And here we go again!!!

Change is Everything

By: Sporkchild

Chapter Eight: Maybe This Was a Mistake

"You actually said that to him?" Hermione burst into another fit of giggles as tears of laughter streamed down both her cheeks. Ginny had just told her, word for word, what she told Draco the night before.

"Serves him right, Ron would freak if he knew I had anything to do with him anyway. I'm glad he decided to spend today with Seamus and Dean instead," Ginny commented as she jerked a pair of tan jeans on.

Hermione nodded as she checked her makeup for the millionth time in her compact. Ginny rolled her eyes. She knew Hermione wanted to look absolutely perfect for Connor.

Audrey shuffled out of the room, saying nothing to either girl when she passed. She hadn't said anything to any of her room-mates since that night with Ron in the Common Room. Jayden and Demi reported that she hadn't even said as much as "pass the toothpaste," to them either.

Ginny figured she was extremely embarrassed by what she'd done and even more embarrassed by the fact that Ron had broken up with her only days later.

"I wonder if those rumors about her and Creevy being together are true or not." Ginny pondered aloud.

Hermione shrugged. Ginny didn't push the issue much further. She knew Audrey was a touchy subject for Hermione altogether. She'd heard several first years whispering about Audrey outside a classroom, and from what she gather, she figured Audrey wasn't well liked by her peers. She figured, also, that if Audrey had even a slight liking for Colin, she would know at Hogsmeade.

"Ready?" Hermione asked as she snapped her makeup compact shut. Ginny nodded and the two proceeded downstairs.

"This place isn't very crowded," Hermione whispered to Ginny as she followed her through the Hog's Head.

Ginny had managed to gather a substantial amount of people to go with her. Behind her trailed Luna and Ryan, Connor and Hermione, Neville and Jayden, Harry, and Demi. Seamus and Dean were off buying candy with Ron. Ginny's suspicions were confirmed, Audrey and Colin were an item. They had been making out against some brick wall. Ginny figured dragging the two of them with would've caused a fight with Hermione, and that girl definitely didn't need any fights when she was trying to make a good impression on Connor. Plus, everyone else seemed to like Hermione a lot better.

"Yeah, I hate sneaking around Ron's back," Ginny muttered guiltily. Harry then turned to Ginny.

"Why? What're we doing here? I thought we were just grabbing a drink!"

"It's all in the name of love, Harry dear! I'll explain everything to you in a minute. There's Mr. Lover-Boy over there Ginny, at the back table, trying to hide his face," Demi loudly proclaimed, gesturing toward Draco who was, in fact, sitting far in the back; and began blushing at Demi's words.

"Knock him dead!" Hermione whispered, but didn't say anymore when Connor flung his arm loosely over her shoulder and led her toward the table where everyone else was sitting.

'Obviously Draco's friend has no reputation that he wants to protect,' Ginny thought as she tried her best to look sexy as she walked to Draco. When she sat down, he gave her a meek smile.

"Didn't think you'd show, let alone bring the whole crew."

"Well, so-rry! I didn't want to feel uncomfortable sneaking around by myself. Besides, you'll have to get used to my friends as I'll get used to yours, that is, if we progress. I mean, with your little attitude and all, I'm lucky to get a "hi" from you in the hallway!" Ginny smirked lightly as Draco rolled his eyes. She knew that he would have a comeback; he always had a comeback for everything.

"And you're any better? Thinking just because you're so beautiful you can do whatever you want and go around stealing hearts left and right?"

Ginny's heart stopped in her chest. Did he just say that? She was so shocked, she couldn't speak. Had Draco Malfoy, Mr. We-Better-Keep-This-Secret, just told her in a round-a-bout way that he thought she was beautiful?

"Thank you," she murmured, lowering her head. Knowing that he thought at least that of her made her happy. She hoped it was only a matter of time until he would reciprocate her feelings fully.

"A girl as exquisite as yourself should have someone to tell her regularly how confident, smart, beautiful, and headstrong she is." Draco smiled again at Ginny, watching as her gaze fell finally to Draco's face.

"Do you mean that?"

"Would I lie?"

Ginny's first thought was to say something smart like, "Of course, we're talking about you," but she didn't instead she said, "No, of course not…"

"You sound unsure of yourself! Do you not think you're as honorable as I do?"

Before Ginny could respond with another shy answer, a loud voice interrupted their hushed conversation. Ginny was sitting with her back to the door, so she was facing Draco, so thank the stars, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Cin, and Buffy, couldn't see her face.

"Gah mate, speak to the girl in English and tell her you wanna shag her!" Blaise grinned; laughing as all the Slytherins arranged themselves around the table Ginny and Draco were seated in.

Ginny began trying to hide her face when she caught Draco's wide-eyed expression of shock and confusion. While she sat there, she saw Buffy giving her a cold, hard stare. She obviously hadn't figured out who Ginny was, but she knew she wasn't a Slytherin. Ginny knew Buffy from every rumor that went around Hogwarts. Buffy was either spreading them or was in them. To put it lightly, Buffy was a cold-hearted, calculating bitch.

As Ginny watched Buffy give her the once over with a disgusted look on her face, Blaise's voice rose loudly above the pub's quiet talking again.

"Hey, Sunts, who've you got over there? Yeah, that girl you're kissing! Bring'er over here, maybe she knows this chick Draco is with!"

As Ginny guessed, Hermione was blushing something furious. Connor, however, was calm and collected. He simply pulled out a chair for Hermione and at down next to her. As soon as she sat down, Buffy turned her piercing glare to her.

Hermione caught Ginny's eye as the others talked and the two girls began speaking in hushed whispers.

"They've got to know who we are," Hermione whispered out of the side of her mouth while shooting a fake smile to Cin.

"So mates, who are these two lovely ladies you seem to be entertaining," Blaise loudly asked before ordering a round of butterbeer for the whole table.

"Oh, yeah, forgot to introduce you to my new girlfriend, Hermione," Connor casually stated, giving a slight gesture toward Hermione. Ginny watched the girl who had been hiding her face with her hair, jerk her head up and give Connor an incredulous stare.

"Girlfriend?" Blaise spat disgustedly.

"Seriously?" Ginny asked happily, turning to face Hermione with a smile.

"And that's Weasley's little sister, Ginny! From Potions, remember Pansy?" Buffy's ice blue eyes narrowed to slits as she finally recognized Ginny's face.

Pansy nodded her head vigorously, eager to agree with her superior.

"That's right," Crabbed drawled out, his voice thick and stupid.

"What're you doing with the littlest Weasel?" Blaise turned to Draco, taking a long swig of butterbeer.

When Draco didn't respond, Ginny's eyes welled with tears. "I wasn't here at all. Draco," she spat nastily, "only stopped me to insult me. I'll just be leaving." With that, she rose and walked out of the Hog's Head.

"You inconsiderate bastard! If you ever so much as look at Ginny ever again, I'll fucking hex you back into your mother's womb," Hermione growled as she slammed her fists onto the table, causing all the Slytherins to shut up and slink back. Connor gave Draco a "how could you" look and he and Hermione followed Ginny outside.

Ginny was slumped against the wall of the pub, holding back close tears.

"Are you going to be okay?" Hermione calmly asked, cradling Ginny against her.

"So much for Draco changing. How could he let his friends sit there and be the assholes they are and bad mouth me?" Ginny inquired, tears threatening still to fall down her cheeks. She felt like a complete idiot for trusting Draco and coming to the pub in the first place. He was too proud of being who he was to be able to love someone who wasn't exactly like him.

"Don't worry about him, Ginny. In the end, change is everything," Connor whispered, watching as Hermione comforted her best friend.

"Yeah, and by the end of this week, Malfoy won't k now what hit him!" Hermione smiled energetically at her friend.

Ginny smiles and all traces of tears left her eyes. "Just tell me how, and I'll do it."

AAAHHHH!!!! And…done. Sorry this took so long…I forgot it was even typed out. Woops.