Draco Malfoy yawned as he made his way slowly up the Hogsmeade sign-out lineup. He had hardly slept last night trying to finish his honours Potions essay. He had been trying to get it out of the way for the weekend, but, oh well, he still had tomorrow.

Suddenly, he caught sight of Ginny. She was a few people in front of him, laughing as she chatted with Hermione. Draco watched her carefully. He hoped she knew that he wasn't the way he had seemed over the last few years. Having finally talked his mother into getting rid of Crabbe and Goyle, his...well...guards, essentially, he felt like a free man. There were no more reports to his family on his behaviour by Crabbe and Goyle. No more miserable summers, now his father was gone. No more....Ginny noticed his eyes on her and glanced back at him, taking a moment to smile before turning back to Hermione.

Draco's previous thoughts were banished. Ginny Weasley. She really was amazing. She seemed to have forgiven his previous slurs on her family and, judging by her behaviour, was giving him a second chance.

Ginny POV

"Bye, guys!" Ginny waved to Hermione and the others as she wandered off with some of her fifth-year friends. "Two-thirty in the Three Broomsticks, right?"

"Yeah! See you then!"

"Where shall we go first?" Sophia questioned. "I need to do some Christmas shopping."

"Me too!"

"Me three!" came the chorus from Marie and Kaytie. All eyes turned to Ginny, who sighed. It was always like this...She always had to make the decisions...It was like they were sheep or something! Nice sheep though. Even if it did get irritating once in a while, they were still her friends.

"Ummm...Honeydukes?" she suggested tentatively.

"Great!" announced Sophia, grabbing Ginny's arm and running towards the store, dragging Ginny behind her through the snow.

Several hours later, laden with shopping bags, they trudged down the main street. "How about this one?" Kaytie asked, stopping outside a small store with interesting-looking merchandise.

"I'll sit this one out." Ginny decided, glancing at the large, mechanical clock which towered over the town. "I have to go meet my brother and everyone."

"'Kay." Marie waved as she moved past Ginny and into the store. "See you back at school!"

"See you." Ginny waved back as she walked off towards the pub.

The group were already there. "Hey Gin!" Luna smiled at her from where she sat, butterbeer in hand. "The others are just getting drinks."

"Thanks." Ginny grinned in return. "Be right back." and with that she made her way towards the bar.

"Butterbeer, please" she requested of the barman.

"Make that two." A familiar voice said from behind her. Ginny whipped around to face Draco Malfoy.

"Hey Weas...I mean Ginny." he greeted her with a lopsided smile on his face. "Sorry, old habits die hard."

"Hiya. Don't worry about it." she responded, her eyes twinkling. Taking a sip of her butterbeer, she offered "care to join us?" she motioned in the general direction of their table.

He looked behind him to where the others were sitting, and saw Ron, a picture of his old self, being restrained by Harry and Luna while trying to escape to "rescue" his little sister. Draco's smile fell. "I don't think I'm welcome." he replied, voice dull.

"You can't blame them...You haven't exactly been a model of kindness in the past." she whispered to him. He hung his head.

"I know. Well, I'll see you around."

"Sure." Ginny nodded, "See you around."

She wandered back towards the table.

"What did he do to you?"demanded Ron as she sat down. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Said hello? Honestly, Ron, can't you tell he's changed with Crabbe and Goyle gone?"

"Right bloody turnaround. Bit suspicious if you ask me. I think he's trying to become friends with us so he can report to his dear old dad on the movements of Dad and Dumbledore and people."

Everyone else rolled their eyes at this.

"Can't you just accept that with his dad locked away and those two idiots no longer watching his every move, he's actually showing that he's a nice person?" Ginny questioned emphatically.

"No I can't. Have you forgotten how horrible he's been over the last 5 years?"

"No, Ron, I haven't. Just because you can't accept that things change doesn't mean I'm not willing to give him a second chance! " Ginny slammed down her bottle, making everyone jump as she stalked towards the door.

"Gin?" Hermione questioned through the hangings around Ginny's four-poster bed. "You there?"

"Yeah, hang on." Ginny opened the hangings so that Hermione could sit down, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, concerned, thinking Ginny was wiping away tears.

"Yep, I was just asleep."

"Oh. Sorry." Hermione grinned. "So Ron was being a bit...."

"He's just being protective. It does get on my nerves though."

"Why were you standing up for Malfoy, anyway?"

"I guess I just believe everyone deserves a second chance."

"Well, he does seem to have changed for the better, I admit. But he's been so awful before..."

"You have to start somewhere."

"Yeah."

"If you don't mind 'Mione, I'm going to go do some work in the library. Want to join me?"

"No thank you." Hermione smiled impishly. "I think I'll head back to Harry's room. I told Harry I'd be back soon."

Ginny grinned at her. "Well, have fun."

"See you."