One-Shots // Harry Potter

Ginny x Fem!Malfoy!Reader

TITLE: Selfish Sibling
WORDS: 2,034
COMPLETED: 7/5/21
[ R E Q U E S T ]

I never really have been a gentle creature. Perhaps it was my last name that made me calloused, resulting in death seeming like a normal part of life. Maybe it was the fact that I've watched each and every member of my family become associated with the Dark Lord: Voldemort. It could also be that Draco, my older brother, was trapped between doing what he wanted and what my father wanted. Though, realistically, it had to be due to the fact that 'love' meant something completely different in my family.

To the Malfoys, love was not allowing your child to witness their first murder until they were twelve. Love was doing everything in your power to make sure your little sister wasn't miserable. Love was wanting your children to submit themselves to a tyrannically ruler. Love was sneaking out of the mansion, with your sibling, in the dead of night to meet up with Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Love was holding your tongue when your sibling did something forbidden, taking the beating for them. Love was beating the inner-child out of your kids, leaving them with no dreams or goals; only the harsh reality of every situation. Love was sneaking into your older brother's room to aid him with his Herbology project that was due the following day. Love was something that had to be shown, not felt. Love was harsh. Love was bipolar. Love was empty.

So maybe that was why I stormed into my Defense Against the Dark Arts class, slamming my books down on the table, and threw myself into my chair. These violent actions drew everyone's attention towards me, including the current professor for the class: Professor Dolores Umbridge. The professor only briefly looked up at me before sighing and going back to what she was doing.

"Late again, are we, Miss Malfoy? That's another detention," Professor Umbridge chided as I rolled my eyes, flipping my book open to the page that was written on the board.

Beneath the table, I felt a hand grab onto mine, and I was quick to wrap my fingers around it. The soft pad of a thumb rubbed over the back of my hand, attempting to calm me down. The individual's other hand slid me a slip of paper over the desktop, resulting in me leaning over to read it.

'We need to talk after class'

And that was about all it took to give me anxiety. Almost as if she was capable of sensing this, Ginny Weasley gave my hand another reassuring squeeze. It was nothing bad. And good thing, too, because I couldn't mentally handle anymore bad things, at the moment.

Ginny and I have been dating since our third year; in fact, she was the individual who taught me what love really was. She explained that the love we show at home was a fractured mess. And I couldn't disagree. Ginny displayed that love can be shown in many different ways: through actions, words, presents, spending time with one another, and physical touch. Having genuine kindness was something so foreign to me that I felt that I didn't deserve it. After all, my whole life I was given a shattered and mutilated version of love, so getting something that made me feel good about myself seemed strange.

Class continued per usual: Professor Umbridge droning on about classwork that would be due during our next class together, Ginny holding my hand, some of the other students intentionally speaking out of line in order to rile up Professor Umbridge, and about three more detentions handed out. When it finally ended, everyone was quick to rush out of the suffocating classroom. Once upon a time there were great professors who ran the Defense Against the Dark Arts class; especially in second year when we had Professor Remus Lupin.

"Okay, what's going on?" Ginny asked as soon as we were out in the hallway, matching one another's pace and keeping in step with one another.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, arching one of my eyebrows at her. The redhead let out an exasperated huff, giving me a slightly annoyed expression; I couldn't stop myself from laughing at her obvious frustration.