-1Author's Note: This chapter is basically a flashback of what happened prior to chapter 1. Hope you enjoy.. And thanks for the reviews. I seriously had no intention of posting this up here.. Please read and review.

Ginny Weasley was soundless sleeping in the arms of Draco Malfoy. She was exhausted from the journey over to his place, and all she wanted was sleep. She felt somewhat bad for turning him down earlier, but she really wasn't in the mood. She turned slightly, positioning her subconscious body away from him, whilst in the middle of a dream.

---

Professor McGonagall stood at the foot of the staff table and the entire hall went silent. The rest of the staff was seated behind her, and the four long tables had been removed, and chairs were set up. There were just enough for every student present. The houses were still separated, noticeable only by the colors of the students robes.

Awkward conversation began to flood throughout the hall as there was a silence longer than anyone had intended. Minerva McGonagall was the new headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Great War was raging now, and families were reluctant to send their children back to Hogwarts. It was decided, however, that Hogwarts was one of the safest places in the Wizarding world, even after the loss of Dumbledore. Though gone, the charms he placed upon the school made it incredibly hard to access without the knowledge of the staff prior to their arrival.

She raised her hand again, and the hall was filled with silence. She stepped forward to be near the students, and stared at a few in particular.

"I would personally like with welcome you back to Hogwarts this year. I know that some of you are here by order of your parents, and some are here to continue education. It is my duty to keep each and every one of you completely safe, and out of harm's way. This being said, I ensure you that Hogwarts is still a safe structure, despite the war raging outside these walls. We will remain open until the safety is endangered of any individual student."

The attention of every student was directed to the woman in front of them. Minerva noticed the silence, and stared at the children before her, and the empty rows of chairs for the first years, which were waiting out in the side hall.

"Before we begin the sorting, I know some of you may question the new setup of the Great Hall. We will be keeping the old format of the four long tables, but in case of emergency, I wish you all to remember this set up, so there is no panic when a meeting is needed for the entire student body, and faculty. Now, if you'd all be kind enough to stand, we can return to the long tables for the sorting and the feast."

Every student rose and the chairs vanished, and replaced by the four long tables, with their respective house banners hanging above them. Professor McGonagall smiled and waved her hand towards a door off to the side of the Great Hall.

"Let the sorting begin!"

---

Draco Malfoy was the new Head Boy at Hogwarts. He'd been cleared of all charges, his father had been sent to Azkaban for using the Imperious Curse on his own child. When Lord Voldemort heard of this, he murdered Lucius in his cell, as well as other Death Eaters that had failed him. It was the largest murder within the prison since one cell mate's attempt at blowing his cell wall up failed miserably, killing 5 with the explosion, and three more with toxic fumes of the rubble, and curse.

With the gold badge pinned neatly to his Slytherin Robes, Draco strutted through the Great Hall at breakfast the next morning. He was not going to miss any chance to brag about his title as Head Boy, and wasn't going to pass on taking and point from Gryffindor House. He glanced over to the Gryffindor table and saw the youngest Weasley by herself. After deciding it was the perfect opportunity, having no other Gryffindors in the hall, Draco silently approached the young red head.

"So, Weasley, where's your filthy brother and his mud blood girlfriend?"

"Beat it, Malfoy, I'm in no mood for your ridiculous taunting right now."

"Oh, having a bad day are we," he smirked, "what a shame."

"I said beat it Malfoy. I'm not playing games right now. Just leave. Seriously."

"I'd watch your mouth if I were you, Weasley. It just might cost you some House Points."

"Draco, the year started yesterday. Classes don't start until Monday. THERE ARE NO HOUSE POINTS TO TAKE!"

"Think you're being wise, eh? Let's see what your mud blood fr--"

Draco Malfoy was not able to complete his sentence, for Ginny had turned abruptly from the Gryffindor table and hit him square in the chest with a hex. Draco toppled over, his shoulder colliding with the edge of the Ravenclaw table. Several outbursts of laughter and giggling broke out, but Ginny Weasley had no reaction of the sort.

"Her name is Hermione, and if you ever call her that again, you'll be dealing with me, and it won't be as light-hearted as this. I promise you that."

Ginny picked up her books and walked out of the Great Hall, making sure to kick Malfoy in the chest as she left.

Draco couldn't believe what just happened.. He hadn't planned on harassing her this much.. Just a bit of playing around. She blew this into something so much larger than it really was. And now.. people were.. laughing at him? He wouldn't settle for this. Glancing up at the Staff table, he noticed it was empty aside from Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout. He glared over at a couple of Ravenclaws that were laughing at him. Without much hesitation, he found himself on his feet quickly maneuvering to the group of giggling Ravenclaws.

"You think it's funny, do you? Getting hexed to the ground?"

The group of Ravenclaw girls just stared at him, and burst out laughing more, nodding their heads furiously.

"You won't after I'm finished with you.."

He raised his wand and started muttering a curse that would cause the hair of the girls to twist into knots and turn an ugly shade of puke yellow. He wasn't going to cause them harm, just a good trip to the Hospital Wing for laughing at him getting knocked to the floor. By a Weasley. He was almost completed with the hex when his wand shot from his hand to the floor. Draco quickly looked around and his eyes rested on Severus Snape, who was striding up the aisle towards him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Draco? Hexing second years in the middle of the Great Hall? Have you gone mad?"

"What are you doing here. I thought you were on the run from the ministry after murdering Dumbledore."

"I was. Until a document was found in his office by Professor McGonagall stating that I was to kill him instead of you, Draco. Albus did not wish you to suffer the consequences of murdering him, and wished you to finish your education here. He knew you did not wish to do Lord Voldemort's bidding, and wasn't going to let your father gain loyalty to the Dark Lord through you. He planned this all. I wasn't to tell you until I arrived back. Minerva asked be back. I will, sadly, be returning to my post as the Potions Master. Minerva--ah-- Professor McGonagall decided they needed someone specially trained for the Dark Arts, with Voldemort at such power, and Albus gone. She's decided I am needed to brew potions for those that may get attacked during the war, and must keep a personal storage of several key potions on hand. Especially.. Why am I telling you this? It's none of your business. Why were you about to attack two second years?"

"They were.. um.. laughing, sir."

"You were about to hex two second years to no end because they were laughing at you? What's your problem Draco?"

"Well they were laughing because that Weasley girl hexed me."

"Alright, you've got your sympathy, but that's no reason to hex them. Especially as the Head Boy. And I'm sure Ginny had a perfectly good reason to do what she did."

Draco stared at Severus. He couldn't believe the words he was hearing. Was Severus Snape actually defending a Weasley? What was wrong with this situation? He didn't really care. He just wanted to get Snape out of his face.

"Fine. I'll go apologize to her, if you want me to so much."

"Ah, so you aren't as stupid as most people figured.."

Draco glared as her stood up and walked out of the Great Hall in search of Ginny Weasley.

---

Ginny rolled in her sleep. She was having trouble remembering what happened after this. She never left the Great Hall. She stood just inside the doorway, listening to Snape and Draco talk. She knew Severus was still in the Order, so he must've been told to kill Dumbledore for Draco. She never believed he want back to the Death Eaters. She still didn't.

Draco was awake. He couldn't sleep. Not after she just rejected him like that. He felt hurt. He didn't get why she wasn't in the mood to do anything. She always was. Well, except tonight. He never wanted to force her to do anything, but it still hurt him to bee rejected like this. He wasn't even given a reason as to why.

"Gin, you up?"

No answer.

"Ginny?"

Still nothing. Ginny turned once again, trying to remember the rest of that day.

---

Ginny watched as Draco stood up and walked towards the doors leading to the Entrance Hall. She panicked. How was she to hide with him coming over right now. She turned and began to run when she heard someone talking. She stopped and turned around. It was Snape. He called Draco back over and they were talking. Ginny sighed. 'Thank God' she thought, running down the stairs to the cellars. She kept running until she found the portrait of the bowl of fruit, and tickled the green pear, gaining access to the Hogwarts Kitchens. She ducked inside and the portrait closed. Hopefully Draco wouldn't look here for her.

Draco rolled his eyes when Severus called him over, yet again, to talk to him.

"What Snape, you told me to go apologize, and I can't do that if I don't find her first."

"I want you to find her, and then come meet me in my office. By yourself. We need to.. Catch up on things."

"Is that all, sir?"

He turned and left the Great Hall before he was dismissed by Snape, though he didn't care. There was nothing else being said. Not until they were in Snape's office, anyway.

Draco didn't have the least idea where to look for her. He figured sher would probably go back up to Gryffindor common room to get away from him. He figured he'd start at the bottom of the school and work up, a bad idea if she was in fact up in Gryffindor Tower.

He walked into the Entrance Hall and walked left of the stairs to the first floor, and descended into the dark stairwell of the dungeons. He thought he'd check the Potions classroom, and any of the deserted classrooms in the dark, slimy dungeons. The first door on the right belonged to the Slytherin Prefects. Draco, of course, knew how to access the room, but figured it worthless since Ginny wouldn't know that. The door on the left brought you to the old Ancient Runes classroom, used before people complained about it being too depressing to be a classroom. He opened the door and found nothing but a few old wooden desks, and some empty glass vials. Useless to him.

Why was he even looking for her? Just because some bloke wants him to apologize for taunting her, doesn't mean he has to. He opened a second door and found Severus Snape's thing lying neatly on the floor. He suspected this would be his new office, judging by the large, oak desk and other possessions he knew belonged to Severus. He left the dungeons in an irritable manner, not sure why he was still looking.

At the next landing, he entered an unfamiliar corridor. He knew it was the cellars, but he never remember this particular passage way. It was lined with individual portraits of certain fruits, all individual. It was curious. Why would Hogwarts have a corridor lined with fruit? He was about to leave and he tripped at the end of the hall. He stuck out his arms to try to break his fall and his landed on a portrait of a bowl of fruit. His hand traced down a green pear, and it jumped to the side.

Draco was mesmerized. He'd never seen the kitchens before. House elves were walking around, cheerily talking and going about their business or preparing the lunch for the students and staff for later this evening. It was amazing to watch them work. He entered the room, and the portrait returned to its position, concealing the kitchens.

Ginny could wait for a few minutes. This was amazing. He walked around, and a house elf ran up to him, offering him some bread. He took it, appreciating a house elf for the first time. He looked at them again and noticed it was Dobby, his old house elf. He thought about saying something, but thought against it incase the elf had some bitter feeling toward him.

He was about to leave when he noticed a glint of red hair in the back corner. He stood up on his tip-toes and saw it was, in fact, Ginny Weasley. He stepped forward, and before long, he was standing right behind her. He reached out and tapped her shoulder.

Ginny turned and gasped when she saw who it was before her.

"What is it, Malfoy? Come to harass me some more? Didn't' get enough of it earlier this morning? I've no problem hexing you again."

"Relax. I'm here to apologize. I didn't think it would hurt you like it did. I was just messing around."

"Really? And why is it that I should believe such a foul git such as yourself?"

"Watch it Weasley. Don't insult me like that again, or we can go at it right here."

Ginny stared at Draco, and he thought about what he just said. He turned a light shade of red after realizing how she had taken what he said.

"I.. uhm.. didn't mean it like that. I swear. I.. just.. uhm.. oh dear."

Ginny broke into a fit of giggles as he tried to explain the situation. She couldn't help it. It was awkward, in a hilarious sense, that is.

"You're so into me," she declared, quite confidently.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You've got it bad."

"I do not!"

"You wouldn't be trying to correct yourself if you didn't mean it. You would've insulted me, and run off."

She sniggered and stood up and kissed him on his cheek. She then began to walk out of the kitchens. She looked over her shoulder, and giggled again.

"What is it, Weasley?"

"You're happy to see me aren't you.."

"Why would you.." He stopped, and realized when she meant, and cursed himself silently.

---

Ginny smiled in her sleep. That was how it all started. That was how they ended up together, ever since that second day of last year. She turned to face Draco, and opened one eye. Draco was still awake and looking into her eyes. She smiled again, this time to Draco, and kissed him softly. That second day of school changed everything.