(A/N for the person who asked about the title of the story, it's basically just a working title. If anyone has any suggestions for a better title let me know, I am open to suggestions. I am open to suggestions to ideas to add to my story also. I don't really know where this story is going so hopefully it turns out well.

Also someone mentioned that I have the wrong name after dialogue or something so if you could tell me where it is rather than just telling me there is something wrong I can fix it.

This is story isn't really about Ginny changing, if anything it's about her learning that she is fine the way she is.

I also don't know if Thanksgiving is celebrated in the book, but I am having them celebrate it because it is a fun holiday.)

I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friends, if I did though I would share.

Chapter 24: Bad Luck Letters

Monday morning rolled around, it was the Thanksgiving week and the castle was buzzing with talk. Ginny walked into the great hall, noticing quite a few slytherins looking at her. She nervously looked over at Draco and noticed he was having an animated conversation with a couple of his house mates. Ginny quickly made her way to the Gryffindor table, concerned as to why she was getting so much attention from the Slytherins.

Ginny sat down and started to eat some breakfast, glancing over at the Slytherin table to see if they were still watching her.

"What's up?" Harry asked her, sitting across from her.

"Have you noticed the slytherin's keep staring at me?" Ginny asked looking at the Slytherin table again.

"No I didn't notice." Harry replied turning around. "You're right though."

"I wonder what's up with that?" Ginny said.

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Draco was sitting at breakfast, conversing with his housemates. He hadn't noticed how little he had spoken with them that year. After finding out that they didn't like the Death Eaters anymore than he did he felt a lot more comfortable talking to them. He saw Ginny talking to Potter, and noticed them both looking over to his table. Which is when he noticed that his housemates kept glancing at her.

He groaned, he didn't want Ginny to know that they knew before he got a chance to tell her. He glanced over at Ginny and noticed that she was looking at him. He smiled at her from across the room. She raised an eyebrow and nodded towards the Slytherin table.

"What's going on?" She mouthed to him.

"Later." he mouthed back before turning back to his conversation.

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Ginny left breakfast and made her way to potions nervously making her way through the halls. Why were the Slytherns whispering every time she walked by? Ginny walked into the potions room and sat down, pulling out her homework. A few minutes later Draco entered the room, he walked over and sat down beside her.

"What's going on?" she asked him as he leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"I told them." Draco replied.

"Told them what?" Ginny asked uneasily.

"About us." Draco replied smiling at her. "Why do you look so worried?"

"You told a bunch of people who hate me and my family that you are dating me?" Ginny asked him getting upset.

"I'm ashamed in you." Draco said still smiling at her. "You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked him. "Why did you tell them?"

"It's a long story. I will tell you about it later." Draco said as people started to enter the room.

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By the time Draco arrived at their extra potions session Ginny was already in there measuring out ingredients.

"Did Dumbledore get the rest of the ingredients we needed?" Draco asked as he put down his books.

"Yeah." Ginny replied not looking up from her task. "Why did you tell the Slytherin's about us?"

"Well yesterday after dinner when I got back to my room, Pansy was there and she threatened to tell them unless I did her a favor." Draco told her.

"What kind of favor?" Ginny asked him.

"You know, a favor." Draco said giving her a look blushing slightly.

"Oh." Ginny replied frowning.

"So then I left my room and went and told all the Slytherins that happened to be in the Common Room." Draco continued.

"How did they take it?" Ginny asked worried.

"Surprisingly well." Draco said. "I was shocked."

"Why did they take it so well? I thought they hated me, and my family, and everyone my family knows." Ginny replied.

"When Voldermort came back to power, a lot of us went through some difficult times. It's very different to dislike someone when you don't have to do anything about. It's actually very easy to just dislike someone. All of our lives we have been told that we are superior to muggles and muggle-born students. When it came down to it though, I guess just like me, they couldn't commit themselves to kill someone because of it." Draco explained. "I think that maybe us Slytherins have matured."

"What did you guys have to go through?" Ginny asked him.

"It's nothing." Draco said brushing off the question. "It isn't important."

Ginny let it go for now, she knew he was lying to her, how could someone change their whole view of the world with nothing. However she realized that he wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Today we are making the shadow potion." Ginny told him, changing subjects.

"Really, that's a cool potion." Draco said looking at how to make it. "Do you want me to crush the werewolf claws?"

"Sure." Ginny replied. "Seriously they were fine with us."

"Most of them were, a couple of them side with Voldermort." Draco replied.

"I wonder what the rest of the school is going to think when they find out." Ginny mused.

"Aren't you a cocky one." Draco said smirking at her.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked pretending to be hurt.

"Why would you think anyone in the school would care?" Draco asked her.

Ginny looked at him. "Are you kidding me, a Weasley and a Malfoy, dating each other. I will be shocked if we don't show up on the front page of the Daily Prophet."

"Ok so you're right." Draco agreed as he finished with the werewolf claws and started counting out the spider legs.

"Mom and dad came to visit us yesterday." Ginny told him.

"I noticed, you didn't tell them about us did you?" Draco asked worriedly.

"No." Ginny replied. "I didn't think you were read to meet the parents."

"Good." Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "So what did they want?"

"Just to tell us what Dumbledore already did, and to ask us to stay out of trouble. Especially of the crime fighting kind." Ginny said as she threw some ingredients into the cauldron. "These are suppose to simmer for 30 minutes and the we add the claws and legs."

"I wonder what we could do till then?" Draco asked suggestively.

"I have an idea." Ginny replied with a smirk. "Homework." she said as she pulled some books out of her bag.

"You're no fun." Draco whined.

"Whining isn't very attractive on you." Ginny said still smirking. "I spend all day with you on Sunday, the night with you before that and you still aren't happy."

"You can't really blame me though." Draco told her defensively.

"Oh really, why is that?" Ginny asked.

"Because you're beautiful." Draco replied sitting on the couch and pulling her down after him.

"I'm still doing my homework." Ginny told him grabbing her books from the table.

"That's okay, you can study and I can-" Draco said not finishing his sentence as he started to kiss her on the neck.

"Stop it!" Ginny said giggling. "I'm trying to study."

"You really aren't any fun." Draco told her grabbing his own books from his bag and settling back on the couch to do some homework.

"You'll thank me when you do well on your N.E.W.T.s." Ginny told him leaning against him, her book in her lap.

They studied quietly for the next 30 minutes, Draco couldn't really concentrate. He could smell Ginny's shampoo and it kept distracting him.

"Time is up." Draco told Ginny.

"What?" Ginny asked totally inthralled in her book.

"It's been thirty minutes." Draco repeated.

"Oh. I forgot about the potion." Ginny replied getting up and looking at the recipe.

Draco got up and added the spider legs and werewolf claws.

"What next?" he asked.

"We bring it to a boil and then it has to simmer until Wednesday." Ginny answered him sitting on the stool.

"So we are going to be done early tonight?" Draco asked her.

"Looks like." Ginny replied. "Draco would you like to spend some time with me before curfew?"

"Oh I think I have to study." Draco replied smirking at her.

"Oh okay then." Ginny replied smirking back. "I'll just go back up to my room after this starts to boil."

"I suppose I could reconsider." Draco said slowly. "I wouldn't want you to be bored."

"Only if you are sure." Ginny replied to him.

They sat and talked, waiting for the potion to boil. Once it did ginny turned down the heat and quickly cleaned up the mess they made.

"Come on, I want to show you something." Ginny said slinging her book bag over her shoulder and grabbing his hand.

Draco grabbed his bad with his free hand and followed her out of the room. Curious as to what she wanted to show him. She dragged him up some stairs and down a hallway. She stopped in front of a portrait and whispered the password, moving back to let the portrait swing open.

Ginny pulled him into her room filled with pictures. "This is my room of pictures." She told him. "Colin took the pictures."

Draco gasped as he looked around the room at all the moving pictures. "Wow. Colin did this?"

"Yeah, at the beginning of the year." she replied looking around the room for herself.

"He really is a good photographer." Draco said moving to look at the very picture Ginny had asked Colin about the night before.

"I know." Ginny agreed.

"Do you think he could get me a copy of this one?" Draco asked pointing to the picture.

"Um, I could ask him if you want." Ginny said walking over to him.

"You guys must be really good friends for him to do this for you." Draco told her.

"He's my best friend." Ginny said smiling at him. "Why are you jealous?"

"Me, jealous never." Draco replied haughtily.

"Sure, ok." Ginny told him giving him a kiss on the cheek. "It's almost curfew, we better leave."

"You're right." Draco grumbled taking her hand and walking out the door. "How about I walk you back to Gryffindor tower?"

"You sure." Ginny asked him.

"Yeah I am." Draco replied leaning down and kissing her on the lips.

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The next few days went by smoothly, every day the Daily Prophet reported on what was happening in the war. The action appeared to be moving closer and closer to Hogwarts. There were more and more reports of Death Eaters raiding banks and towns. Taking out anybody that got in there way. Two muggles had died and a couple of Aurors had lost some limbs. The muggles still hadn't noticed anything going on, choosing instead to take their usual course of action and act like it was just another unhappy event.

That Wednesday at dinner Dumbledore stood up and announced that they had Thursday and Friday off because of Thanksgiving. He also announced that because of there being so many non students staying at Hogwarts that for Thanksgiving dinner they could choose to sit where ever they wanted instead of sitting at their house tables. The Weasley children had already panned to sit with each other and with Hermione and Ron so that didn't really change their plan.

Ginny got up from the table and started to walk out of the great hall, she had to go meet Draco to finish up the Shadow potion. She entered the room to see Draco already in there and working on the potion.

"Hey Draco." Ginny said walking into the room. "Did you notice how much longer it should be before the potion is finished?"

"I think after we add the last ingredients we let it simmer for an hour and then we are done." Draco replied. "I figured that since we would have an extra hour we could start on the next potion."

"What potion are we going to do next?" Ginny asked looking at the list.

"I was thinking that we could start on some of the medical potions." Draco replied. "They are quick and easy, you know just get them out of the way."

"Okay Ginny said looking up those potions. "I bet they want us to make this one for Professor Lupin."

"You do realize he isn't our Professor anymore don't you?" Draco reminded her.

"I know, but I got so use to calling him that." Ginny replied.

Draco added the last ingredients, stirring them in. "In a hour this should be ready." he said.

"That's good." Ginny said pulling some ingredients from the cupboard.

"So, I got a letter from my father." Draco told her.

"Really, did you read it?" Draco asked him.

"Yeah."

"What did it say?" Ginny asked, not sure if she should ask.

"Here you can read it." Draco said handing it to her.

Draco, my boy, I haven't heard from you. I hope you thought about what I said in my last letter. It's almost time for you to get your Dark Mark. Have you been following the news, those muggles deserved death, they wouldn't get out of our way. Crabbe was almost caught by an auror but at the last minute I whipped a disappearing limb curse at him. The Dark Lord was very clear with us, he didn't want any unnecessary deaths until we were ready to take over the castle. The last thing we need is for some stupid Aurors to come snooping around. The Dark Lord has promised that the raid will happen soon, and all the muggle born in the castle are first to die.

LM

Ginny looked up from the letter, she couldn't form words. How could anyone be so heartless and cruel? A tear rolled down her cheek, she had never felt so much despair before.

"I know." Draco said taking the letter back from her, noticing the look on her face. "Does it help you understand where I'm coming from a little bit better?"

"How could you live with him?" she asked hugging him.

"Well I don't have to anymore, so it doesn't matter." Draco replied wrapping his arm arms around her.

"He wants you to get your dark mark." Ginny mentioned.

"I know, he told me the same thing in the last letter." Draco replied. "It isn't going to happen though."

They worked in silence for a while, chopping ingredients for their next few potions. Finally Draco spoke up.

"I haven't told him yet." he said. "When I do, he is going to disown me, and thats if he doesn't kill me first."

"Surely he wouldn't kill his own son." Ginny replied.

"He almost has already." Draco said without thinking, he instantly snapped his mouth shut.

"What?" Ginny asked whipping her head up.

"I don't want to talk about it right now." Draco said. "It's depressing."

"You're going to have to tell me eventually." Ginny told him.

"And I will." Draco told her. "But right now isn't the time."

They worked in silence again. Ginny wasn't quite sure of what to say. After another thirty minutes she took the potion off the fire and bottled it up.

They worked for thirty more minutes, still not talking, starting on a new potion.

"Are you okay Draco." Ginny asked him. "You're being really quiet."

"I'm fine Virginia." Draco said smiling. "I'm really glad you are here with me right now though. I'm not in the mood to be alone."

"That's no problem." Ginny said. "Anything you want to help distract you from this letter."

"I don't suppose you would want to come back with me to my room." Draco asked.

Ginny gave him a look.

"Just so that I can fall asleep next to someone, and wake up next to someone." Draco said quietly. "I'm not going to try anything. I promise."

"I know, its just different to see you so-" Ginny started.

"Wimpy." Draco finished for her.

"I was going to say vulnerable." Ginny corrected him.

"Oh thats so much better." Draco said sarcastically.

Ginny just shrugged her shoulders. "I said it was different."

Draco just shrugged and continued to work on the potion for Lupin.

Ginny checked the time, it was almost 9:30, which meant that they were almost done with potions for the night. Ginny glanced over at Draco, noticing that he seemed to be mashing the wolfsbane awfully finely. She reached over and gently placed a hand on his arm.

"It's 9:30." she told him. "We're done for the night."

"Ok." Draco replied glumly.

"Do you still want me to-" Ginny started.

"Yes." Draco answered her before she finished her sentence, still looking depressed.

"Draco, forget about the letter, he can't make you get a Dark Mark on your arm. He can't touch you, you're safe here in Hogwarts." Ginny said taking his hand and pulling him out of the room. "I'm risking getting in trouble by not going back to my dorm tonight so cheer up."

"Fine." Draco said a little more cheerfully. "I changed the password to my room. I figured I better since Pansy apparently knew it."

"That's probably a good idea." Ginny said.

They walked downstairs and arrived in front of Draco's room.

"Hoppers." Draco muttered and watched as the portrait swung open.

Draco climbed through the portrait hole, pulling Ginny through behind him. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out some pajamas for her.

"Here." he said handing the green satin pajamas to her.

"I'll be right back." Ginny said walking into the bathroom.

When Ginny came out of the bathroom Draco was already in his pajamas and laying on his bed. He was laying on his back his hands behind his head, eyes closed. Ginny watched him for a minute from the door of the bathroom.

"The view gets better the closer you are." Draco said not opening his eyes.

"How'd you know I was standing her?" Ginny asked him not moving from her spot.

"I was listening for you." Draco replied, still not opening his eyes, his chest rising up and down as he breathed in and out.

Ginny walked over to the bed and climbed on, laying down beside him. Draco rolled over on his side, opening his eyes to look at Ginny.

"You're right, the view is better from over here." Ginny said kissing him.

Draco leaned closer to her. Ginny could feel his need in his kiss. They separated and Draco brushed her hair out of her face.

"Draco?" Ginny said quietly.

"Yes." Draco replied.

"Do you want to eat Thanksgiving dinner with me and my family tomorrow?" she asked him looking him in the eyes.

"Really?" Ddraco asked her.

"Yeah." Ginny said smiling.

"I'd love too." Draco said returning her smile. Draco pulled her up in a sitting position. "You realize people are going to talk."

"Yeah and Dean is going to murder you." Ginny replied.

"Why would Dean try and murder me?" Draco asked.

"He has this little crush on me." Ginny replied. "I don't think he will be too happy to see me hanging around with a Malfoy when I wouldn't hang out with him."

"Well then I hope Dean says something to me." Draco said with an evil smile on his face.

"You have to be nice." Ginny said.

"Being nice is boring." Draco replied.

"Please? For me?" Ginny asked giving him a really pitiful look.

"Damn you are too good at that." Draco groaned. "Fine I will be nice."

"Good." Ginny smiled. "Plus Ron scared Dean off anyway."

"What a pansy." Draco commented. "Do you want to play a game of wizard's chess?"

"Sure, but I warn you I taught Ron everything he knows." Ginny said boastfully.

Draco climbed off his bed and walked over to his book shelf. He pulled an old battered box off the shelf and walked back over to his bed.

"Wow, this is old." Ginny said taking the box from him and sitting it on the bed.

"It used to be a muggle chess set until I enchanted them." Draco said pulling out the board and setting up the pieces. "White or black?"

"Black." Ginny replied.

"Really, I would have thought you would want to be white, good pure white." Draco said smirking.

"Black is my lucky color." Ginny replied smirking back.

Ginny and Draco played a few games together. Draco was actually pretty good but Ginny still beat him all three games.

"Check mate." Ginny said laughing.

"Hey you're suppose to be cheering me up, not beating me at every game." Draco protested.

"You should be happy you have a smart girl friend." Ginny replied. "Another game?"

"No losing three times in one night is my limit." Draco replied.

"Don't tell me you're scared." Ginny said picking on him.

"No I just know when I have met my match." Draco said.

"Smart boy." Ginny said laughing. "We should get to sleep. Its past midnight."

Draco started picking up the game and placed the pieces back in the box. He placed the game beside his bed and pulled the blankets on his bed back. He climbed under the covers, followed closely behind by Ginny.

"Good night Virginia, I love you." Draco said kissing her on the forehead.

"I love you too." Ginny said closing her eyes.