DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: here's the fourth chapter! i apologize for the delay. anyways, thanks to those who have taken time to review/comment the last chapter! this chapter is for you all!

moony's number 1- the competition is nearing so keep reading! hihi...i am really sorry for not updating frequently because i am really busy these days with school...anyways, thank you for still reading despite my slow updating. hope you'd like this chapter!

shadowed dawning-here's a chapter for you! thank you for reading and reviewing! hope you like this next chapter and please keep on reading!

Daftlilme-thank you for reading and reviewing the previous chapter! here's your update! glad that you liked the last!

Felton118- thank you for reading and reviewing. here's an update for you!

luvs2read- thank you for reading and reviewing. here's an update and thank you again for your continual support!

anyways, here it is and i really hope that you would like it! Please don't forget to leave a review!

Chapter Four- Sudden Connection

She didn't want to come out.

Because the moment that she would, she would be meeting someone she avoided years back.

"No, I'll be right down, just have to fix something," she excused when Kelly, Ginny's other roommate, asked if she would like to go down with her. The tall blonde in a black v-neck cocktail dress nodded and smiled. And when she had closed the door, Ginny was left alone in the bedroom.

She sat on her bed, thinking. A few days back, she didn't care if she would deceive someone for money. She believed that she wouldn't be really doing anything wrong since she would not be robbing anyone or anything like that. She said to herself that this would be just a competition.

And in her case, she had to win.

She thought that this was all just a game and it would take more than beauty to fall in love. So, thinking that it would be easy to pretend, she decided to join.

But how in the world can she do that when the man she has to lie to would be someone that she knew way back when they were young?

She didn't stand up. She was still thinking on how karma could work so fast. Did God knew beforehand what she would do that he decided to 'punish' her by putting someone she loathed as the one who would choose? Her formerly silky smooth red hair was now quite messed up as she ran both hands at it because of so much thought in mind.

Then, thinking that she would just do what she was supposed to do, she stood up and opened the door. She walked down the stairs in a red spaghetti strapped dress that just fell up her knees. The silk dress complimented her for she had really white skin and the fact that it quite resembled her hair color, the dress was perfect.

She joined the ladies in the living room and waited. They were all laughing and talking when a man in a black tuxedo appeared before them. He was smiling and all the ladies were looking at him, feeling all excited and really anxious.

"Ladies, this is it," he started, standing in his usual stance with his hands together in front of him, "this is the night when you will meet the man that could possibly be the man of your dreams." The ladies smiled and Ginny was one of them. Yet her smile faded as the thought of who the man was came across her mind.

"Be in the garden in a short while and there in the promenade, you'll see him waiting," he continued and some of the ladies smiled a little bit more, "good luck and have a nice evening." And then he exited leaving twelve women who were very excited.

Well, make it eleven. Ginny was more nervous rather than excited.

The moment they heard the entrance door closed, the ladies stood up and made their way to the door that led to the garden staircase. Walking towards the stairway, they all saw a blonde man sitting on a bench. He stood the moment he heard the glass door closed and then turned to see twelve ladies standing up in the stairs.

He walked with his hands behind him. He was obviously stunning because the moment his face was seen by the ladies, they smiled. He was tall with sharp features. He had broad shoulders, pale white skin with distinct gray eyes. He had sleek blonde hair. But what attracted them to him the most was way he looked so mysterious with the mystifying grin he had.

Ginny can't help but be amazed on how he looked. Though he can be really a heartless nasty person in school way back then, she can't deny that he turned out to be one fine man…on the outside. Ginny didn't know him as a friend so she can't really decide. But with the way he degraded her family, she seemed to have a good idea of what kind of person he was.

But minds and characters change as people grow,she thought so she really can't judge if Draco was still the same callous person he was in school or if he had a change of heart.

"Good evening, ladies," he started with a deep voice, "nice to see all of you here now. I hope I could get to know all of you tonight as we spend the evening together. If you would like to, we can go to the gazebo and hopefully to have a nice time." With that, the ladies descended and in a short while they were all holding champagne glasses and having a toast.

Talking to the other ladies, Draco can't seem to avoid looking at a particular redhead from a distance. Even though he found the other ladies very appealing, there was just something in her that attracted his attention.

Was it because he wondered how in the world would they be with each other when in the past, she loathed him? Or was it because of the fact that he saw a different Ginny? He can't deny that she was physically attractive in her own way.

They finally had the chance to talk. Ginny introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley," she said, trying hard to smile. She didn't know if she should shake hands with him.

"Hi, Draco Malfoy," he said, reaching a hand. She looked at it and then took it.

She felt a weird sensation in her hand as they touched and she didn't know what was it, or even why she had felt whatever it was. For a while, they locked gazes. As he looked through her brown eyes, he found himself quite in wonder. As he felt her hand shaking his, he can't help but feel a sudden connection with her. He had shaken hands with the other ladies before Ginny but he didn't feel that kind of connection with any of them.

The evening went on and Draco knew the women. They talked, laughed and drank in celebrating their first meeting. Though having conversations with the different ladies, Draco kept on stealing glances of Ginny. He was somehow intrigued at the reason on why she was there.

Ginny on the other hand tried to get in a conversation with him and somehow she succeeded. With people she barely know, she felt comfortable because she knew she had a clean slate to start from.

"So, how old are you?" Draco asked. Ginny smiled thinking why he would ask such question since he probably know how old she was since they went to the same school.

"I'm 24, you?" she said. He smiled thinking the same thing Ginny thought seconds ago.

"25 here," he replied.

Though to the people around them, they may seem to look like people who just got introduced that time. Ginny tried her best to look and feel comfortable. And she found it odd that she did feel at ease even though Draco was there. She can't blow her cover. Not this one, when his father's safety was at stake.

She saw him smile and laugh and she can't help but be charmed by him. She thought that he had certainly changed because he wascivilized towards her.

He saw her smile and laugh and he can't help but be enchanted by her. He found her beautiful in her own way. He thought that she had certainly changed since they were in school. He found her confident and witty…and beautiful.

"Good night ladies. I'll be seeing you tomorrow and hopefully in the future be with dates with each of you," he said, standing in front of the limousine he would be riding.

"Good night," the ladies said unanimously, all smiling.

As she twisted and turned, Ginny can't help but think about what happened a few hours ago. She looked at the clock beside her bed and it was already two o'clock in the morning.

He was different from what she had remembered. Sure, she had expected that he would turn out to be a fine man but she didn't expect that he would be like that towards her. He had been civil. He had been almost a good company. And he was, Ginny thought.

Learning that Draco would eliminate half of them a few hours from now, Ginny felt suddenly scared. What if she would be one of them? But as Ginny thought about the way he looked at her and as she felt they had a sudden connection, she can't help but feel a little confident and assured that she won't go home. Not yet at least today, her mind said.

Ginny closed her eyes and put a pillow on her face. No matter what she did, she just can't fall asleep. In the darkness, she can only see one thing.

Draco.

She was like some thirteen-year-old girl who can't seem to erase the face of her first crush.

With the help of the darkness the night brought across the room, Ginny fell asleep having the image of Draco as her last thought.
Wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, Draco went to bed ready to sleep. But as he closed his eyes and saw darkness, his mind seemed to drift back to what he was thinking when he just got home.

Why the hell was she there? Why was she in some Muggle game?

Draco first thought that maybe she didn't have anything importantto do with her life and that's why she entered…she just wanted to spice things up. But seeing and observing Ginny in the past, Draco wondered if Ginny was looking for some adventure. She was probably if not the most normal, typical person he saw and somehow knew.

Now, she is a threat, her mind said. All of us had shook his hand and even hugged him but why did he look at her like that? I have to get rid of her somehow…

I won't lose this….

The brunette smiled to herself looking at the other side of the room where she saw the redhead twisting and turning.

A/N: so what do you think? hope you liked it and please tell me what you think since your comments help me to write.:) this is quite short but the next ones will be longer.the next chapter is almost done and your reviews would encourage me to write more! hehehehe...:) thank you!