How Do You Choose Between What is Right and What is Easy?

Chapter 02

As Draco and Ginny were walking together, side-by-side, Draco turned his head towards her and said, "Would you like me to walk you to your common room? It's pretty late."

"Sure. That'd be nice," she said. It was again silent for a moment. "Thanks." She said this almost as an afterthought. They walked in silence for a little while longer, down a few more corridors and up some flights of stairs. They still had a little bit to go, when Ginny decided to break the deafening silence that had stretched between them. "So..." she said, uncertain of what to really say next.

"What?" he said, looking over at her as they continued walking.

"Are we friends now, or what?"

"That'd be interesting to explain to people."

"Are you crazy? Do you think I want to even attempt to explain this to Harry or Ron?"

"And what exactly is 'this'?"

"Just a harmless friendship. It would probably be better, though, if we just kept it a secret. For now, anyway."

"True. I don't feel much like facing the 'Dream Team' at their worst."

She laughed then. "Do people still call them that?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"A select few in my little group of Slytherin friends - and trust me, my group of friends is little."

"Trust me - so is mine."

"Yours?! You have a lot of friends. I see you in the hallways, remember?"

"Well the number of friends I have really depends on what your definition of 'friends' is."

"Ah."

"Exactly." They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, which was the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady was snoring noisily in her frame. "Well, this is my stop," she said.

"Yup," he said, placing his arms behind his back.

"So...."

"Yup...."

"How do you wanna do this?"

"Do what exactly?"

"This friendship, or whatever it is we have," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hm. I'll send you a note by school owl - mine's too easily recognizable."

"When will you send it?"

"Soon."

She smiled. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast."

"Only from across the room, though. We can't let on to anyone that we're anything less than civil."

"Of course." She gave him one last smile before saying, "Goodnight."

"Night." He smiled as well and turned to go. At the end of the hallway, he turned the corner and was out of sight.

~*~

The next morning at breakfast, Ginny said down at the Gryffindor table just as the mail was arriving into the Great Hall. She looked up, watching the sea of owls as they flew around bringing mail to their owners. As she continued to watch, a tawny-colored barn own (which she recognized to be a school owl) swooped down and dropped a black envelope right onto her empty plate. Her name was on the front in sleek handwriting, written in bright silver ink. Before anyone else could notice, she quickly picked up the letter and tucked it safely into an inside pocket of her robes. She could read it later.

Harry came in not long after, and sat down beside Ginny. He didn't even look at her, but helped himself to some bacon, joining Seamus and Dean in a conversation they were having about something to do with Quidditch. Ginny was so used to this that she almost didn't notice. Almost.

As soon as breakfast was over, Ginny headed to her first class of the day, Transfiguration. She didn't dare get the note out to read it during class, because the result of that - as she knew - would most likely be detention. She didn't want another one so soon, especially assigned by none other than McGonagall again. She set her mind to listening to what Professor McGonagall was saying, but try as she might, she just couldn't get her mind to focus. Knowing it was fruitless, and not being able to wait any longer to see what the letter said, she raised her hand.

"Which means - yes, Ms. Weasley?"

"Could I be excused to the restroom, please?"

McGonagall pursed her lips and said, "I suppose. But hurry back, please. Some of our discussion today could end up on the end-of-year exam."

"Okay. Thank you, Professor." She got up off her seat, and headed to the door as fast as she could without looking like she was hurrying. The closest bathroom was a couple of corridors over, so Ginny set off at a fast-paced walk, trying to get there as fast as she possibly could. When she got there, the bathroom was empty. She went to the last stall and went in, locking herself in. She sat down on the toilet, putting the lid down first, and put her feet up on the seat to make it look like no one was in there.

She reached into the inside pocket of her robes and pulled out the letter she had received that morning. She turned it over and slit the envelope open, sliding the letter out carefully, as though afraid she would tear it. The letter was very short and had been written in bright green ink.

Ginny -

Meet me in the Astronomy Tower
at 10:30 tonight. Bring Potter's
cloak so you won't get caught.

She sighed in excitement, anxious to see him that night, though she wasn't sure why....