Of Rose Bushes and Rejection
Burning Roses
Upon hearing the voices and footsteps get louder, Ginny inhaled deeply and drew back into the shadowy recesses of a rose bush. Hidden amongst the thorns and holding her breath, she waited for the giggling couple to pass her. Once they had turned a corner and moved out of sight, Ginny relaxed, and untangled herself from the bush. She stood in the centre of the moonlit path, listening carefully, before setting off in the opposite direction.
Shoulders hunched, she picked her way through the snow. Reduced to hiding in bushes because she was too embarrassed to be seen out here without a date, her night hadn’t been the success she’d hoped for. Once she’d left Neville, she was hoping to find someone else, but no luck. Ginny stiffened suddenly. Footsteps were coming towards her.
She dived into the nearest rose bush and stood perfectly still. Whoever was approaching her was alone. ‘At least I’m not the only one,’ she thought. Judging by the thread of their feet, it was a boy. As he got closer, Ginny, who could hold her breath no longer, had to resort to taking shallow breaths. Then the footsteps stopped, almost parallel to where she stood. He seemed to be listening. Before she had time to panic, he drew his wand, and with a bang, the bushes hiding her flew apart and set aflame.
With a shriek, Ginny shielded her head with her arms.
“A rose amongst the thorns,” drawled a voice.
Ginny lowered her arms. By the moonlight and flickering embers, she saw the face of Draco Malfoy, looking at her with a glimmer in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. Too stunned to speak, it was Draco who began;
“What were you hiding in there for?”
Ginny mumbled something about fresh air.
“Whatever. Been having fun at the ball?” he asked, his eyes still glittering.
“Yes…I’ve been having a great time,” she lied.
“Come on, Dancing with Longbottom can’t have been our idea of a good time!” he laughed.
“Leave him out of this.”
“Ah,” he drawled, in mock pity. “Feeling sorry for him? Well, you should. He’s pathetic. You, on the other hand…I know you only went with Longbotton tonight because otherwise, you couldn’t have come at all. And now you’ve ditched him to find a better class of person, haven’t you?”
Ginny blushed.
“I – he can’t have been expecting anything from me! It’s not as if I’m leading him on.”
“You’re right. He hasn’t got a hope. Even he wouldn’t be so stupid to expect –“
“Leave him alone!”
“Why?” Draco laughed, again, “You’re only using him as a vehicle to get off with somebody else, like you care about his feelings.”
“At least I don’t insult him,” said Ginny, wounded.
Draco reached out a hand and placed it on her jaw, cupping her face in his hand.
“Asking a person to a ball when you’re only using them so you can get someone better…I’d call that an insult,” he said, his voice low.
It took Ginny a moment to respond by jumping back as if she had been electrocuted.
“Well…what about Pansy?” she countered.
Draco’s eyes narrowed before he gave a careless shrug.
“She’s nothing.”
“Then what makes me so much worse?”
Draco grinned.
“You’re not worse, really. We’re both looking for someone better. At least I’m honest about it.”
With a second start, Ginny realised how much closer to her Draco was now standing. She looked him full in the face for the first time this night. Under this light, she couldn’t help but think he looked quite pretty. Not handsome, but a little elegant, and his eyes were nice under moonlight. Maybe it was the virtue of them not being full of a loathsome expression, like they usually were. Lost in her observations, Ginny did not register how close those eyes were to her own. It took her completely by surprise, then, when Draco kissed her.
She felt his hands on her jaw for a second time. Ginny was in complete shock. Her first reaction was to pull away. Wrenching herself free, (although not so hard as she might have done) she started at Draco with wide eyes.
“I’m not…I’m not in Slytherin,” was the only thing she could reply with.
Draco gave a low laugh.
“But you’re good-looking enough to make up for that…”
He kissed her again. Ginny expected it this time. And the worst thing, to her at least, was that she enjoyed it. It felt good, even if it was wrong, and it would be nice, to submit to this, just once, without argument or thought…
No. Pride overcame any desire within Ginny, and she pushed Draco off her, this time with a force that made him tumble into the rose bush opposite.
“What -” he spluttered, confused and indignant.
Ginny took a step back.
“You – are – so – arrogant!” she shouted. “You think you could just – have me – just like that? Well, you were wrong.”
Before Draco could untangle himself from the bush, Ginny had stalked away, furiously. She shouted back over her shoulder to him;
“And next time you fancy getting off with someone, I’d recommend not setting fire to them first!”
Shoulders hunched, she picked her way through the snow. Reduced to hiding in bushes because she was too embarrassed to be seen out here without a date, her night hadn’t been the success she’d hoped for. Once she’d left Neville, she was hoping to find someone else, but no luck. Ginny stiffened suddenly. Footsteps were coming towards her.
She dived into the nearest rose bush and stood perfectly still. Whoever was approaching her was alone. ‘At least I’m not the only one,’ she thought. Judging by the thread of their feet, it was a boy. As he got closer, Ginny, who could hold her breath no longer, had to resort to taking shallow breaths. Then the footsteps stopped, almost parallel to where she stood. He seemed to be listening. Before she had time to panic, he drew his wand, and with a bang, the bushes hiding her flew apart and set aflame.
With a shriek, Ginny shielded her head with her arms.
“A rose amongst the thorns,” drawled a voice.
Ginny lowered her arms. By the moonlight and flickering embers, she saw the face of Draco Malfoy, looking at her with a glimmer in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. Too stunned to speak, it was Draco who began;
“What were you hiding in there for?”
Ginny mumbled something about fresh air.
“Whatever. Been having fun at the ball?” he asked, his eyes still glittering.
“Yes…I’ve been having a great time,” she lied.
“Come on, Dancing with Longbottom can’t have been our idea of a good time!” he laughed.
“Leave him out of this.”
“Ah,” he drawled, in mock pity. “Feeling sorry for him? Well, you should. He’s pathetic. You, on the other hand…I know you only went with Longbotton tonight because otherwise, you couldn’t have come at all. And now you’ve ditched him to find a better class of person, haven’t you?”
Ginny blushed.
“I – he can’t have been expecting anything from me! It’s not as if I’m leading him on.”
“You’re right. He hasn’t got a hope. Even he wouldn’t be so stupid to expect –“
“Leave him alone!”
“Why?” Draco laughed, again, “You’re only using him as a vehicle to get off with somebody else, like you care about his feelings.”
“At least I don’t insult him,” said Ginny, wounded.
Draco reached out a hand and placed it on her jaw, cupping her face in his hand.
“Asking a person to a ball when you’re only using them so you can get someone better…I’d call that an insult,” he said, his voice low.
It took Ginny a moment to respond by jumping back as if she had been electrocuted.
“Well…what about Pansy?” she countered.
Draco’s eyes narrowed before he gave a careless shrug.
“She’s nothing.”
“Then what makes me so much worse?”
Draco grinned.
“You’re not worse, really. We’re both looking for someone better. At least I’m honest about it.”
With a second start, Ginny realised how much closer to her Draco was now standing. She looked him full in the face for the first time this night. Under this light, she couldn’t help but think he looked quite pretty. Not handsome, but a little elegant, and his eyes were nice under moonlight. Maybe it was the virtue of them not being full of a loathsome expression, like they usually were. Lost in her observations, Ginny did not register how close those eyes were to her own. It took her completely by surprise, then, when Draco kissed her.
She felt his hands on her jaw for a second time. Ginny was in complete shock. Her first reaction was to pull away. Wrenching herself free, (although not so hard as she might have done) she started at Draco with wide eyes.
“I’m not…I’m not in Slytherin,” was the only thing she could reply with.
Draco gave a low laugh.
“But you’re good-looking enough to make up for that…”
He kissed her again. Ginny expected it this time. And the worst thing, to her at least, was that she enjoyed it. It felt good, even if it was wrong, and it would be nice, to submit to this, just once, without argument or thought…
No. Pride overcame any desire within Ginny, and she pushed Draco off her, this time with a force that made him tumble into the rose bush opposite.
“What -” he spluttered, confused and indignant.
Ginny took a step back.
“You – are – so – arrogant!” she shouted. “You think you could just – have me – just like that? Well, you were wrong.”
Before Draco could untangle himself from the bush, Ginny had stalked away, furiously. She shouted back over her shoulder to him;
“And next time you fancy getting off with someone, I’d recommend not setting fire to them first!”