Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry again to anyone who read T.T. without having read this story first. I'll be updating it daily, so hopefully things will make sense after I'm done.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 2: A Word of Advice

Two days had passed since the "staring contest" in the Great Hall, and Ginny, though it still bothered her, had decided to shrug the whole thing off. Ginny hadn't really seen anything of Draco after it happened and she decided that perhaps she was just being a bit paranoid.

Ginny seated herself in a lonely corner of the library. She really didn't want anyone to know what it was that she was reading...a romance novel. The library had a collection of non-wizardry related books, but the only ones that seemed to interest Ginny at all were the romantic novels. Daring pirates, lovely young damsels....and romance, all the love and tenderness she could bare to read. Of course, there was also another inclusion in these books that kept her reading; the sex. No one she knew of had these sorts of experiences, experiences that would be laughable in real life...and yet when Ginny read these novels, she often pictured herself as the brave young heroine, and often enough she pictured Harry as her soul-mate.

"Very interesting novel you're reading," said a playful voice.

Ginny snapped the book shut and turned to regard Draco, a look of sheer contempt on her face. He had been standing behind her, reading over her shoulder.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that it is rude to bother someone when they are trying to read?"

"No," he replied. There was a twinkle of mischievous amusement in his eyes.

"Well, it is." Ginny said. She then turned away from Draco and began to read again.

Ginny waited patiently, but Draco hadn't budged from where he stood behind her. Ginny cleared her throat, trying to concentrate on the words. After a few moments, she felt his warm body pressing against the back of her left shoulder. The pressure was light at first, but then it gradually grew heavier, forcing her forward slightly.

"Draco, stop that!" Ginny whispered in an angry hiss. She would have yelled at him, but she didn't want to draw any unwanted attention, especially from Madame Pince, the librarian.

He stepped back obediently. "I only wanted to get a closer look at what it was you were reading." He chuckled. "Very interesting, indeed."

Ginny felt her cheeks beginning to burn. She was in the middle of reading a rather steamy portion of the book. "You know, Weasley", Draco said, smiling mockingly, "I always took you for a hopeless romantic, seeing the way you're always sniffing after Potter, but-"

"But nothing!" Ginny snapped, cutting him off, "If you don't have anything remotely interesting to say, which you never do, could you please leave me alone? It may surprise you, but not everyone enjoys the warmth of your company, especially when you set out to make them so damn miserable."

Ordinarily, Ginny wouldn't have said nearly as much to Draco, but she was too embarrassed to attempt control over her emotions. Of course, none of this fazed Draco in the least.

"You poor little Weasley," he sighed, shaking his head, "You're only miserable because you choose to be miserable."

Ginny had a rather inappropriate reply to that, but she held back, thinking that her best course of action would be to ignore him.

"Believe it or not, Ginny," he went on, "I didn't actually come here to annoy you."

Despite her efforts to dismiss Draco, she couldn't help but notice that he'd called her by her first name for a change.

"Actually," he continued, "I came by to offer a bit of helpful advice. Maybe more....that is, if you're interested."

Ginny laughed. "Please," she said, "since when a do you have interests in anything other than yourself?"

"Say what you will about me," he smirked, "but even I hate to watch the way you degrade yourself. Do you realize you'll never get anything that way?"

The smile faded from Ginny's face.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?"

"You know exactly what: Potter. You're so pathetically infatuated with him, and it's pretty obvious to everyone. It just seems very degrading. It's almost as if you're...groveling."

Draco had taken it upon himself to sit down beside Ginny. The subject of her pathetic degradation was apparently an issue of great importance to him.

"For your information," Ginny replied angrily, "I am not degrading myself. I certainly don't grovel."

"If you insist," Draco said, not sounding too convinced, "but you are only wasting your time. You see, in your position, being younger, doubtful, and simply 'dreaming from afar', you aren't what one would call 'appealing'. It is human nature to pursue the things that are out of reach, that seem unattainable. Compared to those things, anything immediately on hand is well, not all that desirable."

Ginny honestly didn't know why she was listening to Draco. She should've had told him to piss off a hundred times by now, but his words were hitting home, and he knew it. Harry was pursuing Cho, and overlooking Ginny, because she was obvious. She was there, always adoring, always just...there. Ginny couldn't help but feel depressed.

"Now there is hope for you," Draco assured, "I'd be willing to help you."

Ginny glared at him in open disgust. "Oh, the hell you would! What game are you playing at Malfoy? There's no way, absolutely no way, that you would ever want to help me out of the goodness of your bleeding black heart. I know you're expecting something in return. Spit it out. What do you really want from me?"

Draco leaned back casually in his chair. "That," he said slyly, "is for me to know...for now. Of course you'll never find out anyway if you turn down my help."

"Well, pardon me for having a brain. I mean, why should I bloody agree to anything, especially when I don't know even what it is you're offering?"

Draco, a devilish gleam behind those icy gray eyes, leaned forward until he was only inches away from Ginny's face.

To her own surprise, Ginny found herself unable to move or even to breathe. What was he doing? He wasn't going to kiss her...was he? He seemed to sense her anxiety, and it sparked a playful grin.

"I'm offering to teach you something," he said, his warm breath caressing Ginny's lips, "something you'll find invaluable, especially where Potter is concerned, or any man for that matter. The ability to draw who you want, make them want you, need you, become addicted your voice, your name," he moved a suggestive hand to Ginny's knee. "Even your body..."

The touch snapped Ginny back to her senses, but it did little calm her now racing heart.

"Stop it," Ginny demanded, moving away, "What do you mean, anyway? You're not making any sense."

"Seduction," Draco said, his tongue bouncing lightly off each syllable, "is the name of the game. There are those who play and others who are simply played. The question is, Ginny, which one do you wish to be?"

Author's Note: Thank God I found those backup chapters; otherwise I wouldn't have been able to post this on time. I have so much sorting and correcting to do, but I should have another chapter ready for tomorrow. Questions or Comments? Review or email me!

BP