A/N: Erm... no Draco in this part. Sorry. Wish I could have gotten past it, but this is an extremely important chapter and reasons that may or may not make sense, Draco would have messed things up. I promise I'll make up for the lack of Draco/Ginny interaction in part six. (And when I say make up for it, I mean big time) This wasn't easy to write, probably as it bridges two 'stages' in the story, and also serves as the beginning of something resembling actual plot.

You ought to know by now that I don't wait around

Drag my heels, hold my breath and hang out underground

You think I think too much, I think we'll wait and see

From here to there I'll take a piece of all that's in between

Never say never and don't wait forever

It's an open mind that sees that now is the time

To take a chance, take a shot, take control of the situation

I can't stand around here telling you

About the things I've done and what I got to do

So are you on the bus or not?

'Cause we're leaving the station

Don't leave yourself behind and don't get in the way

Tomorrow's coming fast to take away today

You say I want too much, but I want you to see

That if you want to come with me, you're gonna have to leave

Never say never and don't wait forever

It's an open mind that sees that now is the time

To take a chance, take a shot, take control of the situation

I can't stand around here telling you

About the things I've done and what I got to do

So are you on the bus or not?

'Cause we're leaving the station

'Cause we're leaving the station...

So are you on the bus

So are you on the bus or not

'Cause we're leaving the station...

You think I think too much, I think we'll wait and see

From here to there I'll take a piece of all that's in between

Never say never and don't wait forever

It's an open mind that sees that now is the time

To take a chance, take a shot, take control of the situation

I can't stand around here telling you

About the things I've done and what I got to do

So are you on the bus or not?

'Cause we're leaving the station

Leaving the station...

Evan and Jaron- On the Bus

The Muggle radio, Arthur Weasley's latest piece of 'rescued' equipment, was playing 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' and Ginny was ready to fling the damn thing out the window. The song's message was working on just about every person in the Burrow except her- apparently whoever had written the song had meant 'We wish you a merry Christmas, unless of course you happen to be Virginia Weasley.'

It was Christmas Eve and her parents had insisted that every one of their children stay at their house for the holiday, along with Harry and Hermione. Normally Ginny would have loved this, but it meant that it was impossible to get five minutes at a time to herself. Ever since what she'd dubbed 'The Incident,' she'd become introspective, puzzling, analyzing, not wanting to talk to anyone lest they interrupt some new piece of debris that floated out of her churning sea of thought.

The living room was probably the worst place she could possibly be right now- Fred and George had begun a noisy game of Exploding Snap. She wasn't sure they'd noticed her; she thought she'd caught that oh-so-familiar 'Uh, oh, Ginny's thinking, leave her alone before she bites your head off' look from George, but she wasn't positive.

"It's snowing," she announced suddenly, sitting up on the sofa and looking out the window.

"We're related to a genius," Fred remarked absently. "It's called winter, Gin. Happens every year about this time."

"I'm going outside," she said, attention still focused on the snow.

She grabbed her coat and boots from the back entry and stepped outdoors. The air was frosty and she entertained herself for a few moments by watching her own breath vaporize.

I wonder where Draco is?

She shook her head vigorously. She was not going to get on that track again. She needed something to do, some distraction...

She settled on building a snowman in the front yard.

It took about twenty minutes to build the actual structure and another ten to add arms and facial features.

One of the pebbles dropped off, transforming the snowman's cheerful grin into a mocking sneer. Ginny contemplated for a moment then realized it bore a scary resemblance to Draco.

"Erg!"

She shrieked angrily and drew her hand back. Her aim was perfect, and its head flew a good six feet, landed in the road, and splattered.

Oddly satisfied, she turned back to the house.

"Ginny! Where were you?" Her mother was busily moving around the kitchen.

"Outside."

"Doing what?"

"Oh," Ginny replied absently. "Just thinking."

"Hermione's looking for you, dear. She's upstairs, I think."

Ginny shrugged her coat off and deposited it on its respective hook before heading up the stairs. "Hermione?"

"In here." The voice came from Ginny's own bedroom, which the two of them were sharing.

Ginny stepped inside. Hermione was curled up in an old armchair, clad in jeans and a sweater. She was barefoot, a book open on her lap, and she looked extremely comfortable. Ginny allowed to herself that she was jealous- it had been a couple of years since she regularly used this room, but it was hers.

"Something wrong?"

Ginny flopped on her bed. "Just me being territorial."

Hermione laughed. "You? Territorial?"

"Comes with being the only girl in a family with six- five brothers. You protect what's yours."

"You miss Charlie." Damn. Trust Hermione to catch that slip-up.

"Yeah."

Hermione shifted positions. "I know something's bothering you, Gin."

"Good for you." Ginny began picking at the lint on her sleeve, wondering if there was a de-fuzzing spell she could use.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No."

Hermione picked up her book again. "All right."

After several minutes, Ginny couldn't take it any more. "Fine, fine, I'll talk."

Her friend set her book down, unable to hide a triumphant smile. "So what's wrong?"

Ginny thought for a moment about how she'd word this. Jumping straight into the explanation might not be wise. "Everything. I told you about the whole balding-idiot situation, right?"

"Yes. Does this have to do with it?"

"Sort of." She buried her head in her knees. "The problem is, I've got the power to get so many people angry with me, and I can't even enjoy it."

Hermione stifled a laugh. "What happened?"

"It wasn't my fault," Ginny evaded.

"Okay, Gin, it wasn't your fault. Now what happened?"

Ginny mumbled something unintelligible.

"What?"

"I said Draco Malfoy kissed me." God, I sound like I'm five years old. Don't go near boys, Ginny, they have cooties...

Hermione inhaled sharply. "Oh. That's..." she moved her mouth for a moment without making any sound. "You're serious?"

"Yes."

"Well I can see how you'd be angry- you are angry, aren't you?"

"More than I ever have been." She paused. "I haven't even told you the worst part."

"It gets worse?"

"Much worse." Ginny stretched out and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow, then mumbled something else that Hermione couldn't understand.

"What?"

"I said the worst part is, I enjoyed it."

"You enjoyed it," Hermione repeated.

"Very much so."

"Draco Malfoy kissed you," Hermione said, "and you enjoyed it?"

I believe we've established that fact, Hermione. Could we please move on?"

"But how-" Hermione shook her head. "I just don't see how you could enjoy it! I mean, he can't be all bad, Harry doesn't seem to think so-"

"Oh Harry," Ginny interrupted with disgust. "I'm tired of everyone going by Harry's opinions. Just because he's the bloody Boy who Lived. I know for a fact that Harry hates pickles and I happen to love them. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No, but I trust Harry's judgement more than most people."

"Harry's judgement has nothing to do with this," Ginny snapped. "I'm leaving."

"All right."

It occurred to Ginny that she was storming out of her own bedroom, and also that she'd been rather unfair to Hermione, but she wasn't feeling reasonable.

Storming down the hallway, she nearly ran head-on into Harry.

"Sorry, Gin," he said, and continued.

"Sure," she muttered and continued on her way. Suddenly, she pivoted and asked "Can I talk to you about something?"

***

The temperature outside hadn't climbed since she'd gone in- if anything it had grown colder.

"Ginny?"

She glanced sideways at Harry, thinking. "Over there." She pointed to a pine tree. It took him a minute before he figured out what she meant, and he followed her and began climbing up the branches after her.

"Why are we up here?"

"Privacy. This is important." Her branch swayed with the wind and she nearly fell off, then managed to right herself.

"What's going on?"

Ginny didn't answer. Harry tried again. "Ginny?"

"Why me?" she burst out.

"Why you?" Harry asked. "I don't think I understand."

"You wouldn't." She ripped a glove off with her teeth and began fussing with her coat's zipper.

"Gin?"

"I want you to tell me the truth about the whole situation with Draco Malfoy not being evil simply because you don't think so." Well that was an interesting way of putting things.

Harry blinked. "Um..."

"Well?" She faced him angrily.

"I think," he said slowly, "that the only person who has any right to explain that is Draco himself."

Ginny thought for a moment. "I'm really starting to think that being evil would have its benefits. Then I could just torture it out of you."

Harry laughed uncertainly, unsure whether or not she was joking. Judging by the death glare she shot him, she wasn't.

***

Ginny managed to fake her way through the rest of the evening, complementing her mother on her cooking skills, laughing automatically when the twins magically gave Ron's hair a red and green Christmas motif without him noticing, pretending to listen to Percy's droning.

She was extremely grateful when it grew late enough for her to excuse herself and go to bed, but found she couldn't sleep. The past week's events kept weaving themselves into her thoughts, making it impossible to drift off...

After several hours, she grew fed up and decided to go downstairs; perhaps she'd be able to find something to read on the bookcase. She noticed that Hermione had never returned to her room and briefly wondered why, but decided it wasn't her business.

At first glance she thought the living room was empty, but within seconds she became aware of the sound of breathing. She moved further into it.

Harry and Hermione were curled up on an old recliner, both blissfully asleep. His arm was thrown over her protectively, and her head was resting under his chin. An odd emotion, part sadness, part jealousy, swelled up inside Ginny and she felt an odd burning at the back of her throat.

She headed back to her room, blinking away tears. She still couldn't sleep.

***

Christmas was Ginny's favorite day of the whole year, and even with the culmination of recent events she managed to enjoy it. After opening presents and eating breakfast, she ended up being dragged outside by Hermione, who had been talked into having a snowball fight by Ron and Harry and didn't want to face them alone. They spent a few hours generally acting like hyperactive eight-year-olds and eventually collapsed, exhausted, on a pile of shoveled snow near the front walk.

Ginny was lying on her back, staring at the clouds. She briefly wondered if Draco was enjoying Christmas then decided no, dammit, this was her holiday and she was going to spend it without him ruining it.

Hermione was sitting next to her, knees folded against her chest. Ginny grinned at her and said, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

Hermione smiled back. "It's okay."

She rolled over and faced Harry, who looked rather confused. "Harry, I owe you an apology as well."

"Don't worry about it, Gin."

Mystified, Ron asked, "Did I miss something?"

"Aren't you always missing something?" Ginny asked. "Although if you feel left out, Ronnikins, I suppose I could offer you an apology that you were ever born." She rolled over on her back once again. "That cloud looks like a walrus."

Still confused, Ron appealed to his friends and said, "No more eggnog for Ginny, okay?"

"It was the fruitcake, really," Ginny replied, noticing that she seemed to have a great deal of manipulation over this conversation, and loving it. She giggled and closed her eyes, then felt something icy cover her face- Ron has covered it in snow. She swore at him then sprang up and snatched an icicle off the garage roof, then began sucking on it.

"You really shouldn't eat those," Hermione said.

"Don't care." She bit off a piece then tossed the rest into the snow. "I'm going inside."

The second she was in the door, she ducked back out and said, "It's okay, you can have you're 'What's wrong with Ginny' conversation without me listening. I know the spiel by heart anyway." Giggling madly, she shut the door.

***

Once again Ginny couldn't sleep.

She lay on the sofa downstairs, idly flipping through the book Hermione had given her for Christmas. Sleep, she told herself. You need to sleep.

Someone stumbled in. Immediately, Ginny dropped her book and closed her eyes, feigning sleep. She didn't want either of her parents catching her awake at three o'clock in the morning, lest they give her the 'I'm worried about you, Ginny' talk.

"Can't sleep either?"

She opened her eyes. Bill. Bill was safe, Bill wouldn't lecture her. Bill, next to Ron, was probably the brother she was closest to, perhaps because of the oldest-youngest child relationship.

"No," she admitted, sitting up to make room for him. "What's your excuse?"

"A lot of things." He stared at the fireplace, where a few feeble flames still licked at the remnants of logs. He muttered pointed his wand at it and muttered a spell, and it blazed up again.

"How's Egypt?"

"That," Bill said, "is the one question I hate. I don't ask you 'How's Britain,' do I?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay." He yawned, and continued, "Egypt is... stressful"

"How?"

"Lot of suspicious activity. Gold's been disappearing. A couple of people got threatening letters. Anonymous, of course. You probably wouldn't have heard anything, as they're trying to keep it toned down."

"Dark wizards?"

"Who knows? After Harry killed You-Know-Who that kind of thing hasn't happened nearly as much. And if it does, the Ministry keeps it covered up." He glanced sideways at her. "Why're you up?"

"I can't sleep."

"Obviously. I heard about the whole Graham thing. You don't know why he doesn't like us, do you?"

"No idea."

"His grandfather was a big You-Know-Who supporter. Not many people know, he tries to keep it quiet. Dad did a raid on his house- his family lost a lot of money because of him."

"I didn't know that."

"I didn't think you did. I was only about ten at the time, you weren't even born. Apparently he carries grudges."

"I never did like him."

"Didn't think so. Can't say I blame you." He drifted into thought. "Any success with the job search?"

"Nope."

"Hmmmm." He shook his head. "Nah."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Ginny hated this kind of reaction to her questions. "Really, Bill, what were you going to say?"

"Have you heard of that school they opened in Egypt?"

"Hermione was telling me about it a couple months ago."

"You've always been good with kids, Ginny. Dad always thought you'd make a good teacher. Did you ever consider it?"

Ginny thought for a moment. "Yes," she said finally. "Yes, I did." Being an Auror had held the attraction of being the first person in her family to do it. She allowed that that was one of her primary reasons- none of her brothers had done it first.

"You did well in Defense Against the Dark Arts, didn't you?"

"It was my best subject."

"I wonder-" Bill paused. "They're short on staff.. I think if you applied for the position you'd have a good chance of getting it."

Ginny contemplated this, then said, "So what's wrong?"

"Can you imagine Mum's reaction if I took you there? You're her only daughter, her baby-"

"I'm perfectly capable of getting there on my own!"

"No," said Bill. "You aren't. It's in a protected spot- it's associated with Gringotts, since the parents of most of the students work there. And they're security freaks."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to inform you that I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

Bill sighed. "You've known about this, what, three minutes? And you've already made a decision? Ginny, that's not nearly enough time to think this over rationally."

"Rational thought," Ginny said, "is highly overrated. If you're rational all the time you never have any fun."

Bill gave her a withered look. "I'm going up to bed. Somehow I feel tired now." He glanced back at her. "Try to get some sleep, Gin. I'm leaving at nine, with or without you."

***

The day after Christmas was always depressing for Ginny, but this year she was the first person in the house up. She'd managed to get a couple of hours' rest, complicated with strange dreams that involved her decapitated snowman coming back to haunt her.

"Ginny? What's the rush?" Her mother asked. "I know you're going home today, but don't you at least have time to eat breakfast?"

"Already ate, Mum." She hadn't- she'd been too nervous, but her mother didn't need to know that.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked curiously.

"Everything's great," Ginny replied, with a little too much emphasis on the word great. "I've got to go, bye everyone!"

'Everyone' consisted of her mother and Percy, who was just coming down the stairs.

Back in her apartment, Ginny rushed around, shoving enough clothes for a few days into a suitcase. She checked her reflection in the full-length mirror in the bathroom. She was wearing one green and orange striped sock and one blue one patterned with pink flowers, and her ponytail was crooked. She didn't care- she had just enough time to Apparate back to the Burrow and think of some excuse story pertaining to her return.

A knock sounded on the door.

Annoyed, Ginny almost didn't answer it but changed her mind. It was lucky that she did, because Bill was standing at the door.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Is a simple 'hello' too much to ask?" she replied.

"It is when the train leaves in five minutes and you've taken a detour to pick up your sister because you know she's too disorganized to be on time on her own." He smiled at her. "Ready?"

"Yes."

"Your socks don't match."

"I know." She stepped outside and shut the door. "Shall we go?"

"We have to. Now." He glanced impatiently at his watch. "Let's move."

Ginny turned the key in the lock and followed him down the hall.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, unless of course it's something that's mine that was mentioned in previous chapters.

Next Chapter: Lots and lots of Draco, snogging, the return of someone you probably thought was gone for good, more actual plot development, and those annoying pop-up tents that you're supposed to be able to put up in five minutes but naturally can't because you're missing a pole or else the ground's too hard for the stupid plastic stakes and they snap in half or won't go in at all. And we find out more about Draco's shady past.

Thanks to: legallyblonde (It'll happen again and soon), silverdragon778 (Well, here it is...), darker child (Wait a few chapters and see if you really want to fight Ginny for him!), DaemonGirl (Does your name by any chance have to do with the His Dark Materials series?) Reia (Gush must be put to death alongside good Draco. Wanna help?), Ophelia (Yes, I remembered. Draco just didn't think there was anyone better out there. He's beginning to see how wrong he is), rocket_queen_12 (You check that often? I must say, I'm honored!) Gemini Mari Finalle (So am I; she's one of my favorites), Artemis Tigre (Chocolate rules! Go hyperness!) and Lynwood (It amused you that much? I might actually do it. And you called my story ART! That's just about the best review I've ever gotten!)

Another really important note: No, Draco is not going to die, nor is Ginny. I don't care if I'm giving anything away, but one or two people have expressed concern and you can trust that I'd never ever do that to them. If anyone dies, it'll be someone who is portrayed in a negative way in this series.

Plus Draco and Ginny are fun to write.