Hey! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but at least it's long, right? Right? Any ways, I was sick for two days and missed school so I had a ton of makeup work so I didn't write fora while, and now I'm at my sister's dorm room (she's in college obviously), using her insuferable laptop and it's taken me like three hours longer then it normally would have to finish this chapter. So I hope ya'll like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Unfourtunatly I am not J.K. Rowling and I do not own any of this so don't sue me. Actally,I have nothing to take if you sue me soI guess it doesn't matter.

Had it been up to her, she would have stayed home and sulked and eaten cake all night. Then Hermione had come to her for help for the costume contest, and she had accepted for Hermione's sake. If it had been up to her, she would have thrown a sheet over her head for her costume. But of course, aside from the fact that that would have been insulting to Nearly Headless Nick and other ghosts, Hermione had forbid her. If it had been up to her, she would have pulled the covers over her head and hid.

Of course, it was not up to her, so as she entered the Great Hall in a foul mood, she sighed and tried to keep her mind off of Tom.

Descending the stairs at a careful pace, she felt like a princess from one of the fairytales she had once so longed to live. Holding the hem of her dress up so as not to fall, she felt as if any moment the music would stop and every eye would turn to watch her grand entrance. Perhaps Victorian in style, though she wasn't sure, the black and red dress- more black than red- was striking, but not raffish. It fit her nicely without being unseemly (which, considering she had not given Hermione her measurements, was probably the result of a fitting charm). Where once the neckline had been so low as to be inappropriate, it now- heightened at Ginny's insistence- reached as far up her torso as her collarbone. While the actual skirt of the dress was black, an under layer of crimson became apparent as she walked. The dark material of the dress complemented her creamy skin and emerald eyes shone like gems from behind a mask as dark as raven wings.

She let out a slight sigh of relief as she reached the bottom of the flight, thankful that she hadn't tripped or otherwise embarrassed herself. The whole hall was buzzing with excitement. She felt as though she had entered a whole new world. The normal Halloween decorations-the pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, the dancing skeletons, the bats- were all up as usual, but were once the great hall was a palate of only house colors and dreary gray stone walls, colors of every shade whorled around her in a rainbow of shades. Like a stranger on a foreign planet she studied the strange costumes that surrounded her.

The music was nearly drowned out by the excited chatter of students and the exhilaration of the atmosphere was intoxicating. It was as though everything in Hogwarts had shed its dull exterior and come to life in vibrant shades just for the occasion.

"Hello, Ginny." Luna, from behind a pale blue mask, said in her singsong voice. "You look lovely."

Adorned in bright magenta robes trimmed in white, Luna herself looked extremely pretty, at least in Ginny's opinion. The color-amazingly-suited her and set apart her eyes, which Ginny until this moment had never noticed were such an unusual shade of baby blue, and flattered her pale blond hair. It gave her an almost ethereal quality. She had long ago stopped telling her friend such things though, because such trifle matters as beauty couldn't bother Luna Lovegood.

Luna linked arms with Neville's, who smiled shyly at his escort. Looking at Gin, he said, "You look amazing, Gin."

"Good. I feel like a moron." Ginny said. The costume certainly hadn't been her idea. Then again, she should have known better then to let Hermione pick it out unsupervised. They-Harry, Ron and Hermione- had probably taken her refusal to accompany them to the shop to pick out a costume as a desire not to go to the ball, which to some degree it was, but the decision was also guided but her newly acquired hatred of sales people. But she really didn't want to explain the story that had led her to an innate fear of sales associates to them. Ever since meeting Daisy that day at Hogsmeade she'd thought twice before entering any store. "I guess I had better go. I have a job, you know. I suppose you two have already entered the contest?"

They nodded.

"Darn, I have a bet going with Harry to see who can ear the most money by the end of the night."

"Well then off you go, dear."

"See'ya Ginny. Good luck." Neville called.

Dismissing all dark thoughts, she smiled and wandered aimlessly through the crowd of Gryffindors. Oddly enough, even at a party such as this the housed still seemed to stick to their own; only a few outsiders dating a member of another house dared to leave their respective group. Deciding the best place to start would be with the Ravenclaws (all of whom with the exception of Luna, Harry had been avoiding like the plague since the Cho Chang incident), Ginny, with a few polite greetings to her housemates, hurried over towards a group of Ravenclaw girls.

"Hello," She said, slightly unsure of herself, "Would any of you be interested in participating in the costume contest?"

One girl, a pretty brunette, sneered. "As if. Get a life."

Insulted and angered by the thought of losing to Harry, Ginny opened her mouth to retort, when a voice cut her off.

"Ignore her. She's just jealous of Hermione because she didn't make head girl. Michael and I would love to join, though."

Ginny was slightly unnerved when she turned around to face Cho and her most current fling, Ginny's previous boyfriend, Michael Corner. Though it was true she had dumped Michael, it hadn't exactly been a clean break. Awkwardness was bound to ensue whenever they were forced to be together. He smiled hesitantly and she, weakly, returned the gesture.

"Well, umm, gee thanks, Cho." She accepted the two proffered sickles from Michael.

Ironically, Cho ended up being her saving grace. Glancing back at the brunette, Ginny found the girl gapping, open mouthed. The pretty Asian girl was the highest on the Ravenclaw hierarchy, the pinnacle of cool. What she said, apparently, went, because almost immediately every Ravenclaw there formed around her to enter the contest.

Once she finished there, she glanced up at Harry, who was currently draining the pockets of every Hufflepuff in sight. Ron and Hermione, trailed behind. Ron looking vaguely annoyed and not doing much of anything, and Hermione, beaming at Harry's success. Harry saw her, and gave her a very self-satisfied smirked. Ginny, in the spirit of friendly competition, snorted and mouthed "You wish", to which Harry responded by holding up a bulging leather bag filled with what Ginny could only assume to be sickles. She would have responded but Harry was lost in the crowd once again.

Well one thing was certain, and that was that Ginny Weasley had no intention of losing, and that left only one option. Slytherins.

She expected malice, callousness, indifference and all around rudeness. The latter, she got in abundance, but her visit to the dark side was utterly lacking in the formers. In fact the Slytherins met her with surprising eagerness.

"Hello, I was just-" She smiled, waiting for the verbal abuse that never came. At least not in the level she'd expected.

"Oh, I was wondering when you'd finally get over here. Honestly." Pansy crinkled her little pug nose and tapped a stiletto-clad foot in impatient irritation. "Well then, are you going to take my money or not?"

Dumbstruck, she accepted the little silver coin form the girl.

"Oh, and Drackie would like to enter too." She offered another coin.

"Oh, no I wouldn't." Draco, looking almost as surprised as Ginny previously had, shook his head. Then, the surprise quickly turned to agitation.

"But wouldn't it be fun?" Pansy said, raising her voice in what she clearly thought was a flirtatious manner.

"No." He answered firmly.

She fluttered her eyelashes. "But I thought-"

"No."

"But-"

"NO." He brought his hand sharply up beneath hers and the coin, sitting in the flat of her palm, flew across the room in a silver arch.

"Hey!" She screeched indignantly.

Seething he said through gritted teeth, "Go. Fetch."

In a fit of humiliation and resentment Pansy stormed away, a swirl of lacy blue robes. Draco didn't follow. Instead, she watched as he crossed the room to the Ravenclaw who had snubbed her, and offered her his hand. In a moment they were out on the dance floor.

Blaise, appearing from somewhere in the background, shook his head.

"Can you believe that?" Ginny asked. "Mad as a hatter on Lollipop Bay."

Blaise quirked an eyebrow but didn't inquire about the unusual phrase.

She turned her glaze back to Blaise only to find that he had been pushed away by a crowd of impatient Slytherins, all waiting to pay to enter the contest. She accepted each with a gracious smile and polite 'Thank You" that would have made her mother proud. They met her graciousness with grunts.

One particularly nasty looking boy grinned maliciously. "Alright," He said, lowering his voice to a scheming whisper, "How much do I have to pay you?"

"Umm…a sickle."

"No, you dolt. How much to win?"

"The contest? I can't-" Taken aback when she finally realized what he was asking, she couldn't think to answer that.

He waved a thick stack of bills in front of her. "Just this once."

"Sorry, I can't. This is for charity and-"

"Screw the sodding house-elves. I want to win."

Finally comprehension dawned. The Slytherins, or the majority of them anyway, didn't want to help the house-elves. Probably couldn't care less. They were after the prize money. She stifled a laugh, realizing that the amount of money the boy was offering her would probably a least double the amount he would win if he, indeed, was victorious. Loser.

"Sorry, but you'll just have to compete fairly, like everyone else and hope you win. Though, admittedly, it's unlikely. A bit of advice -keep the mask on. Have a nice evening."

Turning her gaze to the next person in line, she effectively got rid of him. As the boy walked away, Ginny distinctly heard him say to a friend. "Stupid bint. Someone's already paid her off. Bleeding Gryffindors."

When the crowd had passed, she smiled at Blaise who had sat down at a table, patiently awaiting her.

She fluttered her lashed in an imitation of Pansy. "Wouldn't you like to enter, too, Blaisey-Poo?"

She smiled widely and twirled around as a little girl would, letting the skirt swirl around her. At the new discovery that her dress perfect for spinning around in, she did so again, giggling madly as the hem twirled out around her in every direction, almost up to her knees.

"You look drunk." He said, obviously amused.

"They spiked the punch." She replied happily, now spinning little half circles and then quickly changing directions, listening for the satisfying whoosh of the material.

"No they didn't. Trust me, I'd know."

"Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it." She said, smiling.

"I can't take you anywhere." He said sighing and sounding so much like her father that she had to laugh.

He offered her his hand. She raised an eyebrow. "Well, you look like you need a partner."

She smiled and let him led her to the dance floor. The tune was a quick paced solo by a young Myron Wagtail once lead singer for The Weird Sisters, who had, once again, broken up.

"What are you suppose to be anyway?" Blaise inquired.

"Morgan La Fay." She answered. Morgan, the antagonist from Arthurian legend, had always fascinated her.

"Isn't she…well, evil?"

"Evil is such a strong term. More evil than Snape and slightly less malevolent You-Know-Who, I'd say. She did try to kill Arthur more than once, it that's what you mean, but she also saved his life."

"Type casting?" He asked with a smile.

"Hardly. See, I wasn't exactly involved in the costume selecting process."

He said, "I figured as much."

"Right. So Hermione picked out the whole Arthurian theme. One guess who's Arthur."

"Harry?"

"Who else? Anyway, they at first wanted me to be Guinevere, but considering that Ron was Lancelot that was just…wrong." She paused and shivered. "Anyway, I insisted Hermione take the part while I be Morgan. She was a redhead, you know."

Blaise nodded as she concluded. He wasn't dancing as much as he was watching Ginny bop around with no apparent consideration for the beat of the song.

"You can't dance." He said after a while.

"Sure I can. This is just so much more fun."

"You're crazy."

"I blame it on the punch." She answered.

"What punch?" Colin, arriving at their side, asked.

"Nothing." Blaise answered.

"I was just wondering if I could cut in?" Colin asked.

"Won't your girlfriend mind?"

"Nah. She went to the ladies toilet to 'freshen up' which means she'll be gone at least an hour."

"Well, fine but, I think Ginny might get lonely." Blaise smiled and put his arm around Colin's waist.

"Uhg!" Colin cried in disgust, and pushed Blaise's arm off, "Ewww! Ginny! I meant I wanted to dance with Ginny!"

The look on Colin's face was so comical that both Blaise and Ginny had to laugh. He was turning a shade of red that Ginny, even in all her redheaded glory, had never quite managed.

When he had gained control over himself, Blaise smiled and presented Ginny with a mock bow. "She's all yours. Watch your toes, though. I'm off to find Padma. As of now, she still refuses to talk to me, but the Zabini charm will win her over eventually."

"Not likely, considering I think she saw you dancing with Colin here. It'll take you weeks to convince everyone that you're not gay." Ginny said.

"Yeah, especially since everyone already thinks Colin's gay." Blaise answered.

"What? I am not gay!" Colin cried in outrage.

"Yes, darling, we know that, but the rest of the school doesn't." Ginny said sadly and patted his shoulder.

"But-but-I'm dating a girl!" Colin was looking more flustered by the minute. His face was a shade of red that rivaled her hair.

"Yeah, and I heard some guys in common room making bets on how long it would take before you dumped Marian for Justin."

"I-but-I-"

By this time, Ginny couldn't help but laugh at her friends. By the time Colin realized Blaise was kidding he had vanished, leaving a very embarrassed Colin and Ginny having an absolute fit.

"Stop laughing." Colin ordered, sullen.

"We're just having a bit of fun." She chided.

"At my expense." He replied.

"But you're such a good sport." She said with a smile. "Besides, I needed a good laugh."

The concern was apparent in his voice as he said, "Are you thinking about-"

"Dancing." She said, cutting him off. "Isn't that the reason you came over here and endured that verbal beating in the first place?"

Colin, a man of strange interests, liked to swing dance; he had somehow convince Marian to take classes with him in their spare time. Standing nearly a head taller than her escort, swing dancing to alternative rock and wearing a dress taken straight from the fifteen hundreds, she was sure they made for an odd picture, which only proved to make her smile wider. Colin, not really understanding her amusement but encouraged by her smile, spun her outward as she yielded to a fit of giggles. Happily, she spun back into him. Unfortunately it wasn't Colin who caught her.

"What the heck are you doing Weasley?"

"They spiked the punch." She answered without thinking. She looked up to see whom she had crashed into. Draco Malfoy. Why did he always manage to see her every time she did something clumsy? "Ah, I mean-I-"

"You know what? Don't care. Though I am glad I bumped into you." She rolled her eyes; bad pun. "Hey, Creevey? Bug off."

Colin looked uncertainly at Ginny. Draco laughed. "What, you think I'm going to take advantage of her in her drunken state?"

"I'm not drunk." She snapped.

"I can change that." He answered, sneering.

"Hey, Malfoy…"Colin tried his best to puff up and look intimidating.

"What? Are you going to fight me?" Draco asked, clearly amused; Colin, small compared to Ginny, was dwarfed compared to Malfoy. Ginny slapped Draco on the shoulder just hard enough for a rewarding thwap. Not a playful slap, but also not the full out blows he'd received from her before. A warning.

"Look, Creevey, I'm not going to hurt her. I just need to talk to Weaselette for a minute."

Her friend looked doubtful.

"It's okay, Colin. I'll be right back."

"Okay, but stay where I can see you!" Colin yelled at their retreating figures.

Ginny, much to Malfoy's surprise put her hands on his shoulder and led him to a somewhat secluded corner.

"Weasley, I know you find me irresistible, but snogging me senseless in middle of a party hardly seems right. We should at least find a broom closet first."

"That's disgusting."

"Well, pushing me into a dark corner makes one think you're trying to seduce me."

"I say again- that's disgusting.

"Then why, pray tell, have you lead me to said corner?"

"Well you didn't really think I'd trust you enough to follow you off into a dark corner where you could murder me in peace did you? I like it here. Lots of witnesses."

"Don't you think a Malfoy and Weasley talking together will arouse some suspicion?" He asked.

"We're in costume, remember?"

Draco snorted; his silver-blond hair was almost as noticeable as her Weasley-red. The likelihood of them not being recognized was little to none. Besides, dressed in a black shirt and black slacks, the only thing costume-like about his costume was the long cloak and black mask he'd worn to appease Pansy's whining.

"What ever. I needed to talk to you about…you know."

He slid an arm to her neck where the necklace still hung. He seemed to be examining it with great care and Ginny was suddenly very self-conscious.

"Have you found a place?" He asked not removing his eyes from her collarbone.

Unnerved, she jerked away. "What is your fixation with my neck? What, are you a vampire?"

"Yes." He said sarcastically. "And I vant to suck your vlood. Don't change the subject."

"I need a few more days to…make final arrangements."

He looked skeptical. "A few more days?"

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Weasley, you forget who you're talking to." He wrapped his fist around the necklace and jerked, pulling her head with it and forcing her to stand on her tiptoes Now that he had her full attention, "I'm in control here. If you do anything stupid…"

"Calm down, ferret. I said I needed a few days, so give me a few days."

"Fine. One week and no more. Got that?"

"But I have a match-"

"Got it?" He said, giving another tug on the chain.

"Yeah."

"Good." With something akin to disgust, he released his hold on the trinket and turned away.

"Hey, Malfoy?"

"Yeah?" He barely turned to look at her.

"I thought you might want this back." She tossed a black something across the room and on impulse he caught it. Soft leather met his hands and he realized with a start he was holding his own wallet. "Thank you for your kind contribution to AOHEAP. We appreciate your generosity." She held up a gold coin, a glimmering galleon, before disappearing into the crowd.

Draco was in a rage. How did she always manage to get the last word? How, when he was supposed to be the one in control did she always find some way to humiliate him? He grit his teeth in agitation. That horrid little bird had some nerve. Pulling out the ring, he fingered it in frustration.

He had never met someone as…spirited as her before. Glancing at the clock he decided that it was a safe bet that she was asleep already.

Lying down and clenching the ring in his fist he said, "Entrar Rêve," and suddenly the world melted away.

"That was the most exhausting night of my life." Harry said, rubbing his neck.

"And tomorrow's going to be even longer? You do remember the terms of our bet, right?" Ginny said with a smile.

"Yeah. I still can't believe someone gave you a whole galleon. Who was it?"

"Malfoy." She answered.

"The Amazing Bouncing Ferret? No way!" Ron looked stunned. "How? Why?"

"I threatened him with another bat-bogey hex." She winked.

Ron laughed.

"GinnyWeasley! You had better be kidding." Hermione looked shocked.

"Maybe." Ginny said grinning mischievously.

"Well, I for one am very pleased with tonight's turn out." Hermione beamed. "We made nearly two hundred galleons for the house-elves!"

"Yeah, but Daphne Greengrass?" Ron said. "Why did a Slytherin of all people have to win?"

"Ron, be sensible. We had to judge fairly. Now, I'm off to bed. Night Gin, Harry, Ron." She punctuated Ron's name with a brief kiss before going up stairs.

"Yeah, night guys." Ron said, kissing Ginny on the forehead before going into the boy's dormitory.

Harry, sitting on the couch next to her, said, "Gin, do you want to come and sleep in our room tonight? Just in case the dreams come?"

"Thanks Harry, but I'm okay. See you tomorrow."

As she made her way up the stairs she glanced back at Harry's huddled form and couldn't help notice he looked slightly disappointed. She paused, struck by a thought. Halloween was a hard time for Harry. Her presence had not just been to comfort herself, but also him. Halfway up the stairs she turned.

"Harry? I changed my mind…can I come?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks, I'll just go get my blanket and be right back."

She climbed the remaining stairs and grabbed her sheets off the bed. "Hermione?"

"Geez, Gin. It's night. Go to sleep." Lavender groaned from her bed.

"Sorry."

"Ginny did you need something?" Hermione asked coming out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe.

"Yeah, I'm bunking with the guys tonight. See you in the morning."

"Yeah. Goodnight."

"Hello Ginny, darling."

"Go away, Voldemort." Her voice was filled with quiet determination.

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Voldemort, is it? Why so formal, Virginia?"

"Go away. I hate you." She spat. She tried to walk away, but turning she found him in front of her again. "Stop that."

"Why? What's wrong, love."

"Stop that."

"I'm truly hurt. You don't want to see me?"

"No. Get away from me."

"That hardly seems fair; I haven't done anything to you."

"Are you kidding? Haven't hurt me! You-"

He sighed exasperatedly. "That again?"

"You would have killed me! I'm sorry, but that's the kind of thing people tend to hold grudges about."

"I wouldn't have killed you. I need you." He took her hand in his and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "I'd miss you too much."

"You left me bleeding to death in the Chamber! If Harry hadn't come I'd be dead."

"Potter." He spat. "Potter came and screwed up my plans."

"Of letting me die?"

"Geez, woman. Get over that already." He teased with an amused smile. Then he sombered. "As soon as I had killed Harry I was going to bring you back. Stupid git just wouldn't die. I needed his energy for you."

"You…you would have killed Harry to…bring me back." She was in a state of shock.

"He's expendable. You, you I need. You're so powerful, so important to my plans."

"You're plans?"

"You'll join me and together-"

"I'll never join you!" She brought the back of her hand sharply across his face. She raised her hand to hit him again.

"How dare you!" He grabbed her wrist halfway and pulled her toward him. "How dare you strike me, you wretch!" He slapped her hard across her face.

"Stop! Stop, Tom!" Her eyes welled with tears of pain or possibly anger, though he couldn't tell. The word Tom brought him back from his rage.

As if something had broke inside him, the anger slipped from his eyes as quickly as it had come. His grip on her arms loosened. "I-I'm so sorry Ginny. I'd never hurt you. I just- I just-"

"Get away from me. Just get away. I never want to see you again."

"But Ginny I-"

"Don't say anything. Just stop."

"But Ginny I love you."

Draco's eyes flew open. His head felt like it was splitting open and the world was spinning. When his vision finally focused he realized he was staring right into the face of Harry Potter.

"Harry?" The voice was hoarse and groggy, not his own but not unfamiliar to him.

"Wake up. It was just a dream."

Suddenly the world was spinning again and Harry's face disappeared and Draco was left once again in the darkness of his room.

Harry was standing over her when she woke. Ron, too, was awake and sitting up in his bed.

"Harry?" She asked.

"Wake up. It was just a dream."

She sat up and sighed. "Sorry I woke you."

"It's alright." Ron said.

"Says who?" Dean asked grumpily from his bed.

"Dean." Ron said in a warning voice.

"Fine." She could hear him roll over in his bed. Then a moment later his sheets rustled again. "Well dash it all, I'm awake now and I can't go back to sleep."

Ron stood and turned the lights on. Ginny could now see that Harry's face was haggard and pale. Obviously he hadn't slept well either.

"Well since we're all up." She glanced at Neville who was still asleep in his bed. Nothing would wake him up. "Who's up for a game of exploding snaps?"

Sorry to all of you who were holding your breath for D/G action. Not so much in this chapter. I swear that this story will eventually earn its place in the romance catagory. It's coming, I promise!

I love my reviewers! A huge thank you toeveryone. You're better than cookies. Please, please, please review!