A/N: I got so many good reviews that I felt horrible leaving you guys for 2 weeks without a new chapter! I tried really hard to get this out and I couldn't but I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I disclaim all the characters and anything else you would recognize as the wonderful and talented J.K. Rowling.

Rated: PG-13 – there's a lot of cursing…I have a potty mouth!

Summery: Ginny gets a job at Draco's magazine. What happens when two rivals start having feeling for one another and one makes a mistake that could tear everything they have apart.

Fluff-o-meter: There is some fluff…I want to give you something good when I was gone!

Helping the Wasted

It had been a few weeks since that day of the photo shoot. Ginny and Draco still spoke, but never mentioned anything about that day and what Draco had done.

Colin had gotten pictures, both moving and still, of Draco spinning Ginny around. He gave them to Ginny and she kept them in her desk drawer. She would pull them out time to time and would just look at them. She took one of the still ones home and put it in a picture frame and placed it on the fireplace mantle. She would stare at it and remember that day.

Colin had also given Draco copies of the pictures. He left them on Draco's desk while he was out to lunch with a note saying he should look at them. Draco had looked at them. He looked at them many times. Ginny just looked so beautiful and happy and he couldn't help but stare at her picture for hours. He would even go home and dream about that day reliving the wonderful feeling he had when she was in her arms.

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Draco opened Ginny's office door and walked in. She was sitting in her chair as she moved it back and forth and reading her computer screen. He cleared his throat to make his presence know and Ginny jumped a little letting out a high-pitched squeak. She looked up at him.

"I need to talk to you" Draco said looked down at her messy desk not meeting her eye.

Ginny started getting nervous. Draco wasn't meeting her eye and there wasn't any emotion in his voice. Could this be about what happened a few weeks ago? Was he going to fire her because he felt uncomfortable working with her? She gave him a small nodded and motioned for him to sit.

Draco finally met her eye. "Actually I was thinking we could talk over lunch," he told her.

Ginny nodded once again to scared to actually talk. Her head bowed and biting her lip so the tears that were stinging her eyes wouldn't fall, she got up. She followed him out and took the elevator down beside him silently. She then followed him through the busy streets of Diagon Ally to The Leaky Cauldron.

He led her through the crowd by a gentle hand on her arm. He really needed to talk to her. It wasn't anything bad, but he did have an important question. He brought her into the pub and led her into the back to the same table the sat at when Ginny gave him her couple's idea. He slid into the booth and watched as she slid into the seat across from him.

Ginny still hadn't picked her head up to look at him. She was still so nervous about what Draco wanted to talk to her about. She put her hands on the table and started playing with them.

Draco eyed her and her hands that were wringing together nervously. He raised an eyebrow and decided to speak. "I actually wanted to ask you a question," he told her. After only getting a nod from her he continued. "Well since you had the idea for this months issue I thought it was only appropriate to make you the editor of it"

Ginny lifted her head slowly. She was utterly shocked. She didn't expect this. He wanted her to be the editor of this month's magazine.

Draco smirked at her. "Is that at yes?" he asked her

"Are you kidding! I would love to!" Ginny said able to find her voice again. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "And for a moment there I thought you were firing me"

Draco looked at her in utter shock. "Why would I fire you?" he asked flabbergasted.

Ginny shrugged and looked down at the table. "I don't know," she said not wanting to bring up past events.

"Well I would never fire you…this magazine needs you" Draco told her just staring at her.

They spent the rest of their lunch break eating and talking about the magazine. They talked as if they had been friends for years.

Ginny liked how easily it was for the two of them to talk. She felt at ease with him. She didn't feel like she was talking to her boss, with that uncomfortable tension between them. She felt very comfortable with him like she could tell him everything and anything.

Draco felt at ease talking to her. They didn't have to force a conversation. Their topic of conversation just came to them and they talked about it freely. There was never an uncomfortable silence and if there was a silence it was very comfortable and broken quickly by something new to talk about.

All in all they had a wonderful time together.

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It was a Saturday night and Draco was in the pub drinking. Tonight was the 10-year anniversary of his father's death.

Lucius Malfoy died when Draco was 17. It was during the final battle. Harry was battling with Voldemort and Lucius was there as well. Draco and Lucius were battling. Draco hadn't become a Death Eater. He fought with the Order and with Harry. Draco and Lucius were battling around Harry and Voldemort. Harry sent the killing curse towards Voldemort. Lucius, upon hearing Harry yell the curse and trying to save his master, shoved Voldemort out of the way the curse hitting him instead. He died instantly.

And every year since then on that day Draco got himself drunk. Even 10 years later this day affected him so much. Every bad memory came flooding back to Draco as well as the very rare good memories from when he was much younger.

So Draco downed drink after drink after drink letting the alcohol consume him. It was only 8 o'clock but he was drunk. And mind you Draco had a very good alcohol tolerance and didn't get drunk easily.

"Another fire whisky!" Draco slurred to the bar tender.

"Draco?"

Draco turned around in his bar stool to see who called his name and almost fell off it. The person lunged forward and pushed Draco back onto the stool.

"Merlin Draco…what are you doing?" the person asked. Draco knew that voice. He heard that voice everyday. He looked up and sure enough it was Ginny.

They had been going out to lunch and dinner meetings together because Ginny told Draco she couldn't do the editing of the entire magazine by herself.

- FLASHBACK -

Ginny burst into Draco's office with papers falling out of her hands. Her hair was ruffled and her face was flushed. She walked over to his desk and threw the papers down on it.

"I can't do it!" she cried.

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked up at her from his position in his chair. "You can do what?" he asked slowly.

"I can't do this editing of the entire magazine thing by myself! I have to much to do and it's to hard!" Ginny cried and wined throwing her hands all over trying to emphasis her point.

Draco smirked at her and bit down a chuckled. She was cute when she was like this. "But I do it all the time" he pointed out calmly.

"Yeah well…your just some kind of genius because I need help!" Ginny exclaimed. She fell into one of Draco's visitor's chairs.

Draco nodded as he smiled at her. This was quite a site to see. "Okay…I'll help," he said. "I have the time to anyway," he added.

Ginny's face brightened up and she looked relieved. "Thank you," she said sighing heavily. She stood up and left closing the door.

Draco just shook her head and chuckled at her.

- END FLASHBACK -

That was the beginning of a new friendship. They met 5 days a week. They had lunch meeting 3 days and dinner meetings the other 2. During those meetings they made an agreement to use each other's first names. Not in the office but during their meetings.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?" Draco slurred

"What are you doing here? Drunk!" Ginny asked sitting in the stool next to him. She scooted closer to him. She took hold on his one arm to make sure he didn't almost fall again.

Draco stared out into space in front of him. "You know it's been 10 years since he died" he slurred. He turned his head to look at Ginny.

Ginny didn't say anything to him she just looked back at him with sorry eyes. She didn't need to know who he was. She knew it was his father. She had also worked with the order during the final battle. She saw the battle between Voldemort and Harry and the battle between Lucius and Draco.

"It's not like I care" Draco continued looking down at the table. The bartender placed a glass of water in front of him and Draco took a sip of it. "Why would I care about a man who beat me and didn't love me or my mother?" he downed the rest of the water like it was alcohol and got another one that he downed.

Tears filled Ginny's eyes but she held them back. She stood up deciding she should take him back his house. "Come on" she said and took him by the arm. "I'm gonna take you home"

Draco stood up, but smirked. "You think you're ready for that?" he asked looking down at her.

Ginny looked up at his face and glared at him. "Not my house, yours" she said "and when I bring you home I'm not leaving. Merlin even when you're drunk your mind is in the gutter" she cried. She put her arm around his waist to hold him up. She wouldn't do much good because he was a lot bigger then she was, but who knew.

Draco arm went around Ginny's shoulders and he held himself up as best he could when he was drunk. They walked out of the pub and stopped.

Ginny let go of Draco to get her wand. When she let go of Draco he stumbled and fell forward. He caught himself with one hand on Ginny's shoulder and the other on her boob. Ginny gasped and little bit and decided that Draco was in no condition to apperate.

Draco didn't even realize what he had done. He stood up placing the hand on her breast on her shoulder. He cupped her face with one hand and caressed her cheek. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.

Ginny stopped breathing for a second as tears came to her eyes once again. She grabbed his wrist and put his hand down. "You're drunk Draco," she told him quietly. She forced the tears out of her eyes.

"It doesn't mean it isn't true" Draco told her.

"Come on…let's get you home" Ginny said wrapping her arm around his waist again. "Where's you're flat?" Draco had told her at one of their meetings that he didn't live in Malfoy Manor anymore. Then she remembered that he probably didn't remember where he lived since her was drunk.

"It's two blocks down" Draco told her surprising her. He was pointing to the left.

"You remember?" Ginny asked. When she got drunk she couldn't remember where she lived. Friends always had to bring her home.

"I'm drunk…I'm not stupid," Draco told her.

Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes. They then started walking to his flat. When they got to the building Ginny took them inside and up the stairs and into his flat with Draco's instructions. He was a smart drunk. It was either that or he was sobering up.

She got them inside his flat with the key Draco found in his pocket after digging for it for 5 minutes. Draco let go of her and stumbled to the couch. Ginny looked around his flat. It was similar to hers but the rooms were larger. She walked into the kitchen and started looking in the cabinets for some Pepper Up Potion. She found a cabinet full of some potions and found it.

She walked over to Draco who was now laying one the couch. She went to give him the potion when she realized he was sleeping. She chuckled at him and put the potion on the coffee table. She then took the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch and put it over Draco. She then looked for a small piece of parchment and a quill. She found one under the table and wrote Draco a small note.

Draco, Take the potion when you wake up. It will make you feel better, Ginny

She then left quietly and walked down the stairs and out of the building. She looked around and took in her surroundings. She was on her street and she was only a couple of buildings down. She walked home remembering what Draco had said about her being beautiful.

The next morning Ginny woke up to an owl tapping at her bedroom window. She got up and took the letter from the owl and it flew away. She opened the letter and read it.

Ginny, Thank you for bringing me home last night and for leaving the potion out for me, Draco.

Ginny smiled and put the letter down on her dresser.

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The huge ballroom was filled to the max with people in elegant muggle gowns and suits. It was the annual Ministry summer ball.

It was exactly one week after Ginny helped Draco get home. They hadn't mentioned it or talked about it. Ginny hadn't told Draco about his little boob grabbing or him calling her beautiful. She thought it was better left unsaid.

Ginny walked over to the bartender and ordered herself an apple martini. She leaned on the bar and watched as couples and small children danced across the dance floor.

"Ginny?" someone asked from behind her.

Ginny turned around and was met with the site of Draco Malfoy and an older woman who resembled him.

"Draco" she said smiling warmly.

Draco smiled back at her then turned to the women beside him. "Mother this is Ginevra Weasley, my fashion editor. Ginny this is my mother Narcissa Malfoy."

Ginny smiled and shook Narcissa's hand. "Hello Mrs. Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said politely.

Narcissa smiled as she shook Ginny's hand back. "It's a pleasure to meet you to. I love your section in the magazine. And Draco has told me wonderful things about you" she said.

"Oh" Ginny said pulling her hand away. She was slightly surprised that Draco had told his mother about her. "Well Draco has told me wonderful things about you as well" she replied. It wasn't a lie. Draco had told her good things about his mother.

Narcissa smiled and Ginny then looked back at her son. "Well I'm gonna go mingle. A Malfoy's job is never done," she said. She turned back to Ginny. "It was nice meeting you Ginevra" she said then walked away to talk with people.

Ginny turned back to bar when the bartender gave a polite 'miss'. She took her apple martini and started drinking it. She turned back to Draco. She leaned on the bar and looked him up and down. "So…you told your mother about me?" she joked.

Draco rolled his eyes and looked down at her. "Don't be to flattered. I only told her that you're really good at what you do at the magazine," he told her.

Ginny nodded her head and finished her drink. She then fished out the cherry at the bottom of the cup. She took it by the stem and placed it in her mouth. She licked off the rest of the drink on the cherry then bit it off the stem. She ate the cherry and placed the glass and stem back on the bar.

Now what Ginny did wasn't meant to be seducing, but to a man like Draco, it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. He watched her every move and felt his pants become tight. He cleared his throat. "So you look nice tonight" he complimented. He looked at his shoes for a quick second to get his thoughts back on track.

Ginny looked down at her outfit. It was a dark blue dress that came down to her ankles. It tied up around her neck as a halter and was v-cut showing a classy amount of cleavage. On her feet were blue strappy sandals. Her hair was pulled into a half ponytail with some dark blue ribbon put in.

"Thanks" she said. "I found it while I was shopping and thought 'I have to have it' so I bought it" she told him smoothing out a few tiny wrinkles. She looked back up at what he was wearing. "You clean up well yourself" she told him smiling.

He looked good. Scratch that he looked hot! He was just in a regular suit, but it fit him perfectly. His hair was in his face, but had a little gel in it so it didn't go all over the place. Let's just say that he looked so good Ginny could feel herself getting hot.

"Thanks" Draco said smirking.

A slow song came on and people paired off in twos and started to dance. Draco watched Ginny as she watched people dance. He stood in front of her and held out his hand.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked.

Ginny smiled at him. She nodded and put her smaller hand into his larger one. Draco led her out to the dance floor. Once there he spun her in and put his hand on the small of her back as she put hers on his shoulder.

You know that static shock that hit you when you touch metal when you wear wool? Well that's what Ginny and Draco felt as their hands met. They danced around in a comfortable silence making some small talk every now and then.

They danced for a few songs. Some more up tempo and others slow. Draco was a great dancer and Ginny just followed him and let him twirl her around the dance floor. They were dancing to a slow song again and talking about where Draco learned to dance, his father made him take lessons, when they were interrupted. And not so nicely either.

"Ginny! Ginny!"

Ginny looked toward the place she heard her name coming from and saw an irate brother followed by an annoyed sister-in-law. Ginny rolled her eyes and straightened up dropping her arms.

"What are you doing with Malfoy?" Ron asked not caring that Draco was right there and he could hear everything.

"Hello Ginny" Hermione said nicely ignoring her husband. "You look lovely tonight," she said.

"Thank you, so do you" Ginny said also ignoring Ron. "How are the kids?" she asked

"They are fine, but what are you doing with Malfoy?" Ron asked now pissed off.

Draco stood there quietly looking at Ron. His eyebrows were knotted in annoyance.

"I am dancing with him. Is there something wrong?" Ginny asked in a sarcastic politeness.

"Um…yeah-"

"No" Hermione cut Ron off. Ron turned to her and glared at her. "Sorry to interrupt you" she said and pulled Ron away.

Ginny watched them go listening to Ron hiss 'But she's with Malfoy Herm' and Hermione cry back softly 'She's 26 years old for Merlin's sake! Stop babying her!' Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to Draco.

"I'm really sorry about that. He can be a big git like that" she apologized.

Draco chuckled. "I can remember from school," he told her.

Ginny smiled and chuckled with him a little bit. She was tapped on the shoulder and sighed. "What Ron?" she asked annoyed. She spun around expecting to see him, but was met with a very handsome looking Harry Potter. "Harry" she said surprised.

"Ginny" Harry said looking over her shoulder to Draco. "What are you doing with him?" he asked raising an eyebrow and pointing to Draco.

Ginny looked over her shoulder at Draco and turned back around to Harry sighing. "Well Harry he is my boss and if you haven't forgotten we aren't dating anymore so it's not your business what I'm doing with him" she said through slightly clenched teeth.

"You do know that this is the same Malfoy who made our school years hell, right?" Harry asked trying to make her see who she was with.

"Yes and I also know that he has grown up as well. Which is something that you and my brother haven't done yet" Ginny snapped back.

"But it's Malfoy! What's the appeal?" Harry asked. He was confused to why Ginny would want to spend her time with him and he was oblivious to Draco standing right behind Ginny.

"The appeal is that he doesn't cancel on me Harry. Now I think you should go" Ginny said with a nod of her head.

Harry opened and closed his mouth a couple times before scowling at Draco and leaving. He was shocked at the fact that Ginny was basically picking Malfoy over him. Draco Malfoy over Harry Potter.

Ginny once again turned back around to face Draco and sighed. "Now I am very sorry about that. I have no idea what got into him or why he came up to us," she said shaking her head and rubbing her temple.

Draco shook his head and rubbed her arms slightly. "That's okay," he said.

Ginny felt shivers run through her body when he touched her. "Do you want a drink?" she asked popping her head up to look at Draco's face as his hands stopped their up and down motion. "I need alcohol" she said then turned around and made a beeline for the bar.

When Ginny got annoyed about things with Harry, or one of her brothers pissed her off badly she like to drink. Not a lot, but just a few drinks. But tonight was different. With the annoyance of Ron and Harry and the sexual frustration she was feeling for Draco, Ginny got wasted. Ginny got wasted in about 30 minutes.

This time it was Draco who had to hold Ginny up and make sure she didn't make a fool of herself in front of people she knew. Many times during the night Draco or one of her brothers would and try to make her stop drinking but Ginny was very headstrong and would drink even more.

Her brothers also wanted to take her home, but Draco insisted that they all go home, back to their kids (which they all had. The Weasley family just kept getting bigger and bigger).

"Plus I owe her. She helped me last week," Draco told them.

They were all very skeptical with leaving Ginny in his care, but they saw the interaction between the two all night. The two of them had feelings for each other. A blind person could see that. So they gave Draco the directions to Ginny's flat and left her in his care.

"Mum are you sure you'll be alright?" Draco asked his mother one more time. Narcissa was going to apperated home by herself so Draco could take Ginny back to her house safely.

"Draco, darling, I'll be fine. You just get her home in one piece" Narcissa told her son.

"Yes mother, be safe" Draco said to her.

Narcissa smiled warmly at her son then apperated away. Draco stood Ginny up and held her to him tightly. It was a long walk to Ginny's street, which he found out was also the same street his flat building was on, and he decided it was to long of a walk for Ginny so he decided to apperate. He held her tightly by the waist, took out his wand and apperated them to the front of Ginny's building.

Ginny held on tightly to him with her head on his shoulder. When she was drunk she kind of just was there. She couldn't remember anything, but she wasn't an obnoxious drunk.

"He said it was on the fifth floor and it was number 18" Draco said to himself as he walked up the steps to the fifth floor.

Once on the landing he looked down the hall. There were only 4 flats on each floor so Draco found Ginny's easily. He went to open the door when he realized that he didn't have a key. He looked over to Ginny's shoulder and found her purse. Just what he wanted. He took her purse off her shoulder and looked through it, letting go of Ginny.

Ginny turned around and put her back on the wall. She slid down the wall and put her face in her knees. She was feeling sick.

Draco looked up at her as he took out the from Ginny's purse. "You all right?" he asked. He put the key in the hole and opened the door.

"I think I'm gonna be sick" Ginny said into her hands.

"Okay" Draco said. He helped her off the floor and inside.

Ginny stumbled into the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. Draco was right behind her holding her hair back, which had come out of its holder, and rubbing her back. When Ginny was finished Draco helped her up so she could brush her teeth. He then took her to her room. As Ginny got herself ready for bed Draco went back out to the kitchen and got her a glass of water and a vial of Pepper Up Potion.

He walked back into Ginny's room and found her already in her bed sleeping. He placed the potion and glass of water on the nightstand. He didn't want to leave her alone for the rest of the night since she looked pale and was getting sick.

So taking his tie and jacket off he made himself comfortable in the chair in the corner of her room. He watched her sleep for a little bit, just admiring her beauty, until he himself fell asleep.

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Ginny woke up the next morning to the sun pouring into her eyes. She groaned and sat up in bed stretching and yawing. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and opened them.

"Draco?" she asked surprised to find him sleeping in a very uncomfortable looking position in her chair.

Draco groaned and woke up stretching his body out. He looked up at Ginny. "Good Morning" he said with a nod.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked not so politely.

"Well you got piss drunk last night, so I brought you home and you got sick and I didn't want to leave you alone so I stayed here" Draco explained sitting in the correct position on the chair.

Ginny nodded her head taking everything in. "Thanks" she said after it was all digested. She only remembered blurbs of last night.

Draco stood up and got his tie and jacket. Now that Ginny was up and he knew she was okay he was free to leave. "Take the potion…it'll make you feel better," he told her. "I'll see you tomorrow at work" he walked to the door.

"Draco wait!" Ginny said stopping his movements. "Do you wanna stay for breakfast?" She offered. "It's the least I can do"

Draco thought about it and nodded deciding to stay.

"Great" Ginny said. She took the potion and stood up revealing her pajama pants and matching tank top.

They both walked into the kitchen and Ginny made them breakfast while Draco watched her from the table. Ginny made them scrambled eggs with bacon and coffee. She set the plates out on the table and coffee in front of them and they both started eating.

"I'm really sorry about the whole Harry thing last night" Ginny apologized again. She felt really bad about what Harry had said last night.

"Don't worry about it" Draco said before he put some eggs in his mouth.

"He was just jealous. I don't know why…we aren't even dating anymore. Which is a definite good thing" Ginny babbled on pushing her eggs around her plate.

"He doesn't seem like a very pleasing boyfriend" Draco commented. He liked dissing Harry and finding things wrong with him.

Ginny snorted. "I don't know if Harry knows the meaning of pleasure. He was too scared to even cop a grab at me. Which you did last week not so discreetly," she told Draco.

Draco head flung up to look at her. "What?"

Ginny started to laugh and nodded her head. "You were drunk," she said brushing the matter off.

Draco just stared at her. He copped a grab at her and he wasn't even sober to remember or think anything about it!

They finished their breakfast talking about the magazine the rest of the time. Draco helped Ginny clean up then left.

"I'll see you tomorrow" Draco said walking out of the door Ginny was holding open for him.

Ginny nodded. "Bye Draco and thank you again"

Draco nodded his head. "We're even now," he said talking about when Ginny brought him home when he was drunk. "Bye and thanks for breakfast"

Ginny smiled at him as her your welcome and good bye. She closed the door behind him. She had the biggest smile on her face and she slid her back down the door squealing.

Outside in the hall Draco also had a huge smile on his face as he walked down the stairs and out to his building.


A/N:So there it is! I hope you liked this chapter. I tried so hard to post it before I left, but there was so much to write I didn't happen. I really hope you like this one. It's a lot longer…11 pages and 5,109 words, and there's fluff! One more chapter and they get together! And I'll make sure it's nice and fluffy for you guys. Please review! By the way I'm not rereading over this chapter because it's too long so if any of you find even the littlest mistake please tell me so I can fix it. I'm kind of freakish about that kind of thing.

Sara – Thanks so much for your review! I'm so glad you like the story.

Dark Morbid Angel – I'm so glad you like my story! Thanks so much for your review.

Silverbutterfly – Thanks so much for your review and advice. I'm actually going to have someone read over the story before I post it just so they catch spelling and writing mistake that I haven't.

Krystal1989 – I worked on The Unexpected over my vacation a little bit. I'll have it up soon hopefully.

CoolMilena – I love your reviews! They make me laugh hehe! I have been emailing you back I think something is wrong with my email or something. But I have been emailing you back! I have seen Spiderman2.

Honey – They will get together but people won't talk. I gave you a jealous Harry in this one.

Lithui – I have to agree with you! Fashion and Draco are two wonderful combinations. That's why it is so much fun to write this! And the outfit…I needed to add a girly touch to it. And I'll put the Ramones in the next chapter for you!

Tipsy1 – Ginny and Draco do belong together! I think JK should do something about them.

Cf – I'm so glad you like my story and thank you for your review.

ColeForever16 – BTW I LOVE charmed! Thank you so much for your review!

Karamel06 – Thanks so much Jenni for your review! And yes, Colin did get pics. You wouldn't think I would have Draco do that and have Colin take anything!

Kathy – Thank you so much for your reviews! I read the ones you wrote for SITM and they made me so happy! I am so happy you like my stories.

Kiki Pryde – I am so happy you like my story and waited for this chapter!

Draco's Sexy Goddess – Love the penname! And your request may just come true. hint hint

Nerd-45601 – Thank you so much for complementing my writing! It means so much. I am so glad you like my story.

Lillian-is-fickle – Thanks for catching my writing mistake. And I would love if you could be my reader. I need someone to do that.

Kitkat159 – Thanks for the review! I'm so glad that you like my story. And Draco was acting very impulsively.

DuskTilDawn – Ginny is great and Draco is amazing! And hot (well Tom Felton is, but it's the same thing).

TickleBoom76 – I am so glad you like my story! And Draco is hot! He is very hot!