A/N: So here's the holiday update, even though it's not the holidays in the actual chapter...I also don't know how long this chapter will end up being. So if it's sort of short, I'm sorry. :-) Also, I realized that there is a little discontinuity with the last chapter (due to the meeting with Lucy, which I did not include in this chapter), so look for info about that in the next chapter from Harry's p.o.v.

Chapter 10

Ginny entered the potions classroom after a rushed lunch feeling very tired. She, Harry, and Ron had spent their 30 minutes of eating discussing the Memorium Potion and exactly how it was supposed to work; not to mention that Ginny felt as though she was just beginning to let the tension and stress from Hermione's attack go. The upshot of it all was that Ginny slid into her seat wishing very much that she could skive off the lesson and have a nap.

Things didn't improve any when Malfoy took the seat next to Ginny's and surreptitiously ran a hand down her arm, smirking slightly. Ginny jerked her arm away and glared at the blonde boy next to her, but couldn't help but notice the tingle that ran up her spine at his touch. Feeling disgusted with herself for feeling that way about Malfoy, Ginny turned her attention to Snape who was discussing the properties of various potions ingredients and showing the class samples of each.

"Now, there is one more ingredient that I want to show you, but unfortunately, Professor Dumbledore has deemed it too dangerous to be kept in my private stores," Snape sounded distinctly irritated by this, "Instead, he has Madam Pomfrey keep a very careful watch over it," his eyes scanned the class and then fell on Ginny and Malfoy. Before Snape had said anything, Ginny felt sure that she knew what was coming, "Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley," Snape picked up his quill and scribbled something on a piece of parchment, "Please take this to Madam Pomfrey and bring what she gives you back to me."

Ginny rose from her seat, gloom settling into her stomach. If there was ever a time that Malfoy could corner her and get away with it, this was it. The teachers were occupied in their respective classes, and the same went for the other students. Malfoy seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because as he stood up, Ginny saw a slight smile twitching at the corners of his outh. He walked cockily to the front of the room--Ginny couldn't help but notice his all too apparent swagger--to get the note from Snape.

"What a wanker," she muttered under her breath and then shot a look across the room to where Harry and Ron were. Though they were at different tables, they wore distinctly similar looks of disgust and outrage, clearly upset that Ginny had to go anywhere with Malfoy. In fact, their expression were so pronounced that Ginny couldn't help but grin.

She felt something brush by her, "C'mon Weasley," Malfoy's tell-tale drawl met her ears. Heaving a sigh, Ginny turned and followed him out of the classroom dungeon after having taken a firmer grip on her wand in her robe pocket. She promised herself that whatever happened, she would not be caught off her guard.

Once out in the hallway, Malfoy turned to lock down at her, his steel grey eyes boring into her brown ones, "Thought about my offer anymore, Ginny?"

"I thought I told you not to use my first name Malfoy, because that would imply friendship or some sort of closeness that we don't have," Ginny spoke through gritted teeth.

"All right, Weasley then. Have you thought about it?" Malfoy sounded impatient.

"What offer? The one that would consist of you draggin me off and banging me in one of Filch's supply closets?" this of course was not exactly what Malfoy had said, but Ginny thought that it had an effective sound, "Because if that's what you're referring to, I think I already gave you my answer: no! I leave that sort of thing for the Pansy Parkinsons of the world to do," Ginny quickened her pace.

A pink tinge spread over Malfoy's face, "Shut up!"

Ginny looked back at him over her shoulder, "Oh, I'm sorry, is she your special slut? The one you keep going back too when you can't get anyone else?" In an instant Ginny knew she'd gone too far. In two steps Malfoy overtook her. SLAP! The force of his hand sent her reeling into the wall.

Trapping her against the stone, Malfoy leaned close to her, "Don't you EVER say something like that again Weasel...EVER!" his voice was low and threatening with not just a little menace in it. Ginny felt her heart jump in her throat. This boy was the son of a Death Eater in Voldemort's inner circle; he could probably have her killed if he wanted.

"All right. Sorry," Ginny said softle, rubbing the sore place on her face and trying not to let tears leak out. Malfoy's anger was frightening. Breathing heavily, he stepped away from her, allowing her to move away from the wall.

They continued down the corridor in silence for awhile. Ginny crossed her arms, wishing she could be in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron instead of walking down a deserted hallway with someone she considered to be her archenemy.

She suddenly became aware that Malfoy had muttered something, "What?" she turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry for slapping you," he repeated, looking down.

Ginny was so shocked by Malfoy's digression from his normal self that she couldn't think of anything to say at first. Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince, apologize? "I...oh...well...it's ok. I shouldn't have said that stuff." Now Ginny was shocked with herself. Where were her snappy comebacks? Why was she accepting his apology? He couldn't possibly mean it.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have," Malfoy's cold facade had reemerged, "But I should have known you'd do it. You're a Gryffindor after all. It's just the sort of low-blowed shot you'd throw."

Now Ginny felt her temper return, "I beg your pardon?! We throw low blows?! We're not the ones who dressed like dementors in order to try to scare a member of your Quidditch team off his broom; we don't have anyone who calls for a wizards' duel with no intention of showing up and then alerts Filch about it in hopes of getting his opponent expelled; we don't--"

"You know what? Just shut it Weasley, you don't know half of what there is to know about Slytherins," Malfoy glared at her.

"I know more than I'd like to know, Malfoy! I know that you're all sneaky, underhanded, cruel, heartless people with strong predjudices and close ties to Voldemort!" It was the first time that Ginny had said the Dark Lord's name and she froze for a moment after saying it, but the effect it had on Malfoy was much greater. He jumped, all the color leaving his already pale face, and put a hand out to steady himself against the wall to steady himself. Ginny narrowed her eyes, "I know enough."

"You don't understand," Malfoy's voice was quiet once he had recovered himself, "You don't understand at all. Your predjudices are just as big as the ones you say we have. You just don't get that there could be some differences in some people do you?"

Ginny stared at the boy. She didn't understand the seemingly other side of him, "It'd be great to believe that you're different than the rest, Malfoy, but that's rather hard to do."

"Why?"

Ginny almost laughed aloud, "You can't possibly expect me to believe that you don't hate Harry and Ron, that all those awful things that you've done to people were just an act."

"Who said anything about not hating Potty and Weasel? I do hate them. I don't deny that. But I'm not like the other Slytherins, not like my father."

This all sounded completely outrageous coming from Malfoy and Ginny was beginning to wonder whether this was some sort of joke, "Right," Ginny couldn't keep the sarcastic edge out of her voice.

Malfoy looked at her for a moment as though he'd like to to say something in return, but instead only shrugged, "We're at the hospital wing. We'd better get the ingredient."

As soon as they'd entered it, Madam Pomfrey descended upon them, looking concerned and clearly thinking that one or both of them were injured. After reading the note, her expression turned grave.

"You two had better be careful with this. Don't lose any of it and make sure Professor Snape brings any extra he has leftover back to me," Madam Pomfrey handed Ginny a stoppered vial made out of some kind of frosted metal. It was heavier than she expected.

The walk back to Snape's dungeon classroom was completely silent, Malfoy seemed to feel that he had said too much to her, and for her part, Ginny was busy turning over their conversation in her head. She couldn't figure it out and was feeling decidedly confused by the time she and Malfoy reached the doors to the classroom.

"Well? Did you get it?" Snape snapped at them the moment they entered the room.

"Yes sir," Ginny walked to the front and handed Snape the vial and then returned to her seat. She couldn't miss the looks of relief on both Harry's and her brother's faces.

"Now, this ingredient--" Snape began but was cut off by a sudden knock on the door, "Yes?" he barked.

The door swung open to reveal a terse looking Professor McGonagall, "I apologize for interrupting your class, Severus, but I need to see Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley right away."

Snape looked grumpy as he always did when his class was interrupted, "Fine," he turned to look at Harry and Ron who were making their way to the back of the room, "You two will have to get notes on this," he gestured to the vial, "because I will be testing you on it."

Ginny watched as her two friends followed Professor McGonagall out of the room. She wondered what they had been called out of class for. She hoped that McGonagall hadn't somehow found out about the Memorium Potion they wanted to make.

"As I was saying," Snape continued, "This potion ingredient is one of the most dangerous of all ingredients and also is extremely rare. It's attributes are many. For instance, in certain potions it can grant the one who uses it invincibility--no spell, not even the Unforgivable Curses will be able to penetrate. But, if the potion in which this ingredient is present is in use and the one using it becomes possessed, it can have the effect of binding the two souls together, or worse, forcing out the original soul and allowing the new soul to take control. That is only one bad outcome, the others are, in some cases, far more gruesome, and I won't go into them."

Ginny scribbled frantically, trying to get everything down so that she'd be able to give a full report to Harry and Ron when she met up with them.

Draco jostled her elbow, "Planning on giving a detailed description to Potty so that he can break into Professor Snape's private stores again and steal it?"

"Didn't you listen to Madam Pomfrey?" Ginny hissed, "Snape has to return it when he's through with the demonstration."

"I must have missed that...I was too busy looking at you..." Draco's voice was low and Ginny felt his hand trail up her thigh.

She twisted away, "Don't do that!"

He laughed, "Sorry...you're just so irresitable."

Ginny felt her face heat up, "What the hell is with you today Malfoy? Just...leave me alone," she bent over her work, doing her best to ignore him and also trying to ignore the shivery feeling in her stomach. She shouldn't be feeling this way about Malfoy! The bell suddenly rang, and Ginny jumped up from her seat so fast her knee hit the edge of the table. She winced in pain.

"Be careful Weasley, we all want you around...especially Potty and Weasel," Malfoy laughed.

Ginny threw one last glare over her shoulder at Malfoy before scooping up her bag and exiting the classroom.

A/N: All right, so there you have it. At least it's not ending with a cliff-hanger like the last chapter. ;-) I hope you like it ok. I know it's a bit shorter, but hopefully you guys don't mind too much. I've been in Florida, so that delayed my updating. :- Can you EVER for give me?