Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the content and material of Harry Potter. I only hope to convey my writing skills as best I can to portray my love for the pairing of Draco and Ginny. This story takes place in Harry's Sixth Year, with NO horcruxes involved, therefore the events from HBP and DH will not interfere with this plot. Some other original HP storyline details have been changed but those will be obvious when they are revealed.

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Chapter Twenty-Five – A Passing Calm

Sunday morning arrived with a dreary snow storm that was more like a dense rain than beautiful flakes falling from the sky. Ginny awoke to the scuffles of trunks being moved around and her roommates shouting about missing belongings. She sat up in bed with the comforter pulled high to hide her jutting nipples as the result of a vivid dream and ran a hand through the stiff, half hairsprayed curls on her head. A wide yawn caught the attention of Lavender Brown and the blonde haired witch turned, looking as fresh as a spring flower for it being such an early hour.

Or was it later? Ginny didn't really care seeing as how she planned on going back to sleep as soon as they all left.

"It sucks you have to stay here, Gin," Lavender commented as she laid a folded sweater on the top of her open trunk.

"It won't be so bad. I'll have the room to myself for once," she joked and the girls all snickered as to what she would be doing up here alone the whole time.

"Yea - without Harry, who's going to fulfill your needs?" Rosie, a dark haired witch with bright green eyes, rhetorically asked with a chortle.

"I don't think she'll have a problem filling his place," Lavender commented with a wink and Ginny blushed despite herself as she kicked her legs over the edge of the bed and reached for a pair of jeans.

"Laugh it up, you guys," she said airily. "Harry will be crawling back in no time." She sincerely hoped it wasn't true but they would repeat everything she said to other people and she didn't want anyone to catch on to her affair with Draco.

Sitting back on the mattresses, Ginny slipped on a pair of mismatched socks and tugged on a pair of worn, brown boots, grabbing a clean baggy, cream sweater to throw on over her sleep shirt. The other five girls had all finished packing and as she tied her hair up in a messy ponytail she watched as they each levitated their trunks out the door and down the stairwell.

"You coming down to the Platform with us?" Lavender asked with a backwards glance and Ginny smiled warmly, already somewhat missing her loud roommates.

"Of course," she replied and she shut the door behind them as they joined most of the Gryffindor House in the common room.

Ron and Hermione were joined at the hip but Harry was no where in sight. Typical, Ginny thought and she smiled at friends as they shuffled through the portrait.

Since they were all getting lunch on the train, everyone went straight to the front entrance and she chatted with her other Housemates about their holiday plans as they walked out to the Platform. The Professors had erected a shield for the students to walk under to avoid the slushy rain but their feet were still soaked by the time they crossed through the tree lined path to the train depot. Some were quick to jump on the Hogwarts Express while others lingered to hug friends goodbye that were not going home.

Ron tossed an arm around her shoulder and told her he wished she had changed her mind but Ginny knew he only said it so she wouldn't feel left out. Hermione didn't say anything but limply waved as the pair boarded the train and she was certainly glad they were gone for two weeks. Lavender ran up behind Luna and Romilda and the four had a group hug before the three girls jumped on as the last whistle blew. They hung out the windows and shouted their goodbyes and Ginny felt her eyes water at the departure of seemingly everyone but her.

The remaining Aurors ushered her forward as the smokestack faded into the haze of the rain and with one glance across the Platform she saw that she was the only student left out there. Except for one large, black umbrella that covered the face of its occupant as it moved closer. Ginny had every intention of hurrying back inside but when the umbrella tilted backwards, she stopped in her tracks as the student's face became visible.

Oh bloody hell, she mentally cursed and she rapidly rushed forward to hurry down and off the Platform stairs as if she hadn't seen him as Draco walked closer. One foot slipped on the wet wood though and she fell on her ass as the slush ran down her face.

"You missed the train," she yelled through the rain without looking back when she faintly heard his footsteps behind her.

"I didn't miss it because I'm staying here," Draco responded and his would-be shadow fell across her crumpled form on the ground as he stopped, his umbrella covering them both as she glanced up and quickly got to her feet.

"Thanks," she mumbled sheepishly, looking away as his silver gaze brought back the recent memories of the feel of his mouth and the touch of his hands. "I didn't think I would be out here long enough to get this wet."

He nodded silently and one hand gestured for her to begin walking as he held the umbrella over both their heads. There were many unspoken words left between them but the rain drowned out any chance for a sensible conversation as their footprints marked their trail and they silently followed the path back to the castle. The Aurors closed the main gate behind them and Ginny felt the eyes of the four men on her back as Draco stepped closer and they kept moving.

"So you're staying here for the holidays?" She distractedly asked to make conversation even though she felt nothing like talking to the blonde wizard right now when her cheeks were so flushed with nerves.

"I can't go home now," he remarked and she smiled tightly at the obvious answer.

"Of course not," she responded knowingly and she let the topic drop, wondering whether he meant that couldn't go home or he simply didn't want to. "Well - thank you again," she anxiously stated when they reached the front doors.

Draco nodded again but didn't say anything as his searching grey eyes roved her face. Ginny inhaled slowly, meeting his gaze, and repeated the head motion. She didn't know what else to say so she let her mouth twitch nervously and then turned on her heel to walk away. She was sure that he stayed there to watch her leave because she felt his stare on her back but when she glanced around while turning a corner, he was gone.

Ginny did go back up to her dorm to fall asleep and when she awoke sometime in the late afternoon, she was able to call a house elf to order a large meal since there was hardly anyone for them to serve. With nothing else to do, and wanting to avoid the handful of Gryffindors that were left, she walked across the hall to take a shower and the hot water was soothing as she leaned against the tiled wall underneath the steaming stream.

She had been prepared for two weeks of uninterrupted, sexual tension free relaxation. Not fourteen days of avoiding Draco at the cost of heightening their game of teasing dominance. Christmas was in four days and Ginny certainly did not want to be stuck inside her dorm the entire time just because a ferret faced Slytherin was occupying her castle.

If I run into him, I'll just Bat Bogey Hex him until he forgets seeing me, she thought with a grin as she stepped out of the shower. Good thing no other girls are here - they would be pissed that all of the hot waters gone.

It appeared as if the house elves had popped in to clean while she was bathing as her bed was turned down and a piping hot bowl of soup was sitting on a tray on her trunk. Ginny redressed in her pajamas and tied up her wet curls, sliding underneath the covers and grabbing the wide bowl as she got comfortable. Once the dish was empty she replaced it on the tray and reached for a romantic novel on her nightstand.

Soon she was lost in a fantasy world of characters she rallied for and despised. When her mouth could barely stay shut from yawning and she was fighting to keep her dry eyes open, Ginny marked her page and set the book aside. One snap of her fingers extinguished the light in the room and she snuggled under the thick blankets as her mind shut down and sleep took over.

The next morning she dressed and actually made it down to the common room. The fire was roaring underneath the mantle but besides a pair of twins in their Second Year, Dean and Colin were the only people in the circular room. They were sitting at a table pushed up against the stone wall and a game of wizard's chess was in progress but they had abandoned the match to heatedly discuss the merits and downfalls of the Daily Prophet. Colin saw her approaching though and suddenly grinned in mid sentence as Dean looked to see what he was staring at.

"Well look who it is. We all thought you might have changed your mind and hoped on the train with Ron," the blonde wizard joked.

"Yea - because that sounds like fun," Ginny replied with a smile and a roll of her cinnamon eyes.

"At least you didn't get stuck with just those two," Dean piped up and he nodded to the twins as they all grimaced.

"Thank the gods for that. Are we the only ones here - the five of us?" She asked.

"They're the only ones we've seen," Colin replied. "Harry's supposed to be here somewhere too - haven't seen him though."

"Me neither," Dean added.

"Weird," Ginny commented in a convincing tone.

"So what are your big plans for today? Got anything special planned?" Colin questioned lightly as he idly picked up a knight and twirled it between his fingers.

"I've got nothing but time today," she said and Dean looked away when she glanced to him.

"Good - you can play Mr. Chess Master here then," he stated motioning to the dark skinned wizard as he stood. Dean seemed to brighten at having her undivided attention but he hid it well by smirking.

"You and I are having a rematch after I destroy Ginny," he challenged and Colin waved him off dismissively as he sat down in a chair behind her and opened a book, one leg crossing over his knee.

Ginny sat down in the vacated seat and rearranged her ivory pieces into neat rows as Dean made his first move. She picked up a pawn and pushed it forward as the game began.

There was little talking in the common room for an hour as Dean and Ginny concentrated on their moves. He was almost stumped by where to go as she sat back and grinned in almost triumph. Seeing a last ditch move that would force her hand, he commanded his piece and the grin fell from her face. After he won Colin begrudgingly took the warm seat once more as another game commenced.

When they decided to take a break, a house elf was ready with three steaming plates of assorted foods and they chatted merrily over lunch until their stomachs were full. The rest of the afternoon was spent switching between games of chess and exploding snap and when the material games grew boring, they sat in a tight circle and laughed until their sides hurt. The moon was high in the sky when they departed for their separate dorms and as she shoved open the wooden door, Ginny thought she was going to enjoy this break if it meant sleeping a lot and being generally lazy.

Tuesday morning dawned with a fresh snowfall and the window panes were simplistically frosted making her mood brighten before she was even out of bed. Ginny laid under the covers for awhile, turning over from one side to the other as she pleased, and she thought about how she wanted to spend her day before Christmas Eve. There was no need, or opportunity, to buy gifts for anyone since she had already taken care of those throughout the year. And she certainly did not feel like being retained in Gryffindor Tower for the whole of the day.

She rotated to her right side facing a pair of windows and the shining sunlight coming through the pane, the first natural light she had seen in days, made her feel like ants were crawling over her skin. The idea of going outside seemed entirely too appealing and within seconds of having the thought she was pulling the covers back and hopping out of bed. The wooden floor was ice cold on her feet but she didn't care as she dug through her trunk to find appropriate clothing.

After hurrying to the bathroom to use the facilities and to wash her face clean, Ginny rapidly dressed in her practice Quidditch gear and threw her arms in the sleeves of a thick, worn wool robe. Whether she ended up running or flying she would be prepared for the cold weather.

Since there were barely a dozen students left at the school breakfast in the Great Hall was not mandatory and she was grateful for that fact as she hurried down the stairs into the common room. A spread of delicious smelling foods was already laid out for their choosing and she grabbed a plate and began filling it as her mouth watered. Pushing back a stray auburn curl she picked up a full strawberry and bit into the sweet plumpness with a smile. I could get used to this, Ginny thought happily and crossed her legs to sit on the couch as she balanced the plate.

She had yet to see Dean or Colin and the sudden remembrance that they too were somewhere in the Tower quickened the motions of her fork from the plate to her mouth. The day before had been enjoyably spent in their company but quite frankly she needed some time to herself where she could think. Or not think. Whichever came easier at this point would either be a relief now or sometime in the coming weeks and the procrastinator in her anxiously knew later would be best.

Of course fate had different plans for how she would deal with her problems. One misstep in the wrong direction and the forces that be were quick to make sure you knew what you were meant to do.

Looking around she didn't see any dirty dishes lying around from her Housemates meal so she assumed a House elf would pop in to retrieve the plate once she was gone. Not wanting to impede on the cleaning process Ginny left her flatware on an empty table and stood to leave the Tower for the first time in two days.

The corridors were as lifeless as if she were out in the middle of a class period but she smiled and greeted the ghosts as she passed them and continued on as if an empty castle were an everyday occurrence. She didn't pass a single living soul but it felt nice to have something to herself for once. As soon as she was outside she closed her eyes and deeply inhaled the fresh air. The grounds were still covered in snow, albeit a good amount more, and the picturesque landscape begged for her to run across the pristine powder to leave footprints and the mark of human life.

It was quite cold though but Ginny didn't seem to realize it until she was in the valley of the hill beside the Quidditch pitch and a rough wind tore through the open land. She shivered violently but snuggled into her wool coat as she ducked her fiery head and proceeded towards the broom shed behind the locker rooms. After grabbing her trusty Cleansweep, she trudged through a mushy patch of snow and momentarily wished she could stay there for a while longer as she passed through the warm and calm interior of the stands.

The pairs of goal posts had snow piled over the golden rings but their height gave them the distinction of unchangability and she leaned her broom against one frozen pole as she bent over to stretch. First she would do some laps to get her body sweating, then she would be able to fly with more energy than she had now as another wind whipped across the field and caused her to shiver. Ginny began by slowly jogging through the first lap and by the middle of the second she was warmed up and easily sprinted into a steady gallop. It took five laps before she felt a stitch in her side and then she paced herself back down to a jog as her arms reached upwards.

By the time she got back to her broom she was breathing evenly again and in an effort to prepare her muscles for a different activity she stretched once more. As both hands grabbed her right foot as she bent over at the waist she noticed how wet her pants had gotten from the snow but she was happy that she had thought to wear her spandex pants underneath so that she didn't feel the water. Once her limbs were ready to go, she gripped and mounted her broom.

The Cleansweep took to the sky with barely a hint of prompting and Ginny grinned to herself as she climbed higher. She slid her hands down the wooden shaft and extended her legs backwards as she adjusted to the positioning that Draco had showed her. Her hips felt weird against the handle but she knew she held more control as her body took the line of the broom.

She flew patterns up and down the field and practiced numerous stunt tricks before her joints became too sore to ignore. Ginny slowed her speed and sat up on her broom as she glided through a slow spiral towards the ground, her dark gaze lazily scanning her surroundings as she went. Everything was covered in snow, especially from her point of view, except for a short portion of a spectator's bench in one stand along the east end of the pitch.

His platinum locks blended in to the fresh powder around him but his stark black robes were a spot of dirt along the lines of white benches. It was just a passing glance but her heart seized in her chest and she anxiously wondered why she hadn't seen him before now. By the time she whipped her flaming head around to look again, Draco was gone from the stands.

And as she hurriedly searched for him, she gazed upwards to see a black blur rushing towards her. Ginny all but stopped as he veered off to pass her and his throaty, goading laughter echoed around her as she turned to find him in the sky again. Draco was racing towards her again but this time she kicked her broom into motion and sped towards him as well. She knew he would dodge a collision when they came close enough and they were within arm's reach as he pulled off slightly, so close that she saw a momentary look of panic cross his face as they flew in opposite directions.

"Come on Malfoy!" Ginny yelled with a wide grin as she turned to approach him at a much slower pace. "You shouldn't be the one turning away. That's my job, isn't it?" She taunted and he sneered as they spun in a lazy circle mid air.

"You were not going to turn."

"I would if you hadn't."

"Hmph. I think you're just trying to see if I'll actually do it."

"You'll never know until you try."

Silence followed her words and they both felt the double meanings to their banter as their gazes steadily locked.

"It appears as if you are the one spying on me now," Ginny said with a straight face and Draco merely cocked an eyebrow in response.

"You do know that there aren't any rules during the holiday break, don't you Weasley?"

"How so?" She tested warily.

"Dumbledore certainly isn't watching our every move and most of the Professors are gone. I can come out here to fly whenever I please." His silver eyes widened dramatically and a too cheerful smile parted apart his lips. "Oh wait - I can do that anyways."

Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled up on the handle of her broom to fly down the line of the stands and he followed as they idly moved.

"You don't always have to be such an ass," she remarked into the wind.

"And you don't always have to be such a tease," he replied as their brooms flew evenly.

"If I remember correctly it was you that came onto me," she said smartly, tossing a smirk sideways as he then rolled his mercury orbs.

"Semantics. You have been a tease ever since then."

"And my boyfriend was just a technicality at the time?"

Draco grinned and his eyebrows waggled salaciously. "He was a bonus."

With little effort she pushed her broom sideways and her left hand reached out to shove him quickly as he laughed haughtily.

"Hey!" He shouted as he wobbled slightly. "I could have fallen off!" He cried indignantly and it was her turn to let off a peel of laughter as she swerved back and forth to burn off some of her momentum.

"And what's so bad about that?" Ginny replied sweetly as she glanced over at him now beside her once more. "Someone needs to push you off your high horse."

"And maybe someone needs to teach you some manners," Draco growled but he irritatedly leaned sideways to shove her back, grunting in frustration when she dodged his move and he nearly fell again.

"Does someone need flying lessons?" She cooed with a wide, playful grin.

"That's it," he barked, leaning forward to chase after her as she squealed and took off.

They flew broad figure eights around the pitch as he would just barely be able to touch her before she sped off and out of reach. Draco continued chasing Ginny until he saw an opportunity to take her down. She was circling towards the ground at a leisurely pace, thinking that he was going to follow as she dipped lower but instead he flew just a meter over the snow straight for where she was going to be. She didn't see his moving form until she noticed the blur in her peripheral and by then it was too late as Draco catapulted himself off his broom to grab her shoulders. He pulled her slight frame against his hard chest, twisting their bodies so he took the brunt of the blow as they hit the wet snow and rolled.

Ginny grunted under his weight but he made sure to lay atop her as if the wind was knocked out of him.

"Ge' off!" She demanded and his throaty chuckle reverberated through her as he leaned onto one elbow and placed his other hand in the snow next to her head.

"This day has certainly turned out better than I thought," Draco commented with a smirk and as she wiggled beneath him she realized what he meant when she felt the bulge in his pants.

"Malfoy - get off me," she commanded once more, slight agitation creeping into her voice as she pressed her palms against his chest only to meet a very strong resistance.

"Don't stop, Weasley," he half moaned as his knees pressed her thighs together and he devilishly grinned as she had the mind to lightly smack him along the line of his jaw.

"Come on, Malfoy - I'm freezing my ass off and your heavy body isn't helping to not turn the snow into slush."

"And here I thought you were just lying about not wanting to be beneath me," Draco stated, his tone miffed as if he were really hurt by her desire to get away from him. "I guess if the lady insists. . ." He trailed off and hastily pushed his weight backwards to stand, his feet turning automatically to walk off.

Ginny sat up and watched him take a few steps, her eyes wide in incredulity at his rapid mood swing. When he reached their fallen brooms in the snow he glanced back to see her reaction and appeared momentarily startled as if he thought she would have already gotten up. His false surprise became a mocking smirk and he sighed loudly as he walked back over to her.

"Have some humor, Weasley," he dryly commented but extended a hand to her and shook his blonde head when she recoiled at the appendage. "I won't bite," he remarked and she still looked unimpressed.

"You've said that before," Ginny remarked but placed her smaller fingers in his broad palm and let him pull her to her feet.

"Did I not mean it last time?" Draco replied and the momentum of his jerking motion brought her against his chest, a multitude of wet auburn curls plastered to her neck as she inhaled sharply.

"I never know what you mean and what you don't mean," she responded huskily, now lightheaded at his close presence as her chocolate gaze bounced down to his full lips.

"If I was easy to read, this wouldn't have been nearly as interesting."

"Well - they say you should keep your friends close -" Ginny began and leaned against his tall frame as his shaggy blonde locks fell across his forehead. "And your enemies closer," she finished like a warm breath across his face.

Whether it was the coldness around them or the heat spreading between them, it did not matter. She tilted her head back just as he bent his neck and their lips met in the middle. The kiss erased any thoughts or doubts in their minds and they parted breathlessly as Ginny glanced down with a blush and Draco reached up to brush away a frizzy curl.

"Have dinner with me tomorrow night," he headily whispered. Their hands were still grasped between their bodies and he squeezed her palm quickly in reassurance. "Just you and I."

"Tomorrow?" She repeated tonelessly, her mind scrambling for an excuse as her nerves jumped into overdrive at the planned possibility of a rendezvous. "That's Christmas Eve."

"So?" Draco stated, undeterred by her reluctance. "You have to eat, don't you?" When she stuttered a responsive "yes", he grinned as if that settled it. "Then you'll have dinner with me. Consider my presence your present for the holidays."

Just when she thought he was going to pull off a sweet and noble demeanor, he had to go and ruin it with a cocky comment. Ginny rolled her eyes and felt a tinge of glorious anger at him for corralling her into doing something she secretly wanted to do but would never admit to.

"Alright. But you're walking me back to the castle now," she demanded before shrugging out of his embrace and storming over to her broom. If nothing else her hesitation to spend time with him would only cause Draco to pursue her further and that made things a little bit easier for her if their tryst was going to go anywhere.

"But of course," he snidely remarked and jumped in front of her reaching arm to pick up both their brooms.

The short walk to the broom shed was silent but by the time he had locked the wooden door, he could audibly hear her teeth chattering. Without saying anything he removed his dry cloak and offered it to her. Ginny took it without pause and she tugged the lapels around her neck as she looked to him to begin walking again. The trek up the hill was steep with snow but with a helping hand when needed, the young pair arrived at the front entrance to the surprise of the stationed Aurors.

The two men opened the doors for them and they slid inside as the castle's warmth enveloped them. Ginny wanted to run upstairs for a hot bath but Draco stood there expectantly as she glanced down the hallway.

"Here's your cloak," she said as she suddenly remembered what she was wearing. She peeled off the clasp and was pulling it off her shoulders when he put up a hand to stop her.

"You keep it. Bring it with you tomorrow night," Draco compromised and he smirked as she gulped loudly at the scheduled tete-a-tete.

"Where?" She questioned in an anxious bark.

"Come to the dungeons - eight o'clock." He grinned wider and slipped his hands into his pants pockets as he rolled onto the balls of his feet in preparation of turning around. "Don't be late, Weasley. Or I'll come and find you," Draco promised and with a salacious wink he strode towards the south end of the castle, leaving a befuddled Ginny in his wake wondering how her day had been turned so upside down.