AN: 2 updates in like roughly 2 weeks...I'm really getting...well not awesome but maybe just motivated. I've been working on this story for oh...about 2 months and it's kinda driving me up a wall...but at least I'm 99.5 percent sure that I know where I'm going with this...anyway drop a review it's really awesome to hear from people what they think.

Slim Shady- Unfortunately this chapter will not reveal whether Draco is evil or good but there are hints...like impossible to catch hints that WILL tell you how this story will end...especially with events that will occur in the next chapter...or at least one part of it. Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot!

louey31-THANK YOU SO MUCH! That was incredibly nice and it really made my day! Anyhow I'm so happy that you enjoyed that chapter. I'm writing chapter 14 as well and hopefully I'll have it up soon as well!

Moonyk-Well I'm glad you enjoy it enough to review. I know that the fic has a few major flaws (Kingsley's temper thing + the trio being two of them) and it is weird, but I'm just trying to do something that's hopefully a little bit out of the ordinary.

Jacc-Thank you so much! I'm writing every opportunity I get. I hope (and plan) to finish this fic well before the month ends.

Claire-Thank you so much! I'll be sure to e-mail you when I update this story.

Akalea-This chapter everything'll fall into place...or will it. I can't say...but I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: No. Rights. To. Any. Characters. In. This. Story. OK?

It was so simple, Ginny thought, how could she possibly have been so blind? Unlike herself, Draco was far from innocent. It all fit. Ginny marveled at the way everything fell into place. He was a Death Eater, of course he would want to steal a prophesy predicting the downfall of the Dark Lord. He would know the necessary dark magic to change the destination of the stairs. Hadn't he pushed on when Ginny was sure they were lost? Of course he would have been sure that he was going the right way. When they got caught she'd figured he'd refused to take a veritaserum because he might reveal he was a Death Eater. She'd never even considered it was because he was, in fact, guilty.

Had he made her fall for him as a security measure in case she actually discovered something? That was it. Oh, how cruel and heartless! Shades of gray indeed, Ginny cursed herself for having been so stupid. He'd probably had a good laugh at her expense over that.

There was no chance of falling asleep now. Ginny got up and paced.

If only Draco could be caught attempting to steal the prophesy, then everyone would realize that she was innocent. Life would return to normal- or what used to be normal. Ginny reflected on her so-called friends, could she forgive them for believing she was in league with Draco? Malfoy she corrected herself. He was Malfoy now. Could she forget them? At the moment, Ginny could not conceivably see herself forgiving them but who knew, didn't time heal all wounds? She hoped that was true, right now, she couldn't help wondering if she was not perhaps mistaken about Draco being behind all this.

So she did care for him. Well how deliciously ironic, Ginny thought deprecatingly- former good girl Ginny Weasley in love with that bad boy Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. What a laugh that was. Especially since it was extremely unlikely that he felt anything close to what she felt. Ginny felt so stupid. She mentally berated herself.

It was so foolish; did she actually think that things would develop between them? She didn't respond to the mental barb because the answer was 'Yes'. That conversation with Draco, the same in which she foolishly said he was not evil, she really felt as if she knew him. She had assumed, naively of course, that he was confessing his deepest fears and secrets to her. Ginny slammed her fist into the wall, how stupid was she to buy into all that crap he'd doled out? Ron would've seen right through it. Oh, she truly had believed that Draco liked her, Ginny Weasley, that he felt safe revealing a side of him she hadn't known existed. She hadn't known, Ginny thought wryly, because it did not, in fact, exist.

- - - -

Ginny was brushing her hair, still damp from her bath. She was in the prefect's bathroom, despite not being one. She was past caring for such trivialities though. The shower had revitalized her, Ginny felt as if she had discarded all her worries. She smiled tentatively at the mirror- life seemed so much bright somehow. She would forget Malfoy and her brief respite into the world of Slytherin and she would return to her normal life where Harry, Hermione and Ron did not regard her with open suspicion. So wrapped up in delightful thoughts, Ginny did not notice she was not alone until the other person spoke.

"Oh, oh I'm so sorry I didn't realize someone was in here!"

Ginny's brush fell from her hand and clattered on the marble ledge. She whirled to face the intruder, a guilty expression on her face.

"Oh, Ginny! I...like I said, I didn't realize someone was here!"

It was Cho, the Head Girl herself. Oh she was so screwed. Briefly Ginny wondered what house Cho'd take points from- Slytherin or Gryffindor, not that it mattered.

"I...I...I can explain," Ginny stammered. Exactly what she could explain Ginny did not know.

"No, it's all my fault," the Head Girl said.

Ginny was beginning to get irritated, why was Cho constantly apologizing?

"I'm just leaving," Ginny said, before Cho realized and took points off. She bolted.

She heard Cho exclaim, "Oh! Ginny! Wait a second! Come back here!"

But she kept running.

- - - -

"Ginny!"

The exclamation caused her to do an about-face, her surprise (and utmost horror) at seeing Draco Malfoy was evident. However, she composed her face, adopting a docile expression instead. The image was marred only by the way her eyes darted about, as a cornered animal would thus look. That and the way she greeted him.

"Oh...hello Draco," she said, sounding more guarded then she'd intended.

Draco gave her an odd piercing look that caused Ginny to break out in a cold sweat. She was certain he saw right through her, and as he opened his mouth to speak, Ginny cringed slightly before the forth-coming words of damnation. Exactly what these damning words would be was beyond her but she was positive that they would be awful.

Instead he said, "About my outburst, I'm sorry, this is all so new, I guess I just freaked out a bit. Will you forgive me?"

He reached out to stroke her hair. His touch set her body atremble, her conviction was crumbling, all self-control she possessed seemed to choose this ill-opportune moment to desert her. Damn him! She stepped out of reach.

"Gee, I'd love to chat but boy did Professor Snape load us down with homework!"

"I'll help you," he offered, "You know I'm a whiz at Potions."

"No," she cried hastily in horror. Damn him and his Potions skills! "I mean," she continued, seeing the way his brow furrowed at her exclamation. "Well Snape would know if you were helping me. I'm not exactly up to snuff in that class if you know what I mean. He'd know something was up."

'Up to snuff', Ginny thought morosely, what the hell was she thinking evoking such an archaic expression. How incredibly embarrassing!

"At least let me give you some pointers," Draco said.

"No!" she again said it more forcefully then she intended. "I mean, how am I to learn if you insist on helping me."

It sounded lame even to her.

"Well...when you're done, could you come over, I really would like someone to talk to...someone besides Blaise."

"Oh," Ginny said, "Oh, I'd l-love to, but...but I have a ton of homework from McGonagall, they aren't kidding when they say 5th year is hell." She laughed nervously.

Draco's eyes narrowed slightly, with what was either impatience or skepticism. "Well then after that."

"Oh man," Ginny said, pretending to stifle a yawn, "I was actually thinking of calling it a day, you know, hitting the hay." She cursed herself mentally once more, why did she always embarrass herself? She had just rhymed and no doubt sounded utterly idiotic.

"Ginny," Draco deadpanned, "It's honestly 8 in the morning. If you don't want to hang out, if your Gryffindor pride is kicking in, then just tell me." He gave her a look of derision. "I make it a habit to never force my company on someone," his mouth twisted into what resembled a grimace. "I'm not my father."

"Draco!" Ginny's response was instinctive; she stepped forward and just touched the blond boy's face. He initially recoiled but then relaxed.

"I...I..." Ginny stuttered. "I didn't mean to hurt you," she finally said.

His look of disgust still haunted her. Though her fragmented mind, caught up in her nearness to Draco, his musky cologne and his gray eyes, she knew she didn't want him, the only person she had left, to hate her. She gently brought her lips to his, heart pounding in her throat, her breath hitched. He desperation and confusion rose to a crescendo and she surrendered willingly to Draco. For a few precious moments her mind was blissfully blank of anything except how good this felt. Then her mind returned and Ginny felt a rush of horror as she recalled what Draco had done. She stumbled back, breaking the kiss. She looked at him, wild-eyed and gaping.

For a moment, their eyes locked and she was aware of the painful look on Draco's face.

"I...I," she stammered then fled.

- - - -

"Draco," Blaise exclaimed, "Where in hell have you been?"

"Uhh...a meeting...for the Death Eaters," Draco said, sounding more as if he were posing a question then answering one.

"O...kay," Blaise said slowly, "How about you tell me about it."

- - - -

Ginny sank to the floor of her room. What had she been thinking? Was she mental? As soon as she heard Draco call her name, she ought to have bolted! Instead, she had hung around – like a fool! Oh, but how delightful had it been to give in to sweet surrender and lose herself with Draco. Maybe he wasn't responsible, maybe he was innocent, Ginny mused as she tried to place what Draco's cologne reminded her of. Shaking her head violently, Ginny chastised herself- there was absolutely no sense in pretending he was innocent. In order to clear her own name she had to get Draco to confess- somehow.

'I ought to just confront him, he'll confess when he realizes I've figured it out', was Ginny's first thought.

However her rational side protested this plan. What if Draco denied it, he'd realize what she was attempting and she'd never get him to confess. But what could she do, pretend everything was normal- all was peachy? Well wouldn't that be the best way? She could worm a confession from him and return to Gryffindor and her friends. It wasn't the best plan but it'd have to do.

- - - -

Crabbe was eyeing a pretty, 3rd year Gryffindor, she had blond hair which she was flicking over her shoulder continuously. She was sitting by Harry bloody Potter (or so Draco called him). Suddenly he noticed Blaise standing by Potter and chatting with the boy. They didn't seem to be arguing...and what was that that Blaise was slipping Potter? Some sort of note. Why would he be doing that?

The large Slytherin boy suddenly spotted a particularly mouth-watering glazed bun that had somehow escaped his mouth and all thoughts of Blaise and Potter were driven from his rather thick skull.

- - - - - -

AN: Next chapter we'll be met with subterfuge- as both Ginny and Draco go about deceiving each other...or are they? Maybe we'll learn what Blaise is up to...and will Crabbe ever meet a dish he doesn't like? Not bloody likely!