*****

Chapter One: The Day It All Began

*****

Disclaimer etc in first part

Heliona Writes: Draco, Hermione and Ron
Kyizi Writes: Ginny, Harry and Parvati

Yahoo! Group: a_smirk_and_a_smile

*****

Ginny:

Ginny glanced at her brother. He had been talking quite animatedly to Parvati Patil and, although the girl seemed to have been upset for a little while (Leave it to Ron to upset her!), she could tell by the look on his face that he and Harry were discussing her.

She smiled and shook her head. She didn't know Parvati very well, but she had noticed that the girl had seemed out of sorts lately and Ginny was glad to see her smiling again. However if she hurt Ron, Ginny would dig her heart out with a spoon. A wooden one.

She found herself staring at the Slytherin table again and instantly berated herself. After the humiliating debacle in the hallway, she was determined to ignore Draco Malfoy, however her determination and her eyes didn't seem to be cooperating.

Grr! What is it about Draco Malfoy that makes my entire body contradict my brain? I don't care if he's gorgeous, he's evil! Lets say it again Ginny, evil.

"What was that, Gin?"

She turned to Stephanie with a frown. "Huh?"

"What's evil?" Stephanie asked. "You just muttered evil under your breath about five times."

"Did I?" Ginny asked, trying to keep her voice neutral. "I didn't notice."

"Whatever." Stephanie and Cara exchanged a glance, but didn't ask anything else of her, instead getting back into a conversation about their Astronomy homework.

Oh, yeah, that wasn't suspicious at all.

She shifted in her seat as her gaze was suddenly drawn to a movement at the Slytherin table. She had been watching him on and off through out the meal, but there was something different. Blaise Zabini kept looking at him strangely and she couldn't help the flash of jealousy that coursed through her at that thought. But what had her attention was that Draco was currently disengaging himself from the grasp of Pansy Parkinson before he stalked out of the door.

She wasn't quite sure what had possessed her, but before she knew it, she was following him out of the Great Hall. The hallways were deserted and she wasn't even sure where she was going, but she could hear the gentle patter of his footsteps ahead of her and she couldn't seem to stop herself from following.

Five minutes later, Ginny found herself in a part of the castle that she had never been in before. Not that that really surprised her, they were always finding strange corridors and doors that seemed to materialise from nowhere. Yet there was something that made her think that this wasn't a random hallway. There was something that made her think that Draco knew exactly where he was going.

What are you doing, you stupid girl? What do you think he's going to do when he realises you've been following him? Profess his undying love? I don't think so!

Ginny shook her head and sighed.

Turn back. There's no reason to keep going, she told herself. But he looked so angry. There had to be a reason, another part of her rationalised.

She had reached a corner in the hallway and was just about to turn back when she realised something. She couldn't hear Draco's footsteps anymore. She stopped and frowned before taking the few final steps to the corner, almost squealing in surprise when she came face to face with Draco Malfoy.

*****

Draco:

Draco studied Weasley's face as she realised he was standing there. "What are you doing, Weasley?"

"Uh, um, um," Ginny stuttered, and her face flushed.

Draco smirked, enjoying making her squirm. "Very eloquent, Weasley."

Ginny's face got even redder, but she met his eyes. Draco could see the fire behind her brown eyes. "If you must know, I was going for a walk."

Draco raised his right eyebrow. "A walk? To where, exactly?"

"Uh, to, uh, to nowhere," Ginny finally managed to say.

"Nowhere? How interesting," Draco drawled, smiling slightly as he watched Ginny shift uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Yes, nowhere, I just needed a walk."

"Weasley, you are perhaps the worst liar I have ever seen," Draco declared. He paused for effect. "Why were you following me? And don't think about denying it," he added as Ginny opened her mouth.

Her eyes flashed. "I wasn't going to," she answered hotly. Then her shoulders sagged slightly. "I don't know why, if you must know."

"If I must know? I would think that were the situations reversed, you would want to know why I was stalking you," Draco interjected.

Ginny flushed again, but stood up straighter. "You're right, I would. And I still don't know why. I guess I was just wondering why you looked so angry."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Do you really want to know?" he asked, his voice softening and getting deeper. He moved closer to Ginny, and she edged back until she felt the castle wall at her back. Draco was only inches from her now, and he bent down so she was looking right into his cold grey eyes.

"Only if you want to tell me," Ginny countered, her voice steady despite the rapid beat of heart.

"There would be no point, Weasley, as you couldn't possibly understand the reasons," Draco said quietly, with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He did his best not to notice how his breath blew the tendrils of red hair away from her face. Being so close gave him the opportunity to study her brown eyes. He noticed that they weren't a regular brown colour, as they looked from a distance, but that they had a black ring round the outside, and there were black flecks scattered throughout the dark brown iris. He could get lost in those eyes. He shook himself out of those traitorous thoughts, realising that Ginny was looking back at him with a curious look on her face.

It would do her no good to become interested in him. It would only increase his problems tenfold if she actually began to think about him as much as his subconscious thought about her. It's not only your subconscious, an inner voice corrected, but Draco managed to ignore it, along with the heat he could feel radiating off Ginny's lithe body.

"As for where I was going, that is also my business," he added. "I would suggest that you run back to your little Gryffindor friends, and stay away from this part of the castle. It isn't safe for you." He turned away then, but not before he noticed the darkening of her eyes.

"Fine," Ginny said, her voice shaking slightly. "But, if you ever need someone to talk to, you know, even if I wouldn't understand, then, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, and I also know I'd have to wear a suit of armour, should the Weasel or Potter find me within ten feet of you," Draco muttered.

Ginny chuckled. "Don't worry about that, I can handle them. Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around."

She paused for a moment, obviously expecting an answer, but Draco didn't reply, instead remaining faced away from her. He didn't want her to see his face, for he knew that at that moment it would betray him. No one had ever offered just to listen to him before. When she received no comment, he heard her sigh, and walk away, back the way they had come.

Once he was sure she had disappeared, Draco took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could still smell the combination of cinnamon and chocolate that now defined Ginny in his mind, and could see her huge eyes staring up at him in his mind. Her lips were as sweet and tempting as he remembered, and he knew that had she stayed a minute longer, he would have pinned her against the wall and damn the consequences.

Oh no, there is no way I'm going to talk to her again. It could get too dangerous. He managed to convince himself that he was thinking it would be dangerous for him, should his father find out he was associating with a Weasley – and it certainly would be – however, he also knew he was thinking about Gin…no, Weasley. If it should get out that her prejudices were softening when it came to him – not just a Slytherin, but a Malfoy to boot – she would find herself many enemies, and not all of them in Slytherin. Many of the Gryffindors would ostracise her too.

Sighing, Draco shook his head, and remembered why he'd left the Great Hall in the first place. Blaise had kept looking at him, as though she expected him to burst into flames, although why he wasn't quite sure. He knew it had had to do with their conversation they'd had before dinner, but he knew he hadn't given anything away. Perhaps she was trying to size him up, trying to determine whether he was having doubts about his allegiance.

Draco knew she would have no luck. Although she knew him well, he was an expert at hiding his feelings from the person who knew him best, his father. The only person who cracked his composure had decided to stalk him – Ginny Weasley. Not what he needed at the moment. Draco finally dragged his thoughts away from the redhead as he reached his destination.

He stopped outside a tapestry depicting a hunting party and pushed it aside, revealing a small door. Getting out his wand, he said quietly, "Aperire". The door opened soundlessly and he stepped inside. A spell activated and a soft light diffused through the small room, in the middle of which was a black, boudoir grand piano, which was polished so that it gleamed.

Draco walked up to it, gently drawing a hand over it's smooth top. He sat down on the stool and ran his fingers over the ivory keys. A smile graced his face as the notes filled the room, and soon he was working out his anger and frustration at his life. Anyone watching would have been entranced, and certainly wouldn't have recognised him as the Draco Malfoy that everyone knew. His face lacked its trademark smirk or sneer, and instead sported a true smile. His eyes were not their regular cold grey, instead they shimmered a warm silver.

Draco, of course, didn't know this; all he knew was that the only time he was truly at peace was when he was playing the piano, or flying his broom. The only problem with that was that flying generally led his thoughts on to Quidditch, and he didn't want to think about Quidditch, as he would then have to worry about beating Potter. At least when he was playing the piano, music was all that occupied his thoughts.

He conveniently forgot that there was one other instance that he had truly smiled, and that it had been earlier that day, in the library. When Ginny Weasley had politely told that prat to shove off, Draco had been amused, and had been admiring the play of light of her red hair and her pale skin. She had looked like an autumn day – his favourite time of year.

What had possessed him to call after her, he didn't know. As for why her first name had slipped out, Draco didn't want to analyse either. It did, however, convince him that he should definitely stop thinking about her.

At the moment, though, the only thing on his thoughts was how the music flowed like a river around him as his long fingers flew over the keys. He didn't notice that the small window, which overlooked the small rose garden, was still open from his last visit, although subconsciously he smelt the scent of the flowers and thought of Ginny.

*****

Parvati:

She smiled as the music drifted around her, weaving itself alongside the smell of the roses. The twilight was gently dimming, becoming closer to the night sky that would signal she was to return to the castle, but for that moment, everything was perfect.

Wow, she thought as the strong chords seemed to reverberate inside her, making her heart thump loudly in her chest. Whoever that is should play for a living.

There was something about the music and the playing in general that made her thoughts drift back to a time she seldom let herself think of, mostly because she didn't tend to dwell on the past, but also because it was a time that reminded her of her Papa.

She smiled as she remembered his soft grey hair and twinkling green eyes. He was truly the most wonderful man in the world; or so she had always thought. She knew that Padma believed he was truly the most despicable person that had ever lived – aside from You Know Who – because she had listened to their father's opinions. Her sister seemed to have forgotten all the wonderful times they had spent with him as children. Then again, Padma believed that she had as well.

She sighed and leaned her head back against the stone wall. She was sitting in a small cocoon of rose bushes, her back against the castle wall. She knew that her spot was somewhere outside the dungeon they had Potions in, but she rarely let that occupy her thoughts. Her Papa had loved roses and the smell reminded her of him.

She sighed, fingering the letter that had led her to her sanctuary; to the place that reminded her of her favourite person. They had been about to leave the Great Hall (she smiled as she realised that she had belonged to a they again, even if only for one day), when a large Bonelli Eagle had swooped into the hall and dropped a letter into her hands.

The whole school, or at least the people that had still been in the Hall, had been staring at her with a curious fascination, but all she could think about was what it meant. She had searched out her sister amongst the crowd of Ravenclaws by the doorway, but Padma had simply narrowed her eyes and turned around, storming out of the Great Hall amidst her housemates' confusion.

Parvati had quickly excused herself from Ron and the others, saying that she had something to attend to, leaving before they had had the chance to question her. She had found herself at the rose bush without even thinking about her destination, and crawled in, reading the letter with growing concern.

The threat of the war, although always heavy in the air, especially in the presence of Harry Potter, had been something she had always shoved to the back of her mind. It wasn't that she wasn't sensitive to what was going on, no, it was quite the contrary. She was too sensitive to what was going on.

The letter, although expected to a certain extent, had come as a shock. Her Papa had been gone for a long time, but that did not mean that everything he stood for was no longer there, despite the fact that her father and sister pretended it had and her mother was too weak to stand up against their prejudices; even for her own father.

She quelled the anger that was welling inside her at the way her family had shunned her Papa. The one person that had made Parvati feel like she was actually worth something more than growing up to become a fashion designer or something equally as frivolous. He had always believed in her, and she had always believed in him, despite the fact that his allegiances were somewhat questionable. And she had loved him, still loved him and it was that love that was making her consider the choices that were staring at her, the beautiful form of the swirling letters almost enchanting her to say yes.

"Parvati?"

She jumped and looked up at him, still so shocked that she didn't protest him sitting next to her. He glanced at the letter in her hands and she quickly folded it up again, praying that he couldn't read French.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ron," she said, forcing that same smile back onto her face. "I just needed a little time to myself."

He frowned and she could tell that he didn't seem to be about to let the matter drop this time. "Who's the letter from?"

She felt a sudden surge of anger that frightened her and she couldn't seem to control her reaction. "None of your business!" she snapped, causing him to pull away in alarm. As quickly as it came, it abated. The look in his eyes had been enough for her to return to her senses. "I'm sorry."

"It, eh, it's okay," he said, somewhat shakily. "We all have our moments." She smiled. "But are you sure you're not really a redhead?"

She giggled as the smile returned to his face. "My Nana was a redhead, does that count?"

"It would seem so." He smirked and Parvati was glad that they seemed to have slipped into the same camaraderie that they had earlier. She held back her disappointment that it was only camaraderie and nothing else. She knew that the last thing she needed was more complications to her life, Terry had treated her so badly, she had lost her only friend and now with the letter, she knew that Padma and her father would be put out with her as well. Besides, what would Ron think when he found out what she was being asked to do? She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that it would involve her watching his back as he ran away from her full pelt.

"You okay?" She jerked up to look at him and he frowned in concern. "You looked a million miles away."

"Just thinking, that's all." She smiled at him and jumped to her feet, not giving him the chance to ask her what she was thinking about, and extended her hand. He raised an eyebrow and smirked, but took her hand all the same.


"Why, thank you," he said in a falsetto voice and she giggled.

"You're welcome." She couldn't help laughing at her attempt at a bass tone and shook her head as he led her out of the rose bush, still holding her hand.

She glanced at him in her peripheral vision, hearing the last strains of Liszt trailing behind her, as he led the way back into the school and up to the tower. She knew she shouldn't even be entertaining the thought, but she couldn't help that she was beginning to like having Ron around, and despite the nagging voice shouting at her to forget about him, she knew her heart had already made it's decision.

*****

Ron:

Ron felt as though his stomach was doing little somersaults when Parvati held his hand. He squeezed her hand slightly, and was pleased when she squeezed back. Glancing down at her, Ron saw her smile back at him. He was glad, because she seemed to have been upset when she had left them, and when he found her, she was somewhat subdued.

When she had snapped at him, Ron knew that something was definitely bothering her, for Parvati was normally a very friendly person – in fact, he remembered her being over-friendly. But, he reflected, that had been a couple of years ago, and he suddenly realised that in the past few years, she had become quieter, even more so now that she wasn't talking to Lavender.

Ron's natural desire to make people laugh had kicked in, and fortunately, it had worked. Parvati was infinitely more beautiful when she was laughing. Whoa there, Ron, did you just think that she was beautiful? Yeah, sure, everyone knows she's one of the hottest girls in school, but your thoughts are going in an entirely different direction, buddy. Ron grimaced to himself, and stamped on the little voice. He knew exactly where his thoughts were going, and frankly, he approved. Parvati was a nice girl, and was clearly saddened about something. He saw it as a duty as a Weasley to cheer her up – she was going to become his mission.

Ron blocked all traitorous thoughts that were whispering in the back of his mind, saying that his intentions were certainly not that honourable, and began to talk nonsense about their lessons and how horrid life was and whether Snape and McGonagall were having an illicit affair. Parvati was in hysterics by the time they were entering the Common Room.

Harry looked up as they came in. "We were wondering where you two had got to." He had clearly dragged Hermione away from work and was busy beating her at chess.

Hermione looked up from the chessboard, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Are you all right, Parvati?" she asked quietly.

Parvati nodded slightly, and smiled softly. "Yes, thank you, Hermione."

"We haven't been that long," Ron retorted to Harry. "Why were you worried about us, anyway? You seem to be occupying yourself well here," he added, lowering his voice slightly to inject innuendo into it. He was beginning to become convinced that Harry and Hermione had feelings for each other that went beyond normal friendship, and was testing the waters. If they gave the appropriate response, that was it, they were going to get a dose of Ron, Matchmaker Extraordinaire TM.

Harry flushed slightly, and Hermione coughed. Ron smirked inside, but kept his face innocent – all those years being teased by the Twins had honed his acting skills, although he generally did not have enough control to put them to good use. It looked as though the clueless couple were going to need some help.

*****

TBC…