Author's Note: Sorry for the gap. I've been very busy lately with classes. Thanks for your reviews. If anyone is confused: Ginny was given enchanted chocolates (cherry-filled :p) by Draco. She was to only eat ONE chocolate at a time, because an overdose could have devastating results on one's personality and actions. That's why she was acting so...strange in the last chapter. Thanks again to Amber for her beta-reading services, and on with the story!

Disclaimer: Same as in Chapter 1.

Chapter 11: Ginnine?

"Is she all right?"

"I don't know, she was yelling one minute and the next..."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione hovered over Ginny's unconscious body. When Harry brought her in, the pair didn't know what to think. They laid her carefully onto the common room sofa and tried to make sense of what was going on.

"Something's happened to her," said Harry, shaking his head. "Ron, you should have seen her eyes...it was like she-"

"Was another person," Ron finished quietly, "Yeah...I...I kind of suspected something was wrong. I wish I'd known for certain earlier."

Hermione glanced at Ron. "Why?"

"Why?" Ron repeated. "Well...I've just been thinking she's gone mad. I guess everything makes sense now...no, it's not important."

Harry frowned. "I wouldn't say it's 'not important'. And feel her forehead. Doesn't she feel a bit warm to you, like she has a bit of a fever? I think we should take her to the infirmary. I really don't-"

"Wait," Hermione said urgently, "look, she's waking up!"

Ginny slowly began to rouse from what seemed like and unending sleep. After she had passed out, Harry carried her back to the dorm and to her bed. Her eyes fluttered open, and after taking a moment to regard Hermione, and then Harry and then Ron, she slowly rose into a sitting position. Stretching her arms and yawning, she looked up at the trio and asked, "Well? What the bloody hell are you all staring at?"

Harry looked sadly over at Ron, who nodded sadly in turn. It appeared that a bit of rest would not bring their Ginny back to normal. "Gin," said Hermione cautiously, "are you feeling any better?" Ginny smiled. "I'm as fine as I'll ever be." She paused. "Think you can all give me room to breathe?" The trio took a step back as Ginny stood. "You know," she said, putting her hands on her hips, "I should kiss Draco more often; what a sweet taste it left in my mouth." Ginny hummed to herself briefly, straightening out her shirt as she did so.

Ron started to ask what she was referring to, but Harry shook his head. Now was not the time to get into it. Ginny headed out of the room, the others close behind her. Turning dramatically, Ginny said, "You know, I've been thinking; Ginny is a bit dull. I think I'll go by Ginnine from now on. It sounds so much better."

Something flashed briefly behind Ginny's eyes, and was gone.

"Yes, Ginnine. I like that."

"Ginny-" Harry started to speak but was immediately cut off.

"Ginnine," Ginny corrected, emphasizing each syllable of the word. Sighing, Ron said, "Look 'Ginnine', you seem to have a fever and you really...don't look very well. Don't you think you should lie down?"

Ginny giggled a little, flipping her hair playfully. "Depends on who'd be lying with me." Winking at Harry, Ginny turned and left the startled group behind. They were half tempted to follow her, but knew it wouldn't do any good.

"Whatever it is," said Hermione in an inarguable tone, "It's very powerful magic."

"I don't know what happened." Ron shook his head slowly. "She's been a bit odd lately, but she was fine this morning. And now..."

"Don't worry, Ron," Harry said gently, putting a hand on Ron's shoulder. "We'll find out what's causing Ginny to act so strange. Hopefully, if we can't, Dumbledore or one of the other professors will know what to do."

"Why not just go to one of them, now?" asked Hermione, "It would certainly be the safest thing to do. We wouldn't want to get Ginny in even more trouble by trying to do this ourselves."

"We'll do it as a last resort," Harry replied, "but I'm sure you can figure it out if no one else can. You are the brilliant one."

Hermione blushed a little. "Flattery isn't going to override my better judgment Harry," she said with a smile, "but I promise to do what I can."

"Me too," said Ron, "I just hope she's back to normal before the break. Otherwise, things are going to be very interesting at home. Any idea where we should start?"

Harry looked down the hall in the direction that Ginny walked.

"I have an idea." He said in a quiet voice.

8888888888888888888888888888

A rather unusual sight greeted Draco when he entered the lounge room. There sat Ginny, in his chair, eating his apple, and looking like an absolute temptress. "Well, well," she said, her voice as deeply husky as ever, "Hello again, Mr. Malfoy." Draco shut the door behind him, turning to take in the sight before him. Ginny had traded her shorts and brown top for black; a black sleeveless turtle - neck, and a somewhat decent length black shirt, and toe- less black high healed shoes. Her red hair hand been pulled back, except for the bangs into a neat bun. Her face was well made up, bringing out the colors of her eyes. Draco wondered as he moved around the desk whether or not this was indeed the same Ginny.

He cleared his throat as Ginny looked up at him, innocently. "What?" she asked and then broke into a grin, "or were you waiting for me to ask you to sit on my lap?" Draco smiled, motioning for her to get out of the chair. Ginny gracefully obliged, taking a seat on the couch across from him.

"Ginny-"

"Ginnine," she corrected patiently.

Draco smirked. "Ginnine?"

"Yes," said Ginny, "I'd prefer to be called Ginnine, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," said Draco with a slight laugh, "Ginnine, before we go any further, may I ask, how many of the chocolates did you eat?"

Ginny pondered for a moment and said, "Well there were twenty, and when I'd had my fill, there were about nine left. So that makes eleven in all doesn't it?" "Yes it does," said Draco quietly, "and did I or did I not, tell you to eat one chocolate, and only one?"

"Yes, but-"

"And yet you refused to follow directions. Why?"

"Well," said Ginny after a moment, "I was going to stop at one, but I thought that you were overreacting a bit." Draco raised an eyebrow. "Did you really?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes, I did," Ginny continued, "and still do. I feel perfectly fine." Draco stood from behind the desk, saying, "I'm sure you do. By the way, you do realize those treats were for your assignment, don't you?" Ginny nodded.

"Did you use them?" "No," she admitted.

"Why not?"

"I didn't get the opportunity," she said, "with Ron and Hermione breathing down my neck, I've hardly had a moment's peace."

"I'm so sorry for you," Draco said dryly, "you know, it may be difficult to help you if you aren't going to listen to me."

Ginny continued to eat the apple, stopping to say, "Come now, Draco, I'm certain you are getting something out of our little get-togethers."

"I can't think of anything."

Ginny laughed. "Please, Drakkie-poo, I'm certain that at the very least, it's much more pleasant than meeting your father. Now there's a pleasant chap. I wonder..." Ginny trailed off suggestively, smiling in satisfaction at the dark look that was creeping across Draco's face.

"Do not," he said tightly, "call me 'Drakkie-poo', and my father has nothing to do with this so don't talk about him to me. He's none of your concern." Ginny took another bite of the apple. "Not right now," Ginny said teasingly, "but I'm certain that's just a matter of formality for the time being, until then," she ran her tongue across her lips, hauntingly similar to the way he had himself done before, "I guess I'll have to wonder won't I?" Draco didn't know why the thought of Ginny and his father together bothered him so much.

Perhaps because he wouldn't put it past his father to ensure such a tasteless relationship. These days he didn't put anything past his father, Lucius, but he didn't relay this to Ginny, saying instead, "Forget it Ginny, and stick to targets further within your reach."

"What make's you think darling Lucius is out of my reach," Ginny asked as she stood, "I mean if his son couldn't-"

Ginny didn't have a chance to finish her claim. Draco whirled Ginny around, pinning her menacingly to the desk. In a dangerously icy voice, he said, "I told you to leave my father out of this. My family has nothing to do with you and it never will. Do not try my patience again, Ginny, or you'll more than regret it, I promise you."

Only for a brief moment did Ginny look afraid, but that gave way to laughter. "Temper, temper Draco darling," she said soothingly, "I was only joking. I'm sure you're much better in bed than your father any day. Oh, and it's Ginnine, Draco, unless you'd like me to continue to refer to you as 'Drakkie-poo'."

Ginny arched herself upward slightly, causing pleasant friction between their bodies, "Besides," she said, her voice if possible, becoming even more intoxicatingly sensual, "I like trying your patience. It might just be the chocolates but... I think the result is well worth it."

Ginny leaned up and kissed Draco, tugging gently at his lower lip. Draco returned the kiss, bringing a bit more forcefulness to it than Ginny had expected. The sound of gentle tapping on the now open door stopped their kissing and made them both look towards the entrance.

Author's Note: As before, there will be an ambulance on stand by for those who can't handle the cliffy. Oh, and since I've made alterations to the text, there's no telling who is at the door.... Until next time! BP