I've been writing a lot for this story, and I've decided to take a different turn on the Draco/Ginny "friendship". And on the plot in general. You'll all see what I'm talking about...review and let me know what you think.

Draco Malfoy hurried into the Room of Requirement as fast and as stealthily as he could. It wouldn't do to have Hermione Granger catch him out after hours. She already had on the very first night of term, and while he had used Prefect duties as an excuse, he had not expected her to have the time table of which Prefect was on duty where and when. Ever since, he watched particularly shrewdly for the bushy haired witch, who seemed to be, in turn, watching him just as shrewdly.

He paced three times back and forth, picturing the room he would need to complete tonight's duty. Once the door materialized in front of him, he slipped inside and went immediately into the den-like room, grabbing a handful of floo powder and shoving his head through the fire. In a matter of seconds, he saw his father sitting in their study at Malfoy Manor.

"Draco," his father said coolly. "Have you managed it yet?"

"I've been waiting for the opprotune moment-" Draco began, but was immediately cut off.

"First thing tomorrow morning," Lucius said curtly. "You will give the book to the Weasley girl, and you will then watch her very, very carefully. And you will make absolutely certain that she does not become close with Potter."

Draco smirked a little. "I'll have it done before breakfast."

"That's my boy," Lucius said smugly. He suddenly clutched his left forearm. He nodded at his son. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Father."

The next morning, a very oblivious Ginny Weasley awoke as usual, did a shine and straighten spell on her fiery hair, and began applying her makeup. Hermione was in the shower, whilst Lavendar and Parvati were both still asleep. A beautiful black owl tapped at the window, interupting Ginny's usual preparations. She sighed, tripping over the clothes littered on the floor as she made her way to the window. She untied the letter from its leg, surprised to see it addressed to her.

Ginny,

Meet me before breakfast by the Transfiguration room. I have a gift for you that I think might make things a little easier on you.

Yours,

Draco

She blinked her hazel eyes at the letter for a moment before checking the time. She would need to head out soon if she was going to meet him. She haphazzardly threw on her uniform, loosely knotting her tie and shoving her feet into the nearest shoes before grabbing her bag and dashing out the door. By the time she arrived at the classroom, she was slightly out of breath.

"Took you long enough," Draco said, his voice light and teasing. Ginny gave him a sweet little smile. She enjoyed Draco's company; he was misunderstood, just like she was misunderstood.

"You didn't give me fair warning," Ginny defended, before eagerly holding out her hands. "Now gimme!"

He smirked and pulled a small leather journal from his bag. "I know you don't have many people to talk to, and you're probably pretty nervous around here. I write in a journal a lot, and it helps me. I was thinking you could do the same."

Ginny put a hand to her heart and tilted her head to one side. "Draco. That's so thoughtful."

"Yes, well," he said uncomfortably, handing her the journal stiffly. She took it and put it in her bag, before going up on her tip toes to give him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," she giggled, before dashing off toward the Great Hall. She slid into a seat beside Harry and across from Ron and Hermione with a shake of her hair.

"Where did you get off to so early?" Hermione asked, pouring herself some juice. Ginny hesitated for a moment .

"I was just finished getting ready early."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you should have taken your time. I noticed when you walked in that you're wearing two very different shoes."

Harry and Ginny both leaned back to look underneath the table. Harry began laughing heartily at the sight of one red tennis shoe on her left foot and one black boot on the other.

"Oh Merlin," Ginny groaned. "That is embarrassing."

"I think it's brilliant," Harry smirked. "I guarantee you that tomorrow, half the girls at this school will be wearing two different shoes because you did."

"Oh please," Ginny objected, a light blush on her cheeks as she nudged him. "Nobody even knows me here."

"You've been here a week, and I'm pretty sure every single student knows you," Harry argued. Ginny colored lightly, before pulling the journal out of her bag eagerly. Harry glanced at it curiously. "What's that?"

"A journal," Ginny proclaimed with a beaming grin. "I'm going to start writing in it."

Hermione nodded sagely. "That's a very good way to channel your emotions, Ginny."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were soon discussing other topics, and as usual, Ginny felt it quite difficult to cut in and participate. She knew that Hermione enjoyed her company, and that although they sometimes fought, Ron loved having her around. Things were even getting better with Harry. In the week they had been in school, he had learned to tolerate her much more. He was even beginning to joke with her, and on the off chance she slipped up and began to flirt, he didn't glare or storm off. Despite all of those things, Ginny was still, she realized, an outsider. They had been on life endangering adventures together for five years now, and Ginny was just Ron's conspicuously absent twin sister. They had a bond that she knew she couldn't be a part of.

So while they talked, Ginny decided to pull out a quill and begin writing in her brand new journal.

Yet another day of unintentional exclusion, she wrote. She gasped when words began to appear underneath hers, in writing that wasn't hers.

Well hello there. I'm Tom. What's your name?

I'm Ginny Weasley. I don't understand. Is this a charmed journal?

Yes, I suppose you could call it that. Now tell me, why are you so sad?

Ginny continued to write to this journal so deeply for the remainder of breakfast that she did not even glance up from its pages until Harry violently shook her shoulder.

"Ginny? You okay?" he asked, helped her haul herself to her feet from where she had fallen due to his push.

"I'm fine," she breathed. "Perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, her brow wrinkled with concern. Ginny nodded, putting her journal in her bag and walking with them to Potions. As they walked, Ginny couldn't keep her thoughts straight. Her mind was racing everywhere, and if she took a moment to think introspectively, she could have sworn there were the faint whispers of a voice in the back of her mind.

She didn't even realize that she had remained completely silent all the way to Potions class. Harry was looking at her curiously, his hand drifting toward his wand. She blinked her eyes at him, trying her very hardest to remember who he was.

"Ginny," he was saying slowly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, her voice breathy and light, unlike her usual husky sound. "Perfectly fine."

Hermione now looked alarmed. "Ginny, that's exactly what you said last time you spoke. Can you say anything else?"

"Yes," Ginny suddenly snapped, her voice no longer breathy. She huffed past them into the classroom, taking her seat where Hermione soon joined her. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Ginny pointedly ignored her, taking out her journal and beginning to write.

Draco watched from the far side of the room with a slightly satisfied smirk. Ginny Weasley had fallen directly into the trap. The moment he saw her vulnerability on the train, he had been sure of the fact that she would be the perfect victim for the plan. She was a member of the Weasley family, and therefore it was inevitable that Potter would do anything to protect her despite his dislike of the girl. However, Draco knew that he could not, under any circumstances, allow them to get too close. Closeness would assure that Potter would recognize something was wrong, and that was simply out of the question.

From two rows in front of him, he could hear the whispers of Potter and Weasley discussing something.

"There's something weird going on," Ron was whispering loudly.

"That bit is obvious," Harry replied. "She isn't usually like that."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Not that you would know what she's usually like."

Harry drew back a moment, seemingly offended. "We've been getting on fine since the first night back."

Ron narrowed his eyes a little bit. "You're still too hard on her. And you might be my best mate, but she's my sister."

"I'm not hard on her!"

"You practically call her a scarlet woman at any opprotunity!"

"She asked me to warn her if she's acting like one!"

Ron's fists were clenched. "She does not act that way."

"You said it yourself, Ron."

"Don't you dare talk about my sister that way," Ron growled, before turning back to his potions work and pointedly ignoring Ron. Across the aisle, Hermione and Harry gave one another an exasperated look over the two hunched over red heads.

Draco let a grin slide onto his face. This would be easier than expected.

This chapter took me a while to write for some reason, but hopefully I will pick up the pace! Please review so that I can see if people like the new spin on the story.