AN: Bwahahaha. Not as long as usual – it's late, my parents are in bed, and if I stay up any later, I risk getting…well some sort of privilege taken away from me…because you know, I live at home…Ugh. Re-posted because it' now SPELLCHECKED! But still, forgive the errors that may have seeped in here.


Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

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That night Ginny sat in her partitioned off corner of the hospital ward, attempting to sleep. A light shone through the heavy partition from Malfoy's corner of the room. With a 'humph' she rolled over and faced the tall paned window, through which bright stars were shining. It would be peaceful and soothing if she weren't so troubled.

            Ron had been in to see her, exploded and then been dragged out by Harry and Hermione. It was Draco's fault of course. He goaded Ron on wickedly; perhaps he had a death wish. Ginny didn't know, and Ginny didn't really care. She hoped. She could still feel his lips on hers as she lay in the dark and it disturbed her. Not because she still felt them, though that in and of itself was odd, but because she wished he would do it again. It was enough for her to be sent to St. Mungo's she was sure.

            The light from the other side of the partition went out and all that could be heard were rustling sounds as the Slytherin settled into his bed to sleep. Yet still that blessed unconsciousness was eluding Ginny and she rolled and threw her blankets off her with a gusty sigh.

            She 'eeped' as Malfoy's voice suddenly cut through the darkness. "Weasel," his voice was hoarse from tiredness and fatigue, and thick with exasperation "stop tossing. You're keeping me up."

            Ginny moved her mouth derisively, miming his words with a sneer. "And we can't have you not getting your beauty sleep can we?" she snorted to herself as she pulled her blankets back up around her.

            "I heard that." Came the groggy voice.

            "Whatever."

            "Stop talking."

            "You just always need the last word don't you."

            "This is ridiculous; I am not getting into a childish spat at three o'clock in the morning about the last word." Draco's voice was accompanied by a snort.

            Ginny refused to answer as she burrowed her head on her pillow; she started to count the stars in individual panes, softly under her breath and slowly, slowly, sleep overtook her.

            The morning sunlight slanted into Ginny's eyes. She groaned and pulled the blankets up around her head. Unexpectedly a shadow moved in front of the sun's rays and she murmured a tired thank you and brought her head out from underneath blanket, catching a glimpse of a stony Blaise Zabini by her bed. She shot up into a sitting position like a rocket.            

            "What are you doing here?" She yelped and rubbed at her sleep encrusted eyes.

            "He's waking you up so I don't miss breakfast." Draco pulled the partition back, already showered and dressed. "Don't even think of trying to make me late. You stay too long in the shower, and I'll drag you down to breakfast naked."

            Ginny blinked at him owlishly as she rolled ungracefully off her bed into a standing pose. "It is way too early to deal with you." She murmured as she stumbled past him on the way to the loo.

            Draco smirked at her retreating back.

            "So what's the story about…you know?" Blaise questioned as Ginny withdrew from sight.

            "Oh. What we discussed. Pretty much." Draco's head cocked to the side as he considered what they had told the professors. "We had to do a bit of improv."

            Blaise quirked an eyebrow exquisitely "How so?"

            "When they asked why she and I were working together on this project."

            Blaise grinned evilly. "What did you tell them?"

            "That it wasn't any of their business." He glared at Blaise who laughed suddenly.

            "So they took it to mean you two are…you know…"

            "Most likely." Draco said glowering at his shoes.

            Blaise laughed shortly and Draco scowled at him. "It's not funny Zabini; my reputation will be shot."

            "Yours?! What about mine?" Ginny walked out with damp hair hanging around her shoulders. "You don't have to face an angry brother!"

            "She's got a point Draco." He turned to Ginny "That was fast."

            "When you've got six brothers, you learn quickly that hot water doesn't last long." She said dryly, moving past him and closing the partition.

Ginny struggled on a sweater, and quickly, without bothering to dry her hair, wound it up into a hasty bun. She pulled on her jeans and shoes just as quickly, and by the time she was done, was flushed from the exertion and speed at which she had been moving.

"Finally." Malfoy said as she walked back into their sight and out of her separated cubicle.

Ginny scrunched her nose at him and slung her book bag over her sweater as they three walked out of the hospital wing and down to the dining hall.

Students were still filing in when Ginny and Draco arrived with Blaise. Ginny shot a glance towards the Gryffindor table and moved a few steps, while Draco moved a several steps towards his own house table.

Ginny shot a disbelieving glance at Draco who returned it darkly. "If you even think I will eat among dirty Gryffindors, you've got another thing coming Weasley." He stated forebodingly.

"Well what about me?! I'm supposed to eat with Slytherins?! How is that fair?"

Draco smirked and started to walk towards the Slytherin table. "It's not. Deal with it, you're making a scene."

Ginny caught the angry gaze her brother shot at Malfoy as she reluctantly followed his long strides. Great, why doesn't someone just kill me now.  

Ginny shrunk further and further down in her seat at the Slytherin table avoiding the heated and angry glares of the house that were being sent her way. Her face was in a permanent state of red embarrassment and she could fairly feel Draco's glee at her discomfort exuding from him in waves. She barely touched her meal as the surly Slytherins grumbled and narrowed their eyes menacingly at her.

If I wasn't so intimidated, I might think they were funny the way they are all shooting me the same faces and saying the same things. 'How to be Slytherin' lessons. I wonder if they give those in first year…Ginny mused in speculation.

Blaise looked at hunched figure of Ginny and took momentary pity of her discomfort. She wasn't such a bad sort after all…well, that was debateable. "Hey Weasley, just wait till you have classes with him." He grinned evilly at her. He was great at the whole 'comfort' thing.

Ginny ducked her head further and inched away from Draco and accidently backed into one Pansy Parkinson as the Slytherin Seventh year slid into the vacant seat by Ginny.

"Eep." Ginny jumped, causing several pairs of eyes to become riveted on her. She blushed and tried to hide.

"Weasley," Pansy spoke quickly, jabbing one finger into Ginny's arm. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Ginny was bewildered. "Huh?" she answered wittily.

"I mean, what the hell were you thinking getting Draco in trouble like this? You must have a death wish." Pansy's face contorted into what Ginny supposed Pansy thought was an intimidating stare.

Ginny turned and glared fiercely at Draco who was laughing silently, grey eyes flashing. "What did you tell them happened?" She demanded with narrowed eyes.

"Why Weasley, surely you remember hexing me and it backfiring…"

"I hate you."

"Likewise." He turned to his plate without a second glance.

Ginny shot a sly glance at the smirking form of Pansy on the other side of her. "That's not what it seemed like when you were snogging me silly." She shot a triumphant look at Draco's suddenly appalled face and smirked.

Blaise laughed and Pansy just stared in shock at Draco. "What?" She gasped out.

"Don't worry Parkinson, I didn't want him to." Ginny said quickly. "I fought, but he was insistent; you don't have to worry about me taking him away from you." Ginny intentionally made it worse.

"What?!" Pansy yelled shrilly.

Ginny began to eat her food in satisfaction.

"Little bitch." Draco hissed in her ear before turning to placate Pansy. Ginny simply smiled at her food and winked at Blaise who was shaking his head at her in awe.

"Spunky." He said quietly to himself.

"What were doing?" Draco rounded on her outside of the hall.

"What were you doing?" Ginny shot back at him, glaring up at him. She was by no means short, but Draco still made her feel as if she was three feet tall.

"Look Weasley," Draco ground his teeth and a sneered as he closed his eyes. He looked like he was swallowing something very difficult, his pride "since we're going to be in very close quarters for the next little while, we're making a truce."

"We are?" Ginny asked sceptically, loathing and disbelief etched on her face.

"Weasley, yes." He stated firmly. "You stop making my life miserable, and I'll try to refrain from making yours any worse."

"Bite me." Ginny turned, thinking to walk away, but Malfoy grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"I don't know how far away you were planning on getting." he smirked at her chagrin "And Weasley, we will have a truce."

Ginny looked up at him and was suddenly caught up in his intense gaze. "Uh…" She managed to say. Oh brilliant Ginny, ruddy brilliant. You get manhandled by the devil incarnate and all you can think of is 'uh…'. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.

"Weasley, where do you want to go?"

Ginny looked at him in shock. "What?"

Draco grew irritated. "Are you deaf Weasley?"

"Oh, no. I was just surprised you asked." She wrapped her hands nervously in the hem of her shirt as Draco let go of her arms.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you being deliberately annoying?"

"No…" Ginny said slowly.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm going to do homework in…our room." He grimaced at the term. "Let's go." Draco turned and began striding down the hall and Ginny rushed to catch up.

The sound of quills scratching parchment and thick pages being turned filled the makeshift double room as Draco wrote and Ginny read her textbooks. Snow began to fall in thick flakes through the window. Ginny, curled in the chair on her side of the room, glanced through the panes and smiled to herself in pleasure. The partition had been pulled back when the two had come back in and neither had bothered to push it back into place, leaving the room open and bright.

Draco saw the snow falling outside the window from his desk and grinned. It was the first snow of the season. With another small smile he turned back to his homework.

Three people burst into the peaceful atmosphere with riotous noise.

"Ginny!"

"Gin!"

"Malfoy?!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and Draco with a look of exasperation shot at Ginny stood up languidly and with very deliberate motions, pulled the partition closed.

Ginny turned to her brother, Harry and Hermione, her brows lifted in question.

"We came to see how you're coping with dealing with Ferret-boy." Ron said seriously.

Ginny shook her head a bit. She had been feeling so calm before the three stooges had come in. Ron interpreted her gesture as one of distress at Malfoy's presence and relief at their arrival. Hermione moved to comfort her.

"Oh Ginny…" She sat down on the arm of the chair and leaned down around her. "We're sorry we didn't keep Malfoy away from you like we said we would. Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything?"

A retching sound came through the partition and Ginny stifled a smirk. Dear god, it takes you two days and that's the apology you come up with. Somehow I'm not surprised. Dumbasses.

"I know." She said softly, meekly and gave Hermione a pathetically happy grin. "But I'm so glad you came and said that too me. It doesn't make me feel as bad now. Thanks to all of you." Give me an Oscar right now

Ginny almost blew it by laughing at the pure relief that shone on Ron and Harry's faces. At the same time, she felt a bitter resentment towards them.

I hate you, I hate you, go away, go away. She chanted in her head. Smiling sweetly, she listened to them talk to her, responding quickly and shortly, hoping they'd get the hint and leave.  And still they talked on.  

Draco threw down his quill. He couldn't concentrate with the chattering of the Gryffindors just beyond the separation. He ran long hands through now thoroughly messy hair. He could just see the grins and smiles of the cheerful dream team. And then without warning, in his head he saw the exasperated face of Ginny as she listened to them, her irritation and her sadness.

Draco smirked to himself. Those three heroes were probably so self-involved they couldn't even see what Ginny was thinking if she screamed it at their thick heads. He realized that Hermione and Harry and Ron were doing all the talking and he began to tap on his desk.

Why won't they leave? He asked himself over and over. Can't they tell Weasley's not responding?

"Damn Gryffs…" he muttered as his unseeing gaze moved to the snow falling outside. With a sudden movement, he stood and pulled the partition back.

Ron froze mid-sentence, Harry glared and Hermione frowned.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice that you three dimwits are still here." Draco said coldly.

Ginny stifled a laugh in her hand (let it never be said she didn't appreciate wit when aimed at her brother) and Ron looked at her suspiciously.

"No one asked you to come in here Ferret. Leave." Ron hissed.

"No one asked you to come in here either Weasley. And I'm trying to do homework."

Ron looked at Ginny. "My sister's here. I can come visit if I want."

"Ah but does she want?" He raised his brows and sneered at the three. Poor Ron looked confused as Ginny blushed. Hermione shot a perceptive look at Ginny and had the good grace to redden when she finally realized that Ginny was tired and angry.

"Um. We're going to go." Hermione dragged the bewildered boys out after her.

Draco watched them go with a flinty look, before retreating back to his desk once more.

"Thanks." The whisper was so soft that he almost wasn't sure if he heard it. "I didn't do it for you." He answered equally as soft.

"I know." Ginny stared at the pages in her book but couldn't read the text for the tears blurring her amber hued eyes. Why did her brother and friends have to be so dense? Why couldn't they just be…normal? Why couldn't she just be normal? Life was full of Angst. Damn.

Draco listened to her quiet sniffles and barely suppressed a roar of outrage; first the dream team disrupted his homework, now this. In disgust, he threw down his quill once more. "Weasley, if wallow in self-pity you must, do it quietly."

Ginny looked over at him with burning eyes. "You should've just left me as a cat."

"A problem that will soon be remedied if you don't stop your howling."

"Why are you so insensitive?" Ginny asked, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes.

"Genetics." Draco drawled dryly and Ginny grinned half-heartedly.

"Don't worry I'll stop. Those three aren't' worth my time anyways."

"Truer words were never spoken." Draco tried to keep going on his homework, but now he was unable to concentrate and his gaze kept going back to the snow falling thickly. He could hear screams and shouts of laughter from outside. He started tapping his quill.

Ginny looked at the tapping quill in irritation. Now she was reading her texts and he was distracting her. "Stop it Malfoy."

"Stop what?"

"Tapping your quill."

He stopped suddenly, looking at his hands in shock as if he'd never seen them before. Ginny smirked at the look on his face.

"Weasley, I want to go outside."

Ginny sighed. "Now?"

"Yes."

"Fine." She shut her book and started to rise. Standing and seeing Draco grab his warm clothes, her face paled and she sat back down.

"C'mon Weasley, let's go." He turned an angry face to her. Ginny crossed her arms.

            "No."

            "Why not?" He tossed his green and grey Slytherin scarf around his neck.

            Ginny's face was red as she mumbled something to herself.

            "Weasley, stop it and tell me why not." His stance was commanding and Ginny flushed harder, her eyes sparking.

            "Fine. It's because I don't have any winter things this year. I'll go out there and freeze." She spat this at him and glared, waiting for his laughter, retort, scathing remark. She was totally unprepared for what happened.

            "Huh." He nodded thoughtfully, obviously restraining a smirk. "Then you can borrow my cloak and gloves."

            Ginny's mouth dropped open. "Who are you and what did you do to the real evil, sadistic bastard Malfoy?"

            "Why Weasley I'm hurt," he tossed her a heavy cloak, warm woollen mitts, a sweater and a black toque. "If you're going to insult me, at least get it right. You forgot, cruel, insensitive, Death-eater, mama's-boy, prick, and pansy. Learn to be original." He chided her.

            Ginny's mouth remained open in shock. Was he joking with her?? Waiting for the catch, she pulled on his heavy cloak over his sweater and then wrapped her own red and yellow scarf around her neck. She stared at him confused, and watched him out of the corner of her eyes as she walked beside him to the exit.

            The snowball was unexpected. It hit Ginny in the stomach as she came out the front door; another got Draco on the chest. Students had set up an ambush for the front entrance and were pelting their peers exiting the castle into the courtyard.

            Ginny laughed and ducked to the ground as another came flying and Draco followed, a petulant frown on his face. "Lighten up Malfoy, you're the one who wanted to come out here in the first place."

            Ginny's eyes were sparkling in fun, red curls were escaping from the toque and falling into her eyes; the auburn locks liberally dusted with snow. 

            "Shut up Kitten." He said snidely back to her.

            Ginny made a face at him then surreptitiously loaded snow up in one hand, and then shoved it in his face. Jumping up, she ran, Fifteen feet away. Then stopped. Malfoy stood up and grinned. "Dumbass." He said with a smirk.

            Ginny threw a snowball. It got him in the chest once more. She grinned and ducked low to the ground as incoming missiles were flying from all directions.

            Malfoy moved towards her quickly and Ginny ran further. Draco ran to overtake her. His longer strides allowed him to over take her and with a leap, he tackled her to the ground.

            Rolling so she didn't break anything as Draco tackled her, Ginny suddenly found herself on top of him, held closely. His eyes took on an evil glint and she struggled to pull away from him, laughing at the sight of the patches of snow all over his face.

            Draco quickly rolled over so Ginny was underneath his body. Using his knees, he held in her in place while in one hand he scooped up snow. Ginny's eyes grew wide but she couldn't stop laughing and panting from running.

            "Payback time Ginny." Draco said with an evil grin as he thrust the snow into her face.

            Ginny sputtered and struggled and suddenly the snow was gone, leaving a cold tingling sensation all over her face and down her shirt where melted snow was dripping. Instead she was now looking up into Malfoy's very close face, laughing softly, a grin parting her red lips.

            Draco smiled at her, his cheeks had red spots on them and his breath was mingling with hers in the icy air. He leaned in closer and Ginny waited.

The kiss sent fire down to Ginny's toes and her stomach clenched funnily as he continued kissing her in the cold snow.

A snowball hit them with a 'splat'. "Malfoy! Get off her before her brother comes." Blaise glared at the two.

Draco broke away from Ginny, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Bastard." Ginny said as she smacked his arm roughly.

"You only say that because you enjoyed it." He shot back at her.

"You wish." She responded as she ignored his hand outstretched to help her to her feet.

"Geez Malfoy, if snog her you must, for chrissake don't do it public where there are students watching. Imagine what would happen if Potter and his friends found out, and then Pansy found out, and then Snape found out and then all her brothers found out and then – "

"I get your point Zabini. Dire consequences, fate worse than death, etc, etc."

"At least one of you is paying attention." Blaise motioned towards Ginny who was staring behind Blaise with blank expression of shock and terror on her face. Draco looked beyond Blaise as well and all colour faded from his face. Blaise whirled. There were at least fifteen students staring at the three.

"How much do you think they saw?" Ginny whispered in horror out of the side of her mouth.

"Judging from their expressions of terror and evil glee, enough to ensure your lives are going to be living hells." Blaise said. "But look on the bright side, now the professors will believe your story about why you were working together in the first place."

"Thanks for the optimism." Draco commented dryly.

"Suddenly, I don't feel like being outside." Ginny said quietly, soberly.

Draco nodded curtly and strode of towards the castle, Ginny and Blaise walking a few steps behind him. He was Draco Malfoy, and anyone who dared to cross him, watch out.

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AN2: now go, click and review. Thank you to all who have reviewed, too many of you to name, but suffice it to say, when my inbox is full of review alerts, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Much like when you dream about spooning with Draco Malfoy on a couch……mmm. Uh…right. Review. ^_^ (I am not a freak)

Magic Girl, I agree with you about the nice Draco. He's so much cooler when he's evil. Harder to write too…