Please Don't Ask Me That
Chapter 1

A/N: This is an updated and renamed version of my story Sweet Vengeance. The name has changed because the story is less about vengeance (and honestly, if you read Sweet Vengeance, the name didn't really apply anyway). There are a few significant changes, such as Ginny being LESS revenge based and slutty and just trying to get over Harry, and the fact that the Golden Trio and Draco are in seventh year and Ginny is (obviously) in sixth year. I've done my best to stay true to the original story, but it was difficult to edit it without making some changes. Draco will be a little OOC (e.g. less of a brat and a little more mature than in the actual books, with a brain of his own) and Ron will also be a lot more mature than he is seen in the books - less of Harry's sidekick and more of an individual.

For now I will leave the old Sweet Vengeance posted, but only until I'm finished editing. Thanks to my loyal Sweet Vengeance readers, and I sincerely hope that this doesn't disappoint. It's just more ME.

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, much as I wish I did - can you imagine the number of Manolo's I would own with that sort of money?


"I can't save you anymore Ginny. I just can't,"

"I never asked you to save me Harry, not once,"

"Ginny, please don't make this harder than it already is. We had a good time, but – "

"A good time? You're kidding me right? Do you understand what I gave up for you? Because I loved you! What is wrong with you?"

"There's someone else Ginny," he mumbled quietly. She stared at him in shock.

"I see. I guess I'll see you around then," She turned on her heel and started to walk away.

"Ginny I'm sorry, but I just...Please forgive me?"

"Please don't ask me that Harry, please," her soft voice seemed to echo a thousand times in his small, shared room at The Burrow.

"Ginny please, let's be mature about this," he said angrily.

She spun back and laughed at him. "Mature? Mature? Harry, I gave you everything that I had and you didn't appreciate a single moment of it. If you were mature enough to understand what that meant to me, then perhaps we wouldn't be here today. I'd appreciate it if you stayed away from me for a while Harry, I'm sure you understand,"


It was the beginning of her sixth year and for the first time since she had begun at Hogwarts, Ginny Weasley was sitting on the Hogwarts Express alone. Her sudden breakup with Harry in the summer, and her refusal to talk about it had made it very difficult for her to be around her family. We love you Ginny, we really do, but Harry is part of the family too. You and Harry not being together anymore won't change anything, we love you both very much.

Yeah. Right.

If only Sirius was here. Sirius would have understood everything that was going on in Ginny's head right now. But Sirius wasn't here, and that was part of the problem. Harry had changed so much since witnessing the death of his godfather - it was like his heart had just frozen. For a while Ginny had been able to heat it up again and she had thought that things would be okay, but apparently Cho Chang was much better at it than she herself was. So that was that. She had given him everything – her heart, her mind, her innocence. Things that she could only ever give away once and it just hadn't been enough. Was there something seriously wrong with her? Did she have a defect? She felt violated and broken, and Sirius was no longer around to put her back together again.

Since that fateful day a few weeks back, Ginny had done everything that she could to separate herself from the Ginny Weasley that Harry Potter had claimed to love. He had loved to run his fingers through her long hair and had often told her it was one of his favourite things about her, so she had cut it to sit neatly at her shoulders. He had loved that she wasn't one of those stick thin girls who felt so fragile in your arms that you were afraid to hold them in case they might break, so she had stopped eating properly. She rather felt that her diet of pumpkin juice and chicken soup was doing well – she had lost 14 pounds in just over three weeks.

She curled into a ball in her seat and settled in to read a muggle novel she had picked up the week before about a beautiful vampire. She did not hear the compartment door open, and she almost jumped out of her skin when her brother sat next to her.

"Ginny, please come and sit with us. It's not the same without you,"

"Is he there?" she asked.

"Of course he is," Ron replied. "But that doesn't matter. Please?"

"Ron I can't be around him. I think its just better for now if I stay away,"

"Ginny what he did was wrong, I understand that, but Hermione and the girls are still your friends and I'm still your family!"

"So why doesn't everyone leave him and come and sit here with me?" she asked, and laughed at the look on Ron's face.

"That's what I thought. Honestly Ron, it's okay. I just don't want anything to do with him for a while,"

"Promise you'll get over it soon?" he asked, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tight.

"I just need some time," she assured him. "Don't panic. I'm sure everything will be back to normal soon,"

Ron stared at her face for a few seconds, looking confused. "There's something different about you Ginny, and I can't put my finger on it. You seem older, like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders. I don't like it," he said, sighing. "It's changed you, hasn't it?"

"Oh Ron, in ways that you will never understand," she replied, nodding. "I love you big brother,"

"Love you too," he replied. He gave her shoulders one last squeeze and then left the compartment, sliding the door quietly closed behind him.

It was Ginny's turn to sigh now. Of course Ron didn't understand, he didn't realise quite how far Ginny and Harry's relationship had progressed. Part of her wanted to tell him exactly what had happened, exactly what Harry took from her, just to see how he reacted. She smiled to herself picturing Harry with a black eye and missing several of his teeth. It was at this very moment that Ginny's compartment door slid quietly open again, and she looked up to find Draco Malfoy standing in her doorway. She looked at him for a moment and then dropped her head back to her book, ignoring him.

"Well, well, well. Little Weasel is all grown up. How on earth did this happen?" he sneered.

"Is there anything specific that I can help you with Malfoy, or do you just plan on being annoying for a while? If that's the case I'd really prefer it if you'd leave now; I'm enjoying a rather good book," she replied, not taking her eyes off her book.

Malfoy looked slightly put out for a second. None of the Weasley's had ever responded to him with such a...well a lack of interest. He shook his head and leaned against the doorframe.

"Actually I was wondering how your summer with Potter was – is he everything you'd ever dreamed?"

Ginny snapped her head up and glared at him. "It was a severe let down actually. I let my imagination run wild and the real thing couldn't live up to it. Apparently I didn't live up to his expectations either – I'm sure right now he's locked himself in a toilet with Cho Chang somewhere,"

"Hmm, that's very interesting information. So the little Weaslette is no good in bed ey? That's not really much of a suprise,"

Before he had even taken a breath Ginny was on her feet, her wand pressed so hard into his neck that a bruise was already forming.

"Touchy," he choked.

"Very. Let's get one thing straight Malfoy – perhaps the experience may have been a little better all round if certain males had known what they were doing. As it stands, I now have some very important information that I can pass on to the rest of my friends – don't ever give it to someone who's never done it before. It can get very messy, and your favourite skirt will get ruined. Does that answer your question?"

She sat back down, smoothed out her denim skirt out went back to her book. It took her a minute to realise that not only had Malfoy not left her compartment, he was actually laughing. She was surprised at how pleasant the sound was. She felt that she could probably put up with his annoying smug side if he laughed a little more.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"He...he...Oh God I can't even get the words out!"

"Oh yes, I'm so glad that you find the destruction of my clothes funny. I didn't have enough to begin with,"

"You were unlucky. Someone more experienced could probably show you the ropes a little better," he replied, having calmed himself down a little.

It was her turn to laugh. She stood up and pressed her body up against his, pushing him against the closed door of her compartment. "Are you offering Malfoy," she whispered softly into his ear.

"Maybe I am," he replied. "What would you say to that?"

She kissed him roughly and slid her hands behind his back, opening the compartment door. He stumbled back through it and fell flat on his back. "I'm not interested," she replied, closing the compartment door behind her. She was very sure to lock it behind her this time.


Malfoy picked himself up and shot a curse at the first years who were staring at him from their compartment door. They gave a little squeal and closed the door, locking it and pulling their curtains shut.

That little wench – how dare she? He was a seventh year now, AND he was Head Boy! Who did that Weasley scum think she was? He could dock points for that, surely. Although he did now have some useful ammunition against the Boy-Who-Just-Won't-Die. He wondered if Weasley knew just how far his sister had gone with Potter.

"Draco! Draco honey where have you been?" Draco groaned as Pansy's sickening voice rang out from behind him.

"Trying to get away from you," he growled, turning to face her.

"Oh don't be silly darling, why on earth would you want to get away from me? I'm fabulous! Now come back to the compartment and sit with us, Goyle just singed his eyebrows playing exploding snap!" she exclaimed, giggling.

"Thanks Pansy," he replied, grabbing her wrists and pulling her arms from around his neck. "But I'd rather jump off the moving train,"

"Ooh, playing rough now are we?" she purred. "We haven't done that for a while,"

A growl escaped from his throat and Pansy backed away. "Fine, be like that! I don't know what your problem is, but you know where I'll be when you calm the hell down!"

He smiled as he watched her walk away – there was nothing he loved more than being free from Pansy Parkinson. He knew that his father had every intention of the two of them marrying at the end of the year but Draco could think of nothing worse, and was rather looking forward to telling his father to go to hell on that particular subject. Figuring that it might be a good idea to actually do his patrolling duties before that harpie (and Head Girl) Granger found him, he walked up and down the corridors of the train. Stopping to take a break, he happened to stumble upon a very interesting conversation in the compartment closest to him.

"She looks horrible,"

"Oh come on Ron, she can't be that bad," Hermione whispered.

"Not that bad? You should see her! She's lost a tonne of weight and cut her hair off – not to mention the fact that she was wearing practically nothing!"

"Nothing, Ron?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Okay, well she was wearing a little skirt and some sort of tank top which I think was previously Bills, but it was definitely not enough!"

Draco smiled to himself as he thought about Weasley back in her compartment. He had thought what she was wearing was perfect, if not a little too much...

"You're awfully quiet about this Harry," Hermione said disapprovingly. Draco was surprised; she normally saved that tone of voice for Draco himself.

"Well it doesn't really have anything to do with me," he replied. Draco could just imagine his annoying face, and his annoying shrug...God Potter was annoying.

"Doesn't have anything to do with you? Are you kidding me?" Ron asked. "This has everything to do with you! She's miserable and she's angry, and she's taking it out on herself when..." he trailed off.

"When what, Ron? When she should be taking it out on me? Why, exactly? What did I do wrong?"

Draco smirked. Potter had obviously forgotten to fill Boy Weasel in on the fact that he had slept with his sister and then cheated on her. He filed this information away for later use.

"You hurt her Harry. You broke her heart," Hermione replied angrily.

"Well maybe she should have been a little bit stronger! Honestly I don't know what she expected of me! She's just a kid!"

"She expected you to take care of her Harry, and to look after what she had given you," Hermione growled.

Hmm, so Granger knew more than the others. Weaslette had obviously confided in her a little more than she had confided in her family. Draco jumped back as the compartment door was slammed open and Harry Potter stormed out.

Hermione sighed. "Malfoy what do you want,"

"Just thought I'd let you know I've finished patrolling, meaning that you need to start,"

"How many little children did you terrorise?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Not nearly as many as I would have liked. The idea of hearing your voice yell at me for any longer than necessary was enough to stop me," he replied.

"Tell me something Malfoy, who did your father bribe to make you Head Boy?" Ron asked from his seat in the compartment.

"No one. Dumbledore simply recognised my superior qualities and appointed me without any hesitation. You see I, unlike you Weasel, have good breeding - I know how to treat people. For instance, I know that I can treat you like scum, because you are scum. I also would never have treated a woman the way that Potter treated your sister, but I suppose that's what you get when you're brought up by muggles,"

"Malfoy don't," Hermione warned.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Please don't. I don't have the energy right now to calm him down," she said quietly, walking past him and out into the corridor. "I'll see you later Ron. Maybe you should go and sit with Ginny somewhere, God knows whether or not Harry will be back,"

"Weaslette recommends you try the toilets," he muttered after her. "Apparently he can't get through an entire train ride without touching that foul Chang girl,"

Hermione glared at him before continuing down the corridor.

"Stay away from my sister Malfoy, you're the last thing she needs right now," Ron said, pushing past him into the corridor. Draco watched him walk down to Ginny's compartment and knock on the door.

Draco smirked. "I have to disagree Boy Weasel, I think I'm exactly what she needs right now,"


Ginny sat alone at the Gryffindor table waiting for the sorting to begin. She could hear Pansy Parkinson sucking to Draco on the other side of the Great Hall, and it was annoying her greatly. It annoyed her even more that it annoyed her in the first place. She felt someone sit beside her and she lit up as she looked into the smiling face of Colin Creevey.

"Hi Colin!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "How was your summer?"

"Relatively boring actually, how was yours?" he replied.

"What, are you the only person in Hogwarts that hasn't heard?" she asked incredulously.

"What?"

"Harry and I broke up," she replied glumly.

"Oh no! Ginny are you okay?"

"He left me for Cho," she replied, even more glumly.

"That prat! Is he blind? Or just mentally addled? You are so much nicer and prettier than that Chang girl!"

Ginny smiled, knowing that Colin was trying to make her feel better.

"Thanks Colin, I appreciate it. It was a few weeks ago, so the shock has worn off a little bit, but it's still pretty difficult,"

"I'm guessing that explains the hair and the weight loss then?" he asked, looking her up and down.

She hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Shut up Colin,"

"Sorry Gin. I never thought that you'd go for the rake look, but it suits you I guess,"

"You think?" she asked, smiling.

"Oh yeah, you could pull off any look," Colin assured her. "Now shoosh, the sorting is about to start,"

Ginny groaned and dropped her head in her arms. "Wake me up when it's over,"

Ginny kept her head in her arms the entire way through the sorting, lifting it to clap every now and then when a new Gryffindor sat at the table. Half way through, Colin began to poke her arm. "Ginny,"

"Colin go away, it's not over I can still hear it!"

"No Ginny it's not that, you have to look,"

"Colin,"

"Ginny, look!"

Ginny was suddenly very aware of the whispers travelling through the Great Hall, and as she looked up to see the last student get sorted in Slytherin, she saw the source of the whispering.

Remus Lupin had entered the Great Hall and was sitting at the teachers table.

"What is he doing here?" she whispered excitedly.

"I don't know. Maybe he's back?"

"I don't...surely he would have said something to me?"

"Why on earth would he have said something to you?" Colin asked, confused.

"Er...never mind. I can't believe he's here!" Ginny said hastily.

Ever since Sirius's death, Ginny had kept in regular contact with Remus. He had helped her get through Sirius's death, and she loved to hear what he was doing for work and with the Order. She knew that he enjoyed her owl's, as they were all very in depth and full of stories about her latest stupid escapades. She also knew that as much as Harry cared about Remus, he was apparently too busy saving the world and cheating on girlfriends to bother sending him the occasional owl. Ginny had little doubt that apart from Order correspondence, Remus probably didn't receive many letters other than her own.

The applause was tumultuous when his name was announced as returning to the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Ginny clapped until her hands were numb, and when the feast was over she ran to the teacher's table.

"You didn't tell me!" she exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder.

"I wasn't allowed to," he replied. "It was all super secret. We had to have a million meetings with the school board to have my reinstatement approved,"

"But you did it! That's fantastic Rem – Professor Lupin," she said happily.

"Thank you. It's nice to see a smile on your face, I take it it's been a hard couple of weeks?"

"Mmm, it's certainly been interesting. Speaking of, I should go. I'm sure he's here somewhere waiting to congratulate you. I'll see you in class okay?"

"Okay Ginny. And by the way – your hair looks fantastic,"

She grinned widely and squeezed his hand before leaving the teachers table, and successfully elbowing Cho Chang on her way through the Great Hall.


Hope you don't hate it! Let me know what you thought - I was very nervous about posting this, particularly under a different name!

The book that Ginny is reading is Twilight - I recently became incredibly obsessed and am now in love with Edward Cullen. If I thought I was good enough to write a Twilight FF, believe me I would!