Ok, I was typing and I thought, "Gods, I hated the last chapter and I don't exactly love this one too" and now I know what's wrong. But I need your opinion: Anyone who wants Draco/Ginny action must review, and if I get enough, then I will have some in the next chappie…no answers today, I've typed this all up in a one hour period and now I have to go out.

Disclaimer: Urgh… I own Harry Potter as much as I own Los Angeles…NOT AT ALL,

their first fight

issalee

Ginny looked warily at her best friend, who was currently advancing on her with a demonic gleam in her eye. "What is it, Tessa? You'd think I have better things to do then become your guinea pig."

The dark-haired beauty shook out her curls as she sat on her friend's bed. It was lunchtime. They were in the Slythindor Room, having just visited Colin, whose bones would be done re-growing by the ball the next night.

"You're not my guinea pig, Gin. It's more like—my Pig-widgeon." She giggled a little, and then leaned against the pole of the four-poster bed. "What are we doing for this Ball, Ginny?"

The redhead picked idly at a thread in the silk covers, and shrugged. Psyche hooted from her spot on Ginny's shoulder, expressing anger. Ginny raised a hand to absently stroke her.

"Maybe we'll just drag sheets on and go as ghosts. Or stay here and get drunk, then crash the party." She smiled, as did Tessa.

"Nice, Gin. But I was thinking of actually winning the prize—I heard it was going to be something really rare, a founder's item even." Ginny arched an eyebrow.

"Well then, we must win it." She picked up her knapsack from the top of her trunk and looked through it. As she did, a book with a piece of parchment sticking out fell to the bed. Tessa picked it out and read it, her face getting brighter.

"Gin! We'll go as a Vampyre, the spells from the book are in here!" Ginny snatched the paper away and grinned inanely.

"This is good, Tessa. This is very good." Her smile faded into a frown. "But the blood sucking part…I suppose I can make a Resistance Potion easily enough, but it might not be strong enough."

Tessa waved a hand dismissively. "I have faith in you, Gin. If anyone can do this, you sure as heck can. Now that we've gotten that all done and over with, which Vampyre are we going as?"

Ginny checked the list. "I'm going as a—what fresh hell?" She eyed the paper with a frown on her features. "A Dixel?"

"You picked it."

"But I just liked the name!" she protested. "And look at yours—Obsidian Spirit? Can we switch, please?"

But Tessa was firm, and the girls bickered even after they had left the room. They had to return Psyche, who had been staying in Ginny's room and refused to leave. It was a good opportunity to be seen with Draco anyways, to fake living with him.

"I don't like this, Tessa, they didn't even have pictures!" Ginny protested. "What if I end up looking all dorky? I mean, a Dixel! That's like—like pixel or something! I'm going to be a computer nerd with fangs!" she wailed.

Tessa shook her heads. "You're overreacting, Gin. I'm sure it will be just fine, and seeing as the ingredients are all basic, we can both probably brew ours in minutes. It only takes about twenty for it to finish, right?"

"Right." Ginny conceded to failing just as they reached the portrait, of Celina the Morose, announcing the entrance to their room. Celina seemed to be very pretty, with long, golden hair tied back with a red bow and wide blue eyes. She was slouched on a red chair, sort of like a throne, and looking glumly at them.

"Password?"

Ginny groaned. "I forgot to get it from Malfoy! But could you let us in anyway? He's—a friend."

Celina shook her head. "I'm so sorry, I can't do that." Suddenly, she burst into tears. "I can't do anything these days! I'm just so—depressed, you know? Since Ulasim left me, I've nothing to do these days!"

The two girls exchanged a look, before Tessa spoke soothingly to the picture. "There, there. Why don't you tell us what happened?"

Celina let out a wail. "He left me for that red-haired bimbo on the sixth floor!" Sniffling, she looked at Ginny. "No offense, dear."

Tessa pushed Ginny, who had her wand out, and stepped forward. "None taken. I'm sure Ukase will come back to you, how can he not? You're beautiful! It's all a matter of waiting."

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say. "I've been waiting for THREE CENTURIES! Isn't that long enough?" Her cries escalated, and the two girls covered their ears.

"AUGREY FEATHERS!" A voice roared, and Celina, still crying, swung open. Draco walked briskly past the girls, Blaise following after him. After a moment, they followed.

The blond-haired Slytherin immediately slumped by the window seat and shook his head. "Honestly, you'd think she would have gotten over something like that ages ago." Muffled sobs were still coming through the portrait hole.

Ginny shook her head and sat down next to him. "Here's your owl. She's adorable, I have no idea why you'd hate her so."

Draco looked up at her in surprise. "Adorable? That she-demon?" Psyche jumped to his shoulder and bit his ear, then took off as he yelped.

Ginny laughed. "That was your own fault, for making fun of her." Tessa sat down on the bed, one hand wrapped around the post. "What are you two guys going as for the ball?"

Blaise shrugged. "We don't dress up."

The girls looked scandalized, and Draco sneered. "Why would we? It's childish, anyways." Ginny pinched him.

Ignoring his scathing look, she stood and put her hands on her hips. "It is not childish. It's an expression of our inner selves." After a moment, she added, "And it's the best way to scare people without getting into any trouble whatsoever."

She let out an ungainly squeal as Draco pulled her down onto his lap. She struggled and he laughed. "Come on, an expression of our inner selves? So I suppose when the Muggles dress up like witches and wizards, it means they really have green skin and warts on the inside?"

Ginny blushed. "Shut up." She muttered furiously. Tessa and Blaise laughed, but after a moment, Draco looked down at the redhead again.

"So I take it you're going? And as what?"

Ginny smiled. "We are going to be Vampyres. Tessa will be an Obsidian Spirit, and I'm—a Dixel." She ended flatly. To his credit, Draco didn't laugh.

"And you're making these costumes?" Ginny squirmed until he let go of her, and she seated herself comfortably on the other side of the window seat. "Actually, we're making the potions that make these costumes. We're going to be actual Vampyres!"

"Blood-sucking and everything, then?" Blaise asked, interested. Tessa sighed.

"Well, yes, but Ginny's enhancing a Resistance Potion to resist the urge. Maybe we should have someone there, though, to make sure we don't go overboard." She bit her lip worriedly. Ginny clapped her hands.

"Ah, the bella principessa has an announcement." She stood regally on the seat, holding her chin high. "You, Draco Alexander Malfoy and—" She paused, leaned down and whispered something in Draco's ear. The boy smirked and said something back softly, and Ginny straightened.

"Yes. You, Draco Alexander Malfoy, and you, Blaise Matthew Mason Christophe Zabini are to be the guards for one miss Ginny Teresa Weasley and Tessa Andromeda Reeve."

They stared. She giggled.

Tessa and Ginny made their way to Potions after lunch, dreading their encounter with Snape, as it would be the first time he returned to teaching after the first Objective, and the first time they would see him since hitting him with the Cheering Charms.

Ginny made as if to back out of the Potions classroom halfway through, but ended up running into Harry, who held her tight.

"Going in, Gin." He steered her inside despite her protests, grinning madly all the way. Ginny looked around—

And saw no one.

As the other students filed in and time passed, whispered conversations began. Snape was never, never late for a class, since he had started teaching.

A Ravenclaw student in the Advanced Potions class tugged at the door leading to their room, and found it locked. Ginny looked at Tessa hopefully.

"D'you think maybe he's still knocked out?"

At that moment, Snape swept into the room, wearing a red and white beanie, neon orange robes, and curly toed shoes. His hair had been dyed a cheerful red, not unlike the red Ron's was, and he smiled at them.

A Hufflepuff screamed and passed out on the spot. Snape eyed her happily. "Oh, goody, someone seems to like my new look! I suppose it was a drastic change, but—it was needed!"

He snapped his fingers and some house-elves appeared. "Take her to the Hospital Wing, please, if it's not too much trouble." Snape's voice had taken on a sickening sweet tone. He turned to the rest of the class as the house-elves and the girl disappeared.

"Now then, today we won't be doing any drab, boring potions!" He clapped his hands, and the curtains drew apart, shedding sunlight all over the room. Snape strode over to his desk, flicked his wand, and smiled (several students shuddered) as a set of vials appeared.

"Today we'll be making—PERFUME! It'll be a great thing to make early, as you have to let it set, so it will be ready by Christmas. You see, these perfumes will be magical, and you may enhance them in any way."

Ginny edged towards the door, her fingers twitching. She found Tessa's hand and pulled, but the sharp movement caused Snape to look at them.

"Miss Weasley!" he said jovially, and crossed the room in three broad steps. "Come now, you must try the perfume I made a few days back!"

He gripped her arm tightly, quelling any excuses, and steered her to the front of the room. Snape picked up a small vial filled with a lilac colored liquid, opened it, and sprinkled it deftly over Ginny's head.

The redhead froze, squeezing her eyes shut as the scent of vanilla assaulted her nose. She waited for some sort of noise to alert her to what might have happened, but instead, she heard a collective breath from her classmates.

Ginny opened her eyes, and found herself to be unharmed. However, the same could not be said for the rest of the class. Everyone was knocked out, and snoring loudly. Ginny cast a bemused glance at her brother, whose head was lolling to the side.

"Professor, what does this--?" She turned, and found Snape slumped over the desk, arms flung wide, and drool gathering at the corners of her mouth. Shrugging, Ginny went over to the cabinet where all the ingredients were kept for potions and picked up a few things. She mixed a few of them together, and as it curdled, she smiled wickedly and held the vial up.

It smelled of rotten eggs, and slop heaps, and pigs, and dirty gym socks. Ginny smiled. "Wicked…"

The Potions class awoke almost six hours later, just in time for dinner. Ginny was absent from the classroom when they awoke, and many people—panicked.

Ron, for example, strode up to Snape, grabbed him by the collar and shouted. "WHERE IS MY LITTLE SISTER?"

Snape smiled giddily. "I don't know! But don't you love my perfume? It's for those dates you just can't stand! Would you like to try another one?"

Ron dropped his teacher and hastily scrambled backwards. "Er, yes, well, I have to get going. It's dinnertime, don't you know." He dashed out of the classroom, followed closely by the rest of his class. Harry, Hermione and Tessa caught up with him as he walked down the hallway.

"Snape is mad! He's killed my sister!" His face paled. "Do you think he's actually killed her?" Harry shook his head.

"Of course not, Ron. Maybe Ginny just up and left, you know."

"Or maybe she's in some other dimension, floating around and looking for a way out while her head and arms and legs are slowly being spliced apart."

They all stopped and stared at Tessa. She shrugged. "What? It's possible!" Snorting, Ron walked past the group and opened the door. He stood there for a moment, almost stumbling at his abrupt stop, before running in.

"Ginny!"

She looked up from her seat at the Gryffindor table, where she had previously been lounging around. Her eyebrow quirked upwards. "Ron? Did you miss me?"

He rushed forward and hugged her till she was struggling for air. "Ah, maybe that question was rhetorical. Ron—RON!" Her brother backed of, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. But you worried me!" For a moment, the fact that Ginny had moved out of the common room and was supposedly sleeping in Malfoy's room seemed to be forgotten. Ginny almost felt sorry for what she had done.

Almost.

The rest of the school was already milling around inside of the Great Hall, and as the tardy Potions group took their seats, the food appeared. Tessa sat down next to Ginny, smiling. It faded quickly as the redhead looked pointedly at the food she wasn't touching.

"Objective: Eat It And Die has been put into action," Ginny murmured. Tessa, bemused, nodded. "Should we warn the Dragon and—oh, what was Blaise's and Carina's?"

Ginny's slim fingers tapped lightly on the table. "Blaise is Blaze of Glory, and Carina is The Blonde One, although why she picked that I don't know. Maybe we should warn them…But only because I'm not all that mad at them at the moment."

Ginny had been staring at Draco the entire time she was talking, so when he locked eyes with her, she was startled from her reverie. Making sure that no one was looking at her, she pointed at the food and shook her head.

Draco took the hint, and a moment later, she saw him motioning for Blaise and Carina to join him. Ginny grinned and turned to Tessa.

"See?" Her eyes swept the occupants of the Great Hall, all of whom were eating quickly. "The potion starts to work in five…four…three…two…one!"

There was a lull in the talk, as though everyone had been listening to her countdown. Then, a massive roar started up. In front of students at every table, their food rose up and took on weird blobby shape. Several students screamed.

Ginny grabbed Tessa's hand and they ducked under the table as the Food-Beings attacked. They crawled out the other side, and smiling grimly, and went under the Slytherin table.

Draco was reclining against a bench, Carina was huffing slightly, and Blaise was sitting with his chin resting on one leg as he picked food out of his hair. He looked up at the girls. "You could have made this prank a bit less messier."

Ginny smacked him playfully. "What, and miss out on all the fun?" The noise had stopped, so cautiously, they crept out from under the table.

And immediately exploded into laughter.

Every student who had taken even a bite of their food was now floating inside of their own Food-Being, and they didn't seem too happy about it either. The Staff Table was completely victimized. Not one had made it away, not even Dumbledore.

Unfortunately for them, though, their laughter drew the attention of the few Food-Thingies that had not managed to find a victim. As they came closer, Blaise inclined his head towards Ginny.

"Shall we run?"

"Run we shall." She took off sprinting, as did the people next to her, and the blobs behind her. The Food-Monsters were considerably slower, but even so no one stopped running until they were through the portrait hole and into Draco's Head Boy room. There they collapsed on the ground, out of breath.

It was only after Celina's wailing about how they shouldn't hurt her feelings by having group snogging sessions without her stopped that Ginny sat up. She pushed her hair out of her vision and sighed.

"Well, that's two Objectives for this school year down. Anyone have any ideas for the next?" They all stared at her, and Draco spoke first.

"Weasley, are you crazy? We've just pulled something; we have to lay low for a while! Doubtless everyone saw us running off together, and we'll be questioned about that for sure, I bet you that."

"So what do you think we should do?" Ginny said, slightly put off. "I refuse to be bored for the rest of this school year!"

"You seem to do that even with these pranks."

Ginny stood up, fuming. "Well, it's not my fault I need something to do! Not everyone has a someone they can shag every night!" And, livid, she stalked out. Carina blinked.

"What was that all about?" Tessa scrunched up her nose and rolled over onto her back. "She has a lot of excess snogging energy to get rid off. Ginny hasn't had a steady boyfriend since last year, and she spent all the summer without any catches because of the war. She needs to snog."

Draco snorted. "Girls."

Ginny spent the whole of the next day frostily ignoring Draco, who didn't seem to mind. It was only when Colin joined them, fully healed, that a mini-smile even made itself towards her face.

"What's gotten into her?" Colin whispered to Tessa as soon as Ginny made her way to an Advance Level class. Tessa shrugged.

"She needs to snog."

And the whole day was spent like that. Ginny ignoring Draco, him ignoring her, and this managed to cause a lot of animosity between the Slytherin and Gryffindor House as a whole. If Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley, who were supposedly dating, managed to go right back to hating each other after such graphic rumors it was living proof that not only could a Slytherin and Gryffindor not go together, but neither could a Malfoy and a Weasley.

But as the night drew closer and with it the Ball, all ill will disappeared, to be replaced by a last-minute frenzy to make a costume.

Seamus Finnegan had managed to blow up most of the Gryffindor seventh year boys' dorm when he attempted to Transfigure the whole thing into a portable ocean costume. A Hufflepuff sixth year had burnt every single hair off her body when she tried to make herself into a temporary werewolf. A Ravenclaw seventh year was now in the Hospital Wing with feathers sprouting out of her—er, rear end.

Ginny and Tessa had immediately holed themselves up in the Slythindor room with Colin after dinner. They had used their own cauldrons to begin brewing the potions, as Colin sat on the bed, his legs swinging over the side. He was going as a giant, for lack of ideas, and had tied wooden blocks to his legs and borrowed a pair of Hagrid's trousers. He looked more like he was swimming in a brown ocean then a giant.

Someone knocked on the door. Ginny looked up, squinting to see past her hair. "Come in!" The door opened, and Luna walked in. No one spoke for a moment, before Tessa picked at a strand of her hair and looked curiously at the blonde.

"What are you?" Luna was wearing a big, poofy green and red-checkered beret on her head, but it was flipped sideways. Her radish earrings were still swinging from her ears, although she'd left her wand behind. She was wearing an off the shoulder pink shirt with poofy sleeves and a pattern of blue flowers sprinkled across its surface. The shirt ended just above her navel, and a pair of blue shorts and pink sandals completed the look.

Colin fell off the bed.

Seemingly ignoring the poor boy, Luna smiled dreamily. "I'm a Muggle. I only thought it right. They dress up like us, right?" Ginny nodded, a real smile on her face.

"It's great, Luna. I love it, you're sure to get some sort of recognition for it." She glanced down at her potion, which was now spilling over the sides and foaming. Tessa's was doing the same. "I guess we'd better get into costume now." She said nervously.

Tessa nodded, and took two goblets from her bag. She dipped each into one of the cauldrons, and then set them next to each other. As Colin struggled back to his feet, Ginny took the Resistance Potion she had made earlier that day and took a sip. Tessa did the same.

"Right, so, whatever we end up looking like, we stick this through, right?" Ginny said nervously. Tessa nodded. "And if we end up looking horrible, all the better. It's Halloween, anyway." Ginny smiled, and they both picked up their goblets and drained them.

Luna looked at them oddly. "You're changing colors—your skin is paler." It was the last thing either of them heard before they both passed out.

Draco sat against his window seat, glaring icily outside of the window. Who did that girl think she was? Her, get mad at him, Draco Malfoy? No one got mad at Malfoys; they got terrified!

"Are you going to sulk all day, or are you coming to the party?" Blaise peered through the portrait hole, his hair mussed slightly. "Come on, mate, don't tell me you're still sulking over this whole argument. Ginny'll be right as rain soon, trust me."

"She's a Weasley," Draco said morosely. "She can hold a grudge for all of twenty centuries." Blaise entered the room fully, with a questioning look on his face.

"So you're upset about this for real?" Draco was silent for a moment before he sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, the girl Weasel was actually quite—entertaining."

"So you miss her."

The blond eyed his friend spitefully. "Yes, I suppose so." Blaise quickly crossed the room and grabbed his friend's arm, ignoring the protests as he dragged Draco out of the room. "So then you'll see her and apologize at the party, which we are late to."

The halls were filled with monsters and decidedly normal looking people (not only Luna had decided to go as a Muggle) as the two Slytherins walked past them and into the Great Hall, where they had agreed to meet with the rest. It was dark inside; save fro several multi-colored lights and a pulsing beat. The tables had all been shoved to the walls, to make way for a dance floor.

Carina pranced past her brother, wrinkling her nose. She was dressed as a cat, and had even managed to get a fake tail and ears to twitch when she wanted them to. "Nice outfit, Blaise. And what is the git? Gods, a wizard? So original!"

Draco glared at her. "What I would give for permanent silencing charms, sometimes." Carina purred and waggled her eyebrows before she padded over to mingle with some friends.

Blaise looked around. "I don't see them." Draco snorted. "Who would see anyone who's important here?"

The dark-haired Slytherin grinned. "So you're saying that A) you're not important but B) Ginny and Tessa and Lovegood and Creevey are?"

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off as Harry walked up to them. "What, Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "Just wanted to know if you've seen Ginny."

Draco looked past him. "You're without your sidekicks. Surprising." Harry gave him an indiscernible look, before finally saying, "In case you haven't noticed, they're snogging by the doorway."

Draco turned and immediately turned back. He shuddered inwardly. "That's not snogging, Potter, they're eating each other." Harry smiled a little.

"At least they're finally together. So, have you seen Ginny? I heard Tessa and Colin talking; they said you two are going with them."

Blaise answered. "Yes. But they haven't—" His mouth suddenly fell open, and he looked like a fish out of water. Harry waved a hand in front of his face. "Zabini?"

But then he and Draco looked, and only two identical words escaped their mouths.

"Holy crap!"