Author's Note: For Kel.
Ginny waited in one of the back hallways of the school. Checking her watch, she began pacing, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. He was late. But he was never late. She checked her watch a mere three seconds after she had checked before. Yes, by her watch he was definitely late.
Leaning against the stony wall, she thought back over the past few months… over how this game started. It had been one day in the earlier part of this year at breakfast. She had looked up from her biscuits and gravy to find his cold eyes upon her. Unblinking. Unmoving. She had cocked an eyebrow and then returned to her breakfast. After that, throughout the day, she felt like she was being watched.
At every voice and every noise, she whipped her head around, looking for him. By the end of the day she was convinced that he was stalking her. The next morning, she skipped breakfast. She went to the Library for lunch, and snuck out to the Quidditch pitch for her supper. This pattern continued for a week and of course everyone questioned her strange behavior. When she refused to give an answer, they all shrugged it off – except her brother, Hermione, and Harry. The three of the cornered and interrogated her.
It had been a while since she had eaten a complete meal, and she was so hungry that her mind was not functioning as sharply as normal. Hermione accused her of anorexia, and upon hearing that word, Ron just fumed about stupidity. Harry just studied her calmly and Hermione and Ron began to bicker among themselves.
Under Harry's gaze, Ginny started to fidget and twist strands of her hair around her fingers. He just stared at her… unblinking and unmoving. "Stop it," she whispered, fighting the urge to run. "Harry, please stop."
"Just tell me what is bothering you, Ginny. Is it something serious?"
"No… it's not serious. It's silly."
"Not eating isn't silly."
"I'm not anorexic!" she shouted, pushing through them. When Hermione tried to stop her, she whirled on the other girl and without thinking cast the Bat Bogey Hex. Ron immediately tried to reverse it (by some chance, he managed to turn it into a Mosquito Bogey Hex) but Harry just stared after her. She didn't turn. She hated it when people stared.
In her storming away she came across him. She saw him watching out of the corner of his eye, tucked away in a niche, and book hiding half of his face. That's it, she thought. Two can play at that game. Ever since, she had taken to watching him. She still skipped meals – that had become a bit of a habit – just to take away his opportunities to watch her. But it seemed to her that he had caught onto her games. He found other ways to watch her. In library… on the Quidditch Pitch… in the halls between classes. It was actually quite unnerving.
One afternoon it had occurred to her that he must have memorized her schedule. He was always right there. So she in turn memorized his. Which was why she was confused now. He was never late… always exactly on time. Every Thursday at 4:45 he always used this back corridor to get to his Ancient Runes class. Where was he?
She knew he wasn't sick. She had seen him earlier today before Herbology. And she knew that sometimes he changed his routine just to throw her off… but he had changed to this two weeks ago. It was too soon.
She waited until 5:15, and then decided that he wasn't coming. She turned to leave and turned into him. He had a plate in his hand. She glared at him icily. "Stop watching me." This was the same conversation they always had. And he would say, "Why don't you stop watching me."
"Eat something."
Ginny's eyes narrowed. He changed it. Why had he changed it?
"I don't need to. But you're late for –"
"Eat something." He thrust the plate towards her.
"Stop watching me."
"Why don't you stop watching me?" he answered dryly. "There. Does that suit you? Our intercourse is complete? Now eat something."
"Stop watching me!" she shouted, angry tears pricking at her eyes.
He rolled his own eyes. "Do we really have to go through this again? You need to eat something."
"How would you
know?
"You're never in the Great Hall," he answered
matter-of-factly.
"That doesn't mean that I don't eat." She cocked an eyebrow, hoping that his next answer would prove her point.
"Well what do you expect me to think?" He was annoyed. She could tell by his voice. Ginny couldn't help but smirk a bit. "What's that for?"
"What?"
"The smirk."
She paused, slightly confused. "You smirk all the time. Why can't I?"
"Listen… I didn't miss my class to argue with you. Will you just eat something?"
"Why do you
care?
"Why do you assume I don't?"
"Because you're a MALFOY!"
The look on his face shocked her. He seemed surprised by her use of his name. They had only ever shared glares and quick glances since this whole thing had started. "And you're a Weasley. You're supposed to have an appetite like an elephant, and you're not eating."
"How can you even prove that I'm not eating?"
"How do you think? You watch me. I watch you. Don't you think that I would be able to see the rapid loss of weight and temper with your friends?"
Her face fell and her voice rang with disappointment. "So you weren't spying unnecessarily on me?"
"No more than you have been on me."
She set her jaw firmly and flung her hair back over her thing shoulders. "I'm not going to eat anything. I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern." Her voice bit through the air.
"Why are you upset with me?"
"You ruined it."
"Ruined what?"
"The game."
He paused and threw the plate of food down at her feet. "It's not a game anymore! It stopped being a game the instant you stopped eating."
"Why do you care?" The tears began poking her eyes again.
"That doesn't matter."
"Yes it does. You don't care about anyone, and yet here you are with this." She gestured to the ground and the scattered food.
"Eat something first."
"No."
"WEASLEY, EAT SOMETHING!" he shouted, rushing at her and pinning her up against the wall. She struggled against him, but found her muscles tired easily. "Ever wonder why you are having more and more trouble at Quidditch? Don't you wish that you could throw me off of you? You could, if only you would eat something. Don't you wish that you could focus like you used to be able to? I see your eyes wandering all the time. Don't you want to return to the way you used to be?"
"No! I don't. I've gotten used to not eating. There is no reason for me to do it anymore."
"How about staying alive? You could kill yourself this way."
"Why do you care?" She screeched, struggling against him again. The tears came freely now. All she wanted was to curl up on her bed. All she wanted was to be rid of this game… and of him.
"You're the only worthy opponent in this school, Weasley."
"But Harry and-"
"The three of them are a challenge magically, but not intellectually."
"Hermione ha-"
"She is an academic challenge. You are the only one who could possibly outwit me, and if you think I would let you wither away, you're wrong." He stepped away and let her scurry away from the wall. "Eat something, Weasley, or I will have you hospitalized."
"You've got no proof."
He smirked. "Look in the mirror sometime. Your face is proof enough." He turned and strode away quickly, leaving her alone in the hall.
Her small body shook with tears. How could he do that? How? She stared down at the food. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes…her favorite. After a half an hour of staring and smelling the food, she reached out a shaky hand and took a piece of the chicken. The taste was awkward and the feeling of food in her mouth almost made her sick, but she ate it anyways.
The next morning, she ventured shyly into the Great Hall. Hermione immediately made room for her, and slowly, Ginny took a plate and put small amounts of oatmeal and fruit on her plate. "It's good to see you again," Harry said from across the table. She looked up to reply but was distracted by an unblinking stare. After meeting his gaze for an instant, she averted her eyes and tentatively began her meal.
Throughout breakfast, she was aware of him. Shaking her head, she tried to disregard him. I hate it when people stare. Alright, that's it. Two can play at this game. She lifted her eyes and stared back.