The Christmas holidays had finally arrived. Ron, Harry, and Hermione had decided to stay at school. The twins were going to Egypt to spend a few weeks with Bill. Percy was still refusing to speak to the family and Charlie was still in Romania. Ginny didn't feel like being the only child at home so she decided to stay at the school as well. Malfoy always stayed at the school over holidays.

Hermione approached Ginny where she was curled up on a couch in the common room reading Sense and Sensibility. "Hey, can I borrow Pride and Prejudice now? I think I finally have so time to read it." Ginny had been trying to convince her she would enjoy it for quite some time.

"Um…" Ginny laid her book down and sat up a little more to make room for Hermione to join her on the couch, "I sorta leant it to someone else." She looked at the other girl apologetically.

"Oh, when do you think you'll get it back?" Hermione was a little disappointed. She didn't have much time to read for pleasure while classes were in session and was looking forward to reading something other than a textbook.

Ginny grimaced. "I really have no idea."

"Well, how long have they had it?"

"Two months."

Hermione stared at Ginny. This was the girl that would give you two weeks with one of her books before asking you every other day how far along you were as her way of reminding you it wasn't yours. "Your favourite book…for two months…who'd you lend it to?"

Ginny took a deep breath. "Malfoy."

Hermione looked at her incredulously for a moment. "That's what he read while you did your homework, wasn't it?"

Ginny nodded.

"And you leant it to him until he finished it?"

Ginny nodded again.

"He's a fast reader, you know that. He's had time to read that book ten times by now."

Ginny just nodded sheepishly.

"Do you ever expect to get it back?"

"I really don't know." Ginny looked down at her hands. She really didn't want to talk about Draco. She got an idea and looked up. "You can borrow Sense and Sensibility. I have plenty else I can read and it's almost as good as the other."

Hermione was still studying her. "You don't care if he keeps it, do you?"

"You won't believe me if I say anything other than 'no' will you?"

"Probably not. Why, though? That was more than just a book to you. That was…"

"I know what is. It's just that, maybe it'll mean more to him." It didn't seem like there was a way out of this conversation.

Hermione got a little more comfortable and sat there, patiently waiting for Ginny to explain.

"It's just…he isn't who he appears to be. He's a lot deeper, for one, and he's hiding so much. I just…I trust him. I'm not sure why, I just do. He's all alone and maybe, I don't know, maybe knowing I let him have that book will make him feel a little less so." She looked at Hermione with pleading eyes, begging her not to overreact.

"Ginny, you do realize who we're talking about, right?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"And you remember everything he has ever done to us? Said about us?"

"Yes!" Ginny didn't like being treated like she was an idiot.

"Then why? I mean, after what he did to you…"

Ginny sat up straight in an instant. "You know he didn't say those things! You were there! He wouldn't have reacted that way if he had!"

Hermione threw up her hands to calm the other girl down. "Whoa! You really do… All right, why don't you start at the top and explain everything you can." She settled down again and got ready to listen.

Ginny settled back and started hugging a pillow. She really didn't know how she felt about explaining everything, but she didn't really have a choice. "The way he looked down at me before he punched Dean, he looked so…conflicted, like he was trying to convince himself not to defend me. Then he got so frustrated, his eyes clouded over, and I was sure he was going to say something really cruel, but instead he went and punched Dean!" She paused for a moment.

Hermione watched her thoughtfully and waited for her to continue.

"Then when he held me back again I was so mad…he told me to tell him it was worth it…he told me to tell him it was worth losing my wand over. I just stopped and looked up at him. His eyes, Mi, he looked like he really cared. You should have seen his face when I asked him to hit Dean again." She smiled mischievously at the memory.

Hermione couldn't help but smile as well. She had been glad to see Dean get what he deserved.

"Anyway, I just couldn't let him take detention for defending me. When he saw that I was the student he was supposed to tutor he…well, he actually seemed amused, and grateful. Then I went and left myself open for a pretty horrible insult and he passed up the opportunity completely. He was civil the whole time and even gave me a few compliments." She paused again and resituated.

"I guess that's why I got so upset when I heard what was being said. I mean, had he insulted me and acted as cruel as always I would have expected it, you know?" Hermione nodded. "Anyway, as it was I was hurt. I actually felt betrayed because I had trusted him. I didn't expect he'd be any nicer to me in the halls or anything, I just thought that he would leave that one evening alone."

"But he did," Hermione offered, beginning to understand.

Ginny nodded before continuing. "I didn't really care how he was reacting to me at first so I didn't really notice the surprise and confusion until he had me completely pinned down. That was when I realized that he was just trying to figure out what I was saying. We just looked at each other for a moment. As I recall, that's what freaked Ron out so much." Hermione nodded again. "He seemed so…angry, but not at me. When I started crying the anger instantly melted away and his eyes were so soft, so concerned. I watched the pain slowly build until he couldn't take anymore, I guess, and he hung his head.

"I was so confused at the time, I didn't really know what was going on. I just knew he looked so defeated. When he said he deserved it I knew I had made a mistake. I knew it wasn't him that had said those things after all. When he called for Parkinson…that pretty much cleared the whole thing up, except why he had looked at me like that. When I heard he had punched the wall it only confused me more." She was fidgeting with the fringe on pillow nervously.

"I remember that I recognized regret, I'm not sure what else I thought at first, but I can't forget that those eyes…he was sorry Mi, I know he was. He was sorry that I was hurt. I don't think he's anything like what he shows people, how he acts. I mean, it's gotta be pretty dangerous to disagree with Lucius, right? All I really know for sure is that he would never hurt me or let me be hurt if there was anything he could do to stop it." She watched Hermione nervously.

Hermione leaned over and gave her a hug. "You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"

Ginny nodded.

"Well, I guess there's really no reason to say anything to anyone else. I mean, it isn't like either of your behaviours has changed. Anyway, you trust him, and I trust you. Just, let me know if something happens?" she noticed the other girl's reaction before adding, "If you can, that is. I know he probably isn't inclined to trust anyone, much less me."

Ginny gave Hermione another hug. "Thanks Mi, but I don't think anything will happen." She sounded really worried and upset by the observation.

"Oh, I don't know. If he got under your skin this way, I'm sure you're under his. It may be awful subtle, but I'm sure something will eventually." She smiled warmly. "Oh! And if you really don't mind, I'd love to borrow that book," she said, pointing to the paperback that had fallen to the floor.

Ginny laughed and passed the book to her.

A/N: sorry for the missed update yesterday. i wasn't feeling very well. i will try to update again later to today to make up for it. if i don't, you'll get the extra one tomorrow for sure.