"You don't exactly look like you've ever gotten dirt beneath your nails on purpose."

"Of course not. Why would I do that?" he paused, frowning as he thought over what she said. "Are you calling me a priss?"

She looked like she was fighting a grin as she looked over at him.

"You said it. Not me."

His eyes narrowed but Ginny had already looked away, her attention on the beautiful plants around them. Her fingers lightly skimmed the petals of the flowers they walked by.

Of course it was true what Weasley thought and he had a feeling she knew that. While his mother had always loved gardening, helping grow life at Malfoy Manor despite the darkness that lingered there, Draco found he rather enjoyed watching the process from afar. Dirt and grime were not things he generally liked associating with.

Now, as he followed Ginny through the alley of flowers, he found himself struck by the same desire to simply watch. Ginny walked through the florae as though she belonged there. Draco imagined she had spent many days of her childhood playing in the mud with her idiotic brothers, gardening with her mother, climbing trees with the help of her father.

She was wild, pretty, and dangerous… just like the plants around them.

Draco's eyebrows twitched.

Perhaps the flowers weren't dangerous, per se, but Ginny certainly was. Draco realized the threat that lurked in the youngest Weasley far after he should've. Within a matter of months, she had managed to disarm him completely. The shield he had carefully constructed years ago to keep safe crumbled a little every time she did something that made him laugh. His attempt to keep her at bay had failed.

And… suddenly Draco found he wanted to spent time with her. He wanted to see her. Making her smile was almost a necessity now, something he craved day to day.

"Hurry up, Malfoy, before I let some dashing young man steal me away and entertain me since you aren't bothering to."

Draco focused on her. Red, white, purple, blue, yellow—the colors from the blossoms that surrounded her as she looked over her shoulder and met his eyes only highlighted her soft features. She winked at him.

Yes, Ginny Weasley was very dangerous.

"There is no one more dashing than me, Weasley."

Ginny tilted her head back and laughed as he reached her. Seemingly without thought, she reached out and wrapped her tiny hand around his arm. Her touch made his skin tingle.