Author's Note: Thanks for the lovely reviews! I'm so glad to see that people are reading my story. Thanks, for making it possible in the first place!
Before I get all sappy, I'll continue with the story. Oh, and I know you were all expecting Ginny to leap in front of Malfoy and take Harry's curse (I certainly was), but I couldn't bring myself to curse Ginny. Hope you like this chapter! Special thanks to SamiJo, Emerald Storm1, Storymind, Heather, DracoGinnyFan, Volley Ball Chika, and shock-a-lot! You made my day(s).
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Last time on Midnight Mix Up:
"Curse me," said Draco softly, freezing Harry, "I doubt you would. How could Dumbledore's favorite boy curse another student? It's utterly unlike your noble, brave, Gryffindor character to curse someone who hasn't got his own wand out."
"Watch me," Harry hissed.
- - - - - - -
"Expelliarmus!" Cho's voice cried out, and three wands zoomed into her open hand. She smirked at them, leaving Harry to be the only person in her presence who hadn't yet smirked that night. Instead of smirking back at her, though, he scowled. She pointed all four wands, gathered in one badly manicured hand, in the general direction of Harry, Draco, and Ginny. Now only Cho's wand was emitting the Lumos light. Ginny suddenly experienced what normal people called "terror" when she realized that it was really dark and Cho really had all their wands.
Cho had been especially rebellious since she and Harry dated in her sixth year. It was now her seventh, and final, year at Hogwarts. At seventeen, she had multiple piercings (she even had a fang like Bill Weasley), several hard-to-miss tattoos, and a serious attitude problem. Her transformation triggered suspicions that she had been on the wrong end of a Potions accident, but she liked it this way. People feared her. Or wanted to snog her senseless, in Harry's case.
Truth be told, he loved Rebellious-Tattooed-Cho even more than Meek-but-Pretty-Ravenclaw- Seeker-Cho. He'd always had an edgy side to him, especially when he found out about the prophecy that Dumbledore - and indeed the entire Ministry of Magic - had been hiding from him. He had a lot of rage to deal with, but he mainly funneled it into fuel for doing well in his classes and Quidditch and bickering good-naturedly with his friends. Yes, he liked Ginny; she was a very sweet girl . . . But after that fateful mixed-up night, he knew he couldn't not have Cho. (He was also very rebellious when it came to grammar and double negatives.)
"So," Cho sneered, "tonight we've all cheated on our significant others, hmm?" She shot Draco a look of deep loathing. She could tell by his messed-up hair and red lips what he'd been doing for the past few minutes or forty. So he preferred innocent Weasel to her? She'd have to do something about that.
No one said anything, but eyed the wands warily. She made a jerking motion with her hand and everyone jumped. She laughed evilly, enjoying her newfound power. "Scared?"
"Not in the least," snorted Ginny. She was startled at the sound of her voice, but then she decided she had meant to say that. "I dare you to curse Harry."
Everyone looked a bit surprised at this, Harry most of all. He hoped fervently that she was playing mind games with Cho.
Cho frowned suddenly, not expecting this. Her eyes flicked over to Harry, who was desperately sending her pleading little mercy messages through those big green eyes of his. Then she looked at Ginny and saw that taunting expression in that stupid freckly face and knew what she was thinking. Stupid Weasley mind games! thought Cho furiously, when an idea occurred to her. Not for nothing was Cho in Ravenclaw.
"Desiderous Harry," she said simply. Four thin beams of light shot momentarily through the dark of the forest from the wands in her clenched fist and hit Harry right where his heart was situated.
Everyone looked even more surprised at this, Harry, again, most of all. "What - what did you do to me?" He didn't feel any different, he decided.
"It's an old curse, the Love spell," said Cho in an evil sort of voice. "That makes the cursed fall in love - deeply - with the curse-giver, and the curse-giver only." She winked at Harry, who felt a definite flutter in the region of his heart.
I can certainly feel a difference now that I think about it, he thought. Just looking at Cho - I think I love that girl! Look at the way her eyelashes curl - and those fierce eyes (heavily ringed in dark kohl) - good heavens, did that curse work on me!
Ginny was nearly speechless. "If I'd've known that curse, I would have used it ages ago . . ."
Cho grinned and flashed a flirtatious look at Harry, who began to salivate. "Little Flitwick let this little spell slip out one time," she informed them, "and I happen to know that the only way Harry can fall out of love with me is for me and me only to perform the countercurse." She smiled happily. "Sorry, Weasel dearest, but your boyfriend just dumped you."
Ginny conjured up a sneer from somewhere deep inside of her and presented it to Cho. "Good, I was just about to dump him."
Draco watched all this silently. Were the two girls fighting over Potter? But what about him? Why hadn't Ginny dared Cho to curse him? Maybe it was that she'd rather have Harry cursed because she had taken a liking to Draco. Or did it mean she liked him less than Harry? But they'd just been snogging themselves senseless only a few minutes ago . . . He seethed in frustration. Girls' minds were more trouble to comprehend than stupid foggy crystal balls in Divination! Stupid, stupid, stupid . . .
"Draco?" Ginny murmured tentatively, wondering about the funny, strained look on his face. She hoped that he didn't mind what she'd unwittingly made Cho do. Did she make the right choice, daring Cho like that? Was he perhaps jealous of Harry? Well, obviously, but more than usual at the moment? Did he want Cho back? She frowned in frustration. Boys' minds were more trouble to comprehend than stupid foggy crystal balls in Divination! Stupid, stupid, stupid . . .
"Yeah?" he answered suddenly, bringing her back down to earth.
Ginny opened her mouth, then shrugged and turned back to Cho. "Look," she said, trying to sound reasonable, "it's nearly midnight. Why don't we sort out our rather tangled love lives tomorrow, hmm? If you give us our wands back, I swear we won't attack you."
"I wouldn't speak for others, Ginny," said Draco, raising an eyebrow. (A/N: every time I read that someone raised an eyebrow in anyone's story, it makes me involuntarily raise my own eyebrow too! Does that happen to anyone else? Oh, yeah, sorry, back to the story. Ahem. Sorry.)
"But I won't hex you tonight," he added. "Tomorrow, perhaps, when we're all awake and in our right minds. Well, most of us anyway." He gave a curt nod in Harry's direction, sneering at the drool oozing out of the boy's open mouth. Harry was, needless to say, still staring at Cho.
Draco snorted. "And I doubt lover-boy will hex you either, unless it's to curse you into loving him, too. Or - something like that - look, will you just give us our wands?" He glared at Cho, who was sniggering at his jumbled-up words. He really wasn't feeling very eloquent tonight.
"All right," she said presently, tossing back the wands to their respective owners while holding hers up defensively. "But Harry's not the only one around here who deserves to be called lover-boy, if you know what I'm getting at . . . "
Draco and Ginny simultaneously rolled their eyes. Without another word, Ginny snatched up her basket of toadstools - full, thankfully - and stalked off toward the castle, Draco's hand in her own death grip.
"Vile girl," she snarled, letting Draco's hand slide out of her own.
"What, you want Harry back?" Draco asked before he could stop himself. His eyebrows shot up to the region of his hairline. (A/N: Aahh! There go my eyebrows again!) He immediately regretted blurting that out - whatever happened to his usual cool, calm, collected, sexy self? Now all of a sudden he was going to pieces over Ginny. After only two spontaneous snoggages.
"No, but I believe people ought to make their own choices about who to love," she replied carefully, slowing down her pace and speaking in a much softer tone. She suddenly wasn't sure what to tell Draco. It was different talking to him while staring into his lovely gray eyes from about three feet away. It is easier, she thought, to whisper things in his ear while I'm wrapped up in his arms. She felt warm tingles bouncing down her spine at the very thought and tried not to show it on her face.
"I believe that, too," said Draco, without even the trace of a smirk. Highly unusual, really. He pulled his robe tighter around him. He glanced down and saw Ginny's hand, swinging by her side. Would she be offended if - ? Would she think that I - ? He gave up on his inner turmoil and took Ginny's hand again, interlacing their fingers and pressing his own fingers against the soft skin of the back of her hand. "Just promise me you won't put me under that Love spell crap," he said jokingly.
"Are you sure I didn't already?" Ginny teased, feeling a bit braver as they stepped out of the Forbidden Forest. They heard Harry and Cho exchanging murmurs a little further behind them.
Draco stared at her with what she hoped were only sarcastically wide eyes. "I - well - yes, I'm sure. I mean, I don't think you put me under the Love spell."
Ginny's hand loosened its tight hold on Draco's as she sorted out what he meant. He didn't feel the same way she felt? Granted, they weren't exactly a bona fide couple, in fact quite far from it . . .
The lawn was still wet, and her robe's hem got completely drenched. She took the opportunity to think about the meaning of his words as she made a pretense of wringing them out. "Oh," was all she could think of to say. Their small conversation had begun with a joke, but now it seemed like everything they said to each other was loaded. She never had this problem with Harry.
She really needed to stop comparing the two Seekers. And anyway, even if she had just dumped Harry, what she and Draco had done in the forest was just that. It wasn't a commitment, per se. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, right?
Draco realized what his words could have meant, and wondered what he really did mean. He said nothing when she straightened up, but nudged her in the ribs and pointed to the castle's main doors. The silhouette of Filch stood clearly outlined in the doorway, waiting for them. Ginny surrendered the toadstool basket and endured Filch's bad teeth as he thanked them profusely and sarcastically.
They walked through the halls in silence. Ginny wondered if he'd still be the evil git to her after this night. Sure, he was fairly nice to her during detention, but only because she had gotten close enough to trust him and be trusted in return. Well, and also close enough to make out with him. Hmm.
They reached a fork in the hallways and each realized the other was going in a different direction. Ginny stopped and turned toward Draco, planning to just say good night.
"Good night, Draco," she said softly, thinking of what would happen if anyone should come around the corner and see them snogging - if, that is, Draco decided to kiss her good night.
"Good night, Ginny," he said back, face unreadable.
Stupid Malfoy expressionless faces! Ginny screamed inside her mind. Wait, but he'd called her Ginny? She mentally screamed some more. Well, she decided, it was her turn to abandon her senses and surprise him. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips, counting out four full seconds before she pulled away, smiled seducingly at him, and went in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.
Draco could still feel her lips on his as she sauntered away. Maybe she really had put a Love spell on him. No, he figured she wouldn't after he had asked her not to. He trusted her.
Ginny grinned to herself. Things had definitely taken a turn for the better. Now she didn't need an excuse to break up with Harry - Cho had put him under a Love spell! Ginny would be pitied, be angry with Cho for a bit, and then wind up in Draco's arms. If he'd have her. Heck, she'd go with him just to make out with him as much as possible.
Well . . . If she was honest with herself, she also felt a little sorry for him. Of course she did. She always had, but she'd never really cared about it until now -
"Ginny?" whispered a soft, disbelieving voice from behind a statue of the great wizard Zaphod Beeblebrox. (A/N: 42! OK, separate disclaimer, Zaphod belongs to Douglas Adams.)
Ginny whirled around, literally getting her knickers in a twist. "Isabelle?" It was indeed Isabelle, who stepped out from behind Zaphod, looking ashen-faced.
Ginny looked hurriedly up and down the hall, and ran, pulling Isabelle behind her quickly. They hastily jumped into the portrait hole just as Mrs. Norris had spotted them from down the corridor. The common room was, thankfully, empty. After all, it was about two in the morning.
Ginny stood unsteadily, biting her lip. "Why were you hiding there?" she asked finally, throwing the focus onto Isabelle. She hoped this would ward off any questions about where she had been that night.
"I didn't know where you were tonight," Isabelle explained, "so I was looking around for you. And where do I find you? In the hallway, saying good night to none other than Draco Malfoy. You kissed him! You, Ginevra Weasley, were snogging Draco Malfoy! Possibly all night long!"
She clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized Harry had clambered in after them. His eyes looked a bit unfocused; he was obviously still under the Love spell. Isabelle began to tremble, thinking that perhaps Harry didn't know about Ginny's scandalous affair, but he muttered, "That's old news, m'dear." He wobbled a bit on the spot, and then wailed, "I wish I were in Ravenclaw!"
As he tottered up the boys' staircase, Isabelle turned to Ginny, who figured the best plan of action was to explain things simply and succinctly. "What I'm about to tell you must never be repeated. Well, not to anyone untrustworthy anyway. Actually, I don't care if it's repeated, so whoever's eavesdropping can come out now." So much for simple and succinct. Isabelle gave her a sideways look as they sank into a couch in front of the glowing embers in the fireplace.
"Okay. Last night there was a bit of a . . . a mix-up and I was unknowingly snogging Draco and Harry was unknowingly snogging Cho, when it was supposed to be, you know, switched, only we were in the darkness and couldn't see, and we were caught by McGonagall. So we ended up in detention in the forest tonight, and Draco kissed me even when we knew it was each other and I kissed him back, and then we saw Harry and Cho snogging, and Cho put Harry under a Love spell, so Harry and I have basically broken up. But I don't really mind because I'd rather be with Draco anyway, even though I probably won't be because of the circumstances and everything. He can be very nice, you know." She had said this all very quickly. Hmm, she thought to herself. Perhaps she'd better reexamine the definitions of "simple" and "succinct".
Isabelle raised her eyebrow, an action that had been done by almost the entire Hogwarts student population in that one night. "Is that right."
"Yes."
"Well. Stranger things may have happened, but I have yet to hear about them. Look, the only thing I have to say is, I trust your judgment and everything, but I don't trust Malfoy. Did he place you under a Love spell?"
"No."
"Look, I'll be blunt: he's probably just using you for snogging practice, knowing the kind of guy he is, so just watch out, okay?"
Ginny looked indignant. "He is not! He's really very sweet beneath that tough bully shield he's made for himself. I think I can help him out of that. Well, what I mean to say is, I here and now declare that I trust Draco Malfoy and I do not think he is using me for snogging practice. Not," she added, "that he needs it."
Isabelle rubbed her weary eyes and sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe when you wake up you'll realize how stupid you sound."
"Oh, it's okay, I already know," Ginny said lightly, following her friend up into the girls' dormitory. "But, Isabelle, thanks for caring."
Isabelle glanced at her from her bed, where she had already jumped in and curled up into a ball. "Just be sure you're not snogging him to, I don't know, play fixer-upper."
Ginny said nothing to this except to wish her friend good night, but pondered Isabelle's warning as she lay awake in her canopy bed. Sure, he was intelligent and knock-'em-dead handsome (did she just think that? How lame did that sound), but Isabelle had a point. He was really awful to everyone else but her, and had, in fact, been mean to her all up until last night. But he was extremely gentle and nice and kind to her now. Should this matter much to her? And was it truly desire, or was she only kissing him because she felt sorry for him?
She frowned in the silence, listening to the deep, rhythmic breathing of her roommates, wishing she could just sleep. But one thought plagued her mind.
WAS she trying to play fixer-upper?
