Disclaimer - I disclaim!

A/N - I haven't updated in a while but you have no one to blame but yourselves! I want reviews, god damn it! They make me feel special.

Chapter Twenty One - Let's See How Bad Blaise's Advice Is

Blaise was sitting in the common room spacing out while attempting to do homework when suddenly a girl was sitting on his lap. Blaise sighed. "Hi Pansy."

"Blaise," she greeted, wrapping her arms around his neck and batting her lashes at him flirtatiously.

"I'm guessing you're about to pry information from me, right?" he asked, scowling at her.

Pansy giggled humorlessly. "What is Draco doing with that Weasley girl?" she hissed.

Blaise looked confused. "I know he was tutoring her a while back," he replied.

"That's not what I mean," Pansy spat.

"I'm not a mind reader, Pansy," he sighed.

"Something's going on between them," she snapped. "He fancies her."

"I never said that," he defended.

"You don't have to," Pansy huffed.

"Then why are you asking me?" he wondered.

"Because you're going to tell me every single detail I want to know," Pansy answered.

"About the tutoring?" Blaise tried to clarify.

Pansy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't play with me, Blaise," she warned.

"I'm sort of confused here..." he replied.

"I'll tell my dad what I heard you and Draco talking about," she threatened.

"Not this again!" Blaise cried. "You're totally making that up! We never said anything like that! Don't spread lies about us to the wrong crowd, Pansy. This isn't a game!"

"Exactly," she confirmed. "So start talking."

Blaise sighed loudly. "Fine," he gave in. "If you must know... Draco thought he could seduce the Weasley brat and in doing so squeeze out some of Potter's secrets. Turns out she's more difficult than he'd imagined."

Pansy studied his face carefully, as if the lie would show itself in his features. "Good enough," she growled, getting up off of him. "This better be the truth." Then she was gone.

Blaise rubbed his face with his hands. He had gotten barely a second to collect himself when he felt himself getting yanked from his chair. And then he was standing face to face with Draco. "What did you tell her?" he demanded angrily.

"I told her you were trying to seduce Ginny to get to Potter," Blaise said smugly, as if he had accomplished his life's work.

"Not Pansy, you idiot!" Draco seethed. "What were you saying to Ginny earlier?"

Blaise smirked. "Calm down, Draco," he said. "You're acting like a mad man."

Draco just glared with even more intensity. "Tell. Me. Now," he said each word with perfect emphasis.

Blaise shrugged. "Why do you care, anyways?" he asked. "You're not with her, are you?"

"She's not fair game," Draco stated, his fists clenched.

"I don't know why you're getting so mad at me," Blaise replied. "She's just a girl."

"If you attempt anything with Ginny, I will happily curse you into insanity," Draco threatened.

"What's wrong with you?" Blaise accused.

Draco took a deep breath. "Just don't cross me on this one," he said. "I'm serious."

"Won't you explain what's going on? I'm kind of in the dark here," Blaise negotiated. "If you care so much about her, why aren't you with her?"

"She doesn't want me," Draco muttered through gritted teeth, as if barely able to talk.

"Yeah right!" Blaise snorted. "That's a load of shit."

"Well that's what she told me," Draco spat.

"She actually said 'I don't want you'?" Blaise checked.

"Basically," Draco replied. "What did she say to you?"

Blaise pursed his lips, deliberating. "She wouldn't say much," he answered.

Draco could tell Blaise was going to dance around the issue. "Fine," he surrendered.

"Don't act so pathetic, Draco," Blaise reproached. "You know what to do."

"Huh?" Draco looked hopeful.

"You're forgetting the basics, my friend," Blaise lectured. "When a girl is playing too hard to get, make her jealous. Go after her friend, flaunt other girls in front of her, act completely disinterested, et cetera..."

"So you can swoop in and pick up the pieces," Draco stated.

Blaise sighed. "You've never acted like this before, Draco," he replied. "I'm not stupid. Besides, I don't really find her all that attractive."

Draco took a moment to look mutinous, but then he smiled widely. "Right then," he said. "Well I'm off to bed."

They avoided each other, though Ginny had half-expected him to chase after her a bit once his embarrassment wore off. Maybe he wasn't embarrassed. He could just not care anymore, not after realizing he wasn't going to get her in bed with him. Ginny figured it didn't matter- she didn't want him anyways. Or so she attempted to convince herself. She was careful not to even look at him anymore.

Winter break was fast approaching and she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Her parents were going to go visit Charlie in Romania without her and Ron, but they said Bill could come babysit them if they still wanted to come home. Hermione had invited them to spend Christmas with her, but Ginny wasn't about to get herself stuck with Ron and Hermione and all their romantic tension. Harry was staying at Hogwarts, as usual, and she was thinking she might do the same. It was a strange way to spend Christmas. Usually her mom was insistent that they all be together, but things must be changing now that even her youngest was only two years from adulthood.

Ginny plopped down across from Harry at dinner one evening and decided to breech the subject. "So you're here for Christmas, right?" she inquired.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Aren't I always?"

"Right," she said. "Well I think I'll be staying as well."

"Are you crazy?" Harry cried. "You have a chance to get away for a couple weeks and you're staying? That's ridiculous!"

"I've been known to be ridiculous," she replied. Hermione and Ron joined them.

"Well we all know that, Ginny," Ron cut in, hearing her last statement. Hermione laughed.

"Ron," Harry continued. "Tell Ginny she's delirious. She wants to stay here for holiday!"

Ron gave Harry a shifty look. "Uh... Well... I mean... If that's what she wants..." He rubbed the back of his head.

Harry looked at Hermione, who was also awkwardly flitting her eyes about. "Oh," was all Harry said, realizing what was transpiring.

"Come on, Harry," Ginny said. "At least you won't be alone now!"

Harry smiled at her. "Yeah, I suppose that could be nice."

"Could?" Ginny sounded offended.

Harry just laughed and went back to eating. Ron and Hermione were talking in quiet, excited voices to each other. Ginny sighed, aggravated. She hated it when the conversation ended. It meant she wouldn't be distracted and that meant she would slip up and accidentally look at Draco. Sure enough, her eyes were suddenly dead set on him. He wasn't paying much attention to his housemates, but was staring in the direction of the Ravenclaw table. Ginny tried to follow his line of sight, but couldn't tell who or what exactly he was so transfixed on. For some reason she felt uneasy. As if on cue, Draco got to his feet and began walking towards the Ravenclaws. Ginny craned her neck so she could see better what was going on. Draco was leaning down over someone, opening his mouth to speak, his expression so familiar. Who..

Ginny eyes widened and she actually gasped aloud. This couldn't be happening again. She felt as if someone had just slapped her across the face. She felt humiliated. Slamming down her fork, she got to her feet.

"What?" Harry asked, startled.

"Nothing," Ginny replied, teeth clenched. She grabbed her book and raced out of the Hall. Of all the girls Draco could have picked to go after next, he had to choose the worst possible one. He had to know. It was intentional! He was toying with her! It was cruel.

She felt someone grab her arm. "Hold on a minute," he ordered. Ginny spun on him, her soon-to-be victim, seething with rage. When she saw it was Blaise, her anger doubled.

"WHAT?" she yelled.

Blaise let go of her fast, surprised. "Wow you really are mad," he said.

"Think so?" Ginny snarled, crossing her arms. "What do you want from me?"

"I couldn't help myself," he admitted. "You just looked so... crushed."

Ginny blazed. "This really isn't the right time to mock me," she warned.

"You really like Draco, huh?" Blaise asked, barely suppressing a smile.

Ginny's mouth twisted into a sneer. "The very idea of him makes me want to choke on my own vomit and die, just so I'd never have to see his ugly, sniveling face ever again. So do us both a favor and stop talking to me about him before I have to hex your mouth shut."

Blaise let himself smile. "I surrender," he said, putting his hands up.

Ginny's shoulders relaxed slightly and she took a deep breath. "Gods I just want to punch someone right now," she growled.

"You can punch me!" Blaise offered.

"Tempting, but no," she replied. "What with you being all nice to me recently, I doubt I'd get much satisfaction from that."

Blaise opened his mouth to reply, but the doors to the Great Hall flew open loudly, interrupting him.

Ginny's impulses kicked in and in one unthinking moment she threw herself against Blaise, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. For a split second she felt Blaise begin to kiss her back, but then he stopped and rigidly pushed her away from him.

"Why..." he began to ask, but then saw that Ginny's eyes were intently looking elsewhere. A feeling of dread flickered inside him and slowly he turned to see Draco standing, fists clenched, in front of the closing doors of the Great Hall. He looked murderous.

"No, no, no!" Blaise immediately protested, backing away from Ginny. "Wait a second, Draco. Listen to me! This isn't what you think it is!"

"And why would that matter?" Ginny asked, eyes still fixed on Draco.

Draco still stood unmoving. "She kissed me and I pushed her away," Blaise insisted. "I didn't kiss back!"

"Yes you did," Ginny argued.

"No I didn't!" Blaise cried. "Okay maybe for a second, but that's just because you jumped on me! It wasn't fair! It's against my instincts to say no!"

"No reason to feel bad, Blaise," Ginny's voice dripped with sweetness. "Draco doesn't care what I do anymore. He's moved on. Right, Draco?"

Suddenly Draco started forward and in a few long strides was face to face with Ginny. Before she could react, he wrapped his arms around her waist, bent down and kissed her roughly. Ginny lifted her arms and began beating her fists against his chest to make him let go. But after a few moments, her fists opened and her hands clutched the front of his robes. She couldn't help kissing him back. He pulled her closer to him and she felt helpless as the kiss deepened.

Then it stopped and Ginny opened her eyes to see Draco's smirking face right in front of her own. "Enjoyed that, did you?" he asked, letting her go. "I'm sure Cho will too."

Ginny slapped him across the face. And in the next second she was barreling into him, knocking him to the ground. In the blink of an eye she was on his chest, her wand against his throat. "Try that ever again and I will drain you," she growled. "I'll pull everything out of you until there's nothing left. Don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't even look at me."

Draco just glared up at her. The tense silence lasted a few moments before they heard the doors swing open.

"Bloody hell!" Ginny heard her brother roar. A few sets of hands pulled her off of Draco and back on her feet. Draco scrambled to his feet as well.

Harry, Hermione and Ron were all standing defensively next to Ginny. Blaise came to stand next to Draco. "Were you fighting with my sister?" Ron shouted.

Draco looked disgusted. "She was the one who attacked me, you moron," he snapped, dusting himself off.

"Ginny?" Hermione probed.

"He kissed me!" Ginny cried. Harry and Hermione had to hold Ron back.

"You wanted it!" Draco shot back, sneering.

Ginny leapt at Draco again, but Harry caught her by the wrist. Hermione struggled with Ron. "Stop, Ron!" she cried, clearly losing the fight. "Stop both of you! Malfoy's not worth it!"

Ginny let Harry pull her into his arms, preemptively halting all future attacks. She leaned against his chest and closed her eyes, trying to contain herself. Hermione was talking quietly to Ron, calming him down. "Sod off, Malfoy," Harry ordered.

"Yeah and you better leave my sister alone from now!" Ron added.

"Well make sure she stays out of my way and we're set," Draco drawled. "Let's see if she can manage that."

Ginny stirred in Harry's arms, eyes snapping open. "Fuck you!" she yelled. Harry held her tighter.

"Let's just go, you guys," Hermione urged, pulling Ron towards the stairs.

Harry let Ginny go, but clasped her hand in his own, and led her away as well. Draco silently watched as they disappeared up the stairs.