Getting Personal

"Good game," a voice came from behind Ginny.

She finished placing her broom in the broom shed and then turned around to face Draco Malfoy. She expected a sneer, or a comment about Ron's goal keeping or Harry's flying ability, but there was none. His narrow face was blank and expressionless.

"You're good." Where most people would have been smiling, Malfoy's lips didn't even begin to curve upward. As Ginny tried to figure out what he wanted, she wondered if his not smiling was the equivalent of a normal person's smile. She couldn't recall a single time when she had seen him smile because something good had happened; usually he smiled because something bad happened.

"Thanks," she said cautiously, trying to sidestep him.

He stayed still, blocking her way for several moments longer and then turned on her heel and walked off.

What was that all about? She brushed her loose red hairs out of her face and stared at Malfoy's shrinking back. He had been hanging around a little more than usual lately, but she had thought nothing of it. Ron was convinced that he was spying on Harry for his father, but Hermione told him he was being ridiculous.

"He's not a total moron, you know," Hermione scolded Ron. "If he wanted to spy he'd be a bit more subtle about it."

Ginny had learned a long time ago that when Hermione and Ron disagreed, she was almost always right, where he was almost always wrong.

"Then what's he doing?" Ron demanded. "He's up to something."

Hermione just shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. He's not going to find out anything important just by sulking around."

"I'd like to hex him good next time I see him sulking around," Ron retorted sullenly.

"Honestly Ron," she had told him, shoving her Transfiguration book aside. "Maybe you should make a bit of effort. Dumbledore has reminded us countless times that we need to focus on uniting ourselves."

This time even Harry joined in. "Hermione, you're smart about almost everything, but this may just be one thing you don't understand."

Ginny had laughed silently to herself as Hermione glared at the two boys and then went back to her homework, refusing to help them for the rest of the evening.

Ginny felt the evening wind pick up around her and suddenly realized she was still standing on the Quidditch field, with Malfoy long gone. Quickly, she pushed the door to the broom shed closed and darted towards the castle.

By the time Ginny crawled through the Gryffindor portrait hall, the celebration party was in full swing.

"What took you so long?" Harry yelled over the noise, tossing her a bottle of warm butterbeer.

She shook her head and quickly opened the bottle.

"You were amazing Ginny," a blond second year, Euan Abercrombie told her.

Quickly she was surrounded by her fellow housemates.

"You probably got the record for most scores made at Hogwarts," Neville told her enthusiastically.

"I think you do," Hermione added thoughtfully. "It says in Hogwarts, A History that the most goal's scored by a Hogwarts Chaser in a single game was 21. You scored 23."

Ginny just laughed, the passion in the room erasing the memories of her encounter with Malfoy. "Well, it wouldn't have been quite so amazing if Ron hadn't of kept the Ravenclaws from scoring any points at all!"

It wasn't until well after 2am, when McGonagall came in for the 3^rd time to tell them to get to bed that Ginny recalled what had been nagging at the bottom of her stomach. Malfoy. She refused to let her mind analyze him; instead, she relived the evening's game over and over until she fell asleep.

The week passed by smoothly, until Quidditch practice on Thursday night. "What is he doing here?" Harry muttered as she flew by.

Ginny quickly wrenched her head over her shoulder and saw down at the edge of the field, Draco Malfoy, sitting alone on a stone bench. What is he doing? Ginny narrowed her eyes against the dimming sunlight. He was staring straight at her and holding a book or a tablet or -

"Weasley!"

She looked forward just in time to avoid slamming into Katie.

"Keep your mind on the game, not on any distractions!" Katie shouted.

"Sorry Captain," she called back, scanning the field for the Quaffle, determined not to let Malfoy distract her.

He was still sitting there when Katie ended practice. "What do you say we get him now?" Ron asked Harry in a low voice. "There's no one to stop us."

Harry chuckled as they placed their brooms in the shed. "No time. We've got to finish Potion's homework."

They were half way to the castle when Harry suddenly stopped. "I'll be right back. I left my Quidditch goggles lying back there."

"Hurry," Ron warned. "Snape wants 24 inches of parchment."

"I'll go get them," Ginny offered suddenly. "I've finished most of my homework."

"Thanks," Harry said, looking relieved and squeezing her arm.

"If Malfoy is still there, hex him good," Ron suggested.

Ginny doubled back and hurried across the now dark field. It only took her a few moments to find Harry's flying goggles, but as she leaned down to retrieve them, the uncomfortable, prickling feeling that she wasn't alone washed over her. Slowly and deliberately, she slid them into her pocket and firmly grasped her wand that was hidden inside. Dumbledore and the other professors had given them countless warnings not to be alone or vulnerable outdoors, since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Death Eaters were back in full force. She felt her heart beating wildly in her throat and tried to calm herself by walking carefully back towards the lighted castle.

Ginny was only several feet away from the entrance tunnel when a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Aren't you afraid to be alone after dark?"

She sucked in a quick breath and fixed her eyes on Malfoy's tall form. "Aren't you?"

"No. Not really. Somehow I think the danger doesn't really apply to me." His pink colored mouth remained parted and Ginny suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss it, to have Draco's lips pressed into her own.

"Well aren't you lucky," she snapped, trying to clear her head.

He just shrugged.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Watching." His tone was infuriatingly calm.

"Watching?"

"You practice."

She narrowed her eyes and was about to leave when she noticed the leather bound book in Malfoy's hand. "What's that?"

"My book."

"Can I see it?" Ginny asked, surprising herself.

Malfoy's pale eyebrows shot up. "What's in it for me?"

She shook her head and looked at him in disgust. "Forget it." Without warning, she felt her insides shake loose. Her run in with Tom Riddle during her first year had changed her somehow, and she was just now realizing it. Why she had to find herself continually attracted to unattainable, irresistible, trouble magnet type of boys she hadn't known until right then. She suddenly became aware that the way her stomach twisted when she saw Malfoy wasn't because she hated him.

"Come on Weasley. Tell me." The corners of his lips were twisted and a smirk filled his eyes, but it wasn't the angry or cruel glint Ginny was used to.

"What do you want?" she asked, sounding braver than she felt.

Time froze as the space between her and Malfoy decreased. He was only inches away and her heart was banging wildly against her ribcage when she shoved his book in her hands. She managed to tear her eyes away from him and looked down. Carefully she undid the leather strap that held the book shut. She could feel his gaze burning into her skull as she opened the book. Her own face stared out at her from the pages. Meticulously drawn in charcoal was her exactly likeness. In some, parts of her face were hidden behind her hair and she appeared to be much older and far sexier than she really was.

"You did these?" she asked finally.

He nodded and took back the book, offering no explanation. "Time to pay up."

The space between them closed, and Ginny felt all the air being sucked out of her lungs as Draco pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was soft and perfect for a few seconds and then grew harder. His teeth raked against her lips, and then they were biting, clamping her lip down painfully.

"Better go to bed," he said softly when they parted. "There could be lots of bad things out here."

CHAPTER 2

"Ginny! Ginny, come here!" Hermione's voice cut through the quiet of the common room.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked as she and her study partners, Zoë Pierceson, Bianca Duncan, Colin Creevey, and Michelle Blocks, all looked up.

"Hurry!" Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm. "Come on!"

Ginny stumbled behind her as Hermione pulled them up to the dorms. "Are you okay?"

"Oh Ginny," she gasped for breath, "I had to find you before anyone else did. Harry and Malfoy got in a huge fight during Hagrid's class today!"

"So? They've gotten in plenty of fights before."

"No! Listen! It was a real fight. They were rolling on the ground, just like Muggles!"

"Why?" Ginny frowned, unsure why she had been dragged away from her studies. She had skipped dinner just to study since her O.W.L.s were creeping closer, and Hermione knew how important the O.W.L.s were.

"Well, Malfoy was insulting Hagrid like he always does, but today Harry told him to shut his fat mouth or he was going to do it permanently, and Malfoy said that would be too bad because it would disappoint the youngest Weasley."

Ginny felt the blood leak out of her face. "No he did not."

Hermione nodded. "It shocked Harry. He looked at Malfoy and then called him a liar and Malfoy said he wasn't lying, that Harry could ask you, and then Harry jumped on him."

Ginny bit her bottom lip. "Did Ron hear?"

Hermione's mouth fell open. "Ginny! Harry blew up because he though Malfoy was lying! Why would you kiss Draco Malfoy?"

"Did Ron hear?"

"Well, no. I mean, he saw the fight of course, but I just told him they were arguing. I can't believe this." Hermione shook her head furiously. "His father is a Death Eater! His father is helping You Know Who try to kill Harry and you are snogging him?"

"It was one kiss," she defended herself. "And it was more than a month ago, so it's not like there is anything going on. Besides, I kissed Draco, not his father."

"What is your family going to say?"

"Hermione! It was a kiss! We didn't elope. They're not going to know, so calm down!"

"And what are you going to say when Harry asks?" she demanded.

"I'm going to roll my eyes and say 'Really Harry, why would you believe Malfoy?' and hopefully, you're not going to say anything either!"

Hermione stopped pacing the room and sat down on the trunk at the foot of Ginny's bed. "You know, Harry loves you. You're like his sister. This really upset him."

"Great," Ginny rolled her eyes. "Just what I've always wanted. Another brother."

"Ginny!"

"Well!"

"Did you want Harry to like you as more than family?" Hermione asked carefully.

"No. I used to, but not any more."

"Sometimes I think he does," she told Ginny softly.

Ginny raised one eyebrow sharply. "You could have fooled me."

"You know, after that mess last year with Cho . . ."

"I really need to go study," Ginny said finally.

"Right," Hermione answered, staring blankly out the window. "And I won't say anything to Harry."

"Thanks," Ginny answered heading down the stairs.

***

Ginny managed to avoid being alone with Harry for over a week, and Malfoy seemed to have the same thing in mind; he refused to even look at Ginny. She had all but given up on telling him off, when he sauntered up to her table in the library and said in a low voice, "Can I talk to you, Weasley?"

Ginny ignored the high eyebrows and open mouthed stares from Luna, Colin, Zoë Huckerstein, and Bianca Duncan and followed him out into the hall. Her mind was turning angrily with nasty things to say, but her stomach was as loose and quivery as if she had swallowed the bowl of snakes they had studied with in Transfiguration. "What?" she managed to snap.

"Are you going to the dance with me?" he asked her, his blond hair falling into his eyes.

"What?" Ginny asked again, this time confused.

"The Yule Ball. It's in two weeks." His eyes looked like they were laughing at her but his face remained hard and blank.

"Sure, I'll go."

Something that resembled a smile tried to carve its way onto Malfoy's lips. "Good." Then he leaned forward and kissed her directly above her left eye.

When he left, Ginny slumped against the wall and rubbed her temples. What was she going to tell Harry and Ron and Hermione when they found out about this? And what was Malfoy's problem? How could he ignore her, kiss her, ignore her again, and then ask her to the dance? She took a deep breath and tried to recall if she had seen Malfoy with any girl's recently. She could think of none. She stood up and sucked in another mouthful of air. You need to study, she told herself firmly.

"Hey Ginny. There you are."

Her heart sank down to her toes as Harry called to her.

"Hey," she greeted him.

He skidded to a stop in front of her. "You studying?"

"Uh-huh. Just needed some fresh air," she lied.

"Right," he said, distractedly. "I've been wanting to ask you this, but I haven't had the chance."
She prepared herself for another lie.

"Do you have a date for the dance?"

Ginny's eyes widened. "The dance?"

"You know, the Yule Ball."

"Right. Um, I do, actually. I'm sorry."

Harry nodded quickly, and looked as if he couldn't decide whether to be disappointed or relieved. "Okay then."

"Thanks for asking, though." There was an awkward silence. "I better go back."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Hey Ginny?"

She turned around slowly. "Hm?"

"There's not anything . . . I mean, you haven't . . . well, Malfoy was saying that-"

"I know," she interrupted, shaking her head and praying he wouldn't ask anymore questions.

"He was lying right?"

"There's nothing between me and Malfoy. Nothing serious, I mean." Her face was burning and she could only focus on the hem of her robe.

"Nothing serious?" Harry's voice was growing louder.

"I have to go study, Harry."

"No! Wait!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. "I need to know."

"No, you don't."

"Ginny!"

"Let go of me please."

"I got a week of detention with Filch for fighting with him because I thought he was lying!"

Harry, a kiss is nothing," Ginny explained with faux patience. "Like you've never kissed someone who meant nothing to you."

Harry looked taken back and she was instantly sorry she had taken such a cheap shot. No matter what he said now, he probably had actually liked Cho when he kissed her.

"I have to go study." She yanked herself out of his grasp and darted back into the library.

"Ginny wait!"

Instantly every pair of eyes in the library was fixed on her. She nearly dove into her seat and ignored the looks of her classmates.

"Ginny!" Harry's voice called out again.

"Out, out, out!" Madam Pince shrieked. "I do not have time for a lover's spat!"

"I'm sorry," Ginny stammered. "It's not-"

"Out!" she demanded, pointed towards the door.

Ginny scooped her books and parchment into her bag, and stomped out the door her face flaming. "Thanks a lot," she hissed as they entered the hall.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Harry sputtered. "I didn't mean to get you kicked out."

"I was studying for my O.W.L.s!"

"Where are you going?"

"I guess I'll go eat now," she snapped. "Since I can't study!"

"Hey!" Harry grabbed hold of her arm and stopped her mid-stride.

"Harry let go of me," Ginny commanded. "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

"Ginny," his voice dropped several notches, "I'm just worried about you. He's evil."

"You sound like Ron," she muttered, attempting to pry his fingers off her wrists.

"Come on, I mean, have you two ever even talked before?"

"It's none of your business!" she exploded. "Why do you even care? Why are you suddenly so interested in me? If I want to go to the dance with him I will! You can't stop me!"

"You're going to the dance with him?"

"Let go!"

Harry's grip on her wrists suddenly tighten. "He's got you under the controlling curse, doesn't he?"

"Now you really sound like Ron," she shouted, shaking her arms and even kicking at him. "Let go of me. You're hurting me!"

The doors of the Great Hall swung open. "Let go of her Potter."