Disclaimer: I own the plot.
Ginny Weasley yawned and stretched out in her seat. She was on the Hogwarts Express, headed for her 6th year of school, and sharing her compartment with Ron, her brother, Hermione, her friend, and Harry, her...well, sort of ex-beau/current friend. They had gone on a date last year, which had ended with a kiss. Unfortunately for Ginny, who had been infatuated with him for the past four years, there were no sparks whatsoever, and Ginny resignedly gave him up.
Ginny snapped out of her reverie to find them in a heated discussion over Quidditch. Ginny loved Quidditch and played Chaser for Gryffindor, but as Harry had been at her house over the summer, and with Fred and George, it seemed that little other was spoken of or done. She couldn't really blame them; after what had happened last year they needed as many distractions as they could get- probably the reason Hermione had become Quidditch obsessed also, she mused.
But, enough was enough. She stood up. "I'll be right back," she told them. Ginny wandered around, looking for a compartment in which she could be alone. She finally found one in the back. Someone's trunk was in it but Ginny took no notice.
She though a lot about Voldemort's increasing power and what had happened between him and Harry last year. Her thoughts didn't get far; three minutes later, the last person in the school Ginny wanted to see right now came and entered the compartment, stopping short.
"Sorry," Ginny said, quickly standing up.
Draco just stared at her, a look of amazement on his face.
Since Ginny had never seen his features softened out of a smirk or scowl, she figured that this was a new tactic to make her feel stupid or something. "Look, I'm, sorry, I didn't know you'd be in here!" she said exasperatedly, waiting for him to say something.
Draco snapped out of his trance, suddenly feeling aggressive. "Sure you didn't, weasel," he said, smirk returning. Ginny was surprised at this remark- it was too generous for Malfoy. However, she seethed with rage as he went on. "Come in here to get a piece of me, huh? I'd run now if I were you- unless you want to repeat what happened to you're father."
Draco had hardly ever provoked Ginny before- he had always gone after her brother. This one was child's play, he though. Just like in second year- send an insult her way and watch her cry. He figured now, five years later, would be no different.
Boy, was he ever wrong.
Ginny's eyes flashed, and before even she knew what was happening, he was on the ground, getting beaten up by a girl. And not just any girl- a skinny, Mudblood lover. These thoughts crossed Malfoy's mind as he was unable to block the right hook that connected with his eye. Holy crap! This girl was crazy. Didn't she know who she was messing with? Obviously not, he thought as he gathered his strength.
Ginny was just as shocked as Draco, maybe even more so. There was only one thing that got her to act like this, and she had a feeling that it would be her failing. It was one thing to make fun of her, but to make fun of her family, no less an incident where her father had been tortured by Draco's, caused her to literally see red. Wow. She finally understood why Ron liked to fight so much.
Slowly, Draco got control of her arms and as she was on top of him, pinned them to his chest, though not without great effort. This girl had made him feel like a fool- he would get her back for this. And yet, as he looked into her furious brown eyes, his anger slowly began to ebb away. "No way," he thought. "B!tch," he muttered to the girl he was calming.
"Don't b!tch me," she said in the same tone as he unconsciously drew her even closer. "Your bloody father nearly killed mine, and don't think you can joke and get away with it. I do believe," she added, "I nearly broke your nose and messed up your eye."
But Draco didn't hear this. Her face was so close now that he could see everything about her. The faint freckles, the perfect eyebrows, heart shaped face, and enchanting eyes... it was funny he hadn't ever noticed those eyes until today. He had been in her power mentally the moment he opened the door, and he couldn't seem to get out, yet he badly wanted out; which was impossible as she was not even a centimeter away...
Ginny suddenly realized the position they were in. "Malfoy," she hissed. "Let go of me!"
He didn't seem to be listening to her. Normally his cold gray eyes- or, preferably eye, as one was puffed up, was showing warmth and... desire; Ginny was amazed to find no trace of evil in them.
Still, the position they were in suggested something different. So she did the only thing she could think of.
She bashed her head into his.
"Ow!" he cried. "What the bloody-"
The compartment door opened and Ron's head peeked in. A first glance showed him a figure straddling another one, both on the floor. He apologized, blushing heavily and highly embarrassed, and he half- shut the door before realizing who the two characters were.
"Ginny!" he gasped, throwing the door back open. "What the hell are you doing! Do you know who this is?"
"Duh, Ron," Ginny replied, getting up. She gestured towards Malfoy. "I was teaching him a lesson- to shut up."
Ron noticed for the first time the cuts and bruises on Malfoy's face and dissolved into laughter. Draco got up, and his eyes were no longer showing any emotion except for hatred. Ginny quickly pushed Ron out of the compartment before he could start a fight. Ginny looked back at the seething dragon before she left, who said threateningly, "By the way. I'd watch my step if I were you- you never know what curse, or person for that matter, might hit you." Draco was immensely satisfied in seeing some of her fear come back to her face.
As soon as he was alone again, Draco started bashing his head against the wall. Hard. "What- did- I- almost- do!" He stopped. He was acting too much like a House Elf. He had let his nemesis's sister get the best of him. He had almost let himself get hurt, instead of retaliating back and knocking the lights out of her. Why hadn't he?
Well, that was easy. Draco hadn't wanted Ginny to close her eyes.
He bashed his hand into the window, adding another injury to himself. Draco hated her. He wanted her to die, to die slowly, and under his hand...
As long as her eyes were closed; he didn't know if he'd be able to take their silent pleading otherwise. Draco sighed and flopped into a seat, head in hands. He was pretty sure that he now knew what his father had meant when he said, "Every man has a weakness."
Draco didn't like having a weakness.
He didn't like it one bit.
As Ron led her back to their compartment, torn between congratulations and reprimands for being near Malfoy, Ginny was scared for two reasons.
The first: his threat. Considering her past knowledge of him and his family, she knew he would try to bring her down in any way possible. She'd just have to remember what he had said- for anger drove away all of her shyness and fear.
But the first, to her at least, was nothing in comparison to the second. When Ginny had been staring into his eyes, she had felt something. Something she was afraid to feel for anyone- but for Malfoy? He would chew her up and spit her out faster than a swish of the wand. One thing was for sure- she'd better stay away from him. As she entered the compartment, she sighed. Thus her failings were: a temper and an infatuation with, to put it lightly, and evil git.
Not a good combination.
"You found her!" Harry exclaimed. He smiled teasingly at Ginny. "Big brother here was worried."
Ginny blushed and replied, "Well, what else is new?"
"Guess who I found her with," Ron growled, ignoring the pleading looks Ginny sent him.
"Who?" Both Harry and Hermione were now into the topic, which meant no escape for a groaning Ginny.
"She was with," Ron said and shot her a glance, "Malfoy."
Harry and Hermione stared for a second, then laughed. "Nice one, Ron."
"I'm serious!" he insisted, and it was confirmed by Ginny's deep blush.
"What- what was going on?" Harry asked, looking at Ginny. He was checking for bruises or hexed teeth, and sighed with relief when he found none.
"When I first glanced in, I thought they were, um, you know."
"No we don't," Hermione spoke up, not believing a word of it. "Please, enlighten us."
Ron looked uncomfortable. "She was- um, on top, and um, straddled on him."
Ginny's anger started to come back. "Jeez Ron, why don't you just show it on someone, maybe then they'll get the picture."
Ron glared at her. "ANYway, it looked, well, bad, but then I saw Malfoy's face- covered with bruises. Ginny had beaten him up!" At this Ron started cracking up while Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, right," Harry laughed. "Quiet gin? Beat up big bad Malfoy? I'll believe it when I see it."
"It's true! Come on, I can prove it. Herm, you can do vision spell things, right?"
"Yes," Hermione said, looking miffed. "And they're visible spells, honestly Ron!"
"Yeah, yeah, just do it!" Ron said excitedly, unconsciously scooting forward.
She took out her wand and pointed it at a sheet of transparent paper that she had conjured. "Silono Draco Malfoy!"
Immediately a picture of Malfoy faced them. He was looking through a spellbook of healing spells for puffiness of both eyes, the lump on his head that Ginny shared also, and bloody nose.
Harry started laughing hysterically; Hermione looked on in a state of shock, and Ron looked proud. He kept saying, "Told ya so!"
Ginny's shy nature had come back and she said quietly, "I don't see what all the fuss is about. Malfoy aggravated, I got mad, he paid, end of story. And for reasons unknown to Ginny, this made Harry laugh even harder.
Ginny arrived at the school, sitting next to two of her friends. She was bored through the sorting ceremony, as she chatted with her friends through dinner, she couldn't help but notice the looks Malfoy sent her way. As she walked to the Gryffindor Tower, she thought of the anger and warnings he sent to her in those glances.
And right before she fell asleep, she thought of how nice and soft his eyes looked when the held emotion.
Over the next month, Ginny spent even more time than Hermione did in the Library. Since Ginny wanted to work with the Daily Prophet, she had to make her essays interesting, impressive, which was by no means easy. One day on a Thursday night, Ginny passed by a guilty looking Ron and Hermione, and an angry Harry. She watched as the argument ended and Harry stormed out of the common room. Figuring that Ron would tell her to bud out, she went after Harry. "Harry, stop! What was that all about?"
Harry sighed and dragged Ginny an empty classroom. They both sat down, but almost immediately Harry got up and paced the room, muttering.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked softly.
Harry looked up. Somehow, Ginny Weasley had a way of making you want to tell her everything. "Well, er- I went down to the common room in my Invisibility Cloak- Ron and I were going to have- er, well, fun, in the Slytherin Common Room."
Ginny snorted. She dearly wished they would have, and that Draco Malfoy had been present.
"Anyway, when I got close they were having a heated conversation." He looked Ginny in the eye. "About me."
Ginny was confused. They were talking about Harry?
"They were deciding whether or not they should tell me about their relationship, seeing as they've kept it from me for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS!"
Ginny was shocked. "They've been together for five months?" They'd certainly done a good job in keeping it a secret. It seemed, especially over the summer, that all they did was fight. Then again, she figured that one would run after the other so they could pretend to make up, while instead having "private time."
"Yes! And nobody suspected a thing! I mean, how can you go on without telling your best friend about something like that."
Ginny put her hands on his shoulders. "Listen, Harry. You certainly have a right to be angry. Heck, I should be too! But," she added somewhat bitterly to herself, "I'm just Ron's little sister, why would he care to tell me anything?"
"Ginny-"
"What I suggest you do," she cut in as she got a great idea, "is give them a taste of their own medicine." While Harry looked confused, Ginny whispered the idea in his ear. He laughed and pulled her in to a brotherly hug. "You're brilliant Gin, you know that?"
They headed back to the common room, working out the glitches in their plan. Just before they entered it, Ginny took his hand and said, "if it comes to the point where they need a little proof, I'm o.k. with whatever you have to do."
Harry smiled sheepishly and said, "Right. And if it comes to that, don't break eye contact after."
Ron and Hermione were still talking on the couch and jumped up when Harry came in. Then they noticed his hand connected to- Ginny's. Ron slowly sat back down.
Ginny and Harry looked at each other and took a deep breath. "Well, since you and Hermione felt you should be honest, Ginny and I felt we should too."
Ron's face was turning red, but Hermione didn't look like she was buying it. "How long have you- er, been together?" she asked suspiciously.
A piece of hair fell in front of Harry's face and Ginny brushed it away. "Since- since when Harry and I went for that long walk at the Burrow."
Ron gasped, his face deep plum. "Harry, Ginny, how could you do this to me? My best friend and my sister!!"
Harry's eyes turned cold and his voice icy. "And please tell me Ron, how is that any different from you and Hermione keeping it a secret from us? Your sister and your best friend, as you claim?"
"That's different!" Ron shouted, succeeding in drawing the attention from those who had not already been watching the spat.
Hermione spoke up, mostly to Ron. "Hey, calm down. They're obviously faking it- or else we would have realized it before." Though Hermione still had traces of doubt, she wasn't about to voice them.
"Hey," Harry protested. "If we weren't together, would we be doing this?" He turned to Ginny, an apology written in his eyes before he swept her up in what looked like a passionate kiss to all those watching.
Ginny still felt the same way that she had ten minutes ago about Harry, but that didn't stop her at all. She made the kiss deeper, and when they finally stopped, Ginny remembered to look in his eyes.
Ginny's eyes read: Wonder what Ron'll say, and she was pretty sure Harry's read: He won't say anything he'll kill us both.
They turned to Ron, who was being held back by Hermione, Seamus, and Dean. They were all looking wide-eyed at the two while Ron fought tooth and nail to get to them.
Harry finally spoke. "I see you don't like it anymore than we do."
Hermione let go, and it was lucky that Ron had stopped dead. "What do you mean?"
"We mean, that Hermione was right. We were just doing this to give you a taste of your own medicine." Ginny laughed. "And it worked!"
"But- but the kiss-"
"Good actors, aren't we?" Ginny gave a sly grin to Harry. "Didn't feel a thing last year, and still don't this year. Although, I must admit, you're very good Harry." She patted him on the back and headed for the common room, still laughing. "Off to the Library. See you around, guys."
On her way out, she swore she heard Ron turn on Harry. "You and Ginny kissed last year?"
Ginny laughed even harder and vented all of her energy out by sprinting to the Library while singing "Off to see the Wizzarrrrrrrrddddd" at the top of her lungs, scaring some first years out of their wits.
Ginny sat in the Library fifteen minutes later, trying like hell to transfigure her cup to a tankfull of fish. When she failed again, she hit it. "Stupid piece of-"
"Aw,does the little weasel need some help in Transfiguration?" Malfoy sneered. She was about to blush when she remembered what he had said about her father.
"Yes in fact, I do," she said sweetly, turning to catch his surprised look. "And who better to get it from than someone who's had first- hand experience! Then again," she mused, catching his angry face. "I've heard that ferret's aren't very smart."
Malfoy looked like he wanted to hit her, but remembered he was in a public place. Instead he turned to leave.
"Wait," Ginny sighed. "I'm sorry. I've just been really stressed out. Please?" She gestured to the seat next to her.
He sat. "I'm not going to do this for free you know. I get something in return."
She slitted her eyes. "Like what?"
He gave a short laugh. "Oh, please, Weasley! I could get that from any girl in the school! Besides," he added eyeing her baggy, hand me down robes, "I doubt it'd be worth it."
Ginny was back to blushing, and for the second time in two weeks Draco could not help but notice her beautiful face. She noticed he was staring.
"What? Oh- I want a Veritaserum Potion by Monday, since I know Potions are you're specialty." He smirked, not expecting Ginny to go along with his terms, as Veritserum Potions took a lot of time and concentration, and were very complex.
But Ginny just smiled. "Deal."
Half of an hour later they were finished, and Ginny had mastered the spell. Draco kept his seat when Ginny got up to leave, and she couldn't help asking if he was o.k.
"It's just- " he looked at her curiously. "You seem to be so shy, but on the train-" he stopped and flushed, and the shock she felt was incredible. It took her a moment to answer.
"Well, um, you see I get a little angry when people make fun of an incident where their father nearly killed mine and got away with the use of an illegal curse."
Draco was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."
Ginny stared. "Excuse me?" she said, blinking her eyes.
But Draco didn't reply. He made a move to leave.
"Wait-" she said, touching his shoulder. "Thanks."
"Yeah well, I didn't know people cared so much for their fathers," he replied not meeting her eyes.
"Don't you?"
"No!" he said sharply.
"Sorry, it just seemed like it, the way you acted in second and third year-"
"I'm hardly like my father!" He was getting upset, Ginny could tell.
"Really? In what ways?"
"I'm not power hungry, I'm honest, and I don't want to become a Death Eater!"
They both stood there, shocked. Draco slapped himself and ran out, while Ginny stood and absorbed what he had said "Hmm," she thought as she walked to the common room. "Draco's just like any other kid- except for the fact he's had terrible influences on him."
In another way, Ginny was excited. When Draco gave a true smile, his eyes seemed like a misty blue, and Ginny thought she'd be happy staring into them forever.
All the boy needed was someone to open up to, and to help influence him in another direction, and maybe his corrupt ways would go away.
May bees don't fly in September," a voice said in the back of her head.
She ignored it.
Please review... I'd like to know what you think! I should have another chapter up in the next couple days... and sorry about how this is set up- if anyone knows how to get your Micro Word to download it onto HTML files, please tell me!
Ginny Weasley yawned and stretched out in her seat. She was on the Hogwarts Express, headed for her 6th year of school, and sharing her compartment with Ron, her brother, Hermione, her friend, and Harry, her...well, sort of ex-beau/current friend. They had gone on a date last year, which had ended with a kiss. Unfortunately for Ginny, who had been infatuated with him for the past four years, there were no sparks whatsoever, and Ginny resignedly gave him up.
Ginny snapped out of her reverie to find them in a heated discussion over Quidditch. Ginny loved Quidditch and played Chaser for Gryffindor, but as Harry had been at her house over the summer, and with Fred and George, it seemed that little other was spoken of or done. She couldn't really blame them; after what had happened last year they needed as many distractions as they could get- probably the reason Hermione had become Quidditch obsessed also, she mused.
But, enough was enough. She stood up. "I'll be right back," she told them. Ginny wandered around, looking for a compartment in which she could be alone. She finally found one in the back. Someone's trunk was in it but Ginny took no notice.
She though a lot about Voldemort's increasing power and what had happened between him and Harry last year. Her thoughts didn't get far; three minutes later, the last person in the school Ginny wanted to see right now came and entered the compartment, stopping short.
"Sorry," Ginny said, quickly standing up.
Draco just stared at her, a look of amazement on his face.
Since Ginny had never seen his features softened out of a smirk or scowl, she figured that this was a new tactic to make her feel stupid or something. "Look, I'm, sorry, I didn't know you'd be in here!" she said exasperatedly, waiting for him to say something.
Draco snapped out of his trance, suddenly feeling aggressive. "Sure you didn't, weasel," he said, smirk returning. Ginny was surprised at this remark- it was too generous for Malfoy. However, she seethed with rage as he went on. "Come in here to get a piece of me, huh? I'd run now if I were you- unless you want to repeat what happened to you're father."
Draco had hardly ever provoked Ginny before- he had always gone after her brother. This one was child's play, he though. Just like in second year- send an insult her way and watch her cry. He figured now, five years later, would be no different.
Boy, was he ever wrong.
Ginny's eyes flashed, and before even she knew what was happening, he was on the ground, getting beaten up by a girl. And not just any girl- a skinny, Mudblood lover. These thoughts crossed Malfoy's mind as he was unable to block the right hook that connected with his eye. Holy crap! This girl was crazy. Didn't she know who she was messing with? Obviously not, he thought as he gathered his strength.
Ginny was just as shocked as Draco, maybe even more so. There was only one thing that got her to act like this, and she had a feeling that it would be her failing. It was one thing to make fun of her, but to make fun of her family, no less an incident where her father had been tortured by Draco's, caused her to literally see red. Wow. She finally understood why Ron liked to fight so much.
Slowly, Draco got control of her arms and as she was on top of him, pinned them to his chest, though not without great effort. This girl had made him feel like a fool- he would get her back for this. And yet, as he looked into her furious brown eyes, his anger slowly began to ebb away. "No way," he thought. "B!tch," he muttered to the girl he was calming.
"Don't b!tch me," she said in the same tone as he unconsciously drew her even closer. "Your bloody father nearly killed mine, and don't think you can joke and get away with it. I do believe," she added, "I nearly broke your nose and messed up your eye."
But Draco didn't hear this. Her face was so close now that he could see everything about her. The faint freckles, the perfect eyebrows, heart shaped face, and enchanting eyes... it was funny he hadn't ever noticed those eyes until today. He had been in her power mentally the moment he opened the door, and he couldn't seem to get out, yet he badly wanted out; which was impossible as she was not even a centimeter away...
Ginny suddenly realized the position they were in. "Malfoy," she hissed. "Let go of me!"
He didn't seem to be listening to her. Normally his cold gray eyes- or, preferably eye, as one was puffed up, was showing warmth and... desire; Ginny was amazed to find no trace of evil in them.
Still, the position they were in suggested something different. So she did the only thing she could think of.
She bashed her head into his.
"Ow!" he cried. "What the bloody-"
The compartment door opened and Ron's head peeked in. A first glance showed him a figure straddling another one, both on the floor. He apologized, blushing heavily and highly embarrassed, and he half- shut the door before realizing who the two characters were.
"Ginny!" he gasped, throwing the door back open. "What the hell are you doing! Do you know who this is?"
"Duh, Ron," Ginny replied, getting up. She gestured towards Malfoy. "I was teaching him a lesson- to shut up."
Ron noticed for the first time the cuts and bruises on Malfoy's face and dissolved into laughter. Draco got up, and his eyes were no longer showing any emotion except for hatred. Ginny quickly pushed Ron out of the compartment before he could start a fight. Ginny looked back at the seething dragon before she left, who said threateningly, "By the way. I'd watch my step if I were you- you never know what curse, or person for that matter, might hit you." Draco was immensely satisfied in seeing some of her fear come back to her face.
As soon as he was alone again, Draco started bashing his head against the wall. Hard. "What- did- I- almost- do!" He stopped. He was acting too much like a House Elf. He had let his nemesis's sister get the best of him. He had almost let himself get hurt, instead of retaliating back and knocking the lights out of her. Why hadn't he?
Well, that was easy. Draco hadn't wanted Ginny to close her eyes.
He bashed his hand into the window, adding another injury to himself. Draco hated her. He wanted her to die, to die slowly, and under his hand...
As long as her eyes were closed; he didn't know if he'd be able to take their silent pleading otherwise. Draco sighed and flopped into a seat, head in hands. He was pretty sure that he now knew what his father had meant when he said, "Every man has a weakness."
Draco didn't like having a weakness.
He didn't like it one bit.
As Ron led her back to their compartment, torn between congratulations and reprimands for being near Malfoy, Ginny was scared for two reasons.
The first: his threat. Considering her past knowledge of him and his family, she knew he would try to bring her down in any way possible. She'd just have to remember what he had said- for anger drove away all of her shyness and fear.
But the first, to her at least, was nothing in comparison to the second. When Ginny had been staring into his eyes, she had felt something. Something she was afraid to feel for anyone- but for Malfoy? He would chew her up and spit her out faster than a swish of the wand. One thing was for sure- she'd better stay away from him. As she entered the compartment, she sighed. Thus her failings were: a temper and an infatuation with, to put it lightly, and evil git.
Not a good combination.
"You found her!" Harry exclaimed. He smiled teasingly at Ginny. "Big brother here was worried."
Ginny blushed and replied, "Well, what else is new?"
"Guess who I found her with," Ron growled, ignoring the pleading looks Ginny sent him.
"Who?" Both Harry and Hermione were now into the topic, which meant no escape for a groaning Ginny.
"She was with," Ron said and shot her a glance, "Malfoy."
Harry and Hermione stared for a second, then laughed. "Nice one, Ron."
"I'm serious!" he insisted, and it was confirmed by Ginny's deep blush.
"What- what was going on?" Harry asked, looking at Ginny. He was checking for bruises or hexed teeth, and sighed with relief when he found none.
"When I first glanced in, I thought they were, um, you know."
"No we don't," Hermione spoke up, not believing a word of it. "Please, enlighten us."
Ron looked uncomfortable. "She was- um, on top, and um, straddled on him."
Ginny's anger started to come back. "Jeez Ron, why don't you just show it on someone, maybe then they'll get the picture."
Ron glared at her. "ANYway, it looked, well, bad, but then I saw Malfoy's face- covered with bruises. Ginny had beaten him up!" At this Ron started cracking up while Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, right," Harry laughed. "Quiet gin? Beat up big bad Malfoy? I'll believe it when I see it."
"It's true! Come on, I can prove it. Herm, you can do vision spell things, right?"
"Yes," Hermione said, looking miffed. "And they're visible spells, honestly Ron!"
"Yeah, yeah, just do it!" Ron said excitedly, unconsciously scooting forward.
She took out her wand and pointed it at a sheet of transparent paper that she had conjured. "Silono Draco Malfoy!"
Immediately a picture of Malfoy faced them. He was looking through a spellbook of healing spells for puffiness of both eyes, the lump on his head that Ginny shared also, and bloody nose.
Harry started laughing hysterically; Hermione looked on in a state of shock, and Ron looked proud. He kept saying, "Told ya so!"
Ginny's shy nature had come back and she said quietly, "I don't see what all the fuss is about. Malfoy aggravated, I got mad, he paid, end of story. And for reasons unknown to Ginny, this made Harry laugh even harder.
Ginny arrived at the school, sitting next to two of her friends. She was bored through the sorting ceremony, as she chatted with her friends through dinner, she couldn't help but notice the looks Malfoy sent her way. As she walked to the Gryffindor Tower, she thought of the anger and warnings he sent to her in those glances.
And right before she fell asleep, she thought of how nice and soft his eyes looked when the held emotion.
Over the next month, Ginny spent even more time than Hermione did in the Library. Since Ginny wanted to work with the Daily Prophet, she had to make her essays interesting, impressive, which was by no means easy. One day on a Thursday night, Ginny passed by a guilty looking Ron and Hermione, and an angry Harry. She watched as the argument ended and Harry stormed out of the common room. Figuring that Ron would tell her to bud out, she went after Harry. "Harry, stop! What was that all about?"
Harry sighed and dragged Ginny an empty classroom. They both sat down, but almost immediately Harry got up and paced the room, muttering.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked softly.
Harry looked up. Somehow, Ginny Weasley had a way of making you want to tell her everything. "Well, er- I went down to the common room in my Invisibility Cloak- Ron and I were going to have- er, well, fun, in the Slytherin Common Room."
Ginny snorted. She dearly wished they would have, and that Draco Malfoy had been present.
"Anyway, when I got close they were having a heated conversation." He looked Ginny in the eye. "About me."
Ginny was confused. They were talking about Harry?
"They were deciding whether or not they should tell me about their relationship, seeing as they've kept it from me for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS!"
Ginny was shocked. "They've been together for five months?" They'd certainly done a good job in keeping it a secret. It seemed, especially over the summer, that all they did was fight. Then again, she figured that one would run after the other so they could pretend to make up, while instead having "private time."
"Yes! And nobody suspected a thing! I mean, how can you go on without telling your best friend about something like that."
Ginny put her hands on his shoulders. "Listen, Harry. You certainly have a right to be angry. Heck, I should be too! But," she added somewhat bitterly to herself, "I'm just Ron's little sister, why would he care to tell me anything?"
"Ginny-"
"What I suggest you do," she cut in as she got a great idea, "is give them a taste of their own medicine." While Harry looked confused, Ginny whispered the idea in his ear. He laughed and pulled her in to a brotherly hug. "You're brilliant Gin, you know that?"
They headed back to the common room, working out the glitches in their plan. Just before they entered it, Ginny took his hand and said, "if it comes to the point where they need a little proof, I'm o.k. with whatever you have to do."
Harry smiled sheepishly and said, "Right. And if it comes to that, don't break eye contact after."
Ron and Hermione were still talking on the couch and jumped up when Harry came in. Then they noticed his hand connected to- Ginny's. Ron slowly sat back down.
Ginny and Harry looked at each other and took a deep breath. "Well, since you and Hermione felt you should be honest, Ginny and I felt we should too."
Ron's face was turning red, but Hermione didn't look like she was buying it. "How long have you- er, been together?" she asked suspiciously.
A piece of hair fell in front of Harry's face and Ginny brushed it away. "Since- since when Harry and I went for that long walk at the Burrow."
Ron gasped, his face deep plum. "Harry, Ginny, how could you do this to me? My best friend and my sister!!"
Harry's eyes turned cold and his voice icy. "And please tell me Ron, how is that any different from you and Hermione keeping it a secret from us? Your sister and your best friend, as you claim?"
"That's different!" Ron shouted, succeeding in drawing the attention from those who had not already been watching the spat.
Hermione spoke up, mostly to Ron. "Hey, calm down. They're obviously faking it- or else we would have realized it before." Though Hermione still had traces of doubt, she wasn't about to voice them.
"Hey," Harry protested. "If we weren't together, would we be doing this?" He turned to Ginny, an apology written in his eyes before he swept her up in what looked like a passionate kiss to all those watching.
Ginny still felt the same way that she had ten minutes ago about Harry, but that didn't stop her at all. She made the kiss deeper, and when they finally stopped, Ginny remembered to look in his eyes.
Ginny's eyes read: Wonder what Ron'll say, and she was pretty sure Harry's read: He won't say anything he'll kill us both.
They turned to Ron, who was being held back by Hermione, Seamus, and Dean. They were all looking wide-eyed at the two while Ron fought tooth and nail to get to them.
Harry finally spoke. "I see you don't like it anymore than we do."
Hermione let go, and it was lucky that Ron had stopped dead. "What do you mean?"
"We mean, that Hermione was right. We were just doing this to give you a taste of your own medicine." Ginny laughed. "And it worked!"
"But- but the kiss-"
"Good actors, aren't we?" Ginny gave a sly grin to Harry. "Didn't feel a thing last year, and still don't this year. Although, I must admit, you're very good Harry." She patted him on the back and headed for the common room, still laughing. "Off to the Library. See you around, guys."
On her way out, she swore she heard Ron turn on Harry. "You and Ginny kissed last year?"
Ginny laughed even harder and vented all of her energy out by sprinting to the Library while singing "Off to see the Wizzarrrrrrrrddddd" at the top of her lungs, scaring some first years out of their wits.
Ginny sat in the Library fifteen minutes later, trying like hell to transfigure her cup to a tankfull of fish. When she failed again, she hit it. "Stupid piece of-"
"Aw,does the little weasel need some help in Transfiguration?" Malfoy sneered. She was about to blush when she remembered what he had said about her father.
"Yes in fact, I do," she said sweetly, turning to catch his surprised look. "And who better to get it from than someone who's had first- hand experience! Then again," she mused, catching his angry face. "I've heard that ferret's aren't very smart."
Malfoy looked like he wanted to hit her, but remembered he was in a public place. Instead he turned to leave.
"Wait," Ginny sighed. "I'm sorry. I've just been really stressed out. Please?" She gestured to the seat next to her.
He sat. "I'm not going to do this for free you know. I get something in return."
She slitted her eyes. "Like what?"
He gave a short laugh. "Oh, please, Weasley! I could get that from any girl in the school! Besides," he added eyeing her baggy, hand me down robes, "I doubt it'd be worth it."
Ginny was back to blushing, and for the second time in two weeks Draco could not help but notice her beautiful face. She noticed he was staring.
"What? Oh- I want a Veritaserum Potion by Monday, since I know Potions are you're specialty." He smirked, not expecting Ginny to go along with his terms, as Veritserum Potions took a lot of time and concentration, and were very complex.
But Ginny just smiled. "Deal."
Half of an hour later they were finished, and Ginny had mastered the spell. Draco kept his seat when Ginny got up to leave, and she couldn't help asking if he was o.k.
"It's just- " he looked at her curiously. "You seem to be so shy, but on the train-" he stopped and flushed, and the shock she felt was incredible. It took her a moment to answer.
"Well, um, you see I get a little angry when people make fun of an incident where their father nearly killed mine and got away with the use of an illegal curse."
Draco was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."
Ginny stared. "Excuse me?" she said, blinking her eyes.
But Draco didn't reply. He made a move to leave.
"Wait-" she said, touching his shoulder. "Thanks."
"Yeah well, I didn't know people cared so much for their fathers," he replied not meeting her eyes.
"Don't you?"
"No!" he said sharply.
"Sorry, it just seemed like it, the way you acted in second and third year-"
"I'm hardly like my father!" He was getting upset, Ginny could tell.
"Really? In what ways?"
"I'm not power hungry, I'm honest, and I don't want to become a Death Eater!"
They both stood there, shocked. Draco slapped himself and ran out, while Ginny stood and absorbed what he had said "Hmm," she thought as she walked to the common room. "Draco's just like any other kid- except for the fact he's had terrible influences on him."
In another way, Ginny was excited. When Draco gave a true smile, his eyes seemed like a misty blue, and Ginny thought she'd be happy staring into them forever.
All the boy needed was someone to open up to, and to help influence him in another direction, and maybe his corrupt ways would go away.
May bees don't fly in September," a voice said in the back of her head.
She ignored it.
Please review... I'd like to know what you think! I should have another chapter up in the next couple days... and sorry about how this is set up- if anyone knows how to get your Micro Word to download it onto HTML files, please tell me!