Hello my wonderful readers! Well, as you know I am quite a slow updater, but… I checked my email and had a bunch of reviews waiting for me… and every single one of them made me smile.

As you know, this story will soon be coming to a close. When the story is all done, I plan to re-write the first few chapters that are non consistent with the last few (1st person to the 3rd, and little things here and there). Also, the want to finish this story, (or need, rather, since I will be starting highschool in a couple of weeks and won't get much done at all once I do), might make this story a bit – rushed. For that I am very sorry, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

You will see that I have skipped two months more in this chapter, so it is now the end of April. I'm sorry! It's the last big gap, I swear. Big things will be happening soon, but in my struggle to keep the story at a slow pace and not too rushed into everything, I may have written things a bit too slow, so now I'm behind a few months. I do have the whole end of the story thought out however, so after the next say, two chapters(?), things should pick up and it'll be over before you know it.

I'll let you know as well, while I am rambling, that the only thing that has kept me writing the past few months, as little as I did, was your reviews and comments. I've gotten emails, and so many beautiful reviews that really make me smile. I've never had a review from you guys that made me want to quit writing, and for that I am very happy. Thanks guys, each and every one of you!

And, (I'm almost done, I swear!), to the person who asked if I was a female, I am very female.

And without further ado, here is chapter 17 for you!

o.O.o.O.o

April 27th was a Saturday, which came faster than Ginny had expected it. She had been so busy all through March and April, and with Harry added into the mix, it was even tighter. They weren't officially together, but most people thought they were. Ginny wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, she was just sitting back and letting things happen as they happened.

Finally D had said it, which made Ginny realize the thing with Harry had to stop. She was just trying to find a moment where she could tell him, and every time she doubted herself, she reread the letter from D.

You're going dress shopping on Saturday, eh? Well, be sure to remember that green is my favorite color. Okay? Good. Nothing too skimpy, either. I don't want any other guys asking you to dance - you're mine.

So today I was in the Great Hall eating dinner, when I heard a very large thump and when I look up Neville Longbottom was on the floor with a banana peel beneath his foot. Pumpkin juice was every where. I almost peed on myself laughing.

I've noticed that my ring has been glowing red quite a bit. And you've told me the heart on yours is almost completely red? Mine it completely green. I bet you're still wondering what that means, huh? I've decided to tell you.

The red on your heart is a measure of love. How much I love you to be specific. Yes, that's right, and I finally had the guts to say it because I know you feel the same way.

I love you.

D

"What do you think of this one?" Vivian asked, twirling in a knee-length tail dress - white with blue accents. She twirled in it, the skirt twirling with her like a tea cup. It was tight fitting on top, showing off what chest she had.

Mindy shrugged, "You look just the same as you did in the last one."

Vivian rolled her eyes and looked to Ginny for help. Ginny lifted her head, "Oh um, it's pretty Viv. You look good in it."

The other smiled, "I think I'll get this one."

"Mindy," Ginny said, "you haven't tried one on all day. Come on, you need a dress for the ball."

Mindy shrugged and shook her head, "I bought mine already."

"What?" Vivian asked in awe, staring at Mindy with her jaw dropped.

"I can't buy a dress without you two? Gimme a break." Mindy said, coolly as ever, "I came one day after classes were over."

"What color is it?" Vivian asked. "Pink would really bring out your hai-"

"I wouldn't buy that color if my life depended on it," Mindy shot back before Vivian had finished talking.

Ginny sighed. "Okay, both of you stop it. Tell me what you think of this."

Ginny turned in the dress she was wearing. Mindy's nose scrunched and Vivian conveniently looked away.

"Alright then," Ginny said, not really caring. The dress was yellow, and it wasn't very appealing with her hair. "Next."

The said 'next', was the perfect dress. The neck-line was in a curvy V shape. Right under the bust line were two horizontal strips of emerald colored beads. The rest wasn't tight. It hung loose from her body, in loose, veily light cream material. When she walked it swooshed airily, cutting off jaggedly above her knees.

"Oh Gin," Vivian said, "it's gorgeous."

Mindy nodded, "I have to agree, it does look pretty good on you."

Ginny smiled radiantly. So her dress hadn't ended up purple or green. It was cream. Off-white. She expected D to be happy that there was some green on it anyway. The shoes she ended up buying were green as well- deep emerald.. They were simple yet elegant two inch heels, with open toes and two crisscrossed straps behind her toes, and one circling her ankle.

After Ginny and Vivian had made their purchases, which Ginny had had to save up for for months, the three girls walked to the Three Broomsticks.

Mindy walked to the bar. "Three butterbeers, please," she said, putting a few coins on the bar in exchange for the three bottles of warm liquid. The three sat at a table by a window when Harry walked in.

"Hey Ginny," he said as soon as he spotted her, "I've been looking for you."

"Oh look," Mindy said unenthusiasticly, "I see Blaise… Bye!" She hurried up and left.

Vivian looked uncomfortable. "Oh look, there's… See-ya," she said, not finishing her sentence. Ginny glared at their backs as Harry sat down across from her.

"Look, Harry, we need to talk," Ginny said, taking a sip of her butterbeer.

"Alright," he said, "talk."

Ginny sighed. "This has to stop. The way we've been acting… it's got to stop. I feel like I've been untruthful to you, but this isn't my fault. I mean… you kind of pushed yourself, and I just let it happen. We just can't go on like this."

"It's someone else, isn't it?" he asked calmly, yet he looked hurt.

"Actually…" she said, and then nodded, "yeah. Yeah, it is."

Harry nodded. "Who?"

"Well that's kind of the thing… I don't know." She laughed. "It's my owl-pal. He's…" she trailed off and smiled, "perfect. He makes me happy, and I just can't keep on with you. It seems wrong, even though I've never met this guy."

Harry smiled at her. "I understand. I'll be here for you, though, alright? We can still be friends?"

Ginny smiled back at him. "Of course… It's nice having a boy to talk to. Besides, you know I see you more as a brother than a boyfriend."

"Yeah, it's about the same with you. You're just a really fun person, so I love being around you."

Both of them stood. Ginny hugged him and smiled, "Thanks for understanding."

"So," Harry said, as the two walk out of the building, "tell me about him."

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

D,

I got my dress. It's not purple or green, although there is a little green on it. It's mostly whitish. So you should match that. It should be easy enough.

I'm sorry I haven't written to you in the past few days. I had a few things I had to take care of, but now that I have I feel much better.

But now, the last on my list of things to do, is to tell you that I think, just maybe, I love you too. It's so hard to tell since we've never met, but I guess the ring tells all, eh? Hah. I can't wait to hear from you again, and see you in person. Just 4 weeks to go.

Love,

S

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Ginny was asleep. As the days went on she began to dream about D more and more, every night. Days passed and it took everything inside of her to pay attention to her classes and finish her homework at night, when she would write letters to D back and forth, sometimes up to twenty a night.

Mindy was never around. She spent all of her free time with Blaise, and when she did homework it was in the library, where he usually followed her. They had become inseparable.

Vivian's life, however, had been different. She was in the library one rainy afternoon, right after classes had dismissed. She was writing a paper - something about the effects of a particular poison on the human body, when Roger Davies approached her.

"Hey Viv?" he asked, sitting across from her at the table.

Vivian's head popped up from her book. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Alright… well, do you think… do you want to go out sometime?" he blurted out, finishing the last part quickly. She almost hadn't understood.

Vivian was surprised. "Um… I uh… guess so."

Roger smiled, "We could go… right after the ball? Maybe the next day?"

"That's a whole month," she laughed.

"Well yeah, but that's the next Hogsmeade. We could just, maybe hang out until then?" he asked hopefully. Vivian grinned and nodded.

"Now go away," she said. "I have to finish my homework."

He sighed and walked away as she grinned at his back.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

May 19th. Exactly one week until the ball, and the day of the Slytherin versus Gryffindor Quidditch match. Ginny walked onto the field with a particular nervousness. Harry would kill her if they lost this match particularly. It would mean losing to Draco Malfoy.

As she mounted her broom she found her eyes wandering toward the other team. The beaters, now Crabbe and Goyle, were thoroughly intimidating, except for the fact that Ginny didn't believe they could find their bats, much less hit a ball with it.

When the whistle blew, Ginny was up in the air faster than a heartbeat. She grabbed the Quaffle, which had been tossed up moments before, and zoomed toward the Slytherin goal with it. She threw.

"10 points for Gryffindor!" Lee Jordon boomed into the speaker, "That Ginny Weasley hasn't lost her touch!"

Katie Bell swooped by with and caught the Quaffle as it flew threw the other side of the hoop. She threw in back toward Ginny, but one of the Slytherin chasers ed it and flew off. Ginny sped toward him, knocking the back of his broom so that he was starting to spin. When his face was pointing at hers, she grabbed the Quaffle and flew the other way, while he was still spinning the opposite direction.

She tossed the ball to Katie Bell and swerved beneath Goyle, making Miles Bletchley, the Slytherin keeper, think Katie was going to shoot. As Ginny hovered beside the left goal, Katie threw the ball with impressive speed and Ginny shot, catching Miles off guard and scoring another ten points.

The game went on. Draco and Harry both developed quite a few bruises from each other, bumping and shoving to catch the Snitch.

Ginny scored a total of 170 points that game. Katie scored 60. The other chaser scored a mere 10, as she did more of the passing.

Ron deflected more of the shots toward him then not. It had been a particularly good game for them.

Fred and George had only sent one of the Slyhterin's to the hospital wing - a new record.

Harry Potter caught the Snitch after 3 hours and 17 minutes of play. It had been an extremely close game, at the point where Draco Malfoys fingertips were touching the Snitch when Harry ripped it away, holding it up in victory.

The party in the Gryffindor common room that night was massive. Ginny stayed for two butterbeers and congratulations from her fellow house mates, and then slipped quietly away to her dorm, where she intended to write to D. There was a letter and a box sitting on her bed, tied with a single orange and pink lily.

Did you see the Quidditch game today? So close. Weasley was blocking pretty well, today, eh? And the female Weasley - she's got a better arm then I thought. I almost felt sorry for Malfoy, since he was close to catching that stupid golden ball. I'm sure his house is quite angry at him.

So I was thinking. You've told me the color of your dress, and I want you to have something on you that tells me that it is definitely you when we meet. I bought you something. Open up the box.

Please don't respond tonight. I am off to bed.

D

Ginny's fingers pried at the seal of the box, and when it popped open she dug through the tissue paper. In her hand she lifted a delicate mass of silver and emerald. When she put it around her neck, it stayed close, but the center part dipped lower, resting between her breasts. Smooth white gold curved around her neck and into a v-ish shape, splitting and connecting at the center part, where an emerald hung, Two tiny diamonds rested on the top of the emerald, and three on bottom. There was a matching pair of earrings.

The stud part of the earring that pierced through her ear was a diamond, and from that hung an inch long silver cord which held a slightly larger emerald on it, both in diamond shapes. (A/N - I have tried my best to describe these adequately. If you would like the link, please email me and ask for it. Thanks :-) )

Ginny gasped at the beauty of the jewelry before her. She regretfully took it off, and the door flung open. Mindy was here, watching Ginny.

"Did he send you those?" Mindy asked incredulously.

Ginny sat there, her eyes fixed on the jewels, her lips slightly parted, and all she could do was nod.

o.O.o.O.o

So what do you think? I hope you like it! This must be a record of fast posting for me, haha. Please review if you liked it! Remember, that's what made me update so much last time...

Please read the opening note if you didn't. I spent a lot of time on writing it to you :)

Q: When are Ginny and Draco going to get together?

A: In time, dear reader, in time.

Next chapter will be the ball I do believe, and after that there isnt much left. Sorry guys! I'm hoping to be able to write you a sequel, but I'm starting highschool in two weeks and may not have time. We shall see!

I love you guys!

Bambiky