Author's Note: Well it seems reviews have tapered off...not that I can blame you. It must honestly seem as if I forgot about this fic...I haven't updated in what feels like ages, I started another fic (it's humor section called "When Harry Meets Mary Sue"), which is like against the rules for me. The honest truth is I've been thinking about this fic everyday since last Tuesday when I sat down and wrote chapter 10. All week (and I mean EVERY DAY) I've been like "ehh...chapter 11. I've got to do it." But I kept putting it off, not because I didn't know how it was going to work, because I had it all sketched out roughly in my mind, but because, well I'm lazy + school junior year + swimming...so yeah. It's been busy. Jam-packed to tell the truth. Anyway, I finally sat down today and finished writing chapter 11. It's done.

beyonce-85-Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm so glad you reviewed. I agree that Draco is incredibly hot. He's my favorite character in Harry Potter and my friends think I'm crazy for it.

Slim Shady- Oh...you hit on the big question in this story. I would tell you but it would ruin the fic. We just have to wonder about that...but I promise that it'll be answered...if not in the story I'll answer it in an authors note.

louey31-Hahaha thanks...it's awesome that you review for me. It means a ton.

HyperSquishy- Yep...I guarantee more of that'll happen in later chapters...anyway thanks so much for the review!

Disclaimer: No more do I own Harry Potter than I own the cliché that the world is made up not of black and white but of shades of gray.

"It didn't work," Draco said dully.

"Didn't work," Blaise echoed.

"I just said that, didn't I?" Draco snapped.

"OK, well I'm bewildered- did you screw it up?"

"Screw it up? Me? Are you deaf? You're plan didn't work!" Draco said.

"How could it not work? It was perfect?"

"Look I don't care what you think," Draco replied irate. "It didn't work, period."

"OK, so that didn't work, but trust me, telling her a sob story about how you didn't want to become a Death Eater, how you're afraid of the future, etc. it'll definitely work."

"That's what you said before," Draco couldn't help pointing out.

"Yeah, but this time it's different," Blaise insisted. "Besides, I bet she could just be playing hard to get."

Draco blinked, the logic that Blaise used (or didn't use, for the matter) to arrive at this point escaped him.

Ginny was sick of it, sick of the way Draco was treating her, sick of the time she'd spent analyzing his motives (if he indeed had any), sick of the fact that she might actually care. It was so dumb, how had she let herself be effected by Ferret boy anyway? It was so unlike like her to...well no use reviving that old rhetoric. She had to face the fact that times changed, hard as it might be to believe, she seemed well on her way to becoming a Slytherin. It seemed pointless to pretend otherwise. After the way in which her fellow Gryffindors had treated her, how could she possibly act as if it didn't affect her. It was a waste of time and energy pretending that wasn't so. Really, how could people possibly expect her to put up with the abuse she'd handled and not make drastic decisions- like becoming friends with Draco Malfoy. Not for the first time, Ginny wondered exactly what Draco's motives were. Certainly not love or even lust, well whatever his reasons Ginny found her own willingness far more troubling. Why exactly was she so compliant to Draco Malfoy? She wasn't in love with him, it had to be that he was just an amazing kisser. Yeah, that was it. Wasn't it?

The second half of her day was no better than the first. Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology- the three classes she hated most. Well Charms wasn't that bad, she used to rather enjoy the subject, but Transfiguration and Herbology she couldn't stand. The classes passed with agonizing slowness. Ginny couldn't pay attention at all in classes, or even fake it for that matter. She stared openly at the clock, willing it to move. She watched in disbelief as the minute hand shuttered with obvious reluctance into place. The second hand, which she watched intently, as if it's trip around the clock's face actually meant something, seemed have settled into a more sedate leisurely pace than normal.

Finally, almost unbelievably, Herbology ended and she raced from the classroom. She breathed a sigh of relief, fresh air filled her lungs, and she was free for the moment. All too acutely aware of the stares she was receiving, she found solace in the library until dinner.

She stood by the door to the Great Hall, waiting for Draco...or Blaise. Finally she spotted the blond boy, but she hesitated, it still didn't feel right, approaching Malfoy voluntarily.

"Ginny, hey Weasel!" Draco called gruffly.

She looked up at him, suppressing the thrill of exhilaration that sped through her body as he said her name.

They sat together, with Blaise across from them; small talk was rather frowned upon in Slytherin so a peaceful silence reined. Ginny chased her food around her plate, toying with her fork and not eating. She didn't know why but she wasn't hungry in the least.

Draco shot her an annoyed look.

"What?" She asked.

"Why don't you eat?" He snapped.

Ginny looked surprised, "I'm not hungry."

"Damnit Weasley! You've only eaten a piece of toast all day, maybe you're used to going hungry at that hovel you call a home, but you need to eat."

Ginny looked up at him, puzzled, his face was flushed with anger and possibly something she couldn't place.

"Alright," she said, spearing a pork chop with her fork, "I'll eat."

Ginny sat in Draco's room, fiddling with the silken bed sheets.

"Draco," she paused.

"Hmm?"

"Never mind."

"Did you ever wondered what you wanted to do after Hogwarts?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Umm..." Ginny replied, the turn of conversation taking her by surprise. "I dunno, I always wanted to..." she turned red, "It's stupid."

Draco moved closer, "Tell me!"

"No, you'll laugh."

"Will not," he replied indignantly.

"Yes you will," she insisted.

"Oh come on," he cajoled.

"Fine, promise not to laugh?"

"Of course," he said.

"I...well, my brother works with dragons and I always wanted to do that," she mumbled.

"Dragons?" Draco echoed.

"Yeah," Ginny said, finally meeting his eyes, her own, challenging, as if daring him to even try and laugh.

He shrugged, "That's better than me."

"Why, what do you want to do?"

Draco gave her an odd, tight smile, "What can I do with this," he gestured to his right forearm.

Ginny remembered, with a sudden jolt, that the boy across from her was a Death Eater. It was amazing, no, frightening really, how easily she forgot.

"I guess it sort of takes away any chance of working at, say the Ministry or something," Ginny said weakly, attempting to make light of the situation, then immediately cursing herself for ever having said something so stupid.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway, I have more than enough money to be able to never have to work a day in my life."

Ginny scowled at that, was he once more throwing her financial status in her face? Or was he simply too ignorant to know how incredibly snobby he'd just sounded.

"I guess I handed over any chance at having a future when I took the Mark," Draco continued, looking past Ginny, into the crackling fire.

It was odd, they had never spoken about his Mark, it was an unwritten rule in their relationship. Once again, Ginny wondered exactly what their relationship was.

"Why did you take the Mark anyway?" Ginny asked before she could stop herself.

Draco smiled slightly at the fire and spoke in a detached voice. "Why? Well, didn't everyone expect me too? Was it honestly that big of a surprise to you, discovering it? I'm a Malfoy; I was just living up to everyone's expectations."

"You didn't have to, you know, you could've simply said 'No'!" Ginny answered with unexpected fierceness.

The curious smile returned to Draco's lips.

"Could I?" He asked, "Could I have said 'No'?"

"Of course," Ginny replied, confused, "You always have a choice."

Draco gave a short laugh then returned to solemnly studying the flames. "I have no doubt that you, in my place would have told them what for. However, you know, not everyone is as brave as you are. You're a Gryffindor after all, and for good reason."

Ginny blinked, had Draco just admitted to being a coward. Well he'd certainly called her brave. The compliment warmed her. "I'm not as brave as you think," she said slowly, "Didn't I give in without a fight when people started the Death Eater sympathizer crap?"

"But that's different," Draco said gently, "What if it had been You-Know-Who asking you to join him, and your mother displaying a rare pride, you're father smiling at you for once? Your parents finally deciding you were worthy of being their son, that wouldn't have mattered to you. You would've told them exactly what you thought of all of them."

"You really think so?" Ginny asked.

Draco tore his eyes away from the blaze, focusing his intense gaze on her instead. "Wouldn't you?"

"I...dunno. Maybe before, but now...I'm all mixed up, everything used to be black and white but now I've finally realized that the majority of what used to be black is really just shades of gray."

Draco frowned, "Don't be too sure, your eyes can be deceiving."

"No," Ginny said slowly, "I used to think that you and all of Slytherin fit into the bad category, I used to imagine myself and my family as good, and even went so far as to believe we were in the right. Now I realize that me and you, we're merely shades of gray."

"I'm not what you think I am!" Draco snapped, "You don't know me!"