Title: Ginny From the Block

Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: Still don't own them…* sigh *

Note: Once again I have to apologize for no individual replies to feedback this chapter. I have recently changed jobs and RL is KILLING ME so that is why the wait was so long on the chapter. I hope you enjoy it anyway, and I'd REALLY appreciate any FEEDBACK you can send my way. I hadn't realized how long it had been since I posted a chapter until I got a feedback reply from someone and then…well, hehehe…I thought I better get my butt in gear and get the next chapter up!

SO, here it is…hope you enjoy!

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Chapter Fourteen: Setting Priorities
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Location: Library
Date: August 26th, 2003 (Tuesday)
Time: 4:00 p.m.

"So… research with mini-Spike?" Dawn grinned at Ginny as they reached the doors to the Library Annex and pushed them open to step inside. "Could have potential."

Ginny rolled her eyes as they crossed the Annex and reached the actual Library doors. "The forces of darkness are mounting Dawn. I don't have time to worry about my ridiculous crush anymore."

Finally inside the core of the library, Ginny looked around with a sigh. She'd always loved the library. It was so big and airy and…ancient. It was huge with the librarian's desk in the center and a long open walkway on each side with huge bookshelves jutting out along the way to make smaller cozy half-circle corners of each section. The shelves held books on every imaginable subject and each section and half-circle had its own table and chairs for the privacy of studying. Ginny felt as if she could just walk around in here and look for hours on end. More than felt, she knew, as she'd done so often in years past.

"Oh PUH-LEASE!" Dawn drew Ginny's attention back to her. "Try another one, Gin. My sister saves the world on a regular basis and still never missed a prom, one of which was right before an Ascension and another was about an hour after she died." The brunette shrugged. "Not to mention that Buffy always manages to get the hotties."

"Number 1: I'm not Buffy. Number 2: Draco has no interest in me. Number 3: Buffy's hotties usually come room temperature and hemoglobin dependent."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Number 1: Thank god cause one's enough. Number 2: Mini-Spike is totally hooked on you, Gin. You're just in denial. Number 3: Picky, picky… at least Buffy gets the hot vampires."

"Yeah, that's compensation." Ginny snorted.

Dawn was about to jump back in to keep their usual banter going, but then she stopped and frowned. "Hey, Gin, look! There's the Trio. What are they up to? Don't they have a Quidditch trials right now?"

Ginny looked out over the large open library to the direction Dawn pointed. Just around the first section on the left side of the room Harry, Ron, and Hermione were pulled up to an open library table. The table was covered in stacks of books and at the moment Harry and Ron were looking over Hermione's shoulder as the brunette read something to them from a particularly large tome.

"They're supposed to." Ginny finally spoke as a frown drew her brows together. "Something must be up."

"That looks suspiciously like 'Research Mode' to me."

"You're not wrong." Ginny led the way as the two girls walked toward the Trio. "Ron avoids the library like the plague unless they're on 'a mission'."

When the finally reached the table, Ginny spoke first. "Hey, guys, what's up? What happened to Quidditch trials?"

Ron sat back up straight in his chair and frowned at Ginny. "Postponed until Thursday. We've got… uh…" He shared a glance with Harry and Hermione. "We've got a research project."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Okay, what's really going on? Did you have another run-in with Moldy? Is there an evil plan afoot?"

"NO…uh…"

"Oh, do shut up, Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're about as subtle as Goyle in Swan Lake." She met Ginny's eyes. "I'm afraid something is going on, Gin. They've found another victim… or shall I say…WE found another victim."

"You?" Now Ginny was stunned. "YOU found Filch?"

Ron glared at her suspiciously. "How did you…"

"YES…" Hermione cut Ron off with a glare. "Yes, we found him last night."

Well, this did explain why Ron hadn't found out about Ginny's little adventures as of yet, but…

"What the bloody hell were you three doing roaming the grounds alone at night? You knew Moldy was up to something with some kind of dark creatures. You knew Dumbledore wanted everyone to stay in their common rooms. What the HELL were you thinking?"

"I'm just going to ignore the huge amounts of hypocrisy in that statement." Dawn snorted.

"Gin," Ron frowned at how upset she was; "we had Harry's cloak. We were…"

"Vampires have enhanced hearing and smell, you idiot!" Ginny growled. "They would have found you anyway!"

The trio froze. That obviously hadn't occurred to them. They looked nervous and guilty.

Then Hermione's eyes narrowed on Ginny. "How did you know it was vampires, Ginny?"

Now Ginny looked nervous and guilty. She started to fidget and bit her lip. "Well…uh…you see…"

Dawn rolled her eyes.

"LITTLE WEASEL!"

Ginny spun around at the sound of Draco's voice. Relief flashed through her eyes as they met his. "Oh, sorry, Dr… Malfoy. I got caught up."

Draco sneered angrily. "We have an assignment to do, Weasel, and I don't have all day. Some of us actually have lives."

"Leave her alone, Mal-Ferret!" Ron growled angrily.

"No…no Ron." Ginny calmed her brother down. "It's my bad. I saw you and forgot why I was here. I'm late." She put a repentive smile on her face. "I'm sorry, Malfoy. We can…"

"Just hurry up, Weasel." Draco glared at her resentfully. "I don't want to spend anymore time with you than absolutely necessary. Loser might be catching."

Ginny hung her head slightly. "Of course, Malfoy." She looked to the group for a reaction. Ron still looked livid, and Harry was leaning towards confused, but Hermione looked down right suspicious. Dawn was just smirking at them all. "Well, bye guys. I'll catch you later." Still looking rather contrite, Ginny followed the furious Malfoy away.

Rounding the next row of books and out of the trio's sight, Ginny stood tall and released a pent-up breath.

Malfoy slowed his pace to a strut and shot her his standard smirk. "You owe big, Red…very very big."

Ginny couldn't help but smirk right back. "I'm well aware, Drake. I'm well aware.

----

Location: Library
Date: August 26th, 2003 (Tuesday)
Time: 4:30 p.m.

After Draco led her to their own little secluded corner of the library (one based on Muggle Defense), Ginny began collecting books off the shelves and piling them onto their table. Then when she was satisfied that they had a decent selection to choose from she sat down and began thumbing through the pages. She would stop to explain things about each technique and then move on to another.

Finally they settled on Savate, a style that began as street-fighting and got its name from the French term for 'old shoe'. Apparently the combatants used to kick each other with their everyday shoes on and this somehow evolved into the name of the style itself. Go figure.

Anyway…

"Unfortunately as Savate was generally still known as a form of street-fighting, the Salle drew mostly the unsavory or criminal types and…" Ginny froze. Draco's breath fanned over her neck and she drew in a shaky one of her own. She'd heard him move his chair closer and closer as she read and felt his presence grow stronger, but she hadn't expected him to actually get this close.

Ginny turned her head slightly to the side. Her eyes met gray fire and a shiver ran down her spine. Draco was hovering directly over her left shoulder. With that realization Ginny's senses plunged right into overdrive. She could feel every breath he took, every little move and shift he made. It was…well, Ginny wasn't sure exactly what it was, but she wanted it to stop…

Okay, so a pretty big part of her didn't want it to stop, but that was the irrational crazy-Ginny part and she reigned it in. Determined to remain unmoved by the blonde's proximity and that naughty light in his eyes, Ginny lifted a brow. "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

His eyes drifted lazily over her face. "Listening."

A wicked grin curved his lips and Ginny fought against the urge to stare at the tempting sight. He was too close, damn it! What the bloody hell was he playing at?

Gritting her teeth, Ginny kept her eyes locked with his. "And this task was impossible to perform from a reasonable distance, because?"

"I'm an avid listener." That wicked grin just grew and he leaned in even closer leaving them only a breath apart. "To miss even one word from your mouth," his eyes slid down to her lips, "would be utterly unacceptable."

It wasn't his words, hell his words were hokey and Ginny had laughed off come-ons with much better phrases. It was the way he said it. He had this purring tone that just made her want to melt for some reason. And his eyes…they practically spoke all by themselves.

It was like fucking thrall, Ginny realized hysterically, he was thralling her!

Ginny jerked back a little as she realized that even during this mental-rant she'd been moving ever closer to him…instinctively trying to close what little gap there was left.

Oh, this was not good. She was falling here…falling ridiculously fast and there was nothing she could do about it. Ginny Weasley was coming to the realization that all those haughty wonderfully philosophical goals of closure and this partnership helping her to move on were just…well…they were complete rubbish! If she got any less move-on-y she'd be crawling in his lap and begging him to snog her brains out!

Ginny searched for any reason to get up and leave, but her traitorous mind just went blank…

"Besides," Draco moved on oblivious to her mental struggle. "I'm right comfortable where I am."

He rested his chin down onto her left shoulder and his right arm snaked its way around the back of her chair. Ginny shivered again and Draco must have felt it because his eyes twinkled in delight.

He gave her an innocent smile. "Do carry on. I'm finding all of this so wonderfully interesting." Looking pointedly to the flush in her cheeks, he clarified. "I'm referring, of course, to this Savate stuff and not your obvious lust for my body. That I'll just have to endeavor to ignore."

Flushing even darker at how bloody obvious her BLOODY Weasley coloring made everything, Ginny finally gave up on appearing unaffected. Draco's hand was rubbing hypnotic patterns up and down her right arm and she couldn't help but groan as she forced herself to look back ahead and away from those intense gray eyes.

"You do know that my psychotically over-protective brother is still running about in here somewhere, don't you?"

With a small shrug, the blonde Slytherin tilted his head up to nibble along the curve of her ear. Ginny gasped as pleasure burst through her over-sensitized nerves and she felt his lips curve into a grin against her throat. His tongue slipped out to taste her skin there and Ginny unconsciously tilted her head to give him better access.

"I'll take my chances."

And, for once, Ginny just couldn't find it in her to argue…

----

"Uhmm…" Ginny bit her lip and took a deep breath as Draco's tongue swirled around what she now knew to be a very sensitive spot right below and behind her left ear, "Savate is…uh…it's a kickboxing art that involves a combination of…"

"Hmm…" Draco mumbled as he continued his actions.

"Combination of…of…effective handstrikes and dynamic kicks!" Ginny forced the words from her mouth as she fought yet another groan. She didn't know what number groan this one was…she'd been groaning and moaning quite a lot in the last half-hour or so. Who knew Draco's mouth was so good at something other than putting down his fellow students?

A few minutes later, Ginny attempted to pull herself together again. She leaned away from that tempting mouth and turned to meet his eyes with as much seriousness as she could muster. "Draco, we have to get this report done! Advanced Training isn't an easy class."

Draco rolled his eyes in frustration at the interruption. "We have until Friday, Red. I'd wager Granger hasn't even finished her report yet. Don't worry so much…"

Instead of moving back to his earlier spot this time, Draco's gray eyes flared with heat and he leaned his face closer to hers. Ginny's breath caught in her throat. He'd spent the last half-hour exploring every curve and crevice of her ear, her neck, her shoulder, but Draco had yet to actually kiss her…on the mouth anyway.

With a gentleness Ginny never would have expected, Draco brought his left hand up to caress her cheek. His eyes softened and showed some emotion she couldn't quite name as they met hers again and Ginny released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. His fingers slipped back through her hair to cup her neck and Draco drew her mouth slowly towards his.

She was mentally debating whether to keep her eyes open or close them when for the first time Draco froze. His eyes widened in apprehension as he looked over her shoulder. Ginny could finally make out the sound of light footsteps coming closer…very close…and then stopping beside their table.

Oh, Merlin! This…it couldn't be Ron. It just…it couldn't! Anyone…ANYONE but Ron!

"Paper going well then, Ginger?"

Okay, ANYONE except HIM or Ron!

Ginny could practically see the sarcastic smile on his lips. "Thought Bit mentioned something bout a fighting art…but human reproduction is always a good subject, I suppose."

----

"And off you go now, Mini-Me." Spike patted Draco on the head before shoving him rather harshly down the hallway.


Draco glared back over his shoulder at the vampire resentfully, but continued down the hallway just the same.

Once he was completely out of earshot, Ginny spun on Spike. Her eyes flared. "What the bloody hell did you have to go and do that for? We were studying!"

"You were ready to snog each others faces off!" Spike growled back. "What were you thinking Ginger? That is a Malfoy!" He pointed in the direction Draco had gone.

"You're just as bad as my brother!" Ginny screeched. She began pacing back and forth in front of Spike. "I can't BELIEVE you did that…can't BELIEVE this is bloody happening! I couldn't keep my hands off the Ferret, you happen upon us and you DIDN'T go away!" She stopped to glare at him. "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST GO AWAY?"

Spike glared right back. "I…"

"DID I ASK YOU TO SPEAK?" She started pacing again. "This is HORRID! What if Ron finds out? He'll hemorrhage! He REALLY will! And YOU just watching us! My surrogate big brother walking in on my first official snog session that never even got to be an actual snog session! Could this be more HORRID?"

"Didn't exactly make my day either, Ginger." Spike drawled, but then ruined the effect as he shivered in distaste. "Was like catching Bit, it was. And this one wasn't a vampire so I couldn't bloody kill him!"

"Boo Hoo for you!" Ginny hissed. "My whole world is crashing down around my bloody ears and poor Spikey's got the willies! Let's pause dramatically while I summon a tear!"

Spike looked at her thoughtfully and then admiration sparked in his clear blue eyes. "You're right snarky when you're pissed, Gin. Must be all that wild red hair. Looks damn good on you." He smirked. "Wouldn't let Mini-Me see it though. That much lust could give a bloke a stroke…" His smirk turned wicked. "Or make him have ta give himself a str…"

"Don't you DARE finish that statement!" Ginny reached up and knocked Spike hard on the back of the head with her open palm. "You are a sick…SICK vampire!"

Spike shrugged unconcerned. "What'd you expect? I'm the Big Bad."

Ginny's eyes narrowed spitefully. "Not even the Little Naughty."

As Spike winced, Ginny nodded in satisfaction. She spun on her heel and stormed down the open hallway. Could this day get any worse?

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Location: Sunstone Common Room
Date: 6:50 P.M.
Time: September 26th, 2003 (Tuesday)

Ginny was still furious, dazed, and confused as she crawled through the hole into the Sunstone Common Room. She just…she didn't know how to feel. Should she feel happy now? Angry? Guilty? What had happened back there? Did…did Draco actually like her or was this some game of his?

"So, aren't you supposed to be at the Prefect Meeting?" Dawn questioned from the couch.

Ginny's eyes widened. "Oh, crap, I forgot about the bloody meeting!" She looked down briefly at her watch that read 'Got Wings?'. "I have to go." At that, she turned and ran out of the common room.

Running as fast as she possibly could, Ginny head down the stairs. One of the staircases began to move with her on it and she groaned. "No, PLEASE don't change. PLEASE! I'm late!" She couldn't believe she was begging a flight of stairs, but to her surprise, the staircase changed right back to its original position. "Uh… thank you."

At that, Ginny continued to leap down stairs. She had to get there on time. Her first Prefect meeting and she just couldn't be late.

Finally, she reached the Entrance Hall and ran for the doors for the Great Hall. Once inside, she noticed that the meeting hadn't started yet. Thank god!

Sighing, Ginny hurried towards Chris' blonde head about halfway up the Sunstone table. She smiled wearily at the girl as she sat down in front of her. "Hey, Chris."

"A little late, aren't you?" Chris asked with a smirk on her face. Ginny could tell that the older girl was just joking with her, but glared anyways.

"Yeah, yeah." Ginny replied as looked around the Great Hall. There were several other Prefects from other houses here. Hermione was here, Draco was here, Chris was here, Draco was here, Justin Filch Fletchly was here, and, oh would you look at that, Draco was here.

"I noticed he was here too." Chris said, as if she were reading Ginny's mind. She smiled wickedly as Ginny looked to her shocked. "If you looked at the guy any longer then your eyes would pop out of your head."

Ginny felt herself blush and groaned slightly. She couldn't believe that this embarrassed her. She rolled her eyes as she looked back to Chris with a smirk. "Yeah, whatever."

Chris just chuckled at that. "So, you like him, huh?"

Oh how she wished she deny that charge. There really wasn't much to like about Draco…was there? But still…Ginny couldn't seem to stay away from him. He was just like…a big slimy Slytherin magnet…with a great body and cool hair and…dear lord, she was really losing it now…

"Yep," Chris nodded, "you like him." Her expression grew serious. "So what are you going to do about Hunt?"

Hunter? Oh bloody hell! Ginny's confusion was pushed aside and she groaned as she was swamped by guilt. She'd cheated on her boyfriend. She had the greatest boyfriend in the whole bloody world and she'd cheated on him with the Ferret! The day had officially gotten worse…

As the adrenaline and anger were slowly fading from her system, Ginny was now having to face what she'd done. She knew, rationally, that she and Hunter had never been serious, but she had no business semi-snogging Draco while dating Hunt. As soon as she'd realized her crush was far from gone, Ginny should've broken things off. Now she'd been dishonest and disrespectful of Hunter and he was the last person she wanted to hurt.

"It's not the end of the world, you know." Chris smiled sympathetically. "Hunter will survive."

Ginny smiled back. "I know. He is in love with you after all, but…" She ignored Chris' shocked gasp. "I…he still didn't deserve this. I almost had a snog-session with Draco not an hour ago and Hunter never even crossed my mind."

"Hunter doesn't…" Chris muttered, "he doesn't…that's…it's just…"

Ginny met her eyes. "Oh Puh-Lease, I'm not oblivious Chris." The other girl continued to stutter, but Ginny tuned it out. "I have to tell him, end things. I'm pretty sure that nothing will come of this Malfoy thing, but I can't be dating one guy and lusting after another. It's just not right. I won't do that. I won't be that person."

With that finally decided, Ginny actually felt better. She hated to lose her relationship with Hunter, but they were really just great friends anyway and she would make sure to hang onto that. She really didn't believe that she and Malfoy would be playing the couple or anything, but it was time she admitted to herself at least that she couldn't run from these feelings. They were there, and until that changed Ginny had to stop trying to force a relationship with someone else. She'd just have to focus on something besides relationships for now. She'd lived three years at Hogwarts without a boyfriend and she could certainly live through another one.

Ginny looked to the front of the Great Hall just in time to see Hermione step up to take the podium and start the meeting.

Besides, Ginny told herself, she had responsibilities now. She was a Prefect, she was supposed to be a role model…and she was going to be vamp-bait tonight. Dark clouds were pulling in and who really had time for romance anyway?

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End of Chapter!
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Well? I hope you enjoyed the chapter! PLEASE send some FEEDBACK my way if you did! I'll try very hard to get the next chapter up quicker this time, but feedback always helps…lol…

Hope to hear from some of you soon…

Jade Elise

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Next Chapter: Patrolling with Spike, Willow, Ginny, Dawn, Draco, Sirius, and SNAPE? Recipe for disaster much?