The bell echoed across the grounds and inside the castle to indicate the end of lunch and the beginning of the Slytherin and Gryffindor Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ron, Harry and Ginny were heading to their lessons from the Great Hall when Lavender Brown came up behind them and tapped Ginny on her shoulder. Lavender whispered something into Ginny's ear, gave her a small smile then headed up the stairs with her friends.

"Go ahead you guys I'll see you later."

"OK, we'll see you at dinner then." Ron said as he and Harry turned and walked on towards the door to class while Ginny turned the corner and headed towards the third floor corridor. She stopped outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and looked around the corner to make sure Filch, Mrs. Norris or any of the prefects were nowhere in sight. When she was sure the coast was clear she opened the door and slipped inside.

"Hermione? Hermione, are you in here?" No one answered. Ginny walked to the stalls and pushed on the doors to make sure Hermione wasn't trying to hide from her again.

"You should try looking in the last one." a voice drifted from behind Ginny. She whipped around to find Moaning Myrtle hovering on top of one of the sinks, staring stiffly at her.

"Thanks Myrtle." Ginny walked to the last stall and tapped on the door. It swung open. Hermione was sitting on the toilet, hands over her red, puffy eyes. Ginny reached next to the toilet and grabbed a wad of tissues and handed it to Hermione. "Here, use this."

Hermione reached up and took the tissues without looking at Ginny and blew her nose.

"Harry and I had another scrap last night." Hermione sobbed. "He's angry at me because I decided not to go with him to Hogsmead this weekend."

"You mean the only explanation to why Harry is mad at me is because you and me planed to go to Hogsmead together this weekend." Ginny almost laughed at this but decided now was not the time.

"Yes. He wanted it to be just me and him going together because it's the last trip to Hogsmead that we will be making. With the school year almost over and Harry not finding any of the Horcruxes he said he wanted to concentrate on finding them and getting this war over with. He says that it may be the last time he will ever see Hogsmead and he wanted to share it with me."

Hermione stood up and walked past Ginny. She stopped at a mirror to examine her reflection. Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was a mess. She took her wand out of her inside pocket and tapped her hair. It went back into a neat bun much like Professor McGonagall's. She looked at her reflection but was not satisfied. She turned on the cold water and washed her face. Outside the bathroom the bell echoed to signal the end of their lesson's and the beginning of their next. Ginny had sat in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with Hermione the whole of her Transfiguration lesson.

"You shouldn't have skipped Transfiguration just to come and help me with my problems Ginny." Hermione turned around and picked up her bag from beside the toilet.

"Big deal. Besides I can always come to you if I'm having a problem with my homework!" Hermione gave Ginny a sheepish smile. "Hey, I think you could use a pick me up. There's going to be a party tonight in the Room of Requirement, why don't you come with me. I know Harry won't be there because he doesn't even know we're throwing one!" Ginny smiled as she too grabbed her bag from the floor.

Hermione thought about it a moment before she agreed. "Alright but if Harry does show up I'm leaving! I'm not going to stay there if he decides to show up."

"Deal! Harry shows up and we're gone." Ginny placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder and turned to the door.

"Hey Ginny thanks for coming to find me."

Ginny smiled. "Not a problem. You'd do it for me."

Ginny opened the door slowly to check that the coast was clear. There were a few students hurrying along the corridor but there was so sign of any teachers, Filch or Mrs. Norris. Ginny and Hermione slipped out just as a few first year Ravenclaws rounded the corner. Hermione followed Ginny towards the Charms corridor then parted to hurry off to Potions. Harry and Ron were already in their seats when Hermione walked in just as the bell rang. Harry was seated at the far end of the table while Ron was seated in the middle. Obviously Harry was still not going to talk to her.

"Hello Hermione." Ron gave her a weak smile and pulled out her stool.

"Thanks." Just then the door closed.

"Turn your books to page 294. When I tell you to begin you will follow the instructions the book has given you with the partner that I will choose for you." Snape turned towards Harry, Ron and Hermione.

He picked up a list from his desk, looked at it a moment before looking at the class, his eyes landed on Harry. "Potter you will be paired with…Ms. Parkinson."

Pansy shrieked. "Professor please no don't but me with him he'll ruin everything." Pansy looked like she was on the verge of tears but Snape didn't change his mind.

"Granger you'll be paired with Mr. Malfoy. Weasley you'll be with…" He looked at his list a minute before looking around the room. "Crabb. Now as for the rest of you the person sitting in the middle of the table will move to the back of the room. Now!"

There was a quick quarrel as everyone hurried to the back of the room. Snape waved his wand and four extra tables appeared.

"Now sit." Again there was a quarrel as everyone found a place to sit. Snape made a few changes with partners and when he was satisfied with the seating arrangement, he turned to his desk, sat down and began to correct papers. The class remained silent and watched Snape as he did so. After a minute he looked up at his class.

"Why have you not started?" Nobody moved, except Hermione whose hand shot into the air.

Snap looked around the classroom. "Does anyone have the answer or are you all just going to sit there."

"Please sir." Hermione lowered her hand. "You told us we could not begin until you told us we could."

Snape looked at her for a moment. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Mrs. Granger. If you speak out of turn again it will be fifty and a week's worth of detentions. You may begin."

That night after dinner Hermione and Ginny told Ron and Harry they were going to bed because they 'couldn't study without all the noise.'"

Once Ron and Harry went to bed Lavender hurried up to the girl's dorm to get Hermione and Ginny. The three of them slipped back down to the common room where most of the girls (with a few guys too) were still seated. Everyone looked at Ginny before they got up and followed her to the Room of Requirement. (Most not knowing where it was.)

Ginny passed the wall three times concentrating on 'We need a place to hold a goodbye summer party.' Then a door suddenly appeared where just a moment ago there was a stone wall. Many people were already there. Most were dancing and playing games, some where just standing off to the side taking to each other. Hermione and Ginny said hello to many of their friends before they joined in on the dancing.

They were having so much fun. They had butterbeer drinking contests, chocolate frog eating contests; some students were even trying hexes and jinxes on each other. As the night went on someone decided to play a slow song. Many people just stood there at first, and then couples began to dance. Ginny and Hermione shrunk into the shadows watching the couples dance.

Someone came up behind Ginny and tapped her on the shoulder. "May I have this dance?" Ginny turned her head to the right and saw Draco Malfoy standing there with his hand extended to her.

Ginny just looked at him for a second but then took his hand and walked off to the dance floor with him, leaving Hermione and a few other girls completely bewildered.

When the song ended Ginny and Draco did not return. She waited there for 15 minutes or so and then decided she wouldn't be missed and returned to her dormitory.

The next morning Ginny was all giggles. After breakfast Ginny and Hermione gathered in the Great Hall with all the other third years and above for the Hogmead trip. Ginny kept looking behind her and from side to side.

"Who are you looking for?" Hermione asked Ginny after looking behind her for the tenth time.

"No one. Just looking" Ginny jumped when Harry touched her shoulder. "Oh hi!"

"You ok?" Harry looked at her for a second.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Ginny looked around again this time toward the dungeons.

Ginny grinned and lowered her head.

"Ginny why are you blushing?" Hermione looked toward the dungeons and saw. "Draco? Ginny what is going on? Are you crazy"

By this time Draco had made his way across the Great Hall and was standing in front of Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry.

Ginny hung her head for a second before looking up at Draco.

"Hello Ginny" Draco pulled a single rose from behind his back and handed it to Ginny. The whole Great Hall went silent and turned there attention toward them.

"Shall we?" He offered Ginny his arm.

"I'll see you later Hermione. Bye Ron. Harry." She turned and took Draco's arm. Draco nodded his head to Hermione, Ron and Harry, turned and led Ginny towards the doors.

As they made there way to the door Ginny spotted Pansy. She looked on the verge of tears. Ginny smiled to herself. When they reached Filch he looked at Draco quickly and made a check. When he looked at Ginny he stared at her hard for a moment or two before Draco took her hand and led her outside.

Once they were outside the whole hall erupted.

"Draco and Ginny?"

"No!"

"When?"

"Who would have guessed?"

Hermione looked at Ron and Harry before quickly walking up to Filch and hurrying after them. Ron's face was so red you could not tell where his hair was. (If that was even possible.) "How could she… She isn't is she? I mean this is all just some kind of a joke that they are playing. Right?"

Hermione looked at Ron for a minute before answering "No Ron. I don't think this is a joke. Last night they slow danced together and when the song ended they didn't return. I waited for 15 minutes but they were a no show."

"What dance?" Harry rounded on Hermione. "You didn't tell me you were going to a dance. Who did you dance with huh? Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"

"You should have asked me if you wanted to know what I was going to do. I don't have to tell you everything I've got planned. You're not my babysitter."

Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the walk to Hogsmead arguing. Ron on the other hand was watching Ginny and Draco like a hawk. When they entered Hogsmead Draco and Ginny made straight for the Three Broomsticks. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed suite.

Ginny and Draco sat at a far booth and drank a butterbeer together. They looked like two love stricken kids on their first date. Ron stared at them with his fists clenched.

"What the hell is she doing? Is she asking for trouble?"

"Ron leave her alone. She's a big girl now and can take care of herself." Hermione earned herself a glare from both Ron and Harry.

Some twenty minutes later Ginny got up from her table and walked over to where Hermione, Ron and Harry were sitting and sat down with them. "Draco would like to know if you would let us come sit here so he can talk to you."

Ron glanced over at Draco, who nodded his head. Ron and Harry sat is silence for a minute before Hermione spoke.

"Sure." Hermione answered. Before Ron or Harry could say anything Ginny got up and walked back to Draco. Draco returned with Ginny seconds later. Ginny grabbed an extra chair and sat down beside Draco.

"I need to have a discussion with you Ron and Harry." Draco took a quick breath and dove into his story. Ginny who had already heard the story got up and went to get more butterbeers. They were going to need them. When Draco finished his story he was on the verge of tears, something Draco never let anyone else see. Ron, Harry and Hermione were on the other hand utterly speechless.

Ron was the first to recover. "Well if what you have told us is the truth I see no reason why we can't put the past behind us and bury the hatchet." Ron looked even harder at Draco as he spoke though making sure there was nothing else he wanted to tell them.

"I swear what I just told you is the truth. If you don't believe me I'll even take Veritaserum to prove that I'm not lying and that everything I've told you is the 100 percent truth.

This seemed to convince Ron. He stood up, walked around to where Draco was sitting and reached out his hand. Draco too stood and they shook hands. To Ginny, Harry and Hermione's surprise they even embraced each other. Harry and Hermione stood and shook Draco's hand as well. Hermione blushed profusely when Draco planted a kiss on her check.

When Hermione and Ron sat down Harry looked at Ginny and Draco as they gave each other a hug. Harry cleared his throat. "Draco, you take care of my sis. You know that if you break her heart we'll break your neck, right."

"Harry, I would never intentionally hurt Ginny. I promise you."

"Just as long as I have your word."

"You have my word." Draco stood and called to Madam Rosemerta. "Could we have another round of butterbeers, please?"

The rest of the day the five of them sat in The Three Broomsticks drinking butterbeer and laughing at each other jokes and having a great time. Harry and Hermione had made up too, with Draco and Ginny's help. Then to everyone's surprise just as they were getting ready to go Lavender Brown came up suddenly and kissed Ron on the lips.

"Hello Ron." She turned on her heel and ran out the door. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Draco were all silent for a minute then they busted into a fit of laughter. Ron's face went pure white faster then a set of traffic lights then turned so red his face looked redder then his hair (if at all possible).


Author's Note: Somebody pointed out to me in an e-mail that a few things were a little funky with my story. So with their help I have fixed them and am now reposting this chapter. Chapter 5 will be up shortly too.

Litasha