Chapter 6- Everybody the Fine

~*~

Hi, sorry it has been so long since I updated. Anyway here I am again. I really like this chapter even though it is kind of rushed and confusing…somewhat like me really! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Not my characters, setting or any other of that mumbo jumbo. Geez I'd be rich if it was though dreams of castles and visits with the queen, etc

~*~

***

Weeks passed and gradually, ever so gradually, Ginny and Draco became more comfortable in each others presence. They had a strict routine and this helped the days pass by fairly uneventfully. Every morning they waited for 7 before rushing into their bathrooms and changing. At 8 they went down for breakfast with the Ravenclaws' and at 8:30 they climbed to the 10th floor and settled themselves down into the empty classroom to tackle the work assigned to them by their teachers. They finished at 5 and spent an hour or so walking around the grounds or talking with their friends in the great hall (Draco resisting every time it was Ginny's turn to see the Gryffindors). At 7 they freshened up then spent the rest of the evening lounging in the infirmary. Sometimes their friends came to visit them but more often than not they were left with only each other's company for the evening. After the first few days of spent sitting awkwardly not speaking but idly reading or trying to find something else to do Ginny snapped.

"Malfoy I know this is rather an unorthodox idea but I think we should at least talk to each other, or failing that, play wizards chess or something."

Without a word he reached into his bag brought out a black and white chequered board and joined her on her bed. He set up the pieces and eyed her challengingly.

"Do your worst, Virginia."

***

An unspoken rule existed between them that they wouldn't speak about each other's house or friends and in this way they managed to stay virtually argument free. Also they never visited their dormitories after that one time to collect their things. The tension was great enough in neutral territory, in the Slytherin or Gryffindor house it would be unbearable.

One Sunday as they lounged together on Draco's bed Ginny absentmindedly levitating a piece of silver thread and making it twist itself into interesting knots with her wand and Draco writing a letter to his parents the door banged open. Glad of an interruption to break up the tedium Ginny sat up interestedly and looked over the end of the bed to the hospital wing entrance. Pansy Parkinson stood and surveyed the cosily domesticated scene in front of her. Draco shifted slightly and leaned towards Ginny. Speaking so quietly she barely caught what he was saying he whispered:

"Follow my lead."

Ginny wanted to ask him what he meant but he had moved away and was watching Pansy with thinly concealed dislike.

"Yes?" Draco asked, "What do you want?"

"I came to see you." She said breathily her eyes sliding snake-like from Ginny to Draco and back again.

"Well I didn't expect you to be here to see me." Ginny remarked rolling her eyes at Draco who smirked at her then focussed on Pansy.

"So you've seen me. Are you going to leave or was there something else?"

Pansy rushed forward as if to throw herself in his arms but he deftly caught her and pushed her away.

"Pansy," he said steadily keeping her at arms length, "I'm sorry but you can't come any closer."

"Why?" she pouted batting her eyelashes at him.

"Because, it's part of the spell. The little Weasley will attack if I come into contact with anyone else. She's become insanely jealous you see, an unexpected and rather annoying side-effect of the spell I used on her."

Ginny opened her mouth indignantly to protest but she caught Draco's eye and froze. He wasn't pleading exactly but there was a definite request for help in his look. So instead of yelling that he was talking absolute rubbish she emitted a low menacing growl and made a sudden jerking movement towards Pansy as if to attack her. Pansy shrieked and backed away a look of pure terror on her face. Ginny had to bite her tongue to stop herself laughing at Pansy's expression and she could tell Draco was having trouble holding himself together too.

"Can't you keep her on a leash or something?" Pansy panted backing away until her back was pressed up against the wall.

"What do you think this is?" Draco asked shaking his left wrist at her where a small glittering thread could just be glimpsed.

"Well…well…" Pansy seemed to be having an internal battle between her love of Draco and her fright of Ginny. Her cowardly side won out and edging towards the door she whimpered: "I think we should stay away from each other until this spell has worn off. Alright Draco?"

Draco sighed as if disappointed, "If you insist Pansy then that's what we'll do. Goodbye."

"Bye." She reached the door and fled.

Ginny waited a few seconds to be sure she was really gone then flopped backwards onto the mattress and began to laugh. She laughed so hard that her stomach ached, her eyes blurred with tears and the mattress shook with her body vibrations. Calming herself enough to look up at Draco she saw that he was shaking slightly with suppressed laughter. The shock that he could do something as human as laugh shocked Ginny out of her hysterics and she watched him closely. Only a slight tremor of the shoulders gave away his mirth, not a sound escaped him, not a smile graced the corners of his lips. It was slightly eerie Ginny decided. Eventually he seemed to realise that she had stopped laughing and he turned to face her.

"Being tethered to a wild animal has its advantages." He said with a poker face and Ginny giggled.

"I'll take that as a gracious thank you."

He shrugged, "Take it however you want."

"Her face when I growled at her!" Ginny crowed clapping her hands together in delight.

"It was very convincing. I was hoping for a cat fight, that would have frightened her off for good I reckon. As it is I've only delayed her for a time." Draco sighed running a hand through his hair and shaking his head.

"It was a little mean." Ginny said considering then she looked at him, "I know why I wanted to get rid of her but what's your problem with her?"

"Wasn't it obvious? She wants to molest me 24 hours a day and I would prefer it if she kept her bony fingers away from me." Draco smirked, "No woman can keep her hands off me it seems."

Ginny snorted, "Excuse me but what about me? I'm a woman and I do my utmost to keep out of contact with you which is an achievement under the circumstances."

Draco chuckled, "You're a girl Virginia, not a woman and I seem to remember a certain potions lesson when you touched me quite consistently."

Ginny flushed and her mouth narrowed at his insult to her womanhood. "I was trying to hurt, not fondle, you Malfoy. There is a big difference which anyone with a head not as swollen as yours would understand."

"Passion comes in many forms Virginia and I saw it in your eyes that day, don't deny it."

"There's no reasoning with you!" Ginny exclaimed exasperatedly, "No matter what I say you will construe it to fit your twisted mind. But if it helps, I fully intend never to touch you again."

Faster then Ginny would have thought possible Draco jumped off the bed and, grabbing her waist, yanked her to her feet. Disorientated and suffering a head spin from being pulled upright so quickly Ginny grabbed onto his shoulders for support. She had to look up at Draco and when she did she saw that he was staring at her seriously.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." He said solemnly, his voice a little hoarse.

Ginny shook her head but she was smiling.

"You cheated." She murmured "And what about you? You're touching me."

Draco's lips curved into a small smiled and he bent down close so that his next words were whispered straight into her ear.

"I made no promises that I wouldn't."

Ginny froze. He wasn't, he couldn't be flirting with her? She bit her lip and tried to stop her body trembling as his warm breath fluttered against her neck like tiny butterfly kisses.

"Ginny?! What's going on?"

Ginny jumped and pushed Draco away as Harry's voice cut through the surreal bubble that had grown up around her and the Slytherin.

"Oh Harry!" she exclaimed, flustered. She reddened and felt a squirm of guilt begin to writhe in her stomach even though she'd done nothing wrong.

"What's going on?" Harry repeated folding his arms and regarding them suspiciously from the doorway.

"Nothing." Ginny lied smiling brightly and shifting subtly away from Draco who, it seemed to her, was still too close for comfort. Although whether she meant her comfort or Harry's she wasn't sure.

Harry's eyes flicked back and forth between Draco and Ginny.

"Fine, whatever. I just wanted to come and see how you were."

Ginny smiled even harder and felt her jaw begin to ache.

"Oh well, as you can see I'm fine." Draco locked eyes with her. Something in his look made Ginny gulp and begin to gabble to prevent Harry from looking at Draco and seeing the expression he wore which she could only describe as predatory. "This is fine, we're fine, I'm fine, how about you? Are you fine? And Ron and Hermione? How are their…fine-ness levels?"

Harry was beside her in four strides. "Ginny?" he asked running his hands up and down her arms, "Gin what's happened, what's he done to you?"

"Who?" Ginny asked, genuinely confused for a moment then she clicked. "Ah nothing. We were just talking." Remembering the last thing Draco had said to her and the innuendo behind it made her just more flustered. "Harry I'm so sorry but I'm really tired and I'm not sure what's up with me today. Why don't you talk and I nod and make appreciative noises. Okay?"

Turning her away from Draco as if looking at their backs would mean he couldn't hear them Harry leaned in close to Ginny.

"Don't be frightened Gin. If it's all getting too much for you promise you'll tell me."

"Oh Harry, you are so…"

"On the wrong track." Draco finished for her.

"No, you're…"

"Completely delusional."

"Please Malfoy." She begged.

"Please?" Harry exploded, "There's no please about it. Shut up Malfoy or I'll shut you up myself!"

"I'd like to see you try, Potter."

"You won't be seeing much after I'm done with you…"

"Quit it!" Ginny yelled holding up her hands, "Geez what is wrong with you two. You're fighting over nothing!" she took a deep breath and turned to Harry placing her hands pleadingly on his chest. "Sorry Harry. Look let's talk during the half hour I have away from him. We'll probably get further."

"Fine."

"Fine." Ginny agreed.

"Fine."

Ginny and Harry looked over in surprise at Draco who shrugged. "Didn't want to be left out." He explained.

Harry shot him one last glare, smiled at Ginny and left.

"I wish you would stop stirring each other up. It can't be healthy all that testosterone pumping around your bodies, not to mention you're gagging me with the whole Alfa male complex." Ginny exclaimed leading the way back over to the bed to sit down.

Draco shot her a withering glance.

"You know you love it." he said simply, "Gives you a chance to see Potter stick out his puffed up peacock feathers. Let's just hope he doesn't resort to dancing like some birds do to attract a mate. Seeing him stagger round the dance floor at balls is one thing but to have him in one's room making a complete arse of himself to the Wizarding Wireless would be more than I could bear."

Ginny had a sudden image of Harry dancing around in his underwear in front of Draco and collapsed in a fight of giggles at the idea.

"Never mind Malfoy." She choked out eventually, "I'm sure Harry will save a dance just for you."

"Regardless of what you might think Virginia you are most definitely NOT funny!" he growled but this only succeeded in making Ginny give him a demonstration of just how funny she thought she was as she slumped to the floor, paralysed with laughter.

***

Draco and Ginny soon discovered that spending time together socially and not being at each other's throats necessitated large periods of absolute silence. Therefore a rapidly expanding pastime of theirs was studying and through sheer boredom and Draco's help Ginny's work was getting done not only faster but better. Her marks were steadily improving and it gave her a great sense of satisfaction to see a C on her papers from Snape instead of the usual D. Meanwhile nothing seemed to be improving on the Harry front. He seemed to be avoiding her even more after his verbal hissing fit with Draco and their promised catch up when she was separate from Draco never happened. Ginny was beginning to despair of ever becoming free again. Although it was a scary prospect the idea didn't fill her with as much panic and revulsion as it had initially. They worked well together, her and Draco, and her initial hatred of him was slowly wearing off. She knew all his little habits and patterns and she knew he knew hers just as well. However whenever these thoughts became too firmly fixed in her mind she remembered her stolen kiss with Harry and then thoughts of anything or anyone else flew away. She longed for Harry. Longed for his friendship and touch. She longed to be with him but it seemed her desperate attempt to ensure this had only pushed him further away.

***

~*~

Ha! Just when you thought Harry was beginning to be more and more out of the picture I throw in that last part…I like to draw things out, so what?! Ducks as extremely hard objects are thrown at her from all sides alright, alright onto the thank yous:

Just-Some-Girl1: No need to wait any longer…even though you did have to wait for a while. Sorry about that and thank you for reviewing.

Morgain Lestrage: Yay I'm glad somebody got the "hushing of the estrogen" line, I really liked it! I'm not sure if I spelt it correctly though, you'll notice testosterone shows up in this chapter just for you…wow that sounds weird! At the beginning this story was all serious and stuff but then I realised that there are too many of those. Although I really like them I fancied trying to write a humorous story which still had a bit of plot. I hope I've succeeded. Thank you for your review.

Charmed-Goddess-07: Yay, you're my little cheerleader for an in character Draco! Yeah I thought it would be way too cliché for him to be all like "I can't hurt you Virginia!" so soon so I made him want to remain sneaky. Seemed to fit. Yep, those unwritten rules must be adhered to or else chaos would reign in the romance world! Thank you for reviewing, you truly are a goddess :)

Sazzy7: No more guessing my plot lines, you're too close for comfort, lol! I'm glad you liked the closing line, I couldn't have them agreeing to be nice to each other nicely now could I? Of course not! Thank you for continuing to review!

SarkLover: Holy monkeys that is a lot of emails. How many people do you have on your author alert lists and how do you keep up?! I am in awe of you! I'm glad you managed to wade through to mine in any event :) Thank you for your reviews, I like them a lot (translation) keep them coming, lol!

Thank you to everybody for reading, now please review.

As you've probably noticed I'm pretty much updating every week now and I think that will be the norm. I simply don't have time during the week!

Thanks again,

Jess/Star123

 ~*~