AN: This story was conceived before HBP so it completely ignores the events of said book. Sorry. I am also sorry it took so freaking long to update.

The Dragon and Fair Maiden

September, 2, 8:46 (AM), Great Hall, marriage proposals: 1, bacon strips Colin has mooched: 3, bacon strips consumed: 1, disasters: 2,

It is a strange thing but, when you are twelve, Truth or Dare isn't just a game; it's a lifestyle choice. How far you will go and how honest you will get defines your social status for a whole year. I was never very good. See deep down I am a creature of foolish pride and if I can help it I do not publicly humiliate myself but Colin lapped it up. He was supremely popular that year and there is still a certain awe of legend that surrounds him to this day.

And I think/hope that the same reason he did those crazy things (ie that he is a huge, drama-loving freak) was the reason that someone requested my hand this morning. See I was just coming down to the Great Hall when a second year boy stops just in front of me, drops to one knee and proposes. To bad for me he did it so quickly out of fright or shame or something and I tripped over him and went crashing to the floor. A shout of dismay as I knocked into the girl in front of me and then everyone was laughing as I picked myself up, brushing eggs and sausages off the front of my robes.

I smiled sheepishly and dropped curtseys to my left and right, which is really all you can do in those situations, helped the unfortunate boy up and politely declined. The girl in front of me, having had the good fortune of being knocked into a bulky Hufflepuff Chaser hadn't made it to floor, smiled good-naturedly and brushed off my apology. "No harm, no foul." She said.

That was the first disaster, the second one was much worse and it arrived with the morning mail: schedules. Mine went thus:

Transfiguration 9:00-10:00

History of Magic 10:00-11:00

Advanced Study of Ancient Runes: 11:00-12:00

Lunch 12:00-1:00

Advanced Potions 1:00-2:00

Advanced Herbology: 2:00-3:00

Advanced Charms 3:00-4:00

I have only 1 class in common with Colin and the only differences in our schedules are he took regular potions and Advanced Transfiguration. And to top it off the one class we do have in common is Herbology and ever since we moved into Greenhouse six last year everyone has been more interested in walking out without nerve toxins soaking in their bloodstream than chatting. Worse still, no one I know has Advanced Potions the same period as me. In fact, no one I know has it at all.

"Everyone knows that class is brutal." Quincy said when he saw it on my card.

"And the NEWT is impossible." Adam added.

"It must be a mistake." I said. "I didn't sign up for Advanced Potions last term."

"No one signs up for it." Francis said. "Snape picks a handful of students drafts them for the class."

Oh great. "Well can't I just drop out?" I asked.

"You can try." Quincy said.

"But no one's ever done it before." Adam added.

This is bad. This is very bad. I mean I've always been very good at potions (good enough to force even Snape to give me a top grade) but I didn't think it was nearly enough to get me into advanced. I hadn't even really thought about it actually.

3:38 (PM),

Advanced Potions is worse than I thought. I thought there would be a couple of kids, maybe twenty or so, but no such luck. During our introductory lecture Snape told us how we were the "elite few" and how we must leave our peers behind and not be hampered by their rules and standards. And by we he meant me and Draco Malfoy and that's it. The whole class is just the two of us and Severus Snape, creepy professor and twisted bafflement extraordinaire.

I told my friends today that I was expected to deal with Snape and Malfoy for a whole hour every day. Colin says I should buy an attack whistle and a spray can of pepper spray. Q&A say I should move to France and change my name. Francis says I should beg Dumbledoor to let me drop the class. I'm considering all three very seriously.

September, 10, 3:21 (PM), Charms, notes from Colin: 3, failing potions grades: 1, lectures about failing potions grade from Snape: 17,

Note from Colin:

CC: I saw Malfoy today for the first time

GW: So?

CC: What do you mean so? The man is hunky in the best possible way. What I wouldn't give to be locked up in a dungeon with that piece of man for an hour every day

GW: That's disgusting

CC: Shut up Ginny you're just being prejudice because he's evil

GW: Why does that not strike me as so very wrong?

CC: Sure, he's evil. I didn't say marry him, I just want you to admit that he's really, really sexy

GW: Okay, fine, he's attractive

CC: And if he was anyone else you would totally be in that in a second

GW: If he was anyone else I would totally be in that in a second

CC: Me too

GW: Anything else?

CC: Yeah. Do you have any idea what Flitwick is talking about?

GW: None

CC: Oh, I'll just ask Francis then.

I have to do something about my potions grade but I couldn't wrangle extra help out of Snape if I threatened to kill his mother (if he even has a mother and didn't just spore out of some disgusting toadstool) and Malfoy will just spit in my face if I ask him. And he could help me too if he wanted, Malfoy I mean. I thought at first that daddy had bribed someone or that Snape's overwhelming prejudice towards him had gotten him but apparently not. I guess that makes sense though since he basically divorced his nuclear family over the summer.

Today for example we were making an arthritis cure and mine was turning a lovely blue shade instead of the congealed orange it was supposed to. "You aren't chopping your newt tails fine enough." He said, peering into my cauldron. Snape would have done this for him (and probably in an only slightly less rude tone) but he was out of the room.

"How would you know?" I snapped back.

"Contrary to what I'm sure you think I didn't just get in here on my good looks." He said. "Unlike you I actually know what I'm doing."

"Why Malfoy I didn't know you'd noticed my "good looks." I said. What I was doing was stupid, really. It was insane too, like poking a sleeping dragon in the eye with a very short stick but I was so annoyed with life and my potion I wasn't really thinking clearly.

"You aren't very good at flirting Weaslette." He laughed. "And I never was partial to redheads but maybe if you asked very politely..."

I blushed and tried to stamp on his toes but he was too quick, jerking back his foot and grabbing my wrists in a fist. I kicked at his shins but he shoved me back by my wrists to keep me away from him. Someone had spilled their cauldron in the last class and the floor still oily and slick from the cleaning solution. I toppled over and when he tried to keep me erect by pulling on my wrists I slipped and slid. I didn't loose my footing though, just slowly slid until I was almost parallel with the floor at this point and held up only by his grip on my wrists. "Don't let go!" I shouted in panic. It must have been only a few feet to the floor but I couldn't see so it seemed like farther.

"Shut up Weaslette!" He said, jerking me roughly to my feet and almost pulling my arms out of my sockets in the process. "You aren't going to fall."

"Thanks." I said sheepishly, brushing my robes hastily in some semblance of dignity.

"You are welcome." He said harshly, throwing down my wrists and turning back to his cauldron.

So I've got bruises on my wrists and I'm no closer to getting real help from Malfoy. a least I didn't crack my bloody head open on the dungeon floor.

September, 17, 11:24 (AM), Study of Ancient Runes, attempts to talk to Malfoy about help in potions: 3, attempts to talk to Malfoy aborted at the last moment: 2, horrible moral dilemmas: 1,

Asked Malfoy after class if he could help me with the homework/potions in general tonight as we were leaving class tonight. I just sort of blurted it out as we were making our way toward the door. "Get real Weaslette." He laughed, shoving the last of his books into his bag and turning for the door.

"I'm serious Malfoy." I said, following him. "If you don't help me I'm going to fail."

"Then fail." He said, not turning around as we emerged into the corridor.

"Please!" I said, trotting after him like I was tied to him.

I didn't really expect it to work. I'd said it when I'd first asked him after all but he stopped suddenly like I'd shot an arrow into his back. "What Herbology are you in?" He asked.

"Advanced." I said without thinking.

"I'll tutor you in potions but you'll have to do something for me in return." He said.

"What?" I said.

I meant for him to repeat himself but he didn't understand. "I need you to grow me Gloomsbain." He said, stepping into my personal space and lowering his voice.
I stepped back and thought about running, suddenly aware of how rarely people came down to this part of the castle except if they were unlucky enough to be forced into Advanced Potions. Gloomsbain was the active ingredient in some of the most malicious poisons, a handful of completely disgusting ones (entail expulsion for example) and even a love potion (but even that was somewhat more evil than most of its peers). I couldn't think of a single non-evil use for the stuff.

If he'd asked me to grow hash or Opium Poppies I wouldn't have blinked twice but this wasn't even in the same number system bad wise. Gloomsbain was highly illegal, just growing it was probably a felony and a half. "What do you need it for?" I asked, swallowing hard.

"I couldn't say." He said but he was smiling in a not that reassuring way.

"Why can't you grow it yourself?" I asked.

"You know it's very difficult to cultivate." He said. "And I only barely pass regular Herbology."

"I can't grow it for you if you can't tell me what you're going to do with it." I said.

"Too bad." He said with mock sympathy. "Have fun failing."

God what a time for my Gryffindor courage and nobility nonsense to kick in. I couldn't have waited until I was passing and then just killed the damn things. On the bright side I guess at least now I don't have to worry about being indirectly responsible for Harry's entrails being expelled.

September, 19, 3:12 (PM), blatantly flirtatious comments from Seamus Finnegan: 12, insinuations of an impending date from Seamus Finnegan: 3, times Seamus Finnegan touched my hand during lunch: 6,

We were all a little surprised when Seamus sat down with us today at lunch. He'd never sat with us before but he's really nice and fairly funny as well so no one was really put off by it. In fact he fell in nicely with us and had everyone laughing by time our next class started. The only thing is, is he was flirting with me the whole time. Everyone noticed it, even Adam who normally wouldn't notice a leg locker curse on his own legs, and to tell the truth it was a little awkward. Not that Seamus isn't attractive or anything or that it isn't nice to have some male attention from someone who isn't Draco Malfoy, Colin, Q&A or my father but the thing is, I'm not sure I want Seamus like that.

Oh this is so cliché. I'm making a mountain out of a bloody molehill.

September, 22, 2:09 (PM), Girls Lavatory, baffling notes from Malfoy: 1, Quidditch arguments at lunch: 5,

Baffling note from Malfoy:

It's for an Underworld Pixie

I had of course forgotten that Gloomsbain is the preferred food of Underworld Pixies but it's understandable because Underworld Pixies are about as rare as Gloomsbain plants. Of course if Malfoy could get one he could probably get the other too and as far as I knew Underworld Pixies weren't pure evil, just fundamentally mean spirited. All that's left to decide is if I trusted Malfoy not to use it for anything else. If it's just pixies and nothing else I'll do it without feeling any guilt but this is Malfoy we're talking about. He is perfectly capable of remorselessly feeding Harry (or Ron or Hermione or Collin or me or almost anyone in Hogwarts) something horrible.

4:54 (PM)

Hunted down Malfoy after last period in the library. "I need to know that it's just for Pixies." I said bluntly. "Just Pixies and that's all."

Out of his pocket came what looked to me like a glowing blue rock. "She needs to be planted soon or she'll die before she's even born and why bother if she'll just starve." He said casually, dropping them into my hand. Inside the squishy little embryo you could see the little thing in the fetal position, wings tucked against her back. "If you don't believe me though cast a Disturbance Charm on the room. It'll tell you everything that's been removed or changed in the room."

I nodded, realizing that I was on shaky ground, legally and morally. "Okay." I said. "I'll do it."

This is so stupid! And not only in the moral, legal or what-would-my-father-say ways but also because Malfoy isn't exactly Mr. Trustworthy. I guess I should add in here just in case I get caught a note to the Ministry of Magic that might get me off on 5 to ten years in Azkaban.

To the Ministry of Magic:

I did honestly believe that Malfoy meant to use the Gloomsbain for Underworld Pixies. I know I'm an idiot and I'm sure I feel really awful about whoever got kill/horribly mangled. I just really, really, really needed his help with passing Advanced Potions. I realize now that it was a stupid idea. I'm sorry again. Please be lenient.

Sincerely

Ginny Weasly

In other news Seamus has asked me if I want to maybe see the Quidditch match coming up in a few weekends (Slytherin v. Ravenclaw) "just as friends." But everyone knows that "just as friends" sometimes into "just friends snogging under the bleachers" and I think that's what he has in mind. I think I'll drag Colin along, he likes to watch the hunky chaser anyway and since we're going under the "just friends" excuse Seamus won't have any grounds to complain.

September, 24, 5:57 (PM), Dormitory, illegal plants: 1, Advanced Potions grade: 67,

Malfoy is surprisingly rigid about his no cheating policy. He makes me do all the bloody work on everything we do together and just stands over me and barks directions and insults. He almost made me cry the other day by calling me a mudblood (not technically an accurate insult) in a moment of anger. I'm not sure why, it's not like I really mind or anything. I was just tied and hungry and angry and he has a particularly nasty way of saying it because he really does hate me.

He's given me the Gloomsbain seeds and I've planted them in a secret room he showed me off the third floor corridor behind a painting of Maverick the Maniac. There is a sort of weird satisfaction in tending them. They haven't even sprouted and already there's something sinister about them.

It's a bit weird really but he also likes to stand just behind me too and it's given me the queer notion that maybe he only really remembers people by touching them. He always brushes my body in some way when we meet--- my hair, my hands, my legs, whatever-- and he has a very strange idea about social space. He won't stand for anyone getting near him on their own terms and in a typical aristocratic stupidity he hates crowds but he's constantly invading my personal bubble or whatever you want to call it.

Like the last time we were reviewing for our potions quiz after I'd added a fertilizer to the Gloomsbain's soil. I was struggling with the seven major categories of potions and he taught me a trick with putting my fingers up and down to give myself clues. But instead of just showing me he put his large, cold hands over mine and positioned my fingers where he wanted them.

I've told Colin about the Gloomsbain and he flipped out initially of course but he's all right with it now I think. "It's hard to think of Malfoy with pets." He laughed. "But I guess they are Underground Pixies and they're practically equivalent to cockroaches aren't they?"

"She's actually kind of cute looking." I said. "Or at least she was in the embryo I saw."

Colin winced. "Are you sure he's just using the plant for Pixies?"

"I cast a Disturbance Charm on the room." I said. "So he shouldn't be able to move or take anything out of the room without my knowing about. And this is going to sound weird but I don't think he wants to. I mean when we're in there he doesn't even insult me or anything."

Colin shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't want you to toss weed killer on the little buggers."

"Probably." I said.

September, 28, 8:45 (PM), Dormitory, illegal plants: 1 (growing strong), Advanced Potions grade: 71 (passing!),

Colin and I went boating out on the lake this afternoon. I was totally against it because of the Giant Squid but Colin wouldn't hear of it. "Come on Gin, the Giant Squid's a big softy! Where's that famous Gryffindor courage of yours?" He warbled, wondering up and down the rows of boats Hagrid stored on the Hogwart's boat dock.

"Uh, I dunno, maybe somewhere at the bottom of the lake devoured by the bloody squid!" I snapped.

It was actually very nice though. The boat wondered to and fro about the lake while Colin and I lay in the bottom and just talked and he read my bits and pieces of sexual beatnik poetry he thought were amusing. We saw the Giant Squid but it seemed content just to play a little game by propelling by and knock our boat off course with it's wake. In fact I was so comfortable with it after a while that I was reaching overboard as it went by to skim my fingers on it's weird, gelatinous skin.

This is what I love about Colin, he always has something to do in mind that's new and fun. When it's hot out we explore the dungeons, when it's cold we visit the kitchens and suck up to the house elves (the easiest job in the world), when it's nice out we wander the grounds and when it rains he's always got some funny new muggle board game to play. "What does Susan think of Quincy?" Colin asked suddenly. We were lying in the bottom with our heads together in the middle facing away from each other and our bare legs over the sides.

"She thinks he's attractive." I said. "She'd definitely go to Hogsmead with him next weekend."

See I am the boy's liaison to the feminine world and Colin is their liaison to me (honestly sixteen-years-old and they still need go betweens for girls they like) because he's queer. "Oh good." Colin said. "Now he can finally shut up about it and let us get some bloody sleep."

"Colin?" I said. "Do you fancy anyone?"

"Besides you Ginny?" He asked lazily.

"Well obviously besides me." I laughed. Colin always says that the only reason he's gay is because I'd never have him. Because he can't have me he's turned to men to comfort him as he cannot bear the female sex any longer. This is somewhat incongruous with the fact that we see each other every day we can.

"No one I can think of." He said.

I think he's lying though. I can always tell when Colin fancies someone but I have decided on a plan of patience; he'll tell me when he's ready. Or whenever I get desperate enough to wrangle it out of him through violence. I was just pondering who it could be when I realized that we had drifted very close to the north shore and Draco Malfoy and a group of Slytherin seventh years were talking on the shore under a tree.

He was staring at me too. I looked away once and then snuck another look. He was definitely still staring at me and I blushed because it was now painfully obvious that I was staring back. "What are you looking at?" Colin started, looking over his shoulder.

"Ahoy there! Prepare to be boarded!" It was Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas coming out on another boat to meet us in the lake. Colin, thank God, was distracted.

"Man the guns Ginny!" Colin shouted, sitting up briskly. "Heave to and swab the decks!" Well we held them off for a while by splashing them with lake water but eventually we tired and let them raft up with us.

Dean and Seamus had brought their swimming trunks and, with Colin and myself watching in amazement, they stripped down and dived overboard, coming up blue lipped and shivering but uncomplaining. They swam about, kicking and showing off and Colin and I pretended not to watch in the boat.

"Oh Jesus it's fucking cold." Seamus called to me from the water. "Come help me out Gin."

I came over to the side of the boat and obliged, sticking out a trusting hand for him to pull himself in with. Seamus would later claim he only meant to give me a start but he misjudged my footing in the boat and with one swift tug I was over the side and down in the bright, cold water. I shrieked in surprise and swallowed (read inhaled) quite a bit of water getting back to the surface.

Actually I didn't make it to the surface on my own. Colin, before any of us could really think about what had happened, had lunged over the side of the boat and, grabbing the back of my shirt, hoisted me bodily back into the boat. I coughed hard in the bottom on my hands and knees for a long minute, eyes all red and watery and lungs aflame but eventually I cleared the water from my lungs.

Seamus tried to apologize when we were all back in the boat but I blew him off. "S'okay Seamus." I said, my voice still weird from the coughing. "I'll forgive you when I'm in dry clothes." From the shore a few of the Slytherins were yelling nasty things, applauding Seamus and mocking me.

Seamus yelled something mean back about "teaching them a lesson" but it was all void over fifty feet of water.

I stole another look at Draco Malfoy. He wasn't staring at me anymore but he was staring at the man to his left and looking really angry. So it's a good thing I don't have a study session with him tonight.

September, 30, 6:41 (PM), Dormitory, almost kisses from Malfoy: 1, times I almost told Colin about almost kiss from Malfoy: 13, minutes I haven't been thinking about almost kiss from Malfoy: 23,

Woke up in a bad mood this morning, which lingered with me all the way through the school day. Well bad maybe wasn't the right word for it, I just kept getting this feeling like maybe something was off and I just couldn't seem to sit still. I skived off Potions and Charms and just walked around the school like a mad person because I couldn't sit still. But consequently I didn't tell Malfoy that I was going to mess with the Gloomsbain that night so I was surprised when I opened the door and found him waiting for me. "Where were you today?" He asked, looking like murder on a cracker.

Oh god, I realized, he's had a bad day too. "I just couldn't sit down today." I sighed with false joviality. "You know how it is. Spring air or whatever."

"It's fall." He said, very pointedly.

He was rougher with me than usual during potions review. Harsher on my mistakes and more insults interjected with his words. I almost asked what bug got up his butt but didn't think I wanted to see him explode today. Unfortunately for me, explosion was soon coming even as I tried to prevent it. "You're trying to be stupid!" He accused, standing up so quickly that his chair turned over when I made a careless error. "You must be trying. No one in the world can be that stupid without trying."

I looked up at him, stunned. "I just made a mistake..." I began.

"Just made a mistake? Your parents made a mistake when they had you!" He quipped.

I bit my lip to stop from tearing up but it was no use. A whole month's worth of abuse had finally bubbled over. I shook my head angrily and brushed away the tears, turning to start packing my book bag and wishing it already were so I could make a clean get-away. "You're a jerk." I said lamely though a choked up voice. "And I hate you. I thought I didn't for a while but now I really do! I can't believe I was so stupid!"

"Wait." He said, stepping into my path.

"I'm not going to tell anyone about the Gloomsbain Malfoy." I said stubbornly not looking at his face but rather at his chest. "So just calm down. Not all of us have sunk to your level." He didn't move. Actually that's not true, he moved in front of me whenever I tried to side step. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I pushed at him with my hands and then with my shoulder but he was much stronger. I considered punching him but he'd just grab my wrists again.

Finally I looked up, stepping backwards so I wasn't flat against him. "Please get out of my way." I said with very forced diplomacy.

He laughed and placed two slender fingers on each side of my chin. "Why would I want to do that Weaslette?" He asked. "When you're so bloody cute when you're angry." Is there anything more annoying to say to someone who's angry? None that I can think of.

"Bugger off you stupid prat!" I said. "Or Ron will kick your ass."

"Awww what a big girl you are. Running to your brother because the big bad Malfoy made you upset." He still hadn't let go of my chin, despite my wildly shaking my head a lot. I tried to push his hand down but he caught my wrists with his other hand. "And like Weasley could."

"Big? Aren't you the optimist Malfoy?" I said cruelly. I was so angry then that I felt like I really might hit him as hard as I could.

He laughed again. "You wouldn't know."

"I don't even want to." I was really running out of material at this point.

And that was when he kissed me. Actually that's a lie. Our faces were about an inch apart and at the same moment we realized it and shut up talking. For a full moment our lips were centimeters apart and the only sound in the room was two sets of lungs inhaling and exhaling but finally. I stared at him with big eyes, not moving forward but certainly not moving away either. God! Why didn't I lean back or shove him off me? It's not as if I wanted him to kiss me.

He leaned back finally. "Now are you going to come back and behave or are we going to stand here for a while longer?" He asked.

"I'll come back." I said sheepishly, embarrassed at my apparent want of the kiss. I hate that I can't get this out of my head. I mean it so painfully embarrassing but for some reason it's just like a broken record.

The rest of the lesson went rigidly formal. No cutting jabs from either team and no foul play. It was, to say the least, a night of firsts.

AN: So I appreciate any feed back. What do you think of Draco and Ginny? Are they acting out of character? I mean Draco is obviously but can you believe he might act like this? Also what do you think of the plot twists? Please drop me a review. Also: five points to Draco'sGirl05 for getting the John Quincy Adams joke. I was wondering if anyone would catch that.