The next morning, Ginny woke up to a massive hangover. She decided that next time she drank, she would stop at two martinis. She felt that her liver was deteriorating at that very moment and wanted to hurl the contents of her stomach. She walked into her bathroom, took an anti-hangover potion, and then showered to remove the last remnants of sweat and glitter from her body. Ginny was feeling quite hungry and she decided that she didn't feel like cooking. She went to her kitchen to grab her purse before leaving, when she noticed an eagle owl pecking at her living room window. She ran over to open the window and the eagle owl stuck its prominent leg out for Ginny to take the letter. She took it, petted the bird's feathers, and then closed the window.

Ginny,

I had a wonderful time with you last night and would like to spend more time with you. I hope you remember it, considering the amount of alcohol you consumed. I would like to invite you to dinner this evening. If you are interested, please let me know at your earliest convenience.

Draco Malfoy

Ginny was pleased and was delighted to make a new friend. Malfoy really had changed since their days at Hogwarts. She decided that she would love to have dinner with him and catch up more on old times. At least she knew up front that he was gay, and wouldn't be misguided in her attempts at love. She reflected that it was such a shame, though, that he was gay because he was one prime piece of meat. She pulled out a clean sheet of parchment and ink and began to write.

Draco,

Surprisingly enough, I do remember last night! I had fun last night, too. I would love to have dinner with you tonight and get to know you better. I think we could be wonderful friends! Hopefully, you aren't a prat anymore like you were in school!

Ginny Weasley

Ginny put her note in her purse since she didn't have her own owl and left her flat to head to the post. She arrived at the post, which was near a quaint little bistro she liked, and sent her letter off. She walked into the bistro, intent on ordering, when she ran into a solid body.

"Pardon me, miss." The voice called. Ginny stumbled a bit and then looked into the eyes of a man. But, not just any man. It was Colin Creevey, himself.

"It's quite alright." Ginny replied with a blush to her cheeks. She gave a small smile and then walked past the man toward an empty table.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but are you Ginny Weasley?" Colin asked.

"Yes." She replied. It had been years since they had last seen each other.

"Do you mind if we grab lunch together? I had intended to eat mine on the go, but since you are alone, I figured we could grab a bite together, yeah?" He asked.

"Sure." She replied timidly.

Colin placed his hand at the small of her back and led her to a table nearby a window. The waitress came to take her order and to grab Colin a beverage. Ginny felt awkward because, while she found him attractive today, she remembered him to be a completely scrawny lad when they were in school. Somehow the mental picture of him from their Hogwarts days made it hard for her to really find him attractive overall. Every time she looked at him, she saw the messy mop of sand blonde hair from school, his overly pasty skin, and how short he used to be. Granted, now he was taller than her measly five feet four inches, but it wasn't something someone could easily forget. He still wasn't much taller though. He was only five nine or five ten. But everything else, from the way he styled his hair to his perfect teeth, was amazing now. He was one of the most handsome men, besides her new gay friend, Malfoy. And somehow, Ginny still couldn't get the boy from Hogwarts out of her mind. But, as she made a fool of herself by ignoring him to have this inner battle with herself, she decided she would give him a chance and try to put all the old things from her mind.

They made small talk until the waitress brought Ginny's food. Colin unwrapped his sandwich and began to eat with Ginny. She kept smiling because she had never heard any rumors of Colin's sexuality being questioned. Finally! Yes, she would successfully put old Colin from her mind and welcome new, delicious Colin. He told her about his job and all the stories he has experienced. He even told her a few dirty secrets of the Minister's! She had an overall good time and enjoyed his company. They finished lunch and some small chatter and then Colin led her to the exit.

"I hope I can see you again, Ginny. I would love to take you on a date." He offered.

"I think that would be a splendid idea." Ginny smiled.

"Is tonight good for you?" He asked.

"Oh, no. I already have dinner plans with a friend. And, I'm not really available much during the week because of work. How is next Friday?" She returned.

"That's perfect. Just owl me your address this week to the Daily Prophet and we'll get in touch about what we should do. It was wonderful to see you again, Ginny!" Colin parted her with a kiss on the cheek and left the shop. Ginny blushed and then apparrated to her flat to get ready for her dinner date with Malfoy.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Draco arrived at Ginny's flat that evening and was floored upon the sight. She was amazing. She wore a loose, billowy dress that went down to her knees. It was a very pale, lavender color and was tube topped. She wore a thick, aged, brown belt at her waist to give the simple dress something special. She was wearing wedge heals to match that tied around her ankle with a ribbon. Her hair was long. That was his favorite. Tonight, it flowed down her back, barely touching the small of her back and it was curled perfectly. She barely wore any make-up; perfect for her face. She had just a small amount of mascara to highlight her honey eyes and a pop of pink lip gloss. Her lips looked so plump and juicy that he just wanted to grab her forcefully and press his lips against hers with abandon.

She walked back into her room and he had to adjust himself. He didn't want her to get freaked out with his boner on their first date. In truth, he was really excited about this date. He had always found her attractive in school and after the amount of fun he had with her the previous night, he just knew he would like her. Sure, he had dated plenty of women, but none had grabbed his interest. Most of them were vain and only wanted to date him for his looks or his money. But, Ginny didn't seem to care about any of those things. She had a good time with him last night just because they could. There was no mention of society or money. No mention of politics or all the things that make everything sour. Yes, he was definitely intrigued with her and wanted to know her better.

"Ready?" She asked as she came back into the room with a small clutch purse. He nodded his head and held out his hand to her so they could side-along apparrate. She smiled and placed her hand in his and they left with a 'pop'. They arrived in Diagon Alley and went to "The Promenade". It was a high class restaurant and Draco wanted to impress her for their first date. He looked over at her and her eye brows shot up when she noticed where they were.

"Oh, Draco, I don't think I can afford this." She told him. He laughed.

"Gentlemen don't let ladies pay." He amended.

"Well…okay. If you really insist." She shrugged her shoulders and they walked into the restaurant.

They sat at a small, two-person table that was delicately draped in cream lace. It had a small centerpiece that held a candle to illuminate the area. It was a romantic setting and Ginny absolutely loved it. She wondered if Colin would take her to places like this. Draco was a complete gentleman and pulled out her seat for her. His expert manners furthered her accusation of his sexuality. Most men her age had little to no formal manners such as his. Even when he sat down across from her and immediately placed his napkin in his lap, she just knew. A server placed two menus in front of them and took their beverage order.

"She'll have a glass of Italian Moscato and I'll have the same." Draco told the server. Ginny was impressed with his knowledge of wine and the fact that he ordered for her. Such a shame that he was gay…

"So, where do we begin? What is new in the life of Draco Malfoy since Hogwarts?" Ginny questioned him as she placed her hand under her chin and lent up to the table.

"Well I run the family business. I'm sure you already knew that. We do a little of everything. We have really expanded to ensure the success of our future heirs. For leisure, I enjoy art. I love going to museums and visiting art galleries to see the oldest and newest forms of art. Some of it can be quite breathtaking." He told her. Art. Of course. Typical.

"What about you?" He retorted.

"Well, I have a completely insufferable job. I hate it. It is so dull. But, it pays the bills until I figure out what I really want to do." She told him. She figured as little information about her pathetic life would be sufficient.

"And what would that be?" He pressed.

"If you must know, I'm an assistant to the assistant of the secretary of the Minister of Magic. I have a perfectly private office…in a broom closet. I really don't see the point of the job. I have to dress pretty in order to do nothing but make copies of documents all day. Most of the time, I get around five documents per day. It is so boring. I can't stand it." She told him. The server brought their wine and proceeded to take their order.

"She will have the roasted duck with orange glaze and broccoli. I will have the Chicken cor don bleu and potatoes." He announced and the server scurried off with their menus.

"If you hate your job so much, why do you stay?" He asked.

"The pay is decent. It pays the bills. And I can't find anything else. I had hoped after all this time that I would get a promotion. But, there really isn't any room to climb the ladder." She answered.

"Well what would you like to do?" He inquired.

"I love interior design. If I had the money to turn my flat into a dream, I would." She told him whimsically.

"What would you say to working for me? I have a decorating department under the construction unit." He informed her.

"I would jump at the chance!" She told him.

"Well, can you start in two weeks?" He asked.

"You bet! I'll put in my two weeks' notice Monday!" She replied, excitedly.

"Other than your new job, what else is new in the life of Ginevra Weasley?" He asked.

"Well, I met someone."

"Oh, pray tell. Who?" He asked with a smirk.

"Colin Creevey. I bumped into him earlier and he asked me on a date." She told him.

"Oh. So you fancy him?" Draco asked while keeping his cool demeanor.

"Well, I haven't found anyone else who fit my criteria lately. The only problem is that I can't get the image of him as a kid out of my mind. I'm sure you remember. He looked like a total nerd all through school!" She roared. Draco laughed.

"He did look like a right git." He confirmed and then the server brought their food.

They ate their meal and laughed at old Hogwarts jokes and stories for the remainder of the evening. Ginny was marveled at how easily she enjoyed his company. She hated how she knew she would prefer it over any other man since he was gay. Oh, well. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.