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Ginny Weasley was preparing to have a shit time and to get shitfaced. She was only at Blaise Zabini’s party because no one else she knew was hosting, and she didn’t want to start off the new year in her bedroom crying. She refused to feed into the rumours that Draco Malfoy was the one who dumped her and that she turned into a pathetic, dejected loser who was desperate to get him back.
She missed him, but she wasn’t going to get on her knees to beg him to take her back—especially since she dumped him.
He was a loving boyfriend, but he was terribly possessive and jealous, which free-spirited Ginny did not like. It was cute at first, but when it started to affect their friendships, it irritated her. When Ginny confronted him, Draco didn’t receive her feedback regarding his territorial tendencies well. It had led to one of their biggest fights which ended with Ginny dumping him. She moved out of his flat, ignoring his poor attempts at making her stay. Ginny wondered if he even wanted her to. He didn’t reach out throughout the holidays, and the Christmas present Ginny bought for him stayed unwrapped underneath her bed.
As the end of the year approached, an invitation to Blaise’s New Year’s Eve party came through her window, and she knew that she would have to face Draco.
Blaise reassured her that the party would be packed—it would be unlikely that she’d bump into Draco. Pansy promised to stay by her all night, and Ron and Hermione were ready to curse the blond if he upset Ginny again.
They all lied.
Draco was one of the first people Ginny saw when she stepped into Zabini Manor. Hermione had already ditched Ginny to do body shots off Theodore Nott, and Ron and Pansy Parkinson had snuck into one of the guest bedrooms.
Draco was talking to some blonde girl Ginny didn't recognize, and Ginny hated how close they were sitting. Granted, they were on opposite ends of the sofa, but still. Luckily for Ginny, he hadn’t noticed her yet, so she turned to head to a room that her ex wasn’t occupying, only to bump into another ex—Harry.
“Ginny,” Harry breathed out, his eyes wide.
Ginny forced a smile. “Hi, Harry.”
It was painfully awkward, but Ginny would rather be talking to him than Draco.
“You came alone?” he asked, fidgeting.
“Yeah.”
His eyes lit up.
“Me too,” he replied with a small smile. “Do you want to hang out together—”
“Yes!” Ginny cut him off, grabbing his arm to drag him into another room, only for her to bump into someone’s hard chest.
She looked up with a scowl, ready to tell the person off, but her words were caught in her throat when she realized it was Draco. Ginny stumbled backwards and almost tripped on her heels, but Harry caught her.
Draco’s eyes snapped towards where Harry’s arms wrapped around her waist. Ginny felt her heart swell as his jaw clenched. He still cared.
“Well, isn’t this just adorable?” Draco drawled, sneering. “Hogwarts’ Sweethearts… back together again.”
Harry let go of her waist. “Leave us alone, Malfoy.”
“We’re not together,” Ginny corrected with a huff, annoyed that Harry hadn’t denied it.
“Oh, really? I thought you Weasleys were fond of leftovers?”
“Watch it,” Harry snapped, protectively stepping in front of Ginny.
Ginny could see the hurt in Draco’s eyes, but she refused to feel bad for him. He was being awful.
“It’s fine,” Ginny assured Harry while lightly pushing him out of her way. “Give us a moment, yeah?” Ginny nodded at Draco.
Harry seemed hesitant, but ultimately sighed and left.
“Don’t go too far!” Draco called out. “It’s midnight soon. She’s going to want someone to snog.”
“Shut up, dickhead,” Ginny snapped, shoving him. She walked towards the drinks table and grabbed a beer. She turned around, unsurprised to find that he had followed her. He snatched the bottle out of her hands, and Ginny was ready to snap at him again, until he pulled the cap off with his teeth and handed the bottle back to her.
Ginny felt her cheeks heat up at the favour. It was something he always did for her when they were together, since she always had trouble opening crown capped bottles. She didn’t thank him.
“Don’t worry about who I’m going to kiss. I think your date might deny you that New Year’s pleasure if you ditch her for too long,” Ginny said, crossing her arms as she leaned against the table.
“My date?”
“Little blondie?”
“She’s not my date. She’s Theo’s first cousin, she’s surely tainted with something. Though I’m surprised you’re jealous,” Draco snickered.
Fucker.
“Jealous? Of you and her? You look like you could be siblings,” Ginny spat.
“Wow, very mature.” Draco shook his head. His eyes snaked down her form; from her face to her chest and down her bare legs. “I haven’t seen you in something so short in a while. You were relatively prudish when we were together.”
His words made her stomach churn.
“That’s because you would get territorial and drag me off into some empty room to ‘claim’ me every time I wore something not prudish,” Ginny muttered, crossing her arms and looking away.
“Don’t say that like you didn’t love it,” Draco drawled, leaning in closer until he was towering over her. “Besides, we only ever got caught because you couldn’t keep your voice down.”
He was partially right. Covertly fucking at someone’s party while he whispered awfully possessive things in her ear aroused her. Though the part where he would never deny what they were doing to his curious friends, when Ginny was clearly still catching her breath and had hickeys on her sweaty skin, made her feel dirty. It didn’t help that she’d have to sit through the rest of the party with his warm seed threatening to spill down her legs.
“Only because you had to be so damn rough to get off. You should be worried if you’re already feeling numb down there at this age.” Ginny took a long sip of beer, needing to cleanse her tongue after lying to his face.
Draco scowled, then stole the bottle right out of her hand.
“If that’s what you think…” he slurred, chugging the rest of the beer and slamming the empty bottle on the counter-top. Ginny flinched. Draco smirked cruelly. “Maybe I should test it out with the blonde. I’ll let you know if I feel anything.”
“Be my guest.” Ginny rolled her eyes, trying her best not to seem bothered.
“I will. Good luck finding someone to kiss at midnight, Weasley.”
“It definitely won’t be you that I’ll be looking for,” she snarled.
“Likewise.” He didn’t spare her another glance and headed back into the living room, towards the sofa where the blonde girl was sitting.
Ginny felt like she was going to throw up, until he walked right past the sofa and towards the balcony instead, completely ignoring the girl when she called out his name. It only irritated Ginny more, realizing that she fell for his bait.
She decided not to waste another breath on Draco, and to enjoy her night without thoughts of him looming over her. Most of her friends were nowhere to be seen. Luckily, she bumped into Harry again, who was the lesser of the known evils lurking in the manor. Talking to Harry was easy—safe. He already knew where her true feelings for him lay, and she didn’t have to front for him anymore, even if she still felt guilty for how things ended between them. They spent a few minutes catching up on the couch, sharing a few anecdotes and inside jokes while they passed Ginny’s second beer back and forth.
Then, Blaise hopped onto the coffee table to announce that it was five minutes until midnight and invited everyone to gather outside for the fireworks.
“Harry, come on!” Ron, who popped out of nowhere, yelled and dragged Harry outside, with Pansy following close behind, leaving Ginny on the sofa. Harry sent her an apologetic look, but Ginny knew how much he loved fireworks, so she waved him off.
Ginny wasn’t a fan of loud noises, so she stayed to watch the fireworks from inside.
The living area had emptied out, and Ginny waited by the windowsill with her now room temperature beer. She felt like she was missing out. The party-goers cheering and dancing outside was a nostalgic scene, despite being currently present. She couldn't help but smile when she spotted her friends laughing outside.
Ginny looked at the grandfather clock. Its minute hand was just about to hit the number twelve.
“I thought you’d be in here,” she heard his voice say from behind her.
Ginny turned and saw Draco approaching, hands in his pockets.
“It's going to be too loud for you,” he pointed out, nodding towards the outside.
“I know. That’s why I’m in here,” she replied, unsure what to make of the interaction.
“I know.” He nodded. “So, does Potter plan to apparate back inside when midnight strikes or…”
Ginny’s eyes narrowed. “You know I’m not into him anymore.”
“Do I?” he challenged with a raised brow.
“Where’s the girl?” Ginny spat, hoping her words annoyed him like his did to her. “It’s almost midnight. You’re going to miss her.”
“No, I won’t.” Draco rolled his eyes before sitting on the other end of the windowsill, facing her.
“What are you doing?” Ginny nervously backed away until she couldn’t anymore.
“Like you said. It’s almost midnight.” He moved closer and closer, until their knees met and Ginny was cornered.
“Draco…” Ginny huffed, knowing exactly where he was leading them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. She just wasn’t ready to go back to what they once were, not when she wasn’t sure if Draco had changed.
“Come on, Gin. You know you want it too.” His voice was deep and comforting as his hands snaked towards her waist.
“We shouldn’t…”
“I know. We really shouldn’t,” he agreed, though he kept leaning in until their noses met. “I miss you.”
Ginny closed her eyes. It was too much. Her heart was beating fast, and her cheeks felt red hot. She wanted him more than anything, but she knew she shouldn't.
“Ginny, please. I’ll be better this time, I promise. I can’t keep pretending like not being with you isn’t fucking killing me. You know I’m a shit actor,” Draco begged, and Ginny felt his hand cup her cheek.
Her eyes fluttered open and they were met with his silver ones.
“Draco, I don’t know if I’m ready. We were both so hurt. It’s going to be a new year. Don’t you want a fresh start? I love—loved you, but being with you was exhausting. You were so controlling and obsessive and—”
“No. I don’t want to have to start over, especially not with someone else.” Draco cut her off, wiping away a stray tear that Ginny didn’t realize she had shed. “Please. I’m sorry. I promise to be better. I’ll even vow on it.”
“Five!” The crowd outside counted.
Ginny glared at him. “Don’t say that.”
“Four!”
“I’ll do anything, Ginny,” he pleaded, grabbing her face in both his hands.
“Three!”
“Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.” She had the notoriously stoic Malfoy heir begging for her—how could she say no? Especially since she hadn’t stopped loving him regardless.
“Two!”
She knew it would hurt her eventually, but nothing could hurt her worse than being apart from him.
“Fine.”
“One!”
Ginny wasn’t sure who kissed who, but it was hungry and passionate, almost painful, just like she treasured.
It marked a new beginning—a fresh start—with the same old wounds and healing hearts, but she was happier than she had been in a while, so that had to count for something.