Chapter 21

Draco and Ginny's eyes locked for several seconds. What a site, a Weasley and a Malfoy looking at each other, without a trace of hatred. There was anger, confusion, and longing shining through; neither of them had time to put their guard up. Both of them were startled at their meeting. It seemed as if fate had this planned all along. Neither one of them wanted to see the other, yet at the same time they were only people who they could think about.

After that brief period of confrontation, Draco quickly picked his bag back up and made to leave. He didn't know what to say to her, especially since she had made it clear on that piece of paper that she never wanted to even think about him. That was why he was going to get out of there, even if that meant squeezing into a compartment with fifty chipmunks and a fat lady.

Ginny, noticing that Draco was about to leave without another word, felt compelled to stop him. Even though she was still mad with him, she knew it was only fair to let him stay. Besides, subconsciously she wanted to be with him, and in that sense his presence was not at all unwelcome.

So, as he was about to step out of the compartment, she finally spoke. "You can share with me," she said to him, answering his previous question.

He stopped, not sure whether to take her up on her offer or leave. Although he considered the latter option, he ultimately decided to stay. He was in no mood to go through all of the compartments again, and he knew that this was most likely the only empty space on entire train.

Defeated, he silently took a seat across from the redhead, setting his bag beside him. She always seemed to get her way. What was it about her that bothered him so? He tried to look at anything, anything but her. 'Must not let her know I want to look at her', he thought to himself. His eyes wandered aimlessly over the window, the floor, her suitcase, the book in her hands...

Ginny desperately tried to continue reading her novel, but was unsuccessful. She read over the same paragraph seven or eight times, not fully comprehending the information. Her mind was too busy thinking about how Draco was sitting only several feet away from her. Something about his presence made her unable to concentrate, no matter how hard she tried.

Thankfully he couldn't read her mind. If he could then it would have been the end for her. She was thinking back to her dream, in which he was the guest star. If only he knew that she was dreaming about him... He would probably laugh in her face, insult her, and then go off and tell Cho so she could throw it in Ginny's face. Ok, maybe not to that extreme, but she was still angry that he told Cho she stole papers from him.

She kept telling herself not to look up, although every bone in her body wanted her to. She had to keep pretending to be reading, that way it would seem as if she moved on. She didn't want him to know that he was a reoccurring topic of her daily thoughts and contemplations. 'Must look like I am focused on the book...'

Little did she know that he was also thinking thoughts along the same lines. Being an awkward moment for both of them, seeing as they were so tempted to look at each other, it seemed to last an eternity. They both sat in silence, scolding themselves for wanting to converse with the other person. The frustrated couple had minds swarming with questions and accusations, sitting in a compartment that was full of tension so thick that it could have been cut with a knife, a dull knife at that.

Ginny would not let herself be the first one to crack. She could not let him know how he had affected her. He knew everything, well almost everything, and she wanted him to think that their time spent together did not change her one bit. That was something she even had trouble convincing herself was true. Why did she think he would believe it?

Draco, being a Malfoy, was an expert at concealing his emotion, but at this moment in time all he wanted to do was let it out. That he would not allow. He had a reputation to uphold, and he would not ruin it in the presence of a Weasley. She was a person who had grown on him, but still underneath it all she was a Weasley, first and foremost. He needed her to think that he could care less what she thought of him, even though deep down he knew that was not true.

This everlasting moment was at last disturbed at the train came to an abrupt halt. A loud screeching was heard, the sound of the train was dying down, and everything was jolted forward as the train came to a complete stop. Among these things was Ginny, whose book went flying in the air and smacking Draco's head as she took a nosedive onto the floor.

It took her a moment to process what had just happened. She touched her head, where she had hit it on the bench oppose her seat, and slowly got up from the floor. Regaining her composure, she brushed off her clothes and sat back down at her seat. She had a slight bump on her head, but other then that she was fine.

Looking up, she realized that Draco had been staring at her the whole time since the stopping of the train. Her book was resting on the floor by his feet, where it had landed after the collision with his blonde head. He had not been moved from his spot, but his bag had slid to the floor and he had yet to pick it up. It seemed as if all of his attention was focused on the girl in front of him, as he gawked at her with a blank expression on his face.

This was the straw that broke the camel's back. She promised herself that she would not let him know he got to her, but she couldn't help it. She had to yell and scream that was how infuriated he made her. He hadn't even asked her if she was all right, all he did was sit there and stare at her like a mindless moron. What was his problem?

"What is wrong with you?" she spat. She didn't hate him, not any more, but she was still angry. She wanted an explanation, hoping that there was actually a valid reason behind his betrayal. Did that even count as betrayal? It's not like she ever had his loyalty to begin with. She was simply a game to him, nothing more, nothing less. This she knew, but she didn't want to believe it.

He had actually begun to seem more human to her, but then he had to go and act like the pompous idiot she had always known his as. That kiss... surely that wasn't the kiss of the same person before her now, who had consorted with her enemy.

As she plucked her thoughts away and looked at the man in front of her, she realized that he had not answered her. He was still sitting there speechless. This caused her to become even more enraged, memories of her conversation with Cho fresh in her mind.

"Aren't you going to say anything, ferret?" she asked, her face becoming slightly red. She added the last part knowing that with his arrogance and pride it would irritate him, forcing him to at least acknowledge her presence.

Draco, who had been staring at Ginny for some time, broke out of his spell. He hadn't realized that he had been staring, but his thoughts consumed every inch of his attention. Yes, the way she was treating him did reflect the awful things she wrote about him, but he had a right to be angry with her and she didn't. So why was she yelling at him? He had helped her; he thought that he deserved more gratitude then that, seeing as she gave him none.

"Nothing that is worth saying to the likes of you," he replied coldly, trying to seem distant and unattached. Would she be able to see right through his cold hard exterior into where he actual held, gasp, feelings?

"What are you doing here anyway?" Ginny responded. He was acting like the same old Malfoy. That shouldn't be surprising, but it bothered her. Her question was reasonable though, what would a Malfoy be doing on a Muggle train headed to London?

"Going to visit my mother," Draco honestly replied. He felt compelled to ask her the same, yet at the same time trying to retain his dignity. "Not that it's any of your business. What about you?"

"I'm going to my brother's wedding," she answered almost immediately before wondering why she had even given him an answer to begin with. What did he care anyway? She hoped that the train would start up again soon, because nothing was worse then being stuck on a train with a Malfoy, even if she did have the slightest bit of feeling for him.

"The Weasel actually found someone, eh? That's a shocker," he responded, sounding like himself again. He couldn't believe that the dirt poor, skinny, tall redhead would ever find a wife, and so soon. It was not until after Draco spoke did he realize that he had just insulted a member of Ginny's family. Oh well, she had insulted him in black and white.

"Leave my brother out of this," she said harshly, feeling the need to defend her older brother. He could be a flake sometimes, and he did have the worst taste of anyone ever to live and breathe, but he was still her loving, caring, and overprotective brother. She had to love him. Plus she knew what it was like to have an annoying nickname; she had been called Weaselette for a good part of her youth; no thanks to Malfoy.

"Who is he marrying?" Draco asked inquisitively, ignoring Ginny's usually vicious nature. In all honesty he could care less who Ronald Weasley was marrying, but he thought that this conversation could divert them from the real source of their tension.

"Hermione," she simply replied, wanting to sustain him and hoping that if she answered his question he would lay off it.

"Figures. Those two deserve each other," He should have known that the know-it-all would be the woman who would agree to marry the Weasel. In fact, he probably would have figured that out on his own, seeing as he was naturally brilliant, if he wasn't preoccupied with other thoughts. Slowly he recalled the beginning of the list...

Ginny, meanwhile, stood up to face him. She wanted to punch him, but even more then that she wanted him to apologize. He lied about her, and to her worst enemy of all people! And even after that, he had the audacity to stand before her and act like nothing ever happened. As if she were the one to do him wrong. Ha!

"You are the foulest prat that it has ever been my displeasure to be an acquaintance of!" she shouted at him, her red face growing even redder and her already red hair making her radiant like some sort of angry goddess.

She looked into his eyes after letting out her insult, and saw that he had been expecting something along those lines, yet at the same time there was confusion in the smoky nebulous of his silver grey eyes that were so distinct.

What was that? Was his hearing correct? She was yelling at him for being a prat, that he should have expected after reading the top of the list, but the way he saw the situation he had more reason to be mad at her then she did to be mad at him. She had thought she could use him for a story, and then when he helped her all he received in response was a cold shoulder. Then later he gets a package in the mail containing a list, written by her, naming off things about him that apparently make her hate him. What had he done to deserve this attitude? Yes, he had picked on her in school, but considering how he could have done a lot of bad things to her and didn't, he still had the sole right to be angry.

A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I have time enough to reply to one person:

MemoriesOfYou- You shall see, and as for the Harry in a thong thing, that's just scary... lol.

Thanks again to everyone else!

Please review!