Chapter Twenty Three

The Hazards of Boredom

Ginny gave a heavy sigh and collapsed into the chair beside Draco.

"What's wrong, Bright eyes?" he asked, flipping a page in the Herbology text he was working his way through.

"I'm so bloody bored!" she growled.

"That's too bad," he muttered.

"Draco..."

"No."

"Draaaco," she purred.

"Ginny, I promised to keep you here, safe until school starts." You and Gabrielle, he mentally finished.

It was killing him. He knew Potter didn't like Ginny but he couldn't tell her. It wasn't his place as much as he wanted it to be. The moron needed to tell her himself.

Ginny sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Merlin, he's annoying," she muttered.

"Are you talking about me like I'm not here again?" Draco asked. She had done that the one day when he had annoyed her, talking to Gabrielle instead and talking about him. Gabrielle had loved the game and the next day she had pulled one on Ginny, talking in Remedial French that even Ginny could understand.

Ginny flashed him her brilliant grin. "Not this time. I'm talking about Harry. I'm sure my parents appreciate me being safe and all, and I'm sure you've just earned insane amounts of points in their books by doing this, but really. I don't need to be baby sat."

"Are you complaining about your surroundings?" Draco asked.

Ginny sighed. "You know I'm not. Merlin knows this place is amazing."

'This place' happened to be the Malfoy family summer home. With Dad incarcerated and Mom only wanting to keep her only child from the front lines of the war, Draco had had no problem convincing his mother to let him stay in the summer home over his break by himself. With a small army of servants to see to his every need, Draco would hardly have considered it being by himself even if he had been.

The three story gothic mansion was located just off the coast of Greece. The house had been specially commissioned by a Malfoy generations untold in the past.

"Thank you," Draco commented. "But what, my dear, is the problem?"

"I'm just...bored."

Draco finally shut his book. "So what do we do about it?"

"I don't know," she wailed.

Draco rose to his feet and crossed to her, pulling her gently to her feet.

"I have an idea."

Pulling Ginny along behind him, he made his way into the ball room on the floor below. He pulled out his wand. With a flick all the shutters opened on the windows and brilliant sunlight glared into the room. He turned to her even as soft music began to fill the room.

"My lady? May I have this dance?"

Ginny laughed, a beautiful sound and took his hand as he began to teach her to waltz.

(A/N: Ginny's pissed at Harry...good thing, no?