The Hospital Wing and the Astronomy Tower

Draco and Ginny walked back into the Main Hall.

"That Potter," Draco muttered. "I can't believe him! He acts as though he owns you."

"He's only being protective, it doesn't mean anything, really," Ginny replied.

"Well, I just can't stand that git anyway," said Draco. "He thinks he's so great--"

"With his scar, and his fame... yeah, yeah, I've heard it all."

"I'm sorry, it's just that--" but Draco never got to finish, because he was rudely interrupted by Ron.

"GINNY! WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO MALFOY?"

"Why not?" asked Ginny, tranquilly. "I mean, I am here with him after all."

"Malfoy?! It was Malfoy all along? The big secret was this... this... arrogant... insufferable..."

"Cold blooded, heartless?" Draco offered.

"Evil? Sadistic?" Hermione put in.

Ron nodded.

"Because, Ron, he asked me here, and I said yes," said Ginny.

"WHY?!" Ron cried.

"BECAUSE!" shouted Ginny.

By now, half of the people in the hall had turned their attention to Ron and Ginny, and Kiera, Rachel, and Danni were part of the crowd around them.

"Ginny! It was Malfoy?" asked Kiera.

"You never said your date wasn't human! And here we were thinking you'd be here with some nice, good-looking boy..." squealed Rachel.

Ginny was starting to feel slightly embarrassed, so many people were gawking at her, and she felt as though she was a oomstick in a shop window.

"What's all this about?" came Professor Snape's voice. "Move out of my way Finnigan." Professor Snape made his way through the crowd. "What is going on?"

"Nothing Professor," replied Draco. "Weasley here was just... er... asking that everybody gather around. He, er, has an announcement to make."

Ron looked shocked, but decided to play along. "Er, yeah, I was just going to say that er... I want to wish you all a Happy Christmas, and that... er... oh, Harry, hello."

Everybody turned to look at Harry and Cho, who had just entered the hall. They both look a fair bit angry, and Ginny felt as though that was partly her fault.

"Well, now that Mr Weasley has made his announcement, clear off!" said the professor.

"Nice one, Weasley," Draco drawled. "Very clever."

"Shut up Malfoy," Ron snapped.

"What's going on here?" asked Harry, eyeing Draco with malice.

"Ginny and I were just leaving," Draco replied.

"Oh no you don't," said Ron.

"Oh Ron, I wish you'd stop treating me like a baby," said Ginny, with an air of impatience.

"You two are staying where I can see you," said Ron.

"Fine by me," said Draco, smirking. "As long as you keep scar head away from me."

"Harry, stay away from Malfoy," said Ron.

"My pleasure," Harry replied. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. Ginny's an idiot for coming here with that evil bastard."

Ginny felt a surge of anger rise somewhere within her. Harry had just called her an idiot! "Harry! Don't you dare insult me ever again!" she yelled.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're a stupid, selfish prat, and you deserve to die!" she shouted, without thinking.

Draco pulled her away. "You ought to contain your anger," he whispered. "Stop trying to make a scene."

Ginny spent the rest of the night trying to avoid Harry, which was easy as he was trying to avoid her as well. When the time came for her to go back to Gryffindor Tower, she went straight to bed, and spoke to no-one.

***

The next morning, Ginny was awoken by Ron.

"Wake up Ginny! Quidditch practice!" he said, shaking her.

Quidditch practice was horrible. It hadn't been this bad as far back as Ginny could remember. It had rained that night, so the snow on the grounds was icy, and disgusting, and the air still held its damp, cold, unwelcoming quality.

Ginny almost got hit with a bludger seven times, and soon, she thought that Colin was purposely trying to hit her.

All in all, Ginny was glad when practice was over. She went inside for eakfast with Hermione (who was watching), Ron and Seamus, Harry had gone off to meet Cho.

Neither Blaise nor Draco was in the Great Hall, and Pansy was also missing from the Slytherin table.

Ginny ate her eakfast in silence, and when she had finished, she decided to go to the library.

Blaise and Draco were sitting in the liary along with Crabbe and Goyle, both Draco and Blaise talking in whispers, Crabbe and Goyle looking thoroughly out of place. When Ginny entered, Blaise looked up and smiled. She said something to Draco, and he, Crabbe and Goyle got up and left, Draco smirking at Ginny on his way out.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you," Blaise said. "It's about... well... it'll sound kind of odd, but it's about friends."

Ginny nodded and took a seat opposite Blaise.

"See," Blaise began, "real friends are hard to come by, and your other and Potter and the mudblood, they have what you'd call a real friendship."

Ginny nodded, wondering where all this was going.

"Draco and I," Blaise continued, "have been friends for a long time, although nobody really knows it, and that doesn't matter. But what I'm getting at is this: you don't have any real friends in Gryffindor. Your real friends are Draco and I, we're the only ones who care about you, really. Even if we don't seem to care, don't be fooled, we're Slytherins, that's just the way we are."

Ginny sighed. "I don't know why you're telling me all this," she said.

Blaise nodded. "I know, it's just that you have a right to know, and after what happened last night, well you need friends at a time like this."

"Thank you," said Ginny. "But do you really care? Or do you just want something from me?"

Blaise shook her head. "Just thought you should know."