At breakfast the following morning Draco came to sit with Ginny at the Gryffindor table.

'I've written a poem for you foxy,' he said.

'Ohh let's hear it,' squealed Ginny in delight.

Draco cleared his voice and then recited loudly.

'There once was a witch from Hogwarts

who looked fantastic in short short's

she was a great fuck

my dick she would suck

and she always had x-rated thoughts.'

Ginny and her friends all roared with laughter but Harry and Ron scowled.

'Just fuck off Malfoy, no one wants to hear it,' said Harry angrily.

'Ah, is little Potter all jealous because his ex is shagging me now. Well I'll rub it in further, she told me I was better,' and with that he left the table and a stony faced Harry.

-----------------

The next two days passed uneventfully. Ginny and Draco spent practically every waking minute of the day together and acted as couply as possible.

In truth they were becoming friends but Ginny was glad they didn't have to have sex anymore.

School finished the day before the Christmas ball but nearly everyone was staying for the holidays. Most people, including Draco, took the opportunity to visit Hogsmeade but Ginny decided to stay in. She was feeling depressed that Harry had still not show any sign of dumping Lavender and taking her back. Time was running out and she knew that he would need to ask her before the ball because she felt she didn't have a chance of winning him back during the ball in the second hand dress robes she had to wear. She had voiced this concern to Draco earlier in the day and he told her that she would look beautiful whatever she wore but she knew he was only trying to make her feel better.

At four o'clock most of the student returned to the school as the weather had gotten so bad. The usual snowy weather that Hogwarts got at Christmastime had been replaced this year with freezing rain and sleet. Wind whistled through the corridors and the only warm part of the castle seemed to be the Gryffindor common room with its blazing fire.

Ginny had arranged to meet Draco in a unused classroom before the Christmas eve feast to talk about their final tactics before the ball. Draco was already waiting when Ginny arrived and he had obviously only just got in from Hogsmeade as he looked wet and frozen stiff. He was holding a large carboard box that had a bow on the top.

'What's that?' Ginny asked, assuming it was a last minute Christmas present for one of his family that he intended to send off that evening.

'It's for you, it's a Christmas present.'

'Oh Draco, thank you! I'm sorry I didn't get anything for you, I didn't know you would get me anything.'

'Don't worry about it, I didn't expect anything. Actually, I wasn't going to get you anything but I saw it today and thought you might like it. You're not allowed to open it until tomorrow though.'

Ginny smiled at him.

'So what are we going to do about Harry? He still hasn't asked me to the ball.'

'Well I was thinking about that. If he doesn't ask you, would you maybe like to come with m-' he was cut off by the door banding open with force.

'There you are, I've been looking all over!' said a soaking wet Harry.

'Harry! What is it?' Ginny asked.

'Can I talk to you in private?' he asked, glaring menacingly at Draco.

'Sure,' said Ginny, hopping off the table she was sitting on and following him. As she headed out of the door she turned back and beamed at Draco, holding up crossed fingers. Draco smiled weakly back and crossed his fingers for her.

Harry took Ginny into the next classroom and closed the door.

'I'm just going to come out with it. I dumped Lavender and I want you back. Ditch Malfoy and come to the ball with me tomorrow,' he said.

'Oh Harry, of course I will,' said Ginny excitedly.

'You will? What about Malfoy?

'Oh that's nothing, you're the only one I want!'

Harry grinned and pulled her into a kiss.

'I'd better go and tell Draco,' Ginny said and rushed back to the room nextdoor. When she got there, however, Draco was gone and the only thing left was the box containing her Christmas present. She took it, assuming Draco must have had to rush off somewhere and went back to Gryffindor tower holding hands with Harry.

-----------------------

Later that evening the whole school assembled in the great hall for the Christmas eve feast. Everyone seemed to know by now that Harry and Ginny were back together and that her going out with Draco had just been a ploy to get Harry jealous.

'Will you come and sit with me?' Ginny asked Harry.

Harry scoffed, 'no way. I want to sit with you but I don't want to be around your friends all night. You can sit with me and my friends.'

Ginny bit back her anger and sat with Harry, Ron and Hermione for the feast. She didn't want to argue with him when she'd only just got him back.

Ginny looked across at the Slytherin table to see a miserable looking Draco sitting between Blaise and Goyle. She tried to catch his eye but he didn't look up form his food once.

'Ginny are you listening to me?' Ron butted into her thoughts.

'Sorry, what?' she asked.

Ron sighed, 'I said I'm much happier you're going back out with Harry rather than that creep Malfoy.'

'Well I'm glad Harry came to his senses and dumped Lavender.'

Harry shuffled in his seat nervously.

'He didn't dump me, I dumped him,' said Lavender loudly from down the table.

Ginny looked at Harry. 'Is that true? Did you only ask me back so you wouldn't be dateless for the ball?'

'No of course not sweetie,' said Harry hurriedly, 'I was thinking of dumping Lavender anyway. I wanted you back. Does it really matter who did the dumping? The important thing is we're back together.'

Ginny smiled weakly still feeling hurt.

-----------------------

Over on the Slytherin table Draco sat wordlessly eating his meal. He had only come because Blaise had forced him, he would much rather have stayed in his dormitory all night. He was seriously regretting staying at Hogwarts for the holidays and wished he were back at home. He cursed himself for falling for Ginny and was only thankful that Harry had walked in on them just in time to stop Draco saying something stupid.

Surely Ginny knew that he was just about to ask her to the ball? Now he had no date and he had lost to Potter. He defiantly wasn't going to go to the ball, he'd just stay in his dormitory and count down the days until term started again.