A/N: as usual I only own the characters you don't recognise from J.K
Rowling's books
Cheers for all the reviews, two chapters in one day aren't you lucky! And I'm off to do another since I have nout else to do =) enjoy xx
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Making Me Hate You' by Unloco
Chapter Five – Date for the Dance
You fake, you lie
You're making me hate you
You fake, you lie
You're making me want you even more
Xander dropped into his seat next to Ginny glumly; staring down at his blank plate as though he was about to face his last meal.
"Err... Xander is there something wrong?" Ginny asked, exchanging a glance with Noah who was sat before her.
Xander looked up miserably and groaned, shaking his head and looking very nearly on the verge of tears.
"Yeah there is; I have just committed the number one crime for guys."
Ginny fought hard against the impulse to laugh but Alyssa didn't seem to have the self-control as she dived under the table to hide her giggles on the pretext of retrieving a fallen spoon.
"And that would be?"
Xander banged his hand down on the table; rattling the cutlery besides him and making a few curious fourth years look up from their place a little further down the logn table.
"Under no uncertain circumstances; does a guy ever fall for his best friend's little sister!"
Ginny's mouth dropped open and she gaped at him, pulling herself together slightly as he slumped back in his chair.
"You... huh?"
Alyssa decided to make a reappearance and thrust her head over Ginny's shoulder, wasting no time on subtlety which was definitely not her strong point anyway.
"Rindy? We all talking about the same person here? As in Mason's little sister Rindy?"
Ginny elbowed Alyssa out of the way with an impatient look and she slumped back into her seat, still staring at Xander with her mouth open.
"Hey! It's not like I asked for it to happen alright! It just kind of did and I saw her with Zac Bodell earlier,"
Xander ground his teeth and glared at his plate, his hands balling up the napkin he was holding; "And I just got all jealous and I kind of figured it out..." He trailed off and flushed dark red.
Ginny watched him silently for a while before shaking her head as though to clear it and nudging him in the elbows winking at Alyssa.
"So when are you going to tell Mason about you two?"
Xander jerked his head up to stare at her as Alyssa started and turned to do the same, her mouth open.
"How did you...."
Ginny laughed and shrugged, reminded forcibly of when Hermione had figured out that she, Ginny, had once kissed Harry when they had both gotten a little too drunk at a Christmas party in his fifth year.
"It wasn't hard; she's been crazy about you since her first year."
Xander blushed before getting to his feet and hovering uncertainly besides them.
"I better go and find them then, are you coming?"
The two girls nodded and got to their feet, Ginny avoiding Draco and Blue's gaze as they followed her out of the Hall with their eyes, she couldn't escape their connection though and soon their voices were in her head.
'Where are you going?'
'I have something to do.'
'Interesting, does it involve showers or naked pillow fights, if so can we come?'
Ginny shot them a reproachful look through her mind.
'No to all of the above now get out of my head!'
She grinned to herself when they hissed some colourful obscenities at her before half shutting down the connection and returning to their dinners.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ginny looked up from her book, a muggle book Hermione had leant her called 'Wuthering Heights', when she heard Rindy gasp and pull away from Xander, her eyes on her older brother stood before them, his matching eyes narrowed.
"What was that all about?"
Mason's voice was dangerously low and Xander looked up at him nervously from his seat on the couch, Ginny's hands clutching the book in dread at the look on her friend's face.
"Rindy, go to your room."
Rindy opened her mouth furiously, anger blazing in her own eyes as Frankie and Alyssa looked from one to the other.
"You're not mom, Mason! You can't just order me about..."
She was cut off when Mason opened his own mouth just as furiously, the entire common room falling silent as the Golden Trio froze in the entrance as they quickly assessed the situation.
"GET UPSTAIRS NOW!" Mason roared, startling a pair of first years huddled by the fire who promptly scuttled up the stairs to their dormitories.
Rindy glared at Mason before seeing that he was in no mood to be messed with and darted up the stairs after the first years, hovering just around the bend so she could at least listen to what they were saying without being seen.
"We're erm... going to go do some of that homework we..."
Ginny's lame excuse was interrupted by an incensed Mason shooting her a glance that told her to stop talking.
"What were you doing with my little sister?"
Mason seethed at Xander who was blushing badly and stammering, his hands gripping his knees at the look in his best friend's eyes.
"Mason... I... it just happened..."
Mason stared at Xander without speaking; Ginny and Alyssa were holding their breath as they stood nervously to one side, their eyes on Mason. He looked down at the floor and seemed to calm down but his anger built again as he saw Rindy listening nervously from the bottom of the dormitory stairs. He suddenly lunged at Xander, knocking him off the couch and punching him in the face.
"Mason! STOP!" Rindy shrieked dashing towards him as Ginny, Frankie, Cass, the Golden Trio and Alyssa all dived on him trying to pull him off Xander.
"Just stop it! Why can't you just let me do something I want to for once? Just leave me alone, get out of my life!" Rindy cried, punching Mason's solid chest with her fists before fleeing the room sobbing.
"Now look what you've done idiot!" Ginny shouted, rounding on a shocked Mason and poking him in the chest with her finger.
"I'm going to get her back and you," She shoved him backwards. "Are going to apologise!"
He shook his head and leapt to his feet, his eyes practically throwing off sparks as Ginny fought to control her urge to Change.
"For what?" He yelled. "For my best mate kissing my little sister?"
He indicated a dazed Xander who was sat on the floor with a busted lip, Alyssa dabbing at the blood dribbling down his chin with a handkerchief as Hermione cast a quick Healing spell.
"NO! For ruining the one chance 'your little sister' has ever had of actually being really happy with someone who likes her as much as she likes him!" Ginny spat, her voice rising as her temper did; why couldn't he just understand?
She knew he was overprotective especially of the women in his life but that's not what Rindy needed right now, she was growing up and she needed to make her own mistakes and discover her own way of life. Racing out of the common room Ginny found Rindy standing just down the corridor, her arms wrapped around a pillar as she sobbed into the dusty red curtain from the window next to it.
"Oh I hate him!'
Rindy moaned, her whole body shuddering with the strength of her sobs as Ginny hugged her, stroking her hair and whispering into her ear gently.
"You don't hate him, you're just angry."
Rindy sighed, choking on her tears before nodding into Ginny's shoulder and allowing her to pull her to her feet.
"I suppose you're right, I just don't understand why he can't just let me live my life sometimes."
Ginny nodded, linking arms with Rindy and leading her back to the portrait, reminding her that she had the same problem with Ron, until she'd threatened to tell the school and his mother about an incriminating collection of magazines under the floorboards in his room at the Burrow.
"Well I plan on physically forcing Mason to apologise to the pair of you and then I'm going down for dinner because I am starving!"
Rindy laughed and clambered up through the opening behind the portrait, turning stony eyes to Mason as he was dragged over by Alyssa and Frankie.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled resentfully, looking down at the floor until Cass made a coughing noise at the back of her throat and he glared at her before looking up at his sister.
"I'm sorry, and from now on I'll let you do whatever you want."
Rindy snorted with laughter, her smile lighting up her tear stained face as she hugged her brother.
"Yeah right, let's see how long that lasts."
He grinned at her, glad to be forgiven before turning to Xander who was being reluctantly led over by Cass and Hermione, Ron and Harry following behind with nervous glances at the two boys.
"Well, you're with my sister then."
Xander paled at the look on Mason's face, looking about ready to faint until Mason grinned at him.
"You're not going to punch me again, are you?" Xander stammered.
Mason eyed him slightly before looking over at Rindy's anguished face and grinning.
"No, I knew it had to be someone in the end so I guess I'm kind of glad it's you."
Colour flooded Xander's face so face he looked like a thermometer thrust into a mug of boiling water. The two friends shook hands awkwardly before turning to the rest of the group who were staring at them with amused looks on their faces.
"Come on! I am starving!"
Never one to say no to food, Ron followed Ginny out of the portrait hole, everyone else trailing along behind them chattering happily now peace had been restored with Rindy and Xander blushing and holding hands at the back.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Oh forget about that, what's going on with you and Malfoy? I saw you both exchanging some hot and heavy looks in Ancient Mythology before." Alyssa butted in, shoving Noah over and leaning in closer to Ginny who was blushing furiously now.
"Oh, err... not much."
Mason snorted into his pudding and Noah lowered his eyes; suddenly becoming very interested in the remains of his dinner.
"What? What do these guys know that I don't?" Alyssa asked impatiently.
Noah felt the heat grow in his face and smiled gratefully as Frankie and Cass noisily rejoined the table.
"What's this I hear? Do mine ears deceive me? Someone knowing something more than Alyssa?" Cass said in fake shock, cupping a hand to her ear and leaning closer.
"Oh shove off, Cass." Alyssa laughed, punching her on the arm.
"Well, you know after you went up to the hospital wing this morning, after Charms?"
Mason decided to take the plunge as Ginny was gazing down at her plate and hoping Alyssa had forgotten what they had been talking about.
"How could I forget?" Alyssa muttered, rolling her eyes and leaning over the table towards Mason; "Go on."
"Well Malfoy asked..." He trailed off when Frankie snorted and he rolled his eyes.
"Alright; demanded to talk to Ginny alone..."
Xander decided to interrupt now as he had caught the look on Noah's face.
"And Noah, being from the family he is, decided to stay behind and do a little eavesdropping."
He cackled evilly, nudging Noah in the ribs. Alyssa was desperate to know what was going on now.
"What did he say?"
Ginny decided to speak up as it was actually her story in the first place.
"Not much... he asked me to that dance thing next week."
Alyssa let out a shriek of laughter that caused half of the room to look at her briefly before returning to their dinners.
"Don't be so dismissive about it girl! I think that boy is fine! Well he is!" She added defensively when Xander shot her a look.
Ginny grinned sheepishly and looked up at Alyssa, shrugging her shoulders and trying to ignore the fact her face still resembled a stop sign in colour. She gave a start as Mason jumped to his feet and abruptly left the room, not looking back and not saying a word to anyone.
"What the?"
Ginny turned to look at Rindy who was watching her brother walk away with a completely blank face. She opened her mouth to say something but Rindy cut her off;
"Couldn't you tell? He likes you."
Ginny stared at Rindy with her mouth hanging open, Noah, Alyssa and Xander all gazing from one to the other as Rindy got to her feet and followed her brother.
"I..."
But Ginny couldn't think what to say; she'd had no idea that Mason liked her and now it looked like she'd upset both siblings. She got up slowly and mumbled about apologising before scurrying out of the room, her eyes searching everywhere for them.
She finally found Mason at the top of Astronomy tower, sitting silently on the small balcony where there were numerous telescope stands set up for that evening's lesson. She didn't say anything as she sat next to him, following his gaze out to the horizon; finally she had to say something.
"Mason... I..."
He shook his head and turned to look at her.
"It doesn't matter; I suppose I should have told you I liked you before. But I didn't want to in case you didn't like me that way." He cut himself off and Ginny moved to sit in front of him, taking his hands in hers and leaning towards him.
"Mason, look... if I wasn't getting completely hooked on someone else, which I can't stop cos if I could I would definitely not be with that bastard, anyway as I was saying I'd definitely fall for you."
He looked up at her, the flush that had crept into his cheeks when she had taken his hands deepening.
"Really?" He muttered, hardly daring to sound hopeful.
"Of course, you're cute, you make me laugh, you're a great friend; you're everything a girl could want."
His face got darker with every compliment she paid him and she fought hard to hide the smile that was creeping up on her.
"Thanks, Ginny."
She grinned at him and got up to leave;
"And..."
She turned back to look at him.
"I'm here if you ever get over whoever it is."
He grinned nervously and dropped his eyes to look down at his feet, jumping as he felt Ginny reach out to him. He held onto her tightly, knowing he wouldn't ever be anything more than a friend to her, but happy to just be that.
A few seconds later he pulled away from her and told her not to worry about Rindy, he's go find her and talk to her about it all. She smiled at him as he left and turned to lean against the balcony railing, her mind replaying the day's events in wonder.
((Flashback))
"Ginny!"
Ginny spun around and searched the crowded corridor for whoever had shouted her name. She finally saw Draco struggling through the crowds to get to her; he smirked at her as he reached her side at last and dragged her over to the wall to talk to her.
"I saw you and that guy from your year yesterday." He said, colour slightly tingeing his cheeks as she stared at him, not sure of what to say.
"What I meant is err... is he taking you to the dance?"
Ginny flushed and shook her head; she couldn't speak for some reason and her hands gripping her books in her hands were becoming slippery with nervous sweat.
"Draco!"
They both twisted around to see Blue and their Slytherin group gesturing wildly at him.
"Come on! We're gonna be late for Advanced Potions!"
Ginny turned back to him and grinned, watching him from under lashes as he waved his friends away.
"Are you trying to get at something, Mr Malfoy?"
His face was blank as always but she could see amusement in his eyes, the eyes she was slowly learning to read.
"Yeah, I'm trying to ask you to the dance but annoying interruptions are making it as bloody difficult as training Madam Maxine for the fucking ballet."
She laughed and shook her head, ignoring the animal instincts she was used to leaping up inside her whenever he was within two feet of her.
"Well if it helps at all, I'm going to say yes."
He raised an eyebrow at her and she imitated him, her smirk matching his exactly.
"Of course you are, who wouldn't?"
She was too used to his arrogance to bother by now so she just rolled her eyes and punched him on his hard muscular forearm.
"Whatever, I'll see you there then."
She waved and darted down the now deserted corridor towards Griffindor tower, ignoring the several portraits that scolded her for running in the hallways as she passed.
((End flashback))
"Well obviously the guy likes you!"
Ginny was sat in the common room with Hermione, Alyssa, Xander and Noah that night discussing her 'date' with Blue, discussing why he might have asked her to go while Ron and Harry were at a detention for Snape so wouldn't overhear them.
"He does?"
She mumbled, staring into the fire as her four friends tried to convince her, Hermione's enchanted needles clicking and flashing in midair as she reread Hogwarts a History for what must have been the hundredth time.
"He asked you out didn't he?"
She nodded slowly. "Well no he pretty much told me he was taking me to the dance..."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's just Malfoy's way, he's too proud to ask someone, if he asked someone they might say no, but if he told them they have no choice really."
"And, he was willing to be late for Snape's class just to ask you out, I think that's a fair point."
Xander cut in, looking terrified at the very thought of what Snape would do to one of them if they were late for his class.
"Whoa! For real?"
Ginny jumped about a foot off her chair when Rindy and Mason cried aloud from behind her.
"That's not funny!" She snapped. "But yes, for real."
Noah laughed and moved up on the couch so the siblings could collapse onto it.
"Sounds like he's got it bad."
He grinned, winking at a flushing Ginny who purposefully avoided looking at Mason who was putting on a brave face, surprised that it didn't hurt as much as he would have thought.
Cheers for all the reviews, two chapters in one day aren't you lucky! And I'm off to do another since I have nout else to do =) enjoy xx
The lyrics at the beginning are from 'Making Me Hate You' by Unloco
Chapter Five – Date for the Dance
You fake, you lie
You're making me hate you
You fake, you lie
You're making me want you even more
Xander dropped into his seat next to Ginny glumly; staring down at his blank plate as though he was about to face his last meal.
"Err... Xander is there something wrong?" Ginny asked, exchanging a glance with Noah who was sat before her.
Xander looked up miserably and groaned, shaking his head and looking very nearly on the verge of tears.
"Yeah there is; I have just committed the number one crime for guys."
Ginny fought hard against the impulse to laugh but Alyssa didn't seem to have the self-control as she dived under the table to hide her giggles on the pretext of retrieving a fallen spoon.
"And that would be?"
Xander banged his hand down on the table; rattling the cutlery besides him and making a few curious fourth years look up from their place a little further down the logn table.
"Under no uncertain circumstances; does a guy ever fall for his best friend's little sister!"
Ginny's mouth dropped open and she gaped at him, pulling herself together slightly as he slumped back in his chair.
"You... huh?"
Alyssa decided to make a reappearance and thrust her head over Ginny's shoulder, wasting no time on subtlety which was definitely not her strong point anyway.
"Rindy? We all talking about the same person here? As in Mason's little sister Rindy?"
Ginny elbowed Alyssa out of the way with an impatient look and she slumped back into her seat, still staring at Xander with her mouth open.
"Hey! It's not like I asked for it to happen alright! It just kind of did and I saw her with Zac Bodell earlier,"
Xander ground his teeth and glared at his plate, his hands balling up the napkin he was holding; "And I just got all jealous and I kind of figured it out..." He trailed off and flushed dark red.
Ginny watched him silently for a while before shaking her head as though to clear it and nudging him in the elbows winking at Alyssa.
"So when are you going to tell Mason about you two?"
Xander jerked his head up to stare at her as Alyssa started and turned to do the same, her mouth open.
"How did you...."
Ginny laughed and shrugged, reminded forcibly of when Hermione had figured out that she, Ginny, had once kissed Harry when they had both gotten a little too drunk at a Christmas party in his fifth year.
"It wasn't hard; she's been crazy about you since her first year."
Xander blushed before getting to his feet and hovering uncertainly besides them.
"I better go and find them then, are you coming?"
The two girls nodded and got to their feet, Ginny avoiding Draco and Blue's gaze as they followed her out of the Hall with their eyes, she couldn't escape their connection though and soon their voices were in her head.
'Where are you going?'
'I have something to do.'
'Interesting, does it involve showers or naked pillow fights, if so can we come?'
Ginny shot them a reproachful look through her mind.
'No to all of the above now get out of my head!'
She grinned to herself when they hissed some colourful obscenities at her before half shutting down the connection and returning to their dinners.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ginny looked up from her book, a muggle book Hermione had leant her called 'Wuthering Heights', when she heard Rindy gasp and pull away from Xander, her eyes on her older brother stood before them, his matching eyes narrowed.
"What was that all about?"
Mason's voice was dangerously low and Xander looked up at him nervously from his seat on the couch, Ginny's hands clutching the book in dread at the look on her friend's face.
"Rindy, go to your room."
Rindy opened her mouth furiously, anger blazing in her own eyes as Frankie and Alyssa looked from one to the other.
"You're not mom, Mason! You can't just order me about..."
She was cut off when Mason opened his own mouth just as furiously, the entire common room falling silent as the Golden Trio froze in the entrance as they quickly assessed the situation.
"GET UPSTAIRS NOW!" Mason roared, startling a pair of first years huddled by the fire who promptly scuttled up the stairs to their dormitories.
Rindy glared at Mason before seeing that he was in no mood to be messed with and darted up the stairs after the first years, hovering just around the bend so she could at least listen to what they were saying without being seen.
"We're erm... going to go do some of that homework we..."
Ginny's lame excuse was interrupted by an incensed Mason shooting her a glance that told her to stop talking.
"What were you doing with my little sister?"
Mason seethed at Xander who was blushing badly and stammering, his hands gripping his knees at the look in his best friend's eyes.
"Mason... I... it just happened..."
Mason stared at Xander without speaking; Ginny and Alyssa were holding their breath as they stood nervously to one side, their eyes on Mason. He looked down at the floor and seemed to calm down but his anger built again as he saw Rindy listening nervously from the bottom of the dormitory stairs. He suddenly lunged at Xander, knocking him off the couch and punching him in the face.
"Mason! STOP!" Rindy shrieked dashing towards him as Ginny, Frankie, Cass, the Golden Trio and Alyssa all dived on him trying to pull him off Xander.
"Just stop it! Why can't you just let me do something I want to for once? Just leave me alone, get out of my life!" Rindy cried, punching Mason's solid chest with her fists before fleeing the room sobbing.
"Now look what you've done idiot!" Ginny shouted, rounding on a shocked Mason and poking him in the chest with her finger.
"I'm going to get her back and you," She shoved him backwards. "Are going to apologise!"
He shook his head and leapt to his feet, his eyes practically throwing off sparks as Ginny fought to control her urge to Change.
"For what?" He yelled. "For my best mate kissing my little sister?"
He indicated a dazed Xander who was sat on the floor with a busted lip, Alyssa dabbing at the blood dribbling down his chin with a handkerchief as Hermione cast a quick Healing spell.
"NO! For ruining the one chance 'your little sister' has ever had of actually being really happy with someone who likes her as much as she likes him!" Ginny spat, her voice rising as her temper did; why couldn't he just understand?
She knew he was overprotective especially of the women in his life but that's not what Rindy needed right now, she was growing up and she needed to make her own mistakes and discover her own way of life. Racing out of the common room Ginny found Rindy standing just down the corridor, her arms wrapped around a pillar as she sobbed into the dusty red curtain from the window next to it.
"Oh I hate him!'
Rindy moaned, her whole body shuddering with the strength of her sobs as Ginny hugged her, stroking her hair and whispering into her ear gently.
"You don't hate him, you're just angry."
Rindy sighed, choking on her tears before nodding into Ginny's shoulder and allowing her to pull her to her feet.
"I suppose you're right, I just don't understand why he can't just let me live my life sometimes."
Ginny nodded, linking arms with Rindy and leading her back to the portrait, reminding her that she had the same problem with Ron, until she'd threatened to tell the school and his mother about an incriminating collection of magazines under the floorboards in his room at the Burrow.
"Well I plan on physically forcing Mason to apologise to the pair of you and then I'm going down for dinner because I am starving!"
Rindy laughed and clambered up through the opening behind the portrait, turning stony eyes to Mason as he was dragged over by Alyssa and Frankie.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled resentfully, looking down at the floor until Cass made a coughing noise at the back of her throat and he glared at her before looking up at his sister.
"I'm sorry, and from now on I'll let you do whatever you want."
Rindy snorted with laughter, her smile lighting up her tear stained face as she hugged her brother.
"Yeah right, let's see how long that lasts."
He grinned at her, glad to be forgiven before turning to Xander who was being reluctantly led over by Cass and Hermione, Ron and Harry following behind with nervous glances at the two boys.
"Well, you're with my sister then."
Xander paled at the look on Mason's face, looking about ready to faint until Mason grinned at him.
"You're not going to punch me again, are you?" Xander stammered.
Mason eyed him slightly before looking over at Rindy's anguished face and grinning.
"No, I knew it had to be someone in the end so I guess I'm kind of glad it's you."
Colour flooded Xander's face so face he looked like a thermometer thrust into a mug of boiling water. The two friends shook hands awkwardly before turning to the rest of the group who were staring at them with amused looks on their faces.
"Come on! I am starving!"
Never one to say no to food, Ron followed Ginny out of the portrait hole, everyone else trailing along behind them chattering happily now peace had been restored with Rindy and Xander blushing and holding hands at the back.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Oh forget about that, what's going on with you and Malfoy? I saw you both exchanging some hot and heavy looks in Ancient Mythology before." Alyssa butted in, shoving Noah over and leaning in closer to Ginny who was blushing furiously now.
"Oh, err... not much."
Mason snorted into his pudding and Noah lowered his eyes; suddenly becoming very interested in the remains of his dinner.
"What? What do these guys know that I don't?" Alyssa asked impatiently.
Noah felt the heat grow in his face and smiled gratefully as Frankie and Cass noisily rejoined the table.
"What's this I hear? Do mine ears deceive me? Someone knowing something more than Alyssa?" Cass said in fake shock, cupping a hand to her ear and leaning closer.
"Oh shove off, Cass." Alyssa laughed, punching her on the arm.
"Well, you know after you went up to the hospital wing this morning, after Charms?"
Mason decided to take the plunge as Ginny was gazing down at her plate and hoping Alyssa had forgotten what they had been talking about.
"How could I forget?" Alyssa muttered, rolling her eyes and leaning over the table towards Mason; "Go on."
"Well Malfoy asked..." He trailed off when Frankie snorted and he rolled his eyes.
"Alright; demanded to talk to Ginny alone..."
Xander decided to interrupt now as he had caught the look on Noah's face.
"And Noah, being from the family he is, decided to stay behind and do a little eavesdropping."
He cackled evilly, nudging Noah in the ribs. Alyssa was desperate to know what was going on now.
"What did he say?"
Ginny decided to speak up as it was actually her story in the first place.
"Not much... he asked me to that dance thing next week."
Alyssa let out a shriek of laughter that caused half of the room to look at her briefly before returning to their dinners.
"Don't be so dismissive about it girl! I think that boy is fine! Well he is!" She added defensively when Xander shot her a look.
Ginny grinned sheepishly and looked up at Alyssa, shrugging her shoulders and trying to ignore the fact her face still resembled a stop sign in colour. She gave a start as Mason jumped to his feet and abruptly left the room, not looking back and not saying a word to anyone.
"What the?"
Ginny turned to look at Rindy who was watching her brother walk away with a completely blank face. She opened her mouth to say something but Rindy cut her off;
"Couldn't you tell? He likes you."
Ginny stared at Rindy with her mouth hanging open, Noah, Alyssa and Xander all gazing from one to the other as Rindy got to her feet and followed her brother.
"I..."
But Ginny couldn't think what to say; she'd had no idea that Mason liked her and now it looked like she'd upset both siblings. She got up slowly and mumbled about apologising before scurrying out of the room, her eyes searching everywhere for them.
She finally found Mason at the top of Astronomy tower, sitting silently on the small balcony where there were numerous telescope stands set up for that evening's lesson. She didn't say anything as she sat next to him, following his gaze out to the horizon; finally she had to say something.
"Mason... I..."
He shook his head and turned to look at her.
"It doesn't matter; I suppose I should have told you I liked you before. But I didn't want to in case you didn't like me that way." He cut himself off and Ginny moved to sit in front of him, taking his hands in hers and leaning towards him.
"Mason, look... if I wasn't getting completely hooked on someone else, which I can't stop cos if I could I would definitely not be with that bastard, anyway as I was saying I'd definitely fall for you."
He looked up at her, the flush that had crept into his cheeks when she had taken his hands deepening.
"Really?" He muttered, hardly daring to sound hopeful.
"Of course, you're cute, you make me laugh, you're a great friend; you're everything a girl could want."
His face got darker with every compliment she paid him and she fought hard to hide the smile that was creeping up on her.
"Thanks, Ginny."
She grinned at him and got up to leave;
"And..."
She turned back to look at him.
"I'm here if you ever get over whoever it is."
He grinned nervously and dropped his eyes to look down at his feet, jumping as he felt Ginny reach out to him. He held onto her tightly, knowing he wouldn't ever be anything more than a friend to her, but happy to just be that.
A few seconds later he pulled away from her and told her not to worry about Rindy, he's go find her and talk to her about it all. She smiled at him as he left and turned to lean against the balcony railing, her mind replaying the day's events in wonder.
((Flashback))
"Ginny!"
Ginny spun around and searched the crowded corridor for whoever had shouted her name. She finally saw Draco struggling through the crowds to get to her; he smirked at her as he reached her side at last and dragged her over to the wall to talk to her.
"I saw you and that guy from your year yesterday." He said, colour slightly tingeing his cheeks as she stared at him, not sure of what to say.
"What I meant is err... is he taking you to the dance?"
Ginny flushed and shook her head; she couldn't speak for some reason and her hands gripping her books in her hands were becoming slippery with nervous sweat.
"Draco!"
They both twisted around to see Blue and their Slytherin group gesturing wildly at him.
"Come on! We're gonna be late for Advanced Potions!"
Ginny turned back to him and grinned, watching him from under lashes as he waved his friends away.
"Are you trying to get at something, Mr Malfoy?"
His face was blank as always but she could see amusement in his eyes, the eyes she was slowly learning to read.
"Yeah, I'm trying to ask you to the dance but annoying interruptions are making it as bloody difficult as training Madam Maxine for the fucking ballet."
She laughed and shook her head, ignoring the animal instincts she was used to leaping up inside her whenever he was within two feet of her.
"Well if it helps at all, I'm going to say yes."
He raised an eyebrow at her and she imitated him, her smirk matching his exactly.
"Of course you are, who wouldn't?"
She was too used to his arrogance to bother by now so she just rolled her eyes and punched him on his hard muscular forearm.
"Whatever, I'll see you there then."
She waved and darted down the now deserted corridor towards Griffindor tower, ignoring the several portraits that scolded her for running in the hallways as she passed.
((End flashback))
"Well obviously the guy likes you!"
Ginny was sat in the common room with Hermione, Alyssa, Xander and Noah that night discussing her 'date' with Blue, discussing why he might have asked her to go while Ron and Harry were at a detention for Snape so wouldn't overhear them.
"He does?"
She mumbled, staring into the fire as her four friends tried to convince her, Hermione's enchanted needles clicking and flashing in midair as she reread Hogwarts a History for what must have been the hundredth time.
"He asked you out didn't he?"
She nodded slowly. "Well no he pretty much told me he was taking me to the dance..."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's just Malfoy's way, he's too proud to ask someone, if he asked someone they might say no, but if he told them they have no choice really."
"And, he was willing to be late for Snape's class just to ask you out, I think that's a fair point."
Xander cut in, looking terrified at the very thought of what Snape would do to one of them if they were late for his class.
"Whoa! For real?"
Ginny jumped about a foot off her chair when Rindy and Mason cried aloud from behind her.
"That's not funny!" She snapped. "But yes, for real."
Noah laughed and moved up on the couch so the siblings could collapse onto it.
"Sounds like he's got it bad."
He grinned, winking at a flushing Ginny who purposefully avoided looking at Mason who was putting on a brave face, surprised that it didn't hurt as much as he would have thought.