A/N: Okay, first order of business, the double meaning chapter titles... Ch. 8 (The price of forgiveness) had two meanings, which were:  Ginny forgiving Draco for being a Malfoy and for caring about money (hence: PRICE of forgiveness), and the second meaning was more or less what Darcel said about Ginny having to forgive to be forgiven...And someone WILL forgive her.  We just haven't gotten to that part of the story yet. Hehehe I suppose that was unfair wasn't it? Well, I like being unfair.

50 points each to Darcel and mutsumi because though you two didn't get both meanings, you each got one, and you were the only two who bothered guessing so now I like you best!! (*JK*! I love all my reviewers the same!)

Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed Ch. 8...

Lioness-07863, Lawwwren, goobersprinkle, Herbie, mutsumi, hpdancer92, dan fan, Killer Angel, StarJade, Sparkle Tangerine, Lemon, Ladee Sakura Evenstar Night, kei-chan, NiteStar777, Jitterbelle, Kristen Michelle, Angel St. James, Hazel Eyed Witch87, h/g shipper (You should keep reading then because 1. There are some things you don't know about Harry and Cho's relationship and 2. Draco would NEVER be Freddie Prinze Jr. because I HATE HATE HATE Freddie Prinze Jr.), je, Darla Potter, I_luv_draco!!, KeeperOfTheMoon, Hermie13, GothQueen, Darcel, eva, LJHPotter, I cant Spell Anonymous, sugarquillgirl, I_luv_draco!!, StephanieCook, Linda (Okay... As to Harry being OOC I'll say it again to what I end up saying to a lot of people: Don't judge until the story is done.  In fact, something that could explain Harry's "OOCness" is revealed in this chapter.  And as for Cho being vile, you're right, I degrade her and she's not like this in canon.  However, this isn't canon, this is my story and this is my Cho.  If you don't like her than you're reading the wrong story), and dreamr4614

...You guys rock!!!

Aren't I quick? It only took me 3 days!! Enjoy this chapter! There are only 2 chapters left, and then maybe an epilogue. 

Disclaimer:  Check chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8. But they're all going to lead you back to Ch. 1 anyway, so just check Ch. 1.  

***

He is a great kisser.

That was the only thought running through my head. It was all I could concentrate on.  He knew exactly where to put his hands, and his lips and his tongue. 

I ran my fingers through his hair amazed at how silky and soft it felt under my touch.

Nobody in Hogsmeade mattered anymore; this was just about me and Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy.

"MALFOY!"

Draco pushed me away, and I looked up at him startled. I only saw him for a minute before Ron came charging out of nowhere, leapt on top of him, and knocked him to the ground.

"DON'T – YOU – EVER – PUT – YOUR – FOUL – MOUTH – ON – MY – LITTLE – SISTER – EVER – AGAIN."
 

"Ron, stop it!" I yelled, as punches were flying and I could no longer distinguish between Malfoy and Ron any longer, as they were just a mass of arms and legs and blood. "You're being stupid!"

Harry had jumped forward and was attempting to pull Ron off of Malfoy, until Malfoy ended up punching Harry, whether mistake or on purpose I did not know, and Harry had soon jumped in on the fight too. 

"Oh, Harry, don't!" Cho yelped from further back but as I looked back at her she seemed to look as though she were enjoying the fight.

I glared at her. "RON AND HARRY GET OFF OF DRACO."

I heard Ron from the tangle of bodies say in a syrupy voice, "Draco now is it? Dracy-poo maybe? Draccikins? Drac—ARGH YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT ONE!"

Draco had managed to whip out his wand and throw a stinging hex at Ron who now had what looked like a red burn mark protruding from his hand.

Harry had then taken out his wand about to mutter something as payback, but I leapt forward, took hold of his arm and dragged him out of the fight. "Don't you dare," I snarled.

"Get off of me Ginny," he growled.  Cho inched forward maybe hoping Harry would slap me or something but if anything, it would be the other way around.

"You get off my boyfriend, then."

"Why would I listen to you?" He was breathing hard, blood was trickling from his lower lip, and his left eye was close to being swollen shut.

"Because he did nothing to you.  You have no reason to be fighting him."  I would have yelled, but I felt too sorry for him once seeing the damage.

"I'm helping out Ron.  You know, you're brother who you seem to forget about lately."

I was livid. "Don't you talk about what you don't know! I have not forgotten Ron, and I will never... He's just being stupid."

"GINNY SHUT UP!" Malfoy yelled.

I turned to glare at him but his face got lost amidst another blow by Ron. "That's how we got into this in the first place, remember?" I said coolly.

And with no response from Draco I smiled satisfactorily and turned back to Harry, noticing the large crowd surrounding the fight, and that it was only a matter of time before a teacher got wind of it.

"Harry this is none of your business."

"Ginny, for once I agree with Malfoy. Shut the hell up," Harry spat.

I opened my mouth hotly to retort, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something.  Malfoy and Ron had stopped fighting.

Malfoy was glaring at Harry as though he was nothing more than a piece of dung, and Ron was staring at Harry a mixture of amazement and anger upon his face.

Malfoy got up, accidentally-on purpose kicking Ron as he did so, and walked over to Harry, pushing me out of the way.  His nose was nearly crooked thanks to the amount of times Ron and Harry had punched him and the blood pouring out of it was practically at a steady flow, his jaw was slowly turning a yellow-brown shade, and he was wincing every time he blinked.

"What did you tell her to do, Potter?" He said spitting out the name with loathing.

"You heard me."

Ron was standing up too, watching the scene unfold before him, not taking sides with Malfoy, but not attempting to stop him from hurting Harry.

"And what," Malfoy growled. "Makes you think you had any right to say that to her?"

"I've known her a little longer than you have."

Cho didn't look too happy anymore. "Harry," she breathed. "Like, really, I'm thirsty. Let's go back to the Three Broomsticks or something."

"No," said Harry licking his lips. "I want to see why Malfoy here thinks he has any control over what I say to Ginny."

Cho looked at me sourly like this was my fault.  Harry was the dolt who thought he could boss me around.  For some reason it was so much worse when Harry told me to shut up than when Malfoy did.

But Malfoy didn't punch or hex Harry, and the crowd around us was starting to thin out.  Malfoy sneered. "You get everything," he said.

"What?"

"Famous Potter," Draco taunted. "You get everything you want.  You couldn't get Ginny though, and that's what's killing you isn't it?"

Harry said nothing.

Malfoy's eyes were blazing with hatred. "Because she thinks you're shit," he spat. "And deep down, you know she's right."

My mouth dropped open and a feeling of nausea washed over me.

Harry kept his eyes level with Malfoy for a moment, he then turned to Cho. "C'mon," he muttered.

"But aren't you going to—" she began as though to ask why he didn't deny it or defend himself.

"Come on," he said louder, starting to walk away. She looked back at me, and then hurried after Harry.

"Drac—" I began.  I wasn't sure what I would say, especially with Ron right there watching but it didn't matter.

Draco didn't even bother explaining why he had to leave; he just turned and walked away.

"Ron I—" I started.

"Ginny, forget it," he mumbled.  "I lost control."

I bit my lip. "I wish you hadn't."

Ron stared at me for a second before shaking his head as though he couldn't believe that the girl who was kissing Draco Malfoy was his sister.

"I left Hermione down at Zonko's," he mumbled. "She's going to kill me." It was clear that she would since Ron seemed to come worse off in the fight, with his eyes large and swollen, blood trickling out of his nose and merging with the blood coming out from the side of his mouth. It would have been hard to hide it from her that he was in a fight.

And so I stood in the middle of Hogsmeade, feeling awfully alone, barely believing how quickly and horribly everything just turned out.

But as I was rooted to the spot, people moving around me and grumbling, only one thing registered in my mind.

My lips were still tingling from the earlier kiss.

***

I left Hogsmeade early and as I was walking back to Gryffindor Tower it became clear to me that I wasn't the only one.

"Malfoy?" I said surprised.  He was standing outside an abandoned classroom, his ear as close to the open door as possible without being visible.

He turned to stare at me for a second. "What are you—" I began but Draco cut me off by mouthing 'Shut up,' and nodding towards the door.

I then realized that familiar voices were leaking out into the hall. I stepped to the opposite side of the door, mimicking Draco as I put my ear right up to the entryway.

"And she's so stupid and ugly too, don't you think Harry?" Said a very prissy voice. "I mean her hair is like orange-red gross, like a rusty wire or something, like you know?" It became very obvious who was talking and what the topic was.

I looked down at my hair for a moment.  A rusty wire? Maybe a blazing fire, but not a rusty wire!

"Who was that creep she was with?"

"Malfoy," came Harry's dry voice. 

"What's his last name?"

I heard Draco make a noise of disgust in the back of his throat.

"Um..." I could just picture the look on Harry's face. "Malfoy is his last name."

I heard Cho gasp. "Cool parents! Malfoy Malfoy!"

"No..." Harry began. But he said nothing else so I had just assumed that he shook his head and gave up.

"He's way too hot for her."

Now it was me who had made the noise in the back of my throat. Draco seemed to be having mixed emotions.

"Cho," Harry sounded angry. "Just because she's obviously the perfect girl, doesn't mean you have to sulk."

"WHAT?" Cho and I said at the same time.  Draco shot me a glare but luckily Cho's shriek muffled mine, and Harry never heard me.

"She's not anything you say she is.  She's sweet, and cool, and funny, and easy to talk to, and beautiful..." I could practically hear Cho's mouth drop open. "She doesn't even know it."

I heard the sound of skin against skin and assumed that Cho had slapped Harry square across the face. "What he said was right!" She snapped.

"Who?"

"Malfoy Malfoy!" Cho growled, unaware of her idiocy. "He said you couldn't get her, and that's what's killing you.  It is, isn't it, Harry?"

"Cho I don't love you. I don't even like you." Something slammed against one of the walls, and I was pretty sure that Cho had hurled something at Harry.

"Then why were you with me?" She snapped.

"Because you had to make-up that god damn plan that ended with me breaking up with Ginny—"

"She was the one who believed it!"

"—So," Harry continued, unnerved. "I took you back just to dump you in the end, while at the same time getting back at Ginny for believing that stupid plan by making her think that I loved you."

I felt the color drain from my face and felt Malfoy's eyes on me.  Harry was only doing the same thing I had to him.  Except he was right. 

"You...You bastard!"

"I'm not the jerk here," he said fiercely. "What the hell did you tell Ginny?"

I could just imagine the evil grin playing Cho's face in light of everything. "Nothing," she said breezily. "Just that you hate her. That you were sick of her making fun of me, and us and that you wanted to pretend you were in love with her then when I came back from 'tending to my grandmother' we would reveal the whole plan to her." I felt the wall I was leaning against vibrate and I knew Harry must have slammed his fist into it. "But I told her that it backfired, that you really fell in love with her." She paused. "I guess that wasn't good enough for dear Ginny."

"Shut up."

"Too late now. She's with Malfoy Mal—"

"IT'S DRACO MALFOY HOW THICK ARE YOU?"

There was silence in which I was pretty sure Cho was trying to figure out what exactly Harry was talking about.

"Whatever," she said disdainfully. "Look, you know you love me."

"Oh god, no I don't," Harry spit out. "I can't even look at you."

Cho's voice dropped an octave into a sultry tone. "There was a time," she purred. "When you couldn't take your eyes off me."  I knew she was advancing on Harry just then and I was so close to retching.

"Yeah," said Harry loudly. "There was a time when I thought you were beautiful.  I thought you were smart, and nice too, so it just goes to show how stupid I was."

When Cho spoke her voice came out in a hiss. "You're going to wish you never met me Harry Potter."

"I already do."

In a huff Cho stormed out of the room, and Draco and I were immobilized on opposite ends of the door.  For the first time today luck was on my side and Cho walked straight out the door without turning, and headed right back to Hogsmeade where I assumed she would then apparate back to her house.

Draco motioned for me to follow him, but I was unsure if I could move my legs. "Weasley," he said in undertone. "He's not looking just run past the door."

I swallowed hard and followed Draco around a corner not even getting to catch a glimpse of Harry inside the room.  

Draco peered around the corner, returning back into view half a minute later. "He's left," he muttered shaking a stray piece of hair out of his eyes.

I sunk slowly to the floor.

"I – uh – well I guess you're going to... Bye," Draco mumbled.

I shot off the floor. "WHAT?"

"I figured you needed to be alone."

"I need you," I said honestly.

Malfoy widened his eyes. "Why?" he said harshly.

"Because...Do you think he...I mean," I stumbled for a second unsure how to ask. "Do you think he loves me?"

Malfoy made no movement except to stare at me for a few moments. "You were there too," he said finally.

How could I tell him that I just needed to make sure I didn't imagine it? "I don't want to guess anymore. I don't want to be wrong again."

"How am I supposed to—"

"Draco?" I pleaded.

Malfoy didn't answer for a while. "Yeah," he sighed, resigning. "He's crazy about you, Ginny."

We just looked at each other for a long time because we both knew, in an unspoken agreement, what I would do. Find Harry and get him back, it was the point all along. I looked up at him and swallowed hard. "So this is... it?"

Draco shrugged and looked away for a moment. "Well, hey, if Potter ever turns stupid again, you know who to owl. Of course, in my opinion, Potter's always stupid, so..." he trailed.

I laughed, but felt more like crying, and I had no idea why.  Just that once I left to find Harry, that would be it between my on and off relationship with Draco.  Some parts of it felt so real, and I couldn't get that kiss out of my head.

Shouldn't I have been feeling differently, when I had just discovered that Harry loved me? He loved me.

"So... I'll see you, Gin."

I nodded, but I knew it wasn't true. A tear rolled down my cheek, and I hated myself for crying in front of him.

Malfoy looked frustrated. "What's wrong?"

"It's not true," I whispered.

"What isn't?"

"We won't, Malfoy. You know it. We won't see each other again. Because -- Because you're a Malfoy, and I'm a Weasley. And just for that, we can't see each other again. Because of the rivalry in our families. And because..."

"You're in love with Potter," he finished.

I wiped at a tear. "I'm going to miss you, Mal -- Draco." 

He laughed. "Don't be so sentimental. We go to the same school. I'm not dying."

I smiled. He was so typical, trying not to be too soft, and desperately upholding his reputation. But I noticed that the gray in his eyes was fading.

"Now go back up to the Gryffindor Tower and find Potter."

I nodded.

"But don't just take him back," Draco said. I looked up at him. "Make him beg for you."

I laughed quietly.

I took one last shuddering breath before turning away. I had barely made it five steps before I heard Malfoy again.

"And Ginny?" He said.

I turned around. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to miss you too."

I smiled. "Yeah."