A/N: I know its been forever since I updated and I know its short. Forgive me. My computer went all haywire on me and wouldn't let me open the internet or word! Now I am getting behind. I think this will have thirteen or fourteen chapters and then a sequel. I just finished twelve earlier today instead of my paper, be thankful! I will update sooner for chapter eleven. It'll be longer!

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Chapter Ten

Ginny sat in the Gryffindor common room and sighed. It felt like it was the first time she sat down in weeks. She had been studying so hard for NEWTS that she had no free time. Veronica, Colin and Faye seemed to have understand because they stayed out of her way with no problem.

Now that the tests were over, all she wanted was relax, but they still had a lot to do. Most of the girls were busy preparing for the ball this weekend, which put away a lot of the stress of graduation.

Now that exams were done, teachers were going a lot easier on students. For the younger students they were preparing them for their next year. The seventh years were being prepared for graduation and getting into their chosen career. It was still stressful, but it was a lot less work.

"Hey! You survived." Faye said, sitting down next to Ginny. She smiled weakly, pushing her hair out of her face.

"It is a true miracle. I haven't seen anyone in days." Ginny said, relaxing on the couch so she was almost laying down.

"Not even Draco?" Faye asked and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"When are you going to give that up?" Ginny asked, playing it off easily. Last she remembered, Faye didn't know she was seeing Draco sexually.

"I know you've been seeing him." Faye whispered and Ginny narrowed her eyes trying to see if she could tell if Faye was lying.

"How? Did you hear from Veronica or Colin?" Ginny asked, since not a lot of people knew. As far as she knew only Veronica, Colin, Blaise, Astoria and Rose knew. Well, and Faye apparently.

"No. I have my ways, so don't ask." She said and Ginny shook her head, not sure if she even really wanted to know. Ginny pulled her feet on the couch, just as Veronica and Colin joined the two of them.

"So are you guys going to the ball? I want to go dress shopping." Veronica said, looking between Faye and Ginny.

"I am." Faye said and Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"With who?" Ginny asked, not recalling Faye having a boyfriend.

"This one guy." She said and Ginny sighed, obviously failing at finding out who. "What about you Ginny? Seems like you left Harry to early." Faye said jokingly. Ginny forced a sarcastic laugh.

"Very funny. I'm not going. I'm not sure I would even go if someone asked me." She said simply and the girls exchanged looks.

"Too bad you're not in a relationship with Draco. He could have taken you." Veronica said and Ginny scoffed, along with Colin. He got up and left, making the girls exchange looks.

"What's wrong with him?" Faye asked, watching him walk out the portrait hole. Ginny shrugged and Veronica nodded over to Ginny.

"He's not comfortable with the whole you and Draco thing. You're like a sister to him and he doesn't want you to get hurt." Veronica said and Ginny scrunched up her face before standing up.

"I'll go talk to him." Ginny said before walking out the portrait hole to hunt down Colin.

It had taken her about twenty minutes before she was finally able she find him. She walked through the library and saw him sitting down in one the chairs looking out the window.

"What are you doing?" She asked and Colin turned around sharply, obviously startled by her presence.

"Thinking. I've been doing it a lot since we heard about Dennis." He said and Ginny sighed, sitting down next to him.

"Veronica said you're mad at me." Ginny said, not wanting to get on a conversation about Dennis. Colin was one of her closet friends and it bothered her to see him so hurt.

"Hermione knows about you and Malfoy. I over heard her telling Harry about it." He said and Ginny shrugged.

"I couldn't care less what they think. Harry slept with Hermione. He told me a couple months ago when he was a little on the drunk side." Ginny said and Colin nodded.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Colin said honestly and Ginny laughed.

"That's why I am sexually involved with Draco. There are no feelings between us so there is nothing to worry about." Ginny said and Colin rolled his eyes.

"Gin, this is Malfoy. He is capable of hurting you." Colin said and Ginny scrunched up her nose., trying not to get angry.

"Listen Colin. I know what I am doing. I am going to continue seeing him and I would like you to accept it." She said and Colin looked back out the window.

"I'll accept it, but I don't condone it." He said and Ginny nodded, it being good enough for her. It was good enough, because when it began she didn't even like the idea.

Ginny walked into the room of requirement and looked around. Draco was no where in sight, which made her roll her eyes. She put his letter down on the table and sat down on the couch. It wasn't more then a minute until he showed up.

"Sorry it took so long. Blaise talks more then any girl I know. Well, except you." Draco said, taking a seat on the couch. Ginny raised an eyebrow and looked at him, trying to figure him out.

"Why did you want to meet? You do know my monthly friend is here." She said being bluntly honest with him, making the hair on his arm stand up.

"Seriously. Way too much information." He said and Ginny rolled her eyes. He did handle it better then when he tried and she told him she was on it.

"So you know I'm on it. Why did you call me?" She asked, referring to the letter she had placed on the table.

"I was bored. NEWTS were horrible for me and I bet they were horrible for you." He said and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yes they were. So you called me because you wanted to catch up." She said, not quite understanding where he was going.

"Yeah. Its what friends do isn't it?" He asked and Ginny looked at him with curiosity before nodding.

"Yeah, I guess it is. So what did you want to talk about?" Ginny asked him, not sure where to take this. When they usually spoke it was after sex, so it was generally easier.

"Well you should get all comfortable first." Draco said, having a hard time working through this. This was so out of character for him and he could tell that she noticed this. He reached over and pulled her close to him, so that she was now leaning on him. Ginny cocked her head to the side a bit. "So what do you think about the freedom ball?" He asked casually and Ginny sighed.

"I've decided to boycott." She said and Draco laughed.

"You're not going? Isn't this something you girls go crazy over?" He asked and Ginny chuckled a bit.

"Yes. But I don't want it to end up like The Yule Ball. I went with Neville after all." Ginny said and Draco nodded.

"What if you found someone decent to go with?" He asked, feeling his heart pound in his ears. What that hell am I doing! He mentally yelled at himself.

"Well then I might, but I'm not sure yet. I guess if someone asks that's decent enough I'll go." She said, not having really thought about it.

"Well, what if me and you went together?" He said, somewhat mumbled. Ginny sat up and looked at him.

"Are you asking me to the ball?" She asked, kind of startling him. This is the last time I ever listen to Blaise.

"No. Well, I guess. Sort of?" He said, the words all falling out of his mouth. Ginny frowned, not sure how to take it.

"Draco, its just." She paused, not sure how to word it. "Well, I didn't know we were getting to that level or even planning on going that far." Ginny said cautiously and Draco winced slightly. Dammit! New plan, new plan!

"Well, I meant as friends. I guess kind of like a date, but as friends." Draco said, not even understanding what he was saying.

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Ginny said and Draco smirked, but felt like falling apart completely. Blaise and his stupid assumptions.

Draco left the room of requirement the same time as Ginny, but he didn't take his time to get back to his common room. He walked at a very fast pace, yelling the password when he was down the hall.

He rushed in to see Blaise sitting on the couch. The blood rushed through his body and he was ready to kill.

"I made a fool of myself because of you." He said and Blaise rolled his eyes.

"No you made a fool of yourself. You asked her to the ball as friends didn't you?" Blaise asked and Draco wanted to kick him, but resisted the urge by sitting on the opposite couch.

"I tried to ask her out, but she seemed to shocked. She pretty much told me we were just friends and I told her that's how I meant it." He said and Blaise laughed.

"Give her time. You spent so much time blocking your feelings for her and she is doing the same. She will go dress shopping with her girlfriends and they know more then you do about this." Blaise said and Draco looked at him.

"How do you know what she is going to do?" He asked and Blaise bit his lip.

"I'm kind of dating Faye." Blaise said and Draco's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You tell a soul and I will personally find someone to castrate you." He said quickly and Draco immediately shut up.

"So those two girls she's always with, Faye and Veronica, are in on this too?" Draco asked and Blaise laughed at how oblivious his friend was.

"So are Astoria and Rose. There going to go dress shopping and the girls all know you like her. They drop hints, she gets jittery and by time you meet for the ball on Saturday she will have realized as well." Blaise said, smirking at his own brilliant plan. It was his way of looking out for Draco, which is something he has done since they were little kids. He has always known Draco had more potential then he gave forth and now someone else, Ginny, saw it in him too..

"There are so many things that can go wrong with that. For one, what if she doesn't return the feelings?" Draco asked, still concerned about that part.

"Are you joking? Draco Malfoy. The guy that can't love is falling for a girl he called a blood traitor his whole life. If you can manage that, then trust me she can manage it as well." He said and Draco just stood up and walked to his room.

"I swear I need to stop listening to you." Draco said before going into his own room. Blaise watching him leave and prayed that his planned worked. He knew that somewhere inside of that girl were deeper feelings for Draco. There had to be.