Prologue


"If only I had what they have," said Ginny to Hermione, motioning to Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil who were currently schmoozing with their boyfriends of the week. Ginny had been single since Harry had broken it off with her at the end of her fifth year. It was now the evening of the third day of her sixth year. From the beginning she had known that it wasn't going to work out between them. Harry was stuck in a saving-the-world mentality which was just too depressing for Ginny's wild and rampant nature. She wanted spice in a relationship, and Harry just couldn't provide it. Not that she didn't miss him terribly, but what she had with him was a friendship, not a relationship.

"I know what you mean," Hermione replied, "well, I used to. I used to think that there was nobody out there for me. But Ginny, at least you have good looks, a sense of humor, and plenty of wit. That's sure to attract any boy you want to you. I've never had any of that, it was luck really that your git of a brother fell for my buck teeth and bookish charm." Hermione jumped as two arms circled her from behind.

"So I'm a git now?" asked Ron, turning red as Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. He had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Hermione out over the summer, egged on by Tonks and Lupin, who had also recently gotten together.

Tonks and Lupin were present when Ginny was made into a full member of the Order, a secret organization that took an active stand against Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. Lupin had become a senior member when Dumbledore was killed and was technically the head of the Order, though he liked to share the title with Harry. He had also been present, (the only one present), when Ginny was assigned with a task that was essential in the war against Voldemort. He, in private, had handed her a small piece of paper with her task and told her not to speak of it to anyone. At first, Ginny's heart had leapt at being given such an important mission, but slowly fell back down as she realized how hard it was going to be for her to complete. The paper had only three words:

Turn Draco Spy

She had watched him with the eye of an eagle all throughout the first few days of school. Last year, Draco had been extremely quiet, moody, and often had dark circles under his eyes. This year's Draco, the 'new Draco,' as Ginny thought of him, appeared much more healthy and outspoken around the Slytherins. He seemed to be quite back to his old self. Still as rude, still as good at potions, and, oh God, still as attractive, maybe even more so, (even Gryffindor's weren't immune to it). After watching him for two days, Ginny felt she needed to make a plan. She bid goodnight to Ron and Hermione, both of whom had gone starry-eyed and breathless, and headed up to her dormitory to brainstorm.

The first thing she needed to do, she decided, was find a way to spend more time with him. She only had one class with him, advanced potions, (or so she suspected), and that was it. She resolved to try to sit close to him tomorrow during class. She would also try to step up the number of their 'random' meetings, crossing paths in the hallway, making eye contact, detention, etc. She decided that one time this week, she would purposefully try to get a detention with him. Fighting in the hallway maybe? That way it would be quite easy for her to talk to him and watch him to see if he really had changed. The second stage of her plan would have her become friends or even romantic interests with him so that she might hold some sway over his emotions. In theory, the plan seemed rather simple, but Ginny had the feeling that it would be very complex.

The next morning, Ginny walked quickly to the dungeons after breakfast so that she might get a seat in the back corner, where Draco liked to sit. Luckily, Ginny got to the classroom before Draco, or anyone else, had showed up. She took her place at his favorite table. The classroom filled quietly as time went on and nobody seemed to see Ginny, leaving a place for Draco, but Draco didn't show up either. She was beginning to second guess herself about him being in this class, but finally he stormed in. He looked around at the full classroom and spotted that the only empty seat was next to Ginny. He hissed his displeasure at her as he threw himself into the seat beside her. She smiled serenely.

The door slammed shut as Snape strode in. "Look to the person whom you are sitting by at this precise moment. This person will be your working partner for the rest of the year. I recommend that you get to know them quite well, for many times this year, your life will be in their hands." He surveyed the class and sneered at Ginny, the only Gryffindor. "Today you will be making a potion that I find quite frivolous, but the ministry deems necessary for you to learn. You will be creating a variation on a love potion that causes the drinker to relieve all his or her deepest feelings about the maker. The instructions are on the board. You have one hour."

Ginny often wondered why Snape had been reinstated as the potions teacher, but was never told the true reason. She suspected that the Order wanted to keep a close eye on him and could do that easily at Hogwarts, since so many teachers and students were members. Regardless, luck was on her side today, being paired with Malfoy.

"I don't know how you do it, Weasley," sneered Draco, cutting up boomslang skin, "but every year we seen to spend more and more time with each other. Is my attractiveness just too magnetic for you to resist?" He ran his tongue along his upper lip seductively, causing Ginny to blush profusely.

"You're only as magnetic as my ass," said Ginny, wincing internally at her terrible comeback. She could feel his eyes raking over her spine and looking at her lower back. Well, hopefully her lower back. Looking up from her billywig stings, she found that he was, in fact, watching her. "See something you like?"

Draco sniffed and forcefully slammed his silver knife onto his cutting board, smashing a newt's eye and spraying blood all over Ginny. "Like I would lower myself into such a low class to look at you as if you were attractive. Which you aren't."

Ginny smiled at herself. It was going to be easier to pick a fight than she had thought. "Malfoy," she said, grabbing his attention. "What's this?" She held up a jatterbie liver and tossed it at him, causing it to land in his hair. Then she cast an enlargement charm on it. There were two seconds between the time Draco felt it in his hair and the time it exploded, covering everyone within a five foot range with bits of liver and bodily juices.

Snape was out of the store cupboard in a flash, robes billowing out behind him. "What happened here?" he asked in a deadly voice. The class went silent. He took in the sight of a sopping wet Draco, trembling with fury, and the rest of the class, staring at Ginny.

She looked at Draco and smirked. "It was my fault, professor." Snape stared at her. "I was trying to add the jatterbie liver to the cauldron when it flew out of my hand and onto Malfoy's head. It must have touched the billywig stings, 'cause it exploded." If only she could tell whether or not he believed her.

"I can see that," Snape paused, taking in the classroom. "Detention. Both of you. Draco, for not noticing your partner's stupidity, and Weasley, for being stupid. Both of you clean up the mess and get out of my sight. Be back here right after dinner for your punishments.

Ginny smiled to herself as she cleaned out the cauldron. All in all, it had gone perfectly, though she did have to take a zero for today. Together they walked out of the classroom, Draco still fuming.

"You did that on purpose," he said, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Yes," she said evenly.

"Why?"

"I'll admit it," she said sarcastically, "you must be more magnetic than I thought for you to have attracted a dead creature's liver. I've got to hand it to you; I never knew you could be so alluring."

"You're dead, Weasley," Draco hissed.

"Oh, I don't think so. I am still walking and talking. Do I smell dead or something?" She knew that she was pushing his boundaries really far, but it was just so much fun to tempt him into doing something he would regret. Or something she would regret. She saw the look of total rage on his face and gave in. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I did it on purpose."

"Why?" he hissed.

"I wanted to spend quality time with you," she said quickly.

Draco just sniffed.

Draco Malfoy had a secret. He had lived in dismal conditions for the summer. After his father had been turned in, he had fled home, so he had to spend his summer in Algeria, hiding from even his own shadow. Before his escape, his father had wanted to get Draco initiated as a Death Eater, and when he refused, Lucius turned his wand on his own flesh and blood, intent on causing as much pain as he possibly could. Draco had survived that round of curses, hexes, and physical blows, but if the Dark Lord himself hadn't stepped in, Draco was sure that he wouldn't have lasted the whole summer.

He was lucky, but there had been a condition he'd agreed to when the Dark Lord stepped in. Voldemort did not require Draco's loyalty as a Death Eater, but his loyalty as a Hogwart's student. The Dark Lord needed a favor, he needed help that no one else could give him. What the Dark Lord asked of Draco broke his heart, but Draco had agreed because the Dark Lord had saved his life.

"Bring me Arthur Weasley's youngest child."

She was going to be used as bait, he knew, for the great Harry Potter. Voldemort had gotten wind of their more-than-friendly relationship and decided that if Ginny was in danger, Harry would come. But Draco would not let that happen, despite how much he disliked Harry. He had seen the look in Dumbledore's eyes when he stood before him last year, wand poised to strike.

It was a look of terror and calm, love and trust all in one. It was a look that broke Draco's heart and made him lose his resolve in a split second. He knew then that he had been on the wrong side and he vowed to never again do something that would go against Dumbledore's basic principles.

So, he was going to have to try to change Voldemort's mind about needing Ginny. If it seemed like Harry hated Ginny, then using Ginny as bait would be useless. He needed to become friends enough with Ginny to tell her what was planned, and how to change the plans of the Dark Lord.

The words spoken to him by Voldemort rang in his ears as he walked away from Ginny in the hallway, leaving her in the middle of the entrance hall. He suddenly felt bad, as if leaving her was something that he should not do, that it was the wrong thing to do. Despite everything that his mind was telling him, his feet walked him back to her side.

"I'm sorry," he said to her, feeling a bit weird about apologizing. "I didn't have a very good summer."

Ginny's eyes instantly softened. "It's okay, I goaded you into reacting." They watched each other awkwardly for a few minutes. "Do you want to play poker?" she asked. "We have time before our next class."

"Strip poker?"

"It's too early in the morning for strip poker," she laughed, a light jingle bell laugh.

"What if I enchant the room to make it seem like night?"

"I don't think so."