Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Harry Potter and co. All rights belong to J. and the publishers.

Cunning Like A Fox

By: Jodelle

"Everybody wants me to be their angel
Everybody wants something they can cradle

They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn"

-Devil Inside, By: Utada Hikaru

Chapter 5: Unwanted Attention

"She's got everything going for her Lucius. Weasley is intelligent, is I'm told quite lovely, pureblooded, and has a handsome dowry. What more could you want in a daughter-in-law." Mr. Zabini said steepling his fingers looking thoughtful.

Both men were seated in seats in Lucius Malfoy's study sipping firewhiskey while watching the flames in the fireplace dance. They had been in companionable silence for several minutes when Zabini broke the silence with this statement.

Lucius snorted derisevly, "It's that intelligence that makes her dangerous. I've heard she's planning to be an auror. If's she's already started her training she won't be kidnapped easily and forced into marriage. She's probably the kind of girl that will sit on the money and never use much of it. She is in all likelyhood going to want to work for the ministry not caring that she need never work a day in her life."

"Yes, but that's the beauty of it! Lucius surely you see how that could help you regain your familys reputation. Nothing screams I'm not a Death Eater and never was quite like saying I'm letting my son marry a muggle lover and an auror to boot."

"Yes but she'll never agree to it Zabini. Remember I gave her that cursed diary. She is probably emotionally scarred because of me. I single handedly ruined her childhood. The reason she wants to be an auror is most likely because she wants to know how to protect herself from those types of things."

Zabini looked at Lucius with a look that said you're an idiot. He took a large gulp of the firewhiskey before responding, "You do have a trump card Lucius. Your son is by no means an ogre. And she's still a teenage girl Lucius and I believe can be wooed regardless of her mature airs. I'm not saying that it would be easy considering the hat did put her into Slytherin over Ravenclaw. She's not just book smart but rather street smart if you think about it."

Lucius sighed setting his glass down to pinch the bridge of his nose letting loose a low irritated growl. He looked suspiciously at Zabini who grinned cheekily at him. "Why aren't you looking for her to marry your son Zabini? If she's so great then why don't you want her as family." Zabini looked calculating for a moment.

"Because Bliase is already interested in the Parkinson's youngest. I don't know why as she isn't some great beauty but they have a steady amount of affection for one another. I've already cancelled his betrothal to that French girl whose name I can barely pronounce. If possible I'd see my son happy especially if she's of good blood."

With that Zabini stared into the flames until the flames started moving more slowly taking the shape of a persons face. At first Lucius thought that someone was fire calling them but when no voice came forth he realized he was looking at a young girls face.

The flames that made up her hair did the girl justice as in reality those lovely locks were a shade of red found in the flames. She had a sweet innocence to her that showed in her soft feminine features. She had a small button nose, almond shaped eyes, and full lips. It wasn't hard to see where Zabini was coming from.

"I have to say I agree with you about her looks Zabini. But seeing as she's at Hogwarts I don't see anyway to see and observe her just to make sure she's well mannered so as not to embarrass my family should she wed Draco. There are many beautiful women who carry a flaw of some sort that makes them unacceptable for marriage."

Zabini nodded, "Greed, Drunkeness, Gluttony, Laziness, Bad manners, Women who forget their place..."

"Only some of the flaws she could have," Lucius replied. He looked at the clock on the mantel and could just make out that it was a little after midnight. Zabini who had noticed where Lucius's eyes had looked said his farewell and made to leave.

Before leaving he smiled widely, "Just tell Draco to be his charming self. He knows how to get women to fall for him by now no doubt."

Lucius frowned returning to his study for one last drink when it came to him. He could visit Hogwarts for the Quidditch matches. It was perfect he thought delightedly.

'Just wait Weasley. If you're worthy you belong to us.'

Quidditch Match

"Time to make it burn
This is how I burn"

-Devil Inside, By: Utada Hikaru

Ginny Weasley sat on the stool in the locker room braiding her hair into a french braid. She didn't want it getting in her eyes as that was what caused her to fall that one time. She couldn't help but feel afraid, afraid of falling like that again. She heard the boys knocking loudly on the changing rooms door.

Plastering on a big smile she quickly exited the girls dressing room to meet up with her team. The beaters were Crabbe and Goyle. The Chasers were Blaise, an unknown third year boy, and her. The keeper was a fourth year girl with her hair tied back into two braids each hanging down from behind one of her ears. The seeker of course was Malfoy.

Malfoy didn't even bother to give a pep talk he just glared as though threatening them that they'd better not lose or else. Ginny nodded playing with the end of her long braid looking tired. She gazed at them in a way that was disconcerting. It was like looking into an old womans eyes filled with years of emotions. Her expression kept flickering so much in fact that nobody could tell what she was really feeling.

Malfoy stopped his glare session to give Ginny an almost worried look. "What?" Ginny asked a little sharply. The entire team was watching her looking at her oddly.

"Weasley," Draco started out, "Somethings obviously bothering you and I won't have you distracted by things like that during the match. Tell us what's wrong or I'll have to put the substitute out and you know how terrible he is."

Ginny bit her lip a dark expression settling over her face. "The last time I flew during a match I fell twenty feet and broke almost every bone in my body. Merlin, I was lucky that I wasn't paralyzed!" Ginny ended on an almost hysterical note.

Draco scowled, "And you didn't mention this before because?!?" The team surrounded her the keeper hugging her tightly. Ginny smiled faintly as the guys gave her half huggs.

"If you start to fall we'll catch you." Blaise said matter of factly. "We have the fastest brooms on the market so know for sure that we will catch you."

Ginny felt a little better as they went into the waiting room waiting patiently for the doors to open. When they did all fear unexpectedly vanished. She felt a rush of adrenaline as she sped as fast as she could to join her team in surrounding the box filled with the balls and Madame Hooch who was the referee.

Madame Hooch kicked the case and the balls all flew out except for the Quaffle which had to be thrown up into the outstretched hands of the Hufflepuff team. It was a blurr after that the Quaffle being hurled back and forth between the three Slytherin chasers the Hufflepuff chasers only getting ahold of it about once every ten minutes.

The people watching the game saw a streak of fire red soaring around the pitch with ease. The girl clearly had talent they couldn't help but notice. They couldn't even boo her as unlike her team mates she didn't cheat she was good enough that she didn't have to.

She did a spectacular dive when going after the Quaffle when a Hufflepuff dropped it quite suddenly both bludgers going after the poor boy. The crowd was then surprised by how far she was able to thow the heavy ball it almost reaching it's target several feet away.

When the bludgers were finally in the Hufflepuffs control though that was when her fears rushed back. The bludger trailed behind her almost hitting others but coming head on at her. She executed several seeker moves doing the sloth grip roll and doing a couple somersalts and spins in an attempt to get it to stop following her but she had not luck.

It finally stopped when Crabbe appeared out of nowhere to the rescue. He hit the ball so hard she was surprised that he hadn't broken the bludger in half or at the very least broken the beaters bat.

It was soon after that-that Malfoy caught the snitch and the pleasure/torture ended.

When their team landed they were surrounded by cheering housemates and that wasn't unusual what was unusual was seeing Lucius Malfoy waiting patiently off to the side. The man hadn't attended any matches since Dracos second year so this was a surprise.

"Miss Weasley, Draco I would like to talk with you both if you don't mind."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Because I may be a beggar and you may be the queen
I know I may be on a downer i'm still ready to dream
Though it's 3 o'clock the time is just the time it takes for you to talk"

-Whistle for the Choir, By: the Fratellis

Ginny followed Lucius warning bells going off in her head. With a little effort she reached underneath her armguard to pull out her wand. Frowning she held it in her hand so tightly she vaguely wondered if it would snap in two.

Draco followed shortly behing Lucius not a care in the world. He unlike her probably trusted the man. Once Ginny had been innocent and gullible but she'd put that kind of behavior behind her. She knew that that very innocence made her too strong to be loved by an ordinary man. Most men wanted someone soft and gentle that they felt a need to protect but in her case she protected herself just fine.

Well maybe that wasn't always true but during her years she'd been a solitary figure and she'd felt that was why. Her lack of trust made it hard to give herself over to anyone. If she were a wolf her hackles would be raised and she'd probably be growling.

She turned her attention to watching Lucius Malfoys back. Now that she thought about it it was odd that he'd been able to separate them from the crowd which was ususually so eager to embrace it's team. But then this was Lucius Malfoy and she guessed even with the bad reputation he'd garnered he still held a lot of sway in the wizarding world...especially the Slytherin families.

Ginny would later deny this but she'd zoned out and almost walked straight into Draco's back. It was then that Lucius decided to explain himself.

Looking over his shoulder he said, "I've heard that you're quite the aspiring auror . Knowing this I put in a good word for you at the ministry. A little birdie also told me you're already quite skilled if I'm not mistaken."

Ginny nodded before realizing he couldn't see her as he'd turned back around. "Yes, I've trained a lot but..." Ginny trailed off wondering what she could say. How do you explain that you're so good that you didn't need training anymore. How do you say you've been through years of training although your apparent age makes that seem like a lie.

"Ah, but don't feel that it's enough?" Lucius asked in a tone that made her head feel heavy. It like he was trying to drown her in sound.

"No. I feel that I know too much." Ginny said without thinking. Lucius smirked while Draco looked confused. Lucius reached in his pocket taking out a miscroscopic book and with a flick of his wand it became a large tome.

"Then I take it you don't want this?" Lucius asked holding the book out to her. It appeared quite old probably a rare treasure. But she hesitated before saying coldly, "I've already figured out what kind of luck you're gifts bring me."

Lucius blinked hard a faint tinge of pink coloring his cheeks. But to her surprise he looked chastised. Meeting her eyes he said, "that may stand to be true but if you're already been training to such an exstent surely you must be able to tell it's harmless."

Ginny took out her wand so quickly there was a blurr of motion. The book was levitated into the air and surrounded by a bubble shaped sheild. Ginny jabbed her wand at the circle a countless number of times light like lightening going through the middle of the shield sphere. This continued for ten minutes before Ginny gave up the search for hexes, charms, and potion residues.

Lucius looked amused and impressed. "I take it you're satisfied?" Ginny nodded reaching out to catch the book as the spells on it ended. She turned it over in her hands reading the title aloud, "A Head Auror's Manual to advanced magical techniques."

Then it clicked. Malfoy's book was just what she needed to be able to explain her talents. She could simply claim that she'd been studying like mad and had taken to the training like a fish to water.

The Malfoy's watched as Ginny's face took on a smile that reminded them of a satisfied cat that got the crème. Then she frowned and they could see the clock cogs in her mind turning.

"What's the catch?" She said polietly. "If it's too much that you ask of me I'll simply hand this right back no matter how useful it might be."

Lucius told the truth surprising her as he said, "What with you're sudden rise in society it benefits us to make amends for the past. While it may be that we'll never be friends it would be said that we hope to at least greet each other respectfully and not have such tension between us upon meeting when we do and surely shall meet.

This made sense to her especially her Slytherin side. "You're right," Ginny said a faint smile on her lips, "This doesn't quite make up for things but it is a nice gesture...well more so a very very nice gesture. Admittedly I hadn't thought much about my place in society as I'm used to coming from a humble means but I can promise you I will be at the very least poliet upon meeting you and your relatives."

Ginny started walking away but then seemed to realize this would be rude. "I'll study this heavily and promise you will get it back in the condition it was given."

Lucius didn't follow up with anything. He was going to let her keep it but she'd probably see that as too generous. He had a tight smile on his face. It pained him to give out anything from his families library but if he wanted to win the girl over sacrifices had to be made.

He remembered his and Zabini's conversation when he said she was a perfect match to any young pureblooded male. He had to admit there was nothing wrong with her, she was perfect, and he would pull her in and make her a Malfoy.