AN: There you all go, fourth chapter up and ready. Gloriously un-spellchecked as usual. I know it seems like I'm proud of that fact, but really I'm not. It's just that I never have the time to do it, even now I should be working on a picture book for my writing class Bad me, doing fun things instead of big homework projects, bad, bad. *bangs head on wall like dobby* Not much Dream Team action this segment, I try for humour, most of the time the art of writing it eludes me.

Disclaimer: I am JK Rowling. That means I own these characters. It's also opposite day.

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Malfoy pulled back from her with a fiendish grin and licked his lips. It took Ginny a little bit but when she recovered the use of her senses she made to hit him.

            "Weasley, that's what started this in the first place." Draco scolded as he held her hand away from him.

            "Bugger off Ferret." Ginny squirmed underneath him.

            "Weasley, stop." His voice was commanding and serious suddenly so Ginny stopped.

            "Um…"

            "Yes Weasley?"

            "I don't suppose you'd get off me?"

            "I thought we determined that this was what we were going to do, to spend the time until you leave?"

            "Correction, you thought so."

            "Same thing." He leered at her and she clenched her jaw in anger. "Besides, you kissed back."

            "I never." Ginny denied vehemently, and incorrectly.

            "To prove my point, lets try this again."

            "You know, I'd really rather not. We could talk instead. About ferrets, and cats and how much you hate Harry, and how much – "

            "Shut up Weasley." His mouth lowered over hers once more and Ginny fought, honest she did, but there was only so much one could do to resist the very persuasive charms of Draco Malfoy's mouth.

            Lost in the throes of overwhelming snogging, neither of them heard the door to the dormitory open, nor the delicate coughing noise. It wasn't until someone started hacking up a lung that Malfoy pulled away from Ginny's flushed face and glazed eyes. "What is it Zabini?"

            "Pansy's looking for you."

            "I'm busy."

            "So I'd noticed." Blaise chuckled sinisterly.

            "Look, is there any reason you came to pester me?" Malfoy ground out, keeping his eyes locked on Ginny's face where she refused to look him in the eyes.

            "Pansy…"

            "Right, what did she want?"

            "She says Potter's on the warpath with her," he indicated towards Ginny "brother. And they're looking for you."

            "To hell with them. They can't get me in my dorm room."

            "True. But they know she's with you."

            "Zabini, what's your point?" Draco was fast losing what little patience he was capable of at the moment.

            "My point is, if you're planning on letting her go anytime soon, now would be as good a time as any." Zabini lowered his tone. "The common room is practically empty, and we've got my invisibility cloak."

            Draco looked at Ginny who was now biting her red bottom lip nervously and hopefully. "Fine." He said darkly as he rolled off from over top of her.

            Ginny sat up quickly and scuttled off the bed as quickly as possible, getting far away from Malfoy, smoothing her rumpled clothes down as she moved.

            "C'mon Weasley." He barely glanced at her as he smoothed his own clothes. Blaise was rooting through his trunk quickly, pushing miscellaneous items aside before withdrawing the article he was looking for. "Success." He crowed softly as he handed the robe to a bewildered looking Ginny.

            Her hands held it loosely, unsurely and she looked with a bit of confusion to the two seventh years waiting with nearly identical looks of impatience on their faces.

            "What?"

            "Put the cloak on Weasley."

            "Oh." Ginny pulled the shimmering material over her head and made to follow Draco and Blaise as they headed for the exit of the dormitory. She trotted a little to keep up to their long strides as they strode purposefully through the common room. This looks different from way up high.

            I'm going back to the tower! She sang over and over in her head, nearly missing the exit as Blaise and Draco continued on in front of her.

            The halls weren't crowded but curfew was soon and two Slytherins and the Gryffindor hurried through the dungeons and towards the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny skipped a little bit underneath the cloak as they entered the hallway of the fat lady's portrait. Blaise and Draco stopped and sunk into the shadows and Draco suddenly pulled the invisibility cloak off of Ginny.

            "Remember Weasley," he hissed "I've got a signature. Don't' ever try anything."

            "You don't have to worry about me Malfoy." Ginny ground out in response as she met his flinty gaze. "You got your revenge. But, I'd watch your back."

            Ginny pulled away from the two and flinched as she met Blaise's cold speculative gaze. Quickly she turned and started walking to the portrait, have expecting Malfoy to run from behind her and grab her again. I will not run, show no fear, no fear no fear.

            Ginny was twenty feet from the portrait hole when it happened. She couldn't' move, she ran into a sort of barrier or force field and she couldn't move forward. 

            She strained vainly against it as her heart started beating madly. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no NO, NO, NO!!!! Ginny whipped her head around in panic and looked at the two Slytherins fifteen feet away from her.

            Blaise was looking at Draco with something akin to amusement in his eyes. "You've really done it now Malfoy."

            "Oh shit." Malfoy's eyes widened as Ginny stood looking at them, tears in her eyes.

            "This is not fair." She said quietly. "Not fair. Malfoy, what've you done!?" She begged her amber eyes pleading.

            "Quiet Weasley," Draco rushed forward and grabbed her arm forcefully "and follow me before you wake up the whole bloody castle. Zabini, lets go."

            Ginny rubbed with her free hand at her eyes as she followed behind Draco. "Where're we going?" She sniffled out. This could not be happening, her life sucked. She decided bitterly.

            "Stop your pathetic crying Weasley."  Draco's fingers were digging into Ginny's wrist and she bit her lip against the pain. "We're going back to our dorm, we'll hash this problem out there."

            "Malfoy." With the one word Zabini handed him the shimmery cloak, and Draco in turned passed it over to Ginny, releasing her arm as she draped the cloak over herself.

            If Ginny had thought they were moving quickly to the Gryffindor Common Room, she was now in awe at the speed at which the three students traversed the corridors back to the Slytherin dungeons.

            Once safely through the dark common room and ensconced in the Seventh year boys dorm room, Draco immediately began rifling through his stuff, searching for the slip of parchment the instructions for the soft cloth collar that Ginny had worn as a cat.

            Ginny meanwhile saw the scrap of green cloth resting almost underneath his bed. It must have broken off when he transformed me back. That can't be good. She picked it up and held it gingerly between her fingers. Blaise saw it and snatched it from her.

            "Malfoy. Here." He tossed the strip of cloth to Draco who caught it neatly out of the air. In Draco's other hand was the slip of parchment with the written instructions. He sank down onto his bed behind him and began avidly scanning the contents of the parchment paper. His face blanched and seeing this Ginny paled. Blaise looked disgustingly amused.

            "What? What does it say?" Ginny questioned anxiously, brushing wayward curls out of her face. 

            "Read for yourself." Malfoy thrust the paper in her direction and she grabbed it with a wary look underneath lowered brows cast towards him.

            She skimmed the paper quickly, her eyes widening and her mouth opening a little bit in shock.  Not good! Not good! Her mind chanted at her. Shut up!  She told  her subconscious angrily. An angry frown was now marring her features, a red flush spreading across her cheekbones. "You didn't' read the small print Malfoy." She said dangerously.

            "No. I didn't. A mistake that I don't' believe I'll ever make again." He responded calmly.

            "I can't believe you left it on me when you transfigured me back!" she shook her head as she said this quietly. "How do we undo it."

            "Weasley, your guess is as good as mine. In case you didn't' notice, the 'small print' you mentioned, isn't exactly small print. It's in red, says "read this at all costs before using item" and has several flashing warning signs placed underneath it proclaiming its irreversibility."

            Ginny scowled. "The teachers must know something." She shot a glare at Malfoy.

            He glared right back unflinchingly.

            "Er, I really don't hate to interrupt you two, so I've got an idea." Blaise walked forward. "You do need to go to the teachers," he held up a hand to stop Draco's protests "but if you don't' want to get in trouble, either of you, then all you need is a really good cover story."

            "Have anything in mind Zabini?" Draco asked dryly as he rose and started to slowly pace.

            Blaise grinned, so Ginny frowned. "Actually, I do."

            "Well let's hear it then." Draco was flustered; he kept brushing his hands through his hair.

            "You two can say you were corroborating on a subject of interest to you both, transforming humans. Researching early animagus or something like that. You say you were stupid, both apologize profusely, both proclaim each others innocence profusely and the professors should help you."

            Ginny looked at him balefully. "Why shouldn't he get in trouble? He deserves it. Ten times over. And then some."

            "Weasley, you signed a contract that said you wouldn't get me in trouble." Draco stated with a pointed look at her. Ginny's face blanched as she remembered the exact wording of the contract, then she scowled, as she remembered the repercussion of wizarding contracts broken.

            "Fine. I won't tell. But you'd better appreciate this."

            "This is mutually beneficial. No where is there anything that says I have to be grateful."

            "Shut up."

            "Ouch." Blaise commented snidely with a roll of his eyes. "Shouldn't' you two be going now? Seeing the headmaster and all that?"

            Ginny looked at Draco who smirked back and then he led the way out of the door, not bothering with the invisibility cloak this time, it's usefulness had expired.

            They stopped outside the entrance to Snape's classroom. "What are we doing here?" Ginny asked with a frown. "I thought we had to see Professor Dumbledore…"

            "And how are we supposed to see the headmaster without a teacher to say the password with us?" Draco asked rhetorically as he swung the door open to reveal a sallow Severus Snape working at his desk, marking papers with a perpetual sneer on his face.

"Idiot, moron, stupid, Longbottom, dimwit…" Ginny could hear him muttering sneeringly under his breath as he flipped through the papers and she choked on a laugh.

Snape's head flew up to see the two students in front of him and his brows lowered. "Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing out and about this late? With a Weasley no less?" His raked his scornful gaze over Ginny.

"We're in a bit of a fix Professor." Draco started and Ginny remained silent. "And we need to see Dumbledore."

"What sort of fix?" His eyes went suspiciously to Ginny taking in her pale face. "Your brother has been looking for you. Everywhere."

Ginny nodded. "I know. Only Draco and I – "

"Were doing an experiment. And it went wrong. And now we need Dumbledore's help." Draco cut in quickly with a sly look at Ginny who nodded dumbly in affirmation.

Snape looked suspiciously from Draco to Ginny, his black eyes hard.

"We're prepared to face the consequences sir." Draco said a little stiffly and Ginny thought she saw a quick flash of amusement highlight Snape's eyes.

"What sort of experiment were you two doing?" His voice was worried a little bit and Ginny met Draco's eyes helplessly.

"We were…experimenting with transfiguration. Turning people into animals…"

Snape eyebrows rose a bit. "And?"

"Well that part worked. Honestly, I'm not stupid, I know how to transfigure humans." Draco said a bit defensively.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm not questioning your…ability, but, what went wrong?"

"Oh, err, see, when I turned Weasley into a cat, I put a collar on her…"

Ginny saw him faltering and took up the refrain. "And we didn't know it was a magical collar, he got his mum to send it to him from home, and now there are some – "

"Lingering side-effects." Draco finished.

Snape's eyebrows went up a bit more. "What sort of side effects?" he asked slowly in his nasal voice.

            Draco caught Ginny's eye and nodded. Snape watched curiously as she began to back away, quickly hitting the fifteen foot barrier.

            "She can't any farther than that sir." Draco said, unable to help his mouth from quirking in an amused smirk.

            Ginny boiled in outrage. "It's your fault Malfoy." She said, forgetting there was a professor there.

            "Miss Weasley, as much I would love to listen to you prattle on about blame, this is a matter that must be taken to Professor Dumbledore."

            "Well that's why we came to you!" She said a bit fiercely.

            "Refrain from being impertinent Miss Weasley. Perhaps you were better suited as a cat, I doubt then you could speak."

            Draco smirked widely "That's what I said sir."

            Snape simply cast a quelling glance at Draco, and the vindictive smirk quickly faded from his face.

            "Follow me." With a swirl of robes Snape left his dark class and led the way up to the Headmaster's office.

            Draco shot yet another smirk at Ginny who glared right back, her eyes narrowing. Snape's booted feet made loud footfalls in the stone corridors, and Ginny glanced down at her sock clad feet and shivered. It was cold and her toes were going numb, while shivers prickled along her arms, raising pale hairs. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms to warm them.

            Did I not debate going out in my pyjamas when this whole bloody mess began?? She berated herself. A thick cloak was thrust into her arms. Ginny looked in surprise to Draco, now only in a sweater, and a nicely fitted sweater at that. No Ginny! Bad Ginny!

            "You're cold Weasley, put it on." He hissed at her with an authoritative glare. Ginny shrugged into the heavy cloak and sighed. It was thick and smelled distinctively male.

            She glanced sideways at Draco's impassive face, staring straight ahead. "Th-thank you." She said quickly, her lashes lowering over her eyes in an embarrassed gesture.

            Draco didn't say anything in response; they were at the gargoyle statue, and on their way to see Dumbledore.

            "Peanut Brittle" Snape said, derision apparent in his tone. 

            The stone staircase came spiralling down as the gargoyle pulled away and Ginny's eyes widened in amazement though she'd seen the sight before, back in her first year.

            Dumbledore's office is truly amazing. Ginny thought wonderingly as she looked around, gaped more like it, in awe. She had been so preoccupied the first time she was in here, she hadn't noticed her surroundings at all.

            "Shut your mouth Weasley, bugs will fly in." Draco leaned over and whispered in her ear, his warm breath making her curl her head down towards her shoulder.

            Snape was talking to Dumbledore who was listening with clear blue eyes growing more serious by the moment. Ginny started to fidget nervously while Draco stood with an aura of calmness, watching the proceedings with disguised interest.

Finally Dumbledore turned to look at the two students waiting several paces back from his desk.

            "Well." He said slowly. "Come, take a seat, both of you." He gestured with a hand to the seats in front of his desk. Ginny hurried to sit down on the edge of her seat while Draco leisurely got comfortable.

            "You two are in a bit of a fix." He said very seriously. "And I don't' know if I can help you. I'd need to see the product first hand, and then it will still take some time to figure out how to undo the effects."

            "But it is possible right professor?" Ginny questioned anxiously, her eyes wide in her face, freckles standing out starkly on her cheekbones.

            Dumbledore tilted his head at her seriously. "I'm not sure yet Ginny. I'll try my hardest. And of course, Professors Snape and McGonagall will assist me. You two are after all, from their houses."

            "Professor Dumbledore sir," Draco said 'humbly', "what do we do until then?"

            White brows lowered over serious blues eyes. "You two can't get fifteen feet away from each other correct."

            Ginny and Draco nodded. "Then all I can see that you two may do, is stay within fifteen feet of each other."

            "What?!" cried Ginny.

            "You cant' be serious!" cried Draco. 

            Dumbledore regarded the two students for a moment more, until they were both fidgeting under his stern gaze. "Be thankful I am not expelling you two, for that is an appropriate action in such a case. As it is, 100 points from each your houses and an obviously mutual detention for the next two weeks with whatever teacher has need of assistance."

            Ginny groaned. The whole bloody school would know what happened to her. Her house would be outraged. But Dumbledore was still talking and she quickly tuned back in.

            "What I would like to know," his gaze swung back and forth between the two of them "is why you two in particular decided to work on this 'project'?"

            Ginny shot a panicky glance at Draco who looked at her a mite scornfully before replying.

            "Professor, not to be rude or anything, but I can't see how our relationship" Or lack thereof, he added in his mind. "is any of your business."

            Ginny aghast at Draco's audacity and insolence. But it worked.

            "Ah. Quite right young Draco, quite right. Now, there is the matter of class schedules for the two of you, and sleeping arrangements, for we must consider the possibility that this will not be resolved by school on Monday. As well, your parents must be notified."

            "A-Are you sure professor?" Ginny asked timidly, suddenly horrified that her mum would know of this.

            Snape suddenly broke in. "Perhaps, professor Dumbledore, it would not prudent to Mr. Malfoy's father of this situation, certainly not beneficial at all." He cast a meaningful glance at Dumbledore, who nodded sagely.

            "I see your point Severus and I agree. However, Ginny's parents should be notified."
            "Certainly." Snape acquiesced without a second thought.

            That's it; I'm due for how many howlers now? She groaned to herself.

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AN: Thank you to all you lovely people who made my day by reviewing, Special thanks to taty_chan who informed me that the Brazilian version portrays Blaise as a guy. Nifty. Oh and hey, thanks to princess17 who made my week by spelling grammar, grammer ^_^

Desperados, you may translate this into Russian, email me at eliselowes@hotmail.com.

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