"So let me get this straight," Ron was saying, "you want to trust Malfoy and tell him when we are about to make our final move because he returned your book?"

"No. I want to trust him because I know he is trustworthy. I want to tell him when we are about to make our final move because he is in a position to help." Ginny did her best to keep her voice calm.

"Dear, it does sound a bit odd," her father tried to sound comforting but only sounded patronizing. "You kids never got along in school. This is the first I've ever heard of anyone wanting to trust Malfoy. He could have just as easily sent you that message because he wanted you to believe it so he could set us up."

Ginny sighed. Fine, she knew they wouldn't want to believe her. She would have to start at the beginning and hope that it helped. "Just listen, all right?" she looked around at the table and saw the heads nodding. "Malfoy spent his life being cruel to us, making fun of us, otherwise tormenting us. So why, when someone started spreading rumours about me, did he defend me? He stopped me from killing the guy and punched him, twice, for my sake. If he really thought I'm nothing more than a blood traitor and deserving of death, why defend my honour? And you were there," she pointed at Harry, "you saw what he did. If you're honest you'll admit what you saw doesn't make any sense for a death eater."

She thought she saw reluctant acquiesence in his eyes. She hoped she saw it in his eyes.

She continued. "Then, since he got detention for what defending me, I fixed it so that his punishment was to tutor me in my best subject. It only took half an hour, but we talked while I worked and he was perfectly civil. He didn't insult me once, even though I left myself wide open for quite a few. He even admitted that he would defend Hermione, a muggleborn, if she had been in my place."

Hermione's widened. Ginny hadn't told her that part before.

"A few days later I heard...some things going around Slytherin that made me think he had done the exact same thing he had defended me from. When I...um...confronted him about it, he was really confused and had no idea what I was talking about. When he figured it out he stepped back and basically said that if he said all those things than he deserved whatever I gave him and left. After he left he punched the stone wall of the castle, twice, with the same hand. The first punch split his knuckles. The second punch broke seven bones." She had learned about the broken bones from Madam Pomfrey a few days later. "Again, does that sound like someone who doesn't care? Does that sound like someone what wants to see me hurt?"

A few people around the table were exchanging glances and murmering. She hoped it was a good sign.

She had two points left to make. "During the winter break he was walking and accidently tripped over my feet while I was sitting on a bench reading. He didn't blame me, he didn't yell at me, he said it was his fault. I had knelt beside him to make sure he was all right and he helped me up. He stood there, staring at me." He had to go and tell them about his hand on her face, didn't he. He should have known that for her to make them believe her she would have to show them the note. Anyway, she had to get through this. "There was no hatred, no ice in his eyes at all. He was kind, concerned, even scared. He put his hand on my face to say goodbye. The last look I got at his eyes made my heart break, it liked his had."

Most of the faces around the table looked thoughtful. She really hoped that was a good thing.

Her last point, she had to make it good. "Besides, he doesn't know if I have any influence here or not, he's just hoping. I doubt Tom would do anything so sketchy. Everything I've mentioned would have needed to be planned that far in advance to set me up, and at that time everyone thought school would be in session right now, another reason to find a different way in than me. I'm the youngest one here, I'm the youngest child of my parents, I'm the only girl in my family, wouldn't it make more sense to assume that I'd be kept as removed from everything as possible rather than in a position to make this request? Sending me a tip makes absolutely no sense at all unless it's genuine and I'm his only hope because I'm the only one who has looked into his eyes while the wall was down." She sat down and waited.

They asked her to leave the room while they talked about it. She did so reluctantly.

When they brought her back in, she knew immediately what their answer was.

"I'm sorry, Ginny..."

"It's just too dangerous..."

"All your points were well made..."

"We want to trust him..."

"He may have changed since school..."

"He may be using you knowledge of what he once was..."

"They might know what he's planning..."

"Even if he is sincere, it's just too easy to get caught..."

"I'm sorry, Ginny, we can't trust him."

She swallowed hard and nodded. Trying not to cry she nodded. "If that is your decision that it is how it is."

Later that night in her room, Hermione found her reading her book. "I'm sorry, Gin."

"It's all right, Mi." Ginny scooted over and made room for the girl on her bed. "I don't really think I expected them to believe me, to trust him."

"But you're okay, then?"

"I don't know."

"Look, I don't..." Hermione looked around, closed the door, and cast a silencing charm. "I don't think it's really like you to take something like this lieing down so I'm not sure what's really going through your head..."

Ginny looked at her curiously. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

"Just...in case you haven't thought of it...whatever sign he would recognize as from you...well, it's a safe bet no one else would, not even the Order."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. That was indeed what she was planning, but for Hermione to suggest it rather than try to talk her out of it was a slight surprise.

"Oh, I admit that I had my doubts when you told me about him at school, but the way you explained it just now, well, it all made sense."

Hermione proceeded to tell her what had been going on with Harry and Dumbledore. She apologized for not telling her earlier, but she really was having a crisis of conscience over it. She felt horrible for 'betraying' Harry, but she really did think it was for the best.

Ginny smiled to herself.