Chapter 1- Draco the Catalyst

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Hello all. It has been simply ages since I've written a Harry Potter fanfic and I've always wanted to write one about Ginny and Draco so here it is. I hope you like!

Disclaimer: You all know that I own none of the characters, I only borrow them for a little while and put them into extremely unlikely circumstances!

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Ginny scowled and tucked a strand of her brilliant red hair behind her ear. She marched along the corridor her hair and cloak streaming out behind her as she went. She fumed at her own childishness. For goodness sake she was in the sixth year now, she should be able to control her temper. Really though, how dare Colin say that she had no chance with Harry? She was going to prove him wrong she was going to give Harry one last chance to invite her to the masque ball which was going to be held that Wednesday night. After that, well she would just have to pour her affection into somebody else. Reaching the entrance to the great hall she paused for a moment, leaning up against the stone wall and drew a deep breath. 'You can do this.' she told herself, 'Just walk up to him and get him to ask you out.' She groaned in frustration,

"It'll never work." She said out loud slamming her fist back against the wall.

"You know there are some days when mocking you is challenge I love, other times it is just too easy. I mean talking to yourself?! If I didn't pick up on it someone else would have. You're not making this very fun Virginia."

A flush shot up Ginny's neck and blossomed into her face. "You know there are some days when hating you is a feeling I love, other times it is just too easy." She bit back quickly trying to squash the scream of annoyance she was longing to vent at the sound of Draco Malfoy's all-too-familiar drawl. "And my name is Ginny, not Virginia!" For some reason since the beginning of her fifth year Draco Malfoy had begun to call her Virginia. Perhaps it was because he realised that she hated that name more then being called the little weasel or whatever other pathetic insult he thought up.

"Whatever Virginia." Draco sized up the steaming Gryffindor in front of him and decided to put one more dig in before dinner. Tossing his platinum blonde hair, which now fell to just below his ears, out of his face he leaned in close.

"What'll never work? Securing Harry Potter's love?" seeing her flinch he smiled in triumph, "You're just a silly little girl, what would he ever want with the likes of you?"

Ginny was so angry and upset that she was trembling. Already highly emotionally charged she couldn't stand these simple but stinging insults along with everything else.

"Why don't you go and find someone else to torture?" she snapped pushing him aside and entering the great hall. She stopped as she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione laughing together at the far end of the room. He seemed so happy and easy-going, so very different from how he acted around her. Now Harry seemed to make it a point to remain fully out of her way ever since that fateful night way back in October when Ginny had plunged headlong back into her age old crush on the boy who lived…

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Flashback

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Ginny tipped her head back and took in the stars twinkling high above her. The air was crisp but not too cold and she relished in its freshness after her stuffy dormitory. She was leaning against the rail on a balcony she had discovered in her fourth year. It was down a corridor not far from the Gryffindor common room and she liked to imagine she was the only one who knew about it, maybe she was. Ginny felt an overwhelming sense of joy spread over her and stepping away from the edge she started to sing softly. Throwing her arms wide she started to spin slowly, letting the hem of her white nightdress flare out gently. The song began slowly but gradually sped up and so too did her spinning. The world rotated around her and became more and more of a blur as she began to spin faster and faster. Closing her eyes to combat the dizziness she gave herself over to the butterflies that were growing in her stomach. Suddenly her foot caught on a loose tile and she lost her balance. She let out a squeak as she began to tumble towards the ground when all of a sudden she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and draw her upright. Opening her eyes cautiously and still feeling extremely disorientated Ginny stared up into a pair of brilliant green eyes.

"Ha…Harry?" she asked hesitantly. She blinked and his face came into view, albeit still swimming a little.

"Ginny?" he asked, "What were you doing? You could've fallen off the edge spinning around like that."

Her brow creased slightly at the harsh note in his voice and she pushed him away from her a little.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard you singing and came to see what you were doing. I mean out here, alone? Really Ginny you know better than that."

"I think you're overreacting." She said gently, "But thank you for catching me."

Harry shook his head and turned away from her.

"Ginny," He said in a hard voice, "you should go back to bed. It's late."

"I know its late Harry." She said with a small bite in her voice, "I've been able to read the time for several years now."

Harry looked back at her and his look was condescending, "I know, but it's not safe to be out and about at this time of night."

"You are." She said crossing her arms and observing him in the moonlight. He had changed since their fifth year and she was not sure she liked the change. He was so morose a great deal of the time and seemed to avoid all company except Ron and Hermione's. Ginny hardly remembered seeing him at all the year before. Well if he thought he could suddenly boss her around because he was Ron's friend well he had another thing coming.

"That's different." He said softly coming towards her, "Come on Ginny, please go back to bed."

"Why?" she demanded, "Why is it different for you? I'm just as good at spells as you are. Yeah alright maybe you're more ahead in defence against the dark arts but I'm learning."

Harry ran a hand through his hair distractedly and sighed. "In these times Ginny it's just not safe."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him, "Why do you suddenly care?" she asked, "You avoided me all last year after…well you know, after the department of mysteries thing."

Harry flinched and she was sorry she had brought it up. "Look, I'm sorry." She amended, "I'll go to bed in a minute, I just wanted to breathe some fresh air."

"Fine." He stood watching her for a moment and she slowly reddened.

"What are you doing?" she asked shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I'm waiting for you to have your fresh air and go to bed."

Ginny let out a small shriek of frustration and leant on the balcony railing. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry doing the same to her left. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply again, showing Harry that she was getting her fresh air. He chuckled and that made her smile too. She turned to him to apologise for being such a brat and found that he must have had something similar in mind because he moved forward at exactly the same moment. They were so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"Ginny." He whispered. She'd never heard her name pronounced that way before. In a hoarse, pleading tone; it was exciting. Her heart leapt as she realised that he was about to kiss her. And he did. Lowering his face slowly at until their lips met in a soft embrace. She gripped his shoulders as his arms wrapped around her waist. They stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity but finally Harry pulled away.

"I'm really sorry Gin." He said quietly, "I don't know what came over me."

Ginny was about to say that she honestly didn't mind when he added, "It will never happen again, I promise."

Her head drooped and she lost the courage to answer him. She let him lead her back inside and turned her face away when he said goodnight at the foot of the girls' dormitories. He had already decided that they could never have a relationship just as she realised she wanted one.

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End flashback

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Ginny stumbled as the force of her memories hit her hard. He had been unfailingly polite to her since then but he made it a habit to never be left alone with her. He treated her as if she was a bomb to be handled with care and, if at all possible, avoided. She was crushed by this reaction to what had been, to her, a truly magical moment. However, Dumbledore had announced a masquerade ball which would, she was positive, finally give Harry an opportunity to express his utmost devotion to her. If only he would ask her to be his partner! She had been waiting for him to ask her since the announcement had been made a little over a week ago. She was running out of time, he was running out of time and soon it would be too late. Well she was going to give him one last chance to ask her otherwise serious measures would have to be taken.

She sashayed over to where the golden trio were sitting and sat herself down next to Harry.

"Hi!" she said brightly.

Ron and Hermione said "hi." In return but Harry turned bright red and muttered a quick, "Hello." before saying he had something he needed to do and rushing off.

Ginny sighed dejectedly and watched him hurry away. As he escaped out of the doors to the great hall her gaze fell upon the Slytherin table where she saw Draco smirking at her. He had seen. She knew he had seen and she couldn't stand that he was laughing at her. She stood up suddenly.

"I have to go to the library." She informed Hermione and Ron who looked up at her in surprise.

"But you haven't had any dinner." Hermione pointed out and Ron nodded.

"Yeah, whatever it is, it can wait." He added.

Ginny shook her head vehemently.

"No I have to go now, I'll see you guys later."

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Ensconced deep in the library Ginny pulled out a thick volume. She had used this book a couple of times before and knew it to be most useful. In fact it was called The Useful Book of All Things Useful. Fred and George had pointed it out to her in her first year and, true to its name, it had proven very…well useful. It had no fixed content but instead moulded itself to contain whatever the reader would find most helpful. It was through use of this text, the twins had confided to her, that they had managed to pass in much of their homework over the 6 and a half years they had been at Hogwarts. On entrusting its secret to their youngest sibling they imparted two rules. Number 1: Never take the book out of the library. Although not many people knew of its existence it must always be in the library where others can find it if in need. Number 2: If it offers you spells always be wary. A book has no feelings or sensibilities, it doesn't know the factors leading to the spell being cast and it will not warn you of the consequences. Ginny thought this remarkable advice considering the havoc and mayhem her brothers had wreaked upon the world but she guessed they were a little more concerned about their little sister getting into trouble then themselves. For this second reason Ginny had not asked the book for spells before. She would consult it on homework matters but left actual magic to her teachers and those books which sole purpose was to teach spells. This time, however, she needed the right spell and, as she had an inkling that she would only find the kind of spell she needed in the restricted section, she turned, in her time of need, to The Useful Book. Holding the heavy, leather-bound volume in her right hand she thought hard of the kind of spell she needed and then opened the front cover slowly. As she did so gold lettering appeared upon the page, it read:

The Ultimatum

For forcing yourself to not accept second best and for convincing others of your worth. The ultimatum charm will place an ultimatum on your affairs ensuring that the thing you desire most is granted to you or else!

Then followed a list of circumstances in which you might want to use the ultimatum charm. About sixth on the list was:

To ensure your one true love admits their feelings

If you wish for your one true love to realise their feelings for you Read the Ultimatum Charm and repeat the name of your one true love as many times as you feel necessary. Provide a date for the ultimatum to be set. If your one true love hasn't asked you out on a date by the time the ultimatum comes around you shall be attached to another person. Say this person's name in the allotted space on the spell and thus you will be united with them. This attachment will force your one true love to realise your true worth whilst also providing an incentive for you to encourage your love to grow.

Looking further down the page Ginny read the actual chant. She picked up the book and wandered over to a seat at the very back of the library. Looking to her left she saw with horror that Harry was sitting at a table not very far away from her. As she watched him she saw Ron come and join him and the two began having a whispered conversation, wary of Madam Pince's watchful eye. Ginny turned her back on the two and opened the book again. Taking a deep breath she began to chant under her breath:

"Present an ultimatum for my one love true

And thus render a relationship new

When love comes to a realisation

Thus will this charm come to fruition

My true love is…"

Ginny closed her eyes and crossed her fingers,

"Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter!"

Deciding that that should probably be enough she added

"And he must realise it by…"

She thought for a moment and then decided to bit the bullet and set the date quite close, "this Wednesday at midday." She said decisively. After all the ball was that Wednesday night, she couldn't leave it any longer then that.

"Let this all come to pass or let me be attached to…"

Ginny realised she hadn't even thought who she would want to "become attached to" if Harry didn't ask her out. She reassured herself that it wouldn't matter because Harry would ask her. 'But what if he doesn't?' a niggly little voice asked from the back of her mind. Desperately wracking her brains to come up with a suitable candidate Ginny couldn't help but let her eyes wander over to where Harry and Ron were sitting. Harry ran a hand through his messy black hair and Ginny grinned like a love-sick fool. Suddenly Harry sat bolt upright and shouted:

"Draco Malfoy!" before collapsing into laughter with Ron.

Ginny stared at him in astonishment.

'Uh oh.' She thought looking back down at the book. The pages turned a brilliant red then a dull purple and the words:

"Charm set." Flashed across the page before fading away into nothingness.

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Well one chapter down. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, always like feedback, especially early on in the story it gives me a hint that I'm going in the right direction. Thanks.

Jess/star123