Surprised By Love

Chapter Four

~Ginny's POV~

So apparently I'm not as sweet and innocent as everyone thinks I am. If I was, I wouldn't have kissed Malfoy. The whole school would be shocked out of their robes, not to mention Ron trying to bash Malfoy's head in.

It wasn't a long, or even passionate kiss, but it left me tingling down to my toes. I honestly have no idea why I did it. Maybe to prove I wasn't a little girl anymore. But the look his face was positively priceless, absolutely worth it.

It's great being a woman, I thought, as I skipped back to where Seamus and Lavender stood waiting.

They were both staring at me oddly. "What?"

Seamus cleared his throat. "Um, Gin, where's your book?"

My mind was blank for a moment before remembering why I'd gone back to the library. I hit myself mentally. "Oh, well, Madame Pince said she must have picked it up by mistake and it's somewhere in her pile of books. She told me she'd look for it and I should come back later," I lied.

Lavender shrugged her shoulders, obviously believing me. Seamus, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at me. I wasn't surprised. If anyone at Hogwarts knew me well, it was Seamus. If he didn't, it was a complete waste of two years of both our lives.

I raised an eyebrow and snarled soundlessly at him. I dare you to say anything, I told him mentally.

Lavender put her arm through his and tugged him along.

I followed them happily along.

~*~

Hours later I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I don't know how long I was like that when Hermione came bursting in.

"Ginny!" she called breathlessly. "I've been looking all over for you."

I lifted my head at her urgency. "I've been up here. What is it?"

Hermione plopped down next to me. "Ron's Christmas present. I don't know what to get him."

My head fell onto the pillow. "That's why you were looking all over me? Christmas isn't for another two months, Hermione!"

She huffed. "I don't want to wait until the last minute, thank you very much."

"You've been together for almost three years. You know him almost as well as I do. Get him anything that has to do with Quidditch. Or food," I said irritably.

Hermione didn't say anything for a moment. "Are you all right, Gin? Seamus said you and Malfoy were going at it earlier."

I sat up in a flash. "Going at it?!" I'm going to kill Seamus, I thought to myself. Lousy git, telling my best friend before I co-

"Yeah, fighting. Is he picking on you?" She peered at me, concerned.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Um, no, not really. No more than usual." I flopped back down on my bed and smiled.

"No more than usual? What do you mean?"

"He and I shared a compartment on the train."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Was he complete git?"

"At first and then . . ." I stopped, biting my lip, debating whether or not to tell her. I was afraid that if I did, she'd run and tell Ron.

"Well?" she prodded.

"I don't know. It's just . . ." I paused for a moment. "Never mind."

Hermione nodded after a bit. "Okay. But if you want to talk about it with someone, I'll always have an ear. And I won't tell Ron."

I smiled and sat up. "Thanks. I'll tell you when I work some things out."

She grabbed my hand and tugged me up. "Come on. I'm starved and it's almost dinner."

Ron and Harry were at Quidditch practice. They were working harder to beat Slytherin in the first game of the season. I have a feeling it's going to be an interesting game.

Considering both Harry and Malfoy are captains of their house teams and they'd love the beat each other to a bloody pulp, it should be fun.

"Harry wants to ask you to go with him the first Hogsmeade day," Hermione said casually as we made our way to the Great Hall.

I couldn't believe my ears. "Why would he want to do that?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Because I think he likes you, silly. I thought you'd be happy, unless you- oh, speak of the devil."

I looked further down the hall and saw Draco Malfoy surrounded by his usual entourage. I tried to ignore the fact that my heart skipped a beat at the sight of his silver-blond hair. I wondered if he was thinking about me as much as I was him. I was kind of hoping to get by him without a single word, but it was Draco Malfoy I was talking about.

"Well, well," he said pompously. "If it isn't the little weasel and the filthy mudblood."
My temper flared up. Why on earth did I kiss his nasty mouth? "Shut it, Malfoy," I answered as we moved past him. Hermione didn't say a word, but I felt her shaking with rage next to me.

"What's the matter, Weasley? Can't afford a decent comeback?"

I heard his little group laughing and I spun around and stalked towards him, hell blazing in my eyes. His eyes met mine nervously, but he covered it up before his cronies could see even he was afraid of something. Or better yet, someone.

"Don't get too close, Weasley, I don't want to buy another set of robes after I burn these." He smirked at me proudly.

"I guess you should get a new set of lips while you're at it," I murmured dangerously.

If I didn't know any better, it looked like Malfoy's cheeks went a little pink. His gray eyes met mine with a dark challenge, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

He leaned forward and in a voice so soft only I could hear, said, "This is just the beginning, Weasley."

"Why are you bothering with me?"

He didn't answer, instead he smirked and moved past me, careful not to bump into me. I can't say the same for his friends.

Hermione ran over to me when they were gone. She didn't seem the least bit upset at all. She was laughing.

"What's SO funny?" I snapped.

She swallowed a giggle. "You. And. Malfoy. It's cute. In sickening sort of way."

Oh, God, I thought desperately. She was going to figure it out. It took her long enough. "Since when did you like Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione smiled knowingly. "I don't, but you certainly do."

I felt my cheeks go red. "Hermione, you can't tell anyone. Especially Ron!"

"Of course I won't. It's not any of his business who you like. But I think he'll be a bit relieved you're over Harry." She hooked her arm through mine. "Come on. Tell me the whole story. And don't leave a THING out."

I was grateful. Hermione wasn't going to judge me about Malfoy, even though she couldn't stand the bloody git as much as Ron and Harry. It was good I could talk to at least one person about it all.

"Well, it all started before the feast at the end of term. . . ."