*

"Crabbe, Goyle, what took you two so long? I need to ask you two something, believe it or not," Draco scowled, as he caught them walking in through the trapdoor and into the Slytherin Common Room.

It didn't seem to surprise him in the least when he saw that both of them together had enough crumbs on their faces to make up an entire piece of toast, and that there were orange stains on Goyle's robes where he had spilled pumpkin juice on it. Draco shook his head at them and dragged them by their ties over to the green, leather couch. He pushed them both down and stood with his legs slightly apart in front of them, and crossed his arms over his chest in an intimidating manner. He glared at both of them, making them cower. It was quite a strange sight, seeing as both Crabbe and Goyle were easily two feet taller and wider than Draco.

"W – What happened?" Crabbe stuttered.

"Yeah, w – what did w – we do?" Goyle put in.

"You two did nothing! At least, let me say what I want to say!" Draco said, rolling his eyes and sitting down in the green armchair across from them.

"Um – sure…"

"Well – I'm not sure how to say this, but Parkinson – well – she thinks I – she thinks I like her – and obviously I don't. Can you even imagine thinking of liking a little git like that? And, well, she – she likes me – and – I – can you guys think of something – anything to say to her to tell her I detest having to even think of being in her presence? Except, in a nicer way – or maybe I could do something that'll make it understood… Do you think she'd be able to take a hint like that? Jeez, why do I have to put up with all the girls? Just because I'm popular and I'm the handsome one – doesn't mean it has to be me!" Draco said, kicking the table.

Goyle smiled. It wasn't something one saw often, so this time, Draco was surprised. Crabbe actually laughed. It wasn't a deep, hollow laugh like one would expect from someone like him. Instead, it was a short – giggle, almost. It was rather unbecoming of a Slytherin fifth year, but Draco waved it off. He had bigger Kappas to kill…

"So, advise me already!" he said, prodding them to make them shut up.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Goyle asked.

"You git, that's what I'm asking you to tell me!"

"Well, you could always just tell her the truth," Crabbe said hesitantly.

Draco slumped back down in the chair. He sighed deeply and stared at the bronze snake ornament on the glass table next to his armchair. It seemed to remind him of something, for he suddenly clapped his palm to his forehead and jumped up again.

"I won't tell her the truth! Well, I suppose I will, but I'll lie too – but – it'll be hard… It'll be difficult and unpleasant – but it'll work!" he said, his blue eyes glinting.

There was a look in them that neither Crabbe nor Goyle had seen before. Draco shook his head swiftly and regained his composure and his professional manner as he spoke again.

"Crabbe, Goyle, what do you suppose her reaction would be if I told her that I was – that I liked someone else – namely a girl in another house? And what if I got that girl to like me back?" he said, his mouth twisting into a wicked smile.

"She would go berserk on you. And, well, she'd probably tell the rest of Slytherin, and pretty soon the whole school would know that you liked a – a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw or a – a Gryffindor…" Crabbe said wisely.

"Hmm, you're right, Crabbe – for a change. My reputation would, no doubt, be tarnished by that little white lie. I have to think of something better," Draco said, as he started to pace the room.

"But, well, you could always tell the rest of Slytherin that it's meant as a joke. And, well, you know the reputation that Slytherin itself has. I should think that the girl would be thought of as a – a disgrace, more than you yourself. It's not as though anyone in other houses like you much anyway…" Goyle ranted, but as soon as he spoke he clapped his hand to his mouth, wishing he hadn't said such a thing at all.

Draco rounded on him and gave him a funny look. Goyle shut his eyes and leaned back, wishing he had never said a thing. He was just praying that Draco would think of a less painful way of killing him when something amazing happened. Draco actually complimented him.

"Goyle, you're brilliant. Well, perhaps not brilliant – you aren't nearly as gifted as I am, but nevertheless – it's a plan worth carrying out. But what unsuspecting female shall I use?" he said, going back to his pacing.

"Well, you should use one that is in Gryffindor. She might be harder to – to entice, but if you succeed – I mean, when you succeed, it'll have a bigger impact on everyone," Crabbe suggested.

"You should think of a girl whom you really hate, so that you could really hurt her, or else, someone who is close to someone whom you hate, or maybe even someone who is popular, or something like that, so that everyone who knows that girl would turn on her," Goyle added, shrugging his shoulders.

"Or, maybe, I should use the Weasley girl, seeing as she already was the one who was said to have opened the Chamber of Secrets, a member of the Weasley family which everyone knows I detest, and also, might I add a worshipper of the famous Harry Potter?" Draco said, his smile turning into a malicious grin, and the glint in his eyes growing brighter.

"But how'll you make her like you back? And technically, how will you let her know that you like her?" Goyle asked.

"Well, I've got a detention with her tonight. I can start the – um – the process then. And, well, beyond that, I have ways of planning more detentions. I'm sure Professor Snape will be more than happy to get her into trouble. I'll just have to find a way to get myself into trouble to – and somehow at the same time…"

"Ginny Weasley, though, she's a fourth year – and you don't even know her that well. How are you going to make it seem – how'll she think you're telling the truth when you say you – um – like her?" Crabbe asked.

"Really, now, since when were you two so talkative?" Draco remarked, bringing both Crabbe and Goyle down back to their original lowly positions with a nasty bump.

"Sorry…"

"You had better be. But, to make up, why don't you bring little Pansy Parkinson to me, and then spread the word to everyone else in Slytherin about the great plan that I have thought up? No, don't tell them what I've decided to do. You're bound to twist my words with your foolish words. Tell them that there is to be a Slytherin meeting tomorrow morning at six, down in one of the empty dungeons that Professor Snape no longer uses for classes. They'll know which one I'm talking about. But first, tell Parkinson to meet me near the broomshed at eleven tonight. I've got a surprise for her…"

*

"Stupid Malfoy and his stupid brain and his stupid words and his stupid blonde hair and his stupid blue eyes and his stupid family and his stupid evil grin – if it weren't for him I wouldn't have been in this stupid mess… Hmm – strange how the words Malfoy and mess and malign and mean all start with an 'M'. Then again, perhaps it isn't strange. It isn't surprising to see that the adjective 'stupid' can describe so many words – mainly those related to stupid Draco Malfoy and his stupid little bodyguards, stupid Crabbe and stupid Goyle…"

Ginny was muttering to herself as she dragged her feet down all the twisted hallways and staircases to Professor McGonagall's office. It was the time of her detention, and she had never dreaded something more than this. As she reached out her hand for the door knob of her office, she felt a shiver down her back. She dismissed it, but soon, she saw a pale hand on top of hers. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at its owner, snatching her own hand away.

Draco Malfoy was staring down at her out of his blue eyes, and for once in his life, he was smiling at her. It wasn't the kind of smiles she usually saw on his face – those of hatred, or the evil grins that usually followed his nasty, sneering remarks about her crush on Harry, or the familiar smirks that she saw on his face after the statements he made about Hermione and her 'Mudblood-ness'. This smile, however, was different. It changed his face completely. It made him look almost – kind.

Ginny shuddered at the thought. She shut her mouth as soon as she realized how awkward she must have looked after her jaw dropped on the sight of Draco smiling. She scowled at him.

Scowl, sneer, and smirk – they all start with an 'S', just like Slytherin and snake and stupid. And smile…

Ginny shook her head again, trying desperately to get such thoughts out of her head. She glared at Draco again, and was pleased to see that he had given up on smiling. It certainly wasn't the easiest thing for him to do.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" he asked softly.

Give up the nice thing, already. It's making me think that I'm delusional.

Ginny grabbed the handle and pushed the door open before Draco could say anything else. Professor McGonagall was sitting behind her desk, with her glasses placed precariously on the edge of her nose, grading some papers. Ginny strained her eyes and saw, with relief, that they had been written by some first years.

"Yes, Miss Weasley – ah, Mr. Malfoy, you two have come for your detention, have you not? Well, Mr. Malfoy, you are having detention with Professor Sprout, tonight. I do believe that she requested you to be in Greenhouse Five by nine o'clock, so I suggest you run. Miss Weasley, Professor Lupin had asked for you to help him in his office. I hope I am not mistaken in saying that you know where the office for the Defense professors is?" she said, staring at them both over her glasses.

"Um, I'll get going then…" Malfoy muttered.

Ginny was pleased to see that he was finally frowning at them all. She wasn't sure why. She just hoped it wasn't because they were serving their detentions separately. She was happy to learn of that, and she couldn't see any reason for him to be upset.

"Um, Professor McGonagall, did you mean Professor Lupin or Professor Hornsby?" Ginny asked slowly.

"Professor Lupin, of course, didn't you know he was back? Oh, but, of course, you're one of those who signed up for Advanced Defense classes, didn't you? Well, yes, Professor Lupin is back, owing to the – circumstances of what had happened last year. He actually talked to Dumbledore to ask if he could get his job back… Oh, but enough of that, you have a detention to go to! And, might I add, don't look upon yourself as lucky, Miss Weasley.
You are in detention, and if my memory is correct, Professor Lupin doesn't take the word detention lightly at all…"

Ginny smiled weakly and walked out, shutting the door behind her. She gulped at the thought of what Professor Lupin might have in store for her, but then, with a smile, she thought of how happy Ron, Hermione, and Harry would be when they knew.

Oh, but they probably already know – unless – well – maybe they don't know. If they had known, they probably would have been talking about it. And he wasn't at the Professors' Table for the Welcome Feast in the Great Hall… I suppose he must have come late. Oh, I hope I'll be the first to tell them!

With similar thoughts in mind, Ginny rushed down the halls until she had reached his office. Panting just slightly, she put her hand on the door knob, and, sending all thoughts of Draco Malfoy out of her mind completely; she opened the door and walked in. She couldn't help but smile. There was a fish tank on the window sill, a briefcase on the desk, and an Augurey in a golden cage on the floor in a corner. Somewhere behind the desk, Ginny could hear Professor Lupin scuffling about, rummaging through some papers.

"Professor Lupin, is that you? It's me, Ginny Weasley. Professor McGonagall told me that I – that I had detention with you."

He stood up and looked at her for a moment, his sandy hair with its few silver streaks all on end from lack of maintenance. He smiled at her, and Ginny could do nothing more than grin back. Then, she wasn't sure why, but she ran forward and flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Professor Lupin, though taken slightly back, stroked her fiery hair affectionately.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Weasley."

"It's great to have you back, Professor Lupin. Ron's going to be so surprised! And Hermione's going to just love having you back! Oh, and Harry –"

"I know, Ginny. I know. And I daresay you know why I've come back, too, hmm?" he asked, pulling away from her.

"Sir, is it because – oh, no… I thought Mum and Dad were only joking. You don't mean that – oh, it's like – oh, my dream!" Ginny squealed, biting her nails and backing up against the wall.

"Ginny, what are you talking about – what – dream?" Professor Lupin asked her, going down to his knees so that he could look straight into her eyes.

Ginny looked back. She gulped once more. She didn't know where to begin. But begin she had to – somewhere – sometime – that much she did know for sure.

*