Disclaimer: I own nothing blah blah blah its all JK Rowlings blah blah blah

AN-ok I know I haven't thanked any reviewers in any of my chapters. I'm sorry, I don't want you to think I'm a horrible person, because I really do appreciate all of them. And as for me not updating often, I only write when I have a good idea. When I try to force myself so that I can update quickly, everything turns out like crap. Sooo Id rather gave good chapters that take a long time than have bad ones every day. That is all, thanks a bunch.

"Draco."

Ron watched her for a minute, utterly speechless. The combination of his surprise

of her responded and awakening met with the anger he felt at hearing Hermione speak his

enemy's name.

"Draco." When she spoke a second time, Ron snapped out of his comatose like

state and ran to find Madame Pomfrey. Nothing mattered right now other than making

sure Hermione was ok. Not the name she moaned in her sleep, not the mixed up

emotions he experienced right now due to revealing his feelings towards her, and not fact

that he could get punished for being out of bed this late. Nothing mattered more than

Hermione. He took off at a near neck breaking pace.

When he got to Pomfrey's room, which was positioned right next to the patient's

room in case she was needed, he could only manage two words, but they said all that

needed to be said. "She's." He took a deep breath and then continued, "awake."

Without question who 'she' was, or why Ron was out that late at night, Pomfrey

immediately walked to Hermione's bedside.

After a few minutes of checking on her, the nurse stated "She should be fully

awake and recovered by tomorrow morning. Until then, I think it's important that she get

as much rest as possible. I'm going to get the dreamless sleep draught, so she'll sleep

through the rest of the night. As soon as the woman was gone, Ron took one last look at

Hermione then walked out of the room. It wasn't that he didn't want to stay with her, but

he knew Pomfrey would take care of her. Ron had something else to take care of. As he

shut the door, he could be heard muttering, "He'll pay for hurting you Hermione. You

saying his name was all the proof I needed. I don't care if he was in class during the time

you were attacked, I know it was him. Yes he'll pay for this, I'll make sure of that." He

set off in search of the blonde Hermione had named in her sleep, clearly thinking that she

hadn't named him for comfort, but had named the attacker.

Meanwhile, Draco was finishing his discussion with Dumbledore and was

preparing himself to leave, and to face the rest of the long night. He was relatively

confidant in his Headmaster and his plan, which was far more than he expected himself to

be. Let's face it, Draco had spent his life thinking Dumbledore was a cracked up senile

old man, and so he had never really gone to him for help. But tonight it seemed

necessary. In actuality, senile was probably the polar opposite of what Dumbledore was.

It was as though he knew everything Draco was saying even before he told him. It

worked out in Draco's favor, because instead of spending time learning to trust and

convince each other, they just went straight into catching the guilty party of the attack.

Draco knew what to do, and he was as ready as he'll ever be to do it. But the

thought of the repercussions the entire school would face from his actions this night

would virtually rock Hogwarts from its foundation. But he was ready; he had to be

ready, for Hermione's sake.

He entered Gryffindor tower, knowing the password from Dumbledore. As it was

the middle of the night there were no shocked expressions at his entrance, no audible

gasps, just silence. Dumbledore had also told him that boys couldn't get up the girls

staircase, but he had told him the protective charm that would allow him to do so. Just

never use the charm for other um, instances. Despite the situation, Draco smiled at his

Headmaster's statement from earlier that night.

He was at the door of the 6th year girl dorm, and this was when he had to be extra

careful. It any of the girls woke up, other than the one he intended of course, the whole

plan would be compromised. He knew also that as soon as he walked through the door,

an act had to be put on. Taking a deep breath, he entered, and it was like a mask had

come down over his face, giving his features a sneering quality. Scanning the beds for

what he was looking for, his target was found almost right away. He slipped over to her

bed, and lightly kissed her. Lightly, but still enough to awaken her.

"Mmm.what? Draco?"

"Of course it's me. Expecting someone else? Well, even if you were its too bad,

because I'm here now. You didn't think I could stay away from you too long now did

you?"

"Well.I thought you and that mudblood" she spat out the word "had gotten

pretty comfy together. First living together, then kissing each other. I thought maybe

you had forgotten me." She smirked, cocky that he could never forget her, especially not

for some ugly mudblood.

"Come on now, we both know she was just a toy to me. Anyway, she had been

starting to become a real annoyance. I'm glad she got what she deserved. In face, if I

knew who attacked her, I'd get down on my knees right in front of them and thank them."

He smiled at her, willing her with his mind to say an incriminating sentence. Ginny

paused, then pulled his mouth down to hers for a deep kiss. She turned her head so that

her lips were right next to his ear, and just barely grazed him when she spoke.

"Then I guess you should be on your knees right now thanking me." Draco

shivered involuntarily when she did this. Ginny assumed it was because she had just

pleased him with her statement and her behavior. Draco knew that it was a shudder of

revulsion.

"It was you. Oh Ginny, you dint think anything you've ever done has made me

like you or want you more. What made you do it? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm

happy about it, but don't you think it was kind of.dangerous? You could get caught?"

He was baiting her again, just to make sure he had enough to get her in the trouble she

deserved.

"Well I couldn't have her stealing you from me now could I Draco? The bitch got

what she had coming to her. Everyone knows that. And how could I possibly get

caught?" She put on an innocent expression. "I'm the harmless little Ginny Weasley.

Couldn't harm a soul now could I?" The innocence slipped off her face and was replaced

with an ugly sneer.

At the exact moment Draco was hoping for, one of Ginny's roommates turned

over in her sleep. It was an opportunity for him to leave, and an excuse. "I better go

Ginny. You know I'm already suspected in this whole thing. I don't wanna give them

any reason to trace the attack to me. Better yet, to us. Then we couldn't be together."

He kissed her goodbye before leaving the room. Ginny turned over and went back to

sleep, thinking that everything was perfect and that she could never be caught for

anything. Little did she know that she already was.

In the Headmaster's office, Draco sat and was learning from Dumbledore. "It's

really simple, Draco. Just place the tip of your wand to your temple, focus on the

memory you wish to extract, and use the charm I taught you."

Draco did this, and a silvery string seemed to come straight from his mind out his

temple. He placed it in Dumbledore's pensieve, and looked at the old man expectantly.

They stared at each other a minute then without a word Dumbledore plunged inside to see

Draco's memory.

When he returned he looked at Draco and said, "Go to bed, and don't worry about

this. I'll send for someone, and she'll be gone in the morning. A formal announcement

will be made at breakfast, but you will not be mentioned for your actions. Unless you

want me to, of course."

"No, I'd prefer it if you didn't." Draco nodded to his Headmaster and then left.

He slowly walked to the corridors leading to his room. The events of the night flashed by

like a filmstrip in his brain. It had been the longest night of his life. He didn't think he

could take one more bit of drama, at least for a couple of hours.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't get what he was hoping for. Ron Weasley was

standing in front of his entrance portrait, with his want pointed directly at him.

"I always knew you were dirt Malfoy, but I never expected you to do what you

did to Hermione. You'll pay for hurting her."