Chapter Two

Normalcy, or a Plot?

It was a month later and Draco was definitely noticing a change in Ginny's behavior. Now instead of trying to sneak out or begging to go clubbing, she would sit at home and read, or go shopping. She was being good, trying to put Draco off his guard so she could run wild like she wanted to do. But Draco had her number and he wasn't about to relax.

Ginny had also taken to giving Draco a lot of attention. She was being pretty subtle about it though. She was acting as though she had buried the hatchet and was now trying to be his friend. Oubliette, in a very sexy way. Draco didn't think he'd ever had a woman friend who came on to him as much, but then he thought of Pansy and her wandering hands. Thankfully, so far, Ginny had kept her hands to herself. Draco felt like a woman on this matter, he didn't like being groped.

That evening Draco was downstairs, listening for the sounds of Ginny crawling out of her window, something she hadn't done in many weeks, but he could never be too careful. He heard her bedroom door open, instead, and her silhouette appeared on the upstairs landing.

"Ginny, are you going out tonight," Draco asked, as Ginny came tromping down the stairs, wearing a tight black dress and stilettos. Her hair was messy in a very attractive way and though she wore no make-up, Draco could smell the strong perfume she'd put on.

"No, I was just going to read," Ginny said innocently, as she walked casually into the sitting room.

Draco followed her keeping his face blank although he was laughing in the inside. If he didn't know any better, he'd suspect that the young Weasley was trying to seduce him.

"Would you fancy some wine," Ginny asked and Draco raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'm not one for drinking," Draco said and Ginny looked disappointed.

"Are you going to sit with me," Ginny asked silkily and she sat elegantly on the couch and patted the space next to her.

Draco sat despite the fact that the couch was so small, that Ginny's leg was crushed into the side of his. She cozied up to him, rubbing his fore-arm harmlessly.

"Ginevra Weasley, stop trying to play your games with me, it will never work," Draco said pulling his arm from her grasp and giving her a coy smile.

"I'm not stupid, I can see it in your eyes, you know how easy it would be to cross the line," Ginny whispered into his ear and Draco sighed.

The girl had a point and yet she was so far off the mark at the same time.

"Now don't get me wrong, you look good tonight, but I don't think I like were you think I'm going to take you. Upstairs and into my bed? Not going to happen, Gin," Draco said casually,"Besides, I don't bed random girls."

"That's not what I heard," Ginny said sitting back to cross her arms and look pouty.

"At Hogwarts? Yes, I was rather promiscuous, but now I've realized that a few moments of pleasure with someone you only lust for isn't as good as being with someone you love," Draco said and Ginny looked surprised.

"Who?"

"Who did I love? Well that should be obvious, Pansy Parkinson. We dated for two years, but then we broke up," Draco said shrugging.

"She broke it off. She always was a fool,"Ginny guessed, shaking her head.

"If you loved me, you'd sleep with me? Is that it," Ginny asked and Draco nodded.

"What do you want in a woman, then?"

"Well I can't say Pansy exuded any of these qualities, but someone intelligent, who can laugh at herself and isn't so wrapped up in image and what other people think," Draco said and Ginny laughed.

"It's a wonder you never went out with Hermione," Ginny said teasingly.

"Ah, no thank you, her two loyal bodyguards would have ripped me to shreds if I'd of so much as looked at her in the wrong way," Draco said.

"I never had anyone protecting me like they do her. Well, except now, with you," Ginny said thoughtfully.

"Why don't you go get changed," Draco said lightly and Ginny looked down at herself and then blushed.

"What's wrong with me? When I was at Hogwarts I never though I'd behave like this. I've been acting like a...a scarlet woman! I just don't know what I want anymore," Ginny said sighing heavily.

"You're a woman, Gin. You want to be loved and coveted like anyone."

Ginny came downstairs once again, this time wearing a comfortable pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a tank top, that for once didn't reveal all of her bust.

"Much better," Draco said looking up from the book that sat in his lap.

"I feel better," Ginny said.

"I just have a quick question, you don't have to answer if you don't want to," Draco said, "Don't you ever get sick of getting all dressed up so that guys will want to fondle you? I hope that doesn't sound vulgar, but I just wondered."

"Yes, it's gotten to where I hate it, but I do it anyways. I would rather dress like this, in something comfortable, that looked good on me and wasn't showing off tons of skin. But no one would even look at me if I did that," Ginny said and she sounded sad.

"That's not true, Gin. In fact, I think that you scare away all the decent guys by the way you dress, because they're intimidated by what they perceive to be a strong woman who doesn't need them."

"Really?"

"Yes, if I saw you in a bar, well I'd probably approach you, but other guys they take one look and they freak out," Draco said and Ginny laughed.

"I thought you were going to say I intimidate you."

"You wish," Draco drawled.

"No, I don't."

Ginny whistled happily as she tore the lettuce from the head and put it in the bowl. She was making a salad for lunch. She picked up a grater and some mozzarella and began to sprinkle tons of cheese all over the salad. Hopefully Draco wouldn't mind. Ginny smiled when she thought of him. Before she had hated him and wanted him gone from her house, then he'd become like a dormant pain, only once in a while causing her trouble, but now, well she didn't hate him at all.

He made her feel better about herself and who she was. He didn't objectify her like other guys did and she found that to be a wonderful change. They talked, like two human beings, and he listened and didn't try to look down her shirt. Ginny wiped her hands on a towel and grabbed the large bowl, carefully walking through the doorway she went into the sunny dining room.

Draco sat at the table reading the Daily Prophet, but he looked up once Ginny came in.

"Hmm food at last," Draco said as she set the bowl down in the middle of the table.

"I hope you like it," Ginny said as Draco started scooping lettuce, croutons and cheese onto his plate.

Ginny filled her own plate with greens and poured a liberal amount of ranch dressing over it. Draco took the ranch from her and put it on his own salad. Draco took a fork and dug in, making contented noises as he scooped salad into his mouth.

Ginny smiled shyly at him from across the table. When he was finished eating, Draco put his fork down and looked appreciatively over at Ginny, who was demurely eating her own food.

"That was good. No offence, but when you said you wanted to make lunch I was a little worried," Draco said solemnly.

"I know, I could tell by the way you clutched your stomach," Ginny said laughing, "I can't cook, so I thought a salad would be better, besides it's healthy."

"Good girl, but are you turning vegetarian on me?"

"Of course not! Tonight I'm going to dinner with Hermione and we are going to eat chicken and fish and be jolly," Ginny teased.

"I forgot about that, when are we going again," Draco asked casually, but Ginny sensed some unease in him.

"Seven, and don't worry Ron and Harry aren't coming," Ginny said reassuringly.

"And you don't think that Granger could take me out all by her little self? She's bloody scary," Draco said and Ginny shook her head in amusement.

"Yes, but you went to school with Hermione, did she ever loose her self-control?"

"Yeah! She slapped me," Draco said sounding indignant.

"Not surprising, but she never hexed you," Ginny said.

"True, but she still slapped me! And it hurt," Draco whined.

Ginny didn't dignify his comment with an answer. Instead she picked up a few more pieces of lettuce with her fork and stuffed them into her mouth.

"Draco, do you think I could ever go somewhere alone," Ginny asked and Draco looked her over.

"You've been pretty good lately. I suppose if you promised to be on your best behavior you could maybe go shopping with Linette like you wanted to on Tuesday and not have me tag along," Draco and Ginny's eyes shined with hope.

"You trust me," She said excitedly and Draco looked skeptical for a moment before he nodded.

"Yeah, I think we have an understanding finally," Draco said and Ginny smiled serenely