Author's Notes: Surprise, there are no real notes except to people at the bottom. This is going to be another long one, so full speed ahead! As usual, all reviews are welcome, even flames, but constructive ones are better.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all other characters used (except for Professor Martin) are property of the talented J.K. Rowling.

Analyze This

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy for sitting here with me while I was in my bed sleeping, and you sat there bored out of your bloody mind. Oh no, don't thank me at all, Weasley," Draco drawled.

Ginny glared at him with all the strength she could muster. "Thank you?! You must be insane! It's your fault that I am in here. I certainly didn't want you here, and I don't want you here now! I thought I heard Madam Pomfrey say 'Hello again' to you. Don't tell me that you've graced me with your presence more than once, Malfoy," Ginny said sarcastically, immersing herself in her sheets and muttering assorted insults and comments. Gathering her self-control she sighed and glared at him once more, ignoring the fierce headache that straining her eyes brought.

"But for the sake of conversation – you know, so that you're not bored – tell me why you're here and then leave. But don't forget to call Madam Pomfrey when you go."

Draco sat back in his own chair and sipped his water appreciatively, making sure to make a show out of it. For Ginny had to certainly be thirsty after going a day and a half without any food or water. Her scratchy voice was proof of that. He looked at her thirsty eyes watching him while he then drained the glass.

"Parched?" he taunted.

Ginny stuck her nose in the air. "As if I'd take anything from you."

"Fine." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm here because you got yourself into an accident -"

"Don't even - it wasn't my fault! You knew that you weren't capable of catching that snitch before I would have scored. You knew that you were going to lose and so you asked your private apes to assault me and I ended up here. How dare you even come here and –"

"You sound so much like your brother," Draco said off-handedly.

Ginny forgot about her previous rant and demanded, "How would you know?"

"Well, that is how he sounded right before I smashed his face in," he said casually.

"You hit him?" Without waiting for an answer, Ginny ordered him to leave. "Get out."

All Draco did was laugh. "Sorry; I'm on special orders from Professor Martin to remain here and 'keep you company'."

Ginny was unrelenting. "You are relieved of your duties," she spat. "Get out. I don't want you here."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Are you hard of hearing? Or maybe you'd just prefer Potter –"

"GET OUT! Get out, I don't want you here!" Ginny screamed. "If you think that you can come here when I'm not feeling well and harass me because I can barely move you're wrong! Now if you don't leave, I'm going to scream."

Draco's eyebrow rose in doubt of whether Ginny actually would scream, or if she could scream any louder than she was already.

"You think I'm joking, Malfoy? Just watch me."

Draco continued to sit, and Ginny opened her mouth.

"Forget it, Weasley," he said. The last thing he needed was to have the Trio run in and claim that he was trying to finish her off. "At least I have an excuse to leave now. And when you speak to Professor Martin, make sure to tell her that you went mad and told me to leave." He rose and walked to the door. When he opened it, he came face to face with Madam Pomfrey who saw a redhead sitting up in bed.

"Is Ms. Weasley awake?" she asked Draco.

He smirked and said, "By her appearance she looks dead, but if you want to be technical, she is alive. Although I'm not sure she's of sound mind."

With that said, he swept out of the door leaving the medic to make sure that he was just being sarcastic.

As soon as Ginny saw Draco leave the Infirmary, she fell into her bed once again. She had not realized that she had been sitting up in the first place until the room began to spin and her headache turned into a fierce migraine. Shutting her eyes against the pain, she began to feel a steady throbbing in her side and crammed her eyelids together.

When she was arguing with Draco, she had done a good job of not letting him see that she was in pain, even though she was. The screaming and yelling had not only made her throat sore, but also left her short of breath. Adding the injury of her broken ribs, she was surprised that she was still alive.

Summing it all up, Ginny croaked, "I feel like shite."

"Oh, no young lady. I'll not have that language in my Infirmary." Madam Pomfrey bustled around Ginny's bed getting the proper instruments to do a check up. "I know that it will hurt, but you're going to have to sit up so I can check your side."

Ginny groaned and tried unsuccessfully to hoist herself up. "I think I'll need a bit of help with that actually," she said listlessly.

She hated being helpless.

"Of course," Pomfrey insisted. "As a matter of fact, I want you to drink some water while you're sitting up. And then eat a small bit of chocolate; you're going to need it."

Ginny grimaced and braced herself. "Am I allowed to have a charm against the pain?"

"YOU'RE UP!"

"And here is one of your loyal visitors now," Madam Pomfrey said dryly.

"Lark!" Ginny exclaimed happily; though her voice sounded more like a yelp. The medic had just pressed her finger into a tender area on Ginny's side.

"How are you feeling?" Lark asked eagerly.

Ginny gave her friend a sour look with her eyebrow raised in response. Right after, Ginny released another yelp; it was Lark's turn to grimace. "About those anti-pain charms"?"

Madam Pomfrey continued her examination. "I'm sorry, dear, but you may only have one after this first examination."

"Why?" Lark asked, seeing her friend evidently in pain.

"Well, because of the nature of your injuries –"

"GINNY!"

"Colin!" Ginny yelped again.

From behind Colin, a redheaded seventh year burst forth.

"Ronnie!" Ginny said in pleasure. She could see Hermione and Harry also coming from behind.

"I thought you would never wake up," Ron exclaimed as the whole group gathered around Ginny's bed. "How are you feeling?"

As Madam Pomfrey pulled up Ginny's gown slightly to put a little pressure on Ginny's ribs, her eyes watered in pain.

"As best as one can feel when they are only a few paces away from dying in pain," she gasped.

"I'm sorry Ms. Weasley," Pomfrey said again. "However, now you may have the charm. Revulnerum."

Ginny's shoulders relaxed; she sighed and rested back. "As I was saying before, I wouldn't perform the charm because the natures of your injuries were not ones where they would be gone by just using magic; you need to rest and your body will heal itself."

"I don't understand," Colin said. "You fix broken arms and bones in only a few minutes."

Harry frowned in remembrance of his painful experience that took a full night.

"I think I understand," Hermione interjected, looking toward Madam Pomfrey. "A bone can just be 'snapped back together', if you will. But for injuries like broken ribs and concussions that affect a person's actual system, the body needs to heal itself, although magic can be used a little. Is that why you could use a charm to fix Ginny's skull fracture, but not the other injuries?"

"Precisely!" Madam Pomfrey beamed. Hermione's eyes shone.

"Show off," Ron said, but he too was smiling.

"I'm really glad that all of you are here. The only company I've gotten so far was Malfoy."

"What?!" Ron's good humor was gone.

"I didn't ask him to come!" Ginny said, defending herself. "As a matter of fact, I asked him to leave, right before he told me something interesting," she continued, meaning Ron's fight with him. Ron ignored Ginny's insinuation completely.

"What did he want? Why was he here?" he demanded.

Ginny sighed. "He said that Professor Martin told him to come. I didn't get a chance to ask him why, though. I sort of told him that if he didn't leave, I would scream," she finished sheepishly.

Ron gave her a big smile. "Well done, Ginny."

Lark rolled her eyes. "She is in no position to scream at anyone." Gesturing at Ginny's many bandages she said, "The effort would probably hurt her."

Ginny childishly stuck her tongue out.

"Sacrifices must be made," Ron replied. Lark rolled her eyes in response while Colin laughed.

"Speaking of sacrifices," Harry interjected, "Were you trying to score before Malfoy or I caught the snitch? You would have, had he not lost his mind."

Ginny smiled. "I'd thank you, but there isn't reason to – like you said, I didn't score on time. When you caught the snitch, did you tie the game?" she asked.

This put a considerable damper on the mood.

"Actually, Ginny, I thought that you would remember; you caught the snitch."

She blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"When you were knocked off of your broom, you fell in between Malfoy and me," Harry explained, putting his hands in his pockets. "Last night the team and Slytherin had to meet with Hooch, and she – well Malfoy and I" – Harry said this with hesitation, he it seemed wrong that he and Draco's name should be in the same sentence – "decided that a rematch should be held."

"A rematch?!" Ginny exclaimed. Ron and Harry nodded. "But that can't be! We worked our arses off –"

"Ms. Weasley…" Madam Pomfrey warned.

"I'm sorry, but – we, we worked really hard…! How will there be time to hold another match? We still have to play Ravenclaw, and all the other teams still have matches. We'll have to cram an extra game into the season."

Harry sat down in the chair that Draco formerly occupied. "It sounds crazy, but that was the only reasonable solution. The other was that the match would be disregarded completely."

"It would be as if a match between us never happened," Colin put in. Harry nodded.

"And if that was recorded, then we would be at least 100 points below Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff at best; we would go down without a chance at the Cup," Harry finished.

Ginny continued to lie dejectedly in her bed. "If that's the best thing...When will the new match be?"

"It's going to be the last match of the season, Madam Hooch says," answered Harry. "That way, all of the other games won't have to be rescheduled to fit in the new one."

"Then I'll be ready," Ginny said optimistically. "When do you think that I'll be able to leave the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey?" Ginny asked.

"Not for quite a while," she answered negatively. "You're healing nicely; the fracture is gone, though there is still considerable tenderness, and the concussion is all but gone. The only factors against you are a lethargy that you'll feel because of the entire trauma to your head, and your ribs will take a bit longer than anything else to heal. Adding all of those factors up, and if you continue to recover the way you are now, you should be up and around by Friday or Saturday; Sunday the latest."

"Sunday!" Ginny, Ron, Harry, Colin and Lark exclaimed.

"What will I do here all day? All week, practically?!" Ginny asked.

"She can't neglect her studies for that long!" Hermione exclaimed.

"She needs to practice for all of the upcoming games!" Ron said.

"What she needs is rest!" Madam Pomfrey disagreed. "Look at the time! All of you, off to your classes; it is time for Ms. Weasley to get some sleep." She began to shoo them out of the door.

"All I've done for the past day and a half is sleep!" Ginny protested.

"And you will do more of that!"

"Don't worry, Ginny," Lark insisted on her way out. "Colin and I will collect all of your work so that you won't get behind."

"And Ron and I'll make sure to include you in the new strategies for the games," Harry put in.

"All right!" Ginny replied, sitting up pain-free to watch them exit. The door shut. "Goodbye…"

"No – No! NO, Harry! Pay attention or else you'll miss the snitch," Ginny yelled at him. It was the rematch for Slytherin versus Gryffindor; the serpents were in the lead five hundred points.

Harry, however, refused to listen and was making bets on a skirmish down below. Ron and Draco were fighting; they were ramming their brooms into each other, when suddenly, Ron's head disappeared and became the head of his broom. Draco jumped off of his broom and hit Ron with it.

Looking up at Ginny he said, "See, I told you Weasel, I smashed your brother's face in." Giving her a charming smile, he went back to his business.

"Stop, Draco!" Ginny plead. "Don't hurt him!" All of a sudden she was wearing Harry's glasses. She saw the snitch.

"Go get it, Ginny!" Colin shouted from the stands. Ginny smiled at him quickly, and looked to Lark for motivation, but she was laughing with Seamus. Narrowing her eyes, Ginny veered down. She saw Hermione crying over her brother – who was still a broom – while Draco continued to hit him.

"Stop hitting him, Draco!" Ginny screamed, still chasing the snitch. "I'll do anything!" Draco looked up, and in the next instant was sitting on the tail of Ginny's broom. He inched closer to her when she turned around.

"Anything…?" He looked into her eyes and tugged her hair gently, his face came closer. Ginny swallowed and nodded feebly; his silver eyes were the most beautiful things in the world. "Anything?" he repeated, beginning to smile.

"Y-yes," Ginny stuttered. He pulled her closer, Ginny closed her eyes; she could feel his breath on her lips, then next to her ear.

"Then fly," he whispered, still smiling. Ginny opened her eyes in confusion, but before she could ask him what he meant, he smirked and pushed her off the broom. She was sailing through the air. Colin was still screaming for her to get the snitch, the ground was coming closer. She began to scream.

"Ginny!"

She was about to hit the earth –

"GINNY!"

"GINNY!"

Ginny shot up in bed breathing heavily, looking around. Someone grabbed her and when she looked, the person had gray eyes.

"Aahh!" she shrieked, shooting backward, grabbing a sheet to shield her, ignoring the pain the spiked up her side.

"Ginny, calm down!"

Ron was looking at Ginny with alarm: she was sweaty, disheveled, and her eyes were as wide as a deer's in wandlights. Slowly, Ron moved a little closer, not too quickly in case she wanted to strike out at him.

"Ron?" she whispered in confusion. It was dark. There were a few other shadows around him. There was a gleam on one of them – a silver gleam.

Ginny moaned and moved back a little more – then Harry came into sight. His glasses had caught the light.

"Harry?" Ginny breathed. She sighed deeply and fell back into the overstuffed pillow that was battered from her flailing. She continued to try to steady her breathing. 'Everything is fine; Madam Pomfrey told me to get some rest. I must have been sleeping for a long time.' "You two scared me half to death."

"You scared us," Hermione said, and Ginny's head turned to meet her. Ginny continued to breathe deeply and patted her sweaty forehead.

"What was the matter?" Ron asked concernedly. "Was it something to do with the Chamber –?"

"No!" Ginny said quickly, shaking her head. "Nothing like that." She could see all of them let out a breath.

"What was it then?" asked Harry.

Ginny laughed croakily and Hermione reached for the pitcher of water. "Thanks, Hermione," she said. She took a sip and told them, "I just had the…oddest dream."

"Really?" said Hermione, fascinated. "What about?"

"Well," she began. "It was the game against Slytherin" – Harry and Ron groaned – "and we were really behind; almost five hundred points."

Ron laughed. "Like that would happen!"

"Well it was a dream!" said Ginny. "Anyway," she continued, feeling more like herself, "you were fighting with Dr –" Ginny stopped "Er, Malfoy…Malfoy," she said quickly. "And then your head disappeared from your body and became the broom head –"

"I had a broom head?" Ron said.

"No," said Ginny. "The broom had your head, and then –"

"Then what about my body?" he interrupted again. Harry snorted.

Ginny waved her hand. "That doesn't come in now, that comes in later when Hermione cries over it."

Harry hooted with laughter while Hermione blushed and ducked her head.

"Oh," said Ron simply, turning a bit red. "Go on then."

Ginny rolled her eyes and pushed some hair back that had escaped the gauze wrap. "As I was saying, the broom got your head. Then Malfoy started to hit your broom-head with his Firebolt. I asked him to stop, but he didn't. And then I got Harry's glasses…that's the part where Hermione cried for you, Ronnie," Ginny teased. "Colin was cheering me on, but Lark was laughing with Seamus while Malfoy kept hitting you." Ginny stopped. In the next part she told Draco that she would do anything for him, and then he came on her broom to kiss her – or so she thought. Or wanted…

"And then?" Harry said eagerly, still laughing.

Ginny clasped her hands together and said rapidly, "And then I fell off of my broom and Ron woke me up."

"You must be psychic," Ron teased, not noticing Ginny's shabby ending. Ginny looked at him questioningly.

"Well," said Hermione, getting over her actions in the dream, "we just saw Lark laughing with Seamus; they were walking to the common room together. Ginny noticed again that it was dark and that the lamps were on.

"What time is it?" she asked.

Hermione looked at her watch. "About eight-thirty; you've been sleeping all day. We came here after dinner to see how you were, and asked Colin to come, but he said that he had a letter to owl and said that he would see you tomorrow."

Ginny nodded. "Speaking of me being psychic, Ronnie," she said slyly, "what's this I hear about you brawling in the Infirmary?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders complacently, but his eyes darkened. "Malfoy was here to bother you when you were sleeping. We had a difference of opinion; nothing unusual. Ginny," he said suddenly. "What did he want when he came earlier?"

Ginny sighed. "He said that Professor Martin told him to come – not in those words, though. He made sure that I got the point that he wanted nothing to do with me, and that the visit was completely against his will."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know that it might be difficult because of the meetings you two have together, but don't try and antagonize him if you can help it."

"If she can help it?!" Ron said incredulously.

Hermione continued on. "You know that he's held resentment against all of us ever since…well, ever since…fifth year…" she finished softly. All eyes present went nervously to Harry, who did not bother to avoid their gaze.

"He still blames me for what happened to his father in the Department of Mysteries. You were all there, so you'll get just as much of it, unfortunately…" he said very quietly. He peered intently into Ginny's eyes and held her gaze. "You'll have to watch yourself around him, Ginny. The Order" (he said that very bitterly) "can't watch over us at Hogwarts – not really. I don't want to visit the Infirmary anymore…"

Not knowing what to say to that, Ginny simply sat up and hugged him tightly. Right after, Hermione, being the emotional one joined the hug, sniffing, but not crying. Even Ron gave Harry a one armed hug, wanting to maintain his manliness and all.

When it ended, and Hermione was only sniffling softly, Ron said, "Well, we only want to see you in the Hospital Wing if it's a Quidditch injury; those are acceptable."

The somber mood was broken; Harry chuckled a bit and Hermione smacked Ron in the arm.

Trying to hold back a yawn but failing, Ginny looked at him and then at Ron's watch. "I almost forgot! You lot have NEWTs coming up! You can't be here! Look at the time – you have homework to do, and things to study for. Out! Out now!"

Ron held his hands up in defense. "Is this the way you kicked Malfoy out?" Ginny glared at him and continued to push Harry to him.

"Thank you for visiting me, though. It's nice to see something other than the white walls, but now you must go!"

"Fine, fine," Harry said laughing.

Hermione was already at the door and looking guilty for not thinking of her studies sooner. "I really am hanging around these two too much," she said to Ginny. "Especially this one," she said grabbing Ron's arm. When she saw that Harry was lagging behind she gave an exaggerated sigh and grabbed him too. "Bye, Ginny!"

"Bye!" Harry called.

"Sweet dreams!" Ron echoed down the hallway.

Ginny was left to her thoughts. 'Yeah, sweet dreams.'

Before she could get too distracted with her thoughts, Madam Pomfrey came in with a tray. "Good, you're awake." She set down the tray on Ginny's bedside. "I came earlier to see if you were hungry, but you were sleeping.'

"Yes…I guess I was more tired than I thought," said Ginny.

"Well then you must be famished. Here, you can't have anything to heavy." Dinner proved to be a chicken soup with a roll of bread on the side, and a fruit salad for dessert.

"Thank you," said Ginny politely. She was hungry, but not famished, and the soup and fruit would probably be enough.

By the time Ginny had finished the soup and was halfway through the fruit, Lark came through the doors with a gigantic smile on her face that wasn't even buried by the large amount of books in her arms.

"Lark!" said Ginny putting down her fruit cup. "What have you got there?"

"The Transfiguration essay, Care of Magical Creatures project guidelines, Divination homework, and last but certainly not least, the Potions essay," the raven-haired girl chirped. Ginny eyed her warily.

"What's got your knickers in a lovely twist?" she asked. Lark was rarely this...jubilant, especially not when talking about mountains of homework.

Lark set the load down on a table and stared dreamily about her; then she gave a little giggle.

"Lark?" Ginny repeated.

"That's my name, no?" she said happily. Ginny watched her friend and then thought quickly. She had just been with Seamus, no wonder.

"He was that good, eh?" said Ginny silkily.

"All that and more," said Lark dreamily, swaying slightly. Abruptly she stopped, thought about what she just said and then blushed furiously. "I mean I think he is! Because I don't…n-not that I would know anything…anything about…well, you know…how good…er…"

Ginny erupted with laughter. "Tell me everything!"

Getting over her flustered state, Lark was only too happy to oblige. Sitting on half of Ginny's bed she said, "Well, it wasn't really much. I'm probably just exaggerating. You know how I get," she said by way of explanation, still smiling at Ginny.

Ginny smirked and put some of her hair in her face and tousled it a little in imitation of Lark's locks. Batting her eyelashes rapidly she played with her fingers and said, "Oh, Seamus. Giggle, giggle. Oh, you! Tee-hee. Oh, stop!" She hit Lark playfully on the shoulder pretending that Lark was Seamus. "You're just too much." Dropping the act, Ginny began to laugh even more at the offense on Lark's face.

Lark's eyes were wide. "I most certainly do not act like that, Ginevra Weasley!"

Ginny only laughed harder. There was the hint of a smile at the corner of Lark's lips, and then she too began to laugh.

"Sorry," Ginny apologized, getting a handle on her giggles. "Do go on."

Lark smiled again. "I was coming out of the Great Hall to pick up your books so that you could do your homework while you were in here, when Seamus began talking to me." Ginny's eyebrow rose.

"I know!" Lark exclaimed. "I guess I was walking pretty quickly, because he came up alongside of me and asked me where I was going in such a hurry. I told him that I was going to pick up your books because you were put out of action for the time being and he nodded. He said that you did a great job and put in so much effort in yesterday's game. I agreed and told him that I was really proud of the way you played, and that Gryffindor was lucky to have such great players, especially you." Lark stopped and blushed.

"Well?" Ginny said expectantly.

"Then he said that you were lucky to have me as such a great friend." Lark smiled.

Ginny flashed Lark a big smile; partly because she was such a great friend, and partly because she and Seamus seemed to be getting along well.

Lark continued her narration. "That was pretty much it. We reached the common room together, and he said that he would 'see me around.'" When Lark finished she sighed.

"That's wonderful!" Ginny exclaimed. In a singsong tone she said, "I think he fancies you…"

"I wish," said Lark wistfully.

"Don't be silly," said Ginny. "You are a great friend, you're very smart, and you're nice."

"If you say so," Lark answered. Hurriedly she continued, "I don't have low self-esteem or anything, it's only that Seamus is rumored to be snogging Parvati Patil all around school."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Ginny said simply, shrugging.

Lark gave Ginny a smile. "Thanks. As payment," she said, picking up the Potions book, "I'll explain the essay to you. The seventeen usages of Rhubarb Mushroom, where it may be found, and what the side affects are. First..."

Ginny smiled at Lark as her friend pored through the text. Thinking about Lark's friendship, her hopefully budding relationship with Seamus, and the dream that was still on her mind, Ginny thought distantly, 'This is one person who won't push me off a broom.'

"Wake up, sleepy one..." a distant voice said. There was a big, blurry shadow over Ginny. Rubbing her eyes, the shadow came into focus, Madam Pomfrey.

"Good morning, Ms. Weasley," she said. Ginny yawned and stretched her arms over her head with only the tiniest wince.

"You must be feeling a lot better to be able to do that," the medic said.

Ginny nodded emphatically. "Actually, I wanted to know if I would be able to take the bandages off and have a shower." Madam Pomfrey eyed her skeptically. "Please, Madam Pomfrey? I've been in this bed for ages without a decent wash. My hair is sweaty, and greasy, not to mention matted..."

"All right, fine," Pomfrey agreed. "I'll put another painless charm on you just in case." Ginny agreed. When Pomfrey was finished, she gave Ginny a towel, soap, a washcloth, and generic shampoo.

'It's better than nothing…' thought Ginny. When Ginny was in the bathroom, Madam Pomfrey called to her again. "I'm going to change the sheets, but I'll send an elf for some clothes and a pair of robes. They'll be on your bed along with breakfast."

"Thank you!" Ginny called back, brushing her teeth.

After Ginny finished her shower, she rolled her hair up into one of the towels Madam Pomfrey had given her and looked at the clothes on her bed; Muggle jeans and a green tee shirt with a black letter 'G' in the middle. Her mother had seen it in a shop on one of their few jaunts for Muggle clothing and had thought it cute. Taking the towel off of her semi-dry hair, Ginny shook her head and reveled in the feeling of having bandage-free, clean hair. Scratching her scalp a little, Ginny pulled the cover off of her breakfast tray and made a face.

"Lumpy porridge, more fruit and toast; the breakfast of champions."

Deciding that toast was the best thing for now, Ginny took a slice and started munching on it while poring through her Transfiguration text – Transfiguration's Troubles, Trials, and Triumphs by Zsia Beacon.

When all the toast was gone, Ginny took out some parchment and a quill that Lark had brought and began to think about what she would write for the essay. So far they had covered transfiguring larger animals (like cats, medium-sized dogs, and rabbits) into objects like chairs, tables and flowerpots; and then back. The essay required them to research and state the characteristics that inanimate objects retained when transfigured from animals.

The text stated that animals with patterns, such as striped cats or Dalmatians, kept their prints when transfigured into objects. There would be tables with a Dalmatian's spots or chairs with orange spots. In cases like these, if the witch or wizard was not advanced enough to complete an error-free transfiguration, a concealing charm or other appearance altering charms would be needed as well.

Before actually starting the essay, Ginny wanted to jot down notes and then get them in order. She dipped her quill into her small inkwell and was poised to write when there was a knock at the door.

"Ginny?"

She looked up at the clock and frowned. Breakfast was over and students should already be heading to classes, if not already in them.

"Hello?" Ginny said. To her surprise, when the door opened, it revealed Professor Martin.

"Oh!" said Ginny with surprise. "Er, good morning!" She stood up slowly and looked at her messy bed, then tried to clear it off. "I'm sorry...there's not much room..."

"That's alright," said the Professor brightly. "Here's a chair." She sat in the chair next to the bed while Ginny remained standing awkwardly. "I'm the one who's intruding; go on and sit."

Ginny sat cross-legged on the bed.

"I know that it's unusual to knock on the door," began Professor Martin. "But I asked Madam Pomfrey if it was okay to visit you, and she said that it was. Only she asked me to knock first as you were taking a shower." Ginny nodded. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here…" Ginny nodded slightly once more. "Well, for starters, I'm here about our sessions."

Ginny sat up straighter, intrigued. "Mr. Malfoy has been here once, has he not?" Ginny's eyes narrowed, not trusting her voice, she nodded again. "He must have told you that he came on my orders, and he was right. You see, when he told me that you would not be attending yesterday's session, I assumed that Madam Pomfrey was just fixing you up – he told me about the game. But then I realized that you wouldn't be coming at all when he told me about your injuries…" Professor Martin let her sentence hang in the air while Ginny thought.

"He told you about my injuries?" asked Ginny, looking at Professor Martin whose turn it was to nod. "But…" she said aloud.

'He didn't come to visit me after I got hurt in the game. No one knew the exact injuries until Lark, Colin, my brother and his friends told them,' she thought.

The professor smiled brightly at Ginny's apparent confusion. "You're wondering how he knew precisely about your injuries, aren't you?" Ginny nodded slowly. "As did I," she said. "You see, after Draco told me about your situation, I wanted to hear about the whole day up until he came to me. He told me about the game first, then about breakfast the next day, in which your brother and his friends were missing because they were with you. And then he finished with the first half of lunch before he came to meet with me. However, it didn't make sense to me that he knew about all of your injuries when supposedly he hadn't been to see you."

"He didn't!" Ginny protested. "I know that he didn't."

"I know that, Ms. Weasley," the professor said pacifying. "However, when I told him about my confusion, he eventually told me that on his way to our meeting room, he saw Madam Pomfrey on her way to most likely retrieve a potion, and he stopped her and asked her how you were doing." There was a pregnant pause.

"I...he didn't...he wouldn't..." said Ginny shaking her head; even more confused than before. Then she gasped and sat up straight.

"What is it, Ms. Weasley?" the professor asked.

Ginny looked like she was thinking very hard. "When...when he stopped by yesterday I heard Madam Pomfrey say 'Hello again, Mr. Malfoy.' But when he told me later on that he had gotten into a fight with my brother, I assumed that by 'again', she meant she had seen him twice because he got hurt in the fight. She must have meant when he stopped her in the hallway..." Ginny's voice tapered off.

"Precisely," said the professor, smiling.

"But...but that doesn't mean anything!" said Ginny stubbornly. "Anyway, why are you telling me this?" she accused. "He might have been concerned, fine. All that proves is that he is only partly human. I already know everything else about his personality," she scoffed.

"Do you?" the professor asked skeptically.

"Yes," Ginny rushed on. "I know that he's a vicious brute and that he's a Malfoy, which are really one in the same, once you think on it."

"Do you know his favorite ice-cream?"

Ginny shook her head and rolled her eyes. "But –"

"His favorite book?" she continued. "Color? Quidditch team?"

"That isn't important!" burst Ginny. "Why should I care?"

The professor smiled gently and got up to leave. "Draco Malfoy cared enough to ask about you, didn't he?"

After another minute, she rose, opened the door and let it click softly behind her, leaving an immensely frustrated, confused, and even slightly flattered Ginny Weasley.

For the rest of the day until lunch, Ginny felt thoroughly rattled. She had tried continuing her Transfiguration a few minutes after Professor Martin left, but eventually gave up on it due to lack of concentration. She had spent so much time worrying about where she would now stand with Draco that she did not even realize that he had come in the room.

When Ginny heard the door opening she was looking up at the ceiling. "You can just leave the tray on the bedside table, Madam Pomfrey. Thanks."

"People have called me Satan, a dog, crap that was under their shoe, you choose. But Madam Pomfrey's a new one," he drawled. Stunned, Ginny abruptly sat upright.

"I...I assumed that you were Madam Pomfrey bringing my lunch," she said.

"Naturally, you assumed wrong," said Draco.

"I think we've covered that," snapped Ginny, feeling more comfortable with being angry with him. Internally, she was satisfied at having proven Professor Martin wrong. 'His coming to visit me hasn't changed him at all,' she thought.

"I see that you're not chucking things at me or threatening to scream. Either Professor Martin has come to see you, or you've grown a few seeds of sense." He sat in the chair that almost everyone who visited sat in.

"Yes, Professor Martin saw me this morning," Ginny bit out. 'Be nice, Gin,' she told herself. 'We are in a place of healing not massacre.' "And she…told me that you had asked Madam Pomfrey how I was doing. I...er –"

Draco's head snapped up. "She told you that?" He asked sharply. "Well don't thank me," he said harshly, looking away. "It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It doesn't matter that I did."

Ginny gaped at him. He was wrong on two counts. "Are you kidding me, Malfoy?" He looked back at her. "Nothing out of the ordinary? A Malfoy inquiring after a Weasley? That's front-page news! And secondly," she said, "it does matter. Merlin knows that I've spent the entire day so far thinking about it," she said angrily.

"It isn't my problem if you're so hot and bothered over something that means absolutely nothing. Make sure to add being high-strung to the long list of problems that you have," said Draco reclining in his seat, looking ruffled.

"You're the one who is so infuriatingly uptight about everything, and you take the simplest things as written law," said Ginny.

"Is that so?" Draco said, sitting up.

"Yes. I have never once seen you crack a smile except to laugh at someone's expense. And Merlin forbid a crease deface your impeccable robes when you walk through the hall," said Ginny caustically.

"I simply know how to present myself. I'd rather not look as if I was just mauled by two bludgers before falling off my broom," said Draco icily.

"I can't believe I ever entertained the thought that you would actually care!" Ginny yelled angrily, although she was angrier with herself.

"You brought it up," said Draco, sounding a bit childish.

"Well then let's drop it and talk about something else!" said Ginny crossing her arms; Draco shrugged.

There was a prolonged silence in which Ginny sat back against her sheets, arms still crossed while Draco looked anywhere but at Ginny. One minute passed…Ginny felt eyes on her and looked at Draco, but he was looking at the plaster. Two minutes…there it was again! This time, she pretended not to notice him staring and waited until he was doing it for at least fifteen seconds, then she turned coolly and said, "Was there something you needed?"

Embarrassed at being caught but trying to hide it Draco glared and said, "Not from you."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "You were ogling my shirt. Do you have a problem with it?"

He sniffed. "It's Muggle wear," he said disdainfully.

Ginny glared. "I think I understood that when I bought it."

He looked at the 'G' in the middle. "Oh, I understand, just in case you forget your name?"

Ginny blushed, Fred and George had made a comment very similar to that; but there was a difference between Fred and George saying it and Draco Malfoy saying it. "Ginevra Weasley…I suppose your mother thought it was exotic?" He snorted.

"What if she did?! If you weren't stalking me, you wouldn't have heard it in the first place."

Draco laughed coldly. "Oh please don't flatter yourself. I wanted to see if 'Ginny' was actually your name – I'm not sure which I worse, now…To stalk you would mean that I would actually have to desire you in some way."

Ginny was seeing red. "How about we try not talking at all?" she managed to ground out.

"Would you like a glass of water?" said Draco looking for the entire world like he was actually having fun. "You're looking rather flushed."

"Normal people think having fun means doing something other than pointing out a person's flaws, Malfoy," Ginny said looking at him angrily, unnerved that he was seriously enjoying taunting her. Draco began to look at Ginny in a serious way that made her uncomfortable, even though she refused to look away.

He scooted up closer to her bed. "Do they, Weasel?" he said in a low voice. "What kind of things do they do, hmm?" he said quietly. Ginny swallowed nervously.

"Things like…like…"

He was looking at her so intently.

"Let's just…talk about something else," said Ginny quietly, still looking at Draco's eyes head on. He rested his hand on the bed next to her hair, she swallowed harder.

"Only if the price is right," said Draco quietly. "What would you give me to drop the subject?" he began to smirk when she didn't answer. Ginny's rational side, far back in her brain said, 'Another punch in the face if you don't drop the subject', and she began to say exactly that.

"An…"

However, as soon as Draco saw her lips beginning to move he moved even closer and Ginny ceased speaking.

"What was that? You'd give me anything?" His arm was reaching over to her other side to touch the tips of her hair. Ginny was entranced; his last question registered in her brain, and her eyes nearly bugged out of the socket. 'Anything…?' It was just like her dream.

Half delirious with the spell he seemed to be weaving on her, Ginny said gently, "Please don't push me off of the broom."

Draco's fingers halted; the spell seemed to be broken. He snatched his hand back quickly, but looked at Ginny a little longer before pushing his chair back. He appeared as dazed as she felt.

"Brooms? You might want to check into St. Mungo's." He then turned and walked out of the door, although she noticed that he gave her a small look right before he went out of sight.

Ginny's eyes were still glued to the spot where he had just been, but unlike Draco, she had yet to compose herself.

"You might just be right, Draco."

That's it for this one. Please review!

-Femme