Disclaimer:Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Ahhh :runs away from angry lawyers:

A Battle Of Wits

It was 10:55 and Ginny was just now boarding the Hogwarts Express. She had been struggling with her trunk a few minutes back when three 7th year guys she didn't know offered to help her. Ginny smirked to herself. She could definitely get used to the perks of Kayla's makeover. She was now walking through the compartments and was reaching for the door of number 24 when it flew open and someone crashed into her, sending her flying back.

"Watch it, weasel," a cold voice reached her ears. Looking up, she saw the sneering face of Draco Malfoy, who was now pretending to wipe invisible dirt off his robes.

"What the fuck makes you think that was my fault!" Ginny snapped back.

"Maybe if you bothered to take your head out of your ass once in a while, you could watch where you were going."

As Ginny helped herself off the ground, she noticed Malfoy's stunned expression. What she didn't notice was the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out when the Weaslette had finally grown a backbone. "What's wrong Malfoy? Weasel got your tongue?" Now as Ginny reached her full height of a not-very-intimidating 5'2, she came face-to-face with Malfoy's... er-chest. It suddenly struck her like a tonne of bricks that Malfoy must be at least 6'2. She admired how hard and lean his chest looked beneath the designer robes before snapping her eyes up to meet his steely gaze.

"Well, well," Malfoy smirked, "it seems the little Weaslette has grown up. Trying to get Potter to notice you, I suppose?"

At this point in the 'conversation', Blaise Zabini strolled over. Letting her eyes flash over to him for a split second, she noticed Blaise's piercing scrutiny of her. Turning back to Malfoy, she snapped out, "None of your damn business, ferret." At this, Blaise let out a low, seemingly appreciative whistle. She was about to reach up and punch the bloody smirk off Malfoy's face when she caught sight of her friend cautiously approaching in one of the mirrors. She whipped around, relief evident on her face, and practically shrieked, "Kayla!"

"Hey! What's up?" Kayla said with uncertainty, while eyeing the two boys facing them. She had originally thought they were flirting, but after hearing Ginny snap like that, it was quite obvious she wasn't. Unless she's actually as bad as I thought she would be at this is, Kayla thought, a light smirk playing at her lips.

"Nothing's up, dipshit over here was just leaving. Isn't that right, dipshit?" Ginny said in mock sweetness.

Blaise was now looking highly amused, and had taken to smiling flirtatiously at Kayla, who was shamelessly putting the moves on him.

Malfoy scowled. "No, that's not right, you little brat, I think you said you were just leaving!"

"That's not true and you know it," Ginny hissed.

"Oh, how so?" He cocked an infuriatingly perfect eyebrow.

"Because any sentence that implies you were thinking is an outright lie, and all of Hogwarts knows."

Malfoy couldn't believe this. Since when had little Ginny Weasley grown an attitude? Since when had she had a tongue to rival his own? Since when had she had the courage to have a tongue to rival his own? Absolutely no one, other than the Dream Team and Blaise, ever dared to contradict him. Stupid Gryffindors... them and their damn bravery, Malfoy thought.

Kayla had been silently encouraging and egging Ginger on, wanting to see just how far her new confidence could take her. But all this silence was making her impatient, she wanted a fight, dammit.

"You're Draco Malfoy, aren't you?" Kayla grinned.

"What of it?" Malfoy sneered.

"Nothin', nothin'," Kayla said innocently, but Ginny and Blaise could both see the mischevious glint in her eye.

Ginny and Malfoy turned to face each other once again, ready for another verbal war on who was leaving the wretched compartment. Blaise seemed to have sensed this.

"Now, Draco," Blaise began, "if these beautiful ladies" ---at this Malfoy snorted--- "want us to leave, then of coarse we'll go." At this, he smiled warmly at Ginny, and then grabbed Kayla's hand, kissing it, causing Kayla to let out an uncharacteristic giggle, and Ginny and Malfoy both rolled their eyes.

"I'm Blaise," he said to her. "Blaise Zabini."

"Kayla Webb," Kayla answered.

"Ah, a pretty name for an even prettier girl."

Malfoy and Ginny looked at each other, exasperated. How corny were these two going to get? Then realizing that they shared a look that wasn't a glare, they quickly looked away.

"Why haven't I seen you before?" Blaise questioned.

Not wanting to see anymore of this sickening lovey-dovey display, Ginny answered shortly. "She transferred from the states, and she's a 7th year Slytherin."

"You've already been sorted?" Blaise asked, surprised.

"Well, no," Kayla answered, "but Ginger here says it's inevitable."

"Ginger?" Malfoy questioned.

"Ginger." Kayla repeated, as if saying it again confirmed everything.

"So why are you inevitably a Slytherin?" Blaise asked again, pulling on Ginny's last straw.

"Listen, Zabini," Ginny snapped. "No offence, but you said you'd leave if we told you to... and guess what? We're telling you to." And with that, Ginny shoved them out the compartment door, slamming in shut, and locking it.

Omg! SO SORRY for taking so long! But my internet broke down... and my mom wont replace it (it's on a router) since I'm grounded off it anyways (got caught skipping school) so now I have to wait til everyone's out of the house before I can sneak on my brother's computer! But I guess nobody really cares how long this took since NO ONE REVIEWS! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!

And here are two more chapters as an apology for taking so long.

-FeistySprite-