Flashback

"My faithful servant…you were raised by blood traitors yet despite them, you brought me back among the living. For that, there will be an eternal connection between us…you will be honored after your death," Tom said, a smirk playing across his face. "Now you get the pleasure of watching me kill the stupid Potter boy…" with that, she faded into darkness.

End Flashback

"Ginny!" a female voice screeched through the walls.

"Yes Mom?" she yelled groggily.

"Severus will be here any moment! You need to be ready!"

"What time is it Mum?"

"Nearly eleven o'clock!"

"WHAT?" she screamed. "Why didn't anyone wake me sooner?" she whispered angrily. Ginny grabbed her robes and threw them over her shoulders. She grabbed her brush and removed the knots from her hair, applied a little make-up, brushed her teeth quickly, and grabbed her trunk, pushing it down the stairs.

She reached the bottom of the stairs with a thud while her uncaring family was getting down for a mid-morning snack.

"Just in time, Miss Weasley," said a cold voice from behind her.

"Hello Professor Snape…I'm sorry I overslept and none of my family was considerate enough to wake me—"

"I said you were on time, did I not?" Snape asked.

"Yes Professor."

"Now…you will not be my only guest this summer, Mr. Malfoy will also be staying at my house, as Narcissa has decided herself incapable of running Lucius' affairs and watch over Draco so—"

"Sir…you mean I have to spend my entire summer with Malfoy?" she asked, shock filling her voice.

"Yes Miss Weasley, and you should be grateful for me letting you stay with me and helping you skip your fifth year in Potions…and if I catch you and Mister Malfoy fighting, I will have to reconsider our arrangement. Do I make myself clear?" he said sternly.

"Yes Sir…"

"Good, now grab your trunk, we will be flooing to my manor," he said, stopping into the fireplace, yelling "Snape Manor!"

"Aargh…the whole summer with Malfoy!" Ginny muttered under her breath.

She walked into the fireplace, dragging her trunk, grabbed some floo dust, and shouted "Snape Manor," and threw down the dust.

She felt the world around her spin, she landed up the ground with a 'thud.' She looked around, trying to hold back a gasp. Snape's house was huge. Its decorations were mainly black, green, and silver. Snakes were used as accents throughout the room. A small house-elf with full clothing, including miniature wizard robes. The house-elf looked female, and had a knick on her left ear. She approached Ginny quickly.

"Come Miss Weasley, I need to show you to your room and to the lab room where you will be working. Master Severus and Master Draco will see you at dinner at seven thirty. They walked down a hall and suddenly the tiny house-elf stopped. "Ahh! Here is your room, Miss," the house elf shrieked.

She opened a large oak door and peeked inside. There was a large, glorified bed, with huge covers and beautiful fluffy pillows. There was a large vanity, desk, and dresser. She practically squeaked with delight. She looked back at the house-elf.

"Miss Weasley, the door behind the curtain over there—" the house-elf pointed to a black curtain at the end of the room "leads to the room you will be working on for your study of fifth year potions," and with that, the little female house-elf was gone.

Ginny strided over to the curtain, and pushed it back. It revealed a hidden door. She turned the glass door knob and struggled to get the heavy led door open.

Ginny stared inside the room. Its walls were covered with shelves and shelves of various potions ingredients. Below the shelves lay stacks of cauldrons, all different types and sizes, various dragon-hide gloves, stacks of potions books, and a large blackboard. This was Ginny's heaven. She moved her fingers across all of the different ingredients, obvious excitement in her eyes.

"I didn't know you were interested in the fine subtleties of the delicate art of potions…" came a drawl behind her.

Ginny didn't bother to turn around and see who had spoken. She knew that voice anywhere… "There are many things you don't know about me, Malfoy. I suggest that you not be surprised when you find things that you don't understand, it makes you seem stupid…"

"I guess you're right…I've never paid attention to the youngest Weasel…that is, until Snape told me that I'll be teaching you potions—"

"WHAT?" Ginny turned around, her face matching her bright red hair, firing with obvious anger.

"Yes, well…Snape obviously doesn't have enough time to teach you potions all day for the whole summer, and I did get an E on my O.W.L.s so I guess I'll be tutoring you," Malfoy said, his thin lips curling into a smirk, his hazel eyes showing obvious amusement.

Her anger subsided, "Well, if you're trying to get me to yell and scream at you…it won't work. If I do that, I get sent back home, and have to have fifth year potions this year. So…my question for you is this: Why would you agree with Snape to help me? You've done nothing but loathe my family for at least that past six years…why agree? What's in it for you?"

'Hmm…that's a good question. Why would I care…I mean you just happen to be the hottest girl in our school…WHAT? Did I just think that Ginny was hot?' he thought to himself. He must've been staring blankly or something because Ginny was waving her hand in front of his face saying things like "Hello, anyone home?" and "Earth to Draco," and nonsense like that. Draco snapped back to reality, quickly placing a firm grip on her wrist.

"I don't know why you would have the audacity to wave your hand stupidly in front of my face, but just a hint in case you never learned manners from that Mudblood-loving family before: it's rude to step into someone's personal space…try not to embarrass your self…"

"Well, Mister Malfoy, it is also very rude to stare off into space and not answer a question when you are asked…"

Just then, Severus walked in, very flustered-like, having heard Ginny and Draco's heated discussion from down the hall.
"Miss Weasley and Mister Malfoy…what have I told the two of you about arguing like that? I will not tolerate this all summer! Draco, if you continue like this, I will be forced to send you to the Parkinson's house," he paused, Draco winced. "And if you continue like this, Miss Weasley, I will send you back to the Burrow, so you can waste your summer with Granger, Potter, and your brother for yet another summer vacation," now it was Ginny's turn to wince.

Draco, who had not seen Ginny's reaction to the last part, said, "But Professor—how is her punishment adequate? I get stuck with Pug-in-son if I mess up, but Weasley gets sent home to her beloved scar-head, brother, and that Mudblood filth that she so worships—"

"Draco Malfoy" snarled Snape, "you truly know nothing of our young Ginny do you? Well then...I guess we'll have to fix this, won't we?" Snape smirked, and then strode across the room to a small locked cabinet. He pulled out a long pewter key and inserted it, unlocking the cabinet with a 'click'. He pulled out a long, sleep silver rope, and strode back to Ginny and Draco. He tied an end to Draco's wrist, and grabbed Ginny's wrist and did the same. The rope tightened and disappeared.

"Professor, what was that about?" inquired Ginny.

"You'll soon see, young Weasley…" with that, Snape strode off.

"Whatever," Draco pronounced, turning to leave. However, after he had gotten a few feet away, he suddenly fell backwards, and pulled Ginny forward, falling on top of him.

"What the heck was that?" she yelled, pulling herself off of Draco's stomach.

"I think that Snape's tied us together with some sort of magical rope," replied Draco, scowling.

"Great," said Ginny, in an exasperated tone.