A/N: Thank you so much to reviewers! I love you all. Valentine's Day!! It's nice and fluffy.. but it's a bit emotional at the end. It's a bit AU, and I'M SORRY! It's the longest chapter I've ever had, but I didn't want to split it into two chapters. The song mentioned in this is 'Your Guardian Angel' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. It sort of inspired the end of the chapter. Anywho. Enjoy.

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

The Stone Speaks

Chapter Thirty-One: My Guardian Angel

GINNY

Ginny had been very stiff and blunt with Draco for the rest of the three days before Valentine's Day. He had owled the potion to her in a plain, clear flask, which she Transfigured into a pretty heart-shaped one. Then she drew red spots on her face, arms and legs, as though she was sick, and used a spell to make her voice hoarse and her forehead warm. Then, she climbed into bed and pretended to sleep.

It was very boring, and Ginny feared that while she waited Draco might go without her, but eventually Hermione, Ron and Harry burst in.

"Ginny, where were you at breakfast?" Ron asked.

Ginny rolled over, groaning and rubbing her eyes as if she had only just woken up. "What?" she croaked weakly.

"Oh my!" Hermione cried, and hurried to Ginny's bedside. "You're sick," she said concernedly, feeling her temperature, "I don't think that you're even well enough to go to Hogsmeade."

"Rubbish," said Ginny, "I'll go and get some medicine from Madam Pomfrey and then we can go." She started getting out of bed, revealing her bright red polka-dotted skin.

"Ginny! You're…" Harry trailed off, unsure what to say to describe the rather gross spots that covered his girlfriend's skin, "…spotty."

Ginny grimaced. "Madam P can fix that too," she said with a shrug, but Hermione forced the redhead back into bed.

"Lie down!" said Hermione fiercely. "You're sick, and you're not coming… I'm sorry. I'll bring you some butterbeer and some Honeydukes chocolate when you feel better, 'kay?" she said, her tone softening.

"No," Ginny moaned, but she blinked blearily and settled down onto her pillow. "Harry… Ha-… the – the top drawer… my bedside table… merry- merry Valen…" she keeled over and closed her eyes lightly, feinting slumber.

Harry frowned, but crossed to the bedside table and pulled the first drawer open. Sitting inside was the potion and an envelope addressed to Harry.

Harry,

Happy Valentine's Day! It's the Potion of Eternal Love. Use it however you want – just don't waste it, coz it took me eight days to make. Sorry that I can't go to Hogsmeade. I love you!

Love, Ginny xxx

Harry read it aloud; a look of pleasure crossed his face, while Ron rolled his eyes at the sappy letter. Hermione, however, snatched the parchment, and, through her eyelashes, Ginny could see the older girl reading and re-reading it.

Hermione frowned, but then her chocolate-coloured eyes widened. "How… how sweet," she said to Ron and Harry. "Ron. Harry. Let's go." Ginny was unnerved by Hermione's behaviour, but she couldn't do anything, because she was supposedly sleeping.

Harry bent and kissed Ginny's forehead gently, smoothing stray red hairs from her face, and then left with Ron. Hermione stayed behind though, and waited until the boys had left before moving to Ginny's side and sitting heavily on the bed, springs squeaking.

"You're going into Hogsmeade with Malfoy, aren't you?" said Hermione, cutting rather quickly to the point. Ginny couldn't hide it – her mouth fell open and she stared up at Ginny. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Please. Ginny, you wrote sorry I can't go to Hogsmeade when you couldn't possibly now that you would be sick when you wrote the letter beforehand, your 'spots' are red felt-tip pen, your voice and temperature can easily be achieved by the simplest of spells, and I know that you've been spending extra time with Malfoy. Put two and two together."

Ginny sat up. "Well… I don't really know what to say…" she grumbled.

"I do. For now, let's just say…Scourgify, episkey and rinate," Hermione said, waving her wand. Ginny was left looking dishevelled, but perfectly healthy. "I take it that you don't want to come with us. I personally can't blame. I hate being a gooseberry. When it was you and Harry I always felt really… alone."

"Was?" Ginny repeated dumbly, looking at someone who had once been her best friend.

Hermione sighed. "Ginny, I know that you're not stupid – you're anything but. I can't pretend that you're still interested in Harry… or that he's still interested in you," she finished softly.

It hurt. Ginny's heart stung. Hermione was completely right, but it made her heart ache. How dare you! Ginny's head screamed. You can't say these things to me! You kissed him!

Hermione sighed again. "I'm also not going to pretend that… that I didn't kiss him," she added hastily, "once." She raked a hand roughly through her curly hair, "I don't know what came over me. I just… kissed him. I suppose with me it's always been this battle between Ron and Harry. When you started dating Harry, I pushed myself towards Ron. But – you weren't interested in him, and I needed the final test. I kissed him. And… I really kissed him," she added with a dry chuckle, "but there was nothing there. No spark."

Ginny looked up at Hermione. Waiting for what she knew was coming.

"Whereas… with your brother," Hermione said quietly, "there's just this – crackle! I'm all hot and flushed when he hugs me… I know that Harry wasn't for me. And, I'm sorry to say this, Ginny, but he's not for you either."

"Harry belongs to Luna," said Ginny dully.

Hermione blinked at her friend's indifference. She swallowed her surprise, and then voiced something that had been gnawing at her for a while. "Ginny," she asked, very quietly, and looking over her shoulder to check that neither Harry nor Ron nor anyone else was listening, "do – do you… like Draco?"

Ginny looked at her hands. Without looking up, she mumbled, "He has replaced you."

Hermione didn't understand. "Wait – what?"

Ginny still didn't meet the Muggle-born girl's gaze. "Draco… he's my best friend," she said softly. "But I got angry at him. And I'm nervous for today."

Hermione nodded, but there was something unreadable glinting in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again, having obviously reconsidered her words. "Would you like help getting ready? I can tell Ron and Harry to head off without me," she offered.

Only now did the sixteen-year-old look up. "No thank you," she said, smiling genuinely, "and… I'm sorry that I judged you about the whole… kiss… thing."

Hermione shrugged. "It didn't mean anything, anyway. Harry and I went our separate ways. So did you," she said. "Look, I have to go. I'll see you later, right?" She reached out and hugged Ginny tight, and then scurried out of the door with a wave.

Ginny waited until the door closed again, and then swung her legs out of the bed. She hurried into the bathroom, took the quickest shower of all showers, and then ran out again in a towel to scan through her clothes.

Jeans and a T-shirt. Too casual. Ginny tore them off and rummaged through her things again.

Long skirt and long shirt. Too … bleurgh.

Mini-skirt and tank-top. Too revealing – she'd freeze to death anyway, wearing that in February.

Her Yule Ball dress. Too fancy.

Fifteen minutes later. A towering heap of clothes and possible accessories had piled up on Ginny's bed. She finished the last touches to her make-up, and then looked properly at herself in the mirror. She wore a knee-length dark-pink skirt, and a light-pink long-sleeved T-shirt, with a white short-sleeved jacket over that clung tight to her T-shirt, and the bottom of it only reached the lower part of her ribcage. The amulet hung around her throat, and a glittering black hoop was strung around her wrists; from her ears dangled two love-hearts for the occasion. She wore pink Converse All-Stars trainers (she didn't care if they spoiled the feminine effect that she was going for today) and she had decided against tights.

Her hair was long, loose, and flowing, perfectly straight down her back, before curling slightly at the ends. A few of the longer hairs were pulled back from her face and clipped back with a black heart, but her side-fringe was left loose. Hazel stood out brightly in the midst of a forest of black painted eyelashes, and her eyes were rimmed with white to open them up and brighten her eyes, though it was impossible to see. A touch of lip-gloss here, a zit concealed there… voila.

Ginny tucked her wand into her pocket, checked her appearance one last time, and, feeling as though the butterflies in her stomach were dancing the salsa, headed from the girls' dorm, holding the necklace so that no-one would see 'sick' Ginny out of bed.

Invisible, she ran down the tower stairs, rubber-soled shoes slapping the stone slabs hard with every hurried pace. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! Ginny sprinted, and she skidded to a halt, leaving rubber marks on the floor. "Scourgify," she hissed at them, brandishing her invisible wand, and then thundered down the steps.

There he was. Draco's back was turned to the urge, and while the sensible part of Ginny was saying, 'now, now, Ginny, don't do anything daft, you're in a skirt', the rash part of her was screaming all sorts of fun things – she grabbed her necklace, coming into view, sprinted down the stairs, and, with a squeal of joy, threw herself onto Draco's back, curling her arms and legs around him.

He yelled out, tumbling forewards, and they landed in a heap on the ground, Ginny giggling hysterically, eyes glittering happily, and Draco complaining. "Ouch," he moaned, "that hurt. I presume that's Ginny who just tackled me to the floor?"

"Yup!" Ginny climbed off him and stood, straightening out her skirt and waiting for Draco to look him so that she could acknowledge him, and, more importantly, so that he could acknowledge her. Why is it more important, the sensible part of her asked curiously. Shut up, said the other half.

He finally stood and looked at her; something strange crossed his face, as if he was extremely pained but extremely happy, all at the same time. He wore a navy-blue hoodie, at the top of which a small triangle of pale-blue cloth from his T-shirt underneath could be seen. He had also donned jeans and black trainers. There was something more, though. Draco's hair was hanging differently, making his face look softer and less like he was someone who had been forced to grow up far too quickly (which, in some terms, he had).

"Have you cut your hair?" Ginny ventured.

Draco's cheeks coloured slightly. "Yeah – why, is it bad? I cut it especially for today, I knew it was too short, just give me a minute, and I'll fix it -"

"No!" Ginny cut through her friend's babbling, grabbing his arm when he drew his wand to charm his hair. "I mean… it looks nice." She felt her face burn, but she stared ahead as if she didn't care that she was blushing like crazy. "Please – leave it."

"Er," Draco said uncertainly. "Okay." He lowered his wand, stuffed it back in his pocket, and looked towards the Entrance Hall doors. "Shall we go?"

Ginny nodded earnestly, and she skipped away, forcing Draco to jog after her faster than he would have liked. "Come on," she called from the door, and, without waiting for Draco, hurried on towards the waiting carriages. A Threstral whinnied softly, tossing its taut-fleshed head as she approached, and Ginny stroked its leathery wings and surprisingly soft nose until Draco caught up. "That took you long enough," she teased, and hopped up into the carriage, sliding along the seats.

Draco got in, and he stood awkwardly for a while – Ginny could tell that his mind and heart were fighting a battle of where to sit – before thudding down opposite her. She looked out of the window, trying to gaze anymore except for at the handsome Slytherin opposite her, and Ginny knew that it showed. "Um," said a male voice, breaking the silence, and the redhead glanced across at Draco.

The instant that Ginny's eyes rested on him, Draco turned slightly pink. "Um," he tried again, "you look… really nice." It was obvious how embarrassing it was for Draco, but all the same, Ginny's face caught fire and blazed in the little carriage so that she was almost terrified that she would start glowing.

"No, I don't… I shouldn't have worn pink," she said thoughtfully, feeling embarrassed, "it clashes with my hair."

Draco smirked. "Everything clashes with your hair," he said fondly. He then realized that it didn't sound very nice of him, and he added softly, "but I like it."

"Thanks," said Ginny, forcing her voice out confidently to hide her giddy nervousness, "you look hot."

Draco's jaw slacked open, and he stared at her with wide eyes.

Ginny gasped as she realized what she had said, and flushed pure, solid crimson that put even her hair to shame. "I mean – I mean – what I meant was – no – but – your hair – I like your – your hair," she stuttered out, trying to hide behind hair.

Draco nodded, and, while the previous silence had been embarrassing but endurable, the one that followed made Ginny stare at her shoes, feeling a blush creep across her entire body until she felt like that Muggle fairy-tale reindeer, Rugalf or Rudolph or whatever his stupid name was.

After what seemed like hours, the carriage creaked to a halt at Hogsmeade, and Draco seemed far too eager to leap out of the small vehicle. Ginny slid across the seats, and when she reached the door, she was pleasantly astonished to see Draco, half-bowed, with a hand extended to help her down from the high step. "Thank you," said Ginny, her eyes shining, and she delicately bounded from the stair.

"Erm… to the Three Broomsticks?" she then asked, anxious. Ron, Harry, Hermione and Luna would probably be there, and she didn't want to bump into them.

"I actually had somewhere else in mind," said Draco, "I hope that's okay. I just thought that, you know, it might be a bit awkward with everyone else there. Slytherin… Gryffindor… Valentine's Day… might not go down so well."

Ginny let out a relieved breath. "Thank you so much, Draco," she said, "I was really worried about that. But… where else is there?"

Draco smirked, putting a finger to his lips as a gesture of not gonna tell you and then lead her through Hogsmeade. Past Zonko's… past Honeydukes… down a little side-alley… and in the side-alley, crammed in there somehow, was a pretty little Italian restaurant. "Ciao," said Draco with a cheesy accent, and he held the wood-and-glass door open for her.

Ginny smiled, blushing slightly, and she weaved past him, through the open door, and then advanced with him towards the reception. "Hello," she said brightly to a small, slightly dumpy lady with black corkscrew-ringlets for hair. "Table for two, please."

The lady smiled. "For you and your beau?" she asked kindly, waving her wand and setting up a table nearby.

Ginny's face fired up again. "Erm – no," she said quickly, and she felt her heart cringe. She thought Draco was my boyfriend, oh I can never live this down! She glanced sideways at him. "He's not my – I mean, I'm not…" she trailed off. There was something aching deep inside her, that she had never felt before. It somehow reminded her of seeing Cho with Harry in the Room of Requirements. A faint smile graced her lips; all of that jealousy and childish crushes seemed so long ago, before the war started and everything had become more difficult.

Draco moved to the table and sat down heavily, something unreadable on his face. Ginny followed and sat down opposite them. Between the two students was a short expanse of red tablecloth, two expensive-looking plates and a glowing candle that illuminated Draco's pale features so that he seemed to glow too.

"Draco," Ginny said suddenly, "I just… thank you. For the potion, I mean. I don't think anyone else would have done that for me."

A look of surprise appeared in Draco's eyes that he quickly hid, and said casually, "Anyone would have done that for you, really. It was nothing. Surely… surely," Draco paused, and then forced the words out, "Harry would have." It had clearly taken him a lot of effort to say 'Harry' and not 'Potter' or 'the Brat Who Lived' as his usual mark of disdain.

Ginny lowered her gaze. "No," she said quietly, "I think that he, of all people, would definitely not have done that for me." Hermione's words were still stinging in an open wound, but for some reason, now that she was talking to Draco, the wound seemed to be healing faster than if she had charmed it closed.

She dared to look up at him through her eyelashes, so that it would seem that she was still looking downwards. Draco was watching her intently still, and Ginny rummaged in her heart for the courage to look up, but under that ice-blue gaze, she couldn't. Her slender fingers reached up for her amulet – not to turn invisible, but she knew that if anything held her emotions in balance, it was that triangle of black onyx.

Ginny's hand closed around the piece of rock, and she focused silently on staying in clear view. She did not disappear, and instead she closed her eyes, held the pendant for a moment, and then lifted her chin to stare back at Draco. At her eyes returning to his, he bit his lip, and then said, "Erm, and, also, thank you. For the whole… Sanchia thing."

She frowned. "What do you mean?" Ginny asked. "I caused a fight and stopped her from kissing you… I thought that was a bad thing." She lowered her hand from the amulet, confused.

Draco shook his head slightly. "It's only a bad thing if the person on the receiving end wanted to be kissed," he said simply.

Ginny stared at him, hardly daring to breath. Did that mean that Draco didn't want to kiss Sanchia? He doesn't like Sanchia… he doesn't like Sanchia… her mind and her feelings cartwheeled, making her feel as though she might be sick; she quickly grasped the nearby goblet of pure water and gulped it down, before saying evenly, "Then, I suppose that you're welcome."

Draco's lips quirked upwards at the ends into the smallest of smiles – it made Ginny feel like it was directed right into her heart and that she was the most important person in the world. She blushed profusely and flapped up her menu in front of her face to hide her burning cheeks, becoming extremely interested in the food choices.

"What would you like to eat?" asked the small Italian woman from the reception, suddenly appearing beside Ginny's chair.

Ginny looked up. "Um… I think I'll try the spaghetti speciality, thank you," she said, and then looked over at Draco.

"Seafood platter, please," he said, surprisingly polite. Ginny knew that Draco wasn't your average Slytherin, but the barriers of sarcastic unpleasanttness that he put up for everyone else still existed, and to see him drop them so easily was unnerving.

The woman nodded with a smile, and bustled away, humming to the soft music that flowed through the small restaurant. Ginny puffed out her breath, tilting her head from side to side to the music.

When you sleep

Your smile

Tears roll down my face

"So…" she said, searching for something to spark up a decent conversation, "I didn't know that you… liked seafood."

Draco grinned. "Neither did I," he said. He opened his mouth, as if he was going to say more, but then sat back in his chair, looking as though he was having some sort of internal struggle. Then, he stood, and said, "Come on. Let's dance."

I can't replace

Now that I'm strong

I have figured out

Ginny was taken-aback. "Um," she said, "I don't really know this song." She felt a blush creep up her neck. "I think… I think it's a Muggle song."

Draco shrugged. "So? I know it, and I'm less Muggle-y than you are," he pointed out. Ginny wasn't sure what he meant by 'Muggle-y', but she stood. Draco took her hand, sending a flurry of red blood cells into Ginny's creamy face. They walked together onto the dance floor. There were some other Hogwarts students – there was Pippa Tonks (technically a year too young to go to Hogsmeade, but she had probably bribed her mother) with a third year who Ginny recognized as Terry Boot's little brother, and two fourth year Ravenclaws that she did not know – but she ignored them.

How this world turns colder

And facing my soul

And I know

Ginny turned to Draco. She tilted her head to look up into his face, wishing fervently that she was taller. Draco extended his left hand; Ginny took it shyly, and stepped closer to her best friend, wondering why being in such close proximity to him made her head spin. She felt her breath hitch as he slid one hand into the small of her back, and timidly placed her free hand onto his thin shoulder.

I'll find deep inside me

I can be the one

Draco was gazing down at her, a slight reddening high on his pale cheekbones. Together they stepped slowly around the dance floor, in total silent, except for Draco's humming with the music. He stepped backwards, twirling her out – Ginny was spinning under his arm, her own arm stretched upwards to almost its full extent, her skirt flaring around her knees, and then her journey across the dance floor came to abrupt halt and Draco caught her, his head lightly clapping her back, and then they were dancing, closer than ever, their bodies flush of each other.

I will never let you fall

I will stand up for you forever

I'll be there for you through it all

Even if saving you sends me to heaven

Ginny's breath caught again as she found herself pressed against tall, slim Draco Malfoy's chest, but she discovered that she was totally unwilling to move. She tipped her head right back so that her red hair sparkled in the light as it fell down from her shoulders, to look up at him.

"Hello," he said softly down at her, a tiny smile on his lips. "Having fun?"

Ginny nodded silently, wanting to just enjoy the moment, her fingers interlaced with his, her face tilted up, his tilted down… she was struck by a sudden urge to stand on tiptoe and kiss him… she leaned forwards, her eyes fluttering closed –

Then she realized what she was doing.

She jumped backwards, her heart pounding violently and her cheeks the same colour as her hair. Draco was staring at her with the same wide-eyed expression that he had held when she had declared him 'hot'. Ginny stood, frozen, before turning swiftly and stalking back to the table. She dropped down heavily onto her chair and began eating her spaghetti hastily, which had arrived a few moments earlier.

Draco and Ginny ate in an awkward silence, and on the way back to the carriages, past midnight, when Pippa Tonks and the others had already left, they began to chat again, though albeit uncomfortably.

"Did you enjoy the night?" Draco asked conversationally as he held the carriage door open for Ginny.

"Yes, I did, and thank you for paying," she said gratefully as she sat down. "That was very gentlemanly of you."

"Please, don't call me a gentleman," groaned Draco. "That's what Sanchia always insisted I was, and look what happened to her." He grinned jokingly at Ginny, but her face had unexpectedly turned cold.

Stupid bimbo. Snogging Draco in front of the whole school. In front of me! Ginny thought bitterly. She should be expelled. And then sent to Azkaban. Stupid ditz.

The carriage pulled to a halt, and Ginny leapt out before Draco could open the door for her. Draco followed shortly, and they headed up to the castle as the Threstral trotted off into the darkness. They did not speak again; Ginny was still humiliated about trying to kiss him. As they stole through the doors, Draco asked nervously, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Ginny gave him an odd look.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I mean, accompany you… to Gryffindor tower," he said. Ginny bit her lip, but nodded.

As they dashed through the darkness quietly, so as not to be spotted by Filch, the grouchy caretaker, she pushed out something that had been bugging her for a while. "Draco," she whispered, "I never really thanked you."

Draco looked at her curiously, and opened his mouth to say something, but then both of them heard Filch's shuffling footsteps. "Hide!" he yelped in whispers, and began to run, beckoning for Ginny to follow.

"Who's there?" Filch growled, shining a lamp around.

Ginny fled after Draco. "Slow down!" she cried. Draco turned, his mouth agape at how loud she was being. Before he could say anything, she flew at him, at, glancing over her shoulder to see if Filch was coming so that her red hair fanned out behind her, hissed, "Don't speak", and both of her hands moved quickly – one hand grabbed the necklace, the other to Draco's hand.

Draco inhaled sharply as soon as Ginny grasped his wrist, but didn't speak, as she had told him not to. Then, they were both invisible, and they dashed away. Once they were safe, Draco gasped out, "How did you do that?"

"I'm not sure," Ginny said, "I think it's this necklace… I found it at the battlefields for the Goblin Wars."

Draco paled considerably, but didn't say anything about the amulet. I think he knows something, Ginny mused, but he's not telling me. Then Draco said, "What did you want to thank me about?" He pushed open the wooden door to the Gryffindor tower steps, and they rushed up the stairs.

Ginny blushed delicately. "Well," she said, "I just… I never really thanked you. For… for rescuing me." Oh God, look at his face, I've made him all embarrassed now. Ack, why couldn't I just shut up?!?

"You mean, because of the whole chimaera thing?" Draco asked as they neared the top of the staircase.

Ginny nodded, her red face deepening in colour. "I just mean… I was dying… and I was being chased by a blood-thirsty monster… Harry, always the hero, was tucked up in bed – but you," she hesitated, and then mumbled, "you saved my life."

Draco took the next few steps in a hush. Then, he said with a slight chuckle, "Just call me your guardian angel." The last of the steps… they stopped before the Fat Lady, and Ginny stretched a forefinger to the amulet. The two teenagers wavered into view in front of the slumbering painting.

"Okay," Ginny whispered, a small smile forming on her lips. As they stood together, the moonlight streaming through the Gothic window behind them, adorning their faces with a silver glow, she felt a churning in her stomach like nothing she'd ever sensed before. "Usually my parents insist that they're my guardian angels, but I think it's time that someone else took over. Thank you for a wonderful night."

Draco looked stiff and uncomfortable from the comment about Ginny's parents, and then she felt guilty as she remembered that Draco's mother and father were dead. She recalled something that Fred had once told her: "if I were you, I'd be careful with Slytherins. They're not going to like you much anymore," Fred advised. "Why not?" Ginny had asked. Fred shrugged. "Well… they think that you killed the Malfoys." Ginny suddenly knew what was wrong with Draco, and how to fix it. "Draco," she called, before he left. He did not turn to look at her, but he stopped, indicating that he was listening to her. Ginny took a deep breath, battling her fears. "Draco – I … I didn't kill your parents."

Draco froze. She could see every muscle in his lean figure tense immediately. For a few seconds there was no reaction; then he twisted around and looked into her eyes. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were screaming his thoughts.

"I didn't do it," she said, feeling her voice crack at the emotion in the air. "It wasn't me… it – it was your aunt. Bellatrix Lestrange." Draco's eyes widened slightly, but still he did not speak. Ginny continued, feeling her heart break at having to be the one to tell him, "Lestrange tried to kill me. She cast the Killing Curse at me, but I ducked. She got angry… and she sent at spell at me that I didn't recognize. It was a sort of… exploding spell. I jumped out of the way, and the spell hit the brick wall. The wall fell… and killed your parents."

Draco still did not utter a word.

Ginny felt as though she wanted to die. "I suppose it was my fault," she whispered, mainly to herself. "If I had just let the spell hit me… you might not be an orphan."

Draco flinched at the word 'orphan'. It was the first time he had really reacted. He closed his eyes, and, though he brushed it away almost instantly, Ginny saw the hot, glistening tear that fell from his eyelashes.

"Draco…" she whispered. She wanted to cry – for him. "Please don't… if it's easier for you to handle… I can just say that I did it…" Then, astonishing Ginny beyond belief, Draco stumbled forwards into her arms and buried his face in her shoulder; she was surprised, but she held him tight. "If it makes you feel any better," she said gently into his ear, "my brother was killed that day, as well. Do you remember Percy – he was Head Boy in our third year."

Draco straightened up, looking ashamed, but not bothering to hide the teartracks on his pale cheeks. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, "for thinking that you…" he trailed off, looking down at the ground, his newly-cut hair hanging into his blue eyes. He looked so sad; Ginny wanted to kiss his cheek, or, better still, his lips – but her own desires frightened her, though not this time into fleeing. "Be careful getting back."

Draco nodded, and Ginny knocked on the frame of the Fat Lady's canvas. "Billiwig wings," she said to a grunting, complaining Fat Lady, and slipped through.

Hermione was sitting, looking tired but happy, on the sofa; she looked up when she heard Ginny come in. "Hello, Gin, have a nice time?" she teased. "I kept your secret safe. Harry got you some flowers… he picked them off of the bouquet that he gave Luna," she grimaced. Then the Head Girl noticed her friend's face. "Ginny, what's wrong?"

Ginny was staring ahead at the dark window, her mouth slightly open as her brain worked out everything that she had been feeling lately. She transferred her gaze to Hermione, still shocked. "Mione," she said weakly, "I think… I think I like Draco."

A/N: Oooh, how fluffy. Yes, I decided to make Hermione and Ginny friends again. Ah well. I'm so sad! There won't be many chapters left… nearly finished! Please review.