Author's Notes: I would just like to take this opportunity to apologize for my poor grammar. In going back and re-reading things to make the story coherent, I have been noticing mistakes and it really burns my ass, if you get my drift.

That having been said…

If there is anyone out there in the huge internet universe that would volunteer to beta for my pathetic attempts at fiction, I would REALLY, really appreciate it. Sometimes things really need a new pair of eyes.

That having been said…

There are only 12, that's right 12!, chapters left for "If You Can." Thank God! I can't wait to get to the sequel. The end is in sight, my duckies!

That having been said…

I am a TOTAL review whore. And I just realized that I can respond to reviews, so if you have any questions, I can now answer them. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing so far. I love you guys.

Also, in keeping with compiling an IYC soundtrack, I think everyone's favorite couple needs a song. I have a few in mind, but would like to hear some suggestions.

Enjoy!

She was doing it on purpose. She would prance around, wearing next to nothing, looking at him all the time. Well, technically, they were ALL doing it on purpose, he guessed, seeing as how he was a seventeen year old human male and all. But it was worse with her, since he knew that the offer was still on the table.

Harry glowered at Luna over his oatmeal. He had begun sitting on the side of the Gryffindor table that faced the Ravenclaw end of the room. Watching her had become an obsession. She definitely had NOT always been this attractive. Maybe it took her some time to grow into her head; maybe she needed to feel more comfortable in her own skin before she could start wearing clothing in that manner. She definitely at best only just made the dress code on most days. Her skirt seemed to be shorter than everyone else's; her sweaters tighter. Sometimes he could hardly breathe.

"Could he do it?" became the question. Harry knew that, deep down, the answer was "yes." There were dark things inside of him. Things he tried to hide from everyone else.

"Would sleeping with her put her in jeopardy?" That was the second question. He had told Ginny, time and time again for crying out loud, that he had to keep his distance from her to keep her safe. It was his preoccupation with her that put her in danger. He wasn't ready to call it love. That was tantamount to a death sentence in his book. Besides, "love" carried with it all kinds of things: commitment, gigantic white dresses, prams, mortgages, expectations he could never fulfill, promises he couldn't keep, feeling so much his chest hurt…

And the list went on and on and on…

When he wasn't staring at Luna, he was watching Ron and Hermione. That had become a rather disturbing pastime of late. They had somehow eased into a relationship so fluidly it was as though very little had changed. It was actually a weight off his chest. As Ron was "busy" with Hermione, Harry had more alone time than he had since the start of the year.

But therein lay the problem. He had become used to people being around him constantly. When Ron and Hermione were off having alone time, he got lonely and bored, and immediately sought out Ginny. It had just become second nature. He valued her company. She made him laugh, especially at himself. And if he was sure that there were other people around, he knew that he wouldn't get…disrespectful, despite his earlier pledge to stay away from her for her own safety.

But what if…?

Dare he even consider it?

What if he was "dallying" with Luna? Would the necessity to be around Ginny lessen or get worse?

He still had some serious issues with the whole thing, however. Wouldn't a relationship of the nature that Luna proposed be disrespectful to her? She didn't seem to think so, but she was a complete nutter, so what the hell could he say about her opinion?

Bizarrely enough, he kind of wanted to talk this out with someone, but there was no one there. He wanted to ask Ron, but he pretty much already knew what Ron would say. It would be a loud, resounding, NO, ARE YOU CRAZY?!?! But Ron was Ginny's brother, and inasmuch as he seemed ok with Harry and Ginny's weird-ass relationship, he was still biased, right? He would still want Harry to suffer until Ginny got herself another boyfriend, right? Oh, God, Ginny could go out and get herself another boyfriend! How the hell could he be expected to handle that?

He also tossed around the idea of asking Hermione's opinion. She had relaxed quite a bit in recent times, but she was still a priggish hard-ass about some things. Again, he could foresee how the conversation would go. She would get herself all wound up and start using words like "misogynistic," and "exploitation," and "moral decay," and he wouldn't understand half of it, would feel even worse and more confused than he did now, and would only get a headache and possibly a lot of broken furniture for his trouble.

Figures…said the tiny voice in his subconscious, exactly when you need them, they are off doing "couple" things.

But, the voice whispered again, would Hermione's reaction be self-righteous indignation, or her attempt to hide her jealousy that you find Luna attractive enough to shag, but Ron won't shag her…

OH, GOD! What if she and Ron were shagging?!?! What if he was the only virgin left at Hogwarts? He had nightmarish images of Malfoy charming the Sorting Hat to blurt out everyone's sexual experience level, making his lack of crystal clear to everyone at school. Harry glared at his spoon as he watched Luna turn from the table and flounce away from the dining hall.

Why should he be the only one left out?

He was the one who everyone was single-handedly expecting to save the world, right?

Right…the voice agreed.

He had the right to some joy and pleasure in this life, right?

Of course…

Ginny could be made to understand that this thing with him and Luna was just physical, right?

Right…

Well, that settled it then. Harry threw down his fork and followed Luna out of the dining hall.

In retrospect, he thought, the knock on the door should have been much louder. He barely heard the summons, focused as he was on the Electric 6 cd spinning music into the room. When Draco opened the door to the head suite, his jaw hung open in shock to see Ginny Weasley standing there.

"She's not here," he practically had to shout over the volume. Ginny waved her wand and the stereo shut off.

"I know," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorframe as she looked him up and down.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, as it were."

What?

Draco turned his head to peer at her. "What do you want me for?"

"I'm going to propose something to you. Somehow, I think it will appeal to your twisted sense of humor."

"Well, don't just stand in the doorway and flatter me, my dear, come in, sit down," he moved away from the door and sat of the couch, "tell me more of your spine-tingling observations about my character."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" she asked him. Rather confused by the apparent change in subject, he looked at her warily.

"I've had plenty of girls that I've slept with, but if you mean have I ever had a relationship with a girl that I have been faithful to, I would say 'no'."

"That's what I thought."

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I am proposing to be that girlfriend."

"Pardon?" Had he accidentally done some crab, or whatever the Muggles called it…CRACK! It was crack! Right.

"I don't have a boyfriend right now, and find myself in need of one. I would like to form an alliance with someone who isn't going to get all hearts and flowers over me. Someone…ruthless, someone who would have the same goals as me."

"So what's Potter done this time?" Draco asked. She was so transparent.

"What makes you think that Harry has anything to do with this?"

"Oh, come now…this is the second time you have ended up here, with me, after the Great Scarred Freak has done something to you. I'm simply curious to know what would cause you to get your knickers so thoroughly knotted that you feel the need to, dare I use the term, seduce me." Ginny face twisted into something angry, and bitter, and far too old for her 16 years. Draco almost felt sorry for her.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was Luna Lovegood, emerging from a broom cupboard of all places, trying to straighten her skirt and tuck her shirt back in. Ginny was about to giggle as she waited around to see who the lucky boy was. Any laughter that she might have found related to the situation died suddenly when who should walk out of the cupboard behind the girl then Harry Potter. He was also tucking his shirt back in, while attempting to flatten his hair and righting his skewed glasses.

The knife was sharp, but that didn't make the pain any less. Before she could stop herself, Ginny gasped. The guilty parts turned at the noise.

Luna stared at her blankly, no expression whatsoever.

"Hey, Ginny," she said, as though they were meeting in the library.

Harry, at least, had the decency to look upset. He turned to mutter to his companion, "Luna, I'll catch you later."

"Sure thing, Harry." And without another word, she was gone.

Ginny mentally kicked herself, but she didn't even have the presence of mind to run away as Harry approached. Stupid blighter, really should have taken his wand out as a precaution.

"Ginny," he began lamely, not really knowing where to begin.

"What, Harry? Are you going to try to deny what I just saw?" She was amazed that she wasn't screaming. Maybe she was still in shock.

"No," he answered, looking like a puppy who had just been kicked.

"Are you going to tell me that 'it wasn't what it looked like?'" she asked, voice getting a little louder.

"No," he admitted.

"Then what?!?!" she yelled, finally, "What are you going to say?"

"That it doesn't matter."

"And that is supposed to make it better?"

"Well, yeah." Apparently, that made everything better in Stupid Harry Potter Land.

"Well, it doesn't, you stupid choad. It actually makes it worse."

With that, she had turned on her heel and walked as resignedly as she could to Myrtle's bathroom, where she wept for two hours. Two long, lonely hours, until Hermione found her. Then she spent the next hour and a half quietly sobbing, pulled into a ball at Hermione's side while the older girl just let her cry it out. Hermione didn't really say much. She waited for Ginny to talk. She did, however, offer to make both Luna, and Harry (Ginny was delighted to hear) EXTREMELY uncomfortable for the foreseeable future.

But Ginny hadn't wanted to call down her enforcers for this. This was something she wanted to handle herself.

That day had been two weeks before. She almost felt that every step she had taken in all those fourteen days had led her here, to this moment, to his doorstep.

"Tell me something, Draco," he eyed her warily as she moved to sit beside him on the couch. She had never used his first name before. It was lulling him into her eyes. "Do you find me attractive?"

"Not particularly," he drawled. To his surprise, she didn't get all worked up over that little comment. Instead, she slid closer to him.

"Not even a little bit?" she asked, looking up at him from beneath lowered lashes.

"Well," he was feeling indulgent, "maybe a little bit."

"Tell me something," she asked, looking up into his eyes as she slid herself right up against him and put her hand on his leg, "how do you feel about revenge?"