses left her breathless, unsure, and dizzy.
When they pulled apart, it could have been days or weeks later. Ginny stared at him hard. He didn't look away, bared and boned in her vision. She memorized every line and emotion, seared his visage into her mind. He stared at her as well, but with a quality she couldn't name. She rested her head briefly on his collarbone, inhaling his scent, all lemons and peppercorns and leather and smoke, drenching herself in him. Then she pulled away, letting go of his hands and his body and his mind.
He stood unmoving, face impassive.
"Goodbye, Ginevra."
She was there long after he had left, cooling herself against the stone, letting the tears drip silently down her cheeks and whispering her goodbye into the night.
Author: bluefuzzyelf
Rating: PG
Summary: She needs something to fight for; to stay for; to live for.
A/N: I was heavily influenced by two scenes in Cassie Claire's Draco series, as you'll probably notice.
I am so sad this com is closing, and as an ending remark:
I LOVE YOU ALL, D/G FICCERS!!!
"You're going." Her voice broke a little, and he pretended not to hear.
"Well, that's not as eloquent as I had imagined, but yes-" he said, his tone light.
Ginny whirled on him. "Don't you dare be flippant about this," she snarled. Draco actually jerked, and Ginny almost felt sorry. She watched him leaning against the stone, his face lit in sharp angles by the moonlight and she could see the toll the last months had taken. His face was sharper, a more refined edge than even his wit and cruelty.
"I-"
"Don't. I don't want to hear it." She looked out the window. "I can't just sit here, you know that. I need something to keep me going, to keep me here Draco." She looked at him again, and he was watching her with inscrutable eyes. "I need you to promise me something."
He instantly looked wary. Ginny knew Harry's answer would have been "Of course," and Ron's would have been "There's not a boy involved, is there?" Draco's was simpler: "What?"
"I need you to answer a question, and I need you to just tell me, not quote anything, or be flip, just tell me the answer."
The waryness did not leave Draco's face.
"Do you love me?"
Draco blinked. "That's the question? I'm going to join Voldemort's ranks, Harry's possibly going insane, your brother is dying, and that's what you want to ask me?"
"Yes," said Ginny resolutely. "I need a reason not to go haring after you once you leave, and I need you to give it to me."
Draco frowned. "Me loving you with keep you away? That's certainly backward."
"Draco," and her voice was breaking and his face softened. He stood close to her, picking up a slender wrist in his fingers. "I know it's a stupid question, because you love completely and if you loved me, you'd be the first to know, but I just...I need to know."
"No," he looked stricken. "No, Ginny, I would be the very last to know. I wasn't bought up to love. I want to. I want to love you with everything I have, but I just don't know how. But if I ever could love someone, Ginny, you'd be her."
His voice was soft and she bowed her head, hiding the brightness in her eyes. He lifted his other hand to push back her hairand drag his knuckles down her cheek.
"I love you." Her voice was thick with tears and so much more stunning to Draco.
"Why?"
Ginny shrugged. "I just do. The real you, not a fantasy version of you. "You're unbearably cruel sometimes, and sharp as a knife and you're arrogant and someimes petty and selfish and vain-"
Draco chuckled, but it sounded pained.
"But you're also all sorts of good things too, and I just love you."
He leaned into her, and she into him. They stood there, a silhouette with just their fingertips and foreheads touching, breathing in tandem.
"I can't tell you I love you." He sounded truly regretful.
"I know."
"Is it enough, that I could?"
Ginny let out a shaky breath. "It will have to be, won't it." It wasn't a question.
She wasn't sure who moved first, but all of a sudden his lips were on hers, dry and soft. He tasted of the tart he must've had for desert, and cold night air and desperation. As always, his kisses left her breathless, unsure, and dizzy.
When they pulled apart, it could have been days or weeks later. Ginny stared at him hard. He didn't look away, bared and boned in her vision. She memorized every line and emotion, seared his visage into her mind. He stared at her as well, but with a quality she couldn't name. She rested her head briefly on his collarbone, inhaling his scent, all lemons and peppercorns and leather and smoke, drenching herself in him. Then she pulled away, letting go of his hands and his body and his mind.
He stood unmoving, face impassive.
"Goodbye, Ginevra."
She was there long after he had left, cooling herself against the stone, letting the tears drip silently down her cheeks and whispering her goodbye into the night.