The Hospital Wing and the Astronomy Tower

"Harry," Ron began. "I agree that Ginny and you were absolutely meant to be, but starting out in the Astronomy Tower? Don't you think you're moving a litte fast?"

"Harry?" Draco protested. "What are you talking about? What about me?"

"I don't care what you Slytherin sluts get up to with each other," said Ron.

"Twice now, that's twice I've been called a slut in one night," Blaise whined. "Don't people have respect for me anymore?"

"We never did," said Draco.

"But Ginny, I'm completely happy for you," said Ron, ignoring Blaise and Draco. "You and Harry just seem to be so perfect together."

"Ron, dear," said Hermione. "You're acting like your mother."

"He can't help it," said Draco. "He's so naturally feminine."

"Yeah," Blaise said. "You make him feel like a natural woman."

"Manly Mudbloods and their woman Weasleys," said Draco.

"That isn't funny," said Harry, finally speaking up.

"Of course it is," Blaise chuckled. "It's almost as funny as the one about you and Ginny being perfect for each other."

"Blaise, don't ruin this," Ginny muttered.

"Ruin what?" said Blaise, loudly.

"He doesn't need to know," said Ginny. "We can just pretend that Harry and I are together."

"I have ears," said Ron. "I can hear, just not comprehend."

"You can't comprehend anything," said Draco. "And I don't understand Ginny, are you ashamed of me?"

"I can't believe you think I'd let you take credit for Potter," said Blaise. "And by tomorrow, the whole Blaise Potter thing will be final."

"He proposed to you?" Draco asked.

"How come you didn't propose to me?" Hermione asked Ron.

"What? We're only 16," said Ron.

"I thought I would be Mrs Potter," Ginny whined. "I've dreamed about it for six years now, ever since that day I saw him on platform 9 3/4! You haven't even wanted him for very long!"

"What about me?" Draco asked. "Doesn't Ginny Malfoy sound nice?"

"You already know it's going to be Pansy Malfoy," Blaise said. "And your parents know it too. In fact, Pansy's told everyone."

"Harry, you proposed to this evil woman?" Hermione cried. "How could you? Aren't you afraid she'll try to kill you? She's the daughter of two death eaters for crying out loud!"

"How do you know?" Blaise asked.

"Because, everyone knows!" Hermione replied. "Zabinis are almost worth as much as Malfoys to the Dark Lord."

"Don't you love me Ginny?" Draco asked.

"I already told you I was using you, can't you simply understand?" Ginny said.

"No," Draco whimpered. "I thought we were supposed to be together, forever. I told you my secrets, and you listened."

"Malfoy, you have secrets?" Ron asked.

"I know," said Ginny, ignoring Ron. "And I truly care about you, I don't want to hurt you, but I'm still in love with Harry, and I can't let go of my dreams, it would be unethical."

"You probably don't even know what that means," said Blaise. "And Potter's mine, the whole school knows it, especially Cho Chang."

"Harry's girlfriend?" Ginny asked.

"Didn't you wonder why he came up here with me?" Blaise asked.

"Wait, Harry's with Blaise Zabini?" said Ron. "Then who's Ginny with?"

"Me," said Draco. "Or at least I thought she was. I mean, after tonight... well... we almost... and it would have been... you're in love with Potter?"

"But you mean something to me," said Ginny. "Honest!"

"But you just said you were using me," Draco pointed out.

"No, I didn't mean it that way," said Ginny. "I... I take it back."

"You can't take it back," said Blaise. "You're just using Draco, You're in love with Potter, and you're brother is really confused."

"Ginny's using Malfoy?" Ron asked. "But how? Just for homework, right?"

"Of course, Ron," said Hermione, slightly sarcastically.

"Good," said Ron. "So she's still in love with Harry, and in a few years, she'll marry him, right?"

"No," said Draco. "Why would she want to marry Potter? He doesn't even care about her!"

"So?" said Blaise. "He doesn't care about me, but he's willing to fool around with me."

"Harry, is this true?" Hermione cried.

"No!" Harry almost shouted. "Would you people get a hold of yourselves? We're not even finished school yet, and you're thinking about marriage?"

"But you proposed to Blaise," Draco interrupted.

"No I didn't," said Harry. "I'm still young, I can't even handle having a girlfriend yet, let alone get married. Blaise and I came up here together because she did something very stupid indeed, and by tomorrow there'll be rumors flying everywhere you turn."

"Oh, so you're just making the rumors true," said Draco. "What about Ginny? Do I still get to keep her?"

"I am not some object you can just own Draco Malfoy!" Ginny shrieked.

"I didn't say you were," Draco said.

"Ron, we should leave," said Hermione.

"No," Ginny said. "Draco, I mean Malfoy, and I will leave. We'll go straight to our dormitories, and we won't even walk together in the hallways."

"Okay," Ron smiled.

Draco and Ginny walked out of the Astronomy Tower together.

"Well," said Draco, when they were out of ear-shot. "That was certainly strange."

Ginny nodded. "And I didn't mean what I said. I only said that stuff because of Ron."

"I don't believe you," said Draco. "You're in love with Potter, not me."

"So does this mean that me and you are over?" Ginny asked.

"I suppose," said Draco. "I can't stand being with a girl who can't have any respect for me."

"I do respect you," said Ginny.

"I'm sorry Ginny," said Draco. "I thought you were different. I really did, but now I know it was all in my head, and I can't stand to be with you. I can't even stand to be around you because I still want you, but I know that you won't want me."

"Of course I want you Draco," said Ginny. "I really do."

"Blaise is much better at it than you," said Draco. "At least I believed her when she said it."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked. "You never told me that you and Blaise were ever together."

"It happened this past summer," said Draco. "I just don't think anyone should know about it."

"Tell me," said Ginny. "I'll listen, if not as your girlfriend, then as your friend."

"I couldn't even tell Crabbe and Goyle," said Draco.

"I'll just be a confident source," said Ginny. "I'll be a sort of listening diary."

"Okay. This summer, Blaise and I were alone in the court yard at Malfoy Manor, and it wasn't like it always was when we were younger, it was different somehow," Draco said. "Then Blaise got all serious on me, and started saying things about being in love, and how it was hard to want someone you were close to. I sort of felt like I knew what she was talking about, and she just kept telling me how difficult it was to have such strong feelings for someone you thought was a friend. And then from there, things got complicated."

"Did you do anything?" Ginny asked, eager to know more.

"I can't tell you what happened next," said Draco. "You'd hate me forever."

"What happened?" Ginny still pushed.

"Use your imagination Weasley," said Draco.

"But why can't you tell me? Did you sleep with her?" Ginny asked. But Draco was no longer there. He was just suddenly gone, and Ginny stood alone.

***

"Ron," said Harry. "I'm old enough to take care of myself, and if I chose to be with Blaise, you can't stop me."

"But she isn't normal," said Ron. "She's so evil, and she's in Slytherin, Harry. I would expect you'd have more sense than to be with a Slytherin, especially when her parents are in You Know Who's inner circle, along with Malfoy."

"If it means so much to you, why don't you care that your own sister is with Malfoy right now?" Blaise asked.

"How come you called him Malfoy?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"Because, he is a Malfoy," said Blaise, coolly.

"We'll go," said Harry. "You two don't get much time alone, so we'll let you have the Astronomy Tower to yourselves."

"Why couldn't we share like everyone else?" Blaise asked.

"Because we aren't everyone else, are we?" said Harry, ushering her out the door.

"Well, it's just us now," said Ron, smiling at Hermione.

Hermione smiled back. "I'm glad," she said, kissing him. Ron kissed Hermione back, and before they knew it, they were all over each other, just like they had been on their first trip together to the Astronomy Tower.

***

Harry and Blaise walked a few minutes in silence, Blaise still trying to work out what had happened. Soon, they were standing at the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories.

"What?" said Blaise. "I didn't even get a kiss." Harry leaned down and kissed Blaise on the cheek. Blaise rolled her eyes. "You call that a kiss?" she said.

She leaned up and sealed her mouth over Harry's, sliding her tounge into his mouth. It only lasted a few seconds, but Harry had to admit, he enjoyed kissing Blaise.

"Good night," said Blaise, kissing him quickly, once more, before pushing him away so that he wouldn't hear the password into Slytherin.

***

Ginny stood in silence, staring at the corridor ahead of her. The floor was bathed in moonlight coming from the tall arched windows, but other than that, everything was dull, and silent. The paintings were all peaceful and still, the corridor completely deserted, except for the presence of Ginny Weasley. She felt as though she could have died, right then and there. She had just lost Draco Malfoy, the only person who truly cared about her, and knew how she felt. And for what? Harry didn't seem to care, he was too busy with Blaise. Blaise, queen of betrayal. Why had Ginny been stupid enough to trust her? She was only good for stabbing people in the hearts, which was easy for her, as she'd never know how it felt, considering she had no heart. But why was Draco so upset? What had he done with Blaise that would make Ginny hate him? It shouldn't matter, whatever it was had happened before he and Ginny had gotten together. Blaise just seemed to mess up everything.

***

Seamus Finnigan sat alone in the Gryffindor common room. What was this, national break up day? Lavender Brown had just ripped out his heart, and stomped all over it, tossing the remains in the fire. But why? She hadn't given him a proper reason. Was she in love with someone else? Hopefully that was the case, because Seamus had worked so hard at not hurting her.

Now I wish I had hurt her, Seamus thought. She would've deserved it.

He stood up and stretched. There was no point moping around, especially over Lavender, she wasn't at all worth it. No, it was time to take a walk, do some thinking, find someone new. He left the Gryffindor common room, much to the fat lady's annoyance. ("Don't come back untill two!" she yelled, irritably. "Just wake me up if I'm trying to sleep!")

Half way down the corridor, Seamus stopped. Who was that standing all alone? He moved closer, cautiously, in case it was somebody ready to take points from Gryffindor, or give him a detention.

As he neared, he noted that the person had red hair, red hair that he recognized. Ginny. It had to be Ginny. But what would she be doing here all alone? And at this time of night.

"Ginny?" Seamus asked.

Ginny flinched slightly. "Seamus," she said. "Seamus, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," said Seamus, taking a final step toward her, untill he was directly in front of her.

"Why aren't you with Lavender?" Ginny asked. At that moment, she was angry with the whole world, especially Lavender, Hermione, Blaise, and all those other girls with boyfriends who trusted them. Well, perhaps Blaise didn't count, but she was still the cause of Ginny's problems.

"We... er... we broke up," said Seamus.

"Did you really?" said Ginny, happier than she would have liked.

"Yeah," said Seamus. "Why are you so happy?"

"I'm not happy," said Ginny. "Just er... shocked, that's all."

Seamus nodded in understanding. "Why don't we go back to Gryffindor tower?" he suggested.

"Sounds good," said Ginny. "And you can tell me all the bad things about Lavender, and I'll listen." And with that, the two headed back to their common room.