Oh, wow. I feel so loved. Thanks to: Nupil, cosmoz, stormyfire (times two), Draco & Ginny forever! (times two), Jin, cherries, Ace of Spades, Lucius, Milkyweed, Sarah, and ditzy spacecadet. This is the first time I've actually gotten reviews on a story, so it's wonderful. The reviews on Babylon were mostly a byproduct of this fic, I think.
---
Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
I'm exposed, and it's no big surprise
Don't you think I know exactly where I stand?
This world is forcing me to hold your hand
Cause I'm just a girl, oh little old me
Well, don't let me out of your sight
I'm just girl, all pretty and petite
So don't let me have any rights
Oh, I've had it up to here ..
"Just A Girl" - No Doubt
---
"R-Ron!" Ginny stammered, shoving Draco away gracelessly. He would have yelled at her for it, but was too busy wondering what the angry red-headed boy was going to do to him. He suddenly realized how very tall Ron was, and cowered appropriately.
"Ron, I can explain .."
"No," Ron fumed, "You can't." He easily reached out and snatched Draco by the robesfront, lifting the smaller boy up a few inches from the ground and slamming him against the nearest wall. Draco was fairly sure his skull had cracked and that he would soon be splattering the Weasleys with brains and blood.
However, he was saved from a gory and no doubt embarassing fate by the quick-thinking Ginny.
"STUPIFY!!" She shouted, waving her wand at Ron. The spell hit him immediately and he fell over with a dull thump. Draco fell over, too, because Ron's hands were still clutching his robesfront. He cautiously disentangled himself, brushing any lint off his robes that may have gathered there.
"Thanks," he muttered, beginning to stride off down the hall as if nothing had happened. Ginny stared.
"You asshole!" She ran after him, combat boots thumping noisily on the hall floors. She grabbed him by the shoulder, "You should at least have the decency to talk to me and tell me why you MAULED me!"
She was glaring at him, he realized, and it was kinda cute. He smirked down at her.
"I figured out what's wrong with me," he said, absent-mindedly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear (she had this little piece that wasn't as short as her bangs were but not quite as long as the rest of her hair that always fell in her eyes .. ).
"Oh?" She waved his hand away from her face, "Do tell, so I can find a cure. My brother's going to shred you into itty bitty pieces with flagpoles stuck in them once he wakes up."
"Thanks for the visual," he said dryly, "And my attraction to you is .. just that. Lust. It'll pass."
"What?!" She shrieked, reaching out a manicured hand to grab him roughly by the ear, "That's IT? Lust? You nearly got us both killed because you're a hormonal teenage boy?!"
"You were expecting a proclamation of love?" He quipped, and then winced, "Ow! Weasley, that hurts!"
"It's meant to hurt," she snapped, yanking harder, "You .. are the most .. egotistical .. selfish .." she struggled for more words, "WEIRD bastard I have EVER met in my entire life, and I've met a lot of weird bastards!" She stamped her combat booted foot, hard, down onto his Italian-shoed one and stormed down the hall to where her brother's prone, crumpled form lay.
Draco swore, none too quietly, but just leaned over slightly, waiting for the pain to subside. What a sweet, even-tempered little wench she is, he thought wryly, rubbing his aching ear. After a moment, he straighened and continued down the hall.
Lust. That's all it was .. this was something he understood. Draco Malfoy smiled.
He had an appointment to attend to.
--
Two hours later, Ginny and Cherie were seated on Ginny's bed. Cherie always somehow got into the Gryffindor tower, whether by flirting with a socially inept fourth year or just plain buying her way in. Cherie was braiding Ginny's hair.
"So you're saying .. Draco Malfoy .. wants in your pants?" Cherie repeated slowly after her friend, pausing as she pulled a lock of Ginny's red hair into the French braid, sounding incredulous.
"I know, it's too bizarre. I think he's been dipping into Snape's potions supply. Ow!" Ginny winced a little as Cherie accidentally tugged a short, fine strand at the base of her hairline.
"Sorry," Cherie apologized, smoothing down the errand piece and continuing, "So what did Ron do once he woke up?"
"I told him that Malfoy fell on me in a weird way because Peeves tripped him," Ginny snickered, "I don't think he believed me completely, but it's better than thinking that Malfoy and I were .. snogging."
"You and your English lingo," Cherie teased, tying the braid (she'd laced it with strands of gold thread that made Ginny's hair seem more subdued), "So .. was Draco a good kisser?"
"Cherie!" Ginny squealed, turning around and nearly whipping her friend in the face with the newly-tied braid, "How can you ask that?!"
"Well?" Her friend grinned, "Was he?"
Ginny gave a pause and nodded, going slightly pink in the cheeks.
"Ooooooh!" Cherie clapped her hands together, but her cheer was short-lived -- she'd glanced at the silver watch she wore, "Tonya should be getting back from detention any minute now .. what do you think she had to do?"
"I dunno," Ginny shrugged, "Hopefully nothing wretched, or Harry will have hell with her at practice." Tonya was a very talented Keeper, and Harry, as team captain, was having trouble getting used to the pretty, but extremely moody fourth year's sudden attitude changes.
"Speaking of Wonder Boy, how is he?" Cherie changed the subject. She wasn't very fond of Quidditch.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Ginny retorted. She and Harry had gone out for nearly four months last term, but their relationship had ended shortly after the beginning of summer. Harry was uncomfortable with the way Ginny behaved -- slightly wild, and in the last few weeks of school, she'd began to explore her options with clothes and make-up a little more. Much to the surprise of the majority of Hogwarts, Ginny was .. cute.
"Because he's afraid of me. I called him Wonder Dick once."
"I remember. Anyway, I'm sure he's fine. He's all lovesick over some Ravenclaw, but she's on vacay so he's depressed."
Cherie gave her a look.
"Well, that's what Ron tells me," Ginny said hastily, moving her gaze from her friend's knowing blue-green eyes and to the ceiling.
"Who's the Ravenclaw?" Again, Cherie changed the subject, although not by a lot this time.
"She's a year below us .. brown hair, glasses, hazel eyes, cute. She's not much taller than I am. Don't know her name, though."
"Tara Gray's best friend? Yeah, she seems like his type. I don't remember her name, either, though." Tara Gray was an extremely pretty and hot-tempered, black-haired Ravenclaw that would have been a sixth year this term, had she not disappeared over the summer. Everyone said Voldemort had done it, and the rumor was that he was going to make her his bride or something ridiculous like that. The more practical members of the Wizarding community figured he'd killed her or was keeping her as 'entertainment' for his followers.
At that moment, Tonya came into the room, looking decidedly bewildered.
"Hi, Ton," Ginny greeted, "Say, do you know the name of that Ravenclaw Harry's dating? The quiet girl with the glasses?"
"Alissa Reed? Yeah .. but we can talk about that later. You'll never guess who just talked to me," Tonya said excitedly, sitting down by Cherie.
And she began to tell them what had happened to her today in detention with Professor McGonagall and Draco Malfoy.
---
Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
I'm exposed, and it's no big surprise
Don't you think I know exactly where I stand?
This world is forcing me to hold your hand
Cause I'm just a girl, oh little old me
Well, don't let me out of your sight
I'm just girl, all pretty and petite
So don't let me have any rights
Oh, I've had it up to here ..
"Just A Girl" - No Doubt
---
"R-Ron!" Ginny stammered, shoving Draco away gracelessly. He would have yelled at her for it, but was too busy wondering what the angry red-headed boy was going to do to him. He suddenly realized how very tall Ron was, and cowered appropriately.
"Ron, I can explain .."
"No," Ron fumed, "You can't." He easily reached out and snatched Draco by the robesfront, lifting the smaller boy up a few inches from the ground and slamming him against the nearest wall. Draco was fairly sure his skull had cracked and that he would soon be splattering the Weasleys with brains and blood.
However, he was saved from a gory and no doubt embarassing fate by the quick-thinking Ginny.
"STUPIFY!!" She shouted, waving her wand at Ron. The spell hit him immediately and he fell over with a dull thump. Draco fell over, too, because Ron's hands were still clutching his robesfront. He cautiously disentangled himself, brushing any lint off his robes that may have gathered there.
"Thanks," he muttered, beginning to stride off down the hall as if nothing had happened. Ginny stared.
"You asshole!" She ran after him, combat boots thumping noisily on the hall floors. She grabbed him by the shoulder, "You should at least have the decency to talk to me and tell me why you MAULED me!"
She was glaring at him, he realized, and it was kinda cute. He smirked down at her.
"I figured out what's wrong with me," he said, absent-mindedly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear (she had this little piece that wasn't as short as her bangs were but not quite as long as the rest of her hair that always fell in her eyes .. ).
"Oh?" She waved his hand away from her face, "Do tell, so I can find a cure. My brother's going to shred you into itty bitty pieces with flagpoles stuck in them once he wakes up."
"Thanks for the visual," he said dryly, "And my attraction to you is .. just that. Lust. It'll pass."
"What?!" She shrieked, reaching out a manicured hand to grab him roughly by the ear, "That's IT? Lust? You nearly got us both killed because you're a hormonal teenage boy?!"
"You were expecting a proclamation of love?" He quipped, and then winced, "Ow! Weasley, that hurts!"
"It's meant to hurt," she snapped, yanking harder, "You .. are the most .. egotistical .. selfish .." she struggled for more words, "WEIRD bastard I have EVER met in my entire life, and I've met a lot of weird bastards!" She stamped her combat booted foot, hard, down onto his Italian-shoed one and stormed down the hall to where her brother's prone, crumpled form lay.
Draco swore, none too quietly, but just leaned over slightly, waiting for the pain to subside. What a sweet, even-tempered little wench she is, he thought wryly, rubbing his aching ear. After a moment, he straighened and continued down the hall.
Lust. That's all it was .. this was something he understood. Draco Malfoy smiled.
He had an appointment to attend to.
--
Two hours later, Ginny and Cherie were seated on Ginny's bed. Cherie always somehow got into the Gryffindor tower, whether by flirting with a socially inept fourth year or just plain buying her way in. Cherie was braiding Ginny's hair.
"So you're saying .. Draco Malfoy .. wants in your pants?" Cherie repeated slowly after her friend, pausing as she pulled a lock of Ginny's red hair into the French braid, sounding incredulous.
"I know, it's too bizarre. I think he's been dipping into Snape's potions supply. Ow!" Ginny winced a little as Cherie accidentally tugged a short, fine strand at the base of her hairline.
"Sorry," Cherie apologized, smoothing down the errand piece and continuing, "So what did Ron do once he woke up?"
"I told him that Malfoy fell on me in a weird way because Peeves tripped him," Ginny snickered, "I don't think he believed me completely, but it's better than thinking that Malfoy and I were .. snogging."
"You and your English lingo," Cherie teased, tying the braid (she'd laced it with strands of gold thread that made Ginny's hair seem more subdued), "So .. was Draco a good kisser?"
"Cherie!" Ginny squealed, turning around and nearly whipping her friend in the face with the newly-tied braid, "How can you ask that?!"
"Well?" Her friend grinned, "Was he?"
Ginny gave a pause and nodded, going slightly pink in the cheeks.
"Ooooooh!" Cherie clapped her hands together, but her cheer was short-lived -- she'd glanced at the silver watch she wore, "Tonya should be getting back from detention any minute now .. what do you think she had to do?"
"I dunno," Ginny shrugged, "Hopefully nothing wretched, or Harry will have hell with her at practice." Tonya was a very talented Keeper, and Harry, as team captain, was having trouble getting used to the pretty, but extremely moody fourth year's sudden attitude changes.
"Speaking of Wonder Boy, how is he?" Cherie changed the subject. She wasn't very fond of Quidditch.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Ginny retorted. She and Harry had gone out for nearly four months last term, but their relationship had ended shortly after the beginning of summer. Harry was uncomfortable with the way Ginny behaved -- slightly wild, and in the last few weeks of school, she'd began to explore her options with clothes and make-up a little more. Much to the surprise of the majority of Hogwarts, Ginny was .. cute.
"Because he's afraid of me. I called him Wonder Dick once."
"I remember. Anyway, I'm sure he's fine. He's all lovesick over some Ravenclaw, but she's on vacay so he's depressed."
Cherie gave her a look.
"Well, that's what Ron tells me," Ginny said hastily, moving her gaze from her friend's knowing blue-green eyes and to the ceiling.
"Who's the Ravenclaw?" Again, Cherie changed the subject, although not by a lot this time.
"She's a year below us .. brown hair, glasses, hazel eyes, cute. She's not much taller than I am. Don't know her name, though."
"Tara Gray's best friend? Yeah, she seems like his type. I don't remember her name, either, though." Tara Gray was an extremely pretty and hot-tempered, black-haired Ravenclaw that would have been a sixth year this term, had she not disappeared over the summer. Everyone said Voldemort had done it, and the rumor was that he was going to make her his bride or something ridiculous like that. The more practical members of the Wizarding community figured he'd killed her or was keeping her as 'entertainment' for his followers.
At that moment, Tonya came into the room, looking decidedly bewildered.
"Hi, Ton," Ginny greeted, "Say, do you know the name of that Ravenclaw Harry's dating? The quiet girl with the glasses?"
"Alissa Reed? Yeah .. but we can talk about that later. You'll never guess who just talked to me," Tonya said excitedly, sitting down by Cherie.
And she began to tell them what had happened to her today in detention with Professor McGonagall and Draco Malfoy.