I don't own it, and it makes me no money. Balls.

Sorry about the silliness of the previous chapters – I can't promise that it's going to get any more sensible, but I'll try to add some plot before it runs away with me.

Let me know if I managed that one, yeah?

Thank you to any reviewers, you're all appreciated – especially the ones who prodded me and said hey, you haven't updated in ages…

Chocolate, anyone?

I spotted Hermione and Ron at the end of the Gryffindor table and went to sit with them and try to explain why Draco and I were no longer at loggerheads after six years of fighting. It took me most of the lunch hour to get them to at least accept it. Most of the objections seemed to be based on the fact that Malfoy said I owed him a favour. I counteracted that one with a well-placed "What was I supposed to do, tell Snape that I'd just run into Draco and ended up lying on my back in the middle of the corridor with his favourite pupil on top of me?" Yeah, that would have gone down so well…

Fortunately that one clinched it and they both stopped bugging me about it.

"So…" I said, uncomfortably aware that now I'd told them what happened before class, I'd have to tell them what happened just outside of the hall as well. "Draco and I discussed what to do and we've agreed to meet up and he'll help with the Potions assignment." I held up my hand before Hermione could speak. "I know you could help me, but it's going to look a little odd if Draco is meant to be helping me but it's you and not him who's doing it?" I worked my way through the sentence "You know what I mean…"

Hermione sighed, defeated for the time being. "I wish you'd let me help you, Harry. I just don't like the idea of you two alone. Where are you going to be meeting him? Perhaps I should supervise to make sure he doesn't try to do anything to you?"

I reached over and held her hand. "Thanks Hermione, it means a lot to me that you'd put yourself out of your way like that, but I'll be fine. We're meeting in the Room of Requirements at half four, so we should be done by dinner at six." I watched my friends blink as I mentioned the Room of Requirement. "Well, I figured it'd be handy if we needed tables and potions apparatus – the room will provide and it means we won't freeze in the dungeons or have Snape watching our every move." I patted her hand one last time and picked up my glass, more to have something to distract myself with than a desire not to hold Hermione's hand – I mean I liked her and everything but…ewww…it's Hermione, it'd be like snogging your own sister or something… "Besides, I can defend myself against him." I smiled as the bell rang for the end of lunch and we all trooped out to our next class.

Fortunately, since Hermione was an overachiever, she was taking History of Magic at the time Ron and I were in Divination, so we got the chance to talk about what went on today without a girl getting in the way and using far more words than necessary. Nothing against girls, you understand, it's just a bloke thing that we tend to say as much as we can in as few words as we can. Never mind.

"Ron, just spit it out, you've been looking confused for the past ninety minutes and that never happens in this class." I murmured as Trelawney inspected the star charts we'd made to predict how the next week went. Funnily enough, mine said that I would have new experiences and be open to change…for once I was having a little faith in telling the future.

Taking a deep breath, and looking like he was intent on his chart, Ron asked "Harry? Do you like Malfoy? I mean, like-like…" Ron began to turn red.

Spluttering, I replied hotly "Of course I don't! What made you think that?"

"Umm…before you came into the hall at lunch, Hermione told me to find out what was taking so long, so I went to check on you and…"

I groaned softly. "What do you think you saw, Ron?" I think I knew, but just in case I was wrong…I could understand how he'd have taken it the wrong way – looking back on it, I suppose it might have looked saucy in some way…

"He…Draco had one hand on your shoulder and a finger to your lips. You…you had your eyes shut." Ron bravely looked up at me and mustn't have liked what he could see on my face. To be honest, I don't think I'd have liked it either, but thankfully I couldn't see the shocked yet thoughtful face I was pulling.

"Oh god" Ron groaned "You do like him-like him. Harry, I thought you liked girls?" Ron practically begged me to take back the stunned expression which said it all…

"I…like…Draco?" I tested the thought out quietly. Well he has grown up rather a lot…he's tall, buff and just plain gorgeous…damn it, I like Draco! How the hell did that happen…

"Well, I knew a while ago that girls just didn't do it for me, hell, I went out with Cho and you saw how much of a disaster that was, didn't you."

Ron snorted and agreed with me. "That doesn't mean you have to be gay though."

I stared at Ron and decided to admit something to him. "Outside of Cho, the only girl I ever fancied was your little sister…"

Ron leapt out of his seat as if scorched, yelling "YOU FANCY MY SISTER!" I dropped my head into my hands and hoped for a hole in the ground to swallow me up.

Professor Trelawney blinked owlishly through her magnifying spectacles and spoke softly. "Ronald Weasley, detention for thirty minutes after this class for disrupting my lesson." Then she turned back to the poor pupil she was terrorising, appearing to forget Ron's outburst.

"Shit." Muttered Ron darkly. "You never said you fancied my sister…" Ron eyed me accusingly.

"Well I wouldn't, would I. You'd have screamed it out in front of the whole class, making sure that Ginny heard it from gossiping busybodies." I glared at him. "Thanks a whole lot, Ron…"

Ron went pale. "Oh crap, she's going to kill me, isn't she…"

I sighed overdramatically. "No, I'll send her a note. She gave me some enchanted parchment for my birthday so we could chat in classes." I brought out a small piece of pale pink paper. "I'll write a note to Hermione, too."

Hi Gin, you're going to get some odd messages and rumours after class (if you haven't already had some – I know that you gave some of this paper to people in my class…) about something your brother just yelled out. He was asking me a very awkward question, so I avoided it and said that the only two girls I had fancied at Hogwarts were Cho…and you… Which is true, so I wasn't trying to use you to get him to shut up. If I had been, I wouldn't have used your name – I do like you a lot, but I'm aware that I need to do some growing up before I actually try and have a girlfriend – going out with Cho made me realise that one…

Big hugs, and I'm sorry if this gets you teased…

H.

"One down, one to go." I glared fiercely at Ron. "This is all entirelyyour fault…"

Herm, Ron's just shouted his head off about me fancying his sister in the middle of Divination. Just thought you should know. And the only reason I admitted it was because he was asking a question I didn't want to answer. I forgot that he goes totally bursar when he finds out that people think his sister is attractive.

And yes, I do fancy Ginny and no, I don't intend to do anything about it…

See you at dinner.

Big hugs

H.

I straightened in my chair. "Right. Damage control has been taken care of."

Ron looked sheepish. "Sorry mate, I forgot myself."

"No problem. Just remember that I'm not about to do anything with your sister, and you don't have to protect her from me, ok?" I raised an eyebrow at him and jumped slightly as the parchment gently vibrated. "Parchment is buzzing…got a reply already!"

I pulled out the sheet and whispered 'Tamagotchi' Hermione's idea – she says it's the Japanese for friend, which seems appropriate. It was a return note from Ginny.

Harry, I just had Professor Flitwick asking me if we were going out. That's one fast rumour mill…

Kill my brother from me, would you please?

And I know you fancied me, almost as much as I fancied you. I also know that you like boys!

Hah!

You're too much my big brother now for me to properly fancy you, anyway. Sometimes I think it's a shame, the rest of the time, I prefer it that way – at least there's one bloke that Ron won't kill if he talks to me.

Love you, my honourary big brother…

Gin

x

I smiled gently, when the parchment buzzed again and after whispering 'Tamagotchi' at it, writing appeared faintly.

That bloody idiot. I hope he got detention. Ginny's not stupid, she knows you like her but also knows it's not going to happen. She just wrote to me and mentioned something about you not liking girls all that much anyway. Is there something you want to say, Harry?

Mi

I groaned softly and resolved to strangle Ginny when I saw her next. Or kiss her, that'd shut her up…no, killing was definitely what I wanted to do.

Hermione Granger, stop such a nosey sod. Yes, there is something I want to say, but I need to figure out what it is…it's true I don't like girls as much as people think I should, but I can't think of any blokes I fancy, either. Maybe I'm one of those 'late-bloomers'. I'll talk to you about this after dinner.

And yes, Ron did get detention. He'll be back with you by five o'clock.

H.

Distantly, I heard the bell ringing to tell us it was the end of the day. Ron looked up at me apologetically. "Sorry for shouting it out like that…you going to be ok meeting Malfoy for the Potions stuff?"

I nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Have a good detention, I told Hermione so you can expect a lecture when you get back to the common room…"

I sniggered and left Ron whimpering that nobody liked him any more.

Climbing down the ladder, I realised I had fifteen minutes to get back to the tower, change, get some drinks and then still had to get to the Room of Requirement. I ran back to the Gryffindor tower, grinning.

Well, hope you all enjoyed that. It was fun to write, but yet again, it went nowhere.

Ah well, sometimes the plot bunny takes over and shovels all the useful stuff out of your ear and leaves you writing crap.

Feeding the authoress is always appreciated.