The Hogwarts Express wound it's way through the mountains and fields under a clear blue sky. The sun was out and shining as though all right and happy with the world it looked down upon. Draco wished it would stop. It was ruining his sullen mood as he stared out the window of his compartment.

Ever since he took that potion, he hadn't been feeling any different. Which is what scared him. He thought something big would happen, or at least begin to happen. But so far, nothing at all. The only thing new about him was that he didn't feel like being haughty and snobbish. Which was strange. Usually he loved picking on people lower than him. But now, he just couldn't find the energy or the reasoning.

For the few weeks left of that summer, he'd sat in his wing of the house, pacing, trying to figure out what this mysterious plan was. He knew better than to ask his father. He'd probably be punished for being nosy and worse, his father most likely didn't even know himself. As he got older, he came to learn how much his father did and didn't know. It was shocking to know Lucius wasn't the right-hand-man he always described himself to be. And Draco found himself hurt to be lied to all this time.

So here he sat on the train, waiting for his last year at school to begin. He wondered how he'd been allowed back after the whole Dumbledore fiasco, but his father told him to think nothing of it.

He still couldn't believe this was his seventh and final year. His father had gotten a position for him at the Ministry already. With the Magical Law Enforcement. Paperwork and filing at first, then, once he proved himself, he'd be involved in the front lines. And more important to his father, after this test, his real job as a Death Eater would begin.

"Ugh, sorry," came a voice from the doorway. His head whipped around. A goddess was standing in his doorway. Red hair flowing, pale skin and a lithe form. The light from the window of the compartment reflected off her every beautiful curve and feature. Her bag rested on her tilted hip and one delicate, white chocolate hand was on the latch of the door. Like an idiot, he stared at her and her look of indignation and disgust deepened.

"I-It's okay," he murmured when he realized what he was doing and turned around again. He could feel the pounding of his heart in his head, as if all his veins suddenly collected there. His body felt heavy and he felt her eyes dig into the back of his neck.

He heard the compartment door close a second later and he let out a breath he was unaware of holding. What the bloody mess just happened? Any other day he would have fired off insults like a gun does bullets. But today, he was imagining the unimaginable.

Only a phase, he muttered to himself. It's only a phase. My hormones or something. He shook his blonde head, trying to rid the image of her from his mind. It wouldn't leave.

He left the train and herded the first years into the boats so they could travel to the castle with Hagrid. His mind was still full of her. He then made his way over to the carriages for the rest of the students. He was just piling his bags into the back when something very strange happened.

It was as if all the sound and color had gone from the rest of the world. All he saw was her face. All he could hear was her sweet laughter as she passed by with colorless blurs that he couldn't care less about. Her beauty was everything suddenly and he watched her pass in the crowd.

He stared after her until he couldn't see her anymore, then, feeling as though he might vomit, he jerked his head away. It was as though an invisible string snapped and released him from his trance. The world went back to normal.

Nearly shaking, he got into the carriage with his fellow Slytherins. He'd been demoted in their eyes from leader for a number of reasons, so they basically ignored him now. He sat, staring out the window and wondered what was happening to him.

They finally came to the school and all through the sorting, McGonagall's speech, and dinner, all his energy was focused on keeping his eyes from wandering over to where he knew she was. He didn't have to see her to know where exactly at the table she was. He thanked the gods once the feast was over. After lethargically performing his prefect duties, he went down to his dorm in the dungeons.

Classes started the next day. His mind was full of her the whole day and if he happened to see her in the hall, the same thing would happen that happened by the carriages. The whole world seemed to meld together into nothing and all that he could see was her.

Draco was on his way to dinner a week later, when he decided just to skip. He could just conjure up something to eat later and he wasn't that hungry. Plus, he couldn't bear to be in the same room with her anymore. Dinner these past seven days was too distracting. So he wandered the halls instead, allowed to since he was a prefect.

The castle was dark now and it was a rather cool night despite the hot summer days. Having wandered these halls so much in the past, he ventured outside. He was never really an outdoor person, finding the sunshine, springy grass, and chirpy birds irritating. But it was the only place he really felt like going.

He wandered out to the Quidditch Pitch and suddenly felt intense unease. His gray eyes drifted up the stands from where he stood at the entrance to the pitch and he saw a small red head. He audibly groaned. Her? Here? He felt hopeless. No matter where he went, there she was. Always. He didn't try to follow her like this, it just happened.

Even though his mind told him to walk back up to the castle and get some food in him, his heart told him to stay. He leaned against the frame of the entrance and watched her motionless form. About ten minutes, she looked up. She was far away, but he could see her pale skin framed by her blazing red hair. She stood. His gut leapt. She walked to the edge of the stands resolutely and climbed into the railing, her arms spread out as though she intended to take flight.

"Ginny!" he screamed as she fell, running forward. However cliché it may sound, the universe froze. He watched her hair fly out behind her and her thin body arch as she fell. He whipped out his wand before he could think and pointed it at her. Without a spell even leaving his lips, she stopped and he was able to lower her safely to the ground.

He ran to her and knelt by her, his face flushed with running and fear. She was nearly unconscious, but unhurt. She fell from a great distance. She was staring up at him, a vague smile on her face and her hair spread out underneath her head like an elegant Japanese fan. "I guess you aren't so bad after all," she whispered, the words like honey pouring from her flower-petal lips. He watched her, still, his breath held. Her eyes closed and he knew she had fainted.