A/N this is my first attempt at Draco/Ginny. Just a little one shot with a lot of metaphors. Strawberries make the best plots.

Queen of the Fruit

By: Erin Hatfield

Ginny Weasley cast one parting shot over her shoulder as she hurried up a grassy hill away from the small town. The sun was beating down on her strawberry colored hair as she hurried quickly up the little knoll, slowly reaching the summit. The hill always looked smaller from far away. Everything looks smaller from far away.

Turning again, Ginny gazed out over the ever-shrinking town of Hogsmeade. She could still see students, free of uniforms and dressed in summer clothes, skirting about in the streets below her. Doing last minute shopping for the summer, not knowing when they'd get to the quaint wizarding town again. Ginny grimaced. She knew exactly when she would see Hogsmeade next. Next year, her last year at Hogwarts.

The very thought made her want to go sprinting back down the hill to savor the taste of the last Hogsmeade trip of the year. Her very last as a student with Hermione, Harry, even Ron. She couldn't believe they were graduating. Just as she'd been accepted into the Golden Trio, they were leaving to go be super heroes somewhere else. Ginny was always a step behind.

Sighing, Ginny turned back to her goal of scaling this hill. She felt a bit foolish for getting emotional over their seventh year yet again. It wasn't like she'd never see them. She did live at the same house as Ron, after all. Hermione and Ron were attached at the hip now that they were dating. Excluding, of course, the ever frequent fights when they'd both claim utter hatred of the other and make up in less thantwo days by making out until they were caught, usually by Ginny or Harry. Ginny grinned. Harry was a good friend to her now, and he practically lived at the Burrow. He had his own bed in Ron's room.

Feeling significantly better about her seventh year friends, Ginny continued up the hill as fast as her legs would carry her. Hogsmeade could wait another hour or so, it wasn't going anywhere. But those strawberries on the other side of this hill, they waited for no one. For that was why she was panting her way up thee grass covered mound in the first place. A field of strawberries, all magically enhanced. Strawberries the size of your fist. So big you couldn't get a whole one in your mouth, even if you did so happen to be Ron. Ginny licked her lips subconsciously. Strawberries were the queens of fruits, second to no one. Her hair rippled out behind her as she reached the crest of the hill and stared down into the field on the other side.

Pausing only for a moment to take in the postcard image, Ginny stepped quickly down into the patches of ruby berries. There they were, totally untouched, waiting to be eaten. She hurried past bushes and grasses until the very large hill began to look small again, and sat down on the soft grass next to a particularly large patch of berries. Smoothing her loose jean skirt around her and adjusting her crimson tank top, Ginny stretched her legs on the ground. She didn't really care about getting her clothes dirty, just so long as she got some peace and quiet on this beautiful day outside of Hogsmeade.

Using the delicate precision with which she brushed her hair every morning, Ginny reached under the unusually large leaves of the plant. Reaching about on the dirt a bit, her smooth, white hand found its desired treasure and firmly grasped the berry. Ginny bit her lip as she gave it a bit of a twist and pulled it free. Slowly she pulled it out from under the leaf. A strawberry so big you couldn't wrap your fingers all the way around it. Each little yellow seed placed perfectly in a shining see of ruby flesh, glistening in the sunlight, begging to be eaten. Ginny grinned, and raised the berry with both hands to her face, taking a small, delicate bite.

Ginny Weasley always ate her strawberries the same. Her first bite was small and, heaven forbid, dainty. She made a neat incision with her pearly white teeth, piercing the flesh of the berry, taking a small bit back into her mouth. It practically dissolved against her tongue, the sweet juice dripped into her mouth and its heavenly flavor filling every taste bud and pore. Ginny giggled in spite of herself. It was really like taking a powerful aphrodisiac, not a strawberry at all. The free feeling rushed through her and into her very blood stream, lifting her to featherweight. As soon as the flavor began to die, she sunk her teeth in again, a much larger bite. Her lips pressed firmly against the bite mark from before, sucking more of the wonderful juice into her mouth, stained from the crimson blood of the berry. It was home free from there. She slowly consumed the strawberry in its entirety, and moved for another when she felt something odd at her fingertips. An empty stem from a berry she hadn't picked.

Draco Malfoy watched with great interest as the littlest Weasley crested the hill he had just strode so calmly over. Crouching down, out of her sight, he watched her sit down gently on the grass and smooth her skirt and red shirt. She looks like a strawberry, he thought to himself before he could stop. Draco loved strawberries more than beautiful women. As Weasley plucked a large red fruit, he watched in fascination as she raised it to her lips and took a bite. She closed her eyes with that first bite, just like any good Malfoy would, and savored it before burying her lips in the red flesh. Draco felt his heart clinch in his chest as she ran her tongue the length of the berry to lap up a bead of nectar. If it weren't for the fact that she was a Weasley, she'd have been the perfect specimen of a woman. Nothing was better than women eating strawberries in Malfoy's eyes. Ginny could eat a strawberry and be seductive at the same time: what more could a blonde, Slytherin sex-god want? The littlest Weasley wasn't so little any more.

Ginny stiffened. She felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck. Someone else had been here- was here. But she couldn't see them. Looking around, she saw nothing but green leaves spotted with red berries. A bird flew overhead, startling her, but nothing else moved. She relaxed a moment, chastising herself as she began the search again for more berries. She needed to relax. Just as her mind drifted off of who else liked strawberries, she heard a cool, suave voice behind her.

"Try this one."

Ginny whirled around to see Malfoy towering over her, holding out a strawberry. It was a perfect berry, too, much larger than her first. Too bad his greasy hands had touched it. Malfoy smirked down at her, an image of cool from his sweeping blonde hair to his black tee shirt and faded jeans. Ginny smirked right back, and took the strawberry from his strong, pale hand. Not even Malfoy could ruin today for her.

She held it a moment, still watching him. He waiting, obviously wanting her to eat it. Fat chance, ferret boy, Ginny thought to herself, you've done something to it… Instead, she raised it to her nose and inhaled deeply, smelling the flavor.

"Mmm," she sighed, eyes closed, "Smells like…" she inhaled again, opening her eyes.

Malfoy sat down on the grass next to her, waiting for her answer. The first time in history a Malfoy had waited for a Weasley. He stared at her expectantly.

"Smells like ferret." Ginny licked her lips, glaring coldly.

Malfoy actually seemed to snap out of his staring trance to smirk at her.

"Good, isn't it, Weasel?"

Ginny shook her head, "What do you want, Malfoy? You can't just be wandering around in my field, offering your inferiors ripe berries to eat, can you?"

Smirking at the innuendo, Malfoy raised an eyebrow, "Your field? Where's your name on it?"

"Oh, smooth, Malfoy. Haven't heard that one, since… lets see, I was five?"

Malfoy wanted to blush, he was so close, but he kept it down. Malfoys don't blush.

"Well, how's it your field then, Weaselbee?"

Ginny laughed. It wasn't a cold laugh at all, but rather warm and amused. Malfoy furrowed his graceful eyebrows at the pleasantry of it.

"Its covered in red. See anyone else here in red?"

Malfoy took the opportunity to give her the classic once over. Good figure, petite frame to keep up the dominance level, long, wavy, strawberry red hair to her waist. The once over became a twice over, and three times. Finally he snapped out of it and replied,

"No. I don't."

"Of course not, you couldn't be outdone by a Weasel. Bet you wish you were one now, don't you? Sorry, we don't take ferrets."

Malfoy laughed. He meant to sound cold and haughty, but it didn't quite work. Her good mood was infectious. He quickly covered his tracks with a deft change of direction,

"Why so far from the Golden Trio, Weasley? Finally out from under Potter's wing?"

"I was never under anyone's wing, Malfoy," Ginny spat. Malfoy grinned. Back on top, he thought, though I don't see her taking my natural dominance to well… That was a soft spot though…

She continued, "I just felt like a break from all the people."

Malfoy grinned, not smirked. It was an honest answer. The little Weasley had more sense that her brother or Wonder boy, though that didn't say much.

"And you?"

"Me?" Malfoy asked, "You're not the only one who tires of the crowds, Weasley."

"Ahh, I see," Ginny traced herlong slender finger over the skin of the berry. Malfoy watched with a sort of obsession. "But why a strawberry field?"

"Well, I suppose I just like strawberries, is all. They make better, more attractive quality than the masses of scum below them." He stared directly at her as he said it. She didn't back down. She didn't even blush.

"Of course they do," Ginny whispered, staring straight back at him. "Strawberries are just so much more alluring that all the other fruits, I do believe. Mystery makes a thing more… sensual."

Malfoy blushed. She'd gotten him. He'd brought out every hidden meaning he could recall in her presence, and hadn't gotten more than the flinch when she turned to meet his eyes the first time. With one quiet comment, his face lit up like a fresh berry. He'd lost. There was nothing else to do now but mark her as equal.

Draco Malfoy slipped the strawberry tactfully from Ginny Weasley's loose grasp. Smelling it once, he held it out to her.

"You know, this may be the best berry in the whole field. Eat it or I might have to."

Instead of taking it back from him, Ginny leaned forward and sank her mouth deep into the side of the berry. Closing her eyes as she bit, she sucked the nectar from the wound and chewed slowly. She opened her eyes as she swallowed, licking her berry red lips.

"Nothing tastes better than that, Draco," she smiled at him. Draco shivered at the sound of his own name. He turned the berry and bit into Ginny's bite mark. Letting the flavor fill his mouth, he swallowed, looking up at Ginny.

"Nothing, Ginny? Are you sure?" He reached over and caught a drip of juice (left on purpose) from her pouting lower lip and sucking it off his fingertip into his mouth.

"Yes, I am. Why, Draco, going to show me something better?" Ginny spoke, lips parted slightly.

"Nothing is better than strawberries and women who eat them."

Draco leaned over and caught her lips with his own. She tasted like the berries they'd both been eating. Ginny dropped the berry and wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling them in his hair. Arms tightly wound around her waist, Draco slipped his tongue through her parted lips, feeling the berry flavor once again fill his mouth. It was the truth,

Strawberries were the queens of fruit.

Fin

A/N Like? Don't like? Does it need more parts to it? I could try to make a longer plot if you really wanted me too… but how can I know if you don't review? Thanks so much to DK again, my loverly beta, and to Kat, for a second opinion. To all, Live long and eat juicy berries!