Love, War and Friendship - The Wizarding Way

Told From Harry's POV

Ron was oddly silent as he walked ahead of me down the long hallway to Hermione's room. I could tell he wasn't angry because his ears had yet to turn red. I again wondered if he knew.

Hermione was lying out on her bed talking to Ginny, Crookshanks cuddled up on her pillow. All three of them looked up when Ron banged the door open.

"I don't want to talk to you," Hermione sniffed turning her head away. Ginny smiled at me apologetically. I ignored her and walked over to her bedside, swatting at Crookshanks as he tried to claw me.

"Your boyfriend just tried to kill me," I say. "I think I deserve to know why."

She doesn't look at me but I can hear a faint sniffling. This was going well.

"Hermione, answer me."

Her face is ridiculously pretty, though wet with tears framed by hair that didn't look like hers. It had been easy to say what I had to this morning because when she looked like this I could tell myself it's not Hermione. It's not Hermione. Repeating it over and over again in my head blocked out my words, blocked out her tears and made me able to do what I must.

"Harry, let him be. I dumped him, he was angry ok? That's it." She folds the pillow over her ears as a signal for me to leave. I don't.

"Yah so why'd he take it out on me then?"

"Because I didn't want to be with him!" she shouts, sitting up straight. "Because I told him I wanted to be with you!"

Her straight forwardness startled me. We had never really voiced our feelings. Never quite said I like you or I want to be with you.

"I - Hermione we - we can't - there are reasons. Valid reasons," I say mentally slapping myself for the sadness that was evident in my voice.

"You told me all of them already," she says flatly. "We're not meant to be. I'm well aware."

"No, I didn't. Not all of them."

I hear her breath catch in her throat, her eyes widen the way they do when she's interesting, scared or amazed. I wonder which one it is this time.

"But right now I can't tell you. Someday, maybe. If things change, Hermione I promise you if things were different -"

"Oh save it," she snaps. "I don't need this. I don't need to sit here and listen to all of your lies."

I feel tears well up in my own eyes. She doesn't notice them for I never cry. I pride myself on it. I can face anything without tears. But there's something about what I'm feeling right now that is so much worse than any feelings Voldemort could bring up.

"Remember," I say softly grabbing her hand tightly so she can't pull away. "Friends forever?"

A smile curves over Hermione's face for a split second at the memory before she gives me a look I've only ever seen her give Malfoy when he does something cruel.

"Get out Harry," she begs me quietly. "Please."

I drop her hand and leave, noticing that Ginny and Ron have long since left as well. I suppose if I were them I wouldn't have wanted to be in there either. None of them understood. I wanted so much to tell Hermione but if I do then I've said it and it will become a reality. A dangerous reality.

***

Told From Ron's POV

I hadn't wanted this to happen. I brought Harry to Hermione's room against my better judgement (Fred would probably kill me later) because I thought with Fred out of the way he might actually admit his feelings and save the two of them the unnecessary heartache they're both going through. But when Ginny and I returned to Hermione's room it was obvious he hadn't.

Hermione was sitting on her bed staring blankly at the wall, not a tear upon her face. She didn't appear to notice our entrance or even that Crookshanks was biting her hand fiercely, trying to jolt her back into reality.

"Hermione," Ginny whispers softly, walking over and taking her hand gently. "Hermione are you ok?"

She nods mechanically, her voice gone from her body. Ginny turns to me, a scared look in her eyes. "Ron she looks so - so -"

"Broken?" I finish for her. Ginny nods still focusing on Hermione.

"How could Harry do this to her?" she asks in dismay, her perfect Harry Potter image clearly shattered. "His own best friend."

"Oh I don't think he got off any better," I say wisely remembering Harry's exit. He had staggered out of the room looking just as lost as she, barely seeing us as he wandered on down the hallway.

"I'm sure," she replies darkly. "Rejecting someone hurts you just as being rejected does."

"When you love the person you're rejecting it does."

"Harry doesn't love her," Ginny objects pushing Crookshanks away from Hermione. "You know Harry better than me and you know he wouldn't -"

"I do know him better than you," I interject, minding the fact Hermione seemed to be slowly coming back from her catatonic state. "He's hard to understand. He's doing this for a reason."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I sigh. "Maybe it's a reaction to Sirius's death, you know about having everyone who's ever loved him die. He's having nightmares again which usually means You-Know-Who's plotting to kill him so possibly he thinks he's going to die."

"That wouldn't be a very good start to the relationship," Ginny comments dimly, her eyes lighting up the way they always do when she thinks she's found some insight. "You'll stay to make sure she's ok right, Ron?"

"Let me guess you're going to go talk to Harry?" I ask dryly as she gets up from the bed clearing the spot for me.

Ginny smiles but doesn't answer.

I turn back to Hermione. Her eyes have shifted from wall to my face and her bottom lip is trembling intensely.

"You really think he loves me?" she asks softly. Damn, she must have been listening the whole time. I can't stand the hopefulness in her face tied with the sharp sadness.

I still like her. Very much so. But I'm smart enough to know that I have no chance. What Sirius said in his letter hadn't been about Harry. It was about me. Hermione and me weren't the Lily and James of our generation. She and Harry were.

***

Told From Harry's POV

I come to a dead halt, the hairs on my arm almost standing on end. I turn slowly.

"Care to repeat that?"

"I know," she hisses shaking her index finger at me.

The coldness in her accussion and the anger in her face forces me to believe her. But what did she expect me to do? What would she do in my position?

"Then you also know I have no choice," I say numbly, my voice just as cold as her own.

My heart is beating rapidly in my chest. I can't take much more of this. Sometimes I think it would have been better if Hagrid had never sent me those letters and the wizarding world had let The Boy Who Lived alone in the Muggle world. I may not have been happy there but at least I wouldn't have an unbearable feeling of fear and guilt carried with me everywhere I went while Voldemort was alive.

"No choice?" Ginny screams puncture my ears. "No choice? How could you not have a choice? You shouldn't have started this damn thing in the first place!"

If she hadn't lunged on me at that point I would have had the time to be stunned by hearing Ginny swear. Her small body wrestles me to the ground, her fists knocking the wind out of my chest.

"I didn't start it!" I shout at her, pulling her hair in an attempt to drag her off me. She's stopped making sense now and I'm beginning to doubt she has a clue what she's talking about.

"It.Is.Your.Fault," she yells, standing up. I dodge the pointy edge of her shoe, which is flying out ready to meet my leg. "You were the one to kiss her!"

Ah hell not this again. That kiss had to be the biggest mistake of my life.

My hands tangled deep in her head pulling her closer -

Don't, I think to myself. Don't go there not again. I had to stop torturing myself. You have reasons remember?

With a sudden flash of power I push Ginny away from me, giving me enough time to hop to my feet before she tries to kick me again.

"Don't tell me this is about Hermione," I groan receiving a hard punch in the shoulder as an answer.

"What did you think it was about?" Ginny spat her eyes flashing. You would have thought it was her I hurt. "If you didn't think I was talking about Hermione then - is there someone else?" she asks struggling to pin me against the wall, her enormous eyes digging into me trying to divulge the truth.

"No Ginny!" I exclaim irritated pushing her aside.

"Then talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. Something's there. I can see it in your eyes," she placed a soothing hand on my arm.

I almost tell her. Nearly cave under her empathetic smile and kind eyes. But if I verbalize it - no I can't, even thinking about it is risky. I have to make it seem like I don't care.

"Oh bugger off, Gin," I say meaning to sound annoyed. "It was a stupid kiss. Sure it was nice but it wasn't a big deal."

"Yes it was! It's -" Ginny's eyes widen in horror and I know I sound like an arrogant prick and not at all like myself. This has to be said it's the only way for it to work. To rid myself of it, to get him to leave it alone, to protect her. It's the only way.

"It's what?" I interrupt. "Bells ringing, Fireworks, a little dulcet choir of birds singing?"

Ginny glares at me. "You can cut the act Harry. I can see things you know. I'm not too good at it yet but I'm getting there and when I do -"

"You're a seer?" I ask worriedly. I was in trouble now.

"Not quite. In the makings they say. Don't tell anyone. But I can tell when I see a lie." Her face softens and she reaches out her hand to me again but I jump back. What if she can read my lies by touching me?

"Harry, you can tell me. Whatever it is I'll help you. We don't have to tell Hermione."

"Look Ginny thanks but I'm really fine and I need to go to. Well Fred didn't get a chance to pummel me so I was thinking of letting him have another try you know? So see ya!"

I sprint down the hallway before she can catch up to me. How advanced is she in seeing? Could she get anything from what she saw looking in my eyes?

***

Told From Ginny's POV

My lower lip trembled and my hands shook. He had to be lying. Harry wouldn't be like that, he wouldn't. It was true I could See. I got premonitions sometimes and I could see simple things through a crystal ball but I couldn't look inside Harry's head. I'd wanted to scare him, to make him tell me.

I leant against the wall, letting my hair cascade around my face to hide my falling tears. I should be helping Ron with Hermione. I should make sure she's ok but I can't get myself to move.

My sudden violent displays have left me. I've never hit anyone before, not like that. I was just so angry with him. Angry that he would do something like that to his own best friend ... Angry that he would never do that to me. He would never do it to me because he would never think to kiss me. Ever. He had never thought of me as anything less than Ron's little sister, that Weasley girl or possibly just a friend.

Why didn't he want me? I had thought this thought many times in the past. I conjured an image of myself in my head. Long, flowing red hair curled around a heart shaped face covered by a pair of clear blue eyes, a small nose and naturally red lips. I was pretty. I knew this. I'd had plenty of boys tell me that but never the one that mattered...Harry Potter.

It's been hard listening to Hermione go on about her troubles with Harry he said he likes me oh what do I do? He kissed me what do I do? I wanted to scream at her how lucky she was. Some people like me could only dream of someone like Harry even looking our way.

When Hermione told Fred she'd be his girlfriend I thought my problems were over. I'd have someone to help me scheme until Harry liked me but then she had to ruin it by changing her mind AGAIN saying she liked Harry too much to be with anybody else.

I suppose she isn't lying when she says that. In fact I think a small part of me has known since last year that she only liked Ron because she didn't want to face the truth that she really liked Harry. I think she may even love him.

"Ginny?"

I give a muffled scream, wiping my eyes hurriedly.

"Is she ok?" I ask him pretending to be vastly interested in my shoelaces.

"Yah, I told her to forget about Harry and run away with me so I'm just here to say goodbye while she's packing up our things."

"Ron!"

He grins at me. "What'd you expect me to say? She cried herself to sleep. It's gonna be hell explaining to Mum about all this a - are you crying?"

He pulls a fistful of my hair out of my eyes. "Gin -" he hesitates. "You still like Harry don't you?"

"Oh don't even start," I sigh. "I'm going to go find Lavender. The only person in this house who has something to say that's not depressing!"

***

Told From Ron's POV

"Look at this!" Mrs. Weasley raved gesturing wildly down the table at all the empty chairs, which Harry, Hermione and Fred should be occupying. "What is wrong with you children these days? First none of you were speaking to Hermione and now you aren't speaking to anyone at all? I hate to say this but I can not wait until you lot have been taken back to Hogwarts where maybe you'll get some sense knocked into you!"

"I'm thinking of forbidding all this romance nonsense," Mr. Weasley said in a more reasonable manner. "Honestly, you'd think Cupid were hitting you all with arrows left and right. At this rate if this continues you won't have any friends left by September!"

"I don't think you can really forbid feelings like that easily," Ron mumbled sneaking a glance at his only sister who was sitting at the far end of the table, her elbows propped up on the table, looking simply miserable.

Mr. Weasley was suddenly hit with a flashback of his wife talking of how nice it would be if Harry one day returned their daughter's affections and became a son in law. After all they did already consider him family. However, things like love couldn't be forced and Harry had not chosen to return her feelings nor he doubted would he ever.

***

"Quite a day huh?" I say as Ginny leans her head against my shoulder in a rare moment of brother sister closeness.

Dinner was over, though it had been a horrible ordeal with all the adults trying to fix things with the young people as if they understood anything we'd been going through together. Lupin had seemed particularly interested and I remembered Lavender's off hand comment about adoption procedures. I hoped it went through. It would be nice for Harry to have a real family that cared for him.

"She's forgiven him hasn't she?" she says more as a statement than a question.

"Yes."

I can feel the angry tears in her eyes ready to use my shirt as a Kleenex. "How after what he did to her? He doesn't deserve to be forgiven."

"Everyone deserves forgiveness Ginny," I sigh. "If I could forgive Hermione for what she did to me it's only fair she can find a way to forgive Harry. It's not like he did something that no other guy has ever done before."

I had only been mad at Harry for a little bit because things had finally gotten better and then he'd thrown it off balance. But this was Harry and I knew he would never do something heartless without a reason...but then I'd thought the same about Hermione and she had.

"I don't forgive him," she mutters. "I can't."

I play with her hair the way Mum always does when Ginny's distressed about something, hoping to provide her with a little solace.

"You don't have anything to forgive him for," I tell her softly. "He didn't do anything to you."

I realize then that is why she's upset. She wouldn't care if Harry were mistreating her, just as long as Harry was paying attention to her as he did Hermione.

I hold my sister tight as her body racks with sobs. I'd have to work on finding her a boyfriend once we got back to school. Maybe one of the Creevy brother or hey Neville. They went to the Yule Ball together and Neville would never harm her so I wouldn't have to worry. But Neville wouldn't be a fitting replacement for Harry. There's always Dean or Seamus and there's no way I'm letting her go near Malfoy.

"It's ok Ginny," I murmur. I know how she's feeling. It's hard seeing the person you care about more than anybody wanting somebody else. To watch them look at someone else the way that you wished they'd look at you. Her sadness over Harry was mirrored with my own over the final loss of Hermione, for today I had finally realized completely that she would never like me. She would always be wishing and dreaming for Harry and I couldn't play second.

If I had tears to cry I would cry with her but my eyes remained dry and as I rocked her it was as if my own tears flowed from her eyes. My sadness mingled with hers and I felt for the first time in my life that somebody needed me. Ginny needed me.

***

Told From Harry's POV

I wasn't expecting the light tapping at my bedroom door come 12 o'clock that night. The last person to venture to see me after my angry refusals to come down to dinner had been Dumbledore. He offered me a place in the order, which left me with a pang in my heart thinking of Hermione's constant desperation to keep me safe so I said I'd think about it. He was sending Snape once a week to help me from letting Voldemort inside my head and I couldn't agree more with him when he professed what a pressing need these lessons would be. I was to be on my best behavior around Snape because the professor did not have to do this for me on his holiday. He had kindly asked that my "teenage feelings" be put aside for the hour a week.

Opening the door I was surprised to see Hermione standing on the other side of it, in a pink nightshirt looking very unsettled.

"Hi."

She smiles at me and I recognize it as one of her genuine ones by the way her eyes are sparkling.

"Will you come with me?" she asks offering me her slender hand. I don't hesitate my much larger hand engulfs hers gently. I would let her lead me anywhere.

It takes me awhile to figure out where she's going until we've reached the door.

"Hermione are you sure?" I ask looking at her questioningly. This wasn't where I would have chosen for us to talk.

She doesn't say anything, just lets go of my hand and drifts up into the attic sitting exactly as she had this morning. Hermione pats the ground beside her. I shake my head. This is not a good idea. I don't want to cause her any more pain or myself for that matter.

"I want to make things right," she says in a small voice. "I may not have my Time Turner anymore but maybe this can help ... erase things we'd have rather not said."

I sit reluctantly taking her hand in mine once again, marvelling at its silky softness.

"Do you want me to start?" I ask. "To clear things up?"

She frowns. "I don't want things cleared up. I just want to know how you really feel. Not lies, not pretend, the truth."

I would have given her the world but this was something I couldn't. Not fully.

I took a deep breath. "Hermione I like you very much -"

"As a friend?" she asks inquisitively. Her hand is warm in mine. I can almost feel her pulse begin to race under my fingertips as I take my time answering her question.

"No. Hermione I like you as everything, a friend and more. If it were my choice we wouldn't be standing here talking about friendship we would -"

Her breath caught and I stopped abruptly.

"Now you're going to tell me that you don't have a choice aren't you?" Her voice is iced, the loving eyes hardened over.

"Sometimes you have to sacrifice things for the greater good," I tell her. "Sometimes there are greater powers at work than love and you have to pay attention to them."

"So what do you expect me to do? Wait for you until this greater power goes away?" Hermione pulls her hand from mine, moving it to her lap.

"My advice? Get over me. Get over me like I intend to get over you."

I can't believe I just said that. I could kick myself. The look in her eyes makes me feel like I've just shot myself in the heart with a poisonous arrow. The hardness in her eyes melts away and her voice sounds like that of a child.

"Well I did ask for the truth," she says holding herself together better than I expected. "Is that all?"

I lean down and give her a quick peck on the cheek, lingering slightly longer than I should have. The moon g light gleaming off her golden hair made her look like an angel and for a moment I dream of losing myself in her. The thought is soon gone changed to my resolve to do just as I said. To get over her, never an easy task.

"Yes," I breathe. "That's all."

"All right," she says shakily. "Shall we go?"

This time there is no hand extended to lead me down the dark twists and turns of the Black mansion.

***

His eyes flash red menacingly over his group of Death Eaters. "Bring me the girl," he hisses, laughing swiftly, wand raised as she is dragged struggling forward.

"This won't work," she persists, tugging uselessly at the ropes that bound her arms. "He will save me."

"What makes you so sure?" He flicks his wand lazily, releasing her bindings with an evil smirk.

"He loves me." She looks him in the eyes for the first time since her capture, her lower lip trembling wildly on the verge of tears.

"Ah how cute," he murmurs with disdain. He did not care for love. It was a weak emotion, carried by only those who were not strong enough to rely on themselves. "But I take from him everyone he's ever loved and he has yet to find a way to stop me. What makes you think he hasn't given up? That he will come for you when he wouldn't come for him?" He jerks the red haired boy to his feet. He would take them all. It was the only way. Without his friends he could be defeated. Once alone The Boy Who Lived would be no match for the Dark Lord. And this one, he watches her with grim fascination. This one appeared to give him twice the strength than the others. She was special to him. For that he would make her pay.

She keeps her eyes trained on a spot by his feet, refusing to look up again. None of them ever doubt his love for them. Idiot children.

He shrugs. He has no need for her. "Crucio!"

"Harry! Harry!"

They all cry his name at first. All just as stupid as the last set of fools, believing their greatest hero would save them but he never did. But in the end all that could be heard was a single scream of pain.

"Harry!"

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. What was Ron doing in my dream?

"Harry wake up!" Ron shakes me. He looks troubled.

"What's wrong?" I ask groggily. "Did something happen?"

He looks at me oddly. "You were screaming. Are you - are you ok?"

"No," I mutter, thoughts of the dream coming back to me. I need to speak to him now. I had to do something.

"Harry?" Ron asks as I bolt from the room. I don't take the time to answer him.

They're in the meeting room just as suspected, looking deep in conversation which stops however as I come skidding to a halt by Dumbledore's side.

"Are you feeling quite all right Harry?" Mr. Weasley asks me kindly placing a cool hand on my forehead while Lupin regards my pyjamas in amusement.

"Yes, I'm fine!"

"Harry," Dumbledore reprimands me softly. "What assistance were you seeking?"

"Are they protected?" I ask him breathlessly. "Ron, Ginny, Hermione. Are they protected?"

He strokes his silver beard thoughtfully. "Yes Harry," he says gently. "The Weasley's are guarded by very strong magic's and I have placed several charms on your Miss. Granger."

I shake my head firmly. "That won't do it. He can get past all of those things. He will. He's going to take them to hurt me. You need to make it stronger."

Dumbledore lays a reassuring hand on my arm. "They are as strong as they will ever be, young Mr. Potter. There is no way Voldemort can get to them."

"BUT HE CAN! HE'S GOING TO TORTURE HER! I HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT EVERY NIGHT!"

"As your dreams may merit a large amount of my concern, I am utterly certain that no one can harm your friends," he tells me. "Not even Him."

I can't believe it. Why won't he help me? Why? He has to do something. He's going to take her and Ron. He'll hurt them.

"Perhaps these nightmares of yours are merely the regular sort," Lupin suggests. "You fear You-Know-Who might take your friends so you dream it."

"NO!" I bellow, instantly regretting it at the hurt on Lupin's face. "These were real. I can tell. Think! There must be something about your charms and magic's that doesn't work properly."

Dumbledore watches me with worry but he's the only one. Snape fidgets impatiently, George looks ready to laugh, and Mad Eye is irritated.

Dumbledore shakes his head. "There is no way Harry."

A flash of anger floods my body. The same feeling I get when I watch Voldemort torturing them - her. I want to hurt him for harming her.

"If he hurts her," I say in a low voice. "If he even so much as touches her I will kill you."

"And I would gladly let you," Dumbledore says sadly. "Now I think it might be best if you went back upstairs and cooled down a little."

I glare at him before leaving. I have never been angry with him. But I couldn't understand why he won't listen me? He was wrong. Voldemort would pick off my friends one by one and the only person who could stop it was me.

Told From Ginny's POV

"I'm fine!" Harry snaps, as Ron and I follow him down the hallway.

"Harry you're not fine," I say gently, grabbing hold of his hand to stop him from leaving. "Dad told us about ... this morning."

"Oh really? And what did he say? That the newspapers were right and I've finally cracked?"

"No!" I cry gripping his hand even tighter. "Harry he's concerned for you. We're all concerned."

"I don't need your pity."

"This isn't pity!" Ron cries in outrage. "Cutting yourself off from us is not going to protect us anymore-"

"So you know?" he asks, his body taking on a limp form. I want to hold him and chase away all the worry in his face but it wouldn't do any good. It wouldn't be me he was wanting.

"Yah I know," Ron says angrily. "And your way of increasing our protection is to leave us in the dark, pretending this is only your burden to bear?"

Harry and Ron glare at each other, completely ignoring me.

"It is my burden to bear," says Harry adamantly. "He will take you get to me."

"Bullocks! It isn't your job to protect everybody all the time. If I had to I would die for you. Hermione would-" he stops for a second, his eyes widening. I know exactly what he's thinking.

"Harry," I whisper, saddened by the sudden realization of how much he really cares for her. He looks down at me briefly before turning back to Ron.

"Everything was fine until the day I kissed her," he says. "Voldemort felt it. Or saw it rather. But one way or the other ever since then I have dreams that he's going to - to kill her because she cares for me."

"You need to tell her," Ron says. "She deserves to-"

"This isn't protecting her Harry," I interrupt. "This is killing her. She doesn't understand."

"She can't know," Harry goes on ignoring me again though I'm still clutching his hand. "If I keep this up she'll start to hate me and then she'll be safe."

"Changing her feelings won't change anything!" I shout finally getting a flicker of attention from the two. "So what if she hates you? So what? Even if Hermione had flat out rejected you when you kissed her he'd still have felt it because he's in tune to YOUR feelings not hers. Yours." I feel tears at the back of my eyelids. I want to tell him that if Hermione were anything like me she'd risk being tortured by You-Know-Who to be with him.

Harry stares at me for a long time. "Then I'll change my feelings," he says. "I'll find somebody else. I'll forget anything ever happened with Hermione."

"That's not what I meant," I start to say.

"You can't bury feelings," Ron says as if I hadn't said anything. "They'll come right back to get you."

Harry doesn't respond, turning to me. "Ginny you like me right? Would you go out with me?"

I feel as though I've had the wind knocked out of me. How long had I waited for him to say that to me? Three years? Four maybe? But like this...

I slap him hard across the face. "So you'll take the risk of me being killed by You-Know-Who but not Hermione?" Tears start to trickle down my cheeks. "Thanks a lot."

"Ginny!" Ron calls after me but he doesn't follow. No one ever does. Sometimes I feel like I'm always alone.

***

He found me awhile later as I knew he would because he was mine just as George was Fred's.

"He shouldn't have done that," he says quietly handing me a Kleenex, which is pointless because I have no tears. I've decided I don't want to waste anymore on someone who won't even waste a moment's thought on me.

"He's sorry," he says sitting down beside me and braiding my hair in the horrible fashion he always does.

"Then why doesn't he tell me himself?" I ask bitterly, nearly wishing both he and Hermione were tormented by You-Know-Who but I couldn't.

"The thing you have to understand about Harry," Ron goes on. "Is that he thinks he has to do everything on his own. He only said that to you because you told him his idea wouldn't work."

"No, he said it because he needs someone for Voldemort to kill." I pull my legs up close to my chest and rest my chin on my knees. "He thinks I'm expendable. Hermione's not."

"No," Ron says sharply tugging the bottom of my braid so I would look at him. "He does not think you are expendable. He nearly died saving you second year."

"Well a lot can change in four years," I say helplessly as his eyes bore into mine.

Ron's my favourite brother. He always has been. Fred and George tease me. Percy only wants to set me a good example. Bill and Charlie parent me. Ron treats me like more than a sister, but also a friend.

"Ginny he does care for you. Just not as much as you wished he did."

"I don't care about him anymore," I say stubbornly welcoming the arm he slides around me. "He can rot in hell for all I care."

"Ginny," Ron tries to scold. "You don't mean that."

I shrug. "Are you over Hermione yet?"

He seems startled by the abrupt change in topic but goes with anyway. "No, I guess not," he sighs honestly.

"You ok with all this stuff between her and Harry?"

Ron shifts his eyes away from me. I squeeze his hand comfortingly. "It's just all so sudden. It's like only thirty seconds ago we were fighting because she told us both she liked us and then somehow she manages to end up with Fred and now she and Harry are throwing around declarations of love, talking about dying for each other."

I sigh into his shoulder. Ron, never seeing what was happening right in front of him.

"You saw it coming didn't you?" he whispers and I nod.

"Didn't everyone?" I ask. "It's just something you could sometimes glimpse when you watched them together."

He didn't say anything just held me tightly like he used to at night when I was younger and plagued by nightmares.

"Well there's always Lavender," I say. "She's really pretty and I think she might like you."

"You think?" Ron asks dully. "I think I may give up on romance for awhile."

"I was just thinking the same thing," I murmur to him softly. "Aren't we a pair?"

"At least we won't have to go through what they do."

Ron points off down the hallway where Harry and Hermione stood talking awkwardly to each other. Neither one appeared very happy.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

I was glad when we left for our yearly trip to Diagon Alley. All of us were starting to get edgy and I could tell we needed a break from each other.

Ginny had been avoiding everyone but Ron and Lavender, Harry was busy getting involved in the order and yelling at anyone who disturbed him, Lavender kept up an endless stream of gossip with anyone who'd listen, receiving daily owls from Parvati, Ron had tried hard to keep the peace with everyone and I had mostly stayed up in my room studying, sometimes staring at the one good picture Colin Creevey had ever taken of Harry.

"Should we all meet at the Leaky Cauldron around six?" Mrs. Weasley asks when we arrive. Everyone nods in agreement but Lavender who holds up her bare wrist.

"Oh, dear, well just stick with someone at all times then all right dear? See you all later."

You could see she was quite happy to have some time away from us as she and Mr. Weasley walked off arm in arm.

"Seamus!" Lavender squeals loudly running off to throw herself at the sandy haired boy, disregarding everything Mrs. Weasley had just told her.

Ron shakes his head and I can see he's holding back laughter as Seamus disentangles himself from Lavender's clutches his face now a brilliant shade of pink.

"So where to first?" Harry asks pulling out his Hogwarts school list. "We could go to-"

"You know what? I should probably go," I point at my watch and gesture at Lavender. "I'll meet you at six!"

I run after Lavender, not waiting to see the look of disbelief I knew would settle on Harry's face. Sometimes I swear he thinks he owns me. I'd already asked Lavender to help me get over Harry. Not an easy thing to do. But it had to be done.

Lavender smiles at me as I approach the group.

"Hermione?" a stunned voice asks from beside Seamus.

"Hey Dean," I say happily giving him a big hug which I probably wouldn't normally do if I hadn't been sure Harry was watching.

"Hermione you look," he stares at me and I can't help my cheeks from flushing red. "Well different for one thing."

Seamus laughs. "You look great," he announces, flinging an arm over Lavender's shoulders, having obviously gotten over his initial bout of embarrassment.

Dean's still staring. He reaches over to touch my hair, startling me since no other boy besides Harry had ever really done that.

I notice that Seamus and Lavender have already begun to walk ahead of us, every once in awhile looking back with a giggle. Lavender winks at me. I think I know what's going on.

"You want to get an ice cream or something?" Dean asks hopefully offering me his arm as Mr. Weasley had for his wife.

I hesitate. Dean could no way be compared to Harry but he was a guy, a cute guy who seemed to like me - well my looks at least. But Lavender had told me the only way to get over a guy is to find another. She'd been so mad when I dumped Fred. But who else was there besides Neville and Ron?

"I'd love to," I smile, looping my arm through his.

He smiles back and I notice how nice his eyes are, no where near the same as Harry's but nice all the same.

***

Told From Ron's POV

Harry looks as if someone punched him in the stomach really hard as Hermione gives Dean Thomas of all people a hug.

"That little -" he hisses under his breath. I grab onto his arm just in case he has another one of his testosterone boosts and decides to go pound on Dean.

"Hey Ron I see a friend ok?" Ginny tells me before heading off towards Flourish and Blotts. I don't see anyone but I let her go anyway. She's in no hurry to spend time with Harry anytime soon.

"I could just -" Harry starts to seethe watching Dean and Hermione walk away together. I can almost see the anger pumping through his veins.

"No you could just nothing," I tell him. "It doesn't work like that ok? You told Hermione you couldn't be anything but friends so she can go anywhere with any guy she likes no matter what you think. Just because you like her doesn't give you any hold over her."

Harry's arm that had been ready to punch Dean moments ago goes limp. A sad look over comes his face.

"I know," he says softly.

"Come on let's go look at some Quidditch stuff," I say, dragging him away from where he stands staring forlornly at Hermione's retreating back.

He cheers up a little bit as we enter the store. Grinning proudly to see that his Firebolt is still the best broom around.

I've learned that hanging out with Harry can sometimes be like entertaining a small child. Sometimes. During his mood swings anyway.

"Hey Ron," Harry suddenly calls. He's staring out the shop window. "Isn't that your sister with Malfoy?"

I gape at him. He can't be serious.

Malfoy and Ginny?

I dash over to the window and squint hard out at the entrance of Flourish and Blotts. Sure enough Malfoy is standing talking to a girl with fiery red hair that I would recognize anywhere. But it can't...it can't be Ginny. He would never talk to a Weasley. Unless...Oh no.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

Harry is such an idiot! I think. I can't stand to be around him another minute. If he's so enamoured by Hermione he can't stand to see her talk to another guy then why does he keep rejecting her? God! Guys are just so...argh!

"I see a friend ok?" I tell Ron hoping he won't notice I don't see anyone and that I just want to get away but he's too busy holding Harry back to care.

Well this is going to be fun, hanging around in Diagon Alley for three hours alone. Didn't I have all the luck?

Oh well. Maybe if I took awhile getting my things I could look occupied.

Hmm... I found the three books that I needed. Did I have enough money for three books? I look in the sack of gold Mum had given me earlier. It was all we had. She'd given Ron the rest to get his things. I didn't want to have to go ask her for more. It was hard enough now that things weren't going well for Dad and his job. Here comes the embarrassment, I think as I walk up to the counter ready to be told I didn't have enough money but oh are you Arthur Weasley's daughter? Should I put it on his tab? He can take as long as he wants to pay it. Don't worry.

I hated it when they said that. In that kind, charity voice. Thinking I'm not good enough just because my father doesn't make much money.

"Um, can I put that one back?" I ask when the price is announced. I can always borrow Ron's book or maybe Fred or George has a copy of it.

The shopkeeper smiles. "Of course," he reaches out to put the book back on the shelf when a black claden arm stops him.

"Here," a pile of gold is thrown onto the counter. The stranger grabs the books and hands them to me. I look up to thank who ever it was.

"Why-why did you do that?" I ask, surprised as he shoots me one of his rare smiles. It's infectious, well it might be if I hadn't known him personally.

Malfoy shrugs, looking a little sheepish. Not one of his usual ranges of emotions.

"Is it so I'll have to owe you one? So that you can hold it over me?"

"No! I just - can we talk?" He gestures to the bench outside of the bookstore. I'm almost scared to go with him. What does he want?

He doesn't sit down on the bench but puts a huge school bag down beside me. I gasp. It's full of gold.

"I cleared out as much as I could carry out of it," he tells me. "Before they take away my key."

"Malfoy...why would they take away your key?" I'm a little startled that he's telling me all of this. Even when he was taunting my family he had never really paid much attention to me. So why now?

"Draco," he corrects me. "Call me-"

"Ginny!"

Oh God. I put my head in my hands. It was Ron.

"Are you ok? Why are you with Malfoy?"

"I'm fine and why is it any of your business?" I snap ignoring Harry's inquisitive look and Draco's admiring one. I wasn't sure where my anger was coming from. I guess I've been hanging out with Harry for too long. "Come on Draco let's go."

Ron yanks my arm. "I am not letting you leave with this guy, Ginny."

"I'd like to see you try and stop me," I pull my arm out of his grasp and take Draco's hand.

"Ginny what's wrong with you?" I hear him yell after me. I suddenly realize what I've done. Why did I just walk away from Harry and Ron to be with - with Malfoy or Draco - why? What if he's just being nice because he wants me to join the Dark side with his dad? Oh I am so stupid!

"It's ok Ginny," Draco tells me smiling slightly, as if he can read my mind. "I'm not as evil as you think."

Oh yah that's really reassuring. Why am I still walking with him? And my hand - my hand is still holding his. I could just run away right now. Throw my books at him but no instead I just keep on walking.

***

Told From Hermione's POV

I yawned, causing Dean to look a little miffed.

"Am I boring you?" he asks.

YES!

"No," I say politely, drowning myself in my chocolate sundae. "Please go on."

Lavender why did you do this to me? I think. Dean has got to be the boringest guy I've ever met. All he's talked about for the last hour has been soccer. I'm surprised he still watches that now that he's a wizard. Hearing Harry and Ron talk about Quidditch is bad enough but soccer? Blah.

"Hermione?"

I blink. Oops did I fall asleep?

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Dean gives me a strained smile.

"Actually," I look down at my watch pretending to be thinking about the time. "I should probably go buy my things and meet Harry but thank you for the ice cream."

I collect my things and start to get up from the table.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asks eagerly.

"NO! I - I mean well you're here with Seamus and you can't just leave him now can you?"

Seamus probably wouldn't have noticed. He and Lavender seemed to be...busy at the moment.

"I'll see you at school!"

I quickly left the store before he could object. I don't want to get over Harry any longer. Not if it means spending hours on end pretending to enjoy listening to play by plays of World Cup soccer games. I'd just do it the old fashion way. And I was tired of looking like a Barbie doll. Once the potions wore off I was not going to let Lavender make me over again.

"Harry!" I call. "Ron!"

They're standing in front of Flourish and Blotts looking as if they're dog just died. What's with them? They couldn't have missed me that much.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Harry and Ron exchange uneasy looks.

"Ginny just took off with "Draco"," Harry explains while Ron looks about to be sick.

"Draco?"

Draco who? What were they talking about?

"MALFOY? Ginny's with Malfoy?" I hit Ron with my book bag, which luckily for him only had money in it so far. "You let her go with him?"

"I think let is a relatively loose term," Harry says. "We tried to stop her but it just made her angry and she ran off with him."

"Oh," I sit down hard on the bench next to Harry, leaning my head against his shoulder without realizing it. "You know why she's doing this right?"

They look at me blankly.

"Because we don't pay enough attention to her!"

Ron backs away from me, eyeing my bag.

"She just wants attention. Ohh I knew I should have stayed with her instead of-"

"Going off on your little date?" Harry finishes darkly.

"It wasn't a date and if you must know it was really quite boring." I can't help but smile at the grin that spreads across his face.

"Ok you two have time to smile stupidly at each other later but right now we need to think about my sister," Ron says irritated waving a hand in front of our faces. "If we don't find her my parents are going to kill me."

"I'm sure she's fine," I try to say reassuringly. "We'll split up, look everywhere we can to find her and meet back at the Leaky Cauldron at six like we told your mom."

Ron nods. "I'll go check down here," he says nodding down at Ollivianders.

"Can I come with you?" Harry asks and the familiar feeling creeps up into my stomach.

"Harry, that defeats the purpose of splitting up!"

"I know," he says. "Do you care?"

And as his smile melts my heart I have to admit I really really don't.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

I'm surprised when he takes me to the Leaky Cauldron. I guess he can tell I'm pretty nervous. Sitting down across from him I can tell why so many girls in my year have crushes on him. He's nothing less than beautiful, in a guy way.

"I want you to have some of it," Draco says pushing the bag towards me.

"I don't understand. Draco what happened to you?"

He sighs and pushes back some of his blonde hair out of his eyes. It's the exact opposite of Harry's, light and tidy.

"I've been disowned."

"What? Why?"

Draco leans over the table. "My father wanted me to become a," he lowers his voice. "Death Eater." He shudders. "They're all in league with him now: Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle...almost all of the Slytherins. All my friends."

I draw back. Why wouldn't the son of one of You-Know-Who's most successful Death Eater's not want to join? He'd always seemed evil enough.

"You still don't believe me do you?" He pulls his sleeves away and shows me his forearms. His skin is incredibly pale but there is no Dark Mark.

"You're telling the truth," I whisper not even noticing I'm stroking his arm where the Dark Mark should be. He grins seductively at me, becoming the same old Malfoy I used to know but for some reason I find myself grinning back.

"I want to join the resistance."

"The resistance?" I repeat. "Oh you mean...the Order?"

He nods.

"You can't. You're not of age."

"But I know things," insists Draco. "I've heard things."

I shrug. "You'll have to talk to Dumbledore."

Draco's face darken's. "He hates me."

I look down at my hands. I doubt if it's even possible for Dumbledore to hate anyone. I was more thinking of what Ron and Harry were going to think - or my Dad, he hates the Malfoys.

"I'm prepared to take this," he hands me a bottle of whitish liquid. "When your parents come or just Ron and Harry I'll take it and you can ask me anything."

"It's a truth potion isn't it?" I ask examining it. I vaguely remember seeing something like it in Snape's personal cupboards.

"The very strongest. I stole it from my father." He grins again and I'm fascinated by the way his eyes can change from grey to blue depending on his mood.

"I want you to take some," he says again, passing the bag to me.

"No," I shake my head. "Draco I can't."

"You can," he insists. "Come on you deserve it. The Malfoys have treated your family horribly for years. I want to make it up to you."

I take one gold coin and hold it up to please him. "That's all I'm going to take ok?"

He smiles, reaching over to shove handfuls of gold coins into my pockets.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask.

He nods and stops fooling around with the gold to look at me.

"Why are you telling me this? I mean you could have gone to Harry or Dumbledore straight away. Why me?"

His smile fades. "Because-" he coughs. "I didn't think you would uh- hate me as much as the rest of them."

My face softens. He looked childlike when he was nervous. Just one more thing.

"Why didn't you want to umm join ... your father?" I ask, trying to phrase my words so others sitting at the tables around us couldn't understand what we were talking about.

Draco paled considerably more than usual. "I've met him," he whispers. "I met You-Know-Who. He's -" he shivered violently. "He's awful. There aren't words to describe his evil. I was scared. I don't want to end up like him." He swallows hard. "I know I was mean before but I don't ever - he's so - I couldn't join him."

I felt a rush of sympathy towards him. I had only had a brush with the young Tom Riddle and I couldn't imagine a full fledged one.

"You're not like him Draco," I tell him fiercely, laying a hand over his own, which was gripping the tablecloth tightly. "You did something he would never do didn't you? You came to us."

***

Told From Ron's POV

I was furious when I got to the Leaky Cauldron at six o'clock after looking for Ginny for TWO hours to find her perfectly all right, doing some sort of Muggle dance with Malfoy.

"Ginny Weasley!" I howl, the pub becoming silent.

"Ron!" She hides her now red face behind Malfoy's arm. He smirks at me as he pats her shoulder comfortingly.

"I've been looking for you for hours!" I shout.

"Well you obviously weren't looking too hard then," Malfoy tells me. "We haven't been anywhere but here."

"Draco," I hear Ginny whisper.

Draco? Draco?? I had never heard anyone call Malfoy Draco besides his father. What had he done to her? Given her some sort of a love potion.

"Listen Ron, please let's go sit down and then you can hear out what Draco has to say its -"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT "DRACO" HAS TO SAY!" I shout grabbing her by the arm. "What would Mum and Dad say if they saw you here, his Dad's a Death Eater you know."

Malfoy looks livid. Ginny glares at me.

"Don't make a scene. It's not what you think. Draco's not like his father he -"

"And you just know everything about him after the hour or so you've spent with him??"

"Ron don't be like this," she tells me, giving me a patronizing look. "Calm down. He's not with his father believe me, he's -"

My blood is boiling. How can she believe a Malfoy over me her own brother?

"He is with his father, just watch he's probably here with his group of -"

"I AM NOT!" Malfoy shouts at me, prying me off Ginny. "I got kicked out. You happy Weasley? I'm just like Potter now, I have no family."

I'm silent now. Ginny smiles at me. I can almost read the look in her eyes, begging me to listen.

"All right, Malfoy," I sigh. "Five minutes. If what you say doesn't impress you will get the hell away from my sister."

Ginny's smile widens. Thank you, she mouths. I clench my fists as I see her take his hand.

"Where's Harry? He needs to hear this," Malfoy says looking around behind me.

"Probably having another lover's quarrel," I mutter under my breath. Ginny narrows her eyes. The last time I'd seen them Harry and Hermione had looked happy which meant that a fight had be coming on soon.

Malfoy grins in surprise. "Harry and Hermione?" he chuckles. "Told you didn't I huh Weasley?"

I scowl, thinking of his unkind way of saying it. There was no way Malfoy had changed that much. No one could. Especially not someone with his background and parentage.

"Should we sit down and wait?" Ginny asks anxiously, taking my hand and leading both of us off to a far away table. "They'll be here soon."

So will Mum and Dad, I think. What would there reactions be to see their only daughter sitting with their greatest enemy's son?

Until then we have to sit uncomfortably waiting.

***

Told From Harry's POV

"Don't start," I warn her softly as we near the Leaky Cauldron.

"Harry," she exclaims in exasperation, stopping with her hands on her hips. "I don't want to go over this again any more than you do but you have to stop this."

"Stop what?"

"Doing this to me! I mean first you say you're attracted to me but you don't like me, and then you say you like me but you don't want me and you don't want anyone else to have me!"

People doing there shopping have stopped on the street to watch us. Please let none of them recognize me.

"It's complicated," I say lamely.

"Then explain it to me because I don't understand." She looks close to tears now. "I just don't understand."

"I can't," I tell her in a low voice. "Now let's -"

Hermione looks about to explode. "Oh but you can tell Ron and Ginny and Dumbledore." She stamps her foot on the ground. "Am I just not important enough is that why?"

"No! Did they tell you?"

"All Ginny would say was it's not as a big a deal as your making it. Harry please, let me in," she pleads. "Because one day you are going to wake up and I won't be there. I'm not going to wait forever." She looks up into my eyes like she's searching my soul for the answer.

"I'm not asking you to wait for me!" I cry. "I told you to get over me. I -"

Before I can stop her she's kissing me. I want to push her away but I can't. I can barely think straight.

"This is your last chance," Hermione whispers softly, pulling away from me. "Can you walk away from me?"

"That's not fair. You can't just kiss me and -"

"Oh really?" Hermione interrupts loudly. "Because I believe that's exactly what you did that to me."

I blush. I deserve that. I know I do.

"Come on," I mutter, grabbing her hand. "It's nearly six thirty, everyone's probably waiting for us."

"Harry," she asks forcing me to look at her.

"I have to," I say. I can't stand to look at the hurt in her face as I let go of her hand and walk into the Leaky Cauldron. I hope everyone else has had a better day in Diagon Alley than me.

"Harry over here!"

I turn in surprise to see the Weasleys' and Malfoy sitting over in the corner. All of them looking exactly as I feel.

"Hey guys," I say trying to sound cheerful. I feel Hermione brush by me to sit down beside Ginny, leaving me left standing. She gives me the look of death before looking down at the table.

"What's he doing here?" I ask giving Ron a questioning look. Everyone but Hermione sighs and turns to Malfoy.

"Here we go again..." Ron mutters, banging his head on the table. "This should be fun."

"It's up to you Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley says kindly once Malfoy has finished his tear-jerking tale of betrayal to his father under the influence of the truth potion. But there was something missing. Why would Lucius Malfoy kick out his son, when he knew so much? Hmm...maybe because he didn't think Malfoy would ever come crawling to me asking for a place to stay.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley fumes silently. He keeps glaring at Ginny and Malfoy's entwined hands. I don't think there's anything romantic going on though. I think Ginny's just giving him her support.

Ron is also glaring at Malfoy. He can't disprove any of the stories because of the potion but I know he'd like to think Malfoy is hiding something.

"Potter, please I -"

"You can stay," I say. A look of astonishment crosses over Ron and Malfoy's faces. "If you promise to provide the Order with everything you've heard and if for one second you act the sorry son of a -"

"Harry!" Hermione chides shaking her head at me.

"I will kick you out on the street just as your father did do you hear me?"

It's oddly satisfying to be able to hold something over Malfoy's head. I now have something he doesn't, something he wants.

"And it's Harry," I say, sticking out my hand.

Malfoy grins as he shakes it. "Draco."

"Harry," Ron whines in an undertone pulling both Hermione and I away from the table.

"How could you just forgive him like that after everything he's done to you?"

Hermione glares at Ron. "I think what Harry did was very kind."

"I didn't forgive anyone," I interject ready to stop another fight that was arising between the two of them. "But he needs a place to stay."

"He could just as easily stay here," Ron argues. "He's got enough gold."

"Are you sure the real reason you don't want Malfoy to stay is because you think he's going to put the moves on your sister?" I ask, pointing to the table where to Ron and Mr. Weasley's outrage Draco had just planted a kiss on Ginny's cheek.

Hermione smirked as Ron's face grew redder and redder.

"What did I tell you about keeping your hands off my sister?" he yells but not loud enough to alert the whole pub like before. He pushes Draco violently away from Ginny.

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley and Ginny cry at the same time.

Hermione and I laugh as Ginny manages to drag Draco outside while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley begin to argue over Ron's behaviour.

("He's just trying to protect his sister from that - that Malfoy!" ... "Ginny is old enough to protect herself Arthur! It was only a kiss on the cheek for heaven sakes!")

Having Draco living at Grimmauld Place might liven things up a little.

***

Told From Ginny's POV

"Don't tell me you just did that to provoke Ron," I say laughing.

"Maybe." Draco grins. "Or maybe I just wanted to."

"Really?"

Draco sighs, sitting down against the wall of the Leaky Cauldron. "I didn't have a happy childhood like you, Ginny. My parents are cold hearted and never showed me any affection. No one has ever defended me or touched me for any other reason besides my name or my money."

"Except me," I say softly.

He smiles, pulling my hair out of my eyes and behind my ear. "Except you and well Pansy Parkinson, but I don't think they count."

I almost think he's going to kiss me. His beautiful eyes are beaming blue at me.

"And that's why I can't take advantage of you by kissing you right now."

I stare. Did I hear him right?

"Are you sure you're Draco Malfoy?" I ask.

Draco chuckles. "Do you know even when I was being such an ass to your brother at school I always liked you?" He smiled at me and took my hand like he'd been doing it for years. "You reminded me of me."

I snort. "How is that? Because the only resemblance I see is that we're both pureblood."

"Because we're both on the outside. Even Crabbe and Goyle make me feel left out. I used to watch you clamouring after Potter and all his little friends on the train looking as beautiful as ever and you reminded me of how I was when I was young."

I remained silent struck by the fact that he'd noticed me. I never thought anyone did.

"I wanted to talk to you," he says. "Make you feel better."

"But instead you insulted me?"

His eyes cloud over. "It wouldn't look right for a Slytherin to be nice to a Gryfindor."

"But if you liked me then," I whisper. "Why wouldn't you want to kiss me?"

"I want to kiss you," he says, his face looming dangerously close to mine. "But I can see that you still like Harry and to the casual observer it might appear like you only want to kiss me to make him jealous."

I shake my head to protest but he places a finger over my lips.

"When I kiss you for the first time I don't just want to be kissing you, I want you to be kissing me." He smiles wistfully at me.

"Draco," I start.

"It's ok," he says. "I can wait."

I lean over to give him a quick hug. "Whatever happened this summer really changed you, Draco Malfoy."

His face darkens and I can't help but wonder like my dad said if there's something more that he isn't telling us.

"Maybe," he says slowly. "I was like this all along just trapped underneath a bad name and horrible manners."

We fall silent and I think about his romantic speech. I couldn't imagine Harry ever saying that to anyone even Hermione. He just wasn't like that.

"Think you'll be able to handle being around Harry, Ron and Hermione every day for the rest of the month?" I ask. If he called Hermione mud blood ever again there was no way Harry would be able to stay.

"You know there's no way your parents or even Harry would have listened to me if you hadn't believed me Ginny. Forget about Jesus, you were my personal saviour," he says jokingly.

"Tell me that again when all your Slytherin buddies ridicule you for talking to me," I tell him more seriously.

Draco frowns. "They'll ridicule me anyway. I'm no use to them now. I don't have connections anymore and I'm not on the Dark side."

"Well, at least you still have the money," I say brightly pulling out a few of the gold coins. "Now you can buy me pretty things."

Draco smiles, conjuring a white rose in the air with his wand.

"Draco!" I exclaimed. "You can't it's illegal to-"

"Don't you ever read the papers, Weasley? The Ministry's changed its laws. As long as You-Know-Who's on the loose any under age wizard can use magic for protection." He places the thorn less rose behind my ear.

"And I'm sure this rose is necessary to protect you."

Draco laughs. "You never know. If I see my father I can use it to poke him in the eye."

***

Told From Hermione's POV

I almost felt bad about interrupting Ginny and Draco. He'd certainly become quite the smitten kitten. Although to Ron's fury I had pointed it out it had been noticeable before. Every once in awhile I'd caught him throwing a longing glance her way. I'd always just thought he was looking at her with loathing or repulsion not with devotion.

"Ahem," I clear my throat sharply. "We're going to be staying the night. Lavender's still nowhere to be found, probably out with Seamus-" I ignored Draco's sniggering. "You might want to come back in. Your dad's going crazy. You're sharing a room with Lavender, a little crowded and me sorry but," I grin wickedly. "I'm sure Draco would love to share his bed with you if it gets too cramped for you."

Draco chocked. "As I'm sure Harry same for you," he says once recovered. That wiped the smile off my face.

"What do you know about me and Harry?" I ask glaring viciously at Ginny.

Draco chuckles, holding out his hand for me to pull him up. I ignore it.

"I saw you kiss him," he says as if I'm a small child. "The whole street saw you kiss him. I'd be surprised if the next cover of Witch Weekly didn't have your faces plastered across it, announcing the dream couple's back together." He sounds hostile as he glances over at Ginny, who looks slightly green.

"We're not together," I say stiffly.

"No of course not. Your just friends right?"

"Yes."

"Uh huh," Draco sneers.

Guess a drastic change in attitude was too much to ask for. I glare at him.

"Don't push me, Malfoy," I say maliciously in a low voice so Ginny can't hear. "This friend holds major cards where Harry's concerned and you heard him. All I have to do is run in there crying, say your name and you're out. Just like that," I snap my fingers. "Got it?"

His face goes a deathly white. I'm reminded of the time in third year when I slapped him across the face. I've never disliked anyone the way I dislike him.

"Are you threatening me?"

I smile innocently. "Maybe."

Ginny's surveying us with curiosity. She probably thinks I'm trying to steal him from her just like I took Harry from their non-existent relationship and ruined her fantasies. She thinks I don't know but I see her watching him just like I do. Hopefully Draco will take her mind off Harry, although I'm not supposed to care who likes him anymore. He had his chance but I knew if he asked for another one I'd give it to him in a heartbeat.

"Not all of us trust as easy as Ginny," I murmur, pointing to Ron and Mr. Weasley, still in a heated argument with Mrs. Weasley about Draco. "You'll have to prove it to some of us."

***

Told From Ron's POV

Malfoy is going to drive me up the wall. So his father told him to leave and never come back. So he wants to help fight. So he seems to have developed an affinity to Ginny. So bloody what? Does anyone but me remember what an unbearable pain in the ass he once was to all of us?

Hermione seems a little edgy and its quite easy to see Dad can't stand the little git but Harry and Ginny are treating him like he's a long lost friend. Harry always likes to believe in the good of people and Ginny ... well it's clear why she likes him. But even Lavender upon hearing that Malfoy had changed sides and was willing to help the Order had greeted him with warmth. I didn't understand it.

Ginny sits down across from me, scowling. "You could be a little nicer to him, Ron. Harry's the only one making an effort."

"I think you're making enough effort for all of us," I mutter.

"It took a lot of strength to walk away from his friends and family like that," she says calmly, giving me a placid smile.

"As I recall he didn't walk away willingly, he was thrown out," I glower

She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, watching Draco, talking to Harry out of the corner of her eye. "Same thing."

"No it's not!" I slam my fist down on the table causing my jug of butterbeer to jump nearly a foot. "You were there weren't you? All those times he called Hermione a Mudblood, when he insulted our family, when he insulted YOU. You were there."

Ginny smiles at me grimly. "He's changed. Can't you see?"

"What's he blinding you with, Gin? The money he threw in your face, his looks, the attention?" I throw my hands up in the air at the indignation on her face. "Because what I can't see is how none of you realize he's not here by choice, he's here because he's got no other place to go."

Ginny's gone white with rage. I almost expect her to reach out and throttle me as she leans across the table.

"You'd like to think you know everything," she hisses bitingly, jabbing her index finger into my chest sharply. "But you don't."

"I could say the same for you," I sigh getting up from the table. "I'm going to bed. Come talk to me if you've got something to say that doesn't involve Malfoy."

I stalk off hoping she'll follow but she doesn't. I hate Malfoy. Harry and Ginny may welcome him into Grimmauld Place with open arms but I certainly won't. I can see under Malfoy's slimy disguise of pain. Boohoo his father hates him, at least he had one. Harry never did. Malfoy wants something from us other than a place to sleep. Something beyond Ginny's affections but I can't place my finger on what but I was determined to find out.

***

Told From Harry's POV

A week into Draco's arrival at Grimmauld Place and he had managed to thoroughly annoy almost everyone besides Ginny. Ron refused to stay in the room with Draco, which was probably a good thing, as they tended to nearly come to blows every time they came within two feet of each other. Hermione, who had been all for doing the nice thing and letting Draco stay with us was ignoring him as well. Lavender was content to talk to anyone but had for Ron's sake had limited her time spent with Draco. And Ginny was thrilled to have received a new best friend and mothered him to death. I was a little worried about her. Regardless of the change I recognized in Draco I wasn't sure if it was wise for her to become so dependant on him when we weren't even quite if he was the enemy or the ally yet.

"Whatcha doing?" I ask Hermione. She's sitting by the fireplace a red-hot poker stick in her hand.

"Burning it," she says, prodding at what I can now see is a flaming magazine. The cover picture now blurred beyond recognition but it was still burned in my memory. A picture of me and Hermione kissing in front of the Leaky Cauldron followed by a lengthy article of our "burning passion". Hermione had nearly cried when the owl had dropped the magazine on the table in front of Mrs. Weasley while Draco laughed uncontrollably. Ginny hadn't found it too pleasing either.

"Is that really necessary?" I know for certain Mrs. Weasley hasn't given her permission to take the magazine. She'd thought it was cute.

"Yes," Hermione says abrasively. She stabs the place where my head should be. Ouch. "I'm sorry did you want to keep it for your collection?"

I grimaced at the harshness of her last remark mirroring Snape's hatred. Any mention of our multiple kisses set her off horribly. Something Draco had picked up on and was prone to mentioning in front of her.

"Hermione," I sigh quietly into my hand.

She looks up and I see that her eyes are filled with tears that I don't think were caused by the smoke.

"It's my fault you know," she whispers. "I shouldn't have done that. Not there."

I can see the humiliation in her face and I remember how angry she'd been in fourth year with Rita Skeeter.

"If it helps I enjoyed it greatly," I tell her with a grin, making a move to wipe her tears away.

"Harry!" she moves away from me, stamping her foot hard on the ground causing tears to spill down her cheeks. "You made a decision now stick to it."

I look down at her in bewilderment. What was she talking about?

"Friends?" she whispers. "Remember that?" Pointing her wand at the hearth she extinguishes the fire as she brushes past me.

"Nice move, Potter," Draco drawls, dropping an unblemished magazine on the table.

"Where'd you get that?"

"I ordered around fifty of them," he claims proudly. "Just keeping your little missus on her toes."

I toss the magazine back at him angrily. "You might want to be careful there, Draco. If she wants you to go you're gone."

He folds the magazine into a tiny ball and throws it into the fireplace before responding. "So she told me." He sounds oddly sad and I feel a drop of pity for him. I should really go easy on him; he's had a hard time.

***

Told From Draco's POV

"How's everything?" Ginny asks, flashing me one of her huge, toothy smiles I noticed seemed to be reserved only for me. I liked it. At times I wished I could lock her away so that no one can experience her but me. I drink up her every smile and memorize our every conversation because I'm sure she'll leave me soon. She makes me feel like I matter, a feeling I've never felt before. I hate the possessive feeling that comes over me whenever she goes near Harry.

"It's uh - great," I say. Anything for Ginny, I think. She hates it when I fight with everyone else but I can't help it. I don't think Harry, Hermione, Ron and I will ever get past our differences. I was far too mean for them to ever accept me into their lives fully.

She smiles again and I want to brush the clump of hair that always falls in front of her eyes behind her but I don't. I've refrained from touching her lately because I'm not even sure if I could even handle a simple handshake with her without losing control.

Ginny would have let me kiss her, probably welcome it but whenever I see her look at Harry I'm reminded of why I don't. She's told me it's possible to like two people at once and I know that's true but when I kiss her I want to be the only one she's thinking about. I want to be her world the way she's become mine.

Imagine what my Slytherin friends would say if they saw me now, mooning over a Weasley. Well they'd be vastly disappointed in me. I was dreading going back to Hogwarts. None of my house would want me and I'm sure Ginny is the only Gryfindor who would even think to let me in their house.

I can feel the Dark Lord's hatred towards me sometimes. It's like he's talking to me through my headaches. They only come at night but they're unbearable. I see him beckoning me to come home, telling me to follow out the plan. But I won't. I'd refused then and I refuse now.

"Draco are you all right?" I hear Ginny's voice pulling me back to the presence. "You had a funny look on your face."

"I'm fine."

I could never tell her about my headaches. She'd insist I go see Dumbledore and tell him everything but I couldn't. Or more I guess it was I wouldn't. I may not want to be a part of You-Know-Who's plan but I couldn't do anything to stop it. If I so much as uttered a word about it they would kill me and I was too much of a coward to die.

"Are you sure?" the concern on her face touches me considerably as she places a cool palm to my forehead. My own mother had never been so caring towards me. Whatever happened I wouldn't let them touch Ginny. I would kill every single one of those Death Eaters with a single curse like Peter Pettigrew if they even came near her. I was not going to risk what I might have with her.

"Well you feel all right," she says and I sigh with relief as she backs away. "Not hot or anything."

"Are you sure?" I joke, raising an eyebrow at her. "I know many girls at Hogwarts who would beg to differ."

Ginny rolls her eyes, smiling a soft smile as she sits down close beside me.

"Something's bothering you," she murmurs, her huge eyes looking into me like she can see my soul, if I even have one that is. It scares me. She could crush me with a blink of an eye.

"And I'm going to find out what it is sooner or later."

Somehow I get the feeling she will. In less than a week she'd found ways to unravel me, to get me to tell her things I had never told anyone. The first two nights when I'd had nightmares of my father she'd stayed in my room, ready with a cold glass of water to comfort me if I needed it. I had never met a human quite like Virginia Weasley. It drove me crazy how the others overlooked her just because she was younger.

"It bothered you didn't it?" I ask her, wanting desperately to change the subject.

"Did what bothered me?"

"The Witch Weekly."

"A little," she admits, her face incredibly readable as her eyes deepen and her brows furrow.

"Ah, that's what I thought," I say going against my resolution to pull at the ends of her hair. It glittered like bronze gold between my fingertips.

"It's not what you think, Draco," Ginny sighs. "It bothers me because it hurts Hermione."

I narrow my eyes at her trying to figure out whether or not she's lying.

"Is this about kissing me again?" she asks looking a little irritated.

"I lost my home, family and friends, Ginny," I tell her. "If we start something I need to know your mine and only mine because I can't lose you on top of everything else."

She stays silent for a moment before turning back to face me, her big blue eyes seemingly bigger. "Haven't I proven that to you already?"

I don't know what to say. Has she?

"Because I am," she whispers in my ear. "Yours."

I stare at her, her words barely registering in my mind. She doesn't mean -

Ginny leans sideways from her sitting position, hooking her arms around the back of my neck and pulling me closer. I don't stop her. I almost think she wants to kiss me as much as I want to kiss her. Her lips have almost met mine when I cry out in pain, writhing away from her.

"Draco?" she asks worriedly. "What's wrong? Did I - did I do something?"

I can't find my voice the pain in my head unbearable.

Tell anyone, a harsh voice fills my head about the Plan and we will kill her. We will snap her like a paper doll right before your very eyes. What are you going to do Draco?

I won't tell anyone. I promise.

That's a good boy. Remember Draco; I can see everything you're doing. Nothing can be kept a secret from me.

"Draco?" Ginny asks again in a scared voice. "Draco?"

***

Told From Ron's POV

"I want him out!" I complain loudly to Harry as soon as he enters our bedroom.

"Ron we can't," he says knowing immediately I was talking about Malfoy.

"Why? If Hermione asked you to make him leave you'd do it," I whine. Lavender looks up from her magazine and shakes her head at me, letting me know she thought I was being ridiculous as Harry busies himself by rummaging around in his trunk for something.

"Yah but she hasn't asked me yet so he stays," Harry says patiently.

I can see the dark circles under his eyes. They become darker everyday. He's still having the nightmares. It's like the worse things get with Hermione, the worse his dreams become. A couple times he thrashed so wildly he woke up the next morning on the floor and once or twice his moaning was so loud I had to wake him up to make sure he's ok.

"How's Hermione?" Lavender asks in a kind voice.

Harry stops what he's doing to look over at her dolefully. "She's busy burning every copy of this week's Witch Weekly that Malfoy left out."

I fume inwardly. That sorry little git. If both Dad and Harry wouldn't kill me for it I would have pounded him into the ground by now. How could Harry let him deliberately upset someone he cared for so much? The air between Harry and Hermione was already so filled with tension and subtext I was surprised their friendship had survived this past week. Malfoy definitely didn't help always spouting off little comments about the two of them.

Lavender holds up her own magazine meekly. "He's not the only one with a copy. Parvati sends me hers when she's through with them," she explains throwing it on the ground like it was the worst thing she'd ever read out of respect for Harry though she'd been thoroughly engrossed in it moments ago. "It's rubbish really. Did you really save Hermione from the chamber of secrets?"

"No," Harry says shortly. "That was Ginny."

"Fought against Viktor Krum in a duel over her?"

"Nope."

Lavender looks disappointed. I think everything written about Harry had been starting to cause her to get a bit of a crush on him. "Stupid trash," she mutters picking it back up again. "I should have known it was all lies."

"Well not all of it," I say. "The gist of it's true. Harry and Hermione like each other but the only tragic circumstances they've faced as a couple is Harry's inflated ego telling him he's so special he's putting her life in peril."

"Don't talk about things you don't understand Ron," he tells me. "I have the nightmares remember?"

"Nightmares that get stronger the more you push her away!"

"I have to protect her," Harry's voice is strained.

"She is protected! Even You-Know-Who can't get past Dumbledore," I object forcefully very aware that Lavender is watching us avidly. "I think you're scared."

Harry lets out a laugh. "Of what?"

"All your life you've had to get things the hard way and then the thing you want the most drops into your arms without a challenge. You're scared something bad's going to happen because nothing ever comes to you easily so you start having nightmares to give you the excuse to hurt her before she can hurt you."

Harry pales and Lavender gets up to put a supportive hand on my arm. I swat her away.

"Don't you realize how lucky you are? She chose you."

***

Told From Ginny's POV

"Draco?" I ask again. I'm frantic now. He's just sitting there holding his head shaking. "What is it?" He still won't answer me. Slowly I reach over and remove his hands away from his ears.

"What's wrong?" I ask again forcing him to look at me. His eyes have spookily gone blackish but his body has stopped shaking a little.

"Just a - a memory," he stammers fearfully.

"Must have been an awful one," I say, squeezing his hand comfortingly.

He winces slightly. "I haven't got any other kind."

"We'll just have to make you one then," I smile. He looks up at me in surprise, understanding my meaning.

"You still -"

"I'd still if you'd still," I cut in breathlessly. "Come on you'd have to do much worse than that to scare me off. So...?" I say cradling his face in my hands.

"Oh I'd very still," he mumbles before losing all coherencies as his lips are pressed up against mine. There's a rush as all my self-control flies away as my body's crushed beneath his. I can feel his longing and the intensity of his touch as his travel up and down my back wildly. A million different sensations exploded from my nerve endings. Ok...this was getting a little too deep for me.

"Draco..." I murmur softly pulling back a little. At the sound of my voice he jumps back guiltily. He stares at me in shock.

"I - I'm sorry," he says bolting away as I try to reach for him.

"Draco I -"

But he's gone from the room before I can finish my sentence.

"I'm not," I say quietly looking out the open door, pressing a finger to my swollen lips. I had never experienced anything quite like that. But then I'd only been kissed once in my life. Had he gone because he'd gotten scared like me or was I just not good enough?

***

Told From Draco's POV

Everything's so blurry / Everyone's so fake / Everyone's empty and everything is so messed up / Preoccupied without you I cannot live at all / My whole world surrounds you / I stumble then I crawl

You could be my someone / You could my scene / You know that I'll protect you from all of the obscene

I ran without destination. Past the horrible screams of portraits all around me, past Harry's room and far away from Ginny's scared face. I'd wanted our first kiss to be short and sweet, something that she could remember fondly for years to come. I certainly hadn't planned on roughly forcing myself on her. It scared me how far gone I became whenever she touched me. Her very gaze was enough to cause the feeling's pent up for years to explode to the surface.

I got as far as the entrance before I stop. I stand there trying to catch my breath, trying to shed her image from my head.

"Planning on leaving us anytime soon, Mr. Malfoy?" a voice comes from behind me. I turn to see Professor Dumbledore smiling kindly at me.

"Uh -"

I had never spoken to Dumbledore before being Snape's student I never needed to receive punishment from the him. I knew Harry had some sort of personal relationship with him but to me he'd always been someone my father called a Muggle loving goon. I look from Headmaster to the door.

"Uh, no sir. I was just uh -"

"It doesn't do good to run from things," he tells me laying a fatherly hand on my shoulder. "Being able to face your fears is a character trait to be valued greatly." He pauses before saying with a wink, "I do believe Miss Weasley is still waiting for you to return."

I don't ask how he and what he knows about me and Ginny I just nod and try not to trip as he gives me a gentle push in the direction of the staircase.

Face my fears, I think as I climb them. I can do that. Talk to her. She's Ginny. She'll understand. After all she's the one who listened for an hour of the torment your father put you through when you were little.

Ginny's moving things around the room, a small shake in her step when I find her. I watch her, closing my eyes for a second before reaching up to knock on the door lightly.

Nobody told you where to hide / Nobody told you what to say / Everyone showed you where to turn / Showed you where to run away /

"You're back," she says and I can't tell if she's happy or sad over this news. She clutches at the stuffed animal in her arms.

"Yah," I say looking down at my hands and taking a deep breath. "Look I'm sorry I left like that. I didn't mean to force myself on you."

"But you didn't."

"I - what?"

She smiles at me causing my heart to fly up to my throat. "Who was kissing who?" she asks. "I kissed you too."

"But -"

She shakes her head not letting me argue with her. "I know you've never had a normal relationship with anyone but this isn't going to work if you blame everything on yourself because not everything's your fault," she whispers setting the animal down on the table and opening her arms to me. I let her hold me allowing myself to inhale the sweet smell of her skin.

"I like you very much Draco Malfoy," Ginny says her voice muffled by my shoulder. "And I'm not going to let your insecurities ruin this."

I'm glad.

Everyone is changing / There's no one left that's real / Make up your own ending / Let me know just how you feel cause I am lost without you / I can not live at all / My whole word surrounds you / I stumble then I crawl

You could be my someone / You could be my scene / You know that I will save you from all of the unclean

-----> Puddle of Mudd

***

Told From Hermione's POV

When I got my hands on Draco Malfoy I was going to kill him I swear, I think as I throw yet another magazine into the trash. He is so out of here. I gasp as one more magazine materializes out of thin air and drops to the ground at me feet. What the hell does he think he's doing? I bend over to pick it up when I see someone else reach for it.

"Oops, dropped that," George says off handedly not looking up.

"Give me that," I snap tugging it away from him, reducing it to a pile of cinders.

"Hey!" George roared. "I paid Malfoy three Sickels for that!"

I shrug. "Guess you wasted your money then huh?" I breeze past him wondering why, if I wasn't having anything to do with his brother he was still acting like a jerk when he grabbed my arm fiercely.

"You better watch yourself Mudblood," he spat. "Rude behavior like that will only accelerate the inevitable."

I stare at him in shock as he skulked back down the hallway. Had George just called me a - a Mudblood? The same George who years ago had to be restrained from hurting Malfoy who'd uttered the same dirty word. Tears prickle from the back of my eyelids. Something was wrong. That couldn't be the real George.

"Hermione?" a soft voice asks.

Ginny and Draco stand, hands clasped together in front of me both looking at me with worried faces. Draco looks a little guilty.

"Is this about -"

"George called me a Mudblood," I murder absently barely noticing they're there. "George called me a Mudblood."

Though I'd only found out four years ago what Mudblood meant it still hurt deeply whenever I was called it, especially by someone who came from a family I considered my own.

"No," Ginny whispers her hand creeping to her mouth. "Hermione you must have misunderstood. George would never call you that. He'd never call anyone that!"

I shake my head violently. "Ginny I heard him."

"Hey what's going on here?"

Suddenly three more voices join the din. Someone's arms are locked tightly around me asking me what's wrong.

"Your brother called her a Mudblood, Weasley" I hear Draco mutter to Ron.

"No! Wh-which brother?"

"George," Ginny murmurs disbelievingly.

"No...SHe must have heard him wrong. George wouldn't."

"Ron she swears she heard him right."

Their voices fade into the background of my head as I settle in his arms, his strong frame holding me steady.

"Weasley you need to consider it."

"He's in the Order!"

"He could be a spy for You-Know-Who."

"No, he's already got you for that."

"Ron!"

"Ginny, he's saying our brother is evil. Can you believe that?"

"But Ron he called Hermione a Mudblood surely -"

"So you think he's telling the truth? You've known him for what a week? And you're already letting him convince you -"

I wish I could stay in Harry's arms, ignoring their voices and forget the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong with George but I can't.

"Ron," I say. "I think Draco's right."