The characters and settings belong to JK Rowling. Only the plot is mine.

All critiques and reviews are welcome. Thank you.

-Oh, for the love of... I don't have a rare and contagious disease or anything. I do like to hear from people out there, so I can help you enjoy the material better. I like to know how well/ poorly I'm doing my job. I mean, it's not absolutely necessary, but it's half the fun! Thanks.
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“Kiss me,” Draco said abruptly, sneering and standing in front of her.

“What? No!” Ginny replied, shocked and startled. She was seated in the library, all alone at her table. Most everyone else was at dinner, but Ginny needed to catch up on some schoolwork she had deferred for a Quidditch practice. He had walked up as if out of nowhere, probably from a shadow, merely to annoy and torment her. He was looking on at her smugly. She was almost inclined to either hit him or run away, if not both.

“Afraid of me?” he asked mockingly, leaning forward a bit, hands on the table, long, slim nose near her freckled face.

“You’re not going to trick me into kissing you, I’m not a fool,” she replied, rolling her eyes, then glaring at him. “Hell, you don’t even like me.”

“Okay.” He shrugged, turning to go.

“Wait,” Ginny said quickly. He turned back, stony faced. She quietly degraded herself for saying anything. He didn’t seem to be very emotionally invested in this venture, she noted, and wondered why he’d come over at all. She expected him to laugh at her, and besides, she didn’t really care to talk to him. And yet, she’d called him back. She was surprised at herself.

“What?” he said flatly and shortly.

“Why did you even come over here?” she asked, tipping her head to the side.

He narrowed his eyes, as if ready to say something scathing. “A dare,” Draco said finally.

“A dare.”

“Yes. A dare. Something too ignoble for a “holier than thou” Gryffindor such as yourself. Anyone will do. It was supposed to be the first person I saw-- I figured you were a challenge. No matter. I can lie,” he said, “and find someone else.”

“Hm,” Ginny replied, taking him for his word and going back to her book and parchment. She soon realized Draco was still standing in front of her. “WHY are you still HERE?” she said, giving him a withering look.

He raised a brow and crossed his arms. “You’re not insulted?”

“Much as it may hurt your paper-thin ego, I do not particularly care for you, nor for what you think of me. It may annoy me that you thought you could manipulate and use me so easily, but I’ll get over it,” she said caustically.

“Well, our little baby’s all grown up now, isn’t she?” he replied, not wanting to admit he might be impressed. “Stopped following her idol around like a sick puppy?” he added, obviously referring to her old crush on Harry.

“The only puppy dog I see here is you,” she said, standing up and pushing her chair back roughly. “And when a dog acts the way you’re doing now, it gets beaten. Now go snap at someone else’s heels.” She waved a hand at him dismissively.


He stood straighter, then leaned close to her face. “Don’t you speak to me that way,” he hissed energetically. He didn’t mean to provoke her, but that insult required a swift and biting reply.

“Or-- you’ll-- WHAT?” she replied in an acidic tone, leaning forward. She barely admitted to herself she was slightly leery of the danger that he posed. She could only assume he knew numerous hexes and curses she’d only read about.

Apparently her reaction had startled him. He didn’t reply right away.

“You won’t attack me,” she added happily. “You wouldn’t DARE.” Her eyes glittered malevolently.

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” He grinned maliciously, enjoying himself immensely. Maybe he was trying to scare her. “There’s no one to say I wouldn’t.”

“Oh please, don’t be pathetic. We’re in the middle of a library,” she said, gesturing. She then realized, as her stomach flipped, what a scene they were making, then wondered if anyone was even around to hear.

“The library’s not that full,” he said in a low voice. They proceeded to glare at each other over the table.

“I’ve hexed you before, Draco, I can do so again. That doesn’t sound pleasant, does it?” she asked, toying with both him and the situation before her. He did remember, and was not particularly fond thinking about the painful situation he had found himself in.

He didn’t blanche. “You don’t frighten me, girl,” he said. Well, maybe she did, a little, but he hadn’t even admitted if to himself, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to admit it to her.

“Maybe I should, BOY,” Ginny spat. “You may think you’re better than me simply because you’re rich and you slick your ugly hair back. But I know you’re not. You’re a spoiled, jealous, immature child.”

“You think you’re superior because you’re friends with the fabulous threesome-- what a magnificent claim to fame-- and because everyone in your disgustingly large and very poor family has garish red hair,” he countered, gesturing vaguely to her head.

“You’re pathetic,” she said pityingly, eyeing him sadly.

“And I think you’re attracted to me,” he said, widening his eyes and smirking.

“I think you’re out of your mind!” she said, grabbing her books, slamming them into her bag, and at last turning to walk away, all in one fluid motion. “I do not like you and I never will. You’re a pure and utter ass.” She walked away from the table, and he followed her, sidling in front of the door when she tried to walk out of it. “Move,” she said, whipping her wand out of her pocket, pointing it at his chest. “Now.”

‘Damn,’ he thought, ‘she’s just as much of a viper as I am.’ “I’d like to see you make me,” he said daringly. He’d taken out his wand as well. She’d have to catch him off guard if she ever wanted to get to dinner.

“Would you?” she said sweetly, almost seductively, savagely leaning forward, pulling him towards her, and giving him a kiss. It was NOT a chaste kiss-- damn, she knew what she was doing. It was also not a particularly short kiss… She let go of his collar and pulled away with a wicked grin, leaving him staring and slightly speechless.

He swallowed a shuddering breath. “Shit,” he said.

She pushed past him, then turned around. He met her gaze. She put a curled fist up to her mouth, then put it down, all the while chuckling loudly. “Maybe I could learn to like you,” she said, raising a brow suggestively. Then she turned and walked down the hall. “Who doesn’t like a challenge?”

He stood in the doorway, looking after her retreating form. He smiled slowly, evilly, when she turned back to wink at him, and he laughed a slow laugh as she rounded a corner. “I win,” he said.

--JK owns these characters, of course.
--Before this, Ginny and Draco had been arguing in the library, and, in order to shock him, best him, and still be able to leave, she kissed him (pounced on him, more like). I daresay they both enjoyed it. Here is the tense scene directly after that encounter.
--I do so appreciate your reviews, dear readers! Thanks in advance.

***

Ginny walked into the Great Hall- no, she sauntered into the Great Hall- and sat down near her sixth year friends. Neville smiled at her kindly, and she grinned in reply. Hermione asked her where she had been, and Ginny merely said she’d been studying in the library. Harry and Ron were talking about the next Quidditch match, and Ginny joined in their conversation. ‘No need to bring up anything about kissing…’ she thought. Or Draco. Or, namely, anything involving KISSING Draco.

She pointedly ignored Draco as he walked smugly into the room, as he pointedly ignored her. He swaggered over to his table and sat down- amidst the talking and laughter of his sophomoric friends, she thought, not looking up. She spoke louder to Harry and Ron, in order to block out Draco’s presence at the corner of her consciousness. It almost worked.

She took a bite of food, not paying him any mind. He took a sip of pumpkin juice, not giving her any attention. She made a point about SOMETHING in the conversation she was having, while struggling to listen to the reply. He snickered at something his friend said, his attention partially diverted by her.

Her leg began to bounce a little under the table; whether it was from annoyance, impatience, or excitement, no one could say. His hand was fisted and sitting on the table next to his place, knuckles turning white.

“Are you alright, Ginny?” Neville asked, taking a break from his conversation with a fourth year. Ginny nodded slowly- her cheeks had begun turning slightly pink. She took a sip of water, trying to clear her mind. Ron said something scathing in regards to the Slytherins, and she laughed absently, staring at the table’s top.

Draco snuck a covert glance in her direction. She looked about to choke on her tongue. He looked away. Her eyes shot up guiltily- his face was pale. Very pale. This calmed her down, seeing him tight-lipped in distraction. She went lazily back to her conversation, feeling almost content at his plight. Until she realized her own plight. And Ginny being delusional- was Hermione looking at her, while sporting a curious gleam in her eye? Hermione looked down when Ginny smiled at her.

He brought his gaze up to her face, grimly thinking about her torment, in almost rapturous glee. He tried to think about his classes, and damned himself when he wasn’t able to. He tried to think of Pansy, who (while not very attractive) WAS sitting right next to him. He should have been thinking of transfiguration-- he had to make up a test; he‘d recently missed a day of classes. He ought to have been thinking about an article he’d just read in The Daily Prophet, which had vaguely alluded to his father. He should have been thinking up insults for the glorious threesome. But he couldn’t. The vast, dark spaces in his head were filled with thoughts of-- damnably--HER!

“Hell,” he muttered, twisting the large, rather ugly, ring that sat prominently on his index finger. She was a distraction, which irked him considerably, as he saw her about as worthy of his attention as a red-headed stepchild. Come to think of it, she very well could’ve been a red-headed stepchild, which could account for the large size of her family; except he already knew she wasn‘t. He shuddered inside, not wanting to think about it.

He looked away as her eyes slid to his visage. She didn’t understand why people found his handsome-- he was extremely angular, first of all. Or perhaps he was just looking a bit peaky. Then again, maybe it was the addition of her presence or the fact that she was giving him attention that caused it. If so, she rather liked having that affect on him, not that she’d done it on purpose. She wasn’t THAT devious.

She’d only wanted to get to dinner. It was HIS fault he’d stood in the door of the library, directly blocking her path, daring her to do it. (Hell, though, she hadn’t needed to kiss him.) She’d been caught up in the moment-- passion in the heat of battle. No. Not passion. She didn’t remotely like him or feel anything resembling passion towards him. Oh God-- did that make her a tease?

Well, he didn’t seem to be complaining about her motives, she noticed wryly, though he was, at that moment, looking at her with a gaze that held more than mild irritation.

How had this come about? She continued to wonder, but couldn’t come up with an answer that satisfied her.

Their gazes crashed and they both looked away, alarmed. He found this heartening. She was leery of him; he’d long grown accustomed to that reaction from people. He chanced another wary glance (without admitting he was wary) and saw her flip her hair over her shoulder, either nervously or impatiently. She really was rather unusual-looking-- he didn’t necessarily like that. Well, at least she looked very little like her brother, that great gorilla Ron. That was encouraging. And he’d seen her parents-- she really didn’t have a lot to work with. She was quite lucky, considering.

She played Quidditch like a demon, though. He had to admit she had that going for her (however grudgingly he did so). She was no match for the bigger, more “experienced” players, of course. But she could occasionally manage to hold her own. That was quite a compliment, considering many of the other players were twice her size, with half her common sense; they simply didn’t realize when they were putting themselves in a dangerous situation. She, however, did realize it, and did it anyhow, while managing to stay alive.

By this time, both Ginny and Draco were blocking out their friends’ comments; their eyes were constantly flitting back and forth, avoiding direct contact.

She didn’t regret kissing him. She’d gotten a twisted satisfaction out of leaving him speechless. She’d even enjoyed herself (though not immensely, she thought)-- not that she would tell him that, his ego was already lousy with petty compliments. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing another person kowtowing. Let him fawn over her--no, scratch that. That was a sickening thought. She saw his robe-covered elbow resting on the table as she dared look near again. His lithe arm snaked its way out of his dark sleeve. She shook herself and glance over at her friends once again.

Ah, her friends. Some people simply couldn’t forgive her the friendship she and Harry shared. Most people wanted it to be romantic in nature; otherwise, they felt it was prosaic. But she could no longer see herself dating him, thank God. He was all wrong for her, despite the love they felt for one another.

And so, between then, they held a passionate friendship- nothing more. Or, maybe because it was so complex, they held everything. No matter. Anyone who thought they were romantically involved rarely stayed around to hear any explanation past “no, we’re not.”

She then looked, with lukewarm eyes, to Draco. She managed a smirk in his direction, then quickly looked away. He raised his brows in surprise, then looked around. Surely SOMEone had to suspect? They weren’t exactly being discreet. Was everyone REALLY as stupid as he’d always suspected them to be?

Ginny shifted in her seat as Harry leaned over to whisper something in her ear. She laughed loudly, “impolitely,” and Draco scowled. She saw him scowl, which caused her to laugh harder. She was full of restless energy. Again, as she looked away, she mused that Hermione was giving her a small, knowing smile. That is, until Ginny raised a brow in her direction, and Hermione looked away.

Pansy said something insulting about Gryffindor to Draco, with her merciless tongue and wit. It would have been insufferably amusing if he hadn’t been captivated- no, annoyed, his subconscious mind told him- by something (oh, screw that, SOMEONE) else.

Gregory Goyle laughed in a low tone at whatever Pansy had said. He tapped Draco’s shoulder (not very gently, mind) with his meaty claw of a hand and asked if Draco was alright. “Sure, fine,” he said.

“Then why are you staring at that Weasley girl?” Goyle asked next. Shit. Goyle wasn’t nearly as stupid as everyone gave him credit for.

“I…” Draco started, then stopped, once again at a loss for words.

***

“No, really, Ginny, tell me what he did!” Harry pleaded. As a matter of course, the “he” was Draco.

“He didn’t DO anything to me!” she said, still chuckling. His loyalty really was quite amusing-- endearing, if annoying.

“Then why do you keep glancing at him?” Ron asked, with a mouthful of food, acting suspicious, and more than a bit really worried.

“I like a challenge,” she said, smiling and waving a hand dismissively.

“A challenge,” Hermione said flatly, raising a brow. Damn, that girl was too clever for her own good. Ginny hadn’t even known Hermione was really listening. “Is that another word for conquest?” she continued, twisting her mouth to the side.

Ginny laughed again, loudly, much more enthusiastically than before. She was buying herself time, trying to find an answer that wouldn’t cause Ron to yell. Sadly, there wasn’t one.

Ron snidely added, “You know, you’ve been acting really strangely when it comes to him. What’s going on? C’mon, Ginny, I have a right to know.”

‘Well,’ she thought angrily, ‘here goes. This is where the talking stops.’

“Ronald Weasley,” she said, glaring at him, “Not only do you not have a right to know, you have no need. What if I refused to tell you? What then?” She stared at him accusingly.

“Ginny,” Hermione said, eyebrows raised provocatively, heading off Ron‘s further comments. “Would you care to tell me what’s going on?” See, Hermione wasn’t accusing, Hermione wasn’t insinuating! Why couldn’t her brother learn more from his alleged best friend? If only Ron could pay a bit more attention and a bit less time being snippy- but no. This was certainly not the time to be evaluating Ron and Hermione’s twisted relationship, no matter how satisfying it would be to see them together.

Ginny closed her eyes, sighing. “Well, Hermione, since you’ve asked so nicely, I suppose I can tell you. You’d manage to find out somehow.” Ginny took a breath, then another, deeper breath. “I kissed him.”


***

“I kissed her.”


***

“What?!” came two very separate, but still equally angry, screeches.

***

A good half of the Gryffindor table looked up at the Slytherin offenders, glaring and annoyed. The Slytherins glared right back. Ron looked about ready to have an apoplexy, Hermione looked weary at his outburst, and Harry looked as though he might vomit. Some nearby Gryffindor girls were giggling madly, asking how it had been, kissing Draco. At least someone at her table wasn’t totally distraught by her doings, Ginny thought sordidly.

***

“That’s disgusting!” Pansy hissed, managing a quieter, if still pissed, tone.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. “It was a dare,” he replied. He’d known she would react this way. He would have, if the situation were reversed and Pansy had kissed, say, Potter. His mind felt dirty at the mere thought

“Yeah? With who? They bloody well had better give you extra for convincing that uptight little goody-goody to kiss you,” she said, scowling. Draco knew full well Ginny was no “goody-goody;” she couldn’t be, to kiss like that. She kissed more wickedly than she flew; and she was at least a bit scary on a broom, that much was certain.

Draco merely eyed Pansy, arching a silver brow and smiling cryptically. “She didn’t take much convincing,” he said, wondering, at the same time, about the situation he had just managed to land face-first (ass-first?) into. He was trying to sound lecherous, to shove Pansy off the scent, but he was handling it poorly.

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Pansy said. “Like I’m about to believe she was falling all over herself to get to you,” she snorted. Pansy stood up regally and left, muttering something about “washing your feet in muddied waters.” Draco rolled his eyes cruelly and went back to his meal, loving the way this was sure to play out. He knew he’d better enjoy the whole stupid thing while he could. Soon enough, Harry and his cronies would be after him with the lynch mob.

***

“You can’t go around and do that!” Ron said angrily.

“Why the hell not?” Ginny asked coyly, trying to restrain herself from rising to his anger.

“It’s just- not done!” he sputtered, sure this would satisfy her.

“Way to tell me AFTER the fact,” she said, rolling her eyes. She stood up, her hair swishing around her shoulders, and walked out the door. She could feel a set of eyes upon her back. She smiled to herself at the challenge they proposed. ‘You’ve got yourself a deal, Draco,’ she thought daringly. ‘Let’s hope you live to rue the day. You’re not getting out of this one just yet. Not when you decided to mess with me.’

The final confrontation between Ginny and Draco in the eve of their first confrontation.
Directly after the uncomfortable non-encounter over dinner, Ginny and Draco reach an understanding.

JK Rowling owns these characters, this setting, and this universe. I created the plot.

I thank you, every one of my readers. I never imagined so many would peruse this (practically 700). As always, I appreciate any advice, critiques, compliments, or criticism I receive (they make me happy). Hope you enjoy.
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Ginny walked out of the Great Hall, seething about her confrontation with Ron, but heartened by the non-confrontation she had just had with Draco. Every girl needed to let out a little steam; she was no exception. She would have sashayed out of the hall, but she didn’t think she could pull that off without looking completely moronic, so she settled for sweeping (somewhat clumsily) to the door. She knew Draco was watching her. When she was younger, that might have caused her to blush, but nowadays it only fueled her fire.

As if her fire needed any fuel. She knew what kind of crazy temper she had, and Ron had the proper personality to provoke it. She took a deep breath and began to walk normally, without such a vigorous back-and-forth motion. She heard footsteps behind her, and she turned, smiling to herself. She had known someone would follow her, and she had a good idea who it was.

But everyone was wrong once in a while. Luna walked up to her, smiling in a dazed fashion that only she seemed to be able to manage. “Why, hello, Ginny, what are you up to?”

Ginny sighed. “Dunno, really, just couldn’t stand being in the Great Hall another moment longer.”

“Oh, I understand that. It can prove rather stifling at times.” Luna nodded sympathetically.

“No, it’s not that, it’s Ron. He’s being annoying.”

“How so?” Luna asked reasonably.

“Prying into my business when he has absolutely no right to.”

Luna spoke slowly. “He loves you, Ginny. It‘s needless for me to even say that, of course. He wants to take care of you the way he thinks a brother should. I can only assume your other brothers acted that way towards him.”

“Well, not really, ‘cause he’s not a girl.”

Luna tipped her head to the side, not seeing Ginny’s point.

“He’s trying to protect my virtue, Luna.” Luna giggled.

“That’s silly,” Luna replied.

“Of course it is, these things aren’t up to him.”

“Yes, there is that, but you missed my other meaning. He should know you well enough to realize you’re not going to run head-long into a foolish situation. He needs to trust you. That’s his brotherly duty.” Ginny gave Luna a small smile. “ And once he sees you’re not running head-long into something, maybe he’ll calm down. If not, well, someone will surely manage to get some sense planted into his head somehow.” Luna’s eyes glittered a bit with the evening light. Luna probably had Hermione in mind for the job of beating some sense into Ron; Ginny sure knew SHE was thinking it.

“Thank you, Luna. You always manage to calm me down.”

“Anything for a friend, Ginny. I’m afraid I have to go now, I urgently need to find someone. I’ll talk to you later, is that okay?” Luna waited until Ginny nodded before walking off bemused, and not in any rush that Ginny could see.

As Ginny set off again, she heard a shuffle behind her. She smiled again and turned. This time it was the person she’d suspected originally, and she raised her eyebrows coyly. She actually enjoyed having this effect on Draco, she decided deviously, trying to push the effect he had on her into another side of her head. She crossed her arms, then said, “Following me around like a sick puppy, are we? And I thought you were above that, Malfoy.”

“You’ve certainly got an ego on you, Weasley,” Draco said viciously. “I hadn’t realized you’d elevated yourself to something worthy of following.”

“I’ve always had a bit of an ego, Malfoy, this is just the first time you bothered to find out about it. Apparently the likes of you are much too good for the riff-raff I associate myself with,” she said critically, sneering at him.

‘Is-- is she SNEERING at me?’ he thought, marveling. He didn’t reply.

“Aren’t you going to say something? Or have I stolen your tongue?” she replied with a more sarcastic tone, obviously having fun.

‘Among other things,’ he thought next. “Like you could afford it,” he said aloud, before he realized how strange that sounded.

Ginny laughed, then shook her head sadly. “Is that the best you can do? That doesn’t even make sense,” she said, still giggling. His cheeks didn’t exactly turn pink, but he may have begun to look paler, if that was possible. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” was the next thing she said, almost purring.

“Only in the sense that your mere presence is an insult to this school and the world of magic in general,” he managed to spit out.

She sobered. “Ah, well, that’s slightly better, isn’t it? Like you’re one to talk about insulting the world of magic; your father is the one who was gallivanting around and killing magical people in the name of a powerless--”

“DON‘T talk about him that way!” he said loudly, cutting her off. She didn‘t know which “him” Draco was talking about. “That is NONE of your affair!”

“Once I get involved, I believe if IS my affair, Draco,” she replied in a quieter tone.

He barely registered that she’d called him by his given name. Instead he countered with, “I can’t imagine how you’re involved in this. Unless- is it that boyfriend of yours? It is, isn’t it?” He was gaining momentum, as was she.

“Don’t talk about Harry. He’s not the topic of our discussion, and he’s not my boyfriend.” She narrowed her eyes in his direction.

He spread his arms to her, palms up. “I never said he was.” He raised a pale brow wickedly. “And you can’t place restraints on a conversation, Ginny, because then it’s not a conversation, it’s a monologue.”

“Oh? Were we having a conversation? I thought we were merely throwing meaningless insults at each other. My mistake.” He shrugged, as if to say that was the same thing. “Would you really like to know how I’m involved in “this,” as you so melodically put it?” He looked at her, bored. She figured this was his way of giving consent; he obviously hadn’t walked away yet. “I got involved before I was born, if you want that piece of the truth. But I got involved in fact the moment your father--” He looked about to interrupt her, but she silenced him with a hand near his mouth, which she quickly pulled away again. Sexual tension was frustrating. “The moment your father decided to slip me Tom Riddle’s diary,” she finished up simply.

He looked as though he didn’t believe her. “I thought that was a rumor,” he said, exhaling loudly. She shrugged, mimicking his earlier motion, trying to belie her discomfort with the situation.


“Well, it’s nice to know the truth, I suppose,” she said quietly, with a whole new weariness inside her. She figured he’d walk away now, and she was disturbed to find she didn’t want him to. Oh God, what was wrong with her now?

She still had her arms crossed, and she was staring at the gray floor of the rather secluded hallway they found themselves in. Draco imagined she looked uncomfortable, and had an inexplicable urge to change the subject or reassure her somehow. Damn softies at the school were getting to his head.

She looked up and noticed she was standing a few feet closer to him than she had been before. How had that happened? she wondered. She looked at her feet, berating them for betraying her in such a manner. Unless it had been Draco who had moved closer to her; she didn’t deem that totally unlikely as she looked up at him, slightly nonplussed.

“I’m not a Death Eater,” he said abruptly, after a few moments of slightly tense silence.

She smiled slowly, but with genuine feeling. “And are you planning on becoming one?” she asked, as if that was the obvious next question.

He looked shocked that she would ask that, though in reality, it was quite logical. “Oh. I haven’t decided.” She simply looked at him, challenging him, waiting for the continuation she knew was coming. “There are people who will try to kill me if I don’t join.” She raised a brow, though didn’t reproach him with words. “More will try to kill me if I do,” he stated next. He sounded as though this was the first time he’d ever said it aloud, and she wasn’t in any position to interrupt his train of thought (no matter how apparent she thought the conclusion was). “My father’s in jail, or trying to escape from jail. My mother’s being looked at with suspicion. Most people look at me with distaste, which I can’t help but provoke,” he said, smirking. Then he peered at her through the darkening hallway. “Stop looking at me like that.”

She looked taken aback. “I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Don’t pity me, Weasley,” he said warningly.

She snorted. “Like I’d bother, Malfoy.”

He continued on once, reassured. “And the idea of following and fawning someone who is so obviously volatile with power doesn’t seem like an intelligent choice.”

She thought about this. “So… the only reason you’re not a Death Eater is because it’s not intelligent?” she asked.

“I suppose,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“Well, while I can’t question your logic there, I do have to wonder why there aren’t other reasons.” She eyed him, but he said nothing. “What the hell?” she muttered, having hit on a realization.

Draco seemed shocked that she’d sworn, though he probably shouldn’t have been, with all that had happened that day. “What?” he asked cautiously.

“Uh, I THINK we just managed to have an intelligible conversation, jackass,” she replied, widening her eyes while tipping her head to the side.

“No thanks to you,” he snarled.

“Of course. There we go, more of what I’m used to,” she said. “It must be draining on you to have such a difficult and adult conversation with a girl.” Yes, she was certainly back to taunting him.

“No, what’s difficult is having to dumb it down for you,” he replied condescendingly.

“Really? Because I have no problem doing so when it comes to you,” she stated.

“You would say that, because you don’t want to look inferior.”

“I already know I’m not inferior; why would I be scared of looking like that, anyhow? This is YOU I’m being compared with, cretin.”

“Hmm, advanced word for such a wilting flower as yourself,” he said, sneering and glad to be back in familiar territory.

Ginny inhaled deeply, looking at him angrily. “I am NOT a wilting flower, you milksop!” She looked about ready to lunge at his throat.

“I am NOT a milksop!” he said, leaning forward and looking at her with a slightly crazed look in his eyes.

Ginny exhaled, then took a calmer breath, standing down a bit. “Well then it appears we’re at an impasse, doesn’t it?”

“I’m not a milksop,” he said quieter, just to be petulant.

“Prove it,” she said. He got a mischievous look in his eye, and she almost regretted baiting him. Almost. Because what did the idiot go and do next?

Of course he leaned in (quicker than she was expecting, thus causing her to step backwards and practically fall into a wall) and kissed her. He kissed her with an excessive amount of finesse, actually. He broke away, giving them both time to breathe and contemplate (not for the first time that day) what the hell had just happened. ‘Huh,’ she thought, ‘he certainly knows what he’s doing.’

They were both breathing a bit heavily, looking at each other. Ginny pressed her lips together once, noticing again how closely she and Draco were standing.

“Wow,” she replied before she could stop herself. Draco had the grace to look almost flattered; truth was, he was thinking something along the same lines. “I’m almost insulted,” she replied, smiling.

“Really?” Draco asked wearily. “Why now?”

“Because I’ve seen the mindless snails you usually date. Does this mean I compare to them?”

“Oh, as opposed to me, and the spineless monkeys you date?” Neither one realized they’d just admitted to paying attention to whom the other one dated.

“Hey, that’s uncalled for,” Ginny said in a low growl. Draco saw this as a perfect time to kiss her again. He captured her mouth in an attempt to keep her from arguing with him. “You don’t--” but his lips cut hers off.

“Shut up, Ginny,” Draco said breathlessly. She broke away and glared at him. He stared at her, amused.

“You can’t tell me to shut up.”

“Well, obviously I CAN, but you don’t have to listen to me. Which you seem to have figured out well enough.”

“God, you are so hard to figure out,” Ginny replied, sighing. “Besides being really annoying.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at his suspiciously.

He smiled wholesomely. “Let me guess. You’re trying to figure out what exactly it is you see in me.” His arrogance thoroughly bothered her. He gestured towards the general air around his body with his hands. “Besides what’s apparent, that is.”

“No, that’s not quite it.” Ginny rolled her eyes.

“Well, I sure as hell can’t figure out what it is I see in you,” Draco said in frustrated tones.

“That’s encouraging. I was thinking about how I’m going to explain this to everyone.” She looked at him cryptically.

“This? What this?” He kissed her once, quickly, on the mouth. “That this? What‘s happening right now this?”

“No. Well, yes, but not just that.”

“What then?”

“The fact that I want it to happen at all.” This time she quickly kissed him before he could reply.

“Ginny,” Draco said urgently. “Ginny.” He had a hard time talking, as his lips were still being held by Ginny’s. “Ginny!” They both pulled away and opened their eyes.

“What?” He gently pulled at a lock of her hair, but he wasn’t able to feign distaste anymore. Either that or he wasn’t trying as hard to hide anything anymore.

“You know, you really don’t compare to all the other girls.” Ginny turned slightly pink, smiled bashfully, then laughed. “What?” he asked, seeing her cracking to pieces.

“You are such a milksop!” she exclaimed.

He tried to argue, but couldn’t manage competently. They were preparing to kiss again when someone loudly cleared an unseen throat behind them. Oh yes, they WERE in the middle of a hallway, weren’t they? Even if it was a relatively unused one, it was public property and free for traversing from room to room.

‘Shit,’ Ginny and Draco thought simultaneously. Of all the professors and all the students that could be standing there now, it would have to be Snape that found them.

Snape’s eyes lighted on Ginny first, and he opened his mouth to speak. Ginny’s cheeks were flushed and she had unwittingly grabbed Draco’s hand and held it with both of hers behind her back, as he stood a foot or so behind her. Snape was about to say something scathing when he noticed Draco. Snape’s brow furrowed, his mouth twitched, and then his eyes bugged. He closed his mouth with a snapping sound, turned on his heel with a swishing noise, and walked away.

Ginny and Draco stared after him in awe, relief, and confusion. “Well.” Ginny spoke first. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten out of anything like THAT in my entire life. You may be handy to have around after all.”

“Oh? You’ve been in a situation like that more than once?” Draco asked, narrowing his eyes playfully. Good God, was he being playful? She wasn’t sure she could stomach it, at first, but she then decided she’d warmed to it.

“Oh, now that’s not polite, Draco,” Ginny admonished. “A lady never kisses and tells.”

“Good to know,” Draco said slowly, though he really had known that already, allegedly.

“Yes, you certainly would benefit from my feminine influence.” Now Ginny was playing coy.

Did she actually listen to herself when she said these things? Draco wondered. “That’s some proposal, Ginny,” Draco said seriously.

“How little you know about me, Malfoy,” she replied tauntingly. “That wasn’t a proposal. That was a challenge.” She chuckled loudly as she walked down the hallway away from him. He watched her appreciatively as she went, smiling quite jovially. She turned and winked at him when she got a good ways away, and then she said, “It’s a challenge I plan to win.”

The Visitation and the Dare

I don’t own the characters, but JK Rowling does.

--I was purposely vague with some facts, because those are not the important things in this story. The interaction between Ginny and Draco is at the forefront, and some other things don’t need the same amount of explanation. However, if you are confused, please ask any questions you have and I am ready and willing to answer (that’s a roundabout way of asking for reviews).

Also, this is the section of the story that breaks the mold I had going. You’ll see why. I hope you enjoy this last installment.


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Ginny walked, in long strides, through the flat she shared with Harry and Luna. ‘Just another reason for people think Harry and I are involved,’ she’d thought when she first heard Harry’s idea. And people did think Ginny and Harry had some sort of romantic relationship; that was blown skyward when Luna moved in with them too. Then people were confused and eventually the rumors stopped, when there was nothing new to add, just as Luna knew they would; Luna was good at ending rumors, at calming people down. And Harry generally needed calming, just as much as he needed his friends near him. Without them nearby, there was no guarantee anyone would ever hear from him again. They’d seen him at his worst, they reasoned, and it was no different to live with him and all his eccentricities. He needed them, pure and simple. Things, life, years spent had changed him, made him more jaded, and he needed to be around people who would to understand him and love him.

Hermione and Ron lived in the neighborhood, Hermione with Lavender and Pansy for flat mates, and Ron with Seamus, and Neville. Ginny had been surprised when Hermione announced she’d be living with Lavender and Pansy. Lavender was somewhat explicable, she and Hermione had been dorm mates at Hogwarts. Pansy was another story entirely; the girl was angry, spiteful, and dangerous. She guarded their flat like the watchdog she looked like. Ginny had even heard the girl snarl. Personally, SHE liked Pansy, but she didn’t think Hermione would; apparently she did, which was nice. Ginny also secretly hoped that Pansy would put some fire into Lavender. Lavender had earned the title “pansy” much more than the former Slytherin ever had.

The relationship had been treacherous (at best) at first, but they had all needed to share the flat; the price was much more reasonable when three people shared it, and there was plenty of room for them all. Plus, it was close to their respective workplaces; and for Hermione, it was also close to Ron.

The two had finally gotten over themselves and admitted to “uh… liking” each other. It had taken much too long, it most everyone’s opinion. They had started seriously dating only the year after they’d both graduated, after most people had given up hope of anything ever becoming of their relationship.

And now that they were into their twenties, there was time to devote to their romance. Ron was more mature than he had been, Hermione was more relaxed than anyone had ever seen her; they were out of the microcosm that was Hogwarts, and once everyone’s eyes weren’t so focused upon them, things began to happen.

It was Luna who’d actually managed to set the two on the road to a relationship, by “inadvertently” inviting them, and ONLY them, to a dinner party; once they were both there, she had excused herself for a moment, and she never came back. Ron and Hermione were slightly miffed at first, but neither really had the heart to blame Luna; they ended up thanking her, once they got over the shock of each other.

And then there was twenty-something Ginny, accused of being just as bitter as Harry often acted. She wasn’t bitter, really, perhaps just a bit lonely. She caught herself contemplating buying a small army of cats and had had to mentally berate herself for thinking she’d end up alone, wanting for company.

But there was no one to say she wouldn’t end up alone, as she never voiced her concerns to anyone and she wouldn’t hear other people when they told her she was “intelligent, beautiful, and amazing, really.” Empty flattery got old very quickly in the mind of Ginny Weasley.

And not to sound wistful, but most of the relatively few boys she’d dated after Draco seemed dull in comparison. He’d never “gone to the light,” as many people hoped he would; he’d been willing to help out Dumbledore and Harry, sure, but he never let anyone know about it. Many people still didn’t know he was dead; they thought he was just a reclusive, rich, eccentric who’d holed himself up in some mansion somewhere, obsessively counting his millions.

Ginny knew. No one in the Order had really liked the fact that she and he had been dating. Once they got over the fact that it was, indeed, Ginny Weasley with Draco Malfoy, people had moved on to the fact that ‘something could happen’ to either one of them. But neither of them cared much for that; they’d put themselves in the pathway of danger many times, and they refused to steer a safer way. They also refused to abandon the very things, the very people, they were fighting for.

God, how stupid that sounded. Yes, they had felt something that wasn’t totally lust for one another. Denial worked wonders on a person; they had never actually admitted to loving one another. At the time, it hadn’t seemed necessary, but a small part of Ginny thought it might have been nice to say it, once, before he’d disappeared and then wound up dead.

She hummed tunelessly, and rather badly, as she walked through the living room to the short hall leading to the door. Someone had just knocked. “I got it,” Ginny called to Harry and Luna.

“Okay,” Harry called from the kitchen; Luna was in the shower. Ginny whipped her long hair off her shoulder in an annoyed fashion; it was always getting in the way. She pulled a corner of her shirt down as she reached for the door handle.

“Shit!” she said aloud, quickly slamming the door and putting a hand to her heart, which was beating a tattoo against her breastbone. And now she was seeing ghosts. But even the ghost of Draco is better than no Draco at all, she thought. And then she got angry and wrenched the door open again, nearly ripping the door off its hinges.

“What the HELL are you doing here?” she snapped. He’d looked amused when she’d reopened the door; now he looked almost, but not quite, frightened. In her opinion, he was not nearly frightened enough. “Because you’re obviously alive, at least sort of. You always were the pale sort. So explain to me why you are standing ay my front door, staring like a moron. Answer me!” she yelled.

Draco laughed. Damn him, he always acted stupidly when she got emotional like that. She made a guttural sort of growling noise and he tensed up again. He replied smoothly, “Well, my little termagant, will you allow me the extreme pleasure of coming inside and explaining?”

“I refuse!”

“Ah, as kind as you ever were to me.”

Harry came in after hearing Ginny’s angry expletive. He saw Draco, raised a brow, rolled his eyes, and came up behind Ginny. Harry took her gently by the shoulder and guided her away from the door. She crossed her arms at this betrayal; Harry looked at Draco expectantly, knowing what Ginny needed. Draco saw the look as an invitation inside.

The men both saw Ginny sit on a chair and look pointedly at the one across from her. Harry, satisfied she wouldn’t kill her houseguest, left the room, chuckling to himself. Draco sat in the chair as humbly as his arrogance would allow; he still managed to slouch a bit.

“You were supposed to be dead. They told me you were dead.” She paused and looked at him quietly and stubbornly. “They told me so.”

“I almost died,” Draco said sadly, suddenly alert and leaning forward earnestly.

“I almost died too, Draco.” When he had still been ‘alive’ they’d competed, facetiously, to see who could achieve more near-death experiences, but it didn’t seem quite so amusing now.

“I hear you’re working at the Ministry now, Ginny. Sounds lucrative.” He was being evasive.

“Where have you been, Draco?” Ginny asked calmly, rationally, trying not to wring his neck

“Gone,” came his simple reply.

“Gone. I can see you’re as much a cretin as ever if you think you’re being cute. If you don’t tell me the truth, in its entirety, I will never willingly speak to you again.”

He narrowed his eyes. “That’s a tall order, Ginny. Where to begin?”

“Why are you here? Looking for a little ‘welcome back to the land of the living’ pity love? You’ve come to the wrong place. Pansy lives pretty close to here though, I’m sure she’d be much sweeter than I’m being.”

Now Draco seemed confused. “Pansy lives nearby?”

“Yeah. With Hermione. And Lavender.” Ginny wrinkled her nose at Draco’s look of surprise. “A lot changes in three or so years, ass.” Draco looked at her, waiting for the abusive onslaught. “What?”

“I’m waiting for you to run through the list of bad names you’re obviously working your way through, so I can tell you why I’m here.” Ginny pursed her lips and fell back onto the seat of the chair impatiently.

“Fine. Proceed.”

“I wanted to show you I’m not dead. I wanted you to hear it from me. I wanted to show you there are certain things too important to hear from rumors. I know you’re not feeling very receptive right now, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to show up.”

“A little warning would have been nice,” she replied. “Try telling a girl next time.”

“Next time? I don’t plan on being kidnapped again, thanks. Unless…” He trailed off.

“Yes?” she asked. She was warming to the situation, slightly. His eyes were on the ceiling, and then went around the walls and across the furniture.

“This is a nice flat you’ve got, Weasley. So you live here with Potter, huh?”

She raised a brow. “And Luna,” she replied, smirking.

“Oh. I see how it is,” Draco replied. “That Potter’s a lucky man.” He laughed as Ginny shot him amused but murderous glances.

Then Luna herself came into the room, wearing a pale blue shirt and an old, comfortable pair of jeans. Her long hair was still wet from her shower-- Luna preferred doing some things the non-magical way, and air-drying her hair was one of them. She had an open book in her hands as she walked through the room on her way to the kitchen. Not taking her eyes from the page, she said loftily, “Hello, Ginny. Pleasure to see you again, Draco,” and she walked on.

Draco looked from Luna’s retreating form to Ginny’s content face. She smiled at him as if to say nothing unusual was happening.

“Where is Potter?” Draco asked. “I’d like to have a discussion with him about living in sin.”

Ginny snorted. “Like you’ve got anything to preach to him about that. And anyway, Harry‘s not the type.”

“Oh,” Draco said quietly. “He doesn’t like girls?”

Ginny said something that sounded vaguely like “Arggh!” There was something about Draco that exasperated her.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” she said loudly.

“Ah,” Draco said magnanimously. “Well, who is? I’d like to meet him.” He’d gotten better at this lying thing. He rationalized she could barely tell he didn’t only want to meet her boyfriend, he wanted to kill the fortunate fellow.

“I’m looking at him,” she said, making direct eye contact with Draco, who, sadly, simply didn’t get it.

“What?” he said, after pulling his mind out of violent thoughts.

“I’m looking at my boyfriend,” she replied patiently.

“Hadn’t you better ask me first?” he replied, quickly catching on.

“Getting your sorry ass kidnapped does not make a relationship null and void, Draco.”

There was a loaded invitation if there ever was one. He stood up and caught her wrist, pulling her to her feet. “Kiss me?” he said, and she wasn’t sure it was a question or a command. She hadn’t kissed him in roughly three years-- the year after he graduated, he’d allegedly died. That tends to throw a wrench into the cogs of any relationship.

“Good thing whoever kidnapped you taught you some manners,” she replied before she kissed him; they kissed with the same finesse they’d always claimed to have. She pulled back ever so slightly “This conversation is not over, you--” But Draco cut her off.

“Shut up now, Weasley,” Draco replied a bit harshly, never opening his eyes to see her smile before he began kissing her again.

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Draco joined Luna, Harry, and Ginny for dinner. Harry asked, partway into the meal, “I mean, you really didn’t run away and become a Death Eater, right? ‘Cause a lot of people think you did.”

“No, I didn’t,” Draco said, not quite tersely, but then again he’d never felt totally comfortable around Harry.

“Yeah. I didn’t think so.” Harry shot Ginny a look that might have meant something, but Ginny had trouble interpreting it. Luna simply smiled dreamily at Ginny and then Draco.

Draco went on. “I hear Pansy is living with Hermione and Lavender, and Ginny’s working at the Ministry, but I haven’t heard much else. What’s changed?”

“What, were you hogtied and kept in a cave?” Ginny asked. Draco gave her a look that told her she was being insufferable and that he didn’t want to talk about it yet. “You’ve really heard no news?” she asked, softening.

“Pansy’s dating Neville,” Luna said happily, as she picked up a fork. Three shocked faces turned towards her.

“What?” Draco choked. “The next thing you’re going to tell me is that other Weasley’s gotten Granger pregnant!”

“Oh no,” Luna replied placidly. “Not yet.” Draco grimaced and Ginny laughed loudly while Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled.

“Pansy will likely tear him apart,” Harry said quietly.

“I imagine,” Draco agreed. He paused. “But how do you know her?” Apparently more things than mere residences had changed since he’d been away.

Harry shrugged. “Dunno. We’re friends, I guess.” Harry never was one to talk unnecessarily.

“That’s good,” Draco replied awkwardly. “She can use as many as she can find, with that kind of attitude.”

“Oh please,” Ginny replied. “You’re the same way and you know it.”

“I’m not denying it, Ginny.” He turned to Luna and asked, “But how did you know it before these two?” He gestured to them with his head.

Luna’s large eyes widened. “I just know some things, Draco.” She got a mystical look on her face and made her eyes boggle a bit; it was slightly unnerving.

Draco smiled at this. “Knowing things without being told? That’s an unusual talent. Are you a Seer, or do you read minds or something?”

Luna merely sat and looked bemused. Harry and Ginny watched the spectacle, knowing how it would unfurl.

“Luna, what am I thinking right now?” Draco asked, feeling coy but sounding close to deadly serious.

Luna blinked twice, and began to blush. “Heavens!” she exclaimed. Then it was Draco’s turn to blush.

“Oh,” he replied, looking abashed.

“I’m not a freak, Draco,” she said softly, in such a way that Ginny and Harry knew that was not what he‘d been thinking.

“I know that,” he replied. He did, really, but he didn’t exactly know how to act around some people.

Ginny added, “That’s how he acts with everyone.”

Draco shot Ginny a glance. “What’s that mean?”

“You’re an ass,” Harry replied, joining in on the festival of torment.

The four of them then realized they had stopped eating, and began to do so again. After a bit of a silence, Luna said serenely, “So, Ginny, Draco.” They looked at her. “When’s the wedding?” Draco glared, and with the combination of all the strength of his years plus time spent in captivity, he looked quite intimidating.

Ginny was left cackling in the background while Harry merely said, “Oh, for the love of God.”

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“I need a drink, Ginny.” Draco sounded as close to desperate as anyone would ever hear him, and Ginny could only tell because she knew him so well.

“Draco. You’ve met them already. They didn’t hurt you last time, why would they want to hurt you now?”

“Because they don’t like me!”

“They didn’t like you before! What does that have to do with the present situation?”

“I want your family to like me!” He WANTED her family to like him?

“Why?” Ginny wasn’t being patronizing, she was honestly wondering what had made up his mind that this meeting was so important.

“They’re your family.” His head was still filled with thoughts that secretly disgusted him, such as ‘And if all goes well, they could be my family too.’ WHAT had turned him into such a-- what had Ginny always called him? Milksop. He was a bleeding milksop. Shit.

“Yes, they‘re my family.”

“Aren’t you loyal to your family?”

She looked at him; she was trying not to smile or tease, while also trying not to sound grave. “Draco, I’m loyal to the people I love.” Her eyes glanced toward his and she grabbed his hand and led him to the door, mocking gently. “Come on then. I dare you.”