Conflicting Love

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter! This goes for every chapter here on out, too.

“I’m sorry, Gin, but I don’t want to be with you.”

Ginny valiantly tried to stem the flow of tears that had started at Harry’s rejection. He had just returned from finishing his fight with Lord Voldemort. Ron and Hermoine absolutely insisted on being married as soon as they returned, but Harry wanted nothing to do with Ginny Weasley now. He seemed too stirred up after everything, especially since Draco helped him finish off the Dark Lord.

“I just think we are too close for a relationship to work. I’d be too scared of hurting you.” Harry tried to hug Ginny, only to have her pull away from him. He gave an aggrieved sigh before turning away and returning to the Weasley house.

Ginny watched her first love walk away from her and didn’t bother to stop her tears again. Her fragile heart felt like it was being cleaved in two. Not wishing to face anyone yet, she apparated straight to her room. Luckily, Ron and Hermoine were now sharing a room so she was alone.

Ginny thought back to the promise Harry had made before he had left. It was only a year later and all ready he had changed so much. She dreaded the fact that her last year at Hogwarts would have to be spent avoiding him. Ron, Hermoine, Harry, and Draco would all be returning to Hogwarts this year to finish their remaining years. She knew it was going to be hard for her since Harry and her were in the same house and would probably have most of the same classes.

‘Great’ she thought depressingly to herself. ‘I get to see him everyday and be expected to be ok with it.’

Feeling completely drained from the excitement and disappointment of the day, Ginny fell back on her bed and went to sleep.

‘I’ll just wake up early tomorrow and pack the rest of my stuff’ she thought tiredly. Within seconds, the youngest Weasley was fast asleep, dreaming of what life could have been like with her true love.

“GIN!!”

The yell shocked Ginny straight out of her sleep. Immediately, she apparated downstairs into the kitchen where she was sure the shout had originated from. “What’s the matter?”

“We have to be at the station in one hour! That’s what’s the matter,” Hermoine blasted out, freaking as usual about school.

“Oh, is that all,” Ginny asked, earning a scathing glare from her best friend. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.” Without further explanation, Ginny left the room with the sound of a whip cracking and landed in her bedroom. Quickly, she found her wand and proceeded to get ready for the year ahead.

Without really watching what she was doing, Ginny waved her wand. As she searched for suitable clothes to wear, her books, uniforms, and other assortments flew into her trunk. With another careless wave, her long mahogany reddened tresses were pulled up into a high ponytail, leaving two chunks on either side of her face. Finally, she found the outfit she had reserved for the first day of school. In a hurry now, she pulled on the light blue tank top and the tight black jeans. The shirt was cut low to emphasize the fact that her breasts had finally grown to suit her lady-like figure. The jeans hugged her curvaceous hips and the boots she put on covered the fat that she was still only five foot four-short for her family. Even her mother was five foot six.

“GINNY!!!”

Ginny smiled a bit at Hermoine’s impatient yell. ‘I’m not that much over ten minutes’ she thought with the little bit of amusement she could muster from her depressed state. “Yeah, I’m ready!! I’ll see you at the station!!” After hearing the cracks that indicated the rest of her family leaving, Ginny took another glance around her room before apparating herself and her trunk to Platform 9 ¾.

The whistle happened to blow just as Ginny appeared on the platform. She had apparated a little distance from her family, Hermoine, and Harry. That settled just fine with her, though. She fought the rebellious tears that crept to her eyes at the sight of her ex. Knowing she had time to tell her family good-bye, Ginny left to find herself a compartment.

The train was still rather empty since it wasn’t due to depart for another thirty minutes, so it made finding a compartment easy. Not many had been claimed yet. Ginny grabbed the one towards the front, right next to the Head Boy and Girl compartment. She didn’t want a whole bunch of traffic coming her way. Silently, but fervently, she even hoped her friends didn’t find her since they usually sat towards the back. Ginny wasn’t looking forward to the idea of company.

Ginny levitated her trunk into the luggage rack so she could finally go say her goodbyes to her mother and father. Peering out of the door, Ginny made sure the coast was clear so people wouldn’t see where she was sitting. When a few of the new first years passed by, Ginny slipped out and down the stairs of the train. She had five minutes before she was supposed to be on the train for it to leave. Keeping her time limit in mind, she left to find her parents.

“Mom. Dad,” Ginny called out to her parents to catch their attention. The others had just left them, seeking compartments of their own. “I just came to say goodbye and I love you both.”

Her mother bent down and swept Ginny into a bone crushing hug, whispering for her to be careful. Her father patted her on the head, reminding her of when she used to yell at him for treating her like a dog. He had been a little reserved since Percy’s death. She gave them each the best smile she could muster, which wasn’t much, before turning and running back for the train. She hung out the window of her compartment, waving goodbye to her parents as the train rolled away.

When they were out of view, Ginny closed her window and lay back on her chair. She was lucky that no one had come to crowd her private space yet. She wanted so much to be left alone with her depressive thoughts. No sooner had she finished thanking heaven for the reprieve from people, than a knock sounded on the compartment door.

“Come in,” she called out monotonously.

Tempted to tell whoever it was to just go away, Ginny sat up in her seat to be faced by Draco Malfoy. He was much taller than she remembered, probably somewhere close to six foot now, and he was dressed entirely in black. The dark shirt and pants made his guarded silver blue eyes stand out even more. As Ginny stared at his hard face, she saw that they seemed to be tinged with a little sadness. A need rose in her to plunge that sadness out of him, to make him smile, to see his eyes dance with laughter.

Ginny stood up as her thoughts permeated her slow brain. ‘Where in the world did that come from?’ In her confusion she missed whatever it was that Draco had just asked her. “I’m sorry, Draco. What did you want?”

Draco gave her an irritated look before repeating himself. “I had asked if my cousin and I could sit in here with you. She’s new here and scared of all the new faces.”

Ginny lifted her eyebrows at his tenderness when speaking about his cousin. At his questioning look, she nodded. Draco gave a quick nod in thanks before levitating the trunks up to the luggage rack. In the meantime, a small girl of maybe four foot and seventy pounds stepped into the compartment. Her hair was a yellow blond, unlike her older cousin’s white blond, and her eyes were a beautiful aquamarine. The little dress she had on perfectly matched her eyes, Ginny noticed, as the girl executed a perfect curtsy.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” the young girl said in a meek voice. “My name is Cera. How do you do?”

As soon as she finished, she glanced back at Draco who gave her a small nod. Her young face lit up at his approval and the adorable sight tugged at Ginny’s heart. The small child was obviously very dependant on her cousin’s approval and loved him dearly.

“Your welcome, Cera, and I‘m fine now,” Ginny returned politely with a smile. “My name is Ginny Weasley. How do you do?”

“I am very well, Miss Weasley.”

“Just Ginny, sweetheart. Why don’t you come sit down?”

Ginny watched as she glanced at Draco, who had seated himself all ready. He gave an almost imperceptible nod and the young girl jumped into the seat beside her new friend. The whole trip was spent with the two girls chatting away to each other as they grew very close. Cera was a shy, but inquisitive girl who asked a lot of questions. Draco listened the whole time, only interjecting when needed, and trying to make sure Ginny didn’t catch him watching her when she, in turn, glanced at him. It was soon time for the children to dress, so Draco left the compartment to the girls.

Ginny helped Cera figure out how her uniform was supposed to be worn by the time Draco returned. As the train pulled to a stop, both older children were trying to fill Cera’s head with the necessary information. Hagrid’s booming voice from the end of the platform halted their conversation as Cera left them to travel the normal way for all first years. Ginny felt a tad guilty leaving the child as she watched Draco and Ginny climb aboard a carriage with wide fearful eyes.

“I hope she’ll be all right,” Ginny whispered. Draco just looked at her from across the carriage. He seemed almost about to say something when the carriage door swung open again.

“Hey guys! There’s room in this carriage with Ginny!”

Ginny could’ve groaned aloud at the sound of Ron’s voice. That meant Hermoine and Harry were on their way over here, too. ‘Doesn’t Ron know I don’t want to be around Harry’ she thought a little depressed. The whole situation ruined her good mood over meeting Cera.

Ron deftly swung up into the carriage, apparently not even seeing Draco, or ignoring him. Ginny guessed they were ignoring him because when Harry and Hermoine climbed up into the carriage, they too took a seat next to Ginny. Ginny glanced at Draco to see him staring out of the window, a muscle ticking in his cheek. She was uncomfortably smashed in a seat that was supposed to hold two, maybe three, but definitely not four. Harry was right next to her, making her feel very venerable and reminding her of his rejection. Sick of how they were acting, Ginny pushed off the seat and flopped down beside Draco.

Draco jumped slightly and stared at her open mouth along with everyone else. In her defense, Ginny merely said, “I didn’t feel like being squished between all of you because of your childish stupidity. He was a major reason why you were able to win, remember?” Ignoring her friends’ and brother’s red faces, she turned to face Draco. “I, for one, would like to apologize for their actions and mine in the past, Draco.” With that said, she turned to face her window and watch the country lane bounce by as the carriage bumped along.

Draco waited a few moments as the Golden Trio engaged each other in deep conversation before leaning over towards Ginny. “You didn’t have to do that,” he whispered, unknowingly causing shivers down her spine as his breath tickled her ear.

Glancing back at him, she gave him a small smile, causing his breath to hitch. “I know, but I don’t like it when people act like that.”

Draco was about to continue their conversation when a harsh voice said, “Stop whispering to my little sister, you slimy git.”

Draco sat back away from Ginny, his cheeks slightly tinged with an angry pink. Ginny, however, was flushed an angry red. Her beautiful chocolate eyes leapt with flames and her small hands curled into pissed fists.

“Ronald! You have no right to tell me or Draco what we can or can’t do!”

“I have every right,” he snapped back, his ears turning a deep red. “You are my sister and I’ll say what you can do!”

Hermoine opened her mouth to say something, but Ginny interjected first. “Oh, you thing you have to right? Well, try this one.” Ginny whipped around in her seat to face Draco. Her snapping eyes lured Draco’s gaze to her own and caused his heartbeat to speed up. “Draco, will you go with me on the first Hogsmeade trip?”

Draco almost couldn’t have cared if she had asked him to kiss the Giant Squid in the lake. He glanced over at a very upset Ron, then a surprised Hermoine, and finally a confused Harry before nodding. Ginny gave him a bright smile and took his larger hand within her smaller one.

“Ginny, I forbid-”

“Just try to stop me,” Ginny said brightly. Right at that moment, the carriage pulled to a halt and Ginny jumped out pulling Draco with her. She kept a hold on his hand until they were a good distance from Ron, Hermoine, and Harry. When she finally let go of his hand, Draco tried to ignore the disappointment at the loss of the warmth.

“I’m sorry about dragging you into that,” she apologized, staring at nothing in particular. “I just can’t stand it when my brother does that! You don’t really have to go with me if you don’t want to. I just wanted to prove a point to him.”

Draco squashed down the hurt that those words actually gave him. He realized that he did want to go to Hogsmeade with the youngest Weasley. “Do you want me to still go with you,” he asked.

Ginny looked up at him in surprise before a smile lit up her face. “I certainly wouldn’t mind your company,” she answered with a touch of coyness.

Draco glared at her a little with a touch of a smirk hitting his lips. “That isn’t a yes or no,” he reminded her.

Ginny blushed a pretty pink at his insistence. “Well, then, yes.”

Draco held a triumphant look. “Well, then I will see you in two weeks. I’ll meet you in the Great Hall. Say about nine?”

Ginny gave him a little nod. Somewhere in front of them, someone called out Ginny’s name. She gave Draco another smile and a small wave goodbye before racing off to join her friends. Draco gazed after them, watching her hair swing in the ponytail. She wouldn’t be bad company on the Hogsmeade trip and he refused to examine the need to have her their any further. ‘She’s just company’ he insisted to himself, never quite fully believing it.

Ginny ran into the Great Hall with her friend, Luna Lovegood. Luna was spacey, as always, but now with an air of uncertainty. Ever since the Ministry of Magic incident, she had been a little more aware of everything. She had tried to question Ginny about her interlude with Draco, but Ginny wouldn’t say anything. Luna said that as far as she knew, no one else was really paying any attention.

Soon enough, Headmistress McGonagall was calling for silence and telling everyone to take their seats. Ginny sat down beside a few other Gryffindors in her year as she listened to McGonagall’s speech. When she was finished, the Sorting Hat was brought up. The song it sang was still morose, as if it was still saddened over losing the previous Headmaster. When the song ended, the sorting began.

Ginny had eyes for only one of the new first years: Cera Malfoy. When she was finally called and the hat placed on her head, Ginny snuck a glance over at Draco. He was sitting among some of the better behaving Slytherins and his eyes were only for his dear little cousin. The hat was silent for a long time which Ginny found odd. Every Malfoy she knew of was always sent to Slytherin, so why was this one taking so long. Suddenly, the brim of the hat opened wide. Ginny could almost see everyone lean forward.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Everyone was so stunned that no one moved for a second. The hat was taken off of Cera, who was looking around slightly bewildered. Ginny caught her eyes and motioned for her to come over to where she sat. Cera smiled softly at her before glancing at Draco. He seemed surprised as well, but he motioned her over to where Ginny sat. As Cera started walking towards the Gryffindors, the applause finally started. The shy little girl finally reached Ginny, her face blazing an embarrassed red.

“Congratulations,” Ginny told her as the Sorting proceeded. The two girls watched the rest of the Sorting and then ate with the rest of their house. Ginny saw that Cera glanced over at Draco quite often, but she seemed to be fitting in just fine with the rest of the Gryffindors. The child seemed to have been raised differently than most Malfoys.

Finally, the feast was over and everyone was told to head to bed. Ginny watched Draco leave the Great Hall, knowing that he was headed for the Slytherin dungeons. Ginny led Cera up the stairs with the rest of the Gryffindors. As a prefect, she had to show the new students the way and give out the password. Hermoine and Ron were prefects, too, and Harry was the Headboy so she didn’t have too much to do.

Ginny said her goodnights to everyone, including Cera as she headed up the stairs to her own dorm. She changed quickly into her Pjs before climbing into bed. Even though she was still sad over her loss with Harry, she found herself thinking about how she was going to spend her Hogsmeade weekend and who she was spending it with.