19 Days until Christmas Break

"You do know that everyone thinks we're snogging, don't you?" Luna asked, setting her wand down and staring at Draco.

"Yeah, I know." Draco huffed, running his fingers through his hair. "Thanks for helping me with this extra Defense stuff. Harry's notes are shit."

"You're welcome. Ginny knows we're not snogging, right?" Luna asked, flipping through a few pages. "Well, that's no good."

"What's no good? And, yes, Ginny knows we aren't snogging. I took her to Hogsmeade last time." Draco answered, peering over Luna's shoulder. "Shit, are those patronus charms?"

"Harry's idea of a Christmas lesson. Force everyone to think of happy thoughts. It's a good idea, except not all of us have the strong magical core of a half-blood." Luna perused the plans. "It'll be well after Christmas before I could even begin to catch you up on this."

"What the hell? Half-bloods? You really believe they have the strongest magical cores?" Draco scoffed.

"Yes, half-bloods. Also, you said you took her to Hogsmeade. That means nothing. Boys take girls to Hogsmeade all the time without intentions of long term relationships. Did you verbalize to her that we're not snogging?" Luna prodded, hiding the plans from Draco when he wouldn't answer.

"No, I did not 'verbalize' to her that we're not snogging." Draco rolled his eyes. "Gin's smart. She doesn't need me to tell her what she already knows."

"You obviously don't understand how the Hogwarts rumor mill works on the psyche of a teenage girl." Luna said, voice halfway between sympathetic and prophetic.


18 Days Until Christmas Break

"It's not fair, is what it is." Pansy commented, ignoring her homework in favor of looking into her pocket mirror. "I have to buy my bag of Puking Pastilles and she just gets them for free. They weren't even dating for weeks. Where did she get them?"

"She had them already, didn't she? She does loads of initial tests for them. She must have had a bag lying around." Daphne scoffed as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"She should share. It's part of the code." Tracy added, looking up from her arithmancy homework.

"She doesn't know the code." Daphne replied, cocking an eyebrow at Tracy. "They don't have it up in Gryffindor. Most of them just starve themselves. They call it bravery, but it's just stupid. Everyone knows that you need what gets digested before you can get to the bathroom or you'll kill yourself with starvation."

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Draco asked, turning on the insipid girls.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Pansy asked coyly.

"Yeah, I would. That's why I asked." Draco informed her, pulling out Narcissa's patented eyebrow cock and stare.

"What's it worth to you?" Pansy asked, batting her eyelashes a bit.

Draco stared at her for a beat, then turned to Daphne. "You're smart, Daph, why don't you tell me who's throwing up in the bathrooms with you."

"Honestly, Draco, it's not that hard to figure out." Daphne said with a role of her eyes. "Pansy practically said her name before, so if you can't guess from that, you're too thick to be in Slytherin."

"Maybe it's all those Gryffindors he hangs out with. Maybe they've clouded his judgement." Pansy speculated.

"It's not Gryffindors anymore, is it Draco?" Tracy said quietly, looking up through her lashes. "It's Ravenclaw now."

"Ooo. Are you withholding gossip, Trace? You know that's not how it works." Pansy badgered. "You have to tell me everything."

Tracy stared at Pansy for a moment before she said, "You do realize that if I kept all of my gossip to myself for a week, you'd fall from grace as the social queen of Slytherin, don't you? You don't make demands of me."

"Ooo. Halfy's got bite." Pansy said in a nasally, condescending tone. "You'd do well to remember your place, Half-Blood."

Tracy stared at her again, then looked to Daphne. "Want to be the new gossip queen of Hogwarts? All you have to do is make sure Pansy here doesn't talk to me."

Daphne pretended to think about it for exactly seven seconds before she said, "Deal. Pansy, you're out. Tracy, you're my new best friend."

"Oh, what are we, first years? Why are you ranking your friends, Daph?" Pansy huffed crossing her arms.

"You heard Tracy, you're out. Only my friends can call me 'Daph.' You'd better stick to 'Greengrass,' Parkinson." Daphne said cooly. Then she flicked her wand and set a silencing spell on Pansy, effectively ending her reign as Hogwarts Gossip Queen.

'Fine! I can see when I'm not wanted!" Pansy snapped, gathering her things. "I'll just leave you two losers alone."

Once she was well enough away, Daphne led Tracy and Draco out of the common room.

"Now, Tracy, tell us what you know." Daphne commanded.

"This is just a trial run, and because I think she needs her friends." Tracy narrowed her eyes at the other Slytherin. Then she turned to Draco and gave him a look of sympathy. "It's Hermione, Draco. She's been throwing up in bathrooms between classes since September."

"But, but, it's only just now December." Draco stuttered, blindsided.

"Well you know what they say." Tracy shrugged.

"What do they say, Tracy?" Draco asked through gritted teeth.

"Takes eight weeks for your friends to notice your weight loss. Takes the rest of the world twelve weeks. Since she's going on what should be week eleven, if my calculations are correct, where do you fall in?" Tracy asked imperiously. "Think about that when you go to pommel the Weasley twins."

Draco stormed away and through the halls, to the unused classroom Fred and George had appropriated as their workshop. He was passed livid, beyond angry, and rapidly approaching righteous indignation. His jaw was aching from how hard he was grinding his teeth. His hands hurt from clenching his fists and gripping his wand, but all he could think was he should have known.

As he approached the classroom, he was pleased to note that he wouldn't even have to stop to open the door. The twins trusted the Map too much to tell them when danger was near. He stalked passed the door and into the room. He didn't even stop as he approached the twins. Draco pulled his fist back and punched Fred Weasley square in the nose.

Draco's forward momentum combined with Fred's total shock, meant that Fred was sent flying across the floor. George made to defend his brother, but Draco just shot a stunner at him. George fell back, totally out for the count. Fred blocked Draco as his fist came down again.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Draco shouted, punching Fred in the face a second time.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Fred cried, blocking a third punch.

"Why the hell did you give a teenage girl unfettered access to Puking Pastilles?!" Draco aimed a blow at Fred's stomach.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Fred coughed this time.

"Hermione." Draco bit out. "You gave her the Puking Pastilles. You did this. It's all on you."

"The hell's wrong with 'Mione?" Fred asked, head whipping up to glare at Draco as he wiped blood from his face.

"You are!" Draco shouted, kicking at Fred without actually hitting him. His rage was settling and he could finally form thoughts again.

"What did I do?" Fred asked slowly, confusion warring with pain.

"She's throwing up." Draco managed to say.

"What? Were the Pastilles bad? Did they poison her?" Fred jumped up, getting ready to find Hermione.

Draco's hand whipped out and stopped Fred in his tracks. "They didn't poison her, moron."

"Then what's the matter with her?" Fred asked in a panic.

"She's been throwing up for weeks. She doesn't eat and she throws up between classes. You did this." Draco accused.

"You've said that bit quite a few times now, thanks. Now, tell me how." Fred demanded.

"Did you not hear me?" Draco asked mockingly. "Puking Pastilles."

"What do they have to do with anything!? They're just trick sweets! That's it!" Fred shouted.

"Yeah, they're just trick sweets to you and me. But do you know what they are to a teenage girl?" Draco asked. Fred shook his head and Draco laughed humorlessly. "They're means to an end."

"What?" Fred asked, refusing to understand.

"You know how Slytherin girls are. They like to keep their figure. Can't attract a wealthy husband looking like Crabbe in a skirt, can we?" Draco lectured. Fred shook his head dumbly. "So, do you what those girls do? They starve themselves. When that doesn't work, they throw up in bathrooms. It's why Slytherin girls lavs are soundproof."

"What does this have to do with Hermione?" Fred bit out.

"Do you know how hard it is to force yourself sick? It's disgusting. Spit down your arm, bite marks on your fingers, not to mention the damage to your teeth and nails. Fortunately, there's a simple potion you can take after that'll undo that damage." Draco scoffed. Fred motioned for him to get to the point faster. Draco chose to oblige. "Then, one day, the Weasley twins came up with Puking Pastilles. You can buy a bag, 20 candies, for 5 sickles. You're selling eating disorders for pocket change."

"That's- that's not what they're meant for." Fred whispered, shocked.

"YEAH!?" Draco screamed. "And Legilimency isn't meant to torture, but that's how people use it! Doesn't matter what you meant it to do, it matters how consumers use it. And Hermione has spent the last three months using it to lose weight!"

"No." Fred whispered.

"Yeah! She did. And you missed it!" Draco shouted, punching Fred again.

"Why? Why is she doing it?" Fred asked quietly, wiping more blood from his face.

"Oh, so you're deaf as well as blind now?" Draco mocked again. "You'll have to figure that one out for yourself. In the meantime, I've got to go clean up your mess. Literally."


17 Days Until Christmas Break

Ginny pushed her way through the throng of second years up to the third floor. It didn't take her long to see Daphne and Astoria Greengrass appearing to have a conversation with one another.

Ginny looked both ways before she entered the classroom they stood by. A minute later, the two girls followed her in.

"Well?" Ginny asked, sitting on a table.

"He knows, and Parkinson is out." Daphne smirked. "How did you know it would work?"

"Because I know Draco," Ginny said with a shrug before opening her bag and pulling out a sack of Puking Pastilles. "And I'm blaming Pansy for all of this."

Astoria took the bag and handed it to her sister. "No one is forcing Granger to do any of this."

Ginny sighed and went to the door. "That's the thinking that causes problems to begin with. Hermione wouldn't have done this if something wasn't suggested to her first. Girls are cruel. Hopefully now that you're the gossip queen things can change, just a little."

Daphne smiled and nodded at her her as Ginny opened the door to leave. "They aren't snogging by the way."

"Some advice?" Daphne said as Ginny was halfway out the door. "If it doesn't bother you that much that they are meeting after curfew, maybe you need to reevaluate your feelings."

Ginny turned around and looked at the two girls, "Who said it doesn't piss me off? I trust Luna." Then, she departed.

Daphne looked at her sister and laughed, "Girl crush. I totally get it now."


16 Days Until Christmas Break

Harry was in the Room of Requirements, hexing targets the room generated for him. It was really the only way he could clear his head. He couldn't fly because he'd gotten banned from Quidditch. Sirius and Hestia hadn't written him in months. Remus had his mirror, so he couldn't communicate with his godfather the traditional way. He was utterly alone in the world…. Unless he started counting friends, but he didn't want to do that.

Draco was having secret meetings with Luna, late at night, after curfew. That was bad. He'd caught Neville and Ron having many early morning discussions, only to have them stop talking when he entered the room. Hermione was, apparently, experimenting with muggle eating disorders because all the girls in the school were vicious bitches. Which led him to the conclusion that Ginny and Hermione had to be talking about him behind his back.

Hell, even Dumbledore was refusing to look at him. It should have been a relief, not having the old coot staring at him like a lovestruck teenager, like Harry could solve all of the world's problems. Now, he avoided him like the plague. Any other time, Harry would have been thrilled to not have to deal with the old man. Now, he kind of missed the company, the old familiar feeling of someone watching him.

As he hexed another target, he thought about how Umbridge wouldn't stop staring at him. She seemed to watch him with almost feral glee. He remembered that she was the one that passed all the werewolf legislation, back when it came out that Moony was a werewolf. She was trying to destroy his family, and he had no clue why. That was the most frustrating part. She just seemed to hate him, no reasons necessary. It was horrible.

To add to his aloneness, there was the nightmares. That's why he was here, hexing things in the middle of the night. That was how Padfoot handled things for years, so Harry figured that's how things were done. He kept dreaming that he was in Voldemort's mind, seeing what he was seeing, hearing what he was hearing, thinking what he was thinking. It was terrifying and, combined with his lingering nightmares over Cedric's death, sleep depriving.

Meanwhile, in Gryffindor tower, Neville and Ron were also awake.

"He's not anywhere on the Map. Means he's got to be in the Room. We'll have to wait until he get's back. That last nightmare was bad." Neville's wand lit up the dorm.

"I can't believe he's seeing through Voldemort's eyes." Ron shivered. "That would be awful. Especially with the whole Umbridge torturing him thing."

"We've got to talk to Mr. Padfoot. Harry's not working on his Occlumency while we're here. That's what's causing most of these issues." Neville worried his bottom lip with his fingers. "It's getting worse every night. He didn't even make it three hours this time."

"Look, I agree with you, but we're not going to help him by sitting here and worrying. He's got the cloak and we can't risk sneaking out. Gryffindor House is already behind by, like, a billion points. Let's try and get some sleep. See if one of us can time when he gets back in. Having a log will help get Sirius on our side." Ron argued, rolling over in his bed and laying down.

Neville waited a few more seconds, but saw the logic in Ron's statement. They couldn't go wandering around at a time like this. They could always talk to Aunt Minnie in the morning. Neville rolled over and joined Ron in sleep.

Later, in the wee hours of the morning, Harry snuck back in. Stuck in his whirlwind of well deserved self-pity, he didn't notice Neville turn over and cast a tempus charm in order to track his times. As Harry settled down to try and catch a couple more hours of sleep, Neville made a sleepy mental note to really, really, talk to Aunt Minnie. Or, at least, Ginny.


15 Days Until Christmas Break

"Ginny," Luna started.

"Yeah?" Ginny turned to look at her friend.

"We're not snogging." Luna informed her. "Draco and me. We're not snogging."

"I know. You're just helping him with extra classes and stuff." Ginny shrugged, forgetting that Luna was helping him before the extra classes had started.

"Good. I didn't want you to think we were." Luna smiled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to herbology. One of the few classes we don't have together."

"I'm telling you, Lu, I'm going to be a professional Quidditch player when I grow up." Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder. "See you at lunch."


14 Days Until Christmas Break

Ginny took another deep breath, trying not to fall asleep on the couch, but three in the morning was not her friend. She attempted to read her notes one more time, before feeling her eyes drifting shut once again. It was only when a voice spoke that she became fully alert.

"Ginny, what are you doing down here?" Harry asked, his invisibility cloak in his arms.

"I was waiting on you," She said, pulling the cloak from his arms. "Go to bed, Potter."

"I'm not tired," Harry said, challenging her.

"The little bags under your eyes say otherwise," Ginny said reaching up and touching them, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"You don't have to worry about me," Harry said trying to grab the cloak from her, but she took a step back.

"Between you, Hermione, and Umbridge, I have a lot to worry about," Ginny sighed, putting his cloak on the couch and sitting on it.

"You know I'll just move you right?" Harry said annoyed.

"I could just put it on and go back to bed. Then what would you do for company?" Ginny fired back. "So, here are your options. You do us both a favor and go back up to your bed and go to sleep or you can attempt to sneak out without the Map and your cloak." Harry took a seat next to her, folding his arms. "Or huff like Rigel."

"Why do you even care, Ginny?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Ginny said, dejected. "We all care, Harry. You can't push us away. You can't push me away."

"You don't understand," Harry sighed.

"I wouldn't understand what? Feeling like you're possessed? Out of control of your own body?"

"I-" Harry stumbled.

"Forgot?" Ginny laughed bitterly. "Lucky you. The only thing possessing you is your inability to let other people know how you feel, which is ridiculous since you have a family that loves you."

"Sirius and Hes haven't written to me. Lupin is who knows where and everyone else avoids me like I have toad warts."

"Did you ever think of writing to them?" Ginny asked, leaning against him, yawning. "Maybe if you slept you could think more clearly."

"How do you suggest I do that? I can't shut him out." Harry said, laying down on the couch, pulling her with him.

"I suggest you trust your friends with your issues," Ginny said pulling out a vial from her pocket. "Dreamless Sleep Drought. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't."

Harry took it from her and held it in his hand, pulling her closer to him. "Maybe." He muttered as he stroked her hair, letting them both drift off to sleep.


Gabs: So, this chapter got out of hand… And so will the next one.

Kat: Blame Gabs, her subplot got a little out of hand… not that mine have ever done that…

Gabs: Four and half books of Drinny/Hinny slow burn… Never!

Kat: Thank you for all the reviews, we really do love them.

Gabs: And the follows and favs! We broke 500 follows this week! Please, please review and tell us how out of hand this got.

Kat: It really did! Who knew a conversation in a crop field would turn into this!

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Gabs & Kat