Hey there all

So we have another chappy up. They won't all be up as quickly as this one has been. I have had some spare time and I was using it up.

Okay let me know what you think.

Ginny sat at her house table in the great hall. It was that moment just before everybody descended from their rooms, to fill their empty stomachs. Ginny was not a morning person. In fact the only reason she was up so early this morning was because of one very poor night of sleep. By the time she had gotten back to her room, whatever spell Malfoy had put on her had worn off leaving her feeling absolutely awful. She had tried to heal her ankle by herself but her head had been hurting so bad that she had given up and tried to get some sleep. Her dreams had been plagued by memories of her first year at this very school, memories that never seemed to leave her alone. But she dealt with them. She dare not tell anybody that she still had them. People had only just stopped looking at her with pure pity in their eyes. Ron, Harry and Hermione had opened their eyes and began to come to grips with the fact that she was growing up. It was too early for them to see that she had grown up.

Speaking of the golden trio…the three of them walked into the hall. Ron's arm was around a sleepy looking Hermione, Harry trailing slightly behind, trying in vain to straighten his tie.

"Morning, Gins." Ron muttered patting her head and sitting opposite her with Hermione.

"morning." she muttered back.

"You're looking a little rough this morning, Ginny? Not sleep very well?" Hermione asked. Reaching over the table to straight Harry's tie for him, he then sat down next to Ginny.

"Thanks." He muttered to her.

"It wasn't great but okay. You don't look so awake yourself." Ginny answered. Being slightly vague and trying not to be sick as she watched everyone else start to eat their breakfast. She could never understand how people could be hungry in the morning. She never was the thought of food turned her stomach. She only came and sat at the table for the mail. Then she normally left for a walk or something along those lines.

"Mione was up late studying. I had to go down to the common room and carry her to bed at about 3." Ron said looking at softly at his girlfriend. "Mind you…we didn't really get much sleep after that."

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. Giving him an elbow in the ribs. But the blush on her cheeks and the glow in her eyes showed that her brother spoke the truth.

"Now I'm going to be sick." Ginny muttered.

"Tis okay for you." Harry said. "You don't have to see them in classes together. I need to start carrying a bucket around with me."

Ginny chuckled.

"What's funny?" Hermione asked, while wiping egg yolk from Ron's chin.

Harry and Ginny were saved from answering as a wave of owls swept through the great hall. A paper was dropped in front of her. She picked it up and stood to leave.

"Okay I am gone to read this but I will see you all at lunch." She said and started to make her way to the doors.

"Ginny." Harry shouted out. "You forgot this letter."

Walking back she took the letter from Harry's hand. Thanked him and headed out to the lake. There would be a quite place to sit and read before she went to another day of mind numbing studies. She was not dumb. But there was no way she was as smart as Hermione. The brain of the golden trio. Mind you. Ginny didn't really want to be, she just wanted something that would make her stand out other than being the only girl Weasley in 4 generations, and all that that implied.

Choosing a spot that had her back to the castle she sat and looked out across that lake for a second or two. This was not a view that you just got bored off. Everyday there was something new to see.

Picking up her paper she started to read. The further she got into the paper the worse her mood got. There had been more attacks on Muggles; there was no doubt that it had been Deatheaters. There mark had been seen by many. It had taken the ministry hours to get rid of it. Muggles were having their memories wiped left, right and centre.

The parents of Muggleborn witch twins had gone missing. Although the paper didn't just come and say they had been killed and it was more than clear that's what had happened.

To add to all of that, there was to be more investigations into loyalty within the ministry, this meant more stress for her dad. Merlin! Would they not just leave him alone? He is one of the most loyal people she knew. Why couldn't they see that he needs time to get better?

Standing up she growled with frustration. Walking to the edge of the lake she swung her arm back and threw the paper as hard as she could. Watching it fall and splash softly on the waters surface did very little to make her feel better.

"Calm down now weaselette." Came a deep voice from behind her. "You might do yourself another injury."

Giggles told him that he was not alone either.

"Oh look at her drake…she's all mad. Her hair matches her cheeks!" said the unmistakeable high pitched and scratchy voice of one Pansy Parkinson.

She would do best if she didn't turn around and look at them. She would do even better if she didn't say anything.

But Malfoy clearly didn't like her lack of response. He came and stood next to her and looked out across the lake with her.

"Something you didn't like in that paper? Or you just got a problem with papers in general?" he asked looking down at her.

Still she said nothing. Nor did she turn to look at him.

"Oh maybe she has lost her voice." pearls of laughter streaming from Pansy's mouth.

"I wish you would." Malfoy muttered.

This caused Ginny to look at him. She must have heard him wrong. There is no way he could have said that. He merely looked at her once more and raised his eyebrow. She opened her mouth to say something but turned back to the lake again.

"Come on drake she is being boring today and I am getting coooollllddd." Parkinson whined.

Malfoy spun round to look at her. Ginny could feel the tension radiating off of him.

"Well go inside then. I want to carry on." When she didn't make to move he snapped "NOW!" she quickly turned and left.

Ginny braced herself for the next lot of cruel words to pour from his mouth. She didn't have long to wait.

"So you didn't answer my question? You got something wrong with the paper or just what was written on it?" he asked once again looking out over the lake with her.

After a moments silence he went on.

"If it was the paper maybe you shouldn't buy it if it affects you so. Although I have to say, I think it was what was in the paper that got to you. I wonder what exactly." He walked around her and stood at her other side. "Was it the story about more poor, poor Muggle attacks? Or was it the muggleborn twins losing the parents. I have no doubt that they are dead."

"Well you would know Malfoy." Ginny said softly.

"Ah…so she does speak. And how, may I ask, would I know?"

"You have no doubt that they are dead and I have no doubt that you were there by your father's side doing It." her voice had never raised. Instead it sounded like she was just stating a fact, which she was.

"If that's what you want to think then carry on. I can see that this would be a waste of time." He turned and picked up her letter off the floor. "As would reading this."

Ginny was about to take a step forward and take the letter off of him. But for some reason she stood where she was and watched him walk away. What was he talking about? What had been on that letter? And why had she not read that before the paper!

Okay there we have it.

Please review and let me know what you think. I need to know if I should go on or just give up on it now. Quit while I am ahead.

HC