Sorry it took so long! I sort of feel like it's lacking... I don't know why though. I guess it's my lack of a beta to set me straight. Anyway, Hope you like it, nonetheless.

Chapter 22: Wandering Eyes

"Ginny what are you wearing?" Hermione asked, hands on her hips as she pushed the door fully open. She was slightly shocked, Ginny, well Ginny wasn't being Ginny.

"I'm wearing CLOTHES. They've become quite popular I hear," Ginny replied with a sarcastic smile. She had also become quite smarmy.

"Really what has gotten into you? Where's the Ginny that I'm friends with. The one that wears jeans and t-shirts, who doesn't respond to her best friend with little snippy comments?"

"Yeah well you insulted my outfit." Ginny had put in a lot of thought into it. She was wearing pin stripped pencil skirt in blue and white with a very nice V-necked pull over sweater, sleeves pushed up and a button up white shirt underneath, with not just one button undone, sleeves pulled up and cuffs pulled over the sweater. She looked… nice.

"I'm just a little surprised is all. You look very nice and I just didn't know you were putting this much effort into it after last night… you know what? Harry will like it," Hermione smiled though she sort of had the impression Harry hadn't even crossed her mind when she had picked the clothes out.

"Oh! Right! Harry! Gees, I better run! I told him I'd meet him downstairs!" Ginny shrieked as she slipped on a pair of white canvas shoes and opened her trunk looking for a cloak. Hermione noticed that it didn't contain clothes, but rather her usual possessions but also flowers, notes tucked into a journal she had never seen… and a black cloak. Ginny pushed aside some of the flowers that were quite dry now, threw a few books out and grabbed the cloak.

"Ginny! Wait for me! I'm coming too you know!" Hermione yelled running after Ginny, trying to fasten the clips on her own cloak while not tripping down the stairs. When she had finally caught up to Ginny, it was because she was standing stupidly in the middle of the hall looking around as if for someone. Hermione gave her a confused look and tugged her arm, "Who are you looking for? Harry's down that way," She said point a few feet away. "And whose cloak is that? It's not your size."

"Oh no one important. Come on Hermione, Harry and Ron are waiting," Ginny replied as she looked down at the cloak, clapped a hand over the clasp of the cloak and turned slightly pink.

Harry turned slightly red at the sight of Ginny. "You… uh… good. You look good Ginny."

"Yeah thanks Harry, but come on, no gawking we won't be able to find a carriage!" She yelled as she ran off in the direction of the rest of the students. As she jumped into one, she could have sworn she saw a head of very blond hair stepping into one as well.

"Ron, what's wrong with your sister… she's being… weird I guess," Harry asked in a disappointed voice as they walked in her direction.

"Beats me. But don't lose heart Harry…" Ron replied with a clap on the back as he turned to hand Hermione in who blushed furiously.

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They had been walking around for thirty minutes and every time Harry made to take her hand, she would spin around to talk to Hermione or move it to motion to a store, or waved at someone she knew. He was beginning to get very upset about it. He had thought this would be sort of romantic in a way, but it was turning out to be something even less than just two really good friends hanging out. He felt like he might even be in the way of Ginny.

Indeed, Ginny was doing everything in her power to make it seem like the two of them were having a wonderful time without actually leading him on. Ginny wasn't going to stoop to the level of tugging Harry along only to make an appearance in front of someone she couldn't even find. And if she didn't stop looking for Malfoy, Hermione would really start to suspect. She had already made a few comments and asked some questions that were a little unsettling. Suddenly, she saw what she was looking for like the glint of a golden snitch she was pursuing and with the reflexes of a cat, snatched Harry's hand into hers and with a suggestive smirked pulled him towards the book store where the blond had walked into.

"Come on Harry, let's go look at some books, okay?" Ginny smiled at Harry as she opened the door.

"Yeah okay…" Harry replied in a shaky voice still in shock of her sudden change of heart.

The shop was full and slightly warm, more than once she felt a hand brush up where it shouldn't and she was fairly certain that it wasn't Neville Longbottom whom she was standing next to. Harry was a lot pinker in the face and it certainly wasn't due to the heat, that's for sure… She smiled and made the excuse of looking for something that was being kept for her, slipping away from any more wandering hands. As she browsed the shelves and made to turn around, she ran into a very solid person. She looked up to find that her snitch had found her. Draco Malfoy looked down at her with a grin plastered to his face as if he knew she'd run into him.

"Well isn't this a coincidence…" He replied with a smirk on his face, placing his hands on her arms to steady her as she tried to untangle herself from him.

"You obviously don't know me if you weren't expecting me to be in a book store," Ginny replied with a wicked smile that drove him insane. That paired with her windblown look, hair hanging loose, cheeks tinted, eyes sparking from all the walking, it took a lot of personal strength not to shove her up against the potions section. Ironic how they always meet near a potions book, he thought with a smile.

"No, I knew you'd be here…"

"So you're following me, I see." Ginny stated, raising an eyebrow, with a playful look on her face.

"No, I know you're following me." Draco replied with an evil smile.

"Don't flatter yourself you pompous cad, I'm here with Harry. And why would I be following you?" Ginny asked placing her hands on her hips, eyebrow raised curiously looking into his eyes.

"Nice cloak by the way, Weasleyette. I like your taste in clothes…" Draco replied mimicking her but placing an elbow on the railing leading upstairs. Ginny colored slightly. So he did remember that she still had it.

"Like my outfit?" Ginny asked, doing a little spin, knowing fully well that it was attracting a bit of attention from more than one boy. And apparently a girl as well, when she noticed one walking up to them when she finished her rotation. Draco was still leaning against the stairs, grinning slightly at her. She had a child like playfulness that was littered with innuendos.

"I'm not quite sure I got a good enough look at it. Care to turn again?" Draco asked playfully crossing his arms and giving her the once over. But before she could respond, he felt an arm snake around his waste. He looked over with a look of pure shock that only Ginny caught before he smiled at Stacey, who was brushing his hair back.

"Sorry you have to wait, they can't seem to find my book. Everything going okay? Find what you were looking for?" Stacey asked, leaning into him slightly as she eyed Ginny with a smile.

"Yeah doing great. It's okay, I don't mind waiting. Whenever you're ready just say the word and we'll go pay," Draco replied with a smirk giving her a squeeze before she went back off to where ever she came from. "I'd close my mouth if I were you Ginny, a bird might make a home of it if you continue to stand with it open like that."

Ginny blinked a few times and quickly regained her composure. "So. That's your previous engagement."

"Yeah I didn't tell you? Me and Stacey… well we're sorta going together," Draco replied, not being able to hold back a small smile as he realized Ginny was sort of put out by what had just happened. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a nut that he then proceeded to turn over and over in his hand.

"Oh? Going together? What are we in the fifties? Quite elusive you two must be if I've never even seen you together before…" Ginny replied, crossing her arms in a very defensive position over her heart. Too bad he had already made a jab at it. Next thing Draco knew, Ginny was reaching for the clasp of his cloak, the one she was wearing, and was handing it over to him.

"What am I to do with this? And are you mad? It's bloody cold out there! Plus you're not wearing much!" As he realized just how many buttons she had 'forgotten' to button.

"Not wearing much! Don't you think that's a little rich, considering what your date or girlfriend or whatever the hell she is, is wearing?" Ginny replied holding the cloak by the collar in her hand, turning her attention to Stacey, who was trying to reach a book on a high shelf while numerous boys were trying to see how high that skirt really could go. Neville however, being the gentleman that he was, didn't notice her outfit and just reached up and got the book for her. Ginny was slightly confused by the sheepish smile he gave Stacey as she whispered something to him and laughed.

"Weasley if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous?"

"Oh really? Of what? Lack of clothing? I really don't think so Malfoy. I respect myself enough to not wear something so short that it's bordering on knickers. And you're the one that said I wasn't wearing enough? What? Afraid someone might see something they like?" Ginny asked, crossing one arm over, allowing the button up shirt to sort of pop off her body. Draco accidentally began to stare for a second before he noticed a black cloak being thrown at his face covering his eyesight. He quickly pulled it off his head just in time to see Ginny all Harry to pull his cloak of himself and place it around her shoulders as he offered to pay for her book. When Ginny politely refused and was done paying, she threw a look over at Malfoy and gave him a very mischievous smile. He glared slightly and made to go find Stacey when he bumped into someone. He steadied the girl and said, "Sorry didn't see you. Are you okay?" To his surprise it was Granger. She said she was fine and thanked him for catching her. As he bent down to pick up the book she had dropped she gave him a quizzical look to which he only responded with, "If you're looking for Saint Potter, he just walked out," And stalked off to find Stacey. Little did he know that she had already left with someone else.