Torn

Ginny awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She stretched languidly beneath the satiny covers of her four-poster bed and sighed happily without opening her eyes. Last night had been one of the best nights of her entire life. She'd finally gotten a real kiss from Harry, and he'd been the one to instigate it. She could tell from his hesitation that he hadn't wanted to stop, and truth be told, she hadn't wanted him to, either.

She rolled onto her side and tucked the covers under her arm. Behind her eyelids she could see images of Harry. Harry smiling, Harry laughing, Harry blushing. Her heart skipped several beats when she pictured the look in his eyes that always captivated her right before he kissed her. A tiny shiver went through her.

"Do all of the Weasleys sleep this late?" an amused voice asked. Ginny's eyes flew open and she twisted around in her bed to see who was talking. She gasped and clutched the blankets to her chest tightly.

"How did you-" she started. He grinned at her and she felt her shyness and resolve melting away. He took a few steps towards her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It's not important," he said, shaking his head. She smiled softly at him, and then glanced around.

"Where is everyone?" she asked curiously. He shrugged.

"It's a Hogsmeade weekend. I expect they've all gone," he said, letting his emerald eyes drop to her bared shoulders. She could feel the heat rising in her face when she saw where he was looking, and she shifted on the bed. He lifted his eyes back to hers and grinned again.

"Harry Potter," she scolded gently. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had something else in mind besides waking me when you came up here." He surprised her when he lifted himself onto her bed and stretched out on top of the covers beside her. He propped his head up on his hand and she laid back down slowly, gazing at him.

"Maybe I did," he whispered, his eyes glittering strangely. Her stomach began doing wild somersaults as he lowered his mouth to cover hers in a soft kiss. She automatically raised her hands to caress the back of his neck, dropping her covers in the process. His hand strayed from the side of the bed to her flat stomach. Even through the thick coverlet, she could feel its heat burning into her; branding her as his.

His tongue teased her lips apart gently and she sighed into the kiss. A low moan escaped him, and he kissed her harder, with more intensity. After several minutes, she detached herself breathlessly and looked at him with wild eyes.

"I s-should be getting dressed," she murmured, standing. She heard him whistle softly, and turned to look at him in surprise.

"Sorry," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his eyes. "But you look sexy in that." She looked down and let out a small yelp - she was still in her pyjamas! She reached for her bathrobe and slid it on quickly to cover up her hunter green satin nightie. Her face was throbbing from the heat of her embarrassment, and he chuckled.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Should I meet you somewhere?" she asked, not meeting his eyes. He nodded.

"I'll be waiting in the common room." She nodded and left, her face still burning from embarrassment. If she had turned to look back at the man sitting on her bed, she would have been surprised to see the dark hair melting away into flaxen locks, and the green eyes paling until they looked like molten silver.

**

When Ginny had finished showering and returned to her room, she was almost disappointed that Harry had not stayed there and waited for her. She shrugged and pulled on a faded Chudley Cannons t-shirt and a pair of jeans that she'd purchased when Hermione had taken her shopping in Muggle London over the summer. She bounded down to the common room and looked around for Harry. She smiled to herself when she saw him dozing in one of the overstuffed armchairs.

"Harry," she whispered, kneeling in front of him. She reached up and brushed her fingertips across his lips, then sucked her breath in when his hand lifted to hers and held her fingers in place. Her heart began to race as he pressed his lips to her skin, and then let her hand drop. He grinned sweetly at her. "You looked so peaceful sleeping."

"Who could sleep through that?" he teased. She blushed and smiled at him, then stood. She held a hand out to him, and he took it. Instead of standing up, however, he tugged gently and she landed on his lap. They were both blushing furiously, but neither one made a move to get up.

"Have you seen Ron and Hermione this morning yet?" she asked, trying to ignore his musky scent. It was doing funny things to her pulse, not to mention fogging her brain.

"Yeah, they went down to breakfast early and then went to Hogsmeade," he said, his eyes on her lips.

"I don't want to keep you from going. I don't want you to miss out just because of me." He tugged his eyes upward with great effort and shook his head.

"Are you kidding? You think I want to see my two best friends snogging madly in between arguments?" She laughed, and he grinned. "It would scar me for life."

"I can see that," she teased. His smile faded and her heart leapt into her throat. There was that look again, the one that made her legs feel like they'd turned to jelly. She closed her eyes and waited for his kiss. He didn't make her wait long - his mouth covered hers tenderly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his hand move so that it rested on her hip, and lightning surged through her veins. She kissed him harder, and he moaned softly.

"If we don't stop, we'll never leave the common room," he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. Tiny chills traveled down her spine, and she bit her lower lip to keep from moaning as he kissed her earlobe. His mouth trailed down her jaw line and found the creamy exposed flesh of her throat.

"I'm surprised we even left the bedroom," she whispered, more to herself than to him. He froze.

"What?" He raised puzzled eyes to hers, and she blushed.

"I'm surprised we even left the bedroom," she repeated, looking down. When he didn't say anything, she lifted her eyes to his. He was staring at her strangely.

"Ginny, what bedroom?" For a moment, she thought he might be teasing. Her smile faded slowly when she realized his look of confusion was genuine, and her heart dropped into her stomach, making her feel nauseous. If that hadn't been Harry this morning, then who had it been? He was still staring at her expectantly.

"Oh," she said, not having to pretend her embarrassment. "I just meant the dream I had last night." He eyed her face for a moment, and then visibly relaxed.

"You dreamt about me?" he asked softly, the color rising in his cheeks. She nodded and pushed the fear away for a moment. "That's funny, because I dreamt about you, too." She arched an eyebrow.

"It was a good dream, I hope."

"Of course," he said, laughing. "Why wouldn't it be?" She shrugged and laughed.

"Ron has dreams about me all the time, but he's always beating me up in them," she said, giving him a crooked smile. He grinned.

"That sounds like my cousin Dudley, except that he likes to do it in real life, not just his dreams." Ginny's face darkened and she stood up.

"I don't like the way they treat you, Harry. Maybe we should talk to Mum about you staying the summer at the Burrow." Harry grinned broadly.

"Do you think your parents would let me, even if they knew about us?" She smiled.

"Of course, Harry! Mum and Dad love you. You're like part of the family."

"Don't say that," he said, wincing. "It makes it sound like what we're doing is incestuous." She burst out laughing.

"Harry, really," she protested, her eyes shining. He stood and reached for her hand.

"What do you want to do today?"

"How about we grab our brooms and have a little morning flight?" His eyes lit up and her heart swelled. He looked like an excited child at Christmastime.

"Excellent! I'll be right back!" He turned and ran to the stairs, and she went up to get her broom. When she came back down, he was waiting for her.

"Ready to watch me fly circles around you, Potter?" she teased. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"And what makes you so sure you can do that, Weasley?" They clambered out through the portrait hole.

"It's common knowledge that women are better fliers than men," she said, sticking her nose in the air. He grinned.

"Is that so? Well, prepare to be proved wrong," he winked at her, and her jaw dropped in mock surprise. She pushed her lower lip out and pouted at him, then batted her eyelashes innocently at him.

"We shall see, shan't we?"

"We shall indeed," he said, laughing. They walked to the pitch slowly. Harry was taken by surprise when Ginny suddenly jumped on her broom and kicked off.

"You're too slow, Potter!" she called over her shoulder. She looked back down at the ground and was surprised when she didn't see him. She hovered in the air, her eyes scanning the ground below. Suddenly she felt a breeze and turned to see Harry hovering next to her, grinning madly.

"Too slow, am I?" he laughed. She inched closer to him and kissed him slowly, then pulled away. She smiled at the bewildered look on his face. "That isn't fair! You're using your feminine wiles against me!"

"Of course. I play dirty - I learned from the best." She winked and took off, and smiled to herself as she heard him closing in behind her.

"I'm assuming you mean Fred and George," he called. She looked up, surprised to see him flying right next to her. He was leaning back with his hands behind his head. She smiled wickedly and reached over to poke him in the side. He laughed and slowed down, and she turned about to look at him.

"Really, Potter, you've got to learn to steel yourself against my attacks. You're way too soft. Maybe we should just land and call it a day," she teased. He sped up and suddenly he was right beside her. She sucked in a lungful of air as he leaned forward and put his warm hand on her knee, and then kissed her. As soon as he pulled away, she knew he'd tricked her. She giggled and dove to catch up to him.

"Too soft, huh?" He laughed. "I think you could use a bit of toughening up yourself there, Weasley!"

"And you said I play dirty," she laughed, pulling her broom up beside his. He arched an eyebrow playfully.

"I learned from the best," he said. She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

They flew for a long time, just having fun and concentrating on each other - totally unaware that they were being watched. From his position beneath the stands, Draco could see and hear almost everything. When he saw the redhead leaning over to kiss Potter, he had to look away.

"What do I care, anyway?" he fumed angrily at himself, striding back towards the castle. When he got all the way there, he turned to have one last look at them. They were hovering with their arms wrapped around each other. His stomach lurched violently, and he fought to keep down the bile that rose in his throat.

He'd been in her bedroom earlier. He'd used polyjuice potion to become Potter, just to see what it would be like to kiss her. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead against the cool stone of the castle wall. He was no innocent when it came to kisses, but when she'd kissed him like that... his heart began to race at the memory of it. Damn, he thought, a smirk tugging at his lips. That had been a kiss.

He'd gotten a taste of her; of what it was like to be her boyfriend for a few scant moments. But now that he'd had that taste, would it be enough? He balled his hands up into fists and sighed angrily. She was a filthy Weasley - what the hell was he playing at, kissing her, and then having the nerve to enjoy it?

He licked his lips, remembering her soft kisses. They'd driven him wild; if she hadn't gotten up, he was sure he would have stayed there and blown his cover. He smirked as he wondered what her reaction would have been if she'd realized who she was kissing. His eyes flew open at the thought. Would she have still kissed him? No, he thought. Surely not. She hated him with a passion. But then, why had she given him that pepperup potion? His brow furrowed in confusion. He'd never had so many conflicting emotions before.

He turned to look for the couple again, but they were gone. Cottony white clouds drifted lazily by in an otherwise empty sky. He sighed and turned to go inside, but stopped short. Ginny was standing in his path, gripping her broom and glaring at him.

"Where's Scarhead?" he asked, glancing around. He arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you so anxious to be alone with me all of a sudden?"

"Harry went inside to get some things for our picnic lunch," she said, her eyes blazing. "But since you insist on bringing up being alone with me, why don't we talk about that?" He blinked in surprise. There was no way she could know already - was there?

"What is there to talk about?" he asked coolly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I want to know how you got into my bedroom, for starters," she hissed, putting her free hand on her hip. He tried desperately to ignore the fact that her t-shirt looked to be about two sizes too small, and smirked at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hell you don't, ferret boy!" she snarled. His eyes turned icy.

"You'd be wise to hold your tongue, Weasley," he said, his eyes glittering. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You don't frighten me, Malfoy, as much as you'd like to believe you do. Now tell me how you got into my room, and then we'll discuss why you did it."

"You're cracked. I've never been in your room." The lies rolled smoothly off of his tongue. "And why do you insist I have? Do you want me to pay you a visit?"

"We both know that you kissed me this morning, and in my own bed. How the hell did you manage to get up there past the sliding stairs? And why did you pretend to be Harry and kiss me?" Her knuckles were white from gripping the broom handle.

"You're so stupid, Weasley," he said, rolling his eyes. "I didn't get to share the beds of half of the girls in Slytherin without learning a few tricks." Her cheeks flushed, but she continued to glare at him.

"Please, spare me the details of your farcical sexual escapades," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Now tell me why you did it."

"I just wanted to see what Potter thought was so great," he shrugged, his eyes darkening. "But I must admit that I'm rather disappointed with you. It's obvious to me that Potter must not have kissed many women, because if he had, he'd realize that you weren't such a prize after all." Without warning, she bestowed him with an open-palmed slap on the cheek.

"How dare you," she hissed. "How dare you touch me, let alone kiss me! You make me sick!"

"And what would Scarhead say if I told him you'd kissed me, I wonder?" he drawled softly.

"He would never believe you," she said through clenched teeth.

"He might if I could describe to him where every last freckle on your shoulders and collarbone were," he said, reaching out a finger to trace her exposed collarbone. She slapped his hand away. The heaving of her breasts in her anger excited him.

"And he's smart enough to realize that you probably tricked me somehow," she said, sticking her chin out defiantly.

"Are you so sure?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "And are you willing to take that chance?"

"What exactly is it that you think you'd be able to get out of me in return for your silence, Malfoy?"

"My, my, aren't we in a hurry," he said, leaning against the wall. "Afraid Potty will come back out here and see you with me?"

"You'd better hope for your own sake that he doesn't, Malfoy, because I guarantee he won't talk to you like I'm doing. So why don't we just skip the formalities, and you tell me what it is that you want."

"I want you to meet with me in private." She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"Impossible." She shook her head. "Even if I agreed to do it, I couldn't. Harry and I have plans all day today."

"Well, those plans might be cut short if Potter were to find out that I'd been in your bed, wouldn't they?"

"And just what makes you think that he'd believe you?" she asked, pursing her lips.

"Because I can tell him what your nightgown looks like. Has Potter seen you in it yet?" Her paling face was his answer. "Oh, but he must know how enticing you looked in it."

"Enticing? To you?" She sneered at him, even though she felt as though her stomach had bottomed out.

"You may be a filthy Weasley, but you're still female, and men have... needs," he said, his eyes glittering dangerously.

"Spare me, Malfoy," she spat. "If you think that you're going to be satisfying any of your so-called needs with me, you've got another thing coming. I'll cut it off before I let it touch me," she hissed angrily. He grinned.

"I like a woman with spirit," he whispered menacingly. She glared at him. "It will make it that much more satisfying when I break you."

"You'll never break me, Malfoy. I would die before I'd give you the satisfaction."

"Meet me tonight in the room of requirement," he said calmly, running a hand through his hair. She stared at him in disbelief.

"And what makes you think I'd be stupid enough to do that?" He leaned closer to her, and she stiffened.

"The fact that Potter is headed this way might be an incentive to you," he said, his breath hot on her ear. She shivered involuntarily, cursing her own body at the tingle of excitement that coursed through her. "You might want to make your decision before he gets here and has an opportunity to speak to me." She glared at him.

"Fine. After curfew, but not in the room of requirement. I'll meet you in the Astronomy tower." She turned her back to him and strode angrily to meet Harry. He looked around her at Malfoy's retreating back, then down to her frowning face.

"What did that git say to you?" he asked, sitting the picnic basket down. She shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, forcing a smile. "He was just trying to irritate me, like he always does. I'm glad you're back - I missed you." He blushed and smiled at her.

"Missed you too," he said softly. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved," she said. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly. He laughed.

"Why don't we eat by the lake?" he suggested. She nodded and threaded her arm through his, and he picked up the picnic basket. When they got to the edge of the lake, he waved his wand and muttered a spell that she'd never heard before. A soft red blanket appeared on the grass, and she looked up at him in wonder.

"How did you do that?" she asked, awed. He shrugged and sat the basket down on it, then sat down on it. She sat across from him and crossed her legs. He waved his wand and muttered another unfamiliar spell, and two plates appeared. Another wave of the wand produced two crystal goblets and a pitcher full of burgundy liquid.

"Harry!" she whispered. "How did you ..." her voice trailed off as he grinned at her. He reached his hand into the picnic basket and pulled out some fruit and a covered platter. He lifted the lid off and she turned wide eyes to him. Somehow he had managed to procure an entire platter of fried chicken - her favorite. "You are incredible, Harry Potter. You do know that, don't you?"

"Well, let's just say I don't hang around your brother and not learn a thing or two about food," he chuckled softly. He piled some chicken on a plate, and then handed it to her. She was so overwhelmed by the gesture that she was on the verge of tears. "If anyone knows how to get into the kitchens and get food, it's Ron."

"Oh," she whispered. He looked up and frowned.

"Did I say something wrong?" A tear made its way down her cheek, and she pressed a hand to her chest. "Gin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she managed, raising her eyes to his. "I'm just - I can't find the words, Harry! This is so amazing. You're amazing!" His cheeks turned scarlet under her praise.

"It's just chicken," he protested, grinning stupidly.

"No, it's more than that," she insisted. "You remembered it was my favorite. You went to all the trouble to get it and bring it out here. And then you set everything up - oh, this is all so romantic!"

"It wasn't any trouble at all," he said, his ears burning. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and sucked in a deep breath. There was something about the way the sun shone down on her copper hair that made him want to run his fingers through it.

"Harry, it means a lot to me. I love it, and I love you," she said. Her hand flew to her mouth as soon as the words slipped out. Harry's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped slightly.

"Y-you do?" he stammered, rising to his knees. She blushed furiously and looked down at the blanket, then nodded. Before she knew what was happening, he had crossed the picnic blanket and kissed her. His hands slid up behind her neck and buried themselves in her silky hair, and she moaned softly. He pushed her down gently onto her back and kissed her again, softer this time. When he pulled away to look at her, his eyes were shining with raw emotion.

"Ginny, I - I love you, too," he whispered. Her eyes widened, then she smiled softly.

"I never thought I'd hear those words coming from you. At least, not directed at me."

"I wanted to tell you yesterday, but I was afraid you'd think I was insane," he said quietly, brushing a copper strand away from her face. She cupped his face in her hands and forced him to meet her eyes.

"I've loved you so long that I don't remember what it's like not to love you."

He bent and pressed his lips to hers again, then sat up and helped her into a sitting position. He stroked her cheek softly, and then moved back to his place on the blanket. A warm feeling filled him, and he thought that it might overflow any moment. He'd never felt so loved - so wanted - in his entire life. She smiled at him.

"Wow," he said, watching her eat. "You can put the food away almost as good as Ron." His eyes twinkled, and she sputtered.

"Way to go, Potter," she teased, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Give me an eating complex so I'll never be able to eat around you again." She threw the napkin at him, and he grinned.

"I highly doubt that," he said, raising his eyebrows. "I've yet to meet a Weasley who turned down food when it was offered."

"Harry Potter, you should be ashamed of yourself, talking to your girlfriend like that!" Harry looked up as Hermione's shadow fell over him, and he smiled. Ron reached down and grabbed a piece of chicken. When Hermione glared at him, he blinked innocently.

"What?" he asked through a mouthful. She rolled her eyes and sat down beside Ginny.

"What are you guys doing back so soon?" Ginny asked, watching Harry conjure two more glasses. He poured the burgundy liquid into all four glasses, and then passed them around.

"I got tired of being in Honeyduke's all morning," Hermione complained, shooting Ron a death stare. He looked at Harry and shrugged.

"And I got tired of being dragged to the bookstore," he complained, reaching for another piece of chicken. Hermione blinked.

"Ron, what are you doing? This is Harry and Ginny's picnic! You haven't been invited to eat anything!"

"But it's just sitting here," he whined. "And I was so hungry!"

"How can you possibly be hungry? You had loads of sweets in Hogsmeade!"

"I don't know, I just am hungry!"

"Ron, you should go to Madam Pomfrey."

"Why? I feel fine."

"You eat way too much to be this thin. I think you probably have a tapeworm," she said matter-of-factly. He blanched.

"What's that?" He looked at Harry.

"You don't want to know," Harry said, shaking his head.

"It's a worm that lives in your stomach and consumes all of the calories your body would normally get from what you eat."

"How would it get there?" he asked, looking utterly revolted.

"Like everything else that goes into your stomach, you ate it!"

"I've never eaten a worm!" he protested. "Harry, tell her I've never eaten a worm!"

"Not a real worm, Ron," she sighed, annoyed. She shook her head. "Nevermind."

"She tells me that I have a worm in my stomach, then says nevermind," he said incredulously. Harry caught Ginny's eye and they smiled at each other.

"So what have you two been doing all afternoon?" Hermione asked, smiling at Harry.

"I showed Harry how to fly properly," Ginny teased, winking at him.

"She has no idea what she's talking about. She's obviously gone round the twist - don't listen to a word she says!"

"Insane, am I?" she asked, her eyes gleaming wickedly. "Why don't we tell them what you did when I-" He lunged across the blanket and clapped his hand over her mouth, then smiled at a very surprised Ron and Hermione.

"Just a personal joke," he said, his face turning crimson. He pulled his hand away and Ginny smirked at him.

"Something tells me that I don't want to know," Ron said, reaching for a piece of fruit. Hermione smacked his hand lightly, and he jerked it away. "Ow! They're not going to eat it! Why should I just let it go to waste?"

"Hermione, Ron's welcome to eat anything his sister didn't get to first," Harry said. Ginny poked his side, and he laughed.

"Thanks loads, Harry," Ron said appreciatively.

"Do you have anything planned for tonight?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Not unless Harry had something in mind," she said, turning to him. The way his face was turning pink told her that he had planned something, and she fumbled for the words. "Wait - no, now that I think about it, he did mention something about wanting to snog me senseless." She peeked at Ron, who promptly dropped his chicken. He grabbed Harry's wand and handed it to him, then closed his eyes.

"Perform a memory charm on me, please!" he begged. Hermione tsk-tsked disapprovingly, but laughed anyway.

"Well, we'll let you be then," she said, standing and smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt. When Ron didn't follow suit, she cleared her throat. "Ahem?"

"Oh!" he exclaimed, getting the point. He stood and grabbed a piece of chicken. "For the road," he explained, smiling sheepishly. Harry laughed. When they had disappeared from sight, Ginny turned to look at him.

"What did you have planned?" She watched as he waved his wand and cleared away the lunch items.

"I just thought it might be nice for us to spend a whole Saturday together," he said, his cheeks turning pink. She smiled and flopped onto her stomach on the blanket.

"That sounds lovely, Harry."

"Good," he said quietly, observing the way her freckles were splashed delicately across her milky skin. "Because I can't think of another person that I'd love to spend a Saturday with." She grinned stupidly at him.

"Same here," she whispered. He leaned back against a tree and stretched his legs out in front of him. Ginny waited until he had closed his eyes and turned his face skyward before rolling onto her back and laying her head in his lap. He jumped in surprise and she sat up.

"I'm sorry," she said, blushing. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't," he said honestly. "I was just surprised, that's all. You can lie back down, Gin. I don't mind." She smiled sweetly at him before resuming her position, and closed her eyes. When he began to stroke her hair gently, she relaxed and sighed.

"If you keep doing that, you're going to put me to sleep."

"Would that be a bad thing?" he asked softly.

"Maybe - I'm not sure if I snore or not, so you'd be doing it at your own risk." He laughed.

"You don't snore, trust me." Her eyes flew open and she looked up at him.

"How would you know that?" His face turned a deep scarlet.

"I - " he hesitated. "One time when I was staying at your house, I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Your door was open, and I was curious, so I just peeked in." He felt as though his cheeks were on fire. She sat up and turned breathlessly to him.

"You did? I had a dream once that you did that," she whispered.

"You must have been awake, then, because it wasn't a dream."

"Why did you do that, if you didn't like me?"

"I was curious," he said, looking down at his hands. "I think I did like you, but I didn't want to tell anyone, least of all you. I just wanted to know what you looked like when you were sleeping."

"And?" she asked, holding her breath. He tugged his eyes up to meet hers.

"And you looked just like an angel." He leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"I have to warn you, Harry," she whispered, her lips brushing against his as she spoke. He gave her a wary glance. "Flattery will get you everywhere with me." He smiled against her mouth, and then kissed her again.

**

Ginny spent the entire day with Harry, sitting by the lake, walking by the lake, then stargazing together. When it was nearly nine o'clock, they turned back towards the castle, holding hands. Ginny realized with a heavy heart that she had told Draco she was going to meet him, and bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to leave Harry- not now, or ever. She looked over at him and smiled. He squeezed her hand.

"You alright?" he asked. She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Perfect," she whispered. She let him lead her up to the portrait of the fat lady. He whispered the password and they clambered through the opening together. Ginny turned to him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for a perfect day, Harry," she said, brushing her fingertips against his cheek. He smiled.

"You were the most perfect thing about it," he said. He blushed immediately - had he really said that? She gave him a crooked smile and squeezed his hand again before telling him goodnight, then disappeared up the stairs.

She sat on the edge of her bed nervously, wondering what in the hell she was doing. Was she really going to meet Draco? She pushed out her bottom lip and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes in frustration. Yes, she would meet him this once, and let him know exactly what she thought of him. She lay down on her bed and listened intently as the other girls in her room entered and fell asleep. When she heard the sound of their steady breathing, she sat up.

She stood and crept to the mirror, examining her reflection. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. What was she doing? She didn't care what she looked like when she met him! She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders, then tiptoed down the stairs. She peeked into the common room to make sure it was empty, then slipped out of the portrait hole. The fat lady didn't seem to notice; she was snoring too loudly.

She took a deep breath as she climbed the steps to the Astronomy tower. She squinted her eyes and tried to see in the darkness. She breathed deeply; she didn't see anyone, so maybe he had decided not to show up after all. She felt her heart plummet when she saw a shadowy figure step into the moonlight.

"I must say that I'm surprised you actually showed up, Weasley," he drawled smoothly. He took a step closer to her and grinned. "I'm a little disappointed. I had hoped to have a nice little chat with the Boy Wonder tomorrow morning."

"Alright, I'm here," she hissed quietly. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk, nothing more," he said simply. She gaped at him.

"You want to talk," she repeated numbly.

"I believe that's what I said, yes," he nodded. She put her hands on her hips.

"Talk about what?"

"Anything. What do you feel like talking about?"

"Malfoy," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I refuse to believe that you really brought me up here for that."

"Do you want me to have brought you up here for something else?" he asked curiously. She froze.

"No," she said quickly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice husky. He took another step towards her, and her heart quickened its pace.

"Draco, what do you want?" she asked softly. He stopped moving for a second, and then took another step. He was surprised that she'd used his name - it was the first time he'd ever heard her say it.

"I've been thinking about this morning," he said quietly. She blinked in surprise. "How did you know it was me in there, as opposed to any other guy here?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just knew. I guess since you were the only other boy to show interest in me besides Harry, it just seemed logical." He took another step towards her, and stopped when their noses were almost touching.

"But I didn't show interest in you," he whispered. "All I did was insult you."

"That's interest," she said, pulling her eyes away from his. He slipped a smooth finger under her chin and gently forced her to look at him.

"When did you figure out it was me?"

"When Harry told me that he'd been to breakfast, and didn't know anything about kissing me in my bedroom."

"I wanted..." he paused for a few moments, and she looked up at him expectantly. "I wanted to say ... thank you for the pepperup potion." He whispered. She blinked in surprise.

"Y-You're welcome," she stuttered.

"I really didn't bring you up here for anything else, you know," he said quietly, gazing down at her. She swallowed hard. The look in his eyes - oh, no - it was the look Harry gave her right before he kissed her! He started to lower his mouth to hers, but at the last second, she turned her face and his lips brushed her cheek.

"I'm not going to betray Harry, Draco. I love him." Draco recoiled in anger.

"I wasn't going to ask you to betray your precious Potter," he spat. His eyes flashed. "But if you don't want him to find out about this morning, you'll meet me here again tomorrow night." With that, he turned and left. She crumpled into a heap on the floor, cradling her face in her hands and sobbing. How weak she must be, to have come up here and met him, and then she'd almost allowed him to kiss her!

The thing that made her heart ache most of all was that she knew she'd actually wanted him to kiss her. She hung her head and made her way back to the tower, trudging slowly. When she got to her bed, she slipped under the covers and began to toss and turn. Sleep was a long way off for Ginny Weasley.

**

Ginny awoke and immediately put a hand to her throbbing forehead. She moaned in pain and rolled onto her stomach. She wasn't going to complain, though. She deserved this pain. Memories of last night flooded over her, and she groaned. She pulled the pillow over her head and screamed, hoping that the pillow had muffled the sound.

"Ginny?" A hand reached out and touched her shoulder. She jumped and grabbed her wand, then relaxed when she realized that she was pointing it at a very surprised Hermione.

"Sorry," she said, lowering her wand. "I guess I'm just a little jumpy, is all."

"Well, who could blame you?" Hermione asked understandingly. "With all the stress that Malfoy's been putting on you, it's perfectly understandable."

"What?" Ginny asked, her head snapping in Hermione's direction. Her pulse raced. Did Hermione know about last night?

"I just meant that he's been antagonizing you an awful lot lately, and I can understand why you'd be on edge about it." Ginny relaxed and turned back to her closet.

"I don't understand what's so fascinating about me," she whispered, pulling a pair of clean jeans and a vibrant blue tank top out of her closet. She pulled the clothes on, and then brushed her hair. She pinned it up on her head and sighed.

"He's just doing it to get to you," Hermione said, smiling sympathetically at her friend. "Ignore him, and just make sure you stay with one of us at all times." Ginny smiled.

"Of course. You're right, as usual," she said. Her stomach growled, and Hermione smothered a giggle. "If you say one word about me and Ron being alike, I promise you that I'll hex you into next week!"

"Oh, alright," Hermione said, still giggling. They were both still laughing when they walked into the common room.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked from his favorite chair. Ginny smiled and ran to him, smothering him with tiny kisses. When she pulled away from him, he looked dazed. "What was that for?"

"I just missed you last night after you went to bed," she said, her face turning red. He grinned.

"I missed you too," he said. "Wow, I wish you missed me this much all the time." She smiled.

"You wouldn't be able to handle me if I missed you this much all the time," she teased. He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, couldn't I?" He smacked her bottom lightly, surprising both of them with his bravado. Her cheeks settled into a deep blush, but she curled up on his lap anyway.

"Are you ready to go to breakf-" Ron's voice died as he bounded into the room and saw his sister sitting on Harry's lap. His mouth dropped open, and Hermione ran to him. She stood in front of him to block his view. When he turned his surprised eyes to her, she took a deep breath and pressed her lips quickly to his.

"Sorry," she said, pulling away and touching her fingertips to her mouth. Ron stared at her wordlessly for a moment, then pulled her back to him and kissed her again. She whimpered softly, but wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. Ginny and Harry looked away, their cheeks red with embarrassment. Harry cleared his throat, causing Hermione and Ron to jump apart.

"Why don't we all go down and get something to eat?" Harry suggested. Ginny stood up and smiled at him.

"Excellent idea," she said, nodding. He grinned and stood up, automatically reaching for her hand. Ginny buried her face in the front of Harry's shirt when she saw Ron awkwardly reaching for Hermione's hand. She felt him shaking with silent laughter, and then he pulled her gently towards the portrait hole.

They made their way into the Great Hall, and then sat down in their regular seats. Ginny didn't have to look at the Slytherin table to know that Draco was watching her; she could feel his eyes on her. She let Harry pile food on her plate for her, and smiled gratefully at him. She picked up her fork and realized that her hand was shaking. She dropped her fork and pressed her hand against her forehead.

"Are you alright, Gin?" Harry asked, frowning. She smiled at him and nodded.

"I'm fine," she said, looking down at her plate. "I just - my head hurts so bad that I feel nauseous just looking at the food. I'm going to go back to my room and lie down until you guys finish eating, if that's alright." She stood, and Harry stood with her.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry," Hermione chimed in. "You can't get into the girls' dormitories." Harry flushed with embarrassment.

"I'll be fine, really," she reassured him, patting his arm gently. He smiled. "You eat, and when you get back, Hermione can come and get me."

"Alright," he said, sitting back down. He lifted the back of her hand to his lips, and she flushed with pleasure before turning and leaving the Great Hall. She had gotten as far as the fifth floor when she realized she was being followed. She turned and had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle her scream.

"Damn, Weasley," Draco said softly. "It's not like you were being followed by a monster, or anything." She put her hands on her hips and glared furiously at him.

"Actually, that's exactly what it's like," she retorted.

"Look, you don't have to be like that," he said angrily. "I was trying to be nice."

"Right," she said sardonically. "Just like you were trying to be nice yesterday morning, huh?"

"That hurts," he drawled smoothly, arching an eyebrow. "I thought that after last night, things had changed between us."

"Us?" she echoed in disbelief. "Malfoy, there is no us."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you," he said, absentmindedly brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She gasped in surprise, but didn't move away.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not me, then," she stammered. She glanced around. "Aren't you afraid that your friends will see you with me out here in broad daylight?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"I happen to be quite adept at memory charms."

"Is that so?" she asked, irritated.

"Yes, it's so," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Once I caught Crabbe making out with Millicent Bulstrode and had to perform a memory charm on Goyle to help him forget it."

"Why would you do that?" she asked, her irritation fading into amusement.

"Because Goyle was her boyfriend at the time," he smirked. A giggle escaped her lips before she could help it, surprising them both.

"You have a nice laugh, Weasley," he said softly. Her smile faded and her cheeks began to burn.

"You have a nice smile, when you do smile," she said, looking down at her feet. Draco blinked in surprise. That was the first time he could remember anyone giving him a compliment just to do it, and not to get something out of him.

"You know, I've been thinking about this, and if you don't want to meet me tonight, you don't have to." She looked up at him in surprise.

"You won't tell Harry if I don't?" She noticed the way he flinched when she said Harry's name, but he didn't say anything.

"I won't tell," he promised.

"What are you getting out of this?" she asked cautiously. His eyes turned hard again.

"Nothing," he said angrily. "Why do you automatically have to revert to that assumption, that I have an ulterior motive for everything?"

"Because you usually do," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, this time I don't!" he said angrily. He turned to walk away. She didn't know what came over her, but she ran to catch up to him. He turned when her hand touched his arm, and he jerked it away in surprise.

"Do you want me to meet you tonight?" she asked, trying to catch her breath. He stared hard at her for a minute, and then nodded mutely. "After curfew." He nodded silently at her, and then walked away.

The rest of the day passed excruciatingly slowly for Ginny. Harry and Ron had decided that they were going to go out to the Quidditch pitch with the other Gryffindor boys; someone from Hufflepuff had put together a match just for fun. Ginny had reassured him that she would be fine, and he'd left her there with Hermione. Eventually Hermione became listless in the common room, and left to go to the library, but only after she'd made Ginny promise to stay in the dorms.

Ginny paced in front of the fire in the common room, growing tired of waiting for her friends to return. She sighed and went up to bed. Slowly she drifted off into a light slumber.

*** Ginny looked around and smiled. She was standing in the middle of a field of jasmine, and the scent was making her heady. She bent down to pick a flower, and lifted it to her nose. She pressed it gently to her lips before turning to her companion. He was taller than her by a head, and his flaxen hair shone in the midday sun. He smiled, and his emerald eyes twinkled merrily at her. Suddenly she felt afraid; she was certain that this wasn't what the man was supposed to look like. She was running, running, until she fell headfirst into a hidden ditch, and everything went black...***

She sat straight up in her bed and blinked. The room was engulfed in darkness. She began to panic for a moment, wondering if she was still in the ditch, when she felt the silkiness of her bed covers. She sighed in relief and brushed the sweat away from her forehead. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and wrapped her cloak around her, then tiptoed to the Astronomy tower.

"I was beginning to think you'd stood me up," he said dryly. She turned and saw him leaning against the ledge, his elbows propped up on it. She moved forward and glanced nervously at him.

"Sorry," she said, fidgeting. He looked sideways at her.

"You weren't at dinner," he said bluntly. She didn't know whether to be flattered or nervous at the fact that he'd noticed. She shrugged and leaned against the ledge next to him, trying to ignore the fact that their arms were touching slightly.

"No, I guess I fell asleep and no one wanted to wake me."

"Are you hungry?" She gave him a funny look, and as if on cue, her stomach rumbled. She wished she could sink into the floor, and was caught by surprise when he burst out laughing. She stared open-mouthed at him, not knowing what to think. She'd never heard him laugh before.

"I'd say that's a yes," he said, smiling. A lock of pale hair fell in his face, and before she realized what she was doing, she had reached up and pushed it back into place. He froze and held his breath. When she pulled her hand away, she turned her back to him and looked back over the balcony.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "Habit."

"Well, why don't you have something to eat while we sit up here?" he suggested. She laughed softly.

"And what exactly should I eat first, my cloak or yours?" she asked sarcastically. He chuckled and tugged at her arm until she turned around. She gasped. He had a small feast laid out for them. She turned surprised eyes to him, and he shrugged.

"I watched you and Potter yesterday," he said simply. "I thought you might like it." She clung desperately to the edge of the balcony, not knowing whether to run or to actually sit down and eat.

"I'm not going to make you do anything outrageous," he said. He sat down and picked up a bottle of amber liquid, then gestured to the opposite side of the food. "Go ahead, eat. I promise I'll be good." Against her better judgement, she sat down.

"So," she said after a while, trying to break the silence. She lifted a piece of bread to her mouth. "What do you do for fun, besides torturing me and my brother?"

"Is this the beginning of a conversation?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. She smiled.

"I guess so," she said.

"Well," he thought for a moment. "I like to read, actually. But you'll never get me to admit it to anyone else, so don't go blabbing about it." He winked at her, and she almost choked on her bread.

"Sorry," she said, reaching for a glass of the amber liquid. He held up a finger in warning.

"That's wine," he said. She shrugged. "I brought some pumpkin juice for you."

"I like wine," she said, her voice clipped. He sighed.

"Alright, but I warned you."

"So, what else do you like to do for fun?" She took a long sip of the wine.

"I've already told you something about me," he said, biting down on a piece of cheese. "Why don't you tell me something about you? What do you like to do for fun, besides snog Potter stupid?" She spat out her mouthful of wine and fumbled for a napkin.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, wiping her chin.

"I was watching yesterday, remember?" he smirked. She poured herself another glass of wine and smiled bashfully.

"Oh, well," she said, sipping the wine thoughtfully. "I like to play Quidditch." He grinned.

"I already knew that," he said. She blushed and looked down at the empty glass she was holding. Had she really drank it all already? Her head was starting to feel fuzzy.

"How many glasses have you had?" she asked him, pointing to the wine bottle.

"Two or three. But I can hold my alcohol fairly well."

"Well, that makes one of us at least," she said, feeling a giggle rise in her throat. He stood and helped her to her feet.

"Maybe we should call it a night," he said hurriedly. She turned and looked at him, and placed a warm hand on his cool cheek. His eyes flew wide open in surprise.

"I didn't mean what I said earlier," she whispered. "About you being a monster, I mean." He nodded and looked relieved.

"I know." He paused, and then looked at her again. "Do you need help getting back?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'll be fine."

"Weasley," he said, as she headed towards the door. She turned and looked at him. "Do you want to meet again tomorrow night?" She nodded and gave him a sweet smile before disappearing through the door.

He lay down on the floor and stared up at the ceiling, sighing noisily. He'd had the perfect chance to strike out at her - she'd been tipsy, and very nearly drunk. He could have done any one of a million things; but when it came down to it, he hadn't really wanted to. He'd enjoyed her company. Her quick wit and sarcasm was very close to his own, and it was nice to have intelligent conversation with someone.

He rolled onto his stomach and rested his chin on his hands. He knew it was impossible to ask her for anything other than friendship, no matter how badly he might want more than that. He bit his lip, remembering the kisses he'd stolen yesterday morning. He'd thought of nothing else for the last twenty four hours, and he wondered how Potter managed to keep his hands off of her for any length of time. He knew he wouldn't be able to.

"Damn," he whispered, feeling his heart rate increase. He stood and waved his wand over the food, and it disappeared. He sighed and prepared to go back to the Slytherin dorms, where he knew he'd be dreaming about copper hair and laughing brown eyes.