Hello again everyone! I know it took me a long time to get this chepter up but i had a couple problems with it and I was busy all christmas break, but here it is at last. Now through all the times of re-writing this story I've always planned on the main event in this chapter to be in the story. Now I've finally gotten to write it! It's very important because it's going to be the basis on Ginny trusting Blaise and everyone, including the four pairs are going to find out about each other. So read on and tell me what you think. And thank you to my reviewers! I love you and want more reviews from everyone.

Disclaimer: I dont own anything except the plot.

UnknownPersonFromHell: Thanks for the good review. I'm the best you've read! Yay! keep reading and reviewing for me and if u write a story, tell me in ur review and I'll read it. Thanks!

lorhael-nin: I like my plot too, but I'm glade you enjoy it. It's been re-writen so many times and now I think it's just right. Thanks for the review and keep reading and reviewing!

Applekissis: Thanks for the review. I know there are some spelling errors and I've tried to fix them, I just dont always have time, or I dont even see them, but thanks for telling me. Keep reading!

DrAcO'sblackrose: Here's the update, hope you like it!

xoKaSsleox: Here it is, keep reading.

Chapter 8:

The next morning when Hermione awoke, she woke up with Draco next to her. His arms were rapped about her and his chin in the crook of her neck. She took a moment to just enjoy the warmth he spread across her and she realized that she liked waking up this way. She was in her own bed and she searched her memory for the events of the night before.

She remembered hers and Harry's fight. Her heart sank as she thought that he would never talk to her again, let alone he would probably tell Ron and then he wouldn't speak to her either. She also didn't want to think about what had been spread around about her through the rest of that night. She decided she didn't care what people thought or said, all that mattered was that Draco was there for her. If Harry didn't want to except him, that was fine. If he wanted to be to much of a prat, let him. It wasn't like Draco was all to eager to get to know Harry for who he really was either, so she couldn't really blame him.

Hermione turned in to face Draco and looked at his sleeping face. He'd been good enough to help her to sleep and do the rounds they were supposed to do together by himself. She liked how he'd climbed into bed with her and rapped himself around her so she'd wake up feeling good and safe. She was feeling good and safe and she touched his face.

Draco's eyes flickered open and he yawned gruffly. She started to giggle for a second at his oh so manly yawn.

"You laughing at me?" he asked her. His eyes were open now but his voice still sounded tired.

"Never," she replied smiling at him and giving him a small kiss on the lips.

"Sleep good?" he asked.

"Very good, thanks to you. Thank you so much Draco, I know I was hysterical but I just couldn't help it. Harry had never gotten mad at me like that before. It scared me and I just couldn't handle it. Thank you," Hermione gave him another kiss, this one a bit longer.

"Anytime love. You should know though. I caught Harry out of bed last night, wandering around. He freaked out on me, but I think things are going to be different with him from now on. I told him the state you'd come back to me with and that I was willing to put things aside for you. He looked ashamed when I left him to think about it. I think he realizes what a prat he'd been. I think all it'll be different," Draco told her stroking her hair.

Hermione's eyes were big with tears and amazement and a smile spread across her face.

"You... you did that... for me? I-I... thank you Draco. Will you honestly give him a chance if he will?" she asked him.

"I don't lie," he told her.

Hermione couldn't contain herself. She let herself go and smothered him in a deep kiss. All of this impressed her so much and she thought to herself while still kissing him 'I'm the luckiest girl in the world.'

When he pulled away he said that he thought they should be getting up so they could have the day to go to the village to buy Christmas presents and talk to Harry. They got dressed and went down to the entrance hall to head down to the village. When they opened the front door however they were greeted by snow. And not just any snow. They were greeted by snow, snow, snow. Hermione smiled once again as she thought of the quote from her favorite kiddy muggle book by Robert Munch.

It had been raining for days on end and wasn't even cold, when now all of a sudden it was freezing and so much snow that Hermione was even confused about how it was possible for the weather to create that much snow. She turned to face Draco.

"I guess we need to go back upstairs and change into something a little bit more warmer," Draco said.

"Nope. Here."

Hermione transfigured Draco's blue sweater into a very warm, navy blue winter coat. Hermione did the same to herself and came out with a white coat.

"So how about you go and do your Christmas shopping and I'll do mine and talk to Harry and I'll meet up with you later," Hermione said.

"Ok, how about back here in the common room at say... three?" Draco asked her.

"Sure, see you soon." and with that they went their separate ways to Hogsmeade.

The morning glow sent nerve shockers to her brain that it was time to wake up. Goose bumps showed on Ginny's pale skin and she began to do her wake up routine of rubbing her eyes, cheeks, mouth and hugging her pillow one last time. Walking toward a mirror she looked at her appearance and decided she was happy no one was around to look at her. Her hair was all messed up and every-which way. She realized that it was the weekend and hurried into the shower so she could have the day to herself as much as possible and get to the stores before others could buy up the good Christmas gifts.

When Ginny got out of the shower she immediately got cold. This struck her odd and went and looked out the bathroom window.

"Oh my God! I've never seen so much snow!"

From the window she looked toward where the school pond was located. It had frozen over and she squealed in delight. She decided that before shopping she would go for a skate, seeing as how no one else was doing it as well. This made her hurry up even more and she dressed warmly and grabbed her skates from her armoire and headed down to the pond.

When she got to the pond Ginny waved her wand and the pond cleared of all snow on it's surface. She smiled and laced up her skates and started out onto the ice. Ginny had skated all her life. At the Burrow she would beg her father to make an ice rink for her just so she could skate. She'd gotten her first pair of skates when she was seven and was a natural from the beginning. She'd taught herself all the tricks she could think of and even got a muggle book out on how to do ice tricks and how not to hurt yourself.

In the beginning she just skated around the perimeter of the pond, getting the feeling back for her skates. This didn't take her long and soon she was doing all the old things she'd taught herself. It was so calming to her that she began singing little Christmas tunes.

She was so graceful when she skated, it was breath taking to Blaise. He was hiding behind a bunch of bushes watching her skate. He'd followed Ginny down to the pond when he'd seen her with her skates. He himself had been about to walk to Hogsmeade with Draco when he'd ditched him saying he'd forgotten something and he would meet up with him later. He was still watching her and couldn't believe what she was doing, he'd skated before, but he didn't even know that what she was doing was possible. She was jumping into the air and spinning and landing perfectly back onto the ice. It was amazing.

Both were distracted and neither noticed the ice beginning to crack. Ginny ended her song and was slowly stopping her spinning. She stopped and as soon as she did the ice gave way and Blaise saw Ginny fall beneath the ice. Blaise was frozen in place, his mouth gapping at the place where Ginny had fallen through. Finally the shock wore off a bit and he raced out onto the ice. He stopped about a meter away from the hole and laid down and crawled to the edge of the hole in the ice.

Ginny's hands were reaching out of the water trying to grab onto something, anything, but couldn't find anything that would save her. She couldn't get her head above the water and she continued to panic, even more so then she had been. The water was so cold that when she first went through and the water touched her she'd gone into shock and stiffened and couldn't think. She had been freezing cold, but then at the same time her skin burned. She couldn't keep her eyes open because they couldn't handle the cold water rushing into them and so she kept them closed and didn't see Blaise reach the waters edge. Her air was gone by this time and she'd passed out and stopped fighting.

Her hands weren't popping out of the ice anymore and the water was going calm. Blaise panicked and tore his arms through the freezing water and waved them about, trying to feel her. He couldn't for a few seconds and then he felt something hard come against his arm and he grabbed it. It was heavy but he managed to pull it up a bit and he saw the sleeve of her coat. It was slipping from his grasp so he raised his other hand to his mouth and bit and ripped off his mit and plunged his bare arm into the water as well so he could get a better hold of it. As she began to rise he grabbed farther and farther down Ginny's body, hauling her up onto the edge of the ice until her whole body was out of the water. He leaned down to her mouth and waited to see if he could feel her breath on his cheek. He couldn't, so he breathed in her mouth and started pumping on her chest, trying to get the water out of her lungs. He knew no magical way to get the water out so he continued to give her CPR. Finally she gagged up the water and he rolled her onto her side so it would come out easier. When she was done throwing up the water she was so tired and weak that she passed out again. Blaise took off his coat and put a warming charm on it and wrapped it around her and picked her up to carry her to the castle.

Many people rushed toward him and offered to carry her for him but he refused to give her to them and carried her himself all the way up to the infirmary. He'd sent a scared Harry and hysterical Ron to find Dumbledore to meet him up in the ward. Mrs. Pomfry hurried over to Blaise and took Ginny from him, despite how well he hung on, she was amazingly strong. She laid Ginny down on a bed and magicked five blankets to throw over her, all with heating charms. Pomfry also filled two hot water bottles and placed them under the blankets and was just about to start questioning Blaise when Dumbledore arrived. He glided into the room and went straight to Ginny, only looking at her, scanning her looking not panicked at all and just a little frighten and then relieved. He took Blaise by the shoulder and told Pomfry he would question the boy. He took Blaise into her office and shut the door, making Blaise very nervous because he couldn't see Ginny.

"Mr. Zabini, Miss Weasley will be quite alright. Don't worry, she'll warm up and come back to us shortly..." before he could finish Ron and Harry burst into the office.

"What the bloody hell did you do to my little sister you wanker of a ferret's friend? What did we do to deserve you wanting to murder my sister? Hmmmm? TELL ME!" Ron had Blaise by the collar of his robes and was violently shaking him.

Ron face was turning a bright red from the force he was exerting on Blaises robes and from yelling so much. Harry was standing at the door and had closed it just as Ron had started yelling. His mouth was wide in shock because he couldn't believe that Ron was capable of yelling and getting that mad. Now he felt really bad because he had yelled like that at Ginny and now knew how bad it must have felt.

Blaise was keeping his cool, despite how much he wanted to punch Ron at that moment, the idiot, why would he have brought her up to the castle still alive if he wanted her dead? His face remained blank until Ron was done, which didn't end as quickly as it should have. In a couple seconds he was going to be dumbfounded and embarrassed.

'Are you done?' he waited. 'Oh good. Ok for one thing, if I had wanted to kill your sister would I have kept her alive to bring her up to the castle. For another thing, I would have left her down there if that had been my plan and also your right Weasley, you didn't do anything to deserve me 'wanting' to kill your sister who in case you haven't noticed, is no longer little anymore and should earn a bit more respect from you.'

Blaise sat back in his chair, silently enjoying the look of utmost bewilderment and confusion and embarrassment on Ron Weasley's face. It was the highlight of his year so far and he wasn't going to miss a heartbeat.

"Wh-wha-what are you saying? You've noticed my little sister is no longer little anymore? You sick perverted a..."

"I'm hardly perverted. I just happened to gain a bit of respect for her and I suggest you actually pay some attention to her, shes been needing you and Pretty boy over there and shes been totally scared to go to either of you because she knows that you wouldn't understand. I know this because I see that she has nobody, tells nobody anything and you guys are supposed to be her friend and brother, good job so far." Blaise didn't mean to get snarky at them, he just couldn't help it.

"What do you know? I've been there for her more then you know, more then anyone knows, and she knows she can come to me." Harry rearranged his face into an angry look and snapped at Blaise.

"Oh, I know Potter, I know what you two were. You failed to realize however that she feels unwanted, not loved that because you didn't keep her just because of this war. She wanted you to keep her even though there is danger, to always want her by your side, she doesn't care about the danger, she just wanted to be with you. Now it's not good enough and she feels like she'd be putting more weight on your shoulders by saying something so she says nothing."

"And she goes to you, is that what your saying?" Ron bit back.

"She shows me. She doesn't mean to, but she does. She can just look at me and I know, her eyes show it. You would know that if you took time to really look at her and ask her whats going on."

"I don't believe this. She'd rather go to you then to her own brother? That's obsured, she would never touch a Slyth..."

"Gentlemen, I believe that Miss Weasley's personal life is not what should be the topic of things here. Her health and the story of these events should be observed since I highly doubt that the opposite party will believe the saver's words, so Blaise, if you will allow me..." Dumbledore stepped in and wiggled a finger at Blaise to come to him.

"Yes Sir. I will allow you to." Blaise approached Dumbledore and stood next to him.

Dumbledore reached into his robes and retrieved his wand. His burnt black and scared hand held it's handle. He waved his wand and silently conjured his silver pensive. Harry watched the swirling liquid within and remembered the many times he'd been brought into it.

Dumbledore turned to Blaise after setting the pensive down. He raised his wand to Blaise's temple and told him to think back to the ever beginning of the memory and then as he's pulling it out, to think of the ending until the moment when he brought Ginny into the infirmary. Blaise did this and was surprised to see a thin line of wispy silver string like substance come out of his temple. When the string ended Dumbledore put it in the pensive and asked all who were there to gather round.

"This is where the truth will come out boys and maybe some grudges that were based on pure prejudiced will be eliminated." Dumbledore waved them all over to the pensive and Harry immediately put his head in, the others followed suite.

They all got a dropping sensation as they watched themselves fall into a winter wonderland that was the forest grounds of Hogwarts. Most of them landed on their feet while of course Ron ended up tripping and landing on his bottom. Ron cursed and stood up, brushing snow from his robes while the others stood to watch what was going on in front of them. Blaise jumped slightly when he saw himself crouched down beside himself. It wasn't something he saw everyday.

The scene unfolding around them was serene. A red haired Ginny was standing at the edge of the beautiful lake. One wave of her wand had the ice free of ice. They then saw her tie up her skates and step out onto the ice with little difficulty. Harry's mouth dropped open as he watched Ginny over the few minutes before the accident. He never knew she could skate, let alone imagine her skating like this. It was beautiful and graceful and in time to her sung song.

Ron looked over at the image of Blaise behind the bush next to them. His eyes turned to slits of cold, hardness as he watched Blaise watching her with fascination. He looked back up at the present Blaise and back to Ginny.

As Ginny finished her song slowly and started to stop spinning Blaise held his breath. This was it. He knew she would be saved but it was still nerve wracking. All were hushed as they listened to the ice crack at watched Ginny fall benieth the ice. Harry gasped in horror as he watched her and he grabbed Ron's arm who was about to go out after her.

"No, you must wait for him. It wont make a difference anyway, your not visible or whole right now, theres nothing you can do." Ron looked at Harry and glared at the still sitting Blaise.

"What's taking you so l… oh." Just then the image of Blaise jumped up and started running toward the hole in the ice.

The four of them stood and watched the events of Ginny's rescue unfold and come to an end. When it was over they felt a pulling sensation on their stomachs and were suddenly back in Madam Pomfry's office. Ron turned to Blaise.

"Thank you for saving Ginny but don't think this changes things, your still a low life Slytherin who treats other Gyffendors like crap and saving my sister doesn't take all that away." Ron got up and left with Harry at his heels.

"Well at least I'm not in trouble with them and didn't have Ron try to rearrange my face." Blaise said in a sigh.

"I think Mr. Zabini, that things will be a little different now. Things have a habbit of changing when severe events come into play. Look over Miss Weasley, she'll come around soon if not already." With that Dumbledore left.

Blaise sighed and got up out of the chair he was in. He walked over to where Ginny's bed was and looked at her. She was still sleeping, although her colour was slowly coming back to her and her entire body but her head was hidden beneath tons of blankets. There was a free chair by her bed and he went and sat down in it. He stayed there until he fell asleep in the chair and about an hour later Ginny awoke.

Ginny's world was fuzzy. She rubbed her eyes and looked about her. She was in the hospital wing, but she couldn't understand why. Blaise was sitting next to her and she spoke to him.

"Why am I here? What happened?" she asked him.

"You really cant remember?" he asked her.

"No, I cant, i remember waking up and taking a shower this morning, but that's it."

"You went skating this morning, do you remember that?"

"Vagly."

"Well, you fell benieth the ice and I pulled you out and brought you here about an hour or so ago." he told her.

"You did? Why did you follow me there? I don't remember seeing you down there."

"I followed you because I noticed you had skates with you. You were beautiful. I had no idea you could skate like that."

With all her skin pale it was easy to see her blush, if only a little bit. She stuck her arm out and opened her hand for him to take it.

"Thank you, for everything." he took her hand and watched her sleep once again.

Hermione was in the common room at three o-clock, like she said she would be. She'd done all her shopping and had even found something for Draco. He was going to love it. She was getting impatient however because she had just gotten in a few minutes before and Neville had told her that Ginny had fallen under thin ice and was in the hospital wing. She was waiting for Draco to come back so she could get him to come wit her to see Ginny. She was worried about her, Neville hadn't known how she was and she was in a panic.

Pacing back and forth was how Draco found her. Her fingers between her teeth and her one hand clenched at her side. He cleared his throat and when she looked at him she ran to him. He grew confused and squeezed her and pulled her away from him.

"Whats wrong? I'm not that late am I?" Draco asked her, stroking her face and smirking.

"Stop being you Draco, this is serious, common, we have to go see Ginny, she could be dead by now!" Hermione grabbed his hand before he could say anything to relieve his confusion.

They hurried down the many corridors and stairways, through the halls and past the many very confused students who were watching Hermione Granger pull along by the hand a willing but very confused also Draco Malfoy at top speed.

They climbed the last set of stairs and burst through the doors of the hospital wing. The wing was empty except for a sleeping Ginny and three boys, one of which a red head who was glaring at the boy sitting opposite him, daring him to go any closer to the redheaded girl, another of which was the redhead's best friend, looking worried and bored. The third of the boys was looking at Ginny's face, on the seat of his chair, as if he was ready to jump to his feet at any moment to go to the girls side. Hermione stopped in her tracts. She understood why the two friends were there, but not the the third boy.

"Blaise? what are you doing here?" Draco asked the question before she could.

"Heres another question for you, what are you doing here? Hopping to see my sister finally die? Sorry to disappoint you Malfoy, but not today," Ron had gotten to his feet.

"He's with me Ron, shut your mouth. Oh Harry, so shes not going to die?" Hermione hurried over to the girl and stroked her cheek.

"He's with you?" Ron asked.

"Why are you here Blaise, what happened?" Draco asked again.

"What does it matter to you ferret head? Your not welcome here, leave. Unless you want me to give you a reason to stay, but it will be a stay in one of these beds. Leave!" Ron said.

"Shut it Ron!" Hermione threw at Ron.

"Ron, honestly, give it up man, you don't want to know. Believe me." Harry said to Ron.

"You back off Harry."

"Dont threaten him!" Blaise countered.

"What do you care?"

"You lousy..."

"Get out of here Mal..."

"Shut up Ro..."

"QUIET!"

The yelling stopped and all their eyes went wide. Slowly the people who's backs were to him turned around and faced their headmaster.

"I thought we had solved this, whats the matter now? Oh I see. Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I assume you have not heard what has happened. Come with me and all will be explained. I assume all this started with you two, so lets go and leave the others in peace." Dumbledore walked over to Pomfry's office and asked her to leave, once again.

"Sit please." the two took their seats.

"Now, naturally I assume the others do not know about you two, with the exception of Harry, am I right Miss Granger?" Dumbledore looked at her expectantly.

"Umm... yes sir... but how did you?"

"I see a great many things Miss Granger and know the looks that are shared between two people who like each other. Your actions in the rain the other day only confirmed my suspicions." Hermione and Draco looked at each other.

"No need to be embarrassed, I knew that with your rivalry that something would eventually happen with you two. I thought it would happen sooner however, but an old man can be off sometimes right?" Neither answered him.

"Indeed. Now, Miss Weasly was skating and fell benieth thin ice, nothing more. Mr. Zabini had been watching her and saw her fall and saved her life. She would be dead if not for him. Mr. Potter has excepted it, and Mr. Weasley has not entirely yet. Maybe he never will. All the Weasley's are different in personality, so I cant be sure yet. For Ginny and Blaise's sake, I hope so."

"What do you mean for their sake you hope so? You don't mean...?" Draco asked.

"Yes I do mean, your not the only ones who have thrown aside your house rivalry."

This surprised Hermione beyond belief. Ginny had never told her that she had feelings for Bliase. She realized then that she should have been spending more time with her and the others instead of ditching them for work and Draco.

"What are you going to tell them?" Dumbledore asked her.

"Well seeing as how I just pulled Draco up here, hand in hand... It'll be all over the school by the time we leave. Maybe we wont have to... only have to confirm, which will be hard enough."

"Perhaps, maybe they'll surprise you. However, no matter how bad it all gets, don't give up your love for your friends, they're your friends if they except what you want. Now I think you should go out and sit with Miss Weasley and I'll send Harry and Ron away. Then you can talk to Blaise and get and share as much information as you care to have and share. I'll leave you to it." he got up and left the room.

When they were sure the others had left they sat down with Blaise and talked about everything and waited for the sleeping Ginny to awake.

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