Close Your Eyes - Drinny

Chapter 3. Need of time

''You've been quite self-swiveling lately.''

  Ginny raised her head from the page of the Daily Prophet, facing her bushy-haired friend, Hermione. She frowned and shrugged.

  ''What you mean?'' Ginny wondered. ''I've been the very normal myself.''

  ''Stop lying, Gin.''

  Fred had stepped in the room and took now a place from the couch in front of a fireplace.

  ''I haven't seen you at the refectory past the last three days'', now also Ron had a part in the conversation, that didn't happen to make any flash of interest in Ginny.

  ''I don't understand any of you'', mumbled Ginny and lowered her head, staring at the text in the page of the newspaper. Her eyes were so close, that if was impossible to discern the black-inked letters from each other. It all was a dark blur. Just like everything between me and Draco, she thought.

  In the background of her thoughts, she heard her friends sighing. And as she looked around again, the room was emptied from all people.

***

The following week was such a torture: every single student from Gryffindor seemed to ignore Ginny on purpose, only Harry, whose week had been a mess, too, cared. He had asked Ginny about her feelings, but went all silent as she had yelled at him that she had no feelings for anyone. Obviously, she had got his question very wrong.

  The day after that, Thursday, nobody barely even looked at her. Ginny wondered, if someone had seen her and Draco together going to the Room of Requirements. But considering it was Hogwarts where they were, the rumors hadn't spreaded into a whole-school-knows-thing, if it was so, Ginny would've heard people gossiping and pointing at her in the corridors.

  Saturday morning, it was raining. Ginny took her constant spot in the refectory from the table of Gryffindor. It was the spot next to Harry, Hermione and her brothers', but it was so early, that they weren't up yet.

  ''May I join you?''

  Ginny turned her head.

  ''Malfoy.''

A grin, an evil one, lighted up on his face. A blond tress had fallen on his forehead and touched his eyebrow.

  ''What's up, Weasley?''

  ''First of all, you cannot just walk here. I guess people are suspecting us.''

  ''Well, let's go elsewhere, then.''

  ''No, this madness has to have its end. Now.''

  Ginny turned her back to him and took a bite of a carrot bread. She thought Malfoy would probably leave, but no, the very opposite happened. He threw his legs over the bench and sat down, leaning against his left elbow and looking at her.

  ''I'm trying to eat here, you see. I'd like to be alone.''

  ''Yeah, I know, but this is very important.''

  Ginny dropped the piece of bread on the table and looked at him. He seemed to be as serious about this as possible. The grin, that had just a few seconds ago covered his face, was now faded. Instead, his mouth was a thick line, his eyebrows were frowned and the light-grey eyes, that once had stared into hers, were now a bit frightening.

  ''You know it yourself, that my need of your help is immediate'', he said.

  ''I happen to be very aware of it, but I need time'', she pointed out. ''This is not a decision I'm able to make up in one night. I'll tell you whenever I'm ready.''