Ginny was nestled into her favorite nook of the library reading her new romance novel. So far, it wasn’t very good. She checked the time and realized it was close to curfew. Maybe, she’d give the book a few more pages before she put it down.
***
Draco was bored. He’d almost completed his rounds, and he hadn’t come across anything remotely exciting. Finding Lavender Brown snogging her boyfriend of the moment was getting old. His last stop was the library, and then he’d be off to bed.

He heard the sound of female voices coming from the back of the library, and he wondered who he’d find blatantly disregarding curfew. As he stealthily wound his way back among the aisles of books, he realized there was only one voice. When he finally reached the hidden nook where the voice was coming from, he saw the strangest thing.

Ginny Weasley was carrying on a conversation with her eyes closed. He started to say something when she yelled, “Bugger off, Harry. It’s over.”

Draco whipped around, expecting to see Potter standing right behind him with his wand drawn. All he saw were rows of books. Ginny laughed. He turned around ready to rip her head off for tricking him when she started talking again.

“No, Hermione. It really is over.”

Draco watched as she paused for a moment, as if she were listening to someone reply.

“He cheated on me, Hermione. I don’t care if he just kissed her. It’s still cheating. Now, let’s move on to more interesting topics. Who’s put that smile on your face?”

Draco watched as Ginny’s face scrunched up. “One of my brothers? Really? Ron? Fred? George? Hermione, what do you mean Fred and George?”

Draco leaned against the bookshelf and prepared himself to be thoroughly entertained. Who knew what blackmail material he could gather from this interesting situation?

“I don’t care if you mistook one for the other. You can’t lie to them like that.”

Ginny blinked, and then blushed in her sleep. “They know? What do you mean you’re with both of them?”

Draco’s mouth dropped open. Who knew Granger was into that sort of thing?

“Hermione, we need to change the subject. I’m getting these horrible mental images.”

Draco waited, and fashioned a chair out of some of the larger books that were on the shelf. He used his wand to transfigure them into a reasonably comfortable recliner.

“I don’t know who I want to date next. I think I should date someone completely opposite of Harry. I’ve had my fill of males who are supposed to be good and noble, but find themselves unable to be faithful. At least if I dated someone who didn’t claim to be good, the being bad part wouldn’t be nearly so annoying.”

Ginny chuckled and shifted around in her seat. Draco found his eyes drawn to the amount of leg she was now showing. He’d never noticed how the youngest Weasley was built, because she was a Weasley after all. Now, he couldn’t help notice that Quidditch had given her a muscular yet curvy body.

“That’s brilliant. A Slytherin would be wonderful, Hermione. It would annoy the hell out of Harry and Ron.”

Draco blinked. He wondered why she wanted to annoy her brother. He didn’t have to wait long to find out the answer.

“He’s on Harry’s side. The prat keeps pointing out that they were only kissing. As far as I’m concerned, the rubbing together of any body parts counts as cheating. Anyway, which Slytherins do you think are attractive?”

Draco smirked as he clearly expected his name to be first on the list.

“Zabini? You’re right. He’s got the whole dark, sexy thing going on.”

Frowning, Draco thought that the old standard of tall, dark and handsome was overrated. If the female population only knew the amount of body hair that Zabini charmed off in the showers, they’d run screaming. The man was like an ape.

“I think Malfoy would be perfect. Harry and Ron would go insane. Of course he’d need a personality makeover. I just couldn’t see kissing someone who insulted me all of the time.”

Ginny gave a deep, sexy chuckle that had the hair on the nape of his neck standing up. “Hermione Granger, I do believe the Ministry would frown on me obliviating Malfoy and using him as my boy toy. It is a wickedly wonderful idea. I’ll take it into consideration.”

Sighing, Ginny moved in her seat again. Her blouse shifted, and he glimpsed the white lace shoulder strap of her bra. White lace should not be having the effect on him that it was. He shifted in his chair to make himself more comfortable.

Ginny sighed, and said, “Besides, Malfoy would never look twice at me. He’s told me over and over again how much he hates my freckles and my red hair. It’s a shame really, because he’d work perfectly into my plans.”

Draco studied the way Ginny’s chest rose and fell as she breathed. He examined her face, and realized that the freckles he’d teased her relentlessly about were really quite cute. She had a soft sprinkling of the little dots across her nose and cheeks. He found himself pondering where else she might have freckles. He wondered if they could be mapped like constellations.

“Do you think people change, Hermione? I’d like to think so. I don’t want to be Little Ginny Weasley my whole life. I’ve been thinking about it, and after I graduate I want people to call me Ginevra. I think it sounds more grown up and more dignified.”

Draco let the sound of her name roll off of his tongue. He could imagine whispering it in her ear as he nuzzled her neck.

He waited for her to continue talking, but she stayed silent for a full ten minutes. Deciding it was time to wake her, he stood up and flicked his wand to turn his chair back into a pile of books. After shelving them, he called her name softly and she sat up with a start.

Looking at him wide eyed, she asked, “Malfoy, what’s going on?”

“Apparently, Ginevra, you fell asleep in the library.”

Eyeing him suspiciously, she asked, “What did you just call me?”

“I called you Ginevra. That is your name. Isn’t it? It suits you better than Ginny.”

A small smile crossed her face while she appeared to be waiting to see if he was sincere. Looking around, she saw the book she’d been reading and grabbed it. Standing up, she seemed to suddenly realize something. “I suppose it’s after curfew.”

Draco nodded. “I was just finishing my rounds. Why don’t I walk you back to your tower, so you won’t have to worry about running into anyone else.”

Ginny just stared at him for a moment before she reached over and pinched him on the arm. He yelped in an undignified manner and then glared at her.

“Sorry, I was trying to see if I was still asleep.”

“I believe you are supposed to pinch yourself to perform that little test, Ginevra, not me.”

Ginny chuckled and said, “Yes, but you are the one who is acting out of character. You haven’t once yelled at me about being a Weasley, or threatened to take off house points.”

“Thanks for reminding me about that,” Draco replied with a smirk. “Ten points from your annoying house for being out past curfew.”

“Hey,” Ginny protested.

Draco grabbed her arm and started propelling her out of the library. “It could be worse. Besides, if I didn’t deduct points you’d think I’d lost my memory, or that someone had...obliviated me.”

Ginny tripped, and Draco watched as her face turned red as she was no doubt remembering the conversation she’d had with Hermione earlier in the day. “Something wrong, Ginevra?”

“No,” Ginny squeaked. “I think one of my legs is just a little bit asleep still.”

Draco watched as she made a show of stamping her foot to restore circulation. When she was ready to move again, he put a hand on her arm. “Just in case, you trip again,” he assured her.

On the way back to her tower, he asked her about Quidditch and other trivial matters. He wanted her to see that he was capable of social small talk that women seemed to find so necessary. When they reached the entrance to her tower, he released her arm and said, “Sweet Dreams, Ginevra.”

She nodded mutely at him, and waited until he was out of earshot to whisper the password. Hermione was sitting on the couch in the common room waiting up for her.

“Did it work?” she asked excitedly.

Ginny nodded enthusiastically. “I think it did. He called me Ginevra, and he only took off ten house points. Plus, he walked me back here to keep me safe.”

“Men,” Hermione said in a dismissive tone. “They are so easily manipulated.”

Ginny frowned. “Are you sure those rumors about you dating Fred and George are a good idea?”

“I’m sure. Ron will charge in to save my reputation, and he’ll end up my boyfriend before he knows what hit him.”

Ginny snorted. “What if Fred and George hear the rumors first and come to visit you at school with an indecent proposal?”

Hermione stretched and smiled. “That could prove interesting as well.”

Ginny shuddered as unwanted images filled her head. “Come up to my room. I figured out Malfoy’s class schedule, and I think I know where I plan on accidentally bumping into him tomorrow. I want you to double check the logistics of it to see if it looks staged.

“If you could pull off the talking in your sleep bit, you can do anything.” Hermione reassured her as they walked up the stairs towards their rooms.

Ginny and Hermione walked to breakfast while they waited to see what the results of their little experiment the night before would bring.

“No one is looking at me oddly, so I don’t think anyone has heard the rumor yet,” Hermione commented in a low voice as they sat down in their usual spots.

Ginny scanned the Slytherin table as she poured herself a cup of tea, and she saw Draco talking to Blaise. He seemed to sense her looking at him, because he glanced over at her and smirked. Ginny felt her eyes go wide before she looked down at her plate. She hadn’t expected him to acknowledge her in such a public setting. This whole thing might be easier than she thought.

Hermione tapped Ginny on the arm and pointed towards the door of the Great Hall. Fred and George were walking into the room with huge grins on their faces. “They can’t possibly have heard the rumor already,” Hermione said in a slightly panicked voice.

Ginny smiled and waved at her brothers while she said, “I thought you didn’t mind if they dropped by with an indecent proposal.”

Hermione blushed. “Maybe, I lied. A fantasy is one thing, but embarrassing reality is quite another.”

Ginny set her tea down and watched as Fred and George came closer. “They probably aren’t even here to see you. Maybe, they’ve come to yell at Harry.”

When Fred and George sat down directly across from Hermione, she smiled at them and prayed they weren’t about to embarrass the daylights out of her.

“Hermione, George and I have decided that we need you.”

Ginny choked on her tea, and Hermione patted her on the back while she said, “Really? What can I do for you?”

George passed her a piece of parchment while he gave her a killer smile. “We can’t seem to get this formula right, and we just don’t have the brain power to figure out what’s going wrong.”

Hermione sighed in relief and studied the piece of parchment. She frowned as she attempted to read their handwriting. “I can’t quite make this out.”

George pointed his wand at her and said, “Accio, Hermione.”

Hermione yelped as she found herself flying across the table onto George’s lap. He smiled cheekily at her and lifted her off his lap to sit between himself and Fred.

Unable to stop herself, Hermione reached up and smacked him on the back of the head. “George Weasley, if you ever do that again I will hex you to hell and back. I am not some sock that you lost track of.”

Fred snorted and said, “Ginny’s temper is rubbing off on her.”

Hermione turned her glare on him. He swallowed and said, “I’d like to apologize for my brother’s insensitivity. We need you, Hermione. Please read the parchment.”

Hermione grabbed the parchment and pointed at the second line. “What is that supposed to say?”

George put his arm around her shoulders and said, “That’s our Hermione.”

He left his arm around her shoulders as he leaned closer to interpret the chicken scratch on the parchment. Hermione found herself quite distracted by the way George’s body was touching hers from thigh to shoulder. It took her a few moments to realize what the product was that they were trying to create. “Is this a daydream charm?”

Fred nodded. “It’s supposed to provide a unique experience each time, but it seems that our test subjects keep ending up with the same daydreams. We were hoping for a different daydream every time, so that people would buy it over and over again.”

Hermione frowned as she reread the formula. “I think you’ve put too much emphasis on the romance portion of the daydream. It’s probably drowning out the other types of daydreams.”

Fred scooted over and traced the formula on the parchment. Hermione found herself sandwiched in between the twins, and she shot Ginny a look of disbelief. Ginny snorted, causing Fred to look up. “What’s that for, Gin?”

Grasping for a response, Ginny said, “Well, I was trying to figure out what other types of daydreams Hermione was talking about. My daydreams usually involve meeting the perfect male who will treat me like a princess.”

George nodded. “That is the standard response to the daydream charm.”

Fred spoke close to Hermione’s ear and asked, “What do you daydream about?”

Hermione bit her lip while Fred’s breath tickled her ear. “I will admit to the occasional romantic fantasy, but I daydream about different things too. I fantasize about having a paper published in a prestigious journal, or about finding the right charm to make my hair behave.”

George reached up and wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger. “I like your hair. It seems to have a life of it’s own.”

As her scalp tingled, Hermione came to the conclusion that some higher power was messing with her for suggesting Ginny start those stupid rumors. Her body was sending out signals that it was quite enjoying being squished between Fred and George, and she was terrified that somehow they might find out what she was thinking.

***

Draco was watching the scene at Ginny’s table with great interest. He’d completely forgotten the information that Ginny had spilled about Hermione’s relationship while she talked in her sleep. He’d been far more focused on how he could possibly romance her given their past history. Now, however, he found himself with a visual reminder of Hermione’s relationship. Speaking in a scoffing voice, he said, “I’d heard Granger was in a relationship with those two, but I didn’t believe it.”

Blaise studied the threesome across the room. “Surely they’re just friends.”

Draco watched as one of the twins used a summoning spell to pull Hermione across the table. Hermione’s outraged squeak seemed to capture the attention of other people in the Great Hall. He was not the only one who chuckled when she smacked the idiot in the back of the head.

“Something is going on between those three.” Blaise confirmed. “A man doesn’t let a woman treat him that way unless he’s getting something out of the situation. It’s funny though. I never would have pictured her as the adventurous type.”

Pansy’s head whipped around. “What do you know?”

Blaise shrugged. “There’s a rumor going around that Granger is dating both of the twins.”

“Really,” Pansy purred. “How interesting.” Turning to the person next to her, she said, “I’m surprised Granger is being so bold about her non-traditional relationship.”

Draco shook his head. Pansy certainly knew how to make a rumor sound like absolute fact. Maybe, he could use that to his advantage as well. “Pansy, did you hear that Ginny dumped Potter?”

Pansy’s smile widened. “I’ve never heard you call her by her first name before, Draco. Could it be you have plans to make Potter jealous?”

Draco took a drink before he answered. It wouldn’t do to appear too eager. “I’ve been entertaining the idea. Annoying Potter and his sidekick at the same time seems like too good an opportunity to pass up.”

Pansy gave a contented sigh. “I do love Saturday morning breakfast. It’s the gossiping highlight of the week.”

***

Ginny watched as Draco spoke to Blaise, and then Blaise turned to Pansy. She could practically see the rumor mill at work as student after student whispered excitedly to one another. Searching the room for Ron, she wondered how long it would take him to hear about Hermione’s supposed relationship.

When she heard Lavender Brown’s annoying giggle, she figured the rumor has somehow spread to their table. She kept an eye on Ron. When his face flushed red, she figured he’d just heard the news. When he spotted Hermione nestled between the twins, his face turned purple.

Ron scowled and spoke to Harry, who obviously tried to calm him down. Ginny was beginning to get the feeling that their plan might backfire. She’d never counted on Ron seeing Hermione with the twins. He was supposed to defend her. That was hard for him to do when the twins were playing with Hermione’s hair and whispering in her ear.

At the sight of Ron stalking towards them, Ginny desperately searched for a way to help. “I wonder what has Ron in such a snit?” she asked in a voice loud enough to get the twin’s attention.

Fred looked up and frowned. “He definitely doesn’t look happy.”

Ron stopped behind Hermione and said, “I can’t believe you’d be involved in something so disgusting.”

Hermione blanched, and George saw the look of hurt on her face. He turned to face his brother. “Bugger off, Ron. She was just doing us a favor. If you’re going to be all high and mighty, then yell at us.”

“Believe me,” Ron bit out. “I don’t want to hear about the favors she’s been doing for you two.”

“Ron, you’re confused.” Hermione said in a wavering voice.

Shaking his head, Ron said, “I was confused before. Now, I see what type of person you really are. I have to say, I’m disappointed.”

Hermione burst into tears and Fred stood up and grabbed Ron roughly by the arm. “Come with me, little brother. We need to have a talk about respect.”

Fred never saw the punch that knocked him to the ground. He sat up shaking his head and watched Ron storm out of the Great Hall. He looked at George, who had his arms wrapped around a weeping Hermione. Standing up, he saw everyone in the room staring at him. Scowling at the lot of them, he said, “If anyone else gives Hermione any trouble over this, they will receive Exploding Dung Bombs, or worse, in their post every day for the rest of their lives.”

Ginny had no idea what to say. She watched as Hermione cried on George’s shirt. Her brother was doing his best to comfort her. He kissed the top of her head and murmured endearments and soothing sounds.

Hermione’s tears slowly stopped flowing, and she took a drink of the tea Fred offered her.
“I’m sorry, Hermione. I have no idea why Ron is being such a prat.”

Hermione’s eyes went to Ginny, and they were filled with sorrow. She looked down at the table as she spoke. “I never thought he’d be able to hate me. I always thought he’d come to my defense.”

Harry spoke from behind Hermione, startling her. “How’d you think he’d react, Hermione? I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise he’ll come around.”

Fred pointed his wand at Harry. “You’re not high on our list right now, Harry. Help Ron come around, and we might forgive you for hurting our sister.”

Harry nodded and then walked away. Fred turned to Ginny and asked, “In all the excitement this morning, I forgot to ask. How are you doing?”

Ginny shrugged. “I’ve found someone to take my mind off of things. You probably wouldn’t approve of my choice.”

Fred snorted. “I’m not Ron. I don’t judge. If the bloke makes you smile, that’s all I care about.”

Hermione sniffled, and Ginny frowned. She pointed her wand at her friend and said a calming spell, and then a cleaning spell. Hermione looked up with a slightly dazed expression on her face. “Thanks, Gin. I needed that.”

George stood up and pulled Hermione to her feet. “What you need is to spend time with a very funny, handsome, young man who will help take your mind off of your troubles.”

Fred stood up. “Why thank you for suggesting that Hermione spend the day with me.”

George snorted, “I was talking about me.”

Hermione chuckled, and allowed Fred and George to lead her out of the Great Hall. Ginny looked down at her plate and wondered how she was going to fix this situation. She heard someone sit down across from her. At the same time, she heard the people around her suck in their breath. Looking up, she saw Draco sitting across from her.

“What are you doing over here?” she asked.

Draco smirked at her. “I hate to be left out of a scandal. Why don’t you go for a walk with me?”

The absurdity of the situation struck Ginny, and she laughed. “All right, Malfoy. Let’s go for a walk.”

“Should I use a summoning spell to drag you across the table?” he asked with one eyebrow raised.

“Only if you want your new nickname to be one ball,” she replied with a sweet smile.

Draco laughed out loud, and waited for her to walk around the table. “You have such a lady like vocabulary.”

Ginny snorted. “I have six older brothers. I probably know more foul language than you do.”

As they walked out of the cafeteria, Draco leaned close to her ear and whispered. “I’ve always liked a woman who knows how to talk dirty.”

Ginny tripped over her own feet, and Draco reached out to steady her. As they continued walking, she tried to keep up with the playful banter. The heat of his hand on the small of her back made it difficult for her to think clearly.

“Ginevra,” Draco said in a voice that started her blood humming.

She looked up at him and said, “Sorry, did you say something?”

He steered her out the front door and down a path that led to the lake. “I wasn’t talking to hear my own voice.”

“I’m a bit distracted. I’m worried about Hermione.”

Draco directed her to a bench on the side of the path. “Aren’t you a bit shocked by her relationship with your brothers?” he asked putting an emphasis on the plural form of the word.

Ginny looked down at her hands. “I don’t believe she is anything but friends with them.”

“Did you know when people lie they always look down or away from the person they are talking too?”

Ginny stared straight into Draco’s eyes. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“I believe you are trying to fool yourself. There was genuine affection between those three, as evidenced by their defense of Hermione.”

“I suppose you’re right. What does a Slytherin know of genuine affection?”

Draco leaned closer to her, and her breath caught in her throat. When his lips were millimeters from hers he whispered, “We are capable of genuine affection. We are just extremely selective in who we care about.”

“Oh,” Ginny answered while she waited for him to kiss her. Approaching footsteps on the path shattered the moment, and he pulled away from her. The group of girls who were walking by stopped to gawk at them.

Draco cleared his throat and glared at them. They giggled and walked off.

Ginny decided that this spot was to exposed. She didn’t want her first kiss with Draco to be interrupted, so she stood up and said, “Let’s walk.”

Draco followed along beside her, and then subtly steered her towards a grove of trees. Ginny followed him, and was surprised to find there was a bench in the secluded area. “I didn’t know this was here,” she told him as she looked around.

Draco sat and pulled her down beside him. He just stared at her, and she started to fidget. “Malfoy, knock it off. You’re making me nervous.”

Reaching out to push a lock of hair behind her ear, he said, “You should be nervous.”

Ginny saw the predatory look in his eyes, and she realized that maybe she was playing out of her league. It wasn’t smart to be in a secluded area with a Slytherin she didn’t know very well.

She started to make an excuse as to why she needed to go back to her room, and then Draco leaned over and brushed his lips against her neck. The simple contact made her shiver. Heat seemed to radiate from wherever his lips touched her. A low moan escaped her throat, and she heard Draco chuckle right before he pressed his lips against hers.

As the kiss deepened, she realized he was not only out of her league; he was playing an entirely different sport. She’d heard other girls complain of completely losing their heads, not to mention essential articles of clothing, when they snogged certain young men. She’d always thought it was bunk. When she felt Draco’s hands wandering and she realized she had no desire to stop him, she knew she was in trouble.

“Sorry,” she squeaked as she inched away from him. “That’s a bit fast for me.” Standing up, she straightened her clothes and fled the grove of trees leaving most of her dignity behind. On the way to a cold shower, she chastised herself for being such an idiot. She’d thought that she was the one pulling the strings, but she hadn’t counted on reacting to Draco in such a strong manner. “Be careful what you wish for,” she muttered as she wondered what in the heck she was going to do now.

Hermione walked along with Fred on one side of her and George on the other. They told her about the new products they were working on and had her laughing in no time at all. All three of them sat on a bench down by the lake and watched the students milling around. Fred was the first one to notice the strange looks they were receiving.

“George, is it me, or are people looking at us like we’re the latest attraction at the zoo?”

George looked around and said, “I see what you mean. Pick someone and ask him what the problem is.”

Fred stood up and approached a group of students he didn’t know. He picked out the friendliest looking guy in the group and asked, “Why is everyone so interested in what we’re doing here today?”

The young man blushed. “It might be a twin thing, but most of us are a bit shocked that you’re both dating Hermione.”

Fred blinked. “We’re both what? Where did you get that idea?”

“Well, there was a rumor going around the Great Hall this morning that you were a threesome. Then, there was the way you three were acting towards each other.”

Fred shook his head and chuckled. “I don’t suppose you’d believe we were just friends?”

The young man snorted and pointed back at the bench where George was kissing Hermione. “If you want to keep your relationship a secret, you might want to tell your brother not to snog her in broad daylight.”

Fred took in the scene of George kissing Hermione. That was certainly a new development. He rubbed his jaw. “I see what you mean.”

Fred walked back over to the bench where George had his arm around Hermione. She was blushing, and George was looking quite pleased with himself.

“George, that young man didn’t really know anything useful. Why don’t you go ask that group of students over there.”

George stood up. “All right. I’ll see what I can find out.”

Fred sat down and looked at Hermione. “We need to talk.”

Hermione’s heart skipped a beat. Fred seemed annoyed with her. “I’m sorry,” she said in an attempt to try and curb whatever he was mad about.

“What are you sorry about?”

Hermione chuckled. “I don’t know. You seem upset that I kissed George.”

Looking down at his hands, Fred said, “I’m not upset. I just want to make sure that you aren’t kissing him to get back at Ron for ignoring you all these years.”

Hermione bit her lip while she took a moment to test out her feelings about Ron. When she thought about him, the only words she came up with were ungrateful prat. “Ron is a separate issue. I think I’m hurt, because I thought he was my best friend.”

“Ron will come around eventually. If he does, will you drop George?”

Shaking her head emphatically, Hermione said, “No, I wouldn’t. I hadn’t realized it until now, but my crush on Ron was more habit than substance. I want to be with George.”

George walked back over to Fred and Hermione. “Fred, you need to owl Katie. Some idiot started a rumor that we were both dating Hermione.”

Fred stood up. “I think I’ll just go visit her instead. You two have fun.”

George looked off into the distance and frowned. “You won’t have to visit her. Someone must have owled her already, because she’s stalking up behind you and she looks like she wants to rip your head off.”

“Play along,” Fred whispered, and then spoke in a loud voice. “Hermione, I’m sorry. There’s someone else.”

Hermione clasped her hands in front of her chest and did her best to look disappointed. “Is it serious?”

Fred nodded. “It’s very serious. I’ve been seeing Katie for a few months now, and...I think I love her.”

Hermione’s jaw fell open. Katie stepped in front of Fred and stopped short of yelling at him. “What did you just say?” she asked incredulously.

Fred reached out and took her hand. “I said, that I think I love you.”

“You love me?” Katie asked in joyous disbelief.

Fred wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly before replying, “Yeah, I do.”

Katie emerged from the kiss looking slightly dazed, but happy. She glanced over at Hermione. “Sorry, Hermione. I didn’t realize you were...involved.”

Hermione clasped George’s hand and gave him a sly wink. “That’s all right. Two Weasleys are far too difficult to manage. I’ll just stick to one from now on.”

***


Ginny’s stomach growled, and she thought it might be safe to head down to lunch. She’d taken a long, cold shower, and her hormones were firmly leashed and under control. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the stairs and into the Great Hall. As she sat down, her eyes flicked across the aisle, not to check and see if a certain blond Slytherin was having lunch, but just because that is what her eyes had decided to do.

It really wasn’t her fault that she was seated directly across from Draco. She hadn’t planned it. It was her normal spot. She drank a cold glass of pumpkin juice and wondered if he was actually shooting heated beams at her with his eyes, or if she was just delusional. In her mind, she was lecturing her hormones to remain calm. She was the manipulator in this situation, damn it. Her hormones completely ignored her directive and started doing back flips.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she wheeled around to see Hermione smiling at her.
“Hey, Gin. Did you hear the good news?”

Ginny set her drink down and studied the glow radiating from her friend. “You’re having Fred and George’s love child?”

Hermione snorted. “No, there will be no love child, thank you very much. If there were, it would be George’s. I’m down to dating a single Weasley.”

Ginny perked up. “You’re really dating George?”

The brother in question appeared behind Hermione. He sat next to her and kissed her on the cheek. “What are we talking about?”

Ginny looked at her brother. “You’re dating Hermione? How did that happen?”

“I just thought I’d drop by Hogwarts and snog all the eligible girls. That way I could pick the one I liked best. Lucky for Hermione, I decided to stop with her.”

Ginny chuckled, but then she had a sudden thought. “Shouldn’t we take measures to squash the rumor about you dating both of the twins?”

Hermione leaned back against George and gave Ginny a sly smile. “I’ve always been known for being a know it all. It’s kind of nice to have a different reputation for a change. Plus, I thought a loud denial might make waves for other people. Fred already told Katie he chose her over me. I’d hate to screw up their relationship.”

Ginny realized if Draco heard Hermione had never been with both twins, then her cover would be blown as well. “That is an interesting choice, Hermione. I can appreciate your reasoning.”

George spoke up. “I’ve always wanted a way to start a rumor that I was more manly than Fred. That was a bit difficult to pull off since we are identical twins. Now I can tell people that Hermione chose me because of the size of my...”

“Not another word,” Hermione warned.

George feigned innocence. “I was going to say heart, Hermione. What were you thinking about?”

Hermione turned bright red while Ginny laughed.

***

Ginny enjoyed her lunch with George and Hermione. The two of them invited her to go to Hogsmeade, but she declined. It amused her that Hermione had no problem using George’s forged passes. As she watched the two leave the Great Hall hand in hand, her eyes drifted over to the Slytherin table again. She saw that Draco was gone. Feeling slightly rejected, she walked outside and sat with her back against a tree.

She was musing about how Ron was going to take the news that Hermione was George’s girlfriend, when an irritated looking Draco sat down next to her.

“You know I don’t believe I’ve ever had a girl actually flee from me before.”

Ginny took in his cold expression. “Sorry, I was overwhelmed.”

He plucked a blade of grass and tied it in a knot. “You do realize a simple request to stop would have sufficed? I’m not in the habit of mauling unwilling women.”

Ginny reached out to touch his arm. “I didn’t think you were.”

Taking her hand in his, he looked at her curiously and asked, “Then, why did you run away?”

Ginny felt her face heat up as she tried to think of a way to explain that didn’t make her sound like an idiot. “I’m going to try to explain this in a way that isn’t mortifying. If you make fun of me, I will hex you.”

Draco nodded solemnly, and she continued. As she spoke, she looked at their intertwined hands. “I’ve never reacted to anyone else the way I reacted to you. When you kissed me, I forgot about where we were and what was appropriate. It scared me.”

When she risked a look up, the smirk on Draco’s face was nearly blinding. “Could you possibly tone down the smirk?” she asked in an irritated voice.

Draco looked away, cleared his throat, and then looked back at her with a slightly smaller smirk in place. “Is this better?”

“Marginally.”

Draco leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I bet I know a way to make you forget.”

Ginny muttered, “Bastard,” as his lips skimmed along the outside of her ear. She heard him chuckle, and she poked him in the ribs. He jerked away from her with a surprised yelp.

“You’re ticklish,” she stated with a huge grin.

“I am not,” he defended with dead certainty.

“Really?” she asked. “I wonder what happens if I do this?”

Draco flinched when she poked him in the ribs again. “Ginevra,” he said in an ominous tone. She giggled, and he held tight to both of her hands as he kissed her senseless.

When the kiss ended, she sighed.

“Feel like running away?” he asked as he studied her expression.

“Nope.” Ginny changed their position so he was sitting with his back against the tree and she was reclining against his chest.

“What, are we doing?” he asked.

“We are cuddling,” she explained in a delighted voice.

“Slytherins do not cuddle,” he complained. “We snog, we have amazing sex, but we do not cuddle.”

Ginny looked up at him. “Do you want to get to the amazing sex part?”

He nodded as he gave her a searing look.

“You have to cuddle first.”

Draco made a noise as if her were in serious pain. She patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

Ginny saw Ron approaching out of the corner of her eye. His fists were clenched, and his face was visibly red. He was obviously still in a foul mood over Hermione’s social life.

Deciding it might be best not to irritate him any further, she started to move away from Draco. The arm draped around her waist tightened. “Ginevra, there will be no more fleeing.”

Ron stopped in front of them and gave them a completely disgusted look. “Malfoy, what in the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Unfortunately, I believe I am cuddling,” Draco responded in a dry voice. “It wasn’t my idea. Your sister insisted upon it.”

Ginny chuckled, and Ron glared at her.

“Has everyone lost their minds? You dumped Harry for a minor mistake, and then you attach yourself to this snake. It doesn’t make sense.”

Sitting forward, Ginny unloaded on her brother. “It was not a minor mistake. He knowingly and willingly kissed another person. He didn’t accidentally fall on top of her lips.”

Ron rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You’re dating Malfoy just to get back at Harry, aren’t you? That’s very mature.”

“After Harry betrayed me, I decided that I wanted someone who was his complete opposite. Draco came along, and things just seemed to fall into place.”

Draco cleared his throat. “That isn’t strictly true. I never would have thought of dating you if you didn’t talk in your sleep.”

Ron’s entire body went rigid as he glared at Draco. When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper. “How do you know that my sister talks in her sleep?”

Ginny was about to pipe up that he heard her talking in the library, but then she realized she wasn’t supposed to know about that. Shooting a glance over her shoulder, she said, “When you found me in the library, you never told me that you heard me talking in my sleep.”

Draco gave her a look of disgust. “Did you have to tell him the real reason? He looked like his head was about to explode. I think I would have enjoyed that.”

Ginny looked at Ron and noted the veins bulging on his forehead. “Relax, Ron. I fell asleep the other night in the library. Draco found me and woke me up. Apparently, I had loose lips while I slept.”

Narrowing his gaze at Draco, Ron demanded, “What did she say?”

“Fine,” Draco responded petulantly. “Apparently she knew about Granger’s unique arrangement with your brothers, and she might have mentioned that she wanted to date someone the opposite of Harry. My name may have come up.”

Ginny chuckled as Ron’s left eyelid began to twitch. “Ron, you’ll be relieved to know that Hermione is only dating George. Plus, I know for a fact that she’s done no more than kiss either of them, so there is nothing to pitch a fit over.”

Draco made a disappointed sound. “Knowing that takes some of the fun out of it. I know I wasn’t the only one taking perverse joy in imagining Little Miss Know It All doing depraved things with both of your brothers. I’m sure Blaise will be very disappointed.”

Ron growled, and Ginny pointed her wand at him. “Ron, don’t start anything. You brought the Hermione situation on yourself by not asking her out years ago.” Looking at Draco she asked, “Shouldn’t you be imagining doing depraved things with me, rather than paying attention to Hermione’s sex life?”

Draco arched an eyebrow at her. “Make your brother go away, and I’ll share a few ideas I have with you on that topic.”

Ginny waved her wand in Ron’s general direction. “Go away, or I’ll hex you bald.”

Ron stomped off and Ginny turned to Draco. “Where were we?”

Draco leaned down and nuzzled her neck. She didn’t need him to share any depraved fantasies with her, because she was coming up with a few spectacular ideas all on her own.

***

Hermione and George were walking across the grounds of Hogwarts after they returned from their trip to Hogsmeade. As far as Hermione was concerned, everything was right with the world. She’d always enjoyed George’s company, because he made her laugh. The fact that his kisses made the hair on her arms stand up was a nice bonus.

As they held hands and walked some of the more secluded pathways, they crossed paths with Professor Snape.

“Mr. Weasley, I thought you graduated last year. Why are you blessing us with your presence?” Snape asked with suspicion. One of his eyebrows shot up when he saw the two were holding hands.

George gave his cheekiest smile. “I was hoping to sign up for an advanced potions class. I feel I didn’t pay close enough attention during my time here. I’m sure there is much I have left to learn.”

Professor Snape smirked. “What a shame that Hogwarts doesn’t offer graduate level coursework. I suppose you’ll just have to attend a University and make some other Professor’s life miserable with your pranks.”

George chuckled and said, “Care to recommend any of your colleagues?”

Professor Snape’s smirk grew larger. “At the moment, there is no one I can think of who deserves your company.”

Hermione laughed, and George tried to look offended. Professor Snape looked at the two in disgust and walked off muttering about their genes combining to make deviously intelligent offspring.

***


Ginny felt like her entire body had turned into a pile of goo. It was quite embarrassing. All Draco had to do was kiss her neck, and her hormones went on a rampage. To make matters worse, he was quite aware of his effect on her, and he found it terribly amusing.

He whispered in her ear. “If you’re going to make noises like that when I kiss your neck, we should go inside.”

Ginny forced herself to sit up and move away from him. “I don’t think being inside is going to help matters.”

Draco leaned towards her neck, and she smacked her hand over the exposed area to ward him off. “I think we need to take a break, or a walk, or maybe I should just throw myself in the lake for a few moments.”

Smirking at her, Draco said, “All right, let’s go for a walk.”

Ginny didn’t trust the silky tone of his voice. However, she was pleasantly surprised when he reached for her hand as they walked towards the lake. She was at a loss for small talk, so she waited to see what he would bring up.

He pulled her down a hedge lined pathway she was not familiar with. They started seeing fewer and fewer students. When they rounded a particularly large hedge, they almost ran into Professor Snape. He was muttering to himself about something. His eyes grew larger as he saw the couple in front of him. Looking at Draco, he said, “Tell me that is not Ginny Weasley.”

Draco nodded. “All right, sir. That is not Ginny Weasley.”

Professor Snape glared at Draco while Ginny bit her lip to keep from chuckling. Draco cleared his throat. “I don’t normally lie to my professors, but you did make a direct request.”

Snape made a noise of disgust. “Has everyone gone off their hippogriff today? First I see Granger with the wrong Weasley, and now you’ve attached yourself to one as well.” He looked at Ginny. “After you graduate, I’m sure Hogwarts will seem boring. Whatever shall I do when there aren’t Weasleys popping out of every path and corridor?”


Ginny tried to look sincere as she spoke. “Don’t worry, Professor Snape. I’m sure that Charlie or Bill will get married and have children within a few years. Then, there will be a whole new batch of Weasleys for you to teach. Considering how large my family is, you’ll probably be teaching Weasleys until you retire.

Ginny watched as Snape’s brows drew together. She was startled when she heard him mutter words that even her brothers were reluctant to use. Then she watched him stalk past her down the pathway. She looked at Draco and found him studying her.

“What?” she asked, giving him her best innocent smile.

“I’m impressed. I’ve never seen Professor Snape lose his reserve like that.”

Chuckling, Ginny said, “The key is to keep a completely innocent look on your face the entire time.”

“I never knew you were so manipulative,” Draco informed her with what sounded like a touch of pride.

“The twins taught me everything I know.”

Draco nodded. “For a Gryffindor, you are pretty sneaky. Don’t bother trying to trick me. I’m on to you.”

Tamping down her urge to chuckle, Ginny smiled and said, “I’ll have to remember that.”