Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, folks! (Although, you really can't hold one month against me when I went for seven without an update…*innocent grin*) Anyway, thanks muchly for all of the reviews – you know I love it when you guys read and tell me how fabulous I am. Not that I need any reassurance or anything… *wink* Okay then! Here's the newest installment – enjoy!

            Much to his surprise, Draco was beginning to find that being nice to Ginny was far easier than being horrible to her. That's not the way this is supposed to work… she's a Weasley. He really needed to get a good night's sleep – to get all of these confusing thoughts out of his head.

            Draco looked down the table and saw that Pansy Parkinson had managed to seat herself next to poor Tony. What the guy won't do for a nice pair of legs…He shook his head slightly. He couldn't put up with Pansy for twenty minutes at the most, and Tony now had to deal with her for a whole dinner party.

            "Quite an evening of achievement for the Minster, isn't it?" A quiet voice in Draco's ear nearly made him fall off his chair. He wheeled around to see none other than Mr. Ollivander, wand maker supreme, watching him seriously. "Another political victory, a prestigious party in his honor, and the affections of a very prestigious lady, it seems." Draco scowled as he saw Fudge catch his mother's eye from the other end of the long table, and raise his glass in a toast. She smiled warmly at him. "How much is your mother worth, approximately?" Ollivander looked hard into Draco's eyes, reaffirming the nagging worry he'd had about the Minister's true intentions.

            "More than any monetary measurement, and certainly more than a prick like – excuse me, the Minister – deserves," Draco said scathingly. He wasn't sure why Ollivander was bringing the obvious to his attention.

            "As I expected to hear," The old man nodded his head once, sharply, before turning away and concentrating on eating. Draco wasn't at all unhappy to end the conversation. He'd always found the guy rather creepy, really.

            Ginny had stopped eating, and was quietly watching the people around her. Mrs. Malfoy had been talking to the woman next to Ginny, but had turned her attention to a rather feeble looking old woman dressed in purple silk a few seats down. Draco had been having a conversation with Mr. Ollivander – a conversation that displeased him, apparently. He almost looked sick when he turned away from the old man and picked up his fork. Ginny couldn't help but stare at him. His face was flushed, and he looked extremely upset, but handsome, just the same. As she sat there, eyes glued to his face, Draco looked at her. It wasn't a glare, as she expected, nor an amused, mocking glance – he looked at her, like normal people do.

            Ginny was severely unnerved by this. Draco Malfoy didn't just look at people. He gloated, mocked, glared, stared, glowered, and scowled at people – but he didn't look at them. She focused her own eyes on her plate very quickly, and began to shovel the food into her mouth, attempting to make herself look busy. Every now and then, she chanced a peek at him, but Draco was either gazing thoughtfully at his plate, or chatting with his mother.

            While Ginny was scarfing down her food, the woman next to her put her hand on Ginny's arm. "Are you enjoying yourself, dear?" Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt the touch – she'd been so focused on pretending that she hadn't just looked at Draco for the eighth time, that she'd completely forgotten about the other guests.

            "Mmpff, um…" she swallowed hastily. "Yes, yes, of course,"

            "Allow me to introduce myself – Velma Morgana Waffle. Owner and proprietress of Velma's Elements; one of the finest apothecaries in all of Britain. I'm currently in the market for an apprentice, as a matter of fact." Ginny stared at her. Ms. Waffle stared back, her massive jewelry glinting in the candlelight. Time passed. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ginny burst out rather rudely,

            "That's very nice, but what does that have to do with me?" Ms. Waffle burst into laughter – a pleasant, silvery sound, and patted Ginny's hand maternally. (Well, maybe not Ms. Weasley maternally, because if Ginny had said something like that to her mother, a nice pat on the hand would have smarted a lot more…)

            "And here I was thinking to myself what a clever girl you seemed. Child, I saw you getting mobbed by those dull, lifeless Ministry members," she declared, not even bothering to lower her voice as several "dull, lifeless Ministry members" looked around. "You don't want to work in a stuffy place like that – believe me, I've been there! Department of International Cooperation, that was me twenty-five years ago… This business suits me much better. Tell me, dear, are you interested in potion-making?" Ginny was still staring at Ms. Waffle in disbelief.

            "You… want me to be your apprentice?" the woman nodded, smiling. "…you don't even know me!"

            "Oh, quite the contrary!" she protested. "I've known your parents for eons. Saw you as a little girl – but since I've switched careers, I haven't had much time for socialization. But oh no, you're quite mistaken. If I know one Weasley, I know all of them. And a fine lot you are, too," Ginny began to recover from her surprise. A grin snuck onto her face.

            "Well, I mean, I can't be making any commitments immediately… you know, review my options, expand my horizons…" Ginny's voice trailed off as Ms. Waffle winked at her knowingly.

            "Oh, of course," she replied, and returned to her meal.

            Ginny sat in stunned silence for a moment. I've got a job!

A/N: I know, I know, this was a very Ginny-filled chapter – but I had to build this up, and Draco really has nothing to do with it. So it's mostly Ginny. Not that we don't all love that anyway.