Between Us - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 19

Hermione managed to catch up to Ginny as they made it to the stairs when Ginny had stopped to catch her breath, trying to hold back tears. When she heard Hermione come up she whirled around with her wand out, but lowered it immediately as soon as she saw who it was.

"Ginny! What's wrong?!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing her friend's shoulders.

Ginny could only shake her head as she panted, wiping her face quickly. "I can't....I can't tell you! You'll be so upset!"

"What makes you think I'll be upset?" Hermione asked. Then she realized that something must've happened between Ginny and Blaise, and based on the guilty look on Ginny's face she knew she was right.

Hermione sighed and looked around to make sure that there were no teachers wandering the corridor before remembering where they were.

"Come on," She said gently, pulling Ginny down the corridor. "We can go talk in the Room of Requirement."

Ginny didn't try to argue, following Hermione as they quietly made their way down the empty hallway.

Draco and Blaise were sitting on the couches in their empty dorm. They were both already happy that not many of the Slytherins in their year had decided to return, but on nights like this where they needed to talk it was even more wonderful.

Blaise had a half-empty glass of firewhiskey in his hand and was staring off into space. He would shake his head and sigh every once in a while, but for the most part wouldn't talk unless Draco asked him something.

Draco finally leaned forward and set his own glass down on the floor, folding his hands together and resting his chin on them. "So, tell me again why you decided to kiss her."

"It was an impulse move," Blaise muttered before taking a drink. "I told her to tell me to stop flirting if she really wanted me to, and she didn't say anything."

"And you thought kissing her was the best move." It was more of a statement than a question, but Draco was still trying to figure out what his friend was thinking.

Blaise shot Draco a glare and said, "I told you, I did it in a weak moment."

Draco sighed and leaned back against the couch again. "So, how did she react before she ran off?"

"She honestly seemed to enjoy it." Blaise ran a hand over his head, looking down at the floor. "I'm pretty sure she leaned up into it, and she didn't push away immediately."

"Well that's somewhat of a good sign," Draco said, taking a drink.

"It was a fairly long kiss too," Blaise said.

"Okay, didn't need to know that." Draco's nose crinkled slightly but he said, "And you think she ran away because she didn't enjoy it?"

"I don't know why she ran away," Blaise said sadly. "I thought everything was fine."

Sighing, Draco tilted his head down and closed his eyes in frustration, shaking his head. "Mate, you made her very confused. I'm pretty sure that's why she ran away. She's supposed to love Potter, but instead she's falling for you, and she's confused because of that."

"I didn't want that to happen," Blaise mumbled.

"Well what did you think was going to happen?" Draco asked in an exasperated tone. "Did you think you'd kiss her and she'd immediately break it off with him to be with you? It doesn't work like that, Blaise!"

Blaise didn't answer, staring off past Draco again. He knew his friend was right, and he knew he most likely ruined things with Ginny by kissing her. He couldn't help thinking though that she had wanted it too, he hadn't just read the signals wrong. She didn't deny that she liked him, and she didn't tell him that she wanted him to leave her alone. Knowing Ginny, she wouldn't have been afraid to tell him outright if she didn't like him, which gave him some bit of hope.