Disclaimer: All characters within belong to JK Rowling.
Chapter 1
End of Term
"Hey Ginny you okay?" Ron looked at his sister and frowned. Ginny had been acting a little strange almost all year, at least since Halloween and he still didn't know why.
"I'm fine Ron don't worry. I was just thinking about..an essay that I have to write for Professor Binns." Ginny said as she shook her head, Ron didn't seem to have notice the short pause as she spoke. Stupid, stupid, stupid Ginny, this is the wrong time for Ron to start noticing me zoning out, especially considering where I was looking--he'd go ballistic if he saw, Ginny thought to herself. It had been months since the Halloween Ball and she still didn't understand what had happened. After all this was Draco Malfoy she was thinking about and he was never nice. But if she was truthful, she had noticed that Draco had tempered his comments about her and to a lesser extent about Harry, Ron and Hermione. Once or twice she had even caught him staring at her although he always looked away as soon as he saw she'd noticed him.
"Alright if you say so." Ron turned back to the end of term feast with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
Ginny went back to her food also but she wasn't as interested as he was. Slowly her eyes began scanning the hall until they landed on him, again - it seemed everytime she didn't really pay attention to where she was looking she'd see that fair-haired head come into her sights. He was staring at her again but then Pansy said something and he turned to look at her. I don't understand him, why was he being so nice? Ginny thought to herself. She could still feel the soft touch of his lips to the top of her head. This is crazy! Ginny thought shaking her head again That was months ago! But somehow she didn't think she'd convinced herself yet.
Draco answered Pansy's question and then returned to his own plate. Why am I feeling like this? She's a Weasley for crying out loud, I should be making snide remarks and laughing at them, not wondering if I can kiss her! If I should even consider myself worthy to kiss her! Draco's thoughts where as confused as Ginny's if he had only know it. He looked up again at the Gryffindor table; there she was her red hair drawing him in like a moth to a flame. Except that she's the one that would get burned if anyone found out. My father would just lose it and he's the big one. Draco thought as he watched her eating and joking with the people next to her. Also in the back of his mind was the bracelet he'd purchased on the last trip to Hogsmeade. How was he supposed to get it to her? He wasn't even really sure he should have bought it in the first place but when he'd seen it he'd thought it was perfect. He'd added two more charms to the ones already on it and was hoping his father didn't ask him how he'd spent the last of his Gallons. He didn't think his father would be too happy about him spending money on a Weasley of all people. Maybe I should just use one of the school owls and send it without a note, he thought. But somehow he never made it up to the owlery to send it.
"Hey, was that Malfoy that just left our compartment?" said Hermione. The six of them - Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George had been going through the train saying their goodbyes, especially the twins, as this had been their last year. At her words the four boys sped up but came up empty handed. Hermione and Ginny had already gone into the compartment but hadn't found anything out of the ordinary.
"If it was, he's gone now," said Harry as he came in followed by the three Weasley brothers.
"Well, nothing seems to be missing and nothing seems to have been added so maybe it was just a false alarm", said Ginny as she and Hermione looked up at their arrival.
"Lousy git," Ron muttered, "bet he thought we were in here and wanted to start a fight"
"Leave it be Ron, he didn't do any harm," Said Hermione as she finished poking the last of her things into the trunk and got up to hug Ron. Ron grumbled a bit but when Draco didn't bother them for the rest of the trip he seemed to forget about the whole incident altogether. Ginny realized she was the only one to notice that Draco had been alone, no Crabbe or Goyle tagging behind him.
Ginny bounced on her bed for a few moments before going over to her trunk to unload it.
Books went into the shelves, parchment, quills and ink went into the desk and as the robes came out Ginny held them up to check if they would fit for another year before putting them into the closet. Towards the bottom of the trunk she found the costume she'd worn to the Halloween Ball. Well this is one thing that won't be going back into my closet that's for sure, Ginny thought as she pulled it out. She unrolled it anyway put pull against her body, as she did there was a thump as something landed on the floor. Looking down Ginny stared at the small black box as if it would start talking to her and explain what it was doing in her room. After a few moments Ginny bent down to pick it up and slowly opened it. Ginny gasped softly as the contents where revealed. Putting the box down she pulled out the bracelet inside. The silver bracelet and charms winked in the fading sunlight. It's beautiful, Ginny thought as she looked at each charm in order, but when did Harry have time to put it in my trunk? She fingered each charm in turn: a basket, a cape, a wolf's head, a bunch of wildflowers, a small cottage, and an ax. I guess Harry did notice what I wore after all, but why did he hide it in my trunk instead of just giving it to me… but her thoughts trailed off as she saw the last two charms: a gryphon and a serpent hanging from the same link. Then she remembered Draco on the train. Suddenly scared she threw the bracelet back into its box and shoved the box into the back of her dresser drawer. That's when she noticed that the cape to her costume was missing.
Draco Malfoy stood in his room watching the house elves empty the contents of his trunk around the room. He turned in a circle and wondered why he felt like something was missing. The voice of one of the house elves brought him back to the present.
"Sir, where is this to go sir?" said an elf that looked like it thought Draco was going to take his head off for asking the question.
"Give it to me, I'll take care of it." Draco snarled as he took the item from the elf. The elf backed away from him hitting its head on the floor as it went. "Stupid elf." Draco said as he walked toward the window and looked out. Maybe I just needed to get away from school, just not see her for two months, that'll take care of these strange feelings I got. He sat down in the window seat and rested his head against the glass. His fingers ran through the material in his hands almost without his control. Just get some breathing space and time to myself and I'll be the same old Draco in no time. His thoughts where interrupted by the sound of his mother at the door to his room.
"Draco? Dinner will be in 30 minutes. Your father has guests so you are expected to dress appropriately and act accordingly. Don't be late." Narcissa Malfoy didn't wait for her son's response before walking away from the door.
Draco sighed and stood up. The elves were already laying out everything he would need for dinner. He held the red material up to his face and inhaled before putting it in the top drawer of his dresser. Right I'll forget her all right….I'll probably learn how to fly without a broom this summer too. Draco turned to get ready for dinner with a grim look on his face.