Chapter One

"Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules." Wayne Dyer

"Severus.. Oh baby.."

"Draco, you really can't be serious. When you invited me over for lunch, I didn't expect you were going to waste my precious time with talking about an idea like that. I mean, Hermione and Snape? Even if I considered it to be a good idea, Hermione would never forgive me, if she knew I'd set her up with the greasy bat from the dungeons. Her exact words, mind you."

Ginevra Weasley shook her head at the mere thought. "Let's try a different subject, what happened to Lavender for instance?" The minute she reminded Draco of the flirty and very annoying blonde, he scowled in reply. "Well, I have to say, I'm very dissapointed in you."

Ginny looked up to him semi-suprised "Why? Because of the extremely subtle change of subject?"

"No because you didn't warn me for the barmy chit! Really, I never thought someone could stoop that low or could have an IQ not bigger than a Flobberworm, except maybe for Potter. And don't forget the incessant squealing and giggling. It gave my headache an headache." Ginny laughed "Well, I did warn you for the 'barmy chit' and quite a couple of times, if my memory serves me right. Only you were to preoccupied with staring at her chest. And about the giggling and squealing, it surprises me, you didn't catch up on that when we were at school. Seems to me, you and Ron finally found something in common. Your taste for lowclass bimbo's"

"You really know how to ruin a perfect day, don't you Weasley?" A sourlooking Draco said, while he waved to get the attention of the waiter. "It's my pleasure, Ferretboy" she affectionatly replied.

While Ginny was looking at Draco ordering drinks, she thought about their friendship. Which was strange in the first place, yet felt so natural. There was always something about him. Even in the period at Hogwarts, where she hated his guts. He was mean, vicious, but still held some sort of harsh honesty. He always tried to bend the truth in his favour, but if you listened very well, it was still honest. She had some respect for that, even though it was an utter prat.

But the day she watched him and his father in the alley behind Flourish and Blotts, made her look at Draco in a different perspective. She remembered it so well, as if it was yesterday. She was wandering around Diagon Alley and tried to sneak away from her parents and her brothers to look at the shops alone. Fred and George had the day of from their shop to come and were behaving extremely vile towards Ron, slipping him their new products and Ron, the poor sod fell for it every time. During one of their new pranks, Ginny saw a chance to get away and snuck into the alley behind Flourish and Blotts.

Hiding till her family moved on, so she could have some alone-time. Yelling around the corner attracted her attention and as the curious twit she was, she peaked around to see who it was, that was yelling. Imagine her surprise when she saw Draco Malfoy standing there, defying is father with a wand. His hair was disheveled and his face was quite red from the yelling.

Carefully she made sure no one saw her, while she watched the display in front of her. Draco yelled at his father again "Why should I follow the stupid sod! You know he is a freaking halfblood who is trying to rid the world of his own kind, talk about being a hypocryt! I won't take that ridiculous mark! I won't let it blemish me, like it has done you!"

His father's silent, but cold answer, made Ginny shiver. "You know, he will kill you and if he doesn't, he will send someone to kill you. I will let you know, that I follow my Masters wishes. And more. I will kill everyone you love before doing so and make you wish you were standing on our side."

That was the moment Draco looked at Ginny directly, which made her gasp. But she didn't dare to break the eyecontact. She felt like she was frozen solid to the ground.

After he stared for a moment at Ginny, he looked back up at his father and complied "I will take the Dark Mark, if that is what you wish." Just like that. She wanted to scream out in fury. Tell him he was a coward and that Dumbledore would keep him save. But he looked back at her, almost as if he wanted to apologize and her rage subdued. She was mesmorized by him. Only when she noticed that Lucius was walking back, heading her way, she panicked. She tried to get away as fast as possible when she heard Draco again. "Father wait!" In her surprise she wanted to stop, but her mind was screaming that he was turning her in to his father now.

But the last word she heard were "When is it taking place?" And while running back to her parents and her brothers, she realised something. He saw her, but didn't betray her hidingplace and probably even bought her some time to get away.

"Thinking dirty about me again, Ginevra?" Draco shook her out of her reverie and she sneered at him. "Actually yes, I was. About I'd like to rub some mud in your face. Dirty enough for you, babe?" Her cheeks blushed and she hoped he would take it up as an angry blush. "Very lame comeback, Ginevra and you know it. What would you like for lunch today, while we get back at discussing the plans of setting up Severus and Granger?"

And again she shook her head at the mere thought. "You know Snape would probably torture you for even making such an insinuation? And if he's done, Hermione would kick your ass. I'm guessing you can still remember her right hook. I don't even want to know how mamed you're going to look after those two are done with you." Draco made a face to her as she casually added "Ow and I'd like the ravioli with spinach by the way."

"The key to avoid that course of action and the key to succes of setting people up, is by not telling them you're setting them up and not let other tell them either." He replied with his trademark arrogant smirk. "You're actually planning on pulling this off? Why? I know Snape is probably in need of a great fuck. Well, not even a great fuck, I suppose. Any fuck would be sufficient, as I can imagine he has had any in like forever, but why set him up with Hermione? She can do so much better."

Draco smirked again "How impossible it may seem, my Godfather has been laid before. He actually has a small fanclub, who simply swoon over him. He is a warhero these days and even though you think he's ugly, I guess that the dark moody look actually works for some of them. But besides that. If you think about it more objectively, you can point out the similarities between those two. They both are highly intelligent, have a passion for books and potions."

Ginny interrupted "Hermione has a passion for books and every other subject there is. Besides.. You only mentioned two similarities, Draco. I still don't see why they should be together."

"If you'd let me finish what I was about to say, you would. They both have been trough the same thing and they were very close partners during the war. I dare say, they even came on friendly terms since then. And Severus doesn't come on friendly terms that easily. Granger impressed him and that's pretty unique. She is the first one since a long time who has broken through his barriers as an outsider and she is a Gryffindor."

"Why do you still hold on to houses? The world isn't divided in houses. I'm a former Griffindor and I'm talking to a former Slytherin. And does it really matter?" She interjected.

"Ginevra, I was trying to emphasize a point here. I am not dividing the world into Hogwarts houses. We're both from a younger generation, the older generations are still holding on to the dividing by house. Severus is no different, so the fact he accepts Granger even though she was a 'former' Griffindor, as you so eloquently put it, still stands for something."

The waiter interrupted them, when he brought their food. Ginny watched how Draco took his napkin, folded it into a triangle and laid it down on his lap. He once told her, it was something his mother taught him and that it was something he still honoured. Her rarely spoke of his mother. His perfectly manicured finger traced the outline of the napkin and he seemed lost in thoughts for a moment. When he looked up, he looked straight into her eyes and she tried not to blush. At which she miserably failed. Before he could make any remarks about it, she decided to ask some more questions.

"Till this point, you've only mentioned why Snape should be with Hermione, but why should she choose for him?" He smiled at her. "Nice save, Ginevra.. But to answer that, I was hoping for some more info from you. Why do you think I invited you to have lunch with me?" Her blush crept back up again and she was trying to ignore it.

"Except the fact we lunch together every week? Besides, why in Merlins name, should give you info about Hermione? I'm positive she can take care of her own lovelife."

Draco almost choked. "We're talking about Granger, Ginevra. Are you fucking serious? The twit only reads books and may I remind you her taste for clothes is non-existent. I'm even willing to bet, that she doesn't even know what great sex means, except for what is written in books."

Playfully Ginny swatted at his arm. "Get a grip, Draco. Remember the fact she did have previous relations. Do I need to remind you of all of them?" Draco gestured to go on, while he was chewing. "Well, ofcourse there was a two year relationship with my brother, Ron. Too bad he is an utter sod and wasn't a match for her at all. She had that fling with Viktor Krum afterwards. Rebound, ofcourse. Oliver Wood had her attention for a while. To bad he was obsessed with Quidditch and with Katie Bell. She dated my brother Charlie for a while and she dated Remus a couple of times, but that was to help him to get Tonks back. Trying to make her jealous, I believe. So that doesn't even count."

He nodded. "So that's 4 guys and she is 25. But that is something, except for the little mistake, called Ron. We can safely say, she goes for the older guys."

"Yes, but they weren't much older, you daft prick. Snape is twenty years older." Ginny glared at him and violently stabbed her fork in her ravioli.

"Point taken."

Ginny looked down at her food and didn't say anything, while trying to eat her lunch. Draco opened his mouth again, to start again, but Ginny looked up again and interrupted him "You know, I didn't agree to go to lunch, if the only thing you can talk about is Snape and his need to get laid. And somehow you seem to find it neccesary to include Hermione in the same story. Could we please change the subject. It bores me."

"That's allright, Ginevra. We could take up one of my most beloved lunchtopics. Like when are you finally going to cave in and leap in to my arms?' The bastard was positively glowing with arrogance and the fact he was smirking at her, wasn't helping, Ginny thought, but she couldn't help but smile. "When is hell going to freeze over, Draco?" He sighed dramatically "You wound me with your harsh words, my dear Ginevra." She looked at him for a moment, silently contemplating about him. Thruth to be told is that she allready caved in, a very long time ago. Only she wasn't going to cave in to become one of his conquests, to only be thrown away after he was done. She knew him to well to cave in.

They continued their lunch in a friendly fashion and talked about what had happened in their weeks, while Draco continued his flirting, so she could glare at him and secretly wish his words to be true.

In the meanwhile back at Hogwarts..

"Don't you stop doing that, Severus.. Oh God, I love you.."

"I.. Love.. You.. Too.. Hermione.."