Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable. Harry Potter and all related characters, settings, ideas are property of J.K. Rowling.

Note: Now, we begin to fall into pace of a seemingly normal story, going more in depth. I'm prone to dislike these first few beginning chapters before it gets to the real action. Most of it is dialogue, but at least the fan girl in all of us is getting the sufficient amount of D/G. Nothing too deep yet, but lets see how all of this ties in. Also, excuse the wonky formatting.

Illusions

Chapter II: Invitation

By WhK

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"Oy, Weasley!"

Ginny fixed her face into a nasty glare and whirled on him. She lifted her chin to face her assailant, and was reminded again of how much he had grown, towering over her rather menacingly. It made her feel all the more inferior, she thought darkly.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked crossly. " Haven't you had enough of bothering me for one day?"

He gave a sly grin, one that did not seem to fit his 17-year-old frame.

" Never, Weasley. Never."

Ginny snorted and stalked on, but not too quickly.

"Listen, Weasley—hey, stop that! Stop walking, Ginny! I'm trying to ask you something!"

Ginny stopped reluctantly. She put her hands upon her hips and stared with narrowed eyes.

"Make it fast, Malfoy, I've got a Prefects meeting to attend to," she said.

"You and me both, Weasley, don't forget."

He paused then, suddenly entranced by the holiday decorations laced around the ceiling of the castle.

"My parents—"

"Not a good way to start off a sentence, Malfoy," Ginny warned. He waved her protests away.

"—Are holding a ball."

"Come to boast about it?"

"You underestimate me."

"Go on, then, I haven't got a century."

"You're coming."

Ginny froze, confused.

"I'm coming where?"

"To the ball, you dolt."

Ginny paused for a second, and then let out a raucous laugh.

"And why in the name of Merlin would I do that?"

"I'm asking you to come with me. As my date." His face was solemn, if a bit irritated.

"You're off your rocker, although I've always known it. This isn't funny, either."

"I'm not kidding. I'm completely serious." Or perhaps he was rather adept at acting.

Ginny studied his face for a moment. She decided that perhaps he was a bit serious, and what he was suffering from was actually mental illness.

"Don't you have Pansy, or some other rich, snobby girl to take with you? Why me?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Pansy's engaged."

"Engaged?" Ginny gasped. "To who?"

"Some rich bloke. A convenient marriage, they said. Anyway, it'll look highly unattractive to having a promised woman around your arm. I don't do unattractive."

"And me hooked around your arm is more attractive?" she asked suspiciously.

"Who ever said you weren't attractive?" he said softly, a smirk tugging at his lips. Ginny growled, but blushed never the less. It turned out that she was not immune to flattery, no matter who it came from.

"Don't argue about this, Malfoy. I am not going to a ball with you. That would be too hypocritical—no, not even that. Simply ludicrous. We are enemies, okay? Enemies don't go dancing arm in arm, like everything's just dandy."

As Ginny turned to storm away, Malfoy swiftly grabbed her elbow, turning her back around.

"Oh, come now, Weasley," he pouted. "It'll be the experience of your life. A grand night of dazzling aristocracy—something you'll likely never experience again. Doesn't the prospect of a pretty gown entice you?"

"No," Ginny lied. Besides, she hadn't had fantasies about going to a grand ball since she was young enough to play with dolls. "Anyway, I don't have money—"

"All expenses will be paid." Ginny shook him off.

"Why are you so bent on taking me, if there is such a ball? There are other girls in this world, all of them, which I am sure you like better than me! And you're really starting to peeve me, Malfoy, so let me go!" Ginny bristled and shook him off. Draco grabbed her arm again and gave her a curious look.

"And what gave you the idea that I would hate you more than any other girl in this world?"

"Oh, I don't know, your incessant tauntings, perhaps—"

" Never mind that. Just say you'll go. I know it's spur of the moment, but I promise you, it'll be worth it."

"Impossible. Like your parents would let me set foot on their manor."

"They don't have to know."

"How could they not?"

"They don't notice much."

"Hogwash. It'll never work."

"It will work because I say so. Doing me this favor is the least you could do, after all the torture you've put me through throughout the years." Ginny reeled in the outrage of his words.

"Torture you? Me? Atrocious lies!"

"You hexed me two years ago."

"A lot of people hex you, Malfoy. It's a fact of life; you are very hexable."

"You hexed me though! You, a little doe of a girl, innocent and puerile! Ron Weasley's sister! I was humiliated beyond belief. You must repay me for what you've done."

Ginny sighed. Why was the boy so persistent? Try and try as she might, she could not understand. He had certainly never wheedled with her like this before, and of all things, about attending a ball with him? Perhaps this was an absurd creation of her mind and only her mind, and only a moment later she would awake.

And anyway, even if Draco Malfoy truly needed her to go to this silly ball with him, the idea was crazy. If the idea was crazy, then certainly the reality of it would be horrendous. She barely knew him—well, she knew him well enough—but not the way she would have liked.

"Alright, I'll tell you why I'm taking you," he said reluctantly when he saw her contemplating face. "I'm taking you because though you may be a mudblood lover, you are still a pureblood none the less and trace back to honorable families. I'm taking you because you aren't hideous, and I'm taking you because you don't absolutely detest me, therefore out of all the women I know, will most likely accept this generous offer." He gave the smallest of smiles, one that curved into a smirk. "I'm taking you because I have to take someone."

Ginny glared at him with intensity. He was always so painfully arrogant.

"What makes you think I don't detest you? You've always been horrid to me!"

"Come on, Ginny," Draco smiled and pulled on her arm to draw her closer.

"I know you don't hate me because, you, unlike your brother, do not turn red every time I round a corner to insult you. In fact, I swear I catch you smiling sometimes, even as you've drawn your wand to hex me again. Sometimes, you enjoy it, even." Ginny spluttered wildly. That was not true. It was the most misconstrued statement of the century—no, no, the era!

"More importantly, I know you don't hate me because if you did, you would have said, ' I won't go with you because I don't want to.' Which, you didn't. Instead, you stood there like a fool, thinking up silly reasons as to why you shouldn't or couldn't." His lips curled. "You're not trying to convince yourself, are you?"

Ginny suddenly blinked, and then wondered when Draco had pulled her so close, close enough to be breathing down her neck.

"Say you'll come. I know you'll love it."

Ginny shook her head, but weakly. "You're trying to use me."

"Who said I wouldn't pay you? Do you know how disappointed my parents would be if I arrived at the ball without a proper date? They would be furious! My social life ruined, Weasley. To tell you the truth, this is supposed to be my coming-of-age party of sorts, in honor of the end of my schooling. I really need this now. I really need to appear my best."

She wondered if he were telling the truth. His face, for once, seemed sincere. And it seemed natural that his parents would care so much about appearances. And…she supposed it wasn't too surprising that he came running to her…she admitted, it had been a long time since they had really fought, fought in the way that Ron and he had….

Ginny clenched her sweaty palms and briefly got a vision of satin and silk and tafetta in pink, sky blue, periwinkle, all dancing and twirling to music.

Say no, say no, no, no, no….

"I'll think about it," she said and then cursed herself. Think about it? Think about what? There was nothing to think about—just a simple, flat, no. Why did she seem favorable towards completely humiliating herself, then? This time, by way of attending a stiff, high society ball with a boy she had been taught to war with her entire life?

"Fine," Malfoy said in a slightly standoffish tone. A moment later however, his voice softened.

"Shall I walk you?" he asked, sounding like a gentleman, but his eyes gleaming mischievously. Ginny's heart gave a small and very involuntary flutter.

"Walk me where?" Ginny asked, absentmindedly. She drifted off towards a corridor aimlessly with Malfoy following her steps.

"The Prefect's meeting, Ginny," he said slowly. "You know, the one we're all supposed to attend."

Ginny felt her face radiate heat, and then she gave a small nod.

"Why not," she said, keeping her voice dull and reluctant. "Just this once, then."

"You can think while we walk," Draco added.

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