CHAPTER TWELVE:

Not One

Hermione was screaming as she looked at the grounds below her. The Quidditch Pitch looked like a small stadium for a doll house or something. She drew her mouth into Draco's robe to muffle the sound of her screaming. She was terrified, and she wanted to do was get back down immediately.

Hermione swung her leg around, like Draco had told her to, and sat lightly on the back of his broomstick. She attached herself tightly around Draco's waist, entwining her fingers together across his waist. Draco looked back to her, seeing the fear in her eyes, and smiled soothingly. He stopped in mid air.

"You are alright, aren't you?" He asked in a worried tone.

"Yes, but I wish to get back on the ground this instant!" she demanded. "I can't believe you Draco!" She screamed in disbelief.

"I am not letting you down until you get rid of your fear! This is silly Hermione; please stay on a little longer." He begged and she looked at him with longing eyes for the ground. "For me?" he pouted.

"Sulk all you want Draco, I need to get back down." She said clutching him tighter then ever.

"Hermione, I won't let you fall." He reassured her as he set a hand on hers to stop them from shaking. "I swear." He said, looking over his shoulder.

Hermione's eyes locked with his as he twisted at the waist so their eyes met. Hermione took a deep breath and nodded, she understood. She would do this for him, she trusted him, and he was good at this. She bit her lip and put on a nervous smile.

"Alright," She said breathlessly.

Draco gave her a small, warming, kiss before shifting the rest of his body back into view of where he was going. He grasped the broomstick tightly so he had more control of it. He felt Hermione's finger make a circling motion on his stomach and he laughed lightly, it tickled.

"I want to let you have the real feeling of this." Draco said silently, almost whispering.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked as she set the bone in her chin on Draco's broad shoulder blade.

Draco patted around in his robes. He stopped in the air again and twisted around. He set a small ball in her hand that Hermione noticed immediately. She grasped her hand around it and looked at Draco with a confusing smile. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear when the wind gently blew it in her face.

"Draco… this is… how you… why would I use..." She was crossing between thoughts. He laughed gently and smiled.

"Yes, it's the Golden Snitch. Now what I want you to do, is release it." He told her, she bit her lip gently.

"If I let it go then… then we surly will never catch it!" She wined.

"Trust me, if you can't catch it… I will on my own." He told her. She nodded. She wasn't sure at all about this.

The small ball was bouncing around in the palm of her hand, aching to be released. She gently and slowly opened her palm. The small ball twittered into the air and moved a little uneasy at first. It glimmered off and out of sight.

"Ready?" Draco asked. Hermione, rather excited, clasped her arms around his waist and nodded.

Draco moved his foot to the side and the broom started going faster then usual. Hermione found this exciting all of a sudden. She was finally going to feel what it was like being Harry. She was going to find out what it was like being a seeker, and what it was like to fly.

Draco swerved around the stands for about ten minutes when Hermione had tapped him. She had seen a trickle of golden light, and she was pointing excitedly towards it. She began to grow even more excited. It was right near her, she could hear it.

"Now, grab it." He said as he swerved and Hermione reached out her hand. She barely touched it when it fluttered off.

"Damn." She said under her breath. Draco laughed.

"It's alright, you can try again." He said and swerved to the right again. Hermione heard it behind her and she made a grab for whatever it was.

She felt her fingers clasp around something round and she brought the item to her face. She put a widened smile on her face. She smiled excitingly, that was rather fun.

"I don't see it." Draco said, looking around.

"I do." Hermione smiled a mischief smile.

"Where?" Draco asked, looking sharply around.

"Here, in my hand." Hermione said awestruck.

Draco gave her a sweetened smile. She had tried it, and she had conquered her fears and done it. He stopped in the air and twisted at his waist again. She gave him a powerful smile when she opened her hand a little and Draco saw the Snitch. It stayed between her fingers and she gave it to him.

"This is my own snitch, you keep it." He said handing her the ball. "It doesn't move unless someone says to release it. So don't worry about it stowing away." He said with a laugh.

"Draco, I can't believe this." She said, cradling the ball in her hand.

"I know... this is so-" He started but,

"Surreal." Hermione said as she cut him off.

Draco twisted back around, gently pushed forward, and began to glide down to the grounds. When his feet grazed the grassy lawn, he turned back to her. He helped her off and then let himself off. He set the boom on the ground for a moment and turned to Hermione, who was still in fascination that she had caught a snitch.

"This is amazing Draco!" She jumped. Draco laughed silently.

"Hermione, you have just faced your fear of heights." Draco pointed out and Hermione looked down at her feet.

"Oh my god." She said as if she hadn't even noticed.

Draco walked to her, standing about three centimeters apart, and stared into her eyes in a lovingly way. Hermione felt her heart sink. She pocketed the snitch carefully before looking back at Draco. Draco had bent down and kissed her again.

Hermione still hadn't forgotten what they did the night before. Harry was still mad at her, and she had made a three hour love to Draco before waking this morning. She knew what they had done, and he knew, and she knew where this kiss was going. She looked around, she was still on the Quidditch Pitch, and shook her head.

"Not here, Draco." Hermione said as she broke the kiss.

"Shall we then?" He asked charmingly as he shoved the palm of his hand towards the castle steps.

Hermione smiled flirtatiously as she grabbed his hand. She walked slowly, so it wasn't so obvious, and led him into the castle. She walked with him, ignoring the people who tried to talk to them, and she pulled him up the stairs.

She practically ran down the hall and into the Selected Common Room. She tried not to look so obvious to those around. Harry and Ron were in the corner playing Wizard's Chess and their girlfriends loftily watching.

Hermione walked slowly into her room as she made both of the switches of the gems lock. Harry had found a way to open the room walls without having a gem. Hermione found this very annoying and wondered why he figured it out anyways. It's not like he wanted to watch her, was it?

Hermione turned to Draco after closing the curtains, locking the walls, locking the door that led to her balcony, and locking her main door. She turned to him, she had a greedy look upon her face, and she practically jumped into his arm.

"I love you." He said before kissing her sweetly.

Hermione backed away, pulling him by the waistband of his jeans, and backed onto the bed. She looked up to him as he set a knee on the corner of the bed and swung his leg over top of her. He looked at her deeply.

"I love you too." She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Draco smile and brought his hands across her waist lightly and Hermione smiled.

Ron and Harry were playing chess in the corner of the Selected Common Room. Ginny and Lavender were both cheering for their boyfriend. Every time Ron made Harry loose a chess piece Lavender would kiss him. Ginny would do the same, but only kiss Harry when he made Ron loose a piece.

Lavender had probably kissed Ron about a hundred times and Harry was kissed by Ginny probably about ten times. Harry didn't even know the point of why he played, he couldn't possibly beat Ron, and Harry wanted to win at least once.

"Go Ron!" Lavender squealed as Ron's queen had successfully killed off Harry's King.

"Game over, I win." Ron said proudly.

"No surprise there." Harry said with a laugh. "You always win, I always loose... what's the point of playing against me?" he laughed

"It funny when you loose, you try acting all happy... it's hilarious." Ron said with a laugh as Lavender took a seat on Ron's knee.

"Shush." He said and Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Harry, can me and Ginny play?" Lavender asked.

"Yeah, give us a shot you guys!" Ginny smiled as Harry placed a kiss on her lips lightly.

"Sure." Harry and Ron said together. Harry went to move, but Ginny had pushed him back into his seat.

"Thanks Love." Ginny said as she circled around him and took a seat on his lap. Harry laughed silently and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Pawn to H3." Lavender said and Ginny looked at the chessboard closely.

"Pawn to D-" she turned "What Harry?" she wondered.

"Go to F3" Harry said and Ginny shook her head.

"Why would I take the play you suggest, I want to win." She joked. Harry set his forehead against her shoulder with a laugh when she turned back. "Now as I was saying... Pawn to D-" she stopped again.

"What's wrong? Just say it!" Lavender said impatiently.

Ginny stood up from Harry's lap and walked across the room. She put her ear against a door and looked back at Harry, Ron, and Lavender with a scared look upon her face. The three at the chess table exchanged looks and Ginny spoke.

"Can we get out of here?" Ginny pleaded silently.

"Why?" Ron asked and Lavender and Harry nodded.

"Because, Hermione and Draco are... um... shagging." She spoke like someone had stolen her voice, stopping quickly.

The three didn't have to think twice. Lavender was giggling loudly as she ran for the door, her face red with embarrassment. Harry had taken Ginny's hand and took her out of the room, he could here them now that they were all quiet.

"Well, that was embarrassing." Ron said after leaving the room and running after Lavender.

"I thought I heard something, but I didn't expect that." Ginny said as she laid her head on Harry's shoulder. Harry slipped his hand around and rested it on her waist.

Lavender was still giggling and thinking that she probably would never be able to look at those two the same again. Harry was still mad at them, but found this incident amusing to have heard them. Lavender was looking at the giant clock from a window when she smiled.

"Dinner is going to start in three minutes." She said happily.

"Good, I'm starving!" Ron jumped. Lavender began to laugh again.

"Like always." She smiled as she gave him a slight kiss on the cheek.

They began to run towards the great hall. Neither Ginny nor Harry was hungry at the moment. Harry just turned to her after Lavender and Ron had disappeared from their sight. Harry gave Ginny a small smile.

"I'm not hungry." Ginny said and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Well, since we are back together... what do you want to do?" He asked.

"Wanna go for a walk around the lake?" she wondered and Harry nodded.

"That sounds perfect." He laughed as he intertwined his fingers with hers.

They walked out the Castle and onto the Hogwarts grounds. The sun was just setting upon the mountains and it was lowering behind them. The sky was mixed with colors of orange and pink. Harry didn't care about the sky. He couldn't take his eyes off Ginny. He was so happy that she had forgiven him and they were a couple again.

They walked around the lake once, and then took a seat on a bench that was on the lake's crest. Ginny looked at Harry and Harry was still looking at her. She kissed him sweetly as he pulled her into his arms and cradled her there.

"I love you." Ginny said and Harry smiled.

"Love doesn't even count for how much I care about you." He smiled. Ginny looked up and smiled.

"Then you'll make up with Hermione for me...correct?" She asked.

"What?" Harry asked, taken aback.

"Well, I am sick of you fighting! She's told me countless times that she has asked for your forgiveness and you strike it down." She said. "Harry, why do you act like this?" Ginny asked, her eyes pleading.

"So, you are taking her side... I see." Harry said lowly and coolly. He let go of her.

"No Harry, I take no ones side. I just want you to stop!" Ginny begged.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Harry yelled, he was almost screaming. "You shouldn't even know about this... it is between me and her." Harry snipped.

"I thought you changed." Ginny said as she got up from her seat. She began to walk, but Harry grabbed her wrist.

"What?" he asked. Ginny took a deep breath.

"I went back out with you because I thought you changed!" She shook her wrist from his grasp. "You'll never change! You'll stay the stuck up, rude, student with an attitude problem for the rest of your life! I must have been pretty stupid to think that Harry James Potter could ever be different. You are nothing but a child." He said coolly.

Harry was acting like a child. His best friend had apologized about forty times in the last day, but all he did was pushed her in the shadows. He was acting very proudly towards this subject, very proudly for himself.

"Wait, I'm sorry." Harry said as he twirled her around and kissed her lips. Ginny backed away, pushing at him.

"Don't touch me! Apologize to Hermione not me! I wish that of you and that only. If you were smart then you would do that." She said ferociously.

"Alright, I will." Harry said relaxed as he pulled her close. "I'm sorry, please don't be like this." He pleaded and felt his cheek grow hot with white iron pain.

"I said don't touch me!" She had slapped him across the face and took a step backwards and looked at him. "People might say that your father was stuck up and crude, but you Harry Potter, will not be. Fix your attitude and then maybe we will resume going back to normal." She snipped.

"Fine, I'll change." Harry said soothingly.

"I highly doubt that." She sneered again and stood there, furiously glowering at him.

"So you think I can't change?" He said as his eyes flashed with anger.

"Yes." Ginny said, but her anger was backing down. She hated seeing Harry mad. He always seemed to scare her.

"I see how it is. You are too perfect to be with me. You need someone better then me... is that it?" He asked. His head was steaming with anger.

"No, that's not it." Ginny said as her anger practically left completely.

"Yes it is. I'm sorry I can't be your perfect guy, I'm sorry I'm not a night in shining armor, and I'm sorry I can't be the best guy in school! I thought I loved you, I thought you believed in me, and I thought that you were perfect... but now I see where I went wrong. You are dating me for my fame." He said darkly.

"No I'm not!" Ginny pleaded.

"Yes you are! You would have found someone else already. If you really loved me, you wouldn't want to change me! You wouldn't try and change me to be your perfect guy. You would find someone already with the quality!" Harry was still fuming with anger. He was mostly confused and wanted to slap her so badly, but kept his guard.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Ginny screamed. "For your information I have not changed you! You were the guy I thought was perfect. I liked you because who you were... you seemed to have changed yourself lately!" Ginny yelled in protest.

"I change? I CHANGE? YOU JUST SAID I COULDN'T CHANGE!" He screamed. "You were the one that was jealous of Cho when I once dated her. You were the one that despised Hermione once because she once liked me, not anymore obviously, but I think it's you that needs to change! Stop moping around like your life is so horrible and go find someone else to cry with, I won't do it anymore!" he yelled.

"But-" She started but Harry had cut her off. She looked like she was going to cry again.

"Wow, being a Weasley you sure know how to piss someone off." He breathed hardly. He took a few moments before he spoke again. "Go find your brother, cry on his shoulder, have him hate me, and then we'll come back here and do this again! That's all you ever do, tell your brother EVERYTHING! You are nothing, but a snip. You will never be the person I thought you were! You'll always be the Miss perfect, cry baby, tattletale you've always been! Now go cry your eyes out, because I'm through with you."

"You are nothing but trash." Was all Ginny could say, how dare he say that to her?

"I'm not the trash here sweetheart, but you are the entire dump." He sneered. Ginny let her full anger out as she pushed at him and pushed harder each time.

"DIE IN THE LAKE FOR ALL I CARE! I HOPE THE MERMAIDS KILL YOU!" She screamed as she watched him slip and fall head first into the lake.

The ripples throughout the lake were spreading madly from the movement he was currently making. His body was freezing and chills of the cold were spreading through-out his body, making small bumps appear, he crossed his arms.

"Harry Potter will never change." She said as she through something at him. It hit his head rather hardly and it cut the side of his cheek a bit.

She had thrown he promise ring at him. The emerald gem was shaper then usual and it made a rather large gash in the side of his cheek. She turned away and began walking madly up the steps to the castle. Harry had removed himself from the lake, soaking with water, and fuming with anger.

"How, could she do that!" He asked himself "I WAS BEING NICE!" He yelled after her, but she was already gone. "She said I couldn't chage and then I could change... must be she's having her monthly visit." He said cooly.

What Harry didn't realize was that his proud ness for himself caused him to think that what he said was right. He was just a prat, and no one could blame Ginny for how she acted. If only she did something wore than that, which would have taught a lesson, she probably would have killed him. Ginny should have done something worse then push him into the lake. Ginny knew he was nothing but another James. There was no difference between James and Harry, not one.

Author's Note:

I do admit I don't really like this chapter much, but I hope you enjoy. I tried to think of something more that Ginny could have done, but I didn't want to hurt Harry too much... he'd deserve it though, lol. Well I hope you enjoy and review soon, because I'll be expecting them!

Airalynn

To My Reviewers:

JewelBlossom – It's very interesting that that experience has happened to you. I'd like sue someone if I was put in the position! Lol. Well, hope you like this chapter Chicka, and hopefully I'll have the next up soon :)

the-shadowed-one: Thank you so much about my surgery. I'm glad you feel that way about my story as well. It didn't really bother me that Jewel was the only one that congratulated me... but it feels really good that someone else did. You're great! Lol well, I hope you enjoy!

UPDATED: (SATURDAY) MAY 28, 2005