1 Day Until the Official Start of Christmas Break

Hermione knew something was wrong. She shot out of bed and looked over at Ginny's. She was gone. Ginny wasn't there. Her trunk was missing, her bed was made. So Hermione did what any normal, sane person would do. She shot out of her room, down the girl's stairs, and back up the boys. She by-passed the fifth year boys dorms in search of Fred. She didn't know how she was going to her boyfriend that she'd lost his baby sister.

"Fred? Freddie?" She called, barging into the dorm without knocking.

"Merlin! Mione! I'm half naked!" Lee jumped, grabbing his blanket off his bed and covering himself. "Damn it, Fred's gonna murder me."

"Where's Fred?" Hermione asked in a whimper.

"He left last night with the other Weasleys and Potter. Why don't you know that? Doesn't Ginny sleep in your dorm now?" Lee asked incredulously.

"I-I- She didn't- I don't know where she is." Hermione's voice almost broke Lee's heart.

"No one woke you up? How did Ginny get out without waking you up?" Lee asked confusion coloring his voice.

"She's good at silencing charms." Hermione's voice got even smaller as she took in the twin's made beds and missing trunks. "Didn't want to wake anyone, I suppose."

"So that means you don't know why they've gone?" Lee asked, pulling a pair of pants on. Hermione shook her head and Lee huffed. "I shouldn't be the one to tell you this. Mr. Weasley was attacked last night. At the Ministry. They're at St. Mungo's now. I can't believe nobody told you."

Hermione collapsed on the floor, unsure of what to do. Lee herded her to Fred's bed and told her to sit while he went and got back up. After paying a first-year girl a sickle to fetch Angelina, he led his girlfriend to his room.

"Look, Fred's taken off without telling her what's up. Think you can help her?" Lee asked, showing her Hermione's despondent body.

"Oh, poor thing. C'mon, Hermione, let's get you dressed. No exams today, we can wear whatever we want. Didn't you steal Fred's beater jersey after the last game? That'll make you feel better." Angelina cooed. Hermione sniffed and followed, willing to let anyone help her through this.


Meanwhile, the Weasley children were visiting their father in the hospital. Almost all of them. Percy, of course, was nowhere to be found. No one even knew if he knew his father was in the hospital. Charlie had gotten a portkey in from Romania as quickly as he could after receiving a Patronus message early that morning.

"How's he doing?" Charlie asked as Arthur nodded back off, pain potions causing drowsiness.

"The healers said that it's a snake bite. But, it's also infected with dark magic, which means it'll have to heal the long way." Molly explained tiredly. "Where's Bill? Where's Hermione?"

"Bill had to go to work, Mum. The goblins don't accept family emergencies as an excuse for a day off." Charlie chuckled darkly. "You'd have to ask the twins where Granger is."

"We had to leave everyone who wasn't Harry behind. Neville, Marly, Lee, Luna, Draco, and Hermione were all left." George explained, hugging his mother.

"But she knows what's going on?" Molly wanted to confirm.

"Of course, Mum. We told Lee and Ron and Harry told their roommates. I'm sure Ginny told her." Fred soothed, not noticing his sister's blush.

"I didn't tell her," Ginny muttered and her brothers barely heard her.

"What did you say?" Ron asked quirking an eyebrow at her.

"I said," Ginny huffed. "I didn't tell her."

"What?" Fred looked absolutely devastated. "You at least told her you were leaving, right?" Ginny stared at the floor sheepishly, "I panicked last night. I set a silencing charm and totally forgot about telling Hermione. I was trying so hard not to worry anyone."

"Why would you do that?" Molly asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

"Mum, last time we had a major emergency in this family, you were willing to let Dumbledore poison me with sketchy hot cocoa and tried to have me sleep off demon possession. I'm sorry if I don't want to talk to people about my problems after that." Ginny sighed.

"I haven't properly apologized for that, have I?" Molly asked, taking in the form of her hurt little girl. "Minerva was completely right in taking you to your brothers. Sometimes, it's hard for parents to admit that someone else knows what their children need better than them."

Ginny hugged her mother, finally getting closure on the single most life scarring event in her young life. Molly, of course, hugged her back.

"Now," Molly said, pulling out of the hug. "Who's going to tell Hermione?"

"I would, except we don't have parchment or owls handy," Fred said, looking sheepish. "Besides, all owls coming in and out of Hogwarts are being monitored. I doubt she would get the letter even if I sent it."

"Of course. So how do you propose to get the message to her?" Molly asked.

"Well, Mum, it's currently ten in the morning. I'm sure she'd noticed Ginny's missing. She'll have gone to Aunt Minnie and she'll have told her." Fred reasoned. Ginny burst out laughing and Fred gave her a dirty look. "What's so funny about that?"

"She'd go to you, idiot." Ginny kept snickering, causing even Molly to crack a smile. "If your baby sister- me- had gone missing under her watch, she'd go to you. She's a Gryffindor after all."

"Shit. That means she heard it from Lee. Lee's not great with crying women." Fred cursed, running a hand through his hair.

"Lee would have one of the girls run up and get Angie. Angie would help in this situation." George soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not ideal, but you can beg forgiveness later. In the meantime, tell me how school was." Molly dictated.

"School's shit, Mum. I know you want us to get NEWTs, but that's not gonna happen." Fred said dully as George nodded his agreement.

"Can't handle it," George added.

"Now, we all feel that way at Christmas seventh year," Charlie advised. "You'll make it, I promise."

"Tell me something, Charlie," Fred started, glaring at his older brother.

"Did your seventh year come with the legalization of blood quills for student punishment?" George finished as the twins held up their hands, the I must not question authority proudly carved permanently into their skin.

"Why the hell haven't you two told someone about this?" Charlie raged, grabbing their hands for inspection.

"It's legal, Charlie," Molly said sadly from her chair. "Parents have been bombarding the Ministry for months over it, but as long as the big names on the Sacred 28 don't get involved, they won't do anything."

"Harry's got one on his hand, too. Why hasn't Sirius done something?" Ginny snapped, betrayal evident in her eyes.

"He's not told Sirius," Molly replied, the truth of the statement evident in her eyes. "I didn't know it was happening to him as well, or I would have told Sirius for him."

Charlie stormed out of the room, unwilling to handle that situation. He didn't understand how Hogwarts could have gotten so bad in the few years since he'd left. He'd heard the stories, true, but that didn't mean he really believed them. He thought them to be the exaggerated tales of youth.

"Charlie!" Bill called, getting his brother's attention. "Charlie!"

"Oh. Hey Bill." Charlie acknowledged, voice heavy.

"What's happened? Is Dad okay?" Bill asked, instantly on alert. "Did they say what happened?"

"Yeah, they said it was a snake bite. But somehow there was dark magic laced in the venom and Dad's gonna have to heal the long way round." Charlie ran his fingers through his hair.

"Then what's got you down?" Bill asked.

"The twins," Charlie replied. When Bill looked at him in askance, he added, "They were telling Mum about their term. Their not going to make it to their NEWTs and I can't blame them."

"Ah, the blood quills." Bill nodded as a beautiful blonde walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his bicep.

"Oui, Ginny said zey are vicious," Fleur added, smiling at Charlie. "Eet eez so good to see you ageen, Charlie."

"It's good to see you, too, Fleur." Charlie greeted, realizing who his brother had brought. "Mum's gonna flip shit when she finds out you've brought a Frenchie home."

"Mum was okay with Fleur when she let Ginny summer in France with them," Bill argued.

"Zat was before I waz stealing 'er baby boy." Fleur smiled up at him. "She may not see me in ze same light."

"Bill, is that you?" Molly asked, coming out of Arthur's room.

"Hey, Mum." Bill smiled, wrapping her in a hug. "Look, I brought Fleur, that girl I've been telling you about."

"I know who Fleur is." Molly snapped at him. "Oh, it's so good to see you again." Molly wrapped her in a warm hug. "Now, let's get back in there and see your father. I left the twins alone with Ronnie, so they've probably drawn a mustache on your dad's face."


Beginning of Christmas Break

"Let's just settle this right now," Draco said staring at the wall. "I've been spending more time with her."

"Her or Luna?" Harry said with a huff. "Last time I checked the only person spending lots of time with Ginny are the fourth years. Wait, what if she is secretly dating one of them!"

"Doubtful," Draco said after thinking about it. "Hermione would have spilled about it by now."

"Well, I liked her first," Harry said looking over at his friend. "You only like her because she likes me."

"Please, if she didn't like me, then why are we snogging?" Draco hissed.

"Because she pities you," Harry said with a shrug.

"That's cockey coming from a guy who spent all first term wondering why everyone hated him and then brooding about it," Draco said facing his friend.

"I've had a lot of shit to deal with. Something you wouldn't understand. But you know who does? Ginny. That's why we belong together."

"So, you claim to want to be with her, but you're dragging her through hell to be with her? Sounds like soulmates," Draco laughed. "She likes me more and you know it."

"I'm Harry freaking Potter!"

"I really freaking don't care!" Draco snapped back.

"Go roll on the floor or something!" Harry snapped.

Little did the two boys know, their spat was being overheard.

"They are in there fighting over you." Hermione glared at Ginny, shoving her into their shared bedroom. "Like you're the latest broomstick! Or the last piece of treacle tart!"

"And I'm okay with that." Ginny sighed. "Honestly, if they figure it out, I don't have to."

"Ginny!" Hermione said sharply. "It's not their problem to figure out! It's yours!"

"No, it's not." Ginny scoffed. "They created this problem and they can solve it."

Hermione grabbed fistfuls of her own hair as her eyes bugged out of her head. "What- How did you arrive at that conclusion?"

"When I was nine or so, they decided to make my life a competition for their affection." Ginny shrugged. "Without my consent. I'm used to those two treating me like a Quidditch trophy."

"Then maybe you should consider dating someone who doesn't." Hermione's voice took on a scathing tone.

"And what? Add another boy to my harem or whatever? Everyone already thinks I'm a whore, even though I'm only fourteen. I'm not going to ruin anyone else's lives by dragging them into this mess." Ginny shook her head.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of being a woman. It's all our fault, men are always the victim, and you are always the whore. Even when you're a virgin, you're the whore."

"This sucks." Ginny huffed, falling backwards onto her bed.

"This is life. I threw up for three months before I figured it out. And I'm one of the lucky ones. My friends bailed me out. People like Pansy, they're the ones to pity. She's never going to leave that bathroom. We'll be at our one hundred year class reunion and she'll still be in that bathroom, trying to run the social game." Hermione flopped down next to Ginny.

"That is sad." Ginny agreed.

"But not as sad as you not making a choice." Hermione leaned up on her elbow. "You have two boys that have decided they like you. Here's the deal, though. Neither of those boys needs you. You're going to break one of their hearts for a day. Then they're going to go on and fall in love with someone else. The question, then, is: which one would make you more heart broken? Harry and Lavender or Draco and Pansy?"

Ginny ruined the gravity of the moment by laughing at the absurdity of the situation. "Neither of them would ever be with either of those girls in any situation."

Hermione tried to look stern but failed in the wake of her own visual image. "Fine, try this one. Harry and Pavarti or Draco and Daphne."

"Oo, that's pretty good. But Harry's already done with Pavarti and trust me when I say that Draco and Daphne don't have half the chemistry they claim to." Ginny wrinkled her nose at a half-remembered memory.

"Fine, what about Harry and Hannah Abbot or Draco and Cho Chang?" Hermione giggled, getting into the game.

"First off, ew. Cho Chang is still mourning Cedric Diggory. Everyone should give that girl a break. And second off, isn't Neville massively crushing on Hannah?" Ginny stared at the ceiling as if it would give her all the answers.

"Fine, Harry and Millicent Bulstrode or Draco and Susan Bones?" Hermione was really starting to wrack her brain for some crazy pairings.

"Draco couldn't handle a 'Puff. He thinks they're all sweet and innocent, but that girl would own him in a hot second." Ginny giggled. "And, really, Bulstrode? No."

"Oo, I've got one!" Ginny suddenly sat up. "Harry and Astoria or Draco and Tracy Davis."

"You've really got a thing for Slytherins, haven't you?" Hermione quirked her brow at Ginny. "I just want to know what it's going to take for you to figure it out."

Ginny glared at her. "It isn't like I'm picking out what to get everyone for Christmas, Hermione. Don't you remember what it felt like when Fred broke your heart? Well, try it double and with two people who you've always had feelings for! What no one gets is that you're asking me to split my heart in half and expecting me to be happy with the results! No matter what I choose, it will hurt like hell. Even if both of them moved on without me making my choice, then it still doesn't change the way I feel and maybe then everyone will finally figure out this isn't a game to me. Maybe it is to them, but it isn't to me. I'm fourteen and everyone is expecting me to make a choice that will define the rest of my life."

Ginny continued to lay on the bed and stare at the ceiling, a few tears mixed with hurt, anger, and frustration coming down her cheeks. She decided that she really, really needed a nap. Maybe sleep would give her the answers she wanted. It hadn't yet, but who was to say this time it wouldn't work?

Hermione left her friend in silence, knowing that everything that had been said needed to be said. She vowed to leave Ginny alone, for the time being, so she went to Fred. She was knocking on the twins closed the door before she realized how big of a mistake she could be making. George opened the door before she had a chance to run away.

"I may have made a mistake," Hermione said more to herself than to George. "I keep forgetting she's your little sister."

"What? Freddie, your girl's broken. I think you get to deal with this." George called back into the room, never really opening the door. Judging based solely on the scent emanating from the room, Hermione figured out that they were brewing up something they shouldn't.

"Mione? What's the matter, Luv?" Fred asked, opening the door wider and letting her in.

George made to leave, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. "No, you should really hear this from me and not whoever else may tell you."

"What's going on? You've got us worried." Fred asked, pulling her in close.

"I've upset Ginny and I am just now realizing that I'm running to one of her six older brothers for support." Hermione closed her eyes and breathed heavily through her nose. Then she realized what she'd said. "I mean two. I've run to two of her six older brothers."

"Haven't forgotten we're a package deal?" George laughed nervously.

"What'd you upset Ginny about?" Fred asked curiously.

"Harry and Draco had a discussion today. They were arguing over her and her future. I told her it was her job to pick, not theirs. I told her she wasn't an object and she shouldn't be satisfied with them fighting over her like that. I also told her that she was going to have to watch one of them move on. She ranted heavily at me, which she well should have." Hermione leaned her head into Fred's chest, eyes still firmly closed.

Next followed a tense few seconds where Hermione was beyond certain that Fred and George were having a mental conversation over her head. "Well, thank Merlin you said it! We've been waiting for someone to say it for months!"

"You idiot! She's known for months!" Hermione found herself parroting Ginny's previous rant, better understanding Ginny's explosion. "She's fourteen! She's fourteen and her brothers are treating her love life like a pick-up game of Quidditch in the back garden!"

"What does that mean?" George asked.

"It means, Georgie, that she's picking for the rest of her life or at least the rest of Hogwarts. She can't just switch boys next term." Hermione glared. "Merlin, is it nice being a boy and not having to worry about stupid things?"

"We have worries!" George exclaimed.

"Worries that end in you being labeled a sexually promiscuous fourteen-year-old because two boys like you at the same time?" Hermione cocked her eyebrow at him.

"George, this is one of those battles Katie warned you about. You're not going to win this because we're speaking two different languages." Fred stepped in, not really wanting his twin and his girlfriend at odds, mostly because he didn't know how to choose.

"So…" Hermione looked up sheepishly at Fred. "You don't mind if I sleep here tonight? I think she may need some time to cool off."

"I have absolutely no issues with that," Fred smirked and she smacked him on the chest.

"I wasn't actually asking you, Fred." Hermione smiled back. "I knew you wouldn't mind. I was asking George. It's his room too, you know."

"I have absolutely no issues with it," George smirked at his twin. "You make Freddie happy and I figure you'll be around for a while, so we may as well get acquainted."

Fred huffed indignantly, so Hermione smirked and George and said, "Ooh, we should have friend dates! Just the two of us. You can tell me embarrassing stories."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Granger," George smirked back.

"That's it out of both of you." Fred narrowed his eyes at his twin. "Let's get back to work on these potions."


December 24, 1995

"Remus Lupin! What are you doing here!" Hestia scolded quietly, trying her very hardest not to wake anyone up.

"I'm home for the holidays. Hope that's okay." Remus smiled sheepishly.

"Tonks has no idea you're here, does she?" Hestia asked, pulling a pan of cookies out of the oven.

"Where is she?" Remus growled.

"Out with my boys and that girl Bill brought home. She thinks her boyfriend has abandoned her for the holidays, so they took her out. Getting drunk in a show of solidarity. Let's hope that Tonks doesn't get so drunk she ends up in Charlie's bed. Again." Molly lectured, making her presence known.

Remus didn't answer, just turned and stormed out of Grimmauld Place, hunting for Tonks.

"He's going to piss himself when he figures out she's at hers after a 24-hour shift and your boys are at Bill's. You do know that, right?" Hestia asked, throwing ingredients in a bowl.

"At the rate that man is going, I'll be a grandmother before he gets Tonks. I'd rather like to see them get together before that." Molly rolled her eyes.

"You ever think that the reason you butt heads with the twins is because you're too much alike?" Hestia asked.

"Oh, I know that's why we butt heads. They're my little Prewitts. Just like Charlie." Molly smiled. "But I wouldn't have them any other way."


Kat: So, Gabs is off on a girls weekend with her sister and cousins, leaving me to do a/n's alone. I'm still sad she got to see Florida Georgia Line without me! Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter. Gabs and I really love to see them, even if it is just telling us thanks for the update!

Don't worry, Draco, Harry, and Ginny WILL be having a conversation next chapter about what to do.

We own nothing. Love us, and review.