Summary: When Ginny boarded the Hogwarts Express on the first of September, she was surprised to come face-to-face with the last person she expected to see back in school. He was still the same prat she remembered from years before, but now he has a much higher authority than ever before: he was this year's new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Ginny wished this was all a dream, but to her dismay she was stuck with him for an entire school year!

Disclaimer: Once again I don't want to go through all the mumbo-jumbo of having to write this out, so I'm saying this now: NOT MINE!!! I keep on forgetting to add this on to this one: MAIN HP CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE, those other names you don't recognize are mine as well as the plot, and also other stuff that you don't recognize, kapish?

Setting: Ginny's in her 7th year; Draco graduated the year before

PhoenixRae's Notes: so ya'll want some more fluff, eh? well, I'll try and give you some more fluff...just don't wanna overdo it with the fluffiness for this fic! *lol* thanks for all your wonderful reviews!

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

XX. Ginger Claims Her Prize

The following week sure tested Draco's patience and restraint. Agreeing to become Ginny's slave for a week was both frustrating and hilarious up to a point. It was fun to watch Ginny squirm whenever he got too close for comfort to her after putting him through a very tight situation especially when they were in class.

One of the task Ginny asked him to do for an entire week was to do all her class assignments, but of course he had to set his foot down on that one.

"No. I won't do it for you, Ginger. How are you going to learn if you let me answer all of this?" he fanned the piece of parchment with the questions Snape made his class copy and answer.

"Fine, fine, I won't ask you to do them, but you will help me with them," she bargained Monday night when they 'happen' to meet each other in the library (they talked to each other Sunday after dinner and agreed to meet in the library the following night for him to receive the first task she would ask of him).

He was fine with that. Helping her do her assignments meant he could spend as much time with her after dinner in the library without people gossiping about them.

His second task was something he wasn't too comfortable doing, but he had to do it at least a couple of times over the course of the entire week that he owed her.

"I have to call her what?" Draco's eyes nearly bugged out of his sockets when she told him what she wanted him to do when they met each other at the library Tuesday for night two of their study session.

Ginny lifted her head from the History of Magic report she was writing and gave him an innocent smile, "Hermione," she replied simply.

"You can't be serious, Gin!" he sat back in his seat, flicking his quill pen on top of the Transfiguration problem he was helping her out with.

"Why not? You call me Ginny," she pointed out.

Draco made a face at her, "That's different, Weasley."

"How so?" she frowned.

"God, do you have to make this hard for me?" he ran his hand over his face and tilted his head back. He can't possibly ask that of him. He'd quit referring to her as 'Mudblood' for all he cared, but to actually address Granger by her give name? "It would be more personal if I address her by her first name," he reasoned out with her after a while.

"By personal you mean you're friends with her?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"And aren't you two friends? I mean, you seem to have gotten close since the beginning of the school year."

"We have to. We're colleagues now."

"So?"

God, she was impossible! And stubborn as well. In the end he relented to calling Granger by her first name in private.

"But everywhere else I won't," he bargained.

"Thanks, Blondie."

He thought she was about to kiss him with the way she was smiling proudly at him, but since they were in the library with too many people for witness, she remained where she sat across from him, but this time she slouched down a bit in her seat and stretched her leg out until her foot touched his shin. She removed her shoe and slowly ran his socked foot up his shin, over his knee, then down the side of his thigh before finding its resting place between his thighs just a few inches from his nether region; with the slightest of movement from him or her and her foot would've made full contact with his broomstick!

On Wednesday she cornered him before first period and asked him to quit picking on Gryffindor too much and to point out his Slytherin students' mistakes in class (and pick on them as well). She said they were humans after all who aren't so damn perfect! It was an easy enough task for him to do, however he didn't want to show to his former Slytherin housemates that he was favouring Gryffindor over them; he was sure Derek would find something fishy about that and start yet another round of rumours that would probably feed the school grapevine for months on end!

Draco tried his best to not pick on his Gryffindor students, but sometimes it was hard not to--especially if some of them are being too thick in the head! Ginny was even one of those he picked on, but it was purely for fun on his part. He just wanted to see how she would react once he picked on her a lot that day.

Ginny nearly strangled him Wednesday evening after dinner when they happen to run in to each other on her way back to her house. All evening long she was shooting daggers at him from across the Great Hall whenever their gazes happen to collide.

"You did that on purpose!" she accused as soon as she saw him.

Draco feigned ignorance to what she was talking about and frowned down at her, "Did what on purpose, Weasley?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Malfoy. And that's not part of the deal either!"

"We made no such deal, Ginger," he reminded her.

"Oh yes we did, Blondie," she hissed.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "As far as I can remember you just asked me to pick on Gryffindor less--it didn't include me not picking on you."

"Arrgh! You are soooo going to pay for this, Blondie," Ginny threatened. at him before she walked away, her chin jutted into the air and he could tell smoke coming out of her nostrils and ears. She was pretty ticked off at him for turning the tables on her--if only for a little bit.

By the next day he did his best not to pick on Gryffindor as much. Ginny was still miffed and he found it rather amusing to watch her sulk at the very back of the room, her lips pouting as she tried to drill a hole right through his skull. It also proved to be a test to see just how focused he was with the subject he was teaching when all he could think about was kissing that pout off her lips. He was jolted back to the present time by a couple of his students when he happen to trail off right in the middle of his explanation because he was too preoccupied with Ginny Weasley's tempting lips. From the corner of his eye he noticed Ginny chuckled at his expense. He made a quick swept of the room before ending his lecture and quirked an eyebrow when his gaze collided with Ginny's, challenging her to make fun of him or do whatever it was she planned on doing to him. After all, she did make a threat to him the night before.

Draco anticipated Ginny's getting back at him the whole day Thursday and Friday, but when she made no intention of retaliating, he started to worry. He still met with her at the library Thursday night to help her with her assignments, but she didn't make any mention of what she would do to get even with him. Their deal was almost off (after his class Friday afternoon he had fulfilled his duty to the reigning Queen of Quidditch--it was the name Ginny gave herself shortly after she bragged to Hermione how she kicked his arse the previous Friday evening who later on told him during one of their mealtime conversations) and yet there was no sign of Ginny planning on letting him off the hook.

During dinner that night, Draco couldn't stop from glancing at the redhead enjoying a wonderful dinner and conversation with her friends over at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione noticed Draco's lack of interest in his food and followed the direction of his gaze, quirking an eyebrow and looking back questioningly at the blond seated beside her. Nudging her colleague, she leaned closer and whispered, "Ginny suddenly grew an extra red head beside her or what?"

Draco tore his gaze from the redhead and frowned at the brunette beside him, "Huh?"

Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes, "You've been ignoring your delicious food all night and your eyes couldn't be pried away from Ginny," she said matter of factly, "What's up, Malfoy?"

"I'm kinda scared, Granger," he admitted without thinking twice about what he was saying.

Hermione's brown eyes nearly bugged out of her sockets. Her ears were probably deceiving her. She didn't just hear what she thought she just heard Malfoy admit. Draco Malfoy scared? Since when?

"You're pulling my leg here, right?" she asked not wanting to believe what she just heard.

"Can't you take me seriously for a change, Granger?" Draco frowned, irritated that for once in his life he was serious with her and she didn't want to believe him. God, was he that much of an arse back in their school days together for her to distrust him?

"As soon as pigs can fly, sure, why not?" Hermione gave a careless shrug then went back to slicing her roast beef covered in thick, dark brown gravy and smelled ever so good.

"Granger..." Draco hissed.

Hermione heard the desperate tone in his voice and decided to give him a break. Maybe he was serious after all, and with the way he was watching Ginny the whole time they were in the Great Hall, she knew something was about; but what could he possibly be scared of?

She set down her knife and fork and looked back at him, "Okay, I'll bite. Why are you scared?"

"Because I don't know what Weasley's got planned to get even back at me for picking on her in class yesterday," he explained, keeping his voice as low as possible and took a quick, cursory glance at the petite redhead who was now listening intently to whatever Creevey was saying.

"What?" she was having a hard time suppressing a grin, "You're scared because you don't know what Ginny's got cooked up for you?"

Draco made a face at her. She still wasn't taking him seriously! Damn, why do women have to be so difficult? he asked himself irately.

"Hermione, I won't normally be telling you this if I'm not worried. Over the course of the last couple of months since I started getting to know Ginny, I came to the realization that she is as every bit as conniving as her twin brothers," he explained through gritted teeth.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did--did you just call me Hermione?" she looked like she have just seen her own ghost after she realized what her former school nemesis just called her.

"Will you just focus here, Granger," he snapped.

"I will, but after you tell me that you just called me by my first name," she insisted.

Draco let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes skyward, "Why is that hard for you to believe, huh?" he questioned.

"So you did call me Hermione!" she was all smiles and feeling very giddy, "My, my, Malfoy, you're actually keeping your word to Ginny that you will try to address me by my given name."

"You knew about that?" now it was his turn to be bugged eyed.

"Of course I do!" she boasted, "I helped Ginny think up of some of the things she could ask you to do for her for a week."

"Aha!" he snapped his fingers and a mischievous grin suddenly appeared on his face, "So then you know what Gin's got cooked up next," he looked hopefully at her.

"Now that, my friend, I can't disclose with you. You see, Ginny and I, we talk, but when it comes to her cooking up some devious plan to make you pay...let's just say that she knows we've gotten close over the last couple of months since the new school year began and that she's kinda weary of trusting me with vital information such as the one you're asking from me."

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked at her pointedly, "In a nutshell you have no idea," it wasn't a question but a statement. Jeez! Why do women have to beat around the bush instead of just saying directly?! he was slowly being introduced to the fine workings of the feminine mind, thanks to Ginny's good friend and confidant.

"You got that right," Hermione nodded and went back to finishing her roast beef with a side of mashed potatoes and some veggies.

= = = = = * * * = = = = =

"So, did he bug you about it?" Ginny asked later that evening when she decided to stop by Hermione's room to chat.

"Uh-hm," Hermione nodded, crossing her legs underneath her on the large, comfy sofa facing the fire while nursing a mug of hot chocolate.

"And?" she prodded.

"And I didn't breathe a word about it," Hermione winked.

"Good," Ginny was smiling like the Cheshire cat, pulling her legs up closer to her chest and propping her chin on top of her chin, "I just hope he won't have a heart attack when I tell him."

Hermione chuckled and raised her mug to toast her, "Good luck, Gin."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

A/N: allllrighty! not much excitement in this chapter. it's just me setting up the pace I guess (or something like that) *lol* well actually...hehehe, yep, this is another lead-in to something unexpected that even Draco's boxers' tied up in a very tight knot 'coz he doesn't have a clue what Ginny's got planned for him to do. anyways, thanks for all the wonderful response I received for chapter 19. I'll try and insert some more fluffliness and snoggings in the next chapters to come.

hpfan: I hope you liked chapters 19 & 20...and did I leave you hanging again in this chapter? hehehe, I believe I did!

Ishizu-Sango-Halliwell: were the fluff in the previous chapter enough to keep 'em warm? hehehe :::winks:::

izzy: Ginny's good in Quidditch, well, based on how Draco sees it anyway, hehehe

Crystal: oh, I doubt it got frozen...whatever "it" is! *lol*

Faltering Hues: glad you liked the 'action' in the last chappie...uhm...well, not much action in this one, but I'll be working on when their next encounter will be

wowsergirl: hope you did great on your finals. and yep, spring is coming...although right now with our weather here it doesn't look like spring's anywhere in sight!

Xela: oh please, DON'T take off your clothes! *LOL* now if Draco does take his clothes off I won't be complaining :::winks & evil grin:::

jop: thanks for the review!

Anh D-ao: yep, so many possibilities, but I can't really divulge anything right now & ruin what I got planned for the rest of this fic (which, to be quite honest, I have NO IDEA!!! *LOL* I just write whatever comes to mind and hope it makes sense with the rest of the fic, hehehehe)

meLisSa: hmm...well i'll probably be posting one chapter a day...unless it's the weekend then I can spend as much time in front of the comp as I can, hehehehe

laura: so you liked the fluff, eh?

SeZzA: hmm...Ginny didn't really ask him to do much, just some simple tasks but her ultimate task is.... TUN-DUN-DUN-DUN...hehehehe, you'll just have to wait and see

Miss Marauder: well it will be too cliché-y if Draco would kiss her since in the previous chapter during their near-kiss-scenes it was always him who wanted to go for it, so I flipped it around and made Ginny kiss him

Mystical Starlight: :::laughs::: nope, you didn't scare me at all. thanks for reading & enjoying my fic

Sharlene: hmm...I think the both of them have some ass-fetish going or something :::cackles:::

Cheater531: well here's some more for ya, and hopefully by tomorrow I could get another chapter out

spunkygabi: well here's what happened next after their date

Anyanka: to answer your question in order in which they were asked: a) MUM'S the word for this one; b) gossip will always be there; c) Derek has another evil trick cooked-up under his sleeves

nicole: thanks, and I do try to get back to my reviewers as best as I can. I like to keep in touch with you guys if it's just through here coz if it hadn't been for your feedbacks, then I won't have the will or incentive to go on with this story

Jenn: :::laughs::: it's all cool, don't worry about it

Alli: is this soon enough?

Starry: you've been waiting for this chapter since...uhm...since probably from the very beginning of this story? hehehehe

VuruNeno: I'll try and get their arguments all the more lustier in future chapters

Lady Godiva: someone is bound to find out, but what he or she will do about the information they know is all up to them...hehehehe, meaning I won't really tell much :::grins:::

Kodomo Cow: I'm beginning to get the impression that all you people were waiting for the snog-fest between Draco & Ginny...glad ya'll liked it! hehehehe

myobgirly: yep, it was the new Draco that reacted when she called him by his given name

Redbug: no problem, and here's the next chapter--enjoy!