How Do You Choose Between What is Right and What is Easy?

Chapter 01

Sixteen-year-old Ginny Weasley had been friends with Draco Malfoy since the beginning of the year (the two had McGonagall and Snape to thank for that). They had both received detention for having a verbal fighting match in the hallway. The two teachers had arrived on the scene, and the detention was set. McGonagall (cruelly, Ginny had thought at the time) seemed to think it would instill at least a little civility towards each other. However, it had - to everyone's surprise - done much more than that. Ginny Weasley got a new best friend that night. Draco Malfoy, however, began to fall in love.

The evening had started off normal (for detention, anyway). The two were ordered to scrub the trophy room floor spotless - without magic. Ginny, who had grown up in a poor family without a House Elf, was used to cleaning the "Muggle" way. Draco, however, belonged to one of the rich "Pureblood" families. He'd had various House Elves all his life, and had never really had to lift a finger to do anything when he was home. So it started off very normal - Ginny pretty much taking it in stride, and Draco complaining pretty much the entire time.

"I can't believe they're making us do this," Draco grumbled from the far right corner. "This is servant's work."

"It's not like it's that big of a deal," Ginny said from across the room. "If we hurry up, we'll be done in no time. We're almost done anyway. I should know; I've done most of the work." She glared at him a little as she said this.

"And exactly what do you know about it, anyway?" Draco said, his voice full of annoyance.

"I actually know quite a bit about it. I didn't grow up with House Elves to wait on me hand and foot."

Draco got up off his hands and knees, crossed the room, and stood over her with his arms across his chest. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

She looked up at him for a moment from her place on the floor. Without a word, she stood up, wiped her hands on her semi-tight jeans, and crossed her arms in front of her chest (which, Draco couldn't fail to notice, made a little bit of cleavage appear from behind her slightly low-cut t-shirt).

"What I meant by that is, most of us grew up in normal families. We didn't all have everything handed to us on a silver platter. And we didn't get our grades by having our fathers be buddy-buddy with our Head-of House, either; we had to work hard to get the grades we did."

"Excuse me," Draco said angrily, "but when it comes to grades, I have worked very hard to get where I am."

Ginny snorted, a very un-ladylike sound. "You expect me to believe that? You expect me to believe you didn't cut corners whenever humanly possible?"

"I never said I didn't cut corners. I said I worked hard. I had to work very hard to find those corners."

The room was silent for a moment, and then Ginny burst out with laughter, a sound that made Draco's heart sing. He had never heard anything more beautiful, a sound more full of life. And, as he stood there watching her, he decided he had never seen a creature more beautiful than the one that stood before him.

As if in slow motion, he began to laugh as well. He uncrossed his arms, laughing hysterically. When the laughter slowed, Ginny plopped down on the floor, Draco following suit.

"How did we get detention with each other in the first place anyway?" Draco said rhetorically. "I don't remember," he said smiling.

"I do," Ginny said, a smile appearing on her face as well."

"Oh, do tell," he said, his trademark smirk plastered on his face.

"Well, if that didn't make you sound like a girl," she said, realizing for the first time at that moment that his smirk made him look very dashing. They both laughed again, and she continued with, "You bumped me in the hallway when we were both on our way to class, made me drop the book I was reading, and you wouldn't pick it up."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Because you started yelling at me, telling me I was a jerk, and I needed to be more considerate."

"And then you told me that it wasn't your fault, that I should watch where I'm going when I'm walking instead of stuffing my nose in a book." She smiled then. "Do you remember what the book was called?"

"Actually, I do," he said.

"Oh really?" she said, real surprise appearing on her face. "What was it?"

"Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I remember because I had it in my hand before McGonagall made me give it back to you."

She smiled a weird smile. "I can't believe you remember what book I was reading.... Harry never remembers that sort of thing...."

"Well, I'd be very surprised if you've never noticed, but I am nothing like your boyfriend."

She giggled a little, but her face still looked sad.

"What is it?" he asked, real concern in his voice.

"It's nothing."

"No really, come on. Tell me."

"It's... it's just... sometimes... when he's looking at me... it's like he's looking at someone else. And when we're walking through the hallways, even though he's holding my hand... it's like I'm not even there. It didn't always use to be like that, but anymore these days... it's like he doesn't even se me."

"Well that part I noticed."

"What do you mean?"

"I see you two in the hallways sometimes."

"And?"

"And you're right - he doesn't seem to notice you. At all. And you don't seem happy, is all. What are you in it for, the sex?"

"What?!" Ginny exclaimed. "What kind of question is that?!"

"It's a question, is all, a curious question. And you may seem mad right now, but at least you're smiling."

She gave him a look and then laughed a little. "You're right. You're funny, you make me laugh."

"Well, I like it when you laugh."

They were silent for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Everything was quiet for a moment, until they heard footsteps coming down the corridor. The footsteps ended with Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway. She seemed altogether surprised that there was no shouting going on, and that the two actually seemed to be getting along. She was quiet for a moment before she spoke.

"Good job, you two. The floor looks good. You may go back to your common rooms now."

They both nodded their heads and left the room. McGonagall watched them pass, a slightly confused look on her face. She continued to stare after them until they had rounded the corner into the next corridor and disappeared from her sight.