Author's Note: Second chapter! This, as I said before, takes place in America in the 1700s. Plot and title from The Innocent Anonymous Blusher.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you can recognize from Harry Potter.


Suddenly, the carriage stopped. Ginny didn't have time to brace herself; she fell forward, spluttering, into Hermione's lap, who laughed and pushed her away. Without warning, the carriage door opened and a footman poked his head in. "Ladies, we've arrived. Please step out when you're ready."

Still suppressing giggles, Ginny went first. When her foot touched the cobbled path, she looked up. A grand house stood before her, complete with white marble pillars and stone steps. The structure was so rich and utterly huge that it was almost a monstrosity – for one thing, it looked extremely cold.

And there, on the front steps, stood the infamous Draco Malfoy, who just happened to be staring unabashedly at her.


Ginny couldn't help it.

She stared right back at Draco.

At least, she did until Hermione toppled out of the carriage behind her and pushed her to the ground. Ginny exchanged a glance with her and burst into barely-suppressed giggles. But Hermione's face darkened when she looked up. A shadow had stepped in front of the sun – a human-shaped shadow.

A gentle hand touched Ginny's shoulder; she turned to see Draco offering her a hand up. So bewildered was she that all she could do was stare wildly at his white fingers.

What had happened to the boy she used to know? He'd antagonized her every single day that she'd come to visit – and she'd spent whole summers at the Malfoy residence for as long as she could remember. He'd made fun of her; more than once, he'd earned a slap for his offenses. Where was he? Where did the real Draco go?

"Ginny?" he said tentatively, moving his hand closer. "Would you like some help?"

Her gaze moved to his face. It was filled with genuine concern. Even his stone-gray eyes had a certain vulnerability that she'd never seen in them before. Suddenly mute, Ginny took his hand and let him pull her up. Brushing off her dress, she helped Hermione to stand.

When she turned back to Draco, he was offering her his arm.

She turned to Hermione, eyes wide. "What do I do?" she mouthed, turning her face enough so that Draco wouldn't be able to see her.

Hermione nodded just a tiny bit.

Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Draco, plastered a fake smile on her face, and took his arm as graciously as she could without screaming.

Something's wrong here.

Hermione right behind them, Draco led Ginny up the front walk and into the entrance hall of the house. "So…" Ginny began, but was so surprised when Draco turned to her attentively that she fell silent again.

Hermione completed her thought for her. "Where is Percy, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, peering around.

Looking at her over his shoulder, Draco said, "Oh, he's around here somewhere, probably dragging his daughter around with him. She's quite something, little Molly. Named after your mother, I believe, Ginny?" And with that not-so-nonchalant question, he turned his attention fully back to the red-haired girl at his arm.

"O-oh, yes, she must be," Ginny said, stumbling over her words a bit. "I haven't seen her yet – may we go try to find them?"

"Actually, I'd been hoping to talk to you in private," he said, throwing a less than subtle look over his shoulder at Hermione.

Hermione was instantly furious at her exclusion. "You'll not be talking to her in private, Mr. Malfoy," she growled, "unless she has an escort." Her face set in a scowl, she took Ginny's other arm. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we came here to see Ginny's brother. Not you."

Still too shocked by everything – Draco's sudden urge to be friendly, Hermione's outburst, and the feeling that something was very, very wrong, Ginny let go of Draco's arm and set off with Hermione, but she was not too far away to hear Draco call after them. "Have a good day, Ginny." He'd not directed any sort of farewell at Hermione.

As she was dragged along, Ginny felt her heart sink a little. Draco had to have a reason for being nice to her. She knew it was there somewhere – she couldn't put her finger on it, though. Frustrated, she ripped her wrist from Hermione's grasp.

"I would like to talk to him, Hermione. I'm going back. You can come if you want to."

Ginny couldn't help feeling a little bad at the stricken look on Hermione's face, but she turned and fled back down the hall anyway, shouting after Draco's receding figure. He turned on the spot and headed in her direction. They met in the middle of the hall.

Heeled footsteps told her that Hermione had decided to come along after all. Ginny didn't look behind her until the footsteps faded away – Hermione must have turned into a different corridor somewhere.

A bit breathless, Ginny stopped staring at the floor and met Draco's gaze. "You wanted to talk to me alone?" she said, clutching a fold in her dress.

"Yes," he said, taking her arm once again. "But let's go into the garden for some tea first."

Not so astonished this time by his gentlemanliness, Ginny let him lead her through the house. The portraits on the walls were filled with the customary moving pictures of old family members. Draco pointed out a few notable ones. "And that's Abraxas Malfoy, my grandfather. He was a Potions great, he was…"

She managed to laugh when it was expected, console when it was needed – it was natural. It was what her mother had taught her to do. There wasn't really a way around it.

As he led her down the steps and into the garden, Ginny couldn't help but let out a giggle at the absurd albino peacocks, strutting around like they ruled the world. "What?" Draco said, sounding a little confused. "What do you find so funny?"

Startled once again by the hint of sincerity in his voice, Ginny looked up at him, and found, yet again, that his eyes were full of some kindness she'd never seen before. Flustered before she could understand why, she explained hastily. "It's the peacocks – they're so absurd, the way they do everything. Always pompous, always asking for attention."

Draco laughed for the first time since Ginny had arrived. It was a quick little laugh, designed for charm and wit. Ginny had to admit that it did its job quite well, but she couldn't help wondering how many hours he'd spent practicing.

He led her to a stone bench and gestured for her to take a seat.

With a shuddering deep breath, he gripped her hand and began with a simple sentence. "Ginny, this is, like the peacocks, going to sound utterly absurd."


I know, I know... Cliffhanger. I'm sorry! But I had to do it. You can review and hate on me all you want, but point out some good things too, please :)