(Deathly pale hand bursts through the dirt) Mawhahaha! I've returned from the dead! And here you thought you'd gotten rid of me for good. Alas, my dear friends, that is not the case. Swim team is FINALLY over and I'll be getting home a whole THREE hours earlier. So, hopefully, no more freakishly long hiatuses between chappies(er...is that the plural of hiatus? Does hiatus even have a plural? Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? These are the questions that keep me awake at night.) I really would have gotten this chapter out more quickly (even despite swimming) except that I just couldn't be happy with it. I've like nine versions of this, and I'm still not entirely happy with it, but oh well. Thanks you all for your patience! (And reviews. Reviews are yummy)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except a collector's eddition of a Gumby and Pokey lunch box. No you may not have it.

Then, she did the last thing he would have expected her to do: with a look of set determination, she put her small hands on his chest, and kissed him. Such was his surprise that he only vaguely noticed when the two mugs he'd been holding crashed to the ground. Before he had even begun to comprehend what was happening, she had moved away and was wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her flannel nightshirt.

"What do you thing you're doing? Are you out of bloody mind?"

"Evening the score."

"What?" He blinked. "What?"

"See, I've been thinking it over, Malfoy, and you're not that nice to anyone. You have to have some reason for trying to get in my good graces. You're trying to trick me, or blackmail me or-"

"Blackmail you?" He choked out, caught between absolute surprise and amusement.

"And now you can't." She added with a note of triumph, pretending she hadn't heard him. "I took away your advantage."

Ginny was the picture of righteous anger, her chin held high and defiant, her chest heaving, Draco stared for a long time studying her and tried for to follow the logic she had used to arrive at this insanely absurd conclusion.

"Well if that's the way you figure, I believe I kissed you twice." He finally said, allowing the trace of a smirk onto his face.

"Don't you dare try to be funny right now! Don't you dare." She hissed furiously.

"Well, honestly, since the conversation had been so serious up until now." He snapped. "You thought I was going to blackmail you? That's the most irrational thing I've ever heard in my life. I mean, how does that even make sense?"

She slapped him.

"Have you gone bloody mad?" He demanded, one hand nursing his stinging cheek. "That hurt."

"You know what else hurts? Your ruddy necklace dragging me down here in the middle of the night!" She half-screamed it, and with one hand she had grasped its chain and was waving it about wildly in front of her.

"It hurts?" He asked with the kind of casual interest you might use when inquiring about the weather.

"Yes it hurts." She hissed. "Have you even been on the rack? No? Well me neither, however any curiosity I might have had- yeah, gone. I think I can pretty well imagine it now, thanks."

"Well guess what I think hurts. You ignoring me for a week." He said sounding irritated.

"Are you serious?" She demanded. "Are you seriously comparing my pain to being ignored for a few days?"

"Yes." He answered defensively.

"And did it cause you severe, physical harm?"

"Well, no." He admitted grudgingly, running a hand through his hair. "But it was incredibly annoying."

"Well I'm sorry I've been such an inconvenience!" She cried.

This wasn't going as well as he might have hoped. Or rather, it was going exactly as he might have expected, which was precisely why it was so horrible.

She turned to leave and Draco saw this was his last chance. He caught her hand. "Would you stop that."

"Why did you kiss me, Malfoy?" She half-yelled.

"Other than my evil plot to blackmail you, you mean?" He smirked. Then, sobering slightly and smiling, he added, "Merlin, Weasley. Do I have to spell it out for you? I lik-"

But he didn't get a chance to finish. "Are you going to date me?" She asked sharply.

"What?" He asked, and, again, was shocked.

"You don't get to kiss me unless you are going to date me."

And for a moment the absurdity of it was so great he wanted to scream.

"You don't know anything!" He almost yelled, but in that moment she was cold and hard, and looking at her then he knew she did.

She understood exactly what she was doing. She was, very consciously asking him to give up everything. His father would disown him, if not worse. And no Slytherin would dare openly cross a Malfoy- even a disgraced one- but it would be an uphill battle of subtly cutting remarks and undermining, a slow war of attrition to be fought on his territory.

That she thought she was in any position to demand anything of him was ridiculous, infuriating. Or that she would even think to do it. To order him to give up what he cared for was so unlike her. But at the same time it was a very Slytherin thing of her to do, and he found himself grudgingly respecting her for it.

"I don't know, Ginny." He said, assuming what he hoped was a pained expression. He shook his head and ran a hand through his platinum locks. This too wasn't true, he knew he would never date her; there was simply too much at stake to throw it all away for a silly Gryffindor bint. But he couldn't just say no and lose any remnant of a chance he had at her, and he wouldn't just flat-out lie to her, so he said, "I would have to risk a lot. If I were to date you-"

"Oh I couldn't date you." She said simply, as if she had said something so obvious that even the most remedial first yeah should have figured it out.

"What?" He demanded and was sure for an instant he would be unable to keep himself from throttling her.

"I couldn't date you, I don't even know you!" She exclaimed.

For a moment, he could do nothing but silently gnash his teeth together. "Then get to know me." He finally ground out, and at once the anger in her expression melted away and was replaced by pure shock.

"What?"

"Get. To. Know. Me." He said, very slowly.

She asked, "How?" every inch of her incredulous.

"Ask me anything."

"What?"

"Fine." He said shrugging. "It was just a suggestion. If you don't want to…"

"No!" She nearly yelled. "No! It's just….just ask you? Just like that?"

"Or we could play a drinking game…"

"I think you've done enough of that already, actually." She said sharply, but he could see she was no longer angry with him. She probably would be later, but for now it was forgotten in favor of her curiosity. Thinking, she sunk to the floor and began gathering the shattered pieces of the glasses he had dropped.

"I really did want that hot chocolate." He said reproachfully, and she didn't respond. Best case scenario, really. Then, after a pause, he added, "Stop that. You'll cut yourself."

"But if I don't pick it up, they'll wonder who did it." She said crossly, in a tone that went on to suggest that the task would be much easier were he to help.

"You have twelve brothers, blame one of them." He said, and brushed past her and disappeared through the door.

"Malfoy!" She called, exasperated, but there was no response. With a frustrated moan, she stood, wiped her hands up and followed.

"I have six brothers, actually."

"Well that's kind of irrelevant, isn't it?" He asked casually.

"No." She coldly replied. She sat opposite him, looking distant. It was obvious she was considering his proposal, which was not what he wanted at all. Nothing good could come of her over-thinking this. For just a moment, he was aware of what absurd lengths he was going to, to make this girl like him. But then again, he reminded himself, Malfoy's never lose.

"It's not as though anyone could tell them apart, anyway. Your parents really only needed one, after that the rest just redundant." He was very conscious of the line he was trodding all over. He gulped, and with one, great, vindictive step, he crossed it. "And I use the word need very loosely. Besides, it's not as if they could afford it."

"Oh, right, Malfoy, like you have any room to talk. Because your family is so perfect." She snarled, with a viciousness he'd never heard her use before, "Why don't you tell me about that, if you're so keen on sharing?"

He almost smiled. This was what he needed. All he had to do now was make up a few lines, make her think he'd had such a poor, deprived childhood, and he'd be home free. She'd want to help- to fix- him.

"My family is perfect." He said, flawlessly imitating a tone of haughty defensiveness. "My father is the most respected man in the wizarding world. And Mother is wonderful. Who do you think sends me all those sweets when I'm at school? And the constant letters? Embarrassing really, but I think she always wanted more children. She gets lonely, I'd imagine, all alone in the Manner, with Father always away on business." He was balancing on a very thin line. She had, by now, absorbed that he couldn't stand Lucius, and if he played it up too much, she would realize he was lying. However, Ginny was soft, and what she really needed- wanted- to hear was that he was really a sweet, upstanding kind of bloke who'd simply not been hugged enough. It was easiest that way. "He was always away when I was young. He was very involved though. He kept in constant communication with Snape to make sure I was keeping up on my school work and 'running with the right crowd.'" He had let a touch of bitterness lace his voice, and he paused now for dramatic effect. "I really hated Granger then. You wouldn't believe the crap my father gave me about a mudblood being ahead of me in classes."

He saw her cringe slightly, and suddenly he too was on edge. That was just a bit too close to the truth for his liking. He paused, not quite sure how to continue.

"Tell me more about you're mother." She ordered, surprising him.

"She's very pretty, of course. Clever, as well. She was head girl when she was at Hogwarts." She noted with surprise the pride in his tone. "She's actually younger than my father. Snape's age."

"How'd they meet, then?"

"At a party, or function, I suppose. They got married very quickly, Mother's parents were thrilled with the match." He said casually. "Quite a few Blacks have married muggles through the years. I think they would have married her off to Hagrid if he were a pure blood." Ginny frowned, but didn't say anything. "Tell me about you're family."

"Me?" Ginny asked, surprised.

Draco smirked. "Communication is a two-way road, Ginny-darling."

"What do you want to know?" She asked, raising one eyebrow suspiciously.

"Tell me about you're brothers. Do you get along?"

"Most of the time. We bicker quite a bit, but mostly that's just to drive Mum mad. And it's impossible to do anything just by your own. Anyway you turn there's another one. But they take care of me; it's nice."

"I always wanted a brother." He said.

"Really?" She asked. She wouldn't have thought that at all.

"There's too much pressure being an only child. You have to live up to all the expectations of both parents. At least with brothers, there's someone to help bear the burden."

"Yes, but you don't have anyone to be compared to." She answered. "By the time I was even born Bill had graduated Head Boy and Charlie was the best seeker Hogwarts had seen in years. And the twins get in trouble, sure, but they still had great marks in school and their business is doing excellent. Everyone expects something great of me."

"I'd still trade with you, any road." He said, then frowned and revised. "Well, not you specifically, because honestly, I can't stand you're brothers."

She frowned back at him. "I do seem to recall you saying something about having so many children being unseemly."

"I never said that." He objected.

"No, that was me paraphrasing. I believe you're actual words were 'I know weasels are known for having large litters, but at least nature kills some of those off.'"

"Ahh, yes, back when I was young and-"

"An absolute wanker?" Ginny supplied.

"Well, I was going to say 'and didn't understand how meaningful understating can be when it comes to the subtle art of sarcasm', but as you're answer is less likely to get me hit, we'll go with that. Yes, an absolute wanker." He tried to gauge her reaction, but couldn't tell whether she was amused or not. "And what about you? Would you trade?"

"No." Ginny said confidently.

"I thought not." He agreed.

"Malfoy?" She said after a moment of silence. "That day we met at the restaurant, you said that you were being followed."

"Yes." He said. "I remember."

"Who was following you?"

"Crabbe and Goyle, I think. I don't really recall."

Frustrated, she was about to tell him that wasn't what she meant, when something occurred to her. "Senior? Crabbe and Goyle Senior?"

He nodded.

"Why? Why would they be following you?"

"See, if there's one thing the Dark Lord's got, it's a healthy sense of paranoia. Death Eater's children have been fed You-Know-Who's secrets since the cradle – nothing important, you understand, just enough propaganda to win them over, but it's enough that he's nervous. He's just suddenly realized there's a good possibility one of them will turn coats."

"So he has you followed?"

"Not regularly. Not at school. Just…around sometimes, to make sure we're not joining up the wrong sort of people." He said and grinned.

"Me." Ginny said, sounding pleased.

He nodded. "I'm just glad they didn't recognize you." She gave him a questioning look. "Trust me, I'd have heard about it by now if they had. I'm willing to bet they weren't even looking for me that day. They were probably checking up on Sylvia."

"She's a Death Eater, then?" Ginny said, not particularly caring that she sounded harsh.

"No." Draco answered firmly.

"What is she to you?" She really couldn't keep the question from escaping her lips.

"Something like my second cousin several times removed."

Ginny glared. "That's not exactly what I meant."

"What did you mean then?"

"You have two pictures by your bed. One of your mother, and one of her. There has to be a reason."

"Her and Blaise." He corrected.

"Did you date her?"

"Yes." He answered. "For a while." His tone made it very clear he was through discussing that particular topic. She wanted to ask more, but she had so many other questions, and she knew if she pushed now, he'd not say anymore. Instead, she switched tactics.

"Tell me about Snape." She commanded.

"What about him?"

"You two seem…" She struggled for the right word, "close."

Draco smiled. "He's my godfather actually. He and my mother went to school together, they were good friends."

"Really?" Ginny asked, shocked. It seemed so oddly human. "I can't picture Snape as a boy. In fact, I really can't picture him anywhere but school. And seeing him here is incredibly unnerving."

"I don't even think Snape can picture himself anywhere else. I stayed with him this summer and every morning he woke up with this kind of dazed look like he couldn't quite figure out where he was or what he was doing there."

"You stayed at his house?" She sounded appalled.

Nodding, Draco said, "He was teaching me potions. That's how I ended up in Magical Healing. He thought it would be good extra practice."

"You've no interest in Healing, then?"

"I wouldn't say that. It's very useful to know, but I'd not make a career of it."

Which she should have known, because, really, Draco Malfoy as a Healer? Not only would he be required to be nice to people, he'd be expected to handle various bodily fluids. She almost laughed at the thought.

"And you?" He asked, "You're going to be a Healer?"

Ginny nodded. "That's the plan, anyways."

Then, quite against her will, she did something horrible; she yawned. Draco looked at his wristwatch- expensive, gold, and new. "It's late. You should go to bed."

"No." She said firmly.

"Yes." He said equally firm.

"Not until I'm through." She stated bluntly, arms crossed. If she went to bed now, she'd never get the rest of her questions answered.

Slyly, Draco slipped his hand in his pocket and grasped the ring.

"Ow!" Ginny cried, grabbing the necklace around her neck. "Now that's not fair!"

He smirked. "Life rarely is." Then, he grew more serious, and had she not known any better she would have said his tone was almost one of concern as he asked, "Does that really hurt?"

"Not that really. The other thing- the pull-y thing does. But that still doesn't change the fact that I'm not going upstairs."

"How about this- if you go sleep now, I promise you twenty more answers."

"Twenty?"

He nodded.

"About anything?"

He seemed to consider this for a moment, and then shrugging said, "Within reason."

"And all I have to do is be a good little girl now and go to bed?" She said, skeptically.

"And answer twenty of my questions. En eye for an eye, love."

She stuck out her hand. "Don't dare shake unless you mean it."

He grinned, white teeth shining in the dim light, and took her hand. Hesitantly, she smiled back and allowed him to help pull her off the couch. She followed him quietly up the stairs. He stopped in front of her door.

"Good night, Weasley."

"Good night, Malfoy. Twenty questions, remember."

"Wouldn't dream of forgetting."

He waited outside a moment, until the light under the door vanished, and then, with a yawn, went upstairs.

Ginny didn't think she'd be able to sleep, but she did, and when she woke the next morning, she felt much more relaxed than she had the whole past week. For a moment she simply lied there, enjoying the morning. It was bright and clear, and the sunlight streaming through her window promised a pretty day. The house was warm and smelled of cinnamon. It was a nice day to sleep in.

Slowly, she got out of bed not bothering to change out of her pajamas and went downstairs.

Draco wasn't there.

She sat down, amidst the clamor of breakfast, and ate quickly. Really, she thought with a sinking heart, she should have known as much. He was a Malfoy after all. He would obviously find some way to wriggle out of their agreement. No doubt he'd say her questions were unreasonable. Or maybe just talk around them. Possibly, he'd ignore her all together. Cursing herself for being so naïve, Ginny finished eating quickly and with much undeserved hostility toward her eggs, and stood.

"Where are you headed off to in such a hurry?"

"No where, Mum."

"Don't you dare go wake him up." Mrs. Weasley warned, looking up from her dish washing. She was waving a sponge threatening in Ginny's direction.

"Who?"

"You know very well who. If our guest wants to sleep in I certainly won't have you up there disturbing him."

"But Mum, I-"

"I mean it, Ginny."

"Yes ma'am." She said, defeated.

Ginny retreated to her bedroom and sat curled up the bed entirely ready to pounce upon him the first moment she heard any noise from upstairs.

There was a knock at her door, and for a moment, her heart skipped a beat, then, "Ginny?"

It was Hermione.

"Come in." She called.

"Hey, Gin, do you mind if we talk?"

"Sure." Ginny said, feeling vaguely guilty she hadn't been spending more time with Hermione.

Because of all the extra bodies, her parent had bought a temporary Enlargement charm, which created rooms to accommodate their guests. They'd never bought one before (they cost more than an entire set of school books) but with so many people crammed into one space there'd have been no amount of sharing that would have allowed them all to fit. It was the first holiday in years Ginny had had a room to herself.

Hermione, looking distracted, took a seat on the bed next to Ginny. For a long time, she didn't say anything. Ginny, who was, despite her best efforts, having a difficult time focusing on the older Gryffindor, returned to listening for Malfoy.

"So, how have you and Ron been doing?" Ginny asked politely, when she could no longer stand the silence. She thought she heard a door open upstairs.

"Ron and you." Hermione corrected, absentmindedly, twirling a bit of hair around her finger. Then, realizing she hadn't answered the question, added. "Fine."

"So…" Ginny said. There weren't any footsteps coming down the stairs but she was sure the creak had come from the upstairs bedroom.

"He told me he loved me." Hermione said suddenly.

For a moment, the thought didn't register. Then, after only a moment's hesitation, the redhead forgot about the door and beamed at the girl sitting next to her. "That's great Hermione!"

"He actually sort of yelled it at me. We were fighting."

"And what did you say?"

Hermione remained suspiciously silent. She looked up at Ginny and bit her lip.

"Oh, no, Hermione. What did you say?"

"Well, I didn't say anything."

"Oh, Merlin, Hermione. You didn't say anything? You just stood there?"

Hermione nodded. "I feel awful. Poor Ron looked crushed, but I didn't know what to say, I-"

"How about, I don't know, 'Gee, thanks, Ron. I love you too?'"

"But you can't just say it, Ginny. You have to mean it."

"Hermione, have you gone spare? You've loved Ron since third year, maybe even before."

"It's not that easy. You don't just fall in love with a person. It takes time and commitment. I don't want to be that type of girl. The one who falls in love with every other boy she meets."

"It's been four years coming. I doubt anyone's going to accuse you of being flighty."

"But what if something happens and it doesn't work out? Saying you love a person isn't something you can just take back. When I tell someone I love them, I want to know it's true. I certainly care about Ron, but I haven't even considered loving him. I haven't made a thought about any of the repercussions, why I haven't even made a pro and con list. I'm just not ready-"

"You can't analyze it, Hermione. Do you love him?"

Hermione hesitated and bit her lip. "Yes."

"Then tell him."

The older girl beamed and nodded. "I will. Thank you, Ginny. There was one other thing…"

"Yes?"

She paused, as if she were groping for the right words. "Are you and Malfoy…I mean to say, do you like him?"

"No, not particularly." Ginny said sourly.

"Oh. Well it just seemed like you two…I don't know, maybe you were friends."

"Well we're not." Ginny insisted stiffly, but then her face furrowed.

"I don't know," She admitted. "Sometimes he's just Malfoy and I could kill him. And then, he does something…and it's like he's two completely different people. Admittedly I'm terribly fond of either one of them right now."

"Be careful, Ginny. People like Malfoy…they don't just change overnight."

"I know that." Ginny snapped. "I'm sick of everyone telling me that. I am careful. Poor Ginny, she's so fragile. Watch out for, Ginny she doesn't know what's good for her. Well I'm fine thank you, and I don't need you or Harry or even Malfoy for that matter telling me to be careful."

Hermione looked affronted. "Well, yes, I know. I just meant-"

"No, Hermione." Ginny said, running a hand through her hair tiredly. Her good mood from that morning had completely dissolved. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. I didn't sleep very well last night is all." Hermione still looked unsure. "Really. Everything's okay, and I'm sorry."

Hesitantly, the older girl smiled. "Okay, Gin. I'll see you later."

Hermione stood and started out, stopped at the door and turned as if she were going to say something, and then thought better of it. She opened the door only to find Malfoy was standing on the other side.

He looked around her to where Ginny was seated on the bed.

"Hey." He said casually.

Ginny silently glared.

"Bye, Ginny." Hermione said, and threw a threatening look in Draco's direction before brushing past him and into the hall.

The little Weasley looked up at him, wordlessly. She was so incredible readable. Her entire face revealed her internal struggle as she tried to decide how to respond.

Draco smirked. "I believe you owe me twenty questions."

Whoot...37 chapters down, 27 to go! (er...just kidding. Really. This story will end eventually. No, really it will. Stop looking at me like that. IT WILL). Anyway, you brave souls who've stuck with me this long, thanks for your dedication. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And...guess what else makes me feel all warm and fuzzy? Reviews! (Bats eyelashes while shamelessly pandering for reviews). Besides, I write faster when people review...