Title: The Day The Carriages Came Clean

Author: Divine Dark Angel

Summary: In a pseudo-AU where each house is ruled by a Prince and Consort, the Slytherin Prince and his out of house girlfriend must negotiate not only classes but the inter-house politics that can cause just as much trouble as the Golden Trio. Gryffindor has been out of the Court for almost one hundred years, but the other three houses still respect the old ways. Can romance bloom or will courtly intrigue kill this young love before it starts?

Rating: M, for cursing and eventual smut

Pairing: Ginny x Draco, Blaise x OC, Pansy x OC, Hermione x Harry x Ron, other minor characters.

Disclaimer: All characters that you recognize belong to and are copywrite of J.K Rowling. The recognizable plot items and other such things are also copyrighted to J.K. Rowling. I am simply playing in the rich world she has created for us.

...

The carriages smelled differently this year, cleaner. Ginevra Weasley, seated in a carriage with two of her friends, noted this change with a smile. 'Thank Merlin! These carriages have always smelled rather…musty.'

"Ginny!" Blaise Zabini said sharply.

Ginny snapped her gaze back to the charming mahogany skinned Slytherin. "Yes Blaise dear?"

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, when one of your betters is speaking with you, you must pay attention…." Blaise was cut short as Ginny reached across the carriage and punched him in his arm. "Alright, alright! As I was saying, have you noticed anything different this year? About the school?"

Ginny turned her head and looked out at the castle sitting alone up on its rocky perch. It did seem different, more imposing. It had an air of menace, but only to those who meant it and its small children harm. Ginny turned back to her companions and nodded.

"It does seem a little…darker. More threatening somehow…" Ginny smiled radiantly, "But the carriages smell better."

Blaise smirked, and then smiled a real smile. Ginny beamed back at him and then turned her copper eyes to her other companion. "Vince?"

Vincent Crabbe turned to look at his small seat-mate. "Yeah?"

"How was your summer?" Ginny inquired.

The three friends spent the rest of the carriage ride chatting about their summers. Vincent had stayed with his aunt Caitlin, up in Ireland. They had spent the summer treating local villages of magical borne illnesses, and harvesting mandrake root.

"It wasn't all that bad, really." Vincent said indifferently, "It was kind of nice actually. Making up for my father's…indiscretions."

Ginny placed a sympathetic hand on the large boys arm. "And Greg?"

"He's been…distanced this summer. With Greg's sire committing suicide; he had to assume his place much faster than any of us would have thought. It's a horrible position." Vincent sighed, "Greg has had pressure from the Dark Lord to join him. He's tried to use the same excuse all of us have, that we dare not take the mark until after our 7th year. So we have one year to be ready. And yourself, did you learn anything from those two this summer?"

"Now Vincent! You know as well as I that both Blaise and Draco are exceptional wizards and I was thankful they wanted to teach me anything. Draco taught me a few things about dealing with dragons, oh stop laughing so hard; you're rocking the carriage, and Blaise taught me a lot about self defense."

Vincent was barley restraining himself, "And just how well did you handle your 'Dragon'?"

"Vincent! That is…I'll deal with you later." Ginny was unable to complete her threat, the gentle rocking motion of the carriage had stopped.

"Come on Vince, Ginger." Blaise opened the door and stepped out into the warm fall air. Vincent stepped out behind him. Blaise turned and offered his hand to Ginny, who took it and stepped carefully out.

She stopped in place as the assembled students eyes turned toward her and her companions. Not at all intimidated she gazed back at them calmly, then dropped her eyes to adjust her cloak clasp. There was a murmuring in the crowd when a few moments later a cool hand was placed on her shoulder and she was drawn back into a solid chest. She glanced back and met coolly amused silver eyes.

He lowered his head and a slip of his white-blonde hair fell across her shoulder, "You look ravishing Ginger." Then his mouth quirked up very slightly in one corner, "I really just said that didn't I?"

She gazed up into his dashing silver eyes and smiled a very small, very isolated, smile. "I think you did Draco."

The crowd decided that, as odd as it was, this small meeting was not worth standing around for and lost its collective interest. Just as the crowd started moving toward the Great Hall and an obscene amount of food, there was a cry of outrage and the sound of footsteps trying to push through the crowd.

Draco looked up from where he had his head bent to whisper in Ginny's ear and saw something straight out of his nightmares striding toward him. Ron Weasley was no shrimp, standing at six foot, but he seemed to expand in size as he got angrier and angrier.

"Malfoy," Ron snarled, "Get away from my sister. Ginevra get over here."

Ginny's eyes widened mockingly as she shrank back closer to Draco. Draco lowered his arm from where it had been on her shoulder to wrap it around her waist and snug her close to him.

"Make me Weasel," He sneered.

Ginny blinked and looked up. If he hadn't been holding her, and if she didn't know him as well as she did, that tone would have frightened her. It was the coldest she had ever heard Malfoy speak, ever. Concerned she lifted her hand and put it gingerly on his arm. Draco glanced down with a shadowy smile lurking in his cold eyes…

"Oi! Don't look at her that way Mal-ferret! She's too good for you!" Ron was seething in anger, his face red all the way to the roots of his hair, "Ginevra Molly Weasley! When Mum hears about this she's gonna be so angry with you! I knew she shouldn't have let you stay the summer at that Zabini's house, a known Death Eater he is. It'd be just rewards if he got thrown in Azkaban with his uncle."

Ron had never made it a practice to think about what he said, and if he did suddenly decide to implement said practice he still wouldn't take into account the consequences.

Those students sill outside turned to observe what the hotheaded Weasley had gotten himself into this time. Harry and Hermione stood waiting in the wings, prepared to hex the life out of anyone who took a threatening step towards their best mate. The entire lot of them expected Draco, or Blaise to defend their names. They would have thought nothing of it if any of the Slytherins had retaliated. What they did not expect was that the littlest Weasley- a true Gryffindor- would leap to the defense of the slimy group of Slytherins. So it surprised the hell out of everyone when she leapt out of Draco's arms before he had a chance to stop her.

Ginny was past the point of rational thought. Something dark, deep down snapped and as she launched herself at her brother she felt the power that had been with her since her stay at the Zabini mansion uncurl and lash out. She followed the wave with her fist, splitting her dear brother's lip.

She smiled grimly at her handiwork and eyed her hand. The sight of her three broken fingers proved too much and she fell backwards into Draco's waiting arms. He hefted her weight with a little effort, glaring at the other two members of the trio.

Harry had opened his mouth as soon as he picked Ginny up, but Draco cut him off.

"Leave me the hell alone Potter. I'm taking Ginny to the Hospital Wing. You can either get the hell out of my way, or be faced with the business end of my wand. It's your choice," Draco waited calmly for the scarred boy to make his choice, then addressed the Slytherins behind him, "Pansy, Millicent, Vincent, go on into the feast. Tell the house that I am otherwise detained and keep the rumors under control. Blaise, Greg, and Nott you three go find Snape and inform him of the problem. I am taking Gin to the Hospital Wing. Dismissed."

"Yes, Serpent Seigneur." The named individuals bowed their heads and moved off.

Draco swept one more scathing look over the three Gryffindors before starting off with Ginny in his arms. After a safe distance emerged between himself and the instigators he slowed and shifted his burden, "Jesus H. Christ Gin, you've gained at least five pounds since the last time I had to carry you. You're going on a diet as soon as you wake up."

Draco rotated his shoulders as best as he could and trudged on to the Hospital Wing, placing Ginny in the most capable hands of Madame Pomfry. Then he turned on his heel and marched right back out the door without so much as a by your leave.

'Sodding arse Gryffindors can't trust them not to do anything stupid.'