"Dean Thomas? Really, Weasley? Is that the best that the youngest brat can do?" Draco sneered, bending over the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, boring his eyes into the familiar blue ones of Ginny Weasley.
"That, Malfoy, is none of your business," Ginny snapped back smartly. Gone were the days of being under the radar of the male gender. Along with that came confidence, and that confidence allowed her to stand up to the brash Draco Malfoy.
"Getting a little snippy, aren't we, Ginny? I see that you haven't inherited the Weasley charm of being completely and utterly speechless when it comes to standing up for themselves. Who taught you this? Was it Potter? Or was it one of the other six guys that you're dating?"
"My personal business is none of your concern, you prat. Why don't you just go away and bother somebody else?"
"Oi! Bugger off, Malfoy!" Ron called from the entrance of the Great Hall after he saw who his sister was speaking to. "Get away from my sister?"
"How old are you now, Ginny? Fifteen? Sixteen? Surely, you don't need a babysitter." Draco grinned as he watched Ron approach him angrily.
"I told you to get away from her!" Ron insisted once again, almost starting to prod Draco in the chest.
"What is the wage your mother offered to pay you to baby-sit your sister while you're here at Hogwarts? Surely, with how poor your family is, it can't be the standard amount. Let me guess; she pays you about one Knut a year?" The grin on Draco's face did nothing but get larger. He loved insulting the wealth, or lack thereof, of the Weasley family.
Ron's ears turned bright red, and it didn't go unnoticed by his sister. "Ron, settle down," Ginny said as she stood up.
"Little Weasley, how can you be so naïve? Your brother won't settle down. But, alas, he has ruined the moment. I was enjoying making fun of your love life, Ginny, but your brother came and tainted my fun. You see, the way he reacts to insults is so predictable. It's no fun with him around. Until we meet again, pitiful Weasley family." Draco raised his eyebrows at the two redheads and headed back to the Slytherin table.
Ron shuddered after Draco left. "Merlin, I feel as if an ice queen just walked past us." He sat down, clutching his arms around himself.
"Oh, it's just Draco," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "How harmful can he be?"
"Ginny! You know our theories on him! His dad is a Death Eater, and you know it. I can't believe how civil you're being about this. I swear, if he tries anything with you…"
"Ew, Ron! Trust me, he doesn't want anything to do with me. Honestly, I'm not going to deny that if he wasn't such a jerk, he could potentially be good looking, but—"
"Ginny! That's disgusting! How can you find that prissy little prat attractive?" Ron asked, aghast.
"Who is attractive, Ginny?" Hermione asked, sitting down next to Ginny and across from Ron.
Ron's cheeks turned a blush pink. "Erm…I…Study…Bye." Ron hurried from the table without another word while not convinced that he actually said something about going to study.
"Did he just say he was going to study?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes at Ron's awkwardness. "If he's that desperate to get away from me…"
"What happened with you two?" Ginny asked, determined to get Hermione's mind off of wondering who Ginny thought was attractive today.
"Nothing at all. He's just being Ron. But don't try to change the subject on me, Ginny. Who do you think is nice looking?"
"Promise not to laugh?"
"Of course."
Ginny glanced over at the Slytherin table at Draco Malfoy, but her eyes quickly looked down when she saw him looking back at her…or so she thought.
"Draco is kind of…You know? Like…I don't know how to explain it," Ginny revealed.
"It's the bad boy image, isn't it?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. Don't you think so?"
"No, Ginny, I don't. I understand that bad boys are attractive to girls, but I've grown past that."
"I knew you wouldn't understand. You're in love with my brother."
It was one of those rare moments that Hermione Granger was rendered speechless.
"What are you thinking, Draco?" Pansy Parkinson inquired, leaning forward across the Slytherin table, batting her eyes at Draco.
"What do you think my chances are of landing the Weasley brat?" Draco asked carelessly.
"What?! What in the name of Merlin could you possibly want with that?" Pansy turned around and glared at Ginny who was deep in conversation with Hermione Granger.
"I'm not talking about anything long term. You know, just a fling or something," Draco said with no real expression in his voice.
Still, Pansy was hurt. "But, Draco…"
"What?"
"She's not even pretty!" It was Pansy's only defense.
"That's like the pot calling the kettle black," Draco muttered, not taking his eyes off of Ginny.
"Draco!" Pansy whined. She was willing to do anything to have Draco all to herself. The fact that he had his eyes on Ginny only made everything worse.
"Shut up, Pansy. You're so annoying."
Pansy let out a small sob and left the table, glaring at Ginny until she was out of sight. Pansy's actions went unnoticed by Ginny and Hermione.
"You can't be serious," Goyle said from Draco's left.
"I'm not serious about her. Are you forgetting who I'm tied to? I know people who are high in rank, if you know what I mean, and if I can get Ginny…"