When Madame Pomfrey walked in to find the youngest Weasley sitting up in bed, apparently having a staring contest with the portrait of the previous med-witch of Hogwarts, she resolved to do a check on Miss Weasley's mind. 'Perhaps the poor dear hit her head when she fainted?'
Poppy tottered over to Ginny's bedside, with all the grace of a walrus, and tapped the girl's shoulder gently. "I'm here to check you out Miss Weasley. If your hand is feeling better you may leave."
Ginny didn't turn her head. "Just a minute please Madame."
The small redhead continued her intent gaze at the portrait in front of her. The middle-aged wizard in the painting was staring back just as avidly, his bright green eyes lit with a fierce determination to win. Madame Pomfrey lifted an eyebrow at the two and bustled back to her office.
'Oh my. I'm afraid the world has gone slightly insane.' She lifted her old stuffed hippogriff from her desk and hugged it. 'Yes most defiantly insane.'
Thirty minutes later Draco was off from his prefect duties. Immediately he strode off to the hospital wing to check on Ginny. It took him ten minutes to get from the Ravenclaw common room to the Wing, and that was pausing for frequent direction giving for those imbecilic first years.
'Merlin, if I was ever that dumb I will throw myself off the west tower.' Draco sniggered under his breath, 'Or kiss Ronnikins.' at this his sniggering exploded into a full-blown chuckle. He shoved his fist in his mouth to stifle it, and in his distraction strode into the Wing's impressive doors. The wood responded by throwing him back on his ass, just as the law of motion dictated. It made a hell of a racket as well.
Madame Pomfrey came to the door and peeked around the corner, her stuffed toy clutched to her chest. Seeing Draco, and not some wild rampaging pink elephant, she scurried to hide the toy in her front apron pocket. Clearing her throat she asked Draco, politely, what he was doing sitting outside the Wing doors.
"I'm spying on the dust bunnies Madame P." He replied sagely.
Pomfrey caught herself nodding and quickly scowled. "Anything I can do for you Mr. Malfoy?"
"Actually I'm here to check on Ginny…err Miss Weasley." Draco muttered, standing and dusting himself off.
"Ah, well. Miss Weasley is in some sort of staring contest with Monsieur Adamants right now. Perhaps you would be so kind as to…" Madame P trailed off as Draco nodded and strode past her and down to Ginny's bed. He knelt beside her and poked her in her ribcage sharply. She glanced down at him out of reflex and scowled as she heard Addy laugh.
She glared at the elder wizard angrily. "Malfoy you made me loose! Now Addy is still supreme staring champion!" She slouched her shoulders grumpily, but straightened immediately when Draco poked her again, this time between her shoulder blades.
"Ginny he's a painting. He doesn't have to blink. You wouldn't have won. And what have I told you about posture?" He snarled as she slouched again just to spite him. She gave him a cheeky grin before hopping off the bed and looking down at him.
"You know Draco; I rather like you at this angle. At my Feet, where you belon…" Ginny didn't get to finish her snarky comment as Draco stood and towered over her by quite a few inches.
"That's only because you're so short Ginny my dear." He replied smugly, knowing her lack of height was a sore spot.
"I prefer vertically challenged." She bit off, glaring at his chest. She refused to crane her neck looking up at him, especially when he was being a prat.
"Awe…poor little weaslette is height deprived." Draco sniggered, his eyes intent on the little redhead.
With a muffled growl Ginny spun on her heel and started to stride down the Wing's long corridor. Draco kept pace beside her easily, taking two strides to her four.
"I hate you sometimes ferret." Ginny snarled.
"I love you too weasel." Draco replied smoothly, holding the Wing's door open for her.
Ginny stuck her tongue out at him and started to sweep past him. She got maybe three steps when Draco snaked his arms out and pulled her back into the -convenient- shadows.
"Malfoy what do you think you're do-" Ginny's tirade was cut short as Draco hauled her up and held her at his level. She eeped and wrapped her legs around his waist. He smirked and lowered his head the inch he needed to capture her mouth with his. Ginny gasped and melted into him, rendered effectively silent.
'Teach that silly bint to stick her tongue out at me!' Draco gloated in his mind. He slowed his kisses to mere brushes against her lips, causing Ginny to growl at his teasing. He set her on her own feet gently, groaning as she wiggled her hips on the way down.
Ginny was fuming. 'How dare he! He can't just kiss me because I said something he didn't like! Hmpf.'
Ginny didn't like how kissing him made her weak, tore down all of her carefully built defenses. 'I did not spend the summer fighting beside Blaise and his cousin just to turn into a helpless little girl at the first hint of danger. And relying on Draco to save me is the surest path down that road….even if I know he always will."
Draco watched as Ginny's thoughts flew across her face. 'She's so transparent. I know she feels the same way I do, and with father gone there's no reason I can't…" Draco's train of thought was brought to a screeching halt as Ginny shot out a hand to grab him by his collar and drag him down to her level.
She glared in his eyes and grinned devilishly. She kissed him soundly, and then spun on her heel to scamper down the corridor. Halfway to the curve that led to the Great Hall she stopped and stuck her tongue out at him.
'Take that Mr. Draco Malfoy!' She thought triumphantly as she bolted around the corner and scrambled to the Hall. 'Wonder if I've missed lunch?"
It turned out that Ginny hadn't missed lunch, in fact she was two minutes and thirty-two seconds early.
'Hell yes!' She crowed triumphantly as she scampered to "her" seat at the Gryffindor table. She plopped down as the teachers were filing in, and caught Snape's approving nod. She giggled behind her hand. 'Snape's such a softie. Mustn't blow his cover though….oh no….never do that!'
She glanced up at the feeling of eyes burning into her forehead to see Hermione, Harry and Ron entering the Hall.
'Aw hell. Here comes the Golden Trio. I don't wanna see them today….can't they just…I don't know…go play with the Squid?' Ginny pondered the mental picture for a moment before shaking her head. 'Too good for 'em.'
The Trio sat down exactly two seats across from her, with Harry being the closest. Ginny rolled her eyes as he shot her a poisonous look, and spooned a couple of potatoes onto her plate. She reached across the table to take a biscuit when Harry intercepted the plate and took the last five to pass to himself, Ron and Hermione. Ginny shrugged and tried for the fruit basket instead. This time Ron himself grabbed the plate and passed it further down the table.
"Oh what are you playing at?" Ginny demanded, tossing her head to get her curly hair out of her eyes. She glared down the table at Ron and Harry, who were both glaring right back at her.
'We don't associate with common whores." Harry snapped, lifting his nose in the air.
"Well maybe you'll deign yourself to effing give me my food back you bloody wanker!" Ginny bellowed, causing several heads to turn towards the three.
The two boys turned slightly red at the insult and stood up, in 'righteous male indignation'. Ginny remained in her seat, glaring at the two boys arrogantly.
"What Ronnikins? Not get enough of me the first time?" Ginny asked flippantly, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She glanced up at her 'dear brother' brazenly. 'Ooo I'm so scared of big bad Ron. Save me somebody!' She giggled for a moment, and then a sharp prod in her shoulder jerked her from her reverie.
"Listen here you stupid bint! You may think your Miss Universe right now but just you wait! Mum's gonna hear about what you did you sodding…" Ron was cut off in his tirade by the Slytherin house, which had as a whole, stood from its table and strode over to the 'discussion'.
"Is there a problem?" Millicent Bulstrode demanded, her short black hair swept off her forehead and leaving her dark brown eyes free to glare into Potter's glowering green gaze.
"Bleeding hell! Ginevra did you sleep with the whole damn house!" Harry demanded, glowering at the smaller redhead.
"Harry James Potter! How dare you!" She rasped out, her eyes burning in the effort to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.
Pansy Parkinson moved toward the small girl. "Now, now Gin-and-Tonic. Just because Potter here can't get that Chang girl he's so hot after, doesn't mean he gets to go around accusing people of doing things, or people, they didn't do." She nodded sharply at the rest of her housemates and they swept up around Ginny to form a wall of green between her and the two instigators.
"Until further notice boys, you are now on the House's exile list." Theodore Nott sneered.
"What's that then? Are you all going to curse us or something? Cause we can kick all of your asses!" Harry snarled, attempting to push past the Slytherins to get at Ginny again. The wall of students didn't move.
"Oh much worse Potter, much, much worse." Nott smirked at this and turned to sweep off after his housemates.