Okay, here's my excuses: I moved, I got a boyfriend, we got a new puppy who
isn't housebroken, I don't have any furniture, and I lost my Avril Lavigne
CD. Yes, I know none of them are legitimate, but at least I have some!
Okay, reviewer responses. And I apologize for capitals where they aren't supposed to be, it's the word processor.
Riotgirl1197: I'm sorry about the long wait, especially as I was asked so kindly by so many people to update soon. Thanks for the "favs" label, I'm loving every minute of it!
Forbidden: Glad you found it amusing, I apologize for my distinct lack of humor in this chapter. Actually, I apologize for this chapter in general, it really sucked.
Skyblusilver: Yes, I am trying to make Ginny seem very able to fend for herself. Too many people portray her otherwise. I agree that Draco is too nice, but don't worry, he's not like that to everyone. I'm afraid there won't be a whole ton of fluff in this story, but I promise you at least two more scenes, and I'll try to make 'em long, just for you!
MeteorLight8: That particular question is exactly why I wrote this story. How did Ginny get over Harry and together with Michael? I don't think JKR is going to clear that up, so I decided to figure it out for myself. And it's gonna be hard making it fit in with the original story (remember, this takes place in Book 4).
Mayday20: I plan to! If you like my writing, you can look at my other stories, although they're all single-pages so far except this one.
Kawaiiness (sorry if I totally screwed your name up!): Michael will come into the picture later, but he definitely will have a part. It was said in Book 5 that Ginny met him at the Yule Ball and got together with him at the end of the school year, so I'm going with that. But you're right, I haven't mentioned him yet. And thank you for putting me on your favorites list! You're the first!
Kerbi: Ooh, did the review arrow turn out okay? I forgot to check! No, no margarine, I wasn't sure how to fit it in with the Quidditch context. But see if you can find it in this chapter, I promise you will enjoy it.
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Ginny took a deep breath and walked up to Draco Malfoy. She was about to do one of the hardest things she'd ever done. "Malfoy, can I have a minute?" she asked. A brief smile passed across his face, soon replaced by his usual look of cold indifference. She led him into a nearby passage. Then she realized what passage it was and felt her face turn red.
"What do you want, Weasley?" Malfoy asked, looking around. "This isn't going to be a repeat performance, is it? Because I happen to like my jaw the way it is."
"No, I was just wondering if. if you still wanted to help me in Potions," Ginny blurted out quickly, getting it over with.
"Oh, so now you're admitting you need it, hmm?"
Swallow your pride, Ginny told herself. "Yes, I do. Will you help me?"
"With Potions? Or is this just an excuse to get me alone?" Malfoy raised one eyebrow and smiled seductively.
That was it. One person could only swallow so much pride without choking on it. "No, I do not want to get you alone, you pervert! I just got my third D from Snape and-" Ginny stopped abruptly. She hadn't meant to tell him that. But too late now. "And I have to raise my grade or my mum will kill me," she finished lamely.
"Your third D?" Malfoy looked surprised. That wasn't good. Not much could faze him. "You do need help!"
"Yes, I do, or else I wouldn't be asking you of all people for it!"
"Why not Granger?"
That stopped Ginny in her tracks. She hadn't thought of Hermione. It was obvious now. She felt stupid. "I- she has a lot of homework."
"I'm in her year, you know. I have the same amount of homework she does."
Ginny wished she could disappear. "I guess I'll ask her then. Sorry for bothering you." She started to walk past him, but he stepped in her way.
"I didn't say I wouldn't help you."
Ginny felt even more stupid now. Why on earth had she asked Malfoy anyway? She couldn't pay him, she barely knew him, and besides, he was a Slytherin after all. "Never mind. It's okay, I should have thought of Hermione before." She knew why she had asked him. Because he had seemed so nice the previous day. He had led her on, just like she had sworn she wouldn't let him. "Move it, Malfoy."
He did. She almost wished he hadn't- this was proof that he wasn't himself. She snorted inwardly. As if she needed proof, after the last two weeks. Kissing Draco Malfoy. What had she been thinking? And enjoying it too!
"Weasley?" Malfoy was looking at her, puzzled. She realized she had been standing there glaring at him for twenty seconds. She felt as if she had a balloon inside her, a balloon full of her anger, confusion, frustration, and energy, and that Malfoy had just popped it. She didn't know why. He hadn't said or done anything wrong. But somehow, that one little word was enough to trigger an avalanche of her pent-up emotions. She watched helplessly as her lips moved of their own accord.
"Just shut up, Malfoy! Shut your sniveling, lying, smirking face! Stop trying to take advantage of me, stop pretending you're a decent person! I've known you since I came to Hogwarts and in all that time you've never said one civil word to me! Not one! Not until you started seeing me as another pretty little toy to play with, another girl to say you've snogged! And I was stupid enough to believe that I could change you. Well, I was wrong! You are a cruel, arrogant idiot! I would rather eat a tub of margarine and Snape's hair grease than-"
"Ginny."
"-spend one more minute wasting my- what?"
"I said, Ginny."
Ginny deflated. Well, the balloon did.
Malfoy was looking at her with a strange emotion on his face. "I don't think you're a toy to play with. I don't want to take advantage of you. I don't even care if you snog me or not. Just- don't yell at me."
Ginny took a deep breath and let it out. Then she realized what the emotion in his eyes was. It was respect.
"Do you want help in Potions?" Malfoy was looking at her eyes, not her hair.
"Yes, I would."
"Okay. I'll meet you in the dungeon next to Snape's classroom tonight at five."
"Could you make it six? I want to go watch- I mean, I have something else I'm doing at five." Ginny blushed. She had been watching Harry's Quidditch practices lately.
Malfoy murmured something. Ginny caught the words 'obsessed' and 'life'. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing. I'll see you at six then."
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Really sorry about the long wait and the sucky short chapter, I have had writers' block, but I swear I'll put the next chapter up soon! * offers butt for kicking * And it will be better, I promise!
Okay, reviewer responses. And I apologize for capitals where they aren't supposed to be, it's the word processor.
Riotgirl1197: I'm sorry about the long wait, especially as I was asked so kindly by so many people to update soon. Thanks for the "favs" label, I'm loving every minute of it!
Forbidden: Glad you found it amusing, I apologize for my distinct lack of humor in this chapter. Actually, I apologize for this chapter in general, it really sucked.
Skyblusilver: Yes, I am trying to make Ginny seem very able to fend for herself. Too many people portray her otherwise. I agree that Draco is too nice, but don't worry, he's not like that to everyone. I'm afraid there won't be a whole ton of fluff in this story, but I promise you at least two more scenes, and I'll try to make 'em long, just for you!
MeteorLight8: That particular question is exactly why I wrote this story. How did Ginny get over Harry and together with Michael? I don't think JKR is going to clear that up, so I decided to figure it out for myself. And it's gonna be hard making it fit in with the original story (remember, this takes place in Book 4).
Mayday20: I plan to! If you like my writing, you can look at my other stories, although they're all single-pages so far except this one.
Kawaiiness (sorry if I totally screwed your name up!): Michael will come into the picture later, but he definitely will have a part. It was said in Book 5 that Ginny met him at the Yule Ball and got together with him at the end of the school year, so I'm going with that. But you're right, I haven't mentioned him yet. And thank you for putting me on your favorites list! You're the first!
Kerbi: Ooh, did the review arrow turn out okay? I forgot to check! No, no margarine, I wasn't sure how to fit it in with the Quidditch context. But see if you can find it in this chapter, I promise you will enjoy it.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Ginny took a deep breath and walked up to Draco Malfoy. She was about to do one of the hardest things she'd ever done. "Malfoy, can I have a minute?" she asked. A brief smile passed across his face, soon replaced by his usual look of cold indifference. She led him into a nearby passage. Then she realized what passage it was and felt her face turn red.
"What do you want, Weasley?" Malfoy asked, looking around. "This isn't going to be a repeat performance, is it? Because I happen to like my jaw the way it is."
"No, I was just wondering if. if you still wanted to help me in Potions," Ginny blurted out quickly, getting it over with.
"Oh, so now you're admitting you need it, hmm?"
Swallow your pride, Ginny told herself. "Yes, I do. Will you help me?"
"With Potions? Or is this just an excuse to get me alone?" Malfoy raised one eyebrow and smiled seductively.
That was it. One person could only swallow so much pride without choking on it. "No, I do not want to get you alone, you pervert! I just got my third D from Snape and-" Ginny stopped abruptly. She hadn't meant to tell him that. But too late now. "And I have to raise my grade or my mum will kill me," she finished lamely.
"Your third D?" Malfoy looked surprised. That wasn't good. Not much could faze him. "You do need help!"
"Yes, I do, or else I wouldn't be asking you of all people for it!"
"Why not Granger?"
That stopped Ginny in her tracks. She hadn't thought of Hermione. It was obvious now. She felt stupid. "I- she has a lot of homework."
"I'm in her year, you know. I have the same amount of homework she does."
Ginny wished she could disappear. "I guess I'll ask her then. Sorry for bothering you." She started to walk past him, but he stepped in her way.
"I didn't say I wouldn't help you."
Ginny felt even more stupid now. Why on earth had she asked Malfoy anyway? She couldn't pay him, she barely knew him, and besides, he was a Slytherin after all. "Never mind. It's okay, I should have thought of Hermione before." She knew why she had asked him. Because he had seemed so nice the previous day. He had led her on, just like she had sworn she wouldn't let him. "Move it, Malfoy."
He did. She almost wished he hadn't- this was proof that he wasn't himself. She snorted inwardly. As if she needed proof, after the last two weeks. Kissing Draco Malfoy. What had she been thinking? And enjoying it too!
"Weasley?" Malfoy was looking at her, puzzled. She realized she had been standing there glaring at him for twenty seconds. She felt as if she had a balloon inside her, a balloon full of her anger, confusion, frustration, and energy, and that Malfoy had just popped it. She didn't know why. He hadn't said or done anything wrong. But somehow, that one little word was enough to trigger an avalanche of her pent-up emotions. She watched helplessly as her lips moved of their own accord.
"Just shut up, Malfoy! Shut your sniveling, lying, smirking face! Stop trying to take advantage of me, stop pretending you're a decent person! I've known you since I came to Hogwarts and in all that time you've never said one civil word to me! Not one! Not until you started seeing me as another pretty little toy to play with, another girl to say you've snogged! And I was stupid enough to believe that I could change you. Well, I was wrong! You are a cruel, arrogant idiot! I would rather eat a tub of margarine and Snape's hair grease than-"
"Ginny."
"-spend one more minute wasting my- what?"
"I said, Ginny."
Ginny deflated. Well, the balloon did.
Malfoy was looking at her with a strange emotion on his face. "I don't think you're a toy to play with. I don't want to take advantage of you. I don't even care if you snog me or not. Just- don't yell at me."
Ginny took a deep breath and let it out. Then she realized what the emotion in his eyes was. It was respect.
"Do you want help in Potions?" Malfoy was looking at her eyes, not her hair.
"Yes, I would."
"Okay. I'll meet you in the dungeon next to Snape's classroom tonight at five."
"Could you make it six? I want to go watch- I mean, I have something else I'm doing at five." Ginny blushed. She had been watching Harry's Quidditch practices lately.
Malfoy murmured something. Ginny caught the words 'obsessed' and 'life'. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing. I'll see you at six then."
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Really sorry about the long wait and the sucky short chapter, I have had writers' block, but I swear I'll put the next chapter up soon! * offers butt for kicking * And it will be better, I promise!