On Wednesday morning, the D.A gathered together in the Room of Requirement. Neville had been the one to access the room and for them and once inside, they all took up a seat and Ginny said, "Right. Anyone else got anyone else they think should join?" Neville nodded and replied, "Yup. Katie we've already mentioned, but we should also have the Patil twins. They're loyal to Harry." Ginny nodded and looked around the room, "Seamus?" He shrugged and replied, "McLaggen? He's been fairly loyal. And what about Andrew and the rest of the Gryffindor team?" Ginny nodded in agreement, "That's a good idea, Seamus! I never thought about them. Colin?" He grinned and replied, "Dennis would love it. I've asked him to ask some kids in his year that he's friendly with." She nodded and wrote everyone's suggestions on a peace of parchment. She turned to Luna, "Luna?" she asked, quill poised.

Luna sighed and said, "You know I told you of Cho and Michael." Ginny bit her lip and Neville asked loudly, "Cho Chang?" Luna nodded as if it was the most normal idea in the world and Neville said angrily, "Luna, Cho's best friend betrayed us last time! Who's to say Cho won't do it again?!" Luna raised an eyebrow at Neville and replied coldly, "For your information, Neville, Cho's not that friendly with Marietta anymore! And she was going through tough times then, so I don't think it's fair for you to go about accusing…"
Neville stared at Luna in disbelief, "We were all going through tough times, Luna! What with Umbridge handing out detentions left, right and centre!" Seamus stared at Neville in disbelief, as did Ginny. He rarely lost his temper and Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, "Neville, calm down. I agree I'm not sure Cho can be trusted…but I think we should discuss inviting her when we're all a bit calmer."
Everyone else nodded in agreement and Luna who was also rarely phased and who usually got along well with Neville, refused to look at him for the rest of the meeting. Ginny sighed and shook her head, remembering Lupin's words last Christmas to Harry, "If we start fighting amongst ourselves we are doomed." She hadn't realized she had spoken them out loud until she saw everyone staring at her. She flushed pink and said, "Sorry, it's just something Professor Lupin said to Harry when he was after Draco last year."
She shook her to clear her mind and then turned back to her parchment. It had been nearly two months being back at school now and Ginny felt like it had been a lifetime. After missing Harry so much the previous evening, she really needed her friends to work together. They couldn't risk falling apart now. Ginny asked suddenly, "Do you all still have your D.A coins?"

They all nodded and Neville said, "Not on me right now, but it's in my room." Ginny grinned and replied, "Good. It's how we will communicate. Mine…" She rummaged in her pocket, wondering for a minute if she was going to confide this in her closest friends. She decided she had to at some point or another, "Mine …and this is to be kept confidential between all of us…" she pulled out her coin and held it up for everyone to see, "Mine is connected to Harry's." There was a small gasp from Colin, but the rest of them seemed not so surprised. She sighed and whispered, "Basically whenever they move locations it lets me know where they are. It also burns red if they're in danger."
Colin whispered in surprise, "Wow…" Ginny thought he sounded hurt but she didn't have the energy to try an explain it to them. Instead she glanced at Neville and he nodded, "So, you've known all this time and never told us?" Ginny felt a lump in her throat. Neville sounded upset with her too now. She whispered quietly, "It as just meant to be a secret, between Harry and me. He didn't want everyone knowing…" Neville interrupted with a hurt tone, "But we're you're best friends, Gin! Surely you could trust us?"
Ginny bit her lip and whispered, "It wasn't about trusting you guys or not…" Luna raised her eyebrows, "Really…because you've barely made an effort to be my friend." The only person who didn't comment was Seamus. Ginny glanced at him, pleading for him to understand. Instead he just stared at the coffee table and shook his head dismally. She hadn't expected telling them would backfire like this. It had taken a lot for her to open up to them. It had been her secret with Harry when they had nothing else. She was so hoping they'd understand.

But Ginny seemed to have been wrong. She put the parchment down and said in a tone that was threatening to make her burst into tears, "Well then, you guys carry on without me." She packed her quill into her bag and then left the room, feeling betrayed that they had taken it so personally. Ginny understood where they were coming from, but at the same time she was hurt they thought so badly of her.

When she stepped out of the Room of Requirement and began walking down the hall, Ginny heard her name and froze, "Weasley!" She quickly dried the angry tears from her eyes which were threatening to fall as she walked into the next passage and she saw Malfoy strutting towards her. Ginny sighed and she said tiresomely, "What is it now, Malfoy?"

Draco stared at her. He contemplated her and then shook his head, "Uh, nothing. Just wondering why you look like you're about to start crying like a baby." He smirked at her and Ginny said in a deflated voice, "It's none of your business." Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her and said in surprise, "I can't believe you're admitting that you're crying like a baby in the first place. You usually have much more fire." Ginny stared at him, unsure what to say, so instead she kept walking. She decided to McGonagall's for class since she had lost her appetite.

XXX

Ginny avoided her friends the rest of that day and was grateful for Quidditch practice in the afternoon after school. She changed early and flew around the pitch several times to try and clear her mind, focusing on the Snitch. When she caught it within ten minutes, she heard clapping from below her. It was McLaggen. For the first time in a long while, Ginny was actually relieved to see him rather than one of her friends.
She landed beside him and he said, "Wow! That was excellent flying." Ginny smiled at him and said briefly, "Thanks. You're here early." McLaggen shrugged, "I wanted to clear my head, but I saw you flying and didn't want to stop you." Ginny nodded and sighed, sitting beside him. She hadn't even noticed him standing there and watching her.

McLaggen looked at her and frowned, "Why are you looking so glum?" Ginny shrugged her shoulders and whispered, "I don't know. I just…had a disagreement with Neville, Seamus, Luna and Colin this morning." McLaggen raised his eyebrows, "Wow! It must take real talent to piss so many people off so quickly!" Ginny sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "I know."
McLaggen stared at her and asked, "How did you manage it?" She sighed, not really wanting to go into it right now. She believed McLaggen would also get offended. But she needed to tell someone so she sighed, "We're trying to start up the D.A again." McLaggen nodded in recognition because everyone knew of the D.A once they'd been caught last year by Umbrdige. He muttered, "Explains why you've been so distant lately."

Ginny bit her lip and asked, "Are you mad?" Cormac frowned and replied, "Why would I be mad?" She shrugged and whispered, "I haven't invited you yet." He rolled his eyes and retorted, "Please, that doesn't bother me. There are plenty of things that I've never been invited to in my life." She felt sorry for him as he tried to put on a brave face. She grumbled, "I was going to ask all of our team at practice today if they wanted to join. Well…because everyone else is pissed off with me, I don't feel like I have any inclinations."
McLaggen stared at her in surprise, "Ginny, you're one of the most determined people I know! Are you seriously not going to try and help start up the D.A again just because you've had a fall out with them? They'll get over it." Ginny forced a smile and nodded, but didn't believe it. Ginny muttered, "And to make matters worse, when I left the meeting I ran into Malfoy and I was on the verge of tears."
Here, Cormac raised an eyebrow, "Malfoy? What did he want?" Ginny shrugged her shoulder and whispered, "I expect he's just bored because he doesn't have Harry, Ron and Hermione to give hell to." McLaggen sighed and replied, "Well, I it makes you feel any better, I'd be happy to join the D.A." Ginny looked up and grinned at him for the first time that morning, "Thanks, Cormac"

They sat in silence for another few minute before the rest of the team joined them. Ginny saw Demelza running up to her, a sprint in her step. She hugged her friend and grinned, "Hey! You alright?" she asked Ginny. Ginny nodded and smiled at her, "I'm better now, thanks. I have an important question to ask everyone when they're here."

Eventually the team assembled and Ginny said, "Right then, I'm sure you all heard of the D.A from last year?" They all nodded and Ginny said excitedly, "Well, Neville, Luna, Seamus, Colin and I are trying to start it up again!" Instead of the excitement she was expecting to receive, there was silence. They all glanced at each other nervously and Christopher said slowly, "But Ginny, don't you remember what happened with Umbridge?"

Ginny stared at him, analyzing his pale features and whispered, "I know, Christopher. And I know it's asking a lot for some of you. But I can't personally back and let her destroy everything we fought for. Everything we're still fighting for." Katie, who was the only one on the team who had been in the D.A last year, said with conviction in her eyes, "I'm in!" She grinned at Ginny and then nodded encouragingly to the others. This caused Demelza and Charlotte to smile nervously and they nodded, "I'm in too," Demelza said with excitement.

Demelza had put her hand in the middle, like they sometimes did before a game, and Charlotte placed her hand on top. This caused Andrew and Katie to do the same. They all looked at Christopher, who clearly feeling the pressure. He murmured under his breath, "Alright, but I don't want to do something I might regret. I'm…" Ginny said firmly, "Christopher, the whole point of the D.A is to fight. It's about whether you want to or not." Silence penetrated the stadium and he inhaled sharply, "Alright…" he whispered before placing his hand on top of Charlotte's.

Then McLaggen said in a sarcastic tone, "I've already made my commitment before everyone else here. I don't need to put my hand…" Ginny forced his hand on the top of the pile before he could continue and she smirked at him before everyone else laughed and she placed her hand on the top, "I'm asking all of you because I feel like I can trust you not to let me down. Not to let Harry down." They all nodded and she shouted, "GRYFFINDOR'S!" They all shouted at the same time and then got on their brooms. McLaggen chuckled, "Way to raise team spirit, boss." Ginny grinned and chuckled, "That was the idea!" before getting on her own broom and barking orders at her team mates.

XXX

When Ginny returned to the common room that evening, she found Neville, Seamus and Colin sitting in a circle around the fireplace. She stopped momentarily and then tried to carry on walking past them until Colin grabbed onto her arm. He had been avoiding her all day too so it just made things awkward between them. He looked at her pleadingly with his big, brown eyes and said in a whisper, "Gin…"
She raised her eyebrows and nearly snapped, "What, Colin?" Colin shrugged his shoulders and sighed, "I'm really sorry, Gin…about everything. We all are." He nodded at Seamus and Neville. Neville stood up and said somberly, "I'm sorry Ginny. It was wrong for us to assume you would just tell us everything." He looked at Seamus, who then stood up too and sighed, "I'm sorry too, Ginny. Luna told me to tell you the same."

Ginny wasn't sure what to do. She still felt upset with them over it all, so she murmured, "Thanks guys, I appreciate it." Instead of sitting down with them, she said, "I just need a little time." They nodded at her and Colin released her wrist from his grasp. She then went and found a desk in the corner so that she could concentrate on a paper she had to write for Slughorn on Armontentia- it's side effects and it's fall backs.

A/n: Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this one. I was doing some research and it seems like the break-in to Gringotts only happened in May of the following year. Whoops! Let's just pretend in this version that it happens slightly earlier than anticipated. I'm sorry for that mistake. I might go back and correct it at some stage but I don't really have the time right now. Anyway just to let you guys know, they are in late November now just to give some sort of a time-frame.
Anyway, just thought I'd let you guys know! Enjoy it.

Also GinnyPotter6891 I understand your reasoning for Harry smelling like Treacle tart…but I researched it and for Harry that's what Ginny smells like. I don't think they'd smell the same (in my opinion) so that's why I chose a nice, fresh smell for Harry. Grass and mint seem similar to me and make sense because of Quidditch and Harry seems to like the outdoors (being by the lake with Ginny)…just so you know where my thoughts are on this one.

P.S: Completely random side note but have any of you guys listened to Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran? I don't know about you but I am obsessed with the song. And you guys?