Ginny sauntered into the Great Hall, a huge smile on her face. Her eyes immediately sought out another head of red, Ron, whom she saw seated across from Harry and next to Hermione at Gryffindor table. Ginny made her way over there, greeting people cheerfully as she went.

"Good morning, my dears," Ginny sang merrily as she flung herself into a spot on the bench next to Harry.

Ron looked up from his porridge, eyebrows raised. "You're way too enthusiastic this morning."

"Honestly, Ronald," Ron grimaced at the use of his proper name. "You need to cheer up. Today is a lovely day and there is only two days left until the Christmas Ball. After that there's only one week left until Christmas Hols." Ginny finished with a gesture toward the plate of eggs. "Harry, my fine man, would you be so kind as to pass me the eggs?"

"Who asked you, Ginny?"

Ginny looked up from the toast plate and over at Hermione, beaming. "Collin. I thought no one wanted to go with me, you know, after the whole Dean Thomas thing. I was beginning to wonder if I was cursed, 'Mione. But he asked last night, after we took a lovely walk around the lake with his camera."

Ron and Harry exchanged similar looks of bewilderment. "What are you bloody talking about, Gin?" Ron inquired. He turned to Hermione. "And how do you know what she's talking about?"

"It's a girl thing." Hermione shrugged. "You don't fancy him, though, right?" This was directed at Ginny.

She shook her head. "No, Hermione, he's just a friend." Ginny giggled a bit. "Besides, I don't think I'm exactly Collin's type, you know?"

Hermione nodded knowingly.

Ron looked between his girlfriend and his sister. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Collin asked me to the Christmas Ball last night, Ron. It's nothing too exciting, but after the fiasco with Dean, I wasn't sure anyone wanted to go with me."

Harry smiled warmly. "Don't be ridiculous, Gin. You're a wonderful person and I'm sure someone would have asked you eventually."

"Gee, thanks Harry." Ginny frowned. "I think."

Harry laughed. "You know what I mean. Well, congratulations. Now that just leaves one of us who needs to find a date."

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all turned sympathetic looks upon their friend. It was still hard for them to believe that no one seemed interested in going to the Ball with The Boy Who Lived.

It was Hermione who finally broke the silence. "What happened to asking Lavender? You seemed pretty confident about it a few nights ago, despite your initial hesitation."

"Well, I casually mentioned that I didn't have a date on the way to lunch the other day." Harry sighed. "She's going with Seamus."

"Tough break, mate," Ron tried to look compassionate as he shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "What about Parvati?" Harry shook his head. "Neville."

"Padma?"

"Justin."

Ron snorted. "Yeah….right. He's not fooling anyone."

Hermione smacked Ron on the thigh. "Ron! I cannot believe you just said that!"

"What?" Ron asked innocently. "It's true!"

Hermione scowled, while Ginny and Harry tried not to laugh. Ginny had to admit that Ron did have a point.

Ginny was about to suggest that Harry ask Padma when she noticed a harried-looking Collin enter the Great Hall. She smiled, but then frowned as he got closer and she realized that he was heading toward her. He looked quite traumatized.

Collin came to a stop at her elbow and nodded over the table at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Morning," he said, his voice cracking. Ginny raised her eyebrows and placed a hand on Collin's arm. He immediately jumped back about a feet, his eyes wide as if Ginny had struck him.

"Er, Gin, can I talk to you for a sec?"

She nodded and wiped her mouth on her napkin as she stood. "Sure Collin. Is everything all right?"

Collin let out a nervous laugh and nodded. "Oh…oh yeah. Well, no, it isn't actually." He nodded his head toward the doors. "Can we go out into the corridor?"

Without saying anything, Ginny followed her anxious friend out into the corridor. When they stopped just outside the doors leading into the Great Hall, Ginny turned a concerned gaze upon Collin.

"What's wrong?" She asked. An unexpected cold stab of fear rose from the pit of her stomach.

"Oh well, it's not so bad. I…well, you see Ginny," He stopped and wiped his hand across his forehead. "I can't go with you to the Christmas Ball." He said the last part hurriedly, stealing a quick glance at Ginny to gauge her reaction before averting his eyes.

"Come again?" Ginny asked, her mouth hanging open after she'd spoken.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny. But I completely forgot that I have my grandmother's birthday to go to that day. Because it's on a Friday, I was just going to go home for the weekend." Ginny studied Collin, who was refusing to meet her gaze. He looked incredibly shifty.

"Your Gran's birthday." Ginny repeated flatly.

"Yes," Collin's eyes darted from the floor, to Ginny for a split second, then back to the floor. "Yeah, she's really old and I totally forgot and my mum just owled to remind me." Now he looked up at Ginny, his expression apologetic and...frightened?

"I really am sorry, Ginny. Please don't be cross with me. I was looking forward to going with you. I really was."

Suddenly a thought occurred to Ginny and she narrowed her eyes. "Collin," she began and her tone was suspicious. "you told me last year that your Gran passed away a month before you entered Hogwarts."

Collin's eyes grew as big as a saucer's and he sputtered. Ginny continued. "Yes, you did say that. You said you were really upset because you and she were very close and she was very supportive of you when you decided to attend Hogwarts. But she never lived to see you go here."

Collin looked like he'd just been caught snogging Professor Sprout in the greenhouse. "Er….well, I…." He stammered.

"Collin, what's going on? Why are you lying?" Ginny's voice, no longer full of suspicion, was full of hurt.

"Ginny, please, I really am sorry." Collin looked like he was about to cry. "It's Malfoy." He whispered.

At the mention of Draco, Ginny's mouth went dry. "What?"

"Malfoy cornered me on the way here this morning and threatened to break every bone in my body if took you to the Ball." Collin looked defeated and quite embarrassed.

Ginny opened her mouth in shock. She didn't say anything, but made a gesture for Collin to continue.

Sighing, Collin continued. "I'm just not sure if he's playing around or something and I don't want to get the hell beat out of me. Look Ginny, I really am going to go home this weekend. I just want you to be safe, too. I don't know why he has it out for you, but Dean-"

"Dean!?" Ginny squeaked, causing Collin to gulp.

"Oh dear,"

"Draco threatened Dean too!?" Ginny hollered.

Collin looked about to have a panic attack. "Ginny, I don't know. He didn't say as much, but he did renege on his offer to take you as well. You know how Malfoy is and you know what he's capable of. I just want to make it out of my sixth year in one piece. I still want to be your friend, Gin, I really do. I love hanging out with you." He smiled awkwardly. "I just don't want Malfoy to knock me into next week."

Ginny, who was staring fixedly at the floor, went red. "Oh I know what that git is like, all right." She looked up and smiled halfheartedly at Collin. "It's okay Coll. I understand."

"You do?" He looked relieved.

"Yes," Ginny nodded and patted Collin on the shoulder. "It's okay, really. I wasn't even sure I wanted to go anyway." Ginny knew she didn't sound convincing, but at that point, she didn't care. "I'll talk to you later on in class, okay Collin?"

Collin nodded, his face a mixture of relief and sympathy. "Okay, Gin."

Ginny turned around and headed back into the Great Hall. Well bloody freakin' hell, Ginny thought to herself. Maybe I am cursed. Then her eyes narrowed and she set her jaw. No, I'm not cursed. It's Malfoy, that…

"Stupid, sodding, git-faced, son of a-"

"Whoa, Gin. Language," Ginny snapped out of her reverie to see that she had made her way back to Gryffindor table and was standing beside Harry.

"What's wrong with Collin? Is everything okay?" This was from Hermione, who was regarding Ginny with a look of concern.

"Oh yeah, Collin's fine." Ginny spat sarcastically and sat down next to Harry. "He's not taking me to the Ball, but he's fine."

"What? Oh Ginny why?" Hermione inquired.

Ginny, in answer, went into a string of very colorful cuss words. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked on in amazement, but said nothing until Ginny had exhausted her colorful and extensive vocabulary.

"He has to go home for the weekend and he can't take me to the Ball." Ginny thought it best not to tell them about Malfoy. After all, they didn't know about her fling with Draco at the Burrow, or the fling she had with him the first two months of school. "It's his Gran, or something." Ginny was careful not to look them in the eye as she lied.

Ron looked indignant. "That prat. What a horrid thing to do, say you'll take someone to the ball and then have to go home. Why did he ask you then?"

Ginny sighed. Why didn't she just tell them the truth? No, she couldn't risk it. Ron would squish Draco into jam for sure and Harry would probably love nothing more than to see, and participate in, such an event. "He forgot, I suppose. Its okay, I don't care. Third times a charm, right?" She leaned her head on her hand and sighed heavily. There was a long silence in which Ginny poked dejectedly at food on Harry's plate with his fork.

Finally, Harry spoke. "I'm really sorry about Collin, Ginny." He paused and looked over at Ron and Hermione, who looked back at him with blank expressions. "Why don't you go with me?"

At that, Ginny snapped her head up and gaped at him. "Really? You mean it?"

Harry nodded. "Oh course I do, Gin. I would love to take you."

Ginny beamed. "Oh Harry, that's so sweet of you." Then her face fell. "It's okay though. I mean, I wouldn't want to be your charity case."

"Come on Ginny, you know that's not it. I would love to take you. Besides, it's not like the ladies are knocking down my door or anything. " He stole a glance at Ron and Hermione. Hermione was smiling sweetly at him, Ron was not. Ron looked suspicious and when Harry caught his eye, the corner of the redhead's mouth twitched slightly.

Harry ignored his best friend and turned back to Ginny. "So? How 'bout it?"

"I would love to go with you, Harry. Thanks." She pulled Harry into a friendly hug.

Ginny was reluctant to let go of Harry, but movement across the Hall caught her attention. Over at the Slytherin table Draco Malfoy was getting up from his seat and heading toward the door, a group of five house mates in tow. Without thinking about what she was doing Ginny let go of Harry and bolted after them.

**************

"Malfoy!"

Draco tried his best to keep walking down the hall. He silently willed his companions to do the same, but alas, they had already stopped.

"Draco Malfoy, you stop right there!" Ginny shrieked as she stalked down the corridor after the Slytherins. She was somewhat aware that his entourage was gawking at her as she advanced, but she didn't care. She brushed passed Pansy Parkinson quite forcibly and shoved Draco up against the stone wall of the corridor. Draco didn't say anything as his head cracked against the stone.

"What the hell are you playing at, Malfoy?"

A hand closed on her shoulder and Ginny whirled around to face a determined looking Pansy. "You get your filthy hands off my boyfriend, Weasley."

"Sod off, Parkinson. This doesn't concern you." Ginny stared daggers at the brunette, who gaped in shock at Ginny's tone. Goyle, one of Draco's cronies, stepped forward and made a move toward Ginny.

"Hold off, Goyle,"

Everyone, including Ginny, turned their attention to Draco. He was still pressed up against the wall with one of Ginny's palms flat against his chest, pinning him.

"We need to talk. Now," Ginny's eyes flashed dangerously as she pushed Draco back against the wall for emphasis.

Draco's expression was impassive as he nodded across the hall to a classroom. Ginny gritted her teeth, but let Draco go. He walked across the hall shaking off Pansy's hand on his arm. He opened the door and stepped inside.

Ginny pushed her way passed the other Slytherins and followed him. Once she'd closed the door Ginny lunged at Draco again this time shoving him up against a window.

"What the hell are you on about, Malfoy?" She demanded again, but Draco said nothing. He simply looked at her with an expression of disinterest though his eyes held a small amount of amusement in them.

Draco's expression infuriated Ginny even more and she shoved him back into the window again, harder this time.

"Where do you get off threatening my friends? Who do you think you are threatening bodily harm to Collin Creevy?"

At the mention of Collin, Draco smirked. "Oh, did the little pansy go crying to you, Ginny? He's got you fighting his battles for him, eh? How…pathetic."

"You sodding bastard!" Ginny pushed Draco back with enough force to knock his head into the window pane. "How dare you! You have no right. No right!" She grabbed the front of his robes and made to shove him back into the window again, but Draco's hands shot out from his side and grabbed her wrists.

She winced with the pain as he crushed her wrists in his iron grip.

He pushed forward against her his face mere inches from her own. His look was no longer impassive. "The first five you get for free, Weasley," Calling Ginny by her last name didn't hold the same insulting sting that addressing her brother did and both he and Ginny knew this. Draco's tone was low and calm as he said, "But so help me, if you push me one more time…" He trailed off and glared at the red head.

Ginny matched Draco glare for glare, her voice equally as fierce in its calmness. "What? You'll hit me?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

Draco, who narrowed his eyes as well, said nothing. He did not let go of her wrists, but Ginny noticed that he was no longer gripping them as tightly.

"Go ahead and hit me you sorry son of a bitch because that's the only way I'm going to back down." Ginny paused to let this sink in.

"No," She continued shaking her head her voice dripping with disgust. "You can't-you won't. You're a coward, Draco. You're a bloody coward who has to corner harmless people like Collin and threaten to break every bone in their body if they take me to a stupid dance."

Draco just stared at Ginny his hands still shackling her wrists. His expression had composed itself and now he looked unreadable again.

Ginny sneered her eyes glittering with anger. "What gives you the right? How is it any of your business who I go to the Christmas Ball with?" She sneered. "Who the hell do you think you are? My boyfriend?"

Draco bristled and something flashed behind his silver-gray eyes that passed too quickly for Ginny to decipher.

"My boyfriend? Is that what you want to be, Draco? Is it?" The last question came out a hiss.

Ginny laughed bitterly. "Well, you had your chance and you fucked that up just like you fuck up everything in your life. So now because of some egotistical desire to possess what you cannot have you try and control who I see. You threatened Dean Thomas, who then decided he'd rather not take me to the Christmas Ball and now you're threatening Collin Creevy. Oh, don't give me that look. I know it was you. Who else would do something so stupid and out some stupid repressed desire for me?"

At this Draco's mouth twisted into a sneer. "You flatter yourself." He had been surprisingly quiet up until that point and Ginny had almost begun to wonder where his Malfoy pride had gone. Let it never be said that Draco Malfoy doesn't deliver.

"Why would I concern myself with the goings-on of a silly…little…girl?" With each word Draco tightened his grip on her wrists. His voice was a low hiss and by the look on Ginny's face Draco knew his words had hit home.

They were the words that Tom Riddle had used in regards to Ginny back in her first year. Ginny told Draco as much when he was at the Burrow around the time they had first taken notice of one another. It was the worst thing he could have ever said to her and Draco knew that. Ginny's face went red, a mixture of rage and embarrassment. Draco smiled to see her features contort in such a manner.

And being Draco Malfoy he decided to press on.

"What makes you think, Virginia, that I give a damn about what you and your Mudblood friends do? You flatter yourself indeed to think that your activities preoccupy even a second of my thoughts. You are nothing to me." Draco snarled and then smirked as Ginny went white and her eyes filled with moisture. He continued callously ignoring her attempts to pull her hands free of his constraining grip.

"The rumors were true, Ginny. You should have listened to your friends. I only snogged you because I had no other option at the time." He shrugged, his gray eyes heartless. "Now I do."

With a burst of fury Ginny wrenched her right hand out of Draco's grip and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. The force of Ginny's slap caught Draco off guard and he staggered into a nearby desk releasing her in the process. Draco put a finger to his lip where it felt especially swollen. He pulled it back and stared at it in disbelief. It was bloody. All where Ginny had slapped him his skin stung like pins and needles. It reminded him of his last encounter with his father.

Draco looked through his fringe and over at Ginny. She was standing a few feet from him her chest heaving as if she'd run a marathon. Her face did not register surprise as he would have thought. Instead, pure hatred set her blue eyes aflame and she stared at Draco like she was contemplating striking him again. Her hands were balled into fists at her side and her flame-colored hair seemed to crackle with rage about her head.

"If you ever," Ginny began, her voice so deadly calm it actually made Draco swallow. "Come near me again I swear to Merlin I will kill you."

With that Ginny turned and walked out the door.

******

"Er…okay," Harry watched Ginny flee the Great Hall. A look of confusion was plastered on his face. "Where is she going?"

"Did you just bloody ask my little sister to the Ball, Harry?"

Harry turned his attention from Ginny's fleeing form to Ron. He raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I did. Is that okay with you?"

Hermione turned to face Ron as well, her eyebrows knotted quizzically. "Tell me you don't have a problem with that." Hermione demanded of the man sitting next to her. Ron didn't answer.

"Oh honestly, Ron! Ginny was turned down twice. I thought it was a very sweet gesture on Harry's part."

"Yes, well, you don't have a crush on Harry."

Both Harry and Hermione gaped. "You think I asked Gin to the ball because I knew she had a crush on me?"

Ron shrugged, but didn't say anything.

"Oh honestly, mate, that's just stupid. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"You asked because you knew she was a sure thing." Ron retorted, then seemed to realize what he was saying, and set his jaw in irritation.

"I don't believe you Ron," Hermione shook her head, bewildered. "Not only are you even having this conversation with Harry, your best friend who would never do anything to hurt you or Ginny, but you just alleged that your sister is easy."

Ron glowered. "That is not what I meant and you bloody well know that, 'Mione."

Harry frowned deeply and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay fine, big brother, if you don't want me to take your sister to the ball, I won't." Ron looked mildly pleased with himself. Harry continued, "But then you have to explain to her why, for the third time, she's being stood up."

Ron's smug expression disappeared straight away. "Bugger."

"That's what I thought." Harry replied triumphantly before shoving a spoonful of porridge into his mouth.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm not planning on being late for Potions." Hermione stood up abruptly causing Ron's hand to fall from her lap.

Ron and Harry stood in unison. They looked at one another for the briefest of moments, then gathered their books together and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall. The Trio proceeded to make their way to the Potions classroom, with only mild bickering.

"….and besides, Ginny doesn't fancy me anymore. That was her first year Ron and I'd like to think she's gotten over me by now." Harry was saying as he rounded a corner and collided with someone.

"Gin!" He cried and reached out to steady the redhead. She struggled against his grip and Harry frowned when he saw her tear stained face.

"Let go of me!" Ginny half-sobbed, half-yelled.

Ron stepped up beside Harry and tried to calm his flailing sister. "Ginny, what's the matter with you? What happened?"

Without responding Ginny tore herself out of both boys' grasps and ran up the small flight of stairs the three had just descended. Hermione stared after Ginny's retreating form until she was gone from sight. Harry started forward, as if to follow the youngest Weasley, but Hermione caught at his hand. "Harry, no. You'll be late." She shot her other hand out to catch Ron before he swept past her as well.

"Look, she'll be okay. Ginny is a strong girl and I'm sure whatever's happened it's not enough to warrant missing a Potion's quiz."

Ron gawked at his girlfriend. "How can you say that, Hermione? She was fine a few minutes ago and now she's in tears. I want to know what happened!"

"You want to know what happened, Weasley? I'll tell you what happened. Your little wench of a sister hit my boyfriend!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all whirled on the voice behind them. Pansy Parkinson was standing before them hands on her hips and nose in the air. She looked like she, too, was about to go after Ginny. Obviously not for the same reasons as Ron, Hermione surmised. The pug-faced Slytherin looked ready to claw someone's eyes out.

Ron took two huge steps toward Pansy, who shrank back a bit but held her ground. "Where-the-hell," Ron spat, enunciating each word. "is-Malfoy?"

From behind Pansy, Draco appeared. "I'm right here, Weasley." Draco drawled his face stretched into his usual Malfoy smirk.

Ron's face went as red as his hair and he pounced on Draco, seizing the Slytherin by the front of his robes. "Did you hit my sister, arsehole?"

Draco lifted one immaculately arched eyebrow. "Does it look like I hit her? Your sister is barking mad. She attacked me here in the corridor."

Harry was suddenly at Ron's side, his eyes green eyes flashing angrily behind his glasses. "What did you do to her, Malfoy?" He demanded through clenched teeth.

Draco was spared any response by the arrival of a very irate looking Professor Snape.

"Potter! Weasley! Unhand Mister Malfoy this instant!"

Harry looked up to see their Potions Master walking toward them, his black robes billowing out behind him. Ron, who did as he was instructed, shoved Draco away from him, causing the blond to stumble back and almost loose his balance. Pansy was immediately at his side. Snape reached Ron and Harry and seized both their robes in much the same fashion as Ron had Draco's.

"You two in my office right now," Snape glanced over his shoulder at Draco, who was attempting to detach himself from Pansy. "You too, Mister Malfoy,"

Draco looked up, startled. Then he nodded and, stiff-arming Pansy away from him, joined Snape at his side.

Snape started toward his office, Ron and Harry in front of him. "The rest of you in the classroom now," He threw over his shoulder.

Hermione made a move to follow Snape and her two best friends, but one look from the Potion's Master stopped her dead in her tracks. Hermione sighed and turned to enter the Potion's room, but found her way blocked by Draco. He said nothing, simply looked at her for a moment, right in the eye. Then, without a word, he gently brushed past Hermione and followed Snape off down the corridor. While he had been staring, Hermione had gotten a good look at his face. He didn't look too bad except for having a fat lip and a bruise on his left cheek. Hermione, though, would have expected Draco to look at least a little bit in pain. Instead, the only emotion Hermione had seen on his face was unmistakably that of sadness.

"Professor, it's okay, Potter and Weasley didn't do this to me."

Snape looked over at Draco, who was standing by Snape's unkempt desk, then over at Harry and Ron, who looked ready to pounce on Draco again. Snape said nothing immediately. Instead he walked over to his desk and sat down, folding his hands before him on a stack of parchments.

"You mean Weasley didn't give you that split lip?" Snape inquired, one eyebrow raised. Draco shook his head but said nothing. "That's not what it looked like to me, Mister Malfoy."

"Professor, Ron didn't hit-"

"Silence Potter!" Snape hissed, shooting daggers at the green eyed boy. "I do not recall asking for your side of the story."

Beside Harry, Ron grumbled something that Snape couldn't quite make out. "Excuse me Mister Weasley? Did you say something?"

Ron looked panicky for a moment, then embarrassed. "No, sir, I said nothing sir."

Snape narrowed his eyes dangerously at Ron, then turned back to Draco. "I will ask you one more time, Mister Malfoy. Did Potter and Weasley give you that split lip?" He spoke deliberately, almost as if imploring Draco to say something with his tone.

Draco, who had been staring at the floor, looked up at Snape. Harry watched Snape carefully. The Potion's Master seemed to be trying to communicate something to the Slytherin boy with his eyes. Then Harry looked at Draco and was shocked to see what looked like a hint of sadness pass behind the boy's silver-grey eyes.

Draco took a deep breath and shook his blond head causing his bangs to fall into his face. He was so pale that the bruise on his cheek stood out like black ink on parchment.

"No, Professor, Potter and Weasley did not give me this split lip." He paused and looked over at Ron and Harry. "They didn't touch me."

Ron's mouth was hanging open as he turned to look at Harry. His eyes were wide with amazement. Did Malfoy just get us out of a detention, Harry wondered.

Snape sighed, looking more than a little disappointed. "Very well," He turned his coal black eyes on Harry and Ron. "You may go. But I'm warning you two. Next time you will both get a week's worth of detention. Keep your hands to yourselves."

Ron and Harry nodded in unison. "Yes, Professor, we understand." Ron answered for both of them. Snape jerked his head to the door which led into his classroom and Harry and Ron left.

Draco started across the room, but Snape, who had gotten to his feet, blocked his way. "Perhaps you should pay a visit to Madame Pomfrey, Mister Malfoy. You have looked better."

"But the quiz, Professor…" Draco began, but Snape shook his head.

"You can make that up."

Draco shook his head. "It's okay. I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you, sir."

Snape's mouth twitched. "Why walk around looking like that if you don't have to, Draco?"

"Because," Draco replied, candidly. "I deserved it."