The Hospital Wing and the Astronomy Tower

Ginny awoke the next morning to find herself alone in the hospital wing. Draco had left earlier that morning as his arm had healed perfectly. It was Monday, the first day of the winter break, and classes were out for all of the other students. Most of the younger pupils had headed homeward, but the older pupils decided to stay at Hogwarts to attend the Yule Ball.

As the term was finished, and Ginny was expecting to receive any homework, so she was shocked when Colin Creevey walked into the infirmary.

"Hiya Ginny!" he said in a happy tone.

"What do you want?" Ginny muttered.

"Well, seeing as you won't be going to the ball with Harry, and Neville is taking Susan Bones of Hufflepuff this year, I realized you don't have anybody to go with. So why not go with me?"

"I'd rather go alone than with you, but I'm already going with someone else," replied Ginny coolly.

Colin look flabbergasted, "who are you going with? It's impossible that you've been asked; you've been in here for a week."

Ginny decided it would be wise not to tell Colin about Draco, so she simply said, "I'm not telling."

Colin stomped his foot, a rather immature gesture in Ginny's opinion. "I was only asking you out of pity," he said. "I felt sorry for you, but to tell the truth, I'm already going with someone."

Ginny arched an eyebrow. "Who?" she asked, despite herself.

Colin paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. "Elise Zabini."

Ginny thought for a moment. "Elise Zabini? The Slytherin forth year? Blaise's little sister?"

Colin shook his head. "She's in Ravenclaw."

"Oh."

"Well," said Colin, "I'm off. I'm meeting Elise in the library."

"Get lost, and please don't come back," Ginny said, as politely as she could.

Not long after Colin left, there was a knock on the door, and Blaise Zabini entered, wearing a smirk that made her look peculiarly like Draco Malfoy.

"So Draco did find somebody better than Pansy to take to the ball," she said, in way of greeting.

Ginny nodded. "But your sister, she's going with a particularly annoying Gryffindor?"

Blaise looked astonished. "Francis Baddock may be, well, slightly talkative, but I'd hardly call him annoying, or even go so far as to call him a Gryffindor."

Now it was Ginny's turn to look astonished, then she smiled to herself. Colin was so desperate.

"Well, I just came here to see how you're doing. I spoke to Madam Promfrey this morning; she said you'd be out of this Hell hole by Wednesday."

"You were here this morning?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, I came to speak with Draco, you were still asleep."

"You and Malfoy," Ginny began out of curiosity.

She was interrupted by Blaise. "No, we're only friends, and personally, I prefer the Ravenclaw boys."

Ginny nodded.

"Don't worry, I won't steal him away from you," Blaise smirked.

Ginny smiled. "Oh, I'm not worried," she said. The truth was she didn't really feel that way about him, although he was quite good-looking.

Blaise looked taken aback. "You're using him?"

Ginny shook her head. "Oh, no, of course not."

Blaise smiled slyly. "It's all right. I won't tell. I can help you."

Ginny looked shocked.

"You're trying to get revenge on Potter, aren't you?" Blaise sneered.

Ginny shrugged. "I never actually thought about it. Actually, I haven't had time to think about it."

Blaise smiled. "Well think about it right now. I'll give you three seconds."

Yes, thought Ginny. He should pay, but it wouldn't be nice of me--- Her thoughts were interrupted by Blaise.

"Time's up," she said.

Ginny nodded. Why not? She thought. Now is not a time to be considerate.

"Excellent," said Blaise with an evil smile. "Terry is also seeking revenge. Cho Chang and Harry Potter will pay."

Ginny smiled, but couldn't help but feel as though she was doing something wrong.

Blaise left soon after, and Ginny had mixed feelings about the plan Blaise seemed to have had pre-developed.

On Wednesday, Ginny was released from the hospital wing. Everything was the same as when she had left, except that there were fewer people in the Gryffindor common room, and Harry was always with Cho. Colin Creevey was disappointed because he had been rejected by Elise Zabini, and he seemed to be avoiding Ginny. Hermione and Ron were concerned about Ginny, and when Ron asked who she was going to the Yule Ball with, she didn't reply.

Ginny and Draco didn't speak to each other when they passed one another in the hallways, but neither insulted the other. They seemed to everyone else, to be indifferent to each other.

On Thursday evening, Hermione cornered Ginny in the common room.

"Who are you going to ball with?" she asked, in her most annoying voice.

Ginny shook her head. "And why should I tell you?"

"Because I told you about Viktor two years ago, and I think that means I have a right to know."

Ginny smiled, remembering her third year. She had been asked by Harry as a last resort, but she had already been asked by Neville. "All right, all right, I'll tell you. But you must promise not to tell anyone," she said.

Hermione nodded excitedly.

"Malfoy," said Ginny.

"MALFOY?!"

"Shhhhhhh! I said don't tell anyone!" Ginny said angrily.

"Ooh, sorry," Hermione apologized. "But you can't be serious! I mean, well, it's Malfoy.

Nobody likes him."

Ginny shrugged. "We're just going as friends."

"Oh, I see."

Ginny and Hermione left for supper together, the whole way to the Great Hall, Hermione talked about how sweet Ron was.

In the Great Hall, Ginny noted that Draco and Blaise were sitting together at the Slytherin table. She also saw Cho Chang at the Ravenclaw table, beside her was a very pretty girl with dark eyes, golden brown skin, and black hair. Elise Zabini. So she is in Ravenclaw! thought Ginny. It seemed odd, because Blaise seemed to be so evil; it was as though she had Slytherin blood running in her veins.

Ginny sat purposely beside Colin at the Gryffindor table. He was glaring toward the Slytherin table.

"Francis Baddock seems in a good mood, doesn't he?" said Ginny, acting as though she was making polite conversation.

Colin glared at her.

"Colin Creevey seems to be in a bad mood, doesn't he?" she smiled at him sweetly.

After supper, Ginny decided not to sit with Ron and Hermione in the common room, just looking at them made her sick, so instead, she sat with the other fifth year girls. Ginny didn't spend much time with them, they gossiped too much for her liking. Today's topic was 'Seamus Finnigan, or Ron Weasley?"

"Okay," said Rachel Bell. "Ron has a nice smile, and I absolutely love his hair, but Seamus is just so funny!"

"Ron's funny too!" protested Danni Fletcher.

"What do you think Ginny?" asked Kiera McCourt.

Bella and Vienna Dimarco burst out laughing.

"Ron's my brother," Ginny reminded her.

"See?" said Kiera, "Ginny would pick Seamus too!"

"You're only saying that because you're both Irish!" said Bella, when she finally calmed down.

Just then, Seamus entered the common room.

"Ginny!" he called. "I need to talk to you!"

"Ooh! You're so lucky!" squealed Vienna.

"I wish I was on the Quidditch team!" said Danni. "Then I could spend more time with Ron and Seamus."

Ginny rolled her eyes and walked to where Seamus was standing, grateful to him for pulling her away from the other girls.

"Ginny, glad to see you're feeling better," he smiled. "You missed a fair bit of Quidditch practice. Ron probably told you already, but we've developed a few new strategies to make us unbeatable chasers. We're sure to win the cup this year, especially with Harry as captain."

Ginny smiled. Her fellow Gryffindor chasers were so passionate about Quidditch it was startling, but she admired their enthusiasm, and Harry was a great captain.

"We'll practice with you this weekend, if that's all right with you," Seamus continued. "But you have to promise me that you won't injure yourself so severely again."

Ginny nodded. "I'll remember that. My life is more important than the Quaffle."

Seamus nodded, and walked towards the boy's dormitories. Then he turned around, "We can practice tomorrow morning he said. Be at the pitch by ten."

Ginny nodded, and turned once again to the other fifth year girls, who were all looking at her with the greatest envy. "I'll just get to bed," she said, and jogged up the stairs to the fifth year girls' dormitory.