[A/N: I own nothing. The plot I do own.]

.:V:. A Short Rest

Ginny stood still as Malfoy made himself comfortable in the vast room around them. An attic was Ginny's first thought, but the ceiling was flat. The room looked as if it had been previously prepared for Malfoy.

"Thank you for your cooperation in transporting myself here, you are dismissed," Malfoy announced with his back to her, bending over a trunk, his trunk most likely. Realization finally conquered her thoughts.

"You planned this whole thing, didn't you?" she said, taking in the already made bed next to a wood-planked wall.

"Very good, now leave," he said brushing her off.

"You killed the bloody train, you blond psycho," she hollered at him, finally getting his attention, also trying string together a proper sentence, and not what a three year old would say.

"You are really trying my patience, Weasley," he said, it sounded as if he was almost seething. "And I did not 'kill' the train, as you have put it, I merely changed its course, now get out," he was actually pushing her out the front door.

Ginny pushed him back harder.

"I'm not leaving," she said.

"Of course you are—"

"I'm not, let me stay," she pleaded, letting her hand slip into her pocket.

He was leaning on the doorframe at least now.

"What's wrong with you? Go back. Just go—"

"You do know," said Ginny, trying to regain her composure. "As soon as I step out that door, I'm going straight to the Daily Prophet Headquarters,"

They both knew she didn't need to add anything more.

Malfoy didn't seem effected at all.

"Well, Weasley, this has been the most unpleasant forty-eight hours of my life, say good bye to your memory," she took her gaze away from the wand pointed at her chest and set it on Malfoy's stare. He looked just as determined as she did when he snarled "Obliviate!"

Ginny almost laughed when his wand only spat a few pathetic sparks at her.

"Alright how about this: you tell me exactly what's going on and I'll fix that crack at the back of your head so you can pull together a simple Memory Charm,"

In the time it looked like he was processing this information, Ginny let herself in and sat on one of the chairs – really, he only needs one, doesn't he? – and waited for him.

$

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Weasley?"

He sounded almost distressed; she couldn't really see his expression at the moment.

"It's a simple Charm, it shouldn't hurt,"

"I never said it did,"

"Good,"

"Good,"

"Now get back to what you were telling me, Malfoy," she said poking the wound with her wand. "I've kept up my end of the bargain,"

"Fine," he said. "I'm seeing spots as it is," he added, unaware Ginny could hear him perfectly.

"I never meant for you to be in that train when as it was about to fall in the lake, if you got off when I said to get off, I would never have to put up with you – Goddammit, Weasley," this time she elbowed him in the back "As I was saying, everything would have gone smoothly if it wasn't for you," he waited, and continued "Let me see, I'll start from the beginning—"

"Usually the best place to start,"

"Yes, well this all starts with Lucius and his brilliant plan to rule the world. He really doesn't have half the power the Dark Lord had; perhaps it was the shock of being sent to Azkaban along with the other Followers. The Ministry should have known they possessed wandless magic, the Dark Lord had been schooling them for years—"

"So that was what all the uproar was about in July,"

"Yes, yes. Now shut up. I only escaped imprisonment because I never fought in the War of the Seven Suns."

"Wait—"

"Will you let me bloody finish? Lucius may have never realized it, but I knew. I knew the Dark Lord doesn't share power, it doesn't matter how far you're in his inner circle, he will always have the power and if it wasn't for your precious Potter, we would have been at his command,"

"And you don't want that?"

"Didn't I just say that he would rule over everything? That includes all the creatures in the magical world and otherwise. That includes the Vampires,"

"So?"

"So, Vampires cannot be governed, and Lucius was willing to test that theory, thus resulting in a great war against the Vampires. Except our power as wizards cannot compete with those who've witnessed the birth of time. So..."

"We'd all be in the wrath of the Vampires. I mean, they're scattered all over the world so if we were to go to war against them..."

"It would mean the destruction of the entire wizarding world" At this point, they were finishing each other's sentence but either of them were too engrossed to really notice.

"So is that why you didn't go to war or join them completely?"

"Pretty much, I would have loved to destroy all those filthy Mudbloods, but I'm afraid it is not worth eventually becoming undead—"

Since it had been a while after she had healed the nasty gash at the head, Malfoy was sitting upright on the bed after lying on his stomach, and therefore Ginny had the perfect opportunity to slap him in the face.

She was almost amazed at how much force she put into her arm, the arm he had broken actually, to make him fall square off the bed. Even more amazed she was, at how quickly he bounced back and pinned her to the floor.

She had no way of defense at all this time: her legs had been pinned down by his knees and he held both arms. His eyes were wild and focused; Ginny could almost see the rage that splintered the irises.

"Don't you think defending your Mudblood friends is a little useless right now?"

Ginny was terrified. Was he going to kill her? She wasn't in the safety of Harry's arms anymore nor would she ever be. No longer could she depend on anyone but herself.

With all the strength she could conjure, Ginny pulled away her hand from his grasp and gave him a forceful right hook, square in his elegant jaw. The impact of her fist resulted Malfoy hitting the floor and Ginny raising herself up and staring down Malfoy.

"I'm not your plaything. You can't just torture me at will anymore. I've put up with your stupid childish terrorizing for long enough. I can either be your ally or your enemy. What's going to be Malfoy?"

$

What is the cause for young Ginny's sudden stout heart? What will Draco's decision be and will it bring them as allies or break them as enemies? Where exactly do these two foes' hearts lie? Only time will tell.

Tune in next time to The Wrath of Ginevra wherever Internet maybe available.

$

And here it is, your moment of Zen:

"I may be a cold-blooded jelly doughnut but I have impeccable timing."

-Buffy the Vampire Slayer