Ginny's day had gone from bad to worse in a matter of a few hours, and it could all be pinpointed to one instant.

She shook her head trying to rid her mind of what had happened this morning that had started it all.

Malfoy.

She inwardly grimaced as her mind repeated his name without permission.

How could he have ruined her day like this? What had he been thinking? Just who did he think he was, kissing her for the whole world to see?

Snogging had been a great thing.

Especially that thing Michael had done with his tongue. She giggled. But Malfoy had to go and ruin kissing for her forever.

There was nothing between them, so why he had done it was beyond her. Her humiliation would not have meant enough to Malfoy for him to even attempt to make physical contact with a Weasley.

So why had he done it?

Again she shook her head. All she knew is that she would be getting back at him very soon for it. She had already started to formulate a plan...

~:*:~

As Draco walked down a flight of steps towards the dungeons his mind was stuck on a certain redhead, as it had been all day.

Dammit Pansy. He thought to himself, fighting for control over his emotions.

It had been all her fault he had lowered himself to kissing the blood-traitor this morning. At least that's what he had been trying to convince himself of. Once he had caught Pansy snogging Blaise, however, he knew there was no turning back. He knew he had to retaliate, and he had seized the moment this morning when the Weaslette crossed his path on her way to breakfast.

The fact that he had caught her in the Great Hall only made his revenge that much more sweet. Now the rumors were flying that Pansy hadn't been enough woman for Malfoy, so he had taken a step up from her to start snogging blood-traitors.

It was all too perfect for Draco; he had wanted revenge and had not only gotten it, but served it to Pansy ice cold. He smirked at his own cunning, forgetting that it was pure dumb luck that ran him into Weasley in the first place.

He shrugged. After all Pansy deserved what she got. She could not have expected less from a Malfoy. If she had even thought the word mercy she had been sadly mistaken. I never even really cared about her. He shrugged nonchalantly. That was her fault and not his problem.

He had only kept the appearance of a relationship to make his father happy. Now that Pansy had cheated on him, however, Lucius would be cursing her and her family to the ends of the earth. Maybe he would even be proud of Draco for getting rid of her...

Draco's thoughts fell again to the Weaslette.

She wasn't all that bad. Draco thought to himself, truthfully. Perhaps I'll catch her again tomorrow morning...

These thoughts carried him past the portrait hole, where he murmured the password and into the private chambers his father had demanded he have. As he flopped down onto his bed and lay back to relax he thought that perhaps he might catch the redhead the day after that as well. Just to be sure that Pansy had realized that it was a terrible, no, horrendous idea to mess with a Malfoy.


~:*:~

Author's Note: I don't own Ginny or Hogwarts, J.K. Rowling does. (And a lucky one she is!).
Also, I am looking for a capable beta reader, so anyone who's interested can send a message my way. :-)

~:*:~

Ginny tossed her books on her bed and followed closely after, reveling in the soft feel of her down comforter.

She hadn't stopped thinking about Draco and that kiss all day and it had really started to get to her.

Everyone in the whole of Hogwarts had come up to her at least once and asked her what was going on between her and Draco, and had she been helping Malfoy cheat on Pansy, and things of that nature.

Pansy herself even cornered Ginny swearing that if she heard or saw anything else between Malfoy and her, that there would be Hell to pay.

Ginny turned over and grabbed her pillow hugging it to her chest. What had been up with Malfoy? That was the one question, among others, that she just could not seem to shake.

The more she thought about the kiss the less repulsed she was by it and the more intrigued.

She remembered how he had yanked her by her arm out of a conversation she had been having with Luna. He had been gentle but at the same time demanding. Making sure that he was in control of the whole situation.

He infuriated her, but at the same time he was intoxicating.

She quickly shook her head, trying to clean the disgusting thoughts from her mind.

He was Malfoy after all, and that would never change.

Still, she couldn't deny that there had been something in his kiss that had stirred something in herself that she wasn't quite sure how to handle.

She pushed the pillow away and got up off of her bed.

Perhaps I can get Luna to obliviate this morning out of my memory? Ginny sighed.

I'll go and try to find her now, although she's probably down at dinner. Ginny sighed again, thinking. I guess dinner wouldn't hurt. She thought, pulling off her robes and gathering her comfy black hoodie.

She was still trying to forget the way his lips felt pressed against hers when she walked past the Fat Lady.

~:*:~

Chapter 3: Visions and Confrontations

~*~

On the way down to dinner Ginny had once again encountered Pansy and kept walking. Hearing Pansy stop and whisper frantically to the two girls walking next to her, Ginny slowed her steps but couldn't hear anything. She sped back up the sound of Pansy's shrill laughter following her all the way to the Great Hall.

Once there Ginny searched for Luna but to no avail.

Where could that girl have gotten herself off to? Ginny scowled. Well now that I'm down here I might as well eat something. No one likes an empty stomach.

She sat down at the Gryffindor table away from the last few stragglers and picked a piece of roasted chicken off of one of the many still remaining platters of food and bit down. She then scooped some mashed potatoes and greens beans onto her plate and continued eating.

When she had finished her meal (which consisted of no less than three plates), Ginny stood and stretched.

It seemed that only a few people were still in the Great Hall and unfortunately for Ginny one of them was Draco Malfoy.

Ginny noticed him looking at her and she glared in his direction.

How dare he even glance at her after his performance this morning (which she had to admit was rather nice)?

She turned around flinging her long red hair behind her and stormed out of the Great Hall. She needed to find Luna and fast, before she exploded.

Walking right through some first-years Ginny decided to check the library next.

Entering the Library she realized where all of the students were.

Dear Circe! There aren’t exams for another three months! Don't these people have lives? Ginny shook her head.

Having circled the Library a few times, Ginny finally spotted Luna at one of the bookshelves. She stalked over to her.

"Where have you been?" she questioned a bewildered Luna forcefully. "I went down to dinner because I needed to talk to you and you weren't there!"

Luna cocked her head to the side and looked at Ginny strangely for a moment, her eyes seemingly blank. In fact Ginny could swear that Luna was looking straight through her.

"You kissed Malfoy this morning. Is that why you're so worked up?" Luna said returning to look for the book she had been searching for.

"He kissed me thank you very kindly, and yes that is what I am 'so worked up about'" she replied in a loud singsong voice.

"I don't understand what the problem is Ginny. You've been complaining for at least two months now that you've missed kissing and are lonely. Then when something like this happens, no thanks to your reluctance to let me find a snorttleplatter to suck out the plumdigger attatched to your earlobe which as you know causes brothers to become over-protective of their younger sisters driving all potential boyfriends away..." Here she paused and took a deep breath.

"Anyways you seem to have gotten rid of it all on your own." Luna whispered once again browsing titles while Ginny just stared.

Luna picked a book up off the shelf and pulled it down. She read its title and fliped through it seemingly looking for something. All the while Ginny was contemplating her friend's statement; her mouth set in a firm line.

"Like I said before," Luna continued "I don't understand why you're upset. You got what you wanted, plumdigger or not, didn't you?"

Luna started walking back towards her desk when Ginny began yelling.

"Luna, you can't be serious! This is Malfoy we're talking about! I can't believe..."

Whatever Ginny couldn't believe was cut-off, however, by a very red in the face Madame Pince frustratingly squeaking in disapproval and trying to make her way over to Ginny to scold her, but having trouble getting through all of the students in the library.

Ginny saw this and grabbed Luna by the arm pulling her behind a bookshelf and out of sight.

Luna turned to Ginny and sighed.

"Look, Gin. You know, I'd be willing to help in any situation involving snorttleplatters and plumdiggers but I really need to get this Potions essay done or Snape will have me cleaning toad guts off of the floor with a toothbrush for the rest of the year. So can we maybe talk about this tomorrow at breakfast or something?"

Ginny deflated just a bit.

"Sure, Luna, I'm sorry to have come bursting in here and bothering you. I was just so piffed at Malfoy, you know?"

Luna nodded. "I understand, but if you don't like him in the first place why are you making such a big deal about one little kiss?"

With that she turned away and walked back out into the library to try and find her desk again.

Ginny frowned at the thought Luna had given her and followed Luna's path back out into the library heading for the exit.

She didn't see Luna jump as if waking from a dream and shake her head as if to clear the cobwebs from it.

~*~

Wandering around the halls, she thought about what Luna had said and came up with an answer.

Although, I didn't like him, and still don't really, that kiss this morning was one of the best I've had, and there wasn't even tongue involved!

"Perhaps it's better for me to forget the whole thing ever happened." Ginny sighed and shook her head.

There's no future for a Malfoy and a Weasley anyways, so I might as well nip this in the bud.

She turned from the direction she had originally been going and walked back towards the hallway that would take her back to Gryffindor tower when she heard a commotion up ahead.

Treading lightly, Ginny slipped behind one of the many statues lining the hallway and waited for whatever was going on to come her way.

Sure enough, she heard two sets of footsteps and loud voices approaching her hiding place.

One of them was Draco Malfoy.

"No, Blaise, I don't see your point!" he said rather loudly, seemingly frustrated with his companion.

"How could you not!" Blaise replied, also frustrated. "I shagged Parkinson as a favor to you, and now I ask a favor of you and you deny me?"

Ginny turned so that she could see the two boys while still being covered behind the statue.

Draco turned to point a finger directly at Blaise's chest.

"I asked no such thing of you! You did Pansy because you were randy and couldn't keep it under control!"

Blaise came back at Draco full-force. "You always talked about how plain and uninteresting she was! What else was I to assume, but that you didn't want her anymore, if you did at all in the first place?"

"I did you a favor, mate. Now you don't have to marry that bint!"

"You don't get it do you?" Draco countered. "My father will find someone new, probably more spoiled than Pansy to fill her shoes!" He sighed and continued, "Even if I was to find someone else it wouldn't matter."

Blaise's eyes grew large and a shocked expression crossed his face.

"You already have someone else! The Weasley girl! That's why you won't let me have a go! You've got feelings for her don't you?"

Draco moved so fast Ginny was hard-pressed to follow his movements as he grabbed Blaise by the collar and shoved him against the closest wall.

"I am allowed anyone I choose. Understand?" Draco gritted out.

Blaise only nodded his agreement, his eyes now filled with fear.

"Good." Draco dropped the boy and stepped back. "I'm sure you know what my father thinks of blood traitors. So I trust you know when to keep your mouth shut?"

Draco said the last bit with a threatening edge to his voice.

Blaise nodded and slapped Draco on the back.

"Of course, my friend," he said cheerfully, but his eyes gave away that he knew Draco Malfoy was not to be messed with.

"Excellent," Draco replied, walking down the corridor further with Blaise in tow.

As they walked further away, Ginny emerged from behind the statue and took off for Gryffindor tower, her mind racing with what she had heard.

She didn't see as Pansy slid from behind one of the other many statues and made her way towards the library, smiling all the way.

~*~

A/N: Re-Read chapter 3! I've changed Luna in that chapter to be more Luna-esque in order to appease my audience and avoid a potential hazard of writing a Ministry of Magic inquisition into the use of unforgivables at Hogwarts... well you get the picture! Please re-read the 3rd chapter! Thanks

~*~

Chapter 4: In A Brown Study

Sitting in the common room, Ginny’s mind was racing with possibility. She wasn’t sure if Draco really cared about her or not but now she had a better plan for her revenge. She dipped her quill in fresh ink and began to formulate her plan on parchment.

“I’ll just have to get him alone…” she thought aloud.

Hermione, hearing what Ginny had murmured, leaned over the table they were sharing and tapped her quill on Ginny’s parchment interrupting her thoughts.

“Ginny? Are you alright?” Hermione asked looking decidedly concerned.

Ginny looked up at the older girl startled from her plot.

“Of course I am, Hermione. Why do you ask?” she flashed Hermione her signature grin.

After several years of seeing that grin from Ron, Hermione was not convinced.

“Well,” she leaned even closer and started to whisper. “To tell you the truth, I was hoping to catch up with you. You haven’t really been yourself in a while and I’ve started to worry about you. Especially after...”

Here Hermione looked away from Ginny’s questioning eyes and started to
blush. She took a deep breath. “Well, especially after that display you gave this morning.”

The shock of Hermione’s accusation bowled Ginny over but once she recovered from the shock, she burst out laughing.

Hermione sat back and gave Ginny a quizzical look, raising one eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner.

Ginny took one look at Hermione and laughed even harder grabbing her sides and squealing with delight.

“Well,” Hermione replied, obviously miffed at the younger girl. “I wouldn’t be laughing if I were in your position!”

Ginny stopped laughing long enough to get a hold of herself and told Hermione the story of what actually happened that morning and what Luna had said, leaving out the effect it had seemingly had on her, and her spying on Malfoy, of course.

Afterwards, Hermione fixed Ginny with a motherly gaze and told her to stay away from private situations with Malfoy when possible.

“You never know what he’ll have up his sleeve next time, and although it’s against my duty as a Prefect to hex or harm another student, I’d be more than willing to bend the rules if he bothers you again.” Hermione finished with a wink at Ginny.

“I’m surprised you’re not more upset, Hermione. I would have thought that you would be more bothered than you seem.”

“Yes, well I’ve noticed that Malfoy has changed since last year. I’m not sure how, but at least he hasn’t insulted any of us yet.” Noticing Ginny glaring in her direction Hermione quickly added, “Except for that kiss this morning, of course…” she blushed.

"I'm not saying he's a saint or anything, just that he's not being a prat any longer." She rolled her eyes.

Ginny smiled at her and said the thing that had been worrying her since that morning.

“How do you think Ron will react?”

Hermione winced and looked over by the fire where Harry and Seamus were playing Wizard’s Chess while Ron looked on.

After the incident in his first year with the full-size chess board Ron had never quite seen the game the same.

“I’m surprised he didn’t approach you as soon as you entered the common room.” She thought for a moment before continuing. “It must be the detention Snape gave him first thing this morning for spilling eye of newt into his calming draught causing his partner, poor Neville, to burp bubbles for the remainder of the class period.” Both girls hid smiles behind their hands.

“I suppose I could handle him for you, what are almost-sisters for if not to diffuse older brothers for their younger siblings?" she sighed again. "I might even be able to swing Harry around to help me.”

Her gaze moved from Ron to Harry and she sighed dramatically.

“Thanks, Hermione.” Ginny replied gathering her notebook and heading for the Fat Lady. “Maybe once you stop drooling over Harry you’ll finally be able to tell him how you feel?”

Hermione turned scarlet as she got up to talk to Ron, taking her time walking over to him trying to give Ginny time to get out of the common room before her brother blew-up and demanded to know what she had been thinking.

Ginny gratefully smiled at Hermione’s back before dodging out of the common room, hearing her brother begin to rant and rave.

~*~

A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the characters, places, or things in this fanfic other than the plot. So please don't sue because as a poor college student I barely have enough to afford food :-)

Special Thanks go to: phaedra7veil, MrsDanielRadcliffe, Mnu, peachesandcream, Shyla, jandjsalmon, shadieladie and especially Kisou for your reviews of the last chapter and a double special thanks to > Rainpuddle for the corrections she helped me with :-)

Special Challenge!!: If anyone can tell me what in means to be "in a brown study" I will give them special recognition the next time I update!

Please review!