Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or ideas in the Harry Potter books, written by J.K. Rowling. I only own this small plot.

Summary: Things at Hogwarts tend to have a certain pattern. Malfoy hates them. They hate Malfoy. But what happens when a certain spell reveals that the last thing Hermione Granger wants to hear is "He doesn't love you." Who could it be about? Draco is sure curious...(A Draco/Hermione and Harry/Ginny piece.) A friend and I originally co-wrote this as a role-play. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6: Falling

'Hermione. You are insane. You didn't just agree to that.' she mentally abused her self in Herbology. 'What are you going to do now you idiot!' Hermione wished she had made that decision more carefully. Ron kept giving her concerned glances. He wondered if Hermione realized she was muttering to herself. She seemed very preoccupied, and had even forgotten to wash her Gringe Sprout before slicing open the bulb.

Hermione was hacking wildly away at the small vegetable in her hands. Things were getting a bit violent...

'Oh god, what am I going to tell Harry and Ron! Oh this is horrible..." her anger was turning to depression.

Ron turned to Harry, "What do you suppose is wrong with her?"

"Hmm...hard to say...possibly the Potions final?"

"She did well! I know she did, she's Hermione. I bet she's just worried about not having a date to the Ball. I know I am." he chuckled nervously. Then Ron accidentally dropped the tiniest bit of Gringe acid on Hermione's bare arm. It began to sizzle.

"Ow! Ronald! You - Urgh!" she glared at him and ran off to the bathroom wash it off.

"Good going, mate," Harry said.

"Hey now at least she's gone so she won't distract me with that muttering. I need to concentrate on this bloody bulb." he grimaced.

"So, who are you going to ask to the ball?" Harry asked.

Ron turned beat red and cut his finger with his razor. "I don't know" he said very quickly.

"Ron. Come on, I'm your best mate! Who is it?" Harry handed him a cloth for the cut.

"Oh you know...I just thought...well since she has no one else...Hermione."

"Right, and that's completely a pity invite?" Harry smiled.

Ron kicked him and rushed off to grab a bandage from Professor Sprout.

Harry laughed and thought 'That's never going to change is it?'

Just then Hermione came back from the bathroom. "You alright Mione?"

"No I am most certainly not! Honestly!" she yelled exasperated, then sighed and said, "...Sorry Harry, I'm just not having a good day, that's all..." she looked down ashamed for yelling at him.
Ron returned, looking intently at the ground and resumed slicing his bulb.

To each side of his, both of Harry's friends were looking at the ground.

"So, um, guys, what do you want to do tonight? Its Friday you know..."

Ron ignored him, he felt more ashamed, perhaps, than he should have. But still, this was not a situation he enjoyed.

"Uh...how about you Hermione, any ideas?"

Hermione didn't say anything.

"Alright then," Harry sighed and looked to the ground.

"Alright you lot, get out of here and don't forget to bury your Sprout!" she chuckled at the name coincidence as if it was a complete surprise "or else it will go bad, and what happens when Gringe goes bad..." said the professor.

"It smells like a hundred dying centaurs" replied Ron monotonously. Everyone rolled their eyes. Students shuffled out in clusters, heading for the dining hall. Ron brightened at the thought of food.

"Ginny and I are going to go practice for the game next week, do you guys mind having lunch alone?" Harry said.

Hermione glared at Harry.
Ron glared at Harry.

"Alright then, uh, Ill see you guys...later…" He ran off quickly.

Ron cleared his throat and thought for a second. Then suddenly he grinned and said "race me!" and off he shot, finally something his long legs were good for.

Hermione stood there for a moment in shock, and finally smiled, deciding a bit of excitement might make her feel better. She jolted after him, "No fair Ron! You've got a head start!"

She gained time on him though, and they were almost neck to neck when –

Ron ran straight into Draco Malfoy, who stumbled back, caught himself, said "Sorry Weasley, didn't see you there." As Ron recovered from the fall, Draco winked at Hermione, and stepped in through the great hall doors, striding to the Slytherin table, where he sat down next to a first year named Ridgley.

Ron stood there dumbfounded. "Bloody hell, Hermione. Malfoy just apologized to me...and it wasn't even his fault! That bloke is changing, I can tell you that! I mean...core!"

"Yeah, that's strange...he must be in a very good mood for some reason..." Hermione smiled to herself. She was still extremely confused, but she was beginning to feel better.

Ron shrugged and ran over to sit next to Seamus, who was in the middle of a heated discussion about the meaning of what Malfoy's paper said when Crabbe looked at it.

"Apparently the message was a very complicated mathematical equation involving both muggle and wizard formulae." Explained Seamus.

"You'd never have guessed..." Ron said seriously, shaking his head.

Hermione sat next to him, and added food to her plate.

Meanwhile, Ginny and Harry met each other at the field with their brooms.

…

"So what's the plan, Harry?" Ginny inquired.

"Actually, to be honest with you, I just wanted to talk to you alone for once." Harry looked down; he was a bit shy about being so forward.

Ginny was overjoyed, 'Finally someone else does the work,' she thought to herself.

"So uh..." he motioned to his broom. "Shall we?" They boarded their brooms and shot up high into the air, finally leveling and facing each other to talk. Ginny's smile faded, Harry wasn't initiating any sort of conversation.

"Err...nice cool air up here." she offered.

"So, um, how are things? Are you excited for - "

"Yes!" Ginny said readily "I am really excited…are you?" she added as a second thought.

"Yes! I'm very excited…I feel like this should have happened earlier..."

Ginny's heart was having a field day "You do?"

"Yeah, I mean, I guess I've just been, well blind really." Harry smiled and looked straight at her for the first time. Ginny giggled a bit, and bounced in joy, almost falling off her broom.

"Sorry...that was...silly. Um, I'm just exceptionally happy, you see." she grinned.

Harry Laughed, "Well just don't fall off that broom of yours; I don't know what I'd do." He smiled. Ginny lost a bit of her balance, and began to slip. "Whoa!" Harry flew towards her and steadied her back onto her broom.

Ginny reached out instinctively and grabbed his hand. They stopped and looked up at each other.

"This is nice." Ginny murmured.

"Yeah, it is..." Harry's glances had moved to Ginny's lips.

Ginny smiled, she was used to this part. She leaned in, careful to keep her balance, and kissed him. Harry could feel her smiling in the kiss. They pulled back, Harry laughed, "I think I've been waiting to do that for years."

"Me too" she sighed. "Only I never thought it would be on a broomstick," and with that she lost her balance and toppled into a nearby tree.

"Ginny!" Harry swooped down to her place in the tree, "You alright?"

"Yeah" she laughed "just missing an arm."

"Here, jump on." He pulled her on behind him and placed her arms around his waste. "I'm going to fly you to the infirmary ...at least you'll make an entrance right?" He laughed trying to lighten the situation. He flew up to the window of the infirmary, right behind Madame Pomfrey's desk. She was busy with some paperwork. He tapped the glass lightly, trying not to frighten her too much.

She jumped up screaming and threw all the papers in the air. When Harry and Ginny had finished laughing and looked properly apologetic, Madame Pomfrey let them in.

"Merlin's Beard Potter!" she screamed at them as they stepped to the ground.

"Sorry Madame Pomfrey," Ginny cut in as Harry helped her to a chair, "Harry and I were practicing for the big game, and I fell. Harry kindly flew me back here. My broom is still out there, in that tree though. I won't be here long, I just need you to help me with a few cuts and bruises and then I'll be off to find my broom."

"Alright, but next time use the door!"

"Listen, Ginny, Hermione seemed sort of down earlier...Could you go check on her, do you know where she'd be right now?"

"Yeah, she will be in the library."

"Great, I'll go get your broom and see you later," he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

…

Meanwhile, Hermione finished with her lunch. She fought the idea of going to the library, because she knew who'd be there, but she needed to talk about this whole Ball thing and calm herself down…

Malfoy was waiting there. He didn't even bother to hide and surprise her this time.

Hermione began to talk before he could say anything, "Look, I know what you're thinking, 'Ah you came,' but I just wanted to talk some more about this whole Ball thing..."

Malfoy grinned, stood up, strode towards her and kissed her. "We're going together, and that's that." he said, and kissed her again.

Suddenly they heard a slight gasp coming from the door's direction.

"Oh my god." said Ginny Weasley.

AN: Muahaha Cliff Hanger. Well hope you all are enjoying it, much more hilarity to come as you can suspect. Please review, it makes me continue writing. Thanks so much to all the readers!