Ginny sat by the lake, under a tree. A small book sat in her lap. Her large brown eyes, framed by incredibly long lashes, held a child-like concentration on the pages. Her silky red hair was pulled into a tight braid. A few strands fell around her oval face, framing it. She wore a huge green sweater and too-small jeans. The jeans were obviously from last year and the sweater was almost certainly one of her brother's. It was Friday evening, which was why she wasn't wearing her uniform.

A burst of derisive laughter came from the other side of the lake, as a now soaked and spluttering Hufflepuff scrambled onto the banks of the lake.

The usual group of Slytherins, with their ring leader, Draco Malfoy, again collapsed in fits of malicious laughter as Crabbe threw the Hufflepuff back into the lake. Ginny looked up sharply from her book. Seeing what the Slytherins were doing her face became angry, eyes narrowing. She grabbed her book in one hand and stamped over to where the Hufflepuff was. She helped him up. "You leave him alone!" she shouted angrily at Malfoy. Although Crabbe had thrown the boy in, she knew Crabbe didn't do a thing other than eat without his lord and master's approval. While she screamed at the silver haired boy the Hufflepuff ran off up to the castle.

"Ah, If it isn't a Weasel." he said, folding his arms, not getting upset by Ginny's shouting.

Ginny took a deep breath, composing herself. "That's Miss Weasel to you, Malfoy." said Ginny, acting as though she wasn't circled by a ring a Slytherins, most of them twice her size.

Draco looked down at her, a nasty curl to his lips. "Still wearing hand-me-downs?" Crabbe and Goyle both smirked.

Ginny's confident face turned self conscious. Her green sweater, once the color of emeralds was now a sort of faded gray green and was so big it was falling off of one skinny shoulder. The pants, on the other hand, were far too tight. They clung to her slim hips like a second skin. "What, pray tell, do my clothes have to do with the fact that I saw Crabbe throwing a Hufflepuff first year into the lake?" snapped Ginny irritably. Her ears were a bit red, she hated having her clothes made fun of.

"Miss Weasel." Draco tutted to himself. " Merely an observation, one which almost everyone makes."

"True. You'd think the Slytherins, being so incredibly witty, would have come up with some new material by now."

"It still gets to you, after six years." the group closed in tighter, completely surrounding her, there was no way she get out of it.

"Yes, well, Malfoy, we can't all bounce back as amazingly well as you do." said Ginny, eye flashing. It was an obvious reference to his short, yet painful stint as a white, bouncing, ferret.

" Cutting." Draco raised an eyebrow. "But again, over used." he sighed, it was a painful memory, but a memory that he had become rather numb to.

"Just let me through. I have better things to do than trade insults with a pack of slimey gits." Draco suddenly moved quickly toward her, a blur of almost white, snatching the book cluched in Ginny's hand. "Give that back!" she said, not wanting him to read the title.

He was much taller than her. This made it easy to keep away from her reach. "Why, a mushy romance novel?"

"It's none of your business what it is. It's MINE!"

"I'm perfectly aware." said Draco, flicking open to where her bookmark was placed. Ginny stood in the center of the circle, breathing hard, face a horrible magenta that clashed with her hair in the most terrifying way.. Her arms were crossed under her breasts and her face had the look of a petulant five year old. But it was very hard to blame her. Draco just laughed, reading the top line of the page. " Oh dear, you actually enjoy this excuse for a novel?" he snapped the book shut, looking at the title.

"And the title?" He held the book for Goyle to see, who laughed a deep and hoarse laugh. "Snog and Snog again?" More laughs came from around the circle, Draco looking down at her, his icy eyes boaring mean little holes into her.

With an angry cry Ginny grabbed her book and pushed past two people and out of the circle, shaking. Being laughed at bothered her. It felt like people were always either ignoring her or laughing at her. Always.

Taking a deep breath, willing herself not to cry, she took off at a dead run for the Quidditch pitch. A final roar of Slytherin laughter chased her all the way to the pitch, before silence fell.

Later that night Ginny walked briskly down the halls. She had good reason to walk briskly. She was in the dungeons. 'Mione, who was head girl, was mad at her because she had found out that Ginny had copied some of Colin Creevey's Transfiguration homework. She had had permission from Colin but Hermione said, that, as a Prefect, Ginny should know better. Knowing how much Ginny hated patrolling the dungeons, and not wnating to take away precious house points, Hermione had assigned the poor Weasely to dungeons duty. For a week.

Ginny sighed angirly. "I can't believe this. I didn't have time to study for Transfiguration. I had to help Lavender with charms. But does she think that's a good excuse? That I was helping a fellow Gryffindor? No." continuing in this vein, Ginny kept muttering to herself as she patrolled the halls.

Draco, who was, in many's opinion, the head of Slytherin house, was also patrolling the dungeons, he almost allways did. As Crabbe put it, it was his territory. Blaise Zabini, who was Draco's only real friend, was, tonight, patrolling with him. The two boys were silently pacing, they had no idea they'd be joined by a Gryffindor tonight. Ginny rounded a corner and ran bang smack into Blaise. She fell over onto her bottom.

"Well, if it isn't the Weasel." Blaise said, looking at the red-head who had just landed on the floor.

"Can't you people come up with a better nickname then that?" snapped Ginny, getting up and brushing herself off. "And aren't you all the gentlemen? Everybody rushing to help up a lady."

Draco simply looked down at her, much as one would look down at a bug crawling acroos some dirt. Zabini brushed himself off where Ginny had bumped into him, a look of annoyance about his brow. Ginny looked back at Draco. Her look was much the same as his. However, she looked as though he was a bug she wanted to squash.

"What are you doing down here?" asked Draco coldly and with authority.

"I have dungeon patrol duty, Malfoy." said Ginny icily. Blaise was watching them with interest. He didn't have the cruelty of some of the other Slyterhins. He was no Santa Claus, but he was more just sarcastic then anything else.

"Oh you do, do you? That mudblood send you down here?"

"Don't. You. Dare. Call her that!" Ginny's face had gone from it's usual ivory to red. Yes, she was mad at Hermione, but they were friends. Nobody insulted her friends. Not without getting her hackles up, at any rate. "Don't you use that filthy word on her!"

"Mmm, I don't think, somehow, you're going to stop me." said Draco, dismissing Ginny's words.

"You are an arrogant, white haired bastard!" said Ginny, losing her temper and stamping her foot. Her face was no longer bright red and her red hair was billowing around her face in a way that was most becoming.

"Yes." said Draco. "But the white hair really isn't an insult, Weasel."

"Arrrrgh! Why does NOTHING upset you! You're like an ice block." shouted Ginny. Blaise smirked. Draco shrugged, folding his arms, face calm. His icy grey eyes really did reflect what Ginny had just said. Reaching up Ginny slapped him. Hard. So hard it left a red hand print. Blaise slapped his hand over his mouth in a failing effort not to burst out laughing.

Draco stood there, he hadn't flinched his, face hadn't changed, apart from the now red print embossed on his cheek. "That was for?" He asked, sounding slightly bored.

"Being you!" she said exasperatedly. She stomped off through the halls.

"She's madly in love with you, mate." said Blaise, chuckling.

Draco raised an eyebrow at him. "Weasel, in love with me? insanity." replied Draco.

"She's cute." said Blaise, shrugging. "And nobody expends that much energy on one person, mostly unprovoked, without a reason."

"Hmmm..." Draco replied. They soon both walked off, circling their usual route round the corridors and dungeons.

The next day was a Saturday. It was October, but still warm enough so that the mid-morning hours found Ginny sitting under her usual tree by the lake. She wasn't reading this time, but instead just staring out over the lake. "Gin!" someone called. Turning around, Ginny saw Harry, Hermione and Ron coming down the hill. She smiled at them. "Hey Ron, Harry. Hermione." her greeting to Hermione was far cooler.

"What you doing just sitting out here?" Ron asked.

"Exactly that. Sitting." said Ginny.

"Not the best way to spend a Saturday." Hermione said with her usual smile. "Haven't you got any homework to do?" she inquired.

"Because that's the best way to spend your Saturday." muttered Harry out of one corner of his mouth, grinning secretively at Ginny. Ginny grinned back at Harry. Obviously, she took too long, because Hermione cleared her throat authoratively. She wanted an answer, clearly.

"No. I finished it. After I helped Lavender with hers." said Ginny, barely hiding the exasperation in her voice.

" Ah, ok." smiled Hermione. "Good to hear you're keeping on top of things." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Leave the poor girl alone, 'Mione." said Harry, sending a sparkling smile at Ginny. He'd become a bit of a ladies man lately, having gotten taller and gained some confidence. Ginny went a little pink. Ron scowled at Harry, and jabbed him discreetly in the back.

"Ow. What, Ron?" said Harry.

"Nothing." said Ron through gritted teeth, knowing he shouldn't interfere with Ginny, but he was too protective of her, he couldn't help it.

Blaise was sitting next to Draco, not too far away from the four. "Potter is hitting on Weasely." he said lazily. "And Weasely Senior doesn't like it."

"Doesn't suprise me." Draco said, looking over. Harry had just pushed a peice of hair out of Ginny's pinkened face. Draco raised an eyebrow. "What does he want with a Weasel anyway?"

"Draco, she's cute, sweet to everyone but you, smart and her family loves him. Plus she's gullible as hell. She's the perfect target."

Draco thought to himself. "Potter's getting cocky."

"Nah. He's just actually growing balls, is all." replied Blaise, continuing to watch Harry flirt with Ginny while Ron grew redder and redder. Ron was steadily getting angrier, but wasn't interfering. He was mentally battling with himself to either punch Harry, or get up and leave them to it, and from the apperance of his fists, the punch was winning.

"What NEWT classes are you taking?" questioned Harry.

"Umm, charms, transfiguration, herbology, potions." said Ginny, stumbling over her words a bit.

"Cool." said Harry.

"I can't believe she's falling for his crap. He's not even that smooth." said Blaise disparagingly.

"She's always had a crush on him."

"Yeah, and he's ignored her for six years! She doesn't seem like that much of an idiot."

"But she is demonstrating it well."

"She's a girl." said Blaise, as though that explained everything. At the moment Hermione was dragging Ron away before he could smash Harry's skull in.

"Watch. The know it all is dragging away the gorilla and in a minute Potter's going to kiss the littlest weasel." said Blaise with certainty.

"I do believe you're right." He replied, as Potter leaned in and kissed a beetroot red Ginny. Ginny was slightly akwardly kissing Harry back.

Blaise stole a glance over at Draco. He had convinced himself that Draco liked Ginny and wanted to see if Draco was jealous.

Draco watched, looking slightly annoyed. " Her brother's going to kill him."

"I doubt you'll object. Weasely junior might though"

"More injured Potter is, the better."

"I figured as much." said Blaise. Draco glanced at the red head, Potter, and the small angry dot that was a raging Ron. Hermione, who had been dating Ron for a good year now, was holding him back. Harry was talking to Ron while Ginny shouted over him about how she could kiss anyone she damn well pleased, thank you very much!

Blaise chuckled. "She's feisty. I bet she's fun to get pissed off. Of course, you'd know all about that."

"I would." He said, now he reacted to that slap. Talk about a thick exterior. He placed his hand on his face, mentally feeling the sting now

"Draco, you have problems. You like the girl that is soon going to be Harry The-Boy-Who-Won't-Fucking-Die Potter's girlfriend." said Blaise solemnly.

" I know." replied Draco, his teeth gritted, not agressive, but annoyed at himself.

Blaise flung his hand across his mouth in mock shock. "You admit it! Sacre bleu!" he pretended to faint.

"Don't get used to it." said Draco, his eyes fixed to a blade of grass on the ground.

"Well, it's not like I didn't already know. Your eyes tend to be permanently glued on her." said Blaise sarcastically. "Not that I blame you. She's hot, in a deer-caught-in-the-headlights sort of a way."

Draco pulled his eyes up from the floor and to Blaise. A slight smile crept on his face. "You are too right sometimes."

Blaise smirked a took a bow. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Don't push it."

"Or what?" challenged Blaise

"I'm joking..."

"Duh." said Blaise witheringly. "I'm playing along, numbskull." Nobody at Hogwarts had a weirder relationship than Blaise and Draco.

"Ah." said Draco, feeling slightly embarrased, but hiding it. Blaise looked back across the lake to discover that Ginny and Harry were now making out and Ron and Hermione were no where to be seen.

"I think you should have made your move about two days ago, Drake, buddy old pal." said Blaise.

"Don't call me that." said Draco, dangerously.

"Calm down Draco, you're PMSing." said Blaise, snickering.

"Shut up." said Draco, snapping.

"Make me." said Blaise, grinning. Draco raised an eyebrow, not going to move. They did have the strangest friendship.

"Eh, you're just being a tough guy to distract yourself from the fact that Ginger over there is making out with Golden Boy." said Blaise, hitting the nail on the head. Draco stared blankly at him, Blaise knew that meant he was right.

At that moment Ginny was thinking that Harry was a very good kisser. Harry brought his hands up to the back of her head and pulled the hairband off the end of her braid, running his fingers through the silky mass of red, leaving it falling in waves around the back of her neck.

Draco forced himself to not look, "Blaise, tell me when it's over." He said, starting again at the floor.

"You're gonna be staring at the floor for awhile."

"Great." said Draco sarcastically, spreading a grin over his face.

Harry pulled out of the kiss. "Wait, I think it's over." said Blaise. Just as Draco looked up, Harry pushed his fingers into Ginny's hair. Gently he tilted her head to one side, steering her, and leaned down to kiss her neck. Ginny's eyes drifted closed, her face looking blissful. It was worse then a kiss, because they could see her face.

Draco got up quickly. "We're leaving."

"You go ahead. This is practically free porn." said Blaise gleefully.

"You sicken me." He replied, not meaning it an insult, more taking the mick. He straightened himself up, and went the long way round the lake. He kept glancing back to them. Like Blaise had said, it was basically free porn. The funny part was what they were doing really wasn't that heavy. But it felt private anyway.

Later that night Ginny was patrolling the dungeons again, as she was to every night that week. Draco, again was guarding his territory fiercely. Ginny rounded a corner and saw Draco. Blaise was lounging against a pillar. When he saw Ginny a slow, almost lecherous smirk crept over his face. Ginny shivered. Blaise was definitely sexy and his smirk could make almost anyone shiver.

Draco was as ashen faced, looked as cold and as haughty as ever.

"Well hello to you two to." said Ginny, collecting herself.

"Hello." said Blaise in a low voice that felt like she should have been able to pet it. Blaise was deliberately trying to piss Draco off by flirting with the tiny Gryffindor. Draco nodded at her. His sharp little eyes sliced to Blaise as he spoke. Blaise smirked at Draco and turned his smouldering gaze back to Ginny. Ginny looked at the ground, scuffing a foot. It was all very cute, but as it was in response to Blaise, it was doubtful that Draco was appreciating the veiw. That, and he didn't appreciate sweet all that much anyway.

Without warning, he pushed off violently from the wall he was leaning against, and walked off at a pace down the corridor, to do a quick rounds. His black robes, billowing almost annoyedly out behind him. She glared after Draco. Draco was talking to himself loudly, knowing Blaise was trying to piss him off, and knowing he was succeeding.

"Fuck you Blaise, you're doing it to wind me up, you and fucking Potter!" yelled Draco, kicking a nearby suit of armour.

"Pardon me." Blaise murmured to Ginny in that same voice and then went down the hall to Draco. Ginny watched them from where she stood, leaning against a pillar.

"Why shouldn't I flirt with her? I know you're never going to make a move." said Blaise in a low voice to Draco, so that Ginny couldn't hear.

"Oh, I'm not?" whispered Draco back, looking severly at him.

"No. You're too busy being pissed at yourself. That, and you don't know how to be a Slytherin and like a Gryffindor at the same time, and it scares you." no one else could be this honest to Draco and get away without a broken nose. Actually, Blaise wasn't too sure he wouldn't have one in a few moments.

Draco flexed his fingers, his eyes narrowed. "Stop being right."

"It's my job, Draco. You live in denial. It's my job to deny you denial, so to speak." while they were talking Ginny had fled. Blaise looked over his shoulder. "She'd be more fun if she were always firey." he said. Draco growled slightly, relaxing his fists, and pushing the hair from his face that had fallen into his eyes.

"You're not going to go find her, are you? Because that's what I'd do. I'd find her, push her up against a wall and snog her silly." said Blaise, smirking.

" She'd kill me, but it's worth a try." Draco forced.

"Can I watch?" asked Blaise cheekily. "I'd love to see that short little twig of a thing kick your white haired pureblooded arse."

"In that case, no." Draco began quickly following after her.

She was walking down a hall and heard his footsteps behind her. "Zabini, would you please leave me al-" she started to turn around and realized it wasn't Blaise. Draco, not knowing whether this was a good idea or not, did exactly as Blaise had said. She stiffened against him, hands clenched into fists at her sides, he'd been sure to pin her arms. He pushed her back against the wall, and kissed her, just like that. He was now waiting for pain of some description.

Ginny's brain was screaming at her to knee the blonde boy who was attached to her at the mouth. She was a weasely. Weaselys did not kiss Malfoys. But he was a really good kisser. Before she knew what she was doing she had melted into the kiss. Her fists had unclenched and her body had relaxed into his. She wasn't kissing him back, but she wasn't smacking him either. Draco soon pulled back from the kiss, needing air desperately. He was alittlew suprised he wasnt bleeding somewhere.

"You... what. I have a boyfriend!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Potter?" He said, not drawing back from her, but wanting to kiss her again.

"No, the other boy I was making out with at the lake!" snapped Ginny, voice dripping with sarcasam, sounding very like him, or Blaise. Draco began to draw back, beginning to panic.

"What the hell was that for, anyway, Malfoy?" asked Ginny, putting her hands on her hips, looking remarkably like a skinnier, slightly taller version of her mother.

"Have a guess." said Draco, pulling his robes around him slightly.

"You git."

"And." He replied coldly.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything, and you kissed me."

"Your point?"

"I was talking to myself." snapped Ginny. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"What, exactly, gives you the right to walk up to me, spin me around, push me up agaisnt a wall and snog me like the apocalyspe is coming and you know you're not going to survive?" asked Ginny, neatly changing the subject.

"It was getting to me, so I thought I'd do something about it." replied Draco sharply. One would swear he was professor Snape.

"Humiliating me wasn't enough, you had to try and get me to cheat on the boy I've finally gotten a hold of, the one I've liked since I was ten!"

"Yes, why not." replied Draco, a sting in his voice

"You are a cold, heartless bastard!" screamed Ginny, flying at him, her hands curved like claws. Draco simply watched her, not putting his hands up in defense, not anything. She slapped him, far harder than she had the night before. He had to grit his teeth, there was no way he was going to take that straight, and not flinch.

"Fuck patrol duty." hissed Ginny, spinning around, robes billowing behind her, she stormed off. Draco watched her storm off, and went to find Blaise, his face raw form the slap. He didn't have to.

Blaise stepped out from behind a pillar. "She looks like a cat when she's angry." commented Blaise lazily. Draco shook his head, his teeth clenched, spasms of pain running across his face.

"You're an idiot, mate. You don't agree with a girl when she makes an accusation like that! Charm 101. Rule number one: Be charming! Git. I've seen you flirt Draco. You weren't flirting. Hell, you weren't even trying."

"Shut up." said Draco, begining to walk moodily back towards where they had been.

"No." said Blaise, following him. "What's your problem Draco? I'm not even saying you have to be nice to her. There's a difference between nice and charming. But hell, Drake, do you want her or not because that's not the way into her pants or her heart."

"Don't call me that!" replied Draco, a temper building up. "Yes I want her, But I have no idea how! You've told me that I'm scared!"

"Don't give me that bullshit. You're the fucking Slytherin Prince. How do you get any girl? Besides, what better way to get at Potter then to steal his girlfriend? You can kill two birds with one stone."

"Stop being god-damned right!" said Draco in annoyance. "I need a way to get her to like me! But after tonight, I'm back about 10 steps, so..." his mind had begun to scheme.