A/N- The story starts where the pair- Draco and Ginny- are older. The second part, marked '--------', is in their Hogwarts time. The story takes time in their Hogwarts period until I tell you otherwise. I hope I'm not too confusing.

Italic- Draco's thought.

He watched her as she descends down the red carpeted stairs. She was smiling generously, nodding politely to guests present. Then, she saw him, and their eyes met. She averted her view and continued down the stairs, avoiding his stare. For the second time in his life, Draco Aldhophus Malfoy felt extremely nervous.

It had been what felt like a lifetime since the last he saw her. Now, when he finally sees her, he can't take his eyes off her.

She was wearing a velvety dark green dress, with silver-do at the outlines. Strapless, it clung like a second skin onto her, flowed softly to the vent at her knee until her ankles. She had done her hair up in an elegant bun and let a few strands framed her face. The diamonds on her neck brought out the sparkles in her eyes. But whatever Ginny wears, Draco had always thought of her as beautiful.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and guests begun to gather around her, greeting her--the ladies trying to mask their green-eyes behind strained smiles, the men giving sly grins and a few wedded ones appreciative nods while eyes traveled up and down her body.

Draco let out a vent of breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding. He wanted to go to her, reach her, snatch her hand from that lout Potter's hand crook--bring her away from these masquerading and manipulating Lords and Ladies but he could only take her if she were his. She could have been his. She should have been his.

-----------------------------

He let out a deliberated low cough, startling the person he'd just caught doing something in the Potions Room, outside whichever common room they were supposed to be in at this hour.

"It's after curfew," he started, stating the obvious. It always worked; intimidation. It made them feel they didn't do exactly anything to be heavily punished, but they would be. Oh, they will he smirked.

"I know," the redhead replied without even bothering to turn around and continued mixing whatever potion she'd been doing. It was obviously a girl, wearing those loose faded jeans and a sky-blue top. Long red hair, let loose, reached her middle back. It clashes with her hair.

If he hadn't lived all his life masking his emotion, his eyes would have exactly bulged right now. Who does the girl think she is?

"And I suppose with that, you are clear of the... consequences of being caught outside after it?" Maybe a week's detention would do her good, but that depended on how she would try to get away from it. If she tried hard enough, maybe she could get away with just points taken. Fifty, maybe which is being too harsh. Forty-seven points, and that was already considered very generous; he would tell her not to let anyone know about it. She either would take it or leave it with four evenings' detention.

"I have permission to be here," she turned around, "and Snape told me to give you these if you found me." She took out a piece of parchment from her robes, which had been laying on the chair, and handed it to him.

He hesitated at first but took it. Can't trust strangers. But with that thought he chuckled inwardly. By the looks of her, a Flobberworm in a heavy barred cage would be more dangerous.

The first letter was from Snape.

Mr. Malfoy,

I suppose when you read this you are in the Potions Room. I do need you to assist the Gryffindor in making a potion.

He smirked at this. So, a Gryffindor, eh? What potion?

You'll be making the Reticent Potion. All the ingredients that you'll need can be found in the ingredients' closet and the instructions were given to the Gryffindor. She'll inform you about the process of it.

Your sharpness in the subject could help in having the concoction finished sooner. You do not need to finish your rounding tonight or any other night until the potion is complete. I had made sure you were to receive this order and oblige it. Refusing will cost you your Quidditch match--every single one of them until the end of term. Now, you would think I'm being forceful, but knowing you, you would do anything in your power to object, once you know who you'll be working with in these few months. Without further ado, Mr. Malfoy, please busy yourself and begin mixing. The sooner you start, the shorter this lasts.

Professor Severus Snape,

Potions Master of Hogwarts,

Head of house Slytherin,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Saying he was furious would be as saying handling Ron Weasley's insufferable temper a day in the sun. How dare him! Why was it Snape was being so forceful? The second letter was still in his left hand. He nearly ripped it apart while trying to open the envelope. They were permission letters.

Mr. Draco Malfoy has been given permission and access to the Potions Room on whatever hour to fulfill his duty and complete the given order.

Professor Severus Snape,

Potions Master of Hogwarts,

Head of house Slytherin,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Then, the other piece of parchment beneath it.

Ms. Ginny Weasley has been given permission and access to the Potions Room on whatever hour and will receive assistance from Mr. Draco Malfoy to fulfill the given order.

Professor Severus Snape,

Potions Master of Hogwarts,

Head of house Slytherin,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Now he understood why Snape had been so forceful: Ginny Weasley. He was not sure whether to laugh or to cry. He looked up and saw the Weasley girl was trying very hard to keep composure from laughing out loud. He did not care if his face looked like a troll right now; HE WAS OUTRAGED!!!

"So, you think it's REALLY funny, don't you?" he raged. "You think that this-"

"It wasn't my doing. I didn't ask for you nor I did ask for any assistance," she cut him off, while grinning slyly. If he weren't angry enough to feed this Weasel to a hippogriff, he would say that that grin only belonged to the Slytherins, and she would make a proud Salazar with it.

He just stood there and glared at her and she at him with the same animus. Seconds later he said, without taking his eyes off her, that they had better start mixing the potion and she'd better keep away from him because he didn't want to be catching sickness and delaying the end of this 'barely toleration'.

She gave him a grim smile and a, "Fancy this to end soon too."