Haunted Fragment
Fanfiction has never been my forte. There is a big difference in writing original and writing fanfiction. I tend towards the original, even if my story ideas lose fire before I can even complete them.
But fanfiction. I know there is an allure in it. For one, there is the fact that what you write will actually be read. Volunatarily. By strangers. And if you're an average writer, there will always be someone out there who will like your work and want to read more.
Fanfiction gives you a ready audience and a tried and tested premise to work from.
I'm strange in the fact that I can't write fanfiction in popular fandoms. The only reason I've been able to write for the Koenma/Botan fandom is because it is very small. That's why I'm attempting to write an epic of sorts, even if it'll flop.
A large fandom like the Harry Potter one scares me. It's diversity is overwhelming and makes me feel that anything I write for it will be lost in the great mix of good and bad fics. There are quite a lot out there as it is. Nevertheless, I did make an attempt to fic, mainly to give back to irisakura for all the wonderful D/G she has dedicated to me.
Of course, the fic flopped over and died from utter lack of ideas. So, I'm giving it up. I did try, irisakura, really I did. It just wasn't meant to be. I can only give you non-personal material things for your birthday, but I do have an idea for another gift I could make. It will probably be much later before I finish it, though.
I'm staying out of HP ficdom and will merely remain a reader. Occassionally, I will beta for friends whose writing I adore. (check out ladyofthesnitch's stuff)
In the meanwhile, fragment of a D/G will remain as one of my many unfinished stories for the time being.
Just in case anyone's interested,
Haunted
For Ekai Ungson
Note: I am oddly a T/G fan in addition to being a D/G one. And I haven't read as many fics as I should have, so forgive me if this has been done before.
Disclaimers: I own nothing and make no profit from this.
I will make you fall in love.
The world was sleeping when Ginny woke. Still caught in the wearying web of sleep, she felt rather than saw the darkness approach her. She extended an arm past the edge of her bed, palm up, tapered fingers laxly bending inwards, in the way one sleeping would reach out in the night.
Something clasped her hand. If she didn't move, it would almost seem solid.
She hadn't expected it to be warm this time. Or comforting. None of those things could ever be derived from something like darkness. Just cold and fear.
"Ginny,"
A breath ran through her hair, the fingers of air barely penetrating the thickness. She sighed and slid her half-open eyes completely closed. There would be nothing if she looked up. It had always been nothing but shadows past, remnants of a time when life was a nightmare and he was her prince.
But that time was long over. Now he came to her only in her nightmares.
Now only his echoes remained.
"Ginny..."
Ginny Weasley didn't expect anyone to understand. Her marks had never been like Hermione's but even this was low for her. In her hand was her latest Potions test - heavily marked and barely passing.
Getting a low grade in Snape's class shouldn't have been surprising. Snape was known for having a prejudice against Griffindors and, most especially, anyone who was associated with Harry Potter and his gang. Ginny was the sister of Harry's best friend. It was to be expected that she have more to prove.
But that was just it. She had always managed to do fairly well in Potions - better, actually, than in her other subjects. Lately, though, her concentration had been faltering and her grades followed suit.
It wasn't just in Potions she was in trouble in either. Half of her grades were mediocre while the rest were clinging on the edge of failure. The last time this had happened was...
There was someone behind her. Ginny looked back.
No one.
Naturally.
She looked at her test again. Well, maybe Ron would understand. Her brother didn't exactly get top marks either. But he would wonder what was bothering her and Ginny didn't want to worry him. Her family had been so worried about her before. They could never forget, and they would jump at every nightmare she had or shadow she felt until she learned to stop telling them anything.
Right now, Ginny had a very good inkling she was being followed.
It was a warm afternoon and most everyone was outside. She would have been out herself if she hadn't been tagging along after Ron and trying to get a word in about Draco Malfoy suspiciously skulking about as of late. But Ron, Harry and Hermione had been too intent on discussing plans - plans that Ginny couldn't quite hear or wasn't meant to hear. The trio had always been a trio since their very first year. Younger, fragile little Ginny would never be able to become a part of that triangle of trust. She had never tried to.
After what appeared to be a break-through, Ron had affectionately pat her on the head, Harry had smiled so adorably, and Hermione had waved as they apologetically but excitedly broke away to work on what they did every year: saving the day.
So Ginny had been left, wandering the deserted inner corridors as she tried to decide what to do about her current situation. Ginny didn't want to tell anyone about it. It was true not asking for help had gotten her in trouble before, but these were marks. This was different. Surely she could handle this problem on her own.
There it was again, an echo just after her own footsteps.
Ginny paused and looked around again. The footsteps hadn't stopped like they had earlier. They were audible now, its producer no longer hiding under the veil of Ginny's footfalls. She had the distinct impression they were directly behind her and rapidly approaching but no matter how she looked, there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing.
Becoming truly frightened, she spun around and began to run, her red her flying behind her. The steps picked up the pace but it was still falling behind. Ginny wasn't a slow runner. She had learned to be quite fast after growing up with six older brothers.
The footsteps were starting to falter, as if growing tired, and Ginny knew she was flying on air, getting away. Just ahead was the corner, and around it were the stairs of safety. In just a moment she would be past them both and in the comfort of the main hall-
A pale figure came into view. For an instant, he seemed to have black hair and a terrifyingly familiar face that made her twist around in mid-stride in an attempt to flee the way she had come. The move proved to complicated. Ginny tripped over her own legs, falling on her side and skidding backward along the shining floor, past the figure, and nearly to the end of the hall where she finally came to a halt.
It was eerily quiet.
Ginny lay still for a moment in recovery, curled slightly in defense, her arms around herself and a hand secretly grabbing her wand from amidst her billowing robes.
A loud laugh resounded through the empty corridor. Sharp. Mocking. Unmistakable.
"So the little Weasley thinks she can dance."
Ginny reluctantly lifted her brown eyes. It was a sight she loathed: Expensive shoes. Pristine robes. Green crest. Draco Malfoy.
He was leaning casually upon the wall, head tilted so that a loose blond tendril fell onto his forehead. His silver eyes flashed wickedly as they took in the collapsed image of Ginny, traveling first to her face, then to her patched robes.
Feeling the coldness of his gaze, Ginny realized her robes had ridden up in her fall, revealing too much of her legs than she cared for. Self-consciously, she flung her robes over them and sat up. She wished she could glare but all she felt was mortified and it plainly showed.
Draco Malfoy looked at her in consideration.
"Well," he said.
To her surprise, he began walking towards her. Ginny pushed herself backwards as he did, sliding easily along the floor inch by inch until her back was to the wall and she was shrinking against it.
It wasn't unusual for Draco Malfoy to hurl snide insults at her. As a Weasley, Ginny had expected it and knew how to steel herself against it. But Draco Malfoy coming at her in a threatening manner- she didn't know what to do about that.
He was close now, within arms' reach. Doing the only thing she could think of, she took hold of her wand, whipped it out and pointed it recklessly up at him.
"Stay away." Ginny warned just before he grabbed her outstretched wand arm and pulled her up with decided firmness. She stumbled against him for a slight second, her red hair staining the black of his robes, before momentum pulled her gratefully back again.
Her wand was plucked from her before she could even register what he had just done, and Draco Malfoy was stepping away. Blinking, Ginny didn't know whether to thank him or demand for her wand back.
"That's my..." she murmured but he spoke over her.
"Accio." He drawled, elegantly pointing her wand in the air. There was a whirring sound and something flashed by Ginny before going straight into Draco Malfoy's hand. With a flourish, he presented herself to her. It took a moment more for Ginny to realize he was holding a mirror.
Dumbly taking the intricately carved silver handle with both hands, she stared at the mirror mystified until she saw her hair was a tousled mess. Strands stuck up everywhere, making her appear as if she had just come from a windy storm.
She looked at him, utterly confused by the gesture.
He wasn't paying attention. He had walked back to her fallen bag and was making the scattered things dance with her wand.
"I thought Gryffindors were brave and all that rot," he said.
"W-what?" Ginny was beginning to think he had gone a bit mad. It would explain how odd he was acting.
"You were running from something, Weasley."
Oh. "I- I was late." Ginny lied, her eyes flickering to the side as she said it.
His steady look made her feel he could see right through her words.
"Right. To see Snape, perhaps?" Her papers were in his hand, and he seemed to be smirking at her dismal results. He flipped through them. "Or Binns? Or Charms? My, you do live up to the Weasley reputation."
Gritting her teeth, Ginny flashed forward and snatched the papers out of his hand. He seemed startled. Snapping up her wand as well and thrusting the mirror at him, she said quietly, "And you live up to yours."
"It takes minimal effort." He stood watching as she tried to unsuccessfully stop her schoolbooks from prancing about. "Do you need help?"
"I would never ask help from you." Ginny couldn't resist snapping at him. Putting her wand away, she resorted to simply chasing after the books and stuffing them back into her bag as quickly as possible. This- whatever this was, it was going on too long and Ginny was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"I wasn't offering anyway. I would think your precious Potter would, though."
"What are you on about?" she asked in irritation, the mention of Harry tightening her nerves. "Harry isn't even here."
Draco Malfoy waved another of her tests that he had somehow nabbed. "I was referring to this."
"Harry has more important things to do than help me." she answered, eying the paper while she grabbed the last book off the floor. "And I don't want any help."
"Really."
Ginny suddenly lunged with the intent to grab the test, but he pulled it out of her reach. It seemed he couldn't be caught off guard twice.
"Really, now, Weasley, where are your manners?"
She said nothing. He looked at her expectantly.
After taking in a quiet breath, Ginny said warily, "Please give me back my parchment."
"My name."
"Your name?"
"Say my name. You haven't said it once while I've said yours several times now. That is downright rude, Weasley."
"You don't even know my name, Draco Malfoy."
"Of course I do. You're a Weasley."
== slight gap ==
If she thought before that she saw Draco Malfoy hanging about Harry, then Ginny now began to see Draco Malfoy hanging about her. She hadn't noticed it at first because nothing seemed to have changed. They would pass each other in the hall and he would completely ignore her unless he had a particularly snotty remark to make about Harry.
But that was what differed. He would always have something to say about Harry and not about her. He knew she liked Harry - she had shown it the moment she had come to Harry's defense in Flourish and Blotts before her first year. The fact that Draco Malfoy purposely slandered him to her face made the insult twice as hurtful. But she never said anything back. She wasn't like Draco Malfoy. Not at all.
So one day, when she saw him mysteriously alone in the library, she was horrified to find herself marching up to him and saying, "Harry will always be better than you and you're just jealous of that, Draco Malfoy."
And she stood there, stunned at her ridiculous daring and hopelessly lame retort to all his many cleverer remarks. She supposed that she might have been angrier with him than she had thought.
He stared at her, blond head still hovering over a parchment, as if he couldn't quite believe what she'd done. Ginny felt even more foolish.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I don't know what-"
"So you've come for help, have you?"
"No, I have not-"
He pulled the books out of her hands with the graceful speed of a snake. Taking out the blotched parchments stuck between the pages, he remarked, "Yes, you have."
== big gap - the seduction ==
Draco's intense eyes were on her again, curious. Perhaps, even concerned. "What happened?"
Ginny looked away, bowing her head, fiery locks dulled in the ash of shadows.
"He did things to me." She stated, tone indicating she would elaborate no further.
Draco never understood such subtle hints. Then again, it might have been because he chose not to when it was convenient. "What things?"
"Things." Ginny replied. With an odd rush of anger, she turned back to the slender boy and glared, daring him to pity her, to insult her. She was so much stronger now. She had survived, she had recovered, and the events of the past could not hurt her anymore.
But they could haunt her.
Draco met her glare with a look of interest. Not of pity, or of menace, or anything else so foul, but of interest.
"Things," he repeated in a voice that slid deliciously over her, like rose-scented water. It was the voice he used when he was being obviously manipulative and appallingly seductive at the same time. "Things like this?"
He stretched out his hand and gently tucked away the red curtain she'd been hiding behind. Ginny did not move.
"Or like this?"
His slender hand moved to her face, fingertips floating over her cheeks, her eyes, her lips...
"Or this?"
His voice was a whisper now as he trailed lower, lower...
Ginny caught his hand, her own quivering slightly. Naturally, he didn't miss that.
"Things." Draco gave her a tilting smile.
== huge gap - haunting incidents, development of feelings ==
Ginny didn't understand him. Draco had grown extraordinarily moody in the past days, constantly snapping at her for the slightest error or valid question. At one point, he said he hated her and stormed out, never wanting to see such a "filthy" Weasley again. But he came back again, and strangely, so did she.
== gap - a discovery then confrontation==
Draco was in a rage and he seemed to be throwing all caution to the wind.
"All I've been doing is using you and you've just been so completely naïve - so bloody blind - to everything. Aren't you supposed to know better, Ginny? Didn't you learn from the past to not trust things or people like me?"
And of course he was referring to Riddle. Hadn't she learned from Riddle?
Quietly, always quietly, she said, "You love me, don't you, Draco?"
She drew closer to him, despite the fact he appeared like he could go violent at any moment. His sleek golden strands were falling about his face, not quite wild, more of ruffled. Even in anger, Draco did not lose complete control.
Instead of answering, he stared almost blankly at her and said, "What are you?"
"I'm Ginny." She touched his arm and he didn't pull back. "What are you?"
"I'm..." It seemed every molecule in him was fighting it. The silver of his eyes was misted over and shining in candlelight. "I'm... insane."
Even then, Draco couldn't say the word he struggled against. But Ginny knew what he meant. During the eternities she had been denying this as he had, the realization of it had come long before she could accept it.
"So am I."
And for some reason he was crying and it was Ginny who was strong, holding him. His composure of ice had already begun to freeze a small part of her, just as she had begun to melt a small part of him.
Ginny wished she could cry.
Even when she knew it was right, it still felt so wrong.
-------------
-------------
I don't know how this ends, but it doesn't end here. Ginny has to solve her haunting issue, and only then can there be a real resolution.
Thus ends my rather mundane attempt at D/G. It's status is now officially put to "on hold". Maybe I'll write in it again, when I'm procrastinating writing for something else. ^^ Thanks for reading, if you read.
EDIT: Fixed typos (ARGH) and revised very slightly. - 4/21
And now, to concentrate on Riven (K/B) and my originals.
But fanfiction. I know there is an allure in it. For one, there is the fact that what you write will actually be read. Volunatarily. By strangers. And if you're an average writer, there will always be someone out there who will like your work and want to read more.
Fanfiction gives you a ready audience and a tried and tested premise to work from.
I'm strange in the fact that I can't write fanfiction in popular fandoms. The only reason I've been able to write for the Koenma/Botan fandom is because it is very small. That's why I'm attempting to write an epic of sorts, even if it'll flop.
A large fandom like the Harry Potter one scares me. It's diversity is overwhelming and makes me feel that anything I write for it will be lost in the great mix of good and bad fics. There are quite a lot out there as it is. Nevertheless, I did make an attempt to fic, mainly to give back to irisakura for all the wonderful D/G she has dedicated to me.
Of course, the fic flopped over and died from utter lack of ideas. So, I'm giving it up. I did try, irisakura, really I did. It just wasn't meant to be. I can only give you non-personal material things for your birthday, but I do have an idea for another gift I could make. It will probably be much later before I finish it, though.
I'm staying out of HP ficdom and will merely remain a reader. Occassionally, I will beta for friends whose writing I adore. (check out ladyofthesnitch's stuff)
In the meanwhile, fragment of a D/G will remain as one of my many unfinished stories for the time being.
Just in case anyone's interested,
Haunted
For Ekai Ungson
Note: I am oddly a T/G fan in addition to being a D/G one. And I haven't read as many fics as I should have, so forgive me if this has been done before.
Disclaimers: I own nothing and make no profit from this.
I will make you fall in love.
The world was sleeping when Ginny woke. Still caught in the wearying web of sleep, she felt rather than saw the darkness approach her. She extended an arm past the edge of her bed, palm up, tapered fingers laxly bending inwards, in the way one sleeping would reach out in the night.
Something clasped her hand. If she didn't move, it would almost seem solid.
She hadn't expected it to be warm this time. Or comforting. None of those things could ever be derived from something like darkness. Just cold and fear.
"Ginny,"
A breath ran through her hair, the fingers of air barely penetrating the thickness. She sighed and slid her half-open eyes completely closed. There would be nothing if she looked up. It had always been nothing but shadows past, remnants of a time when life was a nightmare and he was her prince.
But that time was long over. Now he came to her only in her nightmares.
Now only his echoes remained.
"Ginny..."
Ginny Weasley didn't expect anyone to understand. Her marks had never been like Hermione's but even this was low for her. In her hand was her latest Potions test - heavily marked and barely passing.
Getting a low grade in Snape's class shouldn't have been surprising. Snape was known for having a prejudice against Griffindors and, most especially, anyone who was associated with Harry Potter and his gang. Ginny was the sister of Harry's best friend. It was to be expected that she have more to prove.
But that was just it. She had always managed to do fairly well in Potions - better, actually, than in her other subjects. Lately, though, her concentration had been faltering and her grades followed suit.
It wasn't just in Potions she was in trouble in either. Half of her grades were mediocre while the rest were clinging on the edge of failure. The last time this had happened was...
There was someone behind her. Ginny looked back.
No one.
Naturally.
She looked at her test again. Well, maybe Ron would understand. Her brother didn't exactly get top marks either. But he would wonder what was bothering her and Ginny didn't want to worry him. Her family had been so worried about her before. They could never forget, and they would jump at every nightmare she had or shadow she felt until she learned to stop telling them anything.
Right now, Ginny had a very good inkling she was being followed.
It was a warm afternoon and most everyone was outside. She would have been out herself if she hadn't been tagging along after Ron and trying to get a word in about Draco Malfoy suspiciously skulking about as of late. But Ron, Harry and Hermione had been too intent on discussing plans - plans that Ginny couldn't quite hear or wasn't meant to hear. The trio had always been a trio since their very first year. Younger, fragile little Ginny would never be able to become a part of that triangle of trust. She had never tried to.
After what appeared to be a break-through, Ron had affectionately pat her on the head, Harry had smiled so adorably, and Hermione had waved as they apologetically but excitedly broke away to work on what they did every year: saving the day.
So Ginny had been left, wandering the deserted inner corridors as she tried to decide what to do about her current situation. Ginny didn't want to tell anyone about it. It was true not asking for help had gotten her in trouble before, but these were marks. This was different. Surely she could handle this problem on her own.
There it was again, an echo just after her own footsteps.
Ginny paused and looked around again. The footsteps hadn't stopped like they had earlier. They were audible now, its producer no longer hiding under the veil of Ginny's footfalls. She had the distinct impression they were directly behind her and rapidly approaching but no matter how she looked, there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing.
Becoming truly frightened, she spun around and began to run, her red her flying behind her. The steps picked up the pace but it was still falling behind. Ginny wasn't a slow runner. She had learned to be quite fast after growing up with six older brothers.
The footsteps were starting to falter, as if growing tired, and Ginny knew she was flying on air, getting away. Just ahead was the corner, and around it were the stairs of safety. In just a moment she would be past them both and in the comfort of the main hall-
A pale figure came into view. For an instant, he seemed to have black hair and a terrifyingly familiar face that made her twist around in mid-stride in an attempt to flee the way she had come. The move proved to complicated. Ginny tripped over her own legs, falling on her side and skidding backward along the shining floor, past the figure, and nearly to the end of the hall where she finally came to a halt.
It was eerily quiet.
Ginny lay still for a moment in recovery, curled slightly in defense, her arms around herself and a hand secretly grabbing her wand from amidst her billowing robes.
A loud laugh resounded through the empty corridor. Sharp. Mocking. Unmistakable.
"So the little Weasley thinks she can dance."
Ginny reluctantly lifted her brown eyes. It was a sight she loathed: Expensive shoes. Pristine robes. Green crest. Draco Malfoy.
He was leaning casually upon the wall, head tilted so that a loose blond tendril fell onto his forehead. His silver eyes flashed wickedly as they took in the collapsed image of Ginny, traveling first to her face, then to her patched robes.
Feeling the coldness of his gaze, Ginny realized her robes had ridden up in her fall, revealing too much of her legs than she cared for. Self-consciously, she flung her robes over them and sat up. She wished she could glare but all she felt was mortified and it plainly showed.
Draco Malfoy looked at her in consideration.
"Well," he said.
To her surprise, he began walking towards her. Ginny pushed herself backwards as he did, sliding easily along the floor inch by inch until her back was to the wall and she was shrinking against it.
It wasn't unusual for Draco Malfoy to hurl snide insults at her. As a Weasley, Ginny had expected it and knew how to steel herself against it. But Draco Malfoy coming at her in a threatening manner- she didn't know what to do about that.
He was close now, within arms' reach. Doing the only thing she could think of, she took hold of her wand, whipped it out and pointed it recklessly up at him.
"Stay away." Ginny warned just before he grabbed her outstretched wand arm and pulled her up with decided firmness. She stumbled against him for a slight second, her red hair staining the black of his robes, before momentum pulled her gratefully back again.
Her wand was plucked from her before she could even register what he had just done, and Draco Malfoy was stepping away. Blinking, Ginny didn't know whether to thank him or demand for her wand back.
"That's my..." she murmured but he spoke over her.
"Accio." He drawled, elegantly pointing her wand in the air. There was a whirring sound and something flashed by Ginny before going straight into Draco Malfoy's hand. With a flourish, he presented herself to her. It took a moment more for Ginny to realize he was holding a mirror.
Dumbly taking the intricately carved silver handle with both hands, she stared at the mirror mystified until she saw her hair was a tousled mess. Strands stuck up everywhere, making her appear as if she had just come from a windy storm.
She looked at him, utterly confused by the gesture.
He wasn't paying attention. He had walked back to her fallen bag and was making the scattered things dance with her wand.
"I thought Gryffindors were brave and all that rot," he said.
"W-what?" Ginny was beginning to think he had gone a bit mad. It would explain how odd he was acting.
"You were running from something, Weasley."
Oh. "I- I was late." Ginny lied, her eyes flickering to the side as she said it.
His steady look made her feel he could see right through her words.
"Right. To see Snape, perhaps?" Her papers were in his hand, and he seemed to be smirking at her dismal results. He flipped through them. "Or Binns? Or Charms? My, you do live up to the Weasley reputation."
Gritting her teeth, Ginny flashed forward and snatched the papers out of his hand. He seemed startled. Snapping up her wand as well and thrusting the mirror at him, she said quietly, "And you live up to yours."
"It takes minimal effort." He stood watching as she tried to unsuccessfully stop her schoolbooks from prancing about. "Do you need help?"
"I would never ask help from you." Ginny couldn't resist snapping at him. Putting her wand away, she resorted to simply chasing after the books and stuffing them back into her bag as quickly as possible. This- whatever this was, it was going on too long and Ginny was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"I wasn't offering anyway. I would think your precious Potter would, though."
"What are you on about?" she asked in irritation, the mention of Harry tightening her nerves. "Harry isn't even here."
Draco Malfoy waved another of her tests that he had somehow nabbed. "I was referring to this."
"Harry has more important things to do than help me." she answered, eying the paper while she grabbed the last book off the floor. "And I don't want any help."
"Really."
Ginny suddenly lunged with the intent to grab the test, but he pulled it out of her reach. It seemed he couldn't be caught off guard twice.
"Really, now, Weasley, where are your manners?"
She said nothing. He looked at her expectantly.
After taking in a quiet breath, Ginny said warily, "Please give me back my parchment."
"My name."
"Your name?"
"Say my name. You haven't said it once while I've said yours several times now. That is downright rude, Weasley."
"You don't even know my name, Draco Malfoy."
"Of course I do. You're a Weasley."
== slight gap ==
If she thought before that she saw Draco Malfoy hanging about Harry, then Ginny now began to see Draco Malfoy hanging about her. She hadn't noticed it at first because nothing seemed to have changed. They would pass each other in the hall and he would completely ignore her unless he had a particularly snotty remark to make about Harry.
But that was what differed. He would always have something to say about Harry and not about her. He knew she liked Harry - she had shown it the moment she had come to Harry's defense in Flourish and Blotts before her first year. The fact that Draco Malfoy purposely slandered him to her face made the insult twice as hurtful. But she never said anything back. She wasn't like Draco Malfoy. Not at all.
So one day, when she saw him mysteriously alone in the library, she was horrified to find herself marching up to him and saying, "Harry will always be better than you and you're just jealous of that, Draco Malfoy."
And she stood there, stunned at her ridiculous daring and hopelessly lame retort to all his many cleverer remarks. She supposed that she might have been angrier with him than she had thought.
He stared at her, blond head still hovering over a parchment, as if he couldn't quite believe what she'd done. Ginny felt even more foolish.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I don't know what-"
"So you've come for help, have you?"
"No, I have not-"
He pulled the books out of her hands with the graceful speed of a snake. Taking out the blotched parchments stuck between the pages, he remarked, "Yes, you have."
== big gap - the seduction ==
Draco's intense eyes were on her again, curious. Perhaps, even concerned. "What happened?"
Ginny looked away, bowing her head, fiery locks dulled in the ash of shadows.
"He did things to me." She stated, tone indicating she would elaborate no further.
Draco never understood such subtle hints. Then again, it might have been because he chose not to when it was convenient. "What things?"
"Things." Ginny replied. With an odd rush of anger, she turned back to the slender boy and glared, daring him to pity her, to insult her. She was so much stronger now. She had survived, she had recovered, and the events of the past could not hurt her anymore.
But they could haunt her.
Draco met her glare with a look of interest. Not of pity, or of menace, or anything else so foul, but of interest.
"Things," he repeated in a voice that slid deliciously over her, like rose-scented water. It was the voice he used when he was being obviously manipulative and appallingly seductive at the same time. "Things like this?"
He stretched out his hand and gently tucked away the red curtain she'd been hiding behind. Ginny did not move.
"Or like this?"
His slender hand moved to her face, fingertips floating over her cheeks, her eyes, her lips...
"Or this?"
His voice was a whisper now as he trailed lower, lower...
Ginny caught his hand, her own quivering slightly. Naturally, he didn't miss that.
"Things." Draco gave her a tilting smile.
== huge gap - haunting incidents, development of feelings ==
Ginny didn't understand him. Draco had grown extraordinarily moody in the past days, constantly snapping at her for the slightest error or valid question. At one point, he said he hated her and stormed out, never wanting to see such a "filthy" Weasley again. But he came back again, and strangely, so did she.
== gap - a discovery then confrontation==
Draco was in a rage and he seemed to be throwing all caution to the wind.
"All I've been doing is using you and you've just been so completely naïve - so bloody blind - to everything. Aren't you supposed to know better, Ginny? Didn't you learn from the past to not trust things or people like me?"
And of course he was referring to Riddle. Hadn't she learned from Riddle?
Quietly, always quietly, she said, "You love me, don't you, Draco?"
She drew closer to him, despite the fact he appeared like he could go violent at any moment. His sleek golden strands were falling about his face, not quite wild, more of ruffled. Even in anger, Draco did not lose complete control.
Instead of answering, he stared almost blankly at her and said, "What are you?"
"I'm Ginny." She touched his arm and he didn't pull back. "What are you?"
"I'm..." It seemed every molecule in him was fighting it. The silver of his eyes was misted over and shining in candlelight. "I'm... insane."
Even then, Draco couldn't say the word he struggled against. But Ginny knew what he meant. During the eternities she had been denying this as he had, the realization of it had come long before she could accept it.
"So am I."
And for some reason he was crying and it was Ginny who was strong, holding him. His composure of ice had already begun to freeze a small part of her, just as she had begun to melt a small part of him.
Ginny wished she could cry.
Even when she knew it was right, it still felt so wrong.
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I don't know how this ends, but it doesn't end here. Ginny has to solve her haunting issue, and only then can there be a real resolution.
Thus ends my rather mundane attempt at D/G. It's status is now officially put to "on hold". Maybe I'll write in it again, when I'm procrastinating writing for something else. ^^ Thanks for reading, if you read.
EDIT: Fixed typos (ARGH) and revised very slightly. - 4/21
And now, to concentrate on Riven (K/B) and my originals.