The Finest Silk

xxblue sparklesxx

Rating: PG13
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 5
Published: 14/07/2004
Last Updated: 19/08/2004
Status: completed

" I clench my fists in anger. A goddess like her deserves to be dressed in the finest silk, not the cheap second hand robes that her dirt poor family can barely afford to provide for her"

Chapters

1. The Plan

2. The Dress Robes

3. The Ball

1. The Plan

Disclaimer: No, I did not write the Harry Potter books and no, I did not produce/direct the films or write the scripts. Now that we have successfully pointed out that I am a failure in life, can we get on with the story?!?!

A/N: This is the first fic I've ever posted on Portkey, so I'm a bit nervous to put it up here, because all the writers here are so great (and I'm not.) So, please review and tell me what you think I can/should do to improve my writing! Thanks a bunch!

Also, this fic is the first of what is going to be a trilogy just incase anybody was wondering...okay, I think I'll shut up now!

The Finest Silk

Chapter One (of three)-The Plan

It's funny really that I, of all people, am hopelessly enthralled by a girl who would never meet the standards of being eligible to date a Malfoy, and at the same time, would never give me the time of day. She's both below, and superior to me at the same time. I feel both worthy and unworthy of her love. I suppose it doesn't matter either way though, it's not as if I'd ever receive it. Her name is permanently inscribed in my brain.

Ginny Weasley.

She's sitting there, eating breakfast, surrounded by the other students. She is like a beacon of light in the darkness. She just stands out. Her long, wine red hair shimmers as if she were being kissed by the sun. She's just sitting there, eating breakfast like everyone else but for some reason I am utterly drawn to her. It's frustrating, because nobody else seems to take notice of the light that seems to surrounds her . They don't notice the little things, like how while talking to other students, she manages to look friendly yet shy at the same time. Or how every morning for breakfast she has buttered toast, and that she always outlines the edges first, and then spreads it to the middle. I'm also betting that they don't notice how in the library, while she scribbles furiously on a scroll of parchment, she sits in such a precarious position on her chair that she looks about to fall off of it at any given moment. No one else seems to notice the fact that she's grown out of her clumsiness over the years, and walks around with an air of elegance and grace that even my mother would approve of.

My obsession with her started in my fifth year. Umbridge was ruling the school, and yes I was one of her lapdogs, but let's not discuss that right now. Anyway, her blatant desire to worship the ground Potter walked on had been completely extinguished. She was no longer interested in chasing after the Golden Trio, and slowly made a few of her own friends. She hasn't had many boyfriends this year. In fact, the only person I can recall her dating with was that pansy, Colin Creevy. I'm not joking about him being a pansy, a few months after they broke up, I found him snogging Justin Finch-Fletchey in one of Filch's closets.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my ribs and I turn around to see Blaise Zabini smirking at me. I glare back but he continues to smirk. I think he caught me staring at her. I mustn’t let him think I was staring so I attempt to distract him.

“Stop looking at me like that, Zabini, I am certainly not going to snog you. I heard Millicent Bulstrode is willing, though, if you’re interested.” He smirks again and I seriously want to hex him.

“Nice try, Malfoy, but you can’t make me forget what I just saw.” I roll my eyes.

“Okay, out with it. What is it that you think you saw?” I ask in a disdainful tone. He smirks for what seems to be the hundredth time and my hand goes to my wand but I restrain myself from using it.

“You, mate, were staring at that damn Weasely girl for the past ten minutes!” I can feel my face flush from anger and embarrassment.

“I was bloody not! Why would I be staring at a Gryffindor, let alone a Weasely?” I demand but Zabini shrugs.

“That’s just what I was about to ask you, mate.” I growl at him, finish my breakfast and head to my first class.

***

My first class, is advanced potions with the Gryffindors. That really makes my day, let me tell you. We're in our seventh year now, so potions is optional, which means there aren't as many Gryffindors. Granger is there of course, along with Potter, who struggles just to get an' Acceptable' on every assignment. She on the other hand, accomplishes everything with ease and is still determined on impressing on everyone else the fact that she is the class know-it-all. Weasley, however, is not in advanced potions. Not that I can really blame him. If I was a Gryffindor, I would get away from Snape at the first opportunity I got. There are also less Slytherins. Needless to say, Crabbe and Goyle certainly aren't in the class.

Snape storms into the classroom begins to insult the Gryffindors, which is always a good source of entertainment for us Slytherins. He then instructs us to make a complicated potion, one that even Granger hasn't read about. If it isn't finished by the end of class we fail for the term. Just great.

I finish my potion with ten minutes left in the class and feel extremely pleased with myself. I pour some into a vial and place it proudly upon Snape's desk. He gives me a pleased smile, and then casts a condescending glance at Potter, who's potion was smoking and fizzing.

The ten minutes fly by quickly, Potter just manages to pass in his vial. I can already tell he's going to get a 'poor' on it. I walk outside of the classroom, and see the sixth years heading towards us, getting ready to enter the classroom, when I see Ginny. She's walking alone, at a slightly hurried pace. Her long, sleek, red hair is tucked casually behind her ears, and her cheeks are slightly flushed. She has a slight smile on her face, as if she knows some alluring secret that she's not keen on letting on to anyone else, anytime soon. Her secondhand robes, are slightly wrinkled and are fraying at the edges. I clench my fists in anger. A goddess like her deserves to be dressed in the finest silk, not the cheap second hand robes that her dirt poor family can barely afford to provide for her. How does she take it? She must know that she is worth millions more than the whole lot of those Weasley's, yet there she is, just as poor as the rest of them. She catches my gaze and her cheeks flush slightly, as she hurries into the potions room.. It's amazing to compare the difference between the way she and her brother blush. Ron, on one hand, usually blushes an atrocious shade of red that is usually caused by my insults. Her blush, is quite attractive and endearing. I shake my head to rid myself temporarily of these thoughts, because I realize that I am already five minutes late to Transifugration.

***

I've successfully managed to get through all of my morning classes without too having too many thoughts of Ginny Weasley, and am now currently sitting in the Great Hall, eating lunch. She's there too, of course, daintily eating some a sandwich while chattering on with friends. Further along the table, I see Potter and Granger secretly holding hands under the table while an oblivious Weasley hordes his mouth with such plentiful quantities of food, that one would think he was a squirrel saving all of his acorns for a late night snack. My eyes avert themselves back to Ginny, but before I can lose myself in my longing for her, Zabini hits me on the back and I nearly smash my face into my goblet of pumpkin juice. I turn around and give him a glare, which he shrugs off and gives me a satisfied smirk.

“You were doing it again.” He said, sounding quite triumphant. I don’t bother to ask what he’s talking about. I know that he saw me staring at her, and there’s really no use of denying it. I simply shrug at him, and return to eating my lunch. Out of the corner of my eye, I am pleased to notice that he looks quite put out at the fact that he did not get a rise out of me. Bloody wanker obviously has nothing better to do than to try to make others uncomfortable. I smirk at him and then turn my attention to the teacher’s table, Dumbledore had stood and asked for silence.

“Due to the exceptional behavior from all of the Houses, the teachers and I have decided to hold a ball for the fifth through seventh year students. It has no particular theme, but formal wear is required. It will take place in two weeks, and a Hogsmeade trip has been set for this Wednesday and Friday so students can purchase the appropriate attire. I hope to see everyone there.” And with that, he sat down while the Great Hall became filled with the sounds of joy from the older students, and outrage from the younger ones. I look over at her, and I am surprised to find out that even though she is smiling, she has a sad glint in her eyes. I suddenly realized what was wrong, and am determined to fix it. I skive off the rest of my classes and go to my dorm, to devise a plan.

A/N: Well, what do you think? I know this chapter was really short, and probably pretty boring, but I didn’t want it to seem too rushed! This is my first D/G fic and I’m anxious to see what you think!

2. The Dress Robes

Disclaimer : Alright, I'll admit it! I do not own Harry Potter! Is it really that big of a deal! Now let's get back to the story...

A/N: First, I want to say thank you for all of the wonderful reviews you guys have given me! I really, really, don't deserve them. I'm sorry this update took kind of long, and I really don't have a good excuse other than the fact that I am extremely lazy.

Also, this entire fic is going to be from Draco's P.O.V, and the sequel will be in Ginny's.

The Finest Silk

Chapter Two (of three) - The Dress Robes

Last Chapter: "Due to the exceptional behavior from all of the Houses, the teachers and I have decided to hold a ball for the fifth through seventh year students. It has no particular theme, but formal wear is required. It will take place in two weeks, and a Hogsmeade trip has been set for this Wednesday and Friday so students can purchase the appropriate attire. I hope to see everyone there." And with that, he sat down while the Great Hall became filled with the sounds of joy from the older students, and outrage from the younger ones. I look over at her, and I am surprised to find out that even though she is smiling, she has a sad glint in her eyes. I suddenly realized what was wrong, and am determined to fix it. I skive off the rest of my classes and go to my dorm, to devise a plan.

I'm sitting on my bed amongst various bags of galleons, sickles, and knuts, trying to figure out how I can make this plan work. I am currently counting out all of my money which, given my wealth, might take a while. My plan is to go to Hogsmeade this Wednesday and then apparate to a nice shop in London to buy Ginny some expensive, and elegant dress robes. She will be the most beautifully dressed girl at the ball. No price is too high to spend on my goddess, although I would like to have some money left over to spend on myself. The only thing I haven’t figured out yet is how I will give them to her. I want to remain anonymous, but at the same time, I want to see her eyes light up with joy and wonder as she opens my gift. I want to see the jealous looks on the faces of her friends as she proudly inspects her new robes. As I continue to try and figure out my plan I am interrupted by Zabini.

“Hey, Malfoy.” He says, walking into my room and flopping down on a chair. He observes the array of coins on my bed with a raised eyebrow.

“Planning a little shopping trip, are we?” He asks with a smirk. I hesitate, because I’m not sure what to say without revealing too much.

“Yes, I’m going on the Hogsmeade trip on Wednesday, I need some dress robes.” There, I thought, there’s nothing he could find too interesting about that.

“Okay, mate, mind if I come?” I groan inwardly. How can I refuse his company without sounding suspicious? I smirk at him.

“Zabini, you are the last person I would pick to accompany me on a trip.” He glares, while sending me a rude gesture with his hand.

“You know, you’ve been a bit secretive lately, Malfoy. I think this has something to do with that Weasley girl.” He makes a face when he says her name, the sort of face one might make if they had eaten an earwax every flavor bean, and I clench my fists in anger. He sees this, and smirks again, but I cut him off before he can reply.

“It has nothing to do with that Gryffindor muggle-lover! The fact is, that I just don’t want waste anymore of my valuable time with you than is necessary!” This doesn’t phase him in the least.

“Well, I just want you to know that it’s okay with me Malfoy,” He notices my questioning glance and continues “That you like her, I mean, I can’t really say I blame you. She has that gorgeous red hair, and those long legs and don’t even let me get started on her br-” Whatever else he was about to say was broken off by my shoving him abruptly against the wall.

“You bloody well stay away from her, or I will rip you apart with my own hands!” I say through gritted teeth. He looks amused, but he doesn’t say what we both know that he is thinking. He pushes me off, brushes off his robes, and stalks from the room. I slam the door angrily behind him.

***

After having breakfast, which was mainly consisted of me staring at Ginny, and Zabini catching me with that satisfied smirk of his, I am on my way out of Potions class. Zabini is walking beside me, knowing that I am hoping to see Ginny. And I do. Her hair is in pigtails today, and on anybody else it would look too girlish or immature, but she manages to look as beautiful as always. Out of the corner of my eye I see Blaise smirk, and begin to quicken his pace and I know nothing good could possibly come of this. Just when Ginny is about to pass by my left he sticks his foot out and deliberately trips her, causing her to fly in my direction. As she hurtles into me, my arms wrap around her instinctively and I have to struggle to maintain my balance on the ground. I am amazed at how small and warm she feels, and suppress the urge to tighten my hold around her arms, and instead I do the opposite and release her. I then bend down and pick up her books and hand them to her. Her cheeks are flushed and she is quite clearly too shocked by my actions to speak, but her eyes show her gratitude. I am at a loss for what to say as well, so I brush past her and walk in a hurried pace towards where Zabini is doubled over in laughter. He is going to pay for this. He sees me coming, stands straight, and attempts to suppress the look of amusement on his face. I shove him angrily against the wall, his robes are clenched tightly in myf fistsand he doesn't seem so amused anymore.

"What the hell was that about? Did I not tell you, just two hours ago, what the consequences would be if you didn't stay away from her?" I demanded. He tries to give me an innocent smirk, but stops abruptly when I shake him a bit.

"Look, I was doing you a favor!" I give him a look of disbelief.

"Me? You were doing me a favor?! Explain to me, Zabini, how that would be considered a favor! You just made me look like a fool, and that is not something that a Malfoy does."

"Are you blind or stupid? I've seen the way she blushes when she catches you looking at her. I just figured that if you caught her before she fell she might start to fancy you a bit more, is all." His expression looks honest, but that is the stupidest plan I've ever heard of.

"Fancy me? I caught her from falling, so that's going to make her fall madly in love with me? That's the stupidest idea you've ever come up with! Even Crabbe and Goyle would've known it was a stupid plan!" Tired of arguing, and realizing that I am late for classes again, I turn and walk away. Instead of heading in the direction of my class I find myself heading towards my dorm. This is the second day in the row I've skived off classes. I walk into the boy's dormitory and flop down on my bed. All I can think of, is the way Ginny felt in my arms. I wish I could hold her more often, and begin to imagine what it would be like if she were mine.

***

My thoughts were so consumed of Ginny yesterday, that I ended up falling asleep, and by doing so, missed dinner and quidditch practice. Seeing as how I am the captain, that didn't go over too well with my teammates.

Today is the Hogsmeade trip, so all the classes are abbreviated. I was so preoccupied with my plan, that on the way to Herbology, I nearly trampled five or six first year Hufflepuffs.

When the last of classes were finally let out I walked quickly to my dorm, gathered my money, and headed towards Hogsmeade. I shiver from coldness, and realize december is not the best time to be walking around in thin, silk, robes without a cloak. Once far enough away from the school where I thought I wouldn't be seen, I apparated. I am sixteen, so it's not quite legal yet, but I'm not concerned. A few seconds later, I land in a secluded back yard. It's a little hard to get my bearings at first, but once I realize where I am, I begin walking to where all of the shops are. I see a shop that catches my eye, "Bella's Enchanted Robes." It sounds like a place where a girl would shop, so I went in.

The store was decorated with pink and purple, too girlish for my tastes, but then I remind myself that I am here for a girl, so that's probably a good thing. A plump, middle aged woman, sees me and hurries over excitedly.

"My, my, you are awfully handsome! Is there anything I can help you with?" I smirk at her compliment before replying. I now realize that it feels slightly awkward to be buying dress robes for a girl.

"Well, I'm looking for some dress robes, for a girl." She nodded at me knowingly.

"Well, give me a description of her, so we'll know what will look good on her." So I begin to describe Ginny, careful not to go into too much detail, because this lady would probably think I am obsessed with her. Well, she is my obsession, but no one else needs to know that. So I kept it simple, and described Ginny's red hair, pale complexion, and small frame. She nodded approvingly.

"This sounds like one beautiful girl." She says, but she probably says that to all the blokes who come in here. She sees that I am beginning to feel impatient, so she instructs me to follow her, and I do. She leads me to a section near the back of the shop, and starts pulling out dress robes , while muttering about finding one that won't clash with red hair. Once she finds a considerable amount, she dumps them all in my arms and I nearly stagger under the weight. She then walks off towards the front of the shop, where there are large arm chairs, and cushions. She grabs the robes from me, pushes me down in a seat, and begins holding them up one at a time, explaining what the material is made of, and how much it costs, and all that. Soon, she has gone through the whole pile and I haven't found one that seems even remotely worthy of Ginny. She sighs impatiently.

"Well, there's only one more pair of robes left that I can think of, but it's very expensive." I tell her that whatever the price, it won't be a problem. She raises her eyebrow at me before going off to retrieve it.

When she returns, she holds it up, and at first I am speechless. The robes are long, and silver, but not the cheesy sort of silver that pansy would wear, it's a more subtle color, but it would still draw attention. There are light flower patterns in white, it has long sleeves, which is good, because I know she would be cold without them. The salesclerk takes my awed silence as a good sign, and smiles triumphantly. She hands me the dress, and the second I feel it, I know that it is made completely from silk. This is something my mother taught me when I was young, and was forced to accompany her on all of her shopping expeditions. The robes are luxuriously soft and smooth, and they have a liquid-like feel to them. She gives me the price ; six hundred Galleons, which is a lot, but nothing is too much for my princess. When I her I'll take it and I see a suspicious gleam in her eye.

"Well, seeing how this is such a unique color, and quality, I doubt your young lady would have the proper shoes for it on hand. Perhaps you would like to purchase them for her?" A part of me wanted to decline, for I knew this women was just trying to get all the money she could from me, but a part of me wanted to accept, because I realized that Ginny probably did not have such extravagant shoes to go with these robes. So I nodded to the woman and she grinned slyly at me. She then dragged me over to the shoe section, which is pretty big. I had thought that it would take forever for her to locate the shoes but she finds them immediately. They are silver in color, and made of satin. They look as though they have been made for the dress robes. I tell her I'll take them and she puts them in a box, and hands them to me. The shoes are seventy Galleons. I grimace slightly, and a part of me stops to question why I am doing all of this, when I am going to get nothing in return. Then, I remember the look in her eyes, when she heard about the ball. How she had been excited, but then disappointed upon realizing that she would not be able to afford the robes. This is all the motivation I need. I look at the salesclerk, who is eying me with a smug expression. I groan, knowing that she is probably going to try to convince me to buy something else.

"Now, before you go to the front desk to purchase your items, I thought a white comb would look nice in your young lady's hair." She has a devious glint in her eye, because it is now apparent that I will buy anything for Ginny. I glare at her as she heads off to find the comb. When she comes back she shows it too me, knowing that I will take it. This costs me another fifteen Galleons. She then suggests a handbag, which costs twenty five galleons, which I grudgingly agree to. After she has found that I briskly walk up to the front desk before she can find even more ways to take my money. The clerk at the front desk smirks at me as she sees the number of items I hand to her. She stares at a minute before asking me :

"Sir, would you like me to wrap these, or are you going to wear them now?" At first I am clueless, but when the implications of what she finally said dawns on me, I am furious. I snarl at her, which I notice frightens her a bit, then tell her to gift wrap them. She tells me this will cost an extra five galleons. I grit my teeth and tell her to go ahead. She then rings up the total; seven hundred and fifteen Galleons. I hastily give her the money, grabbed my packages, and got out of that store.

Once outside, I realize I don't have enough money for new dress robes for myself, and I grimace. Imagine that, a Malfoy, not having enough money. Now that is a disturbing thought. I walk back to the backyard in which I came, and apparate back to Hogsmeade. Students are still bustling around, as I make my way back to the school. Lunch will bwe soon.

Once inside the school I head to the Owlry, and tie the packages to two school owls, and instruct them to give them to Ginny during lunch, and not a moment sooner. My own owl, glares at me, obviously feeling betrayed. Realizing there are only five minutes left, till lunch, I hurriedly make my way down to the Great Hall.

***

I am now sitting with a clear view of Ginny, waiting for those damn owls. It's been ten minutes and there not here yet. Luckily, Blaise is sitting at the opposite end of the table with Pansy Parkinson, and is now too distracted to smirk at my staring at Ginny. Finally, the owls fly in, laden with the heavy, expensively wrapped packages. I watch Ginny's reaction as they drop the packages in front of her. She looks both puzzled, and embarrassed at the same time. A girl next to her nudges her arm, and Ginny opens the largest package which contains the dress robes. Her face lights up with delight and awe as she picks the material up in her hands and inspects it. The girls at the Gryffindor table surround her and bombard her with questions. I watch as she carefully places the robes back in the box, and opens the next package, which has the shoes in it. Her face lights up again, and I get this funny feeling in my stomach that I can't quite describe. She then opens the box that contains the handbag and hair comb. The girls around her seem to be going mad with jealousy. They keep glaring at her but she takes no notice. She gathers her packages and then walks out of the Great Hall, unaware of the many jealous eyes following her.

A/N: I didn't like this chapter at all! I tried and tried to re-write it, but it just wouldn't turn out right! Well, anyways, please review and tell me what you thought!

3. The Ball

A/N: First, I would like to apologize again for taking sooo long to update. I got a new laptop and it took me ages to find out how to make the word processor compatible with portkey’s requirements Also, I wanted to say that I really, really, appreciate all of the reviews I’ve gotten for this fic. You guys have been really great.

The Finest Silk

Chapter Three (of three)- The Ball

Last Chapter: "Due to the exceptional behavior from all of the Houses, the teachers and I have decided to hold a ball for the fifth through seventh year students. It has no particular theme, but formal wear is required. It will take place in two weeks, and a Hogsmeade trip has been set for this Wednesday and Friday so students can purchase the appropriate attire. I hope to see everyone there." And with that, he sat down while the Great Hall became filled with the sounds of joy from the older students, and outrage from the younger ones. I look over at her, and I am surprised to find out that even though she is smiling, she has a sad glint in her eyes. I suddenly realized what was wrong, and am determined to fix it. I skive off the rest of my classes and go to my dorm, to devise a plan.

The ball is tomorrow night, and I have yet to find a date. Asking Ginny is out of the question, and I haven’t really been inclined to ask anyone else, but I do not want to appear as though I was incapable of finding a date. I am Draco Malfoy after all, and I know that the girls in Slytherin are practically lining up to go with me, especially Pansy.

The last two weeks have passed without incident, except for the fact that Blaise has been particularly smug because he knows that I was the one who sent the dress robes to Ginny. Speaking of Ginny, I haven’t seen much of her, but I have heard plenty of talk about her from many jealous girls, debating over who had given her those stunning dress robes. I am sure that Ginny, along with those other girls, never expected me to be the one to send her the dress robes, but a part of me can’t help wondering what her reaction would be if she knew. Would she be pleased? Disgusted? Scared out of her wits? I guess I’ll never really know, but I do know that I would continue sending her anonymous gifts in the mail if it meant that I could see the way her beautiful eyes sparkled, and the way that her mouth curved into that delicate smile.

Sighing, I walk into the common room, which at first seems deserted, until I notice Pansy sitting on the couch in front of the fire, no doubt moping over the fact that I had not asked her for to accompany me to the ball. I take a seat next to her but she avoids my eyes, she doesn’t want me to know that she’s been crying. As much as it kills me inside to do so, I find myself asking her the one question that I had yet to ask anyone.

“Pansy, would you like to go to the Ball with me?” She hastily wipes the tears from her eyes and scowls.at me. At first, I thought she was going to refuse.

“ You stupid git, why would you wait till the bloody last minute to ask me? What if I hadn’t bought a dress?” I smirk, knowing that she had in fact bought one, hoping that I would ask her to go.

“So, shall I take that as a ‘yes’?” She smirks at me.

“What do you think?” She then stands, and ascends the stairs of the girls dormitory, probably going off to tell Millicent her great news.

***

Later that day, I found myself wandering around in the corridors of Hogwarts, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ginny, and I did, but now I wish that I hadn’t.

*Flashback*

I was walking down the corridor, when I saw Ginny with that Irish prat, Seamus Finnegan. I hid myself behind one of the statues so I could see what was going on. They had been walking along, when he stopped suddenly, and grabbed one of her small hands into his own. She looked surprised at this gesture, and blushed slightly. My feelings of anger and jealousy cause me to look away for a moment. I was tempted to jump out behind my hiding place and yank his hand away from hers, but what right did I have? I surely had no claim on her. I turn my attention back to the two of them, when I heard Finnegan begin to speak.

“Ginny, do you fancy going to the ball with me?” He sounds overconfident, as if he knows she will say accept his invitation. She hesitates a bit, as though considering her answer.

“Well, I’m sorry Seamus, but I was sort of hoping the person that gave me those wonderful dress robes was going to ask me.” She gently pulls her hand out of his and turns to walk away when he grabs her shoulder and spins her toward him again. My jaw clenches in anger, couldn’t the wanker just accept that fact that she rejected him?

“ Ginny, if that bloke wanted you to know that it was him who sent you those robes, he would have left a note. He is obviously too afraid to admit his feelings for you but I’m not. I think that we would have a great time if we went together, now what do you say?” She still looks a little reluctant but she smiles at him and says:

“Alright, Seamus, I’ll go with you.” The prat smiles, and then has the nerve to kiss her on the cheek. This makes me absolutely furious. I waited until they were gone, and I stormed off towards the Syltherin common room.

*End of Flashback*

***

I’m at dinner in the Great Hall, and in a bloody foul mood. After pounding my fist into the wall of my dormitory repeatedly, I found myself calm enough to attend dinner, but when I get there, I find myself getting furious all over again. That stupid prat, is sitting next to Ginny with an arm draped casually around her shoulder, a smug smile on his face, while talking to the other blokes at the table. She on the other hand, had a rather bored expression on her face, seeing as how he wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to her. How could someone not pay attention to her? How could they not be enthralled by her beauty? How could they resist running their fingers through that amazing red hair? How could they not be absorbed in a conversation with her? I know I haven’t exactly had any stimulating conversations with her myself, but I am sure that if I did, I would be amazed.

I look along my own table at my Housemates. Pansy caught my eye and smiled at me. I wink back at her and she giggles, then returns to her conversation with Millicent. I then look at Blaise, who also caught my eye. He looks from me, to Ginny, and then smirks. It never ceases to amaze me that someone other than my father, smirks more than I do. The stupid git was probably born with a smirk on his face.

After dinner I was in the Library, doing some research for a Potions essay, on Vertiserum. (A/N: Sorry if I spelled that wrong)The essay was not due for two weeks, but I needed to get the book before Granger did, because knowing her she would want to read the whole thing, and wouldn’t be finished until the essay was due.

After locating the book I needed, I used a quick duplicator spell to copy the pages about Vertiserum, and was on my way back to the common room, when I saw Ginny. She was arguing with her prat of a brother.

“Ginny, you can’t go to the ball with Seamus!” She narrows her eyes at him angrily.

“Why not?”

“Because, I’ve heard the stories of what he does with girls who go out with him! You’re my little sister and I simply won’t allow it!” For once, I found myself agreeing with The Weasel. I watch, slightly amused as Ginny’s face flushes with anger.

“Ron, you are exactly right. I am your little sister, and you are not my father. So I’ll date whoever I bloody well please!” With that, she spins away angrily and storms down the corridor, her crimson hair streaming behind her.

***

Today is the day of the ball. All of the girls are running about chattering excitedly with each other about their dates, and I feel angry every time I imagine Ginny going with that stupid git. I almost want to skip the ball, because I don’t want to have to stand there and watch some other bloke put his arms around her.

I am dreading going to the ball, which is probably why all my classes have gone by in a blur. Now I am in my room getting dressed. I put on my black, silk dress robes from last year, knowing that noone would dare comment on them. I then slick back my hair and step back to look at myself in the mirror. I look fabulously handsome, as usual. I sigh, and then go downstairs to wait for Pansy.

After waiting with the rest of the boys for about an hour, the girls come descend down the stairs, all trying desperately to look graceful, and none of them succeeding. Millicent, the big oaf, actually trips over her own two feet and rolls down the rest of the stairs. I don’t even attempt to stifle my laughter. Then Pansy comes down, and I wish I could say I was entranced by her beauty but I wasn’t, in fact, I was repulsed. She was wearing her hair in an odd sort of style with pointy spikes that looked like they could poke an eye out. Her dress robes were a horrendous shade of pink, and were extremely frilly. She was wearing high heeled shoes, and the heals were so thin that they looked as if they were going to break at any given moment. She approached me, smiling broadly.

“You look so handsome!” She gushes and I smirk.

“I know.” I don’t return the compliment, but she doesn’t take any notice. I offer her my arm and we proceed to the Great Hall.

***

The Great Hall was nicely decorated, although it was nothing compared to the lavish balls held at the Malfoy Manor. The first song was a slow one, and Pansy immediately dragged me to the dance floor. I feel as though I’m going to suffocate from the vile stench of her perfume.

I look over her shoulder and scan the crowd. My eyes stop when they see her. Words cannot describe how perfect she looks. The dress robes fit her perfectly. They accentuate her slender, but curvaceous figure. They shimmer in the light that surrounds her. Her hair is pulled up with the comb, except for two ringlets on either side of her face. Finnegan approached her, and they walked onto the dance floor together. He put his arms around her, his hands going just a bit lower on her waist than was necessary.

Suddenly, I’m not in the mood for anymore dancing. I pull away from Pansy and stalk over to a chair, sitting there to sulk. My eyes involuntarily seek out Ginny. She’s still dancing with that Finnegan prat and he’s holding her way too close. I am strongly tempted to pull him away from her and bash his head repeatedly against the stage, where the Weird Sisters are playing, but that would probably disrupt the ball.

The last straw, was when that arse leant over to kiss her. There was no way I was going to watch her be kissed by someone else. I stand up abruptly and storm out of the great hall, not noticing that Ginny had gently pushed the prat away.

Once in the hallways, I didn’t feel the slightest bit better, so I headed outside, suddenly intent on feeling the cold air on my hot cheeks. I wander over to a bench and plop myself down on it, while taking a deep breath. The cement is cool on my skin, I can feel it through my dress robes.

After what seemed like only a few minutes I hear a voice behind me. Her voice. I turn to face her.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” We both know what she is talking about. Her expression is gentle. She doesn’t look accusatory, disdainful, surprised, shocked, disgusted, or angry. I guess I should consider that to be a good thing, but I’m not nearly ready to admit it was me. at Seamus.” Perhaps she’s going to tell me that she is grateful for the gift, but she can’t date me. Or maybe, she’ll get mad, the Weasley temper seems hereditary, and she might even threaten to tell her brother. I sigh loudly, there’s no point in denying it.

“So what?” I ask bitterly. “So what if it was me, what are you going to do about it?” Surprisingly, she doesn’t look hurt or offended, she just walks over and sits beside me on the bench. While avoiding my eyes, she begins to speak.

“Well, first off, I wanted to thank you. Secondly, I wanted to know why you spend so much money on me.” After she says the last part she looks up at me, and I can’t quite describe the look in her eyes. It makes me look away. It’s as though she can see right through me, as if she knows what I’m thinking. I’m not sure if I should be happy about that or not. She coughs slightly, and I realize she is still waiting for me to answer, looking slightly impatient. For reasons that I can’t explain, I find myself getting angry at her persistence. I get off of the bench, and glare at her.

“What’s it to you, anyways? You’re a Weasley, and those robes probably cost more than your are worth more than your house, and your parents’ Gringotts vaults combine! Can’t you just be grateful that you got a gift, does it really matter why?” She stands up furiously, anger flashing in her brown eyes, and approaches me until there’s scarcely two inches between us.

“You know, Malfoy, that’s really getting old! Why do you always have to insult me?”

“Well, if you weren’t so damned beautiful all of the time!” The words are out of my mouth before I can even consider the repercussions. I opened my mouth to take my words back, but stop when I see the look on her face. She’s smiling. She’s happy that I like her.

I take a step forward, and wrap my arms around her slim waist. I can’t help but run my hands gently over the soft material that covers her small body. She lets out a small sigh, and rests her head on my shoulder. It’s hard to describe the feelings that are coursing through me at this very moment. I am both elated, and utterly terrified at the same. I don’t want to mess this up by scaring her away.

She looks up at me, and my gaze is drawn to her lips. I feel the overwhelming urge to kiss her, and at the moment I can’t think of any good reasons not to. I bend down, and brush my lips gently against hers. I pull back a bit to see her reaction, when she pulls me back to her and presses her lips on mine hungrily. I was a bit surprised at first, but then I couldn’t help but respond to the kiss. Her mouth opens under mine, and my knees get weak. Her taste is amazing, I realized, when our tongues finally met.

My hands move from their previous spot on her waste, to tangle themselves in her luscious red hair. It’s so soft and sleek, and somewhere in the back of my mind I note that her hair feels quite similar to the silk of her dress robes. Her small hands tentatively roam up and down my back, and I feel delicious chills running down my spine. We break apart, chests heaving, breathing in unison. I pull her in my arms again, so that her head is resting under my chin.

I get the urge to laugh with joy, like I’ve seen others do on countless occasions. I had always been puzzled as to what they could be so happy about, but here I am, on the verge of laughter. I finally understand how they felt, like the happiness inside of them was going to explode unless they found a way to let it out. I’m happy because I realized that although we haven’t actually discussed it, Ginny Weasley is officially mine, and that’s all that matters.

***

Well, what did you think? Just in case anyone was interested, the first chapter of the sequel will be up in about a week or so. I hope you guys are pleased with this chapter! Please review and tell me what you thought!