Disclaimer: Don't own HP universe, nor the ancient roman quote, it's from Thyestes, just my plot.

Chapter Five

The next evening in the library Draco expected the Little Weasel to come in looking defeated.

He sat there expectantly, waiting to get this over with so he could continue learning and honing his skills in peace.

However, he never expected her to waltz in the library like she won the House Cup. She plopped down in the chair across from him, mirroring the night before, except this time she didn't look remotely nervous or intimidated.

"Teach me." She grinned at him; she couldn't help exuding giddiness.

Draco appraised her, much like he had weeks ago on the Hogwarts Express.

'Not bad to look at, despite the fact that she's a Weasley and a muggle- lover. Definitely not a Slytherin the way she wears her emotions all over her face, but she'll be easier to handle that way, though she does have spirit, I'll give her that. Plus, she's got a quick wit which ought to be entertaining, hell... why the fuck not...I can handle this little pixie. Though really, there is snowball's chance in Hades realm that her Animagus is related to mine.'

Draco had come to a decision. However, he decided to have a little fun with her anyway, things may have changed for him since Lucius got carted off, but that didn't mean he still didn't enjoy watching Weasleys turn bright pink in the face. They were just so damn easy to bait.

"No."

"But Malfoy.. you said, you said last night that.. that..."

Ginny felt her hopes crashing down.

She'd been up for hours last night in the common room, after everyone went to bed, discovering her Animagus, and when she did, she was so excited. It was definitely closely related to his....

The look of utter despair on the Little Weasel's face was almost enough to make Malfoy roll his eyes at her. Almost, of course because Malfoys never did anything that plebeian and uncouth in public.

"Gullible Little Weasel aren't you?" he sneered in her direction.

"You should know that a Malfoy does not back out of one's word. However, I find it difficult to believe that your form could be even closely related to mine."

Ginny just stared up at him, emotions whipping across her face, disappointment bubbled into anger then skyrocketed to hope. She just sat and stared, not realizing that she was supposed to say something.

Malfoy raised an enquiring eyebrow at her, as if to prompt her into action. Hardly believing that he was giving up minutes of his precious time for this classless miscreant.

"Ohh" she breathed out with immediate understanding. Her form, he wanted to see for himself that the Animagus was related.

She held out her palm and tapped it twice with her wand and murmured 'Aparicium Animagi'. Slowly a small hologram began to appear, floating a few centimeters above her palm. It was a perfect, miniature, red-tailed hawk. The bird hologram rotated above her palm, turning her head sharply, this way and that as if it was searching for prey.

Malfoy stared at the little figure rotating on her palm.

'Fucked.'

He thought to himself as realization sunk in.

'Bloody Malfoys and their bloody not going back on their word. Make wizards respect the name, you thought, be all honourable and shite... good going Draco, you're stuck with the Little Weasel now, no amount of Slytherin slinking can get you out of this.'

Malfoy closed his eyes briefly, the only outward show of his inner monologue and struggle for control. He calmed down, resigning himself to his fate.

He picked up a dark, dragon-hide covered notebook that had been on top of his stack of texts. Ginny watched apprehensively as he flicked his wand at it and spoke a simple replicating charm. He tossed the copy to her, noticing her reluctance to take the journal. He looked at her with veiled concern in his eyes, shaking his head slightly, just one more thing his father had managed to bugger up royally. Now that Draco was older he could see that Lucius, by making an eleven-year old do his dirty work for the Dark Lord, had sunk to a new all time low. His little scene at the end of that year had been disgraceful as well. No class, really.

"It won't write back, Little Weasel" he told her in a tone she had never heard before. She looked at him with confusion on her face. "It's just my notebook recording the process of becoming an Animagus. I had to learn by trial and error, you will be fortunate enough to learn from my mistakes. I will not have you slowing down my progress by having to push and prod you along, I will give you a month to reach my level, if you are not at my level by that time the lessons will end, understood?"

He waited for her nod of comprehension.

"Owl me when you are ready to commence your tutorial." Malfoy stood, gathered his books, and with a brief nod left the library.

As Draco stalked back to rooms in the dungeons he pondered this new and completely unexpected challenge that had appeared in his life. But, if his new life experience had taught him anything over the past year was that to survive one had to accept and adapt quickly to any unsavory situations that presented themselves, and then to slowly turn them in your favour. He had been tough on Weasley, he knew it, but he had to test her conviction to doing this, if it was just a passing fancy he would be wasting both of their time. But, by Merlin, if she managed to get up to his level in a month, when it had taken him three, then she deserved to practice with him. Far be it that a Malfoy would refuse to give credit where credit is due.

As Malfoy exited the library, Ginny grasped the smooth notebook in her hands, noticing the perfect binding and tiny stitching around the cover. She steeled herself and slowly lifted the cover.

On the inside fly page there was an inscription:

'Men compelled by fear to praise, may be by fear compelled to hate. He, who desires to win sincere approval will seek it in the Heart, not on the Tongue.'

Ginny paused while reading this, perplexed as to its meaning concerning the owner of the notebook. It seemed terribly.. deep, and completely incongruous for a prat like Malfoy to write in the journal. Besides the inscription, she noticed as she flipped through the book, there was nothing of a personal nature. The pages were filled with small, neat cursive and detailed drawings and wings, feathers and wind patterns.

Ginny couldn't wait to get started.

A/N: Thanks guys! You rock out! I promise more chps soon. I've got a few more already written they just need to be edited etc. Bye for now!- proserpina