Chapter 2

Letting Sparks Fly

"Draco Malfoy?" Ginny asked shocked.

"You sound surprised...and just a little bit nervous…do I scare you?" he smirked.

"Don't flatter yourself!" she scorned, never lowering her wand.

"Are you going to lower your wand or do I have to disarm you?" he asked, casually flicking back his fringe to give his hair a windswept look.

"I'd like to see you try!" she sneered but she pocketed her wand all the same.

"So I hear we are to play quidditch against each other…that should be fun…unless of course you too scared to play me?" he said staring deep into her eyes, challenging her.

"You are way too cocky! And no I'm not going to back out. I've already agreed to play as seeker this Saturday so yes I suppose you could say that yes, I'll be having fun… beating you!" she said smirking.

"I don't think so Weasley…although you are admittedly better than Potter." He said grimacing. Ginny grinned to herself and then, with a flourish, she picked up her book, tucked it under her arm and made her way to the door. But before she made it all the way she felt something snag on the back of her PJ's. Turning around she found herself face to face with Malfoy who took advantage of her stunned silence to snake his arm around her waist and draw her closer.

"Where are you going Weasley?" he breathed into her ear, the tickling sensation sending shivers down her spine.

"Oh I'm sorry!" she said venomously "But I have better things to do than talking to you such as sticking my head down a garbage bin!" she said with another feeble jab at his arm. This time he let it fall away running his arm through his hair again and leaning against the column.

"Ooh. Why so harsh Weasley…don't you like being close to me?" he said with mock hurt, his face burning with amusement.

"No! I do not! I despise everything about you!"She wrenched free again as he had wound his arm back around her waist. Throwing him one last scathing look she turned on her heel and fled down the corridor.

The next day at breakfast Ginny entered the great hall, purposely not looking towards the Slytherin table. She slipped onto the bench in-between Harry and Hermione and helped herself to some pumpkin juice. Hermione was heavily engrossed in the Daily Prophet and so didn't register her arrival. Harry however leant over and kissed her lightly on the lips murmuring:

"Good morning beautiful." Ginny smiled in reply but made no effort to speak as her stomach was churning with anxiety. She cautiously glanced over at the Slytherin table where Malfoy, who had been in deep conversation with Blaise, casually caught her eye and gave her a sly wink. Ginny looked away flushing slightly.

Across the table Ron groaned as he examined his timetable.

"Double potions followed by Divination, please kill me now!" Hermione looked at him sternly.

"Ron that's a pathetic approach, you've got to put in more effort these are our NEWT classes!"

"Hermione give it a break, my future career won't come crashing down just because I resent having to go to double potions, with Snape!"

Hermione and Ron were still bickering when Ginny got up to leave. With a quick peck on the cheek from Harry and a roll of the eyes in Ron and Hermione's direction she set off for her first class of the day: Charms. But she couldn't concentrate. Malfoy's face kept popping up in her mind and his casual, cocky and almost flirtatious attitude kept replaying through her head. She glanced around the class room where everybody was practicing the silencing charm (which Ginny had long since accomplished) with a few exceptions such as Parvati and Lavender who were engrossed in the latest copy of Witch Weekly.

Quidditch practice that evening was terrible the whole team was nearly in tears by the end of it. The fact that it was a thunderstorm outside didn't help improve anybody's moods. The whole team trudged back to the castle feeling defeated. Ron slouched off to have a shower after dinner and Ginny followed suit. Hardly anyone was in the common room when she got back so she too went straight up to bed, leaving Ron to sulk by the fire. Upstairs in the girl's dormitory Ginny changed and got straight into bed ready to let exhaustion take over. Drawing the curtains she lay back waiting for sleep to come.

"Yes that's what Padma overheard from Millicent who was talking with Pansy in the girl's bathroom!" Ginny sat up, curiosity taking over, as she listened in on Lavender and Parvati's conversation.

"I bet Pansy had a fit!" giggled Lavender.

"Yes she broke two bathroom mirrors and sent a bat-and-bogey curse at a fist year who was in the vicinity at the time…and the best thing is she doesn't even know who Draco's dumped her for!"

"So he did dump her for some-one else?" breathed Lavender.

"Oh yes…only no-one knows who…" Parvati trailed off. "I wonder who it is…it's not likely to be anyone we know…"

"Hmmm…oh you know Terry Boot asked Cho-Chang out and she said…" Ginny let their senseless chattering fade away into the background she was too absorbed with what she had over heard about Draco. Could he have possibly dumped Pansy in the hopes of winning her affection? No. No way. It was impossible. He was a self-centered moron who would never dirty his reputation by associating with some-one like me…all the same the way he'd held her…

TAP TAP TAP! TAP TAP TAP! Ginny awoke with a start to the sound of ferocious tapping at her window pane. She glanced wearily at her clock it read: 12:08 am. What on earth was disturbing her at 12 o'clock at night! She got up cautiously and made her way to the window, wand at the ready. When she pulled back the curtain to find an ebony black owl perching on the window sill. She opened up the latch and the bird fluttered in and came to rest on her pillow it was only then that she noticed the note attached to its leg. It was addressed to her. She opened it up, with trembling hands, and read:

Ginny,

I'll be waiting for you at our usual spot tomorrow night at 8:00pm. See you then.

-D

Ginny had no doubt as to whom the letter was from or where it referred to when it said "our usual spot" the room or requirement of course!. Her heart leapt in exultation. Draco wanted to see her! Her! Tomorrow! Yes!

Wait a minute! He mind screamed. What the heck are you doing meeting up with a Slytherin? With Draco Malfoy no less! And you're happy about this? What about Harry!

Ginny lay back in bed, the owl perched on her bed-side table looking intently at her. The letter had almost been a dare, challenging her; if she didn't turn up she'd look like a chicken but if she did that would be admitting she was interested in him!

Well are you? Her mind asked her.

Absolutely not! She cried in reply. She just wanted to turn up to prove she wasn't afraid of him. Ginny tried to reason but inside she knew she was fighting a lost battle. She went to sleep her head full of conflicting arguments…