Chapter Five: Ginny's Riot

"Okay boys, time to leave," Madam Pomfrey said, "You can visit her tomorrow after classes,"

"But Madam-," Harry protested.

"It's 10 o'clock boys! All she will be doing is sleeping, you and Mr. Weasley have watched her long enough,"

"Alright," Ron said, "we're leaving. Come on Harry,"

"Right," Harry said. He let go of Hermione's hand that he had been holding since Malfoy left and he had sat on the right side of her bed. Ron had been sitting on her left, holding her other hand, debating and complaining non-stop about how stupid he had been to not have been able to save her. But deep down Harry felt worse then Ron, he knew he did. He let go of Hermione's hand and followed Ron, who looked back at Hermione hesitantly as he walked out of the Hospital wing.

"I still can't believe it," Harry said quietly breaking the silence as they walked through the corridors to the Gryffindor Tower.

"The fact she fell or the fact Malfoy caught her?" Ron asked.

"The fact I couldn't do any thing," Harry answered simply, "the fact Malfoy caught and saved one of my best friends lives when I couldn't,"

"I know..." Ron said.

"No you don't!" Harry said, turning around just before the came to the portrait of the fat lady, "I should have done some thing, any thing! Jumped after her! I just stood there and watched what could have been her death. What if that scum hadn't been there and she had died?"

"Harry I think I understand this better then you think I do. But as always, you just want to be the hero! It has nothing to do with the fact Malfoy saved her, you should be thankful that 'scum' was there, even if you couldn't have done any thing because he definitely could. So about calling him 'scum'..." Ron shot his head back irritably, "As much as I've EVER hated him, Scum is the last thing I would call Malfoy right now!" Ron breathed out and watched Harry fume, "Listen, it's not your fault you couldn't help her. I couldn't help her either, okay? But right now, all things considering, why can't you just be happy she's still a live?"

Harry sighed and thought for a minute, looking down. After awhile his head was back up and he was wearing a small smile of realization, "You're right Ron, sorry,"

Ron sighed; "its okay," Ron patted Harry on the back as they walked towards the porthole. Ron gave the password, the portrait swung open and they walked in.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Some one screamed. Harry and Ron looked up to see Ginny absolutely fuming. Ron and Harry looked at her questioningly and opened their mouths, but at the same time they came to realization, "WHERE WERE YOU!" She demanded.

"Ginny calm do-," Harry said.

"NO!" She snapped, "where were you!"

"Hermione fell!" Ron said his eyes widening with anger.

"What?" She said breathing out in rage.

"We were on our way to the pitch and Hermione headed off in the direction of the library, we were on our way and the stair case changed and she slipped," Harry explained.

"WHAT! HOW? WHERE IS SHE?" Ginny demanded, "Is she...,"

"No," Ron sighed.

"But how-,"

"Malfoy," Harry said simply.

"Malfoy?" Ginny questioned.

"Yes, Malfoy caught her before she hit the ground," Harry explained, "he kind of..."

"…saved her life," Ron sighed.

"Draco Malfoy saved Hermione's life?" Ginny asked.

"Yes!" Colin Creevy said appearing behind Harry and Ron, "have it all on film!" He said cheerfully raising his camera. "Even got a shot of you two," Ron and Harry looked at him disbelievingly, "at least once Malfoy had caught Hermione and realized just who he had saved, the look on his face was quite remarkable: but not as much as yours. Of course the story that I've just sent to the Daily Prophet a long with the copy I have here jus-,"

"What do you mean, just sent to the Daily Prophet?" Ron snapped grabbing the bundle of parchment under Colin's arm, "why?"

"Well," Colin said excitedly, "after Hogwarts I was thinking of writing for the Daily Prophet! This is a great first story, don't you think?"

Ron unrolled it and read, "Hogwarts switching staircase causes top-witch to fall into the arms of her loathed enemy: DRACO MALFOY!?" Ron read on, "Best friends Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter watch the act helplessly?"

Harry's eyes struck open wide, "Colin," Harry said almost shaking with ferocity.

"Oh I know Harry! This could really open doors for me, I mean; this has to be front page material,"

"Colin," Harry repeated angrily.

"I think you should go..." Ginny said quietly to Colin. Colin nodded and scurried off, seeing as Harry really didn't seem as friendly at the moment.

"They'd never put this in the Prophet would they?" Ron asked, "I mean...they wouldn't would they?"

"You never know, Fudge is always looking for some thing juicy against Harry," Ginny said.

"Yeah you can bet this will be appearing tomorrow," Harry sighed miserably.

"Wonder how Malfoy's going to take it?" Ginny said grinning.

"I guess that's an upside," Ron grinned thinking of Malfoy protesting once he saw the paper the next day.

"Even if we do appear hopeless," Harry pointed out with a sigh.

"Was my mouth really opened that wide?" Ron asked with a sudden change of subject from staring at the paper.

Ginny snatched the paper away, "That still doesn't solve Quidditch!"
"Ginny! How could you possibly think about Quidditch at a time like this?" Ron said, still staring at his wide-open mouth.

"That's exactly it! We're in the finals with Ravenclaw, there's no better time to worry about it then a time like this, besides Hermione's fine, so I don't see why we have to worry about it much more at the moment," Ginny sighed at their alarmed faces, "Can we just pick a date before next weekend when we can book the pitch?"

Harry rolled his eyes and decided, "Tuesday?"

"Why not tomorrow?" She demanded.

"Because we'll be seeing Hermione tomorrow," said Ron.

Ginny looked at them, opened her mouth then shut it at a loss of words. She rolled her eyes, "I'll book it," She said quietly walking in between them to get out through the porthole.

Harry sighed walking towards the stairs and he knew Ron was behind them, "Now that that's been dealt with...what are we actually going to do about this?" Harry said handing the paper to Ron as they walked into their room.

Harry took off his still clean Quidditch suit and just sat cross legged on his bed with only boxers on as Ron mumbled to himself thinking of ideas. He turned around to Harry once he was himself only in boxers, "do we still hate Malfoy?"

"As grateful as we are, I don't think it makes up for it…he didn't even mean to save her and I bet if he could have done it again he wouldn't have. He's probably regretting it,"

Ron nodded, "I think we can just say if he doesn't start any thing we won't either,"

"That works," Harry sighed.

"You know the worst part about this whole thing?"

"What?" Harry said lying back on his bed, not sure if he was ready for any more bad news.

"It's the fact that this will give...him, clues to what you are up to," Ron whispered.

Harry groaned, as if things weren't horrible already. He had missed Quidditch, he had watched his best friend nearly die, and the fact the whole Wizarding World including Voldemort would know. Voldemort would know Hermione's death was some thing that would kill him inside just as much as his parent's death did. He knew Voldemort was probably too weak to plot a plan involving Hermione but there was a whole Seventh Year window of opportunity. And Ginny was also mad at him.

Ever since last year when he had been made Captain and let Ginny join the team as a Chaser, he knew there was some thing between them. Even when he first saw her at Kings Cross and when he saved her in Second Year. And even when he fancied and kissed Cho...some how he knew he would still feel some thing for Ginny. But just as every other girl, she would find a flaw with him. And now she had chosen the same most, including Cho had, Hermione. Harry could not help his feelings for Hermione. He could not help but be discouraged and forget about Quidditch when his friend had almost died. Maybe Ginny just needed time to understand him, or maybe no one ever would.

"You know she's just jealous," Ron said still pacing.

"What?" Harry said.

"I know what you're thinking about," Ron said.

"I'm thinking about Hermione," Harry said simply.

"Yes, and your also thinking about my sister. You know she's jealous of Hermione. She's jealous of the fact you forgot Quidditch over Hermione," Ron said.

Harry knew what Ron was speaking of, but denied it, "It's not a crime to forget some silly sport when your best friend almost died," Harry said calmly.

"I know mate," Ron said sitting beside him knowing he didn't mean what he just said about Quidditch, "I think Ginny just maybe feels like in the process of forgetting Quidditch you may have forgotten her as well,"

"Listen Ron, I know the feelings Ginny has. She also knows the feelings I hold for her," Harry sighed, "But she doesn't understand how to not get jealous of the fact one of my best friends is a girl. Just like Cho has, she is probably jumping to some odd conclusion about my feelings for Hermione,"

"Maybe," Ron said.

"I mean, if some how it were you that had been in Hermione's situation," Harry began.

"Do you think of me nearly dying often?" Ron said sarcastically, Harry acknowledged it but more ignored it.

"I'm just saying if it were you, do you honestly think Ginny would have been so upset?" Ron shot him a wide eyed look, "I mean...with me? The fact I forgot about Quidditch?"

"Oh," Ron said, "well...no then. But she'd probably show a bit more caring towards the situation actually. Don't you think Ginny's been a bit bitter with Mione lately?"

"Yes," Harry said, "and I think its my fault," he shook his head, "any ways...maybe I'll get Ginny alone tomorrow, maybe I can try and explain some things...other then that I just want to get some sleep so I can visit Hermione before breakfast, want me to get you up?"

"Yeah," Ron said walking over to his bed, "if you don't mind, I'll probably be sleeping this whole thing off any ways,"

"Yeah," Harry nodded knowing what a heavy sleeper Ron was. Harry climbed under his blanket, and turned on his side. He breathed deeply, and wasn't tired, good thoughts of Ginny filled his mind and then bad ones of Hermione from today did. But he fell asleep soon any ways; sure he wouldn't be having peaceful dreams.