"Um, Professor?" Ginny asked tentively, looking into the woman's office.

"Yes?" McGonagall answered.

"Well," Ginny began, stepping inside and looking around nervously, "you see, I've been having a hard time with my potions work, and, well...Hermione's really busy helping Ron and Harry pass and I don't know anyone else...and...I know you occasionally make students tutor others for detention on lesser offences...and...well..."

McGonagall surveyed the girl before her. "Yes, I believe that would be fine. His detention is at eight. You can use my classroom."

Ginny smiled and thanked her professor before leaving.

That night, when Malfoy entered McGonagall's office, she addressed him without looking up.

"I have a student who is struggling with potions. You will help with the assignment, advising only, the object is understanding not necessarily completion. You may leave when you're finished, or ten o'clock, whichever comes first. You will be using my classroom. I will be in here if you need anything."

Malfoy shrugged his bag higher onto his shoulder before exiting through a side door in the office that led into the next room. He shook his head in disbelief when he recognized the student sitting at one of the desks.

"I happen to know you make better marks in Potions than Granger," he said with a hint of amusement as he approached her.

She looked up and smiled. "Oh! You mean those circles on the top of my parchments aren't zeroes?" she asked with exaggerated confusion.

"What are you doing here?" He put his bag down and sat opposite her.

"Well, I felt bad for getting you detention so I thought I would make it as painless as possible. I should be done with this pretty quickly."

He bit back the remark that came instantly to mind. "You already drastically reduced my sentance and got my points returned. Isn't this going a bit far?"

She looked up at him quizzically. She knew very well she had left herself open to a nasty insult and he knew that was what she was thinking, but neither of them said anything about it. Instead, she answered him with, "Yes, but it's my fault you're here at all." She turned back to her homework and he nodded in understanding.

A few minutes later she looked up again. "Why did you defend me at all?"

He studied her for a moment. "It meant I got to hit a Gryffindor." She looked at him incredulously. "What?" he asked defensively. When her gaze just continued, he sighed. "Fine! I would have done the same for anyone in your position. What he did was inexcusable." He looked distinctly uncomfortable admitting to such noble ideas.

She sat back in her chair. "You insult my character all the time."

He rolled his eyes. "I ask questions that imply I have certain beliefs regarding your purity, yes, but lieing about personal knowledge is something else entirely. To imply belief and to claim as fact are distinctly different offences. My comments would never lead anyone who knew us both to question you. His, however, could have drastic effects on your reputation." He actually sounded angry as he finished his explanation.

"I...that makes sense. Sorry if I offended you." She sounded confused.

"Forget it."

She raised her eyebrows and returned to her books.

After a minute she started smiling to herself.

"What?" he demanded curiously, and a bit paranoid.

She looked up innocently, "What what?"

"Why are you smiling?"

She laughed. "I was just thinking. You would have defended anyone in my position?"

He looked at her warily. "Any female fighting to defend her own honour as strongly as you were from any male."

She looked a little taken aback by his answer. "Fighting as hard as I was?"

"Anyone not willing to fight for their own reputation deserve to have it ruined," he answered.

"Oh. Well," she considered that a second before shaking her head and continueing, "Hermione would certainly fight, would you defend her?"

Malfoy snorted. He had known there was a trap in there somewhere. "Yes, I suppose she would fight wouldn't she? Well, since I don't see your brother touching a girl in private, much less bragging about it in public, I seriously doubt he would ever lie about it. And since everyone in this school knows more about how they feel towards each other than they do, no one else would ever be believed, so I don't really see that coming up. However," he got a dreamy look on his face, "if your brother ever does go mad, I would gladly punch him, even if it is for Granger."

Ginny laughed and shook her head, once again turning back to her work.

"GAH!" erupted from Malfoy a minute or so later.

"What?" Ginny looked at him in annoyance.

"I'm bored! Isn't there something I can do to help?" He really did look rather pathetic.

She rolled her eyes and reached into her bag. "Here, read this," she handed him a small paper back.

"What is it?" he looked at it suspiciously.

"It's a book."

"Really?" he asked in mock surprise.

She chuckled. "It's a fictional story, now read it or don't, but I'm almost done anyway."

He began reading and she returned, once more, to her writing.

Ten minutes later she dropped her quill, sat back, and said with satisfaction, "DONE!"

He ignored her.

She cocked her head. "I'm done, Malfoy, we can go, and it's only eight thirty."

He didn't respond.

"Merlin! I think McGonagall is propositioning you from the door to her office! I can't be sure though, she might mean me! Oh! Wait! She means both of us!"

"Huh?" he finally showed signs of life, "sure..." Ginny started giggling. "Wait! What!" He dropped the book and looked up sharply.

"Oh, nothing, opportunity missed," Ginny said innocently. "I take it you like the book?"

"Um, it's all right." He tried to sound indifferent, but she knew better.

"Then keep it 'til you're done." She began repacking her bag.

"What?" he asked stupidly.

"Borrow it?" she looked up at him, amused. He looked at her suspiciously again. She rolled her eyes. "Keep the book, finish reading it, and then return it."

"...Thanks." He watched her pack for a moment before reaching for her finished parchment.

She looked up at him.

"What? I supposedly helped you with this, I should at least proof it or something."

She shrugged and sat down, waiting for him to finish.

"Wow, I didn't put half of this in last year. No wonder you're his favourite," he commented as he read.

She jumped to her feet in disbelief. "Wait, what did you just say?"

He looked up at her. "What? That your favourite?" She nodded. He looked emabarrased. "Well, I don't think I'm supposed to know, but I overheard Snape talking to Dumbledore about how ridiculously talented at Potions you are and a waste it was that you were placed in Gryffindor."

She just continued to stare.

He handed back the parchment. "You're good."

"Um, thanks." She carefully put the parchment away. "Well, that's it. You're free to go," she said as she straightened back up. "Oh, and thanks again for throwing the second punch."

He smirked and shrugged. "My pleasure."

When they reached the door, she stopped him before he could leave. "Malfoy? Can I ask you a question?"

He turned to face her, not really looking forward to what he knew she would ask.

"Why have you been so...nevermind." She had been watching his eyes and decided it would be a mistake to finish. "Thanks again." She turned to leave before he could react.

He smirked to himself and shook his head as he walked away. She wasn't stupid, that was for sure.