Malfoy Invasion

By Cassandra Sisenta

A/N: Well, I'm back again. ^_^ Thanks so much for the reviews! Now, there isn't any D/G interaction in this one because I still want to introduce my characters a bit more, but don't worry! It'll come in a more appropriate time. Come on people! It's only the first day of school! Read and review now!!

DISCLAIMER: Draco: **comes in looking disgruntled** Ginny loves me and I love her, but only in this fic because the author is insane and isn't J.K. Rowling. Hell am I happy…

Chapter V

Look Who's Watching

The following day, the official first day of classes at Hogwarts, found Ginny Weasley in a semi-trance-like state. If she found herself without anything to do, she would just sit there and stare into nothingness.

Then again, if anyone did ever know about everything that happened yesterday then they would have understood why Ginny's head was whirling right now.

First, she was able to sort of befriend some Malfoys. Rizza had taken a quick liking to her and vice-versa while Ginny wasn't entirely too sure where she stood with Julian, but she couldn't deny that he was able to charm her. He found them fine for Malfoys and they don't seem to find any problem with her being a Weasley.

Second, a Malfoy was sorted into Gryffindor and was able to survive even to the point of getting liked instantly by almost the whole house. Rizza Malfoy was a gentle soul that had the ability to charm almost anyone with her cheerful smile and generally sunny personality. After dinner, she was practically one of the standouts among the first years and almost everyone had forgotten that her last name was Malfoy.

Third, she had come across Draco Malfoy and was able to return to Gryffindor Tower with her ego and body unscathed. Unbelievably enough, she was able to carry on a civil conversation with the Malfoy Spawn of Satan and not even go into the insults that she had anticipated and prepared for.

Fourth, Draco Malfoy had a heart after all. She never really knew anything about him except that he was evil, mean, and his father was a Death Eater. She never thought she'd see the day that he would care for someone else aside from himself and actually admit it.

Fifth, she agreed to protect Rizza from whatever harm that she might encounter concerning her Housemates. It wasn't exactly shocking. She liked Rizza and considered her a friend. It's just the fact that Draco Malfoy asked it of her that made it downright strange.

And finally, there was Draco Malfoy himself.

He was deemed to be the Slytherin Prince, the pride and joy of the Slytherin House who embodied everything it stood for. He was sly, rich, cultured, pure-blooded and the meanest of the lot. Nothing in the job description said that he had to be nice and he made it clear that he wasn't, but last night he had been different.

He didn't jump to his usual insults when he encountered anyone with Weasley blood and was even quite civil. There was also this strange weariness that seemed to hang around him when he stood before her, asking for her protection for his cousin. No one ever saw him like that.

He was always this intimidating figure who walked upright and straight with his head held high. His gray eyes would always be laced with malice and scrutiny as his lips quirked into that insufferable smirk. He always had an insult handy as he prowled the halls, making sure that no one stood in his way.

But last night she didn't see that uppity air that he always used to flash in everyone's face. He looked tired and human as he massaged the bridge of his nose in obvious irritation with her. His lucid gray eyes weren't hard and unfeeling then when he looked at her. They were quiet and observant, unlike anything she had ever seen on him before. His posture was a little slack but otherwise still regal as he stood against the darkness of the hall.

Did the death of his father affect him that much? Well, Lucius Malfoy was a horrible person but losing a father must have been hard. And didn't Draco just adore him then?

She sighed as she found herself walking down the hall towards the Great Hall for lunch. She was quite early and only a few people were miling about.

She squared her shoulders and walked determinedly forward. She better stop thinking of these things. It wasn't her business anyway, but she still couldn't deny that she was kind of curious.

Why would Draco Malfoy drop his mask in front of well, her, a Weasley?

Then there was a loud "Bump!" And the next thing she knew, she was down on her butt again.

Damn. She cursed. Twice in two days…What's happening to me?

"I always knew you Weasleys were a bunch of clumsy oafs. Just proves something doesn't it?"

Ginny stiffened when she heard the voice. She slowly lifted her eyes to find herself looking at the most undesirable thing she could have seen in her life so far.

Pansy Parkinson was standing over her with her hands on her hips and her gang of giggly, airhead Slytherin girl friends stood behind her. She was smirking in a bad imitation of a Malfoy smirk as she looked down her pug nose at her.

She mentally rolled her eyes as she stood up and she dusted off her clothes. This was something she didn't need right now.

"Wow." Ginny began, bridging their gazes like nothing she had ever done before. She's had enough with Pansy pushing her around. She never let up ever since Ginny was in second year and Pansy found out there was another Weasley around.  "Did you just steal that from Malfoy? That didn't sound so original. Tell him my thanks, but also tell him his cracks are really getting old."

Pansy's friends ooohed in their annoying way as they watched what their self-appointed Slytherin Princess would say next. Their beady eyes went back and forth between the two, expecting something exciting.

The Slytherin girl's eyebrow went up a notch at Ginny's response. "Well, well, well. So the Weasley brat finally grows a backbone. Where'd you get it?"

"Get out of my way, Parkinson." Ginny growled, obviously irritated with Pansy by then as her stomach also begun to growl with lack of attention.

"Or what?" Pansy taunted, her malicious smile not improving her looks any. The Slytherin seventh-year towered over the petite red head and tried to look intimidating but all she was succeeding in accomplishing was making Ginny even more hungry.

"Move Parkinson."

Pansy's eyes flickered in annoyance at whoever it was who dared to say something like that to her. The pug girl obviously had had her way far too long and expected things to stay that way. This was what she wanted to prove as she rounded on whoever it was who dared to oppose her.

Ginny almost laughed when she saw the seventh year suddenly freeze unlike how she did a moment ago at the sight of the one who spoke behind her.

The youngest Weasley recognized the speaker as the blond girl she had seen with Rizza and Julian at the Sorting, It was the twin's elder sister, Adriana.

The girl practically radiated a very mysterious and intimidating air that could send anyone squirming. She stood tall and unfazed as she looked at Pansy with her piercing ocean green eyes that were just too calm for comfort. Her stillness was almost otherworldly and it certainly delivered the desired effect of unsettling Pansy.

The self-proclaimed Slytherin Princess tried her best to remain collected and not start running for the hills, as she must have wanted to do. She turned away from Adriana and aimed a bored look at Ginny before turning her nose up in the air, dismissing her.

"You're not worth my time anyway."

And with a flick of her hand, she and her clones left the scene with as much dignity as they could while trying hard not break into a run.

Ginny just stood there, watching them go as she shook her head. She would have completely forgotten about the cause of Pansy's exit if it hadn't decided to speak just then.

"Are you all right?" Adriana watched the Slytherins move away from her before fixing her still gaze on the Gryffindor she rescued.

Now that Ginny experienced being under Adriana's close scrutiny, she knew why Pansy had wanted to leave. Adriana's gaze was like a laser that could expose everything she was inside.

"Uh, yes. Thank you."

"Weasley."

"What?"

"You're a Weasley aren't you?" The blond Malfoy continued to stare steadily, if she was aware that she was causing discomfort Ginny didn't know. Then she blinked after a full moment of silence as if she realized at last that what she was doing was wrong. "Pardon my rudeness."

Ginny realized that Adriana was talking about the way she recognized her and not her stare. "Oh it's perfectly all right!" She suddenly turned awkward. It wasn't with Adriana's presence now, but the fact that someone was actually formally apologizing for a reality she had come to accept and live with. "I get that all the time! You know with the red hair it's like a trademark already. I don't mind it that much anymore."

"But you do mind." Adriana pointed out quietly as she watched Ginny fidget with her second-hand robes and books. "Being classified so easily by a single mark. It shuts out any other means of people trying to know you and it pains you."

Ginny found herself staring at the other girl in shock, almost drowning at the intense scrutiny of those eyes. She should be offended right now, she knew, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to scream at Adriana for being so frank with her when she barely knew her.

It was just strange.

Adriana actually understood her.

Adriana was right and Ginny found her honest observation comforting for some reason. It was certainly different from the sugarcoated personalities she was used to encountering everyday.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Adriana whispered, sounding sincerely apologetic as her blond head bowed. "I'll leave you now."

But before Adriana could really leave, Ginny held her back with a hand on her shoulder. Those calm eyes focused on her again but this time, Ginny fought the urge to quake beneath its intensity. A friendly smile found its way to Ginny's lips.

"Wait, uh, would you like to eat lunch with me? It looked like you were alone and I thought you know, if it's not much trouble—"

"I'd love to." Adriana responded and for the first time Ginny actually saw her smile. Of all the smiles Ginny saw, Adriana's was by far the smallest but it was there. All the ethereal stillness vanished when that smile appeared and Adriana was human.

Ginny smiled in return as she nodded once and led the way towards the Great Hall.

She was picking up Malfoys left and right wasn't she? Her family would certainly kill her, but at that moment she didn't mind. Adriana Malfoy was a mystery that she wanted to solve and Draco Malfoy was someone she wanted to understand.

Why was she being exposed to the Malfoys like this anyway?

Weird.

"Right then, let's go."

Julian was sort of surprised when he saw Adriana at the Ravenclaw Table sitting in front of Ginny Weasley. They were eating and talking together. Well, knowing his elder sister he was sure Ginny did most of the talking while Adriana allowed her to go on for as long as she liked. Adriana had always preferred to be the one listening and Ginny seemed to like the talking part just fine.

He set his gaze towards the Slytherin Table to find it almost empty with only Pansy Parkinson and her "friends" there, talking amongst themselves while glaring discreetly at the direction of his sister and her newly acquired companion.

He sniffed arrogantly in distaste. He certainly wasn't going to eat with THAT loose.

He just might lose his delicate appetite.

Pansy Parkinson had welcomed him to Hogwarts in the most disgusting and degrading way possible. She had come up to him the night before, peered into his face in a very disconcerting manner only to have her squeal in delight as she pinched his cheek and declared him, "Spit of Drakie Poo all right!"

He wanted nothing more than to curse her to oblivion and Draco's snickers only made his mood darken considerably. The git must be happy he wasn't the only one getting tortured.

Ha! Drakie Poo indeed. Julian had vowed darkly then.. He'll get his.

His concentration returned to where he should settle to eat when he spied his twin waving at him from the Gryffindor Table. Pushing away all thoughts of so-called house loyalty that had been forced on him since last night, he made his way toward Rizza.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked nonchalantly, his sort of way of greeting his sister as he stood before the seat across from her.

Rizza was however, not alone and it was only then that Julian noticed when her companion spoke his protests.

"You can't sit here! You're a Slytherin!"

Julian leveled his gaze to the one who spoke and found a small, dumpy boy with messy brown hair and large, terrified looking brown eyes. The boy looked ready to wet himself when Julian raised an eyebrow inquiringly at him.

Seeing the possible trouble, Rizza began to take it upon herself to smooth things over as she had whenever her nastier twin started something. Julian hadn't done anything yet, but she was sure he was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Look Timothy he's—"

Julian hated it when someone tried to tell him what to do and he made it a point to always get what he wanted.

"And what makes you think I'll listen to you Smiths?" He leered, advancing slowly on the quivering Timothy Smiths. The Malfoy twin wasn't really tall but looked it when he loomed over the other boy with his intimidation on full force. "I'll sit wherever I please."

Julian slowly lowered himself on the chair and stared the obviously scared boy in the eye. Those granite gray eyes fixed coldly on Timothy as if daring him to do something. Julian took his time on leaning across the table while the Malfoy smirk made its way to his lips and the Slytherin façade was complete.

"Boo."

There was a loud crash of wood and flesh greeting the stone floor as Timothy Smiths fell off his chair in terror with a well-pronounced "Eep!" Then, finding Julian's amused gaze on him, the boy all but fled in fear for an amused Slytherin was never a good thing, especially a Malfoy Slytherin.

Julian watched Timothy Smiths flee with an amused and wondering look on his usually bored face.

It was Slytherin socializing in action and he was awfully lucky that no prefects or teachers were around or he would have been given detention for sure. When Professor Snape had left last night with Blaise Zabini, the Slytherin Prefect, the seventh year Slytherins had gathered to tell the first years their own version of rules and regulations as seventh years always did every year.

"As Slytherins, we are expected to be the most conniving and most sly. Everyone thinks that we're all terrible, but hey, we're just written that way but that certainly doesn't stop us from enjoying the privileges. Be nasty, be rude just remember not to get caught. House Points are still essential you know. That's all there is to it to survive as a Slytherin: do what you will just don't leave a spill."

"And I haven't even pulled out the insults yet. Fascinating." He turned to his sister to find her glaring hotly at him.

"What?"

"You're turning into a Slytherin prat Juli, and I am not liking it one bit." Rizza said as she began stabbing her fork into her pork chop a little bit more savagely than required in dining.

Julian smirked at her comment as a plate magically appeared in front of him. "You've always thought me a prat, Rizza and stop calling me Juli." He corrected her absently as he reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes. His bored expression didn't change even when she held them out of his reach.

"You're a prat all right, but not a Slytherin prat." Rizza clarified.

Julian didn't miss a beat as he shrugged and continued on talking. "A prat's a prat Rizza and as you told Draco last night, it may hurt for you for me to say it but I am one of them now." He then gently pried his twin's fingers from the bowl of mashed potatoes and helped himself to a good portion. He remained unfazed. Conversations like this were nothing new during mealtime with the twins.

Rizza was not to be defeated as she watched Julian partake with his meal. She was frowning as she spoke. "Sure you are, but does it really mean that you have to go around bullying people?"

"Who said I bullied anyone?" Julian raised a flaxen eyebrow as he chewed.

"What was that with Timothy just then?"

Julian looked straight at her as he swallowed the food in his mouth. "You'll continue holding this over my head won't you?"

"Of course, what are annoying sisters for?" Rizza matched his raised eyebrow with her own as she looked at him over the rim of her goblet.

Julian was the first to surrender. "Fine. I'll apologize."

Rizza smiled in satisfaction and approval, her mood swinging as fast as Crabbe and Goyle could gorge on food. "Good."

"But somewhere no one's going to see us." Malfoys were trained to have impeccable table manners as Julian made it a point to chew and swallow his food properly before answering to Rizza who returned to looking at him with disapproval.

"What? I didn't embarrass him." He pointed out, waving his hand out casually at the almost empty hall. "I don't deserve the embarrassment either."

Rizza rolled her blue eyes at him. "You're an impossible prat, Julian Alexander Malfoy."

The male Malfoy twin inclined his head in a gentlemanly manner. "Thank you, milady."

There was a short interlude of silence as Julian sipped from his goblet of cold pumpkin juice, but of course it never lasted long. He glanced at Adriana over his shoulder to find her smiling at Ginny. Adriana smiled all the time when she was with them, but somehow this was the first time she actually glowed when she smiled.

"Why do you suppose Adriana is with Ginny Weasley?" He asked, peering curiously at Rizza in anticipation of her answer.

Rizza granted him with a bright smile. "Because Ginny is nice and I like her."

"And what does your liking her have to do with anything?" He demanded, not seeing the logic in his sister's second reason. Then of course, Rizza wasn't always the logical one of the two. "If it has slipped your mind, you and Adriana do not share the same brain and I thank Merlin for that."

"All I'm saying is," Rizza explained, her head shaking in a silent sigh of fond exasperation. "What's not to like about Ginny? She's very friendly, sweet, and she's pretty. Don't tell me you don't think the same thing about her?"

Julian actually allowed himself to snort. No one's going to know anyway. "What I think of her is none of your business, dear sister. You think her pretty don't you? Don't tell me you're turning lesbian on us now."

Rizza smacked him on the arm for that comment. "Prat."

Julian was grinning evilly at this little piece of information, even if it was false. Annoying Rizza was one fond pastime of his. "Does this mean I could tell Blaise Zabini of your so-called 'undying love' for him now?" He cocked his blond head towards the now half-filled Slytherin table where said dark haired, violet-eyed Slytherin heartthrob was, brooding gorgeously over a book as he almost absently ate.

Blaise Zabini had visited McCleod Castle, the twins' home, that past summer after finding out that Draco's father was killed and that he and his mother had fled to escape the wrath of the Dark Lord. The twins had met him when he caught Rizza after she fell off a tall tree in the woods surrounding the castle and from that moment on Rizza adored him.

"Tell him and die." The female Malfoy twin threatened, but it wasn't that effective when you caught sight of her red face and the measly knife that she seemed keen on using soon.

The familiar malicious chuckle echoed out of Julian as he continued to wind her up. "What makes you think I haven't told him already."

Embarrassed red quickly turned into mortified white.

"You didn't."

He didn't answer as he began looking at anything but her.

"You couldn't have."

He sighed with flourish as he finished his meal at last. By then, the Great Hall was already bustling with people.

"Compliments to the house elves. These are wonderful."

"Julian."

"Do you suppose I could get the recipe? I'm sure father would like a taste of Hogwarts again." His gray eyes widened as he questioned her. "What do you think?"

"Did you or did you not tell him?"

His face quickly changed from childish curiosity to morbid mischievousness in a heartbeat. "You could have told me sooner that you wanted him to know so much." The blond Devil Incarnate turned casually to deliver a message to the other side of the Great Hall and would have succeeded if his female counterpart hadn't reached across the table to stop him by grabbing the front of his school robes.

Rizza glared at him as he begun to chuckle again out of amusement. Only she could really make him laugh.

Blue eyes blazed (A/N: "blaised"?) in fury. "You'll pay for that Juli." She growled, wishing him dead.

"It's Julian and good luck on collecting." He answered as he slapped away her hands from his robes. He frowned down on the disarray she created and went on to fix his school shirt that now looked like his gray jumper vomited it.

Rizza knew Julian also hated to get his clothes and hair messy. Messing him up usually shut his mouth for some time.

"That's what you get for accusing me of a lesbian and threatening to expose to the world my unrequited love for Blaise Zabini." Rizza scolded him dramatically. Julian thought that had they been at home, she would have done one of those funny theatrical swoons.

Then again, Julian rolled his eyes as he drawled in his head without a snitch of malice. She just might do that anyway. Flake that she is.

"Why is it that I ended up with a less than perfect uniform again?" Julian tugged at his tie to set it on straight.

His twin sister looked thoughtful for a moment as he struggled with his now rumpled clothing. "We were talking about Ginny."

When their original subject was brought up again, Julian remembered the question he was supposed to ask before the lesbian remark slipped from his tongue. Apparently, Malfoys also possessed loose tongues.

"Just what made you say she was pretty anyway?"

Rizza sighed as she smiled wistfully. She stared ahead as she supported her chin on her hand, a dreamy expression on her face. "Ginny? Oh, only the fact that Draco thinks so."

Julian nodded in understanding, not looking up from what he was doing. "Oh."

He tugged on his tie again.

Everything seemed the same that afternoon in the Great Hall. Students were chattering with each other about lessons, assignments, gossip, and the opposite sex. The teachers at the Staff table were chatting and watching the students closely. Dumbledore's eyes were bright and twinkling amusedly as if he knew that something enchanting was in the air.

The food almost didn't seem to run out.

 Julian looked up from his tie to look at Rizza meaningfully. "You said what I heard didn't you?"

Rizza only answered with another sigh. "He's still looking at her."

Julian turned around.

And positively gawked.

"…Blackmail material and that's all I'm saying."

"Aren't they just…cute?"

"Don't start drooling now, Rizza."

And so, to the plain view of the only attentive people in the room, Draco Malfoy continued to watch Ginny Weasley as if she was the most fascinating being in the world.