Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. I am not J.K. Rowling. I am but a mere hopeful wishing to be known.

Well, it wasn't a year this time! Wee! Two updates! Yeah, I know. I still need to update faster. But hey, I'm getting there!

Enjoy this chapter, this little happy moment.

Without further ado…

Chapter 13

Draco POV

That little Weasley affected me much more than I'd expected. As I rested my head against the tile of the shower, letting the cold water run over me, I let out a deep breath. We'd only been kissing, intensely yes, but only kissing, and yet it affected me so much. My arousal had been rather obvious when we'd pulled apart. The cold shower helped to cool my blood a bit, but I was still feeling unsettled. God, I wanted her.

Trying to shake myself out of it, knowing that despite our make out session on the bathroom floor moments ago there wasn't any way she was ready to go further, I flipped the water to hot and felt my body relax. I couldn't push her, not now. Though in the back of my mind a flicker of thought passed about the bet Blaise and I had, and how I knew if I simply let it I could win it easily, the idea didn't seem as appealing as before.

Yes, I wanted her, there was no denying that. It was different now though. She'd never been with a man and I didn't want her first time to be tainted by a stupid bet. The feeling was new to me, putting someone else above my own interests and wants, but I'd found with Ginny it came so easy. Ever since that day in Hogsmeade, her terrible first date, I'd had this urge to protect her, to shelter her from harm. I wasn't willing to be the one to harm her, to hurt her. Not for a bet, not for anything. What was happening to me?

So lost in thought, I didn't hear Ginny come into the bathroom until the door to the shower slid open behind me. My eyes snapped open and I turned to see the beautiful redhead stepping into the shower. Her eyes met mine and her cheeks were flushed. "Draco," she said softly, letting the door shut behind her and stepping closer to me.

Acutely aware of her nakedness, there was no stopping my body's response. Not even the coldest of showers could have cooled my racing blood now. "Ginny what are you doing," I asked, my voice strained as I kept myself from reaching out to her. This wasn't like her. She wasn't this bold.

"Kissing you," she said simply, stepping into the warm spray and pressing herself against me. Her fingers slid into my damp hair, pulling my face down to meet hers.

Giving in to my baser needs, I pulled her tighter against me, feeling every inch of her body, and kissed her back. I didn't want to question this moment, though I knew I should. Pushing the thought aside, I focused on the woman in my arms. Kissing her wasn't enough, not for either of us. Flipping her around, I pressed her against the tile of the shower, lifting her enough to wrap her legs around my middle.

I nearly lost all control then, for I could feel her warm moist center rubbing against my almost painful erection. Moving from her lips I trailed kisses down to her breasts, hearing her cry out as my lips covered one of her already hard nipples. Her fingers were digging into my shoulders, surely leaving marks. After a few moments I could feel her quivering with need. Pulling back, I looked into her face. "Ginny," I said hoarsely, wanting nothing more than to take her right then and there. "Come with me."

Her first time should be special, not rushed and in a shower. I let her down from the tiled wall, shutting the water off, and scooped her up into my arms. Not bothering with towels, I took her straight into the bedroom, laying her carefully on the bed. The look in her eyes was enough to make my heart beat faster. Complete and utter trust, along with more than a fair bit of arousal.

Climbing up on the bed beside her, I pulled her close, taking a deep breath. I wanted to tell her how I was feeling, but I couldn't find the right words. I didn't even quite know what I was feeling. "Oh Draco," she sighed against me, her lips pressed against my neck.

Propping up on an elbow, I leaned down to kiss her more gently than before, slowly and savoring each moment. She was pressing up against me, wanting, needing, by the time I pulled away again. It was then my eyes happened to settle on an empty vile on the bedside table. But Ginny didn't notice my attention was focused on the offending vile, because she was trying to pull me back down against her, her hips moving against me.

Groaning, I pulled away from her, though I didn't want to. "Ginny stop," I said, pinning her hands down as they were trying to trail south along my torso.

Confused and almost hurt, she froze, her eyes meeting mine. "Don't you want me?" she asked, her voice small.

"Of course I do," I sighed, letting go of her hands. "But it shouldn't be like this. You'll regret it as soon as that potion wears off. I won't do that to you."

A small smile spread across her lips, understanding showing on her face. "Draco," she said, almost laughing. "I've already taken the antidote. I took it right after I took the potion." She pointed to the dresser where, sure enough, there was another empty vile. "I only waited long enough to feel the effects then I stopped it." Reaching up, her fingers lightly traced my face. "I'm doing this because I want to. Not because of a potion."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" I asked, even as my body ached to act. Pushing her damp hair back from her face, looking into her wide brown eyes, I realized how much more this had become. No longer about a bet, I'd begun to develop true feelings for the youngest of the Weasley children. As unlikely as it seemed, it was true. And if she wasn't sure she wanted this to happen, then I would stop. I'd gladly lose the bet if it meant not hurting Ginny.

She smile gently, her hand reaching up to twine her fingers with mine. "I'm sure. I've never been surer about anything in my entire life," she proclaimed, her voice strong and sure. "I think I'm falling in love with you Draco."

Her declaration of love made my heart flutter, a feeling I'd never known sweeping through me. Love. I knew this shouldn't be happening, they were completely opposite. Weren't they? But it was, and I didn't think I could stop it even if I wanted to. So instead I kissed her. It was a deep kiss and by the time I pulled away she was writhing against me once more. This time I didn't stop. We both wanted this. We both need each other.

It was only afterwards, as she lay asleep in my arms, completely spent, that I realized I'd not only completed step five of my plans to seduce Ginny Weasley, bed the Weasley, but also and inadvertent step six: fall in love with the Weasley.

Ginny POV

I woke with a dreamy kind of contentment. Draco's arms were around me and his naked body was twined with mine. I hadn't known if my boldness would pan out when I stepped into the shower with Draco, but it certainly had. I'd never wanted someone so much in my entire life, even before I downed that potion. I certainly had felt its effects, quite profoundly. I'd waited only long enough to really feel it, fighting myself to keep from jumping Draco right that moment, before I took the antidote.

The unbelievable need had gone away, but just as before I still wanted him in a way that I'd never wanted a man before. It gave me a boldness I didn't even know I possessed. Despite the fact that this was wrong on so many levels, I'd taken a step forward into a relationship with Draco Malfoy that I couldn't deny I'd wanted. Of all people, I'd never imagined I'd feel this way about him.

Over the past months though I'd fallen for him. From an unlikely friendship to feelings deeper than I'd even felt for Harry, here I was. I was falling in love with Draco. Realizing this had given me the courage to do something I'd never imagined doing. Slipping into the bathroom, trying to be as quiet as possible, I'd been undressed and climbing into the shower before he even known I was there.

I could feel his resistance at first, and knowing it was because even he realized this want like me, it warmed my heart. But I wasn't going to let him keep this from happening, not just because of what he thought I would want. And it didn't take long for him to give in. Before I knew it I was swimming with feelings and emotions I'd never felt, feelings only he'd been able to evoke in me. I was more than ready for him to take me right there in the shower when he'd pulled away.

At first I was disappointed, but soon realized his intentions when he carried me into the bedroom. We'd picked up where they left off but soon he stopped again, having noticed the empty vile the potion had been in. It had taken me convincing him I'd already taken the antidote too, and confessing my feelings, before he would start kissing me again.

The rest was indescribably amazing. It was obvious that Draco knew what he was doing. It didn't bother me like I thought it would. I'd known he'd been with other girls before, it wasn't a secret. I had thought I might feel intimidated by that fact, knowing that he would have others to compare me too. But in that moment, I didn't think about it. I doubted he was thinking about it either.

We'd fallen asleep afterwards, exhausted on many levels. The long weekend had worn both of us out, along with what we'd been doing afterwards. Feeling content now, I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. I was surrounded by the musky scent of Draco, the smell I'd first noticed on that first day of potions class this year, the smell I'd smelled in the love potion. Taking deep breaths, I felt myself falling back asleep.

As I snuggled closer once more, Draco's arms tightened around me. "It's okay to sleep, you know," he muttered, his voice scratchy.

"I know," I said softly, laying my head against his chest and letting out a contented sigh.

We both drifted, tired and content. Draco's breathing had evened out and I was nearly back to sleep too when the door to Draco's private room opened and an unsuspecting Blaise strode in. "Awe hell," he swore when he spotted the two of us in bed. "I lost again!"

Feeling mortified, I pulled the blankets tighter around myself, face burning, as Draco snapped awake and sat up. "Blaise Zabini get out!" he demanded, his voice hard.

Letting out an overdramatic sigh, Blaise turned on his heel and trudge back out of the door. Draco, shaking his head, grabbed for his wand and added a locking spell to the door.

Blaise's words stuck with me, a feeling of unease filling me. "Draco?" I asked softly as he rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly deep in thought.

He looked up at me, his stormy grey eyes meeting mine. He didn't say anything, and that almost worried me more.

"Draco, what did he mean? That he lost again?" I probed, not knowing if I wanted to know the answer. I couldn't even say why I felt so uneasy about it, but the feeling was there nonetheless. When he continued to sit in silence, I began to feel sick. "Answer me."

He let out a deep sigh, turning to face me fully. "You have to understand it doesn't mean anything," he started out. I drew back, not liking how this was beginning. "Every year Blaise and I make a bet, it started out as a joke a couple years ago."

"A bet?" I asked, horrified as I realized where he was going with this. "What kind of bet?"

Draco looked at me, pain in his eyes. "A bet to see who could seduce a girl faster. That's how it started but it's not about that bet anymore," he said hurriedly. "I-"

I cut him off with a shake of my head. I didn't want to hear his explanations, probably more lies. This whole time, while I was falling in love with him, he was using me to win a bet. And he'd won, as made obvious by Blaise's reaction.

"None of this was real," I said, my voice cracking. My heart felt like it was being ripped in two. Tears pricked my eyes. I would not cry though, not here. Not now.

"Ginny," he said softly, reaching out to me. "Please hear me out."

"No," I said firmly, my voice sounding stronger than I'd expected. "Don't." Hurriedly I gathered my clothes from the bathroom, pulling them on quickly. Draco didn't try to stop me as I hurried out, though he looked hurt. Surely that too was just an act. I was well away from his room when I finally broke down.

Sliding to the floor in an empty corridor somewhere on the sixth floor, I lost my careful control. Sobbing, I hugged my legs to myself and wept my heartache.

Dun dun dun! Dramatic enough? We all knew this moment was coming. How will our two protagonists handle this? What do you think will happen now?

As always, remember that a happy author writes better and faster! So review and make me happy!