Ginny stood in front of the wardrobe and listened to the Boggart thrash around inside. She couldn’t believe that Hermione had talked the professors into letting her lead impromptu Defense against the Dark Arts classes during the evening in the Great Hall. The sky reflected the students’ state of mind as lightning arced and thunder crashed above their heads. All the students had turned out to either participate in the activity, or harangue the students who failed at their task.

Hermione cleared her throat and said, “All right. We all know that there is a war going on. It’s important that we keep up our training. Tonight we will work on banishing a simple Boggart. Who would like to go first?”

Ginny stepped back to hide in the crowd. Unfortunately for her, Hermione called her name. “Ginny, why don’t you go first and show the others how it’s done?” Hermione gave her a reassuring smile and added, “Remember it will take the form you fear the most.”

Trying to appear brave, Ginny said, “It will probably be my mum suggesting I knit a sweater for Harry.”

Harry was standing nearby, and he chuckled. She arched her eyebrow at him. “Is that a comment on my knitting, Harry Potter?”

“No, you gave me a lovely tea cozy-sweater vest last Christmas. I’ve found it quite useful.”

Ginny winked at him, bit her lip and said, “All right, then let it out.” Harry pulled on the rope that was holding the door closed. When the wardrobe door opened, Draco Malfoy stepped out looking unbelievably sexy in his sweaty Quidditch Uniform. He lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe his face, and exposed glistening stomach muscles in the process. He seemed to notice Ginny staring at him. He smirked at her and said, “Spying on me, Weasley?”

Ginny shouted the counterspell before any more damning words could escape the Draco-Boggart’s mouth.

He disappeared in a whirl of smoke, and she beamed with pride. “I did it,” she stated doing a small happy dance.

Everyone just stared at her. She looked to see that the Boggart was, in fact, back in the closet. “What? My happy dance isn’t that bad. What’s wrong?” she asked again, confused by everyone’s behavior.

Hermione refused to meet her gaze, Ron was turning the color of his hair, and Harry was looking at her like she had two heads. “Uhm, Gin, why is a sweaty Malfoy your biggest fear?”

Luna, god love her, stepped forward and saved the day. “I remember the day you went to the Quidditch pitch to watch the Slytherin team work out. That was right before you played Seeker against Malfoy. I guess you were pretty scared about that game.”

“Of course that’s why I saw Malfoy. I don’t normally play bloody seeker, but Harry got himself kicked off the team, and the responsibility fell on my shoulders. I was terrified. I went down to the pitch to watch Slytherin practice to see if I could get any clues as to what to do. Why else would the Boggart have turned into Malfoy wearing a Quidditch uniform?”

Everyone seemed to relax, and Ginny walked over to side of the room. She tried to blend into the shadows, so people would stop staring at her. She felt his presence behind her, before he said a word. “That was very interesting, Ginevra.”

The way he said her name, drawing out the syllables, gave her chills. She bit her lip and fought the urge to turn around. “It’s about the Quidditch game, it's not about you.”

She could almost feel the heat radiating off of his body as he inched closer to her. Using his height to his advantage, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I wonder if there isn’t more to it than that? I seem to recall the day when you came down to watch us practice on the pitch. More than once I felt your eyes on me. Maybe, you liked what you saw.”

Ginny remembered the day she’d gone to the pitch just to get away from Harry and Ron. They’d been laughing and joking and oblivious to her presence. She and Harry were supposed to be dating, but somehow that had turned out to be nothing more than a few snogging sessions and some mild groping. She was distinctly disappointed in the way he still left her out of the rest of his life. She wanted to sit by the fire with him and talk about their future. Ron and Hermione seemed to be the only two who were allowed to do that.

She decided that since she was going to be playing Seeker, she would watch the Slytherin’s practice. Everyone flew in certain repetitive patterns. If she could figure out Draco’s moves, it would help her out when she played against him. Rather than notice what moves Draco was making, she found herself focused on the young man himself.

His white blond hair gleamed in the sunlight. When he flew in lazy patterns, he was grace incarnate. At other times, he flew with wild abandon, and she saw him laugh and smile. His gray eyes crackled with electricity when he was searching for the snitch. When he caught it, his fierce look of joy took her breath away. If she wasn’t the one playing against him, she would have rooted for him. When he’d landed after practice and pulled his shirt off, she’d been hit by an unexpected wave of lust.

Muscles rippled across his shoulders and down his arms. His pectoral muscles were well defined, and they moved when he stretched his arms overhead. He stopped to talk to someone, and she allowed her eyes to follow the progress of a single drop of sweat from his shoulders down the valley between his pectoral muscles. The droplet danced over each ridge of his stomach muscles until it disappeared into the waistband of his pants. To her horror, she’d taken a moment to wonder what lay under those Quidditch pants. When she’d come to her senses and looked up, Draco was smirking at her.

Caught gawking, all Ginny could do was blush and make a hasty retreat. That was two weeks ago. She kept waiting for the fall out, and apparently it had arrived.

Turning to face him, she gave him her best glare and walked away signaling he should follow her over to an alcove. “Fine, you caught me looking. It’s not like you don’t know what you look like. Although, why someone so evil has to look so good is beyond me. Go ahead. Tell everyone. Make a fool out of me. I don’t care anymore.”

The smirk he gave her as a response made her clench her fists and fantasize about decking him. She settled for snarling. He just laughed at her and walked away. Ginny slumped against the wall while chanting, “Stupid, stupid hormones.”

Luna found her a few moments later. “Is there a problem, Ginny?”

Ginny started ticking off items on her fingers. “My supposed boyfriend doesn’t really seem to be interested in me. I just admitted to Malfoy that I was gawking at him, and the evil bastard just smirked at me and walked away. I must be certifiably insane, because I still find him attractive.”

Luna smiled and said, “At least you have everything under control.”

They could hear Hermione rounding up the last of the students that hadn’t faced the Boggart yet. “Malfoy, get up here so we can end this session.”

Draco slowly approached the front of the room. “I bet it will either be my imprisoned father yelling at me and telling me what a disappointment I am to the Malfoy name, or it will be the Dark Lord.”

“Enough with the theatrics, Malfoy.” Ron muttered.

When the wardrobe door opened, and Ginny Weasley stepped out with what looked like a beach ball for a stomach, Draco froze. “That’s not possible,” he stammered.

The Ginny-Boggart started to yell at him. “Damn it, Draco. This is baby number six. I swear to god you’re sleeping on the couch for the rest of our married lives. This Weasley fertility is like some kind of hex. Until they find a cure, I’m cutting you off.”

Harry launched himself at Draco, who was protesting ever having thought about touching a Weasley. Hermione was holding back Ron to keep him from following his friend into battle. Luna had to say the counter spell to send the Ginny Boggart back into the wardrobe, before she revealed any more sordid details about their married life.

When Blaise and Seamus finally broke Harry and Draco apart, Harry was seething, and Draco was launching a full out denial. “I have no idea why the Weaselette appeared as my greatest fear.”

Ginny didn’t give him a chance to get much else out. She walked up to him with a huge grin on her face and yelled, “Hah!” Then, she walked away, head held high, with a very Slytherin smirk on her face.

Draco Malfoy stalked back to the dungeons, snarling at anyone who tried to question him about the Boggart. His head hurt from where Potter had landed a few blows. He took satisfaction in knowing that Potter would be taking headache relief potion as well this evening.

Pansy followed doggedly at his heels, and he could tell that the only reason she wasn’t screaming at the top of her lungs was because they were still in public. He’d barely cleared the threshold of the Slytherin Common Room when she let loose on him.

“A Weasley?” she yelled in a voice so loud and shrill that he was sure Dumbledore heard her. “How could you touch a Weasley?”

“I didn’t.” Draco informed her in as cold a voice as he could muster. Yelling was unseemly. She should know better. “The very thought of touching a Weasley is repulsive. In case you didn’t notice, being saddled with a Weasley as my wife was not my fantasy. It was my worst fear.”

Showing more bravery than he’d ever given her credit for, Pansy stepped forward and poked him in the chest. “If I find out that you’ve been cheating on me with that horrid girl, you won’t be able to father any children with her, or anyone else.”

Draco grabbed her hand and glared down at her. “I have never touched Ginny Weasley. The very idea sickens me.”

Pansy’s resolve faltered under the heat of his gaze and she took a step back. “I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” Leaning down, he kissed her. The spark that normally accompanied her kiss was suspiciously absent. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m not fit for company right now. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Pouting, Pansy turned and walked towards her room. Once she’d disappeared from sight, Draco noticed Blaise studying him. “What?” he hissed annoyed at the amused expression on his friend’s face.

Blaise rocked back on his heels. “Pansy missed out on a vital part of your Boggart’s conversation. It wasn’t marrying Weasley that scared you, it was the idea of her cutting you off.”

Draco had the sensation of a Bludger hitting him in the chest. His breath whooshed out, and he stumbled back onto the couch. “That’s not possible.”

Blaise smirked as he sat down and patted his friend on the back. “If it’s any consolation, she’s got it bad for you too.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I was there the day she was eyeing you up on the pitch. I saw how she looked at you and where her eyes roamed. She acted fast to shut up her Boggart. It makes you think she was afraid what it might say.”

Draco rolled this information around in his head. Was it possible? Could he want a Weasley? Could a Weasley want him?

***

Ginny followed Harry and Ron back towards the Gryffindor Common Room. She didn’t like the way they were talking in whispers with their heads together. Wanting to stop any conspiring they might be doing against her, she said, “Harry, wait up.”

Harry glanced back at her with an uncertain look on his face. “Gin, I’m a little bit irritated with you right now. It would be best if we waited to talk until the morning.”

Feeling her temper spike, Ginny shouted, “Maybe, I want to talk now. Did you ever think of that?”

Harry stopped walking and spoke through gritted teeth. “For once, could we have a conversation in private?”

Ginny stomped her foot. “I have nothing to hide, Harry.”

Anger flashed in Harry’s eyes as he closed the distance between them. “Really? Care to explain why you plan on having half a dozen kids with Malfoy?”

Harry’s words caused Ginny to burst out laughing. “That was his greatest fear, you giant git. I had nothing to do with what he saw.”

Harry looked at his feet, and then he looked at her. He spoke in a quiet, controlled voice. “No, you didn’t. If I remember correctly, your greatest fear was Malfoy flashing his stomach muscles at you. Were you afraid you’d lose control and jump on him? Was that the problem?”

“What?” Ginny yelled, balling her hands into fists. “Where is this coming from? For your information, I’ve seen plenty of men with their shirts off, and I’ve managed not to throw myself at them.”

Ron stepped in to join the fight. “Who have you seen with their shirts off?” he demanded like he had a right to know.

Ginny rolled her eyes and started pointing to men in the crowd. “I’ve seen him and him and him and half the males in the bloody castle. When it gets the least bit warm you all run around with your shirts off. I’d have to be blind not to notice.”

Harry seemed to notice the crowd for the first time. “Gin, let’s get to the Common Room. I’d like to have the smallest audience possible for this conversation.”

Ginny glared at him, but she followed him. Once they were both sitting on a red couch, she reached out to touch his arm. “Harry, it’s sweet that you’re jealous, but there isn’t anything for you to be worried about.”

Harry moved out of her reach. “I’m not jealous, Gin. I’m disgusted. There’s a difference.”

A growl escaped Ginny’s throat, and before she knew what she was doing, she’d hexed Harry across the room. When Ron started to yell at her, he received similar treatment.

“Knock it off, Ginny,” Hermione yelled as she crossed the room to see to her friends.


***


Ginny was in a foul mood when she walked to breakfast the next morning. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all refusing to speak to her. Students from all houses were looking at her with amusement. When someone bumped into her, and said, “Excuse me, Mrs. Malfoy,” she thought she was going to have to kill someone. She’d whirled around on the spot, but the perpetrator vanished into the crowds.

She sat by herself to eat, but she couldn’t help noticing the stares she was receiving. She glanced across the Great Hall and saw that Draco was undergoing a similar experience. He was glaring at anyone who spoke to him, and he looked like he was ready to hex Blaise Zabini.

“Staring at your secret love?” Lavender asked playfully as she sat down next to Ginny.

Ginny pointed her fork ominously at the nosy girl. “I’m not in the mood for your games, Lavender.”

“You want to be nice to me, Ginny. I’m tapped into all the latest gossip in the school.”

Ginny took a long swallow of juice to avoid saying something she might regret. “Fine, what do you know? What are people saying?”

Lavender smiled and sat up taller. “Half of the school is rooting for you and Malfoy. They think the whole star crossed lovers thing is really romantic.”

“The star crossed what?” Ginny yelled at a decibel loud enough for the teachers at the head table to sit up and take notice. She sunk down in her seat and spoke in a quiet voice. “People think we’re lovers? That’s sick.”

Lavender arched a carefully manicured brow. “On a shallow, physical level, Malfoy is completely hot.”

“You’re forgetting that he has the personality of an injured Hippogriff.”

Lavender reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “He is the quintessential, brooding, bad boy. He inspires women to want to save him from his plight. I’m sure with the proper...motivation a woman could turn him around. He might even turn into a spy for Dumbledore.”

Ginny choked on her pumpkin juice. She coughed and hacked in an embarrassing manner while she tried to regain her breath. “Are you insane? Have you met his father? He’s going to turn into a mini-Lucius any day now. He’s evil to the core.”

Lavender chuckled. “You need to read more romance novels. He’s only waiting for the right woman to help him escape from his horrible upbringing. Besides, his father is in prison. The right woman could do wonders for Draco. I’d give it a shot, but he never even looks at me. He looks at you.”

Ginny pushed her eggs around on her plate. “He does not.”

“He’s looking at you right now,” Lavender replied in a casual voice.

Looking up, Ginny found herself pinned in her seat by stormy grey eyes. Not wanting to be the one to back down, she stared right back at him. He raised a speculative eyebrow at her, and she felt her face smile completely of its own accord. The smirk he gave her, before he went back to his food, turned her insides into mush.

Chapter 3


“Everyone has gone insane,” Ginny complained to Luna as they sat together in the Great Hall for supper.

“Why do you say that?” Luna asked as she strung a few more radishes from her salad onto her necklace.

“It’s been two days since the Boggart Incident. People are still calling me Mrs. Malfoy, and they’re still making up stupid jokes.”

Luna laughed and then said, “Sorry, I was thinking about the joke I overheard in the loo. Why is it a good idea that Malfoys name their children after stars?”

“Luna,” Ginny warned.

“There are only so many regular names, while there are billions of stars. It’s a fertility joke. I thought it was cute.”

Ginny slammed down her cup sloshing her pumpkin juice onto her plate. “That’s not funny. I am not a baby factory. No matter who I marry, I’m only going to have three kids at the most. Just because my mum wanted a whole brood doesn’t mean that I do.”

***

Blaise raised an eyebrow at Draco. “Have you heard the latest?”

Draco rubbed the bridge of his nose. He’d had a headache ever since the Boggart Debacle. “Damn it, Blaise...”

“Where’s your sense of humor? This one’s funny. You’ve always wanted to buy your own Quidditch team. Now Ginny can just give birth to them. Think of all the money you’ll save.”

Exasperated, Draco shook his head. “Why won’t people let go of this? Why are they so delusional? I would never shag a Weasley once, much less the number of times it would take to create a Quidditch team.”

Blaise looked at his friend suspiciously. “Really, then why have you been watching her?”

Realizing he’d been caught, Draco looked down at his plate. “I was just wondering if she was as hacked off about this as I am.”

Goyle cleared his throat. “Maybe, you should talk to her. The two of you could work up a press release or something.”

All eyes at the Slytherin table turned to Goyle. Draco studied him for a moment. “That was an original thought. I didn’t know you were capable.”

Goyle shrugged. “You never bothered to find out. Most of the time it pays to just keep quiet and play the muscle. Right now, I’m tired of pretending to laugh at all the bad jokes.”

Pansy glared at Draco. “You are not going to talk to that redheaded chit.”

Goyle reached over and placed his large hand over Pansy’s smaller one. “You’re much prettier than she is. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

Pansy blushed and said, “Thank you, Greg.”

Greg nodded. “That’s all right.”

Draco studied the situation and wondered if Goyle had ulterior motives. It looked, for all the world, like the muscle bound idiot was trying to move in on his territory. A commotion at the Gryffindor table distracted him. It appeared that Ginny was trying to drown her brother in a bowl of soup. He smiled, but resisted the urge to cheer her on.

***

Ginny pulled Ron’s head out of the serving bowl. Noodles and bits of chicken clung to his face and hair.

“Take it back, Ron,” she shouted, her voice shaking with fury.

“No,” Ron bellowed. “Why would there be so many rumors going around if none of them were true?”

Harry pushed his way in between the struggling siblings. “Ron, it’s not your place to say anything. It’s mine.”

Ginny threw her hands up in exasperation. “What is there to say? Nothing is going on between Malfoy and me. I spied on him during Quidditch practice. That’s it.”

Harry looked at her sadly. “You mean nothing’s happened between you two yet.”

Resisting the urge to throttle the Boy Who Was Failing Her Miserably, Ginny took a deep breath and said, “Harry, that’s ridiculous. He’s a Malfoy. I’m a Weasley. We are opposites in every way. Why can’t you see that?”

Harry slumped onto the bench. “You’re both snarky, vindictive, and have terrible tempers.”

“Why thank you for that glowing list of my personality traits. If you think about it, you could be describing Ron. Does that mean he and Malfoy are going to shack up, adopt a couple of poodles, and start listening to show tunes?”

Professor Snape stopped in mid-stride as he was passing by the Gryffindor table. Smacking his hand to his forehead he said, “Fifty points from Gryffindor for placing a visual in my head that will give me nightmares until the day I die.”


Every eye at the Gryffindor table turned to glare at Ginny. “The lot of you can just sod off. Especially you, Harry. I’d just like to add, in case you haven’t figured it out, that we are through.”

“That’s convenient,” Harry muttered.

Ginny shook her head and sighed. “I can’t believe all of the time I wasted on you. Where’s all that bravery gone, Harry? Is it only for use in life and death situations? Doesn’t love mean anything to you?”

Harry frowned. “You never really loved me. You loved the idea of me, but you never really took the time to get to know me.”

“Really? My mother’s shepherd pie is your favorite dish. You tell Ron you love the Cannons, but you’re secretly a fan of Puddlemere United. Your favorite season is Fall, because you know you’re coming back to Hogwarts.” Ginny swiped at the angry tears that were making their way down her face. “Do I need to go on, Harry?”

Harry looked like he was about to apologize. Ginny turned and left before he could make this harder than it already was.

***

Draco glanced down at Pansy, hoping she wasn’t about to ask him to recite a list of her favorite things. He knew he’d fail miserably. He noticed that Goyle still had his hand over hers. By all rights, he should be threatening to hex the larger man, but he just didn’t feel it was justified.

Blaise cleared his throat and said, “You have to admire Ginny’s tactics. She’s now the sympathetic victim, and Harry is the arse who didn’t realize what he had until it was too late.”

Draco nodded. He looked down at Pansy and Goyle again. “Goyle, can I speak to you?”

Greg leaned over and whispered something in Pansy’s ear, before he stood up and nodded. “Let’s go, Malfoy.”

Once they were back in the Slytherin Common Room, Draco said, “How long have you had feelings for Pansy?”

Greg shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s been a while.”

Draco sighed. “I don’t know her favorite food, her favorite season, or even her favorite color.”

Greg sat down on one of the black leather couches and recited, “She likes French food, winter, and baby blue.”

Sitting down on an opposite couch, Draco thought the situation over. “I’m trying to figure out how we can do this and still save face. It would be best if I broke up with her, and then you could console her.”

“What reason will you give?”

Sitting up tall with a large smirk, Draco said, “I’m a Malfoy. I don’t need a reason to be an arse. People just expect it.”

Greg laughed. “All right. When should we do this?”

“Let’s talk to Pansy, and make sure she’s all right with all of this, and then we’ll stage a scene Saturday afternoon.” A serious look crossed Draco’s face. “There is something you need to know. All of the stuff I bragged about in the locker room was a lie. She told me I could tell people whatever I wanted to save face.” Draco laughed. “She really is a great girl. It will be in your best interest to take good care of her.”

Standing up, Greg said. “I’ll take good care of her. Are you going after Ginny now?”

Shaking his head, Draco walked towards his room. “I don’t know what I want right now. I think I’ll just finish up my homework in my room. Tell Pansy she can stop by to see me if she wants to.”

***

Ginny was sitting by the lake, when her brother approached her waving a white flag. She rolled her eyes and patted the clump of grass next to where she was sitting.

“I’m sorry about what I said. I never realized you were unhappy with your relationship with Harry.”

“This stinks," Ginny complained. “I wasn’t happy with Harry, but I’m really sad without him.”

Ron put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a sideways hug. “Someone else will come along. If it’s a smirking, blond arsehat, I will raise all sorts of hell, but I really just want you to be happy.”

Ginny looked at her brother. “Wouldn’t an arsehat be a pair of knickers?”

Ron chuckled. “I don’t know. I just always liked the sound of it. Bill uses it quite effectively. Maybe, it works better for him.”

Sighing, Ginny nodded. After a moment, she said, “Do me a favor and write to mum about this. I don’t want to deal with it right now. If she hears from someone else, I’ll get a nasty letter.”

“I can do that.”

“Thanks.”

.

Chapter 4

Saturday afternoon arrived, and Draco took his pre-arranged seat in the library. Pansy walked in, gave him a dirty look that was quite convincing and sat at a different table. He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at her. She gave him another dirty look.

Draco stood up slowly and took note of how many people were watching to see what he was going to do. The library was a crowded place on Saturday afternoon, which was why he and Pansy had chosen it for their break up performance. Stalking over to her chair, he casually reached out and flipped her book closed.

Pansy looked up at him.

“Now that I’ve got your attention, do you mind telling me what you’re doing over here? I was already seated over there.” He pointed at the table where his things were spread out, as if she were too stupid to realize what he was talking about.

Pansy slammed her book down on the table. “I thought maybe you were saving that spot for Ginny Weasley. After all, the whole school keeps telling me you’re seeing her behind my back.”

Draco scowled at her. “Pansy, I told you last night that I was tired of your jealousy. Either you trust me, or you don’t.”

“What reason have you ever given me to trust you? Maybe, you’re not involved with Ginny, but I know for a fact that you’ve spent time with Daphne.”

Draco blinked. This was not part of the script. The fact that it was true left him little room to maneuver. He’d respected Pansy’s decision to wait until marriage, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t human. When Daphne had shown up in his bed wearing his Quidditch shirt, it had seemed like a divine gift. Getting back to the topic at hand, he hissed, “What about you and Goyle? You seem to be spending a lot of time with him.”

“Greg and I are just friends,” Pansy declared with total conviction.

“You better hope you’re wrong about that, because we’re through. He can put up with your clinging ways from now on.”

Pansy’s sharp intake of breath seemed a little too real. The tear that trickled down her cheek made his gut ache. Turning back to his table, he gathered his things and stomped out of the library. He wanted to go someplace he could be alone. His feet took him towards the Room of Requirement. He walked past the appropriate spot three times. A door appeared, and he let himself in.

Looking around at the crowded seashore he found himself on, he wondered if the Room of Requirement had lost its touch. He closed his eyes and pictured his room at home again. When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar plush green carpet, and his mahogany four poster bed. Competely out of place on his grey silk comforter was a bikini clad Ginny Weasley.

She sat up and yelled, “Where the hell did my beach go?”

Draco was greatly relieved that it was the real Ginny Weasley and that his subconscious hadn’t placed her on his bed as an answer to some unknown desire. However, he couldn’t help noticing how nicely she filled out her bikini.

She caught him staring at her and said, “Damn it, Malfoy. I was using this room.”

Draco snorted. “Fine, you can have your beach back.” He closed his eyes and the blue waters and pristine, white sand beach of one of his favorite vacation spots appeared.

Ginny looked around in awe. “This isn’t my beach.”

“Would you rather have yours back? I can make this one go away.”

Shaking her head, Ginny sat down on a lawn chair. “No, this is much nicer than my beach. Where are all the other people?”

Draco sat down next to her and smiled at the way her eyes skimmed over his chest. He’d changed into a pair of swim trunks to fit the scenery. “This is a private beach. There aren’t very many people who have access to it.”

“Oh, I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

Before he could stop himself, Draco snorted. Ginny gave him a death glare, and he smirked at her. “Sorry, I forgot my manners for a moment.”

Ginny jumped when a waiter approached them with a tray of fruit and tropical drinks. He set the tray down on the sand between her and Draco's chairs and then walked away. Draco picked up two identical glasses and offered one to her. She sipped it tentatively and then smiled.

“This is really strange,” she commented.

“If you don’t like it, you can imagine something else,” Draco commented as he ate a piece of fruit.

Ginny looked at him like he was stupid. “What?”

“I wasn’t talking about the room. I was talking about us being civil.”

Draco waited for her to take a drink before he said, “Well if you’re going to give birth to my children, I figure I might as well try to get on your good side.”


***

Ginny spewed her red tropical drink all over her legs and the lawn chair. Draco laughed at her, and she turned to glare at him. Her glare softened as she noticed his muscles rippling in a most delightful fashion as he laughed. Peeved that he’d distracted her, she took a deep breath and said, “I am not going to be giving birth to your children, you git.”

Draco sighed and wiped his eyes. “According to the entire school, you will. I tend to go with the odds on things like this.”

Ginny looked at him in disbelief. He was joking with her, and he looked unbelievably sexy while he was doing it. She closed her eyes and tried to figure out why fate was messing with her. When she opened her eyes, she said, “Very funny, Malfoy. I think Pansy might be a tad upset if I gave birth to your children.”

Draco suddenly seemed to remember something. “That’s why I’m here. At least, that’s why I wanted to be alone. I just broke up with Pansy.”

“What?” Ginny asked in alarm.

“You might actually appreciate the irony of this situation. When you rattled off that list of things you knew about Potter, I realized I didn’t know any of those things about Pansy. Guess who did know?”

Ginny wasn’t sure she wanted to play this odd game. “Okay. I guess Blaise.”

Draco smirked. “That would have been really funny, but no that isn’t who it was.”

Ginny waited, and Draco stared out at the rolling blue waves. A moment later, he said, “It was Goyle. Apparently, he’s been in love with her for a while now.”

Stunned, Ginny said, “Greg Goyle? You broke up with Pansy, so she could be with Greg Goyle?”

Draco nodded. “Life is bizarre.”

“Yes, it is.” Ginny sat and watched the water for a while. When she couldn’t take the silence any longer, she said, “Now what?”

Draco shrugged. “I think I’m going to go for a swim.”

Ginny watched as Draco walked towards the waves. She reluctantly noted that his back was as fantastic looking as his front. She watched as he dove gracefully into the waves and swam out into the bright blue water. Not knowing what else to do, she ate some of the fruit and sampled another drink. It was only when she became a little light headed that she realized the drinks were alcoholic.

“That’s bloody marvelous, because what I need right now are lowered inhibitions,” she muttered to herself.

Draco walked up to her. His blond hair was mussed up, and water was still streaming down his chest. Ginny eyed him warily, afraid her hormones might cause her to accidentally launch herself at him.

He held his hand out to her. “Come swimming with me. The water is perfect.”

Ginny shook her head. “I don’t swim really well. I mostly dog paddle, or float on my back.”

“Do you really think the Room of Requirement would let you drown?” Draco asked with an amused tone in his voice.

“Are you sure you’re not trying lure me out there so you can drown me? It would be the easiest way to end those pesky rumors.”

Draco snorted as he leaned down to grab her hand. “Come with me. It will be fun. I promise.”

Ginny let Draco pull her out to the water while she tried to form excuses in her mind. 'Really, it’s not my fault I’m having Malfoy’s love child. We were at the beach. He was half naked. We went swimming. I lost control of my hormones and shagged him senseless.'

Draco cleared his throat, and Ginny tuned back into reality. “Sorry, I drifted off there for a moment.”

“I noticed. Pay attention. See that white line out there in the distance? That is actually a fence of sorts that keeps us in the safe area. Don’t go past that.”

Ginny waded into the water. She watched as Draco dove in gracefully and came up in the middle of an oncoming wave. She tried it, and was immediately pulled under and slammed into the sandy bottom. The force of the blow startled her, and she lost her breath. She struggled to get up to the top of the wave, and barely broke the surface before another wave slammed into her filling her mouth and lungs with water.

She wondered if the Room of Requirement was trying to kill her as she struggled to reach the surface again. When a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into the shallows where she could stand up, she was unbelievably grateful. She coughed until her throat was sore and her legs were shaking.


She was vaguely aware of someone picking her up and carrying her out onto the beach. She was laid down on a blanket and rolled onto her side where she continued to cough up water. After what seemed like a painful eternity, she was pulled into a sitting position.

Draco looked at her with anxious eyes. “Are you all right?”

Ginny tried to speak, but her throat was sore. A glass of water appeared in her hand, and she sipped it carefully. When she had her voice back, she said, “Thank you.”

“Ginny...I... hold on. I can’t talk to you like this.” A shirt appeared in Draco’s hands, and he slid it over her head.

Ginny looked down to slide her arms through the sleeves of the shirt. That was when she realized that while she was trying not to drown, she’d lost her bikini top. Her face flushed red, and she tried to hide her embarrassment by taking another drink.

Clearing his throat, Draco asked, “Are you all right?”

“Unless it’s possible to die of embarrassment, I’m fine.”

Draco snorted and sat down next to her. “You really can’t swim, can you?”

“Hey,” Ginny croaked. “I told you I couldn’t swim.”

Smirking at her, Draco conceded, “I should have believed you.”

Ginny looked back out at the water and shivered. “Thanks for saving me.”

“You’re welcome. Mind if I change the scenery?”

Ginny shook her head, and she found herself sitting on a couch in front of a fireplace. Draco handed her a cup of tea, and she sipped it slowly. It felt wonderful on her throat. It took her a moment to notice that he was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a white button down shirt. She looked down to see that she was dressed in what looked like her own faded jeans and a blue turtleneck.

She saw that there was a tray of scones on the table next to the couch, and she leaned over to grab one. When she did, she noticed that her knickers were wedged in an uncomfortable area. She shifted around in a manner, which normally took care of this unfortunate occurrence. It only made matters worse.

Draco chuckled. “Problem, Ginevra?”

She shot him a look and saw that he was vastly amused. A light dawned in her brain, and she said, “You put me in a thong, didn’t you?”

His eyes twinkled. “Sorry, I thought that is what all women wore.”

Ginny closed her eyes and imagined her normal cotton bikini knickers on under her jeans. She sighed with comfort when she felt her clothing shift to it’s rightful area. Then, just for fun, she imagined Draco in a thong of his own. She knew she’d been successful when she heard him yelp.

“That is just wrong,” he complained before he closed his eyes, and he changed back to whatever he normally wore.

“Now you know how I felt.”

He smirked at her, and her heart kicked up a few beats. To keep from saying or doing anything stupid, she bit into the scone she was still holding onto. It was warm and full of oozing chocolate. She gave a moan of satisfaction, and settled back into the couch cushions.

Someone pounding on the door broke into her momentary contentment. She looked at Draco. “Do we have to answer that?”

The door flew open, and Harry was standing in the doorway looking like he was ready to blast them to pieces. Ginny yelped, and Draco stood in front of her with his wand drawn. “Can I help you with something, Potter?”

Harry took in the scene and said, “Well, isn’t this cozy.”

Ron elbowed his way through the door. “Ginny are you all right? Mum Flooed Dumbledore in a fit, because the clock at home said mortal peril.”

Ginny walked around Draco and gave her brother a hug. “I’m fine, Ron. I’d imagined myself at the beach, and I tried to go swimming. The waves pulled me under. Draco saved me.”

Ron looked at Draco. “Is that true? Did you save her?”

Draco frowned. “It was partly my fault. She told me she couldn’t swim, but I didn’t listen.”

Ron nodded at him. “Thanks for what you did.” He looked at Ginny. “We need to Floo Mum. She’s going to want to see that you’re all right.”

Ginny nodded, and then looked back at Draco. Impulsively, she ran back to him and kissed him on the cheek, before she followed Ron out the door.

Draco smiled as he watched Ginny walk away from him. She had a gentle sway to her walk that was completely natural. Pansy sometimes put so much sway in her walk that he wasn’t sure how she stayed upright. The thought made him chuckle.

“Something funny, Malfoy? Is this some sort of game to you?”

Looking at the door, Draco realized he’d forgotten Potter’s presence. “What are you talking about?”

Harry gripped his wand menacingly in his right hand. “Did you set Ginny up? I wouldn’t put it past you. You probably put her life in danger just so you could rescue her and make yourself look good.”

Smirking at Potter, Draco began twirling his wand in a casual manner. “I don’t need anyone to make me look good. I’m a Malfoy. I always look good.”

Harry scowled and took a step towards him. “I’m warning you. Stay away from Ginny.”

Draco shook his head. “I can’t very well do that. Think about how disappointed everyone would be. Haven’t you heard? Ginny and I are star-crossed lovers. We’re destined to be together. I never put much stock into popular opinion, but after seeing her in that little, red bikini I think I’ve become a convert.”

Harry growled and stomped out of the room. “That was too much fun,” Draco stated. Then, he waited until he was sure the hallway would be clear. He debated walking back to the dungeons, or towards Dumbledore’s office.
***

Ginny stuck her head into the fireplace. “I’m all right, Mum. I went swimming, and I had a scare.”

Molly Weasley eyed her daughter critically. “What were you doing swimming by yourself? You know you’re a terrible swimmer.”

Sighing and reminding herself that her mother loved her, Ginny said, “I didn’t go alone. I went with a friend. He helped me when I got into trouble.”

Molly nodded. “He sounds like a good boy. Sorry to hear about you and Harry by the way.”

“It’s all right. I think I’ve moved on.” Ginny heard Ron make a sound of disgust behind her. If Dumbledore and Snape hadn’t been in the same room, she would have sent a rude hand gesture his direction. Instead, she just shot him a sideways glare. “Sorry to scare you, Mum. I promise I won’t go swimming again anytime soon.”

Ginny pulled her head out of the fireplace and cringed when she saw Professor Snape glaring at her. Dumbledore stood next to him with an amused expression on his face. “Sorry for the trouble, Professors.”

Snape’s glare intensified. “Whom did you go swimming with?”


Dumbledore chuckled. “Severus, haven’t you been paying attention? She and Mr. Malfoy are star-crossed lovers. They are going to reunite the shattered Wizarding World. I think it’s a lovely idea.”

Professor Snape uttered a few choice words that Ginny had never heard him use in her presence before. Turning, she left the room as quickly as possible.

***

Draco stood in an alcove he was sure Ginny would have to walk past. He hoped she would be alone, so he could talk to her. He wasn’t disappointed.

Stepping out into the hallway, he resisted the urge to smirk. “We need to talk.”

Giving him a tentative smile, Ginny said, “All right. I have a minute.”

Taking her hand and pulling her into the alcove, Draco whispered into her ear. “There was something I wanted to say, before we were interrupted.”

He felt Ginny’s intake of breath. Her voice came out husky. “Really, what was that?”

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her so that he could lean down and brush his lips lightly against hers. She didn’t seem to object. When she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, he figured she was quite fond of the whole idea. They kissed for several heart pounding minutes until the sound of her brother’s voice echoed down the hallway.


“Ginny, it’s almost curfew. I know you can hear me. Come out, before I look for you and see something that might make me rethink my kindly attitude towards MalFerret.”

Ginny pulled back from Draco. “Sorry, it looks like I have to go.”

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. “MalFerret?”

She patted him on the chest. “Think of it as a nickname.”


***

The next morning, Ginny knew the entire school was talking about her. Wherever she went, people put their heads together and whispered. She wondered if Draco had mentioned anything about their time together. If he’d told anyone that she’d lost her bikini top, she was going to have to invent a truly creative hex.

Harry stopped her in the hallway while she was pondering whether she should enlist Hermione’s help in searching for hexes, just in case she needed them.

“Ginny, we need to talk.”

Stepping away from him, she replied. “We’re done talking.”

Harry sighed and gave her a look that made her stomach hurt. Then, he said, “I think we should try again.”

Draco came up behind Ginny and put his arm around her, startling her. “Sorry, Potter. Ginny is trying new things.”

Harry’s expression hardened. “Is that true? Have you moved on to Malfoy?”

“Uhm...” Ginny didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t tell whether Draco was just enjoying annoying Harry, or if he was serious. The kiss they’d shared had felt real enough, but that could be chalked up to lust. “Harry, I’m not sure what is going on with Draco, but I do know that you and I are not going to work out.”

Turning abruptly, Harry walked away. Ginny almost felt sorry for him. She stared after him, until Draco cleared his throat to get her attention.

“Any regrets?” he asked.

Ginny looked up at him. “What do you want from me?”

“If I answered that question honestly, you’d smack me,” he told her with a smirk. “How about we just say that I want to spend time with you.”

“All right, but you have to promise not to sell me off to the dark lord as some type of sacrifice. I think I’d find that irksome,” she told him with a sly grin on her face.

“Darn, there go my plans for advancement. I suppose I’ll just have to join up with the good guys. I hear you have a better clubhouse.”

Ginny felt her restraint slipping, and she started laughing. After wiping her eyes, she said, “We would get into so much trouble if certain people heard us joking.”

“Too true. My father is in prison. No worries there. My mother likes the idea of being on the side of the right for a change. I Flooed her yesterday. She said she always liked your mother.”

Ginny snorted. “Really? I would have thought your mother would have been more upset about the whole situation.”

“She admitted that she’d Flooed Dumbledore and allowed him to search my father’s study. Anything Dumbledore didn’t take, she’d placed in storage in the dungeons.”

Ginny blinked. “You have dungeons?”

“They’re not working dungeons. Think of it as a large cavernous storage area with leaky walls.”

“I’d rather not think of it at all, thanks.” Shivering, she said, “Now, I’m a bit disturbed.”

Draco pulled her towards the dungeons. “I know what will make you feel better. Come and see the dungeons here at school. You’ll see there is nothing wrong with them. Take my room for example. It’s just a normal room with furniture in it.”

Ginny stopped walking. “Draco Malfoy, I am not going to your bedroom.”

Sighing, Draco said, “You wound me. I was worried about your mental health and you accuse me of having ulterior motives.”

Ginny watched as Draco’s wounded look slowly turned into a smirk. “I knew you couldn’t hold that face for too long.”

“Wait and see. I’ll practice in front of a mirror. By the end of the week, I’ll have the perfect pout.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Ginny chuckled. She pulled on him. “Come with me.”

Draco let her lead him along. “Where are we going?” he asked after they headed down a few hallways.

Looking around, Ginny seemed satisfied with their location. “I wanted some privacy,” she told him as she snaked her arms around his neck. As her lips moved closer to his, she said, “There is something I wanted to say to you.”

Her lips brushed against Draco’s and he replied enthusiastically.

Ginny’s plan had been to kiss Draco senseless. Unfortunately, he seemed to have the same plan. When the urge to wrap one of her legs around the back of his thigh hit, she figured it might be time to take a break. Pulling away from him, she gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I think we should stop for a bit.”

Draco sighed and laid his forehead on top of her head. “I will never understand how females can just stop for a break.”

Chuckling, Ginny replied, “It’s not like we really want to stop. We just know that we have to, or things will end up going too far.”

“Would that be so terrible?” Draco asked as he leaned down and started nibbling on her neck again.

Ginny enjoyed the sensation of her blood humming through her veins for a moment, before she pulled back and said, “Do you want me to give you the cow speech?”

Confusion showed on Draco’s face. “How did this turn into a conversation about livestock?”

“Every girl ever born has heard the cow speech from her mum. It’s insulting, and yet somehow effective.”

“How does it go?” Draco asked, appearing amused.

“It’s dreadful, really.” Ginny put a stern expression on her face. “No man will buy the cow if he can get the milk for free.”

Draco snorted. “You’re the cow? That’s a terrible thing for a mother to say to her daughter.”

“I know. I never could figure out how milk and sex were supposed to be the same thing. Plus, I thought it was terribly hypocritical that my father just taught my brothers contraceptive charms and that was it.”

Draco smirked. “No livestock analogies for your brothers?”

“Nope, just a warning that if any grandchildren were accidentally created, then a wedding would quickly follow.”

Nodding, Draco said, “That sounds like what my mother told me. She also said never to tell a girl I loved her if I didn’t.”

“Your mum sounds nice. I cringe to think about it, but what did your father say?”

“He said that there was places that unwanted offspring could be disposed of. Then, he taught me five different contraceptive spells.”

Ginny blanched. “They aren’t planning on letting your father out anytime soon, are they?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Good." Ginny reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Draco's ear. "I think it might be a good time for me to go and do some homework.”

Draco sighed. “Why don’t we meet in the library after dinner tonight?”

Ginny nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Draco turned to walk off, and Ginny cleared her throat. He looked back at her. “What?”

“You’re supposed to kiss me goodbye.”

“Oh,” Draco said before he walked back over and kissed her again.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny realized that Malfoys didn’t do simple goodbye kisses. She was once again overcome with the urge to try and climb up his body. Pulling back from him, she said, “I better go start on that homework.”

Draco just smirked at her. “I’ll see you after dinner.”


***


Ginny was humming as she walked back into the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry looked up from the couch where he was seated with his arm around Lavender. “I can’t believe you’re humming over the Ferret.”

It took Ginny a moment to respond. She was a bit disturbed to see Lavender cuddling up to Harry. Taking a deep breath, Ginny said, “Harry, I’m humming because I’m happy. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t ruin it for me. Besides, it looks like you’ve moved on as well.”

Harry looked down and said, “I suppose I have.”

Lavender gave her a nervous smile. “I didn’t think you’d mind, Ginny. I mean since you and Malfoy are working out so nicely.”

Ginny wondered if this had been part of Lavender’s plan all along. If so, she had to give the girl credit for her ability to scheme. She wondered what category Harry fit into in her romance novel world. Maybe, he was the downtrodden hero who needed to be rescued from himself. “You’re right, Lavender. Malfoy and I are working out nicely. There’s no reason you and Harry shouldn’t see each other.”

She could have sworn she saw a look of disappointment on Harry’s face. Ron cleared his throat, and she looked over at her brother.

“Hey, Gin. Could you give this to Hermione for me?” Ron asked as he stood up and walked towards her.

Looking around, Ginny realized Hermione was nowhere to be seen. “Why isn’t she down here with you?”

Ron blushed. “I believe it was because I was being an inconsiderate prat, or something along those lines. At least that is what she screamed at me, before she stomped off to her room.”

Ginny chuckled, and she heard Lavender do the same. She looked past Ron. “What happened, Lavender?”

“Your brother made the error of pointing out that Hermione seemed a bit testy. Then, he made some reference to the calendar.”

Ginny smacked her brother on the arm. “You did not ask her if it was that time of the month, did you?”

Ron nodded sheepishly. “I just mentioned that she always seems crabby around the third week of the month. I didn’t realize I was being insensitive.”

Putting her arm around her brother, Ginny said, “Ron, no woman likes to be reminded that her hormones may be slightly influencing her behavior. We can’t help it, and it makes us sound irrational.”

Ron nodded. “I will never mention it again. Now, will you take her this note?”

Patting her brother on the back, Ginny took the note and went in search of Hermione. She found her friend under a mound of used tissues and chocolate bar wrappers. “Hermione, are you okay?”

Hermione blew her nose. “No, I’m not okay. I’m being completely irrational, and I hate it.”

Holding out the folded piece of parchment, Ginny said, “Ron sent you a note.”

“Idiot,” Hermione muttered as she accepted the note. After reading it, she burst into tears.
“He says he loves me, and he’s sorry for being a prat.”

“That’s good, right?” Ginny asked as she snagged a piece of chocolate off of the bed.

“That’s good. I guess I should go down and tell him I love him too.”

Ginny threw herself in front of the door. “You’ve got a bit of chocolate on your face. Let me clean you up first.”

Hermione nodded, and Ginny used her wand to remove the bits of chocolate off her friends chin. She also cleaned up the tear tracks and took the redness off of her nose. “Want me to fix your hair a bit?” she asked hopefully.

Hermione grabbed her own wand and walked over to the mirror. “I better do it. It takes a strong spell.” After looking in the mirror, Hermione muttered. “I can’t believe you were going to let me go down there like this.”

Ginny watched as Hermione and Ron made cow eyes at each other over dinner. She was glad that they were happy again, but the display of love and devotion was a bit nauseating. She hoped that she never looked that sappy when she was around Draco.

Thinking about him, she looked his way. He raised a brow at her, and she felt the corners of her mouth rise. He darted his eyes towards Ron and Hermione. Ginny just shrugged since she couldn’t figure out how to communicate her disgust.

“If you sat with him, you could talk to him,” Luna said in a dreamy voice.

Ginny looked over at the sometimes surprisingly astute blond girl next to her. “I don’t think I’m allowed to sit at another table.”

Luna tilted her head to the side and said, “Miss Weasley, what house do I belong to?”

Ginny set her drink down with a thud. “That’s right. You eat with us all of the time.” She scanned the rest of the Great Hall. “Although, I might point out that you seem to be the only one who is capable of table hopping.”

“Now that would be a fun game,” Luna stated as she poured her juice into her mashed potatoes.

“I think you lost me.”

Luna worked on her mashed potato sculpture as she said, “If the tables moved around while we were eating it would be fun.”

“Sounds messy to me.” Ginny felt like someone was staring at her. She glanced over at Draco and saw that he was deep in conversation with Blaise. She looked around her own table and saw Harry giving her a dirty look. She resisted the urge to glare back at him.

After quickly finishing her food, Ginny looked over at the Slytherin table. Draco was reading a piece of parchment. Blaise happened to look up, and she pointed at Draco. Blaise mouthed the words, “Not a house elf.” Ginny glared at him, and he elbowed Draco and pointed at Ginny. She pointed at the entrance to the Great Hall. He blinked and looked at her in confusion.

“This is getting really irritating.” She looked over at Luna. “If I disappear in a puff of smoke, I’m coming back to haunt you.”

Luna chuckled as Ginny got up and walked across the Great Hall. She stood next to Draco unsure if she should sit down. “I’m tired of sign language,” she stated as he smirked at her. “I was asking if you were finished eating.”

Draco glanced down at his half full plate. “Not really.”

Ginny casually sat next to him in the spot that Pansy used to occupy. “I’ll just wait for you right here if you don’t mind.”

Blaise leaned around Draco and stared at her. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. “Were you expecting me to be blown to pieces?”

“Blowing you to pieces would have been too messy with all of the food nearby. But, I did expect some sort of hex.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

Draco finished his food in a quick yet dignified manner. Then, he stood up and said, “Care to go for a walk?”

“No, I’d rather stay here and chat with Blaise,” Ginny drawled.

Blaise snorted. Draco rolled his eyes, and said, “I’m sure that would be fascinating. But, I think we should go for a walk instead. We can discuss livestock.”

Ginny laughed as Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her away from a confused looking Blaise. Once they were out of the Great Hall, she said, “What particular type of livestock did you wish to discuss?”

“I’ve come up with a theory.”

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Ginny said as Draco pulled her down a hallway and around a corner for some relative privacy.

Instead of talking to her, he leaned down and exhaled into her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, and she closed her eyes. His lips continued downward leaving a trail of heat on her neck. When he finally pressed his lips against her own, she no longer cared what he’d wanted to talk about.

Clutching at his shirt, she felt him press her backwards. She shuffled her feet backwards until she bumped into something. She tried to turn and see what it was, but Draco’s hand reached out and opened a door. He shuffled her backwards again until she bumped into something else. His hands circled her waist and lifted her up to sit on a flat surface. A part of her brain registered that she was sitting on a desk or a table in a vacant classroom. The rest of her brain ignored her surroundings and concentrated on the heat that was swirling through her body. A small part of her brain shouted that this was how smart girls ended up doing dumb things. The rest of her brain told the small part to sod off, because her nerve endings had never had it so good.

As her hormones warred with her brain, Ginny decided that it was only fair if Draco was as confused as she was. She skimmed her hands over his chest and wrapped her fingers in his hair. She even managed to break away from his mouth long enough to trail kissed down his jaw line and his neck. She applied her teeth to his neck, and the sound he made in the back of his throat caused her inner female warrior to give a loud yell of pride.

Moments after that, she found herself flat on her back with Draco on top of her. Her female warrior fled, and fear of making a dreadful mistake kicked in. She gently pushed against Draco’s chest, and he sighed in frustration and pulled away from her.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

He glared at her, and her throat tightened. She looked away, and he sat next to her. He wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders. She took that as an apology for the mean look. Trying to lighten the mood, she gave a halfhearted laugh and said, “I guess I shouldn’t bite you on the neck.”

She watched out of the corner of her eye as Draco rubbed the bridge of his nose. Then he said, “Do you have a plan?”

“A plan for what?” she asked.

“A plan for us...for this. I want to know if you plan on this ever progressing past where we are right now.”

His voice sounded a little bit mean. She fought the urge to apologize. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Yes, I do. But, we just started dating. I’m going to need some time.” She didn’t add that she wasn’t sure if she trusted him or not.

Taking his arm from around her shoulders, he ran his fingers through the hair that hung down her back. “What kind of time period are we talking about? Should I expect to be taking cold showers for weeks or months? I need a clue.”

Turning so she was facing him, she asked, “Do you plan on being around months from now?”

He narrowed his eyes. “What kind of question is that?”

Slouching, to avoid his gaze, she kicked her feet and said, “I’m trying to be a smart cow.”

“Not that farm animal analogy again,” he complained.

“Hey,” Ginny protested. “You don’t know what it’s like to be female. You should hear the awful things I’ve heard my own brothers say about girls over the years. Girls fall for guys who leave them. I’m sure when they said yes, they thought the guys would be there forever. Then the guys leave, and people badmouth the girls. It’s not fair.”

Draco reached out and grabbed her hand. “I have no idea how long this relationship will last. If we break up after things happen, I promise that I will not badmouth you.”

He sounded sincere. Ginny gave him a timid smile. “Should I stay away from your neck?”

“No, I’ll just have to reign in my natural instincts. Back to my question, if you don‘t mind. How long are we looking at?”

Biting her lip, Ginny shrugged. “I guess it depends on when it seems right.”

Draco let his head drop back and he stared at the ceiling as he spoke. “Maybe, we could create some kind of hand signal, so I’ll know when the time is right.”

“Prat,” Ginny muttered.

“Maybe, you could ask Granger for a book on proper time frames for relationship success,” he suggested.

Ginny chuckled, and then she had a thought. “I wonder what Luna would say. She’s very insightful sometimes.”

“Wonderful, my life will now be influenced by a girl who thinks vegetables are accessories. We might as well take a poll of the whole bloody castle and get their input as well.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Ginny informed him.

The classroom door flew open. Harry and Lavender sidled in the doorway wrapped around each other. “You might want to try another room,” Draco stated in an amused voice.

Lavender pulled back from Harry and gave Ginny an embarrassed smile. “Sorry.” She tried to tug Harry towards the door. Harry seemed to be intent on glaring at Draco.

“Potter, your new girlfriend is waiting for you,” Draco said as he squeezed Ginny’s hand.

Ginny held her breath as Harry’s eyes narrowed. Lavender reached out and whacked Harry on the arm. “Do you want to start a fight over your ex, or do you want to get back to what we were doing?”

Harry followed Lavender out of the room, slamming the door louder than necessary. Without looking at Ginny, Draco said, “That was awkward.”

“It wasn’t awkward for me. I feel sorry for Lavender. I can’t tell if Harry is just using her to try and upset me, or if he actually likes her.”

“They’re probably both using each other,” Draco said with a shrug.

“That is not a very romantic way to look at it. Lavender was the one who was full of the star crossed lover stories about us. She pushed me towards you.”

“I’ll send her a thank you card later.” Draco said. “That star crossed lovers story is a load of crap. We are strongly attracted to one another. That is what a relationship is based on, not some idea from a romance novel.”

“If we keep talking about this, we’re going to end up in a fight,” Ginny warned.

“Would that be so terrible?” Draco smirked. “I like the idea of a fight. You could apologize, and find some way to make it up to me.”

“Dream on, Cold Shower Boy,” Ginny told him as she stood up. He glared at her, and she laughed. “It was a little bit funny,” she teased.

“It was not,” he told her as he joined her in the hallway.

“Yes it was,” she said as she poked him in the arm.

Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her body flush against his. In an instant, he was kissing her like his life depended on it. Ginny felt like she was melting into a pile of goo. She gripped his shirt as her knees became weak. He pulled back from her suddenly and looked at the dazed expression on her face.

“Now, that’s funny,” he informed her.

Ginny felt her face flame. “That’s not fair,” she protested.

“Have a nice cold shower,” he told her as he turned and walked off.

Ice-cold water showered down over Ginny as she cursed Draco. For three days now he’d been kissing her senseless. She’d yet to find an effective way to retaliate. If she turned up the heat to get back at him, he somehow turned the heat back on her and doubled it.

She’d just left him, smirking his arse off, in the back of the library. How could he cause her to melt into her shoes while he looked completely unaffected? It had to be an act.

Her face flushed as she replayed the events of the evening in her mind. Draco had lead her back to a secluded area of the library and snogged her senseless. While they were kissing, he’d picked her up and sat her on a table. Before she knew it, she had her legs wrapped around his thighs.

He’d been the one to call time out. She’d been in a hormonal haze, and he’d walked away. No telling how long she’d stared at him with her mouth open like a fish. Just thinking about it made her want to bang her head on the wall.

If she didn’t love the bastard, she’d kill him.

CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!

She did not love Draco Malfoy. She liked him. She enjoyed his company. She lusted after his pectoral muscles and had the odd desire to bite him on the hip. That was it. She didn’t love him. That was unacceptable.

Turning the water off, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She dried off and dressed as quickly as possible.

She needed an outside opinion. Who could she confide in? Hermione was in love. Would she understand? Lavender was out of the question, because of her gossiping ways. Given her limited social life, that left Luna. Could Luna be helpful in this situation?

Back in her bedroom, she wondered how Draco would react if she told him she loved him. He’d probably run away screaming. The first time Hermione uttered those words to Ron, the prat pretended to be sick in bed for three days.

Ginny tried to imagine the scenario where she admitted her feelings. Draco would kiss her, because that’s what he always did. He’d nuzzle her neck and do that thing to her ear that made her completely lose her mind. Heat thrummed through her body just thinking about him.

She buried her face in her pillow and screamed. It didn’t help much. Frustrated, she looked in the mirror and frowned. Her blouse was on inside out and she was only wearing one sock. Fabulous.

She fixed her blouse and stalked back to the loo to retrieve her damn sock. After a few deep breaths, she performed a hair and makeup charm. Feeling more confident about her appearance, she walked at a controlled pace toward the dungeons.

Draco and Blaise were coming up the stairs as she started to walk down.

“Looking for someone?” Blaise teased.

“I thought I’d stroll down to Snape’s office to see if he wanted to have tea,” Ginny mocked.

Both boys laughed, and Ginny relaxed. “Where are you two headed?”

“We were going to the library,” Blaise told her with a sly look on his face. “I know for a fact Draco was there earlier this evening, but he didn’t manage to get a thing done. I wonder why?”

Ginny felt her face heat up. Hands on her hips, she glared at Draco.

He had the audacity to smirk at her. “I didn’t say a word. He was probing for information, and you fell into his trap.”

“We need to talk,” she told Draco.

“I’ll prowl around for a bit.” Blaise winked. “You two have fun.”

Ginny wasn’t sure what the dark haired boy meant, and she didn’t really care.

“Where do you want to talk?” Draco asked.

She shrugged. “Your room is the closest.”

He blinked and then reached for her hand. The fact that she’d never been in his room was probably confusing him a great deal. Having him off guard would be a good thing. She might have time to speak before he kissed her and caused her baser instincts to take over.

There were a few people in the common room. None of them seemed to notice or care that she was accompanying Draco to his room.

He unlocked the door for her and held it open. She entered the room and stared in awe. It was beautiful. The hardwood floor gleamed, reflecting the gray silk tapestry of his four-poster bed. There was a small sitting area furnished with two leather chairs and a tea table. The door beyond the chairs led to a private bath.

“This is amazing. If they’d let us see the rooms first, I might have asked the hat to sort me into Slytherin.”

He laughed. “You have to keep it a secret. Everyone thinks the dungeons are cold and dreary. I believe we have the best rooms in the castle.”

Ginny turned and caught him smiling at her. Gods, he was beautiful. Her insides started to hum as he moved toward her. If his lips touched hers, she’d never remember what she wanted to talk about.

“I’m confused,” she blurted out.

One corner of his mouth turned up. “Let me see if I can help you.” He pointed down. “This is called a floor. We stand on it-”

She closed the distance between them and whacked him on the arm. “I’m trying to be serious.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun.” He pulled his wand out and pointed it at her. He uttered a cleansing spell followed by a spell she didn’t recognize.

“What did you just do?”

“Turn around.”

She had no idea when she’d lost control of this situation, but decided to do as he suggested. In the mirror of his armoire, she saw that he’d removed her makeup and hair charms. Her skin looked radiant and her hair fell in gentle waves. It was hard to be irritated when he’d made her look so good.

He approached and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Due to his height his chin rested on top of her head. “I like you better without makeup.”

A warm feeling grew inside her chest. “Thank you. You’ll have to teach me those spells before I leave.”

His body stiffened behind her. “What do you mean? Where are you going?”

She turned and wrapped her arms around him. “I meant when I left to go back to my room. I’m not going anywhere.”

A slight blush crept across his face.

“You’d be upset if I left.” Ginny said, delighted at the discovery. Hoping for the best, she added. “If you left, I’d miss you too.”

Her admission seemed to please him. She foraged ahead. “I care about you a great deal.”

“Is that why you make those little noises when I kiss your neck?” he teased.

Suddenly she remembered why she was here. “You know the effect you have on me. I need to know what effect I have on you.”

“I would think that was obvious.” He pulled her body flush against his and kissed her until she couldn’t think clearly. When he rolled his hips against her, she could feel how much he wanted her.

Pulling away for a breath, she said, “I know you want me. How do you feel about me?”

He closed his eyes. “This is the tricky part.”

It felt like he’d dumped a bucket of ice-water over her head. “Wrong answer,” she bit out.

He ran his hand back through his hair. “See. As soon as you bring emotions into the mix it all goes to hell.”

A lump came to her throat. She blinked her eyes rapidly to try and dispel the angry tears. “Say something to make this better,” she demanded.

He grabbed her hands and held them against his chest. “I’d rather spend time with you than with any other female in school.”

Her angry tears dissipated. “Really? I’d rather be with you too. I think about you all the time.”

She meant to say more, but he moved in and pressed his mouth against her neck. Deciding they’d made enough progress for tonight, she fisted her hands in his shirt and concentrated on staying upright.

Instead of moving his mouth up to kiss her lips, which was his normal maneuver, he trailed kisses down the valley between her breasts. This confused her because she certainly remembered buttoning her shirt to a respectable height.

His lips moved back up to her mouth while his hands caressed her curves. She felt his fingers working the buttons on her blouse, and she couldn’t think of a logical reason to stop him.

Hot breath hit her ear. “Is this all right?”

“Yes,” her voice came out breathy while her fingers worked the buttons on his shirt. He pulled his shirt over his head and then stopped to stare at her.

Becoming increasingly uncomfortable, she looked down to figure out what was wrong. Her bra wasn’t fancy, but she didn’t think plain white cotton deserved this type of reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

He stepped back, picked up his shirt and put it on. “You should go,” he bit out.

Shame washed over her as she scrambled to cover herself. Her fingers shook as she tried to button her shirt. “I don’t understand.”

Glaring at her, he spoke in a voice devoid of any warmth. “All this time you’ve been stringing me along.” He snorted. “If you’re going to play the innocent with me while shagging some other guy, then you should at least have the decency to tell him not to leave any marks.”

His accusation stung. “What in the hell are you talking about? I haven’t been with anyone else.”

He stalked toward her, yanked up her blouse and pointed at the area just above the waistband of her skirt. “I’d think you’d remember this.”

Ginny looked down and then jerked away from him. “It’s a birth mark. But thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

Tears blurred her vision, as she stalked toward the door.

Draco blocked her path. “It’s a birth mark?”

Hands on her hips, she bit out, “Yes. It is. I have another one on the inside of my left thigh. I’m mentioning it now because there isn’t a chance in hell you’ll ever see it. Now, get out of my way.”

He didn’t move. “Wait. I’m sorry.”

“That’s not good enough.” She stomped her foot. “How could you think I’ve been with someone else?”

He reached up to rub the bridge of his nose. “Try to see this from my point of view. You’ve put great emphasis on not having done this before. Then I see what looks exactly like a love bite on your skin.” Dropping his hand, he said, “You could have warned me about that.”

“I’m self conscious about my birth marks, so I don’t go around advertising them.”

“I saw you in a bikini. Why didn’t I notice them then?”

Ginny sighed. She moved away from Draco to sit in one of the leather chairs. “I bought that suit because it was high waisted. It hid the birthmark. The other mark is small. It blends in with my freckles.”

He sat on the arm of the chair she occupied. “I am sorry.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “The thought of you with someone else made me lose my mind for a moment. In a way, that’s a good thing. I’ve never been jealous before.”

She wondered at his line of logic. “I appreciate that you were jealous. I don’t understand why you didn’t trust me.”

Draco stood and pulled the other chair so it faced hers. Sitting down he took her hands. “It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. What’s going on between us is different. I bought you a gift a week ago. I’ve wanted to give it to you, but I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

Butterflies flew around in her stomach. “Why don’t you give it to me now and we’ll find out together?” she suggested.

He stood and then paused. “If you laugh at me I will Obliviate you.”

She didn’t doubt he was telling the truth.

After opening a drawer and removing several sweaters he pulled out a small gray box. Instead of giving the box to her, he replaced the sweaters and then decided to refold one.

Patience wasn’t her strong suit. It looked like a jewelry box. A piece of jewelry from Draco was sure to be something elegant and in good taste. “If you don’t bring that box over here right now, I’m coming to get it.”

He smiled, closed the drawer, picked up the box, and set it in her outstretched hand. She flipped open the lid, and tried to figure out what she was looking at.

“Pick it up and you’ll understand,” Draco told her.

She followed his directions and realized it was a platinum charm bracelet. Hanging on the delicate chain she saw a miniature D, a heart, and a G.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Even if they weren’t ready to say the words yet, she had proof of how he felt. “I love it.”

He visibly relaxed. “Good. In that case, I have a few more charms you can add if you want.” Draco went to the same drawer and pulled out a small gray velvet bag.

Once he was seated across from her, he shook a charm onto his palm.

Ginny laughed. “Is that a cow?”

“It is.” He smirked. “I tried to find a Boggart charm, sadly they don’t seem to make them.”

She picked up the tiny animal and hooked it onto the bracelet. “What else do you have in there?”

He shook another charm onto his palm. It was a small rectangular emerald. “My house colors,” he explained.

Ginny picked up the emerald and watched the way it sparkled. “I love it.”

The last charm out of the bag was an oval shaped ruby.

“My house colors?” she guessed.

“Yes.” He took the bracelet and fastened it on her right wrist.

She moved her arm so the charms shifted around, reflecting the light. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” A nagging thought occurred. “What am I supposed to give you?”

The look he gave her made her insides hum. Trying to appear confidant, she stood and closed the distance between them. When Draco tried to stand up from the chair, she pushed him gently back into the seat. With one knee on the outside of his thighs, she put her arms around his neck for balance and placed her other knee on the other side. Straddling his lap, she leaned down to brush her lips across his mouth.

He returned the kiss while he slid his hands up the outside of her thighs to hold her hips.

His touch was intoxicating. She wanted more. Her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. He made fast work of the buttons on her blouse. Pulling her mouth away from his, she said, “bed.”

With her legs wrapped around his waist, he carried her to the bed. His weight on top of her felt right. The rest of their clothes seemed to disappear as he explored her body with his hands and his mouth. At one point she felt like she should be doing more. When she tried touching him he slid lower on her body and did something with his mouth that made her forget everything but the sensations he was creating inside of her. Her breath came in short gasps and then waves crashed through her body causing her to cry out.

She felt herself blush as her breathing slowed. Smiling at him, she said, “So that’s what all the fuss is about.”

He kissed her and then pulled her knees up on either side of his hips. She closed her eyes and hoped for the best. Pain made her cry out.

“It will get better,” he promised. She looked up to see concern in his eyes and nodded. He moved slowly inside of her. The pain lessened, and she watched as he moved above her. His eyes were closed and he appeared lost in his own world. A short time later, he roared her name and then collapsed on top of her.

After he caught his breath, he moved to lie next to her. She rolled closer and laid her head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat and his rhythmic breathing lulled her to sleep.

Draco’s voice came from far away. “Ginny. You have to wake up. It’s almost curfew.”

She snuggled closer. “Nope. Not going.”

He laughed. “I don’t mind you staying here, but I think your brother might come looking for you.”

She yawned. “Don’t care.”

The sound of Draco chuckling made her smile.

“Fine. I give up.”

She gave a satisfied sigh. “I win.”

As she slept, Ginny dreamt of wandering through a house searching for something. There was something she needed or something she’d forgotten. In the dream, she began to run from room to room. Finally, she found a room and saw a baby sleeping peacefully in a bassinet.

Jerking upright, she gasped. Was it too late? She shook Draco. “Wake up.”

He opened his eyes and saw the look of panic on her face. “What?”

“We forgot. Get your wand. Do it now,” she pleaded.

“Do what?” he asked. “What are you talking about?”

“We forgot to use a contraceptive spell.”

His gray eyes went wide. He climbed out of bed to retrieve his wand.

“Hurry.” The image of the baby from her dreams seemed all too real.

Draco pointed his wand at her and recited two spells back to back. “Good enough?” he asked.

“I’m a Weasley,” she reminded him.

“Right.” He performed the other spells he knew and then just stared at her for a bit.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, she huffed out a breath. “Stop staring. Say something. Tell me it’s going to okay.”

He set his wand on his nightstand and climbed back into bed. Sitting behind her he wrapped his arms around her. “Everything will be okay, no matter what.”

She wondered what he meant by that, but was afraid to ask.

Ginny closed her eyes, but sleep eluded her. What would happen if she were pregnant? Draco said he’d stand by her. Oddly, she didn’t doubt him.

How could she tell her parents?

Over the years, she’d heard her parents make reference to certain girls transferring out of Hogwarts. No one said where the girls went. When she was younger she’d assumed they’d gone to Beauxbatins. As she matured, she detected a note of disapproval in her parent’s voice, which led her to believe the girls hadn’t gone on to any sort of school at all.

Until this very night, she’d never understood how a girl could be so stupid. Tears filled her eyes and slipped over her lashes.

“What’s done is done,” Draco whispered.

She sniffled. “Sorry. I thought you were asleep.”

“I meant what I said.” His fingertips trailed up and down her back in a soothing rhythm. “I will stand by you no matter what. If that means a quiet wedding ceremony at Malfoy Manor, then so be it.”

His words soothed her. He did care. Maybe now was the right time to tell him why she’d come down here in the first place. Propping herself up on one elbow, she said, “I found you earlier because I needed to talk to you. I figured something out and I wanted to share it with you. I wanted to tell you I’d fallen in love with you.”

He blinked.

She waited.

He said nothing.

“While I greatly appreciate your offer to marry me if I’m knocked up, you have about thirty seconds to say something romantic before I attempt to smother you with your pillow,” she warned.

“I’ve never told anyone I loved them,” Draco stated.

Ginny made a grab for the pillow, but he caught her arms. “I’m being honest. Love is not a word that was used in my household.”

Surely he was joking. “Your parent’s never told you they loved you?”

He shook his head. “I’ve never heard my father utter those words. I did hear him tell my mother he cherished her, but that isn’t the same thing as love. He mentioned being proud of my accomplishments. No one has ever said they loved me.”

She couldn’t imagine growing up without love. “I said it. I meant it.” She cuddled up against him. “Due to the fact that you were raised in an emotionally frigid household, I’ll refrain from doing you bodily harm.”

He snorted. “Thank you ever so much. My family may be abnormal, but your family produces foul tempered individuals who are prone to violence.”

“I can’t argue with you about that.” She yawned. “Maybe we can sleep now.”


***

The next morning, Ginny woke to find herself alone in bed. She sat up and grimaced as her muscles complained about her activities the night before.

“Good morning,” Draco said from across the room. He was dressed and reading the newspaper.

“Tea?” she asked.

“On the nightstand.”

She found the cup of tea and sipped slowly while she tried to figure out her next move. Never having spent the night with someone before, she was unsure of protocol.

“Clothes?” she asked.

He folded the paper and set it in his lap. “At what point in the morning are you capable of speaking full sentences?”

She counted items off on her fingers: tea, shower, food, conversation.

“Your clothes are in the loo. Scones are on their way.”

“Thanks.”

She didn’t know where the scones were coming from. Perhaps he had a house elf who delivered breakfast. After finishing her tea, she padded barefoot to the loo. Her clothes were folded neatly on the vanity.

She lingered in the shower. The warm water felt heavenly. After dressing she felt more awake. She emerged from the loo to find Draco eating a scone.

He glanced up when he heard her. Pointing at a plate, he said, “Food.”

“Smart arse,” she stated as she sat and picked up a scone.

“I see we’ve moved on to two word phrases,” he mocked.

She ignored him and enjoyed her blueberry scone. She preferred orange, but this didn’t seem like the time to be picky.

Once her stomach was full, she walked over and sat on the armrest of his chair. “What are you reading?”

“I was reading about the effect of inflation on potion ingredients and the destabilization of the Galleon in the southern hemisphere.”

She blinked. “I’m going to smile and nod and pretend I know what you’re talking about.”

“The cost of-”

She held her hands palm out to indicate he should stop talking. “While I’m sure you find that topic fascinating, it will put me back to sleep.”

The corners of his mouth turned down. “It’s important to understand the economy and how it affects your investments.”

Walking back to her own seat, she said, “When and if I ever have any investments to worry about, I’ll let you explain it to me. Until then I’ll go with the smile and nod response.”

He folded the paper and set it on the floor by his chair. A house elf popped into the room, snatched the paper and disappeared.

Ginny swallowed the bite of scone she’d nearly choked on. “A little warning would’ve been nice. Does he do that often?”

“We have a system. When items are placed in certain areas, he knows they’re ready to be disposed of.”

For the first time, she noticed how neat and tidy Draco’s room was. There were no stray quills or bits of parchment on any of the flat surfaces in his room. The top of his dresser was bare except for a valet box, which sat at a perfect right angle next to his stack of school books. Shoes, socks and ties weren’t strewn across the floor. Every drawer was shut tight.

She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’re very...fastidious.”

He raised a brow. “Your room is a complete mess isn’t it?”

“I prefer to call it organized chaos.” She broke off a piece of scone and smiled while she chewed.

“If you end up living in Malfoy Manor, I’m assigning you your own house elf.”

The bite of scone seemed to grow in size as she tried to swallow. After taking a drink of tea, she managed to wash it down. “I don’t have any sisters, so I don’t know how we go about finding an answer for this situation.”

He frowned. “I’ve heard other Slytherins discussing this sort of predicament. I believe there are potions we can purchase by owl, which will give us an answer. I’m not sure of the time frame or when you’re supposed to take them.”

“I imagine I’d take the potion once I missed my cycle. I’d rather know now. Maybe I could ask Hermione about this. If she didn’t know, she’d find it in a book much faster than I could.”

He shook his head. “Bad idea. I’d rather keep this information as far away from your brother as possible.”

Ginny stood. “We can’t wish this away. Let’s go do something fun.”

The look he gave her made her insides hum. She sighed. “Sorry, I think I need a little time to recover.”

“Understandable.” He stood and walked toward his wardrobe. Opening the door, he pulled out a broom. “Let’s go flying.”

“Are we picking up my broom or am I riding on yours?”

Draco smirked.

“What?”

“Never mind. I’ve been friends with Blaise for so long, I can hear his smart arse remarks in my head even when he isn’t here.”

In the Slytherin common room, Ginny received quite a few sideways glances. Draco walked past his housemates like it was completely normal for Ginny to be by his side first thing in the morning.

When they exited his common room, he said, “If you act like you belong, people will think you do.”

His tone ticked her off. “Fine. Tomorrow morning you can walk through my common room and we’ll see how comfortable you feel.”

He chuckled. “If we did that I’d want a camera to capture the look on Potter’s face.”