Author's Note: After writing the 7th chapter I can't wait to type up the 8th chapter...and please, I know some of you think I'm confusing lust for love and...well, it plays a major part for our two characters here. There's gotta be lust there somewhere and...well, I won't divulge any more...you guys will just have to learn along with Ginny & Draco that along with lust, love also finds its way...

Disclaimer: I must've written this numerous times as it is and you know what? NOT MINE!!!

Summary: Ginny Weasley received the shocker of a lifetime when she entered her sixth year at Hogwarts. She fell in love with the last person on earth she thought she'd fall for. Now she has to do everything in her power to grab his attention and make him hers--even if she have to face the wrath of her six brothers and her parents, not to mention the wrath of Hermione and Harry when they find out what she was planning to do.

Setting: Ginny is in her 6th year; Draco is in his 7th year

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VIII. Working to Her Advantage

Double Potions for last class on a Friday afternoon, not bad at all considering this was the only class she had with Draco. And as of late Draco seemed to take the usually empty seat beside Ginny in class.

Ginny sauntered into the room with the air of a prima ballerina about her. Her smile was still plastered on her pretty face as she made her way to her designated table with the Dream Team--Harry, Hermione, and of course, her brother Ron. Quite a few of their male classmates stood up the moment she passed them by and called a hasty "Hullo Ginny!" which she returned with the same greeting and a twinkle in her eyes.

What was usually a mere three seconds trip from the doorway of the dungeons classroom to her desk took Ginny almost a full five minutes. Almost every table she passed by one or two of its occupants would waylay her from reaching her desk. Ginny cast a quick glance at her table and caught her brother glaring at her and every boy who dared approach her. She merely raised an eyebrow at her brother and challenged him to tell her to stop socializing with the other guys in class. But Ron kept his mouth shut although his face looked so red Ginny thought her brother would explode.

Finally she made her way to her desk and smiled at her brother and his two friends.

"Hi everyone!" she greeted cheerfully, placing her book bag on the table and sliding down on the chair next to Hermione's, "How's everybody's day going?"

"Fine if you call receiving detentions in every class good." Ron smirked at his sister and turned to face the other way.

Ginny raised an eyebrow and looked at Hermione and Harry for answers, but neither one of her brother's friends would want to elaborate on what Ron just said.

"Ronald Weasley, I can't believe you're so unlucky today!" Ginny exclaimed, looking shocked at the news of Ron receiving detentions in every class, not that it was unusual for her brother to be in detention, but for him to actually have to do detention for each of his classes today?! "What happened?"

"Don't ask, Ginny." Harry told her, shaking his mop of unruly dark hair.

Ginny frowned at him and insisted on finding out why her brother would be serving detention for all his classes. But Harry remained tight-lipped. Hermione wouldn't speak. And Ron obviously didn't want to discuss it further with her.

"Your brother got himself into quite a few scruples in some of our classes hence why he was given detention." Draco answered her query for her. He stood with his book bag resting on the table beside Ginny, his steel gray eyes looking at her intently.

Ginny frowned and turned her attention to him, "Is that so?" she questioned, "Mind telling me why he got himself into some scruples in his classes?"

"Why certainly, Virginia." Draco practically sneered her Christian name, but Ginny pretended to look indifferent and looked at him hopefully.

"Well, please enlighten me." she cajoled, sitting back on her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

Draco propped his foot on top of his seat and rested his arm on it, leaning closer his upper lip twitched into a sardonic grin and nonchalantly answered, "Why, Virginia, it was because of you that your brother got himself into some sticky situation in our classes."

Ginny's eyebrow rose a bit higher than usual, "Oh really?"

"Yes, really." he nodded, his grin still hovering over his kissable lips.

"Oh." was all Ginny said and shrugged. Uncrossing her arms over her chest, she leaned forward and opened her book bag, taking out her quill, ink, and parchment as well as her books from inside.

Draco waited for her to say more, when she didn't he took his seat beside her and did what she was doing. He took out his stuff from his book bag and laid them all on the table. Snape entered the classroom soon after that, his dark robe flying about behind him as he briskly walked to the front of the class and started his lesson.

It was the same old, same old boring class--well, as far as Ginny was concerned anyway. Snape was talking about certain potions that they needed to brew carefully hence suffer the consequences if one wrong ingredient was added or not enough of a certain ingredient was added. Ginny already knew these procedures and would very much like it if Snape stop mentioning it every damn time. God, couldn't he just record it and play it back every time we are starting a new potion? she thought miserably, stifling a yawn as she slouched down in her seat. She pulled her chair closer to her the table and slanted her body sideways, leaning her right shoulder against the back of Hermione's chair and her knee, her bare knee, touched Draco's leg underneath the table.

Ginny felt him stiffen at the unexpected touching and she grinned inwardly. My, my, seems like we have one jumpy Slytherin here. she thought cruelly and while still slouched in her seat, she gently rubbed her knee against his leg, making the usually unruffled Slytherin uncomfortable. Ginny continued to torment Draco until Snape turned his back to them to gather some of the ingredients they will need to brew their potion.

She jumped when she felt Draco's hand clamp on her thigh, giving it a light squeeze which made her look at him in surprise. Draco stole a quick glance at Snape's direction before he leaned closer to her, resting his elbow on the desk and whispered to Ginny, "You better stop what you're doing, Red. You don't know what you're asking for." he warned.

If Draco thought she would be intimidated, he was shocked to see her flash him a come-hither grin and leaned her head closer, their nose barely touching and she answered, "Well, Ferret Boy, I think I know what I'm asking for, but the only question is..." she let her voice trail off as she gave him a quick once-over, her grin broadening and she rested her gaze back on his face, "...if you can give me what I want."

Draco hid his shock at hearing her blunt, unperturbed reply, but his hand on her thigh tightened and Ginny knew she caught him by surprise. Grinning mischievously, she moved away from him and returned her attention back on what Snape was talking about.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape's nasal-toned voice grated through Draco's thoughts, "is there something wrong between you and Ms. Weasley?" he questioned.

Draco straightened in his seat and turned to look at the head of Slytherin house and his Potions master for the past seven years, "No, sir." he replied.

Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at him quizzically then turned his gaze towards the redhead Gryffindor seated beside the blond Slytherin, taking inventory of whatever before nodding his greasy dark hair. "Very well, then I don't suppose you and Ms. Weasley will have a problem being paired up to do this potions experiment as well as write up a report about it which is due by the end of next week."

Draco looked appalled. Ginny looked victorious.

Perfect. she thought proudly and gave Draco a quick cursory glance beside her before turning back to listen to the rest of Snape's explanation.

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to be continued...

A/N: okay, okay, I know another short chapter, but please bear with me. I gotta end this one like this because...well, simply because my idea for the next scene/chapter wouldn't really fit this chapter here. and my oh my, ain't Ginny starting to become a bad girl or what?! *lol* and poor Ron getting detention because of his sister...oh well, as always read, review & enjoy! thanks!

Kitycat87: hehehe, well I think she's using her 'feminine wiles' to catch the attention of our resident bad boy...hehehe, and I love to tease just like Ginny loves to tease everybody! *lol* and you're right, so close and yet so far away...but don't worry, sooner or later those two will connect! *winks* hehehehehe

Crystal: you're damn right about that! I didn't realize until this chapter that Ginny's somehow turning into a 'bad girl,' but that's alright, right?

tigereyes320: glad I'm not the only one who likes that new Shania Twain song! *lol* and yep, after listening to it on my way home from work the idea for this fic just popped into my head and here it is now...thanks for reviewing and liking this fic!

Blu Misterie: well I'm glad you are reading this one even though you are not into Draco/Ginny pairings...and dear, you're not the only one who's wondering about what lies beneath Draco's demeanor, and I know everyone knows he's a hottie, but I just want to emphasize just how much! *lol*

FaLL4mGrace: that has been mentioned to me that I am confusing lust with love, but as I explained in my author's note, lust will play an important part in both Ginny & Draco's life before they realize that they are in love with each other...just read on and find how how they discover that apart from their lust hides the love neither one of 'em are expecting to find...

hasapi: thanks for giving me the gist of it. and yeah, I think it's along that line. hehehe, I wish I could remember exactly the words Sandra were singing coz...well, coz I wanna "borrow" it for this fic *wink, wink*

DaRkShAdOwS: oh don't worry, I'm continuing with this...see, here's the next chapter! and if I get lucky I'll be able to post the next chapter a whole lot sooner *winks*

SeZzA: me, evil?! :::looks bewildered then slowly grins::: why thank you! :::cackles::: you know dearie, I have been called evil quite a few times now with regards to my other fic, and yes, I am continuing on to being evil here, hehehehehe