IM BACK FROM AUSTRALIA!!!! Wow. Those three weeks went by really fast.... Anyways I'll try and get back on a roll with the story, I bet no one's even reading it. I barely remember what's happening with my story.... I'll have to read back.

Unlike my last chapter hinted, I didn't get ANY reviews in the three weeks I was gone. Come on people, at least humor me. Dude this incense smells so good, its strawberry and it actually smells like strawberry. Normally incense just smells like smoke to me... whoa I just reread chapter seven and it was SO CORNY! Plus there's spelling mistakes all over the bloody place.

Ginny's P.O.V.

Chapter nine: Training Camp

I was glaring again. I seemed to be glaring a lot recently, especially at things that can't tell I'm glaring at them, like trunks and doors and staircases and the other side of the compartment. Which is what I was currently partaking in glaring at. I was grouchy because I hadn't been able to find my friends on the train, normally we made plans to meet before we even get on the train but the delay had messed that up and I was sitting alone in a compartment looking like a reject.

Way before I was done glaring, the door burst open and Ashley trudged in, looking delighted. "Ginny! Jesus, where the hell have you guys been? Do you know where the rest of 'em are?" She said without giving me a chance to reply.

"No, I've been sitting here alone, but I'm SO glad to see you!" I got up and pulled the other side of her trunk up and helped her throw it up into the luggage rack.

"We should go look for them again, give us something to do." Ashley hated sitting still on the train which resulted us in wandering the train most years.

"Surely. Lock the trunks." We locked our trunks and strode into the corridor that leads to the rest of the compartments. I looked through the windows and saw some other friends, and people I didn't know and people I hated. It was odd that there was no Harry and no Ron and Hermione arguing and no Malfoy coming to pick a fight with Harry.

We walked around, looking into compartments and saying hi to people. Ashley stopped and talked to a Steven kid she was friends with, and I bought some licorice off the lady with the cart.

"So, what did you do over Christmas break?" Ashley asked.

I opened my mouth to answer but what was I supposed to say? Finally I just cracked up. Ashley raised her eyebrows and looked at me like I was crazy. "Well, it's kind of hard to say." By this time we were back at our compartment and settling back into our seats.

"Well we have plenty of time, you might as well tell me." Ashley took a rubber band off her wrist and pulled back her dark curly hair.

"Well, remember how I hate Malfoy?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes."

I got up and made sure no one was listening. "Ashley, you can't tell ANYONE this, other wise the person I'm going to tell you about will probably end up getting killed. This is serious." She looked slightly skeptical. "It is! NO ONE other than you and Sky and Shann and Vana after they get here can know this! He'll get killed! I'm not even kidding!"

"Ginny! Whoa whoa whoa, clam down I wouldn't tell anyone even if it wasn't a big deal. Have any of us ever told your secrets, or anyone else's for that matter?" Ashley asked.

"No. Sorry, I know you wouldn't. But he could get KILLED if this gets out so we have to be very careful." I was starting to regret deciding to tell my friends about Draco, I wanted to but I wasn't sure if I should, even though I knew for a fact they wouldn't tell anyone.

"Well why don't we start by you telling me who we're talking about. It's not that Malfoy prick is it? That'd be really weird."

"Well it is that Malfoy prick. Only he's not a prick anymore." Again, Ashley looked skeptical. "A few days after Christmas I think, Dumbledore was going to bring a person that was coming over to our side to our house since he had no where else to stay that was safe, and our house was really safe after all the spells on our house from the attack on Christmas."

"You got attacked on Christmas?!"

"Yes, but that's a different story, let me finish."

"Sorry, but by Death Eaters?"

"Yes. Anyways though he wouldn't tell us who he was and of course none of us would ever have guessed Malfoy before he came out of the fireplace and we all thought Dumbledore was crazy. Dumbledore said he'd come to our side at a huge risk to himself and that he trusted him so we should all trust him and at least be civil."

"Don't tell me everyone thinks Malfoy's good now." Ashley said scornfully.

"Well, no not everyone I don't think Harry really believes it yet-"

"Well I can see why! Think of all the things Malfoy's family has done!"

"Exactly! Malfoy's FAMILY has done!" I knew that Draco had some pretty nasty things on his own but it all went back to what his father wanted him to do.

"What about all the things Malfoy did though? He wouldn't have blinked an eye if Harry or Ron or Hermione or you or me or anyone else had been killed right in front of him! He hated us!"

"He didn't like us because his father didn't want him to! If his father hadn't been such an ass, then Draco wouldn't have been because he was just under his father's orders."

"I don't believe you." Ashley crossed her arms stubbornly.

"You wouldn't, but if you met him and hung out with him as much as I have for the past bloody month you'd agree! It's not an act either; he's done things that have proved that to me."

"Like what?"

"Like-" I had no intention of bringing up the night at the lake.

"See! You can't think of anything!"

"Yes I did but I'm not about to tell you!"

"You did something with him didn't you!" She looked disgusted but amused never the less.

"No! Ashley you're gross!"

"Skylar is worse."

"I know but you're still gross!"

"Then what?!"

"Well you know how I like to go to that lake?"

"Yup."

"Well I went out at night one time and Malfoy followed me but I didn't realize it until I got to the lake and he tapped my shoulder. I freaked out and thought he was trying to attack me and I did the arm twisty thing."

Ashley winced. "Ouch, nice one Ginny."

"I yelled at him and asked what he was trying to do and he said he thought someone was kidnapping me-"

"Oh what bull shit! What kind of story is that?" I was beginning to think the scornful skepticism on Ashley's face was stuck.

"I know, I know but he said he heard me and didn't want to risk it and I asked him why he followed me after he knew I was fine and he said he was going to talk to me all defeated like, and so I had to believe him, he wasn't doing anything. If he'd wanted to do anything to me he would have done it while my back was turned."

"That's true."

I started talking really fast, trying to curb my growing embarrassment. "Anyways I sat down on that bench and was just sitting there and after a while he sat down and he was about as far away from me as he could get without falling off the bench-"

"That wouldn't prove to me that he was nice."

"What do you think he should have done, sat on my lap?"

"True again."

"Anyways! We were sitting there and we got to talking about who I thought he was and I talked on forever about how he'd changed and I finished by saying 'I guess I'd like to find out.'"

"Only you would get into to a conversation with Malfoy about who he was." Ashley said, shaking her head.

"Shut up. Stop interrupting me." I started talking even faster, this was embarrassing. "And all the sudden we were really close and I swear to god he was going to kiss me but he-said-I'd-like-you-to-find-out-and-left." I looked determinedly at my feet.

"Well he didn't take advantage of you, that's good." Ashley said.

I looked at her. "You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Well, your smarter than most and I don't think you'd jump into something without looking and if he does anything to you he won't have to worry about anyone else killing, I'll do it for them."

"Are you implying that I like him?" This is not were I was hoping the conversation would go.

"You're going to deny that are you?" She asked, laughing.

"Yes I am! I didn't have anything to do with that kiss!"

"So you really did kiss!"

"NO!"

"Okay! But I think you like him."

"You just go and think whatever you want. But you can't tell ANYONE about this, don't even talk about it because if it gets out his father might find out and his father would kill him if he found out where he was."

"I won't tell a soul, I will forget I heard it."

"Good."

"So, how is everyone else getting on with this new and improved Malfoy?" Ashley threw her legs out onto the rest of the seat and stretched out.

"Well, I don't think it would have gone as well as it did if people that hadn't known him were there. Remember Vi?"

"Yup."

"Well her and Alana and Meg warmed up to him right away, since they didn't really get the gist of what he's done. Harry almost had heart attack, but after awhile everyone got used to it. Except Harry and Ron, they're still kind of pissed at him."

"Well that's good. If you and Dumbledore think he's fine, then I believe you. We should try and get peace wherever we can, since there seems to be a lacking of it."

"Gandhi."

"Shut up."

"It's true."

"I know, but it's a GOOD thing. So shut up." Ashley's nickname had been Gandhi for a long time, I didn't even remember when it had started.

"Oh! Did I ever tell you Ron proposed to Hermione?"

"No! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard, I didn't ever think he'd do it 'cause he was so oblivious for so long." Ron and Hermione's thing for each other was widely known for along time except, of course, by them.

"Yeah, Fred and George never leave him alone about it."

"What about Harry?" Ashley asked, right before the door to the compartment opened.

Ashley's friend Steven and a few of his friends walked in and crowded in the doorway. "Hey, what are you guys doing?"

"Talking." Ashley said bluntly.

"Do you want us to leave you alone?" asked Steven.

"Yeah, but I'll so you later at school!" One of Steven's friend sniggered and Steven elbowed him.

"Okay, see ya, you too Ginny." Steven turned around and shoved his friends through the door and into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

"Anyways what about Harry?"

"What about him?"

"Has he asked Vi yet?"

"How do you know about that? I thought he only told me and Hermione and Ron!"

"Harry accidentally let it slip to some people in the Order, including my parents and I heard them talking about it."

"Oh, you just happened to hear? I'm sure." I'd caught Ashley eaves dropping more than once.

"Yes! Well, no but I didn't mean to hear them, they were talking really loud in the living room and I was in the kitchen." She changed the subject. "That's not the point, what about Harry?"

"He hasn't yet; too much has been going on. He wanted to ask her over Christmas because he thought it would be peaceful but you know how that went. It sucks because he will have lost his nerve by now and not do it for along time."

"We should talk to him about that." Ashley put her legs back down on the floor. "I'm starting to get worried about Vanessa and them, I don't see how they could be on the train and not have us find them and it has to be something bad that kept all of them off the train."

"Thank you for that optimistic outlook, I feel better now." I'd forgotten about my other friends for a few minutes while we were talking about Malfoy.

"Hey, can you think of anything else?" She spread her hands apart as if she wanted me to put something in them.

"No, but I say we catch Dumbledore right after dinner and ask him about it. He knows everything." Ashley nodded in agreement and we went on talking about school and I explained the attack on Christmas to her.

"Get him before he goes through the door!" I prodded Ashley in the back to move faster and she broke into a sprint across the Dining Hall, earning several weird looks from people who already thought we were crazy.

"Professor!" Ashley called to him. He stopped and turned on his heel, almost causing Ashley to run into him.

I stopped next to Ashley and we waited for him to speak. "Hello Miss Weasley, Miss Quick. I presume you want to know the whereabouts of your friends Miss Coyle, Kunce and Schaefer." It was weird how he always knew everything, and the odd way he talked but I was excited we were going to find out; Professor Dumbledore rarely held back information. "Follow me to my office, we need to talk where no one can overhear."

Me and Ashley exchanged worried looks, this could mean nothing good.

When we reached his office he pushed the door open and walked in, gesturing for us to sit down on one of the three chairs positioned around his desk. When we were seated he took his own seat, steepled his fingers and looked at each of us in turn, as if judging us.

"What do you most want to do when you get out of school?" I opened my mouth to answer but he held his hand up. "Really think about your answer, think about what you have to do to get there and what you will actually have to do, at least for a good portion of your life because it is so hard to change jobs. Think about the times we live in and the dangers that will inescapably arise from your position."

Both Ashley and myself pretended to think for a few seconds then, at the same time, we both said, "Aurors."

"For the Order?" Dumbledore had shown no emotion, his face was completely passive.

"Of course." Ashley said, and I had to say I agreed with her. Her parents are in the Order too.

"Are you completely sure about this? You still have to go through training to become one although the training is rather different, and it is an extremely dangerous job. I and everyone else will take every precaution we can to ensure the safety of you and others but I will not lie to you: you or ones you love may die."

I knew that, of course. Fighting Death Eaters was obviously a dangerous job, of course you could die. But it had never really hit home to me how real that could be. Me, or Ashley or my other good friends or any one of my brothers or Harry could die in this war. In fact, Harry was the one most likely to die because he had to take on Voldemort face to face whether he liked it or not. My stomach twisted at the though, thinking of all that Vi had already lost. Then I considered the alternative. Not doing anything while I watched my family risk their lives to fight for others. I had made my decision.

I glanced over at Ashley and she seemed to be having the same mental battle going on between the two choices. Her mouth set in a determined line and she nodded her head. "I'm positive."

Her answer had sealed it for me. "Me too, that's what I want to do."

Dumbledore smiled at out decisions but he looked worried. "Very well. In two months time, there will be a sort of training camp set up for future aurors. There has always been Auror training camp for the ministry but this one is specifically for the Order, even though we are now allies with the ministry. A select group of people of various ages will be taken in, only if they're extremely dedicated to being an auror. Trained aurors will be teaching the students, training them in Stealth, Information Extraction, one on one combat, escape methods and other necessary information for an auror. Normally the camp is only for people who are out of school and of age but since Voldemort's hold strengthened in last years battle, the Order and the Ministry have decided that there isn't enough time to wait and that the age line can be moved back a year."

I stared at him. Surely he wasn't planning on taking us out of school, I knew for a fact that I wanted to be an auror but I also wanted to graduate. That was impotant to me.

"You will, of course, graduate with your class at the end of this year."

"So we'll leave school in two months?" Ashley looked like she though she herself was going crazy and this was all fake.

"Precisely. If you choose to do this you will have to work twice as hard as your fellow students at your school work and get it done in that time. You and anyone who chooses to do it will have tutoring set up for the group by teachers and few people from the Order. One thing I must stress is that you must work together with the other people who choose to do it. It will do no good if we feud amongst ourselves."

"You've never answered where Skylar and Shannon and Vanessa are." Ashley said, still looking a little overwhelmed.

"Their parents decided to relocate closer to the camps immediately, and they are now there, although the training hasn't started."

"What about their school work?" I asked.

"They finished, I'm sorry that you were told later, your parents had to be persuaded more than the rest to allow me to give you this option. And remember that is exactly what it is, an option." Dumbledore looked more tired than usual.

"Who else are you offering it to?" I thought about people I knew and I remember vaguely that Draco had said something about being accepted into the Order. "Will Malfoy be going?"

"I am not going to disclose the names of those who I am offering it to so that no one will know who turned it down. And yes, young Mr. Malfoy will be there. I think he's leaving in a few days." Dumbledore stood up. "Have either of you any more questions right now?"

I had a million questions! Where was the camp? Who'd said yes so far? Why didn't Shannon and Skylar and Vanessa tell us about going to the training camp? I didn't want to ask them though.

"No sir." I said and Ashley said the same.

"Well than I dismiss you to your dormitories. You will be contacted about your schedule and tutoring and there will be a meeting next week with all the people that accept." He put his hands on the desk and leaned towards us. "You must not tell anyone of this! Voldemort knows that we are trying to recruit more aurors and members of the Order, but he doesn't know about the special camp. If he doesn't find out, we may have a musc larger chance that we did before. Talk about it only at meetings in safe places where you can not be overheard. That is all." He straightened and me and Ashley stood up.

"Thank you sir."

Not looking at eachother, we walked to the door and exited the office, still soaking in the very new, and almost frightening information.

Back in bed, we both wanted to talk about it so bad but we knew we couldn't. After awhile I just fell asleep, even though I was wide awake thinking of nothing but the training camp and how odd it would be to leave school early and how the next time I saw Draco would be much sooner than I thought.

The three empty beds seemed huge, reminding us of our friends that could be anywhere, but were so far away.

When I woke the next morning, Ashley was gone and I didn't see her until our first class.

And that's the end of the chapter! This is an extremely crazy chapter, I didn't plan to do this whole training camp thing at all. It might be a really bad idea, let me know.

The posty thing on the website isn't working so it might have taken along time to get this up. REVIEW