Why Did You Tell Me?

Draco Malfoy grinned, "I am so hot," he thought to himself as he looked in the mirror and adjusted his robes. He slicked a comb through his flawless hair, turned and walked out of the dormitory, towards the Slytherin house common room.

Across the castle in the Gryffindor dormitory, Ginny Weasley was waving her wand wildly at the reflection in the mirror, trying desperately to un-hex her hair, which was bright lavender and had strange looking flowers sprouting from the ends. She screamed and the door opened. Hermione Granger stepped through the bathroom door.

"Ginny, what did you do to yourself?" Hermione asked with a grimace.

Ginny answered between sobs, "I... just.....wanted... to look... good for once."

Hermione looked at her askance, "What do you mean?"

"I just wanted Harry to notice me."

"Harry?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Well, he's definitely going to notice you if we can't get these flowers out of your hair," Hermione said as Ginny burst into a fresh bout of sobbing.

Ginny looked up at Hermione, "You know what I mean."

Down the hall Harry looked at Ron, and wondered how Cho was. He didn't know why, but even though he still felt responsible for Cedric's death, there was just something about her.

Ron waved his hand in front of Harry's face, "Hello, Harry? Snap out of it." Harry jumped. "Are you ready for term to start again?" Ron asked with a grimace.

Harry looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "We start Quidditch practice next week; do I really need to say more?"

Off in the distance a bell started tolling the eight o'clock hour. Ron and Harry looked at each other and ran out of the room.

Ginny was more calm now that her hair was back to its bright red color, as Hermione had managed to un-hex it. They heard the bell and started towards the Great Hall.

Draco took one last look in the mirror, grinned at his reflection, and walked to the Great Hall as well.

The Great Hall was full of students chattering away about everything from their classes to their next summer vacations. Ron and Harry were already sitting at the table as a commotion erupted near the door.

"You Prattling GIT!!!"

"Hey, Malfoy, walk much?" Ginny asked as Draco fell against her. Ginny stopped abruptly as she felt Draco's warm breath fan across the back of her neck. She turned around and glared at him.

"What?" He snapped at her.

Ginny put her arm around his shoulders, "Malfoy, I know you like me, but if you want to keep your hands, keep them OFF me!" She said to a stunned and sputtering Draco.

"Hu..uh...WHAT?" Draco hollered as Ginny flounced to the Gryffindor table, leaving him openmouthed staring after her.

Ron looked at Harry, mouth agape, "What just happened?" Harry raised an eyebrow, looked at Hermione, who shrugged, then at Ginny who gave him a big smile then went back to her book.

"I have no idea, bit I think Ginny just told Malfoy off." Harry said as the food appeared. The conversation hushed as the students began to eat.

"Hey, Ginny, what are your classes this term," Harry asked.

"Muggle studies, potions, whatever. I think I have potions with you guys!" Ginny exclaimed.

Hermione looked up sharply, "What do you mean?"

Ginny shoved a piece of paper into Hermione's face, "It says right here, potions at eleven a.m."

Ron and Harry looked at Ginny

"How could you be in our potions class?" Ron asked.

Ginny looked at them over the top of her book, "I took a MELP test, and that's where I was placed in 5^th year."

"How did I not know about this," Hermione asked as she glared at Ginny.

"Your dad doesn't work for the ministry, and it's just a new thing that they're trying," Ginny said, "BUT don't get angry. The only reason I passed potions is because I had to fix George and Fred's mistakes this summer, and trust me there were a lot."

"It's still not fair," Hermione said as she went back to her food.

The food and the plates disappeared and then Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to their Care of Magical Creatures class, and Ginny went to Muggle Studies. The rest of the morning passed rather uneventfully, and then it was time to go to potions class with Professor Snape.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all sitting in the dungeon as Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle sidled into the room and took seats near the back. Everyone in the class was nervously waiting for Snape to get there.

The door suddenly swung open on creaking hinges, hitting the wall behind it causing a resounding thunder to echo off the cold stone walls.

"As a reminder, any foolish wand waving will result in detention and lost points, am I understood?" The class was silent as the imposing cape-clad man surveyed the room. "Good." Snape stopped suddenly as he noticed Ginny. "Miss Weasley, I believe you are in the wrong class." Draco snickered as Ginny got up from her desk. She turned and glared at Draco.

"Actually I'm not. This says that I am allowed to be in the 5^th year class," Ginny said as she produced a large envelope addressed to "Severus Snape; Head Potion Master; Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Snape reached for the envelope as Ginny stood small and frail in front of him.

Snape opened the envelope and began to read it aloud.

"Dear Professor Snape,

I am pleased to inform you that Miss Ginny Weasley has been placed in 5^th year potions due to her high score on the potions portion of her Magic Equivalency Level Placement (MELP) test.

I appreciate your cooperation in this matter, and look foreword to your remarks on the matter.

Sincerely,

Cornelius Fudge

Director; The Ministry of Magic."

Snape glowered at Ginny who was still standing resolutely under his scrutiny. "Sit DOWN, Miss Weasley."

Ginny turned and walked back towards her desk, as she looked towards Hermione, she saw Draco sullenly staring at her, and she smiled slowly and winked as Draco turned bright red. She sat down as Snape began to read the list of lab partners.

"Longbottom and Crabbe, Goyle and Granger, Potter and Malfoy, and Weasley and Weasley." Ron and Ginny looked at each other horrified. Snape intoned, "There will be no changing of partners this semester, now join your partner and open your books to page 153."

Ginny moved towards Ron's table numbly, as Harry walked towards Draco. Harry put his hand on Ginny's shoulder as he passed, she looked up at him as he whispered, "Hey, it could be worse; you could be stuck with Malfoy."

"I know," Ginny said flatly.

"I'll tell you what, you can come watch our first Quidditch practice, how's that sound?" Harry asked with a small smile.

"I'd love to," Ginny said, suddenly glad that she had gotten Harry's best friend as a lab partner. Harry smiled at her, then walked to Draco's desk and sat next to him. Ginny took her seat next to Ron.

"I'd love to, 'sigh'," said Ron with a smirk as Ginny took her seat.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you o.k.?" Ginny asked with a kick to Ron's shin.

"Yes, I'm fine. But, I wonder, what would Harry think if I told him that you like him?"

"You wouldn't dare tell him." Ginny spat as she glared at Ron.

"Really? Harry," Ron whispered, "Harry, psst...."

"Ronald Weasley, don't make me hex you!" Ginny whispered urgently as she elbowed Ron.

"You wouldn't dare, "Ron whispered back smirking.

"Petrificus totalus," Ginny whispered with a smirk just as Ron bent down to retrieve something off the floor. Almost comically Harry fell to the floor. Draco looked at him in disgust.

"Get up Potter," he spat maliciously, "all you want is attention."

Ron looked in horror from Harry to Draco and back.

"You, YOu, YOU IDIOT!" Ron howled as the class took notice. Snape immediately turned, and looked at the pair.

"Mr. Weasley, SIT DOWN! And five points from Gryffindor for disrupting the class," he said nastily.

Ron went purple with rage, but sat down next to a still horrified Ginny. Draco looked towards them and smirked. Ginny railed and inconspicuously waved her wand at Draco.

"Ron," she whispered, "look at Malfoy!"

Ron turned to Draco, and his mouth dropped open. He tried to stifle a giggle, but was unsuccessful as Draco turned to glare at him. Draco's appearance was only more hilarious as he bewilderedly stared at Ron and Ginny who were giggling madly.

"And just WHAT do you think is so funny," he growled.

Ginny straightened up, and dug a mirror out of her bag. "I've just never seen you with so little hair, Malfoy, it's a nice look." Draco looked perplexedly at her, and she threw him the mirror. He held it up, and let out a howl to wake the dead.

All of Draco's perfectly groomed hair was gone, leaving him with an exceedingly shiny scalp. He began to turn red as he turned to the still giggling duo. "Which one of you did this," he ground out.

Ron and Ginny looked at each other, neither saying a word.

"I should have known you and that Potter would both be Mudblood loving fools," Draco spat viciously.

Ginny's mouth dropped open, and she lunged at Draco. She was stopped half way to him as Ron grabbed her and said, "don't bother, he's not worth it."

"You're right," Ginny said as she tried to compose herself, "I should have known that a chinless wonder like him would talk like that. After all we both know he's never going to be able to walk the walk." Ginny turned around with a huff, and sat on her stool again.

"Stupefy," Draco said quietly, and suddenly Ron fell to the ground unconscious.

"OH, I'm gonna," Ginny growled quietly as she got up from her stool, and began to move towards Draco. Suddenly she lunged towards him, unfortunately, she caught her foot on Harry's head, and fell into Draco.

"You're gonna what, Weasley Jr.? Cop a feel," Ginny looked up at him, outraged, and pushed herself off him, trying not to remember how it felt to be in his arms. This was war after all. She pulled out her wand as Draco pointed his at her.

"EXPELLERAMUS!!" Snape bellowed from the front of the room, and both Ginny and Draco's wands flew out of their hands towards him.

Draco sighed smugly, "nothing to worry about from you then," he said, and the turned back around.

Ginny moved towards him her normally serene brown eyes flashing liquid fire, and tapped him on the shoulder; he turned and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Malfoy," Ginny said sweetly, "COP THIS!!" Before Draco could dodge out of the way, Ginny's fist connected with the side of his face, spinning him around in mid air, and rendering him unconscious.

"MISS WEASLEY," Snape growled from the front of the room, "YOU WILL...."

He was cut off by a voice from the doorway, "You will come with me, as will Mr. Malfoy, I believe he is awake. Mr.'s Potter and Weasley will be taken to the hospital wing, and join us when they are conscious." Professor Dumbledore said calmly.

Draco groggily sat up, "which way did they go George, which way did they go?" Ginny gave him one scathing look, and grabbed his arm before towing him to Dumbledore's office. They got to the statue at the entrance to the office, and didn't have long to wait before Dumbledore came walking towards them. "Godiva truffle," he said, and the entrance swung open.

Before the dueling duo had time to think, they found themselves sitting in front of Professor Dumbledore's desk apprehensively. Ginny was looking towards the floor, and thinking about what kind of howler she was going to get from home, and Draco was thinking that this was not good, his father would kill him.

"Now, will one of you please tell me what this was about?" Professor Dumbledore asked solemnly.

Ginny and Draco looked at each other, and then quickly looked away. Finally Ginny looked towards Dumbledore. She found herself pouring the entire story out about how she was placed with Ron, and how Ron had threatened to tell Harry that she liked him. Then she told him about how she was trying to hex Ron, but missed and hit Harry, then how Malfoy had insulted Harry, and how Ron had lost 5 points for yelling in class. Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle as she said that. Then Ginny told him how she had scalped Malfoy, then how Malfoy had hexed Ron, and then that Snape had taken both of their wands.

Dumbledore looked at Draco, and studied the rapidly appearing black mark around Draco's left eye. He looked down at Ginny. "That still doesn't explain how Mr. Malfoy found himself with a black eye, Miss Weasley."

Draco looked at Ginny smirking, wondering how she was going to get out of this. He blanched when she said, "that's simple, sir, I hit him."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and looked at her again, "when he hexed Ron, I told him that I was gonna, but I couldn't think what I was gonna do. So I went after him, but I tripped, and he ended up catching me, and saving us from both ending up on the floor, unfortunately, he asked me if I was 'gonna cop a feel." She finished blushing madly. Draco looked at a particularly interesting spot on the floor.

"I see." Dumbledore said quietly. "Of course you know that you will have detention, both of you, and I will be writing letters home to your parents." Draco looked up, a flash of fear shadowing his usually expressionless steel-gray eyes. "You will both be serving detention with Professor Snape. You may go."

Ginny and Draco both got up, avoiding the other as they made their way down the stairs. Ginny alighted on the landing outside the door, closely followed by Draco.

"You don't want Dumbledore to write home to your parents, huh?" She asked quietly.

"What does it matter," Draco intoned, "my father would find another reason to be angry with me, and by the way, you've got a great right hook."

"What?" Ginny asked incredulously as Draco turned away.

"You knocked me out, not even father has done that." He said scathingly.

"What do you mean, not even your father has done that? He hits you?" She ran after Draco as he started down the hallway. She caught up with him just before he entered the dungeons. "Answer me; does your father hit you?"

Draco looked at her, steel in his eyes, "look," he spat, "look, why don't you just leave me alone, not everyone can have a perfect family. So what? You've got what 4 brothers, who beat on you as a kid, I have one father that does it all the time. You don't know what it's like, to come home, and to be greeted at the door by physical punishment," Ginny paled as he went on, "or after you get home to be completely degraded and have nothing but insults thrown at you all the time. And to always have to be on your guard because if you screw up you're going to be cursed."

"Cursed?" Ginny squeaked.

Draco laughed a cold and mirthless laugh, "yeah, cursed. You know the three I'm talking about. It usually isn't too bad, I've never been grounded, but when I get home, you can guess what I have coming to me."

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't have done it if I would have known," Ginny whispered hoarsely as her eyes filled with tears.

"Yeah," Draco went on, "if I get a detention, or a low test score, that's usually only a..." He paused. "10 second punishment, this maybe 20 seconds." Draco took a step towards Ginny, then roughly shoved her back into the wall. She cried out, and her eyes began to water as her head hit the wall behind her. Ginny began to flail her arms at him, but he pinned them to her sides. "This? Something like this would get me out of trouble," he said as he leered down at her. Ginny looked at him questioningly, Draco moved closer to her, and she shivered as she felt his breath touch her lips. Draco looked down at her, and loosened his grip on her arms. Ginny looked up at him expressionlessly, but without warning, grabbed his arms, pushed him back against the wall and kissed him.

Draco's head was spinning, "I'm kissing a Weasley, and.." he stopped. "I don't hate it," he thought, "interesting, it could be worse," he thought, "it could be Granger." Draco smiled inwardly and began to run his tongue across Ginny's lips. He felt her tense, and as she was about to hit him, he captured her hand. She opened her mouth to swear at him, he supposed, but she never got the chance as he slowly drew the kiss closer, and began to guide her tongue with his.

Draco wondered who was going to break this off first, but was saved the trouble as Ginny pushed her hands against his chest. They broke apart, each slightly out of breath.

"Huh," Ginny said staring at the shining Slytherin crest on Draco's cloak. She sighed deeply as she turned away from Draco and began to walk to the Gryffindor common room.

Draco stared after her, completely speechless for the first time in his life. He watched her retreating back in silence. He suddenly threw his hands to his temples, "What the HELL is THAT supposed to mean?" He growled as he spun on his heal and rapidly began walking the other way.