Chapter 7
My cup was almost empty before Draco broke the silence.
“I’m sorry I drew my wand on you.”
I startled, half from the sudden noise of his voice and half from the sheer shock of an apology falling from his lips.
“Why are you apologizing,” I asked, trying to hide the curiosity that bubbled inside me as I remembered the look of sheer panic on him earlier.
“You’ve had enough wands pointed at you in this lifetime, you don’t need anymore. Especially not somewhere that should be safe like this,” he ended with a frown as he stared down into his tea.
He looked so guilty and confused that my heart started to ache for him. I lifted my hand from off the table to reach over to him when there was a loud knock on our door. He flinched at the sound then looked over at me and then down at my hand, halfway towards touching his arm that rested on the table. He stood up and walked over to the door, swinging it open to reveal Ginny waiting patiently in the hall with her hands behind her back.
“Weasel,” he rudely greeted her.
“Ferret,” She snapped back. Ginny pushed past Draco and came towards me. “Why weren't you at dinner ‘Mione?”
“I felt a bit tired so I wanted to rest a bit,” I answered her as I got up, leaving my cup set on the table. “My room is this way.”
She followed me to my room and entered ahead of me. I turned around to look at Draco who was watching us with disinterested eyes, so different then just a minute ago. Almost like a mask had been put back in place.
“Goodnight, Malfoy,” I said as I shut the door. I turned to Ginny to see her sitting on the bed grinning. “Why are you grinning?”
“Oh, no reason,” she replied with a smirk. “Just wondering how you and Malfoy managed to have a lovely cup of tea together.”
“What makes you think we were having tea together,” I asked her impassively.
“Not hard to put the picture together when you both have cups in your hands and when he was the one to open the door. He had to be in the room already to have heard me knock.”
I shook my head at her detective work and sat down on the bed across from her. Her slight frame bounced a little at the motion, making her brilliant red hair sway from its now common ponytail.
“Sooo,” Ginny started. “How was it this morning?”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“His innocent nakedness,” she made air quotes for innocent. “Or whatever it was that he called it this morning.”
“Ginny,” I barked, “That is not what I was expecting from you!”
“Oh ‘Mione he may be a prat but he is a very attractive prat, who you just so happened to see in a very compromising position apparently.”
I gave her a disapproving look. “What would Harry say if he heard you right now?”
“Harry will never hear of this,” Ginny suddenly got very serious. “Hermione, you know I couldn't love anyone other than Harry. Heck the only reason I dated those other guys was to get Harry’s attention.”
“I know Ginny, I know,” I answered softly, thinking about this morning. “To answer your question I didn’t see anything other than his chest this morning. He put such a childish amount of bubbles in his bath that it was impossible to even tell who was in it at first.”
“Well, how was his chest? That's something at least,” she cackled, all fiery and fierce again.
“Well,” I paused, “It was very frail looking. Almost like he hasn’t been eating like he should.”
“Of course that is what you would notice, ‘Mione,” Ginny sighed and flopped back onto my pillows. “Well promise me next time that you will take a better look, consider it research.” She then stood up and winked at me. “I need to head out, there is already homework for Muggle Studies.”
“Good luck,” I chuckled. “See you at breakfast?”
“Of course,” she waved as she pulled open my door. “Bye ‘mione.”
My door closed quietly behind her and I listened to her leave, spitting another insult in response to the “ferret” that was apparently still in the common room. I got up and changed into my pajamas and laid down to sleep.