The Christmas holidays finally came and on the train ride home, Ginny sat and chatted happily away with Neville, Luna, Seamus and McLaggen. She desperately needed to feel safe in her own home and she just needed time to relax. The last week of tests that she'd had to endure had really knocked her out emotionally and physically. Late nights in the library were draining for any normal human being.

They chatted about the holidays and how uneventful they were going to be. Neville muttered, "I'm just going to be spending it with gran- same as always. What about you, Luna?" Luna sighed and shook her blonde curls out, "Going to be with dad. I will be looking for Gulping Plimpies with dad. He's been wanting to grow some for a while now." There was silence after this statement…they were all used to Luna's eccentric comments by now. Luna turned to Ginny, "And you, Ginny? What are your plans?"

Ginny sighed and mumbled, "Not much. I will probably be confined to the property. Ron's not here, Harry won't be there, Fred and George will be managing the shop…so yeah I'm basically going to be on my own." She pouted and stared out the trains' window. With the peacefulness of the country, you wouldn't believe there was a war on the way.

Neville smiled at her warmly, "I'll come and visit you with gran. She's always saying I should see friends in the holidays." Ginny grinned at him gratefully, "Thanks Neville," she whispered. There was silence in the cabin and then Ginny noticed Luna and Seamus looking at each other, eyebrows raised. Ginny frowned and asked them curiously, "Why are you looking at each other like that?" Seamus coughed and retorted, "Like what?" Her eyes narrowed and Luna shook her head, "We were just thinking that you and Neville have become really close lately."
Ginny's mouth gaped open and she muttered, "Yeah well we're good friends, hey Neville?" Neville looked really awkward and shifted in his seat but nodded anyway, "Yeah. She's right." Seamus seemed like he wanted to say more but decided against it. It was a wise move. Ginny turned to McLaggen, "And what are you doing Cormac?" He had been staring out of a window and had not really been participating in the conversation much. He shrugged, "Doing what?"

Ginny sighed and mumbled, "For the holidays?" McLaggen shrugged, "Just going to France for my cousin's wedding. Not a big deal." Ginny rolled her eyes. A typical McLaggen response. Like going to France was just no big deal. This caused Ginny to grumble under her breath and she huffed out in irritation. He frowned and asked, "Sorry, did I offend you?" Ginny glared at him, "You know, you can be pretty obtuse."
She knew she was probably just being petty. The only place she had ever travelled to was Egypt. It was a great holiday to be sure- but her mother hadn't allowed her in some of the temples because they were supposedly cursed. And the way he said it like it was no big deal just really infuriated Ginny for some reason. He took a lot for granted.
This caused her to storm out of the cabin and she heard voices behind her, but she didn't care. McLaggen needed a wake up call. He'd gotten better- sure- but there were some things that still needed to be ironed out around his attitude. Ginny huffed her way down the corridor and ran into none other than Draco Malfoy.

She stared at him…feeling guilty once again. He did nothing but raise an eyebrow at her and nod, "Weasley." He flounced off carelessly and Ginny couldn't believe he was he was just carrying on, as if nothing had ever happened. Ginny had to remind herself: nothing did happen, nothing did happen. Ginny watched him disappear into the Slytherin carriage and she suddenly felt determined. She needed to help him…even if he was never going to help her…

Ginny followed him into the Slytherin carriage without thinking. She ignored the filthy looks given to her by several Slytherin's inside and grabbed his hand as she caught up to him, "Malfoy! Wait…" She said firmly. Draco turned around stiffly and glanced down at her hand. His pale face was taught and Ginny whispered, "I'll help you. What do you need from me?"
Malfoy stared at her in surprise and then his cold, grey eyes blinked furiously. He whispered under his breath, "I need you to give me a memory." Ginny grimaced…not liking the sound of this. She whispered hesitantly, "W…what kind of memory?" Malfoy dragged her to the closest empty compartment and shoved her in. He closed the door behind them and swished his wand so that all the blinds fell down. He whispered urgently, "You need to kiss me."
Ginny frowned and bit her lip nervously, "But why?" Draco rolled his eyes and said harshly, "If you don't want to do it…you can leave now." He stared into her brown eyes and Ginny felt some sort of defiance trickle in her. No…she was going to do this. She whispered, "Once off?' Draco didn't respond but Ginny didn't care. She felt like being reckless…and Draco Malfoy was exactly what she needed to do that.

XXX

Ginny walked back from the compartment in a bit of a daze. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She had kissed Draco Malfoy! Not just kiss him…but full on snogged him! She felt her bruised lip as she walked to the bathroom and placed a concealing spell on it so that the others wouldn't see. She had just needed to let out some pent-up sexual frustration but people weren't lying when they said he was a Sex God.

She stared at herself and blinked furiously in the mirror. How could she have done this?! She knew how…she needed it. She didn't have feelings for him…that she was certain of, and she didn't think he had any feelings for her…but she was certainly attracted to him…physically.

Ginny drank some water from the sink and tried to slow down her breathing. She needed to act normal before she returned to her friends. They would see something was wrong with her. She felt completely dazed. When Ginny walked out of the bathroom, none other than Pansy Parkinson stood outside. She sneered at Ginny nastily, "Had a nice snog, Weasley?" Damn…clearly the concealing spell hadn't worked so well. She frowned and asked, "How did you know?" Pansy pointed at her neck and Ginny gasped. She hadn't noticed the mark he'd left on her neck! She placed a spell on that too and Pansy laughed cruelly, "Don't want your little friends to know you've been snogging someone other than Potter?" Ginny had been walking away, but she turned on her heel and snapped, "It's none of your business." Pansy smirked and shrugged her shoulders, "Depends on who you ask…" she muttered.

Ginny returned to the carriage blushing and she hurriedly picked up her scarf and wrapped it around her neck. Luckily it was snowing outside so the others didn't question why she needed her scarf. Neville did ask though, "What took you so long, Ginny?" She shrugged and muttered, "Got held up by Parkinson." She stared out the window while the others were talking. Draco hadn't exactly told her why he needed her to kiss him…but she gathered it had something to do with Voldemort wanting Draco to win her trust. She didn't question it…as she fell asleep.

XXX

Ginny woke up when the train jolted to a stop. She hopped out readily and pulled her trunk off the compartments on top. They all trod down the passage and when they reached the platform, Ginny hugged each of them goodbye. She hugged Neville last and he said in her ear, "I'll come and visit you over Christmas." Ginny smiled and thanked him.
As she pulled away, she saw Malfoy getting off the other carriage, with Parkinson following him. He met her eyes and Ginny knew it meant that she couldn't tell anyone what had happened. She didn't intend to either. She wasn't planning on being hated on by her friends. They would see it as ultimate betrayal against Harry and she couldn't blame them. In many ways…it was. She nodded subtly and then turned away from her friends and headed towards her father.

Ginny frowned and asked her dad as she hugged him, "Where's mum?" Her father shrugged and said, "She wanted to stay at home rather. I'd prefer her to be at home." Ginny sighed. Nothing seemed to have changed on that front. She hopped in the ministry car dad had borrowed. He asked her curiously, "So how has Hogwarts been? You haven't been writing much."
Ginny prevented herself from rolling her eyes and she whispered, "It's fine. The Carrow's are horrible but it's not something I can't live with." She had to lie through her teeth right now. She wasn't going to tell her father how awful it had been…or he wouldn't let her go back. Her father nodded and whispered, "And Snape?"Ginny shrugged her shoulders and muttered, "I haven't had much to do with him since he's been headmaster." Her father paused and glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes before saying, "Good. Keep it that way."

A/N: Hi All! FIRSTLY I know you guys don't want Ginny to end up with anyone or be with anyone except Harry and that's not going to change. However…she is feeling rebellious and is trying to find ways of coping with his absence and her rebelliousness. Please just bare with this because there's a reason for it! And torchy22 I agree it was definitely one of my stronger chapters, which is why I felt the need to write this.