"Ron," Ginny said a week later sliding into the chair next to him in the Gryffindor common room.

"Yeah Gin?" Ron asked. Ginny took a deep breath. She had been trying to tell Ron that and Harry were an item for some time now, but she could hardly find any time alone with him and when she did manage to do so, she always lost her nerves. This particular time found Harry sitting on the other side working on Transfiguration with Hermione, whom Harry had already told, while Ron was sitting across the room doing Herbology so he could concentrate without Hermione distracting him. Or at least that's what he was telling Hermione, because Ginny could see Quidditch Through the Ages open on his lap. She caught Harry's eye and he violently jerked his head in Ron's direction mouthing 'TELL HIM' across the common room.

"Well um, I was, I just thought you should know. Er-"

"Huh?" he said obviously distracted

She took a deep breath "Harry and I are a couple," she sprouted and held her breath.

"Okay," he mumbled distractedly still reading. Ginny couldn't believe her luck. She quietly slipped away to join Harry and Hermione.

"You told him?" Harry asked in a whisper leaning over the table.

"What'd he say?" Hermione asked setting down her book and leaning her head in with Harry and Ginny.

"Just okay."

Harry chuckled, "Are you sure he heard y-"

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Came a yell from across the common room. Harry, Ginny and Hermione, along with the rest of the Gryffindor common room, turned their heads to see Ron standing up, Quidditch Through the Ages lay open on the floor.

"Shhhhh," Harry said, motioning him frantically over.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled when he had reached them. "Now what's this?"

"We're a couple," Harry said.

"A couple?" Ron replied dryly. "But Gin, you just got out of the Malfoy Manor, are you sure you want to be with someone?"

"Ron," Ginny scolded, "of course I do."

Ron didn't look happy about it but he mumbled something about he'd rather it was Harry than someone else and sat down at their table. Hermione curtly walked across the common room where she picked up Quidditch Through the Ages and Ron's Herbology book before slapping the later down in front of Ron with the command of "Study. We have NEWTs this year!" However, this grudging acceptance didn't stop Ron from pulling Harry aside on their way to Charms to tell him that if he hurt Ginny, or 'did anything like Malfoy did to her,' he could cease to think of Ron as a friend and start to think of him as a very upset older brother. Harry only smiled and told Ron he had nothing to worry about.

Potions was decidedly Ginny's least favorite part of the week. Snape was a right bastard and in the beginning of sixth year, students learned about potions that, although sometimes legal, were too dangerous to make or involved unfortunate side effects.

"The Vir potion's key ingredients," Snape's voice droned, "are frog spleen, snails and puppy dog tails along with erumpent horn. Mixed with water and a small amount of protein, it has numerous side effects for females, each one as unpleasant as the next. These include, extreme lightheadedness, temporary loss of judgment and extreme hair growth along with changing of one's hair color. It can also almost always cause an expecting female in her first trimester to miscarry. That is the main reason we do not brew it here at Hogwarts. In fact, it's not in any books that are in Hogwart's library." Ginny stopped listening. Although the smells in the potions' dungeon had always been rather fowl, she had just recently started feeling rather nauseus. "Of course the Vir potion has its uses too. It causes the drinker to overcome fears. The Ministry of Magic or other governments use it to cause frightened victims to testify in court. The most famous use is when Percival Peccadillo was under trial in 1387 and it was used to allow no less than 47 of his victims to testi—"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK A sound interrupted Snape's lecture.

"What is it?" he snapped flinging open the door to reveal none other than Draco Malfoy. "Mr. Malfoy," Snape said dropping the edge on his voice, "What do you require."

"I'm sorry Professor," Malfoy spoke up, "I wasn't aware you had a class."

'Liar,' Ginny thought, 'You somehow knew Snape had sixth year Gryffindors and that's why you're here; to terrorize me.'

"Well I do. Having acquired this information, do you think it might be prudent for you to come back at a later time?"

"Certainly Professor," Malfoy said in a voice dripping in fake sweetness. "You don't need any assistance now that I'm here though, do you?" He turned his head and sent a brief, malicious smile in Ginny's direction; so brief that Ginny wondered if she had imagined in.

'Say no. Say no!' Ginny pleaded silently.

Snape hesitated. "Actually yes, there are numerous test on my desk that need grading. I would be grateful if you'd grade them for me. There is a key next to them. I believe there's an empty desk next to Ms. Weasley, why don't you sit there." Snape said and continued with his lesson. Ginny tried to listen, she really did, but Malfoy was sitting next to her casually marking papers and she kept getting the feeling that he was staring at her, but whenever she turned around he was sitting there casually marking papers.

"Miss. Weasley," Snape called, "would you care to pay attention or is there something you find entertaining that you would like to share with the class?" The sixth years giggled.

"Uh, no sir. I'm sorry. I'll try and pay attention."

"Yes, and five points from Gryffindor to remind you to do that." The Slytherins laughed more while the Gryffindors rolled their eyes. Long time ago they had all agreed that loosing points from Snape was far too easy of a feat to accomplish and not worth being scornful over. For the rest of the lesson Ginny paid attention as best she could, occasionally jotting down a note or two about a particularly vial potion.

Draco Malfoy sat next to Ginny trying desperately not to look at her, not because he didn't want to, but because he was petrified of what would happen if he did anything and his father found out. It was torture, catching her red hair out of the corner of his eye and not looking up. He was certain he had marked a few wrong answers right and vice versa but he frankly didn't care. Never, not even in care of Magical Creatures, had he ever been so happy to hear the bell ring. It seemed Ginny felt the same way because she practically bolted from her desk and into the hall. He sighed; no doubt her little protection trio would be after him soon.

"Draco," Professor Snape said, "that was an interesting stunt you just pulled. I'm under instructions from your father to keep you away from that girl."

"I didn't know she was here Professor, even when I offered to help you." Snape raised a questionable eyebrow. "Honestly!" Draco protested. "I-uh- needed to talk to you about something, and the common room was becoming unbearable so I decided it'd be easier if I just stayed here." That wasn't a lie, he didn't have a clue that Ginny was in Snape's class when he knocked on the door and didn't see her until Snape suggested that he corrected papers on the desk next to her. He was actually there in order to flee from the Slytherin Common Room, where Pansy was being simply insufferable. Not in the mood to deal with her, he had decided it would be a good time to see if Snape knew anything about his recruitment. Snape nodded slowly in response to Draco's request to talk and shut the door with a wave of his wand.

"This room is soundproof Draco. What do you wish to talk about?"

"I want to become a Death Eater."

"I know this Draco, but you know I can't do much about it. Our Lord just doesn't trust me enough."

"I know that, but certainly you must know something about recruiting; you are the most likely candidate to get new Death Eaters to our cause."

"The Dark Lord trusts me with very little Draco, you know that. My tasks mainly involve the things your own father tells me to do, and he tells me to do very little besides inform him of Potter's and Dumbledore's activities."

"So you know nothing?" Draco said with his shoulders slumped.

"Well I talked to your father a few days ago and he didn't mention you not being initiated nor did he mention that you were to be initiated."

"So there's still hope?" he said with excitement.

"Yes," Snape said slowly, "Draco, are you worried your father won't let you become a Death Eater because of what happened with the Weasley girl?"

"Yes," Draco mumbled, "but it wasn't my fault! I know the Dark Lord wouldn't care; it's my father I'm worried about. He listens to my father and there's no getting around him."

"Yes, your father does yield much power in our circle doesn't he Draco?" Draco nodded, "I'll mention your achievements lately to him if you like but that's all I can do."

"Thank you Professor," Draco said as he got up to get the door.

"You're welcome Draco. Also, I would take care to stay away from Miss. Weasley. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger may not approve."

"I know," Draco said, "so that's why I've learned a few new hexes. Goodbye Professor."

"Goodbye Draco."

Professor Severus Snape sighed and went into his office once Draco had closed the door behind him. In some ways, Draco was nearly as dangerous as his father was, but this was a new side of him. He wasn't sure how to deal with him. The boy was critical; a lot of the Slytherins followed his steps. But hadn't he made a comment about wanting to leave the common room? He sighed again, taping a teacup with his wand so that it immediately filled with steaming tea. Oh how he wanted this blasted war to be over.

October came to Hogwarts accompanied by cold temperatures, storms and wind. But the trio, along with Ginny, was in good spirits. Ginny in particular was happy, despite waking up almost every morning feeling sick, which she assured herself was just the result of a bug. She had finally reached the point where Draco wasn't plaguing her thoughts at every turn.

Draco Malfoy seemed to realize this, for as he sat at the Slytherin table on dinner watching Ginny and Potter together, he didn't know he could hate someone quite so much.

"Draco," Pansy was saying, "Did you hear what I said?"

"Huh?" he said snapping back to reality.

"I said Pierre and I broke up." Draco shrugged.

"Well?"

"Well what?" he countered.

"Well aren't you happy, we can be together now!"

Draco fought the urge to laugh.

"Fine," he said.

"That's it? Fine? Don't tell me you're still after that Weasley girl!"

Draco turned to look at her horrified. Was he that obvious?

"Oh everyone knows about where she really was this summer, but she's with Potter now. Just look at her," she said nodding at the Gryffindor table. Draco did, indeed she was lounging with her head on Potter's shoulder and it looked suspiciously like their legs were intertwined. "Why keep longing after her. Surely she served her purpose, but she's really nothing more than a muggle-lover, almost as bad as a mudblood. I'm here now," Pansy, reminded him, "and I'm not just going to serve a purpose. She played games with you, didn't she? You know me; I'm not fake; I'll be here."

Draco tore his eyes away from Ginny and looked at Pansy. She was rather pretty, with curves in all the right places, and perhaps she would be nice to have around.

"Yes," Draco said sitting up straight, "we do make a good couple." Pansy clapped her hands together.

"I'll make you forget her," Pansy whispered, "I know you're still after her but you don't need to worry about her ever again."

Draco nodded and swallowed.

"We should be going," Harry, said, "Quidditch practice and all."

"You've got a match against Ravenclaw soon don't you?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes, and they're really good this year."

"But this time Harry won't be so centered on Ravenclaw's seeker." Ron said.

"He better not be," Hermione said with a glance towards Stephen Cornfoot, Ravenclaw's new seeker.

"No, but I will have a lovely lady in the stands to distract me."

"We both will," Ron said with a cheeky grin at Hermione.

Hermione laughed at the boy's obvious attempts to be charming, when they only came across as silly.

"They think they can butter us up so when they do look at other girls we won't get so upset!" she said.

"I know," Ginny laughed.

Harry chuckled good-naturedly and stood-up. The rest of the Gryffindor team followed suit and soon the table was void of Quidditch players.

Ginny and Hermione bid Ron and Harry goodbye.

"Ginny," Hermione said leaning across the table to whisper, "care to go the hospital wing? I need to get that potion from Madame Pomfrey. I swear that potion is great, but it makes it so easy to completely forget it's that time of month. I got a nasty little surprise in Transfiguration; I had to practically beg McGonagall to let me go the loo. It was horrible, I felt like a first year. How about you Ginny? Why don't you get some and save yourself the trip?"

Ginny fought to keep her face calm. When was the last time she had taken her potion? She knew for sure it wasn't at school, but there had been weeks in the Malfoy Manor that had been a complete blur. Could she have started and drunken a potion that she had no recollection of? There were times when she was simply delirious with loneliness and Zally was a prompt little elf. She could have cleaned up Ginny and her robes without her having any memory of it. Or perhaps it was when she had just gotten home, the week before school. Mum couldn't have easily have given her the potion without her remembering. It was so fast and easy, and so much a part of her life that any recollection of drinking the potion could have simply slipped her mind.

"Ginny?" Hermione said, "Are you okay?"

"What? Huh?" she said snapping back to reality to find Hermione giving her a queer look. "Yes, yeah, I'm fine. I was just trying to remember when I'd need mine, but I took it before I came to Hogwarts."

"Okay," Hermione said slowly.

"But you're right. I'll just grab some because I'll be starting soon anyways."

"Great, let's go." The pair stood and Ginny's mind resumed working out when the last time she had taken her potion was. She felt sick when the memory came to her.

"Mum!" She had called desperately running down the stairs. She needed her potion and she needed it now, "Mum!" she called once again only to be overridden by Ron calling, "Mum, Harry's owled me back. He's coming to stay with us in a week!"

"Mu-um!" she yelled again.

"That's good," Molly had replied to Ron.

"He said he's sorry but his uncle won't let us come by floo again."

"Mum!" she had yelled again.

"That's okay, we'll take a Ministry car. I don't think the Ministry would have it any other way for Harry Potter."

"MUM!" she yelled.

"What?!" Molly had finally yelled turning around to face her.

"I need my potion," she said quietly. It wasn't something one yelled about in a house full of brothers.

"Oh!" Molly had said, "I'm sorry dear. I completely forgot. Here you go deary," she said taking a vial down from the cabinet. "Drink up." Ginny had plugged her nose, for the potion had a vile taste, and down the contents in one chug. That very night Lucius had kidnapped her.

'So,' she thought, quickly doing the math in her head, 'that would mean I would have needed my potion during my last week at the Malfoys, during which I was completely and utterly aware of my surroundings, and again about two weeks ago.' She felt her stomach drop. 'It can't be!' she told herself in a panic, but it all made sense: the sickness, the odd cravings and her appetite being all over the place. 'I'm pregnant,' she said to herself, 'I've got part of Malfoy inside me and I will do everything in my power to rid myself of it.'

A/N: Okay, don't yell at me because Ginny wants to get rid of the baby. I AM A PRO-LIFER to boot!! However, as an author I have very concrete reasons for why each person is acting the way they do. Most of the reasons are obvious in my writing but if you are still curious feel free to e-mail me (celestialangelxv@hotmail.com) and I'll tell you EXACTLY why each character feels the way they do. I'm not trying to set up "good characters" and "bad characters" by their stance on abortion. If you'd like an e-mail update, review and leave your e-mail address in the review.