A/N: Thank you so much to reviewers! I love you all. Ginny sort of beats up Harry (YAY!) and she discovers something interesting (OOOOH) and she disses Draco (Draco got buuurned). Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I am not lucky enough to as smart as to invent these characters myself. They are not mine. Too bad. –pout-

The Stone Speaks

Nineteen: Declaration of Peace

GINNY

Colder the days became, and harsher the nights – but with all of that came snow, and lots of it. Instead of the flimsy frost on the grass, it was a proper, thick carpet of white that fell every night, and sometimes during the day, too.

"Ron!" Ginny screeched, running to him bravely through the blaze of the war. "Man down, man down," she yelled desperately to Luna.

Luna began frantically propelling ammunition at the opposition as Ginny crouched beside her weak, dying brother. "No, Ron," she begged, "you can't die. Don't leave m- OW!" Rubbing snow out of her face, she glared at the opposition, yelling, "Harry, I was saying my final farewell to Ron! That was so uncalled for!"

"Yeah," Ron agreed, sitting up, "we let you say your final farewell to Mione."

Hermione heard her name and sat up – she had been wise enough to die with a book, so that for the rest of the snowball-war she would have something to do – and said, "That was a bit harsh, Harry."

Harry blushed, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, Gin," he called across the battlefield.

"Yeah, yeah," Ginny grunted, standing up and shaking snow out her ponytail. "Just let me at least say bye to the dead before massacring me next time." She pulled Ron to his feet and they returned to their fort, piling up a stock of snowballs before she crowed, "Let the war begin!"

Instantly, balls of crunched-up snow were flying in all directions, as well as warrior-cries, laughter and the occasional yelp of pain. "This means war!" Ron yelled. "Attack!"

With a crazy shout, Ginny hurdled over the wall of their fort and raced towards the enemy's fort, charming snowballs to chase Harry and Hermione. "Get them!" Ginny hollered, pointing her wand at the opposition. "Locomotor snowballs!"

With a shriek, Hermione ran away, ducking behind a tree. Ginny swirled her wand and pointed it at Harry's retreating back. The snowballs pursued the seventeen-year-old Gryffindor happily, and then slammed into the back of his head.

"Score!" Ginny cheered, punching the air and kissing her wand. "One-nil to Ginny!"

Harry spun, a mischievous grin on his face. Suddenly he was hurtling towards Ginny, snowball in hand. "It's going down your jumper, Ginny," he hooted as he advanced towards her.

"Don't you dare, Harry!" Ginny yelled at him, but it was too late. Ice was penetrating the warmth of her jumper, and she was being wrestled to the ground. "No!" She kicked out at him, slapping him, twisting away. They both fell to the ground, and then Ginny was suddenly very aware of Harry's warm weight on top of her. She was staring up into sparkling emeralds that she had fallen so devastatingly for, and he was staring down into swirling pools of hazel.

"Hey, Gin," he said softly, and in that moment Draco's words flashed back to her: "with Granger. If you must know, they were sort of… making out." Ginny wanted so badly to push him off but her arms were pinned down.

I just have an idea… the final test, Ginny thought devilishly, and then said huskily, "Kiss me."

Harry's smile faded for the briefest second – ahaGinny's mind snapped, I've got you now, you lying pig – and then returned, like nothing had happened. "Well, actually, I -"

Ginny let out a growl, interrupting her boyfriend's speech, and then she whacked her head forewards. "OW!" someone yelled, and then the weight was off of her arms. Ginny's head was spinning from the headbutt, but she focused enough to shove Harry off, stand, and march away briskly.

As she neared a narrow door that lead into the kitchens, Ginny slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. God, that was stupid, she snarled at herself, I just head-slammed my boyfriend! Hell, his skull is hard – he must be on steroids or something. It would explain a lot. "Ow," Ginny muttered, rubbing her head tenderly as she pushed into the kitchen.

"Ms. Weezy!" a small house-elf in assorted socks and ties said cheerfully, shuffling out and hugging Ginny's knee. "What may Dobby get you? Dobby is making apple pie tonight. Dobby knows that Ms. Weezy likes apple pie, and thinks, I will make some for her."

"Aw, thanks Dobby," Ginny said warmly, though still hidden behind her hand as she clutched her head, "but I'm not really hungry. I'll have some at dinner, 'kay?"

Dobby nodded eagerly, and shuffled away again. Ginny smiled fondly after him, before continuing up to the ground floor. There she saw a notice-board that she hadn't noticed before, and on it, in fat white letters on a red-and-green striped background, were the words: THE YULE BALL RETURNS.

Oh hell, not the Yule Ball again. Ginny groaned. "That was bad enough the first time," she grumbled, but she moved closer to see it. It was patterned with snowflakes and dancing snowmen. Tacky. Very tacky.

The Yule Ball Returns

As a declaration of peace between our partner schools, throughout the difficulties that arose three years ago, and then throughout the difficulties that had taken place afterwards, we have been invited to a Yule Ball, this time scheduled in the le Chateau Grande of Beauxbatons School for Girls. Also present will be the Bulgarian boys' school of Durmstrang.

All students are to be on their best behaviour at all times. If you intend to go, you must meet on Christmas Eve (December the twenty-fifth, for those of you who do not celebrate the event and are unaware of its time) at seven o'clock for Group Apparation to Beauxbatons School. If you are staying behind, you must go to the library at six o'clock so that you are not caught in the way and accidentally Apparated to France. The Yule Ball is open to fourth years and older.

Sincerely, Headmistress Dolores Umbridge

Ginny's eyebrows raised. "France?" she read dubiously. Then glee came over her. "France! I'm going to Fra-ance, I'm going to Fra-ance," she sang, twirling, and punching the air. "Fra-ance, Fr-a-a-ance, going to France to da-ance!"

"And you are going to France why exactly?"

Ginny jumped, startled, at Draco's voice. She turned quickly, face colouring quickly, and easily spied the smirk spreading across his fair face. "There's another Yule Ball," Ginny explained, pushing away her blush and tilted her chin up to look directly at Malfoy, "in France this time. At Beauxbatons. I bet Ron will love that, with all the Veela around. I hated the Yule Ball at the Triwizard Tournament, but France!" Ginny grinned. "It should be fun."

Draco nodded, but he didn't seem very enthusiastic himself. "I suppose," he said dully, folding his arms and staring vacantly at the notice-board.

Ginny pouted. "Oh, be more positive," she said, poking his fore-arm fiercely; he gasped, sharply in-taking more air than Ginny would have thought could fill his lungs, and grabbing at his arm.

"Don't – do that – again," he snapped, suddenly angry as he slouched against the wall. Draco exhaled very quickly, with a "hph" sound, and then looked up at her, resting his forehead in his hand.

Ginny watched him quietly, trying to think of something to cheer him up, or comfort him. Then, a brainwave. She laughed; Draco looked up.

"What's so funny?" he said bitterly, glaring at her, shooting ice-blue daggers into her hazel gaze.

Ginny sniggered. "I head-butted Harry," she said, struggling to keep a straight face, "on the forehead. Then I shoved him into the snow and left him there."

Despite Draco's sour mood, a smirk found its place on his lips. "I bet he screamed like a girl," he couldn't help but say happily.

Ginny bit back a laugh, and nodded earnestly. "Everyone was crowding around him like he'd died or something. And I just walked away – staggered, mind you," she added, "I didn't come off of that fight with nothing."

This only made Draco's smirk increase in size, and Ginny poked her tongue out at him. "Hmph!" she blew a raspberry at him, curling her lip slightly in a well, I don't really care, so there, hahaha to you gesture. "So how about that Ball?" she said contemplatively.

Draco shrugged. "I don't really know," he said, and started to walk away. For one upsetting moment, Ginny thought that he was leaving her and just going, but then he looked back over his shoulder and jerked his head forewards in a come on then movement, and Ginny skipped cheerfully after him.

"All of the girls' will be desperate for a date," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Then she looked curiously at Draco, eyeing him up and down, putting on a mocking expression that she liked what she saw, "you might be fair game, you know."

Draco blanched, and then all of the colour returned to his face, plus some more, as he blushed furiously. "I'm – I'm not -" he stammered, pulling at the longer blonde hairs at the back of his head.

Ginny laughed. "Just kidding, Draco," she said, "you have nothing to worry about. No-one will ask you, and no-one will say yes if you ask them."

There was a pregnant silence as Ginny waited for her Slytherin friend to catch onto the cruel diss. Wait for it… Five… four… three… two… one… -

"Hey!" Draco gasped, staring at her, annoyed and shocked at her sarcastic rudeness. "Are you saying that I'm ugly?"

Ginny couldn't hide her smile. "Maybe."

A/N: LOL Ginny is being cheekyyy. AND DON'T WORRY, DRACO, YOU'RE ANYTHING BUT UGLY. Please review.