Fifth Year

Chapter Four: Ron's Idea

A/N: I hope you like this chapter, this is where it starts to get good...or so I've been told ;-)

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Ginny had already gone up to her dormitory and had immediately fallen asleep. She was too busy thinking about Draco and what had happened between them that she didn't notice Hermione watching them from behind one of the bleachers. She had gone out for a little peace and quiet to study but instead had come across Ginny and Draco. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help herself. Hermione had seen everything, including the kisses. She was a little too far away to hear everything they talked about, but she caught a few words such as, "ball", and, "more than a friend,". This had confirmed Ron's suspicions about the two, and Hermione knew that Ron absolutely despised Malfoy and was really concerned about Ginny. She wasn't too fond of Malfoy either, but, Ginny was also one of Hermione's closest friends and didn't want to hurt her. She was thinking deeply about what she should do about the situation...pretend as if it never happened, or tell Ron. She couldn't come to a decision, so she decided to think about it later and in the meantime not say anything about it to anyone.

"Oh dear..." She thought.

"Things might get interesting around her soon,"

She shook her head and then realized it was almost past curfew, so she knew she'd better get up to her dormitory. She left the bleachers and headed up to bed.

When she arrived in the common room, she met Ron, sitting alone by the fire. "Hi," She said.

"Hi..." He replied.

"Is something wrong?"

"No...I'm just worried about Ginny,"

Hermione began to get very nervous.

"Oh, how come?" She asked, pretending as if she didn't know.

"It's Malfoy. I've seen them around eachother a lot lately, and I don't want him to do anything to her. I know what he's all about, and I don't want Ginny to get hurt," Ron grimaced.

"Well, maybe he treats her differently then us. I mean, we have been enemies since day one. Ginny hasn't really gotten to know him, so he might act much differently towards her,"

"That's just it, she hasn't really gotten to know him," Ron said.

"I don't know if he's treating her differently, but he's acted like the biggest prude towards us, and that's enough for me. I don't want Ginny near him,"

Hermione sighed.

"Well, do what you want to do, but Ginny has always been independent, and I hate to say it Ron, but I don't know if what you're doing is the best thing for her. I mean, the more you tell her to stay away from him, the more she will probably see him,"

"Not if I can help it," Ron said hotly.

"Goodnight,"

"...Goodnight"

They both walked up to their dormitories to go to bed, Hermione thinking, "He always has to have his way,"
~*~
The next morning at breakfast, Ginny sauntered into the room, grinning widely. She could not stop thinking about the previous evening, and she had butterflies in her stomach as she was excited to see Draco. Except she didn't know when she would be seeing him again. She walked over to her table and sat down next to Hermione.

"Good morning," She said brightly.

"Hi," She replied, happy but nervous at the same time.

She knew why Ginny was in such a good mood, and she hoped Ron would think nothing of her sudden joy. She served herself some bacon and eggs, and began to eat. Ginny served herself as well, and then looked over at the slytherin table. She spotted Draco towards the middle, whom, to her delight, was looking at her as well. Ginny began to turn red, smiling at him, trying not to look too shy. Draco grinned back at her, and then started eating his breakfast.

Ron came into the room and sat down across from Ginny, as always. He noticed how happy Ginny was and he hadn't ever remembered her being as elated as she was now.

"Why are you so happy?" He asked, chuckling a little.

"Oh, I was just given the impression that today would be a good day," Ginny lied.

"Okay..." Ron said, his suspicions rising.

"Say, Gin, where were you last night before you came up to the common room?"

Hermione accidentally dropped her fork onto the ground in panic. She scurried to pick it up, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Oh...I was studying," Ginny replied quickly.

"You seemed like you were dazed. You weren't paying attention to anything,"

"Some nights are like that,"

Ron looked at her in curiosity, wondering what was going on with her. Ginny could tell by the look on his face that he was beginning to get a little suspicious.

"So, who are you playing against first?" She asked him, trying to change the subject.

Ron groaned. "Slytherin," He replied.

"Oh," Ginny said.

Then a thought occured to her. 'That means I will get to see Draco play!'

Ginny finished eating her breakfast and stood up to walk out of The Great Hall. As she approached the exit, Draco caught up with her. She suddenly forgot what she was doing and the atmosphere around her. Butterflies began to swarm around in her stomach.

"Hey!" He said enthusiastically.

"Good morning," She replied happily.

"What's up?"

"Not much. Just getting ready for charms class,"

"Oh. I've got transfiguation next,"

"That's my favorite subject!"

"Really? Mine is potions,"

Ginny suppressed a giggle. 'Professor Snape?!'

"I'd better get going, I can't be late. I'll talk to you later, how about after lunch?" He asked.

"Sounds fine to me,"

"Great. See you then!"

And with that he walked away. Ginny sighed deeply. The way he walked, his eyes, his beautiful blonde hair, his kindness yet mischief at the same time, oh it was everything. She was totally falling for him.

Draco thought the same thing as he walked towards transfiguation. Her flaming red hair, those deep brown eyes, her smile...

He couldn't help but grin widely as he entered the classroom.
~*~
Ron had been watching Ginny leave, so of course he had seen her talking to Malfoy. He was so angry he could barely think. 'I told her to stay away from him!'

He stood up and walked quickly to his next class. "Ron, wait up!" Harry called.

He stopped to wait, as Harry caught up. He instantly noticed the redness in Ron's face and could tell that he was in one of his many moods.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"It's Ginny again! I saw her talking to Malfoy after breakfast,"

Harry couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed as he was getting to be obsessive.

"Look, Ron, I know that you don't like Malfoy. I don't either, but from what it seems like, I don't think he's done any harm to Ginny,"

"That's YET," He said rather loud.

"That doesn't mean he won't,"

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. He was clearly starting to get sick of this. 'He always thinks he's right!' He thought.

"Whatever," Harry said.

They walked to their next class, which was herbology. As they stood in lines waiting to be let in, Ron tried to think of ways that he could make Ginny stay away from Malfoy. 'I could try to get her involved in Quidditch...' He thought. But then he remembered that Ginny had no interest in the game.

'Maybe I could try to talk to her more...just overall find ways to distract her from Malfoy...'

But he knew that that idea probably wouldn't work. He was beginning to get frustrated. He turned to look at Harry to ask him a question, when an idea occured to him. 'Harry...' He thought.

'Ginny has always had a crush on Harry! I could ask Harry to ask her out on a date!'

It was a brilliant idea. He would get them to go on a date, and would try to get them involved in conversations. They would hit it off immediately! Ron decided to take his plan into action later, as Harry remained oblivious of the idea.

When they walked out of the greenhouse, Ron said, "Hey Harry, can I have a word with you later?"

Harry chuckled. Ron never talked like that.

"Umm...sure," He answered.

Ron smiled and walked back into the castle with him. Harry wondered why he was suddenly so happy and talking so strangely.

As they walked up to their common room, they passed Ginny who seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere.

"Where are you off to, Gin?" Asked Ron.

Ginny knew she wouldn't get away without him asking.

"I'm going down to lunch, where else?" She said.

"Oh...but lunch doesn't start in another ten minutes," Ron pointed out.

"Well I want to be one of the first in, I want to get a good seat,"

Ron gave her a funny look before she took off again. 'A good seat?? At the lunch table?'

Harry thought nothing of it(he didn't want to), muttered the password, and he and Ron entered the common room.
~*~
Ginny waited by the entrace to The Great Hall. She knew she had sounded incredibly stupid towards her brother and that he would be on her heels later, but she didn't care. She was anxious to eat her lunch fast so that she could see Draco. She hoped that Ron hadn't seen her talking with him earlier, as she knew she would receive another one of his lectures from him if he did. She set those thoughts aside and thought of Draco instead.

"I can't believe we're actually going to the ball together!" She thought.

Then she remembered something. "Oh no...what will Ron do?"

She paced around thinking about this for a while.

"I don't care. I'm going to be brave and stand up to him," She decided.

The doors to The Great Hall opened and she stepped inside. She was the first one there. Collin had just arrived and he quickly ran up to Ginny.

"Hey!" He said.

"Hello," She answered back.

"So, um, yeah, who were you thinking about yesterday during transfiguration?" He asked.

Ginny couldn't believe it and was annoyed at this. He never let anything go.

"I told you, it was no one,"

"Then why did you say that you were thinking about someone before, hmm?" He said slyly.

"Collin, why can't you ever let anything go for once?!" She exclaimed in anger.

Collin was taken aback. He just stood there and watched her walk away fast. He didn't mean to make her angry, he just wanted to know, and it made him mad that she couldn't tell him her secret because they were best friends and always able to tell eachother everything. He felt guilty and angry at the same time. He sat at the opposite end of the table(away from Ginny), because he didn't want to upset her any further.

Ginny sat down and served herself. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not there yet so she was sitting alone. She felt terribly bad about going off on Collin, but at the same time she was glad that she did it. "He needed to hear it," She thought.

"He is always so nosy..."

Then again they were best friends. Ginny sighed.

"Hey, gorgeous,"

Ginny felt like she was going to melt. It was Draco!

"Hi!" Ginny said excitedly, forgetting about Collin.

Collin immediately began focusing on what was going on between the two. This was Draco Malfoy, a slytherin, talking to Ginny Weasley, a gryffindor.

"So, are we still going to see eachother after lunch?" He said, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"You bet," She smiled.

"See ya,"

Ginny turned around and faced her plate. She couldn't eat. She couldn't think. Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco...

"What was that?!" Came an angry voice from behind her.

Ginny turned around and faced her brother.

"I was talking to Draco," Ginny said boldly.

"I know you were talking to Draco! Ginny, I specifically told you to stay away from him!"

"Ron, you are not my father, and if you have decided to make a scene in front of everyone here, why don't you do it sometime else, I'm hungry and I'm going to eat my lunch," She said defiantly.

"Gin-"

"She's right, Ron," Hermione interrupted.

"Leave it be for now,"

Ron scowled and sat in between Harry and Hermione. He was furious. Furious that Ginny had ignored what he told her to do, and furious that Malfoy seemed to think that he had the right to go and talk to his sister whenever he wanted. Then he remembered his plan. "Things will be changing around here soon," He thought.

His spirits rose a bit and he served himself some food and started eating.

End of Chapter Four