People are shallow; most people are still in the kiddie pool.  At least I'm in the four-foot area, but I'm nowhere near, like, Ghandi, who's in the deep end; you know, the twenty-foot diving area?--David Felix

         Looks attract; personality keeps-Kelly Felix aka Davesmom

         Ginny Weasley closed her schoolbook with a sigh of relief.  She hated herbology and never did very well in it.  She was doing better right now, but for the most bizarre reason.  As unlikely as it seemed, Draco Malfoy was actually helping her out.  Stuffing her book back into her bag, Ginny dragged her current romance novel out and settled back to read. 

         This one was as unbelievable and ridiculously predictable as all her others, but she liked it anyway.  The romantic parts were well written and made her feel breathless and warm and tingly.  Despite the predictable plot, it seemed to just draw her in.  In fact, she was already deep into the story when she sensed someone sitting opposite her at the table a few minutes later.

         Still thinking of the heroine who was currently kissing the handsome hero, Ginny raised slightly glazed eyes to look at the equally handsome boy who was smirking at her.

         Ginny smiled, not really focusing on the arrogant boy sitting across from her.  The boy, on the other hand, abruptly pushed back from the table with a panicked expression on his face.  Seeing this, Ginny focused suddenly and gave him a quizzical look.

         "What?  What is it?" she demanded.

         "What was that about, Weasley?" Draco Malfoy asked quickly.  "What was that look for?"

         Ginny frowned.  "What look?"

         Draco gave Ginny a suspicious look as he leaned forward.  "That dreamy eyed, 'Oh, Draco' look!  You've never done that before!"

         Ginny raised her eyebrows as she tried to decide whether to laugh or be offended. 

         "'Oh, Draco' look?  You're having me on, right, Malfoy?  Don't flatter yourself!"

         Mirth overcame annoyance as Draco went from horrified to indignant.  She began to giggle, unable to control the laughter spilling from her.  As the irate Slytherin glared, Ginny began to laugh even harder. 

         "What do you mean, don't flatter myself?  Don't tell me you don't find me attractive, Weasley.  You've said as much yourself, a few times!"

         This was too much!  Between spurts of laughter, Ginny, mopping her eyes and trying desperately to control herself, said, "Nope!  N-no conceit in y-your family, M-malfoy!  You g-got it all!"

         Draco was looking more and more irritated.  He stood, giving her another furious scowl. 

         "Fine, Weasley," he snapped.  "I don't have to sit here and listen to you cackling like a jackal.  I've got better things to do."

         Ginny finally got her laughter under control.  Standing quickly, she motioned for him to sit again.

         "Come on, Malfoy," she said through tiny giggles.  "Don't be that way! Sit down!"

         Draco gave her another glare, but sat.  Ginny was glad, because despite his reputation and the way he acted toward nearly everyone at the castle, she did like him.  She supposed it was because they'd shared that brilliant joke against Pansy Parkinson, who wasn't really pug-faced until she became upset.  But then, almost everyone hated the girl because she was so bloody conceited and nasty.  Ginny sat again, wiping her streaming eyes.

         "Right, then, Malfoy," she said finally.  "First, you don't have to go into a panic just because you think I'm interested in you, which I'm not. I mean, I realize I'm just a poor little Gryffindor, but you don't have to act like it would be a fate worse than death.  And another thing:  I said you were good-looking; I didn't say I found you attractive.  There is a difference."

         Draco gave her a skeptical look.  "Well, I didn't mean to insult you, Weasley.  You know if I'd wanted to, I'd have been much more direct about it.  But the good-looking and attractive thing is just splitting hairs and you know it."

         Ginny looked amused as she said, "Oh, and I suppose that just because I'm female, I have to fall under the spell of your god-like looks?  You know, some people do look for a personality."

         Draco seemed to have recovered his habitual arrogance.  Smirking, he said, "Not bloody many.  And I hope you're telling the truth, brat, because it is so very tiresome to have to ward off the unwanted advances of the masses."

         Ginny rolled her eyes.  "Well, I will admit that if I didn't know what a conceited, stuck-up, miserable prat you usually are, I might just succumb to your…charms?"  Her voice took much of the sting out of the insult, but it also made it very clear that she rather doubted his charms. 

         Draco lifted an eyebrow.  "So you're saying, brat, that out of the entire population of adolescent females, you're the one who likes a fellow for his personality rather than his looks?  And you knew Potter so very well when you were following him around like an adoring puppy, right?"

         Ginny sniffed at his reminder of her silly crush on Harry Potter.  "Unlike you, I never said I was perfect.  At least I admit my mistakes, which is more than I can say for some people who shall remain nameless, but happen to be sitting across from me."

         Now Draco smiled.  He did enjoy the time he spent with this surprisingly sharp little Gryffindor.  He would never admit it to anyone else, but he found her company relaxing for the most part.  He was glad she wasn't about to ruin things by forming some ridiculous adolescent crush on him. 

         "But you are saying that if some really nice, but plain fellow tried to get your attention you wouldn't just brush him off?" he challenged.

         Ginny bit her lip.  "You know, I don't think so.  But I guess you never know until it happens, right?  I mean, I like to think I'd at least give the boy a chance, but people really are generally shallow, aren't they?  I guess that's one reason so many women love these things."

         She picked up the book she'd set aside.  "The hero and heroine are always perfect, they have nice teeth, and never worry about bad breath or body odor.  It's escapism, but it's basically harmless.  In real life, its hard enough just to meet someone you don't want to throttle, let alone allow them close enough to tell what brand of toothpaste you use." 

         Shrugging, she added, "I don't want to throttle you, Malfoy, until you go all 'Slytherin' on me and act like you're king of the world.  So, don't worry.  I knew what a bastard you can be before I started enjoying talking to you.  There's not really much chance of me getting all romantic about you, just because you happen to have nice teeth and great hair.  Right?"

         Draco looked as though he thought she might be just the slightest bit addled.  With a small shake of his head, he said, "Uh, thanks, I think."

         Settling back more comfortably in his chair, he pulled a newspaper from his book bag.  Shaking it out, he said, "So, do you think the Harpies have a chance in the playoffs?"