I'm sorry the latest installment has taken so long, but I wanted to leave the story at a good stopping place where I could add detail concerning the latest book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Who knew the additional information could lead to such a wonderfully angst-filled chapter?

There's a bit of confusion as Snape wasn't the potions teacher in Ginny's 5th year. To those who have been reading this fic for a while, you've already read the background, so the year won't really matter. If you're just starting to read this fic, thanks for taking the time to read, and you can just pretend, right?

WARNING! This chapter contains spoilers for HBP, regarding the identity and actions of the HBP, as well as a vital death and other things that you might not understand if you haven't read HBP. I have told you; I have warned you. Let the story now begin!

The genius was by JKR. I just make mudpies in her sandlot.

Chapter Seven: Withering Friendships

It had been nearly a year since Ginny's affar with Snape. He had contacted her once, two weeks after that evening, saying that they had been found out. Ginny had been terrified and had intentionally landed a detention with Snape for not calling him "sir". That evening, as she was supposed to be cleaning out the ingredients cubboard, she had asked, terrified, if she was to be expelled or if he was to be fired. He had assured her that the one who had seen Ginny leave and noticed an odd jauntiness in the girl, who he strongly hinted had been the headmaster, was completely forgiving, but if they were caught again, Snape would serve in Azkaban and Ginny would be expelled and have her mother informed. They had not spoken since, and Ginny felt oddly empty.

It had also been six months since Dumbledore's death. Ginny had taken the news quite well according to her mother, but se was still in shock. Most thought it was because she had loved the headmaster dearly and couldn't accept that the world's greatest wizzard had been murdered, which was true, but the real reason for her amazement had been Snape.

I slept with him! was all she could think. She had lost her virginity to the Death Eater who had killed her headmaster when he was at his weakest. It made her sick. She had not confided the secret to anyone, and didn't plan to just now. The animosity the others felt for the self-proclaimed Half-Blood Prince made this proclimation a bit unwelcome, she presumed. However, the secret burned inside of her so badly that she couldn't seem to stand it.

Then, there were always her other speculations. Had she been the only student he had been with, or was she just one of his toys? Had he felt anything for her other than lust? She almost wished that she had not been the only one he had taken to bed, as then others could feel her pain, too. But she assumed if he did have another student, it was likely to be a Slytherin, who would hate her more than her family for sleeping with Snape. As for his feelings towards her, she would feel horribly used if she had just been another peice of ass to him, but then, she felt sickened at the thought of a Death Eater liking, even loving her.

Her situation with Harry didn't make things any better. It was true, she still fancied him, but with his new theory that not dating her would somehow protect her from Voldemort, it had beenincreasingly difficult to see hope in ever having a relationship with him again. Besides, if he ever found out about her affair with Snape, he would never speak to her again. After his continued hate of Snape, which had intensified after he found out that Snape was half the reason for his parents' death, any information about liking him could send him over the edge.

On a dreary autumn day a few weeks into the term, Hermione and Ginny were sitting in the Common Room; they were the only ones who had a free period at that time. Hermione was gushing over Ron to Ginny, who had heard just enough about her brother's love life.

"What about Remus?" Ginny asked, laughing sardonically.

"Oh," Hermione blushed crimson, "well, that was four years ago, and he had Tonks now. And. . .oh, it was a stupid crush, Ginny. I mean, he's a teacher, for God's sake! Don't tell me you never fancied a teacher before."

Ginny was about to retort when Hermione's comment fully set in. Ginny blushed bright scarlet and found herself quite incapable of speech.

"Oh, did you, then?" Hermione asked curiously. "I was only joking; I thought I was the only one. Well, out with it." She leaned in next to Ginny, smiling broadly. "Who was it? Lockheart?"

"Shut up," Ginny muttered, staring into her lap. Oh, what she wouldn't give to tell someone! "No one, okay?"

"It is so someone," Hermione retorted. "Someone you don't want anyone to know, it sounds like. Firenze? Hagrid, maybe?"

Ginny snorted. "Hagrid? No offense to him or anything, but who the ruddy hell would fancy him. Besides Maxime, you know." Hermione was trying to think of a teacher that would be highly embarassing to Ginny, but Ginny thought she was going about it the wrong way. She would never expect it. . .

"Hang on!" Hermione shouted, coming out of thought. Ginny looked up. "It wasn't. . . no! You wouldn't have felt like that. I won't even insult you by sugessting it, Ginny."

"Who?" Ginny said with a mounting sense of dread. Hermione knew, she had to know.

"I was gong to say Snape, but there is no way. . . Ginny?" for ginny had just looked down dejectedly into her lap. "Oh my GOD!" Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth. "But, Ginny! He's a---"

"I know," Ginny moaned, "He wasn't at the time. Or, at least, I didn't know he was. But. . .Oh. . .I don't know." she felt a huge knot well inside her throat and a moist feeling in the corner of her eyes. "Hermione," she said, breaking into sobs and falling onto her best friend's shoulder. "I. . ." but she couldn't carry on.

"It's okay," said Hermione, thoughroughly shocked, "it was just a little crush. Nothing happe--- wait, did anything happen?"

Ginny burst into more terrified sobs. "I-I didn't want things t-t-to go that far." She wailed, "B-but he seemed so n-n-nice at the time, and he-he liked me, too, I think."

Hermione sat Ginny up. "Now, it's alright," she said, sounding as if nothing was right at all. "What happened?"

Ginny sniffed, but shook her head. "You're g-going to kill me. It was during one of th-those detentions, and he just s-sort of took me t-to his r-r-room. . ."

"No," Hermione whispered frightfully. "Oh, Ginny. You didn't." Ginny nodded dejectedly. "NO! Oh, but that's illegal! Not to mention highly immoral. And. . .GINNY!" Hermione looked ready to slap her best friend. "He killed Dumbledore!"

"I know," Ginny said as a fresh wave of sobs overtook her. "But he. . .he really seemed interested. And I w-w-wanted to know. . ." she couldn't continue.

Hermione said nothing. She stood and glared down at Ginny. "You little slut," she muttered, saying each word very clearly, "I hope you're happy." With that, she stormed off, leaving Ginny sobbing and now wishing she had kept the secret to herself.

It had been a depressing week, to be sure. Hermione wasn't speaking to her anymore, and Ron and Harry were very curious to find the reason.

"We just had a row, okay?" Ginny siad, turning so suddenly upon her brother that he fell over in the street. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just head over to the Tree Broomsticks." Harry helped Ron to his feet and shrugged. They headed into the warm interior of the Three Broomsticks, which had been decorated with holly and fairy lights, and saw Tonks standing behind the bar. Madam Rosmerta was still recovering from the Imperious Curse, and Tonks and Lupin had kindly moved into Hogsmeade to assist in keeping the shop open. Ginny suspected it was to keep an eye on the school, as Mcgonagall wasn't quite the wizzard Dumbledore was. Her hair was in a violent turqoise shag cut today, and Ginny was happy to see a broad smile on her face. Ever since the wedding, she had become a much more enthusiastic witch, but just as Ginny had been thinking about what a wonderful thing Lupin had been for her, she saw her face fall. She frowned for a moment, laughed without humour, and then opened her mouth and gasped.

As Ginny walked over to her to ask her what was up, she heard Tonks say, "No way! She wouldn't!"

"That's what I thought, too," said another voice. Ginny froze. It was Hermione talking to Tonks, and she had a good idea of what it was about. She had just turned on her heels when Tonks called her.

"Ginny!" she said harshly. Half the bar, including Ron and Harry, looked surprised to hear Tonks yelling, "you get your sorry arse back here this instant!" Ginny ignored her, running as fast as she could from the bar. She could hear the door open and slam behind her, but she didn't know who was follwoing her, nor did she care. She had just gotten past the Shrieking Shack when a figure collided into her back and knocked her into the snow.

"Get off!" Ginny hissed, trying to free her arms from under her to reach her wand.

"How could you?" she heard Tonks say. "How dare you? He's a bloody Death Eater, Ginny! You knew that, even if it was a year before he rejoined."

"You seemed to trust him," Ginny muttered into the snow. She heard a frustrated yell come from her captor.

"Yeah, but I never shagged him!" Tonks turned her over. She was more furious than Ginny had ever seen her. "You crossed the line, Ginny. Hell, you mutilated it!"

Ginny was silent. She would not cry this time. "I made a mistake. He was the one who pushed it that far."

"It takes two to tango, Ginny," Tonks retorted. "D'you honestly think we--" Tonks looked off into the distance for a moment.

"What?" Ginny asked, sitting up.

"It's just. . .but I doubt it would work."

"What?" Ginny repeated.

"You might be able to spy for us. If you were to seduce him. . ."

Ginny snorted derisively. "Tonks, I've told you; the whole thing was his idea. I was just something he could use." She felt dirty at the thought of this, but chose to ignore it at just the moment.

"But you have this thing with men." Tonks replied. "Actually, its more that they have a thing for you. They can't keep their eyes off of you. It's like you're part-veela or something."

Ginny just gaped at her. "I. . . but it's just stupid boys at school. I couldn't hook one of the best Legilimense in the world! He'd know! Besides, the thought of what I did disgusts me."

"You did it once for nothing but personal feelings," Tonks retorted. "Surely you could do it again if you could help the Order. And, besides, it's not just foolish schoolboys." Tonks smiled darkly. "Remus told me that whenever you were in his class, he couldn't concentrate properly. He even asked Kingsley and Sirius, who all felt the same, and they all agreed it was some sort of potion, but it never wore off, did it?"

Ginny stared. "But, so," she was having a hard time comprehending this, "I. . .wow."

"Yeah," said Tonks, "so, I guess it wouldn't be that hard to seduce a Death Eater with a bit of a love potion to help. I can ask Remus what he thinks tonight."

"You wouldn't tell him about the affair, would you?" Ginny asked tensely.

Tonks looked her over, taking in her terrified face that still had a smudge of snow on it. "No, I guess not," she finally said. "I'll just tell him that I thought of the idea for some girl to spy on him and that wou said you would do it to help the Order."

Ginny nodded determinedly. "Okay, I'll do it if they approve of the plan."