AN: I'm so sorry it took this long, I can't believe how hectic my life has been. I'm sorry nonetheless for making people wait...I finally finished this chapter last night.

I'm sorry/happy (can't decide) to announce that this story is much more than half over. In fact, it will only consist of a few more chapters. Yeah...that's...well for me that's not good cause I like my story but I also have the difficulty of deciding how to word the ending...plus the sure to be flames that will probably mark it...

louey31- Thanks so much, I'm glad that you understand how much stress school can be...it's been a horrible first few weeks. A month already...it moves so slow.

Slim Shady-Yeah, you're right. He seems to have developed something of a conscience. Funny...thank you so much for reviewing!

Disclaimer: IF I owned the rights to any of the characters in this story I think I'd be richer than anyone's business...which I'm not...

- - - -

Ginny woke with reluctance. Shafts of sun made blazing columns of light that lit up her entire room. Through the window she could see a powder blue sky filled with puffy white clouds, it was another beautiful day. Ginny groaned and got slowly out of bed.

She noticed a tear in her pajamas that had definitely not been there before. She frowned as she examined it. Oh well. She changed and grabbed the doorknob. Then she remembered that she had locked it last night. Yet the door turned under her grip. She wrinkled her brow, she was sure she had locked it last night. Maybe not.

She spotted Blaise immediately upon arriving at the Great Hall. Draco however was nowhere to be seen.

Blaise waved Ginny over, asking her, "Ginny have you seen Draco?"

Ginny was shocked by the urgency in his voice, "No," she replied, "Not since last night."

Memories of Draco's blow up caused Ginny's expression to turn stony.

"Well if you see him, tell Draco I need to talk him," Blaise said.

"Sure," Ginny said glibly, fully intending never to speak to Draco Malfoy again.

- - -

After Transfiguration and Ancient Runes, it was time for lunch. Ginny sighed in relief. Meals were bright spots in her day. Not that she ate much, or even felt hungry, no it was simply the fact that no one at her table gaped at her, or even really looked at her much.

"Have you seen Draco today?" Blaise asked her immediately.

So unexpected was his question that Ginny was rendered temporarily speechless. She recovered sufficiently to stammer, "N-No, I don't think so." However, the note she ended on made it more a question than a statement.

Blaise frowned in response.

Well honestly, Ginny thought, exasperated; did he actually think that she would be acutely aware of Draco Malfoy's presence? The fact was, what with classes and her own problems, Draco Malfoy hadn't entered her brain since breakfast. Why was Blaise so worried anyway? Draco was plenty capable of taking care of himself.

"Maybe he's sick," Ginny suggested, "Did you check Pomfrey's?"

"No, no," Blaise said, running a hand through his short hair, mirroring Draco's own habit. "Draco'd never willingly visit Pomfrey- not now."

Ginny remembered all too clearly the incident with the thorn. She blushed violently at the memory.

"Maybe he's in his dorm- playing hooky or whatnot," Ginny offered.

"Maybe," Blaise said, utterly unconvinced.

Where could Draco be? Ginny mused. Then wondered why she even cared.

Following lunch came afternoon classes- Care of Magical Creatures and Potions. Ginny did not see Draco despite a heightened sense of awareness.

In Potions Ginny sat dutifully measuring salamander blood for her Strengthening Solution when she noticed McGonagall enter the dungeons. Interested, she watched as Professor Snape swept over to McGonagall. Heads together, they began to converse in an undertone. Ginny noticed that Snape and McGonagall kept sneaking her looks. Her curiosity thus inflamed, Ginny performed a magnifying charm, now she was privy to the conversation.

"Severus, what is it?"

"Minerva," Snape said. Ginny thought she detected a tremor in his voice but she must've imagined it. "Someone broke into my office last night. I don't know how, but they did. They tore it apart."

A fly buzzed about Ginny's head and she swatted at it. "Did they get the prophesy," McGonagall asked sharply.

"No," Snape said, "I've taken to carrying it."

"I can't believe this happened," McGonagall sighed, "Well at least we know who's behind it."

McGonagall shot Ginny a furtive glance. Ginny barely managed to avert her eyes back to her strengthening potion.

Her thoughts raced. Someone had broken into Snape's office. They hadn't found the prophesy however. How could anyone break into Snape's office? Dark magic was the only way that could be achieved. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as if a cold breeze had struck her there. A chill passed through her. Why had the thought of dark magic provoked such a reaction? Ginny however still felt like a cold wind was hitting her. She turned and saw Peeves.

"Stop that, Peeves," she snapped.

The poltergeist cackled, swooping at her. "Ooo, the widdle Weasel is cranky! What's the matter? Not broken into enough offices?" Still laughing, Peeves proceeded to pelt her with pieces of chalk shouting, "Death Eater!"

"Enough Peeves," Snape said silkily, his tone holding something bordering amusement.

Peeves left the classroom after upturning Colin Creevey's potion on the luckless boy. Someone entered as he flew through the wall. Ginny glanced up and saw Cho Chang. The seventh year seemed perturbed although it was most likely because Snape was currently fixing her with a most malevolent glare.

"Yes?" Snape snapped coldly.

"I...uh, Dumbledore sent me to give you this," she stuttered, going red.

Snape snatched the proffered scroll from her. He glared at Cho with suspicion as he unfurled it.

Even Ginny, sitting across the room heard Snape's not-so-muttered comments "Can't see what he's thinking, giving this to a student."

Cho flushed crimson at his words.

Ginny watched Snape's eyes scan the parchment. They might've narrowed at one point but Ginny wasn't sure.

"Why're you still here?" Snape barked at Cho.

"Dumbledore s-said he...he needs to see you right now," Cho stammered.

"Very well," Snape replied. "Well you heard," now he was addressing the class at large, "Leave."

Everyone quickly packed up, eager to leave Snape's presence.

Ginny heard someone call her name she turned to see Cho.

"Look, Ginny, I heard what happened and I...well you'd never do something like this. They'll catch the real burglar and by next year it'll have all blown over."

Ginny noticed the badge Cho was wearing. She remembered belatedly that Cho was Head Girl.

"You know, Harry'll forget about it by next year."

Harry? Ginny frowned in confusion. How did Harry fit into it?

"I'm sure Harry likes you, that's probably why he's taking this so hard," Cho continued.

Ginny bit back a groan-not this again. Cho thought that she was still hopelessly in love with the Boy Who Lived. Obviously, the Head Girl dismissed most of what she'd heard about Ginny from the Hogwarts rumor mill.

Ginny managed a wane smile, ducking into the girl's room. She gripped the edge of the cold porcelain sink, peering at her reflection. She wrinkled her nose, her dull brown eyes, those ugly freckles that muddied her visage, her pale skin, practically translucent, and of course her fiery halo of hair that, much to her mounting dismay, had yet to show any hint of darkening. She sighed, conceding defeat. Upon exiting the toilets, Ginny was promptly halted by Blaise.

"So you haven't seen him either," Blaise said astutely.

"Yeah, I..."

"Haven't seen him since last night?" Blaise finished for her.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

Blaise heaved a sigh.

"I'm sure he's safe," Ginny said.

Blaise gave her an odd look, "Of course he's safe."

- - -

Ginny wandered into the library, determined to do some studying without any interruptions. However, she could not seem to focus on schoolwork. Her thoughts kept returning to the conversation between Snape and McGonagall. Who was trying to break into Snape's office, did they know what the prophesy was about? Ginny felt that they must, why else would they be searching so desperately for it? The attempt to steal the prophesy was bungled by Snape. He in fact, had taken to carrying it on him. Of course, no one knew that. Well now Ginny and McGonagall did. The prophesy, therefore, was safe enough, no one would be crazy enough to take on Professor Snape.

Ginny's eyes wandered around the library, she was searching, though she refused to admit it, for a certain bushy-haired girl and her omni-present companions. It seemed that Hermione was not, in fact, there. Madam Pince was however, and she glared at Ginny, the woman's hooked nose reminding Ginny of some sort of predatory bird. This semblance was furthered by the librarian's tendency to swoop down on miscreant students and issue harsh warnings in a high, nasally whisper. Ginny quickly averted her eyes. She spotted Cho Chang; the girl was immersed in a large, moldy-looking book in the Restricted Section. Most likely another perk of being Head Girl, Ginny thought.

Suddenly Madam Pince appeared beside Ginny, "No loitering," she said, smiling triumphantly.

"I...I," Ginny stammered.

"I'll call Filch on you," the old bird said smugly, her eyes gleaming.

"No need," Ginny said, stuffing her books into her bag, "I'm leaving."

A gloating expression appeared on the miserable woman's face. Victory.

- - -

Back in the privacy of her own room, Ginny returned to the other problem festering in her mind. What had happened to Draco? She had left his room early yesterday evening. No one, as far as she knew, had seen him since. Something was barely evading her. Something important. What was it? Before she could remember, she fell asleep.

Sometime during the night, the pieces fell into place. Ginny woke with a start, "Malfoy" she whispered.

- - -- - -

And yes, the magnifying charm was the same one that Blaise did to her.