A/N: HA! Time for my usual rounds of HUGE, appreciative thank you's to all my wonderful reviewer, who are the absolute best: Adiemus, Butterflysky, Noddy, Jinjerale, ally, Dracos gal//andLady in white, fEEdlestEEx, aphrael, vicci, SamiJo, gohansfan, and Serepidia! YOU GUYS ARE THE BESTEST!

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing this disclaimer thingie if I owned Harry Potter. *SIGH*

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Chapter Four (dedicated to Adiemus because she's the best and reviewed every chappie so far! ^_^)

Ginny opened her eyes blearily and looked around the room. She was oddly comfortable where she was. Everything seemed the same....the same baby blue wall, the same pretty, warm quilt, the same handsome body she was lying against...HOLD ON A SECOND!

She jumped awake almost immediately, only to be pulled in closer to the body behind hers. Glaring straight ahead, a smirk played on her lips. He was cute. And sweet, and nice, but.....a prank's a prank.

"HOLY SHITTAKE MUSHROOMS! WHAT DID U DO THAT FOR?!"

Ginny's elbow had *conveniently* been jabbed into Draco Malfoy's stomach. Hard.

The redhead giggled as she watched Draco's face contort with pain as he doubled over. "Damn it, Weasley, you really pack a punch."

"Comes with having six older brothers, mind you."

He only groaned in response. So much for comforting HER. /Sheesh. I feel so appreciated./

***

Narcissa Malfoy hummed a gentle tune as she walked around the ballroom, surveying the place. Musicians, banquet tables, and other bits of odds and ends needed to be arranged still.

The ballroom was huge, with a mosaic ceiling of many patterns and designed, sparkling in the shiny metallic colors and the like as the sun's rays bounced off them. A huge, crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the room, and the floor itself was made of pure white marble. A raised orchestra stage was located near the side of the room, and a set of heavily decorated French doors led to the Malfoy's many gardens. Narcissa clapped her hands in delight. Throwing balls had always been a lot of fun. After all, every woman needed some kind of challenge once in a while. She especially liked the challenge of getting Draco married to the woman he'd truly love. The woman sighed, and gasped suddenly as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her middle.

"What are you thinking about?" her husband asked innocently, nuzzling her neck.

She giggled as she felt his hair brush by her ever ticklish ear. "Nothing much, love. Just about the ball and Draco's to-be wife. I do hope that he finds the right girl..."

"Of course he will, after all, he IS my son."

"A tad bit overconfident, aren't you, Lucius?"

"Of course, sweeting. I do believe I've found his girl for him. In fact, she's right here under his nose..." Lucius frowned. "However, I doubt that son of mine will figure it out for a looong while. He's a little thick in the head, don't ya think?"

Narcissa thwaped him on his head. "Lucius! The things you say about your own son! Sometimes I wonder whether you are the Lucius I fell in love with or Lucius the slavedriver!"

The blonde-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" He grinned evilly as he raised his head and nibbled on the bottom of his wife's earlobe. Narcissa gasped in delight. He chuckled and slowly led her out of the colossal ballroom.

***

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, FALALALALALALALALA, 'tis the season to be jolly, FALALALALALALALALA!"

"Virginia! Shut up! Christmas was six months ago! You're either six months early or six months late!"

"Well, you know, Draco, every day's like Christmas. Because every day we're given the gift of life. And we should do everything we possibly can with that gift, because one day, we won't have it anymore."

The redhead whipped out of the room, leaving a stunned Draco Malfoy speechless.

***

It was the night before the Malfoy's grand ball in which Draco will *hopefully* find his one true love. The invitations had been sent out, the food prepared, and the great ballroom decorated in beautiful colors.

Ginny was sent to clean out Draco's room for the party, because almost every time, there were guests who insisted upon taking a tour of the grand mansion. They would oogle and goggle at every small detail, and frown at every piece of dust. So thus, Ginny was sent to clean out Draco's pig pen room, which was like any normal boy's room (no offense to anyone).

It took her the better part of the morning to get his room clear of clutter. Now the only problem was organization. Whipping out her wand, she moved his oak-wood furniture to different places in the room, rearranged, his clothes in his closets and dressers, organized his old Hogwarts books that lined the bookshelves, and put away random scrolls of parchment and quills.

And that was when she saw it.

While she was removing a pyramid of quills from his desk, she noticed a wooden box beautifully engraved. Each design was carefully etched into the wood with such meticulous care. It was so delicate looking that it seemed as if one breath would make it break apart. However, it never seemed to have been opened before.

The red head narrowed her brown, doe-like eyes and looked at the opening. There was a very small lock there, no larger than the nail of her pinky. She gasped. Her mother had told her the story once about a lock such as the one on the box, but it was a long time ago.

Almost suddenly, she fell into a trance. It was as if the magic of the box was calling out to her, crying to her, demanding to be opened. Unconsciously, she reached for her necklace she always wore. Her mother had given it to her when she graduated from Hogwarts. Taking it off, she slid the pendant into the lock. Her hand began to turn it when-

"VIRGINIA! Where the hell did you get that?!"

Almost immediately, the spell broke. Ginny was back in reality, staring at a red-faced blonde-haired Draco Malfoy.

"What?"

"Where did you get that key?!"

"What key? It's a necklace."

"Dammit! Answer me!"

"My mother gave it to me!"

"Liar, get out!"

"Dra-"

"I said, GET OUT! BEFORE I DO SOMETHING I REGRET!"

Ginny's eyes widened, and she flew out the door, slamming it behind her.

/I'm going home./

If anyone had seen the look on Draco's face, they would have run to the other corner of the Earth. He was downright furious. How could she lie to him! That box was what would decide his fate, and he'd rather kill himself than to be in love with a Weasley. A Weasley! Of all people!

***

"So, the little weasel has come back on her hands and knees begging for us to take her back again, has she?" inquired Monica, with a sneer on her face. "Well, I suppose we've got some work here, after all, Draco's ball is in two days and Pansy needs to be perfect. Hard labor will do, and a few lashes as well. Hamilton!"

A ghost floated in through the door. Its old-looking face stared back at Monica.

"You called, mistress?"

"Take her down to the cellar to be whipped. I expect her to be kept there until after the ball, understand?"

"Yes, madam."

Ginny followed the ghost down the long flights of stairs into the cold, dark cellar of the mansion. No one knew she was there, and no one cared. Monica came down five minutes later with a whip.

One lash.

No scream, no cry for mercy.

Two lashes.

No tear, no sound.

Three lashes.

Silence, and then darkness.

***

Draco shot up in bed. He felt as if he had just plunged headfirst into the Arctic sea. He looked up. The sight he saw was too terrible to see.

The enraged ghost of Molly Weasley.

***

Ginny woke up to darkness. Tears slid down her cheeks as her back burned from the pain inflicted upon her. She couldn't move without feeling its deep slices of pain.

"I wish I were dead. Hell, I'd even face Draco Malfoy's wrath for the rest of my life than to feel this."

"That could be arranged."

The voice started moving closer to her.

"Who are you?"

"Your fairy godmother!"

Almost immediately, the pain was gone. Ginny sat up, and looked at the bright light.

It was a rather old woman dressed in a royal blue cloak, holding a wand. Her skin wrinkled as she smiled at Ginny, and her white hair gleamed with light. She laughed happily and started waving her wand around.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting you ready for the ball, silly. Didn't you say you'd rather face Draco Malfoy for the rest of your life? Going to the ball would be the perfect opportunity. Don't worry, dear, you will be going under a disguise. Now close your eyes, love, I'm making your dress."

Ginny did as she was told. It seemed like forever until her fairy godmother told her to open her eyes again.

"Look."

Ginny gasped in surprise.

Her red hair was done up in ringlets atop her head and spilled down in ringlet, with a few tendrils framing her face. Her face was done with light makeup that made her eyes stand out. The gown itself was a sparkling light, light blue. It was so light that it seemed white. The sleeves were long and see through, with slightly darker blue flowers embroidered along the edges. The neckline was the same as a normal t-shirt, only it was see through until about an inch above her cleavage. That too, was embroidered with the same design as the sleeves.

On her ears hung pearl earrings with diamonds. Her necklace was also made of a string of pearls with rose quartz in between each pearl. On her feet were delicate glass slippers that sparkled under the moonlight. Ginny smiled into the mirror. Who would have ever thought that she would look forward to attending Malfoy's stupid ball?

"Now, love, I've placed a spell on you that would let no one see your red hair until midnight. My magic has been running a little low, or else I'd set it for all night. Don't forget, all the magic wears off by midnight. There are no extensions. Have fun!"

"Thank you! I will!"

Ginny waved as her fairy godmother apparated and disappeared. Only then did she herself apparate to the Malfoy mansion.

***

Draco stifled yet another yawn as he greeted the guests. All the giggling was getting to him. Especially Pansy's giggle. She clung to his arm the second she saw him. In the back of his mind, he wondered why it couldn't be Virginia. He mentally slapped himself. The day he loved Virginia would be the day pigs sprout wings.

It was a shame he didn't look at the buffet table.

He went on with the same 'how d you do' attire until he saw someone walk into the ballroom. His eyes nearly bugled out of their sockets. She was beautiful. Perfect. Too bad it wasn't Virginia.

/Why in the world does Virginia keep popping back into my mind?/ he thought to himself. He pushed Pansy off his arm and went toward the girl.

"Heaven must be missing an angel." he whispered into her ear.

The girl gasped in surprise and whirrled around.

"HEY!"

Draco laughed at her expression. "Care for a dance?'

Ginny didn't know what to say, but she smiled, and nodded anyway. It's just one dance, after all.

In reality, they danced together the entire night. Narcissa and Lucius grinned at the sight of their son spinning the same girl around.

It was then did the clock chime twelve.

Ginny heard it, and tore herself away from Draco's arms.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but I have to go. Goodbye!" She took off, and ran as fast as she could in her glass slippers, not noticing that one fell off in her escape.

"Wait! I never got you name!"

There was no answer, and that was when he saw a flash of red hair whipping around the corner.

"Virginia?"

***

A/N: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! EVIL CLIFFIE! Last chapter coming up! Haha! I told you it would be short! Well, thank you all for reading, and REVIEW! It'll make the next one come out faster! ^_^ Luv you guys!