Author's Notes: Damnit! I really had this huge writer's block for this fanfic. I didn't know how I was going to progress from the last chapter, but after a few looong months, I think I have it! I would just like to apologize for the major delay of the fanfic! I just graduated from H.S. and now I'm a freshman in college. Yee. So I just have to find the time to write is all … my schedule will be packed soon once I get a job too. So, thank you for sticking alongside me, and forgiving me for the delay. I love you guys!

Dedication: This goes to all the reviewers and people who have this on alert that are still interested in this fanfic. Thank you darlings!

Chapter Notes: When the words are in italic inside quotation marks, like so: "Blah blah blah", that means they are speaking French.

Disclaimer: I don't own HP, it's JK's.

November 6th, 1994 ; Touch

Ginny absentmindedly sucked on her vanilla flavored sugar quill as her Charms teacher began explaining the homework that she was going to assign for that night. Her eyes were turned towards the large windows that sat next to her table exposing the gray sky outside. She did her best to try and fight off the urge to make a pleasant sound due to the sugary goodness that her tongue lapped up from the end of the fake writing utensil. Closing her eyes with a delightful sigh instead, she continued to enjoy her candy. There was nothing like a good sugar quill to make your drab day look a bit brighter.

It had been four days since she arrived at Hogwarts along with her peers and academy. It was also four days since she encountered those two as well. Much to her dismay, she was actually kind of disappointed when she didn't spot the crown of blonde hair or catch a glimpse of mocha flesh. Whenever she entered the Great Hall, her eyes were always on the lookout for those two specific details. Why she was searching for them, she had no idea why. It's as if her eyes were trained to seek them out.

Upon hearing the shuffling of chairs, people, and bags, Ginny tore herself away from her thoughts and did as the others were doing. She quickly stuffed her belongings inside her book bag before heading out behind her two best friends, Clarice and another girl whose name was Iris Hawthorne. The two girls in front of her were talking vividly about the incident concerning Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The following day upon arriving to Hogwarts, it was when the Goblet of Fire announced the competitors of the Tri-Wizard Competition. Those people who were competing were only suppose to be 17 years of age and older, and there were only to be 3. But in a weird turn of events, Harry Potter's name was chosen. This caused a lot of drama and animosity between peers who believed his innocence, doubted him, and felt dislike towards him due to the turn of events.

The red head on the other hand, was deep in thought about piercing, mercury eyes and large, broad shoulders …

"Right Ginny? Ginny? Are you listening to me?" The blonde girl huffed.

"Huh?" Ginny removed the sugar quill from her lips as her eyes met violet ones. "O-oh! Sorry Iris…"

"Did you say you were 'sorry' to me or curse at me?"

"I said 'sorry', sorry," the red head smile sheepishly. "What were you and Clarice saying?"

The blonde threw her hands up in the air as she kept on walking while the ebony haired girl gave a giggle.

"We were talking about your Mr. Harry Potter and how he tricked the Goblet. Do you think he did it Gin? Like on purpose?" Asked Clarice, who slowed down to walk beside Ginny.

"I don't think so. Harry's not the type that looks for attention … it's more like attention always seems to follow him." Ginny replied, not giving the whole 'Harry-Getting-Himself-Into-Trouble' scenario a second thought.

"Well I think he did it. I mean, who else but the Boy Who Lived could do such a thing? No one. If he as a baby could defeat He Who Must Not Be Named, then he could most definitely trick the Goblet of Fire." Iris said as one of her hands, balled into a fist, hit her other hand's palm.

"Remind us never to egg you into a profession that deals with the law," the dark haired girl said as she rolled his eyes.

Ginny laughed as her and her friends headed into the Great Hall for lunch. And yet again, her eyes wandered, and again, no sign of the two. Her heart dropped somewhat, but she sucked it right back up. Why should she feel sad? She barely knew the two, and from the scene that happened the last time she saw them, she wasn't so sure she wanted to see them again. Yet she couldn't help but look for them.

With a sigh, she then looked over towards the Gryffindor table where her family and new found friends resided at. A small frown formed as she saw that her cousin Ron was avoiding his best friend by sitting on one side of Hermione. Harry was on the other side of the bushy haired girl, but was a distance away, making it obvious that he was not welcomed.

"Ginny, we're going to sit with the Ravenclaws, do you want to come?" She shook her head and hinted that she was going over to the Gryffindor table.

After kissing both of her best friends on the cheeks, she then trotted off over towards the table with the gold and red themes. She noticed Ron's gaze catching her walking over and he immediately made space next to him, but as she begun to walk towards him, she stopped behind Harry. Brown eyes peered at the mop of messy black hair before deciding that instead of sitting with her cousin, she would sit next to the Boy Who Lived But Was Now Shunned. Reaching over the male's shoulder, she grabbed a plate and then plopped right down beside to him.

"Hey Harry," she said as she began to pick out her lunch.

Emerald eyes looked up at the red head that sat next to him, shock embedded within. "Ginny?" He said in an almost whisper. "Ginny, you shouldn't be sitting next to me … I don't want you to be mixed up in this too."

"Oh, please, Harry. I don't even go to this school. How will chatting and sitting next to Boy Wonder during lunch going to destroy my "reputation"?"

"But … I don't want people to talk bad about you too. I'm not the most popular guy right now if you haven't noticed," he mumbled, poking his peas around on his plate.

"I could care less. I know you Harry, and I know you didn't do it. You have enough attention as it is dealing with You Know Who … and don't play with your food," she reprimanded him in a Mother Molly tone. Harry winced.

"T-thanks Ginny. It means a lot to me to know that someone believes that I didn't do it." He said with a sincere smile as he took a chomp out of a bunch of his peas.

"Don't mention it Harry. What are friends for?" She returned the smile. Ginny didn't notice how Harry sadly mouthed 'friends' before playing with his food once more.

The red head girl chose the last piece of food that would complete her lunch for the day. Even though she had a sugar quill just moments ago, it did not satisfy the appetite that bugged her ever since the clock was leaning towards noon. But just before she could dig in, she had a premonition that anger in a physical form was beginning to approach her. With a prayer to the Gods and Goddesses, Ginny turned to see just who was walking towards her with bottled irritation. With a red face that would match his own hair, Ron Weasley walked over to his cousin's side; the one that Harry wasn't on.

Clearing his throat, Ron stared sharply at his cousin. "Gin, may I talk to you … alone? Please?"

Ginny sighed, already knowing what her relative wanted to talk about. "Whatever you want to tell me Ron, I'm sure you could say it right here. As you can see, I'm trying to have lunch …"

"No, Gin, I don't think I can do that." He said, gritting his teeth. "I think it's best that we talk alone."

She took a long inhale, calming the irritated nerves that were beginning to tug at her persistently. The other male beside her was shrinking away, also getting the hint at which Ron was obviously conveying.

"No, I think you can. You just don't want to. Will you just please tell me? I'm kind of eating right now."

All of a sudden, Ron grabbed her arm and pulled her up, and Ginny couldn't help but shriek. The eyes of everyone in the Great Hall who heard her turned to look at the cousins who were now glaring daggers at each other.

"Ronald Billius Weasley! How dare you! Get your hands off me this instance," she said, feeling the grip he had on her beginning to loosen once he heard her Mother Molly like tone. "Now you listen here, dear cousin of mine … Harry Potter is supposedly your best friend, but right now you're giving him shit! How do you expect to keep friends if you're going to act like a bloody git?"

"You don't understand! He –"

"No, Ron, you listen. Right now, you're jealous that your best friend didn't tell you something very important, is that right? Well, have you ever thought that he didn't do it? That the reason why he isn't telling you is because he just never did it in the first place? Huh?"

Her cousin's face was now turning purple, and for a moment, she was afraid that he wasn't even breathing. But the way he was trembling, she knew that he was angry and embarrassed by the whole situation he ended up in. If Ginny were to look right now, she would notice that all the commotion in the Great Hall died down and their scene was the only one playing.

"Stop acting like you've been betrayed and pull that stick outta your arse. Maybe that way you will see that your best friend is the one who is actually hurt and feeling betrayed." The red head female then pressed a finger tip upon her cousin's chest. "Apologize to Harry or else. I'm sure Mother Molly wouldn't mind sending a howler to your prick arse if I told her what you were doing to Harry."

With that threat, she then picked up her book bag and stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving it in stillness. It was a loud laugh that broke the blanket of silence over the room, and that laugh came all the way from the Slytherin table. A smug look was on the platinum blonde's face as he watched the Weasley turn a darker shade of purple – maybe it a plum sort of color he was now.

"SHUT IT MALFOY!" Two voices in sync yelled as blue and green eyes met in surprise.

The two friends blinked at one another before smiling at each other awkwardly. Once Ron sat down between Harry and Hermione, the Great Hall reverted back to the usual norm it was accustomed to before.

Draco Malfoy could only wonder where the girl headed off to as he rose from his seat and went to go track the red headed female down.

The aggravated red head gave a large groan as she stormed her way through the halls of Hogwarts. Where she was headed was the library of the academy, which Hermione first showed her the second day she arrived. The muggle born witch mentioned something about commending Beauxbatons on putting their studies as its top priority. Upon turning a corner, she entered the rather expansive library only to receive a rather loud "SHH" by the librarian Ms. Pince.

With a roll of the eyes, Ginny made her way past the front desk and over to one of the darker corners of the grand room. She placed her book bag down on the lone table that sat there in the shadows, a hand coming over to lie on her stomach as a low grumble emitted from it. She grimaced at her stomach's unfortunate situation, and she mentally cursed at Ron for being the main source of the problem.

He better apologize to Harry if he knows what's good for him, she thought while walking towards one of the many bookshelves. Her eyes ran amongst the spines of all the books that sat upon the shelves, practically begging to be removed from their stations. Some books even had layers of dust of them, showing Ginny their age and how long it has been since someone has taken them down. Spotting one title that caught her eye, she proceeded to remove the book from its proper place, but when she did, a pair of eyes stared back at her.

Ginny jumped at the sight of the eyes and went to rub her eyes. When she looked back to where the gaze was, she was relieved to see nothing but the stare of other book spines. Sighing in relief, she went to turn, but was stopped short by hands that grasped her shoulders in a tight hold. Her back was quickly pressed against the shelf and before she could give a scream, one of the hands that held her went to cover her mouth.

Shock coursed through the red head's veins as the thought of someone overpowering her came to mind. Her eyes fluttered up to her assailant and they then widened when it finally registered within her mind just who it was.

"'Ello there …" his voice practically purred as he leaned close. Their foreheads were almost touching. Both of his hands were now holding her still.

"Let me go," Ginny growled as she thrashed within his grasp.

"Now, now … I'm only here to make amends like the gentleman I am. Won't you let me?" An eyebrow was raised as he questioned her. She could only glare at him.

"I wasn't aware that gentlemen had to force apologies onto ladies …" she commented and once she did, his grip loosened to the point where she could move away and that's what she did.

Hissing, she rubbed her shoulder, still glaring at him, and went to bend down to pick up the book that dropped off to the side when the male surprised her. When she turned her head to say something to him, she caught him staring again. The dark look he had on his face and how his body was positioned, she knew that he was not looking at what she was picking up, but at another part of her body which was not her face.

"You – you pervert!" She exclaimed, hearing a distant 'SHH!' in the background.

The male finally looked up at her with a grin and gave a helpless shrug.

"What can I say? I'm in the presence of beauty …" he purred, taking a step towards her.

"Beauty?" It wasn't everyday that a boy called you a 'beauty'. Well, at least for Ginny. A lot of guys at her school looked for more ... blonder females, like Iris.

She wanted her feet to move back, but they weren't listening to at the moment. So in turn she had to watch him approach her in a fluid-like motion; a cat walking over to its cornered prey it was like.

He was finally in front of her; bodies just a few inches away from each other. "Yes, beauty." She could smell him and feel his breath upon her skin. Her heart began to race unknowingly.

"I … you … don't even know each other," she whispered as he raised a hand to run along her jaw line. Ginny sucked in her bottom lip, heat rising to her cheeks as he leaned down to once more press his forehead against hers.

She wasn't sure as to why she was allowing him to do this, but it felt right. Natural. It was as if this scene was done before, and now they were going to repeat it. When did something like this occur? She again, had no clue.

Closing her eyes, she let him touch her. His knuckles grazed the tops of her cheek bones; fingertips trailed along the side of her neck, starting from the back of her ear all the way down to her collarbone; and then his palms ran down her arms, leaving a trail of blissful warmth until they stopped at her hands. She could feel his hesitate – his pause in breath was the obvious sign, but instead of him making the final move, she did. When her fingers touched his, a sudden spark ignited within the pit of her stomach.

Her breathing was beginning to labor as their fingers played with one another, taking their time and letting the feeling that was born inside them bubble over. Finally, they laced hands, and it was like the Gods and Goddesses sang out to the world in perfect harmony. Ginny's breathing came at a sudden halt within her throat as this perfect feeling washed over her entire body.

"Ginevra …"

It was his voice that reminded her that in order to survive, she had to keep on inhaling and exhaling. It also knocked the fact into her head that this was a guy she couldn't be seen with. That he was … not exactly the best person to befriend, especially considering his house colors and gender. Her cousins would not let her out of their sight if any one of them saw them together like this.

So, she broke away fiercely. The feeling of perfection dissipating from her body and soul; she gave a small cry when she could feel it no longer. Ginny felt empty without this man's touch, and it frightened her. Shaking her head, she quickly apologized and turned heel, dropping her book as she began stalking off. Before she could walk out of the aisle, she felt her back press against a large chest … the chest of a man. His arms wrapped across her front side, not allowing her the chance to escape.

"My name's Blaise Cipriano Lazar Zabini," he whispered in her ear in one breath. "Fourth year Slytherin."

With that, he let her go, and she made her way towards the end of the aisle. Stopping, she turned around to tell him her name, but when she turned, she saw no trace of the man. Not even a billow of the cloak; he was gone as if he was never there to begin with.