Ginny turned Draco looking at her; watching her being held and comforted by Harry. He glared at them both, turned on his heel, and left, the door slamming melodramatically behind him.

Ginny sighed tiredly. "Bugger. That didn't look good."

Harry tried to hide a smile. "No. It didn't" Ha! Take that, Malfoy.

She looked up into Harry's eyes. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Harry."

"Want me to walk you, Gin? I'm nearly done here."

"No. I'll Disillusion. Be fine." She tapped herself on the head with her wand, and left the dungeons.

A little while later, Ginny lay on her bed, knowing that sleep wouldn't come. Why did he have to act like that? She didn't want to be fought over. She wanted to be trusted. She wanted to be loved. She wanted to take her bloody high-maintenance boyfriend home for Christmas. Bugger. Bugger. Hell. Stupid, stupid boys.

After lying there awake for hours, she decided that waiting for sleep to descend was futile. She had to see him, and if she was awake, it was only fair that he should be, too. I don't care how early it is. She giggled. Dead useful spell, that Disillusionment, she thought, smiling as she crept quietly out of the common room.

Draco had been lying awake, much as Ginny had, the only difference being the degree of cursing that was coming from his bed. Stupid ass. Stupid Ass. Ignorant Prick. Imbecilic jerk. Fucking Idiot. Oblivious git. He really hated himself at this point. He closed his eyes, not believing that it was he who had made himself miserable, that he had fucked things up, and there was no one to blame but himself. It was if he had tempted all the fates when he told Potter that Malfoys didn't screw up. And then he'd practically shoved Ginny back in his arms. Stupid. Ass.

Draco opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Ginny had been there. With him. With Potter. Merlin, I actually hurt, he thought. Did someone jinx me and I missed it? It cannot hurt this badly just because some goody-goody Gryff doesn't fancy me anymore. He closed his eyes again, and placed a hand over his stomach. This is worse than the Cruciatus, he thought. The feeling that he was experiencing was indeed worse than anything that his father had ever inflicted on him, and that was really saying something. In actuality, however, he couldn't even complain. Potter had told him what would happen. If the circumstanced had been reversed, he would've done the same thing.

He sighed, knowing that sleep wouldn't come. He paused in his thoughts—

What the hell is that?

He heard a small noise again and sprang into action. "Incarcerous!"

There was a muffled 'oof' as whoever was breaking into his room reacted to having their wrists and ankles bound.

"Lumos."

Ginny looked at him, amused. "I didn't know you went in for this kind of thing, Malfoy." She caught his glare at the use of his surname. "Oh, come now. You started it. I went back to being 'Weasley' about five hours ago, remember?"

He pointed his wand at her lazily, barely glancing at her while muttering a cursory "Finite Incantatem."

The magical bonds disappeared and she absently rubbed her wrists. He turned and glared at her. "What do you want?"

Ginny studied him silhouetted in the moonlight. Except for the expression on his face, he looked like an angel, pale skin and white-blond hair. However angelic he looked, it was obvious he was certainly not pleased.

Draco was shocked. He'd been an ass, a stupid, idiotic prick and yet she was here. She came to him. She was the loveliest creature he's ever seen, her hair mussed from sleep, huge eyes looking up at him, incredibly full, kissable lips and he couldn't stop being an ass.

"Draco?"

Oh, his name still did it.

He felt his resolve to be awful crumble. I'm a puddle on the floor for this girl. Pathetic.

"Yes, Ginny?"

At those words, relief flooded through her being. She paused, and then continued smoothly as if nothing were amiss. "I'd like to say some things, Draco. And I'd like for you to be quiet until I've finished, if you can manage it."

She moved to the bed to sit, and motioned for him to do the same. He sat stiffly on the edge.

She took a deep breath. "You know what? You are a gigantic prat. You're selfish and spoiled, and you don't like to share. I'm oddly flattered by your jealousy, because I suppose it demonstrates more than passing affection for me, but it's tiresome as well, you and Harry sniping at each other. That's why I left last night. To get away from the pissing contest you two were having. You should know, Draco, that I left the bath to find you. I went to the dungeons looking for you and ended up crying on Harry's shoulder about you. I swear to you, I don't feel anything for Harry Potter than a kind of vague sisterly affection. I did love him once, and I'll not cheapen that by lying to you about it now, but I realize that what Harry and I had was just a drop in the bucket compared to what I feel for you, Draco. At first, yes, I felt sorry for you. On the train I thought, "Poor sod. No one to sit with" and then I developed a crush; you're extremely good looking when you smile. Somewhere between mixing potions and dark marks and Christmas invitations, I fell in love with you."

He drew in a sharp breath.

"No. Let me finish. You hurt my feelings tonight. You obviously don't trust me. I guess you don't even know me." The tears began falling. "You yelled at me, told me you didn't even want to work with me anymore and you didn't want to spend the holidays with me." She gathered her courage and ploughed on. "And what I need to know now, Draco, is if any of that rot you threw at me earlier was true. Was it? Was it a misunderstanding, Draco? Do you still like me? Because I'll be honest, I'm going to be a little upset if you were sincere in it at all." She sat back, waiting for his answer.

Draco was in shock. She loved him? The most evil Slytherin since, well, since his father, probably, and she sat there telling him that she loved him. Even with his mistakes? His moods? Potter had been right. He absolutely did not deserve this wonderful girl. He was trying to form words, but none would come.

She gave a little sob. "Well, thanks for listening; I guess I have my answer. I'll be going. Sorry to disturb your rest." She rose and crossed the room to leave.

"Accio Ginny."

She landed in his lap with her back to him and he hugged her fiercely. Closing his eyes, he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled the sweet scent of lavender and lilacs, and murmured, "Not again. I won't lose you again."

She turned sideways in his lap and put her arms around his neck. "You never lost me in the first place."

"I don't deserve you."

"You know," she said thoughtfully, bringing a finger to her lips as if pondering something, "That's probably true. I'll just run along now and find some other chap who is more deserving than you, shall I?"

His hold on her loosened slightly and his stomach felt like it had dropped to his toes. "What?" he asked, genuinely confused

"Oh. Too soon to joke?"

He exhaled and scowled, "Yes." He picked her up and tossed her on the bed. She looked so sweet, so innocent and lovely in her dressing gown. Her hair was loose, spilling out in red waves over his pillows.

He smiled. "I've had dreams that started this way."

He slid in beside her and cradled her in his arms. She sighed deeply and he pulled her even closer.

Never again. I don't care what I have to do to keep her. I will not lose Ginny again.