A/N: So NO ONE knows what I was referring to when I mentioned being told to go stick my head in a pig? Hmph. Review or I'll sing the little bird song. And I have no scruples about stopping at verse five. (Okay, you might not get that unless you've been to camp as many times as I have... and to think in two years my friends and I will have graduated the CIT program and actually be running the place!) I just love the below song- I'm shamelessly hooked on pop and country music. If you don't like it, skip over it, but there are so many songs of those varieties that fit Draco and Ginny so well! I'm rambling. Guess I'd better stop... Oh, and for some reason when I did a bit of editing I managed to cut out the song for part one. It was supposed to be Carlene, by Phil Vasser, in case anyone cares.
Don't think that you got me, girl,
Don't think you can tame me, and change me,
Don't think that it's all because of you,
Just because I don't run around
Just because we're forever together
Don't think of a four-letter word to use.
So what if I just don't want anybody else but you?
So what if you're all that I ever really wanna do?
I know what you're thinking but that doesn't make it true,
Believe me baby...
I'm not in love, no not at all,
What makes you think you made me fall?
I've slipped but no, I'm not in love,
What if I just can't sleep at night,
I see your face in the starry sky?
So high above...
But girl I'm not in love.
Don't think that you got it made
Don't think it's so easy to keep me,
Never know, it could all just fade away,
So what if I just don't want anybody else but you?
So what if you're all that I ever really wanna do?
I know what you're thinking but that doesn't make it true...
Believe me baby...
I'm not in love, no not at all,
What makes you think you made me fall?
I've slipped but no, I'm not in love,
What if I just can't sleep at night,
I see your face in the starry sky,
So high above...
But girl I'm not in love...
So if my heart just skips a beat...
What if I lose a little sleep?
Believe me baby,
I'm not in love, no not at all,
What makes you think you made me fall?
I've slipped but no, I'm not in love,
What if I just can't sleep at night,
I see your face in the starry sky,
So high above...
But girl I'm not in love...
~ BBMak, I'm Not in Love
"Weasley!"
A month ago, Steward Graham came in at a close second on the list of people Ginny most despised. Now he was back up to first. For some reason, she was no longer capable of despising Draco. Not for lack of trying, mind you.
She gritted her teeth and entered.
"Hello, Weasley," he said.
Whaddaya want, Baldy? She thought. She said, "Can I help you, Mr. Graham?"
"Actually, you can. I was asked to represent the Department of Defense tonight at the theater in Hogsmeade, but I can't attend, so I'd like you to go in my place."
Ginny happened to be the only Auror in the building at the moment, so she suspected that it was more a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time than anything else.
"All right," she said evenly, her brain already working on ways to get out of it.
"Malfoy's also attending. Better to have representatives from two branches of the Ministry."
"Yes, Mr. Graham." God, I'm starting to sound like Percy. If I ever start quoting him, I'll throw myself off a cliff.
"Any problems with that, Weasley?"
Only a few dozen, Baldy. "No, Mr. Graham."
"All right then."
***
Draco did not like crowds. He hated the way they moved like a single entity, a mass of people with a collective brain. He hated the way that, no matter what, someone was always pushing you from behind and you couldn't go ten seconds without being stepped on or otherwise abused.
"Did I mention I hate crowds?" He said aloud.
"About eight times in the last ten minutes," Ginny replied pleasantly. "Do stop whining before I'm forced to decapitate you with my program."
That was another thing that annoyed him. Why was the little weasel being so nice? Not the general amiability she showed to everyone, but as though she liked him in particular, as a person?
And why was he allowing himself to put up with it?
"You don't want to be here any more than I do, huh?" she continued.
"I thought that much was obvious."
"Well then. I've got a better idea."
"What?" he asked warily.
"Let's not go."
He stared.
"It's quite simple, really." She gave him a rather contemptuous look. "Don't tell me you couldn't think of it?"
"Do you always skip out on things you don't want to do?"
"Just when a middle-aged balding idiot's ordered me to waste a perfectly good evening sitting inside some dusty theater."
Draco almost laughed. He caught himself in time.
"I've seen this a thousand times," she continued. "And this isn't even the English version. Do you know French?"
"No."
Ginny cleared her throat. "You know, Crapaud, that I am to be Keeper this morning. Who will stop the Quaffle if I do not?"
"Grenouille's the most annoying character in the whole play," Draco snapped.
"I've always liked her. Better than Crapaud."
"You would," he muttered. "Okay, so we leave. And go where?"
"Dunno. Wander 'round till we meet some evil Slytherins and throw rocks."
And why this we? Why was there no question about separating upon leaving?
"Let's go, then."
And so they left, rather unscrupulously. However, they were not yet on friendly enough terms to be comfortably bored in each other's company.
"I need to talk to you," Draco announced suddenly. She looked at him. For once, the default empty chill was gone from his face, the expression he always had when there was nothing to irritate him, anger him.
"Okay," she agreed.
They ended up in front of a small café, sipping butterbeer. Both absolutely silent, until Ginny, in what Draco thought an absolutely tactless manner asked, "So. What did you want?"
Actually, she'd known it would annoy him. For some reason getting him angry was incredibly fun. Not to mention the way his eyes flashed was almost unbearably attractive...
Whoa, Ginny. This is Malfoy. Malfoy, you idiot. He's about as attractive as a German schnauzer.
She smiled endearingly, hoping inanely that it would aggravate him further.
"I wanted to ask you," he said firmly, "why you're being so..."
"Bitchy? It's a natural talent."
"Amiable. Pleasant. Nice. What's in it for you, Wealsey?"
She stared at him, all traces of her desire to annoy the hell out of him gone. "Nothing."
"Then why do you do it?"
"I thought we had a deal about last names."
"Ginny. Fine. What's in it for you, Ginny?"
"If I gave you the real answer, I'm afraid it would make you very angry."
"But isn't that just what you'd like?"
She looked at him, pained. "I can't."
"Of course you can."
"I can." Ginny stared at her fingernails. "But I don't want to." She gave him another sample of her wide stock of teasing grins, trying to hide behind the sarcasm. "I'm afraid it would hurt your feelings."
He just looked at her coolly, until she muttered something.
"Sorry, Ginny. Didn't quite catch that."
"I feel desperately sorry for you."
"Is that all?"
"You aren't exactly used to people being friendly to you, are you?"
"Not at all." Why wouldn't his facial expression change?
"I didn't think so."
"The question remains," Draco said. "What's in it for you?"
Perhaps she'd been spending too much time around him, or perhaps there were some latent qualities to Ginny's personality that rarely surfaced. At any rate, she proved quite as good at giving icy stares as he was. "I think, Draco Malfoy, that deep down even you have good qualities."
"And of course, you'd like to find out what they are. How heart warming."
"No. I just want to see if I can get you to all-out lose your temper instead of using your endless collection of sneers."
He shook his head. "The day you do that, Weasley, is the day I fall head over heels in love with you."
"Can I get that in writing?"
He shook his head. "You just don't give up, do you."
"Only because I want you so badly, Draco," she replied sarcastically. Then she replied, changing tones yet again, "I'm finding myself liking you. And there's really nothing you can do about it."
She grinned yet again. To her credit, it was a quite nice grin without any trace of sarcasm or nastiness about it.
Perhaps that was why Draco found it so unnerving.
***
"I told you, Gin, I don't know anything!"
"But you're his best friend!"
Ron gritted his teeth. "Ginny."
"Yes?"
"I. Don't. Know. A. Thing."
"Well that goes without saying." Ginny scooped up a handful of snow and threw it at her brother. It was the first week in December, and she'd shown up at his house unexpected, demanding information, which he agreed to give on condition that she helped him shovel the driveway.
She flopped down backwards on a drift and asked, "Why do we have to do this the Muggle way?"
"Because," Ron explained patiently, "the people across the road are Muggles. Their kids think there's something odd about the man across the street. Their parents are inclined to agree with them."
"They saw the fireworks shooting out of the chimney that time, huh?"
Ron winced in memory. "Last time I ask you to give me a cooking lesson."
"I told you I didn't know how to make lasagna!"
Seeing her on her back and unarmed, Ron took this opportunity to throw snow at her head.
"So you know nothing about Malfoy? Nothing?"
"He's a slimy evil bastard. What more do you need to know?"
"Hermione told me Harry doesn't hate him."
"So ask her!"
"She doesn't know!"
"Well then if Hermione doesn't know then why do you think I would?"
"Because you're his best friend!"
"Look. Gin. Malfoy was involved somehow in the whole situation with Harry killing You-Know-Who. I don't know how. I'm assuming he did something to help our side, but Harry promised him he'd never talk about it."
Ginny breathed out heavily. "It took you that long to spit that much out?"
"Yeah, well, it's all I know and I probably shouldn't even be telling you that. What's this sudden fixation with him, anyway?"
She sat up. "I do not have a fixation with him!"
"Sure you do," said Ron. "Look, Ginny- don't get too closely involved with him."
"Why would I want to do that?"
Ron shook his head. "He's got you... hypnotized, sort of."
"Does not," Ginny replied childishly.
"Not hypnotized, then. More like a cat playing with a mouse."
"Who's the cat and who's the mouse?" Ginny asked.
Ron sighed. "Good point. Knowing you..."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a complement."
Ginny shook her head. "I don't care. I mean, getting him angry is so irresistible. I guess I want to be able to get a real reaction from him, but he's just so cold."
Ron looked sideways at his sister. "Just be careful, Gin. Don't do anything without thinking."
"I'd never do anything without thinking."
They both knew she was lying.
***
Ginny absolutely despised paperwork, but she more or less had no choice than to do it, on occasion.
She sometimes got the feeling that Stewart Graham hated her as much as she did him.
All she was after was a spare bottle of ink. Fate had decided that she didn't deserve it, and instead was punishing her. Maybe it was for inflicting pain on those poor ice-cube trays.
Ginny wasn't claustrophobic, but being locked in a pitch-black closet for the better part of an hour was unnerving, especially since she had no idea whether or not anyone would open the door and let her out. She'd tried pounding on the door, but apparently whoever had built this building had seen a need for silence in order to help its occupants concentrate on ridding the wizarding world of evil.
Damn soundproof charms.
Footsteps outside the door. She pounded on it, knowing it was useless.
Another set of footsteps. "Steward, how are you?"
Oh shit.
Naturally the Auror-supervisor who's official title Ginny always forgot would pick now to make an inspection.
"Fine, Mr. Lombard, just fine. How are you?"
"I'm all right. Did you manage to spare someone for the Knockturn Alley situation?"
"Er, yes, Weasley. I didn't think she was especially vital to the rest of us..."
"Arthur Weasley's daughter?"
"Yes."
"Old Muggle-lover. No wonder the daughter's none too bright..."
If Graham replied, Ginny didn't hear. She lividly muttered the charm she'd been reluctant to use before, one that would break the door down.
The two men just stared at her stupidly. Robes wrinkled and dusty, face steaming under her fiery hair, eyes looking like a pair of coals in her face, Ginny was downright scary.
"I," she breathed, "quit."
And with that she stormed out.
***
Draco guiltily admitted to himself that he was beginning to enjoy spending time in Ginny's company. She was completely different from anyone else he'd known and the biggest difference was the way she fought with him. He'd argued with countless people, but the difference lay in the fact that, instead of to prove him wrong, she seemed to do it for her own personal satisfaction.
As though she enjoyed it.
And she felt sorry for him.
And no one would tell him where she was.
And this angered him very, very much.
Why wouldn't Graham give him any information? "She quit," he'd said. "You're dismissed," he'd said. "It's none of your concern," he'd said.
God he hated that shiny-headed idiot.
Back to office paperwork, Draco had found himself extremely bored. And as no one would tell him anything about the whole Ginny situation, he was becoming worried.
So he decided to find her.
Disclaimer: Graham and Lombard, whom I both hate, are MINE AND YOU CAN'T HAVE 'EM! Whoa. Sorry. Last time I eat my little sister's pudding... Draco, Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione are all J.K. Rowling's.
Thanks to: Hallie Marie (Dunno if you liked it, but hey, you reviewed.) Ally the Sugar Fairy, (Sorry 'bout the pudding, but how did you manage to burn it? J/K, J/K) rocket_queen_12, Nice, Baal extremely evil, DarkKnight, wm_law, and SWMF. (All the lovely people on ff.n and the D/G website who reviewed.) And the guy at the 'N Sync concert who gave me free bubblewrap. He had nothing to do with this, but hey, I like bubblewrap.
