DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything that looks like it's from somewhere else. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling and all of the other entities that own it.

six. waltz.

The next evening, Ginny sat nervously chewing her bottom lip in anticipation. The results from that week's exams were going to be posted at any minute and she was getting anxious. She felt she had done very well, even down to the practical part of the exam, but didn't want to overestimate herself. Ginny was surprised that Draco's tips were actually useful, as much as she hated to admit it. She felt relaxed and calm under pressure for once while taking the exam.

She had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she barely heard Lena call out to her. Lena had already gotten out of her seat, but quickly turned out around when Ginny didn't follow. "Gin, come on! The grades have been posted!"

Ginny quickly shot out of the chair and followed her towards the bulletin board across from the billiards table. A crowd had already formed in front of the parchment, blocking her vision. She hopped up and down impatiently, trying to get a glimpse of the results. She huffed irritably while people continued to take their sweet time in front of the board. It was a horrible combination being short and having your name at the very bottom of the list. Eventually, she gave up trying to be polite and elbowed her way through the crowd.

Her finger ran down the list until she came across her name:

Weasley, Ginevra… O

Her eyes grew incredibly large, unable to believe what she just read. Not only had she done well, but she had done impeccably well. For some reason, Narcissa chose to use the O.W.L. grading system as her rubric. She much preferred seeing "Outstanding" as opposed to "Dreadful," or worse, "Troll". It added insult to injury by being given a troll mark, since they were infamously dumb creatures. She squealed in delight and happily skipped back to Lena.

"You are never going to believe this," she said, excitedly. "But I actually got good marks for once!"

"Really? That's great!" Lena replied happily returning her enthusiasm.

"I got an Outstanding!" she cried. "I'm that much closer to getting those Galleons. I can't believe it!" She slumped in relaxation into the armchair.

"So it seems like Draco's mentoring actually helped?" Lena said with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, I guess so," Ginny said begrudgingly. She was surprised at the different side of Draco Malfoy she had seen last night. He could actually be helpful and decent, when he wanted, in his own way. It was the first time Draco truly acted like a normal human being towards her, and she still wasn't sure what to make of that. Had she really let her own pride and old grudge get the best of her? Isn't that what she was fighting against here at the Conservatory? No one else was giving her the benefit of the doubt so how could she have done that to Malfoy? She felt like a hypocrite. Ginny knew she needed to make amends for her mistakes.

Ginny supposed that her pride was her tragic flaw. She was good at giving help but not good at receiving or seeking it out. It was only out of delirium that Ginny had entertained Draco's offer of assistance seriously. She needed to learn to accept people's help and let new people into her life. Ginny had been so busy trying to prove herself to everyone and to herself that it seemed that she had forgotten that you need people on the path to success. Besides, if Draco Malfoy was willing to put aside his ego in order to strengthen their partnership, how could she not? He was the most prideful person she knew, hands down. It seemed that it was time to put aside her own pride and turn over a new leaf.

"I suppose I should thank him…" Ginny started, trailing off. But how? She still didn't know that much about Draco to figure out how to give him a personal token of gratitude. He liked Quidditch, but most people she knew enjoyed Quidditch.

"Lena, if you were thanking Blaise, what would you do?" she inquired, leaning over the arm of the chair towards her friend.

"Well… uh…" Lena sputtered, her cheeks flushing. "You know…"

Judging from her friend's reaction, Ginny had a very good idea as to how Lena would 'thank' Blaise. "Oh, Merlin, no way!" she shouted a little too loudly in disgust, causing her to earn a few stares from her classmates.

"Forget I asked," Ginny grumbled, unable to get the disturbing image of herself and Draco snogging out of her head.

That night, back up in her room, Ginny walked in circles, nearly creating an indent into the rug as she continued. Lena had fallen asleep after bouncing ideas around with her for an hour and a half. She tried to think of a way to apologize to Draco and truly make amends. A verbal apology didn't seem enough; she wanted to show her gratitude. Slowly, a light bulb went off in her head. A couple of hours later, she was pacing in front of Draco and Blaise's room in her night robe and slippers. She was surprised she was able to walk into the men's quarters so easily, having seen a couple getting reprimanded for cohabiting very early into the program. No one had dared to try and test Narcissa's boundaries again.

Ginny took a couple of deep breaths. Eventually gathering up the courage to face Draco, she nervously rapped on the bedroom door.

"Ah, Weasley," Blaise greeted, leaning on the opened door. "You just happened to be on a late night stroll and decided to drop by for a visit?"

"Where's Malfoy?" She demanded. She tried to peer over Blaise's shoulder but couldn't see the blond anywhere.

"You wound me, Weasley. Here I thought you were here to see me," Blaise said with a pout. "What do you want with Draco anyway? He's not as fun as I am."

"Because I have something to say to him, and, well, it's between us," she answered, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs with her hands clasped.

Blaise looked at her puzzled, but brushed it aside. "He's in his wing."

"I'm sorry, did you say WING?" Ginny repeated, unsure if she heard right.

"Indeed, I did."

"The sodding git has his own wing?! How is that fair? He couldn't even stick it out with us common folk?"

"I for one am anything but common," Blaise corrected before continuing. "His mum did tell him he's supposed to stay here but he Apparates there every night after hours and comes back in the morning."

"So, do you know where this wing is," she asked irritably.

"And if I do?" he replied, crossing his arms defiantly.

"You better take me there," she demanded again.

"And… what do I get out of it?" Blaise pressed. Upon seeing her narrowing eyes, he said, "Look, Slytherins rarely do anything for purely altruistic reasons."

"Fine," Ginny said shortly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Tomorrow evening, you can spend time with Lena on our balcony, in private." Mrs. Malfoy wasn't pleased about co-eds being in each other's rooms, but she never said anything about them being outside of their room.

"Done," Blaise swiftly responded, offering his hand out. She briskly shook it before pulling him out of the room.

She followed Blaise up a flight or two of stairs and a corridor, when she said out of breath in effort to keep up with his longer legs, "Why can't we just Apparate to his wing?"

"You can't just Apparate in Malfoy Manor," Blaise stated, sounding eerily like Hermione.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "For Godric's sake, this isn't bloody Hogwarts!" She turned left as Blaise had just done.

"Only people that the Malfoys have given permission to can Apparate in and out," Blaise explained as the stopped in front of a brand new corridor she had never seen before. Where did it come from?

"Hang on, why didn't I see this before? I swear I've been on this floor before when I got lost," Ginny asked confusedly.

"Because it's only visible to those who are given permission to see it," he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"These Malfoys are paranoid, aren't they?" Ginny griped.

Blaise shrugged. "Before you're able to enter, you have to hop on two feet three steps forward, walk backwards five steps, and then waddle like a penguin."

"What?" Ginny said incredulously.

"Don't ask me. Malfoys make up strange rules," Blaise said, putting his hands up as a surrender.

Ginny eyed him distrustfully for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh. If this is what it would take, then so be it. "Of all the ridiculous things…" Ginny grumbled. She proceeded to hop on her two feet like a rabbit three steps forward, walk backwards five steps, and then waddled around like a penguin. While she was still waddling, Blaise proceeded to walk into the wing.

Dropping her arms, she hollered, "HEY! Why didn't you have to do it?!"

"Oh, all of that was hogwash," Blaise smirked with a wave of his hand. "I just wanted to see if you would do it."

"ZABINI!" Ginny yelled, her hands now on her hips. Before she could get another word in, Blaise quickly ran off down the corridor and out of sight.

She slowly tip-toed down the corridor. She saw a door ajar with the light spilling out onto the marble floor in the darkness. Peering in, Ginny realized it was a study. She didn't see anyone inside of it. Debating on whether to knock on another door or go in, her curiosity eventually won out.

Ginny pushed the door open to walk into a gorgeous study. A brightly lit fireplace was crackling in the middle of the room, enveloping the room with its warmth. A comfortable leather sofa was positioned across from it. All of the shelves were made of an exquisite dark mahogany. They were filled with books of all sizes and widths. She quickly got closer to the nearest shelf and was amazed to see the wide breadth of his collection. The common room had a reading nook the class was allowed to peruse during their downtime but it was nowhere near as extensive or expensive as Draco's personal collection.

There was everything from Lord Byron to Miranda Goshawk to James Joyce, as her fingers trailed along the book spines. "I didn't know it was possible to own the entire English canon of literature," she breathed in awe. It seemed like he had a little bit of everything.

She moved a couple of feet forward and saw a large wooden desk with a pile of parchments all over it. They seemed to be various documents and contracts from what Ginny could make out. She was surprised that Malfoy actually had responsibilities outside of himself. Come to think of it, she wasn't really sure that he had a job until that very moment. She stopped upon a large globe resting on the left-hand corner of the desk. The magical globe depicted actual figures moving all over the world, so to speak. She spun it, letting her finger trail along until it landed on a random country. Ginny remembered doing this as a child, deciding that whatever country she landed on would be one of the many places she wanted to see in the world. She landed on Peru, and to her surprise upon touching it on the globe, visuals of the country started to appear in front of her eyes.

Ginny was mesmerized by the picturesque scenes of Machu Picchu that she barely noticed that Malfoy was quietly standing in the doorway. When she heard a voice clearing his throat, she knocked over the globe, fumbling as she managed to catch it before it hit the floor.

Draco was still in his clothes from earlier that day, only he looked a bit more disheveled. His crisp white oxford shirt that clung to his body was half tucked into his pants and his sleeves were rolled up past his elbows while he was walking around in black socks. His hair wasn't coiffed neatly to the side, but rather tousled. It was so strange seeing Malfoy look anything less than perfect. Everything was always tucked in at the right places and properly pressed. It was really kind of adorable, Ginny thought, her arms still around the globe. No, adorable wasn't the right word, when she noticed how nice and strong his arms looked as he stood there once again, arms crossed in the doorway. Ginny briefly wondered what it would feel like wrapped up in their embrace. She nearly dropped the globe once again upon that realization.

"H-Hi…" Ginny stammered lamely as she freed herself of the globe by setting it back on the table.

"Hi?" Draco echoed, eyebrow raised and signature smirk in place.

"Or, well, I guess good night since it's night… Or, rather, good morning since it's past midnight…" Ginny rambled nervously.

"How did you even find my wing, anyway?" Draco inquired, still looking amused at the incoherent Weasley before him, one who was usually quick-tongued.

"Well, I tried to go to the room you're SUPPOSED to be in, but Blaise pointed me in the right direction," she responded.

"Zabini," Malfoy muttered with a sigh. "So, what do you want?"

"Oh, nothing…." Ginny said, her right arm across her body, awkwardly rubbing her left elbow. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"You clearly came here for a specific reason, I assume?" Draco asked, stepping into the study. She backed away out of habit but paused when he instead moved towards the sofa and proceeded to lounge on it.

"Yeah… I did," she said lamely.

"Well, out with it then!" Draco demanded, but without any malice.

"So, you know how we received our scores today, right?" Ginny started, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. "Well, I did pretty bloody amazing. I mean, I got an outstanding. That's never happened before! And, well, I really hate admitting this but…"

"But…" Draco pressed, seemingly unsure as to where this was going.

"I wanted to say thank you and sorry!" Ginny blurted out. "Sorry for being such a prat that I couldn't even take advice from you in the beginning. And I'm sorry for maiming you on multiple occasions… even if you did deserve it. It's just been so difficult for me to adjust to all of these weird rules. And I'm a bit stubborn, as you've realized by now." Ginny heaved a huge sigh. "There! I did it."

"You… what?" Draco said, sitting up in surprise.

"You heard me, Malfoy. Don't make me say it twice," Ginny said with a pout. "And well, I want to call a truce. I think we can at least act like we're sort of friends? Or acquaintances? Oh, I don't know what the right term would be." she proposed. "You know, just to get through this and all." She figured the addendum was necessary for such a peculiar proposal between rivals.

Draco said nothing for several minutes, looking like he was weighing his options while staring into the fire. He then got up and put his arm out to shake Ginny's hand. Instead, Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room.

"What in Salazar's name are you doing, Weasley?" Draco asked, trailing behind her.

"Ugh!" Ginny cried in frustration. "Just… Come on!"

And that was how a robed Draco Malfoy, now clad in his slippers and nightwear was standing next to an eager Ginny Weasley in the kitchens. He had no idea how he had gotten into this situation. One minute he was just walking by his study and the next minute he was down in the kitchens. He wasn't sure what was happening but his eyes brightened at the sight of chocolate fudge sitting on the island. Perhaps it wasn't unwise letting Weasley drag him down here after all.

"Ta-da!" Ginny said proudly, gesturing to the treat before him. She levitated two pub stools over along with two goblets of milk.

"Weasley, I had no idea you wanted to run away with me... but you lead me to the kitchens of all places?" Draco asked, bewildered.

"What do you mean?" Ginny looked at him perplexed.

"You can let go of my hand now, you know," Draco indicated by looking down. Ginny looked down in the same direction and saw that her hand was still very much in his. She blushed and quickly slipped her smaller hand out of his.

"Well, I wanted us to start off our truce right. And you know... a way to a man is a way to his stomach," Ginny explained, taking a seat on one of the pub stools. He took a seat cautiously next to her at the island.

"How did you know I like chocolate fudge?" He cautiously picked up one, gingerly taking a bite.

"I didn't," she admitted. "I just figured, if I liked it you would like it."

"It's actually my favorite," he replied. Draco was impressed by how delicious it was. Chocolatey and gooey but not to the point where it was overly sweet. After his seventh one, he quietly said, "This is actually not bad. Didn't know you were skilled in Cooking Charms."

"Cooking Charms, Cleaning Charms, you name it. I could do a Scouring Spell in my sleep by fourteen," Ginny explained. "I was actually hoping I could put those skills to use during one of these lessons, but it doesn't seem like many of these witches actually tend to their house,"

He laughed at the thought of his mother trying to clean. "Almost every house has a helper or house elf."

They fell into a pleasant silence. Out of the blue, she said, "You know, Ron and Hermione had their first kiss in the kitchens at Hogwarts. How unromantic is that?"

Draco began choking on his fudge, and she rushed to hand him a glass of milk. "Cor, Weasley! Are you trying to make me sick on my mother's spotless floors?"

"I was just trying to make conversation!" Ginny exclaimed, her cheeks flushing

"You really think visual images of your brother sucking face with Granger was the way to do it?" He inhaled his milk. "If we leave a spot on this floor, my mother will throw a conniption."

"I didn't peg you as a momma's boy, Malfoy." she commented, smirking.

"I am not!" he retorted. "It's just more effort to have to go against the things she wants. I'd rather not constantly argue with her. Besides, I'm pretty much all she has... and vice versa."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh," she apologized with a guilty expression on her face. "So it's just you and your mum living here at the Manor?"

"I got a flat recently in downtown London, but I go back and forth between the Manor and my place. The place is rather barren, really, since I haven't had time to properly move in. Plus, I have to tend to the Manor and all of the entities of the Estate with her," Draco explained, as he went back to eating more fudge.

"You actually work?" Ginny asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes!" Draco responded, the slightest bit of coloring coming to his face. "I don't just sit around and lounge all day."

"I would do that if my family made the Wizarding Forbes' list every year," she said as she dug into the fudge as well.

"So, you read about me, eh, Weasley?" Draco asked with a grin.

"No!" Ginny said fiercely. "My brother Percy is always giving me these unnecessary magazines to read. And I thought that that rag was perfect to line Arnold's cage with."

"And yet you still knew I was on the list, despite not reading it?" Draco pressed, pointing out the flaw in her argument.

"Well, your photograph didn't react well to being sat on by a Pygmy Puff," Ginny replied with a chortle.

"And rightly so! My photographs do not deserve to be lining some beast's cage! They ought to be framed, those works of art," Draco huffed, popping another piece of fudge. The plate was already half empty. He better slow down and try to ration it, he thought to himself.

Draco decided to switch topics. "I know why I'm here, so how did a Weasley like yourself end up here?"

With a deep breath, Ginny launched into the whole tale of her grandmother's will and the stipulations along with her reasoning for being here. "I guess I just really feel the need to prove to my family that I can make it on my own," she said, pausing before concluding. "Except, that's kind of my problem. I had gotten so used to feeling the need to do everything on my own that to accept anyone's help, not just yours, has become alien at this point… Which is why I wanted to make amends and start our partnership anew."

Draco digested this information thoughtfully over some fudge. It was refreshing to meet a woman who had other interests rather than marriage or one that wasn't after his own money. But he couldn't very well tell her that. Even if they had turned over a leaf, he wasn't ready to go that far with her.

"So, what you're telling me is… you're in it for the money?" Draco quipped, but without any malice.

"Well, when you say it like that I sound like every other bint in this place!" Ginny cried. "I assure you I am not."

"How else would you phrase it, then?" Draco challenged.

"While many of the other women here are seeking others' fortunes, I am merely here to gain what is rightfully mine. Completely different," Ginny responded with a sense of finality. She really knew how to weasel herself out of a situation, Draco observed.

Ginny yawned largely and looked at the clock mounted on the wall atop some cabinets. It was nearly three in the morning. She hopped off the stool and cleared the kitchen with several waves of her wand. In a flash, the kitchen was just as spotless as it always was.

"Well, I better get to bed, it's pretty late," Ginny said tiredly. She took one last piece of fudge for the road back to her bedroom.

"Goodnight, Draco," Ginny said with a genuine smile and walked out.

That Monday afternoon, Ginny enjoyed her lunch jovially. She hadn't this pleasant of a weekend in a while. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders after making amends with Draco. She no longer felt the same level of stress she had since she started the program. It finally felt like there was some hope and a light at the end of the tunnel now that they were no longer at each other's throats.

"I still refuse to believe you just ate chocolate with Draco the other night," Lena said with a smirk.

"Why?" Ginny replied, bewildered.

"Because you can't seem to get that dreamy smile off of your face," Lena replied.

"I'm telling you the truth!" Ginny protested, dropping the smile plastered on her face. "For the last time, there is nothing going on. We're just partners, that's all."

"Whatever you say," Lena said, clearly not believing a word her friend was saying.

Ginny frowned and was once again about to launch into an in-depth explanation, but just then a tan colored owl swooped down, making a loop-de-loop before delivering a letter for Ginny, saving Lena from Ginny's endless rebuttal. She recognized it as Pigwidgeon, more affectionately known as Pig. Once as big as a Snitch, now Pig was about as large as a Bludger. The bird eagerly perched itself on her shoulder, expectantly waiting for a treat. After fishing around in her bag, her hand eventually returned with a reward for the hyper owl. Pig ruffled his feathers and quickly ascended towards the tall ceiling, swiftly flying off into the afternoon sky. She ripped open the envelope and unfolded the parchment, quickly recognizing Hermione's neat cursive:

Ginny,

I'm really glad to hear that your experience at the Conservatory is improving. At least Malfoy isn't torturing you anymore! I know it's odd hearing it from me, but after my experiences at the Muggle Institute, Malfoy's really come around. Of course, he's no saint but he seems really determined to run his family's estate. Must be a lot of responsibility to take on since his mother's only with him…

Ginny felt a strange pang of sadness for Malfoy. The more she thought about it, the more it was true. The Malfoys had very little family left. Lucius was gone, and they were never close with any of the remaining Blacks, many of whom were deceased. She couldn't recall any living Malfoy in Britain, or she surely would have been blessed with their snobbish ways too. It was weird to think that someone had such few loved ones in their life when she had so many and kept growing with her large family. Ginny sighed as she continued to skim through the letter:

…hope you're coming to Ron and mine's engagement celebration in a couple of weeks at the Burrow! I do hope Malfoy's mother will let you come home for the occasion. The whole family will be getting together.

Well, I must be heading out now. Kingsley wants to meet with me to discuss a possible shift to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement! Ron and I will finally be in the same department again.

- Hermione

P.S. Ron says hullo; he's currently wolfing down some eggs. He said he's not especially pleased with you having to interact with Malfoy. He recommends always being on your guard and be ready to hex him at a moment's notice. Perhaps, Ronald should be sending you his own letter himself!

Ginny laughed at the end of the letter. It was just like Hermione to get easily miffed by Ron's actions. She was happy that the two of them had finally made things official by taking the next step forward in their relationship by getting engaged. However, she felt slightly annoyed that Ron was being his usual overprotective self. She had taken care of herself for several years now, and she had been managing just fine with Draco.

The gong resounded through the halls, indicating that it was time for this week's lessons to begin. She folded the parchment back up and put it in the envelope, throwing it into her book bag along with everything else.

That day they convened in the grand ballroom. However, rather than seeing elaborate displays or stations for the class to work at, there was nothing to be found. The ballroom was completely empty, save for the marble that covered the floor, the gorgeous ionic columns that held it up, and the students that were currently occupying it.

They stood in a crowd, expectantly looking at Narcissa for today's explanation. Once they had quieted down, she addressed the crowd. Muttering Sonorous, Narcissa began the introduction for the day. "Good afternoon, class. I am sure you've figured out by now today's lesson after a brief history of ballroom dance from this morning."

So that was why Mrs. Malfoy had told everyone to wear their formal shoes, Ginny realized, looking down at her own feet. She was wearing four inch high heels, ones that she had not worn since Percy's wedding a year and a half ago. As a Healer, she didn't have much opportunity to wear fancy, insensible shoes to work, thus leaving Ginny out of practice in maneuvering around in heels.

"We will be learning the waltz," Narcissa announced. However, that wasn't all as she continued: "And this week will consist of two lessons…"

A groan went through the crowd, including out of Ginny's mouth. Was the woman mad?!

"…because you all will be attending the Mulieres Vigniti Octo Cotillion this weekend, putting all of the skills gleaned from this week to the ultimate test. The MVO Cotillion is a dance designed to introduce the younger generation to the etiquette and culture of high society. As such, you all will be chaperoning and be the shining example for the young attendees."

Now Ginny was intrigued. A dance? Something actually fun? Maybe the woman did know what she was doing after all.

"As such, I will first be demonstrating the classic waltz and we will then begin practicing," said Narcissa. She looked through the crowd as if searching for her next victim. She eventually zeroed in on one individual that wasn't paying attention.

"Ah, Mister Fawley, how kind of you to volunteer for the demonstration," Mrs. Malfoy said loudly enough for Maxwell to turn his head in surprise. Sulkily, he made his way through the crowd and up towards Narcissa.

"Now, as the male, you will be leading the dance," Narcissa told him. He gingerly took her hand and placed his other at the small of her back. A few of the young men sniggered, and Max scowled at them as Narcissa turned her focus to explaining where a woman was to place her hands. Before beginning, Narcissa swished her wand, and suddenly the room was filled with the music of a classical symphony. Maxwell led her in a simple waltz, creating a box on the floor.

Once the demonstration was over, Max quickly let go of Narcissa to rush back and join the crowd. "Now that you have seen how the waltz is done, it is time to practice with your partner."

Ginny made her way over to Draco slowly. He stood there looking like the epitome of grace and poise. She felt clumsy shuffling in her long forgotten footwear. Good thing she was getting necessary practice time walking around in her heels, she surmised. Upon getting closer, she noticed that he also was in his formal footwear, except he still had at least four inches over her in height.

Draco bowed in front of her, offering his hand to dance. Ginny returned the gesture, gathering her skirt and curtseying. It was all too much for Ginny apparently, as she stifled a chuckle as she accepted Draco's hand. She couldn't help but notice how nicely her hand fit into his, and how broad his shoulders were as she placed her free hand on it. And she was right, his arm around her at the waist did feel quite nice.

"Well, aren't you excited to touch me?" Draco said with a grin in response to her laugh.

"Not really," Ginny said airily. Complete and utter lie. She decided that it was best to make her unsettling thoughts about Draco disappear and quickly.

"I can't say I'm very fond of the waltz, actually. I haven't done it since the third year," Ginny explained as they began to sway to the music. She followed Draco's lead as they slowly formed a box on the dance floor. They moved surprisingly easily in sync. It also helped that it seemed like Draco knew what he was doing.

"You mean at that dinky Yule Ball?" Draco asked, wrinkling his nose.

"You cannot call that ball dinky," Ginny chided. "It was gorgeous!" Ginny remembered just how excited she was when she got asked to the Ball, picking out her dress, and practicing her dance moves in anticipation for the evening. It was an especially pleasing feat seeing as fourth years and above were only allowed to go unless they asked someone in another year. She was the envy of her friends at the time.

"You have not been to enough Balls, Weasley," Draco replied.

"Regardless of the quality of that Ball, I hate the waltz. I've had a few too many toes stepped on to last me a lifetime," Ginny recalled.

"Who did you go to the Yule Ball with anyway?"

Ginny braced herself for his reaction as she said, "Neville."

It was Draco's turn to laugh. "No wonder your image of the waltz has been tainted! That oaf has two left feet. I honestly don't know how Longbottom functions in life." He maneuvered Ginny so they were moving around the floor, still in the box formation. Her feet had barely gotten used to moving in the singular box, but with his lead, she began to understand which way to turn her feet to turn left or right.

"Hey! He's not an oaf!" Ginny cried in defense of her friend. "And he was fourteen!"

"What does age have to do with it? I mastered this at eight but you don't see me boasting about it," Draco scoffed.

"You just did," she pointed out.

Rather than respond, Draco chose that moment to twirl Ginny. He accomplished this move with ease, and she couldn't help but enjoy herself as her long skirt twirled along with her as she spun.

Narcissa had passed by, for once giving them both a neutral look. Ginny wasn't sure what that meant, but she figured that was a mark of improvement from her prior disapproving looks and seemingly long paragraphs in her notebook.

They continued move around the ballroom in a comfortable silence, enjoying the music. She slowly realized just how close she was to Draco Malfoy. She could smell the pleasant fragrance of his cologne, just like she had the other night when he had tutored her on place settings. Her brown eyes looked into whirling pools of mercury. It was fascinating how the shade of gray seemed to shift depending on his mood and time of day.

"Stop that thing with your eyes," Ginny blurted out, speaking her thoughts out loud.

"What thing?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That swirling, piercing thing!" She responded irritably. He knew very well what he was doing!

"Excuse me?" Draco said, mystified.

"It's like looking into an endless pool!" Ginny said exasperatedly. "I know you're using some type of glamour charm. Stop it."

"I believe the twirling has swirled your brains," Draco said, looking at the red-head warily.

She was about to retort with a quip for his weak remark, but just then music stopped, indicating that the exercise was over. He let go of her hand and removed himself from her. Ginny couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at no longer being next to him. She willed every fiber of her being to realize that it was just the lack of male companionship that made her feel this way. Yup, that's exactly what it was.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please a review on your way out. :)