Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 14. What Dreams May Come

"Mmmm," Ginny murmured sleepily, turning over in her bed. She'd had the most pleasant dream. She'd dreamt that the beautiful blue dress was hers, and a present from Draco no less, that her mother had presented her with a valuble gem of a ring, and that Draco-well, that was the best part of the dream. He'd been so kind, and gentle, and the kiss had felt so real Ginny sighed contentedly, pressing the pillow to her chest.

She turned her head slightly to the side, away from the blinding sunlight, and gasped. Dangling conspicuously from the chair in her room was a piece of dark ocean blue that could only belong to one item of clothing. Ginny shot up, rubbing her eyes and pinching her arm at the sight of the dress. Something on her hand scraped her face lightly, and she stared in shock at the glittering ruby ring on her finger.

It hadn't been a dream, after all.

Ginny swept down the grand staircase, still pulling her hair into a ponytail as she pattered across the carpet. She needed to find Draco, and she needed to find him fast. Something about the way he'd spoken to her last night was different-he'd been gentle, sweet, quite unlike their usual encounters. In fact, he'd responded to her confession with something other than a stony face. Part of her knew that things would be different this morning, that the denial and mood swings would be back but still, she ached to see him.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Narcissa's cool voice cut into her thoughts, and she glanced up to see the elder woman looking impeccable and elegant, one perfectly arched eyebrow growing higher as she eyed Ginny's garb.

"I was looking for Dra-Young Master Malfoy," Ginny replied.

"You won't find him. He's leaving for Sweden."

"Sweden?" Ginny repeated dumbfoundedly. "But I thought he decided not to go-"

"Yes, well," Narcissa interrupted swiftly, "I am his mother. And my brother wants to see his nephew, so I woke him up bright and early and he's due for departure in oh, ten minutes. In fact, I just left the sitting room, where he was packing."

"But he didn't want to go," Ginny protested feebly.

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Well, as I've said before, I am his mother, and I have the last word."

"So you forced him?" Ginny couldn't refrain from saying. Her subconscious reminded herself that she was but a maid, yet her heart felt like she was something more. Could she ever be something more to Draco? She wondered fleetingly.

"You could say that," Narcissa didn't seem insulted in the least. "Granted, he didn't want to go, but when he graduates from Hogwarts and finds himself a job then he can have the authority to decline. I almost let him stay home, you know, but last night I thought things over with a clear conscience and I realized that I can't let my son tell me what to do."

A headache was starting to form in Ginny's temples. "Okay," she said slowly, wondering why Draco hadn't told her. "Could you excuse me for a minute?" Not waiting for her response, she made a mad dash to the sitting room.

~*~

"All set," Draco muttered, slinging a suitcase over the sofa. I'm going to bloody Sweden, he grimaced, thanks to my much beloved mother. He was almost regretful that he'd be leaving after telling Ginny that he would stay, but there were so many problems in waking her up to say farewell. First off, she was still asleep and he knew the sight of her in bed was one sure to weaken in his resolve. And secondly, doing so would prove some sort of emotional attachment to the girl, and Draco never developed those.

He dragged the second suitcase to where the first was, and aimed for the door. Startled, he looked up to see Ginny standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, looking confused, happy, and angry all at the same time. "Weasley," He said.

"You're going to Sweden," she said simply.

"Not of my own volition," he shrugged.

"Well, when are you coming back?"

"Precisely ten days," Draco replied, "Four days before the party."

"Oh," her face fell. "I guess-I guess you plan on having loads of fun in Sweden, don't you?"

He missed what she was implying. "Well, yeah, I guess so. Look, Weasley, I really have to get moving."

"Wait," she called, jogging up to him. When he looked at her expectantly, however, she suddenly unsure of how right what she was about to do was, and yet now there really was no backing out. Ginny twisted the ruby ring off her fourth finger and placed it in his hand gently, the contact sending tingles all inside her. "Um, a good luck charm," she explained lamely, "for safe travel."

He scrutinized the ring carefully and then glanced up at her, slightly surprised. "Okay," he said slowly. "Thanks."

Ginny flushed, almost wanting to tell him what the ring was and what it stood for, but she felt it would be like a proclamation of love, and she refrained. Instead, she warned, "Look, Draco, I know you don't want to accept anything from me because God forbid you accept something from a Weasley, but this ring isn't some cheap plastic thing you'd find at the side of the road and-"

"I know, I know," Draco cut her off.

"Take care," she said weakly.

He flashed her a tight smile, his stomach contorting at the sight of her so vulnerable and open. He wanted to reciprocate her feelings, to press against her and tell her that she would be the only person on his mind the entire time, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so. "You too," he finally said, exiting the room.

Ginny sighed. I hope you're thinking about me, Draco, she thought wishfully. It would be a long ten days.

~*~

Thirteen days had passed since her birthday, which meant in turn that it was nearly time for the party. Ginny had been in a planning fury, setting her mind to decorating the Manor and taking care of last minute arrangements. In her vigor, she'd barely seen Draco, which was probably just as well because the encounters they did have made her light-headed and warm, in consequence incapable of concentrating.

He'd been extremely cordial those last few days, pleasant, even. His insults didn't completely diminish but grew more and more half-hearted, to a point where she could find it humorous. Draco never spoke of their kisses in the three times she'd seen him all week. The only time they began to actually discuss the event, Ginny had been whisked away. But his words rang clearly in her head. "I had a lot of thinking to do the time I was in Sweden," he'd said. About what? She mentally asked, knowing full well that alone in the kitchen, asking herself, he'd never answer her thoughts.

Maybe it wasn't meant to be, Ginny thought darkly as she scrubbed patiently at the tile. Narcissa hadn't exactly been in a pleasant mood that morning, and she'd assigned Ginny an extremely long list of things to do. Now, it was nearly time to sleep and there was just one more thing to do.

In the room adjacent to hers, she could make out voices faintly, and she hummed on, trying to ignore them. One of the voices rose. "What the hell!" said what sounded like an indignant Malfoy.

Curious, she rose and moved out the door, quietly trailing to the open door from which the voices were floating and listening intently. "Oh come on," replied another voice, a female voice that sounded strangely familiar. Ginny had definitely heard that voice before, but for some reason she just couldn't place it. Oh gods, she thought with a sickening lurch, and her blood ran cold. What was Blaise Zabini doing here?

"I don't get why we're having the conversation," Draco replied. "You left your cloak here, you've gotten it, and I really am very busy."

"With muggle parties," Ginny could hear the smirk in Blaise's voice. "So I've been informed.

"Rightly so, Zabini, which I must remind you was not my brilliant idea." Then, almost as if he sensed Ginny's presence, he lowered his voice. "Have you forgotten what happened last time?"

"Draco-"

"I haven't." Ginny strained to hear him better, but their voices were so quiet his tone was completely expressionless. "I think it should have happened a long, long time ago, don't you?" Draco asked. Ginny recoiled, backing away from the door like it was poisonous.

It was obvious to Ginny that he was referring to their sex. What else could there be to reminisce about with brainless Blaise? Of course, he'd spent that god-forsaken week with her doing things she blushed thinking about. Oh gods, she thought, clapping a hand over her mouth and tears forming in her eyes. Was this why he had kissed her-was he actually thinking of Blaise? It all made sense to her then, his strange behavior, the way his lps found hers with such passion and then how he'd stiffen the minute she tried to form an "us" with him. That was all she was to him, a replacement for when Blaise was away.

Gods, she felt so bloody stupid. Stupid to think that Draco could ever have feelings for her, stupid to even confess her feelings for him. And the dress-it must have been his guilt, that was all. He was a mindless, heartless prat that had somehow wormed his way into her feelings. In fact, she could bet that the ring she'd so foolishly given him was sitting at the bottom of his sock drawer, or worse, on Blaise's finger. There was no reply from Blaise, and Ginny envisioned them in a heated snog.

She tore away, running down the hall and into her room. Flinging herself on her bed, she let the tears fall freely, wishing to hell that the past few weeks had been a dream so she could just wake up and everything would go away. He'd be so cruel to her when they returned to Hogwarts, she thought morosely. He'd tell everyone that the littlest Weasley had done everything but told him she loved him-that she'd believed for a second she could snag somebody like Draco Malfoy. And how Harry and Ron would react, Ron with that rage which would not comfort her in the least, and Harry with that pity, that terrible, sympathetic pity she was sure to also receive from much of the Gryffindor house.

The hot tears scalding down her cheeks, she closed her eyes, exhausted, body and spirit. Settling in the wake of heartbreak, she let sleep overcome her.

~*~

"Ginny," Adrienne's soft voice came.

Ginny stirred. Was it morning already? She thought, Draco's conversation with Blaise flooding back to her painfully. She glanced out the window, surprised to see the stars twinkling back at her. "Adrienne?" She asked, sitting up. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly midnight," Adrienne said. "I just saw you with the door open, lying on your bed, and you were still fully clothed so I wanted to see if you were okay."

I'll never be okay again, Ginny thought bitterly, biting her lip to keep from crying again. "Yes," She choked out.

Adrienne wasn't convinced. "Well you look terrible," she smiled. "I've drawn up a warm bath for you, and once you get nice and clean you can come here and tell me what's wrong."

A rush of gratitude washed over Ginny as she stepped into the steamy bathroom, stripping of her dingy clothes and settling into the water. Her muscles instantly relaxing, Ginny sank into the sensation and thought, carefully for once, of the past few days she'd spent with Malfoy. But it wasn't her anymore, no she could very well admit to herself that she was beginning to feel for Draco, now it just depended on him.

"Come now," Adrienne said cheerfully when Ginny emerged minutes later, feeling imminently cleaner in her cotton nightgown. "Talking has always made it better, and you look miserable even after that bath." It felt so nice to have someone to which she could confess her true feelings. Hermione and Harry had always been close friends to her, but she was never able to talk about boys, and love, and feelings. Talking about anything secretive with Harry was strange enough for her, as for most of her life she'd been too tied up around him anyways. And Hermione, she was a wonderful friend, nearly a sister to Ginny, but it just felt awkward. This added to the turmoil in her life, as she realized that never before had a friend display such genuine care about her.

"I wish," Ginny said, blinking back tears.

"So what's this all about?" Adrienne prodded.

"Malfoy," she hiccuped.

"Oh," Adrienne said knowingly, gently rubbing her back. "What happened?"

Tearfully, Ginny related the conversation she'd overheard to Adrienne. "I really thought something could happen," she sniffled. "I really thought I could live up to somebody-somebody like Blaise." The afternoon after their first kiss suddenly flittled through her mind, his words ringing loud and stinging in her ears. She's everything you'll never be, you little brat, Ginny recalled, squeezing her eyes closed to shut out the memory.

"Ginny," Adrienne interjected softly, "I don't think Young Mast- Malfoy was talking about shagging Zabini."

She raised watery eyes to meet her gentle gaze. "He was," she insisted sadly. "I know it."

"No," Adrienne explained, "You don't get it. When Malfoy found out that Blaise was responsible for you falling down the cellar, he was livid, furious. He let me attack her without reprimanding me once."

"Adrienne, he kicked me out so he could spend the week with her!" Ginny cried. "I think that says something!"

"What?"

"When he granted me the vacation," Ginny said, exasperated, "He told me it was because-he told me it was because he wanted 'alone time' with Blaise. You know, 'alone time' means 'shag time' when it comes to guys."

Adrienne shook her head slowly. "I don't think so."

"What do you mean, you don't think so. The evidence, it's right there, I mean, he told me himself," Ginny declared.

"No," Adrienne contradicted. "That's impossible, because the night you fell down the cellar he kicked her out of the house."

Ginny fell silent, brown eyes growing large as she sat in limp shock. "He kicked her out?" she repeated.

"That's right," Adrienne confirmed. "He was so mad that something could have happened to you, he told her to pack her bags and leave. You should have see her face, Gin, you really should have."

But Ginny didn't hear a word Adrienne had said. Blaise had left? She thought. Draco had lied to her, then. He'd given her the vacation not because he wanted alone time with Zabini, but evidently because. . .

Her heart dared not to question the possibilities. "I was wrong then," she whispered dazedly. She needed to talk to him, she needed to know why he'd lied and exactly what it was he meant to go by playing these heart games with her. That was it, she thought, no more beating around the bush. They'd gotten through half of the summer never exactly acknowledging their feelings, at least him not to her, and she was going to put an end to it, right there, right now.

"I'll be right back," Ginny promised, leaping off the bed and out the door.

Adrienne smiled after her. "Take your time," she replied.

Ginny eased open the double doors to his room and slipped inside. He was asleep, the thick comforter lying at his hips not covering his bare chest at all. Bathed in the soft moonlight filtered through his window he looked almost innocent, the smallest hint of a smile upon his face.

She almost didn't want to disturb him, he looked so perfect lying there, not a strand of hair out of place even in sleep. But she was not about to let him toy with her any longer, and she marched over to his bedside. She placed two hands on his shoulders, breathing sharply at the feel of his smooth skin under her touch. Quidditch had done his muscles plently of good, and she suddenly saw him through Blaise's eyes: desirable. Ginny refused to let her urges conflict with her resolve, though, as she was here for answers, and she would get them, damnit.

"Draco," She said, shaking his shoulders.

His eyes slid open a little. "Weasley?" he asked groggily.

"Wake up," Ginny commanded, her heart flipping at the sight of him, disheveled and half-asleep but still so breathtaking.

"Weasley, it's late and I'm tired. Go away," he replied, pulling the blankets up over his head.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ginny defied, yanking the sheets down to mid- chest and glaring until he opened his eyes.

"This is a total violation of servant-boss relationships," He grumbled, starting to sit up. "I'm going to see you out to the door right now, since you're obviously not leaving on your own."

"We need to talk, Draco," Ginny insisted, gently pushing him back down.

"Can't this wait until tomorrow?" He demanded, struggling to a sitting position once again.

"No," She said, placing two hands on his chest and shoving him down. She swung a leg up onto the bed and across him, landing on his chest so he was pinned with nowhere to move.

Draco rolled his eyes. "What's this about?" He asked, impatient, crabby, and undoubtedly tired.

She gazed down at his waiting face, realizing for possibly the millionth time that summer how attractive he was. "You lied to me," She said quietly.

"About?" He furrowed his brow, obviously confused.

"Blaise," Ginny answered simply. The indignant expression vanished, replaced with a mixture of shock and defeat. "You told me you wanted me gone so you could shag Blaise, but you already kicked her out. Now maybe I'm not an expert on the topic, but isn't it pretty hard to shag someone who's mansions away?"

He sighed, bringing his hands to where her own were resting on him and stroking them gently. Her eyes were swollen, and it looked like she'd been crying, but she still looked so beautiful. Okay, he admitted it, he thought she was beautiful. But the strange thing was, she didn't possess the type of beauty the guys ogled at, she certainly didn't possess Blaise's endless legs and ample chest.

But there was something about her, the quiet, simple way her chocolate eyes lit up when she was excited, the way she wore her heart on her sleeve and her temper there alongside that made him weak in the knees. She watched him patiently, her red curls bobbing as she tilted her head, obviously enjoying the touch of his hand but expecting an answer nonetheless.

This girl has feelings for me, Draco told himself, replaying their conversations the previous month. She had confessed it too. It wasn't a first for him, naturally, plenty of women fell for him, but what was first for him was that if he could possibly ever admit it to himself, he was falling for her. That simply didn't happen. Draco Malfoy was never "conquered", so to speak, by women. Especially not this, not when there was more than the plain and simple lust, when he wanted to do so much more than just bed her.

His better senses told him to usher her away before he confessed something himself, but his heart-and yes, he did have one-pushed those away. "It made you jealous didn't it," he said, with curiousity and mischief though there was an undercurrent of seriousness, "the idea of me and Blaise."

"Don't change the topic," Ginny said, swatting him and laughing despite herself.

"Admit it," he challenged.

She paused, debating whether to tell the truth. "Okay," she finally said. "It made me jealous. Now explain why you lied."

Instead of responding, he flipped her over onto her back in one swift movement. "Draco!" She squealed, but was quickly silenced by his lips hungrily seeking hers.

She responded eagerly, hands deftly kneading thorugh his fine hair as she probed his mouth with her tongue. The sensation was astounding, mind- boggling, and one she only experienced with Draco. The mounting tension that had escalated over the past few weeks was suddenly in the narrow space between them, turned into a heated energy as they lay, kissing wildly like the sky would fall the next day.

Tightening his embrace, Draco ran a hand up her side to rest at the nape of her neck. He'd kissed plenty of girls before, but never in his life had he ever felt such passion, such need, such want. He couldn't breathe and yet, he couldn't bring himself to move away from her. It was such a powerful feeling that Ginny radiated, and one Draco had never dealt with before. His logic gone, his mind clouded with thoughts of Ginny, he ignored all reason, pausing only once to say what was on his mind.

"I lied to make you jealous," he said, quietly and directly, and returned to covering her jawline with small, tender kisses.

She sighed from under him, a small sigh filled with content and pleasure, tilting up his face to meet her lips once more. He simply couldn't get enough of her, his hands snaking inside her nightgown as she merged into delirious oblivion, letting him touch her the way nobody had ever before. They must've snogged for at least half an hour in the chamber lighted only by night, drinking each other in and never wanting to let go. Finally he drew back, resting his head against her collarbone and catching his breath in quick pants.

"You really are something, you know that?" He breathed, propping himself up and raining kisses on the shoulder where the strap of her nightgown had conspicuously slid off.

"Then again, so is Blaise," Ginny replied with a teasing grin.

"Jealous, even in moments like this," he smirked, nuzzling her neck.

His hair tickled. "Moments like what?" She asked, gently placing a hand on his chest to catch his gaze.

"So you admit it, then," he deflected her question with expert ease, the desire not completely gone from voice. "You're jealous of Blaise."

"Why should I be? There's only one thing I truly want, and she most definitely doesn't have it," Ginny whispered.

"And what's that?" He prompted, though the glint in his silver eyes told her he already knew. This time, Ginny was the one who silenced him, covering his mouth with her own, the protest dying from his lips. "No fair," he murmured when the kiss ended.

He rolled onto his back, pulling Ginny atop him, and they lay in harmonious silence, redhead against blond, fire against ice. The coverlet remained twisted firmly around Draco's torso, exposing only the green waistband of his silk pajama pants. Ginny found this particularly enticing, that he'd stay faithful to the color even away from Hogwarts, and she played with the strings, her fingers lazily tracing across his taut stomach.

She could have lain like that forever, her ear against his chest, listening to the soft patter of his heart and feeling his hands idly fondling her back under the thin cotton of her nightgown. It took a great deal of self- control to slide out of his arms, and that self-control took nearly an hour to muster.

He was already asleep, she noticed with a small smile, touching a hand to her kiss-stung lips. "I should go," Ginny said softly, more to herself than him. Planting a tender kiss against his temple, she stood up as gingerly as possible. She smoothed the covers for an excuse to linger and gaze at him for just one more second and then turned to leave.

He caught her hand. "Stay," he whispered, voice thick with slumber.

She opened her mouth to protest, but her mind refused to raise one good argument. Wordlessly, he pulled her down under the covers, and she lied stiffly next to him, his body radiating warmth. Then Draco shifted, moving their bodies closer so she was nestled safe and warm in the crook of his arm. His legs scissored into hers, a silken-clad calf resting comfortably between her knees like it belonged there, like he belonged in her arms.

Who would have predicted, Ginny thought wonderously, gazing at the sleeping form beside her, that I could feel so secure with someone like like Draco Malfoy. "Good night," she sighed, bringing her arms around him and snuggling into the comforting scent that was Draco.

"Good night, Ginny," he murmured sleepily.

Her eyes flew open at the sound of her name rolling off his tongue. "Draco?" She whispered in surprise.

He let out a soft snore.

"Love is when you don't want to fall asleep because reality is better than a dream."

~*~

For the second time in her life, Ginny woke up in Draco Malfoy's bed. She was starting to see the upside of wealth, that was for sure, loving the feel of his sheets against her skin. It wasn't one of those mornings where she wondered exactly where she was waking up. Draco hadn't left her dreams all night, and he stayed prominent in her mind as she woke.

Turning to her side, Ginny noted with a twinge of disappointment that he wasn't in bed alongside her. She sat up slowly, remembering the previous night with a silly smile on her face, relishing the taste of his lips, the scent of his skin. Never in her life had she felt so comfortable, so safe, nor so content, and she could swear that sleeping in such close proximity, some part of her dream was bound to have actually occurred.

She'd actually woken up halfway during the night, satisfied just watching him doze. She was transfixed by the consistent rise and fall of his chest, the way his hand would absently massage her skin as they lay entwined in the sheets. And when she'd leaned forward to peck him gently, he had deepened the kiss even in sleep, so much that Ginny wanted to wake him and ask who he was dreaming about, a fleeting panic of paranoia setting in once more. Then he'd murmured her name, and she'd never cherished the sound more.

But he'd left already, leaving her to wonder whether he'd watched her sleep also. She wished he would've waited for her to awake, imagining that it would've been a rather pleasant experience waking up with Draco Malfoy, as ridiculous as it sounded. Ginny felt quite alone in his enormous bedroom, and she glanced around, unsure of what to do. The air in the chamber was cooled rather well, and she shivered slightly as she drew herself out from under the covers.

Lying on the pillow beside her-Draco's pillow, was an emerald satin robe, the Slytherin mascot upon the breast pocket and silver trimming all over. Next to it was a single red rose, and a small note scribbled hastily that read "It gets cold in this room." A smile touched her lips at his thoughtfulness, though if she ever tried to call him on it he'd stiffen up as usual. She suspected that his phobia of pleasantries contributed to why he had left so early, as she had taken to observing his unfamiliarity with the thank yous and you're welcomes.

Ginny slipped into his robe, wondering if it was a crime to feel so natural in his belongings, and swung her legs over the bed. She was extremely surprised to see a small silver tray resting on the bedside table, filled with tea and sweet-smelling pound cake. Sitting back down onto the bed, she stared dumbly at the food, which Draco had undoubtedly prepared for her.

The door swung open, and Ginny stared at it with both apparition and hope, hope that it would be Draco and apparition that someone should find her in such a compromising situation, wearing his robes after having obviously slept in his bed. Seeing it was Adrienne, Ginny wasn't sure whether to hide or laugh.

Evidently, Adrienne was thinking the same thing. She took in the scene before her, her gaze lingering on Ginny's wild hair, and chose the latter. "You slut!" She gasped between giggles, collapsing on the floor.

Ginny colored visibly. "It's not what you think," she defended hotly. "I-he-we-"

"You spent the night," Adrienne's blue eyes were dancing with merriment, obviously enjoying how uncomfortable Ginny felt. "My gods, I hope you used protection. We don't need a young lass like you getting knocked up, now do we?

"Adrienne!" Ginny cried, aghast. "Nothing happened, I swear."

"Sure," Adrienne replied once she regained her breath. "You just spent the night with a gorgeous bloke who sleeps half-naked that's as crazy about you as you are him, and you're telling me nothing happened?

"Yes!" Ginny nearly shouted, then frowned. "How do you know he sleeps half-naked?"

"I didn't until now," Adrienne replied slyly.

Ginny rolled her eyes, heaving a pillow at the older girl. "I swear that nothing happened," she insisted.

Adrienne held up a hand in defeat. "Okay, okay, I believe you. You don't seem like that type of girl, anyways." She picked up one of Draco's shirts from the floor and wrinkled her nose. "I bet he'll spend the entire night dancing with you," she sighed.

Ginny's eyes grew large. "Oh gods, I totally forgot that tonight is the muggle party."

Adrienne chuckled. "After all that planning, too," she said. "Young Master Malfoy must be a hell of a kisser then."

"Adrienne, you don't get it," Ginny was panicking now. "I don't have anything to wear, and I don't exactly have galleons to spare either."

"What about that gorgeous gown hanging in your room?" Adrienne suggested.

"He's seen that," Ginny shook her head. "I want to wear something he's never seen before, something that will totally surprise him. What am I going to do?"

"Relax," the older girl replied. "There's a muggle store that's close to Diagon Alley where you can rent gowns and suits for a fractional price. We'll go there as soon as you get out of that," she assured, pointing to Draco's robe. "Unless, of course, you have other plans with Mister Malfoy today."

"I'm telling you, I'm not sleeping with Draco Malfoy!" Ginny squealed, sending a series of pillows flying across the room, just as somebody stepped in the room. Both girls went silent in horror as they went flying into a shock of blond hair and the victim tumbled to the ground.

"Madame Malfoy?" Adrienne squeaked.

~End of Chapter 14

A/N* Me and my cliffies. . .actually the original version of this chapter did NOT end that way. . .that one stopped at his snoring, but I decided to be so kind and add that last lil tidbit hahaha. But there you go, the scene that could have had so much smut potential. And no, they did not have sex (in case it wasn't clear). You can imagine yourself what else they were doing during their snog session, but I'm not going into detail ^_^. Hmm I remember noting in chapter 8 that Blaise would return, and I guess this wasn't exactly a "big return" lol. Okay see the thing is I write parts of future chapters as they come to mind, and originally, there was a confrontation between Ginny and Blaise, and she played a large part in this chapter. But as I neared the finish, I felt it would be better for Ginny to just overhear their conversation.

For those who are wondering, there are exactly 16 chapters in this story, so 2 chapters left! ::grins:: But (and a 'but' with many heartfelt apologies) the next two weeks are right before my school resumes, which means FMP training sessions, registrations, and last few days to hang out with friends without worrying about impending homework. I'm therefore (and regretfully) forced to break my once a week update pattern ~ chapter 15 (the penultimate chapter!) will be up in about two weeks or so, maybe sooner. Now, aren't you glad I made this chapter almost twice as long? XD

And I do believe that review button is waiting. . .