- 8 -

Disclaimer: If you recognise it from the books, I don't own it!

Author's Note: Some of my (wonderful) readers are wondering about Draco's personality. Don't worry, he's pretty much back to normal. But guys, don't forget that Harry actually finds Draco crying in the HBP, so Draco does have a heart! (I've been wanting to prove that for ages. Also the fact that he couldn't kill Dumbledore adds to the evidence! Go Draco!  )

Draco's health returned slowly, but with it came his old arrogance. It was on that note that Ginny Weasley found herself woken up at some unearthly hour one dreary morning.

"Weaslette, Where's my breakfast?" he asked, prodding her awake.

The two shared a room to make it easier for the Order. It was widely said that it was a waste to protect two teenagers that Voldemort most likely had no interest in, but it had been decided that the situation was unavoidable.. The two had been sharing a room since it had been found out that they couldn't use magic until their bodies had been healed completely. Ginny found the situation insufferable, but while she was unable to protect herself it had been easier for the Order to have just one room to guard.

Ginny groaned and rolled over, paying no attention to him.

Draco growled in frustration and dragged the covers off her bed. She curled up into a ball, and he was amused to see her wearing nothing but one of her thin cotton nightgowns.

"Come on, Weaslette! I'm hungry!" he whined.

She sat up in her bed and looked at him angrily. "Stop treating me like I am your servant! In case you didn't notice, if it wasn't for my blood-traitor family, you wouldn't be here today!" she yelled. "Seriously, how long do you think you would have lasted?"

Draco stared at her, taken aback. "What?" he asked her eventually.

"They were starving you, Draco. Your own bloody father didn't even try to help you! His own flesh and blood was starving to death in some dungeon, and he didn't give a hoot! Doesn't that alone make you wonder where your loyalties should lie?" she said softly, and got up off the bed. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, tone icy once more "I'm going to get myself some breakfast. I know where to find it," she said huffily and flounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Draco stared after her for a moment before crawling back to his bed feeling very sorry for himself.

Ginny glared at the whispering portraits as she stormed through number 12, Grimmauld Place. That ungrateful prick! How dare he think that I'm going to wait on him hand and foot!

"Hey Gin, what's wrong?" Bill asked his little sister, coming out into the hallway. His eyes were bleary, and he rubbed them tiredly.

"Oh you know, the usual. Malfoy thinks I'm his servant."

"Don't let him get you down. He's a twit," Bill said and ruffled his sister's hair.

"Thanks Bill," she said wryly, and rolled her eyes. "I'm going down to get some breakfast. Do you want to come?"

"Nah. I think I'll catch some more shut-eye. Last few days have been hell."

He ambled back into his room, and shut the door. She stared at it for a few minutes, then headed into the kitchen. It was empty but for Professor McGonagall, Moody and Lupin. They all turned to look at her as she entered, and Professor McGonagall stood up.

"Ginevra. Just the person I needed to see."

"Um... okay… Why?"

"You need to come with us."

A few minutes later Ginny found herself in Dumbledore's- sorry, McGonagall's, office at Hogwarts.

"Okay, why are we here?" she asked them expectantly.

"Ginny," a familiar voice said, and Ginny started.

"Professor Dumbledore," she said, addressing a portrait of the man in amazement.

"Yes, it's odd, isn't it? Anyway, there is a reason why you're here," he stopped for a moment, looking at her appraisingly. "Now that I have departed this world, the Order no longer has a Secret Keeper."

"So what's this got to do with me?"

"Protections I put in place just before I died protect the Order at the moment, but they won't for much longer. This is where you come in.

I believe that you are the best candidate for the next Secret Keeper."

Ginny blinked. "Why me? I'm still a child compared to many other, more suited, people for that."

"Maybe so, but I believe you to be the best candidate for the role. You have experienced just as much as many of the members of the Order, and you are an exceptional young witch. In fact, your powers probably rival those of Harry and Hermione's."

"Professor, have you got a fever?" she asked him, stepping up and putting her hand on the picture where his forehead was.

"Ginny, Minerva will be instructing you in the arts of Occlumency and Legilimency," Dumbledore continued, ignoring her "while Alastor and Remus will be instructing you in Defence against the Dark Arts. I also have one other favour to ask of you."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Be nice to Draco. Minerva has filled me in on recent events and I believe that he would be a great asset to the Order if you could befriend him, show him there are other things besides-"

"Dumbledore, he's a twit! How am I supposed to befriend him!" Ginny cried, unable to contain herself.

"I have complete faith in you Ginny," he said seriously, and promptly fell asleep, his head tilted back and his mouth slightly open.

Draco eventually managed to get out of bed and down into the kitchens for some breakfast. He found Ginny at the stove, cooking something that smelt like bacon and eggs.

"Bacon and eggs, Draco?" she asked, hearing him come in.

Draco gaped.

"Well?" she prompted, trying not to laugh.

"Umm…Err…Of course! I mean, yes…please," he said hesitantly, then mentally rolled his eyes.

She put a plate in front of him laden with bacon and eggs, then untied the apron and pulled her hair out of its waist-length braid. She flung her head back and Draco watched entranced, his fork hanging uselessly in mid-air.

The sunlight streaming in from one of the windows caught her hair, bringing out tiny gold glints among the red. It looked so soft, so silky…

He snorted quietly into his plate, disgusted with himself. A Weasley. He was drooling over a Weasley. He couldn't believe himself. She's a blood traitor for goodness sakes!

'A very pretty one,' a small part of his mind added slyly.

She's from one of the poorest wizarding families, and she loves muggles, he argued back.

'Do you really care about all that?'

Get close to her, and you have a great source of inside information on the Order, a third voice said suddenly.

Of course! Why didn't I think of that?

Because I'm the smart part of your brain, the third voice said smugly.

She is very pretty you know…

Oh shut up!

"Uh, Draco?" Ginny asked for the third time, tapping his forehead.

Draco blinked. He realised his fork was still in mid air, and that Ginny was trying to get his attention.

"Uh, yeah? He replied, still somewhat out of sorts.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking," he said and finally shoved the fork into his mouth, tasting the sweetness of the bacon. Ginny and I are talking without killing each other. I'm talking with a Weasley. The thought rather scared him.

Ginny shrugged, and sat down at the table opposite him, a bowl of fruit salad sitting before her.

"Some crazy diet, huh?" he said stuffing some egg into his mouth.

"No, I just prefer fruit," she said quietly and began to eat.

"Oh," Draco said, and, thinking he'd better change the subject, said, "Uh… We've been having lots of weather lately, haven't we?" he asked, then groaned inaudibly. They'd only been in the same room for five minutes or so, and he'd already made a fool of himself.

A strange sound reached his ears, and he looked up to see Ginny giggling. As her eyes met his, she fell out of her chair and onto the floor. She laughed even harder when she found she was on the floor, and her laughter was infectious. Pretty soon they were both on the floor clutching their sides. All one would have to do was look at the other and any sort of composure was possible.

"Is this some new game?" Tonks asked as she walked in rubbing her eyes.

Draco and Ginny both stopped laughing, and Ginny blushed.

"Oh, nothing, Tonks," she said quietly, trying not to giggle.

"Nothing at all," Draco said unconvincingly, and left the room. Ginny followed.

"Lots of weather, definitely," she said quietly, and they both sniggered behind hands until they reached their room where they broke out into fresh peals of laughter once more.

The two began to get along fairly well, although it was only for the good of their respective sides. Or that's what they told themselves.

Draco was rather rudely awoken one morning with a

"Draco! Wakey wakey! We're It's almost noon!"

Draco groaned. "You could have just shaken me. You didn't have to jump on me," he said pointedly, sitting up as far as he could with her sitting on his stomach.

"Yes, but it wouldn't have worked as effectively," she giggled, and jumped off the bed, heading for the bathroom. "Get up!" she yelled back to him, just to remind him.

Draco rubbed his eyes as he thought back to the nightmare he'd had that night. He couldn't remember much, just a scream and then darkness, but it unsettled him. Shaking his head, he got up and stretched.

Ginny walked back into the room a few minutes later, a towel wrapped tightly around her body. Draco couldn't help but stare as she crossed the room, completely unaware of the effect she was having on him.

Ginny got up from the floor that afternoon, where she'd fallen after trying to repel the Legilimens spell.

"This feels weird," she complained. "It's unnatural, I tell you!"

McGonagall rubbed her forehead. "I'm never teaching this again," she mumbled after witnessing the strange memories that ran through Ginny's mind. "Okay, one more time," she said, and Ginny sighed.

"Fine," she groaned, and took a few deep breaths. McGonagall raised her wand.

"Legilimens!" McGonagall said, and Ginny felt a funny feeling come over her. This time, no images came to mind. After a few seconds, she fell to the floor again, and the spell was lifted.

"Well done!" McGonagall said, relieved that this meant she wouldn't be witnessing the strange teenage memories for much longer. "You're a natural, Ginevra," she said, smiling slightly.

Ginny's jaw dropped. A compliment from her old professor was rare, and she smiled unconsciously.

"Now Ginevra, don't get too confident. It will take a lot of practice to master this technique."

Ginny stopped smiling, and nodded gravely. She knew what was at stake.

"Good. I'm glad you understand that. Now I want you to practice emptying your mind of all emotion before you go to sleep tonight."

Ginny nodded again, and left the room. She went to her room, and, after wondering where Draco is for a few seconds, took her diary out of a drawer and curled up on bed with it.

Dear Diary,

Talk about a big day. Dumbledore thinks that I am the best candidate for the new Secret Keeper of the Order. Death must have addled his brains a little bit, but I must say, I felt pretty proud when I repelled McGonagall's Legilimens curse after only a few lessons. Of course, it was just luck, but she says I'm a natural. It's hard to improve when the lessons are so rare though. McGonagall's really busy with the Order.

Also, Dumbledore wants me to get along with Draco, to help the Order. I suppose he's not too bad, it's the longest we've gone without fighting since he started getting better. But he's done too much to me and my friends for me to just forget it. I'm just doing this for the good of the Order.

Ginny stopped writing, and looked out of the window for a moment.

We haven't heard from Harry, Ron and Hermione since they left. I hope they're okay. I miss him, he's on my mind all the time. He'd be so proud of me if he learnt of this! I think I'll surprise him when he gets home.

If he ever got home.

There we go, another chapter for all those who wanted me to write more! Thanks for your reviews, I really enjoyed reading your comments! Review pwease :3 , and I promise I'll write more! I've got ideas!

You know, I only just noticed how close Ginevra and Minerva are! That's so cool!

Xela