My heart beat so hard when I was near him; I feared he could hear my secret longing for him. -Destiny Vaestus

She knew he was there the moment he entered the library by the way nearby girls started ignoring their books and watched the tall young man disappear down a particular aisle. Ginny looked up in time to see his long, black robes disappear behind a row of books and she bit her lip, uncertain of what exactly was supposed to happen. She knew she had been stupid to give him such an opening, but since the kiss, she could not help but want to see him for the sole purpose of figuring out what was going on in his head.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up some of her books and carried them back to their shelves. She did not have to wait long until he appeared, looking over the books in the aisle as he moved close to where she stood.

"I must say, you picked possibly the most public place to meet," he commented and she glanced over at him.

"I didn't ask you to come," she replied quickly.

"You practically invited me to join you."

"If you're confusing sarcasm with an invitation, then no wonder you Slytherins are in the most inconvenient places all the time."

Draco turned to face her completely. His eyebrows rose in surprise. "My, my, Weasley, you're quite swift today," he remarked. "Thomas got your knickers in a twist?"

Ginny placed one of her books on the shelf and then looked through the other one quickly before she started searching for its place of origin. "Dean and my knickers are none of your concern, Malfoy," she whispered quickly, moving further away from him as she looked for the proper shelf.

"Then why did you ask me to come?" he asked and she glanced over to him, biting her lip as she asked herself the same question. It had been a moment of pure stupidity when she had said those thinly veiled words. But when she thought about it more, she forced herself to turn the question on him.

"Why did you come?" she countered, placing a hand on her hip in the typical matriarchal Weasley fashion. Draco leaned on the shelf and looked down at her, a smirk on his face.

"I asked first, Weasley," he murmured and her cheeks reddened. She felt her stomach flutter at the way he was watching her, but she forced herself to ignore it and return to putting back her books.

"I don't know, really," she muttered honestly, looking through another book and then making her way down to another aisle. Draco followed at a safe distance to avoid drawing attention to himself and the Weasley. He was well aware of the fact that several Gryffindors in the library had noticed him enter and he could not afford to let them see him with Ginny, despite his lack of ill will to the pretty Gryffindor. "I just wanted to talk, I suppose," she finished when they finally reached a more secluded part of the library. Draco plucked one of the books out of her hand and read the title.

"You wanted to talk about what? Hogwarts, A History?" he asked skeptically and Ginny shook her head, running a hand through her hair.

"No," she replied, grabbing the book back and putting it in its rightful place. "I just…" She seemed frustrated at this point and released a sigh to express that feeling. "I don't know why I asked you here, Malfoy. It was a very thick thing to do now that I think of it."

It looked as if he had not heard a word she had said. He just walked over to her and took a piece of her hair in his fingers, running his thumb over it to feel the texture while his eyes locked hers in a very intense gaze.

"I don't know… I'm finding it quite revealing," he replied. Biting her lip, Ginny raised her hand and slowly pulled her hair out of his grip, fiddling with it nervously as she lowered her gaze.

"I shouldn't have said anything," she mumbled and Draco laughed, going over to the shelves and looking over the books.

"You're not enjoying yourself?"

"You're a Slytherin," she responded hesitantly. "You should be cursing me right now."

"Yet I'm seeking you out in dark places," he finished and she walked over to the shelf as well, making sure to keep a good distance between them. She ran her fingers over the leather-bound books thoughtfully.

"Obviously, we've both gone bonkers," she muttered and he snorted.

"Speak for yourself; I'm perfectly sane… now as for that Ravenclaw girl you hang around… I'm not quite sure she's got it all together up there," he commented. He picked up one of the books and looked over it with a frown. "What's her name? Linda… Loony?"

"Luna," Ginny snapped and he glanced over to her.

"She's still off her rocker," he pointed out and Ginny shifted.

"Luna's just different. She's not crazy."

"She reads the Quibbler?"

"Yeah, so?"

"That just proves that she's crazy."

"Many people in this school read the Quibbler, Malfoy."

"I don't socialize with any of those people."

"I've read the Quibbler."

"We're not socializing, Weasley," he replied. "We're conversing."

Ginny snorted. "That's right. How goes it with those stupid little strawberries anyway?" she asked curiously. "Are they easier to be around when they're not speaking?"

Draco glanced over at her. "I believe you bring out the worst in Slytherin girls."

Ginny made a contemptuous sound as she shoved one of the books back on the shelf. "I have nothing to say about that," she said. "Parkinson seems to have the need to say something nasty every time she opens her mouth. I just assumed you kept her around for what she did with her mouth closed."

Draco snorted at her words. "You have no bloody idea."

Ginny fell silent at the comment, unable to comprehend why exactly the Slytherin was unable to control the inner workings of his mind around her. It was as if he were compelled to tell her everything he was thinking because he knew she would say something about it.

"Is that all you think about?" she asked quietly.

"I don't think this is appropriate conversation for one such as you," he remarked and she raised an eyebrow. Suddenly he was being discrete?

"What? Sex?"

Ginny instantly wished she had not asked. His eyes became sharp and seemed to penetrate her soul as he approached her slowly and backed her up into one of the shelves, placing both hands on either side of her to prevent her from escaping. Her breathing quickened a little but she was able to stop her hands from shaking as she straightened herself a little.

"What do you know about sex, Weasley?" he asked in such a voice that provoked a strong electrifying shockwave through her entire body. Her lower lip trembled a little as his eyes moved from hers to her lips and his face drew closer to hers.

"I know you're bored of it," she murmured and he tilted his head to the side.

"How would you know that?"

Gaining back a little of her nerve, Ginny placed a hand on his chest to stop him from coming any closer and she took a deep breath. "You're here… instead of with Parkinson…"

Draco looked over her with a smirk before he backed away and leaned on the opposite row of books, allowing Ginny the opportunity to breathe.

"You want to know why I really hate strawberries, Weasley?" he asked and Ginny looked around, hoping at this point that someone would come to save her from actually hearing the answer. Noticing her discomfort, Draco could not help but be intrigued. She was constantly contradicting herself and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know why she wanted him there and he wanted to know why he wanted to be there as well.

"Why do you hate them?" she asked after a moment and he looked her over carefully, his eyes taking in every single aspect of her body. Her freckles and pale, smooth skin. The chocolate eyes that stared out at him through past loss of love and resilience. He took in her tall, lean figure and knew how well she kept it under control through the help of Quidditch. Finally his eyes landed on her lips and how pink they were. When he had kissed her for the first time, he had marveled at how soft and hesitant they had been compared to Pansy's more aggressive approach. His only disappointment had been how she had tasted…

Draco's head tilted to the side and his eyes narrowed, making Ginny nervous. She could tell he was thinking carefully about something and she did not like how he was staring at her. "They spoil too easily," he whispered suddenly and she frowned.

"What?"

Draco approached her quietly and trapped her once more against the shelf, his eyes moving over her face with the curiosity of one who only wished to see what was before him. She could see no ulterior motive beyond that curiosity and it scared her to think that Draco Malfoy could actually just be fascinated by her.

"Strawberries spoil easily," he whispered again. "Apples don't."

Suddenly understanding his meaning, Ginny shook her head in earnest and tried to push him away but he refused.

"I don't think this is a really good idea, Malfoy," she muttered. "You and I… if someone saw…"

"No one's going to see anything because there isn't going to be anything to see, Weasley," he replied and she looked up at him.

"Then what is it that you want from me?" she demanded.

This time when Draco's lips made contact with hers, she reacted quickly. Ginny could not help but respond positively as his lips pressed against hers in a manner similar to their first interaction. However, when he realized that she was no longer just standing there but a willing participant, he quickly ran his tongue across her lip, uncharacteristically requesting permission to explore more. It took her a moment before she opened her lips, allowing his tongue to brush against hers and sending sparks through both their bodies at the sensual experience.

"I just want a conversation," he murmured against her lips and her eyes opened to look into his unsettled grey orbs. Their bodies were pressing against each other tightly and their lips were still touching, sending more waves of very much unwanted exhilaration through every nerve of their bodies, prompting Ginny to lean in and kiss him again, despite her overwhelming desire to flee the situation completely. Draco responded by allowing his hands to move away from the shelf and to her body. One circled around her waist to pull her closer while the other moved down her leg just below her skirt, pulling her leg up to him in such a manner that forced Ginny to pull away and shake her head.

"This isn't a conversation, Draco," she snapped, moaning when his lips pressed against hers again. They shared several brief, heated kisses before he pulled away a little and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm not looking for sex, Weasley," he said. "If that's what you're concerned about."

Ginny looked at him disbelievingly. "You're a bloody Slytherin and you think sex is what I'm concerned about?" she hissed. He kissed her again and she groaned, running her hands up to his face to hold him there for a moment. When she felt his lips curl up into a grin, she cursed herself mentally and pulled away, shaking her head again. "No. No. No."

Draco gave her an incredulous look, growing tired with her interruptions.

"What exactly are you saying no to, Weasley?" he asked, leaning in again and kissing her just below the ear. His body reacted quickly when she pulled him closer while gasping into his ear. She murmured something inaudible just as one of his legs slipped in-between hers and her knees gave way, forcing him to hold her up as he continued to nip and kiss her soft, slender neck while trying to keep in mind that they were still in a public area. Like Ginny, Draco's mind was quickly beginning to fade away from the original problem at hand as his body wanted more than he was allowing at the moment.

Never had he been so controlled with a girl as he was with this Gryffindor who was trying him with every breath she released and shudder she gave against him. This fascination was quickly becoming dangerously close to an infatuation and he could not allow that to happen.

But...

"Bloody hell," Ginny gasped, shoving Draco away from her into the opposite shelf before she began pacing anxiously, running her hands through her hair as she muttered darkly to herself. Draco watched her for a moment, trying very hard not to grab her and continue down the path they had been going. Instead, he chose to close his eyes and lean back, taking deep breaths as he ignored her.

For three days he had managed to keep the sensations he had felt from kissing her the first time buried beneath every other possible emotion he had skillfully crushed during his lifetime. He had not thought about it for a moment and ignored Ginny purposefully so he would not have to be presented with the very situation they had found themselves in.

"You're an arse."

Draco opened his eyes to see Ginny glaring at him. "Excuse me?"

She pointed directly at him. "You're an arse," she repeated angrily and he raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have a problem with being snogged, Weasley?" he asked and her entire face became bright red. She tried to punch him in the face but he caught her hand and twisted it painfully.

"Let go of me!" she ordered, struggling to get her hand out of his grip. "Malfoy, you stubborn, little prick, let go of me!"

"Say the magic words," he whispered and her eyes filled with anger.

"You rat-"

Draco rolled his eyes and yanked her right up to his chest. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a bastard. Shut up," he snapped, bringing his lips down on hers again. Ginny struggled for a moment before she managed to get away and hit him in the chest several times. She wasn't angry at him. She just did not know how else to respond to this. He should not be want to kiss her and she should not be wishing he would kiss her.

"Stop it," she hissed, looking around frantically to make sure they had not been seen. She took some calming breaths and wiped her mouth, staring at him incredulously. "What is wrong with you?"

The smirk on his face only increased her irritation. He seemed to be taking this all in stride. "There's nothing wrong with me, Weasley," he replied. "You're the one getting all pissy."

"I am not getting pissy!"

"SHHHH!" Madame Prince hissed, glaring hatefully at them. She did not even realize who it was she was shushing. "Pick up those books!"

Ginny quickly gathered them up and waited until the old woman slinked off, glowering and searching for any more infractions. When the lady was gone, Ginny slammed the books down on the counter and glared at Draco.

"I am not going to become your little way to get close to Harry and the Order," she hissed and Draco raised an eyebrow. He honestly had not thought about that little bonus.

"I'm not interested in bloody Saint Potter and the rest of the sodding lot," he replied and she shook her head, starting to move past him. She knew exactly what he was interested in but did not wish to hear him say it.

"Then goodbye," she snapped.

She didn't get far.

Draco had her pinned against the shelf, books forgotten as well as all other sense of reason. They quickly became lost in their own passions as their bodies pressed heatedly against each other and their lips opened to more intimate gestures. Ginny trembled when their tongues brushed against each other before a sigh escaped her lips and she pulled away a little, eyes still closed as she tried to think through everything. It was obvious to her that they would never be able to get away from this situation so she gave up on trying to escape.

"We need to set boundaries," she whispered, gasping again when he tugged on her lip with his teeth before he began leaving a trail of kisses down her jaw line. The gesture was so un-Malfoy that she had to ask, "What is wrong with you?"

Her heart constricted painfully when he laughed and kissed her neck in very specific areas that caused her to lose her breath.

"I'm feeling adventurous," he murmured into her skin. She stifled a yelp when his hand moved further up her leg and grabbed her inner thigh suggestively. This was so very wrong.

"Are you sure you're Draco Malfoy?" she asked and he snorted.

"Well, if one of your boundaries includes no sex, then you'll never really find out," he replied and she smiled as he continued to kiss her neck.

"I suppose that's fortunate for me, then," she murmured. "I'd hate to be so terribly disappointed my first time."

Draco pulled away from her with a smirk on his face and Ginny's cheeks burned.

"You're a virgin?" he asked amusingly. When she nodded mutely, he looked her over carefully as he lowered his hands to her waist, holding her steady against him. At first she thought he might actually debase her further, but instead his eyes clouded over and he moved away from her fully, creating such a void between them that Ginny immediately felt the loss of him. She could see in his eyes that this had suddenly become serious and it was as if he finally realized what it was he was actually doing and who he was doing it with.

It was too late to go back and say that he was just trying to humiliate her or use her. He had given up too much of himself for that to be viable and she now had a way to blackmail him as well.

Unless of course….

"This was fun, Weasley," he muttered, turning to leave. Ginny jolted and grabbed his arm, causing him to become stiff.

"You're just leaving?"

"There's not much for us to talk about."

"We just kissed… again."

"So?"

It took Ginny a moment to realize what it was that he was doing. Like her, his fascination was quickly changing into something else and he was trying to get out before it manifested itself into a much greater passion.

Draco pulled away from her and tried to leave again but she took his face in her hands and kissed him quickly. When he began to kiss her back, she pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

"No sex," she whispered. "That's all I ask for… no sex…"

"Why?"

Ginny kissed him again, breathing deeply when she felt her heart pounding against her chest. This was beyond madness. This was beyond anything she had ever done before yet she could not help but feel that it was the only action left to take. To deny this would be torture for both of them at this point…

"It will ruin everything," she mumbled into his lips, stumbling back as he pressed her to him.

"Ruin everything?" he repeated and she pulled away to look at him for a moment before she carefully untangled herself and backed away, a smile coming to her face. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and shrugged, unable to hide the giddiness from him. She looked over him with some eagerness as she left.

"It'd be a shame to ruin all of that with shagging," she told him with a wink, hurrying out of the library to avoid any more temptations he offered. "It would be a shame indeed."

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Hope everything is okay and I hope you enjoy it.

NoReins94: Thanks for the update. It's great hearing from you.

AngeliqueBlack: I hope it has not taken too long.

Chapter Tease:

"What's wrong?"

Hermione shook her head, her eyes moving up to the stairs leading to the boys' dormitories.

"I just feel like something strange is going on."

"With Malfoy?"

Surprisingly, Hermione shook her head again, much to Harry's displeasure.

"No… not with Malfoy… with everything that's been going on."