This is something to tide you all over until I can get more chapters of Beginnings in Ashes written. Unfortunately, I seem to have hit a small roadblock with that. However, it should pass soon.

I wrote this ages ago, at some early hour of the morning, and I don't even remember what spawned the idea in the first place. I probably didn't post it when I wrote it because I fell asleep and forgot it was here. I have now re-read it, and discovered that it appears to be me at something approaching my most sarcastic. There is no real dramatic plotline. It's just amusing. I imagine it was fun to write...if I could remember doing so. Enjoy.

By the way, I have not read The Half Blood Prince. I do not plan to read the Half Blood Prince until my sister gets a copy that I can filch around Christmas time. So I have no idea about what kind of character changes may have happened in the Harry Potter world and I am continuing, blissfully ignorant of any new material. Just bear that in mind.

Disclaimer: Well, while I do have a job now, I haven't been there long enough to amass the large amount of money that would be necessary to make me a worthwhile lawsuit. I own nothing.

The Joys of Detention

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had been fighting again. This time openly, in the halls, in front of everyone in the entire school. Hermione Granger had tried to stop them, as per usual, and this time Ginny Weasley had been around to give her a hand. And as per usual, it didn't work. Ron Weasley had been no help at all. No one even knew what they had been arguing about this time. The last time it had been about a Quidditch game. However, this time it was completely out of the blue, and it had come to blows. And yet, they refused to tell anyone what it was that had gotten them started. Not even Professor McGonagall when she had succeeded where the younger girls had failed. But this is where the common thread to all the other fights ended. This time, instead of just deducting points, she ordered them into detention as well.

Now here is where things get interesting.

They were serving detention together, under several spells to ensure that they could not leave the room until time was up, and they had finished the task set out for them. This task was, as experienced seventh year students, to mark all the sixth year student's Charms essays. Professor McGonagall had said to Professor Flitwick as they left the room that the spell idea was quite clever, if you asked her. The two young men were left serving detention knowing they were under complex spells. But they didn't know that they'd also left a prefect with them, just to make sure they behaved. That prefect was the only one that wasn't out on rounds that evening. Ginny Weasley.

"This is so stupid. I can't believe that we can't even cheat our way through this." Draco grumbled, picking up a quill.

"Well it is your fault. You threw the first punch." Harry accused, following suit.

"You provoked me."

"Oh, really. I wasn't aware that 'bug off Malfoy' was provocation. I'll have to remember that the next time."

"It was the tone you said it in."

"Oh dear, oh dear. Remind me to watch how I say things when we have our next argument.

Having your fist smashed into my face isn't at all enjoyable."

"You didn't have to fight back, you know."

"Yeah, but then you'd just get at me for being a wimp or something, and since you bother me about so many other things it just didn't seem like a viable option."

There was silence for a few moments as they continued to work, and not glare at each other. For that would simply escalate into another fistfight. One that wouldn't be stopped by a teacher anytime soon. The silence was eventually broken when Harry found a certain paper amongst his pile.

"Would you look at that. I didn't know Ginny was in this class. I thought she was in the other one." He said, mostly to himself. Over in her corner, Ginny frowned.

'You would know it if you paid any attention to me at all. Even just an occasional greeting would be nice, you great prat.' She thought.

"She's in this one because Gryffindors have Charms when she needs to be in her Magical Healing seminar." Draco said. This time, Ginny's eyes widened.

"How do you know that?"

"I just do. Better let me mark hers, Potter."

"No way. You'll fail her."

"Be serious. I'm grading Hufflepuff papers, and I have yet to fail one of them. Besides, you'll only give her a hundred percent, and that'll leave her nowhere."

"No. You're not laying a pen mark on her paper. Not after what you said today." Ginny's

curiosity was now piqued. What had he said?

"Oh come on. It's not like it was particularly nasty. Most girls would say it was a compliment."

"If Ron had heard you say that, he would have killed you."

"I still maintain that 'Weasley's sister has a nice ass' is a compliment. It's your own fault that you a) Don't notice and b) take offence. Now give me that paper."

In her corner, Ginny was mildly surprised. She knew that most boys in her year considered her pretty, but hearing Draco Malfoy say she had a nice ass was quite different. It wasn't flowery and romantic, but she was pretty sure that she liked it. And it was more attention than she ever got from anyone else. She turned her attention back to the two of them, noting that Harry was still being stubborn.

"–and if you think I'm going to let you write whatever you want on her paper, you're out of your mind."

"Potter, if you mark that paper, you'll give it top marks, and she won't learn anything from it. She won't know if she did anything wrong, and she'll make the same mistake again, and lose more important marks because of it. I, madly in love with her as it is, will at the very least mark it like I did all the other ones." Ginny's hand flew to her mouth to avoid squeaking in surprise. Did he just say he loved her? What in the world...?

"What did you just say, Malfoy?"

"Are we hard of hearing now, Potter?"

"Tell me you didn't just say you were in love with Ginny."

"Why shouldn't I be? Just because you only notice her when you think her honour needs defending, doesn't mean that someone else can't see what you don't."

"But, she's...she's..." Harry seemed to be at a loss for what to say, while he flailed about, but only for a moment. "She's Ginny. She's innocent and young, and she doesn't deserve to be led astray by the likes of you."

"The likes of me, eh? Tell me, what are the likes of me?"

"You're a cold blooded Death Eater."

"Watch what you say, Potter. The last person who called me that, wound up nailed to the wall. Mother was extremely displeased, and we've had to buy a new rug to cover the nasty stain."

"What--"

"It doesn't matter. Never call me a Death Eater. You don't know me, and I doubt you ever will." They stared at each other for a full minute before Draco looked away. "Fine. Mark it yourself then. Just be sure to tell her who to blame when she fails her exam." He went back to marking papers. After some time, during which Harry had marked other papers, and not Ginny's, Harry spoke again.

"Why do you love her then? Will you tell me that?"

"Because I can see what you don't, Potter. You see Weasley's little sister, someone who needs protecting when threatened, but when it comes down to the basic niceties, like being friendly, you fall short. I fall short too, but that's because I'm afraid of what she'd say to me if I was friendly. But, I see a girl who has a big heart, and sympathetic eyes, but a spine of pure iron. She can turn out the most clever insults I have ever heard in this place, but is always there in a pinch if someone needs a shoulder to cry on. I see the actual girl. All you see is the syndrome."

"Syndrome? What are you talking about?"

"Oh please. I thought you were supposed to be smart. It's almost always the case. Younger sister develops crush on older brother's best friend, grows out of it. Only problem is, the older brother and the best friend don't ever acknowledge that she has grown. To them, she's still a little girl. Sound familiar?"

"I know that she's grown." Harry protested.

"Uh huh. Right. So when she helped you out with some of your homework the other night, you didn't pat her head patronizingly and then go back to what you were doing." Draco shot back, one of his eyebrows raised speculatively.

"What, are you following her now? Stalking is very bad manners, you know. Not to mention a little bit creepy."

"I'm not stalking. I just happen to notice these things. We're all studying for the same exams, remember."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. Are you finished with that pile?" Draco pointed at the pile of papers that Harry had just finished marking.

"What? Oh, yes." Harry frowned, having lost the thread of the conversation. In her corner Ginny stifled a giggle at his confusion. Draco pulled out the next two piles of papers and deposited one in front of Harry.

"Are you going mark her paper or not?" He asked a few minutes later. Harry looked up again, and shook his head.

"I haven't decided. It's not as if you've given me any real reason why I shouldn't."

"You really are quite dim, aren't you. Didn't you hear a word that I said?" Draco asked, not even glancing at him.

"I heard. I just don't believe it. It just doesn't seem likely that the 'Great Slytherin King' would fall hopelessly in love with a Gryffindor."

"Well, it's true. Maybe not foreseen, but true."

There was another five minutes of silence, save for breathing and the occasional scratch of a quill.

"Why don't you do anything about it then?" Harry asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Why don't you do anything about it? If you're that in love with her, why haven't you acted on it. Aren't you afraid someone else will get her first?"

"First, there's a reason I was put in Slytherin, Potter. I'm cunning, ruthless and a particularly ambitious bastard. But I am not brave. That is what we have you Gryffs for. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, I'm better at cooking up a plot to discredit you than I am at talking to Ginny Weasley." He shifted the finished stack of papers over a bit so he had more elbow room, and tried to ignore Harry staring at him.

"Second, if it became known that I was in love with her, her brother would forcibly rearrange my face. Not something I'd look forward too. There would be public ridicule for both of us, and I refuse to put her through anymore of that, not after what's happened to her already. Then there's the fact that my father would kill her. And then me too, just because he could. It's a lot safer for her this way. Thirdly, I am afraid that someone will get her first. But I would also hope that, this person has the brains to know what he's got, and take care of her properly."

They were both quiet for a moment, while Harry digested the information that his nemesis had just given up.

"Besides which, she'd probably break my knees for even thinking about asking her out."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. She hates me, Potter. And I can't give her reason not to. It's not as if I'm the nicest person alive."

"I don't think she hates you. I don't think it's in Ginny's genetic make-up to hate anyone. She got the best personality traits that both her parents possess. I don't think she would turn anyone down without seriously thinking about it."

"That's because you don't think, full stop. You also don't see what I see. Maybe she's all sweetness and light around you, but that's because you expect her to act like that. Nobody else does, so she's herself around everyone else. You should have seen her face off with Pansy the other day." Draco chuckled to himself, remembering.

"Say what?"

"Pansy pissed her off, so she let her have it. It could have gotten quite bloody, if Pansy understood what she said, and if I didn't have the presence of mind to drag her away before she decided that calling her a troglodyte with the fashion sense of a colour-blind parrot really was an insult. I laughed for an hour after that."

In her corner, Ginny grinned to herself. That had been quite the shouting match. She'd gotten off quite a few insults before Malfoy had dragged the confused blonde away. Now that she thought about it, she did see a slight smile on his face before he turned away from her. But, she was also quite amazed, not to mention touched at his concern for her well being. It meant that he knew that the Chamber of Secrets had been her doing, and hadn't broadcast it to the school. He was also right about her reaction to him if he had asked her out before now. She would have smacked him from here to tim-buck-too. She wondered what she would do if he asked her now.

"Ginny got into a fight with Pansy Parkinson?"

"Do you know any other Pansy's that she would fight with? Just what is wrong with your brain? Were you repeatedly dropped as an infant?"

"Wow. I still don't think she would break your knees though."

"Potter. Haven't you seen her play Quidditch? The girl packs a whollop. Even if she is a Chaser now, I've seen her smack people across the pitch trying to get that Quaffle in. Give her a bat and she would be deadly."

"I've never seen that."

"Well, you would if you weren't so caught up in saving the world from Soloman Grundy all the time. Seeing as I don't care about the world, that leaves me time to notice things."

"Soloman Grundy? Who's that?" Draco shook his head. For a kid who came from a Muggle household, he sure wasn't up on hit songs.

"Nevermind. I've finished these. Where are you at? I want to get out of here."

"I'm almost done." Harry examined Ginny's paper once again, then handed it over to Draco.

"Here. You might as well do it. You're probably right. I would give it top marks."

Draco took it, as a ghost of a smile passed over his face.

"Finally. I've made progress."

"Don't get snarky, or I'll take it back."

There was more silence for about five minutes, and then Harry put his quill down. Draco was still perusing Ginny's paper.

"You know what?" He said.

"What?"

"We just spent about two hours in here without trying to kill each other."

"Imagine that." Deadpan.

"No, it's quite amazing. Do you think close quarters changes people's perceptions?"

"Most likely. Though I still find you odious."

"Well, that goes without saying. It's not like we're ever going to be friends. But isn't it nice to know that we can stand to be in the same room, and still be civil?"

"Maybe for you." Still deadpan. Ginny was finding it hard to contain giggles.

"You know, Malfoy. I really don't think you're all that bad. Rough around the edges, maybe, and naturally a complete bastard. But you're a tolerable bastard."

"Why thank you."

"No problems."

"Are you shutting up now?"

"Yes."

"Finally. Now I can finish this in peace."

Five minutes later, he put down his quill, and laid the paper down on the desk. Harry raised an eyebrow at it.

"I thought you were worried that I would give her top marks."

"I was. Then I read the paper. It deserves top marks."

"Okay."

Sounds suddenly filled the room, as latches unhooked, and windows opened to let in fresh air. The spells were lifted, and the door swung open slowly.

"Time to go, Potter."

"Indeed. Do me a favour, will you?"

"What?"

"Don't try to punch my face in again."

"I make no promises. But I'll see what I can do about it."

The two tall young men left the room together, and both went in opposite directions. One towards the dungeons, and one heading for the tower. Ginny lifted off her cloak and tore off after them. She turned towards the dungeons, she could always hit Harry later. Several fast steps later, she could see Draco's blonde hair turning a corner.

"Malfoy! Wait!" She called, glad that there was no one else in the hallway. He stopped, surprised, and peered at her from around the corner. She ran up to him and looked up at his face breathlessly. He was regarding her curiously, and she smiled at him. Then she reached up, grabbed the collar of his sweater and jerked him down to her level. She planted her lips on his for a brief moment, then let him go. He was now staring at her like he'd never seen her before in his life.

"Thanks for seeing me...Draco." She smiled. Then she turned around and headed up toward the tower. She had someone to go and beat up.