Do you know who she is? I think you do.

I own nothing, beyond my own dirty mind.

They'd met during his fifth year, when she began dating a good friend of his, Mickey Corner. She'd used him as a sounding board when she was in a right state about some of Mickey's opinions about Quidditch and the mild rivalry between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor houses. He'd felt good about being there for her, acting in his capacity as a friend to both she and Mick But he knew that if Mick blew it...well, she might need a shoulder to cry on.

He was right, almost.

After a particularly bad row, she had stormed out of the DA meeting they were in. Holding up his hand toward Mick, he had followed her out the door and down the corridor. Concerned that she might be caught out by that awful Umbridge woman, he'd quickly pulled her into an empty classroom so that she could calm down. Standing there watching her filled with quiet rage, he'd been awestruck. Like an ancient Irish queen, or a goddess from the German stories of his childhood, she was terrifying. He was glad her wand wasn't drawn as she advanced on him shaking with her fury. She wasn't very big, only a little over 5 feet and at 15 Tony had been inching toward 6 foot, but it had taken all his nerve not to put up his hands to protect himself. But when she reached him, she didn't hit him. She reached up, grasped his head on both sides and...snogged him senseless. Literally senseless. Anthony Goldstein was certain that he was having a seizure of some sort. He couldn't think.

He wasn't very experienced with girls. Merlin knows, he liked them, but they always seemed to place him firmly in the category of "friend." Responsible, studious, trustworthy Anthony Goldstein was snogging his best friend's girl in an empty classroom. His brain didn't know what was going on but his body certainly did. He reached down and wrapped one of his hands in her thick curtain of auburn hair and placed his other on her waist to draw her closer. It wasn't a sweet, gentle or romantic kiss. It was fueled by anger, which is a close relation of passion. Her lips were parted and her tongue was exploring the inside of his mouth...hungrily.

Until, he groaned.

She jumped back from him as though burned. He couldn't breathe. Actually, they both sounded as though they'd run at a full clip from the Quiddich pitch to the north tower. Like a cornered animal, she looked ready to bolt. Then it happened...Tony got the giggles. He didn't know why at the time and even two years later it seemed asinine. But serious, studious,and not to mention best-friend's-girl-snogging Anthony Goldstein began to laugh. Small chuckles at first, but building into a silent shaking hilarity. It was absurd. And then she was laughing, too.

They didn't talk about it. He asked her if she wanted to return to the DA meeting. With a nod and a giggle they walked back to the room of requirement. Walking back in with her, faces flushed with what was assumed to be laughter, Anthony got a nod of thanks from Mickey as he tried to make up to Ginny. Looking around for his sparring partner, Terry Boot, Tony caught Harry's eye. Harry smiled at him with what looked like respect and gave him the thumbs up. She was his best mate's little sister, after all, and he knew what her temper was like. If only he'd known what had really calmed down the tempestuous Ms Weasley, Tony would certainly have been on his way to the infirmary.

Falling into his bed in the 5th years' dormitory after his prefects' rounds that night, Tony wondered if this would be the end of Mickey and Ginny. Perhaps. On the edge of sleep, he heard Mick stirring in his bed across the way and felt a wave of guilt for what he'd done. Sure, he hadn't initiated the kiss, but damned if he'd pushed her away.

"Tony, mate, you still up?"

"Hmm."

"I don't know what you said to her, but…thanks."

Tony thought that was the end of it and began to drift off again, trying to quiet his guilty conscience.

"You know, she's bloody terrifying when she's mad like that. Won't let me touch her, won't let me apologize." Mick let out a deep sigh. "You must have the magic touch, mate."

"Magic touch…" Tony murmured, pretending to fall asleep. Lying there in his bed, Tony had never felt like such a snake.

Might as well be a Slytherin. Hell, they probably keep their knives out of each other's backs better.

Guilt was something the tall boy was good at. His Jewish grandmother and aunts had made it their mission to instill in him an appreciation for how lucky he was, while his Italian Catholic mother had made certain he confessed every sin. These forces warred within Anthony, he wanted to confess his transgression to Mickey, but he also didn't want to hurt his best friend. And then there was Ginny. He could still taste her, vaguely, like the scent of honey and cinnamon. The memory of her hair wrapped around his hands...it was torture. He knew that even if she and Mick were over, he couldn't date her. It was part of the code for being mates.

Well, maybe if there were a generous waiting period.

Who was he trying to fool? He had to get the girl out of his thoughts...

And into his arms. Traitor.

Tomorrow he would have to be careful, he'd school his thoughts of Ginny Weasley back onto a friendly foundation. With this decision made, Tony settled in to sleep. A sleep filled with images of a fiery Gryffindor goddess.

Exiting the Ravenclaw common room the next day, Tony was surprised to see Mickey and Ginny walking toward breakfast together. With an arm draped possessively around the girl's shoulder and a discrete nuzzle into her neck, Mick looked happy. They both looked happy. Standing in the archway leading to the great hall, Tony was not happy. He'd decided that they were friends, but seeing her...well, he didn't feel all that friendly.

Suddenly there were two identical sets of arms attached to two identical red heads, pulling Mick off Ginny.

"Unhand our baby sister"

"Corner, watch it, she's the only one we've got."

"Hate to have to take"

"Punitive actions"

"Against a fellow DA member."

Fred and George were trying to take the piss out of Mickey over his relationship with their "baby" sister. It was all done with the usual Weasley twin humor, but those two were always in it for the laugh and their methods were rarely above reproach. Tony knew he should step-up for Mickey. As a prefect, preventing harassment fell under his purview. But today, he let it ride. Then the terrible twosome noticed him.

"Goldstein, heard you took on the role of"

"Lion tamer, last night."

The two seventh year boys were pantomiming holding off Ginny with whips and chairs, as she snarled at them.

"What?" Tony asked with the most innocent look he could muster.

"Didn't you follow"

"Our raving lunatic"

"Of a sister"

" Out of the you know where last night?"

" And return with a semi-normal person?"

" OI, Fred, maybe it's music."

" They say it soothes the savage beast, George."

"Do you sing, Goldstein?

The two boys about doubled over in laughter, they might actually have collapsed on the floor had Ginny not aimed a couple of stinging hexes at them.

"Oi, Ginny, just having "

"a bit of fun."

Through clenched teeth, Ginny replied, "At my expense."

Watching Ginny stalk into the great hall and take a seat beside Hermione Granger, Tony thought she was amazing. Then he thought of the twins and Ron,

didn't she have other brothers as well, even one that worked with dragons?

not to mention Harry and Hermione. There was enough spell power there to make him shudder. No, best to be just friends with Ginny Weasley, it would be safer that way.

When Umbridge disbanded the Quiddich teams and placed a ban on Harry Potter's involvement, Anthony saw a side of Mick that he wasn't sure he liked. The bloke seemed so pleased that the Ravenclaw team actually had a shot at the cup, despite how that shot had come about. The tall prefect warned his friend to be careful about his excitement around Ginny. But Mick didn't listen. Two of her brothers had also been banned and it wasn't long before Ginny decided to go out for the team herself. When Ginny was selected as Seeker, Mick had been a condescending prat. As Ginny was headed to a practice, Tony overheard an exchange he couldn't believe.

"Ginny, love, why bother with practice? Cho's got so much more experience..."

"Are you saying you don't think I have the skills to play?"

"No, it's not that, sweety, but you are only a 4th year, and Cho's been our seeker for a couple seasons now."

"Sweety, Harry was Seeker in his 1st year. So what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, if Harry were still Seeker, do you think you'd have any spot on that team?"

"I cannot waste my time here with you. I have a practice to attend."

Tony stepped into an alcove to prevent Ginny Weasley from running him down as she strode by. Her face was set with determination and Tony observed her small hands clenching and unclenching as she made her way down to the pitch. He watched her go and marveled that Mick was such a git. Think of him and there he was, Mick stopped at Tony's side.

"She's gorgeous and I love to be around her. But damn it, she won't let me cop a feel or slip her the tongue. I'm not sure it's worth it."

Tony was astonished. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing but chaste school girl kisses, mate. I keep hoping she'll relax."

Tony remembered the way Ginny had kissed him, full of passion and fire.

Could Mick really be talking about the same girl? He hadn't imagined it? Had he?

No, he felt his pulse race a bit at the memory, it had happened.

What in Merlin's name was up?

A/N Is Tony in trouble? Yes, he certainly is.

Please review, I love this story, but if you don't, I have other things I could move on to.