Varian sat with his back against the tree, bringing his knees up closer as he flipped the pages to his book.  He could hear footsteps walking in the grass, but he didn't bother to look up, assuming that whoever it was would pass him by.  He quickly learned that he was wrong.

"Whatcha reading?"

He looked up.  A small smirk played on his lips in spite of himself.  "Weasley."

"Ginny," she corrected with her hands on her hips.

"Weasely girl-"

"No. Please don't." She rubbed her forehead in annoyance.  "Just call me by my name."

"But that is your name is Weasley."

She crossed her arms.  "My other name."

"Molly-"

"How in the bloody-where did you hear that was my middle name?" She shrieked with displeasure and shock.  To her surprise, Varian threw his head back and let out a genuine laugh.

"It was a guess.  It's not uncommon that a mother's name will become her daughter's middle name.  Plus, it feels like something that the Weasleys would do."

She sat down next to him, brushing her hair off her shoulder.  "I guess it doesn't matter how you knew that.  Well, assumed.  Please, for the love of everything magic, don't call me that."

Varian raised a brow as he closed his book.  Tilting his head slightly, he rested his elbow on his knee so he could twist to look at her face.  "Do you not like your mother's name?"

"No, I do, but it's her name.  It's hard enough to set myself apart from my siblings, to be seen as an individual and not just 'another' Weasely.  It's just easier to be seen as my own person when I'm called by my actual name."

"Ginevra?"

"Oh!" She slapped his shoulder, but not with much force, making it playful.  "Would you stop it?"

"Ok, ok, ok." Varian raised his hands up in defeat.  "Ginny it is."

"Thank you."

"No problem, carrots."

Ginny didn't even say anything.  She just snatched the book out of his hand and began to hit him with it.  Not with enough force to hurt him, which made the boy laugh and squirm to get away.  He lifted his arms to shield himself from the friendly blows.

"Wait, wait, wait, stop-" he tipped over on his side, falling on the roots of the tree and the grass.  He didn't know why he found teasing her so funny, but he couldn't help laughing.

The redhead didn't listen, standing on her knees to aim another blow.  She looked down at him holding the book up as if prepared to strike him again at any given moment.  "You don't learn do you?" She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle herself.

"You're the one who gave a reaction." He passed her a sly smirk.  "So I guess we could say that, technically, it is your fault."

"Why you litttle-" she felt the book slip from her hand as Varian swiped it back.  Ginny reached out to grab it again, but he was faster and rolled out of her way.  "Hey!  Get back here!"

"With your temper?  I wasn't born yesterday." He smirked as he stood up.

Ginny launched herself up at him but he held the book up in the air, making it too high for her to reach.  So she resorted to trying to jump and get it with Varian expertly dodging and moving himself away all while keeping a smirk on his face.

"You're being a bully!" She accused.

"Me?  You're the one who was beating me with a book."

"It wasn't that hard!"

"Well, it is my book to begin with," he added.

She stopped and crossed her arms, letting out a huff.  Her red hair blew out of her face.  "Fine.  Point taken."

"Wow.  A Weasley admitting they're wrong.  That is a surprise."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if your family is anythung like I've seen from you and Ron, you're very stubborn and hot tempered people."

"I suppose I can't exactly argue with that," she admitted.

"Pray, do tell what's the occasion that I, Varian Meyer, has been able get two confirmations of being right by a Weasley in the same conversation?"

"You're annoying."

"I'm just stating the truth."

She gave him a playful shove, but he only laughed again. Then he returned it, but it was harder than he intended and she hit the ground.

"Oh, shoot.  Sorry..." He reached his hand out to help her stand back up.  She accepted, but yanked him on the ground instead.  He landed face first in the dirt.  Rolling on his back, Varian looked up at the sky.  "Ok.  Probably deserved that."

"Probably?"

"Ok.  I did."

"Thank you.  But while we're on the subject.  What's with the special occasion that Varian Meyer is actually visibly having fun?"

"I don't know what you're talking about.  I always have fun."

"Well, if you do, you have a really poor way of showing it.  All I ever see you do is read your books like a nerd."

"Hey, books are fun!"

"Are they?  Let me see." She stole his book again, flipping through the pages.  "Advanced Ancient Charms?  Yeah, I'm gonna rest my case."

"Hey!" Varian pouted as he reached out to grab his book back, but she pulled it out of his reach.  Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"What in the bloody... What are you-"

The voice made the two stop and turn towards it.  Draco stood there, utter confusion crossing his face.  He even forgot to uphold his snobbish attitude.

"Draco-" Varian flushed slightly as he snatched his book back and tucked it under his arm.  He cleared his throat and absently looked to the side as Ginny did likewise, running her hand through her hair.  "Excuse me." Varian wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulder and began to lead the blond towards the building.  Ginny was left standing there alone in the courtyard.

"When did you start hanging out with the Weasely girl-" Draco hissed.

"Well, she broke my rib, remember?  After that, we kept bumping paths.  Long story short, I have given up not hanging out with her.  She's impossible to throw off."

"But-"

"She's not as bad as you say," Varian retorted.  "Honestly, she's actually kinda fun."

"Wait, so you two are bloody-"

"Friends?  She seems to insist that we are, so I suppose we are.  Don't make a big deal out of this, please." Varian's voice lowered slightly when he pleaded.

The Ice Prince merely rolled his eyes.  "Fine.  Wasn't like I was anyways.  You act like I'm dramatic."

"No offense, Draco, but you're the most dramatic person I've ever met."

Draco passed him a dangerous glare, but Varian ignored it.  "The point is: What's the problem if I hang out with her?  And you can't answer saying its because she's a Weasley or that she's Gryffindor."

"Both are rather good reasons not to-" Draco began.

"But you don't have any other reasons because you don't know her any better?"

The Slytherin Prince paused as if thinking through what Varian was saying.  Then he shrugged.  "Do you think I care what you do?"

"Huh?" Varian raised a brow.

"I don't care that you're hanging out with the Weasley girl."

"You're taking this surprisingly well..."

"Well?" Draco crossed his arms.  "Did you think I would have a fit over it? Honestly, V.  You've known me this long, you should know that I could give less than a dime on what you do and who you hang out with.  Stop acting like you have to walk on eggshells around me."

"I didn't realize that I did," Varian admitted.  Then he passed the blond a grin.  "Thanks, Draco."

He shrugged, hiding the guilty feeling edging in his stomach. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco opened the door to the Slytherin common room.  He found Pansy sitting on a couch snogging Theodore Nott.  Both paused and looked at him awkwardly as he just stood there.  "Are you done yet?" The Slytherin Prince crossed his arms.

"Are you just gonna keep standing there?" Theodore raised a brow.

"Theo, I'll catch up with you later.  Draco and I have some business."

"Without me?"

"Yes. The Dark Lord will let me know if you can be added or whatever," Draco snorted, passing the Nott an annoyed look.

"Fine." Theodore walked past him.  It was apparent that he was ticked by his posture as he walked out, closing the door.  Draco locked it after he was sure Theodore hadn't stuck around to listen or use a listening spell.

Pansy tilter her head as she crossed her legs.  "What is it Draco?"

The Slytherin Prince paused as if analysing what he should say, trying to decide what he should do about the situation.  Then he slumped down in the nearest couch.  "You know Varian, right?" He spoke a little slowly, lifting his eyes to look into hers directly.

"Yeah.  Your little nerd roommate that follows you around half the time.  What about him?"

He shrugged casually as he pretended to be more interested in the notches in the arm of the couch he was sitting in.  "I caught him and that Weasley girl going about earlier today."

The girl smirked, indicating that she understood what he wanted from her.  "Oh?  Well, I'm sure that information wouldn't want to be thrown around, or maybe even twisted a little bit?"

"Exactly," Draco replied.

"I wonder what steaks are at play to the reputation of our fellow Slytherin."

"Surely, you would know that's confidential," he retorted.

"But the real question is: is it for you or for the Dark Lord?" Her voice dropped into a low tone as she leaned towards him to close some of the gab between them.  She did this in hopes of preventing her voice from carrying for unwanted ears.

"His."

"All I want to know." Pansy smirked.  "Although, I am partially curious to why you would want to go against the Dark Lord's hopes and cause Varian to be on the side of your enemies."

"Varian is a neutral.  I'm simply showing the Dark Lord that it would be a grave mistake to have Varian join the Death Eaters."

"And why is that?"

"Because Varian may be neutral, but I've spent six years with him as a roommate.  The chance that he would choose Voldemort is very unlikely and we would like to avoid spies.  You see, people have always seen him as push over.  Smart with the book, dumb with life.  However, they're wrong.  He's not great with social interaction, but he is not as easily fooled.  His logic is insane and even I can't follow it."

"To be fair, it doesn't take much to confuse you." Pansy smirked.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that.  My point is that Varian is a little too pure for the Dark Lord's cause.  He may not be with the Order of the Phenix, he will probably never join the Ministry after the treatment of his father, and I know that he will probably never join the Death Eaters.  I've subtly asked him questions.  He said that he found the Dark Lord's logic contradictory, let alone natrocious."

"So, you want me to spread a rumor that will make Varian look like he's at least siding with the opposing team, even if he isn't fighting?"

"It's the best way I can think of that would work.  You're the queen of rumors so I figure you already know what to say?"

"Of course.  You know me, but what do I get out of this?"

"Do you want me to put in a good word for you to the Dark Lord?"

She shook her head.  "I don't need a booster.  I can talk my way in and out of anything and can easily win over his trust easily.  No, I want something more personal.  I would like to have your trust."

"I already am trusting you with this-"

"No.  I mean trust each other's judgement and not just when we're doing a job.  You and I both know that you aren't a fan of the Dark Lord and would never have picked being a Death Eater had you ever been given the choice in the first place.  But I've been holding that secret because you know that I agree with you.  So when I start playing my little game of rumor, remember that if you want him to look like he's your Lord's enemy?  Then there are going to be severed friendships and you're going to have to trust my judgement on why it has to be that way."

"No, I already understand what this rumor could mean.  It's for his own good anyways.  He'll understand one day..."

"Or he never may."

"It's not important what he understands.  What's important is why it was done."

Pansy nodded, but she leaned closer. "Well, then.  Tell me everything there is that you know about him.  I need intel if I'm gonna cause a rumor big enough to cause a scene."