A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update. I know it's been a while, but I've been busy with homework in preparation for finals. :P I've only had a few minutes every day to write anything. I hope you enjoy Chapter 7, and review!! I haven't been getting as many lately...

Chapter 7

"He'll be alright, he was just knocked out for a bit." Madame Pomfrey took out a fresh piece of cloth soaked with a potion to put over the wound on Dean's head. She, Professor McGonagall, and Ginny were in the hospital wing, the day after Ginny had hexed him. Dean was lying unconscious on one of the beds.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a week's worth of dentention, Miss Weasley." Professor McGonagall looked sternly down at Ginny, her mouth thin.

Ginny looked up. "But-but why? I said I didn't mean to! I wasn't trying to hurt him, but he was coming after me! I had to do something. What else could I-"

"I'm already letting you off easier than I should, Ginny. A week's detention, and that's final. Unless you'd like to make it two...?" Professor McGonagall interrupted, raising a brow.

Ginny closed her mouth. She looked down and nodded, and McGonagall turned and left the hospital wing.

Ginny sighed deeply. It's not fair, she thought. Dean was the one trying to hurt me. I was doing it out of self-defense! He started it all. He raped me. Ginny blew hair out of her eyes and thought more deeply about that last part. It was something Ginny couldn't forget. It was always on her mind, especially within the last few days.

"Ginny, I think you'd better be off to breakfast now." Madame Pomfrey looked up at her.

Ginny nodded. She got up and headed toward the door. She stopped in front of the doorknob and shifted the strap on her book bag. She was walking slowly, deep in thought. Biting her lip, she turned around. She watched Madame Pomfrey fold up a soft green blanket.

"Madame Pomfrey," she said quietly.

"Yes, Ginny."

"Er..." Ginny glanced back at Dean. "Nothing. Never mind."

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Back in the Great Hall, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. Hermione was working on an extra credit report for Professor Sprout.

"Hermione, how can you just sit there and work? Someone is out there to get you and you're studying?!"

Harry, who was taking a sip out of his goblet, spit it back out. "Someone...wait...who's out to get Hermione?!" He sat up straighter.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Nothing, it's not really that big of a deal..."

"Not that big of a deal?!" Ron stared at her in disbelief. "Someone tried to hex you last night!" He slammed his fist on the table, realizing something. "I bet that letter with the burning potion in it was from the same person!"

"What? What happened last night?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised high.

Hermione shook her head. "Ron, you don't know for sure that someone tried to hex me. After all, no one was behind the bush. And maybe that letter was an accident."

"Hermione, listen to yourself! Someone can't 'accidentally' put a burning potion in an envelope and send it to you! And of course there was no one behind the bush when we looked! Do you really think they'd stick around?" Ron scrunched up his face in thought. "Who would do this?"

"Well, Ron, ."

"Still, though! How can you be so calm about this? I was tossing and turning in my sleep last night."

Harry groaned. "Would someone please explain to me what the heck is going on!"

Hermione sighed. "Ron and I were just outside last night when a spell was shot at me. Ron pulled me back and it missed, we looked behind the bush, no one was there, and that's it." She shrugged and rolled out her parchment. "Do you think I ought to add an extra foot?"

Harry stared at her. "Hermione, I think Ron's right. You should talk to Dumbledore, just to make sure."

Hermione put down her parchment and sighed. "Fine, if it'll get you guys off my back, I'll talk to him this afternoon."

"Good." Harry picked up a piece of steak with his fork. "Anyway...what were you guys doing out after dark?" He smirked.

"Erm...we were just taking a walk," Ron mumbled. He shifted uncomfortably on the bench.

Hermione breathed a smile. "He gave me a rose," she said proudly.

Harry snorted. "You got her a rose? What a romantic." Harry laughed teasingly.

"Er...just a small one." Ron's ears turned red, and he furiously stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth.

Hermione looked up and said, "It was enchanted." At this, Harry doubled over in laughter, while Ron stared at the ground, his face getting redder by the second.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Why are boys so insensitive about this sort of stuff? I think it's very sweet." She closed her eyes and gave Ron a peck on the cheek. He smiled, and Harry stopped laughing, but still had a smirk on his face.

Ron wrinkled his brow as he looked down the Gryffindor table to where Dean and Ginny usually sat. "Where is she?"

Hermione looked up. "Who's 'she?'"

"Ginny. And Dean's not there either." He scrunched his face up. "They'd better not be off doing something I'd kill Dean for..."

"Ronald! She's been your sister since she was born. You know her better than that."

"Yeah, well I know enough about Dean to know he doesn't deserve Gin."

Harry swallowed. "Well, you don't have to worry about that right now. She's coming in."

They looked over to the door and saw Ginny, who was walking toward the table.

"Hi," she said, taking a seat next to Harry. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"Why aren't you sitting with Dean? Where is he?" Ron looked around.

"Oh...he's...I'm not gonna sit with him." Ginny piled food on her plate, avoiding Ron's eyes.

Ron brightened up. "You mean today, or ever?" he asked hopefully.

"Ron!" Hermione slapped his arm.

"Erm...I don't think I'll be...sitting with him...anymore." Ginny stuffed a piece of a pancake in his mouth to have an excuse not to answer questions, but Ron kept questioning her.

"What do you mean you won't be sitting with him anymore? Are you guys over?"

Ginny shrugged. "Um, yeah."

Ron clapped his hands together and threw his fist into the air. "YES!" He sat, grinning ear to ear.

Harry kicked Ron under the table.

"What?" Ron asked. "I knew you were wrong for each other."

Ginny blushed and chewed quickly, while they all sat there in an awkward silence.

Ron looked and Ginny for a minute and asked, "So how did you break up?"

Hermione dropped her fork and sighed. "Ronald, just leave Ginny alone! This is none of your business."

"I'm her brother!"

"Would you want her asking you about every single detail of your life?"

Ron grumbled, but stopped talking. They all sat there again, quietly eating their food and looking at each other.

Ron looked back at Ginny again. He bit his lip for a moment, then blurted out, "Sorry, I just have one more question I have to ask-"

"Ginny," Harry interrupted. "Would you mind if I beat up your brother right now?"

Ginny laughed while Ron looked disappointed.

"Hey," Harry said. "You're smiling. I haven't seen you smile for weeks."

Ginny looked embarrassed, but kept smiling.

"See?" Ron sat up. "You're happier without that Dean git."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know!" Ron said quickly. "That was it, I promise."

"Good." Hermione rolled up her essay and put it away. "So, this weekend is a Hogsmeade one."

"Is it really?" Ron asked. "Why don't we go?"

"Well, I do need some new quills and I'm dying for a butterbeer."

"Ok, then we'll go. What about you, Harry, do you want to come?"

"And tag along while you two snog every five minutes? No thanks." Harry grinned.

Ron turned red. "We don't snog that often, Harry. And if you feel like that, why don't you bring Ginny along?" Ron turned his attention to Ginny, who looked up suddenly at her name.

"What?" Ginny asked. She had been busy thinking, and had only caught a few words.

"Do you want to come to Hogsmeade with us?' Hermione asked.

"Ron wants me to come? He never lets me go anywhere he's going."

Ron said, "Well, just come this time, ok?"

Harry looked at Ginny, who seemed to be thinking hard about it. "What? We're only a year older and you've known us since you were ten."

"Well, yeah, but..." Harry pleaded with his eyes, and Ginny smiled. "All right."

"Great! I've been wanted to check out Zonko's for ever, but I didn't want to go with Ron and 'Mione making out." Harry grinned again and looked at Ron, whose hand came flying at Harry's head. Harry ducked and laughed.

Ginny sat there, grinning with excitement. When she got to her dormitory, she jumped on the bed. She knew she was being silly, but she hadn't been this happy all year.

Another A/N: Thanks to Tanya J Potter for reminding me that Fred and George's shop is not in Hogsmeade. I've changed it to Zonko's. Sorry about that!