Well…here it is…

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Ginny's forehead was cold. She opened her eyes slowly to see Charise dabbing it with a cool, wet cloth.


"Ah, finally awake I see."

"Mmm…" Ginny agreed, sitting up slowly. She quickly fell back down, clutching her temples. "Ack!"

"You should be in pain, miss. You were trampled by two horses!"


Ginny's eyebrows furrowed. "But I woke up…I wasn't hurt except for the cut on my arm." Ginny raised her right arm to find her bandage removed and her cut healed. "Did you heal me?"

This time it was Charise's who furrowed her eyebrows. "Your arm wasn't hurt upon arrival, miss; you hit your head mighty hard when you fell down though…"

Ginny was confused. "It…wasn't?"

Charise shook her head: no.

"I have to go." Ginny sat up again, slower this time.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea ma'am…"

"I'll be fine…"


"But miss—" she protested.

"You're dismissed, Charise." Ginny snapped, a bit to cold for her liking.

Charise shut her mouth, curtsied and exited the room, her eyes downcast the whole time.

In all the time Ginny had had these dreams, she had never treated Charise like a common maid. She felt like Slytherin dirt.

She made her way over to her wardrobe and picked out a not-too-fluffy dress to change into.

When she looked halfway decent she made her way outside. The sun shone bright, and Ginny had to rest a hand just below her eyebrows to see anything.

She spotted a familiar blonde making his way towards the fruit stand and followed his trail.

No one but Ginny saw it. While everyone was gazing at his flirtatious, dazzling smile, Ginny was watching the hand Parker held behind his back grab a pair of ruby red apples inconspicuously.

She smiled and shook her head, and followed the would-be-Slytherin-if-he-was-in-my-world boy into a nearby alleyway.

She snuck up close behind him and grabbed the arm currently holding the apples and growled. "Thief!"

Parker stiffened slightly and moments later had Ginny up against the wall, a knife to her throat.

"Oh, Virginia, it's you…" He released Ginny and re-sheathed his knife into its proper place: his right boot. "You shouldn't do that…gave me a right scare." He grinned, tossing her an apple. "Caught me again, though, did you?"

Ginny smiled. "I always catch you, Parker."

"Right you do."

"You're going to get caught one of these days, boy, and don't count on me standing up for you."

"I don't, it's not royalties place to defend the common riff-raff, is it?"


"I'm hardly royalty, Parker. It's not my fault I'm an heir to a fortune. It's not like I want it. Besides, you're the son of a duke, not riff-raff. You just act as such."

Parker snorted, choking on a bit of his apple. "Don't want it?" There was a moment of silence, followed up by: "Aren't you going to eat that? I got it just for you." He pointed to the apple Ginny held in her hand.

"Did you?"

"I did."

"Knew I was following you?"

"Saw you leaving the manor four blocks ago, if that's what you mean."

Ginny grinned. "You are a sneak!"

"But a helpful one, I feed you, don't I?"

Ginny shook her head and took a bite of the apple. It was delicious, perfectly ripe.

"Ginny? Gin, wake up!" a voice sounded in Ginny's head. It went away momentarily.

"I have to go." She explained to Parker.

"Drats."

"Do you want to be late for Potions again?" Why not? It worked out perfect the last time she did. Made a new sorta-kinda-friend.

"I'll miss you love." He used his sweetest voice.

"I'm sure…"

"Gin, I'm serious!"

"Behave, Parker." Was all Ginny said as she closed her eyes and disappeared.

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Ginny opened her eyes to a girl leaning over her, inches from her own face.

"Finally!" Saline sighed irritably and resumed her usual place in front of the mirror, applying her usual seven pounds of make-up.

"Sorry, sorry." Ginny muttered, falling out of her bed with a thump. "Thanks for waking me, though."

"No problem, I suppose, but now I've probably gone and missed breakfast…"

"I'll make it up to you."

Saline looked into the mirror at Ginny's reflection with an I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it expression etched into every dazzling feature.

"I will!"

Saline just shrugged.

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As it turned out, Ginny got paired with Saline for Potions. She was being quite irritable seeing as how she did miss breakfast. Ginny's reward for this was to slice the caterpillars AND crush the beetles for their potion.

She tried to keep her mind on the project at hand and not her dreams, though she couldn't help thinking that Parker was acting strangely. He seemed…showy wasn't the right word. He and Malfoy were always showy. It was more…antsy. But why Parker Windom was antsy was beyond Ginny.

"Ginny!" Saline hissed in her ear. "At least look like your paying attention! Snape just gave you an awful look!"

"Sorry." Ginny muttered, looking up to the board for the next instructions.

"Talking, Miss Weasley?"

"What? No sir, I was just—"

"Just begging me to deduct five points from Gryffindor? Well, I suppose if you really want me to…Five points from Gryffindor." Ginny's cheeks tinged red with embarrassment as she waited for Snape to move on and scold someone else. He didn't.

"Did you want something, sir?" she questioned in her most innocent voice.

Snape opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Snape sighed. "Enter."

The door opened and Draco Malfoy stepped inside and briskly walked over to the professor. "Sir, there's been a situation." He said quietly. He glanced to Ginny.

"What is it?"

"I wasn't informed of much…I just know it had to do with your office and Peeves and that—" Draco was interrupted by the swishing of Snape's robes as he shot out of the classroom.

No sooner had he stepped out that he popped his head back it. "Watch them please, would you Draco?"

But he didn't give Draco a chance to respond.

He looked to the board then back to Ginny. "Dreamless Sleep Potion, eh?"

"Yup." Ginny replied, scooping up the caterpillars.

Malfoy caught her wrist. "Unless you want to lose an eyebrow, you'll want to add the beetles first."

Ginny eyed Malfoy suspiciously and he stepped aside and pointed to the board.

Drats, he's right… "Thanks." She muttered, dropping the beetles in.

Malfoy rested his hands on the table in front of her and leaned over her cauldron. "You'll be needing this, huh?" he muttered to her quietly.

Ginny shook her head: no. "I already tried. It doesn't work."

"Pity."

Saline looked from Ginny and Malfoy and back to Ginny, puzzled. It appeared everyone in the class was doing this.

"Get to work!" Malfoy barked. He spent the next twenty minutes walking around the class inspecting everyone's potions closely. He was a silent Snape.

Class was over, and Snape still wasn't back. "Bottle and label a sample vile and leave in on Professor Snape's desk." Malfoy ordered. "When you've cleaned your station you can leave.

Ginny packed up slowly, waiting for the others to leave. When the room was empty, save her and Malfoy, she gathered her things and walked over to him.

"Are you free after supper?" He nodded. "Great, we can talk then. The library, 7:00?"

"There's a desk over to the right side, as far back as you can go. It's an enclosed space, we'll have privacy enough." Ginny nodded and left.

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Ginny plopped down into a chair at the desk Malfoy had described, her stomach full. She still had fifteen minutes until she expected Malfoy, so she started on her Potions essay due the following Monday. Two feet on the use Billywig Stings in potions. Hurrah.

A few minutes later someone approached behind her. She glanced at her watch. "Surprise, surprise, you're earl—" she looked up to see Harry and Ron standing across from her.

"Who's early?" Harry asked.

"Who are you meeting here?" Ron asked, glancing around suspiciously.

"No one. What can I do you for, boys?"

"We thought it's been awhile since we've all hung out and well…we thought you could go to Hogsmeade with us." Ron suggested.

"Ron needs a woman's help to pick out Hermione's Christmas gift." Harry explained.

Ron's cheeks flushed and he looked down. "Course' I'll help!" Ginny grinned.

"Alright…we'll just meet you at breakfast tomorrow." Harry said.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't the Golden Boy Potter…" Malfoy sneered at Harry. "…and the Golden Boy's sidekick." He added, looking to Ron.

"Malfoy…" Ginny looked at him sternly.

"Quick! Did anyone else just witness that?! The headlines will read: Amazing Walking, Talking, yet Quite Annoying Ferret!" Harry quipped.

"Harry…"

"I can't wait for that issue to come out. I'll have to fly over Great Britain and drop copies all over the countryside."

"Ron…"

"You won't even be able to afford one copy, Weasley, let alone enough to supply Great Britain." Malfoy sneered back.

Ron's ears went red and he and Harry started around the table towards Malfoy. Ginny stood quickly.

"Now that's enough!" She said sternly, placing her hands on her hips and resembling Mrs. Weasley scarily. "Ron, Harry, I'll see you later."

Ron looked as if about to protest. Ginny pointed a finger towards the door. "Out!"

When they had left, Malfoy sat down across from Ginny. "Way to get rid—"

"Hush, you!" Malfoy fell silent and stared at Ginny intently across the table.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You called this meeting; I assumed you had something to tell me." Malfoy drawled.

"Oh…right…" Ginny flushed slightly. "Sorry…I got kind of got caught up…We hadn't had a chance to talk since Saturday…I figured you had more questions."

"How long have you been having these dreams?"

"Ever since the beginning of last year." Malfoy raised his eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Why would I lie?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Is there any immediate danger to you or do you just want to get rid of them?"

"I just want a peaceful night's sleep! I figured you might be some help to me in the research department…"

"I suppose I could help…do you think it could wait until after Christmas Break, though? I mean if there's no immediate danger…"

"Yeah…I guess it could wait…"

"Excellent." Malfoy stood.

"Where are you going?"

"Quidditch practice. We do have a game with the Gryffindors."

"After Christmas Break!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Why are you so hysterical? Want me to stay, do you?"

"Not necessarily, I just want something to do so I can put off my Potions essay for a good reason."

Malfoy grinned. "You can come watch me, if you like."

Ginny was astounded. Watch the Slytherin practice? "Really?"

Malfoy snorted. "Allow a Gryffindor at a Slytherin Quidditch practice? Not bloody likely!"

Ginny sighed and pulled her essay towards her as Malfoy walked away.

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Not a very good chapter, I apologize…I have a really good idea, but I didn't want to put it to use until after their Christmas Break. Next chapter: Hogsmeade!