Terminus Est

Ginny sat in the kitchen with Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Draco. She hadn't touched the sandwich Hermione had put down in front of her.

What was she thinking? She had just snogged Draco Malfoy. Evil Draco Malfoy who hated her entire family. But, a little voice in her head opined, he's not so evil any more. Is he, Ginny? She had to agree with the little voice. Draco had changed. He had become such a different person. No longer was he the boy who had tried to get Harry expelled, tried to get Hagrid fired, and made fun of her in Flourish & Blotts. She couldn't explain it. But she knew that she trusted him somehow. Trusted him with her whole heart. What a change.

Speaking of change, when had he become Draco? She had always thought of him as Malfoy. But she supposed that would be another thing to get used to.

Malfoy was evil; the terror who had tormented her first four years at Hogwarts. Draco was good; the boy who could look at her with love in his eyes and kiss her so sweetly. Draco was someone she could love. To be truthful, she was already half in love with him.

She wondered what Ron would say if he knew what she and Draco had really been up to in the attic. She grinned as she imagined his reaction to the news that his innocent little sister had snogged a Malfoy.

She realized with faint surprise that she didn't regret kissing Draco in the least. Hell, if it was in her power, she'd drag him up to the attic for another snog. She'd never been kissed like that before.

Neville had kissed her in third year, after the Yule Ball, but her thoughts had been with Michael Corner, and it had been like kissing her brother.

She had kissed Michael, but those were saccharine sweet kisses, and they didn't do anything for her.

But kissing Draco was like being set on fire. He kissed like his whole heart was in it. Like she was the only girl on the face of the planet who would ever satisfy him. Or she realized that she just wanted it to be that way. He was a sixteen year old boy. If an opportunity presented itself, he'd kiss anyone who was remotely good looking. It didn't make her special.

But realizing that made her see that she wanted to be special. How much she missed his arms around her already. She wanted to be the one who could change Draco into a better person. But she couldn't. Only Draco could change himself.

She was torn from her reverie by loud exclamations from the hallway. She jumped up, ran up the stairs, and looked through the doorway. She saw her mother, Lupin, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall grouped around a girl Ginny didn't know.

"Blaise Zabini," said a voice in her ear, and she turned to see Draco standing behind her. In her rush, she hadn't noticed him follow her.

"Whom?" Ginny asked.

"She's in Slytherin. She's in my year, sixth once term starts," Draco answered in a quiet voice. Oh Merlin, just having him close to her made her heart beat wildly. He smelled musky, like dust from the attic with a faint trace of cologne still clinging to him. He smelled like something else that was unidentifiable, she only knew that it was a distinctly boy type of smell. She felt her mouth go dry.

He seemed to notice her discomfort, and pulled himself away. She immediately wished that he hadn't, but it was too late. Besides, her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"So," she said to him, "what's Blaise Zabini, the sixth year Slytherin, doing here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Draco replied, his eyes on the entry hall.

Ginny got tired of standing there and boldly walked out into the hallway. Professor McGonagall saw her and quickly herded her and Draco back down into the kitchen, where Harry, Hermione and Ron were still waiting.

"Listen," she said, with a trace of worry in her voice, "as Draco has no doubt told Ginny, Blaise Zabini is here."

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said impatiently, "but why is she here?"

"Her father is a Death Eater," McGonagall answered. "He tried to make her join the Death Eaters, and she refused. So she came to Dumbledore, who brought her here."

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Draco grimaced. They might not know, but Draco knew. Knew what you went through when you refused to follow in your parent's footsteps. He had never had to go through it himself, but that's what happened to Vincent Crabbe. He had a change of heart and refused to join the Death Eaters, and his father killed him.

Two words were all it had taken. Avada Kedavra and no more Crabbe. He knew what Blaise had run from, and his heart went out to her.

"Professor McGonagall?" Draco said, hesitating.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" she addressed him formally. He realized that this was the first time he'd said something to this particular professor without a sneer in his voice.

"Professor, maybe it would help if I saw her. I could...I don't know...do something. I can't just sit here. I'm the only one who knows what she's going through. Maybe I could help."

"I don't know, Draco," she said, "I'm not sure that's wise. Blaise has been-"

"You know," a cold voice interrupted, "it's rude to talk about a person like they aren't even here."

Everyone turned to the doorway. In strode Blaise Zabini, in all her Slytherin glory. Head held high, hair tossed back, and sneer firmly in place. But Draco knew it was just an act. It was the same act he had used when he first came here. He smiled, ever so slightly. Blaise was in for a wild ride.

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Wow. That was Harry's first thought. Blaise Zabini was gorgeous.

She would barely reach his shoulder if she stood next to him. Around 5' 2", he guessed. She had long dark hair that flowed halfway down her back. Harry found himself mesmerized by the way it caught the light. She had full pink lips that looked extremely kissable, and pale ivory skin. But her most amazing feature was her eyes.

Eyes that were green. Not green like his own eyes, but a dark, deep green, that reminded him of the sea. He could drown in her eyes, but just when he was about to lose all hope of ever recovering, he caught sight of blue and amber flecks running through the green, that guided him back to reality. A reality in which she was staring at him as intently as he was her.

Which was, quite frankly, ridiculous. Her father had just disowned her, and here he was thinking these things about her. But then there was Malfoy. If Malfoy could snog Ginny in the attic a week after his father was killed, then maybe there was hope.

"So," she said, not taking her eyes off of him. "It's the famous Harry Potter." How could she make even that sound like an insult? But wait! She apparently wasn't done. "Oh, but how could I forget," she turned to Ron and Hermione. "The rest of the Dream Team. And the little she-weasel." She turned to Ginny with particular disdain. "The little she-weasel who has captured the heart of The Boy Who Lived. So...wonderful...to meet you all."

Hold on! Back up a step! Who has captured his heart? He turned to Ginny, who was looking at him with equal astonishment. He glanced at Malfoy, who was glaring at him as if he'd like nothing better than to eviscerate Harry with a dull butter knife. He hoped Ron didn't notice.

"Hello, people!" Blaise exclaimed, recovering their attention. "I'd like to be shown to a room now. I am quite tired. Draco? Would you please?"

Draco, ever so politely, took Blaise's arm, and led her out of the room without another word. Now Ginny was the one shooting daggers. Harry couldn't help but grin at her. She just glared at him.

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Blaise was astonished at the change in Draco. As soon as they were out of earshot of those clueless Gryffindors, he started to chastise her vehemently.

"What in the bloody hell is your problem, Blaise?" he seethed. "They didn't do anything. There's no reason to act like you are demeaning yourself by being in their presence. You are just one extra mouth to feed, and you needn't act like you're so high and mighty!"

Blaise just gaped at him. What had happened to change dear, sarcastic, disdainful Draco into this person who actually gave a care? Then a suspicion came to her, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Okay," she said angrily, "who the hell are you? What have you done with dear Draco? You'd have to keep him close by, as you'd need his hair for the Polyjuice Potion. If you have harmed a cell in his body, I will hex you into oblivion!"

Now Draco was the one who gaped. Further proof of her suspicions. Malfoys never, under any circumstances, gaped. Then, to her surprise, this Polyjuice Draco burst out laughing. She believed it could be termed as a 'hearty guffaw,' something she had only read about, never witnessed. And Malfoys never guffawed.

So she did the only thing she could do. She slapped the shit out of him.

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Ginny's moody silence was broken by a yell. She jumped up and raced up the stairs, into the hallway. A queer sight met her eyes.

Blaise Zabini was standing in the hallway, looking slightly confused and mad enough to spit. Standing in front of her was Draco Malfoy, looking flabbergasted, with a red mark the size of one of Blaise's hands on his face.

Ginny tried to be properly incensed, but she couldn't help it. She began laughing, like she would never stop. She sank to the floor, under the bewildered gaze of the pair of Slytherins. Suddenly, Draco started laughing as well. He joined her on the floor, as Blaise looked on, absolutely dumbfounded. Then she began to smile. Before any of them knew it, they were all on the floor, laughing like someone had put excessive Cheering Charms on the three of them.

Harry, Ron and Hermione came up the stairs, and looked on, astounded, as the ferret, the she weasel, and the minx rolled around on the floor, giggling madly. Eventually their laughter subsided, and they leaned against each other, too tired to move, an occasional chortle erupting spontaneously from one pair of lips or another.

After about three minutes of this, Draco hauled himself to his feet and helped the two girls up. Then the three of them turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had all been watching avidly from the doorway.

"What?" Ginny asked innocently.

Harry just shook his head, causing a grin to burst forth on Blaise's lips. She took her cue from Ginny, and asked, "Can't three old friends share a joke together?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked like someone had hit them with a Stupefy spell, much to Ginny's amusement.

"Yeah," Draco added, "I'm sure you three do the same thing all the time! Right?"

A grin touched the corners of Hermione's mouth as she met Ginny's gaze. Ginny decided that a little laughing was exactly what they needed just now. So she turned to Draco and said, "Well, we had better get up the attic. Lots of cleaning to do, you know!"

Harry and Hermione snorted with laughter. "Cleaning?" Harry asked with a grin. "Cleaning? But you and Malfoy had plenty of time to clean earlier, right?"

"Of course they did," added Hermione. "Silly Harry, what did you think they were doing up there? As if there is any other reason to be in the attic, aside from cleaning!" This statement caused Harry and Hermione to burst into laughter again, and this time Ginny and Draco joined them. Ron and Blaise just looked on, baffled.

"Well, Hermione," Ginny said after a moment, with an evil grin reminiscent of Fred and George. "We promise not to clean it all. After all, we'd like to save some of the work for you and Ron."

Hermione goggled. "What...well...I...." she sputtered, and then, with a distinctly mischievous look, said, "Oh well. I give up. Whatever, Ginny. Ron? Let's go clean the attic."

Ron looked typically clueless, but followed her none the less. Harry, Ginny, and Draco stared after them.

"Ehem," Blaise said, clearing her throat, "is there something you all want to tell me about this attic?"