Title: Being Nice Doesn't Always Pay Off…
Author: Cactuskitty
Chapter: Four
Summary: Ginny gets mad at a friend and decides that it's time for her to change. In this chapter, Ginny feels guilty…

A/N: When Ginny is writing in her journal, everything she writes in bold is her yelling. If you are the type who skips the author notes, then please just read the last paragraph of my a/n if you read any of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Harry Potter book series, they belong to J. K. Rowling, so please don't sue. All I own is the little plot there is, Hillary, Tibby, and Ryan… But that's not muck to brag about.

Chapter Four: Blinded

            Ginny woke early the next morning, and readied herself quickly, makeup and all, before she ran down to the Great Hall extra early. She didn't want waste time being questioned today; she had other, better, things on her mind. This morning was when she would see Malfoy's reaction, and she didn't want to miss a second of that jerk's exasperation. Ginny didn't usually relish in the embarrassment of others, but after all the things that this wretched boy had done to her brother and Harry a little bit of gloating was in order.

Virginia didn't realize how early it actually was until she arrived at the Great Hall and she noticed that there were only a handful of people there, one of them being the devil's advocate himself, Draco Malfoy. He was busy reading the Daily Prophet, but put it down when he noticed that she had entered. She steadied her pace as she felt his gaze linger on her body as she pasted, it was an odd sort of feeling, almost as though he was studying her moves trying to read her. Bizarre thing was how the feeling of him watching her every breath was not in the least bit unpleasant. It actually gave her more confidence, and she pretended to not notice him and continued nonchalantly towards the middle of the Gryffindor table with her back still facing him. Being resourceful, Ginny tactfully lifted up her spoon so she might see his reflection, and was not surprised to see that he was no longer in his seat, reading, but walking straight towards her.

            Malfoy approached the table and said in his aspirant seductive tenor, "What's a fine specimen like you doing at the home of the brawn and brainless table? I thought you would be better than the riffraff in this miserable house. . . Although, I suppose it's slightly surpasses being in the house of Squibs, better known as Hufflepuff."

            Ginny was slightly perturbed since it was apparent that he still didn't know who she was, but managed to keep an impassive look on her face as she blinked up at the smooth slightly built blond who stood above her, "Is that so? Well, I happen to like my house very much."

            He smirked and gazed at her lazily, "Is that so? Well, I guess you'll just have to bear with me then."

            "Why's that, Mr. Malfoy?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and she ran a hand through her hair.

            He leaned on to the table in so that his face was besides hers as he whispered coolly before they turned and faced each other, noticing that they were so close that their noses were almost touching, "Because it's Slytherins' sworn duty to inconvenience all Gryffindors, and it's going to start with you telling me your name."

            "Oh really?" With out moving back, she wanted to see where this was going. Ginny scanned his eyes for anything that might give away his next action, but she could distinguish nothing but ice. She seriously doubted that he would try anything lecherous in the Great Hall, but then again if he did she concluded that she would have no qualms about hitting him where it hurt most…

            "Yes, and I'm going to get a lot of entertainment doing it this year." He sneered, his eyes doing the same thing hers had milliseconds ago, but earning the same results.

            "How do you know it's not going to be the other way around? Because I'm pretty sure I'm the one inconveniencing you by not telling you my name. And the thing is, I never will…" She stated with her now recurrent sly grin.

            His leg refused to grow accustom to their odd position, so Malfoy smoothly sat down in a catlike manner, without his head moving a centimeter from where it had been before. He allowed an odd grin to appear slowly on his mouth, successfully drawing her eyes towards it, and allowed his tongue to run over his bottom lip in a slow, seductive manner. However when instead of reacting like he expected she just raised an eyebrow and let out a low sardonic and unimpressed laugh, that caused the mischievous glint in his eyes to disappear, and tongue to retreat as well as his head. He leaned back in the chair so that he slightly slouching back, staring gingerly at his fingernails, while saying quite bluntly, without looking up, "Well, if that's how your going to be I suppose I'll just have to use my other sources. . ."

            "What other sources? Your two dolt henchmen that I've heard so much about?" She mocked.

            "I have other sources, beside those two goons. You'll just have to wait and see." Malfoy declared, while once again slanting his body toward her, so close that she could again feel his wintergreen cool breath against her face, "Or, if you would like to make it easier for me you could just tell…"

            "MALFOY, YOU BLOODY GIT! What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing with MY sister?" Ron interrupted, with his two colleges by his side. Ginny abruptly smirked when she saw Malfoy's eye's widen as Ron said the word 'sister'. God, she wished she had brought Colin with her down to breakfast.

"You mean this…this girl is your sister?" Malfoy spat without moving. Virginia was impressed by his coolness. It was what she had been striving for, and nearly accomplished.

            "That's what I said isn't it? Why? You don't you believe me?" Ron's face was red with anger, and Ginny saw that his fists were clenched.

           "No," Malfoy said in a monotone, as he turned to face the fairly buff and terribly tall Ron, who appeared as though he wanted nothing more than to rip off Draco's slick blond head, "I was just surprised that there actually someone in the Weasley family with an IQ over 20. . ." Malfoy would have continued but Ron, who punched him in the face, cut him short. Ron Weasley probably would have done a lot more than that, but Harry and Hermione held him back. Harry, for some reason, seemed different, crueler, but she brushed away the thought as she remembered the previous nights events. However, that didn't seem to fit the look of disenchantment that he was aiming at her; something was definitely different about him, she decided. However she did not remain long enough to find out what. The entire recurrent scene now bore Ginny, who rose and left without any recognition. She had a sudden urge to write to Ryan. She figured that it was most likely because she felt unneeded guilty about the entire Malfoy thing, no matter how innocent, but reasoned that she just missed him since it had been three weeks since they last spoke. And that was before she had changed her appearances. Things were really different in her mind, she just hoped that it wouldn't put a strain on their relationship.

Ryan-

How are things at Beaubaxton? Everything here is fine. Well, almost. Ryan, love, do you remember how I told you how I was tired of people using and ignoring me? Well, I regret to inform you that I have taken the matters into my own hands, (don't worry it I didn't do anything too drastic) but I have changed entirely. Inside and out, I now look and act more confident. You may see how I have changed externally, because I am inclosing a picture that Colin took of me last night (hence my annoyed expression.) I'm not sure if you will like the "new me" as much as I do, but I hope it doesn't change the way you feel towards me. Because I don't really know what I would do without you right now especially, and I want you to know I miss you more everyday. Please do write to me telling me how you feel about this whole thing, okay? It's really important for me to know what you think about this.

Yours truly,

Virginia

* * * *

            Ginny emerged from her last class, charms, only to run into none other than Malfoy. He was right up there with Snape on the list of people that she really didn't want to run into at the moment, especially since she was sulking because that insolent prat Victor had burnt a hole in the front of her new robe. Even if she was in her fourth year, and had learned to mend burns in second, it still infuriated her. Along with everyone else bothering her all day, asking stupid, half-baked questions. It also didn't help that since she changed her appearance boys in her year have suddenly realized that she was able to breathe, and she was torn between which was worse, the groping, insults, or the gaping. Probably the groping, but that had luckily stopped when she broke Brain Awdry's wrist when he pinched her butt, and managed to avoid punishment because of his damned pride factor. Though, she wasn't complaining, he had it coming. Growing up in a household that consisted mainly of males really did have its benefits at times, Bill would be proud. And as anyone could with no trouble tell, Virginia E. Weasley really wasn't in the mood for a chat. However, she could easily tell by Draco's expression of malice that he didn't give a damn what she was in the mood for, and he proved it when he finally spoke.

            "Thought that it would be funny huh? Didn't you? You little bitch, leading me on like that. . ." He declared in a raw tone, which dared her to cut in. His eyes were narrowed into slips and his mouth looked especially venomous.

            Ginny looked him straight in his eyes, with a half irritated, half apologetic tone, as she filled him in on what really happened, "I never led you on, in matter of fact, I never told you anything about myself what so ever. I never suggested anything or lied. So no one led you on other than yourself." She noted that there was a small bruise on his right cheek where Ron had punched him and she smirked in recollection, instantly causing his death glare to deepen.

            Malfoy realized she was right on the spot when it came to their circumstance, but never in a million years would he admit it. He understood that he could work around it by diverting the conversation, "So you're Weasley's little sister, eh? No wonder you didn't want to tell me, if I was his little sister I wouldn't admit it either."

            Ginny rose an eyebrow but decided not to take offence, instead she said in a mocking voice as she began to continue her long trek toward the Great Hall, "See what you get when you hit on strangers, and I bet you still don't know my first name."

            "I was not hitting on strangers, I was merely introducing myself. That was all. You just think that because you would love for nothing more than for someone as attractive as I to try and pick you up." Draco hoped she would bite the bait, because he was in trouble. She was correct, he still hadn't found out her name. Merlin, he had forgotten that Weasley even had a little sister until the redhead assaulted him that morning. Draco slightly recalled a timid little cherry haired girl who followed the dream team sometimes, but that was all. He had never acknowledged her existence. Then again why should he have? She was in Gryffindor and a year bellow him, but that wasn't stopping him now.

            Ginny rolled her eyes, this boy had an ego the size of Australia, "Think what you want, but you know you were picking me up. . ." She noticed that he was running circles around the subject of her name, Ginny wasn't going to let him get away with it, and casually brought it up again before he could reply, and get them further off the subject, "Think you know my name, eh?"

            "Well, I guess you'll just have to find out littlest weasel. ¡Hasta luego!" Malfoy hissed, as held open the door to the Great Hall for her.

            "¡Si, hasta luego Senor Ferret!" Ginny mumbled only loud enough for him to hear as she stepped inside.

Draco made an emotional slip, because the second he heard her reply, he stopped dead in his tracks shot her an astounded smirk. And once in her life Ginny was pleased Bill taught her a little tiny bit of Castilian Spanish when she was younger.

           Ginny's bad mood had drifted, and she was almost in good spirits as she headed towards Gryffindor tower. That was until she ran into Snape, who docked 10 points away from Gryffindor, because she ran into him while she turning a corner too swiftly. That's when she recollected how much she loathed potions, school, and life. She scowled about those darker points until she remembered Ryan and everything seemed a little brighter. Virginia could hardly wait for his reply.

A/N: Thanks again to all of my wonderful reviewers, you have no idea how good your praise makes me feel. Reading my reviews, really is my favorite part of my day. I was so happy when I got twenty reviews that I danced around the house singing Ironic by Alanis Morissette. That's when I decided that I wanted to start a fun little game, it goes like this: Every time you review put a title of a song in there and who it's by, and if I know it and the second digit in your number s a 0. I will sing that song when I dance around my living room. Okay? …It sounded cooler in my head than it does typed, but you'll have to bear with me…

Oh and hasta luego means 'until then', for anyone who didn't know.