Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you to death!
…Now excuse me while I rush through the necessary angst.
Ginny held back her tears as she returned to the Gryffindor common room. She held them back as she packed and she refused to cry as she said goodbye, to her friends, to her brother, to her life, and to herself. Tom Riddle had played her for a fool once more, in a way that would change her life forever.
Only as she packed up her new diary-one that didn't talk back- did she allow herself to cry.
"Married to a Weasley," Draco swore loudly while pacing around his room. He had little to pack and even littler to say goodbye to.
"A marriage beneath my station. Father would have never allowed this," Draco said half-smiling.
"But what is he playing at? Why Ginny? What could he have possibly been thinking?"
"What are you playing at, Tom!" Draco screamed into the abyss.
"Bloody Princess," he scoffed, shaking his head.
Dumbledore sat in his office, patiently stroking Fawkes. He heard a silent cry and a muted shout.
"They've got to figure it out," he said urgently leaning forward. He glimpsed something on a map he had once confiscated.
"And they will," he said with an air of finality, "And they will."
(A/N: well that was quick and painless wasn't it...now, on with the story!)
They met in the corridor outside the Great Hall.
"Ready," Draco asked impatiently.
Ginny, willing herself to not look back, slowly nodded her head.
He apparated them to Malfoy Mansion in complete silence.
Once there he showed her around using as few words as possible. Realizing that theyhad both decided on the same tactic she took everything in with a quiet air of regret.
"This is to be your room," he drawled boredly, showing her one of the smallest rooms in the castle.
Ginny tried not to show her shock, she knew she wouldn't be well-received here but she assumed he would at least have the decency to give her a normal room, not what looked like the servant's quarters.
"Remind you of your house, Weasley?" he said coldly.
Ginny lost it. Shewhirled around and did something she had always longed to, but never managed to do, -Smack Draco across the face…hard.
Flashback"Bowing at my feet? Well you are a Weasley after all," Draco sneered after one of his goons tripped her onto the ground. Ginny, only a small first year, glared dangerously at Malfoy.
"At least my father's not a death-eater," she quipped harshly.
"At least my father's not a mudblood-lover," he said back in the same snide tone.
"At least I don't have a whole room full of hair products."
"You need one," he mocked, "No, you could never afford that."
"At least I don't have a room full of pictures of Harry Potter," he continued.
Ginny gave a shriek of sheer frustration and lashed out to slap him. He quickly grabbed her small fists and easily avoided her kicking until all the fight died out of her.
"Now be a good girl and run along to Potter," he mocked, releasing her.
Ginny wisely left with one last glare. "Weak little weasley," he remarked, though he would never admit, somewhat disappointedly because he won the fight without a challenge.
"Ah well, till next time," he said to himself, walking away.
End Flashback
And there always was a next time. 377 times he had seen her, insulted her, been almost slapped, caught her, and defeated her. Apparently 378 was her lucky number.
Although he hadn't flinched, she left a large red handprint on the side of his face, proving she was no longer 'Weak Little Weasley'. Draco, after coming to his senses, was inexplicably torn.
His father had never taught him to hit a girl, he learned that from his mother. His father had taught him to never let a girl hit him, don't let anyone hit him actually, but especially not a 5'4 red-haired Weasley girl. He instinctively pushed her up against the wall holding both her hands in his one and trapping her with his body. Her features flitted between fear and triumphant defiance. She settled on a mixture of both-obstinate eyes and fearful smile, as he growled, "Don't ever do that again."
"Only if you never prompt me again," she said, smirking.
He took in her feisty defiant eyes and the smirk that was so trademarkly Malfoy before releasing her from his grip and walking away. But not before Ginny had a chance to see her smirk returned on his boyishly mischievous face.
Ginny was the happiest she'd been since Voldemort's fall after this exchange. Malfoy had finally admitted to a draw. She had a feeling the battle wasn't over but she had not lost, as a matter of fact she had actually won. She was still confused however about how she had managed to hit him. She had tried tons of times (377 but who's really counting…) before and never succeeded. He had the reflexes of a seeker and was not easily taken by surprise.
Which meant only one thing could have happened, Draco Malfoy let her hit him. Consciously or not he let her hit him. But why? Draco lay awake wondering the exact same thing. This to meant another goodbye. A goodbye to both of their plans to ignore one another. They were now both in an undeclared battle and each one couldn't wait to see what the other had up their sleeve.
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