Draco Malfoy walked from car to car on the Hogwarts Express looking for an empty compartment. In previous years he would have been flanked by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Greg Goyle, and together they would have patrolled the train; terrorizing first years and picking fights with the exalted Harry Potter and his friends, that prat Ron Weasley and High Queen Know-It-All Hermione Granger. Quite a lot had happened since he left school at the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts though, and Draco did not feel like being around people. If he hadn't been so disgusted with what was happening at home, he would have preferred never to return to Hogwarts again. Unfortunately, suffering through another term was the lesser of the two evils.

Finally he came across a compartment that was unoccupied. Stepping inside, Draco closed the door, pulled down the shades and sat against the inner wall. Leaning his head back, he listened to the voices of the other students calling out to each other and discussing the events of the summer. The happy chatter made Draco want to throttle them all. He closed his eyes, if he was lucky he would sleep through the long trip and avoid all human contact until he arrived at the wizarding school. If he was really lucky, Draco thought as he began to drift off, his mind would find a dark, quiet place to rest; one without dreams.

Ginny had followed her brother Ron onto the train but now she slowed her pace to put a little distance between them. Whatever compartment Ron, Harry and Hermione rode in would have a thick air of tension in it that they all seemed dead set on ignoring. She didn't fancy spending hours cooped up avoiding the obvious fact that both Ron and Harry had developed more than a friendly interest in Hermione over the summer.

When Harry and Hermione had visited them at the Burrow, the Weasley family home, the boys spent the entire week trying to show each other up. They both nearly collapsed after de-gnoming the garden, each trying to hurl the little imps farther and faster than the other. It would have been comical if both weren't so adamant that nothing out of the ordinary was going on. For once Hermione didn't seem to have a clue what to do and would downplay the situation whenever Ginny tried to talk to her about it. Eventually Ginny gave up trying to make them acknowledge the rivalry and just kept to herself. She supposed that it didn't help that she had spent several years pining for Harry Potter and even though she had gotten over her crush, it still caused her a small pang of jealousy to see him panting after one of her friends.

Once Ron had moved far enough ahead of her, Ginny started looking around for an unoccupied compartment. She had waited until the last minute to do her summer assignment for the much hated Potions teacher, Professor Snape, and Ginny figured if she wasn't going to sit with her friends she may as well try to find a quiet place to do a little editing. By this time though, most of the compartments were filled with students and Ginny had traveled most of the length of the train before she found one that appeared to be vacant. The door was closed and no sounds were coming from within so, with a quick look around to make sure Ron wasn't nearby, she opened the door and slipped into the dark little room.

All of the shades were drawn and when the door closed behind her the compartment was nearly pitch black. Ginny walked over to the window and set down her traveling bag. She began lifting the window shades but turned suddenly when she heard a movement behind her. There, sitting right by the door, was Draco Malfoy! It had been so dark when she came in she hadn't even noticed him. Malfoy appeared to be sleeping but must have shifted when the light from the window shined on his face. Ginny carefully drew the shade down on the offending window and picked up her bag. God, I hope he doesn't wake up before I get out of here, she thought. Feeling disappointed, Ginny started to tiptoe back towards the door when it struck her just how cowardly she was behaving. It's not as though he's a rabid animal, she thought to herself, and besides, he's asleep and I really don't want to go sit with Hermione and her suitors. Mentally chanting that she was not scared of Malfoy, Ginny settled herself into the corner farthest from him and opened only the shade right next to her so that she could work on her Potions paper.

As hard as she tried to concentrate, Ginny's gaze kept straying to Malfoy's face. She was used to seeing it twisted into an arrogant sneer but now, while he slept, he looked almost angelically serene. Ginny knew he was nothing like an angel. He was obnoxious to most everyone, but he truly loathed Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and the Weasley family. Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood were certain to follow closely behind them on Malfoy's list of enemies this year given their part in sending Malfoy's father to Azkaban at the end of the previous school year. What am I doing sitting in here with him, Ginny asked herself. She didn't move, however, she just continued to stare at the blond Slytherin.

Malfoy's skin had darkened into a soft bronze over the summer and his already blond hair was nearly white now. For the first time, Ginny realized that Draco Malfoy was a very attractive young man. His fine, aristocratic features were slightly androgynous but not feminine. It was difficult to tell with him sitting down but he seemed to have grown a few inches taller and several pounds heavier, still lean but no longer skinny. Pity he's such a git, Ginny thought, I could find a use for a boy who looks this good. Stifling a laugh, she turned back to her paper. She didn't notice immediately when his expression began to change.

He couldn't move. He was frozen before the red, snake-like eyes. Draco could hear the screams coming from the next room but he could do nothing to alleviate her pain. He had never felt so helpless. He was weak, just as his father had said. As Draco's face flushed with shame, the Dark Lord finally spoke.

"Tell me, young Malfoy, who shall have the first honor?"

He could feel the bile rising in this throat as the implication of the Dark Lord's words became clear. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and beads of cold sweat formed along his brow.

"Malfoy! Malfoy!" He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"NO!"

Draco swung hard and connected; a solid, satisfying blow. The whelp of pain that followed roused him from his dream. A red-haired girl was crumpled on the floor with blood trickling from her mouth. As comprehension slowly washed over him, he realized the girl was Ginny Weasley and that he had struck her. His understanding of the situation ended there though as he could not for the life of him think of a reason he and Ginny Weasley would be sharing a passenger compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Wiping his cool, damp forehead, it occurred to Draco that the youngest Weasley must have tried to wake him from his nightmare. He knew it was unreasonable, but he was furious with her for witnessing his moment of vulnerability. As his shame and anger came flooding back, he lashed out.

"What are you doing in here, Weasley?", he hissed.

Ginny had picked herself off of the floor and was now gingerly touching her jaw. She ran her tongue over the cut in her lip and tasted blood. She had looked up to find Malfoy still sleeping but with a look of terror on his face. He'd begun mumbling and thrashing about so franticly that it worried her and Ginny had gone over to try to wake him up. She hadn't been prepared when his fist came flying towards her. Idiot, she thought to herself furiously, why couldn't you just let him be?

"I asked what you're doing in here, Weasley."

Glaring at him, Ginny struggled to keep the tears welling in her eyes at bay. That was all she needed, to let Draco Malfoy know he'd actually hurt her. He'd spend the next year gloating and trying to intimidate her. Who the hell was he to be angry with her anyway? She was the one with blood dripping down her chin and a bottom lip that was growing steadily larger. Her head was throbbing and it was a wonder he hadn't knocked out any of her teeth.

"Well Malfoy," Ginny said sarcastically, "I heard someone bawling and I came to check it out. Don't worry about the lip, I've always wished they were a bit fuller anyway."

"I was not bawling," he snarled as he sprung to his feet. Towering over the petite red-head, he had a great desire to strike her again. He glared down at her. Her jaw was set and she held her position without flinching. Despite her stance, Draco could see her heart beating rapidly in her chest. He felt a grudging respect that she had the nerve to stand up to him in spite of her fear and pain. He knew his anger was not really at her but at himself for being so pathetic. Finally, he looked away.

Ginny grabbed her bag and headed for the door of the compartment without looking at him. Just as she was reaching for it, Malfoy grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. He didn't look as angry now and he almost sounded sincere when he said, "I'm sorry I hurt you."

Keeping her head down, Ginny hurried to the washroom. Once inside, she moved to the mirror and surveyed the damage Malfoy had done to her face. The left side of her lower lip was swollen to twice its normal size. The cut made by her tooth was no longer bleeding, the dribbled blood was quickly drying on her chin. A large purple bruise was spreading along her jaw line and Ginny winced as she slowly stretched her mouth open. Carefully, Ginny washed away the streak of blood and splashed a little cold water on her face. I can't spend the rest of the trip in the toilet, she reasoned, I suppose I'll go find Ron and the others.

A few minutes later Ginny found her brother and their friends, a couple of who looked slightly nervous. Neville and Hermione were watching anxiously as Ron and Harry shoveled Schlott's Sizzling Ginger Snaps into their mouths. Ron's face was a red as his hair and Harry's eyes were watering from the spicy heat of the cookies. Stuffing a final cookie into his full mouth, Ron said in a muffled voice, "Fourteen! Beat that Potter!" Harry lifted another cookie to his lips but couldn't find any way to fit it in. Disgusted, he tossed the cookie aside. Looking up from her magazine, Luna Lovegood noticed Ginny and said dreamily, "You have a fat lip."

Hermione startled, "Oh my God, Ginny!" and Ron nearly choked on his fourteen Sizzling Ginger Snaps before he was finally able to swallow and demand, "What happened?" Both Harry and Neville looked shocked.

She had already decided on a story to tell them knowing there was no way to hide her injuries. It just wasn't worth listening to them chastise her for sitting with Malfoy in the first place. Not to mention that Ron would want to run off and avenge his baby sister's pain.

"I tripped coming up the aisle and smashed face first into the snack cart," Ginny lied, "It was really embarrassing."

Hermione eyed her suspiciously, but no one challenged her version of events. Ginny plopped down into a seat and for once wasn't disappointed when everyone (expect for Luna, who was still reading 'The Quibbler') turned their attention to Ron and Harry's latest pissing contest.