Ginny woke up, momentarily wondering where she was before recalling the night before. Hearing a faint groaning that seemed to be coming from underneath her she twisted; realising she was sitting on someone's lap, the lap she soon learned belonged to one Draco Malfoy.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, moving to get up, stopping when his icy cold hand caught her wrist.

"Don't be." He soothed, "My back was a little sore, that's all, and I don't think you're wholly to blame for that, after all, I believe a certain Pansy may have damaged my back permanently."

Ginny chuckled half-heartedly, before noticing how tired Draco really looked, "Are you ever going to tell me what it is you're meant to do? All I ever hear about is some mission you were chosen for. Please, tell me."

"No!" Draco cried, pushing Ginny roughly from his lap, not caring how hurt she looked, he had only this tiny piece of information with which to protect her. If she knew everything there would be no way the Dark Lord would let her live.

"Why are you being so defensive? I want to help you!"

"Help? I don't want your help. What help would you be able to give me?"

"Draco, stop it. I know you don't mean it."

Draco looked down, trying his best to fix an ugly sneer on his face, at Ginny's shrunken form, "I don't want you, you're making a fool out of yourself. Get up. Now."

Ginny stood up, trembling violently, "Please," she whispered, trying to catch his eye, "Don't do this."

Draco scoffed once; wincing inwardly as he watched a single tear roll down the face of the only girl he had ever loved and turned, swaggering out of the room.

X-x-X

"Hermione, leave me alone."

"No, you've been crying again, I can see it in your eyes, and this time you simply have to tell me what's wrong. I'm your best friend, you can trust me."

"You'll tell my brother, I know you will do anything to divert his attention from Lavender."

"That's not fair."

"Life's not fair."

"Ginny, I want to help you, stop being so difficult."

"I'm being difficult?"

"Yes, you are, and you're being selfish!"

Ginny spun round, reeling as she slapped Hermione's face; hard.

"Hermione…" She croaked, gaping at Hermione who was crumpled on the floor, her hand to her brilliant red cheek.

"What is wrong with you?" she whispered hoarsely, watching warily as Ginny squatted beside her.

"Promise me you won't tell Ron or Harry."

"Whatever it is you can trust me, I promise."

"It's Draco."

"Malfoy?"

"How many 'Draco's do we know, Hermione?"

"Sorry, what's wrong with Draco?"

"I think I'm in love with him."

"You cannot be serious! Ginny this is Malfoy; his father gave you the diary that almost killed you!"

Ginny groaned and looked around the corridor, "Speak louder, Hermione I don't think anyone in London heard you. Anyway, it doesn't matter; he clearly doesn't feel the same way."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought he did, but now, I just don't understand him anymore."

"Can anyone ever really understand him?" Hermione wondered, sitting by one of the corridor's many windows.

"I was sure I was beginning to, Hermione, that's what I don't understand. He was being so kind, then that thing with Bellatrix happened and now…" Ginny trailed off, swallowing back the tears that had begun to form, clogging her throat up and tasting like bile.

"Ginny, you're a smart girl. You know what his family are like, you can hardly expect him to behave differently, it's the way he was brought up," Hermione whispered gently, her fingers tracing the marble that detailed the window pane.

"He's not like they are Hermione, I know he isn't. Nature versus nurture. There's just one thing…" Ginny bit her lip; Draco would personally kill her, promise or no promise, if he knew that she had told Hermione about his mark.

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you, it would be betraying him, I can't do that."

"Ginny, it might be important. Harry knows something is wrong with Draco, maybe he can help!"

"If Harry knew it would only make him hate Draco more."

Hermione's forehead creased, her eyes widened as she gasped, "He is, isn't he? He's one of them," she lowered her voice as two first years skipped past, "a death eater."

Ginny mouthed, unable to vocalise her thoughts, "Hermione, you have to help me, we have to do something."

"I can't Ginny; I don't know anything about Draco or the death eaters or Voldemort. We have to go to Harry," Hermione reasoned quietly, "Harry knows more about all of this in his little finger than either of us."

"Fine, you bring Harry to the Room of Requirement. Don't bring anyone else and don't tell him why he's coming. If you do he'll go after Draco, I know he will."

Hermione nodded and rushed off, presumably to find Harry, leaving Ginny to wander the halls alone.

"Merlin, what am I going to do?" she whispered, leaning against the cool marble.

A cold hand grabbed her wrist and dragged her backwards, into one of the small gaps in the wall, a second hand covering her mouth, preventing her screaming.

"Ginny, it's me."

At the sound of Draco's voice she relaxed slightly, pushing his hand from over her mouth.

"What are you doing?" she hissed glaring at him as harshly as she could manage, given that she was in love with him.

"What have you told her?" Draco asked, avoiding eye contact with her as he made sure no one had noticed them.

"Have I told who what?"

"Hermione, what have you told her?"

"Nothing, I've told her nothing."

"Ginny, I heard you," he growled softly, "I thought I could trust you."

"And you can. What could I possibly have told her, given you refuse to tell me anything at all."

"I showed you my mark."

"Why would I want to share that with anyone. I want to forget that myself," Ginny assured him roughly.

They stayed pressed against each other for a few silent minutes, neither of them wanting to say anything about that morning.

x-X-x

A/N Hello… *smiles meekly, avoiding flying debris* I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this I have three appalling reasons… 1. I had no inspiration and I was afraid of ruining how well Emily had done with the previous chapter. 2. School has been hectic. 3. I suck.

I know this chapter is awful, so I'm sorry, also don't kill me, I'm sure Emily will sort out the mess :D please R & R it makes us feel good inside. Also, we have exams in January so it may take a while for us to get another chapter done.

Merry *belated* Christmas